Passage Reading List
There is a variety of reading material
online as well. Many resources can be accessed on the Tibetan and
Himalayan Digital Library,
http://iris.lib.virginia.edu/tibet.
DESCRIPTION & TRAVEL:
Vignettes of Nepal - Harka Gurung
A Nepali geographer's account of his travels across Nepal , incorporating
history, geography and culture.
The Snow Leopard - Peter Mathiessen
Account of a journey into Dolpo in pursuit of the elusive snow leopard.
Vivid descriptions of the land interwoven with insights into the mind.
The Waiting Land - Dervla Murphy
Murphy's account of working in a Tibetan refugee camp (in Pokhara) in
1965.
A Guide to Trekking in Nepal - Stephen Bezruchka
The standard guide. Extremely detailed trail descriptions covering all
major regions and a few minor ones.
Trekking in Tibet: A Traveler's Guide - Gary McCue
Comprehensive and up-to-date; the guide to Tibet .
Medicine for Mountaineering - James Wilkerson
The best medical book for trekking, detailed yet simple enough for laymen.
ETHNIC GROUPS & CULTURES:
Top of Page
Peoples of Nepal - Dor Bahadur Bista
Best overview of Nepal 's varied ethnic groups.
Nepali Aama: Portrait of a Nepalese Hill Woman & Aama in America -
Broughton Coburn
Photos of the life of an old and very spunky Gurung woman, combined with
quotes from Vishnu Maya herself, provide rare insights into a Nepali life.
Sherpas: Reflections on Change in Himalayan Nepal - James Fisher
Observations on changing Sherpa society over the decades.
The Newars - Gopal Singh Nepali
Top of Page
The standard account of Newar culture.
Mustang: a Lost Tibetan kingdom - Michel Peissel
Account by a French adventurer who visited this restricted region in 1964.
Tibet , Land of Snows - Giuseppe Tucci
Survey of Tibetan traditions and religion, which also permeate northern
Nepal
Dangerous Wives and Sacred Sisters: Social and Symbolic Roles of
High-caste Women in Nepal - Lynn Bennett
An exploration of the lives of Brahman/Chhetri women in a central Nepal
village, revealing the frequent conflicts of traditional family life.
HISTORY & CULTURE:
The Festivals of Nepal - Mary Anderson
The Gurkhas - Byron Farwell
From the 1815 skirmish with the British to the Falkland Islands , the
story of the Gurkhas.
In Exile From the Land of Snows - John Avedon
Moving story of Tibetan refugees in exile.
RELIGION:
Top of Page
Hindu Myths - Wendy O'Flaherty
Introductions to the major gods in their many moods
Hinduism - Gavin Flood
Open Secrets: A Western Guide to Tibetan Buddhism - Walt Anderson
Introductory book to Tibetan Buddhism, placing it in modern terms.
The Way to Shambhala - Edward Bernbaum
Account of the Tibetan tradition of "hidden valleys." and a good
explanation of the many levels of Tibetan Buddhism.
Freedom in Exile: Autobiography of the Dalai Lama (Tibetan)
This compelling autobiography is the classic story of east-meets-west. It
is such a good read that young adults will enjoy it as well. Details many
aspects of the tulku (reincarnate lama) tradition.
Kindness, Clarity and Insight - the Dalai Lama
Good introductory text on Buddhism and daily life by the Tibetan religious
and political leader-in-exile.
Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism - Chogyam Trungpa
Seminal book about Tibetan Buddhism by one of the first Tibetan teachers
to establish himself in the west.
DEVELOPMENT & POLITICS:
Top of Page
Fatalism and Development: Nepal 's Struggle for Modernisation - Dor
Bahadur Bista
Astute examination of how caste hierarchy and a fatalistic attitude hamper
development in Nepal.
Nepal in Crisis - Blaikie, Cameron & Seddon
Taking the construction of roads as a starting point, the authors examine
the complex problems of "development" in Nepal .
Travels in Nepal - Charlie Pye-Smith
Combining travel writing with analyses of foreign-aid projects, this book
is a palatable way to dive into development issues and myths.
Politics in Nepal - Rishikesh Shah
Essays on the contemporary political scene, an updated version of a
formerly banned book.
Bikas/Binas:Developmment-Destruction - Ludmilla Tutig & Kunda Dixit,
eds
Compendium of articles on environmental and cultural issues in the
Himalaya , focusing mainly on Nepal . Examines the links between ecology,
development, and tourism, and deals with cultural as well as environmental
pollution.
The Snow Lion and the Dragon: China , Tibet , and the Dalai Lama,
Melvyn Goldstein
Puts the whole "Tibet Question" into an apt political and historical
context by one of the leading Tibetan historians.
NATURAL HISTORY/ECOLOGY:
Top of Page
Birds of Nepal - Robert Fleming Sr. & Jr. and Lain Singh Bangdel
The definitive book on birds in Nepal .
Heart of the Jungle - K.K.Gurung
Well-written account of the natural history of Chitwan National Park .
Vanishing Tracks - Darla Hillard
First-hand account of the author's 4-year study of the rare snow leopard
in remote western Nepal .
Stones of Silence - George Schaller
Fascinating studies of wild cats, sheep and goats of the Himalaya.
View Lisa's Riveting
Tibetan Summer Slide
Show with Music...
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