Kirjahaku

Lin Yutang's essays on Chinese society and culture were written in both Chinese and English and spanned the immensely influential decades of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.In this collection of his seminal work, Yutang confronts the rapid cultural developments of the era and the role that a Chinese intellectual must assume as he shares and translates his native country to the West. Known best for introducing "humour" into Chinese literature and culture, Yutang was a writer of great scholarly and popular interest, reflected in these engaging, substantial, and inspiring works.

The Importance of Living is a wry, witty antidote to the dizzying pace of the modern world. Lin Yutang's prescription is the classic Chinese philosophy of life: Revere inaction as much as action, invoke humor to maintain a healthy attitude, and never forget that there will always be plenty of fools around who are willing-indeed, eager-to be busy, to make themselves useful, and to exercise power while you bask in the simple joy of existence.At a time when we're overwhelmed with wake-up calls, here is a refreshing, playful reminder to savor life's simple pleasures.

Lin Yutang (1895–1976), author of more than thirty-five books, was arguably the most distinguished Chinese American writer of the twentieth century. In Chinatown Family, he brings humor and wisdom to issues of culture, race, and religion as he tells the engrossing and heart-warming story of an immigrant, working-class Chinese American family that settled in New York City during the 1930s and 1940s. Tracing their sometimes troubled and sometimes rewarding journey, Lin paints a vivid portrait of the wonder and the woe of settling into a new land. In an era when interracial marriages were frowned upon and it was forbidden for working-class Chinese men to bring their families to America, this story shows how one family struggled to become new Americans by applying their Taoist philosophy to resist peacefully the discriminatory laws and racism they encountered.Beyond the quest for acceptance and economic success, Chinatown Family also probes deep into the heart of the immigration experience by presenting the perils of assimilation. The burgeoning tensionbetween the desire for material wealth and the traditional Chinese belief in the primary importance of family poses the question: Is it possible to attain the American dream without damaging these primary ties? For each family member, the answer to this question turns out to be different. Through the varied paths that each character takes, the novel dramatizes the ways that Chinese immigrants have negotiated between the competing interests of economic opportunity and traditional values.

Looking Beyond by Yutang, Lin is a collection of essays that explores the author's thoughts on various topics such as life, death, love, and spirituality. Yutang, a renowned Chinese philosopher and writer, offers his insights and reflections on the human condition, drawing from his personal experiences and observations.The book is divided into four sections, each focusing on a different theme. In the first section, Yutang discusses the importance of living in the present moment and appreciating the beauty of life. He encourages readers to embrace simplicity and find joy in the small things.The second section delves into the topic of death, and how we can come to terms with our mortality. Yutang offers a philosophical perspective on death, arguing that it is a natural part of life and that we should not fear it.The third section of the book explores the theme of love, and how it can bring meaning and fulfillment to our lives. Yutang writes about the different forms of love, such as romantic love, familial love, and love for humanity.Finally, in the fourth section, Yutang reflects on spirituality and the search for meaning in life. He draws on various religious and philosophical traditions to offer insights into the nature of existence and the human condition.Overall, Looking Beyond is a thought-provoking and insightful collection of essays that offers readers a fresh perspective on life, death, love, and spirituality. Yutang's writing is clear and accessible, making this book a valuable read for anyone interested in exploring these timeless themes.With Humor And Common Sense, A Modern Philosopher Shows Mankind A Way To The Greater Enjoyment Of Living.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Lin Yutang (1895-1976) was a renowned Chinese intellectual, philosopher, teacher, author and inventor (he invented a Chinese typewriter and lesser things like a toothbrush which dispensed toothpaste). This book published in the middle of the Second World War became quite controversial because it broke with the tone of his earlier English writings by criticizing Western racism and imperialism. As he said in the 'Preface to Myself': "The purpose of this book is to say something that must be said and say it with simplicity... the shadow of another war already looms before us. We have to think straight and think fast."Now sorrowful, now joking, but always in deadly earnest, the Chinese author Lin Yutang as philosopher faces the grim facts of war and the grimmer prospects of peace. Dismayed by the materialism of the West, he offers not a blueprint for the postwar world, but an approach to thinking about it that is new to us but not new at all in the Orient, wise in the ways of mankind.

A tremendous bestseller when it was first published in 1937, The Importance of Living has been a classic for over sixty years. Intended as an antidote to the dizzying pace of the modern world, Lin Yutang's prescription is the classic distillation of ancient Chinese wisdom: revere inaction as much as action, invoke humour to maintain a healthy attitude, and never forget that there will always be plenty of fools around who are willing - indeed eager - to be busy, to make themselves useful, and to exercise power while you bask in the simple joy of existence. Now, more than six decades later, with our lives accelerated to unbelievable levels, this wise and timeless book is more pertinent than ever before. In an era when we're overwhelmed with wake-up calls, it's an entertaining innovation to savour life's beauty, its endless fascination and its slow, sure, simple pleasures.