It appears that David Selbourne was duped by a forged manuscript! The book has been suppressed in the USA. Scholar Abulafia has condemned the book in The Times of London from conextual evidence (eg mellah means ghetto in Moroccan but is a later word than the book). It is still a good read.

for those interested in the history of west meets east via Buddhism, this book will fascinate. reveals much lived detail of a lost culture of privilege and excess in pre-mao China. Kind of a 'Six Chapters of a Floating Life' from a westerner, before his florescence into a Buddhist scholar. Blofeld's other bio 'The Wheel of Life' takes up that story.

This is a wonderful book about history of china.Thousands of years of passing time of China is a miracle.

Samuel's erudite and comprehensive review is fast becoming an indispenable tool to any serious student of Tibetan religious life (of whatever hue). Encompassing a breathtaking range of literature and information, the author's forte lies in his ability to convey the sheer vastness of extant scholarly material on Tibet, without at the same time getting bogged down in an excessively scholastic vocabulary and style. Readers should take note that this is certainly NOT a book for uncommitted beginners, or for those that want a feel-good dip into Buddhism (although the determined reader could reasonably treat it as introductory), but rather represents a comprehensive and in-depth guide for those who seek to become truly well-informed about one of the world's deepest and most facinating religious civilizations.

This book is not for every one, but it has plenty to offer those who think they might be interested in the history of urban reform in a Chinese provincial capital. Chengdu lies in western Sichuan province, a remote but populous part of China. Nestled at the feet of mountains that rise in the west to the Tibetan plateau, Chengdu is a beautiful and fascinating city with a long and rich history. This book was written for and should prove to be of primary interest to scholars, but it should also appeal to serious travelers who plan to visit Chengdu (or have already visited) this rewarding spot off of the usual tourist itinerary. Civilizing Chengdu focuses on efforts to administer and reform the city in the half century prior to the founding of the People's Republic of China. It is scrupulously researched but written in an accessible style. Scholars interested in modern Chinese history have recently begun to focus on developments in urban areas, and there have been a number of excellent works published over the last few years that have dealt with different urban historical topics. Most of these books have concentrated on the major cities of eastern China, such as Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing. This book begins to address the need for work on the many smaller cities scattered across the country.

The collaborative effort of Petra Kobayashi, Toyo Kobayashi, Chiang Tao Chi, and Petra, Classical T'ai Chi Sword blends martial arts insights with an exercise program which should appeal to a wide audience of martial arts students. These special exercises use a sword, staff or saber and provide keys to understanding a form which is growing beyond its tai chi roots. A specialized, excellent guide for the devoted martial arts student interested in exploring all forms.

This book consists of over 200 pages of color photos and illustrations of ceremonial dress and decorative accessories of the Miao people, one of China's major ethnic groups. The editors, representing The Cultural Palace of Nationalities, Beijing, China, state in the preface that they are "new students in this subject of Miao clothing and our levels are so limited, there may be many mistakes or omissions...." However, the sheer quantity of well-presented photos documenting clothing and ornaments, collected by the editors for a national exhibition held in 1984, makes this book well worth the search.

The Miao currently live throughout a large region of southern China and Asia. The editors state they have more or less arbitrarily classified the Chinese Miao clothing into the the following five models: the western Hunan model, the eastern Guizhou model, the mid-south Guizhou model, the Sichuan-Guizhou-Yunnan model, and the Hainan island model. They have then divided each model into several regional styles.

While collecting the pieces included in the 1984 exhibition, the editors interviewed many Miao regarding the traditions surrounding the creating and wearing of the clothing. Each section includes these findings in descriptive paragraphs discussing techniques and design changes over time. Women's hair styles and ornamentation, both unique to each region, are also documented and photographed.

The photos include not only the actual garments, with close-up images of handwork, but also complete costumes modeled by Miao people. Included too, are several photos illustrating the countryside, festivals, and people living in their communities.

This book is a treasure for any student of ethnic costuming and handwork.

Cloud Weavers: Ancient Chinese Legends by Rena Krasno and Yeng-Fong Chiang is a compilation of enduring Chinese fables, which are beautifully illustrated in full color with an artwork style that seems to blend Eastern and Western influences. The simple, easy-to-follow text offers particular appeal for young children, and would well serve as quick bedtime stories. Cloud Weavers is recommended for family and community library Folklore, Fairytale & Mythology collections.

My mother shipped this book to me when I was living in Russia this past Christmas. I sat down one evening with a 9 year old Russian boy and his father who were ignoring a party going on around them to read and translate this story into Russian. The father knew English fairly well, but his son, who had only studied English for 3 years, corrected his father many times because the son understood that you need to study the pictures to correctly translate the story - not just read the words. Jim Rumford's beautiful watercolors made all the difference. Spasibo, Jim