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Shopping for Buddhas
Jeff Greenwald
Lonely Planet, 1996
Very moved by this book. I loved it.
+ An Insightful Quest -- Towards a Buddha Image
I first learned of Jeff Greenwald from the book "A Sense of Place" which is a collection of interviews with authors best known for their travel/adventure writing.
Having been intrigued by the concept behind this book, I immediately checked Amazon to see how well it was received. I was quite ...
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Iron and Silk
Mark Salzman
Vintage, 1987
Funny book on cultural differences
+ A Fantastic, illuminating read
+ Fun With Culture
+ Huoshenxian- an Immortal in Human Form
+ Qong Fu: skill that transcends mere surface beauty!
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Video Night in Kathmandu: And Other Reports from the Not-So-Far East
Pico Iyer
Vintage, 1989
Late 80s Asia
+ Loved It!
+ Cynical Romantic
+ Asia Travelin'
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Seven Years in Tibet
Heinrich Harrer
Tarcher, 1997
Seven Years in Tibet
+ Amazing Story!
+ An Incredible Journey & A Good Read
+ A personal quest for spirituality in the Himalayas becomes a classic book
+ A book about Tibet....
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Night Train to Turkistan: Modern Adventures Along China's Ancient Silk Road (Traveler)
Stuart Stevens
Atlantic Monthly Press, 1994
It's all about the journey
+ Not a likable author, but an interesting journey
+ Probably his best
Stevens provides a humorous recounting of a romp through Western China attempting to follow the trail of 1936 travelers Fleming an Maillart along the ancient Silk Road. Night Train to Turkistan is entertaining for its quirky characters including infuriating bureaucrats, reluctant Chinese ...
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Off the Rails in Phnom Penh: Into the Dark Heart of Guns, Girls, and Ganja
Amit Gilboa
Asia Books, 1998
Insight Into Another World
+ decent enough
The subtitle on the book wastes no time telling you what this book is about: "into the dark heart of guns, girls, and ganja". Think Detroit is bad? Wait till you hear about late 90's pre-coup Phenom Penh.
Amit Gilboa does a fantastic job describing the surroundings and the atmosphere of both his ...
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In Xanadu: A Quest
Permissions, HarperCollins (UK) Publishers
Lonely Planet, 2000
A delightful and hilarious travel memoir.
+ Dean Moriarty in a Burqa
+ Rugged travels on the silk route
I read this book on an airplane journey, and laughed so hard at some entries that I cried.
And then I got depressed, because I realized that at the author's age, I would have been incapable of the deft writing and erudition he displayed.
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Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam
Andrew X. Pham
Picador, 2000
Andrew's website is at www.andrewxpham.com, other info
+ A beautifully wrought return to one's complicated past
+ a random and beautiful encounter
+ . . arriving at the place where you started. . .and knowing it for the first time
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Lost Japan
Alex Kerr
Lonely Planet, 1996
Great Reading
+ More accurate title would be "My Lost Japan"
+ A lovely read
+ A must read for those interested in Japan
+ Another Lonely Planet Journeys gem
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Ring of Fire: An Indonesian Odyssey
Lawrence Blair
Park Street Press, 1991
Ring of Fire: An Indonesian Odyssey
+ This book is special.
+ A book close to my heart
+ Wonderful travel and adventure story
+ A wonderful adventure that is real and filled with insight.
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Circle Round The Sun, A: A Foreigner in Japan, Inc.
Peregrine Hodson
Knopf, 1993
The author of Under the Sickle Moon shares a narrative of life in the heart of the Japanese business world, offering colorful portraits of the personalities he encounters and providing insights into the workings of Japanese society. 10,000 first printing.
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Trespassers on the Roof of the World: The Secret Exploration of Tibet (Kodansha Globe)
Peter Hopkirk
Kodansha Globe, 1995
Gatecrashers and trespassers have not diminished the lure of Tibet.
+ The race to Lhasa
+ Another Hopkirk Gem
+ Journey to Tibet with other "tresspassers"
+ Documented history of Accessing Lhasa
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The Snow Leopard (Penguin Nature Classics)
Peter Matthiessen
Penguin, 1987
a great travel log with a little zen
+ One of the classics of travelogue literature: The Snow Leopard
+ Interesting and Compelling Book
Matthiessen is a talented writer who consistently manages to capture the essence of what he sees. He insists that he is a fiction writer, first and foremost, but the honesty and vibrance of his words in nonfiction are phenomenal. As an "travel log"-type book, this is one of the best. His ...
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Give Me the World (Adventura Books)
Leila Hadley
Seal Press, 2003
You'll feel like you're there
+ Great Read!
+ A timeless, enchanting travel memoir
+ A Great Travel Memoir
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River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze
Peter Hessler
Harper Perennial, 2002
The Adventure of an American in China
+ China, both Complex and Fascinating
+ River Town
+ A fast and engaging read
+ Easy, Interesting Read
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