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The Chrysanthemum and the Sword

Patterns of Japanese Culture

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About this listen

"One of the best books ever about Japanese society ... [A] thoughtful, nuanced study of the Japanese character." (U.S. News & World Report)

Essential for anyone interested in Japanese culture, this unsurpassed masterwork opens an intriguing window on Japan. The World War II-era study by the cultural anthropologist Ruth Benedict paints an illuminating contrast between the people of Japan and those of the United States. The Chrysanthemum and the Sword is a revealing look at how and why our societies differ, making it the perfect introduction to Japanese history and customs.

©1946 Ruth Benedict; copyright renewed 1974 by Donald G. Freeman (P)2022 Tantor Anthropology Asia Japan Socialism China
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Reads like a novel but has a precision and sparseness that I loved. The narrator suits it well and is easy to listen to

Beautifully written and performed

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Historically interesting, but dated. It really depends on why you are taking up this book. It is definitely an interesting piece of historical cultural anthropology that reflects both the US views on self and the reflection on Japanese culture from the perspective of a US anthropologist at the time. However, if you are interested in a reflection of modern Japan, stir away.

Historically interesting but dated

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