Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom 1st Edition

by Michael Hawley (Author)

8 ratings

ISBN-13: 978-0974246932

ISBN-10: 097424693X

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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.

About the Author

Michael Hawley, a digital pioneer, was a professor at MIT's Media Lab for about a decade. In the course of that research, he led MIT students (and they led him) on high-tech expeditions in Nepal, Iceland, Norway, Hawaii and elsewhere. Also an accomplished pianist, he won the Van Cliburn competition in 2002 and performed recently with the Boston Pops orchestra.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Friendly Planet; 1st edition (November 1, 2004)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 216 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 097424693X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0974246932
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 6.75 pounds

Best Sellers Rank: #7,375,311 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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The Info Hunter

A Lush Visual Banquet

Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2011

Verified Purchase

The main objective of this book is to convey the rich visual and spiritual beauty of the country of Bhutan. As such, it's mostly pictures, usually two pages wide, with a short, unobtrusive caption in one corner telling us what we're looking at. It accomplishes its mission very well, like a beautiful slideshow on hardcopy pages. Asiaphiles, particularly Himalayaphiles, will get much enjoyment from this book.

This edition from Amazon is actually a miniature version, about 12 inches by 9 inches, of the original edition. The original edition, of which only one copy was printed, is approximately 5 feet by 4 feet when closed, and is certified by the Guiness Book of World Records as the world's largest book. This original book was printed by the Hewlett-Packard Company as a demonstration of its large-format printing abilities, and may be viewed in the main lobby of HP's site in San Diego, California.

But if you don't feel like shelling out hundreds of dollars for a plane ticket to San Diego, buy this edition from Amazon instead.

Helpful

John L. Murphy

World's biggest book's younger sibling

Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2012

This younger sibling to the world's biggest book continued raising funds for medical and educational projects "across the last Himalayan kingdom." Friendly Planet, a charity spinoff of M.I.T., raised money in an innovative fashion, as digital photography and bookbinding skill combined with high-tech expertise under a team led by Professor Michael Hawley, who ran the campus' Media Lab's special projects division. The big brother book, 5' by 7' and weighing 150 lbs., dwarfed the two Bhutanese schoolchildren the team "adopted" on their initial November 2001 visit, when displayed at Harry Winston's gallery in Manhattan. This 2003 book symbolized the meeting of high rollers with a worthy cause, and demonstrated how a $15,000 volume could further other schoolchildren and families in the remote areas of this region, reached only by trails, far from the touristed areas the book documents.

For the smaller companion, itself considerable at a foot by two feet and 15 lbs., this expands the original. It reproduces the immense photos and doubles their number, if in less stupendous manner, by explaining how the original was assembled, and how the team returned to Bhutan in 2003 to bring aid to villages and schools from the moneys raised by the big book. Now out-of-print, this follow-up 2004 volume also contributed its profits to Friendly Planet, and Hawley's text and captions, garnered from a cooperative of eleven photographers, conveys the appeal of the Buddhist kingdom and people.

Highlights include: David Macauley's handsome endpaper map; colorful masks, costumes, and dancers from a Trongsa "tsechu" or "ten-day" annual festival; shots of monastic celebrations normally forbidden to photograph; marvelous expanses from Jholmohari's snowy range bordering Tibet; and encounters with Merak and Sakteng's Brokpa yak herders that conclude this elegant presentation.

There's little about the history or current events beyond an itinerary following (if in reverse contrary to other versions) the sole east-west route dominating most travel narratives, understandably given the necessity to follow this to get across the mountainous domain, however slowly by jeep. It ventures off-road in two memorable sections, even as these may therefore romanticize portions of the experience, and the urbanizing and modernizing pressures on Thimphu the capital, or the demographic increases by both the southern bordering Nepali and Indian-backed peoples are barely glanced at. But readers wanting more can look elsewhere for such coverage. It's easy to get caught up in the marvels of a fabled place. The intention here is to provide visual splendor, and that goal is met.

This volume may only be in a large library, for reference or in a rare-book room. (The big book is even rarer, naturally). It's worth spending a few hours with, to enjoy what a well-prepared text (despite a few typos--"abbot" is misspelled every time) and collection of images provide about a realm often mythologized by past and present visitors. This may prolong the myth-making, but it also addresses the practical shortcomings of everyday education and medical care too many still suffer.

One person found this helpful

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Cullen Hallmark

A window on another world

Reviewed in the United States on November 11, 2007

This book was given to me less than a month after I returned from a trip to Bhutan in the late fall of 2006. If you are seeking only a portable guidebook on your trip, look elsewhere (I used Lonely Planet). But if the objective is to find the best photographic portrait of a very special place, this is the book for you. This is a reduced version of a book that measures 5x7 feet, that weighs 150 pounds, and that holds a Guinness World Record. It is also a charitable project, intended to provide funds for university education of Bhutanese students. Although the book was published in 2004, I noticed that it includes several photos (such as those of Dochu La and Taktsang Gompa) that were taken before some recent and rather dramatic changes. I cannot help but conclude that many of the shots will become historically significant over time. But as an artistic collection, the photos are truly stunning. It is unusual to find not only intimate shots of a beautiful group of people, but majestic views of the incredible landscape. I look at my copy often, for it transports me to the other side of the world.

5 people found this helpful

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Mike Whitton

Awesome pictoral of Bhutan

Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2006

This book is amazing, it is just like you are there. Extremely well packaged and shipped 2nd day air via UPS. Worth every penny.

2 people found this helpful

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Ruedin Daniel

a visual odyssey

Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2006

nous avons visiter le bhoutan l'année passer et vu le livre dans un suisse guest house et depuis on le cherchait. Tres heureux de l'avoir trouver de superbes photos les paysages, monastères, le peuple et coutume que nous avons pu rencontrer pendant notre voyage inoubliable, merci

3 people found this helpful

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Ann C

A Marvelous Journey

Reviewed in the United States on December 17, 2004

I am so delighted to have "discovered" Bhutan...it's absolutely transporting...and what a way to spend an evening! Even a glass of port, a box of dark chocolate, and a roaring fire would not have been as delicious.

6 people found this helpful

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Peter Bullock

Excellent book which enables me to relive my adventures and ...

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 12, 2015

Verified Purchase

Excellent book which enables me to relive my adventures and experiences in this magical land, which I visited in 2011 for 5 weeks.

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