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The Chrysanthemum and the Sword
- Patterns of Japanese Culture
- Narrated by: Cindy Kay
- Length: 10 hrs
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Publisher's summary
"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.
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There is a tug of war going on for the future of America. At one end of the rope are those who think America is a secular nation; at the other end are those who believe religion is at the root of our country's foundation. In this audio release of the thought-provoking America's Real War, renowned leader and speaker Rabbi Daniel Lapin encourages America to reembrace the Judeo-Christian values on which our nation was founded and logically demonstrates why those values are crucial to America's strength in the new millennium.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I really enjoyed the thoughts and information.
- By Anonymous User on 05-28-19
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Socrates
- A Man for Our Times
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- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 4 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 161
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 138
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 140
Acclaimed historian and best-selling author Paul Johnson’s books have been translated into dozens of languages. In Socrates: A Man for Our Times, Johnson draws from little-known resources to construct a fascinating account of one of history’s greatest thinkers. Socrates transcended class limitations in Athens during the fifth century B.C. to develop ideas that still shape the way we think about the human body and soul, including the workings of the human mind.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Plat-Soc-Paul
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By: Paul Johnson
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For Your Own Good
- Hidden Cruelty in Child-Rearing and the Roots of Violence
- By: Alice Miller
- Narrated by: Jo Anna Perrin
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 82
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 67
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 67
For Your Own Good, the contemporary classic exploring the serious if not gravely dangerous consequences parental cruelty can bring to bear on children everywhere, is one of the central works by Alice Miller, the celebrated Swiss psychoanalyst. With her typically lucid, strong, and poetic language, Miller investigates the personal stories and case histories of various self-destructive and/or violent individuals to expand on her theories about the long-term effects of abusive child-rearing.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Should be required reading for everyone
- By Timothy on 05-15-18
By: Alice Miller
-
You Learn by Living
- Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life
- By: Eleanor Roosevelt
- Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 111
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 100
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 97
One of the most beloved figures of the 20th century, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt remains a role model for a life well lived. At the age of 76, Roosevelt penned this simple guide to living a fuller life. You Learn by Living is a powerful volume of enduring common sense ideas and heartfelt values. Offering her own philosophy on living, Eleanor takes listeners on a path to compassion, confidence, maturity, civic stewardship, and more. Her keys to a fulfilling life?
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5 out of 5 stars
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Great advice
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Anarchism and Other Essays
- By: Emma Goldman
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 8 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 273
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 227
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 223
Among the men and women prominent in the public life of early 20th-century America there are but few whose names are mentioned as often as that of Emma Goldman. Yet the real Emma Goldman is almost quite unknown. Here are powerful, penetrating, prophetic essays on direct action, the role of minorities, prison reform, puritan hypocrisy, and violence.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Critical reading for today's world
- By Darwin on 02-27-17
By: Emma Goldman
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"Most Blessed of the Patriarchs"
- Thomas Jefferson and the Empire of the Imagination
- By: Annette Gordon-Reed, Peter S. Onuf
- Narrated by: Karen Chilton
- Length: 14 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 87
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 75
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 73
Thomas Jefferson is still presented today as a hopelessly enigmatic figure despite being written about more than any other Founding Father. Lauded as the most articulate voice of American freedom even as he held people in bondage, Jefferson is variably described by current-day observers as a hypocrite, an atheist, and a simple-minded proponent of limited government.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Disappointing
- By Steve on 06-09-16
By: Annette Gordon-Reed, and others
-
The Consolations of Philosophy
- By: Alain de Botton
- Narrated by: Simon Vance
- Length: 6 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 665
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 493
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 491
Alain de Botton has performed a stunning feat: He has transformed arcane philosophy into something accessible and entertaining, useful and kind. Drawing on the work of six of the world's most brilliant thinkers, de Botton has arranged a panoply of wisdom to guide us through our most common problems.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Cheering, empathic, helpful
- By Austin on 11-11-09
By: Alain de Botton
-
Who Cooked the Last Supper?
- The Women's History of the World
- By: Rosalind Miles
- Narrated by: Rebecca Gibel
- Length: 12 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 99
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 80
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 80
Without politics or polemics, this brilliant and witty book overturns centuries of preconceptions to restore women to their rightful place at the center of culture, revolution, empire, war, and peace. Spiced with tales of individual women who have shaped civilization, celebrating the work and lives of women around the world, and distinguished by a wealth of research, Who Cooked the Last Supper? redefines our concept of historical reality.
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1 out of 5 stars
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Waste of Time
- By Chihuahua Mom on 11-18-19
By: Rosalind Miles
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The Strenuous Life: Essays and Addresses of Theodore Roosevelt
- By: Theodore Roosevelt
- Narrated by: George Doyle
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 62
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 58
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 56
"The Strenuous Life: Essays and Addresses" is a collection of Theodore Roosevelt's published commentaries and public addresses on what is necessary for a vital and healthy political, social and individual life. Roosevelt states the main point of his speech in the opening remarks: "I wish to preach, not the doctrine of ignoble ease, but the doctrine of the strenuous life, the life of toil and effort, of labor and strife.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Good book. Poor presentation.
- By Thomas on 01-27-20
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Incarnations
- India in Fifty Lives
- By: Sunil Khilnani
- Narrated by: Vikas Adam
- Length: 16 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 56
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 51
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 50
For all of India's myths, its sea of stories and moral epics, Indian history remains a curiously unpeopled place. In Incarnations, Sunil Khilnani fills that space, recapturing the human dimension of how the world's largest democracy came to be. His trenchant portraits of emperors, warriors, philosophers, film stars, and corporate titans - some famous, some unjustly forgotten - bring feeling, wry humor, and uncommon insight to dilemmas that extend from ancient times to our own.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Great listen, the author is biased
- By Anonymous User on 02-15-19
By: Sunil Khilnani
-
The Politically Incorrect Guide to Western Civilization
- By: Anthony Esolen
- Narrated by: Malcolm Hillgartner
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 419
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 351
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 351
Western civilization is under attack. At universities and in the media, professors and pundits decry Western civilization as exploitative, destructive, and without value. But fear not: coming to its defense is this "P.I." guide to Western civilization.
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2 out of 5 stars
-
Holy Neo-Nazism Batman!
- By Douglas on 12-03-11
By: Anthony Esolen
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The Ten Commandments
- The Significance of God's Laws in Everyday Life
- By: Laura Schlessinger Ph.D., Rabbi Stewart Vogel
- Narrated by: Laura Schlessinger Ph.D., Rabbi Stewart Vogel
- Length: 2 hrs and 43 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 72
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 36
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 35
The Ten Commandments are the first direct communication between a people and God. Designed to elevate our lives above mere frantic, animal existence to the sublime levels humanity is capable of experiencing, they are the blueprint of God's expectations of us and his plan for a meaningful, just, loving, and holy life. Each commandment asserts a principle, and each principle is a moral focus point for real-life issues relating to God, family, sex, work, charity, property, speech, and thought.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
The Ten Commandments
- By PineappleGirl on 12-08-06
By: Laura Schlessinger Ph.D., and others
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Practicing History
- Selected Essays
- By: Barbara W. Tuchman
- Narrated by: Wanda McCaddon
- Length: 12 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 117
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 102
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 100
Master historian Barbara W. Tuchman looks at history in a unique way and draws lessons from what she sees. This accessible introduction to the subject of history offers striking insights into America's past and present, trenchant observations on the international scene, and thoughtful pieces on the historian's role. Here is a splendid body of work, the story of a lifetime spent "practicing history".
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2 out of 5 stars
-
Barbara Tuchman fan faced with reality
- By J. Whittle on 09-27-18
-
The Spiritual Teachings of Seneca
- Ancient Philosophy for Modern Wisdom
- By: Mark Forstater, Victoria Radin
- Narrated by: David Troughton, Louisa Millwood Haig
- Length: 1 hr and 36 mins
- Abridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 95
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 71
-
Story4 out of 5 stars 69
Seneca was dedicated to Stoicism, and in his essays and letters he explained the stoic position on many fundamental issues: pleasure and the problem of desire, happiness, and contentment; anger, fear, living in the present, how to think for yourself, anxiety and tranquillity, goodness, freedom, trusting the universe; courage, opportunity, cruelty and how to deal with it, friendship, love and trust, death and how to live, learning , chance and fate, time, aspirations, wisdom - and more.
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3 out of 5 stars
-
Odd presentation style
- By Mark on 08-03-08
By: Mark Forstater, and others
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In this groundbreaking biography of the Japanese emperor Hirohito, Herbert P. Bix offers the first complete, unvarnished look at the enigmatic leader whose 63-year reign ushered Japan into the modern world. Never before has the full life of this controversial figure been revealed with such clarity and vividness. Bix describes what it was like to be trained from birth for a lone position at the apex of the nation's political hierarchy and as a revered symbol of divine status.
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Chris Harding's enormously enjoyable new book distils Japan's long, complex and fascinating history into the stories of 20 remarkable individuals. These vivid and entertaining portraits take the listener from the earliest written accounts of Japan right through to the life of the current empress, Masako. We encounter shamans and warlords, poets and revolutionaries, scientists, artists and adventurers - each offering insights of their own into this extraordinary place.
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Murasaki Shikibu, born into the middle ranks of the aristocracy during the Heian period (794-1185 CE), wrote The Tale of Genji, widely considered the world's first novel, during the early years of the 11th century. Expansive, compelling, and sophisticated in its representation of ethical concerns and aesthetic ideals, Murasaki's tale came to occupy a central place in Japan's remarkable history of artistic achievement and is now recognized as a masterpiece of world literature.
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Neither fish nor....
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Brett L. Walker tackles key themes regarding Japan's relationships with its minorities, state and economic development, and the uses of science and medicine. The book begins by tracing the country's early history through archaeological remains, before proceeding to explore life in the imperial court, the rise of the samurai, civil conflict, encounters with Europe, and the advent of modernity and empire. Walker's vibrant and accessible new narrative then follows Japan's ascension from the ashes of World War II into the thriving nation of today.
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The Japanese progressed throughout the eras because of the emperor, but they also progressed despite him. These are people who never let go of their sacred history, and their story is told and retold in art, film, literature, and even graphic novels across the entire world. Terms such as shoguns, samurai, haiku, anime, and manga are familiar to many in the Western world today. Westerners also learn flower arranging, martial arts, meditation, and enjoy a variety of visual and digital art forms because of the unique culture of Japan.
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Pronunciation problems
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Pt 2 was delightful (+no cringey pronunciations!!)
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China and Japan
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China and Japan have cultural and political connections that stretch back 1,500 years. But today, their relationship is strained. China's military buildup deeply worries Japan, while Japan's brutal occupation of China in World War II remains an open wound. In recent years, less than 10 percent of each population had positive feelings toward the other, and both countries insist that the other side must deal openly with its history before relations can improve. Ezra Vogel's China and Japan examines key turning points in Sino-Japanese history.
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5 out of 5 stars
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China & Japan is first rate by a top scholar
- By Louise Stone on 06-17-20
By: Ezra F. Vogel
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The Water Margin
- Outlaws of the Marsh
- By: Shi Naian, J. H. Jackson - translator, Edwin Lowe - translator
- Narrated by: Jonathan Booth
- Length: 33 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 10
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 8
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Story5 out of 5 stars 8
The Water Margin is one of the most popular classics of early Chinese literature. It tells the vigorous story of 108 characters who, falling foul of the established state authorities, are forced to become outlaws. They form a bandit community in Liangshan Marsh, becoming such a formidable force in their own right that they threaten the power of government itself.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Top notch Chinese classic
- By Ken Blum on 10-13-23
By: Shi Naian, and others
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A Brief History of the Samurai
- Brief Histories
- By: Jonathan Clements
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 397
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 345
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 344
From a leading expert in Japanese history, this is one of the first full histories of the art and culture of the Samurai warrior. The Samurai emerged as a warrior caste in Medieval Japan and would have a powerful influence on the history and culture of the country from the next 500 years. Clements also looks at the Samurai wars that tore Japan apart in the 17th and 18th centuries and how the caste was finally demolished in the advent of the mechanized world.
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5 out of 5 stars
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An Excellent History of the Samurai
- By Michael on 08-08-14
What listeners say about The Chrysanthemum and the Sword
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- ADAM
- 05-11-23
Brilliant!
True classic— remains just as relevant today. Well worth listening to. And terrific narration by Cindy Kay— made listening extra enjoyable.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jeremy
- 06-18-23
Amazing
This is an excellent book, well researched, well conveyed, and well narrated. Something I’ve meaning to learn. Should have read/listened to years ago.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Than
- 12-07-22
Fascinating Even If A Little Dated
Every culture changes, obviously the values held by our grandparents may or may not be similar to what we hold as meaningful. But this book is a great look at the Japan at the moment in time at the end of World War 2. It sounds a little dated in places where it talks about the 'unusually high birth rate of the Japanese' but it does give a sense of the overall cultural differences between Japan and the broader Western culture they've been assimilated into. I'd love for a followup talking about Japan in the era of videogames and kawaii but I don't think Ruth will be doing one since she's been dead since my father was born...
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- David
- 10-01-23
Historically interesting but outdated
Chrysanthemum is well written and presented but it’s obviously not the guide to Japan that it might have been 80yrs ago when written.
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1 person found this helpful