China Books

Wow... I just started reading this book two days ago and I'm completely engrossed... wished i had started reading it on a weekend, in order to read it faster!!!
Having been in China just a couple of months ago, I wish I had read this before my trip. Seth Faison provides lots of information about China society, culture, history and politics without sounding too judgemental. This is one book I'm sure I'll come back to. Essential reading for these times!

Faison brings us closer to the people of China and gives us an honest view of himself and how his own personal uncertainties influenced his choice of going to China and his life there. He dates a woman, who like China, has deep secrets, and he dates another who's personal choices help him understand himself. He visits the sauna massage to have a human touch and someone to talk with.

I like this sort of armchair "travel" book because it skips the tourist sites, hotel/restaurant reviews and encyclopediac history in favor of narratives about the people and the times. You will not read about the Great Wall nor Summer Palace here, and the Xian soldiers are only here because they are part of a story about real, everyday people.

These narratives are rich and memorable: the emmigrants and their familes of Fujian, a bootlegger, a sadly compromised government guide in Tibet, the slow build up to and the ensuing confusion of Tienamen Square. The sky burial, haunts me now, a day after finishing the book.

I'm sure that with technology, there are no secrets. I give it four stars instead of three stars because people who take issue with his contradictions will want to read this. Break out the highlighter pens. I laughed when he acknowledges for the first time (and then frequently throughout the book) that Chinese women are fodder because I've heard the lengthy and boring explanations by those who refuse to admit that about themselves. Use a different color to highlight the many times he feels that Chinese have developed an "obsession for money" and that Chinese women use him to get magazines, currency exchange and see him as marriage material while they cannot afford his expat coffee or sundae. (The kinds of things he was asked for, many people would have no problem giving without the burden of the economic and racial differences between the giver and the receiver. Obtaining magazines are a big deal FOR EXPATS in China. There have been some socially retarded incidents of too much asking but I think the Chinese are better at showing when that's been inappropriate of Chinese so I think he could have been clearer about that.)

Then use a third color highlighter for the many times that he is reliant on the generosity not just material but the generosity of Chinese attention that helps him acclimate and get his job done. People and perhaps especially Chinese fail to draw the comparison that the percentage of Chinese immigrants who enjoy that thorough a level of generosity overseas is much less than the percentage of nonChinese who are helped by Chinese in China. I bear him no rancor though I can't imagine he would appreciate this review. I haven't laughed so much READING in a while. The pungent motives and unspoken assessments are not a shock and I think he's very clever and remembers that many Chinese know this so he presents them for consumption. It's his admissions that save him just as when Kip Fulbeck's narrator admitted that he wouldn't want his daughter dating someone like him. LOL. I wonder if M. Faison (French Huguenot! LOL) has ever been frustrated that Chinese don't realize how clever he is. This book is not about "dating." It's about world politics and its instruments. And his cleverness is not in his confessions of eliciting confidences but in the entire book.

A good companion to this book is Thailand Fever written from both Western and Thai perspectives (as interpreted by a Westerner apparently) with tips on how to successfully navigate the cultural misunderstandings to forge successful romantic relationships. The tone of Thailand Fever is different because the goal for the Westerner is different. I don't think that the authors of either books speak for all Westerners although Thailand Fever tends to generalize. Some expats may welcome South of the Clouds and refer to it to reinforce their criticisms; however, this book fails to explain that Asians and notably the Chinese are very good at ignoring other people and becoming invisible when they are not being appreciated or well-regarded sincerely so there is something to be said when they help you.

I'm fed up with the lack of Asian male faces in American media while Asian women are left exposed and devalued so that this kind of reporting is part of the mainstream depiction instead of just a blip. I'm calling quits on going to the movies and closely considering every American media purchase I make (including magazines) from now on. I've had it!

I recently re-read Seth Faison's marvellous book on a return trip through China. I was in Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai and then Hong Kong all in the space of a week. Faison's book was like a becalmed harbor that I could return to -- every time I got on a plane or settled down to bed. His crackling prose and incisive view of China and the gentleness with which he explained what is a tangled and complex place were something I looked forward to each day. It's a great book and deserves the widest possible attention.

I've spent over 8 years in Asia with much of it in China and have always enjoyed reading books about China. Many though, do not come close to capturing the modern thoughts of China as it changes from an agricultural to industrial power as this book does.

If you are looking for a deeper understanding of how many Chinese feel on the street, with threads of intrigue, history and current events I heartily recommend this book.

Joan Criddle has woven a gripping account of the personal experience of one young woman, Teeda Butt Mam, and her family under the oppression of the Khymer Rouge. Although I knew a little about Cambodia's killing fields, this book reveals in considerable detail the brutality and horror of Pol Pot's regime. Yet, it's an inspiring tale of survival, courage, and family loyalty under the most extreme conditions of deprivation, fear and suffering. I couldn't help but wonder if I would have had the strength, ingenuity and willpower to survive such horror. The book also includes many interesting details about traditional Cambodian life and culture.
I highly recommend this book. It's an amazing story!

Joan Criddle has woven a gripping account of the personal experience of one young woman, Teeda Butt Mam, and her family under the oppression of the Khymer Rouge. Although I knew a little about Cambodia's killing fields, this book reveals in considerable detail the brutality and horror of Pol Pot's regime. Yet, it's an inspiring tale of survival, courage, and family loyalty under the most extreme conditions of deprivation, fear and suffering. I couldn't help but wonder if I would have had the strength, ingenuity and willpower to survive such horror. The book also includes many interesting details about traditional Cambodian life and culture.
I highly recommend this book. It's an amazing story!

Joan Criddle has woven a gripping account of the personal experience of one young woman, Teeda Butt Mam, and her family under the oppression of the Khymer Rouge. Although I knew a little about Cambodia's killing fields, this book reveals in considerable detail the brutality and horror of Pol Pot's regime. Yet, it's an inspiring tale of survival, courage, and family loyalty under the most extreme conditions of deprivation, fear and suffering. I couldn't help but wonder if I would have had the strength, ingenuity and willpower to survive such horror. The book also includes many interesting details about traditional Cambodian life and culture.
I highly recommend this book. It's an amazing story!

THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOK I EVER READ. I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF WORKING WITH VITOU AND I HAD THE FIRST HAND ACCOUNT OF HIS STORY. HE NEVER STOP TO AMAZE ME FOR THEIR WELL TO SURVIVE.THIS STORY SHOW THE TERMENDOUS COURAGE AND STRONG WELL TO SURVIVE AMONG MONSTERS WHO HAVE NO REGARDS TO FELLOW HUMANS, YOU HAVE TO WORK HARD AND RISK YOUR LIFE EVEN FOR THE BASIC NECESITY OF LIFE JUST TO SURVIVE. THIS IS AN EPIC OF FORGOTTEN HOLOCUST AND THE STORY OF A CAMBODIAN FAMILY GOING THROUGH HELL AN BACK. A SUCCESS STORY OF A FAMILY MOVING TO A COUNTRY WITH A DIFFERNT CULTURE AND LANGAUGE AND MAKING SOMETHING OF THEMSELVES. I AM PROUD TO BE A FRIEND OF VITOU AND I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF KNOWING HIM. EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK, IT WOULD MAKE YOU APPRECIATE MORE OF WHAT YOU HAVE IN LIFE.

When I was younger I heard bits and pieces about Cambodia and Pol Pot in the news, but didn't really know what it was about. Through "Destroy You" I finally know about the horrendous and evil history that was being made in that country during the 70's and 80's. This biography follows the story of one particular educated Cambodian family who was exiled from Phnom Penh, along with the entire city full of inhabitants. The Khmer Rouge was doing its job of "cleansing" the city of anything of western influence. Most of the educated populace, including doctors, teachers, lawyers, etc., were murdered, leaving a population of mostly uneducated slaves whose job was to work in the rice fields all day long. Music, laughter, and play were not allowed. The people were taught that everyone was of equal value and equally dispensable, and everyone should work hard to contribute to the good of all with the meekness, acceptance, and fortitude of the water buffalo.

Meanwhile, entire villages were massacred if complaint about the government was overheard. Life was incredibly miserable, especially knowing of friends and relatives that had been killed or had disappeared. When Viet Nam invaded Cambodia tens of thousands of Cambodians attempted escape to Thailand, but Thailand did not want them all, and forced many back at gunpoint, killing anyone, including children, who refused to climb down the treacherous, land mine-studded cliff back into Cambodia. Throughout this book I was grieving about the incredible evil that humans can perpetrate against other humans, and amazed at the endurance and determination of this family and others that managed to survive all this horror.

A story like this can yank us out of any tendency towards self-pity or complaining about the minor difficulties in our lives. I have also read the follow-up book, "Bamboos and Butterflies", about this family after they immigrated to the U.S. Their will to survive is carried on as they integrate into a new culture, and reminds us of why so many seek refuge in the U.S.

This has been a favorite of mine since I was a child, both because of the moral of the story, the fantasy of the main character's adventures, and the stunning illustrations. I used to stare at the illustrations and see if I could find some new detail I hadn't noticed before. It's a shame this book is out of print, buy a copy now! Your sons and daughters will enjoy it! This is probably best for kids over 6.

I had a similar situation with this book. My mom read it to me when I was around 5 or 6. I'm 22 now and really wanted it for my kids but neither one of us could remember the name or author. All we could think of was the beautiful illustrations in it. I am so excited to get it for my kids now!!

There are only a few books that have stayed in my memory from childhood, and this book would be one of the two. I got this book when I was 9 or 10, and absolutely fell in love with the art, as well as the enchanting story. I remember looking at it for hours and examening all the details. I remember it inspiering me to get art paper and pencils. I spent weeks trying to draw the cover, as well, as some of the beautiful details inside the book. I moved around a lot as a child and lost the beautiful book in one of the many moves. I never forgot the book. Now I'm 32 and I have a 2 year old son. Every time I'm looking for books I always look for a book that might inspire his creativity the way The Weaving of a dream inspired me. I wanted to purchase this book for him for when he get's older but for the life of me could not remember the title. And then recently I came across a recommendation list on Amazon called "The Most Beautiful Illustrations". And found the book listed there. I immediately bought it. I was bummed out that the Hardcover version was no longer available. I am happy to
report it's just as beautiful, and enchanting as I remember it.

My mom gave me this book when I was about 10 or so...and it STILL stands as one of my favorite children's books. The illustrations captivated me for hours...they are absolutely gorgeous. The story is fanciful, mysterious, and teaches a lesson of being good when others may be greedy. For the young artists, or artists to be, this is a must. Again, the illustrations are brilliant. The tones are very red in this book, with lots of little nuances in the pictures to look for....enjoy!

Like other reviewers here, I also first encountered this book as a child. I remember spending hours staring at the beautiful pictures- wishing I could be there!

Over the years, I would remember the book fondly, wondering if I would ever see it again. Then, I just happened to find it on Amazon- of course, I ordered it right away!

When I received the book, I must say I was at first a bit disappointed. While the pictures were still beautiful, the colors were not as bright as I remembered. Perhaps my memory fooled me?

Then I started reading the story- and I once again transported to a place long ago and far away.

I was quickly drawn into the mystical tale of the old widow, weaving her dream palace with not only thread but her tears and blood. How, after it was blown away by the wind spirits, she asks her three sons to fetch it for her, otherwise, she will surely die! How after two of her sons fall pray to fear and greed, her third son succeeds by crossing the mountain of fire and the lake of ice to reach Sun Mountain, the home of the fairies. How the brocade comes to life and they all live happily ever after.

Each time I turned the page, I would gaze at each picture, taking in all the details. The picture of the palace continues to enchant me, as it had enchanted the old widow and her sons, with its "garden, the flowers, the beautiful palace, song-birds of every kind, luscious fruits and vegetables ready to pick, all in the most perfect detail." Reading the book and viewing the pictures, its almost as if I am there.

Read this book and you too can be drawn into this enchanting dream!

I love biographies and this is one of the best.

Isobel Kuhn writes her story of her personal belief to Christianity with grace and honesty. She tells of her struggles to believe, and her climbing with God step by step as He leads her to greater heights. She tells how God called her to the mission field in China.

A great read for someone questioning their roots in Christianity and needing to find their own faith instead of simply accepting the way they were raised. It will strengthen your resolve to find God for yourself. This was Isobel's theme, and she tells how God gently and patiently led her into a grounded solid Christian faith of her very own...not just one "handed down" by her parents. An exceptional book.

You may also want to read "In the Arena" in which she briefly describes again her journey to faith, but mainly tells the story of she and her husband's miraculous mission to the people of China.

Isobel Kuhn's life and missionary work were nothing shy of miraculous due to her deep faith and continuous trust. What a beautiful book, what a beautiful life!

Isobel Miller Kuhn (1901-1957), a Canadian missionary to the Tibeto-Burmese Lisu people of southwest China, wrote a number of popular books about her missionary work. This one, published posthumously after her premature death from cancer, treats Kuhn's pre-missionary career from her teenage years until she sailed for China in 1928. Kuhn had a gift for storytelling, and By Searching is nicely written. Not only will sensitive Christian readers find the work spiritually uplifting, but they will also note the significant differences in the culture of Western conservative Protestantism between the 1920s and the present.

I read this superb book just about two weeks ago from today. It is the well written and inspiring story about a young college student in Vancouver, Canada---of how her professor has vowed that his students will leave his class atheists, and how he made her feel like she was stupid to believe in Creation "just because your parents do". Isobel Kuhn decided that she would not believe something -- "just because her parents did", and, although not an atheist, became an antagonist. In "By Searching", she tells of her life through college on "The Misty Flats", and how God brought her back to himself. She still was a very immature Christian, and this book also tells how she grew. . .how she trusted God to provide for her during her years at Moody, and then--as soon as the Boxer rebellion was over she went to China to serve Jesus among the Lisu of the South-west.

I'm really busy with my studies these days but when I got this book and started to read,I just couldn't drop it!I was extremely encouraged by Isobel's struggle and search for God,I realized a truth, that is whether you have or not believed in God already,as long as you want to know Him and search Him with your spirit and truth,He will prove Himself to you,just like the testimony which happened to Isobel.And for Christians,we should search God first in our daily lives,put Him in the first place,and get a deeper relationship with Him,be purer and holier,be more like Jesus our Savior.And I believe GOd has His own beautiful plans for us,only you can find it out with your sincerity and faith.
I'm also thankful for God,because I'm a Chinese,even nowadays,the place where Isobel went to is still very poor and remote,and even few people know that place and Lisu people(it's a minority of China).I really admire Isobel's sacrifice,if there is no God,how one is able to forsake his own and go to such a terrible place?!But God loves them although men even don't know them.
It's a must-read book,may it encourages each of you, me included,to find God,and as well as a lifestyle that leads us into the inner of truth of Christ.
God bless!

This book is great! It is an easy and very enjoyable read! I recommend it to anyone traveling to China or for pure amusement. I have read many books about china and this has to be the best one yet!!

I bought this as a gift. It turned out to be a delightfully helpful little guide for the recipients.

Larry and Qin Herzberg have managed to create an inexpensive, easy-to-carry but highly informative--and very humorous--guidebook. It seems to me to stand by itself in terms of genre. Derived from many experiences of taking student groups to China, taking his own private trips including some with his wife Qin, and creating an insightful documentary video on China today (a joint project of the two), this little book is full of sound advice for novice travelers/first time tourists and seasoned businessmen alike. One of the most valuable parts is the short introduction to the Chinese language, incuding an appropriate (i.e. ralistically manageable)number of useful Chinese phrases. So before you go to China get ahold of this book; you will not be sorry--I guarantee it!

I just moved to Shanghai a month ago and bought several books beforehand to familiarize myself with the culture and etiquette. A friend of mine gave me this one as a going away present. I read it on the plane over (cover to cover - it's a short book) and it was the most candid and informative books on China that I've read so far. Larry writes in a story-like format so it keeps your attention and helps you retain the info better. The encyclopedia-like guide books just don't keep me engaged after the first few chapters. His amusing anecdotes help portray Chinese life and accurately describe the people, customs and culture. I would highly recommend this book to anyone visiting or moving to China. I've convinced my family and friends to buy the book to help prepare them for the culture shock when they visit.

I just returned from my first trip to China, so this is not a theoretical review of how helpful the Herzberg's book is. I began using their tips from the moment we set foot in the Guilin airport. (It's empowering to know where to find the toilet paper!) We encountered various situations that should have been strange to me, but weren't. Some of my fellow travelers wondered how I knew what I knew. I don't know what guidebooks they had read, but they clearly didn't contain the same down-to-earth, real life info that the "China Survival Guide" does. (The book gets bonus points for being small and for being written in a truly entertaining manner.)

If you have to read reviews about I-Ching books this is the first book you need to buy. The study of the I Ching begins with practice by consulting the oracle not with immediate attempts at understanding-especially for the Western mind. This version of the I Ching is the easisest way to make that first step. You read a few paragraphs on instructions to throw three pennies and begin an adventure that can last from a few minutes to a lifetime. Despite its ease of use, this book is a complete work unto itself shold you choose to go deeper. It has ample references to history and more subtle interpretations. A glimpse of Western understanding may be obtained by reading Carl Jung's foreword in the Baynes/Wilhelm interpretation.

I own both this one and the I Ching Workbook and they are practically the same book, though this one doesn't have the spiral binding (which you'll need because you'll open it so much) but has the most beautiful, meditative paintings on each hexagram. The pictures give you a profound inner sense of the truth of each throw of the coins, transforming the experience into a deeply effective tool for inner growth. Not to be confused with the Art of War or the Tao Te Ching, the I Ching focuses mainly on political relationships and the development of character as one navigates one's way through professional and personal relationships. The main thing you'll get from using the I Ching is, to learn which situations you can definitely change and which ones you should just let pass. It also shows you where you are in the development of goals and what to prepare yourself for, as you go on. Start with one question, and when you read the answer, if you have deeper questions, ask them too. You'll get amazing answers.

Some of the longer reviews will tell you how this I Ching integrates relevant art work with practical advice. I just wanted to second all the positive reviews here in saying that from looking at many I Ching books, this is the only one that really clicked with me. The art work is beautiful and the text is very illuminating. 5 +++ stars!

I have bought several books on I Ching and this one is one of the most interesting books I have purchased.The book is larger than most books,about an A3 size but short on text than most books,less than a page for each hexagram.(a bit too light on for text).Written in simple English makes this book an advantage.The illustations throughout add to the character of the book.This book will please a lot of people.Didnt have this book for long because I needed more indepth books.

If you are looking for books on I Ching that go in depth and in great detail you might want to consider other books like those written by author Stephen Karcher,Kim-Anh Lim,Sam Reifler,etc.

this is the best version of the I Ching out: each hexagram is accompanied by a relevant piece of traditional Chinese painting that helps the intuitive understanding of the message the hexagram intends to convey. Lively text translation that interprets the hexagrams on the four planes of existence: spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical aids in the interpretation of the hexagrams' messages as related to the areas the question might address. The tone is psycho-spiritual-social but written in everyday terms.

[...]

I've never been to Tibet and probably never will get there, but reading about Tibet and Central Asia is one of my interests, so I bought this book to augment my reading. The book I was reading, "Younghusband" by Patrick French, told of the eponymous colonial Brit who explored and exploited Tibet late in the 19th century. It was interesting to compare his notes of more than 100 years ago with Lonely Planet's descriptions of the same places today. This book was incredibly detailed and well-written, and although I can't vouch for its accuracy, reading the other reviews here indicate that the authors were right on the money. Good job.

It's the best LP book ever. I bought the book a few months ago before leaving for Tibet. What a great help this book was! I read every single word one every single page! Went to so many facinating places This is THE book you must have if you plan to go to the snowland. Apparently, every independent traveller in Tibet has one. It has so many useful maps and hiking guide. I was in Tibet for two weeks, still wish I had more time there.
Best places: Lhasa, Namtso, Mt. Everest, Mt. Kalish

Best time to go: anytime
Best book to take: LP Tibet

Last summer I went to Tibet with this book as a NGO officer. This book is very useful, but no information about dalily life of real Tibeatian. Acturally, in the downtown, there are few Tibetian people. There are only Hun people, majority ethnic group in China, who enjoy their prestages. On the other hands, Tibetian people live in the northen part with surveillance camera. Since some of them are sterllized, real Tibetean people would disapper in this century, apart from the exiles in Indea.

I've used Lonely Planet guides in all my travels. I've found their guide book for Tibet the best one they have ever published. It captured everything about Tibet intricately.

This book does what most of the Lonely Planet guides do best: provides clear, personalized reviews of places to stay, eat and explore wherever your destination may be. However, LP Tibet focuses mostly on Central Tibet and the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), with very little info and inadequate maps for what was Kham and Amdo (now contained in Sichuan and Qinghai provinces). This is where other Tibet guides, Gyurmed Dorje's Footprint edition in particular, shine. LP Tibet will get you around the TAR comfortably, but lacks the depth of information and regional exploration required for more intensive and insightful travel there.

For the most extensive discussions of religious sites (but DO NOT USE these routes and maps!), try to find the "Tibet Handbook" by Victor Chan (out of print). Also, Keith Dowman's "The Power Places of Central Tibet" provides excellent, traditional descriptions of Tibetan sacred sites.

Mendacity is a thoroughly enjoyable book with lots of devious intrigue, a wonderfully decorous romance and, best of all, a plot that moves quickly along against an exceptionally well-described setting in China.

I enjoyed reading this well-written book until I couldn't put it down. I found the plot very interesting and unbelievable. The way Mr. Liu presented the story is intriguing. I would recommend anyone along the Asia Pacific region to read it. We can definitely learn something from this book.

Liu's debut novel is an epitome of literary excellence ... it is a must-read for every Chinese citizens overseas ... it subliminally carries the underlying message: "United We Stand, Divided We Fall !" .... We, of course, stands for Chinese people ! .... don't let that Evil Empire use and abuse our bodies and souls !!! Peace y'all !

I admire the Author's vast experience and understanding of the inside of China in particular his indepth knowledge on Chinese communinism and the People Liberty Army. The book was written in a diary manner and the readers can feel the reality of this story in particular when the readers read this book at the 10th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Incident.

An excellent and well thought out storyline! I find the plot most interesting. Congratulations to the author in presenting the Tiananmen incident from a refreshingly new perspective. I particularly like the exciting chapter on the attack on Green Island.

I have enjoyed the book immensely and I hope to see it in movie one day!

Mr He Liyi has written a remarkable book. His account of toiling as a political prisoner and suffering all the excesses of China's Maoist period are as stirring as any survivor's story. He is the Robinson Crusoe of Chinese Communism; cast away in a society that persecuted him for no rational reason-yet he survived. Through intelligence, optimism, guile and pluck he constructed the tools of his survival and his family's survival.
But what make's his account so full of life as literature is his ability to translate into English his Bai minority culture and the Han majority culture of Yunnan province. Lao He ("Old He" as I heard him respectfully called) learned English and so wrote his memoir in English. There is no assimilating translation full of Western clichés that distort and keep an author's mind distant from the reader. This is an immediate, passionate, sad and inspiring story of a man who struggled, survived and triumphed. And its funny. His `great discovery' that kept his family from starving involved stealing from community crapper. In love as a young man he is taken away, branded "An enemy of the people" and doesn't see his sweetheart again for years, until remarkable circumstances bring them together again to save the life of his child.
I stumbled across Lao He on the Internet and sent him an e-mail. His gracious reply was all it took for my son and I to change our China travel plans to cross China on a train to see Yunnan Province and visit Lao He in Dali. After 10,000 miles of travel we got off the local bus a couple of days early at 6 am and wandered into Dali. We were standing in the middle of the street orientating our map and my son said "Maybe we'll see Mr He Liyi. Maybe that's him." The man he pointed at was young, "No he's an old man." An old man walked around the corner. "He probably looks more like that man."
"Are you William and Bazyl?"
He is as remarkable as his book. Anyone who loves literature should read his work, anyone who loves travel should visit Yunnan Province and sip tea in his café.

I was travelling around Yunnan reading my guidebook and came across an entry for a small cafe run by a local author. I wandered into the cafe and met with the author. He was very kind. He offered me a drink and we sat and talked about his cafe and his book. I was fascinated at the posters on the walls and the reviews for his book so I had to buy a copy and find out myself.

I have deep admiration for Mr. He. He suffered so much and yet perservered. I can't find any palpable animosity in his writing toward those who mistreated him. It's just amazing how humble and kind this man is.

If you are interested in Chinese culture, communism, or the Cultural Revolution, you should check out Mr. China's Son. I hardly read but this book really got me on many levels.

I thoroughly enjoy reading about Chinese life. I learn quite a bit about a life away from home! I prefer these types of books that whisk me to different parts of the world, chronologically, socially, and culturally. The lives that other people experience elsewhere are fascinating, and one can become engulfed in the stories. I feel as if the author sat down and TOLD me all about his life, something I didn't know about. Like I had an interesting friend over for lunch. This was a superb book to the end!

I think I vaguely remember seeing this book at some point in the States, before I moved to China. But if I had not walked into the author's coffee shop in Dali (Yunnan Province), I probably would not have read this book.

This book is unique in several respects. First of all, it is written in English by a man who is not a native speaker, using the English he learned in University. That is quite an achievement, given the fact that he was a village peasant who did not have much money, and spent most of his life working in the fields. Another very useful feature of this book is the fact that He Liyi was detained as part of the Anti-Rightist campaign, rather than the Cultural Revolution. He was all but untouched by the Cultural Revolution, but the Anti-Rightist campaign affected him profoundly. I have long been interested in the connection between the two events, because disdain of and even abhorrence for the Cultural Revolution is established orthodoxy in China now, but I am not sure China has ever quite come to terms with the Anti-Rightist campaign.

His detention seems to have broken his spirit. He relays a relationship with three women in this book. The first was the girlfriend he almost married, the second was the "ignorant" village girl he did marry, and soon divorced, and the third was the peasant woman who ultimately became his wife. The first woman disappears early in the book, but the other two figure almost throughout. Only one could be his wife, but the other remained his friend, and the warmth of their friendship underlines the pathos of a life lived in the crucible of a world gone mad.

I was mad at him for marrying his first wife. Then I was mad at him for divorcing her. Then I was mad at him for refusing to take her back. My sense of pathos was brought full circle when he finally married a peasant woman and basically became her servant. Slowly the realization hit me that he really had been "emasculated" by the trauma he had suffered. I have certainly read stories of people who went through greater suffering than he did during his time of confinement. But it is not so much what he suffered, but the complete humiliation of his position, and what it did to his spirit.

Mr. China's Son is a good writer. He writes in a simple, personable style that is fun to read, and very absorbing. The book is full of "Chinglish" expressions, which can be a bit misleading if you don't know a little bit of Chinese. For example, he talks about the point when their son becomes a "big school" student. He gets this expression from the literal translation of the characters. The Chinese word for "university" is daxue. The first character means "big," and the second character means "school." So in a literal sense, the term "big-school" is an accurate translation, but a bit misleading. For native speakers of Mandarin, this term does not produce a picture in the mind's eye of a big school. Rather, it induces a picture of a university, because it is, in fact, the Chinese word for university. The equivalent word in English which produces the same picture for native speakers is, of course, the word "university." So using the term "big-school" makes them sound a little bit like country bumpkins, which they were, but not for that reason.

Still, I do like the Chinglish expressions. They add an interesting dimension to the book, which would be missing if they had been edited out. And the folksy style of Mr. China's writing produces a work which is unique in the English language. It actually becomes a contribution to the language, because he has found interesting ways to phrase things that native speakers may not have thought about, but which are perfectly "legal" in the grammatical sense of the term.

This book is published in the United States, and I don't think it is generally available in China. While I was in Dali, I recommended it to a young Chinese lady, and told her how to get to the coffee shop. She went there, but they would not sell her a copy. They did not actually say that she could not buy it because she was Chinese, but they told her that the book was published in the United States. In other words, it is published for foreigners, not Chinese people. My suspicion is that they are being allowed to sell the book out of their store, as long as they only sell it to foreigners. I don't know that for sure; I am just guessing, but I suspect that this is the case.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in that dark period of China's history. But I want to stress that this book is not just another "complaint" about the evils of the Cultural Revolution. It is a window into the nature of village life in China. Some of it of course, deals with the particulars with the Bai minority culture. But much of it is just a simple story about what it is like to live as a village peasant in China. Read it. It will give you a unique view of the lifestyle of folks who are usually disinclined to write about themselves.

This book conveys so many emotions, from all of this one is left almost numb. But having met the man, He LiYi, I can say that this book is a mirror of the man in real life. All that comes out in this book is so exact, in his mannerisms and gentle voice. He is so unassuming and modest, and does not appear to be capable of such strength and determination. This book lets you see that we are all capable of making a difference if only small. I had no knowledge of this book untill I visited his cafe in Dali, I purchased the book directly from him and now pass it to all who are interested. A truly powerful book full of what these people, the Bai, have had to endure at the hands of the ever present "Mr China".

Savoured the book from start to finish. It took me 2 weeks to read the last 20 pages because I did not want it to end. I am looking forward to reading the next Gillian adventure.

Everyone loves an adventure (or at least reading of one) and most of us will never take a boat from China to America. Envious of this one, I curled up by my fireplace and read Mr. Ding's Chicken Feet with a taste for the fascinating journey of a Caucasian woman on a boat full of Asian men. I was not disappointed.

The author sets sail on an ocean of cultural difference and wins over the hearts of the crew - a rough and salty bunch who sit spellbound by her in English class.

Because of the obvious vast expanse of ocean to cross, you know that the author is going to have to face a few things she has probably never had to before, and deal with them. There is, after all, no escape on a small boat in the middle of the ocean.

Kendall reveals the color of the crew over the course of the journey as if she were polishing up tarnished brass. It was great fun to read about the men as they blossom at the hand of their teacher...though the revelations were not one-sided.

Not surprisingly, I felt the poignancy at the sight of land, which meant having to say goodbye.

Kendall writes with an unpretentious clarity, humor and heart. I definitely recommend it.

Ji Lians book very good. Makes me laugh. Have to laugh and wake up husband to read good part. I like this book. I like especially page where I am mention. I am Li. I am beautiful asian/american. Not Chinese. I too, don't like chicken feet.

In Mr Ding's Chicken Feet, the author, Gillian Kendall, comes across at first as maybe a little naive and unwary. She is a risk-taker. Her apparent lack of serious doubt about the whole enterprise, her trust in her fellow human beings not to harm her and her faith that it would all work out made me a little nervous on her behalf. But she is vindicated by the experience and it is her empathy and geniality that are the keys to her success. Observing Kendall's openness to life and her willingness to reach out across cultures became one of the pleasures of reading the book. A cynical reader such as I am found it instructive to watch her interest in humanity unfold and be repaid.

Her story really takes off once the ship leaves shore. Then it leaves behind any experience I and probably most readers have had. Shipboard life with a completely male crew who mostly speak very fractured English seems so weird and challenging that you half expect the book to be a story of failure -- perhaps noble failure but depressing nonetheless. So it's very satisfying that she actually makes a difference to the sailors' English and lives. She is inventive in her methods and determined to give her employers their money's worth and thereby wins the crew's respect and affection.

Kendall can write -- just see her description of the terrible storm at sea. It had me rigid with tension. Shades of Conrad in Typhoon. She has a distinctive and likable tone of voice. The book tells an optimistic story in an unpretentious way and gives you faith in the power of empathic teachers (and English!).

I spent the academic year of 1999/2000 teaching English in Shenzhen. I spoke no Chinese, at the time, and had no formal teaching experience. So I could definitely relate to Gillian's frustrations, culture shock, and malentendus. It's 1991 and Gillian is a grad student in Galveston, TX. The semester is coming to a close and she spies an ad on the bulletin board for an ESL teacher aboard a ship sailing from Shanghai to Galveston. After a hard sell Gillian manages to land the job aboard the all male ship. The company flies her to Shanghai where she boards the ship. The reader witnesses her feelings about being the only woman on the ship; loneliness and some sexual harassment egged on by the only other American on board. She experiences a Sapphic awakening as she realizes in her state of isolation that she doesn't have any romantic feelings for her boyfriend. She manages to break through the cultural, gender, and language barriers to form some attachments to her students and especially Mr. Ding, the cook. The book is riddled with faux pas but the funniest part, I would say, is when she saves Mr. Ding by hurling the violent Panamanian vendor into the Canal.