The splendor of this collection of black and white photos of the Himalayas is breathtaking. Hanson, a biochemist in a previous existence, began his photographic journeys in 1991. This volume consists of five portfolios, each from a different region. Most are of the mountainous landscape. Even the pictures containing people or man made objects are still seen against the background of the unfeeling mountains. Each one is captioned with the subject and circumstances under which it was taken, including time of day. The images alone are worth acquiring the book, but the commentary by Hanson that follows the portfolios enhances them greatly. The writing is beautiful; a combination of philosophy and factual information, demonstrating the personal quest that brought Hanson back to the Himalayas time and time again. oversize 14 x 11.5 " Annotation ©2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Dramatically immortalizing the breathtaking beauty and remote wilderness of one of the planet's last untamed frontiers, this intriguing photographic exploration of near inaccessible landscape and culture illuminates the starkly beautiful but often inhospitable Himalayan regions. Religiously documented over a 20-year period, these glorious, panoramic black-and-white images--including one breathtaking, 48-inch panorama--are the remarkable result of a dedicated and passionate fascination with the history and vistas of the Himalayas. Complemented by trekking maps of mountains, glaciers, and rivers--from the peaks of Kashmir, the Hidden Realm, and the Great Cleft of the Kali Gandaki to mighty Mount Everest in Tibet and Nepal--and accompanied by scholarly essays penned with scientific, geological, and spiritual analysis of the region, this stunning visual journey illustrates the Himalayas as an enduring emblem of man's ultimate challenge in nature.