Review of The Life and Words of Confucius

[Patel Khushi Manishbhai]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Life and Words of Confucius" by Raymond K. Li.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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The book began with a brief history of China in the spring-autumn period so that the reader could get a sense of the social, economic, and political context. Thus, it also helped me understand the significance of Confucius's teaching and its impact on ancient Chinese society. The most prominent example was when he accepted students from all backgrounds, while other scholars only took students from strong financial backgrounds. The book is divided into three parts and consists of fourteen chapters.

The author was well aware that the material might overwhelm some readers. Thus, in the beginning, the readers are advised to go through the book paragraph by paragraph. I had to take a few days to finish the book, but it was worth every second. While I had read the Analects, this book helped clarify what I had previously misunderstood in The Analects. The vocabulary and overall writing were easy to understand. The concept of te (virtue) in Buddhism, though a bit complex, was explained simply as a metaphor for completing the journey from kindergarten to a PhD. Similar metaphors and modern-day examples were used throughout the book, which made it more relevant to the common man. The book covered almost all topics with regards to Confucius and fully satisfied my curiosity. My favourite part is the conversation between Duke Jing and Yan Ying. The Duke asks Yan what a ruler should be afraid of when ruling a country. The answer Yan Ying gave is still relevant in modern politics today. 

I did not find anything to dislike in the book. The work was also professionally edited, with no errors that I could spot. 

I recommend The Life and Words of Confuscius to readers interested in knowing more about Confuscius. However, if you want a fast-paced book, then this is not for you. This book requires readers to be slow and steady. Considering all the above arguments, I rate this book five out of five stars.

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The Life and Words of Confucius
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