A Brief History of Qi

A very detailed, but easy read. So enlightening!

One of the best books I've ever read on the subject. Excellent reading.

First of all, I must say that this book unquestioningly accomplishes what it set out to do, which is detail the historical evolution of qi. If you are unsure of the qi's nature and would like a little context as to its historical development, a bit on its philosophy and its applications, this book delivers. However, you will not find much depth here as it is an historical overview. It is effortless to discover starting points for further study in qi through the references used. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for anyone trying to understand qi. Now, there are several elements of this book that I did not care for. In fact, I found them downright irritating. First of all, quotations are seldom (if ever) documented. The text is named and a passage follows, but translator and page number are absent. You know where the information comes from only in a vague sense so there's no way to locate the original information. I would like to know which translation of the Dao Dejing is referenced as the Chapter 43 citation on page 155 is a terrible one. There is a bibliography on page 184, but no Dao Dejing is listed. Next, there are a lot of superfluous pictures and characters sprinkled about that don't seem to benefit the reader one bit. If you could read Chinese, perhaps you could double check the translation, but for the average audience to whom this book caters, this is lost. Next, the authors make very general assumptions that are not clarified. For example, one section explains that Leibniz and Bohr may have been influenced by the Dao Dejing (or was it the I Jing?), but no mention or evidence of how are listed. Also, they boast that qi dates back 10,000 years, but no citation is given to account for this. Lastly, the authors become dismissive at times towards western methods, especially concerning medicine. The tone seemed out of place and unnecessary. I guess what I would like to see is a second edition of this book that is chalked full of beefy endnotes that fill in the vague spaces and lead the reader directly to the pages from which the citations are lifted. If this were done, this book would become tremendously powerful and reach an even larger audience. I would like to see this book used as an undergraduate textbook someday, but as it stands, I could not see it used as such due to its academically sloppy presentation. As mentioned, this book really is wonderful at what it set out to accomplish. Regardless, all I can see when I look at it is how great it could be.

Qi/ki/chi/c'hi-- it is at the center of so many aspects of Chinese philosophy/religion/ethical/moral/cultural-- of everything. I have personally been seeking the definition of Qi from a martial arts standpoint, taken years to formulate my own definition and understanding--and this book has done a tremendous job of condensing an infinitely complex concept and given it a conceptual framework. Well and clearly written, this book explores the origins of the term 'Qi' in Chinese history, and explores this concept throughout a number of aspects of Chinese history and culture. Yu Huan Zhang, the author, concisely explains the central role of the concept of Qi in Chinese philosophy, religion, medicine, art, martial arts, qigong, literature, science, and others. After reading this work, one realizes that one's understanding of qi can never be complete, and will always be dictated by the context. Appropriately, this book both expanded my awareness of the concept of qi, enhanced my understanding, yet failed to provide a coherent, simplistic answer. Before reading this book, I had come to the conclusion that there really was no such thing as qi. I was right, and I was wrong. But I feel significantly closer to true understanding. Highly recommended! My only criticism is that for such a short book, too much time was spent on extended quotes. Yes, they added to the text as examples, but I would also like to have seen more in-depth exploration of major concepts. If space was a limitation, then I would have preferred more brief quotes, and more narrative exploration. This is a must read for anyone seeking to understand the concept of Qi, that has yet to find the answer, or is not sure of the answer. Or anyone who is interested in better understanding the root of Chinese culture and thought.