The books I have chosen to review have two things in common. One is that I have read them. The second is that each, in its own way, illustrates a facet of the lives of Asian people who are not generally well known. Two of the books do that in a not so obvious manner.
The Cambridge Illustrated History of China is, of course, a general text. What sets it apart is the focus on both social history and the way that art reflected Chinese society. Am I A Hindu? does not focus on anyone in particular, but was chosen for a broad background on Hinduism and to give meaning to the lives of the people who practice the religion. The experiences of Asian people are as varied as their cultures and the times into which they were born. There is no one unifying theme to these books, except perhaps that the human experience, no matter what culture influences or shapes it, is one of sorrow, joy, tragedy and hope and these are the things which transcend national boundaries. These are not scholarly or lengthy reviews. They are my personal reactions to books and lives which have moved me, as I hope they do you.
Note: Clicking on the book names will take you to the Amazon.com site where you can read customer reviews and more. You can also buy the books there. Two of the books featured here are out of print, but can be special ordered at a surprisingly reasonable cost. That said, the best place to find these books is, of course, your local library. That innocent looking building holds unimagineable treasures.
Son of the Revolution by Liang Heng & Judith Shapiro. Vintage Books, New York, 1983. From his earliest memory, Liang Heng strived to be Chairman Mao's good little boy. He criticized his parents and followed in the footsteps of the Long March. He went where he was told and did what he was told. His life and thoughts tossed about in the rapidly changing political campaigns of China's Cultural Revolution. Most children worldwide learn about the Cultural Revolution. Learn what it was like for a child in China whose parents were branded as "Rightists" and who was denied his dream of joining the Communist Party.
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