Customer Reviews

Historical Dictionary of Taoism

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The Historical Dictionary series published by Scarecrow Press includes some very fine works. Perhaps the best two are W. H. (Hew) McLeod's volume on Sikhism and this one by Julian F. Pas in cooperation with Man Kam Leung on Taoism. As a single volume desk-top quick reference it is unsurpassed. Pas utilizes his well-honed skills as a bibliographer to guide the reader through basic terms, concepts, and eras toward the works in which they are presented or treated in more detail. Illustrations, charts, and bits of calligraphy are few but well selected. A user-friendly and reliable guide.

The book is unparalleled in a Western language. As it is intended for the serious researcher i do regret it does not carry one single Chinese character. It also could have included more on Chinese Traditional Medicine, as there is a growing interest in the West, and as the knowledge about Chinese medicine is still extremely limited, mainly due to the fact that most practitioners do not know Chinese, neither the spoken language, nor the classical Writings. If anybody reading this can inform me about a practioner knowledgeable in Chinese language it would be very kind if you could let me know. The author seems to have very extensive practical and academic knowledge of Taoism. Greetings in de Dao,

Fang YuQing