Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom (Library Binding)

~ Michael Hawley (Author), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Other Contributor, Photographer), Carolyn Bess (Photographer), Sandy Choi (Photographer), Dorji Drukpa (Photographer), Michael Hawley (Photographer), Becky Hurwitz (Photographer), Choki Lhamo Kaka (Illustrator), Gyelsey Loday (Editor), Christopher Newell (Author), David Salesin (Author), Ming Zhang. (Author), David Macaulay (Author), Christopher Newell (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

According to the Guinness World Records, at over five by seven feet (and 133 pounds), this staggeringly beautiful photographic book is the largest published book in the world--about one of the world's smallest countries.

Bhutan is the last intact Himalayan kingdom. Roughly the size of Switzerland but with a population of about 700,000 people, Bhutan may be diminutive, yet it is home to one of the most astonishingly diverse natural and cultural ecologies on earth. It is often called "the last Shangri-la" and with good reason. The pristine environment and incomparably kindhearted people make this a truly extraordinary place.

The book, Bhutan, is a visual odyssey across the kingdom. Teams from M.I.T. and Friendly Planet took over 40,000 photographs on four extensive expeditions across the country. They flew by helicopter, rode mountain ponies, trekked with packhorses and yaks, and journeyed by caravan on farflung roads and foot trails across the Bhutanese Himalaya. Local students, like Choki Lhamo (a 14-year-old girl from Trongsa who aspires to become a doctor) and Gyelsey Loday (the son of the head lama in the village of Phongmey), joined these ambitious trips and helped with the photography in order to share a corner of their world. The stunning imagery in the book loosely follows these journeys. Portraits of people are lifesized (or bigger). Panoramas convey some of the staggering sweep of the mountains and the awesome ancient architecture.

Bhutan begins appropriately with something very special. Renowned artist and author, David Macaulay, created an atlas of the country expressly for this book. Masterfully drawn, the map is surrounded by sketches of some of Bhutan's most salient features: massive dzongs, Himalayan peaks, stupas and other impressions decorate the map, almost as if they were pages torn from the journal of a travelling artist.

Bhutan is a technological tour de force, visually breathtaking, socially meaningful, and a powerful reminder that there are places and people whose beauty and grace is endlessly worth cherishing. This is the ultimate photographic book.

From the Publisher

The production of this astonishing book has been an amazing experience for us in every way. Technologically, it has pushed the art of the possible, stretching image processing systems to their limits. We've had terrific assistance from HP to produce the dazzling museum-quality fine art prints; from FedEx in shipping; and from Acme Bookbinding in assembly; and from Amazon in fitting this unusual publication onto their digital shelf; from Apple, the Gates Foundation, Harry Winston, Kodak, Microsoft, MIT and others. Teams at Adobe worked very closely with use to manage the impressive renderings. Countless wonderful people in Bhutan have helped in this adventure, and we are overjoyed to offer this book for the benefit of students there.

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Product Details

• Library Binding: 114 pages
• Publisher: Friendly Planet; 1st edition (December 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0974246905
• ISBN-13: 978-0974246901
• Product Dimensions: 60 x 44 x 6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 133 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,189,766 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars But once you've seen it..., April 27, 2004

By	"ushimado" (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

I went to a presentation of the book at the University of Washington, and I have to say that the book is very cool. A 5' x 7' book on a stand has a presence,and the combination of the natural beauty of Bhutan and of the amazing quality of the photographs, is very impressive. The size of the book did enhance the subject matter. Michael Hawley gave a very interesting talk about the making of the book, the production of which is really an interesting combination of new technology and old bookbinding techniques. Clearly, this book is really for public collections as most people don't have the funds to purchase it, nor the space to display it. Nonetheless, if you are able to see it (say the University of Washington Library) it is worth the effort.

27 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Library edition tour de force, December 15, 2003

By	Joseph King (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This "library binding" edition is a visual and technical tour de force. The really-large-format printing from digital images is a feat in itself. The bookbinding for such a uniquely large and heavy book took innovation in design, materials, and craftsmanship, and required two people two days to assemble each copy.

The combination of stunning images, hand-craft, and technology, along with the small total run of books printed, puts this library edition in a category of "art books." Note that unlike most other art books, most of the price of _Bhutan_ goes to educational charities for Bhutanese children. (See Amazon "click here" for special order details on this book.)

For more information, see many news stories published 12/15/03, including:

NYT (free subscription req'd):
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/12/15/technology/15book.html

Seattle Times:
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2001815237_bhutan15.html

Boston Globe:

http://www.boston.com/ae/books/articles/2003/12/15/heavy_reading/

As the Amazon editorial review and all of the articles mention, _Bhutan_ is certified by Guiness as the "World's Largest Book." The fact that you're reading this review confirms that Amazon is the "World's Largest Bookseller," literally.

Also note, Amazon has a (currently unpriced) normal edition of the book scheduled for 2/04 release. (Click "All Editions.")

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Artifact of technology and beauty, May 26, 2004

By	Shayne Fraser (Wichita, KS USA) - See all my reviews

Context: I work down the street from the Wichita KS public library where a copy was donated by a local charitable organization. I visit the library often and make it a point to stop by the Bhutan display and view the current page.

The images are so full of detail, it's hard not to love this book. I'm fascinated by each new page and I believe Bhutan is a visual treasure.