If you'd rather place an order by talking to one of our cheerful order desk clerks, please call 1-888-232-4444 (USA and Canada only) or 250-383-6864. From Europe, ring our UK order desk clerk at local rate number 0845 230 9601 (UK only) or 44 (0)1865 722 113.

Impressions of China 1983-2000

by Edmund H. Dale

118 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #00-0207; ISBN 1-55212-541-6; US$16.00, C$18.00, EUR13.00, £9.50

This book records the author's impressions of China, based on visits he made of a month's duration every two years from 1983 to 2000, as well as on a year's lecturing at the Shandong Teachers' University, 1989-1990.

Read more!

about the book      about the author      sample excerpts      catalogue info

About the Book This book records the author's impressions of China, based on visits he made of a month's duration every two years from 1983 - 2000, as well as on a year's lecturing at the Shandong Teachers' University, 1989-1990. It deals with areas he visited in the north and northeast; south, southeast and southwest; west and northwest of the country. It attempts to show that nature has endowed parts of China with an impressive scenery, matched by architectural "wonders" and engineering "marvels" of the Chinese themselves, ancient and modern. The book points, as well, to the bewildering array of problems which confront the leaders of the country -- social, economic, demographic, structural, financial -- all requiring immediate and simultaneous attention. Finally, the author reflects on the future of China -- where it might be heading, and ought to be heading.

What People Are Saying About The Book...

These comments come from Dr. Gladstone Bonnick of Vienna, Va., USA.

"I was very struck by the overall tone (of the book), though not surprised. It is a sensitively-written book that shows respect for the place, and the people ... The book is both 'politically and culturally correct'. The geographer's mindset, point of view, way of seeing things is never far from the surface, but the language is that of a painter reconstructing the scenery with delicate strokes of his brush and a palette of pleasing colours. The visual image is compelling, as well as the projection of the emotions it evoked in you. The historical background provides a useful context within which to interpret the visual ... It is a beautiful book and should be a success if promoted appropriately.

"Reading the book at this time of discomfort in USA/China relations is serving to restore my balance of perception of China and regard for the Chinese ..."

 

From Philip Yu in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States:

"I read the book in its entirety without stopping. The book is so well balanced and carefully structured that it immediately grabbed my attention. Its chapters have the similar symmetrical beauty as the content the author crafted.

"After a brief introduction of reasons that he had been interested in China, the author painted a marvelous scenery that nature has bestowed on China in Chapter One. Chapter Two presents a few man-made structures of great significance from which a reader could easily draw a conclusion why the Chinese were so successful in their ancient history. The author then describes some monumental Chinese structures, ancient and modern, as if through a time tunnel, in Chapter Three. From the tomb of Qin Shihuang to the Nanjing-Yangtze River Bridge, from the Grand Canal to the Beijing-Kowloon Railway, the author, like a masterful artist, brushed magnificent paintings with ease and great skill. In Chapter Four, the author also touches on the problems China possesses, not through the mouth of a blunt critic, but through the sharp eyes of a geographer.

"Throughout the book, the reader can easily follow the trails of a seasoned geographer to fully enjoy some of the great places in China. It is not a book on Chinese history, nor a tourist guide. There are plenty of these in the bookstores. Indeed, this is a book of refreshment, enjoyment for and enlightenment of people, both westerners and Chinese."

---

About the Author Edmund H. Dale, Canadian citizen, was born in Jamaica where, with considerable difficulty, he obtained his early education. During World War II, he volunteered for active service in the Royal Air Force and served in England. Determined to continue his professional and academic training, which he had begun in Jamaica, he sought and gained admission twice to the University of London, but intervention by a colonial administration prevented his going there, and directed him instead to a Teacher Training institution. After successfully completing the normal two-year teachers' training course, he applied a third time to enter the University of London and was again admitted. He obtained first, the Bachelor of Science Honours degree in Geography, second, the Master of Science degree at Birkbeck College while teaching in London in a boys' school by day and studying at Birkbeck College at night. Next, he was invited to teach in Canada and was provided with Canadian Landed Immigrant status. He taught in two high schools in Alberta before entering the University of Alberta, Edmonton, to begin the Ph.D. programme in Geography. Even before he could complete the programme, he was required to teach in the Geography Department, where a problem had arisen, subsequently at the University of Victoria, B.C., where a similar problem had occurred. No sooner had he calmed the "troubled waters" there, he was invited to head the Geography Department at the University of Regina, which was also experiencing student problems. His mandate was to plan and initiate a sound programme of studies in that Department, leading to the B.A. and B.Sc. Honours, and M.A. and M.Sc. degrees. His promotion to the status of "Full Professor" came shortly after. He remained as Head of the Department for ten years, and as senior faculty member in the Department for another ten years. On his retirement, the University of Regina conferred on him the title "Professor Emeritus." In addition to teaching in Jamaica, London (England), and Canada, Dr. Dale has also taught in China. He accepted a one-year position offered to him by the Shandong Teachers' University which, at the end of the year, elected him "Honourable Model Teacher of the Year" (1990). He has travelled widely throughout Europe, Southeast Asia (South Korea, Japan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Brunei) and the Americas. Dr. Dale has published his research in (a) Journals, including the Canadian Geographer, the Scottish Geographical Magazine, the Annals of American Geographers, Plan Canada, and others, and (b) Books, Monographs, Proceedings of the International Symposium on the Physical and Human Resources of the Tropics, among others. He has been editor and co-editor for a few publications on Saskatchewan and the prairies, and he has given invited papers at conferences and universities in Canada, the United States, Jamaica, and China. Besides, he has evaluated manuscripts and research proposals for the Royal Geographical Society of Canada; the Research Council of Canada; the Institute of Urban Studies; the National Science Foundation, Washington, D.C; and materials considered for recommendation for Full Professor status.

---

Sample Excerpts

Page 24

To travel throughout China from the four cardinal points and points between, one is enormously impressed by the marvels of Nature and the sheer beauty of the whole. They hold one spell-bound, inspired, awe-struck. They open a window on some of the most spectacular natural wonders of the world, and leave unforgettable impressions. The country is magnificently blessed with a natural scenery that is diverse, attractive, breath-taking. Add to this natural scenery the monumental works of the Chinese themselves, and the sum spells magic.

Page 37

On the whole, the Temple of Heaven is a structure of outstanding beauty. It reveals a mastery of mass and space. While the sheer artistry and magnificence of it qualify it to be the premier building of ancient China, its magnificent emptiness, its mathematical/geometrical precision, and its overwhelming architectural simplicity are unique features that might well be unmatched anywhere else in our present world. In short, the Temple of Heaven in Beijing demonstrates most assuredly a considerable degree of human (Chinese) inventiveness, completely independent of Western influences.

Page 40

To see the Great Wall is to come to the inescapable conclusion that in times past, if not at present, China has had remarkable leaders who, despite their imperfections, were men of great vision and courage, men whose ideas bore the stamp and badge of greatness.

---

Catalogue Information

---