The Book of Changes: A Modern Adaptation and Interpretation attemptsto breathe new life into the Book of Changes by making it relevantto the present time and day. It does so by using archaeologicalevidence to trace the origins of the Book of Changes, starting with numerictrigrams and hexagrams, making its way up to early divinationmanuals, and ending with the oldest extant version of the Books ofChanges-usually referred to as the 'received version.' It also explainsthe development of the Book of Changes from a divination manualinto a philosophical text dealing with change. However, its mainfocus is on delineating sixty-four patterns of change in the Book ofChanges, patterns based on novel metaphorical interpretations of theline texts in the Book of Changes that serve as the foundation for a newhandbook on change.Each metaphorical interpretation consists of 1) a hexagram and theChinese character(s) associated with it, 2) a 'description' of the hexagram,3) the Chinese characters for the line texts, 4) translations ofthe line texts, 5) a general interpretation of the line texts based onthose translations, 6) and some explanatory notes that attempt toclarify each interpretation. Translations and the interpretationsbased on those translations reference Traditional and Modernist understandingsof the line text materials, ancient texts/dictionaries/lexicons from the period when the Book of Changes was compiled, andthe ideas of the author as he works to create a new Chinese 'philosophyof change,' complete with examples of how it can be adapted inmodern-day life.The clear and concise general introduction to the Book of Changesthat is incorporated into this work, the many interpretations of theline texts contained in it, and a popular philosophical content makethis book a welcome addition to the field and will attract interestedscholars and teachers, engage business people or those looking tobetter understand Chinese culture, and appeal to those focused onspirituality and holistic living.
