Over the years, I have read a lot of books. I owe a great deal to the authors who have educated and entertained me, whether through their writing or their outstanding teaching in audio courses. Allow me to share some of my favorites, many of which have stayed with me long after the final page. I hope you find something here that enlightens you and brings you joy.
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Japan
Understanding Japan: A Cultural History, by Mark J. Ravina, The Great Courses
Excellent teacher who simplifies Japanese history and culture.
The Rise of Modern Japan, by Mark J. Ravina, The Great Courses
The Rising Sun: The Decline and Fall of the Japanese Empire, 1936-1945, by John Toland
If you only read one book on Japan’s role in WWII, I suggest this. Toland’s attention to detail brings history to life—from the secret discussions of Japanese commanders in their submarines to the dramatic, last-ditch coup attempt to block the Emperor’s surrender broadcast. He concludes with a chapter on the US occupation of Japan and the country’s reconstruction.
Japan 1941: Countdown to Infamy, by Eri Hotta.
Hotta thoroughly recounts the roles and opinions of various individuals in the Tokyo government, laymen, and the Japanese military; the roles of international leaders and diplomats in the year 1941; and the domestic and international events that led to the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941.
The Great Wave: Gilded Age Misfits, Japanese Eccentrics, and the Opening of Old Japan, by Christopher Benfey
Delightful story of Western scholars who sought to preserve old Japan.
The Fall of Japan: The Final Weeks of WWII in the Pacific, by William Craig
Geisha, a Life, by Mineko Isakaki
Mineko was the geisha whom Arthur Golden interviewed for his book, Memoirs of a Geisha. She subsequently sued him and wrote her own memoir. This is it.
The Autobiography of a Geisha, by Sayo Masuda
Sayo’s story begins with her tragic childhood that culminates in her being sold to a geisha house—not the elegant, refined establishments of Kyoto or Tokyo’s Yoshiwara, but a rough, unforgiving place where the line between geisha and prostitute was very thin. Unschooled and illiterate, only learning to write hiragana as an adult, her memoir is simple, personal, and raw.
The Hare with Amber Eyes, by Edmund de Waal
Enchanting story of a collection of netsuke and the family who owned them.
The Japanese: A History in Twenty Lives, by Christopher Harding
Engaging and readable history of Japan woven around the stories of twenty people, from the ancient shamaness Himiko, to the post-war singer, actress, and cultural icon, Misora Hibari.
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption, by Laura Hillenbrand
Tokyo Underworld: The Fast Times and Hard Life of an American Gangster in Japan, by Robert Whiting
Tokyo Junkie: 60 Years of Bright Lights and Back Alleys… and Baseball, by Robert Whiting
Anecdote-filled history of Tokyo from 1962 to the present told through the eyes of a longtime journalist and resident.
Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan, by Jake Adelstein
The recent HBO series of the same name was based on this book.
Escape from Manchuria, by Paul Maruyama
How three men risked their lives to escape from Manchuria to get a message to General MacArthur so he could send help to repatriate 1.7 million Japanese stranded in northeastern China in the years after WWII.
Okinawa: The History of an Island People, by George Kerr
Extraordinarily detailed account of the history of the Ryukyu Kingdom.
The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice, by Trevor Corson
Against the backdrop of a sushi training school in California, the author weaves the history of sushi and other interesting stories.
E
Historical Fiction
Japanese Inn, by Oliver Statler
Charming and unputdownable story of an inn along the Tokaido, its varied guests and secrets.
Shogun: The Epic Novel of Japan, by James Clavell
Based on the true story of William Adams, the first Englishman to reach Japan, who became a trusted aid and hatamoto samurai in the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo era (1603-1867).
Gai-jin, by James Clavell
The book builds on the real-life Namamugi Incident, in which Satsuma samurai kill an Englishman for disrespecting their lord. The cast includes characters based on historical figures such as Thomas Blake Glover, a Scottish tea merchant cum arms dealer in Nagasaki, and more.
Musashi, by Eiji Yoshikawa, Translated by Charles S. Terry
Written in the 1930s, this entertaining, historical adventure is based on the life of the famous 17th-century ronin, Minamoto Musashi.
The Thousand Autums of Jacob deZoet, by David Mitchell
An intimate look at the Dutch trading enclave of Dejima through the eyes of the sailor, Jacob deZoet.
The Winds of War, by Herman Wouk
This book, along with its sequel, War and Remembrance, tells the story of an American family and world events during the tumultuous years of the mid-20th century.
The Good Earth, by Pearl Buck
Another Pulitzer Prize winner, this tells of a rural Chinese family in the 1920s.
Miscellaneous Nonfiction
Geisha: The Secret History of a Vanishing World, by Leslie Downer
Educational look into the geisha world in Kyoto.
Don’t Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle, by Daniel L. Everett
This is the fabulous tale of Daniel Everett’s time living with and learning the language of the Pirahã people of the Amazon. Initially aiming to convert them, Everett’s worldview transformed as he immersed himself in their culture. The Pirahã—whose language lacks numbers and fixed tenses, and who have no concept of events outside of first-person narrative—challenged his core beliefs. More than a tale of fascinating linguistics, which it is, this book caused me to reflect on human nature, beliefs, and cultures.
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, by Jung Chang
A sweeping history of modern China told through the lives of three generations of women in Jung Chang’s family—her grandmother, with bound feet, who was married off to a warlord; her mother, a loyal communist who was tortured and humiliated during the Cultural Revolution; and Chang herself, who ultimately escaped to the West. Her biography, Mao: The Unknown Story, was also excellent, though a deeply troubling read.
Mao’s Last Dancer, by Li Cunxin
Li was a peasant boy who rose to become one of China’s best ballet dancers and eventually defected to the West.
Dear Leader: Poet, Spy, Escapee—A Look Inside North Korea, by Jang Jin-Sung
This book is excellent, both for its beautiful word usage and skillful storytelling, and for the sheer magnitude of the information revealed about the secretive regime of the Kims and the world inside the borders of cult-like North Korea.
The author describes the difficulties and horrors North Korean refugees face upon crossing the river into China: the disdain and outright hostility they encounter, the trafficking and abuse of women, and the constant threat of arrest and forced repatriation by the Chinese authorities.
Kudos to Mr. Jang for his courage in speaking out against the Kims’ nightmarish rule and the desperate lengths to which people will go to escape it. The best book I have ever read about North Korea.
In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom, Yeonmi Park
Yeonmi was born into a relatively wealthy family by North Korean standards, but like so many, her family fell into desperate times. They made the heart-rending decision to risk their lives by escaping to China. Yeonmi tells of her traumatic teenage years spent in China, mostly in the hands of criminal traffickers, until her eventual escape from China and on to South Korea, where she was considered a citizen.
A River in Darkness: One Man’s Escape from North Korea, by Masaji Ishikawa
This is a moving account of people living through insurmountable difficulties, discrimination, and hypocritical inequities, yet continuing to strive. It is well worth reading for insight into life in North Korea and the struggles of Koreans in Japan. It is a tragic story.
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics, by Daniel James Brown
Beautiful and touching.
The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century, by Kirk Wallace Johnson
Although far from my usual reading genres, I enjoyed this foray into the Victorian art of salmon fly-tying, its unexpected intrigues, and crime.
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes, and Other Lessons from the Crematory, by Caitlin Doughty
Entertaining, humorous, and informative look into the funeral and cremation industry, written by a woman who subsequently made funerals her life’s work.
Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman! by Richard P. Feynman
Anecdotes from Mr. Feynman’s life as a physicist. I listened to the audio version with my sons, and we enjoyed his sharp wit, curiosity, and adventures.
Unnatural Causes: The Life and Many Deaths of Britain’s Top Forensic Pathologist, by Dr. Richard Shepherd
Autobiography written by the UK’s foremost forensic pathologist. It was insightful and a delight to read because of Dr. Shepherd’s excellent writing.
Do No Harm: Stories of Life, Death, and Brain Surgery, by Henry Marsh
Excellent and well-written book.
Peter 2.0: The Human Cyborg, by Peter Scott-Morgan
The touching story of how an expert in robotics dealt with his diagnosis of terminal Motor Neurone Disease.
Human Behavior
Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman
Nobel prize-winner and pioneer of behavioral economics, Dr. Kahneman explains the workings of the human brain, its biases, and heuristics. Reading this book gave me compassion for my younger self and a greater understanding of humans in general.
The Invisible Gorilla: And Other Ways Our Intuitions Deceive Us, by Christopher Chabris
We see what we want to see, and don’t see what we don’t want to see. Insightful look into the biased workings of the human mind.
Mistakes Were Made (but Not By Me) Third Edition: Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts, by Caroll Tavris, Elliot Aronson
Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, by Robert M. Sapolsky
Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding, by Daniel E. Lieberman
Factfulness, Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World—And Why Things are Better than You Think, by Hans Rosling
You Are Not So Smart: Why You Have Too Many Friends on Facebook, Why Your Memory Is Mostly Fiction, and 46 Other Ways You’re Deluding Yourself, by David McRaney
The Drunkard’s Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives, by Leonard Mlodinow
Awakenings, by Oliver Sacks
The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat: and Other Clinical Tales, by Oliver Sacks
The Art of Conflict Management, by Michael Dues, The Great Courses
The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science, by Norman Doidge
Remarkable stories about brain plasticity.
Science
I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life, by Ed Yong
An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us, by Ed Yong
Fiction
Project Hail Mary, by Andy Weir
The audio version is particularly delightful. This is a classic hero’s journey with a satisfying ending.
The Lacquer Screen: A Chinese Detective Story (Judge Dee Mystery), by Robert van Gulik
This is part of a series about a Tang Dynasty detective.
What books have made an impression on you? Feel free to share them with me in the comments or by email.