Rating: 
Summary: The essence of a man.
Review: This book is a poignant look at one man's search for his heritage, who his father was and what his father stood for. In doing so, Jamling seems to learn who he is as a man. The book is amazing as it weaves the son's story with that of his father's almost fifty years ago. It is refreshing to see that something as pure as a man's relationship to his father and our relationship to nature and faith still exists in at least one culture in a remote corner of the world. I am humbled by Jamling's deference to his father, heritage, and faith. My children will read this book when they are old enough to understand. I can only hope to leave half the legacy and example that Jamling's father has left and that Jamling will leave to his children.
Rating:
Summary: Well worth it.
Review: This book provides a different view of climbing Everest. It is naturally from the view of a Sherpa. It provides a lot of insight into the lives of Sherpas and their view of thijngs.It is one of the best I have read about Everest. Well worth it.
Rating:
Summary: A Sherpa Man Finds his Spiritual and Family Roots
Review: This book was absorbing emotionally and stimulating intellectually. It is the only book about the 1996 Mount Everest disaster written by a Sherpa, the indigenous people who work as porters and guides for commercial expeditions. I have read about five of the books written after the disaster, and wondered about the Sherpa point of view as there was surprisingly little mention of them. The other books only mentioned them in passing and in terms of what the Sherpas did for the expedition. Jamling Tenzig Norgay, the author, experiences this attitude. After the disaster, he and his team stay at Base Camp. He wrote, "The other Sherpas were hanging out in a depressed funk. Some of them hadn't gotten so much as a thank-you from the guided clients whom they assisted down the mountain, often after exceptional struggle. The clients simply disappeared, some without saying goodbye. We notice this kind of behavior." Norgay was skeptical about Buddhism at the beginning of the climb- but gradually came to believe in it. He requests and receives divinations from llamas- and uses their information as part of his decision-making. The book provides fascinating beginner's information that is accessible to someone like me who is just learning about Buddhism. He describes spirituality in a practical matter.
For example, he says, "in the icefall, as in the mountains, we hope we have been imbued with enough tsin-lap to handle any situation. Tsin-lap is roughly translated as "blessing", but it really means the mental ability and strength to allow our minds to be changed in the direction of complete awareness. When we pray to the wisdom deities, to the Buddhas, we pray for tsin-lap." He talks about the fact that he and the other Sherpas who carry loads for the team hike over each trail numerous times. This improves their athletic ability and knowledge of the mountain. Norgay, spent over a decade in the United States and was also deeply familiar the clients who were paying to climb the mountains who were mostly from industrialized countries. The author does not idealize the Sherpas. He describes the positive parts of their culture, but also tells the reader that the main reason they are on the mountain is as a profession. It is to earn money. He explains that many of the Sherpas risked their lives for their clients during the disaster. But some expected a large award to be posted on the radio. It is not clear whether they might have saved the lives of their guide had an award been offered. Wong Chu, the sirdar responsible for logistics, kept a stick in the kitchen and "would whack miscreant Sherpas on the butt when they acted up. `You came here to do work.' he would say loudly." Norgay is the son of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa who accompanied Edmund Hillary on the first successful attempt of the summit of Mount Everest. His story is interwoven with his father's story. And by the end of the book, you can see that the son had climbed two mountains- a real one and the metaphorical on that each of us must climb to integrate our past with our present and future.
Rating:
Summary: A Sherpa Man Finds his Spiritual and Family Roots
Review: This book was absorbing emotionally and stimulating intellectually. It is the only book about the 1996 Mount Everest disaster written by a Sherpa, the indigenous people who work as porters and guides for commercial expeditions. I have read about five of the books written after the disaster, and wondered about the Sherpa point of view as there was surprisingly little mention of them. The other books only mentioned them in passing and in terms of what the Sherpas did for the expedition. Jamling Tenzig Norgay, the author, experiences this attitude. After the disaster, he and his team stay at Base Camp. He wrote, "The other Sherpas were hanging out in a depressed funk. Some of them hadn't gotten so much as a thank-you from the guided clients whom they assisted down the mountain, often after exceptional struggle. The clients simply disappeared, some without saying goodbye. We notice this kind of behavior." Norgay was skeptical about Buddhism at the beginning of the climb- but gradually came to believe in it. He requests and receives divinations from llamas- and uses their information as part of his decision-making. The book provides fascinating beginner's information that is accessible to someone like me who is just learning about Buddhism. He describes spirituality in a practical matter.
For example, he says, "in the icefall, as in the mountains, we hope we have been imbued with enough tsin-lap to handle any situation. Tsin-lap is roughly translated as "blessing", but it really means the mental ability and strength to allow our minds to be changed in the direction of complete awareness. When we pray to the wisdom deities, to the Buddhas, we pray for tsin-lap." He talks about the fact that he and the other Sherpas who carry loads for the team hike over each trail numerous times. This improves their athletic ability and knowledge of the mountain. Norgay, spent over a decade in the United States and was also deeply familiar the clients who were paying to climb the mountains who were mostly from industrialized countries. The author does not idealize the Sherpas. He describes the positive parts of their culture, but also tells the reader that the main reason they are on the mountain is as a profession. It is to earn money. He explains that many of the Sherpas risked their lives for their clients during the disaster. But some expected a large award to be posted on the radio. It is not clear whether they might have saved the lives of their guide had an award been offered. Wong Chu, the sirdar responsible for logistics, kept a stick in the kitchen and "would whack miscreant Sherpas on the butt when they acted up. 'You came here to do work.' he would say loudly." Norgay is the son of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa who accompanied Edmund Hillary on the first successful attempt of the summit of Mount Everest. His story is interwoven with his father's story. And by the end of the book, you can see that the son had climbed two mountains- a real one and the metaphorical on that each of us must climb to integrate our past with our present and future.
Rating:
Summary: Great in Audio too
Review: This is one of many books telling the tale of the Spring 1996 season on Everest, during which 12 people died, but the only book written by a Sherpa. The author is the son of Tenzig Norgay who climbed Everest for the first time in 1953 with Edmund Hillary. The author weaves several stories into one--the tale of his own ascent, the story of his father's, and the tale of his personal quest to make peace with his famous father. Contrast this work with the well-known "Into Thin Air" to see the enormous difference between the way Westerners approach the mountain--as a challenge to be conquered--and the way the Sherpas view Everest--with a mixture of fear, awe, respect and love. The story of how this thoroughly modern man, educated in the U.S., comes to grips with the Buddhist faith is also fascinating. A comment on the audio version: the book is read by the author's brother, a fact that made me hesitate at first because I often find non-professional readers to be much harder to listen to. Not the case here--the reader did a great job, and his slightly accented English gave the reading an air of authenticity that a native English reader's work would not have had. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: No need to wonder any more why some people "do it"
Review: This is the story of a spiritual journey as much as a physical one. Both are fascinating, and tightly interwoven. Jon Karakaeur, in the book's forward, called it one the best of the books written after the 1996 season and tragedies on Everest. I think Krakauer, who wrote a gripping and compelling account himself, is correct. It tells the Sherpas' story of their relationship with the mountain brilliantly. Much of it is very similar in text to Broughton Coburn's "Everest: Mountain Without Mercy", the official book of the IMAX filming expedition, of which Jamling was a team member. Yet it offers a more personal account well worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Touching My Father's Soul
Review: This is truely a wonderful story of the spiritual side of the Sherpas that guide the wealthy climbers to the summit of Mr. Everest. These people lead simple and difficult lives by our standards. There economy is substantially supported by the treakers that come to Nepal to conquer Mt. Everest. However, the Sherpa's role in the climb is to bear the weight of the climbing gear and supplies needed to make the trip and to risk their lives to satisfy the challenges of the visitors from outside their world. Because of their strong spiritual beliefs, the Sherpa gathers courage to from their Buddist leaders to support their committment to providing safe passage up the mountain. It is surprising to me that this book has not made the New York Times Best Sellers List. I would recommend it to anyone who likes to read of adventure and/or enjoys reading about good people.
Rating:
Summary: Great book
Review: This newly published book is a marvelous feat as told by the son of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, the Sherpa who accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary on the first ascent of Mt. Everest. By weaving together the story of his own effort with a number of little-known stories from his father's Everest ascent, this book brings the spirituality of the Himalayas to the forefront. While the world celebrated Hillary and Tenzing for their achievement, Jamling was inexorably drawn to attempt Everest in his own time. According to the book, both men reached their goals through remarkably similar experiences which shows, as probably few other people can, that climbing Everest is still a personal journey that is remarkably unchanged over the last 40 years even though both the culture and equipment have changed considerably. Although there is not much that is new in this book about the well-documented troubles on Everest (see Krakauer's Into Thin Air) in 1996, this book does break new ground by telling the story from the perspective of the native Sherpas.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting Perspective on Everest
Review: Touching My Father's Soul traces Jamling Norgay's two journeys: (i) to the top of Everest with the 1996 IMAX expedition, and (ii) his inner search for spirituality and how to grapple with his father's legacy. It is this latter journey that makes this book a welcome addition to the many books already written about the 1996 Everest disaster and, more generally, about climbing Everest, as his perspective as a Buddhist Sherpa has not been articulated before. Although Jamling Norgay's story provided the emotional backbone of the IMAX movie, the movie didn't really provide a full portrait of the man, or the way in which he had to grapple with his father's legacy. The book really helps flesh out his character and his spiritual reawakening. Although it's not as gripping as Into Thin Air, for example, the book is reasonably well written and is a page turner in its own right. I wouldn't buy this book solely to try to find a lot of additional information about the 1996 Everest disaster or much "behind the scenes" information about the Everest IMAX movie, as it really doesn't add much new. Instead, it is a heart-felt story of one man's journey and perspective on Everest. As a final note - if you have the opportunity to see Jamling Norgay's book tour in support of Touching My Father's Soul, I would highly recommend it. I attended the book signing in Washington, and he has a very interesting 40 minute slide show.
Rating:
Summary: Humbling
Review: We read this as part of our book club and we are all agreed it was fantastic. Humbling, inspiring, educative, redemptive. It is a shame that this book has not received the attention it should have. A must read.
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