Asian Books

Or about living in Africa, or living in the past, or some sort of troubles (modern or historical). It's so nice to just see a family doing what families *do*. (They even recycle!)

My nieces ask me to read this book to them often. It's a very fast book, suitable both for very young children and for slightly older ones. We love looking at various details - like the fact that "five kinds of beans" includes JELLY beans, or the fact that the baby sits on a lap at dinner. It's just a quick, sweet book.

A very sweet and very simple book. Nice to see a family of color in a book for a change.... so my daughter gets a nice variety. My daughter's teacher requested books for the classroom as her Christmas Gift this year... so that should be a selling point! So sweet that the teacher wanted it! :)

My son actually pick this book out by himself in a bookstore when he was 18 months old. He fell in LOVE with it. We had to read it every morning. We loss it transit and I finally remember to get it from Amazon this summer. At 2 1/2 it is still his favorite book. He loves the counting and the actvities reminds him of when "Granny-Gran" comes to visit. Thank you so much for this book.

A sweet 1-10 counting book that has a nice rhyme scheme and builds its story by counting to ten, not once, but twice. The art designs feature a black extended family, however, this is not central to the story. What is emphasized is the feeling of family warmth and cooperation throughout as everyone pitches in to create the feast for ten. Children can also count the items in each picture that correspond to the poem. Well done.

This book has been around for a long time, but it continues to be a favorite in my classroom. It's one of those simple books that sparks so many different curriculum paths! Counting, number groupings, nutrition, cooperation, family activities, word choices, story writing, and more. It has also initiated collage art projects, quilt making, and paper mache vegetables! FEAST FOR 10 is a goldmine. I see that it's coming out in a board book soon, too. We have both the hardcover and several paperbacks in my class.

This is a different look at the war in the Pacific as told by one Japanese soldier who was trying to survive.

This is quite possibly one of the most gripping, devastating novels I've ever read, and certainly one of the most compelling books to come out of World War II from any cultural standpoint. The style of narration (and the psychology of the narrator) will be familiar to those who've read The Stranger (there's even a scene midway through that startlingly evokes Camus' masterpiece), and we not only sense, we LIVE the narrator's increasing despair, degradation, and misery as his situation steadily worsens and he is subjected to increasingly bizarre and grotesque displays of violence. The portrait of a demoralized, defeated army, literally starving and grasping at any potential straws for survival, is possibly startling for American audiences, who may be accustomed to seeing World War II from a different viewpoint altogether. Highly recommended for anyone who enjoys fiction, period.

Abandoned by his company, Private Tamura wanders Leyte Island with neither a reason to live nor a reason to die. Ooka's starving Japanese soldier is absolutely captivating in his determination to analyze the horrors of warfare objectively while he witnesses them first hand. Stumbling through countless forests and mountains, the poetry that seeps from his reasoning is all the more powerful given his completely numbed and desensitized state. There's simultaneous beauty and terror in every one of Tamura's insights all the way through to his confrontations with cannibalism and his struggles to discern between God and himself. My only hope is that on second reading I might better understand some more of the abstract themes Ooka tackles. It's so beautiful...do read it!

The part that gave me a shiver was when the protagonist's own left hand stopped him from cutting up a dead soldier's body to eat the flesh and he found it God's hand, not his. Such a beautiful scene. It still makes me cry.

Both a soldier and professor of literature in his lifetime, Shohei Ooka weaves in his own experiences as a POW during WWII to present the story of Private Tamura in the unforgettable war story Fires on the Plain. Abandoned by his company on Leyte Island, in the Philippines, as it is losing in a slow, agonizing battle with American forces, Tamura has nowhere to go, nothing to do. As he becomes further and further removed from the "society" of his regiment, his peers, Tamura begins to fall apart. He has come down with consumption and as such is no longer of any use to his platoon, which is facing annihilation. Food is the primary obsession of Japanese commanders - there simply isn't enough. The dying and wounded are therefore sent to the field hospital to be kept until they expire - or are kicked out when their food supply runs out. When Tamura, however, returns from a brief visit to the hospital, his commander slaps him brutally. "You damned fool! D'you mean to say you let them send you back here?" He is thus sent back again; the hospital, however, will not let in patients who don't have their own food. Without food, patients are pronounced "cured" and sent on their way. And thus begins an existential and brutal journey into a heart of darkness.
The story focuses on the gradual and permanent removal from society of Private Tamura. Slowly but surely, his ties to society are severed. Tamura, an intelligent and decent man, is thus completely alone in a war zone. He doesn't have a reason to die, so he stumbles about the Philippine countryside in search of food. While searching for sustenance, he must avoid both the local people and American soldiers. During his trials, Tamura carries on an internal dialog on his situation, which reads like a treatise on the existence of God. The imagery is poetic and horrifying, a portrait of a man's descent into hell. Haunting and powerful.

This is the best book I have read in either Japanese or English that gives a comprehensive, easy to read and balanced overview of the lives of 37 people who contributed into making Japan into what it is today. The book presents people from diverse aspects of Japan: industry, traditional culture, history, modern writers and film directors. The people span from the first ever novelist in the world Murasaki (c.975-c.1025) to Morita Akio, the co-founder of Sony. The biographies are short and concise and are on average 10 pages long. It is not necessary to read the entire book at once, but read one biography and come back to another one at a later time. I have read and reread the book numerous times and have been inspired by the lives of each one of the people profiled.

Much has been written about the history of Japan from the point of view of society and group dynamics. This is understandable given Japan's interdependent culture. Mark Weston's Giants of Japan is one of the first that covers Japan from the point of view of it's great individuals. The subjects of the book range from well known industrialists (Konosku Matsuhita) and leaders (Tokogawa Ieyasu) to lesser known writers (Fukuzawa Yukichi) and directors (Ozu Yasujiro).

The book is good for many different types of people. Those with a deeper knowledge of Japan can pick and choose from the individuals they wish to learn more about. Those newly interested in Japan can read the book cover to cover to gain a broad knowledge of the history and people of Japan.

This book does not attempt to provide a comprehensive Japanese history, or in depth view of any aspect of Japanese society. There are other more suitable books in those genres.

This was the best book I read last year. Very informative and easy to read.

Giants of Japan is a very pleasant introduction to Japanese history, organized in a succession of biographies of the most influential figures in Japanese business, politics, arts and sports. In addition to being well-written, the book offers a good mix of key facts and anecdotes, making the reading both interesting and exciting.

Beyond information about the country itself, Weston takes good care of extracting history lessons from his biographies. For example, it is edifying to learn how (with what vision, strategems, and tricks) Mistui developed from a sake brewry into one of the worldfs largest corporations, with what political purpose tea ceremony was used, and how a single author, Fukuzawa Yukichi, precipitated Japan's westernization.

The book recounts the origins of Shintoism, Haiku, even Aikido (judofs creator, Jigoro Kano, is missing from the book). It depicts the spirit of feudal warriors (both samurais and ronins), and shows how Bushido has survived in 20th century Japan (exemplified by Mishimafs tragic death). It also deals with the dark pages of Japanese history, including Japanese military actions before and during WWII and modern political corruption.

I recommend this book to anyone who has a yet unfulfilled interest in Japan; the biographical structure of the book makes it readable even to a busy audience.

Giants Of Japan: The Lives Of Japan's Greatest Men And Women by journalist and author Mark Weston is an informed and informative biographical survey of great figures drawn from fifteen centuries of Japanese history. Ranging from the internationally famous writer Yukio Mishima and the film director Akira Kurosawa, to historical icons such as Shotoku (the prince who helped bring Buddhism to Japan), and the actress Izumo no Okuni (who created kabuki theater), Giants Of Japan effectively summarizes an eclectic collection of fascinating and remarkable lives revealed in an energetic and raptly interesting presentation. Very highly recommended reading for students of Japanese history and culture.

You would think that having everything a girl could possibly want (and that money could buy) would make life positively wonderful 24/7 and render her absolutely without care. Well, when Syrah Cheng becomes a "girl overboard," her entire worldview takes a tumble, along with her, and the slippery slopes she skis on becomes the slippery slope of her whole life. She will rehab everything, from bones to her expectations, and cross the threshold into a brand new way of life.

Justina Chen Headley's GIRL OVERBOARD is a rich, compelling and sometimes unexpected story about a girl who takes life seriously. Her enthusiastic snowboarding already has caused one very serious accident and subsequent surgery, and her favorite sport is also leading her into emotional ruin. Her boyfriend, a fop who is trying hard to impress her dad more than her, breaks her heart; a series of half-siblings finds her utterly distasteful; and her best friend's boyfriend is getting in between her and the person who she most needs to talk to during these trying times. Family obligations pull her farther and farther away from her professional aspirations, as do the repercussions of the accident for which she thinks she can buy special crutches (but she can't).

None of these problems can go away unless Syrah exercises all of her muscles --- leg, heart and brain. For a 16-year-old whose life is running in the opposite direction from what she had thought, Syrah discovers that plans are not to be put in place but rather thrown over the edge of the mountain of one's imagined life with abandon.

There are so many subplots making up the adventures of Syrah Cheng in this book that they are far too numerous to list. And besides, who wants all the fun spoiled? Suffice it to say that Syrah's journey makes stops at all the regular signposts of teen angst: social life, relationships, family situations, work, sports, the impending future. But Headley's deep-reaching prose and emotional resonance make what could have been a general young adult novel into a really special literary service to three-dimensional teen girls everywhere --- by creating a world that looks like theirs and a heroine who, although her circumstances may be more financially rewarding than most high school girls, has a heart similar to theirs beating in her chest.

Does Syrah get what she wants? Headley puts so many obstacles in her way, there is seemingly no justice to it all. Yet, in the end, the lessons learned are many, and the "Ethan Cheng Way," her father's business model, holds more truths for her than she could have realized in the beginning. It is a wondrously complicated mix of family, friends and personal desires that drives GIRL OVERBOARD and makes it a book that not only excites but also educates.

--- Reviewed by Jana Siciliano

Poised at the Edge Book Review

GIRL OVERBOARD

Justina Chen Headley


The worst part of having it all is having to deal with it all--the good, the bad, and the just plain weird. So begins the story of Syrah Cheng. Everybody assumes that life is breeze for Syrah. Her father, Ethan Cheng is famous billionaire; she lives in a veritable palace, anything she wants is at her fingertips, right? But what people don't know is she hardly ever gets to see her globe-trotting parents, her half-siblings refuse to treat her like she's part of the family, her best friend's girlfriend is sabotaging their friendship, and she just got used and humiliated by an egotistical (quasi)-pro snowboarder, who referred to her (bank account) as his "free-pass to paradise."

Life is anything but rosy for Syrah. After a serious (and seriously foolish) accident leaves Syrah with a severe knee injury, she is no longer able to escape to the mountains and snowboard. Even worse, she has to forget her dream of going pro. But down-time, and a series of astonishing events, leads Syrah down a path of self-evaluation and personal growth.

I don't want to say much more about the plot, because I want everyone to read GIRL OVERBOARD, a story so rich in plot, theme, and content, that it left my head spinning. Justina Chen Headley gracefully weaves issues of race, socio-economic class, gender, feminism, body image, complex extended family, deep-dark secrets, jealousy, and enlightenment. How did she do it? This is a smart book to be treasured by girls, and women of all ages!

Review by Melissa Jauregui

Reviewed by Emily Robbins (age 13) for Reader Views (3/08)

"Girl Overboard," by Justina Chen Headley, is about Syrah Cheng, the daughter of a billionaire, the famous Ethan Cheng. Decked out private jets, expensive designer snowboards, all of the latest hot fashions, it's all hers. She is definitely living large. The only problem is that she hates it. Instead of parties, Syrah would rather be up on the tall, snowy mountains doing what she knows best, skateboarding.

Syrah's life is just going downhill. Her best friend's girlfriend is ruining their relationship. Her knee was supposed to have healed by now, after a horrible snowboarding accident she had a while back, but it is still giving her troubles. She's also struggling with trying to figure out who her real friends are, and who she herself is.

My favorite character is definitely Lillian, one of Syrah's friends. She is energetic, kind, and seems like the best type of friend a person could have. Unlike the rest of Lillian's popular friends, she is more concerned about the sick and deathly-ill kids in the hospital than the juicy gossip her friends enjoy so greatly.

Wayne, Syrah's unkind brother, completely does not understand Syrah. He is just after his very large share in his father's very large inheritance, and making loads of cash. So, instead of trying to understand her, he is just a cruel sibling, trying to ruin her snowboarding dream. Wayne is unquestionably, my least favorite character of them all.

"Girl Overboard" was an inspiring book. I really liked how it really went into her lifestyle, trying to show you just how much she loathed it. The author did a really good job with all the diverse characters, and showing their different personalities. Some parts in the book I admit were a little dull and monotonous; in those sections I just skimmed over those paragraphs, but all in all it was an all-around great book! Two thumbs up, and I would definitely recommend "Girl Overboard," by Justina Chen Headley.

I know I am not the prime audience for which this book was written. I am many generations removed from the current youth this book was written for and about. Growing up before Title 9, I did not have the sport opportunities available to girls since that milestone legislation. Despite the lack of organized sports, I was a young female athlete, one who had set her sights on representing her country in the Olympics one day.

At that time, I chose the Olympics because it was one of the only avenues available for women athletes to perform on a high level, at least those were my dreams until I tore my ACL at age 13 and had my world tossed upside down. And so, when I meet Syrah Cheng, up and coming snowboarder, who is trying to come back from the same potentially career threatening injury, my heart is with her all the way.

I know the battles female athletes have fought and continue to fight even today and so does Justina Headley Chen, the author. Ms Headley, who says she conceived the novel as she was being trundled down a mountain by the ski patrol after having a similar accident may never have been an up and coming boarder but she knows well the struggles young girls face in our society. That is why she and several other talented YA authors have established "Readergirlz.com" a web community for "gutsy girls" wherever they may be and whatever their passions.

"Girl Overboards' Syrah Cheng has many battles to fight as she struggles to find her niche in the world. Issues of sexism, classism, and cultural identity are all handled with delicacy and power. There are no simple solutions here. Syrah may have been born into a family with many privileges but living in the spotlight of media and community scrutiny only magnifies the struggle to live up to the image of the "perfect daughter". This image includes the struggle of meeting the unhealthy demands our societiy places on the perfect, female body as well As a young female athlete trying to build a body that can meet the demands of the sport she loves, Syrah must also deal with the expectations of both her mother and potential snowboarding sponsors, an image that Syrah has subconsciously accepted until she recognizes it herself.

Which brings us to another wonderful element of the book, Syrah is also a budding illustrator and writer of Manga. In her Manga journal, Syrahs' alter ego Shiraz is able to fly high above the rest in her snowboarding exploits but also ends up teaching Syrah even more about herself.

Which brings me to my only regret about the book. It would be fantastic if future editions of the book could contain some panels representing the journal. Manga is a very hot ticket and would attract a whole other segment of readers. Perhaps there could even be a graphic novel/Manga spinoff or series based on the characters?

This is a compelling read which will speak to many girls and young women. If you have a "gutsy girl" in your life get the book for her today! She won't be sorry!

If you are looking for a rags-to-riches story, don't pick up GIRL OVERBOARD. On the other hand, if you are looking for a story about a rich girl struggling to be a normal, well-adjusted girl, than this one is for you.

Syrah Cheng is the daughter of privilege. Her father, Ethan Cheng, made the cell phone what it is today. Her mother, Betty Cheng, is the queen of charity fundraising, and demands only the best. Unfortunately, all the splendor and wealth surrounding Syrah leave her feeling uncomfortable and unloved.

Syrah's dream is to become a sponsored pro-snowboarder; however, a recent life-threatening accident has sidelined her with a bum knee. Her doctor says she is ready to resume normal activities and even some cautious snowboarding, but her globe-trotting parents have forbidden her participation in the only activity that makes her life worthwhile. She fills her days with school and manga drawings of a superheroine snowboarder named Shiraz.

Not being able to snowboard is only the beginning of trouble for Syrah. Her best friend, Age, has a new girlfriend who doesn't believe there is room in their relationship for Syrah. Bao-mu, Syrah's dedicated nanny, has announced that she is leaving to go help her granddaughter with her new baby. And to top it all off, Ethan Cheng has announced his retirement and his intention to move the family to Hong Kong.

There is never a dull moment in GIRL OVERBOARD. Syrah may seem about to give up on her dream, but she finds a way to combine her love of snowboarding with what she discovers are her many other assets, to help a new friend in need, and make her family proud of her. Author Justina Chen Headley shows her readers what truly lies beneath the glittery surface of a girl who has it all, but learns that family, friendship, and love can surprise us all.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

I started reading GIRLS FOR BREAKFAST on the half-hour bus ride home, and I smirked all the way there. There's so much wicked humor in this book. I'm not Korean and I'm certainly not a guy, but I totally identified with Nick Park. He's both flawed and sympathetic. I laughed hard at his childhood memories of teaching fake martial arts to his friends, his mom's horrible cooking, and his incredibly embarrassing moments around girls and pretty much everyone else. Many times I was smiling and sighing, "Poor guy." Nick manages to come across both awkward and sweet. He seems real enough that I might run into him one day. I very much recommend this book.

I'm not a teen, but just feel like one, reading this excellent semi-autobiographical fiction. Funny and touching, reminiscent of "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" by Dave Eggers, but for teens. This quick paced books will make you laugh, grimace in embarrassment and shared angst, and root, root, root for Nick.

David Yoo's novel feels a little overextended: did he really have to begin the saga of Nick Park from all the way back in third grade? But in general he knows how to tell a story and capture the reader's attention right away. Nick doesn't have many Korean friends, and he's ashamed of the way his mother serves Korean kimchee with her cheeseburgers, ashamed of his dad's heavy accent. "Hey Mr Park," Mitch said. "Hello, Meech," my dad said. I flinched. Mitch and Paul laughed; they thought he was hilarious. His accent sounded more pronounced around my friends. Other Asian kids in the Korean church Nick sometimes attends call him a "banana," -- yellow on the outside, white on the inside. And yet Yoo makes Nick's struggles with his contested masculinity into a rewarding and heartwarming tale.

He's good at tennis, and that makes him a few friends. And he draws well, so he gets put in the poster club at high school--a wealthy suburb where some of his pals live in actual mansions: Paul's got an bowling alley in his basement. At the same time he is sometimes tolerated, but racist bullies make his life a hell, as when one know-nothing calls him "Long Duk Dong" after the comic exchange student from SIXTEEN CANDLES. Racial epithets fly all over the place in GIRLS FOR BREAKFAST, and there's no safe place for a boy like Nick. The girls he lusts after aren't all that interested in him, but there's always Miss January from an old issue of Playboy. She's been sitting in his closet for ten years or more, and whenever life gets tough for him, he hauls her out and starts spanking it. (In one amusing scene he looks up and finds the cat, Boris, has been watching him [...], so he pulls up his shorts and tries to distract Boris from this traumatic memory. Now, that's self-effacing!)

Apparently David Yoo had the great luck to be able to work with the late, great fiction writer Lucia Berlin, a lady who died way too soon and whose books (published by Black Sparrow and other midrange presses) are pretty much out of print, and who stands the risk of being forgotten. I think Lucia Berlin, one of the finest writers in recent memory, would have been proud of Woo her student; he shares something of her intense interest in humanity, her gifts of penetrating dialogue and concrete observation, and quite a lot of her big-hearted humor, the laugh that could warm one's bones. I expect that GIRLS FOR BREAKFAST, even with its occasional lapses in taste, and its infrequent longueurs, introduces us to a masterful voice.

I was pleasantly surprised by young master Yoo's book about a young Korean boy growing up in the stogy suburbs of Connecticut, going from confrontations with "those guys" to experimentation with women and sex David Yoo has done a great job with this coming of age story, it's got everything you would want in a book, from humor to drama. If you're interested in a great read, pick it up!!!

This is a wonderfully-written, highly-entertaining, and often hilarious novel. Nick Park's just a kid and he's just trying to get by. And yeah, he likes girls. It's nice to see a young adult book tackle the subject of blooming masculinity head on, and Yoo skillfully weaves the issues of race, gender, and sexuality into an intelligent, humorous story. The book will make you laugh throughout, and the ending is beautiful.

The Second World War completely changed its major participants and exacted some huge sacrifices from all involved. This and other books about the people who did the fighting shows how similar the attitudes were on all sides. The main character changes some of his thinking after the war, but his thoughts and actions during the war are really interesting, especially when compared to the thoughts and actions of the people on other sides.

If ever a book (other than the Bible) showed the divine hand and providence of God, this is it. I wish I could have met the man.

Excellent detailed story of Pearl Harbor's lead Navy pilot who through special circumstances wrought only by God found himself after the war travelling in the USA with Billy Graham and preaching the Gospel in Christian Crusades.

A friend of mine introduced me to this book in April of this year. He told me it was unlike any book about the Pacific war that he had ever read. Although skeptical at first, I sill went ahead and purchased the book. I left it on my book-shelve for several months and forgot all about it. As I began packing up in July to move I noticed this book again, so I picked it up and began reading it. I found the style of writing extremely fluid, and the chapters were concise. This well balanced account of Mitsuo Fuchida life traces it from his days as an Imperial naval aviator to Christian evangelist. 'God's Samurai' is a truly inspirational book filled with numerous accounts of honor, bravery, loyalty, and sacrifice - all the codes of a Samurai warrior. I have enjoyed this book tremendously, and I have just begun reading, 'Midway: The Battle That Doomed Japan: The Japanese Navy's Story' by Mitsuo Fuchida, Roger Pineau (Editor),Masatake Okumiya(Contributor). Both 'God's Samurai' and 'Midway' are 'must-have' books for anyone who is truly interested in the Pacific war and naval battles!

An awesome true story. Definitely one of the three best books I've read in the past decade. In a time like this of Osama bin Labens and shocking inter-civilizational conflict, Fuchida's life story shows how true reconciliation and inter-cultural brotherhood can be experienced. It gives hope in spite of the huge obstacles to inter-cultural understanding. A powerful human interest story. Don't miss it!

GOOD ENOUGH by Paula Yoo is the story of Patti Yoon, a Korean-American girl struggling to meet her strict parents' demands, and trying to find herself during her senior year of high school. A straight-A student, and master violinist, anyone would think that Patti has a bright future ahead of her. However, it is simply not good enough for her parents. She must get a 2300 or above on her SATs, participate in every church activity, and get into Harvard/Yale/Princeton.

However, this plan is put a little bit off track when Patti meets Ben Wheeler, a trumpet player in her state orchestra. Ben exposes her to new music, a new crush, and new dreams. Patti begins to wonder what life would be like without the perfect plan, without Harvard/Yale/Princeton, and with her love of music to guide her down the right path.

Will her passion for playing the violin trump all the demands her parents make of her? Will she turn out fine without attending the perfect college?

GOOD ENOUGH is a hysterical, wonderful book with a lovable main character and realistic situations. With chapter headings inspired by Spam and the SATs, teenagers will find it easy to relate to Patti as she sets off on a righteous path of self-discovery. One thing's for certain: GOOD ENOUGH is more than good enough. It's a fantastic, unique book that will keep you laughing long after your first read.

Reviewed by: Amanda Dissinger

Patti Yoon has been trying 110% all her life- in school, at the youth group, with the violin, and also generally avoiding boys (they will distract her from her studies, her parents say). Playing the violin though brings Patti into this new world, where pressure doesn't exist and it's just brilliant music. And after winning the title of assistant concertmaster instead of the actual concertmaster (which she has been for the past 3 years) as well as meeting Cute Trumpet Guy, it all sets off a chain of events that lead Patti into learning that she needs to think about what she wants rather than what other people want from her.

In Paula's debut book for the YA audience, she writes extremely effectively about an overworked, pressured girl finding her way in the world. One of the things that really pulled me into the book was the whole music aspect- it was so prominent in this book, and I don't think I've seen any book that puts this much emphasis on it. It was great to read about Paula's passion, and it definitely came through as a big passion. Also adding to the story were occasional footnotes (which is one of my fave things to see in novels), Top 10 lists, and Korean recipes featuring Spam. The characters are all well-drawn and fun to read about, especially Patti, and make this book a real page-turner. This is one book you don't want to miss from an author I'm sure you'll be hearing more from in the future!

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2V2OD8UV4V65V Girlfriendology is a place for inspiration, appreciation and celebration of female friendship. While "Good Enough" mainly focuses on the cute trumpet boy and Patti's crush on him, it also offers up inspiration for high school students and grown ups who deal with the need to feel 'good enough.' PAULA YOO talked with Girlfriendology.com about her debut novel, similarities and differences between her and Patti Yoon and even played a beautiful violin solo for Girlfriendology.

Thanks PAULA YOO! For writing a wonderful book and for taking time to talk with Girlfriendology!
[...]

This book is smart, funny, and genuine. If you are, were, or know an intelligent, driven teen this one's for you!

This stand-out debut novel clearly benefits from Paula Yoo's own life experiences, but is a delightful and engaging piece of fiction unto itself. Like all good speechwriters and storytellers, Paula Yoo opens with a joke, and you're rooting for her heroine Patti Yoon by the bottom of Page One. Cute boys were certainly the center of MY Universe in high school, and Patti's constant distraction by Cute Trumpet Guy is both believeable and, thanks to Yoo's evocative writing, totally understandable.

Immediately and firmly planted in her world, the reader is thoroughly invested in Patti's struggles, and ultimately in her triumphs. Yoo exposes issues of pressure and prejudice with honesty, and Patti learns to stand up against them, pleasing both herself and her reader. I've never even so much as handled a violin, but Patti is such an authentic and accessible character that I, too, found "the scent of rosin dust and the varnished maple wood of [her] violin" comforting. I have just finished the book and am on a trip, but when I return home I plan to try Patti's mom's spam recipe number 3, Spam Kimbap, and in my opinion, any book that can sell me on the idea of buying spam has definitely taken its reader into a new world and gotten its message across.

In addition to brains and talent, there is beauty, strength, and joy in home-perm survivor Patti Yoon, and it's a true pleasure to be with her when she discovers and embraces these qualities. "Good Enough"'s message of self-discovery and empowerment is one all teens should hear, and Paula Yoo deserves the critical praise she is receiving for her artful delivery of it.

This book was produced as he was shown at the Royal Academy in London. I begged the poster at the tourist-board in Stockholm and got my parents to buy the hardcover version at the exhibition. Collecting Hiroshige prints in Stockholm I would have loved to see them in London, but the book is the second best thing. The reproductions are terrific, the text short but informative. All the different subjects of Hiroshige are displayed, landscapes, fan motives, fish, flowers and so on. Get it and then get some real prints!

I recieved this not knowing its large format and the images in full color on quality paper. Informative and accurate descriptions of the work. You will not regret buying this book. Makes me sigh....

I have no experience with art at all, but from my point of view this book is a jewl. Printings are so beautiful and relaxing, and they are numerous in this book. Also the book is well organized with explanations about the paintings.

The text provides the necessary background to facilitate understanding of the fantastic pictures. A great variety of photos provide wonderful insight into the world of Hiroshige. The pictures can be perused for pure enjoyment. Terrific book.

Quick, stop reading this review and buy this Hardcover book in New or Like New condition now, while you can. For, this is one of the greastest modern so-called 'coffee table' art books that I have come across. Too often these days one finds that such art books which should be large, lushly produced, lovingly put together and brilliantly written are unfortunately done with punk production values resulting in poor reproductions on cheap looking paper stock and accompanied by unedifying, often stultifying essays. Not this one. As I said above it is one of the most impressive art books that I have come across in twenty years of buying them. It is printed and bound in Germany which in itself is commendable and noteworthy because it is quite expensive to produce a book there. I am so glad they did because, as good as they are, Italy and Hong Kong, two places commonly used for producing today's art books, just don't do as good a job as Prestel has done in Germany. This book was originally produced to accompany an exhibition at the Royal Academy of the Arts during 1997. As such, it commanded a skilled and erudite staff of authors to craft both an accurate history and an illuminating commentary of the artist and his art. They are: Matthi Forrer, author of a similar book on Hokusai; Suzuki Juzo, the author of the standard monograph on Hiroshige; and Henry Smith a Professor of Japanese History at Columbia U. You will come back to this book many times over the years because there is so darned much information to absorb, visually and intellectually and because the publisher's top notch production values have accurately captured the spirit and beauty of Hiroshige's Woodblock Prints. This is the sort of book that will be actively sought out by art book collectors in years to come. This is why I say, buy it now, while you can at such a low price. You won't be sorry.

This book by Drs' Enas and Kannan is a superb effort at highlighting the silent epidemic affecting south asians. It does yeoman service by drawing attention not only to factors that affect this population but provides information and resources which help laymen and physicians alike understand the disease process. It goes a step further than traditional books by devoting half the volume to educate readers on prevention of heart disease. The format and not just the content makes the book a pleasure to read. Once I picked it up I just had to race through it at one sitting. However, since then I have gone back to the book on numerous occasions only to be impressed by the amount of information that it provides.
This book is a must have for all, physicians and lay people alike,not just those from south asia.

Dr. Enas has compiled his enormous knowledge and expertise, based on his extensive clinical background and research on heart disease during last three decades, into a single book. It convinces, even the skeptics, the deeply troubling, at the same time not very well understood problem of the twin epidemics of heart disease and diabetes among the people worldwide and particularly among the South Asian population. It discusses with great clarity as to why South Asians should be tested and treated differently. This excellent book by an very well known cardiologist in the field of heart disease among the South Asians, written in a easily understandable language, is a must read for all South Asians in diaspora as well as in their native land.

Very informational book-ideal for medical and non-medical audience. Details on research and the statistics adds to the value of the book. Wish there was a workbook for people to keep a track of their life style changes and the benefits. Loved the recipes and nutritional information. Highly recommend it to South Asians in America and also in their native countries.

"How To Beat The Heart Disease Epidemic among South Asians" by Drs. Enas A Enas, MD and Sudesh Kannan, Phd, is very well researched and a very clearly written guide not only for South Asians, but for all of us who want to live a higher quality of life our entire lifetime. This wonderful guide will be a fund of useful knowledge for my wife and I for years to come. Enas and Kannan have delivered a great gift to all of us seeking the latest knowledge on how to live healthy lives with lower blood pressure and lower cholesterol which leads to a healthy heart. If the great knowledge in this book is followed by the readers they will become healthier and happier and remain so throughout thier lives. I have recommended this book to Dr. Sanjay Gupta of CNN. I highly recommend it to anyone of any race, culture or ethnic group. My compliments to the authors. Colonel Joseph M. Blair III US Army Retired US Masters Swimmer Age 63

Post heart attack I bought or borrowed numerous books on heart disease. This book has information that is scattered over many sources and so is a nice addition to the literature on heart disease and would be very valuable to anybody who wants to understand their disease and manage it or try to avoid getting it. It does a good job of explaining the current understanding of heart disease development, and several practical steps one can take to avoid getting the disease or manage it if one has it. While one focus of the book is the much higher than normal incidence of heart disease in South Asians in reality it is an excellent read for just about anybody. It does a very nice job of summarizing a great deal of research and highlights the Indian specific risk factors and appropriate medical responses. Much of the data is backed up by references to the medical literature that one can consult if one so desires (so much of the book is evidence based rather than anecdotal in nature). As an example of the obscure data that is hard to find but is included in the book is a quantification of expected benefit from several lifestyle & theraputic changes likes loosing weight or lowering LDL or quitting smoking etc.

This is a wonderful book, and if you haven't spent any time in a dharma center, you will feel as though you had. I loved how Dr Snow's realization shone through. You can learn a lot from this book, and it so fun & easy to read.

I picked up this book with wonder. I am a writer who lived in a California Tibetan Buddhist Meditation Center, and was the Cook. South of Dorje Ling, and thus somewhat different - yet I was profoundly moved by her eloquent portrait of what could have been my own experience. Despite the unusual reason for my personal resonance with the story, I believe that even people who are not former Meditation Center cooks will find this book wonderful reading. The story is quite entertaining, and the dharma is presented in an elegant, unassuming, and egoless style, that is incredibly readable.

What a fun and insightful book. While the theme of cooking runs through the book, the lessons are much deeper than recipes. Highly recommended!

Congenially written by Kimberley Snow, (a resident of a Tibetan Buddhist community for six years and who served the center as head cook), In Buddha's Kitchen: Cooking, Being Cooked, And Other Adventures In A Meditation Center is a wry memoir of both physical and spiritual work, and which showcases the those transcendent values of meditation which can be found in mundane tasks and the simple joys of everyday life. A delight to read, In Buddha's Kitchen is enthusiastically recommended to students of Buddhist philosophy and practice as being deeply spiritual and embracing the crucial importance of compassion, love, and joy in even the most menial of life's duties.

I really enjoyed this book about the author's experiences cooking in a Buddhist Monastery in Northern California. Several chapters are real gems: Jizo Ceremony, Impermanence, A Cup of Tea and On Having A Teacher. She makes good use of her early experiences as a chef to contrast with the new attitude of mindfulness and silence.

Even though I give it five stars I still walked away from the table hungry for a little more.

I would have liked to read a deeper treatment of transforming the five poisons into the five wisdoms, something intriguing that was only mentioned in passing.

How can you write a whole book about cooking in a Buddhist kitchen and not include a single recipe? The Author does mention at one point that she is working on a cookbook. I'd love to read that as a companion volume to this great book on practical application of Buddhist ideas to daily life.