Shopping for Buddhas - Softcover

Greenwald, Jeff

3.63

392 ratings by Goodreads

Softcover

ISBN 10: 086442471X ISBN 13: 9780864424716

Publisher: Lonely Planet, 1996

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There was a need for non-attachment, to be sure; but also a prerequisite of knife-like resolve. Here in this exotic land, we were compelled to raise the art of shopping to an experience that was, on the other hand, tinged with desperation, like shopping at Macy's during a one-day-only White Sale.

Shopping for Buddhas is Jeff Greenwald's story of his obsessive search for the perfect Buddha statue. In the backstreets of Kathmandu, he discovers more than he bargained for...and his souvenir-hunting turns into an ironic metaphor for the clash between spiritual riches and material greed. Politics, religion and serious shopping collide in Jeff Greenwald's witty, thought-provoking account of his experiences in Nepal.

Jeff Greenwald is the author of the best-selling travelogue The Size of the World.

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About the Author:

Jeff Greenwald is a writer, photographer, and performer. He is the author of six books, including The Size of the World, for which he created the first Internet travel blog. His work has appeared in Wired, Salon, Smithsonian, Afar, The New York Times Magazine, and many other publications. Jeff serves as the executive director of the nonprofit Ethical Traveler. He has also created a critically acclaimed solo show, Strange Travel Suggestions, which draws from his tales as a travel journalist. Jeff's most recent book, Snake Lake, is set during Nepal's 1990 Democracy revolution. He lives in Oakland, CA.

From Publishers Weekly:

Waist-high snow, a flying lama and the first escalator in Kathmandu are among the many attractions Greenwald experienced during his stays in Nepal. His often flip tone belies a serious purpose, and his account of shopping for just the right statue of Buddha illuminates various aspects of Nepalese culture. He discusses some of the gods and beliefs of Hinduism and proposes his own list of possible bodhisattvas, whom he describes as people who "recognize . . . their peculiar function" in life (including Mother Teresa and John Lennon). He learns of the Nepalese concept of perfect art, seeks the advice of a guru who wears Ray-Bans and faces the maneuverings of shopkeepers who cater to foreign buyers. Nor does Greenwald overlook the darker side of this country, now undergoing political upheavals. Nepal has been the site of documented human rights abuses, its royal family exploits the country's resources and may be central to promoting drug trafficking there, foreign aid to this impoverished country is distributed among a small number of people, and valuable works of art from temples are being smuggled out of the country. Greenwald is a contributing editor to SF Magazine. Author tour.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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