No comments about Wallpaper City Guide: Beijing (Wallpaper City Guide).

No comments about Wallpaper City Guide: Singapore (Wallpaper City Guide Singapore).

No comments about Osaka Travel Map: 2nd Edition (Periplus Travel Maps).

2 comments about Urbanatomy: Shanghai 2008.

1. Got my hands on an Urbanatomy Shanghai book from my friend who has just come back from there on holiday. This book is crazy - it covers about every inch of the city. It is kind of split into two parts - the front focusing oneach area of the city, the back on a load of sub-categories like food, economics etc.
   
   Never seen a guide, well this is more than a guide I suppose, that is like this as it goes into areas that you wouldn't normally see. And its all written like a Shanghai lovefest! There are loads of stunning photos in it too, particularly this guy Heungman who has done an entire Noir series of the huge construction there.
   
   The titles are interesting enough themselves with sections like - "soaring and sinking - a city built on tofu" and "doors of perception - creative visions in an opened Shanghai."
   
   It's good for a guide, or like me someone who is just interested in foreign cities - a real eye-opener about what will no doubt be one of the most fascinating cities for years to come.



2. I was excited about the publication of this book and excited by the review by Bill Heaton (above). Having relied heavily on the "insider's Guide to Beijing" (q.v.) while in that city, this book is somewhat similar and a God-send for those moving to or traveling in Shanghai, with many easy to use features (see the customer images at the top).
   
   Written by and for people living in the metropolis, it is half practical information and half "whys and wherefores" of this rapidly changing city. The photographs alone merit hours of study and I really appreciated the informative text boxes throughout.
   
   I do have a couple of peeves however, both of which I'm sure will be addressed in updated edition. 1) it desperately needs Chinese characters for names and addresses in the sidebars that flank each page. Knowing that the restaurant is called "Café Montmartre" is of no practical use in trying to tell a taxi driver or asking directions without the Chinese characters, and this is only availible in an exceedingly small, light font in the back of the index (and in the index, only the names are given in Chinese...to discover the street name in Chinese you have to look in yet a third place!). 2) The maps in this book are next to no help. Each of the 12 zones described in the book begins with a map, but there is no overarching map to situate the zones. Where the heck IS Zone 5: Luwan?? Is it North or South of Suzhou Creek? What other zones is it next to? Also, while the names of the streets are in Chinese and English, none of the maps have any of the venues marked on them, so that can be frustrating.
   
   I think this is a GREAT start, and I'm sure that with some tweaking the next edition will become an urban legend!

5 comments about The Heart of the World: A Journey to Tibet's Lost Paradise.

1. The Heart of the World: A Journey to Tibet's Lost Paradise takes you on a journey into canyons when no one as recorded before...breath taking..



2. A fantastic book for readers who are interested in learning about Tibetan Buddhism, the Tibetan culture and the Tibetan way of living, and readers who enjoy visiting and / or reading about exotic places on earth.
   
   I picked up this book right after a trip to Tibet with my 4-year old son and truly enjoyed reading it. It took me deeper into the land that I had just visited by illuminating a bit about its history, its incredible natural beauty, its people's belief system and, most importantly, the interconnectedness of all. It is a well written book and Ian Baker has done an outstanding job of getting the reader very close to the actual experience.
   
   Connecting with nature is certainly a powerful way to get connected in life and, once connected, the ultimate discoveries are often of the hidden secrets in one's soul.
   
   If you are not convinced about reading this book, I highly recommend viewing the related photos on hollot's site (find the site by doing a search on "hollot + sardar" since amazon does not allow posting URL's).



3. Ian Baker, explorer and Buddhist scholar, narrates a sequence of incredible journeys to the Tsango Gorge in Tibet, the hidden and inaccessible Beyul Pemako.
   
   The book can be read on many levels: as an engrossing adventure; the depiction of a man's passion, determination and endurance to achieve a goal in the face of incredible hardships; rarely described Tibetan customs; and the contrast between the spirituality of the Tibetans and the materialism of the Chinese who were penetrating the area at the same time as the author.
   
   The thread that weaves the narrative together is the inner journey that unfolds as Baker traverses the sacred geography of the area as revealed by Buddhist texts, Tibetan lamas and the experiences of the author and his team. Backed by historical textural references and oral traditions, the author encounters the living, pulsing presence of this landscape in the form of the body of the dakini goddess Dorje Pagmo and her energy centers or chakras. He and his team successfully access the throat of the goddess, the hidden gorge with its long-sought waterfall.
   
   After his arrival at the waterfall, his journey culminates in a visit to the sacred site of Gompe Ne on the banks of the Tsampo River where he enacted, as countless pilgrims before him have, a birth-death-resurrection using the sacred geography of the site.
   
   I was constantly reminded of experiences in the Andes, especially Peru and the Andean Path, where the exchange of energies between man and the natural world and its sacred landscapes create spiritual alchemy and inner spiritual transformation.



4. 
   I just started to read this book but found that this guy is getting involved in smuglling rare animals in Nepal. Read all the follwing news about this writer. And lets boycot his book!!
   
   1) Police recover illegal treasure trove from house of National Geographic writer
   
   KATHMANDU, May 23 - The Metropolitan Police Crime Division Hanumandhoka Friday said that a police investigation unearthed a large number of wildlife items and artefacts of archaeological significance at a house rented by an American national at Baluwatar in the capital.
   Working on a special tip-off, a police team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police Sher Bahadur Basnet on May 17 raided the house of Rajesh Maharjan which was rented by US citizen Ian Baker and recovered the items from the house.
   
   A police statement released during a press conference in the capital today said that the police team recovered the illegal items from Maharjan's house at Kathmandu Metropolitan-4 in Baluwatar.
   
   The statement added that after the recovery Maharjan informed the police that Baker had also stored more items at a rented house owned by one Khewang Norbu in Naxal.
   
   The police have also sealed off Norbu's house.
   
   Police informed that Baker, who has been living in Nepal for the last 24 years, had stored statues of archaeological importance, vestiges of various wild animals including skin, skeleton and statues in the Baluwater residence.
   
   The police have arrested Maharjan, while Baker is still at large.
   
   Reportedly, Baker was a features writer for the National Geographic and News Week magazines.
   
   2)
   Illegal items hoarded by American seized
   
   KATHMANDU, May 23 - Metropolitan Police Crime Division, Hanumandhoka confiscated dozens of illegally possessed artifacts, idols, wood craft and huge materials of endangered wildlife from the rented apartments of US citizen and legendary writer Ian Baker, who is also a contributor to National Geographic and several other magazines.
   Ian Baker, who has been reportedly staying in the country for over 24 years, was found to illegally possess a huge collection of archeologically important materials, including skeletons, statues and skins of wildlife in his two rented apartments located at Naxal and Baluwatar in the capital.
   
   Acting on a special tip-off, a police team raided a house of Rajesh Maharjan at Baluwatar where police recovered a huge cache of such materials.
   
   Police said they arrested house owner Maharjan, who told them that Baker also possessed illegal materials in another rented house at Naxal.
   
   Following the information from Maharjan, who is said to be an aide of Baker, police sealed the house. With the help of experts from Department of Archaeology and Kathmandu District Forest office, it was revealed that those materials were archeologically important, some even dated back to prehistoric times.
   
   On Thursday, police also seized dozens of artifacts, statues, skeletons, skins of wildlife, among other things. Senior Superintendent of Police Upendra Kant Aryal, chief of Metropolitan Police Crime Division, said the recovered materials were one of the largest collections ever confiscated by the police in the country.
   
   However, police said they were yet to ascertain the intention behind collecting those materials. During interrogation, Maharjan told that Baker had gone to Thailand after storing those materials in the house. Police said Baker has been absconding since police raided his two apartments.
   
   The country's law has banned people from possessing, buying and selling archeologically important materials. On the other hand, the CITES (Convention on international trade in endangered species of wild flora and fauna), to which Nepal is a signatory, also terms buying and selling wildlife body parts illegal.



5. 
   In this beautiful and gripping travelogue Ian Baker seamlessly ties together the story of his life-long obsession with the Tsangpo Gorge, the landscape history of the almost completely unknown Pemako region of Tibet (China) and that part of Tibetan Buddhism pertaining to the Tantra discipline and the Dorje Pagmo cult.
   
   Ian Baker is a well known photographer and explorer that has lived in Katmandu (Nepal) for over two decades, an inquisitive mind with a great culture and, from what seeps out from his writings, a sincere and well meditated Buddhist faith or at least a convinced respect for the beliefs of the populations among which he has chosen to pass his life. Recently he has been having some problems with the Nepalese government for a collection of artifacts and wildlife trophies but the story is still pending. However, in 2004, when the book was originally published, he was an inspired prophet of Buddhism, ecology and ancient Tibetan traditions.
   
   To understand the format chosen by the Author to narrate this engrossing ecological/adventurous/religious experience of his travels and discovery it is wise to refer to Simon Schama's "Landscape and Memory" that extensively explains man's relation to landscape during the ages and through different civilizations.
   
   Tibetans have always had a particular and deep bondage to their mountains, lakes and wild-life. Bon religion antecedent and integrated into the more modern Indian imported Buddhism (VII-VIII century A.D.) was a highly animistic religion. The Pemako region of Tibet, now divided between China and India, has always represented the body of the goddess Dorje Pagmo, with the mountains incarnating the breasts and the rivers the chakras of the deity and was believed by many to harbor the land of Shangrila. The concept of trekking on the landscape or as the Tibetans put it making a pilgrimage to particular power or magical points or beyuls (secret places) is actually an act of prayer. According to ancient beliefs "beyuls" have been established or discovered by Padmasambhava, who introduced Buddhism to Tibet, but continue to be revealed by scripts hidden in caverns by the Guru Rinpoche. In this way the landscape is an autonomous revealing source of religiosity. Only a precise knowledge and a longtime practice of this discipline at last consents the discovery or a better documentation of the unmapped part and the waterfalls of the Tsangpo Gorge, always known to the inhabitants of the Pemako.
   
   The geographical riddle of the hidden waterfalls of the Gorge had been longstanding. From the explorations of the pundits and the adventurous lords and scholars of the Raj looking for the possible passes into India (remember Kipling's Great Game), an unmapped tract of the Tsangpo River shows an unexplained difference of altitude from the down stream river Brahamaputra in Assam. Baker reviews the entire history of exploration of this tract of the main river of the Tibetan plateau, describing the personal history of all the explorers and their achievements. Particularly fascinating is the story of the Kingdom Ward - Crawford expedition that lead to the discovery of many unknown plants. Literature and science have questioned the existence of the waterfalls, but only Baker has give the definitive reply. Actually he has been eight times in the region, but the book extensively describes only three important trips from 1993 to 1998.
   
   Another interesting aspect is the marvelous and extensive review of the botanical and zoological diversity of the region, that is a real treat for those interested.
   
   The book has over 200 bibliographical references and many notes at the end of each chapter, more than 100 historical photographs and many by the Author and an ample glossary of Tibetan terms.
   
   The narrative style is discontinuous because it skips through many years. The day by day journal parts relative to the expeditions are a little repetitive and slow going but in certain points this represents an advantage because it consents the reader to get into the mood for example of the terrible meteorological conditions and the terrifying leeches and moreover the repetition of the sometimes puzzling Buddhist traditions, texts and phraseology allows a better comprehension.
   
   The final impression of this long book is that of summary of the achievement of a lifetime and as such it should be enjoyed and respected. Definitely recommended for those interested in geography, Buddhist traditions, adventure, and travels.

1 comments about LUXE Los Angeles (LUXE City Guides).

1. Los Angeles has been going through a revival of sorts with lower crime, new constructions, and fewer ghettos. It has become the largest metropolis in America and it is a city unlike any other in the USA.
   
   This guide is very small and easily fits in your back pocket. It has no maps or detailed description of any one destination. A few tidbits of why a destination was recommended is provided, but that is about it. I highly recommend to rent a car with GPS in Los Angeles especially since this guide provides no maps or directions (just the addresses).
   
   Los Angeles is full of ethnic diversity and this guide misses out on almost all ethnic related sites. It doesn't even include Chinatown (not as big as NYC or SF but worth seeing) and Koreatown (biggest in the US and one of the most hip places to hang out in LA. It has some of the best bars, clubs, and restaurants in LA. Just ask many movie stars who hang out there).
   
   The guide also totally excludes Armenian (largest Armenian population outside of Armenia), Thai, and Mexican locales. In other words, it is missing bunch of cool ethnic places you ought to be checking out.
   
   It does a good job of covering the glitzy and glamourous part of LA (mostly in the West side and Beverly Hills). It offers no shortage of places to eat, drink, sleep, and shop. Too bad it only covers maybe 25% of Los Angeles.

5 comments about Snakes and Ladders.

1. In the past six months I've read at least twice that many books about India, and of them all "Snakes and Ladders" and Wm. Dalyrmple's "City of Djins" have been the best. Gita Mehta is an exceptional writer who manages to combine fact and emotion in a series of elequent essays. The last 50 years in Indian history - her first 50 years of independence - are a swirl of social change in a country that is aswril in its every moment. When you think "India" you must think of a dance of a billion richly colored veils. Ms. Mehta plucks veil after veil from the dance and by describing the veil she describes India. It's a remarkable achievement, and a real insiders view into the politics, arts, and life of an extremely complex nation. Ms. Mehta captures India in a short 220 pages and in doing so presents a view that other authors might take volumes to display. Highly, highly recommended!



2. Lacking in depth and daring, this book is entirely unexceptional. Elsewhere one of the readers of Snakes and Ladders cites A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, now that is a wonderful novel. It delivers more information, more emotion, more understanding than this little book of magazine-like essays. I was very disappointed in Snakes and Ladders, thought it a waste of time and money. Read a Fine Balance, it's glorious.



3. Lacking in depth and daring, this book is entirely unexceptional. Elsewhere one of the readers of Snakes and Ladders cites A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry, now that is a wonderful novel. It delivers more information, more emotion, more understanding than this little book of magazine-like essays. I was very disappointed in Snakes and Ladders, thought it a waste of time and money. Read a Fine Balance, it's glorious.



4. I knew next to nothing about modern India, so I learned a lot from these breezy essays. Sure they wonder all over the place -- chapters jump from political topics to the draught to Indian yuppies, but for the casual reader, the essays are very entertaining and informatative. The effect is that of reading several short travelogues about India all in a row. Mehta writes well and makes some sharp observations about India's political development. I wanted to see more description of the various parts of India (the desert like areas versus the huge cities and vast fertile plains) because it is a land of such great contrasts. Most of the essays left me wanting to know more. I enjoyed the personal anecdotes from the author's childhood. Not a history book, but a good and easy to read overview for the Indian novice.



5. I have read many books describing the life, culture and natives of India. Being an Indian, I must say that this book was not only a good narration of India but also came close to real India on many aspects. The collection of essays is great and covers many aspects with interesting and ammusing language. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested to know about life in India.

No comments about The Rough Guide to Beijing 3 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

No comments about Insight City Guide Tokyo (Insight City Guides (Book & Restaruant Guide)).

2 comments about Knopf MapGuide: Shanghai (Open-Unfold-Discover Knopf Mapguides).

1. It's a good map but not great.....doesn't provide all the details of street names, etc. It does have some good travel information



2. Chinese cities are hard to get a handle on because they're so large, so having something set up by neighborhood really helps. This was one of several guidebooks/maps I took to China and used it a lot - without it, I was lost as to where things were relative to each other. The fact that it listed key attractions in neighborhoods was very useful. Chinese cities are WAY too large for there to be detailed maps. And the small size of this mapguide is handy.
   
   I'm a big fan of Access city guides, which are set up by neighborhood. This was the closest I could find for China.