Asia Books

This is a sweet book about a baby playing hide and seek with her father. It takes place in Thailand and they are playing around the yard. Animals are near and the sounds they make are on display too. Sweet book.

I bought this book for my 4yo and 2.5 yo, based on a recommendation from their Montessori school. Both kids love it, and I've since heard them using some of the animal "sounds" from the book in the course of their daily play. My little one loves finding the baby hiding on each page. I would also highly recommend the companion book -- Hush! A Thai Lullaby. We would give that one 6 stars!

The illustrations in this book are vivid and beautiful. A father and daughter play hide and seek in the Thai jungle, surrounded by wild animals and lush vegetation. My 18 month old loves searching for the little girl in all of her hiding places and then seeing the joy of the parent and child when they find each other at the end. What child doesn't enjoy a good game of peekaboo?

My daughter got this book for her second birthday. We had never heard of it before then. It is now her bedtime book, replacing Goodnight Moon. The story is pretty simple, but sweet. The illustrations are absolutely gorgeous. My daughter loves trying to find the baby on every page. Now that she knows where the baby is, she still plays and pretends with it. She likes to find the different animals, especially the "croc-oh-di-al." I plan to look at other books by this author and illustrator. I like that it's a daddy and daughter book too.

I bought this book just because my son loved Minfong Ho and Holly Meade's other book, "Hush! A Thai Lullaby." This one is very similar with a few differences. The illustrations are a little brighter! The father is interacting with his daughter in a game of peek-a-boo, rather than the mother hushing animals so her son can sleep! There are mostly different animals in this book with a couple of repeats. While the father is searching for his daughter he encounters a dog, dragonfly, rooster, snake, monkey, elephant, tiger, turtle, hornbill and crocodile! On each page the little girl is hiding and my 20 month old son loves to show you where she is! Beautiful illustrations with a fun interactive story are keys to a winner for my child. 5 stars again for Ho/Meade!

Despite the fact that I am a little over 3/4 through the book,"PLAIN TALES FROM THE RAJ" Images of British India in the Twetieth Century; as edited by Charles Allen, I can safely say:..... "Magnificient!"

"Pith helmets, oppressive heat, ball room dances, Calcutta women, and Bombay Gin...Here's to all who were there...cherio and chin chin chin!!"

If, you even have but an inkling of interest in the history of India, and or Great Britain...you need to read this book about real stories and real people. A superb book....an outstanding read!

just plain excellant,with a mason foreward to boot should be on every shelf on lndian history the final chapters were the best....thanks

BBC compiled this book with interviews from 60 Brits who had lived in India while it was still a British colony. India -- the jewel in the crown of the British empire --was deep in the consciousness of British society and generations of young, ambitious Brits sallied off to India to make their careers as civil servants, soldiers, merchants, or missionaries.

The book is organized by themes in each chapter. A chapter on households describes the homes and servants the British had, "The Club" tells of that famous British institution transferred to the sub-continent, "Hazard and Sport" is about polo, hunting, tennis, and pig-sticking. Every aspect of life in India is taken up in 21 chapters. It was not an easy life for the colonials, but it was impossibly exotic, witness the popularity of writers such as Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham. Rigid British notions of race and class fit well with Indian caste laws; otherwise India was as different from Great Britain as it could possibly be. That the colonial enterprise was rotten at the core was concealed by stiff upper lips and a government that was "probably the most incorruptible ever known."

"Plain Tales" includes a brief biography of each of the interviewees who represent a cross section of British society in India and a glossary of Anglo Indian words (pukka = proper). This book presents a bird's eye view of the life of British subjects in India and their interaction with their unwilling Indian hosts, the environment, and their fellows. It's all a really fascinating tale. And, finally, in 1947 when the British had to go, they threw their topees -- those ridiculous cork hats -- into the sea and returned to England and Home.

Smallchief

A gem of a book! Too often, stories of the experience of imperialism are scrubbed to fit in with more modern sensibilities instead of staying true to the authentic tale. This book is glorious for the truth of the voices and the attitudes, morals and viewpoints that were the norm for the time. Invaluable to understanding what life was really like, and what motivated those who were the Raj. This was a wonderful read, completely free from political correctness and censorship. Finally a book that seemed to tell the tale as it was. The book flows well, the stories are engaging, the language is crisp and clear, and valuable information is present on every page. There is no attempt to portray the people as anything other than who they were, they are allowed to tell their own stories. I'm very thankful that someone realised how valuable this material would be to future generations and took the steps to capture it while it was still available.

Pithy though this book is it will keep you glued and captivated. British individuals who were masters or participants in Colonial India talk frankly about what it was really like. Many of the people featured in this book like Deborah Dring, Reginald Savory and Philip Mason (who also introduces the volume) would now be dead. The voices were recorded for radio in the mid 1970s. Now the memoirs resurface like something out of a faraway fairytale.

Charles Allen, now getting on himself was originally put in charge of the recordings for a BBC radio series documenting the period of Colonial India between 1900 and 1948 from then living witnesses to a bygone age by Philip Mason. Thank goodness that Mason had the courage to launch this project which was regarded as somewhat politically incorrect even then. Allen is much suited to the task as the heir to a British family that lived and worked in Colonial India over several generations.

The stories reveal a peculiar breed - the very caricature of the English as they once were putting up an even more formal front than they would have at home as the rulers of India - few in number but ruling by prestige. Every part of the book reveals character, humour or history with priceless aphorisms spoken in true English style:

"You get these burning plains right across India, fifteen hundred miles of them, absolutely flat with revisers wandering through them fed by the snows, and behind them the greatest range of mountains in the world. You gradually go up from tropical ... climbs, through European and Alpine flora until you get right up into the snows. I don't think there is anything in life which is such a relief and such a physical delight as going from the heat of the plains in the hot weather up into the mountains"

This is just the tip of an iceberg of a series of sensational real life recordings, but there is more leaving aside some nice photographs, cartoons and sketches reproduced from period material. There are quotations from books such as by Maud Diver from her "The Englishwoman in India" 1909 and bits from period material:

"It is clearly to be understood that no one except on duty is allowed to accompany him and in no circumstances whatever are any ladies allowed to proceed to the border" (from a travel permit).

Practically every aspect of Indian Colonial life is examined up and down the hierarchy from the Viceroy down to corporals and Anglo Indians of mixed blood - though the book leaves you yearning for more - it is not an exhaustive treatment thankfully. We get a great sense for the climate, the "subjects", the pace of life, flirtation, gardening, travel and the rituals associated with that once prominent institution the Club. We look into the army barracks and the Mess -with some men deprived of women for five to seven years and how they bore it, and into the endless parties at Simla in Summer . There are also accounts of the profligacy of the times such as sport, hunts and shoots and the snobbery and segregation that accompanied Colonial life altering through the decades. However, with their power, the British seemed to have dispensed their responsibilities with aplomb - it was a miracle that they did so for so long.

This past best-seller is a must for those who wish to understand the English and Colonial India - it will deserve repeat readings and sharing with friends. A vital reference - precursor to famous TV dramatisations like "Jewel in the Crown".

I found the notes to the poems particularly valuable - thanks to them, the collection becomes a window into Chinese history and society.
I really miss an index by author, and, as usual, I am ill-at-ease with Red Pine's system of transliteration. It may seem superior to pinyin to the author, but it makes really hard to connect the places and people mentioned in this book to what one already knows to about Chinese history. It may be another case of the inferior system becoming the standard, but pinyin is the standard at this point, and fighting it is a bit quixotic at this point.
These are the things one notices when a book is good enough to read and spend time with, so do not let this put this off. In fact, I can't wait for more Red Pine translations.

Those who have never read Red Pine's translations are in for a treat. Those who have read them will continue to enjoy the feast.

Beautiful graphically, the book and the poetry SING! Red Pine has a wonderful gift in transmitting wisdom and spirit with words that transport one to a higher plane of existence, even if only temporarily. Even when the reader returns, the impact still remains and the awareness of the depth of quality one's life can have, is not soon forgotten.

Previous reviewers have already summarized the more obvious qualities of this book; I agree with their comments. I found that for the student of Chinese culture, Chinese education, or Chinese thought, the book is a stunning introduction to a way of expressing observations and meaning in compact forms. In particular, the poetry seems both denser and more graceful than similar forms in English poetry, and more complex than the haiku forms descended from it. Chinese speakers I know vouched for the sensitive transliteration.

Basho advised a haiku student to "read Chinese poetry" to write better haiku. I came to this work after struggling with haiku for a long time. I found Basho's advice to be good and this book to be a remarkable way to begin. The historical text snippets offered with the poems make further reflection easy without attempting to "define" all that the poem means.

Red Pine (Bill Porter) has beautifully translated this important collection of Chinese verse. His commentaries, too, are well worth reading.

This book would be an excellent text for those who wish to learn to read T'ang and Sung poetry, and classical literary Chinese in general. The Chinese and English poems are presented on facing pages. Each poem is sufficiently brief to allow students the opportunity to (begin to) learn a complete work of literature without the intimidation that can accompany larger texts -- and there are 224 such poems in this translation, which gives ample scope for learning in nice, easy steps. (Of course this will have to be done using a dictionary like Mathews', and the student will need some familiarity with looking characters up by radical -- this is not a teaching text with a glossary and explanatory notes about language usage.)

Even if one does not desire to use this collection to learn Chinese, the English translations are certainly beautiful poems in their own right, and are worth spending time with. And meanwhile, the Chinese texts are always there, extending a gentle invitation to the curious.

Surely every lover of Chinese (and English!) poetry will treasure this book.

Another gift from Red Pine (Bill Porter) whose love for Chinese verse and the Dharma have shaped him into one of the foremost translators of the old poets. This Chinese classic has been around for eight centuries, but is here finally available in English! The volume offers 123 poets, 224 poems. Adjacent Chinese text and critical notes are provided for each poem. Included at the end are a timeline of the Dynasties from c. 2200 BCE to 1368, a complete index of the poets, and a complete index of the titles. This is a monumental work and an extraordinary gift from the translator. A typical verse from this collection, called In Reply, by a poet called The Ancient Recluse:

Somehow I ended up beneath pines
sleeping in comfort on boulders
there aren't any calendars in the mountains
winter ends but who counts the years

A sincere thank you to Red Pine and Copper Canyon Press for providing these treasures.

A lovely book for younger readers - a wonderful topic, just the right words, just the right length, just the right amount of detail. I loved the action plot and Mitali's descriptions of Bangladesh.

Mitali Perkins has created yet another wonderful novel about strong, cultural girls. In Rickshaw Girl, we meant Naima, a ten-year old girl living in Bangladesh. Her father owns a rickshaw business, finally gaining more business as he gets a brand new rickshaw, but still not enough business to pay the family bills. Naima is upset because she knows if she had been born a boy she could help earn money for the family, but being that she is a girl she has no choice but to stay home and work on her painting.

When Naima decides to disguise herself as a boy and teach herself how to drive the rickshaw, she manages to crash the rickshaw, damaging the beauty of the cart and ruining all chances of her father continuing to gain new clients. Devastated, she again disguises herself as a boy and steals away to a new repair shop the next town over, hoping she can somehow earn money to help repair the damaged rickshaw. What she finds in the repair shop is surprising, heartwarming, and inspirational.

This short novel was fantastic and typical Mitali Perkins writing. Young girls can read this and feel empowered to do anything they want to do, no matter what that may be. The story is also accompanied by a few illustrations that not only add to the plot, but also allow the reader to view the work Naima can do. The book was really quite amazing.

This is a fun and engaging story. Your kids will love it.
You might love it, too. This is a subtle and heart warming story of women's empowerment. Without an angry word, or a whiff of ideology, this story tells what poor families can do by enlisting the gifts of all their members. These women don't wait for someone to act for them, but take risks. And everyone wins--there is no zero sum game here.
But my imagination is soaring--this is a kid's story, and you'll just have to enjoy it on that level!

There is a dearth of books for kids who are just taking off with their reading skills, which makes this story all the more welcome. Readers will meet Naima, a young Bangladeshi who is struggling with her family's financial troubles and her place in the family as a girl. Traditionally, girls are not allowed to work or earn money, but her father sure could use the help. Naima cleverly devises a way to help her family and empowers herself along the way.

Set in Bangladesh, readers will get a glimpse of life in a foreign land and a culture quite different from the American standard. With Bangla words interspersed in the text, readers are introduced to a new language, as well.

If you have an elementary-aged reader who wants to learn about other cultures, "Rickshaw Girl" is a terrific book. It tells the story of Naima, a young girl known for her painting skills, yet feeling powerless to help her family's finances (girls can't do anything but cook, clean, and decorate, she says!).

To her surprise, a woman in a neighboring village has opened her own business -- painting rickshaws! Can Naima convince her family to let her become an apprentice to this forward-thinking woman?

Told in easy-to-understand language with just enough foreign vocabulary (with a glossary, too), "Rickshaw Girl" will show young readers that even in the most desperate circumstances, everyone can contribute to a solution.

Excellent book, it's helping me a lot with my Thesis at School.... I love it

incredibly depressing and negative, leaves one with a sick feeling in the stomach. but its happening in China every day.

This is an astounding book, but very difficult to read. I still shake my head in disbelief.

"The River Runs Black" by Elizabeth C. Economy is an intelligent analysis of contemporary China and its burgeoning environmental crisis. This engaging book helps us understand how globalization is reshaping China and issues an urgent plea for international cooperation to help monitor and rectify an increasingly worrysome situation.

Ms. Economy tells us how China's environment has been steadily deteriorating over the past centuries due to wars, political power struggles and overpopulation. However, today's problems
are attributable to specific policy decisions by China's government that has favored rapid economic development through engagement with the international business community. Unfortunately, the particular kinds of economic development favored by China's rulers has led to myriad environmental problems including deforestation, desertification, and air and water pollution. The collusion of local government and business interests has made it difficult to obtain reliable data or to implement solutions where it is feared that plant shutdowns might
result in mass unemployment and social unrest, making difficult problems seem untractable.

Environmental consciousness in China has increased as the problems have become more visible and as the country has engaged with the world economy. Ms. Economy profiles some of the courageous and inspirational individuals who have struggled for conservation, urban renewal and grass-roots democracy such as Tang Xiyang, He Bochuan, Dai Qing and others. While environmentalists have achieved some successes (such as protecting endangered species of monkeys and antelopes), the author believes that the government's championing of highly destructive projects such as the Three Gorges Dam proves that much more needs to be done.

Ms. Economy recounts the experiences of the former Communist nations of Eastern Europe to gain insight into how China might resolve its environmental problems. The Chernobyl disaster catalyzed local environmental groups into pushing for political reforms that brought down the Communists in the USSR and elsewhere. Recognizing that China's Communist Party is a "patronage machine committed to rapid economic development" and devoid of any ideological purpose other than self-perpetuation, Ms. Economy believes that increasing democratization in China could easily undermine the country's single Party system. Of course, China's leaders are keenly aware of this threat and consequently have tightly circumscribed the activities of environmental organizations, but the author is hopeful that the contradictions between increasing environmental degradation and the lack of a meaningful democracy will eventually force China's political system to change.

In the last section, Ms. Economy speculates about the manner in which China may develop in the future. The author envisions three possible scenarios: China goes green; inertia sets in; and environmental meltdown. Ms. Economy thinks that the U.S. should take the lead in encouraging China to develop its regulatory system and implement green technologies so that the country can embark on an environmentally sustainable path. Indeed, the unpredictable consequences of a Chinese environmental meltdown should give the international community pause to consider how it might help China -- and by extension all of us -- to avoid a worse case scenario.

I highly recommend this superbly written book to everyone.

Previous reviewers have said good things about this book, and I can only agree. It is notably superior to other recent books about the Chinese environment, which (though often scholarly) are long on polemics and short on comprehensive vision.
Dr. Economy focuses on politics and policies. These have been notoriously awful under Communism, but there is now a realization of the damage being done, and thus some hope. Dr. Economy is as optimistic as one could reasonably be. Incidentally, interested readers should also look up her very fine chapter in Kristen Day's worthy edited volume CHINA'S ENVIRONMENT AND THE CHALLENGE OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT.
I am not so optimistic. One reason is that my training is more in biology, and I am aware that the devastating damage China has done to its environment will not be clear for 50 to 100 years. It takes that long for pollution and environmental degradation to show themselves fully.
As Dr. Economy says, China wanted to be "first rich, then clean" (that's the literal Chinese; she actually phrases it more academically). They thought that the west had done this. No, the west started conservation and scientific management long ago. The United States' golden age of conservation was under Theodore Roosevelt, when the US was still poor and rural. The US and western Europe never allowed anything close to what China has done. There was much degradation, but reaction always came eventually. China, like all Communist-led countries, missed this lesson. Marx had spoken: production is all, and top-down control is the way to do it. This has led, everywhere, to dismal environmental records, though much good has come from distributing food, health care, housing, etc., more evenly (this may no longer be the case). It is now too late. The white-flag dolphin, once common and resilient, is extinct, the Three Gorges are dammed, and much else has gone beyond possibility of repair.
Dr. Economy does not draw as sharp a contrast as I would between traditional management and Communist excess. Traditional China had major Malthusian problems, but they were caused more by imperial policy than by environmental mismanagement at the riceroots level. The peasants and workers created a system based on harmony and balance. The system was full of problems, and never got as harmonious as we would now wish, but it worked; it kept hundreds of millions of people alive in spite of a premodern technology, and it managed the key resources--topsoil, water, forests, and so on--sustainably enough that there was quite a bit left by 1950. Recent books trashing the old system have titles significantly featuring elephants and tigers instead of people. Even if you prefer the charismatic megafauna, note that China had some elephants and a lot of tigers in 1950.
So a flawed, antiquated, underproductive, but still well-designed and eminently functional system was sacrificed, and the result has been a royal mess. Yields of food are way up, thanks to modern technology (some of it developed in China by the Communists--to their credit), but the future is cloudy indeed.
If you want the best account of what can be done and what is being done, look no further than this book.

Not an easy read, but one that many Americans probably should...it demonstrates well how our life styles here in the US increases demand for cheap consumer goods, resulting in corporations poisoning other parts of the planet to supply them quickly and without major expense to us.

Incredibly sickening injury to the planet is well documented and presented in a professional way, and the book is very readable.

Recommended for all of those who need a greater repetoire of evidence that we are rather quickly destroying the planet, and as a means of strengthening arguments against "globalization" and consumerism.

This amazing book will challenge you to truly live for Christ. Not for the faint-hearted or those seeking career advancement,better relationships or other forms of Christian self-improvement. Instead, this author calls for you to totally forget about yourself.Unforgettable.

K.P. Yohannan is a threat to hypocritical Christianity, but be warned before you read this book: you will not escape unscathed. With a focus on saving the lost that is both singleminded and pure of heart, K.P. rips through every pretense of the American Christian experience. He also rips through the wheat to reveal the tares. This book is a wonderful witness to a specific calling within the Christian body. I am fully convinced that he is right to expect us to aid him in his calling, but if God is using you, for His will, in any other area than missions to the lost of Asia, do not expect K.P. to acknowledge your vision or encourage you in it. Read the book; let it change your life; follow K.P.'s every footstep if that is your calling; let God shake you out of compromise and shallow Christianity. Just remember, ask God for His wisdom, that you will follow His will and not man's, not ANY man's: not yours, not mine, not K.P.'s. If you've never heard of K.P.'s Gospel For Asia, by the way, for $30 dollars a month you can support a missionary in Asia. All funds go directly to missionary support. There is no percentage taken away for administration work! You can contact them at 1-800-WIN-ASIA or www.gfa.org. Even if you don't buy the book, decide today to support one or more missionaries and make a change for God in the lives of people who have never heard the name of Christ.

Oh my, what an incredibly thought-provoking and personally challenging book! I recently read this volume and its companion, "Revolution in World Missions". Both books issue a loving admonition to Western Christians to reevaluate their personal priorities, especially in the area of materialism. Why? Because there's a world to be won for Christ, that's why.

The other volume focuses specifically on how the American church has been overwhelmingly blessed, and should be redirecting some of those blessings to support the native evangelism movement in other countries. This book takes that fundamental message even farther, by challenging believers to examine not just their financial priorities, but their entire Christian life. What is our true measure of devotion to Christ? How much are we willing to sacrifice and risk for His sake? Are we ready to live for God's kingdom rather than our own?

Both books, but especially this one, are filled with specific principles that are ready for personal application. K.P. Yohannan, the founder of Gospel For Asia ministries, has lived what he preaches, and continues to do so. Therefore he is able to speak into our lives with godly authority. If you want to break away from a temporal mindset, develop an eternal perspective on life, and find tangible ways to be involved in growing God's kingdom among the nations, either one of these books is a great place to catch a vision.

There are few books that I would say really bring strong convition into my heart to the point that I simply put the book down in utter repentance as I see myself in the light of what the author is showing me from Scripture. This is one of those books.

Along with the likes of giants such as A.W. Tozer, Leonard Ravenhill, Samuel Chadwick, John Wesley, and others, K.P. Yohannan is a solid biblical exhorter calling the Church to her knees. Yohannan is not ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16) and he boldly proclaims the truth no matter what may happen to him.

This book will open your heart to your own self-centeredness, your wastefulness, and your pride. The book is aimed at Western Christians (particularly Americans since Yohannan now lives in the United States). The book takes aim at our focus on things that do not matter in the Church such as buildings, salaries, cars, expensive food, shelter, and clothing. Yohannan believes that the Church in the West needs to see the urgent call to world evangelism (Matt. 28:19). His writing is not for the weak or feeble minded "Christian" but for the true disciple ready for the Lord to cut his heart with His Word (Hebrews 4:12).

Overall this is an excellent work on world missions and on holy living (2 Peter 3:10-14).

I found that "The Road To Reality" is a wake-up call for Christians. Listening to Christian music, reading Christian books is OK, but we must be focused on winning souls for Jesus Christ. One thing I've learned is that I do not need to read Christian books, listen to Contemporary Christian music, etc. just because I'm a Christian. Through this book, K.P. Yohannan has taught me that I can live the life I want (as long as it goes with the Holy Bible), and win people to Christ at the same time. I am finally free from the religious books, music, etc. that once held me in confusion. I recommend this book highly.

Fine, absorbing literary novel follows the exploits of expatriate American stuck in Singapore because he has neither the ability nor the luck to go anywhere else. The novel has a nice atmosphere which reminded me of Graham Greene, Saul Bellow and Gore Vidal, and effectively evoked the sleazy underbelly of Singapore that still exists in that now outwardly squeaky-clean, but sinister city-state. I read this book while living in S'pore and was surprised how many attitudes and actions of the eastern and western characters were reminded me of the Singapore of today. So I felt the book worked in two ways, as a great, entertaining read for anyone interested in just a plain good book, and also as a fine evocation of the eternal aspects of Singapore. Saint Jack was also filmed - the film version is interesting because it captured the old colonial look of S'pore before the current regime of Harry Lee Kuan Yew tore most of it down, replacing it with souless concrete tower blocks. Yet the sleazy atmosphere remains, and comes out at night especially. Theroux's Hong Kong novel, *Kowloon Tong,* captures perfectly that other Far Eastern city state at the time of the 1997 Handover (I was living in HK at the time) and is also recommended, both as a fine read and as a fine description of the place. For a good non-fiction account of Singapore, try Stan Sesser's *The Lands of Charm and Cruelty,* with a great essay on S'pore and "the fear that even the best educated Singaporeans feel towards their government."

Theroux is a well-traveled, workmanlike writer with a fondness for the raffish and louche, apt to find in it a premature redemption in order to wind things up in a snappy Yank fashion. To his credit younger and shallower readers think he has a Bad Attitude, which is one of the names under which Moral Seriousness goes these days.

Saint Jack's original may be found throughout the formerly Far East, on many a bar-stool and in many an AA meeting. The hero of this novel is undistinguished by wealth or fame and is instead of the so-called Greatest Generation, who served in WWII.

Writers of the immediate postwar like Bellow celebrated the American "logistical tail", which was extensive and included any number of typists; Tommy Wilhelm in Seize the Day, for example, flew a desk.

This may have been for the writer a labor-saving device. Having the character serve in a rifle platoon would mean the writer would have to deal with the large issue of how the combat affected the hero.

As the reader, you should realize that Saint Jack is a creature of the 1970s and a Singapore that is, as the guy below me in the postings here says, no more. He dates in other words from an era when a middle-aged and undistinguished guy could carry a message, the twilight of the Common Man as opposed to the trooping masses, destined, if they know what's good for them, only for approved lifestyles, dragging the kids to Disneyland, or Camp Snoopy in Sha Tin, their hopes for a better world downsized permanently.

Thanks to the guy below me for the suggestion of Theroux's novel Kowloon Tong. I shall definitely give it a read.

One great benefit from reading Saint Jack was a number of jokes, wheezers and gaspers popular twenty years ago in the saloon bar of the Peninsula or Raffle's after the women had left the room, to conspire.

I loved this book - it captures a spirit that has gone far away in the sterile atmosphere that surrounds that tiny island. Read this book!

Below his somewhat crusty exterior, Jack Flowers cares - sometimes deeply - about the "flotsam and jetsam" he bumps up against - on the streets, in the bar, in his brothel. He really won't show it ... nor, perhaps, will he even admit it to himself ... but he does. And he has "all the time in the world" to do so, in his own backhanded way.

Paul Theroux cut some of his teeth on this early novel, and it holds up remarkably well on second reading. Somewhat acerbic, sometimes touching, "Saint Jack" is a true pleasure.

Sure, lots of authors have done their take on the expat lifestyle, but few have done it better than Mr. Theroux has in St. Jack. This is a smart, deceptively simple take on the 'allure' of life abroad. A great book, even if you've traveled no farther than your mailbox; though, for those who have, the desriptions of people living abroad not so much because they want to---but because they're afraid to go home--- are right on the mark.

I was born in San Francisco and know the beauty of this city. I recently visited my cousin who lives in Italy. She was teasing me that she wanted to come home with me to San Francisco so I did the next best thing and purchased this book for her. I understand from her emails that she treasures it and hopes to come here one day

San Francisco is one of the most stunning cities in the world and if you look inside this book it's not hard to see why. Morton Beebe brings it to life in this beautifully presented colourful book. Not only are there beautiful photos and pictures, but essays and interesting reading material and information about this gorgeous Northern Californian city.
If you have been fortunate enough to travel to San Fran and enjoyed it, then you'll love this book, - and if you haven't yet been, then this might be just the inspiration you are looking for to convince you to travel there. This book is well worth it's price and makes either a great gift or a nice treat for yourself. I really loved reading through this book.

Absolutely gorgeous pictures, great for San Francisco lovers. New edition has several new pictures and essays. It serves as a great gift if you are visiting someone and want to show off the city you live in

Bring together an elegant top-quality publishing company, a gifted photographer, superb essayists and you have all the makings for a good book. Let the subject be San Francisco, though, and you have a great book.

This is the 3rd edition of this best seller with 218 full color images by Morton Beebe as well as essays by Herb Caen, Tom Cole, Barnaby Conrad, Herbert Gold, John Hart, Allen Pastron, Miguel Pendás, and Kevin Starr. Together, they provide an intimate portrayal of the City by the Bay. This stunning collection of photographs captures the contrasts, the energy, and the vitality of San Francisco. As do the essays.

Tom Cole takes us back to the beginning and provides an historical review of the raucous town that suddenly grew up overnight in its feverish bid for gold. Barnaby Conrad leads us into the night with anecdotes witty, clever, and sensuous from an eclectic mix including, to name just a few, Graham Green, Frank Sinatra, and Eva Gabor.

"Bahnaby tells me you haf a vooden leg, vitch vun iz it?"
"Eva, I never thought I'd have to tell a Gabor what a man's leg feels like."
"Vell, dahling, ve vass never in zee lumber business!"

In a final essay, Allen Pastron walks us through much of the city beneath our feet. Here, we discover the world's finest anchorage being dug up and, therein, its archaeological heritage. Penned a "worm's-eye-view," the essay provides some wonderful insights into what was once the bawdy Barbary Coast - particularly, the story of the discovery of the buried ship General Harrison.

Rudyard Kipling opined San Francisco was "a mad city inhabited by perfectly insane people." So it lives on! Multi-faceted lifestyles unfold with each page, the images capturing the curious joie de vivre that reigns over The City. Other pictures highlight the unmistakable landmarks: the skyline with its Pyramid Building, the Golden Gate, and my favorite, the Palace of Fine Arts in the gentle light of dusk below a full moon glowing. The photos speak volumes in this book. Each offers a glimpse as to why the city Herbert Gold called "America's last great metropolitan village" has won the most coveted travel destination award in the world - now ten years in a row - the Condé Nast Traveler's annual Readers' Choice Awards.

San Francisco, City by the Bay, was first published in 1985. This edition features ninety new images and three new essays. The publisher, Abrams, boasts that Beebe's book is their longest running best seller. Not surprisingly. It is said that San Francisco is a city full of people that want to be here. Morton Beebe, a 3rd generation San Franciscan, reminds us of why this is so.

Beebe's images have truly captured the many diverse flavors and charms that make San Francisco the unique city that it is. Combined with the entertaining and informative essays, the beatifully printed images in this book bring a reader as close as one can come to walking through the streets of San Francisco itself. I throughly enjoyed this book.

I decided to read "Six Records of a Floating Life" after spending a summer in Suzhou, the city of Shen Fu's birth and his home for many years. When describing this work, my Chinese friends were quick to use words like "romantic" and "touching". However I was skeptical since I had also heard that this book detailed Shen Fu's relationship not only with his wife, Yun, but also concubines and courtesans - thus setting it far outside the scope of what is traditionally considered "romantic" by modern, Western standards. Yet, if one is willing to keep an open mind and look at Shen Fu's extra-marital relations (which are, in fact, treated very briefly) within the context of the time and culture during which he wrote, one can see that that author and his wife were very much in love and cared passionately for each other for more than twenty years. Fu's description of the airy joys and carefree pleasures they experienced together as husband and wife are sure to bring a smile to the face of anyone who's every been in love.

Yet, with great happiness Shen Fu also experienced great pain and numerous hardships. Considered a failure in both business and scholarship, he was never wealthy and he struggled to provide even a modest living for himself and his family. Indeed, Fu drifted from place to place, job to job, often relying on friends and relatives to provide him with money and shelter. Adding to the pressures of poverty was his wife's chronic illness, which eventually took her life. Shen Fu's description of his wife's death is truely heart-breaking, as he writes:

"Her spirit vanished in the mist and she began her long journey... When it happened there was a solitary lamp burning in the room. I looked up but saw nothing, there was nothing for my two hands to hold, and my heart felt as if it would shatter" (p. 89)

Part romance, part tragedy, part travelogue and part memoir this book indeed lives up to it's reputation as a classic. Shen Fu articulates the joys and sorrows of ordinary human life with the skill of an artist, and he is always someone with whom we can identify. Like we all do, he struggled to find peace and comfort while trying to bear the weight of sadness. Whether you're interested in Chinese history and culture or not, this book deserves to be read and appreciated.

There are so many contradictions within this quirky memoir that it could only possibly be true.

This is a memoir of life right around the start of the 19th century. It recounts the adult life of Shen Fu, a man who appears to have been ordinary in the extreme. Although educated, he did not pass the literary tests of the civil service. At best, his career could have been a secretary under one of the successful examinees, but his times weren't always the best. His positions never lasted, and his business attempts failed. Often, he sold his possessions and his wife's down to the clothes on their backs (or less). He fell out with his family, in a time when filial duty was enforced by law, and became outcast in almost every sense.

But his life never wholly failed, either. Perhaps it was the glow of nostalgia, but his twenty-three years of marriage were always a joy to him, even when his wife's health failed, and even when she may have been the source of some of his problems. They had their times of poverty, but never to the point of starvation. He was honorable enough to quit a corrupt position when it offended his honor too deeply. He was devoted enough to heal the familial rifts. His joys and Yun's were simple - travel, each other, the beauty of the full moon, and maybe a little too much wine shared with happy company. Shen Fu and his devoted Yun never demanded much from their lives, and usually got enough to enjoy.

The text wanders. The first three chapters chart the ups and downs of the marriage to his beloved wife. She died early, from some frightening disease. Still, she and he accepted it stoically, or mostly did. The fourth chapter collects a few decades of moments together, the sights and sounds of travel. With his wife and after her, Shun Fu visited temples, sacred caves, and pleasure districts, reported in some drifting collage of personal history. Despite the "six" promised in the title, we have only four. It's probably better that way, according to the appendices.

I really think I would have liked Shun Fu. He was honest enough, loving enough, and devoted enough to his children. Even when his own situation deteriorated badly, he fostered his son as best he could and sheltered his daughter with people who could marry her well. He never wholly succeeded or failed, but muddled through the chances that appeared to him. He was no grand hero, nor villain, nor idle dreamer, nor driven workaholic. He was just a guy, living some guy's life pretty well. Maybe he dressed up his memories just a bit, but don't we all?

//wiredweird

"Six Records" (also known as "Six Chapters of a Floating Life"), c. 1805, is an extraordinarily frank autobiography that is totally unprecedented and unparalleled in the history of Chinese literature. It describes the life of the author Shen Fu and his beloved wife, Ch'en Yun (1763-1803), in extremely revealing detail. The intimacy and joy shared by the couple are as unusual by normal standards of Chinese married life as is the author's daringness in revealing them to others. Their close, playful relationship stands in defiant opposition to the staid decorum of married life expected by Confucian ideology.

A thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring read. Ch'en Yun is a woman ahead of her time who admirably balances her love of learning and passion for life with her duties and obligations as a traditional Chinese wife.

If one reads the introduction, this book is not meant to be read as a sequential narrative, instead it is a collection of memoirs and hence the word "records" in the title. Through this collection of records and memoirs, readers are welcomed to peer into segments of the author's bumpy life.

The records follow Shen Fu on his numerous failed attempts to find contentment in life: As an educated man, Shen Fu tried to gain a position through civil examinations but got nowhere, he tried his hand at being a painter but found that he had no talent, he made friends with people who eventually betrayed him, he got into debt and was disowned by his father, and the final blow came when he lost his child and beloved wife, Yun. In the end Shen Fu's decided to live a "floating Life" by giving up worldly matters to wander China.

Shen Fu is also a groundbreaking author. He is very descriptive of his environment, which is uncharacteristic of Chinese writers of his time. Through Shen Fu's accounts the reader can experience the long lost customs of ancient China, for example, lonely men with a bit of pocket money can visit brothel boats sitting "like aimless floating leaves" on the river.

Moreover, Shen Fu's accounts of his wife, Yun, were against conventions because he does not cease in describing her only as a dutiful wife and daughter-in-law according to Confucian ideology, but he portrays her as an intelligent and adventurous woman who was willing to dress up as a man to visit a temple (which forbids women) with him. To Shen Fu, Yun was his soul mate and she transcends his memoirs into a love story. She is present from his first record, "The Joys of the Wedding Chamber" where they first met as an arranged marriage to his last record, "The Delights of Roaming Afar" where Shen Fu is constantly reminded of Yun, long after her death, when he travelled to places he wished he had brought her to.

Lastly, Shen Fu's tone is full of indignant passion making him an amusing storyteller. The translators (Leonard Pratt and Chiang Su-hui) translate Shen Fu's work without losing his ease and personality, making the book a delightful read.

Keeping in mind that not many authors in feudal China reveal an honest account of their times and even less-so the intimate accounts of their domestic life, this autobiography is wonderfully rare.

a very, very good book to get to know the everyday life of late imperial Chinese!

I entered flight school in 68 and went on to a year and half
of rotor work in SVN and parts, in 69. A must read. Glad I found it.
This wonderful book took me everywhere..with perfect wit.

Foley is a professional writer, now, and it shows in the vivid clarity of his words and the mental images they evoke. He takes his own experiences in the Army (enlisted recruit to Lt. Col.) at a critical point in its existence and gives us the grunt's view, but with the insight of an outstanding staff officer. He points out the many failings of the staff and leadership in the 1960's Army (as only a grunt can) and how men like those he served with on the ground in the 101st, LRPs, and Green Berets made up for those failings. His stories of going from PFC into MCO school, into OCS are full of the details that add dimension to his later activities and service in the jungle. And he points out his own failings. A refrain that repeats itself goes along these lines: "I thought such-and-such, but how wrong I was."

He also gives insight into the workings of the upper echelons, and how good men and women in those ranks worked to shove the Army into the later 20th century. Unfortunately, he left the Army before the results of those efforts really paid off in the desert and the many interventions and peace-keeping efforts we send our people into. But for a solid, well written account of Viet Nam, and one guy's experiences there, "Special Men" is one of the best written, most balanced accounts I've read, and I've read a lot of them. For another view of the evolution of the Army in the crucial 20 years between Viet Nam and Desert Storm, I recommend Fred Franks' "Into The Storm."

Dennis grasps of the military and understanding of the soldiers really shows through. Foley as an enlisted men first, he knew what it was like to be a buck-private and always had respect for the men. I know I served under him in F Compnay, 51st LRP (Abn.) Infantry and what he wrote about the unit is sad considering its great past records of what we did during Tet 1968 that saved thousands of Allied lives. A claim that no other Lurp unit in Vietnam could come close too. For a better understanding of Lurping, read Don C. Hall's book I SERVED or check out the web site at i-served.com. Dennis is a fine example of what outstanding men can do to carry the unit, in spite of, the poor performance by a few. It's in his book. Check it out!

Dennis has done it again. I think that I have read all his books, and can say without fear of contridiction that his book keeps you spell bound.

He write with the auhority of one who has been there done that. Would have given 8 stars but five was the most I could givein this rating system.

Roadrunner 6 out

I wish Dennis Foley could write an updated version of the
very important lessons to be learned from his great book, SPECIAL MEN. His book should be read by anyone going into
the military, and required re-reading for those who are careerists, rather
than warriors. The lessons to be learned from this book are that vital.

I enlisted two years prior to Dennis Foley. One of my mentors , Col John Paul Vann, told me the difference between a warrior and a careerist. One of Dennis Foley's mentors, the late Col David Hackworth, was the epitome of why we need more warriors and fewer careerists in our military. LTC Foley is another great example of why, as well.

SPECIAL MEN is a great autobiography, beautifully told and written. One of its lessons is how we mismanaged to lose the war in Vietnam, by losing it in America first. Sadly, recent leaders of our country learned nothing from Vietnam and are mismanaging
us in a war today that is far more important to our nation's survival than was Vietnam.

As LTC Foley points out, we cannot afford a military run as a popularity contest. We cannot afford an undisciplined military. And, he is writing primarily about the 1960s and '70s military.
What must he think of today's PC-driven, kindler/gentler bureaucratic military?

But, I know what he thinks of the young men and women serving in our
military, because a true leader and a good officer never changes. Like his mentor, David Hackworth, whom I knew, Dennis
Foley cares about his troops...honestly, deeply and always. It
shows on every page of this book.

With more Dennis Foleys running our military we'd never lose another war. But, since he's no longer in the military, and is now writing about the military, I sure hope that more folks heed his important messages.

Personally, I have a few ROTC cadets from a nearby university working for me parttime. As each graduates, he or she gets a
copy of SPECIAL MEN from me as a graduation present. It's the best I can do for them.