The Book of Changes: A Modern Adaptation and Interpretation

The Book of Changes: A Modern Adaptation and Interpretation attempts

to breathe new life into the Book of Changes by making it relevant

to the present time and day. It does so by using archaeological

evidence to trace the origins of the Book of Changes, starting with numeric

trigrams and hexagrams, making its way up to early divination

manuals, and ending with the oldest extant version of the Books of

Changes-usually referred to as the 'received version.' It also explains

the development of the Book of Changes from a divination manual

into a philosophical text dealing with change. However, its main

focus is on delineating sixty-four patterns of change in the Book of

Changes, patterns based on novel metaphorical interpretations of the

line texts in the Book of Changes that serve as the foundation for a new

handbook on change.

Each metaphorical interpretation consists of 1) a hexagram and the

Chinese character(s) associated with it, 2) a 'description' of the hexagram,

3) the Chinese characters for the line texts, 4) translations of

the line texts, 5) a general interpretation of the line texts based on

those translations, 6) and some explanatory notes that attempt to

clarify each interpretation. Translations and the interpretations

based on those translations reference Traditional and Modernist understandings

of the line text materials, ancient texts/dictionaries/

lexicons from the period when the Book of Changes was compiled, and

the ideas of the author as he works to create a new Chinese 'philosophy

of change,' complete with examples of how it can be adapted in

modern-day life.

The clear and concise general introduction to the Book of Changes

that is incorporated into this work, the many interpretations of the

line texts contained in it, and a popular philosophical content make

this book a welcome addition to the field and will attract interested

scholars and teachers, engage business people or those looking to

better understand Chinese culture, and appeal to those focused on

spirituality and holistic living.