Tales of the Dancing Dragon

September 1, 2007
The title and promotional literature imply that this is a book of folktales. While folklore is certainly an element, Wong ("Tales of the Taoist Immortals; Teachings of the Tao") here offers more a history of Taoism in China as conveyed through mystical legend and intermixed with actual events and people. Arranged chronologically by dynasty, the text traces the fate and development of the Taoist philosophy through periods of ascendance, decay, change, political intrigue, and spiritual renewal, emphasizing both Taoism's effect on history and history's effect on Taoism. The narrative is well written, but as it is best suited to students and researchers, it would have benefited from a few additions: an index and a bibliography, a time line of the dynasties involved, a basic definition of Taoism for the uninitiated, captions and attributions for the black-and-white illustrations (not seen in the review copy), and a less abrupt ending that might give some indication of how Taoism has developed since 1912, the end of the Qing dynasty. This book is recommended for comparative religion and Asian studies collections at all levels or where interest warrants.Katherine Koenig, Ellis Sch., Pittsburgh

Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.