nwasianweekly.com
Jan. 25, 2003

By Ann-Marie Stillion

Grapefruit: A Book of Instructions and Drawings, by Yoko Ono, published by Simon & Schuster, 2000.
Grapefruit was originally published in a limited edition of 500 copies by the Wunternaum Press in Tokyo in 1964; it was later expanded, using many of the authorâs performance pieces, and published again in 1970. I found it in the shop in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, together with Onoâs catalogues from the retrospective that was touring the country last summer. The exhibit was fantastic and had an easy sweetness - this little book represents a part of the works displayed there. Onoâs passionate desire to teach and really transform the world she found herself in comes through loud and clear. Many of the pieces first appeared in the early sixties, before she became the famous wife of John Lennon. The feeling of innocence in poems like ãMake a Hole and Leave It in the Windä or ãThrow a Stone into the Sky High Enough So It Will Not Come Backä is worth noting, given later events. It reads as poetry, but for the most part the writings are sketches for performance pieces, and therefore, it is also a record or history of a young artist at work, if you like. ãOh, Yoko, we hardly knew ye,ä comes to my mind each time I pick it up. This book is a great way to get beyond the mediaâs message to the real person we (mostly) missed.

Dao de jing: ãMaking This Life Significant,ä A Philosophical Translation, by Roger T. Ames and David L. Hall, published by Ballantine Books, 2003.
Translated once more by two philosphers, this 2,000-year-old text is born again. The title suggests immediately that something is up, as the translators have refreshed this famous book with the subtitle ãMaking This Life Significant.ä Both authors have impeccable academic backgrounds, and the book begins with an extensive introduction that encompasses history, cosmology, a glossary and the rationale behind this new translation. The core of the book is the translation and commentary, and there is also a thematic index and an appendix (which is, in fact, another, little-known text). In short, for the hardy reader who is willing to wade through the sometimes austere style of this serious book and be informed by thoughtful Western philosophers, there are riches to be found. What I appreciated most about this new publication is its extensive delving into the language of the Dao de jing, which includes giving both phonetic transcriptions and Chinese characters.

Cowboys and Dragons: Shattering Cultural Myths to Advance Chinese-American Business, by Charles Lee, Ph.D., published by Dearborn Trade Publishing, 2003.
Although the book is not scheduled for distribution until Feb. 15, I was privileged to read a galley proof without art or the finishing touches. The very notion of writing a handbook for Chinese-American business relationships is bold, and I am sure the author will have both supporters and detractors. Lee fearlessly states in an early chapter, ãEverything you know about Dragons (Chinese) may be wrong.ä Cowboys, of course, are Americans ÷ only in Leeâs book the Dragons wear the white hats. Sometimes the authorâs examples leave this ãcowgirlä a bit baffled, but the author sums up every chapter with recommendations like ãDonât use a sexual metaphorä or ãBeware of a fast yes,ä which brings the reader back to earth. Probably the most inspiring aspect of the book is the authorâs intention to help both sides avoid obvious stumbling blocks. Leeâs ability to summarize business and social contracts between the two cultures may prove invaluable to some. Furthermore, the authorâs grasp of Western and Eastern thought and literature gives this book on business an almost lyrical side. A quick look for similar offerings at an Internet bookseller shows that Leeâs effort is, at this point, a pioneering project, to say the least.