This is a book that has been in my mind since the first time I read it over 30 years ago. I have been trying to find a copy of for my own. I read it for the first time in grammer school. I have always felt sorry for the little girl in it. It always made me feel bad that all she felt she had in the world of any value was that plate. And I loved how proud she was of it.

This is a wonderful book for the casual and serious collector of Blue Willow. The graphics are clear and the number of manufacturer marks listed makes for easy referencing.

I was very glad to find this book. It has help me in so many way about buying and selling of plates. I was surpise ot find out how much some of the plates I had purchased were worth. I recommend this book very highly, the graphics are clear and colorful.

Whether or not you are a Christian, this book will touch your soul. Samuel Lamb spent over 20 years in Chinese prisons for sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. As a Christian, it has challenged me in my walk with Christ.

I felt strongly enough about this book to go out of my way to write a review (!). I learned a lot about how the Chinese government deals with the Church. I would love to meet Pastor Lamb someday.

In 1996, a friend loaned me their copy of Bold as a Lamb just one month prior to our trip to China. This book gave me a stronger understanding of the real presecution that takes place everyday in this fallen world that desperately needs Jesus Christ. This book recounts the story of one Christian man's life within the wallls of China. How he spent over 20 years of his life in prison because of his faith in Jesus Christ. I would strongly recommend this book to anyone Christian or not. Also, to those who teach High School or College students this would be an excellent book for classroom reading and discusion. While in China, I personally met Pastor Samual Lamb and worshiped with his home church.

Here Gao Yuan provides a personal account of the political insanity of China's Cultural Revolution, which he was swept up into as a teenager. Chairman Mao's instructions to the youths of the countryside to ferret out those who weren't "revolutionary" or "pure" enough quickly lead to the real-life "Lord of the Flies" scenario that we can see in this book. Now I'm certainly no expert on Chinese history, but Mao's attempt to lead the people to a glorious revolution through the elimination of so-called enemies hardly made the population stronger and ready to move forward to his glorious communist future. This would require teamwork and cooperation among all people. Instead the Cultural Revolution made everyone suspicious of everyone else, as people were desperate to prove how righteous they were by ferreting out class enemies. If you couldn't find any enemies, you just made them up. Whoever was the loudest and most violent won the battle, and proof went out the window.

Gao Yuan was swept up in this insanity, and in the beginning of his narrative he enjoyed proving his revolutionary zeal by "outing" the teachers at his school who supposedly were not righteous or revolutionary enough, and participated in destroying many of their careers. But Gao stopped having so much fun when the lives of his friends, his family, and finally himself were destroyed. Instead of the unified force of revolutionary youth that Mao envisioned, the logical outcome was the disintegration of the youth movement into smaller and smaller factions, who merely used Mao's instructions as an excuse to bully each other and consolidate power. Gao is not afraid to admit to his own evil acts, such as when he participated in the beating of a teenage girl, pulled a meat cleaver on his own father, or when he helped destroy a hospital, all because he was lead to believe that his politics were more righteous than everyone else's. He then watches helplessly as the countryside descends into factionalism and anarchy. Some parts of this book are quite alarming, as the youths digress into torture and warfare, and many of Gao's friends are severely injured or killed in the factional fighting.

One interesting side effect of this book is Gao's descriptions of the personality cult Chairman Mao built around himself, and how he bullied the people into worshipping him as a supreme deity. This man succeeded in making a billion people think he was a god. That's an interesting study in politics and sociology.

"Born Red" is not a broad historical account of the Cultural Revolution, but the autobiography of a man who was a young student in an elite "middle school" at the outset of this tumultuous and destructive period of recent Chinese history. The students were urged to ferret out "counter-revolutionaries" and given almost free reign over their decisions and punitive actions. I agree with the prior reviewer that this book brings to mind a real "Lord of the Flies," and would add to that the Salem Witch Trials.

Although their actions were encouraged, at the outset, by their teachers, the students quickly turned their attentions to their instructors and "found" counter-revolutionary, "bourgeouis" and other improper behavior. Nearly all the teachers were branded, even after the Communist party instructed the students that most teachers should be considered good or "relatively good." When the students ran out of teachers and local petty officials to attack, they turned on each other, forming alliances which accused their opponents of non-revolutionary behavior. The mounting violence and resulting chaos are, on a certain level, surreal. The author's "postscript," while brief, ties the account to the present with its description of the "where they are now" of his friends, and enemies, during this time.

This amazing tale is seen through the eyes of the child the author was at the time, rather than through the filter of adult wisdom and judgement. That is what gives this terrifying and funny book its power.

As a fourteen year-old boy Gao Yuan attended a boarding school that became caught up in the wildness of the Cultural Revolution. He experienced the foolishness of the children and their terrible violence as they turned on each other. At the same time his father was being pilloried at home.

This is a great yarn about a surreal world, as well as an important historical document.

If you are interested in Buddhist vows, this is an excellent book. Also see "Perfect Conduct."

This book is an absolute must for serious Buddhist students. Jamgon Kongtrul's "Shes Terzod" (of which this is a translation in part) is a classic, and this is a surprisingly easy read. The translator is thorough and careful, and graciously provided the commentary he received in the annoted section. The notes could almost be published as a separate work.

Beginning students are confused by the differences between Tantric practice and the well-known monastic tradition of Buddhism. This book puts it all together and explains in detail how both are practiced simultaneously.

The bibliography to the book alone is a treasure map of resources for new students, and no one who has received any wang or any vow in Buddhism should be without such a careful explanation of the meaning of vows as this.

For very advanced students, Jamgon Kongtrul put no sect of Buddhism above another, and studied all four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism thoroughly. Consequently this is an excellent guide for students of different schools to clearly understand philosophical commonalities & differences, breaking down biases and misunderstandings. This is especially valuable in his description of the differences between the Nyingma and Sarma, in his even-handed, thorough description of Highest Yoga Tantra, and Maha, Anu and Ati Yoga Tantra. A truly invaluable work.

This book is the most comprehensive account of how to live one's life in a Buddhist manner. END

If you're seeking to extend your knowledge of Chinese history, you'll found a solid foundation in The Cambridge History of Ancient China, which covers China from prehistory down to the First Empire. With fourteen chapters by specialists, it presents a diversity of viewpoints and approaches, but without changes so frequent as to be disorienting. And it is not just a collection of disparate essays: a consistent style and spelling are maintained throughout, there is an integrated bibliography, and what overlap there is has obviously been coordinated. The Cambridge History of Ancient China does a good job of capturing regional variation and temporal depth (keeping in mind that an equivalent period in Mediterranean history would stretch from the Egyptian New Kingdom down to the Roman Empire) and the following summary does little justice to it.

An introduction touches briefly on historiography, the physical environment of ancient China, and calendar systems. A chapter by William Boltz provides background on language and writing (this was quite technical, but I found it comprehensible without much background in Chinese linguistics). And Kwang-chih Chang covers the prehistory of China, concentrating on the archaeological evidence but looking also at the debates over the historicity of the Xia dynasty.

The core of The Cambridge History of Ancient China uses the traditional Shang / Western Zhou / Spring and Autumn / Warring States chronological framework, with paired chapters on each of the periods, one covering material culture (archaeology and art) and the other more historical in approach. This provides an important historiographical and methodological balance. A chapter by Robert Bagley on "Shang archaeology", for example, tries to avoid the biases of traditional history, presenting a fascinating twenty page introduction to the archaeology of bronze metallurgy and using that to highlight the breadth of Chinese culture outside the Shang areas, in the Yangzi valley, Sichuan, and the north. In contrast to this, David Keightley's chapter on the Shang focuses on written inscriptions (bronzes and oracle bones) and what they tell us about politics, religion, and society in the nascent dynastic state.

The historical chapters generally avoid becoming enmeshed in the details of particular wars, successions, and the like, addressing instead larger scale social and administrative changes. Edward Shaughnessy probes the origins of the Western Zhou and their conquest of the Shang, then describes their subsequent history. Though cautious about the use of historical detail from later texts, he highlights the significance of Western Zhou political theory for subsequent Chinese historiography. Cho-yun Hsu describes the multi-state system that evolved in the Spring and Autumn period (with recognition of a shifting Ba or "senior state") and sketches its social, administrative, and economic developments. And for the Warring States period Mark Lewis focuses on the institutional and military development of the various states and their consolidation into progressively larger units, laying the groundwork for the imperial unification.

The chapters on material culture are longer than their historical counterparts, largely due
to the space taken up by illustrations. Jessica Rawson begins with a general introduction to Western Zhou archaeology, then proceeds from pre-Conquest Shaanxi (and the uncertainty about Zhou origins) down to the Ritual Revolution, providing details of key sites. Lothar von Falkenhausen covers late Bronze Age archaeology, describing finds from cemeteries and tombs in the different states and regional cultures. With more detailed information available, Wu Hung deals with Warring States art and architecture in a more systematic survey. Four chapters supplement these eight. Nicola Di Cosmo surveys the northern frontier area from Manchuria across to Xinjiang, covering the archaeological and historical record down to the development of pastoral nomadism and the first contacts between the Chinese core and a nomadic kingdom (the Xiongu empire) towards the end of the Warring States period. David Nivison presents a historical account of the classical philosophical schools and texts, in an approach which makes the relationships between the great philosophers clearer than more abstract presentations. Donald Harper uses excavated manuscripts to present a balanced view of Warring States occult thought and natural philosophy (astrology, divination, magic, medicine, and so forth), too often veiled behind the much better-known philosophical tradition and the later orthodoxy of Han yin-yang and five phases correlative cosmology. And Michael Loewe describes the legacy left to the Qin and Former Han empires: views of the past, religious and philosophical traditions, institutional and administrative systems, and other unifying strands (he also provides a general sketch of law and legal history, something not covered in other chapters).

I have only two minor complaints about The Cambridge History of Ancient China. It is well provided with half-tones (an essential part of the chapters on archaeology and art), but it badly needs more and better quality maps: you will find yourself floundering, especially with place names that don't appear in modern atlases. It is also too large and expensive a volume to be as widely read as it deserves. There are arguments for a single volume - I'm glad I had the chance to read it cover to cover - but if The Cambridge History of Ancient China were published as four or five separate paperback volumes it would be a better proposition for students interested in (say) Warring States occult thought but not Shang archaeology.

But all Cambridge History of China are consistently good, so I assume this to be as good too. If you don't want to sell your wedding ring as suggested by Bryan, there is another option: wait 5-10 years for the Chinese version to come out at the price of less than USD10!

For too long there has been no up-to-date, general historical introduction to ancient China. This book remedies that deficiency, and does so in a wonderful way!

The book is topically organized, with each chapter written by a leading scholar on that topic. The list of contributors reads like a "Who's Who" of contemporary Sinology: K.C. Chang on Chinese "pre-history"; David Keightley on the Shang Dynasty; Hsu Cho-yun on the Spring and Autumn Period; David Lewis on the Warring States Period; David S. Nivison (see his _The Ways of Confucianism_) on ancient Chinese philosophy, etc.

The general reader should be warned that the scholarship here is sometimes a little intimidating. However, careful reading will be well repaid. As you can see, the price is a real problem. Perhaps it will come out in paperback some day, but I wouldn't count on it happening any time soon.

If you are seriously interested in ancient China, hock your wedding ring and buy this book!

Knowing Ron personally we are aware of the time and energy involved in writing this book - it is truly a labor of love and encompasses a history very dear to his heart - agreeing with the two people who already reviewed the book there is not much more we can add but to say it is a must book for all Prussia collectors - we have referred to it many times in our travels searching for prussia and trying to authenticate different marks.

In my opinion, this is the first book on "R.S. Prussia" to buy, and surely indispensable for collectors of any stripe! I was amazed when I discovered that a book such as this existed; that anyone would spend the hundreds of hours it would take to do the research and work out the system. Among the many remarkable things in this book on identifying the "R.S. Prussia" porcelain made in the Schlegelmilch factories in Germany/Poland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, here are three to whet your appetite: (1)the author has worked out a reference system for reading the many many different marks found on the porcelain, which system, if studied carefully, can often produce rare information such as exactly which factory a piece came from and therefore the period in which it was made. (2)the book shows the collector that one mark (say the "Classic" or "Red Mark") may say no more about the age or quality of a piece than another (say the "Steeple") mark. And (3)Capers provides a wonderful history of the Schlegelmilch families and their products, much of the information obtained during on-site European visits by Mr. Capers and his wife.

Some day, one hopes, Prussia collectors generally will use this information and this marking system. The enhancement to collecting "R.S. Prussia" will be immeasurable.

I am thrilled to be able to review this valuable book! I owe the recognition of several of my best pieces to R.H. Capers and his "labor of love" that is refered to as "Capers' Notes on the Marks of Prussia." R.H. Capers is an avid Prussia collector, and fluent in German. Consequently, we as readers are refreshingly saturated with the "facts versus the fiction" surrounding the history of Prussian China and the marks that represent the manufacturers of this wonderful porcelain we adore. The reading is easy, the text is colorful, and the marks are divided in catagories made up by the manufacturers themselves. Capers deviates from the common and often vague names for Prussian marks, and creates a "Prussian Logo Code System" to aid in identifing the countless marks made for this beautiful china. Each mark is cleverly coded and photographed in color. Capers also includes a color photograph of the piece the mark came from. Capers reveals the authentic marks first, and then provides the reader with a section of fake or "counterfeit" marks found on reproduction pieces. Capers goes the extra mile to provide extensive family trees, birth and death certificates, and photographs of the Schlegelmilch Families who are responsible for producing and selling this lovely porcelain. There are also photographs of the factories themselves. "Capers' Notes on the Marks of Prussia" is an invaluable tool for any serious collector, appaiser or dealer who is conscientious about purchasing authentic Prussia. This book is truly an asset to any porcelain collector's reference bookshelf.

While not a substitute for direct oral instruction, it is helpful for a "refresher". Its been years since I recived the empowerment for the practice, so its a great tool to remind myself of seed syllables, colors or sounds used during the practice. I have some shorter instructions from my teacher, but the depth of the book works really well esp. with the sleep states and various stories Rinpoche uses througout. If Chenrezig is a main practice for you, I can't think of a better book to use than this one.

This text provides clear and concise instruction for deity meditation. It includes instruction for beginners on visualisation. It also has pictorial help for visualisation of HRI and for disolution of the HRI which I found very helpful.

Very few books have been written like this about an particular Yidam deity. Many American Tibetan Buddhists love to receive "advanced" practices but neglect bodhichitta - the essence of Buddha's teachings. Since Chenrezig is the Yidam deity that is the representation of bodhichitta, how can anyone go wrong by learning more about about the Chenrezig Yidam practice?

This is a steal since you get almost 50 heavily analysed games at the price of about 20 cents per game! Xie Jun was rated over 2500 at the time of most of the games in this book. Follow her career as she beats the best of the past including Smyslov and Taimanov!

40 Games from 1988-1998 with strong analysis makes this a great chess games collection. Tells a unique story that makes Searching For Bobby Fischer look like an American joke- forget about that dumb American movie, book, and the player! and get this book instead. Its real, not hyped American garbage.

In addition to a plenty of good games against some top players, the four-time Woman World Chess Champion provides us a lot of interesting information about her life. The games are illustrated in a very clear and objective way which makes this book an ideal choice for readers with an average chess level.

Have you ever wondered what life has been like since 'the people of China stood up' in 1949? If so then ' China Remembers' is the book for you.

Cleverly constructed by husband and wife team it provides a highly readable personal account of the defining moments in the lives of a variety of people. By interviewing hundreds of people and eliciting their stories they have painted a rich and vivid picture of 50 years in China. The characters endear themselves to the reader as they tell their stories. People such as a Chinese soldier in the Korean War, a farmer who lost almost all her family in China's terrible famine, a red guard in Shanghai during the cultural revolution to a modern day self-made business tycoon and a village carpenter striving to win democratic election to his village committee.

But what adds immeasurably to the charm and interest of this book are the linking introductions to each section and chapter. Written in a different, more academic style, the authors have set the historical, political and economic scene so that the reader can more readily identify and empathise with the achievements and problems related by each storyteller.

This book entertains as it educates, makes you laugh as well as cry and as China continues to rejoin the world, it enlightens understanding of a mysterious, enigmatic yet wholly human people. A great read!

'China Remembers' by Zhang Lijia and Calum MacLeod groups 33 contributions from Chinese and foreign residents in China, arranged to give insight into the history of the People's Republic and leavened with introductions to guide the reader through the complexities of its political campaigns.

It is hard to imagine an editorial team better equipped for the task. Zhang Lijia's metamorphosis from Nanjing factory worker to freelance writer itself reflects China's heady leap from planned economy to sink-or-swim capitalism. Calum MacLeod, who I have counted a friend since we shared a mouldy hotel room in Xi'an in 1989, earns his living bridging the gap between international investors and newly corporate China.

The testimonies this Anglo-Chinese joint venture couple have gathered come as an antidote to the efforts by Mao Zedong and his communist comrades to force the world's most populous nation to march to a single beat. China Remembers bursts with human contradictions and surprises a world away from the tyranny of Marxist class truths.

"China Remembers", a collection of individual eyewitness accounts from a wide variety of participants in the last 50 years of Chinese history, vividly and poignantly portrays the realities of those years.

Divided into five "periods" - from "Consolidating Power:1949-1956" right up to the present day with "Entering the World:1990-1999", each of the "periods"comes to life through the voices of such witnesses as diverse as an interpreter of Mao Zedong, a young woman's experience of the Cultural Revolution in the remote countryside,a student who participated in the 1989 "Beijing Spring", a legal expert who returned to her native China after 10 years in the US, and a rubbish collector...among the 33 different "voices" of this vivid volume. Each very personal account is preceded by the authors' introduction.

The voices from the heart recount the turmoil of recent Chinese history - of the often unspoken horrors and unfathomable personal tragedies. The recollections are told in the first person and dwell with courage upon the past experiences, struggles and success against all odds and the opportunities and hope for the future.

Authors Zhang Lijia - born and raised in China - and Calum Macleod have memorably captured the emotion, complexity and contradictions of China's recent history in a work that provides gripping reading.

This book is full of contents while it is easily understandable and fun. After reading this book, you'll have images of China in the futures in your mind that help you plan your busines strategies pretty well. Therefore, those who want to set up a firm in China are highly suggested to read it.

I have lost count of how many books and articles I have read on the past, present and future of China. Without doubt, this is the most readable, the most concise and the most word-economical of any.

The authors claim no special knowledge of China but apply general scenario techniques to the situation and come up with sensible and understandable alternative futures.

As a side benefit, the book contains a lot of socio-economic data.

My only complaint..I find the conclusions slightly pessimistic but can't fault the logic of reaching them

China is the world's third largest economy and America's biggest trading partner in Asia. The path China takes over the coming decades will have a profound impact on business and the economy all around the world. The authors of this book are neither futurists nor experts on China, but practitioners of the art of scenario planning.

In this book, Ogilvy and Schwartz draw on a range of studies conducted for companies anxious to understand the future consequences of the decisions they're making today with respect to China. They present three versions of what China's future might look like and what that will mean for the governments and companies that will be doing business with or in China. Their scenarios are in an absorbing narrative form, like histories written twenty years from now. They explain the predetermined elements, assumptions, and variables that underlie each scenario. They also draw implications and make suggestions about how companies can use each scenario to plan business strategy.

The insights into China's future provided in this book will help global business managers, strategists, diplomats and government policy makers prepare for what many predict will be the Asian Century.

James A. Ogilvy and Peter Schwartz (1946- ) are partners in Global Business Network, a consulting and research firm. They are responsible for the widespread use of scenario planning in business, a process-blending research, trend analysis and well-tutored imagination-that they pioneered in the early 1990s and which Schwartz made popular through his book The Art of the Long View. Joe Flower is a professional writer in San Francisco.

See also my review of THE NEW SILK ROAD: Secrets of Doing Business in China Today by John B. Stuttard.