Blood Red Sunset: A Memoir of the Chinese Cultural Revolution Review

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(More customer reviews)This is an absolutely phenomenal book. There's so much about the Cultural Revolution and the early days of Communist China that just gets glossed over in history classes and general books about the country. Ma Bo was on the inside of it all, and despite his unflinching belief in Communist ideals, was nonetheless punished by the very system he had so much faith in.
I was worried that this book would be tainted by the stain of moralizing one way or the other. What a relief it is to read on such a charged subject and not be preached at. Ma Bo simply tells his story, and you take away from it whatever you will. There's deep understanding of what motivated the Chinese then (and to one degree or other still motivates them today), and there is much to be learned from this tale.
Whatever your thoughts on Communism, I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is at all curious about this major chapter in modern Chinese history.

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Tao Te Ching, 25th-Anniversary Edition (English and Mandarin Chinese Edition) Review

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(More customer reviews)It is hardly difficult to understand the enduring quality of the Tao Te Ching. Written by Lao Tsu in the sixth century BC is a simple, quiet book that reflects upon our true nature and our behavior. Broken up into 81 'chapters' or short poems, it comprises a mere 5,000 words. Every other sentence is a memorable quote, and one can read it in an hour and study it for a lifetime.
What I do find remarkable is the durability of this particular edition. My copy is ancient, dating back to my college days. At frequent intervals it seems to come to hand and I will peruse it again and enjoy the clarity of this translation by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English. They have carefully chosen a simple, accessible style which I feel completely captures the nature of the Tao. "What is a good man? A teacher of a bad man.
What is a bad man? A good man's charge."
Accompanying the text are many fine examples of Gia-Fu Feng's calligraphy and Jane English's photographs. While I like Chinese calligraphy, I lack the understanding to make any judgement. I can only report that it shows flow and grace, and works perfectly with English's photographs. These latter capture, most often with natural images, a play of contrast which often is as calligraphic as the accompanying handwriting. Thus, the book itself is a careful balance between content and form.
At the end of the day, or in an otherwise tense moment, this volume has often been the source of the tiny bit of sanity that makes the next day possible. There is much to meditate on here and this edition is a precious resource for the seeking mind.

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Socrates, Buddha, Confucius, Jesus: From The Great Philosophers, Volume I Review

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(More customer reviews)Aside from being an intelligently written book, I gave this book 5 stars because it made a big impression on me. Jaspers explanation of Confucius made the strength of Confucious's teaching clear. Now I'm very interested in Confucious and am reading more books about him. In that respect, this slim volume changed my life: It brought Confucious to life. What's more, by explaining Confucius's feelings about Taoism, this slim book did more to explain classic Taoism than the 2 books on the Tao I've already read.
Be aware that this book is due to the editing of Hannah Arendt. This means that Jaspers did not put this book out and say "Ta Da, the 4 Greatest!" No, Jaspers wrote a 2 volume book on the great philosophers due to his post War interest in increasing tolerance among men (per the Encyclopedia Britanica). This book does not appear to have any noticable Existentialist influence.
Finally, if you are a fundamentalist Christian, be warned that it is clear from his writing that Jaspers does not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, nor does he believe the Bible is free of error. He is not disrespectful of Jesus nor of Christianity, but do not think that because Jesus is in this book that the book is strongly pro-Jesus.

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Chinese Thought, from Confucius to Mao Tse-Tung Review

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(More customer reviews)I just picked up a beautiful old copy of this at Moe's books in Berkeley. It dates from the early fifties. I don't know if this Chicago edition is simply a reprint, but I am finding it to be a throroughly well-written and enjoyable book. At times it simplifies and idealizes where perhaps a contemporary academic account might be more cautious, but this gives it a certain romance that accords with the subject matter.

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"Chinese philosophy before our Christian era is emphasized in this nontechnical summary of Chinese thought. Professor Creel also deals with Confucianism, the ideas of Mo-tsu and Mencius, Taoism, Legalism, and their variations and adaptations. As an introduction for the general reader, this book stands among the best."—China: A Resource and Curriculum Guide"There exists nowhere else such a well-written presentation of the main trends in Chinese thought in so brief a space. The text is not cluttered with Chinese names and the pages are not weighed down with footnotes—but the references are there for those who want them, with suggestions for further readings. This is a book which can be understood by those who have never read anything else about China."—The New York Times Book Review

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Quotations From Chairman Mao Tse-Tung Review

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(More customer reviews)While Mao no doubt had a profound impact on China, it was not for his originality of thought, but for the manner in which he promoted Marxism-Leninism. The only significant change he made in the philosophy was his realization that for communism to work in China, the Proletariat had to be interpreted as the peasantry. Mao's "Little Red Book" was a necessity in the creation of the mystique of Mao, and the cult of Maoism. This was not so much because of the ideas presented, but because the manner in which the were presented to the public, not only in the book itself, but through various other means of propaganda. Therefore the book as an item could be valuable to own for anyone interested in the study of Mao, but only as a tool in his mystique. Granted the book does provide some insight into Maoism, its most profound impact was based on its existence, and Mao would best be studied through his actions rather than through his writings.

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