Proverbs really know no boundaries; they are truly universal and the Chinese proverbs in this selection have found their way over the centuries into all the important cultures of the world. It is their intrinsic wisdom and truth that make them eternally relevant.Coming face to face with the monumental wisdom of the legendary Master Kung (better known by his Latinized name of Confucius) and others, is both a revealing and humbling experience. The Master's influence is to be found in the greater part of all proverbs that emanate from China.Confucius encouraged in his followers a careful study of the outside world, and a process of deep thought through which to consider and judge their observations. His ideal was to achieve human perfection and he wanted his followers to develop the facility to judge matters skilfully rather than simply to live by a set of rules.If we can absorb just a little of the profound wisdom of the Orient found in "Confucius for Today", we will, indeed, be better equipped to interpret life around us. As Confucius said: 'As one lamp serves to dispel a thousand years of darkness, so one flash of wisdom destroys ten thousand years of ignorance.'

About the Author

Gerd de Ley is a former teacher of English, and has been a professional writer and actor since 1975. From his youth he has avidly collected original quotations and proverbs from all over the world and has had over 300 works published in Holland and belgium. He and David Potter have worked together for more than a decade, resulting in several publications in the United Kingdom, USA, India, China and Vietnam. Gerd de Ley lives in Antwerp. David Potter has an honours degree in Modern Languages from the University of Liverpool. He works closely with Gerd de Ley on translations of collections of foreign proverbs and quotations. Their previous book, Erotic Wit, was also published by Hale. Having spent most of the 1980s in Antwerp, David Potter now lives in York.