Looking for introduction to chinese philosophy (book)

[valikor]

This forum has a couple suggestions for reading in Chinese... but, what I'm looking for is:

-English

-Not too long and/or boring

-Readable would be a plus, though I do have background in philosophy and can handle something dense

-Discussions of connections to Western philosophy would be interesting, but not a requirement

I'm not especially interested in reading primary sources (that is, translations), because i'd rather have an overview that covers the important aspects of numerous thinkers, before I decide to read Kongzi or Laozi, etc. That way I can have some context if I decide to read Kongzi or Laozi.

Anyways, any recommendations for a good introduction are appreciated, even if they don'tt match everything I listed above. Thanks!

David

EDIT: If it can be bought in Beijing, that would be a big plus!

[gato]

Finding Chinese philosophy in English in Beijing might be a challenge. Could you visit one of the Chaterhouse Bookstore branches in Beijing and browse around.

http://www.chaterhouse.com.cn/en/main.jsp

"A short history of Chinese philosophy" by Fung Yu-lan (冯玉兰) is often recommended. Though originally written in English, the Chinese translation of this book is now almost a standard introduction to Chinese philosophy in China. See if you can find a copy.

http://books.google.com/books?id=HZU0YKnpTH0C&dq=Fung+Yu-lan+chinese+philosophy&source=bl&ots=G2hhBJq9GX&sig=1np_HpygEnEn9zG7cRda8HB4jvQ&hl=en&ei=BRqWS5HqPMGTkAXUiZSkCg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=5&ved=0CCIQ6AEwBA

A short history of Chinese philosophy

By Fung Yu-Lan, Derk Bodde

[Don_Horhe]

I'll second Fung Yu-lan's "A Short History of Chinese Philosophy". There's a two-volume bilingual edition available on Amazon.cn for 41 RMB.

[valikor]

41 yuan, for a 400 page book? I almost find that hard to believe.. what's the catch? Is the shipping going to be 300 yuan? Or maybe it's just China

I just read the first five pages of a preview, it and sounds like an excellent book so far. Thanks for the recommendation.

(Further recommendations as to how to obtain a copy would also be appreciated Do I need to make an account on amazon.cn ? I can't really navigate the menus very well )

Edited March 9, 2010 at 11:44 AM by valikor

[Don_Horhe]

英汉对照 - bilingual English-Chinese edition

上下册 - indicates 2 volumes

It's 41 RMB for 582 pages and shipping is free if what you buy is over 40 RMB (if I remember correctly).

You can buy it by registering on Amazon.cn and having it brought to your door. There's an option to directly pay the courier, so you won't have to deal with all the bank card 麻烦. You can always get somebody to help you with the Chinese if you're still a beginner.

Edited March 9, 2010 at 12:10 PM by Don_Horhe

[Shadowdh]

41 yuan is about right... I really really really miss book shopping in China... got so many that I had to send 4 boxes of them back, not the small boxes either...!!!

If anyone knows where we could get electronic versions that would be highly appreciated too... cheers

[valikor]

Ok I guess I was wondering if I could use my amazon.com account, or get away without registering. It should be no problem to make an account.. in fact, the roommate's girlfriend just arrived ;)

I guess 41 yuan is about right.. I know my roommate always buys fairly long books on the street for 20 yuan... and they are probably ripping him off anyways

Having the Chinese along side would be a great bonus, even though my abilities aren't nearly ready for this book..

[natra]

Three Ways of Thought in Ancient China is a very lucidly written book on the foundational period of Chinese culture for an audience without any background knowledge.