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I Ching Bookshelf
When I last searched Amazon.com for I Ching books, there were 3,398 results. Which is worth having? Which would suit you? And which is a waste of a perfectly good tree?
For a broader introduction to the I Ching as a whole, see my I Ching lens. And see my site for even more I Ching book reviews.
I Ching Bookshelf #1: Getting started
Where to begin
The I Ching Plain and Simple: A Guide to Working with the Oracle of Change
Insightful, clear and manageable, and surprisingly complete - this slim volume includes all the essential I Ching texts for divination, along with helpful commentary. It also has one of the best introductions to I Ching divination anywhere.
Amazon Price: $16.95 (as of 05/09/2008)
The Complete I Ching: The Definitive Translation by the Taoist Master Alfred Huang
It's not quite complete, nor yet 'definitive', but it is a good, clear representation of a venerable Chinese tradition. Particularly good for its analysis of the relationships between moving lines.
Amazon Price: $13.57 (as of 05/09/2008)
The Everyday I Ching
Not a translation, this one, but a commentary on each hexagram. A great help to many people when they're just starting out.
Amazon Price: $11.16 (as of 05/09/2008)
I Ching Made Easy: Be Your Own Psychic Advisor Using the World's Oldest Oracle
Much better than the title would suggest! This is a simplification, not quite a translation, but it does include the key imagery of the original. Probably the best compromise between ease of use and authenticity.
Amazon Price: $14.00 (as of 05/09/2008)
How to Use the I Ching: A Guide to Working With the Oracle of Change
This is a previous edition of "I Ching Plain and Simple": the same book inside different covers. I mention it here a) so you won't buy both books by mistake and b) so that if one version is hard to find, you can look for the other.
Amazon Price: (as of 05/09/2008)
I Ching Bookshelf #2: in-depth
How to delve further
The Original I Ching Oracle: The Pure and Complete Texts with Concordance
My 'desert island I Ching'. A version with every Chinese character represented consistently by the same English word. The meanings given for these words sometimes make sense, sometimes don't - but having a copy of this lets you see patterns and contrasts that are rendered invisible by ordinary translation.
This is a new edition of an earlier Eranos edition with Concordance by Ritsema and Karcher. There's also a somewhat more approachable version published by Element with just Karcher's name on the front.
Amazon Price: (as of 05/09/2008)
The I Ching or Book of Changes
Probably the most eloquent, memorable translation. A classic. There are vast numbers of 'I Ching' books out there that are nothing more than inferior derivatives of Wilhelm/Baynes.
Amazon Price: $16.47 (as of 05/09/2008)
Total I Ching: Myths for Change
Stephen Karcher's most recent published work - profound, impressionistic, offering access to deeper layers of meaning. There is more information on the methods used here available from greatvessel.com.
Amazon Price: $11.20 (as of 05/09/2008)
The Laws of Change: I Ching and the Philosophy of Life
Buy this as a perfect contrast to 'Total I Ching', and use the two together. It's clear, logical, unambiguous, and leaves nothing unexplained.
Amazon Price: (as of 05/09/2008)
The Classic of Changes: A New Translation of the I Ching as Interpreted by Wang Bi (Translations from the Asian Classic)
An excellent scholarly work, and one of the few I Ching books out there that actually includes all the Wings.
Amazon Price: $16.34 (as of 05/09/2008)
I Ching bookshelf #3: historical insight
Searching for the roots of the oracle
Zhouyi: A New Translation with Commentary of the Book of Changes (Durham East Asia Series)
Amazon Price: $64.80 (as of 05/09/2008)
The Mandate of Heaven
Amazon Price: $24.50 (as of 05/09/2008)
The Book of Songs: The Ancient Chinese Classic of Poetry
Amazon Price: $10.36 (as of 05/09/2008)
China: Empire of Living Symbols
Amazon Price: (as of 05/09/2008)
Chinese Mythology: An Introduction
Amazon Price: $21.56 (as of 05/09/2008)
What do you look for in an I Ching book?
When you leaf through or try out a new translation, what are you looking for? What characteristics do you feel are most important?
The Virtual I Ching Bookshelf
- I Ching, Book of Sun and Moon
- LiSe Heyboer's outstanding I Ching site includes a complete translation of the Zhouyi and Daxiang. It's also the best source I know of to learn the etymology of the Chinese characters.
- The Book of Changes
- An in-depth, scholarly work by Bradford Hatcher, which includes a straightforward translation with commentary, and a character-by-character version. (And several other *volumes* of information.)
There's also a translation of the Daodejing at the same page.
