China Books

Great product even for those that are not beginners in Taoism. Ken gives a great and inspiring course. Strongly recommended and remeber that patience in learning is a must. This is something that I listen to often and enjoyed while commuting.

Ken Cohen, like his friend and mentor Alan Watts, is not only a clear, strong writer; but also an inspiring lecturer/teacher.

Taoism is a 4 1/2 hr. course covering Taoism as religion, as philosophy, its influence on the arts and science of China, and how it connects and contrasts with other systems of thought, both Chinese and Western.

This course is presented on a practical basis with the goal of improving the quality of one's life and health. This is demonstrated right from the start with Ken Cohen's careful enunciation of Chinese words. Because of the relational nature of Taoist thinking, some areas could be difficult or even strange, except for the excellence of the presentation.

An unusual section is given on Chinese (Taoist) poetry. This type of poetry strives to express directly an experience from Nature, the experience being more important than cleverness with words. The principles are illustrated using Ken Cohen's own translations of classical poerty. Then he invites the listener to "cap" a poem by adding a line to one he provides. Finally the listener is encouraged to try alternating lines with friends, the poems finishing themselves.

Feng Shui (geomancy) is presented through the relational "5 element" scheme. But it is also pointed out that the Earth can be considered to have "meridians" and by using standing meditation, one can relate the body's meridians to those of the Earth.

Not only for Feng Shui, but also for the other areas of Taoist thought, Ken Cohen emphasizes the bottom line is harmony, balance and sense. Anecotes drawn from a lifetime of study are included to help demonstate important ideas.

I have found the CD Program "Toaisim" by Ken Cohen to be a very good overview, of Toaism, it was easy to understand the fundamental's, and it provides a great look into Taoisim.
I also own Ken Cohen's "The Way of Giqong Training Program", the "Taosim" course is a great compliment to it also.

Wayne Thiltgen, Tulsa, Ok

This is a great overview of Taoism, wonderfully illustrating its origins, history, and modern practice. It is focused very much on encouraging an experience of the Tao rather than dry academic material. The academic material presented is done so as to enhance the experience of the Tao. He does a great job of presenting the seemingly arcane and complicated topics in digestible, bite-size chunks - even divination! It seems the author's specialities are feng shui and qi-gong. While other topics get a little bit of time, these two get a lot. I appreciated the author's inclusion of meditation exercises, but these things don't translate well to what I consider is the most common use of the audio CD: listening while driving. That said, I was impressed at his emphasis on cultivating tao and fostering an understanding of qi as relevant to all of the subtopics presented. I would recommend this CD/book to any friend interested in learning the basics of Taoism.

These tapes cover Taoist philosophy perfectly. Ken Cohen is the best at explaining Taoism in an interesting way. If you want to learn Taoist meditations and Feng Shuei you will like it alot.

When deadly riots broke out in Tibet, Steve Lehman captured that terror in his outstanding photographs. Lehman continues to chronicle the Tibetans' courageous struggle for human rights, and his work is a major contribution to understanding the Tibetan story. -Congressman Tom Lantos Co-Chairman, Congressional Human Rights Caucus

i just wanted to say how incredible i thought this book is. the layout and design really highlights the power of the photos. perhaps most important, the book allows the reader/viewer to gain some insight into the complexities of the tibetan situation. the author's passion for the people and culture there is profoundly moving.

sue simon

THE TIBETANS is a beautiful portrayal of a courageous, earthy, and spiritual people struggling for survival under the tremendous burden of late twentieth-century colonialism. It is a must read for those who want to understand their planet. -Robert A.F. Thurman President, Tibet House

A stirring photographic essay which gives texture and grit to the reality of life in Tibet. A timely reminder of the ongoing ecogenocide and obliteration of Tibetan culture in its painful recent history under the Chinese. -Peter Matthiessen, Author

I have just returned from seeing Steve Lehman's exhibition of photographs from Tibet at the Newseum/NY- PLEASE GO SEE THIS SHOW IF YOU CAN!!! I stood before some of the most touching and moving color, black and white photographs and collages with tears running down my face at the inhumanity and humanity of the disgusting situation in Tibet. How can the United States and other so-called free nations stand back and allow this foul occupation continue to take place? Not only is the culture, religion, architecture, forests, etc. of Tibet being decimated but MOST IMPORTANTLY her people are being mass murdered, tortured and ignored by the "powers that be." (The setting of the show was wonderful also with thankgas, prayer wheels and other Tibetan objects. It was also incredible to be surrounded by all the photographs in one fell swoop.) I was particularly struck by the personal, hand-written descriptions on the photographs which made them even more immediate. One could really feel for the peaceful protestors who were subsequently imprisoned and tortured. I searched their faces and was mesmerized and thought about what each person's life was like now. Even if you cannot stand before the pictures, be surrounded by the injustice of it all, do obtain the book and see for yourself. This is photo-journalism at its finest and most poignant.Mr. Lehman's photographs give ample illustration that more needs to be done to help the Tibetans and now!

Moving and extreme reality

This book reviews the aftermath of the Vietnam-U.S. war in a down to earth tone and it's impact on the people who's involvement in the war are explained in detail.Personally i like this book because of its content which voiced out the real opinion of the one involved in the war no matter whether they're the allies or enemies.It's a great book to those who wants to know more about the Vietnam war and its aftermath.

This book is worth reading for anyone interested in the history of the Vietnam War.
It is a collection of forty-eight short recollections from a wide variety of Americans and Vietnamese involved in the war, or the country, from the late 50's to the 80's. It also touches on Cambodia and Laos. Each recollection is from one-half to six pages long, and may cover one short event, or several years' experience in the country.
The book deceptively starts out slowly, and it is only with continued reading that one discovers that within this chosen group of recollections are many of the great truths of politics and military conflict in South Vietnam.
The essays cover the fatal flaws inherent within South Vietnam, which include the long history of being a colony of France, without France taking any steps to prepare the country for independence, such as training civil servants or encouraging the rule of law through local rulers. Once independent, South Vietnam was fragmented on religious lines. The civil leaders were corrupt, engaged in nepotism, and did not relate well to the peasants. South Vietnamese military leaders were promoted not on merit, but by family ties and the size of the bribes they paid to the government. For political reasons, the military zone around Saigon was intentionally unorganized and inefficient.
The geography of South Vietnam -- having all its territory within easy reach of Laos, Cambodia, and North Vietnam -- made it a very difficult land to defend from an enemy with safe sanctuary so close to crucial areas. This book does not mention the oppressive acts of the South Vietnamese government, which helped alienate its citizens. The book seems to understand, if not almost excuse, wrongful acts by US soldiers.
The US tactics also contributed to defeat: rules of engagement tied the military's hands in senseless ways (a SAM base couldn't be attacked under construction, but pilots had to wait until it was operational); rotating inexperienced officers through Vietnam to "punch their combat ticket" was more important than retaining experienced officers and advisors who often "got it" just before being rotated out; the battle for "hearts and minds" was often ignored; and years were wasted on ineffective strategy, until home protests compelled withdrawal.
And, yes, North Vietnam really was an oppressive regime which used terror and lies to achieve its goals.
Any discussion of Vietnam brings up many "what if's?" What if South Vietnam had a more appealing and legitimate government? What if US politicians hadn't used such ineffective strategy and tactics? Is there ANY scenario which would have resulted in a long-term stable and secure South Vietnam?
If you're at all interested in the field, this is a book well worth searching out.

Al Santoli's book, To Bear Any Burden, is a narrative of stories told by 47 Americans, Vietnamese (both North and South), and Cambodians regarding their experiences before the US involvement, during the US war, and the war's aftermath (after the departure of US troops). Each tale (from two to 10 pages in length) is riveting in itself. The book moves in relative chronilogical order beginning in 1954 and concludes with the present (circa 1985). Each tale is successfully interwoven with the next story such that there is a cohesiveness and a logical flow to the story telling timeline.

Some of the stories are quite stunning: from the description of US soldiers being called baby-killers and spat on after they returned to the US [difficult to comprehend in this patriotic post 9/11 world] to the horror stories of the Communist regimes in Cambodia and in North/South Vietnam after the fall of Saigon [after reading theses stories, one should question why the US would want to establish ties to Vietnam].

This "straight from the hip" narrative is recommended to anyone wishing to learn more about the scenes from a participant's point of view.

I first read To Bear Any Burden when it was originally released in 1985. This has been a 'must-read' classic of American involvement in Southeast Asia since it was published. For it, Santoli interviewed, in depth, 47 individuals representative of that involvement from 1945 into the 1980s--Americans, Viet-Namese (communists and anti-communists), Cambodians and Laotians. The book is so artfully compiled as to flow like a single narration; yet the 'cast of characters' are separate in time, space, culture and social rank--an entire spectrum from ambassadors to villagers, soldiers to politicians, in one volume. No ones education about the Viet-Nam War is complete unless they've read this book.

Sharon Collins shows a real talent in capturing these unusual images. Each image evokes interest in the subjects: what are they doing? why are they doing it? what does it mean to be Buddhist? An excellent collection.

This is an enchanting book. The pictures simultaneously sparkle with fascinating subjects and evoke trance-like timelessness. But there is something else that is special. The photos exhibit an intimacy with her many subjects that belies the patience of someone not fearing that this is her only life:) The monks and other Buddhists seem to be ignoring her entirely. The travel stories in the endnotes reinforce the character of rugged temperance that we might guess the photographer to possess. The photographer shares with these devoted people an appreciation for the sacred landscapes of South and Southeast Asia.

I loved Sharon Collins's book! Having traveled in many of the countries she photograhed, I was immediately transported back to enjoy the amazing landscapes and intimate protraits of daily life in Nepal, Tibet, Thailand, and Myanmar. Buddhism is beautifully depicted, not just as a religion, but as an integral part of everyday life. Ms. Collins has accomplished an important goal through her photography. I felt as if I were traveling again in her footsteps through Buddhist Asia.

Ms. Collins' book, with its vivid photographs and excerpts of Buddhist philosophy, will enlighten and refresh you. Are you having a particularly stressful holiday season? Are you having a hard time in your life? Sit down with "To the Light" and be transported to Buddhist Asia and a more accepting, peaceful and long-lived philosophy than we in the West are accustomed to. This is a beautiful book which you will pick up again and again -- I know I will.

The reader/viewer is gently led along a path filled with beauty humor love comfort and peace. Stylistically each photograph displays a compassionate understanding and depth of feeling for these areas of the world seemingly untouched by modernity ... simple, still and open.

I don't give many reviews unless I consider what I've just read as great or awful. This book is great. If you wish to develop a meditation practice that will retain your enthusiasm for what many consider a boring exercise, this book could very well be for you. It first provides the basis for this particular practice then, at the end, provides a few sample meditations. I have been practicing zen for a year; the instruction given by Reginald A. Ray is compatible with my zen practice. It is based on the basic teachings of the Buddha which incorporate the mind with the body which is the first step toward developing mindfulness in one's life with, gradually, the reduction of mental and physical pain. I have found it so helpful that I will be going to one of Dr. Ray's teaching retreats when he comes to NYC.

I strongly echo the sentiments in Mr. Bucher's review. This is an important book. Mr. Ray appears to be a rare example of someone who is both a serious scholar and a deep practitioner. By the latter, I mean someone who is not just talking about the realization that is contemplated by Buddhist philosophy as an intellectual exercise, but who has experienced it personally through his practice. Anyone who has embarked on that path with any seriousness comes to realize that language and ideas, no matter how eloquent, can't change us in the ways described by the Buddha; only direct experience, unmediated by the conceptualization implied by language, can be transformative. The practices Mr. Ray discusses, derived from Tibbetan Yoga traditions, are a very direct path to this experiential wisdom. Ray seems also well positioned to speak to the particular needs of the modern person, including Westerners. His body-based approaches also, as eluded to by Mr. Bucher, seem especially appropriate for people who have experienced trauma. Although not discussed in the book, this is consistent with recent neuropsychological research, which is revealing the extent to which emotions and "unconscious" material are experienced and held throughout the nervous system, and hence, the body (see, e.g., the work of Allan Schore [[Affect Regulation and the Origin of the Self: The Neurobiology of Emotional Development; and Bessel Van Der Kolk Traumatic Stress: The Effects of Overwhelming Experience on Mind, Body, and Society.

I'm not sure how objectively I can evaluate the "tone" of the book--which two reviewers describe as a bit intellectual--having seen Mr. Ray at several talks prior to reading it. In person, he is warm, engaging, humorous, and most essentially, human. In fact, he emphasizes that the purpose of these practices is not to transcend our humanity, but to become fully human for the first time. I personally experienced the tone of the book in the same way I experienced Mr. Ray in person, but it's possible one may have colored the other.

I found this book, and most especially the practices Ray describes and teaches, to be extremely beneficial to my personal practice and growth. I'm not sure where the Publisher's Weekly reviewer is coming from, but my best suggestion is to ignore that review and read this book.

Reginald Ray has written a beautiful book full of important thoughts on how our bodies are front and center to the spiritual path. I cannot recommend this book enough for the spiritual seeker. So much of our time is spent moving away from our bodies as a result of pain or some other trauma. But the running away is the last thing we need to do. Going deeper into the wisdom of our body is the call by Mr. Ray and one that I find important. Our bodies are the gate way to truth inside ourselves.
I think Ray's book is timely in that so many seekers are searching for a deepening into the presence they find in their meditation. Yet unfortunately the body is not involved for many teachers and practitioners. But that should be the beginning point not an add on.

In Ray's words:
"It is my belief that we modern people can arrive at the full embodiment that has always been a possibility for our species. The impact and the implications of such a recovery are nothing less than revolutionary. For to recover our original or primary body as our own involves experiencing the totality of oneself, without judgment; living with a directness that is not filtered or distorted by the thinking mind; rediscovering ourselves within the network of relations with others; coming to awareness again of the primordiality of the natural world as a subject; and, perhaps most surprising, beginning to sense and see what has been called the "unseen world," the "other world," the world of "others" who, while not flesh and blood, are nevertheless living presences around us and with us, to inspire, guide, and protect. Recovering our basic, inborn body has, then, profound implications for healing the self, mending our broken relationships, restoring a healthy relationship to our world, seen and unseen, and healing the planet. All that we need is a method to enable us to reclaim our original body, the body that is our most basic being at this moment, but that we cannot clearly feel or see. That method is offered to us in the body work introduced in this book, the somatic practices of Buddhist meditation."

It is time to use our bodies for more than survival but as the real entryway for our experience.

Given the dismal review listed earlier from Publisher's Weekly, I feel compelled to write this, my first (and probably last) review for amazon. I am a 20 year Zen practitioner and former assistant editor of the Mountain Record. In that capacity I wrote 25 or so book reviews, but none for the past 10 years or so.

Reginald Ray's book is a revelation; it is the finest, most original book written by an American to date, at least as far as I'm concerned. I am one of the many, many practitioners has practiced diligently in one's head for a long time, with less than completely satisfying results. He talks about his childhood Ferberizing and the cathartic breakthrough he had. That is sufficient, in my view. He doesn't linger on his personal experience any more than he has to. He clearly is a very accomplished, experienced, and compassionate teacher, and there is video evidence that shows this on his website and others.

In my case, much of the problem dates from childhood sexual abuse, memories that I recovered while living at Zen Mountain Monastery in the late 1980's. Ray's focus on the body, and his descriptive language is highly appropriate; excessive editing would kill the meaning and the message. Anyone who has spent time with the ancient Buddhist texts will recognize the wisdom of repetition with subtle variations, especially from someone who is as clear as Ray clearly is. Ray himself is humble and treats the book as a beginning, not an end.

The Publisher's weekly person seems to have a passing interest in Buddhism, and much deeper interest in the editorial process. Ignore the review and buy the book. I'll be re-reading it for the rest of my life.

Reginald Ray's thoroughly researched book discusses the Buddha's teachings on attaining enlightenment through the body. This is an interesting angle and makes for a fascinating and useful book. The book has an academic tone, and feels very intellectual and analytical. The book resembles a dissertation that has been turned into a book (which isn't a bad thing, but does reflect on the overall tone of the book). Despite being a rigorous analysis of the body and enlightenment as it appears in Buddhist literature, the book contains many useful descriptions of hands on techniques. I suffer from chronic pain issues and found many of the techniques extremely helpful. I've often read about creating a shift in consciousness in relation to pain in the body - and I've never quite been able to grasp a "healthier" approach to physical pain. Touching Enlightenment is the first text to actually lead me to a different consciousness in regards to approaching physical pain. As a consequence, I feel a new level of relief and comfort in relation to my body and illness. Having these techniques, and the experience of practicing them, placed within the larger context of Buddhist theory was also helpful. Ray is strongest when discussing Buddhist literature, but is less successful when describing the emotional issues in his own life. That being said, this book is a welcome addition to the literature on Buddhist theory. People interested in yoga therapy and other healing modalities will also find Touching Enlightenment to be essential.

Review by Sherry North, Author, Because You Are My Baby

Waiting for May is an extremely well written look at the process of international adoption, from the point of view of a young boy who is getting a baby sister from China. I bought the book for my 4-year-old son, because we're in the process of adopting a child from Kazakhstan. Despite the difference in countries, so much of the process is the same.

The book discusses the social worker who comes for a home visit when the parents first apply to adopt, the mountains of paperwork, and the long wait to be matched with a child. It shows how the photo of the baby sister arrives on the computer, and just like my son, the main character gets shots for traveling to another country. Finally, the family travels to meet the little girl. The book doesn't shy away from the fact that she cries and cries before warming up to her new brother.

What I like best about the book is the brother's positive attitude. He is not fretting but instead is focused on how great it will be to have a sister. The illustration of the two hugging on the final page is just lovely.

This book is wonderful at explaining the adoption process from a small child's perspective. My two boys smiled the whole way through it! Even though we are adopting a little girl from Russia and the book is about China, they could still relate to it. I think it helps them realize what we are doing, and what we are feeling, is normal and happens to other people too. It explains the process very well, in language they could understand. It also touches very sensitively the possible reasons why the little girl was an orphan. Overall, I found it very realistic and informative, with a touch of humor.

We read every adoption story we can get our hands on. This is a neat one. Our adopted chinese daughter enjoyed it.

This book is just wonderful. It is a great preparation for any child who is waiting for a sibling to be adopted. It is a heart-warming story that talks about the adoption process, the waiting, and the emotions that go along with it, from a child's perspective. I love that the little boy can't wait to go to China and get his sister- many other books I have found on this topic show the waiting sibling with a jealous attitude towards the adoption. Jealousy is an important emotion to address, but many kids ARE very excited about adopting a sibling. This book is uplifting, sweet, and really gives a waiting sibling an idea of what to expect throughout the process of adoption. I highly recommend it!

My husband and I are in the process of completing paper work to get on a list to adopt a child from China. I happened upon this book at a bookstore and loved it immediately. We have already read it to our almost-3-year-old biological child to help explain the process of filling out paperwork and then waiting to hear about our new child. It has been a good way to introduce the topic of adoption. Our daughter asks for it often and has requested that we name our new child "May." :-) The pictures and story are simple enough to interest a very young child but have enough depth to interest a child in the early elementary grades (or even older).

I highly recommend this book to anyone waiting to adopt a child internationally (especially from China).

The Ipod of travel guides. Cool, cleverly designed and extremely practical are some of the characteristics that set aside Zhao Cards from other guides. But what makes Zhao truly unique is that it empowers the traveler. This guide will help you move around town with ease, without constantly feeling insecure because you don't speak Chinese. And to my personal delight it's made for people that not only want to discover China, but also its fantastic cuisine. Highly recommended!

We used these cards in Beijing (in August 2008) and found them to be incredibly helpful. Each of the "place" cards (Temple of Heaven, for example) has the name and address of the place in English and Chinese characters. It also has the phone number (which was used by confused taxi drivers on a couple of trips); the subway line and closest stop, and the hours that the site is open. We pulled the cards that were the most useful for us, put them on the included keyring, and carried them with us wherever we went. There are cards for places, hotels, restaurants, shopping....food and beverages - you can just show these cards to the taxi driver, restaurant server, person on the street - they worked like a dream! My best ever impulse buy before heading to China!

I go to China very often for business. Moving around is always problematic if you don't hire a translator with you. Taxi drivers never understand when I try to mumble in Chinese and not even restaurants or bars in big hotels are able to take my order. However, on my recent trip, I bought a fantastic pocket guide in Beijing called Zhao Beijing (I was tremendously pleased to see Zhao Shanghai in Amazon and bought it immediately, my next trip to the city was memorable thanks to this guide). The first thing that attracted me was its sleek and practical design. Unlike other so-called pocket guides, Zhao is a very simple, yet clever idea: a ring bounds 99 cards and a map. This way, you can simply remove the cards you need and put them in your wallet without the need to carry the entire book. Being a businessman this has proven to be an invaluable feature; I'm able to secretly carry my guide to meetings with clients without looking like the biggest dork.

But Zhao's real benefit is that all the information in the cards is listed both in Chinese and English -names of sites, restaurants, streets and even menus! This way you just get on a cab and show the driver a card, he/she will take you to your destination without speaking a word! No need to stress out every time you step outside. In addition, Zhao Cards' restaurant list is absolutely superb, the writers recommend a wide range of both prices and cuisines. And in each place they even make a selection of dishes. I would say that if you enjoy eating, this is a fantastic product.

Furthermore, the cards are written in a witty and funny style. Zhao's insight into the city is deep and you can tell this guide was written not only by people that live in Beijing, but most important that love it. My only criticism? Develop more cities!!! Beijing and Shanghai are not enough.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RQAKMZD5GHKLW My husband and I used these cards first in Shanghai. The first night we ate at some restaurant and ordered everything that it recommended. We don't know how to speak so all we did was show them the card and they brought it out. The food was sooooo good! We would have never known to order these local favorite dishes.

This video is of us using the cards sight seeing in Pudong Shanghai.


We also used the cards in Beijing. While my husband was in business meetings I took the cards and visited the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace and the Great Wall of China. My favorite Zhao card was the shopping suggestion. When I told a local that I was going to this shopping market, she was surprised and asked me how I find out about it because it's mostly a local's shopping area. The cards suggested it! The cards also warned me about their aggressive sales style and recommended to start negotiating at least 30% below their start price. At first I was overwhelmed, then I totally got the hang of it. I got great items at great prices. I have both sets and am keeping them for my next trip back to Shanghai and Beijing. The language barrier is less daunting with these cards.

If you are going to visit Beijing do not think twice about buying Zhao Beijing for your trip. Finally, we have a guide made by real travelers!! It is small, very useful, practical and so light!!! Its tips are excellent (especially the food suggestions). It fits in your pocket and its map does not get ruined after the second day of use. Highly recommended!!

Cannot go wrong with the art book about Chinese art. It's an excellent one, used a lot as a textbook both by university art teachers as well as teachers of Chinese culture and history.

It is difficult to write "Short History of Chinese Arts". Suppose that an honest scholar start preparing his lecture note of " Chinese Arts", he shall struggle with selecting subjects and plates. Moreover, for example, he feels that he be an expert on ancient bronzes, and a beginner of export wares in 17th century. Leaving the purgatory, he would want help to a standard textbook.

Among English books, this noted book may have used in many college courses. 1st edition(1967) and The revised edition(1973) were welcomed by many students and scholars. Even a japanese translation had been popular for many years. In this 4th edition, 84 old respectable scholar still attracts me with lucid style.

For beginners, this should be a good introduction. Appreciating artifacts in Museum, finding something in antique shop, or reading books/papers/articles about a particular subject, it needs some elementary background knowledge for chinese arts and history. This offers such COMMON SENSE.

For experienced scholars, this is an interesting reading. This might look a mean textbook for them. Before reading, I minded I become tired for many facts already learned, but I enjoy this book even in commute train, although this edition format is too large. Because not only this is Readable for a japanese, but also gives many (sometimes implicit) skeptical suggestions. At 258p, about Wan Hui (1632-1677, painter), "The Palace Museum collection also contains a number of clever pastiches of tenth-century and Northen Song landscapes that are almost certainly his work"; keen insight!.

I should regretfully notice that some illustrations/items might be inadequate, blurred, or damaged. I hope that they will be changed at next chance.

The colour illustrations in this book are lovely to behold. Many show restored artifacts from China's long history. Vases, stoneware, flasks, paintings, handscrolls and much more. From the paintings, you can see where the traditional misty style of Chinese landscape paintings arose. There are even genres, like bamboo painting. Just like the Europeans developed portraits of horses and landed gentry.

Naturally, there is also extensive coverage of porcelain plates and containers. Beautifully decorated. The items that the Europeans would call "china"; so close was the identification of the objects with China itself.

But more than just objects, the narrative also gives insight into the various Chinese dynasties from which these arose. And also the provinces, like Jiangsu and Anhui, that were artistic centers.

The book, The Arts of China, was book I needed to purchase for a college level Asian Art History class focused on China. Each chapter was divided into dynasties and within each chapter sections were written on: background history, ceramics, paintings, sculpture, and other various topics. There are lovely color pictures with high resolution, which are an essential to any student or scholar studying this art. The writing is clear and even enjoyable. I'd highly reccommend this book!

The reason I like this book so much is because it takes me back to an age of antiquity. In my opinion, Gene C. Tsao is a pretty good writer considering this is his first novel. Tsao has a great future ahead of him if he decides to write full-time. In conclusion, Aeneas from China is a great novel that shows great promise as a film.

Gene C. Tsao's new novel Aeneas from China is a literary - cultural tour de force. (A significant film script of love and separation could be adapted.) Tsao, who is a classically-educated Taiwanese writer, has also studied in New Jersey, British Columbia and Ontario, and now teaches Latin in Texas. The plot of Aeneas from China develops via dual narration and letter-exchanges from 1959 until 1985: between Zhao Huaxing, a aeronautical engineer from Beijing on exchange in the Soviet Union ("Vasily" to Russian friends and associates) and Sofia Bulgakova, a classics student at Moscow State University. Both are insightful characters, but inevitably conditioned by their educations and political indoctrinations. Wisdom for them both comes though suffering. Sofia introduces Vasily to the great classical epics -- Homer's Odyssey and Vergil's Aenead, and epigraphs cited from these and other ancient works highlight literary allusions. The love story of Vasily and Sofia is given tragic overtones by references to Dido and "Comrade" Aeneas, complete with strategic tempests. Her last letter to Vasily is signed "Your Dido, Sofia." Vasily is also inclined to see China's struggles against the western imperial powers in the 19th and 20th centuries in terms of the story of Troy. (Chairman Mao is greater that Augustus and all other rulers in history, and the death of Arcadian Prince Pallas is compared to the death of Mao's son during the Korean war.) Above all else, the fate of the Roman nation, declared in the Aeneid, is given a 20th century interpretation - that Communism is the destiny of all mankind. Counterpoint in discussions of philosophy, religion and political theory culminates in Sofia's vision of Christ after attending an Orthodox liturgy, and the peace it brings, as well as in Vasily's rumination on Buddhisim. Vasily's moment of peace during his struggles back in China comes from the thought that the tragic story of Aeneas and Dido, their moral choices and emotional separation, might yet be retold. In Aeneas from China it comes close.

This epistolary novel is about the life and times of Zhao Huaxing (1932-1985) or rather the second half of them: In 1959, at the height of the cold war, fictitious Huaxing leaves his native China to join Russian engineers at Moscow's prestigious Bauman Technical University in an effort to develop the Ilyushin company's first turbojet passenger aircraft.
Having changed his name to Vasily, he gets to know Sofia, a young classicist from equally renowned Moscow State University. He falls in love with the woman who manages to replace his penchant for anti-capitalist rhetoric with a deeply felt interest in the hitherto unknown culture and languages of classical antiquity.
They are planning to start a family when in summer 1960, Sino-Soviet relations come to an abrupt freeze, forcing Vasily to return to China almost overnight.
Huaxing-Vasily pursues a none too successful career as a technician in China's airforce and has to go through the horrors of Chairman Mao's cultural revolution. The political thaw of the eighties comes too late for ailing bachelor Vasily: He dies in 1985 on a train journey to his erstwhile companion Sofia.

A boy-meets-girl story that collides tragically with the workings of global politics plus some marvellously authentic cold war jargon: Blend this with a number of interspersed renditions of and allusions to classical myths and you get a twentieth century analogue of Vergil's Dido and Aeneas story, the latest specimen of the 'Didone mascherata' type as described in my Dido book.
Equating communist and Vergilian philosophies to reject both, Taiwanese-born Tsao has his hero die only days away from a romantic reunion with the love of his youth - who, however, in her final epistle provides him with an Ovid-style katasterismos. Were it not for this ending, this might prove to be excellent Hollywood stuff in the Titanic-Pearl Harbor vein. (Mister Thomas Kailuweit, Paderborn University)

Aeneas from China is a powerful book about love and freedom, and I am glad to be named a benefactor for this undertaking. After two thousand years, I finally found someone who knows my poetry and my worldview. In the last two hundred years, you mortals have closed your minds by limiting yourselves to reason, science, and positivism. You never venture beyond this life and this world, living miserably in the confines of birth on one end and death on the other. As a result -

You don't understand freedom.
You don't understand love.

You don't understand because neither time nor space can circumscribe freedom or love. But you who live in the age of positivism have lost the mental capacity for a dimension greater than what you can see and feel in this world. You have mistaken the finite for the infinite. What a pity.

Aside from this book, the author has written some elegant poetry. I am really pleased to find a worthy successor to my craft. May your world soon get to know him as a poet. I hope you can treat him better than my world had treated me.

This is now one of my favorite books. I think it should be made into a movie. It has so much to offer...adventure, action, the lifestyle of the rich and famous, shanghai, mystery, love, hopes, dreams, pain, happiness...everything! I picked this book up because it had a pretty cover...then I realized it was a masterpiece and I couldn't put it down. Clio Oliver is a beautitul, innocent creature you just have to sympathize with. And in every page, something exciting, or unexpected or wonderful, or touching occurs. It's a classic love story that is not vulgar and coarse, but rather, intricatly woven into the most beautiful tapestry of events. I'm not sure that makes sense, but everyone should read this book. I think it's a great shame that it is out of print. I hope that it gets rediscovered soon, as, all the reviews for it are simply wonderful. I would give it 6 stars out of 5.

What impressed me most about this novel was the way it did not fit into any of the stereotypical formats for a love story. I had even doubted that there was a love story buried beneath the lusts and betrayals. This is a true to life story, without the frustrating over-riding theme of true love thwarted. We are only given the merest hint of Clio and Stephen's connection. Certainly, their friendship buds and blooms in Shanghai and in such an odd, yet satisfying way too. However, Clio's ongoing commitment to her marriage gives depth and truth to the plot. The ultimate betrayal by her husband gives her strength to move beyond her marriage, and, ah! not immediately into Stephen's arms. How refreshing! Their marriage towards the end becomes all the more beautiful for these two characters, having travelled life's roads and changed and mellowed (the latter especially referring to Stephen), finding lasting happiness and love in each other.

I ran across After Shanghai completley randomly and by chance, decided to buy it. When I began to read it, I was spellbound by the life of Clio and her difficulty of trying to integrate the Shanghai lifestyle into her English lifestyle. As she grows up and integrates herself into rich society that was made up of adulterers and backstabbers, she never quite finds the happiness as she had in her youth in Shanghai. As she enters a marriage she thought would be ideal, she finds that it is unfulfilling and is consistently marked by betrayal. Despite this, at every betrayal, Stephen is there, always present. At first evaluation, he seems cold and distant, but as the book progresses, he becomes more and more a moving force in Clio's life. Despite the difficulties that Clio faces and the hardships that keep cropping up, when she summarizes her life up in a few pages at the end, the reader feels as if her life has been worth all the difficulties because of one person that went beyond all those materialistic things that English society held up so rigidly.

As a reader of many novels, I cannot help but get excited when I finish the last sentance on the last page, close the book and feel that my life is somewhat more enriched by the experience of what I just read. "After Shanghai" by Alison McLeay achieves this remarkable sensation. This historical family saga revolves aound Clio - a woman of English descent born in Shanghai, 1910. Upon her grandfather's death, Clio and her father return to England for the funeral where they remain since the grandfather's will requested Clio's father to run the family shipping business from London with his brother, Clio's uncle. Clio grows up with her uncles children - Rose and Alice - and we are exposed to several other family members including Stephen Morgan, "the scandelous man of the family." As the novel begins, Clio is an elderly woman returning back to Shanghai recalling the people and incidents which have shaped her life. We learn about Shanghai in the 20's and the 30's - we learn about the beauty and passion Shanghai invites. We also see the destruction of Shanghai as a culture by the devastation of war and the Japanese. As Shanghai changes so does Clio and we are taken on a glorious journey of her life. We see her life in its entirety from childhood thru old age and the comparisons between the cultural circumstances of Shanghai and Clio's life circumstance are symbolically intertwined. Ms. McLeay is so intelligent in her writing is is almost frightening. She could have created a mindless family saga - instead she created an engrossing story enhanced by the expertise of her writing. There can be no denying that Ms. McLeay can write and part of the joy in reading is experiencing the beauty of words and one's use of them. Her written passages are engrossing, her story compelling. I stumbled across this novel by accident but you can be sure that this reader will continue to read and search for the novels of Alison McLeay. A I said before, to read Ms. Mcleay and "After Shanghai" is an enriching experience.