Although difficult to find, S. Radhakrishnan's edition of the DHAMMAPADA is in my opinion the best version in print in English.

Out of several thousand Buddhist scriptures, the DHAMMAPADA is perhaps the only one which contains the actual words of the Buddha. Divided into twenty six chapters, the DHAMMAPADA is a collection of 423 verses. These verses are succinct doses of the Buddha's wisdom and moral philosopy.

Here the original Pali of each verse is given, followed by the English translation and S. Radhakrisnan's commentary.

Radhakrishnan is a masterful commentator. He cross-references many of the verses with other Buddhist scriptures and compares and contrasts with other religions of the world, leading to some surprising insights. His translation is scholarly but readable.

Although not as handy as the pocket rendering by Thomas Byrom, S. Radhakrishnan's combination of accurate translation, original-language text, and thought-provoking commentary makes this *the* Dhammapada in English.

A dhurrie is a flatwowen rug and has for too long been overshadowed by pile carpets.

Almost a dying art and style it has been rejuvenated in part by the efforts of the author, Shyam Ahuja, a name familiar to those who deal in Indian materials. The book is a fascinating look at the art of the dhurrie. Ahuja starts at the beginning trying to unravel the origins. Cotton cultivation started in the Harrappan age around 3000 BCE. Spindles and other weaving atefacts have been unearthed from this period. Around 320 BCE the Arthashastra lists a range of floor coverings and the oldest dhurrie fragment comes down to us from around 100CE.

Ahuja started his affair with dhurries in the sixies and has continued to stimualte growth of this dying art form. He takes all flat-woven rugs to be dhurries; it is not the material they are made in but the style and colour. "The dhurrie is all about colour- there has to be poetry. There is no set formula, only an unerring instinct- you have to feel the design in yout gut."

Along with the history of dhurries it takes you the differnt stages of a dhurrie's creation, the colour, the weaving and brings the whole into a modern context with contemporary designs. My grandmothe rand aunt used to weave dhurries. It was fascinating to sit and watch their fingers on the loom as they wove their magic and crewated wonderful designs. It is gratifying to see justice finally being done to this art form by this wonderful book.

Very interesting reading, very well written! Great narrative on the life and times of the spouse of the MAN who was on duty and the reason for their living in a far away land. Pegge gives the reader an excellent glimpse of being in the background, raising children and helping out with some of the editorial duties also. The setting was a bit before my time as I am about the same age as the twins mentioned, but can relate to many of the problems and issues presented as I too managed to experience life in the far east as an Army enlistee (Vietnam, Taiwan and Korea). I like to read a book in one setting if I can, but this book provided more than one night's enjoyment. The only thing negative I can think of is as I put the book down I thought "but THEN what happened"?...

I believe that it is the first study of its kind and it could serve as an excellent resource for anyone with a serious interest in policy making.

plese send me my review book titled Development & displacement author i u. b. reddy.

This book looks at the history and evolution of policy commitment underpinning four government's population efforts over the past half-century. The four country studies address the issue by examining population policymaking and the politics surrounding it from historical and contemporary perspectives. Each study is based on sources that reflect perceptions of population issues within the country: official documents, public statements, mass media, and religious commentaries. Issues related to the evolution of a population policy include the role of key stakeholders, the influence of internal politics and international agencies, the administrative structures guiding the program and providing coordination, and the degree of flexibility and autonomy at the local level.

This is a truly fabulous book about the possible history of temple women during the Chola period in South Indian. Ms. Orr has very thoroughly and comprehensivly examined and explained her sources and theories. I learned a great deal from this text and was gratified to see all of her assertions backed by epigraphical surveys or the well-documented work of other authors. My one critique would be that the work limits itself to only epigraphical evidence, and does not consider other sources, such as literature, before it draws firm conclusions. I don't think it a failing of the text so much as a gaping hole waiting to be filled.

"One of Dowry Murder's many original contributions is to link the discourses on female infanticide/dowry in the high colonial period with the current discourse on dowry. Oldenburg provides a complex picture of causality."--Barbara Metcalf, Professor of History, University of California, Davis

"A strong, contentious book on an intellectually and socially hot topic, Dowry Murder offers a rich and complex answer to the question: What are the causes of violence against women in India, of female infanticide, 'dowry' deaths, and battering?"
--Susanne Hoeber Rudolph, Proefssor of Political Science, University of Chicago

"With this study, Oldenburg has turned the standard interpretation of both sati and dowry death on its head. Her methodology combines the historian's careful combing of the archives with the anthropologist's use of life histories and interviews. This is a provocative and original work of scholarship. Many will disagree with it, but few will be able to ignore it."
--Gail Minault, Professor of History, University of Texas, Austin

"Oldenburg has a unique and compelling voice as a historian. She has left no stone, or document, unturned in her search for answers."
--Geraldine Forbes, Professor of History, SUNY Oswego

this book was an excellent examination of the traditional Indian aesthetic and the faults that lie in pursuing it alone. A great work by a great author

This book and the corresponding PBS television documentary offer an incredible look at the sacrifices of this family. Whatever one's personal feelings are in regards to the politics of Nehru, Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi, one cannot help but to recognize the incredible sacrifices made by this family. Covering 4 generations of the family, the book details the virtues and mistakes of this political dynasty. What the book addresses best is that despite the fact that the family is called a "dynasty," it faced great political opposition, which ended the lives of Indira and Rajiv Gandhi. The succesive family members did not merely inherit the post of Prime Minister like it was their birthright. They had to fight for it, and both Indira and Rajiv lost elections and were thrown out of office, forcing them to make comebacks. However the book has a flaw that it shares with many others. It is oudated. Despite being a recent publication, it fails to cover one important aspect that leaves informed readers hanging. In January 1998, Rajiv's widow Sonia began to actively campaigning for the party in which her family was such an active force. In March, Sonia Gandhi became the Congress Party Presidentwhich continues this so called "dynasty."