Reviewed by You-Sheng Li 5/11/2009 In 2005, Victoria Hui published her book, War and State Formation in Ancient China and Early Modern Europe, which is regarded as a rare endeavor in the field of sinology and world politics. It represents an important contribution to social science and is valuable reading for those who are interested European and Chinese history. She compares ancient China from 656 to 221 BC with modern Europe from 1495 to 1815. She concentrates her analysis on the dynamics of interstate systems and state formation, aiming to answer the question: Why did China end with a united …

by You-Sheng Li (published in Humanist Perspective, Spring 2009, Issue 68, p34-36) In her book A History of God, the English author and former nun Karen Armstrong states, “When people began to devise their myths and worship their gods, they were not seeking a literal explanation for natural phenomena. The symbolic stories, cave paintings and carvings were an attempt to express their wonder and to link this pervasive mystery with their own lives; indeed, poets, artists and musicians are often impelled by a similar desire today……God was a product of the creative imagination, like the poetry and music that I …

By You-Sheng Li 20/03/09 What began as a reversal of the real estate market in the United States has spun out of control and ended as a full blown global crisis that humans have never faced before. There is almost a meltdown of the world’s financial and banking systems; trillions of dollars worth of assets have evaporated. Even some governments have collapsed, investors are devastated, and consumers terrified. According to the World Bank’s estimation, 53 million people will be pushed back into poverty, joining up to 155 million who now live on less than US$2 a day. There are three …

By You-Sheng Li Margaret Atwood is one of today’s most acclaimed novelists in Canada. Her imagination and mordant wit are impressive to all readers, and her examination of a woman’s shifting role in the modern world remains a major achievement in English literature. In one of her novels Cat’s Eye which is considered the most autobiographical one, Atwood conveys nihilism: she disdains all her characters and their lives with contempt but praises no one. It is a reflection of the nihilist trend in modern society, which is so widely spread and profoundly rooted in all walks of people that it …

You-Sheng Li October 3, 2008 Christianity branched off from Judaism while Buddhism branched off from Hinduism. Neither Christianity nor Buddhism succeeded in their homelands but both flourished in foreign lands to become major religions in today’s world. Buddhism was created by Sakyamuni ( Siddhartha Gautama), the Buddha, who was born about 563 and died 480 BC. The Buddha was a prince in a small state which is inside Nepal today. He gave up the luxury life of a prince and lived as a traveling monk to preach the religious truth in northern India where numerous independent states coexisted. In the …

Written by You-Sheng Li 20/5/2005 Traditionally people name wheels as the greatest invention in human history. With the speedy progress in science and technology, we are still relying on this ancient invention today. From the sophisticated spacecrafts and satellites to our cooking facilities such as microwaves and refrigerators, not to mention cars, trains, and airplanes, are all consisted of some wheels as the essential parts. Volcanoes are often cited as the symbol of the power of nature but they can only throw rocks miles away, but a man with wheels can move things thousands of miles away from its original …