First published 2003
The Book of Changes stands as humanity's earliest attempt to understand our place in the cosmos. For three millennia, this oracle has shaped Chinese thought and increasingly captivates Western minds. Born as divination in history's dawn, the text evolved when moral teachings joined its prophetic voice. It transformed into wisdom literature and earned status among Confucianism's Five Classics while feeding both Confucian and Taoist traditions. Wilhelm spent years in China, working closely with cultural authorities to grasp the original meaning. His 1924 German translation first made this complex work accessible to general audiences. This English edition preserves Wilhelm's breakthrough understanding of the ancient spirit. The third edition includes Hellmut Wilhelm's new foreword discussing translation methods and recent scholarship from East and West, plus textual corrections and improved bibliography.
Genres: history, classics, china, non-fiction, eastern-philosophy, ancient, divination, asian-american
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: wisdom-literature
Setting: China
Period: Ancient, 20th-Century
740 pages · Hardcover · Routledge & Kegan Paul