India Books

This book is a major and accurate indictment of American Academia in the department of religion. That indictment is based on sound research, careful argumentation and theory, and is irrefutable. What shocks one is that some of the "research" by so-called "scholars" that is refuted is funded by American tax payer funds and originates in universities of high repute in other areas of research. More than how Hinduism is distorted by these Academics, Americans need to be concerned about the fact that such research originates from universities otherwise well reputed and a considerable amount of it is funded directly or indirectly by American tax payer money that could be well spent on legitimate, honest and valid research. The abuse of the First Amendment freedoms and the tenure system and cliques in academia that fosters the environment exposed by this carefully conducted research is one that should concern one and all if America is to improve its educational system. A must read for any one concerned about the quality of American liberal education and not just for those interested in religious studies.

Invading the Sacred arrives at a very important time. India remains in the grips of an upswing in economic and political fortunes, and this has breeded a certain triumphalism amongst our Hindu community, especially the diaspora. It is easy to believe all the headlines, and forget in this context the numerous issues that remain for Indians to confront, both internally--the threat from poverty, a widening income gap, corruption, and political incompetence--and externally--the threat from various other nations, corporations, and nonbusiness organizations determined to use or exploit India to their own ends. This book has done a wonderful job of exploring and highlighting one of these issues.

Invading the Sacred tells the story of how American scholars of Hinduism have long been free to write whatever they wish about the religion, with minimal input or feedback from practitioners, until very recently, when the Hindu community began to take notice of what was being written. This book details the sexualizing, trivializing, and even dehumanizing extremes to which Hinduism studies has occasionally gone in describing its "object", and it also details the multivarious Hindu response to these extreme mischaracterizations. It spends most of its time discussing the works of religion professors like Paul Courtright, Jeffrey Kripal, Sarah Caldwell, and above all, Wendy Donniger, who in the 80s and 90s became very influential in their fields while (and perhaps by?) hawking theoroes of Hinduism that emphasized to ridiculous extents (and with fleeting evidence) sexual and fringe practices within the tradition, based largely on discredited Freudian motifs. It also discusses how these motifs were discovered and publicized to the Hindu community worldwide by a variety of diaspora Indians, most notably Rajiv Malhotra, through the medium of the internet, and how this mobilized Hindus to more closely scrutinize the ways in which they were being depicted and respond with interventions ranging from scholarly reviews to diatribes to petitions and townhall meetings.

To a practitioner of Hinduism, seeing our practices described in such stark, sordid, and distorted language as used by religion professors is sure to evoke a powerful emotional reaction, but the book wisely does its best to avoid this and focuses its critique on fact and method. Indeed, it succeeds best where it sticks purely to cataloguing deficiencies. One hopes that our community takes heed and learns how to argue its positions more objectively the next time its interests are threatened.

The book's greatest simultaneous weaknesses and strength lie in its ability to put this story in the historical context of "othering" the Native Americans before taking their land and killing them. The end comparison is both histrionic and thought-provoking. The thesis that Hindus are being targeted for dispossession, eviction, recolonization and even extermination through an initial "softening" by academic distortion, in much the same manner as the Native Americans before them, is certainly interesting. Indeed, the book draws attention to the similarities in the ways that Native Americans were depicted by those who ultimately colonized them, and the ways in which Hindus are being depicted now. The case is, unfortunately, overstated; the scholars who misrepresent Hinduism hardly seem, even in all the episodes described in this book, to be deliberately trying to hurt Hinduism or Hindu sentiments. The damage they do comes across as the consequence of callousness and contempt rather than an active expansionist or missionary agenda, despite the book's strongest efforts to paint it otherwise. And though this is in fairness not its purpose, the book does not do justice to the criticism elaborated within it that some fault for the current state of affairs certainly lies with Hindus ourselves. We have not treated our religion with importance, and hence our story has been written by others. These others, not connected to our tradition, are free to deduce whatever they wish, and ultimately invent it, because of the lack of voices from within the tradition to critique and counterbalance them, and demand--assertively--the proof for their varied and banal interpretations.

In spite of this, the similarities in language and tone between how the Native Americans were described before and during their uprootment and genocide and how we are being described today are striking and, in places, more than a little frightening. It is painful, vexing, and eye opening to realize that scholars of religion and anthropologists actually believe--and are trying to get others to not just believe, but accept as fact--that our cultural respect for the mother is due to an underlying desire (on the part of every man, apparently) to have sex with her, or that our women do not bond with their children, or that we look at everything in life through phallus colored (or shaped!) glasses. This may not all be part of a calculated plot against Hinduism, but it is not hard to see (and the book provides a few warning examples) how this could be used by those who wish Hinduism ill, however the original authors may have intended their statements. The book is an exhortation to us to act, at a minimum by speaking up, and in this it is an extremely valuable resource. It is a must for Hindus who, like I used to be, ask, "who cares what others think?", for it shows how important such opinions--and opinion-making--can be in an open society and climate.

This book also documents yet another example of how the internet can decentralize a debate or at least level a playing field. It has been used very effectively by Rajiv Malhotra, Sankrant Sanu, and others to get exposure for their ideas when a more traditional article in an academic journal or book may have been impossible to produce. One lesson from this ongoing debate is thus certainly that alternative media channels can allow for very fertile discussions when the official channels are closed to thoughtful outsiders. The importance of this, demonstrated previously to the Indian community by George Allen's campaign going down in flames post-"macaca", is demonstrated here again.

Overall, a very thought-provoking and exciting read. A must for every Hindu who heard about or was involved in the various Hinduism-studies controversies and seeks to understand them better at a temporal and emotional remove. We should look forward to many more books on this controversy and others, and more books besides by these excellent authors. Bravo!

This is a difficult book for several reasons: 1. a large part of the discussion is fairly technical. 2. The subject matter is quite revolting for most practicing Hindus. 3. The book is quite large, over 450 big size pages, with a lot of text.

However, if you can manage to go through it, the effort would be worth the reward. The prose is crisp, fairly non-emotional, and intellectually engaging. The book is a compilation of essays by different persons, so you get a decent variety in terms of writing styles as well.

The book is divided into four main sections. Section 1 deals with the bias in one wing of American Academy of Religions (AAR). Section 2 sets out the Hindu American response to the bias, once the bias was exposed. Section 3 details out the vicious fight that followed. Section 4 provides a snapshot of how the media dealt with the issue. Each section has several chapters, a total of 29 chapters in all. Four appendices are given, followed by copious notes containing references and interesting sidelights.

The book has been typeset and bound in India. There are some proofing errors, and other editing goof-ups. For instance, often you can't figure out who has contributed a particular essay (Chapter 11, 12, for instance). Similarly, it is not clear as to what do the notes on pages 469-472 relate to. This is to be expected as Indian publishing is in its infancy, and newer publishing houses do not have access to high quality editorial or proofing services.

However, the quality of the discussion is of a very high standard, quite unlike what we found in Eminent Historians by Sh. Arun Shourie, which was also full of repetitions. The arguments are cogent, and mostly have been presented very well. There is some repetition here also, but not too much. Both books, incidentally, deal with essentially the same issue: systematic destruction of a community's cultural or spiritual heritage by a section of intellectuals, and the community's agonized response to it. The book appears to be doing fairly well, considering its relatively difficult subject, and may very well mark a turning of the tide.

An interesting feature of the book is the use of comic sheets, which serve to wrap up the broad arguments, and dramatize their implications for one's everyday life. On the one hand, this distracts from the seriousness of the book. On the other hand, it also adds interest and life to a relatively dry book.

The book is difficult to put down (though it is fairly difficult to hold it up as well!). It also has the potential to ruin your sleep, and your morning puja, with the kind of images that are discussed in the book. Be warned: if you are young or have newly discovered or rediscovered Hindu heritage, you may get emotionally scarred by some of the vivid and vicious portrayal of Hindu icons by AAR scholars.

It would be clear to anyone that in today's world cultural confidence matters as much as economic and military power. Destruction of one's cultural heritage could allow a country to remain theoretically independent, but intellectually dependent and emotionally crippled. Therefore, mutual respect for other's cultures, and an overall committment to intellectual integrity should be an essential feature of the academicians.

Unfortunately, some devitants among the modern intelligentsia band together like intellectual cartels. Their professional life depends on digging up (or rigging up) ever more interesting tidbits in order to stay in business. For decades, such academicians have fed off dead cultures such as the Maya, Aztec and the Egyptians, with no one to shoo them away. However, when they attack a living culture such as India or China, a robust response is natural.

This response has been late, but going by this book, it seems to be adequate and highly sophisticated, as well as effective. The book also shows that such mercenaries have no staying power - they like to hunt in secrecy and prey on the weak and the undefended. Once challenged, they run away quickly, though they may come back to attack again as a pack. However, all you need to do is to hold your ground and shout, and they will melt away again. One does wish, though that such academicians will apply their considerable talents to something constructive and productive, instead of whiling away their lives pursuing intellectual frivolities.

Buy this book if you want some very interesting insights into the ongoing cultural wars. Keep your blood-pressure pills handy, though.

Indians who criticize Western scholars in regard to their dubious interpretations of Hinduism and Indian history are generally denounced as Hindu fundamentalists, fascists and right wingers in order to detract from issue of Western racism. I am in fact a left-leaning Indian and no Hindu fundamentalist, see my 1999 book on the synthesis of Science and Mysticism, in which I attack the BJP. On seeing this book I was amazed that long-discredited Freudian superstitions (see below) are allowed to pass as scholarship in academia - this book does not challenge the basis of Psychoanalysis, rather an Appendix essay by an American psychoanalyst is given which questions the validity of such Eurocentric Freudian reductionism to the Indian context and mysticism. I will give scientific arguments undermining Freud below. See the website www.invading the sacred.com for more info. Note also that Jeff Kripal who mistranslated Bengali words like 'lap, head and touching softly' as 'genitals, phallus and sodomy' in his attempt to portray Ramakrishna as a homosexual pedophile is now linked to the New Age Esalen Institute!
Adam Curtis showed in his BBC Series Century of the Self that Freud's dubious ideas caught on in the USA through the influence of his nephew Edward Bernays due to Freud's titillating emphasis on SEX. Similarly we find that Wendy Doniger's works sell because she focuses on sex, sex and nothing but the sex, writing racy books with the sex element hyped up in spite of their inauthenticity and her struggling with first year Sanskrit! I was amused by de Nicolas' example of how she used a Hebrew translation for a Vedic word making 'the world of possibilities' into 'the one-footed goat'!
I had noticed in 1991 that the 6th East-West Philosophy Congress book "Culture and Modernity" edited by Advaita scholar Eliot Deutsch gave pride of first place to Eliminative Materialist Richard Rorty who believes that Consciousness does not really exist! Rorty asserted that "ascetic priests" like Heidegger and brahmins sublimate their sex drives and pretend to 'penetrate the veil of appearances' so as to claim to be more manly than the warriors! Thus first position in a East-West philosophy book was given to an American who not only denies the reality of Consciousness (the (primary reality of Advaita Vedanta and much Buddhism) but uses the thoroughly discredited Freudian sex-mythology to supposedly undermine the claims of mystics to transcend mundane reality! Were Hildegard, Mechthilde and Teresa trying to be more manly! I also noticed in 2002 that Thomas Blom Hansen in his "The Saffron Wave" chastised Hindu Nationalists for reworking German Romanticist ideas (with no mention of the heavy Indian philosophical influence behind Romaticism founded by the Sanskritist Schlegels) whilst himself referring to the likes of Freud and Lacan (whose pretensions to Einstein-like genius were exposed in "Fashionable Nonsense") as if these European thinkers were 'scientific'.
Coming from a Science background and having identified the physical correlate of the Divine Light (cit, Atman, Buddha Nature, Godhead)with overwhelming empirical evidence for this and showing how Science and the core Indian transcendental mystical picture are integrated, I basically treated such ludicrous Freudian myths with the contempt they deserve. Indeed, I am currently writing a comprehensive section entitled "The Failings of Western Philosophies, Psychologies and Science in regard to Mysticism and Consciousness" including a subsection "Sigmund Freud's Sexual Superstitions and the Regression to the Womb Myth". In fact my overall analyses show by undermining every possible form of western ontology that the only viable ontology is one based on distinctionless Pure Consciousness as the Ground from which physical phenomena manifest as in Tantric Kashmir Saivism - i.e. a logical argument by elimination of alternatives rather than "experience it in mystical union".
I was just reading this week Thompson and Madigan (2005) Memory (a survey of recent research)which asserted that there is no scientific evidence supporting Freud's key notion of unconscious Repression of memories. David Bakan's 1958 "Freud and the Jewish Mystical Tradition" showed that Freud secularised Kabbala omitting supernatural elements in his "psychoanalysis". In 1973 Morton Schatzman in his 'Soul Murder' showed that Schreber's father had disciplinary devices and real child abuse had been misinterpreted by Freud as unconscious fantasy based on the nonsensical Oedipus Complex idea! In the 1980s Masson's "Assault on the Truth" and Peck's "The People of the Lie" continued to undermine the Freud Cult.
Freud urged Jung never to abandon the sexual theory and even "we must make a dogma" of it. Jung stated that F's obsession with the primal incest archetype led to dogmatic rigidity. Medical doctor and psychiatrist Anthony Stevens rubbishes Freudian interpretations of dreams of predatory animals as 'fear of castration' when REM dream research shows that such instinctual dreams of being chased prepare all young mammals for life's dangers. F was also wrong to locate all mental problem origins in infancy as Stevens shows adolescence and attaining 'manhood' etc. are more critical than early childhood. Schwarz and Begley point out that Foot Fetishism is explained by the brain maps of feet being adjacent to maps of genitals with some overlap, contrary to F's ideas about sexual deviations. Griffin and Tyrrell whose work is followed by the UK NHS rubbish Freudian talk therapy as it usurps normal healing processes based on sleep etc.
Finally, in regard to F's primary notion of the Libido, such a notion of a "sexual energy" is just nonsense scientifically as opposed to Jung's notion of Libido as a generalized psychical energy. Indeed, Jordens essay on Libido and the Prana/Atman identity in Harold Coward's "Jung and Eastern Thought" provides one of the many pieces of evidence supporting my identification of the Atman/Prana with the underlying activating energy of the brainwaves of the brainstem Reticular Activating System. This ties in with Jung's ideas of generalised energy as the RAS is simply that, the energy underlying all gross brain activity and the brainstem Reticular Formation is the only structure essential for consciousness. Thus whilst undermining more serious philosophical ideas, my RAS brainwave/Light of Pure Consciousness correlation also undermines the nonsensical Freudian myth of an underlying Sexual libido!
Sutapas Bhattacharya

This book is really an eye opening for many Hindus. Most of the Hindus like myself think that American Academic Scholars loves Hinduism and have a great opinion about the great Hindu Religion and Culture. But after reading this, it was shocking to see how American Academic is so biased and professors who are either anti hindus or non-practicing hindus write and teach about Hinduism.

Hindus should read this, wake up and make sure that correct Hinduism is taught in American Schools.

This book won't substitute for having a real teacher to help you learn yoga, but it is definitely an incredibly awesome reference to have.

I have found no other book which is as practical, and gives so much insight into what is behind yogic philosophy

This is in my opinion one of the best books available on yoga. It covers the most basic techniques to some of the most advanced poses. I picked this book up about a week ago and have only gone though some of the basic poses but already I benefited. Throughly comprehensive and detailed, the pictures and instruction are clear and step by step. It also goes into detail on breathing techniques and other aspects of yoga. Certainly a must by in my opinion for anyone new to yoga or anyone who has been doing their own daily practice for while, this will add to it!

I wrote a review of Light on Yoga, and talked about how if you could have only one text on hatha . . . Now, having seen this work, I must honestly revise that opinion. Both this and the much better-known Light are first-rate books on hatha (physical) yoga. This book, however, is quite user-friendly and much more informative about the effects of each asana. It contains information about the chakras most directly affected by the asanas, and--importantly--it discusses the counterposes that are most effective for each asana described. This last point is vital if you want to work toward structuring a practice without a class.

This book does not contain nearly as many poses as Light. And the poses are illustrated by drawings, not photos. But the drawings are wonderfully clear.

Like the title says, the book gives comprehensive insight into asana, pranayama, mudras and bandhas. It leads the reader through a complete course and progression from beginner to advanced. Advanced practitioners, though, can jump in anywhere and benefit from the book's insights, which are profound.

For anyone serious about learning yoga or deepening one's practice, this is an essential text. A wonderful complement to Light, and a stand-alone compendium that is sure to reward the reader, regardless of experience.

APMB is the most complete text on foundational yogic studies I have come across. At the price you cannot find a better deal in yoga texts.

Abrams, accomplished scholar and critic, has created a monument for himself and the best, most reliable, and concise glossary of literary terms. Opening up the recent trends, but not as trends, as developments from within established scholarship and literary science. This glossary is special, with a good index of terms, one for authors, and dense, usable, clearly written articles with further reading, its form is unchanged since it first appeared in 1957. The 8th edition I purchased opens with the Absurd and closes with Wit, Humor, and the Comic. The articles are articles, not just key terms defined, but developments traced and contextualized. This is no replacement for an encyclopedia of literature or an Oxford Companion, but a vital tool next to these. None of us can keep every term in mind, and this is a serious book to help our feeble minds, for which we should be grateful and which delivers bang for the buck.

Every student of literature should have their own copy of this book. Non-students would get a lot out of this too. And while the price might appear excessive, I think in the long-term this book is a worthwhile investment. What makes this guide of literary terms different from others, is its comprehensiveness. Abrams goes into great detail on the important terms that one comes across most often in literature. There is information on theories and movements in criticism and terms such as modernism and post modernism, are clearly defined. there is also material on symbolism, metaphor and other figures of speech and so on. A Glossary of Literary Terms, now in its 8th edition, is written in a lucid style, and is a must buy for anyone who wants to expand their literary horizons. Recommended. 5 stars.

Abrams supplies very nicely written explanations of many terms you are likely to come across in literature, or more specifically, in literary studies. If you have puzzled over an "objective correlative", then he explains that it wasn't due to TS Eliot, as many believe, but to Allston. Though Eliot was the one responsible for popularising the term. Or, if you want to use "doggerel" properly when deconstructing some Bukowski poem, perhaps check Abrams first.

This is a very well-researched encyclopedia covering almost any literary term that comes to mind. Try it, look up the term as if using a dictionary and one finds a clearly written paragraph, if not essay, that explains it all. It also provides links that can point the reader in different directions. In the event of literary jargon overload, there is no better treatment currently available.

As a student, this is an essential reference for me, but it is also something that I would want to keep forever as I think it would be very difficult to find such a useful, interesting and intellectually credible/incredible guide to literary terms. As a future teacher I look forward to using this book for many years to come.

The reader who complains that the 8th edition is radically different from previous editions with respect to the definitions of literary terms such as sonnet and ode is entirely mistaken. The entries on these and other terms are either unchanged from earlier editions or improved and updated. Moreover, a number of new terms have been added.

Fabulous book. Inspiring look at how not to mess around with Mother Nature. Nature is not the enemy we have been led to believe! I love this book, and it was one of the first to make an indelible impression about changing one's philosophy of how to possibly go about organic farming (I was an organic farmer later on). Poses searching questions (and one man's answers) that every gardener and farmer should look for the answers to, regarding how much we need to interfere with natural processes to produce food. Also a thoughtful look at balancing nutritional needs with what is seasonally available. Vital reading for anyone interested in permaculture, sustainable agriculture, or just a soul-lifting antidote to modern, corporate food production.

I read this book years ago when it was first published and it has been a magor influence on me and my gardens for all these years. I've followed Fukoka's ideas as much as closely I can living in a city and have had wonderful results. He is right, let nature do the work. My garden is the most beautiful in the neighborhood, and without any pesticides, fertilizers, tilling, or backstrain. Buy this book, Gaia's Garden, and Forest Gardening. They all follow the naturalistic, symbiotic, permaculture mode that mother nature has been evolving for a billion years - just plug into the natural order and start growing!

Some have said that the Fukuokan philosophy is the tap root of what is now more broadly called Permaculture, only Masanobu Fukuoka was a Japanese farmer, working with rice and winter grain in a southern Japanese climate. Both are no-till methods that shun the use of chemicals. However, Fukuoka should be set apart from farming in general and Permaculture in particular, in that The One-Straw Revolution is essentially a profound work of literary philosophy. Indeed, in many cases it reads like a naturalist's bible. Although the book is dressed in the language and anecdotes of a farmer, the message looms much larger. We read of a man who came to terms with the problem of death, and then decided to form a profoundly new (or is it old?) relationship with nature. In essence, the nugget of his wisdom is that, instead of struggling to control and command nature, we must learn to work with and learn from nature. Allow me to share one quote:"To build a fortress is wrong from the start. Even though he gives the excuse that it is for the city's defense, the castle is the outcome of the ruling lord's personality, and exerts a coercive force on the surrounding area. Saying he is afraid of attack and that fortification is for the town's protection, the bully stocks up weapons and puts the key in the door." Now I ask you, does the following paragraph sound like the words of a farmer or a philosopher? From the face of it, one might think Fukuoka is here criticizing the nuclear arms race, but he is actually talking about the warlike mindset of farmers who see leaf-munching pests as evil enemies that must be fortified against, sought out and destroyed. Whether we are talking about bull weevils or communities, though, his advice is sound. We must change our frame of reference and establish a different relationship with the world. Concise and yet elegant, Fukuoka's prose is pregnant with meaning. Altogether, this work provides poetic an intelligent critique of industrial agricultural practices and the linear notions of nature and progress that underlay those practices. In fact, Fukuoka goes as far as to declare that the scientific method itself limits our experience and knowledge of nature. An invaluable, timeless work that will move you, even if you have never picked up a hoe.

j.w.k.

Ladies and Gentlemen, please get on board, the Fukuoka earth ship is departing for Earth. All I can say is to get involved with the growing community of Fukuoka farmers around the world. Please come and visit us at fukuokafarmingol.net if you have any inclination towards ecological farming and leaving behind the fear of growing your own food because you are afraid the results will not be what you want or because you are afraid to damage the soil. Masanobu points the way to farming without destruction.

Though I had heard a little bit about Fukuoka and his practice, I was not prepared in the least for the way that this book would touch me. It was like a ray of light piercing through the murky cloudiness that was my mind; all the more remarkable because I stumbled on it by chance at the public library while glancing through the gardening books. He does an excellent job of demonstrating how much extra work we have all created for ourselves, how our scientific solutions all require further solutions, and that it is an endless cycle as long as we are straying from nature and its example. This book managed to eloquently lay out a great many ideas that had been lying dormant in my head: the overemphasis on specialization vs. generalism in our society, the break between modern urbanized lives and natural agrarian lives, the definition of 'enough' and how desire leads us ever farther away from that baseline. Fukuoka discusses all these topics and more--and in a style that is far more effective than anything I can write to explain it. It is philosophy, agricultural method, and cultural criticism wrapped up into an effective unity. A shame that it appears to be out of print right now.

I read this as part of a spiritual path, but just the story -- in and of itself -- carries every bit of 'flavor' that any great story always does. In a lot of ways, it's a pure adventure, albeit with monkey gods and man in all his worst behavioral situations. People are hit, cut, betrayed, loved, and supported by those around them in ways that are surprising, saddening, frightening, and just plain good reading.

It's the story of Vishnu -- one of the three forms of God -- coming back to earth to kick the butt of a really nasty demon. When I say nasty, I mean nasty -- not bedside reading for the 8 year old at home. The reason Vishnu has to show up as a man is because only a human man can bring an end to the destruction (one of those 'curses of the gods' things). So Vishnu shows up as the "Tiger of a man" named Rama. And rama kicks butt as he was supposed to.

It's impossible not to draw comparisons between the story of Rama and the story of Christ, although the former comes (in the most conservative guesstimates) 2,500 years prior to the time the Bible was written. Three forms of God, incarnation as a human who is in direct contact with the father/divinity and carrying a message of hope and forgiveness. And there's plenty of table turning in both books.

Having read a couple of translations of this ancient classic, with their stilted and archaic English, it was refreshing to read this version. Dharma has certainly adhered closely to the original text, but has presented it in a very enjoyable style that in my view nicely brings out the mood of the epic. His words carry quite a poetic flourish that really does justice to this work, which, after all, was originally written as a poem. His descriptions are graphic and his characters are lucidly portrayed, helping the reader enter deeply into the action. He also manages to skilfully weave in the spiritual messages of the work. This in fact was the main aim of the author of this epic, the sage Valmiki. His desire was to show the majestic opulence and divinity of Rama, whom he accepted as a divine incarnation of the Supreme Lord. Thus the text carries a profound spiritual import that Dharma has obviously been at pains to preserve. For my money he has a done a good job. I found myself in tears many times as I read this book, feeling moved at a very deep level. I also felt frequently uplifted and edified by the wisdom it contained.

Apart from all of this the Ramayana is a great story, as its enduring appeal proves. Followers of the Vedic tradition claim it is hundreds of thousands of years old, and many versions of it appear in nearly all the Asian cultures. But no matter how old it may be, its message remains entirely relevant, and its story is as fresh and engaging as anything churned out by the fiction writers of today. Perhaps there are some typos, as one reviewer here has remarked, but I can't say I noticed them. I was enthralled by this book and will certainly be reading it many more times.

The Ramayana is an ancient epic, one of the oldest in the world. It tells the extremely engrossing tale of a man named Rama, who is an incarnation of the Hindu deity Vishnu. The events that occur early in the story (even if they seem irrelevant) all come together at the end, culminating in a massive battle with the forces loyal to Rama on one side and Ravana, a rakshasa (demon) king, and his warriors on the other. The story in itself certainly deserves five stars, however the edition had some flaws to it. It was written to be watered down so it would be more accessible to a larger audience, and in this the author certainly succeeded. My only complaint on this point is that it seemed to fall slightly short of what it could have achieved. The real problem I have with this edition is the amount of typos and spelling errors. Once or twice the error was so severe that I was not sure of the intent of the sentence. The book is definately worth buying if one just wants to know the story, however if one wants a better understanding of the epic and the culture invloved, I would suggest a looking for a different edition.

Ramayana must rank as one of the most loved and revered books of all time. A part of India's ancient Vedas, it is a beautiful story of romance and adventure. It recounts the history of Rama, said be an incarnation of the Godhead, and his divine consort Sita. Filled with magic and mysticism, it entrances the reader and stirs deeply moving emotions. At the same time its profound spiritual messages leave one feeling uplifted and enriched. This is a novelisation of the classic. It contains all the essential narrative of the original Sanskrit poem, but written in a contemporary style. Whilst adhering closely to the original, I have tried to make it as readable as possible, using the techniques of character development and dramatisation to draw the reader into the action. By weaving in other spiritual commentaries on this sacred text, I have also tried to offer the reader the benefit of the wisdom of India's seers and sages. As I am sure you will discover when your read the book, that wisdom is as relevant in today's stressful world as it was thousands of years ago, when it was first written.

It was my love for this wonderful book which prompted me to write my adaptation, and I hope I have been able to share that love with others. Whether you enjoy it simply as a great adventure story, or you enter deeply into its spiritual meaning, you will surely find it an engaging read. All in all, I would say that this is as authentic and complete a version as you are likely to find outside of scholarly translations, but it is a lot easier to read. If you enjoy this, then you might like to try my novelisation of the Mahabharata, the other great Indian epic, which is also published by Torchlight.

Krishna Dharma

I understand why the Ramayana is such a popular and beloved story even today, but overall I really found that I liked Vishnu's avatar as Krishna better than his earlier one as Rama. Rama's being Vishnu incarnate wasn't really a big part of this version, and because he was depicted as such a great human being and hero, acting in very specific roles as an overly obedient son, devoted husband and brother, and finally heroic warrior, it was easy to lose sight of the fact of his true identity. With Krishna, I find it easier to not lose sight of the fact that he's Vishnu in a human body, and in the Krishna story, he's depicted in so many different roles (e.g., baby, lover, best friend, sneaky little boy, enlightened teacher) that one can easier relate to him as more than just some exemplary human being and a deity made mortal, which Vishnu does only when the balance of evil in the world overrides that of good. He had to take on a human avatar to kill Ravana, since he was so evil that no one could kill him, and he also had a boon from Brahma which entitled him to protection against being killed by one of the gods, many of whom had a long list of grievances with him. The gods know that it will be almost impossible for an ordinary human to kill Ravana, so Vishnu takes on his seventh avatar to rid the world of his evil.

I know that in comparison to other versions of this famous ancient tale, this one doesn't tell the entire story and is more like a brief retelling of each important event that happens along the way, like the abduction of Sita, Hanuman leaping to Lanka to scope things out, Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita going into exile, and the important battles in the war Rama, Lakshmana, Ravana's little brother Vibhishana and four of his friends, and their huge army of bears and monkeys wage against Ravana and his evil Rakshasas. No matter how condensed it might be in comparison to the actual full-length epic tale, it still conveys the same sense of romance, mystery, love, adventure, and human emotions that a much longer version does. It's also different from other versions because of the depiction of Sita's ordeal; some versions have her immolating herself and dying, but this version has a twist on it. (How far we've come; Rama's accusations of infidelity, in spite of the curse prohibiting Ravana from raping a mortal woman and in spite of how he only accused Sita of infidelity to test her, are not only highly un-PC now but just insulting! The woman was kidnapped and held by an extremely evil man and his cohorts for nearly a year; it's not like she ran off with him of her own free will!) This version is also missing what I find to be the most moving part of the Ramayana, when Hanuman, the noblest of the monkeys, literally tears up his chest to show that his devotion to and love for Rama and Sita are so deep and strong that their names and images are literally written on his heart.

As illustrated by Sita's ordeal towards the end, and along with some other things in the story, there is a strong sense of a time, culture, and place which is very far from how people live today. But in spite of how Rama is overly obedient to his father and his later treatment of Sita, or how Lakshmana won't even look his brother's wife in the eyes, the overall story is timeless. I don't usually like books with battle scenes, but the battles fought here are so well-written and captivating that they're nothing like the usual fare of endlessly describing battles. I can't wait to read some other versions of the Ramayana to compare with what's written here.

This rich volume touches the heart and soul of culinary India, and not only provides wonderful and "workable" recipies from its many regions, but also Madhur Jaffrey graciously welcomes you into her personal and cultural space while doing so. A feast not only for the palate but for all your senses. And as to her use of freshly- prepared spices -- expect a magic carpet ride! -- her instructions and recommendations are absolutely first class.

With over 100 cookbooks in my collection, I no longer buy books just for a collection of recipes. I want interesting information about culinary traditions, etc. and this book has all of that. It has a great overview of Indian regional cooking, lovely pictures, and good illustrative recipes besides. Serious gourmets will *not* be disappointed.

This is a great book - not only are the recipes superb and quite distinctive, but Madhur Jaffrey writes about the food with such passion and feeling that it just makes you want to cook. When she describes a dish as one "I love with a passion" you can be sure that it will not disappoint. For cooks trying out Indian food for the first time, following her recipes precisely can almost guarantee an Indian meal that will earn rave reviews from friends and family.

This is a book that was given to me some years ago when I was in India. It is not just a cook book but it conveys a picture of India. The book is broken into sections based on India's main regions. Each chapter has magnificent photo's of those regions and a text which describes the cuisine.

Each region then has a series of recipes that are famous. Most Indian cookery books tend to show how to cook the sorts of things that you get in Indian restaurants. Chicken Tandoori, Rogan Josh and so forth. This book has recipes which I have never come across before and most of them are interesting and delightful. A lot of them use a limited range of spices and depend on the mixture of their ingredients to develop subtle and interesting flavors. One recipe that was a revelation was an eggplant (aubergine) dish which was cooked and served cold with a yogurt sauce.

I live with a vegetarian and one of the reasons I enjoy such cook books are the variety of vegetarian foods that they contain. This book is by no means devoted to vegetarian food but it contains many such recipes.

The recipes are in text form but they are easy to follow. If something unusual has to be done such as the preparation of tamarind, the author explains how to do it in a clear and simple way.

Some cook books are things that you have on the shelf simply to prepare food. This book is a little more and gives you a feel for the county which has provided the recipes.

1. It is a good cook book, with beautiful recipies that work. 2. The food is presented in context in which it is eaten in India. 3. This is like a travelogue of India through its food. So if you like India, travel, food, cooking or books about cooking food in different parts of India, then this is the book for you.

The author is well-known in the military and academic environments. With the last FM-100, it was supposed that everything was now mentioned. But, not. A tradition, inherited from the Civil war, exists in the USA, of saving grunts lives, avoiding the combats at close distances and using with profusion the heavy fire support to win always.
It does not serve to gain the hearts and the minds of the people, intermingled with the rebels in cities or open land, thanks to a degree of constraint that always exists from the rebels. Henry Poole offers a heap of counterinsurgency tactics. He also speaks about the own character of the possible rebels. And, especially, he creates the mixed units, at a very low level of action, of proffesional soldiers, self-defense forces and civil elements of construction, promotion and education. With them it is possible to interpose a "swarm", more active, effective and professional of loyal units, to the swarm of the guerrilla units. And to go isolating them slowly, reliably and progressively from the people, of their bases and of the rest of their operational and strategic goals.

John Poole knows how to combat Islamic and Chinese-backed insurgencies by blending in both measured military & police actions. In his newest & my personal favorite book, "Dragon Days" Poole weaves in various apsects of unconventional fourth generation warfare, to include how aspects of police anti-gang operations would serve the infantrymen to disrupt the IED networks that are causing most of US casulaties. Operations in Iraq must become focused on investigating the various "networks" (terrorist & criminal) to disrupt them & turn the people against the behavior that does not allow them to return to a normal life, and their children are not killed by US forces in an attempt to dislodge militants. Police operations focus on identifying & eliminating the "bad guy" from the neighborhood. Use of force is used only IF the suspect(s) do not comply & actively resist. As in gang "hoods" in the US, even if the police are right & kill a suspect, the residents blame the police. As Poole states in the latest edition of his great books on unconventional warfare, this condition also exits within Iraq or Afghanistan. We are still considered the Great Occupiers in Islamic lands & all bad things come with this title.
Poole's book also goes over how to improve multiple counter-insurgency fucntions & methods & what has not worked in the past & why. All of his book are great reading,and full of very useful information for military & law enforcement professionals involved in 4th GW. My advice is to recommend Poole's book to fellow professionals, and buy an additional copy for yourself since once your copy is "loaned" out, it'll be passed on to others, which is how all great knowledge should be treated. Pass it on!

John Poole see's the cycles of "modern" warfare well before even the military services and three letter agencies are willing to shift focus of effort; especially in pre-deployment training programs. I used his "Tactics of the Crescent Moon" as a primer for my team before we deployed into Ramadi in 2005. It was extremely accurate and my men were able to operate without delays as soon as we arrived.

"Dragon Days" brings us around full circle to meet an organized and nationalized global threat that has proclaimed "total war against the U.S." and allies itself with insurgent and terrorist organizations as its surrogates. It won't be long before the State Department has to admit the DOD will be needed for other "troop deployments" as the Chinese continue to shape the world through asymmetric warfare. This book of Poole's has it all in there. Open source intel to study and verify and the proper tactics, techniques and procedures to meet the variety of threat we should expect to encounter once our infantry and SOF operators are distributed on the ground.

Mark S. Mosher
MSgt. USMC (Ret.)
Program Manager
Combat Training Systems Division
BMI Defense Systems

I think that John Poole set a good example for us all to follow.
If we all were as productive and current in our analysis, and furthermore managed to put out tactical and technical advice to our troops in the field, the current conflicts would end sooner with much less casualties.

But wait, we don't need to do that. Because John Poole does this for us. We only need to pick up his latest book and start to apply the tactics that he describes.

I think that John Poole's later books are improving in readability but they still keep that cutting edge of current and life saving advice.

I urge you all to pick up this book and learn.

We need to submit this brilliant book to the Army Chief of Staff's and Marine Corps Commandant's reading lists! John Poole has marked himself as an authority on 4GW, but more specifically and importantly, how to prepare our leaders and units for unconventional tactics which is subset, yet important one, of 4GW. In my day job as a consultant to the U.S. Army on leader development, I get to stay in touch with "the field," leaders that are engaged in this 4th GW struggle, and the ones that have discovered John's Dragon Days (as well as the other titles) have nothing but praise for how it assisted them and their units. I wish we could find a way for the next President to have a session with John Poole on warfare.

This is such a powerful book. This book is written as if the author is talking directly to me and exactly addressing my life problems. Amazing book. This is not a book it is a formula, it is a tool that helped and transformed my life to better.

It talks about energy centers in the body, the impacts in our daily life, how to handle a problem, the awareness for the problem, intellectual understanding and easy meditation techniques.

This is definately not your typical shallow self help book. This book provides practical answers to life's difficulties. I keep it next to me on my nightstand. If I have a problem or question with my life -- I always seem to find the solution in this book.

This book provides an excellent path to spiritualize your life. Negative emotions like Worry, fear, jealousy, greed block spiritual energy and create the suffering in our lives. This book deals with transcending these negative emotions and transforming your life to to exude constant bliss. This state of constant bliss is Nithyananda or enlightenment.

The Buddha only promised on thing to this disciples -- the end of suffering. Nithyananda delivers in an easy to read and follow language.

If you are planning to gift someone a book (including yourself!), then this is the one you should gift! It's applicable for any age group, and for any occasion. I gifted this one to a friend on her marriage, and the newly weds enjoyed it!

Once you know your mental set up, you will reach greater heights in life. This book doesn't give any complex philosophical jargons, but pertinent truths written in simple language, which will make your daily living blissful. Surely, as the name suggests, it's GUARANTEED to work on you and your life's problems!

Here's an excerpt from this 600+ page book:

"All the beauty products tell you repeatedly that you are not good enough. You start feeling guilty of your own inadequate body. What do you do? You go and buy their products and use them. You automatically fall into their control. Once you use them, you are engulfed with one more feeling of guilt -- 'did I go into all this trouble for this after all?' The moment you achieve something, the first feeling that engulfs you is guilt."

This book will change your life, guaranteed!! Books by enlightened masters are always a treasure, and this one is a master-piece even by those high standards!

GUARANTEED SOLUTIONS provides the Way, the Way to undo effects from the past and the Way to bliss and enlightenment, while still living in the human body!

Other books may point out problems and they may even offer ideas for solution. But, do they work? Are they lasting? After doing them are we any different? Do they do anything more than offer hope? Is there evidence that what they write is true and reproducible? Do they offer thousand-year-old techniques BASED UPON SCIENCE? And most importantly, are these books written by a living, Enlightened Master?

In this book Swamiji simplifies things for seekers who want the highest quality of life possible. As a devotee of Swamiji's, I attest that every single technique he has taught and that I have tried WORKS.

Initially I was very closed to both Swamiji and his teachings due to my religious upbringing and practice until, that is, I actually applied his teachings to everyday life and practiced his techniques. The bliss I feel and the success I continue to experience bring me a type of wealth that is immeasurable - I am becoming more and more the I that I was meant to be. It is like being born again.

Full of good ideas, good list of tour groups (must go on a tour) especially locally owned. Good information on what to do, costs, etc.

I bought this guide before my first trip to Bhutan, and it helped me immensely in planning my tour. It contains detailed information about the country--history, culture, geography, and facts for travelers. And it gives accurate information about the trekking routes and cultural tours. As is typical for Lonely Planet publications, this one is interesting and well written, and I found the information to be relevant to my trip. It is not easy to travel to Bhutan (there are many government restrictions), and this book made everything easier. I had such a successful, fun trip that I've been back several times (www.jachungtravel.com), and I still refer to this edition of the guide. It's packed with good information, and I highly recommend it to anyone who wants to go to Bhutan.

Lonely Planet is unbelieveable! They continually pump out the HIGHEST quality guidebooks, and they've done it again with this edition covering Bhutan. I have spent a good portion of my life researching, and hording information on Bhutan, and have found Lonely Planet's guidebook to contain everything and more that the traveller could ever want...with two exceptions. I think that the lack of the U'cen script in the language chapter is a serious mistake. Lonely Planet has the capacity to print in the U'cen script as they did so in their Tibet edition. My other qualm is with the sparse coverage of the smaller and admittedly FAR less visited dzongkhags (districts) (i.e., Daga, Samdrup Jongkhar, Pema Gatshel, Zhemgang, Tsirang, etc.). Lonely Planet, resolve these issues and your book will be the best it could be.

In anticipation of a trip to Bhutan in 2008 I was looking for a travel guide and opted to buy Lonely Planet's. I read it cover to cover and found to contain very good information, advice, tips, descriptions, recommendations, etc. I travel extensively worldwide and Bhutan will be a novel adventure. It brings back memories of my trip to Tibet in 2000. I highly recommend this guide.

Hello!

I'd been searching for a book on Bhutan which could provide me with a little bit of everything about the country viz. the history, geography, people and the culture. I have searched for books on Bhutan in several book stores around. It was so hard to find one in English but I think this one will do.

May be, finally......... I have found the book I'd been looking for.

I'm not a huge YA chick lit fan, but I really enjoyed this book. The story is about a teenage girl from California named Jazz (short for Jasmine--she is half Indian) and her summer vacation at an orphanage in India. Jazz's mother was adopted at a very young age from the orphanage by American parents and wants to go back to find out more about her roots. Jazz is initially reluctant to travel to India because she has to leave behind her best-friend/crush Steve, but she eventually comes around. The story is sweet and the main character is likable from the get-go. The author does a great job of showing India from an American teenager's perspective (having gone to India myself as an American teenager). The ending was a little too optimistic to be believable but at least it was a happy one (phew!), which is almost essential in these kinds of books. I would highly recommend this as a fun summer read.

I've read all of Mitali's books, and I love this portrait of Jasmine Gardner . This is a beautiful story of a wonderful change in Jazz's life, brought about by a summer trip to India.

Mitali Perkins is a wonderful writer who weaves a great story!

Monsoon Summer by Mitali Perkins is a mediocre teen novel. A young California girl, Jazz Gardner, leaves with her family on a summer vacation to India, during the magic monsoon season, for volunteer work. Throughout this book Jazz realizes how strong, generous, and desired she really is. This novel was not the best I've ever read. The author did not do a very good job of explaining the characters. I felt the characters made me bored and they rarely expressed, or showed any emotions. In Monsoon Summer there was not an exhilirating climax, nor a great ending. The plot of this teen novel did not capture my interests. I felt the need to stop reading the book after several chapters, but I don't like to abandon a book halfway through it. Monsoon Summer did not meet my expectations of a wonderful book.

I absolutely loved this book. Monsoon Summer is the story of 15-year-old Jasmine Carol Gardner, known as Jazz. Jazz is the product of her bulky, introverted white father and her petite, activist Indian-born mother. Genetically, and by her choices, Jazz takes mostly after her father, while her younger brother, Eric, resembles their mother. Their family is very close, however, with a strong sense of mutual loyalty. Thus when Jazz's mother wins a grant to go set up a clinic for pregnant women at the orphanage in India where she lived as a child, the whole family leaves California to go along for the summer.

Jazz is quite reluctant to go to India, however, mostly because of her newly-discovered, and undisclosed, love for her best friend, Steve. Jazz and Steve run a thriving business giving Berkeley tourists postcards of themselves in front of local landmarks and nostalgic activist signs. Jazz is worried about leaving Steve to run the business by himself, and even more worried about leaving him to the mercies of other girls from school. She can't imagine actually telling Steve how she feels, because she considers him so much more attractive and popular than herself, and she is sure that he would never be interested in her in that way. Still, she hates to leave him.

Most of the story takes place in the city of Pune, India, during the monsoon season, which many believe is a magical time. Jazz is at first quite resistant to the pull of India, and to the needs of the people around her. This is mostly due to her own self-doubt (and a little bit because of her obsession with Steve). The memory of a failed experiment in helping someone else, one in which her trust was betrayed, keeps her from wanting to get involved. But gradually, the monsoons work their magic on her, and she finds her over-protected heart expanding, as she becomes more brave and confident.

I think that Jazz's self-doubt and complete inability to think of herself as beautiful will resonate with anyone who is, or ever has been, a teenager. This authenticity makes Jazz's gradual transformation an inspiration. I think that this book could help teens to see themselves in a new light.

Jazz and her father both also evolve through the book from being fairly hands-off to being people who take an active part in helping others. Without being preachy about it, Monsoon Summer makes the reader want to get more involved, too. I'm not quite sure how Mitali Perkins manages that feat. I'm personally quite resistant to books that feel like they're promoting some larger agenda. I think that it works in this case because Perkins shows us how Jazz and her father react to a specific situation, rather than simply telling us that we should act in some particular way. All I know is that I cried at the end (in a good way).

I also liked the long-distance relationship between Jazz and Steve, sweet at times, realistically snippy at others. The descriptions of India, as seen through the eyes of someone raised in America, are eye-opening, without being overwhelming. And I liked the way that the author resists the temptation to wrap up every detail, leaving at least one issue unresolved. All in all, I enjoyed this book, and I highly recommend it for teen readers. I also think that adults, especially those who are feeling a bit jaded about life, will find it a refreshing treat.

This book review was originally published on my blog, Jen Robinson's Book Page, on September 2, 2006.