Average customer rating:
- Best of the New
- good story
- Out of Sight
- Grittily Horrifying
- Out: A novel
|
Out: A Novel
Natsuo Kirino
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1400078377
Release Date: 2005-01-04 |
Book Description
Nothing in Japanese literature prepares us for the stark, tension-filled, plot-driven realism of Natsuo Kirino’s award-winning literary mystery
Out.
This mesmerizing novel tells the story of a brutal murder in the staid Tokyo suburbs, as a young mother who works the night shift making boxed lunches strangles her abusive husband and then seeks the help of her coworkers to dispose of the body and cover up her crime. The coolly intelligent Masako emerges as the plot’s ringleader, but quickly discovers that this killing is merely the beginning, as it leads to a terrifying foray into the violent underbelly of Japanese society.
At once a masterpiece of literary suspense and pitch-black comedy of gender warfare,
Out is also a moving evocation of the pressures and prejudices that drive women to extreme deeds, and the friendships that bolster them in the aftermath.
Customer Reviews:
Best of the New.......2007-10-07
A breathtaking novel that, for once, lives up to its hype. In fact it surpasses it. It is darkly, grotesquely humane.
good story.......2007-09-28
I found this book so fascinating. The plot is very good and every character is so full of life. Strongly recommended.
Out of Sight.......2007-09-27
This is a real page turner. It will keep you up past your bedtime. You won't be able to put it down. Okay, you may get the point. You will find yourself walking and struggling with Masako. The only thing I did not like is the ending. How could Masako feel anything for Satake? Masako was so logical, strong, and methodical.
Another strength of the book is its depiction of the struggle of the poor working class to survive. Most people have boring and painful jobs that they suffer only for the buck (or the yen). Their poverty wears on their families; there seems to be no room for familial warmth in this cold world. And Kirino captures that spirit with great skill.
Grittily Horrifying.......2007-09-09
I wasn't prepared for this novel. I couldn't put it down and I am still thinking about it. Everyone I've recommended this book to thought it was a great read. Sometimes I had trouble getting my copy from friends because their friends wanted to read it.
Out is not for the faint of heart though; chapters and chapters of plot tend to explode in frightening scenes of carnage that caused my heart to skip a beat (or two).
Out: A novel.......2007-09-08
During the reading of this novel I really wanted to be able to read Japanese. The translation at times confused me with euphimisms that I felt pandered to American expectations regarding this genre of fiction. I admired the protagonist but she unfortunatley fell in love with another. That love is what I found revolving around the central theme... and what makes the author a worthy competitor in the guessing game of looking into the well of human darkness.
Average customer rating:
- Has history been tampered with?
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Similar Items:
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History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
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History: Fiction or Science? Astronomical methods as applied to chronology. Ptolemy's Almagest. Chronology III
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They Cast No Shadows: A Collection of Essays on the Illuminati, Revisionist History, and Suppressed Technologies
ASIN: 2913621058 |
Book Description
Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.
Customer Reviews:
Has history been tampered with?.......2007-10-23
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/RAZQNMXM4M9CL Has history been tampered with? Yes, it has! Did events and eras such as the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, the Roman Empire , the Dark Ages, and the Renaissance, actually occur within a very different chronology from what we've been told? Yes, they certainly did!
The history of humankind is both drastically shorter and dramatically different than generally presumed.
Why is it so? On one hand, it was usual custom to justify the claims to title and land by age and ancestry, and on the other the court historians knew only too well how to please their masters. The so called universal classic world history is a pack of intricate lies for all events prior to the 16th century. World history as we learn it today was entirely fabricated in the 16th-18th centuries. It's likely that nobody told you before, but
there is not a single piece of firm written evidence or artefact that is reliably and independently dated prior to the 11th century.
Naturally, after what you've learned in school and university, you will not easily believe that the classical history of ancient Rome, Greece, Asia, Egypt, China, Japan, India, etc., is manifestly false.
You will point accusing finger to the pyramids in Egypt, to the Coliseum in Rome and Great Wall of China etc., and claim, aren't they really ancient, thousands of years ancient? Well, there is no valid scientific proof that they are older than 1000 years!
The oldest original written document that can be reliably dated belongs to the 11th century!
New research asserts that Homo sapiens invented writing (including hieroglyphics) only 1000 years ago. Once invented, writing skills were immediately and irreversibly put to the use of ruling powers and science.
The consensual chronology we live with was essentially crafted in the 16th century by the Jesuits.
The world history was compiled from contradictory mix of innumerable copies of ancient Latin and Greek manuscripts and other irrefutable proofs delivered by late mediaeval astronomers that were cemented by the authority of writings of the Church Fathers.
Early in life, we learn about ancient history. Children love the magical lessons of history - they are like fairy tales. Teachers recite breathtaking stories; very soon We learn by heart the names and deeds of brave warriors, wise philosophers, fabulous pharaohs, cunning high priests and greedy scribes.
We learn of gigantic pyramids and sinister castles, kings and queens, dukes and barons, powerful heroes and beautiful ladies, emaciated saints and low-life traitors.
Ancient history is based documents, manuscripts, printed books, paintings, monuments and artefacts - called primary sources.
The problem is that neither these ancient documents, nor events described therein can be irrefutably dated, moreover they contradict each other for the most part.
When a school textbook tells us that Genghis Khan in year X or Alexander in year Y, have each conquered half of the world, it means only that it is so said in some of the written sources.
There are no answers to simple questions:
When were these primary sources written?
Where and by whom were these sources found?
It is wrongly presumed that ancient and medieval chronicles, written by Genghis Khan's or Alexander the Great contemporaries and eyewitnesses, are readily available. Actually, only sources written hundreds or even thousands of years after the events are there, compiled mostly in the 16th 18th centuries, or even later.
As a rule, these sources suffered considerable multiple manipulations, falsifications and distortions by editing. At the same time,
innumerable originals of ancient documents under various pretexts were destroyed in Europe under various pretexts.
The names of persons and geographical sites often changed meaning and location during the course of the centuries.
Geographical locations became clearly defined on maps only with the advent of printing.
This made possible the circulation of identical copies of the same map for purposes of the military, navigation, education and governance tasks.
Historians from Oxford say: "hey, everybody knows that Julius Caesar lived in the first century B.C.
`Julius Caesar' statement is only a point of view as
there is simply no irrefutable documentary proof that Julius Caesar or any other great name of antiquity ever existed.
Better than that - extremely rare sources that can be reliably dated back to the 10th-14th centuries A D, do not show the polished picture of classical history.
They show a picture both contradictory and confusing.
All methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts are erroneous:
Radio-carbon C14 method produces dating with exactitude of plus minus 1500 years, therefore it is too crude for dating of events in historical timeframe!
The Almagest tractate, which lies as corner stone contemporary chronology, compiled in the 2nd century A D by Ptolemy, the founding father of astronomy, contains astronomical data of 9th to 16th century!
The Bronze Age,that has supposedly began 5000 years ago. Bronze is made of 90% copper and 10% tin, but the technology for tin extraction dates back to 14th century A D!.
All eclipses contained in manuscripts, like Thucydides one, relating 'ancient' events have exclusively medieval dating. All horoscopes cut in stone or painted in Egyptian temples, like Dendera have exclusively early medieval dating solutions.
Not quite what you have learned in school? Open your eyes, and, you will find sufficient proof to reach step by step the inevitable conclusion that the classical chronology is false and therefore, that the history of ancient and medieval world universally accepted today, is also false. Have a fresh outlook on everything said or printed about "ancient" and "enigmatic" Roman, Greek and Egyptian, medieval as well as all other "lost and found" civilizations.
Antiquity and Dark Ages are phantoms invented in the 16th 18th and polished in 19th 20thcenturies. Human civilization is in fact barely 1000 years old!
This book will change your perception of History forever!
What if Ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt were invented during Renaissance?
What if The Old Testament was a rendition of events of the Middle Ages?
What if Jesus Christ was born in 1053 and crucified in 1086 AD?
Sounds Unbelievable?
Not after you've read "History: Fiction or Science?" by Anatoly Fomenko, the genius mathematician.
Armed with astronomy and computers Anatoly Fomenko turns History into a rocket science.
Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03
Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.
Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19
Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.
Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09
There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.
For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.
Very Interesting.......2007-03-07
It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.
Book Description
Cooking expert and lifestyle guru Harumi Kurihara has won over the hearts of Japanese home cooks with her simple, delicious recipes. After selling millions of copies of her cookbooks, magazines, and housewares in her home country, this charismatic former housewife now shares her award-winning kitchen secrets with Americans for the first time.
These elegant, effortless recipes reflect Harumi's down-to-earth approach to Japanese cooking. Simply written and featuring everyday ingredients, recipes include Pan-Fried Noodles with Pork and Bok Choy, Warm Eggplant Salad, Japanese Pepper Steak, Seafood Miso Soup, and Harumi's popular Carrot and Tuna Salad, along with a chapter on simple ways to make delectable sushi at home.
Demystifying Japanese cooking and celebrating freshness, seasonality, and simplicity, this delightful book introduces Americans to one of the food world's brightest stars, and invites us to cook with her, one gracious dish at a time.
Customer Reviews:
gift for father's day.......2007-07-16
I don't know much about this product as it was a gift and not mine, but dad said he loved it (then again he is required to!).
Useful Book on Japanese Style Cooking.......2007-07-12
This is a good book on basics of Japanese Cooking. Be aware that it is a very small book with few recipes, so I would not really call it a cookbook, more of a reference really. What there is of it is enjoyable.
Wonderful, Easy Cookbook for Beginners.......2007-06-17
What can I say? This cookbook is fabulous. There are full color photos for every single recipe! The recipes are simple, easy to follow and best of all, delicious! This is easy Japanese homecooking at your fingertips.
Wonderful cookbook; cd we pls have a metric version?.......2007-06-01
I agree with all the reviewers who gave this wonderful book five stars. I am already familiar with Japanese cooking techniques, but still found myself silently thanking Ms Harumi (and her editor?) for the wonderful job they did giving really clear and well thought-out instructions, which ought to help even a rookie to turn out the dishes in the way the author intended.
In fact, the only reason why I am giving this 4 stars, instead of 5, is that I do think -- and cook -- in metric, and this cookbook (well, at least the copy I bought in Singapore), uses American/ Imperial measures such as cups and ounces. But these recipes are well worth the effort of converting the measures... so do swing over to buying this book if you think it sounds appealing! If you are used to eating Japanese food cooked by Japanese people, the conversions shouldn't be a problem at all as you will be able to "guesstimate" the right measurements with just a bit of practice.
An easy introduction to Japanese homestyle cooking.......2007-05-16
Harumi's recipes are just the thing if you'd like to try your hand at some simple Japanese dishes. Her directions are clear and most of the ingredients are not too hard to find. If you try her recipes for green beans with ground meat or green beans with black sesame sauce, for instance, you will have created dishes that are simple, pleasing, and, well, Japanese. And if you've ever been to Japan and had that delicious pancake called okonomiyaki, then longed to reproduce it, Harumi gives you a pretty good recipe for making it right at home. Her variations on miso soup are good, too. I am less tempted by the "fusion" type dishes like "tofu with basil and gorgonzola dressing," which seem a bit odd to me. And the book does, annoyingly, lack an index, although it has a good glossary. I haven't tried all of her recipes, but my favorite so far is her easy and homey take on gyoza (dumplings). And although she has some recipes for making sushi, I'm leaving that job to the excellent sushi chefs in Portland (Maine).
Book Description
Just as Fox on the Rhine and Fox at the Front showed readers an alternate Europe in which Hitler had been killed, thereby radically changing the course of World War II, Douglas Niles and Michael Dobson bring us the Battle of Midway with a very different outcome.
The Allies are wildly out maneuvered and sent home in disgrace. Back in the States things are looking rather grim as the ultra-secret Manhattan Project runs into snafus that greatly delay the final production of the atomic bomb.
President Roosevelt’s approval ratings drop dramatically. Congress is desperate and the country cries out for a hero.
That hero might just be Douglas MacArthur, who vowed that he would return to his beloved Phillipines. He plans to do so with the backing of the entire US Armed Forces.
MacArthur’s plan of action is simple: bring the war back to the Japanese, island by bloody island, until standing on the shores of Japan, he can proclaim victory.
And possibly gain the leadership of the United States as well.
Customer Reviews:
Not all it could be.......2007-09-17
The book was a great concept but I found the characters a bit two-dimensional. The political in-fighting was not too realistic and the concept that the President would have to kowtow to even a General as well known as MacArthur is unrealistic. As Harry Truman proved only 5 years after WWII during the Korean War: President beats 5 stars, and MacArthur didn't have those at the time of the book. Good in its own way, the book was a bit disappointing.
Definitely Well Worth Reading.......2007-09-08
Douglas Niles has put together a very readable alternate history of the War in the Pacific. He portrays MacArthur and Patton very believably. The story flows well and it is all very plausible. If you enjoy well written alternative history, then this book will not disappoint you. It discusses the politics more than the battles, though the battle scenes it has are gritty and realistic.
Invasion of Japan.......2007-09-02
The overall scenerio was very plausible. The remaining allies seemed to be forgotten in the what if. Especially the Soviets. The personalities of the real individuals seemed to be established.
The fictional characters provided good imaginary sense of what life was like on both sides.
I liked the book well enough to read additional books by the authors.
Great Alternate to Reality.......2007-08-10
Doug and Mike do their regular wonderful job with this book. Their knowledge of WWII history is unparalleled, and they tackle the idea of an invasion of Japan with as much imagination as found in any of Doug's numerous fantasy novels. It's great to see such WWII enthusiasts playing around in one of the biggest sandboxes in history and coming up with such a compelling tale.
They do a great job at both the strategic and tactical level. The scenes with the heavies of WWII (Hirohito, Roosevelt, MacArthur, etc.) ring true and humanize these legends, giving them strong, realistic motivations. At the same time, they take pains to show how the war affects the regular joes and GIs, giving this massive tale as much depth as breadth.
Unlike many stories of WWII, this doesn't gloss over the horrors of war or revel in the violence of it. In the end, it's a grim story of people on both sides doing the jobs they feel they must, and it's that sense of inevitability that lends the book its strong verisimilitude. If you enjoy well-told histories and exploring the ideas conjured by expert talespinners asking "What if?", your search ends here.
(Disclaimer: Doug's a good friend of mine, and I've known Mike for years. Still, they both know my praise doesn't come cheap. They've earned it.)
The war behind the war.......2007-08-03
The battlescenes are riveting, the grand sweep of this alternative history is compelling.
I am most impressed by the authors' sense of realism and drama they bring to one of the little appreciated aspects of war in a democracy--the internecine, bureaucratic struggle between American generals, admirals and the services. Maybe its because my career has been in government and public policy, but I found the descriptions of this PR war to be amusing and disturbing in equal parts, a kind of circus funhouse mirror of our own times.
This book reminds us that for all our current divisions, the American style of war has never been as smooth or as unified as we remember. To some degree, we've always been at war with ourselves--even when we have been fighting for our survival.
Book Description
In The Japanese Mind, Roger Davies offers Westerners an invaluable key to the unique aspects of Japanese culture. Readers of this book will gain a clear understanding of what really makes the Japanese, and their society, tick.
Among the topics explored: aimai (ambiguity), amae (dependence upon others' benevolence), amakudari (the nation's descent from heaven), chinmoku (silence in communication), gambari (perseverence), giri (social obligation), haragei (literally, "belly art"; implicit, unspoken communication), kenkyo (the appearance of modesty), sempai-kohai (seniority), wabi-sabi (simplicity and elegance), and zoto (gift giving), as well as discussions of childrearing, personal space, and the roles of women in Japanese society. Includes discussion topics and questions after each chapter.
Customer Reviews:
Only an introduction, but a pretty good one.......2007-08-27
Both editors are professors at Ehime University in Matsuyama, both working in fields relating to England language education, and they have put together a collection of twenty-eight relatively brief essays -- all written by fourth-year students and then polished with the help of the faculty -- on such key attitudes, patterns of behavior, traditions, and social underpinnings. These include group consciousness, the Japanese and ambiguity, personal space, childrearing, the Japanese sense of beauty, male/female relationships, seniority, and other topics that often are puzzling to Westerners. The writing is uniformly clear, even when explaining complex concepts, and there's a detailed bibliography (much of it to works in Japanese, however). A very informative resource for any American trying to figure out the Japanese.
academic in nature.......2006-06-30
This book is well written. It was written to be used in a class room setting (the book states this) If I would have know I wouldn't have purchased it. I was looking for a more personal,engaging insight on the way of life in Japan. The book is laid out nicely and still a good read, just a bit too text like.
Well-written, literate, useful..........2005-10-07
My wife and I found this book very helpful, prior to our first trip to Japan. We have been somewhat fearful of this trip, because of langugage and obvious cultural differences. Nevertheless, this book added to our understanding of current cultural traits, ideas, and ideals in Japan; their historical origins; their meaning to both Japanese and first-visit foreigners; and the countervailing Western forces eroding at the "pure strain" traits or ideals. All in all, this book is a fascinating synopsis of Japanese thinking about unique Japanese traits.
We also liked the fact that at the end of each brief chapter, the editors have written a number of thought-provoking questions. These questions ask the reader to expand one's thinking and make clear cross-cultural distinctions. Besides making the book even more useful to persons like us, these questions also make this book a sure winner in any advanced high school or college class on Japan.
Exploring tolerance and understanding.......2004-05-06
I stumbled upon this thoroughly enlightening book at the end of my third year of living in a small bucolic town in the mountains of rural Japan. While it is intended as an overview and introduction to various things that can make the Japanese seem different and enigmatic to outsiders, many of the topics are discussed from their historical evolution, which helps to construct them in a much fuller and as a more complete figure. Moreover, the subjects covered are often unobservable to the casual visitor and neophytic foreign transplant, yet are central to understanding the Japanese character. Where I had just simply witnessed and pondered over many baffling and seemingly contradictory actions of the people whom I was residing amongst at first, after reading this book I came to understand them in a much clearer and tolerant way. Another result, incidentally, was it also helped ease me through an extremely delayed case of culture shock. We should note that problems arise not through stereotyping (which, despite our fanatical political correctness at times does tend to be accurate more often than not), but when we use these generalizations to assert a cultural superiority, or inferiority as the case may be, and to define differences as being anything other than such.
This wonderful little book is clearly written by Japanese college students, and edited by the professors who guided them, in a style that makes even opaque concepts accessible. Ritualistic behavior is deconstructed in plain and precise language, in a conciseness that is also equally typical of the Japanese. It is organized into twenty-eight mostly interconnected chapters, though you can read them in any order you prefer. Some are perhaps too brief and would require explorations elsewhere for those serious inquisitors, still, like pieces to a puzzle, if you accurately connect them, they do render a thorough image in their totality. The editors, however, are careful to remind us that many of these topics continue to be debated and controversial even within Japanese society today. Nevertheless, the keen observer should, for example, be able to meld chapters like Uchi to Soto (literally translated as inside and outside), Honne to Tatemae (actual intentions and superficial words/actions, in a chapter I wished was more developed), Haragei (the implicit way of communication), Aimai (ambiguity), and Nemawashi (laying the groundwork) to better understand the Japanese "ways" in intercultural dealings and discern why they have often been regarded as remaining isolated inside their own country and outside of the responsibilities in world affairs that many would like to attribute to one of the world's strongest economic powers.
This book is filled with informative and insightful essays and should be mandatory reading for anyone interested in the Japanese mentality, for those who study the language, and for even those Japanese who have a good enough command of English and wish to understand and communicate more about their culture than the trite aspects that are so often regurgitated in films and popular pulp. At the end of each chapter there are discussion activities that not only probe further into the respective topic and often attempt to relate it to contemporary Japan, but should also help facilitate one of the main purposes of this project, intercultural dialogue leading to mutual understanding. Even if you are lucky enough to engage in these conversations with some Japanese be forewarned, like the many Americans who have a hard time explaining our traditions of Halloween or saying "(God) bless you" after a sneeze for instance, much in this book is so entrenched in and forms the undercurrent of normal everyday life in Japan that many Japanese have trouble recognizing and explaining it themselves. Kudos to both the Ehime University students and teachers for producing such a well-written, thought provoking, and helpful analysis--its value far exceeds its cost.
Highly enlightening..........2003-12-16
First of all let me correct one somewhat negative reviewer who states that `The Japanese Mind' is `how one British professor interpreted Japanese culture'. This comment I assume refers to Roger J. Davies who I believe is indeed British by birth (more precisely Welsh) but was actually brought up and educated in Canada and has only recently continued his studies back in Wales. He is Professor of Applied Linguistics at Ehime University in Matsuyama, Japan, and also Academic Director of that University's English Education Centre. This book is also edited by Osamu Ikeno, who is Associate Professor of English Education in the Faculty of Education at Ehime University. So this is far from just one British Professor's interpretation. This is a book of some authority.
Also, if another reviewer's assertion that the book has a `lack of depth in the analysis, frequent non-sequiturs' (and who even goes so far as to recommend that you `use at your peril') is a truly fair assessment of the standard of work produced by Roger Davies and Osamu Ikeno, then I doubt if those two gentlemen would occupy the prestigious positions they do.
As a European and `general reader' I found the book gave a fascinating insight into what can at first appear to the layman to be a baffling and unfathomable culture, given extra credence by the fact that, as the introduction states, the information presented is from the perspective of the Japanese people themselves. The format allows for casual study as the chapters can be read in any order you wish.
I would consider this an invaluable guide for anyone visiting Japan and/or who wishes to better understand the complexities of Japanese customs and behaviour. No book could possibly explain all the intricate facets of Japanese society, and certainly not to everyone's satisfaction, but `The Japanese Mind' goes a long way toward doing so.
Book Description
Japanese Candlestick Charting Techniques, 2nd Edition, provides an in-depth explanation of candlestick plotting and analysis, conveying to the reader, in easy-to-understand language, the author's years of practical experience in this increasingly popular and dynamic approach to market analysis. It includes hundreds of examples that span the equity, futures, fixed-income, and foreign exchange markets and shows how candlestick charting techniques can be used in almost any market. It has been thoroughly updated to include:
* New techniques and strategies
* The author's concept of the Convergence (when a series of signals converge at one zone, thus increasing the chances for a market turn from that area)
This new edition broadens the book's focus and all new updated charts, and information on several new areas such as day trading and how candlestick charting can be used to improve returns and help decrease market risk.
It includes everything from the basics, such as constructing the candlesticks and learning the patterns, to advanced topics, such as the rules of multiple technical techniques.
Whether you are new to candlestick charts or a seasoned pro-the reward will be immediate and long lasting.
Customer Reviews:
Superb book.......2007-09-09
All technicians need this book.If you want to improve yourself on the candlesticks,there is no time to wait.Buy this book and see many details of the candlesticks as well as included many examples on it.
Excellent!.......2007-08-16
This book is filled with great information. It's a reference book you will want to keep handy. Some books you read and get rid of. This is a keeper.
-The Missing Puzzle For Your Trading System-.......2007-07-23
Most of us who spends the extra time to read and continue to improve our knowledge on trading and investing, are likely to have adopted a trading system ( Be it through books, seminars, courses ). However, given the potential risks involved even with all the tools and knowledge we are armed with for our trading battles, we still have a high chance of making a loss in our trades. ( Human errors and mistakes / Human Emotions / Inexperience / Never do homework...etc all plays a part in the trade turning sour )
One of the missing puzzle that i have discovered myself is the interpretation of candlesticks that tells the story of the market sentiment for that particular stock at that particular time. Before learning the meaning of candlesticks and charting with them, i normally used what i have learned ( A trading system that i paid a hefty $5000 SGD for ) to decide whether i enter a trade or not. However, something is missing... That is gonna be major reversal patterns that occur at tops or bottoms. I have lost $$$ as a result for several trades that were supposed to yield excellent returns using the system i learnt all due to... YES CANDLESTICK REVERSAL PATTERNS. I still remember them to be Morning star, Shooting Star and Bullish Engulfing pattern. After learning these patterns, the results were shocking and marvellous. My losses are cut to a minimum, my self esteem and confidence to execute a trade has improved tremendoulsy.
I never leave home for my trading battle without it.
The formulas are all wrong.......2007-05-17
An interesting book on candlestick - the author has much knowledge of candle stick. It's entertaining. But apparently the auothr made terribly wrong on the formulars such as RSI and stochastic. I understand that reading candlestick does not need to know the formulars but they should be correct if they appear in the book. I guess the author expected reader only read the candlestick, instead of looking at the formulars. Anyway it's the best book on the subject.
Great on Candles!.......2007-05-12
This text is a great intro. to the basics of reading the Candlestick charts, and I found that the plurality of patterns analyzed in the text will be very helpful in future trading decisions and software development. The author has a good reputation and is quoted widely, so the quality of the text is not surprising...
Book Description
Keiko's Ikebana offers an introduction to this international art form that is both practical and contemporary. Keiko's unique approach combines traditional techniques with modern tastes—incorporating influences ranging from
sculpture to today's Western styles. The result is a one-of-a-kind look that is authentic, easy to create and attractive.
The book includes easy-to-follow instructions for creating 20 stunning ikebana arrangements to help readers bring this traditional Japanese art into their own homes. Readers will also be introduced to the history of ikebana, including its evolution from ancient times into the world of modern design, the basic `rules' of ikebana design and suggestions for finding and choosing materials and supplies.
Customer Reviews:
Teaches Ikebana.......2007-01-14
Nice book, explains various techniques used in this flower arranging art.
I liked the techniques of creating decorations using more than one vaze side by side and the ways they are connected with flowers.
Keoko's Ikebana.......2007-01-10
This book is a pleasure to read and look at even if you don't do flower arranging. The illustrations are beautiful and the writing is clear and direct. I bought multiple copies and gave them to clients for holiday presents, and it was very well received.
Book Description
With the same deadpan mania and genius for dislocation that he brought to his internationally acclaimed novels
A Wild Sheep Chase and
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World, Haruki Murakami makes this collection of stories a determined assault on the normal. A man sees his favorite elephant vanish into thin air; a newlywed couple suffers attacks of hunger that drive them to hold up a McDonald's in the middle of the night; and a young woman discovers that she has become irresistible to a little green monster who burrows up through her backyard.
By turns haunting and hilarious,
The Elephant Vanishes is further proof of Murakami's ability to cross the border between separate realities -- and to come back bearing treasure.
Customer Reviews:
Good.......2007-09-27
Unlike most anthologies of short stories, those by Haruki Murakami are generally very interesting. None of the stories in this collection seemed like filler, chosen just to make sure that there were enough stories to fill a book.
Instead, I reached the end, and felt a bit sad that the ride was over already. Other reviewers will have, I am sure, talked about what the stories are, so I won't bother.
I will just say that you should not expect a normal story arc in any of them. Some have it, but if you expect it going in, you will only be disappointed. Instead, take Murakami by the hand and let him be your guide into his head and his worlds. And simply enjoy the ride.
Buy it, read it, lend it, keep it. It is a good book.
Harkius
Excellent!.......2007-07-28
Unfortunately short story collections too often seem the bastardized relatives of novels and I so seldom see them appear on any award or reading lists. Murakami's The Elephant Vanishes is a prime example of how perfect and well crafted short stories can be. His stories tend to follow the lives of the upper/middle class and a certain emotional distance or ambiguity and here and there an element will connect one story with a previous story. This perhaps was the first book that I couldn't wait to finish because I was so exhilarated to read it again. My favorite story in the collection (read it even if it's only in passing): "The Second Bakery Attack."
A Fluke?.......2007-07-09
Perhaps it is because this is a compilation of earlier works, or perhaps because the scope of short stories is limiting, I found myself a little disappointed with this book. While I am without a doubt a Murakami fan (I absolutely loved A Wild Sheep Chase; Dance, Dance, Dance; Hardboiled Wonderland; and Kafka on the Shore), I found the stories here lacked the complexity that I have come to enjoy from Murakami. I did enjoy some of the stories here, but, over all, I found the book a little lacking in depth.
Murakami and the absurdities of ordinary life.......2007-03-28
Acclaimed as a novelist, Haruki Murakami also shines as a writer of short stories. Having read his short story collections _After the Quake_ and _Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman_, I decided it was high time I checked out this one. I was not disappointed. In fact, the more of his short stories one reads, the more one begins to appreciate Murakami's skill in this capacity. While his novels are long, dreamlike excursions, his short stories are snapshots of everyday life, peppered with an appropriate amount of the mysterious and unexpected. The terms "absurd" and "surreal" come to mind, but what is so striking about the stories in _The Elephant Vanishes_ is how very real they seem. They cause the reader to reflect on the absurdities and surprises of life itself. Reading Murakami, who wouldn't believe that one day an elephant could vanish suddenly, without explanation?
Some of the highlights of this collection are "The Dancing Dwarf", a story narrated by an employee of an elephant factory, "The Second Bakery Attack", which involves a bizarre holdup, "TV People", a short story found also in a Norton anthology and my personal introduction to Murakami, and the remarkable "The Elephant Vanishes." "The Wind-Up Bird and Tuesday's Women" is also mentionable as it was later expanded into one of his most memorable novels. This book is definitely worth checking out.
Do not buy Lederhosen in Hamburg!.......2006-11-10
I am normally not much inclined towards short stories, but HM may have converted me here.
There are some damned good stories in this volume!
"Sleep" is one of my favourites, a tale about a young wife's and mother's insomnia and hallucinations. Scary.
The little green monster of the story with the same name is a truely tragic figure. You can't but sympathize with it.
Never read a better story on disenchantment than "Lederhosen", though I have my doubt about the claim that the best Lederhosen shop is somewhere near Hamburg. Poetic licence, for sure.
HM is a master of the short story art form. None better.
I fail to see the parallel to Raymond Carver, though Altman's movie Shortcuts is one of my favorite movies, and it is based on Carver short stories.
There is an essential difference between Carver's and HM's short stories: Carver is unerringly going downhill, his stories are always turning to the worst possible outcome. HM is different. You have no sense of direction with him. There is no meaning to the direction of the stories. They are what they are, not upwards or downwards.
The collection shows that the man is versatile. Let me try a typology of HM short stories:
1. fantasy worlds (dancing dwarf)
2. real world with invading fantasy (green monster, TV people, vanishing elephant)
3. real world, fairly extravagant (raging winds, Tuesday's women, perfect girl)
4. real world, fairly real (last lawn, silence, slow boat to China)
5. mindbenders (sleep)
Book Description
As the designs in this book show, Asia's most successful decorators have worked wonders with bathrooms.
Here you'll find artfully arranged tubs and basins, shower curtains adjusted just so for perfect coloring, and glass panels placed at intriguing geometric angles. These brilliant strategies prove that astute decorators consider the bathroom as important as any other room.
Shot entirely on location, Contemporary Asian Bathrooms presents the newest trends emerging in Asian home design. Gorgeous full-color photographs showcase the sexy new look and fantasy appeal of today's bathrooms. The book includes page after page of one-of-a-kind indoor and outdoor bathroom designs in 50 luxury homes and hotels across Southeast Asia, ranging from the minimalist to the exotic, and exclusive city penthouses to rural country homes. This book offers homeowners new ideas for showers, tubs, fixtures, tiles and lighting that will inspire a new approach to modern bathing.
Customer Reviews:
Gorgeous book, but not necessarily useful for design ideas.......2005-01-20
This is an undeniably beautiful coffee table book, which shows plenty of photos for bathroom design in Asian countries (Japan, China, Thailand, etc). If what you want is an overview demonstrating how gorgeous a bathroom can be, given an unlimited budget and (often) a lot of space, then you'll probably find this a five-star book.
That wasn't what I was hoping for, however, so I'm personaly a little disappointed. First, when you can buy the finest (such as lots of marble) then it's easy to create something beautiful. For my purposes... as a new homeowner, I've been considering doing one of my bathrooms with an Asian theme. This book didn't give me much in the way of ideas for that. On the other hand, it's so pretty that I don't really mind.
Book Description
In the tempestuous closing decades of the sixteenth century, the Empire of Japan writhes in chaos as the shogunate crumbles and rival warlords battle for supremacy. Warrior monks in their armed citadels block the road to the capital; castles are destroyed, villages plundered, fields put to the
torch.
Amid this devastation, three men dream of uniting the nation. At one extreme is the charismatic but brutal Nobunaga, whose ruthless ambition crushes all before him. At the opposite pole is the cold, deliberate Ieyasu, wise in counsel, brave in battle, mature beyond his years. But the keystone of
this triumvirate is the most memorable of all, Hideyoshi, who rises from the menial post of sandal bearer to become Taiko-absolute ruler of Japan in the Emperor's name.
When Nobunaga emerges from obscurity by destroying an army ten times the size of his own, he allies himself with Ieyasu, whose province is weak, but whose canniness and loyalty make him invaluable. Yet it is the scrawny, monkey-faced Hideyoshi-brash, impulsive, and utterly fearless-who becomes the
unlikely savior of this ravaged land. Born the son of a farmer, he takes on the world with nothing but his bare hands and his wits, turning doubters into loyal servants, rivals into faithful friends, and enemies into allies. In all this he uses a piercing insight into human nature that unlocks
castle gates, opens men's minds, and captures women's hearts. For Hideyoshi's passions are not limited to war and intrigue-his faithful wife, Nene, holds his love dear, even when she must share it; the chaste Oyu, sister of Hideyoshi's chief strategist, falls prey to his desires; and the seductive
Chacha, whom he rescues from the fiery destruction of her father's castle, tempts his weakness.
As recounted by Eiji Yoshikawa, author of the international best-seller Musashi, Taiko tells many stories: of the fury of Nobunaga and the fatal arrogance of the black-toothed Yoshimoto; of the pathetic downfall of the House of Takeda; how the scorned Mitsuhide betrayed his master; how once
impregnable ramparts fell as their defenders died gloriously. Most of all, though, Taiko is the story of how one man transformed a nation through the force of his will and the depth of his humanity. Filled with scenes of pageantry and violence, acts of treachery and self-sacrifice, tenderness and
savagery, Taiko combines the panoramic spectacle of a Kurosawa epic with a vivid evocation of feudal Japan.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best book on Japanese unification history.......2007-08-20
I first read this book 20 years ago when I was in the primary school. Of course I did not understand it at that time. I picked it up again when I was in university and since then I have read it 3 times.
This book puts a lot of focus on the live of Toyotomi Hideyoshi from his youth to his rise as one of the powerful figure in Japan political landscape. Hideyoshi lived at the time when the Japanese political power was polarized into three shoguns, Takeda Shingen, Oda Nobunaga and Ieyesu Tokugawa.
The monkey face, this was how the young Hideyoshi being called by others, started his career as the low level servant at Oda Nobunaga clan. He was the personal servant of Oda Nobunaga himself, carrying Nobunaga's sandals. Overtime he rose as one of Nobunaga's trusted general. Hideyoshi's main strenght is his administration skill. He is able to manage people in achieving certain goals. He is also a master negotiator, being able to persuade some of Nobunaga's enemies to switch side. His big break came after Nobunaga's unexpected death. He quickly consolidated the power and basically took over the Nobunaga's clan.
Mr. Yoshikawa is very good in telling the stories and describing the mind and feeling of the characters. He is very good in reliving the heart and soul of the characters involved in the history. That's what make this book is very enjoyable to read. It's not a plain history book but it is more a romantic drama book.
The only set back that I have with this book is the closure or the ending. I feel that Mr Yoshikawa bring this book to an end too fast. The pace of the story is speed up and condensed right after the death of Nobunaga.
To conclude this review, this is one of several books that I read more than once. The other book from Mr Yoshikawa, Musashi, is also very highly recommended.
Awesome.......2007-08-06
Extraordinary! I cannot say enough of this novel. It is vast in depth and exposition of this era. The portrayal of Hideyoshi's rise to power is intriguing chapter by chapter.
The novel contains many of the protagonists of this time, all formidable and with many vying for the position of supreme ruler of Japan. Through it all the unassuming monkey-faced soldier with the peasant background rises to the forefront. Hideyoshi is underestimated by his peers, with the exception of those few who see past his mien and recognize the giftedness and genius of this man.
The shortcomings of the novel is its overt romanticism attributed to the Hideyoshi. Historically, Hideyoshi was a political animal and during his reign he ordered the disastrous campaign against China and Korean, and his later persecution of Christians. The author does not write about his later life where these events took place. This leads to the second flaw, which is that the story ends too abruptly with Hideyoshi's execution of a political move which places him as the most pre-eminent Lord of Japan. We never see him as he finally rises to the title of Taiko. Yoshikawa tells us (as well as history itself) that Hideyoshi's mastery is inevitable at the point that the novel ends; however, it left me desiring the author to finish the story and wished that Yoshimoto would have written more. Still it is a novel that I have read again and again despite its length and minor shortcomings.
A dense but enjoyable book........2007-05-28
This book is a great read. It is something that can be enjoyed by those who have a interest in samurai literature, or people interested in history. The book at times seems to move slowly to get to something that the reader will know is inevitable. Also worth mentioning, the book has entirely too much emphasis on the names of every character, major and minor. all considered I am not dissapointed that I bought this book.
really good book.......2007-04-02
Its a great book if you like japanese history, samurais books, and those subjects, its long and you might get lost a little bit with names and places at the beginning but the book keeps you interested in the story. At least it did to me.
Go with Musashi..........2007-03-26
Though of more historical interest, I thought Yoshikawa scored much bigger with "Musashi" than with "Taiko". The same intricate prose style that lent a quiet depth to the adventures of the swordsman drags this tale of Hideyoshi's rise to power to a crawl. The plot of this novel is much slower, and certainly of less interest to those looking for a casual read, as well as those seeking a touch of sparse Japanese spiritualism. It's certainly not a bad book, and those coming for a spiced-up history lesson won't be disappointed. However, if you were looking for another tale of adventure and self-actualization, you won't find one to measure up to Musashi here.
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