5 comments about Seven Years in Tibet.

1. I enjoyed reading about the author's travels over the mountains and the challenges along the way. Then, upon finally reaching Tibet it was intersting to read about life there. However, after awhile I left like I was reading the book for 7 years as the book started to drag on.



2. I'm about half way through this book and I am amazed! I've not seen the movie yet so I really didn't know what the book was going to be about. What brave men these were! It's like a diary into these mens lives for a short time when the whole world was in turmoil. Definately read this book!



3. Before I start the review, let me point out, that Heinrich Harrer was a Nazi and did leave his wife behind to go mountain climbing in Asia. Now that is dealt with, this book focuses on Tibet. From when he escaped the English to when he fled Chinese invasion he tells a tale of surviving in a strange land, a strange culture and a strange language. His book is about Tibet, the people, places and life. About the brief period of time before the land of Lamaism was turned into just a part of China.



4. Adventurous, curious. The books reads like a biography, a travel book, a cultural study. Little by little, slowly, the culture of the distant mountains seeps into the reader's mind to open a welcome window on spirituality.



5. Don't let the fact that Seven Years in Tibet has been made into a movie stop you from picking up a copy of Heinrich Harrer's classic, real-life adventure. Whatever the movie's merits, or lack thereof, by most accounts the original story--the book--remains the best-told version of an incredible journey. Originally published in German in 1953, Harrer's Tibetan travelogue did not appear in English until the 1980s or become widely read until the 1990s. Harrer's tale provides the amazing details of his escapes, survival, evasion, and physical challenge. Beyond the reward of finally arriving in Tibet, Harrer experiences the greater victory of actually creating an enjoyable life for himself in Lhasa and eventually serving the Dalai Lama himself.
   
   Born in Carinthia, Austria, Harrer spent his youth skiing and hiking in the alps. In 1936, the author secured a place on the Austrian Olympic Ski Team and became the winner of the World Students' Championship Downhill race. Reluctant to make ski movies as a follow-up career, Harrer strove to win a place on a Himalayan climbing expedition. In 1943, the author was invited to join a German-Austrian team on the Nanga Parbat Expedition, which was led by Peter Aufschnaiter. After this second thrill of a lifetime, the young mountaineer found himself facing yet another unusual life challenge. After the expedition, while waiting in Karachi, India (which was then British territory) for return transportation to the West, World War II broke out. The climbers were arrested and taken to an internment camp at Dehra Dun, near the border of Tibet.
   After two years and two failed attempts, Harrer and Aufschnaiter finally succeeded in escaping. Their subsequent struggle to reach Tibet, and eventually Lhasa, required them to draw on every skill they knew as mountaineers and athletes, as well as their college educations and general handy man know-how. They faced obstacles and dangers--rugged terrain, the altitude, winter weather, diminishing supplies, lack of funds, injury, roving bands of thieves, and the hazards of traveling without documentation--that only the truly determined could overcome.
   As though a gift to reward their efforts, when the two men finally did reach the "forbidden city" of Lhasa in January of 1946, after nearly two years enroute, they were not turned away. In their isolation from the rest of the world, the Tibetans were just as curious about these two Europeans as Harrer and Aufschnaiter were about the citizens on "the rooftop of the world." In addition, the Tibetans in and around Lhasa assumed that any foreigner who had made it this far must posses proper paperwork. Once in Lhasa, the Tibetans actually found it quite amusing that these two men had managed to make it into the mystical city without passes. It was truly a feat, considering the measures Tibet's leaders undertook to keep out foreigners--in fact, Harrer notes that he met no more than seven other foreigners during his five years in Lhasa.
   While the first half of the book deals with the two mountaineers' struggles to reach the holy city, the second half of the book concerns the fascinating details of how Harrer and Aufschnaiter managed to ingratiate themselves with the locals, eventually becoming respected members of the community. Harrer presents his understanding of Tibetan daily life, culture, and society, and details how he established himself as a citizen. Harrer finds his first job when he builds a fountain in a friend's yard--which leads to more work as a landscape architect. He is commissioned to conduct a geographical survey, and later to construct a dam. He even serves as an ice skating instructor to the locals. Eventually his work leads the Dalai Lama's family to befriend him. As a result, he becomes a tutor to the young holy man. One of the more interesting duties he had was to make films of various ceremonies and festivals for His Holiness, and he is even asked to construct for him what might be the first home cinema. He managed to take advantage of his status as royal film maker and shoot his own photos whenever possible. They must be invaluable today!
   For many readers, the most valuable part of this book is that which concerns Harrer's interactions with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and his resulting observations. As an outsider and non-Buddhist, Harrer reports that the Dalai Lama was impressively intellectually curious and intelligent, hard working and full of initiative. Despite his youth, the boy king had already established a highly developed sense of diplomacy and vision for his country. As he helped this famous young man learn as much as possible about the wide world beyond, Harrer laments that Tibet's desire to remain neutral in world affairs and her resulting political isolation made her an easy target. If only this boy had had a chance to rule, he notes, Tibet may have met with a different fate.
   Unfortunately, both Harrer and the His Holiness' good intentions were foiled in 1950, when the country was invaded. Harrer knew his time had come to leave his adopted country, but he has remained a life-long champion for his beloved second home.
   Few places on earth conjure up as many images of tantalizing mystery as Tibet. Fortunately, Seven Years in Tibet offers us a unique glimpse, from a what is truly an insider's view, into the untouched culture of Tibet. Harrer's book is often regarded as the best account of the "real" Tibet, as it once was, and as many hope it will some day return.

5 comments about India (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

1. I have waited for over a month for this book and it never arrived! Of course my credit card was charged! Needless to say, I am very disappointed and will think twice before buying again!



2. The book "Eyewitness Travel Guide" to India was much more than I expected.
   Such beautiful colorful pictures and laid out in a very easy way of finding the material that interests you. The only drawback was the weight of it....so packed full of info. Thought I would take it with me on the trip, but my backpack would be quite heavy. However, have enjoyed reading about the country ahead of time and making notations.



3. This is a nice comprehensive travel guide for India with great graphics and suggestions. The only negative would be that it's a little heavy for carrying while on travel. The best use of this guide is probably for reading and note-taking at home prior to travel.



4. I bought this book to start planning a trip to India that should happen in 2009 sometime. I love these books! The pictures are beautiful and the facts and information help in planning places that I need to see when I get there. I purchased my first Eyewitness Travels guides when I went to Poland two years ago, and will only use this series when planning future trips! They are wonderful!



5. This is a nice book for getting an overview of India and picking out things you might want to do there, which is no small task in a country so large. It's more extensively illustrated than any other India guide I've seen. However, having been to India, I wouldn't want to use this book for the actual trip. It doesn't contain nearly enough detailed information about transportation, lodgings, and places to sleep, and its maps are pretty much useless. For actual travel I recommend the Lonely Planet guides, of which there are several for different parts of India.

4 comments about Come, reza, ama / Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.

1. Con humor y realismo Elizabeth Gilbert explora su esencia espiritual llevando al lector a encontrarse con ella cara a cara en su camino. Cada mujer que lee este libro puede identificarse con muchas de las experiencias de crecimiento personal y espiritual. Esta es una comedia divina que todas vivimos y pocas podemos articular.



2. Este libro es para cualquier mujer, de cualquier edad y condición, porque todas encontrarán en él algo con lo que identificarse.
   Gilbert aborda con cierto humor y con inteligencia temas como el amor y el desamor, la vida, el éxito, el fracaso, la espiritualidad, el auto-conocimiento y mucho más.



3. El relato de Elizabeth, permite no solo acompañarla en su viaje a través de Europa, Africa e Indonesia por un año, sino ser además testigo de lo que suele acontecer dentro de la cabeza y en el espiritu de mujeres de este tiempo. Nos vamos formando para ser exitosas, para vivir vidas emocionantes. La falta de propósitos más profundos nos llevan a decisiones cortoplacistas y descentradas. Sublevarnos entonces contra nosotras mismas y decidirnos a cambiar nuestro rumbo se convierte en una travesía como la de Elizabeth, dolorosa y larga, en la que el verdadero propósito es alejarnos de la persona que nos fuímos convirtiendo y dejar que aflore un ser, con un centro mejor establecido que nos permita empezar de nuevo y ser capaces de tomar decisiones y caminos diferentes.



4. This book is amazing. I bought it cause one person in my family is going through something similar and it has really helped me to give her advice. I haven't finish the book but i can't stop reading it. Definitely something that happens to many women.

5 comments about Holy Cow: An Indian Adventure.

1. Just like the author S.McDonald, who gradually falls in love with India, this book initially made me feel very offended to read how she describes India but gradually I overcame those feelings and started enjoying the book. Once I went past first 25 pages I too started enjoying the insiders view and insights that this Australian writer could capture in this well-written witty book. A great read and very informative about current life in India from Kashmir to Kanyakumari.



2. I, like the author, have been seduced by India.
   The self-deprecating charm with which she reveals her gradual awakening to the wonders of India, and her interactions with the people around her, are amusing and heartfelt.
   I loved this book, and I loved her.



3. Great book gives insight to the lifestyle and philosophies within the Indian culture. The book is about one woman's experience living in India. Well written, an easy page turner.



4. What else would you come to expect from a hippie who views India as a cesspool of drugs and other ways to get high?
   The sad part is, its morons like this author who use India as an emotional dumping ground and have the gall to complain about a culture that is rich. Ofcourse, we have our own challenges of corruption, greed, crime, by that arguement which country doesn't have? But to be stereotypical of this is not right, as it can have unintentional repurcussions.
   For example: I remember watching the movie 'Midnight Express' and thankfully i had some turkish friends who set right my understanding and the inherent flaws the movie had about life over there.
   
   This book comes of at best as a silly representation of what life is over in India. Yes, there were some chapters and situations that were amusing, but the simple part is, make an attempt at better research of understanding our culture.
   not surprised that this person is australian.
   
   Garbage: 2 stars.



5. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sarah has a quirky sense of humor that explores India in all its contrasts and contradictions. Like Sarah, I also have a background in psychology and I appreciated her interest in trying to understand why people are the way they are. For instance, through personal exploration she tries to discover why people are attracted to various religions and the role these practices and beliefs play in their lives.

2 comments about A Blue Hand: The Beats in India.

1. During the 1970s there were the punks, during the 1960s there were the hippies, and during the 1950s, and beyond, the Beatniks were the epitome of America's counterculture. Normally from respectable, if not wealthy families, and highly educated to boot, the Beatniks frightened conservative, Eisenhower era America with there drug use, displays of both hetero and homo sexualities, and willingness to embrace other counterculture figures as Dr. Timothy Leary. However, it was not only conservative America that gave the Beats an overblown image, those who supported them, those who read Jack Kerouac's On the Road and wanted to be the next Sal Paradise beatified instead of demonized their idols, and the true personalities of the Beats were hidden behind a wall of media and hype.
   
   In the past few decades a large number of biographies and autobiographies about and by the Beats making one think is Deborah Baker's A Blue Hand: The Beats in India really necessary? I must say that, yes, it is necessary because it sheds light on a subject, which, of course, has been written on before, that is usually only given a chapter or a few footnotes in comparison to the Beats and sex or the Beats and Drugs: The Beats and spirituality/religion.
   
   Although the book is titled A Blue Hand: The Beats in India, it might be more properly titled: A Blue Hand: Allen Ginsberg and The Beats in India because most of the book is centered upon the balding, heavily bearded poet who changed the American literary scene with his poem Howl in 1957 with the hoopla it caused along with the obscenity trial following its publication. Instead of being described as an icon or a demon, Ginsberg is shown as a man who is trapped in the memories of his mother, who died after going insane, and his Jewish upbringing which he is unable to extricate from his mind and being. After having God read aloud to him a poem by William Blake and others deities coming to him in various stages of chemically induced transcendence, Ginsberg becomes obsessed with finding a teacher whom can help him obtain Enlightenment, so therefore India becomes his Mecca and along with his longtime, and eventually lifetime lover and partner, Peter Orlovsky, Ginsberg goes to India to search for his guru.
   
   However, things do not go as Ginsberg hoped. He wanted to find Enlightenment on his terms, i.e. being able to find it quickly and through the copious use of drugs. A number of the self-styled gurus he encounters are obviously charlatans who are trying to make a quick buck off of white folks and those whom possess true knowledge are bemused by the presence of the American poet with his thick glasses and beard because what he seemingly seeks is not true enlightenment, but release from personal demons and an easy reason to delve into questionable substances.
   Ginsberg is an Orientalist who has exoticized a country and its people to help him seek things that he believes that he cannot find in his own culture. Instead of enlightenment, what he truly finds in India is a group of poets, like him, mostly highly educated and from well off families, who seek to leave their own county to find philosophies that they believe their own country and its "backward" ways lack, so therefore it is a meeting of Orientalist and Occidentalist, a meeting that results in disappointment.
   
   With Ginsberg as the core of her book, Baker does an impressive job sketching how other Beats fit around the prominent poet. Although arguably the most famous, especially for his road novels, Jack Kerouac seems to be the biggest homebody, reluctant to leave his mother, William S. Burroughs, with his decades of drug use, love of firearms, and considerable talent and intellect, comes off as a collected psychotic, and Gary Snyder, who went to Japan to find his enlightenment through Zen Buddhism, seems to be the polar opposite of Ginsberg, a man who is willing to take the time to truly learn the religion he studies while becoming enmeshed within his adopted society.
   
   At first, I thought A Blue Hand was going to be a simple biography of the Beats in India, but instead it, through Baker's through research of both primary and secondary materials, it is a literary biography in which she details the thoughts and feelings of not only the Beats, but the women in their lives and the teachers and Indian poets they encounter. This style was a bit disorienting at first for me because I am not used to reading books structured this way and I was a bit put off from reading it at first, but as I continued reading I was able to get drawn into the "story" and able to thoroughly enjoy the book. However, I did also have a couple of issues with the book, primarily there were just too many names. If one is not familiar with some of the lesser known beats and the slew of Indian poets Ginsberg meets, one can be quite at a loss while reading this book. While there is a semblance of endnotes at the end of the book which tells where Baker found her information, footnotes would have been a major help to distinguish who was who in the book. Besides that, the book gets a bit repetitive at times, such as mentioning Ginsberg's poetry spouting God several times, but that is a small matter which does not cast a shadow over the whole of the book.



2. Strange book. It left me with the feeling that if I really wanted to find out what that time was like for the major characters I'd need to do my own research. I thought Allen Ginsberg was represented as a rather pathetic, emotionally damaged, spiritually immature person. This may have been true, but how could anyone writing about him today possibly know that? Rambling and at times incoherent, the book disappointed.

5 comments about Nepal (Country Guide).

1. we were in nepal in recently and found this guide to be very useful and informative; will recommend it to anybody who is travelling to a new country.



2. I bought this book to prepare for my trip to Nepal. I found the advice in the book regarding cultural mores and appropriate behavior to be invaluable. The descriptions of places, restaurants, and hotels was accurate. I would have liked to see longer lists of accommodations. One thing I learned in Nepal is there are many, many more hotels than this book describes.
   
   Here's why I gave it a 4: if you are over 40, go out and buy reading glasses before purchasing this book. The font size is very small and difficult to read for those of us with older eyes, especially in the dim light of an airplane or a Nepal Hotel Room.



3. Lonely Planet has never let me down. It seems no matter where in the world I travel, LP has walked, slept, and eaten there! I am still looking for a place to travel where they have not been. Any suggestions?



4. Good overall coverage of the region. Listed all major activities from rafting, hiking, driving, or whatever. I would recommend it for people traveling there. I wish it would have gone into detail about the tour operators.



5. I really only used the info regarding Kathmandu since that is the only place I visited but the information given was accurate even the warning about the electricity going out all of a sudden for hours in the city. That was fun to experience and thankfully we read it in the book. The best recent book I could find on Nepal.

5 comments about City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi.

1. Dalrymple knows tons about the history of Delhi. The book is poignant but not a comedy as advertised. He weaves past and present by ambitiously visiting historic sites to wean the truth out of them while detailing present family life with an Indian landlady. There are also some sweet water color illustrations.



2. « City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi » William Dalrymple HarperCollins 1993
   
   « City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi » was my travel reading for my first trip to India in the summer of 2007, a trip which began and ended in Delhi. Having read other writers and other Dalrymple books on India before I set out, I read « City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi » first on my outward journey, and then reviewed it again as we made our way back to Delhi on the last stage of our tour. The book was an invaluable resource, supplementing the ill-informed and poorly spoken guides who were difficult to understand and unable to answer questions in any depth. Dalrymple's book helped me to tie the city and its sites and history together into some sort of coherent whole. I also found the pen-and-ink illustrations by Dalrymple's wife Olivia Fraser very illuminating. Although at first sight they struck me as much too calm and uncluttered to convey the true image of the places they posed, I later came to appreciate how they captured the inherent essence of their subject and spoke volumes in their simple way.
   
   As a journalist, Dalrymple has a knack for finding the right people to talk with - people with living memories of the time he writes about, who can bring to life the crumbling ruins they inhabit and instil us with visions of the beauty that once radiated in Delhi. It is certainly difficult to see today but reading the stories did help me to understand the sensibilities of some of the « Delhi-wallahs » we encountered in our travels.
   
   My one criticism of the book is that he reuses material that has appeared elsewhere, which broke the rhythm of my involvement with his story and made me feel uncomfortable. These passages were extensive, and not changed sufficiently to feel new in any way. I was surprised that his editors allowed this to pass, unless there were deadline difficulties.
   
   The overall impression that I was left with is that India today is still suffering from the reverberations of the devastation of partition, which brought incomprehensible tragedy and hardship and touched almost every family in India in one way or another. As we watch India vie for its place in the globalised technological marketplace, we will understand her better if we remember this recent back-story in her development.



3. I was born and brought up in Delhi, and lived there for 21 years of my life, after which I emigrated to the United States. This book made me feel that how oblivious many of us 'locals' are, of the many riches and insights that my home city has to offer.
   
   William Dalrymple peels the multilayered culture of the historical city of Delhi - seven times the capital of empires - ruined and rebuilt again. He spans from the Punjabi immigrants that've filled the newer parts of economically booming Delhi sice the partition of India in 1947; to the more historic but now decrepit old Delhi - where the legendary age old 'Persian' customs such as the 'Kabootar' (Pegion) fights, the 'Chor' (Thief) Bazaars and the mysterious 'Hakims' (Doctors practicing an old school of medicine) are unquestioned parts of the daily lives of many. Dalrymple also describes the curious and unique collision of history leading to the current day fate of the Indian Hijras (Eunuchs), who ring the door bells of apartments of Delhi's denizens, in the old city and the new, on any kind of festivity. He describes the fascinating history and architecture of the tomb of Himayun and Hazrat Nizam-ud-din, the charming old 'Quawaalis' (musical forums) still alive there, and many other monuments that I visited umpteen times as a kid, the 'Sadhus', an ancient culture intact with flavors... the list is endless. Somehow, I missed making the connections, and could see the beauty of the entire kaliedoscope when I read this book. I find my visits to Delhi so much more fascinating. One thing that the readers must be made aware though is the overt focus on history of Mughal (Persian) Delhi - which is for a reason - that all the pre-Mughal monuments were destroyed. The Delhi that exists is newer than the spirit of the city really is.
   
   Since I read this book I always try to find such books on the cities I've visited. A strong recommend for anyone visiting Delhi -- you can choose to be put off by the seeming boorishness of the existing 'New' Delhi, or scratch beneath the surface and discover magic!



4. I lived in Delhi for just under a year in the eighties, and if I had had this book then, it would have been a completely different experience for me. I walked by so much history in puraani delhi, and understood little of its significance. When I return to Delhi, this book will light my way into Mughal, British and Sufi Delhi.
   
   I agree with another reviewer that Dalrymple says relatively little about Hindu Delhi, but I think Delhi is one of the most historically cosmopolitan of cities in a subcontinent that is often painted as Hindu in broad strokes. I hope no reader takes as disrespect when I say that Hindu India gets plenty of attention; I am glad that Dalrymple focused on what cultural roads are less traveled. He does tell, and beautifully so, the story of the role of Delhi's ancestral settlement in the Mahabharata.
   
   What I loved most about the book was its portrayal of the vibrant Sufi community in India; the life of a Sufi dargah; the Qawwali singers. Learning about Sufi Delhi was a great and valuable revelation to me.



5. The first thing that is incredibly interesting about this book is the way it is approached. To call it a travel book, I feel, is diminishing the many other aspects & experiences this book is about.
   
   This book is kind of a diary of Dalrymple & wife's year in Delhi. And it is also a book of history scattered behind the sights, the people, & the culture. Dalrymple narrates compellingly, candidly, without biases & with plentiful humour. Stories abound - of the destitute but historically cultured 'old Delhi-wallahs' & the loutish Punjabi nouveau rich, of Anglo-Indians living in reminisce & poverty, of the Delhi eunuchs, of Dervishes that speak in parables, of partridge fights, of khalifas, of Balwinder Singh's buoyancy & lust, of Mr & Mrs Puri's idiosyncrasies.
   
   And while you're drifting from one of these interludes to the other, you're taken centuries back to the Kingdom of Shah Jehan, Aurangzeb's treachery & network of spies, of incest in Royal Harems, of Englishmen who smoked hookahs - some who became Indian in their ways beyond recognition, some who continued their English ways, of the partition, of Tughlak's barbaric ways, of the refined mannerisms of a mirza during the Mughal period, of the Red Fort & what lies beneath.
   
   Dalrymple is also an astute recorder of conversations. Some of the 'Indian English' that is spoken is in such sharp contrast to Dalrymple's speech, that you cannot help but get tickled. However, I do not think that Dalrymple's intention is mockery for there are plentiful other examples to the contrary.
   
   I definitely learned & relearned a lot from this book. I also developed a sense of Delhi's history & a empathy for it's present. And I smiled a lot.

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

1. I bought this guide because I think it is important to know something about a country's customs and etiquette practices before traveling there so one can be respectful of the country and its people. This book summarizes the customs and etiquette practices in an easy to use format and is also small enough to fit in your suitcase or to carry with you on your person.



2. I find this book very informative and a quick reference for Indian customs. Although, you cannot touch on every aspect of a culture in a small handbook, the author has taken great pains to explain ways and means. The only caveat to avoid faux paus is to actually memorize the customs before you visit.



3. I agree with the other reviewers, but I wanted to let readers know that much of this book is repeated, verbatim, in __Customs & Etiquette Of India (Simple Guides Customs & Etiquette)__ by Venika Kingsland. (Not sure who plagiarized whom...) Culturesmart India is worth the extra few dollars.



4. This book is a fantastic reference to anyone who is doing business with India either as a buyer or a provider. It gives comprehensive information about the country and its culture and should be an always-in-hand guide.



5. the book is great but the service from this source was extremely slow almost two weeks to get a book.

5 comments about India (Country Guide).

1. This book was very helpful. It has chapters on every region in India. It gives good hotel recommendations. It also describes what to see if you are only in a place for some number of days, which is very helpful. The only negative is that it is too big to carry around everywhere.



2. Right on time! Book in exact condition as described. Fortunately for me, the book gave me a critical piece of information that I needed a visa before I entered India that I had not realized I needed as a tourist.



3. The book was quite helpful in most respects. I was disappointed with one of the eating suggestions, it was the worst meal we had in India. The book saved us in Shimla when we were planning to fly back to Delhi. There is a strict weight restriction on luggage which we had missed in our travel documents. We still flew back, just sent the luggage by an alternate means. The book is quite complete and was very useful in many ways.



4. I like Lonely Planet Guides - having enhanced holidays in places from Myanmar to Maine using them. The LP India is particularly useful for independent travellers.



5. The book was informative. I was hope for a little more cultural and regional info and map content, but you can't have everything I suppose. The problem is how many books can you carry, especially this size? Do your homework before you go and then carry this book for hotel, transportation, and other info. I understand the rough guide to India is a good complimentary book. But you'll need another backpack to carry both.

5 comments about Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.

1. SHALLOW! I can not believe this is a best seller. It makes me sad to think so many people find this book good.



2. This is an exellent book for those of you who love the richness of grammar and descriptive language.
   
   I could not put down the book. Elizabeth's journey towards discovering herself made me ponder if I had discovered my purpose in life!!!
   
   Highly recommended for those in search of who they want to be and for those who have a light sense of humor.



3. I enjoyed sharing Elizabeth Gilbert's journey to find herself. Although she had a life many would envy her for, she was unhappy. I believe the fact that she took the initiative to do something about it and take time out in order to come to terms with herself is what this book is all about. While I feel that her decisions were selfish, at least she was truthful and determined not to deceive herself or those close to her.
   
   During her journey, she was determined to seek God. However, I believe she missed out on seeking His order and purpose for Man. In addition, she came to her own conclusions about God that I have to strongly disagree with. I don't believe that anyone can make his or her speculations about God and assume them to be true.
   
   Nevertheless, the success in finding inner peace and forgiveness is commendable. I did find myself getting a lot of laughs as I was reading! Gilbert's honest and realistic perspective is what made this book an enjoyable read. I like it when people say it like it is!



4. After seeing this book do so well, I had to read it! However, while reading it, I found myself wondering what all the fuss was about. While I found Gilbert to be incredibly talented with metaphors and insightful at times, she displayed an air of superiority that got under my skin and kept me from fully enjoying her story.



5. What a delightful book! I read it twice. Having been to Italy and Indonesia several times, I connected immediately to what Liz Gilbert had written, and I tended to breeze through India a bit too fast. That part was probably the most meaningful of the book and I'm glad I paid more attention the 2nd time around.
   What an inspiring story. The author's style is easy to follow. It's one of the best books of the decade in my opinion!