Noodle Words

Humorous introduction to explain to the uninitiated why Chinese characters are written the way they are. After reading it the first time, I could actually recognize a few dozen characters. While not a substitute for a textbook, it can create an appreciation of written Chinese language and inspire further studies. This book was one of the things that gave me the interest and the courage to study Chinese language. Even though the subject matter is now elementary, I still can't resist taking it off the shelf every year or two for a good laugh.