Reading works by Shanta Gokhale is a necessary journey that one needs to undertake. For oneself. Her book, The Engaged Observer, extends its meaning to take the reader into its world. The glimpses of a world, an era, and the people that shaped the world in a particular way for Gokhale have found a resting place in the pages of this book. But before one begins to read this book, it is essential to understand the mind of the one who wrote these collected pieces.