Description:
"A unique and provocative contribution to the fundamental question of what makes life worth living. Mathews works creatively with the similarities and differences in the United States and Japan to shed light on cultural values in the two societies."--John L. Caughey, author of "Imaginary Social Worlds"
"Amidst trade wars, when Japanese workers are made into robots and trade negotiators into modern-day samurai, one longs for a sense of what Japanese humans are like. Gordon Mathews provides the answer. . . . His work is penetrating and rings true."--Ezra F. Vogel, author of "Japan as Number One"
"An extraordinary book. Mathews's analysis of each pair of narratives is clear, delightful, and satisfying."--Takie Sugiyama Lebra, author of "Above the Clouds: Status Culture of the Modern Japanese Nobility"
