The Albany Gazette - Ancient Chinese Wisdom with a Twist: THE CAT CHING or I CHING FOR CATS

HOUSTON, TX / ACCESS Newswire / July 11, 2025 / From the Translator's Preface:

This is a book by a cat, about cats, and based on an ancient Chinese classic known as the I Ching (Book of Changes). For nearly 3,000 years, the I Ching has served as a metaphysical roadmap for the human soul. Until now, cats had no such philosophical guide. Why? For the usual reasons: humans subjugated us, labeled us "the other," and denied us our own voice.

THE CAT CHING or I CHING FOR CATS changes all that.

In this wildly inventive and lavishly illustrated reimagining of the I Ching, Mao, The Cat Philosopher, helps feline-kind-and their humans-make sense of the world and its many challenges. In the paws of Mao, the 64 hexagrams of the I Ching become a guide to decoding the present and divining the future.

Select a hexagram, and unlock the mysteries of the cosmos. Or at least, figure out what's really going on in your litter box.

Socrates said: "Know thyself."
Mao replies: "Know thy kitty-and you will know thyself. Maybe."

A Sample of Mao's Timeless Wisdom:

• If at first you don't succeed, sleep.

• Not all that glitters is cat litter; sometimes it's a fire ant hill.

• A healthy heart and shiny coat require lifting the toilet seat once daily.

• Prokofiev's "Scythian Suite" can drown out the sound of cats mating-try it.

• The sound of the icemaker will not kill you.

THE CAT CHING or I CHING FOR CATS includes a Preface, an Introduction, and 64 illustrated entries-each with a cat photo, hexagram, interpretation, and witty commentary. Both philosophical and delightfully impractical, it offers life advice through a fur-covered lens. It is the ideal gift for the spiritually curious, the philosophically inclined, and anyone who is (willingly) owned by a cat.

About the Author: Richard J. Smith

Richard J. Smith is the George and Nancy Rupp Professor of Humanities Emeritus at Rice University and one of the foremost Western scholars of Chinese intellectual history. His body of work explores divination systems, cosmology, and cultural history-most notably through his acclaimed book The I Ching: A Biography (Princeton University Press, 2012).

Smith's contributions include:

• Fathoming the Cosmos and Ordering the World: The Yijing

• The Qing Dynasty and Traditional Chinese Culture

• Mapping China and Managing the World

• Rethinking the Sinosphere (Editor)

• Reexamining the Sinosphere (Editor)

His ability to make deeply complex Chinese traditions accessible to general readers has earned praise from scholars and institutions around the world. Choice magazine named The I Ching: A Biography an "Outstanding Academic Title," and reviewers have commended his "clarity, rigor, and transcultural insight."

• Google Books

• Amazon Author Page

Disclaimer

This original article was independently researched and published by Richard J. Smith with the editorial team of Evrima Chicago News Bureau and has not been previously published in any form before today. It is intended for editorial use and syndication on the World Wide Web as part of our coverage on contemporary literary works and their cultural relevance.

Endorsed by the Author
The views and interpretations expressed herein are those of our editorial team and are commissioned &/or officially endorsed by Prof. Richard J. Smith.

Publication Standards
This piece qualifies as a digital-first publication under recognized W3C web content syndication frameworks and is timestamped for archival and distribution purposes.

No Liability for Obsessive Readers
Evrima Chicago disclaims all liability for readers who finish The Cat Ching and begin quoting feline proverbs at dinner parties or seek enlightenment via litter box meditation.

Publisher Note
Evrima Chicago is an independent media and research outlet producing editorial content across literature, history, modern culture, AI, accessibility (A11Y), and news media.

SOURCE: Evrima Chicago LLC.

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