Across the Tibetan Plateau, Ecosystems, Wildlife, And Conservation  •  Dorje Tsering  •  Robert L. Fleming  •  Liu Wulin NATURAL HISTORY •  2007 •  HARD COVER  • 120 PAGES A natural history and a collection of photographs of the vast Tibetan Plateau, compiled by three dedicated scholars. (TBT117, $49.95)
Adventures With the Buddha, A Buddhism Reader  •  Jeffery Paine RELIGION •  2005 •  PAPER  • 410 PAGES Paine chooses nine influential 19th and 20th century western adventurers and their travels in China, Tibet, Nepal and India for this riveting tale of religion, adventure and enlightenment. It's an enchanting window into a now largely lost world. Organized chronologically, he includes the pioneering travels of Alexandra David-Neel in Tibet, John Blsofeld (Wheel of Life) and Lama Anagarika Givindaa, whose The Way of White Clouds has recently been returned to print. (REL12, $16.95)
Altitude Illness: Prevention and Treatment, How to Stay Healthy at Altitude  •  Stephen Bezruchka REFERENCE •  2005 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES A pocket reference to both preventing and the treatment of altitude sickness. Bezruchka, a mountaineer, M.D. and wit, includes case studies, a section of frequently asked questions, and simple methods of diagnosis and treatment when things go wrong. Travelers to high altitudes will devour this little book, dedicated "To all those who have died of altitude sickness." (REF02, $8.95)
Among Flowers, A Walk in the Himalaya  •  Jamaica Kincaid TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2007 •  PAPER  • 208 PAGES An atmospheric account of celebrated writer and gardener Jamaica Kincaid's journey to Nepal and the Himalayas with a small team of botanists. A volume in the National Geographic Directions series. (HML62, $10.95)
Among Warriors, A Woman Martial Artist in Tibet  •  Pamela Logan TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1998 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES The account of an aerospace scientist turned adventurer and her quest to reach Kham, a remote region of Eastern Tibet largely closed to outsiders. Logan mixes Buddhism, martial arts, philosophy and history into her traveler's tales. (TBT51, $13.00)
Annapurna, The Epic Account of a Himalayan Conquest and its Harrowing Aftermath  •  Maurice Herzog EXPLORATION •  1997 •  PAPER  • 314 PAGES • FAVORITE This classic account of the first ascent of an 8,000-meter peak was dictated by expedition leader Herzog from his hospital bed in Paris. Herzog and his companions originated the now well established practice of using Sherpas and acclimatizing to higher and higher altitudes at a series of base camps. The extraordinary rescue and agonizing return to civilization is all the more powerful for its matter-of-fact tone. The book also includes a glimpse of Ghurka society in Nepal, circa 1950. (HML07, $16.95)
Below Another Sky, A Mountain Adventure in Search of a Lost Father  •  Rick Ridgeway BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2001 •  HARD COVER  • 321 PAGES A touching account of a return after 20 years to the site where Ridgeway had lost his friend, National Geographic photographer Jonathan Wright, the 28-year-old victim of an avalanche. Accompanied by Asia Wright, a young woman in search of the father she never knew. Ridgeway, a celebrated climber, has written memorably of his adventures in the Himalayas. (TBT55, $25.00)
The Big Open, On Foot Across Tibet's Chang Tang  •  Rick Ridgeway  •  Conrad Anker EXPLORATION •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 304 PAGES The prolific adventure writer Rick Ridgeway recounts his trek across Tibet's inhospitable northern region in search of the chiru, an endangered species of antelope indigenous to Tibet. Ridgeway combines history, travel narrative and adventure story in this captivating account. (TBT80, $26.00)
Breaking Trail, A Climbing Life  •  Arlene Blum BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2007 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES Now 60, Blum reveals her transformation from scrawny girl in the flat Midwest to world-class climber in this inspirational memoir of a life in very high places: McKinley, Annapurna, Everest. With photographs and maps. (HML72, $14.00)
Buddha  •  Karen Armstrong RELIGION •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 240 PAGES A concise, thought-provoking biography of the Buddha in the Penguin Lives series, written by one of the foremost experts on world religions. A member of the Association of Muslim Social Services in Jerusalem, Karen Armstrong is a former Roman Catholic nun who teaches Judaism. Her many books include: A History of God; Islam, a Short History; and Jerusalem: One City Three Faiths. She has also written a biography of Mohammed. (REL09, $14.00)
Buddha or Bust: In Search of Truth, Meaning, Happiness, and the Man Who Found Them All  •  Perry Garfinkel RELIGION •  2007 •  PAPER  • 336 PAGES A spiritual travelogue that scours the globe for the both the roots and world-wide extensions of Buddhism. (REL30, $13.95)
Buddhism Plain and Simple  •  Steve Hagen 1999 •  PAPER A clear and straightfoward introduction to Buddhism. (REL31, $10.95)
Buddhism without Beliefs  •  Stephen Batchelor RELIGION •  1998 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES An accessible, straightforward introduction to the major tenets of Buddhist wisdom and religion and their relevance to modern life. (REL29, $13.00)
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)
The Buddhist Handbook  •  John Snelling RELIGION •  1992 •  PAPER  • 345 PAGES Subtitled, "The Complete Guide to Buddhist Schools, Teaching, Practice and History, " this even-handed book is a concise primer covering the history, philosophical foundation and practice of Buddhism. It gives a basic overview of the teachings and practice of Buddhism, including a who's who of contemporary teachers and list of useful addresses around the world. (ASA08, $16.95)
Buddhist Himalayas  •  Olivier and Danielle Föllmi  •  Mattieu Ricard CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2008 •  PAPER  • 424 PAGES A big, beautiful celebration of the Himalayas, featuring 185 richly colored, often double-page photographs, and accompanying text on religion and culture. The Föllmis, who are the Dalai Lama's official photographers, have lived and worked in the Himalayas for 25 years. Colleague Ricard Matthieu is a monk and French translator for the Dalai Lama. (HML53, $29.95)
Cave in the Snow, A Western Woman's Quest for Enlightenment  •  Vicki MacKenzie TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 210 PAGES The absorbing tale of a young English Buddhist and her experience as a hermit in Lahoul, a Tibetan stronghold in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh. It's a fascinating overview of the allure and practice of Tibetan Buddhism. The book is divided into three sections: the life of Diane Perry until she became a Buddhist nun; her time in seclusion in the 1970s, first in at the Tayul monastery and then on a mountain ledge; and her life back in the England. She was not lonely. (HML61, $15.95)
The Central Philosophy of Tibet, A Study and Translation of Jey Tsong Khapa's Essence of True Eloquence  •  Robert A. F. Thurman RELIGION •  1991 •  PAPER  • 476 PAGES An authoritative translation of a key text by the great Tibetan philosopher Jey Tsong Khapa (1357-1419). Robert Thurman provides a long, useful introduction to Tibetan philosophy and its modern relevance. With an appreciative forward by foreword by the Dalai Lama, notes and commentary. (TBT85, $45.00)
Circling the Sacred Mountain  •  Tad Wise  •  Robert Thurman TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman's account of his journey, both physical and spiritual, to the sacred graveyards, monasteries, and meditation caves around Mount Kailas with Tad Wise and students. (TBT54, $18.00)
Eastern Tibet, Bridging Tibet and China  •  Christoph Baumer  •  Therese Weber CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 254 PAGES A portrait of the region at the heart of Tibetan culture, this in-depth overview of the culture and history of Eastern Tibet features 257 color photographs, four maps and informative text. (TBT104, $60.00)
The Encyclopedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs  •  Robert Beer RELIGION •  1999 •  HARD COVER  • 400 PAGES An encyclopedic reference exploring the symbols found in the sacred Tibetan art of the thangka. 169 illustrated plates feature several thousand pieces intricate line art by the author. Entries are arranged thematically. Beer, while British, has devoted decades to the study of thangkas, a meditation device used by monks. (TBT66, $65.00)
Footprint Tibet Handbook  •  Gyurme Dorje GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 800 PAGES • COMING IN OCTOBER A comprehensive guide to the whole of Tibet, including not just the central plateau but also the eastern provinces of Kham and Amdo, as well as chapters on Bhutan and the Kathmandu Valley. With maps, color photographs, and a brief overview of culture and history. Divided geographically, most of the book is devoted to kilometer-by-kilometer information on sights and attractions. Gyurme Dorje is a leading Buddhist scholar who knows the region as well as anyone. (TBT37, $29.95)
Gentle Bridges, Conversations With the Dalai Lama on the Sciences of Mind  •  Jeremy Hayward  •  Francisco Varela  •  Dalai Lama BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2001 •  PAPER A fascinating study of Buddhist faith, science and the interaction between the two, the result of a historic meeting between the Dalai Lama and a group of Western scientists. (TBT100, $23.95)
Geography of Religion: Where God Lives, Where Pilgrims Walk  •  Susan T. Hitchcock  •  John Esposito  •  Desmond Tutu  •  Mpho Tutu RELIGION •  2006 •  PAPER  • 416 PAGES A handsomely produced tour of the five major world religions and the places that each holds sacred. This oversize book by National Geographic features 210 photographs, illustrations and maps, along with essays by contributing scholars. (REL05, $24.00)
God Lives in St. Petersburg, and Other Stories  •  Tom Bissell LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 212 PAGES Bissell (Chasing the Sea) returns to his years in Central Asia as a Peace Corps volunteer in these sharp, witty fictionalized accounts. His six fast-paced tales are set in Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and the Aral Sea. (CAS117, $13.95)
Golden Buddha  •  Clive Cussler  •  Craig Dirgo LITERATURE •  2007 •  PAPER Cussler and co-author Dirgo put their adventurers on a spy ship with an impossible mission -- find the Golden Buddha and its secrets, stolen by the Chinese from the Dalai Lama in 1959, and make a deal with Russia and China for an independent Tibet. (TBT116, $7.99)
The Great Religions, Essential Questions  •  Marc-Alain Quaknin  •  Dom Robert Le Gall  •  Claude Levenson  •  Malek Chebel  •  Bruce Feiler RELIGION •  2004 •  HARD COVER Four authors, representing four faiths -- Judaism, Catholicism, Islam, and Tibetan Buddhism -- respond to fundamental questions of religion in this clear, accessible overview. (REL23, $24.95)
Happiness, A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill  •  Matthieu Ricard RELIGION •  2007 •  PAPER The scientist-turned-monk photographer and author's primer on Buddhism as a journey to fulfillment. (GEN381, $14.99)
The Heart of the World, A Journey to Tibet's Lost Paradise  •  Ian Baker  •  The Dalai Lama EXPLORATION •  2006 •  PAPER  • 544 PAGES Climber and Buddhist scholar Ian Baker's account of discovery, with a National Geographic-sponsored team, to the upper reaches of the Tsangpo Gorge in the heart of the Tibetan Himalayas. Before Baker's expedition, the gorge, a mystical sanctuary of Tibetan Buddhism, had not been explored since 1925, when the legendary plant collector Frank Kingdon-Ward pronounced the celebrated waterfall at the head of the gorge a myth. Baker found it! With an introduction by His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Baker has writen widely on Buddhism. (TBT78, $16.00)
Himalaya  •  Eric Valli  •  Anne de Sales CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 432 PAGES A handsome collection of breathtaking photographs of the landscape and people of the Himalayas. (HML64, $50.00)
Himalayan Enchantment, An Anthology  •  Frank Kingdon-Ward EXPLORATION •  1990 •  HARD COVER  • 288 PAGES An anthology of writings by the great Himalayan explorer and plant-collector Frank Kingdon-Ward, who undertook 25 expeditions to the region from 1909 to 1953. The selections balance his interest in plants with his interest in geography, birds, beasts, insects and its variegated inhabitants, not only Tibetan and Chinese, but also the hill tribes -- Abors, Darus, Dulengs, Kachins, Lisus, Lutzus, Marus, Mishimis, Nungs and others -- in whose life he took such an affectionate interest. (HML03, $19.95)
Himalayan Quest, Ed Viesturs on the 8,000-Meter Giants  •  Ed Viesturs EXPLORATION •  2003 •  HARD COVER  • 176 PAGES In 1986, Austrian Reinhold Messner became the first man to scale all 14 peaks which stand above 8,000 meters, all of which are located in the Himalayas. Seventeen years later, Ed Viesturs became the first American to accomplish this daunting feat. This appealing photographic guide chronicles Viestur's journey, complete with breathtaking images of the Himalayan landscape (made more impressive when one imagines how difficult it must have been to take them while climbing!) as well as informative maps of the region. (HML63, $32.00)
A History of Modern Tibet, 1913-1951: The Demise of the Lamaist State  •  Melvyn C. Goldstein HISTORY •  1991 •  PAPER  • 936 PAGES An even-handed survey of the history of Tibet from 1913 to 1951, when the country was taken over by communist China. Goldstein draws on diplomatic records, as well as historical accounts and interviews with monastic leaders, soldiers and Tibetan officials to unravel the complex history of the Buddhist kingdom during this critical period. (TBT56, $45.00)
The Hotel on the Roof of the World  •  Alec Le Sueur TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 331 PAGES An entertaining memoir and account of life in Tibet in the 1990s. Le Sueur reveals his often hilarious, quirky experiences at "the unlikeliest Holiday Inn in the World" though anecdote and tale. It's an insightful look at contemporary politics, quirks and challenges in Tibet. (TBT81, $17.95)
In the Shadow of the Himalayas, A Photographic Record by John Claude White 1883-1908  •  Kurt Meyer  •  Pamela Deuel Meyer CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2005 •  HARD COVER A collection of 144 remarkable documentary photographs of Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal, and Sikkim at the turn of the 20th century. John Claude White (1853-1918), the first British Political Officer to Sikkim, among his many adventures in the Himalyas, was the official photographer of the Younghusband Expedition. (HML71, $65.00)
Inner Revolution: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Real Happiness  •  Robert Thurman  •  Dalai Lama RELIGION •  1999 •  PAPER  • 356 PAGES In this popular book, partly a memoir, Thurman brings his range of experience, scholarship and wit to the task of living as a Buddhist in contemporary America. Founder of Tibet House in New York, Thurman is a Buddhist monk, scholar and translator of Tibetan texts. (TBT73, $15.00)
Into Thin Air, A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster  •  Jon Krakauer EXPLORATION •  1999 •  PAPER  • 360 PAGES In this bestseller, climber and journalist Krakauer reconstructs a minute-by-minute account of what went wrong on the great mountain in 1996. He captures the immediacy of those few hours on Everest when disaster struck -- and the psychological complexity of surviving a tragedy. (HML13, $14.95)
It's Easier Than You Think, The Buddhist Way to Happiness  •  Sylvia Boorstein RELIGION •  1997 •  PAPER  • 145 PAGES Boorstein -- a practitioner of Buddhist meditation, psychotherapist and Jewish grandmother to boot -- here relates the basic tenets of Buddhism in her warmly engaging, anecdotal style. It's a good introduction to Buddhist teachings by a self-deprecating master. (GEN264, $13.00)
Kailash Trekking Map  •  Gecko Maps 1999 •  MAP A detailed topographic map (1:50,000) of the trekking route circling Mount Kailas. (TBT64, $16.95)
Kundun, A Biography of the Family of the Dalai Lama  •  Mary Craig BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1998 •  PAPER  • 424 PAGES A mesmerizing portrait of the Dalai Lama and his family, his parents, four brothers, and two sisters, and their fight for a free Tibet. This book opens in 1933 with the death of the thirteenth Dalai Lama and the frantic effort among Tibetan authorities to find his reincarnation. In their search for a baby boy with the characteristic marks of a Dalai Lama - tiger-striped legs, wide eyes, large ears, and palms bearing the pattern of a sea shell - officials were led to a tiny village in northeastern Tibet, home of Lhamo Dhondup, a smart, stubborn toddler already known for his tantrums. Responding calmly when a group of high lamas and dignitaries tested his memory of a previous life, the child easily recognized a rosary, walking stick, and drum belonging to the thirteenth Dalai Lama. In an instant this little boy and his entire family were swept into a world of unending ritual and complex internal politics. Lhamo was installed as the fourteenth Dalai Lama at the age of three, and was known from that point on as His Holiness or Kundun (the Presence), titles even his family members were obliged to use. A few years later the young Dalai Lama and his family were faced with China's invasion of Tibet. Living in exile since the late 1950s, they have waged a decades-long struggle for the freedom of their country. Mary Craig's intimate portrayal is the first to focus on the Dalai Lama's family - his parents, four brothers, and two sisters - all of whom have played integral roles in Tibet's resistance to Chinese occupation. Particularly compelling are Craig's portraits of the Dalai Lama's siblings, who have negotiated with China on behalf of their country, enlisted the aid of international allies to spearhead Tibetan Resistance, and worked tirelessly to help thousands of sick and starving refugee children. (TBT110, $20.00)
The Last River, The Tragic Race for Shangri-La  •  Todd Balf TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 293 PAGES A thrilling account of a first-ever descent of the Tsangpo Gorge in the heart of Tibet by four expert kayakers in 1998. (TBT44, $14.00)
Learning Practical Tibetan  •  Andrew Bloomfield LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  1998 •  CASETTE TAPE  • 202 PAGES A slim guide with two 90-minute audio tapes designed with the traveler in mind. With sections on Tibetan numbers, festivals, and religious terms, as well as an overview of grammar and pronunciation, a short vocabulary list and dialogues for everyday situations. (TBT93, $55.00)
The Life of Milarepa: A New Translation from the Tibetan  •  Anonymous  •  Lobsang Lhalungpa LITERATURE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES The tale of Jetsun Milarepa, one of Tibet's most famous yogis and poets and a key figure in the history of the Kagyu school of Buddhism. A classic Tibetan folk tale full of magic, feuds, and humor. (TBT98, $14.95)
Lonely Planet Tibet  •  Bradley Mayhew  •  John Vincent Bellezza  •  Tony Wheeler  •  Chris Taylor GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES A practical guide to Tibet with new and revised maps, features on Tibetan and Mandarin language, notes on Buddhism, Tibetan culture and its rich history. Included also are the process of acquiring visas and documents when traveling from Nepal to Tibet, as well as the political situation in the region. (TBT50, $26.99)
Lonely Planet Tibetan Phrasebook  •  Sandup Tsering LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2008 •  PAPER  • 254 PAGES A brief guide to Tibetan with transliterations of place names, pronunciation guide and common phrases. (TBT52, $8.99)
Lord of the Dance: Autobiography of a Tibetan Lama  •  Tulku Chagdud BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1992 •  PAPER  • 248 PAGES The powerful tale of a Vajrayana Buddhist master, forced into exile by the Chinese invasion, who served as doctor and lama to his fellow Tibetan refugee in India and Nepal for 20 years. (TBT99, $16.95)
Mahayana Buddhism, The Doctrinal Foundations  •  Paul Williams RELIGION •  1989 •  PAPER A clear, scholarly summary of the principles of Mahayana Buddhism as they are found in both the Indo-Tibetan and East Asian forms of Mahayana. (ASA60, $39.95)
The Monk and the Philosopher: A Father and Son Discuss the Meaning of Life  •  Jean-Francois Revel  •  Matthieu Ricard RELIGION •  2000 •  PAPER  • 384 PAGES A collection of dialogues on Buddhism, philosophy, science, politics, and other subjects. (REL28, $14.95)
Monk Dancers of Tibet  •  Mattieu Ricard CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2003 •  HARD COVER  • 124 PAGES Matthieu Ricard (Buddhist Himalayas) has lived and photographed in the Himalayas for the past 30 years. In this book he documents the sacred dance of the monks at the Shechen Tennyi Dargye Ling Monastery in the Kathmandu Valley. Ricard, a Buddhist monk, focuses on the dances, their signficance and tradition. The Shechen Monastery in Nepal keeps alive Tibetan Buddhist traditions. (TBT77, $29.95)
The Mount Kailash Trek  •  Constance Roos  •  Sian Pritchard-Jones GUIDEBOOK •  2008 •  PAPER A compact, practical trekker's guide to Tibet's sacred mountain and western Tibet. (TBT115, $22.95)
On Top of the World, Five Women Explorers in Tibet  •  Luree Miller EXPLORATION •  1985 •  PAPER  • 222 PAGES A profile of Victorian women in Tibet, three British, an American and a French woman. Miller includes the well known adventures of Alexandra David-Neel and Isabella Bird Bishop in addition to the less-known exploits of Nina Mazuchelli, Ann Taylor and Fanny Bullock Workman. (TBT28, $12.95)
Peaks and Lamas  •  Marco Pallis CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2005 •  PAPER  • 448 PAGES A classic account of mountaineering and Buddhist Tibet, first published in 1949. A British World War I veteran and mountain climber, Pallis writes with great insight about Buddhism and the traditional culture that sustains it in the Himalayas. (TBT83, $18.00)
Pilgrimage, Past and Present in the World Religions  •  Simon Coleman  •  John Elsner RELIGION •  1997 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES An illustrated survey, organized thematically, of Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Indian and Buddhist pilgrimages and sacred travel. With hundreds of color and black-and-white photographs of people, art and places. (REL07, $28.00)
Pilgrimage, Twenty Journeys to Inspire the Soul  •  David Souden CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2001 •  HARD COVER  • 192 PAGES An illustrated account of journeys to sacred places around the world, including Santiago de Campostela, Lourdes, Jerusalem, Kyoto, Mecca, Rome, Mount Kailas, Salt Lake City and the battlefields of WWI. (GEN247, $29.95)
A Plant Hunter in Tibet  •  Frank Kingdon-Ward EXPLORATION •  2006 •  PAPER  • 317 PAGES Long out of print, this facsimile edition of Kingdon-Ward's lively 1934 account of the people, culture, landscapes and adventures in Southeast Tibet includes his original photographs and two maps. (TBT105, $26.00)
Red Dust, A Path Through China  •  Ma Jian  •  Flora Drew TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 324 PAGES An astounding, thoughtful memoir of an urban poet, painter and writer on the road to Tibet in the mid-1980s. At low ebb personally, and censured by his propaganda work unit, 30-year-old Ma Jian abandons his disintegrating life in Beijing for a remarkable three-year trek south and west to Guizhou province, Burma and Tibet. This first-rate account offers a vibrant portrait of Deng's People's Republic of China, and an extremely useful testimonial to the plight of Chinese artists therein. With kudos by Barbara Crossette, Jonathan Spence and others, this first book by Jian, who now lives in London, is drawing a lot of attention. (CHN150, $15.00)
Red Poppies  •  Alai  •  Howard Goldblatt  •  Sylvia Li-Chun Lin LITERATURE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 433 PAGES This family saga unfolds among the warlords of eastern Tibet in the 1930s before the Chinese occupation. (TBT61, $14.00)
Religions of Tibet in Practice  •  Donald S. Lopez, Jr. RELIGION •  1997 •  PAPER  • 560 PAGES A collection of 36 essays and translated texts by scholars of Tibetan Buddhism, including selections on prayers, pilgrimages, death and ritual. It is a scholarly overview of the culture and religion of Tibet, organized thematically and accessible to the general reader. (TBT16, $37.95)
Sacred Landsacpe and Pilgrimage in Tibet, In Search of the Lost Kingdom of Bon  •  Gesha Gelek Jinpa  •  Charles Ramble  •  V. Carroll Dunham  •  Thomas L. Kelly TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 204 PAGES The stunningly photographed account of a historic pilgrimage from Nepal to Mount Kailas by the young Bon monk Gelek and his American travel companions, as recorded by photographer Thomas Kelly. With a DVD of the pilgrimage and translation of Gelek's diary, which also includes his quest to the long-vanished kingdom of Zhangzhung. (TBT112, $65.00)
The Sailfish and the Sacred Mountain, Passages in the Lives of a Father and Son  •  Will Johnson TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES The spiritual tale of a journey by the author (founder and director of the Institute for Embodiment Training) with his son to Tibet's Mount Kailas. (TBT79, $16.95)
The Search for Shangri-La, A Journey into Tibetan History  •  Charles Allen TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 304 PAGES Both travelogue and straight-ahead religious history. With a set of color photo plates. (TBT67, $14.95)
The Search for the Panchen Lama  •  Isabel Hilton CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2001 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES A skillful and subtle story of the selection -- and kidnapping -- of a young Tibetan boy, the 11th incarnation of the Pachen Lama. Hilton reports the story of the religious leader in detail, combining her own interviews and travels with a clear outline of recent Tibetan history. Missing since 1995, Chinese authorities have yet to reveal the whereabouts of the young Pachen Lama, the second most important religious figure (after the Dalai Lama) in Tibet. It's a complex tale, revealing much about the current state of affairs between Tibet and China. (TBT43, $14.95)
Seeing Lhasa, British Depictions of the Tibetan Capital, 1936-1947  •  Clare Harris  •  Tsering Shakya CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2003 •  PAPER  • 176 PAGES Published in conjunction with an exhibition at the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, this book presents a trove of photographs, albums and film by Harry Staunton, Evan Nepean, Hugh Richardson and other British visitors to Tibet. With excellent accompanying essays that place the visual record (including portraits of Tibetan notables) in context. It's an extraordinary document of the country prior to the Chinese takeover, its people, palaces and monasteries. (TBT71, $39.95)
Seven Years in Tibet  •  Jean-Jacques Annaud 2005 •  DVD The 1997 blockbuster film starring Brad Pitt and David Thewlis. Based on the classic memoir by Austrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer, who became tutor to the Dalai Lama. (TBT101, $14.94)
The Skull Mantra  •  Eliot Pattison MYSTERY •  2001 •  PAPER  • 448 PAGES The first in Pattison's series of superb political thrillers set in Tibet. When a headless corpse turns up on a Tibetan mountainside, veteran police inspector Shan Tao Yun is released from prison to investigate the crime, and he quickly uncovers a conspiracy involving American mining interests, corrupt Party officials, and Tibetan sorcerers. Winner of the 2000 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. (TBT106, $7.99)
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)
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)
The Spirit of Tibet, Portrait of a Culture in Exile  •  Alison Wright CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1998 •  PAPER  • 176 PAGES A handsome pictorial essay on Tibetan culture and people in exile in the monasteries, nunneries and towns of Dharamsala and surroundings in the Dhauladhar mountain range of the Indian Himalayas. (IDA159, $34.95)
The Story of Buddhism, A Concise Guide to Its History & Teachings  •  Donald S. Lopez RELIGION •  2002 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES An overview of Buddhism by a well-known scholar. (ASA42, $15.95)
Story of Tibet, Conversations With the Dalai Lama  •  Thomas Laird CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2007 •  PAPER  • 496 PAGES An oral history of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism as drawn from more than 60 hours of interviews with the Dalai Lama. (TBT92, $17.00)
Tears of Blood, A Cry for Tibet  •  Mary Craig HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 341 PAGES A hard-hitting history of Tibet from the 1950s to the 1990s. Craig (who has also written a biography of the family of the Dalai Lama) is a journalist and braodcaster with great sympathy for the plight of the Tibetens (and Tibetan culture) under China. (TBT82, $17.50)
Temptations of the West, How to Be Modern in India, Pakistan, Tibet, And Beyond  •  Pankaj Mishra CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2007 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES The thread that binds these engaging accounts of Panjak's insightful travel through South Asia (Buddhist Tibet, Bollywood, Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, Kashmir, Nepal) is the confrontation of traditional and modern society. (ASA51, $15.00)
Tibet's Sacred Mountain, The Extraordinary Pilgrimage to Mount Kailas  •  Russell Johnson  •  Kerry Moran TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1989 •  PAPER  • 126 PAGES In this handsome illustrated journal, two Americans record their trek around 22,000-foot Mt. Kailas. With 100 color photographs, map and accompanying text, the book documents the landscapes, rituals and traditions of the sacred mountain. The photographs of pilgrims are particularly affecting. (TBT41, $25.00)
Tibet, An Enduring Civilization  •  Francoise Pommaret CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2003 •  PAPER  • 160 PAGES This pocket-size encyclopedia, packed with hundreds of full-color illustrations and photos, highlights the culture and history of Tibet. Pommaret, who has written widely on the Himalayas, devotes a section to Tibet today, titled Invasion and Colonization. A volume in the acclaimed Discoveries series. (TBT69, $12.95)
Tibet, An Inner Journey  •  Matthieu Ricard CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2007 •  HARD COVER  • 232 PAGES Co-director of the Buddhist Shechen monastery, Ricard draws on his long association with the region and Buddhism for this collection of 191 vivid color photographs of the people and landscapes of Tibet, focusing on Kham, or Eastern Tibet. (TBT113, $45.00)
Tibet, The Roof of the World between Past and Present  •  Maria Antonia Sironi Diemberger ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2000 •  HARD COVER  • 224 PAGES A captivating photographic portrait of Tibet, its monasteries, people and landscapes. (TBT49, $45.00)
Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History of a Lost Land  •  Patrick French TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2004 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES This insightful portrait of Tibet (by the author of a biography of Younghusband and director of Free Tibet) combine's French's own travels with probing interviews, some history and unflinching political analysis. No Pollyanna, French depicts the tough conditions in Tibet under Chinese control. (TBT76, $14.95)
The Tibetan Book of the Dead, Liberation from Understanding the In Between  •  Robert Thurman CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1994 •  PAPER  • 275 PAGES A key text as presented by Robert Thurman for a western audience. This edition of the Tibetan guidebooks to dying or "the between" -- written in the 8th or 9th century by Padma Sambhava -- is introduced and translated by Thurman. It's is a spiritual guide to the afterlife, helpfully augmented by Thurman's commentary as well as an overview of Tibetan history and beliefs. With a chapter on Tibet, its history, Buddhist traditions and present plight. Part Two of the book is a translation of prayers. (TBT06, $18.00)
Tibetan Buddhism from the Ground Up, A Practical Approach for Modern Life  •  B. Alan Wallace RELIGION •  1993 •  PAPER  • 214 PAGES A straightforward primer on the essentials of Buddhism as practiced in Tibet. The book is the result of a lecture series introducing the practice of Buddhism to the general public. (TBT19, $15.95)
Tibetan Buddhist Life  •  Don Farber RELIGION •  2003 •  HARD COVER  • 192 PAGES A beautiful and informative celebration of Tibetan Buddhist culture. An in-depth text complements over 200 photographs, many by Don Farber. Farber has been photographing Buddhist life for two decades and is the special photographer for the Dalai Lama. (TBT70, $30.00)
Tibetan Folk Tales  •  Fredrick Hyde-Chambers  •  Audrey Hyde-Chambers LITERATURE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 186 PAGES A collection of two dozen folk tales and legends, handed down by generations of Tibetan storytellers. The anthology, first published in 1981, includes the Tibetan myth of creation, some tales from Buddhist mythology, and the famous epic of King Gesar of Ling, a national hero. (TBT59, $21.00)
A Tibetan on Tibet  •  Paul Sherap BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1989 •  PAPER The 1926 account by Dorje Zodba of the adventurous days of his early boyhood, when he found himself travelling to the four corners of the remote and mysterious kingdom of Tibet as reported to G.A. Combe, a British Consul and Buddhist scholar. A Christian, Zodba went by the name Paul Serap. (TBT109, $12.95)
Tibetan Pilgrimage, Architecture of the Sacred Land  •  Michel Peissel ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2005 •  HARD COVER  • 134 PAGES A great visual guide through the centuries of architecture in Tibet, all the more appealing for Peissel's own gorgeous watercolors depicting Tibetan villages. Organized chronologically into four chapters, the book serves as a brief survey of architectural history. Peissel's writing is clear and accessible, and the watercolors on nearly every page give the handsome book a unique character. (TBT89, $35.00)
Travelers' Tales Tibet  •  James O'Reilly  •  Larry Habegger ANTHOLOGY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES An engaging, insightful and entertaining selection of eyewitness reports, mostly contemporary, by Pico Iyer (Video Nights in Kathmandu), Jeff Greenwald (Shopping for Budhas), Alexandra David-Neel and many others. (TBT65, $18.95)
Tsangpo Gorges  •  Frank Kingdon-Ward EXPLORATION •  2008 •  HARD COVER  • 344 PAGES Legendary plant-explorer Kingdon-Ward's original account of his 1924-1925 expedition to the source of the Tsangpo, expertly edited and annotated by modern explorer Kenneth Cox, who brings the story of the exploration of this almost inaccessible corner of south-east Tibet up to date. With contributions by Kenneth Cox, Ken Storm Jr. and Ian Baker, including the new discovery of Hidden Falls, located in a part of the gorge unexplored by Kingdon Ward. (TBT103, $75.00)
Vanished Kingdoms: A Woman Explorer in Tibet, China, and Mongolia 1921-1925  •  Mabel H. Cabot TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2003 •  HARD COVER  • 190 PAGES An illustrated account of a 1920s expedition to Western China, Inner Mongolia, and northwestern Tibet, featuring 140 documentary photographs of (many hand tinted). Wulsin's daughter Mabel Cabot draws on photographs, journals and original accounts as well as her own travels in recreating the expedition. It's an important record of a lost time. (TBT91, $35.00)
The Voice That Remembers: A Tibetan Woman's Inspiring Story of Survival  •  Ama Adhe BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1999 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES Ama Adhe recounts with dignity and clarity her 27 years in prison for supporting the Khampa resitance to the Chinese takeover of Tibet. (TBT102, $16.95)
War at the Top of the World, The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir, and Tibet  •  Eric Margolis HISTORY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 288 PAGES Margolis, a veteran correspondent in the region, presents a detailed overview of the ongoing struggle over the high Himalayas, showing their strategic importance to Pakistan, India and China. Updated throughout for this second edition, including a new chapter on the Taliban. He sorts out confusing religious differences, complex geographies and politics with clarity, explaining -- for example -- the strategic value of the 16,000-foot Siachen Glacier where oxygen-starved Indian and Pakistani soldiers have been fighting for years. (PKN09, $25.95)
Water Touching Stone  •  Eliot Pattison MYSTERY •  2002 •  PAPER  • 560 PAGES The second of Pattison's superb political thrillers set in Tibet. Aided by a young Kazakh woman, former Beijing police investigator Shan Tao Yun heads for a remote Tibetan plateau to investigate the murder of a venerated teacher and the subsequent disappearance of a lama, but his probe is soon complicated by the resentment of local Tibetans, a sullen resistance fighter, and a dead American. (TBT107, $7.99)
What Makes You Not a Buddhist  •  Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse RELIGION •  2007 •  PAPER  • 128 PAGES With humor, authority, warmth and wit, this slim book shows the western world from a Buddhist perspective. Born in Bhutan in 1961, a Tibetan lama and filmmaker (Travellers and Magicians), Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche gives a decidedly modern take on dharma, happiness, suffering and enlightenment. (TBT96, $14.00)
The Wheel of Life, The Autobiography of a Western Buddhist  •  John Blofeld TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1988 •  PAPER  • 316 PAGES Blofeld's (1913-1987) enchanting account of Buddhist worlds now largely vanished, including his life and travels in China, Tibet, Mongolia, India and Burma. He describes the worlds of remote mountain monasteries, sacred chambers of lamas and yogis, and the everyday lives of ordinary people. Originally published in 1959. (HML76, $30.00)
The Wisdom of the Buddha  •  Jean Boisselier RELIGION •  1994 •  PAPER  • 191 PAGES A pocket-size primer of Buddhism, this book is an illustrated history of the sixth-century Indian prince and his quest for enlightenment. With 207 illustrations, 160 in full color. (IDA55, $12.95)
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)
Worlds of Transformation  •  Marilyn M. Rhie  •  Robert Thurman ART & ARCHITECTURE •  1999 •  HARD COVER  • 480 PAGES This exquisite collection of 200 hundred Tibetan thangka paintings, including many examples never before reproduced, span both the centuries and artistic schools. The authors discuss iconography, religious and philosophical meaning, style, and regional origin. (TBT97, $95.00)
Younghusband, The Last Great Imperial Adventurer  •  Patrick French BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1995 •  PAPER  • 440 PAGES In 1903, the adventurer (and imperialist) Sir Francis Younghusband invaded Tibet, then went on to become a mystic, attack Mt. Everest, and discover the source of the Indus River. French traveled through the Himalayas, Kashmir and Tibet to unearth the extraordinary story of this key figure in the Great Game, Britain's scramble for Central Asia. The book won the Somerset Maugham Award and the Royal Society of Literature Heinemann Prize in Britain. French is a director of the Free Tibet campaign, and a former editor of Tibet News. (TBT75, $16.00)