A Field Guide to the Birds of the Indian Subcontinent  •  Krys Kazmierczak  •  Ber Van Perlo FIELD GUIDE •  1999 •  HARD COVER  • 352 PAGES A compact field guide to 1,300 species with 96 color plates by bird artist Ber van Perlo, covering Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. With distribution maps and concise information on identification, voice and habitat by the author of "A Birdwatcher's Guide to India." (FG40, $45.00)
Footprint Diving the World, A Guide to the World's Coral Seas  •  Beth Tierney  •  Shaun Tierney GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 350 PAGES An inviting, beautifully illustrated guide to 220 dive sites in 19 countries with chapters on Australia and the Pacific, Mexico and Honduras, Egypt, East Africa and the Maldives, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Micronesia. Featuring the diving couple's favorite destinations, the book includes a planning guide, practical tips, and listing of dive centers, hotels, restaurants and live-aboards. (OCE102, $29.95)
A Guide to the Birds of India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and the Maldives  •  Richard Grimmett  •  Carol Inskipp  •  Tim Inskipp FIELD GUIDE •  1999 •  HARD COVER  • 888 PAGES Beautiful, comprehensive and up-to-date, this is the definitive field guide to birds from Bhutan to Sri Lanka and the Maldives. It covers 1300 species -- and weighs 5 pounds. With 150 color plates and a detailed map for each species. Also available in a field edition (FG43). A major book, essential to serious bird watchers. (FG31, $132.00)
The Holder of the World  •  Bharati Mukherjee LITERATURE •  1993 •  PAPER  • 286 PAGES A daring novel of ideas, travel and history. Mukherjee interweaves the story of a modern American researcher with the travels of her 17th-century ancestor who roamed through Mughal India. (IDA190, $13.95)
Indian Art  •  Vidya Dehejia ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 448 PAGES A volume in Phaidon's excellent "Art and Ideas" series, this book considers the religious and intellectual contexts of three thousand years of Indian art and architecture. It's particularly commendable for its extensive coverage of modern art -- which gets short shift from many such surveys. This very readable book features 250 color illustrations. (IDA185, $24.95)
South Asia  •  Sumit Ganguly HISTORY •  2006 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES A scholarly history of modern South Asia, including India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka. Sumit Ganguly is the Rabindranath Tagore Professor of Indian cultures and civilizations and professor of political science at Indiana University. (IDA308, $18.00)
Spectrum Guide to Maldives  •  Interlink Books GUIDEBOOK •  1999 •  PAPER  • 319 PAGES Comprehensive, beautifully illustrated and well written, this guide, produced in Nairobi, is an excellent overview of the history, nature and attractions of the Maldives. It features great maps and a good overview of marine life, culture, history and economics. (AFR55, $22.95)
A Woman's Asia  •  Marybeth Bond ANTHOLOGY •  2005 •  PAPER  • 310 PAGES These thirty-five personal, often hilarious accounts of women's adventures from China to Sri Lanka to Turkey to Bhutan, not only illuminating the everyday, oft-overlooked cultural practices of Asia, but also giving a glimpse into the thoughts and feelings of the female traveller. Featuring selections from Jan Morris, Pamela Logan and Alison Wright. (ASA49, $17.95)