5 comments about The Age of Kali: Indian Travels and Encounters.

1. Age of Kali is a fascinating read. I have been to or lived at many places Dalrymple writes about in this book and so I can relate to what he says.
   I must admit that insights that he brings out are much deeper than my own even when I spent years living in those places. The most interesting chapters are that of Vrindavan, Sri Lanka and Hyderabad. The section on Bombay was a bit of a drag, particularly when after having written so brilliantly so far he got stuck with Baba Sehgal and Shobha De (the latter only a few English speaking people know anyway) and missed the pulse of Bombay.
   Both Bihar and Pakistan were equally depressing (not because of Mr Dalrymple), though insightful at the same time.
   This is a great read, cover to cover but appears more of a collection of essays written at different times rather than a fluent continuous travelogue. Imran Khan's story could have been cut short by several pages and the author's journey into Reunion Island, though fascinating in its own right, seems like a chapter from another book.
   There are flashes of brilliance in a wonderfully written piece but also dots of passable text.
   Overall a brilliantly written book about an extremely complex people and difficult times with the elegance of a master story teller and pathos of a native.



2. Wonderfull stories from India and Pakistan - unusual and well-told, but my Lonely Planet edition began to fall apart the moment I opened the book. After three days, all the pages fell out. Sorry about that, sez LP. Uh, yeah, thanks.



3. Some writers work harder than others. They write better than others. And they do it in a way that's so fluid and relaxed. William Dalrymple surely is one of those. You could pick up a Dalrymple book blindly, and expect to enter a world that's interesting, rich, crazy, chaotic and wonderful all at once.
   
   I've read most of his books. And I'd say you just couldn't go wrong with William Dalrymple--or the Age of Kali for that matter.



4. There are only a few things I'd like to add to the existing reviews of this book:
   
   1. In this book Mr Dalrymple is not really a traveller/travel writer, but more of a political journalist. He visits various regions and discusses their political situation/problems, with an in-depth look at the Bhutto Dynasty in Pakistan wrapping up the book. If you're looking for travel literature about India, look elsewhere!
   
   2. In addition to the stories from a few chosen regions in India, the book also has quite a bit about Pakistan in it, as well as a visit to Reunion, which actually is a piece of French territory, very close to Madagascar. The link to India is fairly weak, and it seems as if it was just included to make the book sufficiently thick.
   
   For what it is, though, it's a decent piece of literature!



5. This book was a fascinating and sad eye-opener, especially for someone who knows so little about India outside of one major city. The author has done his research. Bill Bryson couldn't have done better.

1 comments about A Guide to the Japanese Stage: From Traditional to Cutting Edge (Origami Classroom).

1. Japanese theater is at once compelling and uninviting. Compelling, due to its flamboyant and exotic nature, with the outrageous flair of Kabuki, and the obfuscation and mystery of the masks of Noh and the puppets of Bunraku. Uninviting, because of the ancient and ceremonial language, the centuries old symbolism and buried nature of the storyline. Even to Japanese people, the worlds of Japanese theater can be a complex and incomprehensible realm, requiring significant amounts of study before appreciation. Like Shakespeare, the more familiar one becomes with the meter of the language and the flow of the story, the more one can enjoy the pathos and humor.
   
   "A Guide to the Japanese Stage" is a fine introduction to Japanese theater, both traditional and contemporary. It showcases the four main styles of traditional theater, Kabuki, Noh, Bunraku and Kyogen, then offers a whirlwind tour of all the variety of modern plays and dances. The traditional theaters are covered in-depth, complete with popular play synopsises, styles of make-up, origins, famous actors, clothing and a surprising amount of detail for such a manageable book.
   
   Packed with photographs, the stunning visual element is richly displayed. While definitely not a photo-book, "A Guide to Japanese Stage" illustrates the text with examples of wigs, masks, puppets and all the stunning flair that is a hallmark of Japanese theater. There is a nice collection of Yakusha-e, popular woodblock prints of Kabuki actors that have been sold over the years during performances. Further illustrations detail the male, female and special masks of Noh, the significance of the make-up styles of kumadori Kabuki make-up and the various quick costume changes and special effects of Kabuki.
   
   Unlike most books on Japanese theater, modern theater is given its due as well, covering such things as Super Kabuki, Takarazuka's all-woman musical revue, Western-influenced Shingeki, and the grotesque dance of Butoh. Japan's theatrical tradition certainly doesn't end with the four classic styles, and an amazing breadth of work is on display. This is a rarely-covered area, and very interesting.
   
   Immediately after reading "A Guide to the Japanese Stage," I went to see a Kabuki performance and it was astounding how much more appreciation I had from previous performances I had seen. Able to recognize the "mie" poses, knowing the purpose of the onnagata dance, and able to piece together the plot from the "typical play" synopsises of the book, it was a much more rewarding experience. True appreciation of these theater forms does only come from years of study and exposure, but this book is an excellent place to begin this journey. I look forward to learning more, and to experiencing more Japanese theater armed with my new insight.

2 comments about Succeed in Business: Vietnam (Culture Shock! Success Secrets to Maximize Business).

1. Who'd have thought some guy from Oklahoma would write this pithy discussion of business in Vietnam? Few books exist on this topic but Mr. Chambers has written the kind of honest, straightforward business book we need more of.



2. This is a well written and informative guide. It is much better written, and much more insightful, than most books of its kind. It is very useful for any person thinking of doing business in Vietnam...in fact, I would call it "essential".

No comments about North Korea, 2nd (Bradt Travel Guide).

4 comments about Staying Healthy in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

1. I found this book to be very informative. It showed the vaccines that you should get but not only that. It told about the bugs and "creepy crawlies" that you should stay away from in your particular country you are going to. It told of the plants that are poisonous and to stay away from there water unless you have a purifier. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone who is goind to a third world country!



2. I have travelled and lived all over the world and I always have this book with me. Not only does it cover how to protect yourself, but if you do get sick it helps you to get better. I love that it includes different drugs for you to take for different bugs, and it tells you the exact dosage. This comes in handy when you are living in the bush in Africa, no doctor for hundreds of miles, but a well stocked pharmacy near by. I HIGLY recomend this book or anyone planning to travel or live overseas.



3. I bought a book back in 1992. Used it for travels to Asia and Afrika. Handy size can always fit your backpack, no matter how light you must pack. I used it for rough trips, as well as for trips around Europe with kids. The book covers all essential aspects that you will need for your travel: (i) which vaccinations to take before you go and what to pack, (ii) what precautions to take to stay fit and healthy, (iii) what to do in case you get sick and (iv) what is the bottom line when you really need to stop being your own doctor and need to find a physician. The book is well structured and you find in a second the topic you are looking for. I strongly recomend the book to travelers who are serious about staying healthy.



4. this book is a must have, for a person who's traveling in a 3rd world country and even more so, if you are not a doctor or nurse.
   
   its easy to read, small and compact enough to bring along and has tons of great info.
   
   HIGHLY RECOMMEDED!

No comments about Indonesia: Islands of the Imagination.

5 comments about Let's Go China (Let's Go China).

1. I used the Let's Go Eastern Europe book last summer and liked it so I gave this a shot for a trip this winter to China (Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha, Guilin, Yangshuo, Guangzhuo, and Hong Kong). Overall I like the way that information is presented/organized in the Let's Go books better than Lonely Planet, but this particular edition is due for an update. Some small (but possibly confusing) problems: certain large streets in Chinese cities have different names indicating the north/south/east/west side. This wasn't explained until deep in the book on a section on a particular city, but it is pretty important for orienting oneself. That should have been foregrounded and the street names for addresses and maps made consistent throughout. Also more detailed/comprehensive maps (with coverage of subway systems in cities where they exist would have been great). We came across a number of places that were no longer in existence, but that just harkens back to my earlier comment. It also would have been nice to have more Chinese on the maps (in addition to Romanizations) when asking for directions,etc.
   All in all, well done but there is still room for improvement. I would use a Let's Go guide again.



2. After just returning from a two week adventure in Chile, I found the guide book very helpful navigating through the major destinations in the country. Not only does the book give travel information, but interesting background information such as history, government, and social norms any traveler should know before setting off. The information is accurrate and really easy to use. The only flaw of the book is that it does not include some of the really small towns. However, these towns seemed to have no real major attractions in them. The book helps normal travelers and those people who like to experience a country on their own schedule.



3. This book was indispensable when my husband and I lived in Beijing for 6 months. I bought it together with Lonely Planet's The Best of Beijing, but found later on that I preferred to use this book because it contained a lot of leads to great deals on shopping, restaurants, etc. (Read: Good but cheap, and that's where most locals go) After checking out places from both books, I found Lonely Planet's contained a significant amount of "high end" places. Gave this book four stars only because I found that some prices quoted on particular restaurants are a bit outdated. Other than that, I loved it.



4. I just returned from Chile. This book was horrible. Maps were wrong. Prices, hours and addresses were way off. The section on the Torres Del Paine is absolutely worthless. I doubt their guide writer even went there. Buy the Lonely Planet guide instead. I ended up throwing the Lets Go away and borrowing a Lonely Planet guide from a fellow traveler.



5. I used this book two years ago during a trip that took me from Hong Kong to GuangZhou, XiAn, TianShui, JiaYuGuan, DunHuang and Urumqi, and even though it was useful as a geographical and cultural guide, ALL the prices were way way off for all the places I visited in XiAn and Western China. I don't know about Eastern China, but the prices to most of the hotels and sights/parks were actually DOUBLE what they were supposed to be, according to the Let's Go guide. Big big disappointment there.
   
   I ended up expecting prices to be double what the book said, and was able to plan the last part of my trip pretty accurately.
   
   Another big mistake was NOT to include the PinYin accents on all the city and sight names. In the Lonely Planet, you just look up a section about a city and you get the PinYin for it AND the accents, which are important if you want to pronounce the name properly. I had to borrow a Lonely Planet on China in order to find the names of the places I was going to and write down the tones so I could say them properly. Miss your pronunciation, and most Chinese people won't understand right away what you're talking about!
   
   Note that the Lonely Planet other travelers had was way wrong about prices as well for the whole of XinJiang and GanSu.
   
   I love Let's Go in general, but they need to work on this one a bit better! I recommend this guide, BUT be careful when you make your budget! Expect some prices to be much higher than anticipated, and if you speak mandarin, double check how to pronounce the names of the places you're going to. Have a great trip!

1 comments about A Year in Japan.

1. If you liked A Year in Japan (the book), you will love this, because it's reproductions of the best parts of the book, in postcard form. I may never actually send any of these postcards because they're almost too beautiful to send.

1 comments about Philippines - Culture Smart!: a quick guide to customs and etiquette (Culture Smart!).

1. The Philippines- Culture Smart! book is intended for the American or Western business traveler only. It only provides guidance for social and business interactions with a short term visit in mind. I find it amusing that the book attempts to give advice for the expatriate business traveler, but there is no way that this book is sufficient, even for a brief visit. As very quick guide (1 - 2 hour reading) for the first time traveler, on a very short trip, this book may help you avoid any hideous cultural mishap, but as for insight into the Pilipino culture, it is definitely lacking. I would recommend the Culture Shock! Book or the Insight book instead for those seeking the next level.

No comments about The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget 1 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).