"[A] profoundly wise and engaging collection of essays . . . While the pieces in The Argumentative Indian are, as one would expect, enjoyably erudite and full of intriguing insights, they are not written in academic language . . . The book is formed from a series of elegantly written historical and moral-philosophical essays which together cohere to form a single original argument: that India is and has always been 'a joint construction in which members of different communities were involved.'"—William Dalrymple, The New York Review of Books

"Gerth author of China Made: Consumer Culture and the Creation of the Nation, does much to redress the imbalance and to point out the potential influence of Chinese consumerism, not only on China but on the rest of the world. The book is both informative and entertaining. Although supported by input from published sources, the text is largely the result of insightful observations of the author, who lived, studied, and traveled extensively in China. The book draws parallels between expanding consumerism in China and corresponding developments in other countries such as the US. However, Gerth is careful in identifying unique aspects of China's embrace of domestic consumption. The book contains extensive source notes, readings, and Web sites for further investigation. The writing style is reader friendly and can be appreciated by a broad spectrum of readers who have even a passing interest in understanding the growing importance of China as a world power. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels."—W. C. Struning, emeritus, Seton Hall University, Choice

"Yamanaka's tortured characters take us through poles of illness and health, damnation and redemption, curses and prayers, and life and death in a dazzling display of language that reveals the author's roots as a poet . . . Yamanaka's dogged attention to details—particularly shards of beauty in the midst of terrible events—makes this novel wondrous and life-affirming even as it guides readers through the difficult territories of sickness, loss and death . . . Anah suffers many devastating words and events in the course of this novel. But in Behold the Many, one of our nation's most dynamic literary stylists forces us to stare wide-eyed into the pain until we can see the healing beauty hidden in its folds."—Tananarive Due, The Washington Post Book World

"Ma Jian has accomplished something extremely difficult. That is, he has created a work of art that functions simultaneously as literature and call to action . . . You wish that copies of this book could be distributed along the route of the Olympic torch's progress toward the upcoming Beijing games, an event that might not be taking place had the world not succumbed to the seductions of forgetfulness—the same dangers and temptations that Ma Jian's hero, and his novel, struggle so valiantly to resist."—Fracine Prose, The New York Review of Books

"George Thompson's new translation is a gift to teachers, students and seekers. The prose is lucid, lively, and admirably literal. The key metaphors are skillfully rendered, the core teachings precisely delineated; most important, the philosophical and spiritual radiance of the original shines through."—Carol Zaleski, Professor of World Religions, Smith College