Thomas Hochmann

Good translation, lacking background material for us mortals, July 8 2004

The Bhagavad-Gita is an intriguing and very wise book, even for those such as myself who do not really subscribe to an Indian philosophy or religion (indeed, I'm fascinated by some of the parallels between the Chinese concept of Tao and the Hindu concept of Brahman). This translation has a smooth feel to it, and while I am not able to comment on how precise this translation is, it flowed nicely and was enjoyable to read.

I do have one gripe, however: this book gets categorized as "Religion" (and indeed, that is what it says on the back cover), while this particular edition has a distinctly philosophical aim to it. The rendition of the Gita itself does not have this slant, but… Read more

Beautiful overview of Chinese beliefs and philosophy, July 4 2004

This is positively one of the most lovely books I've ever read. The page layouts and illustrations are first rate, and make for very enjoyable reading. Lillian manages to touch on just about every aspect of Chinese belief, including Taoist philosophy, Feng Shui, Buddhist meditation, the I Ching, Chinese astrology, the Eight Immortals, etc. Of course, covering such a broad range of subjects means that this book cannot go into detail on any of them. You won't become an expert on any of the subjects presented here. You will, however, gain a better appreciation for the wide range of beliefs and practices found in Chinese culture.

All in all, /Chinese Wisdom/ is a beautifully presented… Read more

Read the Gita instead, July 2 2004

This small (under 90 pages) book, written in the 1970s, is an interesting one. Most of the text is dedicated to emphasizing the differences between this material world and the paradisiacal "antimaterial" realms that God dwells in. A lot of the book is rather redundant, and the idea of an "easy journey to other planets" sounds rather crackpot-ish. I tried to be open-minded about that unfortunate title, but ultimately the book lived up (or down?) to it.

The book uses a lot of pseudo-science to try to take advantage of the potential ignorance of readers. Some of the core ideas are also rather dated - the book states we will "never" be able to set mortal foot on the moon or other planets, and… Read more