Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur's Odyssey to Educate the World's Children

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur's Odyssey to Educate the World's Children
Average customer rating:

John Wood, you inspire me!

Life Altering Book

great inspiration along with fantastic advice for those who want to change the world

Giving back by giving effectively

going from corporate executive to do gooder champion

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur's Odyssey to Educate the World's Children
John Wood
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Nonprofit Organizations & Charities | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Motivational | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Entrepreneurship | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Literacy | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Business Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time

How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas

Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty

The Difference a Day Makes: 365 Ways to Change Your World in Just 24 Hours

Unbowed: A Memoir (Vintage)

ASIN: 006112107X
Release Date: 2006-08-29

Book Description

John Wood discovered his passion, his greatest success, and his life's work--not at business school or leading Microsoft's charge into Asia in the 1990s--but on a soul-searching trip to the Himalayas. Wood felt trapped between an all-consuming career and a desire to do something lasting and significant. Stressed from the demands of his job, he took a vacation trekking in Nepal because a friend had told him, "If you get high enough in the mountains, you can't hear Steve Ballmer yelling at you anymore."

See how John Wood came to start Room to Read and write Leaving Microsoft to Change the World in this video clip: high bandwidth or low bandwidth

Instead of being the antidote to the rat race, that trip convinced John Wood to divert the boundless energy he was devoting to Microsoft into a cause that desperately needed to be addressed. While visiting a remote Nepalese school, Wood learned that the students had few books in their library. When he offered to run a book drive to provide the school with books, his idea was met with polite skepticism. After all, no matter how well-intentioned, why would a successful software executive take valuable time out of his life and gather books for an impoverished school?

But John Wood did return to that school and with thousands of books bundled on the back of a yak. And at that moment, Wood made the decision to walk away from Microsoft and create Room to Read-an organization that has donated more than 1.2 million books, established more than 2,600 libraries and 200 schools, and sent 1,700 girls to school on scholarship-ultimately touching the lives of 875,000 children with the lifelong gift of education.

Leaving Microsoft to Change the World chronicles John Wood's struggle to find a meaningful outlet for his managerial talents and entrepreneurial zeal. For every high-achiever who has ever wondered what life might be like giving back, Wood offers a vivid, emotional, and absorbing tale of how to take the lessons learned at a hard-charging company like Microsoft and apply them to one of the world's most pressing problems: the lack of basic literacy.

Book Description

John Wood discovered his passion, his greatest success, and his life's work—not at business school or leading Microsoft's charge into Asia in the 1990s—but on a soul-searching trip to the Himalayas. Wood felt trapped between an all-consuming career and a desire to do something lasting and significant. Stressed from the demands of his job, he took a vacation trekking in Nepal because a friend had told him, "If you get high enough in the mountains, you can't hear Steve Ballmer yelling at you anymore."

But John Wood did return to that school and with thousands of books bundled on the back of a yak. And at that moment, Wood made the decision to walk away from Microsoft and create Room to Read—an organization that has donated more than 1.2 million books, established more than 2,600 libraries and 200 schools, and sent 1,700 girls to school on scholarship—ultimately touching the lives of 875,000 children with the lifelong gift of education.

Customer Reviews:

John Wood, you inspire me!.......2007-09-07

Reading about John Wood's motivations and personal sacrifices, I found myself re-engergized for the volunteer work I do. This book is not just for business people, but for anyone who wants to make a difference in this crazy, beautiful world we live in. Providing children with books whether on a global scale or locally is one of the best gifts (and investments) a person can make. Bravo John! And thanks for making your adventures accessible to the rest of us.

Life Altering Book.......2007-08-21

I managed to finish this book on a flu episode with a fever that lasted two days. It was a great companion at that horrible time.

Now, i read a lot of books. And over time, i got to quickly notice good books from bad books. And ever more, i get to know great books from "books you buy to balance your shelf" books. I try to buy only good books and strive to get all the great ones. This is one of the great ones.

When first browsing through Amazon(yes, i am a very loyal customer), i noticed the title. And being the geek that i am, i wondered what it would talk about(you have to admit, MS and changing the world do not mix easily). I was afraid it would turn out to be a lame book as many books which carry a similar title are. So i took a gamble and i bought it.

It talks about the story of a man(John Wood, marketing executive working at Microsoft) who took a "no-computers" vacation to Nepal. And this vacation changed his life. He describes his life in detail. The details are typical of a modern young successful man working in a high-tech firm. Basically his life consisted of work, work, work and an almost non-existent social life(or any other kind of life for that matter). He thought he was happy this way, we all do, until we stop and take a good look at what we have accomplished.

In Nepal, he noticed that even though some provinces had schools, there were no books and no libraries. So he started out with a little project of collecting a few books for one particular school in Nepal. This all started with a promise to return to Nepal with books. And the whole idea avalanched into one of the most successful projects. An organization that builds schools/libraries and provides books and scholarships for young girls.

I don't want to give out too many details. The beauty of this story is in the events that took place and their chronological order. So i don't want to spoil it. However, i will talk about why i liked this book so much.

John saw the kids in Nepal. He saw that they were trying to learn, but with very poor resources. He also understood that education is the most important gift that you can bestow on a child. Especially girls, since these girls will grow up with this education in mind and carry this belief over to their children and families. "You educate a girl, you educate an entire generation."

After John returned from Nepal, he tried to get back to his old lifestyle. But he could not. How could he? Everything he will do now will seem so empty. How can he go on working knowing that there are children in the world that are not getting the opportunities that we take for granted. He felt so empty. And even if, according to our standard, he is very successful....his life felt meaningless in light of this issue. Everything he accomplished looked so insignificant.

What is truly remarkable though, is that he ran his organization in the same way he would run a normal business. So unlike the other charities around, he never asked people for money out of pity. So instead of showing children with sad faces and sick people like all charities do, he showed the schools he built and the books that he got and the children making use of all of this. It is his belief that contributers do not give money to charity because they don't know where their money is going. They never see results.

I also believe that any book you read must alter your life in some sense. This book did just that. I learned that you shouldn't listen to all the nay-sayers. I learned that for every 1 idea you come up with, there will be a 100 people telling you how it won't work. I also learned to never give up.

If i would only take away one thing from this book, it would be my current favorite quote(which according to the book is an old Chinese quote)

Those who say it cannot be done should not criticize those who are doing it.

This books is highly recommended with 5/5 stars.

great inspiration along with fantastic advice for those who want to change the world.......2007-08-20

Wood brings a fresh, business-like perspective to the often stale world of not-for-profits. His personal journey from career success, to existential angst, to leaving the rat race to change the world is a true inspiration.

Giving back by giving effectively.......2007-07-06

There are plenty of books about one individual's accomplishments in the march to change the world. This book is different because--along with his passion for education and libraries--John Wood brings a model for transforming that passion into sustainable organizations on the ground. If you are actively involved in a nonprofit organization, you will enjoy John's down to earth advice about focusing on results, fundraising, and having fun while you're doing the hard work.

going from corporate executive to do gooder champion.......2007-06-05

This is a good book to understand risk that is inspired by passion. this guy had everything to lose and so much to gain and he did it. Kudos to him and kudos for a well written book.

Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam

Average customer rating:

COIN
Terrific Research and Analysis!
Counterinsurgency Mandatory Reading
Counterinsurgency
Insightful Book for military buff

Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife: Counterinsurgency Lessons from Malaya and Vietnam
John A. Nagl
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Southeast Asia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Sling and the Stone: On War in the 21st Century
Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice (PSI Classics of the Counterinsurgency Era)
The U.S. Army/Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual
Tactics of the Crescent Moon: Militant Muslim Combat Methods
War of the Flea: The Classic Study of Guerrilla Warfare

ASIN: 0226567702

Book Description

Invariably, armies are accused of preparing to fight the previous war. In Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, Lieutenant Colonel John A. Nagl—a veteran of both Operation Desert Storm and the current conflict in Iraq—considers the now-crucial question of how armies adapt to changing circumstances during the course of conflicts for which they are initially unprepared. Through the use of archival sources and interviews with participants in both engagements, Nagl compares the development of counterinsurgency doctrine and practice in the Malayan Emergency from 1948 to 1960 with what developed in the Vietnam War from 1950 to 1975.

In examining these two events, Nagl—the subject of a recent New York Times Magazine cover story by Peter Maass—argues that organizational culture is key to the ability to learn from unanticipated conditions, a variable which explains why the British army successfully conducted counterinsurgency in Malaya but why the American army failed to do so in Vietnam, treating the war instead as a conventional conflict. Nagl concludes that the British army, because of its role as a colonial police force and the organizational characteristics created by its history and national culture, was better able to quickly learn and apply the lessons of counterinsurgency during the course of the Malayan Emergency.

With a new preface reflecting on the author's combat experience in Iraq, Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife is a timely examination of the lessons of previous counterinsurgency campaigns that will be hailed by both military leaders and interested civilians.

Customer Reviews:

COIN.......2007-09-27

Haven't read the book quite yet. I plan to get it done by the time I am to attend CCC though.

Terrific Research and Analysis!.......2007-09-05

For this reader, Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife's value centers on two main premises: 1) those who fail to learn the lessons of history are condemned to repeat them; and, 2) a large, monolithic organization such as the U.S. Army will struggle to adapt unless it adopts a learning culture. Both relate to the U.S. Army's experience in Viet Nam. It is clear that the U.S. Army has only recently begun to learn from its earlier failures fighting a stubborn insurgency in 2004-06 and to implement strategy and tactics appropriate to the situation.

Eminently readable for an Oxford PhD thesis, what sets Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife apart from many other books attempting to explain the failures in Viet Nam is the degree to which the author supports his arguments. He combines exceedingly thorough research befitting a PhD thesis with fully developed and clearly articulated arguments. By examining the British Army of the Malay Campaign and the U.S. Army fighting in Viet Nam in terms of their organizational cultures - that is, the degree to which they promoted learning, flexibility, and adaptability - the author does a superb job of explaining why the British were successful in defeating the communist insurgency on the Malay Peninsula and why the Americans failed in South Viet Nam.

Of course, Nagl has his detractors. There are those who would suggest that the conflict in Malaya in the 1950s differed markedly from the conflict in Viet Nam in the 1960s and early 1970s. For instance, the Viet Cong were able to leverage a well-funded, well-organized, and well-trained North Vietnamese army against the U.S. Army in South Viet Nam. By contrast, the British really only had to confront a communist insurgency in Malaya. However, those readers who point to the dissimilarities in the two conflicts are really missing Nagl's point.

The author's contention that the British Army eventually succeeded in defeating a thinking, adaptive enemy is instructive. In Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife, we are told that for any institution to be successful when faced with new and decidedly different operational challenges, it must be capable of learning and adapting. This includes everything from changing strategy and tactics to completely reorganizing. In fact, it may even need to develop a whole new set of core competencies. In the context of armed warfare, this may mean viewing victory through a different lens. As members of the Bush Administration have readily pointed out, the war in Iraq will not end with a formal surrender aboard a U.S. battleship. More to the point perhaps, Nagl's work compels us to think differently about how we define success in a counterinsurgency.

For the U.S. Army currently operating in Iraq, adapting really means moving away from war fighting strategy and tactics appropriate to a linear battlefield and more toward an approach that better recognizes the nature of the threat. The current threat in Iraq is more socio-political than military. In fact, it is now an article of faith that for our counterinsurgency efforts to be successful, U.S. war fighters must win the hearts and minds of the local populace. If the local Iraqi citizens believe they are more secure and hence can live productive lives, they will be more willing to cooperate with the "occupying" Army. That cooperation will take the form of alerting nearby ground troops to the presence of Al Qaeda fighters and Sunni insurgents.

For any large military organization, adapting to an entirely different threat characterized by a highly complex and dynamic situation involving ethnosectarian conflict, religious persecution, and violent criminal activity such as we see in Iraq today requires tremendous innovation and agility. As Nagl points out, the British were able to eventually embrace change and pursue an effective counterinsurgency strategy while facing a similar set of conditions. He argues persuasively that British and Malay counterinsurgency forces eventually were structured to respond quickly to the communist insurgent threat precisely because they were quite flexible. In large part, the Brits' success can be traced to their approach to counterinsurgency warfare in that era - centralized command with decentralized control. This approach recognizes that the fight is really very different in each province and therefore strategy and tactics will need to be different to attain success.

As Nagl points out, to enjoy the kind of success the Brits had in Malaya, the U.S. Army "will have to make the ability to learn to deal with messy, uncomfortable situations an integral part" of its organizational culture. It must, per T.E. Lawrence, be comfortable "eating soup with a knife." Additionally, as a previous reviewer states quite clearly, "it must be ready to work with outside resources as well, such as the United Nations, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and various religious institutions."

Overall, Nagl offers terrific analysis. This work should be required reading for all officers of all branches of the U.S. military.

Counterinsurgency Mandatory Reading.......2007-07-21

Since the Iraq War effort collapsed into something other than a simple liberation of oppressed people, I have tried to gain insight into our problems there by studying books on Iraq's current situation, on US foreign relationships, ancient and recent Mesopotamian history, Israeli and Palestinian Middle East history, and historic counterinsurgency successes and failures in various parts of the World.

Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife is the most illuminating that I have encountered. Col. John A. Nagl very meticulously converts knowledge obtained in writing his Masters and Doctorate theses into a readable analysis of military success in Malaya and non-success in Vietnam.

You must read his preface to the paperback edition both before and after reading the book; this in fairness to our gallant folks serving in the Middle East. You must also abandon any hopes you may have for a blood-and-guts exposé of battleground behavior.

This is science, not sensationalism.

I wish that our military AND our civilian leaders had been able to study this book and to do serious, long-term advanced planning for Iraq based upon it. I am convinced that such luxury would have placed us in a vastly different position than our current one.

Counterinsurgency.......2007-07-03

This book is an excellent review of the successful British counterinsurgency war in Malaysia and the unsuccessful US counterinsurgency in Vietnam. The author draws the correct conclusion that it is necessary to win the support of the people. The author misses the important lesson that the British war cost Britain probably 100 dead vs. the Vietnam cost to the US of 50,000. The second lesson that the author should have learned is that it is critical to keep our casualties low. It is better to take a long time (like the British did - 12 years) that to suffer higher casualties.

Insightful Book for military buff.......2007-06-18

I bought a copy of this book for my boyfriend, serving in the US Army. He enjoys it, recommended it to his fellow officers.

Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East and Southeast Asia

Average customer rating:

Dragons and Tigers: A Geography of South, East and Southeast Asia
Barbara A. Weightman
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Geography | Social Sciences | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books

Earth Sciences | Sciences | New & Used Textbooks | Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Science | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The World of Asia
When City and Country Collide: Managing Growth In The Metropolitan Fringe
Urbanization: An Introduction to Urban Geography (2nd Edition)

ASIN: 0471253588

Book Description

This book explores conditions, events, problems and trends of the Asian region and its individual nations. Using a cross disciplinary approach, the author discusses evolving physical and cultural landscapes. Nature-society relations will provide the foundation for social, economic, political and environmental problems.

Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)

Average customer rating:

The SE asia bible!
Lonely Planet- not with this many package tourists.
Great to read but difficult to do so due to VERY SMALL print.
typical shoestring guide
Lonely Planet SE Asia

Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)
China Williams , George Dunford , Rafael Wlodarski , Simone Egger , Matt Phillips , Nick Ray , Robert Reid , Paul Smitz , Tasmin Waby , and Matt Warren
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Southeast | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Lonely Planet | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

Budget Travel | Specialty Travel | Travel | Subjects | Books

Ecotourism | Specialty Travel | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Trailblazer South East Asia: The Graphic Guide
Lonely Planet South America on a Shoestring
Lonely Planet China
To Asia with Love: A Connoisseurs' Guide to Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam.
Lonely Planet Thailand

ASIN: 1741044448

Book Description

The original and the best, Lonely Planet's `yellow bible' is your ticket to endless adventure in Southeast Asia. Want nonstop parties in 24-hour cities? Feel like sunning your skin on a deserted, white-sand beach? Picture yourself having tea with a remote hilltribe? Written by backpackers for backpackers, this guide will help you stay longer, pay less and experience more.

DIVE UNDER THE COVERS on current events, history, culture and the environment.

EAT CHEAP AND SLEEP EASY with our fully updated coverage of the best eateries and great-value accommodation.

GET YOUR THRILLS - the best scuba diving, elephant-trekking, rock-climbing, sea kayaking and surfing.

TALK YOUR WAY IN with our handy language guide.

BEAT YOUR OWN PATH using over 170 detailed maps.

Customer Reviews:

The SE asia bible!.......2006-11-29

Used this book to travel in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Bali (though I finally ended up buying another book for Bali as Indonesia itself is huge). Don't know if there is a better book that covers so many countries this well. Other people on tour had the Rough guide to SE Asia book and we found this one to be more useful because it had better maps and more information.

Obviously a bit tailored towards backpackers but you can easily find more upscale places (hotels, restaurants etc) in the "splurge" section.

Wouldn't dare to say that it covers everything but certainly a must-have for people traveling in the area

Lonely Planet- not with this many package tourists........2006-02-18

"Nobody touches the Lonely Planet for budget travel advice," states the back cover of this book.

I just finished travelling around Southeast Asia with this as my primary guidebook. It includes the basics for getting around, eating, etc... but it really is just the basics. I have used other books from the lonely planet series in the past, and have found them good enough to continue using, at least until this volume. It has been 5 years since I was in this region last, and things have changed. Especially the guidebook, which was once a rich trove of off-the-beaten-path hints and tips. Increasingly, however, it seems that the Lonely Planet authors seem less interested in helping you find a unique experience and more interested in serving up a cookie-cutter, package tourist rehash. I have a couple grievances with this book:

-It insists on constantly pointing out little sidebars entitled "Splurge!" which indicate ways that the budget traveller can spend a great deal of money in one shot. Why this is in a travel guide called "shoestring" I couldn't tell you. Neither do the authors, but I suppose we can assume that backpackers are interested in spending $5 a night for a couple of months and then blowing $150 to stay in some posh hotel in Kuala Lumpur or racking up an additional $20 in credit card debt for an entirely forgettable dining experience in Bangkok. I just don't feel these are relevant to 99% of actual budget travellers, but they waste a lot of space that could be much better used on greater detail. But I will get to that in a minute.

-Another issue I have is the lack of actual information about actually moving from one place to the next cheaply. Cheap local transport is available in many of the places covered in the book. For some reason though, the book usually offers helpful advice like 'just take a cab,' or 'buses are so cheap, so don't bother with local transport.' As an independent traveler that actually enjoys saving money AND spending time with the locals (what's the purpose of traveling again?!?!), I regret the lack of information about local transport.

-The maps in the book, though better than some in past editions, leave much to be desired. Streets are incorrectly labeled or in the wrong place, intersections are vaguely marked, and occasionally they add a street that doesn't exist or remove a street that does. Worst of all, in a region that prides itself on an almost complete lack of road signage, not many good landmarks are given to orient oneself. There is little that is less fun on the road than standing in front of a train station, staring at one's new alien surroundings, being hassled by touts who are trying to steer you in the wrong direction while trying to find that cheap hostel you read about.

Look, if you want a run-of-the-mill book to complete a run-of-the-mill trip, by all means, you will find this book quite helpful. But if you are looking for that individual experience that is the beauty of independent travel, you might be best going with a different guide for this region.

By the way, the quote I wrote at the beginning should be viewed as a warning rather than an enticement

Great to read but difficult to do so due to VERY SMALL print........2006-01-28

I really like the Lonely Planet guides, and this one is very good regarding the amount of information it contains. My main complaint is the size of the type. Not only is it very small and difficult to read even with glasses on, but the paper is very thin so the words from the reverse page show through. I'd rather pay a couple of extra dollars and have higher quality paper. I also agree with other reviewers who felt that the Indonesia chapter could easily be eliminated, partly because it is difficult to due justice to that widespread country in a chapter.

typical shoestring guide.......2005-08-25

This guide is really good value, although you notice easily that it covers a lot of countries. South East Asia is big, the book is limited in size and therefore detail is missing. I bought seperate guides for Laos and Cambodia and this benifited my trip greatly.
Also, the part about Bangkok doesn't show the best bits and doesn't quite warn you for the worst(sex tourism), either.

Lonely Planet SE Asia.......2005-08-15

This is another great issue from the dedicated researchers, writers and readers of the practical and economic guides for world travelers. The SE Asia book is written with particular care, insight, and affection. In addition to a wealth of information on the countries of SE Asia, the guide offers some of the best practical advice for living, traveling, and surviving in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and other countries I did not visit and thus cannot speak to. It was just as good as any of their guides to China or India I that I have used in the past.

Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia

Average customer rating:

Wonderful
Some issues with book
Very Good Coffee Table Book. Good recipes, but expensive
This literary and culinary triumph is a ticket to SE Asia.
Like Southeast Asian Food? Get this book!

Hot Sour Salty Sweet: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast Asia
Jeffrey Alford , and Naomi Duguid
Manufacturer: Artisan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

History | Gastronomy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Southeast | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Mangoes & Curry Leaves: Culinary Travels Through the Great Subcontinent
Seductions of Rice
Thai Food
Flatbreads & Flavors
Home Baking: The Artful Mix of Flour and Traditions from Around the World

ASIN: 1579651143

Amazon.com

The Mekong region, which extends south from China through Laos and Thailand to Cambodia and Vietnam, offers extraordinary food. Hot Sour Salty Sweet, which takes its name from the principal taste sensations of the region's cooking, provides an unparalleled culinary journey through this fertile land. Though the book contains a wealth of anecdotal material, its great strength lies in its 175 recipes, explicit formulas for the likes of Shrimp in Hot Lime Leaf Broth, Lao Yellow Rice and Duck, and Hui Beef Stew with Chick Peas and Anise. The breadth and substance of this authentic yet approachable collection is truly exciting; readers who cook from the book (not difficult to do once ingredients are assembled and techniques understood), as well as those searching for the best kind of armchair travel, will be delighted.

Beginning with a discussion of the Mekong region, its people (a complicated mix, among them the Kai, Akha, and Cham), and their characteristic foods, the book then provides recipes organized by ingredients, dish types, and topics such as "Everyday Dependable," "One-Dish Meals," "Kids Like It," and "Vegetarian Options." This latter style of division helps define and "domesticate" a vast array of cooking, often enjoyed at times and places foreign to Westerners. Chapters devoted to such sweets as Tapioca and Corn Pudding with Coconut Cream, grilled specialties, and fare for adventurous cooks, such as Aromatic Steamed Fish Curry (more painstaking technically, though not truly difficult) further widen the book's scope. Illustrated throughout with 150 color photos and containing a comprehensive ingredient glossary, the book is a definitive point of entry to a mostly unexplored culinary port of call. --Arthur Boehm

Book Description

Luminous at dawn and dusk, the Mekong is a river road, a vibrant artery that defines a vast and fascinating region. Here, along the world's tenth largest river, which rises in Tibet and joins the sea in Vietnam, traditions mingle and exquisite food prevails.

Award-winning authors Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid followed the river south, as it flows through the mountain gorges of southern China, to Burma and into Laos and Thailand. For a while the right bank of the river is in Thailand, but then it becomes solely Lao on its way to Cambodia. Only after three thousand miles does it finally enter Vietnam and then the South China Sea.

It was during their travels that Alford and Duguid—who ate traditional foods in villages and small towns and learned techniques and ingredients from cooks and market vendors—came to realize that the local cuisines, like those of the Mediterranean, share a distinctive culinary approach: Each cuisine balances, with grace and style, the regional flavor quartet of hot, sour, salty, and sweet. This book, aptly titled, is the result of their journeys.

Like Alford and Duguid's two previous works, Flatbreads and Flavors ("a certifiable publishing event" —Vogue) and Seductions of Rice ("simply stunning"—The New York Times), this book is a glorious combination of travel and taste, presenting enticing recipes in "an odyssey rich in travel anecdote" (National Geographic Traveler).

The book's more than 175 recipes for spicy salsas, welcoming soups, grilled meat salads, and exotic desserts are accompanied by evocative stories about places and people. The recipes and stories are gorgeously illustrated throughout with more than 150 full-color food and travel photographs.

In each chapter, from Salsas to Street Foods, Noodles to Desserts, dishes from different cuisines within the region appear side by side: A hearty Lao chicken soup is next to a Vietnamese ginger-chicken soup; a Thai vegetable stir-fry comes after spicy stir-fried potatoes from southwest China.

The book invites a flexible approach to cooking and eating, for dishes from different places can be happily served and eaten together: Thai Grilled Chicken with Hot and Sweet Dipping Sauce pairs beautifully with Vietnamese Green Papaya Salad and Lao sticky rice.

North Americans have come to love Southeast Asian food for its bright, fresh flavors. But beyond the dishes themselves, one of the most attractive aspects of Southeast Asian food is the life that surrounds it. In Southeast Asia, people eat for joy. The palate is wildly eclectic, proudly unrestrained. In Hot, Sour, Salty, Sweet, at last this great culinary region is celebrated with all the passion, color, and life that it deserves.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful.......2006-08-17

This was given to me by a good friend. I love to cook, and over the years have struggled with South East asian, Thai in particular, cooking. But this book lays it all out in such a way, and has such clear instructions that, in combination with an asian grocery store, it is foolproof. As a bonus, the travelogues and side bars are wonderfully interesting. Even if you don't cook, you will be taken away on a wonderful culinary journey through the region.

Some issues with book.......2006-07-12

Pondering on whether to return book or not. Purchased for Cambodian recipes, having a hard time finding a Cambodian cookbook, this was the best bet = and it does have dishes for things we ate like Khmer soup, pumpkin curry and a similar version to Amok. (oddly i have the amok recipe in my New York Cookbook, a favorite standby)

But as an avid photographer and traveler and cookbook collector, i have to say the travel writing is amateurish, the photos are not great (a mini picture of Angkor wat and i don't think i saw many pictures of places i'd been to in thailand or vietnam - just street scenes - what kind of travelogue is this?) and never seem to match the right page (you would think there would be a photo of what you are reading about next to it) and the pictures of dishes are far and few between. For the huge irregular book format of the book there are not that many recipes. Compare for example "the Cook's Book" for the same heft has 685 recipes.. Compare with Nobu Now for the difference in food photography capability..

if many of these reviews didn't say the recipes are good they are part of daily repetoire, i'm tempted to return. it really is way to big for the content inside.

Very Good Coffee Table Book. Good recipes, but expensive.......2005-12-31

`Hot Sour Salty Sweet' by husband and wife team, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid is a troublesome book to evaluate. Its biggest problem is its relatively high list price ($45) for no more than average culinary content. Much of that inflated price is based on its oversized heft and the fact that it mixes cooking content with comments on culinary regionalism and pure travelogue in text and pictures.

I confess that this is a very attractive book, very similar in appearance to their later volume, `Home Baking' that I enjoyed and very favorably reviewed. And, since the authors have just come out with a new book with similar heft, price, and subject, I figured it was time to attend to reviewing this volume.

Aside from the price, I have one major problem with this book. While its focus is the culinary world of Southeast Asia, the text is far more anecdotal and personal than it is analytical. After reviewing many excellent books on the regional cooking of France, Italy, and other parts of the Mediterranean, I really find this book very thin on substance. Part of the problem for me may be that it tries to cover far too great an area. In 324 pages of material, they cover Thailand, Burma, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, and Yunnan Province of China. Thailand alone has required a 675 page book (`Thai Food') from David Thompson. And, on the ingredients of Asia, you can get a far more comprehensive coverage in Bruce Cost's classic `Asian Ingredients'.

In contrast, the books on Italy's regions all include great insights on the origins of culinary mores in these relatively small venues. And, while Arthur Schwartz' book on Naples may include 50 detailed recipes for pasta in Campania, this book gives but 10 for a much larger region. On the other hand, I give the authors extra credit for providing a recipe for fresh, homemade rice noodles. You may have a bit of a problem wrangling this big book around your kitchen and making a decent photocopy of the oversized page, but it is still a good recipe.

If you have no interest whatsoever in acquiring any OTHER books on Southeast Asian cuisine and you have the budget for it, this is a very nice book. I just think that if you are serious about learning about food, you look for books with greater depth and less fluff.

I find it very interesting that none of the blurbs on the back of the book refer to this volume and none are from culinary notables. All refer to the authors' earlier book on flatbreads and most come from general publications such as `The New York Times' and `The Globe and Mail'.

I can really appreciate all the nice things other reviewers have said about this book, as I was impressed with it when I first looked at it 300 cookbook recipes ago. Since then, I find it just a bit too light for the price.

Recommended as a good coffee table book. Look for it at a steep discount!

This literary and culinary triumph is a ticket to SE Asia........2005-06-20

Of the dozen cookbooks I own, this remains my favorite. Mr. Alfrod and Mrs. Duguid bring the sights, sounds and smells of the Mekong river alive with excellent prose, assisted by photos from their travels. I have made about half the recipes in this book, and they are excellent. As the authors mention, their children love it, and I can believe it. Some ingredients and techniques are unusual, but the detailed instructions and indexes make it easy to get into SE Asian cooking. Some days I end up reading a few dozen pages when a just meant to pick a simple recipe. It is as delicious to enjoy in the study as in the dinning room!

Like Southeast Asian Food? Get this book!.......2005-06-18

I have been cooking food from Southeast Asia for over 15 years, so I have quite a cookbook collection. I must say that this is one of the best books on the subject that I own. They got it right in the title: hot, sour, salty, sweet---the combination of flavors used all over Southeast Asia. Great information for beginner or seasoned cook. And, wonderful, authentic recipes to boo! A must have for anyone interested in cooking food from this area of the world. ---Rev. Jeff, www.revjeff.com

Average customer rating:

Pocket Perfect
Great
easy to use
Excellent!
SOCIALLY IRRESPONSIBLE !!!

Thai: Lonely Planet Phrasebook
Bruce Evans , and Lonely Planet Phrasebooks
Manufacturer: Lonely Planet Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

Southeast | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Lonely Planet Thailand
Lonely Planet Thailand
Lonely Planet Thailand's Islands & Beaches
Thai for Beginners
Thai-English English-Thai Dictionary for Non-Thai Speakers, Revised Edition (Dictionary) (Dictionary)

ASIN: 174059231X

Book Description

Thailand is the Land of Smiles. A grin shows companionship. A laugh shows forgiveness. But what if you need a second-class train ticket from Bangkok to Chiang Mai? Keep smiling - this phrasebook will show you the way.

DID YOU KNOW?
When people talk about the Thai language they are really referring to a Central Thai dialect that has succeeded in becoming the standard official language for the whole country. For this reason Thai is only spoken as a first language in the central provinces of the nation. As Thai is the official language of education, government and media it's basically understood from North to South although recent estimates suggest that less than half the population of Thailand speak and understand Thai fluently.

Customer Reviews:

Pocket Perfect.......2007-05-13

This is an excellent phrase book, easy to carry, easy to read and broken into easy to find section. Combined with a short language program this book carried me across Thailand comfortably. I mentione the language program because the pronunciation is a bit tricky to break down phonetically, altho Lonely Planet does a great job of it. I have used lonely planet phrase books for all of Asia and Northern Africa, but I must admit I use Rick Steve's phrase books for European travel. Lonely Planet Guide Books are also very good, especially for the bargain traveler.

Great.......2007-04-10

This book has several great features.
-It is small and easy to fit in a pocket, bag etc.
-It has the words written out in thai. Without hearing and practicing pronunciation I find it very hard to get the tones and accent right. When people give me a blank look I can just point. VERY helpful. Especially considering that Thai words written in the roman alphabet make no sense to Thai people.
-It covers all sorts of situations. Basic travel needs like getting around, buying things, to dealing with medical problems, and even to pick-up lines
-some of the situations are so absurd (in that the average person would know a lot more thai or be dealing with an english speaker before that would happen) that it makes a great conversation piece hanging around the hostel. "Oh, yeah, well I know how to say 'don't worry, it happens to lots of guys. Beat that!'

If you're not looking to actually learn thai, but just want some help getting around and trying not to be the Ugly American, then I recommend this book.

easy to use.......2007-03-31

I bought this book because it's small and you can carry it with you on your trips. it's easy to use and understand as well. great book if you're just vacationing and want to learn enough to get around the country.

Excellent!.......2007-03-28

The best part about this book is the pronunciation guide. Thai can be tricky with all the tones, this book made it very simple to understand. If anything the sex and drug sections can just be for entertainment. I tried out these phrases just for fun, never seriously used them. Good for a laugh. Several Thai people have asked me to send them a copy.

SOCIALLY IRRESPONSIBLE !!!.......2006-10-02

This book has a section called "What's your poison" which gives translations for several illegal drugs. It also describes how to ask for a clean syringe. Drugs are illegal in Thailand, but this book helps to promote their use by providing these translations.

Average customer rating:

Angkor Wat
Photobook Angkor
Outstanding Photos and history
Awesome Angkor
A Must-Have Book on Angkor Temples

Angkor: Celestial Temples of the Khmer
Jon Ortner , Ian W. Mabbett , James Goodman , Ian Mabbett , Eleanor Mannikka , and John Sanday
Manufacturer: Abbeville Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Byzantine | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Architectural | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

Cambodia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Southeast Asia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

Cambodia | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Angkor and the Khmer Civilization (Ancient Peoples and Places)
The Civilization of Angkor
Churning the Sea of Time: A Journey Up the Mekong to Angkor
Angkor: Cambodia's Wondrous Khmer Temples, Fifth Edition (Odyssey Illustrated Guide)
Sacred Angkor: The Carved Reliefs of Angkor Wat

ASIN: 0789207184

Book Description

An exquisitely illustrated history and exploration of Angkor, the world's most astonishing architectural treasure.

Built between the ninth and the thirteenth centuries by a succession of twelve Khmer kings, Angkor spreads over 120 square miles in Southeast Asia and includes scores of major architectural sites. In 802, when construction began on Angkor Wat, with wealth from rice and trade, Jayavarman ll took the throne, initiating an unparalleled period of artistic and architectural achievement, exemplified in the fabled ruins of Angkor, center of the ancient empire. Among the amazing pyramid and mandala shaped shrines preserved in the jungles of Cambodia, is Angkor Wat, the world's largest temple, an extraordinarily complex structure filled with iconographic detail and religious symbolism. Perhaps because of the decline of agricultural productivity and the expansion of the Thai Empire, Angkor was abandoned in the fifteenth century and left to the ravages of time. Today, many countries continue efforts to conserve and restore the temples, which have been inaccessible until recently. Now that the civil war has ended, Angkor is being reborn and is an increasingly popular tourist destination.

Undaunted by the difficulties of traveling through Cambodia and eastern Thailand, Jon Ortner, accompanied by his wife Martha, has photographed fifty of the most important and unique monuments of the Khmer Empire. His images include spectacular views from the rooftops of its temples, glorious landscapes, and details of inscriptions and art that few have ever seen.

The text by a team of distinguished experts provides historical, architectural, and religious analyses of Angkor and the Khmer civilization. The Appendix offers a glossary, a chronology of construction, and a chart of the kings and their accomplishments. Black-and-white floor plans and historic watercolors complete this breathtaking tribute.

Other details: 240 illustrations, 225 in full color

Customer Reviews:

Angkor Wat .......2007-09-06

Excellent book! I wish I had known about this book before I went to Angkor Wat.

Photobook Angkor.......2007-06-07

Angkor, Celestial temples of the Khmer Empire is a photobook limited to the Angkor Site and some outlining temples. Although the quality of the photo's is excellent, the book itself with regards to the informative value is disappointing. An exception to this is the chronology of sites. Angkor: Temples et monumentsThe Treasures of Angkor: Cultural Travel Guide (Rizzoli Art Guide)Angkor: Cambodia's Wondrous Khmer Temples, Fifth Edition (Odyssey Illustrated Guide)Ancient Angkor (River Book Guides)Angkor Cities and Temples

Outstanding Photos and history.......2006-03-09

I purchased three books on Angkor Wat after my week visit to Siem Reap, Cambodia and this book was by far the best I have seen. The photos are excellent and the narration in very informative. It is expensive but worth it.

Awesome Angkor.......2005-04-09

Wow, what a spectacular book, truly amazing. I was blown away by the quality of the photography, the reader actually feels like they are in the jungle amid the ruins of Angkor. I have never visited Angkor Wat and probably never will, but after experiencing this book, I feel somehow that I have been there. The quality of the book is superior and the book even comes in a wonderful case. The publisher should be congradulated, it's a luxurious book. Some books are extremely expensive and you wonder why, I can assure you, you will not ask that about this one. If you have any interest in this subject or just like to own beautiful things I urge you to purchase this book, it will be a jewel in your book collection

A Must-Have Book on Angkor Temples.......2004-02-02

Through his magical photographic eye, Jon Ortner has created a wondrous collection of striking images and scholarly prose. His perfectly lit photographs and well-documented historic descriptions allow one to easily understand this complicated ancient subject. Each temple is clearly organized into relevant sections from the central Angkor area to the rare and never-before-seen temples in the outer lying areas. If you have visited Angkor - Ortner's book is the perfect addition to your library. Or, if you have not visited, this book provides the perfect impetus.

Average customer rating:

THE cookbook for SE Asian cooking
ASIAN SPECIALTIES
One of my favourite cookbooks!
A Journey for the tastebuds!
south-east asian eating delights

Southeast Asian Specialties (Culinaria)

Manufacturer: Konemann
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Culinaria: The United States: A Culinary Discovery (Culinaria)
Culinaria the Caribbean: A Culinary Discovery
Culinaria Germany (Culinaria)
Culinaria: European Specialties
Culinaria France

ASIN: 3895089095

Amazon.com

Southeast Asian Specialties starts with a map, a proverb ("other fields, other insects; other seas, other fish"), and a photo of whole, bronzed, barbecued chickens suspended in a shop window. The image is so vivid you can taste the salty crackle of their crisp, lacquered skin. From here, this encyclopedic book, crammed with information, unforgettable photos, and more than 200 recipes, takes you on a vivid journey through Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The chapter on each of these places opens with a brief overview of the local culture and history. This is followed by a procession of spreads, each devoted to a single subject. Cumulatively, this provides a comprehensive experience of the area's rich culinary life.

Since the Chinese are a major influence throughout Southeast Asia, you learn about the health-promoting principles of balance and about ingredients with medicinal benefits that are commonly used in home cooking. The "Dim Sum" section, like many others in the book, shows a dozen or more dishes, with captions providing detailed information. Often names are given in both Mandarin and Cantonese, and the Latin name is provided for anything that grows, from water spinach to various mushrooms. To deepen your understanding of local ingredients, you see how fresh beans become bean sprouts, how tofu and tempeh, indigenous to Indonesia, are made, and how shiitake mushrooms are grown. Equipment is described, with such details as how to season a new earthenware cooking pot.

Daring cooks can enjoy recipes for spicy Malaysian Fish Head Curry and succulent, silken Hainanese Poached Chicken. Those with access to an Asian market can try the recipe for Kuak Durian, a sauce made with the infamous fruit Southeast Asians adore, despite its revolting fragrance. On a simpler note you can make a Eurasian omelet, filled with fresh red chile peppers and onions. Whether or not you use its recipes, if you enjoy Asian food, this book is valuable and enlightening. --Dana Jacobi

Customer Reviews:

THE cookbook for SE Asian cooking.......2007-09-22

It just received a new reprint this year (07). Technically, I wouldn't call it a true cookbook. You aren't going to find glossy Jamie Oliver-ish recipes in them. But if you ever wonder what the heck is Singaporean-Malaysian-Indonesian cooking all about - this is a great AUTHENTIC guide and reference. No catering to western palettes; no pandering to external tastes preferences. Discover indigenous tastes; get to know unique ingredients; understand the culinary delights of this region.

ASIAN SPECIALTIES.......2007-01-12

I LOVE THE CULINARIA BOOKS. THIS ONE DID NOT DISAPPOINT ME! THE ONLY THING THAT I COULD WISH MORE OF FROM THIS BOOK IS THAT IT BE BIGGER. IT'S QUITE SMALL COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE BOOKS IN THIS SERIES, OTHER THAN HUNGARY,BUT JUST AS GOOD ALL THE SAME. VERY BEAUTIFUL PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE FOOD, PEOPLE AND THE COUNTRIES MENTIONED. NOT ONLY IS IT A COOKBOOK, IT'S ALSO A SMALL ENCYCLOPEDIA ABOUT THE FOOD DISCUSSED FROM SOUTH EAST ASIA. I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE SERIOUS ABOUT ASIAN FOOD AND WITH DEEP POCKETS. IT'S HARD TO FIND THIS BOOK FOR UNDER $90 ANYWHERE. TRY EBAY IF YOU CAN'T FIND IT HERE!

One of my favourite cookbooks!.......2000-07-23

When I got this for Christmas, 1999, I thought it was interesting...but more of a coffe table book than an actual working cookbook. And to some degree I was right: the print is rather small, making it hard to use in the kitchen, the recipes are the bare minimum and assume you absolutely know what you are doing, and the book is more photos of scenery than photos of dishes. But some of the recipes intrigued me, so I gave it a shot...and wow! I have not made a thing in here I didn't like. The Indonesian stuffed squid in spicy sauce ("cumi-cumi isi") is fabulous, and the Malaysian mutton in soy sauce with onions and tomatoes ("kambing kecup") is now a standard of mine -- I make it whenever I have some meat (I use any kind, including fish) and I can't be bothered to be ingenious! Another thing that makes me very fond of this book is the photos of ingredients, like galangal and kaffir limes leaves and candlenuts, with the names of things in several Asian languages, which I have found indispensible.

A Journey for the tastebuds!.......2000-03-28

After having spent 6 months in Hong Kong and enjoying the regional cuisine of Southeast Asia, I was hungering for an authentic book on the subject. I have found it through Culinaria. I have since purchased the other editions in the series. The photography is stunning and the recipes are quite authentic and varied. I have never disappointed a guest using these recipes. A must read!

south-east asian eating delights.......2000-03-28

This book is one of the best south-east asian cookbooks I've ever seen. There are plenty of pictures to show you what each dish should look like and there is an index of all the different ingredients you will have to find. The directions are easy to follow and the recipes that I've tried are wonderful. Just like being back in Malaysia. Even my mother has bought the book and she's Malaysian and a great cook! This book is also just a great book to learn about the different culture in south-east asia, but turning the pages will make your mouth water. Great recipes like penang laksa, assam chicken and rojak will make any meal authentic and delicious.

Home Landscaping: Southeast Region (Home Landscaping) (Home Landscaping)

Average customer rating:

Another wonderful resource
Great Idea Book and Reference for Southeast Landscaping
Excellent! Clear instructions with great diagrams.

Home Landscaping: Southeast Region (Home Landscaping) (Home Landscaping)
Roger Holmes , and Rita Buchanan
Manufacturer: Creative Homeowner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Landscape | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Garden Design | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Southeast Home Landscaping
Southern Living Landscape Book (Southern Living (Paperback Oxmoor))
Trees, Shrubs & Hedges for Home Landscaping: Secrets for Selection and Care
Tough Plants for Southern Gardens
The Southern Gardener's Book of Lists: The Best Plants for All Your Needs, Wants, and Whims

ASIN: 1580110037

Book Description

Home Landscaping: Southeast Region shows how to beautify 23 common landscape situations, such as front and back entries, walkways, borders, slopes, and patios. Design variations incorporate more than 200 of the best plants for the southeastern states. Readers also learn all they need to know to install the paths, fences, walls, arbors, and trellises that make up the designs. Step-by-step instructions show how to tackle each project. Plant descriptions also explain planting and care.

Customer Reviews:

Another wonderful resource.......2005-08-21

The book covers most of the landscaping issues with easy to understand planting guides. A very good book for planning all or a part of your yard.

Great Idea Book and Reference for Southeast Landscaping.......2002-02-15

I found this book in the library and after renewing it 3 times figured I'd better just buy it. I've checked out many garden plan books, but this one had the info I needed to plan for different seasons, how the plans would look in a few years, and what I needed to maintain the plants. It's specific to the Southeast so I don't waste time on plants that won't work for me. It's a great idea source and reference.

Excellent! Clear instructions with great diagrams........1999-03-23

This book is an excellent guide for the new or veteran homeowner. It's filled with lots of ideas and a variety of plants including trees, shrubs, perennials, groundcovers and a few annuals. It offers a samples of typical planting scenarios for the home landscaper. Identifying each design as good for sun or shade and showing the variations is one of the best features. Seasonal variations are also helpful. But the best feature is that it clearly diagrams the placement of each plant including distance from the structure and distance from each other. Drawings and actual photographs of plants are also helpful. I highly recommend this book for the new or renovating landscaper.

Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 (P.S.)

Average customer rating:

Good book but...
Nature at its Most Awesome
Great Read for a rather Dry subject
Delightful ramble to a big bang
Absolutely fascinating

Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883 (P.S.)
Simon Winchester
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Southeast Asia | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Earthquakes & Volcanoes | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Natural Disasters | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Science Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

A Crack in the Edge of the World: America and the Great California Earthquake of 1906
THE MAP THAT CHANGED WORLD
The Professor and the Madman
Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire
The River at the Center of the World, Revised: A Journey Up the Yangtze, and Back in Chinese Time

ASIN: 0060838590
Release Date: 2005-07-05

Amazon.com

It may seem a stretch to connect a volcanic eruption with civil and religious unrest in Indonesia today, but Simon Winchester makes a compelling case. Krakatoa tells the frightening tale of the biggest volcanic eruption in history using a blend of gentle geology and narrative history. Krakatoa erupted at a time when technologies like the telegraph were becoming commonplace and Asian trade routes were being expanded by northern European companies. This bustling colonial backdrop provides an effective canvas for the suspense leading up to August 27th, 1883, when the nearby island of Krakatoa would violently vaporize. Winchester describes the eruption through the eyes of its survivors, and readers will be as horrified and mesmerized as eyewitnesses were as the death toll reached nearly 40,000 (almost all of whom died from tsunamis generated by the unimaginably strong shock waves of the eruption). Ships were thrown miles inshore, endless rains of hot ash engulfed those towns not drowned by 100 foot waves, and vast rafts of pumice clogged the hot sea. The explosion was heard thousands of miles away, and the eruption's shock wave traveled around the world seven times. But the book's biggest surprise is not the riveting catalog of the volcano's effects; rather, it is Winchester's contention that the Dutch abandonment of their Indonesian colonies after the disaster left local survivors to seek comfort in radical Islam, setting the stage for a volatile future for the region. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

Simon Winchester, New York Times bestselling author of The Professor and the Madman, examines the legendary annihilation in 1883 of the volcano-island of Krakatoa, which was followed by an immense tsunami that killed nearly forty thousand people. The effects of the immense waves were felt as far away as France. Barometers in Bogotá and Washington, D.C., went haywire. Bodies were washed up in Zanzibar. The sound of the island's destruction was heard in Australia and India and on islands thousands of miles away. Most significant of all -- in view of today's new political climate -- the eruption helped to trigger in Java a wave of murderous anti-Western militancy among fundamentalist Muslims, one of the first outbreaks of Islamic-inspired killings anywhere. Krakatoa gives us an entirely new perspective on this fascinating and iconic event.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Customer Reviews:

Good book but..........2007-09-17

The topic is too fascinating. I surely would like to have some more maps in order to better follow the stories. I agree with other reviews that states that the book could have been shorter without losing nothing of the story. But in the overall it was a good reading.

Nature at its Most Awesome.......2007-09-13

Of all the volcanoes throughout the world, it is probably the case that Krakatoa is the most well known. Its awesome explosion in 1883 was heard more than 5,000 kilometres away. It caused extraordinary sunrises and sunsets across the world for years. There has never been anything quite like it in recorded history.

Simon Winchester has performed an admirable task in bringing the background to the events of 1883 to light. At time he dwells too much on the esoteric but, in the end, he brings us back to the explosion and its consequences. The reader is wrapped up in the story as it rolls along. We are mesmerised by the explosion itself and almost as fascinated by the island of today. Indeed, at the end of the book, Winchester travels to new Krakatoa and scales its ever growing peak to peer down into the cauldron. How many among us would know that the island is again growing apace? In fact, return to the sight after a few years' absence and the changed topography is obvious to the naked eye. One can only surmise that, one day, history could well repeat itself.

I enjoyed Winchester's tale. He can be prone to being distracted by less than totally relevant facts but, in the end, he has told a great story. Read this book and marvel at the forces of nature over which humans have no control.

Great Read for a rather Dry subject.......2007-09-08

One would not have thought that a book about Krkakatoa would be this intersting, it does take you on tangential subjects which nevertheless are fundamentally the cause of Krakatoa. I learnt a lot.

The grandness of the event describe would be even grander if we had not already known/experienced the Indian ocean Tsunami of 2005.

This book lets you understand the forces underlying that as well. A very good read, even if at times you get more information than you think you need.

Highly recommended

Delightful ramble to a big bang.......2007-09-08

This is not the direct route to Krakatoa. If you are ready for a delightful historical and scientific ramble with plenty of quirky side trips (including parentheticals*)that eventually bring you to "The Day the World Exploded" then you will love this book. From why a lace furniture shroud is called an "antimacassar" to the German roots of Tsingtao beer. By the time the tsunami arrives you may have forgotten that this was why you picked up the book in the first place. But in this case it is very much about the voyage not the destination.

* And plenty of footnotes.

Absolutely fascinating.......2007-09-05

To Simon Winchester, Krakatoa is more than just a volcano: it is an anti-hero of sorts, a figure that has existed for thousands of years, that has been the source of myth and mayhem. Krakatoa has shaped the way we view the world, and no one can tell that story quite like Winchester.

Winchester tackles this tale like any other epic--starting at the beginning, working up to the climax (he doesn't reach the actual 1883 eruption until page 200, and then spends only 60 pages on it), and then going into the aftermath...or, in this case, a new beginning. You'll learn more than you bargained for by purchasing this book; but then again, you won't really care. Winchester tackles subjects ranging from the foundations of trade in the East Indies, to the origins of the Islamic faith. He spends a bit too much time dealing with the science of plate tectonics (although the history of the theory is told in a fascinating manner), but we can forgive him for this brief geological digression, as it is relevant to the story (many of his digressions have very little to do with Krakatoa directly, although you won't mind one bit). "Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded" is an informative, interesting story of one of history's most infamous creations. More importantly, though, it is simply a good read.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books