5 comments about The Manchus (Peoples of Asia).

1. It's funny to note that at many times the Qing dynasty faced many of the same problems that we see today: overpopulation, government corruption, war against drugs. So much of what we think of as Chinese is also Manchu and was introduced rather recently. Well writen and clear all the way through.



2. I have read a more recent book Evelyn Rawski's "The Last Emperors: A Social History of Qing Imperial Institutions " in which she discusses the context between her book and "The Manchus". The two books are probably quite similar but I think that Rawski's book would contain much more undisclosed material.
   I have decided not to change the rating on this book in the interest of fair play.



3. I visited to pick up the paperback of this book, and saw this perplexing comment below. This book and The Last Emperor are apples and oranges. This is a popular book (I got my original copy from History Book Club) and intended for reader's with a general interest, or maybe beginning historians. The book by Evelyn S. Rawski is an academic title, very thorough and erudite. But also the books are not on the same subject. Rawski is about the Manchu emperors, their courts and palaces. The Manchus is much more general. Please do not get confused into thinking that these two books are on the same subject.



4. I read this book after Evelyn Rawski's "The Last Emperors" and it did answer & clarified a lot questions I had with regards to the Manchus and how they were like before entering China proper. The chapter on Nurhachi was good as was the section on the inevitable power struggle between Cixi and Guangxu (my only wish that this was elaborated further).
   Crossley's book is highly recommended for both casual & serious historians alike. My suggestion is to read this first before Rawski's "The Last Emperors"



5. Read your typical history book covering Chinese history and you'll get a very distinct picture of the Jurchens and Manchus--about their conquest of china, the corruption of the Qing government (as if no other dynasty had corruption), of the power-hungry Aisio-gioro Nurgaci, founder of the Qing dynasty, and their alien, steppe-nomadic ways. Most Chinese history books have little good or substantive to say about this north-east Asian culture whose term for their religious priesthood was adopted by the West, "Shaman" (Chinese, "saman").
   
   This book takes all that mythology and anti-Manchu rehtoric and blasts it to pieces with a compelling story of a people who have rarely been studied objectively and as a culture separate from the Mongols and Chinese. Nurgaci was not the man of the myths we've heard and never called himself Emperor. In fact for most of his life his title was "beile of the Jianzhou Jurchens". He was a great lord and chieftain of his lineage, but not even an autocrat in his authority, ruling jointly with his brother, Surgaci, for many years.
   
   Besides the myths about Nuragi, many cultural myths are also dispelled. One major one is the assumption that the Manchus were nomads with a steppe culture analogous to the Mongol culture. This book explains how and why this assumption is wrong and is essential to anyone who wants to know the real Manchu people.
   
   I'm only 3 chapters into the book and already know I need to reread it. there's a lot of information for the student of Jurchen and Manchu history!
   
   WELL DONE!!

2 comments about Inside China.

1. This book has a very sad and depressing tone. I was anxiously waiting for it to arrive, but I was truly disappointed, even more so because it is published by National Geographic, from whom I expected something better. I should have gotten a clue just by looking at the cover picture, an intentionally blurred photo of the Shanghai skyline.
   
   The book basically depicts the ugly, "inside" (thus the title, Inside China) parts of China: turmoil, conflict, contrast, hardship and misery. With so many spectacular photos that could have illustrated China's rise, the authors chose the most mundane images, at best. Especially troubling are the numerous pictures of "bargirls", massage girls, and prostitutes. Additionally, for every photo of progress, there is another one of poverty, displacement and worker exploitation. Maybe that's the authors' artistic way to express contrast. I must have missed the point entirely.
   
   The quality of the photography is not up to par with National Geographic standards. Many night shots are grainy or blurry. The only ones I could really enjoy were the few landscapes at the beginning of the book.
   
   If you are looking for a collection of spectacular photos of China and its people, look elsewhere. I was so angry when I finished the book that I considered giving it away, but even that would be too embarassing for me. I guess I will just have to throw it away, even if that means wasting the $35 it cost me.



2. The book opens with the question: How does one get inside China? In 272 pages, Inside China, featuring an expansive collection of photographs from an equally impressive list of photographers and essays by six experts on Chinese culture, politics, history, and economy, makes an earnest attempt to capture the China that it once was, is, and will be. Much of the book is devoted to the China of today, juxtaposed between tradition and the burgeoning capitalism. Unlike most propaganda and travel brochure images that the West is more accustomed to seeing, this collection of photos takes the reader deep inside China, into the hearts, lives, insecurities, and hopes of the Chinese people. No, this is not a book about what looks exotic or alluring to the Western eyes. This book is about the Chinese people and the reality they have to confront each day, which inevitably brings the reader face to face with images of poverty, demolished villages, arid farmlands, overworked factory workers, rising skyscrapers, remnants of Communism, struggles for democracy, and the rise of nouveau riche. These are the uncensored expressions of the Chinese people, seen through the eyes of photographers and journalists who entered China not as foreigners, but as unbiased individuals who were willing to accept the Chinese people as they are.
   
   As a Chinese-American who was born in China, I feel this book presents one of the most honest and compendious portrayals of the Chinese people. Most of the subjects were captured in their work clothes, unposed, simply doing what they do everyday - living, surviving, and dreaming of a better life. These photos also attest the skills of the photographers, who have somehow made the camera invisible, bringing the reader that much closer to the subjects. In a nation that is struggling to find its own identity, the divide between the past and the future is often blurred, as represented by the symbolic blurring in the cover photo. What gives meaning and significance to the ordinary and the mundane are the shared humanity between the subjects and the onlooker and the hope that the future will bring a more beautiful day. Fittingly, the book ends with a hopeful photo in which the promises of the future and the relics of the past are intertwined. So, how does one get inside China? You leave all of your judgments and preconceptions at the border, and you look at the truth in the eye.
   
   A few personal favorites:
   - Reza's photo of a girl dancing in a circumcision ceremony in Xinjiang
   - David Butow's photo of Nanjing Road on a rainy night
   - David Butow's photo of a parade of Santas in Shanghai
   - Kenneth Jarecke's photo of a pro-democracy hunger striker
   - Benoit Aquin's photo of a crossroad in Xilinhot during a dust storm
   - Mark Leong's photo of a teenage boy standing at the edge of a pool in a fat reduction hospital
   - Mark Leong's photo of girls cleaning vegetables at a rural home
   - Michael Wolf's photo of workers' living quarters

4 comments about A Field Guide to the Birds of China.

1. This field guide is a well done book introducing the birds of China to its readers. It is fairly standard as far as field guides goes in content. The book contains 128 color plates depicting the birds of China with the corresponding range maps opposite the plates. Next, the descriptions of the 1329 species are given. Herein lies the major problem with the book, the descriptions are not adjacent to the plates; however, had the book been arranged in this manner, the number of pages would have at least doubled and the book is already a bit cumbersome for use as a field guide at its present size.

   A couple of other bits of useful information in this book include a map detailing vegetation type and an introduction to the region. Also, a list of protected and endangered species is included. For researchers, a nice bibliography is also included. Whether you just want to look at birds from a country you never plan on going to, or if you intend to go birding in China, this book is for you.




2. This book is absolutely essential for any birder who plans to visit any of the regions covered in this guide. The plates are very good and the descriptions are detailed. This is probably the most up-to-date guide for the region. The taxonomy is based on Sibley and Monroe, and nearly all subspecies and their ranges are listed. There is even an edition in simplified Chinese available in China and Hong Kong. However, covering such a broad region has its drawbacks, and at least in Taiwan, I recommend that this book be used more as a reference than field guide. A bird's voice often varies across its range, and the status of a species in one location can be completely different in another. For example, the White-bellied Green Pigeon, described by the book as "very rare," is in fact common in Taiwan. The quality of the plates is sometimes inconsistent (e.g. the geese and swans on plate 7 look very small!). Also, errors I've noticed include where the range map does not correspond with the descriptions (e.g. Eurasian Jay, plate 67), the bird number on the plate does not correspond with that of the range map and descriptions (e.g. Varied Tit, plate 88), and some typos (e.g. Pygmy Wren Babbler subspecies, plate 105). Although Appendix 2 lists the species endemic to the region, it left out at least three species from Taiwan (Yellow Tit, Collared Bush Robin, and Taiwan Whistling Thrush). In general, this book is excellent and highly recommended, but I do hope a new edition will be published in the future that fixes the errors and include new discoveries made since publication (e.g. Chinese Crested Tern, Taiwan Bush Warbler).



3. A Field Guide to the Birds of China is a must for any traveler who wants to identify birds in China. De Schauensee's earlier Birds of China is not really a field guide although it provides useful background reading. A Field Guide to the Birds of Japan includes a lot of the species occurring in eastern China, and the Beijing area is included in most of the range maps, so if you don't have the MacKinnon-Phillips new guide, this is second best.

   All species of known regular occurrence somewhere in China are illustrated in excellent drawings by Karen Phillips, all but a few in full color. Colored range maps are on the page facing each of the 128 plates. The text for each species provides a detailed description, voice, distribution and status, habits (useful), and in some cases a note on taxonomy.

   I used this book for more than two weeks in China during October 2001 and confidently identified every bird I got a decent look at. (Regrettably, eastern China is not exactly overrun with exotic birds, but you can find some interesting species even in the cities.)

   The most noticeable problem with this book is its sheer bulk; at 256 pages of plates, 586 pages of text, and some front material, this monster tops out at well over 800 pages and won't fit in most fanny packs, not to mention pockets. So taking a utility knife with a new blade, I sliced the spine following the last plate and taped the last page to the spine, creating a book of front matter, 10 pages of introduction and all the plates and range maps--a tad over a third the thickness of the whole book. A few species are illustrated in black-and-white in the text, so I xeroxed those (with their black-and-white range maps) and pasted them below the range maps of appropriate plates. I left the text home.

   The book is not without minor errors, of course. For example, the range maps on plate 35 mistakenly call the Red Phalarope the Red-necked Phalarope, with the same error in the scientific name (although, curiously, the Chinese name appears to be correct). Both species are illustrated. On plate 56 the illustration of the Red-throated Loon is mistakenly marked with the species number of the Common Loon (which is also illustrated and correctly numbered on the same plate). On plate 72 the female Japanese Paradise-flycatcher is so marked but the symbol for the male is missing. Most users can figure out such slips.

   ...




4. I visit Taiwan at least once a year, and always make it a point to do as much birding as possible. The main problem I have faced in the past has been finding a good English language field guide. I have always used James Wan-Fu Chang's "Field Guide to the Birds of Taiwan" (ISBN-13: 978-0917056437), and Wu Sen-Hsiong's "A Field Guide to the Birds of Taiwan" (ISBN 957-9578-00-1). Both books are very good, and highly recommended. However, each has its drawbacks. The main one being that both are written in Chinese, although Chang's guide does have very brief descriptions of range, habitat and status in English. In addition, both books are a bit out-dated.
   
   The MacKinnon & Phillips guide addresses these drawbacks. For starters, it is written entirely in English. The paintings are generally of high quality, and differences between subspecies are indicated. Range maps are also shown on the page facing the paintings. The descriptions of many (but not all) species are fairly well detailed, and the ranges for subspecies is also described.
   
   The guide does have some minor problems, which are probably unavoidable. Because of the large geographical size of the area covered, and the number of species described (over 1300), the guide is quite bulky - and somewhat expensive. In addition, the descriptions are in the back of the guide, rather than on the page adjacent to the paintings, making it somewhat inconvenient to use. As I have alluded above, some of the species descriptions, particularly those of the Taiwan endemics, seemed to have been glossed over (perhaps to save space in an already sizable guide). And although most of the paintings are of high quality, not all were. Overall, I think they are slightly inferior to those of the Wu guide. That being said, no field guide is perfect. Putting a field guide together requires a lot of patience and a great deal of hard work. I, for one, really appreciate the dedication and effort of the authors.
   
   All in all, this is the best field guide to the birds of China available. I would highly recommend this guide.

2 comments about Urbanatomy: Shanghai 2008.

1. Got my hands on an Urbanatomy Shanghai book from my friend who has just come back from there on holiday. This book is crazy - it covers about every inch of the city. It is kind of split into two parts - the front focusing oneach area of the city, the back on a load of sub-categories like food, economics etc.
   
   Never seen a guide, well this is more than a guide I suppose, that is like this as it goes into areas that you wouldn't normally see. And its all written like a Shanghai lovefest! There are loads of stunning photos in it too, particularly this guy Heungman who has done an entire Noir series of the huge construction there.
   
   The titles are interesting enough themselves with sections like - "soaring and sinking - a city built on tofu" and "doors of perception - creative visions in an opened Shanghai."
   
   It's good for a guide, or like me someone who is just interested in foreign cities - a real eye-opener about what will no doubt be one of the most fascinating cities for years to come.



2. I was excited about the publication of this book and excited by the review by Bill Heaton (above). Having relied heavily on the "insider's Guide to Beijing" (q.v.) while in that city, this book is somewhat similar and a God-send for those moving to or traveling in Shanghai, with many easy to use features (see the customer images at the top).
   
   Written by and for people living in the metropolis, it is half practical information and half "whys and wherefores" of this rapidly changing city. The photographs alone merit hours of study and I really appreciated the informative text boxes throughout.
   
   I do have a couple of peeves however, both of which I'm sure will be addressed in updated edition. 1) it desperately needs Chinese characters for names and addresses in the sidebars that flank each page. Knowing that the restaurant is called "Café Montmartre" is of no practical use in trying to tell a taxi driver or asking directions without the Chinese characters, and this is only availible in an exceedingly small, light font in the back of the index (and in the index, only the names are given in Chinese...to discover the street name in Chinese you have to look in yet a third place!). 2) The maps in this book are next to no help. Each of the 12 zones described in the book begins with a map, but there is no overarching map to situate the zones. Where the heck IS Zone 5: Luwan?? Is it North or South of Suzhou Creek? What other zones is it next to? Also, while the names of the streets are in Chinese and English, none of the maps have any of the venues marked on them, so that can be frustrating.
   
   I think this is a GREAT start, and I'm sure that with some tweaking the next edition will become an urban legend!

No comments about Frommer's Hong Kong Day by Day (Frommer's Day by Day).

1 comments about Pocket Map and Guide Beijing (EYEWITNESS POCKET MAP & GUIDE).

1. A perfect guide for a visit to Beijing for 3-4 days. Hits all the highlights, with beautiful photos and clear foldout maps. Will slip easily into any shirt pocket or purse. A great alternative to bulkier guides if you prefer to carry your book with you and are content to keep your information and visits to the top 12-15 sites.

5 comments about Darkness over Tibet (Mystic Traveller Series).

1. This unusual true story chronicles the journey of a Seeker, and it seems that interesting things happen when one embarks on a compelling spiritual quest for the unknown. With an attitude of openness and humility, it seems that the Universe has met our traveler with serendipitous and totally unexpected meetings and experiences. From the humble and humorous, to the outright dangerous, to a meeting with what one could only call one of the darkest and most powerful beings on the planet. But all providing exactly the opportunities needed to grow toward his spiritual ideal. A must-read for those interested in unusual knowledge and true experiences.



2. Theodore Illion's "Darkness Over Tibet" is a unique story narrating an extraordinary journey of a seeker. This rare book of its time consisted only roughly 200 pages and five chapters. It is easily and enjoyable read. It is an enthralling story that one just cannot put down.
   
   This book included a detailed account of the underground city in Tibet during the course of Illion's journey. He relates his experiences with his interactions with a number of individuals in the mentioned city. At first, he found there all is well and everything seems quite peaceful, but as it turned out later, nothing is as it seems. There is a known darkness and "unseen" darkness. This book reveals the "unseen" darkness where as the so-called "light" is actually the darkness in disguise.
   
   It is a book that must be read once and many times over as it is quite a remarkable story. It is not whether or not if this story was true. It is about what the story conveyed and the messages it revealed. It is a story of a journey with many perils, including the danger of losing one's very soul.
   
   With my humble opinion, I would strongly recommend this book.



3. This book gets 5 stars, not for its validity as non-fiction, but because it's quite simply a great read! I read this book in a single day, and couldn't put it down. Fortunately it's compact enough to do so without tiring you out. It strikes me as the sort of book that disguises moral and spiritual truths in symbolic form, similar to Gurdjieff's "Beelzebub's Tales to his Grandson". Unlike "Beelzebub's Tales" however, the symbolism is capable of being confused for real events. There seems to be some question as to whether Theodore Illion was a real person or just a nom de plume, so the reader should keep a critical "I" open!
   
   That being said, there are some excellent "parables" in the book which contain some important things to ponder, primarily that the sincere seeker of Truth should always beware of wolves in sheep's clothing - even on the higher planes of existence! Not exactly what the New Age would have you believe (eg. Evil doesn't really exist, so ignore it and it'll fade away), but a lot closer to the truth I think! Plus, the book might just give you a few clues for dealing with any black magicians that you happen to encounter!
   
   If you're the sort of person who likes fables and parables - get this book. It's a great read.



4. What a gem of a book this is! Very clearly illustrates many pitfalls on the spiritual seekers path. The story is a tale in which the dark side of esoteric type groups is revealed through the experiences and adventures of the author during his travels in Tibet. Whether or not the author really did visit Tibet in the manner described doesn't take away from the knowledge he imparts. Many important truths here, I would highly recommend this book.



5. Wow.. I will never get to go to Tibet.. yet after reading this incredible book, I feel as if I had been there.
   Fascinating and interesting.
   Often seems like Fantasia.. yet very well documented, so I guess.. it's all true. Amazing. A must read.. for a well-rounded education.
   It is more than a good read.. it expands your horizon in many ways..
   I could not put the book down.. til I turned the last page.

No comments about Chinese Shadows: 2.

5 comments about Fatal Depth: Deep Sea Diving, China Fever, and the Wreck of the Andrea Doria.

1. I had just finished Shadow Divers when I jumped into Fatal Depth. That's a shame because Shadow Divers so overwhelms FD that a completely unbiased review may not have been possible.
   
   Haberstroh knits together the string of fatal dive incidents using the state of mind of dive boat captain Dan Crowell as the unifying thread. This attempt, though, turns up so little that the incidents really have to stand alone. As such, they seem like little more than incident investigations with perhaps a bit of background color for each of the victims. The author seems to have had no particular agenda and draws no conclusions. Even the status of a lawsuit described in the book's closing chapters is left unresolved.
   
   If you want a STORY, ready Shadow Divers. If you want research material on deep diving fatalities or just cannot get enough of the genre then by all means pick up Fatal Depth.



2. I enjoyed reading this book...for someone that does not dive it certainly is an eye-opener as to how many ways you can get in trouble quick at extreme depths.



3. Great book. Lots of accident information as well as the diving history of the wreck. A must have for your reference library. Learn from the mistakes of others.



4. Fatal Depth offers a neutral report of several accidents, starting with the collision that sunk the Andrea Doria and then moving on to recount mishaps involving deep water scuba diving by recreational divers who want to explore the wreck and bring back artifacts. Some would call deep water diving of this type "extreme" diving (230 feet deep), though aficionados call it technical diving. The reporting of the mishaps themselves is brief since they often occurred while the diver was out of sight of others, but this is supplemented by substantial background information about the diver.
   
   Haberstroh, by trade a reporter and not a diver, has written a book that looks at some of the non-technical issues, such as the boat captain's responsibility to assure the competence of divers who have the requisite certifications or who are accompanied by a reputable instructor. Typical of a reporter writing a story, he presents the issues but does not provide his own editorial opinion.
   
   The failure to report the outcome of the lawsuit that is discussed in the book is annoying, but an online search revealed that the plaintiff lost the case (at least at the trial level) by summary judgment. Whether the case has been appealed is not readily ascertainable by an online search.
   
   While a quick read, it does not compare favorably with Shadow Divers or The Last Dive, both of which are gripping. For someone interested in this genre, it offers enough new information to make it worth reading, and in that case, Fatal Depth would be a good book to borrow from a local library.



5. I'm an avid reader of anything related to scuba diving and freediving. This book filled my expectations. However, I also read The Last Attempt by Carlos serra and found it even more appealing and gripping than this one. I highly recommend both of them but The Last Attempt was a really nice surprise.
   
   It's about the story of a female freediving champion who died during her last attempt to set a new world record held by her husband, a legend in the sport, but after her death, and even though everyting pointed towards him, and despite heavy scrutiny by the media, no one could establish what actually happened. I was astonished when i read it. Incredible story, so between The Last Attempt and Fatal Depth, i found myself delighted with a lot of good reading.

5 comments about Where the Pavement Ends: One Woman's Bicycle Trip Through Mongolia, China & Vietnam.

1. I found so much interesting firsthand information about Mongolia, China, and VietNam in this interesting book and for that I am grateful to the author.

   I did feel, not far into the book, that she was rather impetuous in her decision to take this 5,000 mile journey and was not very well-prepared at all. Right away, trying to cross the border into Mongolia was an issue for her and something that I thought she should have found out about beforehand. She also made some serious safety mistakes, as when she was accosted by the two young men on horseback in Mongolia. She could have easily lost her life.

   Her writing beautifully captures the natural beauty of the lands through which she traveled and also the basic goodness of the people whom she encountered during her journey.

   A good reading experience.




2. I picked up this book in anticipation of summer travels and was looking to get a woman's perspective on some of the places I will be going. I enjoyed reading about her different adventures, but ultimately was a little annoyed and bored. Her story was inspiring and what she did was amazing, but the way it was written was rather flat. And, I feel that if you are going to include pictures in your book, they should have accurate labels as to who they are of and when they were taken. In all, an okay book but not a stellar read.



3. The good news is, I really liked this book. The bad news is that when I finished it I quit my job, sold the house, drained my IRA and bought a bicycle.

   If you have ever traveled in the third world and experienced the mixed emotions of being a rich American in a poor country you will recognize yourself in this story. From the priceless experiences she has with people who let her into their homes and into their worlds, to those who have had much more experience with wealthy Western travelers and make their livings from them, she captures the two sides of this kind of travel.

   This is a book about a journey, not an expedition. Unlike so many books of this genre, the author parks her ego at the door. While riding a bike, especially as far as she does, is an athletic accomplishment this is not a book about an athlete. She does not try to impress us about how many kilometers she rides a day or how difficult a particular mountain pass was to climb. This is the story of a journey by an intelligent and introspective woman who is interested in getting away from the hippie travel circuit and seeing places she is told not to go and learning about people you will not see from the train or meet in the tourist hotel.

   How wonderful it must be to have all you really need with you on your bike and not really care that you don't know exactly where you are.




4. I enjoyed this book and oftentimes found the narrative absorbing. I was astonished by the contrasts particularly between Mongolia, with its frigid weather, expansive plains, and childlike adults, and Vietnam, with its tropical beaches and aggressive, war-weary toddlers! Attention to detail really enlivened the book. I particularly liked the linguistic asides and descriptions of different foods. I always looked forward to the pictures, although I sorely missed a photo of Beijing. The chapter about the author's trip over a dangerous Chinese mountain on her way to Xiangning was loaded with suspense! But then there was no resolution. After her harrowing experience, we needed to see her actually arrive in Xiangning.
   
   The book needed an epilogue, with the author safely ensconsced in her apartment in Vladivostok or Seattle, observing her surroundings and providing the reader with a final sense of perspective.
   
   And it would've been great to have an index in the back, so the reader could easily look up a word or reference that might've appeared 100 pages hence. I had to stick a post-it on page 42 so I could keep looking up the word "orom"!
   
   I hope the author elects to do this again in a completely different part of the world.



5. Far too often discretion is overthrown in favor of "attitude". How refreshing to read a book that not only reflects thoughtfully on cross cultural respect and understanding, but avoids the self-indulgence that is all-too common in travelogues.
   
   Ms. Warmbrunn is, in a very real sense, an adventurer. Setting out independently to explore countries alien to her, she exposes herself to physical danger, political intrigue, environmental challenges, and emotional reward...all from the seat of Green, her beloved bicycle.
   
   Through her experiences of Mongolian culture, and her reflections on their history, I learned more about that part of the world than through any history book I had previously read.
   
   I would recommend this book to anyone who has ever wanted to travel ANYWHERE, who has loved riding a bike, has wanted to be the hero in their own story, or who simply loves the skillful execution of a well-turned phrase. Arm-chair and adventurer travellers alike will warm to this book.
   
   In my heart of hearts, I'd like to think Erika and I would become best friends. I'd invite her to tea, or maybe we'd go to the theatre, and then after spinning around a model globe, which would stop when a finger was placed on it, we'd announce "Let's go there!", and then make plans to head out.
   
   Barring that grand experience, I console myself with her presence on my bookshelf, and hope that you, gentle reader, may do the same.