5 comments about Lonely Planet Diving & Snorkeling Thailand (Diving & Snorkeling).

1. Used this diving guide when I was in Koh Samui in July this year, very informative and all the info was up to date

   Scotty Mackenzie




2. This book is the only one we recommend to all our customers. The authors live and work here and the information is accurate. Great photos of the marine life.

   Even though we work here, we still use the book as a reference and it's always close at hand in our office.




3. I was hoping that this book would be like the travel books that lonely planet puts out with opinions on dive operators, places to stay etc.....but the book is a run down of dive sites more than anything else....It helps with dive site selection but it just isn't what a lonely planet book is for me.



4. Good book,
   
   clear info as needed.
   
   info corresponds to reality



5. As always Lonely Planet Snorkeling and Diving guides are the best.
   Only reason I didn't give it a 5 was the fact it was a little outdated.
   I think they will be making a new one soon, since this one is no longer in print.

No comments about Japan: Land of Many Faces (Asian Guides Series).

2 comments about Japan Three Cities: Tokyo, Kyoto & Ancient Nara.

1. This is a good book but if you want to get a feel for a place before visiting, photographs are essential. The Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Guide to Japan has photos; this one doesn't. So the Eyewitness guide ended up being the one that we carried about with us.



2. "Tokyo, Kyoto and Ancient Nara" is not a bad guidebook overall, but not great. It focuses on the cities of Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara rather than the precectures, which is like buying a guidebook to Oklahoma and finding that it only covers Oklahomo City, ignoring the rest of the state.

   This book achieves a nice balance between history lesson and guiding, which is necessary for a Japanese guidebook as you may not understand what you are seeing wihout some background. Maybe the first 100 pages are history/culture/etiquette type of thing. Anyone with a limited background in Japan would do well to read this section before making their trip.

   The citie guides come in a little thin, but better than a general "Japan" guidebook, with maybe about 80 pages for Tokyo, 60 for Kyoto and 30 for "ancient" Nara, which befits the size of the three cities. There is a token 5 pages for Osaka, which is unhelpful as anyone coming to Nara and Kyoto are likely to visit Osaka as well, as it is close. It is enough information for a day or so in each city, and covers what you need for the major destinations and sights.

   Tokyo, Kyoto and Nara are all must-sees on any travel itenary to Japan, so having them all in one book is convenient. Whereas Kyoto and Nare are close together in the Kansai region, Tokyo is relatively far away. If you have the money for it, however, the bullet train makes all distances irrelevant.

   The book is lacking of photographs of any sort, which makes the Eyewitness guides superior. Also missing is suggested day trips or walking tours. Which help to make for a great guidebook. The book is a nice size, however, and easily portable.

No comments about Mori Arinori's Life and Resources in America (Studies of Modern Japan).

2 comments about The New Japan: Debunking Seven Cultural Stereotypes.

1. The New Japan alone evokes modernity with the old ways shaken and the new ones moving at a rapid pace. The book paints a picture of Japan's next volcano not erupting from the cone of Mount Fuji, but from a generation of people in search of a new miracle.



2. Every social, business, and travel guide you read regarding Japan, and most of the fiction written in this country with a Japanese setting, perpetuates certain stereotypes about the Japanese people and their culture: They're collectivist in their basic psychology, not individualistic, preferring consensus to majority rule and trying not to stand out in the crowd; they think of themselves as interdependent rather than independent, which has most of the same historical roots and social effects; they're highly interpersonal, considering others before themselves in decision-making, again for the same reasons and with the same effects; they're "inscrutable," meaning they suppress their emotions in the company of others, smiling and maintaining an appearance of dignity even in the most uncomfortable circumstances; the Japanese "salaryman" expects lifetime employment by his company, giving absolute and enthusiastic loyalty in return, even to the point of almost never seeing his family because his social relationships even after working hours are all with his colleagues (this has an enormous effect on the educational system, too); and the man is the master in his marriage, expecting obedience and support from wife and children, while the wife runs the house and manages the finances (and divorce is to avoided at all costs). And not only have these long been the key Japanese attributes as seen by outsiders, this is also how Japanese have seen themselves, and how they still prefer to.
   
   Drawing on decades of social-psychology studies and scientific surveys, Matsumoto convincingly shows that, while these stereotypes were true in the past, even up into the economic boom days of the 1970s and even the 1980s, they are all absolutely inaccurate in describing Japan at the beginning of the 21st century. This is true to some extent all across society, but overwhelmingly so in the younger generations. Younger Japanese, especially, are more individualist and less collectivist than Americans. Employees are more in more in favor of pay and advancement based on ability, not merely seniority, and lifetime employment is very much a thing of the past. Young people no longer suppress their emotions and have rejected arranged marriages in favor of marriage-for-love. Because they are far more individualistic than previous generations, younger Japanese are also far more likely to commit violent crimes; the "shame culture" is also rapidly becoming a thing of the past. In other words, any outsider who lived in Japan even in 1990 would find a greatly changed country and culture if he returned there today. This book ought to be required reading for any novelist setting a story in Japan, for all writers of travel books, and for thoughtful Japanese themselves.

5 comments about Daughter of the Samurai.

1. I didn't want this book to finish so soon. I loved the style and became involved in the characters. I want to know how her children re-adjusted back to life in the USA - how did she manage as a single Japanese mother alone in the USA.

   Nothing tumultuos happens, no sex, no violence - just a peek into the not-so distant past!

   Especially interesting for me since I am a Brit who has lived in the USA and now living in Japan.

   Can anyone reccomend more books of this calibre?




2. I was completely charmed by this beautifully written autobiography! I couldn't put it down! Not only did I learn some rich social history of Japan, but I was able to see into the Japanese heart for the first time. Although many of the customs mentioned are now outdated, they show the foundation that shaped and molded the Japanese people of today. I can now say that I have a much clearer understanding of the Japanese. Apart from what I learned of Japan, I also got a glimpse of America and how we haven't changed much over the years in our attitudes. I saw into the heart of the immigrant and the adjustments and readjustments they must face. I was awed and inspired!



3. Unfortunately, out of print - but seek it out any way you can. A fascinating, wonderful, and truthful account of the life of a daughter of the Samurai class, which had existed for centuries, just at the time when it was beginning its decline. Much of what you read in this book will explain the behaviour of modern-day Japanese. As an American living in Japan, that has proved invaluable. The book is well-written, focused, imaginative, whimsical, and resourceful, just like the author herself. If you can get your hands on a copy, be prepared to fall in love with Etsu-bo!



4. Unfortunately, out of print - but seek it out any way you can. A fascinating, wonderful, and truthful account of the life of a daughter of the Samurai class, which had existed for centuries, just at the time when it was beginning its decline. Much of what you read in this book will explain the behaviour of modern-day Japanese. As an American living in Japan, that has proved invaluable. The book is well-written, focused, imaginative, whimsical, and resourceful, just like the author herself. If you can get your hands on a copy, be prepared to fall in love with Etsu-bo!



5. A great book if you are interested in old Japanese ways. Well written, but not hard to understand. Would recomend to anyone

No comments about Live & Work in Japan, 3rd (Live & Work - Vacation Work Publications).

No comments about Noto An Unexplained Corner of Japan.

1 comments about The Guide to Japanese Food and Restaurants.

1. This book does an excellent job of providing a mouth-watering overview of the most popular types of cuisine in Japan, ranging from Yakitori restaurants to Tempura, Shabu-Shabu, Soba, Sushi and many foods unheard of in the West. It's got typical menus and "fun facts to know and tell" and great pictures, along with maps of Tokyo's top restaurant districts. Very useful for anyone visiting Japan.

3 comments about Roadside Japan.

1. This is book that contains many shocking photo that reflects many interesting aspects of the Japanese Culture. It is definitely one of the most interesting photo journey I have read. It is a collection of temples, museums, and site in Japan. From Hokkaido to Kyushu, it included over 150 extremely intriguing places. Great photograph, and great layout of the book. It sure suits its name "Roadside Japan". Some of the picture might be disturbing for some people, but that is just part of the Japanese Culture.



2. I got this book after I read Tokyo Style, also by Kyoichi Tsuzuki. As with that book, this one has huge, glossy pics and if you can afford it, it's an entertaining book. I lived near/visited several of the places discussed in the book when I lived in Japan from 1993-1998. I got the feeling at some of the locations that they weren't much used to seeing foreigners. I got my copy in Japan, and it has both Japanese and English text; so maybe you can justify it to yourself as an expensive study aid, if nothing else!



3. I bought this book in Toyko for 4800 yen, so I'm not sure exactly why Amazon is charging {} (!) for it. In any event, this long book of photos is the ultimate conversation piece: Tsuzuki writes a weekly column for a Japanese newspaper about odd things one can see driving around Japan and this book is a collection of his finds. It shows that small town Japan is just like small town US--full of odd folk monuments, primitive art, fiberglass dinosaurs, homespun museums, and other folksy treasures. If you know someone who is going to Japan, have them buy you a copy.