bookcover.gif Asia Grace is a unique photography book self-published by Kevin Kelly in 2002. The production notes of how this book came to be tell a truly amazing story, about a fantastic labor of love that took over 30 years to create. The photos in the book came from Kelly’s personal collection of over 40,000 images he took during nearly a decade of travel in remote parts of Asia in the 1970’s, 80’s and 90’s.

Not a single word or page number appears in the book. As Kelly explains, “My book is a wordless experience in remote Asia. The idea is that you open the book and fall into it. You become immersed in Asia.”

A unique format and an inspiring production story — all you travel book lovers probably have owned your copy for several years now, right? But wait, there’s more…

The entire contents are now available online, and the piece has become an interactive travel sharing experience. Unlike the book, the website contains captions for each photo and Kelly is soliciting readers’ stories about the images, which can be submitted from each unique photo page.

Here are just a few samples from the 600+ photos that made it into the book: Doorway of temple, Turban styles, Pagoda. The photos I linked to have reader comments added already, but there are many more that don’t yet have any stories. I know many WR readers have insight and knowledge of the places and cultural traditions that Kelly has captured. Take a peek, enjoy the beautiful pictures and submit a story or two of your own if you like. If you previously bought the book, you can now clarify where each image was taken. You can also order prints of the photos and view the collection as a slide show set at various speeds and preferences. Take a trip to Asia from the comfort of your computer.

Kelly does urge readers to view the printed book version as well, because “…it is a singular visual experience, with glorious color and resolution that you don’t get on the web (so far).” You can special order a copy here, or try your local bookstore.

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