Still tightly chained to its past, Nepal has been staggering along the path of pseudomodernization for more than four decades. No less fascinating, however, is its sociocultural landscape. It rises impressively, like a giant stairway from the northern extensions of the Gangetic plain, just a notch above sea level, to the majestic heights of snowcapped mountains. ShresthaĮpal is a land of contrasts-a marvelous vista. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200 Lanham, Maryland 20706 1-80 fax 71 Cover photos courtesy of Nanda R. For orders and information please contact the publisherĪ wholly owned subsidiary of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. He is associate professor of geography at Central Missouri State University. Keshav Bhattarai was also born and raised in Nepal. He is professor of resource and cultural management in the School of Business & Industry at Florida A&M University, Tallahassee. This resource is a highly informative book for both specialists and nonspecialists interested in Nepal. In addition, valuable information is provided on the country’s economy, population, social systems, and cultural continuity and change in order to highlight growing Western influence. The offers a concise account of Nepal’s history and political evolution, focusing on the period since the rise of Prithvi Narayan Shah in 1743 and on the developments of the past fifty years. It is a country of rich cultural traditions that often reflect its geographical diversity as well as historical longevity. Nepal, however, is more than an exotic back-country with a magnificent gallery of mountains made for National Geographic and television documentaries. Often viewed as an exotic curio shop, Nepal is a popular destination for a growing number of Western tourists and mountaineers. History Asia Asian/Oceanian Historical Dictionaries, No.