Asia Books

This book has got all that you need to avoid reinventing the wheel. A must for Sikh history researchers.

This book is specialy interesting and instructive to be read by the sikhs
and those who have allready some knowledge of Sikhism.

I bought this book expecting to read articles with a bigoted, mis-informed view of the Sikh culture and people from an anti-Sikh western viewpoint, or worse, pure ignorance. I was pleasantly surprised by the detailed and fascinating detail on the circumstances of Sikh people and life during the periods covered. I appreciate that there are gaps in coverage, but that adds to the authencity of the accounts and helps you formulate a view in your mind how the Sikh's could've changed from a small band of warriors under Bhanda Singh to the organised armies under Ranjit Singh. What I liked were the commentaries by the narrators who put the writer's circumstances into context before putting the writer's actual account before the reader. This helps the reader appreciate the limitations of the writer's perspective, and appreciate the actual gems of insight where they are to be found. The book also gives a glimpse into the past when it wasn't necessary to be 'man with turban' to be sikh, but there were other ways to be spiritually sikh without donning the appearance of a Khalsa sikh.

Overall, a gr8 read. Now onto Patwant Singh's book...

Well done to the authors and all who supported them in this long overdue project.

Amandeep and Paramjeet have attempted to write this book in an unbiased fashion, and I must say, have succeeded. This is a rare acheivement for authors of history and historians, as the biased historical accounts of the early Europeans in India show.

The accounts (some apparently eye witness) of Banda Bahadur are particulary informative as to the culture, opinions, attitudes and politics of the rulers and the Sikhs in the early eighteenth century.

It's a shame that there is still a gap in mid eighteenth century Sikh history, although there are accounts of this, they are still very limited in content and historians rely heavily on the hearsay of the time.

Maybe a project on the Sikh Misls could be a possibilty, using all known sources!! There is a lot of misinformation about this period and the Sardaars. A comprehensive and historical records based study is much needed!

There is some very interesting information as to the practices of Sikhs which I never knew of before e.g. stirring amrit with a boars tooth, which is very believable if looked at in the context of the problems faced by the Sikhs of the time.

Unsuprisingly, there are comprehensive reports of Ranjit Singhs darbaar.

In all, this is an eye opening, inspiring and educational book.

Harcharan

Got to me in a decent enough time and nothing was wrong with the book so i would say overall pretty good.

This is the book I wish I had written. I have traveled in most of these countries and studied their history and culture. I was so thrilled to see the information pulled together and the follow-through to show the outcomes of movements and trade goods. Fascinating. Loved it!!

This book is a fantastic cultural adventure and should be read by anyone interested in cross-cultural relationships. More than a topographical description of the silk road, it is a gallop though history explaining paths taken by silk to get to Europe. It starts in prehistoric china and ends with the Karakorum highway, synthetizing in twenty chapters the reasons for the often difficult diffusion of luxury products from the Far East. The author, that evidently knows well chinese history and mentality, takes us by hand into the ancient cinese political issues as to foreign commerce, the fundamental role played by Iranians, byzantines and arabs during the Middle Ages up to the wary reciprocal opening of European and Cinese worlds due to brave and curious travelers. So we meet princesses, monks and merchants and get to know their fascinanting stories. One point of force of the book is the meticulous and modern analysis of these travel tales, so we have a critical perspective of what has come down in history and makes up our cultural background. Marco Polo get's revisited and also less well known ancient and modern travelers are cited.
Boulnois loves silk (her detailed description of materials of the old world and how they were made is enlightening)and its history, so she brings us to her country, France, and to the evolution of the silk industry in the XIX and XX century. And this somehow closes the circle of the story of this precious tissue that reached its apogeum in the last century.
The book however is much more than this and carries a great amount of information. It could be described actually as a textbook on the history of silk. It is well written even if not too easy to read, and sometimes it is a little repetitive.
I enjoyed it very much and feel enriched by its reading.

This is a fascinating coverage of a area, region call it what you may. The Silk Road has been part of the adventure stories that we have come across over many years, not knowing much about it; but we have thought that one day we might just get there ourselves.

Purchased with the idea that if I am going to visit this area, and I will in the not too distant future, this is the ideal book to read, savior and be intrigued with the Monks Warriors & Merchants that have gone before us.

If only I could pronounce the names - but then that is another book, another read.

This book is a delight to read. Thai culture comes alive with the Marsden's adept descriptions of daily life in a small village. Full to the brim with beautifully described characters, the book is worth savoring.

Marsden succeeds again with her second novel, Silk Umbrellas. It gently transports us to the world of a rural Thai girl whose artistic sensibilities are emerging even as she struggles with her family's survival issues. The descriptions of how she forms images in her mind, paints the umbrellas, and gains confidence as an artist are sure to appeal to young artists worldwide. The compelling story and details of present-day, rural life in Thailand make this story worthy of classroom study. It would be a cultural eye opener for many American children and is sure to spark discussion. Parents will want the book for home use, too-kids will treasure this inspiring read.

Silk Umbrellas is a revealing commentary on our changing world, for these changes are happening everywhere, not only in Thailand. It is also a tender story of a young girl, glimpsing a future with eyes learning to see reality. I read it in preparation for an upcoming trip to Thailand, and am enriched by it. Only one question for the author: where does the family get the umbrellas? Now I want a sequel: The Umbrella-Makers.

Noi's grandmother is an artist who paints beautiful designs on silk umbrellas and sells them at the market near their rural Thai home. Eleven-year-old Noi also longs to be an artist, and when her grandmother lets Noi add small designs to the umbrella, she seems to have natural talent: "The flit of the butterflies moved into her, then out into the brush, so the paint seemed to lay itself down."

When Noi's family falls on hard times, though, and Noi's older sister Ting is sent to work making radios at the factory, Noi fears that she, too, will be sent to work when she finishes school in just a few months. When Noi sees the stifling environment of the factory, she grows even more desperate to avoid this fate and asks her grandmother to help her learn how to paint. In secret, Noi creates dozens of decorated umbrellas, inspired by the flora, fauna and colors of the landscape. When her grandmother grows ill, will Noi be able to paint umbrellas beautiful enough to help support her family?

Set against the background of preparations for the harvest festival of Loy Krathong, SILK UMBRELLAS is not only the story of the birth of an artist, but also a loving portrayal of Thai nature and culture. Careful readers will notice subtle commentaries on the changing economic conditions in Thailand. Electronics factories replace traditional crafts; Noi's father weaves fishing baskets, not for fishermen but for Western tourists.

SILK UMBRELLAS is a slim novel that can nevertheless be read on several levels. Younger readers will enjoy witnessing Noi's artistic development and learning about Thai customs, and older readers will also grasp the larger cultural commentary in Carolyn Marsden's sensitively written novel.

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I love this book! Teaching children, and adults no less, compassion, imagination and creative thinking is of the utmost importance and the combined pleasure of a fantastic ending is a sure winner. The little drawings are not colorful but so detailed and feeling.

A poor old witch and her cat, Toraji, just want to make some yummy miso soup for their meager supper. The bonito flakes are boiling to make stock. But, wait the cranky pair have a change of heart when they look at the peacefully sleeping clams they have bought for the soup. An unexpected tale of friendship and happy, mundane magic. We like it. The Librarians Sisters, Karen and CJ

Yes, this tale does have a very strong vegan message. As the witch and her cat learn more about the clams and interact with them, they realize that the clams are living beings, too. More than that, they are fast becoming friends. You don't eat friends.

I loved that the witch (and her cat!) grew throughout the story and opened themselves to love and service to others, and became much happier beings for it.

Message books can be kind of preachy, but I really didn't find this one to be overly so. Nowhere does the author explicitly state that eating meat is bad, or even that you should want to help others in order to be a decent human being. Things just unfold naturally in the storyline.

As a vegetarian venturing into veganism myself, though, I love having this resource to begin to talk with my kids about the ethics of food choices. (My children are six and two.)

Singing Shijimi Clams is the tale of a witch, old and without her sparks, who brings home some shijimi clams for her dinner. She's taken aback, right before cooking them, to find find the clams snoring away. "Their shells were opened slightly, and their little bodies moved contentedly." Her cat, Toraji, tries to convince the witch that it's ok to boil up the clams because "(t)hey won't feel anything if you put them in quickly." But she can't do it, and witch and cat end up eating miso soup sans clams.

Eventually, the witch and Toraji start talking with the clams, and the clams cry when they learn that they aren't in the ocean anymore. The witch and Toraji have to undertake a major project to take the clams back to the sea. Along the way, the clams sing! "And every day, as the witch listened to the shijimi clams' sweet voices, she too began to feel happier, and less miserable."

I'm not such a fan of message books, and this one bears a relatively strong vegan message. But Singing Shijimi Clams is a lot of fun. The illustrations are deceptively simple, small black and white sketches rather than full page drawings. They convey the grouchy witch's gradual thawing, as she does something good for the clams. The cat is a riot, starting out callous, but by the end admitting "I will miss them when they go." The drawings of the little clams are priceless, with tiny faces, and lines to show movement and emotion.

This book grew on me. I thought that it was ok on the first read, but by the end of the second read I was quite attached to witch, cat, and clams. Because of the lack of color in the illustrations, and the relatively high text ratio, I think that this book will resonate more with kids on the older end of picture book range.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on November 12, 2006.

David Bain does an excellent job of recounting the journey of Funston to capture Aquinaldo as well as his own recreation of the journey with his brother and friends. I enjoyed his ability to remain objective and balanced, his candor and humor as well. This is a must read for those looking to understand what transpired during 1898 - 1901 in the Philippines as well as what Bain's team experienced during their 1982 expedition. The book ends with the Marcos regime and the asassination of Benigno Aquino.

I must agree with a prior reviewer that this is a great book that detail's Funston's plan to capture the leader of the filipino resistance and end the insurgency that followed America's invasion of the Philippine Islands during the Spanish American War. Funston's action can only be described as audacious and was tactically successful. While it did not end the resistance, it should have gone down as one of the most successful small unit raids ever conducted in Military History. Funston used indigenous forces along with a small contingent of American soldiers to achieve his goal and capture Aguinaldo.

I wonder why there are not more books available on Funston. Be that as it may, this book does justice to Funston and his raid.

The Washington Post, February 24, 1985

IN WHICH WAR was the term "Gook" invented? When did American soldiers conduct their first body count and pioneer the use of the "water cure" to persuade Asian guerrillas to betray their comrades?

After which battle did a young rifleman write home to the folks in Kingston, New York, "I am in my glory when I can sight my gun on some dark skin and pull the trigger"?

Modern as it all sounds, the answer is not Vietnam, or even Korea or World War II. The American conquest of the Philippines barely rates a mention in school history books, usually as a cryptic footnote to the short war which President William McKinley and publisher William Randolph Hearst waged on Spain in 1898 for the independence of Cuba and the circulation of Hearst's newspapers. Yet 126,458 Americans fought in the Philippines between 1898 and 1902, of whom 4,234 died, while 16,000 Filipinos died in battle and another 200,000 in "reconcentration camp." There were in addition massacres of civilians in reprisal for guerrilla attacks and similar sideshows all too familiar in subsequent Asian wars.

The story of how, and why America liberated the Philippines from Spain and then took the islands back from their inhabitants two weeks later is a complicated one, already well told in one of the classics of American historiography, Leon Wolff's Little Brown Brother, published in 1960. But the writing of history is never finished, and David Haward Bain has managed another fine book on the subject, not disagreeing with Wolff's conclusions, but making them fresh and vivid for a generation which has seen yet another Asian war.

This is not, however, simply another tale of savagery in the rice paddies. Almost as if he could read tomorrow's newspapers, Bain has brought his account up to the minute, with perceptive entries, for instance, indexed under Aquino Benigno and Ver, General Fabian (the latter currently on trial for complicity in the former's assassination). This energetic young historian has thus pulled off that rarest of publishing coups, a scholarly historical work of bang-on topicality. He has, what's more, found a most original way of bringing his story to life.

From this distance, and even at the time, the American conquest of the Philippines has always been difficult to fathom. But, then and now, two figures jump forth from a cast of thousands: Emilio Aguinaldo, not quite 30, brave and passionately patriotic, the president of the republic of the Philippines proclaimed as the beaten Spaniards departed (and the first republic in Asia) and Colonel Frederick Funston, six years older, who drove the last nail into the republic's coffin by capturing Aguinaldo on March 23, 1901, after a long and daring hunt through the jungles and mountains of northern Luzon.

Aguinaldo, who looked remarkably like his current successor, Ferdinand Marcos, survived his capture and lived a long life, long enough to welcome the arrival of the Japanese in 1942 (understandably, perhaps; the new invaders also promised liberation), to march in the Manila independence parade of 1946, carrying the flag he first raised against Spain in 1896, and to see a new American war just getting under way in Asia in 1964, the year of his death. A largely forgotten figure now, even in the Philippines, Aguinaldo emerges from Bain's book an authentic hero and his republic a tragically missed chance for the United States to have been the protector of Asia's first genuine democracy.

His captor, the adventurous son of a Kansas politician known as "Foghorn Funston, the farmers' friend" was plainly just as archetypal a figure. "I am afraid that some people at home will lie awake nights worrying about the ethics of this war, thinking that our enemy is fighting for the right of self-government" he told a New York Times correspondent. "The word independent, which these people roll over their tongues so glibly, is to them a word, and not much more . . . . they are, as a rule, an illiterate, semisavage people, who are waging war, not against tyranny, but against Anglo-Saxon order and decency." Funston's feat, a mixture of reckless daring and ingenious double-cross, or what used to be known in Vietnam as a "John Wayne stunt," was the stuff of movies, and would have made a splendid vehicle for James Cagney (Funston was 5 feet 4 inches tall and touchy about it) if Hollywood had blossomed before American imperialism went out of fashion.

BUT, LIKE MANY a veteran from the East, Funston could not settle down to life back home, took to the bottle and died at 51 in 1917, when he was being seriously considered for command of the American Expeditionary Force that went to France that year. But for his heart attack, in fact, we would very likely now be debating the merits of the Funston rocket instead of the one named for his deputy, General John Pershing, who got the job instead.

Here, unmistakably, we have the Green Beret, or cowboy turned romantic military stuntman. In fact, Funston's boss, General Arthur MacArthur, father of the even more famous Douglas, was an old Indian fighter, and so were many of his buddies in the 20th Kansas infantry he led to the Philippines. The fact that the Far East is West of the Wild West has profoundly shaped America's wars there, a point made in the insightful and absurd movie The Deer Hunter.

It is hard to quarrel with Bain's conclusion that the years of American rule did little or nothing to solve the basic political problem of the Philippines. After three centuries of Spanish colonial government, the islands had none of the institutions of self-rule and no experience of it. All the new rulers achieved was a superficial Americanization of the illustrades, the Hispanicized native upper class, leaving the masses in pious poverty and the way open for a native-born dictatorship to follow the authoritarian rule of slippery Spaniards and decent Anglo-Saxons. People learn self-government by governing themselves and making their own mistakes, and America put off the Philippines' fateful day for 50 years, failing, in the end, even to supply the military protection that is the only justification for empire.

But Americans are still well thought of in the Philippines, as Bain and a group of friends, including his photographer-brother Christopher, discovered when they repeated Funston's epic trek through the Luzon jungle in 1982, talking to the same locals, fording the same streams, and being bitten by descendants of the same mosquitoes which bit the pint-sized adventurer and his party 80 years earlier. Melding past and present, and interweaving the historical background with present politics brings vividly home the long shadows still cast by America's first adventure in Asia. This is an important story, honestly researched and well told -- a second classic, in fact, on a fascinating subject.

Truly a wonderful book...more like 2 or 3 books in one. It traces the early life of Funston..worthy of a book on its own but none out there that I can find. if you like the adventurous explorer scholarly type this is the man. Kind of a Richard Burton character...no silly... not the actor.Then it traces the history of the rebel movement at the turn of the century with the focus on Aguinaldo's movements in Northern Luzon. And finally it traces the author and his merry band as they retrace the steps of Funston in his bid to capture Aguinaldo in the early 1980's. So, in short if you are a student of history...READ IT!. If you like adventure or war stories...READIT! if you like drama...READ IT! If you know someone in the philippines...READ IT! I really had no idea of what happened over there or what role the usa had played over there. I don't think it was even mentioned in school. A real eye opener. Uhh, can you tell i liked it?

Mu Lan, will intrigue boys and girls alike. Her mission to provide safety and refuge for others, does not come without a price. She faces alot of misundersood culture barriers-what one expects from a daughter or a son! This book has some thing for everyone, with a powerful message to all, about what the human spirit can accomplish. Disney is making this story into a movie in June of this year! It's message will effect all!

The illustrations are beautiful! This is an authentic presentation of the ancient folk ballad of Mu Lan. The translation adheres closely to the original Chinese text. This is simultaneously the great merit and the great fault of this translation, since the original text is allusive and elliptical in its phrasing. For example, the ancient text appears to have several speakers, but it is not always clear who is speaking at any moment. Because of this, the English translation is at times unclear. The imagery of Jeanne Lim's lean interpretation of this poem is nevertheless powerful and rich, comparable to Han Frankel's translation of this poem, and quite a relief from the excesses of Arthur Waley. I recommend it highly.

In the US, most people came to the legend of Mu Lan via or following the Disney version, which was, for a change, amazingly close to the source material. In China, this story is as well known as George Washington and his cherry tree is in America. I was quite taken with the Disney movie, and went looking for books of the story. Many books later, in both English and Chinese, I have come to regard this version as the best of all. The translation is excellent, the drawings nothing short of captivating. My children, now four to fourteen, all enjoy hearing me read this book aloud, and I have not grown tired of reading it. There are many small true things in this book which may not be readily striking to the casual Western reader, but to those who have studied or lived in China, the story makes a great deal of sense, both in the details and in the broad message of the story.. I can't heap enough praise on this book. It is perfect in every way, all the details are just right.

The story of Mu Lan is the chinese woman warrier fairy tale that describes a young girl that is capable and courageous. Her father has no elder son, so she disguises herself as a boy and joins up when they call her father's name. The original fairy tale poem is reproduced in poetry, both in chinese and english. The calligraphy is artfully done and the story rings genuine. The words are faithfully reproduced to convey the original meaning. It is a book you can display on your coffee table or read over and over to your children. The beautiful illustrations are done in watercolor on silk and are lush and expressive. Because of her service to the emperor, she is rewarded. But she only asked to go home after 10 years of valor. They welcome her like a lost child and hold a feast in her honor where she surprises family and comrades alike with her real identity. This is a wonderful book to teach girls that they can be anything they want and not lose their identity. And it is humerous when she reveals herself. The chinese proverb at the end states that when two rabbits run together, no one can tell which is male or female. The original text was written in AD 420-589, and it can be considered one of the first statements of female independence in a society that is proud of sons over daughters. I know it gave me and my daughters pride to be Chinese women and the sense that we can be both beautiful and strong. The book is a good teaching tool but it can also be enjoyed purely for the artwork and calligraphy. I would recommend this book highly to all girls everywhere and the action and surprise will surely delight young boys as well. It is no wonder that Disney chose this book.

This is volume one of the official US Army History of the Korean War. It's a hard read, but only because there is a LOT of information here. If you are interested in the Korean War, most if not all the histories you've read up to now have probably cited this book. Appleman wrote a whole series of books on Korea in the 80's for Texas A&M. "East of Chosin," "Disaster in Korea," "Escaping the Trap," "Ridgeway Duels for Korea". All are excellent.

This is a great book, hard to put down once you start to read it, the maps of battle scenes are outstanding. As a trustee of the Korean Veterans Nat'l Museum and Library to be built in Tuscola, Illinois I am sorry to here it is out of print because I know a lot of the books could be sold if available. Get it at your lirary and read it, you will not be disappointed.

I am reading this book and downloading it, on line. Cannot get the maps on line. Would love to own a hard copy of this book.

Anyone who had a relative in the Korean War can follow what their loved one went through by reading this book.

This is a great book, hard to put down once you start to read it, the maps of battle scenes are outstanding. As a trustee of the Korean Veterans Nat'l Museum and Library to be built in Tuscola, Illinois I am sorry to here it is out of print because I know a lot of the books could be sold if available. Get it at your lirary and read it, you will not be disappointed.

As a Christian worker in China, I had first-hand opportunity to see how we "foreigners" interacted cross-culturally. (Usually, the most successful of us were those who were not on a Mission from God.) Having seen people badly suited to live abroad and admiring those who were very able to do so, the joy of this book by Freya Stark was reading about a woman operating cross-culturally with a world-class ability to encounter persons with a much different backround than her own. Her sheer delight in her Bedouin companions is vicariously enjoyable.
Of course, this book journeys not just across cultures but across times, beginning with the author's introduction, which discusses the antiquity of the regioun she explores, especially in the time of great trade in frankincense, which made the region, for a time, wealthy. It is also reflected in the ancient culture and historical monuments and artifacts the author encounters.
Moreover, Freya Stark writes (wrote) beautifully. This book will appeal to anyone who is curious about other peoples, other lands and other times or who enjoys good writing.

I found this book absolutely fascinating as it described a time, only 70-odd years ago, when there truly were unexplored reaches, where legend and history still co-existed, and where a culturally sensitive and aware, and properly respectful traveler could find peaceful and fulfilling adventure. This book is even more interesting now, given the changes in the Middle East in the past ten years. Can one imagine making the same kind of journey in Yemen now? Of course not; it would almost be suicide. That time has long since been destroyed, everything about this book but its pure physical setting gone, so this memoir is even more poignant and compelling.

Stark has an eye for detail, as jaundiced as it is with the unavoidable Orientalism of her time and socio-cultural context. This can be forgiven/overlooked, and she's a lot more fair and obliging when describing those she encounters than the majority of her contemporaries. She's at her best when describing the landscapes she is encountering, the stark desert and wadis, the unexpected lushness of the oases and tucked-away mountain crevices where all the shades of green burst forth.

More than anything, what comes through in this book is Stark's grace and abiding respect for the people she meets. She has taken the time to learn their language, and is familiar with their culture, and takes pains to encounter them in terms that will make them comfortable. She does not attempt to bend anyone to a Western European point of view. This is not to say she is subservient or fawning; she most certainly stands up for herself when it is required. But throughout the book and on this journey, her continued success comes from her honesty tinged with her respect for the region and the people with whom she is interacting. This engenders respect for her in return.

I found the three maps in the beginning of the book at first absolutely invaluable as references to Stark's locations and progress. I then found the maps to be absolutely infuriating, due to their black/white printing, the too-small script, the confusing order of the maps, the contradictory scales and place-name differences, etc. I ended up abandoning the book's maps and opening my unabridged atlas to Yemen and tracking her movement there. Editors: if you're going to offer maps in a book like this, make sure the maps are actually worthwhile and readable.

Two scholarly additions to the book are good. Stark's appendix on the "Southern Incense Route of Arabia" is a fascinating account of exactly what she was looking for, and what brought her to the Hadramaut in the first place. It's her indirect formal scholarly statement of motivation. This appendix would have been well-placed as a foreword to this book, serving to establish her motivation and objective. Stark lists her sources, and they're offered as a listed bibliography immediately after the appendix. There is also an index, but for whatever reason, many of the persons and places in the text are not included, and there is no cross-referencing. For example, the names of individual wadis are placed in the index as "Sidun, Wadi," and are not cross-referenced with a "Wadi Sidun" entry.

Bottom line: If you're one of the many readers newly interested in Islam, Arabs and the Middle East, and are looking for some context beyond the latest book on extremism or terrorism, something to add depth to what you think you understand, then this book will do you well. If you're looking for some insight into the cultures and traditions of Islam, this also will move you in that direction. If you're looking for a glimpse into a time when the West and Islam actually got along on a basis of mutual respect, this enjoyable book will tell you about it.

Trekking over the desolate, rocky plateau that lies between the coast and the interior valleys of Hadhramaut, Freya Stark travelled in 1935 with a group of Bedu and a government slave-soldier. The area has been known as Aden Protectorate, the Qu'aiti State of Shihr and Makalla, South Arabia, the People's Democratic Republic of South Yemen, and is now part of united Yemen. She visited several of the interior towns, almost never seen by Europeans at that time (though the RAF did maintain a presence), and has written beautiful descriptions of the unusual physical environment as well as a kind and sympathetic treatment of the people she met. She talked in Arabic with the ladies of the harim as well as with the rulers, scholars, and ordinary men of the communities. Stark aimed to travel to Shabwa, a long-lost ancient city much further in the interior of the Arabian peninsula, to an area then contested between Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Illness prevented her from doing so. This book then, is an account of her curtailed trip. She was evacuated by airplane from the interior, lucky to be alive. I always like travellers who respect the people they visit and who do not condescend. Freya Stark is certainly among them. For a travel book that describes a time long gone and a place still far from the beaten track-do you know many people who have been to Shibam, Makalla, Tarim, or al Qatn ?---you cannot do much better. You might use it as a guide as to how you could get along with people of a very different culture to your own---step number one, don't try to force them to adhere to your value system.

However, one thing about this book puzzled me. Compared to most travel literature, it is a most existentialist piece. "Here I am, travelling through remote Hadhramaut." That's cool, but we never find out why she was travelling to Shabwa-well, OK, it is old, it is a kind of `forbidden city', and it might hold ruins of interest---but why her ? Who was she ? What was her purpose ? What were her qualifications ? I realize full well that we can read her biography, we can look her up in the encyclopedia or on Google, that she wrote many other books. But, I had never read anything else by her, knew nothing of her life. I wondered who she was. The book offers absolutely no clue. Why did the rulers all welcome her ? How did she have such good connections with the powers that be in Aden ? I put this existentialist atmosphere down to a kind of British reticence, a reluctance to reveal much about oneself, not the proper form, etc. That is all well and good, each to her own culture, but it does cast a cloud of vagueness over the whole book. Compared to Wilfred Thesiger in his "Arabian Sands", Stark tells little of her aims or background, but is more willing to accept the Arabs as they were, not as she wished they would be.

In 1934, Freya Stark determined that she would follow the ancient frankincense routes through the fertile Hadhramaut valley to locate and record what was left of the legendary lost city of Shabwa. In 1936 she published _The Southern Gates of Arabia: A Journey in the Hadhramaut_ which, as did many of her thirty-odd books, became a best seller. It is now republished by the Modern Library, and is a welcome reminder of a brave, erudite, and witty explorer. The current volume has as an introduction a capsule description of Stark's life by her biographer, Jane Fletcher Geniesse. Born in 1892, Stark was only able to indulge in travel in her thirties; she realized that there was a hunger for knowledge about exotic Arabia, and she schooled herself in the language and history of the area, through which she traveled by foot, car, donkey, and camel well into her eighties. She lived to be 101.

The explorations of these exotic lands are rendered now more strange and lovely by time. Few of us will get to see the lands Stark loved, but we will never see them as she did. For most of the steps along the trail described in this book, Stark was the first European woman to come that way, and that she did so unaccompanied by a European escort gave the Bedouin, the learned men, and the sultans something to admire and wonder at. One who thought himself a leader of her group attempted to exclude her by bringing her meals to a separate area. "He was showing a Victorian disapproval of females who do not keep themselves to themselves, a thing I find dull and difficult to do." She finds that she very much likes being in the middle of the group, even as an outsider. "To sit over the fire with one's fellows in the evening, when the work is over and the talking begins, is the only sure way of keeping harmony and friendship. I never had any difficulties with my beduin and found nothing but friendliness and an anxiety to serve in every way, and I attribute this chiefly to the fact that we had our meals together..." On the last night being with one group, one of the Bedouin thanks her for sharing food together (rather than keeping separate as he had expected the European traveler to do), and says it has been pleasant traveling with her. "'Here we are now,' he said, 'all together. And tomorrow?' - he opened his hand out wide - 'all scattered, where?' After this question, so sad, ancient, and universal, we looked in silence to the darkness and the stars."

Stark's quest was unfulfilled because of all things, measles. The discovery of Shabwa awaited a German traveler the next year, for she was too sick to continue toward her goal. One of her hosts, as she was ailing, reassured her: "Here we have no sickness; we are well or we die." She was carried off in a plane of the Royal Air Force, to whom in gratitude she dedicated her book. Her work is a perfect illustration that journeying well, and not achieving the destination, is the better accomplishment. It is impossible to come away from this volume without admiring this spunky, amused and amusing woman, nor to share in her admiration for those among whom she traveled. "The magic of Arabia," she writes, "which so many have felt, is due perhaps less to the sun-wrinkled arid land itself than to the innate peculiar nobility and charm of its people."

This book is essential for any American working with Indians. He gives clear descriptions of the differences in how the two cultures tend to function. I am an American living in India, and this book has made a huge difference in my ability to communicate well. Highly recommended.

In Speaking of India neemt Craig Storti je mee naar de valkuilen die Indiase en westerse collega's kunnen tegenkomen in hun contacten op de 'werkvloer'. Tussen quotes, want de werkvloer kan een verbinding tussen locaties verspreid over de wereld zijn, of een op één plek samengebracht team, waarin de beide culturen elkaar letterlijk ontmoeten. Storti waakt voor generalisaties, hoewel ze voor de beeldvorming natuurlijk wel handig zijn. Diverse herkenbare voorbeelddialogen laten zien hoe snel communiceren 'zo dicht mogelijk langs elkaar heen praten' wordt.

Aspecten als hiërarchie, Hofstra's onderzoeken naar collectivisme versus individualisme en machtsafstand, verschillen tussen mannen en vrouwen en het Engels worden beschreven. Elk hoofdstuk sluit af met best practices en tips voor zowel de Indiase als westerse optiek. Het boekje rondt na diverse communicatie issues in de taal (bevestigen, ontkennen, positieve en negatieve feedback, vragen stellen, het bespreken van deadlines) af met een overzicht van diverse gebruiken, waarin westerlingen en Indiërs verschillen, zoals eetgewoonten, cadeaus bij een visite, het dragen van schoenen, kledingkeuze, het schudden van handen om het omhelzen van mensen van hetzelfde of andere geslacht. Handig voor in je multi-culti, rightshoring bagage.

As a project manager for a US-based software and web development company, I had some apprehension about working with a new off-shore programming team in India. As a second-generation American, paired with my experience teaching English and citizenship classes to refugees from around the world, I've come to know first-hand how challenging, and disastrous, culture misunderstandings can be. Now, with regular cross-cultural global communication also becoming a part of my career, I felt the pressure to make sure my misunderstanding did not interfere with business and project success.

Craig Storti comes to the rescue in a quick, yet comprehensive, read. I kept this book with in my laptop case to read a chapter whenever I had a free moment. I was able to absorb the content, even in short reading sessions. I found the introduction of the book helpful in expressing the crucial importance of cross-cultural communication in today's business world.

There are many features that set this book apart from others in its category. I really appreciated the scripted examples of conversations between an Indian and a Westerner that are included with the chapters. These examples really helped to make a connection in my mind between the lesson of the text and real world application. Storti points out the missteps in each of the example conversations, and how it could have been prevented. The extensive section of the book devoted singly to the "Indian Yes" and other agreements is especially invaluable and a must to any Western individual seeking to prevent the biggest road-block for Westerners in Indian communication. Non-verbal communication is also included, seasoned with rich content regarding cultural and familial backgrounds which create the foundation of differences in our communication styles, both of which give a comprehensive understanding.
The end of chapter summaries give you the necessary points for your own comprehension check and review.

I recommend this book specifically for Canadians, Americans, British, and Western Europeans working with East Indians in the business world. Although the book is written in a business context, teachers, volunteers, and vacation travelers would also benefit from the communication elements of this book, for a richer experience in India.

I shared this book with some Indian colleagues here in the US, who are quite Western. They found the book quite humorous, but said the accuracy and truth of it all is right on. Speaking of India has expanded my cultural understanding, and the effectiveness of my communicational understanding, with both East Indians here as "Westernized" long-time Americans, and Indians completely outside of my Western-centric experience.

Craig Storti provides a straightforward, fact-based and eminently useful guide to culture and communication issues that complicate business between Westerners and Indians. Much of the literature on culture and business is vague and theoretical - so this book stands apart. The author targets the problems that are most likely to arise in commerce, offers detailed real-life examples and shows what practical solutions businesspeople can implement. He is evenhanded in his advice, offering tips to both Westerners and Indians. Most importantly, getAbstract finds that he is businesslike in his approach, focused, practical and realistic about what is achievable.

The best I've read because of its accuracy. I normally don't read histories because they tend to be dry, but I couldn't put this one down.

Being a student of History I have read my fair share of history books. This was one of the few that held my attetion. I had trouble putting it down, and finished it in 2 readings. "Spring winds of Beijing" was a wonderful introduction to the Chinese people and their culture, and has made a lasting impression on me.

This was perhaps one of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. Even though I am a student of history, I typically find non-fiction to be very dry and sometimes boring. With "Spring winds of Beijing" this was not the case. This was a wonderful way to be introduced to the Chinese people and their culture.

This book was not only a pleasure to read, it changed my understanding of the Chinese people. It gave me deeper insight into the culture of China, the problems of it's politics and instilled a fondness in me for it's people that will last. Although, it is an educational piece of literature, it reads like a novel in it's warmth, familiarity and personal touch.. I fell in love with the Chinese people and with Gail Copeland. I was delighted and surprised by it. I highly recommend it to everyone.