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Customer Reviews (6)

tao te what?
After I finish this review, I am going to throw this book away. I really tried to give this book a chance... I really like the size and binding, and the cover art is rather attractive... but, this translation and commentary is so... well... check this out:

Here is the part of the commentary for vs 20:
"How often we who are rebels have despaired! We identify with Lao Tzu and his frustrations. We have so often shared his sadness and discouragement of not being accepted by either the power elite or by the majority..."

I make no claim of being daoist, or any other thing for that matter, but, one of the few things that most decidedly does NOT make me sad or frustrated or full of despair is not being accepted by the elite or majority... and in the often times I have delved into the wisdom of the dao de jing, (present book excepted), I have never gotten the impression that the old guy gave a flipping hoot of whether or not he was accepted by the elite or majority... in fact, quite the opposite.

I flipped back to see how this verse was translated, and here it is the first part:

"It is sometimes deeply depressing to be a rebel, knowing that we can never share more people's way of life, nor can they share ours."

Hmmm... I looked it up in Stephen Addiss and Stanley Lombardo's translation, (my favourite), and here is what I read:

"Banish learning, no more grief. Between Yes and No How much difference? Between good and evil How much difference? What other fear I must fear -- How pointless!"

Here is Stephen Mitchell's:

"Stop thinking, and end your problems. What difference between yes and no? What difference between success and failure? Must you value what others value, avoid what others avoid? How ridiculous!"

And finally, here is John C. H. Wu's:

"Have done with learning. And you will have no more vexation. How great is the different between "eh" and "o"? What is the distinction between "good" and "evil"? Must I fear what others fear? What abysmal nonsense this is!"

I can see no connection between the first translation, and the following three.

Well-Made and Readable Translation, But Warped Commentary
The binding and layout of this book is good, and the translation is readable (actually high praise when you consider the sheer number of garbage translations out there), but the commentary section opposite each verse is filled with leftist propaganda. This guy has an agenda outside of commenting on the Tao te Ching. I'd recommend avoiding this one.

The Tao through a warped lens.
Just read The Tao Te Ching. I wonder if another translation would be better; there are some interesting things in it, but the translator's (Ralph Alan Dale) commentary make me realize first of all, he doesn't embody the Tao at all, and seems to think communism would be the ultimate solution to everything. In some cases he shows what the traditional translation is, and the distortion is obvious. In most you're left with how he translated it. Even so, there are some worthwhile things, such as

"When the ego interferes
in the rythems of process,
there is so much doing!
But nothing is done."

But ultimately, I'm left wondering if I would agree with the "traditional" translation.

If the "world" would just read and apply this ....
I have been on the "spiritual journey" for a few years now ... yoga, vegatarian diet ... plenty of reading and study, but this book makes the best sense of the "way too many" writers out are there trying to "get you to understand"!

Lao Tzu ... is credited for the Tao although my studies indicate, as in other situations, with written material from thousand of years ago, that he is more than likely the "one who finally put it in writing".Even so, these words of wisdom for "living the virtious path" were written over 6,000 years ago!

As I mentioned in my title ... read this, meditate on it and try and live the life .... our world just may survive if you pass it along! It is the path and it "makes sense of it all".

Namaste,

Jim

Great Translation,Great Price
I once went through every single Tao Te Ching book in the store, just to compare them all to this beautiful little book here.
Now I don't speak chinese, but I find most other translations to be ridiculous. ... Read more

Product Description
"Dommens book promises to be the definitive political history of Indochina during the Franco-American era.... It will add considerable luster to the list of the scholarly press that decides to publish it. I strongly recommend publication." --William M. Leary, E. Merton Coulter Professor of History, University of Georgia

Meticulous and detailed, Dommen s telling of the complicated history of the American-French-Indochinese relationship is always judicious and cautious in its judgments. Nevertheless, many people will find his analysis of the Diem coup in chapter 7 (itself as long as many monographs) a disturbing account of American plotting and murder.

This is an essential book for anyone who wants to understand Vietnam and the people who fought against the United States and won. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A little more than you needed to know...
Arthur Dommen was a young journalist in Saigon in the 60s, and covered the Paris peace talks on Vietnam in 1969.He later worked as an agricultural economist in the U.S. government, but wrote numerous articles and a perceptive book on post-1954 Laos.This hefty popular history of French and American intervention in "Indochina" offers, on the whole, factual content and informed analysis; Dommen documents his extensive research from primary and secondary sources.

At the end of several chapters, under the heading of "looking back", Dommen analyzes the consequences of foreign interference in the affairs of Southeast Asia.He admits to a grudging admiration of the Vietnamese (read: "Indochinese") communist party centre as it expanded its power, but disputes its constitutional legitimacy over that of other post-war nationalist movements.The villains of the piece are clearly identified, led by de Gaulle and Mendès-France, the latter having eviscerated the constitutional State of Vietnam at Geneva.In the U.S.-dominated period of the early 60s, he highlights the complicity of Henry Cabot Lodge in the assassination of Ngo Dinh Diem, and W. Averell Harriman is identified as the main "conspirator" in accepting the de facto division of Laos in the early 60s.Most egregious of all is Henry Kissinger, who accepted a Nobel Prize for, in effect, handing over southern Vietnam to the communists in 1973 in exchange for the release of U.S. POWs.Dommen is relativistic about the bombings of Laos and Cambodia, but correctly points out that the Khmer Rouge victory was primarily due, not to the meagre U.S. support of Lon Nol, but to the initial backing of the DRV and the petulant endorsement of Prince Sihanouk.

The book's main flaw -- starting with its cumbersome title -- is its daunting attention to detail.But this is inconsistent: there is, for example, virtually no analysis of U.S. policy, e.g., the rationale for the massive military build-up in Vietnam after 1964.And there are annoying historical parallels:to compare the RVN and the DRV to "Athens and Sparta" is a stretch.The opening chapters describing the 19th century expansion of French power are simply confusing -- Milton Osborne has done a better job in his recent concise history of the Mekong. Dommen needed a good editor to tighten the prose and limit the timeframe: he repeatedly recounts incidents from the viewpoints of all three countries (and sometimes Thailand as well), even when there is little difference in interpretation.And his research into more recent events seems to be based largely on press accounts, which weakens his analysis, e.g., of developments in Cambodia.

For knowledgeable students of modern Indochina and the role played there by France and the United States, there is little that is new in this book.Dommen's point of view, however, is curiously refreshing.For younger readers who have been taught that the Vietnam war was the result of U.S. "aggression",it may come as a surprise that there were, for a period of thirty years or so, viable alternatives to communist rule in the area, corrupt and venal as some may have been.Moreover, the comparison between the colonialism of France -- which never, for example, had a national leader assassinated -- and that of the equally war-weary United States, which, as it withdrew, cut off all military assistance to its former "puppet", is biting.Dommen dedicates this book to the professional diplomats and aid officials who gave good advice to Washington which was mostly ignored, and who returned home, much like their military counterparts, to face shattered careers and ignominy.

An insightful study of the Vietnam War
This is by far the most comprehensive work on Vietnam during the past few years.

Previous books looked exclusively at the American aspect of the Vietnam War while others focused only at the Hanoi side. Dommen elucidates the perspectives of all the parties involved in the conflict, namely North and South Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. He thinks the fates of the Indochinese countries are intertwined and the loss of the nationalists to the communists in Laos and Cambodia has adversely affected the war in Vietnam.

Dommen begins his story in 1626, but the fratricidal war actually started in 1600 when duke Nguyen Hoang broke away from the then Thanh Long (Hanoi) regime, settled in present-day central Vietnam. and thus founded South Vietnam. North and South fought against each other for 50 years from 1627 to 1677 followed by one hundred-year peace. It was only in 1778 when the southern general Nguyen Hue reunited the whole country. He unfortunately died young at the age of 40 and another southerner Nguyen Anh reunited the country for the second time in 1802.

Dommen also looks at the war as a struggle between communists and non communist-nationalists that eventually went the communist way. The assassination of President Diem, the US take over of the Vietnam War, Kissinger's machiavellian ploys to extricate the Americans out of Vietnam, and the eventual fate of the nationalists are carefully analyzed. He hopes the latter could recover one day the sovereignty that has been stolen from them by Hanoi, a regime of "mendicity and mendacity."

The author is to be congratulated for his in-depth review of this long and agonizing war, for which many lives have been lost, certainly not in vain. The lessons are still vivid and it is hoped we can learn enough from them to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

Superior reading for serious students
For anyone who wants an accurate, objective, and thorough understanding of 20th century conflict in Indochina, this work is essential.Dommens research is balanced, well planned and documented, and for a change provides a complete picture of the much mis-understood complexities of the conflict.The work is lengthy; a necessity in this case, but for those truly interested will not seem cumbersome.Dommens links Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia together as they should be linked to grasp the subject.Many works are published every month claiming to be full accountings of the Indochina struggle.Dommens literally is. Highly recommended for those truly interested. ... Read more

Product Description
History of Aid to Laos is the first comprehensive study of development assistance to the aid-dependent country of Laos. The book investigates the situation of a country dependent on foreign aid for more than half a century and the ways in which donor nations have shaped its development and political relationships through the aid process.

After decades of foreign aid, Laos is left with a continuing dependence on development assistance, a status as one of the world's Least Developed Countries (LDC), and a host of new and old problems such as human trafficking, drug addiction, lack of human resources, and environmental degradation. ... Read more

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Chapters: History of Laos Since 1945. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 69. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Vero Beach, Florida -Vero Beach is located at (27.641817, -80.391105). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.93 square miles (33.5 km). 11.07 square miles (28.7 km) of it is land and 1.85 square miles (4.8 km) of it (14.31%) is water. The city is divided by the Indian River Lagoon into the mainland on one side and Orchid Island, the oceanfront barrier island on the other. The island's population consists of a wide variety of incomes, including many second home owners and those living in upscale gated communities. Restrictive zoning has allowed the island to repel attempts to develop high-rise hotels and large commercial centers, so it maintains a quiet, residential atmosphere. According to the World Almanac and Book of Facts, Vero Beach is at the eastern end of a demarcation line that separates Florida's climate into two zones, to the north of the town has a humid subtropical climate and a tropical climate to the south. From Vero Beach, this line stretches straight across the state, with Bradenton, FL on the western end of the demarcation line. Hurricane Frances was the sixth named storm, the fourth hurricane, and the third major hurricane of the 2004 Atlantic hurricane season. The system crossing the open Atlantic during mid to late August, moving to the north of the Lesser Antilles while strengthening. Its outer bands affected Puerto Rico and the British Virgin Islands while passing north of the Caribbean sea. The storm's maximum sustained wind speeds peaked at 145 miles per hour (233 km/h), achieving Category 4 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale. As the system slowed down its forward motion, the eye passed over San Salvador Isla...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=109267 ... Read more

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History of Laos since 1945. North Vietnamese invasion of Laos, Laotian Civil War, Laotian Rebellion, First Indochina War, Vietnam, Vientiane ... Read more

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Chapters: History of Laos Since 1945. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 263. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: For Laotian history before 1945, see History of Laos to 1945. Note: this article follows the system for transliterating Lao names used in Martin Stuart-Fox's History of Laos. It may differ from systems used in other articles. On 27 August 1945 Prince Phetxart took charge of Viang Chan from the Japanese, although as Prime Minister of Luang Phrabng he had no authority outside the Kingdom's borders. The French were already in control of Luang Phrabng, and with the support of the Prince of Champsak they were also regaining control in the south. When it became clear that the King would not budge from his loyalty to France, Phetxart (who had no fondness for the King and the Crown Prince) unilaterally declared the unification of the country, nominally under the crown of Luang Phrabng, and then declared Lao independence. In September the Chinese Army arrived to find that a Lao government of sorts was in command of Viang Chan. Uncertain what to do, the Chinese commander recognised Phetxart, and in Luang Phrabng the Chinese disarmed the French forces. But the Allied governments refused to recognise Phetxart's government, and in October de Gaulle advised the King by telegram to dismiss him as Prime Minister of Luang Phrabng. In retaliation, Phetxart declared the King deposed. Phetxart put his younger half-brother Suphnuvong in charge of organising the defence of the new independent Laos with the titles Minister of Defence and Interior. Suphnuvong was married to a Vietnamese and had spent most of the war in Vietnam, where he had become a close supporter and ally of Ho Chi Minh. On his advice Ho's forces supported Phetxart's government, but they could spare few forces from the struggle agains...http://booksllc.net/?id=3987467 ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from The Australian Journal of Politics and History, published by University of Queensland Press on March 1, 2004. The length of the article is 821 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Cultural Crisis and Social Memory: Modernity and Identity in Thailand and Laos.(Book Review)
Author: Martin Stuart-Fox
Publication: The Australian Journal of Politics and History (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2004
Publisher: University of Queensland Press
Volume: 50Issue: 1Page: 146(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

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Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Chapters: Laos Military Personnel, Military History of Laos, Kong Le, Lao People's Liberation Army Air Force, Bounleuth Saycocie, Royal Lao Army, Ouane Rattikone, Royal Lao Air Force, Kouprasith Abhay. Excerpt: Historically, Laos was subject to the will of its stronger neighbors, enforced by military means. By force of circumstances in warding off repeated foreign invasions, Laotians developed battle skills using elephants and compiled a history full of warlike deeds. Lan Xang, or the Kingdom of the Million Elephants, the first state in the recorded history of Laos, maintained a standing army of 150,000 men. Regiments included cavalry, infantry, and an elephant corps. Prince Fa Ngum, Lan Xang's founder, redeveloped the old Mongol model of an army composed of units of 10,000, which gave rise to the name of the successive reign, Sam Sen Thai, or, 10,000 Thai. The army's strength enabled Fa Ngum to expand Lan Xang's borders to the western escarpment of the Khorat Plateau, the crest of the Annamite Chain in the east, and the northern edge of Khmer and Cham civilizations in the south. To the north and east especially, however, mountain tribes resisted absorption and maintained a degree of independence. Following Fa Ngum's death, struggles with Siamese and Burmese states in which his successors became embroiled, sapped the strength of the army and led to the decline and eventual splitting up of Lan Xang. In 1778 the capital of the Vientiane kingdom was attacked and destroyed for the first time by a Siamese army. By the 1820s, Laos had reestablished sovereignty over its own borders, enough so that the king of Vientiane launched a disastrous military expedition against Siam (present-day Thailand). Laotian forces were overwhelmed by the superior firepower an... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=19022780 ... Read more

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This book examines the history and politics of modern Laos from its establishment as a French colony in the late 19th century to the communist state it is today. While the first three chapters outline the struggle between France and Thailand for control over the territory of the present Lao state, the period of French administration, and the Kingdom of Laos from 1946 to 1975, the focus primarily is on the Lao People's Democratic Republic during the first two decades of its existence. Themes taken up include the leadership of the Lao revolutionary movement, why the regime failed to carry through its policy of agricultural co-operativization, and its close relationship with Vietnam. Special attention is given to the transition from Buddhist kingdom to Marxist state, how the Lao communist hierarchy has attempted to legitimize its seizure and exercise of power, and how the Buddhist monastic order was reduced to a pliant instrument of the new regime. Also assessed are the errors and achievements of the Lao revolution, the politics of patronage in present-day Laos, and the effectiveness of Lao foreign policy. The last two chapters weigh up the role of the ruling Lao People's Revolutionary Party and look to the future of Laos in the rapidly integrating region of mainland Southeast Asia. ... Read more

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Chapters: 20th Century in Laos, 21st Century in Laos, History of Laos Since 1945, Laotian Civil War, History of Laos to 1945, Hmong Insurgency, Project 404, United Nations Security Council Resolution 109, Operation White Star, War of the Insane. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 115. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: For Laotian history before 1945, see History of Laos to 1945. Note: this article follows the system for transliterating Lao names used in Martin Stuart-Fox's History of Laos. It may differ from systems used in other articles. On 27 August 1945 Prince Phetxart took charge of Viang Chan from the Japanese, although as Prime Minister of Luang Phrabng he had no authority outside the Kingdom's borders. The French were already in control of Luang Phrabng, and with the support of the Prince of Champsak they were also regaining control in the south. When it became clear that the King would not budge from his loyalty to France, Phetxart (who had no fondness for the King and the Crown Prince) unilaterally declared the unification of the country, nominally under the crown of Luang Phrabng, and then declared Lao independence. In September the Chinese Army arrived to find that a Lao government of sorts was in command of Viang Chan. Uncertain what to do, the Chinese commander recognised Phetxart, and in Luang Phrabng the Chinese disarmed the French forces. But the Allied governments refused to recognise Phetxart's government, and in October de Gaulle advised the King by telegram to dismiss him as Prime Minister of Luang Phrabng. In retaliation, Phetxart declared the King deposed. Phetxart put his younger half-brother Suphnuvong in charge of organising the defence of the new independent Laos with the titles Minister of Defence and Interior. Suphnuvong was married to a Vietnamese and ha...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=3987467 ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: Ayutthaya Kingdom, Sukhothai Kingdom, History of Laos to 1945, Ahom-mughal Conflicts, Ahom Dynasty, Tai Peoples, Ahom Kingdom, Lanna, Ming Dynasty Military Conquests, History of Isan, Ram Khamhaeng the Great, Zhuang People, Luchuan-pingmian Campaigns, Mandala, Ahoms, Mong Mao, Suhungmung, Laotian Royal Family, Khun Borom, Muang Sua, Lan Xang, Chiang Hung, Susenghphaa, James George Scott, Ming Dynasty Tai History, Fa Ngum, Ngoenyang, Sao Saimong, Sri Indraditya, Phra Bang, Setthathirath, Samsenethai, Mangrai the Great, Ming Shi-Lu, si Ke Fa, Bai Yi Zhuan, Lan Kham Deng, Kengtung, Fa Khai, Saopha, Khun Lo. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 213. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt:Ensign Ayutthaya (Thai: , RTGS: Anachak Ayutthaya, also Ayudhya) was a Siamese kingdom that existed from 1351 to 1767. Ayutthaya was friendly towards foreign traders, including the Chinese, Vietnamese (Annamese), Indians, Japanese and Persians, and later the Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch and French, permitting them to set up villages outside the city walls. In the sixteenth century, it was described by foreign traders as one of the biggest and wealthiest cities in the East. The court of King Narai (16561688) had strong links with that of King Louis XIV of France, whose ambassadors compared the city in size and wealth to Paris. Before Ayutthaya fell to a Burmese invasion, its vassals included the Northern Shan states of present-day Myanmar, Lanna (Chiang Mai, Thailand), Yunnan ... Read more

Product Description
Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Lao-tzu," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Lao-tzu in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Lao-tzu when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social sciences (linguistics, history, geography, economics, sociology, political science), business, computer science, literature, law, medicine, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and other physical sciences. This "data dump" results in a comprehensive set of entries for a bibliographic and/or event-based timeline on the proper name Lao-tzu, since editorial decisions to include or exclude events is purely a linguistic process. The resulting entries are used under license or with permission, used under "fair use" conditions, used in agreement with the original authors, or are in the public domain. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from The Australian Journal of Politics and History, published by University of Queensland Press on March 1, 1999. The length of the article is 1298 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: HISTORY OF LAOS.(Review)
Author: Kelvin Rowley
Publication: The Australian Journal of Politics and History (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 1999
Publisher: University of Queensland Press
Volume: 45Issue: 1Page: 147(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description
This book is part of the Our Name in History series, a collection of fascinating facts and statistics, alongside short historical commentary, created to tell the story of previous generations who have shared this name.The information in this book is a compendium of research and data pulled from census records, military records, ships' logs, immigrant and port records, as well as other reputable sources. Topics include:

• Name Meaning and Origin
• Immigration Patterns and Census Detail
• Family Lifestyles
• Military Service History
• Comprehensive Source Guide, for future research

Product Description
Webster's bibliographic and event-based timelines are comprehensive in scope, covering virtually all topics, geographic locations and people. They do so from a linguistic point of view, and in the case of this book, the focus is on "Lao People's Democratic Republic," including when used in literature (e.g. all authors that might have Lao People's Democratic Republic in their name). As such, this book represents the largest compilation of timeline events associated with Lao People's Democratic Republic when it is used in proper noun form. Webster's timelines cover bibliographic citations, patented inventions, as well as non-conventional and alternative meanings which capture ambiguities in usage. These furthermore cover all parts of speech (possessive, institutional usage, geographic usage) and contexts, including pop culture, the arts, social sciences (linguistics, history, geography, economics, sociology, political science), business, computer science, literature, law, medicine, psychology, mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and other physical sciences. This "data dump" results in a comprehensive set of entries for a bibliographic and/or event-based timeline on the proper name Lao People's Democratic Republic, since editorial decisions to include or exclude events is purely a linguistic process. The resulting entries are used under license or with permission, used under "fair use" conditions, used in agreement with the original authors, or are in the public domain. ... Read more

Product Description
Chapters: History of Laos Since 1945. Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 93. Not illustrated. Free updates online. Purchase includes a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: For Laotian history before 1945, see History of Laos to 1945. Note: this article follows the system for transliterating Lao names used in Martin Stuart-Fox's History of Laos. It may differ from systems used in other articles. On 27 August 1945 Prince Phetxart took charge of Viang Chan from the Japanese, although as Prime Minister of Luang Phrabng he had no authority outside the Kingdom's borders. The French were already in control of Luang Phrabng, and with the support of the Prince of Champsak they were also regaining control in the south. When it became clear that the King would not budge from his loyalty to France, Phetxart (who had no fondness for the King and the Crown Prince) unilaterally declared the unification of the country, nominally under the crown of Luang Phrabng, and then declared Lao independence. In September the Chinese Army arrived to find that a Lao government of sorts was in command of Viang Chan. Uncertain what to do, the Chinese commander recognised Phetxart, and in Luang Phrabng the Chinese disarmed the French forces. But the Allied governments refused to recognise Phetxart's government, and in October de Gaulle advised the King by telegram to dismiss him as Prime Minister of Luang Phrabng. In retaliation, Phetxart declared the King deposed. Phetxart put his younger half-brother Suphnuvong in charge of organising the defence of the new independent Laos with the titles Minister of Defence and Interior. Suphnuvong was married to a Vietnamese and had spent most of the war in Vietnam, where he had become a close supporter and ally of Ho Chi Minh. On his advice Ho's forces supported Phetxart's government, but they could spare few forces from the struggle a...More: http://booksllc.net/?id=3987467 ... Read more

Product Description
Communist revolutions in this century have suppressed existing ritual and symbolic structures and invented new ones. Armed with new flags, new national celebrations, or new school textbooks, they have attempted to reconstruct social memory. This fascinating work of political anthropology examines the case of Laos from the heady days of the 1975 revolution to the more sober "post-socialist" present. Grant Evans traces the attempt at ritual and symbolic change in Laos, and the recent reemergence of older and deeper cultural structures, while identifying what has perhaps been irretrievably lost. In this challenging study of the cultural consequences of failed total revolution, Evans reaches some striking conclusions concerning the nature of social memory, cultural possibilities foregone, and the need for cultural continuity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Good Taste and Less Filling
Mr. Evans' slight volume focuses narrowly on the extent of the Lao Communist party's efforts to transition from dogmatic socialist to quasi-dogmatic proto-capitalist state. He argues somewhat persuasively that the pre-revolution royal-Buddhist diad never left the public's consciousness and has been supplanted by rituals that bespeak of these roots, albeit in the absence of a functioning monarchy. He states that the influence of Thailand, and particularly the Thai royal family, has to a large extent made the ruling LPDR's social dictates irrelevant; Thailand is their larger, older, more experienced Buddhist brother and will lead the recalcitrant commies to the promised land, dogma or no, but in typically understated Asian fashion.
I would liked to have seen more attention paid to the efforts of the LPDR to transform Lao society, as Mr. Evans wrote of in his Lao Peasants Under Socialism, but admittedtly that was only peripheral (and ancient history) to the theme of this book.

Excellent, far more insightful than the title suggests
I have to admit I had noticed this book in the book stores long before I ever bought it. I was looking for something that would bring Lao politics and cultural insights together (by "Lao" I mean all the people of Laos,) and this appeared to be a rather dry account of current Lao politics. How wrong I was. The book turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. It brings together insights about Lao culture and the thinking of Lao people from the whole spectrum of Lao society, Lao politics both before and after the revolution, and gives enormous insights into how the cultural and political landscape of Laos have influenced each other. For a book that claims to be about the politics of Laos, very deep cultural insights are given, yet remain relevant to the subject of the book as Mr. Evans illustrates how the revolution influenced the culture of Laos and (far more often) how Lao culture shaped the course of the Lao People's Democratic Republic in the past decade-and-a-half. Furthermore, he gives us a certain amount of insight into the royal Lao government.

The book does not contain the same wit and human interest as "Stalking the Elephant Kings,"but there was never any suggestion that it would. Despite having fewer personal anecdotes (not that it didn't have a fair number,) I found this book even more insightful.

The book answered a number of questions I had always had about Laos that several other books, and three weeks in the country, could not answer. I recommend it to anyone interested in this mysterious country, even casual tourists or business people investing in Laos. ... Read more