Eastern University Books

Among the relatively few works available in English on the Pure Land teachings of Honen-bo Genku, this is an essential read. It could be considered a veritable manifesto of Honen's thought, particularly concerning the selection process involved in adopting Pure Land faith and practice (Nembutsu). This work is thus indispensible for anyone seeking to understand, and perhaps practice the teachings of this great pioneering Buddhist Master. This is a very accessable translation, which includes an excellent historical and doctrinal introduction, and a very helpful glossary.

After 1997, Hong Kong has become part of China. Although Hong Kong's post-1997 has stipulated that Hong Kong will operate under the "one country, two systems" principle, there is no doubt that Hong Kong has begun to integrate with the rest of China.

This fine book examines such integration from the political, cultural and social perspectives. It provides a lot of details as well as facts, and arguments are always supported by evidence.

An enlightening work!

For those familiar with the Russo-Japan War you will be very familiar with the centerpoint of the book: the battle of Port Arthur.

This book is the experiences of some of the soldiers who took part in the battle for Port Arthur. Originally written in Japanese for a Japanese audience, it was translated first in 1907 (?) and rereleased in 1920 in attempt to show the world what Japanese soldiers thought and felt regarding warfare at the time. Japan was being bathed with both admirition and astonishment for being first a nation that had only modernized a handful of decades previous (a mere 40 years) and second the only non-European nation to effectively defeat a modern power.

These are the stories of men that fought in the Japanese army during the Russo-Japan war. Reading this will give the reader a look at how Japanese fighting men saw things, and can serve as a valuable contrast to how warfare was and is viewed in the west.

Mutua's book is a must-have for those seeking to understand why a hegemonic, westernized approach to human rights is so problematic. Speaking from the perspective of an "insider/outsider" (the author is a leading international human rights scholar and activist from Kenya), he examines both the positive aspirations and contributions of human rights as well as evidence of its limitations and even dangers in practice.

Rather than embrace a strong version of cultural relativism, Mutua clearly condemns violations of human rights in both North and South. Nevertheless, he demands that human rights leaders must spend time in self-examination with regard to the history, origins, and contemporary contexts in which violations occur if abuses are to be effectively combatted.

There is much here for debate and discussion both inside classrooms and among activists in the field. Along with works by Anghie, Gathii, Rajagopal, Woods & Lewis, Andrews, Knop, Wing, and others, Mutua's book is a foundational contribution to the loose network known as the "Third World Approaches to International Law" (TWAIL) movement.

Please take the time to peruse the sample pages. They give a better overview of the book than I can attempt here. However, I learned a great deal about the influences of various iconographers and the religious reasons behind their various approaches to writing icons. While not a devotional book per se, it does contain a great deal of hagiographical information that an Orthodox would find beneficial.

Some insights that I learned in the reading:

In chapter three there is a discussion on the question of naming the saint in the icon and the need for proper, accurate representation. The author contends that after the iconoclastic period, the theology of the icon shifted to take the "power" or agency away from the image itself, the actual physical piece of wood and paint, to the one who is represented. This meant that the images had to be labeled with the saint's name to enable the viewer to communicate with the saint behind the image. I would argue that while this is true, it is not entirely true. Speaking as an Orthodox Christian, too much can be made of the label. The oil that weeps from icons heals even the atheists of diseases, without faith on their part. Likewise, speaking theologically, the basis of Christian iconography is the dual natures of Christ- fully human and fully God. Christ's universal power in the particular saints operates accordingly. The universal is given even if the particular is not understood or, perhaps, willingly approached. To a non-Christian, or even a non-Orthodox, this statement may sound ridiculous. But then again, the icons are not meant to be in museums, but rather in the homes and churches of the faithful. Icons in museums, unvenerated and without their candles, are truly fish out of water. Henry Maguire, I would say, supports this understanding in this book. On a more kitsch level, it is akin to the World Market approach to selling little Buddhas to be placed on the floor in fancy homes.

I chapter four there is an interesting analysis of the use of detail in painting with the curious observation that "the less the important the imagery, the richer it could be in detail, and conversely, the higher its status, the more it should be deficient" (166).

This book reaffirms that while secular art has its own philosophy, Orthodox iconography must be approached from its own unique perspective.

Another highly recommended work on Iconography is the beautifully bound and illustrated "The Resurrection and the Icon" by Quenot. Very well done!

The volume entitled "Ideology, Politics & Diplomacy in East Central Europe" and the essays contained therein were intended by the editor to be a gift to Professor Piotr Wandycz, who had recently retired from his position as the Bradford Durfee Professor of History at Yale University. The editor and each of the contributors earned their doctorate degrees from Yale under Wandycz's tutelage and are now presently in academia. Wandycz, of course, is deserving of such a tribute because, as the editor, M.B. Biskupski so eloquently puts it, "Wandycz has striven , with unmatched success, to make the history of East Central Europe... comprehensible to the English-speaking scholarly world." It should also be noted that the editor and each of the contributors are first-rate scholars and, as a result, the field of East Central European history is the richer for their contributions. There is also a foreword by Antony Polonsky detailing the contrbutions and accomplishments of Professor Wandycz.

The essays are organized chronologically beginning in 1860 with a comparison of Czech politics in Bohemia and Czech Politics in Moravia and ending with 1967 with an examination of the so-called "Ulbricht Doctrine."

The first essay, "A Comparison of Czech Politics in Bohemia with Czech Politics in Moravia, 1860-1914" by Bruce Garver tracks the development of party politics in the two regions between 1860-1914 and that development was influenced in part, by the varied levels of industrialization between the two regions. Ultimately development trended towards cooperation between parties in Bohemia with their counterparts in Moravia.

In the essay "The Wartime Relief of Beligium, Serbia and Poland," the editor, M.B. Biskupski contributes a cogent and intrepid analysis of the disparity of relief offered to Belgium on one hand with the relief offered to Poland and Serbia during World War I. Biskupski evaluates a number of roots causes and motivating factors as to why Belgium received the lion share of relief efforts. What emerges from Biskupski's analysis is an amazing review of ideology, geopolitical considerations and Allied grand strategy.

Neal Pease's "This Troublesome Question: The United States and the 'Polish Pograms' of 1918-1919" is a fascinating essay on the reputed "Polish Pograms" in which it was alleged that the Poles were executing a number of Jews and the "Morgenthau commission" sent by the United States to invesitgate. Whether true or not, the effects on the newly created Second Republic were great damage to the reputation of the fledgling republic and the inceasing geopolitical isolation of the fledgling republic.

William Blackwood's essay, "The Socialist Imprint on International Relations in Interwar Europe" is an in-depth view of relations between the various socialist parties of Europe. The net effect of these relations had a significant impact on the signing of the Treaty of Locarno which had offered France security of its borders and recognition of its possession of Alsace-Lorraine. It is also widely accepted, however, that Locarno was also an inviation to Germany to revise its eastern borders.

Steven Bela Vardy's essay, "Hungarian Americans During World War II: Their Role in Defending Hungary's Interests" tracks the difficult position Hungarian Americans were placed in by Hungary's (begrudging) cooperation with Germany during World War II.

Anna Cienciala's essay "The Nazi-Soviet Pact of August 23, 1939: When Did Stalin Decide to Align With Hitler and Was Poland the Culprit" is a quite lengthy piece which provides unimaginable depth to the question posed by the article. Cienciala's work is incredibly detailed and to say that she examined, day by day, the culmination of relations that led to the Nazi-Soviet Nonagression Pact (together with the secret protocal for the partition of Poland) would not be far from the truth.

Douglas Selvage's article "Poland, the GDR and the Ulbricht Doctrine" is a concise analysis of what came to be known as the "Ulbricht Doctrine" and in that analysis shows how that doctrine really represents a compromise of interests between East Germany, Poland and the Soviet Union.

The essays are extensively footnoted and there is also comvenient index.

I borrowed this with the intention of taking it with me the next time I go to Cairo but the book is a great reference even if you have no intention of visiting the Coptic Museum. Illustrated with photographs, the guide is a window on a world that most tourists to Egypt are unaware even exists.

The Coptic Church is one of the oldest Christian communities in the world. It has survived repression under the Roman emperors, the Islamic invasion, wars, famines and various anti-Christian pograms. Today Copts are 9 million strong in Egypt, and yet are invisible to the world media.

The Coptic Museum in Cairo only recently reopened after damage caused by an earthquake in the 1990s and decades of neglect prior to that. At the very least this guide is an excellent eye opener to a history and culture that is seemingly invisible to the outside world.

The thesis of this book revolves around the notion that Buddhist literature (the Manimekalai and the Viracoliyam specifically) molded and created the Buddhist communities in which it was popularized, versus the communities creating the literature to fit their particular social and religious situations. This is more of an academic work than a book to read for fun.

Engaging read from start to finish. I saw Mr. Hayter-Menzies do a book presentation and signing at the Freer Gallery at the Smithsonian, bought the book on the spot and read it immediately on the flight back to California. Hard to believe Der Ling not only survived, but thrived in this time period with such a before-her-time, women's rights attitude in Chinese society, not to mention French and American societies where women weren't supposed to be self-sufficient and bold. You could almost credit her with the popularity of compact, personally owned photo image cameras - Kodak should have paid her a commission or marketing fee. I'm also amazed that Der Ling was able to "pose" so readily as "Chinese royalty" and got away with it for so long. The fact that she did "live" the true life of a Chinese Princess within the royal court made her books, lectures and performances accurate, entertaining and believable - so I guess her audiences must have been captivated by her stories. If Bush can pose as a president, why couldn't Der Ling pose as a royal Chinese princess? Absolutely a must-read for anyone interested in Chinese culture and world history in general.

I cannot believe that I am the first one to do a review ofBernard Crick's great masterpiece, "In Defense of Politics."This is a honor that forces me to question my worthiness. Crick so aptly understood that the aiming for a kind of absolutist perfection in any human relationship is dooming oneself to inevitable bitter disillusionment. This may especially be true within the political sphere. Those who indulge in a virtual cult of adoring specific "great men" totally misunderstand the goal of politics. Democracy can never be more than an attempt to search out a workable compromise between disagreeing citizens. A certain agnosticism concerning one's position is often required; a dogmatic true believer mentality may indeed become dangerous and threaten the very tenuous underpinnings of our governmental institutions. We must indeed strive to improve our political process. It is even a moral obligation to do so. Nonetheless, The search for the perfect and virtuous leader to give one's unhesitating allegiance and adoration has always resulted in a hell on earth.

The political process is often yucky, disappointing, and after much effort may leave one at best with a half a loaf result. It has been said that there are two things someone with a weak disposition may wish to avoid---viewing the processing of sausage and the making of human law. Am I a cynic and possessing a defeatist attitude? The answer is an adamant no! On the contrary, Crick and I recognize the glorious possibilities of an evolving civilization premised upon frail and imperfect human beings. It takes incredible physical, intellectual and moral diligence to bring about viable human relationships of any sort. What we have so far accomplished in Great Britain and the United States is of mind boggling beauty and structural effectiveness. Bernard Crick understands the limits of politics and that a democratic society deserves two cheers, not three. Winston Churchill paradoxically said it best--democracy is usually disappointingly awful--it's simply better than all the other political systems devised and implemented throughout human history.