Bangkok Found, Reflections on the City

[gobbledonk]

This is less a review than an acknowledgement that there are several folk on this forum who could well have written some of the chapters in this book, but it unlikely that it would carry the same weight with the general public.

 

I dont know how valid all of Alex Kerr's observations are, and he certainly seems to have ruffled quite a few academic feathers with earlier efforts, but its clear that the man is enamoured of many aspects of traditional Asian culture - this book is as much about dance and traditional architecture as it is about the modern city. You wont find a soi-by-soi rundown of BKK, and I suspect that might upset some, but I find his writing style a lot more inviting than the other scholarly work I'm currently plowing through. Kerr can write - I've spent enough time around academics to know that they dont all have that gift. He seems happy to call a spade a spade - his agenda is clear from the start, and he doesnt want to see tradition disappear under the concrete. I suspect that the people who really need to read this are the Thais - outside of academia and a few educated individuals, I cant see this gaining a wide audience - happy to hear otherwise.

 

http://www.alex-kerr.com/html/bangkok_found__eng_.html