China's art objects and traditionally manufactured products have long been sought by collectors—from porcelains and silk fabrics to furniture and even the lacquered chopsticks that are a distant relation to ones found in most Chinese restaurants. Things Chinese presents sixty distinctive items that are typical of Chinese culture and together open a special window onto the people, history, and society of the world's largest nation. Many of the objects are collectibles, and each has a story to tell.
The objects relate to six major areas of cultural life: the home, the personal, arts & crafts, eating & drinking, entertainment, and religious practice. They include items both familiar and unfamiliar—from snuff bottles and calligraphy scrolls to moon cake molds and Mao memorabilia. Ronald Knapp's evocative text describes the history, cultural significance, and customs relating to each object, while Michael Freeman's superb photographs illustrate them. Together, text and photographs offer a unique look at the material culture of China and the aesthetics that inform it.
Ronald G. Knapp has been carrying out field research in China's countryside on cultural and historical geography since 1965. Currently SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the State University of New York, New Paltz, he is the author or editor of more than a dozen books, including, most recently, Chinese Houses of Southeast Asia: The Eclectic Architecture of Sojourners and Settlers and Chinese Bridges: Living Architecture from China's Past; and Chinese Houses: The Architectural Heritage of a Nation. He is co-editor with Kai-Yin Lo of House Home Family: Living and Being Chinese.
Michael Freeman specializes in reportage and in modern design and architecture. One of Smithsonian magazine's principal photographers for more than three decades, he has photographed extensively in Asia and has produced 117 books. Among these are Angkor: The Hidden Glories ("A remarkable book, a superb evocation." —Wall Street Journal); the award-winning Japan Modern; Things Japanese; Things Thai; Spirit of Asia; In the Oriental Style; and China Contemporary, among many others. Freeman's books on photography are international bestsellers, with two million copies sold, and have been published in twenty languages.
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评分对于我这种文化背景较为单一的读者来说,这本书提供了一个绝佳的“他者”视角,让我得以跳出固有的思维定势,以一种全新的、更具包容性的眼光去理解复杂的人类文明。它没有预设立场,也没有过度的褒贬,而是以一种近乎人类学家的冷静和好奇心,去解构和重塑我脑海中的既有认知。书中关于文化交流与碰撞的部分尤其发人深省,展示了不同思想体系是如何相互影响、相互塑造的。这不仅仅是一本关于某个特定地域的书,它更像是一部关于人类如何建构意义、如何面对差异的通用指南。读完后,我感到自己的视野被极大地拓宽了,对于“理解”这个行为本身有了更深一层的敬畏。
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评分我是一个对语言风格要求比较高的人,很多非虚构作品读起来总觉得缺少了点“文采”。但这本读下来,我真是被作者的文字功力折服了。他的句子充满了韵律感,时而磅礴大气,如长江大河奔腾不息;时而又婉约含蓄,如同山间清泉涓涓细流。这种语言上的张弛有度,让原本可能枯燥的历史陈述充满了生命力。我发现自己常常会因为某个特别精妙的措辞而反复品味,甚至想把它抄写下来。这种文学性和知识性的完美结合,实属罕见。它证明了,即便是在探讨严肃的主题时,也完全可以拥有优美的表达方式,完全不需要牺牲深度去换取表面的流畅。
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