China Books

I made three recipes - stir-fried Chinese cabbage, sweet-and-sour tofu and spicy tofu with shrimp. Wow. It took a bit of concentration, because I've never made Chinese food before and this is such a new style. But the instructions were clear and I was successful. First time out! I've tried a lot of cookbooks, but never had one take me from no-nothing to rich, succulent, dreamy-smelling simple food so easily. This book is GREAT.

I agree completely with the comments of reviewer #1 (above). Nina Simonds CRANKS, and this book does a slightly easier (more manageable to non-cooks) version of some of her other, always delectable recipes. It's a fantastic book, and would make a great gift. There's no justice! :-)

I want this book. I ordered another Nina Simonds book from the Library and they sent this one instead. I have been doing Asian Cooking (Chinese,Thai,Japanese, etc.) for many years. I have also taken many Chinese and Thai cooking classes and run a cooking school out of my home.

This is one of the best Chinese cookbooks that I have come across. I made BBQ spareribs last night that are better than you find in most restaurants. It took 5 minutes to make the sauce. Preparation was very quick and easy. Recipes are clear and well written. The ingredients can be found in any supermarket.

In her introduction Ms. Simonds states that she wrote this book after becoming a working Mom. This book is perfect for people who do not have the time to go to an Asian market to shop--you will find most, if not all, the ingredients that you need in a good supermarket. It is also perfect for someone who wants to come home and have dinner on the table within an hour. You may want to marinate something overnight; but you do not have to do a lot of preparation to make these dishes. Her section on substitutions in the front is also invaluable.

My one criticism is that she uses turkey (a non-traditional Chinese food) in so many recipes. I would use chicken or pork or ground pork instead. However, for someone on a low fat diet the turkey might be another plus. Other than that this book is great.

So, you think the currently accepted paradigm of China's so-called "peaceful rise" is accurate? Have you been bamboozled by the stories of the gleaming new cities in China and the desires of China for peace? If so, it isn't your fault. This is a common thread since the rise (and even during the rebellion) of the Communists in China. There are few better at manipulating American media and so-called scholars than the Chinese Communists.

This work is a survey history of the history of China's manipulation of the U.S. media and academia. Some of it was deliberate manipulation, but there is also an element of anti-Americanism among those in the U.S. eagerly willing the stories coming from China.

Mosher does an excellent job of showing the history of that manipulation. Those who said that China's communists believed in democracy have since been discredited. Those who said that Chinese ate well during the Cultural Revolution have been discredited. Those who believed that the Chinese Communists were headed toward a more gentle authoritarianism in the 1980s were painfully proven wrong once again in 1989.

For those who blindly accept today's version of China, read these accounts of the mistakes of the past. Doing so will cause you to step back a minute and look at the reality of today's China: People's Armed Police, Christians and Falungong continually persecuted, along with Tibetan nuns and monks, propoganda-filled Chinese media, Gulag-style prisons known as laogai, escalating threats against its neighbors accompanied by a fearsome military build-up. To this day, the government still denies entry to people known to oppose the regime.

This is an instructive work to the unintiated about the realities of China. This will tell you more than anything else that you will ever read that you believe the current "super-story" regarding China at your peril.

Despite its politically conservative credentials, the book takes a needed and hard look at the overly romantic view of China still held dear by many in Washington and Wall Street. More importantly, Mosher details why this view of China has persisted with a balanced and careful analysis that traces the roots of American views of China.

Readers will come away knowing that criticizing the necrotic thugs who rule China doesn't constitute "anti-Chinese" racism and doesn't make them a conservative crank (I'm a democrat). For too long, critics of our China policy have been labelled ignorant and lacking the exclusive understanding of China's "uniqueness" that Holbrooke-types claim to possess.

An important work that deserves a look and that has been vindicated by China's recent behavior. Of course, all that will change after WTO, I'm sure someone is saying in Washington right now...

Another excellent book by Steven Mosher. It explores the reasons for the persistent misunderstanding by Americans of China's motives and methods of operation.

The bottom line is fairly simple: if an expert criticizes China, they're denied access, if an expert praises China, they're given access. Without access, how can an "expert" be expert? Thus, the only "credible" China "experts" are those whom of whom the government in Beijing approves.

Nuanced and wide-ranging, there is no better introduction to the texture of late Imperial Chinese culture and society than this volume.

This book gives a detailed picture of Qing Dynasty which ruled China from 1644-1912. It also tells the creation of the mighty empire and how it end feudalism in China. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Chinese history.

This book is a model for what a cultural survey should be. It begins with an excellent brief survey of Chinese history of the fifteenth through nineteenth centuries, then surveys many things I wanted to know about an alien culture. I was most intrigued by the chapter on "Language and Symbolic Reference" (read after my brief traveller's survival course in Manderin). Dr. Smith explored not only the differences between the language and those of the West, but their implications for the Chinese style of thought: e.g., the spoken vocabulary is rich in homonyms and puns, leading to a style of reasoning by analogy and verbal similarity that comes far less naturally to speakers of the Romance languages.

Smith also covers, for instance, social class, economics, religion and philosophy, art, literature, popular culture...an endless parade of the things mere histories rarely mention.
This is certainly the most interesting book I've read in a decade. I highly recommend it.

I very much enjoyed this book discussing China's financial markets. There are very few books available in English which cover this information. This book does not have the same political commentary as Bloomberg Press' China's Stockmarket.

I'd love to have more detail in each chapter, but this book is designed to provide a general overview of various financial markets in the People's Republic of China and contrasts China's markets with US and European markets.

The language in the book isn't very technical and anyone with a basic knowledge of the markets should be able to understand.

What is famous professor of Financial Engineering Salih N. Neftci doing writing about China's financial markets? What could this possibly have to do with his excellent work demonstrating equivalent cash flows and creating synthetic instruments?

Well "omnia et nihilos" (everything and nothing). Neftci's welcome clarity is once again evident here (this time with an edditor's hand), and his efficiency in breaking down topics into digestible bites is also very much in evidence. But Neftci must have picked up his interest in China's growing financial markets from the (now a whole generation) of the excellent Chinese students he has trained. Undoubtedly his students are well placed on Wall Street, China, and globally and this book will bridge their financial engineering skills with this essential study of this important emerging market's microstructure.

This is an excellent reference tool for those interested in the development of financial markets in China and would make a wonderful gift from CLSA for those who attend its annual Shanghai-Hong Kong two-week conference on Asian investments. The CLSA conference is justifiably famous for having the best speakers, firms, institutional investors, and discussions.

Hong Kong-based shareholder activist David Webb has long pointed to the dangers of minority shareholding and security holding in the Hong Kong market (and Taiwan). In Neftci's "China's Financial Markets: An Insider's Guide to How the Markets Work" Webb's concerns are amplified for the mainland China markets as well.

The Shanghai and other mainland Chinese markets are rapidly evolving, and such concepts as a limited liability non-natural person owner (a corporation), the ability to short stock (possible for floor traders, not possible for investors), and the repatriazation of profits are among the challenges that need to be faced as Chinese regulators and a global investor class seek to deploy capital efficiently. The contributions of expert Chinese insiders provide descriptions of the banking system, the mortgage, money, equity, futures, FX, and bond markets, and the all-important capital formation arms of the insurance sector. The baffling roles of government, regulators, and the now globally-powerful Chinese central bank are also covered.

Size alone won't cure poor regulatory environment or respect for property rights and repatriazation of profits. Nevertheless China's financial markets currently represent about $3 trillion and are expected to grow to "about $10 trillion by 2008." In ths face of such rapid change (delta = opportunity) it is no wonder that the master of the greeks Salih Neftci wrote this wonderful book. An excellent thoughtful work that provided first-class information and could easily have been double the size.

This book has great details on current status, issues on china finanial markets include equity, fixed income, mortgage. most important , it discusses the future trends with deep inside.
I also like Neftci's book "principal of financial engineer" with precise description on important conception.

This book is full of contents while it is easily understandable and fun. After reading this book, you'll have images of China in the futures in your mind that help you plan your busines strategies pretty well. Therefore, those who want to set up a firm in China are highly suggested to read it.

I have lost count of how many books and articles I have read on the past, present and future of China. Without doubt, this is the most readable, the most concise and the most word-economical of any.

The authors claim no special knowledge of China but apply general scenario techniques to the situation and come up with sensible and understandable alternative futures.

As a side benefit, the book contains a lot of socio-economic data.

My only complaint..I find the conclusions slightly pessimistic but can't fault the logic of reaching them

China is the world's third largest economy and America's biggest trading partner in Asia. The path China takes over the coming decades will have a profound impact on business and the economy all around the world. The authors of this book are neither futurists nor experts on China, but practitioners of the art of scenario planning.

In this book, Ogilvy and Schwartz draw on a range of studies conducted for companies anxious to understand the future consequences of the decisions they're making today with respect to China. They present three versions of what China's future might look like and what that will mean for the governments and companies that will be doing business with or in China. Their scenarios are in an absorbing narrative form, like histories written twenty years from now. They explain the predetermined elements, assumptions, and variables that underlie each scenario. They also draw implications and make suggestions about how companies can use each scenario to plan business strategy.

The insights into China's future provided in this book will help global business managers, strategists, diplomats and government policy makers prepare for what many predict will be the Asian Century.

James A. Ogilvy and Peter Schwartz (1946- ) are partners in Global Business Network, a consulting and research firm. They are responsible for the widespread use of scenario planning in business, a process-blending research, trend analysis and well-tutored imagination-that they pioneered in the early 1990s and which Schwartz made popular through his book The Art of the Long View. Joe Flower is a professional writer in San Francisco.

See also my review of THE NEW SILK ROAD: Secrets of Doing Business in China Today by John B. Stuttard.

Author Gu is a brave fellow. He offers straightfoward info and analysis on what is really inside Chinese business and political world. He is highly critical of the Communist ills that continue to cause hellish problems for China and foreign operations inside. Other than this abusive bureaucratic power, Chinese people are very diligent and creative. But the key is to get rid of the overextended bureaucratic power, as so claims by Gu.

This book is a must read -- it is a rare book that reveals the inner workings of the Chinese bureaucratic system. This new edition is very nice, which is sharply revised and expanded. (Five stars for his new edition)

This book is for all readers. Not to mention other things, it contains several dozen case studies on global multinationals doing business in China, like Wal-Mart, P&G, Intel, HSBC, Bank of America, Ford, Siemens, BP, Unilever, Sony, GE, GM, Morgan Stanley, and Microsoft. (Amazingly, this revised and updated volume gives most current info on China -- even events happened in May 2006 are contained here.)

It also gives huge info on emerging Chinese multinationals. All the leading Chinese companies such as Haier, Huawei, TCL, Lenovo, China Telecom, Baosteel, China Oil, Sinopec, CNOOC, and Ping An are studied here. Furthermore, comparisons are made between the Chinese companies and their international counterparts. These discussions are straightforward, covering both strengths and weaknesses.

Its scope is rather wide: the author aims to identify key factors behind global development: causes, effects, and consequences. He offers vast info and analysis on a changing global production, investment and trade map, which involves all nations, rich or poor. Interesting comparative studies involve US, Canada, Europe, India, Japan and China. Above all, he pinpoints opportunities and challenges under globalization.

Also it is highly critical of the abusive Chinese bureaucratic power. Gu claims that China's fundamental weakness is with this overextended, self-appointed bureaucratic power. Vast info and facts are presented to support his statement.

He is a high-profile newspaper commentator/consultant that adds much color to his discussions. The book's key strengths come from the fact that the author has vast first-hand experiences, so that he gives countless insider's stories. Its style and presentation is very reader friendly and straightforward, but its analysis is overpowering.

Author George Zhibin Gu is a high-profile Chinese journalist whose powerful newspaper pieces are widely read. This book is a must read. The reason for my recommendation is simple: This book summarises the key lessons from a fast-changing China under globalization and capitalism.

These lessons are powerful. First, an open society is a must in order to gain true development. Second, having foreign involvement is a key driving force for China's quick development in this era. Third, a truly meaningful development must depend on individual private initiatives other than government bureaucracy.

This book gives rather straightforward analysis on what is behind China's new development. It gives tremendous information on foreign multinationals and investors doing biz inside. Furthermore, it gives huge info on how this foreign involvement affects China's society, government and economy. In particular, it is extremely open about the ills of the Chinese bureaucracy. To overcome bureaucratic barriers, it emphasizes the need for greater private initiative as well as openness, among other things.

Also, the book talks about the ever-increasing influences of China's surge on global development. It gives very insightful analysis on a changing global production, investment, and trade map, as well as manufacturing and job transfers, among other issues.

The book also offers much practical advice on doing biz in China. Numerous case studies are presented, including both successes and failures.

One of the oldest and greatest civilizations of the world - China. "China's Sacred Sites" is a comprehensive and complete listing of sacred areas to Buddhism, Confucianism, and other major Chinese religions, along with the sites' history and breathtaking full-color photography. Composed in a greatly accessible format, "China's Sacred Sites" is a must for fans of Chinese history, armchair travelers, and photography buffs alike, and would do well to find itself in any community library collection.

REVIEW SUBTITLE: Curses! Thanks to this book, a decidedly secular person is now hooked on yet another region's spiritual architecture!

The editorial reviews perfectly describe the contents and appeal of this well-written book with its abundance of stunning photographs. That CHINA'S SACRED SITES is also well-bound, printed on good stock and yet relatively affordable seems almost too good to be true. It is difficult to imagine that anyone will regret buying it, including those whose only interest is in viewing the breathtaking integration of man-made structures and nature at sites few will ever be fortunate enough to see in person.

For those unable to find a copy of this book to preview, its contents are as follow:
PART I: MOUNTAINSCAPE CULTURE AND ARCHITECTURE (49 pgs)
-The Silent Music of Architecture
-Mountainscape Culture and Fen Shui
-Geography and Building Layout
-Architectural Elements

PART II: SELECTED SITES (172 pgs.)
-Spacious Summits (32 pgs; 7 sites)
-Cliff Structures (32 pgs; 8 sites)
-Cave Sites (28 pgs; 8 sites)
-Mountainside Temples (40 pgs; 9 sites)
-Mountain Villages (20 pgs; 5 sites)
-Riverside and Lake Sites (20 pgs; 5 sites)

The APPENDIX includes 1) a map locating the sites, 2) a glossary, 3) a timeline of Chinese dynasties, 4) a selected bibliography, and 5) an index.

I must be honest. Normally a book of this nature would not interest me. However, China's Sacred Sites is unlike any book I have ever read before. I felt like I was actually in China exploring these sacred sites. The photography is phenomenal and breath taking. The explanation of fung shui was clear and concise. This book is simply beautiful.

In Chinese Archery, Stephen Selby draws upon his years of study and interest in Chinese language and culture, as well as an accomplished archer, to present a definitive history of traditional archery in China as related by historians, philosophers, poets, artists, novelists and strategists from 1500 B.C. down to the present day. Written around parallel text translations of classical Chinese sources (some famous, some obscure), the reader is provided vivid and detailed explanations of the techniques of bow-building, archery and crossbow technique over the centuries. Chinese Archery is unique, definitive, and a very impressive contribution to Chinese history, and the sport of archery.

I have not only read through most of this book, but also met the author. He is someone who is quite the expert at practicing the archery in which this book discusses. I have found this book to be extremely thorough in both the history of archery in Asia, as well as the forms and exercises associated with it's practice. The level of research makes this a scholarly work but presented in a readable fashion full of pictures and diagrams where appropriate, translations of period references on almost every other page, and instruction on how to shoot a bow in the Chinese style as can only be told by someone with personal experience in addition to the translations of instruction from various texts.

A nice feature of this book is how archery in China is put into perspective across the large span of history and geography it covers. It is not an isolationist view of a single culture but rather it takes into account the styles of archery as well as the attitudes about it from the various cultures that were both influential to and influenced by China.

Overall I would say it is an intense, well rounded book and I highly recommend it.

"Chinese Archery" by Stephen Selby is a book that iseasy to use. The author introduces the subject of each chapter, thenfollows with the original Chinese sources and his straightforward translations. He then discusses the texts and the ideas they present. Selby is careful to include references to variant interpretations, where the texts may be ambiguous or where there may be scholarly debate. Unless it is vitally important to reading a given section, most of this discussion is kept to footnotes. The book covers three thousand years of archery in China and discusses bows, arrows, crossbows, archers' rings, targets, and shooting technique. Selby includes some clear and relevant colour photographs at the beginning of the book and supplements them with black and white photographs in the body of the work. He also uses old woodblock prints, computer-generated drawings and diagrams to illustrate the translations. "Chinese Archery" is a good resource for the scholar and an interesting book for the nonspecialist. An extensive bibliography and the careful discussions of the translations are a positive advantage. Having the Chinese texts present makes this book more valuable than a translation only because the reader can check the original. With the discovery of new material, "Chinese Archery" will become a reference for identification and comparison. The bow-maker and the archer will benefit from the descriptions and instructions in this book. Readers, who are interested primarily in other forms of traditional and modern archery, will at last have an insight into what really was going on in Chinese archery over the last three thousand years. The general reader will see through the window of a particular activity the many ways in which a culture can approach dealing with its problems, including education and social relations.

This book, though short, provides a remarkably detailed survey of the Chinese dragon as represented in the art of his native land. Beginning with an overview of early dragon representations and possible sources of inspiration, Mr. Bates' book goes to considerable effort to describe the many variant images and beliefs that may be found regarding dragons throughout China. I have a hard time finding the kind of information brought together here - dragons in architecture, dragons as represented on dragon robes, the beings and images popularly represented as sons of the dragon - anywhere other than highly specialized scholarly tomes. Finding as much as Mr. Bates has put forth in Chinese Dragons in such an accessible volume is a remarkably pleasant surprise. The twenty-four colour plates are just about worth the price of admission all by themselves. The author clearly knows and loves his subject.

For many centuries that the dragon has been the symbol of China, and has been considered as immortal and omnipresent ever since ancient times. It has belonged to the people, and it has also been the symbol of monarchy and supreme power. The dragon was a mythical beast. It was a concept. But most Chinese people, indeed most Asian people, were convinced that it existed. There are many occasions when there were claims that it had been seen, even as recently as 1920. No other creature in the world could have produced such a far-reaching influence on the mind of man.

Unlike the European dragon, it was considered a beneficent beast, until the Buddhists introduced the concept of evil dragons. Yet the basic belief was always that it had noble spiritual qualities that were unconquerable.

This book has been written by an author who has lived for many years in China researching into its history. It is in an easy-to-read style and is dedicated to the dragon and its many offshoots and variations. The pictures are delightful. It gives details of what a dragon was, where it was used, and what it was called. The reader will become more acquainted with the dragon, and will gain a greater understanding of this magnificent beast. It will interest and please the serious student and the enthusiastic Chinaphile alike.

It would make a perfect Christmas present.

This is a fascinating book, and I concur with the other reviewers. It is erudite, authoratative, and written in an easy-to-read style. The pictures are a delight.
It would make a perfect gift for anyone who has been to China or wants to go there,

This is a very informative book with a wide range of information involving Traditional Chinese Medicine. Dr Gao, although I have never met him, obviously works tirelessly on the behalf of those in need of healing all over the world. I say that, because though Dr Gao is in the UK and I am in the US, he is sending me and my partner his all natural Chinese herbal anti-viral pills (known to reverse the effects of HIV disease) all at his own expense.... Two boxes of 25 bottles each every month... Because he knows, or at least trusts when we say, that we cannot afford treatment otherwise. Insurance only backs up the fat cats in big pharma.

Though the true cause of AIDS has yet to be found and it is highly doubtful that "HIV" is the cause (see: http://www.helpforhiv.com), there IS something going on with a large number of persons autoimmune systems. For those of us who have done our research and realize that modern medicine, for the most part, offers harmful toxic pharmaceuticals that can be worse than the "disease" itself to treat illness, Dr Gao is a God-send. His pills have zero negative side-effects.

We stopped taking all pharmaceutical drugs nearly a year ago, but like many we have been in the system for a long time (since '93 myself) and are still bothered by the "numbers game" of blood tests. And the "voodoo" affect can be very powerful. Especially when you have doctors warning you of impending death if you do not follow their advice and take their drugs.

Being that I am not a medical doctor, nor am I a virologist, biologist or any kind of scientist (with the exception of being a metaphysical scientist) nor do I have the time to learn enough technical information to actually KNOW the truth about this, I take precautions. It's really hard to know who to trust these days.

Dr Gao and Chinese Medicine, along with other healing modalities like Reiki, have been our answer and this has led us to discover a whole new wonderful world of natural medicine including herbology and proper nutrition, sunshine, fresh air, exercise and rest and meditation.

There ARE cures out there, but the modern medical cabal calling themselves the AMA, backed by the FDA and pharmaceutical companies do NOT want you to know about them... they would stand to lose millions as natural remedies... those medicines created by our Mother Earth and through the Spirit.... cannot be patented by man an made into cash cows. Remedies are available to everyone but you must be willing to look and do some research because GREED runs rampant in every area of life. Even in some of the so-called natural healing areas.

There is a place for modern medicine, especially in emergencies, but prevention and the natural ways of Mother Nature are far more effective in the long run.

Check out Dr Gao's book and if you have been diagnosed HIV positive or with AIDS are and unwilling (or unable) to take the pharmaceuticals offered today, visit http://www.hivsupport.co.uk/new_treatment.html for more information and please pay them if you can so that they be able to continue their work of improving this life saving and all natural herbal remedy.

Check my profile and visit my website for more info.

Since 3000 b.C., Chinese medicine has been taken into account all the mental, spiritual and physical aspects of patients in order to treat the root causes of their illness and not the symptoms. This book shows how Chinese medicine tries to establish harmony between body, mind and spirit, balancing the Ying and the Yang, and regulating Qi (the vital energy that flows through our body).

This encyclopedia of Chinese medicine is a practical guide that helps to understand the four main branches of Chinese medicine:
- Herbal medicine.
- Nutrition cures.
- Acupuncture.
- Acupressure.

This practical guide is fully illustrated with full color pictures and quick reference tables. The book is useful for all family members: children, pregnant women, and seniors. The text emphasizes on preventive medicine, which is one of the fundamental aspects of Chinese medicine.

Since 3000 b.C., Chinese medicine has been taken into account all the mental, spiritual and physical aspects of patients in order to treat the root causes of their illness and not the symptoms. This book shows how Chinese medicine tries to establish harmony between body, mind and spirit, balancing the Ying and the Yang, and regulating Qi (the vital energy that flows through our body).

This encyclopedia of Chinese medicine is a practical guide that helps to understand the four main branches of Chinese medicine:
- Herbal medicine.
- Nutrition cures.
- Acupuncture.
- Acupressure.

This practical guide is fully illustrated with full color pictures and quick reference tables. The book is useful for all family members: children, pregnant women, and seniors. The text emphasizes on preventive medicine, which is one of the fundamental aspects of Chinese medicine. The book is edited by Dr. Duo Gao, one of the foremost international authorities on the art and science of Chinese medicine.

The encyclopedia of Chinese medicine covers the following topics:
- An introduction to the history an philosophy of Chinese medicine.
- Root Causes of medical disorders and health problems, and they are treated.
- Herbal therapies.
- Qi Gong.
- A full chapter on Acupuncture.
- A full chapter on Acupressure.
- A list of contact and resources on this field.