Michael Nylan

Some excellent chapters; some chapters less so, but a good go-to book for information on Confucius (Kongzi) and his followers. Liberally sprinkled with quotes from Confucius, which I liked, and the references to recommended reading and other sources were very helpful. This is not a book for the general reader, however as some will surely find the approach of examining Confucius' life from different perspectives repetitive and too academic. The best chapters are the early ones on Kongzi and show more his life as recorded in Sima Qian's Shiji (Chapters 1-3) and as culled from The Analects themselves. Additional chapters cover his disciples, critics, and the evolution and development of the 'cult' of Confucius. Another chapter covers the history of the Kong clan and details of the official ceremony honouring him. The book closes with an examination of Confucian thought in today's world.

This would be a very good beginning book for any serious student of Chinese history or philosophy, and was probably the book's intended audience. Casual readers beware. show less

An interesting intellectual history of one of the world's great thinkers and how he and his ideas have been viewed over the past 2500 years. At times the authors leave out key facts and at other times they repeat themselves too much. At times the book is soporific, at other times fascinating.

But, especially in the last chapter, it becomes clear why this great figure is not only of historical importance, but critical to understanding the world today.