Asia Books

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

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

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

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

To quote directly from the book:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

This is an essential guide for travel in Bangladesh. Like all the books in the Lonely Planet travel series, it begins with Facts about the Country, Facts for the Visitor, Getting There and Away, and Getting Around. Next comes a detailed description of Dhaka and the surrounding district, and then separate chapters for each of the major political and geographical divisions in Bangladesh.

Before traveling to Bangladesh, do take the time to read the Dos & Don'ts article in the Facts about the Country chapter. People in Bangladesh are generally friendly and polite, but they tend to be more friendly if you follow their rules for politeness. Men should give local women some distance, and even women should let other women approach them first. People who wear shorts in Bangladesh are risking at least their reputations, if not more. Going about in shorts in public would be akin to wearing a bikini bathing suit on Wall Street- -sure to gain a lot of unwanted attention. Western women will find themselves much more comfortable in local clothing, salwar kamis or saris as absolutely no woman wears Western clothing in Bangladesh. Women packing for a trip in Bangladesh might be better off packing no clothing at all, and just shopping for local clothing upon arrival because what they find in the local markets will be appropriate for both the climate and the culture. (That will also leave more room in your suitcase for gifts on the way in and souvenirs on the way out.)

Many educated people in Bangladesh speak English quite well. But the average person on the street doesn't, so take the time to study the useful expressions from Facts about the Country chapter when you get a chance. While you're at the airport waiting for departure, look around- -surely there's someone there who can help you with your pronunciation.

As for any travel in the developing world, make sure your immunizations are up to date before you go to Bangladesh. Hepatitis A vaccinations are highly recommended and get your travel doctor to write you a prescription for a full run of Cipro (strong antibiotic) to carry with you, and take plenty of rehydration packets. If you get seriously ill while in Bangladesh, it's better to try to get to Dr. Wahab's office (listed in the Dhaka section of this book), rather than the Cholera Hospital, as recommended elsewhere in the book.

As the book mentions, there's a lot to see in Dhaka. There's even more to see outside of Dhaka, where the air is better and the people are friendlier. A great way to get out of town is to book a tour with Prajatan or The Guide (info in the Dhaka chapter). We had a spectacular all-inclusive boat cruise through the Sunderbans with The Guide (Prajatan's boat had recently sunk). Don't miss shopping in the NGO handicraft stores, particularly Aarong (info in the Dhaka chapter).

As with any guidebook, the info for specific hotels and eateries tends to change between the time the authors visited and publication, but the historic sites and regional highlights will always be there. Read this book over several times before you go, and you will be ready as ever to start your adventure.

This is the best lonelyplanet guide book I've ever had. Normally, I find them OK but irritating. Miraculously, this one is different.
Firstly, it's not too big (unlike, say, the Indian one) and is not afraid to leave some good stuff OUT. Secondly, it's very well researched, which is impressive in Bangladesh because information isn't all that readily available. Nor is it patronising in tone!
Best of all, though, is that reference to women travellers isn't restricted to a nauseating passage on what women "shouldn't" do because of the dangers, and then special women's diseases. Instead, it actually suggests that there are advantages to being a woman and special places to visit (such as women's development programs) that might interest women in particular. Yay! Welcome to the 21st century LP! I don't know what this sudden change in tone is due to, but I hope it spreads throughout the LP philosophy.
Otherwise, the information is helpful and up-to-date. The maps are a bit dodgy and could do with some work. For example, Thanchi does NOT lie between Ruma and Keokradung, and nor is Keokradung the highest peak in Bangladesh. The Chittagong map, in particular, is fairly useless.
Still, a very nice job. Very impressive. Very interesting and well written.

This was my first Lonely Planet book and I could not have made the trip without this very informative and helpfull book. I highly recommend any Lonely Planet books to any one traveling abroad.

I found this guide to be very informative and helpful. The maps are a very good basis for getting a sense of where various sections of the cities are located. Some guidebooks are sorely outdated but this book is still quite current. Many of the places mentioned are still in existence. We plan to take several of the recommended trips from this guidebook as well as cycling trips. Since moving to Dhaka I have used this book continually for a reference book. I would highly recommend reading this book before coming to visit Bangladesh!

The beautiful unfolding of a tradition that simply has not existed in English until now. Here, we are given an anthology of haiku and tanka by contemporary women poets tackling modern topics - feminism, sexuality, politics - with an elegant aesthetic. Hopefully, this long, rainy, fertile season will
continue with much more from these talented translators of hidden treasures.

"A Long Rainy Season" is a refreshing collection of contemporary haiku and tanka written by Japanese women. The poems within speak of loneliness, and breasts, politics and menstruation. It is inspiring to see the haiku eye expressed from women's points of view. There is nothing dry or dull in this volume, and the content is as varied as the women who wrote the poems. I would recommend this to anyone who loves these poetic forms, especially those who just can't see past Basho and his poetic brothers .

If you've been finding haiku and tanka either stuffy, obscure, or dreary and are wondering why so many people seem to like it, this book will set the matter straight. Contained within its pages are dozens of truly excellent poems that engage the reader with surprising, eloquent, original, and evocative images and sensations. Covering far more than the usual range of expression, they touch on everything from being interrogation by the police to motherhood. Usually 'women's literature' tends to focus on the author's narrow view of what women 'ought' to be; this book presents a broad range of women experiencing all manner of things with all sorts of attitudes.

Unfortunately, the book shares one fault with many others of its kind: The notes are insufficient. Yes, each poem should and does stand on its own, but not all of them make them make it across the cultural divide as well as others. For example, Nakamura's 'land-locked bride / tempted offshore -- / the open sea' can be read as the straightforward longing of a woman for a broader horizon, but if the reader also knows that Japanese women often commit suicide by wading into the sea and drowning, then it acquires an intensity that lifts it from the realm of the good to the excellent.

The other thing that disappointed me is that the Japanese originals were not included in the book. For those of us that can read a little Japanese, being able to decipher even a few of the poems in their original form is a great gift. Even those who can't can still look at the shape of the poem on the page and note patterns of sound and syllable that helps to convey some idea of the original.

Nonetheless, the poetry works and works well. It is a breathtakingly beautiful work, and compares favorably to that hoary old classic, Ueda's Modern Japanese Tanka. If you're wanting to introduce somebody to modern Japanese poetry, I'd give them this book over Ueda's book any day - male readers included.

As returning travellers will confirm, throughout the Asia-Pacific a tsunami of social and techno-transformation is unceasingly at work, directing outmoded Western notions of how Asia ticks toward the millenial trash bin. Odd therefore, how infrequently arrive the necessary antidotes to such shopworn myths as the "Asian female as Suzie Wong," and "Mother Asia as great slattern of the world," or Asia as "the inscrutable Other," etc. How welcome then comes the panache and sheer breadth of discovery to be found in this exquisite brace of new women's poetry compilations from the Japanese. Whether in English or elsewhere, only occasionally do poetry collections of such excellence come along that find immediate place of honour among readers, other poets, translators and critics alike. "A Long Rainy Season" and "Other Side River" are such books. The first major anthologies of contemporary Japanese women's poetry to arrive in English translation, they compose a brickhouse-solid tribute to the depth and strength of Japan's women poets who--until now--have remained virtually unknown abroad. And how delicious these translations are! The deeper one reads, the more absorbing becomes the enculturation provided by their poetic concerns, which begin to grow with commensurate familiarity--feminism, identity, emergence and constriction, sexuality, child-rearing, aging, existence. Lowitz and her collaborators demonstrate an intuitive sensibility regarding what qualifies among Japanese women poets, and their selections and interpreting skills are convincing. For an awfully long time, what we've had available in English from Japan's women poets has been chiefly the rough-legged classical translations of Rexroth and his disciples. With these two new books, however, Lowitz, Aoyama and Tomioka expand the canon enormously, and it is not overestimating them to number "A Long Rainy Season" and "Other Side River" among the half dozen most significant collections of poetry to arrive internationally in the past few years. That they are presented in handsome, affordably priced editions from Stone Bridge Press, a relatively new press dedicated to translations from the Japanese, makes their happy arrival all the better. Producing volumes such as these cannot have been a light task and we are indebted to such cross-cultural work in service of the muse.

This book is a memoir of a decade past written following a Rockerfeller grant to study the women's emancipation movement in SW PRChina, to later compare and contrast with a similar study in Taipei, Taiwan. This fieldwork is undertaken with the cooperation of the Propaganda Dept, Women's Federation, Chengdu, Szechwan province, PRChina.

Structurally this book is a daily diary which covers, in part, her travels in China as well as some highlights of 100 interviews on women-owned, small business entrepreneurs, that were formed during the Deng's Reform and Opening campaign of the late 80s.

Her POE is Guangzhou, where she decides to initially travel alone much as the natives do. Her travel scenarios, including her visit to Kunming, City of Eternal Spring, in the first 50 pages of the book, where she had local academic acquaintances to show her the sights. She speaks Putonghua, a form of Mandarin, so she can slowly communicate with the locals in a basic form. It appears that she does not like reading Chinese. In part, she writes with the older Wade-Giles form of romanization, so Szechwan is Sichuan and Taipei is Taibei. Armed with an Academy letter, she uses it to travel, as best she can to cajole the ticket sellers and hostel and guesthouse desks, the way the natives do, and cites prices in RMB, and FEC only when there is no other alternative or she wishes to splurge with a hot bath.

The more memorable scenarios is her visit to Kunming, capital of the mountainous Yunnan province p36-44 in December 1988. They travel up the Burma Road a bit and discuss the minority people and their distinctive dress p54-8. She eats the native food and promptly gets a bad case of diarrhea, spends two days in bed. She buys a beautiful Naxi cape from a leather maker that was destined to be another bride's dowry.

Halfway through her anthropological project, her tired workgroup of four demands that she take vacation and unknownst to her, her host department arranged a 7-day holiday with a drive and excursion into far Western Szechwan province to enjoy the Fall colors and stay with a Tibetan family p109-138. Anticipating a boring trip and getting behind in her project, she crankily accompanies the group during another PMS episode. Contrary to her expectation, she enjoys the trip immensely, romps in the forest, and sees blue sky. At each stop, there are local Women's Federation reps to show the group around and introduce them to native families, translate discussions, and describe what they are seeing. They discuss the Tibetan-Han dichotomy and how each culture tries to co-exist.

There are about 20 scenarios on interviews on women-owned businesses in the book. Most businesses are small, from mom & pop format to ones with handfuls of employees. They are the stereotypical grocery, restaurant, garment, and etc format. What I got out of the book was that women's survival during the "Great Leap Forward" and Cultural Revolution was very harsh, especially in the countryside. Initially the Politburo encouraged formation of these businesses, the owners used the profits to improve their houses, and then the tax collectors came to even things out in the socialist's tradition. So the Politburo is inventing their policies at time goes. It seeds flourishing entrepreneur until they become successful, then taxes them for an increased revenue stream.

Her writing is fairly well crafted and she discusses scenarios of general interest, so that one can finish the book without getting truly bored of repetitious fieldwork details. The book, divided into 19 chapters, includes about 20 photos of subjects, maps and travel itineries to follow along. There is no index and any notes are referenced on the bottom of the page. Comparatively, I would consider her prose better and more comprehensive than Paul Theroux, a China travel writer covering the same time period. But Peter Hessler is a better describer of Chinese thought and behavior; of course he spent 2 years at a teachers college and learned the local dialect. But as indicated in the preface, she notes her literary limits and includes her published bibliography of academic work.

The author is a Canadian born, UK raised and educated, who writes in UK prose, so you have to decipher the usual suspects that differ in UK vs US English. She earns her doctorate at Central Michigan U, but is at heart a Brit feminist, and constantly refers to it during her sojourn. From time to time this divorced, pre-menopausal woman titillates the reader with her fantasies as a ravishing redhead in China. To me this was pulp-fiction that the editors must have required her to put in the scripts to help sales. I could have also done without the monthly PMS issues.

She keeps contemporaneous notes on her notebook computer, so hopefully 10 years later, she doesn't over embellish or forget the details of her 6 month sojourn in Chengdu. I read this book at a local library.

She attempts to unify her prose by introducing a historical mentor that went before her, a fellow Brit, Ms Isabella Bird Bishop, who does China research in Szechwan a century earlier. Since she merely references her work in a couple pages p48-9, I find it rather distracting, yet amused that she compared her journey to hers.

Yes, I have read some of Gates' work, but not this one - it doesn't matter in this system. I am merely balancing a double counting of a positive textual review that registers numerically as a zero, thus artificially generating a very low average.
On balance Amazon reviews are useful, but the lack of control leads to this sort of nonsense. Note also the lack of signature on the doubled review; presumably just an error but one wonders given the recent Canadian site boondoggle with these reviews.

Perhaps a third of the book is about traveling in China, mostly in southwestern China, where private enterprise blossomed during the 1980s. The other two thirds are about trying to do research funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, sponsored and administered by the Sichuan Fulian (Women's Federation--literally "Women United"). Anthropologists' fieldwork memoirs are published after more academic presentation of their research results--in Gates's case, a 1997 book _China's Motor: A Thousand Years of Petty Capitalism_ (that compares what she observed in the 1970s in Taiwan, historical records, and her 1987-96 research in Sichuan). The discomforts, including sickness, depression, frustrations about transportation, food, lodging, access to information, and the misunderstanding by "the natives" of the anthropologist's wisdom and good-will may not be vented in public at all.

Although the author is the major character in the account of her research in the years before and after the crackdown of the PRC gernotacry on private consumption and the accumulation of riches by anyone other than the families of high-placed officials, unlike much contemporary postmodernist anthropology, Gates remains interested in the agency of people (particularly women) trying to prosper in changing and difficult conditions in societies organized differently than the anthropologists' own one. Gates is engagingly honest about her frustrations with Chinese life as well as her joys of solidarity with those she studied and the reader learns some things about living through rapid change in the Chinese interior from her insightful book.

I lived in Japan for 9 years and this is a book I want to give friends who ask what it was like. Even though this book is about China, and China and Japan are not the same thing, reading this book helped me to understand much about what I had seen and been through in my own experience. Yes! Yes! Yes! I kept saying when I read it. This is how it was. And here is somebody putting it into words.

There are the underlying truths about Asia, and greater yet underlying truths about crossing between any two cultures. Finally, there are the truths about any woman's life whether she stays home or travels far. Hill Gates calls them as we all have seen them, from getting your period to getting your hair cut in a foreign land. There are the long van rides that constitute "vacations," the forced alcohol, the question of breakfast foods, unheated living quarters, unexplained prohibitions, glorious discoveries of beautiful scenery, and the eternal question of whether being a foreigner means you're also actually a woman.

But most of all, it's about the work. In this case, the work is anthropology. Here again, universal truths apply. Good work gives you an adequate struggle. You want to solve things, you want to apply your own talents. You want to learn and contribute, get and give, laugh and cry. Really, you do. You hope to be changed by it and come back with something to report. You enjoy sinking into the luxuries and comforts of your own familiar culture once you make it back to dry land. And then, one day down the road, you get that hankering to leave those comforts again...What a privilege having this life is. All it costs is the belief that you have control over anything.

My favorite quote from the book ought to warn off anyone who thinks you get to control your own dignity once you choose to put yourself out there. Gates nails it as she observes that, "When it comes to etiquette, the home team has the advantage."