Asia Books

This is a very powerful and moving account of one woman's life of incredible hardship and suffering, a personal view of the systematic destrucion of Tibet. Ama-la lost her family, her friends, her country. But, despite experiencing the horrors of the Tibetan holocaust, she held on to her identity, her dignity, and her compassion.

Ama-la's sincere good-heartedness, rooted in the heart of Tibetan culture, triumphs in the end over the inhumanity unleashed by Mao's China. Prison, privation, and state-sponsored brutality fail to undermine this amazing woman's sense of what it means to be a decent human being. Here is a role model for everyone, everywhere.

The basic goodness of this remarkable woman is conveyed perfectly in this simple, honest narrative. This is a story that one finds difficult to turn away from. Ama Adhe is a person the reader will care about deeply after reading this book.

Ama-la survived to remind us that more than a million Tibetans did not. I hope that readers will be inspired to look learn more about this monumental tragedy, one which continues to this day.

Ama Adhe's story is one of the most amazing and powerful I have ever read. You may have heard of the Tibetan struggle for independence, but Ama's story will blow your mind! This book is incredibly moving, honest and one of the most important historical accounts that has ever been written. Only if you read this book will you truly understand the fight for a Free Tibet. Ama Adhe is a true hero for what she survived, for standing up for her beliefs and for not viewing herself as a hero. If you have any interest in human rights and believe in standing up for a cause, read this book.

I have read a number of books on Tibet, but this was the first from a womans point of view. To learn not only about women in Tibet but women in general was very educational. Being one of very very few to survive her prison ordeal Ama has taken the task of sharing the story of many of her dead friends. The attrocities have been played down to some extent, compared to other books I have read. Good for the sensative but curriouse reader. Worth while.

This is one of my favorite books of all time--among thousands of books I've read. Writing with great honesty and humility, Ama Adhe's courage and compassion shine like a lamp for anyone faced with oppression, torture and brutality for their beliefs and devotion to their homeland and people. My heart goes out to her with great gratitude for sharing her story with the world. I hope others will read it and treasure the example of her spirit. I think her book made me a better person.

This is a very powerful and moving account of one woman's life of incredible hardship and suffering. Ama-la lost her family, her friends, and her country... but she kept her identity, her dignity, or her compassion. What makes this story so inspiring is that Ama-la's sincere good-heartedness triumphs, against appalling odds, over the systemic evil that the People's Republic of China unleashed on her and on her Tibetan homeland. Prison, privation, brutality, and hate fail utterly to undermine this amazing woman's sense of what it means to be a decent human being. Here is a role model for everyone, everywhere.

The basic goodness of this remarkable woman is conveyed perfectly in this simple, honest narrative. This is a story that one finds difficult to turn away from. Ama Adhe is a person the reader will care about deeply after reading this book.

Being a young adult that is learning about Sikhi i have to say this book gave me alot of inspiration. Right through from photo's in the 19th century it truly amazed me. Honestly, fantastic! Recommended to anyone and everyone. I have already shown it to a friend and even they said wow you have such a rich history. Only this book could have told me the past which has been forgotten, as pictures say a thousand words..

Hopefully there are more books like this by the author..

This got to be the top coffee table book for any sikh households.

This one should belong in the library of all Sikhs and historians of the Indian Subcontinent.
A beautifully documented and illustrated piece of work.
Madra's incredible effort provides a unique insight as to why the British held the military prowess of the Sikhs in such high-regard.

this book took my breath away and made me feel blessed that i am a sikh as well and that i belong to such a wonderful faith. the pictures of the book are rare and extremely well presented, with the design of the book adding on to it's high rating that i give it points which fall way above the options. a great book for coming generations to revere and find inspiration and sikh pride from. buy it for your kids or for your grandchildren. they are the inheritors of this great tradition that the sikhs are today.

First of all I would say, God Bless S. Amandeep Singh Madra , who has done this great job for the coming sikh generation,the generation born in abroad and does not know about sikh's pride. Great God bless these two gentlemen for that they just clear the dust from the sikh braverly and showed the new generation by publishing this book, who ever forgott the sikhs culture and pride. I might order this book in large quantity to distribute in each gurudwara, this is Surinderpal Singh , USA

Geling Yan's White Snake and Other Stories depicts life during the Cultural Revolution in China, mainly through the experiences of Chinese women. Yan herself was born in Shanghai and inducted into the People's Liberation Army at age twelve, where she served in both ballet and folk dance troupes. Yan is well known in China where she has won a number of literary awards. She was a news correspondent in the 1970's covering the Sino-Vietnamese war, and when her tour of duty ended, she began writing creative works. She has published five novels, three short story collections and several screenplays including Xiu Xiu, The Sent Down Girl. White Snake was the first of her works to be translated into English. She now lives in the San Francisco Bay area.

Yan is a gifted writer. Her descriptions of scenes and emotions are so well developed, the reader is genuinely transported to scenes in China. Her stories build a tension that remains high until the ending. Her character development and grasp of the intricacies of relationships are so realistic that the ending truly affects the reader. Her stories are rich with deeper meaning and almost mystical in presentation, perhaps influenced by her being raised on Chinese folklore. The title novella "White Snake" describes the transformation of a celebrated ballet dancer imprisoned for spying following a love affair with a Russian dancer. The story of Sun Likun's fall from grace ironically mimics the Chinese folktale of the White Snake, her signature role. The mythical White Snake struggled against her own fate when she left the heavens because of her love for a mortal.

The book's other short stories each explore different aspects of Chinese life and relationships. "Celestial Bath" is a tragic tale of a teenage girl sent to the countryside to perform her required government service and then trapped by local government bureacrats into prostitution to buy her ticket home. "Nothing More Than Male and Female" explores the feelings of a woman who moves into the family home of her fiance months before the wedding, and then discovers she has fallen in love with his brother - a sensitive, semi-invalid not expected to live long. "Siao Yu" is about a young Chinese woman who is forced to marry an elderly man so she can stay in Australia long enough to achieve permanent status and then marry her young Chinese lover. The only story with a male protagonist, "The Death of the Lieutenant," conveys the hopeless case of a man from an impoverished village, who joins the army in hopes of bettering himself and then kills an officer accidentally. A female news reporter is disturbed by his calm acceptance of a sentence of execution.

The common theme in this book of stories is the mortal person, flawed, hoping for something better, but struggling along to survive with whatever is dealt to them. The women in particular in her stories are oppressed by hundreds of years of Chinese culture and even under the Revolutionary regime must still fend off men who want to use them for sex and the societal expectation that they will marry. Her female characters are strong and independent despite their circumstances.

To review these short stories demands the shortest of comments. Geling Yan thankfully has been translated so that for those of us who can only read 'English' have not been denied stories, which once read cannot be forgotten. I truly cannot praise the quality,emotional content, technical structuring,linguistic texture, etc. etc., sufficiently highly. I can only suggest that you read these short storiesand discover their wonder.

I was a bit surprised when my husband first handed me my copy of 'White Snake and Other Stories'. I had never read any Chinese literature in my life and was quite unfamiliar with Lawrence Walker and Geling Yan as a translator author team.
What a wonderful surprise my husband's gift turned out to be! The writing style was so sensitive, thoughtful, creative that I felt I was literally being transported into another time and another culture. I feel that what I learned about China in the short time it took me to read this book is priceless, not to mention the true enjoyment of reading good, creative original literature like 'White Snake'. My congratulations to both Geling Yan for writing this marvelous book, and to Lawrence Walker for doing such an incredibly brilliant job at translating what must have been an unbelievably difficult work. He made it so easy to read that one would have thought it was written originally in English. And Geling brought to me her China in her own wonderful way!

Geling Yan's WHITE SNAKE AND OTHER STORIES is an excellent collection of the author's 6 short stories. "White Snake" is pyschologically and emotionally most subtle. The story derives the theme allegorically from an ancient fable of love for its plot, and it transforms that faithful love into a very subtle and complex human experience that deserves various interpretations. As in her other stories, "White Snake" leaves room for the reader's imgaination to explore and appreciate its meaning. It is poetic! "White Snake," "Celestial Bath" and "Siao Yu" are also political. The author is skillful to portray an individual's life in the context of a large and powerful world of political entity. "Celestial Bath" and "Siao Yu" actually depict a tragedy of the Chinese nation. Hemingway-like detachment is the author's approach, even in "The Death of the Liutenant" in which the woman writer is apparently the author's alter ego. Lawrence Walker's translation is fluent, faithful to the original and very readable. Yan's style, however, is so sophisticate that no translation can do justice. (This is the problem for all translations). This collection of Yan's stories is a suitable text for a contemporary Chinese literature course.

Viewed from San Francisco, China, its people and culture have been an integral part of this city and its history since the Gold Rush. Like most San Franciscans and I daresay most Americans, while I am curious about the country, for the most part my knowledge is superficial and limited to glimpses of what really makes China tick. Chinese American cuisine and frequent trips to Chinatown have given me only a suggestion of the culture and life view of the Chinese.

White Snake and the characters depicted gave me an insight to the Chinese mind in the way that few other books have. Celestial Bath in particular, is one of the most poignant stories of unrequited love I have ever read. My wife and I have re-read it several times and always are moved by it, particularly the closing scene.

A gifted author who draws on her own experience in China, Geling Yang has helped me to bridge the cultural divide between America and China. I look forward to reading more of her works to continue to deepen my knowledge of China and her people.

Larry Walker's translation of the collection - always a challenge - is a tour de force.

Will the Boat Sink the Water? is a series of stories that show the problems of peasant life in the villages and farming counties. The farmers are held down by unchecked greed among the village leaders, heavy taxes demanded by the layers of government, barriers between them and those who could help them in the National Government. The book gives you a vivid picture about how helpless the 900 million people are under the crushing weight of Communist China. They live the same as they did before the Revolution and, in some way, their life is worse. Millions are out of work, millions pour into the cities but don't have the proper papers or the contacts needed to get good jobs.
The rural poor make up most of China and yet rarely do they have a voice in either the government or in the press.
Has a time line of important events, with a focus on those important to the peasants, and an introduction by John Pomfret, author of Chinese Lessons. A must for anybody interested in Asia or in China.

This is not a fun book to read, it is bloody, sad, lawless, power vs non power, poor is poor. most of people think China is developing so fast in recent years, but people don't realize that they are still about 800 million people live in rural area in China, they are still struggle with their daily life, and voiceless.

Chen and Wu are a voice for millions of farmers throughout China. Great insights into what life is like for the peasants and farmers in the countryside of China. It is hard to find many stories and reports about the hardships and persecutions which the farmers in China face and the political and economic system that they have to deal with. These are the people who make up the majority of China's population and yet you normally only hear about the urban areas and economic progress in China. As an American many of these incidents were hard for me to imagine happening within the last ten to fifteen years. I read this book while studying in China and when traveling in the countryside it gave me a better understanding of the places and people I encountered.

Forget the title, this is an interesting expose on the Chinese peasant. These 900 million people toil in the backwaters of rural China, and were instrumental in getting their country industrialized. They also helped the country sustain itself following the Great Leap Forward (or backward in reality) and the Cultural Revolution. These people spend countless hours in backbreaking labor only to have party cadres unfairly tax them beyond their means. This book by a husband and wife team examines stories about their home province and show the corruption of village and party administration. China may be a coming superpower, but it better solve these problems before the people throw the rascals out.

I found this a very informative read. It starts out slow, but this is an intensely interesting book about the unfair lives led by millions of Chinese peasants and the people that are supposed to protect them-the party and village government hacks.

John Pomfret writes in his introduction to this book that when he was in college in the late 1970s, professors taught that the Chinese Communist Party "truly represented the wishes of China's dispossessed" and one quoted Mao's saying that "A revolution is not a dinner party." Chinese reporters Chen Guidi and Wu Chuntao document the plight of the peasants in their country, showing Pomfret and anyone else who dares to read their expose how corruption, excessive taxation, miscarriages of justice, too many layers of bureaucracy, and unchecked industrial pollution oppress and threaten the very existence of China's poorest.

China is no worker's paradise. The rural population is basically an unprivileged underclass -- a class of serfs -- that the government squeezes mercilessly. Despite declarations from the top Chinese Communist rulers that peasants should not be pay more than 5% of their annual income in taxes, 19% is closer to the truth. For a subsistence population, such heavy taxation (often in the form of ill-defined, sometimes illegal, fees and fines) is more than they can bear. Yet, their appeals for relief to various levels of their government generally result only in the status quo retained.

A sizable portion of the book relates journalistic investigations into specific several cases of murder of peasants by village or township officials. The petty officials became enraged to the point of doing or ordering bodily violence against peasants because the fed-up farmers were taking public steps to expose their (the officials') corruption.

Then, the authors cite some of the recent policies of the Chinese central government that have increased the sufferings of the peasants. Examples include increasing the layers of local governance, commanding villages to invest in industrial enterprises that are not sustainable and that force them into mountains of debt, and permitting giant gobs of industrial pollutants to turn black rivers peasants must use for bathing and drinking water.

"Will the Boat Sink the Water? The Life of China's Peasants" does feature portraits of good, conscientious officials who put the welfare of their villages or regions ahead of their own advancement. But the Chinese Communist system does not ordinarily promote such people. The Party is more interested in keeping the peasants in their place, and it promotes those officials who inflate the agricultural yields and other economic "successes" of their locality and who deliver their assessed taxes in full.

This revealing look at China at the grassroots level should be read by everyone who has read glowing reports of the progressive, sweeping economic and social strides allegedly remaking the most populous nation on earth. There *is* a dinner party going on: the Chinese peasants are being feasted upon by their cadres, village heads, and Party watchdogs.

This English translation of the book now banned in China is very highly recommended.

The book was full of wonderful, easy to accomplish things that boost your spirit and nuture your soul. Every parent or caregiver should take the time to read this book.

Thanks to Asia for reminding us of this important fact: How can we take care of others if we do not care for ourselves? The book is beautiful and easy to read, for all of us who don't have time - you have to make time for this one - you time.

This is such a beautiful book and it makes a wonderful gift. I gave it to a friend with a jar of bubble bath and she told me later how much she enjoyed her "You Time". If you have anyone in your life who needs to spend a little more time with herself (or even himself), the ideas in this book will remind her how. I like the easy-to-read workbook style. It's a thought-providing, useful resource, as well as being visually beautiful.

I love this book it is so true, We spend most of our time worrying about careing for our children. And then before you know it our parents need our help.
I took care of my Mom at my house with also taking care of my son. And there was no time left for me which left me stressed I wish I had this book sooner but I still love reading it and useing the ideas. So thank you Asia for having the time to write this book.

Lisa Shand

This book serves as a gentle reminder of the importance of nurturing self so we as women, wives & mothers can better take care of those who mean so much to us. It is beautifully written and motivated me to give myself time and attention.
Thank you Asia Sharif-Clark, your words are an inspiration.

Runoko Rashida, Wayne Chandler and Co. put together a fine work illustrating the Asiatic hereditary connections with so called "black" people, especially the Shang Dynasty. They also touch on the influence of the mysterious order of the Hashimiyyah & the Knights Templar. As always the text is accompanied by top rated images supporting the text itself. This book continues a standard of excellence, in the field of knowledge of Self.

There's a wealth of knowledge in this book. What illustrates the effectiveness of the book are the pictures, as well as the words. It's one thing to say that there are black people in India, who were the founders of civilization, there. It's another thing to actually show the descendents of those people, clearly black people, living in India. The book is impressive.

Dr. Rashidi and Dr. Van Sertima are esteemed scholars who have changed my life for the better. They have given me a wealth of knowledge about my Afrikan heritage, which spans worldwide.

THIS BOOK IS AMAZING IT PROVIDES INFORMATION THAT IS BOTH TRUE AND OF EXTREME VALUE. THE AFRICAN PRESENCE IN EARLY ASIA COVERS MIGRATION FROM AFRICA TO ASIA DATING BACK FROM OVER 100,000 YEARS AGO. IT ALSO COVERS THE REVOLT OF THE ZANJ, WERE EAST AFRICAN SLAVES REVOLTED IN IRAQ AND IRAN. CAUSING NUMEROUS DEFEATS UPON THEIR OPPRESSORS AND SERIOUS ECONOMIC DAMAGE TO THE EMPIRE OF THEIR OPPESSORS. IT ALSO COVERS NUMEROUS AMOUNTS OF AFRICAN PERSONALITIES AND PEOPLE IN ASIA. SUCH AS UTHMAN IBN BAHR AL-JAHIZ, MALIK AMBAR, LOKMAN, BILAL, ANTARA: THE LION AND MANY OTHERS. THE AFRICAN DIASPORA IN ASIA WAS MAINLY BY MIGRATION, BUT SLAVERY WAS ALSO AN EXAMPLE OF THESE MASSIVE AFRICAN POPULATIONS THROUGHOUT SOUTHERN ARABIA, YEMEN, SOUTHERN IRAQ, KUWATI, SOUTHERN IRAN, AND SOME PARTS OF INDIA. HISTORICAL MIGRATIONS INCLUDED SAUDI ARABIA AND YEMEN ALSO. AS WELL AS INDIA HAS AN EXTREMLY LARGE AFRICOID POPULATION KNOWN AS THE "THE BLACK UNTOUCHABLES OF INDIA" WHO ARE THE INDIGENOUS INHABITERS OF INDIA AND THE CREATORS OF THE INDUS RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATION. THERE ARE ALSO AFRICAN POPULATIONS IN MALAYSIA, SOUTHERN CHINA, ANDAMEN ISLANDS, SRI LANKA AND THE SOUTH PACIFIC ISLANDS. THIS BOOK IS OF GREAT SIGNIFIGANCE ON THE UNEXPLORED HISTORY OF AFRICAN PEOPLE IN ASIA. OTHER BOOKS RECOMENDED IS AFRICANS AT THE CROSSROAD: NOTES ON AN AFRICAN WORLD REVOLUTION, INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN CIVILIZATIONS, THE DESTRUCTION OF A BLACK CIVILIZATION, AND THE AFRICAN ORIGIN OF CIVILIZATION

This book has made it clear that the inhabitant of this earth is GOD in all forms. There is nothing else to be said on this subject. This book and others like it, has opened the door for many to become what they truly are...GOD.

Rashidi and Van Sertima are shaping the world of future scholarship with this book. To realize that the Sumerians, Elamites, Dravidians, Harrapans, and the Sabaeans were all black, adds more honor to the "misplaced" History of the African people. This affects those rascist who try and make the beggining dates of Egypt, closer to those of the Tigres, and the Euphrates. Still even by doing so, the beggining of each were "Christmas Coal Black". This book provides much evidence of this fact! Also interesting, and something most unknown, is the images of Buddah, and Krishna, at first had African features. For those who haven't read Kersey Graves "16 Crucified Saviors" the myths of Buddah, Krishna, Christ, as well many others is almost exactly the same. What is even more interesting is Buddah , Krishna, and Christ, all have a 600 year split between their virgin births, and all there first graven images had African features, before they were tampered with. In the end this is a book that should be read by all, scholars, and common people a like, because it helps you to understand, and appreciate the role of the African people throughout history. This book has intense evidence, regardless if you choose to accept it or not.

RUSS and BLYTH CARPENTER.
The Blessings of Bhutan
Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press, 2002. v, 186 pp. Colour plates, notes, glossary, index. US$24.95, paper.

It is rare that one has the chance to review a book so inadequate that one is hard-pushed to find a positive word to write about it.

The Blessings of Bhutan is, most unfortunately, such a book. One cannot imagine why University of Hawai'i Press, an otherwise reputable press that previously released the charming Painter's Year in the Forests of Bhutan by A. K. Hellum, has now published the Carpenters' recycled clichés and Orientalist imaginings. The authors start out on a hapless tack "... visitors often feel altered by Bhutan ... their inner selves are stirred ... [and] many come home with a nagging feeling that they
were at the edge of learning something important, something primary" (p. 1). With this Conradesque backdrop in place, Russ and Blyth Carpenter enter the Heart of Lightness with their readers in tow. Their account of travelling and working in Bhutan is so personalised that those of us who have never visited their home in the USA wonder why they so frequently refer to it: "Bhutan reminds us of Vida, Oregon. Our hometown has a store ..." (p. 7).

Their rambling anecdotes come across as impressionistic accounts from a journal, and are surely more suited to family archives or a Christmas letter home to friends than to publication as a monograph by an academic press. The authors trade in stereotype and are partial to a disparaging kind of anti-intellectualism, embodied by the statements:

"only a masochist would want to know the names of all the languages spoken in
Central and Eastern Bhutan" and "Bhutan's geography changes from challenging to
nearly hopeless" (p. 8). As if this were not disturbing enough, their hagiography of the kings of Bhutan as embodying "wisdom, strength, vision, and selfless behaviour" which they "daydream about the United States borrowing" (p. 9) is surely at odds with the sentence handed down by a previous king who had a citizen "whipped with peach branches until he convulsed and fell unconscious" (p. 18).

While this book has no scholarly pretensions, and readers would do better to travel to Bhutan with the Lonely Planet guidebook, the lack of engagement with issues that affect contemporary Bhutan, such as the activities of Indian rebels along the southern border or the plight of the Lhotsampa refugees (Bhutanese Hindus of Nepali origin) is simply negligent.

In only one place are these issues touched upon, and then shrouded in euphemism and dodged in an amateurish and unconvincing way: "Many of the things we could say here about the southern problem would be out-of-date by the time this book is published" (p. 168).

In short, this book fails to deliver at all levels. The obvious delight the authors have in Bhutan is marred by their thinly disguised condescension: "in our view, the Bhutanese do not understand the insidious and destructive consequences of television" (p. 174) and platitudinous generalisations such as "we have no hesitations about the essential intellectual capability of the Bhutanese people" (p. 169). At best, perhaps the Carpenters could recycle their text for an in-flight magazine on Bhutan's national airline.

MARK TURIN
University of Cambridge

This meaty little book is informed by the experience of the authors'numerous visits (including working trips) to Bhutan, extensive research, and the wisdom of many lively but respectful conversations with Bhutanese friends. Gorgeous color photographs by the authors supplement the vivid, lucid writing. There is intrigue in seeimg how these two self-described linear thinkers are gradually changed by confronting an intuitive culture with a Tantric lifestyle and a heritage of both Tibetan Buddhism and the remnants of the pre-Buddhist Bon religion. What will be the effect of television, which has only now entered the culture, on this relatively isolated culture? What do monks do all day? What does it mean to measure a culture by its Gross National Happiness? Why is Bhutan known as Little Switzerland? These are among the many questions the Carpenters answer. One could not have better guides to this intriguing country.

"The Blessings of Bhutan" is a personal and fascinating compilation of very short, and very readable, essays (or "sketches") about authors Russ and Blyth Carpenter's experiences and understanding of Bhutanese life. The book is separated into eight parts covering Bhutanese culture and geography; ancient Bhutanese religion and its relationship to Buddhism and Bhutanese archery; Tantric Buddhism; Bhutanese art and medicine; reincarnation (especially as it applies to the environment); sexuality in Bhutanese culture; women in Bhutan; and the Carpenter's reflections on Bhutan's policy of "Gross National Happiness" and on Bhutan's future. The book also has a very useful glossary of terms that makes reading much easier as well as a recommending reading list.

The authors' love and admiration of Bhutan and Bhutanese people is very apparent in their sketches. While many things about Bhutan can easily baffle a tourist (like the almost contradictory sexual attitude of the Bhutanese or the concept of "Gross National Happiness"), they explain these things in terms of the Bhutanese culture. I found the book extremely easy to read and engaging, and appreciated the experiences the Carpenters shared as well as the facts. You can read the book back to front or just skip around and read about which aspects of the culture you're interested in.

This is the first book I have read about Bhutan, and I'm glad I got it!

The Carpenters' book is not the first one that I have read on this magical Asian kingdom but it is definitely one of the best summaries out there. The authors succeeded in bringing the abstract closer to us; they offer an easily digestable, very interesting and engaging reading about Bhutan. What is even better they bring up further topics of interest and discussion that may make you look for more reading on the country itself, some of the characters from Bhutanese history or Buddhism in general. However, if you would like to find out more about tourist destinations in Bhutan I recommend that you get Pommaret's book or the Lonely Planet guide, as this book is more about the spiritual side, the soul of Bhutanese people and its manifestations in everyday life, religion and culture.

Absolutely one of the best books that I have read on the country of Bhutan. After reading several chapters, I was ready to travel on one of the tours to Bhutan, which are led by authors Russ and Blyth Carpenter.

I recently finished reading the book, Brush Meditation: A Japanese Way to Mind and Body Harmony, by H. E. Davey. The book is excellent. I am novice (hardly even that, actually) when it comes to Shodo (having only recently begun studying Shodo), but your book provides a very smooth introduction, and does a great job of getting across the relationship between it and the other Japanese cultural arts (chado [tea ceremony], budo [martial Ways], kado [flower arrangement], etc).

It is written in a very positive way and contains many beautiful pieces of artwork. I very much enjoyed the "four experiments toward a positive mind," these are great examples of introspection. Though I am far from an expert in budo, I have spent many years training and researching this topic, yet several of the explanations, provided for terms such as fudoshin, hara, and ki shed new light on these concepts, beyond just their relationship to Shodo.

Chapters three and four provide a very gentle introduction to the physical techniques while also providing an overview of the relationship between good posture and the proper state of mind. The importance of the coordination of mind, body, and spirit is presented in a way that should be easy for someone that is new to the Japanese cultural arts to grasp and understand.

I am again impressed with Davey sensei's ability to communicate a complex subject in an interesting and informative way that maintains the readers interest, while still capturing the subtleties of the topic.

From a beginner's perspective, this is an excellent reference, and I highly recommend it.

Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (4/07)

Once in a while I find it very helpful to venture outside of the realm of things that normally interest me and that I have some knowledge about. Learning about new things is a very stimulating experience and it seems to me that it keeps my brain in good working order. As far as the Japanese art forms are concerned, I am vaguely familiar with the flower arranging, but that is where my knowledge - and even real awareness - of such art forms end. Picking up H.E. Davey's "Brush Meditation: A Japanese Way to Mind & Body Harmony" was a real eye-opener.

The author begins this book with explanation and history of shodo, continues with the complex connections of mind, body and brush, and finishes with simple step-by-step exercises for the basics of shodo. The illustrations and the photos would certainly be very helpful for anybody who intends to try their hand at this ancient art form.

Mr. Davey's writing is fluid and engaging. He does not get overly technical and is easy to understand. The book kept my attention and made me wish for more balance in my life. Let me give an example of Mr. Davey's writing here:

"The kanji, or written characters, used in both Japan and China have transcended their utilitarian function and collectively serve as a visually stirring piece of fine art. Shodo allows the dynamic movement of the artist's ki ("life energy" or "spirit") to become observable in the form of rich black ink. In great examples of shodo, you can sense both the rhythm of music as well as the smooth, elegant, and balanced construction of refined architecture. Many practitioners of this art feel that the visible rhythm of Japanese calligraphy ultimately embodies a "picture of the mind" - and accomplished calligraphers recognize that it actually discloses your spiritual state. This recognition is concisely summed up by the traditional Japanese saying: [...] If your mind is correct, the brush will be correct. "

Although Mr. Davey stresses several times that one needs to find an instructor to truly begin the exploration of shodo, I found "Brush Meditation" to be an interesting book for anybody who would like to learn at least the basics of shodo as well as anybody who just wishes to become more familiar with the traditional Japanese arts and way of living.

After reading several books on the technique (really a NO technique) of Zen brush work, this book really dealt wll with the emotions and feeling underlying this incredible art. A very good read.

I recently finished reading the book, Brush Meditation: A Japanese Way to Mind and Body Harmony, by H. E. Davey. The book is excellent. I am novice (hardly even that, actually) when it comes to Shodo (having only recently begun studying Shodo), but your book provides a very smooth introduction, and does a great job of getting across the relationship between it and the other Japanese cultural arts (chado [tea ceremony], budo [martial Ways], kado [flower arrangement], etc).

It is written in a very positive way and contains many beautiful pieces of artwork. I very much enjoyed the "four experiments toward a positive mind," these are great examples of introspection. Though I am far from an expert in budo, I have spent many years training and researching this topic, yet several of the explanations, provided for terms such as fudoshin, hara, and ki shed new light on these concepts, beyond just their relationship to Shodo.

Chapters three and four provide a very gentle introduction to the physical techniques while also providing an overview of the relationship between good posture and the proper state of mind. The importance of the coordination of mind, body, and spirit is presented in a way that should be easy for someone that is new to the Japanese cultural arts to grasp and understand.

I am again impressed with Davey sensei's ability to communicate a complex subject in an interesting and informative way that maintains the readers interest, while still capturing the subtleties of the topic.

From a beginner's perspective, this is an excellent reference, and I highly recommend it.

For any person that practices shodo (meaning `way of calligraphy' ), sumi-e or any form of art that requires full concentration, I highly recommend to read this book. I practice sumi-e and shodo and I have books that cover the techniques in detail, but none of them goes beyond and get to the heart and true reason of this art, which is to achieve a state of mind and body harmony that led us to a form of spiritual realization.

The book talks `briefly' about the history of calligraphy, the Japanese aesthetics and principles (wabi and sabi), it's relation to the Zen philosophy, and it includes a chapter on how to make the first moves with the brush by practicing `the enso' (a zen character).

However, the main theme of this book is the meditative aspects of shodo. How to get a perfect posture to practice, how to use the mind with full concentration, how to `educate' our body, all this to become one with the brush and transcend in a spiritual way.

I do not know if this is the best book that deals with this aspect of shodo (I haven't seen more), but is a very good one, I can assure that.

I was in SE Asia for six years during the so-called Vietnam War, which was being conducted in North & South Viet Nam, Cambodia, Thailand and Laos. I knew some of the men fighting/serving in each of those countries. The great majority of the long timers were tough as cobs but with hearts of gold. Jim's adoption of two Thai orphans was one piece of evidence of that gold. But he also cared for the Hmong and his fellow Americans. For those people who have never been in a war, this is a must read to learn about Americans on the front lines taking care of their own and their allies, and how the beauracrats/politicians back in Washington and Vientiane really did not care about anyone except their own success.

This is a very well written account of CIA ops. Not only about the fighting, but also the human side of the "secret" war in Laos.

I served as Chief of Security for Air America in Thailand and Vietnam from 1967-1975. I enjoyed "Mule's" book very much. For those who shared Jim Parker's experiences you will relive old memories. For those who could not be there you will find the details fascinating. I would encourage you to read this one.

this is a seldom told and largely unknown aspect of the vietnam war. an amazing story of fighting the NVA to a virtual standstill with meager supplies and masterful tactics. a must read for anyone who thinks they know anything about the war in southeast asia.

An exceptional account of our secret war in Loas, pulling no punches in detailing both the bravery of many men as well as the stupidity of others. All of this woven in with a warm picture of the author's family life. In reading the book one concludes that it is an honest and straight forward account of the way our war in Loas was fought, without trying to make heros of the men who were truely the heros, nor overly critizing those who were more of a hinderance than help. In short, a clear, concise and well written account. Highly Recommeded by this reader.

Mei Mei has the happiest hens in China: she pampers them. But hen Daisy is not happy: she faces bullying from the others and when she finds herself lost and away from home, she must remember the attitudes of her fellow hens in order to survive. Brett's warm drawings are a beautiful embellishment.

Daisy Comes Home was a really good book. I would give this book five stars. There is alot of chinese calligraphy in this book. If you can read the calligraphy, this would be a good book for you. The story was about a runaway hen who is found by the nine year old girl owner. To find out more read this book.

Jan Brettýs latest book, Daisy Comes Home is a charming book for young children. The story takes place in a rural village in China along the Li River. A young girl named Mei Mei is known for having the healthiest and happiest hens in the village. She carries the eggs from the hens in a basket that says ýHappy Hensý into the village to sell. The story begins by looking back to the time when not all of Mei Meiýs chickens were happy. Even though Mei Mei fed them treats, gave them fresh hay for their beds, and bathed them, the one called Daisy was not happy. The reason being that all the other hens always picked on her and were very mean to her. They always pushed her off of the perch so she had to sleep on the cold, hard ground.
One night, she had had enough of this and found a market basket near the river bank to sleep in. She fell right to sleep and did not notice the river creeping up the bank. The basket floated away, with Daisy in it. She woke up when the basket started tipping and realized that she was had floated away from home. As she traveled down the river, Daisy had to defend herself against a dog, a water buffalo, and red-tailed monkeys. Her ýHappy Hensý basket ran into a fisherman claimed her and took her into the village to sell.
By this time, Mei Mei had looked all day for her lost hen and decided that she must go into town to sell the eggs from the other hens. She carried the ýHappy Hensý baskets into town and arranged her place to sell the eggs. A friend told Mei Mei that a fisherman had carried one of her baskets into town with one of the hens. She rushed off to find her missing hen and told the fisherman that Daisy belonged to her. The fisherman said that he found the hen so he got to keep her. Mei Mei called to her hen and Daisy ran to her upon hearing the familiar call. The girl ran home with the hen as fast as she could.
One would assume that the other hens would be glad to have the missing Daisy back home, but they tried to treat her as they always had. Daisy had learned a lot on her adventure and could now defend herself. She flapped her wings, pecked, and pushed the other hens back; they could no longer push her around. So, she was given a place to perch alongside the rest of them. Now, all six of the hens are healthy and happy.
The beautiful pictures in this book also tell the story. The full spread beautifully depicts the main idea on each page. Not only is the main idea told, but the audience is allowed to peek into something else that is occurring or is about to occur through small windows in two corners of the page. For example, on the page where the Daisy bumps into the fisherman, a small picture of Mei Mei getting ready to go to the market is in the left corner of the page and a picture of the fisherman holding up the hen to sell is in the opposite corner. This cleverly gives the reader something more to think about and he or she follows the main storyline.

This wonderful story would make an excellent addition to a classroom of young students. The gorgeous pictures and charming tale would captivate the minds of young children as they learn about the importance of standing up for oneýs self, the need to be kind to one another, and the importance of looking after those one cares about.

Jan Brett has woven together intricate illustrations with an exciting story as we float with Daisy the hen down the Li River on an unexpected trip. Daisy's encounters with a dog, a water buffalo, a pack of monkeys and a fisherman are interesting and life-like - no talking animals here! As Daisy and Daisy's owner Mei Mei make their way to the marketplace, the mountainous scenery changes often. Look carefully and you will see the mountains become dragons and snakes, chickens and monkeys. The marketplace illustrations feel authentic and up-to-date and the wonderful colors and hustle-and-bustle feel adds to the story's tension for an exciting reunion! Brett's illustrations are wonderfully layered with Chinese textures and materials from china pattern designs to bamboo screens. Beautifully illustrated and skillfully told, Daisy Comes Home is sure to be one of those favorites that asks to be read over and over again.

My 5-year-old daughter and I read this with a great deal of delight. The story is exciting, and what makes it very special is its authenticity. Daisy isn't a human-like character, she does only real hen things; Mei Mei isn't a super-clever, cutesy ethnic character, she's a young Chinese girl who loves her hens. Together, they overcome the scary, vulnerable situations they find themselves in just by doing hen and little girl things. All of this with fascinating, rich illustrations of the Li River region of southern China that are also very true to life. A tale for the heart and a treat for the eyes.