{"schema_version":"bf_book_companion_v1","release_id":"20261010T034321Z-reviewed-full-unique-works","book":{"amazon_purchase_url":"https://www.amazon.com/dp/1591813387?tag=bookfrontie00-20","asin":"1591813387","authors":["JanetWard Schofield"],"book_id":"9781591813385","canonical_url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/discovering-bhutan-9781591813385","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781591813385.jpg?v=0aba7e196bdfe22e","description":"“People from foreign countries shall not be welcomed” is carved into a black stone containing Bhutan's founding document, which may help to explain why this reclusive Himalayan kingdom, sometimes called the Last Shangri-La, is so little understood. “People from foreign countries shall not be welcomed” is carved into a black stone containing Bhutan's founding document, which may help to explain why this reclusive Himalayan kingdom, sometimes called the Last Shangri-La, is so little understood. Janet Schofield felt like she jumped off a cliff when, in her mid-sixties, she left her position as a professor of psychology in the US to help start a new college in the remote Himalayan kingdom, where gods live on mountain tops, mermaids live in lakes, and spirits inhabit rocks, cliffs and trees. She went on a one-year contract, but stayed for more than a decade, enchanted by the beauty of Bhutan's pristine environment, the richness of its unique and fascinating culture and the warm welcome she received from people in all walks of life- yak herders, monks, students and members of the royal family alike. Here she offers you an enthralling portrait of this tiny, reclusive country has which gained international admiration for its remarkable environmental policies, a peaceful transition from absolute monarchy to democracy, success in dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and for originating the ground-breaking development philosophy of Gross National Happiness. Hike with Janet three days to the home of the abominable snowman, sleeping on the dusty wooden floor of a school and in a dilapidated shed. Join her at the King's palace for brunch, served outdoors on elegant white and gold china. Accompany her as she teaches young monks English vocabulary using Simon Says. Learn how animist and Buddhist practices shape everything from children's names to environmental preservation. Reflect with her on what is lost and what it gained as a country that changed little over 500 years, traditionally choosing respect for elders, the environment and local deities as well as cohesion within villages and isolation from the outside world, enters the age of the internet and experiences the challenges that this poses while also striving for Gross National Happiness..","forthcoming":false,"isbn13":"9781591813385","publication_date":"20250401","publisher":"Sentient Publications","slug":"discovering-bhutan","subtitle":"Land of Gross National Happiness","title":"Discovering Bhutan"},"discovery":{"categories":{"all":[{"bisac_code":"TRV003040","confidence_band":"medium","label":"India & South Asia Travel","score":0.6984,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"TRV003010","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Central Asia Travel","score":0.6945,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"REL007050","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Tibetan Buddhism","score":0.6872,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"hint":[{"bisac_code":"TRV003040","confidence_band":"medium","label":"India & South Asia Travel","score":0.6984,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"TRV003010","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Central Asia Travel","score":0.6945,"source":"bisac_hint_model"},{"bisac_code":"REL007050","confidence_band":"medium","label":"Tibetan Buddhism","score":0.6872,"source":"bisac_hint_model"}],"publisher":[{"bisac_code":"HIS017000","confidence_band":"high","label":"Indian & South Asian History","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"TRV003040","confidence_band":"high","label":"India & South Asia Travel","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"},{"bisac_code":"TRV026060","confidence_band":"high","label":"Pilgrimage & Sacred Travel","score":1,"source":"onix_publisher_code"}]},"genres":[{"label":"India & South Asia Travel","score":0.6984,"slug":"india-south-asia-travel"},{"label":"Central Asia Travel","score":0.6945,"slug":"central-asia-travel"},{"label":"Tibetan Buddhism","score":0.6872,"slug":"tibetan-buddhism"}],"reader_fit":["Good for readers interested in Bhutanese culture and daily life","Readers curious about environmental policy and Gross National Happiness"],"related_lists":[],"series":null,"similar_books":[{"authors":["Bradley Mayhew","Lindsay Fegent-Brown","Galey Tenzin"],"book_id":"9781788687850","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781788687850.jpg?v=bdb2bdaedd577043","score":0.7248,"title":"Lonely Planet Bhutan 8 8th Ed.","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781788687850"},{"authors":["Linda Leaming"],"book_id":"9781401945091","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781401945091.jpg?v=162d04dc68f00d2d","score":0.7146,"title":"A Field Guide to Happiness","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781401945091"},{"authors":["Jamie Zeppa"],"book_id":"9781573228152","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781573228152.jpg?v=00fddab37dc38ded","score":0.6824,"title":"Beyond the Sky and the Earth","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781573228152"},{"authors":["Ngawang Zangpo"],"book_id":"9781559391641","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781559391641.jpg?v=2f51e9acbd628260","score":0.655,"title":"Sacred Ground","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781559391641"},{"authors":["Jeffery Paine"],"book_id":"9780393019681","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9780393019681.jpg?v=f7cad115feebb95d","score":0.651,"title":"Re Enchantment","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9780393019681"},{"authors":["Michael Buckley"],"book_id":"9781784770655","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781784770655.jpg?v=d4ed9fb3c4032d22","score":0.6385,"title":"Tibet","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781784770655"},{"authors":["David R. Shlim"],"book_id":"9781955690331","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9781955690331.jpg?v=d09ae853db7e257f","score":0.632,"title":"A Gentle Rain of Compassion","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9781955690331"},{"authors":["Graham Jefcoate"],"book_id":"9786164510647","cover_image_url":"https://img.bookfrontier.com/9786164510647.jpg?v=b295a22a77033248","score":0.6299,"title":"Enchanted Land","url":"https://bookfrontier.com/books/9786164510647"}],"topics":[{"evidence_refs":["keyword:royal family"],"label":"Family","score":0.0921,"slug":"family"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:village life"],"label":"Life","score":0.0567,"slug":"life"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:bhutan culture"],"label":"Culture","score":0.0449,"slug":"culture"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:gross national happiness philosophy"],"label":"Philosophy","score":0.0334,"slug":"philosophy"},{"evidence_refs":["keyword:psychology professor"],"label":"Psychology","score":0.0328,"slug":"psychology"}],"what_you_get":["Themes: Bhutanese culture and traditions, Environmental preservation, Tradition and modernization.","Pacing: reflective, voice-and-character forward.","Themes: Family, Life, Culture."]},"llm_signals":{"confidence":0.89,"pacing":"reflective","reader_fit":["Readers interested in Bhutanese culture and daily life","Readers curious about environmental policy and Gross National Happiness"],"themes":["Bhutanese culture and traditions","Environmental preservation","Tradition and modernization"],"tropes":[]},"source_presence":{"amazon":true,"book_detail":true,"goodreads":true,"llm_signals":true,"similarity_seed":true},"stats":{"amazon_ratings_count":8,"goodreads_ratings_count":2,"goodreads_reviews_count":1,"quality_score":0.8238}}