Sacred Mountains of the World [Paperback]

Edwin Bernbaum (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 25, 1998

Since the beginning of human history, mountains have had an extraordinary power to evoke the sacred in our lives. Regarded as places of mystery and spiritual attainment by people in every culture, mountains arouse feelings of reverence and awe. In this strikingly beautiful book Edwin Bernbaum combines exquisite photography with years of mountaineering and scholarly research to provide the most comprehensive study of sacred mountains to date.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Mountaineer and scholar of comparative religion Edwin Bernbaum knows his subject from experience as well as from texts. In his award-winning collection of luminous photographs, Sacred Mountains of the World, Bernbaum takes you through the sacred ranges of six continents, while weaving the stories of gods and spirits with those of explorers and mountaineers. The best, most substantive, book of its kind. --Brian Bruya

From Publishers Weekly

Berenbaum surveys high holy places from the Himalayas to Kilimanjaro, from Sinai and Zion to Mount Fuji, explaining the myths and rituals associated with these sacred mountains. Photos.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 317 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (May 25, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520214226
• ISBN-13: 978-0520214224
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,380,539 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Entertaining, thought provoking, a MUST buy, April 12, 2000

By 

Booklover (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sacred Mountains of the World (Paperback)

As a long time mountaineer, I am well versed in the mountaineering literature. My book collection has many treasures, but none as valued as Bernbaum's "Sacred Mountains of the World". This is a book I use to remind me that the lure of the mountains has a spiritual aspect that transcends the lure of conquest. Some mountains are special and Bernbaum, a Buddhist scholar in addition to his work in Asian Studies, tells their stories with great skill. Drawing upon the literature and myths of the past, Bernbaum reminds the modern reader why we should look upon mountains as "embodiments of humanity's highest ideals and aspirations". The book is entertaining as well as thought provoking--the photos are superb. The book is so good, it makes me want to share it with others. I have given it as a gift many times. I enthusiastically give it five stars.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Essential!, January 4, 2002

By 

M. J. Goodman (United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sacred Mountains of the World (Paperback)

This is one of few essential books in my library. It's the encyclopedia of sacred mountains, but also clearly a work of love. Sacred mountains have come to guide my own life in a very profound way, and this book has given wise counsel to such a journey. It is also supremely beautiful with some sublime fullpage photos - worth buying an extra coffee table for!

3 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars OKish. It's just an anthology of other books., May 27, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Sacred Mountains of the World (Paperback)

All Bernbaum has done is to read other people's books and string together their ideas. There's very little that's new here.

It's all been done before