Thomas Hale's writing is beautiful and his adventures as a Christian medical missionary in Nepal are even more splendid. I just couldn't put this book down. After reading this book I have found the strength to continue plugging through my medical school requirements!

Dr. Thomas Hale has given us an opportunity to experience the trials, tribulations and triumphs, but more importantly, the inspiration that he and his wife have been so fortunate to have been a part of. His writing style is not only easy to read, but it compels you to want to read more. It is a wonderful diary of his medical mission experience over the years and is a treat for those who want to go to Nepal or anywhere else to do missions.

This was one of the first books by Mayne Reid I have read, so I did not know what the quality of text would be. Lucky was I to have picked out this book- it was more than I ever expected. First of all the setting is 19th century India, Himalayas. Three men go on a plant quest. Everything seems to go fine until they are trapped in a mountain valley where they have to finds means of survival.

Unlike many adventure books, not only is there action but also I found it very informative. It described a lot of the Indian customs and flora/fauna. Also this book was written in an attractive and amusing style: one that will not bore you much. The suspense will make you want to read more. So, in overall, a great book. One that not-nature lovers but adventure lovers should read.

In my early teens I have read every book by Captain Mayne Reid I could find. I devoured every word. I found Reid's adventure novels far more sofistcated and captivating than the similar writings by Jules Verne and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Well, to be fair, adventure novels are not what earned Conan Doyle his popularity (and knighthood) and Verne had a few novels that were comparable to Reid's.
Captain Reid wrote scientific adventures which were my introduction to biology and geography (this particular novel is full of fascinating botany). His romantic adventures were mesmerizing for a growing girl, although at the era when he was writing his audience was considered to be only boys. I guess girls were not supposed to care about surviving a locust attack or the best way to fight a cayman.
I am puzzled why Hollywood hasn't gotten hold of his complete works for guaranteed blockbusters.

Portraits Of Himalayan Flowers by Toshio Yoshida (botanical photographer, amateur botanist, and Associate Researcher at the University Museum of the University of Tokyo) is a beautifully presented compilation of natural photography and the compilation of ten years of travel. 108 gorgeous color pictures showcase the wondrous beauty of plants that correspond to the 108 beads of the Tibetan Buddhist rosary. Each full-page photograph includes a brief caption about the flower, as well as a knowing introduction combined to create a highly recommended and brilliantly presented work. Portraits Of Himalayan Flowers is an enthusiastically recommended addition to any personal, professional, or community library Gardening Shelf or Horticultural Studies collection.

This is an incredibly interesting book full of photographs showing the plants in their native environment. Toshio Yoshida did a fantastic job with all 108 full color photographs that are in the book.

By getting down on the ground and looking up at the plants you will get to see a viewpoint that is rarely offered in the world of plant photography.

Each photo caption contains the botanical name of the species as well as a wonderful description. While I'm not a big fan of photography books, the photos in this book definitely made me sit up and take notice.

There are plants in there that I had never seen before which were so unusual that they made me want to find out more about them. If you like unusual plants that are brightly colored or plant photographs that are above the average then you will want to acquire this book for your library.

This magnificient collection showed at the Portland (Oregon) Art Museum several years ago. In terms of the quality of the thanka paintings, bronzes and ritual items gathered for the exhibit and reproduced in gorgeous full-color detail in this book, it is second only to "Wisdom and Compassion." The latter benefited from a national audience, widespread publicity, and publication of its catalog by the nation's largest art book publisher. By comparison, this handsome volume is almost unknown. The collection includes unflinching depictions of deeply esoteric symbolism found nowhere else. This book is not only a true bargain but also a must-have for anyone interested in Tibetan art. Although I have many more recent books on the subject, this is one I return to again and again, with great joy and appreciation.

For the maximum aesthetic experience of Tibetan art, you must see the magnificent Lionel Fournier collection! Virtually every illustration is of a true masterpiece. Some of the most important Tibetan art in the world is in this catalogue. For afew examples, the two stone images of Mahakala, an early mandala of Vajravarhi and a stunning gem encrusted image of Sadaksari Avalokiteshvara are all without peer. Fournier's act of generosity in giving the collection to the Guimet, is and will for generations to come a model for collectors and patrons to emulate. Further, the magnificent collection is set off by the erudite commentary of Giles Beguin, the (now former) curator of Himalayan materials for the Musee Guimet. His excellent commentary and discussion of each object brings the collection to life in a truly remarkable way. I have owned the catalogue since it first came out and revisit it time after time. I simply cannot recommend it highly enough.

If you love Nepal, Tibet and it's beautifull people, you'll love this book. The stunning pictures tell a great story. About the people in the Dolpho region. They trade salt against food. But to do so, they have to travel hard miles trough a stunning but barren country, with incredible moutains, lakes and of course a caravan of yaks. The author lived with these people and you'll see in his picture the love he has for this region. He knows how to tell a story and how to make the picture to encounter the beauty of it.

The movie CARAVAN tells the same story but then the pictures move (haha) As you can read I'm not used to write in English, but my message is this one ... buy it and go see the picture, you won't be disapointed !

This book offers one a life-changing experience. A chance to view the world and its inhabitants in a pure, simple and beautiful light. I read this book many years ago and consider it my very favorite - I continue to read all of Ethan Hubbard's books and only wish there were more authors and people with his view of the world.

I was in Kathmandu in Novemver of 1998, staying at the Hotle Vajra and had the opportunity to meet Thomas Kelly. He gave a signed copy of this book to the host of our trip and I got to flip through it. What a fabulous book! I wasn't aware that The Hidden Himalayas and Kathmandu City on the Edge of the World were out of print until I returned to the states. I've tried to located it everywhere and I'm not having any luck. Can you help me get a copy of these books?

Deftly written and superbly illustrated by Tenzing Norbu Lama, Himalaya is a truly outstanding children's picture book that draws its story from the Oscar-nominated movie of the same name, and is about the Dolpo people who live in the Himalayan mountains and make grueling annual treks to the valleys of Nepal to trade salt for grain. An untimely death, a conflict over clan leadership, and a young man's gradual discovery of his own inner strength, form the heart and core of this remarkable saga. Especially recommended for the memorable, stylized color artwork, Himalaya is a picture book story that will grip a young reader from first page to last.

This book has been published and is already available at the Geological Society of America (3300 Penrose Place, P.O. Box 9140, Boulder, CO 80301). The volume contains an Introduction and 23 research articles on various aspects of the geology of the Himalaya and Tibet. The book is the outcome of an international conference (the 11th Himalaya-Karakoram-Tibet Workshop) held in Arizona in April 1996. Geologists interested in the High Asia will find it useful in their research work.