India Books

I first visited The City of Light in the fall of '89. When I returned for six month stays in both 1999 and 2006 I had Diana Eck's book with me; it made a rich experience even richer. As Eck writes, Kashi is not of this world, and her book - now well-dogearred - made my explorations more focused and deeply understood.

Diane Eck has written the most readable and spiritual book on the city where Hindus make pilgrimage to bathe in the Ganges and to take their last breath in this lifetime. The book includes good maps of the bathing ghats and detailed information of this ancient city of temples devoted to Shiva and other Gods and Goddesses. I have been to Banaras and walked those crooked streets and Eck's book places me right back in that sacred place.

This book takes one on a breathtaking Odyssey through the sacred landscape of the world's oldest and most sacred city: Lord Siva's eternal abode. Eck's approach is sensitive and captivating, her scholarship is impressive, and the result of her labour has been a preciously insightful and informative book. Anyone seeking God owes it to himself to learn about the Holy City of Kashi, where death is transformed into divine liberation, and reading this book is an excellent way to get started. As both a Saiva and a scholar, I highly recommend it!

Title: Becka and the Big Bubble; Becka goes to India
Format: Children's hardback print
Authors: Gretchen Schomer Wendel and Adam Anthony Schomer
Illustrator: Damon Renthrope
ISBN: 978-1-933754-13-0
Published By: Waterside Press
Review By: Diana Rohini LaVigne, Indian Life & Style Magazine

Culturally rich, extraordinarily bubbly and down right fun, Becka goes to India from the Becka and the Big Bubble series is the ultimate childhood story experience. Jumping from one part of India to another, Becka happily immerses herself in Indian's long standing culture. Exploring the Himalayan mountain range to running over the green rolling fields, this books gives young readers a look at one of the most exotic places still on the face of the planet. Introducing readers to key Indian cities, wild animals of India and one of the most famous landmarks in the world, Gretchen Schomer Wendel and Adam Anthony Schomer drive the story towards having fun and the innocence of discovery. Holiday celebrations, legendary leaders and the beauty of traditional ancient Indian instruments are carefully introduced in a simple to understand format but which delights the readers too.

Illustrations are bold, big and beautifully done. Illustrator Damon Renthrope doesn't hold back anything in bringing to the foreground the wonder in colors that India delivers. Courageous colors skip throughout the pages of the book

With proceeds from the book going towards finding a cure for cancer, these authors and publisher are setting the tone for combining good learning with good cause. Becka goes to India from the Becka and the Big Bubble series is one of a powerful series of rhyming picture books that teach and inspire youthful readers. It's the one book that even parents will enjoy rereading every night to their children.

We have the whole series of the Becka and the Big Bubble books and my daughter loves them. Books that rhyme are a big hit with her right now and I love all of the fun words like "flippity-free" and "pippity-pop." And, I also like that I am introducing her to new places and new cultures, even at her young age. A definite hit at our house!

This is our favorite book.....we love the series so much that we bought them all. The bubble is a hit with the kids!!!!

This book provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of traditional (upper-middle class) Bengali women and their families. Roy presents a thorough analysis of the dynamics of extended family life in West Bengal. She begins with an exploration of the special bonds that develop between father and daughter, then moves on to how schooling and classic literature play a role in developing a young woman's idyllic view of married life. Later she contrasts that ideal with the reality of being a stranger competing with one's mother-in-law for the attentions of one's husband, and how this is tempered with the birth of children, especially sons. Finally, she discusses middle age and the later years, when the children have grown and women seek companionship from their sons or religious personages. In some respects, the dynamics that Roy describes here are probably generally found in any culture with a strong tradition of patrilineal extended families. Other aspects of life, particularly religious life, are more unique to Hindu and Bengali culture. The book was originally written some 30 years ago, and certainly there have been many changes in Bengali culture during this time. But even as a window into Bengali family life of the recent past, it a very interesting and well written study.

This book provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of traditional (upper-middle class) Bengali women and their families. Roy presents a thorough analysis of the dynamics of extended family life in West Bengal. She begins with an exploration of the special bonds that develop between father and daughter, then moves on to how schooling and classic literature play a role in developing a young woman's idyllic view of married life. Later she contrasts that ideal with the reality of being a stranger competing with one's mother-in-law for the attentions of one's husband, and how this is tempered with the birth of children, especially sons. Finally, she discusses middle age and the later years, when the children have grown and women seek companionship from their sons or religious personages. In some respects, the dynamics that Roy describes here are probably generally found in any culture with a strong tradition of patrilineal extended families. Other aspects of life, particularly religious life, are more unique to Hindu and Bengali culture. The book was originally written some 30 years ago, and certainly there have been many changes in Bengali culture during this time. But even as a window into Bengali family life of the recent past, it a very interesting and well written study.

A Wonderful book that details a Bengali (India) woman's life from birth to death. An enjoyable and informative read. By interviewing many Bengali women, the author gave amazing detail into what it is like to be a woman in Calcutta, by illuminating the subject's feelings, experiences, rituals and secrets. Manisha Roy also offers an update in the back of the book that chronicals the many changes that have happened since she first published the book some twenty years ago. The book gives a timeless glimpse into the private world of Bengali women. Subject range: Sociology/Women's Studies/Anthropology/Indian Cultural Studies, some photos. Highly reccomended!

Needleman's reading of the Bhagavad Gita brings out the beauty of the work. The lack of many of the Indian terms can be disconcerting but in general the translation is very well done.

After reading several versions of the Bhagavad Gita, I found this one to be the most accessible -- especially listening to it on an audio cassette. I sensed that I really understood the message as the original author intended for the first time. Needleman is a masterful reader, and this contributes to the enjoyment and teaching of this work. I find the wisdom presented here to have had a profound effect on my learning as a human being seeking my spiritual self.

Very well read by Mr. Needleman. I'm listening to it now for the second time. Barbara Stoler-Miller's translation works for me: she translated everything. People's names were not changed, but there are no untranslated Indian words to puzzle the listener. The Dover Publications book, e.g., has some Indian words left untranslated so I sometimes don't know what is being "said". That's why I put down the Dover book and got this tape and am very happy with it. The Bhagavad Gita is very interesting and very thoughtful. I've been interested ever since I saw the Mahabarata (spelling?) presented on PBS. The Bhagavad Gita is a part of that larger story.

I love this book and am rereading it at the moment. Basically it details the history of the British 'Sahibs'in colonial India and their efforts to piece together the role of Buddhism in ancient Asia - especially in India. It is a fascinating historical insight into early Buddhism as well as colonial India. Importantly it is not dry at all. Very readable and really interesting.

This book was a pleasant surprise. I have read a few intro-type books to Buddhism prior to stumbling upon this book by accident. So, I knew about the origins of Buddhism but was not aware that the modern history of Buddhism (i.e. the West's re-discovery) - particularly the identification of the various important historical sites - was the outcome of efforts from a few dedicated (often part-time & self-taught) British archeologists. I also found the book to be well illustrated with portraits of the main protagonists and their drawings and paintings of the artifacts and sites. The style of writing is very British (for lack of a better expression) - meaning it can be a bit dry at time but this will not put you off if you are fascinated by the archeology of Buddhism. Highly recommended.

If one has an interest in the rediscovery of Buddhism that was completely lost in India, and how the discoveries by various adventurers, academics, soldiers, administrators, and seekers of truth revealed this religion to the West, then this is the book to read.

In the West today the Buddha's teachings on meditation, morality, truth, and liberation from suffering permeate modern psychology, philosophy, comparative religion, and many aspects of our world view that are now common knowledge.

This was not the case two centuries ago when a few intellectual explorers, mainly with the British East India Company, put on their boots and began digging into one of the world's great historical mysteries. One discovery led to another and another -- and today those discoveries provide a background for better understanding both how the Buddha's teachings were lost and how they were rediscovered.

I picked up this book in India. Here I was surprised to find no reviews for this scholarly, unique work of history. As I began to outline this review, I was told there was an American edition entitled "The Search for the Buddha: The Men Who Discovered India's Lost Religion."

To avoid being redundant, I encourage interested readers to go to that website and read the reviews. They give you excellent perspectives on this book.

This is an autobiography of John Masters. Most of it takes place in India. You are taken on a journey through his eyes, thoughts, and emotions as he takes you on his personal journey through his military life. It's very enlightening and entertaining. It almost makes one want to jump in a time machine and go back to that time and enlist so you could experience it all yourself first hand. He makes you feel like your almost there sometimes. It's living history, the kind you don't have a chance to aquaint yourself with in this day of super heroes and special effects. He also adds in his brand of humor which makes all the better. A good book worth reading.

This is the story of a young officer coming into age in the dying days of the British Raj. John Masters writes with a wit and detachment that endears him to all those interested in "raj" era books. More attractive is his detailed account of life in a Gurkha regiment with a full account of the customs of the Gurkhas, their strengths(considerable as they were) and their weaknesses.
The spit and polish of the old British Indian army are brought out in full measure and so are the martial attributes of the Afghans against whom his regiment was deployed. He is full of praise for their tactical ingenuity and their harsh lifestyle against whom he was pitted so many times.
All in all I rate this book a classic and a must for any student of military history.

A wonderful account of life in a Ghurka regiment, personal and lots of attention to detail, the reader is drawn to the authors authentic and colorful approach. I highly recommend this, i only wish i had known James Masters! after reading this, find a copy of the sequel" The Road Past Mandalay". wondeful stuff, about a little covered theater of WW2. In my youth had an opportunity to train with a Ghurka unit, they are all James Masters said they are and then some!

Dr. Julie saved my job! I can't say enough about the career power of writing effectively! You must buy this book!!!

"I am making all my staff read the sales & marketing section of Business Writing That Counts! immediately! Over the years I have employed many of the sales writing tactics and philosophies outlined by Jonathan in this book, but have never seen such a systemic and easily applied approach all in one place. The theory and process he details is exceptionally useful for all forms of persuasive writing. I am looking forward to applying some of Jonathan's techniques in my future proposals."

No matter what type of writing you do, Dr. Julie has the strategies to show you how to get started, get organized and get writing. Her book has a bright and breezy approach as well as being practical and powerful. Her three step system has made my writing more focused and clearer, critical to the success of my writing service. Companies who want to survive over the next few years need to buy themselves and all of their employees a copy! An invaluable and essential tool for anyone and everyone who needs to write.

This is an exelent book. Great for all ages. If you are looking for some luaghs or just fun stories this is the book for you. Even if your not looking for either just read a chapter or two and you will be hooked on the adventure of this young boy at bording school. His adventures are great.

This is an exelent book. Great for all ages. If you are looking for some luaghs or just fun stories this is the book for you. Even if your not looking for either just read a chapter or two and you will be hooked on the adventure of this young boy at bording school. His adventures are great.

Amazingly funny stories of growing up in a British Borading School in the Himalayas in the 1950s. I found the characters wonderful, the stories extremely well written, and the plots very entertaining. They reminded me of my own time at a borading school in England in the 60s. A delight. Especially good reading if you're feeling under the weather. Switch off the T.V. and curl up with Capers!

I have been meaning to write a review of this particular book for a few years now. This book was recommended by a friend. At first I was first skeptical if I would like the book. You see the monsoons bring mixed feelings for me. Growing up in India, you either like the monsoons, or you learn to live with it. I belonged to the second category, and was never fond of the monsoons, because it meant wading through water logged streets, and the general disruption that accompanied the monsoon season. But, what I liked about the monsoons was an opportunity to sit at home and drink endless cups of tea, and eat hot samosas and pakoras.
So, it was with some misgivings that I started reading the book, and I was hooked within the first few pages. Alexander Frater does an excellent job of explaining all about the monsoons, and the methodical way in which the weather department in India follows the path of the monsoon. Some of them sound almost loving when the track the progress of the monsoon that starts from the South and travels up North, hits the Himalayas, and retreats back via the South, and showers the Southern state of Tamil Nadu. Chirapunjee in North Eastern India is supposed to receive the heaviest rainfall in the world, a fact that many school children in India will recite dutifully when questioned. But, due to the changing weather and climate conditions the rains have not been heavy of late in this area.

Frater tracks the journey of the monsoon faithfully, and tries to race ahead of the monsoon's next port of calling. Frater literally chases the monsoon, and presents an absorbing, and interesting account of his mission. He spends a couple of months doing this, and travels all over in India, including Chirapunjee. Frater has an amazing eye for detail, and is able to capture the naunces of interacting with the Indian bureaucrats, and others that he interacted while chasing the monsoon.

This is one of the best written books about an imporatant and integral part of India, the monsoons, upon which so many people depend. A good monsoon season spells bountfiful harvest, and a bad monsoon spells disaster. The monsoons still control the fortunes of Indian economy, and it is amazing that no one before Frater thought about writing a book on this subject.

I stumbled across this book at the 75% off sale at my university's bookstore; being an Indiophile I purchased it. This book has been hiking, camping & airborne with me. Frater's style is inviting and enveloping. While reading I slip beyond the words to that magical point in which my eyes no longer 'read' and I am there with Frater traveling up the coast of India to meet the rushing Monsoon at its next arrival.
If you are a lover of travelogues I highly recommend this book to you.

I never liked India. Too much confusion, too much humanity. I read this book and now I have an unending desire to visit India; top to bottom. Not during Monsoon, not during the dry season, but sometime in between. Mr. Frater delivers an unblinking look at the beauty and inspiration which lies beneath the clutter and dreck. Damn the weather, look at what's there. I envy you the experience of the first read.

If you've found it difficult to understand the ancient teachings of India, Children of Immortal Bliss is for you. Hourihan's explanation of Vedanta, the mysticism of ancient India, develops ideas in easily understood terms.

Mysticism claims universality. Hourihan compares the teachings of outstanding mystics and finds parallel thoughts expressed in different terms. These thoughts have become the underlying foundation of every religion.

The teachings are ancient and the understanding thorough. Hourihan's elucidation of Vedanta, while especially designed for the Western mind, also and offers further understanding for those already familiar with Indian mysticism.

In his wonderful book, Children of Immortal Bliss, the late Paul Hourihan provides readers with an easy-to-understand introduction to fundamental truths of Vedanta, one of the six main schools of philosophy in Hinduism. Hourihan states the book provides readers, "a new perspective of our true identity based on the ancient Vedanta philosophy of India." Hourihan presents support for the universality of all religious truth and compares the spiritual traditions of such of philosophers as Lao Tzu, Meister Eckhart, Plotinus and mystical Sufism. Hourihan suggests that the purpose of life is to realize the divinity of humanity and the book concisely describes the path to escape from the prison of ignorance into enlightened consciousness. Children of Immortal Bliss is a treasure readers are sure to keep on their bookshelves and refer to again and again. I highly recommend this jewel for the spiritually inspired reader.

Once in a great while, a book comes along that contains such essential concepts that it strikes a universal chord and reveals what is true and sacred. Children of Immortal Bliss is such a book. It explores the core tenets of Vedanta (one of the six schools of Hinduism) from a philosophical and practical standpoint. Since its concepts are at the heart of every religion's mystical roots, the reader will recognize ideas that he or she has heard before, but it's the way the author frames them that makes them so accessible.


Written by Paul Hourihan (and edited by his wife, Anna), the book was transcribed from lecture notes and tapes of dozens of courses that he delivered over a fifteen-year period. Hourihan, an avid scholar of the various spiritual traditions and great mystics such as Christ, Buddha and Ramakrishna and a traveler on the spiritual path himself, had intended to publish his work, but was stopped short by a degenerative illness. After his death, his wife continued his work, recasting his course materials into a book. She does so with a light and discerning touch because Hourihan's voice comes through with such clarity that one feels that he is there to guide one personally, like a wise teacher whose presence illuminates an ocean of self-insight.


Children of Immortal Bliss invites the reader to dip her toe into that ocean and wade in a little at a time, stripping off the garments of indoctrination as she feels comfortable, shedding the unnecessary distractions and diversions of modern life and finally, becoming one with that vast sea that contains everything and nothing. At no point in the book does Hourihan insist that one must renounce the world to claim one's spiritual inheritance, rather he advises that by paring down the non-essentials, one can live in the world, yet not be constrained by it. As such, this is a practical spirituality that makes the ancient wisdom of the Vedic sages practicable in modern times.


In the final chapter of the book, Hourihan emphasizes the universality of Vedanta and traces expressions of its ideas through great mystics from Plotinus to Lao Tzu, from Meister Eckhart to the Sufis. Of all the sections in the book, this is my favorite because Hourihan shows us how the truth has always been accessible for those of us who have the eyes to see and the ears to hear, but has been cloaked by our tendency to take things literally and our lack of understanding of the spirit of the times and the mystic's cultural milieu.


This is a book that has within it a clear call to spiritual seekers everywhere to take up the path and discover the truth of our existence. Amidst the plethora of books on spirituality, it is a rare and compelling find. Children of Immortal Bliss is a consummate companion for the journey within--a book to be treasured, dog-eared, read and re-read and is the perfect size to tuck into a purse or briefcase.

Reviewed by Laura Ramirez
Author of Keepers Of The Children