The I Ching or Book of Changes: A Guide to Life's Turning Points (The Essential Wisdom Library) Paperback – Deckle Edge, September 15, 1992

This is a book of ancient wisdom and direction. Add your journey the I Ching can help guide you on your path.

I am surprised to say that this slim little volume is possibly my favorite I Ching book. I have many, many translations of the I Ching- the major well known versions and many others. They seem to either be too simplistic, too complex, too dry, too flowery, or veer too far toward one I Ching "school" or the other in their interpretations. It became taxing to try to decide which translation to use.I ordered this one mainly to have a small, portable version to carry with me. I hadn't even looked at it yet. In my frustration the other day with an important question and the unsatisfying answers I got in the other texts I consulted, I pulled this out. Well my, my my! What I got was a succinct (but not dry or simplified) interpretation that somehow, in a few paragraphs, distilled the essence of all the others into something understandable and useful. This little volume helped me where all the others I read could not. It's since become my favorite book. I love the others for study, they will always have a place in my heart. But for go-to, everyday divination where you need a good, meaty answer but can't spend ages on it, go for this one. You won't regret it.

This version has great instructions on how to use it. It’s plain eerie how spot on the advice is if you are simply willing to believe it works. I recommend the Tao de Ching too.

Purchased this for my son. The BEST, most simplest, version ever, Brian Brown Walker. There are 64 hexagrams and each are detailed within a few short, meaningful paragraphs. A simple introduction instructs you how to use coins, heads or tails, and to stack lines, broken or unbroken, to create your hexagram.Bend like a reed. Like a fox on ice. The advice is always relevant snd meaningful. This gem of a book helped me to maitain my composure oftentimes.

I became interested in the I Ching about ten years ago. My interest peaked a few years back and I went a little crazy, purchasing almost every English translation available. Luckily there is no need for you to make the same mistake.Of the 30 odd versions I once had on my bookshelf, only 3 remain:Brian Browne Walker's The I Ching or Book of Changes (this book)Carol Anthony's A Guide to the I ChingR. L. Wing's The I Ching WorkbookIn my opinion, these three versions (together) are the only ones you will ever need to find meaningful answers when consulting the oracle. Don't waste your time with others, even Wilhelm's famous translation. The only reason to purchase Wilhelm's version now is for the brilliant introduction written by Carl Jung (yes, that Carl Jung!) but this foreword is freely available online which makes Wilhelm's admittedly wonderful contribution to the subject somewhat obsolete.The only complaint about this particular version, and the reason for 4*'s, is that it is perhaps too concise. The descriptions of the hexagrams and changing lines will often leave readers wanting more detail and further explanation on the subject of their inquiry.This is still an excellent translation and probably the best introductory book available on the subject as it offers none of the prosaic, fortune-cookie-wisdom often found in almost all other versions of the I Ching available to us in English.Great work, Mr. Walker. I can only hope you're working on an extended version.

What to say - where to begin... This book is an absolute treasure. Before this manuscript, I read the `Tao Te Ching', by Jane English. It feels like where one book ended, the other began. There are many similar views between the two concerning: how to feel, how to think, and how to apply. The `I Ching' is another book you can read a little every day -OR- read its entirety in 2 hours. I personally read 2-3 chapters a day. I would soak in the material, and then write down essential points at the close of each section.Firstly, hats off to Brian Browne Walker with this user friendly version of the `I Ching'. Anyone can read it, and if you allow some time, you can then absorb the information and attempt to apply. Each chapter is 2 pages long, but a wealth of knowledge is contained in each and every one. If everyone read this book and applied a fraction of it, we might revert back to when we lived in a better time, rather than the current state of affairs. However, you cannot force anyone to do anything; with that said, read this book for yourself, and be on your way to becoming a better human being.Everything happens for a reason including the daily struggles in life we encounter. More important, is how we as individuals, deal with these situations. This is what shapes us as individuals. There is such a positive outlook represented in this masterpiece. In my opinion, who wouldn't benefit from reading this volume? It is extremely valuable to read 1-2 chapters per day. This is just enough to remind you of what is truly important in life - not the things we can reach out and touch.....but peace of mind...There many recurring ideals which are extremely significant. I would like to mention a few:1). Proper principles - stay loyal to them for they are your most important asset. No matter what, stay correct in your thoughts, in your words and in your actions.2). Non-action; Do nothing. You cannot force anyone or anything. So what do you do? Allow things to happen of their own accord. This goes for people as well. You cannot force others to do what you want. You cannot push people to do the right thing, so simply allow them to learn at their own pace.3). Inferior elements - free your body and mind of all inferior thoughts. As soon as you feel yourself going the wrong way, eradicate this thought process and take an alternate route; the right route.4). Do not judge others - rather be patient with them. More importantly focus your attention inward and how to work on honing your skills. Look at yourself as a `work in progress'. As good of a person as you are, you can always work on some facet to improve. Discover what qualities you need to sharpen, and take the necessary steps5). Acceptance - accept life and all that it brings to us. Realize that no matter what comes to us whether disaster or fortune; there is a reason why it is happening. Understand - this particular event is occurring because this is exactly what we need to work on a specific aspect of our character. Grasp this opportunity to fix your inner self. Learn from it and embrace all that this chance has to offer.This book will not be collecting dust in my house. Thank you once again to the author for bringing something wonderful to light!

I needed to add this book to my collection of books on philosophy and martial arts. Well written and reasonably priced with fast delivery.

Great conditions