Through the Dragon's Mouth: Journeys Into the Yangtzi's Three Gorges

Rivers--and water in general--possess properties that are both constant and constantly in flux. This paradox is certainly not lost on Cowles in his account of traveling along China's Yangzi River and, in particular, through its famous Three Gorges. His first excursion took place in 1946, and he took three subsequent trips over a relatively short span of time half a century later. On the surface, the book features Cowles's impressions of the river's majestic beauty, essential links to Chinese culture, rugged denizens and a controversial ""mega-dam"" project that threatens to reshape them all. More deeply, Cowles, a Presbyterian minister who was first drawn to the country as a missionary, uses his experiences with the river as departure points for exploring his relationship and responsibility to the world at large. Though the recounting of events often is utilitarian, the ardor Cowles brings to his later ruminations will reward patient readers. From the outset, he owns up to his Western, Christian worldview, but he demonstrates a profound admiration for the land and culture he's observing; the philosophical conclusions he draws are earnestly argued, whether one is inclined to go against them or be swept away. (Mar.)