India Books

I think Shahid Ali is the only person in the world whose book jacket features quotes by Anthony Hecht and Michael Palmer. It's a tribute to the kind of poet he became.

And we miss him already.

His language is so eerie and unbelievable because he really did bring the cadences, literariness (and penchant for grief and drama) of Urdu into English. In this sense, every one of his poems is an expert translation--across continents, physical and otherwise.

The book is dominated by two intense long sequences, one in which the poet accompanies his mother's body to back to Kashmir, and the closing sequence--dynamic!--in which, paralyzed by grief over his mother's death (and his own illness) Shahid communes with the departed spirit of James Merrill.

Shahid was a magnificent poet, and a magnificent man. Often reviews focus on his romance with bringing the Ghazal into English, or assign him a role as a "new formalist,"--which (I understand) he hated to be called--however, his true (and secret) gift is only the "multiply exiled" (to borrow Shahid's phrase) could have: a deep understanding of the "words behind the words."

We miss you, Shahid.

From his last book: "Dear Shahid...we are waiting for the almond blossoms. And, if God wills, O! those days of peace when we all were in love and the rain was in our hands whenever we met."

the lines are drawn on the page so vividly, each word tells a story. i wish to god that he would have had more time. another book will follow this in 2003 (poets & writers magazine), and then...silence. grab the chance to get to know this amazing writer.

The research here is remarkable. The scholarship is first-rate, the information exhaustive (although never definitive since world music grows with leaps and bounds moment by moment).

I love dipping into this attractively illustrated, logically organized, and utterly helpful guide to find whole realms of sound which I not only didn't know existed but also could not even have imagined existed without the help of these fine fans of the music about which they write so clearly and well.

The world today is a depressing place. Sorrow is everywhere one turns. But this celebration of music continually energizes and revivifies. Buy it; enjoy it; and expand your CD collection.

... this one is for Latin & North American, Caribbean, Indian, Asian/Pacific idioms. I picked up the original '94 edition to explore World Beat rhythms in improvisatory settings, and was excited to hear the new edition would cover two volumes. I am NOT displeased !!

This is a lovely book! It really seems like a genuine account of the travels of these 2 guys through "Mother India," which seems a little too, um, rough for my likes in travel. Yet it is just a great book!

I was especially Ajahn Sucitto's words, which contained many wonderful pearls of wisdom, especially when he speculates about mental processes, meditation, what the Buddha really did under the Bodhi tree, and so forth.

This is a must-read for people who love "travel Buddhism," as I do!!

This is one of my favourite books of all time. You will laugh, you will cry and then you will be glad that you read this book. The authors write from their hearts and you almost feel like you are on the journey with them. They talk about their journey in India and also this journey called life. Buy it. Read it. Lend it to your family and friends. This book deserves a place in your home and heart.

Stephen Alter's marvelous book is reminiscent of fine nineteenth century travel writing in which the writer, in lucid, and sometimes poetic, style brings the reader with him to see and experience things most people never would otherwise. His credentials are impeccable: the son of missionaries who was raised in northern India, fluent in Hindi and conversant in other Indian languages and possessed of an encyclopedic knowledge of the flora and fauna of the region. A non believer, he traces the steps of an ancient pilgrimage, feeling the spiritual attraction of the place while wryly commenting on the religious hypocrisy he encounters along the way. For all of its gifts it is the writing that commends this fine book. For the author's wise and seasoned view of the world and understatement of the rigors of his journey I would compare it to Bruce Chatwin's, In Patagonia.

Surprisingly, there exist very few good books on the rich myths, and natural history of the hill districts of Garhwal and Kumaon. Till date probably the best known figure from the region is Jim Corbett of the "Man Eaters of Kumaon" fame.

Stephen Alter's latest book titled, "Sacred Waters," is a beautifully written narrative of his journey to the sources of River Ganga (or Ganges) in the Garhwal Himalayas. For the Hindus, the Ganga is a sacred river.

Alter's book is a welcome addition to the few goods books that exist about this region. The book is a wonderful introduction to understanding the history of the region, and the central place the River Ganga occupies for many Indians.

The book is an interesting mix of natural history, myths and Alter's own personal experience of River Ganga, whose source is hidden in the beautiful and rugged mountains of Garhwal, often called as "Dev Bhoomi," - the land of the gods. Alter paints a fascinating picture of the changing moods and nature of the river as it bursts from the mountains and courses down to the dusty Gangetic plains, and into the ocean.

Alter is a second generation Pahari-American, who was born and brought up in the hills of Uttaranchal. Pahari means someone from the mountain in Hindi.

This is a very interesting book written in English. However, I've found many absences or omissions of renowned historical, literary and religious stories in the book, e.g. Buddhist sutras translated into classical Chinese from the original Sanskrit and Pali texts. I'd like to read more comprehensive books on the history & literature of India, and also of Tibet.

research like this hasn't been done before. the book helps proove that homosexuality is so much a part of our culture as opposed to what some homophobic people choose to think.
I'm an indian and I highly recomment it.

This large format fat book on celebrated film-maker Satyajit Ray is a both a Ray-scholar's delight and a film-buff's bible on Ray. The book examines Ray's multifaceted talents as a master film-maker, composer, graphic artist, writer, translator and children's author in clinical detail with lavish full-page illustrations reproduced on archival standard white paper. Detailed film-synopses, reviews of each film and essays by friends and acquaintances of Ray (who are well-known in their own fields) supplement the material. The Appendices cover literature on and by Ray, a discography, list of awards won, etc. Altogether outstanding value for money. Highly recommended.

This large format fat book on celebrated film-maker Satyajit Ray is a both a Ray-scholar's delight and a film-buff's bible on Ray. The book examines Ray's multifaceted talents as a master film-maker, composer, graphic artist, writer, translator and in clinical detail with lavish full-page illustrations reproduced on archival standard white paper. Detailed film-synopses, reviews of each film and essays by friends acquaintances of Ray (who are well-known in their own fields) and supplement the material. The Appendices cover literature on and by Ray, a discography, list of awards won, etc. Altogether outstanding value for money. Highly recommended.

I cannot think of a more definitive biography than this one! The biography of a master filmmaker is of remarkable detail. Uncommon extras, from something as simple as a section on the maternal and paternal family tree to a page devoted to the pronounciation and origin of the name Satyajit Ray.

Another unusual detailed section is NOTES. The notes refer to a reference line or quote and it's source, publication and date. If the section refers to the Apu Trilogy, then any quotes are clearly identified. Another feature is the glossary of words taken from the book, the languages are Bengali and other Indian languages.

You will also get a complete Filmography and Bibliography, and the book includes a definitive index.

The biography begins with his early life 1921 to his life as a commercial artist and critic. What I believe to be his most famous work, The Apu Trilogy, is well documented and a synopsis is included.

There is plenty of insight into his others, The Music Room, The Goddess, Three Daughters, Kanchenjungha, The Expedition, The Big City, The Lonely Wife, The Coward, and The Hero, Calcutta Trilogy, Distant Thunder, Chess Players, and more.

And, there is more! This is a wonderful reference to one of the greatest movie directors in history. And, he is also a composer!

The version has been updated to cover his death in 1992 and the Ray legacy. A quote on the book from Films and Filming reads: 'A glorious book, a feast of research and insight'

If you haven't seen a Satyajit Ray film, do so and read about it here within 420 pages. ......MzRizz

Any serious admirer of Satyajit Ray probably is already aware of this biography; I would also recommend it to general readers: if you aren't already familiar with Ray (I don't know many Americans who are), you will love him by the time you're done with this very engaging and readable critical bio.

Robinson, who had been a friend of Ray's, spent a number of years working on this, and his account of Ray's family and childhood draws upon interviews and conversations, supplemented with material from Ray's own CHILDHOOD DAYS, MY YEARS WITH APU, and other sources. Robinson paints a portrait of a Calcutta overflowing with creative potential - Ray's family connections to Tagore are also detailed, as are the accomplishments of his father and grandfather, and the intellectual independence of his mother, who seemed to strongly influence at least a few of his cinematic characters.

Later on, Robinson engages in a film-by-film analysis of Ray's career, which includes shorts and documentaries. Accessible but well-researched and well-written critiques are followed with some personal impressions, and quotes from varied film critics and other filmmakers: fans of Jean Renoir and Akira Kurosawa will note their presence here, and their influence upon Ray's thinking and career. Robinson locates each film with certain contexts: Indian cinema, the 1950s/60s international arthouse boom, the artistic milieu of Calcutta, and Ray's many international influences and fascinations; the end result is something that will make one want to see (and read) as much of Ray's work as one can get one's hands on.

I'm a big admirer of Ray, but - in it's success in realizing its' ambitions - Robinson has also created one of the greater artistic biographies I've run across - this is a rich and very sophisticated piece of writing which I very highly recommended to all.

-David Alston

At the risk of sounding politically correct, I must say it's rare to find a children's story in which the lead woman isn't either wicked beyond all reason or totally incompetent; look to Disney for proof.

Then there's Savitri. Although she comes from money, she judges others by their character rather than social status (something notably rare in India today). This quality is illustrated when she selects a mate. The author interprets this folktale by showing respect for India's cultural tradition of arranged marriage while also supporting a woman's right to choose. These two apparently opposing methods of mate-selection are "married" as Savitri herself has her father arrange to meet the man she has selected -- how delightful!

When faced with the life of her husband in jeopardy, Savitri reveals amazing personal character. She faces India's grim reaper with tremendous courage, unwavering determination and sincere devotion. And in doing so, she thinks first of others (her step-father's happiness) before thinking of herself.

Overall, the story is told in a clear manner, with interesting names (parents may need to assist with pronunciation) and beats Dr. Suess hands-down. The pictures are exquisitely done.

Savitri is a wonderful treat for any boy or girl (age 4 to 10) although, I must confess, I enjoyed it too (and I'm a bit older).

The author has other books based on stories from other cultures. Search for 'a tale of ancient india' on AltaVista's Advanced Search for links to a full text of the book as well as the author's website.

Enjoy Savitri! scottie

I loved this book because it was anti-thetical to western notions of women as the one's that need to be saved(Think Disney). The woman engages in a journey to find love rather than experience an instantaneous 'aha-I see you and I love you" scenario. My 4-year-old daughter loves the pictures and the heroic story too!

Dr Narlikar takes a very practical approach to the subject. He does highlight ancient Indian science that has solid proof behind it, but he firmly puts his case against all claims that are based on hearsay. Things like if Lord Ram could fly in a craft in the epic Ramayana, ancient India had knowledge about building flying machines. He also delves on modern day fads like "Vastu Shastra" and age old ones like astrology. I had no idea that the claim to "Vedic Mathematics" also was so hollow.

The book told me a lot of things about Indian science and astronomy, but the biggest learning I have taken is to publicly voice my opinion against superstitions and in favor of the scientific approach. I have always privately aired my views against things like astrology, vastu shastra, zodiac signs, etc., but I now intend to be more vocal about it.

Coming from an Indian Scientist of great distinction, his candid views about the overstated relevence of the rather scanty contributions from India to the body of science should make the young Indians to Shed the unjustified cloak of 'Know all' attitude and really start working on Science and Math.

Seasons of Splendor by Michal R. is a really great book because it has Indian tales. Two of my favorite tales in this book have my favorite characters: Lakshmi and the Cleaver Washer Woman the characters in that tale are: Lakshmi the king, and the cleaver washerwoman. The second tale is called How Ganesh got his elephant head the characters in that tale are Parvati, Shiva, and Gnash the baby. It has Indian tales. The pictures explain part of the story. One of the tales are How Ram killed the devil king Ravan.
The picture of Prahlad falling of the mountain shows as he lands without getting hurt. You might like these old myths and tales from India. My favorite myth is called How Ganesh got his elephant head.

You should read it to learn about Indian things.

I give this book an A+++++++!! This book has/is: -great morals -explained well -descriptive -beautifully drawn pictures I recommend this book for ages 7+up Once again this book is great for kids and adults!!!!!!