Cheng Man-ch’ing (1902–1975)—also romanized as Zheng Manqing— certainly played a lead role in popularizing tai chi ch'uan throughout the world and greatly influencing the way the art is perceived and practiced. This fact alone should drive all those interested in tai chi to study the man’s history and thought. There is a huge body of writings and video representations of Cheng’s tai chi theory and practice. Unfortunately, much of the available content actually obscures Cheng’s message. The result is that Cheng and his role in tai chi evolution are often not fully understood and faulty conclusions are made. A further result is that many feel either enlightened with what they believe to be true, or they become even more perplexed in who Cheng was as a human and what his tai chi truly embodied. The chapters in this anthology contain rare information about Professor Cheng not available elsewhere, except in their originally published formats in the Journal of Asian Martial Arts. Most of the articles in the journal were written in an academic style, limiting their acceptance from the general public, which is typically interested in the more accessible popular writing styles. Of course the content here deals not only with the complexities of tai chi theory and practice, but does so in a thick weave of historical and cultural threads. We are republishing the journal articles in book format so all with a sincere interest in tai chi history, theory, and practice can benefit from the content, particularly those interested in the Cheng Man-ch’ing tradition. Each author is uniquely qualified for producing some of the highest-quality writings in this specialized area.

"Bruce Frantzis demystifies the fundamental principles of chi gung and provides a comprehensive exercise program with detailed illustrations to increase life energy, improve health, boost sports performance, and combat stress and aging."--Provided by Publisher.

In this vivid, contemporary translation, Victor Mair captures the quintessential life and spirit of Chuang Tzu while remaining faithful to the original text.

A comprehensive anthology of Chinese poetry from the 12th century B.C. to the present. "This magnificent collection has the effect of a complete library rather than of an anthology of poetry.... A lyric quality comes through into our own language... Every page is alive with striking and wonderful things, immediately accessible." -- Publishers Weekly "Sunflower Splendor is the largest and, on the whole, best anthology of translated Chinese poems to have appeared in a Western language." -- The New York Times Book Review "This remarkably fine anthology should remain standard for a long time." -- Library Journal ..". excellent translations by divers hands. Open to any page and listen to the still, sad music... " -- Washington Post Bookworld

Millions of people worldwide practice t’ai chi, the most popular form of which was codified beginning in the 1960s by Cheng Man Ch’ing. In this scholarly yet practical book, Professor Cheng shows precisely how the postures and moves of t’ai chi work, with examples from anatomy and physics, both internally as energetic principles and externally on opponents. He clarifies the spheres, triangles, and centripetal and centrifugal forces within physical exchanges such as push-hands. Contrasting Western and Chinese techniques of healing, he also explores the relationships of organs to one another in pathology and the necessary dynamics of treatment. Professor Cheng explains how the practitioner may serve as his or her own doctor and, likewise, as the physician or trainer of an attacker. The martial arts, he says, are not a special case of unusual power, simply an aspect of adapting natural and cosmic law to circumstance. This edition of the classic text contains 13 major essays; oral secrets from Cheng’s teacher Yang Cheng’fu; a Q&A with commentary on martial arts classics; the author’s application and functions of each of the 37 postures of the short form, with the original photographs of him as a young man; two prefaces; and much more.

-- Burton Watson

“The Joy Luck Club is one of my favorite books. From the moment I first started reading it, I knew it was going to be incredible. For me, it was one of those once-in-a-lifetime reading experiences that you cherish forever. It inspired me as a writer and still remains hugely inspirational.” —Kevin Kwan, author of Crazy Rich Asians Amy Tan’s beloved, New York Times bestselling tale of mothers and daughters, now the focus of a new documentary Amy Tan: Unintended Memoir on Netflix Four mothers, four daughters, four families whose histories shift with the four winds depending on who's "saying" the stories. In 1949 four Chinese women, recent immigrants to San Francisco, begin meeting to eat dim sum, play mahjong, and talk. United in shared unspeakable loss and hope, they call themselves the Joy Luck Club. Rather than sink into tragedy, they choose to gather to raise their spirits and money. "To despair was to wish back for something already lost. Or to prolong what was already unbearable." Forty years later the stories and history continue. With wit and sensitivity, Amy Tan examines the sometimes painful, often tender, and always deep connection between mothers and daughters. As each woman reveals her secrets, trying to unravel the truth about her life, the strings become more tangled, more entwined. Mothers boast or despair over daughters, and daughters roll their eyes even as they feel the inextricable tightening of their matriarchal ties. Tan is an astute storyteller, enticing readers to immerse themselves into these lives of complexity and mystery.