Asian Books

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Asian Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

Is Taiwan Chinese?: The Impact of Culture, Power, and Migration on Changing Identities (Interdisciplinary Studies of China, 2)

Published in Paperback by University of California Press (2004-02-04)

Author: Melissa J. Brown

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Average review score:

Very insightful !

Helpful Votes: 18 out of 25 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-19

I'm a Taiwanese myself. Even though the content of this book is not new to me, it still provides a fantastic read for me personally and I can imagine it'd be more fantastic for someone wishing to know more about Taiwan. Because Taiwan is so isolated in the international arena, books such as this one is highly recommended for the average person. The only aspect I did not like about this book is the first part of this book's title: "Is Taiwan Chinese?". I'd just like to inform readers that all the population in Asian countries (east, north and south east) all originated from China. So basically everyone is Chinese, so it doesn't just apply to Taiwan. It is like saying: Is Australia British? Nevertheless, a rather informative book for all.

The Description of this book is Misleading.

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 22 total.
Review Date: 2006-06-24

"The "one China" policy officially supported by the People's Republic of China, the United States, and other countries asserts that there is only one China and Taiwan is a part of it." The Description of this book is Misleading.

United States acknowledged China's claim but do not agree with "Taiwan is a part of China". United states position is the resolution shall be peaceful.

Been Waiting For This!

Helpful Votes: 41 out of 50 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-01

At last, a book that covers an aspect of Taiwanese history and culture not often discussed until recent years: the Taiwanese people are a hybrid people. Many have some Plains Aborigine blood (traced on the maternal side). But, with cultural stigma, many Plains Aborigines and part Plains Aborigines forfeited their identity and were absorbed by "Han" identity. I've been waiting for a book in English to discuss this area and am glad Melissa Brown published this book.

The answers I was looking for !

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-10

If - like me - you are interested in the title's answer, Ms.Brown's is the book! Quoting some of her words: " Many events are completely unknown to us, many events are known only through extremely biased perspectives, and many events are so contradictorily reported that is difficult to reconstruct even a chronological sequence of what occurred". And - believe me! - Ms. Brown interviewed people - in Taiwan ( living there) and interviewed people - in China !!! We are talking about an Stanford University Professor. Congratulations and thanks to Amazon .

Islam in Global History: Volume Two, from the Death of Prophet Muhammed to the First World War

Published in Hardcover by Xlibris Corporation (2000-12-01)

Authors: Nazeer Ahmed and PH. D. Nazeer Ahmed

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Average review score:

Islam in Global History, Volume 1

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-25

A unique work that goes beyond the Middle East and presents a global view of the events that have shaped Islamic history.

Brilliant Insights

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-16

What I look for in a history narration is not just facts and dates, which can be found out from any text, but an evaluation, analysis, and insights. Dr. Nazeer Ahmed's text provides that and more. In vivid narrative, world history literally comes alive. As with so many histories that are missing the crucial truths of the Islamic golden age and its marvelous culture, art, and tolerance, Dr. Ahmed's telling is refreshingly original. Its Muslim perspective and clarification of many gray areas in Western history is sorely needed in contemporary discussions of Islam's past. One example of a gleaned pearl of wisdom I picked up from these books, in two volumes, is: the concept of infinity was first discovered by the Muslims, in alignment with their scripture's, the Holy Quran, definition of God as the Vast, Unlimited. No culture or peoples that did not believe in God or believed in a limited God could have discovered and understood the awesome concept of infinity. Philosophical treats such as this and brilliant insights await you in this well-written yet concise book.

good summaries plus astute commentary

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2004-07-05

The major events and major groups are presented in a logical, easy to understand format, with excellent summaries at the beginning of each chapter. Although I don't always agree with his conclusions, I found the author's explanations of why things happened, when they did, usually quite insightful and helpful.

Islam in Global History, Volume 2

Helpful Votes: 2 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-25

Together with Islam in Global History, Volume 1, this is the only book which gave me a global perspective on the events and personalities that have shaped Islamic history.

James McNair Cooks Southeast Asian

Published in Paperback by Chronicle Books (1996-01-01)

Author: James McNair

List price: $14.95

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Average review score:

Excellent recipes!

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2000-11-02

We don't go out for Southeast Asian food since starting our cooking adventure through James McNair's beautifully laid out book. This book is a pleasure to peruse as the layout and photography are beautiful. But most importantly, the recipes are right on! I've made the pork with garlic sauce, various thai currys, and the lemongrass chicken and all have turned out restaurant quality - if you are in Thailand, much better than restaurant quality if you have the misfortune as myself to be currently living in the midwest. My next attempt will be the shrimp and pineapple yellow curry - I'm sure that it will also be fantastic.

James McNair scores again...

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2000-02-11

After I got my wife hooked on Thai food she bought me a cookbook that was loosely translated from Chinese. Didn't work too well. I picked up James McNair's Southeast Asian book and love it. Like all of the other McNair volumes I own, I can start off with an easier recipe and work up to harder ones as my particular skills and confidences increase. You can't go wrong with this or any of McNair's books!

Great recipes, gorgeous photos

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2002-06-28

The day I received this cookbook I was so inspired I went out and bought all of the ingredients for and then prepared the "Thai Curry" recipe. It was excellent. I've made several other recipes from this book since and have yet to be disappointed. My family has become big fans of Asian food primarily because of my love of this book.

Be prepared to find what many inexperienced cooks may find as exotic ingredients. We're lucky to live by a huge Asian grocery store, so finding things like jasmine extract, kilfer lime leaves, fresh lemongrass, and other interesting-sounding bottled or dried flavorings was not difficult, but could potentially be.

I appreciate the sumptuous photos supplied with each recipe. Obviously there was a hefty budget for food stylists and photo shoots, but it really helps when you're trying to envision the finished product and the presentation.

Great variety, great illustrations and easy-to-follow recipe

Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 1997-11-07

James McNair's South East Asian cook book has a great selection of recipes from countries like Malaysia, Thailand,and Vietnam among others. The illustrations in the book are beautiful. Recipe's are easy to follow and very helpful. There are sections on the basics of South East Asian cooking, shopping guide for ingredients and useful equivalency tables. Each recipe is also preceded by a synopsis of the background of the dish. I highly recommend the book!

Japan 1945: A U.S. Marine's Photographs From Ground Zero

Published in Hardcover by Vanderbilt University Press (2005-02-28)

Author: Joe ODonnell

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Average review score:

Revealing Photographic History

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2006-09-15

Joe O'Donnell captured the aftermath of World War II with his photographic record of the Japanese rubble. As a 23 year-old US Marine, O'Donnell served as a photographer, and a sample of the photographs he took are included in his book, JAPAN 1945: A US MARINE'S PHOTOGRAPHS FROM GROUND ZERO. The collection is a visual snapshot of the Japanese landscape of the cities and towns, Sasebo, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, and Nagasaki, almost a month after the atomic bombings and air raids.

Indeed, JAPAN 1945 includes poignant and moving exposures of remnants of the worn torn landscape. The book is a composition of photographs of O'Donnell's seventh month long tour of the Japanese cities in which he documented what was left of the cities -- pure destruction without a living thing in sight. There are numerous shots worth mentioning, such as the boy and his young brother on the cover of the book, the boy served as O'Donnell's guide through the streets of Hiroshima, as well a man severely burned, "Victim with Rope" who is covered with an immense amount of clothing in order to protect his skin. However, there are also photographs depicting reconstruction, such as the shot where a teacher leads a class with the classroom still intact despite the outside view of the devastating rubble that lurks in the background.

JAPAN 1945 is an excellent photographic record of the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. O'Donnell's account of what he had seen has been best described not with words, but with the photographs he presents. The book may further provide a better understanding of World War II history as well as how photographs provide a template to how history is interpreted.

A Striking, Yet Poignant View of the Atomic Bombings

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-18

Photographer Joe O'Donnell, a 23-year-old Marine assigned to the occupation of Japan, has released many of his photographs that he took while on station. Locked away for some 45 years, these vivid, graphic, and moving photos show what life was like immediately after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

O'Donnell's photo archive begins with images from his arrival in Japan. A prayer service offered aboard a landing ship, and the unloading of equipment are shown in this section. The harbor at Sasebo is photographed with many American ships filling its waters, but it is in this section where the reader gets their first glimpse of the level of destruction wrought by American planes; most of the surrounding city is literally flattened. Many displaced Japanese citizens are shown wandering the streets of what has become a barren wasteland.

O'Donnell has also included images of American soldiers giving candy to Japanese children, and Japanese geishas performing dances. Images of children with babies strapped to their backs cleaning rubble and elderly displaced civilians with few or no possessions really touch the reader.

The most eye-catching part of the book for me was the images of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Both cities were literally wiped off the face of the earth; only massive piles of rubble remained. O'Donnell had to travel by horse to navigate through the massive piles of debris. Images of people wandering about aimlessly, smashed factories, and burn victims dominate this part of the book.

The most piognant pictures I saw in the book are the one of the three brothers in Nagasaki; the eldest pushing his brothers in a make-shift cart, and the most heartbreaking one, the photo of the child who has come to the cremation site in Nagasaki with his dead baby brother strapped to his back, all the while struggling to keep from crying. I can't remember seeing a more moving photograph.

This is a tremendous book. Each photograph tells its own story, and O'Donnell has provided excellent narrative above each photo. I highly recommend this fine book. Open it up and take a photographic journey through a defeated Japan. Some photos will inspire awe; others pity, and you'll get a true sense of what it was like in Japan immediately after the war ended.

Very moving

Helpful Votes: 4 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2005-04-24

Could it be that we see a photo of an 8 or 9 year old boy bringing the body of his dead baby brother to a site in Nagasaki for cremation? Could it be that this photo was taken by a 23 year old American Marine? Would it be possible that the Marine was mistaken, perhaps he misunderstood? Perhaps the baby is only sleeping. Alas, the older brother's face belies the truth as the baby's body hangs lifeless. Marine photographer Joe O'Donnell was obviously moved by many of the photos he took during his time in Japan, just after the war ended.

But it's not just bombed out cities that he shares with us. There are happier times when American GI's were talking to children, geisha and hotel maids and other slices of Japanese life that would interest most any foreigner (or perhaps today's Japanese even). We can only wonder how many other photos he has that are have not been published.

I think Japanese history is at its most interesting when it interacts (or collides) with other countries. O'Donnell shares with us images of a Japan that no longer is. Perhaps Japan never has publicly atoned for its war time actions sufficiently; but this book shows clearly that it certainly was punished sufficiently.

Striking Photos of the Aftermath of War

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2005-03-12

We've all seen the pictures of Hiroshima where everything but the shells of a few building is flattened. Here are seventy-four pictures from several cities, fire-bombed with conventional munitions, not atomic bombs, that look just as devastated, just as destroyed.

But more than that are pictures of the people. There's a picture of the crowd at an Athletic Day - women, children, and old men - the young men are gone, probably never to return. There's a picture of a young boy, perhaps eight years old. To his back is strapped his little brother, perhaps one year old. The little brother is dead and the boy is delivering him to the cremation site.

Yes the pictures from other wars, the child at the railway station after the rape of Nanking, those from the camps in Germany are equally tragic. Even the pictures showing Charleston after Sherman's army went through show this kind of destruction.

But there is a special feeling I get from these pictures. Perhaps it comes as a residual of the racial hatred this country felt towards Japan. I hope not, but the fact is that these striking photographs make me feel terrible.

Japan Style: Architecture+Interiors+Design

Published in Hardcover by Tuttle Publishing (2005-02-15)

Authors: Geeta Mehta and Kimie Tada

List price: $45.00

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Average review score:

Excellent Book worth every cent

Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-04

Beautifully illustrated with tons of large pictures of houses and gardens on every page with notes on each one. Very tastefully put together. Great style which epicts beautiful Japanese living in a more contemporary way. An excellent book for anyone wanting ideas on how to decorate their home or garden in the typical Japanese or Asian style. Also makes a wonderful coffee table book. Very pleased that I bought this.

Great Book on Real Japanese Interiors

Helpful Votes: 21 out of 22 total.
Review Date: 2005-05-22

Beautiful photos of great interiors. Mostly traditional Japanese homes as they are currently lived in. Features homes with collections of traditional Japanese crafts. Also, some modern homes designed with Japanese aesthetic. I would also recommend the book "Japanese Style".

Inspiration for western architects and craftsmen

Helpful Votes: 24 out of 24 total.
Review Date: 2006-02-25

Among our collection of a dozen or more illustrated books about Japanese architecture and design, this is by far the best. The exquisite photographs are accompanied by a thorough yet interesting explanation of the various traditional styles found in Japanese architecture.
Although the emphasis is upon traditional homes, the volume also includes examples of the adaptation of these styles to elegant homes in Japan today. Be forewarned, however, many of the homes illustrated, both very old and modern, are far more spacious than middle-class Japanese are able to enjoy, even those living in rural Japan.
When our present home, blending Japanese and Craftsman influences, is finished, we will give this book to our architects and contractor as tokens of our appreciation.
(By the way, this reviewer lived in Japan for ten years.)

Indeed an outstanding book

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-07

Like one of the other reviewers, I own quite a few books on Japanese houses and architecture. This is an outstanding example, with very beautiful high quality photography and printing, as well as a great selection of houses I have not seen before. Most are traditional, but a few are modern. I am glad I bought this book.

Japanese Detail: Architecture

Published in Paperback by Chronicle Books (2002-08-01)

Author: Sadao Hibi

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Average review score:

Japanese Detail: Architecture

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-19

My greatest source for researching detail to incorporate into my Japanese design based furniture. A wealth of images!

Simply Beautiful

Helpful Votes: 17 out of 18 total.
Review Date: 1999-07-07

If you are an architectural students or professionals, you must get this book for your visual reference. Beautiful photographs of details and traditions of Japanese architecture... you will know why it's so influential to world and modern architecture.

Excelent Book

Helpful Votes: 19 out of 23 total.
Review Date: 2000-10-11

The book is Excellent. It is filled full of high color textures. This is one wonderful reference book for anyone interested in Japanese Architecture. The book is the closest thing to actually being in Japan and looking at the architecture on these buildings.

A good taste of life

Helpful Votes: 7 out of 29 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-23

Japanese architecrure was firstly influenced American master architect----Frank Lloyd Wright,which you could occasionally find such trails of a natural simplicity acted super perfect in his mid-life works.Wright had using many of Japanese architectural tecniques within his residential projects:for example,the garden sitting,that he agreed traditional Japanese architectural philosophy-----the private garden may bestly mirrored owner's taste of life.Consquently,Wright was a picky architect that especially paying more attention on the rendering of a small enviroment.I am appreciated the choises of materials for Japanese architecture,no more greed,just got sufficient things they need,even for the palaces,still builded without any wasting,it must be hard to looking for another country to comparing with.The structures of Japanese architecture were mainly copied from China.In the same way,it added some new thing different with Chinese architecture.Like wells,beams,doors.lanterns...etc.,Japanese improved those details,and involved in their cultures.The architecture surely centered Eastern intelligence ,moreover,the love of the life.....

Japanese No Dramas (Penguin Classics)

Published in Paperback by Penguin Classics (1993-06-01)

Author: Various

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Average review score:

Profound yet accessible

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-03

As previous reviewers have observed, Royall Tyler's scholarship is always top-notch, and his efforts in "Japanese No Dramas" are no exception. Yet equally impressive in this volume is the translator's ability to so richly present the depth of the No theater in clear, concise introductory essays that preface each play while locating them within a broader historical and literary context. This feature makes the text perfect for casual readers and devoted students alike. Tyler's general introduction to the No provides a solid theoretical background for complete beginners, explaining the foundations of the art, its prevalent symbolism and themes, and text- and performance-related terminology, while the aforementioned play-specific introductions offer perceptive critical analyses that follow and expand upon current Japanese No scholarship. Also worth mentioning in this respect are the footnotes. As readers of Tyler's "The Tale of Genji" translation will recall, the author supplies a great deal of explanatory notes to the text, both clarifying less-than-obvious intended meanings and pointing out references to other works. Since intertextuality forms such a vital aspect of classical Japanese literature, Tyler's decision to document each allusion proves invaluable for readers who are familiar with Japanese canonical texts or who seek to better appreciate the literary resonance of certain recurrent images and phrases. Furthermore, considering that a few of the No plays featured in this collection are nearly impossible to understand without basic knowledge of their social, religious, or historical background, readers will find themselves most grateful for Tyler's eminently helpful (yet never intrusive) explanations.

Of course, as impressive as the scholarship is here, it would mean little if the translations of the selected plays were substandard. Thankfully this is by no means the case. Tyler's renderings of each work compare favorably with the various other translations I've stumbled across, and the language he has chosen is simple yet elegant--doubtless an apt reflection of the No theater itself. As Tyler explains, although No is essentially a performance art and as such must be experienced live to be fully grasped, this certainly does not deprive the texts of their literary value. The poetry of "Matsukaze" alone is enough to convince one of this fact, and several other plays are equally lyrical and profound in their expression.

On a personal note, I have never been fortunate enough to attend an actual performance (which are rather difficult to find outside Japan), and my interest in the No is a product of reading volumes such as this; and yet, in spite of such apparent limitations, I can claim that multiple No plays rank among the greatest literature I have ever studied. Surely Royall Tyler's fine translations and careful attention to detail are in large part responsible for this occurrence. Five stars without hesitation.

Great stuff

Helpful Votes: 10 out of 12 total.
Review Date: 2001-01-07

In college I picked up a copy of no dramas and started thumbing through. The plays really caught my attention. The plays are mostly short, and have an emotional impact. The funny thing is, in my opinon, even though these plays are ancient an canonized in Japan, to me, they seemed really off the wall and funky. These plays are easy to read and sympathetic. Not what you might be expecting if you have any prejudgements...

Noh Comparison

Helpful Votes: 11 out of 11 total.
Review Date: 2000-05-22

The significance and effect of Noh drama is roughly equivalent to that of the plays of the great tragedians of ancient Greece. Noh combines the spiritual influences of the Buddhist and Shinto religions and the Japanese flair for densely woven, yet elegantly simple, verse in haunting allegories of enlightenment. Every detail, from set construction to the ritual motions of the actors on stage, heightens the poignancy of the plots. While the text of many of the plays are only a few pages long; a performance of a Noh play can last several hours. These plays are not only touching and intensely spiritual, but also provide a valuable resource for westerners who want to understand the roots of Japanese culture.

Good research material

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2002-04-14

Tyler is known as an authority on Japanese Literature and this volume serves an excellent introduction to No drama which is quite philosophical and religious in background. Tyler includes several plays which are interesting from both an academic and asthetic viewpoint. I would like to make the suggestion to readers to look up some of Tyler's academic papers in titles such as "The Noh play Matsukaze as a transformation of Genji Monogatari" in Monumenta Nipponica. You can search in Jstor.com at your university library for his articles by author. His work in academic journals is top-notch.

The Japanese Pottery Handbook

Published in Paperback by Kodansha International (1979-09-15)

Authors: Penny Simpson and Kanji Sodeoka

List price: $19.95

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Average review score:

The Jananese Pottery Handbook

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-01

I teach pottery and always have at least one Jananese student in my class. (Some times they speak very little English)
This is the most basic pottery book. There are no color photos but what wonderful step by step instructional sketches, the sheer number of forms and different designs is truly Awesome.
This book is written both in English and in Japanese. I can't tell you how much this book has help bridge the language barrier (I speak Zero Japanese).
My students both Japanese and American love the book. Worth every penny.

great deal

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-29

This is an excellent book for the price! Simple and straight forward, it's a great learning tool and gives you some good basic info.

English/ Japanese terminology

Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-21

A very basic handbook if you are looking for pottery techniques, but invaluable for the English/ Japanese translations and terminology in hiragana, katakana and kanji for the Western potter who travels to Japan. Not many books around that gives one access to this terminology to enable one to discuss ceramics with the Japanese potter.The terminology regarding forms, descriptions, glazes, underglazes, etc are exellent, with helpfull maps on kiln sites and the different wares found in the different regions of Japan.

The Japanese Pottery Handbook

Helpful Votes: 24 out of 26 total.
Review Date: 2000-04-29

This informative and delightful book is a must for any potter. With charming and clear illustrations the authors provide information on tools, workshops, forming, decorations, kilns, etc. Even common problems are illustrated! Towards the end of the book, drawings of various forms will prove a valuable resource to many a potter. This book has become a constant reference in my own studio. Please note that two languages are used in the book, Japanese and English, accenting the visual delight of this well designed book.

Jizo Bodhisattva: Guardian of Children, Travelers, and Other Voyagers

Published in Paperback by Shambhala (2003-11-11)

Author: Jan Chozen Bays

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Average review score:

Thankyou, Roshi-san.

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2006-05-04

Having read "Liquid Life" by William R. LaFleur I was ready for a deeper study of Jizo bodhisattva.
When I first picked up Bays' book on this embodiment of compassion I expected a feel-good read. Not entirely so! The author is a paediatrician who deals with sometimes-horrific child abuse (I am grateful she said no more on this) and her husband, also a Zen priest, works with prisoners. These courageous beings themselves represent the fearless compassion that is Jizo; willing to face the most distressing aspects of human misery.
Jizo bodhisattva is beloved to the Japanese, for whom he has taken on special duties to do with children and babies who have died, and miscarried and aborted foetuses. This is a peculiarly Japanese extension of his particular concern with those suffering in the hell realms. It is in this latter role that he is best known in China as Dizang Wang, a bodhisattva who first came to light as Kshitigarbha in ancient Indian Buddhism.
All of these aspects of Jizo/Kshitigarbha's history and character are presented with a heart-felt quality such that I was both informed and moved by this book. It took me on a most unexpected journey.
I found myself surprisingly engaged by the figure of Kshitigarbha. I came to realise that Kshitigarbha had already been there in my practice as one of the Buddha's "Eight Close Sons," the main bodhisattvas in the Mahayana Sutras, in recognition of which I now practice a few additional minutes of recitation daily.
There is an inwardness that communicates itself through the images and stories that Bays presents. In Buddhist practice we seek to become that which we, cough, worship. Daily I see the disturbing reality of aging, sickness and death in my work as a nurse. Bays' book encourages me to explore the possibility of, like Jizo, engaging courageously with the distressing face of suffering.
Thankyou, Roshi-san.

What a Terrific Book

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-01

Jan Chozen Bays studied under Taizan Maezumi Roshi, one of my favorite Zen masters. She is head dharma teacher at Jizo Mountain Great Vow Zen Monastery in Oregon. Also a doctor, she devotes her "free time" towards preventing and uncovering early signs of child abuse. Which is ironic, because Jizo Bodhisattva is closely associated with children, believed to be their guardian from birth, throughout their life and after the child dies. Jizo often has a special significance for Buddhists who have either lost a child through miscarriage or at a young age.

In this book, Jan Bays offers us a fascinating history of this magnificent (and often overlooked) bodhisattva. She explains the rituals and practices directly associated with him, like ceremonies involving remembering children who have died of illness, et cetera. I have always been amazed how striking it is that this author is a person who cares for children's well being, is a Zen master, and heads Jizo Monastery. That's no mere coincidence. Jan Chozen Bays IS Jizo bodhisattva. This book is more than wonderful, it's...there is no word for it. So buy it, you'll understand. I recommend this especially to those whom have lost a child or whom are expecting one.

Jan Chozen Bays IS Jizo bodhisattva

Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-03-01

Jizo Provides a Model of Perfection

Helpful Votes: 5 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2004-09-02

Jan Chozen Bay's book on Jizo marks a pathway to the deepest aspirations of the human being and of the Buddha Dharma. Jizo may set the world standard for the Buddhist vision of a compassionate life where the seeker forgoes continuously personal salvation and Nirvana in order to serve those more needy souls.

Most Buddhists are aware of and have a close relationship to Kwan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compassion and, currently embodied by the Dalai Lama. Kwan Yin embodies the subtle touch of a thousand hands. These healing hands customize and specialize in offering compassion for the world. Kwan Yin is often pictured holding a medicine bottle and standing or sitting on top of a dragon and fire and riding the safety of a turtle in the seas of birth and death.

Jizo, the guardian deity of children, travelers and others is also the guardian of the Earth Storehouse and Hell Realm. Jizo appears in Japan as a childlike figure with a red bib symbolizing the offering to the sprit of aborted fetuses. Jizo also appears emerging from the Earth -- symbolic of our origination and our profound duty to serve our home world.

One of Jizo's spiritual missions is embodied in her simple vow -- "until hell is empty!!" This dedication is to the needs of departed child spirits, the earth itself and the most desperate souls - those in a living Hell

This mission of Jizo is profoundly transformative to the Buddhist seeker -- fearless we step forward to do our best to heal the worlds knowing that this is a never-ending journey and that Jizos' path is enlightenment itself. The Way of Jizo contrasts sharply with the many religions concerned with finding the fastest freeway to Heaven..

The Way of Jizo offers us a bold alternative view of life and full time employment. If you are ready Jizo is waiting for you in this deepest, and profoundly hopeful of books

The Kama Sutra Illuminated: Erotic Art of India

Published in Hardcover by Harry N. Abrams (2002-10-08)

Author: Andrea Marion Pinkney

List price: $39.95

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Average review score:

very beautiful!

Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-02

what a lush, beautiful, dazzling book. Very well produced with many many lush color-soaked plates of erotic imagery. There are even fold-outs of larger images.

lots of text to so you can easily grasp the concepts.

impressive!

A big, fat, lovely book

Helpful Votes: 12 out of 13 total.
Review Date: 2003-02-22

This is absolutely the finest version of the Kama Sutra available. With 224 pages and a huge page size--14-1/2" by 10-1/2", over an inch thick, printed on high quality glossy paper, and absolutely full of full color photos of erotic Indian art, including statuary and several twice-size foldouts, it would be a bargain at twice the offered price here on Amazon.

For years the Kama Sutra has been the object of admiration because of its explicit sexual content, as well as its Tantric religious application for those interested in the practices of Eastern religions. Of course many in the West have sought it out as a source of ancient pornography, but the artwork represented in this book is not as anatomically correct as that which can be found in Playboy or Hustler, and therefore is less useful for voyeuristic titillation. However, for the student of Eastern religions, especially the Tantric tradition, it will be found to be unsurpassed.

The Hindi text, both in their calligraphy and the alphabet, and fully translated into English, is beautifully done. The absolutely gorgeous large sized full-color reproductions of ancient Indian art is exquisite.

Highly recommended!

Joseph Pierre

author of The Road to Damascus: Our Journey Through Eternity
and other books

amazing! ... exotic and erotic......just beautiful!

Helpful Votes: 42 out of 44 total.
Review Date: 2002-10-18

An unbeleiveably full, large format book with the most wonderful and colorful images of erotic Indian art imaginable. This book should really be selling for $... upwards for the quality and quantity of fantastic photos and images alone. A top-quality, heavy art book, indeed.
Fold-out pages also provide large scale formats and it seems no expense was spared to create the high quality images that abound in this awe-inspiring collection of wonderful erotic masterpieces. Truly the most captivating book I now proudly own.

As a traveler and lover of all things "India", I have been waiting for a book like this for a long time to give as a gift to my husband. This is the real heart of the matter...no need to actually read the Kama Sutra when what you really want is all right here. Even without the erotic theme, this book presents some of the most wonderful art of India I have ever seen in one breathtaking book. This book is an absolute "must" for any follower of Indian art, or just anyone who appreciates the delicious and delicate sex-play and sensualities of Indian art and history. Very inspiring :), very beautiful, exotic, erotic and just plain fabulous! What more could you want? I am thrilled with this purchase..... on all levels! A+++++

Gorgeous

Helpful Votes: 9 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2005-01-16

This book is packed with beautiful illustrations. They cover every embrace, every kiss, and every acrobatic exotica in the Kama Sutra catalog. The pictures go beyond the actual text, in illustrations of groups and in groups of illustrations.

Some depictions are stone carvings from the temples at Konarak, other are more recent carvings in wood or ivory. Drawings and paintings seem to cover every historical style the sub-continent has seen since the 18th century, from stylized cartoons to realism. Color, where appropriate is vivid and well-printed. The illustrations capture many times, people, fashions, practices, and styles of dress. Where necessary, foldouts show larger views so you can appreciate the original's detail. With just a bit more organization and care with the attributions, the illustrations alone could form a serious historical document.

The only drawback to this beautiful book is the Kama Sutra - it's just not there, at least not in complete and coherent form. There are extracts, in Sanskrit, a Romanized form of the Sanskrit phonetics, in a modern translation, and in Burton's Victorian rendering. Maybe the whole Vatsyayana text is there, but it's pretty well chopped up and mixed with extensive commentary. This is about the Kama Sutra, but not a straight translation of the book.

Still, the pictures are worth it. This is a gorgeous book.

//wiredweird