Asia Books

A very humane and sensitive account that explores the world view of people far from the beaten track. Despite the differences we are led to understand their concerns which turn out to be far less foreign than the material setting would suggest.

Chaffetz does an admirable job of describing northwest Afghanistan as it was circa 1975 and the effect that the country and its people had upon him. As one who had passed through the country in the late sixties, there was much I could recognize in both the stimulus and the author's response. Particularly gratifying to me was the "update" aspect - the provision of information from that particular time period, of which I had previously read and heard only the barest political and economic facts. Chaffetz ably uses history to inform and frame the life and times he experienced. A further enhancement is the author's knowledge of Farsi and the inclusion of translations into English of words, old inscriptions, and occasional couplets of Persian poetry. The title of this review is taken from one of those couplets. The book is evocative and commendable.

Chaffetz book "A memorial" is the last in my trilogy of readings on Afghanistan for this year. First, I read about Nic Danzinger's travels through the area in recent years. Next, I jumped back to the 1950's and '60s with Sir Wilfred Thesiger's--"Among the Mountains". I finished with Chaffetz's "A Journey Through Afghanistan". They are all brilliant but Chaffetz's book stands out as a scholarly piece and could well be used in anthropological circles for it's in depth study of the urban and nomadic Afghanis prior and during the Russian invasion. The recent drought that has affected the Hazarajat and Kuchi nomads of Afghanistan was brought that much closer with this book. I had bought this book in the late 1980's but between different trips to the Near East--I had fogotten where I left it. As a result, it took me 10 years to actually get around to reading it and after finishing it, I wondered why I hadn't cracked the spline earlier. Chaffetz' style can be a bit off-putting but his travelling companion is a perfect foil to David's abrasive personality. I would really like to know why Chaffetz was studying Parsi in pre-revolutionary Iran or was that just a cover?

This is part three of one of the four great written masterpieces of China, beautifully translated by Professor Yu. If you've gotten this far you've undoubtedly found it hard to put down. This volume includes the episode of the fake Monkey King; it is a very gripping tale highly relatable to these modern times, where indeed the unreal makes as much if not more sense than the real. The CCTV Beijing production did a great job putting this and other tales from this volume on the screen.

This is a great story not just this volume, I really recommend these books to be read by anyone it has everything that a great -great story need.
Prepare yourself for a great journey...read the story.

This has got to be one of the best stories ever made. and this volume is my personal favorite. It keeps you thinking from start to end. If you are someone who enjoys mythology then this is a great book. It's also a must have for the die hard Dragon Ball fans.

This is the final volume of one of the four great written masterpieces of China, beautifully translated by Professor Yu. You can feel the long and arduous journey to India coming to an end at last, along with the end of the even longer and harder journey from immaturity to maturity. The point of the Monkey King's very first teacher, "Nothing in the world is difficult, only the mind makes it so" comes back to the fore in this brilliant wrap up to a story that has no equal. If you have been using some visual aids, such as the CCTV production, to help with your comprehension up to this point, my advice is not to use them for the last part of this volume. The arrival of the group at Vulture Peak and all the incredible human vices, bureaucratic red tape and mistakes that occur from that point on are most impressionable if experienced in the imagination though reading.

One of the most important features of this translation is its accuracy. It is difficult to find a translation that is as true to the original language as this is. Much of the Chinese, especially the poems, is not only archaic but extremely obscure and difficult to approximate in the English language. The author has accomplished this with this work. The footnoting should also be mentioned, The information contained in the extensive footnotes and appendix's has been an integral part not only in my understanding of this book but much of my other studies of Asian mythologies and related materials.

I have long adored Chinese Classics, this being my favorite one. I have Chinese ancestry, but cannot speak or write or read Chinese. I am glad this book has now been put into English for many readers to read. Journey to the West tells of a Tang Priest who is sent on the Tang Emperor's orders to get the scriptures from the Tathagata Buddha in the West. Along his journey, he frees Monkey from the five elements mountain, gets Zhu Bajie (Martian Tian Peng), but now a pig, and Sha Wujing. They overcome 81 obstacles to finally reach the Buddha and become buddhas themselves. The characters in this book are so vivid (especially Sun Wu Kong). The way the author writes, its like being with the Monkey King and watching his journey. When I first watched the Journey to the West the TV show in HongKong, I was hooked. The fascinating martial arts, the humorous bits in the show, and the plot that makes you hang on the edge of your seat. When I read the book, I was so intrigued in the writing, I couldn't put it down. THis is definitely a book worth reading. The language is moderately difficult. I had quite an easy time reading it (and I'm only 8). A must read, it is absolutely fantastic. (by the way, the Monkey King is played by Dicky Cheung in the movie, who is a WONDERFUL actor. Journey to the West (not animated, its real picture) is a great show! )

Take the time to get out of your box and the comfort of home and travel with the author to a far away land called India. Experience the beauty, joy, sadness and often exciting times the author describes so well, as seen through her own eyes.

If you like adventures and travel, you'll find plenty in this real-life story of 'strangers in paradise' -- an American family encountering a different world. The author shows you India vividly through her eyes, as she and her family explored the country, struggled with the problems, and ultimately were captivated by the land, the mystique and the people. She writes candidly about her experiences, both serious and humorous. A great way to get an inside look at some intriguing cultures and places.

Author Mary Stickney has a real winner here. A former wife of an American diplomat assigned to a remote province in India in the politically turbulent 60s, Stickney successfully takes the reader on an exotic, sometimes perilous journey. Opening with the arrival of her young family in India, the author's primary literary device is offering readers excerpts from personal journals. This makes her writing as fresh and inviting as the time they were first written three decades ago. The book is personal and unassuming, easy to read, and a genuine page-turner.

Highly recommended for those wanting to revisit India, as well as for first-time visitors to this fascinating, often physically challenging land. The writing encompasses history, overlapping religions and languages comprising the fabric of the country, and the complex social systems and customs of the land and its people. At the same time, JUNGLE PATHS deals with personal encounters and offers objective observations and fair criticisms throughout the course of the book. The continuing chasm between wealth and abject poverty in many parts of India is especially well-presented here.

I very much enjoyed reading this book.

Rod Haynes

This little book teaches kindness, loyalty, and caring through the work of one brave little labrador retriever named Kali. This book is especially good for teachers to use in the classroom to instruct kids about how children in other parts of the world must contend with things like land mines. The book tells an upbeat story in a gentle and instructive manner. The colorful and upbeat illustrations support the text. Oh,and did I mention that you'll fall in love with the little dog Kali along the way!

Where danger lies, heroes lead the way. Sometimes those heroes are dedicated animals. In "Kali Leads the Way" by Nancy West, readers are introduced to one hero with four paws in the land mine strewn countryside of Cambodia.

Kali is a young Labrador Retriever in training to be a humanitarian mine detection dog. Her job is to use her keen sense of smell to detect buried land mines. Her challenge is to overcome her non-work related curiosity. Kali is distracted by butterflies and her trainer decides that she is not yet ready for work. She soon proves herself when her companion work dogs fail to find something that she spots easily...a live mine near the training site. When the monsoon season arrives in Cambodia the other dogs are brought to a nearby city to wait it out. The dogs cannot work in the heavy rain. Kali remains with her trainer to watch over the training grounds. One night, after many rain soaked days, the clouds clear and a knock is heard at the door. A man carries his young son, desperately in need of medical care, and hopes that Kali can lead them over the mountain to the city. Kali is able to focus on her work, and ignore temptation, but will she safely guide the group around a buried mine and the other dangers that lurk in the forest?

This beautifully illustrated book shows the dedicated service dogs like Kali provide. It also gently explains what land mines are and the dangers that farmers and others face having to live with this very real unknown threat. Educators looking to introduce this sad product of war will find this book to be a perfect blend of fact and hopeful outlook. Information on what can be done about land mines is provided at the back of the book.

Nancy West takes a tragic situation and turns it into something we can all hope for. Showing the growth of the dog's sense of duty puts the developing hero in a relatable light. Children will cheer her on as she ignores the monkeys and sticks to her task. Adult readers will be touched by the sense of need and desire for help. Kali is leading the world in showing compassion and taking control, and that's just what we all need more of. Well done!

One problem with adults reviewing a childrens book is that - well- we are not kids. Children look at the world from an entirely different perspective from us older folk. Too often writers "talk down" to children, underestimate their reading skills or beat them over the head with a moral lesson or perhaps with dogs that talk. Kali Leads the Way takes an entirely different approach.

Author Nancy West has successfully tackled a very adult subject and has delivered a convincing story involving war, mines, and Cambodia suitable for young children.It will not scare kids but may open them up for a lot of questions that parents or teachers should be prepared for; Why were the mines planted? Why can dogs smell things we can't? Where is Cambodia?

As a black lab Kali plays perfect host to addrssing some of these questions and Dana Kash's soft watercolors compliment the story without intruding on the text. Although listed as ages "8 and up" I think you can go a bit younger. I lent the book out to a couple of kids in the neighborhood and they thoroughly enjoyed it! Also a perfect book in a classroom setting for teachers to use.

I read this book this semester in Professor Ohnuki-Tierney's class on Political and Cultural Symbolism. A must for any undergraduate student of symbolic or political anthropology. The book traces the use of the cherry blossom as a symbol throughout history, eventually arriving at the tokkotai (kamikaze) pilots of WWII.

EOT does a great job dispelling the myth that tokkotai pilots died for the emperor and committed suicide. Instead, she shows the lives of five young men, all highly intelligent university students fluent in Marxism and Western philosophy. These young men joined the Navy to herald a new age for Japan, they did not believe in the pro rege et patria mori ideology American media has assumed.

Don't watch the History Channel specials on tokkotai pilots. Read this book and learn about the harsh reality of war, the cruelty of government manipulation of symbol, and the brilliance of the Japanese men who lost their lives in WWII.

Exceptional book, I took a class with this professor. The western conception of "suicide pilots" is completly wrong.

From my experiences in reading historical non-fiction, there are generally two types of books. One of these simply tells you what happend, while the others, while also accomplishing the recount, also provide an analysis of perhaps why soemthing happend.

This is a must-read and an incredible in depth look at the japanese culture and the pride they have for their country and history.

Ramanji does a good job of making an honest assesment of the various phases that RAW has undergone through its life. The language is fast paced and holds the reader with curiosity. Many people will find this a welcome insight into the world of intelligence, foreign affairs and the ever present politics. Many budding 16-17 year olds might even make a career choice after reading this book. Ramanji makes no bones of his admiration for the policies and statesmanship shown by the late Indira Gandhi. Surprising is his antipathy towards what is considered a right wing war mongering BJP that increased defence spending, wanted tighter borders and gave more powers to police and defence forces for detaining, questioning suspects. Ramanji and many of his like are the unknown warriors who defend the security and integrity of our country. He signs off in a self effacing fashion claiming no credit and asking for none. For readers who are themselves in govt service or whose parents are/were in government service one will recognise the staid language and the group dynamics that typifies indian government service. This book reminds me of "forrest gump", a man who is present everytime there was a world changing event but doesnt care about its importance, he just want to do his job as best as he can. Definitely worth buying.

How secretive should sleuths be?

Secretive enough to not let our strategies become public domain information for adverse interests; yet not so secretive to escape public scrutiny completely.

At last some of our sleuths have started publishing books about their life and times in RAW.

Raman does not succumb to the temptation of spilling secrets.

He provides the insightful analysis one can expect from him:

(a) There are no friends or enemies amongst sleuths. Strategic interests dominate everything else. CIA was wary of Indian sleuths helping Soviets in Afghanistan and kept them busy by supporting the Khalistan movement. (Friendship between Kao and then CIA director George Bush changed this policy). CIA was happy to train ISI on terrorism in foreign lands (mainly directed against Soviets). Yet CIA was happy to train RAW/IB on counter -terrorism. French intelligence penetrated Prime Minister's office and gained access to RAW briefings. Yet French intelligence was happy to co-operate with India and provide US/Soviet fleet movements in Indian Ocean. PM Narasimha Rao summed it up nicely when he said (in a reference to US): "We have to get along well with them; but we have to be careful with them!"

(b) Pakistan's divisive actions in India did not stem from the loss of East Pakistan as Bangladesh. It started as early as 1956 when Naga rebels crossed over to Burma to get trained in rebellion. (The rebels' dream of a Greater Nagaland, including bits of Burma, led to Burma turning hostile and stopping this). Pakistan helped Mizo rebel Laldenga conduct a campaign from Pakistan for Mizo separatism. (Laldenga began to dislike to his ISI handlers and made a deal with RAW to move to India). Pakistan provided honor and support to Dr Jagjit Singh Chauhan and helped him conduct his Khalistan movement even prior to the 1971 war. Pakistan found a greater success in Kashmir because of:

1. Availability of 80,000 trained and armed mujahideens free after the Afghan war to conduct a proxy war against India

2. Benazir Bhutto's stepped up support to ISI (with unlimited power and required funds) to conduct the proxy war. (Pakistan's relationship with India was at its worst when Benazir headed Pakistan. No meetings. No discussions on "non-white papers". No initiatives).

3. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi's trust in Benazir Bhutto (for which, according to Raman, Prime Minister V P Singh had to pay the price eventually) and

4. Prime Minister I K Gujral's decision to discontinue RAW's covert action capabilities on Pakistan's western border (a policy started by Indira Gandhi and supported by every Prime Minister after her until 1996) that freed ISI to focus on the eastern border at Kashmir and

5. Failure by New Delhi to stop the alienation of Kashmir Muslims (unlike the successful stopping of the alienation of Sikhs in Punjab thanks to several leaders amongst the valiant Sikhs themselves).

(c) Raman thinks that the Bangladesh war did not provide India strategic advantages. We ended up having a nuclear armed Pakistan and an ill-disposed Bangladesh in the neighborhood. Worth pondering this thought. Nor does he think the win against Soviets provided US any strategic advantage. Raman is convinced that "if ever there is an attack in US soil using a weapon of mass destruction, it would have originated from Pakistan". Worth pondering this thought as well.

(d) Raman accuses both ISI and IB of ill-treating suspected sleuths from across the border. He avers that ISI's suspicion that RAW had a hand in the Sindh disturbances is misplaced. According to him, this was Pakistan stewing in its own sectarian juice.

(e) Some interesting behavior "behind the scenes":

1. Prime Minister Chandrasekar secretly agreed to refuel US aircrafts proceeding to the Gulf war theater in 1990; but backed off when a newspaper broke the story

2. Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, after a massive rejection of her "emergency" rule in the 1977 elections, considered sending Rajiv and Sanjay Gandhi out of India and gave up the idea at Kao's advice.

3. Several bureaucrats had fallen prey to money, alcohol and sexual companionship to compromise security or not return to India.

Raman's book clearly brings out the stellar role Kao's men played in serving India's territorial integrity and geopolitical interests.

Organizing the nation's sleuths (blending the plays abroad, the plays within the country, using people, using technology, warding off others' spies, working with military intelligence, working with India's diplomats abroad, working with others' diplomats in India), steering through the political power play in New Delhi and staying above suspicion are big challenges.

However, India is always able to get good leaders at political level, good leaders at institutional level (like Kao) and good workers at the field level (like Raman). Let wisdom prevail over interests and transparency prevail over power in organizing our intelligence forces.

The 'Kaoboys' in the title is a pun on the name of legendary chief of RAW who saw it through its formative years, and to whom this book is a kind of tribute. Apart from this, there are few cowboy antics, if any, in the book. The book is mostly quite sober, and measured, even in its criticism of the other countries and agencies, though of course he has a special grudge against the Americans. If you expect Mr. Raman, a veteran 'Kaoboy' himself, to be sharing any family secrets, you are sadly mistaken.

The book is written in a kind of flashback. There are 19 chapters in all, beginning with the Bangladesh war (1971) and stopping somewhere around the early nineties, when Mr. Raman retired from the service. In between, he covers a lot of ground geographically (actually only South Asia, and little bit of France), but touches on almost each significant aspect: Bangladesh, North-east, Emergency, Khalistan, assassination of two Gandhis (mother and son), Bofors, and terrorism. Each topic is dealt with in a fairly detailed manner, offering a perspective from inside RAW.

There is a lot of useful information, though there are quite a few repeats, where he has reproduced his earlier comments almost verbatim. Mr. Raman's English is fairly good, though it is not idiomatic, and sometimes downright quaint. However, this does not detract from the overall quality of the book, though the lack of a good editor is sorely felt.

He also offers a perspective on what RAW needs to do in future. His tone is politically neutral, as it has to be for someone who served under at least two different political dispensations. His focus remains throughout on protecting Indian territory and interests.

At some places, he frankly admits the mistakes which RAW, and Shri Kao, made. At places he offers interesting tidbits, such as the dilemma the Indian embassy in France faced when Sh. Morarji Desai stayed with them and presumably used one of the glasses to drink his own urine. The ambassador's wife had the entire set of glasses replaced! Another interesting incident is when Mrs. Gandhi had her own staff pay customs duty for smuggling in goods from a foreign trip with her. He also shares his perspective on how the vanity and foibles of our leaders were manipulated or affected the country. Again this comes through in quite a balanced manner - without any special favorites or axe to grind.

The book has been printed on expensive, glossy paper. This makes it difficult to read at times, as the paper reflects light. The type face is good, the book is a fairly slim volume, though relatively large in size.

Overall an objective, and interesting view from inside the administration. Buy and read this book, quite rare in India where most officers are quite reticent about their years with the Government.

A first rate guide...I know because i live in Bali

A rare and wonderful travel guide that goes much deeper than the regular where-to-find-hotels-and-restaurants type. Beautiful layouts of photography and artwork complement short essays on everything from detailed explainations of complex hindu ceremonies to food preparation. The information here is amazingly accurate, and well presented with cross references to basic tourist information. This would be a great book to kill the time while waiting for your ferry in Padangbai, or in the Losmen at night trying to learn more about the miracle of Bali! Enjoy!

Wonderful book covering all aspects of Bali from it's culture right through to the more popular destinations that are so sought after in Bali from the wonderful white beaches of Kuta through to the ancient village of the Bali Aga in Tenganan... what more can I say about this book. It sent shock waves through my head when I first read it. Everytime I read this book I feel that I need to see and explore Bali one day. Therefore just one of the great books ever produced on Bali alone... wonderful photographs and pictures as well as diagrams. Concise with every sections from the well known villages and areas that are off the beaten track. I give it the thumbs up for sure...

"The koto...is a thirteen-string Japanese zither." The traditional koto is about six feet long with thirteen movable bridges placed under its strings. The player sits at the end known as the "head." Nontraditional kotos can vary in length as well as some of the design details. As with many objects and activities in Japanese society, the koto and the playing of it have been used to signify the social class and certain social situations. Varied individuals such as aristocrats, blind male professionals, and female amateurs indicated their status by how they played the instrument. An ethnomusicologist at the U. of Otago in New Zealand, Johnson ranges through the construction and design of the koto, music for it and the performance of this, the koto's place in Japanese culture, and changes in these as Japanese society has changed. Color photographs of different perspectives, including close-ups when called for, accompany the technical, historical, and sociological topics. With the size and quality of a coffee-table art book, this work makes this somewhat specialized subject readily accessible to readers with different interests about Japanese culture and musicology.

The Koto: A Traditional Instrument In Contemporary Japan is a thorough, illustrated history of a traditional stringed Japanese instrument. The text goes into depth on the koto's useage throughout history, techniques for tuning and playing it, its performance today, methods for constructing individual instruments as works of art, and much more. A comprehensive resource covering just about anything and everything there is to know about the haunting melodies that continue to be played on this remarkable instrument, up to the modern day.

Along with Mt. Fuji, Cherry Blossoms, Geisha, and the Shamisen, the Japanese koto is THE symbol of traditional Japan. Other then a couple of advanced musicological studies, and a chapter or two in other books about Japanese music, no other book gives such a complete reference to this all important instrument. Not only does this book include just about every aspect about the history, design, construction, and music theory of the Japanese koto, but it is also a beautiful book with wonderful photos, diagrams, and charts covering the full spectum of knowledge about this instrument. From Yatsuhashi to the most modern "Doremi Popcorn" koto, "The Koto" is also very accessible to the average reader. As a student of the koto, I only dared to dream about a work such as this, and now my dream has come true. My only small complaint (if any) is that for the price, a CD might have been included with a sampling of koto pieces, illustrating the diverse music that the koto has produced over its almost 2,000 year history.

Jim Fahn details Thailand's uneasy embrace of globalization in the '90s with a Thomas Friedman-like awareness. He celebrates Southeast Asia's torrid economic rise, its bloody battles for democracy and its struggles for cultural self-determinism with an unflinching eye on the wrecking ball.

Fahn's personal anecdotes add color to his solid research about a country, its people and a culture he got to know well over many years. Personally, I thought it was refreshing to get information from someone who's actually been on the ground and seen a situation -- rather than from someone who draws their conclusions from someone else's study results. He includes info from a variety of sources, but not at the expense of first-hand knowledge. Also liked the way that he explained how he got some of his stories -- what a reporter has to do in a developing country, where corporate interests sometimes make it dangerous just to report on a problem.

A Land on Fire is a superb book - informative, rich in detail, and readable. It traces Southeast Asia's environmental challenges through a treasure of engaging stories. In the narrative we meet all kinds of people - farmers, fishermen, indigenous leaders, eco tourism operators, loggers, government foresters, journalists, oil riggers. Woven tightly together with journalistic skill, their stories tell us much about the environmental crisis setting upon Southeast Asia.

Thailand is a country I have lived in and know well. From the first page to the last, Fahn shows a profound understanding of the country, a respect for its special qualities, and a passion for preserving its environmental heritage.