Asia Books

This is essential for understanding North Korea and how it relates to the world of today. To undestand North Korea you must understand it's founder Kim Il Sung. The book goes on to show how he created a Stalinist State and huge army to insure it's survival. It talks about the many attempts on the lives of south korean presidents and his unpredictable nature that he passed on to his son and successor. Understandin Kin Il Sung will help the reader understand why Noth Korea is today run more like a cult than a country and why it is the most secretive country in the world today and a failed society.

In 2001 I visited North Korea and found this book very helpful because our guides would only give us the official version of their history. The book is packed full of information and the only one I have found that explains how Kim Il Sung gained and kept power. Dae-Sook Sue has put a great deal of reseach into the book and let's hope he writes another book on North Korea covering Kim Jong Il present reign and the future of the country. There is no other county like North Korea so I recommend reading the book then visiting the country.

This book is advanced but very good. It is complicated at times but in the long run it is good for reports or projects. It is very interesting. Kim Il Sungs career is much more interesting than Lenin's or Stalins. Very Good!

Ever wonder why North Korea is such a ... arrogant little country? This book will tell you exactly why. Guerrilla leaders scarred by years of eating rats, living in the hills, and butchering Japanese invaders do not necessarily possess the skills needed to run a country! This book is a must for anybody interested in the current standoff between America and Pyongyang, which North Korea seems to believe will end with the Korean peninsula being devoured by a sea of fire. Kim Il Sung's early days as a revolutionary and guerrilla fighter are given much attention, as are the purges he carried out in order to become the supreme leader. If you're looking for a play-by-play account of the Korean War, look elsewhere though- this book sweeps quickly through that period. The author focuses primarily on Kim's tight-rope act between the Soviet Union (which gave him the job in the first place), China (which saved his butt from the American-led U.N. forces), and the U.S. (which has refrained from crushing lil' Kim's summer camp of starvation in the name of East Asian harmony). Other topics addressed by the author include: Kim's frustration at not being acknowledged as the Emperor of the Third World, Kim's frustration at not being able to feed his population while spending 99.99% of his country's slight earnings on military hardware, Kim's frustration that the rest of the world didn't care much about the Korean problem (until now, of course), and Kim's frustration at not receiving a THIRD honorary degree from some university in Africa or Southeast Asia (naw, just kidding...but you get the point). The only complaint I have is this: the avalanche of names and details that sometimes disrupts the narrative. Perhaps a little too scholarly for anybody not specifically interested in the history of the North Korean Communist Party from 1946-1980's. Still, if you can get past this, the book is rewarding, and one will walk away knowing who Kim Il Sung was, how his son maneuvered into power, and why North Korea is a country with a Napoleonic complex.

Grinker's book is one of the deepest and well-researched contributions to the broad issue of Korean Unification. From an anthropological perspective he transcends the purely International Relations dimension of analysis and goes deeper into questions of the adaptation of North Korean refugees and their problems that they confront in the South. He illuminates how the division of the peninsula is not only a purely political division but also, by its long "durée" and severe institutions like the National Security Law (NLS), is severly implanted in the Korean citizens' mind. It impacts the Korean identity (Koreanness - What does it mean to be Korean?)) and penetrates the way how Korean people understand themselves and the respective 'other' in case there is such an otherness.
I think everybody who a genuine interest in the Korean unification beyond the political and economic sphere of figures and datas, i.e. in the social and cultural realm of the individual level, should read this monograph.

In this exceptional book, Roy Richard Grinker argues that South Korean discourses on division and unification actually work against reconciliation between the two Koreas and stand as a barrier to future unification. He claims that South Korean discourses on division and unification presume that the nation's division in 1945 unnaturally split a historically homogeneous people (minjung) and that unification would mean the recovery of this temporarily lost Korean homogeneity. Where Grinker finds fault with these assumptions is that South Korean discourses on division and unification do not consider the "constructed" nature of modern notions of Korean homogeneity and that there is also no consideration of how North Koreans may have become significantly different culturally, socially and linguistically since division. Grinker's aim is not to prove the fact that North and South Koreans are different, but that the avoidance of even considering heterogeneity in Korea could lead to great disappointment and social upheaval when unification finally occurs.

Based on these main ideas, Grinker explores the construction and presentation of south Korean discourses on division and unification by focusing on such topic areas as the state/people dichotomy, South Korean thoughts on north Koreans, han and the "inability to mourn" division and loss of homogeneity, depiction of north Korea in school textbooks, the "ritual" of student demonstrations, the stories of south Korean idealists who illegally traveled to north Korea, and the problems of north Korean defectors in adjusting to life in South Korea. By exploring these various aspects of the division/unification discourse in south Korea, Grinker paints a portrait of a South Korean state that has defined its national identity solely in contrast and opposition to North Korea - and could thus lose this national identity if unification actually happened. Additionally, viewed from this perspective, Korean division was and remains the responsibility of Kim Il Sung and external powers - not of South Korea or the Korean minjok - and unification means nothing less than the absorption and assimilation of the North Korean people into the South Korean state. Grinker criticizes this perspective as being the main factor aborting any notion of a practical and realistic unification policy that recognizes and respects the actual heterogeneity of the North and South Korean people.

Grinker's approach to the issue of national division and unification discourses in South Korea is a refreshing break from the volumes of studies on the political and economic discourses on this issue available in the field of Korean Studies. As a solution to the issue he highlights, Grinker advocates a mourning process for the Korean nation and people whereby the heterogeneity of the Korean people is accepted as an immutable reality. With this idea in mind, then, one could deduce from Grinker's argument that a mutually-respectful, but permanently divided Korean peninsula could just as well be a result of the mourning process as a unified, but socially diverse, Korea. Although Grinker does not state this, it would appear that even a permanently divided (but non-hostile) peninsula would be preferable to a Korea unified by the South under the principle of assumed and uniform ethnic homogeneity.

While I feel that Grinker makes a strong case for his argument, his study is not without question or fault. For instance, if Grinker is so strongly striving for readers to view the Korean peninsula as a "heterogenous" grouping of people, then why did he chose to use the narrative convention of naming the two Koreas "south Korea" and "north Korea" in his book using small letters? This only seems to underscore that there is really only "one" Korea that is, in fact, one homogenous nation.

Another weakness, that Grinker himself admits, is his use of psychanalytical concepts such as "the inability to mourn" and han (resentment) to describe South Korean societal issues. The problem is whether concepts more useful for describing an individual's personal mental problems are really appropriate to describe to issues of a collective society. Granted, these concepts can be enlightening as analogies - but risk being to essentialistic or simplistic when applied as descriptions for an entire society of people.

All in all, though, this book is a worthy addition to the field of Korean Studies and deserves the careful reading of anyone with a serious interest in Korea. Even though I wonder how differently Grinker would have presented his argument if this book were written after the July 2000 summit meeting between Kim Dae-jung and Kim Jong-Il, Grinker does illuminate a topic of discussion generally ignored by the political and economic writers on Korean division and unification issues. With that said, I believe that Grinker succeeds in convincingly showing how South Korean discourses on national division and unification have actually served to block serious contemplation on how to effectively achieve national unification. I highly recommend Korea and Its Futures and can only hope that South Korean policy makers give Grinker's argument serious consideration when formulating their unification policy.

You don't necessarily need to have an anthropology degree to read this "psychocultural analysis" of Korea--the author is an excellent writer and I found his approach, style and analysis to be very intriguing, provocative and powerful. At any rate, a work like this is precisely (desparately) what is needed. There is such a dearth of material that examines how north and south Korea think about each other as similar/different in terms of unification. Most people just assume it is a given without looking at it more closely. I found it fascinating and informative to catch a glimpse of how post-war south Korea problematically depicted the north through school books, student demonstrations, and museum exhibits. And yes, I agree with the other reviewer: The chapter on the thoughts of north Korean defectors was something I was hungry to learn about it and it didn't let me down.

It is so hard to think about the two Koreas--they are placed in such a reductionist, bi-polar context that any nuanced or multifacted view or outlook is hard to discuss. The author demonstrates how complicated, contradictory and ultimately unprepared Koreans are for this "sacred goal" of unification. I was struck by how limited and "stuck" Koreans have been in their assumptions about national identity, defining themselves in opposition to each other all the while pushing for unification. A great virtue of this book is that it avoids the typical approach of other scholars, pundits and news commentators who take a dry, "political science" approach to north Korea, limiting their analysis to geopolitics, regional power dynamics, diplomatic strategies, nuclear prolliferation issues, blah blah blah. The author uses museums displays, children's textbooks and TV shows, as well as real life interviews with defectors. Quite a good book with excellent analysis that will leave you feeling that you learned to realize something oh-so-human and fascinating about a deadlocked political situation in an illuminating way.

I'm not aware that there is an comparable book on Korea. Some may find it too "academic" (I don't) but the prose is still lucid and it is a unique book. Anyone interested in north-south Korea relations should read this. The material on defectors is especially good.

Jae-eui Lee, Kwangju Diary: Beyond Death, Beyond the Darkness of the Age (UCLA, 1999)

How much do you know about modern Korean history? Unless you studied it in school, probably not a great deal. Especially if you're younger than I am; I was alive and old enough to be politically aware during the Kwangju uprising. I don't remember hearing about it on the news at all. Not once. In other words, don't blame yourself for your ignorance. You live in America; your lazy, apathetic media will not educate you. You must do it yourself.

When you do, however, always remember to take everything with a grain of salt. It should be relatively obvious to the average reader of Kwangju Diary that you're not dealing with a fair, objective account of the uprising. (Asking such of the author--who was actually involved in the proceedings, unlike the disinterested-reporter news media--would be far too much.) But still, hearing anything about an event of this magnitude that went all but unreported during its time period (and has been followed up on only sketchily afterwards; the afterword is penned by a journalist who covered the incident, and notes that the New York Times, who gave the incident a great deal [relatively] of coverage as it was happening, has completely ignored follow-ups that strongly implicate the American government in the proceedings). Besides, even allowing for a bit of hyperbole and the emotional state of the author when writing, this is a devastating indictment of the Korean government's actions in Kwangju in May 1980 (and, by implication, an indictment of the American government in May 1980 who allowed it to happen--if only, as the afterword seems to imply, as a sin of omission).

In any case, for those unaware of the incident itself: Kwangju, a city in southwestern Korea, was under martial law, and the citizens didn't like it. It started with student rallies, peaceful demonstrations calling for the end of martial law; it escalated when paratroopers were called in to aid the police in quelling what the government considered riots. Who exactly committed the atrocities is uncertain (though Lee lays the blame for most, if not all, of them at the feet of the paratroopers, which is probably accurate), and the overall death toll is not clear, but it's reasonable to say hundreds of Korean civilians were killed, a number of those tortured beforehand. It's probably not too unreasonable to increase that to "thousands." At one point before the final crackdown, Lee tells of a committee overseeing the tallying of the dead, and the number two thousand is mentioned. The death toll itself, though, is not the true indicator of the depths of depravity here; Lee speaks of shallow graves, some unfilled when the military retreated before it had time to bury the bodies. He speaks of bodies left in basements and alleyways, of bodies too destroyed for there to be any identification (in one particularly ugly scene, Lee relates a story, later backed up by other witnesses, of paratroopers attacking a school bus full of activists, killing all but one high school girl).

All that said, Kwangju Diary is not just a list of atrocities; the other, and more important, part is the days of liberation between the day the rebel militia ousted the paratroopers, police, and government and the final paratrooper crackdown that brought the city to heel. Once again, one has to make allowances for the emotional state of the author at the time, which make the waxing poetic on the utopia brought on by communism (though anarchy, being post-state communism, would be a better description) somewhat excusable. The middle section of the book is a paean to the triumph of the risen oppressed over their oppressors, but in no way does it ever seem to veer off into fantasyland; there are still skirmishes at the borders, impromptu leaders who need to rise and figure out how to ration scarce items like auto fuel, and much planning to be done to try and keep the liberated city from falling back into the hands of a despotic government. There is infighting, there is intrigue, there may even be foreign spies. (Lee discounts the idea that North Korean infiltrators were in the city, but let's face it, government agents did infiltrate the city, and wouldn't the North Koreans have been likely to use civil unrest as a basis for infiltration? Whether the idea that North Korean infiltrators would have been a bad thing or not, from Lee's perspective, is a topic which will remain unaddressed in this review.) A spontaneously-generated communist state born of strife and revolution, Lee wants us to know, has its share of difficulties as well.

Perhaps even more important is Lee's quick, and seemingly unconscious, treatise on how media spin can make even the most sanguine outlook an entirely different beast. Lee repeatedly reports that the media, both Korean and international, refer to the spontaneous demonstrations and victorious uprising as the actions of a mob minority (one wonders how many people actually live in the city, given that the numbers of demonstrators on some days swelled as high as an estimated one hundred fifty thousand). He also stresses that, during the period of liberation, crime in Kwangju was at an all-time low, hardly an indication of mob mentality. Even allowing for the heat of the moment from some of the international journalists, referring to the citizens of Kwangju as a mob is a move calculated to bring the rest of the world's opinions on the citizens of Kwangju to the lowest state possible. Disinterested observers indeed.

This is important stuff. If you don't know about it, you should. *** ½

This detailed, almost moment-by-moment account of the Kwangju rebellion is a fascinating read. A student protest leads to a vicious government crackdown so extreme - using elite paratroop forces against simple protesters - that the people of the city give up their lives and eventually take up arms to take their city back. The introduction provides a capsule history of South Korea, and the afterward an account of the American government's cowardly behavior before, during and after the rebellion. It's a fast read but will leave a lasting impression.

This book leaves the reader forever changed. It tells the story of the Kwangju uprising--one of the most important events in the history of the struggle for freedom in the latter part of the 20th century. Beyond a history of Korea, this book and its story is of utmost importance to all human beings.

This is an important book for anyone interested in Korea, human rights, or political movements. An excellent introduction by Bruce Cumings establishes the context; an equally excellent afterward by Tim Shorrock addresses the incident from the viewpoint of US foreign policy. But it is the diary itself that is truly unforgettable.

This book seemed brand new. Reviews had warned me that it was pretty wordy, and that's true. Not so much a children's book as a book for young people exploring religious viewpoints. A Unitarian class could have many valuable lessons. Art work is amazing. A beautiful book.

I bought this book based on the description. I teach the third grade, so I own several other books by this author. When I got the book, I found it sort of heavy handed in the Taoist department which I know I should have expected from the title, but the problem is that it reads more like history, or basic doctrine rather than a fairy tale or myth which would have been fine. As a fundamentalist Christian, I do not think I would read the book to my class, because I would never be able to do a convincing job of telling the tale. However, those gilded pages are awesome and some of the most beautiful artwork I have ever seen in a picture book. It rounds out the author set, but I believe is intended for a much older audience than my third grade class. If you studying the world's religions in a 6th grade class, it would be perfect.

China will displace Germany as the world's third largest economy this year, which makes this beautifully brief book very appropriate as an introduction to the thought and religion of at least one of every five people in China.

Globalisation means need for the wisdom of this book is unfolding every day because of the vast increases in greenhouse gases produced by China, the smog-ridden new industrial cities, and projects such as the Three Gorges Dam. China's economic boom is based on the human control of nature, which is the basis of contemporary Occidental economics; this book is an intelligent alternative which effectively says, "Wait just a minute!"

To quote directly from the book:

"Once Lao Tzu was asked how he found the Way of Heaven, and he said, 'I made a great effort: I tried and tried and tried to find it, but I couldn't. Then one day as I was sitting under a tree, a dry leaf fell, slowly moving with the wind. The wind moved north; the leaf moved north; the wind moved south; the leaf moved south; then the wind stopped -- and the leaf fell down and rested beautifully on the earth. Then again there was some wind, and again the leaf rose high in the sky.

"'Suddenly I became that dry leaf; and suddenly I understood the Way of Heaven. No longer was I separate from Heaven, but I was a part of Heaven. Wherever Heaven went, I went.

"'If it changed its mind, I changed my wind. If it stopped, I stopped. If it flowed, I flowed. And that is how I found the Way'."

In other words, learn to relax and go with nature. It isn't going to change. In the years ahead, as the environmental impacts of "fighting" nature in everything from autos to massive dams become disasters, the wisdom of Lao Tzu will be increasingly evident . . . .. and perhaps even heeded, perhaps not too late.

Can we change the world before then? Not by arguing for change, says Lao Tzu, who adds, "A good man doesn't prove by arguing, and he who argues isn't good." Life is more of a good example than a good kick in the seat of the pants.

Now, having been thus warned, my words conclude that everyone who reads this book will be improved.

This is an incredible book, beautifully presented. It gives the reader an insight of the wonderful teachings of the Tao Te Ching.

I feel like I have been at a feast of experience and ideas. Traveling with Matt Stevenson through his book "Letters of Transit," has been an enjoyable treat. Glimpses of Russia, Fiji, Africa, Ireland and islands in the Pacific were described with poetic language, clear pictures of the economy and political aspects and the excitement of venturing into different lands. A description of Mexico City as seen from a mountain top castle is vivid and imaginative:"Cars raced around the narrow streets and the imperial boulevards like so many rats searching the maze. And in the distance I saw rows of houses, like the surf appropriating a dune, washing up the sides of the hills.

As an economist he discusses the Russian system with insight and understanding. One feels like he is talking to a friend. He is good company.

My favorite parts of the book are those in which he visits the battlegrounds where his father fought. He familiarizes us with the problems of war and steeps us in nostalgia. I know his father and so the quotes from him are particularly interesting, admirable and poignant in these times. He quotes other military comrades of his father, "There is the way I dreamed I fought, and the way I wish I had fought...the way I think I fought and that is the story I told here."

Reading this book has been a stimulant to my intellect, a treat to my senses and a good time with a newly found companion.

Letters Of Transit: Essays On Travel, History, Politics, And Family Life Abroad by banker and essayist Matthew Stevenson is a sizeable and impressive compendium of original thoughts by a traveler who has been around the world, including Switzerland, Serbia, Northern Ireland, South Africa, and the Middle East. Stevenson writes with a clear and articulate view of the tangled morass of human politics, cultures, and events he has observed and considered. From a human look at the battle of Guadalcanal and its fallout to the current, not-so-happy state of the Russian economy to the crossroads of destiny at South Korea, Letters Of Transit is a compelling, informed and informative view of people and events around the globe, and a breathtaking, thoughtful look at what the future might have in store.

Matthew Stevenson writes about many things in this hefty volume - and it is especially interesting to read about his visits to Afghansitan, Pakistan, and other places.

Fortunately, life in Switzerland is dull, thus permitting the author's family to rest between holidays. Their vacations sound like the tourist equivalent of cold showers--character building, but uncomfortable. I've read some of these essays over the years in the American Spectator--where they remind us that it is more than the house organ of the vast right-wing conspiracy. What makes this collection remarkable is that Stevenson takes us to some of the world's most prominent hot spots--Serbia, Palestinian refugee camps, Argentina, Northern Ireland--during periods of relative repose, when we can meet the people and appreciate the human dimensions behind the catastrophic headlines. Stevenson does his homework--like all good travel writing, these essays mix history with sights, smells and conversation as effortlessly as gin with vermouth. "The Playing Fields of Terrorism" should be required reading, and "Dealing in Russia" shows uncommon insight into the difficulties of doing business in a transitional economy.

Those foreign-owned companies thinking of setting up shop in Japan must read Leveraging Japan first. After arriving in Japan, you'll find yourself referencing this book often.

In particular, manufacturers of consumer goods will benefit from the insights offered by these 3 authors. Manufacturers of industrial goods may get less out of this book.

Although written back in 2000, Leveraging Japan is still a tried and true analysis of the Japanese consumer market. You'll learn why Western-based manufacturers of consumer goods prefer to enter Asia via Japan, not China.

If you are not a manufacturer, then I would instead recommend a book such as Saying Yes to Japan: How Outsiders are Reviving a Trillion Dollar Services Market.

For 15 years now I have consulted for US companies planning to enter the Japanese market. It has been some time since I read a book this up to date, this exciting, this accessible on the subject of entering the Japanese market in the English language. The main shortcomig of the book is its misleading title: the book is really about the changes in the Japanese market due to the changing consumer demographics and attitudes, regulatory restructuring, and the ongoing revolution in distribution systems; about the recent experiences of US entrants (1994-98) into the market; and the reasons why some succeeded while others failed. The books makes three exellent points: that the Japanese market place is changing dramatically; that foreign companies with the commitment and the resources to enter the market directly can and do make lots of money in Japan almost immediately; and that Japan offers much better profit and growh prospects to American companies than the ephemeral but fashionable emerging markets of SE Asia. The book presents issues of doing business in Japan from the point of view of large, determined, well capitalized companies entering the market through their own directly owned subsidiaries and makes the point that this may be the only fool-proof method to do well in that market. It isnt cheap, but worth its price as a guide and a reference book.

This book details the atmosphere in Japan since the Asian Crash. It contains the most current information (released 1/04/00) on Japanese market conditions. This information has assisted me both in understanding my multinational clients' needs as well as directed me toward the legal advice I need to advocate in entering this market.

As both a Japanese and an experienced marketer who got the master degree of marketing in the U.S. recently, I do recommend this book for your "must-read." There may have been a lot of books titled such as "Marketing in Japan," and they might have taught you "Bow each other and give your name card when you see Japanese business person at the first time." It's really awkward for Japanese. And I had been very curious why foreign marketers have repeated to fail in Japan's market and why they have misunderstood or overlooked Japan's culture, infrastructure, and fundamentals as a lucrative consumer market. The book will show you the change of Japan as the most important market and the portal to Asia into new era, but will tell you the principle of multicultural marketing that has not changed, as well. The reliable statistics and tips/topics in the book are absolutely terrific to depict the real Japan. It must be helpful for you to know and success in the market.

Yes. If you are a seeker you want this book; you will want the entire 6 volume set! Book one sets the stage and begins to wear down the "normal" beliefs that make it impossible to progress spiritually. After you have read this book, if you are looking for kindred souls to discuss and share, drop an email to me. I'm in the process of organizing such a circle of friends. Alternate email: siddhearth@aol.com. Peace be unto you in your journey. You will succeed

THIS IS AN EXCITING ADVENTURE IN TRUTHS! TRUTHS THAT YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN FACE TO FACE, BUT HAVE ALWAYS BEEN DEEP INSIDE YOU FROM THE TIME OF YOUR BIRTH! THESE TRUTHS CAN NOT BE DENIED AND AS YOU IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THESE TRUTHS; YOUR ENTIRE CONCEPT OF WHO YOU ARE CHANGES; BECAUSE YOU PROVE TO YOURSELF THESE ETERNAL TRUTHS AND WONDER - "WHY DIDN'T SOMEONE INFORM ME SOONER SO I WOULDN'T HAVE WASTED SO MUCH OF MY LIFE LIVING WITHOUT THESE TRUTHS!" NO MATTER WHAT OTHERS MAY TESTIFY, ITS UP TO YOU TO KNOW GOD! YOU AND NO ONE ELSE! AND AS JESUS STATES IN JOHN 14:23 "AND MY FATHER WILL LOVE HIM, AND WE WILL COME UNTO HIM, AND MAKE OUR ABODE WITH HIM." IT IS BY KNOWING & LIVING THESE TRUTHS THAT THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEACHINGS OF JESUS! THE TRUTHS REVEALED IN THESE SIX VOLUMES MAKES YOU UNAFRAID OF GOD AND GIVES YOU THE VISION TO SEEK GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, SOUL, MIND, AND STRENGTH! BECAUSE YOU REALIZE THAT THIS IS WHAT GOD WANTS FOR YOU! YOU REALIZE THAT GOD IS A PRACTICLE, LOVING GOD WHO ONLY WANTS THE BEST FOR HIS CHILDREN AND (AS JESUS STATES IN JOHN 17:21) GOD WANTS US TO BE ONE WITH HIM AND JESUS. THAT IS TO SAY GOD WANTS ALL HIS CHILDREN TO BE ONE WITH THEM THAT THEY MAY FIND TRUE JOY & HAPPINESS! GOD & THE TRUTH IS ALL AROUND US, BUT WE DON'T SEE THE FORREST FOR THE TREES! YOU CAN NOW SEE THE FORREST & THE TREES! FOR 12 YEARS, I HAVE READ THESE VOLUMES OVER & OVER & OVER AGAIN AND THEY NEVER CEASE TO GIVE ME COMFORT, VISION, STRENGTH, JOY AND A SWEET REAFFIRMATION THAT JESUS IS TRULY THE WONDERFUL SON OF GOD I'VE ALWAYS KNOWN HIM TO BE. READ THESE FASCINATING VOLUMES AND BE BLESSED AND BECOME BLESSED.

I am a big fan of Paramahansa Yogananda's books (Autobiography of a Yogi, etc.), and like those books, this six volume set gives wonderful spiritual information that, in this case, is somewhat esoteric but is deep and generous. I think it would be a part of anyone's serious non-religion bound spiritual education. The Masters of the Far East speak about true 'religion,' and it is the type of information, in my opinion, that carries a vibrational message as powerful as its content itself.

Though the Masters are not Christian, they possess a thourough understanding of the metaphysics of Christianity--reminds me of Paramahansa Yogananda's teachings at times. This is no surprise though. Most Eastern spiritual teachers understand Jesus' message much better than us Westerners. A short, but wonderful read.

This is, of course, a book about Japan and Japanese attitudes
toward birth, death and the fragility of life. Because it is
also a book about abortion, it also touches on an issue that
is incredibly hot in America even as abortion has become
an uncontroversial fact of life in most of the rest of the
world.
So it is a tribute to the author's scholarship as well as to
the scope of his world view that he stays true to the business
of explaining a Japanese Buddhist take on the world without
overtly indulging in taking sides in the American controversy.
It' a tribute to his depth of understanding that in spite of
this lack of partisanship, this splendid book has something to
teach us all and some light to shed on the American debate.

It would oversimplify LaFleur's arguement to sum it up, but one
thread is something like this. The Japanese view of a newborn
is that it is a potential life. This view is even more emphatic
in the case of an unborn-a foetus. People become people in
this view by a gradual process of socialization.
Rather than being heartless, this way of looking at things has
a great deal to recommend it-especially in days when infant
mortality was high. Parents who lost a new-born or an unborn
child could pray for the return of that child in a subsequent
pregnancy. The ritual system, which provided no funeral for
one who died so young, affirmed the tentative nature of the
dead one's membership in the human community.
If it takes socialization to make a human and a family to make
socialization, then it is also up to the community and the
family to decide if that's going to happen at all. In this
view, life in infancy is a liquid that hardens into indiv-
iduality with time.
So infant death and miscarriage are sad, but not final. The
unborn child gets to come around again, maybe with better karma.
This, of course, removes abortion from the realm of murder/
choice. It also forces all of us to see our various positons
in the American debate as products of our social and religious
assumptions just as the Japanese view is the product of theirs.

Again, this is not a book about the American abortion wars.
It is instead, a splendid book about Japanese religious beliefs
across a swath of history and how they affect attitudes. By
staying true to his topic, LaFleur teaches us a great deal.

--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the forthcoming novel bang BANG from Kunati Books.ISBN
9781601640005

Liquid Life is an intriging look at abortion in modern day Japan. The argument is well formulated and the publication is well researched. Liquid Life is an excellent read. Those attempting to understand Japan MUST comprehend the abortion issue in the country today. *****

I can heartily recommend this book. I once took a course taught by LaFleur which was one of the best courses on understanding Japanese Buddhism and the practice of abortion. This book matches his good lecturing style.

What is interesting is that in the West abortion is viewed in primarily negative terms, as is infanticide. LaFleur's initial attitude was: How can Japanese engage in this kind of activity on such a large scale? What role does belief in reincarnation (according to Buddhism) play?

Rather than bringing in Western moral preconceptions that might prejudge his discussion, LaFleur treats this sensitive topic with great insight and sensitivity. This book will be a very interesting read for those interested in Japanese society and Buddhism.

William R. LaFleur gives us a book which is well made. Piece by piece Mr. LaFleur goes over the history of abortion, buddhism, family planning, sexuality attitudes and even woman's lib in Japan. By the time he reaches his conclusion, you can't help but feel like you, yourself, have also researched and processed all the information.

Near the end, when he compares the Japanese ideas to American ideas on the issue, you can't help but feel that maybe it was all a well placed trap, to get you to look at the whole mess from a different point of view, not just the pro-life/pro-choice, good/bad, yes/no, on/off American way (where every issue only has two sides and the winner gets total victory, so no mercy!)

You might not like some of the points made, but it will sure force you to think.

I have lived 27 years as an American in Japan and I find Ruthy Kanagy's book to be accurate and complete. This book covers a wide breadth of important material succinctly without even one boring or pedantic line in the whole book. It contains interesting informatation ranging from Japanese history and geography to how to open a bank account or how to make conversation with a Japanese. It is written eloquently and intelligently with insight and information to benefit the experienced traveler or the first time traveler to Japan. The original photographs and descriptions are refreshingly fair and true to the experience of living in Japan today. A must read for anyone planning a trip to Japan.

An interesting enough book, that it's a great read not only for to-be-visitors of Japan, but for Japanese readers as well. Unlike other travel books which cover only the sightseeing aspect of Japan putting weight on traditional Japanese culture, this book is well balanced in describing everyday life, the real Japan today, The Japanese mind (important in getting acquainted with Japan), as well as the tradition. The book is also good at pointing out the interesting mixture of the past and present (for example, kimono-clad woman talking on a cell-phone). The facts and advice are all practical, up to date and accurate based on the author's actual experience living in Japan. As a Japanese citizen, I recommend reading this book whether you plan to visit/live in Japan or not, to find out what Japan is all about now. (which is not just Geisha, samurai, Toyota and Sony. :-))

Kanagy's "Living Abroad in Japan" covers just about everything you need to know to do just that and is generally geared towards those interested in staying for a longer period than just a week's vacation.

Kanagy covers a brief introduction to the country before laying out such topics as VISA explanations, taxes, finding a place to live, transportation, and what to expect in daily life. It also includes several sections devoted to specific regions and an extensive list of contact information for everything from real estate offices to healthcare providers to internet service providers.

While the book was published in 2004, much of the information is still accurate and applicable. For example, Kanagy uses 1 dollar = 110 yen to estimate costs and, as of writing this review, her estimate is not far from the present 1:120.

Ruthy Kanagy has produced a comprehensive and useful guide for those thinking of taking the plunge across the Pacific and moving to Japan. Living Abroad in Japan joins many other well-done titles put out by the publishers Living Abroad In. Kanagy, herself born and raised in Tokyo, approaches her subject as only an insider could. The book assumes the reader knows nothing but does not speak down to her-and is well written and full of detail. It is neatly broken into chapters on Japan (history, government, economy, people, culture), daily life (moving, language, health, employment, finance, communications, travel, and housing), and "prime living locations" (Tokyo, Hokkaido, Kansai, Nagano, and Hiroshima).
The back of the book too is filled with useful indices: contacts, a phrasebook, suggested reading/films, clothing sizes, and an index. Having lived in Japan-Tokyo and Kyoto-for 15 years, I thought this would be a guide for someone just off the boat (i.e., not for me). It most certainly is for those new to or thinking of coming to Japan; however, it is much more than that. Even for the long-term resident of Japan, this is an invaluable guide.

I highly recommend this book. It covers the psychological aspect of living under the current regime in Burma, which many people studying and following the events in Burma forget to cover at times. I even recommended this to my parents. We're Burmese. It's well written and thought out, and the author is knowledgeable about the people.

The book can provide an insight of Burma under military rule.
The author has learned much about real concerns and issues in the country. The interesting is that the author was able to inform the rarely known rituals of the Junta. Many interviews were done and good and first-hand informations can be seen on the book.

This book takes one to a country that is "a world apart" in a multitude of ways from what we know here in America. A fascinating read that is sure to captivate and enrich the reader with newfound knowledge and awareness. A brilliant debut by an author I hope we'll see much more of in years to come.

A facinating, well written book that sheds light on an area of the world I knew little about. I usually find scholarly works somewhat dry and hard to get through. This book was hard to put down. I won't launch into a lecture on why you SHOULD read this or try to impress with my newfound knowledge of the struggles of the Burmese people. I will tell you that this a great, readable book that will educate you and hold your interest. Buy it.