Confucius: And the World He Created

To many, Confucius (551–479 BCE) is a revered Chinese philosopher promoting benevolence, family harmony, and even democracy. To others, he is a chauvinist responsible for society's mistreatment of women and for supporting authoritarian regimes. In his most recent work, Schuman (The Miracle), a Time correspondent for Asia, explores how Confucian doctrine has evolved over the two-and-a-half millennia since Confucius lived. The author goes into great detail while examining Confucian history and its impact on family life and society in East Asia as well as the recent resurgence of Confucianism in that region. The book is sprinkled with short stories from mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, and Singapore, which illustrate Schuman's points and make for an engaging read. This work is different from others on the subject because the author delves into Confucian philosophy without the intent of promoting that philosophy or a particular interpretation of it. While Schuman remains objective throughout, he does briefly conclude that we are "better off in a world with Confucius than without him."