Unearthing the Changes

A truly wonderful book, masterfully conceived and extremely well crafted. Edward L. Shaughnessy demonstrates once again why he is, among all Western scholars, the premier translator and interpreter of the early history of what became the Classic of Changes--arguably the most important single work in all of premodern Chinese history. -- Richard J. Smith, author of The I Ching: A Biography Shaughnessy has written the definitive account of these materials. Nothing like it exists, in any language. Closely argued, and drawing on an impeccable control of the literature, this study re-forms our understanding of how and what the Yijing might have been. -- Kidder Smith, Bowdoin College In his skillful presentation of three groups of bamboo-strip manuscripts discovered in China since the 1970s, Shaughnessy gives new meaning and pleasure to reading one of the two oldest works of Chinese literature, the Classic of Changes. These manuscripts bring to life the significance of divination in early Chinese culture, while remaking our understanding of the ' Changes.' -- Donald Harper, University of Chicago As a master of the ' Changes,' one of China's most influential and yet most perplexing texts, Shaughnessy presents specialist scholars and students with an admirably clear account of the difficulties of interpretation and a comprehensive review of recently found manuscript copies of the book. His deeply researched text breaks new ground for the study of Chinese manuscripts and China's methods of divination, with penetrating contributions to the scholarly handling of fragments, the recovery of lost literature, and the problems of textual criticism. -- Michael Loewe, University of Cambridge Highly recommended. CHOICE