No comments about Prita Goes to India (Children Return to their Roots).

1 comments about China (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. I always go for these guides because of the color pages, photos, and maps. Visual aid helps alot rather than a whole lot of text which the other guides have. They have pics of common foods you'll see, etc. Wherever I travel to next I make sure I have their guide and one from Lonely Planet or Fodor's.

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.

2 comments about Mishima's Sword: Travels in Search of a Samurai Legend.

1. Christopher Ross goes on a quest for the sword used to assist in the suicide of Yushio Mishima, one of Japan's most famous authors. Along the way, the reader is treated to a history of Japan, lessons on Kendo, and insight into Mishima himself, and icon (or iconoclast?) of Japanese literature. In essence, the quest for the physical sword takes secondary importance, behind Ross's quest to understand the man, the times, and the context of his suicide.
   
   For those that read Twigger's Angry White Pajamas, this book is a more serious, and more culturally detailed view of the same genre. Perhaps the connection comes as Christopher Ross was the uber-guru that Twigger wrote about...
   
   If there's one issue I have with the book, it's that the writer at times talks down to the reader. For example, most anyone reading this has experienced international travel - the audience is a cosmopolitan set. Explaining the details of an inflight entertainment system detracts from the overall story.
   
   That said, the book is still concise and well written, and worthy of a read from any afficianado of Japan. It certainly earns a prominent place on my bookshelf!



2. I found this book by accident while waiting for someone, and I was enthralled by it. Ross uses the sensational circumstances of Mishima's very public and gruesome suicide to explore Japanese martial culture in general and tries to explain his own fascination with it along the way.
   While he keeps tracking Mishima's life and death as a guide to his narrative, it becomes clearer and clearer that Mishima is conceivably of no importance outside his role as a popular author of nationalist appeal, and that his very theatrical life and death actually stand for very little. His careful reconstruction of himself and his image is not so uncommon, and in the end there is just another guy coming to terms with the very big chips on his shoulder, although he does so in a spectacular way.
   But along this way Ross manages by description of his travels and interviews to highlight and clarify Japanese history and fascination with death in a highly insightful way.
   Sometimes this book is just about Christopher Ross: For instance there is a whole section, where he describes feeling unwell and having to interrupt his stay in Japan to return to the UK. One can't help wondering if his editor slept through that part, since it seems to have very little to do with the rest of the story.
   Fortunately these deviations are relatively brief, as is the whole book, and you have basically read past them before they really trouble you. The rest of the ride is wonderful for people who share Ross' fascination with the martial aspects of Japan.

1 comments about Xi'an, Shaanxi: Chang'an and the Terracotta Army, First Edition (Odyssey Illustrated Guide).

1. I purchased the book with the idea it was more of a history book and found out it was a travel book and not easy to follow. Great pictures and some good advice for travelers to china.

No comments about Out of the East (Lafcadio Hearn Collection).

4 comments about India.

1. Nice photos. But...
   
   On the one hand we have misty-eyed, politically-correct nostalgia for the few Moslem leaders who tolerated Hindus and Buddhists and were thus assassinated as apostate and replaced by their more pious brethren.
   
   Contrast this with the condemnation of the British East India Company depicted as a roll model for today's multinationals "who (sic) exercise the power of life and death over large swathes of the world." (p. 217)
   
   Give yourself a break and skip the text.
   
   Anybody know a good history of India?



2. This is a rich, affectionate travelogue of modern India. Among the best parts is its very good overview of recent fascinating developments in India's rich archaeology. The common tendency of archaeology to be used to gild Indian nationalism is noted, but not vigorously deplored.
   
   There is some obtrusive and tedious self-loathing by this post-war British liberal. He writes as if it were the British who were the bloodthirsty, destructive invaders, and Muslims who were the reformers and modernizers. He might read his Will & Ariel Durant, who assert that the Islamic invasion of India was the bloodiest in history.
   
   The pictures are stunning, and are worth the price of the book.



3. I bought this book hoping to better understand the culture of India. Instead, I find the book incredibly biased, dry, and extremely non-informative.
   
   The introduction of the history is a mess. The author doesn't seem to have any real understanding of India. What's in the book is like bits and pieces of short paragraphs copied from reference books.
   
   The analysis of the culture has absolutely no depth. The not-so-well grounded admiration of the culture makes one wonder whether the author has even been to India or know any Indian.
   
   Avoid Avoid Avoid.



4. History is an opinionated art form which must rely on science, technology and archeology to constantly refine its opinions, and sometimes convert opinions to facts. The history of India written by Indians and non-Indians follows a viewpoint defined by European sources, ancient Chinese sources, and medieval Muslim sources. While sometimes useful, this trajectory often follows an opinionated path, often colorized and divorced from reality, as illustrated, for example, by the opinions of Romila Thapar and her school of thought. The cautious historian does not negate any piece of evidence, be it archeological, oral tradition, living traditions, in addition to scripture evidence, preserved writing and paintings, rock-inscriptions, etc. It takes a great leap of bigotry to negate a whole set of traditional evidence as irrelevant, as exemplified by Romila Thapar, and unfortunately continued by Michael Wood.
   
   The book offers selected vignettes from Indian history from pre-historical to the current time. The book has a lot of valuable illustrations and photographs collected from museums in the Indian sub-continent. This is the biggest plus of this book, written by a documentary film-maker, and less a historian. Additionally, I liked his reporting archeological evidence from as recent as 2005. Unfortunately, he trashes Indian epics as non-history (never mind that satellite imagery has revealed the existence of the Vedic-era river, Saraswati, and the submerged city of Krishna Dwaraka off the Western coast). Then when he discusses British rule in India, he could not have selected softer kid-gloves. His credibility as a historian is shot in just these two aspects. As a historian he has fallen prey to becoming a victim of his opinions, rather than an unbiased examination of the evidence.
   
   Read this book for what it is - a film-maker's view of selected episodes of Indian history and enjoy the imagery presented. For authoritative history, you must look elsewhere.
   
   I am giving this a 3-star.

No comments about Malaysia: A Travel Adventure (Travel Adventure Series).

2 comments about Flea Markets of Japan: A Pocket Guide for Antique Buyers.

1. Theodore Manning's Flea Markets Of Japan: A Pocket Guide For Antique Buyers is packed from cover to cover with useful and useable information about the Japanese language and various beautiful and traditional items that can be found there. Packed with the locations of and directions to popular flea markets, simple phrases useful for negotiation, a brief glossary, and a wealth of basic shopping and adjustment tips, Flea Markets Of Japan is especially recommended for those who have never been to Japan before with a yearning for special souvenirs and mementos of their business trip or vacation excursion.



2. Manning has crafted a detailed pocket guide that catalogs all of Japan's major and minor flea markets. It has strong sections on both Tokyo and Kyoto. All told, 115 flea markets are listed. Each listing has directions, Japanese and English titles, a description of the items for sale, and a telephone number. Equally helpful are the Introduction, the sections Before Going Shopping and Shopping Guidelines, Things to Buy, and the annual Flea Market Calendar. Along with a section on basic Japanese, the book prepares the uninitiated on how to bargain, how much of a discount to expect, and what you might find.

No comments about Away From Home: Letters to My Family.