China Books

With so many phony TCM practitioners going around cheating uninitiated Westerners with their exotic claims and theories, it's good to have books like this which only provides the facts.

This small book manages not only to list but even provide some details on each commonly used Chinese herb. The herb's energy, taste and organs affected are all mentioned. It's definitely a good buy for anyone interested in learning more about one aspect of TCM as it is.

Don't let the small size of this book (328 pages in a paperback format) fool you; this book is absolutely packed with information on the healing herbs used in TCM --traditional Chinese medicine.

Author Reid has written a number of books on TCM. This herbal reference is well-written because it includes: the common Western name of the herb, the Latin name, the romanized Chinese name and the name in Chinese characters.

Packages of Chinese herbs may be labeled with any of the above, so this is really helpful. There is also a wonderful section on the principles of Chinese medicine and how the traditional herbal preparations are made. Some of the common combinations of Chinese herbs are included along with how to prepare them. There is a resource reference in the back. Highly recommended to anyone wanting to learn more about traditional Chinese medicine.

Here is even more proof that the differences in exotic cultures have already been conquered and eliminated by globalization -- at least in three large cities on three different continents. Dutch photographer Hans Eijkelboom has documented the sameness of fashion and trends and every-day urban living in 21st century Paris, New York, and Shanghai. This superb photo book is more about cool book design, and obsessive anthropological-sociological typologies, than it is about great photography. But it is a gem.

The brilliant design of the book folds out to reveal three connected books with identical sequences of near-identical subject-matter: opened and stretched out on your reading desk you have three books side-by-side. It then becomes natural to turn the pages of all three books simultaneously as you proceed. With delight, we are presented with, for instance, photographs of French, American, and Chinese men all wearing camouflage clothes as fashion statements in all three cities -- lots of men, lots of camouflage, in cities!

This pattern continues to an amazing degree with all sorts of typologies to compare and contrast: huge public sculptures, people wheeling luggage and boxes through city streets, traffic jams, urban places to relax, and even an hilarious triple spread of women sporting Louis Vuitton look-alike handbags.

Tony Godfrey writes this in his introductory essay:

"For a book of art photographs, there is an extraordinary array of images. Having opened it, I turn the pages of each volume simultaneously: I can see sixty photographs of men in striped shirts; turn again, and I see an army of seventy-two men in suits marching to work; turn again, and a panorama of empty civic spaces. What are we being told? That this is a small world after all? Is this a Family of Man on a minimal grid?"

This book forces those questions, and more. And though no single image is a stellar, stand-alone photograph, there is generous volume of photographs here -- 1,256 color images to be exact.

-- Jim Casper

One personal caveat, I don't normally purchase books of photography but this book was recomended. As someone who is a fan of big cities after I excaped my small town chilhood, this book sounded worth getting. This book does, with its repetitions of similar events in the three cities show in vivid display that we are all the same across the world in ways that are posigive and negative. On the postitive side Eijkelboom shows us parents holding babies, boyfriends and girlfriends in such a powerful way that that brought tears to my eyes. There is an almost impressionistic look to his photos of nature that take your breath away.
On the negative side in all cities are the homeless. Here he uses realistic style that breaks your heart. But globalization is the main evil in the potographers sight. We all own the same types of product and there is no real individuality across the word. From camoflage clothing to omnipresent advertising and the presece of mainly American products.
There is a great indroduction and an essay by a scholar that helped me appreciate thi s book to the fulest. Highly recommended.
Please excuse typos I have a neurologic disease.

People have been drinking tea for hundreds of years. Sylvia Schneider not only provides numerous tea recipes from China, Japan, India, Tibet, Arabia, the Americas, and Europe, she also includes the history and traditions of tea, as well as tea recipes for a wide range of ailments.

The popularity of tea combined with the popularity of herbs as medicine makes this title not only an interesting and informative book, but a practical one as well. The reader will enjoy learning about the history of these teas and the ingredients from which they are made. Preparing and drinking these teas, which can improve health and well-being, will also be an enjoyable experience.

This book is a jewel. A good friend gave it to me as a "hope you feel better gift" the last time I was down with a bad cold. You don't have to be sick, however, to learn about the ancient history and healing power of teas and infusions.

Sylvia Schneider is a freelance writer and medical and scientific editor who works as a medical journalist. In this book she explores the history, traditions, ingredients and recipes for tea from China, Japan, India, Tibet, Latin America, Aboriginal America, and Europe. There is also information about the use of exotic herbs and spices.

This beautiful volume is illustrated with more than 50 color photographs and includes many recipes to improve the overall state of health and well-being. Makes an excellent gift. I know firsthand!
JANA

This book proves beyond doubt the class of Chogyam Trungpa as a real master of the noble lineage of Karma Kagyu tradition.There are two chapters which require an in-depth reading: 1)The four foundations of mindfulness, and 2)Sacred outlook. The chapter titled sacred outlook contains the heart of the tantra tradition. Understanding the Vajrayogini principle so very clearly explained in this text will clear up all confusion in the minds of the students of the Dharma regarding the total absence of connection between sex and the Buddhist tantra. For those who question the ritual aspects of the Tibetan Buddhism, the answer lies in the explanation given by Chogyam Trungpa of the symbolism of the iconography of the Vajrayogini. I would like to share with all the following nuggets embedded in this chapter: "Experiencing the vajra mind of Vajrayogini is so deep and vast that if thoughts arise, they do not become highlights: they are small fish in a huge ocean of space" "All the dharmas comprising grasping and fixation become empty. From within emptiness.....arises the triangular source of dharmas....On that is the nature of my consciousness....Like a fish leaping from water, I arise in the body of Jetsun Vajrayogini" "The best translation of yidam that I have found is "personal deity". I strongly recommend this book for all students of Buddhism.

This collection of fifteen essays and talks offers an excellent introduction to the teachings of Chogyam Trungpa (1940-1987) as they relate to daily life. Trained in Tibetan Buddhism, Trungpa Rinpoche put aside his monastic robes when he came to the United States, believing that Buddhism needed to be taught "free from cultural trappings and religious fascination" (pp. 241-42). He criticized the materialistic and commercialized "spiritual supermarket" he encountered in the West, and encouraged his students to simply practice sitting meditation so that "it becomes an actual part of life" cutting through to the heart of the spiritual journey (pp. 34; 242). He introduced profound Buddhist teachings to the West in "a thoroughly contemporary way" (p. 243) and, for instance, there are teachings included in this 260-page book applicable to relationships, money, raising children, and drinking alcohol.

Our spiritual journey is a solitary one. The Buddha encouraged us to work out our own salvation with diligence, and "in some sense," Trungpa Rinpoche writes, "Buddhism can be described as a do-it-yourself process" (p. 69). THE HEART OF THE BUDDHA is organized into three parts. In the "Personal Journey" part of this book (pp. 1-82), Trungpa encourages us to confront ourselves directly through meditation practice. Rather than struggling to escape our pain, he writes, we must make it our path (p. 64). In the second part, "Stages of the Path" (pp. 83-170), Trungpa discusses the hinayana, mahayana, and vajrayana stages of the Buddhist path, which ultimately take us from our own inner self to facing life fearlessly. In the last part of the book, "Working with Others" (pp. 171-216), he demonstrates how meditation practice reveals the sacred quality of our everyday experience. This book delivers exactly what its title promises--teachings that cut straight to the heart of Tibetan Buddhism.

G. Merritt

This book is a collection of centuries-old herbal secrets. Some of these secrets my mother has only heard whispered but never learned. I am sure that my own tight-lipped doctor uses them, because he is in his seventies, yet his skin has the texture of a thirty-year-old.
These formulae work. They restore health, youth, and vigor - the qualities that the Chinese doctors call "beautiful." The speed at which the restoration takes place is only inhibited by the initial state at which the user begins.

I'm amazed that these ancient formulas are so useful and work so well even today. Maybe it's because they have been used for so many generations. The ancient stories and backgrounds behind these formulas are very interesting, e.g., how some recipes were used by Emperor Guangxu and Empress Cixi. I recommended some hair rinse formulas to my friends and they really liked those recipes! Those mouthwash recipes are very helpful too. The recipes are easy to follow, with detailed ingredients, amounts, and preparation methods described. The explanations in Chinese medicine and scientific research are easy to understand. The book gives detailed references that are very convincing. It's a good resource about traditional Chinese culture too, such as those aromatics bags that were very popular in ancient China. It's almost unbelievable that ancient Chinese had developed so many comprehensive methods for beauty.

Drawing upon their rather impressive expertise, Robert Cribb (Senior Fellow, Australian National University, Canberra) and Audrey Kahin (Managing Editor of Southeast Asia publications at Cornell and editor of the journal "Indonesia" from 1978 to 1995), provide students and non-specialist general readers alike with a comprehensive compilation of people, places and events in the social, political, religious, and economic history of the tropical archipelago that is Indonesia (Asia's third largest country in both population and geography). Now in an updated second edition, Historical Dictionary Of Indonesia pre-sents its wealth of in-depth researched information in easy-to-look-up alphabetical entries, from "adat" (indigenous customary laws) to "Zeven Provincien, mutiny of the" referring to the ill-fated 1933 protest aboard the Dutch naval vessel De Zeven Provincien. Supplements include several maps, lists of common acronyms for easy reference, appendices that list governors and rulers, electoral performance of the parties from 1945 to 1999, and much more. An all-around excellent, easy to use general reference.

First of all, many thanks to Scarecrow Press for its Asian Historical Dictionary series. These are fantastic references.

This volume is now eclipsed by the new edition. Haven't yet seen the new edition, but I anticpate many updated and new entries since the 1990-92 work done on this still-useful resource.

This is not to say this book is perfect. For a country as abbrevation- and acronym-dependent as Indonesia is, this abbreviation/acronym list is woefully inadequate. This being said, a comprehensive abbreviation/acronym listing is not practicable as acronym dictionaries available in Indonesia are themselves hundreds of pages long. What is needed is a much more in depth compilation, edited for use primarily by foreign students and scholars.

The map section is also disappointing. For a reference costing as much as this does, the maps should be full-color glossies, better annotated, and more detailed. The best solution would be fold-out maps to best show the detail that is needed to complement such a fine reference.

The dictionary portion is excellent, very well cross-referenced, with thorough entries for each item. The numerous appendices are also superb, with leadership and governmental ministers listings for the colonial period as well as the post-revolution period.

The true gem of this dictionary is the 118-page bibliography, listing other references and bibliographies, works sorted by discipline and subject, as well as important periodicals and journals.

This has been and will continue to be an indispensable part of my Southeast Asia/Indonesia collection. Although overtaken by the new edition, this is an unparalleled reference, an essential tool for the Indonesia student and scholar.

This is a comprehensive and necessary resource for those interested in learning about this major American china manufacturer. It only adds to my appreciation of HL's vast array of products over the decades, and makes my own small collection all the more valuable to me.

I've recently become fascinated with dinnerware from the mid-twentieth centurty and have collected many individual pieces manufactured by Homer Laughlin. This book allowed me to identify the patterns and shapes of these pieces, as well as the dates they were manufactured.

There seems to be a shortage of photography books on Hong Kong, but this book more than does the job. The book not only captures Hong Kong's many great skyscrapers and other buildings, but also features the quaint corners of day-to-day Hong Kong life. Occasionally the descriptions of the pictures were not as specific or helpful as I would have liked (perhaps the editor was not certain of the name or location of every building pictured). But in regards to the photographs themselves, they are of high quality, from a variety of photographers, and do a good job of portraying every side of the city.

The book also features an introduction with a surprisingly thorough history of the island.

Sections are:
I Hong Kong Island
a. Central District
b. Views from Victoria Peak
c. Aberdeen
d. Victoria Harbour
II Kowloon and the New Territories
III Temples
a. Wong Tsai Sin Temple, Kowloon
b. Po Lin Lantau
IV The Urban Beehive

Do note that having been printed in 1998, this book misses a few of Hong Kong's newest architectural additions. But I definitely would recommend for anyone in love with Hong Kong, China, big-city life, skyscrapers, or architecture in general.

Is a great book and there a lot of wonderful picture. I love it

The collaborative effort of Hong Kong Film Archive programmer Law Kar and film and modern history scholar Frank Bren, Hong Kong Cinema: A Cross-cultural View, traces the history of Hong Kong's film arts from the "Western shadow plays" of the late 1890s, to the boom of the 1930s, to Hong Kong's title of the "Hollywood of China" that has eclipsed the moviemaking prominence of Shanghai since the 1940s, a preeminence that continues to this day. Hong Kong Cinema explores major developments in the Hong King film making industry, including the changing role of women and the influx of both Eastern and Western influences. A highly readible account, Hong Kong Cinema is as enjoyable for the non-specialized general reader as it is for those in the film industry looking to flesh out their knowledge of the Hong Kong film industry.

I read this book with great relish as it provides such a fascinating account of the evolution of Hong Kong cinema. The authors and editors are evidently experts in the subject, and they really leaves no stone unturned.

This book has superb reference value and is very readable, too.

A great novel! Searingly honest and direct, it is obviously written from first hand experience of travel throughout Asia - variously bruising, exhilarating, shocking and funny. It is testimony to the capacity of humans to construct disaster and tragedy out of the times that should be the best of our lives. It contains scenes and events that will raise themselves again in your mind long after you have read the book. And it is not just an entertaining and evocative read. It is the perfect companion for travel around Asia, particularly to Taiwan. It evokes the experience of wandering through exotic locations, with every day full of unforeseen happenings, often taxing but always vivid. It tells you the things that the travel guides won't or can't. It will whet your appetite for travel and for living to the max while you travel.

The Hotel Travel is a breakthrough novel by Tony Akbar which heralds a new generation of travel writing. This concept of this Travel Novel is characterised by its raw personal passion. On one hand the book is a collection of grunge travellers tales. Irvine Welsh with a backpack if you like. The settings are the streets, markets, hostels and guest houses, bars and nightclubs in the congested, enervating cities of Calcutta, Taipei and Saigon and the places in between. The characters that inhabit these places are restless souls travelling through the backwaters and backstreets of Asia without a forward ticket or a particular destination. Their attitude is ambivalent and their humour black. Each of the stories describes one of their adventures. The suite of stories are linked by the journeys of Sean Dinan, a disillusioned journalist. I loved the intensity and brutal honesty of this great book.