Customer Reviews

The I Ching or Book of Changes: A Guide to Life's Turning Points

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The I Ching, an oracle that has guided many Chinese for the last three thousand years, is a challenge to the Western mind. We understand things through causes, but the I Ching operates apparently in an acausal or synchronistic way causing Westerners who consult it to be frankly often astonished at the uncanny coincidence between the question asked and the answer received. C G Jung was himself vastly impressed with it and wrote the foreword to Princeton's Bollingen Series edition of the work. But that edition, like so many others, is so complex, confusing and unintelligible that I have often thought the oracle worked by means of the very confusion, by the presentation of an amorphous surface upon which our subconscious mind projects the intuited answer - much like divination through tea leaves, wax droppings, clouds, swirled wine, smoke, mirrors, crystal balls or the innards of slaughtered sheep. Walker's translation or paraphrase or simplification, call it what you will, belies that. Gone is the obscurity and illiteracy; and still one may find the same uncanny results. The Western mind will have to ponder on to solve the secret. In Walker's work the essential meaning of the 64 hexagrams and of each of their 6 possible "changing lines" is clearly presented in less than two short pages per hexagram. A three-page introduction, a page and a half of instructions, and a chart of the hexagrams (conveniently repeated at the end) complete the book in the simplest fashion possible. There are no complex explanations or theorizing, no history, no multiplication of commentaries, and no cheapening adaptations. Production values are high; the color and quality of the cover and the paper stock are excellent. There may be hundreds of versions of this book, but of the several dozen I have seen, this is the best text for a combination of beauty, fluency, clarity, fidelity to the original, and facility of use.

I'm sad I had to find this book at [a local store] before I saw it here! (This book didn't come up in my Amazon searches for "I Ching" when I searched the first time.)

In any case, I first encountered this book at my local library while doing some general browsing. For someone who had not previously studied the I Ching before, it was easy, accessible, and devoid of any difficult esoteric philosophies to comb through while utilizing this absolutely valuable tool. If you are looking for a great, simple book to begin your education in the I Ching, I absolutely recommend this book. With this book and three cents, you have the keys to the wisdom of the universe!

(An exageration, perhaps, but the book is THAT easy to grasp and use. At the same time, it's THAT profound. Use the I Ching's wisdom, or ignore it--at your peril.)

Okay, I'll admit it. I've tried several times over the years to understand the traditional translations of the I Ching, like the Wilhelm/Baynes. Frankly, they're much too steeped in ancient Chinese cultural thinking for me to understand. And I think I'm a pretty smart fellow.

Brian Browne Walker's translation is amazing. I find it to be a tremendously helpful oracle. The wisdom contained in this translation is a great testament to Walker, and of course to the ancient Chinese authors.

This book has helped me countless times. It never ceases to be an aid to me in times of confusion. I'm not sure *how* it works--but it does! This is one of the most helpful books I own.

This was my first I Ching book. I bought it having no idea what it was. I was bored, yet longing at the same time. So, I figured I would purchase an Eastern Philosophy book.

I grew to love the readings and found them to apply very closely to my days at large. I would carry the book with me all day and read my daily 'reading'. I was amazed at how easy it was to read and how well it related to life.

After a while I decided I wanted to expand my knowledge of the I Ching. I bought a number of other books. They were more literal interpretations. I found them all to be lacking spirit, though. And, I returned to Walker's book.

Even for the skeptical and practical, the sixty-four readings flow like prose and offer a spring-board for healthy self-examination and awareness. Thank you, Brian!

Of the books I have reviewed, this book is by far the most "user friendly" to a beginner. Mr. Walker's book is a great starter on the journey towards studying and achieving a deeper understanding of the I Ching... one that won't scare the reader off at the outset.

I purchased this book several months ago based on the Customer Reviews. It has had a profound effect on my life.Its answers are consistently amazing, deep,nuanced response to my situation. Thanks to the reviewers who took the time to respond--but a special thanks to Brian Browne Walker.

I, too, collect translations of the I Ching, and this one is my personal favorite. It flows like the water. Spare, elegant prose --- a joy to read.

For over a year I've been practicing the spirtual beliefs of the I Ching through this book, and I've yet to find a better translation of it's teachings. Frustrating as the teachings are (in that they are so simple, plain, and seemingly obvious), once you begin to cultivate the teachings, you cultivate the superiors in yourself, and as long as you follow the path of the Sage, you will see the change in yourself, and thusly, the change in your environment and those around you.

This is the only translation of the I Ching available which is easy to understand. Whether reading this because it is a classic Chinese text or because you are using it as an oracle, this is the one to buy.

This is a good edition for more logical and straightforward people.
The interpretations are not always very well-rounded, but it can be a good introduction to the I Ching.