Another very informative and colorful presentation in the Time-Life Great Cities series. The region and civilization covered here is in itself a fascinating one, and the relative success of Thailand in economic and developmental terms, makes it an interesting case study in regional contrasts and comparisons (although it is quite dated). As in some other volumes in this series, one facet which is becoming more and more evident to me is the limitation imposed by the writer coming from a completely different part of the world, here the West, with its own baggage of religious and cultural backgrounds. To the average westerner, the relatively laid-back temperament of the people, the tolerance of other cultures and life forms, the 'fantastic' (in the colonial sense) carvings and sculptures on the ornate temples with their exaggerated curved roofs and gargoyle-infested gables, the general lack of structure, all combine to produce a sort of mystification, if not stupefaction. It occurred to me how much easier it is for me, as an Indian and a Hindu, to relate to much of this seeming medley, and I am somewhat surprised as to why India (and Indians in general) have not maintained a closer relationship with these countries of Southeast Asia that have developed so many ideas and art forms in their own way and added to the richness of this civilization. ( )