The Dragon and the Foreign Devils

January 29, 2007
The challenges for China change—Mongol horse archers in the 13th century, European gunboats in the 19th—but the response remains remarkably steady in this engaging survey of Chinese foreign relations. Historian Gelber (Opium, Soldiers and Evangelicals
) takes a cyclical view of Chinese history. From ancient times, he contends, dynasties underwent patterns of population growth, governmental decay caused by bureaucratic sclerosis and inept emperors (exacerbated by overmighty concubines and court eunuchs), and outside military pressure. This led to chaos and conquest until a new strongman restored order. As crises and foreign incursions come and go, China's insular Confucian culture remains, and so does the sense of cultural superiority—symbolized by the prostration ritual called the kowtow,loathed by Western ambassadors—that enables China to neutralize outside influences. Even the current Communist regime, Gelber argues, is in many ways a traditional imperial dynasty, with foreign policy interests similar to those of the past. The author also assesses China's shifting image in foreign eyes, as either a model of sophisticated order or a cesspool of backward despotism. Gerber is a bit sketchy on the premodern period; his account comes into its own as a lucid, insightful narrative history of China's evolving place in the modern, Western-dominated world order. Maps.

June 1, 2007

"Longtime" LJ "reviewer Charles Hayford is a visiting scholar at Northwestern University and the author of" To the People: James Yen and Village China Video By Staff Understanding the Universe: An Introduction to Astronomy. (Great Courses® Science & Mathematics). 2d ed. 8 vols. color. 45 hrs. with books. Teaching Co., 4151 Lafayette Center Dr., Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151; 800-TEACH-12 (832-2412); www.library-teach12.com. 2007. DVD ISBN 1-59803-274-7. $229.95; upgrade from 1st ed., $149.95. ASTRONOMY

In a three-part, 96-lecture program on astronomy, Alex Filippenko (Univ. of California, Berkeley) employs photographs, charts, and animations, as well as live demonstrations with simple props, to discuss "Observing the Heavens," "Contents of the Universe," and "Cosmology: The Universe as a Whole." Each lecture covers a specific, narrowly defined topic and is meant to build on what came before, although the lectures are self-contained enough so that one can profitably skip around. The course begins with the fundamentalseclipses, seasons, rainbows, etc.and continues with descriptions and analyses of individual astronomical objects, phenomena, and principles. Filippenko knows his subject and knows how to present it in an interesting fashion. Clear illustrations, simple animations, and down-to-earth (pun intended) demos help to make complicated concepts clear. Some math is included, but it is not critical to following along. The eight volumes of course transcripts (an $85 extra) are well worth the money. They contain glossaries, outlines, and an extensive bibliography. Highly recommended for individuals or as the basis for a college-level distance education (college-by-cassette) introduction to astronomy.Jay Schwartz, Suffolk Cty. Community Coll. Lib., Riverhead, NY

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