Book Review: The Himalayas: An Encyclopedia of Geography, History, and Culture

Abstract

In his preface to The Himalayas, coeditor James A. Wren writes that “our understanding of the region is flat. It remains ill-informed—without precision or sophistication—and wildly inaccurate.” (p. xiii). This impressive new work sets out to correct the situation by taking a multifaceted approach encompassing the region’s geography, flora and fauna, linguistic and ethnic complexity, long history, frequently vexed politics, and rich cultural and religious life.