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A review by daniellersalaz
A Beginner's Guide to Japan: Observations and Provocations by Pico Iyer
3.0
I read this book over the course of two days. It is written mostly in sort of a flowing list form where each entry is one short paragraph long, so it’s very easy to drop into for a few minutes at a time.
I like Iyer’s writing, particularly on his adopted home of Japan, because of his occasional concise and masterful turns of phrase. This book has a few such standouts that give the reader a new perspective to consider and thus make the book worthwhile. One such line is “...lack of transparency can be less the enemy of trust than its perfect safeguard.” That’s something I’d like to ponder.
Having lived in Japan for one year when I was in grad school, I don’t have near the depth of experience Iyer has there, but much of what he describes is familiar to me. I think anyone with an interest in Japan will find snippets to appreciate in the book.
I like Iyer’s writing, particularly on his adopted home of Japan, because of his occasional concise and masterful turns of phrase. This book has a few such standouts that give the reader a new perspective to consider and thus make the book worthwhile. One such line is “...lack of transparency can be less the enemy of trust than its perfect safeguard.” That’s something I’d like to ponder.
Having lived in Japan for one year when I was in grad school, I don’t have near the depth of experience Iyer has there, but much of what he describes is familiar to me. I think anyone with an interest in Japan will find snippets to appreciate in the book.