I Ching: The Sacred Books of China : The Book of Changes

Rating:
Summary: Great Translation, Antiquated Format
Review: This Dover edition of James Legge's translation of I Ching will definitely not be to the taste of every afficiondo of this ancient work. However, it is really informative and clear in ways that other, more famous or convenient editions, are not. The main difficulties involve a Legge's use of a system of transliteration no longer in use, (having been superceded at least twice in the past century), lack of page headings, an odd layout of footnotes (which begin at the end of each section of text being discussed, and the separation of all commentaries by ancient authors into appendices. If this sounds like a list of complaints, it is not. Most volumes of the I Ching put the various commentaries on each hexagram on the same page as the hexagram and oldest text, creating what is, in fact, a false impression of unity. Although the format is not to modern standards, this volume is very helpful to the understanding of the I Ching in particular, and the history of Chinese thought in general.