Short and simple will be enough here:

128 pages of mystical beauty that can be found in the Hymalayas and in this book. There is some use of symbolic metaphors of early morning mysts, people, homes, genuine symbols of culture and nature. Movements captured for an eternity. A window to peer through for most of the people that will never be able to experience and see these places and its' people in their lives. There is good in this, for too many people would destroy such beauty and equanimity....

First a disclaimer: I am a friend, and working peer of David's albeit my caim to fame is in an entirely different genre, though my recent work is now following in David's footsteps, metaphorically speaking.

This work is heady. Makes you a bit short of breath at times. Jealous. Beautiful. Not only the subject matter (fifty years of footprints!) but also, for me, it's the formalist quality of the actual photography. He gives us an unwavering horizontal rectangle and fills it with stunning, buzzing, mature compositons and color, whether it be in a blinding whiteout or an early morning smoke with sherpas. His photographs bring us an inherently exotic world (and thus terribly misused) in a style relative to that of Eggleston, Singh, and Misrach. Important work, that overshadows the mostly sad, mediocre books done on this region by well placed trekkers.

This is about the people, and their art of living in such a grand and harsh place. David's own art brings it all home. I congratulate him for bringing this legacy to the world.

It is clear that David Robbins reveals artistic intellegence surpassed only by the beauty of his subject matter. As I turn through the pages I see metaphore after metaphore expressed by horses as mountains, a mother and child as a great wind, a man bearing a burden to the elevations as great slices of frozen rock jutt upward toward the sky. These metaphores call to us and serve as reminders of endurance, of simplicity, and all that is precious. In the pages of this book, your imagination can be unlocked and your thirst for understanding and compassion unbridled. It is important, especially in this time, to remember the beauty of the human spirit, the beauty of the earth and how they can fit together.

This book, which should be entitled "A day in the Life of Vietnamese" is the creation of Rick Smolan of the "Day in the Life" series.

In 1994, 70 photographers descended on Vietnam for a week to take pictures of the Vietnamese at work from north to south. They caught people in the middle of shopping, selling, eating, working, napping, and so on. The result is a fascinating book detailing the life of Vietnamese during that week.

While most pictures are interesting and original, a few are unique to the Vietnamese society.

Vietnam is one of the most picturesque countries and colorful cultures. Yet it remains as one of the least understood countries in the world, despite having been one of the most publicized. This photo journalistic journey allows pictures to speak volumes. Look into the eyes of the children, the lives of the rice farmers. The art, the economy, family and community interaction -- are all visible and life-like in this representation of life today in Vietnam

PASSAGE TO VIETNAM (Against All Odds/Interval Research, CD-ROM for PC and Mac, $39.95) With its 400 photos, hour of video, lilting indigenous music, and insightful essays, this landmark disc transports you to contemporary Vietnam, where pigs squawk, mothers tote babies on their backs, and peddlers hawk dried sea horses. This Passage, produced with Scorsese-like lushness by Rick Smolan, is no swanky animated program, but it is virtual reality of a high and literary nature because it makes you dream. Without wasting words, the photographers eloquently tell the stories behind their pictures--stories of people at work and play. Though we can't help but remember the horror of war, Passage helps us to see that time has begun its healing. A+ --Harold Goldberg

This book had me bursting out in laughter, some of the accounts are simply hilarious!! And other times, it's so heartwarming that I start to sniffle a bit... wow, talk about an emotional roller-coaster. Then again, I go through the same thing whenever I watch the Animal Planet channel.

Seriously though, besides being a great joy to read this book also contains a wealth of tips and information on traveling with your canine friends. I have 3 of such friends, it'll take quite a bit of planning to be able to go on a road trip with all of them one of these days, but you can bet that I'll be re-reading this book before I do so!

Like the previous reviewer said, you gotta LOVE dogs to appreciate this book. If you are one of those that regard them as merely animals, and nothing else, then you won't understand half the things that the writers are trying to convey.

If you love dogs -- I mean *really* love dogs -- and would take them anywhere you travel or while sitting on a park bench in some foreign city would go out of your to pet a stranger's dog, then I highly recommend this book to you. Editor Christine Hunsicker has pulled together some of the most touching, amusing, and disturbing non-fiction writing about traveling with dogs. I also highly recommend it as a gift to give to anyone you know who really loves dogs.

Hardcover, 180 pages, 10.5" by 14.5" ...Yes, I said fourteen and a half inches tall!

Its a great book for children & adults who love famous palaces & castles of the world. Many color photos, history, floorplan, and a beautifully colored cutaway drawing of each of the 12 residences. They include: Windsor Castle(England); The Alhambra(Spain); Neuschwanstein Castle(Germany); Peterhof(Russia); Red Fort(India); Katsura(Japan); Versailles(France); The Doge's Palace(Italy); Royal Palace of Stockholm(Sweden); Topkapi(Turkey); The Potala(Tibet); Hearst Castle(California).

A fantastic book from a fantastic website. The stories from Europe seem strongest, including Bill Barich in Italy, Maxine Rose Schur in France, and Simon Winchester in Romania, but Wanderlust covers the entire globe, from 1st world to 3rd world, from the luxury of club med to the drug-fueled violence of Columbia.

While some stories lag behind, as should be expected with 40+ tales, there is certain to be something for everyone. One reviewer found Barry Yeoman's piece about lonliness in Spain and Karl Greenfeld struggle to stay sober in Thailand as two of the worst, but I would highlight the same pieces as two of my favorites.

For any wayward traveler forced to take a break from the road, salon.com's Wanderlust makes for a great escape.

I've been a fan of Salon.com for about a year, particularly their dearly departed Travel section. One or two of the stories in this book, I remembered reading from the online column, but they were surprising and entertaining in a second read. A book of short stories by various authors should be diverse and each story should be somewhat different, but still cohesive enough to hold together under a single theme. This book manages to do that excellently through it's theme of wanderlust. The concept of wanderlust, of desiring to go on a journey that puts you outside your everday life and opens your horizons, is thoroughly elucidated in this work. Reading this book will make you want to travel to distant lands. I highly recommend it.

Salon's "Wanderlust" section was always my favorite part of Salon -- even more so than "Sex":). This book is a marvelous collection of authentic writing, and answers the kinds of questions good travel writing asks -- what is it like to be drinking absinthe in Spain? to be penniless and in love in Paris? to be a cynic at Club Med? to try to stay sober in Thailand?

This is armchair travel at its very best.

I agree with the reviewer, who wrote down there that this book is like being in Japan again. I first read it 6 years ago, and I still re-read it to this day, even opening pages at random, and reading what I find; This book is the closest the written word comes to capturing a visit to Japan (I have read virtually every "foreigner in Japan" Armchair-travel book that have come out since Pictures From the Water Trade, and this is hands down the best). By the way, some reviewers keep referring to Sachiko as a "character" as if this is a work of fiction, which it is NOT. Pico Iyer obviously would not use the real name of the individual, but this is an account of his stay in Japan, not a fictional tale. I have been in Japan, and studied the Japanese language and culture for over ten years, and I can attest that Mr. Iyer's observations are accurate and descriptive of Japan. If you are a Non-Japanese interested in Japan, have never been there, and wish to know how it feels, read this book! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

I first read The Lady And The Monk by Pico Iyer over a year ago. I always find myself picking it up again. I can turn to any part of the book and feel I am in Kyoto myself. Mr. Iyer has shown us that the old Japan is still alive. Tradition, sorrow, simplicity. Although Mr. Iyer was only searching for insight into Zen, he found much more than this in his relationship with a woman he met while in Kyoto. As their story unfolds, we are able to peel back the layers of what we conceive Japan to be, and we can see the jewel that has been a secret to the West since Perry sailed into Tokyo Bay. Thank you Mr. Iyer for sharing. I only wish that I could find this book written in Japanese to share with a friend.

I stayed up all night reading the Lady and the Monk. This is the second book I have read by Pico Aver, the other being Video nights in Katmandu. I teach Japanese woman in Hawaii, and I can attest that Sachiko is real. Her constant tears brought me back to encounters with my Japanese friends. When the Japanese mask is removed, there is alot of repressed emotion and longing there. I am going to reread this book again. A first reading is never enough to digest Pico Ayer's lyrical descriptions. I feel he is a poet. I feel his soul through this book. For example, the way he comforts Sachiko, never lying to her that he will stay with her. It is a beautiful love story as well as a transporting guidebook to Kyoto. I am going to Japan to teach and can't wait to see Kyoto through his eyes. I encourage readers to read all of Ayers books. He has a way of observing aspects of a culture in a very short time that are both right on and romantic. He respects different cultures but is not shy about revealing his perceptions that are most of the time true. I recommend this book highly to all sensitive armchair travelers as well as for people who are just interested in Japan. I think I am a little jealous of Sachiko. They say it is better to have love and lost than to never have loved at all. And I think she was truly in love. This is one observation that Pico Ayer kept to himself

I tried reading this book while in Kathmandu, and forced myself to finish the chapter on said city before throwing the book across my hotel room in frustration. His anecdotes start out interesting, but turn into self-serving drivel that trivializes a very complex situation and culture. What bothers me most is that his writing is gimmicky- he puts words next to each other that try to sound cool and witty, rather than sharing any real insight. P>Predictably, the Thailand chapter concerned itself mainly with the sex trade. This a common theme, and it's sad that so many authors can't come up with anything else to say about a truly diverse and fascinating country.

As a long standing fan of Pico Iyer's writing, I had high expectations of this book. It is entertaining and fun, but Mr. Iyer comes of as rather self-centered. You hear a lot about the girls who meet him (and presumably follow him at least as far as the bedroom). Some of the sardonic observations go beyond Mr. Iyers usual clear-eyed notice to the point of churlishness.

That said, it is much better than the usual pabulum offerred by travel essay writers. If you are new to Iyer, start with "Falling off the Map" for a smoother taste of his style.

Pico Iyer has written an interesting set of annecdotes on Asia during the late 80s boom years. It covers the isolation of Burma, the sex trade in Thailand, the night life in Nepal, and everything inbetween. The book takes a deeper view beyond the stereotypes to understand the complexities of the cultural merging.

The book really has two main values. First, it gives an annecdotal view of a lifestyle that, while only 15-20 years ago, is already gone. Hong Kong 1986 is a place in transition that is different than Hong Kong today. While many books today provide political and economic viewpoints on the times, and the changes, they don't accurately cover an expats view of life and cultural exchange.

The second value is in understanding aspects of the culture that still apply. India's polyclot of ethnic groups and interaction with the West applies today. Pico Iyer is adept at capturing cultural traits that last, and perhaps even grow, despite the pressures of a globalizing world.

I'm not a universal fan of all of Iyer's material, but this is certainly one of his better works. It's more readable, and the concepts more universal and lasting than some of his other books.

What can you say about essayist Pico Iyer, whose humor truly shines through in this collection of eight expeditions to places never visited? North Korea. Iceland. Bhutan. Paraguay, to name a few. All of Iyer's anecdotes are interesting, detailed and often down-right funny. Iyer treks to those places you know exist but are likely never to see for yourself; those places in the news but not in the travel plans; those non-vacation spots for the occidental tourist. And he describes all of them in a way both funny and profound. For instance, he says of Reykjavik, Iceland: It "might almost be a small child's toy, as clean and perfect as a ship inside a bottle. ... Reykjavik is one place where it really is worth climbing the steeple of the highest church to see the city, mute and motionless, laid out against the silver sea." Pages later, he says: "In summer when I visited, people were complaining of a heat wave when the temperature hit a chilly 54 degrees." In short, the book is worthy of a gander. It'll make you laugh, think, and want to travel - just not necessarily to the places he describes:)

Pico Iyer's prose caught my eye in his Time Magazine columns where he did a good job showing us how recognizable the exotic has become. This collection, his first in book form, again reiterates that the most difficult aspect of long distance travel is not any longer how to get there, how to dodge danger or how to find your way back but how to avoid to bump into the same features you left 10,000 miles and 6 timezones earlier. Showing through many examples, sometimes hilarious and sometimes profoundly sad how globalisation regurgitates the same marketing ideas dressed in different flags it really makes its point that the era of the curious gentleman(woman) traveler looking for exotic shores has been overtaken by the vastly less romantic quest to escape the onslaught of canned icons in any neck of the woods.
The book also does a nice job of illuminating the paradoxical quest of the overfed and understimulated prestigious first world traveler trying to find hidden corners where there is still some sort of exploration possible and where not all laws of our structured civilization apply only to be greeted by the not so happy natives who are dying to know how to join the West or in the least purchase its most potent logos.

The easiest read of the three books of Iyer's that I have read. Five of his eight destinations were places about which I had never read anything other than a description in the almanac. What makes Iyer's writing so appealing to me is that he accepts with equanimity the poor conditions that other top travel writers, such as Paul Theroux, devote such energy to bemoaning. Even if it weren't so well written, I would recommend this book for the originality of its material.

I like Pico Iyer enough to say I have read all his books. This is by far the worst. I struggled to finish it. Filled with book reviews and essays on things like the use of commas it is not what I have come to expect from him. The first 50 pages were ok, but after that it went down hill. I was in Hokkaido Japan over Xmas with this book, hoping to read it near the fire at night. I resorted to my only alternative -- reading Japanese Manga in Japanese (which I can barely read) rather than face this book again. Buy another selection by Pico, not this one.

A "classic" look at Iyers work and his uncanny abiltity to seek out the fascinating. He is a travelers traveler, and makes proper leaps to the heart of the matter. He writes to the soul of those who travel, those who understand the paradoxical nature of the world today. With a fluid style and often giddy manor, i am often forced to test my own conclusions and my evaluations of places and spaces.

After hearing Pico Iyer speak I began devouring TROPICAL CLASSICAL only to discover it's not an easy read. There are many jewels of interest and pleasure in these essays, but I delighted most in Iyer's use of simple-looking words I don't quite know. The dictionary always revealed a definition so pure any other word would have missed the point. Like Barry Lopez, Iyer exposes his views of the world in rich detail and focus. He's so full of experience none of these pieces are throwaway blurbs, yet he ends celebrating silence.

Having spent two years in Cuba recently, I found Mr. Iyers book very accurate in as much as his descriptions and dialogues were true to form. His portrayals of the people and their life are on the money. The plot of the story though took a while to develop if ever. But read this book if you want to fell what it's like for the Cuban people, and how they must constantly be looking over their shoulder, forget about whether the plot works.

This book reads like one of those foriegn 'art' films where you follow people agonizing through everyday life but nothing much ever happens - you wait for hours for a flat, non-ending. Oh well, you got through it. Protagonist Richard is an adrenaline junkie global news photographer, who seems to feel deeply but never really gets past his hornmones or intellectualizing everything, including his 'love affair' with Lourdes. He is actually a very shallow person (sort of like an unfunny Seinfeld character - there is no humor in the book). It is a credit to Pico Iyer's talent that I could read this entire book and still think the trip was worth it, sort of. Nihilistic, full of angst and dreary images of life in Cuba of the early '90s.

What haunts me is the real implication of what the USA's 40-y embargo has wraught on the citizens of Cuba. Very Sad.

Pico Iyer's "Cuba and the Night" is the only realistic depiction of life in present-day Cuba that I have found written in English. Sure, the plot is a little weak on action. But this sameness serves as the perfect vehicle for conveying the muddle that is present-day Havana. The only "action" in Cuba is of the emotional and psychological variety.

I agree that there is an awkward reliance on the use of letters to impart the story throughout the book. But as one who has spent time in Cuba, I can affirm that MUCH of one's interrelation with those on the island occurs through letters. The occasional distorted phone call and two-month-delayed letter are of indescribable emotional significance--to both those "afuera," and those that remain in the land of Fidel.

Cuba haunts the mind and spurs the emotions; oftentimes most profoundly AFTER one has left the island--after one has left behind one's friends and lovers.

There are no car chases or shoot-outs in Cuba. But day-to-day life IS the psychological and emotional minefield that Iyer so deftly evokes. Cuba is a society unrestrained; both a heartbreaker and an addiction. And the romance, intrigue, mistrust and agitation that I once found so uncomfortable to accept as a reader indeed represent the REALITY of the place.

When I first read "Cuba and the Night," several years ago, I was immune to its charms (To put it mildly). But--having revisited the book after six uninterrupted months in Havana this year--I can only describe it as a perfect rendition of the place. I love Cuba. And I love the Cuban people. But NO ONE leaves the place with their innocence intact, and NO ONE of sensitivity leaves the island without being profoundly changed.

I only wish that I had accepted the book as reality before boarding that flight from Cancun to Havana eleven months--and what seems like a lifetime--ago.