Chinese Gods

Chamberlain explores, with tremendous respect for his subject matter, Chinese gods and deities, and the interwoven history and mythology that supports this remarkably enduring pantheon. The observant will notice these gods in restaurants, coffee shops and even offices, in any Southeast Asian city with a sizeable Chinese population. Mr Chamberlain explains, in engaging, flowing prose, just who these immortals are. And as a result, the scope of this book is amazing - millennia of dynasties, the complex psyche of the world's most populous nation, the supernatural, anthropology, mythology, numerology, feng shui and all the other underpinnings of Greater China's disparate - but today, remarkably integrated - belief systems, including Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, nature cults and ancestor worship. For the Sinologist, this offering is akin to some imperial feast where one can gorge on anything within reach. And even for the casual reader, this is a hugely satisfying book. --Bangkok Post, March 22, 2009

Chamberlain explores, with tremendous respect for his subject matter, Chinese gods and deities, and the interwoven history and mythology that supports this remarkably enduring pantheon. The observant will notice these gods in restaurants, coffee shops and even offices, in any Southeast Asian city with a sizeable Chinese population. Mr Chamberlain explains, in engaging, flowing prose, just who these immortals are. And as a result, the scope of this book is amazing -- millennia of dynasties, the complex psyche of the world's most populous nation, the supernatural, anthropology, mythology, numerology, feng shui and all the other underpinnings of Greater China's disparate -- but today, remarkably integrated -- belief systems, including Taoism, Confucianism, Buddhism, nature cults and ancestor worship. For the Sinologist, this offering is akin to some imperial feast where one can gorge on anything within reach. And even for the casual reader, this is a hugely satisfying book. --Bangkok Post, March 22, 2009