Shopping for Buddhas: An Adventure in Nepal

Picture this - a combination of Woody Allen, Hermann Hesse and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and you'll have a feel for where Shopping for Buddhas is coming from. A bit of old fashioned Jewish schtick, Buddhist sensitivity and some surprising tripping - add a healthy dose of Nepalese/Tibetan culture - and it all makes for a rollicking tale. As a fellow-obsessive, seeking that perfect but reasonably priced Buddha, I couldn't help but enjoy this book - and the author's steady path to enlightenment, while keeping hold of the elusive Buddha was a treat.The Kindle-edition's postscript takes us through the more serious recent events of democracy, Maoist rebellion and the homicidal/suicidal rage of the Royal Prince, bringing us back to the sad reality of present day Nepal, where rampant corruption is destroying the country's cultural, artistic, architectural and environmental heritage. The author still has faith in the Nepalese people to see this through to better times - please, please, I hope he is right.

This memoir inspires me to travel to Nepal and really spend some time there. I’ve wanted to travel to Nepal for many years and reading this book confirmed that Nepal is a place I need to see.This is not a typical travel memoir. He shares so much of his personal thoughts, struggles, and insights as he travels, and I truly got caught up in his journey.He addresses the political challenges and corruption within the government and a bit of the history that fostered such an environment. I learned some valuable insights about Nepal, and I felt like I was there with him. Jeff Greenwald loves Nepal and he’s a true traveler.I like this book so much; I’ll be tempted to read it again and again.

A wonderful slant to traveling in a land many of us will never see. Jeff describes the ins and outs Nepal and explains the history and present day life ,politics and people in an informative and humorous way, leaving us to want to learn more. I recommend this book to those of us who love to do a bit more than the average tourist but to those who like to get down to the real feeling of a place and its people.

I had to buy and read this for school. It was descent book except for the ending which I didn't like much. No offense to the author. Though I did enjoy the rest of the book.

Greenwald narrates his experiences in Nepal with insight and humor. The reader becomes aware of the culture as well as a black market in art treasures.

Excellent writing; keeps you engaged. The author writes with humor throughout. His descriptions of Nepal are vivid and help one visualize the country. This author is the first who has nicely described, in a lay person's way, the variations on Hindu / Buddhism religions, gods and goddesses.

I loved reading about Nepal having recently visited, but I found the story dragged fom time to time and I had to force myself to return to it, which is unusual for me. Not a bad read, though.

I am getting ready for my first trip to Nepal and this book was recommended to me. It provides a great peek into Nepalese culture and I feel now that I am really ready to arrive in Nepal not as a tourist but as someone slightly conversant in traditions.

Shopping For Buddhas is a book that describes the author's search for a "perfect" Buddha statue during his stay in Nepal, which sounds simple, even dull. That simple description doesn't tell you that the book is based on a series of stand-up shows and that Jeff Greenwald has a great eye for detail and a humourous turn of phrase. At the same time he provides a huge amount of detail about the cultural background of Nepal, of the Hindu symbolism that the statues and carvings, paintings and buildings all represent, the history of the country and he even manages to touch on subjects such as the problems in Nepal with drugs, art theft, poverty and the government.All of the information is historic however since this is not a new book - my copy has an afterword dated March 1996 - and Nepal has changed a lot since then including a civil war and much unrest. As such the book provides a very entertaining and interesting background to the country but is probably not that helpful as a current guide for visitors planning a trip to the country - which you might expect from the Lonely Planet branding.As someone who has visited Nepal more recently, I found this book to be a great way to backfill my knowledge of the country and a great way to map my experiences there onto the historical and cultural background of the country. And, of course, whether you plan to go there or not, the book is hugely entertaining: well written and thought provoking but without ever being dull or heavy to read.I heartily recommend the book to anyone who enjoys travel literature, good stories and some culture and history thrown in.