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Lao is the native language of the southeast Asian country of Laos, and is also spoken by much of the inhabitants of northeastern Thailand, an area known as Isaan. Mastering a language as different to English as is Lao may first seem to be impossible; with its strange looking script and its multitude of tones and vowels, the task can be decidedly intimidating. Compounding the problems, many native Lao language teachers don't fully understand how to effectively explain these aspects of their language to the expatriate. Rather than a linguistic treatise, Shapes and Sounds of the Lao Language is a practical guide to help you to become fluent in Lao. Using a combination of relevant descriptions, language learning tricks, flash cards, drills and comparison tracks on downloadable MP3 audio files, you will be able to conquer some of the most difficult aspects of the language. Certainly, learning a second language takes hard work and patience, but by following the instructions outlined in this book, you will get the most out of your efforts and will be delighted at the progress you never believed you could make.

A detailed first-hand account-and critical analysis-of the impact of the first contingent of American Peace Corps volunteers to live and work in Nepal, arriving in 1962 just following the King's seizure of absolute power and the tentative opening of the country to the outside world. The account not only explores the successes and failures of the volunteers in their efforts to have a positive effect on Nepalese development, but also the reverse effects of their transformative experience on the lives of the volunteers themselves. The narrative is further expanded as the author places the mission in the broader perspective of the globalization process that has so expanded our world in the past 50 years. A richly rewarding account for all with interests in globalization, social change, and transnational anthropology.

In 1914, the British plant-collector and explorer, Kingdon-Ward, undertook an expedition of some eight month's duration along Burma's eastern frontier and across the headwaters of the Irrawaddy River. Kingdon-Ward's travel was mostly on foot, through some of the most rugged and impenetrable terrain on earth; his legendary courage and endurance enabled him to prevail, despite significantimpact on his health. Kingdon-Ward's keen powers of observation result in an account rich in the details of this previously unknown territory, its flora, fauna and the anthropology of its tribal inhabitants. While primarily a scientific expedition, Kingdon-Ward's descriptions are, at times, lyrical as he described the majestic landscape through which he travelled. First published in 1921 and previously long out of print, this work has been one of Kingdon-Ward's scarcest and most sought-after titles.

Classical Tibetan, with origins dating to the ninth century, is the script found in a huge corpus of surviving Tibetan texts, mostly of Buddhist content; native Tibetans still employ this language, to this day when writing on religious, medical or historical subjects. The aim of this book is to provide a rapid introduction to the main elements of Classical Tibetan, so that students may begin to access for themselves the vast amount of written material available in this language. While designed for guided study, the material will also be of use to those who tackle the language on their own. Regular study over approximately six months should result in an understanding of most grammatical features and allow the student to read the simpler prose texts.

The artist Sappho Marchal was the daughter of the renowned French conservator of Angkor, Henri Marchal. She spent the early years of her life in Cambodia, surrounded by the magnificent ruins of the Khmers, and produced the present study at age 23. Her fine line drawings present the myriad details of ornament and costume depicted on the stone reliefs of Angkor Wat with a clarity that could not be captured, even then, on film. Since that time, many of the stone carvings have severely deteriorated, rendering Marchal's drawings all the more valuable as a record for present-day students and restorers of Angkor.

This is a story of life among the minority tribesmen of Vietnam who were trained by the author during the Vietnam War to become the feared and respected "Tiger Men", defending their villages and homes against the Viet-Cong.

This study of the development of architecture and the impact of architectural models on this evolution, draws its early examples primarily from surviving Hindu-Buddhist monuments in Cambodia and Java.