<DIV>Half down-and-dirty adventure and half inspirational memoir, <i>Rude Awakenings</i> documents an unusual pilgrimage. Two very different men — earthy scientist Nick Scott and fastidious Buddhist monk Ajahn Sucitto — together spend six months retracing the Buddha's footsteps through India. Told alternately by Sucitto and Scott in their distinctively different voices, this story blends self-effacing humor, philosophical explorations, drama, travel observations, and the occasional giant fruit bat. <i>Rude Awakenings</i> is a heady record of survival and spirituality set against the dramatic backdrop of one of India's most lawless regions.</div>