SMITHSONIAN JOURNEYS
Lands of the Great Buddha   |   READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Essential Books These 7 items are available for $112, including
U.S. shipping, a 15% discount (Item no. EXASA102)		  
Buddhism, A Very Short Introduction  •  Damien Keown
RELIGION •  2000 •  PAPER  • 152 PAGES
One of a series of very brief, authoritative introductions by Oxford University Press with chapters on The Buddha, Karma, the Mahayana, Buddhism in Asia, Buddhist practices and ethics. (ASA53, $11.95)		   Buddhism, A Very Short Introduction
Eyewitness Guide Vietnam and Angkor Wat  •  Eyewitness Guides
GUIDEBOOK •  2011 •  PAPER  • 312 PAGES
Featuring innovative site diagrams, local maps and hundreds of color photographs, this handy companion introduces the culture, history and attractions of Vietnam. With a chapter on Angkor. (VNM102, $25.00)		   Eyewitness Guide Vietnam and Angkor Wat
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World  •  Jack Weatherford
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2005 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES
In this revisionist biography, Weatherford refurbishes the popular image of the great Mongol leader Genghis Khan, portraying him not just as a tyrant but also a religiously tolerant family man and entrepreneur on a world scale (not to mention military genius and crack administrator). The book is a lively portrait of Genghis Khan and the world of the Medieval Mongols, who once ruled the largest land empire on Earth. Weatherford, who has lived and studied in Mongolia, interweaves his own travels and field work on the Central Asian steppes, much of it on horseback. Professor Weatherford is a cultural anthropologist who teaches at Macalester College in St. Paul. (CAS106, $15.00)		   Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
Mao Zedong  •  Jonathan Spence
BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2006 •  PAPER  • 192 PAGES
A masterful short biography in the "Penguin Lives" series, this text by Chinese historian Jonathan Spence tracks the life of the enigmatic Chinese ruler from his provincial upbringing to his powerful reign. Spence incorporates much new information in this portrait. (CHN66, $14.00)		   Mao Zedong
The Snow Leopard  •  Peter Matthiessen
EXPLORATION •  2008 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES • FAVORITE
The most perceptive, acutely observed and personal of all his books, Matthiessen's account of a five-week journey through Nepal with George Schaller combines their quest for the magnificent cat with a moving introduction to Buddhism and the people and culture of the Himalayas. (NPL03, $16.00)		   The Snow Leopard
So Close to Heaven, The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas  •  Barbara Crossette
TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 297 PAGES • FAVORITE
A "New York Times" Asia correspondent writes of Bhutan and neighboring kingdoms of Ladakh and Sikkim in the Himalayas, strongholds of Tantric Buddhism in an increasingly homogenized world. It's part travelogue and part history -- a personal portrait of the region. (NPL04, $16.00)		   So Close to Heaven, The Vanishing Buddhist Kingdoms of the Himalayas
India  •  Stanley Wolpert
HISTORY •  2009 •  PAPER  • 281 PAGES
A wonderfully literate introduction to India by the acknowledged master. Author of 14 books and a professor of history since 1958, Wolpert distills a tremendous amount of information in this detailed overview, tackling the environment, religion and philosophy, the arts and sciences, domestic and foreign policy and culture. (IDA04, $24.95)		   India



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Insight Guide Vietnam  •  Insight Guides  •  Scott Rutherford   • GUIDEBOOK  •  A highly recommended guide to history, culture and popular destinations, featuring essays, informative maps and photographs. (VNM02, $24.99)
 		  
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