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The Library

This is a list of books I've found helpful. Most I have my own copies of, some I've borrowed from the local public library.

if you'd like to add to this list, click HERE.

Here's the door to the annnex for other books people have recommended.

In Association with Amazon.com

Here's a high level Index

China in general
General things about China
Chinese Philosophy
Chinese philosophy in general
Taoism
Taoism in particular
T'ai chi ch'uan
Cheng Man Ch'ing style
Other Styles
Other
Relevant but doesn't fit any of the above.

China in general

Fenollosa, Ernest. The chinese written character as a medium for poetry. City Lights. 1968. ISBN:0-87286-014-0
this is apparently a controversial book. Nontheless I found it instructive in looking at the Chinese language.
Gernet, Jacques. tr. J. R. Foster A History of Chinese civilization. Cambridge University Press 1982 ISBN:0-521-24130-8
A generic history. Amazon.com reference
Veith, Ilza. The Yellow Emperor's Classic of Internal Medicine Univ. of California Press 1972 ISBN: 0520021584
NO , I haven't read the whole thing, but it is interesting.
Henessey, Mark Cheng Man-ch'ing Master of the Five Excellences Frog Ltd. 195 ISBN 1-88319-03-x
This is a mixed book. It gives an interesting perspective on Cheng man-ch'ing as an entire person, BUT there are a LOT of typos and it makes me question the validity of the translations. Amazon.com reference
Larsen, Jeanne Silk Road Fawcett, ISBN 0449905233
A novel, but such fun. Taoist and Buddhist deities bickering over the lives of people in T'ang China.
Larsen, Jeanne Bronze Mirror Fawcett, ISBN 044990671X
By the same author as the above, a little later "real" history. How the Yellow Emperor ignored karma t his own peril....

Chinese Philosophy

Chan, Wing-Tsit A Source Book in Chinese Philosophy. Princeton University Press, 1963
Graham, A.C. Disputers of the Tao: philsophical argument in ancient China. Open Court 1993 ISBN:0-8126-9088-5

Taoism

January 11, 1999:
Please also visit the Annex.

I'm indexing these by translator. Chan also has translations of all of the Tao Te Ching and parts of Chuang Tzu.

Texts

Cleary, Thomas. Wen Tzu: Understanding the Mysteries Shambala 1991 ISBN: 0-87773-62-9

Gibbs, Tam Lao Tzu: My words are easy to understand. North Atlantic 1981 ISBN:0-913028-911-6

Graham, A. C. Chuang-Tzu The Inner Chapters Mandala, 1986 ISBN:0-04-29013-0

Merton, Thomas The Way of Chuang Tzu New Directions 1969 ISBN:0-8112-0103-1

Wong, Eva Cultivating Stillness Shambala 1992 ISBN:0-87773-687-1

Commentary

Hoff, Benjamin. The Te of PigletPenguin, 1992 ISBN:01402.3016.5

The sequel to The Tao of pooh . If you liked that you'll enjoy this and vice versa.

Smullyan, Raymond. The Tao is Silent Harper, 1977 ISBN:0060674695

The author of What is the Name of This Book presents his personal view of Taoism. It's fun to watch a logician talk about the Name which cannot be Named.

T'ai chi ch'uan

Man-ch'ing Cheng T'ai Ch Ch'uan : A Simplified Method of Calisthenics for Health and Self Defense North Atlantic, 1981 ISBN 0-913028-85-1

The basic introduction to the CMC version of the Yang short form.

Man-ch'ing Cheng Cheng Tzu's Thirteen treatises on T'ai Chi Ch'uan (tr. Ben Lo and Martin Inn) North Atlantic, 1985 ISBN 0-938190-45-8

the graduate course.

Ben Lo, Martin Inn, Robert Amacker, Susan Foe The Essence of T’ai Chi Ch’uan North Atlantic, 1985 ISBN 0-913028-63-0

The canonical translation of the Classics.

Chen Wei-Ming T’ai Chi Ch’uan Ta Wen tr. Ben Lo, Robert Smith. North Atlantic 1985 ISBN 0-938190-67-9

Questions and answers from a T’ai Chi brother of Cheng Man-ch’ing.

Kuo Lien-Ying The T'ai Chi Boxing Chronicle tr. by Guttman. North Atlantic 1994 ISBN 1-55643-177-5

A strange book. I find chapter sub-hreadings like "The 72 essential terms of t'ai chi boxing" a little off-putting, but there are some interesting alternative translations and interpretations of the classics.

Does anyone know who Guttman is?

Added Nov 15, 2000: Mr. (Gordon) Guttman was kind enough to send e-mail and say he has "spent almost three decades researching, practicing, and studying the profound body art of T'ai Chi Ch'uan."

Arieh Lev Breslow, Beyond the Closed Door: Chinese Culture and the Creation of T'ai Chi Ch'uan Almond Blossom Press, 1995 IBN0-9644730-0-3

I found the first half a little boring, as I alread knew a little bit about Taoism and Confucianism. The second half ties it in nicely with t'ai chi.

The Library Annex

Recommendations by other folks

Opinions expressed here are personal and do not reflect the views of PlanetCAD, Inc.

Last Updated Dec 5, 2001
Copyright © Pierre Malraison All rights reserved.

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