cover image TIBETAN RESCUE: The Extraordinary Quest to Save the Sacred Art Treasure of Tibet

TIBETAN RESCUE: The Extraordinary Quest to Save the Sacred Art Treasure of Tibet

Pamela Logan, . . Tuttle, $24.95 (227pp) ISBN 978-0-8048-3421-6

This detailed, informal diary chronicles the work of a woman devoted to a cause. Logan, who jettisoned an academic career (as a professor of physics, no less) after a vacation to Nepal in the mid-1980s, recounts her attempts to preserve the sacred Buddhist artwork of Tibet. She has to overcome numerous obstacles along the way: on one trip, dogs attack her in a monastery (she's saved by a group of monks); later, back at home, the anti-Tibet remarks of an American congressman virtually derail a fund-raising trip for the nonprofit Kham Aid Foundation she created. The temples themselves—lodged in unstable buildings with leaky roofs and poor ventilation—pose another difficulty. As she writes of one temple, "One more earthquake would surely bring it down, burying murals, treasures and people in the process." Despite these problems, her recovery teams boast significant progress toward preserving some of the world's art treasures. Logan's writing is clear and easily conveys the excitement of her work, but while she is obviously enamored with her subject, she's not above a criticism or two: "I'm a fan of Tibetan culture, but Tibetan medicine fills me with misgiving." The lack of art and historical background or details of conservation techniques (all are oddly placed in the book's appendix) will limit the book's appeal to the general reader. But those interested in art history, Asia and Buddhism are likely to be engaged and perhaps even inspired by Logan's efforts. (Nov.)