or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
 
Express Checkout with PayPhrase
What's this? | Create PayPhrase
Sorry!
More Buying Choices
3 used & new from $40.99

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
   
Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom
 
 
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle

Don’t have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here.
 
  

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

~ Michael Hawley (Author)
4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)

Price: $50.00 & this item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In Stock.
Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Only 5 left in stock--order soon.

Want it delivered Friday, November 13? Choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details
2 new from $50.00 1 used from $40.99

Formats

Amazon Price New from Used from
  Hardcover $50.00 $50.00 $40.99

Frequently Bought Together

Customers buy this book with Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon by John Berthold

Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom + Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon
  • This item: Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom by Michael Hawley

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    This item ships for FREE with Super Saver Shipping. Details

  • Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon by John Berthold

    In Stock.
    Ships from and sold by Amazon.com.
    Eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details


Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Bhutan: Hidden Lands of Happiness

Bhutan: Hidden Lands of Happiness

by John Wehrheim
4.7 out of 5 stars (7)  $65.00
Bhutan (Country Guide)

Bhutan (Country Guide)

by Bradley Mayhew
4.7 out of 5 stars (13)  $16.49
Bhutan Map by ITMB

Bhutan Map by ITMB

by ITMB Publishing
Bhutan: Himalayan Mountain Kingdom, Fifth Edition (Odyssey Illustrated Guides)

Bhutan: Himalayan Mountain Kingdom, Fifth Edition (Odyssey Illustrated Guides)

by Françoise Pommaret
Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan

Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey into Bhutan

by Jamie Zeppa
4.2 out of 5 stars (82)  $10.88
Explore similar items

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

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.

Brilliantly photographed, Bhutan conveys some of the specialness of that unique country. But the book is also socially meaningful, and a powerful reminder that we live in a big world. There are places and people whose beauty and grace are endlessly worth cherishing.



From the Publisher

Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom, is a smaller companion volume to the world's largest published book (which carries the same name but is much, much larger). For those who don't have room on their shelf for an enormous 5x7 foot book, this "small" book nevertheless opens to over 1x2 feet, providing an eyeful of gorgeous vistas and scenes.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 216 pages
  • Publisher: Friendly Planet; 1st edition (November 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 097424693X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0974246932
  • Product Dimensions: 17.2 x 12.5 x 1.6 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #164,623 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Look Inside This Book
Browse Sample Pages:
First Pages

Citations (learn more)
1 book cites this book:

What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom
60% buy the item featured on this page:
Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom 4.7 out of 5 stars (15)
$50.00
Bhutan (Country Guide)
14% buy
Bhutan (Country Guide) 4.7 out of 5 stars (13)
$16.49
Bhutan: Hidden Lands of Happiness
10% buy
Bhutan: Hidden Lands of Happiness 4.7 out of 5 stars (7)
$65.00
Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon
9% buy
Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon 5.0 out of 5 stars (2)
$19.77

Suggested Tags from Similar Products

 (What's this?)
Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product).
 
(16)
(5)
(4)
(4)

Your tags: Add your first tag
 

Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store

If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store. Learn more

 

Customer Reviews

15 Reviews
5 star:
 (13)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:    (0)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (15 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
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.
Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
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.")

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
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.

Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
 
Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A window on another world
This book was given to me less than a month after I returned from a trip to Bhutan in the late fall of 2006. Read more
Published on November 11, 2007 by Cullen Hallmark

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a great deal. but....
Let's face it. You'd be stupid not to get the "Better Together" deal, which includes an $8 map of Bhutan with the $15,000 book!
Published on March 23, 2007 by Moon

5.0 out of 5 stars a visual odyssey
nous avons visiter le bhoutan l'année passer et vu le livre dans un suisse guest house et depuis on le cherchait. Read more
Published on March 24, 2006 by Ruedin Daniel

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome pictoral of Bhutan
This book is amazing, it is just like you are there. Extremely well packaged and shipped 2nd day air via UPS. Worth every penny.
Published on January 30, 2006 by Mike Whitton

5.0 out of 5 stars Overwhelmingly Breathtaking
The first time I walked into the West Chicago, IL library after the Bhutan book was placed on display, I thought I had been transported to the Himalayas. Read more
Published on January 19, 2005 by Sandra Landen Machaj

5.0 out of 5 stars A Marvelous Journey
I am so delighted to have "discovered" Bhutan...it's absolutely transporting...and what a way to spend an evening! Read more
Published on December 17, 2004 by A. Cheslaw

5.0 out of 5 stars reviewer misinformed
Perhaps a recent reviewer was thinking of the Kingdom of Bahrain, in the Middle East, which does indeeed have oil resources. Read more
Published on April 16, 2004 by Librarian Lil

4.0 out of 5 stars Of course I don't have this book
...but I know that I'd really be interested to hear how many of these Amazon has sold. I'd also love to hear from someone whose actually bought one, or even seen one.
Published on March 29, 2004 by Brian Leahy

2.0 out of 5 stars Too big for the bus!
I was on the 73 bus on the way to my job at McDonald's and was thrown off the bus because the driver said my copy of this book was so big he couldn't see in his rearview mirror... Read more
Published on January 11, 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Waiting For Godot's Close Personal Friend Gutenberg
You might want to wait till this comes out in mass market paperback before taking it to the beach.
Published on January 2, 2004 by busmun

Only search this product's reviews



Customer Discussions

This product's forum
Discussion Replies Latest Post
No discussions yet

Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Start a new discussion
Topic:
First post:
Prompts for sign-in
 


Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
Search all Amazon discussions
   



So You'd Like to...


Product Information from the Amapedia Community

Beta (What's this?)


Look for Similar Items by Subject

Search Books by subject:






i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...
 

Feedback

If you need help or have a question for Customer Service, contact us.
 Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
Is there any other feedback you would like to provide?

Your comments can help make our site better for everyone.


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.