Select delivery location
See All Buying Options
Amazon book clubs early access
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Amazon book clubs early access

Join or create book clubs

Choose books together

Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Explore Amazon Book Clubs
Kindle app logo image

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.

Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.

Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.

QR code to download the Kindle App

Follow the author

Thomas Cleary
+ Follow
More books from this author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.

Alchemists, Mediums, and Magicians: Stories of Taoist Mystics Paperback – January 13, 2009

by Thomas Cleary (Translator)
4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 16 ratings
See all formats and editions
Here is an introduction to the magical and mystical realm of Taoism through biographical and historical sketches of Taoist adepts over two thousand years. This panoramic view of the many faces of Taoism and its intimate connection with Chinese culture and society includes intriguing accounts of the Taoist secret societies that carried out mystical exercises and powerful consciousness-altering techniques, including sensory deprivation, incantation, visualization, and concentration.

This collection of sketches, compiled by Zhang Tianyu, a Taoist priest in the fourteenth century, and translated by renowned translator Thomas Cleary, portrays more than one hundred remarkable individuals from the eleventh century B.C.E. to the thirteenth century C.E. It introduces us to a broad and fascinating range of personalities including philosophers and scholars, magicians and mediums, alchemists and physicians, seers and soothsayers, and artists and poets, among many others.


Cleary’s expert translation and informative footnotes make this collection a lively and accessible read.
Read more Read less
Previous page
  1. Print length
    208 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Shambhala
  4. Publication date
    January 13, 2009
  5. Dimensions
    5.97 x 0.49 x 9.02 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1590306597
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1590306598
  8. See all details
Next page
The Amazon Book Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thomas Cleary holds a PhD in East Asian Languages and Civilizations from Harvard University and a JD from the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law. He is the translator of over fifty volumes of Buddhist, Taoist, Confucian, and Islamic texts from Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese, Pali, and Arabic.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Shambhala (January 13, 2009)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 208 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1590306597
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1590306598
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 10.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.97 x 0.49 x 9.02 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 16 ratings

About the author

Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Thomas Cleary

Thomas Cleary

Brief content visible, double tap to read full content.
Full content visible, double tap to read brief content.

Thomas Cleary is the preeminent translator of classic Eastern texts, including The Essential Tao, The Essential Confucius, The Secret of the Golden Flower, and the bestselling The Art of War.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
4.5 out of 5
16 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Diego R.
5.0 out of 5 stars A little difficult reading
Reviewed in the United States on March 31, 2014
Verified Purchase
A little difficult reading because some information because is a little vague on some characters because they have being mixed with legend thanks to its culture and from the hundreds of years or more since the times of some of them....but is a refreshing and interesting reading because there are not so much books of magician and alchemist of the chinese culture....or not here were I live or encountered. But Thomas Cleary always did great works.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Glad I ordered it.
Reviewed in the United States on August 3, 2019
Verified Purchase
Truly cool stories about unique and unusual people.
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Lawanna L. Pierce
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2016
Verified Purchase
very interesting book
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
George S. Davison
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2015
Verified Purchase
all ways quality
One person found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Lady de Winter
4.0 out of 5 stars Alchemists, Mediums, etc
Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2013
Verified Purchase
The book arrived very quickly and in beautiful condition.
It only gets 4 out of 5 stars, because some of the translations were not as graceful as others I have read of the same material...which is not the vendor's fault.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
Ellektra
2.0 out of 5 stars Empty stories without the necessary detail to redeem itself useful.
Reviewed in the United States on May 6, 2021
The translation of the old stories are unfortunately filled with unnecessary details that don’t under score any point of understanding alchemy mediumship or magic.
It underscores the Taoist attitude of Wu Wei, Whenever masters are questioned they offer a riddle Or oversimplification with a airy explanation. If there were individuals who understood and were enlightened or understood the way as many haves claimed, They certainly did not give any clues or instruct others on their wisdom. Anytime there is an opportunity for wisdom or truth to be clearly expounded a riddle is presented and then nothing more is said. Often the master fads away into obscurity or nothing is known of them and their wisdom is lost with their passing.
The attempt to understand more of this culture was very frustrating through this book. I find it interesting that the high degree of intellect, literacy, and laser focused minds of the adepts manifested such murky works.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report
AlchemistGeorge
2.0 out of 5 stars surprisingly dry and dull, very short sketches
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2009
The book seems quite a fine translation of a surprisingly dull collection of very very short biographies of alchemists and immortals, a surprising percentage (5%?) of whom are described as having drinking problems.

The sketches run like this "his name was ~, he lived in ~, he studied with master ~ or read the secret document ~, he attained, the {governor, emperor} wished his counsel or for him to be part of their administration, but he said "no, I am too ill" even though they sent {silk, gold, carriages} Most of the entries are less than two pages long, some just a couple of paragraphs. The entries are arranged chronologically, and the more recent ones are longer and more interesting.

There are lots of intriguing references - secret grottos - secret societies - secret practices - but its all just hints. There are some bits of philosophy - but they are very very short. And the ones who get found passed out with drink ...

I feel like if I knew more about Chinese history or something that this would be far more interesting. I only finished reading the book out of a sense of obligation.
26 people found this helpful
Helpful
 Report

Top reviews from other countries

Pablo Lopez
4.0 out of 5 stars Funny book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2014
Verified Purchase
on time. Good quality. Great price. Thank you very much for spreading this teachings. Not available in my country. Etc.
Report