Author Phil Borges to appear at Island Books
Published 9:59 am Tuesday, October 25, 2011
On Saturday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m., author and photographer Phil Borges will appear at Island Books to celebrate his book “Tibet: A Culture on the Edge.”
Known as the “water tower of Asia,” the Tibetan Plateau is reportedly heating up twice as fast as the global average. Its glaciers are the source of the major rivers that supply the water needs of some two billion people in India, Pakistan, China and Indochina.
Today these glaciers are rapidly disappearing.
This climatic change, along with recent unprecedented development on the plateau — roads, railroads, airports, dams and communication technology, is rapidly changing the lives of the deeply devotional nomads, monks and farmers who have lived here for centuries.
With stunning imagery Borges brings readers face to face with some of these remarkable people, who live in one of the most fragile environments on earth and face a rapid induction into the 21st century while trying to retain that which they hold most dear — their Tibetan Buddhist practice and culture.
The recipient of numerous photography and humanitarian awards, Borges has hosted television documentaries for the Discovery Channel and National Geographic. His photography has been exhibited widely and is in numerous museum collections.
