Malaysia Books

Among early Chinese Buddhist travelers to India, the names of three stand out: Fa-Hsien (340?-420?; Japanese pronunciation, Hokken), Hsuan-tsang (660-664; J., Genjo), and I-Tsing (635-713; J. Gijo). [References to I-Tsing are occasionally confusing. Some writers prefer an alternate romanization possible in the Wade-Giles system for the second character - "ching"; hence, I-ching. The Pinyin romanization is Yijing. Not to worry -- bureaucrats and academics simply cannot restrain themselves from making the simplest matters as complicated as possible.]

Both Fa-hsien and Hsuan-tsang were able to use an overland route to India, but by the time I-tsing set out in 671 C.E. that option had been closed by the Arabs. But the detour did have a bonus: had I-Tsing been able to go directly to India, as he would have preferred, he would not have seen the Malay Archipelago and left us this unique record. The Chinese text of I-Tsing's _Nan-hai-chi-kuei-nei-fa-ch'uan_ (J. Nankai kikinai hoden) is to be found in vol. 54 of the Taisho Issaikyo, T. 2125.

The reader should not be put off by the fact that this is a reprint of a translation which first appeared in 1896. The publisher was Oxford's Clarendon Press, and the translator was the famous Japanese scholar Junjiro Takakusu (1866-1945), whose _Essentials of Buddhist Philosophy_, frequently reprinted, is still a useful overview of Buddhist philosophy from the perspective of sectarian developments in Japan. The text is packed with notes, and even a sprinkling of Chinese characters, as necessary. The contents are detailed and as might be expected from the title.

A recent translation by Li Rongxi from the Chinese original can also be found in the Numata Center series (93-1; 1994) as _A Record of the Inner Law Sent Home from the South Seas_, without notes but with short bibliography and index. Pinyin romanization.

Students of Japanese Buddhism are sooner or later drawn back to examine antecedents in China, Korea, and India. Of course, from a Mahayanist perspective the later unique adaptations of Indian Buddhism in China, Tibet, Korea, or Japan are valid on their own terms and not to be seen as inferior to some "Golden Age" original revelation. Still, the backward glance can be of interest.

Although some of its suggestions and theories would appear to be outdated, it is an excellent work and will drive the curious to seek out more information on the varied subjects it covers beneath the umbrella of Semetic magic as traced or linked to older sources and its influence over various cultures and religous ideologies.

It is filled with accounts of ghuls, ghosts, demons and gods. It roams amidst their horrid habitations and divulges some of their strange and terrible secrets whilst giving the wary some ideas of ancient protective measures against them. It covers many of the concepts of demonic possesion amoungst the ancients and expands on curious myths you may have seen only hints of through the Quran, Tanak or Christian bible. It is a great source for myths and magical details including an Assyrian ritual that would seem to be an ancient origin for the modern concept of the Qabbalistic Cross Ritual, the idea of laying on of hands in faith healing and the concept of a guardian being. To quote:

"Unto the house on entering
Samas (is) before me,
Sin (is) behind [me],
Nergal (is) at [my] right hand,
Ninib (is) at my left hand;
When I draw near unto the sick man,
When I lay my hand on the head of the sick man,
May a kindly Spirit, a kindly Guardian, stand at my side."

The quote above is one of many very interesting bits of information contained in this book. I recommend it highly.

This book provides a systematic description and analysis of the factors that shaped Malaysia, bringing together studies on the country's geological origins and mineral resources, flora, fauna, peoples and cultures, political change, economy and society, environment and eco-tourism. It explicates Malaysia's current economic and political development by considering it in the light of these natural and human resources. Besides taking a comparative view of such changes in Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, it highlights Malaysia's incorporation into the wider global economy.

Offering an integrated perspective on Malaysia by focusing on its natural and human resource endowments, it also goes on to explore how they have changed over time. This book makes an important contribution to a greater understanding of present-day Malaysia by providing the background to essential elements in the evolution of the country's modern economy and society.

A collection of papers from those presented at a colloquium on `Research on Malaysia-Recent Advances' at the University of New England, Australia on October 1995, this book is therefore not exhaustive and some issues are dealt with more fully than others. For example, the chapter on fauna is devoted mostly to the orang utan, neglecting other endangered species such as the Sumatran rhinoceros and tiger.

Formerly associate professor in the History Department of the University of Malaya, Amarjit Kaur is now associate professor and head of the Department of Economic History at the University of New England, New South Wales, Australia. Formerly lecturer and senior lecturer in the Geology Departments of the University of Malaya and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Ian Metcalfe is currently associate professor in the Division of Earth Sciences, School of Physical Sciences and Engineering, University of New England.

Similarity in Diversity is a journey of exchange scholars from Malaysia to USA and vice-versa for their academic pursuit that revises their perceptions, definitions and biases about the host country, people and for themselves.

The personal essays presented in this collection are interesting, shocking, and unforgettable. Anyone, who is interested to Study in USA or going to Malaysia, should read this book. This anthology provides a rare perspective of observing the country from student's point of view to learn, share and make the connections we need to have a better world for our generations.

These essays do not necessarily project a representative picture either of Malaysia or the USA, however, they adroitly bring forward amazing sketches which would interest anyone who is concerned with people, cultures, and diversity.

This Fodor's is on the smaller side, but so is the total land mass of the area being reviewed. It does an admirable job and is still a good guide even though a few years old now.

It's can make us @ students @ a person to know about what has happen behind the Southeast Asia and regional peace or ZOPFAN. And it's will must being showing for the youngers and the next generation.

I am just sixteen years old,but a big fish and marine life entusiast. I think this is one of the best books on tropical reef fishes ever written. When I received this book on the holidays,I was incredibly happy. Even though I recognized many of the species,there was some new and many new views of species I`d already knew. It covers all kinds of fish,from sharks to anemonfishes. And the colour of them are the most striking I`ve ever seen on animals. My favorite chapter is probably the first one,about sharks & rays. In second to it,there are the Scorpionfish and the Moray Eel chapter,although the angelfishes are the most beautifull fishes,the sharks are the coolest and most fascinating. At all,I will give it an high rate and I am a great fan of the author,Helmut Debelius,who has made many other great fish books which I also own,but this one is the best! But I would like if it was a little bit longer (a book of 450 pages would have been good)and have covered a little more about the behaviour of the fishes,and their reaction to divers,showing additional photos.

This book more than fulfills my expectations of a book on SE Asian food. There are excellent introductory comments about the background to foods from different areas and easy to follow recipes.

This volume on culture and politics in Southeast Asia contests the essentialist argument that culture is something derived from the past and hence unchanging.

Southeast Asian Urbanism is based on the results of over two decades of field research on cities and towns of Thailand, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines and Singapore. The connections between micro and macro processes, between grassroots interactions and urban structures, between social theory and empirical data are analysed to provide a vivid picture of the great variety of urban forms, the social creativity in the slums of Bangkok, Manila or Jakarta, the variety of cultural symbolism and the political and religious structuration of urban space.

The book is written in the tradition of German or European sociological research from Marx and Weber to Habermas and Bourdieu. The work on Southeast Asian urbanism was carried out within the research programme of the Sociology of Development Research Centre of the University of Bielefeld in Germany, but also during teaching and research assignments at Chulalongkorn University, the National University of Singapore, the Science University of Malaysia, the National University of Malaysia, Andalas University, Padang, the Population Studies Centre at Gadjah Mada University, the University of Indonesia, the University of the Philippines and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, Singapore.

The book will be of interest to urban anthropologists, political scientists and sociologists, to students of Southeast Asian history, culture and society, to urban planners and policy makers.