I bought this on a rainy Sunday afternoon at WH Smith at Liverpool St Station. I had just spent all morning working at the office, had gone to Spitalfields market to buy some food and the Central Line was down again. I decided to cheer myself up after a long walk in the rain by buying myself yet more books - this one caught my eye.

The premise of the novel is that the whole of the population of Western Europe dies of the Black Death at some point in the 8th century - so what would the world have been like if Asian and Islamic culture had reigned supreme over the globe instead? It is an interesting idea, I am working pretty hard at the moment and this is the sort of book that will relax my brain because the subject matter is different to the boring stuff I have to deal with all day and night!!

This book was not at all what I expected. I thought it would be an easy read (it is about 600 pages or so long) and, as I said above, the plot interested me; what would the world have been liked if Caucasian Europe had been wiped out in the Plague?

The author constructs an alternative universe where China and Islam fight for global supremacy with Hindu India and the North American Indians showing the world how to exist more peacefully. The book was very instructive about world religions, particularly Islam and Buddhism. There are two main characters in the book, "K" and "B" who, along with others, are continually reincarnated over a period of 800 years as they try to reach nirvana. Using this technique, the author demonstrates how the world might have evolved.

At times the narrative seemed to meander and there is a lot more theology in there than I had anticipated. I have to say that Islam emerges from the novel with a bad report card; he seems to view the practice of this religion (but not the tenets of the Koran itself) as violent and misognist; in the book, Islam is doomed to failure for this reason. Ultimately it is the Asian cultures which gain supremacy.

A provocative book for sure - it was not the brain relaxant that I was looking for but equally, it got me pondering. I finished the book about a week ago and I am still thinking about it - not many books get that sort of reaction out of me. There are some very good reviews of the book on Amazon if you would like to know more about it.

Released on Thursday, May 22, 2003 at Starbucks, Sun Street, EC2 in London, England United Kingdom.

Happy travels...

Well,i found this book in Liverpool St,London,in one Starbucks cafe, and i was shocked,not hearing about bookcrossing before.I started reading it, and i really like it...and i like the idea of making a book,s chain...i am passing the idea to my friends...i hope all of them will join soon

hello!!!this is my 2nd journal of this book,actually my first 1 @ bookcrossing!!!i finished d book...you were right...i am still thinking about it...it changed my way of seeing reencarnation...and as a good bookcrosser, i left the book in 1 of workmates locker...i hope he will enjoy it!good luck,book.i hope to find another 1 soon...mar

I found the book long time ago in my locker, but I did not start reading it until last week, ... it is quite good so far..

CAUGHT IN LONDON GREATER LONDON UK