Both a magnificent celebration and a call for compassion, Himalaya is a panorama of the unique history and uncertain future of the world's highest region and its colorful inhabitants. The awesome beauty of these lofty peaks, including Everest, Kanchenjunga, and Annapurna, is brought to life by gifted photographers like Steve McCurry, Art Wolfe, and many more. Notable contributors including Jimmy Carter, the Dalai Lama, Sir Edmund Hillary, Tenzing Norgay, and more than two dozen others share vivid personal tales of Himalayan life and emphasize the urgent need to preserve the vibrant variety of these ancient landscapes and cultures.
The book begins by introducing the region: its astonishing biodiversity, mountaineering history, rich ethnic heritage, and the interplay between two major religions, Hinduism and Buddhism. Himalaya addresses the challenges to these mountainous domains such as political turmoil, population growth, and ecological stresses. Finally, the compelling conclusion includes stories of doctors, volunteers, conservationists, and environmentalists who are providing a global model for practical results and lasting relief, while still respecting and protecting the magic of a place unlike any other on Earth.
Richard C. Blum, chairman of Blum Capital Partners and of the American Himalayan Foundation, led the 1980 Everest East Face Expedition and has maintained a long connection with Nepal and Tibet. In 1998, the Dalai Lama awarded him the Truth of Light Award for his charitable support of the people and environment of the Himalaya.
Erica Stone is president of the American Himalayan Foundation, dedicated to education, health care, cultural and environmental conservation work in Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, and with Tibetan refugees. She has an MBA from Berkeley.
Broughton Coburn has spent two of the past three decades in the Himalaya working in development, conservation, writing, and filmmaking. He is the author of five nonfiction books.
