Journal Entry 1 by rapturina from Yantai, Shandong China on Tuesday, April 03, 2007

Bought this at my favourite bookstore in the whole world - the Akateeminen Kirjakauppa in Helsinki. :D  

Journal Entry 2 by rapturina from Yantai, Shandong China on Friday, April 20, 2007

I was pretty impressed with this book. I had expected more of a family story and not as much history of Afghanistan, but I think I liked it better this way, as it gave me a much better insight into the situation in Afghanistan. I have always been fascinated by the region for its history and rich culture, and this book tells about Afghanistan in a way that is not just boring facts, but somehow brings the country and its people to life. I also liked how Hamida Chafour included all parties in the conflict(s), so it gives a good overview of the conflict(s) and where every party is coming from. So this book is very insightful if you're interested in Afghanistan, but if you're not, it's still a very interesting story about the search for one's roots. :D

I will take this to either the Tampere or Helsinki meeting to see if anyone is interested in taking it home. 

Journal Entry 3 by harmaja from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Wednesday, April 25, 2007

I received this book at the Helsinki meet-up yesterday. Thanks so much, rapturina, for passing it on to me!

Hope you enjoyed your stay in Helsinki and had a safe trip back home! 

Journal Entry 4 by harmaja from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Tuesday, October 30, 2007

I've read The Sleeping Buddha now. I agree with rapturina: the book was a lot more matter-of-fact than the blurb led me to believe. Which is a good thing. I've been wanting to read a good, insightful reportage of the post-war Afganistan, and now I feel like I have. (Post-war being a very questionable term to use in this occasion, since the country is still very much plagued by fighting, but I couldn't think of a better one. Post-taleban? That wouldn't be true, either.)

Ghafour reports of the kind of people that rule in today's Afganistan, of the re-buiding of Kabul, the conflicts in the countryside, and the situation of Afghani women. She refrains from jumping into conclusions too hastily, but is scathingly critical towards the US and NATO - and with good reason, too.

Ghafour also analyzes the way development work is being done in Afghanistan, and the many ways it has failed. Having done development studies all summer, I was especially interested in what she had to say about the NGO's, foreign firms and other development agents in Kabul. Seems like they really have messed up big time. A strive towards free-marked capitalism surely can't suffice as the be-all and end-all of development efforts.

All in all, I was very pleased with this book, grim as the contents are. I especially like the way Hamida Ghafour keeps reminding the readers of her own position: she's an Afghan raised in the West, which means she is often being treated as an outsider, and yet she isn't just any spectator come from abroad. I like it that she analyzes her own position as well, and admits that it has an effect in the way people treat her and share (or don't share) their stories with her. (This is just one of the reasons why this reportage is about a zillion times better than Åsne Seierstad's The Bookseller of Kabul.)

There are a lot more things I could say about The Sleeping Buddha, but I'll let the next readers read it and judge it for themselves. I hope I'll find a new reader for this book soon. It is printed in 2007, so it should be reasonably up-to-date. I hope it gets read while it remains so.

Thanks, rapturina, for sharing The Sleeping Buddha with me! You were right, it wasn't a soppy story after all. (Except for the very end, and that wasn't too bad, either.) 

Journal Entry 5 by harmaja from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Monday, November 05, 2007

Journal Entry 6 by ruzena from Vantaa, Uusimaa Finland on Wednesday, November 07, 2007

Journal Entry 7 by ruzena from Vantaa, Uusimaa Finland on Tuesday, March 04, 2008

Constable & Robinson Ltd 2007. 322 pages + bibliography + index

Thanks a lot, rapturina and harmaja, for sharing this book! It was a good addition to my Afghanistan series (some are listed in this journal). This book is rather a nonfiction one, written by a clever and critical female journalist who is able to look at the country both from inside and outside. It includes both a lot of knowledge and very personal experience, and even empathic humour (my favourite was Debbie and her Beauty without Borders).

The author seems to be sceptical about development aid and relief workers. Well. Anyone might be frustrated. It has cost about half a billion dollars over the last 15 years to rid Afghanistan of some of its mines. It will take another seven years and about $400 million before the land is completely cleared.

The bookring (see above) starts now. Have a good lesson!
 

Journal Entry 8 by Niora from Joensuu, Pohjois-Karjala Finland on Wednesday, March 05, 2008

The book arrived by mail today, thanks! I'll get into it as soon as I've finished my current book. 

Journal Entry 9 by Niora from Joensuu, Pohjois-Karjala Finland on Tuesday, March 11, 2008

I'm glad to have read this book, frustrating reading as it makes. I didn't know all that much about Afghanistan, and of course still don't, but I feel I now have some sort of a knowledge basis to build upon.

Hamida Ghafour's account of her journalistic travels in the country where she was born is intelligent and well-balanced. She knows the complicated history of the huge, multifaceted country and the many radically different regimes it has put up with during the last century. There are no easy and simple answers to Afghanistan's problems, but neither leaving it on its own (which will likely only get the Taliban back in power, and this is not what Afghans want) nor trying to help without adequate resources, realistic time frames or any knowledge and regard whatsoever for the cultural and other complexities of the country is going to do the trick. Not to mention that with a bit of far-sightedness, Afghanistan would not have been left alone so many times in the past when it needed and asked for help, and the current problems might have been avoided altogether.

I'm sending the book over to lottuli soonish (need to check the address first, I think.) Thanks to everybody who's had this book before for passing it on!

Update (March 12): in the mail, happy trails! 

Journal Entry 10 by lottuli from Pieksämäki, Etelä-Savo Finland on Thursday, March 13, 2008

Thank you for the book Niora, I did not remember signing in to this ring, hopefully I can be quick with reading. Just moving in few weeks and awful lot of packing to do. Additionally; this is fourth ring at my shelf right now and fifth on it's way!!

Apologies beforehand, if it takes me more than four weeks to read, hopefully not.
 

Journal Entry 11 by lottuli from Pieksämäki, Etelä-Savo Finland on Friday, April 25, 2008

Thursday, April 10, 2008:

Just a short in-between comment; I've been reading this book now for a week or so, I begin progressing very slowly as I want to read this book with all the time it reserves. And it truly does! A great book so far and I really like the way Hamida Ghafour writes, very smooth and nicely progressing.

I checked that I have address for the next participant in this ring, Aspen72, and the book will be in the post next week. More comments later.

Friday, April 25, 2008:

Now finally posting this book today, Save travels little book!

(This posting operation has been like rebuilding Afghanistan; mistakes, mistakes, misunderstandings, draw backs etc. )

Book was great, thank you Rapturina for sharing in first place and ruzena for organizing this ring. The book was well written, showed many sides and aspects in Afghanistan. The history was well explained and the reader got lot's of information. Once again it was shown, that Westerns should not be involved in wars in East as it seems, we don't have a slightest understanding of foreign cultures. As well as the co-operation between different organizations, and the army units was totally unsuccessful, it seem to me that also the locals could not do democracy very well. But what can you expect from a nation that has been ripped into small pieces and turned upside down several times in the last century? Not much should be expected, or at least the nation should have been given much more time to gather up and start working as a nation than just a few years?

I wish we learn a lesson from Afghanistan and Iraq... or should I say: I wish the Americans and UN and NATO could learn? 

Journal Entry 12 by AspenYard from Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Monday, April 28, 2008

Thank you! Book arrived today by mail.


Edit 27.5.2008:
This book is interesting, even though quite slow reading due to "factual" style and tight edition - a lesson really! I've read approx one quarter of it by now. Lots of details of the political situation in Afghanistan within past century and today. Author's 'ancestors' seem to have links to that political life, which brings new aspects to the view she is providing. 

Journal Entry 13 by AspenYard from Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Friday, June 06, 2008

I finished this book yesterday.

Afghanistan is very intriguing country with thousands of years of history and lots of traditions. I wish Afghans would relearn their rich history, by lengthening the perspective - I find this thought from the book so simple and so true: "To understand a man you must know his memories, the same is true of a nation."
The current situation seems quite frustrating as same mistakes are made over and over again, and "a goat is guarding cabbages". How could any visitor gain respect, if not sharing respect first? The attitude should be closer to curiosity instead of superiority. It's also sad that poverty has led to some kind of never-ending cycle of wrong selections - and those who are having the keys for getting out of that loop only think of their own advantage.
But there's is anyway some hope as long as there are people having visions and dreams....

Thanks for sharing this book ruzena, harmaja and rapturina!
This book makes an extra tour between Turku and Helsinki as I'll give this to Cinnamon234 at Suomenlinna :-) 

Journal Entry 14 by Cinnamon234 from Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Sunday, June 08, 2008

Got the book from Aspen yesterday and will start reading it as soon as possible. 

Journal Entry 15 by Cinnamon234 from Turku, Varsinais-Suomi Finland on Tuesday, July 08, 2008

The book was really interesting. It is quite obvious that the author is journalist. The text is easy to read even though the subject is hard. It is also interesting how the author "knits" the history of her own family with the history of Afghanistan.

I just hope that I would have had this book to read back in 2002 when I was doing the research for my master's thesis.

****

The book will continue its journey to Tintti on Friday 11th of July. 

Journal Entry 16 by Tintti from Jyväskylä, Keski-Suomi Finland on Monday, July 14, 2008

The book arrived today. Thanks! I'll try to read it soon.

Edit July 26: I feel that at the moment I don't have enough time or energy to concentrate on this book as deeply as it deserves...so I'm sending it forward. 

Journal Entry 17 by Tarna from Tampere, Pirkanmaa Finland on Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Journal Entry 18 by Tarna from Tampere, Pirkanmaa Finland on Monday, August 04, 2008

Journal Entry 19 by myntti from Tampere, Pirkanmaa Finland on Thursday, August 14, 2008

I got the book from Tarna at tonight's meet-up. Thanks!
***
1.10.2008
I've finished reading the book. Journal entry coming soon...

21.5.2011. Or not. I don't remember much about this book anymore, but I do remember agreeing with many points that Tarna mentioned in her journal entry. 

Journal Entry 20 by Annelis from Kerava, Uusimaa Finland on Tuesday, October 14, 2008

I got this interesting book at the meeting tonight. Thank you for the book! I'll read it soon and let it continue its travel. 

Journal Entry 21 by Annelis from Kerava, Uusimaa Finland on Sunday, December 14, 2008

I am still reading this book. This is really different from what I anticipated. Quite a good history of Afganistan. I have already learnt a lot. I must say though that I really would like to know more about the life of ordinary Afgans. But if you are not an ordinary Afgan, how would you know what to write?
After Christmas I'll let the book go to CandyDarling. Last time she did not come to the meeting. Well, I did not take the book with me then, but the next time I will.

This book stands for Afghanistan in the challenge A Book from Every Country  

Journal Entry 22 by Annelis from Kerava, Uusimaa Finland on Thursday, January 22, 2009

I happened to see part of a tv program about a man who was recruiting young people to US Army. It sounded so senseless as some of them were going to Afganistan to defend their country. Their country is not in Afganistan nor in Iraq! In this book the writer met also some US soldiers in Afganistan who were defending their country. This kind of propaganda makes me puke. Luckily we have no oil so they need not to come here to defend their country or to liberate us. During the cold war their missiles in England were pointing us but were not launched - lucky us.

I sent CandyDarling a PM about the book, so it will soon continue its travel. - Yes! She came to the meeting to fetch the book.

This is my #19 in STORA SPARK-I-BAKEN 2009 Challenge arranged by Panzeranzi.
This is my #10 "REDUCE MOUNT TBR 2009" Challenge arranged by DovreiLibri

and also #10 in 2009 KEEP THEM MOVING CHALLENGE arranged by Guinaveve.
 

Journal Entry 23 by CandyDarling from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Tuesday, February 03, 2009

I got the book from Annelis at the BC meeting last Thursday. I'm looking forward to reading it. 

Journal Entry 24 by CandyDarling from Helsinki, Uusimaa Finland on Wednesday, June 24, 2009

I finally finished The Sleeping Buddha, after having some initial trouble getting into the book. Turned out the problem was that I didn't have enough time for reading - The Sleeping Buddha is a book that benefits from being read in longer sittings. I was trying to read it in snippets of 10 to 20 minutes, and as a result I couldn't remember anything that was going on, and I was confused by all the names. When I had finally time to sit down and read, the book stopped being confusing and became really interesting. There is also an index at the back, which helps if you forget a name.

The Sleeping Buddha is both the story of Afghanistan's history from the past 100 years, and the story of the author's family. Hamida Ghafour comes from an important line of people - her family is descended from the Moguls, and her relatives are part of the ruling elite of Afghanistan. Like Tarna, I was a bit disappointed because of this, as I would have loved to read the family history of some completely ordinary family, to know what life was like for ordinary Afghans. (Of course, as ruzena pointed out, since many Afghans are illiterate (only 36% were estimated to be literate in 1999), it is unlikely that an ordinary person from Afghanistan would have the means to write a book.) On the other hand, Hamida's family story was pretty unique, and it was definitely interesting.

At first glance, when Hamida arrives in Kabul as a reporter, her view resembles that of any westerner, but soon it is apparent that she views Afghanistan very differently, because it is after all her country of birth. I loved the insight she was able to provide, and that she was not afraid to criticize the typical western illusion of the American soldiers that they are in Afghanistan to "save" the poor people from a tyrannical Taliban rule. Like Harmaja, I was also really interested in the critique of the NGO's and the way the country is being rebuilt. I think this quote from page 287 sums it up very well: "The Americans rely on an unquestionable assumption that capitalism and modernity are universal aspirations."

I was glad to read a nuanced history of Afghanistan, where the conflicts are explained from several points of view, although after reading Tarna's review, I'm a bit sceptical of how balanced the treatment was after all. I also found the ethnic dynamics of Afghanistan interesting, for example how the Hazara people have been discriminated against. Sometimes during the book I despaired because I couldn't remember all the details, but in the end I now know much more about Afghanistan than ever before.

Interesting that Tarna brought up the segment on Debbie and her beauty school, because I was familiar with the book Kabul Beauty School, and the segment stood out to me as weird and out of place.

I'm glad that I read this book, it was well written and informative, and a pleasure to read. I have Cassiopaeia's address, and will send out the book tomorrow. 

Journal Entry 25 by CandyDarling at Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom on Thursday, June 25, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (6/25/2009 UTC) at Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

I sent the book to Cassiopaeia today. 

Journal Entry 26 by Cassiopaeia from Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom on Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Received in the mail today, many thanks CandyDarling. 

Journal Entry 27 by Cassiopaeia from Cardiff, Wales United Kingdom on Sunday, July 26, 2009

I learnt quite a bit from this book by Gafour, but it wasn’t a comfortable read in terms of her writing style, it seemed to me at least that she didn’t have a clear remit, she had a lot of information and insight from different perspectives but not yet a clear or concise way of delivering her thoughts. This made for difficult continuity. The earlier part of the book read like one of my school history books from many years ago; good factually but fairly dull. Later she drew me in more, but not enough to really sustain my interest in her own story, but she has begun to unravel my knowledge of the Russian invasion, the mullahs, the Taliban and Bin Laden, NATO and US involvement, which all give me a better background with which to view current events. I feel sure there is a much better book, yet to be written by her.

Thanks ruzena and everyone else who kept this book moving. I have ruzena's details and it will be on it's way home soon.

From Janine di Giovanni in the Guardian.

 

Journal Entry 28 by Cassiopaeia at by mail, Another bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases on Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Released 2 yrs ago (7/27/2009 UTC) at by mail, Another bookcrosser -- Controlled Releases

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Returnig to ruzena by Airmail at the end of bookring. 

Journal Entry 29 by ruzena from Vantaa, Uusimaa Finland on Monday, August 10, 2009

The book is back -- thank you, Cassiopaeia, also for the nice postcard and the Official Bookcrossing Stickers!
And thanks to everyone for journaling and mailing.