Tibet, “the roof of the world,” had been aloof and at peace for most of its 2,100 years. But in 1932, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, in his final testament, warned: “It may happen that here, in the center of Tibet, religion and government will be attacked both from without and from within.” By the time his successor was enthroned in 1950, the Chinese occupation had begun.In this gripping account, John F. Avedon draws on his work and travels with the Fourteenth Dalai Lama to bring us the...

In this dialogue the poignant and provocative story of Tibet since the Chinese Communist invasion unfolds. Exemplifying the nonviolent approach to conflict resolution, the Tibetan people, personified by the Dalai Lama himself, have demonstrated resilience and restraint in the face of an unparalleled devastation of their country.

Tibet, "the roof of the world," had been aloof and at peace for most of its 2,100 years. But in 1932, the Thirteenth Dalai Lama, in his final testament, warned: "It may happen that here, in the center of Tibet, religion and government will be attacked both from without and from within." By the time his successor was enthroned in 1950, the Chinese occupation had begun.In this gripping account, John Avedon draws on his work and travels with the Fourteenth Dalai Lama to bring us the r...

**NATIONAL BESTSELLERNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERDestined to become a modern classic in the vein of Guns, Germs, and Steel, Sapiens is a lively, groundbreaking history of humankind told from a unique perspective.**100,000 years ago, at least six species of human inhabited the earth. Today there is just one.Us.Homo Sapiens.How did our species succeed in the battle for dominance? Why did our foraging ancestors come t...

The most authoritative life of the Chinese leader every written, Mao: The Unknown Story is based on a decade of research, and on interviews with many of Mao’s close circle in China who have never talked before — and with virtually everyone outside China who had significant dealings with him. It is full of startling revelations, exploding the myth of the Long March, and showing a completely unknown Mao: he was not driven by idealism or ideology; his intimate and intricate relations...

The beloved Buddhist nun and bestselling author of When Things Fall Apart examines Shantideva’s The Way of the Bodhisattva, sharing “her ever-approachable and pithy instructions for daily life” for readers of all backgrounds (Parabola)Over the years, Pema Chödrön's books have offered readers an exciting new way of living: developing fearlessness, generosity, and compassion in all aspects of their lives. In this new book, she invites reade...

Travelling through Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia in the twilight of the French colonial regime, Norman Lewis witnesses these ancient civilisations as they were before the terrible devastation of the Vietnam War. He creates a portrait of traditional societies struggling to retain their integrity in the embrace of the West. He meets emperors and slaves, brutal plantation owners and sympathetic French officers trapped by the economic imperatives of the colonial experiment. From tribal animists t...

A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Duong Van Mai Elliott's The Sacred Willow illuminates recent Vietnamese history by weaving together the stories of the lives of four generations of her family. Beginning with her great-grandfather, who rose from rural poverty to become an influential landowner, and continuing to the present, Mai Elliott traces her family's journey through an era of tumultuous change. She tells us of childhood hours in her grandmother's silk shop, and of hiding wh...

A Tibetan Buddhist teacher offers guidance on maintaining a state of awareness—demonstrating how enlightenment can be found at any time, in our everyday livesThe paradox of awareness is very profound and yet very simple. It can't be described because it has no objective qualities and no limitation. Sometimes it comes naturally to the surface when we are fully in the present moment and no longer lost in thought or mental projections. Pure consciousness is neither hi...

This extraordinary book clearly outlines and discusses the methods for transforming both body and mind through the highest forms of tantric practice.Highest Yoga Tantra is the pinnacle of tantric systems found in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Part One discusses the practices common to sutra and tantra. Part Two presents the generation stage of Highest Yoga Tantra. Part Three covers the entirety of the completion stage yogas (i.e., physical isolation, verbal isolation, mental isolation, i...

Dzogchen, a tradition of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, is considered by many to be an extremely powerful path to enlightenment. This ground-breaking book offers translations of four sacred texts of the Dzogchen tradition: Secret Instruction in a Garland of Vision, The Flight of the Garuda, Emptying the Depths of Hell, and the Wish-Granting Prayer of Kuntu Zangpo. With an informative introduction by the translator, Flight of the Garuda ...

“As the book’s subtitle indicates, Mr. Ziegler uses one of the world’s great rivers as a vehicle to pursue this story—and what a vehicle it is. . . . [He] writes beautifully, and with the fervor of a naturalist.” ***—*The Wall Street Journal“The writing is superb . . . a true labour of love, Black Dragon River is a triumph.” *—The SpectatorBlack Dragon River* is a personal...