The Hindi script - called Devanagari - is a beautifully logical writing system. Its phonetic arrangement makes it quite easy to learn and once you know the basic four dozen or so characters, you will be well on your way to reading the signs, posters, notices, street names, signposts and advertisements that are part of the everyday scene in North India. This book introduces the characters of Devanagari one by one in phonetic groups, steadily building up your ability to read and write. It also gives you some information on the cultural orientation of the language, explaining where Hindi belongs in the history of Indian languages and showing where its words come from. There are hints for authentic handwriting skills and plenty of exercises throughout so that you can practise what you've learnt. Examples from real-life signs, notices and advertisements show you the language in context.