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WORK TITLE: acoundations of Chinese Civilization
WORK NOTES:
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BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE:
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https://www.overdrive.com/creators/713544/jing-liu * http://www.stonebridge.com/authors-archive/jing-liu * https://comicsgrinder.com/2016/05/15/review-foundations-of-chinese-civilization-vol-i-by-jing-liu/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LOC author entry
LC control no.: n 2016013207
Descriptive conventions:
rda
Personal name heading:
Liu, Jing (Author of graphic novels)
Found in: Foundations of Chinese civilization, 2016: ECIP t.p. (Jing
Liu)
Amazon.com website, Mar. 11, 2016 (Jing Liu; author of the
series “Understanding China through comics;” graduated
from Beijing University of Technology with degrees in
industrial design and engineering, and Master’s in
international economics and trade)
================================================================================
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AUTHORITIES
Library of Congress
101 Independence Ave., SE
Washington, DC 20540
Questions? Contact: ils@loc.gov
PERSONAL
Married.
EDUCATION:Beijing University of Technology, bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, illustrator, and entrepreneur. Modi Design, formerly of Beijing, China, founder and managing director, beginning 1997.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Jing Liu is a Chinese artist and entrepreneur who founded and directed a design firm based in China. The firm’s clients have included the Ford Foundation, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and UNICEF. Liu studied industrial design and engineering as an undergraduate and went on to earn a master’s degree in international economics and trade. He is also the author of graphic novels and a series of graphic books telling the history of China. The series is titled “Understanding China through Comics.”
In the first volume of his series, Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor through the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE–220 CE), Liu looks at China’s prehistory and subsequent history up to the Han Dynasty. Liu addressed this time period “both chronologically and thematically, with religion, philosophy, agriculture, and technology all making an appearance,” as noted by Asian Review of Books Web site contributor Peter Gordon. Calling Foundations of Chinese Civilization “a manga-style history book,” a Comic Bastards Web site contributor added: “It has no narrative, no story to tell. Instead it presents its history lesson in digestible pages that present China’s history.”
Covering approximately 3,000 years of China’s history, the book includes illustrations of the country’s geography and its leaders. “The art here is spare and to the point,” wrote a Comics Grinder Web site contributor, adding: “The neat and orderly presentation of facts will truly win you over.” The illustrations and text also discuss the country’s evolving philosophies and economics. For example, in terms of philosophy, Liu goes back to the Zhou Dynasty, which lasted from 1046 to 256 BCE and was an era when six major schools of thought were developed, including the philosophy of Confucius. Looking at the development of China, Liu also examines the many outside influences on the country. The book features lists and bullet points to help readers understand the information presented, as well as two time lines covering the 3,000 years and the nine most important dynasties.
The history is arranged chronologically and begins with an introduction discussing the rise and fall of major dynasties and the country’s geography. Liu next discusses the Yellow Emperor and the Xia Dynasty, during which the first government evolved in China. The Xia Dynasty was overthrown by the Shang Dynasty (1600–1050 BCE), which in turn was overthrown by the Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE). Liu next turns his attention to the Qin Dynasty (221–206 BCE) and then the Han Dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE). In each case, Liu discusses the dynasty’s rise and fall. “Liu especially excels at clarifying the often-confusing transitional periods between dynasties,” noted Jennifer Rothschild in a review of School Library Journal.
Liu also pays special attention to the complex Confucian social hierarchies, which emphasize five key relationships: ruler to subject, father to son, husband to wife, elder to younger, and friend to friend. Liu also discusses China’s other major indigenous philosophical tradition, Daoism, which is sometimes spelled Taoism. Another focus is on the many civil wars that took place in China during the period this graphic history covers. Liu also discusses the development of the Silk Road, a historically significant international trade route between China and the Mediterranean. Among the famous emperors he profiles is Han Wudi, the seventh emperor of the Han Dynasty who, during his fifty-four years of rule, made numerous innovations in China and oversaw a vast territorial expansion. Finally, Liu addresses the process that led to China’s unification.
“This volume is serviceable [as] a short, middle-grade survey course,” wrote a Publishers Weekly contributor. Writing for Booklist, Ray Olson noted: “The lucid, economical text makes one eager for the successive volumes.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Booklist, August 1, 2016, Ray Olson, review of Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor through the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE-220 CE), p. 52.
Publishers Weekly, April 11, 2016, review of Foundations of Chinese Civilization, p. 47.
School Library Journal, June, 2016, Jennifer Rothschild, review of Foundations of Chinese Civilization, p. 133.
ONLINE
Asian Review of Books, http://asianreviewofbooks.com/ (March 1, 2017), Peter Gordon, review of Foundations of Chinese Civilization.
Comic Bastards, https://comicbastards.com/ (May 25, 2016), review of Foundations of Chinese Civilization.
Comics Grinder, https://comicsgrinder.com/ (May 15, 2016), review of Foundations of Chinese Civilization.
OverDrive, https://www.overdrive.com/creators/713544/jing-liu (March 8, 2017), brief author profile.
Portland Book Review, http://portlandbookreview.com/ (April 13, 2016), Howard Leighton, review of Foundations of Chinese Civilization.
About
Suggest Edits
CONTACT INFO
MORE INFO
Genre
Graphic Novels
About
A fun way to learn about China in a visual, informative comic-style history
ISBN
9781611720273 (p)
Publisher
The Stone Bridge Press
Awards
2013 Independent Publishers Book Awards (IPPY) Bronze Medal for Graphic Novel (Drama/Documentary), and ForeWord Reviews Book of the Year Awards (BOTYA) 2012 Finalist in Graphic Novels (Adult Nonfiction). MARRIED.
Jing Liu is an artist and entrepreneur from Beijing, China. He is currently the Managing Director of Moli Design, a China-based design firm that counts the BBC, The Ford Foundation, and UNICEF among its many clients. Liu graduated from Beijing University of Technology with undergraduate degrees in industrial design and engineering, and a masters in international economics and trade. Jing currently uses his artistry to tell the story of China.
MOLI Design
Managing Director · 1997 to present · Beijing, China
As the founder of MOLI, Jing Liu has led the company and its creative teams to offer professional services to high profile international clients over the past 15 years. MOLI is a creative agency specialized in content creation for both online and offline media.
Jing Liu is an artist and entrepreneur from Beijing, China. He is currently the Managing Director of Moli Design, a China-based design firm that counts the BBC, MasterCard, The Ford Foundation, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, and UNICEF among its many clients. Liu graduated from Beijing University of Technology with undergraduate degrees in industrial design and engineering, and a masters in international economics and trade. Division to Unification in Imperial China is his second book.
Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE-220 CE)
Ray Olson
112.22 (Aug. 1, 2016): p52.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 American Library Association
http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/publishing/booklist_publications/booklist/booklist.cfm
Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE-220 CE). By Jing Liu. Illus. by the author. 2016. 168p. Stone Bridge, paper, $14.95 (9781611720273). 741.5.
This is book one of four outlining China's 5,000-year history. First laying down the basic stats--"17,434 disasters, 3,791 wars, 663 emperors, and 95 dynasties" and the world's largest national population and economy most of the last 2,000 years--Liu launches the narrative continuum with the myth that brother and sister flood survivors generated the people and the proposition of the first-century BCE Shiji (Records of the Grand Historian) that civilization began with the Yellow Emperor (2697-2597 BCE) and the subsequent Xia dynasty. Verifiable history arrives 1,000 years later with the Zhou dynasty. By the end of this volume's coverage, writing, land ownership, law, ritual, music, the military, agriculture, coinage, and philosophy are hoary; the Great Wall is complete; the six great schools of thought permeate; four dynasties have passed; and Cai Lun (63--121) has invented paper. Confining detail to backdrops rendered in a palette of grays, Liu foregrounds cursive, cartoony, outlined, or silhouetted figures in black and white. The lucid, economical text makes one eager for the successive volumes.--Ray Olson
Olson, Ray
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Olson, Ray. "Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE-220 CE)." Booklist, 1 Aug. 2016, p. 52. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA460761763&it=r&asid=250133fa6220bee5245acf7a3203a4e6. Accessed 4 Feb. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A460761763
Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE-220 CE)
263.15 (Apr. 11, 2016): p47.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE-220 CE)
Jing Liu. Stone Bridge, $14.95 trade paper (168p) ISBN 978-1-61172-027-3
This breezy and generally triumphalist thumbnail guide to everything that's happened in China up until the third century C.E. promises to explain "5,000 years at a glance." That means volume two, covering only the next seven centuries, should be able to take a more leisurely pace. This volume is serviceable a short, middle-grade survey course. Liu leaps from the basics of the Chinese dynastic cycle and geography to cataloguing the dense, interlocking layers of Confucian social hierarchies and depicting the many civil wars that have burnt across the countryside for millennia. Liu comes from an academic and business background, which may account for the bullet-point approach to covering one massive upheaval after, another, and his sometimes juvenile drawings don't mesh well with the epic events at hand. The cheerful characters make an uncomfortable juxtaposition with just-the-facts writing such as "after the deaths of five million people during the violent 16-year transition from the Qin to the Han ..." (Apr.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE-220 CE)." Publishers Weekly, 11 Apr. 2016, p. 47. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA449662990&it=r&asid=46fbcd0dd947e732e9bdbc8baa232ff6. Accessed 4 Feb. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A449662990
Liu, Jing. Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE-220 CE)
Jennifer Rothschild
62.6 (June 2016): p133.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 Library Journals, LLC. A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
LIU, Jing. Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE-220 CE). illus. by Jing Liu. 168p. (Understanding China Through Comics: Bk. 1). maps. Stone Bridge. May 2016. pap. $14.95. ISBN 9781611720273; ebk. ISBN 9781611729184.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Gr 5 Up--This new, revised edition will help bring this award-winning series, which was originally independently published, to a much wider audience. After an introduction, which covers the major dynasties, how they rose and fell, and geography, the author provides a brief overview of the Yellow Emperor and Xia Dynasty before launching into an exploration of the Shang Dynasty (1600-1050 BCE). Liu then examines the Zhou (1046-256 BCE), Qin (221-206 BCE), and Han (202 BCE-220 CE) dynasties. The uncluttered black-and-white cartoon drawings, coupled with clear and concise explanations, are an excellent primer to early Chinese history. Focusing on broad trends, political philosophy, and the causes of each dynasty's rise and fall, this broad work is easy to understand but never oversimplified. Interested readers have a great jumping-off point for exploring more in-depth materials. Liu especially excels at clarifying the often-confusing transitional periods between dynasties. VERDICT An excellent introduction to the large trends of early Chinese history; ideal for those new to the subject.--Jennifer Rothschild, Arlington County Public Libraries, VA
KEY: * Excellent in relation to other titles on the same subject or in the same genre Tr Hardcover trade binding | RTE Reinforced trade binding | lib. ed. Publisher's library binding Board Board book | pap. Paperback | e eBook original | BL Bilingual | POP Popular Picks
Rothschild, Jennifer
Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
Rothschild, Jennifer. "Liu, Jing. Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE-220 CE)." School Library Journal, June 2016, p. 133. General OneFile, go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=ITOF&sw=w&u=schlager&v=2.1&id=GALE%7CA453920308&it=r&asid=774fa4252ff85f38a17442b23059b066. Accessed 4 Feb. 2017.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A453920308
May 15, 2016 · 8:00 pm
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Review: FOUNDATIONS OF CHINESE CIVILIZATION Vol. I by Jing Liu
"Foundations of Chinese Civilization" by Jing Liu
“Foundations of Chinese Civilization” by Jing Liu
Here is a clear and concise survey of Chinese history and culture that is sure to please. “Foundations of Chinese Civilization, Volume I” covers the Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE – 220 CE). It is by Jing Liu, an artist and entrepreneur from Beijing, China, and published by Stone Bridge Press.
The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China
This 168-page trade paperback will prove to be one of the most handy primers you have come across. Adopting a comic book format, the art here is spare and to the point. The neat and orderly presentation of facts will truly win you over.
Confucius's Roadmap to Life
Confucius’s Roadmap to Life
And it’s not just tidy facts we have here. There’s heart too. Jing Liu has thoughtfully condensed various concepts and ideas while striving to briefly articulate what is compelling about them. I love how Liu gradually builds up his presentation on Chinese philosophy. Dating back to the Zhou Dynasty (1046 – 256 BCE), the elites developed schools of thought. This led to six major schools, leaders emerged, such as Confucius (551 – 479 BCE). And a civilization continued to flourish.
Reading "Foundations of Chinese Civilization" by Jing Liu
Reading “Foundations of Chinese Civilization” by Jing Liu
“Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE – 220 CE)” is the first book in the five-volume Understanding China Through Comics series
Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE – 220 CE) (Understanding China Through Comics) by Jing Liu
by Howard Leighton on April 13, 2016
Publisher: Stone Bridge Press
Formats: Paperback
Purchase: Powell’s | Amazon | IndieBound | Barnes & Noble
Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE – 200 CE), by Jing Liu, is the first in a planned four part series on the history of China. The presentation is in a comic book format. This book of 157 pages allows one who has limited knowledge of Chinese history to gain some basic understanding of that history. While approximately 3,000 years of that history is presented in these pages, it provides a structure for learning using the graphic illustrations of the geography, movements of people and armies, the leaders and evolving philosophies, the economics, and the outside forces impacting the development of China. The illustrations of the leaders reflect images and statues of these individuals. The black and white drawings are clear and simple with no overbearing detail or crowding to confuse or dilute the information presented. There is a nice flow between subjects being presented. There are scattered lists and bullet points within the pages to clarify information. At the beginning of the book there are two time lines which lay out the major elements of the 3,000 year history and the 9 important dynasties. Review of this author’s previous publications identifies a similar series (Understanding China through Comics) on the history of Chinese civilization, and this book and the ones to follow are a re-publishing of the series
Review: Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty
May 25, 2016
I have honestly learned more from comic books than I have from sitting down and reading books. Sure none of it is deep knowledge, it’s mostly factoids and solutions to random life situations, but it’s still knowledge. There’s to teach with comics, but it’s hard. It’s a hard thing to accomplish because people always want to be entertained. If you have no desire to learn about China’s history then you should pass on this book. You have to have some desire to learn about the subject its presenting because there’s nothing here that’s going to hook you unless you just like history in general.
blog-foundations-of-chinese-civilizationFoundations of Chinese Civilization is a manga style history book. That’s the best way to describe it because it has no narrative, no story to tell. Instead it presents its history lesson in digestible pages that present China’s history.
For me it was an interesting look at China’s history because so much of what I’ve learned has come with a grain of salt. While it’s easy to read, it is quite long. I don’t recommend reading it on sitting because you’ll become numb to the events by the end of the volume. It’s informative and again digestible, but too much of anything is still too much.
The artwork is a nice fit. It’s a bit on the kiddish side, but then I get the impression this is aimed at children. The line work is thick and clean. It supports the writing on the page and in a way is interactive with its presentation.
While I found this first volume to be interesting I don’t know if I’m clamoring for more. I think that has more to do with where I am in my comic reading life than with the material. If I was game for learning more than I would definitely try the next volume. If you’re a teacher this is a great resource. If you have a child that’s interested in history or Asian culture, I would definitely recommend this. But if you’re just a comic reader looking for a strong story and art, then this is not for you.
Score: 3/5
Foundations of Chinese Civilization: The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty Creator: Jing Liu Publisher: Stone Bridge Press Price: $14.95 Format: TPB; Print
Foundations of Chinese Civilization (vol. 1): The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE - 220 CE) by Jing Liu
When I was much younger, in single and very low double digits, there was a series of comic books called “Classics Illustrated” which retold both novels and history in comic book form. They were hardly great art, but I thought they were terrific. Of course, the graphic form is much more inefficient per square inch than text in conveying information, but something like the old 80/20 rule can apply: the right 20% of the text can supply the bulk of the basics of what one needs to know. And the visual reinforcement means that information may be more likely to stick.
Foundations of Chinese Civilization (vol. 1): The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE - 220 CE) by Jing Liu
Foundations of Chinese Civilization (vol. 1): The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE - 220 CE), Jing Liu (Stone Bridge Press, May 2016)
For children, at any rate. The information-efficiency trade-off presumably alters as we enter adulthood. But comic book treatments of serious subjects can work well for kids.
Foundations of Chinese Civilization is a graphic novel-style treatment of the Chinese history from “The Yellow Emperor to the Han Dynasty (2697 BCE - 222 CE)” and is the first volume in a series called “Understanding China Through Comics” from Stone Bridge Press, an independent publisher in Berkeley, California specializing in books on Asia. The author, Jing Liu, has a background in design which stands him in good stead.
The book covers the history (and prehistory), both chronologically and thematically, with religion, philosophy, agriculture and technology all making an appearance. The highlights are all there, from the dynasties, to Confucius, the development of paper and the start of the Silk Road. Others more knowledgeable than I will have to evaluate the book’s accuracy and completeness, but it gives every indication of having been well-vetted.
[caption id='attachment_0' align='aligncenter' width='100%'] [/caption]
The black and white illustrations are simple and draw from Asian graphic illustration styles as much if not more than Western ones. The book does what it says it does: a child will come away with a basic understanding of early Chinese history, what makes the Chinese tick as a people and culture. I see no reason why it should not work as well here in Asia as in its home market.
It’s rather wordy for a “graphic novel”—history has its nuances—but few pages have more that a couple hundred words. It’s been a long time since I (or even my children) were in the 11-17 age range the book is ostensibly targeted at, and so how well it hits the age range is a bit hard to judge. The occasional word like “quasi-legendary” notwithstanding, I think I’d place it more in a 10-14 range.
If my own kids had not outgrown this sort of thing, I'd probably have had them read it.