Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom

by Friendly Planet

Product Features

• Price includes tax-deductible gift (see below for details), and display easel
• The world's largest book, measuring 5x7 feet when open
• Atlas of the country created by renowned artist and author David Macaulay
• 114 pages and over a hundred photographs of the Himalayan kingdom
• Lab tests show the materials and lightfast media to be age resistant for over 100 years

Product Description

Product Description

The gigantic book BHUTAN is a breathtaking photographic adventure across the legendary last Himalayan kingdom. Teams from MIT and Friendly Planet took over 60,000 photographs on four extensive expeditions. Portraits of people are life-size or bigger. Panoramas convey the staggering sweep of the Great Himalayan Range and the awesome and unique ancient architecture. Tantric Buddhist dancers, clad in a rainbow of sparkling brocade silks, almost seem to be leaping off the page. According to Guinness World Records, at over five by seven feet (and 133 pounds), this beautiful photographic book is the largest published book in the world--about one of the world's smallest countries. More like a giant gallery show in a single volume, Bhutan is breathtaking. BHUTAN comes with a custom-fitted aluminum shelf easel designed and built by Mekatronics, Inc that supports the book in a nearly vertical position. A limited edition of 500 copies will be produced. The $15,000 "price" (about $100 per page) is a donation to Friendly Planet (a publicly supported charitable organization exempt from federal income tax pursuant to IRC 501(c)(3)). Each copy is built expressly for the recipient, is numbered, and can include a personal dedication message. Because the book is produced on demand for donors, please allow a month or two for your copy to be built. Once Friendly Planet receives your donation, they will advise you of your copy number and the estimated production and shipping schedule. You will also receive instructions for tax purposes and a certificate from Guinness World Records. The ultimate charitable proceeds of your gift (the amount eligible for potential deduction for federal income tax purposes) may vary according to production costs. Amazon.com is waiving its commission related to the donations to Friendly Planet.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 60 x 44 x 6 inches ; 133 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 133 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B00016CAZ6
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #102,585 in Everything Else

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's a Piece of Art, Not a Book, February 28, 2006

By	I. Walcott - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I wanted to clear a few things up because I see other reviewers have been making fun of this book.

I have a friend who owns this book. It is showcased in his large, airy sitting room along with other artwork and sculpture. Every time I visit, the book is open to a different page. Calling this piece of art a book denigrates it, because one compares it to other books and the price appears not to make sense.

If you purchase art, this is an artwork you would purchase like any other sculpture. It is likely to be just as beautiful and interactive as the other art you show in your home gallery. Children and adults alike can enjoy interacting with it, with care of course as with any other touchable work of art. Needless to say, the photographs are gorgeous.

The "far east" is opening up. Within a number of years, the way of life captured in this book will likely change so significantly that the beautiful images will be a record of history, as opposed to a window onto a current way of life the way they are now.

If you are an art collector and a person of means, I can't imagine a better way to incorporate a new artwork into your collection: by making a donation to a worthy cause. Did I mention that this is probably the only way to buy art and have your purchase be tax-deductible?

It is a brilliant idea and a lovely work.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A work of art, March 16, 2007

By	D. Notov "/danno" (Colorado) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I often visit the Hewlett Packard Executive Briefing Center in Cupertino, CA. As you enter the lobby, the first thing you see is this book. No matter how many times I've been there, (was there this week!) I never fail to stop & marvel, and turn to a different page. Just seeing the book in person is an experience.

53 of 72 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great book with two major flaws., December 2, 2007

By	Jonathyn R. Brown "jonathyn" (Hollywood, CA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased a couple copies of this book as gifts last year, and I have to say I was let down both times..

The first copy was a gift for my mom who lives in Rhode Island. They would not deliver there, claiming that the book "wouldn't fit".

The second issue was with the other book, a gift for my niece in Texas. She was so excited about the book, she put it on the floor, frantically opened to a random page, and, not realizing it was a pop-up book, was impaled on a Himalayan peak and now has a detached retina.

"Friendly Planet" my a**.


An update: I finally went with the book on tape version. Man, it was loud..