Asia Books

China: People Place Culture History

DK Publishing

Amazon Price: $26.40 List Price: $40.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: DK Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 47 new & used starting at $17.98

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Travel -> Asia
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Travel -> Far East
Subjects -> History -> Asia -> China -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Gorgeous journey through a vast country 5 out of 5 stars.
20 of 20 people found this review helpful.

I visited China earlier this year on business, so I was intrigued when I came across this book. When I opened it, I was not disappointed. This book celebrates China and its variety of culture, art, landscapes and rich history with beautiful photography and educational text.

The beginning section of the book draws you in with page after page of beautiful photographs of different landscapes in China, sprinkled with verses from Chinese poetry (translated to English, of course). It makes the reader aware of the varied landscapes (snow to desert, mountains to plans, forest to fields) that make up the vast country of China. Truly a treasury of photos!

The next section explains Chinese history, complete with a timeline. The information is provided in titled short paragraphs and articles so it is easy for the reader to get a glimpse of the history and read quick pieces for more detail. Small articles include items such as "The Grand Canal" and "The Boxer Uprising". All are sprinkled with old photographs and pictures of paintings and artifacts.

The most delightful section of the book is "A Day in the Life" which is a collection of stories about daily life of particular people in different areas of China. There's the life of a student in Shaanxi, a Chinese herbalist, a Buddist Monk, a Cricket Seller, and a farmer, just to name a few. The photos and text provide a window into the lives of the people of China to let the reader see life from their eyes.

There is also a section on Chinese Culture, which includes articles on philosphy and religion, painting, literature and Chinese opera.

The last segment of the book is entitled "Architecture" and contains pieces on various types of building styles, both old and new. From modern buildings such as the 88-story Jin Mao Tower in Shanghai to an old Buddist Monastery in Hebei, this chapter contains a wealth of information and beautiful photography. The Jin Mao Tower is truly stunning inside (I wish I had gone to see it while I was there!). The Couple's Garden is typical of the gardens in Suzhou that I visited while there. One of the most beautiful places shown in called the "Temple of Heaven" with colorful painted decor and detailed stonework.

I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone wanting to learn about China and its culture. It is not only informative, but makes a beautiful "coffee table book"!

Editorial Review:

As the world's oldest continuous civilization and most populous country, with the fastest-growing economy, China is experiencing profound social, economic, and political change. A detailed exploration of the country's long, rich history paired with its complex present makes China a one-of-a-kind reference that offers an eye-opening, thought-provoking and authoritative visual guide to one of the world's great nations. AUTHOR BIO: Written by an international team of China specialists.

The Great Wall: From Beginning to End

William Lindesay

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Sterling Amazon Marketplace: 55 new & used starting at $15.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Nature & Wildlife
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Travel -> Asia
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Travel -> Far East

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

It is arguably the greatest feat of civil engineering in history, and indisputably earth’s largest single cultural relic: begun during the Qin Dynasty (around 208 BC) and completed nearly 1,800 years later during the Ming Dynasty, the Great Wall of China spans more than 4,000 miles. At the dawn of the Beijing Olympics, the eyes of all the world are upon it.
Two men who navigated every inch of the Wall have collaborated on a lavishly-illustrated tribute to this amazing structure. Michael Yamashita, an award-winning National Geographic photographer, spent a year shooting the Wall, its environs, and the people who live in its shadow, for the magazine. One hundred and sixty of his magnificent photos grace this volume, which features text by William Lindesay, who not only conducts tours of the Wall and spearheads the movement to preserve it, but has actually run its entire length. Broken into three sections, The Great Wall provides an overview that debunks myths and dishes up rare facts and figures, a comprehensive history that proceeds dynasty by dynasty through its construction, and an account of Lindesay’s personal experiences of the Wall.

India

DK Publishing

Amazon Price: $26.40 List Price: $40.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: DK Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 46 new & used starting at $20.25

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Portraits
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Travel -> Asia
Subjects -> History -> Asia -> India -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Beautiful, sweeping overview 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

This is not a travel guide, but rather a beautiful, sweeping overview of a country with a rich heritage. A great introduction to the many aspects of the Indian culture, covering various regions, landscapes and practices.

India 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is an excellent book. It is full of imformation and has abosolutely gorgeous picutres. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn about India or is planning a trip to India.

Editorial Review:

Just 60 years after winning independence from British rule, India's economy is booming and the nation is fast becoming a leading global power. With a population of a billion people, India's society is as varied as its awe-inspiring landscape. Home to a dizzying array of languages, ethnic groups, beliefs, and lifestyles, India can seem overwhelming in its complexity. India takes the lid off this cultural melting pot, showing how past events have shaped this diverse but unified nation, where tradition and modernity successfully coexist. Through stunning photography and insightful text, India offers an eye-opening, thought-provoking, and authoritative visual guide to one of the world's most exciting and vibrant nations.

India: In Word and Image

Amazon Price: $37.80 List Price: $60.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Welcome Books Amazon Marketplace: 32 new & used starting at $34.99

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photo Essays
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photographers, A-Z -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photographers, A-Z -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 5 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A masala of color, light and texture. 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Between the covers of Eric Meola's staggeringly beautiful India in Word and Image is a vision as large and dynamic as India itself. In a similar way to his first book, Last Places on Earth, Meola's peripatetic photography takes us on a journey to reveal the pride and dignity of a culture living in an ever-shrinking world of globalization and instant communication. Yet his new book goes further: through his lens we enter the soul of a country full of color and an unrestrained enthusiasm for life. From the riotously colorful celebration of Holi to a lone, meditating monk under a bodhi tree, the photography of one of the medium's true masters shows us an amazing part of the world.

The immediacy of Meola's photography is breathtaking, whether he's focusing on an expansive vista or some minute detail that he has found and wants to share with us. Viewing the many and varied portraits throughout the book, I feel as if I'm looking not at images printed on a page, but directly into the eyes of the subject.

The inclusion of writings on India by Tagore, Narayan, Rushdie, Kiran Desai, Jhumpa Lahiri and several other great writers of India help make this a very illuminating and moving book.

A Gujarati friend taught me a useful phrase in his language: "Salu che." It is good. But that doesn't begin to describe this astounding book.

Editorial Review:

India is rapidly becoming one of the pre-eminent leaders of the twenty-first century. For more than a decade, Eric Meola has returned repeatedly to India, photographing the people, temples, landscapes, architecture, celebrations, and art of this uniquely exuberant and incredibly diverse country. Meola's journeys took him from the Himalayas and monasteries in the North to the temples of Tamil Nadu in the South, from the color and pageantry of Rajasthan in the West to the tea plantations of Darjeeling in the East. Over 200 photographs (edited from more than 25,000 images) will fill this beautifully printed, large-format book. The photographs will be accompanied by dozens of essays, stories, and poems by contemporary and classical Indian writers.

China, Portrait of a Country

James Kynge, Karen Smith

Amazon Price: $37.79 List Price: $59.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: TASCHEN America Llc Amazon Marketplace: 38 new & used starting at $30.00

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Equipment
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Photojournalism

Editorial Review:

The People's Republic seen by Chinese photographers. This book brings together a vast selection of images by Chinese photographers since 1949, giving readers a visual journey across the great People's Republic; edited by esteemed photojournalist Liu Heung Shing, longtime Associated Press correspondent and Time magazine contributor. In post-Mao China, late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping urged his one billion countrymen to "seek truth from facts." Taking its cue from Deng's overture, China today is the leading economic story of the 21st century. The process by which China navigated the path from periphery to a central position in world affairs dominates the debate about Asia and China's relationship to the western world. Pulitzer-winning photojournalist Liu Heung Shing charts the visual history of sixty years of the People's Republic (1949 to 2008), and along the way aims to illustrate the humanistic course.

The Silk Route: 7,000 Miles of History

John S. Major

Amazon Price: $6.99 List Price: $6.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: HarperTrophy Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $2.19

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Travel -> Asia
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General
Subjects -> Children's Books -> Ages 9-12 -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Excellent Teaching Aid 4 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This book was included in a Maryland Department of Education lesson plan for teaching the Silk Road. I purchased the book for this purpose and is correlated very well to the lesson plan. Excellent artwork. Valuable content. A good geography storybook

Editorial Review:

Silk has long been considered a symbol of wealth and luxury. But thousands of years ago, the production of silk cloth was one of China's most prized secrets. So how did silk become one of the most sought-after materials in the world?

With lavish illustrations and a highly informative text, The Silk Route traces the early history of the silk trade-from the mulberry groves of China to the marketplace in Byzantium-and explores how two of the world's greatest empires were brought together, forever opening the channels of commerce between East and West.

The Tokyo Look Book: Stylish To Spectacular, Goth To Gyaru, Sidewalk To Catwalk

Philomena Keet

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Kodansha International Amazon Marketplace: 36 new & used starting at $11.01

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> Designers
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 47 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Tokyo is home to the most creative and stylish fashion in the world. The Tokyo Look Book takes us on a dazzling journey through the streets, clubs, and boutiques of this trendsetting city to introduce us to the people who wear the latest fashions and the people who make them. Crammed with cool, full-color photographs of Tokyo's trendy teens and twenty-somethings captured candidly as they work and play, this is a comprehensive look at the richly varied fashion scenes that thrive in Japan's capital city -- from the "gal" mecca of Shibuya, to the goths and cosplayers who hang out on Jingubashi bridge on Sundays, through the cutting-edge kids on the Harajuku backstreets, to the stylish young professional men and women on Omotesando Boulevard.
Yuri Manabe's distinctive photographic portraits are complemented by insightful text from British anthropologist and fashion expert Philomena Keet, who offers witty and informative background information on each of the fashion scenes introduced, and a plethora of soundbites and quotes from the featured fashionistas. In addition, there are interviews and spotlights on Tokyos hottest fashion designers, magazines and boutiques, including:
SHIBUYA 109: Shibuyas iconic shopping mall
GLAD NEWS: One of 109s leading boutiques
REIKO NAKANE: A former trendsetting charisma109 shop girl, now producer of her own fashion label
MANA: Japanese pop star and designer of Elegant Gothic Lolita brand, Moi-meme-Moite
H.NAOTO: Creator of the popular goth/punk brand
TAKUYA ANGEL: Creator of the cult cyber-kimono brand
TEAM MESSAGE: Designer of skate/streetwear brands
DOG: Owner of a cult street-fashion boutique
SHOICHI AOKI: Creator of the influential street-fashion magazine FRUiTS
GARCIA MARQUEZ GAUCHE: The husband-and-wife team behind this stylish brand for young women
5351 POUR LES HOMMES: A fashionable mens brand
TOKYO FASHION WEEK: A peek behind the scenes
MANNENYA: Purveyor of traditional Japanese workmens outfits

Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon

John Berthold

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Wisdom Publications Amazon Marketplace: 25 new & used starting at $18.56

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Equipment
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> How-to -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Unique and exquisite portrayal of Bhutan's peoples and regions 5 out of 5 stars.
33 of 33 people found this review helpful.

As a frequent traveller to Bhutan, mesmerized from the first step into the country by the beauty of the landscape and its people, and fascinated by the rural life-style there, this unique photographic portrayal of the country by region and cultural group is a special treasure in my collection. For anyone with even a passing curiosity about this land that is undergoing a phenomenal cultural revolution, this book is a necessity. For the would-be travelers, it will awaken your senses before you arrive, and for the vicarious adventurers who will see Bhutan only from the comfort of their armchair, there has never been a more beautiful way to peek into the remote corners of Bhutan that are rarely viewed by even the local people and never by foreigners. Kadinchey la, John Berthold!

Editorial Review:

In Bhutan, progress is measured in terms of “Gross National Happiness” and Thimphu, the capital city, has no traffic lights. This mesmerizing book captures the beauties of this remote kingdom, the only independent country to support Buddhism as the official state religion. Readers are transported to ancient fortresses and temples, colorful festivals, and religious ceremonies, as well as to isolated communities along the roof of the world. Featuring photographs taken over the course of three years, the book guides readers through areas normally off-limits to Western visitors, and encompasses a wide range of landscape, portrait, and editorial photographs.

Monumental India

Amin Nath

Amazon Price: $110.25 List Price: $175.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Vendome Press Amazon Marketplace: 16 new & used starting at $110.25

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Travel -> Asia
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Travel -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Photography -> Travel -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Monumental India presents breathtaking panoramic views of North India's famed monuments and sites as well as little-known architectural gems. Produced in a landscape format and including stunning multipage gatefolds, it covers many fascinating varieties of styles and periods and features sprawling Hindu and Jain temple complexes, imposing Islamic tombs and mosques, serene Buddhist monasteries and stupas, colonial and royal palaces, and majestic forts. The camera enters magnificent darbar halls where maharajas once held formal audience, and the opulent interiors of their private apartments, with mirrored decorations, chandeliers, and luxurious brocades.

Beginning high in the Zanskar Mountains, Amit Pasricha photographs the 13th-century Thiksey Monastery that clings to a hillside in Ladakh. In Chandigarh, he captures Le Corbusier's revolutionary design that altered the course of modern Indian architecture, and in Agra and Delhi, the iconic Taj Mahal and the colonial North and South Blocks. He travels across the deserts of Rajasthan to the massive 15th-century Rajput fort of Kumbalgarh, and crosses the plains to Madhya Pradesh for the sparkling Jai Vilas Palace and the 2nd-century BCE Sanchi stupa, ending this incredible journey at the prehistoric Bhimbetka Caves

Amit Pasricha enlists the elements - sun, snow, mist, and cloud - to give the photographs cosmic drama, and his mastery of the panoramic format underscores the majesty of nature and the glory of manmade structures. His images capture the broad sweep of an edifice along with its finest, most intricate details. Aman Nath's insightful text completes this beautiful collection of photographs, making Monumental India a limited edition to be preserved and treasured.

Fruits

Shoichi Aoki

Amazon Price: $19.77 List Price: $29.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Phaidon Press Amazon Marketplace: 73 new & used starting at $9.94

Buy at Amazon.com

Browse similar items by category:
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> History
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> General
Subjects -> Arts & Photography -> Fashion -> General AAS

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 65 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

If you ever wondered where the catwalk got its claws, then the portraits gathered in photographer Shoichi Aoki's book Fruits, from the streets of Harajuku in Tokyo, point the way to an extraordinarily imaginative and invariably stunning glut of mongrel fashion heists. A best-of collection from the fanzine of the same name, and published for the first time outside Japan, Fruits keeps its style clean: front-on, razor-sharp images, ranging from the deadpan to the manic, of the sharpest collages of sartorial influence that, usually, little money can buy. From off the peg to off the wall, kitsch to bitch, each person bears a combination and philosophy as distinctive as DNA. All shades of aesthetic are raided, with exquisite, scrupulous attention to detail. Punk is a favorite, as is, appropriately, Vivienne Westwood, alongside Milk and Jean-Paul Gaultier, and the occasional Comme des Garçons. Many of the outfits, though, are second-hand or self-assembly, such as a skirt drooping petals of men's silk ties, Wa-mono, when tradition Japanese clothes are topped with, say, an authentic bowler hat, EGL (elegant gothic Lolita), and a swathe of tartans, pinks, and turquoises. The most malleable feature, unsurprisingly, is hair, with dreadlocks, mohicans, back-combing, and crops dyed an irradiated spectrum. While the eye is drawn, obediently, to the mannequins, the background is often worth a look, either for the vending machines against which a number are shot, or the ubiquitous Gap store and bags, a constant reminder of the global mass market.

One enterprising man wears a genuine British paperboy's delivery bag, and, to pick but one profile, Princess, 18, is trying to be a doll and is currently preoccupied with body organs. Mmm. All the subjects are asked the source of their clothes, as well as their "point of fashion" and "current obsession." The scope for sociopsychological discussion is vast, particularly with the preponderance of infantilization, through dolls, bonnets, pop socks, and Barbie, but this is a joyous documentation of the innovative, celebrating the inspirational polytheism of street fashion, captured with provocative, political zeal. Best let the street cats prowl. --David Vincent