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Original Title:	Iron and Silk
ISBN:	0394755111 (ISBN13: 9780394755113)
Edition Language:	English

Iron and Silk

Mark Salzman

Paperback | Pages: 224 pages

Rating: 3.96 | 3228 Users | 232 Reviews

List Out Of Books Iron and Silk

Title	:	Iron and Silk
Author	:	Mark Salzman
Book Format	:	Paperback
Book Edition	:	First Edition
Pages	:	Pages: 224 pages
Published	:	October 12th 1987 by Vintage (first published 1986)
Categories	:	Cultural. China. Nonfiction. Autobiography. Memoir. Travel. Combat. Martial Arts. Asia. Biography

Description Toward Books Iron and Silk

Salzman is a sweet guy, there's no doubt about it. his tales of his time in china are direct, cleanly written, and rooted in a clear love of the world around him and the people in it. he manages to effortlessly sidestep any potential landmines in terms of race, culture, or class simply by being himself - a warm, unpretentious and rather unsophisticated sweetheart. and Iron & Silk is a great mouthwash after reading the sour musings of the irritable and irritating Paul Theroux. but despite all of this travelogue's intrinsic sweetness, this is a rather forgettable personal narrative; conversely, Theroux's critical, often poisonous commentary linger in the mind far longer and seem rooted in a less idealized version of reality. one is a good man and the other is good writer. i liked Iron & Silk, i've recommended it to others, but the sad truth of the matter is that Salzman seems like the sort of good man that i'd like my daughter to marry rather than an interesting writer whose work i'd continue to read.

Rating Out Of Books Iron and Silk

Ratings: 3.96 From 3228 Users | 232 Reviews

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Surprisingly lovely and personal vignettes. I was really tempted to resent this author, at whose feet all of 1980s China seemed to fall on account of his white skin and youthful charm. But it's sort of impossible not to be won over... a fearlessly social soul armed with a sense of humor and a lifelong dedication to Chinese martial arts / language, Salzman comfortably slips into all the crannies of a very closed society. Beautiful, honest writing about the intensity and absurdity of living

I actually just re-read this. Read it like 10 years ago (before becoming involved in martial arts or chinese culture, or travelling to china (or anywhere)) but I enjoyed it then. This time, having become sort of ensconsed in those things, I enjoyed very very much.Definitely gets inside the duel-natured chinese character in a light hearted and really cool/informative way (a series of short non-fiction stories). Recommended for anyone interested in how chinese culture is different from american

The storytelling was probably closer to a 4 than a 5 for me, as it did get somewhat tedious and repetitive by the end...but the unique look at Chinese culture during that time period made up for it. Really fascinating.

"Grass makes mosquitoes," he answered.



A wonderfully entertaining travel memoir, consisting of anecdotes from author's 1982 stint teaching English in China. I liked it a lot. Favorite parts, when students were describing their happiest moments, martial arts training. It did strike me how so much of the stories are distancing, framed so that the Chinese are quaint little characters, summed up with some incident or phrase that illuminates yet conceals. The majority of the Chinese individuals that Salzman describes come across as

Save yourself some trouble and read River Town: Two Years on the Yangtzeinstead. Iron and Silk is essentially a watered-down, less intellectual version of Hessler's classic read on China's recovery post 1978 yet not post-Mao. It's not a horrible book, but it wanes in comparison to River Town. Essentially, the only unique quality that Mark Salzman brings is his experience with gong fu and marsial arts. Additionally, some of the Mandarin and cultural aspects citied in the book are very localized