Buddhist Himalayas

by Olivier Follmi

Buy new: $29.95 $20.77 Buy used: $20.76

Editorial Reviews

This spectacular book invites the reader on a journey to a faraway exotic land and into an inner realm of spirituality. Photographers Olivier and Danielle Föllmi and Matthieu Ricard have dedicated more than twenty-five years to capturing the essence of Buddhism and the Himalayan spirit, focusing on the beauty of the majestic Tibetan countryside, the Tibetan people—spiritual masters and humble shepherds alike—and their sacred places.

This harmonious visual mosaic of the unrivaled richness of this mountaintop civilization is enhanced by texts by eminent specialists on Tibetan culture as well as reflections from political and spiritual leaders of the Himalayan world. Offering a perspective from both within and outside Tibetan society, each of the twenty-one authors—from the noted photographer Galen Rowell to the Dalai Lama himself—provides a window onto the Buddhist Himalayas and the people who inhabit this magical land.

Customer Reviews

Buddist Himalayas, 2005-08-18
by K. Mahanna (Boulder, CO USA)

This is a gorgeous book with exquisite photography and interesting and sensitive text. The only problem was the poor quality of the binding which fell apart the first time I opened it. Otherwise i would rate it 5 stars.

Absoutely Marvellous, 2004-11-19
by Bindu Madhavan (Los Angeles)

First, the book is very well produced. The quality of the
book for this price is awesome. It should hold
up to good use. The reproduction of each and every photograph
is extremely good.
Quite a few of the photographs in this
book are exquisite. All the photographs are well composed.
It is obvious that the photographers have a special
sympathy to the subjects of their lenses -- as another reviewer remarked, there is a radiance about the subjects that comes through in the photograph. The photographs of people are great -- it is marvelous to see the reflection in the eyes of the subjects of what they are looking at. Some of the photographs
are so stunning that it is quite natural that other photographs
in this book do not quite live up to that impact. The text is
well written. Highly recommended.

Hardly Justified By The Contents, 2004-11-01
by Edward C. Carpenter (San Elizario, Texas United States)

I purchased this somewhat expensive book with much anticipation, since I already owned The Spirit of Tibet, by Ricard. Buddhist Himalayas left me unsatisfied, chiefly for the reason that it's size and title suggest a more expansive survey than is offered by the experiences of the authors. Several of the photographs by the Follmis consist of plain and uninspired subjects. Numerous short essays, however, provide a more satisfying description of the world of Tibetan Buddhism. With the image of the re-incarnate Khyentse Rinpoche on the book cover, I come to the conclusion that this is one more book about the remarkable man the authors were privileged to know, but hardly justified by the contents.

Deeply Beautiful, 2003-04-22 (Montclair, NJ USA)

The photos in this book are simply extraordinary. The composition of each shot is lyrically beautiful. The images of great masters are radiant and inspiring. The quality of the reproductions is wonderful and unusual (I think) in a book at this price. Anyone with a love of
Tibetan Buddhism should surely have this book. (By the way, I bought this in a bookstore and paid about twenty dollars more)

The Most Exquisite Photography Book!, 2003-01-16

This book has the most beautiful photographs of the Himalayas that I've ever seen. The photographers captured the essence of this region in perfect, minute detail. Interspersed between the photos are articles written by prominent buddhist lamas and scholars, including HH the Dalai Lama. It demands its own book stand and place for display in your home. The book is very large. The photos are borderless and some span both pages. This is truly something to have to pass down in your family. For lovers of Buddhist thought and for those who just appreciate great photography.