Book Description

As R. W. Emerson says, by necessity, by proclivity, and by delight, we all quote. As B. Disraeli says, the wisdom of the wise and the experience of the ages are perpetuated by quotations. Confucius and Lao-tzu are famous philosophers in ancient China, who still have a great influence over modern Chinese. Besides, many Chinese proverbs and idioms also keep swaying modern Chinese. A lot of Western proverbs and quotations also make a dent in modern Chinese. One of the main purposes of my book is to promote the understanding between the East and the West. My book consists of hundreds Chinese and Western quotations and proverbs, which are witty, inspirational, self-improving, or humorous. As the Talmud says, a quotation at the right moment is like bread to the famished. G. B. Shaw says, " I often quote myself. It adds spice to my conversation." As R. W. Emerson says, conversation is an art in which a man has all mankind for competitors. Pierre de Beaumarchais says, " It isn't necessary to understand things in order to argue about them. Everyone has got a right to say or do whatever he or she prefers, which could honor or humiliate him or her, you know. Life is changeable. Don't grieve for the past. Learn from the past and improve. Don't fear the future. Challenging the present problems, you'll have a sweet memory and make a better prepara- tion for the future. My book also shows the pronunciations of pinyin Chinese. The complete title of my book is " A WINTER-BORN SHEEP BLEATING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA" because I was born in 1943, named "yang2 nian2" meaning the "year of sheep" according to Chinese zodiac. In Southern California, a remarkably multicultural area where I've lived for more than 30 years, the grass flourishes in rainy winter. As F. Allen says, California is a fine place to live in--if you happen to be an orange.