I loved reading this book. It is a great book to give your friend. My best friend gave me this for Christmas. I can not stop[ reading it. It is an encouraging book to show you all about friends. I would truly reccomend it. I am so glad my friend gave this book to me.

This book makes a great gift for all of your friends. I found myself looking at friendship in a whole new way. This book was refreshing and can bring ease into the gift of giving. Friends who recieve this book will treasure it.

I remember as a kid, the power the Fonz had on American kids. When his character got a library card, applications for library cards increased nationally. Now that Henry Winkler has turned author, I know he will be impacting more kids in a positive way.

Hank Zipper is a kid with learning disabilities that aren't diagnosed yet. But he doesn't let that stop him. This book moves quickly and is full of vivid descriptions of Hank's adventures. The scene with the two dogs and the chase through the mansion is a hoot!

Kudos to Winkler on this latest venture. This book would be a good classroom read aloud!

This book is hysterical. It helps to have read NIAGRA FALLS, OR DOES IT first, just for the sake of continuity in the story. The description of how the report card ends up in the meat grinder and the meeting of Cheerio the Dachsund and the big dog are hysterical. This book would make a great classroom read aloud for grades 2-5. I think that even the most reluctant of readers would be caught up in Hank's adventures and might even see some familiar traits. Winkler and Oliver vividly and realistically show the struggle that kids like Hank have each day in school. I know that Arthur Fonzarelli would find Hank Zipper to be a cool guy. Aaaay!

Journey To Mastery: Feng Shui For Life by psychologist and educator Kathryn Mickle is a superbly presented blend of the Eastern art, practice, and philosophy of Feng Shui with modern Western psychology. The result is an impressive bicultural guide to rising above familiar old patterns and ruts to revitalizing, mastering, and progressing toward fulfillment in one's life. Chapters cover the involvement of Feng Shui and the wisdom of thought to better shape relationships and inner knowledge, among other topics. A sincere and open-minded guide to accepting new challenges and new ways of living, Journey To Mastery: Feng Shui For Life is very highly recommended reading for students of psychology, philosophy, and the application of Feng Shui principles to modern life.

Identify old patterns of behavior and new practices which contribute to the daily quality of life with the help of this guide, which uses feng shui as a model for understanding. Eastern perceptions blend with modern psychological tools in Journey To Mastery, a title which presents exercises for linking feng shui's methods to improving the quality of life.

I truly enjoyed this book. The real life pictures created with words by Beverly Janai were quite intriguing and a very interesting read. I recommend this book to every woman for the knowledge that we're not in this alone, and to every man for just understanding.

A new poetic voice...real...allows you to own, feel her words...if you have been divorced...or have loved and lost, you will think she is speaking for you. This book is fabulous...modern, poetic renderings that will touch you. A great purchase!
Sara

Grace Lin's pages are filled with spirograph-like swirls, bright patterns, bold colors, and even more colors. The inside cover is filled with drawings of the tools needed to make a kite (paper, scissors, paint, glue, etc), while the back inside cover is filled with the meanings attributed to the types of kites you fly (dragons for wisdom, dragonflies for Summer, butterflies for love, fish for abundance, taods for long life, etc). The whole family is involved in making the feng zheng kite, and then they ascend a hill to fly it with other families. She closes the book by asking the reader to imagine what people's kites are saying about their wishes and desires.

In "Kite Flying," by Grace Lin, a family makes a dragon kite together and then takes it out for a flight. It's a simple story that effectively combines brightly colored illustrations with an easy-to-read text. Sample text: "It is a good day for kites." It's an enjoyable story that is also a positive portrayal of a family at work on a project together.

At the end of the book is a short supplemental article which describes the history of kite flying and discusses some Chinese traditions related to this activity. There is also an illustrated gallery of various animal kites: butterfly, crab, fish, etc.

I saw this book while I was doing inner city missions during Summer 2000. Later that year, I bought a copy of it for myself. It is perhaps the best Bible Study guide for Asian Americans I've ever found.
This book has 12 Bible studies that are designed for Asian Americans who struggle with their cross-cultural identity. Some of the topics covered are grace, the Asian work ethic, filael piety, marriage, and other things that Asian Americans go through. It also provides a Biblical framework, so that when Asians ask, "How do I overcome this?", they have a ready reference. This Bible study guide is also very helpful for those Asians who don't feel totally Asian nor totally American, either (this is what Asians commonly refer to as "Bamboo").
Incidently, I'm not Asian. I'm a Caucasian Pastor out of Chicago who God has called to worship with and minister to Asian Americans, mostly ages 18-30. Anyone out there who has full time contact with Asians like I do should go through all of the 12 Bible studies in this book. It will better equip you for ministering to and worshiping with Asian Americans. I'm sure it will be a blessing to you as it has been to me.
I'd like to personally thank Tom Lin for seeing the vision to do this and also to InterVarsity Press for putting it out. Praise God!

If you haven't seen any of my other book reviews, let me first tell you about myself. I'm a white guy who worships with, pastors, and mentors Asian Americans, mostly 18-30. I was first called by God to be a cross cultural pastor to Asian Americans back in 1996. I've read many cross cultural books that have helped me, this being one of them.
As for this book, I'd call this a must read for anyone who is Asian American, from the 1.5's, 2nd generation, and beyond. You'll understand so much more about yourself, your ethnic heritage, and your Asian culture in light of the Bible. This Bible study guide addresses such issues as grace, the Asian work ethic, God's will vs. Parent's will, and other simular topics that Asian American Christians struggle with.
So many Asian-Americans struggle with their cross-cultrual identity while living here in America. While this book may not be the "end all" for all Asian American Christians and their struggles, this will certainly get the ball rolling in terms of the healing process. It will also help them come to terms with their cross cultural identity by showing what the Bible says and what they should live out.
In short, this book opened my eyes to many of the struggles that Asian American Christians go through. Again, I'm not Asian, nor do I pretend to be. However, this book has made me better prepared for the ministry that God has called me to.

Ever wondered what China was like before the "peoples" revolution? Here's an answer by a scholarly writer. This book is now out of print but shouldn't be! Beautifully written, and fully indexed; the best editions were printed in the mid 1930's. These were made so well that if you are fortunate to find one it will still be in good condition, because of the carefull crafting of the binding and covers, and also because of the good paper used.

This book made headlines in America when it came out in the 1930's. For perhaps the first time a Chinese wrote a book in English about China and the Chinese, and the sympathetic reaction of many Americans to China's plight in the struggle against Japan made this book a bestseller. I still think it is a good book. It sets out in language that is still easy to read the Chinese mind, their history, philosophy, characteristics, etc. A good deal of the descriptions are the author's own opinions, inevitably, but it is a testament to the author's brilliant mind and perceptive eyes that much of the book is still valid today. Indeed, now that war, revolution, and communism are things of the past, the Chinese are reverting more and more to their old ways, both good and bad, and their old ways are what this book is about.

Pearl Buck, the first American woman to win the Nobel Literature Prize, was the one who persuaded Lin to write this book. Her faith in him is fully justified. Few indeed were native sons of China who were immersed in both Chinese and Western cultures. And Lin was one.

Given my interest in both Lin Yutang and JRR Tolkien, I cannot resist a comparison. There is no evidence that Lin and Tolkien knew each other, although both were philologists (linguists interested in the historical origins of words) living in the same period.

Their specialties were quite different, however. Tolkien was an expert in Old English, and was comfortable in many northern European languages, both old and modern. (He could even read Finnish!) Lin's expertise was in Chinese literature from the classical period, and what made him unique at the time was his almost native fluency in English (as well as in German, plus a couple of modern European languages).

They were born three years apart (Tolkien in 1892, Lin in 1895) and they died exactly three years apart, at the same age (81).

Tolkien was a distinguished Oxford professor. Lin held few positions in universities. But Tolkien's education did not go beyond the bachelor's degree. Lin had an MA (from Harvard) and a PhD (from Leipzig, in Germany).

Tolkien's scholarly output was very small, but of a high quality. Lin had no scholarly output in the technical, academic sense. His scholarship and intelligence were reflected in the highly-regarded Chinese-English bilingual dictionaries he produced, his prodigious translations of Chinese literature, and in the brilliant essays he penned in Chinese. As I'm fluent in Chinese (my own native language), I find his essays very enjoyable, very humorous - more so than his English books.

Tolkien is immortalized by his novels, which have a worldwide appeal. Lin also wrote novels - of an utterly forgettable quality as far as I'm concerned. He's remembered for his non-fictional writings such as this book. Shortly before he died Lin was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Literature. (I would give it to him if it were up to me.)

Both lived through the Second World War in relative safety, Tolkien in England, Lin in America. Tolkien had proved his bravery in WWI, while Lin's life in pre-1937 China was also perilous due to the Japanese marauders. Both were outsiders in different ways. Tolkien was a Roman Catholic living in Protestant England who had been born in South Africa, and whose last name didn't sound quite English (it's German). Lin was a Chinaman in America, at a time when being a Chinaman was almost like being a Martian.

Tolkien was a practising papist all his life. Lin was at first a Christian, but he later renounced his religion and became what he called a "pagan" most of his life - and then apparently converted back to Christianity in old age. Most of his writings are a-religious, if not anti-religious, having been written in his middle years. Tolkien had little to say about his own religion - and his novels are almost "pagan" - but he seemed to have believed in the "truth" of mythology. (Fools, if you ask me.)

Tolkien was a good friend of C. S. Lewis, the Irish writer. Lin was a good friend of Pearl Buck, the American Nobel laureate. Lewis wrote a glowing review of the Lord of the Rings, while Buck wrote a foreword to this book and did much more to help Lin publish his other books. But neither friendship stood the test of time, apparently.

Coincidentally, both men were social and political conservatives. One preferred Old Britain, and the other Old China, to their modern versions, and technology and "progress" as we know it meant nothing to them. Interestingly, they both loathed communism. They were also devoted pipe smokers. One can well imagine these two gentlemen having a good time sharing their views on these things in a smoky, book-lined study late into the night, speaking their oddly old-fashioned English (perhaps mixing some German into it as well). But as brilliant philologists, they would only talk past each other without a single word being understood! Oh, if only they knew each other!

Tolkien's fame is assured, mainly by his epic fairy tales. Lin will only be remembered by those few people in the West who take an interest in China's cultural heritage. But even now there are still not many Chinese who can write, in good English, about China and the Chinese people from such a literate perspective (in the best true sense of "literate"). His insights are sometimes historical, at other times anthropological and sociological, but always and everywhere personal. He eschews abstract, finely spun theories; he sticks to China's facts, history, insights gleaned from classical literature, and his own keen anecdotal eyes. This book is thus eminently practical. It is not entirely timeless, but neither is it out of date. Given the rising importance of China in world affairs, Lin's books are as urgently needed today as they were more than 60 years ago when they made it to the top of New York Times bestsellers list while China struggled to survive.

I found this book very inspiring. The instructions are clear and easy to follow. Very detailed and informative. Leaves lots of room for growth of your own ideas. I would recommend this book to any level of artist from beginner to advanced. Just let your imagination take over.

I have never had so much fun with a book before! Being anewcomer to painting I thought I would try my hand at"rocks"--why not? The author, Lin Wellford, has made her instructions to simple to understand. She goes step, by step taking you through the whole process of painting a house or cottage on an ordinary rock. You begin following her instructions, but you suddenly find yourself using your own imagination and making your own little piece of real estate "just a little different" and totally unique! I find this painting on rocks to be a totally relaxing and enjoyable pasttime. I am absolutely amazed at what I have accomplished! So much so, that people I have shown my "rocky real estate" to have asked if I'm willing to sell them! I absolutely recommend this book for many hours of fun and creativity.

I picked this book up on recommendation from a friend, and was intrigued from the first page. Ms. Lin has a beautiful writing style, and she writes very simply and elegantly about her family's home village-- from the legends around it to the real people in her life who loved it. Her quiet poetry keeps the book twisting from past to present-- even a brief geneology section, which could otherwise be dry, is enlivened by historical notes and comments on each person's career and family. I'm amazed at how far back this history has keen detail-- it makes me realize how fractured my own family tree is, and how young my country! A quick, charming read.

"Parasol Tree Village" is more than just a delightful story of the Lim family. In addition to providing detailed genealogical charts, this little book includes not only charming legends such as the story of the Tree King God, but also the family legends, nursery rhymes and lullabies that are a part of the author's heritage. Ms. Lin summarizes in an interesting way the tale of Emperor Zou, his vicious nephew-emperor and his evil concubine, Dah-chi. She also gives an account of the belief in the Goddess of All Trades, Mah-tzo. All of this is written in a beautiful, poetic style. The reader will discover unexpected gems; an explanation of Chinese astrology, and beautiful sayings that were handed down in the author's family, one of which is "A centipede has a thousand feet, but it crawls no faster than a snake".

Anyone interested in folklore, the cultural heritage of the Taiwanese people, and Chinese history should own this small volume.

This large (500+ pages) paperback is a companion volume to the 'Practical Chinese Reader' series. PCR, which is available with accompaning cassette tapes, is said to be one of the more popular teaching / learning series for Mandarin Chinese. (I'm enjoying it a lot!)

The grammar explanations in PCR leave a lot to be desired, however. (They're terse to a fault; obviously intended to be fleshed out by a teacher.) This book matches the first two books of PCR, lesson by lesson, and supplements them by giving clear, detailed explanations of the grammar points brought up. There is a wealth of sample sentences provided (simplified characters, pinyin romanization, and English translation) that clarify the grammar.

Sophisticated analysis, yet accessible to beginners - this grammar shouldn't be missed.

I highly recommend this book. Having pored over numerous Mandarin grammar books in Chinese language bookstores throughout California, Taipei and Beijing, I believe that "A Practical Chinese Grammar" is by far the best Chinese grammar book for beginners on the market (or at least the best that I have been able to find so far).

Most Chinese textbooks that I've seen do not provide adequate grammar explanations, and most stand-alone Chinese grammar textbooks are overly complicated, tedious, difficult to understand and painful to digest.

In contrast, "A Practical Chinese Grammar" provides refreshingly simple and straightforward explanations along with fairly comprehensive coverage of the basic grammar patterns of a first year university level Mandarin class. The text is geared toward students rather than grammarians, and thus much of the grammar gobbledygook terminology you normally find in other grammar books is mercifully left out. Each basic grammar pattern is accompanied by a (relatively) plainly worded explanation and then followed by several useful examples (the examples are written in simplified characters, followed by pinyin, followed by the English translation).

Although this book was written as a companion for "Practical Chinese Reader", volumes 1 and 2, the explanations would be helpful for anyone who is using a textbook that does not provide adequate grammar coverage (in fact, almost every Chinese language student I've shown this book to - including those not using PCR -- immediately wants to go out and buy a reference copy).

I only hope that Samuel Cheung and his team are working on a sequel to "A Practical Chinese Grammar" for advanced Chinese language students.