History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Chinese in 10 Minutes a Day® (10 Minutes a Day Series)

Average customer rating:

fantastic book
Children's picture book for the deluded
good to start a basic vocab and concept
Iceberg
EXCELLENT TOOL FOR BEGINNER STUDENT

Chinese in 10 Minutes a Day® (10 Minutes a Day Series)
Kristine K. Kershul
Manufacturer: Bilingual Books (WA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0944502105

Customer Reviews:

fantastic book.......2007-03-08

not enough said about this book, it takes you from basics to conversation.

Children's picture book for the deluded.......2006-07-23

The title really speaks for itself. I was desperate to learn Chinese quickly for travel, was up late, read the reviews, flipped out and bought it. Another romance language if you know one in 10 minutes a day maybe, Chinese if you speak English from a book without audio-not so much....

Let's review the logistics. They don't read English so you can't point to it. You don't read Chinese so you're looking at pictures (not when driving to work). So after dinner you paste romanized Chinese words around the house. Time's up. The next day you memorize a few words that may have a different meaning from the one you intend because you don't have audio phonetics and its a tonal language. Gotta go. The next day, you forget evrything because you only spent 10 minutes and you can't relate it to English. You do the math.

The approach reminds me of the Monty Python skit, where Hungarian tries to buy cigarettes using a phrasebook that inspires him to say "my hovercraft is full of eels" .

And as to the reviews, we don't laugh at Clark Griswold for saying "look at how greatful the French are when we make the slightest effort to speak the language...." because other countries are more grateful when we try to butcher their language. We laugh because he buys "French on the airplane" and believes it works. On the way to China, you're tired, you drink, its crowded, you don't read Chinese, unlike French, they can't read this book, you take out "Chinese in 10 minutes a day" on a 17 hour flight, oops that's my day. Exaggeration, but not by much.
You would either have to grow old or land in Hong Kong!

good to start a basic vocab and concept.......2006-07-01

This was a good book to start a basic vocab and concept of what would later be studied in the Chinese language. I use this book very frequently to start learning a new language and, the only thing that would be missing would be an audio guide to the book. Pronunciation in Chinese is very essential to the word and understanding of the language.

Iceberg.......2006-03-02

This is a good introductory book to Mandarin, but by itself it is incomplete. Correct pronunciation of basic sounds is critical to a non-native speaker before jumping too far into the language. Still, I'm a visual hands-on learner and I appreciate the visual association of words with objects as opposed to systems that employ only spoken lessons. What works best for me is a combination of the two. Consequently, an accompanying tape or CD would enhance this book greatly.

EXCELLENT TOOL FOR BEGINNER STUDENT.......2005-12-07

I have to start this review saying that i thought more than 4 times before buy this book.
For me the title was not to atractive (not too serious for a formal chinese student). But i have to say that since i received this book (with other three books to learn chinese), it got my atention.

This book has colorfull pages, beautiful illustrations, lot of useful vocabulary, and an interested way to introduce new chinese word in every text, even in english text.

Teachs you from you own language, make reference between english grammar and chinese grammar.

This book it's not ambitious, doesnt include chinese caracthers, it's focus on speak, and not to read.

With this book you will learn (at least) to say in chinese:
Where is the table? (nar you ....)
This is the chicken (zhe shi yi ge ji).
I want tea, (wo yao cha).
1,2,3,4,5... 1359...(yi, er, san, si, etc)
Red, blue, gray (hongse, lanse, etc)...
This is, that is (zhe shi, na shi).
Today is monday, see you tomorrow (jintian shi xingqi yi, mingtian jian).

Also include stickers with objects in chinese to stick to your table, clock, window, sofa, cat, etc,
At the end you will have a small vocabulary, but believe me, the way will be really funny.

The only lack of this book it's that doesn't include a CD, it's really important to listen the pronunciation, especially if it's purpose of the book.

It's a good tool for beginners, and if you want to start by yourself (and that's a lot if we talk about chinese).

Sincerely,
from the South of the World (Chile)

Carolina

PD: Sorry for my english... i just speak spanish and a little bit of chinese

Qigong Empowerment: A Guide to Medical, Taoist, Buddhist, Wushu Energy Cultivation

Average customer rating:

Fantastic
Best Qigong book in English Language
Great Product and Transaction
Qigong Empowerment....a very good resource with the right knowledge
WHAT?!

Qigong Empowerment: A Guide to Medical, Taoist, Buddhist, Wushu Energy Cultivation
Shou-Yu Liang , Wen-Ching Wu , and Denise Breiter-Wu
Manufacturer: Way of the Dragon, Limited, the
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

ASIN: 1889659029

Book Description

Qigong Empowerment is the most unique and complete volume ever written in the English language on Qigong (Chi Kung), the attainment of energy. It is a volume that you can refer to over and over again for all your energy studies. This book includes all the major energy training schools in ancient China: 1. Medical Qigong theories and training methods to strengthen the organs and to rejuvenate overall health. 2. Taoist Qigong cultivation and training outline, from the basic to the most profound methods, to foster Essence, Qi, and Spirit. 3. Buddhist Qigong empowering methods to develop the Esoteric Abilities of the Body, Speech, and Mind. 4. Emitting, Absorbing, and Healing Qigong to develop your healing ability. 5. Wushu (martial arts) Iron Shirt, Iron Palm, Iron Fist Qigong for developing your ultimate physical potential.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic.......2007-09-11

This book is among the best to be released to the general public about the many different types of Chi Kung training. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about internal cultivation and understanding a very rich part of traditional Chinese culture.

Best Qigong book in English Language.......2006-09-06

I train with Master Wen-Ching Wu and i have trained a little with Grandmaster Liang, and I have not been able to find ANY books that come close to surpassing the ones that they have written. Together they have an incredibly vast knowledge of martial arts and Qigong and share it quite willingly in their fantastic books and teachings.

Great Product and Transaction.......2006-07-10

This book is incredible. Stocked full of wisdom and useful information as promised. Perfect condition, and quickly shipped. Thank you to the seller.

Qigong Empowerment....a very good resource with the right knowledge.......2006-06-04

I bought `Qigong Empowerment' because, it "is the most unique and complete volume ever written in the English language on qigong" (quote from back cover). Other reviews tended to support this claim. So, I bought it and I am very glad I did. This book is an extensive compilation of many types of qigong exercises.

The book is good in the sense that it gives 1) a good introduction to Qigong, 2) some basics of meridians and TCM theory (with basic acupuncture charts in the appendix); 3) an encyclopedic amount of qigong exercises (medical, Daoist, Buddhist, healing, and wushu - some of which are rather hard to come by as others have already stated), and 4) some corrective methods in appendix B. This book is a great book for point three alone. By the way, some of the other reviews complain about the lack of warnings in this book. I agree that the warnings are lacking within the main text. But to be completely fair to the authors, they tell the reader in the introduction to be familiar with appendix B. A brief glance at appendix B should instill enough caution to follow instructions very precisely. The authors state that if one follows the instructions thoroughly, the practice is safe.

It is my opinion that this book is best suited for those who have an idea of personal qigong development (ie, knows the types and stages of practice and the goal of each stage). To be sure, the book is not devoid of information regarding stages and steps in qigong development, but the description is skeletal. This is fine because the authors cannot do everything in one book. For those without such background knowledge, you should consult "the Roots of Chinese Qigong" by Dr. Yang. The author discusses qigong theory in this book and the attentive reader will come out with a road map of personal qigong development. At this point, "Qigong Empowerment" and its myriads of exercises will be much more intelligible and the reader will be able to use "Qigong Empowerment" with a deeper understanding. Of course, all practice does not need to be put on hold for the beginner. Master Shou-Yu Liang provides guidance on what exercises to start for the first several months of practice. Go to Master Shou-Yu Liang's website and find the FEBRUARY/MARCH 2003 newsletter and look for "A Guideline to Beginning Qigong Training". This guideline is not presented as clearly in the book, so do consult the website. This will provide enough guidance for several months. Whilst building a solid foundation in these months, you can also read and digest the material in "Roots of Chinese Qigong".

For beginners or anyone else looking for something simpler but still very effective, I recommend Hunyuan Qigong (this is the core of my qigong practice). It has 12 exercises and all exercises can be done, and should be done, at all stages of progress. Hunyuan Qigong was developed in order to foster health and martial art ability (but not through hard qigong). By the way, I still recommend learning about theory. It will help you understand the `why' of this method as well.

To learn this form, I recommend two resources.
I) Hunyuan DVD by Chen Zhonghua - this resource gives basic instruction regarding the 12 exercises. (search for chen zhonghua's website on google as the DVD and book are not available on amazon),

II) "Hunyuan Qigong" by Feng Zhiqiang - this book will give more detailed information on each move. It is a very helpful addition to the DVD.

Anyway, there are my 2 cents.

By the way, I cannot benefit financially from anyone purchasing Chen Zhonghua's material. He is an excellent master. That is why I recommend his material.

WHAT?!.......2006-04-19

I bought this book for the buddhism section because of another review I read. I have to say I was very dissapointed. It contains almost nothing on buddhism, just a bunch of arbitrary forms and excercises with very little explanation on how this is supposed to increase your chi, and improve your metal clarity. I felt like i might as well be reading a book on voodoo. But what really put me off of this book was the section on Wushu qigong. I fail to understand the merrits of conditioning such parts of the anatomy as the solar plexis, throat, armpits, and yes, groin. Here is an excerpt;

p.256 Section 8, Groin Conditioning

Step 4. Pulling. Use both hands and grab a hold of the base of the penis, pull up and circle from right to left, 30-50 times; thenleft to right 30-50 times. Then pull forward and release 30-50 times. Next massage the dantion area until it is hot.

Step 5. Hitting with the edge of your palms and bamboo stick bundles...

I am not kidding. This is an actual excerpt. It then goes on to say that once you have conditioned your groin sufficiently you should start hitting your groin with a bamboo stick. Wow! Maybe they are not aware of the invention of the cup.

It could be that there is some information of real value in this book, but after reading this, and some of the other equally silly stuff, I couldn't see the point of wasting more time reading further.

The Healing Promise of Qi: Creating Extraordinary Wellness Through Qigong and Tai Chi

Average customer rating:

A Seminal Work
One of the best books out there- now my standard textbook for students.
Beautifully written and informative
just don't understand
A brief comment

The Healing Promise of Qi: Creating Extraordinary Wellness Through Qigong and Tai Chi
Roger Jahnke
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0809295288

Book Description

Unlocks the secrets of one of the most powerful of Chinese healing arts

Developed over millennia in China, qigong (literally, life force + mastery, or refinement) is a set of techniques used to increase your vitality, longevity, and sexual potency as well as achieve and maintain optimal health and inner peace. In the groundbreaking The Healing Promise of Qi, Dr. Roger Jahnke, internationally respected doctor of Chinese medicine and author of the bestselling The Healer Within, clearly and simply explains the concepts of qigong in practical terms.

With the help of 125 superbly rendered illustrations, he describes a multitude of simple qigong tools, practices, and techniques for accessing and utilizing the incredible power of qi. Rather than focus on a particular form of qigong, Dr. Jahnke presents concise, easy-to-follow techniques from among the more than 25 traditional and modern forms that he has mastered and taught to thousands of people across the United States and Canada.

Customer Reviews:

A Seminal Work.......2007-07-08

After a number of readings, it is clear that this book is both broad and deep. It is very accessible for those just beginning their investigations into Qi, energy and personal cultivation. AND it is among the most penetrating books for those who seek deeper knowledge of wellbeing, energetics and even the eternal nature. There is fact (health, healing, physiology and quantum), theory (Chinese Medicine, Chinese philosophy, Daoism, Buddhism), inspiration (the most profound medicine is within, the eternal radiant spirit can be revealed), story (tales of a probably fictional mountain monastery and probably real Qi masters the author has met and studied with). There is also a profound vision for the potential of the human species as the cultivation of our deeper nature is more widely pursued.

As both a doctor of Chinese medicine and a long time teacher of Qigong and Tai Chi, the author has experience, authority and very alluring language. The book is easy and fun to read. It could be opened anywhere. One endorsement, from the author of Manifesto For A New Medicine, James Gordon MD says "I look forward to referring to -- and using -- this book for years to come." And Joan Borysenko, author of many books on the Mind/Body revolution calls it "A gem that you will treasure for the rest of your life." Deepak Chopra calls Dr Jahnke, "a wise teacher and healer" and his Qigong "simple yet profound".

Nowhere have we seen (and this is mentioned in a number of the Amazon reviews) such a clear map of the territory of Qigong, Tai Chi and the cultivation of personal power and virtue.

I have also appreciated, very much, Dr Jahnke's first book, The Healer Within The Healer Within: Using Traditional Chinese Techniques To Release Your Body's Own Medicine *Movement *Massage *Meditation *Breathing.

These are seminal works in the emerging new Quantum world of energy, empowerment and self-reliance. Qigong, it appears, is an accessible portal to our maximum potential and a method to access our deepest power -- simply yet profoundly.

One of the best books out there- now my standard textbook for students........2007-06-14

Roger Jahnke would never refer to himself as a master, but i respect, appreciate, and *believe* in his sincerity and commitment to the art enough to refer to him as such. i honestly can't say enough about this book. it's the simplest and clearest book i've ever read on the subject (and i have read more than 2 dozen), yet its content is thorough and comprehensive to the point that i now use this as my standard textbook for my qigong students.

he put into 1 book what it took me years to gather and distill from numerous teachers and books, and he did a better job of integrating it all into a useable (and changeable) framework.

what puts this book over the top for me is his beautiful, almost lyrical, storytelling ability. it really makes the book a pleasurable read, especially in the middle section of the book devoted to the 10 phases of Qi cultivation.

reading this book gave me faith in the power and development of qigong right here in this country. i trully believe that one no longer has to travel to china in order to learn and experience the greatest depths of this internal art. it's here now!

i've never met Master Jahnke, but i certainly hope to someday. and even if i never do get the opportunity to meet him, i will always consider him one of my best teachers.

Beautifully written and informative.......2007-04-22

A beautifully written panorama of the history and contemporary state of qi.
This book is also eminently practical and inspiring.
The author cites past masters of qi and documents meetings with contemporary masters that he has met.
An excellent read and a must for all those who study/practice tai chi and qigong, or those who are thinking of studying the subject.
Recommended!

just don't understand.......2007-02-10

maybe i am missing something, i believe this to be a bloated-book, could have been more concise. bought it based on other reviews.

A brief comment.......2005-12-18

This is a very good, well written, and detailed introduction to qi gong. The different aspects of the art are presented, including relating it to western medical theory. The author writes with very little ego and the art is presented fairly and objectively. Overall a fine intro to the subject and well deserving of the five star ratings people are giving it.

The Qin Terracotta Army: Treasures of Lintong (National Museums & Monuments of Ancient China Ser.))

Average customer rating:

The Qin Terracotta Army: Treasures of Lintong (National Museums & Monuments of Ancient China Ser.))
Zhang Wenli
Manufacturer: London Editions (Hk) Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0856674508

Book Description

A fascinating study of this amazing archaeological discovery.

Kanji Pict-O-Graphix: Over 1,000 Japanese Kanji and Kana Mnemonics (Zzz)

Average customer rating:

again with the ideographic myth
Great Book for learning Kanji
Good Idea, Poor Execution
The easiest way to learn Kanji
A great buy for every Japanese students.

Kanji Pict-O-Graphix: Over 1,000 Japanese Kanji and Kana Mnemonics (Zzz)
Michael Rowley
Manufacturer: Stone Bridge Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0962813702

Amazon.com

How does one learn kanji, the characters of written Japanese? The traditional approach is rote memorization. Japanese children write each kanji hundreds of times at their desks, and eventually they are acquired. Michael Rowley offers a different way, a mnemonic-association approach that provides a hook on which to hang the meaning and retrieve it easily when the kanji comes into view. The concept is simple: each character is represented under the word or concept it stands for (such as turf, bamboo, eat, or duty), followed by the pronunciations of the word in Chinese and Japanese, and a drawing that captures the meaning and resembles the character enough so that it'll come to mind whenever the kanji is seen.

Organized thematically in chapters such as "Power," "Places," "Tools," "The World," "Food," "People," and "The Body," Rowley's book lets you learn the root symbols before teaching the words that add to them for further meanings. For example, the character for water is a splatter of three dashes that Rowley pictures as three splashing water drops. Later, you see that steam, float, boil, dirt, and bathe all build on the water character. For steam, there's the water character plus a series of lines that Rowley exaggerates to resemble swirling, vapory tendrils, and the association helps. Building on units of memory and relationship, recall is aided considerably by the simple yet evocative drawings. Rowley even manages to help with the hiragana and katakana syllabaries, providing appealing pictures that look a bit like the letters in question and begin with the same sounds. So the na letter looks like a knot, nu resembles Rowley's drawing of noodles held by chopsticks, and it's easier to remember which symbol means te when you picture a telephone pole.

It's hard to do Rowley's book justice with words, since the visual element is what makes it tick. He does a wonderful job, blending insight, imagination, and drawing technique, in a book that far surpasses the old rote method, making kanji learning both appealing and accessible. --Stephanie Gold

Book Description

"Kanji Pict-o-Graphix offers an engaging way to learn and memorize Kanji."-Rocky Mountain Region Japan Project

"A fun book for studying kanji. The illustration reveals more of its contents and method than any description ever could."-Japan Times

"It is a very nice book, simple and pretty effective. A useful addition to the library of all beginners who aspire to learn Japanese. Recommended."- Protoculture AddictsÂ

Learn more about kanji from Stone Bridge Press: KanaÂ Pict-o-Graphix, Designing with Kanji,Â Kanji Starter 1&2, and Crazy for Kanji

Customer Reviews:

again with the ideographic myth.......2007-09-03

Like far too many books about Kanji, this one chooses to focus on the "meanings" conveyed by the characters rather than the phonetic and morphological information they supply which is their real function. I will give this an extra star though, because some of the illustrations and mnemonics are clever.

Ivan Rorick

Great Book for learning Kanji.......2007-08-27

I have been using this book for little more than a week now, and I must say, the amount of kanji I now know has significantaly increased from what I already knew.

This book as all the kanji plus more for the beginners, intermediate and experienced Kanji expert, with both easy and more difficult kanji to learn, i will find this book a treat.

easy kanji is a breeze to learn with pictures that directly correspond, and even tell a little story as to the make up and structure of the kanji. Though the more complicated kanji may take a bit of getting used to (sometimes the pictures do grasp at straws a little) It still is a book that every student of Japanese should have.

The pictures contain all the On/Kun readings and seperate particles that make up the kanji itself, so it's easy to break down and then build it up.

****/*****

Good Idea, Poor Execution.......2007-04-29

This book presents approximately 1,000 kanji characters, along with mnemonics designed to help you memorize the meanings. For example, on the cover, the book suggests that the character for "stop" looks like a policeman saying "stop!"

It's a good idea, but the bottom line is that most of the entries just are not that good. For example, the character for "horse" really looks like a horse. You shouldn't need any help noticing that. The book twists the character into a different, and much less plausible, horse.

Try "Essential Kanji: 2,000 Basic Japanese Characters Systematically Arranged For Learning And Reference" instead. It is much more useful.

The easiest way to learn Kanji.......2007-04-22

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/07)

Kanji, the written form of Japanese characters, is very difficult to try to figure out. The author of this book, Michael Rowley, used "mnemonic devices" as memory aids to simplify the process. Mnemonics are used to create associations. I used this method to visually learn to read Braille and I found it worked. Mr. Rowley does an even better job with the mnemonics that he has created to help with this process. I found the characters much easier to memorize than when I learned Braille.

He provides you with pictures (pictographs) that are drawn in a manner closely resembling the kanji character. Your mind makes an association between the two and the next time you see the kanji, you remember the picture and what it represents. In this book, he provides the means for you to learn over 1,000 kanji characters. This is about 50% of the kanji characters that are commonly used in print today.

The chapters are well-organized and have an extensive index the end of the book, which also includes the kanji characters for a quick reference. I also found his choice of kanji characters to be very meaningful and most likely to be encountered. Mr. Rowley has the distinction of earning both the International Typographic Design Award and the HOW International Design Award. I can see why he would earn these awards.

In addition to recognizing the meaning behind many of the kanji tattoos that you commonly see today, I also think that martial artists would enjoy this book. In the Japanese styles we see a great deal of kanji characters and it would be nice to be able to recognize their meanings. I also hope that when I return to Japan, I will have a much easier time understanding what the signs mean over there. I was clueless on my first trip over there and I look forward to this challenge. Of course, "Kanji Pict-o-graphix" will be going with me!

A great buy for every Japanese students........2007-03-08

The bane to every Japanese student is kanji. Nobody likes to learn them, but they do make you look cool when you read them to friends. This book can easily teach you kanji if you spend a bit of time studying it.

Ancient Chinese Bronzes (3 Volume Set : in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections)

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Ancient Chinese Bronzes (3 Volume Set : in the Arthur M. Sackler Collections)
Harry N Abrams Inc , Robert Bagley , and Jenny So
Manufacturer: Harry N Abrams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Arts of China (An Ahmanson Murphy Fine Arts Book)

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Excellent
a long, distinguished history
Useful and Knowledgable
Lucid Style attracts me.

The Arts of China (An Ahmanson Murphy Fine Arts Book)
Michael Sullivan
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0520218779

Book Description

For the fourth edition of his much-heralded The Arts of China, last published in 1984, Michael Sullivan has thoroughly revised and expanded this classic history of Chinese art from the Neolithic period to the 1990s. He draws on archaeological discoveries in the last two decades of the twentieth century that have enriched scholars' understanding of both prehistoric and ancient Chinese civilizations. At the same time, research on more recent dynasties has led to fresh interpretations of well-documented historical events and artworks. Also, China's dramatic opening to the outside world since the 1980s has triggered an explosion of contemporary Chinese art, on which Sullivan is the foremost Western authority.
Written in the engaging and lucid style that is Sullivan's hallmark, The Arts of China is readily accessible to general readers as well as serious students of art history. Discussing more than three millennia of Chinese artistic endeavor, Sullivan introduces not only artworks, but also the social, political, religious, and philosophical contexts in which they were created.
This fourth edition has more than 380 illustrations; many are new and nearly half are in color. With this edition Sullivan has abandoned the Wade-Giles system of romanization in favor of the official Chinese Pinyin, now widely accepted by Western readers. These improvements assure that The Arts of China will remain the most comprehensive and widely read introduction to the history of Chinese art.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-06-21

Cannot go wrong with the art book about Chinese art. It's an excellent one, used a lot as a textbook both by university art teachers as well as teachers of Chinese culture and history.

a long, distinguished history.......2006-10-14

The colour illustrations in this book are lovely to behold. Many show restored artifacts from China's long history. Vases, stoneware, flasks, paintings, handscrolls and much more. From the paintings, you can see where the traditional misty style of Chinese landscape paintings arose. There are even genres, like bamboo painting. Just like the Europeans developed portraits of horses and landed gentry.

Naturally, there is also extensive coverage of porcelain plates and containers. Beautifully decorated. The items that the Europeans would call "china"; so close was the identification of the objects with China itself.

But more than just objects, the narrative also gives insight into the various Chinese dynasties from which these arose. And also the provinces, like Jiangsu and Anhui, that were artistic centers.

Useful and Knowledgable.......2006-03-15

The book, The Arts of China, was book I needed to purchase for a college level Asian Art History class focused on China. Each chapter was divided into dynasties and within each chapter sections were written on: background history, ceramics, paintings, sculpture, and other various topics. There are lovely color pictures with high resolution, which are an essential to any student or scholar studying this art. The writing is clear and even enjoyable. I'd highly reccommend this book!

Lucid Style attracts me........2000-04-17

It is difficult to write "Short History of Chinese Arts". Suppose that an honest scholar start preparing his lecture note of " Chinese Arts", he shall struggle with selecting subjects and plates. Moreover, for example, he feels that he be an expert on ancient bronzes, and a beginner of export wares in 17th century. Leaving the purgatory, he would want help to a standard textbook.

Among English books, this noted book may have used in many college courses. 1st edition(1967) and The revised edition(1973) were welcomed by many students and scholars. Even a japanese translation had been popular for many years. In this 4th edition, 84 old respectable scholar still attracts me with lucid style.

For beginners, this should be a good introduction. Appreciating artifacts in Museum, finding something in antique shop, or reading books/papers/articles about a particular subject, it needs some elementary background knowledge for chinese arts and history. This offers such COMMON SENSE.

For experienced scholars, this is an interesting reading. This might look a mean textbook for them. Before reading, I minded I become tired for many facts already learned, but I enjoy this book even in commute train, although this edition format is too large. Because not only this is Readable for a japanese, but also gives many (sometimes implicit) skeptical suggestions. At 258p, about Wan Hui (1632-1677, painter), "The Palace Museum collection also contains a number of clever pastiches of tenth-century and Northen Song landscapes that are almost certainly his work"; keen insight!.

Book Description

* Each character is shown in both simplified and traditional form, along with its pronunciation and meaning. Information is given about the radical (essential for finding it in a Chinese dictionary) and other components. The character configuration and stroke order are clearly shown, along with other tips to help form it correctly. A grid of practice squares for each character page allows the user to build confidence in writing Chinese.

* Several compounds are also listed for each character. Each of these is likewise accompanied by its pronunciation, meaning and an example sentence (also transliterated and translated). These compounds and sentences build vocabulary and give extra practice in reading Chinese. All compounds are listed in an alphabetical index at the end of the book for ready reference.

* Each set of 10 characters is followed by a quiz containing a variety of imaginative exercises to review and practice the recently learned characters.

* Each set of 50 characters is followed by a "Character Building" section designed to build familiarity with identifying radicals within characters, a Review of vocabulary learned, and a Word Puzzle as an enjoyable way of revising the material covered to that point.

Customer Reviews:

Buy it if you want to learn Mandarin characters.......2007-05-13

This book will give you a very good start to character literacy. It should be used in conjunction with a program that gives you practice in pronunciation. (I've not found one shoe that fits all.) I'd recommend buying this book and v.2 along with the separately published Pimsleur CD's.

Excellent.......2007-05-13

This book is absolutely one of the two keys to learning Mandarin. (The other is the Pimsleur programs.) I never thought I'd learn this challenging language, even though I'm conversant in three LOTE already; but this book is helping me learn how to write in Mandarin. It also has each new character or word in various contexts to show shades of meaning, which is really important in a tonal language.

I highly recommend this and its companion volume, 1, along with the Pimsleur program, which I'm sure you can get on Amazon.

Get the flash cards instead.......2007-03-09

My only issue with this book is that it is almost completely redundant with the flash cards (Chinese In A Flash) offered by the same author and publisher. I have found the flash cards to be a much more effective way to learn Chinese characters, and so am disappointed about having also purchased the book. Although the book does sometimes include a sentence or two about a character's origin, which could in principle be useful for remembering that character, these sentences usually refer to the traditional character rather than the simplified one, and are usually too brief and simplistic to be of much use anyway. So my advice would be to buy the flashcards instead of the book - they contain the identical information, but in a more compact, easy-to-use format.

A fine way to learn Chinese Characters.......2007-01-31

I love this book. If you're looking to get started on the written Chinese language, I really can't think of a better source of instruction. Each page consists of one single character. For each character every stroke is broken down, the character is explained and half the page is empty squares of practice space. You can also buy flash cards that go along with the book. Writing in Chinese is the best thing ever and if you've wanted a good starting spot then here it is. After you finish this one there is another book of 250 more characters. I like this, it's good and it does me well.

Highly recommended for people at right stage of study........2007-01-21

I love this book.

I am learning conversational Chinese and pinyin, and even gaining a basic knowledge of the Hanzi adds a whole new dimension.

Not only do I find learning the charaters fun - they really are quite beautiful things - but quite often I have 'penny dropping' moments where something about a character fills a gap in my understanding and things make more sense. As an aside, I am amazed at how logically Chinese works, and am so glad I don't have to learn English.

To be clear, I would not recommend this to someone with NO knowledge of Chinese. You need to HEAR the language and pronunciation first and foremost.

But even at my basic stage (around a 450 word vocab), starting the Hanzi is wonderful. I had actually picked up the 'first' 100 or so just by studying pinyin and looking at the Hanzi supplied, but being given the stroke order is a major help.

One small suggestion for the author or editors if they ever read this: Adding some arrows on the diagrams to make it 100% clear which way some of the smaller strokes should be drawn would make it even more helpful.

xiexie Mr Lee.

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