While Kathmandu seems to collapse the world into a single valley, just the name evokes exotic mystery. Hinduism and Buddhism meet in a society where religion is integral to ancient patterns of life: sadhus with sunglasses and hookahs, artisans, worshipers, prayer flags, masked dancers, and, of course, the snow-capped Himalayas presiding over all activity. The Kathmandu Valley is a coffee-table book that would be at home on any altar. --Brian Bruya
From Library Journal
Once remote and mysterious, Nepal now accommodates half a million visitors a year. It remains exotic, nonetheless. A crossroads of cultures, including hippie and Tibetan in recent years, it is a fitting subject for a coffee-table book like this one. The photographs are exclusively of traditional subjects?temples, festivals, native styles of dress, markets, and fields. Not a single internal combustion engine, neon sign, or tourist is to be seen. In this regard it offers only a slice of modern-day Kathmandu. The introduction by Moran, a Kathmandu resident and author of several books on Nepal, is solid and presents a more comprehensive view of this remarkable region. Recommended for larger travel collections.?Harold M. Otness, Southern Oregon Univ. Lib., Ashland
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
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