Tibet-o-Rama [Paperback]

P. Christiaan Klieger (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 25, 2002

Tibet-o-Rama: Self and Other in a Tale from the Edge of Tibet, is an ethnography and a story of an anthropologist working in the Tibetan diaspora and the Inner Asian homeland. It is about Westerners looking for epiphanies through exotic Others, and refugees trying to find meaning in Western consumerism and global culture. Tibet-o-Rama examines the international icon of the Dalai Lama as the ultimate Otherness, and the paradox of his position.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A captivating tale told by a master storyteller filled with stories about the sacred places of Tibet and its people." -- Sacred Sites Newsletter (spring 2002)

From the Author

I have always been asked of my interest in Tibet, usually by my more prosaic friends and relatives who view the former Himalayan kingdom as more mythical than real. A corollary to their position is that since Tibet is imaginary, any genuine concern for Tibetan nationalism and freedom is similarly quixotic. "Why Tibet?" they have asked. I wrote this book in an attempt to answer address this basic question. This book is a narrative critique of the Western literary genre of Tibet as "Shangri-La," which dismisses the country of Tibet and Tibetan rights in one fell swoop. Tibet-o-Rama seeks the real Tibet by a telling of the lives of contemporary young Tibetan refugees visiting their homeland for the first time and examining the problems encountered. Above all, I want to share a poignant and honest story with the reader.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 220 pages
• Publisher: Green Arrow Pr; 1 edition (January 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971181608
• ISBN-13: 978-0971181601
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,583,143 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Personal AND the Political, May 26, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Tibet-o-Rama (Paperback)

Tibet-O-Rama is a very refreshing book whose author is not afraid to blur the genres of ethnography and personal memoir (after all, Klieger shows, aren't our interests and observations informed by who we are?!). The protagonist, Eric, has a passion for Tibet -- is it just another case of the Westerner's Orientalist gaze/desire, or is it devoted political activism...or both? There is much to be learned here about those who readily give and receive aid, about the dilemmas that face those born with everything and those born with nothing, and about the commonalities they share.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Recollections of a professional and personal life, May 15, 2002

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tibet-o-Rama (Paperback)

Tibet-O-Rama by cultural anthropologist P. Christiaan Klieger (California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco) is the recollections of a professional and personal life intertwined with the amazing beauty and rich culture that characterizes the nation of Tibet. From 1978 to the present day, and encompassing the paradox of the Dalai Lama and other Tibetan exiles, Tibet-O-Rama is a wonderfully presented ethnographical and historical work celebrating the author's admiration and appreciation for Tibet, its people, and their courage in spite of all of the social and political dilemmas they face.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Life's Unfurling, July 11, 2002

By 

Florence Batlle (San Francisco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tibet-o-Rama (Paperback)

Tibet-O-Rama is a journey into the unfurling and weaving of the intricate vine of personality and character a person is. Each revelation a window into the puzzle components that mold an ever-evolving dynamic human being. I see Eric as a never stagnant, always changing-morphing person. There is never really an end to growing, for new information affects perspective. Eric's quest is revealed through a quilt of lived experiences, deep and honest, but never crass, and Eric sustains humor, integrating and learning about life. Eric's experiences touched me, made me laugh, feel the sadness and frustrations, and joy. His honesty, reminded me we are not alone, we all share in the journey of self-growth and awareness of life.