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The I Ching or Book of Changes: A Guide to Life's Turning Points: The Essential Wisdom Library
The bestselling translation of one of the world's great classics, now in a beautiful new edition
The I Ching , or Book of Changes, is a widely-beloved and foundational text of Chinese philosophy and Taoist wisdom. When its advice is sought with sincerity and sensitivity, it imparts profound perspective and and balance in living. Whether approached as an oracular text or viewed simply as a long-term spiritual school brought vividly to life by the casting of a hexagram in a daily reading or important moment, the I Ching dynamically reinforces values which inevitably lead their adherents to well-being and good fortune. The clear, direct language of Brian Browne Walker’s contemporary translation have made this one of the most accessible and popular versions of the I Ching in the world for decades.
The I Ching , or Book of Changes, is a widely-beloved and foundational text of Chinese philosophy and Taoist wisdom. When its advice is sought with sincerity and sensitivity, it imparts profound perspective and and balance in living. Whether approached as an oracular text or viewed simply as a long-term spiritual school brought vividly to life by the casting of a hexagram in a daily reading or important moment, the I Ching dynamically reinforces values which inevitably lead their adherents to well-being and good fortune. The clear, direct language of Brian Browne Walker’s contemporary translation have made this one of the most accessible and popular versions of the I Ching in the world for decades.
144 pages, Paperback
Published April 30, 2019
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242 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
June 25, 2019
At the point of this writing, I have returned to this book off and on, sometimes on a daily basis, for 13 years. I often do daily readings, but I do not believe in fortune telling. I view it more akin to how some people read daily passages in the bible. The underlying philosophy being expressed by Walker resonates very deeply and speaks toward the best part of me. This book helps me to be the person I want to be, and it has made an immeasurable impact on my life.
August 19, 2023
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This is a handbook to an English translation of the I Ching. You can google what the I Ching is; it is several thousand years old. The earliest record of Chinese writing dates to about 1200 BC and the I Ching was created only a few hundred years after this. The version I got from the library was copyrighted in 1992.
I Ching is defined as a "divination" text. I don't think the main thrust of the book is predicting the future; it's more of a guide in helping you become a better person or assisting a person in dealing with the world. This text is simply all of the 64 chapters and associated "lines" comprising the I Ching and nothing more. There is no commentary, no analysis, no opinions etc. The book can be best described as a booklet and is only 134 pages long. There is an introduction with short paragraph answers to the following subjects:
- This is Just a Book
- This is more than just a Book.
- What does the I Ching teach us?
- What must we bring to the I Ching?
- About the "Sage"
- Where to begin
Answers to the above are worth expounding upon. In regards to what does the I Ching teach us, the author states that the I Ching teaches us to embrace the positive and let go of the negative. The "Sage" is your representation of God.
Following this brief introduction are instructions for you to construct two trigrams which allow you to identify which chapter's lines to read and then what chapter text to read for enlightenment. What lines and text to read are left entirely to chance. For example, I played the "game" and was instructed to read lines 1 and 4 from chapter 23 "Po/Splitting Apart, do not attempt to intervene now":
1) "Doubt and fear have propelled egos into action. Disaster results unless you abandon your grievances and agendas and allow the Creative to take over."
4) "The misfortune has reached its peak. Do not resist it any longer. Your energies should go toward correcting your attitude."
I was then instructed to read the text of chapter 35 "Chin/Progress, You progress like the rising sun. The brighter your virtue, the higher you rise." This text which is three paragraphs long tells me things are looking up. I can make easy progress if I embrace virtue, purify my thoughts, and attitudes. Usually fortunes are light in their advice. I've never seen anything telling me that disaster awaits unless I change now.
The form of the book is poor. The paper used in it's construction was thick and yellowing and the edges were rough cut making it difficult to quickly reach the section of interest. Since the lines and text are left completely to chance, someone could easily create app for this - wait, there already is and the artwork and author are the same!
This is a handbook to an English translation of the I Ching. You can google what the I Ching is; it is several thousand years old. The earliest record of Chinese writing dates to about 1200 BC and the I Ching was created only a few hundred years after this. The version I got from the library was copyrighted in 1992.
I Ching is defined as a "divination" text. I don't think the main thrust of the book is predicting the future; it's more of a guide in helping you become a better person or assisting a person in dealing with the world. This text is simply all of the 64 chapters and associated "lines" comprising the I Ching and nothing more. There is no commentary, no analysis, no opinions etc. The book can be best described as a booklet and is only 134 pages long. There is an introduction with short paragraph answers to the following subjects:
- This is Just a Book
- This is more than just a Book.
- What does the I Ching teach us?
- What must we bring to the I Ching?
- About the "Sage"
- Where to begin
Answers to the above are worth expounding upon. In regards to what does the I Ching teach us, the author states that the I Ching teaches us to embrace the positive and let go of the negative. The "Sage" is your representation of God.
Following this brief introduction are instructions for you to construct two trigrams which allow you to identify which chapter's lines to read and then what chapter text to read for enlightenment. What lines and text to read are left entirely to chance. For example, I played the "game" and was instructed to read lines 1 and 4 from chapter 23 "Po/Splitting Apart, do not attempt to intervene now":
1) "Doubt and fear have propelled egos into action. Disaster results unless you abandon your grievances and agendas and allow the Creative to take over."
4) "The misfortune has reached its peak. Do not resist it any longer. Your energies should go toward correcting your attitude."
I was then instructed to read the text of chapter 35 "Chin/Progress, You progress like the rising sun. The brighter your virtue, the higher you rise." This text which is three paragraphs long tells me things are looking up. I can make easy progress if I embrace virtue, purify my thoughts, and attitudes. Usually fortunes are light in their advice. I've never seen anything telling me that disaster awaits unless I change now.
The form of the book is poor. The paper used in it's construction was thick and yellowing and the edges were rough cut making it difficult to quickly reach the section of interest. Since the lines and text are left completely to chance, someone could easily create app for this - wait, there already is and the artwork and author are the same!
December 3, 2024
One is never really done reading an I Ching translation, but I have been consulting it daily since April 2024, so as 2024 comes to a close, I am marking this as "finished." I am debating buying an additional translation, so we will see. I like this translation very much and am grateful to have discovered the I Ching. It was mentioned to me years ago, by my spiritual director. I never really explored it much at that time. Then, early in 2024, during a dreamwork session, it came up again -- just a brief reference. For whatever reason, I decided to explore further, and have been very grateful for its companionship each morning (and many evenings). It is part of my daily journaling and really does feel like a conversation.
May 4, 2025
Reading the I Ching honestly felt like flipping through ancient Instagram reels — cryptic, dramatic, and somehow always vague enough to feel “deep.” It’s framed as this timeless source of wisdom, but most of it reads like a mix between a horoscope and a fortune cookie. You can pretty much interpret it however you want, and it’ll still feel like it applies.
I get that it has historical value, and maybe it meant something powerful in its time, but as a modern reader, it just feels like pseudo-spiritual filler. It’s the kind of thing that sounds profound until you actually try to apply it to real life. If you’re into mystical vibes and want to read between a lot of lines, go for it. But if you’re looking for solid advice or something grounded, this probably isn’t it.
I get that it has historical value, and maybe it meant something powerful in its time, but as a modern reader, it just feels like pseudo-spiritual filler. It’s the kind of thing that sounds profound until you actually try to apply it to real life. If you’re into mystical vibes and want to read between a lot of lines, go for it. But if you’re looking for solid advice or something grounded, this probably isn’t it.
November 17, 2024
One of my best purchases of 2024. This is not a case of old material feeling off-kilter in the present age; this is insightful, ancient wisdom. How Walker takes you through the I Ching is very well-done for personal reflection. There's no doubt I'll keep returning to this book.
July 6, 2022
Great translation of this Chinese classic. Easy to read and understand, easy to use hexagram chart. Recommended for those interested in the I Ching.
February 25, 2024
I read this EVERY day.
January 25, 2021
What I wanted was a translation of the I Ching that is meant to help Westerners understand the original text, which I think this does. It also inserts a lot of talk of deities, which is nonsensical.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews