ON THE
Bookshelf
History of an Enigma While most books come and go, a few remain as true classics of human expression. Of these, only a handful can trace their roots as deeply as the “I Ching,” which dates back at least 3,000 years. Smith’s historical survey traces the evolution of the “I Ching” in China and throughout the world, explaining the book’s complex structure, its manifold uses in different cultures and its enduring appeal. He shows how the indigenous beliefs and customs of Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Tibet “domesticated” the text, and he reflects on whether this Chinese classic can be compared to religious books such as the Bible or the Qur’an. Smith also looks at how the “I Ching” came to be published in dozens of languages. An entry in Princeton University Press’ the Lives of Great Religious Bo ok s s er ie s, “T he I C h i ng: A Biog raphy” i s w r it ten pr i m a r i ly for the nonspecialist and offers an unparalleled look at an enigmatic ancient classic that has become a global phenomenon.
Even ven more amazing than its antiquity and central place in Chinese culture is the continuing impact of the “I Ching” on the modern world. Its philosophical, sociological and psychological insights have attracted and influenced admirers in the West ranging from writers and artists to philosophers, businesspeople and politicians. As with all books of similar antiquity, the genesis of the “I Ching” is obscured by the veils of time. But that hasn’t stopped Richard Smith, Rice’s George and Nancy Rupp Professor of Humanities, from attempting to unearth its development across the centuries. In his latest book on the subject, “The I Ching: A Biography” (Princeton University Press, 2012), Smith tells the extraordinary story of how this cryptic and once obscure book became one of the most widely read and extensively analyzed texts in all of world literature.
— Christopher Dow
“Prayer and Parable: Stories,” by Paul Maliszewski ’91 (Fence Books, 2011).
“To Free a Family: The Journey of Mary Walker,” by Sydney Nathans ’62, professor emeritus of history at Duke University (Harvard University Press, 2012). —Publishers Weekly starred review
“Going Back to Galveston: Nature, Funk and Fantasy in a Favorite Place,” by Jimmie Killingsworth; photographs by Geoff Winningham ’65, professor of visual and dramatic arts at Rice (Texas A&M University Press, 2011).
“Sex Cells: The Medical Market for Eggs and Sperm,” by Rene Almeling ’98, assistant professor of sociology at Yale University (University of California Press, 2011).
“Translating Nature into Art: Holbein, the Reformation, and Renaissance Rhetoric,” by Jeanne Nuechterlein ’93, senior lecturer of history of art at the University of York (The Pennsylvania State University Press, 2011).
Rice Magazine
•
No. 13
•
2012
45