Architecture as a visual encounter possesses the undeniable merit of having an aesthetic goal, but this is a secondary consideration that can only be examined when the art is better understood. This approach results in experimentation without entering into the heart of the matter and the risk of becoming lost in a vacuum. Architecture should not be approached in this way and it is the obligation of all teachers to inform serious students of the dangers of such an approach. Perhaps this is why the discussion in this book will be somewhat subjective, because after all, each one has his own...

The goal of this book is to offer intermediate level students of the Chinese language a brief and simple introduction to the reading of early to mid-twentieth century Chinese classics. Many students are confronted with the difficulty of reading Chinese novels and the questions relating to their translation. This small collection of texts is drawn from well-known modern literature written in the vernacular as opposed to the classical style which persisted until the Revolution of 1911. With the appearance of authors such as Lu Xun, Ba Jin, Mao Dun and later Zhou Erfu, pioneers in this new...