Book of Changes - The Original Core of the I Ching Paperback – May 7, 2015

It took a little while before I felt I could review this book as it took a little effort to determine how good this translation is. There are already so many out there and they are all different. I have always liked John Blofeld's but I have several other. As LBC cynically points out "if they are all different, how can they be right?"It took some time getting used to completely new concepts for several of the hexagram texts. I can honestly say that I never felt that I understood "The Well" (48), "Abundance" (55) or hexagram 19 which some has named "Approach", but it is nice to finally see the meaning of these three because I was beginning to doubt there was any. I have had a similar understanding as LBC with many other hexagrams, but the lines seem to be very clear on many details that I have not taken into consideration before. In other hexagrams the meaning is similar to other translations but I like the flow and I agree it is coherent.I don't read Chinese but I find it reassuring that the translation is so transparent. It is easy to see that hexagram 9 and 26 are correctly named in this translation, because that's obviously what's in the dictionaries. And reading the comments I find it both refreshing and plausible when LBC claims that the woman in hexagram 38 is divorced!The chapters about the history, principles etc. are very interesting. Some of it you can find in other books like Richard Rutt's and Ed. Shaughnessy's, but there are ideas here I never came across before - for example in the way the yarrow sticks method is explained. Also the conclusions LBC makes about trigrams and hexagrams were very interesting, and new, to me.I read on the homepage for the book that a paperback is coming shortly. I'll stick with the kindle on my iPad though, I like the links to the hexagrams. My old Blofeld is hardly hanging together anymore, e-books don't wear and tear.I use the I Ching often, to organize my thoughts, so to speak. This translation might just be the one I keep working with.

For some time I've realized that the I Ching is not so simple to translate. Many years ago I read the Wilhelm/Baynes translation and it was extremely fascinating. Since then I've read 30+ other translations. Some of them have been with me for a while but many were simply ridiculous. And the author of this book is right; it is shameful that the existing translations are so different from each other.That has previously been my biggest problem with the I Ching; there's been so much nonsense and so many inexplicable differences between translators' decisions.Anyways, in spite of the differences in my translations the text has seemed to open up to me over time and I felt for a while that I had come closer to understanding it.However, this new book, which I've just finished reading, has added a whole new perspective and I'm thrilled, and surprised, that I finally feel I can completely rely on a translation - 100%.Just about every subject of relevance is covered in the book and some ideas and conclusions are new to me. A lot of information is presented, but in a simple and clear language, and it is very well-documented.The translation itself is unusually transparent and the complete word list is packed with interesting explanations. The way every little part of the translation is explained in detail is very convincing because the details fits the overall picture of each hexagram.Sigh.... that's just the problem, now I have to let go of quite a few of my good old well-worn ideas of the hexagram lines. After all, I have gotten used to my own interpretations for many years now (I've used the I Ching since the seventies). But this translation is quite simply a revelation to me.There are two versions of the translation. One with documentation, and a much simpler one placed at the back of the book with only short interpretations added by the author. The simpler translation itself is very easy to read but the interpretations add a helpful perspective.This translation has renewed my interest in the I Ching and I warmly recommend it. I've read the Kindle version on my iPad Air.

The I Ching is often quite difficult to interpret due to translations that are cryptic, obtuse, and awkward in formulation. Also, the translators often seem to be interjecting their own biases into the text content. Due to these difficulties I have gathered a collection of several different translations, switching from one to the other when the one I initially used proved to be impossible to understand and apply to my situation. This translation seems to be more straightforward and objective. At least, even though I may still fail to understand how the message applies to me, I am more confidant that this is what the text is really saying. I will use this translation often in my studies of the I Ching.

This is the most clearly written and entertaining book on the I Ching I have ever read. IMHO the author shows a level of understanding and skill that surpasses what I've seen in any other works on this so often misunderstood classic. He has spared no detail to clarify his translation, and the net result is a book I'm sure I'll read and re-read for years to come. The translation is careful and clear, and the arguments for even the most controversial ideas -- there are quite a few -- are strong enough to make me follow along. The way the meaning of this very difficult classic is gradually revealed are sure to surprise you. I am impressed and I highly recommend this book to anyone with interest in I Ching or other Chinese classics. Love.

What 21' Century people should know about The chinese Book of Change

I have been using I Ching most of my adult life. I used, during a long period, using 3 different translations from different authors, comparing them to get the right meaning.This translation creates finally a synthesis that puts everything in order. And I no longer need 3 translations!THANKS, Lars Bo Christensen!

This book by Lars Bo Christensen was published in 2015 and I wish I'd bought it sooner. It's a joy to read, and to use. It's added so much to my understanding of the YiJing in a number of ways, and as such is a welcome addition to my collection of YiJing books. The book is so comprehensive yet so simply written.The author says his purpose for the book is to ‘make a well-founded description and translation of the Zhou Yi’, which is the earliest layer of the text which has come down to us as the YiJing. Along with that his aim is to show that the 64 hexagrams have paired meanings, that each hexagram follows an internal logic, that the collection of 64 has a logic to it too, and that these provide a guide and a coherence to translation and interpretation.The book is written in an easy-to-read style, so is very accessible. Once I'd started reading it I found it so engaging and the reading experience so flowing that I kept going until I'd read it all - a first for me when it comes to YiJing books. The work is self-published by the author, who has an MA in the Chinese language from the University of Copenhagen, and he has clearly lived and breathed the YiJing for a long time. He has given a huge amount of thought to what he wanted his book to include, and what he wanted to contribute to the field of YiJing study and divination.The history of the YiJing is very well covered, and even if history isn't your thing the author's explanations are written with a lightness and accessibility such that you never feel like you are having to trudge through the pages. On the contrary, it's probably the first time I've felt like I have been able to read enthusiastically about the YiJing's compilation and early forms of use. This is due to the author's writing style and his choices of what material to present and how to present it.He gives a delightful overview of the imagery from daily life contained in the Zhou Yi, and although the author writes in a matter-of-fact style my impression is that he clearly has a deep and abiding appreciation for, dare I say even a love of, the text he has been working with and the time and place in which it developed. Whilst there are oodles of plain facts and technical information in the book, this is far from a dry or turgid text and just as importantly it won't in the slightest make anyone feel it's beyond them. Throughout each chapter, no matter the topic, it's always an easy read, which makes it effortless and a pleasure.There are two versions of the author's translation: one is his translation with an extensive glossary and notes, more on which in a moment, and the other is his translation with his own short comments providing his take on the meanings of the hexagrams and lines. The latter is at the very back of the book, which makes consulting it very easy as it's always to hand. Also at the back are a look-up table for finding the hexagram number from the trigrams, a summary of the procedure for consulting the text, and instructions for using yarrow stalks and using coins.In the main translation section the author gives the Chinese text and then provides his translation beneath it. The downside here is there's no transliteration of the Chinese text into the English alphabet, presumably because the author thought this wouldn't be of use to non-Sinologists, but as a non-Sinologist who is interested in using the text for divination I'm very interested in the Chinese text, and although it's worthwhile learning the Chinese characters obviously takes much longer. Most translators consider that sometimes interpolations are necessary, and the author has clearly indicated his using square brackets. After providing his translation he gives a glossary specific to each hexagram of the non-frequently occurring characters, and at the end of the translation section there's a glossary of the most frequently occurring characters.In the glossaries there are transliterations of each word, so looking them up is easy for those of us who unfortunately don't read Chinese. But what's most valuable about his glossary entries are that he regularly explains his understanding of the hexagram's text, and why he's translated things the way he is. This really helps and yet most YiJing translators don't do it. I'd like to see it become standard. As with all YiJing translations there are differences between the author's translation and those of other authors. This is where explanations by the translator, rather than unexplained presentation of translations, are so beneficial, and this is one of the many strengths of this book, and one which I not only treasure for its clarity, but importantly for its practical usefulness when it comes to using the text for divination.There are so many subjects which the author addresses, it's almost a compendium. From records of historical divinations, to images of cooking pots and carts, to interpretational nuances, and more. Finally, there is an index, a list of works cited, and three appendixes. The author has clearly put so much thought into the sort of book he wanted to write, and has in my opinion added a comprehensive and extremely valuable work to the field, suitable for people who just want to divine but who want to do so with a more complete understanding of the divinatory text they're using, and for those who want to read about the text and its origins but aren't interested in divination.For me, the only drawback is that the book is in softback and I have a suspicion that my copy will eventually be so well thumbed that the cover might not last as long as I would wish!I highly recommend it.

This book is unique!I have known it on its way to publishing and I find it very true to the original text and the roots of the ancient wisdom.It is a thorough piece of work.A very useful book when you need to make wise decisions.Lisbeth Hultmann, author of ' The Power of the Voice'