China Books

This is a really sweet book. It is a compilation of mostly lectures and notes from Kalu Rinpoche's teachings. Many times during the first read-through, I honestly felt as though this master was in the room, speaking the words on the page directly to me - evidence of the truthfulness in his words. The format of the book is such that each chapter builds upon the last, going from some very fundamental teachings (examining our situation) through the refuge vow, and all the way up to the esoteric mahamudra teachings. There is also a chapter on the challenges of dharma practice. Appended is an actual visualization practice, ("sadhana" in sanskrit) of the tantric deity of compassion, along with instructions. Among my own books, this is one I keep on the "reference" shelf.

The book is well organized by the designer and leads the reader gently along the path to a fuller awareness of their potenial for true liberation. The glossery is replete to a point this book becomes a valuable reference, one that will be handy on the shelf for years for anyone who is interested in Tibetan Buddhism, vajrayana and getting enlightened. Kalu Rinpoche IS (was) on of the most respected teachers on the topics the book covers and he was one of the first persons from Tibet who took seriously the interest of Westerners in this topic field and who saw in them the potential for development equal to or better than that of the Tibetans themselves. Generous in his willingness to share his knowledge, he stands above all other teachers in his compassion for all sentient beings. The photographer, Sherab Ebin, adds greatly to the wonders to be found in this volume and was the great Kalu's first Western translator. One of the beauties of this work is that it is well typeset and generously illustrated, making it user friendly.

In this no holds barred book on how to overcome the faults of the past and anticipate with confidence full liberation in the future, the greatest joy is the care taken in the design, so comforting exactly when you've just been put to the Rinpoche's test and realized you're not top in the class. Guess that is what compassion in action is all about. Highly recommended for all who seek solutions in today's life that will last beyond this impermanent lifetime.

This is a very lovely book with lots of useful information on Vajrayana and Mahamudra. Its style matches its title. The author is famous as a great Tibetan Buddhist master and the book supports this view. He is gentle in his writing and gets one's attention by whispering. I've heard of this technique before--when people are actually together in person. It can really work, oddly enough. I like this book better than his other works that I've read: "The Dharma" and "Luminous Mind." It's well worth your time and effort to read. I took a few quotes from it as well (possibly from an earlier edition):
"In seeing that all appearance (not only one's mind and emotions) is luminous, unimpeded suchness, one recognizes that all internal appearance, which is also arising from the mind, is only mental projection." p. 14

"Dynamic, empty, and unobstructed luminosity...empty, clear, and unimpeded nature of the mind itself... p. 22

"It is possible that one can practice while still actively involved in the world. Such a combination of spiritual practice and worldly activity allows the aspirant to use his or her faculties in a very skillful way." p.164

I think the cover of this book represents the book accurately: at first, you see a stern, wizened Kalu Rinpoche staring at you; the book, too, seems like a dry, dogmatic text expounding on things you may have read before. But the picture also captures Kalu Rinpoche's immeasurable awareness, the clarity of gaze and of his mind. And so the book, too, has such an immense scope, with such lucid explanations and discussions, that you will continually return to this book and find your previous understanding of the text was limited. This isn't a book for beginners, because it is not "fluffy" in any way. But it is an inspiring read, and fascinating, which sets it apart from so many other books on Tibetan Buddhism.

If there's one book that I could recommend to the general reader on the history of modern China (i.e. from circa 1800-1985), it would be this book.

To be honest, my first impression of this book is not a very good one in the sense that I did not feel like dancing in joy. This is because the book appears to me to be too simple, lacks good facts and not very scholarly. How could Fairbank write such a book? My expectations were very high or to be precise, I have expected the wrong things. This book is not intended to be scholarly, not intended to bog you down with boring details but is intended to be entertaining and at the same time have enough facts to highlight certain important events.

I bought this book only on a second visit to the bookshop and perhaps due to a change of mood, I find the book entertaining and at the same time enlightening in that it proposes different views on events that have not been considered before. For example, the discussion on the port of Hankow was quite enlightening. This is refreshing and after understanding the intentions of the book, my perception and expectations changed and I was able to see it in a new way. Since then, this has been one of my favourite books on modern Chinese history and will become a benchmark for me to measure good historical storytelling.

Compared to Jonathan Spence's "In Search of Modern China" this book appears to me be more entertaining and in a way, more intelligent. Highly recommended.

No decent individual who wants to talk about China, or wants to understand Chinese history in the last 150 years, can skip anything written by Fairbank. If there's anybody who can claim to be 'the' authority on China, Fairbank would be the one. And this work is his crowning glory, culmunating in a tour de force after research in this field for more than half a century. This work sees China's history from the late Qing period till the Post-Mao era as one huge struggle -- for modernity, for survival, for progress. If you are not convinced that China is agreat nation, read this and you'll change your mind, thanks to the late Fairbank.

Professor Fairbank is one of the most insightful individuals who have written on China. His attention to detail -- particularly the historical process of cause and effect -- helps the reader gain a good overall picture of China as a vibrant, living organism -- an active player in the global scene. Seeing that China is becoming more and more important, it is becoming not only fashionable but important for an intellectual in the West to know something about China. This book is a good starting point.

I wouldn't read this book as an introduction to Chinese history of this period. Fairbank's China: A New History, or several other general histories, are better for that. This book is Fairbank's argument that the development of Chinese history was far less heavily influenced by the West than most historians and Westerners believe. He convincingly puts the major interactions between China and the West in Chinese contexts, noting the similarities between Taipei Rebellion and the White Lotus Rebellion, for instance, although the latter event occurred when Western influence was much less. It's unfortunate that this topic is so politicized. Whether China was heavily or lightly influenced by the West should have no bearing on the inherent moral worth of the Chinese people, although many people on both sides of the debate don't see it that way. Nevertheless, Fairbank's topic is interesting in itself. Ultimately, I didn't find him fully convincing (not that I'm an expert), but I'm glad I read his book.

I got this book for the specific purpose of studying China's secular civil wars -- the White Lotus Rebellion (1796-1805), the Taiping Rebellion (1851-64), and the civil war that began with Mao's Long March (1934), culminating in the Great Leap Forward (1959).

Each of these civil wars resulted in massive bloodshed, including executions and famine, and was settled with compromises that lasted only a few decades, leading to the next civil war. This is important today, because the compromises forced on Mao after his disastrous and bloody Great Leap Forward are unraveling today, as peasants are losing their farms and their livelihoods and flooding into the cities. When a future economic downturn occurs, these peasants will be unemployed, with no infrastructure to support them, providing fertile ground for a new rebellion, possibly led by followers of the Falun Gong. This could happen any time in the next 10-15 years.

Fairbank's informal style presents the details of these and other historical events in an enjoyable manner and from a Chinese and China-centric point of view, rather than from the typical America-centric point of view used by other writers. The result is both enjoyable and authentic, and gives us the historical background to understand the revolutionary changes going on in China today.

Recieved the order promptly and in the condition promised. Excellent companion to The Encyclepedia of Tibetan Symbols and Motifs by the same author.

This volume took Robert Beer more than 10 years to complete, and one understands why. As far as I know it is the only book on the subject with such superbly crafted illustrations, each meticulously drawn in pencil-thin, lucid detail. There are a huge number of these drawings, and the well-structured text is informative, thorough and scholarly, without being dry. It is an eminent work of very high quality and a joy to read for any Buddhist practitioner, art lover, or just for curiosity. It is surely a classic reference volume. Modesty must have compelled the author and editors to give it the diminutive title 'a handbook' - it is indeed much more. Read it an enjoy.

The Handbook Of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols by Robert Beer (who has studied and practice Tibetan thanga painting for more than thirty years) is a straightforward reference guide to the meaningful symbolism of sacred Tibetan art. Black-and-white illustrations depict all the major Buddhist symbols and motifs, while the text offers depth and interpretation behind the meaning and usage of each. The Handbook Of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols is enthusiastically recommended for inclusion into Buddhist Studies and especially informative for connoisseurs of Tibetan art.

the book was very well put together and has alot of useful info on buddhist art.

Tibetan Buddhist symbolism is extremely complex,yet in this volume artist/Buddhist Robert Beer makes it accessible and understandable. Beer divides the symbolism into identifiable categories such as "Eight Auspicious Symbols","Five Attributes of Sensory Enjoyment","Cosmological Symbols","Main Ritual and Tantric Implements" and "Wrathful Attributes and Offerings." It's a user-friendly handbook.

Beer sheds light on more obscure symbolism-such as the khatvanga (tantric staff),the magical weapons of Shri Devi (the Great Goddess),and the gzi stone. He explains it within the framework of Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and practice.

To his credit,Beer doesn't gloss over the more gruesome aspects of Tibetan Buddhism. He explains why wrathful deities are depicted wearing garlands made of skulls and severed heads,or holding intestines in their hands. For some, the wrathful deities are seen as a way of sublimating violent tendencies,while others see them as worshipping ugliness. Beer leaves it to the reader to judge.

"A Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols" is a perfect guidebook to Tibetan Buddhism. It's written for the layman,the newbie,and is engrossing reading.

It's Halloween in Chiqetaw, Washington and the dead are starting to walk; while Emerald and her boyfriend Joe are clearing out the lot next door to her, they unleash a 50 year old ghost, her cat, and the mystery surrounding her death. At this time Samantha, Emerald's cat disappears into thin air, and will-o'-the-whisps (fae spirit globes) show up and want Emerald to find something. What she finds is the skeleton of a woman buried in the yew tree and begins to unravel who it was.

The body is that of a maid that worked for the family that lived there 50 years ago, the Finch's. Her name is Brigit and she's come from Ireland to start a new live in America. According to her journal, she became pregnant and was afraid of her employer's finding out, mainly because the father of the child was their son. Shortly there after she vanished and is never heard from again. Her cat died at the same time and now both are haunting Emerald trying to get her to help them find each other and bring what happened to light. Brigit's cat, Mab looks almost identical to Emerald's cat Sam and the two cats have switched places, if Emerald can't help in time, the switch will be permanent and Sam will be stuck in the land of the dead forever.

I loved this book, knowing the story of how it was written is what made me get it. Apparently two of Ms. Galenorn's cats got out one day, and while one came back in a day, the other was missing for the better part of a week. During this time, she needed to send in the next outline for another book, but couldn't concentrate. After around four days of searching and calling for her cat, one of her neighbors brought by a carrier and asked if it was her cat inside. It was and while the cat was very scared and a bit thin, she was very happy to have the kitty back. After making sure the kitty was okay, she began to put together the outline for this book.

This is the third book in the Chintz 'n China series and the characters are full of heart. From the ghosts (both human and feline) to the main character, Emerald, to her teenage daughter. Joe (Emerald's younger EMT boyfriend) has purchased the empty lot next door and Emerald takes a vacation to help him clear it out. When they uncover the foundation to a former mansion and some some ghosts and faries, they start investigating the history of the property. They have to solve a fifty year old mystery to clear the lot of the psychic briars and then remove the corporeal ones. This may be the best one of the series so far, and I can't wait to read the fourth.

Emerald O Brien, the owner of the Chintz `n China Tea Room in Chiqetaw, Washington is a woman at peace with herself. She is well liked by the residents, who accept the fact that she has the Sight, has two beautiful children and is madly in love with Joe, a man ten years younger than her. To convince her he wants to be with her till death, he buys the lot adjoining Em's so it will be one large property.

While they are clearing the outdoor area, they uncover a room hidden below layers of dirt. Unknowingly, they opened a portal that allows Willow the Wisps, fae creatures who bring death with them, to enter the realm. They find in a yew tree the body of a girl, Brigit who used to live in that room and her cat that traveled into the spirit world with Brigit's. Em's and Brigit's cat changed places and Em's feline is a ghost in the spirit realm while Brigit's is only visible in the mortal world as a spirit. They must perform an exorcism to cleanse the land that Joe bought and find out why Brigit has not moved on to the next plane (with her cat) if Em and her family are to have any peace. They also want their cat returned to them so Em uses her grandmother's spells in the hopes that this will happen.

A HARVEST OF BONES is a highly original paranormal mystery with a touch of romance, the perfect book to snuggle under the covers with on a cold winter's night. The heroine and her friends take on ghosts, spirits, dragons and creatures from the otherworld as an everyday natural event because Em is a magnet for psychic phenomena. Yasmine Galenorn is a great mystery writer who uses paranormal elements to add a little of the exotic to her storytelling.

Harriet Klausner

Dare I say that the fourth book in the Chintz 'n China Mystery is the best one to date? Yes, I do!

Not only does the writing flow more easily this time around, but so does the mystery. It reminds me a bit of the second book, Legend of the Jade Dragon, in that both of them are completely immersed in the mystery and that all the really "bad" things that happen are somehow tied to the mystery itself. Not to mention that one of my favorite characters, White Deer, is back in this one!

The storyline: Em finds a secret room in the lot next door. Her cat is missing right about the time that a woman ghost and her ghost cat start appearing. (Those are basically the bare bones of the story, no pun intended.)

The Good: Most of the story is actually concerned with what happened in the lot next door. Once again, the author is good at making her characters seem real to the reader, which is always a plus.

While my "bad" section below will be much longer, I want to point out that overall, this novel is very strong in both plot and characterization. I was very much into to the story and it kept me reading!

The Bad: I can't really think of anything in particular. Dividing the novel into more chapters might have made it read faster, but that wasn't really a problem with this one since it had a storyline that kept the reader interested.

The only other "bad" thing (not really bad, but annoying lets say) is that Em comes from a long line of witches (or folk magic practitioners). While a bit cliche that her Nanna's a witch who passed her this 500-year-old dagger and a journal of German/English spells, I swallowed it. But now we learn that Emerald (and, of course, her grandmother) were both born on Halloween. How cliche can we get?

Also, is Joe like the most perfect man in the world? Good looking, young, understanding, loving, caring, and so on and on. I know the author is probably trying to make her character Em happy, but come on, no one's *that* perfect!

Also (this is not really a spoiler, since it didn't happen) I think a better ending would have been Em and her kids doing a little something to honor those that have passed on (with, of course, Brigit's picture included). This was talked about earlier in the book but it never really happened.

Overall, I enjoyed this novel very much. I know it doesn't seem like it from what I just said, but I just wanted to point out little annoyances that, well, annoyed me!

The fifth book is titled 'One Hex of a Wedding' and is due out August 2006.

-Ater

I just finished reading 'A Harvest of Bones' and thoroughly enjoyed it. My immediate reaction was to find out what other books the author has written around the characters. It's a good storyline - one that will keep you coming back to finish. You want to find out what happens next - How will Murray handle her new love? What's going on with the kids? Are Joe and Em going to get married? Is Joe going to become more involved in the paranormal? What about the rest of Em's friends? It's a cozy, fun read. Find out for yourself to see if you agree.

I enjoy reading a lot of travel writings. I travel a lot myself and find many travel books are no more interesting than my own life and travels, so I am pleased when I find a book that is about somewhere I haven't been or different cultures, with a funny twist to it.

This book had me laughing. I recommend it.

I loved this book and have read it over and over. I laughed out loud on almost every page. One of the funniest stories was how the maids who initially worked there destoyed all of the vacumn cleaners by not changing the bags because they thought the dirt went through the cord into the wall!!! Talk about culture shock! I have given this book to numerous people who are not necessarily interested in traveling, Tibet or China and they have all loved it!

Much better than all those boring books on Tibet. This one made me laugh out loud! He doesn't really try to tell the sad story of Tibet, as it's about all the crazy antics that went on in this amazing hotel (a Holiday Inn - in Tibet??!!) but as you read it and laugh at the funny stuff, you can't help gain a better understanding of what life is like there. If you want to know more about Tibet or just want a good read that will make you laugh, get this one.

I enjoyed reading this book about a man that gets a job in Tibet at the Holiday Inn which is nothing like the holiday inns here. Had information about the country and some funny parts.

I picked this book up at a sale at my local book store. What a find! I've been to many of the places in the book and have to say that the author is spot on. I even had lunch at the hotel that he worked at during the time he was there.

Its a very funny read. If you've never been to Tibet, the book will still entertain you, and make you want to go! If you HAVE been to Tibet, then you'll enjoy it even more.

This is by far the best Chinese cook book, still. The recipes are extremely simple and delicious, real home cooking. You just add your knowledge of additional vegetables which have become available since 1963. Along with the recipes comes deep insight into "how to eat in Chinese", and you will understand a great deal more about Chinese meals and Chinese restaurant etiquette after absorbing what Mrs. Chao has to say. The author was the wife of Yuen Ren Chao, the legendary professor of linguistics and mathematics at Berkeley noted for such feats as translating Lewis Carroll's "Jabberwocky" into Chinese, who contributes wry footnotes to the cookbook; the linguistic banter at the Chao dinner table must have been fabulous.

I have used this book from the beginning of my Chinese cooking adventure and it's the only one I own. I have looked through others and nothing comes close to it's thoroughness in techniques and recipes. Not much else to say, makes Chinese cooking a breeze and fun.

I can't believe this classic cookbook is no longer in print. I've replaced mine at least once and it is now literally disintegrating. I might buy an older hardcover instead of another mass market paperback in the hopes of preserving it.

This is one of the best cookbooks I have ever come across. I was an overweight "starving student" with no cooking skills when someone gave this to me, and I taught myself to cook *and* lost weight with it in hand. The recipes are utterly non-intimidating. It was written in the 1940's, when Chinese food in the US meant chop suey, so the ingredients and equipment are generally simple, accessible, and economical. The results are healthier and taste better than some of the glop dished out in many a Chinese restaurant.

The dishes tend to be presented as a theme and variations--a basic stir fry (Dr. Chao introduced this term into English) is followed by the same recipe with slightly different ingredients. There is no food porn whatsoever--no styled photos, no line drawings, no nothing. Just words. The words are pretty amusing, though.

I can't praise this book enough. I've loved it to death a couple of times, and hope to continue.

For anyone who wants to learn how to cook Chinese food, this is one of the classics. Written in the late 40's by a Chinese woman doctor, this is the home-style cooking of Anhui province (near Shanghai) adapted for the American home cook. Anhui food is considered "oily but generous in portions", and the protein-based nature of the recipes may seem a bit excessive for those who've gotten used to the spartan usages of contemporary America. Also Ms. Chao's puckishly imperfect English and frequent coinages sometimes get in the way -- I puzzled over the term "leaking ladle" until I found out it meant "slotted spoon", which is what I had been using. Still, she coined the term "stir-fry"...what more do you want?

I hope this book comes back into print...I've almost worn out my current copy!

I had (and well used) this book for years and then lost it in during a series of moves I had to make a couple years ago. Can't wait to have it back on my shelf again.

I love Chinese food, and have read and sampled from dozens of Chinese cookbooks over the years, but this is still my favorite. How To Cook And Eat In Chinese is the real deal.

It is chock full of simple, no nonsense, homestyle Chinese cooking with the most basic of ingredients you can find anywhere. Almost all the recipes have variations noted, where different vegetables or ingredients can be substituted in the technique. Results have been invariably superb.

Forget the fancy, restaurant or holiday banquet style stuff other cookbooks seem addicted to. Simplify your Chinese cooking, and your life. Your pocketbook, taste buds and your stomach will thank you for it.

If you've ever seen Tibetan Buddhist art and wondered who or what is represented in these colorful paintings (known in Tibetan as thangka), what the various objects in the paintings symbolize, or how the paintings are used in the practice of Buddhism, Images of Enlightenment may answer your questions. Concisely written for a western audience of general readers by two English students of Tibetan Buddhism, this book also provides an introduction to basic Buddhist principles and practice, as well as a brief history of the Tibetan school and short biographies of some of its greatest teachers.

Images of Enlightenment is organized around 32 full-color plates, paintings by Andy Weber, a UK-based artist trained in Nepal by refugee Tibetan painters and now himself a widely traveled and respected teacher in Europe and North America. (See the artist's website for more examples of his work and his current teaching schedule.) Each chapter of the book begins with a theme, followed by explanations of the handful of paintings that best represent them. The first chapter on the life of the Buddha and the basics of Buddhist philosophy, for example, includes descriptions of paintings of the Buddha, stupas, and the Wheel of Life.

As an introductory text, the authors cannot hope to cover the nearly 200 deities of Tibetan Buddhism. They manage, though, to provide an informative, well-written, and properly illustrated volume covering some of the most popular images. If you'd like to learn more about the methods and materials used in painting thangka, you might like to see Jackson and Jackson's Tibetan Thangka Painting: Methods & Materials. The paintings used in this book, while well executed, are quite simple and not cluttered with many of the background items found in many thangka. There is, therefore, little in this book explaining many of the minor elements of Tibetan painting. For a more thorough treatment of symbolism and iconography, see Robert Beer's A Handbook of Tibetan Buddhist Symbols. If you'd like to see larger and more elaborately and finely detailed thangka, have a look at two collections in Romio Shrestha's Celestial Gallery and Goddesses of the Celestial Gallery.

The most definitive guide to Buddhism. The deity are all beautifully illustrated in rich color, complete with the historical background of the deity that gain enormous popularity in the east.

It had all the answers that you had always wanted to ask in the past. For illustration why some deities look so wraughtful, fierce and the significance of those implements or objects they hold.

I like the most is the explaination on the deity background concise, full illustrated, very well elaborated and accurate description.

An indispensible guide! Highly recommended.

Though I am an SGI Buddhist, Tibetan Buddhism intrigues me with their beautiful art. Mr. Landaw clearly describes each entity and Mr. Andy Weber beautifully illustrates in color each image. If you have ever wanted a deeper understanding into Tibetan images, I highly recommend this book

Written by experts who spent years living in India to study Tibetan Buddhism and its art, Images of Enlightenment: Tibetan Art in Practice is a straightforward, plain-terms guide to the rich history, legends, and spirituality expressed through Tibetan Buddhist sacred art. 32 full-color plates illustrate Images of Enlightenment, while the text describes the symbolic self-transformation and expressions of enlightenment depicted. Chapters survey different paths and aspects of Buddhism as expressed through art, including the Bodhisattva Path, and the Path of Bliss and Emptiness. Images of Enlightenment is especially recommended for students, scholars, and practitioners of Tibetan Buddhism.

This is an excellent book for all those interested in the practice of Deity Yoga. Written by Westerners with a very clear insight into the elements and art of the practice.

I live in Shanghai, and usually write guidebooks, not read them. When I do, it's usually to wince at all the things the writers who came here for a mere month or so of research got wrong. Even those without glaring errors tend to be off by angle, such as raving about the rather dull Yu Gardens and failing to notice the incredible living history museum, Shanghai's Old City (aka Chinatown), that it is situated in. They only offer the stupidly obvious destinations, like the Bund, Huaihai Lu, and Nanjing Lu, to the neglect of fascinating, cultural history spots like Sichuan Lu and the Jewish Ghetto.

I was handed the compact guide as a reference for a project I was working on, and it pleasantly surprised me. Amazingly, I found nothing to criticize, nothing to wince at. I was impressed to discover in it city trivia that even I consider obscure, like the history of the Broadway Mansions as the old Foreign Correspondents Club.

But nicest of all is its refusal to patronize. Many guidebooks take the attitude, "You're a stupid Western tourist,doesn't speak any Chinese, so here's what to do!" So, if you pick them up having read anything - anything! - about Shanghai previously, you're likely to feel put off. The Compact Guide refreshingly presents the facts without too much condescending background but also without playing insider baseball. It's very accessible.

Only two quibbles: the maps are confusing, have a number of typos, don't have characters along with the pinyin, and are so small, listing so few streets, to be useless unless you already know where you are/where you're going (and then, why do you need a map?). Also, Shanghai changes so quickly that, being written three years ago, it is rather woefully out of date. Use its listings with caution.

Published in conjunction with The Discovery Channel, it's information you can trust to be accurate. The history lessons and overview of the modern-day city itself -- it's people, economy, language, currency, culture, artisans and performing arts, markets, and hidden gemstones off the beaten path -- make this guide truly special. However, the glossy pages that are virtually indestructible, up-to-date maps, compact size and plenty of photos are what will make this guide your most valuable travel asset while in Shanghai!

I was plesantly surprised by this compact book. I didn't know that it was associated with the Discovery Channel. The book has outstanding print/paper quality. It has plenty of maps and lots of pictures. This helps me to find the place. I can also decide, from the pictures, if I would be interested in visiting such an attraction.
The best surprise is that this book is actually listed [$$$] less than the Fodor's compact book.

I bought this book and also Fodor's Pocket Shanghai. This book has better print/paper quality. Has more maps. For each attraction, there is a color photo so that you can decide if you would like to go there. The photo also helps to identify the attraction if you do decide to go there.
The Fodor's book has no photos, looks [inexpensive], but is actually [$] more.

I took this and Fodor's Citypack Shanghai (Citypack) guide for a week in Shanghai in 12/00. I found this guide far better than the Fodor guide. I found it to be an excellent general guide, if you want a compact, concise guide. The excursions were pretty good as well.

I found this book incredibly helpful as we are beginning our journey of adoptiong a child from China. It clearly walks you through the entire process, but also discusses those issues adopted children will face after the adoption, issues like attachment, grieving, developing a healthy identity. Perhaps what I appreciated most was the more researched based approach to this whole process. They conducted their own study and then drew conclusions based on the few other studies which exist on this topic. I appreciated hearing that the majority of children adopted from China appear to settle well statistically, as opposed to just testimonials (although they also included testimonials which were interesting and helpful). I have read many books which are wonderful emotional tesitmonials, but it was so helpful to have those balanced by a more objective, factual book like this. This was an excellent resource for me.

This book is very enlightening and discusses many issues involved in international adoption as well as outcomes for children adopted internationally. Would be helpful to mental health workers, pediatricians and prospective adoptive parents as well as those who already have adoptive children!

The Amazon book description gives a good overview of the topics covered, but it fails to convey the careful manner in which information is delivered in the book. The authors rely not only on their own research (the methodology and limits of which they describe), but also rely on other published studies. The authors note that the studies on adoption of Chinese children were done recently, and are few in number. The authors, however, refer to studies involving other adopted children (particularly Korean children) in an effort to predict some answers regarding older children. While the book relies heavily on research publications, it also uses adoptive parent comments to help illustrate points.

As important for me as the authors' conclusions, were the explainations of why those conclusions might not be correct. The authors readily note where the research is inconclusive, a sample is too small, where there are conflicting theories, or where a study might not be applicable to the adoption of Chinese children today. I also appreciate the authors citing their sources (typically right in the text). Thus, if you want to know more about an issue, you know exactly which study the authors relied upon. All of the cited publications, as well as a number of resources for adopting parents, are cited in the appendix.

Too much information on this subject is either missing, or is given in a chatty style that is not comprehensive. As a parent just starting the adoption process, I wish I had read this book a year ago.

I've read many books on this topic, but this one is the most thorough and fact based ones I have found to date. Very informative and a definite must have for any one thinking of adopting from China. I can't wait for their next publication!

This is a well-researched, easy-to-read academic work on the issues surrounding adopting children from China. The authors write both from first-hand knowledge as well as from results of a survey that they conducted via the Web over the past few years. It fills a gap in the literature on this topic.

The book covers topics such as how and whether to impart knowledge of Chinese culture to adoptees, the legal issues involved in intercountry adoption and statistics about how well adoptees do after they've been in the U.S. with their new families for several years.

It is a useful guidebook for those wishing to adopt a child from oversees, especially from China, and it is also useful for those studying adoption in general.

Syd Goldsmith delves into the cultural intricacies of the Taiwanese and Chinese. I found "Jade Phoenix" fast and interesting reading.

Syd Goldsmith's "Jade Phoenix" is an exemplar of the historical novel: a book that portrays its era with the same detail and sensitivity as the characters that live in it. Its era is that of 1960s-1970s Taiwan, and its characters are two Chinese and an American forced to make a living in a country where one remark can kill and one week creates a decade-long infatuation.

Goldsmith's characters learn fast what it takes to survive in Taiwan. Ko-sa Ong, once a poor orphan, grows up to be the island's largest car dealer but is shackled with fear he dishonored his ancestors. Nick Malter, a failed graduate student, moves from studying to reporting in an attempt to understand the inscrutable Chinese mind. Both men are united by doubts, but even more by Jade Phoenix - prostitute daughter of a disgraced general, gifted with unconcealable beauty.

Meeting randomly, the trio finds their lives entwined by a series of commitments that Goldsmith renders with ample detail and emotion. Nick and Ko-sa form a friendship in the suspension of scuba diving - where language and race is irrelevant - and Nick falls helplessly in love with Jade after a week in the temples and landmarks of Tainan. When financial problems entangle Ko-sa and Jade, Nick extends help without any expectations and shows them his culture with veteran understanding of their outsiders' dilemma.

The fact that these characters are deep in the fallout of China's Cultural Revolution only makes it more interesting. Goldsmith's Taiwan is far less optimistic than American history books show: not an outpost of freedom but as socially restricted as China, desperately believing their little island can conquer the mainland. When President Nixon breaks the stand-off with China, Ko-sa and Nick experience no joy at a Cold War victory but spite that he also broke decades of United States-Taiwan relations.

And by the time that event comes around, the reader will share their disdain for a political move that ruined the independence hopes of 12 million Taiwanese. They'll already share Nick's desire to get deeper into Chinese culture, balanced with Ko-sa's tension at being born into it. Goldsmith doesn't bludgeon a reader with these views but lets them develop, clearly familiar with his subject and subtly furthering the connection.

Connection is unquestionably the right word for the feeling "Jade Phoenix" provides, for there is so much information and emotion that a reader is driven to see what happiness Nick, Ko-sa or Jade will find in this life - or the next if Ko-sa's faith are correct. Elaborate and emotional, "Jade Phoenix" is as rare and valued as the peace they seek.

Diplomat and New Voices in Literature Award finalist Syd Goldsmith presents Jade Phoenix, a novel set in America and Taiwan during the turbulent 1970s. Taiwanese millionaire Ko-sa Ong and his best friend Nick Malter have a long history together, cemented by their mutual hatred of Chiang Kai-shek and the American Secretary of State who steadfastly denies to recognize Taiwan as a country. Yet their bond for each other becomes brittle in the presence of the beautiful woman Jade Phoenix. A passionate novel of culture in turmoil, loyalties put to the test, and love so strong it transcends the limits of life itself, Jade Phoenix entrances and compels the reader up to the final page.

This is one of those novels that you had better not pick up unless the kids are fed and you don't mind staying up all night! In other words, it's one of those rare novels that is so engrossing that you may find the rest of your life flying by--but you don't really care. Syd Goldsmith is one of those exceedingly talented writers who can utterly transport you into another time and place, and in the process, utterly bewitch you with memorable characters. On a more intellectual level, it's a wonderful introduction to a lot of the political and intellectual history connected with China and Taiwan, and without the tears. Highly recommended.

"Jade Phoenix" is compelling story of love, life and clashing cultures. Mr. Goldsmith breathes life, in all it's intricacy, into his characters and he has crafted them with great care and passion. The exotic locales exude an authenticity of sights, sounds and tastes. Mr. Goldsmith invites the reader into Jade Phoenix's world and we step through time and space and walk beside her. This story is about conflicting cultures and volatile politics but the central thread of the story is the woman, Jade. Her heart, her soul and her spirit are the driving forces of this book. If you like stories of ordinary people living through extraordinary circumstances, you will like "Jade Phoenix". The hallmark of any great book is, "does it make the reader care about the characters?" This book will make you care. I thought about this book long after I finished it.