Editorial Review

Gandhi's nonviolent struggles in South Africa and India had already brought him to such a level of notoriety, adulation, and controversy that when asked to write an autobiography midway through his career, he took it as an opportunity to explain himself. Although accepting of his status as a great innovator in the struggle against racism, violence, and, just then, colonialism, Gandhi feared that enthusiasm for his ideas tended to exceed a deeper understanding. He says that he was after truth rooted in devotion to God and attributed the turning points, successes, and challenges in his life to the will of God. His attempts to get closer to this divine power led him to seek purity through simple living, dietary practices (he called himself a fruitarian), celibacy, and Read more

Reviews (61)

Honest politician
Gandhi may have been the only honest successfull politician ever.
Gandhi, A man of Truth
Barrister Gandhi, in his book "Gandhi and Autobiography: The Story of my Experiments With Truth" is a real account of experiments with truth or what is percieved to be the truth. Gandhi, the youngest of three sons was born and brought up in Porbandar, India. His love for truth and respect for all humanity was put in him by his father who was "...a lover of his clan, truthful, brave and generous..." His mother too left him with an "...outstanding impression ... of saintliness" as "she was deeply religious", a woman devoted to prayer and fasting. It's on this background that Mr. Gandhi built his life of Experiments on.
Inspirational Convictions...
What can you say that hasn't been said about this man?A good read and a wonderful humanist perspective.I was amazed at his capacity and restraint to qualify his perspectives and avoid embellishments.It took a bit longer to read through this novel and left me to ponder.This should be on a list of books for suggested reading for everyone.I only understood the general history and concepts that he pursued in his life, which were admirable.This book allowed me to see why he was so exceptional. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1869-1948    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Gandhi,    6. Historical - General    7. India    8. India - History    9. Mahatma,    10. Political    11. Religious    12. Statesmen    13. Biography & Autobiography / General    14. Biography: general    15. Biography: political    16. Colonization & independence    17. Gandhi    18. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT   

Reviews (6)

Excellent and essential
This is a required text for just about every introductory course on Hinduism. Essential reading for anyone wishing to understand how Hindus worship and see the divine.

Solid introduction to the concept of Hindu iconography and related ritual experience
Diana Eck is a wonderful scholar who has written several great books on Hinduism. Darsan (or "darshan," if you're transliterating it simply for an English-speaking audience) is a wonderfully simple introduction to Hindu iconography and the related ritual experience, a subject that is overwhelmingly broad and often unwieldy.
Eck sees it clearly
Diana Eck has done an excellent job of sifting through the vast amount of material on Hindu imagery in India and presenting an intelligently distilled interpretation. An excellent read on a very difficult subject. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Eastern - General    3. Hinduism    4. Religion    5. Religion - Church History    6. Anthropology    7. Cultural studies    8. India    9. Religion / General   

Reviews (12)

Gandhi's Voice
Mohandas Gandhi was one of the most inspiring and intrepid beings on this planet, and what he did for the Indian people was endless.
No better time to get your Ahimsa and Satyagraha

I wish I had known this book!!!!!!!
Before purchasing this book I had purchased quite a few of other Gandhi titles, but this book truely takes the cake.
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Subjects:  1. 1869-1948    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Gandhi,    7. India    8. India - History    9. Mahatma,    10. Religious    11. Statesmen    12. Biography & Autobiography / Religious    13. Biography: general   

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - India & South Asia    3. Civilization    4. Description And Travel    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. Mishra, Pankaj    7. South Asia    8. Travel    9. Travel - Foreign    10. Western influences   

Reviews (1)

Reviewfrom Parul & Arvind Narain (California)
I just got this book after waiting for a few months and was quite thrilled to see familiar names and places mentioned.Being a distant family member, I am probably prejudiced but I think this book is a fascinating read, especially for someone brought up in Delhi.The book even has a family tree in the beginning, going back to the 1500s.As in all her books, Madhur Jaffrey manages to give her recipes a very easy to do feel and very helpful hints for people like us living in the US and I am dying to try out the recipes.Enjoy! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - India    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Childhood Memoir    7. Cooks    8. General    9. History    10. India    11. India - History    12. Indian Cookery    13. Regional & Ethnic - Indic    14. United States    15. Women cooks    16. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (47)

Priceless account of the culmination of India's freedom struggle and the immediate aftermath
I was spellbound by this book and just could not let it go without finishing through. Here is my take:
A must read either before or after a visit to India
This is just an amazing read in the same tradition as O Jerusalem written by these same two authors.Very engaging and makes you feel like you were right there.I like the author's attempt at neutrality in telling this amazing story.If you want to understand the history of this era this is a great way to get it! It seems researched well and well documented.
Macro view of Indian Freedom
The book starts at Jan 1947 and covers the period till early 1948. Somehow I missed history of Indian freedom. Even though I had it during my schooling. I was too young to be interested in dry history books.
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Subjects:  1. 1947-    2. Asia - India & South Asia    3. History    4. History - General History    5. India    6. Non-Classifiable   

Reviews (45)

get this book if you plan to spend more than 2 days in Mumbai
I've been living in Mumbai for about three weeks now (on a 6 month stay) and I began reading this book once I arrived in India.I just finished a coupleof nights ago.Thanks to this book, I can read the local section of my daily newspaper from politics to crime to Bollywood, and the intersection of all three, and actually understand a bit more about what is going on (sadly, justice is so slow here that the people being tried for the 1993 bombings are only just now being sentenced).I can see a slum or pavement dwellers and have a better sense of the stories of the people.I can comiserate with everyone else stuck in traffic, and soon, once the monsoon ends, with everyone else breathing the dirty air.
couldn't put this one down
Read it in a single stretch on a transatlantic flight, and did not once lose interest. A must read for every Bombayite and highly recommended for everyone else. Fearlessly investigated and meticulously researched, while at the same time capturing the heart and soul of the city.

If you're on a Hindustani tip...
...the Suketu Mehta's MAXIMUM CITY -- a book about Bombay and its colourful characters -- is definitely for you!
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Subjects:  1. Asia - India    2. Bombay    3. Bombay (India)    4. Description And Travel    5. Essays & Travelogues    6. India    7. Mehta, Suketu    8. Social History    9. Social Science    10. Sociology    11. Sociology - General    12. Travel    13. Travel - General    14. Social Science / Sociology / General   

Reviews (30)

Superlative work of art
Delhi is a city of many flavors. Some can be tasted, some viewed, some just felt and still others which are just to be believed......just taken for granted.
"City of Djinn" and "Age of Kali" -
A master's student of Asian cultures at the University of Pennsylvania, I first began reading William Dalrymple's books in the winter of 2003, just prior to my first trip to Asia.I found a beat up copy of "The Age of Kali" in my neighborhood's library when I was working a soul-killing desk job.The book was, in many ways, my introduction to India.It would not be an exaggeration to say that this book changed my life.
A masterpiece!
This book was published in 1993 and I got the chance to read it in 2005 and I must say no other book,author or historian has portrayed Delhi as Dalrymple did!.I cant believe how much I'm in love with this wonderful city more so after reading this book!.Author's sense of humour ably supports his apt and lucid sense of history.His passion for Delhi absolutely shines through and that illuminates every page.Though 'm young and not intelligent enough to commment on greats works and authors but Dalrymple is definitely on the greats!.He sure would make his generation proud.It is a must read whether you like Delhi,history or not. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Asia - India    3. Delhi (India)    4. Description And Travel    5. History    6. History - General History    7. India    8. Social History    9. Social Science    10. Social life and customs    11. Sociology    12. Travel / Asia / India   

Reviews (15)

Very good book, misleading title
I believe, the title should have been essays about India, less of an eye - catcher, but closer to the content of the book. Mr. Sen grew up near Caluctta, but he must have spent a lot of time in the USA. He considers himself an Indian (as apparently some of the reviewers with Indian names but US addresses....), and he clearly states so in the preface of the book. He seems to have lived abroad long enough to have a balanced view about India, something rarely found amongst Indians.
A New Perspective
This collection of sixteen well-written essays goes a long way toward changing the way many of us may view India. The first four, in Part I of the book, carry forward the theme of the title and appear to have been written expressly for this publication. They show that Indians can be proud of a long tradition of dialogue in spite of the bad press attendant on violent events. A critique is offered of the Hindutva movement in current Indian politics, India's analogue of the religious right in America except that the fundamentalism being pushed is in the Hindu religion. Sen counters by pointing to the huge influences of Buddhism, Islam and even atheism in India's past. The remaining twelve essays are updated and annotated versions of essays originating over the past decade. The four in Part II include an extensive discussion of the contributions of Rabindranath Tagore, who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1913 and whom Sen obviously holds in very high esteem. Other prominent figures in the narrative are Mahatma Ghandi and the film maker, Satyajit Ray, who based some of his films on Tagore's life. Cultural exchanges between India and China prior to the 15th century are reviewed, with demographic comparisons of the two countries then and now. Interestingly, severe famines, common in British India, have not been seen since independence. Part III deals, in part, with the work for which Sen was awarded the 1998 Nobel Prize for Economics, namely, the economics of poverty and famine, elucidating the fact that starvation occurs mainly because people can't afford to buy the food that is available and that it could be avoided by appropriate governmental action. Indeed, he used part of his prize money to fund an investigation of schools in West Bengal; progress in combating malnourishment and poor education has been abysmal. Although anti-female discrimination is still rampant, South Asian countries have had female heads of state, whereas the U. S. has not. Part IV has to do with Reason and Identity, emphasizing again that reason and discussion can prevent starvation by putting affected people to work in public projects so they can afford food. In response to current criticisms that secularism in India doesn't really exist, Sen mentions that the current government includes a Muslim President, a Sikh Prime Minister and a Christian head of the ruling party. He points out that individuals and nations have multiple identities and must choose (not "discover") the ones they wish to emphasize.
Interesting read
This book is a must read for anyone wanting to know all aspects of India's history, culture and identity. I particularly liked Dr. Sen's writing style and extensive foot notes.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - India    2. Ethnic Issues    3. Ethnic Studies - General    4. Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies    5. History - General History    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. Social Science / Ethnic Studies   

Editorial Review

In a phrase coined by Captain Arthur Connolly of the East India Company before he was beheaded in Bokhara for spying in 1842, a "Great Game" was played between Tsarist Russia and Victorian England for supremacy in Central Asia. At stake was the security of India, key to the wealth of the British Empire. When play began early in the 19th century, the frontiers of the two imperial powers lay two thousand miles apart, across vast deserts and almost impassable mountain ranges; by the end, only 20 miles separated the two rivals.Read more

Reviews (72)

One of the best read on history
I am just a traveller to this area and don't have any authority to prove it if the facts inside this book is real or not, but history couldn't be so exciting, could it? Or Mr Peter Hopkirk has a wonderful hand to put down the whole story in such an exciting and comprehensive prose and it's just impossible to put it down until the last page, and immediately you would want to start it again. This is the best history book I've ever read. Thanks!

What's Past is Prologue
It seems that Shakespeare said it best, "What's past is prologue."In preparation for a sojourn to the Middle East, which I now consider to be a misnomer, I sought out recommendations for reading material.Peter Hopkirk's "The Great Game" was recommended as the first book I should read.I was well served by that recommendation, and found that Mr. Hopkirk's book provided an outstanding primer for this part of the world.Mr. Hopkirk drew me in with the manner in which he presented his information.I found his narrative to be a very easy read, yet it was also rich with detail.I am far more knowledgeable for having read his book, and would enthusiastically recommend it to anyone who wants to gain insights into Central Asia.Only after reading "The Great Game," did I truly begin to appreciate the complexties of Central Asia, the dynamics of the regions relationships with other regions and why it's so often misunderstood.My take away is that, as is often the case, the players may have changed, but Kipling's "Great Game" continues.Mr. Hopkirk's book offers an opportunity, for those who want to try, to learn the rules of a game that continues to be played.

the english version of the great game
This book describes a geographical area and historical period not well known to a majority of Italian readers. For this reason its recent translation and pubblication for the Italian Adelphi editions (that by the way had also published Robert Byron's Road to Oxiana) has been a great success. The topic is vast and many relations to contemporary world history are underlined. However, the book, in my opinion, has two souls. One soul is represented by the chronology of the events described, which some reviewers (see complete list of customer reviews)have mentioned as sometimes incorrect or at least one-sided (english-sided that is); but we must remember what documents the author had at hand and how difficult it is even today to consult the opinion of russians or the inhabitants of central asia. The historical narrative is chronological, easy to consult, and the major landmines are incisevely underlined, so that at the end of the book even the prophane reader has a clear picture of the topic. The other soul of the book,is represented by the fascination of the author with his heroes, because, yes, the british travelers, soldiers, merchants and spies, where all heroes (not so much their comanders)! The description of the men involved in this story is overly encomiastic; they all come out of adventur books of the 1920-30. There is no critical historical appreciation of their actions.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - India & South Asia    3. Asia, Central    4. Europe - Great Britain - General    5. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    6. Great Britain    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Politics and government    10. Relations    11. Soviet Union    12. ASIA    13. Asian / Middle Eastern history: from c 1900 -   

Reviews (9)

Delicious
This remarkably entertaining account of history of Indian cuisine surprised me....having grown up in India and essentially having 'Indian' food every meal, this book was sort of an eye-opener.Most readers familiar with India probably knew about its rich cultural, religious, and lingual diversity. The extent of how well different ethnic groups have amalgamated in India over time is perhaps best illustrated in the evolution of her cuisine. To that extent, the book is more of a historical account of India, narrated from the point of view of food. May be all historians should try this approach!
Mouth-watering History
Eating Indian food may be one of the most intense culinary experiences in the world.This book delves into the history of what we consider to be Indian food.Surprise!What we eat in the west may be unrecognizable by Indians as Indian food.Needless to say, the restaurants in the west have adjusted Indian dishes to make them a little easier to eat for western palates unused to more authentic dishes.
Nice curry of the histories of curries - Curry : A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors
I grew up believing that "curry" was this yellowish spice in an old faded jar that my mother in her more adventurous culinary fits would sprinkle over whatever dish she had constructed from her Betty Crockerish cookbook. Although I have later in life come to realize and appreciate through my eating experiences at home and abroad that there is vastly more to Indian cuisine than that stale old meaningless powder, Lizzie Collingham pushes my understanding of how non-Indian western "Indian" cooking is one notch further.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - India & South Asia    2. Civilization    3. Cooking / Wine    4. Food habits    5. History    6. History: World    7. India    8. India - History    9. Indian Cookery    10. Regional & Ethnic - Indic    11. Anthropology    12. History / India   

Reviews (31)

"... a heartrendering tale of the real heros of Calcutta, a tale of the indomitable spirit of humankind to triumph..."
"...The 'City of Joy' shall be remembered as the best account of the life of the people in Calcutta's slums; of the city's never-say-die attitude. The book presents a very emotional account of the daily lives of the poor in the city, and makes the reader fall in love with these little heros, who daily fight the battle of life to mete out a subsistence existence. The book is an eye-opener to the people who have never faced the adversities of life. The author has done a brilliant job in portraying the poor with compassion and empathy. A true masterpiece..."

STORY OF THE UNBREAKABLE HUMAN SPIRIT
No other book I had ever read has ever made me more proud about the fact that I am an Indian or importantly, a human being. The moving story, that the author claims is based on facts is probably based on a true one. What is truly remarkable though, is the fact that this is probably not an unusual story or for that matter even an uncommon one! It happens, more so in India that anywhere else, despite 200 years of British rule the Western had not been able to take from these people what they prize most, their dignity. People trying to live a decent life, who hope to live with at least an ounce of self-respect going to great extremes to attain it.
PEOPLE WHO DISS THIS BOOK DON'T UNDERSTAND THE VALUES OF LIFE
THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS I HAVE READ AFTER FINISHING THE CITY OF JOY HAVE MADE ME REALIZE HOW PATHETIC PEOPLE CAN BE.IF YOU HAVE A HEART AND AN OPEN MIND, THIS BOOK DOES NOTHING MORE THAN SHOW HOW TRULY GRATEFUL PEOPLE ARE TO HAVE LIFE, NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE OR HOW THEY LIVE.EVEN IN SUCH A DIFFICULT SITUATION, THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF JOY WERE SHOWN AS TRUE HUMANS WHO LOVE EACH OTHER, HELP EACH OTHER, AND NEVER SHOW ANY SIGNS OF IGNORANCE...LOVE AND HAPPINESS ARE THE MEANINGS OF LIFE.
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Subjects:  1. Altruism    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Calcutta    4. Christianity - History - Catholic    5. Conduct of life    6. India    7. Missions & Missionary Work    8. Movie/Tv Tie-Ins    9. Refugees    10. Religious    11. Current Events / Poverty   

Subjects:  1. Asia - India    2. Asia - India & South Asia    3. Encyclopedias    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. India    8. Reference    9. Asian / Middle Eastern history    10. Encyclopaedias & Reference Works    11. General encyclopaedias    12. Geography    13. World history   

Reviews (8)

AFavorite
I find myself reaching for this book over and over again. In it the authors generously give us a glimpse of the life they have made on a small island in the Bahamas. With a lot of hard work and no pretension, they have gotten it mostly just right. Their houses are neither overdone nor underdone, but pleasing to the eye, soothing and liveable. Highly recommended.

Never got item - it was unavailable
Never got item - waited several weeks and then was notified.

Nice to look at....PERIOD
The cover was very appealing.First impressions etc;.The inside photos even more so.The writing however sounded likethe ramblings of a spoiled child living in an unreachable reality sometimes and at other times, the snobbery of an aristocracy only appreciated in the mind of the writer and those who really believe that paradise can only be created by the writer. Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Architecture    3. Bahamas    4. Decorating - General    5. Hicks, India    6. History    7. Home Improvement / Construction    8. Interior Design - General    9. Interior Design - Style Books    10. Interior decoration    11. Themes, motives    12. Architecture / Interior Design   

Reviews (2)

A DAZZLING JEWEL!
THIS BOOK IS HELLA HUGE. IT'S SUPER! THE FIRST PORTION OF THE BOOK HAS WRITINGS WITH SOME NICE TRADITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS. THEN, THERE ARE WONDERUL, MONSTROUS PHOTOS OF PEOPLE IN COLORFUL DRESS, WORKERS AND STREET PEOPLE. THIS BOOK IS NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC WORTHY. IT'S A REALLY BIG BOOK TOO, AND VERY HEAVY. ANY ONE INTERESTED IN A BASIC CULTURAL OVERVIEW OF INDIA SHOULD GET THIS BOOK. THE PICTURES ALONE MAKE IT WELL WORTH IT.

India by Radhika Jha
For those who collect "coffee table" books, as well as those who have a genuine facination of India, this book is a treasure. The majority of the photos are close ups of people, rather than just the usual landscapes or buildings. The book effective captures a wide range of expression of the many states of this vast country. I felt that it was a very personal book, and offered a delightful viewpoint of the color and beauty that is India. On a different esthetic, I would warn you that this is a large book, almost capable of being a coffee table itself! At 15 by 12 and weighing in excess of 10 lbs, it is not very wieldy for the arthritic or or infirm! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - India & South Asia    2. India    3. Individual Photographer    4. Individual Photographers And Their Work    5. Photo Techniques    6. Photography    7. Photography Of Specific Subjects    8. Pictorial works    9. Pictorials    10. Subjects & Themes - Travel - General    11. Subjects & Themes - Travel - World/Asia    12. Travel - Foreign    13. Travel - General    14. Photographs: collections    15. Photography / Travel    16. Places & peoples: general interest   

Editorial Review

Originally published in 1953, this adventure classic recounts Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer's 1943 escape from a British internment camp in India, his daring trek across the Himalayas, and his happy sojourn in Tibet, then, as now, a remote land little visited by foreigners. Warmly welcomed, he eventually became tutor to the Dalai Lama, teenaged god-king of the theocratic nation. The author's vivid descriptions of Tibetan rites and customs capture its unique traditions before the Chinese invasion in 1950, which prompted Harrer's departure. A 1996 epilogue details the genocidal havoc wrought over the past half-century. ... Read more

Reviews (71)

An exceptional book
Heinrich Harrer was one of those men you'd describe as a "force of nature," one of the very few Germans to have "a good war" in the 1940s, and a good friend of the Dalai Llama.
Reminiscence of a lost world.
Sadly, Mr. Harrer has passed on recently, but he leaves us with an intellectually inspiring record of what he observed in what was once the free nation of Tibet. Heinrich Harrer was a famous Austrian mountain-climber, and was arrested by the British while on an epedition when World War II erupted. There was a moderately interesting movie somewhat based on the book, but thoroughly "Hollywoodized" with pretty-boy Brad Pitt miscast as Harrer (I think Liam Neeson resembled the actual Mr. Harrer much more). The account begins with a failed attempt to climb a Himalayan peak, arrest and imprisonment by the colonial British government of India, and a number of escape attempts. The one that succeeded resulted in one of the most thorough narratives of life and culture in Tibet in the last years of its existance.
Belonging in Tibet - a book for all ages
Belonging in Tibet - a book for all ages
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Subjects:  1. 1912-    2. Asia - China    3. Asia - India    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Buddhism - General    6. Description    7. Description And Travel    8. Harrer, Heinrich,    9. Historical - General    10. Tibet (China)    11. Travel    12. Religion / History    13. Tibet    14. Travel writing   

Reviews (2)

An in-depth look at the good, the bad, and the ugly that is india
among all the books talking up india recently (and i have read just about all), this one is very different.i was born in india but have lived in the US most of my life.this book is an incredibly detailed perspective into the "real" india.compared to t