Genre Category: Biography
Age Range: Ages 9 and up
Assessment of the book’s quality: Conversational style story; Simple syntax and classical sentence structure, engaging and concise text, along with short sections; detailed description of references and sources used at the end of the book.
Assessment of the book’s potential use: The book can be used for pleasure reading as its vast number of skillfully incorporated quotations in a dialogue form makes the biography a natural story like. It can be recommended to be used in school curriculum and research as it provides information not only about Confucius but also general history, such as the invention of paper and fortune cookies.
Assessment of the book’s child appeal: Appealing for children who like to read about philosophy, ancient history, Chinese culture and ancient thought and its affects on modern thought and history.
Summary:
The book is divided into eight short sections, where different areas are explored – his early life, his dangerous ideas, his travels, his golden rule, his final years, and his legacy. The sections are listed as they appear: 1.Confucius: The Golden Rule – introduction to the book; 2. A Life of Joy – introduction to Confucius; 3. At fifteen I Set My Heart on Learning - his early life; 4. Dangerous Ideas – his dangerous and revolutionary ideas; 5. Travels in the Middle Kingdom - his travels; 6. The Golden Rule - his golden rule, teachings and ideas; 7. The Unicorn Returns – his final years and death; 8. The Spirit of Confucius – his legacy. It provides information not only about Confucius, his teachings and philosophy, but also general history, such as the invention of paper and fortune cookies. For instance, in the last section of the book titled The Spirit of Confucius, we read, “We know for a fact that the first Emperor of Qin did die in 210 BC and was succeeded by a weakling son. The brutal Qin dynasty lasted just fifteen years before it was overthrown by a rebellion in which the surviving Confucian scholars played a prominent role” (p.37). The author goes on to explain later developments of Confucianism, how it has inspired the creation of temples and shrines throughout China, Confucius’ influence on Western thought and the Western world in general, and how his philosophy and ideas influenced Thomas Jefferson’s democratic ideals, and finally, how later and modern scholars credited him with works he did not say and misinterpreted his sayings to fit their needs. The wide scope of the book invites young readers to study the topic further. In conclusion Freedman offers some insight into his research (Author’s Note) and makes suggestions for further reading and research (A Note on Sources). The text is accompanied by ancient illustrations of Confucius and China, which appear on almost every folio. There is no table of contents and no index. Also there is no separate list of sources used or bibliography. Sources used for this book appear in the section titled A Note on Sources.
Reaction and Impressions:
One impressive characteristic of the book that I liked very much is that the story is written in a conversational style, which is full of history, mystery, intriguing biographical details, quotes from the Analects, and fascinating fun facts. Right on the first page, for example, Freedman skillfully informs his readers that tidbits of Confucius's wisdom have even made their way into American fortune cookies. He writes: “It’s true that he had a sense of humor. He would probably laugh out loud to find that snippets of his “wisdom” are stuffed into fortune cookies, which were invented in America and have never been popular in China”(p.5).
"Freedman delves deep into Chinese history in his intelligent, comprehensive biography of the 5th-century B.C. philosopher Confucius, whose teachings have influenced the development of modern government and education in both China and the West. Freedman draws on stories, legends and collected dialogues from The Analects of Confucius, written by his students, to reveal a man of deep perceptions as well as great humor. "_ Publishers Weekly
"In writing this biography, Freedman faced two obstacles: a distorted popular idea of Confucius, and a paucity of data about the real man. He directly addresses the first, and his engaging book beautifully compensates for the second. He sets his subject in the context of strife-torn China, since Confucius was a radical reformer whose ideas had political applications. Politics, education, spirituality: the philosopher has something to say in all these areas, and Freedman compellingly conveys the profundity of his thoughts."_ School Library Journal
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