"Srinivas’s study makes highly interesting reading for all who want to gain impressions that go beyond the “usual” information provided by many other studies on the Sathya Sai Baba Movement. She focuses not only on the aesthetic dimensions but also reflects the movement’s embeddedness in local cultural contexts."
Nadja Miczek, University of Heidelberg, Material Religion, Vol. 5, Issue 2

"Srinivas begins gently so that those new to the subject can appreciate the saint and his movement through ‘A Beginner’s Baba’. Here and throughout the text, a superb bibliography encourages readers to strike out on their own to complementary literature(s)."
Allen F. Roberts, University of California, Los Angeles, Journal of Contemporary Religion, Vol. 25, No. 2

"Srinivas' scholarship raises numerous interesting questions for future research. For the scholar of Indian religion and new religious movements in India, In the Presence of Sai Baba invites further discussion of Sathya Sai Baba as an avatar who combines Vaishnava and Shaiva attributes, and makes one curious about his place at Shirdi, the pilgrimage site of his predecessor."
Jonathan Loar, Emory University, Practical Matters Issue 2