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| Iron and Silk | 
 enlarge | Author: Mark Salzman
Publisher: Vintage
Category: Book
List Price: $13.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  (96 reviews)
Sales Rank: 29146
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: Vintage Departures
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.5
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.2 x 0.7
ISBN: 0394755111
Dewey Decimal Number: 951.058
EAN: 9780394755113
ASIN: 0394755111
Publication Date: October 12, 1987
Release Date: October 12, 1987
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
Salzman captures post-cultural revolution China through his adventures as a young American English teacher in China and his shifu-tudi (master-student) relationship with China's foremost martial arts teacher.
Amazon.com Review
In 1982, Salzman flew off to teach English in Changsha, China. He writes of bureaucrats, students and Cultural Revolution survivors, stripping none of their complexity and humanity. He's gentle with their idiocies, saving his sharpest barbs for himself (it's his pants that split from zipper to waist whilst demonstrating martial arts in Canton). Though dribs of history and drabs of classical lore seep through, this is mostly a personal tale, noted by the Los Angeles Times for "the charmingly unpretentious manner in which it penetrates a China inaccessible to other foreigners."
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| Customer Reviews: Read 91 more reviews...
 A Fantastic, illuminating read July 4, 2008
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
Sometimes travel books can come across as "looking down" on the locals for their backwards and silly ways. This book shines in quite the opposite direction. Mark Salzman does an admirable job of telling about the challenges of his years in China in the 1980s, when China was still getting used to having Westerners within its borders. He encounters numerous bureaucratic hurdles, faces them with diligence. He meets many smart and wonderful locals and appreciates their talents. He realizes that many things he took for granted - electricity that always came on, a steady supply of food, mail service that delivered on schedule - were not to be assumed here.
The book is very well written. There were numerous parts that I laughed out loud at, and then read it to whoever was sitting near me at the time. There were other sections that were very sad. A woman commits suicide and everybody is worried that her children will suffer - her suicide is a crime against the Party, and her children will be punished as somehow not having properly prevented it.
There are many stories that illustrate a variety of differences between how Mark (and most Westerners) would interpret a situation, and how the Chinese do. It is fascinating to see him stymied by cultural misunderstandings, figuring his way around taboos and rules. A Westerner might say "Well why not just do XXXX and get it all done with?" But to the Chinese, it is far more proper to do things in a very different way.
One story that stuck with me involved a Chinese person trying to explain to Mark why the Chinese are so patient and accepting. The Chinese person said: once there was a farmer who had his horse run away. People said "how awful" but the farmer did not worry about it. Then the horse came home with a whole herd of friends. People said "how lucky!" but again the farmer did not react. Then the farmer's son broke a leg training one of the new horses, and people said "how awful" - but the farmer did not mind. Then the army came looking to drag away recruits for the war, and the son was safely ignored. This story was an example of why short term ups and downs should just be accepted as part of life's long term path.
Highly recommended for anyone interested in the Chinese culture.
 Fun With Culture January 22, 2008
This memoir is light and humorous and a wonderful way to learn about Chinese culture.
Huoshenxian- an Immortal in Human Form August 8, 2007
This was how Mark Salzman's students thought of him in China. His account of his time spent there in the early 1980s is a fantastic journey in and of itself. His narrative style is intriguing as he does not probe into the thinking of the Chinese people that he encounters day to day. He presents his experiences always on the surface and rarely speculates on the speakers intentions. Even though he is fluent in Chinese he does not seek to offer insight in the mindset of the culture he lived; he only reports it. Although such dialogue may sound superficial and trivial it is not. Salzman draws us into the events by merely presenting his encounters with his Chinese friends and acquaintances, and chance meetings. So powerful are the stories that the words and actions of the individuals portray an honesty and passion that is captivating.
The uniqueness of everyday Chinese thinking he faced for two years is inherently surprising, delightful, curious, odd, shocking, and hilarious.This was truly a memorable account of a young man who came not only to teach but to learn as well.
Qong Fu: skill that transcends mere surface beauty! July 10, 2007
"Iron and Silk" is a delightful book and film. I had the pleasure of reading the book awhile ago; but was delighted to see the film in a local Asian film festival in my community.
The author Mark Salzman plays Mark Franklin in the movie of the same name. It is a memoir (a true story) of Mark's travel and teaching experiences in China (Changsha, Hunan Province). The events took place during 1982 - 1984 and Mark became as much of a student of Chinese life, martial arts, calligraphy, tai chi as he was a teacher of the Middle Aged English Teachers (a group of Chinese Russian teachers at the Hunan Medical College who had been told to forget Russian and now learn English).
Mark always wanted to be a Kung Fu master growing up, and he took lessons from a local teacher; but always felt like the smallest kid on the block. From a young age, he loved all things Asian. His mother was a musician and his father a social worker; but he found that he had developed an exceptional talent for the cello. He was admitted to Yale at 16 because of his cello expertise; but soon decided that he would major in Chinese languages and philosophy (again not much of a surprise). As part of a Yale program, he found himself traveling to Changsha, Hunan Province, China to teach English to a group of Chinese Russian teachers who were being asked to retrain. For two (2) years he lived, taught and learned a great deal in China about the Chinese people and also about himself.
He always wanted to study martial arts from a true wushu master and was fortunate enough to find as his teacher, the grand master himself: Pan Qingfu (known as the Iron Fist). Pan was the best in the world and was known as the Iron Fist because he punched a heavy iron plate 10,000 times a day! Mark was also learning Tai Chi and Chinese manners and etiquette from Teacher Wei and calligraphy as well from other teachers.
Mark soon found that "as a student in America, he had searched for ancient wisdom, as a teacher in China, he learned to find it in himself." Mark Salzman, when interviewed, stated: "Learning about another culture doesn't mean you have to reject your own, It allows you to see yourself from another perspective, see your good side and your bad side and appreciate what you have." Some will say that the book and the movie focus on martial arts and in part that is one of the major themes; but the blending and the co-existence of the two cultures in the classroom and in social interactions is illuminating.
There are many humorous and philosophical revelations in both the book and movie. Telling Mark that he has a big nose by saying, "You have a very 3 dimensional face"...is probably the most diplomatic way of stating the obvious. Mark might have been able to name the book, "Let's Make a Regulation" if he wanted to only focus on the difficult aspects he faced in being a foreigner living in China. The Washington Post reviewed that "Salzman demonstrates with skill and subtlety just how China society works."
This Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1987 is dated; but describes the undercurrent that still exists in part today. The movie's script stayed true to the book; yet the movie was shot in Hangzhou and not Changsha. Make sure to stay for the vignettes and movie credits at the end; they are another joyful experience of the film and you will not be disappointed that you waited. Mark found out that happiness was not a simple thing in China and though he valued being well liked and mastering a skill; his Chinese friend felt that "these goals can be achieved easily. All you have to do is to be kind and work hard. But to eat and sleep well that is a difficult wish, because you cannot control these things yourself."
One interesting note is that on the last night of the shooting of the movie, the brutal crackdown occurred in Tiananmen Square (June 3, 1989).
I loved this book and the movie and the delight that two very different cultures shared in learning about each other. All that I can say is "very well done" (Manhaodilei!)
Mark really learned Qong Fu: a skill that transcends mere surface beauty!
Bentley/2007
Iron and Silk
China in the Eighties May 14, 2007
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
I've seen this movie some 15 years ago and very much enjoyed to see it again.
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