The Asian Animal Zodiac

This informative and delightful book examines each animal sign in the Asian zodiacal cycle and describes its history, its virtues, and flaws. Traditional tales from China, Japan, Korea, Tibet, and Vietnam illustrate each animal's "personality" as the people of those nations see it.

In much the same way that Westerners predict their futures by studying the positions of the stars under which they were born, Asians use the ancient animal zodiac to explain their personalities and divine their fate. The twelve years in the Asian animal cycle were named for the twelve animals that visited Buddha on his deathbed. -- the rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, cock, dog, and boar. This informative book examines each animal of the cycle and describes its history, virtues, and its "all-too-human" characteristics. Traditional tales from China, Japan, Korea, Tibet and Vietnam illustrates each animal's personality as viewed by the people of those nations.