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dandelionfluff's review against another edition
4.0
Though the beginning is a bit slow, once you get into the midst of discovery, things really draw you in. I had been under the impression that the first book coincided with the first printing press, but oh no-- the Diamond Sutra is indeed the first book. A very good read for anyone interested in archeology, anthropology, or who want to understand just what early twentieth century scholars were up against. And the Germans, man! I thought Indiana Jones was just making them into twisty-mustache villains, but they really were serious academic competitors. Gotta watch out for everyone else trying to make history as well.
My only wish is that we could better understand other parts of this story (the sides that aren't European), but with no written records made by those interacting with Stein, it's rather difficult to fully understand or portray their thoughts on the matter. Everything has to be inferred from Stein's letters and journals. Seeing as it can't be helped, I can't hold it against the writers.
Good book indeed.
My only wish is that we could better understand other parts of this story (the sides that aren't European), but with no written records made by those interacting with Stein, it's rather difficult to fully understand or portray their thoughts on the matter. Everything has to be inferred from Stein's letters and journals. Seeing as it can't be helped, I can't hold it against the writers.
Good book indeed.
stephb413's review against another edition
2.0
I always hesitate to give a poor review to a book given the years of effort usually put into it. That said, I learned little from this read and by the end was very tired of reading the author's opinion displayed throughout the text.
bufally47's review against another edition
3.0
I didn't really know what to expect from this book. Basically it's about the journey of the Diamond Sutra scroll -- the oldest dated book on record -- from its unearthing in 1908 until the present, with a good chunk describing the 1908 trek across the Taklamakan & Gobi deserts that led to its unearthing. This seems to be a book of tangents, in a way. They all loosely surround the Sutra: glimpses into the lives of Silk Road inhabitants 1200 years ago, the Westernization of Buddha as seen through murals, how cultural artifacts are stored during wartime, how delicate papers are preserved, a debate over cultural approbation, how Buddhism is coping with our modern technological world. I got bored here and there but it was still able to transport me to times and places I'll never reach, so three stars.
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