Asia Books

This is a cute, easy to read book that discusses the basic elements of Chinese New Year.

This is a simply written and beautifully illustrated book about the Chinese New Year. Through delicate line drawings and jewel like colors the author/illustrator captures the essence of Chinese mythical creatures, flora, fauna, heavenly creatures and mortals. We learn about Chinese zodiac symbols, gods, how Chinese people prepare for the New Year, why they eat special kinds of foods on New Year's Day, the symbolism of specific flowers as gifts, and the meanings of Chinese characters hung on doorways. Demi is the talented author and illustrator of many children's books with Chinese themes. This book is definitely one of my favorites.

Need an excuse to explore ethnic and religious holidays and practices? This is your vehicle. The interesting and exciting practices surrounding Chinese New Year can so easily be compared in writing, drama and story-telling of many other cultures. You cannot go wrong with this book.

I haven't found a book by Demi that isn't terrific. This is a great book for young children, it gives lots of great information on the Chinese New Year and what one does to get ready for the New Year celebration! A must have for anyone with an who wants their child to know about their hertitage!

This is a nice introduction to chinese new year. I will use it as a informational guide and have my Chinese-Vietnamese students look it over to facilitate a discussion about their new year. Thanks.

Once again the Central Asian region is bright on radar screens of international politics. The wave of colorful "velvet" revolutions is sweeping though the former Soviet republics. Rose revolution first followed by orange revolution led to fall Georgia's and Ukraine's corrupt regimes. Now all eyes turn to Central Asia anticipating the same changes to take place in the totalitarian republics of the region.

Unfortunately, there is a looming deficit of current books about the Central Asian region. The revolutions in Georgia and Ukraine came as surprise to many precisely due to lack of information about the region.

The Historical Dictionary of Kyrgyzstan successfully fills this information gap by providing comprehensive information about Central Asia in general and Kyrgyzstan in particular. The book provides superb up-to-date details about the key players and issues in domestic and international politics. The dictionary describes the history and the current situation of Central Asia. It also provides biographies of major politicians and information about most important political parties and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The bibliography section is very helpful in finding materials and resources in specialized subject areas. This information is particularly important for analyzing and forecasting events in the country and the region. This is an essential book for beginning students and experienced scholars of Central Asian studies.

This book is one of the best reference sources on Kyrgyzstan that was ever published to date.
It is very well organized and objectively covers most aspects of Kyrgyz history, culture and economic development.
The chronology is as complete as it can be. It starts with available facts on early history and gives more detailed list of majour events of the modern time.
The introduction gives a brief but comprehensive background on the country and it is alone could be a good source of information on Kyrgyzstan.
The dictionary is methodologically written and covers key political, cultural, historical, linguistic, economic aspects of Kyrgyz development. One can even find some interesting - hard to find anywhere else - pieces of information on traditional Kyrgyz culture. The author even explains the problems with different transliteration of Kyrgyz geographic and personal names.
The abundance of statistical tables adds to the uniqueness and usefulness of this book.
Finally the bibliography is a real treasure that points you in the right direction for further research on the country and the Central Asian region.
Highly recommend this book.

Very useful book. Even someone like me who has worked in Kyrgyzstan twice and considered myself knowlegeable about Kyrgyz history got a lot about of the book.
I especially enjoyed learning more about key figures in Kyrgyz history and the current key political entities. In addition, the dateline is good as is the bibliography.

This dictionary is the most useful resourse to date that proves to be a quick and thoughtfull guide for twentieth century Kyrgyz history and society. It provides the students of Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia with a concise chronology and a comprehensive list of key issues and concepts. The book demonstrates that Rafis Abazov has done a great deal of research on this neglected region. In addition to being a resource for the history of the region, the dictionary teaches the reader about cultural, social, political and economic facts about Kyrgzystan.
I highly recommend this dictionary as an extensive and well-written reference book of Kyrgyzstan and Central Asia. It would make an excellent reference book for libraries, schools and universities.

The dictionary written on the base of interdisciplinary approach will be useful for specialists, who are seriously and scholarly interested in Kyrgyzstan as well as to students who are going to discover this Central-Asian country. The important feature of author's skill is to present the past and present of the Kyrgyz Republic as persistent and unique process. He carefully examines the quantity and quality of state, non-government and private institutions and leaderships and their influence on power and politics in country. The author's independent and non-tendentious view on the situation in modern Kyrgyzstan will be useful for national archives, which now are working towards to systematization and classification of current data.

This highly engaging book makes the Hittites accessible to the general reader. It opens with the story of the discovery of this culture with reference to the Old Testament, Egyptian records and the work of various scholars in the 19th and 20th centuries plus discussions of their various publications.

The main text is divided into State & Society, Life & Economy, Law & Institutions, Warfare, Religion, Literature and Art, as well as Languages & Peoples which includes discussions of Hittite, Hattian, Luwian, Palaic, Hurrian, Mitannian, Akkadian, Sumerian and Tabalic (hieroglyphic Hittite).

The book includes a Table of Hittite Kings, a bibliography and an index. There are black & white figures throughout the text and many plates with works of art, statues, seals, pottery and cuneiform tablets and photographs of the remains of Boghazkoy, Yazilikaya and Alaja Huyuk, plus a map of the Middle East and one of the layout of Boghazkoy (Hattusas).

For a brilliant discussion of the Hittite language, please consult Whence The Hittite? by Jaan Puhvel in the book Sprung from Some Common Source: Investigations into the Prehistory of Languages, edited by Sydney M Lamb and E Douglas Mitchell.

Gurney's book was my first introduction to the Hittites. And despite the passage of years and several revisions, it remains one of the three best general introductions. Even a general reader limited to the English language, however, should not stop with this book. Two books by Trevor Bryce ("The Kingdom of the Hittites" and "Life and Society in the Hittite World") complement Gurney's treatment and are both up-to-date, well-informed and written in a readable style. Well written and inexpensively priced collections of Hittite texts in translation authored by G. Beckman and H. A. Hoffner can be found in the Society of Biblical Literature's series "Writings from the Ancient World".

The Hittites are one of the better-known unknown peoples - they are well known from the Bible; mentioned as one of the peoples in the Syro-Palestinian area during the time of the Patriarchs, they continued to be mentioned through a long span of the history of the Hebrew Bible. At some point, they stop being mentioned - most likely, the Hittite Empire collapsed just as Israel was growing strong under the united kingdom monarchy (or perhaps just before) and was later absorbed by the various empires (Assyrian, Greek, etc.) that swept across Asia Minor.

There aren't many texts on the Hittites; what books are available are often written for archaeologists and other scholars. O. R. Gurney was a professor at Oxford specialising in Assyriology, that branch of archaeology and history that studies the empires of the Fertile Crescent. This book is accessible and interesting; originally written in the early 1950s, it has been updated to take account of later archaeological finds and interpretations. The history of publishing in this kind of field is such that often the 'latest' book will be something decades old, so the 'antiquity' of the book here should not be an issue, and generally isn't, for the student and for the general reader.

Gurney discusses in his introduction the earliest archaeological discovery of the Hittites, lost for millennia to the world under the sands of Asia Minor (Turkey) and other countries at the northern end of the Tigris and Euphrates. From here, he looks at Hittite history in broad strokes - the earliest cities, the Old Kingdom, the period of Empire, the decline of Empire and subsequent rise of neo-Hittite kingdoms, possible connections with the early Greeks and Trojans, and finally the Hittites found in Palestine.

Gurney's following chapters look at the different aspects of Hittite life and culture - society structure from royalty to commoners; government and foreign policy; economy and lifestyles; law and institutions (there are tablets of laws found in various locations); warfare (some things shared with other nations at the time, and some uniquely Hittite features); languages and literature; religion; and art. With regard to languages, this continues to be a rapidly developing area, but the connection of Hittite to the Indo-European language family (through the Anatolian line) has been known since 1915; this was rather surprising, given that the other languages in the area are of the Semitic line, a non-Indo-European language family that included Sumerian and Akkadian, languages in evidence in Hittite areas, showing regional connections for trade and foreign relations. This shows that the Hittites are most likely of a different stock of people from the rest of the peoples of the ancient Near East -- strangers in the land, in a way.

Gurney's text adds details for the student that are worthwhile. For example, while reading about the downfall of the Hittites, Gurney mentions the Peoples of the Sea who were sweeping across portions of the eastern Mediterranean at that time, and tells how Palestine came to get its name, not data directly relevant, but useful and interesting nonetheless. The text is full of such things.

The book also contains many pictures, plates, and line-art drawings of inscriptions, maps, buildings and building plans, and other pieces of interest. There is a chronological list of the kings of the Hittites, ranging from early kings of unknown timing, to the known dated kings from 1740 to 1190 BCE. The bibliography is excellent, divided topically into eighteen different topics, for scholars and students to pursue particular subjects in relations to the Hittites in earnest. The index is very good, useful for Hittite, English and other words and names.

A fascinating book!

If you are not very familiar with ancient history, but want a good popular introduction to the Hittites, this is the book for you. Hittite is the oldest known Indo-european language, known mainly from thousands of tablets unearthed in central Turkey. The language is so archaic it is not classified with the others, but is considered derived from an earlier version. Hittite is the only language that preserves an explicit trace of the laryngeals, sounds that disappeared from all the other languages. The culture of central Turkey is identified with the Biblical Hittites. They just may have founded or helped to found Troy, and they may just be among the pre-Greek inhabitants of Greece. There are relatively few popular books on the Hittites, mainly because the field changes so fast. You scholars that are popular educators, get busy!

When Israelites arrived at their "promised land" land in Canaan, they met several other peoples, already settled there. One of them was the Hittites of Northern Syria - a civilized but also a "warrior" nation. The Old Testament told something about the Hittites but this civilizations' existence remained an enigma until the early 20th century. Since that time we learned a lot about this Indo-European people, especially after Hugo Winckler's excavations in Hattusa (Bogazkoy) of Central Anatolia. Oliver Robert Gurney, a well known hittitology specialist, presents us a rich summary of both Hittite history and culture in this excellent work. There are only a few books on Hittites, written for non-specialists, and this is probably the best one.

First of all, I agree with other reviewer's assertions that this is not a book for beginners. Without a basic understanding of foundational Buddhist thought and Buddhist cosmology, this book wouldn't make much sense. Vimalakirti is one of my favorite characters since he is a great example of how a lay person can achieve Buddhahood. He could enter gambling halls and other dens of iniquity, engage in business and family life, and still remain unsullied as he taught the Dharma. This book is one of the few readable texts about him. Although very well translated, it still retains some of the repetition and obscure references found in any ancient Buddhist work having a basis in an oral tradition. If you have an intermediate knowledge of Buddhism, this is an excellent work.

This and the Flower Ornament Scripture will keep you busy for awhile. Not easy or light reading by any means.

I agree with many of the other reviewers in this space. This sutra is quite simply my favorite Buddhist text, and Prof Thurman's translation is my favorite translation. I travel with this book because it is so compact and precise in describing the way of the Bodhisattva, the great vehicle of the Mahayana path. I have heard Prof Thurman read from his book, and his transmission is no small contribution to the progress of Buddhism in the West.

Several reviewers have mentioned the humor. I have fond memories of reading this text out loud to my fellow dharma students, and having a good laugh each time a disciple sheepishly declines Lord Buddha's invitation to go visit the ailing bodhisattva, Vilmalakirti. The replies of Vimalakirti, on the other hand, are the highest wisdom I know of in Buddhism, and reflecting on them is a great treasure.

The Vimalakirti-nirdesha Sutra, though almost certainly not spoken by Shakyamuni Buddha himself, is nontheless held in the highest esteem by all schools of the Mahayana. It belongs to the category of sutras which are, in all probability, fictional creations of Mahayana scholars, and not expounded by the Buddha. Despite this, the Vimalakirti Scripture is still given the title of a sutra. For the doctrine it expounds is in perfect conformity with the highest teachings of the Buddha, and, more than any other sutra, the Vimalakirti Sutra shows the perfection of the bodhisattva ideal for laymen and women. Robert A.F. Thurman's translation of this masterpiece is close to perfect. Working from a Tantric perspective (being himself a Vajrayana Buddhist), Thurman details, in his notes and introduction, the clear relation between Buddhist Tantrism and the Vimalakirti sutra, which can lead one to the conclusion that its composition was largely influenced by the esoteric teachings of the Tantras. Yet, the teachings of the Vimalakirti Sutra are in no way exclusive to students of the Vajrayana, or of Tibetan Buddhism in general. This scripture has historically been of tremendous influence on Chinese Buddhism, and is the subject of some of the greatest works of Chinese Buddhist Art. It is also held in the highest esteem by Zen Buddhism for its emphasis on the practice of the layman amongst the cares of the world. Indeed, it is one of the few canonical scriptures that are of particular value to Zen. The scripture tells the story of the layman Vimalakirti (almost certainly a fictional character), a bodhisattva of the highest order, on par with such figures as Manjushri, who, in order to develop living beings, lives as a layman in the crowded metropolis of Vaishali, participating in business and government and teaching the dharma in accordance with conditions. On this occasion, Vimalakirti manifests himself as being sick, in order to develop beings who come to inquire after his health. The Buddha, desiring to know how Vimalakirti is doing, requests several students and bodhisattvas to go and visit him, all of whom decline, however, saying that their skill in the dharma cannot be matched with Vimalakirti. Finally, Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom, goes to the house of Vimalakirti along with a retinue of several hundred disciples. The vast majority of the scripture is composed of the dialogues that occur between Vimalakirti and Manjushri, as well as with the disciples and bodhisattvas. Finally, the entire retinue (Vimalakirti included) return to the Buddha, who delivers a final section to the discourse. Many famous incidents in Buddhist lore occur in this sutra: the exchange between Shariputra and the Goddess, the chapter concerning the Dharma Gate of Nonduality, Vimalakirti's explanation of the cause of his sickness, etc. To any Buddhist practitioner, particularly those of Vajrayana Buddhism and Zen, this sutra is of the utmost importance. The only two major translations available in English are those of Thurman and Burton Watson. Thurman's translation, however, is the better of the two, rendering in clear, poetic English the difficult doctrines of the Mahayana. His notes provide excellent insight into the historical relations of the Sutra, and its importance to Tibetan Buddhism, as well as to Chinese Buddhism. Highly, highly recommended.

This is the Vimilikirtisastra, a Mahayana treatise that deals with nonduality. What this means is that the construct of the Therevada (or Hinayana-- meaning devotional Buddhism) is replaced by something other-- larger-- (from Sanskrit little vehicle to larger vehicle).

What does this mean to you? You have a book here in which all of the paired items (good/bad, monk/layperson, holy/inholy) start to be broken down. Buddhism becomes 'purer' through being less pure, more people are offered the ability to have salvation...

More than that, this is a fun read that can be gone through multiple times-- which will be necessary if you want to fully grasp all that this book says. It will alter your conception of what the Dharma is, or introduce you to one if you're just beginning to learn about it.

I would suggest, though, that you have some background in the Therevada stuff before you start-- otherwise this book would kind of be pointless: excepting that parts of it are amusing. Prof. Thurman has a knack for translation...

With the exception of a few errors this book is a must read for those who want to try to understand something about a very elite unit, the 9th Cavalry. I was in the Blues in 1966. I was a squad leader and the assistant platoon sgt. On occasion I was the platoon sgt. Never have I met a finer bunch of men who endured the trials of their home on the wire at night followed by running through the jungle the following day. I still wonder how we maintained ourselves, that is, staying awake on the wire and running the jungle. It was impossible to do what we did without sleep but we did it anyway. What the book describes between the Blues and the pilots is very true. We were united in a common goal. I think that goal was to destroy the enemy and go home alive. I personally know that when the lift pilots dropped us Blues on the ground they bided their time in agnony waiting for the call to saddle up and retrieve the Blues, and bring us home. This book describes how the pilots protected the Blues as much as humanly possible. Well done, Matt.

This is a great book that chronicals the experiences of an array of Vietnam Vets. My dad's story is in this book!

While not as good as "Brennans War", it's a great book.

Hunter-Killer Squadron stands alone as the finest book written on the helicopter war in Vietnam. Follow the 1st Cav's "Pink" teams as they decimate the NVA while incurring excruciating losses themselves. A "pink" team consisted of a (white) scout helicopter nosing around at treetop level, attempting to draw fire, invariably succeeding, covered by an orbiting (red) Cobra gunship. Once you read this, you'll understand what helicopter warfare was all about and the revolution it brought about in tactics. The book consists of 25 ancedotes from pilots, gunners and crew chiefs, every one a cliff-hanger. Other great Vietnam helo books: Crew Chief, Chickenhawk, Lest We Forget, and "Low Level Hell". And don't miss "Eyes of the Eagle" by Linderer.

I flew with the men of the 1/9 for more than 2 years. Soldiers like Lurch, Lofton, the Saint, Poxon, Jones, Thomas, Burrows, Brennan, ...the list goes on and on. Their integrity was never questioned, their courage was matched only by their determination. I consider even having my name mentioned in a book about these great soldiers my highest decoration. Perhaps Viet Nam was the end of an era where men fought by guts, determination and intelligence, and began the fight by computer (or remote control) era. Each soldier of the 1/9 has my deepest respect, they risked their lives daily and are the essence of the American ideal of soldiering. Wherever they are today, may God bless them. If we are ever involved in a major conflict again, and these kind of men aren't around, God help us all.

A must read for anyone interested in Indonesia. Superb historical accounts, on the ground descriptions and skillful storytelling. A classic on my bookshelf! Students love it.

I consider this book as very interesting and easy to read. The author describe the situation in a way that you can feel the situation in a real way. it is a very interesting historic document of the Suharto dictator fall; very interesting for all the people who want to know what happened in this crucial days in the history of Indonesia.

This is a terrific book. The author was in Indonesia at the end of the 1990's, in what was obviously a very tumultuous time for that country. The book is divided into three sections, each of which deals with a different event. The first section deals with two trips that Parry made to the island of Borneo, which witnessed several episodes of ethnic conflict during the 1990s. The author was specifically drawn to the island because of reports that members of a particular ethnic group were not only being killed, but that they were being slaughtered in brutal, ritualistic fashion. Parry not only manages to find people who confirm these stories, but on his second trip to the island he actually sees more direct evidence of these atrocities. The second section of the book deals with the student protests that led to the downfall of Suharto. This was probably my favorite part of the book, because Parry provides such an outstanding analysis of the ideological underpinnings of Suharto's regime. I only wish that he would have discussed in greater detail the financial crash as well as the ensuing involvement of the IMF, as well as the anti-Chinese riots that took place throughout the country. The final section of the book details the author's stay in East Timor, including his meeting with an elusive pro-independence guerilla fighter and his harrowing stay in the UN compound after the independence referendum, when the pro-Indonesian militias were committing reprisal attacks with the blessing of the Indonesian military. Throughout the book Parry manages to infuse the narrative with an impressive sense of drama, such that it often reads like a novel. Parry realizes that he witnessed history in the making, and he does a good job of conveying to his readers the historical import of the events that he relates.

Excellent book, well-written and gripping for the most part. During the climax, I found myself unable to put it down -- something that doesn't usually happen with non-fiction. Spare prose and light touches of very British humor at certain points added to the reading "pleasure," if that's the right word for a work centering on horrific events.

I deduct a star for a bit of exaggeration over the climax. From the way it was built up, I thought Lloyd Parry had been involved in something truly horrific. Ultimately, I found his reaction very male and a bit irritating, rather overdone.

Overall, though, an excellent book. I hope he plans on writing more.

As an Indonesian that lived through the tumultous period covered in the book, I found Richard Parry's work to be very authoritative. He digs deep, more than just facts and statistics. Though not a picture that I want my homeland to be remembered by, I found this to be a must read.

This book is a great work of art, it shows the significance of India's contribution to the world of spirituality; spirituality at its pinnacle, not magic or the occult arts. Enlightenment, the greatest contribution of India to the world. It's a good book for any reader from any part of the world to read, easy reading and great illustrations.
Something not to miss out on.

India My Love is one book that shine out in my Osho collection. The very fact is that I been sometimes gifting this book to people who are fond of Osho Discourses. This book is a gem of Osho Insight and truly Indian vision because no other spiritual leader has so vividly introduced the Real India and the spiritual beliefs. Osho speaks of yogis, fakirs, buddhist monks, jain gurus and all about ancient India. This book is not only about stories of saints and osho transcript of talks but also has great illustrated pics alongwith snippets about mystical India. The Krishna tales and Atista are topics that create a lot of interest to read and the liberation goal of osho is defined as one read through these pages. Osho unfolds cultural and spiritual aspects of the golden past of India. A good & Must Read for an Osho Fan. Great Pick.

"The real India is a quest of the inner most soul of man - not the geography, nor the political history, but the inner journey. The journey of meditation is the real India. Mahavir represents it. Buddha represents it. Krishna, Christ and Nanak - they represent the real India. And I have the heritage of all of them and much more," declares Osho.

The very word "India" sounds differently to different people. Most of us may get an immediate view of images like one of these: a herd of skinny cows scattered all over a barren, over-gazed field; people lined-up to a remote water tap to fetch drinking water; trains and buses over crowded with people on its roof; naked yogis and sadhus in eye-unpleasant figures and shapes; etc, etc.

Osho, in this book, India My Love, takes us to a totally different pilgrimage of India: the India of enlightened mystics and of spiritually awakened people. Osho unfolds the golden past of India by picking one story at a time, and explaining it in light of its spiritual and cultural values. There is no doubt that Osho has been one of the most brilliant educators and storytellers of our time. The West has not fully recognized his teachings and legacy yet.

India My Love, on the one hand, samples the wisdom of Osho, unsurpassable by any, and on the other hand, provides with a glimpse of an India, rare and unknown to many, that has a continuum legacy of 5000 years-old search for the enlightenment during all phases of the Indian history.

If you have been to India, you have to read this book. You'll find the echo to bring you back to India. If you have not been to India, you have to read this book. It will bring you to India, the real India. Everyone has an inner yearning to go to India, at least once in your life time. Don't delay. Start the spiritual journey led by OSHO.

This is one of those books that takes you from one world and brings you into another, in this case southeast Asia. Usually, I have found this quality in certain novels, but not often in short story collections, so I was glad I came upon this group of stories. I particularly liked the stories 'Fingertips Pointing to the Sky' and 'The Hotel Bombay'.

This collection of stories was a very enjoyable read and affected me on many levels. The stories encompassed a wide spectrum of emotions. I read the book in one sitting and then found myself going back a few weeks later and re-reading some of the stories for a second time. While all of the stories were sensitive to the area of southeast Asia they worked as a comment on the human condition regardless of geographic area.

I came across this book quite by accident after returning from an extensive business trip in southeast Asia. I liked the author's attention to detail and wished there were more than fourteen stories included here.

In fourteen stories the author has captured the feel of the area of the South China Sea. Asia is so vast with so many beautiful countries and where better to learn about different cultures than through literature. By reading, one is rewarded with a further understanding of the world we live in. I especially enjoyed this collection of short stories and would recommend it to anyone interested in either the atmosphere of southeast Asia or simply in well written stories.

The one thing all fourteen stories have in common is a link to the South China Sea. Some of the stories are humorous, others deal with serious subjects such as trafficking in women, extreme poverty, a sweatshop owner who's also a rapist, revenge, the Khmer Rouge, and attempts to escape from Vietnam. Some of the stories are predictable and one has a tragic irony. This collection was highly enjoyable and I read it in one sitting.

This book is a grammar book, and yet is very easy to read. The material is presented in a variety of ways within each chapter, which helps with keeping interest.

Each chapter starts with a conversation written with kanji/hiragan/katakana and an english translation. The romaji version is included at the end of the chapter, so you can refer to it if you are not sure of the kanji reading. Then the grammar points are discussed one by one, with examples and cultural references.

I already knew some Japanese before I started on this book, and I have found it excellent and would highly recommend it for any intermediate learner of Japanese. The first chapters are an excellent recap, and my teacher says that the later chapters are harder than GCSE level (UK exam for 16 yr olds), approximately the standard of the AS level (UK exam for 17 yr olds).

As to whether this book should be chosen as the sole book for an absolute beginner, I'm not so sure - my recommendation would be to buy it because it is excellent, but in addition, to get something like "Japanese Language and Culture" for a slightly easier ride at first.

Note: This is Volume I, the grammar Volume. Note that Volume II does not follow on sequentially from it - instead the two volumes complement each other, with volume II containing the word lists and exercises, so it is worth getting both volumes.

This is volume 1 of "An Introduction to Modern Japanese". The preface and the introduction are already very interesting and make you eager to continue. All in all, there are 52 lessons. Each lesson comes with useful dialogues or texts in kana and kanji, followed by thorough and well-written grammar explanations. At the end of the lesson, you can find romaji transcription and the translation of the dialogue or text. Volume 2 comprehends exercises and word list for each lesson, plus a reference Japanese-English/ English-Japanese vocabulary at the end of the book. In summary, this is an excellent method for getting solid skills in Japanese.

This is quite possibly the best Japanese grammar/teaching text I have purchased. It is neither pedantic nor superficial. However, it is VERY dense (in the content sense). The introductory text "Yookoso!" by Tousaku, at its slower pace, is probably more appropriate for someone who knows absolutely no Japanese (IMPORTANT: for "Yookoso!", buy the soft-bound lesson book and audio CD's too). If you know some Japanese but are a bit rusty, or if you are seriously trying to teach yourself, Bowring and Laurie is a wonderful reference book (although I find it very readable too).

The book is organized into 52 lessons, each preceded by a passage in Japanese. Each passage in the reading is cleverly selected to demonstrate a particular grammatical construction. These constructions are then picked apart one-by-one in the lesson. I loudly applaud the authors for refusing to use ANY romanization except in the romanized translation of the passage for each lesson (which is isolated from the lesson itself) and except for the very early lessons where it is required for explanation of the syllabaries. This prevents students from handicapping themselves with a fake and truly useless writing system. It makes me very upset to see the profusion of Japanese texts peppering the shelves that concentrate only on speaking and lean on the crippling crutch of romanization. Try to read a subway map in Toyama or some other small city having learned nothing but romaji; let me know how you do. "Learning" Japanese without learning how to write is like "learning" physics without first learning basic calculus- you will never truly understand. There's no way around it: if you want to know Japanese, you must learn your kanji and kana just like everyone else.

This book is heavy. At close to 500 pages, there is a lot of material to cover (the recommended study time is 1-2 years). Again, the authors win my respect for their completeness. There is no way around this. No matter what that computer software or those car-audio tapes advertise, I'm sorry: you cannot learn Japanese in 90 days by studying "just X minutes a day."

The authors' tone is light and for the most part avoids linguistic terminology. American-English or other non-UK English speakers may notice some differences in diction, but this does not affect the learning experience at all. The material and the pace are very enjoyable.

My recommendation, if you are truly serious about learning Japanese is the following. Buy this book, the lesson book (Volume 2), a Kodansha EJ-JE furigana dictionary, and a kanji learner's dictionary. Make a Japanese friend and/or date a cute Japanese girl or guy (seriously- you'll be surprised how motivated you'll become). Concentrate on forcing yourself to speak and read Japanese. Read as much every-day material as you can: newspapers, advertisements, comics, whatever you can get your hands on. Most importantly, be persistent! And if you can afford it, travel to Japan and immerse yourself.

I first checked this book out at my university's library, and I was impressed from the get go.

While the explainations at time may be only somewhat vague, they are for the most part concise and straight to the point. The one feature I enjoy most was the building up of vocabulary and usage, and how one lesson carried fairly smoothly in to the next.

I've been using it for the past month on my own and I've noticed a marked improvement in my grammar skills. Of course, this book does nothing for verbal ability - but if practiced verbally, it sure does. My tutor has noticed a marked amount of improvement in my speaking ability, and I've noticed an improvement in my understanding as well.

As with any guide, this book is just that: a guide. Practicing what you learn is always the key to improvement. I highly suggest buying this book coupled with the second one. The vocabulary lists and excercises are invaluable for comprehension.

I just wanted to state the importance of getting the workbook with the textbook. The workbook increases the student's learning ability tenfold. I've been writing out all the exercises, there are an average of five exercises for each of the 52 lessons, and found my retention of the kanji and sentence structure to be very high: much higher than without the exercises.

The textbook makes it easy to learn the different kanji, both name readings and standard readings, by presenting them all in the context. Instead of bombarding the student with different kanji and the numerous readings, a kanji will be introduced in the context of one reading at a time. Only in a later lesson will a new reading and context be given so the student can intuitively understand which is the appropriate one: instead of guessing.

The 52 lessons and exercises average about 20 new kanji and 60 new words including particles and new readings of previously learned kanji. Without the exercises this would seem like a lot, after doing the exercises, it isn't so hard, just time consuming.

These books were created to teach students to tackle a short story after 6 months and a newspaper after a year. So the student will not need to wait until the end before being able to find applications.

One more thing, get a kanji learner's dictionary such as Kodansha's. It helps a lot with the written exercises.

Unbridled Cowboy is the autobiography of author Joseph B. Fussell, a free spirit who sought his own destiny in the wild American Southwest during the late 1800s. At the young age of fourteen, Joe Fussell took to the rails to escape the school and harsh authority that chafed him. He became a roving cowpuncher in Texas territory, rustling cattle, tilling land, working in stables, and hitting the road whenever wanderlust stirred. Unbridled Cowboy is filled cover to cover with riveting true tales of undercover work as a Texas Ranger, life on the railroads, and rough justice. A captivating true life narrative of the wild west.

Unbridled Cowboy, the autobiography of Joe Fussell, is well written and brings the reader a vivid and realistic portrait of the man and his life. His story telling ability paints a vivid and sometimes raw reality. He brings to life a period of American and western history from a personal point of view that was fraught with change and upheaval.

While reading I found myself sitting next to Joe and hearing him telling me his life story. The ease with which he wrote of his life makes this book an enjoyable journey with a fascinating man.

It is my pleasure to recommend "Unbridled Cowboy". As a person whose Texas Grandparents lived in the times and places of Joe Fussell, I can verify the reality of his experiences. I have heard family stories of East Texas in the 1880's up to the 1930's that explain the character and independence of these proud people.
I feel confident that if you read this book you will come away with a first person account of how the West was changing from the last frontier to modern times. Many local heroes go unnoticed. Here's your chance to walk and ride in the boots of a real cowboy, Texas Ranger, jack of all trades. Joe Fussell was a wanderer who couldn't stay put for long in any one place or trade. He did a remarkable job of self education and examination, making the best of what he had. His writing is clear and descriptive. Joe Fussell a man sure of his principals who paid his way and did unto others what they do unto you. We don't have any like him to know any more so buy this book as the next best thing.

Arguably, this is one of the finest personal reminiscences of life in the American West. Few memoirs exhibit such breadth--legitimate breadth, that is to say. The writer was a ranch hand, a railroader, a Texas Ranger, an adventurer, and a hobo. He lived through one of the most fascinating periods of American history, including the close of the frontier, the rise of the labor movement, the development of America's transcontinental railroads, and the depths of the Great Depression. He saw the Mexican Revolution from within. The credibility of his observations lie in the wealth of details he provides. His observations on Mexican "exchange rates" during the Revolution are priceless. The point is that these memoirs read with conviction; the writer does not apologize for the truth. He apologizes for some of his actions, and regrets many of them, especially his vendetta against the Mexican cowboys. Simply, the primary contribution of this manuscript is to remind us of the Real West--of human nature in a raw and often dangerous land. The fictional writer that comes to mind is Larry McMurtry. The style is wonderful for someone who claims never to have made it past fifth grade. The word choice is excellent, the descriptions riveting, and written with nouns and verbs. It is as if the author read Strunk and White.
--Alfred Runte, author of Allies of the Earth: Railroads and the Soul of Preservation

Here's the skinny. I've read thousands of books over the years. I keep a few; the rest I give away to friends or the library. This book is a keeper. Why? I will read this book many times and still be astonished by the history, this amazing man Joe Fussell, and how far this once great country of ours has deteriorated in a century.
The first thought that entered my mind on finishing this book was, "I wish there was more." The second thought was that a man like Joe Fussell would have made an incredible president. In TR's time, when a young man chose to ditch public school at age 14 because he had "itchy feet", he didn't get Ritalin stuffed down his throat--he left home to make his own way. Fussell was a man so full of common sense, intelligence and integrity that the USA would have been privileged to have someone of his ilk as their leader. But alas, with no "education" except life, he was destined to become a laborer. And labor he did.
The chapter on Fussell's adventures in Mexico as a youth are more riveting than anything Hollywood will ever turn out. His depiction of his railroad career reads like you were switching cars alongside him. Fussell is a storyteller akin to Twain. I am still amazed he avoided jail, but then it was a century ago. Different times--a wonderful time in our country. Get this book. Its a keeper.
Norman Woodworth, DVM