Seduced by the beauty of the world Book

For many months over a period of several years, Dutch anthropologist/photographer Iman Bijleveld and American novelist Don Bloch traveled through India. As they moved among the people in the countryside and on the back streets of the great cities, they were enthralled by the rich sensory experiences that awaited them at every turn. In Seduced by the Beauty of the World they capture the vibrant subcontinent, depicting rarely viewed ceremonies and rituals and aspects of daily life not often observed by tourists or portrayed in books about India.It was while journeying through India that the authors discovered the concept of masti, a Sanskrit term that stands for quiet, ecstatic surrender to the beauty around us. As Bloch says in his introduction: "Masti involves seeing the world clearly and whole, and knowledgeably enough to fall in love with it. Not so much seizing the day, as letting the day seize you." That spirit perfectly describes Seduced by the Beauty of the World, a masterly blend of Bloch's lively travel writing and Bijleveld's compelling photographs.

Author Bio: Don Bloch has published seven novels and numerous short stories and has written for many leading magazines and newspapers in England and the Netherlands on subjects ranging from travel and food to reviews of books, plays, and operas. Iman Bijleveld is an anthropologist who has worked in Thais, North Yemen; Thailand; Tanzania; and Sri Lanka.