2007-05-23 Not the easiest but the best

The Wilhelm translation was my first introduction to the I ching. Finding it incredibly useful I sought out other books and was consistently disappointed.
Many books over simplify, thinking that this will make the text more accessible. Unfortunately they often remove what is essential for individual interpretation. Many remove things that sound too oriental to appeal to western thinking and also end up restricting the way a text can be interpreted. The worst of all are those that try to make the I Ching fit in with modern 'mystic' thinking. They turn a useful, practical book into another tree-hugger's companion!
The value of the Wilhelm translation is that it gives you the text and trusts you to apply it honestly to the issue you are trying to resolve. It takes time to get used to the terminology but reading the introduction will help, as will regular usage. This book doesn't so much answer the questions of your life as tell you which direction to head in if you honestly want to find your answers. As such I find it more useful, practical and, above all, truthful than many books you can find taking up the 'self-help' or 'esoteric' sections of bookstores.