Breeze Through Bamboo: Kanshi of Ema Saiko (Translations from the Asian Classics)

Book Description

Customer Reviews:

Classic Kanshi from a Lady Literati.......2006-12-13

If you thought the Neo-Confucian literati tradition was monopolized by the men, this book will pleasantly surprise you. Ema Saiko is an excellent poet in an extremely challenging form, the kanshi, or poem in classical Chinese, and is a literati in the full sense of the term. Her poems are erudite and yet unpretentious, restrained and yet full of a variety of feelings and moods, sensitive but with a lot of backbone. Kanshi potentially have a greater range of subject and theme than other poetic forms like haiku and waka, and she utilizes this potential to the full while using what one might've supposed was an alien and stilted format to express her life and her experiences and perceptions in a way that seems very natural and second nature. Furthermore, in true literati fashion she was also a painter and calligrapher, often combining the three arts in one presentation, and examples of her works in this vein illustrate the book nicely.

Hiroaki Sato has done a fine job in presenting these poems in English. The translation is carefully accurate and yet true to the feel and rhythm of Japanese kanshi, and the notes are helpful in providing background knowledge the poet would've assumed on the part of her readers--yet tucked away discreetly in the back of the book for the sake of those who'd find them a nuisance. The introduction is highly interesting in its own right, giving a lucid explanation of kanshi poetics and the practice of kanshi in Japan as well as a short biographical study of the poet and her times, including her friendly artistic relationship with the Neo-Confucian poet and historian Rai Sanyo. I highly recommend this fine book to anyone who likes good poetry as well as to those interested in Japanese literature and/or the Neo-Confucian tradition.

A poem from the book:
"A half-circle, the soft moon, and it is midnight.
Who is it that lives near a plum tree, in the small clean house?
I see now: a scholar reading, still not going to bed,
a dot of silvery light clear through the blinds."

A Modern Artist and Poet in Tokugawa Japan.......2004-03-15

An impressive translation with an extensive introduction and explanatory notes by Hiroaki Sato, Breeze Through Bamboo reveals the poet and artist Ema Saiko through her classical Chinese style kanshi and brushwork paintings. The volume creates a diary of a life of an amazing woman - independent, emotional, talented with a delightful sense of humour:

Floating together, diving together, in gentle green waves,
they do not understand separation in the human world.
For fun I pick up a lotus pip and throw it in the pond.
They fly up, separate -- hope they'll miss each other if awhile.

Don't miss an incredible experience!

A poet's life in 19th centry Japan.......2001-12-14

The Chinese style kanshi poems in this collection tell the story of Ema Saiko's life (1767-1861). In her early years she reveals a protected innocence, a great love for her father, a quick, creative intelligence, and a fascination with all things Chinese. For example the young Saiko writes: "Father must be in Shinshu, traveling. I can imagine the rugged mountain paths: all day climbing up, then down below... wretched palanquin struck by the snow, station-inn bedding terribly thin. I, his daughter, am comfy warm, thinking all the more of his cruel cold."

Gradually maturity and independence begin to take hold, and her poems develop a more detached eye for detail, a love of travel, and a sensitivity to the moment. An image from this period that comes to mind is of a fish glinting in the sun: "The setting sun casts its red to the bottom of the tide, illuminating a fish that leapt, swimming away."

In later years, Saiko's paintings, which accompanied many of her poems, can be felt as more central to her life than her poetry. Included in an essay on her art by Patricia Fister, an excerpt from a poem reads: "As I reach fifty, I begin to understand the mistakes of the past. As years slowly pass they have gone against my ambition... Old friends have vanished like stars in the morning brightness. In the end there is no use in Taoist practices, I only love to paint bamboo, its greenness reflected on my garment."

Amazon.com

Who will profit when (and if) mainland China goes capitalist in the next century? Not American or European companies, despite their strong desire to invest here. Most of the rewards will flow to expatriate Chinese who fled from Communism in 1949. The authors contribute to the pioneering work of Thomas Sowell's Migrations and Cultures and Joel Kotkin's Tribes in showing how ethnic ties fuel economic prosperity.

Book Description

The Bamboo Network shows how a remarkable group of ethnic Chinese families has been the driving force behind China's transition from communism to capitalism: the economic miracle" that took the Western business world by surprise. Murray Weidenbaum, a leading international economist, and Samuel Hughes trace the history of these enterprising leaders, who fled the mainland after the Communist takeover in 1948 and settled through out Southeast Asia. Following in the tradition of generations of expatriate Chinese merchants, they began establishing small family businesses. Today, the authors show, these have expanded into conglomerate business empires. Entrusting corporate divisions almost exclusively to relatives, and dealing extensively with fellow expatriates, these entrepreneurs have formed close-knit and formidable business spheres throughout Southeast Asia -- a "bamboo network."

Members of the bamboo network were well-positioned to do business in China when this first became possible: since they "speak the language," both literally and culturally, they were favored as business partners by the both the Chinese government and the emerging private sector. They have been financing and often managing the development of manufacturing, banking, and other key industries in China.

Western investors and entrepreneurs seeking to enter the Chinese market are a step behind the members of the bamboo network. This book evens the score. Weidenbaum and Hughes show how private enterprise can thrive in China, providing unrivaled insight into the philosophy and culture that inform doing business there. The Bamboo Network will be indispensable reading for those who wish to crack the world's largest market and investment opportunity. For, despite the serious domestic problems likely to arise within the region, overseas Chinese business families will no doubt continue to take advantage of changing threats and opportunities in the fastest-growing and most competitive economy in the world. Whether as friends or rivals of the bamboo network, Americans must learn more about this exotic sector of the global marketplace.

Customer Reviews:

Superficial Coverage.......2001-02-01

This book is a good primer for those unfamiliar with the workings of China's economy and the reforms of the last decade that have fuelled China's growth. It is badly dated now (no fault of the authors) due to the Asian financial crisis. The biggest disappointment is that is deals very little with the book's supposed topic, the role of the overseas Chinese. The last half of the book doesn't even mention them! (well, barely...)

Excellent book but very dated.......2000-03-21

This book is a classic, but the Asian crisis has dated it badly. Also, the author has much anecdotal matter to back up his story, but he did not have intimate access to the Overseas Chinese top managers and this shows. For an intimate account of how the networks operate, and how strategic decisions are made I strongly recommend "New Asian Emperors: the Overseas Chinese, their Strategies and Competitive Advantages" by George T. Haley et al. to supplement this book.

This book needs immediate revision.......1998-01-19

The style of this book is a bird's-eye view gleaned primarily from newpaper reports (as judged by the bibliographic citations). It begins with a delineation of the most visible Overseas Chinese entrepreneur "families." Then it abruptly swerves into an anecdotal rambling about Mainland China's boom economy and how one can not do business there without buying favors from Communist Party officials or from the People's Liberation Army. The reason this book needs a new edition is that its publication predated current "Asian" scandals. One of the ("Indonesian") families showcased by the authors has been in the news for the last year as being the alleged bankroller for "Asian" connected illegal Democratic campaign contributions via bag people who do not appear to have the means to make $100,000 contributions. Likewise, this book reveals why it should not surprise the American Public that the President of the United States has met with arms dealers alleged to be in the employee of the People's Liberation Army. The authors' narrative enables me to make more educated guesses about the real mission of restaurantuer Charlie Tri and the top security clearance trade specialist John Huong. I am rating this book as "average" because it strikes me as a thinly disguised public relations effort to promote more U.S. direct investment in Mainland China "before we miss the boat." It clearly is not a scholarly effort. Read this book for a quick intro to the players, but move on to books with more depth: this arena is important to understand (whatever your world view or prejudices).

Good insight into the Asian-Chinese corporate system........1997-04-12

If you believe in the economic miracle in the new 21st Pacific Century, this is the book to read. It is the "New Industrial Revolution" in the making. It is essential to understand how the "Guanxi" or "network" system works in Asian-run corporations. http://www.singnet.com.sg/~ngrou

Truly an eye opener for someone doing business in China.......1996-10-11

Greater China looks so tame from the outside. This book brings you into the vast networks of Chinese businessmen in South East Asia and reveals the dragon inside this nation

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Bamboo and Other Things
Judith Armbruster
Manufacturer: Maple Tree Studio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0961950218

The bamboo path: Life and writings of a Chinese in Hawaii

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The bamboo path: Life and writings of a Chinese in Hawaii
Tin-Yuke Char
Manufacturer: Hawaii Chinese History Center
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Australia & Oceania | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006CUVU6

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Bamboo Shoot Every Day(english-chinese)

Manufacturer: Qinggong Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 7501939225

Product Description

How to cook bamboo in Chinese food.

Bamboo Shoots After the Rain: Contemporary Stories by Women Writers of Taiwan

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Great collection
Bamboo Shoots After the Rain

Bamboo Shoots After the Rain: Contemporary Stories by Women Writers of Taiwan
Ann C. Carver
Manufacturer: Feminist Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Anthologies | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

British | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Chinese | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Running Wild: New Chinese Writers (Translation Center Books)
The Taste of Apples
Waiting: A Novel

ASIN: 1558610189

Book Description

Ã,Â Ã,Â Ã,Â This remarkable anthology introduces the short fiction of 14 writers, major figures in the literary movements of three generations, who represent a range of class, ethnic, age, and political perspectives. It is filled with "unexpected gems", writes Scarlet Cheng in Belles Lettres, including Lin Hai-yin's story of a woman suffering under a feudal system that dominated Old China; Chiang Hsiao-yun's optimistic solutions to problems of the elderly in the rapidly changing Taiwan of the 1980; and in between, a dozen richly diverse stories of aristocrats, comrades, wices, concubines, children, mothers, sexuality, rape, female initiation, and the tensions between traditional and modern life. "This is not western feminism with an Asian accent", says Bloomsbury Review, "but a description of one culture's reality...The woman protagonists survive both despite and because of their existence in a changing Taiwan." This book includes biographical headnotes, an introduction that addresses the literary movements represented, and an extensive bibliography.

Customer Reviews:

Great collection.......2005-01-10

The translations of stories here are very broad and well done, giving deep insight into the lives of Chinese women, and the impact these particular writers had on Taiwan (not every writer featured, like for instance Eileen Chang, was a Taiwan native or citizen...) Each story is prefaced by one of the editors, providing valuable points and cross-references to the other stories in the collection. Anyone with an interest in the Taiwanese experience should read these great works.

Bamboo Shoots After the Rain.......2000-04-15

This book provides the reader with great insight into different cultures of the far east. The stories vary in length from just a few pages, to some rather long stories. Each of the stories gives the reader great insight into some of the cultural expectations of the far east, and also the life people lead. From family expectations, to jobs, pretty much any aspect of life can be found in this book. The way it is put together is also rather different since all of the writers are women from a place that many people in the United States do not know a lot about. This book is a great resource for anyone wanting to learn more about the life and culture of the far east. I would highly reccomend this to anyone!

Bamboo Stone: The Evolution of a Chinese Medical Elite

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Bamboo Stone: The Evolution of a Chinese Medical Elite
Karen Minden
Manufacturer: University of Toronto Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Education & Training | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

History | Special Topics | Medicine | Subjects | Books

General | Physician & Patient | Medicine | Subjects | Books

Bamboo Valley : A Story of Chinese Bamboo Forest (The Nature Conservancy)

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Bamboo Valley : A Story of Chinese Bamboo Forest (The Nature Conservancy)
Ann Whitehead Nagda
Manufacturer: Smithsonian Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1568994958

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book for travel in Bangkok.......1999-06-11

I recently traveled to Bangkok using Michael Buckley's book as a guide. It was an excellent source for figuring out what to see (from the Grand Palace to Patpong). It also has simple maps that explain how to get where you want to go. The book's specific descriptions help one travel around the city whether by Tuk Tuk, river express boat or city bus. I highly recommend this book. It was the best of any I read on travels in Bangkok.

Average customer rating:

For what it's worth...
Better than Lonely Planet
great cultural education but make time to visit Chiang Mai
From a Bangkok expatriate
Very Informative

Moon Handbooks: Bangkok (3rd Ed.)
Carl Parkes
Manufacturer: Avalon Travel Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Southeast | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

Moon Handbooks | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Lonely Planet Bangkok
Moon Handbooks: Thailand (3rd Ed.)
Thai: Lonely Planet Phrasebook
Travelers' Tales Thailand: True Stories
Nancy Chandler's Map of Bangkok

ASIN: 1566911591

Book Description

Offering the same exacting coverage found in Carl Parkes's Thailand Handbook, Bangkok Handbook reveals the secrets of the glittering temples and dazzling museums in this teeming metropolis. Parkes recommends riverside dining at the Oriental Hotel, proposes lodging at the rarely visited historic Royal Hotel, and suggests merriment at the nonstop nightclubs of Nana Entertainment Complex. Budget backpackers and luxury travelers alike will appreciate this thorough guide.

Customer Reviews:

For what it's worth..........2006-07-24

I first traveled to Thailand in 2001 and am now planning my long-awaited second trip. I leave in a few weeks and am browsing the different Thailand books available in bookstores, but I will also definitely be bringing the Moon Handbook: Bangkok guide I brought with me in 2001.

During my first trip to Thailand (I taught English for three weeks within the Bangkok vicinity) this book was the perfect guide. Since my trip was so long ago I unfortunately can't remember specifics, but I do remember being impressed by it and thinking during my trip that I couldn't have asked for a better guide to Bangkok. It provided a thorough guide to the city and it was easy to understand, well-written and the content was well laid out. For whatever it's worth, I wanted to write a review and give it five stars because I think it deserves it.

I, also, would love if it Carl Parkes wrote an updated version. I'll need to bring along a more updated book with me for this trip because I don't think it's a good idea to rely solely on an out-of-date book, but I'm sure I'll be consulting the Moon Handbook again.

Better than Lonely Planet.......2005-03-18

I brought both this book and Joe Cumming's Lonely Planet guide with me. I was glad I hauled both with me across the Pacific (you can never have too much information), but Carl's book was my clear favorite.

The Moon guide always seemed to bring me a bit closer to the Thais than the Lonely Planet guide -- it seemed like Carl is closer to "going native," or perhaps more empathetic than Joe. What a shame that it seems to be the less popular of the two.

Bring them both, but if you only want to buy/carry one, make it Carl's Moon Guide.

great cultural education but make time to visit Chiang Mai.......2001-03-21

Carl Parkes provides a great cultural education and writes well about Thai history. You'll be informed and your table manners won't offend your Thai hosts (they use forks and spoons but not the way that we do). More photos and maps would be nice (the D-K guide to Thailand will fill those gaps). But the big shortcoming with the book is the subject itself: Bangkok. Sophisticated and curious travelers to Thailand always say that their favorite spot is Chiang Mai in the north! You've got to fly through Bangkok to get there so you still may want to carve out a week to see Bangkok and environs. But do try to get to the north (Parkes also wrote the Moon Thailand Handbook, which will be useful if you do decide to visit Chiang Mai).

From a Bangkok expatriate.......2000-05-17

I first picked up the initial edition of Bangkok Handbook in 1992. As I worked in Bangkok for 7 years in the 1980s and I was a bit curious as to how deep this guide would go. While most guide books cover all the basic sights and things to do they often fall short in really getting under the surface. This book did indeed have things to teach me. I ended up taking some of the walking tours myself and used the map of the river stops extensively.

I like my guides to give my some good historical and cultural information in a concise but insightful manner. Take Thai temples. First time visitors are typically struck by their stunning beauty. But what do all the architectural forms mean? What aspects of Buddhism are contained within their design? You could read whole volumes on this at your local university. The Handbook, however has a two page spread that will get you up to speed fast with an understanding of the basic terminology and historical usage. To my mind this is what separates the Handbook from the more popular Lonely Planet travel survival guides. These "backpacker bibles" may be very good at where to get the cheapest rooms and meals, but really fall short on what you are really seeing while you are there.

Bangkok is both heaven and hell. It's city of fabulous restaurants, fantastic shopping, pristine temples and frantic sex. It's polluted, noisy, smelly, ill-planned and hot, hot, hot. And It's traffic is world famous. We used to joke that you could do anything you wanted in Bangkok; you just couldn't get there. (Over the last few years with the advent of many new tollways and since Dec. 99 the overhead trains this has really abated.)

I've used Parkes book a lot - along with my reprint of the "1928 Guide to Bangkok" which is great for my historical expeditions. And I have found myself in Thailand every year since I've left in 1990.

Very Informative.......2000-04-21

This book not only got me around, but I learned a lot along the way.

Book Description

The Das Swaps & Financial Derivatives Library – Third Edition Revised is the successor to Swaps & Financial Derivatives, which was first published in 1989 (as Swap Financing). A second edition was published in 1994 (as Swaps & Financial Derivatives – Second Edition (in most of the world) and Swaps & Derivative Financing – Second Edition (in the USA). The changes in the market since the publication of the second edition have necessitated this third edition.

The Das Swaps & Financial Derivatives Library – Third Edition Revised is a four-volume set that incorporates extensive new material in all sections to update existing areas of coverage. In addition, several new chapters covering areas of market development have been included. This has resulted in a significant expansion in the size of the text. The four volumes in this set are:

Derivative Products & Pricing

Risk Management

Structured Products Volume 1: Exotic Options, Interest Rates & Currency

Structured Products Volume 2: Equity, Commodity, Credit & New Markets

Book Description

Swaps/ Financial Derivatives - Third Edition is a unique, authoritative and comprehensive reference work for practitioners on derivatives. It brings together all aspects of derivative instruments within a cohesive and integrated framework covering:

Derivative instruments including exchange-traded markets and over-the-counter markets
Pricing, valuation and trading/hedging of derivatives.
Management of market, credit and other risk associated with derivatives trading.
Documentation, accounting, taxation and regulatory aspects of derivatives.
Applications of derivatives.
Derivative structures including synthetic asset structures using derivatives, exotic options, interest rate/ currency, equity, commodity (energy, metals and agricultural), credit and new derivative markets (insurance, weather, inflation/ macro-economic indicators, property and emissions)

Key Features of Swaps/ Financial Derivatives include:

Unparalleled up-to-date coverage of derivative markets in all asset classes.
Written by experienced practitioner.
Practical approach using actual transactions that are analysed to illustrate the structure, application, pricing, hedging and risk management of individual instruments.
Four volumes; 4,500 pages;
Hundreds of Exhibits and diagrams
Detailed Index and extensive references

SWAPS AND FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES LIBRARY: PRODUCTS, PRICING, APPLICATION AND RISK MANAGEMENT (3RD EDITION REVISED) 4 BOOK BOX SET

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SWAPS AND FINANCIAL DERIVATIVES LIBRARY: PRODUCTS, PRICING, APPLICATION AND RISK MANAGEMENT (3RD EDITION REVISED) 4 BOOK BOX SET
DAS
Manufacturer: JOHN WILEY AND SONS LTD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N55MN2

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