I Ching

The I Ching, or Book of Changes, is one of the 1st efforts of the human mind to place itself within the universe. It has exerted a living influence in China for 3000 years & interest in it has been spreading in the West. Set down in the dawn of history as a book of oracles, the Book of Changes deepened in meaning when ethical values were attached to the oracular pronouncements; it became a book of wisdom, eventually one of the Five Classics of Confucianism, & provided the common source for both Confucianist & Taoist philosophy. Wilhelm's rendering of the I Ching into German, published in 1924, presented it for the 1st time in a form intelligible to the general reader. Wilhelm, who translated many other ancient Chinese works & wrote several books on Chinese philosophy & civilization, long resided in China. His close association with its cultural leaders gave him a unique understanding of the text of the I Ching. In the English translation, every effort has been made to preserve Wilhelm's pioneering insight into the spirit of the Original.
This 3rd edition, completely reset, contains a new forward by Hellmut Wilhelm, one of the most eminent American scholars of Chinese culture. He discusses his father's textual methods & summarizes recent studies of the I Ching both in the West & in present-day China. The new edition contains minor textual corrections, bibliographical revisions & index.

This edition is based on the translation by James Legge.
[From back cover] ... The classic James Legge version, which is the most thorough translation taken directly from the Chinese text, has been newly edited and arranged fro maximum ease in consulting the hexagrams. Raymon van Over's superb introduction give an extensive account of the origin, meaning, and usage of the I Ching.