Chinese proverbs are in many ways the heart and soul of the Chinese language, and Dr. Rohsenow has done a marvelous job compiling so many of them together in one book. I like it's size, its organization, translations and explanations. I have learned a great deal of Chinese going through page after page of the book. I have also inserted a number of them in my letters to friends in China, and they think I am a genius for knowing such proverbs. Should I tell them the truth??? Actually, I did tell them about the dictionary and will mail them copies. In terms of improvements, I would like to have bigger print and possibly different color print for the Chinese, such as large bold blue print for the characters, to make it easier on the eyes. The English can stay small as is. I recommend this book to anyone wanting to deepen their understanding of Chinese language and its culture. The Chinese really love their proverbs and knowing them is one step closer to understanding their culture. Highly recommended.

An incredible collection, January 25, 2005

Rohsenow has collected and codified hundreds of proverbs from the Chinese peasant oral tradition in this volume. These proverbs are not Chengyu from the great literary works and are seldom seen in written form. The introduction includes an extremely insightful take on the subtle differences between proverbs, idioms and other devices in Chinese language and how they reflect on the culture as a whole.