FAIRFAX, Calif., March 8, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Activists have long fought for the freedom of this Asian culture that has fallen under China's control. In their new, expanded edition of "Tibet: Enduring Spirit, Exploited Land" (now available through AuthorHouse), Robert Z. Apte and Andres R. Edwards eloquently illustrate the importance of this cause by exploring the lives and traditions of this region's persecuted people.
In the introduction, Apte and Edwards ask the question, "Why care about Tibet?" From there, the book launches into a detailed examination of the practices that have kept this region an environmental wonder for several millennia. Tibet describes the traditional lives of nomads and farmers, and traces the growing impact of China's socioeconomic system and development practices on these people's land. Through interviews with Tibetan people, the authors document significant changes to previously pristine areas. Tibet clarifies how the survival of this culture and its environment affects not only the health of this region but also the entire world.
The authors also address human rights issues that have been at the forefront of activists' agendas for years and offer innovative development plans that would curb China's devastating impacts on this region. A moving poem by the Dalai Lama, "The Sheltering Tree of Interdependence," epitomizes the Buddhist concern and the people's reverence for nature.
A monumental contribution to the cause of preserving Tibetan culture, Tibet offers politicians, scholars and environmentally conscious readers an unprecedented look at the Rooftop of the World.
Apte is the author of Three Kingdoms on the Roof of the World: Bhutan, Nepal, and Ladakh in addition to other books. He has photographed extensively in the Himalayan region and Southeast Asia and has had several gallery exhibits. Apte has also served as consultant and facilitator on development and human service projects in India, Bhutan, and Nepal. Edwards has served as producer, exhibit developer, and consultant for natural history and sustainable communities projects worldwide. He earned a bachelor's degree in geography from the University of Colorado, a master's in media studies from New York University and a master's in a multifaceted humanities, leadership and ecology program from the New College of California in San Francisco. The founder and principal of EduTracks, an environmental consulting firm, he currently lives with his wife and children in Northern California.
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