With a foreword written by the Delai Lama himself, Homage to the Himalayas by author Olivier Follmi is a beautiful walk through the Himalayan mountain range offering up scenic views of the range and the cultures that live around one of the most renowned mountain ranges in the world. Most westerners cannot envision the true beauty and simplicity of the many cultures that exist within the remote mountain peaks, but through the collection of photos compiled by Follmi it is possible to get a close look at a life very different than our modern world.
The point that Follmi attempts to make throughout the reading is the fact that the images show how even major differences in cultures sometimes are only as large as perception allows them to be. Through the many images of high peaks, new foreign customs, and the snow that is possibly the whitest in the world unspoiled by pollution that there is more humanity in the world than what is seen every day. In fact, the images alone are enough reason to consider carefully sifting through the images presented in the book by Follmi.
Most of the photographs inside of the Homage to the Himalayans focus on the culture and climate of the landscape while the text helps to explain how Follmi learned to identify with the lifestyles that are present throughout the range. The Indian range of the Himalayans makes up a great deal of the photographs which also take in portions of the Alps as well. Given the fact that Follmi has spent 25 years travelling and studying the beauty of the Himalaya’s it should be no surprise that his images have helped him win critical accolades making the book worth your time to peruse if not study.