2 comments about The Koreans: Passion and Grace.

1. This guy is remarkably insightful when it comes to the Korean mind. Having three names, it is pretty clear he is from the Old World. So we should not be surprised he doesn't have a clue when it comes to the New World. We quote from page 210, "...about a quarter of all adult men belong to the country's T'aekwondo Association. This is, in short, not a country in which to get into a brawl, for whatever reason, as many a drunken GI in Yongsan has learned." Let's not get carried away with the mystery of the Orient, Mr. Howe. As a "GI" in the 80s and 90s I had my share of encounters with T'aekwondo "Masters". Although I'm a little guy by American standards (5'6", 170), they always retreated in pain. There are disadvantages to being 5'4", 130 pounds. Having said that, I really enjoyed the country and the people. They are, as a rule, nice people. Mr. Howe is a pretty good psychologist and sociologist....just doesn't know a damn thing about bar room brawls.



2. I am an independent scholar who doesn't speak Korean but is very interested in ethical issues debated among Korean Christians. Given my understanding of Confucianism in Korea, and the very negative attitudes towards adoption as a result, it seems likely that Christian thinkers in Korea have unique wisdom to offer Christians elsewhere. They must have/still be wrestling with their society's worship of ancestors and the demand on many societal levels to produce biologically related sons. It can be no accident that South Korea is so persistent in cloning efforts.
   
   All of this is to explain what I wanted out of Howe's book - a deep look at all phases of Korean society by someone who knows what they are talking about. And I got it. As an outsider to Korean studies, I established the authority of Howe by using a resource available to me in library school - WorldCat. This is a catalog of millions of holdings in public and academic libraries - mainly American. I found this work is held in 460 libraries, including the US State Dept., the National Geographic Society Library, various Air Force Libraries, a couple in Hong Kong Universities, as well as in American universities that have strong Asian Studies programs - Harvard, Yale and UC-Berkeley. This gave me confidence that when this was published, it was regarded as accurate by experts.
   
   The fact that it is almost 20 years old concerned me that perhaps it has been superseded, but again WorldCat showed otherwise. Out of over 600 hits for works with the subject: South Korea - social life and customs, this came up at #4 in the list of most held books on the subject. And none of the top three were that much newer than Howe's, or as extensive.
   
   The tone of the book is opinionated - refreshingly so. It is a far easier read than so many scholarly works that appear to be toeing some ideological line but are doing it in code. There is clearly the potential to come away with misconceptions based on the author's biased views but the overall accuracy of his views must be high given the kind of libraries that carry it. An example of this is his explanation of the similarities between Korea and their former colonial masters, the Japanese. Given such horrific Japanese abuses such as "comfort women", it is a bold person who is brave enough or foolish enough to tell Koreans how much they are like the Japanese.
   
   I was particularly interested in anything that would touch on religion in the life of Koreans. His extensive section on shamanism was a revelation to me; this is not something I have seen addressed in any of the writings on/or by Christians in Korea. It is likely an area of embarrassment for those who want to advertise the explosion of Christianity in Korea - but its existence must be understood for a complete picture of what is going on in Korea. The author's view of fundamentalists' theology was painfully true - not big on Jesus but sure they do love the Old Testament. It was in this paragraph though, that I found the only error obvious to me. He says that most Christians consider the Book of Revelations heretical which simply is not accurate. Different interpretations are considered heretical by different branches of Christianity but no orthodox Christian rejects Revelations as a whole.
   
   One area that is not addressed much is business. This may be a factor of the book's age. Nor, of course, is the impact of the Internet, video games or the nuclear threat of North Korea.
   
   I can easily overlook such omissions or minor mistakes in light of the new lines of inquiry he has opened up for me. I also am looking forward to using his bibliography; it only has twenty works, but I can be assured they are well chosen and informative.

No comments about Wildlife Guide: Malaysia (Globetrotter Wildlife Guides).

No comments about Beijing Taxi Cards (Taxi Cards, Beijing).

3 comments about Knopf Guide: Bali (Knopf Guides).

1. A rare and wonderful travel guide that goes much deeper than the regular where-to-find-hotels-and-restaurants type. Beautiful layouts of photography and artwork complement short essays on everything from detailed explainations of complex hindu ceremonies to food preparation. The information here is amazingly accurate, and well presented with cross references to basic tourist information. This would be a great book to kill the time while waiting for your ferry in Padangbai, or in the Losmen at night trying to learn more about the miracle of Bali! Enjoy!



2. A first rate guide...I know because i live in Bali



3. Wonderful book covering all aspects of Bali from it's culture right through to the more popular destinations that are so sought after in Bali from the wonderful white beaches of Kuta through to the ancient village of the Bali Aga in Tenganan... what more can I say about this book. It sent shock waves through my head when I first read it. Everytime I read this book I feel that I need to see and explore Bali one day. Therefore just one of the great books ever produced on Bali alone... wonderful photographs and pictures as well as diagrams. Concise with every sections from the well known villages and areas that are off the beaten track. I give it the thumbs up for sure...

2 comments about Indian Summer: A Good Man in Asia.

1. Will Randall, wearied of his job teaching sullen, unresponsive English children, accepts an offer from an eccentric elderly lady to accompany her on her annual journey to India, and then travels to Poona. Once in Poona, Mr Randall finds himself getting caught up in the affairs of an ashram for destitue children, where he is persauded to teach English. His adventures in India are often hilarious, occasionally heartbreaking. The sights and sounds and smells of Poona are vividy described, but it is the people who are most memorable, especially the children of the ashram, whose cheeerfulness and courage and optimism in the midst of appalling poverty and deprivation left me breathless with admiration. Will Randall's story is quite enthralling, and the small triumphs won by the children and the ashram by the end of the book will make you want to cheer. I just couldn't put this book down.



2. Will Randall is a teacher in an underpriviledge area of the UK. On a chance meeting with an older lady he ends up in India. At first repulsed by what he sees and his experiences, by another chance meeting he ends up teaching slum kids in an ashram. I found all these chance encounters made the story less credible and Mr Randall has a lot of cliches views of India, which while true, don't show much respect for the culture. I found this book funny in parts and his care for the children and friends he makes is obvious.

1 comments about The Treasures of Angkor: Cultural Travel Guide (Rizzoli Art Guide).

1. A lovely, informative book. It was a perfect guide for my trip, and now serves as a visual reminder of all the wonders.

No comments about Yedo and Peking: A Narrative of a Journey to the Capitals of Japan and China.

5 comments about Below Another Sky: A Mountain Adventure in Search of a Lost Father.

1. I bought this book after reading Seven Summits which recounted Rick Ridgeway's involvement with Dick Bass's and Frank Well's attempt to be the first to bag the "seven summits".
   This is a moving story of not only the loss of Rick Ridgeway's friend and climbing buddy in an avalanche in the himalayas where he also almost died but an account of his return voyage with the friend's twenty year old daughter to where the avalanche had occurred some 18 years before. It is a travel narrative, mountaineering book, great insights on Nepal and Tibet with interesting sidetrips through his memories, trips to Patagonia, being in a Panamanian jail when he was but twenty and what it taught him...etc. You have got to like this guy! A perfect read for the introspective armchair adventure traveller who loves Asia; which is the name of the twenty year old girl who finds her father's grave and her way in life on this trip.



2. After reading Shadow of Kilimanjaro, I was interested in reading more by Ridgeway. The premise of Sky is for the author to accompany the daughter of a friend who died in his arms while climbing Minya Konka. It was to be a trip of discovery for the daughter, to learn about her father and understand what drove him to the mountains of the Himalayas. But I think the author spends more time trying to understand the decisions he's made over his own lifetime.

   Extremely well written, packed with accounts of the author's own near death adventure experiences, and full of personal introspection, I found it hard to put the book down once I started it. Not only a memoir and adventure book, but a book that makes the reader stop and think about the decisions they have made in their lives, and the consequences that result. Also makes you question what your true motivations in life are.




3. Ridgeway is the best....

   I've been reading adventure non-fiction for a couple of years now and Rick Ridgeway has never let me down...

   His writing is complete...informative, emotional, and structured. A very fine writer.

   This book is a solid read! Very touching story of pilgramic voyage between two searching souls....one for closure and one for exposure. Excellent.




4. The book Below Another Sky by Rick Ridgeway is a book about a man (Rick) and his friends going to various countries and climbing various mountains. Rick is a man who loves to climb and his best friend, Jonathan is a photographer going on a trip to this mountain to get pictures of the mountain. Later, Jonathans dauter, Asia, and Rick set out on their own trip to other mountains. I thought that this book was okay, but it wasn't all that great. I didn't like why he did not mention why he and Asia set off on their journey because that set me off track a little, although, I like hiking and climbing mountainous areas, so it was kind of interesting for me. I would especially recomend this book to people who like adventuresome books and movies.



5. This was a great book. Ridgeway did a great job of weaving in stories of his mountain adventures, along with his current quest: taking his best friend's daughter to a high alititude climb they did 20 years before to find her father's grave. It is really touching - and a quick read. I am looking forward to possibly reading another book by Ridgeway now.

No comments about Western Himalaya and Tibet: A narrative of a journey through the mountains of Northern India, during the years 1847-8.

No comments about Cantonese: Lonely Planet Phrasebook.