China Books

Excellent instructions for beginners but not so simple that the more advanced painter will be bored. 300 patterns with ideas for many more. I will be using this with Mentally Challenged Adults. I have a copy myself and am ordering this copy for them to use.

I really enjoy painting ceramics as a hobby and use this book every week for ideas and inspiration. It covers a wide range of subjects, from fruits to flowers to lettering and animals, design specific for your ceramic piece so you can get an idea what might look nice on a teapot, for example. It is a great starting point to see how designs, shapes and colours work together. This book should be available in every ceramics studio!

Señores Gare: Me es grato poder comunicarme con ustedes y felicitarlos por su ceramica,que es muy linda,como puedo adquirir la revista Decorating Ceramics May 99, ya que através de internet no lo puedo hacer. ¿ SE podría enviarla através de una agencia?, y yo mandaría los dolares. ¿Me pueden mandar su dirección e- mail y su casilla para poderles escribir? Mi nombre es Elizabeth Hendrickson de Solis. Huancavilca # 712 Y Rumichaca. Teléfonos: (593-4)414419, 413634, 406292,493954, 441754.

As a Ceramic Teacher I have found this book to be very useful in the studio. There are so many ideas and designs to look at, as the title says over 300 designs, simple and easy to understand. The designs are easy to follow for beginers and give great ideas as to how to lay out design work on ceramic. Advance students have followed some of the ideas, adding their own designs to a more advance level. Anyone who has a studio with beginers this is a must..A great studio tool.

I am delighted that these diaries have at last been published and thus made easily accessible to the scholarly world and all interested readers. They transport us back to a little-known time and place, China just after the turn of the 20th century.

Volume One includes great detail of the acrimonious diplomatic negotiations after the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 which led to the signing of the final protocol between the powers and China on September 7, 1901. Volume Two of the two-volume set includes Satow's observations on and of the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) and much about the development of railways, the Imperial Maritime Customs Service run by Sir Robert Hart (the Inspector General) and so on.

There is much more to come from the Satow Papers (PRO 30/33 1-23) in the National Archives of the UK at Kew, West London but these diaries have never been published before and will repay careful study.

Ian Ruxton, editor of Sir Ernest Satow's Private Letters to W.G. Aston and F.V. Dickins: The Correspondence of a Pioneer Japanologist from 1870 to 1918 (Paperback), also available on amazon.

In part two, the Satow saga continues, and through the diaries, one can understand these historical events of the time much better by knowing the details of the motives, fears and values of the British and of the Japanese, at least through Satow's eyes. In the first few pages,1903 the reader is introduced to the problem of Manchuria, and of the chances that China had in turning the "Russians out by force." Satow seems to write about almost every issue of the time. In his 1904 notes, he discusses issues of the coal at Kaiping, loans of ten million pounds sterling, rumours concerning the Chinese Empress-Dowager, of French capitalists offering money to reanimate the Imperial Bank of China, to name just a few. From these notes, it is easy to see the incredible manipulation, and cunning on the part of the politicians and diplomats of the day. The background to the Russian-Japanese war begins on page 25 with Japan agreeing to peace if Russia gave up Port Arthur, evacuated the province of Manchuria, and handed over the railway to China. In short, the notes not only make for interesting reading--and there is a LOT more here--but they also a good read for the historian or those interested in diplomacy. To know history, one must know the tiny details that went into making the events, and these details are only known through the diaries of those who shaped the events.

Ian Ruxton's second volume of Ernest Mason Satow's diaries while serving as British envoy to China begins in January 1904 and continues through 1906. Early in the volume appear Satow's reports on conflicts between Russia and Japan over Chinese territory, conflicts which would lead to the Russo-Japanese War, which Japan scholar Satow would have to observe from his China posting. Nonetheless, Satow's particular position and scholarly background as an observer of East Asia allowed him to make observations still of interest to a general reader.

In this second volume of Satow's Peking tenure, his Diary moves on to consider and relate wider International aspirations and worries, including Russian interest in Manchuria, and even Korea. There is considerable reference to the expansion of the railway system and the sharing of its construction/costs. Although I'm sure there will be many more such lighter moments in the full version, no extract from Satow's Diaries can be complete without a witty comment on something not inherently comical. Here it is reference to the Belgians procuring the services of one Mr Sheng 'by stuffing his pockets', whether this means a bribe, or legitimate expenses/remuneration, Satow quite wisely does not state! Again, the recorded musings of such serious topics are interspersed with things social - although when it comes to the application of tact and diplomacy, the stock in trade of the Diplomatic service, it is really no wonder then that engineering contracts are won and lost, and wars declared, ended or avoided, over a slice of upside down cake and a tumbler of steaming hot lemon tea. Yet again these diaries provide a fascinating glimpse into the machinations in the Orient of the Diplomatic Service in the Edwardian era, and which are personalised by Satow's recorded views. Due to the continued endeavours of Ian Ruxton,we yet again walk with Sir Ernest Satow along the ( overseas ) corridors of power, eavesdrop on the chattering classes, and share his secret doubts, dismissal and disdain ( and occasional admiration ) of both colleagues and his Chinese and International counterparts. Excellent.

This is truly a stunning collection of Lu Xun's works. The translation is an easy read and entertaining. Professors seeking revolutionary period text for use in the classroom will be extremely satisfied.

Lu Xun (1881-1936) was not the greatest writer produced by a certain time, or city, or nation. He was one of the greatest authors this world has ever produced. Period.

This book begins with an overview of the man's life and works. I read its long preface, something I rarely do with a career retrospective, and enjoyed it. Lu Xun lived his life. He was not lived by it.

The meat of the book comes from his short stories, prose poems and reminiscences. The only way to tell his fiction from his non-fiction is by the name of the narrator, and even then you don't really know. Lu Xun is that good.

I was immediately stunned by his turn of phrase, his utterly realistic portrayal of life, his unflinching honesty, his gentle wit. His mind, his heart, his soul. Here in his hometown, 100 years too late. I am so grateful that he wrote, because otherwise I would have never known him.

"As to why I wrote [stories], I still felt...that I should write in the hope of enlightening my people, for humanity, and of the need to better it.... My aim was to expose the disease and draw attention to it so that it might be cured."

Just a few of his early words. I also admire how he openly states that he set out to use his words as "daggers" and "javelins." Here are more of his words.

"I did my best to avoid all wordiness. If I felt I had made my meaning sufficiently clear, I was glad to dispense with frills. The old Chinese theatre has no scenery, and the New Year pictures sold to children show a few main pictures only.... Convinced that such methods suit my purpose, I did not indulge in irrelevant details and kept the dialogue down to a minimum."

Let me pause here. Lu Xun knows how to show rather than tell. But dialogue that does neither doesn't exist in his writing. That's what he means by "a minimum." His dialogue rings so true that I'm sick with jealousy, and there's an ample supply.

"I forget who it was that said that the best way to convey a man's character with a minimum of strokes is to draw his eyes. This is absolutely correct. If you draw all the hairs of his head, no matter how accurately, it will not be of much use."

The best authors have always known this. But look at how well Lu Xun explains it. I could copy and paste what he wrote about writing, pass myself off as an expert, and get rich. Let me return to his words.

"After finishing something, I always read it through twice, and where a passage grated on my ears I would add or cut a few words to make it read smoothly. When I could not find suitable vernacular expressions I used classical ones, hoping some readers would understand. And I seldom used phrases out of my own head which I alone -- or not even I -- could comprehend."

I graduated high school, in Tampa, Florida, in 1981. I was taught that simple language is bad, which we now seem to accept isn't true. In China, roughly 70 years before that, Lu Xun defended the use of words that readers actually understand. Modern China and modern USA could both learn from him on this. The goal of communication is to communicate. It really bugs me that I feel a definite need to state this.

"Truth is the life of satire. Unless you write the truth it cannot be 'satire.'" But satire must be good-intentioned. Lu Xun opposed the cynicism which "simply convinces its readers that there is nothing good in the world, nothing worth doing."

I learned all this, and was convinced I'd love his writing, before I even read the first word. Look at the intelligence, the perceptiveness, the passion, the clarity. All this from the preface alone. Before I move on to a preface written by the master himself, let me throw in some historical perspective.

The Revolution of 1911 overthrew the Qing Dynasty, but it didn't erase the imperialism and feudalism. Meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Lu Xun saw this. He shows us life as it was then. But please don't think of him as a "political author," the way the preface by a loyal Communist Party member encourages you to do. To reduce Lu Xun to those two words would be a terrible injustice.

Lu Xun left Shaoxing when he was 17, to study medicine. His father's death was due to medical incompetence. Lu Xun studied medicine at the Kiangnan Naval Academy in Nanjing, then at a medical college in the Japanese countryside. This background exposed him to the world, whereas most Chinese at that time knew only their little corner of China. But let me use his words again.

"...one day I saw a news-reel slide of a number of Chinese, one of them bound and the rest standing around him. They were all sturdy fellows but appeared completely apathetic. According to the commentary, the one with his hands bound was a spy working for the Russians who was to be beheaded by the Japanese military as a warning to others, while the Chinese beside him had come to enjoy the spectacle.

"Before the term was over I had left for Tokyo, because this slide convinced me that medical science was not so important after all. The people of a weak and backward country, however strong and healthy they might be, could only serve to be made examples of or as witnesses of such futile spectacles; and it was not necessarily deplorable if many of them died of illness. The most important thing, therefore, was to change their spirit..."

That's from the preface of the man's first book. Lu Xun, brand new author, states that it's okay if Chinese people die because they are sheep, and that's why he left medicine. He challenges his readers with this before they've ever read his first story. Then he presumably expects those readers to read his stories anyway.

Based on the Western stereotype of China, this is what makes authors vanish without a trace. According to some people, this is what makes authors in Bush's America vanish without a trace. But what matters is that Lu Xun never lied to a reader. That's what he felt, so that's what he wrote.

Have you read a short story collection where you raced to see how fast you could knock it out? Here a story, there a story, everywhere a story story, and two hours later you're done. An hour later, you're hungry again. That's what's hurt the popularity of the short story. Writing them is easy!

No, it's not. Not if you do it right. The well crafted short story is harder to write than a novel. Every time I read a Lu Xun short story, it ended far too soon and I had to pause while my mind caught up with what it had just witnessed. He is truly a master, and I can't recommend him highly enough.

Back to the preface before Lu Xun's preface. "Lu Xun's essays form the bulk and the most important part of his literary work." In addition to his teaching and his editing. Amazing. I've spent the past two weeks being blown away by his short stories, but the other THREE books are supposedly all more important. Given the mind of their author, I believe it. Oh, the treasures ahead.

The cynic in me would like to know about the essays that didn't make it into this collection, but never mind. Lu Xun opposed that sort of cynicism. I'm happy to spend a whole lotta time with Lu Xun, and I can.

Can you? I don't know. Check your local libraries, bookstores, websites if you must. Lately, I've read email from several Westerners who are familiar with Lu Xun. There must be a reason.

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LU XUN - SELECTED WORKS - VOLUMES TWO THRU FOUR

I'm pleased to report that Amazon.com sells a short story collection containing all 25 of Lu Xun's short stories, not just the 18 reviewed above. What this means is, you can get it at your local bookstore or perhaps even your local library. Go for it! I have it, I've read it, I love it.

Now then. I also mentioned in my previous review that the anthology claims his essays are his greatest contribution. So how do they measure up?

They measure up just fine, thank you very much. He is a master of satire and he does use words as weapons. He can make you laugh and think at the same time. A remarkable clarity of thought combined with an enviable gift for communication. Again, one need not be from China, or from the early 20th century, to appreciate this remarkable person.

When I reviewed his fiction, I used the phrase "gentle wit" even though it wasn't always gentle. Regarding his essays, I'll say biting wit. Acid wit. Devastating wit. Think Jonathan Swift, think Bertrand Russell, strip them of the rubbish and make them far more prolific. Lu Xun's even better than that, but at least you'll be on the right track.

(I almost mentioned Oscar Wilde, but he wasn't quite disciplined enough to join Lu Xun's tier. Damn witty, though.)

I don't know that you can find these essays. If you can, get them. If not, well, the short stories probably are more "timeless." I probably enjoyed the essays more on my first reading than I did the stories. But I've since read the stories numerous times, and own a collection. It's hard to say whether or not the essays would hold up to the test of repetition so well, no matter how witty their author. Essays are like that, I think.

Finally, since I've been to Lu Xun's ancestral home, and since I have some of his short stories (English translation) on my website, and I've given him his own page at Lu Xun, you can probably guess that I want to give this author my highest praise. I'm trying. Get the book!

In this book by Lu xun, a greatest Chinese fiction writer in the history, you will see some influence from Russian literature, such as Gogol, Dostoevsky, and Tolstoy, yet Lu xun manages to keep the Chinese atmosphere by the vivid descriptions on things he sees in China. "Diary of a Madman" is absolutely wonderful. Comparing it to Gogol's story of "Diary of a Madman" it is interesting how Lu xun explores the reality in such a different way from Gogol and still cuts one side of humanity open to the readers. If you like Chinese poetry, this book by Lu xun is a must! It's nothing like any novels written by Chinese Americans because you feel the sense of China in his stories while you can relate to all the characters' mental pain and suffer through his gorgeous language. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy ethnic literature, Russian literature, and Chinese poetry, or those who simply enjoy literature.

I walked into Standford University bookstore on Sunday afternoon and saw the translation of 'Diary of a Madman'. I flipped through the pages and saw the short story 'Ah Q - real story' so I grabbed one book just to see the translation. As a student grew up in Taiwan, I knew Lu Xun's stories in Chinese well in high school. Actually even some of his work was in high school Chinese Literature curriculum. But I could not put it down until I finished reading the translation of 'Ah Q - real story'.

It is really a masterpiece in translation. The translator is both master in Chinese and English. I like the introductions, a foreigner's introduction about an author is more in reality, dealing both success and failure of Mr. Lu's life. Besides, as the translator said he tried to imagine what Mr. Lu would said if his native language is English. He really captured the essence of it. I really like it. It is a great way to know English style from an Engineer major point of view.

Several years ago, I was helping corporate clients prepare for a trade show in Sichuan Province. We put together a thorough guide to doing business in the province, covering its history, natural resources, legal requirements and related topics. If we didn't have the necessary information readily at hand, we could easily get it -- even the latest rules for joint ventures. But when we needed contact information on the province's government officials, it was almost nowhere to be found. We finally managed to assemble a useful directory -- but would have been delighted to have had access to a far more complete directory, like the one found in this superb Pacificom book. And we were looking for names in just one province. Here you can find listings for almost every part of China. If you need an up-to-date resource, to save you hours or even days of work, this is the directory I would recommend.

Directory of Chinese Government and Organizations is a "must buy" for anyone who is serious about conducting business in China. The comprehensive nature and detail shown in this publication is a mark that a true expert, who is knowledgeable of how to successfully conduct business in China, wrote this guide. No other guide offers the variety of industries as this one. Plus, the ability to search organizations by province, and by national, and state government is an added benefit. I know that one of the greatest challenges that many people have faced when working with Chinese agencies is finding the right person to contact. This is the first book of this type that I have seen here in the US. Not even the most respected sources, including the Wall Street Journal can match the caliber and standards of this publication. I look forward to future publications. I give it 5 stars and the authors and publishers at PacifiCom, Inc. and Gala Worldwide Communications have my full endorsement!

Knowing the right people and connection is essential for having a successful business in China. This directory contains up-to-date information of Chinese central and local government organizations and major national corporations. You need the book to help you understand who you may need to deal with. An essential tool to get you started!

This is by far the most thorough and up-to-date compendium of Chinese government and officialdom that I've seen. As someone who has been doing business in China for several years, I've been frustrated time and again by the lack of current, complete contact details. Other directories, many of them several times more expensive, purport to provide the information. Most are out of date before the ink is dry. This one delivers. In addition to central government functionaries, it lists party officials, military types and municipal, provincial and diplomatic offices - no easy task at a time when there's so much shuffling and reorganization in official China. I was pleasantly surprised to find website addresses for so many government offices. This book is well organized and, apparently, will be updated frequently by mail and online. Those of us who do business in China can only say: It's about time!

This is a wonderful story---and tragic. This is the story of a feisty, smart, indominable young woman, and she knows no false modesty. It's fun and sad and moving and inspiring, and it's all true. I believe this fine lady is now deceased, and that is a shame. We are all poorer for it. Read it and enjoy a first person account of what coming to America is like---If you can take the truth.

I just finished reading this book. As a person who was born outside of China, I have had experienced some of the prejudice that Lindsay come across at the academic world.
From my experience, a lot of Americans do not truly understand the Asian culture and they assumed all the same.
This is part of my daily occurance at work. Sometimes I'm so tired of explained to them.
Multi-culturalinasim do not work. We need to have a melting pot, so that all that want to become Americans can understand what this culture and languagge well.

Lei Wang was born to parents condemned as counter-revolutionaries during the time of Mao. She was raised by politically out-of-favor grandparents. She endured abuse from officials, teachers, Red Guards, and her peers, who called her "dog's daughter," lowest of the wretched.

Mao died and the political line changed. Lei distinguished herself as a student and teacher. She came to the United States for further study. She hoped that the United States was different. But what she experienced was a similar form of persecution from the liberal academic establishment.

Mostly this book is about courage. Lei has the courage to believe in reasonable, scientifically supported facts that contradict politically correct ones. She has the courage to express those ideas in hostile circumstances where a price is paid. And she has the courage to endure, believing in the value of even a lone voice of sanity.

I'm a retired teacher. I can attest to Lei's characterization of the educational establishment. But the book goes far beyond that, encompassing the heart of what promotes life and what corrupts it. "Dog's Daughter" is one of the most significant books I've read.

This book should appeal to anyone interested in China's history and the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution. Moreover, it should appeal to anyone interested in the "culture wars" that have unfortunately become a part of higher education in the USA. The book chronicles the struggles of a Chinese woman who is persecuted by Red Guards and Communist authorities during that country's insanity in the 1960s. After "escaping" to study in the USA, she learns that she must conform and obey the politically correct authorities who control her university or suffer the consequences. It appears that China doesn't have a monopoly on political insanity! The book is interesting and provocative. When reading the text--particularly the portion of her experiences in the USA--a reader doesn't know whether he or she should laugh or cry (probably both). One thing is for sure, you won't put this volume down until you have completed reading it! I rate this book Five Stars out of Five Stars!

Dean Barrett's search for the legendary blossom spring provides an excellent narrative unerpinning for his adventures and travels in China. He is a fine writer with unique insights. A great book.

A really great book on China and a great way to learn about a Chinese poet. The writer searches the hills of China for a utopia which it is quite clear never existed in the first place (except maybe in his weird mind) and in that way we learn about China in a way textbooks can't teach us. Far out! I cracked up laughing in places, something I seldom do with travel books. I like the writer's weird way of looking at things. No bull, just lots of insight. A great read!

Don Quixote in China is one of those travel books that is as entertaining as it is informative. I learned a lot about Chinese people and culture while I laughed out loud. The author has a lot of fun in his search for a kind of utopia that in all probability doesn't exist anyway. But the fun and the learning experience is in his search. Well written and informative.

The author of this book sets out to locate a Chinese arcadia in the mountains of China based on clues in a fourth century poem written by a Chinese poet who was always pretty high on Chinese wine, anyway. So he heads off into China to try to locate this remote community called Peach Blossom Spring. The book is interesting, sometimes very funny, and sometimes hilarious. Although he is not afraid to criticize the Chinese it is clear he has a great love for them as well as quite a thorough knowledge of Chinese history and culture. He spends some time describing his encounters with Chinese women such as "Miss Pong" but that is part of the fun of his style.

I can highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a good read and wants to learn about China at the same time.

I bought this book for my three year old son and he quite enjoys it because of the dragon. The vocabulary is a bit difficult but not terribly so. The story is interesting and I am sure it is a book that my son will come back to again happily when he is older.

This book is about a prince who can turn into animals and a farmer who had 7 daughters. The third sister is the evil and greedy one and the seventh sister the youngest daughter, was the prettiest. If it wasn't for her weaving fine shoes the family would have died. In the story the prince is trying to find a wife. So he searched everywhere for one.
If you like Beauty And The Beast you will like this book because this is the same only that it is the Chinese version. They also have the same theme which is don't judge a book by its cover. I know this is the message because in both stories they disguise themselves and they are really are princes
This is an awesome book. I recommend it to young readers for it has excitement, romance, adventure, and more. So pick it up at your local library or buy it at a book store. Hope you enjoy.

This is a great story for children and grown-ups. Adults will enjoy reading this book to their children. A nice story from China.

An excellent book on Chinese fairy tales about a Prince/Dragon and a poor, but skilled and beautiful peasant girl. It contains exquisite illustrations that captured my preschool and grade school daughters attention. I highly recommend this fantasy book for preschoolers, through grades three. The reading level and some content (reasoning) for older grades. Recommended for students, teachers, and parents.

To anyone who wonders what a new book about the Korean War has to offer, Mr Patrick Roe?s magnificent work gives a most convincing answer. The writer is a military man and he analyzes the reasons and the strategy of the Chinese intervention in Korea in a masterful way, using a wealth of Chinese, Soviet, Korean and American sources. Every bit of detail is here, to satisfy even the most demanding reader: what was the status of the PLA in the eve of the Korean War, what was the military philosophy of Mao and his entourage, how the Soviets repeatedly let down the Chinese offering help and then changing their mind, how the PLA overcame great doubts (and fear) to go for the first time outside their own borders to fight against the most well-equipped force of the era, how the Chinese regarded the nuclear threat of the USA, which forces they employed, how and why, the reasons for choosing General Peng Te Huai to command the Chinese People?s Volunteers, a blow by blow analysis of the battles between the PLA and the UN forces in Korea during the first critical months and, of course, the many mistakes of the US intelligence services who underestimated the Chinese factor for a long time. Highly recommended!

Review of Roe, The Dragon Strikes This is an important book for the serious student of military and political history and for the veterans of the "Forgotten War" - and of other conflicts large and small, before and since. It is a sober, serious carefully organized and closely written work. That should not be read as dull or difficult. It is simply and elegantly composed in terms immediately accessible to any interested reader. I would suggest thatthe reader first scan the final chapter (16), "Looking Back", for a contextual summary of the author1s findings. After that, the Preface tells you who the author is and what motivates him. Itis brief, simple and overly modest. From this point on the chapters develop an account rangingfrom the historical relationships of Asians and Europeans over the last 150 years, to the political aftermath of WW2, the overheated ideological confrontations of "super powers", and the willful - if not entirely intentional, misunderstandings that led up to and resulted in the tragic mishandling of the (multiplex) strategies and tactics of the Korean War. Although it is told in simple language, this is not a simple tale. Roe does not seek or dispense blame. The book is a painstaking and rigorously objective attempt to make sense of the cascade of misconceptions, missteps and faulty decisions that were the pivotal crises of the Korean "Police Action" and the tragedy of that still unresolved war. If the reader discerns incompetence, rampant egotism, chauvinist arrogance or just plain stupidity, these are revealed by the actors themselves, in the context of their actions, and not by the conjecture or "interpretation" of the author. My personal bias should be made clear. Like Pat Roe I am a member of the Chosin Few. As he was a young 2nd Lt. in the 7th Marine Regiment, I was a young Sgt. in the 5th Marines.I came to know him personally a dozen years or so ago. I respect and admire his clear-headed intelligence, his uncompromising - if polite -honesty, his unquestionable personal integrity and his ability to look calmly and objectively at the facts and to organize and present them lucidly, without adjective or adverbial coloring. Roe is known throughout the membership of the Chosin Few for his remark at the first reunion of that fraternity in 1985. On the heels of much in the way of rhetoric and reminiscence and the emotional impact of encountering old comrades and mourning those lost, Roe summarized his viewpoint and his feelings. He wrote simply, "We did a good thing". Pat has done a good and valuable thing in this book. In the Preface he writes that the book is a product of six years of research and writing. This is his only misstatement in 450 pages. The book is the product of fifty years of attention and devotion to duty.

I consider this the best book I have read on the first six months of the Korean War. It accurately covers the conflict both before and after the entry of the Chinese. More importantly it gives excellent background on the Chinese, Korean, Soviet relations. It fairly identifies the deficiencies of the high command (Washington and Tokyo) and the problems faced by a badly depleted military force. It coordinates the actions of the Eighth Army and X Corps and identifies the lack there of. With only minor errors it accurately portrays the debacles of late November and early December, a feat rarely done. I know, I was at Koto-ri.

I consider this the best book I have read on the first six months of the Korean War. It accurately covers the conflict both before and after the entry of the Chinese. More importantly it gives excellent background on the Chinese, Korean, Soviet relations. It fairly identifies the deficiencies of the high command (Washington and Tokyo) and the problems faced by a badly depleted military force. It coordinates the actions of the Eighth Army and X Corps and identifies the lack there of. With only minor errors it accurately portrays the debacles of late November and early December, a feat rarely done. I know, I was at Koto-ri.

It's fun to seen how far a poet can walk away from his inheritance of mellinia worth of formal, rhyme and meter poetry and still be in perfect command of the poetry of linguistic compression. Many of these page or less beauties seem as if pencil never touched paper before the entire piece, word for word, was fully formed in the poet's head. From there, it seems the revision process weighed heavily on oral recitation to perfect the music of the pieces (from "At Golgotha": Then the first breath came. I remembered / the wooden boat shaking over the rapids / of the river's mouth, bumping / at the sea's gate. I remembered / running my hands over a newly / sanded board... Then the second breath" [ellipsis his]). Spice it all with a gift for aphorism (from "The Barber": The barber is someone who creates / by taking away, like a writer / who only owns an eraser.), surrealism (from "Dream of Russia": ... She bakes bread / in a cruel gymnasium; bullets for brothers / as if they were crows. Now / we must eat the black spoons.), and a sense of humor ("Man Writes Poem"). The first time I saw the 8 line "Man in a Lighted Room at Sundown," I read it three times--not because of its obscurity but because I couldn't believe someone had written something so complex so beautifully. And this is the first time in a long time that I've read a series poem (with numbered parts) and found each of the parts holds up its part of the bargain (both "The Comedian's Ten Songs" and "Boxes and Oceans"). In the Acknowledgements, it is all explained--to me anyway--with a reference to the Minnesota Sufi group. This is, at last, non-linear poetry that demands we shed our expectations and surrender to who and where we are in the ambient light of verse. All that aside, how could you not pick up a book with a title like Dynamite on a China Plate, take it out for a spin?

No image is a better metaphor for Jay Leeming's poems than the title of his collection: "Dynamite on a China Plate"--the dynamite promising an explosion and the delicate, elegant China plate quivering with tension. In this book of poetry readers will find humor, unexpected twists and turns, raw wit and the juxtaposition of nonsensical ideas with realistic images, all served on a delightful, dynamic plate of lilting verse.

Leeming's verse, full of rhythm and written in a dynamic voice, possesses unique musical qualities. In "Man Writes Poem," readers listen in as a narrator who speaks like a sportscaster and a second reporter describe what is happening while a man writes a poem. The situation itself is tremendously funny because a person writing a poem is likely one of the least exciting things in the world to watch and report, the exact opposite of an exciting sports game that involves much grabbing and passing of balls, scoring of points, etc. Yet Leeming carries it off and manages to make poem-writing exciting, or at least entertaining for spectators:

This just in a man has begun writing a poem
in a small room in Brooklyn. His curtains
are apparently blowing in the breeze. We go now
to our man Harry on the scene, what's
the story down there Harry? (Leeming)

This witty collection of poems is bound to entertain and surprise readers at every turn of the page. Highly recommended.

Yes, Jay Leeming's work is like an agate - you've never seen one quite like his before. His poems and angles on the world make you think, "Why didn't I think of that, why didn't anyone think of that?" Like all brilliant poets, he shows us what we've always known, but never thought of. This the most fun I've had between the covers of a book in a long time.

Bill Robichaud

Jay Leeming's poems in "Dynamite on a China Plate" entice the reader's mind to view the events in his life as if for the first time. The poet's play with language enhances the ordinary into becoming extraordinary. The beauty of each poem is captured and then let go with a surprise the reader will remember long after he has put the book down. On top of this, Leeming's poetry carries the rhythmic beat of an accomplished musician. This collection is a "must-read"--even if you don't like poetry.
Thelma Turner

I got this as a gift a few years ago. Looking at the publication date, I would have to say I recieved it when it was fairly new. When I saw the title I was a bit put off...there a quite a few books that use *feng shui* as buzz words to rope in suckers looking to change their...well...chi...and inprove their lives...

But this many years down the road, I have to say, grudgingly, that there are many plusses to this book. The recipes are nutritious, delicious and *solid* in a culinary sense and the directions are clear and easy to understand. The recipes are decidedly Asian in nature. In my area most are easily available with the possible exception of dashi soup stock and tamarind paste which would require more of a hunt...

Several recipes stand out as ..well...outstanding. Berry balsamic parfaits (try it over vanilla ice cream with mint sprigs, unbeleivablely good)Seared salmon with horseradish butter (actually the horseradish butter is a winner all by its lonesome) easy and delicious. Chicken soup for a cold is a very good asian soup soup stock with the addition fo ginger and chilies. Adding your own touches makes it a whole soup meal for company... just pass around accompiments...

There is a lot of feng shui information in the beginning. Some I found interesting. Where is the best place in my home for the kitchen? What if it wasnt there? How to set up the kitchen so I didn't eat too much? (okay, i liked that part)...The yin and yang of eating...

There are different options on changing the recipes thru out the book, I like that. And how to serve the dishes. The book is more square than rectangle and is a hardcover that lies flat (yay!) The binding is in very good shape after all these years. It does tend to open to the recipes i have used more frequently at this point tho.... the paper isnt wipable unfortuantely...soy sauce stains from earier dishes are here and there. The color of the paper is a nice off white, very easy on the eyes... the pages are a bit thin, you can see shadows of the other pages through them. Ah well, you cant have everything...

There is a removeable and cleanable attractive book jacket and the artwrk inside is tastful with and asian flair... no bok choy running away from dancing knives thankfully!

Thinking back to my original objection, I was wrong. This was an excellent gift and an excellent cookbook. It's smaller size would make it an excellent addition to a themed gift basket with an asian flair (like some dried noodles, soy sauce, dried mushrooms, dashi stock, mirin...all inside a big wok!)

I'm not sure what I expected when my wife brought home this cookbook (not much though). We must have 30 cookbooks... but we keep coming back to this book for quick and easy recipes that are quite wholesome. I can't vouch for the Feng Shui aspects--I guess it's cool that the dishes have a purpose. But every recipe we've tried has been great. We also like the Moosewood series of books--but find those recipes often take way longer than estimated (the ones in this book are very fast).

From the Feng Shui book we regularly make the peanut noodle vegetables; the chickpea curry (mentioned in another review), and the grape gazpacho. There are a couple other stand-bys... but we're also up to try new ones all the time.

There are some pretty goofy "theme" cookbooks out there... and, on the surface, this may seem like one too. But don't be left out--it really is good.

I've heartily recommended this book to friends who are interested in Taoism and those who love to cook, and both groups seem pleased. I've cooked a dozen or so of the main dish recipes; none required cooking skills beyond the average meal-a-day home cook, and all the ingredients have been readily available at a well-stocked grocery. And every one has been a hit!

Having never been a person to play close attention to my yin, let alone my yang, I was understandably frazzled when my wife announced that our day guest had turned into a dinner guest. With two young children, dinner is on a set time-table. Now I pride myself on having dinner guests. Cooking is my hobby. (My wife told me I needed a hobby and her genius suggested cooking.)

So there I was with a few cans and a little over a pound of ground turkey meat. I rifled through my recipe books and came across one that I wasn't even aware of: Elizabeth Miles' The Feng Shui Cookbook. And there on pg. 167 was a recipe for Quick Chickpea Curry (containing the ground turkey). While the recipe promised to warm my qi and creative energy, I was glued to word quick.

Well in less than 20 minutes I had achieved both. The curry was fab, sprinkled with yogurt and cilantro. Our dinner guest went back for seconds and then thirds. And the conversation was robust. The Feng Shui part achieved its goal in spite of my cynicism.

Since I have enjoyed a number of the other dishes with other guests. Miles' text is as strong as her recipes. She has carefully crafted a book which tells you how certain food can feed certain moods and inspire different reactions. And this makes for immensely edible thoughts and results and of course, food.