India Books

I cooked some of the recipes at my friends home and they were all very delicious!!! I hope to find another book, which is that good!

I know this woman personally, and she defines excellence in all aspects. I personally do not cook, but I'm sure it was a great book. All I know is that Roshi Razzaq is an extra-ordinary woman, and I am very lucky to know such a great person. I hope this review motivates her to write another cook book.

This cookbook is perfect for people who either don't have a lot of time to cook or are amateur cooks. The recipes are simple to follow and most take under an hour. These dishes are consistently delicious with every preparation and are guaranteed crowd pleasers.

Once you start cooking from this book, you will begin eating Indian regularly and you won't miss the fat.

It is pretty rare that a cookbook inspires me like this one did. Vibrant photographs of every dish, as well as author notes on the region and history of the dish, inspired me to try a number of recipes. I can honestly say that every recipe I have tried has turned out perfectly. I have many cookbooks, most of which I have not cooked from; this one stands alone, in that I have tried almost half the recipes. If only I could find more copies for all the friends I've gotten hooked on Roshi's recipes

We love Indian food but I had never cooked it before. We needed to change our way of eating after some family health scares. Low fat is no fun if it's also low flavor. Roshi Razzaq's beautiful book and clear recipes introduced me to a whole new way of cooking and eating - low fat but incredibly delicious. She has even given me the confidence to try my own combinations. Indian food has gone from a special treat to the mainstay of our diet. Thank you, Roshi!

This is a wonderful book!! Most of us will never have the opportunity to travel the world. We will be forced by circumstance to travel via armchair from home. My advice is to let Alistair Caldicott take you to glamorous, exotic and exciting destinations and leave him to deal with the disturbing, uncomfortable and dangerous because he copes so well and lives to tell us all about it. This book is not a travel guide. It's more personal than that, chatty and well written, and an all around good read in every way.
His journey begins in India. Through mind sapping heat, he shares every step with his readers: grand palaces, staggering poverty, beautiful people and places, and sickening squallor. We experience the river Ganges, a holy river so polluted that oxygen can no longer live in it. He hikes the Himalayas while fighting bouts of altitude sickness and diarrhea, introduces us to Sherpa strongholds and yak caravans in Nepal and Tibet, and climbs pristine blue glaciers. And just when you think it could not possibly get more exciting, he heads for Australia via Bangkok and Singapore.
I've always been curious about Australia. He soaks it all in like a sponge and takes his readers with him. From one end of Australia to another, he travels dusty outback roads, gapes in awe at ancient cliffs and Aboriginal rock paintings. We feel the blistering heat and the incessant swarms of flies that buzz at every human orifice demanding entry. And we share his wonder at sleeping under night time skies.
New Zealand is a land of charming contrasts: tropical vegetation, volcanoes, boiling mud pools and geysers, mist shrouded craters, ancient water caves, glaciers, fjords, and an unexpectedly mild climate.
Africa is a beautifully diverse continent in ways most of us will never see. Caldicott describes it as a raw, challenging, enthralling, rewarding continent, then sets out to show us exactly what he means by that statement. From the southernmost tip of Africa he treks, sometimes painfully, to his final destination, Mt. Kilimanjaro. Along the way we visit rubbish infested cities in decline, learn about apartheid and other political injustices, and walk pristine beaches. We accompany the author as he snorkels with whale sharks in the Indian Ocean and hikes the Khyber pass. He introduces us to oasis pools in the world's oldest desert and hidden gems not yet discovered by tourists. We rough camp in the bush surrounded by wild animals, go white water rafting on the Zambize River, and suffer with the author through a frightening bout of malaria. And finally we struggle with him through the crowning achievement of his travels -- climbing Kilimanjaro.
This is an exhilarating book, a thoroughly satisfying read from beginning to end. If you are at all curious about the world and its wonders, I suggest you buy this book then lean back and let Mr. Caldicott take you on a journey of the mind. Allow him to stimulate your senses through his words.

Laurel Johnson
Mid-West Book Review, US

I would like to recommend this book to anyone who aspires to travel as well as those who already have. And also for those who just like to sit back and read about faraway palces in other parts of the world!
Take an armchair journey around the world with this engrossing real life adventure. Experience unusual people, places and incidents. We learn about some very well known palces, but it is also the less well-known places which prove just as riveting.
During his long journeys we alternated between the unintentional and the unpredictable, as he both enjoys and endures, but does so in an engaging and articulate manner. His powers of observation are sharp and it is during the moments of difficulty when the entertainment is best.
Very enjoyable and out of the ordinary at times.

With a refreshingly crisp turn of phrase, admirable candour and disarming self-depreciation, this book is absorbing. There is little time for slushy banalities or bland, weary cliches, but there is plenty of time for the unleashing of an excellent sense of humour, which cares little for offending people who deserve to be offended, while warming to those who are genuinely hospitable. No patronising smugness or condescension in the narration - just honest, insightful observation from someone who somehow tends to do things the hard way.
And the author has plenty of unusually entertaining experiences along the way - the incident of him getting whacked by a tree branch on the top of a bus in Nepal had me in stitches. Just when you think his last close shave will not be surpassed, another one comes along, but he takes it all in his stride. There's been a lot of travel books on the market in recent years, but the style of this book carves its own niche and I look forward to his next one.
I can also recommend his website, which is worth checking out -some fabulous photos from all over the world - www.alitravelstheworld.com

This really is quite an adventure - more entertaining travel in one trip than most would be lucky to achieve in a lifetime. An astonishing array of diverse experiences in the sorts of places we all dream about going to; several major tests of character and a wonderfully self-depreciating sense of humour and cutting powers of observation which endear him to the reader. More boldly daring than some other high profile travel writers and grittily realistic
He has a useful knack of sizeing up both people and situations, being cuttingly savage of those who irritate and annoy, yet not shy to lavish praise for those who merit it.
There is ample scope for things to go wrong and exposure to danger, which is all part of the fun. In fact most of the fun (for the reader) derives from the things which go wrong.

If you cannot resist the lure of exotic daydreaming and faraway escapism then this book is for you. But this is far removed from the superficial world of 5 star hotels and fly-by-night, safe and sanitised tourism.
An incredibly captivating and absorbing journey told with gripping roller coaster momentum, which barely lapses. Compelling reading if the word `travel' stirs aspirations of excitement and adventure in you. Many twists and turns vividly described. Highs and lows, pleasures and pain all graphically laid down with endearing honesty.
Insightfully observant, hilariously dry humoured and refreshingly descriptive, his style seems like Bill Bryson meets Michael Palin, but much more adventurous and daring. The author somehow always finds challenges in front of him, be they from the natural world or in the form of other human beings, but he rises to them admirably. How he keeps his marvellous sense of humour in tact at times I do not know. Yet as well as being entertained by some of the testing situations he finds himself in, you are simultaneously likely to learn something as well. An enjoyable read.

A tremendous story told with great warmth and humor. It conveys the struggle to stay healthy, the process of adapting to local cultures, and the overwhelming sense of joy in receiving gratitude from people you help. Sol Resnick is able to find elements of humor and poetic irony in the daily activities and chance occurrences that shaped his life. Irrigating India also provides an absorbing historical perspective on India. Having served in the Peace Corps for three years, the book brought back memories of my own experiences. I highly recommend this book!

Armchair adventurers could not ask for a better book than this heartwarming story of a man who helped to bring water -- and a lot more -- to India. It is also the story of what India brought to him, with vivid descriptions of the sights, sounds, tastes, and textures of post-WWII India and of the people he met there. Sol Resnick is an engaging story-teller, and his good humor and passion for his work make this impossible to put down. He loved his work, the people he met, and the places he traveled, and you will, too.

As a former University of Arizona Hydrology student of Dr. Resnick, I laughed and cried in reading Sol's terrific, engaging insight to practical rural water-resources and community development in India in the late 1950s. Based on my own observations, I confirm that Sol tells it like it was. And in some ways still is. I stayed up the night to read the book to my wife. We shared the joy of Sol's adventure to improve life in rural India by training Indian engineers and working with local people to improve irrigation and drinking-water supplies and to reduce the terrible effects of droughts. I've shared Sol's and Elaine's book with my international development colleagues and my own students. Sol's integrity and ingenuity, and love of people, justice, culture, community, and hydrology come across loud and clear, modestly and humorously. A fine read for anyone interested in people, development, practical hydrology, or India. Reading "Irrigating India" reminded me why I became a hydrologist and taught me more about myself.

Irrigating India: My Five Years As A USAID Advisor is the story of Sol Resnick, a USAID advisor who served faithfully in India from 1952 to 1957, as told in his own worlds to Elaine Minow Resnick. Sol Resnick, a civil and agricultural engineer, worked hard to help make the basic human needs of food and water stable and attainable to a populace that was previously at the bitter mercy of the annual rainfall. He would later look on that time as the best five years of his life. Heartwarming, inspiring, and highly recommended to students of international studies as well as the modern history and agricultural development of India.

Compelling tales bring the people and the land of India vividly to life. Stories of practical engineering, working with villagers and farmers, designing and building irrigation systems and wells. Most of all, stories about the people, the culture, the politics and the country. Travel rivers, meet tigers, have dinner with Nehru, and make wheelbarrows for the village children so that everyone participates in building the future of rural India.

When I was l5 years old, my mother brought the book home for me from
the library. I enjoyed it then. Throughout the years I have been looking
for it but could not locate it in libraries oe stores. I'm looking forward
to reading it again. By the way I'm now past the age of 75 years.

I've been reading--and rereading--Corbett for more years than I can remember. They not only tell the tales of his hunting man-eating tigers and leopards but tell of his wonderful love of nature, the land and the simple hill people of India. His descriptions and attention to detail are remarkable. You can practically smell the Himalayan foothills that he loved so much.

Corbett, although "just" a public servant had an unusual combination of talents and virtues. His woodcraft was exceptional; his stamina phenomenal; his courage phenomenal; and his talent as a writer...unique. Corbett puts the reader in his own skin as he tracks beasts that would like nothing better than to sink their teeth in his throat. The reader is actually present as Corbett comes on the scene of a recent tiger kill as evidenced by the single shapely leg of a young woman. You feel his terror as a man-eating leopard, in the dead of night, rejects his goat bait and tries to rip Corbett from his machan high in a tree.

You suffer with Corbett as he tries to maintain his lonely all-night vigil over a tiger-killed buffalo as malaria shakes his body apart and you rejoice with him as he fights the mighty mahseer from pool to pool in the icy waters of the Himalayas. You weep with Corbett as poor, frightened people thank him for ridding them of beasts that have destroyed lives and the economies of entire regions.

At the same time you get to know Corbett the field biologist and nature lover. He bore no animosity for the man-eaters he hunted to death. He entirely recognized that they were a part of nature whose only "crime" was to develop a taste for the "wrong" kind of food. He speaks of the nobility of the tiger, the sinuous beauty of the leopard and bemoans the fact that these creatures were gradually being eradicated. Nevertheless he takes justifiable pride in saving the lives of so many people and is grieved that he couldn't have saved many more.

Some people have questioned as to whether Corbett did all these things or whether, like Capstick, he was simply a gifted writer. I can't confirm the authenticity of all the stories but, all I can say, is that the government of India--that has no particular love for British colonialism--chose to honor this particular Englishman by naming a national park--a park containing many tigers and leopards--in his honor.

Ron Braithwaite, author of Mexican Conquest novels, "Skull Rack" and "Hummingbird God"

I have read all three of the books included in this omnibus many times over the space of thirty years. Each is a superb read filled with suspense, observations on nature, and a genuine respect for India and it's people. These are not books about hunting for the sake of senseless slaughter. While Corbett vividly communicates a sense of suspense and excitement he continually returns to the theme of sympathy for the plight of the impoverished villagers who are terrorized by the man-eaters he hunts. There is no macho posturing in Corbett's accounts, there is heartfelt regret each time he pulls the trigger to end the rampage of another killer.

I have been an avid reader of Jim Corbett for the past decade. Though he hasn't authored as many books so as to demand a decade, his story-telling is exquisite and therefore begs you to pick up his memoirs again and again. What were previously an assortment of separate short stories have now been compiled into this grand collection.

Armed with but a rifle, Corbett narrates in intricate detail how he managed to hunt down some of the deadliest man-eaters, deep in the northern jungles of pre-independent India. As much as it is a classic, one needs to remember that the events described herein, actually occurred! The narration seamlessly alternates between the romantic splendor of the Himalayan foothills and the imminent danger lurking not far behind. Corbett magnanimously describes in great detail the courage displayed by several individual men, women and children of these jungles when taking on man-eaters at close quarters. That the events described are factual makes you shudder even while sitting in the quiet comfort of your living room.

Parallels could be drawn between Corbett and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" due to fact that they both decipher more than the average individual when given the same set of information. Much like Holmes, Corbett interprets the gender, age, physical characteristics, possible injuries (and cause thereof), direction of approach etc. of the man-eater by just studying it's pug marks. The only incorrect assumption he makes is that tigers do not have a sense of smell. I recently found out that this was untrue. Nevertheless, to the armchair hunter, this triviality can be ignored. An excellent read.

This book is a collection of some of Jim Corbett's books, and it is really worth the expense to anyone who enjoys a good read. A bit of tongue-in-cheek, but very factual and understated, this book also describes life in India when it was the jewel in the British crown.

The author is a widely respected "shikari" who is ever ready to help simple village folk against wild animals who have turned vermin. However, he loves nature, and one can see how he revels in describing natural landscapes. He went on to become a very well-known conservationist, and the Indian Government has honoured him by naming the area he has described in his books as a National Park, with his name.

In the books, he describes how he learned to be a woodsman, and describes outdoor living in great detail. He describes a time when motoring was very rare, when the easiest way to travel was to depend on one's own two feet and a lot of "knee grease". His loving descriptions of nature, landscapes, jungles and jungle lore mark him as an environmentalist beyond any of today's known figures.

A must-read for anyone who enjoys reading.

This was an enlightening book for me and would be for anybody interested in spirituality, and pilgrimage. Filled with full colour pictures it is a MUST READ book!!!!! Very very hhighly recommended!

This book acts not only as a great travel guide for those lucky enough to be in (or visiting) Tibet, but also makes an enlightening read for anybody interested in the spiritual importance of Kailash and Mansarovar.

Well-written descriptions, inspired poetry, apt quotations and wonderful pictures all combine to transport the reader to this holy place and share the author's moving experiences.

I had the pleasure of reading this excellent book. The narration is superb, splendid, vivid and frank; it is poetry par excellence.

I just finished reading the book and actually feel I ought to start it all over again. It made a huge impression on me. Both the descriptions of place and the mystical experiences. Absolutely wonderful. I don't suppose I shall ever go there but I shall not forget the author's evocation of it. Not to mention his superb photographs. I am totally entranced, especially by his experiences that includes his strange near death dream.

The book is a travelogue with a difference. It is not devoid of practical details concerning items to be carried by the traveller or the manner in which government and non-government agencies can help him. But essentially it is an odyssey of spiritual wanderings intermingled with geography, history, tradition and an enduring sense of faith and belief.
Some of the photographs are truly fetching and are characterized by professional finesse. A highly recommended reading for potential travellers and even for arm-chair pilgrims who will be inspired by its evocatively devotional content.

This book carries with it the gravity of substance, and it's not just that fact that it's physically large, and has some weight to it. It's more then just that the materials used in it's production are of the highest grade - the paper is heavy, every page has a superb finish; but these elements compound the inherent quality of what's inside.

Andrea Pinkney's version treats the Kama Sutra with dignified respect befitting work as influential as this one. Bear in mind that this is not merely a sex position manual, nor is it pornographic. This is the Kama Sutra for those with an appreciation for art. Magnificent illustrations of subject related period art compliment the original text. This wouldn't even cause a stir at the old folks home.

It's such a nice book, it should go right on the coffee table, provided of course there are no young children around with whom their parents feel awkward discussing the facts of life. Or perhaps it would be just the thing to break that ice shelf.

This book says "I'm classy and open-minded, with a healthy sexual appetite".

what a lush, beautiful, dazzling book. Very well produced with many many lush color-soaked plates of erotic imagery. There are even fold-outs of larger images.

lots of text to so you can easily grasp the concepts.

impressive!

An unbeleiveably full, large format book with the most wonderful and colorful images of erotic Indian art imaginable. This book should really be selling for $... upwards for the quality and quantity of fantastic photos and images alone. A top-quality, heavy art book, indeed.
Fold-out pages also provide large scale formats and it seems no expense was spared to create the high quality images that abound in this awe-inspiring collection of wonderful erotic masterpieces. Truly the most captivating book I now proudly own.

As a traveler and lover of all things "India", I have been waiting for a book like this for a long time to give as a gift to my husband. This is the real heart of the matter...no need to actually read the Kama Sutra when what you really want is all right here. Even without the erotic theme, this book presents some of the most wonderful art of India I have ever seen in one breathtaking book. This book is an absolute "must" for any follower of Indian art, or just anyone who appreciates the delicious and delicate sex-play and sensualities of Indian art and history. Very inspiring :), very beautiful, exotic, erotic and just plain fabulous! What more could you want? I am thrilled with this purchase..... on all levels! A+++++

This book is packed with beautiful illustrations. They cover every embrace, every kiss, and every acrobatic exotica in the Kama Sutra catalog. The pictures go beyond the actual text, in illustrations of groups and in groups of illustrations.

Some depictions are stone carvings from the temples at Konarak, other are more recent carvings in wood or ivory. Drawings and paintings seem to cover every historical style the sub-continent has seen since the 18th century, from stylized cartoons to realism. Color, where appropriate is vivid and well-printed. The illustrations capture many times, people, fashions, practices, and styles of dress. Where necessary, foldouts show larger views so you can appreciate the original's detail. With just a bit more organization and care with the attributions, the illustrations alone could form a serious historical document.

The only drawback to this beautiful book is the Kama Sutra - it's just not there, at least not in complete and coherent form. There are extracts, in Sanskrit, a Romanized form of the Sanskrit phonetics, in a modern translation, and in Burton's Victorian rendering. Maybe the whole Vatsyayana text is there, but it's pretty well chopped up and mixed with extensive commentary. This is about the Kama Sutra, but not a straight translation of the book.

Still, the pictures are worth it. This is a gorgeous book.

//wiredweird

I was amazed at the way this is written. I have been looking for books that my middle years students could read in their lit circles and just happened to stumble on this at my local library. Finding a book that is real literature, shows another culture, is a finger-licking page-racing novel that even reluctant readers will enjoy is close to a miracle.
It is all that! Plus it is a novel about women without being a chick book.
Why didn't this book turn up in all the searches I've done on the amazon site?

There has been some comparison to this book "Climbing the Stairs". While both are set in India during World War II, they are different books. I encourage people to read both.

In "Keeping Corner" we have twelve year old Leela who has been married at a very young age. Leela is your typical girl, and that's what I love about her. She isn't bookish and she really doesn't care about politics. She is interested in looking nice and wearing pretty clothes and jewelry. That is the extent of her life, and I think that makes her so much more interesting as a character. I mean what young adult doesn't like those things?

Leela's life is turned upside down when her fiancé dies. Now she is a widow at a very young age and must "keep corner." She must shave her head; lose her pretty clothes and jewelry. The community views her has bad luck, and she needs to remain inside her house for an entire year.

While she is in mourning Leela's schoolteacher comes and helps her with her lessons. Leela doesn't want to be taught anything. She dislikes school. Yet, as time goes on Leela becomes more interested in her studies and she enjoys hearing about Gandhi. She grows as a character and realizes there maybe something out there for her. That maybe she can change how people view women.

"Keeping Corner" is an excellent story that has a lot of great details about the era and the plight of women. There is also an index in the back (something "Climbing the Stairs" didn't have). I think students who are interested in historical fiction will enjoy this novel as well as students who enjoy other cultures. There is no romance in this novel however, so that may turn some teens away from the book. However, I strongly encourage people to read this novel. It was very interesting.

This is one of the best books I've read this year! I loved Kashmira's descriptive writing. This story keeps you on the edge of your seat to find out what happens to Leela after her husband's death and keeping corner for a year.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. I could not describe it any better than critics did. This is a book set in pre-independence India with its harmful traditions - that may still be there - as one young girl with support of her family leads the way for a change. This will make a nice reading for any young reader who wishes to be carried away in this colorful story mixing history, struggle and enlightenment.

As a member of the Brahman caste, the highest, twelve-year-old Leela doesn't notice the hardships of lower castes.Engaged at two and married at nine, Leela is soon to have her "anu," when she will move into the home of her husband. In the interim, she enjoys the life of a loved, petted member of her household which consists of her parents, her aunt and uncle, her older brother (away at school,)and Lakha, the man who takes care of their animals. Before the much anticipated anu, her husband is bitten by a venomous snake and dies. As a widow, Leela must have her head shaved, wear dull brown saris, and spend an entire year "keeping corner." She can't leave the house for an entire year. Only gradually does formerly light-hearted Leela come to understand the magnitude of the calamity that has befallen her.

Set in India during the time that Gandhi is leading non-violent protests against the caste system and the British colonists, Leela's story exposes enormous gender inequalities as well. This novel follows Leela's inner growth during the year. She is tutored by her former principal, and she begins to read newspapers voraciously, equating the injustices suffered by Indians under British colonial rule with the injustices inflicted on her. Coming to appreciate education as her only hope, Leela endures the year of keeping corner, studying, until she ultimately triumphs. With first-rate prose, this work of fiction, based on the life of the author's great-aunt, is exciting and compelling within unusual confines.

Thanks to this cookbook, we have some wonderful dishes that have become family favorites. One of those is the Lime Rice; it is a delicious dish that is as stunning to present to guests (lovely yellow color) as it is eat! Best of all it goes with everything from barbeque meats to grllled vegetables. I have even brought it to church "covered dish" lunch!
The suggested "menus" at the back of the book, such as "vegetarian for beginnners" or "fish & meat for the more adventurous", help take the guess work out of planning a well-balanced menu.

The recipes in this cookbook are easy to read and follow. I especially liked the fact that The ingredients can all be found in the US, and that recipes go from easy to more time consuming. The variety of recipes is very good, and the ones I've tried so far came out delicious.

This cook book is more than a cook book. It gives a lot of details about the indian state of Kerala which I found particularly interesting. Being a reluctant cook, I found the recipes easy to follow as the author gives step by step instructions on producing the meals. I also found the nutrition information very useful.

A great cookbook for connoisseurs and novices alike! This book has some very authentic recipes that bring back memories of my childhood in Kerala. I've found recipes in here that I thought I could have only at my mother's house. All the recipes are well laid out and easy to follow.

I am from Kerala, & have found that the dishes come out tasting exactly the way they are supposed to, very practical, most ingredients are easily available. The author has tried to make the recipes as healthy as possible in terms of minimising oil & coconut use which are a major part of Kerala cuisine. Should be a very useful resource for those who are trying to learn how to cook this kind of food.

Have you ever wondered how to make sense of your own life? Ever been in so much pain that you did not think you could bear it? Ever had a nagging feeling that there had to be more? Ever wanted to clarify your direction and purpose? Then, this book could be for you.

Truly a treasure, this text demystifies the ancient esoteric teachings of kundalini yoga by offering a practical and inspiring roadmap into your own heart, mind and soul. Between its covers, you will find exercises, practices, and questions that, when approached with sincerity, will launch you onto your person path of passion to inner and outer fulfillment. This text is like a light house that has the power to lift you out of your darkest nightmares into a sweetness never before imagined. Truly the sky is the limit!

Recently, I was asked If I was left alone on a deserted island, and could only take one book with me, what book would that be? Undoubtly, Kundalini Yoga for the West would be it! But please, don't take my word for it - best to find out for yourself!

This book is amazing, profound, magic, poetic , full of wisdom. By using specific exercises, meditations and reflections you will discover yourself and realise your potential. It definitely changed my life!!!

It is a book full of wisdom and asks for our courage and our commitment to our personal growth. Swami Radha provides us with an excellent bridge through which we can bridge the ancient Teachings to our western thoughts and life styles. In working with the book I have learnt about who I am and what is the purpose of my life. She requires us to be honest and requires us to empower ourselves as we meet ourselves and as we recognize the divine that is within us. It is a book that has been a key to understanding my life and my daily lessons. I highly recommend it to any one who is interested in growing into their full clear potential...

Have you ever wondered how to make sense of your own life? Ever been in so much pain that you did not think you could bear it? Ever had a nagging feeling that there had to be more? Ever wanted to clarify your direction and purpose? Then, this book could be for you.

Truly a treasure, this text demystifies the ancient esoteric teachings of kundalini yoga by offering a practical and inspiring roadmap into your own heart, mind and soul. Between its covers, you will find exercises, practices, and questions that, when approached with sincerity, will launch you onto your person path of passion to inner and outer fulfillment. This text is like a light house that has the power to lift you out of your darkest nightmares into a sweetness never before imagined. Truly the sky is the limit!

Recently I was asked, If I was left alone on a deserted island and could only take one book with me, what book would that be? Undoubtly, Kundalini Yoga for the West would be it! But please, don't take my word for it - best to find out for yourself!

You can change your life by working with this book. I have and so have many people I know. It guides you to answer the tough questions about life: What is birth? What is death? What is the purpose of your life? How do I use my speech? It has many exercises to help each of us elevate our lives, to make the ordinary sacred. It's a book for a lifetime, one to take on a desert island. I've read it at least ten times and there's always more to learn from it.

This is among my favorite books, and is greatly underappreciated.

Other reviewers have emphasized the thoughtfullness of the story in plumbing the dichtomy between mind and body. But this is something many authors have sought to do, and what distinguishes Mann's treatment is the simplicity with which he imparts the story and the manner in which he brings the exotic story of India home and makes it easily accessible to all.

There is a grace to each sentance; the translation is wonderful. There is no attempt to overwork the writing or story, and its very profundity lies in its simplicity. I have told this as a bed-time story to my children, who are as fascinated as adults by it, and people whom I have recommended the book to continue to discuss it and refer to it when we talk.

This is quite short, and can be read in an evening. Most highly recommended.

This book is more than a love story, or a story about marriage or friendship. It is a story that addresses the ever present dilema of whether we ought to make decisions based on our feelings or our intelect. This book tells you exactly to whom you should listen to, and why. This alone is absolutely REFRESHING! I have used this book in creative writing workshops, where I challange my students to think how their body would react if it carried someone else's head. Or what song a piano would play if it had their head attached to it. This book has a strong under current of morality, making the reader reflect on the "stuff that principles and values are made of", and what makes us authentic human beings.

Thomas Mann's works are always full of dichotomies of various kinds: feeling vs intellect, freedom vs authority, immorality(decadence) vs morality(respectability), artistic or religious pursuits vs participation in everyday life. So it is not surprising that he wrote a book about two people who represent opposite ways of living. One character lives by the dictates of the reasoning head, the other by the dictates of the sensual body. In Mann's mystical India a wonderful accident allows for an interesting experiment. Don't want to give too much away for the fun is in not knowing exactly what happens. Suffice it to say that this is a unique kind of book of novella length, a form Mann was especially competent with. In a way this is Mann's Siddhartha though one informed with many dualites, including the east/ west one. This book attempts to unify all those oppositions once and for all but that is no easy task. This book has humor and humanity and that magic that only the simplest fables have, once you read it you will never forget it.

Short novel packed with rich language and strong plot. Story is placed in India, which adds mysticism to already mystrious issue of sexual desire and marital responsibility between husband and wife. And since no real love story can have a happy ending, for most real loves are not the happy ones, the tragic ending only adds the strength to this magnificent novel.

Thomas Mann takes the Cartesian split--that endless war between mind and body, galvanized on one side by Descartes' battle cry "I think, therefore I am"--and illustrates the conflict using two characters, two young friends, in this Indian legend turned fantastical tale of the absurd. Nanda is a farmer and blacksmith, a strong, earthy youth rooted in his physical body, and the contemplative Shridaman is a merchant's son with priestly, Brahman blood in his lineage. Though the young men are polar opposites, they have a strong friendship built on mutual admiration and a hint of health envy.

Their differences manifest during a journey together when the two men come upon the sight of a beautiful young woman at a remote, ritual bathing-place. They observe the woman secretly as she bathes, and Nanda enjoys the sight without shame. Shridaman, though, is by turns embarrassed, then inspired. Mann launches the friends into a hushed philosophical discussion--a frequent attribute of the novel. Shirdaman says, "Yet we are ... guilty if we simply feast on the sight of beauty without inquiring into its being," and he promptly falls in love with the young woman, Sita, languishing over her with the exaggerated fatalism of the smitten lover in a Shakespearean comedy. Eventually, Sita and Shridaman are married.

From this scenario springs one of the most bizarre love triangles in literature, leading to a confrontation with Kali, earth mother and patron of the body, and later to another meeting, at the other end of the spectrum, with an ascetic holy man. These powerful archetypes impel the pendulum of fate back and forth above the three characters. Again and again the question is asked: Is it the head or the body which is most closely linked with the Beloved? Tragedy is inevitable--visiting the trio more than once--and in the end all hope for the future lies with Andhaka, Shridaman and Sita's young son. The boy is a nearsighted introvert whose quiet innocence hints at some vague potential for change, for bridging this gap between mind and body.

One element detracting from the book is the translation (copyrighted in 1941). While the translation is not entirely without merit--in chapter 5, for example, the passage describing Shridaman's descent into Kali's dark, heady, womb-like temple begs to be read aloud--the novel's prose is sometimes choppy with convoluted, problematic sentence structure. The novel's potential among English readers is certainly hampered by its being long overdue for a new translation.