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THE SHAOLIN TEMPLE STORY is the first English language book to provide an in-depth look at the temple’s history and present culture, from its founding in the 6th century CE to the present day. Author Abbot Shi Yongxin who has lived and worked at Shaolin for forty years, provides an intimate look at the temple’s unique practices and beliefs, including martial arts, Chán Buddhism, and its traditional health and healing practices. In addition to archival pictures and documents, hundreds of new photos of the Shaolin Temple were shot exclusively for this book.

This book is a must-have for anyone wanting to learn more about the legendary figures of the Shaolin Temple, understand the philosophy and principles of Shaolin martial arts. Translated and edited by James R. Martin and the Real Deal Press team. The Shaolin Temple Story is available in paperback, hardback, and ePub through Amazon Books, Apple Books, and soon in Book Stores everywhere. Books stores can order through Ingram Distributors Internationally. ISBN 9798985528770 – paperback. ISBN 9798985528787 FLEPUB.

Reviewed by Liz Konkel for Readers’ Favorite May 25, 2023

The Shaolin Temple Story: Explore Shaolin History, Culture, Kung Fu, and Chán (Zen) Tradition, by author Shi Yongxin with translation and design by James R. Martin and Hongyun Sun, is a stunning depiction of how the temple plays a role in the traditions, history, and culture of China. This book explores a personal connection with the Shaolin Temple and its influence throughout China’s history, from Japanese pirates to Shaolin Kung Fu. Incredible photos are incorporated to help depict an impact that dates back over 1,500 years. The images help highlight the various points raised while providing a visual history of the temple. This book is an incredible resource that shows the fantastic beacon the temple has been to Chinese culture. It comes to life through Shi Yongxin’s eyes with vivid explorations that permit you to truly understand why the temple still resonates today.

The temple and Shaolin tradition have become synonymous with Chinese and Chinese Buddhist culture, while Shaolin Kung Fu has become a worldwide symbol of friendship. The book explores why these two facts are important and how the temple is still influential. This fantastic reference work takes you into this temple and allows you to understand every facet. With the temple as a focal point, you see history unfold, such as how Shaolin monks helped lead an army with Emperor Taizong and how warrior monks fought against Japanese pirates. The monks are an essential element of the culture, such as the monk that waits outside the Guest Hall, no matter the weather. The rich history of this temple is evident in the way Abbot Shi Yongxin explores every aspect of it, down to its influence on Buddhism, sutras, and Kung Fu.

The location is integral to the temple’s history, from the outside ginkgo trees to the nearby Songshan mountain. The origin can be traced back to the Zhou Dynasty when the Duke determined the location was ‘in the middle of heaven and the earth.’ The temple remains a feature of Chinese culture, and the restoration of the revolving repository was completed in 2012, while calligraphers undertook the task of copying the Tripitaka scriptures. Stepping into this world fuses enlightenment, the fundamentals of Buddhism, dharma, sutras, and Kung Fu. The Shaolin Temple Story, translated and illustrated by James R. Martin, is a fantastic source for those eager to know more about this aspect of China’s history, culture, and traditions, with superb photos, fascinating details, and an incredible journey through history.

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Documentary Directing and Storytelling

The two-thousand-twenty-three edition has been updated, edited and corrections made. This book is a learning experience and an exploration of directing documentary story projects. Secondly, it provides fundamental and advanced ideas about documentary filmmaking and nonfiction storytelling using film, video, multimedia, and other mediums. There are numerous critical reviews of documentary films and the stories they tell from a directing and filmmaking perspective. Understanding the storytelling structure of specific documentary directing styles helps one learn and build a personal approach. The best directors understand the traditions and aesthetics of the medium in which they work. They also understand the crafts involved and may have worked at some of those jobs themselves. The focus of this book is on directing, but it also includes information experienced directors should know about constructing a documentary story. Finally, this book is a great read for anyone interested in documentary or nonfiction storytelling.

How to direct documentary projects, including films, videos, television, and other nonfiction work. Learn nonfiction storytelling methods—the director’s role during pre-production, production, and post-production.

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Silhouettes and Shadows – Humanity Follows the Earth, Earth Follows the Universe.

Moving beyond rocket propulsion while defying world powers, a private corporation secretly builds ships to explore Mars and the Solar System. To survive they must defend their discoveries and goals initially against a right-wing government, corporate competitors, and foreign countries. Silhouettes and Shadows begins today moving quickly into a dangerous future. An imaginative story arising from the present reality of living on Earth amidst wars, pandemics, and threats to democracy. The team moves humanity toward a future in space.

Written by writer and award winning documentary film director James R. Martin.

Reviews

AVAILABLE AT AMAZON and APPLE BOOKS and Independent Book Stores Internationally. Barnes and Noble

“Our actions over the next ten years can change the course of history on the planet,” Sam Arroyo, the son of the genius owners of a private aerospace company, declares early in Martin’s fiction debut. If anything, Sam’s downplaying the leap his family’s ushering humanity towards: a propulsion drive that manipulates gravitational fields, allowing space flight without rockets—and potentially eliminating our need for fossil fuels. The Arroyos understand how much the powers that be will want to control or eliminate this technology (and a cloaking device another son’s developing). That’s especially true of a greedy American president who fancies himself a king. But that won’t stop the Arroyos from building spacecraft and plotting a mission to Mars and possibly beyond, all of which Martin games out in vivid, conversational detail.

This is upbeat, big-picture science-fiction, alert to the technical complexities of Arroyo Aerospace’s ambitions but not bogged down in them. Martin, a documentarian and author of many nonfiction books, prizes convincing scenes of decision-making and problem-solving. That’s not to say the novel lacks tension—it starts in a 2017 rocked by right-wing militias, with the intelligence agencies sniffing around the Arroyos’ progress. As they prepare the Galaxy Two for launch over the next few years, the family faces the fraught politics of the real world in that era, from the pandemic to election denialism.

Crisp dialogue carries the story, though tense shifts and an expository tone mean the storytelling’s not as polished as it could be. The blunt emphasis on contemporary politics, including a conservative Arroyo sister who initially is kept out of the loop because of her affiliations, will put some readers off, but Martin’s ultimately empathetic with her—and he’s invested in how great things might be accomplished within our current Earthly systems. As their new space age dawns, complete with a space station, the Arroyos explore PR campaigns, private-public partnerships, deals with corporations, and other practical approaches.

Takeaway: This upbeat novel imagines a family-owned aerospace company’s new space age.

Comparable Titles: Daniel Suarez’s Delta-v, Kim Stanley Robinson.

Print Date: 05/01/2023

Review Readers’ Favorite

“Silhouettes And Shadows contrasts the grim realities of current existence on Earth with a discovery that could alter the course of humanity’s history. Conflicts between the powerful autocratic tendencies of nations on Earth and democracy threaten world peace. On the other hand, a family-run company, Arroyo Aerospace, invents a potent tool that can be used to travel into space and explore the solar system. Raoul Sr., Marcella, and the family fear informing the government of their discovery. They secretly establish a private company, akin to the rocket-building firms Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos run.
The plot and the characters are the two primary elements that made Silhouettes and Shadows easy to follow because they kept me turning the pages, and I learned a lot from them. James R. Martin’s book has helped me grasp how space flight will change in the future, which is why I respect his work so much. Martin masterfully blends fiction with non-fiction, keeping me on the edge of my seat. The editing was done professionally. This is a book I wholeheartedly suggest to readers of fiction and non-fiction since the two genres are exceptionally well interwoven in Martin’s work.” Reviewed by Trevor Otieno for Readers’ Favorite