China Books

Cross the Pacific in a raft made from bamboo - You must be joking!

I first read about this trip in a one-page National Geographic article, which didn't do the trip nor Tim Severin and his crew justice.
A long-time fan of Mr.Severin, I know what to expect from his books; very intense, often repetitious eulogies on the strengths and weaknesses of the craft; the pros & cons of his theories and the methods used to explore the possibilities opened up by these theories.
This book is no exception, refusing to take any modern assistance (except mandatory safety equipment), insisting on traditional materials and building techniques, he constructs a raft which has never been seen outside Vietnam for a century, in order to test his theory that Asian culture could have migrated via the Pacific (either by accident or design) to the Americas.

The trip is punctuated by storms, any one of which would destroy your average 60foot yacht, but Hsu Fu calmly lets the mightiest waves run right through her, barely disturbing the crew at their supper.
A bonus is that the raft needs no helmsman, once set on a tack she steers herself, her attendant shoals of fish ensure continuous supplies of fresh food, the only problem is after 5 months at sea, she's falling apart at the seams.
Having seen the original Sindbad dhow (parked on a roundabout in Muscat, Oman), I can attest to the workmanship and attention to detail that goes into each one of Mr.Severin's boats, so it must have been heart-breaking for him to see his journey cut short by the break-up of the raft, due to no fault of his own, and so near to the final goal.

I'd love to see the videos that they took on the voyage - the narrative gives you a real feeling of being at one with the sea, but I'd like to compare the picture in my head with the real thing.
Thoroughly recommended reading; I'm just about to start on 'The Spice Islands Voyage - In Search of Wallace', which should combine two of my favourite subjects:- Exploration and Evolution ... more on that later.

In this book, Tim Severin has demonstrated the sense of scholarly adventure of Thor Hyerdahl while showing the enthusiasm for new experiences of Richard Haliburton. His adventure has purpose in trying to understand how the ancients may have been able to make trans-pacific voyages. He makes the reader feel as if the reader is experiencing the adventure with the others on the raft. This involvement is achieved through an exploration of the human struggles as well as the physical struggles that such an epic adventure requires. It struck me while reading the book that this would be a good book for managers to read to learn about teambuilding skills. This book is instructional, well researched, and entertaining to read. If you have enjoyed Tim Severin's previous books, you will certainly enjoy this book.

This novel is a great read. I served with a combined action platoon in the area of 3rd Amtracks at the time the novel was set and it is very accurate. The thing I notice most was that the book is suppose to be fiction, but reads alot like a non-fiction. Dan is very talented, and I feel that this is one of the best Vietnam novels available. Although the name have changed, I am very sure that I personally knew some of the charactors. I am anxious to start Dodge City Blues.

What makes a book enticing, all consuming, and in the end rewarding? It is the feeling of being in the same room with the characters, sitting in a chair observing the action. I felt this a number of times reading China Wind--the many and varied lessons of leadership between Sam and his constantly changing superiors; the capture of the young boy and the murder of the East German nurse / spy; the fire fight were Sam and the old Vietnamese man were the only ones to survive; the attack of the Frenchman on Lowy and Sam; the disposing of the Frenchman's body in the pond; and, the many discussions between Sam, his superiors, and his direct reports over beers in the Grand Hotel. I was struck by the powerful imagery of the bird drinking the remnants of alcohol from a glass and getting drunk while Sam was being told how to lead his team of "track rats", the black cat's swift death by the silent and deadly rocket pistol, and Sam's unexplained attraction to the King Cobra living in an ancient barrier wall. The book's title plays out subtlety in the narrative. The first time it was introduced, it was so subtle that it required re-reading of the chapter, which was well worth the effort. China Wind is all encompassing. I thought about the book day and night, at home and at work. The contradiction of a great book: I couldn't wait to finish it, and it ended too soon.

Hattaway has provided an invaluable service by producing the first ever book profiling all the Christian martyrs of China between 835 AD and 2006. More than 250,000 Christians have been killed for their faith in China, and more martyrs have perished in China since 1900 than in all other countries of the world combined. Hattaway has written in his normal thorough and inspirational way. It is not a mere account of slaughter and death. Rather, the author has skillfully interwoven background and personal touches to the accounts, which connects the reader to those who are profiled. All serious students of Christianity and/or China, or Christians needing inspiration and encouragement in their own walk with God, will benefit from this book.

This book opened my eyes to the way things are in the world. True Christians are willing to both live and die for their faith. They don't have to have padded pews and a gymnasium and a crystal chandelier in the foyer. They have a simple message and a simple faith and their lives speak volumes. I will treasure this book always. When I think things are tough, I will revisit it and refocus.

"China's Digital Dream" is a highly interesting book. The editors Zhang Junhua and Martin Woesler chose the approach of juxtaposing opposed views from contributing scholars from mainland China, Hong Kong, Germany, Great Britain, and the United States. The book sheds light on different aspects of the rapid development of Internet in China and concomitant phenomena including 'unrequested side effects' like political maturity.
Topics discussed are e.g. information warfare, e-government, the digital divide, human rights and the footrace of restriction and circumvention of censorship.
Among the authors are Guo Liang from the Academy of Social Sciences Peking, known from his recent survey, scholars from the RAND Center, the London School of Economics, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and from different universities in China and abroad.
The texts are descriptive and at some parts really exciting - an informative, useful and with its humoristic insights amusing book.

"Peter Thomas in der Heiden"

In their book `China's Digital Dream' Junhua Zhang and Martin Woesler introduce the implementation and expansion of the Internet in China. In 13 contributions the reader is provided with a general view on it's development and impact on Chinese society, politics, economy, and culture. The contributors cover a wide range of subjects, running from the expansion of the Chinese e-commerce, the Chinese approach to e-government, new e-learning strategies in the education policy to recent developments in the field of information warfare. Some articles are enriched by substantial statistical data, visualizing their argumentation.
A focal point of the book is the extensive description of the development of Internet surveillance: Numerous examples illustrate the background and methods applied by the government in order to control Internet users, websites and service providers. The authors shed light onto some weak points of these systems and show how Internet users still manage to keep their unrestricted access to information.
Moreover, the Internet policies of other East- and Southeast Asian countries are presented. The reader learns a lot about the different strategies of Southeast Asian governments targeting the utilization, promotion or restriction of this new communications medium. This deepens the reader's understanding of the change of Chinese internet policy.

The authors - all well-known scholars from the People's Republic of China, the United States and Germany - do not only choose different perspectives and topical focal points, but some of them also hold opposing views. The reader therefore gets acquainted with different approaches and becomes familiar with the interdependencies, e.g. between economical benefits and political costs. Subjects like online-trading and media-surveillance are dealt with in numerous publications already. This book goes beyond these traditional subjects and conveys a vivid impression of the "informatization" across all parts of society.

The development of the Internet in China progresses so rapidly, that it seems almost impossible to gain a complete overview and to pay the necessary attention to all current developments. China's Digital Dream fulfils this desideratum to a great extent: On 325 pages the reader gets a vivid impression of the development of the contemporary Internet in China. Most important, the book provides a good forecast how China's digital dream could develop in the future.

Mr. Hughes presents the reader with an insightful analysis of Chinese economics and its foreign relations. A very worthwhile read!

"China's Economic Challenge : Smashing the Iron Rice Bowl" takes a modern look at China, its economy, and the effects of the outside world on China. The author, Neil Hughes, obviously is an expert. He worked at the World Bank for over 20 years and has a Masters degree from Tuft University's prestigious Fletcher School.
As a non-academic, I thought this book would go way over my head. I picked it up because I am so interested in China that I read anything I can find on the subject. "China's Economic Challenge : Smashing the Iron Rice Bowl" is by far the best book that I've read on the state of modern China. The book is smart enough for academics and banking/ economics professionals, but interesting and well written enough for a lay person to understand and enjoy.
I highly recommend this book. Actually, I don't know how any person working in the international business world can get away with not reading this great book.

It's an opportunity to read this book, it gave me the chance to review and understand the background of these students' encounters in lives, although their stories were not such a fantastic & successful one, but they became a group of rather outstanding and brilliant figures in China. Their stories should inspire the younger generations.

In this modern world, lots and lots of Chinese students who came over to foreign lands, not only U.S.A. but some other countries such as New Zealand, tended to complain about the treatment received from their host countries, but should they read through this book and they would accept that these were the facts of lives.

Being a foreinger in this foreign land myself, I would recommend the Chinese students to understand the hard fact of lives. How this group of Overseas Students from China encountered. And hopefully that would be an inspiration to their own encounter.

As it is popular to study science and technology in the west, it is not uncommon to hear that So and So is the first in China these days. While many are highly exaggerated claims. This is an authorative book on the detailed study of first 123 Chinese boys sent by the Chinese imperial court under Yung Wing to go to Hartford, Conn. learning about the language, cultural and
science. Most became well established as adults in foreign service, engineering, as well as outstanding military officers.

This is a facinating biography on these young teen boys. When they returned to China they actually faced prejedice and skeptism. As we look back they actually contributied much to the transformation of modern China. I was fortunate to have been brought up in a family with much foreign educated engineers and have a deep appreciation of
how modern education can change our society.

As a recent visitor to China where I took several trains I look for books about this fascinating country. This book is really a mix of the political history of Tibet and China and the building of the train line. The author gets into the background through the lives of some Tibetan people, by far the best way to help understand the impact on ordinary people. But he doesn't get lost in the details. The other half of the book, the actual building is also interesting, both the political pressure of an impossible building schedule and problems with unproven construction solutions especially of building on permafrost. A quick, easy and interesting read.

What a an enlightening read. Brilliant imagery and a wealth of knowledge. This is not one to be missed.

REVIEWS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Recommendation by Eric Chipps, Chipps Management Consultants
In today's world of international conflicts, religious strife, North and South disparities, terrorism, extremism and unilateralism, harmony renaissance is the only common value universal solution. The tide of Harmony Renaissance is inevitable. All present will become pioneers of Harmony Renaissance. Harmony advocates non-violence. Its' premises are tolerance, acceptance, respect, equity, patience and humility. As powerful as we are we will not have nobility and hope unless we practice humility. This is the new global awareness. Harmony is the conduit to facilitate multi-directional cultural flow not just from West to East and North to South. Harmony is the all-embracing unifying force for unity in diversity.

Dr. Fung has initiated the World Harmony Organization in North America and has already attracted interest and support. It is a growing influence in North America, Europe and China from important figures in academic and social circles, economics and politics, as well as a growing number of concerned citizens in many countries.

Clearly, the policies of confrontation currently contributing so much to world tensions are unproductive, as well as damaging to the progress of society. By developing the ancient Chinese promotion of harmony, the Organization hopes to become again the third pillar in supporting democracy and religious principle as the foundation of a more peaceful and productive world.

More information can be obtained from the Organization's website at WorldHarmonyorg.net which allows a measure of the extent to which harmony is increasingly an influence. You may also contribute opinion via WorldHarmonyforum.blogspot.com By his talk today, Dr. Fung hopes to generate recognition among influential people of the role that a young, dynamic America, endowed with resources should be advocating harmony renaissance.



Excerpt from Jan 2007 speech by Hon. John Prescott, Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State, United Kingdom:
There's been a great deal of talk about harmony in recent times. In fact, the academic, Francis Fung, has argued in his recent paper "Chinese Harmony Culture: Old and New - Promise for a Less Confrontational World" that China is witnessing a harmony renaissance.
He claims that great debates are happening today in China over whether Socialism with Chinese characteristics can be Socialism with harmony. And Fung maintains that China's harmony socialism will provide an alternative model, as the leading system of governance in the 21st Century.
Indeed, I note that in October the Chinese Communist Party launched a national campaign to build a more harmonious society. In doing so, China appears to be reaffirming its own rich cultural tradition of harmony.
And now, opening the Sheffield Confucius Institute, I reflect on the fact that this emphasis on harmony between man and nature is part of a tradition of Chinese thought going back 2,500 years. This tradition has, of course, evolved and changed over time."



Blog Response by Morgan Steacy

I have been reading professor Fung's letters and articles, posted to his blog site for the last week, and have become comlpetely enraptured by the hope of future possibility that they bring. Although there is nothing that I could do physically, as I am in Toronto, and the World Harmony Festival is taking place in San Francisco, if there were anything that I could do from home to volunteer my time over the summer months, I would be thrilled to be a part of something that I have been advocating myself for some time privately.
I am currently a student at York University in Toronto, Canada, studying East Asia focusing on China. My main area of concern lies squarely within your realm of thought insofar as ascertaining the facets of Chinese thought that may be able to ameliorate the social situation of my country and the world at large. I am certain that I would be able to contribute to your organisation with great success.
Please feel free to contact me by any means, and I look forward to being in touch.



REVIEW OF HARMONY ESSENTIAL TO HUMAN RIGHTS
Francis C. W. Fung's most recent essay, "Harmony Essential to Human Rights" has struck a cord that I believe to be invaluable at this stage of human existence. His focus here is clear from the title but his approach to the topic is unique and insightful. With contributions to this topic as common as they are, it is difficult to find an article that sheds new light on the subject, but this is just what Fung has done.
Human rights are considered by most to be equal and inalienable for all people regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or nationality. Fung has posited that, while this is an ideal goal to strive for, it is necessary to understand that each individual nation has limitations that create obstacles in the path of human rights development. He further notes that it is possible that behaviour that could be perceived as a human rights violation in one place may well be a legitimate course of action in another. China's one baby policy exemplifies his point perfectly because of the fact that this is a case where the seeming infringement of one's human rights is, in fact, a boon to the greater good.

Creating the elaborate web of infrastructure necessary to operate a fully functional society bereft of so-called human rights violations requires discernment of the needs of that particular society along with a stable economy. Given the fact that China's population crisis has created a situation wherein many are unable to provide the necessities of life for children due to a lack of facilities and resources, it seems unconscionable that the North American media should pass judgment so readily without sufficient knowledge or personal contact with the situation. The idea that a blanket of human rights, conceived by the Western world, is able to cover any situation is egocentric and more importantly inaccurate.

Having identified the problem as being an inability to understand the varied needs and values of nations as they relate to the implementation of human rights, Fung goes on to suggest that it is the imminent Harmony Renaissance that could reveal the solutions. Harmony requires that people allow for the differences between cultures without passing judgment. It requires that people take the time to ask questions and make decisions after they have heard the answers.

The concept of ritual is instrumental to Confucianism and may lend itself well to this discussion. The tenet holds that in carrying out ritual properly one becomes a human being. The performance of ritual requires genuine interaction with another individual or individuals. If we were to think of every moment as being ritualized, we would be forced to connect to the other that we intend to judge rather than simply imposing our own standards upon the other on whom those standards have no bearing.

Excusing nations for all violations of human rights is certainly not what is being called for. Nor is Fung necessarily claiming that each nation should independently determine the degree to which human rights can be provided. Rather the importance of what Fung is claiming lies in the acknowledgement and acceptance of difference. The manner in which a country behaves is determined by its history, its geography, its current socio-economic make-up and intangible cultural traits. Without a profound understanding of all factors involved it is impossible to understand decisions made. It is with this outlook that modern leaders and citizens must enter the global-political realm and replace careless judgments with calculated decisions based in the growing tide of harmony.
Morgan Steacy, York University, Department of East Asian Studies


Dear Francis,

Thanks for the update, I hope you and the family are well. I think it is wonderful to see the concept of a "harmony" paradigm being promoted in the media. So much of Western cultural history has been based on a conflict paradigm (crusades, competition for scarce resources, clash of civilizations, political struggle, etc.). It is extremely important to open people's minds to unity, universal love and harmony as governing principles of society, the world and the universe.
Best regards,

Peter Neumann



REVIEW BY MORGAN STEACY, YORK UNIVERSITY, TORONTO, EAST ASIAN STUDIES DEPARTMENT
Freedom, Democracy and Harmony Diplomacy: A Review by Morgan Steacy, York University, Toronto, East Asian Studies Department.

Have you ever heard someone say, "Can't we all just get along?", and thought that it sounded reasonable? This is exactly what I believe happened to Dr. Francis Fung, Director General of the World Harmony Organisation. Dr. Fung has written an article entitled, Freedom Democracy and Harmony Diplomacy that essentially asks this very question. The difference here is that he answers with a resounding, yes.
Up until now no one has ventured to explore the reasons that people have so often asked this question, but have never actually dealt with why the answer that should be YES seems determined to remain NO. So, how does this article evade the puerile nature of the question that it deals with?
Dr. Fung has chosen the USA, as the major world power, to be the primary focus of his urgings. He links historical downfalls of people quite succinctly with the current situation of the world. He describes a world that is so overcome with the notion of "spreading freedom" that there is never a moment to stop and think about the hypocrisy of deciding to "bring freedom" to another nation.
He describes this as "freedom diplomacy", a process which is detrimental to societies because of the fact that they are not determining their own freedom, making it inherently flawed. He further points out that while terrorists have acted in order to destroy our freedom, their success in actually doing so has been ineffective. He claims that it is our reaction to terrorism that has actually limited our freedom. He is not claiming that countries should eliminate counter-terror measures. The point he is making is that we are dealing with the symptoms of a problem rather than the problem itself.
Some believe that the answer to the problem lies in the style of governance that persists in regions where terrorists are able to survive. The answer, to these people, is simple. Spread democracy. If democracy's impact has been felt to the extent that it has in so many other parts of the world, then surely there is no reason for it to fail elsewhere. The truth, unfortunately, lies far from this simplistic view. It is impossible to deny that democracy has been a boon to many societies, and has even been the backbone of success in the modern world, but there are differences in the way that each nation practices democracy. The flexibility that democracy allows within a defined structure is one thing that makes democracy such an amazing concept. Unfortunately, it is often the case that narrow-mindedness and a lack of true cultural understanding inhibits the propagation of actual democracy, and it is only imperialism that perseveres.
Finally, Dr. Fung, having illuminated many of the problematic approaches currently being undertaken, leads the reader to the solution. Harmony is an approach that supports rather than censures, it is tolerant rather than judgemental and it is inclusive instead of being exclusive. Harmony is meant to encompass the fundamental principles that one ought to adhere to in all facets of life. Decision-making processes would be geared towards harmony, rather than personal gain, from an individual level all the way to a global plain.
Dr. Fung has taken a concept that is so seemingly simplistic and breathed a palpable life into it in this essay. The statement that he is making is direly needed and I hope that he continues to make statements like these so that people will start to realize that the solutions that are currently failing to solve the contentious issues of global peace will continue to fail until we realize that it is our very goal that is misguided. We need to establish global harmony before thinking about global peace. Harmony does not imply agreement, only tolerance. It is possible to bring harmony about quickly through education and compliance. Once the people of the world commit to harmony as a means to solve problems, the problems of the world will finally become manageable, and maybe then we will all "just get along".

Finally, Dr. Fung, having illuminated many of the problematic approaches currently being undertaken, leads the reader to the solution. Harmony is an approach that supports rather than censures, it is tolerant rather than judgemental and it is inclusive instead of being exclusive. Harmony is meant to encompass the fundamental principles that one ought to adhere to in all facets of life. Decision-making processes would be geared towards harmony, rather than personal gain, from an individual level all the way to a global plain.
Dr. Fung has taken a concept that is so seemingly simplistic and breathed a palpable life into it in this essay. The statement that he is making is direly needed and I hope that he continues to make statements like these so that people will start to realise that the solutions that are currently failing to solve the contentious issues of global peace will continue to fail until we realise that it is our very goal that is misguided. We need to establish global harmony before thinking about global peace. Harmony does not imply agreement, only tolerance. It is possible to bring harmony about quickly through education and compliance. Once the people of the world commit to harmony as a means to solve problems, the problems of the world will finally become manageable, and maybe then we will all "just get along".
Morgan Steacy,York University, Dept of Asian Studies

This book is a recent publishing success of an experienced author, Professor Knapp, and comprises part of his series on Chinese traditional and modern architecture. It offers a wealth of new information and illustrative material (photographs and drawings), based on original research conducted predominantly throughout the eastern and south-eastern coast of the Chinese mainland and in Taiwan. The publication is well-arranged into two main sections which are further sub-divided into separate parts; the sub-chapter titles speak for themselves - please consult the table of contents. Some concrete examples of still-living traditional ritual folk practices are examined, as well as translations of ritual chants which are analyzed in detail. As for me, this is the most interesting part of the first section. The second major part of the book, Section II, "In Pursuit of Good Fortune" (pp. 79-171), consists of very interesting four essays dealing with concrete Chinese efforts to attract good fortune, longevity, wealth, health, business success and other desirable qualities to the house and house owner's family. The authors directs our attention to various manifestations of this eternal Chinese desire for happiness; he also gives us a comprehensive overview of various methods of how to obtain it. As he rightly stresses, the majority of traditional building ornamentation is "positively" determinated, i.e. it is meant to summon good things, and only a minority is directed toward warding off evil spirits. Many pages are dedicated to the so-called New Year pictures, prints, papercuts, calligraphy and the other forms of folk art, all of which employ metaphor, allegory, and word-play, based on the homophony of the Chinese language and the structural principles of its written form. It must be stressed that all parts of the text are informative and well documented. Worth mentioning as well is the fact that the Chinese characters are typed directly in the text, which is clearly organized and thus very useful for Sinologists. To sum up, the book is warmly recommended to all students of Chinese architecture, folklore and living traditions, as well as to all of you who make plans for visiting China, especially Chinese coastal regions.

This book is a recent publishing success of an experienced author, Professor Knapp, and comprises part of his series on Chinese traditional and modern architecture. It offers a wealth of new information and illustrative material (photographs and drawings), based on original research conducted predominantly throughout the eastern and south-eastern coast of the Chinese mainland and in Taiwan. The publication is well-arranged into two main sections which are further sub-divided into separate parts; the sub-chapter titles speak for themselves - please consult the table of contents. Some concrete examples of still-living traditional ritual folk practices are examined, as well as translations of ritual chants which are analyzed in detail. As for me, this is the most interesting part of the first section. The second major part of the book, Section II, "In Pursuit of Good Fortune" (pp. 79-171), consists of very interesting four essays dealing with concrete Chinese efforts to attract good fortune, longevity, wealth, health, business success and other desirable qualities to the house and house owner's family. The authors directs our attention to various manifestations of this eternal Chinese desire for happiness; he also gives us a comprehensive overview of various methods of how to obtain it. As he rightly stresses, the majority of traditional building ornamentation is "positively" determinated, i.e. it is meant to summon good things, and only a minority is directed toward warding off evil spirits. Many pages are dedicated to the so-called New Year pictures, prints, papercuts, calligraphy and the other forms of folk art, all of which employ metaphor, allegory, and word-play, based on the homophony of the Chinese language and the structural principles of its written form. It must be stressed that all parts of the text are informative and well documented. Worth mentioning as well is the fact that the Chinese characters are typed directly in the text, which is clearly organized and thus very useful for Sinologists. To sum up, the book is warmly recommended to all students of Chinese architecture, folklore and living traditions, as well as to all of you who make plans for visiting China, especially Chinese coastal regions.

"China's Millions" is a wonderfully complex, colorful, scholarly, and objective portrait of the work of the China Inland Mission and its founder, Hudson Taylor, in the 19th century. The CIM was the largest Christian missionary organization in China. It was unique in many ways: the CIM didn't solicit contributions; its missionaries received no fixed salaries, subjected themselves to the tyrannical control of Taylor, and lived, dressed and traveled as Chinese. The majority of CIM missionaries were working class English laymen -- shopkeepers, blacksmiths in the like -- rather than members of the educated elite as were most missionaries from other organizations.

One book can not cover the thousand missionaries the CIM had in China in the 19th century. The author focuses on signal events, including the disastrous beginning of the CIM when Hudson Taylor led his first group of missionaries to China. Most died or defected. The author then turns to CIM operations in a single province, Shansi, with especial attention to a local Chinese Christian, Pastor Hsi, who brooked no interference by foreigners in his evangelical endeavors. Pastor Hsi ran his own show. Among the foreign missionaries in Shansi -- and the exceptions to the rule that CIM personnel were drawn from the working class -- were the famous Cambridge Seven, a group of upscale educated Englishmen who came to China as if on a lark, anticipating, for example, that God would teach them Chinese rather than them having to study the language. They learned a different and a harder lesson in China.

There is much here about the anti-opium campaigns of Pastor Hsi and the CIM, the enormous famine of the late 1870s that killed one-third of the population of Shansi, and the mysterious and often violent cults and religions -- including Christianity -- that rose in the wake of the famine. The story culminates with the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 in which Shansi became the graveyard of dozens of Christian missionaries and thousands of Chinese Christian.

The half-forgotten story of missionaries in China was never better told than here. The author delves into the lives and work of dozens of adventurous, noble, eccentric, or foolish missionaries and leads us down innumerable pathways of Chinese and Western religious controversies and movements. "China's Millions" is a feast of a book.

Smallchief

CIM was not only the single most influential Christian missionary enterprise in the Chinese empire, it has been called one of the most influential forces in shaping modern Chinese culture. Alvyn Austin's study of CIM is quite simply the most sophisticated and scholarly study produced to date on this movement; it is also among the best studies of Christian mission to appear in recent years. Most works on CIM focus biographically on the famous founder, Hudson Taylor. Austin takes a different approach, looking at the varied different missionary encounters between CIM missionaries and local Chinese in different cultural contexts. His study demonstrates clearly the compexity of missionary encounters and shifts the focus away from hagiographical reflections upon missionary greatness to the social and cultural dynamics of the encounter between east and west. Perhaps most impressively, he for the first time brings to the forefront the role of the converts themselves.

Without losing any analytical depth, Alvyn Austin tells the story with real narrative flair. Any student of Chinese history, Colonial encounters, or History of Christianity will find this to be a worthwhile study. For any student of Christian mission, it is essential.