Bangladesh: Reflections on the Water (The Essential Asia)

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Summary: Novak writes how a Bangali feels about Bangla desh
Review: As a Bangladeshi-American, I am disturbed at the number of publications potraying her as destitude, poor and disaster prone. Novak tries to disprove this 'theory of Bangla desh' and shows Bangladesh in the reality, like any Bangladeshi would. Reading the book at times felt like a Bangladeshi has written it. Novak's description of water, seasons and women of Bangladesh are true to the bone and I wish more people in the American media would have read this book before writing their presentations on Bangladesh. I recommend this book for anyone who wishes to know more about Bangladesh or for anyone visiting Bangladesh and for all Bangla deshis outside of Bangla desh.

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Summary: Novak describes Bangla Desh as a Bengali would:
Review: I was shocked to find out that someone from a western country could comprehend how a Bengali feels about Bangla desh. Me as a Bangla deshi always knew Bangladesh like the way Novak describes her. And quite the opposite of how the US media potrays Bangladesh! I thank Novak for writing such a wonderful book. I hope more books like this are written rather than media's obsessive relience on negative stereotyping of Bangladesh. PS: This book was published in 1993 and I think a next edition has become essential since the democtatic transition of the 1990's.

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Summary: Excellent representation of Bangladesh and its people.
Review: Novak does an excellent job writing this description of Bangladesh. Not only does it cover history and what its like, it includes how these things influence the people of Bangladesh. I enjoyed this book because I felt it gave a fairly accurate representation of Bangladesh.

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Summary: Lamentable
Review: There seems to be increasing interest in South Asia. In light of the revolutionary study of South Asia in the last 20 years, most books written about South Asia are now inappropriate. Most of the coverage has been on India and Pakistan with little available for Bangladesh. This has made a vacuum all to readily filled by travellers who wish to give us a single compendium on the whole of Bangaldesh. The scale of activity surrounding India & Pakistan has separated the men from the boys, the excellent from the wannabes. With a lack of books on Bangladesh, on the other hand, we have writers such as Novak, who do not have a clue about their subject giving us, the 'western' reader what 130 million people are. This book is truly woefully undergraduate and will probably be bought by unsuspecting but sincere people who will want to know something about this country. Hopefully, books such as this, which I would say is Orientalism in action, will provide as an example what not to buy. Indeed, it makes for rich criticism. But it is beyond the scope of this article to get into it. In fact, I have dedicated enough time to a book that really is not worth dedication much time to. In short, this man in his writing seems to claim to know the Bangladeshi and presents them to us. But he doesnt. Not by a long shot.

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Summary: Best book I have read on Bangladesh
Review: This is absolutely the best book to read about BanglaDesh. I loved the way Novak describes the seasons and connection to the Bangladeshi people. I have visited Bangladesh a few months back and I am glad I read this book before. But I do wish there was a newer edition as this version was written a few years back.

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Summary: a beautiful potrayal of Bangla desh
Review: Those who know about Bangadesh other than from media's perspective, see it as a nation full of promises and contradiction. A land so beautiful and bountiful yet so much devastation from nature and man-made. Novak keenly provides the details of how colonial rule devastated an otherwise wealthy nation into destitude and poverty. He also draws wonderful contradiction between US history and that of Bangladesh. A truly wonderful read.