Asian Books

The simplicity of the title mirrors the simple approach to what could be a daunting and challenging biography. Marcello's biography follows a straightforward timeline explanation of critical events in the life of the Dalai Lama without delving too deeply into an analysis of the issues. Even though the book follows a relatively effortless structure, the actual events of the life of the Dalai Lama are fascinating enough to quickly carry the reader through the text.
Marcello's effort to capture the Dalai Lama's inspiration, humor, and devotion is validated in her biography of his life. The clean chronology makes it very easy for a reader who knows nothing about the Dalai Lama and Tibetan customs to follow along and understand the basic principles that he has followed. Sporadically throughout the book, though mostly concentrated in the beginning, are sections dedicated to the history behind specific customs. Marcello does a wonderful job explaining the history of the Dalai Lama and the traditions that are associated with the selection of the Dalai Lama, especially since the customs may seem quite strange to most Western readers. Her biography is obviously well researched with full notes at the end of every chapter and direct quotes that help make the events more real and relatable.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the biography was Marcello's ability to intertwine the stories with the lovable sense of humor of the Dalai Lama. Each chapter is sprinkled with either a quote or situation which convinces the reader that, even though he dealt with serious and difficult issues, the Dalai Lama still was a human being at heart, one whose wit and cleverness kept him optimistic. It is an often occurrence for the reader to find him or herself smiling or laughing out loud at the comical situations described, which is appreciated, especially because of the gravity of the other events described.
Although the biography is applauded for its simplicity, it is also one of its shortcomings. Admittedly by the author, the book is aimed at a high-school reading level and has little depth when it comes to exploring specific issues of negotiation with the Chinese, or even explaining the perspectives of other players. There is very little attention to the Chinese outlook, which suggests the bias of the author. Understandably, however, it is a biography of the Dalai Lama, not the Chinese, so it is clear why there is not equal representation of ideas.
Also, one of the most difficult things to over come as a reader was the insurmountable number of strange names and places. There was a constant urge throughout the book to look at a map, yet there is not one provided in the book pages themselves. The timeline and index were helpful, but a map and a list of important names and relationships would have been even more so.
After finishing Marcello's biography, I found myself wanting to read the autobiography of the Dalai Lama published in 1990. Marcello refers to it often and many of the fun stories and inspirational quotes come from that autobiography, which creates a certain attraction to it. It would be fascinating to hear about all the events of his life from the Dalai Lama's point of view. In addition, Marcello's biography, though thorough in its descriptions of Tibetan tradition and the lifestyle of the Dalai Lama, had little description of Buddhist teachings themselves. I understood basic concepts from her text, but found it a little difficult to understand where the Dalai Lama's principles and actions were rooted from. I am glad, however, that I read this biography first. It served as a useful introduction to the life of the Dalai Lama and served to keep me interested enough to want more.

Very well researched and informative. A must read for those interested in the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama was was just a name to me. It was difficult to understand how a 3 year old child could be chosen to lead his people. This book clearly discribes the life and customs of the Tibetan people as well as the difficulties between Tibet and China in an easy to read chronological order.

This biography of the Dalai Lama was both interesting and enlightening. One of the reviews I read felt that the treatment of the Communist Occupation of Tibet showed bias. I disagree. It is evident to me that Ms. Cronin has captured the essence of a truly remarkable man who, like many others, endures despite adversity. He is clearly a holy man. He is an inspiration to us all, and what we can achieve with faith. All of these attributes, come through in this work. I am gratified that the target market, our youth, will be well served with it. Who knows, it may spark the next Age of Reason in World Affairs!
The Dalai Lama resisted oppression and unlike some of our American Academics, he doesn't apologize for it.

The Dao is perhaps on of the best philosophical books that I have ever read and it is something that everyone should read at least once.

This book has affected my way of thinking and living more than any other book I have ever read. While I feel a few things in this book are outdated and can not be realistically applied to todays world the majority of what is written has made me a more accepting person and by changing my expectations I have found that I lead a more fullfilled life.

Moss Roberts' fine translation of TAO TE CHING is one of several recent translations based upon the Ma-wang-tui texts of Lao-tzu's reflective book of wisdom. Those texts were discovered in 1973, preserved in the tomb of an official's son. That tomb has been dated to 168 B.C. (p. 4). Professor Roberts' translation also draws from the Guodian LAOZI, discovered in 1993 in a royal tutor's tomb. As such, Roberts' translation could be considered the most definitive translation of the TAO TE CHING presently available.

Roberts is a Professor of Chinese at New York University, and the goal of his work is to assist his reader in understanding Lao-tzu's difficult poem. His book includes a twenty-three page Introduction that offers the historical background of the TAO TE CHING. He then annotates his literal translation of the two-part, eighty-one stanza poem with his insightful commentary. His translation is just as scholarly as Robert Henricks' translation, more literal than Stephen Harrison's poetic rendering of Lao-tzu's TAO, and more challenging than Red Pine's excellent translation.

G. Merritt

Contains extensive introductory information, including discussion of recent archeoligical discoveries, and interesting endnotes (although I prefer footnotes - less fumbling with pages).

However, I found this translation to be a bit difficult. One of the reviewers on the back of the book refers to it as "poetic" - well, maybe; mostly I found it a bit of a struggle to make sense of it, and had to read through it with several parallel translations to figure out what Roberts was translating. However, in that situation, read with several parallel translations, this translation provides an worthwhile "spin". I find Mair's translation much cleaner, simpler, and more comprehensible. The two together are nice.

In a country where life is generally so ordered it often appears as atrophied as a bonsai,
when individual citizens go astray, they frequently go astray with a passion and conviction as dedicated to their crime as their neighbors are to pursuing the norms. Mark Schrieber's look at the dangerous and shadier faces of Japan seems to me, an American resident in Tokyo for the past 38 years, long overdue in providing readers with a better balanced picture of the world's second largest economy. Some of the stories are truly bizarre; some are frightening; some are somehow humorous or ironic. But all of them offer an extraordinarily keen insight into a society that is often praised for its
lack of crime and its stable social order. A walk on the dark side with Schrieber is an exciting eye-opener and fabulously exotic entertainment as well.

Schreiber's first book, Shocking Crimes of Postwar Japan, was not only as gripping a read as anything penned by Ann Rule or Jack Olsen, it served as an excellent corrective to the widespread notion of Japan as a society free of violence-prone scofflaws. As good as that book was, however, its follow-up is, in many ways, superior--richer in anecdote, more analytical, covering hundreds of years of history. For those readers with an
interest in Japan, *The Dark Side* is, it almost goes without saying, a must-have. But this is also a painlessly instructive volume for those with an interest in the more general, and always fascinatingly complex, subject of crime and punishment. The criminally inclined, like the poor, we have always had with us: thanks to the prodigiously well-informed Schreiber, we learn the myraid ways that one country has dealt with that unfortunate certainty.

The Dark Side is a great book for two reasons. First, it's a good introduction to the history of crime, crime prevention, and criminal justice in Japan that stretches over 400 years. Though it's not a scholarly book, Schreiber's facts are carefully researched and then presented with a light touch. This book is valuable to anyone seriously interested in Japan, supplying background and facts that can hardly be found in other sources (unless the reader wants to retrace the work that Schreiber has done). The author achieves what we look for in a good historian-he's put a human face on the facts.

The second reason I like the book is because of its genuinely interesting stories. Call me offbeat, but I'm fascinated by the details of such topics as Japan's experiments with executions (including the story of a man whose neck was so strong that he couldn't be strangled-he was pardoned because his executioners saw his survival as a sign of divine intervention). The book tells about famous bandits from 300 years ago, love suicides (and the penalties for survivors!), a Tokyo magistrate whose skill puts him in the same league as Sherlock Holmes, and the delightful Sada-san, who anticipated Lorena Bobbitt by about 60 years.

All in all, this book is a fine read and a fine work of popular history.

This book delivers handsomely on its promise to take a reader on an entertaining romp through the dark side of Japanese society. This book's got it all-sex, death, murder, gore, pathos, ingenuity, stupidity, greed, and even moments of personal redemption for Japan's criminals and criminally insane. It traces four centuries of crime in Japan and pulls back the covers on everything from cannibalism to crucifixions, phallic dismemberment a la Bobbit to serial killers, and gangsters to grisly executions.

There's plenty of new stuff here for even the most jaded Japanologist and a treasure trove of exotic and enticing stories for the Japan neophyte. Opening this book is like diving into a box of crime bonbons. Nuts, chews, soft centers, whatever. I could hardly wait to turn the page and find out what unusual fact, character, or story waited for me next. In fact, my only disappointment with the book was that the author didn't provide even more detail and analysis of some of the cases, especially those from Japan's modern period. But that's a small quibble about a book that kept me engrossed and entertained from page one to the end.

Jim Snedden has had a multi-faceted career: as an international business executive, newspaper columnist; college instructor; and a career consultant. He is intensely interested in people-watching and politics. He is presently a resident of Arizona.

Jeremy Dawkins, investigative reporter for the Chicago Tribune is out in Los Angeles visiting his friend, Bill, who has just purchased a small newspaper in Palos Verdes. Jeremy is drafted into helping out when an Asian woman and her dog are found murdered in her own driveway. Jeremy starts digging, and is able to help out by using some cross-country communications to find important sources. What he does find out is that the woman who has been murdered is not whom she seems to be. Then one of his sources is murdered, but not before he has given Jeremy the overview of the Chinese community and its underbelly:

"Cocking his head to one side, a serious expression crossed his face. 'My initial reaction is, that it will be difficult and possibly dangerous. The Chinese, the Koreans and the Japanese, all have the equivalent of the Mafia in this country. And just like the Mafia, they have ties to the homelands. They are much more ruthless and efficient than the Mafia, for they operate in a society closed to occidentals. They have never been infiltrated by the FBI, and generate no publicity.'"

Jim Snedden writes a most enjoyable and readable mystery/thriller which opens up the world of the East within the United States. Jeremy Dawkins is the quintessential newspaperman, able to piece together cause and effect with few clues, logic, and lots of contacts. His irreverent personality endears him to the reader, as he tries to wade his way through California-speak, food, and women. He is sort of a Bruce Willis of the newspaper world, and he adapts to the lifestyle of California before he notices that he is indulging in more than simply an unsolved mystery.

Death On The Hill is good, clean fun. Snedden's writing is breezy and entertaining, and it is easy to get into the flow of the story. One can almost see the bachelor pad that Jeremy and Bill inhabit in a sort of Odd Fellows way. Snedden shows us that investigating murders can be fun.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

Jim Snedden weaves an interesting tale in this first novel. Chock full of suspense as well as great characterization, Death on the Hill kept me turning the pages, building up until its satisfying conclusion. If you like a good mystery, don't miss this one!

Death on the Hill by James R. Snedden, is a page-turner. This book is fast moving with an abrupt twist in the end. It keeps you on your toes, until the mystery is finally revealed. The central character Jeremy is so real-to-life, - you feel as though you need to know more about him - maybe a sequel is following?
I suggest you purchase this book and take it with you on vacation--in my opinion Death on the Hill is well worth your reading time and investment!
Can't wait to get my hands on Snedden's next book!

James Snedden weaves an intersting tale of suspense in this, his debut novel. I found myself turning pages frantically to continue the story, and the novel held my interest right to the end. With an intriguing plot and excellent characterization, Death on the Hill starts Snedden's career with a bang, and I look forward to reading whatever he comes up with next.

This historical book provides individual, personal in depth true accounts of the Dutch and Dutch-Indo's plight during and immediatiately following Japanese invasion and internment in the former Dutch East Indies during World War II. A truly inspiring book of courage and fortitude that gives the reader an opportunity to acquire an understanding of this turbulent period of time in the Pacific theater of war. An excellent and informative read of stories that need to be told.

My family is Indo (Dutch-Indonesian), and our family history has been oral. It was difficult to relay their story to American friends who had never heard of any atrocities of the second World War other than the holocaust. As it's noted in the book, "It is unconcionable to allow future generations to forget what happend in the Indies, just as it is folly to turn our backs on the holocaust in Europe."

Memory fades fast, and it's good that this history is written down to be remembered. I'm involved with some contemporary Dutch organizations, but I look different by my dusky skin, and sometimes I think that this book explains to the "whiter" Dutch what I am, and where I came from. Forgotten or not, I'm part of their culture.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I've read enough about the American internment camps that the Japanese-Americans were held, and while there is a great deal of sympathy towards them in the United States, what the Japanese did to the Dutch and Dutch-Indonesians shouldn't be forgotten either. I sometimes wonder if it isn't known as much in the US because it didn't take place in Europe.

This book consists of eyewitness accounts of various people, mostly Dutch nationals or Dutch colonists, who were caught up in seven long years of war -- beginning with the Japanese conquest of Indonesia (then known as the Dutch East Indies), the Second World War and the subsequent revolution by Soekarno and Hatta, Indonesian revolutionaries whose drive for independence was given the blessing of the Japanese.

The Dutch received an unfortunate smear -- "Dutch courage" -- as a result of a premature surrender to the Japanese; if what I've read is true, then this smear is undeserved (particularly in light of the British surrender at Singapore). This book should go a long way to rectifying that unearned stigma.

This is history they didn't teach us in school! Jan Krancher has compiled 24 personal accounts from survivors of a brutal -and nearly forgotten- episode of World War II: the Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies and imprisonment of thousands of its people. This 3 1/2 year occupation was immediately followed by a bloody revolution and the creation of modern Indonesia.

These deeply moving stories, from civilian internees (including children) and military POW's, give the English-speaking reader a glimpse of what has been called the "other Holocaust", the brutalities of the Pacific War. You won't forget them.

If you liked the film "Paradise Road", you won't want to miss this book.

Most religous teachings have as a goal the transformation of self -- a move from selfishness, ignorance, and -- in many traditions -- sin towards understanding of reality, compassion for others, and a weakening of the bonds of ego. These goals are at the heart of Buddhism and of the Diamond Sutra. The Diamond Sutra is a seminal text of Mahayana Buddhism probably written about 350 A.D. The work is written in difficult, deliberately paradoxical terms. It encourages the reader to change his or her outlook by understanding the evanescent, changing, illusory character of what we take in our ordinary moments to be fixed reality. The Diamond Sutra tries to get the reader to let go of fixed concepts, of ideology, of selfishness, and to work towards a transformation to true wisdom and understanding and compassion for others. The Diamond Sutra also asks us to rethink our concept of a religious text. In the West, most people tend to see Scripture as specific teachings reflective in some sense of a Divine command. The Diamond Sutra and Buddhist teachings generally follow the Buddha's famous simile of the raft. The teachings are means to lead the reader to understanding -- or to the other side-- rather than ends or doctrines to be followed in their own right. When a person has attained enlightenment -- a rare occurence -- the teachings of the Sutras have fulfilled their goal and have no inherent value for their own sake.

In his study, "The Diamond Sutra: Transforming the Way We See the World" Mu Soeng emphasizes the transformative intent of the Diamond Sutra. Mu Soeng is a former Zen monk and currently is the co-director of the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, Barre, Massachusetts. His book is a valuable guide to this difficult text designed, Soeng tells us (at xi), for "serious readers of Buddhist teachings."

The book is in three parts. Part I consists of a historical and thematic discussion of the Diamond Sutra to prepare the reader for a study of the text. Soeng sets the Sutra in the context of early Buddhism with its belief in the transformative power of shamanism. He explains well, in a short space, many important concepts of Mahayana Buddhism and how it differed from what its followers perceived as the monastic, scholastic Buddhism codified in the Abidahamma texts of Southern Buddhism. Soeng also discusses the concepts emptiness, skillful means, and compassion, as exemplified by the Mahayana ideal figure of the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva takes a vow to help all beings become free from suffering before he or she passes into Nirvana.

Mu Soeng gives an analysis informed by many sources, both ancient and modern. He discusses in particular scientific developments in quantum theory and the literary philosophy of deconstruction as analogies to the teachings of the Diamond Sutra. I am skeptical of the value of these analogies and think they should be used with caution. I think these teachings, while having some relevance to the Sutra, are basically of the sort that the Buddha counseled his followers to avoid and to transform their minds instead by working towards a different, non-ideological approach to reality and to the end of the concept of self.

The second part of the book consists of a paragraph-by-paragraph presentation of the text of the Diamond Sutra together with a commentary. The commentary is basically Mu Soeng's own, informed by classical and modern texts. The third part of the book is the simple text of the Diamond Sutra, unadorned by commentary. Apparently, Mu Soeng suggests his readers approach the Sutra in a manner that follows his presentation (discussion of backround, text and commentary, simple text).

I found Mu Soeng's book helpful in approaching this text. The interested reader may wish to compare the approach of this book to the approach of Red Pine in his recent translation and commentary on the Diamond Sutra. Both Pine and Soeng emphasize the transformative power of the text. Pine has less detail on the backround of Buddhism and of the Mahayana School but he offers a wealth of classical Buddhist commentaries on the Diamond Sutra and integrates them well into his own thinking. His commentary draws much more on traditional Buddhist sources than does Soeng's.

Interestingly as well, Pine's pedagogical approach is almost the reverse of Mu Soeng's. After brief introductory material, Red Pine presents the unadorned text of the Diamond Sutra and then follows it with his detailed section-by-section commentary. Both Soeng's and Pine's approaches are insightful.

Mu Soeng's work will help the reader see the goal of transformation underlying the difficult and great teaching of the Diamond Sutra and to work towards its realization.

This is an excellent book. Mu Soeng writes with a clarity that makes very difficult concepts understandable. At the same time, he presents a work of excellent historical scholarship that will educate, inform, and even entertain those readers wanting greater depth in understanding the Diamond Sutra and Mahayana Buddhism.

When I bought this book I expected a treatise that would clarify the philosophical depth of the Diamond Sutra. I was not disappointed. Mu Soeng's explanations of the Diamond Sutra clearly explain this paradoxical sutra without trivializing the material.

I was surprised when I discovered the wealth of historical material in the book on the development of Mahayana thought and the bodhisattva ideal. Normally such material might bore me, but somehow Mu Soeng weaves an historical tale that infuses the story of the development of Mahayana Buddhism with a sense of excitement.

I have studied and practiced Buddhism (Zen in particular) for almost 30 years. This is an excellent book that should be on the shelves of anyone who wants greater depth and clarity regarding the Diamond Sutra, the bodhisattva ideal, and Mahayana thought.

The Diamond Sutra is one of the most important works in the Buddhist religion. It is one of a number of great sutras that make up what would be considered the equivalent of the Christian Bible. This sutra, like all the sutras and much of the Oriental writing such as the Bhagavad-Gita, is written in the form of a conversation . . . in this case it's written between the Buddha and , a monk by the name of Sabuthi.

Buddha is speaking to a large group of monks and others but the conversation is with this one individual.

The book is very intelligently divided into three parts. The first part consists of a history of this sutra and Buddhism in general. And it very well written.

The second part is the Diamond Sutra in a translated text and commentary and finally there is an appendix which consists of the raw text of the diamond Sutra. I find this an excellent way to put the commentary together.

While the book itself is relatively short with only 167 pages., it manages to give a tremendous amount of valuable information about this delightful sutra.

I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of historical data in this book. The author, Mu Soeng, gives a tremendous amount of historical background, as well as explains the differences in some of the various schools of Buddhism. This is most fascinating.

This material is written in a very easy to understand way and it is exceptionally well researched.

The background of the Diamond Sutra is well-documented in this book. Its relevance to the various schools of Buddhism are given quite a bit of space in the book, which I found very useful.

The second part of the book is the translated text and commentary. I had some trouble with this section. But perhaps the reason I had this difficulty, is explained by the Buddha himself who said in this sutra, "This sutra will be called the . . . The Diamond -- Cutter Wisdom That has Gone Beyond, because it has the capacity to cut through illusions and afflictions and bring us to the sure awakening, and by this title you will know it"

The Buddha also said in his discussion with Sabuthi (the monk Lord Bud dah was talking to in the sutra), that Sabuthi should know that the meaning of this sutra is beyond comprehension and discussion. He added that the fruit that results from receiving and practicing this sutra is beyond comprehension and discussion also.

So perhaps the fact that many things in this sutra were still left esoteric is because that's the way it was intended to be.

To give you an example of just one of the hundreds of areas that I felt were not commented upon enough for me understand is the following:

"Therefore, Sabuthi, a bodhisattva, detaching him or herself from all ideas, should rouse the desire for utmost, supreme, and perfect awakening. He or she should produce thoughts that are unsupported by forms, sounds, smells, tastes, tangible objects, or mind objects, unsupported by Dharma, unsupported by no-Dharma, unsupported by everything. And why? Because all supports are no supports. This is the reason why the Buddha teaches that the bodhisattva should practice generosity without dwelling on form. Sabuthi, the reason he practices generosity is to benefit all beings." The Buddha also says that there is no Dharma by which he has fully known the utmost, right, and perfect awakening. And the Dharma that he has fully known and demonstrated is neither grasped nor elusive. Therefore he teaches all dharmas are the Buddha's own special dharmas. Finally to give another example of the difficulty in understanding the sutra, allow me to quote one more time from the Diamond Sutra.

"Know, World Honored One, he does not, why? Because to create a harmonious Buddha field is not to create a harmonious Buddha field, and therefore he is known as creating a harmonious Buddha field."

Now I realized that this is written eons ago. I know that it is esoteric in nature. But I would have liked the author to explain some of these areas better. I don't feel that a person should have to be a Buddhist scholar with many years background to be able to understand this lovely sutra.

But having said that, I think the author has done a superior job in writing a book that explains the eloquence and the beauty and the deep richness of Buddhism. Further, he has described the history in such manner that it brings Buddhism alive and makes it very real for the reader.

And so if a person is either well entrenched in Buddhism of any school, or if an individual is very interested in Buddhism and wants to gain a greater knowledge of it, I highly recommend this book. It is a wonderful work and well worth reading. I would advise the reader to read it more than one time, however. Because that will be the only way that he or she is going to be able to grasp the full meaning of both the commentary and this sutra.

I would give another star to the book if only it could explain what more of the text means or even gave the reader a few options from which to choose. But this being an ancient text and esoteric at best, perhaps that can never be done.

One should be aware too that Mu Soeng comes from the Zen tradition and some of the material cannot help but be colored by that. However, I found that he did an excellent job at being objective. So people from other traditions should be able to enjoy this book as well as people of the Zen tradition.

The Diamond Sutra is the core of the Buddhist Mahayana tradition and displays the paradoxical and mystical nature of Buddhism. Mu Soeng has written an extraordinary book for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. It is transformative for readers from almost any spiritual tradation, and the most articulate and absorbing commentary on the Buddhist Mahayana tradition as well as the Diamond Sutra. Thich Nhat Hanh's commentary on the same sutra pales by comparison. The book's first section is the most elaborate and remarkable exposition and history of Mahayana available in a popular text. Mu Soeng places both Buddhism and the Mahayana tradition in the historical and cultural context of the times, showing the remarkable creativity of the Buddha's views. His exposition of shunyata or emptiness is as close to human comprehension as we are likely to get.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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LU XUN - SELECTED WORKS - VOLUMES TWO THRU FOUR

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

If you are a fan of food writing this is the book for you. From peanut butter and crackers (a story about quitting smoking)to a bowl of Philipino dog stew this book makes for a wonderful read.

Rollicking, rowdy, not infrequently ribald, and occasionally romantic --Richard Sterling takes us with him as he wanders over half the world and twenty years, eating, drinking, gathering pepper with headhunters and, er --rollicking. Lots of recipes for food and drinks and I've never had a crash with a Sterling recipe, either. You just have to admire a guy who can devise a recipe substitute for Bornean Red Warrior Ants, though he overdoes the tarragon a bit, in my opinion. (Different Warrior Ants?)

Sterling's pursuit of culinary exotica - he particularly likes spicy food - has taken him all over the world. He began his odyssey, and begins this unusual and entertaining book of essays and recipes, with his navy tour of southeast Asia during the Vietnam War.

The early essays of his youthful navy days - quitting smoking while moving nuclear missiles ship to ship during typhoon conditions, a bittersweet dalliance with a Malaysian prostitute, in pursuit of pepper among Borneo headhunters - are hilarious, moving, and riveting.

As the years pass, his travels become more food focused, and the anecdotes more general and nostalgiac. But as his knowledge of food becomes more sophisticated, so do the recipes. And Sterling remains game for anything, including fried locusts, blood soup and dog, specifically puppy. And he includes recipes for everything - with substitutions for less adventurous palates.

There are numerous mouthwatering curries, satays, stews, soups and streetfoods includng traditonal dishes like pad Thai, chile prawns, green mango salad and Cambogee beef, along with Navy classics like boiled coffee and El Rancho beef stew. Exotica includes fish grilled with large red ants and two versions of grasshopper or cricket snacks. Great stories and good food.

I've never been sure whether this was a cookbook, a travel book, or a wonderful life narrative. Or, I'm sure it's all of the above. If you love life and you love food and you love people, you have to have this.

And you really can omit the fire ants without damaging the recipe...

a must read for advanced students who need intro to saivism, spanda yoga, and such highest of disciplines for self-awareness development. excellent text for history of and clarity of teachings. top level study.

When I bought this book I have never heared of Dyczkowski and I have been very positively suprised about the quality of his understanding. He succeds explaining in a very concise manner "matters" that almost escape explications. I You are so fortunate as to experience Silence (No-thought) from time to time and would like to have some indications about the deeper misteries of our lifesource, this is an exellent book for you.

If I could have only one book to read the rest of my life, this would be it. Not only is it a rich and revealing exposition of the doctrine of vibration of Kashmir Shaivism--the most comprehensive and internally coherent non-dualistic ontology I've ever encountered, it introduces the reader to the many paths by which this ontology can be realized in one's life. As another reviewer stated, this is a book for the advanced student. Those who have only a theoretical background in Asian and/or Western thought will read the words, but have no real sense of the Reality they refer to. But seasoned spiritual practitioners will find countless rewarding insights in this text. I originally bought the book about 10 years ago, having only a slight acquaintance with Kashmir Shaivism. Since that time I have read it at least half a dozen times. With each reading I continue to be astounded at the depth and breadth of Dyczkowski's grasp of this school of spiritual wisdom. I can only assume from what he's written that he really knows, at an embodied level, what it means to walk the "path of liberation."

Ancient Kashmir was a source for both Buddhist and Hindu spirituality and learning. Many of the metaphors of the nondual awareness school were handed down to our present day through generations of mystics and scholars and provide an extraordinarily rich source for meditative expansion and stabilization. The root guru of Adi Da Samraj was Swami Muktananda, who in turn was a product of the Kashmir Shaivist school of nondual awareness. The richness of the terminology, derived from the ancient Sanskrit, is remarkable for both it's clarity and depth. These teachings are readily accessible in meditative absorption, and are a wonderful adjunct in the development, expansion, and assimilation of transcendental awareness.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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