Asia Books

Causey is what anthropologists should be. His book is grounded, full of humanity, insightful, surprising, poetic, compassionate and a lovely read. He beautifully describes and explains something profound of a people through times of tremendous social and economic change. An extremely informative and humanistic look at a Sumatran cultural group in the midst of global pressures.

A first rate work and a wonderful read. This book was delightful to read. Right from the beginning of the book, I was drawn in. It's clear this is a scholarly work, well researched and carefully detailed. As a reader of more casual literature, I was agreeably surprised at the superior writing style of the author. I thoroughly enjoyed the experiences and anecdotes throughout the whole book. Anyone who enjoys reading about other cultures and other places would definitely enjoy reading this book. I stayed up to 1:00 am one night reading it. I look forward with real anticipation to future works from this author.

Like most working stiffs, I save up for a big vacation to some far away land and when it finally happens I get shuffled around from one tourist spot to the next. The culture presents itself for purchase and I buy.

"Hard Bargaining in Sumatra" isn't just a book by an affable scholar. It immediately took me into the home of a very different family, sat me on a 'fancy mat' and amused me with a narrative by the author to his Toba Batak friends. He told a story for their entertainment that might easily have described my own hapless first experience in an exotic culture. The family's reaction and the unfolding details of their work in the woodcarving-for-tourists trade was a pleasure to read.

I was continuously surprised at how clearly Causey expressed complicated, seldom-analyzed notions of place and identity. The relationship between tourist and vacation spot is alive and dynamic in a way I'd never imagined. The author's struggle to learn the skills of the woodcarver gave extra dimension to my understanding of this traditional craft. The friendship between the student/researcher and the teacher/subject made the dynamics of the familial roles and societal obligations disarmingly vivid and personal. The book enriched my understanding of a distant culture to a degree I could never have achieved by hopping a plane and wandering their marketplaces. When I saw a Toba Batak carving at an art museum a few weeks later, I had a wealth of feelings and observations that would never have occurred to me before. For me, reading this book was like the best kind of vacation. I learned a lot, felt a connection to the people and culture, and enjoyed the process.

"What happens when the homeland of one group is also claimed as the vacationland of another group?"

This question put by the author rather succinctly sums up a major theme of the book, and perhaps should be a guiding thought for all of us who ever take a vacation...anywhere.
Whether we are taking a "package" vacation or just winging it in a new location, we have an impact not only on the place we visit, the feeling of the place, the services it provides, and perhaps most importantly, the ART of the place. Souvenirs...mementos...folk art...all these tokens and totems that come from our vacation spot are evolving to meet our desires.

The author handles this idea and others in a very human and sensitive way, inviting us into his experience in Sumatra, Indonesia and filling our minds with the sense of the place: its smells, visuals, sounds, landscape and its people. It is easy to lose oneself in this book as if it were a novel or the travelogue, yet it tackles some very difficult issues without sounding preachy or judgmental. I have always been interested in, and sensitive to the general "sense" of a place. I can be easily spooked by the quality of light or the sight of long shadows in the afternoon. I found Dr. Causey to be a kindred spirit, as he has addressed this feeling (because it is at heart a "feeling") very poetically in his writing about Lake Toba.

There are many humourous vignettes within the book, as well as many parables and lessons.
It in indeed educational, and educational on a new level-it reaches right into the spaces between ideas and brings into being a hybrid way of looking. It is accessible, informative and heartfelt.
I would recommend this book to anyone - it can be read for sheer pleasure. But if you are planning to travel, and would like to get some ideas on developing a very diplomatic and culturally sensitive approach to your new destination, this is most certainly the book for you.
I nominate Dr. Causey for Goodwill Ambassador!

This book is a true rarity--a work of serious scholarship, written in a user-friendly, personal, poetic, eminently-readable style. You'd almost be fooled into thinking you were reading a romantic travel narrative, one of those popular memoirs à la "Under the Tuscan Sun" where a naive American goes off and has a life-transforming experience while in a foreign land. But as Dr. Causey relates his tales of the months spent with the Toba Batak in their remote, beautiful homeland in northern Sumatra, learning something about their culture, something about woodcarving, and a LOT about shopping, he also unfolds a series of subtle, complex observations about aesthetics, about colonialism and acquisition, and about the role of tourists / collectors in a market economy and their effect as both destroyers and saviors of traditional culture. Absolutely fascinating stuff, and certainly not just for students of anthropology--this is a book that should be read by art historians as well as by economists, as well as by anyone who simply enjoys a well-written tale of a beautiful place that they've never been...

I particularly admire "Hard Bargaining" for the lack of any tang of cultural superiority on Dr. Causey's part--he never assumes that he knows more than the people he's observing, or that since he has a Ph.D., his observations must be considered correct. He went there; he lived, he learned, he shopped; and he thought about it, hard, and critically, comparing the Toba Batak culture to our own, and letting the reader make the judgement calls, not the anthropologist. Very well done!

Mr. Goldstein's book is informative, detailed, and well-researched. The author provides the reader with numerous maps and photos and presents the subject of Tibet and its de facto independence in an un-biased manner. His background in the culture was useful in explaining the customs and politics of Tibet. Tibet's external issues, mainly with China and Britain, are well balanced with the internal goings on of the government. Goldstein blends all this together to make sense of the status of the Land of Snows during this time period. However, for the most part, this is a political history, rather than a social history. That is, Goldstein does not give much time to issues outside the political realm of Tibet. Much time is spent on the central government and its so-called Three Seats (monasteries). He presents the evidence (government records, first-hand accounts,etc.) to show Tibet's status. To find a flaw in Mr. Goldstein's book would be to say that although it gave much detail and explanation, it needed more of that "human touch" with a sprinkle of emotion to give a feeling of the average Tibetan in the period 1913-1951. Those who would like to learn more about Tibet's government before the invasion of the Chinese Communists will definately appreciate this book. It is unsurpassed in its content. For general Tibet reading, I recommend "Tibet: the Road Ahead", by Dawa Norbu; "The Voice that Remembers", by Ama Adhe; and absolutely "Tears of Blood" by Mary Craig.

This book is a definitive history of Tibet covering a crucial period. Goldstein writes an extremely readable book. He covers a large time period using primary sources and interviews with the characters involved. He limits his analysis of the events and lets the readers examine the evidence. He gives evidence of the Tibetan government's faults as well as the abandonment of Tibet by the international community. This book is a must read for anyone trying to understand the current efforts of the Tibetan government in exile. `Orphans of the Cold War: America and the Tibetan Struggle for Survival' by John Kenneth Knaus is also an excellent book that covers the US government's involvement with Tibet and gives extra insight to the information given by Goldstein.

I ENJOYED VERY MUCH READING THIS BOOK,GOING DEEP IN THE PECULIAR TRADITION AND UNIQUE WAY OF STATE RULING SYSTEM.A COUNTRY LARGELY IGNORED BY RECENT GENERATIONS IS CAREFULLY DESCRIBED AS WELL AS THE EUROPEANS AND CHINESE AMBITIONS REGARDING THE CONTROL OF THIS STRATEGIC TOP OF THE WORLD AND PACIFIC COUNTRY

If you ever cherished the illusion that Tibet was populated only by saints and holy men of impeccable judgement, the stories recounted in this history will demolish any such belief. Instead, you will develop a realistic appreciation for the achievements and handicaps of the Tibetan system in the first half of this century. This book will enable you to understand why Tibet could not remain independent from China. This is a troubling, fascinating book, full of invaluable historical detail which can be found nowhere else. It is only for those who like their truths unvarnished. Those with a genuine love of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism will develop a maturer love of this extraordinary culture, and those whose notions of the country are based on legends of Shangri-La and Madame Blavatsky's "Great White Brotherhood" will never see Tibet the same way again.

This is, by any standard, a great book. Its level of erudition, rigour and insight are unmatched by anything else on offer about modern Tibetan history. It is an herculean opus, both in scope and in depth. Moreover, the astonishing fact that is also highly readable recommends it even to the reader with a casual interest in Tibet. Its only arguable drawback is, paradoxically, that such a towering achievement is bound to virtually determine the reader's perspective on the topic. In order to get additional and possibly alternative insights, you will have to wade through books, however worthy, whose scholarship doesn't remotely match Goldstein's.

So much travel writing is a tedious checklist of places visited and experiences experienced, combined with trite observations about local customs and culture. Not so Will Ferguson's Hitching Rides with Buddha.

I lived in Japan for three years and am constantly disappointed by the stereotypes and bleedingly obvious cultural differences pointed out by people who write (or make films - think Lost in Translation) about Japan. But Ferguson lived in Japan, and it shows. His acute cultural observations are tempered with a great sense of humour and wackiness, and the book has a clear narrative arc that pulls you from the bottom to the top of Japan along the cherry-blossom front. A great book for people thinking of going to Japan, or for expats living in Japan who know Sofia Coppola ain't got a clue.

....but I must say, besides it being funny and a real treat to read, I find that the author has a beautiful way with words that is not so often seen in travel writing. Chapter 10 may very well be one of the best chapters in a book I have ever read, and re-read, and read again. Beautiful words and beautiful images. I look forward to finishing the book this week, and thus far, can say that I highly recommend this book who not only enjoy good writing, but also a good laugh. - Vince Yanez, Author of It Doesn't Matter Which Road You Take: A European Travel Story

I read this book twice when living in Japan. I've experienced some of the things that Ferguson wrote about. His sense of humor had me laughing out loud. It's an easy and fun book to read.

Books about Japan by westerners seem to fall into two categories- literary books that talk about Japan in poetic terms and dwell on traditional culture, and comedy books that play up the wacky side of Japanese pop culture for laughs. Somewhere in between is "Hitching Rides with the Buddha"- a book by a foreigner who actually lived here for 5 years, speaks Japanese (as modest as he is about his blunders with the grammar), and really has an understanding of its people and its way of life.

Written as a modern day answer to Alan Booth's "The Road to Sato", this book details Ferguson's cross-country hitchhiking trip from mainland Japan's southernmost point in Kyushu to the northernmost point in Hokkaido, covering thousands of miles and encountering people from all walks of life, from teenagers to senior citizens and from ski bums to college professors.

At first, I was a bit sceptical about reading a book based on a trip hatched, by Ferguson's own admission, while falling-down drunk at a cherry blossom-viewing party in rural Kyushu. What kind of expert could he be?

But speaking as someone who loves Japan and has lived here almost 5 years myself, this book gets to the heart of the experience better than any other I know, and does a great job capturing the joy, delight, confusion and even occasional sorrow that comes when interacting with this amazing culture. Inspired by this book, I sometimes take off on similar hitch hiking trips during breaks at the university I teach at, and even made the same trip from Kyushu to Hokkaido. Every trip is a different adventure, and I'm glad that someone as talented as Ferguson wrote about it.

Hitchhiking from Cape Sata to Cape Soya in Japan, William Ferguson creates a good follow up to Alan Booth's "The Roads to Sata". As humorous as it is scholarly, one comes from this book feeling they somewhat understand many aspects of Japanese culture, such as Shintoism. I say somewhat because, as Ferguson clearly shows in the narrative, it's impossible to ever understand the Japanese fully without being Japanese. A good read for any time.

Being aware of the influence that Japanese print making had on European artists in the 19th century, but not having had much exposure to Japanese prints, I found this book to be a wonderful introduction. The essays that opened the book and the explicatory text that accompanied each print helped to establish a dialogue between the ideas that were exchanged between Oriental art and European art. I found this to be an excellent addition to my personal collection, and would highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in this area.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, Europeans and Americans discovered the world of Japanese woodblock prints and thus began an enduring love affair. One result has been the publication over the last century of literally hundreds of books and thousands of articles about the prints known as "ukiyoe," with a particular emphasis on such giants of the genre as Hokusai and Hiroshige. How then, in this crowded field, does one manage to create a must-have publication for readers who may already have well-stocked libraries on Japanese art?

One answer is to be found in "Hokusai and Hiroshige: Great Japanese Prints from the James A. Michener Collection, Honolulu Academy of Arts." Issued by the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco in conjunction with an exhibition, "Hokusai and Hiroshige" is typical of a new wave of "ukiyoe" books that combine excellent design (of layout and typography) with clear and interesting text. Every page displaying a print has a near equal amount of space devoted to text, and the book benefits as well from introductory essays by three established experts. The text in particular appeals to me, providing not only insights about the compositional nature of each print but also detail on the locales depicted by these two great landscape artists and appropriate historical information. There is room for improvement in "Hokusai and Hiroshige"--I would have preferred more standard romanizations for some Japanese words and the inclusion of an index covering well more than just print titles--but overall this is an excellent and valuable volume.

I have not "finished" this book, nor do I intend to for a long time. I take it out to admire, print by print, sometimes reading the informative text, sometimes not. This is not a comic book to rush through. Linger, enjoy.

This volume was the companion for the exhibits at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. It covers all the lerge number of works shown there, each with descriptions of what is depicted and some in the points of interest that highlight each artist's rendering of the scene. There are sections on the lives of each artist and the fairly primitive tools used to create these intricate multi-colored (and thus multi-pressed) prints. The full collection of sets, such as the Hokusai views of Mount Fuji, are very well done and would in themselves make this book worthwhile. The sum total of both these woodblock masters is awe inspiring and sumptuous.

I have not "finished" this book, nor do I intend to for a long time. I take it out to admire, print by print, sometimes reading the informative text, sometimes not. This is not a comic book to rush through. Linger, enjoy.

I enjoy reading a lot of travel writings. I travel a lot myself and find many travel books are no more interesting than my own life and travels, so I am pleased when I find a book that is about somewhere I haven't been or different cultures, with a funny twist to it.

This book had me laughing. I recommend it.

I loved this book and have read it over and over. I laughed out loud on almost every page. One of the funniest stories was how the maids who initially worked there destoyed all of the vacumn cleaners by not changing the bags because they thought the dirt went through the cord into the wall!!! Talk about culture shock! I have given this book to numerous people who are not necessarily interested in traveling, Tibet or China and they have all loved it!

Much better than all those boring books on Tibet. This one made me laugh out loud! He doesn't really try to tell the sad story of Tibet, as it's about all the crazy antics that went on in this amazing hotel (a Holiday Inn - in Tibet??!!) but as you read it and laugh at the funny stuff, you can't help gain a better understanding of what life is like there. If you want to know more about Tibet or just want a good read that will make you laugh, get this one.

I enjoyed reading this book about a man that gets a job in Tibet at the Holiday Inn which is nothing like the holiday inns here. Had information about the country and some funny parts.

I picked this book up at a sale at my local book store. What a find! I've been to many of the places in the book and have to say that the author is spot on. I even had lunch at the hotel that he worked at during the time he was there.

Its a very funny read. If you've never been to Tibet, the book will still entertain you, and make you want to go! If you HAVE been to Tibet, then you'll enjoy it even more.

I think that this book has a great variety of fellings. I belive that Tomi's life was hard for his age. I encourage people to read this book I am glad I did.

Graham Salisbury's HOUSE OF THE RED FISH provides a companion novel to UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN, so familiarity with the prior story will lend uniformity and smooth transition to this ongoing tale of Tomi Nakaji. Here it's a year after his father and grandfather were arrested after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and everyone's waiting for another attack. Japanese American Tomi and his family discover new enemies among old friends as they face new challenges.

THE HOUSE OF THE RED FISH pulses with energy, enthralling images, captivating narrative and most of all, empathy for the downtrodden.

THE HOUSE OF THE RED FISH is the house of Tomi, his little sister, Grand'pa Joji, his mom and dad. A flying red paper Fish on top of the house is a Japanese emblem for a happy family in times of peace. They live on the property of the Davis family, home also to Keen who is a bully. Keen also hates Tomi and his
family because they are Japanese.

The narrative takes place in Hawaii just before and after Pearl Harbour, when Japanese-Americans were perceived as the enemy.

After his dad and grand'pa Joji were incarcerated as prisoners of war, Tomi has one goal and that is to retrieve his fisherman father's sampan that was sunk because it was Japanese. A great deal of imagination and creativity must be used in order to bring it back to the surface. Without doubt, Keen will find ways to stop him from reaching his goal. Surprisingly, grand-pa Joji returns, as he was saved by Mrs. Davis and he secretly guides his grandson on how to save the sampan for Keen's dad, whom he hopes will soon be out of the concentration camps that were built for Japanese-Americans.

Tomi, his little sister and all his friends show a sense of camaraderie that one can really feel in Hawaii. In fact, Graham Salisbury's family has lived in Hawaii since the 1800 which makes him well versed in the lingo and the sense of friendship that exists among them.

THE HOUSE OF THE RED FISH conveys a message of understanding the perceived enemy in times of war. He also conveys a sense of pride in one's heritage.

The author's style is entertaining and endearing. We get to root for the good guys and boo for the bullies. Dialogue is fast and witty. Characters are so true to life that you will find yourself cheering for the winners.

Graham Salisbury's foray into a delicate subject is highly recommended.

Lily Azerad-Goldman, Artist and Bookreviewer for Bookpleasures

Here it is, HOUSE OF THE RED FISH, the eagerly awaited sequel to Graham Salisbury's UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN. Readers already acquainted with Tomi and Billy (and their neighbor but "enemy" Keet Wilson) will delight in renewing friendships and going on more adventures in Salisbury's newest novel. HOUSE OF THE RED FISH opens with a brief flashback to September 1941, but the next chapter takes us to March 1943. Tomi Nakaji and Billy Davis, still best friends, are now ninth graders at Roosevelt High. Salisbury makes readers very aware of the ravages of the attack on Pearl Harbor and the way life in Hawaii has changed in the interim for everyone, but especially for Japanese Americans like narrator Tomi and his family. The setting details subtly include many aspects of life in Hawaii during World War II: the boys get stopped, asked for their ID's, and warned that they should also have their gas masks with them; barbed wire fences stretch across the beaches; cardboard must cover the windows of their home each night; curfew is imposed on all residents. The World War II years in Hawaii were rife with prejudice against Japanese Americans--often suspected to be "enemy aliens" (43). However, Salisbury shows how Billy's haole family accept his friendship with Tomi and how Billy himself, paradoxically wise beyond his years yet still charmingly naïve, explains to Tomi why Keet is no longer his friend. Tomi tells us: "It took me a week to force it out of him [Billy]. Keet Wilson turned on me because I was Japanese, and he had been told by his friends at school that white guys weren't supposed to like Japanese guys" (17).

Early in the novel, the boys amble down to the nearby Ala Wai Canal where Papa's sampan, sunk by the U.S. Army one day after Pearl Harbor was attacked, is still visible just below the surface of the muddy water. The boat quickly becomes a symbol of the way life was before the attack ("in the before time"), when Tomi, Papa and Grampa Joji were together before the Army took Papa and Grampa away to U.S. Army prison camps. It also represents Tomi's personal war, which Salisbury adeptly counterpoints with the Big war of the real world. The novel follows Tomi engaging in his battles against the backdrop of the bigger war; we see the young dragon in the making carrying on the traditions of his ancestors; even at the end of the novel, Salisbury leaves Tomi still at war: "How many more battles stood between me and the day Papa would finally come home?" (287)

As Tomi and Billy battle to raise the Taiyo Maru from its muddy prison, their conflict with Keet Wilson and his blatant prejudice against the Japanese crescendos. Salisbury incorporates many details of Japanese culture and values. (Note: Salisbury includes a helpful glossary of Hawaiian and Japanese phrases and words at the end of the book.) The mantra Tomi remembers from his father, "Don't shame the family. Be helpful, be generous, be accepting," shows the importance of this and other values being passed from generation to generation (15). Family treasures such as the "family katana or samurai, symbol of our family's long history" had to be hidden to protect them from being confiscated by the government. Anything deemed "Japanese" could cast suspicion on the family's loyalty to America. Nevertheless, Keet seems to take every opportunity to cast aspersions on Tomi's family, culture, and values.

The title of the novel (and related title of Chapter 29 "The Red Fish") comes from another Japanese tradition: the "Koi-nobori. Carp made of paper looking like kites" hanging from a bamboo pole above Tomi's house for Boys' Day. Tomi tells us: "The four colorful fish streamers" represent the family: "Just below Papa's and Mama's blue and white ones was me--the red fish, a dragon in the making" (134). This tradition is vibrantly depicted on the novel's cover, too. The red splash of the third carp and the red letters of the last words of the title draw the reader's eye to this important part of the predominantly blue and green cover illustration.

HOUSE OF THE RED FISH focuses on themes and positive character traits in other novels by Salisbury: the relationship between father and son, the importance of tradition, and values such as integrity and perseverance. HOUSE OF THE RED FISH includes several father and son relationships; however, it is Salisbury's contrast of Keet and his father's relationship with that of Tomi and Papa that makes the strongest statement. Keet's father seems oblivious to even his most destructive acting out, but readers get strong sense that Tomi's father will someday be proud to see that his son's overriding motivation was to act as his missing father would want him to ("This is all for you, Papa, I thought. All for you.") (213).

Rich discussions could certainly flow in class or small reading groups from issues such as these in HOUSE OF THE RED FISH. Because Salisbury's characters are so believable, so human, middle school readers can relate to their conflicts and see similar situations in their own lives. I highly recommend this book not only to young readers who enjoyed UNDER THE BLOOD-RED SUN but also to parents and educators who want to point their charges to a well-written, engaging, inspiring, historical novel.

Sequels are tricky beasties and any author that attempts one is going to have to wrangle with a variety of problems. On the one hand, they have to satisfy their core fan base. The people who adored the earlier book and presumably clamored for a sequel in the first place. Then you have the new crop of readers. This is especially true with children's fiction. Kids grow up and often abandon the authors they loved when they were young (at least through adolescence). In 1994 Graham Salisbury wrote the award winning "Under the Blood-Red Sun". Now, twelve years later, he has come out with a long-awaited sequel, "House of the Red Fish". Fortunately, Salisbury's earlier title is so well-known that the requisite fan-base is already in place and ready. However, there's yet another problem with writing sequels. They have to be able to stand on their own. If you absolutely have to have read the previous book, then your sequel, nice as it is, is going to collapse under its own weight. And weighty books of this nature don't win awards. I, personally, had never read "Under the Blood-Red Sun", so I felt that I was in a pretty good position to determine how well "House of the Red Fish" stood on its own two feet. The advantage to having never read a work by an author like Graham Salisbury is that his talents have a tendency whop you upside the head and leave you wanting more. "House of the Red Fish" is everything an author would want out of a title. Consider this puppy a contender.

Tomi is still dealing with the fact that his father and grampa are interned far from home merely because they are of Japanese ancestry. It's 1943 and America is at war with Japan, many of its white citizens terrified of their Asian neighbors. Living on Honolulu, Tomi and his best friend Billy go to school and try to avoid the nasty bully Keet, who (by awful coincidence) just happens to be the son of his mother's employers. Then Tomi comes up with a crazy plan. It happens while he and Billy are staring at his father's underwater sampan fishing boat, sunk not long after the attack on Pearl Harbor. If Tomi can raise this boat and fix it up, he may have a chance at having it in working condition when his father is finally released from his internment. The only problem is that Keet knows of the plan and will do everything in his power to stop Tomi and his friends. Worse still, raising the boat might mean putting his family's home and livelihood in danger. But when Grampa Joji is released from his imprisonment, Tomi finds an unlikely ally in helping him achieve his goal.

The characters in this book are remarkable. And the best of these, without a doubt, is Grampa. He's a cranky crochety old man with a single-minded tenacity that the reader grows to adore. I personally am going to adopt his standard phrase of "Confonnit" into my own vocabulary. Grampa has a great sense of pride, worth, and history. Salisbury complicates things nicely, however, when he has Grampa repeatedly give some of the family's chickens, eggs, tomatoes, lettuce, string beans, and fish to their landowners, the nasty Wilsons. Salisbury doesn't shy away from complexity. I mean, Billy's pretty straightforwardly super. Ditto Billy's family. But Tomi has his doubts and requisite crises of faith once in a while. And as for villains, Keet is marvelous. By the end of the book you begin to think that if someone doesn't give that punk a swift kick in the butt then you're going to have to do it personally. I did find that the oddest thing about reading this book without having so much as glanced at its predecessor was that I had very little idea of who belonged to what race. Billy's white and Tomi's of Japanese ancestry. Check. Got it. But how about their friends Mose and Rico? Are they Filipino? Of Hawaiian ancestry? It didn't much matter to the story, but it would have been nice to get a little clarification.

As a writer, Salisbury seems to be utterly in control of each and every scene in this book. Yes, it's a little long, but I can't imagine removing so much as a sentence. Everything fits here. The people. The events. And definitely the climax. The tension really escalates by the end of the book too. I kept finding myself nervously counting the number of pages left against how far our heroes were in their plans. I actually found myself hoping that Keet and his lackeys wouldn't show up and that maybe if I read fast enough I could beat them to the end. Not to give anything away, but no such luck. Salisbury's grasp of Hawaiian Pidjin is also superb. I've a friend born and raised in Honolulu (she attended Punahou, Keet's school in this book) who once told me that her mother would severely punish her if she ever heard her daughter utter casual Pidjin words or phrases. I wonder what her mom would have thought of the Glossary of terms in the back then.

Works of historical fiction tend to suffer from a dire fate: They're humorless. Dry dull titles without a spark of wit or whimsy to save their soul. I expected this of "House of the Red Fish", frankly. Somehow 280-some page tomes always look like they'll be deadly serious. How wrong I was. Salisbury's a great writer, yes. But he's so great partly because he lets, for lack of a better term, his boys be boys. When Keet decides to invade Billy's bomb shelter there a wonderful moment where the reader knows what Keet doesn't... that the shelter is chock full of nasty centipedes. Oh, that's good stuff. And the nice thing is that even when the plot is turning dire and our heroes have to raise this boat as soon as they can, characters still play jokes on one another, laugh, and have a good time. The fact that you're having a good time right alongside them just happens to be a nice bonus.

So the good news is that I'm a Graham Salisbury convert. The bad news is that I don't want to wait another twelve years to continue Tomi's story. I comfort myself with knowing that since kids today still read and love "Under the Blood-Red Sun", I'm sure they'll love both this book and any others that Salisbury happens to come out with in the course of his lifetime. It will be worth the wait.

This novel has emerged, from the ruins of the purges, like a pure, unspoiled and immaculate gem. As an autobiographical novel, one cannot deny the importance of this work to provide for insights into Bukharin's private life, given that most biographies of Bukharin are about his political and intellectual life.

Not only is this work important in this regard, Bukharin's stunning literary ability comes to the forefront in this work, which details, with a humanistic empathy, the plight of the peasants, family relations and the psychology of a middle class family from the late 19th century Russian society. The novel begins with the birth of "Kolya" and is seen through the boy's eyes as he grows up. It ends, poignantly, (Bukharin did not live to finish the work) with the death of his brother.

Of particular note is the rich texture of his narrative; it powerfully invokes a child-like sense of wonder that is intrinsic to children of that age. There are indeed very few works out there that parallel the vivid evocation of imagery which Bukharin is capable of. Bukharin's description of the Russian landscape was beautifully detailed, as was the heartfelt revelations about life which slipped through.

It is through this work that we come to realize that the interior life of this man was not only brilliant, but that his political stance was chosen fundamentally because of his humanistic understanding of Russian peasants and the impoverished.

This edition comes with very lovely pictures, too.

Set in the pre-revolutionary Russia, Bukharin's novel attempts to demonstrate, through the eyes of a youth named Nikolai Petrov, how the revolutionary spirit fermented and grew among the youth and intelligentsia. While this novel could be read with an eye toward the abuses of the Soviet Union and dismissed as political propaganda, in doing so the reader would miss the wealth of historical detail with which Bukharin writes. Every page is bursting with succulent fruit for anyone interested in the social, economic, and cultural world of the peasants and the working class at the turn of the century in pre-revolutionary Russia. Part of that fruit is socialism, communism, atheism, and the raging underground debates taking place during that period; seen as history, however, Bukharin gives us an invaluable insider's view, recalling his youth in all its variety and discussing the situations that led him down the path his life had taken.

The story revolves around Nikolai, who is obviously a cipher for Bukharin himself. Young Kolya (Nikolai) is full of energy, wit, and curiosity. As he grows and excels in school, his thinking begins to grow as well, from that of an innocent child to that of a young man on the verge of becoming a revolutionary himself. Unfortunately, the saddest part about this novel is that it ends in the middle of a chapter; Stalin finally had Bukharin executed, making it very difficult to continue writing. The writing is so well done it is hard to believe Bukharin never had a chance to re-write it; we are reading essentially his first draft, written in prison. His astounding intellect is obvious, quoting from German, French, English, and Russian poets and authors, occasionally making references to Latin or Greek jokes the children learned in high school, and discussing the variety of birds and other animals Kolya collects with amazing clarity.

Before reading this book, I knew Bukharin was a political genius that few have matched. However, I did not realize his brilliance as a writer: he appeals wonderfully to all the visual and emotional senses as a great novelist. He occasionally discusses his growing political awareness, but that is not the focus of this work. His love of life, nature, and family show the incredible depth of his mind. Much credit must also be given to the translator for making the language so effusive in English.

It's a wonderful miracle that this book was not destroyed by Stalin; it's just a shame that it's incomplete, cutting off in mid-thought. Nevertheless, what Bukharin was able to complete gives provides an enthralling look into life in late Tsarist Russia, as well as putting us a bit closer with one of the most tragic victims of the purges.

Bukharin's autobiographical work is a lyrical, moving, story of the life of a young boy in pre-Soviet russia. Unlike Leon Trotsky's autobiography, which is a similar work in content, this is a novel. And a grand one. When you read the touching descriptions of Kolya's then idyllic, then tragic domestic life, you feel helpless, sad, for you know that this boy will eventually be dead, the New World he helped to create corrupted and turned against him. The very existence of this novel is a message of hope, that even under the most tragic and ironic circumstances there can something joyous (Bukharin wrote the novel while in Lubyanka prison). The poignancy of all this is further increased by the included letter by Bukharin, written to his wife Anna Larina and not given to her for 50+ years. This book also stands as a monument (in a medium I belief he would have perhaps preferred) to Nikolai Bukharin, a brilliant scholar, writer, and Revolutionary

This is a remarkable book. It combines three forms in a single work: 1) a detailed and evocative story of a boy growing up in late 19th century Russia, 2) an informative and moving autobiography of one of the most important Bolshevik leaders, and 3) commentary on the social and economic developments leading up to the 1905 and 1917 revolutions, including (in the tradition of Russian novels) imagined descriptions of important meetings of leaders of state. Most remarkable, though, is that the entire book was written in the nights of Bukharin's confinement in Moscow's Lubyanka Prison while he awaited almost certain execution following his notorious "show trial". The idea of a man who knows he could be shot at any moment writing such detailed, even leisurely descriptions of his childhood in Moscow and Bessarabia is almost beyond comprehension. Indeed, the novel breaks off in mid-sentence. This book should not be missed by anyone interested in 19th and 20th century Russian history, and will be enjoyed by anyone interested in a good coming-of-age novel as well.

This is an amazing story and I concur with the previous reviews. There is also a philosophy of suffering and human nature that is presented which the reader will realize as he reads the accounts of the pain and suffering and the authors reaction to them. This is a must read and I'm looking forward to another book about human rights that this author may consdier writing.

This is a gripping story of survival in the worst of political prisons comparable to the Soviet gulag and the Nazi concentration camps. This remarkable book reminds us of the human capacity for cruelty, how ideology can justify atrocity and how absolute power corrupts. The state did not want or expect these prisoners to ever leave alive. This is the only English account of life in the Pathet Lao political prison system and is a crucial document about both Laos under communism and more generally about political systems and man's potential for cruelty. It is also a good read. The ingenuity of the prisoners that allowed them to survive torture, harassment, a starvation rice diet and no medical care was fascinating. It was also heartening to hear that the assistance his wife received from American friends during the time he was imprisoned and she did not know where he was led them to immigrate to the US.

This book is an absolute must read for anyone interested in human rights. The author's personal story of survival is set against a strong, concise modern history of Laos and southeast Asia.

You will find that this is one of the most unbelievable stories of survival ever told. Of the few who did survive the 're-education' camps in northern Laos, only one, Bounsang Khamkeo, wrote the story to bring it to the world. The book is a de facto historic document that cannot be overlooked.

Khamkeo had editorial help from a few individuals in the writing of his book. The text is not awkward like the title. Khamkeo is able and fluent in English. His story both unique and representative maintains an engaging literary quality over the roughly 400 pages. Returning from France to his homeland of Laos after the Vietnam War was over with the intention of helping his country return to normalcy, the author was arrested and put into a prison camp in 1981 after an argument with an official of the communist Pathet Lao government. He was kept in prison until 1988. The lengthy memoir is about this whole time from the early 1970s to the late 1980s, with about half given to each period. The second half of Khamkeo's time in prison is naturally more gripping, and at times harrowing. But the first half has its own significant themes and drama as well--namely, the totalitarian, capricious, demanding rule of the Pathet Lao. Whereas the second part deals with how the author survived the hardships and threats of his years in prison, the first part deals with the more subtle, yet nonetheless engaging, informative, and at times suspenseful story of how he and others had to accommodate the rigid rule of the Pathet Lao while they were at the same time trying to bring improvements to a Laos which like the other nations of Southeast Asia, was disrupted and changed by the Vietnam War. "I Little Slave" brings to light these uncertain and hostile conditions in Laos following the Vietnam War; which have not received as much attention as those in Vietnam and Cambodia. After being released from prison, Khamkeo managed to flee Laos; and today lives in Oregon and works for a state health agency.

It's so easy to ignore the inhumanity and injustices occurring around the world, but once you know, you must speak up. Bounsang Khamkeo eloquently and honestly paints each scene with vivid precision. I felt as though I was actually flying over the forests of Laos, feeling the anxiety of hostile government actions, smelling the stench of hidden prison camps, and witnessing death in it's most unforgiving form. Bounsang should be proud that he kept his promise to speak up against the injustices at the hands of his communist oppressors. I will long-remember the lives of his lost prison-mates, as well as the hundreds of thousands who have no recorded names. This would be an excellent companion to political science texts, and a must-read for us all. I literally could not put it down. As horrifying as his shared experiences were, I am left wishing for another 400 pages. Bounsang, I am proud to have met you. Thank you for speaking out about such atrocities.

child friendly but accurate and cute illustrations. A good reference for any age.

a book which introduces different culture and custom to children must be accurate. children's books about Japan by non-Japanese writers are not always correct as they tend to write only what they see/hear/feel and lack a broader view or facts. in that sense this book written by a Japanese author has of course no problem. the contents are well organized covering "a year in a life" of children in Japan. illustrations are light and cheerful. our 4 year old grandson in America who recently visited Japan enjoys this book as he can relate it to what he had seen while in Japan.

I GOT THIS BOOK FOR MY DAUGHTER TO STUDY ABOUT JAPAN.I'M FROM TOKYO AND I LIVED THERE.
THIS IS VERY ACCURATE AND I F YOU ARE INTERESTED IN JAPAN OR YOU HOMECHOOL,YOU SHOULD GET THIS BOOK FOR YOUR CHILDREN.

"I Live in Tokyo" is a sweet little picture book describing the life of a small girl, Mimiko, and her life in Tokyo, Japan. The book is sectioned off into months, with each month telling the story of something that happens in Japan during that month in a two-page spread, with very pretty illustrations.

This is a great book to introduce a typical Japanese lifestyle to the wee ones. I am happy to see how authentic it is, without antiquated notions of Japanese people running around in Kimono all the time or eating sushi at every meal. I loved seeing Mimiko listing "hamburger" as one of her top ten favorite meals. There is not a thing in here that I have not done myself in Japan, and Mimiko acts like all the little Japanese children that I know so well.

The illustrations are great, and offer a simple but accurate and inviting picture of things like a japanese house, a japanese summer festival, japanese food and even a japanese-style bathtub where you wash outside before getting into the water. Throughout the book, the Japanese names for several things are given, rather than devising English translations, and a few simple characters are introduced.

Highly recommended for anyone wanting to get kids interested in life in Japan, or just to open a window to another world, different yet similar.

Certainly there are monthly festivals in Japan like foreigners don't know. As Japan especially Tokyo of the metropolitan get to be industrial and modern city, the importance and customs for them between Japanese is getting to be thin, however even now the connection between such festivals or customs and Japanese history will be maintained. There are the special holidays, called "Syukujitsu" in Japan except of such festivals, too. If Syukujitsu compare with U.S.A ways, that will be like Independence Day. But Syukujitsu have other mean in Japan, off course though have the mean as being applied to U.S.A like Tennou Tanjoubi(Japanese emperor's birthday), too, that is, there are the holidays like Keirou No Hi(a holiday that people thank for old men)in Syukujitsu, too. I think that such festival have strong connection with Japanese history that Japanese have the custom for old men the old days ago.

In Japan, there will be at least one festival on each month. In January, especially new-year-day there won't be countries that do not their festival. Off course that is special day in Japan. The day is called "Syougatsu" in Japan. As I wrote already, the festival day is not general festival, have the mean of Japanese history, for instance, some of Japanese (over 50%) go to Japanese shrines (Jinja), if we consider of the recent truth that Japanese younger have no the interest for such old customs, the number will be surprising thing. And the custom that Japanese go to shrines on the day have important mean. The act is called "Hatsumoude(first pray)". Japanese have the thinking that good outcomes are made if we do all the things on the first day whether new month day of New Year Day, therefore on Japanese New Year Day, there are the special act of "Hatsuhinode" except of Hatsumoude, too. There is the custom that sunrise bring people good fortune in Japan from long ago. Especially as I wrote already, Japanese think that more good outcomes are brought if they do such act on first day, such act that people watch sunrise on New Year Day is called "Hatsuhinode". Some of Japanese go to seaside or the top of mountains more than 100 km away from their home where they can watch Hatsuhinode clearly, even if they have troubles.

In Japan, there are many monthly customs so that can not write easily. That is interesting genre, too. Even Japanese.

Thank you for reading poor English.

I first read this when first release and just purchased another copy. If you want to read about two real heros, James Stockdale and his wife Sybil Stockdale read this book. They write side by side in spirit, him in a Vietnames prison, the Hanoi Hilton, and she home with thier children. One of the best love, war and a story that you will remember.

The late Vice Admiral Jim Stockdale was the highest ranking POW to return from captivity in North Vietnam. His wife Sybil kept the family focused and hope alive all throughout his long imprisonment.



They present alternating chapters that chronicle their personal challenges which are a microcosm of the nation's challenges at that time.



This should be required reading for all Americans.



For more on the plight of the families of those who were MIA in Vietnam, read Louis Stockstill's epoch-making article:



"The Forgotten Americans of the Vietnam War" By Louis R. Stockstill, at:



http://www.afa.org/magazine/perspectives/Vietnam/1069vietnam.asp

Remember James Stockdale running for Vice President in the early 90's under the third party? He was perhaps the candidate with the greatest personal integrity in ages.

This book is just as genuine and is a vivid examination of what it's like to be a POW in brutal captivity for years. The book also has his reflections on the present-day U.S.. Here, he is refreshing, and can be brutally candid on such institutions as the South's best-known anachronistic walled military place.

Mostly though, it's the love story between what he and his wife have been though these years. No candy coating: A rare American hero with the straight story.

Buyer beware of bookin2002@yahoo.com. I paid $60.00 for a book that was supposed to be in very good condition. When it arrived, the front cover was water damaged and the book was a third edition. $60.00 for a third edition? Not a very good deal.

The BEST book I have ever read. His recount of what he went through is outstanding. I cannot believe the personal, physical, emotional and spiritual strength it took to endure 8 years as a prisoner of War... and the ways in which he communicated with other POW's, his wife and the US government is unbelievable... brilliant. I read this book 2 years ago and gave it to a friend who gave it to another couple friends cross country... eventually I got it back and gave it to my brother who gave it to his buddy... I think either my dad or my uncle has it now. The best book I have read. I reccommend it to anyone. and I can't wait to read it again.