4 comments about The Jesus Mystery.

1. The author does an excellent job in discussing the "Lost Years" in the life of Jesus, which include the years 12-30, and are not discussed in the New Testament (the Bible makes reference to Jesus only as a youth, and then as an adult). The Book discusses why Jesus, as a youth, left his home to migrate eastward to learn about the Vedic teachings which were present in India, Nepal and Tibet, and then later spread those teachings which he learned there to the West. Although this book may present an extreme controversy for an Occidental, the Author truly conveys her deep love and respect for Lord Jesus Christ. After reading this book, one should go back and read the Sermon on the Mount, and then you can truly see the uniformity (rather than the separation) between Chistianity and Hinduism.



2. I felt the book dealt with the issue of the teenage and early adult years of Jesus in a very realistic fashion. It was both eye opening and informative. I also noticed that the author, Janet Bock, had a video on the same subject, but I have been unable to locate a copy of it. If any readers could direct me to a site where I could purchase or see a copy I would appreciate it. Sincerely, Jim Handlin



3. Anyone with an open mind will find the author's exploration of the early years of Jesus'life fascinating. This is a must read for Christians and seekers of all faiths.



4. I thought it would be a rich study...But the authors are not at all specialists in the subject...They are not very scientific in their approach and present their findings in a very diffuse, not well organised manner..very amateurish style all way through....There are so many books on the same subject, with a more professional format and presentation....
   EX.
   Search for the historical Jesus by Fida Hassnain
   Jesus lived in India by Kersten
   Jesus in Heaven on Earth by Khwaja Nazir Ahmad
   Jesus in Kashmir, the lost Tomb by Suzanne Olsson
   
   
   Believe me, don't waste your money in buying this one...There are more complete studies like those I suggested here...
   The authors went to India to collect information on Jesus' presence there, but they do not seem to be aware that the tomb of Jesus as well is in Kashmir. They do not touch at all on a possible post-crucifixion life of Jesus in India....Everything they find themselves is already included in the books of the other major researchers like Hassnain and Olsson or Kersten.

5 comments about Touching My Father's Soul: A Sherpa's Journey to the Top of Everest.

1. This book was absorbing emotionally and stimulating intellectually. It is the only book about the 1996 Mount Everest disaster written by a Sherpa, the indigenous people who work as porters and guides for commercial expeditions. I have read about five of the books written after the disaster, and wondered about the Sherpa point of view as there was surprisingly little mention of them.

   The other books only mentioned them in passing and in terms of what the Sherpas did for the expedition. Jamling Tenzig Norgay, the author, experiences this attitude. After the disaster, he and his team stay at Base Camp. He wrote, "The other Sherpas were hanging out in a depressed funk. Some of them hadn't gotten so much as a thank-you from the guided clients whom they assisted down the mountain, often after exceptional struggle. The clients simply disappeared, some without saying goodbye. We notice this kind of behavior."

   Norgay was skeptical about Buddhism at the beginning of the climb- but gradually came to believe in it. He requests and receives divinations from llamas- and uses their information as part of his decision-making. The book provides fascinating beginner's information that is accessible to someone like me who is just learning about Buddhism. He describes spirituality in a practical matter.
   

   For example, he says, "in the icefall, as in the mountains, we hope we have been imbued with enough tsin-lap to handle any situation. Tsin-lap is roughly translated as "blessing", but it really means the mental ability and strength to allow our minds to be changed in the direction of complete awareness. When we pray to the wisdom deities, to the Buddhas, we pray for tsin-lap." He talks about the fact that he and the other Sherpas who carry loads for the team hike over each trail numerous times. This improves their athletic ability and knowledge of the mountain.

   Norgay, spent over a decade in the United States and was also deeply familiar the clients who were paying to climb the mountains who were mostly from industrialized countries. The author does not idealize the Sherpas. He describes the positive parts of their culture, but also tells the reader that the main reason they are on the mountain is as a profession. It is to earn money. He explains that many of the Sherpas risked their lives for their clients during the disaster. But some expected a large award to be posted on the radio. It is not clear whether they might have saved the lives of their guide had an award been offered. Wong Chu, the sirdar responsible for logistics, kept a stick in the kitchen and "would whack miscreant Sherpas on the butt when they acted up. `You came here to do work.' he would say loudly."

   Norgay is the son of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa who accompanied Edmund Hillary on the first successful attempt of the summit of Mount Everest. His story is interwoven with his father's story. And by the end of the book, you can see that the son had climbed two mountains- a real one and the metaphorical on that each of us must climb to integrate our past with our present and future.




2. Nor what I expected and rather a disappointment, this books seems to be a local writer and a son cashing in on the family name. There is little excitement or depth of character exhibited here and the work seems unlikely to be that of a man Himalayan born and bred. Who actually wrote these words ? Whose thoughts are they ? Not Sherpa thoughts I think.
   Far better is another book I have just read - Tenzing and the Sherpas of Everest by Tenzing's grandson, Tashi - an uplifting and honourable book about the Sherpas. It is simple and seems to me to truly represent the Sherpa viewpoint. This guy seems to be a true climber and talks like one. A far better book than Jamling's.



3. Excellent book! The way I view it, it's 3 books in 1: a book about Tenzing's climb and personal life told by his
   son, a book about his son's 1996 climb and his life and thoughts, and a book on Sherpa's life and Buddhist
   customs. I really enjoyed reading it. The photographs include some photos of Tenzing as well.



4. This book recounts the 1996 memoirs of Jamling Norga, son of Tenzing Norgay. In 1953, Tenzing Norgay was one member of the two-man team that first made it to the top of Mt. Everest. Jamling, who was born after Tenzing's historic climb, felt drawn to follow in his footsteps from the time he first understood his father's place in the world. In this book, he details the events leading to his own successful ascent up Mt. Everest. Along the way, he reflects on the lessons his father tried to teach him about ethics, culture, and life. Tenzing had once forbidden Jamling to climb the mountain, telling him that he climbed Everest so that Jamling wouldn't have to. But that's not how it works between sons and fathers--there are some lessons a son must learn solely through personal experience, and no amount of advice or urging will dissuade him from a path he is determined to take.
   
   In this book, Jamling recounts how his family lamas prognosticated a very dangerous season on Mt. Everest. As it turned out, Jamling would lose many friends on the mountain that year, all strong, experienced climbers. Although he had not been a member of the fated climbing teams that were decimated during those fateful days in May, 1996, he retells the stories of their tragic deaths as he witnessed the events unfold from the intermediate camps high on the mountain. All of these stories he tells from his unique vantage point as a Sherpa, a Buddhist, born and raised in India, and educated in the West. Thus, this book is quite different from the average climbing adventure story. It is as much a cultural adventure, a search for identity, and a tale of religious awakening with the Everest climb providing the backdrop.



5. I have read many mountain climbing books and this is one of the best. It is such a refreshing perspective from the sherpa's eye view. A great read.

3 comments about India Through the Lens: Photography 1840-1911.

1. the collection of these rare pictures of the time of british raj in india is gorgeous. reading this book is like visiting a museum. brilliant job done



2. A visual reference of museum quality for researchers, or just people interested in this country.

   This book accompanies an exhibition of photography collection of India for the period 1840-1911. These images are produced more than hundred years ago, during the early ages after photography was invented. Indian and foreigner found photography as magic, when using their camera to capture the surrounding environment to image. It covers powerful images about landscapes, people, architecture, etc from India.




3. The plain title does not begin to do justice to the richness and diversity of the contents. The numerous lightly sepia-toned photographs, many full-page and one a panoramic fold-out, are especially handsome as well as informative as to Indian buildings, royalty and their traditional wear, ordinary Indians, ruins, and landscapes and nature scenes. But even with these, the book is more than only a distinctive album of vintage photos of India. Essays by art historians and critics go into various aspects of the project engaged in by native Indians and colonial British to record India in all its diversity and foreignness with the new device of the camera, as if to preserve India before it would be touched by the machinery and pace of the modern world.
   
   Different native and colonial photographers were attracted to different aspects of India during the decades covered. Some concentrated on pictures of different ethnic groups; some on portraits of royalty; while others recorded the British administrative and military presence. With essays on several of the leading photographers, the book is also a survey of the field of photographic work done in India in the mid to late 1800s and into the early 1900s. Thus, "India Through the Lens" can be appreciated both for its exceptional, engaging photographs and as a introduction to the subject of photography in India.

5 comments about Temptations of the West: How to Be Modern in India, Pakistan, Tibet, and Beyond.

1. The author, an upper caste Indian, spends the book traveling throughout South-Asia from India to Pakistan to Nepal and Tibet. While he travels to some of the world's most exotic places, the book lacks a central point, beyond the fact that these countries are changing as a result of increased contact with the West, which is hardly a new concept. The author's stories of growing up and attending university in post-colonial India were the best part of book, since the author had a unique story to tell. His travels into the Kashmir are also worthy of merit for their detail.
   
   Many of the early chapters go deep into sub-details of Indian politics and were a bit hard to follow for those without extensive background on the subject.
   
   The rest of the book he travels around searching for a story but he never really finds one. While nothing he wrote was wrong, it was not very original either. I had the feeling he was trying to be an Indian Robert Kaplan, who articulates commentary on politics and culture through detailed first hand experience, but the book really never measures up. The title is also misleading.



2. Mishra is an Upper Caste Hindu Journalist who tries to show us the conditions of the States of the Indian Subcontinent as a result of Globalization and Modernization through his eyes and experiences. We follow him as he interacts with people in different castes, politics, Bollywood Entertainment, the Police, the Military, Militias, education, and simple peasants.
   
   We get a history of Indian/Pakistani Politics since 1948 from his experiences. We get a simple understanding of how India has florished while Pakistan has floundered. Of how the Congress party of Nehru and the Gandhi's have been overcome by the rise of Hindu Nationalist parties like the BJP.
   
   He visits the Kashmir and we can see how it became India's Northern Ireland with the exception that both sides are armed with nuclear weapons. The Troubles there are similar but the killing is magnified 10 fold as no human rights groups manitor the Indian nor the Pakistani armies for human rights violations.
   
   We get a glimpse of the Bollywood scene in Mumbai. How it is similar to the Holywood Studio system of the 40's(maybe the 30's as each film seems to have a song and dance number). We get an understanding of what is acceptable on film in that culture and why there was such a hue and cry recently over Richard Gere's kiss in public.
   
   Mishra's strength is that he lets his subjects tell the story of their lives and how the World has changed around them. His most compelling sections are where he relates his own life experiences. I recommend the book as an excellent glimpse into the cultures of South Central Asia.



3. Pankaj Mishra writes like he is having a long and detailed conversation with you. After spending a few weeks reading this book, I feel that he is a close member of my social circle. He is a true journalist - he does not preach, he allows you to draw your own conclusions. His facts will knock your socks off. This is stuff we never hear in our world of Fox News.



4. This travelogue/reportage is extremely well written with very deep analysis of the social forces that rule these places of geopolitical importance. Mishra has invoked the history in brief for each place to explain why the society there is turning the events in some particular way. He also explains how the hegemonic powers are causing tension in the lives of the people living there. However the title is a total misnomer, and does not convey the true value of this book. This book does not give a list of "what to do's" if you travel those places. It reports what the author saw happening in those places, tried to get interviews of some key players and explains the socio-historic background of the regions.



5. The title appears to derive from André Malraux's 1926 The Temptation of the West, though I'm not sure why. Regardless of its provinence, the title (especially the subtitle) is inaccurate, and has confused better and more educated readers than I. It would more accurately be titled Essays on Strife in the Subcontinent. This would have the virue of accuracy, as well as alerting the reader that this is a collection of essays that are not well-integrated. The 1-page preface promises something the book doesn't deliver, and is highly inadequate as a device to unify the book. Mishra's overall project would have been much better served by a chapter-length preface that provided contexts for each piece and showed how each fit into and supported his contention. I still might have disagreed that he had demonstrated his point, but I would have had a better sense of what he thought he was demonstrating. This doesn't mean that the essays aren't sometimes interesting or useful, but that they neither fit the title nor cohere; as such, Mishra does not reach the audience he intends.
   
   I was expecting a more socioanthropological text, but this a largely a collection of essays on politics. Mishra says these essays "seek to make the reader enter actual experience: of individuals ... and of the traveler" (i), but this goal is not realized by a number of the essays, which often offer page after grueling page of facts about Indian political history, for example, with no subheadings, no citations, no index, no individual or traveler narratives, and a certain amount of jumping around and repetition. The lack of an index is particularly annoying and makes the book useless as a reference should one want to use it for background when reading other authors of the subcontinent (Jhumpa Lahiri, for example). The lack of citations makes it impossible to evaluate Mishra's contentions or to understand where they fit in the broader discourse of Indian-Pakistani relations, for example.
   
   I am troubled as well by the notion of "temptations of the West" as ostensibly illustrated here. Histories of other Asian countries demonstrate considerable strife, brutality, abuse of power, corruption, and lack of respect for others' welfare emanating from and enacted by the colonial powers of the East long before Western colonization and influence. I am willing to be convinced, but Mishra does not take up the argument that this is a Western phenomenon rather than a universal one. The question of how to modernize in a way that integrates two cultures rather than subsuming one is vital and fascinating. However, Mishra generally does not address it, which was my greatest disappointment in a book that I thought would have this issue as a major focus.
   
   The only "temptation" I can spot is Mishra's often-repeated concern that colonial powers offer education but there are then no jobs for the people who have been educated. This is an important and realistic concern, but one that might have been best served by an historical comparison, if one exists, to the relationship between education and vocation under colonial China, for example. As it stands, and without context, Mishra's complaint sounds like an indictment of providing education to the prolitariat. I assume that this is not what he intends, but that is how it reads without further elaboration.
   
   Each essay in and of itself is interesting (though some are long, dry slogs for a reader who was not expecting 10-page recitations of historical facts between encounters with "individuals" or "the traveler"), but suffers from the reader's ongoing question of what each has to do with "temptations" or "the West." I am sure that I am missing a great deal here; Mishra's writing is highly regarded and taken seriously enough that he is the focus of some bitter disputes. For a reader with no or little background, however, it is hard to see what is special or interesting about Mishra's ideas. Though I read a great deal of history, and am conversant on several broad topics in Asia's political history, I cannot help but think that had this book's marketing been more accurate, I would not have picked it up. Having picked it up and read it in its entirety, I am incredibly frustrated by Mishra's lack of an orienting frame. By all means, read this if it looks interesting to you, but read 20 pages before you buy it to be sure it's what you think it is.

5 comments about Desert Places.

1. This is the most honest, earthy, exhilarating account of an expedition that I've ever come upon. In a sense, I've seen more of Rajasthan through Davidson's story than during my own brief treck into the Thar.



2. THIS BOOK IS A SPELLBINDING ACCOUNT OF THE ADVETURES OF ROBYN OF HER THAR DESERT SOJOURN. HER OBSERVATIONS ARE CHARACTERISED BY AN AMAZING CANDOUR AND DEPTH. SHE HAS ALSO EXPLORED DEEPLY THE PSYCHE OF THE PEOPLE OF THAR WHO ARE LIVING BY THE MYTH OF BEING CREATED BY SHIVA. THERE ARE STORIES ALSO TO THE ORIGINATION OF THIS NOMADIC RABARI TRIBE.



3. 'Nuff said. Ms. Davidson is a terrific adventurer and an astonishingly good writer.



4. I spent 2 years in India in the late 90s and this book began making its' way around the ex-pat crowd in the middle of my stay there. The word of mouth reviews were universally positive. While most of us didn't go through the extreme day to day challenges Ms. Davidson put herself through, we went through enough to completely empathize with her plights. Her eloquent descriptions of the often unending and unyielding discomforts imposed by India while, at the same time, it also offered the visitor delights and experiences you can't find anywhere else was simply spot-on. I recommend this book to anyone who truly enjoys travels and the self-reflection afforded through trips that take them out of their comfort zones.



5. I could not put this book down. Very thought provoking. An excellent read. A remarkable woman.

4 comments about In the Throne Room of the Mountain Gods.

1. This book outlines Galen Rowell's attempt on K-2. Rarely does a book bring together pictures, text and feeling as this one does. Along with Pete Boardman's Shining Mountain, I rate this among the best mountaineering books out there. This one is destined to become a cult classic



2. The laundry in this expedition gets aired in this book. This seems to be the book that the movie K2 was based on. A lot of the characters and events are similar. Rowell gives a lot of historical background from other expeditions to K2. Rowell writes this novel from his perspective, but he also uses the diaries from the other expedition members to tell the story. He also gives the perspective from the porters point of view, however, it seems like he is mostly guessing what the porters feel and think and I've never like that from a ethnographic point of view. Considering the trouble the expedition had, it's a wonder that any of them wanted to return. Some of the best photographs of the region are shown. Galen is great photographer.



3. Most mountaineering books chronicle successful ascents. Rowell offers an even more fascinating study in the failure of an expedition plagued by titan egos: famous mountaineers proving themselves no gods. The photography is... breathtaking!



4. I thoroughly enjoyed this account of the 1975 American K2 Expedition. The wonderful photos and the well-written text were some of the best I've encountered in mountaineering literature.

   I liked how Galen Rowell interspersed his account of the expedition with earlier accounts of K2 attempts, some successful and some not. They gave an interesting insight into the history of this tough mountain and the people who have climbed it. The journal excerpts from various 1975 team members were insightful and intriguing. I am now going to start on "The Last Step" by Rick Ridgeway, about the 1978 American K2 expedition. Apparently, this team wasn't without their problems either.

   I found it ironic, that after all the team discussion about the possibly negative implications of having a woman (Dianne Roberts) on the team, especially the wife of the leader, that she really figured very little in the disputes and quarrels. It was also ironic that there was still a lot of dissention and miscommunication amongst the team members on the actual expedition, even after the team expelled Alex Bertulis from the original team, due to lack of confidence in his ability to be a team player.

   Read it, you won't be disappointed. I gave it a four because I found the first couple of chapters hard to get into. But once the '75 team is formed, it picks up quickly and then is quite hard to put down.

   Unfortunately, Galen Rowell, the author of this book and a well-known photographer, recently was killed in a plane crash near his home in California with his wife.

5 comments about Prince of Ayodhya (Ramayana series).

1. Prince of Ayodhya: Book 1 of a retelling of the Ramaayana - in just that I can see most people forming a bias as to why they should not pick it up. But no matter what your bias is, this is a must buy!
   
   The author through his fluid narrative clearly proves to you that the core of this great epic is constant, eternal, alive... He has infused subtle depths to each character and draws each and every reader into the world of this Ramaayana. Truly it is his Ramaayana as each of the various versions have been truly works of their respective authors. It seems to me that he has taken their blessing and their wisdom, but reinvented the story as it is revealed to him.
   
   This series will be appreciated by readers who are aware of the Ramaayana or have read prior versions as much as new readers who are introduced to the rich fabric of Indian mythology.
   
   It is a credit to the writer that he has set the stage, and created plots so intriguing that even someone like me who knows how the events in the Raamayana proceed finds them keeping me guessing "What next?".



2. This book is a wonderful book. I first got this book from a friend who recommended it as a good read. I, being an American Baptist, had no idea that this story was actually a retelling of a great Indian Epic, full of bramin magic, horrible beast, proud Armies, and a great hero.
   
   Because of this wonderful book I have learned a great deal about a culture that I would probably not even really take the time to research.
   
   As for the actual story. It was an amazing story once you get past all of the Indian words that are used. Once you begin reading it is kind of slow in the first few chapters but once the story gets going you'll be amazed.
   
   I can't wait to finish reading this entire series and I look forward to the completion of the 6th and final book.
   I strongly recommed this book to anyone interested in a good read. Expecially to those who are not Indian as this book will open your eyes to different cultures and send you back begging for more.



3. Ashok Banker, I am your fan! You astonish me with your literary skill and your ability to describe things so realistically that we feel as if we are watching a film. The characters in this novel are fleshed-out and so easy to relate to that you feel as if you get to know them. An amazing endeavor, Mr. Banker, that has succeeded impeccably! Keep writing, Mr. Banker! I have read five of the Ramayana books so far (up to Bridge of Rama, no.5), and I am totally enraptured! Can't wait for number six! For those of you who have not yet read this series, do so now!



4. I've tried to read the Ramayana, but the versions I found were in heavy, tedious language which bored me to death.
   
   This version, however, was completely different! Well written and beautifully detailed, it was great fun to read.



5. If you are reading my Ramayana series, then I gently urge and request you to please not buy the UK or US editions, even if they're available at bargain prices. Which they probably are, since the publishers there have more or less put the books out of print, due to a lack of interest by non-Indian readers.
   
   The Indian editions are the definitive editions of my work, containing a lengthy Introduction by me titled 'Retelling the Ramayana', which provides an essential perspective on the work, the final versions of all the books--including some small but significant changes, particularly in some book endings--no glossary, thank God, and are generally the best-edited, designed and published versions, in my opinion at least. In short, they're the Author's Preferred Edition, particularly the new hardcover omnibus editions, which represent the story in the way I had originally intended and are truly sumptuous to hold (and behold). Also, significantly, they aren't packaged as 'Fantasy' or 'SF' like the firang ones, which is a ridiculously transparent attempt at cashing in on the commercial success of the fantasy genre a la LoTR and Harry Potter. Please, people, my Ramayana series is a retelling of an epic, and that's exactly what it should be called, 'Epic'. I'd venture to call it 'Itihasa', but even Mythology, which is the label Penguin uses for the books here in India, is acceptable. But certainly not Fantasy as in one of the ubiquitous Tolkien rip-offs that are churned out in droves by western publishers, or even SF, both genres that can sometimes be wonderful in their own right, but are totally inappropriate in the context of an epic that pre-dates Tolkien by some thousands of years, and the entire tradition of western literature as well!
   
   Frankly, I feel so strongly about this that I'd even go so far as to say, if you can't get the Indian editions, then don't read the books! That's why I'm currently in the process of re-acquiring the rights to the US and UK editions and they will soon be out of print everywhere but India. Which is how it ought to be: this is a quintessentially Indian story, written by a contemporary Indian for other contemporary Indians to read. And the Indian editions are really the only way to go.
   
   Ashok K. Banker
   www.ashokbanker.com

1 comments about Healthy Travel - Asia & India (Healthy Travel).

1. The region of Asia and India is so large, it will be impossible - even for a great published like Lonely Planet - to put it all in one book. All the advice you need, all the information you want, all the tips... It just cannot be done. This guide will prove interesting and even fascinating reading for the armchair traveller, or for those wanting an overview before they plan to visit the region. But it's not the kind of guidebook you will want to take with you. It's not a 'travel survival kit' as it claims.

No comments about The Rough Guide to India 7 (Rough Guide Travel Guides).

1 comments about Wallpaper City Guide: Mumbai (Wallpaper City Guide).

1. Loved this booklet! It really made our time in Mumbai less of a mystery. Many travel guides recommend so many things to do that one can get discouraged when under time constraints. This book has a great "what to do in 24 hours" section that seems like the must do's while you are in a place. Also, the nightlife and restaurant recommendations were amazing! I will definitly get one of these for my next destination.