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Title: Learning to Bow : Inside the Heart of Japan by Bruce Feiler ISBN: 0-395-64726-6 Publisher: Mariner Books Pub. Date: 22 September, 1992 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.76 (21 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: excellent book! Read it in less than 24 hours.
Comment: As an employee of a Japanese company I expecially enjoyed this insightful revelation of everyday life in small town Japan. The writing is very clear and fast paced. I could feel myself in his shoes much of the time and at several points laughed out loud. He has a strong entry to start the book that "hooked" me within 10 pages.
I strongly reccommend this for anyone curious about the world and especially for anyone working with or for the Japanese. Great cultural insights are provided as well as a clear explanation of the mechanisms, style, strengths and weaknesses of their school system, parenting and home life
Rating: 3
Summary: A good writer
Comment: Like many people in Japan this book was recommended to me but I didn't want to read it. A friend gave me a copy and eventually I read it.
The author gets so many things wrong about Japan that I wonder if he really spoke as much Japanese as he suggests. I often found my self scoffing at his opinions and explanations. It seems this was the end of his Japanese experience as he has gone on to write books on other topics.
He also strikes me as quite a loner, if this is the summary of his social interaction he must have had a lonely time, which on the JET Programme is not uncommon.
However he has a very good writing style which makes up for a lot of his failures. I'd suggest reading it and enjoying his perspective but be wary of his explanations.
Rating: 5
Summary: Cultural lessons disquised by an American sensei in Japan
Comment: Bruce Fielder pens the story of his experience as an English Teacher in Japan. Similar to "You Gotta Have Wa", this book is more about the experiences of an outsider fitting in to Japan than the occupational hazards of teaching English. To use his own words, Fielder really does cut into the heart of Japan. Interspersed between stories of the challenges of the educational system are many deeper lessons. Included are an explanation of the importance of group harmony and identity, how co-workers balance formal working relationships with personal bonds, and how personal development differs between Japan and the West.
Perhaps my only struggle was hearing how hard it was for the author to find a date in Japan. Japan is legendary for English teachers "punching above their weight" and finding girlfriend's well out of their league in the US. But perhaps the book would have lost it's tone and cultural insights if it degenerated into a story of how many girls the author picked up.
The book has held up remarkably over the past 10 years. Despite the bursting of the Japanese bubble, the cultural lessons ring true today. I recommend the book to anyone interested in Japan, independent of occupation.
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Title: Dave Barry Does Japan by Dave Barry ISBN: 0449908100 Publisher: Fawcett Books Pub. Date: 14 September, 1993 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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Title: Japanese Cultural Encounters by Hiroko C. Kataoka, Tetsuya Kusumoto ISBN: 0844285315 Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books Pub. Date: 11 January, 1991 List Price(USD): $9.95 |
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Title: Importing Diversity: Inside Japan's JET Program by David L. McConnell ISBN: 0520216369 Publisher: University of California Press Pub. Date: February, 2000 List Price(USD): $21.95 |
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Title: The Japanese Way : Aspects of Behavior, Attitudes, and Customs of the Japanese by Noriko Takada, Rita L. Lampkin, Norika Takada ISBN: 0844283770 Publisher: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Books Pub. Date: 11 November, 1996 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title: Looking for Class : Days and Nights at Oxford and Cambridge by Bruce Feiler ISBN: 006052703X Publisher: Perennial Pub. Date: 03 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $13.95 |
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