When I read this book sometime back, I was reading it just to read.As I got into the book I found it hard to put down. I cried, I got angry,I hated HATE. I lost two brothers in this mess! Whose loss is greater. Are we not all equal? What these people went through just to survive was dispicable. We take advantage of life! I fell in love with Haing Ngor, I wish I could have met him and hugged his neck. Not in a sexual way, but as a loving sister. This was the most precious kind of man. He gave of himself in a way we should all be doing.What he went through we could only imagine. To watch babies be ripped out of the wombs of women and to go from rich to poor, to watch your world crumble before your eyes and still have love for your fellow man. I have a respect for all life, we all need to open our eyes and look around. Life is a blessing and we should count ours. I love my country,and our people, but that doesn't mean I can't love others to. Haing S. Ngor was a great man who gave for all countries, and all men. He had a heart of gold. May God forgive us all for the Hate we hold.

This book was my first exposure to what had happened in Cambodia. I saw a man go through a typical childhood for his class abnd become a doctor and meet the woman of his dreams. His life was perfect. Then on April 17,1975 it all came crashing down. He and the rest of his family were plunged into some of the worst conditions to ever exist in history. He survived almost his whole family. Then, he had the courage to show the whole world what had happened to his people. Sadly, this man was killed in a "random" murder in his home in LA. We promised the survivors of the Holocaust that we'd never let it happen again, but we did in Cambodia. Read this book and see why again we must try and keep it from happening ever again.

This is an outstanding portrait of a man who survived the barbaric reign of terror of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia. Anyone who has seen the movie "The Killing Fields" has a cursory understanding of the Khmer Rouge and their attempt to transform Cambodian society during their control of the country from 1975 to 1979. However, this film omitted most of the astounding atrocities committed by the Khmer Rouge as anyone who has visited Tuol Sleng S-21 in Phnom Penh (as I have) can tell you. In this book Dr. Ngor relates his horrifying experiences of life under the Khmer Rouge in detail and in the process educates the reader as to just how horrible an existence it really was.

This book is remarkable because of the detail related by Dr. Ngor and the personal nature of its content. Many Cambodians to this day will not talk about his period in their lives. For many, the mental and physical abuse they suffered during this period was too painful to re-live ever again. As I read this book, I could not help but wonder how Dr. Ngor was able to keep himself together.

Dr. Ngor effectively puts the period of Khmer Rouge rule in historical context by explaining the historical events and forces which led to their capture of the country. These events and forces included the People's Republic of China, North Vietnam, the Vietnam War, the United States, and of course, the C.I.A.

I admire Dr. Ngor for his extraordinary courage, and I regret that I did not have the opportunity to meet him during his lifetime. May he rest in peace.

An elegant jacket and a Chinese-red bookcover preview this engaging tale of love and mystery, set in the politically turbulent days preceding the Communist era in China. Alternating between then and now, this page turner progresses through a succession of revelations and surprises to its unexpected conclusion, bringing the reader full circle.

The story is full of accurate historical detail, rich in descriptive material, and revealing of the relationships between the main characters and between the Chinese and "foreigners". The authors' knowledge of Chinese culture and their sensitivity to the subtleties of Chinese custom enrich the reader.

Even though the setting is outside of our cultural context, the universality of the story's main themes resonates. The reader is drawn into the full range of human experience, ending with the abiding power of love in its many forms.

I found myself rapidly engrossed in this deeply satisfying tale of old and new China, which weaves together unforgettable characters, mystery, and romance against the backdrop of war and revolution in China. The authors have created imagined worlds and people that ring true, and a story line that had me finishing the book on my commuter train - at the expense of my habitual New York Times!

John L. Holden
President, National Committee on U.S.-China Relations
New York

I have just recently finished reading "Hard Sleeper,"and found it almost impossible to put it down. The book kept me in suspence, wondering what was going to happen next. Being a woman with a short attention spand it is always difficult for me to really finish a book. But the great thing about "Hard Sleeper" is the fact it tells to different stories at the same time. So you really never get bored. Personally, what I enjoyed the most was the character development between: elderly Jane, her daughter Mei, and the young lady traveling on the train, Pippa James. How three women from almost completely different worlds end up finding truth and comfort in each other. Together they finally put closure to Jane's long and painful past. I was almost sadden the book had to come to an end, but all good things do. I will even be as bold as to say this would make an excellent movie. I just hope it would do the book justice.

This book is definitely one of the best book I ever read about a limited war between two countries. While I don't think the author has any bias against India, as one of my fellow reviewers suggests, I believe other reviewers have already discussed the merits of this book. I would only like to add three points in this discussion:
1. It is really sad that the UK's imperalism/colonailism haunts these two countires even after withdrawing from India. The MaMahon line is not a written agreement between UK & Chinese (Ching dynasty) governments but a product of some irresponsible officials in India & Tibet. The UK government should have the ultimate blame for the whole debacle.
2. It reminds us that how media can affect our point of view so easily. We must beware of our inherent assumption about the righteousness of a democratic government.
3. In view of Nehru's statement about "driving out the enemy", recent Indian leaders' decalration that China is still the biggest threat for India, I think these Indian leaders should concentrate on improving the life their people instead of fabricating an emeny from these agressive statements.

The book reveals a surprising fact that the British had secretly redrawn the Indo-China boundary without Chinese agreement. Moreover,

When the British relinquished the Indian Empire in 1947, they started to translate the McMahon Line from the maps as the effective northwest boundary of India, despite that the Line appeared on its maps only ten years before. As the British departed, the new Indian government assured that they would complete their work: "If anything, they intended to pursue an even more forward policy than had the British."

I can't believe that we were all fooled by the media. India, not China was the aggressor!

Research based mostly on Indian and British sources, well-written, important account of the historical events that led to the war, easy to read

This book is based almost exclusively on information available from Indian sources. Yet, the book faults Prime Minister Nehru of India primarily for provoking and then mis-managing the war. The book is a damning account of the ineptitude of top Indian political leadership in strategic matters. India, facing all the disadvantages of terrain, chose to pursue a 'Forward Policy' of establishing indefensible flag posts that could only be supplied by air, against a world-class PLA land army that held the advantage of a well-connected road network throughout some of the most inhospitable terrain in the world. After refusing to enter into meaningful negotiations on defining the border, Nehru pursued this myopic policy because he foolishly deluded himself into believing that the Chinese would be unwilling to enforce their territorial claims by force of arms. In the end, the war broke out at in a narrow Himalayan valley that could not possibly have been any more disadvantageous for Indians -- the Chinese positions overlooked a denuded, unready Indian infantry brigade which lacked ANY ARTILLERY SUPPORT WHATSOEVER, that was THREE WEEKS away from the nearest Indian roadhead by foot across high mountain passes and thick tropical forests, and supplied exclusively by erratic air drops. The Chinese, by contrast, had a 7-ton roadhead barely a few hours walk away. The book also severely castigates the Indian political leadership for interfering with the functioning of the military in matters of promotions of senior officers. The end result was that by 1962 the Indian General Staff had become mere supplicants of their political masters, and unable to counter impossible strategic/tactical demands with an objective, professional military analysis. Thus, senior military officers at the general staff level (who had never held major combat commands before) were often making decisions for individual battalions or companies -- all the while not protesting against the impossible demands being made of them. Another excellent account of the military aspect of the battle at Thag La is 'Himalayan Blunder' by Brigadier JP Dalvi -- the beleagured brigade commander who was given impossible orders to assault well-defended Chinese positions at an altitde ranging from 14,000 feet to 18,000 feet with no air/artillery support, roughly 3 battalions spread over 12 miles, and only 50 rounds of pouch ammunition per man! Thus, did David take on Goliath.

If you collect mustache cups--you need this valuable collector's guide. Written in an enjoyable format, the book gives hundreds of colorful pictures of mustache cups and saucers from around the world. There are pages of valuable potters marks to check your own with. There is even a section on quadruple plate mustache cups and marks. The history of the cups is great. And, best of all, there is a price/value guide for each cup. Now I know what my collection is worth! I'm so glad that this book has finally been written. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

A great place for both new and old collectors a like to find information! The detailed photo's are as much of a pleasure to look at as the text is to read. I only wish the Young family would send their collection on tour!

Not since Dorothy Hammond's 1972 book on Mustache Cups has anyone written on this subject. Pauline and Glenn are to be congratulated for producing this fine publication which, in my opinion, is long overdue.

The book is split into chapters dealing with the different types of cups and saucers and it is well illustrated with detailed photographs. No matter how many pictures the book has, though, there never seems to be enough of them and they leave you wanting more. One chapter that I particularly found useful deals with manufacturer's marks. This is an excellent reference section that should help date most marked pieces in any collection.

The authors have included valuations on most pieces which they explained should act as only a guide to real market prices. The problem with listing valuations, which Dorothy Hammond also acknowledged, is that prices may soon become out of date or not be truly reflective of the actual market prices when one considers the multitude of styles, types and condition of pieces that exist.

I know that the authors are considering a second edition: I hope they succeed.

Rarely does a book capture the ways that a family can find purpose and forgiveness in the face of cruelty from others. This detailed account of the imprisonment of the father and eventual banishment of the entire family to a rural village in China puts a face on the experiences of educated persons during Mao's rule. In the same tradition as Viktor Frankl's book, Man's Search for Meaning, the author's descriptions and reflections show the resilience and depth of the human spirit. This book is extremely informative about the Maoist regime and inspiring about the strength of persons to survive and thrive in the harshest of circumstances. One of the best books I've ever read.

Wow! I was especially impressed with the clarity with which both the husband and the wife wrote. It is written intellectually, yet with readability. Wu and his wife endured sufferings for actions that they were falsely accused of, yet their love for one another and for their family heightened throughout the entire nightmare. Being sent to prison for 30 years for returning to your own country in order to make it a better place is something that few of us could withstand, yet Wu withstood and became a better person for it. This is one of the best books that I have ever read. It inspires the reader to take a closer look at priorities, and leaves the reader with a deep sense of loss for the authors on one hand, yet a deeper sense of gain in areas of life unseen.

Wu Ningkun's "A Single Tear" is an excellent look at a young Chinese man whose decision to return to China from America after the 1949 Mao Zedong revolution has lasting and potentially tragic implications for both him and his family. Like many Chinese who emigrated to other parts of the world after WWII, Wu believes that China will be able to enter a better, prosperous and independent phase with the new Mao regime. Although quickly disillusioned, Wu and his family remain, subject to imprisonment, deprivation, and humiliation, especially during the infamous "Cultural Revolution" of the 1960s. By the time of Mao's death in the 1970s, the Wu family has been moved -- separately and together -- from city to country and back again, persecuted for their religious beliefs (Christian), and distrustful of neighbors and friends with the constant denunciations that have become standard. This book will show you what I have heard firsthand in China: the destruction of the intellectuals and "old" by a new generation with no sense of the past. Very moving and inspirational.

I saw this book in the store when I was seven and had to have it. I read it over and over as a kid. All of a sudden 23 years later I was walking down the street and I remembered the name of the book and the great pictures too. I can't wait to read it again.

This story of a child's acceptance and trust in the midst of adult rejection and scoffs is a classic morality tale. Mercer Mayer's wonderful illustrations combine authentic Chinese painting styles with familiar "Little Monster" type characters. If Little Monster was human and Chinese, he'd look like this!

My aunt gave me this book for Christmas the year it was published -- I was five.

I read and reread it throughout my childhood. I still read it once and a while and always think of it fondly. Because of the illustrations, I do know what a dragon looks like.

This review is in reference to the paperback version of this book. 5 stars to the novel itself!

This is the finest novel i've ever read. I remember reading this novel as a young martial arts student and loving every minute of it. Now as an instructor of Shaolin Kung-Fu, i not only carry the series but a i recommend it to all of my students! The characters in this novel are famed throughout history and Shaolin Monks often named movements after these heroes and their adventures, like Wu Song - "Step Back and Ride the Tiger!" Even entire forms were created to commemorate heroes - "Li Kui's Double Hand Axe" and "Subdue the Tiger w/fists on Jianyang Ridge" forms come to mind.

(if you have never seen the Chinese Goverment soap-opera style production of Outlaws of the Marsh or "Water Margin" on DVD, you don't know what you're missing!!! Crouching Tiger/Hidden Dragon type quality - the goverment spared no expenses! Amazing fight choreography and drama. No English subtitles though, so need to have read the books to follow along!)

The only problem i have with the book version that Amazon.com is offering is the fact that it is not available in hard cover. The paperback version was the first one i owned (3 volume set, 100 chapters) but i've found hardback more durable.

In fact, i carry only the 3 volume HARDBACK (100 chapters) set at my school for a few dollars more than the paperbacks.

Enjoyed by generation and generation for centuries in China and Many Asian Countries, this classic will make you better understand China and Chinese people, and entertain you in a way which you never find in other books.No wonder it is considered to be one of the four great Chinese classic novels {other three books are "Three Kingdoms","Journey to the West" and "A Dream of Red Mansions". Mr.Sidney Shapiro's translation maintains the original flavor of the Chinese version.
Must read !!!

"Shui Hu Zhuan" (pinyin, this is how it is read in Putonghua/Chinese) is one of the four greatest Chinese novels. It is also known as "Shui Hu Chuan" and has been translated to titles such as "The Water Margin", "Outlaws of the Marsh", "All Men Are Brothers" etc.

It is generally accepted that Shi Nai'an is the author of this novel who is rumoured to live from late Yuan to early Ming Dynasty, around mid 14th century, though no one has ever been able to provide solid proof of his existence. Some believe that Luo Guanzhong, author of "San Guo Yan Yi"/"Three Kingdoms", is either the co-author or editor of "Shui Hu Zhuan".

Although the novel is around 600 to 650 years old, the story is about how 108 men and women became the heroic outlaws of the Marsh of Mount Liang (Liangshanbo) during the reign of Emperor Huizong of Northern Song Dynasty (1101-1125), i.e. more than two centuries before the completion of the novel.

The books content is straight forward and to the point unlike other books that "sugar coat" definitions, etc. I enjoyed learning about the Ancient Chinese.

Basing her study of Chinese tradition and philosophy, the author relates how informed [special type of] practice can not only strengthen relationships but also bolster the immune system and increase health and wellbeing. The author focuses on changing ... habits with your partner to increase pleasure and harmony, thereby enhancing health. Further work involves cultivating chi ...and using it to mutually increase energy. This is good text for introducing concepts and aspects of [human characteristics] as understood and practiced in traditional Chinese lore.

This is one of the best books on the market, besides Sexual Secrets and How to be a great lover
This book explains how our sexual activity is affected and affects our health
Absolutely the best

This is the book to read if you want to taste medieval Chinese culture: Salty love poetry, sweet wickedness, sour decadence, bitter philosophy, oily sex, all rolled up in a ginger and garlic spiced, fleshy bun. Roy lets you savor all the ingredients and, with a healthy sprinkling of notes, let's you peruse the cornucopia that inspired the recipes. Bon apetit for this first course of five.

David Tod Roy has done Chinese literature proud by producing a scrupulously exact translation of this classic in Chinese erotica. Like what a previous reviewer says, it is "clear and precise", bringing out the naturalistic details of the novel fully to the reader; yet, for all its accuracy, it reads exceptionally well. For introduction, Roy has written a well-argued essay on why Jin-Ping Mei should be read as didactic literature, not as mere erotica, as it has for centuries. Jin-Ping-Mei's checkered history in Chinese literature doesn't disguise the fact that it is a very well written (and detailed) account of the rise and fall of an extended household, made obvious by corruption and its list of licentious dealings (both in Ximen Qing and his harem).

David Tod Roy's translation of the classic 16th century Chin P'ing Mei is awesome and right on the money. The story leaps off the pages - this is how this famous vernacular Chinese novel was meant to be read! Every element of the story is clear and concise in Roy's translation, allowing the reader to enjoy the plot and the fascinating characters.

To briefly discuss the storyline, Chin P'ing Mei is a "spin off" from the classic Chinese novel Outlaws of the Marsh, and focuses on the trials and tribulations of the conniving seductress Pan Chin-lien and the new life she leads after murdering her husband. Some scholars of Chinese traditional literature will not like this allusion, but the story reads like a modern-day soap opera. The characters are lusty and scheming, and the general climate is electric. The general plot follows the intricate daily triumphs and frustrations of Hsi-Men Ching and his 'harem" of six wives and concubines (among them Pan Chin-lien). The story is rife with inter-household competition, infidelity, corruption, domestic abuse and eroticism. Characters are well developed, and the scenery is vivid. It provides a fascinating glimpse into the lives of the merchant class in 16th century China. It is easy to see how this novel has captured audiences for 400 years - and David Tod Roy's excellent translation will no doubt help it to endure for many more years to come.

~
Despite its unfortunate title, this is one of the most readable and informative books I've read about Tibetan Tantra. It's not a "first book" -- not one of those books that makes converts, like Walpola Rahula's "What the Buddha Taught," or the Dalai Lama's "Art of Living," or Suzuki Roshi's "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind." Those books distill the Buddhism into a single powerful, moving message, leaving behind everything distracting or extraneous -- they're basically the Four Noble Truths, told again, told new. If you want a simple introduction to Buddhism, read one of those, not this.

This is a completely different kind of book. It's full of details and byways. What's the difference between Nyingma, Gelugpa, Kagyu, and Sakya? What are the four different Ngondro practices? What's a Yidam? What's Tummo? What are all those Kayas, and how do they signify? How is Mahamudra different from Dzogchen?

If you're not already a Tibetan Buddhist, you probably don't want to know these things. If you just became one, don't mess with all that stuff yet: find a good teacher, listen to what he or she says, ask a lot of questions, and meditate a lot.

This is, however, a great book for a year or two down the road, when you've settled down to some practice and are starting to get irritated by all the terminology you still don't know, and all the references to persons, places, practices, and things that everyone seems to think you'd just magically already know about. This book is sort of like that trusted friend you sidle up to after puja to ask, "so just what *is* a Bhumi, anyway?"

Not that The Secret of the Vajra World doesn't have its inspiring moments. The story of the 16th Karmapa's death in a Western hospital is very moving, as are the stories of various Westerners on retreat. Ray's own commitment and inspiration come through very clearly. But the book's main virtues are accuracy and detail. There's simply a lot of information here, easy to find, easy to digest, about what people who practice Tibetan Buddhism actually do, how they do it, and why they do it.

Secret Of The Vajra World: The Tantric Buddhism Of Tibet by Reginald A. Ray (Professor of Buddhist Studies, Naropa University, Boulder, Colorado) is the second and final volume of "The World of Tantric Buddhism" series from Shambhala Publications. A straightforward presentation written in plain accessible terms for readers at all Buddhist studies and experience levels, Secret Of The Vajra World deftly explores the foundations of Vajrayana, the essence of Tantric Buddhist philosophies, and applications of Buddhist principles and insights to one's own personal life, bodhisattvas in the world, and a great deal more. Secret Of The Vajra Worlds is a very welcome, superbly presented, truly comprehensive introduction focusing upon a unique and profoundly important aspect of Buddhist spiritual practice.

Reginald Ray (or "Reggie," as his students call him) is a Professor of Buddhist Studies at Naropa University and at the University of Colorado here in Boulder. He was a student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche, and is now a senior teacher (or "acharya") in that lineage. He is also a frequent contributor to the "Shambhala Sun" magazine. Reggie recently led a weekend meditation retreat at Naropa, in which he demonstrated his ability as a teacher to give practical application to Tibetan Buddhism in the modern world. It is his same remarkable ability to give ordinary meaning to the otherwise esoteric teachings and practices of Tibetan Buddhism that makes Reggie's SECRET OF THE VAJRA WORLD such a compelling book.

This is the companion volume to Ray's previous book, INDESTRUCTIBLE TRUTH (2000). Whereas his earlier book examined the Hinayana (the "lesser vehicle") and Mahayana (the "great vehicle") traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, this book focuses on the Vajrayana ("adamantine") vehicle. In Buddhism, one's spiritual life is viewed as a progressive journey through these three "yanas," or stages. (p. 66). When read together, these two volumes provide us with a broad survey of Tibetan Buddhism.

The Hinayana vehicle consists of entering the path of Buddhism by taking refuge, and then training oneself in ethics, meditation, and wisdom. The Mahayana vehicle involves taking the bodhisattva vow to liberate all beings from suffering (p. 67). The "indestructible vehicle" of Vajrayana is a more advanced level of bodhisattva practice, in which the tantric practitioner works to fulfill his bodhisattva vow through yoga, meditation, and retreat practices (p. 68). The Vajrayana practice examines the nature of reality "beyond emptiness" (p. 87). The vajra practitioner, Trungpa Rinpoche taught, "is extremely sharp, intellectual, analytical" and relates with things precisely . . . "precisely open and clear, analytically cool, cold, possibly unfriendly, but always on the dot. Seeing all the highlights of things as they are" (p. 135).

Reggie's SECRET OF THE VAJRA WORLD is organized into four parts: the first, an overview of the history, philosophy, and training supporting Vajrayana Buddhism; the second, an examination of the special role of a teacher, "guru," or tantric mentor; the third, an exploration of the mahamudra and dzokchen culminating practices; and the fourth, a fascinating look at the tulku tradition surrounding reincarnation.

Whether he is teaching his students how to meditate in the ancient traditions of Tibetan Buddhism in the modern world, or giving everyday meaning to the esoteric teachings and practices of Tibetan Buddism in his books, Reggie Ray is a trusted teacher who knows his subject. And for anyone interested in exploring Tibetan Buddhism, the SECRET OF THE VAJRA WORLD and its earlier companion, INDESTRUCTIBLE TRUTH, are the books to read.

G. Merritt