ohhkatrina's review against another edition
2.0
Not my favorite Anthropology text. Very dense and dry.
aerdna's review against another edition
3.0
A sociological analysis of the nature of the Japanese written immediately after the Second World War. Really strikes me most as a comparative analysis of the cultural attitudes of Americans and Japanese of that era. An interesting look into how a moral code can differ in every way and still be valid. However, many parts are extremely outdated. The most obvious is the highly touted “high birth rate” of the Japanese, which could not contrast more strongly with the current situation. This analysis does offer some clues as to how the aging of the population happened, but I would love to read an updated version of this book. Another thing that struck me are the parenting attitudes discussed here- the current situation in the us is much closer to how she describes Japanese attitudes back in the day, complete with baby wearing. This is the part where us attitudes seem remarkably dated.
Glad I read it but one must think carefully about the conclusions drawn.
Glad I read it but one must think carefully about the conclusions drawn.
benrogerswpg's review
4.0
Outstanding book on Japanese culture. I learned a lot and would recommend it for anyone who wants to know more about other counties' cultures. Some pretty fascinating facts in this book.
I think that it gets better as it goes on. The last half - I was unable to put down!
4.2/5
I think that it gets better as it goes on. The last half - I was unable to put down!
4.2/5
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