Editorial Review

As a teacher of English literature, Jamie Zeppa would understand how the story of her journey into Bhutan could be fit into the convenient box of "coming-of-age romance," a romance with a landscape, a people, a religion, and a dark, irresistible student. An innocent, young Catholic woman from a Canadian mining town who had "never been anywhere," Zeppa signed up for a two-year stint teaching in a remote corner of the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan. Despite the initial shock of material privation and such minor inconveniences as giardia, boils, and leeches, Zeppa felt herself growing into the vast spaces of simplicity that opened up beyond the clutter of modern life. Alongside her burgeoning enchantment, a parallel realization that all was not right in Shangri-La arose, especially after her transfer to a college campus charged with the politics of ethnic division. Still she maintained her center by devouring the library's Buddhist tracts and persevering in an increasingly fruitful meditation practice. When the time came for her to leave, she had undergone a personal transformation and found herself caught between two worlds that were incompatible and mutually incomprehensible. Zeppa's candid, witty account is a spiritual memoir, a travel diary, and, more than anything, a romance that retraces the vicissitudes of ineluctable passion. Read more

Reviews (67)

More like a diary than a travelogue
There is a subgenre of travel writing in which a sheltered, white kid from a middle class background travels to a foreign country, usually as a volunteer, and goes through a predictable set of phases. It starts with loneliness and despair, laments of the "what am I doing here?" variety; then a sudden awakening to the opportunity to experience a completely different culture; the realization of the changes the experience has wrought on the author; and then either the sadness at having to depart or going native.
beautiful
I couldn't put this book down.In my read of the other reviews, I was not surprised to find that some people were put off by the relationship (and encounter) that Zeppa had with two of her students.Let's please keep in mind that these were university students, for a start, in their 20's...which DOES happen in Western society as well, and professors are not always fired from their jobs; often simply reprimanded.(interestingly enough, it's usually MALE profs involved with FEMALE students...somehow that makes it acceptable for some people!)What I treasured about the book was her voice, and the way that she really opens our eyes to the material culture of the west, and the lack of responsibility we take for our actions the more 'advanced' we get.She was NOT aware of the conflict between the Hindi and Budddhist students until she was among them, and that makes sense, since Westerners tend to be slightly 'blind' to what things are happening around the world, especially in tiny, seemingly 'unimportant' countries. I am an American living in China, and I completely understand that experience now that I've been here for two years. Her descriptions of the landscape that are pervasive throughout the novel, were vivid enough to see and feel; this is can be a difficult task for a writer, since it can be hard to find the words to capture the beauty of a place that you are deeply connected to.Her journey to Buddhism was interesting to read about, and some of her explanations of Buddhist philosophy shed greater light into the teachings and beliefs.I was slightly disappointed in the ending...she leaves us a bit too abruptly, but I got so much out of the rest of it, it was difficult to criticize.If you are open-minded, able to get out of the 'box' of your own Western culture, and you are not hell bent on finding moral wrong with the choices that people make, then this book is well worth reading!!

Not Without Merits, But Troublesome in Parts
I'm sort of splitting the difference here between those who seem to think this book is flawless and those who seem to think that it is complete and utter tripe.
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Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - India & South Asia    3. Asia - Southeast    4. Bhutan    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Description and travel    7. Essays & Travelogues    8. Journeys    9. Travel    10. Travel - General    11. Travelers    12. Women    13. Zeppa, Jamie    14. Travel / General   

Reviews (10)

May be, finally...
Hello! An excellent guide for traveling to Bhutan!
I bought this guide before my first trip to Bhutan, and it helped me immensely in planning my tour. It contains detailed information about the country--history, culture, geography, and facts for travelers. And it gives accurate information about the trekking routes and cultural tours. As is typical for Lonely Planet publications, this one is interesting and well written, and I found the information to be relevant to my trip. It is not easy to travel to Bhutan (there are many government restrictions), and this book made everything easier. I had such a successful, fun trip that I've been back several times (www.jachungtravel.com), and I still refer to this edition of the guide. It's packed with good information, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to go to Bhutan.

In the Thunder Dragon Kingdom adorned with sandalwood
Lonely Planet is unbelieveable!They continually pump out the HIGHEST quality guidebooks, and they've done it again with this edition covering Bhutan.I have spent a good portion of my life researching, and hording information on Bhutan, and have found Lonely Planet's guidebook to contain everything and more that the traveller could ever want...with two exceptions.I think that the lack of the U'cen script in the language chapter is a serious mistake.Lonely Planet has the capacity to print in the U'cen script as they did so in their Tibet edition.My other qualm is with the sparse coverage of the smaller and admittedly FAR less visited dzongkhags (districts) (i.e., Daga, Samdrup Jongkhar, Pema Gatshel, Zhemgang, Tsirang, etc.).Lonely Planet, resolve these issues and your book will be the best it could be. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southwest    2. General    3. Travel    4. Travel - Foreign    5. Bhutan    6. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (1)

useful, and good luck finding any others...
If you're looking at this review, and are interested in a map of Bhutan, you probably already know there just aren't many such maps available in the world. In fact, even this one is hard to find. It did the job for me on my recent trip there, and helped me identify the Himalayan peaks I saw from Dochu La, although the elevation listed on my copy for Jhomolari seems a bit high. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bhutan    2. Travel / road maps & atlases   

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - Southeast    3. Bhutan    4. General    5. Guidebooks    6. Travel    7. Travel - Foreign    8. Travel & holiday guides   

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   

Subjects:  1. Bhutan    2. Collections Of Photographs    3. Description and travel    4. Guidebooks    5. Photo Techniques    6. Pictorial works   

Reviews (7)

Ambitious & Successful
'Mapping the Tibetan World' is a very ambitious project, and one that succeeds brilliantly. Ambitious & Successful
'Mapping the Tibetan World' is a very ambitious project, and one that succeeds brilliantly. Informative but limited for climbing, biking...

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Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Asia - Far East    3. Asia - Southwest    4. Guidebooks    5. Reference / Maps    6. Tibet (China)    7. Travel    8. Travel - Foreign    9. Travel / Asia / Central    10. Travel / Asia / General    11. Asia - Central    12. Asia - General    13. Bhutan    14. Gansu Sheng (China)    15. India    16. Ladakh (India)    17. Maps    18. Nepal    19. Reference    20. Sichuan Sheng (China)    21. Sikkim (India)    22. Tibet    23. Travel & holiday guides    24. Walking, hiking, trekking    25. Yunnan Sheng (China)    26. Zanskar (India)   

Reviews (8)

I loved it - But check out this Scholar's point by point Review!
RUSS and BLYTH CARPENTER.
The Soul of Bhutan
The Carpenters' book is not the first one that I have read on this magical Asian kingdom but it is definitely one of the best summaries out there. The authors succeeded in bringing the abstract closer to us; they offer an easily digestable, very interesting and engaging reading about Bhutan. What is even better they bring up further topics of interest and discussion that may make you look for more reading on the country itself, some of the characters from Bhutanese history or Buddhism in general. However, if you would like to find out more about tourist destinations in Bhutan I recommend that you get Pommaret's book or the Lonely Planet guide, as this book is more about the spiritual side, the soul of Bhutanese people and its manifestations in everyday life, religion and culture.

An Intriguing Introduction to Bhutan
"The Blessings of Bhutan" is a personal and fascinating compilation of very short, and very readable, essays (or "sketches") about authors Russ and Blyth Carpenter's experiences and understanding of Bhutanese life.The book is separated into eight parts covering Bhutanese culture and geography; ancient Bhutanese religion and its relationship to Buddhism and Bhutanese archery; Tantric Buddhism; Bhutanese art and medicine; reincarnation (especially as it applies to the environment); sexuality in Bhutanese culture; women in Bhutan; and the Carpenter's reflections on Bhutan's policy of "Gross National Happiness" and on Bhutan's future.The book also has a very useful glossary of terms that makes reading much easier as well as a recommending reading list.Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - India & South Asia    2. Bhutan    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Asian studies    7. Travel writing   

Reviews (1)

Unique and exquisite portrayal of Bhutan's peoples and regions
As a frequent traveller to Bhutan, mesmerized from the first step into the country by the beauty of the landscape and its people, and fascinated by the rural life-style there, this unique photographic portrayal of the country by region and cultural group is a special treasure in my collection.For anyone with even a passing curiosity about this land that is undergoing a phenomenal cultural revolution, this book is a necessity.For the would-be travelers, it will awaken your senses before you arrive, and for the vicarious adventurers who will see Bhutan only from the comfort of their armchair, there has never been a more beautiful way to peek into the remote corners of Bhutan that are rarely viewed by even the local people and never by foreigners. Kadinchey la, John Berthold! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asia - India & South Asia    3. Bhutan    4. Description and travel    5. History - General History    6. Photo Techniques    7. Photoessays & Documentaries    8. Photography    9. Pictorial works    10. Subjects & Themes - Travel - General    11. Places & peoples: general interest    12. TRAVEL & HOLIDAY    13. Travel / Asia / General   

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 (2)

Perfect Summary on Bhutan
This book is very useful for both people who read about Bhutan for the first time and those who are more acquinted with this magical buddhist kingdom. Pommaret selected the right material for this book and you are going to love the photographs also. Very factual and informative, thoroughly prepared. It will make you want to go there.

A comprehensive book written by a person of experience.
I have been interested in Butan for the past 10 years, and when I got the amazing opportunity to visit this country in 2001, Pommaret's book was the first book I bought.I had read the whole thing over twice before I had visited the country, and it's factual yet interesting writing style, gave me information that made me the "expert" of our group (most of my companions hadn't read relly anything).
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Subjects:  1. Asia - Central    2. Asia - India    3. Asia - Southeast    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Bhutan    7. Development economics    8. Travel / Asia / India   

Features

• Illustrated

Reviews (3)

blood sweat and marvels
Reading this was a journey of enchantment for me, too. If the author had some special help in reaching the uttermost reaches of this little-known country, she paid for it with the intense discomfort,hardships, dangers, fever, and uncertainties of a journey made the old-fashioned way, without maps or roads or even a half-decent meal at the end of each day. Jolted right out of the comfort zone of planned modern travel, her heightened awareness and acute observations are the prizes she brings back in this wonderfully written and often hilarious book.
Irritating
While it's always fascinating to read about adventures in Bhutan and other Himalayan places, for some reason I found this book - and the author's style - quite irritating. Despite an acquaintance with the Bhutanese royal family, the author appears to be sailing through on a free ride, and doesn't seem to have the grasp of the country that is apparent in Beyond the Sky & the Earth, by Jamie Zeppa.

Sensitive journey into the soul of Bhutan and of the author
Hickman writes beautifully.This book is a captivating account of her own journey into the depth of Bhutan, which she records honestly from the bottom of her heart.Hickman, unlike most western writers on Bhutan, captures something of the soul of Bhutan, as she narrates her own emotional journey as a young woman of good sense and rich sensitivity.Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - Southwest    2. Essays & Travelogues    3. Europe - General    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. BHUTAN    7. Himalayas    8. History / India    9. SOUTH ASIA_DESCRIPTION AND TRAVEL    10. Travel writing   

Subjects:  1. Asia - Central    2. Bhutan    3. Travel    4. Travel & holiday guides    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel / Asia / Central   

Subjects:  1. Art    2. Asian    3. Photoessays & Documentaries    4. Photography    5. Subjects & Themes - Portraits    6. Subjects & Themes - Travel - World/Asia    7. Classic travel writing    8. Nepal    9. Photographs: collections    10. c 1900 - c 1914   

Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. Asia - Southeast    3. Hiking    4. Travel    5. Travel - Foreign    6. Travel Guides    7. Bhutan    8. Walking, hiking, trekking   

Subjects:  1. Bhutan    2. Travel & holiday guides   

Reviews (1)

Stunning depictions of a beautiful country and people
Returning from my first visit to Bhutan in November, 1999, I searched for a book which genuinely captures the beauty and uniqueness of this Himalayan Buddhist kingdom and her people.The combination of Dompnier's stunningphotography and thoughtful text are more than I had hoped to find.Theformat, choice and excellence of pictures and insightful text aptly conveya sense of this very special place. For anyone interested in theiconography of Tibetan Buddhism, learning about a people and culture unlikeany other on thisplanet, or looking for photojournalism at its best aboutthe Himalayas , I highly recommend this book. Personally, it serves me wellto keep alive cherished memories of a place I know I will visit again. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Asian    3. Bhutan    4. Buddhism - General    5. Documentary Photo Collections    6. History - General History    7. Photo Essays    8. Photoessays & Documentaries    9. Photography    10. Pictorial works    11. Photography / Travel   

Reviews (2)

Lost Kingdoms
I'm researching a trip to Bhutan this fall, and have found that memoirs like this are few and far between. This book describes a world that is far gone--especially Tibet, where all vestiges of the Buddhist culture have been stamped out by the Chinese, except for a few carefully preserved sites for tourists. The book is fascinating for its picture of a culture that was totally accessible to a rather low level British foreign service officer--the Dalai Lama, the Bhutanese Royal Family welcome these well-meaning British into their midst with great ceremony and real friendship. The book itself suffers from a lack of immediacy, which I attribute to the fact that it was written many years later and undoubtedly based almost solely on diaries. I wish there were descriptions of the journeys themselves--the author speaks of crossing 17,000 foot passes as if they were a walk in the park---didn't the pack animals stumble, wasn't she ever out of breath? I would love to have read a description of a small village casually passed--were the children healthy? the people hostile or curious? Having said that, the book presents an interesting picture of a relatively benevolent British Empire reaching out to an independent Tibet--and Bhutan--untouched by the West.

Worlds Apart
Under what circumstances should a bride on honeymoon learn to shoot a rifle? The answer? If she was marrying a Political Officer in 1933. In her book " Memoirs of a Political Officer's Wife in Tibet, Sikkim and and Bhutan" Margaret Williamson describes her two years spent travelling with her husband who was working on behalf of the British Government in this remote part of the world.Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - India & South Asia    2. Bhutan    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Description and travel    6. History - General History    7. Personal Memoirs    8. Sikkim (India)    9. Tibet (China)    10. Williamson, Margaret D.,    11. Buddhism    12. History / General    13. Journeys    14. Sikkim    15. Tibet    16. Williamson, Margaret D   

Reviews (5)

So Close to Heaven
Worst book ever on the subject. The author has no clue what Buddhism is. I doubt if she's even been here in this part of the world. -Sidhartha

A highly readable introduction to Bhutan
The title indicates the book is about Himalayan Buddhism. While small portions are devoted to the Buddhists of Kashmir, Nepal, and Sikkim, the majority of the book is about Bhutan, because it's the last remainingBuddhist monarchy of the Himalayan region. This is not a travel narrative;instead, the material is arranged by topic. It's comprehensive and pleasantto read. It's shortcoming is the author's unabashed bias in favor of theBhutanese monarchy, despite its dubious record of human rights toward theHindu minority. Crossette admits she received favored treatment from theking, and it shows. Likewise, she sides with the (now deposed) monarchy ofSikkim. The bias is so transparently obvious, I didn't feel I had beenconned, but one expects greater balance from a correspondent of The NewYork Times.

One side of the coin
Writers who paint one side of the coin are a bane to the world. Governments records and things as they seem do not make a truth. No body, I repeat, nobody can write the true story about Bhutan if he/she has not beena Bhutanese for entire life. Crossette does not know and will never knowthe atrocities perpretated by the compassionate "Buddhist King"of Bhutan. She will never know how my fatehr was hung upside down andbeaten for not being obedient to the compassionate King. She will neverknow the fear psychosis of the Bhutanese regime that is strangling itself.Bhutan, the land is beautiful and exotic otherwise I would not be wastingmy time telling you it is. The captivating landscape and the mysticreligion is a blanket under which tortures and rapes went on, whoile somejournalists and historians lost themselves in the myth of the oxymoron,"democratic monarchy".The other side would have blamed Barbaraif she had been objective and sensitive to the facts. I blame her because Ido not beleive that a minority trhat is seized by fear losing power will bejustified to kill. Anyway, Kudos to barbara for the effort. The next bookon Bhutan will be written by an author who will have the freedom to seeBhutan freely. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bhutan    2. Buddhism    3. Buddhism - General    4. Essays & Travelogues    5. Himalaya Mountains Region    6. Religion    7. Religion - World Religions    8. Travel    9. Non-Classifiable