-The book is intended both as a history and an ecological overview of the Park and as a plea for continuing conservation of the rich legacy of Himalayan plants and animals -The pictures, taken by the authors and their collaborators, vividly illustrate the grandeur and diversity of the area -The book has universal appeal: to naturalists, scholars, resource managers, trekkers, arm-chair travelers The Great Himalayan National Park Conservation Area, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the most important protected areas in the Himalayas, one of the World's great biological realms. The book is intended both as a history and an ecological overview of the Park and as a plea for continuing conservation of the rich legacy of Himalayan plants and animals. In addition to descriptions of the ecology, the book includes local history and culture and a review of current development in the region. The inscription of the Park into the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2014 confirmed the Outstanding Universal Values of the area, which contains the most important and significant natural habitats for in-situ conservation of Western Himalayan biological diversity. The pictures, taken by the authors and their collaborators, vividly illustrate the grandeur and diversity of the area. The book has universal appeal: to naturalists, scholars, resource managers, trekkers, arm-chair travelers. Success and failure along the road to creating today's Park are discussed frankly to inform future management efforts and there are numerous examples of conservation in action that will motivate a new generation of naturalists and ecologists to continue the fight to protect the ecology of the greatest mountains on earth.

Shivya Nath quit her corporate job at age twenty-three to travel the world. She gave up her home and the need for a permanent address, sold most of her possessions and embarked on a nomadic journey that has taken her everywhere from remote Himalayan villages to the Amazon rainforests of Ecuador. Along the way, she lived with an indigenous Mayan community in Guatemala, hiked alone in the Ecuadorian Andes, got mugged in Costa Rica, swam across the border from Costa Rica to Panama, slept under a meteor shower in the cracked salt desert of Gujarat and learnt to conquer her deepest fears. With its vivid descriptions, cinematic landscapes, moving encounters and uplifting adventures, The Shooting Star is a travel memoir that maps not just the world but the human spirit.

"The book has relevance to academics, scholars, administrators, policy experts, anthropologists, sociologists, development scientists, environmentalists as well as anyone interested in the welfare of communities residing in the vicinity of a Protected Area. It stands out as a work that will stand the test of time and should be an asset that many would like to keep. Dr. Abhik Ghosh Professor and Chairperson Department of Anthropology Panjab University Chandigarh This book is an excellent compilation of the outcome of the intense research work undertaken in the emerging field of Community Based Ecotourism Management at The UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Great Himalayan National Park and it will certainly be useful to provide necessary information, future research, road map and guidelines for all the stakeholders for effective planning and implementation of sustainable ecotourism. Ajay Srivastav Faculty, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun Former Director, Great Himalayan National Park"

The Himalayan Region is a mega hot spot for biological diversity. It supports over 1,748 plants species of known medicinal value. This title focuses on origin and distribution of Himalayan herbs, their medicinal potential, industrial significance, and research advancements pertaining to molecular breeding and omics-based approaches. Discusses evolved secondary biochemical pathways often in response to specific environmental stimuli Reviews conservation efforts Presents an in-depth analysis of 12 key species

The World Heritage Sites list created by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aims to promote awareness and preservation of tangible and intangible cultural heritage around the world, sites that are considered to have outstanding value for all humanity, regardless of location. To date, UNESCO has named thirty-eight such sites in India, all of which are presented in this volume, together with commentary by architects and conservationists and stunning photographs by Rohit Chawla. The cultural sites selected in India are a rich repository of the country's long, layered history, bearing witness to the creativity and influence of multiple communities, crafts, and religions. The sites covered in this volume range across the length and breadth of India--from the earliest periods of rock art, Buddhist caves, and Hindu temples, Sultanate and Mughal forts, palaces, tombs and memorials, medieval Hindu and Islamic cities, step-wells, and observatories to Portuguese churches and Victorian and Art Deco ensembles to, finally, twentieth-century industrial and modern heritage sites. The natural and mixed-use sites include national parks of exceptional natural beauty and sites of long interaction between people and the landscape. India is a beautiful and lavishly illustrated publication for every traveler and lover of Indian culture.