China Books

I was so pleased to receive this book. Mr. Conti elevates biographical data to a new plane. His descriptions are insightful and useful in the evaluation of Sascha art. This is one of the best books I've acquired on Amazon.

Thsi is one of the most informative books I own, and I have aver 100 books on Antiques and Collectibles. Wonderful pictures, price guide, and the most interesting biography of Sacha's life beginning in early childhood.

Very well written with wonderful pictures. A most interesting biography of Saschas life. Anyone interested in pottery, sculpture, and many other forms of art will love this book. Feel free to contact me regarding this excellent book. I have a very large library of books on antiques and collectibles, this is my favorite.

I agree that this book rings hauntingly true, from my own travels on the mainland, Hong Kong, and living in Taiwan. I've read just about all of the most popular autobiographies of Chinese who lived through the Cultural Revolution (the last decade has seen a flood of these, many very good reads), but never have I wanted so BADLY to meet the author as with this book. She rings so true and human, if it's not all true, she is a powerful story teller... She is feisty, funny, and a true survivor... I love the book and her for sharing it with me...

I came across this book at the library one day while looking for a memoir on the Cultural Revolution. Most of the books that I have read about the Moaist years in China have been about people who didn't realize the effect the Party and Mao had on them. But author Chen Chen was raised by liberal parents and was educated in the Western style. This probably allowed her to relize that some of the movements and programs were a little odd and forced the Party's power on to the brainwashed citizens and the now lost generation. I was totally engrossed in this novel because the story was told by someone who understood what was happening and who was brainwashed.

I have traveled to China on business for 20 years. What struck me was not just the story of the China(s) that I know, but the much deeper and more complex China that I do not know. The author's descriptions ring true to everything I have seen and to the small glimpses I have had of what goes on that is not according to the official story. For instance, I have seen first hand what the author talks about in the generation whose education and professional lives were sacrificed to the cultural revolution. In the late 70's and early 80's, technical meetings would consist of a few older experts and a multitude of young trainees. There were none in the middle age groups who would normally be just entering the peak of their professional lives. A generation on, this is no longer so evident but the effects are still there. Thanks to Toto, by the way, for giving me the opportunity to enjoy this book. I was aware of the difference between the monolithic official line and the incredibly pluralistic personal views of individual Chinese. This book brought home to me just how much more there is to China and the people of China than I known. The events related here would make a fabulous fantasy tale. The strangest thing is that they were instead the normal, every day lives for most of a billion people for many, many years. I heartily recommend this book to any who want an intense and closeup view of China in the last 50 years.

At the first glance of the book, the mouth-watering dishes were leaping out from the pages. After the visual enjoyment, I was tempted to try out the recipes immediately. The first one I did was the black cod and have been repeating and introducing this 'stress-free' recipe to my friends, especially those who have long forgotten the joy of cooking. A group of us are now hooked onto Annie's book and we often exchange our fun and experience, with a view to improving our culinary skills and preparing quality food for our loved ones.

I can feel Annie's enthusiasm and love of food from reading her book. You can feel her heart and soul in her recipes and the accompanying gracefully written short stories/brief introductions. I always have a stock of the book, ready to give out as gifts to my dear friends and beloved family members. I simply want to share the best with them.

As I can read both Chinese and English, I am getting 'double-joy' from the two versions of 'Cooking with Annie'. If your friend can read Chinese, surely he/she would just love the book as much as you do.

I look forward to Annie's future books and I am confident that they will be just as sensational, or even better.

Unique, refreshing, delightful, candy for the eyes is some of the best ways to sum up this wonderful book created by Annie Leong. Having owned my own restaurant for years and my continuing love for good food, I am always on the lookout for new and original recipe books to add to my never ending collection. This book has something for everyone, whether you are a beginner cook or a connoisseur. Let your self dream and be taken to far away places and enjoy the epicurean experience that Annie Leong has created for you. While you may never make the trips to some of the locations described in the book you will however be able to recreate the experience in your own home for the pleasure of your family and friends. This past weekend I had a dinner party and served the warm lobster salad as an entrée and Mrs. Chan's warm chocolate cake. Both were a tremendous hit with everyone asking for seconds. Thank You Annie

What a wonderful find. Delicious recipes, wonderful combinations of flavors. A fusion of European and Asian ideas, but from the Asian perspective. All of the jacket blurbs are about Annie Leong's passion for food. The book isn't just about recipes you can prepare, but why we love food and flavors and get excited about cooking. She apparently has become a very popular food columnist in Hong Kong, and you can see why. The writing is intelligent and informative, but also accessible so that novice foodies like me can feel at ease and confident. Makes a great gift for anyone on your list who loves food!

Dr. Lee offers thought provoking insights and recommendations on doing business in Asia, based upon years of personal experience. Interesting contrasts of Asian and Western cultures help to explain the different approaches to business. His advice on the important subjects of negotiation and conflict resolution provide valuable guidance on how to avoid common misunderstandings and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. This book is great for those interested in doing business in China and is recommended reading by the nation's top business school.

Explaining China is a favorite avocation of many Chinese in the West. They usually state that Chinese and Western values are opposed, and that Chinese values are not only different but superior. This fairly typical book can be straightforward and informative, particularly when the author discusses the decision-making process in China and warns that `yes' and `no' probably don't mean what the average, unsubtle American understands them to mean. But stay skeptical of the author's generalizations about Chinese (Dragon) and Western (Cowboy) motivations. He stresses the supposed "collective" disposition of Chinese, but anyone with China experience will wonder just how "collective" the Chinese really are. In an often-used saying, the Chinese compare themselves to grains of sand - to emphasize their difficulty in getting together and cooperating. Sometimes the book describes fact, and sometimes fantasy that Chinese wish were fact. It can be as useful to know a people's fantasies as it is to know their facts so, properly read, we find this book to be a useful addition to the bibliography on doing business in China. (There are, by the way, some annoying proofreading errors, most egregiously the erroneous pinyin spelling of the Chinese word for face.)

Dr. Lee covers a lot of subject matter in Cowboys and Dragrons. This is not a travel or "how to" book. This is a hands on reference piece that aims at breaking down cultural myths between the U.S. and China that have historically promulgated misunderstanding between the two countries. Dr. Lee emphasizes the necessity of having a historical and cultural understanding of the United States and China before entering into or embarking on business dealings between the two countries. He poses philisophical questions to the reader in order to uncover fundamental truths about human relationships. Furthermore, he provides practical advice on how to make a U.S./China business deal work to the benefit of BOTH sides.

If you ever wondered why Chinese bow and avoid direct eye contact versus the American norm of firm handshakes and looking someone squarely in the eye or how to better understand the nuances of business language among both cultures, this book will explain it all.

Cowboys and Dragons will surely become a must read among business school students, entrepreneurs, executives, and individuals that plan or or are currently doing business in China. Keep this book handy.

So, how did I like this book? This thirteen-year-old girl makes me cry, she is so determined, so stubborn, so absolutely resolved to succeed.

One day she can't find her pen. "You're probably going to start laughing," she says. "A pen. What a minor thing to get so distressed about! I saved up my pocket money for two weeks. My mother had given me some money with which to buy bread. For days I had only eaten yellow rice. I preferred going hungry and economising (sic) so that I could buy the pen. How I suffered for that pen!"

[That pen] "made me understand the meaning of a difficult life or a happy life. Every time I see the pen it's as if I were seeing my mother. It's as if she was encouraging me to work hard and make it into girls' senior school. Now I've disappointed my mother. What am I but a useless burden? At school I lead a life which isn't worthwhile. I couldn't make it into the girls' school. What's the use of going on?"

But then she always pulls herself up. "But I must think positively. I have to succeed. I will. I really will find an ideal job. And I'll be happy with it."

Now that I've finished it, I think I can't remember a book which touched me more deeply. How can anyone persevere in the face of such poverty and hardship? And yet she does, and to such a great benefit for at least for a few.

Ma Yan is 13 years old and is told by her mother that she needs to leave school and work in the fields to pay for the education of her two younger brothers. But Ma Yan dreams of getting an education to pull her family out of the desperate poverty that they suffer every day. In this book we follow her diary through ages 12 and 13 as she struggles with going to school in miserable conditions with never enough food to eat, desperately trying to succeed against all odds. But her fate catches up with her when she is 13 years old, as her family can no longer afford to send her to school. She is destined for a hard life working in the fields...until a miracle occurs. This heart-wrenching journal full of courage and determination is a must-read for all girls who have dreams of their own.

Our whole family enjoyed this book, especially our 12-year-old daughter!

We meet Ma Yan when she's thirteen and in the last year of her primary school. She lives in the dormitory during the week and makes the twelve and a half mile walk home every weekend. Her life revolves around school and the absolute necessity for her to do well, while her very existence is consumed with thoughts of food and constant hunger. Ma Yan's story is of her struggle to survive and break out of this terrible poverty.

"How wonderful it would be if I could stay in school forever," says Ma Yan, but in 2001 she knows that will never happen. Life in rural China is hard. In the village of Zhangjiashu, thousands of miles northwest of Beijing, the way out is by getting an education. If a family is able to provide the funds for school, the boys are the lucky recipients.

Ma Yan's mother understands her daughter's passionate plea to remain in school. Determined that her daughter have a better life, Ma Yan's thirty-three year old mother sacrifices even more and travels two hundred and fifty miles away to earn the money needed for her daughter to return to school. In many ways, this is as much the story of the mother as it is the daughter.

In short daily entries, Ma Yan tells of life in and out of school. Her desperate need to succeed, her emotional upheavals, the intense rivalry between students, the enormous sacrifices made by her parents, and the "cruel life" lived by her octogenarian grandparents pull the reader deeper and deeper into Ma Yan's world and reveal an ordinary girl living a life few of us can imagine.

Although this is essentially a young adult book, the story has the power to capture the imagination of adults. In my humble opinion, Ma Yan's Diary should be mandatory reading for all.

Particularly impressive is the author's approach at presenting the Chinese thought process in such a manner that Westerners can not only understand the Chinese psyche, but respect and learn from it as well. This book was perhaps one of the most enlightening books I have read in a while. There is a a concerted effort to show business protocol and potential avenues of entry, but more importantly this book addresses the fundamental social concepts that need to be FULLY understood before attempting to grow in China.

Of the vast number of books about China, this one is a very useful account of how successfully doing business in China. Western Managers at the forefront in China should read this book which brings together a lifetime of research and practice on China.

Doing business in China!
Relation, Relation And Relation....

If you are using your American or European style to work and even partner with China's firms, you must be failure in the end.

Relationship with the Government and officials are the major concerns when you stepping into the door of China.

Think Global and hire Local Chinese people is the only way to have the final success with your partner in China.

China means: " Always in the historical culture "
So don't think about China with your American Standard !

Try to learn with your local Chinese people (doer)

Anyway, China is opened now and also needed to face the ways for WTO ! Reckon, China can learn from their European and American business partners from today.

This is an excellent book on marketing, management, and working in China. Informative, up to date, and useful, including for people with long-term experience in Asia.

A useful and down-to-business book on the new economic giant - China. The cultural, economic, social and managerial wealth which the book covers about business in China is professional, broad, and very applicable. I knew China is growing, but I did not know to which extent, why, or even how to participate. The author does not only describe the current situation in China, she also gives a very good insight into the mentality of Chinese, their business attitude, and how to face Chinese in countless day-to-day business situations. A very good introduction and also an excellent companion for any business trip to China, including for experienced China-travelers. The book is informative, detailed and captivating, and I recommend it for anyone interested in China. - far beyond the business.

I have been living in China for years, working in textiles. After reading the book, I now much better understand many of the problems I had, and I wish I would have been able to purchase such a book earlier. It offers great examples of successful business practices and management in China, but also a broad range of pitfalls and mistakes and how to avoid. Particularly I like the lists and tips, which give helpful summaries for important topics.
This is a book I have been waiting for some time. A good summary of a complex topic, and highly recommendable for foreign managers that have to go to and work in China.
Merci!

This book was written at the end of his lifetime by this extraordinary Mongolian Lama (teacher) who first brought Tibetan Buddhism to America in 1955. Geshe Wangyal was teacher to several generations of students, among them some of the most famous names of Tibetan Buddhist translation and exposition today. The book, a compilation of various translations from the Tibetan, was made under his supervision at the monastery he founded in New Jersey. It is his utterly straightforward, sincere, and authentic offering of the Teaching (Dharma). Geshe Wangyal does not hold back, giving us everything we need to know. "Do not just accumulate sensless bits of knowledge," he tells us, "when studying the Teaching, but try to increase your understanding."

Its contents (briefly summarized below) span the full range of Buddhist teachings:
1. Begins with an introductory by Geshe Wangyal in which he offers the unique pure presentation of the Tibetan overview of the Teachings revealing the hidden threads that link the various selections of his book together.
2. There is a colorful and fabulous history of the Dharma, featuring tales of the great teachers.
3. A section of eloquent, vivid, and touching stories of the previous lives of the Buddha, as well as of one of his female disciples.
4. Then a text of precepts -- kernel-like nuggets of advice from the spiritual lineage of teacher to student -- on the bringing of the practice of Dharma into one's everyday life. (When asked which was most important teaching a famous teacher replied, "The precept of the Lama.")
5. Finally the book concludes with a number of pivotal texts by Tsong-kha-pa, the 15th century founder of the Yellow Hat sect. These set forth his exquisite yet precise delineations clarifying the Buddhist path to enlightenment, some with commentaries. Included is the immensely beautiful and profound enlightenment poem, written upon his realization of emptiness and dependent origination as being the same, praising the teachings of the Buddha. "Such...[teachers]...as Tsong-kha-pa...did not create new teachings, but rather, clarified the original word of the Buddha...."

This is a real book. Its feet are firm upon the Earth, while it plumbs the depths and soars into the rainbow sky. Geshe Wangyal plainly gives us this gift without the least bit of technical language, allowing the book to be enthralling and enlightening for anybody, from the total newcomer to the most avid expert on the subject.

A treasury of delight, nutrition to the starving mind, contains the quintessence of Dharma. Conspire to share the thrill.

Enter the gateway to the Door of Liberation

This book was written at the end of his lifetime by this extraordinary Mongolian Lama (teacher) who first brought Tibetan Buddhism to America in 1955. Geshe Wangyal was teacher to several generations of students, among them some of the most famous names of Tibetan Buddhist translation and exposition today. The book, a compilation of various translations from the Tibetan, was made under his supervision at the monastery he founded in New Jersey. It is his utterly straightforward, sincere, and authentic offering of the Teaching (Dharma). Geshe Wangyal does not hold back, giving us everything we need to know. "Do not just accumulate sensless bits of knowledge," he tells us, "when studying the Teaching, but try to increase your understanding."

Its contents (briefly summarized below) span the full range of Buddhist teachings:
1. Begins with an introductory by Geshe Wangyal in which he offers the unique pure presentation of the Tibetan overview of the Teachings revealing the hidden threads that link the various selections of his book together.
2. There is a colorful and fabulous history of the Dharma, featuring tales of the great teachers.
3. A section of eloquent, vivid, and touching stories of the previous lives of the Buddha, as well as of one of his female disciples.
4. Then a text of precepts -- kernel-like nuggets of advice from the spiritual lineage of teacher to student -- on the bringing of the practice of Dharma into one's everyday life. (When asked which was most important teaching a famous teacher replied, "The precept of the Lama.")
5. Finally the book concludes with a number of pivotal texts by Tsong-kha-pa, the 15th century founder of the Yellow Hat sect. These set forth his exquisite yet precise delineations clarifying the Buddhist path to enlightenment, some with commentaries. Included is the immensely beautiful and profound enlightenment poem, written upon his realization of emptiness and dependent origination as being the same, praising the teachings of the Buddha. "Such...[teachers]...as Tsong-kha-pa...did not create new teachings, but rather, clarified the original word of the Buddha...."

This is a real book. Its feet are firm upon the Earth, while it plumbs the depths and soars into the rainbow sky. Geshe Wangyal plainly gives us this gift without the least bit of technical language, allowing the book to be enthralling and enlightening for anybody, from the total newcomer to the most avid expert on the subject.

A treasury of delight, nutrition to the starving mind, contains the quintessence of Dharma. Conspire to share the thrill.

Enter the gateway to the Door of Liberation

This book was written at the end of his lifetime by this extraordinary Mongolian Lama (teacher) who first brought Tibetan Buddhism to America in 1955. Geshe Wangyal was teacher to several generations of students, among them some of the most famous names of Tibetan Buddhist translation and exposition today. The book, a compilation of various translations from the Tibetan, was made under his supervision at the monastery he founded in New Jersey. It is his utterly straightforward, sincere, and authentic offering of the Teaching (Dharma). Geshe Wangyal does not hold back, giving us everything we need to know. "Do not just accumulate sensless bits of knowledge," he tells us, "when studying the Teaching, but try to increase your understanding."

Its contents (briefly summarized below) span the full range of Buddhist teachings:
1. Begins with an introductory by Geshe Wangyal in which he offers the unique pure presentation of the Tibetan overview of the Teachings revealing the hidden threads that link the various selections of his book together.
2. There is a colorful and fabulous history of the Dharma, featuring tales of the great teachers.
3. A section of eloquent, vivid, and touching stories of the previous lives of the Buddha, as well as of one of his female disciples.
4. Then a text of precepts -- kernel-like nuggets of advice from the spiritual lineage of teacher to student -- on the bringing of the practice of Dharma into one's everyday life. (When asked which was most important teaching a famous teacher replied, "The precept of the Lama.")
5. Finally the book concludes with a number of pivotal texts by Tsong-kha-pa, the 15th century founder of the Yellow Hat sect. These set forth his exquisite yet precise delineations clarifying the Buddhist path to enlightenment, some with commentaries. Included is the immensely beautiful and profound enlightenment poem, written upon his realization of emptiness and dependent origination as being the same, praising the teachings of the Buddha. "Such...[teachers]...as Tsong-kha-pa...did not create new teachings, but rather, clarified the original word of the Buddha...."

This is a real book. Its feet are firm upon the Earth, while it plumbs the depths and soars into the rainbow sky. Geshe Wangyal plainly gives us this gift without the least bit of technical language, allowing the book to be enthralling and enlightening for anybody, from the total newcomer to the most avid expert on the subject.

A treasury of delight, nutrition to the starving mind, contains the quintessence of Dharma. Conspire to share the thrill.

Enter the gateway to the Door of Liberation!

A Note of Some Import:
This is the original hardcover edition of this text also offered by Amazon under the same title as a paperback. Unless you are a rare book collector, it would be worth your while to see their alternate offering

A history book that you can't put down? One that you want to read again and again? This is that and more. So well written and without judgements, it manages to evoke emotions and makes history live. This is an excellent book, with amazing pictures.

The Dragon Empress Dowager of China.There are pictures of her, her court her time as well as eunuchs.There are some rare pictures, that one does not normally see in other books.If you are interested in reading about this strange person and like who she was, or fascinated by her time and history read this book.

Marina Warner made her reputation with this book, a lavishly illustrated history of the Empress Dowager and the world she knew. It is wonderfully well written and succinct. Swift moving enough for a 12 year old, but the history it told was so thorough and so accurate that I was able to come back to the book ten years later, having studied the Qin and Ming in college, and marvel at how much truth she had put in so few pages.

Neither a deep work of scholarship nor a startling revision, this smooth and balanced study puts Tz'u-Hsi in context, explaining how she shaped (and failed to shape) the world around her. The lavish pictures push this book close to a coffe table work, but the whole is just the sort of thing to excite someone just getting interested in history, or in China.
I don't know what Marina Warner thinks of her early work, thirty years on. I think it a job well done.

This book is actually several stories about the Dream-of-Jade Cat and the Emperor. There are beautiful illustrations and the stories good, this book is rated for ages 9 - 12 and I agree.

The stories are:
How Dream of Jade Looked at the Emperor
How the Dream-of-Jade Cured the Emperor
How the Dream-of-Jade Made the Emperor Laugh
How the Dream-of-Jade Chose a Gift
How Dream-of-Jade Wrote the Law

Come laugh with me and allow an Imperial Feline to draw back the veil of Time that obscures Imperishable Truths. You doubtless know Lloyd Alexander as a prolific writer & author of medieval fantasies. In "Dream-of-Jade" his wonder-filled stories tell us about ancient China and Emperor Kwan-Yu. "Jade" is the cat who stole his affections.

The author dedicated his book to "my dear cats who told me these tales." Fables can be enjoyed 'time and again' - - these were first published in CRICKET magazine in 1976. We learn how historical events were clarified by the wisdom of "Jade": how she cured the emperor, wrote the Law, and most importantly made the emperor laugh. Her beautiful green eyes & white fur is realistically portrayed through the artistry of D. Brent Burkett. He, as well as the cat, get in a few 'swipes' at pompous know-it-all bureaucrats. Some of the tongue-in-cheek humor may be lost on the youngest listeners but they will love the highly stylized speech with "important" words, and the rhythm of complicated 'titles' - such as this on page 36: "the Glittering Repository of Highly Valuable Objects."

If we listen attentively as any cat lover should, we will realize there are often lessons for adults to be found in children's picture books. Reviewer mcHAIKU suggests that you allow yourself to be hypnotized by "Dream-of-Jade."

Dream-of-Jade is a fabulous and fantastic story that emphasizes kindness, generosity, diplomacy, and common sense. The setting is beautiful, the characters are delightful, and nestled throughout the stories are bits of humor, pieces of irony, and the occasional new vocabulary word. Mr. Alexander's book is smart and charming, and as good a read for adults as it is for children. As an added bonus, the artwork, while more impressionistic than many children's books, adds to the flavor of the story quite well, providing a detailed enough view of events that one can see them while not detracting from the reader's eager imaginings.