Asian Books

You Are That
By Gangaji
I found You Are That to be an excellent synthesis of the classic teachings of Ramana Maharshi and Papaji. In a time when there is so much division of thoughts and ideas it was refreshing to read something so eloquent that will go directly to the heart of so many teachings. Through Gangaji I have found my own source of wisdom for many years and in reading You Are That I see that I Am That also. This is a book that can be opened at any time and on any page it speaks though the silence that is found behind the words, the silence that speaks directly to the core of your being. You are that, I am that, and all there is is that, and that's all there is to that.Dhara Lemos, Lotus Guide magazine www.lotusguide.com

Reading this fabulous book by Gangaji is heaven on earth. She points the way to realization by teaching core truths - that Life Source animates all of us, and we can let all identities rest in this truth to live freely as humans BEING.

I came across this book by coincidence at our local Barnes and Noble Bookstore, right before leaving, flipped it open at some random page and my mind instantly stopped - nothing but the most exquisite oneness and bliss was experienced. This must be the most practically valuable book since "The Power of Now"some years ago, providing the same experiences of our true Reality, yet going even so much deeper. Gangaji eloquently examines all major issues that concern humanity today and points to what is here,fresh and eternally present at all times beyond all appearances.The content is gorgeous,the style in which it's presented cuts through all layers of defenses right into the heart and bypasses the mind in a simple, pure and elegant way.The cover of this special edition is also extremely beautifully designed and I am just so very grateful to have found this gift-thank you,Gangaji!

Gangaji is a wonderful teacher who conveys the message of truth in very simple and clear terms. Her gentle words penetrate through all conceptualizations that abound in spiritual understanding to the core of truth that remains while all the concepts come and go. Beautiful work from a beautiful soul.

If you are proud of the role that Orthodox Jews have played in developing the modern Zionist movement, you will love this reader compiled more than 35 years ago (and back in print). Orthodox rabbis and Zionist leaders Yehuda Alkalai, Zvi Hirsch Kalischer, Yechiel Michel Pines, Meir Bar-Ilan, Shmuel Chaim Landau, Samuel Mohilever, Avraham Yitzhak HaCohen Kook and Isaac Reines take up a disproportionate amount of space in Hertzberg's rich work. And for good measure you will find the writings of Ben-Gurion and Jabotinsky.

This is an anthology of works by major Zionist thinkers. It introduced me to the fact that Zionism was primarily a radical project of self-criticism and not a whining diatribe against the Gentiles. The ruthless mode of thought and pitiless self criticism of the founding fathers of Zionism makes one realize that this is our strength in the face of our enemies, who clearly lack the ability to engage in self-criticism. I try to follow in the footsteps of this tradition of Zionist self-criticism in my own book "The Optimistic Jew: a Positive Vision for the Jewish People in the 21st Century"
The Introduction by Rabbi Hertzberg is brilliant and worth the price of the book alone. If you want to know something about Zionism, Israel, and modern Jewish history, buy this book and read the Introduction!

the a hundred page introduction of this work is absolutely essential for people of every ilk who want to undertand the whole zionist idealogy in one fine, easy-read scoop. the rest of this work is a presentation of every important leader of zionism in the course of 19th and 20th centuries with a short description of the writers life, endeavors, and accomplishments in the beginning of every excerpt.
this book serves on two fronts which makes it into a bona-fide classic of zionist literature: (a) someone who wants to throughly understand the conception of the movement must read this book because without it even fine, scurpulous research is incomplete. (b) someone who wants to cursorly scan the movement to form a capsule of the zionist idea in his mind for all practical intents and purposes.
i'm not a zionist, but this book gave me a clearer percpective of zionism. now i'm confident to vouch that i know precisely what zionism holds and so should you!

What is modern Zionism? Is it Jewish nationalism? Is it simply an ideology of human rights for everyone, including Jews? These are questions that I hoped would be answered (and are answered) in a book that contains articles written from 1843 to 1948 by about three dozen leading Zionists.

A doctrine of human rights for all would permit any group, including Jews, to bid on land in and near Jerusalem and (upon obtaining it) pass laws ensuring their rights of life, liberty, and property there. As well as continued immigration. I wanted to see if most Zionists saw it that way, arguing that there are many Jews (and many Jewish nationalists) and that Zion is the Jewish homeland, with Jerusalem its capital.

Moreover, I wanted to know if any of these thinkers said or implied anything like the following:

1) We Jews don't care for Zion, but many non-Jews do, so we'll buy Zion and displace those who really love the land.

2) We Zionists love Zion, so we'll steal it from the rightful and legal owners.

3) We don't care about human rights. We want special treatment, so we can have privileges that are denied to non-Jews.

Not one of these authors displayed any of the above three attitudes. None of them advocated wastefulness, greed, destruction, theft, or unfairness. They did indeed argue for the rights of Jews to be equal to those of other nationalities. And they went on to discuss Jewish culture, Hebrew universities, Jewish religion, and the need for a people to have a common language and a state. These days, when the international information supply is saturated with antizionist misinformation, it's worth noting all this.

In this book, we see Theodor Herzl say that the Jews are a people, one people. A people that he thinks "will not be left in peace." And, most important, that he is not aiming to arouse sympathy on behalf of the Jews: "All that is nonsense, as futile as it is dishonorable." Those who ask that we make the dubious stipulation that Zionism is merely a claim of sympathy for what has happened to the Jews of Europe might want to note that!

We then see Ahad Ha-am say that he wants to focus on a national culture, with Zion providing merely a "secure refuge," rather than starting with a state and relying on it to produce a national culture. That's a good answer to those who ask today what Ahad Ha-am would have said about Israel's desire to continue to exist as a refuge for Jews.

Two other authors who are often quoted by "post-Zionists" are Judah Magnes and Martin Buber. I'd advise reading what they say as well. In particular, Buber splatters Mahatma Gandhi's argument that the Levant "belongs to the Arabs" by pointing out that "God does not give any one portion of the Earth away." A powerful comment for those who might otherwise think that the Jews, not the Arabs, are the ones who are regarding the Levant as theirs by Divine Right!

Vladimir Jabotinsky is often given as an example of someone who favored Jewish greed over Arab need. Guess again! Here we see him speak forthrightly about there being "no question of ousting the Arabs," And that Arabs will be a minority in Israel, but that is no hardship. And that he asks "only for the same condition as the Albanians enjoy."

If you want to learn something about Zionism, read this.

Poetry, it is said, is what disappears in translation. This may often be true, for patterns of rhythm and sound in a poem can seldom be carried over into another language, even if the translator be a poet.

Happily, this is not a problem in _1020 Haiku in Translation: the Heart of Basho, Buson and Issa_, 2006. Translated by Takafumi Saito and William R. Nelson. Artwork by Munetaka Sakaguchi. The simple patterns of everyday speech, and the utterances of things and places and feelings are brief, yet in their simple imagery and emphasis, the poems offer us at least sparks of awareness of the here-now presence in life, and at best grant us a revelation, a brief kind of surprise, an overwhelming openness.

The poesy of Japanese haiku is preserved, not in the 5-7-5 pattern, but through strong-weak stress patterns. The Japanese count of seventeen syllables in three lines (5-7-5) is naturally rendered in English differently, but still true to the original. Basho's famous frog haiku becomes: "An old pond - / A frog dives in / Water sound." Because of such apparent simplicity, schoolchildren around the world have been impelled, one believes, rather than driven, to learn and appreciate haiku - and to write them!

For children see, too, the variety of content in haiku. The poet Issa writes, "Don't swat it! / The fly is rubbing / Its hands and legs." This haiku is found in the book, _1020 Haiku in Translation: the Heart of Basho, Buson and Issa_. This anthology does not only include well more than others of the three masters' poems but also devotes many pages to helpful supplementary information not readily found in other collections.

Non-Japanese readers who possess books with some of these poems may wish to compare the English translations in them with those in this new and generous volume for their sometimes interesting differences.

In the Biographical Notes we are told of the many personal tragedies in Issa's life, thus making his grief and longing more poignant for us.

Unique with this anthology, I believe, is the use of grouping; in Contents and throughout the book, the haiku are organized not only under the customary Seasons for each poet, but also under themes, such as Children, Flowers, Feelings, People at Work, and many others. This makes it easy for the reader to quickly find poems of special interest.

Also convenient for readers who may have only a first-word-or-two recall of a haiku that is slipping away is the One-Line Index where each poem in Romaji is listed alphabetically by the first word.

Traveling through paths of pages in 1020 Haiku . . . one pauses often by the radiant black-on-white words of the poets and the translators, and not less by the delicate and strong illustrations of the artist.

In their Preface the authors speak of how a harmony of "things, events, feelings," in a haiku, "if internalized by the world's people, could dramatically bolster world peace. People living side by side, without argument, without force." So grand and noble a vision for the humble haiku? To come only through its soft voice of one or two breaths and heartbeats two or three? One would not dream it possible, were it not for voices of gentle natures like those of the old masters and those who care to follow after, to see and to show. Thus Issa:
The heart of the Goddess of Mercy
In the sway
Of willows.

This is what it advertises-- 1020 Haiku from the three great haiku masters-- Basho, Buson, and Issa. The beauty of this book is that there is romanized/phonetic translation of the Japanese... so you can read the English translation, then sound out the Japanese syllables to hear the sound of the haiku (at least an approximation) in the original Japanese. Finally, the hirigana/katakana/kanji are supplied for each haiku, as well, so if you read Japanese, you can read the original.

Misters Nelson and Saito explain that they chose to translate into an English version that they thought best captured the original Japanese intention. They elected not to retain a 5-7-5 or approximate format, although they did keep predominately three lines for each haiku. That being said, I have seen more artistic translations of the common haiku I have read elsewhere in other books-- all in all, I wasn't that happy with the translations... the percentage of haiku that really grabbed me was not as high as other books I've read. But that may just be me, or the fact that out of 1020 haiku, I've seen the best ones already in other books with less.

The book itself is trade paperback in style... about 8x6 inches, 1.5 inches thick. The paper is that thick, grainy, acid-free-looking stuff... it has nice texture that should last. The book is sparsely and tastefully illustrated with Japanese brushstroke paintings and calligraphy throughout. About a dozen or so of the more famous haiku are repeated in the calligraphy independently on full pages as stand-alone decoration.

As tradition, the haiku are divided into seasons. Each haiku poet gets a section in each season. Each section is further sub-divided into areas such as "Flowers", "Eating and Food", "Insects", "People Working" and things like that. The headings are organized alphabetically, but somewhat arbitrarily chosen. The footnotes on selected haiku preodminately elaboarate on Japanese traditions, historical events, and geography that may not be commonly known-- there is no real artistic critique or elaboration. There is an index in the back which organizes the haiku alphabetically by the first Japanese syllable/word.

The preface itself does little in the way of explaining the why of the book and how they chose to translate the original Japanese. There is not a lot, if anything, on philosophy or history, or insight into this type of poetry.

It has been many years since I have felt such joy at the physical beauty of a book: the intelligence and elegance of the design, the parallel texts, the foreword, the beauty of the poetry, the architecture of the sequence, the generous size of the print, the integration of the art work and written characters in the page layouts--all of these things and more. What a lovely gift to the world. Don't miss this.

The Abhidharmakosa is undoubtedly the most widely studied textbook of Buddhism. It forms one of the five basic textbooks of the Tibetan monastic curriculum, and in Japan it is the traditional way to begin the study of Buddhist philosophy. But it is by no means an easy or simple book. Years are devoted to its study in these countries.

Vasubandhu sifted through the whole mass of Buddhist teachings to produce this "treasury" (kosa) of them. Because of its excellence, it soon eclipsed all its rivals in early India, and has remained a classic for fifteen hundred years. This translation includes Vasubandhu's own detailed commentary, "bhasyam," so it forms a self-contained veritable encyclopedia of Buddhism.

For the time being, this is the best (and one of the only) English language translations of Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakosabhasyam, one of the most important works in Buddhist literature. A forthcoming work in English may render this volume less important, but it is not clear when that translation is going to be published. Thus, for the time being, this is the edition to refer to for those who are not able to read in Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese or Japanese.

An important note: although this work is indeed a translation based on the French translation of Louis de Vallee Poussin, Leo Pruden himself is a Buddhist scholar who knows Sanskrit, Chinese and Japanese. So it is not a case of this work merely being a translation from French into English. Pruden has checked the work against the Sanskrit text (which was not available in most instances to Poussin at the time of his translation) to examine it for accuracy. So although the translation is not likely to be 100% faithful to the Sanskrit, it is probably pretty good. In fact, one could argue that since it is based also on an understanding of the Chinese and Japanese translations and traditions, it may be (possibly?) even richer than a translation by a scholar of Sanskrit who translates straight from Sanskrit to English without knowledge of Chinese or Japanese. This is because, unlike some translation jobs, the translation of Buddhist texts is very much dependent upon interpretation, and therefore a knowledge of the commentarial traditions that have emerged in living Buddhist societies.

That being said, this, along with Asanga's Abhidharmasamuccaya, is the most important work on the "Abhidharma"-- a crucial aspect of Buddhist thought. Abhidharma is one of the five main topics studied in Gelugpa Tibetan monasteries, for example. It examines issues such as the aggregates, perception and cognition, mental states and emotions, the sense faculties, and so forth.

For those with no prior knowledge of Abhidharma, one might be better off beginning with a shorter introductory work before heading straight into this lengthy treatise. Chogyam Trungpa has written a short work on Abhidharma, but unfortunately there are not that many accessible studies written in English to my knowledge.

Abhidharma Kosa Bhasyam. By Vasubandhu. Leo M. Pruden's landmark translation of
Vasubandhu's encyclopedic treatment of the
Abhidharma from the French of Louis de La
Vallee Poussin is a stunningly meticulous
work of scholarship. In the marvelous
setting of a high-quality hardcover edition,
it displays Professor Pruden's
uncompromising dedication to bringing a
complete, accurate and well-annotated
rendering of the crown jewel of Abhidharma
compilations into English.

For those who are unfamiliar with the
significance of the Abhidharma, it is the
systematic delineation of Buddhist
philosophical tenets. In aggregate, it forms
one of the three collections comprising the
three-fold Buddhist canon known as the
Tripitaka. The importance of this work of
Vasubandhu lies a) in its encyclopedic
completeness; and b) in its exposition of
the common philosophical ground shared by
both the Southern and Northern traditions of
Buddhism. It is a work which, though
dedicated primarily to material most readily
associated with the fundamental teachings of
Southern-tradition Buddhism, has always been
held in the highest esteem in Chinese and
Tibetan traditions as well.

This work is graced by a 60-page
introduction to Abhidharma written by
Professor Pruden entitled The Abhidharma:
The Origins, Growth and Development of a
Literary Tradition. That is then followed by
de La Vallee Poussin's own 50-page
introduction to Vasubandhu's work. Each
volume is preceded by an extremely detailed
table of contents, totaling 30 pages in all.
The final volume includes a carefully
compiled 50-page index to the entire work.
Each chapter includes copious annotation in
the form of end notes. Given this sterling
approach to presentation and annotation,
this four-volume edition constitutes a
veritable encyclopedia of abhidharma tenets.
To help the reader better understand the
construction of Vasubandhu's work, I present
here the basic breakdown of its
construction:

Chapter One: The Dhaatus
Chapter Two: The Indriyas
Chapter Three: The World
Chapter Four: Karma
Chapter Five: The Latent Defilements
Chapter Six: The Path and the Saints
Chapter Seven: The Knowledges
Chapter Eight: The Absorptions
Chapter Nine: Refutation of the Pudgala

Ideally, this work should abide on the shelf
of every serious English-speaking Buddhist
as a counter-weight to the foolish notion
that "just-sitting" will somehow bring about
true liberation. The Buddha himself insisted
that the two provisions of: a) merit; and
b) wisdom are essential to any meaningful
advancement along the path to enlightenment.
This work contributes a solid foundation
stone to the edifice of wisdom which each
practitioner must endeavor to construct. Its
utility as a foundation is equally valuable
whether that construction eventually
expresses a Southern-tradition or Northern-
tradition architecture.

The expense of this work ($300), while not
at all unreasonable given the extravagance
of the meticulous four-volume hard-cover
edition, may place this work beyond the
grasp of many struggling Dharma students.
At the very least, however, every Dharma
center could acquire a single copy as a non-
circulating library reference. It is
difficult to overestimate the value of this
work in clarifying the meaning of
fundamental Buddhist philosophical tenets.
For the translator, it is an invaluable
reference work which serves well in the
correct translation of abstruse technical
terms which might otherwise be distorted by
over-reliance upon the Tibetan- or Chinese-
language renderings of such terms.

In short, the presence of this marvelous
compendium of Abhidharma in such a fine
English edition is a cause for celebration
in every tradition of Western Buddhism.

This work is the long awaited third installment in the series on the Japanese prints in the Art Institute of Chicago, the first 2 of which were limited to 500 and 1000 copies each and are now quite rare. This, more available, volume is a masterpiece and much worth the price--both cheaper and more informed than the earlier volumes. The Actor's Image was literally years in the making, and represents a vast amount of research and a lifetime of study by Timothy Clark, a true expert on Japanese prints. Don't let the price stop you--this work is worth a dozen of the common books on ukiyo-e.

Kabuki, the dance drama created by the Japanese in the 1600s has long fascinated the western world. Taking many movements and gestures from an earlier dramatic form patronized primarily by the nobility, the No plays, Kabuki is livelier, easier to understand, and marked by stylistically performed singing and dancing.

Today, Ukiyo-e (pictures of the floating or passing world) paintings and prints, which are perceptive depictions of life in the entertainment and pleasure quarters of Japan in the 18th and 19th centuries are highly prized.

Also to be highly prized is The Actor's Image, a stunningly beautiful volume presenting a collection of woodblock prints of Kabuki actor portraits and theater scenes culled from the Art Institute of Chicago's excellent Buckingham Collection of Japanese Prints.

The full-color prints are visually arresting and enchanting, capturing richly costumed Kabuki actors often carefully posed to reveal the majestic materials they are wearing. The strong textile patterns and black outlines of the figures typify the style frequently used by these print makers.

As if the magnificent illustrations were not feast enough, Donald Jenkins' cogent essay defines printmaking and offers biographical notes re the lives of the Katsukawa school of print makers. The essay by Timothy Clark brings Kabuki theater to vivid life.

These lavish prints are emotional as well as decorative. The Actor's Image is a splendid volume in every way.

- Gail Cooke

Few books can match the quality of this production. The paper is first rate, and the color reproduction is as close to perfect as possible. There are no muddy images or inaccurate colors in this book.

The commentary is scholarly, as you would expect in a book from the Art Institute of Chicago. Other books, such as "100 Views of Edo" have more engaging and accessible descriptions. However, the lack of immediate appeal is more than made up for by the clarity, consistency and scholarship inherent in this entire book.

The prints reproduced in the book are especially rare, and the book is even more attractive because it contains so many of these rare prints. The Katsukawa School of print makers worked during a relatively early stage of the wood block era, and many of the prints shown in the book exist nowhere else. To top it all off, most of the prints are in excellent condition.

This is a book to be savored slowly. Page by page, line by line, each image adding to the impact of the last and the next.

It's worth the money.

from -Journal of North African Studies
"[A] significant, welcome step forward, not only in the study of African slavery but also more broadly in the history of the African Diaspora. The book is a series of translated primary source documents . . . organised topically and includ[ing] over 80 representative texts addressing the process of enslavement, markets, everyday life, social roles, identity, education, gender issues, status and social mobility, and emancipation. . . . A short historical contextualisation accompanies each major topic, introducing related textual selections.
"Introductory articles by Hunwick and Troutt Powell are among the best available on slavery in Islam and do a good job of orienting readers new to the subject. . . . [This is] the first collection of its kind in any language, and brings together texts from diverse origins. In this, the editors' selective approach matches well with the overarching purposes of the book. . . . Those interested in the origins of slavery in the Sahara and Maghrib will not only find useful primary materials to draw on, but also a broader framework for understanding the nature of the institution and some of its comparative dynamics over time. . . . [The authors] have offered an effective way of enticing the next generation of researchers." -Journal of North African Studies

For all true searchers and researches of the truth about Moslems and Islam and its hidden but still contemporary agenda of harassing, massacring and erasing other's cultures, the "inferior" culture of the infidels, this masterpiece is a must- simply imperative!

Its authors are heroes, no doubt about.

The frequently over looked subject of Islamic slavery is fianlly brought to light in this important new work on the subject. The focus here is on the Africans sent to North Africa via the slave routes stretching acorss the Sahara and those beggining in Zanzibar. Between the 7th century and the present it is estimated that 11 million Africans were taken as Slaves to the muslim world. This book explains how they were captured, transported and most important their new lives in the Muslim world. Usual accounts paint a picture of a paradise where a slave lived as an equal and assimilated into the Muslim soceity. The reality was quite different then the western myth. This book tells of African women chosen only for their sexual attributes then used as sex slaves, any resulting children would be sold or 'pimped' off by the owner rather then living freely as Qu'ranic law sopposedly guaranteed. Here we have a wonderful new account of the Africans deported to North Africa, a story frequently overlooked in western history, which is all to often caught up in self flagulation of describing the Atlantic slave trade.

Seth J. Frantzman

A book that begs us to call into serious question the nature of the society in which we, live. Using examples from postwar Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, it presents the broader issue, of "how our system really works": Government, media, and such.

Nowhere does the book praise "Stalinism." The issue is simply that of a colonial power smashing a national movement. In the 19th Century the prevailing ideollogy might have been Christiandom vs. Islam; by the 1960's it was the "Free World" vs. "Godless Communism." The essential power relatons of empire remain the same. To criticise the larger power and its bullying tactics is not to whitewash the other side; but the normal human reaction among the unbrainwashed is to take the side of the little guy fighting for his life over the big fat aggressor.

Ensconced in the ivory tower of American academia, neither Noam Chomsky nor Edward Herman would have survived day one of Cambodia's infamous "Year Zero" - an "agrarian reform" that led to the deaths of roughly two million people - one quarter of the population of Cambodia.

Luckily for Chomsky, the governor of Massachusetts (Chomsky is a linguistics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA) did not summarily round up, torture, convict and execute the intelligensia and bourgeois classes in Massachusetts. Sadly for Cambodia (or Kampuchea, if you prefer) Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge government did just this in Cambodia. Under the rule of the Khmer Rouge, the "crime" of being an elementary school teacher, to say nothing of being a tenured university professor!, was excuse enough for the revolutionary heroes Chomsky sings the praises of in "After The Cataclysm", to kill you and your entire family.

Chomsky's book fails in every conceivable way when analyzing the bloody regime of Pol Pot, attempting to write off refugee reports of the unimaginably large scale atrocities as the spin of an imperialist media seeking to defame the agrarian revolution. Chomsky could not have been more wrong, nor proved more valuable a western mouthpiece for one of the most brutal dictators in living memory.

The fiery anti-imperialism and anti-colonialism polemics and philippics that were Chomsky's milieu during the Vietnam war pigeonholed his analysis of the Pol Pot regime, and it shows in this book. After his bitter condemnations of anything even vaguely pro-American in Asian politics, Chomsky had ideologially painted himself into a corner. Rather than renounce one ounce of his invective, he instead wrote this book, which regardless of intent, reads as an apologist eulogy to the Khmer Rouge.

I give this book five stars because it's a five star work on the excesses of the old guard left in American academic circles, and a lingering stench on Chomsky's reputation. Had Chomsky had the integrity and courage to admit that the emperor Pol Pot had no clothes on, this book never would have been written....The disingenuousness presented in "After The Cataclysm" is nearly too astounding, as if written as a savage and bitter satire of professional academics-cum-polemicists. It's not, and academia is left tarnished for it.

And Then, a novel by Natsume Soseki, opens with an image of extreme isolation: Daisuke, the protagonist, has woken up, and stares blankly at the ceiling with his hand on his chest, feeling his heart beat. He belongs to a wealthy family, has a cultivated aesthetic taste, is well-read, knows multiple languages, and has graduated from a prestigious university, at a time in Japan's history when universities were so new that the government had to hire Western expatriates to teach in them. It seems that Daisuke could get anything he wanted from life. Surely he was ambitious in his university days; it's difficult to imagine how a talented, educated, proud young man couldn't see himself as headed for greatness. But, by the time the book begins, Daisuke lives in seclusion, without an occupation, continuing to depend upon his rich father. He is about thirty years old.

The novel poses the following question: How could a man who showed all the promise in the world ultimately come to naught?

In his university days, Daisuke had two friends, who also had great plans for the future. But, when the thirty-year-old Daisuke meets them again, he learns that their hopes fell short of their mark. One of them, Hiraoka, sought to forge a brilliant career in Japan's civil service system, but fell into conflict with his superiors, mismanaged the money entrusted to him, and was fired. Daisuke's other friend, Terao, intended to become a world-renowned novelist, but failed to find a sponsor, and found himself having to scrounge, day by day, for one-time deals writing articles for cheap rags, or translating documents from English, in order to survive. Both men are now consumed with the fear of dying in poverty.

Daisuke has a strong sense of dignity, emerging from his refined aesthetic sensibilities. To him, such fear is degrading; his idleness becomes the only way to preserve his clarity of thought. Consequently, his reluctance to enter the "world of men" is confirmed in his mind, widening the gulf between him and his former friends, who view him as lazy and sheltered. When Daisuke writes to an acquaintance about a certain book he had sent, the acquaintance politely thanks him for the gift, but says, with regret, that he no longer has time to read. Soseki writes, "As he put the letter back in the envelope, Daisuke felt keenly the fact that this old friend, with whom he once shared the same inclinations, was now playing a different tune, governed by thoughts and actions that were nearly the precise opposite of those of the past."

Daisuke is adrift without ties to history. Unlike his father, he has no attachment whatsoever to traditional Japanese society; his education has given him the knowledge that the world is too vast to be confined to the boundaries delineated by tradition. Furthermore, Daisuke cannot help but notice that his father is motivated by selfish, ulterior motives as much as by any sense of obligation to tradition. Unlike his friends, however, Daisuke also cannot form a connection to modern society, which views education as a means to advancement in a bureaucratic order. He has no roots anywhere; one might say that he remains standing still at a crossroads after all other passersby have left. When Daisuke considers the occupations that he might be qualified for, were he to look for a job, he concludes that he would be incapable of doing anything other than begging on the street.

Daisuke's peace of mind is dependent on such artificial circumstances that it essentially rests on the head of a pin, where the slightest vibration will send it tumbling down. The more intent he becomes on continuing to be a detached observer, the more difficult it is for him to do so. His family has long given up hope that he will do anything with himself, and is willing to support him for the rest of his life, but demands in return that he get married, and threatens to disown him if he doesn't comply. Daisuke prefers to deliberately take a self-destructive path by categorically rejecting his family's demands and falling in love with Hiraoka's wife Michiyo.

Of all Japanese writers, Soseki, the father of contemporary Japanese literature, is the most inscrutable. His works cannot be called "beautiful" in the same way Kawabata's works can; "precise" is a more appropriate adjective. Kawabata's books overflow with beautiful, painfully fragile imagery of nature, glass, fabric, arranging these things in a way that creates a mood of deep melancholy. Soseki, however, is concerned above all with his characters' thoughts, which he faithfully records with painstaking levels of detail. They are not told in interior monologue, or any other such device, but rather conveyed straightforwardly in the third person. The book is absorbed in Daisuke's situation, yet simultaneously detached from it. One may find this style of writing to be pedantic, even artificial, but it enables Soseki to describe emotional truths that are complicated to the point of abstraction.

Soseki's writing is not without flourishes. Until the very end, Daisuke regards his circumstances with a charmingly carefree air, and is witty in conversations with his family, which makes him quite likable. Soseki also uses colours to symbolize his themes. There is a recurring image of white lilies, perhaps representing an ideal of frail beauty that, as it turns out, is impossible to attain, and the novel's ending is painted in bright, fiery red, carrying an air of beautiful, tragic finality, conveyed in sharp, concise language.

And Then is the greatest work by Japan's greatest novelist. Like all of Soseki's works, it moves very slowly. There is no real action in it, and yet, when it ends, one feels that a great upheaval has occurred. This is not a book to read when one is living a peaceful, wholesome life; however, in times of personal crisis, when one is driven to sleepless self-analysis, there is no book more relevant than this one.

Let me start off by saying that I cannot do this novel sufficient justice. The words I have put down are those of a fan. Soseki is regarded most highly by literary critics, in as many ciruits as they run, and to this I can only toss in my own small verbal confetti. For more adroid renderings, please see Donald Keane, Edward Seidenstiker, and Norma Moore Field.

Of all modern Japanese writers, Soseki is one of my three most favorites. Of his books, I have read Kokoro, The Three Cornered World, Grass by the Wayside, Light and Darkness, and, And Then. Of these, And Then, is by far my most favorite. I probably love it for different reasons than most.

Whenever I begin re-reading it (I have read it four times now), it is initially for the feeling of being transported into Daisuke's beautiful, if fragile world, where he set against a cast of lovable if predictable characters. His lazy houseboy, Kodono ("is that right, Sensei?"), his niece, Niu ("I'm warning you, you'd better watch out") who changes her hair ribbon several times daily, his sister in law with her love of Western music and concern for Deisuke's future and keeping the peace with Father, and so on. But as the novel evolves, the imagery takes on stronger substance, while retaining the light touch of a master. Of the lighter: the time when Daisuke and Kadono strip down to their waists and toss water around in the garden; when Daisuke fills a bowl with water and floats white lillies to offset a pounding headache, how he sets off to take a trip (in an attempt to avoid facing the pressure from his family to choose a bride) and never quite goes anywhere, and his foolish mishandling of his personal affairs.

Daisuke sees no point in trying to overcome his enui and take a stand of any kind, nor to try and resolve a series of issues that offer no simple resolution. Daisuke is a man with his feet planted in neither the past nor the future, and as the story comes to crisis, he loses his already delicate equilibrium, and plunges into a near mad state, where, since he cannot conceive of hurting anyone else, he runs headlong into trouble.

It is unfortunate that my copy gives no credit to the translator, for the prose is of exceedingly high calibre.

I highly recommend this book.

"And Then" ("Sore Kara") is a perfectly beautiful novel. Soseki always writes with an elegant clarity, tackling complex emotions and situations that creep up just like life. Nothing seems forced or unreal.

The plot reminds me of a quote I heard once. "I was a soldier so that my children could be merchants, and their children could be artists." The main character, Daisuke, is a dilettante, an appreciator of life's fineries who has never turned his hand towards anything seriously in his life. His father was a famous soldier during the Russo-Sino war, and his older brother is successful in business, and neither of them can understand this luxury object of a younger sibling that they both maintain financially. Seeking to find some value in him, his family attempts to pressure him into an advantageous marriage, which Daisuke's refinements does not permit. Love, however, will destroy everything.

The story floats along at Daisuke's pace, with nothing hurried or in crisis. Inside of this veneer are heavy issues of family obligation, the distaste of working for food as opposed to working for pure artistry, and most of all the undeniability of love, something that none of us can choose for ourselves.

Like all of Soseki's novels, "And Then" lingers long after the last page is turned, forcing us to evaluate our own lives and wonder what we would do in similar circumstances. How much of our own dreams have been sacrificed for necessities, and what does it mean to be human besides eating, sleeping and making more humans?

I bought this years ago at an airport bookstore in Singapore and still read it now and again as it is such a lovely book that truly captures the ancient city of Angkor. The book contains meticulous descriptions of the ancient city [temples, palaces, monuments], with maps and even line drawings of bas-reliefs.

The book also provides historical background on how the city came into being, with a focus on the Khmer civilisation. Khmer architecture is also dealt with in great detail. And of course, there are beautiful full color photographs that depict the ruins in all their ancient glory.

A highly recommended book to those planning a trip to Angkor and for those who simply wish to 'escape' into the world of the ancient city.

First of all, you got to know the author Jean Laur was the Director of Angkor monuments from 1954 to 1959. He's very knowledgible about Khmer Angkor and the architects. Now, if you want to know about Angkors (all of the monunents in Cambodia) you got to read it from the source--the director of Angkors himself!! You can't never go wrong with this book. Every Angkor monument in this guide has some illustrated picture. Surprisingly the monument names are both in English and Khmer. I got 4 copies and gave them to my Khmer friends. They love it, especially the Khmer character names of the monument !!

I just recently returned from a visit to this amazing city. It's huge and so utterly incredible. I sure could have used this book to help understand what I was looking at. This book has great photos, history and temple layouts. I bought a guide book at one of the temples (one needs it because a local guide isn't always understandable) and it is not even half as good as this book is. If you're planning a visit, this book is essential.

The culinary legacies of Arabian cuisine can be as common as humus and as exotic as a sweet orchid drink. There are several different (albeit complimentary) regional sources of Arbaian cuisine which Amy Riolo informatively details in the beginning of "Arabian Delights: Recipes & Princely Entertaining Ideas From The Arabian Peninsula", a compendium of authentic, step-by-step, 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes, combined with menu ideas, and an 'Entertaining Timeline'. Organized into three major sections (Palatial Feasts; Special Ceremonies; Simpler Delights), the sixteen individual chapters range from a Royal Wedding Reception; to a Yemeni Sabbath Luncheon; to a Jeddah Red Sea Picnic. Enhanced with a Glossary, a 'Where to Buy Guide, a Bibliography, and an Index, "Arabian Delights" is a unique and highly recommended addition to personal, professional, and community library ethnic and specialty cookbook collections.

I ordered this book because of my interest in Middle Eastern cooking. With its focus on Gulf Arab cooking, this is a rare collection of recipes. The author's knowledge of and deep affection for the cultures of the Middle East shine through on every page.

This book makes an excellent read simply for its cultural content. The recipes are presented in menu format; the author provides a timetable which seems very helpful for each menu. Even for preparing only one recipe, there are explicit instructions on what can be prepared in advance, and what steps must be prepared in advance (marinating etc). This book contains many recipes that I have not seen in any other cookbook (and I have quite a collection!).

Purists may protest, but I love the recipes where the author has incorporated "convenience" foods like crescent roll dough or pull-apart biscuit dough. I have tried many recipes and I have had delicious results. Particular stand-outs so far are the Fish in Saffron Bechamel Sauce (which I made with catfish nuggets), Mini Lamb Pitas (which I prepared with thin-sliced beef), Zucchini with Tahini Dressing, and Croissants with Wild Thyme. The Fish in Saffron Bechamel is one of the best dishes I have ever eaten.

While exploring various books of Middle Eastern Cuisine and history, I came across
Arabian Delights: Recipes & Princely Entertaining Ideas from the Arabian Peninsula (Capital Series) by Amy Riolo, just published in the fall of 2007. What a treasure! This is exactly the kind of book I've been looking for that combines Arabian cuisine with it's rich culinary history. Fabulous food and education all in one!

My passion for exploring foods of the Middle East combined with a thirst for their culinary history (how did the spice trade effect various regions?) is lovingly & authentically represented in this book. Ms. Riolo has researched and chosen wonderful recipes to showcase the beautiful lands of Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Yeman & Saudi Arabia. These recipes come alive and you can almost smell the delicious array of delicacies represented between these pages. My kitchen will be smelling so good soon!

Sections include: A History of Arabian Cuisine, Regional Differences in Arabian Cuisine, Tips to Remember When Entertaining and more. Ms. Riolo has given us another gift by showcasing these recipes via the different feasts/celebrations where they would be traditionally eaten. Wonder what to serve your guests for a Ramadan Breakfast or Dinner? How about the celebratory foods for an Eid feast? Want to delight your children with an Arabian Tea Party or Pearl Diving Party?

Living & growing up in America, many of us remember the traditional foods our families served at Easter, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah & more. We can even smell them. The same applies to other countries as well. Living in the DC area which has an abundance of cultural diversity, it's wonderful to finally have a great resource to further understand the foods & feasts of our Middle Eastern neighbors.

What's even better is the fact that Ms. Riolo is local in DC (she splits her time between DC & Egypt) and offers culinary lectures and recreational cooking classes throughout the area! She also works with another well know author/cooking teacher/food editor/ and lecturer, Sheilah Kaufman who wrote the Forward in this book. Personally I can't wait to attend some of their cooking/lecture events!

Would I recommend this book? YES!! If you love the Middle Eastern foods and are searching for unique recipes infused with culinary history, this book is for you. If you live in the DC area, why not sign up for one of their classes? I know I will.