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Japanese I - 3rd Ed.: Learn to Speak and Understand Japanese with Pimsleur Language Programs (Comprehensive)

Average customer rating:

I too believe that the speakers are Native Japanese
A Good Place to Start
Amazing!
making learning fun!
A great way to learn to speak

Japanese I - 3rd Ed.: Learn to Speak and Understand Japanese with Pimsleur Language Programs (Comprehensive)
Pimsleur
Manufacturer: Pimsleur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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Japanese II - 2nd Ed.: Learn to Speak and Understand Japanese with Pimsleur Language Programs (Comprehensive)
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Accessories:

Japanese III - 2nd Ed.: Learn to Speak and Understand Japanese with Pimsleur Language Programs (Pimsleur Language Program)
Japanese II - 2nd Ed.: Learn to Speak and Understand Japanese with Pimsleur Language Programs (Comprehensive)

ASIN: 0743523539

Book Description

Comprehensive Japanese I includes 30 lessons of essential grammar and vocabulary -- 16 hours of real-life spoken practice sessions -- plus a Culture Booklet.

Upon completion of this Level I program, you will have functional spoken proficiency with the most-frequently-used vocabulary and grammatical structures. You will be able to:

* initiate and maintain face-to-face conversations,

* deal with every day situations -- ask for information, directions, and give basic information about yourself and family,

* communicate basic information on informal topics and participate in casual conversations,

* avoid basic cultural errors and handle minimum courtesy and travel requirements,

* satisfy personal needs and limited social demands,

* establish rapport with strangers in foreign countries,

Customer Reviews:

I too believe that the speakers are Native Japanese.......2007-05-30

I had to address the statements from other reviewers who claimed that the speakers were not native Japanese. This product is far too good to avoid buying it because of fear that the accents were "off" or "Chinese." On the Acknowledgement page iii of the companion booklet, the Female Japanese Speaker is listed as, "Kimiko Ise Abramoff", and the Male Japanese Speaker is "Tsunenori 'Lee' Abe." "Ise" is a Japanese surname, so I assume that "Kimiko Ise" married someone with the last name of "Abramoff." Although having a Japanese first name and last name is not conclusive evidence of being a native Japanese speaker, the chances of them not being native are very slim. I have heard spoken Japanese my whole life from both native and non-native speakers and the speakers on the CD sound fine to me.

Perhaps the criticism comes from reading a script and having to enunciate every word clearly so those who are new to Japanese can learn it. Anyone reading a script and pronouncing every syllable can begin to sound a little stilted.

This program is excellent when used in conjunction with a Japanese class. It will get you "up and running" quickly in everyday conversational situations.

A Good Place to Start.......2007-04-29

These audio CDs are a good place to start learning Japanese. The program is quite simple: For the most part, a Japanese speaker says a phrase, and you repeat. As the lessons progress, some of the instructions are in Japanese. This program is well thought-out and produced, and the speakers speak slowly and clearly. Of course, you can listen in the car. No one will think you're weird for talking to yourself, as they will just assume you are on the phone.

It should go without saying that listening to these CDs (even all three sets of CDs) will not enable you to speak Japanese fluently, or even nearly so. It takes a whole lot more work than that to learn Japanese. Still, it will get you started.

Also, these CDs come with very little written materials. That's just fine; as stated above, these CDs are just start.

Amazing!.......2007-04-23

I'm sharing the CD's with a co-worker and this is definitely an amazing series. I feel like I can actually get by with this little bit with a trip to Japan! I am only half way through the first set but see the benefits already.

I've tried several other language CD's with limited results. The Pimsleur series is definitely the best I've found!

A must have for anyone learning any language.

making learning fun!.......2007-04-11

well, what can i say? there are many reviews of this product already, but i just wanted to add my own thoughts about it. i have been looking for a way to learn japanese, the way children learn, in other words, by hearing japanese, then understanding, then speaking. i bought the japanese linguaphone course, but to my dismay, it was nothing like i had heard. it's all in japanese, that's great, but the language used is seriously outdated. my many japanese friends couldn't believe how old fashioned it was. not only that, but you get bogged down in the lessons, and i only finished the first 5 before i gave up. in contrast, the pimsleur method has made it fun to learn japanese, i wake up in the morning looking forward to pressing play on my ipod. the instructions advise you to know 80% of the lesson, before moving on, to encourage rapid progress, and to prevent boredom and over perfection. this has really helped me, and the further i advanced through the course, the more enjoyable it became. not only that, but the words used are very up to date, very useful. and just when you might have forgotten a new word, it is repeated, making it easy to remember. a word of note - there is nothing in the way of grammar, except for a small booklet included with the audio cds (another plus - linguaphone seem insistent in releasing their product in tape format only, with the exception of the main languages. i mean come on, who in this day and age still owns a tape machine? when was the last time you saw tapes in a music store?) but this to me is another bonus, as in my mind it's better to speak and understand, the same way kids do, then to get bogged down with too much grammar. i hope this review was helpful! whatever you do, DONT buy the linguaphone set!

A great way to learn to speak.......2006-11-26

Pimsleur courses have been invaluable to me for learning to speak Japanese. Think about the way you learned to talk as a child. Your parents would repeat the words slowly and then you would repeat it back. That's how these courses work. It's nitty-gritty language training.

The only downside is that you will still have to learn to read and write your new language. In the case of Japanese, I have found that learning the Katakana and Hiragana is pertinent to truly understanding how the language works. I am currently using the Pimsleur courses as a supplement to my college Japanese courses. I have found that I am able to develop my speaking ability at a faster rate than if I did not have the course. Also, since I am not currently living in Japan, it gives me the oppurtunity to hear myself speak right after a native speaker, so I can get the proper intonation, etc.

Pimsleur courses are by far the best language on tape series that I have encountered. Other tapes that I have tried just give you phrases to memorize, but do not teach how the language is structured. It teaches you in an almost subconcious manner, since you simply repeat the syllables and phrases and ingrain them in your memory

Overall this is a great course, well worth the money, and it will have you speaking basic Japanese in no time. However, to truly understand the language, you will need some supplemental materials which will enable you to learn the hiragana, katakana and kanji.

Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945

Average customer rating:

Not worth a tinker's damn
An insight into the epic personalities who stalked each other upon the waters of the Pacific
Interesting personal study of commanders
Has moments, but something is missing
Hit Piece on Adm. Halsey

Sea of Thunder: Four Commanders and the Last Great Naval Campaign 1941-1945
Evan Thomas
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743252217

Book Description

Evan Thomas takes us inside the naval war of 1941-1945 in the South Pacific in a way that blends the best of military and cultural history and riveting narrative drama. He follows four men throughout: Admiral William ("Bull") Halsey, the macho, gallant, racist American fleet commander; Admiral Takeo Kurita, the Japanese battleship commander charged with making what was, in essence, a suicidal fleet attack against the American invasion of the Philippines; Admiral Matome Ugaki, a self-styled samurai who was the commander of all kamikazes and himself the last kamikaze of the war; and Commander Ernest Evans, a Cherokee Indian and Annapolis graduate who led his destroyer on the last great charge in the last great naval battle in history.

Sea of Thunder climaxes with the Battle of Leyte Gulf, the biggest naval battle ever fought, over four bloody and harrowing days in October 1944. We see Halsey make an epic blunder just as he reaches for true glory; we see the Japanese navy literally sailing in circles, torn between the desire to die heroically and the exhausted, unacceptable realization that death is futile; we sail with Commander Evans and the men of the USS Johnston into the jaws of the Japanese fleet and exult and suffer with them as they torpedo a cruiser, bluff and confuse the enemy -- and then, their ship sunk, endure fifty horrific hours in shark-infested water.

Thomas, a journalist and historian, traveled to Japan, where he interviewed veterans of the Imperial Japanese Navy who survived the Battle of Leyte Gulf and friends and family of the two Japanese admirals. From new documents and interviews, he was able to piece together and answer mysteries about the Battle of Leyte Gulf that have puzzled historians for decades. He writes with a knowing feel for the clash of cultures.

Sea of Thunder is a taut, fast-paced, suspenseful narrative of the last great naval war, an important contribution to the history of the Second World War.

Customer Reviews:

Not worth a tinker's damn.......2007-06-23

Boy, did I make a mistake in buying this book!! I should have read the reviews first, but mea culpa. When I received the book I read the dust cover to see Admiral Halsey described as a "racist." I knew right then that historical revisionism and modern political correctness could be a problem. And, I was right. This book is nothing more than a very general telling of an important battle with the author's biases run rampant. There are better ways to learn about this battle. I stronly suggest Hornfleisher's "Last stand of the tin can sailors." It is rich on narrative history and the facts of the battle. Evan Thomas should be ashamed of this book. But he won't be.

An insight into the epic personalities who stalked each other upon the waters of the Pacific.......2007-06-08

In "Sea of Thunder," Evan Thomas has written a compelling piece of WWII history that is of interest to both casual readers and historical scholars alike.
Thomas's research has sought to reveal the human side of the men whose four way paths may have been destined to cross, but not for the Fates of history.
To some readers it will outwardly appear that Thomas has sought to malign Admiral Halsey, I do not believe that was his intent. The sources for Thomas's book are obviously more akin to reveal the shortcomings of American commanders as Japanese sources remain inherently less transparent on their misgivings and opinions of the leadership of Imperial Japan.
If anything, I would say that "Sea of Thunder," reveals the humanity of men like Halsey who could in one sentance call for the all-out slaughter and suspicion of the Japanese, while criticizing Truman's use of the atomic bombs as excessive. We should be grateful and not ashamed that much of our WWII leadership was indeed human, and therefore subject to all the characteristics of human imperfection.
In the clarity of historical hindsight, it is easy to make generalized appraisals of what was done right and what was not. I believe that despite the outward appearance of tactical errors during the Battle of Leyte Gulf, destiny prevailed.
Though Thomas is a journalist and not considered a "historian," it should be understood that journalists are very much history's storytellers. There is no reason to believe that Thomas's journalistic background cannot produce a book that both captures a historical event while also producing the entertaining read that "Sea of Thunder" indeed is. Thomas taps into the anecdotes of the story that stuffy historical monographs often lack, producing a work that transcends the limited audience of historians alone.

Interesting personal study of commanders.......2007-05-13

Not a detalied history of the battle, but a look at the personal and national emotions and psychologies that motivated this historical battle.

Has moments, but something is missing.......2007-05-11

This is a book for WW II History lovers. The author has a great premise, ie cover a prominent WW II sea battle through the experiences and lives of four of its major players, two Americans and two Japanese.

The book has its moments, but should have been better. The supposed focus of the book, the Battle of Leyte Gulf, kind of gets lost. The author's coverage seems very removed somehow. I was expecting many more first hand accounts since he had accesss to a lot of people and previous writings. Also, he covers the sinking of the Japaneses battleship Yamoto,
maybe the largest one ever, in a couple of paragraphs. makes you go hmmm

It isn't clear why he chose the particular four individuals that he did.
It seemed that he had info about the four and went with it. the result is definitely a mixed bag.

I didn't find it as "riveting and extraordinary' as did the five prominent individuals who blurbed it on the back.

Summary recommendation: if you like WW II writings, you will probably like it, but a "Flags of Our Fathers" it isn't

Hit Piece on Adm. Halsey.......2007-05-11

Nothing more than a hit piece on Adm. Halsey.

Start with the premise that after Pearl Harbor battleships are outmoded and that aircraft carriers are the real threat. Add to that the fact that Halsey's orders, at the time of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, were to attack and destroy the Japanese carriers. Then crucify Halsey for evaluating all the facts and attacking, and destroying the Japanese carriers -- an event which is covered by Thomas in two paragraphs.

We can argue now that this was a mistake. But, Thomas makes no effort to consider the fact that Adm. Halsey made a decision based on the facts he had at the time. Rather, Thomas focuses on members of Halsey's staff who suggested they should not go "full-bore" at the Japanese carriers and uses their warnings to show that Halsey was duped. Of course, Thomas has all the information that Adm. Halsey did not have, including the histories provided by the Japanese participants.

Thomas glides over the fact that it was Admiral Kincaid --in charge of MacArthur's Navy -- who was responsible for defending the landing force at Leyte Gulf and that Halsey was forbidden from communicating directly with Kincaid. Thomas also glosses over the apparent fact that Adm. Kincaid did nothing to guard the approaches to Leyte Gulf -- no submarines or PT Boats or air patrols to guard his flanks.

Thomas relies almost exclusively on hindsight. We now know that the Japanese carrier sortee was a feint and that the flyers on the Japanese carriers were substandard. Thomas forgets to mention that Halsey did not know this. And Thomas forgets to mention the fact that Halsey destroyed these carriers so they could never again be a threat.

Thomas repeatedly depicts Adm. Halsey as a racist hater and the Japanese Admirals as sensitive and trying to cope with the bushido code as best they could. Thomas seems to forget that we were in a total war and that the best persons to lead our forces in a total war are warriors. Halsey was a warrior.

Thomas notes the fact that Halsey's fleet was caught in two typhoons. Thomas never addresses where Halsey's fleet was supposed to go when the typhoons hit. Should they have sailed out of the War? Would they have been safer at anchorage or at sea? Thomas doesn't ask the question or provide the answer.

Thomas cites criticism of Halsey by General MacArthur. He makes no mention of the fact that the source of this information, General Sutherland, was a MacArthur sycophant and a questionable source. Nor does Thomas mention that MacArthurs criticism of Halsey for "chasing" the Japanese fleet would have been the height of hypocrisy considering MacArthur's own lack of action right after Pearl Harbor. I cannot imagine Adm. Halsey tolerating this condescension from even so lofty a personage as Gen. MacArthur.

Thomas feels it was necessary to reveal that Adm. Halsey was a philanderer. And, Thomas leaves the reader the sense, by the end of the book, that Halsey was demented and should not have been in command.

This book is modern history at its worst. It is filled moral relativism and criticism of an American Naval hero based on facts that could not have been known to the parties at the time.

Genki 1: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese 1

Average customer rating:

Well Thought-Out Beginners' Course for English Speakers
Read this is you are concerned with the JLPT Tests
I've purchased all the rest this one is the best.
Best learning tool I've seen for Japanese
Awesome!

Genki 1: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese 1
Eri Banno , Yutaka Ohno , Yoko Sakane , and Chikako Shinagawa
Manufacturer: Varsitybooks.Com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Genki I: An Integrated Course in Elementary Japanese I - Workbook
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ASIN: 4789009637

Book Description

Genki outlines in 23 structured lessons all the fundamentals of the Japanese language. Abundantly illustrated and containing a wide variety of exercises, Genki is sure to bring vigor to your classroom! Though primarily meant for use in college-level classes, it is also a good guide for independent learners and is a nice resource book for teachers of Japanese. Genki's authors teach at Kansai Gaidai University, which hosts the largest number of North American students spending their junior year in Japan.

Customer Reviews:

Well Thought-Out Beginners' Course for English Speakers.......2007-05-23

Japanese is a very difficult language for English speakers to learn. If you've learned some French or Spanish (as I have), forget about it! Japanese is many times more difficult. That being said, Japanese is also more interesting, in that it has a completely different structure and forces you to think differently.

Genki does a good job of presenting Japanese is an orderly fashion. The authors are all native Japanese speakers, and there are a few places where they make mistakes in English, but those small errors do not take away from the text.

Genki could use a few more sample Japanese sentences, though. For example, when they present a new pattern, they often provide just a couple of examples when ten or twelve would be better. I suppose they assume (correctly) that this book will mostly be used in a classroom setting, and that the teacher will provide additional material.

In the end, Genki is a good textbook, but you will need more help if you are going to learn to speak Japanese. That is not the fault of the authors, it is just the way it is.

Read this is you are concerned with the JLPT Tests.......2007-04-30

I am writing this review as a person who is concerned with passing the JLPT tests and finding study materials. Of ocurse as everyone else wants, I also want to learn Japanese as well. After having passed all the exams and having an understanding of what each requires and being a State university (college) student I can say this book si great. Challenging but great.

THE Genki 1 IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO PASS JLPT TEST 4 or 3!!!

Let me repeat that again

THE Genki 1 IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO PASS JLPT TEST 4 or 3!!!

While it can be a help, it simply does not go over enough information to insure passing.

THE GENKI BOOK 1 and THE GENKI BOOK 2 DO NOT INSURE PASSING LEVEL 3 or 4!!!

let me repeat tht again

THE GENKI BOOK 1 and THE GENKI BOOK 2 DO NOT INSURE PASSING LEVEL 3 or 4!!!

The other reviewers who write that it does would have needed other knowledge NOT included in these books or with the cds. You simply need more information. about it. The best book for passing the JLPT levels 3 and 4 do not exist. you need a thorough understanding which school can provide or multiple resources for the home study fanatic.

I normally do not review. but would hate to see people just buying this and then getting to the examinations and not knowing a thing that was going on. Be careful what you read.

THe book is great but if one of your goals is passing JLPT 4 or 3 this is not sufficuent alone.

Thank you and good luck to you!

I've purchased all the rest this one is the best........2007-03-26

Ok, I've spent hundreds and hundreds of dollars on Japanaese language learning materials. Books, software, CDs etc. Some of them good some of them bad. Genki is the only one that has really put it all together for me. It explains the concepts and explains them well. When you are done reading the grammar sections it just starts to make sense.

This is a great stepping stone for those that are wanting to learn Japanese as part of a fuller understanding of the language. If you are looking for a quick read for a weekend in Tokyo this book isn't for you.

Pick up the workbook and CD if you are going to be doing this solo. It'll help out like you wouldn't believe.

Best learning tool I've seen for Japanese.......2007-03-19

I have been using a couple books in the beginning of my learning Japanese; but after starting this book and reviewing futre chapters, I'd say this beats most if not all of the other books I've seen. The vocab is set up very well, the subjects are arrainged in a very realistic order (some books make you wait until middle chapters to learn how to tell time???).If you're looking for a simple read through book, this isn't it. This book forces you to learn the written language and utilizes it heavily early and often. By the third chapter, the Japanese portion of the lessons no longer come with phonic translating subscript, and nor do the vocabulary pages come with script/japanese-phonic/english-phonic breakdowns;you go from Hirigana to Enlish. Immersion that I have never really seen in a lot of books, but this is done extremely well. I say all this because if your intention is to learn the phonetic speak, this is not the book for you! If you want a good, quality and well set up immersion learning book, this book is incredible. Also, of all the books I've recently looked at and tried to use, my Japanese fiancee gives this one the biggest thumbs up because it forces you to not only speak, but learn to read and write.

Awesome!.......2007-03-05

This is the book that we use in my Japanese class and it is the best that I have ever read to learn the Japanese language.

I have learned so much in the first 3 chapters.

If you want to learn the language, get this book. Its the best by far. I'd also get the workbook that goes with it too.

Average customer rating:

A must read for any woman caught up in external validation
Not "OUT", but still compelling....
Read Tropic of Cancer instead...
Who was the monster?
Grotesque is a Must-Read!

Grotesque
Natsuo Kirino
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Out: A Novel
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ASIN: 1400044944
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Book Description

Natsuo Kirino made a spectacular fiction debut on these shores with the publication of Edgar Award-nominated Out (“Daring and disturbing . . . Prepared to push the limits of this world . . . Remarkable”—Los Angeles Times). Unanimously lauded for her unique, psychologically complex, darkly compelling vision and voice, she garnered a multitude of enthusiastic fans eager for more.
In her riveting new novel Grotesque, Kirino once again depicts a barely known Japan. This is the story of three Japanese women and the interconnectedness of beauty and cruelty, sex and violence, ugliness and ambition in their lives.
Tokyo prostitutes Yuriko and Kazue have been brutally murdered, their deaths leaving a wake of unanswered questions about who they were, who their murderer is, and how their lives came to this end. As their stories unfurl in an ingeniously layered narrative, coolly mediated by Yuriko’s older sister, we are taken back to their time in a prestigious girls’ high school—where a strict social hierarchy decided their fates—and follow them through the years as they struggle against rigid societal conventions.
Shedding light on the most hidden precincts of Japanese society today, Grotesque is both a psychological investigation into the female psyche and a classic work of noir fiction. It is a stunning novel, a book that confirms Natsuo Kirino’s electrifying gifts.

Customer Reviews:

A must read for any woman caught up in external validation.......2007-06-09

After finally realizing the point of the book, I am hugely taken aback and respect the book much more. At first it seemed the author did not acknowledge how awful the first narrator is, and we are expected to follow her without any hint that she is in the "wrong" in the world of the novel. After seemingly interminable narrations by other characters who work as prostitutes, the sordidness of the novel finally became a lesson of "how not to think." A middle class girl who works hard to get into top schools and a top firm never feels validated enough and seeks affirmation by becoming a call girl and starving herself. Her situation plummets and because we have heard so much about her in the 3rd person, by the time we read her narration we really feel her whole situation. She is reduced to having sex with homeless people under a bridge for a few dollars, and people run away from her in the street calling her a monster. Yet she uses the same mantra she has always used to stay the course "i am a graduate from q univesity, i work for __ firm. i am beautiful and skinny."

i remember how much i liked "Out," though i read it so long ago I don't remember the plot. this book IS "grotesque" to read, but it is a necessary shock. a great reminder to make oneself happy first, and not to seek approval from others. to stop defining your happiness through men, accomplishments, or how other people see you. and based on a number of characters, including the predominant narrator, to stop judging people because all it does is make you a terrible miserable person.
this is a book to read if you are feeling in any way caught up in your life and can't figure out how to make yourself happy, it is a very difficult read emotionally - who wants to hear the inner thoughts of such malicious people-but it is worth it if you are stuck in an unfulfilling cycle of external validation. if as a woman you can't figure out why you are unhappy, it is more than likely useful to read this.

Not "OUT", but still compelling...........2007-06-08

Let me first say that this is certainly not "out". Not just because it wasn't much of a mystery book, but because (in my opinion) noirs lack the depth of a writer's narrative. However, I was immediately interested in the main character. Her wierd habits and introspections about love between men and women never left me bored.

The same can be said for the other characters: Zhang, Yuriko, and Kazue. Each one possessed and oddness about them that made their tales seem like an inner journey towards a destruction that was apparent to everyone but them; especially Kazue. I'd say if there was a mystery to this book, it was the characters who needed to figure it out. As readers, all we had to do is enjoy the view.

I was surprised by the sudden ending though. I hear it was an edited version of the Japanese original. I'd like to find out what really happened.

I look forward to her next book, as well would like to see movie versions of her books for sale (amazon, I'm looking at you!")

Read Tropic of Cancer instead..........2007-06-01

First, let me say that I read "Out" and enjoyed it greatly, but this novel missed the mark big time.

Having just finished reading "The Tropic of Cancer" by Henry Miller, I'll say that Henry Miller's novel, dealing in several men's view on sex, is much more interesting and has in-depth insights to the human condition that are much profounder than Kirino's female view of sex. And I'm NOT saying a man's sexual viewpoints (however limited and depraved) are better than a woman's, just that Miller's novel was illuminating, and hers, well, lacked candle power.

Who was the monster?.......2007-05-17

This compulsively readable book grabbed my attention from the very first page when the narrator confessed a seething hatred for her unspeakably beautiful sister. Kirino shows exactly what kind of a curse striking beauty can be for a woman in the same way that ugliness or ordinary features work against women. She provides a scathing indictment of the highly competitive nature of Japanese female schools as well as the workplace and introduces a number of self-loathing individuals whose lives appear to be full of promise when they're young but in fact, their fate has been sealed early on.

Male-female relationships are portrayed as a form of combat; at one point, Kirino says that in order to decay, plants need water and that in the case of women, "men are the water." Ouch!

Cruelty, competition and class are the big issues in this book along with sex and what might make a woman choose to prostitute herself. In the end, Karino concludes that women become prostitutes because they hate other people -- a bit simplistic and dismissing a more obvious reason which is that many prostitutes, male and female alike, sell themselves simply for the money; because they're hooked on drugs or too young to get decent jobs or sexually abused and need to reenact the pattern.

The ending was ambiguous and left me with some unanswered questions but nonetheless, I thoroughly enjoyed every single page of this beautifully written, wonderfully analytical, wildly entertaining and provocative story about a young woman who grows up with an abnormally attractive sister who she calls the monster. "The monster" eventually becomes a prostitute along with another schoolgirl known by the narrator -- 6° of separation? -- and in the end we must conclude that all of the characters are monsters: mean-spirited, self-loathing and ridiculously self absorbed.

Well worth the read.
Sigridmac

Grotesque is a Must-Read!.......2007-05-11

I'll be frank: I cannot remember the last time I had such a visceral reaction to a book. I found this book to be so profound and so unflinchingly honest that even after I had finished it and closed it, I was unable to actually put the book down. I'll admit that it takes a strong stomach to swallow the graphic sex and unmitigated perversity, however, these elements are not gratuitous. Rather, they are vital to the tenebrous web that Kirino weaves. In the beginning I only wanted to read this book because as a Japanese translator I consider it part of my job to be educated concerning modern Japanese literature. (As a side note I'll say this: the translation work done by Copeland is stunning.) However, studying quickly fell by the wayside as I was drawn in by this haunting mystery. If you only read 1 book this year, it should be this one.

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What many overlook
Hagakure
Insightful lessons
Interesting Book, but keep it in context.
Understanding the words of Musashi Sensei

Hagakure: The Book of the Samauri
Tsunetomo Yamamoto
Manufacturer: Kodansha International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Bushido: The Way of the Samurai (Square One Classics)
The Unfettered Mind: Writings of the Zen Master to the Sword Master
The Book of Five Rings
The Code of the Samurai: A Modern Translation of the Bushido Shoshinshu of Taira Shigesuke
Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition)

ASIN: 4770011067

Book Description

Hagakure ("In the Shadow of Leaves"') is a manual for the samurai classes consisting of a series of short anecdotes and reflections that give both insight and instruction--in the philosophy and code of behavior that foster the true spirit of Bushido--the Way of the Warrior. It is not a book of philosophy as most would understand the word: it is a collection of thoughts and sayings recorded over a period of seven years, and as such covers a wide variety of subjects, often in no particular sequence.

The work represents an attitude far removed from our modern pragmatism and materialism, and posesses an intuitive rather than rational appeal in its assertion that Bushido is a Way of Dying, and that only a samurai retainer prepared and willing to die at any moment can be totally true to his lord. While Hagakure was for many years a secret text known only to the warrior vassals of the Hizen fief to which the author belonged, it later came to be recognized as a classic exposition of samurai thought and came to influence many subsequent generations, including Yukio Mishima.

This translation offers 300 selections that constitute the core texts of the 1,300 present in the original.

Customer Reviews:

What many overlook.......2007-06-07

Though I am here to review this book I must comment on previous editorials and reviews posted. As you may have just read, this book is about the mindset of the Samurai. And really, it isn't about the samurai as in a sense of all samurais lumped together as one group, or even a type of samurai, as it is more about just one samurai, the author. However, many of the reviewers here fail to make the connection with this book to today's trials and tribulations.

Much of what Hagakures writes is outdated - instructions and etiquette on murder, suicide, treatment of women, etc. However, there is much of this book that is applicable to today. Look through the absurd passages into the lesson behind the text. Portions of this book that discuss fighting enemies, too, are outdated. But one must make the connection of terms like `enemy' with struggle or test; etiquette on waking up from a nap doesn't necessarily refer to literally waking from slumber. There is so much in this book that many will never see if they read it without pondering its teachings. The references to specific situations may seem obsolete, but one must look deeper.

The Bible passage of not putting a stumbling block before a blind man does directly mean just that. However, a blind man does not necessarily refer to a man without his eyesight. And a stumbling block may not be a physical object. If one can truly read this book without paying so much attention to the writer, and more to translating the deeper meaning between each passage, then this book will change your life. Passages of awaking from sleep, the spirit of an age, tackling obstacles without complexity, form and emptiness, and (my absolute favorite) the lesson of a rainstorm, will undoubtedly bestow a new level of understanding life to any deep reader.

I recommend this book for all of the reasons others have previously listed; but I also recommend this book for so many more.

Hagakure.......2007-03-29

This book is a wonderful look into the hearts and minds of the Samauri. Anybody intrested in trying to comprehend the Samauri mindset should start here. The book gives you a clear point of view on basic life, from doing good versus bad, to manners, to raising children, and everything inbetween all from the ancient Samauri ways of life. The world today would be a much better place if more people were to live their lives in this manner.

Insightful lessons.......2007-02-17

Hagakure is a very interesting book in the genre of "The Art of War" and "The Book of Five Rings" - on the surface it is about martial valor, underneath it contains broader principles applicable to all facets of life. Similr to "The Art of War" (or even "The Prince") the book needs to be taken in historical context - it was written after Tokugawa had unified Japan, as the Samurai were redefining their purpose away from being pure fighters.

Some of the stories, or lessons are immediately relevent, such as, "A person who knows but a little will put on an air of knowledge. This is a matter of inexperience. When someone knows something well, it will not be seen in his manner. This person is genteel."

Others are lost, "The master took a book from its box. When he openned it there was the smell of drying clovebuds" - Not enough context for this reader to understand the lesson. (To read or not to read - is that the question?)

The book certainly falls under the banner of wisdom literature that has stood the test of time. For a western reader, it requires (and helps develop) an understanding of the time period written. For all readers, the parables do require critical thinking - it isn't everything for everyone, but there's a lot to be learned.

Interesting Book, but keep it in context........2007-02-17

Hagakure is a very interesting and enjoyable read which can open up lots of opportunities for discussion and reflection. Enthusiasts of the samurai ways and Japanese history will easily see its value. This translation is by far the most popular. It is very readable and yet not so dumbed down that it loses the enigmatic spirit of the original.

It is important to note, however, that even though here in America the book is often marketed as "The Book of the Samurai," the work itself is representative of the opinions and principles of Tsunetomo himself. All manner of samurai thought and tradition is not found in full in this book alone, in fact, Tsunetomo's approach was considered rather extreme even for his own time. The practice of suifuku (seppukku upon the death of one's lord), for instance, was declared illegal because of its being overkill. Tsunetomo was of the opinion that it was a sign of utmost respect, but many other samurai would have disagreed because of its impracticality (seriously, the whole clan would cease to be!).

I'm saying all this simply to remind readers that Hagakure is not such a general and encompassing work on the samurai culture as it is often made out to be. I recommend it to anyone interested in the samurai, but I also recommend much further reading.

Understanding the words of Musashi Sensei.......2007-01-05

This is a very interesting book about samurai culture. It is a must read for those who are studying the way of the samurai. On the other hand, care must be taken to understand the figurative meaning of some parts of the book. That is to say, this was a transcription of Musashi Sensei wods by Tsunetomo Yamamoto and sometimes reflect the things were done then. Some passages such as those regarding women and harakiri are good examples of that. They express the prejudice towards women and the way that honor was preserved back then. It should not be seen as a bible of samurai culture, but as a nice picture of how this culture managed to keep some of its most important values such as respect, politeness, honor, courage, some of which are clearly lacking in our culture nowadays.
As previously stated, a must read.

Japan Rising: The Resurgence of Japanese Power And Purpose

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Resurgence of a Chastened, Wiser Giant
The Sun Also Rises

Japan Rising: The Resurgence of Japanese Power And Purpose
Kenneth B. Pyle
Manufacturer: PublicAffairs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1586484176

Book Description

Japan is on the verge of a sea change. After more than fifty years of national pacifism and isolation including the "lost decade" of the 1990s, Japan is quietly, stealthily awakening. As Japan prepares to become a major player in the strategic struggles of the 21st century, critical questions arise about its motivations. What are the driving forces that influence how Japan will act in the international system? Are there recurrent patterns that will help explain how Japan will respond to the emerging environment of world politics?

American understanding of Japanese character and purpose has been tenuous at best. We have repeatedly underestimated Japan in the realm of foreign policy. Now as Japan shows signs of vitality and international engagement, it is more important than ever that we understand the forces that drive Japan. In Japan Rising, renowned expert Kenneth Pyle identities the common threads that bind the divergent strategies of modern Japan, providing essential reading for anyone seeking to understand how Japan arrived at this moment-and what to expect in the future.

Customer Reviews:

Resurgence of a Chastened, Wiser Giant .......2007-06-05

Kenneth Pyle does a remarkable job in helping his readers better assess the future behavior of a resurgent Japan in fast-changing Asia. U.S. policymakers have been repeatedly wrong-footed in gauging Japan's foreign policy since the arrival of Commodore Matthew Perry and his ships on Japan's shores in 1853 (pp. 10, 67). Think for instance about the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor as an act of economic desperation over the American oil embargo, despite the odds against military victory (pp. 10 - 11, 64 - 65, 135 - 36, 204, 354). Another example is the Yoshida doctrine, Japan's unique Cold War policy that relied on U.S. security guarantees while pursuing mercantile realism, to which American policymakers remained oblivious for a long time (pp. 13, 45 - 46, 212, 225 - 77, 291).

Part of the challenge in understanding Japan is that the country is simultaneously a state and a unique civilization (pp. 13, 49 - 50). Furthermore, Japan has vacillated between infuriating ethnocentrism and remarkable receptivity to foreign influences during its history without ultimately sacrificing its unique culture (pp. 18 - 19, 22 - 23, 58 - 62, 76, 100 - 05, 116 - 36, 176, 239, 245). Finally, Japan has often not done enough to factor in the legitimate concerns of other countries in its "opaque" decision-making process, resulting in some needless frictions (pp. 15 - 16, 229, 250 - 52, 306 - 09, 354).

To his credit, Pyle clearly shows that the Japanese tend to shun radical change in their interaction with the outside world unless the circumstances deprive them of any other option. The difficulty of making change and the rapidity with which irresistible changes occur have often confused foreigners because of the apparent, inherent contradiction in this policy (pp. 52, 76).

Resource poor and a late arriver in the modern world, Japan is among the few countries in modern history which have been especially sensitive and responsive to the forces of the international environment (pp. 21 - 22, 27, 49). As a matter of self-interest, Japan has repeatedly allied itself with the dominant ascendant power (pp. 12, 44 - 46). Modern Japan's behavior is especially remarkable when one remembers that the country benefited from a unique isolation and security for almost all its history prior to the 19th century. (pp. 32, 34). The origin of that astonishing capability to adapt to external forces lies in the legacy of Japanese feudalism (pp. 39 - 41, 59, 62, 84). The same conservative ruling elite has displayed an extraordinary resilience in carrying on the strategic principles of the Meiji leaders, despite the ups and downs in their fortunes (pp. 23 - 24, 43 - 44, 49-51, 194, 220, 225 - 26, 260 - 77, 293, 357).

Pyle spends most of his time covering how Japan reorganized its domestic institutions to support its foreign policy while accommodating five fundamental changes in the international order in East Asia in the last century and half (p. 28):

1) The collapse of the Sinocentric system under the pressure of Western powers taking advantage of a weakened Imperial China in the middle of the 19th century (pp. 34 - 39, 72 - 136);

2) The substitution of the imperialist system for the decade-old Washington Treaty System based on the ideals of international liberalism under the influence of Woodrow Wilson after WWI. The new system was designed to check Japanese expansionism in East Asia (pp. 139 - 54, 159 - 67, 201);

3) The disintegration of the Washington System following the worldwide economic depression and the remodeling of Japanese domestic institutions after those of Nazi Germany in its conquest of much of East and Southeast Asia between 1932 and 1942 (pp. 167 - 69, 172, 183 - 91, 198 - 205);

4) The annihilation of Japan's fascist order and the imposition of a new U.S.-inspired liberal order after 1945 and its evolution during the Cold War. Postwar Japan retooled its domestic institutions to get the most out of the free-trade U.S.-sponsored regime while leveraging the military alliance between the two countries (pp. 205 - 77);

5) The post Cold War transition in Japan following the implosion of the Soviet Union-dominated communist order in 1989. Surprisingly, Japan, at the zenith of its economic power, sank in economic and political torpor, partly due to the absence of a clear-cut new order in East Asia and partly due to the emergence of other economic powers, especially China, in the region (pp. 5, 280, 284, 286, 300). Japan started rebounding from its torpor under the premiership of Koizumi Junichirô by undermining the Yoshida doctrine and by engaging in economic and military multilateralism (pp. 291 - 309, 355 - 74).

Pyle consecrates the end of his book to the triangular relations among China, Japan, and the U.S. The U.S. has pursued the same policy in East Asia since WWI: No domination of any power in the region, free trade, and the spread of democracy to preserve peace and stability in the region (pp. 145, 311). The U.S. has developed a mixed policy of containment and engagement with China while strengthening its military alliance with Japan (pp. 314, 333, 348 - 54, 368 - 69). The continued engagement of the U.S. in the region is vital to keep Japan from putting itself in the orbit of China (p. 353). Japan, mindful of its past, location, and culture, has been conditionally engaging China in a way that is somewhat different from the U.S. (pp. 314 - 16, 324 - 36).

The legitimacy of the Communist Party leadership in China is built on strong economic growth (p. 337). If economic growth falters, the Communist Party leadership could be tempted to internationalize its problems by playing once more the nationalistic card that could backfire. Think for instance about fascist Japan in the 1930s and 1940s. More optimistically, the Communist Party could give up power peacefully as its counterparts in Central and Eastern Europe did in 1989.

To summarize, Japan's international behavior cannot be correctly understood without a proper grasp of the tectonic forces that have molded the country's history, geography, and culture.

The Sun Also Rises.......2007-05-03

Japan is a country that has faded into the background for many Americans. It is there, but not front and center like China or even Korea (North/South.) But the terms of our two countries' basically comfortable bilateral relationship may soon shift.

Professor Pyle, a well-informed academic, reminds his readers that Japan is important not only as a current major world economic force but as an emerging political and military power in the future of Asia. Change is afoot in Japan -- with a younger population not grounded in the searing aftermath of World War II -- as it adjusts its foreign policy to post-Cold War realities.

A book for those serious about understanding both historical and modern Japan, and its possible future in relation to China, Taiwan, Russia, Korea, and the United States.

The Knowledge-Creating Company: How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation

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Not even worth one star
BEWARE! Digital version is only a 10 page summary!
From information-processing machine to knowledge-creating co
A look at knowledge creation
An essential book on knowledge management

The Knowledge-Creating Company: How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation
Ikujiro Nonaka , and Hirotaka Takeuchi
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195092694

Book Description

How has Japan become a major economic power, a world leader in the automotive and electronics industries, among others? What is the secret of their success? The concensus has been that, though the Japanese are not particularly innovative, they are exceptionally skillful at imitation, at improving products that already exist. But now two leading Japanese business experts, Ikujiro Nonaka and Hirotaka Takeuchi, turn this conventional wisdom on its head: Japanese firms are successful, they contend, precisely because they are innovative, because they create new knowledge and use it to produce successful products and technologies. In The Knowledge-Creating Company, Nonaka and Takeuchi provide an inside look at how Japanese companies work and reveal how Japanese business methods allow them to create new knowledge. The authors point out that there are two types of organizational knowledge: explicit knowledge, contained in manuals and procedures, and tacit knowledge, learned only by experience, and communicated only indirectly, through metaphor and analogy. U.S. managers, wedded to such approaches as "benchmarking" and "best practices," focus on explicit knowledge. The Japanese, on the other hand, focus on tacit knowledge. And this, the authors argue, is the key to their success--the Japanese have learned how to transform tacit into explicit knowledge, and to disseminate it throughout the organization. To explain how this is done--and illuminate Japanese business practices as they do so--the authors range from Zen Buddhism, to classical economists, to modern management gurus, illustrating the theory of knowledge creation with cases studies drawn from such firms as Honda, Canon, Matsushita, NEC, Nissan, 3M, GE, and even the U.S. Marines. For instance, using Mitsushita's development of the Home Bakery (the world's first fully automated bread-baking machine for home use), they show how tacit knowledge can be converted to explicit knowledge: when the designers couldn't perfect the dough kneading mechanism, a software programmer apprenticed herself with the master baker at Osaka International Hotel, gained a tacit understanding of kneading, and then conveyed this information to the engineers. In addition, the authors show that, to create knowledge, the best management style is neither top-down nor bottom-up, but rather what they call "middle-up-down," in which the middle managers form a bridge between the ideals of top management and the knowledge acquired on the frontline. Likewise, the best organizational structure is what they call a "hypertext" organization, which takes the best aspects of bureaucratic and task force approaches (they point to Sharp as a successful example of hypertext organization). Because the competitive environment and customer preferences change constantly, knowledge perishes quickly. With The Knowledge-Creating Company, managers have at their fingertips years of insight from Japanese firms that reveal how to blend the best of East and West, to create knowledge, and to use it to make successful new products and services.

Download Description

Manufacturers around the world have learned much from Japanese manufacturing techniques. However, any company that wants to compete on knowledge must also learn from Japanese techniques of knowledge-creation. Managers at Japan's most successful companies recognize that creating knowledge is not simply a matter of processing objective information. Rather, it depends on tapping the tacit and often highly subjective insights, intuitions, and ideals of employees.

Customer Reviews:

Not even worth one star.......2005-11-21

I was very disappointed by this book. Not only was it painful to read, because it dragged on and was full of academic nonsense, the authors views were also unconvincing and based on old research.

This book is outdated and not relevant to the way Japan is today. The authors use a lot of research and examples from the 80s and even the 70s. They make the claim that Japanese firms experienced a lot of success in the late 70s and 80s because of their superior ability to "create knowledge." They seem to be in complete denial that Japan's economic bubble had anything to do with this "success" that they are talking about. Also, the book was written over 10 years ago, before the financial crisis and before people realized that a lot of this so-called success was just cooked in the books by accountants.

They do give some reasonable examples of knowledge creating firms that are successful, but that's all they are, just a few examples and not an accurate representation of the whole picture of Japanese Management. Also, most of the examples are of Japanese manufacturing firms. What about the service sector? Suspiciously they did not use examples of companies from Japan's service sector, which are extremely inefficient and not the text book perfect examples of successful "knowledge creating" firms.

The theories and models in this book are a bunch of overly abstract vague pretentious academic nonsense. The real life examples are so nebulously related to the theories and models that most successful (or unsuccessful) companies can be used as examples.

If you want to read a bunch of nonsense based on old research with the names of Harvard professors and some philosophy thrown in to make the nonsense seem legit and intelligent, then by all means, read this book. But if you are like me and want to learn about Japanese management, don't waste your time or money on this book.

BEWARE! Digital version is only a 10 page summary!.......2004-03-16

Don't get caught like I did.

From information-processing machine to knowledge-creating co.......2002-08-28

This book is the classic in the organizational learning approach. But it¡¯s more than that. This book is not about lean production or Japanese kaizen system, but about how to enhance a firm¡¯s adaptability to turbulent environment through knowledge creation. with suggesting new concept of knowledge-creation as the tangible base of organizational capabilities or innovation, this book serves as the bridge between organizational learning school and resource-capabilities view.
As the being to survive in environment, the firm processes signals or information from environment. Knowledge is the framework to process info to interpret the state of environment. Up to 1980s, the company was viewed as information-processing machine. Indeed, firm is the flow of information. That kind of view has been justified against the business reality. Actually, it¡¯s the very picture of bureaucratic organization which culminated in GM¡¯s M-form model. Here, CEO like Jack Welch is the hero. Such an organization is effective when the environment is stable and predictable. But since 1970s, things have changed. Uncertainties have been amplified with the hypercompetition on global scale. Now the framework to interpret the signal from environment, itself should incessantly and systemically be adapted to turbulent reality. Knowledge and innovation have come the words of the day. Not surprisingly, there has been growing dissatisfaction with traditional organizational structure. Kao¡¯s CEO, Maruta put it in this way: ¡®The intelligence of a firm does not come from the president nor top management. That must come from the gathering of all knowledge of all members.¡¯ This book is about to how to build organization as the effective innovation site. To do so, all the available knowledge in and out of company should be able to be mobilized and freely flow throughout the firm. For instance, front line employees are constantly in direct touch with the outside world. They can obtain access to the up-to-date info on the market, technology, or competitors. But their knowledge is, in most cases, not able to be expressed in explicit way. Generally, it¡¯s the tacit knowledge. But to survive more and more intensified competition, the firm should be apt to mobilizing their tacit knowledge. To achieve such a goal, task force or bottom-up organizational model emerged. In those model, the creative knowledge worker, in Peter Drucker¡¯s term, is the hero. But in those models, knowledge tends to be confined to narrow front line, and comes and goes with creative employees. And worse, the firm can¡¯t react as an efficient unit to threats from environment. As a result, innovation is the haphazard event. So there should be some integrating mechanism like hierarchy. To be efficient unit, knowledge should flow all over the company. Here, authors rediscover the significance of middle managers. They play the role of midwife and amplifier of knowledge from front line employees and between various divisions in the firm. They coordinate the flow of knowledge and maintain the firm as a coherent knowledge-creating unit. In short, the firm should be organized as the melting pot of member¡¯s knowledge. Authors take examples from Japanese firms to illustrate what¡¯s like such a site.

A look at knowledge creation.......2001-11-26

I came to this book through a reference in Novak & Gowin. What caught my eye was that someone was willing to talk about an epistemological stance other than the analytic, reductionist view held in science. For the most part, I found this book's understanding of Western epistemology to be reasonable; I can't speak for the Japanese epsitemology cited. What interested me, and for which I recommend the book, is their view of knowledge creation. The case studies lend weight to their view, but they do explicate a possible model for turning subjective knowledge into explicit knowledge. They suggest a management model for making it happen. The book is very well written and edited.

I believe the book needs a very careful read *outside* the business community. I would put this book down as the business version of Feynman's *The Character of Natural Law*.

An essential book on knowledge management.......2001-09-28

This is perhaps one of the most important books presently available on knowledge management. The authors demonstrate how 'knowledge' is vital to innovation within Japanese firms, with clear distinction made between 'tacit' and explicit' knowledge. An effort is made to distinguish the differences between Japanese and Western firms through an emphasis on the importance of 'tacit' knowledge and a 'middle-up-down' management process. Other than Chapter 2 (a review of philosophical background relating to epistemology which might put some readers off), this book has minimal jargons and complexities and would be an easy and enjoyable read even for non-academics. The arguments presented by the authors are well-illustrated with relevant industrial examples. Overall, this is a book that not only brings a new perspective to knowledge management but also raises questions for the ardent researchers who might ponder over its relevance to non-Japanese firms.

Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production

Average customer rating:

Tell it like it is
Delighting
Toyota Magic
Toyota Production Systerm: Beyond Large-Scale Production
Worth every penny

Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production
Taiichi Ohno
Manufacturer: Productivity Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Machine That Changed the World : The Story of Lean Production

ASIN: 0915299143

Book Description

Here's the first information ever published in Japan on the Toyota production system (known as Just-In-Time manufacturing). Here Ohno, who created JIT for Toyota, reveals the origins, daring innovations, and ceaseless evolution of the Toyota system into a full management system. You'll learn how to manage JIT from the man who invented it, and to create a winning JIT environment in your own manufacturing operation.

Customer Reviews:

Tell it like it is.......2007-04-10

There are many myths around the Toyota Production System (TPS). Ohno Taiichi merits my deepest respects, considering he was able almost a half century ago to observe and learn from others. Considering the simple target given to him, to "catch up with America" he studied in-depth the work of Ford and recognised the idea of copying the US supermarket system for his operational purpose.

The book describes very well what constraints he was given from the owners when Toyota started to get into the automotive business and what path they followed until the first fully operated TPS plant went operational at the 60s.

Many thinkings of Ohno Taiichi are still actual. He is capable of bringing key problems to the point: efficiency gains are worthless until they really lead to cost reduction. Unfortunatelly we all now the opposite from this wisdom - and many "growth-strategies" of companies today are nothing else than to try to increase business with the same workforce. Furthermore the author gives good examples how Toyota handled different issues, as e.g. the syncronization of production with final assembly.

The reader will not find any operational theory or formulas in this book and if you are looking for books teaching you about designing and sizing Pull-systems you should look for books as "Kanban made simple" or similar. TPS is not about installing software than about eliminating everything which is waste and does mainly not contribute to the succes of your business.

Anyway this book is a must read for any readers interested in first hand information about the basis that made TMC what they are today - a business model developed by smart people many years ago and dearing to ask simple questions, to find sound and robust solutions and to steadily develop the system and its people working in it.

My deepest respect to Ohno Taiichi,
Domo arrigato,

Oliver

Delighting.......2007-03-09

For all the people searching a new way to lead & achieve new innovations, is a good example of attitud & ideas for that purpose. After a war between ownselfes & paradigms a Japanese discovered the importance of loose fear, achieving several succesfuly goals in his Company & in his Country.

Toyota Magic.......2006-05-24

"Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production" is a very enlightening work by the inventor of lean manufacturing, Taiichi Ohno. This small book is packed with insights and ideas on how to efficiently and effectively run a production system. The Toyota Production is also known as lean manufacturing, entails, among other things, minimising waste through continuous improvement and producing only what is sold, as requested by the customer. This unique and innovative system explains why Toyota makes profits even in tough times when other competitor firms are losing money.

The book explains this fascinating subject in a simple and easy to read and understand way that makes it accessible to a wide range of readers. Among the things that I found very interesting was the concept of zero defects, production load-levelling, standardised work and just-in-time delivery.

The book is very enlightening reading for those involved in any production process.

Toyota Production Systerm: Beyond Large-Scale Production.......2006-03-24

Great! Enlightening AND an interesting read. So good I bought an extra copy to give as a gift.

Worth every penny.......2006-03-19

The Toyota Production System provides fantastic insight into the genius of Toyota and how implementing Lean Principles or Continuos Improvement can help eliminate waste. Whether your new to Lean or need a jump start, this is a great book.

Bushido : Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo

Average customer rating:

Tradition with ink
Quite impressive
Amazing Japanese Tattoo Art
fabulous photos, unique access, lost opportunities
Excellent book

Bushido : Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo
Takahiro Kitamura , and Katie M. Kitamura
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Japanese Tattoo
Tattoos of the Floating World: Ukiyo-E Motifs in Japanese Tattoo
Tattooing From Japan To The West: Horitaka Interviews Contemporary Artists
The Sketchbook: 80 Unique Designs by the World's Finest Tattoo Artists
Japanese Tattooing Now!: Memory And Transition, Classic Horimono To The New One Point Style

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ASIN: 0764312014

Book Description

This gorgeous book delves into the elusive world of traditional Japanese tattooing. The Samurai spirit, Bushido, is an integral component of Japanese tattooing that is traced through the imagery and interpersonal dynamics of this veiled subculture. The eloquent text is based largely on Takahiro Kitamuras experiences as client and student of the famed Japanese tattoo master, Horiyoshi III. Over 200 beautiful photos by Jai Tanju capture the breathtaking tattoo artistry of Horiyoshi III. Five original, unpublished prints by Horiyoshi III, like those in his acclaimed book, 100 Demons of Horiyoshi III, are included here. Bushido: Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo is certain to fascinate everyone with an interest in tattoo culture.

Customer Reviews:

Tradition with ink.......2007-05-13

It's a cool book that shows us many curious aspects of the japan tattoo history and tradition.
But, in another way, there's a lack of variety of photos, like koi fish and masks for example.

Quite impressive.......2007-01-10

Horioshi work speaks for itself and this book is an impressive tribute to it. The pictures are fantastic and it's very nice to see that the family business has its heritage assured.

Amazing Japanese Tattoo Art.......2006-10-10

This book is a great reference for tattoo artists and other artists that enjoy the art of Japanese tattooing. It displays full page photographs (including close ups) so you can see the detail and subject matter quite well.

fabulous photos, unique access, lost opportunities.......2003-07-14

It appears to be the sad fate of English-language books on the Japanese tattoo that they so rarely combine all the desired publishing strengths--first-rate photography, unique insights, disciplined writing, and careful documentation--in a single volume. And this is disappointingly the case with Takahiro Kitamura's "Bushido: Legacies of the Japanese Tattoo." The book includes, as previous reviewers have noted, stunningly beautiful photographs, and it benefits mightily from the personal access of Kitamura (who tattoos as the artist Horitaka) to modern practitioners of the Japanese tattoo. However, it is also the case that only a minute percentage of the book's illustrations are captioned and explained, the text keeps shifting perspective and voice, and the glossaries and index are inadequate.

As Kitamura has proved in both "Bushido" and his "Tattoos of the Floating World," the Japanese tattoo deserves to be regarded as a serious art form. It also deserves to be presented to the public by mainline art publishers who employ the best designers and the best color separation technology. To achieve this, the time has come for talented and passionate specialists like Kitamura to consider teaming with professional art writers who flourish outside the confines of the tightly-knit tattoo community.

Excellent book.......2002-12-03

Best tattoo book I've ever seen. Large, colorful pictures, detailed descriptions, and beautiful artwork. I had to drive all the way to Japantown in San Francisco to find the book because it's out of print or something, but it was worth the wait. Pick this up, you won't be disappointed...

Average customer rating:

Useful for Art History Students
good comprehensive book.helped in class
History of Japanese Art (Trade) (2nd Edition)
"The authority" on Japanese art in English

History of Japanese Art
Penelope Mason
Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Japanese Culture, 4th Edition (Updated and Expanded)
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ASIN: 0131176013

Customer Reviews:

Useful for Art History Students.......2007-01-26

Depending on what your intended usage for this book will be, this book may be somewhat helpful. I needed this for an art history class my senior year of college as an art history major. Thing is, the class was pretty ridiculous. It was supposed to be an introductory class into the art of japanese art & tradition, but the professor spoke more of Chinese art & traditions.

This book will give you a pretty thorough knowledge in Japanese Art, as well as some of its culture, more through the introductions of the eras and periods and through its pictures. But that's it, do not buy this if you're looking for a complete knowledge, because that's not what it is. Also, if you are looking for early (i.e. ancient!) japanese history, there really isn't any, in this book or just in general.

Definitely buy it here on Amazon, because I found it to be a lot cheaper in comparison to my friends who had spent a fortune on it through eBay and the university bookstores. You may also want to get a soft cover if you want to sell it back later on or use it solely for class, because it's such a heavy book (I have the hard cover). My intent was to keep the book, because it's such a nice book to have in anyone's collection.

If you do purchase it, you will not be let down. It's a great buy.

good comprehensive book.helped in class.......2006-02-24

very good book decent photos, covered a good amount of information . Got for my history of japanese painting class helped out

History of Japanese Art (Trade) (2nd Edition).......2005-09-18

Excellent - Just what I thought it would be.

"The authority" on Japanese art in English.......2000-09-05

There are a number of books on Japanese art in English, but many spend a great deal of time on one particular period (usually the period the author prefers) and writes about the rest as though they were "add-ons". Mason's work is concise as well as informative about a broad range of topics, and will serve as a good stepping stone or introduction for those looking to get in to the world of Japanese art. The general volume dedicated to each time period shows a fair balance, and it is easy to see how earlier movements in art and design influenced later developments, from prehistoric times to the modern era.

If there are any problems to be sited with the text, it is that it is getting a little old. Since 1993 (the most recent edition) there have been many advances in art history in Japan (particularly regarding prehistoric art and society), and many of the newer focuses in the art history comunity (such as Edo period printed matter, particularly picture inserts) will not be reflected in the text.

Even so, this will serve as a good starting point for most, particularly those studying in a college setting. Those planning to specialize in East Asian or Japanese art should have a copy by their side, both for reference and for the many illustrations and photographs collected inside.

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