Rating: 
Summary: Just a classic human story for anyone anywhere anywhen
Review: My initial interest in this book came from my enjoyment of mountaineering stories. But I found so much more.
The incredible struggle and trek through Tibet that I was looking for is only the beginning!
The real rewards of this book are in the glimpse we get of a truly peaceful and unique culture so different to ours in the modern Western world.
Imagine a land where everyone is TRULY many times happier, where everyone has a place, where everyone shares the same beliefs (in terms of religion and society), where the spiritual side of people is nurtured and placed at the highest precedence.
That is the impression of Tibet I was left with, and this current condition of that country is surely one of THE great losses to humanity.
Who knows, maybe Tibet could have been the model for our everlasting happiness?
The author himself does not follow such idolatory lines. You will find at first steadfast in his beliefs in logic and the western way, and not afraid to cast a critical eye at some of the practices of his patrons.
But slowly he succumbs and acknowledged more and more of the other level that the Tibetans seemed to live their lives on.
It is certainly hard to explain a culture that just does not value things in the same way as us.
But if you are willing to open your mind to the author's words you will be left with an impression of a richness unsurpassed in any work of fiction, that of the former glory of Tibet.
Rating: 
Summary: trudging through Tibet
Review: After reading all the glowing customers' reviews, I am embarrassed yet compelled to say that I didn't think the book was all that great. Okay, let me qualify that: for general information on Tibetan life during this period, I give it four stars. There are lots of tidbits on diet, dress and customs.As a true adventure, however, it gets two stars. I admire Harrer for the strength of body and will that it took to trek across Tibet. Unfortunately, his telling of this great undertaking--slogging through ice and snow, fording freezing rivers, yaks and humans on the verge of starvation and collapse,brushes with thieves and murderers--surprisingly lacks suspense and excitement. There is plenty of vague description but little dramatic interaction and no conversation. Harrer wasn't alone on his adventure; he was with another escaped prisoner named Aufshnaiter. I never really got a sense of this other guy, though, because Harrer doesn't give him a voice. He's sort of this vague Teller to Harrer's Penn. The reader does learn that Aufshnaiter gets a job in Lhasa and then moves out and gets his own place. I wish he had written a book so we could get his story. One more thing: His Holiness the Dalai Lama may have written the forward and a letter of endorsement at the end, and his picture may be on the back cover but inside the book, he is barely present at all. Don't let Harrer's occassional comments like, "Later, when I frequently played canasta with the Dalai Lama..." fool you: He doesn't meet HH until 3/4 through the book.
Rating: 
Summary: A CONTINUALLY AMAZING ADVENTURE STORY.
Review: I avoided reading this book for many years due to the poor film that was made of it. I figured the book would be equally as poor. I warn any reader of this review not to make the same mistake that I did. The book is almost totally unlike the movie, which starred a greatly miscast Brad Pitt, and interjected subplots born in Hollywood, rather than Harrer's fine book. There was no need to embellish one of the most fascinating, amazing and adventurous stories ever told, and a true one at that. Most of the time I couldn't believe what I was reading, including the first half of the book which recounts Harrer's and Aufschnaiter's arduous two year-long trek over Tibetan mountains, or the Tibetan people and culture of the last part of the book, so different than any country that I know of. A glimpse of the Dalai Lama as a boy is revealing (interested in math, languages and geography, but feeling no closeness to horses, of which he had many); life in the monasteries, and in Lhasa itself. This is such a different book, as I suppose Tibet was (is?) different. It is also a cry for the return of Tibet to the Tibetans. Almost anyone reading this book will join that cry.
Rating:
Summary: Pleasant reading
Review: Not being a writer, Harrer has created a very pleasant book describing his years as a prisoner in India, his escapes, and his travels through Tibet as he and his companion Aufschnaiter try to reach Tibet's forbidden city, Lhasa. The narrative is smooth, making the reader walk with them as they deceive Tibet's authorities and thieves, finding friendship among the nomads, spending months across the country. Reaching Lhasa, the story changes to the way of life of the Tibetans, and his own, as he comes to consider Tibet his new home. He is able to picture the religious festivities, the fundaments of their budhaism, the social skills, the way the people see their God-king, the Dalai Lama. The only part of the story I think is not well developed enough is his relationship with the Dalai Lama, he spents only the last final two chapters with it. The end of the book is a little too quick, which represents the way he was forced by the chinese to leave Tibet. A very good book, and one can learn a lot about Tibet with it. The real stuff, not the kind of things you hear when some fancy movie star says he's budhist.
Rating:
Summary: The Roof of the World
Review: When you read this book, you can almost feel like your standing on the edge of the world, looking out over the mountains, feeling the cold wind and the solitude. The irony here is that Harrer doesn't tell the story in a sensual manner. Conversely he imparts an amazingly factual, nonsensual account. But reading it seemed to infuse my senses. I liken the experience to reading Jane Smiley's Greenlanders. Even when Harrer relates the story of his leaving Tibet, it's very curt, short and without much emotion, but as the reader, I was deeply sadened. This book made me want to seek out additional information on Tibet.
Rating:
Summary: To Lhasa
Review: "Seven Years in Tibet" is many things: a thrilling account of the author's escape from a prison camp in India and his personal story of subsequent hardships hiking to and in Tibet; a fascinating glimpse at the varied places he visited there, the character of the people, and their lifestyle in the 1940s (a curious mix of ancient Buddhism, medieval feudalism and modern radios); anecdotes that reveal the personality of the Dalai Lama; and an account of the period of the Chinese invasion. It is a wonderful true story, written for a western audience by a distinctly adventurous man. Anyone interested in the mystery of this isolated country will find some of the reality emerge in this affectionate, straightforward, well-paced volume.
Rating:
Summary: A Cultural Gift
Review: This book invoked a beautifully tragic scene of Tibet. The inner peace of the people is contrasted by Chinese expansionists, and I can't help but to feel a sort of sorrow for a time past. It is written simply and without embellishment. That is its greatest strength.
Rating:
Summary: Seven Years in Tibet, Life Experience
Review: Three months after finishing and putting down the book, I'm still so inspired by the whole Heinrich Harrer tale and his experience in Tibet. This is the coming about of the second review of the book. The book starts off at the outbreak of World War II. Heinrich Harrer and his mountain climbing associates, while attemtping the Nanga Parbat mountain, were arrested by the British and were imprisoned in Indian internment camp located near the border with Tibet. After securing enough life necessities and supplies, Harrer and his friend Peter Aufschnaiter escaped and set out for the Indian-Tibetan border. The road to Lhasa was strenuous, arduous, and painful. Harrer and Aufschnaiter struggled with winter blizzard, depleting supplies, mountain sickness, and even risk of robbers. They had to obtain license upon arrival in unexplored territory. They risked the refusal to enter Tibet without a permit. They risked their life as their supplies won't last for the trip. Upon arrival into the country, they were greeted with curiosity, meticulousness, guard, and warmth. They were housed in government mansion; treated sumptuous Tibetan meal; tailored expensive hand-crafted embroidered wardrobe. From day to day throng of visitors came visit these newly-arrived foreigners. Heinrich Harrer lived in Lhasa for almost 5 years. He performed plumbing and other technical servies for his friends and government officials. He taught children how to read and write English. He introduced ice-skating to Tibetans by sticking a knife underneath the boots. The most significant portion of this book is the detailed yet sentimental description of Harrer's relationship with the young Dalai Lama. Harrer recalled spending days and days at Dalai's summer palace and in Potola Palace teaching him English, talking to him about politics and building the first "home entertainment center". They even made a film together and showed the film to the monks. Harrer was even permitted to film the Dalai processional in New Year. Harrer had built a deep friendship with Dalai and his people, one of which Harrer never had expected. Harrer stayed in Tibet until the time when the Chinese was ready to take over Tibet. This book is filled with heart warming anecdotes, scenes of Tibetan lives and people. It has temendously inspired me to visit Tibet one day and experience for myself. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: An immersive book with a sense of adventure.
Review: The fact that the story actually happened is quite extraordinary. The book details the lives of two climbers who were imprisoned and escaped to Tibet. Their ordeal is extraordinary fought with xenophobia and a strange culture. The journey itself has a sense of adventure and hope. Once the travellers find themselves in the city the pace changes. The story deals with the underlying cultural differences and the changes in tibet. This book is a must read for those interested in different cultures as well as for the armchair Indiana Jones.
Rating:
Summary: Open Our Eyes to the Seemingly Unknown Horizon
Review: I came across this book while I was browsing through the travel narrative shelf of a local bookstore. I decided to purchase it after i finish reading the opening chapter! Beyond just a Tibet practical guidebook, the Mr. Harrer gave a true yet touching account of his expereince and bond with the Tibetans. "Seven Years in Tibet" delineates the Mr. Harrer's strenuous entrance into Tibet and his interactions, whether hospitable or not, with government officials, the nomads, and the monks. I recommend this book for all who wonder about traveling in Tibet or just wanting to know more about this mysterious piece of land known ans the "roof of the world."
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