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William Buckholz

    William Buck was a Sanskritist who dedicated his life's work to modern retellings of the great Indian epics: the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, and the unfinished Harivamsa. His endeavors sought to make these ancient narratives accessible and engaging for contemporary readers through compelling and approachable versions. Buck's scholarship is valued for its ability to capture the spirit of the original texts while rendering them comprehensible and relevant for a modern audience. His legacy lies in enriching Western understanding of India's epic traditions.

    Understand rap
    Ramayana
    Mahabharata
    • Mahabharata

      • 320 pages
      • 12 hours of reading
      4.2(49)Add rating

      Few works in world literature have inspired so vast an audience, in nations with radically different languages and cultures, as the Mahabharata, written some 2,000 years ago and probably the longest Indian epic ever composed. It is a story of dynastic struggle, culminating in an awesome battle between two branches of a single Indian ruling family. It is a moral and philosophical tale as well as a historical one. In his introduction Sanskritist B. A. van Nooten notes, "Apart from William Buck’s rendition [no other English version has] been able to capture the blend of religion and martial spirit that pervades the original epic."

      Mahabharata
    • Ramayana

      • 464 pages
      • 17 hours of reading
      4.1(89)Add rating

      Retells the story of Prince Rama - with all its nobility of spirit, courtly intrigue, heroic renunciation, fierce battles, and triumph of good over evil.

      Ramayana
    • Understand rap

      • 181 pages
      • 7 hours of reading
      3.5(261)Add rating

      Rap songs are famous for their double entendres, clever turns of phrase, and general ingenuity, but that doesnÆt mean things always make sense the first time around. Enter Understand Rap, a very funny pop-cultural reference book based on the website of the same name, which precisely explains the confusing lyrics and terms used in rap songs using language that even the most un-hip person can understand. The juxtaposition of a dry, academic tone with hip-hop terminology results in a book thatÆs as entertaining as it is informative.

      Understand rap