Siva, the Erotic Ascetic (Galaxy Books)

Rating:
Summary: Misrepresentative
Review: This author may be a self-thought scholar and the western world annoited scholar on hinduisim however, she does not quite understand hinduisim correctly or represent it correctly.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent read
Review: This is an excellent source for those interested in all the variant mythologies surrounding Siva. The information is well organized and told with an even objective viewpoint, which is perfect since Siva is fascinating in his own right, so there is no need to flower things up. The multple tellings of the same core myth really drives home the core points and character traits of Siva. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Siva or Hindu Mysticism.

Rating:
Summary: Amazing
Review: This wonderful review of the literature of Siva, by far one of the most interesting and misunderstood of the Indic gods, is already a classic. The contrasts between asceticism and eroticism are carefully and precisely laid out, without the quackery of popular psychological babble. The stories are well translated, with full notes, in such a way as to leave the ambiguities of the original intact. Absolutely lovely.