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.

5 comments about In Light of India.

1. "In Light of India" is a book-length, multi-part essay in which Mexican poet Octavio Paz discusses the complex political, religious, and artistic worlds of India. Paz, who had served as his nation's ambassador to India, writes with insight and obvious affection for his subject.

   Paz is a masterful prose writer. His style is smooth and clear, and full of sage-like statements. Consider this observation: "Dialogue between a poet and a saint is difficult because a poet, before speaking, must hear others--that is to say, the language, which belongs to everyone and to no one. A saint speaks with God or with himself, two forms of silence" (p. 118).

   Paz covers many topics: India's ancient history, the conflict between Hindus and Muslims, the caste system, classical Sanskrit poetry, and more. But, as he notes, the book is not meant to be an exhaustive scholarly treatise. Rather, it is a very personal view of India: "this book. . . is the child not of knowledge but of love" (33). And as such, the book is rich in interesting anecdotes and fascinating insights, from Paz' account of his meeting with the guru Mother Ananda Mai to his reflection on the influence of Rabindranath Tagore upon Pablo Neruda.

   "In Light of India" is a marvelous companion volume to Salman Rushdie's "The Jaguar Smile": in that volume of essays, a writer from the Indian subcontinent reflects upon a Latin American country (the reverse of Paz' project). But on its own, Paz' book is a wonderful volume both for fans of Latin American literature and for those interested in India.




2. Octavio Paz has recorded his experience in India in a great way. I simply call it poetic. Because of the great distance between Mexcio and India, there has been very little interaction between these countries. The linguistic difference has not helped either. Therfore a book by Paz on India from his eyes as a Mexcican, is welcomme addition to the literature. It is definitley a book to have and cherish.



3. This book is an odd medley of genres and has a distinct "entre deux mondes" quality. It briefly starts as a travelogue, as Octavio Paz, describes his sea journey during the 1950s from his diplomatic posting at the Mexican Embassy in Paris to his first assignment in India where he would later return, in the 1960s, as Mexican ambassador. In many ways, I enjoyed these thirty odd first pages, replete with images from the crossing of the Suez Canal to the docks of Bombay and over rail tracks to Delhi, much more than the rest of the book.

   The bulk of the book is an impressionistic, enigmatic, and often confusing essay on Indian society, religion, castes, languages,and cosmology. Many of these difficult topics are treated too superficially for this book to be a serious historical or sociological analysis of India. While not the central thrust of this book, comparisons between Indian and Mexican history become inevitable as, for example, when Paz considers different outcomes from what he sees as a common experience in Mexico and India of an indigenous polytheistic culture colliding with an invading monotheistic faith. Or when he analyzes the impact of what he sees as two secular institutions supposedly brought to India and Mexico by colonizing forces - the civil service and army. It is rare for two important, but spatially and historically distant civilizations, to be analyzed next to each other in such a personal way. The reader will not escape a sense of forced comparisons by the author of very different historical and social settings.

   But the author does not claim rigor in his analysis of India, acknowledging that "this is not a systematic study, but a more or less ordered gathering of the reflections, impressions, and objections that India provoked in me." For the reader who can view these impressions of India from a Mexican diplomat and Nobel laureate in literature on a less obvious level, this self-conscious disavowal of profound insight into India makes the book intriguing. The author may shed less light on India than he does on his native Mexico,or Latin America, more generally. Perhaps, this is his real intention.

   The final pages return to the biographical style at the beginning of the book, giving glimpses into how Octavio Paz historically situates demands for political reforms which were emerging in Mexico in the late 1960s, from his vantage point in India. Ultimately, these political convulsions in Mexico, notably the student riots, culminate in his resignation as a representative of the Mexican Government in India. "I decided I could no longer represent a government that was operating in a manner so clearly opposite to my way of thinking."

   Readers of his classic on Mexican society "The Labyrinth of Solitude" will sense echoes in "Light of India" which Octavio Paz concludes with a short and tender poetic swan song to his diplomatic assignment in India, invoking the Hindu deities Shiva and Parvati.




4. This book is a lyrical remembrance of the time spent in India by Octavio Paz, a celebrated poet, who served briefly as an attaché in the Mexican embassy in India. It is a fascinating exposition of the country's landscape, history and the rich tapestry of culture. In spite of being caught between two worlds, his native Mexico and India, which assumes mythic proportions, he notices such a plethora of details.
   
   "The Antipodes of Coming and Going" is a poetic journal of his days in India. He notices with such clarity the extraordinary richness of sight, sound, smells and effect of India. "Religions, Castes, Language" gives an overview of India but has some factual errors. The occassional factual errors like "The British Empire, for the first time in Indian history, united all the people under its domain, something their predecessors-the Maurya, the Guptas, the Mughals-could never achieve" doesn't bother at all.
   
   "A Project of Nationhood" is where Paz compares Islamic,Hindu and Western civilization in their relation to India. This and the last section "The Full and the Empty" where he celebrates the soul of India - these two sections reveal the genius of Paz.
   
   His last question "In what time do we live"? is ever relevant in India.



5. Octavio Paz is clearly a deep thinker. His essays tend to be very philosophical, although for the most part, they aren't difficult to understand. His writing ranges widely. His comparison of Indian and Mexican food is fascinating. His discussion of the caste system and it's origins is enlightening. His examples and discussion of ancient Sanskrit poetry will leave you hungry for more.
   
   Paz looks beneath the surface of everything he writes about. You get a very strong sense of a man who is an original thinker. No supericial skimming or surface descriptions here.
   
   I found his Mexican background particularly beneficial. It gives him a different angle from that of an Anglo. This a very thought-full book.

2 comments about The Rough Guide to South India Map (Rough Guide Country/Region Map).

1. It is useful for travel to India.



2. Good detailed map but is missing northern part of the coast of Andhra Pradesh state as well as all of Orissa coast. The illustration on the front cover (with a red outlined square on a small map of India) leads you to believe that the map covers all of Andhra Pradesh and Orissa, but it doesn't.

5 comments about The Great Arc: The Dramatic Tale of How India Was Mapped and Everest Was Named.

1. Similar scientific biographies such as this book have become quite common. Longitude and Riddle of the Compass are two that come to mind. I personally enjoy such books as they usually take something that most modern people take for granted and explain the work and effort that went into various types of discoveries.

   The Great Arc is an interesting story of a very difficult subject. A survey of the Indian sub-continent was not only difficult due to the distances and the lack of computers to crunch the unbelievable amount of data, but also the weather and the various illnesses that seem to decimate these kinds of endeavors. William Lambton, who most people have probably never heard of, takes it upon himself as an officer in the British Army, to begin a survey of the Indian sub-continent done on an amazingly precise and accurate scale. The years that he spends battling the elements and the lack of help are well told. His successor, George Everest is an extremely difficult man to work for but he does yields some vast improvements to the surveying process.

   Very little time is spent on Mount Everest, other than to explain the origin of the name and some of the debate about calculating the height of the mountain range. Overall, however, this book was an excellent story on the quest to survey with almost fanatical precision a large piece of the earth and the men, many of whom died in the process, whod dedicated their lives and careers to thsi endeavor.




2. I enjoyed this book but perhaps not quite as much as John Keay's 'The Discovery of India'. Both books capture elements of the exoticness of India and even more so, the eccentric Englishmen who made their lives and endeavours in the country. As I have a mathematical background I would have liked some hard science details in the book - how does triangulation work with its dimensions of measurement (horizontal and vertical), how can independent checks be made by using astronomical sources, and so on. But I recognise that for many readers the omission of this material may be a significant positive!



3. A thin but inspiring history: how William Lambton, George Everest (pronounced EVE-rest), and other hardy and dedicated souls mapped a great deal of India. The Arc was a series of triangles plotted through vertical and horizontal triangulation, sometimes confirmed by fixing one's place by observation of the stars. This mapping required braving malaria- and dysentery-infested forests and plains; crunching the numbers in impossibly complex equations; lugging a vast instrument called The Great Theodolite over rugged terrain; contructing towers and scaffolding for flagmen and flares, and huge amounts of patience. The story is awe-inspiring, if only for the bravery of these pioneers, who often faced greater casualty rates than soldiers in the name of science; but I was most impressed by the precision of the survey under the given conditions. Every variable was predicted and dealt with, even to attaching thermometers to the measuring-chains so as to calculate the metal's expansion and compensate in the resulting calculation. In all this plotting, the measuring of mountains was incidental, but Keay also reveals how the bad-tempered Everest somehow got his name attached to the world's highest peak. This book is a fine work of scholarship and very pleasant to read. However, it is a pity that there is so little on the reactions of Indians to the survey: I'd like to know how Everest's own native contingent felt, what local villagers thought on seeing the great procession, what the survey's own Indian mathmatical genius felt about the project. Perhaps there is no record of their feelings, but that's a shame. Otherwise, this is a stirring tale of human acheivement.



4. An exhilarating history of two forgotten men, first William Lambton and then his successor Sir George Everest, who by sheer will power overcame enormous contrary forces to lay out the first geodetic survey of India. With more suspense than a Harrison Ford movie, John Keay tells us how the large teams that each Surveyor General commanded, from technicians down to coolies, battled numerous huge obstacles to triangulate the land mass of India. What's more amazing is that these triangles, dozens of miles on a leg, were accurate to within inches. It's hard to imagine the dedication of Lambton in 1820, working at night by kerosene lamp, evaluating complex trigonometrical formulas long before calculators were available. One numerical error in the fourth decimal place would cost months of backtracking, but few were made. Lambton and Everest loved their project.
   One feels the slow pace of life in 19th century India. Things could stop for years, and then pick up again as if no time had passed. This enterprise was comparable in its time to the Apollo project of the 1960's in effort and scope, but it ran for roughly 60 years!
   The story culminates with the first precise measurements of the Himalaya Mountains in Nepal. It is fitting that the peak that eventually emerges as the highest of all was given Everest's name (Lambton had died long before). And once again to our amazement, the altitude was correct!
   Not many historians are comfortable with science and technology. So for every book about the relentless advance of those subjects, there are probably 50 rehashing the political intrigues of Europe. But Keay writes in a fascinating way about men who spent their lives immersed in these fields, and about Lambton's and Everest's faith that the future would belong to science, engineering, and technology as they moved forward on the bedrock of mathematics.



5. This is a well written and fascinating account of the mapping of India and the measurement of the Height of Everest, or as it should be pronounced Eve rest. The account is certainly dramatic and the characters are just that. A book I found hard to put down.

No comments about The Customs of the Kingdoms of India (Penguin Great Journeys).

3 comments about Banaras.

1. This book takes one on a breathtaking Odyssey through the sacred landscape of the world's oldest and most sacred city: Lord Siva's eternal abode. Eck's approach is sensitive and captivating, her scholarship is impressive, and the result of her labour has been a preciously insightful and informative book. Anyone seeking God owes it to himself to learn about the Holy City of Kashi, where death is transformed into divine liberation, and reading this book is an excellent way to get started. As both a Saiva and a scholar, I highly recommend it!



2. Diane Eck has written the most readable and spiritual book on the city where Hindus make pilgrimage to bathe in the Ganges and to take their last breath in this lifetime. The book includes good maps of the bathing ghats and detailed information of this ancient city of temples devoted to Shiva and other Gods and Goddesses. I have been to Banaras and walked those crooked streets and Eck's book places me right back in that sacred place.



3. I first visited The City of Light in the fall of '89. When I returned for six month stays in both 1999 and 2006 I had Diana Eck's book with me; it made a rich experience even richer. As Eck writes, Kashi is not of this world, and her book - now well-dogearred - made my explorations more focused and deeply understood.

1 comments about Where the Indus Is Young: Walking to Baltistan.

1. I am an admitted Dervla Murphy fan, have read most of her books, and gamely suffer her occasional political rants for the greater good. Her books featuring travels in the company of her (at the time) young daughter, Rachel, are particularly harrowing: "Eight Feet in the Andes", "On a Shoestring to Coorg" and "Cameroon with Egbert" are fine examples, as is this book.
   
   Ms. Murphy goes where only the indigenous folks live, and, occasionally, where they are smart enough not to live, and, in this book, to the Northern Areas of Pakistan/India where it is now unlikely that a Westerner could venture, safely or not.
   
   Walking was her mode of travel along the Indus and, at the outset, she and Rachel enjoyed fine accommodations, to wit: "...we have a cell with dirty bedding, no table or chair, a fifteen-watt bulb, no water for the reeking Western loo, and no heating. (A few moments ago I had to stop writing to sit on my hands for long enough to thaw them.)"
   
   But the sublime power of ice, rubble, thin air and the stark beauty of the mountains worked magic despite ritual victimization by government officials and guest house managers along the way. By the time they arrived back in Skardu, Dervla was already planning to return.

5 comments about Fodor's India, 5th Edition (Fodor's Gold Guides).

1. Hello to fellow travellers to India.

   I bought this 2000 edition of Fodor's India because I got a deal online, but found the book to be of very limited use.

   One of the best features of this book is the recommendation of itineraries based on the number of days that you might spend in a neighborhood. For example, if you intend to visit the state of Tamil Nadu, the book recommends specific itineraries if you have 4 days, 7 days, or 10 days at your disposal. If such a feature is important to you, this may be a very satisfactory book for you. The section on travel tips is also a good one.

   I found the book to lack in comprehensiveness. For example, if you intend to visit any places in Maharashtra other than Bombay (Mumbai) or the Ajanta, Ellora caves, you wont be able to find it in this book. The hotel and dining recommendations were also disappointing. We stayed at the beautiful Park guest house on the beach at Pondicherry and ate at wonderful Annalakshmi restaurant in Madras (Chennai). Neither was listed in Fodor's.

   Another helpful feature that you find in other guides such as Footprint is the location of money changers (for foreign exchange) in any given city - a feature that you will not find in Fodor's.

   If you are looking for historical details about locations, it is hard to beat the Blue guides. I was also impressed by the Rough guide and Footprint guide. The latter is especially good about including detailed maps of cities. (I got a chance to look at these various guides in a local library and would recommend to others that they look at as many guides as available in your local library before buying one to take with you to India.)

   No matter which travel guide you use, I hope you have a great time in India!




2. When you're embarking on any big adventure, and India certainly is, you'd be foolish to rely on one guide, and this one is no exception. (Take a look at my review of Lonely Planet India). Fodor's is always pretty reliable when it comes to restaurants and hotels, especially if you're not a low budget traveller. Prices of course are usually out-of-date pretty quickly, and the exchange rate fluctuates all the time, but their "$$$" system gives a good idea of the relative costs of different places. I also like the "star" system highlighting sites to see--in a country chock-full of palaces, temples, forts, and natural wonders, it helps to prioritize if time is short. The maps of local areas are OK as you plan your trip, but of course no guide book has really good maps--pick one up as you arrive in a major city, and as you plan your itinerary around the country, a country map is critical. Fodors is, however, short on history and culture, and some reading before you go is critical. And remember--things change, particularly in a place like India--local knowledge from your hotel or guide (from a reputable company, not someone you stop on the street) is always the best bet.



3. This is a good book for getting an overview of where to go and what to do. It also does a good job of listing hotels (though it's not the best for lower end venues). The book is frustrating, however, in that the person who makes the maps does not seem to be coordinating his/her efforts with the person who writes the text. Maps list main streets, but not the ones where major hotels are located (except in the big cities). Hence, you have no idea if your hotel is near or far away from major sites. This is especially problematic for single travelers who might wish to favor a central location to minimize commute times and the troubles that accompany them. Also, there is some inconsistency in the text. A suggested "ideal" itinerary will exclude an item that is later listed in the text as a "must see." Perhaps the problem occurs when different reviewers provide updates for the guides and don't bother to read the existing text carefully. Is the book worth your time? Yes, for the early stages of planning a trip. But you will definitely need another guide for information that could easily have been provided here. Finally, the guide subscribes to the PC nonsense that has become so popular lately....they soft peddle important things like SAFETY tips. It's not being a wet rag to acknowledge that there are some serious safety concerns you must keep in mind....and spelling them out for each area.



4. Now in an updated and strongly recommended fifith edition, Fodor's India is an information-packed travel guide to just about everything business or vacation travelers need to know or would like to see in this vast and dazzling nation. From where to go tiger-spotting to paying homage to holy sites to learning how to navigate bazaars and much more, Fodor's India brims with over 600 pages full not only of places to go, but tips for blending in and making the most of one's experience when one gets there. Over 600 pages cover the sights to see in various sections of India as well as a basic overview of the culture, language, and strategies for navigating. Fodor is a premier publisher of travel guides offering expert information on cities and countries abroad. Send for their free catalog for a complete title listing.



5. The book is very helpful for someone planning a first trip to India, answering many, if not all, of the questions I have. Because India is such a large country, there is almost an overwhelming amount of information. It is also a large book --more than 600 pages -- to carry in a day pack, but I plan to do it anyway!

5 comments about Snakes and Ladders.

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



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



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



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



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

No comments about Indian Style: Landscapes, Houses, Interiors, Details (Icon (Taschen)).