Amazon.com
If the Civil War pitted brother against brother, the Vietnam War is best understood as pitting father against son. Some of Vietnam's longest lasting battles were fought in heavy rages and even heavier silences across the dinner table. James Carroll is a veteran of many such skirmishes. A novelist now, this book is his story of what it was like to be an anti-war priest in the '60s while his father was an Air Force general deeply involved in Pentagon planning. What makes the book particularly moving is that Carroll comes to realize that his father is no mono-dimensional saber-rattler (indeed, he suspects that his father's military career came to its sudden end because of the stances he took inside the corridors of power against expanding and intensifying the war). But the terrible truth was that neither the father nor the son ever managed to transcend the boundaries of their particular roles to meet each other in a candid, reciprocal relationship. And Carroll is honest--he tells us this, painfully. A very fine book, which along the way reports interestingly on some nearly forgotten '60s episodes.
Book Description
Joe Carroll was an Air Force lieutenant general who chose Vietnamese targets for American bombs. Joe's son James began adulthood by fulfilling his father's abandoned dream of joining the priesthood. But soon a father's hopes for his son--and a son's peace with his father--were ruined, yet another casualty of a war that tore apart so many families along generational lines.
Customer Reviews:
I made a mistake in trying to cancel my order for this wonderful book........2007-09-11
I forgot that I had ordered it on August 30 and tried to cancel, but you shipped it so quickly that it couldn't be canceled. Thank Heaven! It is truly a wonderful book (topical and timely and all of that). I am way over the age of 13.
"An American Requiem" review.......2006-10-27
James Carroll's memoir, An American Requiem, displays many examples of scenes and narrative structures that are simply ineffective. As I was reading the book, I often felt as though I was skimming through a history textbook. Instead of focusing solely on his lifelong memories, Carroll often would jump into a long, detailed history lesson in which he would drop names in order to try and appear knowledgeable. While one can see why these can be necessary in some areas, it seems as though Carroll doesn't focus enough on himself. One of many examples of this can be found on page 37, where Carroll proceeds to give a detailed overview of various events that took place in the 1950's.
Another area in which I feel Carroll could improve is character development. I felt as though we were always being told of characters that affected his life, yet not shown how. In comparing this book to J.R. Moehringer's, The Tender Bar, it is quite easy to see how many characters in this book are underdeveloped. For example, when writing of Patrick Hughes, Carroll simply states why he and Patrick were friends, but refrains from really showing us how he was so different from the rest of the Paulists (p. 101).
Finally, Carroll has a definite ethos problem throughout the entire book. By oversimplifying his father, while also ignoring his side of the story, it appears as though Carroll always thinks he is right, and that his father is wrong. The final paragraph of the book proves this when Carroll states that his father is "fallible," yet forbears from looking towards himself with criticism (279). By the end of the book, I was completely turned off to the story because of Carroll's inability to look at his father's point of view instead of always assuming his own as the correct one.
Remembering Conflict.......2006-08-27
An American Requiem
An American Requiem is a tribute to Lieutenant General Joseph F. Carroll, who, according to the Arlington Cemetery website, "was a US Air Force officer who was involved in national security affairs for 30 years. Headed Defense Intelligence Agency from creation in 1961 until he ret in 1969." He was the father of the author, James Carroll. The book is a biography of the father's adult life but it is also an autobiography of part of the life of the son.
In recounting the difficulties they experienced as a result of their taking opposite sides during the Vietnam War the book also becomes a memorial to the terrible confusions brought about by that still disputed conflict. Through the account of the pain of the father and of the son it also becomes a valuable account of the pain felt by many Americans who fought, protested or just tried to understand.
The final account in the book may also be a memorial to all who try to deal with the new Imperial role of the US.
The Second War that Split America.......2006-05-29
In this book we see Jim Carroll right of passage to manhood. It takes place during the same years of Vietnam. And his families like many others were placed in conflict by it; it split two generations apart like no other war. Father and son were being at odds with one another. And the author uses this book to support his position that he took in protesting the war.
Though his famous father, Ex-FBI Agent and Lt. Gen. Carroll in command of the DIA is the subject of some of his consternation. The book is not about him. It is about Jim Carroll and his relationship with his father who seemed to never be able to fill a void he made in himself by not becoming a Priest himself. And it seems to me this is the large reason for the conflict between them...Jim felt his father expected to be redeemed by his works as a Priest. Though his father never says this.
So when you pick up this book to read, remember it is about Jim Carroll's life and his struggle with his faith and his father. And it does show the spirit of those times. Worth the read.
A powerful work.......2005-12-11
This is a rare, beautifully written personal memoir of a most unusual family in the Vietnam war. The author was a prominent anti-war priest: his father was Lieutenant General Joseph Carroll, Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency.
Highly recommended.
Download Description
Kill a god in your game! Malhavoc Press proudly presents the event book, a new concept in roleplaying products. Requiem for a God postulates that a major event has taken place in your campaign -- the death of a divine power.
This d20 System event book has everything you need to introduce the death of a divine power. DM notes detail the death's repercussions on the campaign, and new prestige classes tap into the departed god's power. Characters can wield artifacts made of god-relics, as well as spells fueled by lingering divine essence. Dark creatures born of the god's passing challenge adventurers of all levels. Tie-in scenarios feature power-mad villains seeking to hoard their new might, while cosmic forces move to realign the balance.
What's an event book? This how-to guide helps you implement a major event in your campaign. It provides DM advice on staging the event, involving the PCs, and making the changes to the campaign that result naturally from the event. It also includes new NPCs, organizations, rules, spells, magic items, and monsters that might be involved with the event. It's everything you need to make the event a part of your own campaign without forcing you into an adventure's structured plot.
This illustrated PDF, for characters of all levels, features a streamlined page layout and art by Kieran Yanner and Sam Wood.You'll achieve better results by printing the book in three segments of 22 pages, rather than all at once. If you're concerned about ink usage, set your printer to "Speed" rather than "High Quality" printouts. You may want to change your printer settings to black-and-white to save on color ink, and/or not print the covers (pages 1 and 66) and product ad (page 65). The layout of this PDF was designed for double-sided printing.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent blend of story elements and crunchy bits.......2003-10-27
As the first event book from Malhavoc, Requiem for a God presents great ideas for the enterprising DM. It includes an excellent blend of story elements and crunchy bits, setting a high standard for future products in the series.
The Event
The introduction and the first two chapters (Preparing for the Event and Integrating the Event) lay the foundation for the death of a deity in the campaign: choosing a god, staging the death, and the effects on both society and the universe as a whole. I particularly enjoyed the sections on changes to the religion (believers, clerics, and church organizations).
One objection some DMs may find to this book is the assumption that gods leave both physical remains and spiritual traces. This was a particular focus chosen by the author, but it may not blend with all campaign cosmologies. The elements of the body (godsblood, godsflesh, divinity sparks) and spirit (demiurge, loosed divinity, energy wells) are the basis of many of the feats, spells, magic items, and prestige classes presented later in the book.
Crunchy Bits
Chapter 3 presents four prestige classes: the disaffected (former clerics who fake divine spellcasting ability), the harvester of divinity (a prospector of godly remains), the necrotheologist (a specialist in the study of dead gods), and the threnody (bards in tune with the Great Dirge). The classes are interesting and well-balanced, but they may be a bit morbid for most players.
Chapter 4 introduces godsblood feats, which require drinking or anointing oneself in the blood of deceased deity. There are a nice mix of constant effect feats (Arcane Resistance grants a save bonus vs. arcane magic) and limited use powers (Overwhelming Presence allows you to awe onlookers several times per day).
The spells in Chapter 5, the magic items in Chapter 6, and the monsters in Chapter 7 run the range from intriguing (Warp Alignment) to spooky (The Lance of Endless Night) to gross (divinity parasites). The items and monsters could be incorporated into existing campaigns without the dead god story elements, but the spells are a little less flexible (without changing names and explanations).
Story Elements
Chapter 8 gives seven adventure kernels ranging from 2nd to 15th level and beyond. Several of the scenarios feature organizations introduced in Chapter 2: Cabal of the Dirge and Memento Mori. The individual DM is left to flesh out the details of the adventure on their own, as is the case with most of the book's materials.
The sidebars throughout the book are quite useful: checklists for DMs, key terms introduced in each section, and mini stories featuring dead gods (The Final Rest of Theyasmalan, Galathak's Grave). These stories are an excellent complement to the adventure ideas, as is the flavor text in the magic items chapter.
Overall
The production, artwork, and content quality is on par with the Books of Eldritch Might. What really sets this book apart from other adventure supplements is the story elements. Although it can't be dropped into a campaign overnight, Requiem for a God will inspire plenty of thought for tomorrow's adventures.
Another great book from Monte.......2003-07-22
Once again Monte Cook has reached deep into his big bag of tricks and pulled out a winner. This book, which covers the death of an 'Immortal' deity, is done with seriousness and incredible thoroughness. It covers the topic well, and leaves you with all sorts of nasty ideas for a game or five.
Very well Done.......2003-02-09
A bit small, but WOW! It's packed with great stuff. When a deity dies. It gives examples and ideas of what happens to the gods corpse, his church, and his divine power. It was extremely well thought out and put together. Another superb book from Malhavoc Press.
Book Description
Book One of David Zindell's new epic trilogy is set in Neverness, legendary City of Light, where inner space and outerspace meet .. where
THE GOD PROGRAM IS UP AND RUNNING
Into its maze of colour-coded streets of ice a wild boy stumbles, starving, frostbitten and grieving, a spear in his hand: Danlo the Wild, a messenger from the deep past of man. Brought up far from Neverness by the Alaloi people, neanderthal cave-dwellers, Danlo alone of his tribe has survived a plague - because he Is not, as he thought, a misshapen neanderthal, but human, with immunity engineered Into his genes. He learns that the disease was created by the sinister Architects of the Universal Cybernetic Church. The Architects possess a cure which can save other Alaloi tribes. But the Architects have migrated to the region of space known as the Vild, and there they are killing stars.
All of civilization has converged on Neverness through the manifold of space travel. Beyond science, beyond decadence, sects and disciplines multiply there. Danlo, his mind shaped by primitive man, brings to Neverness a single long-lost memory that will challenge them all.
Customer Reviews:
Chalk Zindell up to the top rank.......2007-07-12
The six original Dune novels and Asimov's Robot, Empire, and Foundation series generally constitute the finest space science fiction I've read. Simmons' first two Hyperion novels make it up there as well. The Broken God easily ranks with these greats.
I'll echo other reviewers: Zindell's prose reminds me of Herbert's Dune. Almost eerily imaginative and convincing. He crafts a world, a universe actually, and makes it believable. No need to summarize the setting and plot here, the Amazon blurb covers it pretty well. What can I say, it's a very well-crafted, well-written science fiction novel. Vastly underrated. I believe it's out of print now due to lack of sales, but you can get it second-hand though unfortunately you might have to pay an arm and a leg even for the paperback. If you're a sci-fi buff, it will almost certainly give you many hours of enjoyment.
The only nit I have to pick is that Danlo is not a fantastic rendering for a protagonist. He's too upstanding and purely good. I feel that had Zindell added a couple minor flaws to his character the novel would have turned out even better. At this point I've read the sequel The Wild and I can say that though I enjoyed it greatly, Danlo behaves even more perfect and inhuman and I think this detracted from the novel. Who knows, perhaps the final novel War in Heaven will reveal a flaw in his character. I'm hoping....
Poignant and prophetic.......2006-08-21
Warning: this book is not for the all-action-no thinking-sci-fi readers. You find here beautiful word construction, great characterization and splendid athmospheres. The characters of Danlo the Wild, tortured yet innocent soul, of his friend Hanuman,haunted by his own interior ghosts, of the falstaffian Bardo, will remain in your memory. Here you will find reflections on human destiny, the implications of genetic and cybernetics, reflections on humand destiny and of the universe. Echoes of Douglas Adams, Neal Stephenson, Iain Banks and Isaac Asimov reverberate through this wonderful novel.(Not to mention that the Borja School chapters have a distinct harrypotteresque feel...and Danlo finds himself with a lightning scar on his forehead(!).This novel is real food for the soul, and whilst it could have been a bit less verbose, and some reflections may verge on the obvious (religions develops in directions their founders didn't foresee ... what else is new?), this book will make you think, whilst entertaining you with a magnificent story. And some notations on human alienation and the perils of religious dogmatism are very prophetics and actual. A must read!
splendid .......2006-02-08
This has been one of my favourite books for a long time. Loved it. Just a note for those looking for out-of-print Zindell work - Neverness etc - hop on over to amazon.co.uk where they are all very much *in* print. His newer books ( not up to the standard of this one unfortunately ) seem to be released earlier in the UK as well. Weird for an American author.
great book, series could be greater?.......2005-10-29
4.5 Stars. I read this book before I read Neverness. I wouldn't say I regret it, but for those looking around for a good book, I reccomend checking it out first. It's not a must, but I think a lot of insight into Danlo and some other characters would be gained while reading "The Broken God." There isn't much to say about this book that hasn't been said, but if you're like the kind of books I do- epic universes, interesting characters, and cool tech that isn't the focus of the story. I think this book could please people with lots of different sci-fi tastes. The only bummer is that the sequel- The Wild- costs a whopping $27 for the paperback here on Amazon. Not sure what the deal is with that, but it's holding me back from reading on in this great series.
philosophical, mystical, world-building science fiction.......2005-06-24
Three features of this book, and of Zindell's sf series as a whole (I'm on the third book, The Wild), stand out for me. First and foremost, the series is very philosophical. Whereas most hard sf authors go into plot-killing descriptions of technology and scientific theories, Zindell focuses on the spiritual and ethical dimensions of his speculative history of the far future. This isn't to say there's no science or technology in Zindell's science fiction or that the series borders on fantasy. Zindell does back up many of his speculations with scientific explanations, but the focus is on exploring philosophical and spiritual ideas.
This might suggest that the series is a morality tale, but this would be so only if a morality tale were any story that is largely about morality or some other philosophical problem. Instead, at its worst a morality tale is a stilted, formulaic fable that so focuses on morality that the characters and the plot are beside the point. While Zindell's series is quite philosophical, Zindell is also a world-builder, and this is the second aspect of the series that strikes me. I happen to enjoy long, world-building sf series (Dan Simmons, Peter F Hamilton, Gene Wolfe). Zindell develops his vision of the far future to such an extent that the reader can't usually predict what will happen or discern any formula (except in the broadest sense of the formula for any epic story). For example, I wouldn't have predicted the disaster described in the very first chapter of The Broken God, nor could I have predicted what exactly is the broken god. Zindell's discussions of philosophical ideas and his invented world are so idiosyncratic that I wouldn't call the series a morality tale--at least not in a pejorative sense. Take the warrior-poets, for example. To some extent, these are Nietzschean overmen who are beyond good and evil, but there's also their preoccupation with finding the "moment of the possible," which I found peculiar and fascinating.
Perhaps the main philosophical theme explored in the series is the relationship between gods and mortal creatures, and specifically the prospect of becoming a god. By itself, this indicates an unusual, mystical, Gnostic perspective on the author's part (everything is divine, the kingdom of heaven is within you, etc). A far future setting may not be necessary to the pursuit of this theme, but obviously one way to become a god would be to harness the sort of technology which doesn't yet exist.
Finally, there's Zindell's writing style. Most of the writing I quite like, especially the similes and the substitution of detailed philosophical and psychological discussions for technoscientific ones. (Again, there are some technical scientific and mathematical descriptions, but they don't take up the foreground. For a fascinating philosophical dialogue, see the long, early conversation between Danlo and the Fravashi Old Father.) However, Zindell has an odd tendency to overuse certain phrases such as "utterly," "fairly," "in truth," "wild," "light of his eyes," and perhaps some others. Even the Devaki phrases Danlo would repeatedly speak seemed to contain only a handful of the same words (I think one of the words means "sleep"). I noticed this much more in the second and third books than in the first one, Neverness. This is a little annoying, but there's so much else going on in the story that I find in reading the third book I can set aside this quibble.
Regarding The Broken God, in particular, I found it just as engrossing as the first book, Neverness. The plot of Neverness is perhaps more interesting, since a great many major events take place in that part of the story, but the second book is more explicitly philosophical. For me the first chapter, the Architects' theology, the encounter with the warrior-poet, and the character of Old Father and the Fravashi philosophy are some of the book's highlights. The second book is primarily about the strange relationship between Danlo and Hanuman, though, and although I found the final revelations of the second book not as startling as those of the first, I still found the ending satisfying, if a little sad.
Product Description
Set of first thirteen (13) books in Star Trek's New Frontier Series.
Product Description
Set of first thirteen (13) books in Star Trek's New Frontier Series.
Book Description
"Fascinating...clearly stated, interesting and provoking.... A plainspoken account of living in Asia." --San Francisco Chronicle
Anyone who has heard his weekly commentary on NPR knows that T. R. Reid is trenchant, funny, and deeply knowledgeable reporter and now he brings this erudition and humor to the five years he spent in Japan--where he served as
The Washington Post's Tokyo bureau chief. He provides unique insights into the country and its 2,500-year-old Confucian tradition, a powerful ethical system that has played an integral role in the continent's "postwar miracle."
Whether describing his neighbor calmly asserting that his son's loud bass playing brings disrepute on the neighborhood, or the Japanese custom of having students clean the schools, Reid inspires us to consider the many benefits of the Asian Way--as well as its drawbacks--and to use this to come to a greater understanding of both Japanese culture and America.
Amazon.com
Despite setbacks, the economic "miracles" achieved by many Asian countries in the latter 20th century have been impressive. This entertaining and thoughtful book invites the reader to consider East Asia's other miracle: its dramatically low rates of crime, divorce, drug abuse, and other social ills. T.R. Reid, an NPR commentator and former Tokyo bureau chief for the Washington Post, lived in Japan for five years, and he draws on this experience to show how the countries of East Asia have built modern industrial societies characterized by the safest streets, the best schools, and the most stable families in the world.
Reid credits Asia's success to the ethical values of Chinese philosopher Confucius, born in 551 B.C., who taught the value of harmony and the importance of treating others decently. This is not a new perception--Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore and others have rather heavy-handedly invoked it to claim moral superiority over the West--but the author's vivid anecdotes strengthen its relevance. Public messages constantly remind Asian citizens of their responsibilities to society. To enhance a sense of belonging, civic ceremonies encourage individuals' allegiance to a greater good; across Japan, for example, April 1 is Nyu-Sha-Shiki day, when corporations officially welcome new employees, most of whom remain loyal to their company for life. Citing Malaysia's ideas of a "reverse Peace Corps," Reid sees a case for Asians coming to teach the West in the same way that Westerners have evangelized in Asia for over four centuries. --John Stevenson
Customer Reviews:
Not a bad introduction to Japan.......2007-05-31
T.R. Reid spent several years in Japan as a bureau chief for the Washington Post, and Confucius Lives Next Door is, on one level, about his and his family's experiences. Reid, however, is most interested in the "social miracle" he observes in most of East Asia: the low crime and drug use rates, the stable family structure, the relatively egalitarian distribution of wealth, the successful schools. His thesis is that this social harmony derives from the system of values in the teachings of Confucius, particularly the idea of "wa" or group harmony. If you, like most westerners, know little about Confucius, Reid provides a basic introduction. Interestingly, at the end of the book, he offers an "atogaki" or counter-thesis to his own, observing, among other things, that Confucian values are not very different from Judaeo-Christian ones and that the difference between western societies and the ones of East Asia may be that the East Asians do a better job of bringing moral values to bear on daily life. Whether or not you agree with his thesis, Reid offers some sharp observations of daily life in Japan. The book is a good place to begin if you're planning to travel to Japan. Sure, there are a lot of generalizations, as is typical in this sort of book, but the writing is good and the book functions well as an introduction to Japanese culture.
A feel good book for people who like Japan........2007-05-30
T.R. Reid loves Japan and would never criticize the place. Every short coming is a blessing in disguise. I love Japan, so I enjoyed the book. His description of the schools is candy coated and reads more like a promotional brochure. He says his kids attended Japanses schools. In fact they only attended classes when the international school they really attended was on break. (He confessed to this on C-Span.) Though he mentions bullying in passing, he ignores the many problems plaguing Japanese schools. All in all, an entertaining book.
A Worthwhile Introduction to Japanese Culture.......2007-04-29
T R Reid, an accomplished American journalist and a fine writer, lived and worked in Tokyo for several years. Most of this book is based on Reid's personal experience with Japanese culture, although there is some discussion of Asian culture generally.
Reid explains how Asian cultures have succeeded socially where the West has not, e.g., lower crime rates, more economic equality and more social cohesion. For example, he tells of purchasing a bicycle in Japan. The cost of the bike is higher than it would have been in the US, because the Japanese store has more and higher paid employees. On the other hand, there is no risk of the bike being stolen, so Reid does not feel compelled to buy a lock.
Reid's observations are interesting and worthwhile, although not necessarily unique. The book is easy and pleasant to read. I recommend it.
Book review.......2006-09-22
T. R. Reid's stated purpose of his book, Confucius Lives Next Door, is to illustrate why he thinks the West should adopt Confucian values. In doing so, he ignores the apparent downsides of a Confucian society. Despite his overlooking of these faults, he intelligently and thoughtfully conveys his views.
Reid concedes that the thesis of his book is to illuminate the values of Asian society. "Asians achieved their social miracle primarily by holding on to a set of values - what they call Confucian values ..." (Reid 228). He maintains that these values are needed and should be adopted in the West.
It would be hard for one to argue with the statistics Reid demonstrates. It is evident that Japan has far lower rates of violent crime compared to Western countries. "There are about 7.5 murders each year for every 100,000 Americans ... In Japan, the murder rate is below 1.0 per 100,000" (23).
Other factors are at play in the societal stability of Japan other than reduced crime. Divorce rates are far lower in Asian societies, as well. "About 16 percent of marriages in Japan end in divorce." Reid compares this to rate in the United States, "... close to 50 percent ..." (10). There is also little unemployment to plague the economy. Reid points out that Japanese "commitment to keep everybody at work ..." has the positive result that "employees don't get laid off" (86).
While these statistics are astonishing, there are downsides to a society that is created through Confucian learning which Reid seems to skim over or exclude altogether.
In a society so focused on community, there is little room for individuality. Reid demonstrates this with the common Japanese saying, "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down ..." (151). This kind of thinking can lead to pain and confusion for those in the society who, for whatever reason, do not fit the mold. This is evident in the practice of ijime amongst Japanese children. When this happens, students who do not fit in are singled out and effectively bullied until they commit suicide.
Reid himself was disturbed by how robotic his own children were in their learning of the Japanese alphabets, but dismissed it as necessary to succeed. The pressure for children to succeed is immense in Japan and, according to Mrs. Keightly, our in-class speaker, leads to many problems.
Mrs. Keightly, a native of Japan, does not thoroughly confirm Reid's views of Japanese life. According to her, divorce rates are climbing, more and more people are anxious to express their individuality, and materialism among young people is astounding.
It is inevitable that the East is influenced by the ways of the West, as their once very traditional society becomes more comfortable with the idea of changing roles of women and individuality. While I agree that it is obvious that Japan is doing something right in the formation of their societal values, I see Reid's belief that the West must adopt these practices, without acknowledging the inherent problems, as irresponsible.
Despite my opinions on Reid's conclusions, he deftly immerses the reader in all aspects of Japanese life. Through the retelling of humorous stories and the depiction of a colorful world with new tastes, sights, and smells, the reader can imagine him or herself living a typical day in Japanese society.
Reid is unabashed about his purpose of Confucius Lives Next Door. He aims to demonstrate why he thinks the West should adopt Confucian values. However, he overlooks some of the flaws in a Confucian society. Despite this, he writes an intelligent and entertaining book about the wonder that is the Japanese culture.
Very imperfect, but still containing a lot of food for thought.......2006-09-20
Overall, there is much to enjoy in CONFUCIUS LIVES NEXT DOOR; with even touches of enlightenment and humor scattered throughout. There are some significant problems as well, though I found the book to be enjoyable overall.
Reid's basic thesis - that much of the success seen in Eastern Asia evolves from the influence of Confucianism - is thoughtful and provocative, even if it also potentially flirts with stereotype and glosses over the many vast differences between nations as varied as Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan and Japan. The influence of several other religions and philosophies isn't investigated, nor are the South Asian (Indian) or Southwest Asian (Islamic) influences that filter into parts of East and Southeast Asia, and in discussing a few of these countries - Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore definitely, it's a very serious oversight.
This book was inspired by a stint of living in Japan, and Japan is the cultural and philosophical jumping-off point for Reid's thesis; this is problematic as well: historically Japan has created a substantial amount of bad blood that lingers to the present in all of the other countries profiled here, and Reid would have been smarter to test the majority of his ideas against the accomplishments and failures of other countries.
The more recent rise of some South Asian nations - notably India - was underway at the time Reid was writing this book, and that continued rise has very substantially dented Reid's central thesis: India would conform to very few of Reid's theories (it completely obliterates several of them), and aside from China, some of the most spectacular transformations (of a positive variety) in Asian history are happening there.
And those failures: Reid glosses over, or ignores a great many of them. Internal ethnic tensions, or the changing roles of women never rise above the surface here.
But there is much to like in CONFUCIUS LIVES NEXT DOOR. The friendship with a wise, and useful, neighbor alluded to in the title is described in touching terms, and Reid's slice-of-life anecdotes detailing his family's life in Japan are revealing, funny, nicely self-deprecatory and the center of several of the greater insights to be found here.
And - as an American greatly troubled by the seemingly intractable social problems seen and tolerated in this country - Reid's willingness to get into harsh social critiques of the US is valuable and challenging - it isn't anti-American in the least, but rather would seek to strengthen the US through a process of very tough self-examination and resultant debate, of the sort that a challenging thesis of the nature he builds his book would provoke.
Reid's writing isn't the most exciting in the world - he sticks to a traditionally-flavored journalistic dryness that is careful, well-spoken and direct, if not the most scintillating stuff in the world. So be it - Reid is more interested in communication than in style; and this book stands or falls upon the strength of that. He could be better organized, he could rely less on generalizations about varied Asian societies, and he would strengthen his arguments by looking more closely at the weaknesses in his ideas.
Thus we have a highly-imperfect book; an imperfect one still loaded with much food for thought.
-David Alston
Books:
- Attacking with 1d4 (Everyman Chess)
- Babylon 5: A Call to Arms (Boxed)(Babylon 5 (Mongoose Publishing))
- Bible Cryptograms
- Black Is Still OK!
- Body Trauma: A Writer's Guide to Wounds and Injuries (Howdunit Series)
- Bridge Basics 1 (The Official Better Bridge Series)
- Bridge Basics 1 (The Official Better Bridge Series)
- Buffalo Soldiers (The Black Sabre Chronicles)
- Can You Beat Ken? (Spinner Books)
- Carving Blockheads: A New Approach to Carving Creativity
Books Index
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