Reading in the hills...

Synopsis: "Over two-thirds of the earth is covered by bodies of water that many believe hold the secrets to the beginnings of life. In this absorbing survey of oceanography, Prager (Furious Earth) and Earle (The Living Ocean: Understanding and Protecting Marine Biodiversity) chronicle the development of the science of oceans and the evolution of life within the briny deep and shallow estuaries. The authors narrate the "grand epic" of life's evolution from its earliest beginnings (between 4.5 and 1 billion years ago) to the flowering of sea life in the Cambrian period (about 550 million years ago). They examine the geological evidence of life's development, and the physical and chemical properties of the ocean-- the effects of oceans on climate, coastal upwellings, deep-sea circulation, rip currents and rogue waves--as well as the beauties and mysteries of sea life and, through accounts of various marine biomes, microbes and mammals, the tremendous diversity of marine life. Throughout, Prager and Earle debunk myths about the existence of Jaws-like sharks and other marine creatures. Finally, they contend that if the oceans continue to be exploited in the ways they have been over just the past 30 years, they may die. Therefore, the authors argue, governments must give high priority to the study of oceans simply because "to preserve the sea is to preserve life on Earth." This elegant study is an excellent resource for scientists, teachers and all lovers of the ocean." (from Publishers Weekly)

Rating: 3 of 5 stars.

Synopsis: "A vivid, up-to-date tour of the Earth's last frontier, a remote and mysterious realm that nonetheless lies close to the heart of even the most land-locked reader. The sea covers seven-tenths of the Earth, but we have mapped only a small percentage of it. The sea contains millions of species of animals and plants, but we have identified only a few thousand of them. The sea controls our planet's climate, but we do not really understand how. The sea is still the frontier, and yet it seems so familiar that we sometimes forget how little we know about it. Just as we are poised on the verge of exploiting the sea on an unprecedented scale-mining it, fertilizing it, fishing it out-this book reminds us of how much we have yet to learn. More than that, it chronicles the knowledge explosion that has transformed our view of the sea in just the past few decades, and made it a far more interesting and accessible place. From the Big Bang to that far-off future time, two billion years from now, when our planet will be a waterless rock; from the lush crowds of life at seafloor hot springs to the invisible, jewel-like plants that float at the sea surface; from the restless shifting of the tectonic plates to the majestic sweep of the ocean currents, Kunzig's clear and lyrical prose transports us to the ends of the Earth." (from back of book)

Rating: 3 of 5 stars.

Synopsis: "Yoder is an American-trained sociologist who has taught at various American and Japanese universities for 30 years; he currently lectures at a number of universities in the Tokyo metropolitan area. This text builds on a study begun 20 years ago on Japanese youth deviance and class conflict, and follow-up studies four and 15 years after the original fieldwork. This latest work investigates why Japanese youths rebel against adult social controls and describes the consequences of this rebellion when they enter young adulthood. The research is unique in that most studies of Japanese crime focus on adult criminals, and because the text views the problem through the eyes and experiences of the youths themselves." (from BN.com)

Impressions: Okay. Access it here with Google Books.

Rating: 3 of 5 stars.

Synopsis: "This book offers a balanced introduction to and examination of contemporary Japanese education. The postwar system of schooling has led to some unfavorable developments such as excessively competitive exams, stifling uniformity and an undervaluing of non-Japanese ethnicity. This book examines the main developments of modern schooling in Japan and includes analysis of the most recent reforms, presenting a new picture of the role of schooling for individuals and the wider society. Essential reading for students and educators alike." (from back of book)

Impressions: Outdated but interesting.

Rating: 4 of 5 stars.

Synopsis: "Assembled in Japan investigates one of the great success stories of the twentieth century: the rise of the Japanese electronics industry. Contrary to mainstream interpretation, Simon Partner discovers that behind the meteoric rise of Sony, Matsushita, Toshiba, and other electrical goods companies was neither the iron hand of Japan's Ministry of International Trade and Industry nor a government-sponsored export-led growth policy, but rather an explosion of domestic consumer demand that began in the 1950s.
This powerful consumer boom differed fundamentally from the one under way at the same time in the United States in that it began from widespread poverty and comparatively miserable living conditions. Beginning with a discussion of the prewar origins of the consumer engine that was to take off under the American Occupation, Partner quickly turns his sights on the business leaders, inventors, laborers, and ordinary citizens who participated in the broadly successful effort to create new markets for expensive, unfamiliar new products.
Throughout, the author relates these pressure-cooker years in Japan to the key themes of twentieth-century experience worldwide: the role of technology in promoting social change, the rise of mass consumer societies, and the construction of gender in advanced industrial economies." (from back of book)

Rating: 4 of 5 stars.