National Network for Equitable Library Service

The current and 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, inspires perennial fascination. Longstanding exile, religious leader, accomplished writer and skilful diplomat, his many guises seem only to add to his mystique. In a revealing, richly anecdotal, and thoroughly researched biography, Mayank Chhaya strips away the multiple layers of the Dalai Lama's personality to get to the man behind the public face. Adding depth and nuance to his portrait, which is based on many personal interviews, the author depicts the Dalai Lama in the light of his banishment and forced flight from his homeland, uncovering the various contexts which have shaped his subject's beliefs, politics and ideals. Shedding fresh light on the complexities of the relationship between China and Tibet, Chhaya also discusses the growing frustrations of young Tibetans with the nonviolent approach to Chinese occupation advocated by the Dalai Lama. The result is a compelling profile of a remarkable spiritual leader and an engaging picture of how the current unrest in his country will determine its long-term future.