Read Chinese Today, a Walk Through San Francisco's Chinatown: Understanding Chinese Characters by Their Ancestral Forms With Photographs And Map (Chinese Edition) [Paperback]

Ping-Gam Go (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0962311332 | ISBN-13: 978-0962311338 | Publication Date: October 30, 1992 | Edition: 1st

The first of the Simplex Series, Read Chinese Today unveils the mystery of Chinese writing by providing and describing the historical pictograph for each character, thus aiding the reader to identify, learn and memorize Chinese characters. This compact book is a perfect introductory book for anyone interested in the Chinese language. It is suitable for young students learning Chinese in school programs as well as seasoned tourists and business travelers. A photographic survey of a walking tour through San Francisco s Chinatown, complete with a street map and full explanations of the signs, makes it easier to learn some of the most common Chinese characters. The heart of the book is the dictionary of 68 characters containing the ancestral pictograph, the traditional Chinese character, the definition with the explanation of the ancestral roots of the character, and cross-references to the Chinatown photo section. Dozens of practice exercises designed to help memorize the meanings of the signs.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ping-gam Go, who descended from the Fukien province in China, was born in Java, Indonesia. He traveled abroad for his education, earning degrees in physics and mathematics from the University of Amsterdam and post-graduate degrees in geology from Imperial College of Science & Technology in London and Leyden University in Holland. Ping-gam Go worked for Elsevier Publishing Company in Amsterdam as a science editor on the English translations of all Nobel Prize lectures. The Nobel Foundation in Sweden recognized him for his work as editor and for his contributions to these translations.

Product Details

• Paperback: 64 pages
• Publisher: Simplex Publications; 1st edition (October 30, 1992)
• Language: Chinese
• ISBN-10: 0962311332
• ISBN-13: 978-0962311338
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,476,536 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #71 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Reference > Foreign Languages > Instruction > Chinese

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read Chinese Today: A walk through San Francisco's Chinatown, August 14, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Read Chinese Today, a Walk Through San Francisco's Chinatown: Understanding Chinese Characters by Their Ancestral Forms With Photographs And Map (Chinese Edition) (Paperback)

This small book is perfect for studying Chinese characters in their "natural setting." There are 3 sections in the book. The first section describes the common Chinese characters you will encounter on a stroll through San Francisco's Chinatown. The ancestral forms of the characters are discussed, which helps me remember the symbol. The meanings of the individual symbols, as well as the meaning of the characters as used together, is discussed. At the end of this first section is a map of Chinatown, which includes the location of where the photographs were taken. The second section is a b&w photo album showing the Chinese characters and the buildings they are found on. A questionaire is provided for each photo which is designed to be filled in during an actual field excursion. The last section is a dictionary with 68 characters, including the ancestral form, a definition, a brief description of the word's origin, and which photos (in the second section) include the symbol.

I can already recognize several characters without trying hard. The only problem is that the stroke order isn't provided. You don't need to visit Chinatown to learn from this book, but I sure look forward to going there after I study the book for a couple months. I think that a visit to any Chinatown would be enhanced by reading this book beforehand.