Cheng Books

i am sad to say that i was very disappointed from the condition of the dictionary cover. it looks used or damaged. this was the first time i have ordered somthing from amazon and i think it might be the last.

As with other reviewers said, this is THE definitive Chinese-English dictionary. If you need just one Chinese-English dictionary, make sure you buy this one. If you're a serious learner, this dictionary is a must have.

* It has more than 2,000 pages describing thousands of characters.
* It's indexed by Pinyin and its corresponding intonation mark.
* It has a radical table at the first few pages making it a breeze to search for the entries.
* It contains entries of rare / classical characters with annotation.
* It even contains entries of the ancient / obsolete meaning of the character, if any.
* It contains examples of the word usage plus its meaning, making it very suitable for advanced learners.
* It briefly explains the idiom (if the entry is an idiom / proverb) and a little background on it.
* It contains an appendix that explains Chinese culture a bit.

The characters are indexed like this:
X --> Main character, (pinyin sound)
Main meaning: xxxx... Example: xxxx Translation: xxxx
Secondary meaning:
1. xxxx... Example: xxxx Translation: xxxx
2. xxxx... Example: xxxx Translation: xxxx
...
n. xxxx... Example: xxxx Translation: xxxx
Words using X:
XA (pinyin): Meaning: xxxx. Example: xxxx. Translation: xxxx
XB (pinyin): Meaning: xxxx. Example: xxxx. Translation: xxxx
...

From here you know that it's extremely comprehensive. You'll find dozens of pages per each common word like Bu (No), Shi (Yes), Yi (One), etc. And even contains idioms (like Bu San Bu Shi, etc).

The only down side of this book is there's no electronically searchable version and it's heavy.

I own this edition (2001 edition) and use it ever since I bought it in 2004. I heard that there's a newer edition (2004) with ISBN 710003308X. But I haven't confirmed it. If it is, then I'll definitely buy it again since my copy creased a lot due to frequent use.

This is one of, if not the best, chinese-english dictionaries to have come out in the last few years. Formerly, The Pinyin Chinese-English Dictionary was one of the best dictionaries produced on the Mainland. However, it was woefully out of date and full of Cultural Revolution platitudes. The 'New Age...' is roughly 2000 pages, has many more characters than the 'Pinyin..', and has most, if not all of the new phrases and terms of the last 20 years. As China has modernized, so has its language vastly increased the number of compound words in current use. The 'New Age...' is also printed and bound much better than most books produced on the Mainland, athough its pages are necessarily thin.
All in all, this dictionary is a 'must have' for anyone studying Chinese at an advanced level.

I have looked at just about every available dictionary in China and the US and this is my choice. As a graduate student doing research in Chinese I have made extensive use of this dictionary for a few years now and it's hard to imagine a better tool. It even includes an impressive amount of classical words and usages. In answer to the questions submitted by another reviewer, yes, the dictionary includes pinyin (words are organized in alphabetical order by pinyin) and yes there are example sentences, given in Chinese with English translation.

I just bought the 2006 edition of this dictionary in Beijing last week (the price has gone up to a whopping 112 yuan/14 US$--c'mon Amazon, you're losing your competitive edge!). In the store I compared it to the big dictionary recommended by my professor, and found that the New Age dictionary not only had more entries per word, but also had many more idomatic usages as well. Plus it includes proper names and place names, classical, cultural and folklore references, tons of botanical and esoteric references and finally has a big appendix including all sorts of helpful charts about family relationships, heavenly stems, chinese musical instruments (illustrated), Chinese governmental offices, a breakdown of the Chinese communist party, and many more things, making it almost a mini almanac! The only negatives are that the introduction is in Chinese only, there doesn't seem to be list of the chinese abbreviations for 'part of speech' notations (ie--'v','adj','m. word', etc), and the print is not as big as I wish it were.(NOTE: Mar, 2008--I've translated the Parts of Speech notations myself, and will be glad to email anyone a copy to tip into the dictionary) But I still really recommend this one!

About the Author:
Shirley Cheng, daughter of Juliet Cheng, was born in 1983, in Albany, New York. Shirley's birth was the beginning of a new world for both mother and daughter. Shirley was diagnosed with severe juvenile rheumatoid arthritis at only eleven months old. Shirley Cheng's life consisted of many years of hospitalization which caused her ability to receive an education a major delay. Shirley did not start her schooling until she was eleven years old. It took her only 180 days to master grade levels in all areas, and was then transferred to a sixth grade class room. When Shirley was seventeen, she lost her eyesight due to the intake of digestive enzymes, even more reason for her to feel like giving up, but it only challenged her to strive higher and higher.
Through Shirley's own words, she inspires many saying, "Although I'm blind, I can see far and wide; even though I'm disabled, I can climb high mountains. Let the ropes of hope haul you high!" Shirley Cheng's self-esteem is truly glowing through her continuous smiles and words as you read her story.
Shirley wrote three books at the age of 20 years old.
Here are just a few more achievements that Shirley has managed to earn:
- co-authored a self-improvement book with Jack Canfield & John Gray, Bob Proctor, Alan Cohen and Richard Carlson, entitled "101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2"; Author of "The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine"; Author of the book, "Dance with Your Heart", and also Author of the book "Daring Quests of Mystics".
-is an advocate of parental rights in children's medical care, aide/caregiver monitoring and screening for students with special needs and people with disabilities, and world peace.
- tied for 1st place in the second Annual Be the Star You Are!(tm) national Writing Contest, garnering her a third live appearance on the nationally syndicated radio program, "Be the Star You Are"!
- Plans to attend college at Harvard University, where she plans to earn doctorates in microbiology, zoology, astronomy, physiology, and pathology after a successful eye surgery.
Shirley's story is not only about her challenges and misfortunes, but she also shares with us the love and respect that her mother showed over and over again. It is clear where Shirley has gained most of her positive attributes. Her mother's never-ending energy to keep moving forward reaches out and touches you throughout Shirley's story.
Here is another quote from Shirley that will bring you to another sweet side of Shirley Cheng's personality: "I've made it one of my life's missions to touch as many people as I possibly can to bring humor, hope, and healing," says Shirley, whose personal motto is "A dancing heart teaches true."
Shirley is an excellent writer and poet with a charm and intelligence that would make anyone envious. Her age and illness has never stood in her way of succeeding and embracing everything that life has to offer.

ABOUT THE BOOK:
"Dance with Your Heart", invites you into Shirley Cheng`s journey of thoughts and words. She will take you through colors, feelings, visions, senses and lessons in life. You will share some of the author's thoughts through her stories of frogs, cats, stars, goddess's, fish and turtles. You will be enlightened by her poems of never discovered lands, clouds, flickers of hope, passing storms, memories, wishes, colors of rainbows and more.
Reading," Dance with Your Heart", will do more than fill your heart with dances. It will reach deep inside of you and awaken your most inner passion while also renewing your respect and love for nature's life.
The stories in this book are kept short and written with impeccable talent and imagination. The poems are light hearted, refreshingly lyrical and a true enjoyment to read.
"Dance with Your Heart", reminds its readers of the simplest lessons in life, such as believing in oneself, ones inner beauty and also self-worth.

Womensselfesteem.com highly recommends, "Dances with Your Heart" to every type of reader. It is a true gem to read, one to be very much appreciated.
Thank You Shirley Cheng for sharing a bit of your wonderful mind with us!

"Dance With Your Heart, Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells, is a moving collection of short stories and verse. Illustrated with such detail that readers will easily envision the settings of each story and poem."

"Shirley Cheng brilliantly conveys messages of hope, love and inspiration in this thought provoking work of literature. It is beautifully written, offering deep reflection on life from various perspectives. Each page is filled with wonderful life lessons that are expressed with naturalness, simplicity and profound wisdom."

"This remarkable book will take readers on a magical journey discovering unknown lands with wonderment and enjoyment."

"Dance With Your Heart"is a wonderful collection of poetry and short stories that celebrate life while gently sharing the wisdom of Shirley Cheng. Her personal journey as cited in the 'About The Author' Section is worth the price of the book by itself. She exemplifies the final stanza of one my favorite poems, titled 'Make It A Promise':
Let the love be lit
Take that giant leap
Love cannot be kept aside
Promise to love with your whole soul

That seems to capture the essence of both Shirley Cheng and "Dance With Your Heart."

"The exquisite, vast blackness stretched endlessly across the celestial heavens; a blackness that would penetrate anyone's soul who was to take in its darkness. But if one looked very carefully, one could suddenly see a single spark forming amidst the caliginous atmosphere." ~pg. 63

Shirley Cheng presents poetry and creative original stories as an expression of her life's experience, dreams and at times stunning observations of life's complexity. Stories of dandelions, rainbows, gods and goddesses and oceans all explore creative explanations for natural phenomena. In "Seeking the Truth" she explores inner and outer beauty and then in "Fiery Passion" she writes beautifully about dances of fire.

In "We Should Have Listened!" Shirley Cheng shows an advanced understanding of human nature and consequence:

A heavenly garden, You gave us
To be in with You forever
Yet, it was not enough
We should have listened

The poetry and myths alternate throughout the book, creating a nice contrast between magical imaginings and portraits of life and love. I enjoy the descriptions in the stories that seem to reflect a purity of soul and may mirror an inner world that serves as a playful freeing experience where anything is possible and goddesses paint images into life.

"Being a goddess, everything she painted came to life..."

Children will enjoy the "Funny Animal Poem" and many of the stories could be read to children. Shirley Cheng also writes about ghosts in a story you might want to read on a dark night when the wind is howling around the house.

The poem I loved the most was "Things I Wish For:"

"I want to be loved, never against, always for
Where the truth is never untold
Sentiments with meanings that stretch
everlasting
Words are gentle, sweet, and kind
Not a harsh tone can be heard
Memories refreshing as cool, running streams"

Reading Dance with Your Heart is a soul cleansing experience and explores the dreams, imaginings and longings of a beautiful soul.

~The Rebecca Review

The enchanting tales and poems in this book dance on the page. They are well written and exuberant. With a gentle touch, they inspire and teach profound life lessons in the manner of mythic tales and fables. After stories such as "The Greedy Cat" and "The Dishonest Fox" bring a knowing smile to your face, they will delight your children and grandchildren through multiple readings.

As a positive psychologistEnchanted Self: A Positive Therapy (New Directions in Therapeutic Intervention , Vol 1) I am always on the look out for inspirational writings. All the better if they are truly the story of a person's efforts to make the most of her life. That's what we find in The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine...We really get to see how day after day after day a person can struggle and succeed against what seem to be terrible odds. I actually had a chance to 'meet' Shirley in a teleclass we mutually took. I was so impressed with her actual being, not just her writings. She is very special and has a message for all of us: Don't give up! You have purpose and there is a way. I always try to give my clients that same message in some fashion or other, whether I try to infuse hope by my words, or share via my books, such as my new book,The Truth, I'm a girl, (I'm smart and I know everything)where I try to re-invest adults with the courage and fire they had as kids and at the same time help kids keep the fire.

Even though this book is long, I still highly recommend it. You may want to randomly even open a page for a new dose of 'fairy dust' giving you encouragement to make the most of your life!

As a life and personal coach, I encourage my clients to read about people who face challenges and tragedies and manage not only to survive, but to thrive. Shirley Cheng's biography, "The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine," is such a book.

Shirley's life could have turned out very differently had she and her mother been cowed by the appalling behavior of doctors, teachers, landlords, social services employees, lawyers and even friends. Instead, their courage and willingness to confront rather than accept ill treatment, led Shirley, a blind, disabled woman, to create a life filled with meaning and singularly lacking in self-pity or bitterness.

Reading of Shirley's physical pain, her increasingly weakening body, the slipshod way she was handled by school aids who were supposed to be helping her, the legal wranglings over her care, would make anyone scream in frustration. Even worse was the way Shirley was treated by an endless list of so-called professionals. Hardly anyone listened to Shirley or her mother regarding her pain, her intelligence or her thirst for education. The indictment of so many people who should have been on Shirley's side, is a sad commentary on our medical, social service and educational systems. In addition, Shirley's father evidently was a manipulator and a cruel man who refused to use his money for the benefit of his daughter. The hardships she and her mother faced feel unendurable. Yet they were endured. And despite poor medical care, despite teachers who seemed uninterested in helping this talented student, despite unfeeling "friends," in two countries, this mother and daughter fought and won many more battles than they lost.

Unlike Shirley, few of us seem to have the innate ability to face every day and everyone with a smile regardless of our own painful circumstances. Yet we can read her story with an open heart and choose to integrate her positive outlook and determination into our own lives in a way that will serve us and those around us. After all, this is the reason Shirley wrote the book. She hoped that her story would inspire others to treat everyone with respect, to stand up for what we believe in and to reach out to those less fortunate.

Reviewed by Ellen Hogan for Reader Views (3/06)


This book is about the young life of Shirley Cheng, but really it is the story of two remarkable women, Shirley and her mother Juliet. It tells of the trials, tribulations and obstacles that they had to overcome. Shirley was diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis when she was 11 months old. Juliet then started her quest to find treatment for her daughter. Shirley's childhood was spent between America and China, looking for new
medicines and treatments. Several times Juliet had to fight for custody of her daughter when doctors wanted to do things she did not approve of.

The first goal in Shirley's life was to get an education, this did not go smoothly either. Between school administrators that would not listen to them, and aides that were very cruel, Shirley persevered and gained her GED diploma. She was also asked to speak at the graduation, an honor she embraced. Besides the arthritis, Shirley also suffers from several other diseases including heart problems, severe constipation, multiple allergies, asthma and blindness. It is through faith and sheer determination that Shirley has been successful.

What will Shirley accomplish in the rest of her life? She has proven that she can do anything she puts her mind to. The love and joy that mother and daughter derive from each other is a precious thing to behold.

"She was running toward a glistening stream with fish of all colors flying out of the water. With laughter escaping her lips, she chased a white butterfly amidst the green field of wildflowers. Her black hair glowed with a halo of brightness, with sunrays dancing about her. The blue sky was accentuated by a shimmering rainbow..." ~pg. 116

Shirley Cheng is the author of Dance with Your Heart: Tales and Poems That the Heart Tells. She is a highly imaginative writer who has access to beautiful inner worlds where she creates mythological tales and beautiful stories.

In "The Revelation of a Star's Endless Shine" we are able to access an extremely detailed portrait of 700 pages explaining Shirley Cheng's life and how she became a writer. As if observing her life as an angelic protecting presence, she writes of her life's struggles and challenges she faces due to many people in her life seeming to show a general insensitivity to her condition.

As a child she is diagnosed with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, but this is only the beginning of a long journey filled with therapies and medications, not to mention medical complications due to medication side effects. As Shirley Cheng seeks to make sense of why certain medical problems keep occurring, she faces life with a refreshingly honest and hopeful approach.

"Picking up a book, Shirley began to enter into a different world, a world that she could escape to from her surroundings. After the first quarter, she had begun to increase her reading and writing volume. She read three books a day, averaging five to six hundred pages." ~pg. 375

After spending the entire morning reading Shirley's work out on my deck in the sun, I can recommend anyone to do the same. This is a world where you can not only view the outer struggles of the poet's life, the inner world is also revealed in creative flourishes I started to look forward to finding throughout the writing:

"The strong wind whirled, bringing dancing flakes in its invisible arms, equally distributing a thin layer of snow to other places of the frozen land. Small spheres of shimmering, crystalline flowers alighted upon the earth from their silvery home above, while the sun slept peacefully below the horizon..."~ pg. 6

~The Rebecca Review

This is a complex story written in an easy to read, conversational fashion that is disarming, yet sometimes astounding in its micro-details (ie., telephone conversations you get word-for-word); Shirley Cheng seems to have the memory of a titan. Nevertheless, at times you feel some information is missing--must be missing, because why else the poor treatment by one person after another, one agency after another, one doctor after another, one medical aide after another? But then it hits you--these people, these agencies, these medical "professionals" are really, in many cases, THAT awful! The truth is that American medicine, American government schools and American government agencies all too often think they are GOD. But they're not.

In fact, this book poignantly shows how the enormity of the misuse of power, such as trying to take an ill and hurting child away from its primary source of love and security--its mother--in the name of doing what's "best" for that child, is downright horrifying. And rightly so. The medical establishment is one of the biggest offenders in Shirley's life, and we can probably all relate. (No one is saying, incidentally, that there aren't good people to be found in these arenas of public service, and thankfully, Shirley and her mom find some good people, too.)

If nothing else, Shirley's story is triumphant in that her mother rejects what she knows to be wrong for her child, fights the nightmarish resistance of said "establishment" and wins in the end. But the book is also more than that; it is the tale of a sensitive, intelligent, and observant girl who happens to be painfully disabled; she suffers enormously but has the extraordinary gift of a mother who is sold out for her well-being, hook, line and sinker.

Did the mother make mistakes? Of course. She trusted the wrong people, particularly a relative who was no less than criminal, it seems to me, in her actions. But Juliet Cheng's gift of love to her daughter is something that many able-bodied people never get. She is the epitome of the selfless mother/caretaker extraordinaire, shining the light on the lives of quiet, exhausting devotion that mothers like her live daily.

Overall, the author does an amazing job of keeping the reader's interest; I think the book could be shorter, but I honestly cannot say it was ever boring. When you finish the book you will feel an affinity to this Shirley Cheng and her mother, Juliet. You will admire them both, and hopefully, thank the Lord that your "trials and tribulations" have not been as devastating. If you are interested in a story of hardship and happiness, of personal triumph against horrendous disadvantages, of the experience of being female, Chinese, disabled and blind and yet achieving your dreams in an adopted country--then read this book. The level of success that Shirley achieves is remarkable and inspiring--no less than her achievement in writing this book. Her work and courage alone get five stars in my book.

Shirley Cheng is a talented and bright-hearted young woman who is by no means finished achieving. I look forward to her next accomplishments!

Linore R. Burkard
www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com
Inspirational Romance for Today's Woman of Faith

This book is about the struggles a girl had to endure during World War Two. Marika is the main character that, on top of her family being separated had to deal with everything a girl her age must deal with like friends, school and boys. The main struggle is that no one will tell her what is going on and why she constantly hears about Hitler. Everything gets worse when they are forced out of their home and must go stay with one of their friends. Marika's life suddenly becomes full of running in and out of basements, avoiding gunshots and constant worry of never seeing her family again

The character Marika is a very strong character for enduring what she did and being able to survive. That is what I like most about Marika, her courage. Her courage along with ability to persevere is what helped her get through the war. My least favorite thing about Marika was her jealousy of her friends because they had normal, simple lives. I understand her wanting a normal family, house, and life but she doesn't need to be jealous of her friends.

This book was so good! It's about a girl named Marika, (also the name of my sister), and she's been raised Catholic, even thought she's Jewish. And then the Nazis come and Marika learns how dangerous it is to be a Jew during the 1940s. I liked this book because it taught me so much about WWII because I wanted to know a lot about it.

Marika,was a very interesting book for a genre of historical fiction. Set in the 1930's during Budapest. A girl named Marika & her family got split up in consintration camps. This book tells of how her and her family survived Hitler's invasion on Jews. I recommend this book as you can tell. This book is very fast paste and the chapters go from month to month. The book also reconizes how hard and tough the Jews had it. Living in camps, missing your family, food shortages, and possible death to loved ones, frineds, and or yourself. When Marika was in the consintration camp with her mom everyone was crowded, getting sick, and over worked with very little food to eat. Also when she wasn't in the camp and was with her father she had to hide from Nazis officiers. Her dad being a jew, Marika was always afraid of losing her father. In the end she was put through alot but showed how strong she was and all the hard work her family went through to survive paid off. Marika is also a very creative girl and wants to do so many things with her life. She was the best student in the class and could write better then anyone she knew in her class but she practiced very hard. That is why i loved this book so much is the had to go through all of that hard work and hiding from the Nazis but she still kept her dreams high on want to to a writier. Hope You Read it

Marika is about a girl who has to keep her family alive from the Nazi's invasion. They start invading in 1944 and Marika does not think the Germans can stop her from living her dreams. This is in 1944 the time of WWII. It is interesting to read about how she handled it. It is tear jerking to hear how her life was destroyed by one religion. Her, her brother, dad, and mom will have to stick together to stay alive. This is a beautifully written performance that you will never forget.

Marika is about Marika, a 12-year-old Jewish girl who lives in Budapest with her mother, Anya, and her brother, Andras. Her father, Apa, lived next door. One day Marika and Anya were taken to a holding place in their town and Andras was drafted into a slave labor camp. World War II had moved on to their peaceful little town. About a week later Apa came and got Marika, but he could not take Anya with him. That same day he dropped Marika off at Ilonka's house. Marika was to stay there and pretend that Ilonka was her aunt. One day Ilonka came home with news that Apa had gone missing. Would she ever see any of her family members again? The author uses great detail and really makes you feel like you are there. This book really keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to happen next. It really gives you a good idea of how it really was during that time.

This is an excellent Tai-Chi book, especially for beginners. If you want to learn Tai-Chi in a correct way, this is a good reference book. All of these postures are displayed in a sequential photos also you can follow the DVD in a slow motion. I also enjoy to read the Tai-Chi history.

A wonderful Tai-Chi book! If you wanted to learn Chinese Tai Chi Quan, but don't know which book is good for you, or better, you got a right one. The 24 simplified forms are very well explained and are very clearly illustrated in this book. You will get more than what you paid for. Try it!

This is an exclellent reference tai chi for health book. For the
student who wants to begin studying Tai Chi Chuan, the challenge is learning the forms correctly. Without a qualified teacher, many would-be students are left with incomplete or confusing instructions as to how Tai Chi Chuan is performed. This book and DVD illustrate and teach how
to perform the 24 Forms in a manner that is accurate while being easy and fun to learn. I also enjoy reading the chinese tai chi culture.

I had heard about about 100-form Tai Chi, or Tai Chi with even more forms. This book struck my head because it has only 24 forms and all simplified. Why don't we give it a try?

When I learned and practiced Tai Chi Chuan, the first challenge was to follow the directions and postures illustrated in books or tapes. The next one, a bigger challenge, was to understand the deep content behind each movement. I have found that the book, Tai Chi for Health: The 24 Simplified Forms, makes these tasks relatively easy. This book provides resolved postures for each form and well explained deep thoughts behind the postures.

My advice to Tai Chi practitioners is to repeatedly visit the introduction part of the book after having learned the basic 24 forms. It is important to follow the correct postures of Tai Chi Chuan, it is more important to understand how Tai Chi Chuan makes your body move much more effectively and efficiently through the harmonization with mind.

Very helpful guide---other guides I've seen have been older, with the full etymology of the words/characters, but they were of little help because they hadn't been updated to Simplified Characters. This one is the best because it cuts across two or three different ways of helping you with Mandarin: 1) it's arranged by Pinyin, alphabetically---not by stroke order; 2) it has a full index in the VERY FRONT containing every character listed by Stroke Order and what page to find it on, if you don't know the pinyin for any given character; and 3) for each character, it gives you the printed (in books---the boxy-looking) version, the written (hand-writing it) version, the radical(s) involved and the stroke order, in a visual sequence. Also, for each entry, it gives similar words/phrases using that word/character. This is also a good guide because it has the most-used 2000 characters. The books with 100, 200 or even 500 are not enough. It's a small, paperback size, too, so it fits easily in your hand and it's easy to flip pages around, which happens a lot when you're looking for a Mandarin character!!

book was in excellent condition-very helpful for beginners in learning the language

I bought this book on the recomendation of my Mandarin instructor. Most of the characters we are covering in our class are in this book and it's the best resource I have found for figuring out how to write the characters correctly. If you are looking for a way to look up characters using pinyin and find out their stroke order, you should find this book helpful.

On the whole, this is a very good character dictionary. The characters are given in both Kai and Song typeface. Each character is also placed (in red) on a grid so the correct proportions can be seen. Separately, the stroke order is clearly delineated via a series of strokes until the complete character is drawn. The corresponding Pinyin word is given, usually accompanied by two or three compound words and their English meanings. My major complaint is that the Pinyin word corresponding to the character is not always defined. For instance, the entry for ke(4) does not tell you that it means class, lesson, or course. However, three compounds and their definitions are given: keben (textbook), kewai (extra-curricular/after class), and gongke (schoolwork/homework). Giving the basic definition of the character would seem to be important, and wouldn't be much trouble. In fact, some of the entries give the basic definition, but not all of them. This oversight prevents me from rating the dictionary at 5 stars. Otherwise, for the small size of the book, it packs quite a bit of information.

I have been using this book for several years and find it to be an invaluable reference source for 1) characters that I have forgotten how to write, 2) new characters and 3) stroke order. What this book does not offer is a means to lookup words in English but this is not its intent, although a simple indexing of English words in alphabetical order with corresponding page numbers would be nice. However, since this is a "character" dictionary and not an "English to Chinese" dictionary this feature is understandably not part of the scope of this work. But, as a character dictionary of the most common simplified characters, this work excels! I strongly recommend it to any student of Chinese and I hope that Cheng and Tsui are able to follow-up on this excellent work with a traditional character version. It is estimated that a knowledge of the most frequently used 700 simplified characters enables an understanding of as much as 82% of the written language but that the ability to recognize and use the most common 2,000 characters bumps this percentage up to 97%. As an essential reference, Cheng and Tsui's "Chinese Character Dictionary" makes learning written Chinese that much easier.

This book is my constant companion. I've carried my original 1985 copy with me everywhere since it was first published. I should declare my bias: I was a student at Professor Cheng's school in New York starting in 1974, the year before he passed, and studied and eventually taught there until 1986. All of his senior students considered this the Bible of Professor Cheng's form long before it was ever published in English. We had classes in which Ed Young, one of the Professor's senior students, translated it for us chapter by chapter, his forehead breaking out in a fine sweat with the effort of attempting to adequately convey the Professor's meaning. ( I still have my notes from those sessions, and Ben Lo's translation compares very favorably with Ed's.) I often quote or read from the Thirteen Treatises to my students, and always recommend it as an indispensable work. In short, if there is one single most essential volume on Professor Cheng's Tai Chi Chuan, this is it--and I believe it can prove equally valuable to students of other styles and forms. I especially recommend it in combination with "Master Cheng's New Method of Taichi Chuan Self-Cultivation," translated by Mark Hennessy (Frog Ltd., 1999).

Cheng Man Ching was what Westerners would term something of a Renaissance man. This is what I've determined. In Chinese culture, it was the essence of enlightenment to pursue numerous virtuous pursuits felt to advance one's spirit or soul. Master Cheng fulfilled this ideal-- he strove to master calligraphy, Chinese medicine, philosophy, as well as Tai Chi, among others.

His 13 treatise(s) are the basis of this one man's perception of the world. Its foundation is, of course, qi/internal development, based on the principles of Tai Chi. But they cover a number of topics, including his perceptions on Chinese medicine, personal behavior, cosmology, Tai Chi development, and others.

There were approximately 3 or 4 pearls that I will take away from this book for my own internal martial arts practice, and that in alone is of inestimable value... Perhaps there is no more than that, but I keep looking for a book that delves into detail about things-- from mechanics and techniques to stages of development and evolution. Cheng touches on these things in his treatises, but does not explore. In the FAQ section at the end, many students' questions seem to be striving for these same details, but Cheng's answer is "There is no more", it is complete.

That's all well and good, and it may be true. It may be that our discovery of whatever else there is must be unique and unexplained. But I still sought something deeper when finished with the book. In addition, his assertions that there is "no more" left me skeptical because his chapters on using Eastern medicine to "cure" tuberculosis were clearly based on limited insight into what TB really is. I don't think Cheng really had TB from his description. He may have had pulmonary fibrosis from a condition resembling silicosis, but not TB.

That limitation is no fault of Master Cheng, but it does unfortunately color my opinion of his insights. Is there indeed something more, just no good way to explain it or expand on it given his cultural and temporal background? I don't know.

A good book, and as a classic an important one that must be read. As much as anything, the pictures of his form were valuable. I learned a lot just studying those-- moreso than his descriptive text. In particular, the relaxation of his arms was evident, and something I still have difficulty with.

But... I kept wanting to ask him questions, and alas I cannot.
No doubt he would cuff me on the forehead and say "There is no more. Practice!" And I shall.

If you're a serious tai chi practitioner this book should be in your library. Besides the invaluable knowledge it contains, this is just a very nice edition of the work. It's the only edition authorized by the professor's estate, and contains an introduction written by his wife, in addition to the translation by master Ben Lo. The cover painting of a white lotus and samples of calligraphy by Prof. Chen are nice touches, and the book is hardback and printed on higher quality you would get in a paperback edition. And the price is reasonable given the features and overall quality of the edition.

But of course the most important aspect of the book is that it's one of the most detailed books on the practice and theory of tai chi ever written. Tai chi is composed of three main parts: the self-healing, martial, and medical (or the ability to heal others), aspects, and prof. Chen discusses all of these at length. For example, he discusses the physiology of tai chi, and how chi is transformed in the body to strengthen the muscles, connective tissue, and even bones, in greater detail than I had seen before in any other book. Numerous tai chi principles and practical points are also discussed and illuminated. There is enough material and food for thought here to reflect on for a long time, and I found I spent much time just trying to absorb the basic points, let alone the more advanced principles.

The photos of master Chen performing many of the postures and techniques and their analyses and descriptions are also very helpful. There are 37 different postures in the long form, and each one is illustrated, and the external body mechanics, internal chi process, and martial application discussed and described. It's difficult to get all of that from a single static photo, which is why I say this book is really only for the intermediate or advanced student. (I note that the although some of the reviews here have been posted for more than five years, they only have a few votes, which leads me to believe that only the most serious students obtain and read this book, and look up reviews for it on Amazon).

All is all, a true classic of the martial arts by a great master that should be read and studied by every serious student of tai chi.

This is a beautiful edition of Cheng Man Chýingýs text on Chi Tai Chýuan. There are other translations of this text available, but this is by far the best for several reasons. First, it is hardcover, and the layout is beautiful. The cover has a color print of one of Chengýs paintings, and there is an example of his calligraphy on the inside. The book is also larger than other editions I have seen, and the prints and pictures are printed larger and more clearly as well. The larger pictures of Cheng performing the Tai Chi form are especially useful. And, while this may not matter everyone, this edition of Chengýs book is also the only one authorized by his estate, and contains a preface by Chengýs wife. I highly recommend this book.

The book is very clear in its message, the treatise is awakening, making us to refresh our study in Taijiquan, and for me, especially the chapter "Swimming on the Land" is enlightening.

it's a classic. if this is your field either buy this book and keep it on your shelf, or go read it in the library.

It teaches you general methods and logic of organic synthesis. There are a lot of example about total synthesis.

This text is a wonderful insight into the mind and chemical synthetic strategies of E. J. Corey. However, it is really not a good tool for beginning students. The sections on synthons and retrosnthetic strategies are fairly useful for beginners, but the majority of the text are the examples of total syntheses from Corey's work. While these are greatly useful as an insight into Corey and complex synthesis, it is not the best book for beginning students. Too often the routes Corey uses/used involve rare and expensive reagents, seldom the first choice in most labs. Students who start with this text are often confused when approaching a problem in a more realistic (cost concerned) environment and are confused as to what should be the first attempt at a particular transformation--Corey often tells what worked without mentioning what else was tried first, suggesting to the beginning student that the route ultimately used was the first choice, which often is not the case. Long story short, for advanced students or professors of chemistry this is an ideal text, but it is not something a beginning graduate student wants to study without a great deal of other sources.

This is an extraordinarily well-written book which may be used as a learning tool for the starting Organic synthetic chemist, who, with no doubt, will enjoy himself by going through it. Many references are given after each synthesis, so that the reader can refer to specific journals and find out the actual reaction conditions that were carried out for each synthesis. Also, at the end of the book, a list of several natural products and their classical preparations are given with their respective journal citation. I believe that this book provides the organic syntehtic chemist with a feel for the area and its boundless applications and limits. I would recommend this book to anybody engaged in some kind of synthetic work, since there is good chance that this book will have the answer to some of their questions.

Organic chemists and practicing researchers would agree that this book goes hand-in-hand with Nicoloau's Classics in Total Synthesis. While the latter discusses the total synthesis of some of the most fascinating molecules from all over the world, The Logic of Chemical Synthesis is a collection of E. J. Corey's (winner of 1990 Nobel Prize in Chemistry) total syntheses. The book deals almost exclusively with molecules of biological origin.

Part 1 of the book discusses the basic concepts of retrosynthetic analysis. Subtopics include transform-based strategies, structure-based strategies, topological strategies, stereochemical strategies, functional group-based strategies, and convergence of such strategies. Many examples are provided to illustrate these strategies. Molecules shown include Longifolene, Porantherine, Gibberellic acid, Picrotoxinin, and Ginkgolide B. The strategies help generate possible synthetic pathways by logical reduction of molecular complexity. In more plain words, the section help dissect complex molecules and reduce them into smaller precursors.

Part 2 focuses on how to apply the synthesis strategies from Part 1 in synthetic methods and pathways for the construction of many complex target molecules. The syntheses combine general principles presented in Part 1 and further enforces idea of retrosynthetic analysis by showing specific examples and emphasizing on reactions of synthesis. The section breaks down into macrocyclic structures, heterocyclic structures, sesquiterpenoids, polycyclic isoprenoids, prostanoids, and Leukotrienes. The syntheses presented here might be somewhat more difficult to comprehend at first sight. E. J. Corey here presents the straightforward synthesis of molecules without any didactic explanations and comments. Unlike the Nicoloau approach in Classics in Total Synthesis, retrosynthetic analysis of these complex targeting molecules is omitted. The book also skips all the reaction intermediates and reaction mechanisms. A good way to understand the syntheses would be to go backward and make sense out of each step.

Part 3 deals with current chemical literature pertaining to multistep syntheses. The book assumes knowledge of at least one course in organic syntheses which emphasize on synthetic strategies and named reactions.

Great quality at a fantastic price! Fast delivery! Sure beats the prices at the bookstore.

I received the book a little later than I would have wanted. The delivery standards given seem to make you think that it will arrive in 2 -3 buisness day not just it will be shipped in 2-3 buisness days and arrive in 7-14 days. BUT the book was in great condition and I would purchase from the same vendor again!!!!!!!

I own several Psychology texts and this one is a useful introduction to the subject. The chapters are well organized and carefully laid out, and the information is presented in an easily absorbed format. Few people will probably find this a gripping read outside of the university, but for a textbook, it's a fine introduction to a difficult study.

This is an excellent source of information for an intro into Psychology. Text is very informative, with most of it coming from the author's personal experiences. Drs. Don and Sandra Hockenbury keep you interested throughout the text with expert writing. Recommened text for beginning Psychology students.

Anyone who is concidering a future in Psychology must pick up a copy of this book. As many books are there for General Psychology this one has got to be one the best written and descriptive books I have ever read. The chapters are carefully broken up into consecutive topics that start with the history and basic terms of Psychology and lead you to client-based pscyhoanaylsis information.

This is must have for all Psychology majors.

This book lands as a very honest reflection on the author's entry into a life of caring for street children. Presented in a diary type of reflection and remembrance it is very powerful, raw and a little "clunky" at times to read. I liked that it presents the mistakes and real experiences of working in a dangerously messy environment and that the author allows you to experience it with him without presenting a how to manual on how to do it differently, while at the same time letting me know that Relationship comes first and that warmth and not help are desired by the people in need that he encountered.

The author achieves his goal of giving a voice to otherwise invisible children. I'm grateful for their stories, saddened by them, and encouraged by God's desire for justice.

This book, When Invisible Children Sing, is a true story about a Taiwanese doctor who was living in America. He decided to help the street kids in Bolivia with his medical abilities. This book is about how Dr. Chi helps some children. You will hear of Mercedes, Gabriel, Vicki, little Rosa, and many more. One of the stories is of Danalia. She has two kids. Their names are Natalia and Maria. Maria is a 5 month-old baby. She gets very sick and needs to be taken to the hospital. Meanwhile, Dr. Chi is on vacation. Danalia reluctantly takes Maria to the hospital. Even though Maria goes to the hospital, she dies. I like this book because I like medical books and mission books. This book combines the two subjects. I would definitely recommend it because it is an excellent book; but not for anyone younger than junior high, because the book talks about sexual abuse. The content is more for older children. You don't want to miss it!

Chi Huang writes with an open heart. He shows his love for his family and the street children of Bolivia. It is apparent to the reader that his sister's death has left an impact on his life. This book makes you hang your mouth open in awe, wipe the tears from your eyes and smile with joy. Excellent!

When Invisible Children Sing is the true story of five street of La Paz, Bolivia, by Dr. Chi Huang, a doctor who traveled to work with orphans and children in need for a year. A heart-rending portrait of children abandoned and betrayed by the very institutions meant to protect them, When Invisible Children Sing describes the slow process of rehabilitation, and the shining power of hope. There are 70 million "invisible" street children in the world; When Invisible Children Sing is the story of how help was extended a few, and offers insights into how more can be given aid, one child at a time.

Dr. Chi writes an exceptionally transparent account of his own spiritual journey and personal passion for helping "the least of these". He wrestles with doubt and anger, painfully discovers the limits of compassion, and ultimately develops a successful strategy to rescue a handful of the hundreds of abandoned children from the otherwise hopeless streets of La Paz, Bolivia.

This book is a quick read, but opens one's eyes to the humanity of children and adults living on the streets--whether at home or at thirteen thousand feet in the high desert of the Andes. Neither liberal nor conservative, neither utopian nor cynical; the author offers a balanced view of reality on the streets of Bolivia's capital city without the burden of a philosophical agenda. His insights have value in understanding the plight of abandoned children around the world, and hints at potential solutions which offer hope for children like those described so eloquently in Dr. Chi's text.