Jeff Rasley

I must admit to being disappointed. I was expecting Rasley's book to be much more positive and have a better solution to the poverty and bleakness of this one single village. He doesn’t, instead he remains hooked on the idea of a pure untouched Nepal. For example, he loves Nepal and wants to keep it pure, pristine and untouched by Western hands. Yet he sets up tours and hikes that introduce the 21st century to this village. And then he doubts his actions, realizing that he is modernizing the world; doing exactly what he is against. I thought his attitude was patronizing and that he unable to see the world around him. To him, the people of Nepal must remain in touch with their land and pure of being (i.e. not corrupted like those who live in modern society). Yet, his book consistently states how much the people of the village want improvement, and modernization. Clean water and a proper waste management system is something they want more than remaining “one with nature.” Ultimately I found myself disgusted with the author and his attitude of believing he knows what is best for poorer people in a distant village…. Truthfully it seems a lot like colonization where the colonizers make the rules and regulations of the land rather than the story of helping a people improve their daily lives. Rasley wanted to help a pristine oasis while the people of Nepal wanted modernization simply for the improvement of their lives and their health.… (meer)