Product Description
Japan, with its old and ever-changing heart and soul, simultaneously astonishes, delights, and frustrates travelers. Visit the place of tranquil temples, exquisite ancient inns and lurid love hotels, where electric baths sit beside indoor ski slopes and cheery blossoms fall on kindly grandmothers, cynical salarymen, wise monks, and wild lovers alike. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

A very nineties look at Japan.
There are some fine pieces here. Unfortunately, there's a lot of pieces that haven't really aged well since first seeing the light of day in other places.

There is a bit too much earnest material, confusing sentimentality with cultural sensitivity. (And do we really need another appearance by Lafcaidio Hearn?) I think future volumes could be improved greatly if some of the older stuff from the economic bubble era could be thinned out (the David Berry piece in particular could be deep-sixed. It's not very funny and not very insightful) and more contemporary post-crash voices added.

Like a a japanese meal
Small portions, but so many courses.

This book, consisting of lots of extracts from other peoples writing, serves as a good introduction to the nature of Japan. From the serious to lighthearted, most tales consist of people trying to understand, to reason and just plain survive in a foreign country that seems a little familiar yet very foreign. Stories from groups that consider cleaning toilets a ritual to stolen bikes and strange food.

Each tale is a few pages long. Sometimes either a whole magazine article or chapter from a book, but complete in itself. One feature I liked was small boxed inserts on some pages from another writer which complimented or highlighted the story you were reading. At the end of each tale is an extra excerpt from someone else's story on the same topic.

There's a little bit here for everyone.

Anthology of impressions
"Japan : True Stories of Life on the Road" is a collection of anecdotal stories told by people who have journeyed to Japan.

The strength of the book lies in the different points of view. Each traveler experienced a different Japan and has different things to say about the country and it's people. Some of the tales are funny, some are serious and some are informative. The book has a nice balance of styles, and there is very little replication.What is it like to go to a Love Hotel? What do you do when you are served living squid for dinner? What is a Kabuki play like?These are the type of questions answered by this book.

It's weakness lies in the fact that many of these tales have been published elsewhere. If you have read many books on Japan, chances are you will have already read many of these stories.Several selections from "Learning to Bow," "Dave Barry does Japan" and "36 Views of Mt. Fuji" are here.

All in all, it is a good book, and worth reading.

i just wish all of the stories were new to me...
This is a great book! Like all of the other Travelers' Tales Guides, it is well edited - filled with interesting, finely crafted stories by both well-known and newer writers. Keep in mind that if you've done a lot of reading on Japan (like me reading travel narratives on Japan in preparation for the JET program), you've probably already read some of the books that are excerpted in this book - Cathy Davidson's 36 Views of Mt. Fuji, Learning to Bow by Bruce Feiler, Pico Iyer's The Lady and the Monk... But overall, this is a great introduction to Japan and a nice selection of viewpoints for those of us who have already done some reading.

informative but fun to read
The concept for this travelling book is different from the others.Rather than providing readers with hard facts, it condenses essays written by travellers who have been to Japan to give the readers a feel of the country.To be truthful, I enjoy this format thoroughly as there's a human dimension to it.Some essays are compiled by Alan Booth, who is rather well known for his works about Japan & who has since passed away due to cancer but his legacy remains.Anyhow, some of the highlights of the book are writers' experiences in the love hotel & thus, collecting many green hair elastic band along the way; feelling like a Godzilla for crushing into everything due tothe space constraint in Japan & the difficulty of adjusting to Japanese custom; skiing & playing beach volleyball INDOOR; visiting to the renowned Ryoanji Temple; disturbing visit to the Peace Park in Hiroshima; groping & fondling problem in the subway & thus, destroying the myth of all Japanese males being gentlemen; significance of cherry blossoms during spring time; a new but boring visit to the Noh theatre for the undiscerning & not to mention the sumo wrestling; the chaotic but harmonious existence among the fishmongers in Tskuji, the biggest fish market in the world; Osaka for having the rebellious spirit, dare to be different from the rest of Japan etc.Because the writers write as they see Japan, not all articles are for Japan but rather, the other Japan that you haven't seen before.I thoroughly enjoy the experience of reading the book as if I were there already.Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
"Birds seem to understand something we have never understoodabout the freedom of movement...birds know no borders," declaresone of the authors in this rich and varied collection of bird-inspiredtales. They soar, they fly, they glide -- even our language for birdsevokes travel of the most impassioned and graceful kind. For one witheven a touch of wanderlust, birds in the wild embody the dream of pure,unadulterated freedom. And, sometimes subtlety, sometimes with aflourish, birds impart the nature of place -- its variety, its colors, its wildness, even its destruction.

Whether it roots us in our own backyard or moves us across continents, birding also calls us to stillness, demands our keen attention to the details that flicker around us, so that we not miss a thing. For bird watchers, bird hunters, and just plain haters of bird poop, a story of avian wonder awaits.Amazon.com Review
When a bird stops to glance sideways at us, it is inviting us into itsworld, if only for a moment. A bird's song can transport us into distantrealms of the imagination; the sight of birds in flight can reconnect us tochildhood, and to what matters in life.

Bird enthusiasts Larry Habegger and Amy Carlson have assembled an extendedcelebration of the restorative and mysterious powers of our winged fellowtravelers, enlisting well-known and emerging writers alike. Among thestandouts of their anthology is Sigurd Olson's homage to the loons of thewilderness lake country of northern Minnesota; Diane Ackerman's lyricalmemoir of a sojourn among the endangered short-tailed albatrosses of EastAsia, whose flight "is the wind's way of thinking about itself"; DavidJames Duncan's provocative essay "Bird-Watching as a Blood Sport," whichaddresses the unfortunate power humans have over the animal world; JakePage's excursion into the byways of the minds of humans and redbirds; and,best of all, Peter Matthiessen's journey to Siberia in search of thesandhill crane, "the oldest and largest of the earth's flyingcreatures."

Birdwatching enthusiasts and students of nature writing alike will findmuch of value in this lively, well-chosen collection.--GregoryMcNamee ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

If you don't like story 'excerpts' you won't enjoy....
The Gift of Birds is a large collection of true story excerpts from various authors. The stories are separated into different parts as described by previous reviewers. Many of the authors are 'professional' birders, scientists and ornithologists. They're not what you'd call common bird watchers. When I bought this book I was expecting short complete stories from backyard bird watchers.

Sorry to say, some of the stories I found tedious to finish. To be fair, I've never been an excerpt fan and this book is chalk full of story excerpts. Many of the stories I'm sure, lose much of their charm by not reading them in their complete state. Again- that's why I don't like excerpts.

One story in this book disturbed me a bit. 'The Scarlet Pimpernel' was a story where an older man captures unsuspecting city pigeons & relocates them in a country area. While, I'm sure the man intended the pigeons no harm, I couldn't held but wonder if he waited until after mating & clutch-rearing season to capture these birds. During this story I kept imagining an abandoned nest full of baby pigeons with no parents around to feed them! Not a pretty thought if you love birds.

On a brighter note, if you are a serious birder and you don't mind excerpts, you will probably enjoy this book. If you prefer common jargon from common folk who love birds- you might want to check this one out of the library instead of purchasing it.

Smuggling Pigeons by the Pimpernel.
A retired old man was bored but poor, so he got into a smugggling avocation of sorts.His favorite booke he told an interested person was THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL about a renegade who saved prisoners from the guillotine during the French Revolution.

When he had lots of spare time, he'd go to the railway station to dream of the places he wished he could visit if he had the money.There, he saw starving pigeons doomed to a lingering death.So he started off small on his smuggling a few very ill pigeons in a cardboard box to release them in the country."Plenty of people object to pigeons flying in their faces and skimming over their heads."People like Whitt think their excrement is poison to humans.

One day he almost missed the train and was helped on by a young woman who became his confidante."First, you pick out your pigeon -- the most starved and persecuted."Handle it gently and pop it in the box.Get a few and start pretending you are the Pimpernel."There's an advantage to being small," he explained, "who would take me for the Scarlet Pimpernel."Indeed, most people look the other way when they see an old poor person, man or woman.

He spent the spring months enjoying his adventures smuggling the birds on the rails to freedom in the beechwoods of the villages."I sprinkle some grain and lift out my bird.I open my hands and up he soars into the clear air, a country bird instead of a city bird."The air is healthier and there is natural food for the birds.

A cheerful comradeship developed between the two unlike conspirators for the intrevening weeks; but, one day, he was no longer there."Now, when I stroll around our village and a silvery-gray cloud of pigeons rises up feasting on beechnuts, I think: "The Scarlet Pimpernel of the Central rescued them.I was not likely to forget him."Reminds me of Robert Wrisley, wh'd do something similar and tell his big tales about imaginary travels around the world.Now, he is off to the big happy land in the sky where he can dream to his fullest extent and watch the pigeons flying around free and healthy, thanks to him.

Beyond Birds
I confess to being a bit ignorant when it comes to birds. It's not that I don't like them, you understand. It's just that I have never felt compelled to follow them into marshes, rainfrests or tidal plains, record their songs, carry bincoulars, notebooks and field guides to identify them or attend the meetings of our local birdwatchers' club.On the other hand, I am great friends with the cardinal couple that visits the tree outside my window each morning and the java sparrows that nest in the eaves of the house next door. I have also made the acquaintance of several parrots in the neighborhood, and we get along just fine. So when I wasgiven this collection of true stories to read, I thought, what the heck. Why not?

Not only was I pleasantly surprised by the depth and range of the writing contained in this book, but I was touched by the effect birds have had on people's lives.The book is divided into 5 sections, each with its own unique set of stories. Some of my favorites include the following:

In Part I - Vivid Encounters, Diane Ackerman tells of how she broke her ribs climbing down vertical volcanic cliffs on a Japanese island to see the last of the short-tailed Albatrosses.

In Part II - Kindred Spirits,David Duncan confesses to having robbed a great horned owl's nest as a child.

In Part III - Odd Ducks, Marie Winn tells of a magical day spent gettting lost and discovering birds in Central Park.

In Part IV - Brushes with Divinity can be found the offerings of authors such as Peter Matthiessen's compelling description of his visit to the breeding grounds of the great cranes in Siberia.

Part V - Ascending Song consists of a single offering by Kenn Kauffman (author of Kingbird Highway) who tells of finding and listening to the song of a skylark out in the San Juan Islands.

There are many more of course, from writers as diverse as Alice Walker, Louise Erdrich and Bernd Heinrich. All in all this is a wonderful read that shouldn't be missed. ... Read more

Product Description
What is it about Japan that so beguiles foreigners? It is a small country and yet an economic powerhouse, a land of great natural beauty — from green-cloaked mountains to glistening rice paddies — a place of intricate arts and crafts and amazing cuisine, and home to a people whose kindness and sensitivity surprise westerners at each turn. It is no wonder that Japan simultaneously astonishes, delights, and frustrates travelers, and the diverse tales in this book reveal the nation in all its contradictions: a place of tranquil temples and high-tech toilets, exquisite ancient inns and lurid love hotels, where electric baths sit beside indoor ski slopes, and cherry blossoms fall on kindly grandmothers, cynical salarymen, wise monks, and wild lovers alike. Gathered in this collection are pieces by several notable authors, each offering anecdotes that tell of encounters to be had or avoided, each with uncommon insight to enrich the traveler's experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Inspirational!
I picked up this book a couple of months before moving to Japan for a year of study and was completely captivated. The various writers are effective in giving the reader a brief glimpse into some of the most unique and enchanting qualities of Japanese society. Four years later, I still pull out this book occasionally to rekindle the feelings of wonder I experienced when I first opened it. The book also provides the titles of many of books from which the passages are taken, which is a great resource for sprouting Japanophiles. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, along with the entire series of Traveler's Tales books.

Fantastic!Highly recommend this book!
This is a great book.It's lots of short "stories" - some are excerpts from other books (that I've actually read), but some also seem to be short "stories."I really like it because I can pick the book up, look in the table of contents for a title that sounds interesting, and find one with a length that fits the amount of time I have available right then.I particularly enjoy reading it out loud to my travel companions - share the fun!I admit that some of the excerpts are a little dry - but still informative - but some are simply hysterical.It really gives a nice and varied insight into the Japanese culture.Take it with you on your trip for varied reading pleasure, or read it in parts when you return to extend the enjoyment of your trip!

I've also given others from this series as gifts to friends who are traveling - India, Paris, Tuscony... ... Read more

Product Description
A Buddhist nun goes AWOL to roam the French countryside and discovers a wild spirituality. A hellish trip through the mountains of Peru turns mystical and offers a vision. More than just adventure, the writing in A Woman's Path shares the unforgettable moments when a journey opens a traveler's eyes and profoundly alters who she is. Around the globe and across all religions, these tales of discovery offer an uncommon look at personal transformation, whether by the trials of stolen luggage and harrowing rides or the joys of seeking out extraordinary people, places, and experiences. Inspiring and insightful, this illustrated collection invites all women to step outside their everyday lives and welcome an awakening. Contributors include Anne Lamott, Maya Angelou, Linda Ellerbee, Kim Chernin, and Natalie Goldberg, among others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

A Path to the Inner Realm
Appropriately, "A Woman's Path," a collection of women's spiritual travel writing, was a Mother's Day gift from my daughter. I am a writer, too, frequently writing about my journeys across physical geography but equally spiritual terrain. Nothing explores us as much as our exploring of the world around us. Travel means a stretching of our personal comfort zones, as we leave our homes and our routines far behind.

In the more than 30 essays in this collection, women of a wide array of backgrounds perceive the world around them with uniquely feminine perspectives. Authors as known and respected as Anne Lammott, Maya Angelou, Natalie Goldberg, Diane Ackerman, and many others tell of their journeys, inner and outer ones, as they deal with joy, grief, discomfort, sickness, achievement, healing, and enlightenment. Destinations are as varied as Peru, India, France,Ireland, Greece, New York City, Niger, Poland, the Appalachian Trail, and others. These are women undergoing a spiritual transformation, and their travel essays take us along, to be transformed by their accounts. They take on their journeys as women and only women do, coping with societal expectations and prejudices, dealing with the fears of being a woman in the wild, finding courage when all falls down around them. As women do.

I have always believed the best training for life is to travel. Travel teaches us to stretch ourselves. Travel reveals the differences between us and everybody else, instilling understanding of the cultures varied from our own, and then again, travel soothes with the discovery of how alike we all are in our bonds of humanity, crossing all boundaries of class, culture, religion, ethnicity. Travel builds courage, as we are inevitably faced with our fears, only to overcome them. Travel connects - the traveler with the world and its inhabitants, with nature and spirit, with the divine in ourselves and outside of ourselves. The world is surely the best classroom.

If I have only one "wince" about this collection, it is the sidebar boxes interspersed throughout the essays. Each box has a clip by some other author than the one of the essay, the themes often disconnected from the main story. They drew my eye away just when I was immersed in someone's journey. I would suggest deleting them, or transforming them into epigrams prior to each essay.

"A Woman's Path," edited by Lucy McCauley, Amy G. Carlson, and Jennifer Leo, is a pilgrimage to be enjoyed by every woman who reads it, whether on the road herself, or from her armchair, traveling in spirit.

Inspired Female Prose
I had been looking for a collection of writings by female writers that could inspire and lift my spirits in these darker days.I was fortunate enough to receive "A Woman's Path" edited by Lucy McCauley, Amy G. Carlson and Jennifer Leo as a gift from a friend.What a little treasure.

With stories by Anne Lamott, Maya Angelou, Linda Ellerbee, and the editors I was struck by the purely sensitive and female perspective of these writings.I loved the sense of pilgrimage and journey and truly believe this could be that one book I keep in my backpack for those day long / week long / month long excursions I am lucky enough to take.It's travelers bible and will keep you company along your way.

Really beautiful and highly recommended!

An incredible collection of women's spiritual writing!
I was very impressed by the stories included here--Anne Lamott, Maya Angelou, Natalie Goldberg, Kim Chernin...etc. These are not dry stories about spirituality--but rather transformative tales about how these womenwriters are changed by their travel experiences. Very inspirational andilluminating-read this book.

An inspiring and exciting read...
While looking for information, inspiration (and even a little soothing) in the travel section of the bookstore a few days ago, I picked up this book. Taking you through the highs and lows of life and traveling, it isespecially wonderful for anyone who is planning to do a bit of exploring ontheir own. The stories speak in many different voices from many differentplaces, but all with one strangely similar and strong spirit. It has beenso enjoyable that I after I finish this review, I'm going to buy anotherbook in the series. A beautiful collection - buy it, read it, and travel! ... Read more

Product Description
This study investigated advanced processes for disinfection by-product (DBP) precursor removal, to achieve compliance with the Stage 1 and Stage 2 Disinfectant/Disinfection By-Products (D/DBP) Rules, while maintaining free chlorine as the residual disinfectant in the distribution system. Processes evaluated in this study were The MIEX® process*, Fixed-bed ion-exchange (IX), Granular activated carbon (GAC), and Preliminary, bench-scale testing of a novel process combining ceramic membranes with in-line MIEX® resin addition.Includes color pages. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from Florida Bar Journal, published by Florida Bar on March 1, 2008. The length of the article is 4579 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Business is business: recognizing referral relationships as legitimate business interests protectable by restrictive covenants in Florida.
Author: Charles A. Carlson
Publication: Florida Bar Journal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 2008
Publisher: Florida Bar
Volume: 82Issue: 3Page: 49(5)

Distributed by Gale, a part of Cengage Learning ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document is an article from St. Louis Journalism Review, published by SJR St. Louis Journalism Review on April 1, 1994. The length of the article is 3572 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

From the supplier: A panel discussion on the issue of Missouri state's proposed constitutional amendment with reference to sexual preference in civil rights laws reveals two sides. One side sees this movement as a move to isolate gays and to increase the potential for discrimination. The other side sees the movement as an opportunity to eradicate the special rights of homosexuals, to ensure the existence of things that are safe, wise and good since homosexuality is a sin.

Citation Details
Title: An all-inclusive vision of equality vs. it's not "safe, wise, good; it's a sin." (panel discussion on constitutional ammendment to ban any reference to sexual preference in civil rights laws)
Author: Amy Adams Squire Strongheart
Publication: St. Louis Journalism Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 1994
Publisher: SJR St. Louis Journalism Review
Volume: v23Issue: n165Page: p10(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Product Description

Theatre Research Resources in New York City is the most comprehensive catalog of New York City research facilities available to theater scholars, including public and private libraries, museums, historical societies, university and college collections, ethnic and language associations, theater companies, acting schools and film archives.