Rating: 
Summary: Access Into a Mysterious Realm
Review:
This wonderful book is the story of John Chang, a Taoist immortal, told through the eyes of a disciple. Chang is a direct heir to an ancient lineage of sages called the Mo-Pai. Through the years of apprenticeship, Kosta Danaos has witnessed many of the siddhi arts, or divine powers such as levitation, telekinesis, telepathy, pyrokinesis, and visits to the afterlife. A great thing about this book, it isn't just about the psi arts, it gives scientific explanations for those events which, heretofore, are often not explained logically.
In his introduction to this ground breaking book [This is the first time a book on this lineage has been published in the West], Danaos states with a palpable joy, "In my world Western science and Eastern mysticism walk hand in hand, embraced and inseparable, mirror aspects of the same reality, equally factual and valid."
A fascinating part of the book is the presentation of the Chinese art of Nei Kung. It is a combination of yin and yang energies that work together for an earth-shaking result. Normally, yang energy would be used with a more limited power. When the opposites of yin and yang are used, incredible power is unleashed. Not something to mess around with!
It is rare indeed to find an access into this normally nearly impenetrable world. I highly recommend it for those of you readers who are ready to enter this mysterious realm.
Rating:
Summary: Deepen my knowledge in Neikung
Review: After reading this book, my understanding of Yin, Yang and Dantien become clearer. Everything, that I have learned about internal energy clicked together. Neikung or Qiqong student should read this book. Thank you Kosta for writing this book.
Rating: 
Summary: A good story...
Review: Danaos' story of "John Chang" is very similar to Deng Ming Dao's "Wandering Taoist" trilogy only in an updated fashion. Danaos takes the reader through his search for Chang (after seeing him apparently light paper on fire with Qi in a video) through Bali and then into some of the details of his apprenticeship to Chang.Chang apparently practices Nei Kung, what he describes as an internal form of Qi circulation that is different than Qigong. Chang had sworn to his master that he would never pass on his knowledge for money or to someone not a full apprentice. What does this mean? Well, Danaos uses this as his explanation for the lack of any concrete exercises in the book. In other words, this is a story with even less information than that put forth by Castaneda's famous Don Juan series. I also found Danaos' constant "I'm an engineer who worked for a big American company" proclamation's to be very irritating - one just feels that the question "so what?" is appropriate. There is an interesting short section by Danaos outlining some of his views of personal philosophy; this saved the book for me. I think if anyone who has read extensively about Taoism will find Chang's views rather humourous (he didn't get any background from his master other than the lessons) particularly those on the differences between Qigong and Nei Kung. However, he does provide some good information regarding Qi and the dantien. All in all, a fun read for a rainy afternoon. Just don't hope to get "enlightenment" from this one...
Rating:
Summary: 5/5/01
Review: Fascinating reading..."The Magus of Java" will take you into the world of John Chang and nei gung. It will tantalize you with descriptions of superhuman abilities and deeds. Danaos layers stories, essays and history into his main story for an interesting mix of facts and lore. I was left a little frustrated though. I really wanted to go a little deeper and further into the various practices and levels of nei gung. Perhaps we will see this in a follow-on book...
Rating:
Summary: Excellent Read and Information
Review: Finally a book that has great back up information to alot of the chi kung information on the web. Not a lot of concrete info on how to, but definately gives the reader an idea of the possibliites. Some of the information is very similar to the information that Scientific Premium Company promotes at their chipower.com website. Anyone searching for these secrets can find them if they look hard enough. This book does a good job of uncovering some of these things. I would recommend it to all practitioners of the chi power arts.
Rating:
Summary: Finally
Review: Finally, an up to date book that is filled with the spirit of TRUTH. For Martial Artists or anyone interested in finding out how Yin and Yang work inside of our bodies and how it can be used, this is the Book.
This book is written about a Master (John Chang) who is using these energies to amazing degrees. And this man lives among us Today! He is not a Master who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago. And Better yet. Kosta (Chang's Student) lets us know that we can go find this man ourselves and maybe learn how to become like him "If it is in your Karma to do so"
This book has so much TRUTHFULL, HELPFULL and HOPEFULL information in it that it has changed my life. Literally.
Read it and then Read Kosta's second book on the subject. -V-
Rating:
Summary: From a Chinese Indonesian living in U.S.
Review: For the longest time, I've been hoping that some "Westerner" with investigative mind would come to Indonesia and document the observations in scientific, objective manner. The video "Ring of Fire" and this book accomplish that job. Some things that Mr. Danaos discussed in his book are pretty common stuff for many individuals raised in Indonesia like myself, but it will be extremely tough to share it with the world without adequate documentary skills. Years of learning science and critical thinking from U.S. academic institutions have not erased from my memory the supernatural things that I witnessed years ago; they only got me even more curious. I've read a lot about street tricks, spiritual healing hoaxes, martial arts trickeries and cons, fake psychics, and I pretty much know how to distinguish them, but none of these knowledge can explain the weird things I witnessed years ago. Good job, Mr. Danaos, for bridging the east and west and bringing to light what has been hidden for ages.
Rating:
Summary: From a Chinese Indonesian living in the U.S.
Review: For the longest time, I've been hoping that some "Westerners" with investigative mind would come to Indonesia, study people like John Chang, and document their observations in an academic, objective manner. The video "Ring of Fire" and this book accomplish that job. Some things that Mr. Danaos discussed in his book will sound more-or-less familiar to a few individuals raised in Indonesia like myself. I've been longing for outsiders to come and record the phenomenons while they're still there for the sake of humanity. Years of learning science and critical thinking from U.S. academic institutions have not erased from my memory the supernatural things that I witnessed years ago; they only got me even more curious. I've read a lot about street tricks, spiritual healing hoaxes, martial arts trickeries and cons, fake psychics, and I pretty much know how to distinguish them, but none of these knowledge can explain the weird things I witnessed years ago. Prior to reading this book, I've compared notes with friends from Thailand and they too testify some phenomenons unexplicable from scientific perspective. I'm sure Indonesia is just one of several other countries in the world where the true supernaturals are still around, so let's hope that sometime in the future, different folks studying in other countries will come up with works comparable to Mr. Danaos'. Good job, Mr. Danaos, for your attempt to bridge the east and west and bring to light what has been hidden for ages.
Rating:
Summary: A very solid book
Review: Having read this book and studied both eosteric Taoism, among other systems, I find the description of Mr. Changs life and the theoretical background behind his accomplishments to be very well done. The authors desciption of yin and yang theory in terms of western science is one of the few lucid models out there for those of a scientific bend. Second, Mr. Chang touches on a discipline that many western practisioners are going to hear alot about in the next decade or two: nei kung. The differences between nei kung and chi kung are tangible. If chi kung is energy work with safetys built in then nei kung is done without those safety margins. While not having any experience with some of phenomena mentioned in the book I can say this nei kung deals with the techniques of truly developing your internal energy. If you want to learn fah jing and golden bell work nei kung is the e ticket ride. As for the book, Mr. Chang is one of two people I know of teaching this material to westerners. Hopefully that number will increase in future years.
Rating:
Summary: Very Interesting if True
Review: Having studied nei kung and kung fu (Hsing I, Baqua, Taichi) for over a decade, and having just read this book, I can say that the author is well versed in Taoist traditions of alchemy. I found in reading this book that I learned some things I didn't know; and other things made total sense from a Taoist alchemy point of view (about Yang and Yin balancing while training and emitting [fa jing]). I can't say for certain that I can believe the fantastic claims made in this book, but I can say it was very interesting, especially if it is true. I know for a fact that most human beings can develop internal power with long hard work, but even the great Sun Lu Tang did not achieve the level of power as John Chang; being able to ignite newspaper by touch. If the depictions in this book are all true and the next book describes how to do them, then we all will have to take our awareness and training up a notch. Just think, we won't need knives anymore to cut vegetables for our salad, we could use our fingers. just kidding! All and all, a great book and well written. I highly anticipate "Nei Kung" in February, 2002 on how to achieve level 1 in Chang's method. The book is a must have for all that practice Nei Gung, and the Nei Chia (internal family kung fu styles). Five Stars!
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