China Books

Spring Pearl is a 12 year old girl who likes gardening. But now that her parents have died she must move in with her dad's rich friend Master Sung. But this way of life is much different then her life in the rats nests, (where she used to live was called the rats nest). Will the Sungs ever except Spring pearl in there life, that is one thing that you will learn in this book after all the tragic events that the book will tell you about!

I think Spring Pearls story is great for all ages. But even if there is a girl on the cover, i think this book is good for boys to, because it is a story of adventure!!!

By Elayna B

Chou Spring Pearl is a twelve year old girl growing up in Canton, China in the year 1857. She has just found herself an orphan. Spring Pearl goes to live with her father's friend, Master Sung, a rich scholar. Master Sung lives in a huge house in the very nice part of town. Spring Pearl has lived all of her life in the Rat's Nest of China (the run down part of town). Now that she has come to live with them they want to change her apperance which includes everything from her hair, which is done in a out of date style, to her feet, which seem to be a couple sizes to big. With all of this going on, Spring Pearl can only say that she has one good friend, Doggy. Doggy is a servant in the Sung household. Probably one of the strangest things of the time was that Spring Pearl was smarter than alot of the boys her age, even though she did not attend school and she doesn't care what other people think of the way she acts. Will Chou Spring Pearl be able to adjust to the new life changes or will she keep her differences? Find out for yourself.

I really enjoyed the book it really gave me an incite into the life of a girl in China during the "Opium War". I just could not put the book down. The author uesd exquisite details. Another really good book in the series, that you should also consider reading, which is not a book about a chinese girl but it is about a girl growing up in England in 1592. This book has alot of the same views. The name of the book is Isabel: Taking Wing by Anne Dalton

My mother reads everything I read. As a children's librarian, I have access to wonderful Newbery winners for ages 9-12, at least that is how they are labeled. My mother initially poohed-poohed the notion of reading children's literature until she discovered first the Royal Diaries, and now American Girl's series, Girls of Many Lands. These are her favorites and she has read all of them. After reading my first one, "Spring Pearl: The Last Flower," I totally agree. Laurence Yep, Chinese by ancestry, but totally American by birth, is the author and a celebrated one.

The American Girl franchise is responsible for an incredible array of books, games, coloring books, theatrical sets, dolls, and more for girls. The stories of the first five girls are about European descendants. Next came the other racial groups important in establishing the new country: Addy, a slave who is freed, Josefina, who represents the Spanish settlements of the West, and Kaya, the native American already here. Now the latest series is about girls of other countries in pivotal time periods.

Spring Pearl is a young Chinese girl, living in the 1850's in Canton, a harbor town. The historical framework is the second Opium War staged by Britain against China to force sales of opium and open China's markets to foreign imports. China's outdated military and weaponry are a poor defense against the great aggressors of the West.

Amidst rumors of war Spring Pearl must pack her few possessions to make the short trip to Master Sung's estate, where he will provide a home for his deceased friend's daughter. Both of Pearl's parents, now dead, were gifted: her father a painter and translator--a scholar, and her mother a very fine seamstress and embroiderer. Pearl herself is gifted with languages, writing, gardening, and most of all as a skilled marketer.

Pearl is also one of those people who make friends everywhere except with Mistress Sung and her daughters and female servants. With them it takes time and circumstances. The Sung's gardener had been gone awhile when Pearl arrives. Pearl is distressed at its condition, knowing the calming effects a garden can have on one's soul. Planting the camelia (her namesake) from her mother's garden and reviving the Sung garden are but two of the many feats Pearl accomplishes for this family. The key to her success is the fact that her parents raised her with no restrictions. Pearl was free to learn and explore.

All the things she does are yours to read. A little Chinese history and culture are yours to read. If an 86-year-old avid reader of Bibles and theology, thrillers, and historical fiction says, "I love these little books," then you know this is a winner. In fact, get a copy and read it to your children. It's that kind of book! Explore a little Chinese history together!

My 11 year-old daughter loved this book. She raved so much about it, I began to read it. From the very first page, one is drawn into the story of this very likeable girl. I highly recommend it.

The year is 1857. While other children are preparing themselves for the upcoming Moon Festival, twelve-year-old Spring Pearl is mourning the death of her scholarly parents, and packing her belongings to make the trek to Master Sung's home, where she will live with his family until she can find better accommodations for herself. However, while Spring Pearl is mesmerized by the lavish living of Master Sung, and his family, she can't help but miss her family's tiny cottage by the river, where she spent hours watching her handiwork in the garden flourish into a floral haven. Here at Master Sung's home, the garden has gone to pot, and all that remains are long, sharp weeds that sprout up every which way. Spring Pearl is supposed to be a guest in the Sung household, but Mistress Sung views her as nothing more than an orphan - one who would be better suited as a male, instead of a female, given the fact that she can read and write, but can't stitch to save her soul. She instantly begins treating Spring Pearl as one of the help, and allows her daughters - Miss Emerald, Miss Willow, and Miss Orion - to refer to her as such. Luckily, Spring Pearl finds solace in the form of Doggy, one of the Sung's hired help. Doggy is her age, and respects her, along with her tomboyish ways. However, when the Second Opium War begins building within the walls of Canton, China, and Master Sung is taken away for being a traitor, the only person there to help hold the family together is Spring Pearl. Together, she and Mistress Sung attempt to hold the family together, and keep it from going bankrupt. But as the French and British military begin to invade, the family begins contemplating whether an escape from within the walls would be safer for them all. It is only with Spring Pearl's "swamp-rat" ways that the family may be able to survive, and rescue Master Sung once and for all. But for that to happen, they must unite as one, and put their differences aside, in an attempt to come out on top and defeat their enemies.

I have read very little historical fiction revolving around China and the mid-1800's. However, from page one of SPRING PEARL: THE LAST FLOWER, I was drawn into the world of Pearl, and the somber cloud hanging over her as she attempts to ingratiate into the Sung household, and find her place among semi-royals. Laurence Yep has given Spring Pearl a strong voice, combined with vivid descriptions, as well as a brave heart and soul. Her intelligence during a time when female's were held down, and encouraged to obey their elders, as well as their male counterparts, is a wonderful thing to witness. Not only does Spring Pearl have the knack for reading and writing, but she has a talent when it comes to tongues, and the quick wits to bargain with just about anyone she comes in contact with. While it is sometimes tragic to witness the interactions Spring Pearl must hold with Miss Willow, Miss Orion, Miss Emerald, and even Mistress Sung, it is always entertaining to see the amazing way she holds her own, and manages to keep her cool, even as she is called names, and put-down. Spring Pearl is a heroic character, who will instantly win a place in the hearts of female readers, especially as she demonstrates her ability to overcome any obstacle she may face. A tale that flourishes like a lone camellia from beginning to end.

Erika Sorocco
Freelance Reviewer

This is a great book. It describes the slow descent of humanity into an abyss.

Pin Yathay's biography is a unique dramatic and shocking report on the Red Khmer regime in the 1970s in Cambodia.
It contains an excellent first-hand account of the disorderly evacuation of Phnom Penh after the Red Khmer victory in the civil war. After the evacuation, the whole country was turned into an experiment of totalitarian economy (no money, no private property, spying on everybody). The main ideological aim was equality at any cost, not freedom, except naturally for the members of Angkar (the Organization) themselves.
The whole system resulted in murderous labour camps with hundreds of thousands of deaths from hunger, exhaustion, torture and summary executions of 'enemies' of the system. A terrible shame for humanity and for the ideologically pure left.

The escape to Thailand reads like a nail-biting but bitter thriller. It was a real and, for some family members, deadly escape, not fiction.

Apart from its uncontested historical value, this book should be read as a warning against the madness of pure ideologists, who, once in power, accept without the slightest remorse millions of human casualties in order to implement their maniacal policies.

For a more political (national and international), economical and social analysis of the Cambodian history and the Red Khmer regime, I recommend the works of David P. Chandler and Ben Kiernan, as well as William Shawcross's 'Sideshow'.

this book should really help all of us appreciate our lives. It is amazing what he and his family went through! I could not put this book down! BY the way, does anyone have any recent info on the author? It would be interesting to see what he is up to now, and how his life is going, and if he ever contacted his son Naweth, or obtained any information.

This tragic biography traces the story of an educated man and his family in Phnom Penh. Subjected to the indescribable barbaric cruelty that the Khmer Rouge inflicted on its own countrymen, the writer provides the reader with their sense of hopelessness that gripped their nation less than 30 years ago. His hardship and ultimate triumph is the very definition of human survival and the will to survive. Anyone wanting to gain a better understanding of the plight of the Cambodian people under the Khmer Roughe MUST read this book. I can guarantee that when you finish reading this book you will undoubtedly take a moment to think about humanity itself.

Pin Yathay's amazing account of his ordeal under the Khmer Rouge is truly unforgettable and deeply moving. He was a successful engineer who had gone to college in Montreal and had a big happy family in April of 1975 when everything about his world changed forever. At first he and other members of the family didn't believe that anything was going to happen with the new rulers in power (after all, he had supported the Khmer Rouge against the opposition leader Lon Nol and believed they would give Cambodians a better life). Even when they were forced to evacuate Phnom Penh soon after the takeover of power, he didn't believe that anything horrible would happen to them. Most of the people forced onto the road believed that this would merely be a temporary evacuation and that before long, once the political situation became stable, they would be allowed to return home and be put to good use working for the new regime.

It wasn't long before the true intentions of the Khmer Rouge became known. In their ruthless fanatical quest to purgue the nation of anything smacking of the old regime, they took away anything deemed to be "imperialist," even something like the registration for a car, a pair of glasses, or certain types of clothing. Their hatred of all things "imperialist" was so irrational and fanatical that they would even throw away or destroy things like cars or foreign money, things that could have been very useful to them in their position of power or quest to supposedly reform the country. Although Thay hid his true background from them, fearing execution or imprisonment if they knew how high-ranking he'd really been, he and his family were still deemed "New People" (as opposed to the "Ancients," or peasants, who were left alone because they hadn't lived or worked like "imperialists"), and therefore sent from work camp to work camp in the forests and jungles, made to work the land and do other backbreaking hard labor. Hunger, disease, and fatigue soon began to take their toll on the people in these work camps, and before long only he, his wife Any, and one of his sons were left. He and his wife made the incredibly difficult decision to leave their surviving child Nawath behind in a hospital, in the care of an older woman who promised to look after him, so that they might escape and live, and then one day be able to return to Cambodia to look for him.

The account of Thay's arduous trek through the jungle and into Thailand is incredibly powerful and compelling, a true testament to the will to survive. After he was left alone, he knew he had an obligation to all of his lost loved ones to live, to testify to the world about what was happening in Cambodia, so that their deaths would not have been in vain. It gave him the courage and strength to live even after he ran out of lighter fluid and food supplies and had to resort to eating the raw meat of animals such as tortoises and bats, and to escape again after being recaptured by some Khmer Rouge near the border. And all along the way, the dying words of his father, ordering him to stay alive, urged him on even when succumbing to the elements or his hunger and fatigue might have been a welcome relief. This book is both excellent history and a moving story of survival against the odds, and, when it comes to books about this era in Cambodian history and this particular genocide of the 20th century, is as good a place to start as any.

This is one of the book that had been recommended by the teachers of school of foreign service,National university of Mongolia. Full of true facts and information that people who are in the field of mongolian studies shall have this book.

Baabar's Twentieth Century Mongolia is one of the best books ever written on Mongol history. This is the sole available work that not only deals with Chingis-Khanite period till modern day Mongolia, but is also written by a Mongol person. The book would be a great help for one who is doing a research on Mongol history and people. Not only a great writer, Mr. Baabar is a leading democratic revolutionist and a respectable politician in our country.

This book is one of the best history books i've ever seen. You guys should take a good look on it in order to achieve core elements about Mongolia. This book will help you to know what exactly Mongolia is and Mongolians are.

IF you are interested in Mongolia's early history (Genghis, Ogodei, Kublai, the Mongols, etc.) this isn't the one you would want. However, this book has lots of information from beginning of 1900s to 1945.

Baabar's Twentieth Century Mongolia is one of the best books ever written on Mongol history. This is the sole available work that not only deals with Chingis-Khanite period till modern day Mongolia, but is also written by a Mongol person. The book would be a great help for one who is doing a research on Mongol history and people. Not only a great writer, Mr. Baabar is a leading democratic revolutionist and a respectable politician in our country.

This is the only introduction to Tibetan Buddhism I've read which avoids the speculation or downright mystification which most writers on Tibetan Buddhism seem to be unable to do without. The Buddhist path as practiced in Tibet by the four main schools is set out very clearly, and comes across as a logical extension of the teachings of Shakyamuni. The fundamentals are set out in a traditional fashion by Lama Jampa Thaye, with the minimum of interpretation. There is a refreshingly honest review of the main exponents of Tibetan Buddhism in the West, and a question and answer chapter in which the teachings discussed in the earlier part of the book are addressed to Western concerns. A great way in.

Way of Tibetan Buddhism is an excellent overview of the Buddhist path. Lama Jampe Thaye clearly shows how the different level of teachings within Buddhism relate to each other. It also contains a comprehensive history of all the schools of Tibetan Buddhism. Lama Jampa Thaye writes with a great understanding of the difficulties facing western people approaching the practice of Buddhism and explodes many of the misunderstandings and misconceptions prevalent in the West today. I found his style both direct and approachable and thoroughly inspiring. I recommend Way of Tibetan Buddhism as an invaluable resource for anyone interested in Tibetan Buddhism.

This book is so clear and precise... It is most certainly the best introduction to Buddhism I have ever read. It is very rare to find an exposition on the subject written by such a highly qualified author, which lacks any controversy. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the Buddhist tradition in general and in Tibetan Buddhism in particular. Much, much better than all the other items in this category!

Lama Jampa Thaye's book is scholarly, comprehensive and above all crystal clear. The author begins with a valuable history of Buddhism and it's journey from India to Tibet and then proceeds to examine the fundamental stages of the path to enlightenment in detail, starting with Refuge and dealing progressively with the Three Vehicles. The section on vajrayana dispels the fog of misinformation and inaccuracy that can confuse and bewilder the newcomer to this vast and profound subject and is particularly useful. A central theme of the book is the significance of the teacher in Tibetan Buddhism and the importance of receiving the teachings from an authentic lineage. The book finishes with a description of the four main schools of Tibetan Buddhism and a very helpful Question and Answer section. This is, in my opinion, the best introduction to Tibetan Buddhism available and is essential reading for anyone seriously interested in practicing the dharma.

This short book offers a concise introduction to the tenets of Buddhism in general and to Tibetan Buddhism in particular. Beginning with a brief outline of the life of the historical Buddha, English scholar and Tibetan mediatation practioner Dr David Stott (writing here under his Buddhist name, Lama Jampa Thaye) leads the reader through the historical and philosophical development of Tibetan Buddhism.

Written in unpretentious, everyday English, Stott stays on topic and, except for a lengthy middle section readers already familiar with Buddhism might like to skip, presents in less than 150 pages a succinct oultine of what makes Tibetan Buddhism unique as well as to what separates Tibetans in matters of Buddhist philosophy.

Tibetan terms are not overused and are explained as they are introduced. A glossary is provided but unfortunately a guide to pronunciation is not. Also available for your edification are the author's opinions on theism (you cannot practice Buddhism and be a Christian, Jew, Muslim or any other kind of theist), reincarnation (which he claims is the conerstone of Buddhist philosophy and without which the entire system would collapse), and orthoxody (anyone wishing to be a Buddhist must accept it whole, the complete 2500 year accretion of study, practice and tradition).

Having had the privilege of communicating with the author and learning of the experiences of others who have adopted, I can tell you he speaks from the heart of a loving parent. It matters not that his daughter is not "biological", it matters that he loves her as a father should love a child, and it is evidenced in this simple yet beautiful story of parents for their adopted child. In language the youngest of children can grasp, it explains that a parents' love isn't dependent on any aspect of their children--their race, color of their hair, shape of their eyes, abilities or lack of them--that a real parent loves their child. Period. A must-read for adoptive parents, adopted children, and those outside the process who question how someone can love a child "not their own".

I don't own this book, but I looked at much of it through the Search Inside feature and I think it's absolutely precious! The idea of two brown bears with an adopted panda bear, I mean, how CUTE is that! The idea is clever and adorable, and so are the pictures. I know any child, adopted or not, would love this charming story.

This book started out as a bedtime story for my daughter, Julianna. She was born in Anhui, China in 2003 and my wife and I adopted her at 9 months old. The book is a subtitle and positive adoption story about a panda bear that is looking for her real parents. By the end of the book she discovers that her parents are her adoptive parents because they love and care for her.

This is a great book for adopted kids and adoptive parents. I think it will help us with any insecure feelings we as adoptive parents have about not being the "real" parents, or worrying about our adopted kids not seeing us as the "real" parents in the future. There was a great need for this book, and we're so glad it was out there!

Around the same time that we were nearing the final stages of the horror film compendium that we were collaborating on, HORROR 101: The A-List of Horror Films and Monster Movies, Mr. Fuller shared his POLLY PANDA book with me. My girlfriend - who has an adopted brother from Vietnam - read it over my shoulder and by the time we had finished, was weeping tears of joy. "He really gets it," she said, and I couldn't agree more. Danny has managed to distill what it really means to be a family - that it is LOVE rather than blood that creates the connections that last. There is handmade charm to the illustrations and the simple storyline mines deep emotions and should spark conversations between parents and their children, as well as promoting understanding for youngsters when they see that their friends' parents look "different" than they would have expected.

I can't recommend WHO ARE MY REAL PARENTS? enough.

Good lesson for children with vibrant, moving illustrations. It's nice to show that boys can have girl-friends at a young age.

This book was read to elementary students grades k-6, every one of the students loved this book and requested it be read again the very next week. We discussed the pictures (first gray and then color when playing and at the end), the connections with siblings and finally friendships. I highly recommend this book.

19 Girls and Me is a story of a kindergartener named John Hercules Po who finds himself in a class of nineteen girls. He is the only boy. His brother worries that he will become "sissified" from playing with all of those girls. In the end, everybody realizes that playing together can be a lot of fun.

19 Girls and Me is a delightful story that shows kids that it is okay for girls and boys to play together. Girls won't become tomboys just because they are playing with boys, and boys won't become sissies just because they are playing with girls. Everyone can get along and have a good time.

My five-year-old daughter likes this story. She also enjoys looking at all of the details in Steven Salerno's playful illustrations.

19 Girls and Me is a story for both girls and boys. Kids will enjoy reading about the wonderful adventures John Hercules Po and his new friends have at recess each day. In addition to a great story, there are glimpses into places around the world that may teach kids a thing or two. This is a book that kids will enjoy again and again.

I love this book for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that my daughter, in first grade, totally digs the story of John Hercules Po and his adventures with his 19 friends in Mrs. Ray's Kindergarten--19 friends who just happen to be GIRLS! The repetition is fun, and the imaginative adventures that the kids think up delight both of us! I've already taken the book to school twice and read it in a few different classes, and the kids eyes are big--and their smiles are bigger--as I regale them with the developing friendship between John Hercules Po and his 19 new friends! The book imparts an excellent message without clobbering the reader over the head with it--nicely done! Salerno's illustrations add to the fun!

If you've dreamed of sailing in a lovely wooden ship around the world and exploring strange new land, be advised one emperor of early China dreamed of just such adventure - and achieved it! Years before European ships rounded the tip of Africa. "Adventures of the Treasure Fleet: China Discovers the World" is a picturebook recounting the true story of Admiral Zheng, who sailed on seven far-reaching expeditions five hundred years ago, at the behest of the Chinese emperor. Zheng's exploits fighting pirates, discovering new lands, and captaining the legendary "Treasure Fleet" make for a rousing adventure. Admiral Zheng He and his fleet of 'treasure ships' embarked on 7 different expeditions that sailed further than any thought possible - and continued the journey for over 28 years. Finely drawn and colorful pencil drawings by Singaporean artist Lak-Khee Tay-Audouard illustrate this amazing story, told in narrative format with additional historical facts mentioned at length on the bottoms of the pages. Highly recommended for public and children's library collections.

This beautiful, engaging book delighted my 6th grade history students! The art work is detailed and gorgeous. There are 2 stories told here. One is historical fiction. It tells of the adventures of the Chinese Admiral who set out to explore for his emperor. The bottom boarder of each page contains the historical information related to each fictional page.
My students enjoyed spening time examining the beautiful, detailed artwork on each page.
The artwork alone would hold a younger child's attention as the story was read aloud by a parent or teacher.
What did I love most about this book? It inspired my students to ask questions, make connections and have conversations about ancient history!

This is a treasure of a book, with lively text and illustrations geared to pull the young reader into the world of yesteryear and many of its ancient cultures. In 1405, Admiral Zheng He led his fleet to an amazing number of ports around the world, creating trading routes and opening opportunities for modern commerce. Blended in are explanations of China's early inventions, boat building, the magnetic compass, navigation techniques, how to create diplomatic bonds with strangers, what was traded and how global trade developed at the hands of the Chinese and their partners, and more.

Bowler's roots as a teacher are on display. The reader is seamlessly transported into an ancient world, and made to think about how incredible these accomplishments must have felt to people without the modern conveniences we all take for granted. How to communicate among all the ships, navigate stormy waters, fight off pirates, and make friends with strangers in a language you do not share? Bowler entices her readers to think about how amazing all these accomplishments were.

Intricately detailed art work helps the reader visualize every day life, as well as different cultural characteristics of Africa, India, Siam (now Thailand), what we now call the Middle East, and of course, China. The artist shows homes, dress, animals, musical instruments, dinnerware and vases, food, plants, places of worship, boats, traded goods of different countries, and much more. The map at the end of the book helps the readers grasp the magnitude of the 35,000 miles of oceans traveled.

This book tells the story of many fantastic voyages of a visionary explorer in a way that should catch and hold the attention of the reader. What a terrific way to introduce an important piece of our global history and culture to primary and secondary school readers - as well as their parents!

ADVENTURES OF THE TREASURE FLEET is much more than a picture book. It is a chapter in world history--85 years before Columbus--that is rarely told. How have we missed the 6'tall Admiral Zheng He's incredible voyages in 300 huge Chinese ships, each the size of football fields? And pirates too! Ann Martin Bowler's detailed research and Lak-Khee Ty-Auduoard's wonderful art have made history an exciting adventure!

This beautifully illustrated and written book opens American children's eyes to a fascinating epoch in Chinese history--the great sailing of the "Treasure Fleet" on its several voyages all through Southeast Asia, India, the eastern coast of Africa, and all the way to the Red Sea. Not only does it open a window onto China's rich history, it also provides an excellent geography lesson (thanks to some beautiful maps). Adults will enjoy reading it as well, especially since a "grown-up" history of these voyages is provided at the bottom of the pages. A superb effort!

Beautifully illustrated, delightful and extremely informative. This book is a marvelous supplement to the typical art history text books.

This is a challenging work.

He realizes 5 standpoints. He writes "What is historically called art in China, by whom and when?". Really, I feel it rather reflect unconscious attitude of 20th century collectors and scholars.

Art in the Tomb /Art at Court/Art in the Temple/Art in the life of the Elite /Art in the Market-Place

Following recent searching environment of artifacts; lifetime of painters, art-market, patrons, etc., as "Painter's Practice" by J.cahill, Mr. Clunas searched relations of arts-makers and the society. This approach is interesting and very suggestive. It may be the first try among such cheap and popular books about "Arts in China". For such character, I feel it should not be an elementary textbook.

Calligraphy was more focused than M. Sullivan's book"The Arts of China" in the chapter "Art in the life of the Elite". Short columns explain words and technical terms vividly. It is worth to buy it only for them. Bibliographical essays(231-237 p.) are very useful. Plates and figures are all fine. There is few inadequate item. Fig 83 and 87 shows as we appreciate in museums, i.e. shows its handscroll format. I think the author make effort to show surrounding textile of paintings and the format in some figs.

As an avocat d'diable, I notice some. The gong of Fig. 49 is not 8th century. Dragons and a beast should be genuine 8th century items. The gong is regarded 12-13th century Japanese artifact. The item of Fig. 82 may not be a representative work by Tang-Yin.

Both C. Clunas and Michael Sullivan edited catalogues of Sir Alain Barlow Collection(now in Sussex College). (ref. The Barlow Collection of Chinese Ceramics, Bronzes and Jades: an Introduction, The University of Sussex, 1997/Nov.) Sullivan did in 1963 and 1974. Clunas did in 1997. They might have share common intellectual environment according Oriental Ceramic Society, England.

While not the easiest to read, Clunas's book is currently the best short modest-sized introduction to art in China. The title "Art in China" (not "Chinese Art") is intentional, for Clunas is one of the rare Occidental authors on this subject who transcend the limitations of their background and succeed in communicating some of the subtlety and complexity of the subject, so remote from Western tastes, but no less beautiful and profound.

For example, he points out that while Western art has concentrated on painting, calligraphy is the most esteemed art form in China. Furthermore, from its earliest beginnings, Chinese aesthetics has placed little emphasis on illusionism and perspective, even regarding these as juvenile and distracting from artistic self-expression. (In this respect, the Chinese anticipated "modern art theory" by centuries.) The very term "Chinese Art", he maintains, is a Western invention, since the art work in China was, until recently, never divorced from its political, religious or decorative functions. (That is to say, it was not "museum art" isolated from its context and consciously regarded as art.) Because of these characteristics, art in China has been little appreciated in the West.

Clunas's probing book should be read slowly-- and re-read. The illuminating text gives a relatively sophisticated and sympathetic account of art in China, unlike many books, which are simply naive, provincial and as full of trivial dates and abstractions as they are lacking in insight. The representative works, drawn from all periods of Chinese history--including modern times--are superb and well chosen, and the pictures are excellent, considering the book's modest size. I especially enjoy the full-page color reproduction of Guo Xi's masterpiece "Early Spring" which equals, if not surpasses, the finest landscape paintings of the Dutch golden age (of course, not in illusionist technique, but in sheer expressive and evocative power as it unveils a mysterious fantastic landscape reflecting an interior, as much as an exterior, reality).

My only complaint is that there is only one book on "Art in China" in the Oxford History of Art series, while there are at least 30 on Western art in the same series. One book covers Western art for a 25-year span (1920-45), but 5,000 years of high art in China--in painting, jade, ceramics, lacquer, porcelain, calligraphy and sculpture--gets only a single volume! Talk about provincialism! Certainly, this is no fault of Dr. Clunas, whose work seems all the more commendable in the midst of the naive insularity and ethnocentrism with which it has unfortunately been grouped.

I like the author's approach to writing an introduction to the arts of China. Instead of trying to touch at least all of the major artists/works from all of the major periods (which in the case of China would mean touching very many things in a very cursory way), the author focuses on the context for which works were produced. Some of them were meant to be "art" from the start, some were not. This offers ample opportunities to examine how some works influenced other later in history. Overall, I think the ideas presented are some of the most gripping I have found in Chinese art history books. The book includes recent discoveries and scholarship and uses Pinyin romanization (two great features - not all recently-published books do).

In researching information regarding Sung Dynasty scrolls and artists, I found this book to be a most generous indeed. The author provides clear, precise information without the clutter of person guesses. He provides a wonderful assortment of pictures and resources. Clear, clean photographs of artifacts providing the reader with primary documentation .This is a MUST for anyone studying the Arts and Artists of early China. Thank you Craig Clunas!

Thanks goes to Steve Martin for bringing to light a significant, and nearly forgotten, history. Through artifacts (Steve's impressive and beautiful collection of opium paraphernalia, and period photographs) and down to earth story telling, I found myself transported to opium dens in the East and West, and imagined the lives and circumstances of those who were entranced and enveloped by the narcotic.

The pictures are gorgeous, the writing evocative, and the topic and the objects themselves provide a fascinating portal for history.

When the paraphernalia associated with opiates comes to mind what do you picture? Syringes? Drippy candles? Bent spoons? These are the gear of the heroin user but what about heroin's long dead uncle, opium? The paraphernalia of the two drugs couldn't be more different. This book will take you back in time when drug use was at least practised with style and flair. The opium pipes, lamps and other accouterments illustrated in this book are gem-like works or art made from rare and precious materials such as silver, ivory and jade. It's a world long lost but the author manages to bring it back to life for a brief moment and dazzle us with the promises of chemical bliss that tempted our ancestors. Getting addicted back then was no doubt as painful and ruinous as it is today, but they sure knew how to do it in style!

The Art of Opium Antiques is one of the most artfully illustrated and artistically written books on the subject. Throughout its pages Steven Martin traces the cultural use in China alongside the artistry and astounding craftmanship of the time, from the low and common to the truly decedent. Photos of amazingly ornate apparatus are peppered throughout alongside diagrams depicting the main components of a typical pipe or lamp. Historical photos help put one in the mind frame of the times, allowing one to contemplate how this blissful habit, aided by dedicated artisans progressed up until its zenith during the nineteenth century. Martin's vast collection and grasp of the subject are equally great, allowing one to walk away with a greater appreciation for opium related antiquities. There is no doubt this book will help spawn new collectors as well as reconfirm the addiction of the collector aficionado, for this book is a grand spring board for newbies and opium-porn for the serious collector.

This book is really helpful to identify antique opium art. I work for Asia Galleries in San Francisco where we sell a lot of antique opium artifacts. I had hard time to find a book that helps me to study about details of opium art, but in this book I see many dampers, pipes, lamps, and opium scrapers are similar to the ones Asia Galleries have; therefore, I was able to gain some knowledge through this book. Now, I am confident to explain details of our antique opium art to customers. I would like to say thank you to Steven Martin.

Such a great book! Instead of just relating the well-known disastrous effects of opium, the author of this book brings new insight into the history of the drug by exploring Opium paraphernalia as an art form. It works!

We are brought into the mythical Opium dens of a not so distant past, with the rich illustrations of this text. A rare photo of an 1880 Butte, Montana bunkhouse "opium den" is particularly amusing. However, it is the lush photographs of the drug paraphernalia that make this work so worthwhile. The extensive captions that accompany each photograph have enabled the author to not only inform the reader about the use and artistic achievement of these artifacts, but entertain as well.

The result is a more humanizing view of the addiction itself. Knowing that these beautiful instruments were the tools in which to feed a deadly addiction gives us another vantage point to view this era of history.

Anyone with the an interest in the history of China, the Chinese Diaspora living in the USA in the late 18th/19th century or the history of Southeast Asia will find this book particularly fascinating. The Art of Opium Antiques will be an essential addition to your bookshelf.

This is the best translation of Taoist sexual practices available. The translation formatting is excellent. If you have any degree of previous exposure to Chinese language and Taoist concepts this is not a spring board to further knowledge, it is a rosetta stone. Not an ounce of this text is watered down, like so many of the other books on this subject. Further, the full inclusion of herbal formulas in this text are incredibly vital to understanding the true value of huang di's teachings from su nu.

Best of all ... there are no pictures.

A fine text by a true scholar.

Here is the largest collection of historical Chinese texts on Taoist sexuality in English, excellently translated and footnoted. A must have reference work for the serious, advanced student.

This is not an introductory text, and I think a beginner would be hard pressed to understand and practice many of the techniques in the book.

I'm just a beginner on this subject,I started with some photocopies on the subject(nothing special)and found them not very elucidatory. I wanted to know more!...then I bought this book,although I haven't read it all,from the pages I read, I felt I could comprehend easier what was being said.It explained certain doubts that came accross from the other texts I read.

I think(from the little insight I have)that this book is perfect to understand the subject, if one already knows something about Taoist ancient sexual practices.

This is a work of scholorship and not simply a book about the ancient Chinese view of sex. It's very complete and contains both usuful material for moderns and very interesting historical material regarding alchemy, Qi Gong and Chinese medicine as they relate to sex.

This book collects nearly two dozen classical writings on the use of sexual energy in achieving health and long life. It's a distinctly non-Western tradition, but presents a unified, interlocking set of ideas.

The largest part of this lore corresponds to Western alchemy. It uses many of the same metaphors, such as mercury, lead, and the crucible, and much of the same elliptical language. In a few places, the metaphors or code-words are so obscure that translators disagree wildly on their meanings, and even on whether the meanings can be reconstructed correctly. Other parts of the writings draw on mystical Taoism, Buddhism, and the same vital energies that explain acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine. Not surprisingly, much of the tradition is aimed at male readers, with relatively little concern for the women. Despite the over-all male orientation, the last few selections do address women, with needs that sometimes match and sometimes differ from the men's. Even the men's writings address the importance of the woman's excitement, though, and describe the outwardly visible signs of its many stages.

However it is phrased or whoever it is addressed to, this set of practices is based on summoning and channeling sexual energy. Many of the authors use the "paired way" of coition to raise that power. Others use solo exercises in self-stimulation for the same purpose. This seems especially common in the women's texts, possibly because placing her needs before the man's would have been culturally unacceptable. The emphasis is on yogic self-discipline rather than exotic poses. Still, one author does offer a list of couplings with poetic names such Mandarin Ducks United (a pose I enjoy very much, because of range of additional caresses it makes possible). I recommend this book very highly to students of Asian thought and to anyone else who wants to see different perspectives on the practice and power of human sexuality.

//wiredweird