The Herder's Boots

The Herder's Boots explores Mongolia, the strength and uniqueness of this land of 1.6 million people and their 40 million animals. The first part of the book observes the values and customs of Mongolia that will shape its future. The author traveled from Ulaanbaatar to the Gobi Desert and to other parts of the vast country encountering herder settlements, getting to know herders and their nomad life. In the second part of the book, author's friends and colleagues in Mongolia give their insight on what needs to be done for retaining their way of life. Though from differing perspectives, they have a common belief that Mongolians have their own approach to the question of survival and a camel-like attitude of determination. In winter, it can be so penetrating cold that the air freezes the inside of your nostrils, and turns truck oil into the consistency of tar. The people live with and for the animals: the small goats for their lush, exquisite and soft fiber; sheep, for wool and hides; the rare two-humped Bactrian camels for another variety of exquisite fiber and rich milk; and horses, for which Mongolians are famous as agile equestrians. New technologies and businesses are expected to expand the economy, but the core of the country will always be based on the life cycle of land, animals and humans.