In His Majesty's Civil Service: And Other Contemporary Tales from the Kingdom of Bhutan

The Kingdom of Bhutan, long isolated from world events by its Himalayan remoteness, now finds itself trying to balance two worlds. While there are strong pressures to adopt the benefits of a modern technological lifestyle, there is also a fierce desire to maintain the country's unique traditional culture. Although portrayed in the media like the Shangri-La of romantic adventure, the country is struggling with many of the same difficult social and economic pressures that face other developing nations. This collection of short stories provides insights into how Bhutanese people face the contemporary challenges faced by others in the world, but from the point of view of their country's special physical and cultural setting. While the tales are fiction, they are woven around actual events and people whom the author knew while he was privileged to live and work in Bhutan in the 1990s.