This collection of essays, collected and published in tribute to the economist Ashok Mitra is inevitably diverse, given the wide range of interests of his professional friends and colleagues. There is, however, one common threat that runs through the articles; a shared belief that ideology and experience, just as much as theory and policy, are inseparable in economics. The biographical sketch, written by the editor, outlines the extraordinary life and career of Ashok Mitra - academic, administrator, parliamentarian, columnist, and cricket enthusiast.