Customer Reviews

The Laws of Change: I Ching and the Philosophy of Life

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This book is the best I Ching if you want in depth discussions of what the hexagrams and lines really mean. I own several different versions and in most of them there's only a paragraph or a few sentences. I'm always left wanting more. In this version everything is made very clear and it makes the book even more relevant to my life. There's also a great discussion of lots of different ways to cast the hexgrams, more than in any other book I've seen. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who uses the I Ching on a regular basis.

This is a wonderfully realised English translation of the ancient bronze age divinatory tool, the I Ching. Mr. Balkin, a careful writer who renders crisp yet meaningful prose, has given modern thinkers a true gift in this book. 'The Laws of Change' strikes a poetic balance between the Wilhelm/Baynes edition and some of the accessible recent versions. It's easier to get into than the Wilhelm/Baynes and much deeper in its wisdom than its competition.

What's particularly well done is Balkin's well thought out commentary on the lines, which, though retaining a level of unconscious symbolism for a unique interpretation, give a pracitical, useful approach to understanding situations. I found myself wishing the author was my uncle or grandfather -- that I could probe his mind for answers to some of my life's toughest issues!

This is an I Ching for people wishing to do better in their organizations, for understanding how best to deal with complex and difficult social/business situations, and for making personal decisions with far-reaching affects. It's also quite good if you're like me and are still trying to learn how the world really works. As the author says, "You should not be afraid of the changes that you want to make." (Thanks, Mr. Balkin, for reinvigorating the resolve to make important changes. Your respect for this ancient text is clearly shown and helpful to all.)

K.M. McKay

First of all, this is not a "translation" from the Chinese but a clear interpretive reworking of the text of Wilhelm/Baynes (with a nod to Blofeld) informed by the most recent scholarship and decades of personal use. It's a book for those who use the Yi for divination or for the study of its philosophy rather than for scholars. After a solid no-nonsense review of the Yi's historical origins and a summary of the philosophy that informs it, Balkin leads the reader through each hexagram with a text that follows the Wilhelm/Baynes version but includes a commentary that makes clear what the Baynes translation sometimes leaves muddled. Yes, there are even footnotes referring some of the key phrases back to their Chinese originals with variant readings. Jack Balkin is a Professor of Constitutional Law at Yale, not an occultist or a writer looking for a quick buck with an I Ching knockoff. This is a true labor of love and the fact that it's being remaindered with no paperback yet in sight is a real tragedy. Grab this book while it's still available in its beautifully produced hardcover edition. It doesn't deserve to become another lost classic.

This is probably the best introduction to the I Ching, and for the average person, the best all around version of the I Ching available in English.

If you like the old Wilhelm-Baynes translation, you will like Balkin's. It is both clear and poetic. The best feature of this book is the extensive commentaries on the hexagrams and the line statements. They delve into the symbolism of the I Ching and explain its moral teachings. This book is full of profound wisdom and practical common sense. It is also beautifully written.

There are several good translations of the I Ching available today, like the Wilhelm-Baynes and Alfred Huang's. But neither of them has practical commentaries on how to apply the book to everyday life situations that compare to Balkin's. And Balkin's takes account of recent historical findings that they don't. In fact, just for the commentaries alone this book would probably be a good supplement to any translation you currently own.

This is not a scholarly translation like Richard John Lynn's, which is not that easy for the beginner or the casual user to understand. At the same time, it is much more accurate, informative, and sophisticated than the dozens of popular versions of the I Ching that are being sold these days. It has lots of information about the historical origins and symbolism of the I Ching and the different ways to cast the hexagrams.

If you want something clear and comprehensive, with lots of historical detail and really good commentaries, Balkin's is the one to get. It is the best way to get in touch with the wisdom of this famous oracle.

Finding meaning in life experience is possible. There are Universal Laws in nature that have application to the evolution of man's consciousness that can be apprehended. If we are lucky, we discover information that changes the way we look at life and ourselves by teaching us the fundamental truths that make up Universal Law.

The I Ching is such a body of information and Jack Balkin's translation ranks high as a scholarly work, of a peer with Thomas Cleary. The work is unique by way of filtration through a lawyer's mind, adding razor-sharp insight into the meaning of the text.

After 23 years of studying the I Ching and with a collection of almost all the English translations available, I refer to Balkin's translation ninety percent of the time.

The Laws of Change is a priceless treasure! Thank you, Jack Balkin!

Jack Balkin is a smart guy. However, the more I study his book (side-by-side with other commentaries) the more I realize what a fraud it is. Most of his commentaries are so general they would be good advice for any situation ("Don't let yourself be controlled by your doubts and fears"), and he provides few new insights and sometimes leaves you scratching your head. For instance, he writes in his judgment for 57.1 "Indecisiveness and vacillation will achieve nothing now"--as opposed to all the other times when indecisiveness and vacillation achieve so much.
The problem with Balkin's book is in its premise: he is going to do the work, and all we have to do as readers is reap the benefits. Perhaps a better name for this book would be Jack Balkin's Instant I Ching; just pop it in the microwave, and in a matter of seconds, you too can experience the benefits of the oracle. But the benefit of the Changes is in the journey; there is no ultimate destination. The benefit is in development. No one can do the work for you, and any time anyone attempts to save you the trouble (Balkin, Anthony, Wing), you do end up with something so incredibly general that it vanishes like a snowflake on your tongue the moment you try to assimilate it and really examine it closely.
This book is a reflection of Jack Balkin's journey. It comes out of his understanding of the oracle and his work. He supplies very little support for his ideas, gives only a single possible line of interpretation, and therefore his work cannot not lead to growth for anyone other than him. This is a coffee table I Ching, great for parties: you never have to struggle over another interpretation--the work has been done for you--but it will never render the answers meant specifically for you.
There are no short-cuts, and I can't imagine that anyone who is serious about studying the Classic of Change would have any other reaction to this book than a baffled shaking of his/her head.

This is the best version of the I Ching for modern readers if they're looking for an in depth explanation of each hexagram and each moving line. I have cross checked it extensively with several other translations and I find that there is no other author who so completely captures the spirit and the letter of each of the 64 gua and the moving lines. Along with each hexagram you will also see a convenient list of alternative names or "images" for the gua in question. This is a book that belongs on the shelf of any dedicated I Ching scholar or enthusiast. As valid for divination as it is for scholarly research.

I've used the I Ching for nearly 40 years and this is the very best version and commentaries I've ever found. I am just delighted to see it back in print! Jack Balkin adds an intuitive feel for human psychology, along with the clear and concise mind of an accomplished legal scholar to the ancient wisdom of the book. The result is a remarkably useful volume. This is the very best of the many translations and versions I have used. I highly recommend this book, and wish for more stars to give it here.

Jack M Balkin's "The Laws of Change: I Ching and the Philosophy of Life," is a well researched, clearly written, pragmatic interpretation of the I-Ching. As a novice student of the I-Ching, I find Balkin's explanations of the Hexagrams both rich and thoughtful. His introduction to working with the I-Ching is thorough. The Laws of Change is a great resource for those individuals seeking wisdom from this ancient, Taoist Oracle.

Faithful to the readability of Baynes but also acknowledges recent scholarship. Does not provide calligraphy of chinese characters and does not provide much in the way of folk history of hexagrams. I have great nostalgia for Baynes but really appreciate the insights in Alfred Huang's translation (despite his audacious claim of completeness in his subtitle.) This translation falls somewhere in the middle.