Consuming Bollywood: Gender, Globalization, & Media in the Diaspora. Anjali Ram. New York, New York: Peter Lang, 2014. 217 pp. $146.53 hbk. $39.95 pbk.As suggested by the title, Anjali Ram explores the intimate connection between the consumption of Bollywood films and the practice of identity formation among women living in diaspora in Consuming Bollywood. Specifically, Ram examines how notions of gender, nation, culture, and tradition are presented in popular Bollywood films as well as how they are known, negotiated, and challenged by the women who watch these films in their own construction of belonging. This is accomplished through textual analysis, participant observation, and in-depth interviews with both first-generation immigrant women and second-generation American women. As a professor of global communication at Roger Williams University, Ram brings much experience and insights to this project.Ram begins her book by devoting the first two chapters to laying a foundation of knowledge. She synthesizes major theoretical contributions from the fields of media studies, cultural studies, and anthropology that are relevant to the study of diaspora media audiences. Although this task is indeed a great and vast one, Ram manages to succinctly explicate concepts while also offering explanation for application. She draws heavily from Stuart Hall's works and studies from other Bollywood scholars, but readers will also find the research of renowned feminist and anthropology scholars.The subsequent chapters follow a pattern of combined literature review and analysis. At times, Ram will more thoroughly explore historical/cultural events or possibly introduce new concepts before delving into her analysis (making for a lengthy review) whereas at other times she simply reminds readers of key concepts or previous findings. Regardless, her transitions are seamless and logical, providing readers with just the right amount of knowledge to understand her arguments. The author also frequently combines her methods in chapters, which brings nuance and complexity to her thesis. Indeed, the book shines brightest as an example of well-executed qualitative research.The results of Ram's study are clear and multiple, contributing greatly to our understanding of how the media affects the construction of a gendered, transnational identity, specially located within the diaspora. Through interviews with immigrant women, Ram discovers how their consumption on Bollywood films is used to reinforce ideas about Indian (read: Northern Indian, Hindu) cultural values and thus establish a dichotomy between home culture and host culture, to re-affirm their Indian-ness by keeping up with the latest trends (e.g., fashion, music, or pop culture), and to serve as a place to combat feelings of alienation or isolation by offering a generalized and romanced India as something familiar. The author supports these findings through her participant observations of community events and textual analysis of Bollywood film. …