American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China [Hardcover]

'A sensibility more alien to my own than Matthew Polly's is hard to imagine. I consider foreign cultures to be really ... foreign. I don't spiritually quest; I go to church. As for the martial arts, I own a gun. But I loved American Shaolin. Reading it was like being abducted by an alien -- a brilliant, funny, and hospitable alien who took me to another universe of sensibility. There I enjoyed myself immensely' P.J. O'Rourke 'Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Jet Li and David Carradine all played Shaolin Monks, but Matthew Polly actually lived it. In American Shaolin, he enters China's most famous temple, the birthplace of zen and martial arts, and uncovers unique insights on religion, sex, politics, and kicking butt-a revealing confession of monastic life in modern China.' Gene Ching, KUNG FU TAI CHI MAGAZINE --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

'Tells more about what's going on in China, has more insights into
the real China, than anything in recent years'
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

'A lively, humorous and thought-provoking memoir' --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

`Uncovers unique insights on religion, sex, politics and kicking
butt - a revealing confession of monastic life in modern China' --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

`Smoothly written . . . Polly has a good eye for characters'
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

'Self-deprecating humour peppers his book and makes it very
readable, even to someone (like me) who has no knowledge of kung fu'
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

'He's able to use the mismatch between reality and the China and Shaolin of his imagination, to good comic effect' --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

`Very funny . . . a record of superb physical achievement [...] and a loving tribute' --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

'He writes well . . . This book is full of good stories and enjoyable bursts of odd information' --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

'Entertaining for both the insights into martial arts as well as
the stories of life in China'
--This text refers to the Paperback edition.