'Himalayan States' is the name, collectively given to all the Indian states, which lie across the mountain ranges of the Himalayas. Geographically, these include the following states: Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. The true divisions of the Indian Himalayas are based on the mountain ranges rather than the state boundaries. This work is a broad survey of geography, history and society with a focus on environmental and developmental issues.' The Encyclopaedia of Himalayan States' is easy to read-it's no monograph-but it remains fairly exciting with academic language and scholarly touch.