Tag Archives: books

BOOKS: “Essential Zen” ed. by Kazuaki Tanahashi & David Schneider

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Essential ZenEssential Zen by Kazuaki Tanahashi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Google Books Page

This is a collection of short writings (poems, koans, and prose excerpts) on Zen Buddhism arranged into loosely themed sections. The writings tend toward the artistic, creative, and metaphorical, with relatively few straightforward descriptions of technique or philosophy. The writings range from those of Chinese and Japanese monks who lived hundreds of years ago to present-day poets and Zen practitioners. Among the more frequently drawn from sources are: Hanshan, Ikkyu, Dogen, Ryokan, Hakuin, Gary Snyder, Robert Aitken, Seung Sahn, John Daido Loori, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Peter Levitt. But there are many others, including some who have only a single piece included.

There’s a substantial “Notes” section that gives source, translation, and — in some cases — background information. Most of the translations (both Japanese and Chinese) are by the editors, Kazuaki Tanahashi and David Schneider. There are illustrations, but they are all ensō (circular brush paintings) and related forms.

This is a highly readable and insightful collection of short writings, and I’d highly recommend it for individuals interested in Zen or Eastern Philosophy more generally.

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BOOKS: “Buddha Jumps Over the Wall” by Ying Chang Compestine

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Buddha Jumps over the Wall, and Other Curiously Named Classic Chinese Dishes: A Graphic Cookbook—26 Recipes & StoriesBuddha Jumps over the Wall, and Other Curiously Named Classic Chinese Dishes: A Graphic Cookbook—26 Recipes & Stories by Ying Chang Compestine
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Site – Chronicle Books

Cookbooks don’t get more interesting than this. As the title suggests, the author selected dishes that have colorful names (and often histories or folklore to match) and presents lessons in culinary history as well as teaching the reader how to make each dish. The graphic novel format conveys these stories compactly and with a bit of added liveliness. The graphic novel approach is also used to “demonstrate” the preparation process — in lieu of photographs.

In addition to the twenty-six recipes (5 appetizers, 16 main course, and 5 desserts,) the book has five appendices and some front matter to both help readers who are entirely new to Chinese cooking as well as those who’d like a bit more depth of culinary cultural insight. (I should point out that the book looks at Chinese food broadly, including items like Chop Suey and Fortune Cookies that developed outside of China, and either don’t exist within China or have subsequently been introduced from foreign lands.)

If you are interested in learning to cook Chinese food, or are interested in Chinese culinary history and culture, I’d highly recommend this book.

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BOOKS: “Nightwing, Vol. 1: Leaping into the Light” by Tom Taylor

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Nightwing, Vol. 1: Leaping into the LightNightwing, Vol. 1: Leaping into the Light by Tom Taylor
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Site – DC Comics

As in a lot of the Batman stories, in this volume, Nightwing (Dick Grayson) is fighting a two-front war. On the one hand, there is a mysterious central villain du jour, Heartless — an augmented masked criminal who is killing in impoverished neighborhoods by (literally) stealing his victims’ hearts. Then, on the other hand, there is the usual systematic corruption and organized crime of his chosen city, Blüdhaven. These two fights bump into each other here and there but are largely independent of one other (at least as far as one can tell in this, the first, volume of a run.) Barbara Gordon and Tim Drake / Robin participate in the story, but other than that the only hero appearances are cameos.

I enjoyed the pacing and emotional arc of this story. My reading pleasure surprises even me because I think I would ordinarily feel the book had a poor resolution to hook ratio. (i.e. I would feel that not enough was resolved to make this feel like as satisfactory standalone story.) However, there was a resolution that offered satisfaction, but it was just not what I (or -probably- the typical reader) would think of as a normal comic book resolution. (i.e. It was not a resolution achieved by kicking and punching, but rather by soul-searching.)

At any rate, I’d highly recommend this book for comic book readers.

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BOOK: “Mad About the Mekong” by John Keay

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Mad About The Mekong: Exploration and Empire in South East AsiaMad About The Mekong: Exploration and Empire in South East Asia by John Keay
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Site

This book is largely, but not exclusively, an accounting of the Mekong Exploration Commission’s two-year (1866-1868) expedition of the Mekong River. The French undertook this expedition in the expectation that the Mekong, like other of the world’s major rivers, would allow ocean-going ships to traverse deep inland — possibly even up into Yunnan, China. The explorers were quickly disabused of this notion, but they relentlessly kept going – despite suffering from disease and the exhaustion of a trip that involved a lot more portaging and other intense physical activities than they’d hoped for.

As I mentioned, Keay doesn’t stick purely to description of the activities of these nineteenth century explorers. Along the way he also brings in fascinating stories from other periods as well as discussion of what the river is like (e.g. its ecology, infrastructure, role in geopolitics, etc.) these days. So, while it would be excessive to call the book a history of the Mekong, it is in some regards — albeit the highlights reel. Some of the diversions were among my favorite parts of the book. Perhaps my favorite was the story of Tony Poe, whose story is said to be the model for Col. Kurtz of Apocalypse Now. I’d long heard that that movie was based on Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness, and it is (the name “Kurtz” is clearly from Conrad’s novella, though Poe’s occupation more closely mirrors the Col. Kurtz character played by Marlon Brando.)

While the book sometimes shines the light more broadly than he Mekong Exploration Commission Expedition, it also narrows its focus much of the way, putting the expedition’s most colorful character, Francis Garnier, front and center. Garnier was not only the most intriguing member of the leadership, he also led the group to what was the end of the line for the expedition, deep in China, when the Captain, Ernest Doudart de Lagree, became incapacitated by disease.

If you’re interested in history, travel, or exploration, I’d recommend this book.

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BOOKS: “Birds, Beasts, and A World Made New” by Guillaume Apollinaire & Velimir Khlebnikov [ed. / trans. Robert Chandler]

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Birds, Beasts and a World Made New: Guillaume Apollinaire and Velimir Khlebnikov (1908-22) (Pushkin Press Classics)Birds, Beasts and a World Made New: Guillaume Apollinaire and Velimir Khlebnikov (1908-22) by Guillaume Apollinaire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Site – Pushkin Press

This poetry collection recalls a time and tells a story. Perhaps it’s not right to call it a poetry collection, not because it isn’t one, but because that’s not all it is. Most of the book consists of selections of poetry from Guillaume Apollinaire and Velimir Khlebnikov juxtaposed by themed grouping. But there is also backstory and biography included throughout as well as in the book’s final section.

One might wonder why anyone would construct a two-poet collection featuring a Frenchman and a Russian. Well, the two men did have a number of things in common, most disturbingly that they both died young in the early twentieth century. Apollinaire died at age 38 in 1918 and Khlebnikov died at 36 in 1922. The fact that these men’s writing careers so overlapped is one of the reasons the book works. They waded through a common zeitgeist. Another commonality that makes the collection relevant and intriguing is that both poets had a penchant for experimentalism in their work.

Seeing the work of these poet’s organized as the volume does, one recognizes both similarities and differences. This includes the fact that the tone of each poet’s work ranges widely from whimsical to the brutal morosity of poems on war and the suffering it entails.

I found this collection to offer a powerful reading experience and would recommend it highly to all poetry readers.

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BOOKS: “Chinese Grammar Wiki BOOK: Elementary” ed. by John Pasden

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Chinese Grammar Wiki BOOK: ElementaryChinese Grammar Wiki BOOK: Elementary by John Pasden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Site

Confronted with a vast sea of Chinese grammar texts, this is the series I chose, and I’ve been happy with my decision. This, the beginner level grammar guide, is reasonably priced, logically organized, easy to use, and has all one needs without time-wasting excesses.

The core of the book consists of 135 grammar points (40 “A1” level and 95 “A2” level.) For each point there is a clear but simple explanation of the rule, a formulaic statement of said rule [an easy to find timesaver when reviewing,] a number of examples (with Chinese characters, pinyin, and an English translation) and any cautions to consider (i.e. common mistakes, ways Chinese grammar differs from English, and common exceptions to the rule.) The examples used simple and common words and phrases to drill basic and useful vocabulary.

This book is organized to put bite-sized chunks of learning at hand so that one can do more or less, depending upon one’s schedule.

I’d recommend this book for anyone looking for a basic Chinese Grammar text.

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BOOKS: “The Creature Commandos” by J.M. DeMatteis, et. al.

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The Creature CommandosThe Creature Commandos by J.M. DeMatteis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher Site – DC

Having recently heard about the impending animated series being made under James Gunn’s aegis, I read this book to learn who, exactly, were the “Creature Commandos.” This volume collects eighteen issues of “Weird War Tales” from the 1980’s and is where this superhero team got its start. It’s not a complicated premise: a team consisting of characters based on classic horror figures is assembled to carry out challenging missions on behalf of Allied powers during World War II. It should be pointed out that these aren’t the original horror characters, but rather were mostly made in the lab using “science.” The core team of Lucky Taylor (Frankenstein’s Monster-like,) Sgt. Velcro (Dracula-like,) and Griffith (a Werewolf) were all produced in such a way by “Project M.” A fourth member of the team, Dr. Medusa (Myrra Rhodes,) got her powers in a laboratory accident (yes, this wasn’t exactly sophisticated storytelling.) An occasional fifth member J.A.K.E., the robotic infantryman, appears in only a few issues.

This collection is definitely from another era. It is written with an audience of children in mind. It’s not just the “science” that lacks cleverness, but also much of the dialogue and some of the story elements. It is also different in that there is no overarching story continuity. Each episode is standalone. This is probably in part because the Creature Commandos didn’t have their own title at this point and were appearing in “Weird War Tales.” In early issues there is a fair amount of repetitive exposition to catch new readers up, but that became less prominent as the series progressed.

Having said all that, many of the stories are compelling and — despite the campiness — the authors do succeed in making the reader sympathize with the core group and their plight as humans turned monster. My only complaint about character development would be with respect to the team’s leader, Lt. Shrieve. I’m sure they were aiming for “gruff, war-hardened, but fundamentally decent,” but through the first three-fourths of these comics Shrieve is completely detestable and has no redeeming value whatsoever. The authors did start to make course corrections toward the end, planting seeds to make Shrieve less loathsome, to make him someone that you can understand (despite his rough edges) why his team might save him instead of fragging him. I suspect that they wanted to make the most physiologically human character the least humane of the characters, but they took it too far.

All and all, I found this collection enjoyable to read — despite being juvenile and camp — and am looking forward to what they will do in the animated TV series. [Note: It is a different slate of characters and is otherwise updated to appeal to an adult audience, but – I suspect – draws from the original source material in some ways.]

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BOOKS: “Tranquil Sitting” by Yin Shi Zi

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Tranquil Sitting: A Taoist Journal on Meditation and Chinese Medical QigongTranquil Sitting: A Taoist Journal on Meditation and Chinese Medical Qigong by Yin Shih Tzu
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher’s Site

This manual is an English translation of a work earlier published in Chinese. It is nominally on Taoist meditation and is written by a Taoist author, but it does include discussion of Buddhist practices as well (specifically Mahamudra.) Also, part of the author’s declared intent with this text is to write in a manner approachable to a wider audience, and because of this sect is rendered less important. So, for example, the book employs more scientific and physiological modes of explanation as opposed to meridians and other conceptual approaches from Traditional Chinese Medicine.

The book is presented in two parts. I found the first part much more beneficial and productive. Said first part is a general guide to meditation. It discusses fundamentals, theory, physiology, and how to align one’s living with a meditative practice (i.e. how diet, breathwork, sleep, etc. influence one’s practice.)

The second part consists of long and fairly detailed descriptions of the author’s experiences with both Taoist and Mahamudra meditation. I didn’t find this part useful, and I believe it may be counterproductive. Discussion of the author’s subjective experience may lead readers to get hung up on chasing identical experiences to the detriment of just practicing. It may give false ideas about “correct” and “incorrect” experiences of the meditation.

Overall, it’s a fine guide to meditation, particularly the first (i.e. larger) part. I can’t say that it breaks a lot of ground. A reader well-versed in meditation may not gain much insight from this book, but it’s as good as any to get started.

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BOOKS: “Sweet Tooth, Vol. 5: Unnatural Habitats” by Jeff Lemire

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Sweet Tooth, Vol. 5: Unnatural HabitatsSweet Tooth, Vol. 5: Unnatural Habitats by Jeff Lemire
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Publisher Site

This volume carries out two story arcs. The first is a self-contained flashback that offers the reader new insight into the central strangeness of this series (i.e. a plague on humanity and the development of various human-animal hybrids.) The second is the conclusion of the Volume 4 storyline in which Gus, Jepperd, and their human and hybrid traveling companions find an apparent safe haven that splits the group between those who wish to stay and those who want to continue on their original path to Alaska.

Both arcs are visceral and engaging. This is a very satisfying volume. It’s a pity that publishers are so constrained by page count because Volumes 4 and 5 combined together would be a phenomenal book (whereas Vol. 4 – as it stands – is kind of a lackluster read.) Anyone whose been to a movie in India and is familiar with the random intermission placed right in the middle of the runtime (regardless of what is going on in the story at the time) can grasp what I’m saying. It’s a little mean to break the momentum of a good story in progress. However, this volume offers all the satisfaction of resolution and conclusion — while leaving open clear routes for advancing the story overall.

I’d highly recommend this volume and that one read it closely back-to-back with Volume 4.

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BOOKS: “Writers’ Journeys That Shaped Our World” by Travis Elborough

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The Writer's Journey: In the Footsteps of the Literary Greats (Journeys of Note, 1)The Writer’s Journey: In the Footsteps of the Literary Greats by Travis Elborough
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Publisher Website

This book discusses important travel events in the lives of thirty-five prominent writers and poets. Some of these were long international travels and some entirely domestic, some aborted and others completed. All of these trips in some way influenced the subsequent works produced by these writers. In some cases, it was just for a scene, as with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s use of Reichenbach Falls to kill off his widely beloved (but personally soul-sucking) character, Sherlock Holmes. In others, the trip became the basis of a book, as with Joseph Conrad’s travels on the Congo River. And in yet others, the trip would become the basis of multiple works, such as Jack London’s travels in the Klondike. Of course, there were some travels that had more indirect influence on the writers’ works by way of shifts in worldview and life experience.

The graphics for this book are excellent and include a simple route map for each trip as well as photos from key locations, as well as a few relevant historic artworks. The maps and pictures help to give one a feel for the appeal of these places, and — in some cases — to better understand literary works once read.

If you are a traveler, are interested in literary history, or are both, this book is well worth investigating.

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