"This pleasant, unpretentious account [is] a small stream leading to the ocean of the culture of China."? Scientific AmericanNot a how-to text, this beguiling book is instead a fascinating look at Chinese language and culture. Ranging through history, literature, folklore, linguistics, and sociology, this is a breezy, straightforward primer of surprising breadth.
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Product Description
About the Author
Raymond Chang is a professor of chemisty at Williams College. He is the author of the widely read textbook Chemisty.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
The language is at least three thousand years old. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
The language is at least three thousand years old. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
By bluecougar25
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
As I'm studying Mandarin Chinese, I'm becoming more and more fascinated with the language and its history and also the culture of China. This little book is a superb overview and introduction to the development of the language, also touching on daily life (though it might be a little dated) and with historical information about calligraphy and painting. There are many weighty tomes on all these subjects but the Changs have a light chatty writing style which is ideal for the casual reader or one who wants a break from the academic approach.
A lot of the material covered here is familiar to me but there are many extra fascinating details, certainly the section on characters has some useful tips I can use elsewhere and I could very well see how early printing might have developed from the stone carvings of master calligraphers works. If you've an interest in China or Chinese or know someone who has, this is an ideal book, a delight to read and I'm sorry it was so short. A happy-making informative treat, I recommend it highly!
A lot of the material covered here is familiar to me but there are many extra fascinating details, certainly the section on characters has some useful tips I can use elsewhere and I could very well see how early printing might have developed from the stone carvings of master calligraphers works. If you've an interest in China or Chinese or know someone who has, this is an ideal book, a delight to read and I'm sorry it was so short. A happy-making informative treat, I recommend it highly!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.6 out of 5 stars
8 reviews
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A fascinating book...
15 Jun 2005
By David M
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
OK, first and foremost, this is not a language learning book. What it is is a "learning aid" book that motivates your interest and curiosity of the structure and origins of the Chinese written language. What do I mean? If you are learning Chinese, it describes many relationships between characters that enhance your ability to remember them, as well as recognize insights to meanings of characters you do not even know. In some ways it is a narrative version of another excellent book, the more dictionary-like "Reading and Writing Chinese: A Guide to the Chinese Writing System" by William McNaughton and Li Ying. Both excellently address the origins and relationships between characters, but with very different styles.
Chang and Chang colorfully, interestingly, and amusingly describes contrasts, contradictions, and anomalies in character formation. It is a charming book that I would highly recommend to the language student.
Even if you are not learning the language, the book still offers interesting discussions about characters. Western languages, and many others, are truly different from the "phonetic" languages so many of us know. Chinese construction is old, yet novel, so meaning-rich, that it presents an interesting discussion and perspective. And the writing itself remains unchanged over a much longer period than western languages.
Read a few of its pages and see if you don't agree.
Chang and Chang colorfully, interestingly, and amusingly describes contrasts, contradictions, and anomalies in character formation. It is a charming book that I would highly recommend to the language student.
Even if you are not learning the language, the book still offers interesting discussions about characters. Western languages, and many others, are truly different from the "phonetic" languages so many of us know. Chinese construction is old, yet novel, so meaning-rich, that it presents an interesting discussion and perspective. And the writing itself remains unchanged over a much longer period than western languages.
Read a few of its pages and see if you don't agree.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't be afraid...
30 Sep 2002
By Sherry Chiger
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
The subtitle sounds daunting, doesn't it? But this clever little book is so well written, in a friendly, colloquial voice, that you'll turn the pages as quickly as you might while reading a frothy novel. At the same time, the book is jammed with information--about the basics of the Chinese language and how it has managed to survive without an alphabet; about various dynasties; about Chinese folklore and everyday life. If you're thinking of visiting China, if you're interested in languages, or if you've adopted a child from China, this book is a wonderful introduction to a land and culture that we Westerners tend to dismiss.
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for learning about Chinese language and writing.
26 May 2006
By Book Reader
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
This book is great for learning about Chinese language construction and writing. And its relationship to Chinese culture and history. But not for learning specifiaclly how to speak or write Chinese.
With that said, this is a very entertaing book and hard to put down.
Among the subjects it covers are:
* Langage construction. For exaample how questions are asked
in Chinese. And general sentence structure.
* How pictographs came about and how archologists traced their
orgins.
* How Chinese pictographs are taught to children in China.
(They have to memorize them--each one.)
* Chinese tongue twisters.
* How Chinese writing styles differ from the spoken word,
classical and contemporary. How this related to testing
for government officials, and how the Communist revolution
changed this.
* How Chinese language construction differs from English
language.
And much more.
I have been working at teaching myself Chinese, and it is so different that there is a lot of the concepts that I was not able to grasp until reading this book.
If you are going to study Chinese, I would highly recommend reading this book first.
If you are interested in Chinese culture, I highly recommend reading this book. Culture and language are intimately tied togeather.
With that said, this is a very entertaing book and hard to put down.
Among the subjects it covers are:
* Langage construction. For exaample how questions are asked
in Chinese. And general sentence structure.
* How pictographs came about and how archologists traced their
orgins.
* How Chinese pictographs are taught to children in China.
(They have to memorize them--each one.)
* Chinese tongue twisters.
* How Chinese writing styles differ from the spoken word,
classical and contemporary. How this related to testing
for government officials, and how the Communist revolution
changed this.
* How Chinese language construction differs from English
language.
And much more.
I have been working at teaching myself Chinese, and it is so different that there is a lot of the concepts that I was not able to grasp until reading this book.
If you are going to study Chinese, I would highly recommend reading this book first.
If you are interested in Chinese culture, I highly recommend reading this book. Culture and language are intimately tied togeather.
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 8 reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
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