Reviews (6)

Unacknowledged contributors
The correct title of the book should read Tantra in Practice (Princeton Readings in Religions) by David Gordon White (Editor), Beavis and Butthead.

The choice of topics misses the heart of tantra
I would not recommend this book since the choice of topics enfogs the subject rather than illuminating it. This collection does indeed have some excellent contributions from leading scholars, but it is the whole package that is disappointing. I was also disappointed with White's own contributions.

Good overview...
World-class scholars ANDRE PADOUX, PAUL E. MULLER-ORTEGA, DOUGLAS R. BROOKS and many others come together to write about Buddhist Tantra, Hindu Tantra, Jain Tantra, and Tantra and Islam in South Asia; //the countries covered are China, India, Japan, Nepal and Tibet.//Read more

Subjects:  1. Hinduism    2. Mysticism    3. Religion    4. Religion - World Religions    5. Tantric Buddhism    6. Tantrism    7. Archaeology and Ancient History    8. Asian and Asian American Studies    9. Asian studies    10. China    11. Collections & anthologies of various literary forms    12. India    13. Japan    14. Literary studies: general    15. Mind, Body, Spirit    16. Nepal    17. Religion / Mysticism    18. Tibet   

Reviews (2)

Good Introduction with photos, illustrations and facts
I was searching for a good book on India, with a historical bent, as a gift for a friend here in the US. This book provides a very good introduction with pictures, illustrations and relevant facts. The book provides a general outline of history and more importantly also introduces the reader to the general mindset & prevailing conditions ("cultural atlas") in India. It also provides some basic information on the states and neighbouring countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bhutan & Burma. Excellent reference book!
As an Indian, I'm wary when "outsiders" put together a book on my country, but this book is exceptional.It gives facts and general descriptions of anything and everything when one thinks of India.Lots ofpictures makes it an easy read.Worth every penny.This is the bookteachers in America should use when trying to give an overview on INDIA. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - India & South Asia    2. Atlases    3. Civilization    4. Culture    5. India    6. Maps    7. Reference    8. Sociology    9. Sociology - General    10. Asian / Middle Eastern history    11. Bhutan    12. Cultural studies    13. Nepal    14. Pakistan    15. Reference works    16. Social history   

Reviews (3)

Only book we needed
We bought a second reference because it's hard to know which plates will help amateurs like us identify the species in a place we've not previously visited. However, with the plates, the maps, and the generally brief, but accurate descriptions, this was the only book we needed to quickly identify the over 100 species we spotted on our trip. The soft cover made it easier to stuff into one of our binocular bags.

The birder's companion to India
Going to India? BUY THIS BOOK. Truly a definitive guide to the birds of India, absolutely user-friendly in the field. Accurate slates and distribution diagrams will help you determine, very briskly, the bird you are looking at. This is important in India because there are tons of birds. Morphological and behavioural characteristics are also defined in this intense field guide. Importantly, this is easy to access, it doesn't make you bounce back and forth 3 times from the slate. Pointers on the slate also help you to quickly make distinctions between similar birds. This field guide makes birding fun and an ease. Colourful slates, smart layout, if only all field guides could be this good.

At long last...
Finally, a complete, comphrensive FIELD guide to the birds of India! Gone are the days of hauling 2 or 3 hardcover bird books to the subcontinent just to be able to identify relatively common species. The drawings in thisbook are excellent, the descriptions very detailed, and the range maps veryhelpful. My two criticisms are that birders familiar with the common namesin Salim Ali's "The Book of Indian Birds" will be confused withthe revised nomenclature in this guide (based on the Inskipp's IndianChecklist); some changes are relatively minor, while others are sodramatically different (and frankly puzzling) that cross-referencing is achore. The second involves the seperation of many of the range maps fromthe plates and descriptions, sometimes by many pages. This was due to thelarge number of species featured on some plates- there just wasn't enoughroom for the maps also. A better strategy might have been to put them allin the back of the book. But the benefits of this book far outweigh theshortcomings- my next trip to India promises to be more rewarding andproductive bird-wise (as well as easier on my back)due to this excellentand overdue field guide. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    4. Identification    5. India    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Ornithology    9. Pictorial works    10. Biological Sciences    11. Birds and Natural History    12. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (3)

Disappointed As Well
I have to concur with the first reviewer, this book was a big disappointment.I was looking for a resource that would allow me to identify mammals in the field.This book does not do that.If you have even the most rudimentary knowledge of animals (e.g. you can identify an elephant) then you can probably get by without this book.
Quite Disappointed
I found this book to be overall pretty disappointing.First off, the illustrations are horrible.They look like children's cartoon drawings.Why don't the editors of mammal-books hire the same artists who do bird guides?The latter are generally really good. Good field guide - bad entertainment
This book covers the land mammals of the Indian Subregion or in other words it cover: India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. However, it also does exclude the smaller and often inconspicious mammals like baths, schrews, and most rodents. A number of small but often conspicious mammals are included. For instance both squirrels and pikas are included. In total it depicts and describes 106 species in deatail. It starts in the typical manner with an introduction to the region, mammals, and mammal observing. This section is highly usefull to the unexperienced reader, but will probably seem quite borring to most, as it is short and only mentiones the most bassal things. The next fourty pages is devoted to the mammal species themselves. This means that there is 2-3 species per page. About each species the book descibes identification, habitat, range (no range maps!), behavior, diet, breeding, status, and similar species. The text is not for pleasure reading, but it is highly usefull in the field. A thing to remember - not mentioned in the book - is that the status refers to subregion only, not the intire world. An example is the Red Deer (Cervus elaphus) which is described as endangered. The next pages are assigned to 12 colour plates with drawings of the mammals. The drawings are not especialy beautiful, but all the important details usefull in identification are remembered. The next 12 plates are devoted to animal tracks. The last third of the book describes 23 national parks/reserves in the region including the famous Chitwan NP and Sunderbars NP. These pages are the highlight of the book. In this part there is a map of each park and a quite thorrow descibtion of acces, accomodation facilities, season to go there, larger mammals of the area etc. Sadly similar chapters in other books have been shown to go quickly out of date. At the end of the book there is a chapter called "futher reading" which obviously seems equal to bibliograpy. Read more

Subjects:  1. Guidebooks    2. Identification    3. Mammals    4. Nature    5. Nature/Ecology    6. South Asia    7. Wildlife    8. Wildlife viewing sites    9. Wildlife watching    10. Bangladesh    11. Bhutan    12. Biological Sciences    13. Birds and Natural History    14. India    15. Nature / Mammals    16. Nepal    17. Pakistan    18. Sri Lanka    19. Wild animals    20. Zoos & wildlife parks   

Reviews (5)

excellent travelling companion
great guidebook.Describes in detail the good, the bad and the ugly of Nepal.The language section was extremely useful.A few hours spent learning some useful greetings and phrases will pay off tenfold upon arrival in Nepal. Being able to bargain or ask for directions in the native language is a lot of fun and much appreciated, especially since most travellers do not take the time to learn anything more than "Namaste."

Wonderfully comprehensive and thorough. Written with heart
This book has given me comfort and a wealth of information about what I would like to do and see in Nepal. Having a well planned trip in advance is smart and this book will probably tell you everything you need to knowabout anything, and more. Food, health issues, places to stay, sights,special points, etc. Definitely worth the investment.

Excellent, Practical Guide
I just returned from Nepal using this guide.The book was very well-written with lots of practical advice-- everything from how to book an airline to what kind of diahrrea you may have picked up. Very accurate information re. hotels, modes of transportation, etc. Useful vocabularylist. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Central    2. Asia - General    3. Asia - India    4. South Asia - History    5. Travel    6. Travel - Foreign    7. Travel Guides    8. Nepal    9. Travel & holiday guides    10. Travel / Reference   

Editorial Review

When David Breashears agreed to climb Mount Everest with an IMAX camera in order to film from the summit, he had no idea that his little expedition would become embroiled in a tragedy that would make headlines around the world. On May 10, 1996, two expeditions led by experienced Everest guides Rob Hall and Scott Fisher summited the mountain, only to suffer the loss of eight members--including the two leaders--on the way back down. At the time, Breashears and his filmmaking crew were at the base camp preparing for their own climb--originally planned for that same day but postponed after realizing there would already be several other groups on the summit. Instead of making a film, Breashears and company participated in the rescue and only later reached the summit of Everest to successfully complete their film.Read more

Reviews (46)

This Story Just Does Not Go Away...
I forget you how many years ago its been since this event took place.But last month I saw the story told yet again in a national "adventure" magazine.
A Big Book For A Big Mountain
National Geographic has put together another epic of a book, receiving a rare five stars from this reviewer team. Supported by outstanding color photographs and an array of writings by numerous writers, this is a valued item to keep.
Beautiful Photography; Okay Writing
Having recently read "High Exposure" by David Breashears, I had a feeling of deja vu all over again when I cracked open this tome.Seemed to me that pages were lifted from "Exposure" and copy-pasted into "Mountain".
Read more

Subjects:  1. Everest, Mount (China and Nepal)    2. Mountaineering    3. Mountaineering accidents    4. Mountains    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Pictorial works    8. Special Interest - Adventure    9. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    10. Nature / Mountains   

Reviews (1)

Comprehensive listing, limited explanation.
This book is most appropriate as a companion to other overviews of Indian art.It is useful in that it lists art and architecture items by region.However, it gives little information as to why they are significant, or howthey figure into the overall developmental pattern of Indian art. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Art & Art Instruction    3. Art, Indic    4. Art, Nepali    5. Art, Sri Lankan    6. Asian    7. History - General    8. Architecture    9. Art / History / Asian    10. History Of Art / Art & Design Styles    11. India   

Reviews (1)

Excellent History of Nepal's Current Troubles
Manjushree Thapa wrote this account of Nepal's troubled political situation, and its historical background, to provide a ground-level eye view of what the turmoil looks like to an urban, educated Nepali.She provides a far better, clearer, and more concise political history of Nepal than is available in any other source I have encountered.She is fair and balanced, with no admiration for either the monarchy, the maoist revolutionaries, or Nepal's corrupt and ineffective political parties.She has earned high praise for her fiction writing in english (The Tutor of History is a novel about a modern election in a Nepali constituency, another excellent view of current events in the country), and this work of nonficton is just as well written.Highly recommended for anyone going to Nepal or interested in Nepal. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - India & South Asia    2. History - General History    3. 21st century    4. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    5. Nepal   

Reviews (3)

Comprehensive and excellent, but not a field guide
Ali and Ripley's masterwork cannot be touched in terms of the completeness of individual descriptions, but this volume is amazing in that it draws together all the subcontinent's spp. into one book. Even so, the tome istoo heavy to carry to the field. The taxonomy is updated, as is the specieslist. The colour illustrations are of a very high quality; my quibble isthat the individual species are too small to be very useful. The maps areminiscule and that limits their utility; the use of two colours would havehelped under the circumstances. Otherwise, this book is a long-awaitedtreasure.

The best guide forthe birds of the Indian Subcontinent.
Simply the best available guide to the birds of the Indian Subcontinent. Subcontinental birders have long awaited a comphrehensive guide to the birds of this region. The best available book on birds of Indian subcontinent.
This is the best one-volume book on the market at this time.It has very good illustrations and good species accounts that include excellent range maps. It is the only book of one volume that covers all the birds of theIndian subcontinent with this quality of illustration.The range maps arevery good and there is an adequate amount of information about each bird. It's too heavy to take into the field on your trip to India, but it is anexcellent reference. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Birds & Birdwatching - Guides    4. Identification    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Ornithology    8. Reference    9. South Asia    10. Biological Sciences    11. Birds (ornithology)    12. Birds and Natural History    13. India    14. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching    15. Nepal    16. Pakistan   

Subjects:  1. 1951-    2. Asia - General    3. Asia - History +    4. Asia - India & South Asia    5. Crime And Criminals    6. History    7. History - General History    8. Homicide    9. Mass murder    10. Murder - General    11. Nepal    12. Rana dynasty    13. Royalty    14. True Crime    15. Political Science / Government / General   

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - India & South Asia    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Nepal    7. Asian / Middle Eastern history    8. History / Renaissance   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Asia - India & South Asia    3. Buddhism - General    4. Buddhism - History    5. Buddhism - Theravada    6. History    7. Nepal    8. Religion    9. Religion - World Religions    10. Theravåada Buddhism    11. Buddhism    12. Religion / Buddhism   

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Anthropology - General    3. Archaeology / Anthropology    4. Asia - General    5. Ethnology    6. Nepal    7. Nubri    8. Philosophy    9. Philosophy, Tibetan    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Asian / Middle Eastern history    13. Social Science / Anthropology / General   

Subjects:  1. Asian / Middle Eastern history    2. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    3. Nepal    4. Tibet   

Reviews (5)

yawn
I'm afraid I have to disagree with other reviewers of this book.The writing is often awkward and grammatically challenged (to use a current euphemism). And Sandy Irvine comes across as a rather ordinary young man, self centered, good at sports, and good with his hands, but lacking in any sort of intellectual sophistication.It was this very sophisitcation and intellectualism that made Mallory the interesting figure he remains.Had Mallory been a mere hearty, he would have far less interesting.In contrast to Mallory, Irvine strikes one as eactly what this biography tries to convince one he was not, i.e., a follower who had little idea of what Mallory was leading him into. Excellent reading!
This is a very well-written and researched book.It provides an introspective and analytical look into the man of mystery on the expedition...Sandy Irvine.The photos, family anecdotes, and treasure trove of memorabilia recently discovered provided a full and satisfying read.You can't know all about the 1924 expedition until you know about what made Sandy Irvine tick.

An intensely personal, candid, and informative account
Fearless On Everest: The Quest For Sandy Irvine is an intensely personal, candid, and informative account of the life of a young man who died at the age of 22 while on an expedition to climb Mt. Everest. Written with a narrative smoothness that completely engages the reader's attention, biographer and Irvine family member Julie Summers includes newly discovered letters and photographs and specifically addresses a long-debated question in mountaineering circles: Why did George Leigh Mallory choose the young, less-experienced Andrew Irvine as his partner on so hazardous an enterprise? Also very highly recommended for mountaineering enthusiasts are three related titles from Mountaineers Books addresses the doomed Mallory-Irvine expedition: Ghosts Of Everest: The Search For Mallory & Irvine (699-5, $.....); The Mystery Of Mallory & Irvine: Fully Revised Edition (726-6, $.....); The Wildest Dream: The Biography Of George Mallory (741-X, $......). ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1902-1924    2. Adventurers & Explorers    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Everest, Mount (China and Nepal)    6. Great Britain    7. History    8. Irvine, Andrew,    9. Mountaineering    10. Mountaineers    11. Sports    12. Sports & Recreation    13. Irvine, Andrew    14. Biography & Autobiography    15. Leigh-Mallory, George Herbert,    16. 1886-1924    17. Mount Everest Expedition    18. Everest, Mount (China and Nepa    19. Description and travel   

Editorial Review

For three quarters of a century, adventure enthusiasts around the globe have speculated about the fate of British mountaineers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. Did they reach the peak of Mount Everest before disappearing on June 6, 1924? How did they die? What was their fatal mistake? In 1999, the Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition set out to answer these questions by retracing the steps of the doomed climbers, and in Read more

Reviews (51)

A Lesson on How Money is Replacing Adventure
This book allowed me to analyse why I have not read too many books on Mtn Climbing in the past few years. I am a climber and the genre was important to me for a big part of my life. Reading through this book made me realise how much climbing has not only changed from the days of Mallory, but even from the old siege operations in the 70s. Today the emphasis on gaining money and the machinations and business tactics that go into getting the dosh to go, take up not only the majority of the time making the ascent, but also the majority of the time (and lines of writing) in most mountain literature published these days. INSPIRING STORY OF A MAN'S DREAM, MYSTERY OF HIS FATE
The book is focused on the search conducted to find out what happened to Mallory and Irvine, the two British climbers who disappeared on Everest in the 1930s.Mallory is basically a legend in mountaineering. Like climbing a mountain worth climbing!
This effort starts out a bit lackluster and overweighted withRead more

Subjects:  1. 1886-1924    2. Biography    3. Everest, Mount (China and Nepa    4. Everest, Mount (China and Nepal)    5. Expeditions & Discoveries    6. Great Britain    7. History    8. Irvine, Andrew,    9. Leigh-Mallory, George Herbert,    10. Mountain Climbing    11. Mountaineering    12. Mountaineers    13. Sports    14. Sports & Recreation    15. Everest    16. Leigh-Mallory, George Herbert, 1886-1924.    17. Irvine, Andrew, 1902-1924.    18. Mountaineering--Everest, Mount (China and Nepal)    19. Mountaineers--Great Britain Biography.   

Reviews (2)

The Official Untold Stories of Gurkhas......
This book about the valour is a very powerful and almost complete stories about the tales of gurkhas. The valour states all the 10 gurkha regiments and tell the events of everyone of them in the theatre of war.When i gotdown to read it i was so enthralled by the heroic tales and bravery ofthese courageous men that i skip my lunch and dinner. I was keen to finishthe book and to look for the next title on gurkhas.It' s an excellentbook overall. A must read for all those interested in military.

The Official Untold Stories of Gurkhas......
This book about the valour is a very powerful and almost complete stories about the tales of gurkhas. The valour states all the 10 gurkha regiments and tell the events of everyone of them in the theatre of war.When i gotdown to read it i was so enthralled by the heroic tales and bravery ofthese courageous men that i skip my lunch and dinner. I was keen to finishthe book and to look for the next title on gurkhas.It' s an excellentbook overall. A must read for all those interested in military. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Armies    2. Army    3. Army.    4. Asia - General    5. Brigade of Gurkhas    6. Great Britain    7. Great Britain.    8. Gurkha soldiers    9. History    10. History - Military / War    11. History: World    12. Military - General    13. Military - Other    14. Military Science    15. History / Military / General    16. History of specific subjects    17. Nepal    18. Regiments   

Reviews (2)

Avoid
wORTH aVOIDING - BAD PICTURES ( A FEW GOOD) NO MATCH FOR THE INSKIPP - NOT A GUIDE BUT A PICTURE BOOK

"A" for effort, "B plus" for results
This book is a very noble effort at a photographic field guide to Indian birds. Not surprisingly, the quality of the photos varies from excellent to marginal-at-best; a few species could not possibly be intentified from the photos provided. Having said that, this book does contain several valuable features lacking from the other Indian bird guides. The range maps are displayed along with each species, with symbols and notes on the relative rarity of each species. Another very nice feature is the inclusion of the older, common (English) names which is great for those who have birded in India for awhile. I also like the smaller size and portablility of this book. The bottom line: if you are going to take one bird field guide to India, I wouldn't take this one- the Grimmett/Inskipps or Kazmeirczak "non-photo" guides are better bets. However, if you are a serious birder and don't mind packing two bird books, I'd highly recommned taking this one along to supplement the information in the other field guides. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Birds    2. Birds & Birdwatching - General    3. Identification    4. India    5. Nature    6. Nature/Ecology    7. Photography    8. Pictorial works    9. South Asia    10. Subjects & Themes - Plants & Animals    11. Techniques - General    12. Biological Sciences    13. Birds (ornithology)    14. Birds and Natural History    15. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    16. Nature / Birds & Birdwatching   

Reviews (6)

Wonderful book, written very matter-of-factly
(I read the hard-cover edition which is not in stock at Amazon at the time of writing this.)
I'm On Top Of The World!
HIGH ADVENTURE is Sir Edmund Hillary's engaging and somewhat self-effacing account of the first recorded successful Everest ascent in 1953.
Exciting mountaineering tale
It seems to me that Hillary's account of his Everest summit is honestly written.I found his writing style engaging, not because it was good, per say, but because it seemed to be a normal guy saying what he felt needed to be said.His style and opinions were very 1950's, and I don't think he meant any harm to anyone, sherpas and whatnot.I liked it.The fact that Hillary never saw a mountain until he was 16 makes me think I have a shot at Everest someday... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Description and travel    2. Everest, Mount (China and Nepa    3. Everest, Mount (China and Nepal)    4. History    5. Mountaineering    6. Mountaineering expeditions    7. Special Interest - Adventure    8. Sports    9. Sports & Recreation    10. Sports - General    11. Travel / Adventure    12. Travel, Sports, & Recreation