Understanding is the theme as Langone summarizes Japan's history (succinctly, but clearly) and surveys its society— customs, beliefs, home life, gender roles, youth, and the workplace (but not financing medical care, which would have been useful at this juncture in our own debate). In each instance, he takes pains to explain how geography, economic necessity, and culture have affected contemporary behavior, making careful comparisons to the US. The last third of the book is devoted to our perceptions of the Japanese and theirs of us and of themselves. The author is notably fair-minded; though essentially sympathetic, he doesn't so much justify Japanese thinking and behavior as explain it, exploring the effects of traditional attitudes on individuals and, especially, faulting Japan's continuing unwillingness to confront its role in WW II. His account is enriched by quotes from interviews, statistics, and surveys from a good array of sources, American and Japanese, cited in full notes. A thoughtful exploration of a culture that's of particular interest since it is so widely perceived as ``different'' and threatening, using specifics to show which stereotypes have some basis in fact and which are simply wrong, yet emphasizing the humanity and goals that people in all cultures have in common. A sensible how-to chapter on tactful ways to smooth relations with individual Japanese makes a fitting conclusion to a book that's sure to further international understanding. Index. (Nonfiction. 10+)
Pub Date: Jan. 3, 1994
ISBN: 0-316-51409-8
Page Count: 214
Publisher: Little, Brown
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 15, 1993
Small but mighty necessary reading.
A miniature manifesto for radical queer acceptance that weaves together the personal and political.
Eli, a cis gay white Jewish man, uses his own identities and experiences to frame and acknowledge his perspective. In the prologue, Eli compares the global Jewish community to the global queer community, noting, “We don’t always get it right, but the importance of showing up for other Jews has been carved into the DNA of what it means to be Jewish. It is my dream that queer people develop the same ideology—what I like to call a Global Queer Conscience.” He details his own isolating experiences as a queer adolescent in an Orthodox Jewish community and reflects on how he and so many others would have benefitted from a robust and supportive queer community. The rest of the book outlines 10 principles based on the belief that an expectation of mutual care and concern across various other dimensions of identity can be integrated into queer community values. Eli’s prose is clear, straightforward, and powerful. While he makes some choices that may be divisive—for example, using the initialism LGBTQIAA+ which includes “ally”—he always makes clear those are his personal choices and that the language is ever evolving.
Small but mighty necessary reading. (resources) (Nonfiction. 14-18)Pub Date: June 2, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-09368-9
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: March 28, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: April 15, 2020
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change.
Testa’s connection to and respect for nature compelled her to begin championing animal causes at the age of 10, and this desire to have an impact later propelled her to dedicate her life to fighting plastic pollution. Starting with the history of plastic and how it’s produced, Testa acknowledges the benefits of plastics for humanity but also the many ways it harms our planet. Instead of relying on recycling—which is both insufficient and ineffective—she urges readers to follow two additional R’s: “refuse” and “raise awareness.” Readers are encouraged to do their part, starting with small things like refusing to use plastic straws and water bottles and eventually working up to using their voices to influence business and policy change. In the process, she highlights other youth advocates working toward the same cause. Short chapters include personal examples, such as observations of plastic pollution in Mauritius, her maternal grandparents’ birthplace. Testa makes her case not only against plastic pollution, but also for the work she’s done, resulting in something of a college-admissions–essay tone. Nevertheless, the first-person accounts paired with science will have an impact on readers. Unfortunately, no sources are cited and the lack of backmatter is a missed opportunity.
Brief yet inspirational, this story will galvanize youth to use their voices for change. (Nonfiction. 12-18)Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2020
ISBN: 978-0-593-22333-8
Page Count: 64
Publisher: Penguin Workshop
Review Posted Online: July 26, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2020
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