The Most Venerable Book (Shang Shu)

Like the Bible (both Old and New Testaments) and the Koran, the above book is one of the Great Books of the World. The tenets of Confucian philosophy, whether actually written by him, edited by him or gathered under the umbrella of his name, have been read, revered and followed in China for over 1300 years. Easy reading the book is not, especially as I neither speak Mandarin, know much of Chinese history or geography. I read it with a map, a tourist's overview of Chinese "history through the decades" and frequent detours to the Internet for information on some matter mentioned in it. The English translation is modern and is easy to follow and the notes at the back are most helpful. It is not a book to read in one go. After a quick skim, I am now working my way through it, hopefully absorbing its concepts of "how to do the right thing", in doing so. I am enjoying the process and recommend the book to anyone interested in China.