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Curious Encounters of the Human Kind - Myanmar (Burma): True Asian Tales of Folly, Greed, Ambition and Dreams (Volume 1)
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About Curious Encounters Of The Human Kind - Myanmar
Product Description What do jumping cats have to do with Buddhism’s Middle Path? Did Orwell really hate everyone in Myanmar? How did Myanmar’s ruling junta use white elephants to consolidate their power? Will a synagogue caretaker’s improbable dream ever come true? What arrogance drives western travelers to seek the “unknown”? And why should you never disrespect the nat spirits who guard a sacred forest? This is Myanmar (Burma) as you’ve probably never imagined, full of memorable people, startling happenings, and unexpected moments of humanity and introspection, giddiness and solemnity, avarice and ambition. his book is one of five volumes in the Curious Encounters of the Human Kind series, featuring Myanmar (Burma), Indonesia, Southeast Asia, Himalaya, and Borneo. One reviewer said these books embody "The humanity of Somerset Maugham, the adventure of Joseph Conrad, the perception of Paul Theroux, and a self-effacing voice uniquely his own." Another reviewer said the books reflect "The spirit of Kipling in contemporary Asian journalism." Yet another reviewer notes that the "Curious Encounters start out as intelligent travel writing, exploring hidden corners of Asia and characters very much out of the ordinary. But this series works on a more complex level: Sochaczewski frequently zooms in and out of left field with a curious tangent, a sensitive reminiscence, a provocative opinion, a new way of looking at events that are already beyond most 'normal' travelers' tales." Review "Most of Paul Sochaczewski's curious encounters start out as intelligent travel writing, exploring hidden corners of Asia and characters very much out of the ordinary. But this series works on a more complex level: he frequently zooms in and out of left field with a curious tangent, a sensitive reminiscence, a provocative opinion, a new way of looking at events that already are beyond most 'normal' travelers' tales. I read each story feeling refreshed, enlightened, and curious to see what the next stage of Sochaczewski's journey would bring." --Judith M. Heimann, author of The Airmen and the Headhunters: A True Story of Lost Soldiers, Heroic Tribesmen and the Unlikeliest Rescue of World War II "What a discovery! Paul Sochaczewski is that rarest of writers who knows that the real 'Asian miracle' isn't malls or computer geeks. In his years traveling the continent, he has discovered an eternal assemblage of arcane explorers, putative emperors, frivolous mystics, sacrosanct elephants and, yes, miracle workers. When Sochaczewski finds them, in Javanese palaces or sacred forests protected by spirits, they are caviar (or sweetened bird's nest) for his fascinating portraits. This series is for everyone who knows that the Mysterious East is alive and well, and more how-about-that-wonderful than you perhaps imagined." --Harry Rolnick, author of The Chinese Gourmet, The Complete Book of Coffee, and Spice Chronicles: Exotic Tales of a Hungry Traveler "Paul Sochaczewski skips about Asia like a Monkey God hopping from mountain to mountain, bringing back life-prolonging peaches while annoying the gatekeepers. Whateveryou do, follow him on this journey!" --Lee Chor Lin, director of the National Museum of Singapore; author of Batik: Creating an Identity "Sochaczewski is a world-class searcher, reporter, and observer who has criss-crossed Asia for forty years, pausing in the most unlikely places and finding extraordinary people. The essays in these insightful and witty chronicles present a rich tapestry of eccentric nobles, self-serving naturalists, scoundrels who will make your teeth ache, celebrity monks, and memorable folks whose stories are too good to be true. But they are." --Christopher G. Moore, author of the Vincent Calvino novels and Heart Talk "In this series Sochaczewski explores the hidden corners, the forgotten people, and their surprising tales. All the personal traveler's tales in these volumes are captivating, all filled with humor, dr
