Asia Books

Buruma has the key to a door I, a newbie Nipponophile, use: cinema. His own personality leaks tastefully into his blend of experience and academics. Just the levels I like! Some of the articles are a little outside my area of interest, but he managed to hook me into finishing them.

I found Buruma's collection very absorbing, especially helpful to someone living out East (Hong Kong and Singapore), as I was in the late 90's. The Singapore essay, "The Nanny State of Asia," is an extremely perceptive look behind the official facade of Harry Lee Kuan Yew's police state. If you plan to visit/live in S'pore, the things the locals won't dare discuss with you (out of fear) are dealt with here. Even if you're just travelling from the armchair, this is a well-written and (again) extremely absorbing read.

As someone who lived out East I rank this up with Christopher Lingle's Singapore's Authoritarian Capitalism and Stan Sesser's The Land of Charm and Cruelty (another great essay collection on various Asian countries) as books helpful to the Westerner trying to learn about the region. Buruma's God's Dust has more essays on Asia, including S'pore. For Singapore, I also recomend Francis Seow's A Prisoner in Lee Kuan Yew's Singapore, and Paul Theroux's Saint Jack (a Singapore novel set in the Seventies but (I found) remarkably up to date in the attitudes it records of both locals and expats).

Very well documented essays about the East, although most of the articles are treating already out-of-date items. Still they will continue to be essential reading for historians.

In his ironic style, he unveils the lies and double-talk of political and industrial leaders. E.g. Sony's Akio Morita's statement that 'today's Japanese do not think in terms of privilege', while he almost disowned his son, when he wanted to marry a popular singer.
Other targets are Benazir Bhutto, Cory Aquino, Imelda Marcos and most of all the imperious leader of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew.

I recommend nevertheless the autobiography of Yew 'From first world to third', because it is an essential read in order to understand what's happening in China today. Lee Kuan Yew is Jiang Zeming's best friend.

Buruma is a very perceptive observer and reader. His analyses of writers like Yuhio Moshima, Mircea Eliade or Junichiro Tanizaki, or movie directors like Nagisa Oshima or Sayajit Ray are brilliant.
This book is to be put on the same high level as the works of Simon Leys on China.

Sceptical of all talk of "asian values" (profound "culture differences" used to justify the denial of human rights), Buruma is a clear-sighted observer of the East. Buruma describes the phases that Western visitors to Japan tend to go through; an initial phase of delight oft succeeded by rage, and ultimately leading to a sort of near manic-depressing rapidly-alternating hatred/love of the East. Buruma, while obviously retaining a great love and respect for Eastern culture combined with a deep scepticism about "asian values", is unseduced by either extreme. The book opens with essays on individual figures, such as Yukio Mishima (it is impossible to take Paul Schrader's 'Mishima' seriously after Buruma's curt dismissal of its portentious bombast) and Wilfred Thesiger (again, one sees this oft-romanticised figure anew, as a misogynistic, rather sinister worshipper of racially pure noble savages) It closes with a section of essays devoted to Japan, on topics as diverse as Michael Crichton's Black Rain, the Hiroshima peace industry, the treatment of black American baseball players in Japan and the continuing echoes of Pearl Harbor.

The book is fair and illuminating in giving us a Kurdish side of Turkish, Iraqi and Iranian history. It's an important story, full of significant sub-plots. For just one example, McDowall explains that after Saddam nationalized Iraq's oil in 1972, Kurdish rebels like Mulla Mustafa feared that "Kurdish oil would be turned into Arab oil". They still wanted 2/3rds of all oil revenue reserved for the Kurdish community, and now they sought support from the United States. As the Pike Papers revealed in 1976, Henry Kissinger argued that "a new regime might let us back into the oilfields". In 1973 Mulla Mustafa threw secrecy to the winds by announcing in the Washington Post,

"We are ready to act according to US policy if the US will protect us from the wolves. In the event of sufficient support we should be able to control the Kirkuk oilfields and confer exploitation rights on an American company."

Very detailed description of the modern history of kurds. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of the kurds.

The only shortcoming of the book is that it stops in the year 1996. And thus does not account for the capture of Abdullah Ocalan, the leader PPK, and other major new incidents. Nevertheless, you will learn a lot!

Although the authorhas cut some of the subjects very short such as Kurdish language and excluded Yezidi and LUR from Kurdish nationality,he is very detailed in the history of the last century of Kurdistan in amanner i have never seen.I truly encourage every Kurd,Turk,Persian, and Arab to read this Treasure.I also would like to get in touch with Mr Mcdowall to discuss the possibility of translating it into either Kurdish or Arabic.

The tragic history of the Kurds, with regards to their internecine politics vis-a-vis the various tribes, and more importantly their use as a pawn by larger states in the harsh realpolitik of the region has been captured in this extraordinary book. From the Treaty of Sevres, which offered a glimmer of hope to the Kurds for statehood, to the Treaty of Lausanne, which ultimately marked the end of any Great Power support for statehood aspirations, the book creates a remarkable story.
Following WWI, and with the subsequent jockeying for power in the region following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, McDowall presents a clear pattern of failure by the Kurds to coalesce and create a common front to articulate their views. Also presented is the similarly clear pattern by the states, which currently have Kurdish populations, to disenfranchise the Kurds and marginalize their political aspirations.
This history covers the fallout from the Coalition war against Iraq (Operation DESERT STORM). I would love to see a more current version of the book which discusses how the current status quo has refueled Kurdish aspirations for autonomy...likewise I would like to see how recent events in Turkey have affected the Kurdish population of SE Turkey.
A great book for both the casual reader of the history of this volatile region of the world, and for the scholar alike...Highly recommended. McDowall has penned the authoratitive modern history.

I bought this for my nephew's 2nd birthday (which was, coincidentally, spent in India during the monsoons). I almost wanted a copy of it for myself, so evocative were the illustrations and text. My nephew is almost 4 and his parents tell me that it is one of his favorite books. He's at an age where the appeal of a book does not of course lie in the memories it evokes, but in how captivating the the illustrations and the story are. I have to add that this is not one of those tiresome books that presents India as the exotic land of snakes and snake-charmers, and that in itself is a huge selling point.

I received this book yesterday and read it to my 2 1/2 year old daughter. (I try to get books about India whenever possible because it's the land of my husband's birth.) She asked me to read it twice through and then said, "That's a good story, Mommy!" And we've read it twice already today!

I don't think anything else needs to be said!

I can't decide if I love the beauty of the paintings or the words more in this picture book. My overwhelming reaction was nostalgia for India, where I grew up, yet the book appealed to my toddler, who has no memories of India. She gave it her five star rating, by saying "Again" when I finished reading it - that's reserved for the most captivating picture books.

Sometimes, when a picture book deals with another culture, it sacrifices story and style for explanation to it's readers about the who where and what is going on. They can become text heavy and too pedantic for young listeners who are more interested in what happens next than a rounded education. The rarest-and the best-multicultural books don't try to explain at all, they let you discover as you read the story. Ms. Krishnaswami's MONSOON is one such jewel of a picture book. It tells the story of a young Indian girl waiting for the monsoon to come after all the hot, dry weather. It shows the cycle of seasons that is necessary for living and the simple poetic beauty of the place the narrator lives.

The theme of this story--a child impatiently waiting for a change in the weather-is a fairly common one in literature, especially picture books. But the heart and soul of this story is India, and properly so. It's no surprise to anyone that reads this picture book that the author grew up in India. In the story India is not a far away or exotic place, it is home-and Ms. Krishnaswami's poetic prose paints that love of her home on every page, with every word. The text on each page is brief, but it is text to be savored, full of rich imagery as everyone prepares for the monsoon rains. This is clear from the very first line: "All summer we have worn the scent of dust . . ." The author does not fall back on old clichés, but finds new metaphors to describe the town and the coming rains. The result is description that is refreshingly vibrant and just different enough to tantalize--but not to alienate-readers. It allows me to step into another country as if I were a native, experiencing the anticipation through the young narrator as she waits, worries and hopes for the rains to come. At the very back of the book the author has included a page of information about the monsoons and India for those who want to understand the 'what' and 'where' of the story better. The addition of the information at the back allows the author to accomplish the goal of sharing the knowledge without allowing it to bog down the text of the story itself.

All that, and I haven't even mentioned the pictures yet. This is Jamel Akib's first picture book. I, for one, hope it is only the first of many. The artist has perfectly matched pictures to Ms. Krishnaswami's marvelous text. Vivid colors with the soft edges give the images a slightly dreamy and comforting sense of familiarity. Golds and warm reds and misty blues dominate the palette, making the book feel rich and sensuous. The scenes themselves are delightfully clear portrayals of life in an Indian city, with cows wandering down the streets next to the cars, spice merchants selling their wares, a modern house with patterned rug and wall hangings. The effect is contemporary and yet culture specific. Like the author's text, the pictures never become so foreign as to lose the reader, evoking comfort, but including elements and details that never let the audience forget the setting.

If you want to introduce your child to India for any reason, this is an excellent first step. The images and text provide fertile ground for sparking a child's interest and curiosity and giving parents a starting point for discussing the Indian culture in greater detail. It is one of my favorite new discoveries in the world of multicultural books and deserves a look by any picture book reader who loves the delicious feel of diving into rich art and image-rich language. Best for children of four years and up, and for adults of all ages.
If you enjoy this, you might want to look for THE DAY OF AHMED'S SECRET by Florence H. Parry and COME ON RAIN! by Karen Hesse.

Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad

My son and daughter, ages 7 and 10, enjoy this book. The illustrations are very detailed and the book is loaded with interesting facts about the country. I highly recommend this book for kids with inquiring minds.

Great book in the world of Magic School Bus. We loved it. I loved the facts about China written all over the book. Read over & over in our house!

Miss Frizzle and her class from The Magic School Bus are back. This time instead of science adventure the kids are off to learn about history. Miss Frizzle and her students travel back in time 100 years. They arrive at a farmers village in China. Here they learn lots of things like how to eat with chop sticks and how to grow crops like rice and silk.

Splendidly illustrated with accurate details, this book is a delight to read: funny, informative, colorful, clear and comprehensive.

An excellent, highly recommended book for children ages 8 to 12.

I bought this book for my first-grade son, who is a huge Magic School Bus fan, but usually not all that interested in social studies. He found this book very interesting, and we have re-read it many times.

The book is in a larger format than the original Magic School Bus series, which leave more room for all of the sidebar explanations that typify these books. Cole and Degen explain processes, like growing rice and making silk, that are easy for kids to follow, and may teach the adults a thing or two. A common thread through the whole book is a list of things that the ancient Chinese invented before the West, another point that may teach adults something new. The plot is a little silly, but it made my son and I giggle.

All in all, it's great fun, and a nice way to introduce kids to Chinese culture. Teachers could read it to a class, then delve more deeply into subjects that they want to pursue.

This young author does a magnificent job to portray one of the greatest athletes of our time. If you are an avid Ali fan, or just looking for an outstanding read, check out this gem. I hope the author keeps his works coming!!!

In this book the reader gets to know the outstanding athete, Muhammed Ali. He was a man with strong feelings on human rights, and even shocked the world when he refused to serve in Vietnam. This is an excellent book, um, about a man with strong believes and courage.

Muhammad Ali, The World's Champion, is about the professional boxer who accomplished many goals in his boxing career. He started boxing at a young age and by the time he was done with high school he went professional. Muhammad won three world championships and he was the greatest boxer of his time. I think the author, John Tessitore, did a good job on this book because he covered everything from when Ali was a child to his retirement.

This was enjoyable and easy to read. It started with his childhood, then moved on to his career, and finished with his retirement. The book is very well organized as it follows a timeline of his life. The way which the author describes Ali's rise to the top, is the strongest part of the book. The descriptions were clear and easy to relate to. The author talked more about Ali's success and not enough about the struggles that got him to the top.

I gave this book five stars because it is informative and entertaining. I would recommend it to others because it gave a thorough overview of who Ali really is. I believe that the message the author is trying to send is that if you work hard you can accomplish your goals. It is in my opinion that this is an important message to give to readers. I believe that the author was successful in getting his message across to the readers.

Mr. Tessitore displays a writing talent that makes you feel as though you are sitting next to him as he interestingly relates Ali's story. A genuine craftsman and wordsmith, the author creates a memorable look at Ali that you will want to revisit and enjoy again.

Well written book to Recognise the Bohras Of the Modern world ..

EXCELLENT WORK BY THE AUTHOR.
JONAH BLANK

Jonah Blank's book is well researched and written to appeal to both traditional Bohras and the second generation Daudi Bohras settled in the Western Hemisphere. The initial emphasis on the factual data and the rituals provides a credible introduction to the theme of the book. He discusses with decorum the intellectual controversies that have plagued the sect and exhibits non-judgemental finesse. The glossary, index and elaborate references are very helpful. Although his bias is implicit, he provides the readers with the varying view points. Further, although he worked with the "inner system" to come up with this book, he is limited by the lack of access he had, to the "batin" text. His discussion of the philosophy of the sect in the broader Shiite perspective provides a good balance and allows the readers to think through the nuances of orthropraxy, he frequently alludes to. However, a more in-depth comparison with the orthodox Shiite dogma and more elaborate a description of the Fatmid era and hierarchy would have been more enlightening. Maybe, a topic for future manuscripts!

This is simply The most important recent text on the status of Bohras living today. Jonah does a great service to not just for Bohras but to the study of Shiism in all its rich varients; a much neglected area of study.

I am eager to read more of Jonahs work...he balances the facts and figures well, with a wonderful sense of emotional connection to living people and living communities; characters come alive as part of the fabric of this community.

Simply a must have for those interested in Isma'ilism.

As a Daudi Bohra, I can attest to the quality of research the author has put in to his work to create this really interesting case study on our community. He has done it not from secondary sources but by living within the community, understanding its customs and learning its language.
I found this account very well structured and intellectual and it presents an example of how great leadership can transform a community to live harmoniously in this age and yet value their centuries old religious principles.
Great job Sir.

I read this book as part of a research project that I'm doing. Mr. McKenna did an outstanding job of presenting historical facts, bibliographic material and his own opinions. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to further understand the Southern Philippines and the growing strength of the Muslim movement.

Dr. McKenna has obviously spent a great deal of time and study in the southern Philippines. His insights are thought-provoking. I highly recommend this book.

This volume gives us an interesting ethnography of an impoverished slum in Cotabato City called Campo Muslim. The author protracts his study of the slum to encompass anthropological contributions to understanding Gramscian hegemony, nationalism, colonial histories, formation of new, post-traditional elites, and subaltern resistance. Most useful in this book is the account of the construction of Muslim national identity and the account of the elections in the late 80s wherein the Muslim and Islamist participants made an unexpectedly poor showing giving most of the victories to Christian candidates. Parts of the book are uneven; however, the account is consistent to his methodology from the outside and he allows the information to lead him--always be circumspect that ideology or presuppositions don't lead his interpretations by the nose at least in matters of peasant politics. In other words, the peasant remains an autonomous political actor that doesn't merely parrot and conform to the requests of the socially more advantaged.

The most glaring flaw in the book was what I personally found to be an over-identification with Muslim Filippinos over and against Christian Filippinos. Armed separatist movements are portrayed sympathetically, whereas 'Christian' efforts, whether in terms of national integration, militant attemtps to stop succession, and even charity are treated as all being pernicious acts directed against Muslims. One example was the characterization of Mother Theresa's charity for children in the city as being 'perverse' without any such acerbic criticisms for the vicious effects of separatism movement and the deaths it caused given. The same goes for foreign actors. In the work, American actions in the Philippines are sinister and undermine Philippine Muslim identity; whereas, Libyan, Saudi Arabian, and Egyptian interference are merely catalysts for social change.

I'd been flying to and from Cotabato City, the site of Mckenna's research, almost every month for last few months. I'm a Catholic, but the fact is, if you are on business in Cotabato City, you talk to and deal with Muslims. The Muslims I met, Maguindanaons for the most part, were personable and likeable. They're nothing like the vagabond bad guys I heard about from my elders in the 70s, my growing up years and the years of the war in Mindanao.

I also have Catholic relatives who've been there since the 1930s. In one of the early chapters of his book, McKenna wrote that many Christians in Cotabato City knew next to nothing about how Muslims really live and what Muslims really are because they choose not to know.

I believe he's correct since what my Christian cousins and friends say, which is sometimes patronizing and not at all complimentary, do not seem to mesh with what I know of the Muslims I've met in the course of work. In my conversations with my Muslim associates, they eagerly welcome inquiries about what Islam is all about but they are not about to insist that you convert to Islam.

But then again, my cousins and friends been living there for years on end so they should know what they're talking about, right? These days, Cotabato City is a city unlike any I've been to in the Philippines, even among the bigger cities in Mindanao. There is an almost equal number of Christians and Muslims and the physical features of the city reflect this.

I have yet to test this theory, but I think McKenna's book might prove provocative to Muslims who espouse separatism or federalism (as a "softer" form of separatism). McKenna traces the beginnings of a separate Muslim identity to gentle tending by American educators of young Muslim minds who went on to become national leaders and local datus.

I'll be sending a copy of the book to a conservative Muslim Maguindanaon who had some harsh words to say about the 1898 Treaty of Paris and the Americans who governed Mindanao thereafter. It would be interesting to find out what he thinks after reading Mckenna, who wrote mostly of his people, the Maguindanaons.

On another level, I believe this book should be required reading for all Filipinos. Our required history courses concentrate too much on Philippine history in Luzon and the Visayas. We Christian Filipinos hardly know anything about Mindanao except that our national hero, Jose Rizal, was exiled in Dapitan in Zamboanga. (Now, what we know is that Basilan, also in Western Mindanao is the site of the Balikatan activities of American and Filipino soldiers against the Abu Sayyaf, and that Zamboanga is the city center for the Americans.)

The reasons for the rebellion of Christian Filipinos against Spanish and American rule are analyzed to death in our history books and even given symbolic parallels to the Passion of Christ. But no narration even of the Mindanao rebellion against colonial rule is part of our required reading in Philippine history.

During one visit to Cotabato City, an old Maguindanaoan lady proudly told me, a Filipina Catholic from Luzon with a Spanish name and an American education, that her people had never been colonized unlike my forebears. I had nothing to say. But I would be honored if she considered me her countrywoman in spite of everything.

Just the other night, I watched a documentary feature of a battle fought to the death by Maranaos, another Muslim group, against the Americans in 1902 in the town of Bayang in Lanao del Sur. After the battle, only five Maranao men were left alive. Even women and children were killed, their bodies dumped in the trenches. Around 10 American soldiers were killed. American sources tell the story that towards the end of the battle, a white flag was flown outside the fort in Bayang. Thus, they say, the Maranaos surrendered. Actually, among Muslims, a white flag is flown to indicate a death.

As a woman of color, I expected to be offended by Nancy Duncan's book, The Nail That Sticks Up. I expected it to be another story of how an enthusiastic, dedicated teacher rescued some third world students from tribalism and ignorance through sheer force of personality and good intentions. To my surprise, the book exposes the reader to the lessons the teacher learned. Told without the least trace of condescension, this memoir-travelogue leaves the reader wiser and happier. It is full of remarkable people, singular destinations, and wonderful descriptions. Its tone is ironic and witty and there are many places where you can't help but laugh out loud or sigh with frustration. This book is so good, my only question is, when will it be optioned for a movie. It's got it going on--beautiful, fearless blonde on an adventure trek. Pamela Anderson is too old to play the part, but let's not rule out Blanchette.

The Nail That Sticks Up is a window into many cultures. Duncan's clear mastery of foreign languages and desire to live among the people whose lives she chronicles allow her to go where few have gone before. Duncan delves into the heart of Asian and African culture. The detail in every description leaves the reader feeling like they are IN the bustling market with her, not curled up at home with the book and a cup of coffee.
My teacher introduced this book to my class, asking us to read a few chapters relevant to our lesson. None of us could put the book down and most read the whole thing. The book is both insightful and inspiring. It leaves you with a desire to go out and see the world and also a deep sense of connection with all the people Duncan encounters. I recommend this book to people of all ages, but hang on to your seats, The Nail That Sticks Up is quite an adventure.

During my recent hospital stay, of the books I was brought to read, The Nail That Sticks Up, is the book I couldn't put down. The reader feels he is: meeting the people the author meets, scalding in a Japanese bath, sweltering in jam-packed, African buses, and freezing in a Chinese university dorm room in the dead of winter, along with the author, all without the discomfort that goes with actual travel. The book was so good, after I had given my copy to a friend leaving to study in China, I felt moved to buy one for her parents and one for another friend whose son has left to work in Japan. (One caveat-I don't necessarily agree with all of the author's perspectives e.g. on Christian Missionaries in China.)

The book is interesting and well written with a good deal of humor. It's a very insightful look at some of the important cultural difference to be in found in the areas Nancy Duncan has visited. I teach English to students from Japan and China and find the book valuable for the information it presents and for starting points of discussions I have with my students. I'd recommend it for a general audience and, in particular, to those who teach English language and culture to students from Asia.

I heard of the name of the author because this year Japan is coming out with a tv drama serie about some of her hidden letters. This is a passionate observer/participant of life who articulates prose with clarity and ingenuity of an accomplished writer, and with subtle modesty representing a women of the last century.

Reviewed by Deb Shunamon for Reader Views (7/06)

"The Name of the Flower" by Kuniko Mukoda is a wonderful book that would be of particular interest to those who think they know and understand Japan. While I can envision a Japanese reader nodding his or her head and muttering over these brilliantly translated snapshots of male/female relationships, a lot of "gaijin" will likely be quite bewildered as to what is going on much of the time. The reader quickly learns that this is not going to be an easy read. That's exactly what makes this book such a delight - it's a great, emotional reading experience that will show Westerners how little we truly understand Japanese society.

Kuniko Mukoda was a prolific scriptwriter for Japanese radio and television, and at the time of her death in a plane crash in 1981 she was well into a career as a popular essayist and short story writer. The Afterward by translator Tomone Matsumoto is an interesting piece on just how popular and hard-working Mukoda was. So much can be learned and enjoyed from this collection, the least of which being that Japan is now, of course, a very modern, westernized society. That this modernity can be unrecognizable when it concerns human relationships, or that Westernization does not necessarily mean the North American way, is repeatedly revealed in Mukoda's book. In addition to outright bewilderment, feelings of being insulted or angry can be indicators that you've encountered a cultural difference, and these strong emotions are evoked by many of the stories. "Small Change" is guaranteed to make any independent, Canadian woman scream in frustration. "The Carp", "The Fake Egg", and a few others still have me puzzled, while "Half-Moon" and "Otter" will break your heart.

What will non-Japanese readers take away from this book besides knowing that they may never fully understand Japanese society? This will likely be answered differently depending on whether the reader is male or female, and could be the start of some great discussions. However, seeing the familiar importance of marriages, families, and lovers in these stories, as well as the struggles we all go through to understand our own lives, keeps you riveted to this cross-cultural reading encounter to the last page. Modern works such as Kuniko Mukoda's "The Name of the Flower" will leave all readers with a great deal of respect for how similar relationships are between men and women around the world, yet how truly different.

There is a fairly silly comment in the Publisher's Weekly review above that Kuniko Mukoda's stories "mix Eastern tradition with Western values." Another reviewer on this page states that this short story collection will demonstrate how little Westerners understand Japanese society. I couldn't disagree more. The late Mukoda wrote closely observed stories about domestic dilemmas set in Japan of the 60s and 70s. Although there are naturally references to Japanese traditions and cultural practices, I did not find them a barrier to understanding--and I don't think that's just because of my long acquaintance with the country. Mukoda's characters are typically experiencing a crisis in their family life that is illuminated or complicated by memories of past events. These characters, their emotions, and their struggles are very recognizable to Western readers, not because Mukodas wrote about "Western values" but because she is a talented observer of human nature, which remains a constant everywhere.

I picked up this book for some light reading over the weekend. I am doing research for an essay and I wanted a book of short stories to read while I was in between sections of the books that I am supposed to be reading. Unfortunately I found this book so interesting that I finished it in a couple of sittings. I am pretty sure that this book gets lost between the cracks left between the works of Mishim, Tanizaki, and Kawabata and those of Yoshimoto and Murakami. I'd certainly had never heard of the writer and when one reads the bak of the book one learns why. Kuniko Mukoda only wrote prose fiction for a very short time because soon after she started writing her short stories she was killed in a plane crash, before that she wrote radio and television dramas. The translator points out that she wrote over one thousand radio dramas.

The stories in this little book seem to follow under one main theme infidelity. The reader gets to see both sides of the relationship. We see the husband who is being eaten up inside because of his outside relationhips, and we see the wife's side in which wonders if in fact her husband is cheating on her. Interesting stories of daiily life that makes one wonder how Mukoda made such mundane things so interesting.

book came in excellent condition, on time, as expected.

The Nan Jing is a fundamental book in the study of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
A lot of books of TSM were translated, but often the translation is not correct or definitively wrong or bizarre.
In this case we have a monumental work with a unique coincidence of positive situations.
The author of the revision is Paul Unshuld, a giant of the study of TCM.
Absolutely no doubt on the knowledge of the language and the understanding of the text.
The original text is present in the book and Paul added the main commentary at the text written by the most famous studious of TCM of all ages.
If you love TCM and you want to understand all subtle questions of this fine art, this is a book you must have.
A concentrate of Chinese TCM, language and culture like no other book.

Unschuld is a scholar, a genuine translator that doesn't leave much to the imagination. His understanding of the cultural contexts (as there are many) in which TCM grew are un-matched in terms of written text. Get his books, if not for the honest look he takes at TCM, but for the fact that his works are the bread and butter of TCM. The gross ignorance of the classics among so called "Doctors of TCM" in the western world is amazing. Don't guess about TCM, either learn to read Chinese or get good translations of the classics. Not pocket translations at a American grade five reading level. If we expect people to view us as Doctors, we should study like one.

If your professors don't quote the classics, they don't understand TCM. If you haven't read them you're really limiting your potential.

This book is the most profound, deep work that has ever been done on this book. As practitioners of Chinese medicine we allways read and give attention to the two books of the Huang Ti Nei Ching,the Su Wen and the Ling Shu. The nan Ching is a must for every Chinese Medicine practitioner. This book gives many aspects that made me think again on theories and practical aspects that I use every day as teacher and practitioner.
It is pointless to mention the vast knowledge and contribution that Pro. Unsculd bring to the field, saying that it is allways has been great to read his books.