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SBP 2023-2024 Catalog Division to Unification in Imperial China (vol. 2) The Three Kingdoms to the Tang Dynasty (220–907) Author Jing Liu The second volume in this fun, comic-style series that explores China's transition from the Three Kingdoms to the Tang Dynasty. Who founded China? Are Chinese people religious? What is Chinese culture and how has it changed over time? The Understanding China Through Comics series answers these questions and more. Division to Unification in Imperial China is series volume two. It explores one of China's more chaotic periods when Chinese culture flourished while civil wars and foreign invasions repeatedly thwarted attempts at unification. Volume 1: Foundations of Chinese Civilization Volume 3: Barbarians and the Birth of Chinese Identity Volume 4: The Making of Modern China Volume 5: The Way Forward Preview Goodreads Details PUBLISH DATE 11/8/16 PISBN PRICE 9781611720303 $14.95 GENRE Nonfiction EISBN PRICE 9781611729207 $9.95 DIMENSIONS 6 x 8" HARDCOVER ISBN PRICE NA NA # OF PAGES 168 AUDIOBOOK ISBN PRICE NA NA Praise "A great way to learn about China's vast history!" —Amy Tan, author of The Joy Luck Club "Excels at clarifying the often-confusing transitional periods between dynasties… An excellent introduction to the large trends of early Chinese history." —School Library Journal "Chinese language is being taught in all but one state... A comic format teaching China's history is the perfect companion." —US-China Review "Combines breezy style with historical rigor to strike just the right gong-tone for a middle school audience approaching the vast scope of Chinese history." — Education About Asia 5/5 Stars "An invaluable source... Chinese history is a vast subject, but Jing Liu has a skillful ability to condense it all into an interesting and manageable narrative." —Kids' Book Buzz "The combination of silhouettes—often threatening, martial ones—with open-faced, expressively individualized figures of many social classes adds dramatic tension while neatly balancing the big-picture narrative. There's a lot to absorb even in this abbreviated form, but the visual approach lightens the load considerably." — Kirkus Reviews "The lucid, economical text makes one eager for successive volumes." — Booklist "Simple and effective…This direct, appealing introduction to the foundations of one of the world’s oldest civilizations is recommended for teens and adults." — Library Journal "Given China's superpower ambitions, it goes without saying that our politicians must pick up a copy." —HuffPost "A clear and concise survey of Chinese history and culture that is sure to please." —The Comics Grinder 4.5/5 Stars "A very nice way to establish a foundation to understanding China’s history and a possible gateway to more intense study and comprehension of a very complex subject." — Portland Book Review "The book does what it says it does: a child will come away with a basic understanding of early Chinese history, what makes the Chinese tick as a people and culture." —Asian Review of Books "It is certainly a fascinating look at Chinese history, and doing it in comics has certainly made it more accessible to people, especially for the Western world." —Radio Australia Teacher and Professor Testimonials "This book is “The Magic School Bus” for those starting to explore Chinese culture." —Dan Cao, Instructor at Confucius Institute at UC Davis "An excellent history that clearly explains the great (and ordinary) people who have made China what it is and the conflicts and debates that have shaped Chinese history. There is nothing else like it in English or Chinese." —Alan Baumler, Professor of History at Indiana University of Pennsylvania "No more burying yourself in text-heavy history books to learn about China, this comic-style book manages to be rich in information and bring Chinese history to readers in a more clear, fun, and accessible way than it’s ever been done before. Easily integrated into a social studies or Chinese culture curriculum, I can’t wait to get a copy for my class." —Grace Zeng, Chinese Teacher and Middle School Chinese Curriculum Area Leader at International School of Beijing "Jing Liu has brought to life the long and complex early period of Chinese history in this wonderful graphic novel. Foundations of Chinese Civilization is a delight to read; humorous, informative, and truly captivating." —Alexandra Pearson, Founder of The Bookworm Literary Festival "Since the 1990s, Jing Liu has been entertaining and informing foreigners about China with his cartoons. His new series of comic books is a fun, easy, accessible way to gain a basic understanding of Chinese history and culture." —Jeremy Goldkorn, Founder of Danwei "This comic series is fantastic to use in the classroom. My students are drawn to this book - not only do they enjoy this graphic-novel style, it also helps them understand difficult historical concepts. What a fun supplement to the regular textbook!" —Leslie Burgoine, Middle School History Teacher, Portland, Oregon "I was really impressed with how the author explained, taught, explored and visually told the story of China. Impressive and very informative. It was not only a page turner for me, but my students would run into class to get their hands on a copy to keep reading!" —Sasha Johnson, World History Teacher at Black Pine Circle School, Berkeley, CA Video Book Photos Retail Outlets Books sold at E-Books sold at Audiobooks sold at About the Author(s) Jing Liu An artist and entrepreneur from Beijing, China, currently uses his artistry to tell the story of China. Learn More

Philosophy & Religion A Dictionary of Japanese Buddhist Terms Hisao Inagaki A vital resource for students of Buddhism and Japanese Culture, revised and expanded. Read More Hojoki Kamo-no-Chomei A luminous translation of the classic Buddhist poem. Read More Of Arcs and Circles Marc Peter Keane A renowned designer of Japanese gardens contemplates wildness, humanity, beauty, the liquid state of the world. Read More The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross T.K. Nakagaki A remarkable cross-cultural history that rescues the swastika, an ancient Buddhist symbol, from its deployment by the forces of hate. Read More A Glossary of Zen Terms Hisao Inagaki Of special interest to scholars and students of Zen classics, a glossary of specialized vocabulary to aid understanding and practice. Read More Japaneseness Yoji Yamakuse Can traditional Japanese life concepts--like loyalty, harmony, meticulousness--make sense in Western societies? Read More Sacred Sanskrit Words Leza Lowitz A simple guide to over 160 key spiritual concepts behind yoga and other branches of Eastern wisdom. Read More Yamamba Rebecca Copeland and Linda C. Ehrlich Women, Magic, Wisdom: Explore a Japanese myth through the words and images of key scholars and artists. Read More A Straight Road with 99 Curves Gregory Shepherd & Ruben LF Habito From fascination to disillusionment and back, a memoir of one man's quest for Zen and spirituality in America and Japan. Read More My Heart Sutra Frederik L. Schodt A cultural and personal journey into the famous sutra that teaches "form is emptiness; and emptiness is form." Read More Shinto Meditations for Revering the Earth Stuart D. B. Picken The first book in English to apply ancient Japanese Shinto traditions to daily spiritual fulfillment. Read More Yoga Heart Leza Lowitz The much-anticipated follow-up to the author's highly popular Yoga Poems: Lines to Unfold By. Read More Chinese Proverbs and Popular Sayings Larry and Qin Herzberg A collection of 600 proverbs in Chinese and English, capturing the enduring wisdom of China, for travelers and language students. Read More Naikan, Anniversary Edition Gregg Krech This new edition marks the 20th anniversary of this important and influential book with new and updated materials. Read More The Art of Setting Stones Marc Peter Keane Philosophical essays on the beauty and meaning of traditional Japanese gardens. Read More Load More Titles Collections JAPAN JAPAN LANGUAGE LANGUAGE CHINA CHINA LITERATURE LITERATURE TRAVEL TRAVEL CULTURE FOOD & DESIGN CULTURE FOOD & DESIGN FILM ANIME & MANGA FILM ANIME & MANGA PHILOSOPHY & RELGION PHILOSOPHY& RELIGION

E-Books Load More Titles Collections JAPAN JAPAN LANGUAGE LANGUAGE CHINA CHINA LITERATURE LITERATURE TRAVEL TRAVEL CULTURE FOOD & DESIGN CULTURE FOOD & DESIGN FILM ANIME & MANGA FILM ANIME & MANGA PHILOSOPHY & RELGION PHILOSOPHY& RELIGION

China Barbarians and the Birth of Chinese Identity (vol. 3) Jing Liu This fun, comic-style series that explores China's relationship with its barbarian neighbors. The Mongols! Read More China Survival Guide Larry and Qin Herzberg This updated edition of the best-selling travel guide to China is your ticket to the trip of a lifetime. Read More Foundations of Chinese Civilization (vol. 1) Jing Liu A fun way to learn about China in a visual, informative comic-style history. Read More The Making of Modern China (vol. 4) Jing Liu The fourth volume in this fun, comic-style series that explores China's move to modernization! Read More Basic Patterns of Chinese Grammar Larry and Qin Herzberg Speak and write with confidence while avoiding common mistakes! Read More Chinese Proverbs and Popular Sayings Larry and Qin Herzberg A collection of 600 proverbs in Chinese and English, capturing the enduring wisdom of China, for travelers and language students. Read More Sacred Sanskrit Words Leza Lowitz A simple guide to over 160 key spiritual concepts behind yoga and other branches of Eastern wisdom. Read More The Pearl Jacket and Other Stories Shouhua Qi China's hottest literary genre brings together the traditional, the experimental, and the avant-garde. Read More Bird Talk and Other Stories by Xu Xu Xu Xu Works of a major Chinese writer--liberal, cosmopolitan, and lyrically exotic--once banned but now embraced... Read More Division to Unification in Imperial China (vol. 2) Jing Liu The second volume in this fun, comic-style series that explores China's transition from the Three Kingdoms to the Tang Dynasty. Read More Speak and Read Chinese Larry and Qin Herzberg A handy supplement to studying characters in class or independently that teaches useful tricks for remembering words and tones. Read More The Understanding China Through Comics Series Jing Liu Who founded China? Who are the Chinese people? What is Chinese culture and how has it changed over time? Read More China Smart Larry and Qin Herzberg Essential essays on all things Chinese that inform and entertain travelers, students, and anyone working or living in China. Read More Epochs of Chinese and Japanese Art Ernest F. Fenollosa Two volumes of the essential and definitive survey of Chinese and Japanese art in one book. Read More The Buddhist Swastika and Hitler's Cross T.K. Nakagaki A remarkable cross-cultural history that rescues the swastika, an ancient Buddhist symbol, from its deployment by the forces of hate. Read More The Way Forward (vol. 5) Jing Liu How China became the China we know today, through war and societal transformation. Read More Load More Titles Collections JAPAN JAPAN LANGUAGE LANGUAGE CHINA CHINA LITERATURE LITERATURE TRAVEL TRAVEL CULTURE FOOD & DESIGN CULTURE FOOD & DESIGN FILM ANIME & MANGA FILM ANIME & MANGA PHILOSOPHY & RELGION PHILOSOPHY& RELIGION

New Books A Bridge of Words Hiroaki Sato Prolific, award-winning translator of classical and modern Japanese poetry Hiroaki Sato recorded his thoughts on American society in mainly two columns across 30-plus years, collected here for the first time. Read More Dragon Palace Hiromi Kawakami Stories from a Japanese master of transformative fiction, where reality, myth, and human foibles meet shifting dimensions of gender, biology, and destiny. Read More Japanese Cinema Peter Cowie An informal yet informed journey through the classic works of Japanese cinema and their visionary directors. Read More My Heart Sutra Frederik L. Schodt A cultural and personal journey into the famous sutra that teaches "form is emptiness; and emptiness is form." Read More Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man Steve Alpert A unique behind-the-scenes look at Japanese business and how the animated films of Hayao Miyazaki were introduced to the world. Read More The Thorn Puller Hiromi Ito Introducing Hiromi Ito, an award-winning Japanese author who has been compared to Haruki Murakami and Yoko Tawada. Read More Basho's Haiku Journeys Freeman Ng & Cassandra Rockwood Ghanem Haiku tell the story of the poet Basho and the diaries he wrote while walking throughout Japan in the 1600s. Read More Eating Wild Japan Winifred Bird A delicious collection of essays, recipes, and practical plant information exploring Japan's thriving culture of foraged foods. Read More Just Enough Azby Brown How the mindset of traditional Japanese society can guide our own efforts to lead a green lifestyle today. Read More Naikan, Anniversary Edition Gregg Krech This new edition marks the 20th anniversary of this important and influential book with new and updated materials. Read More Takaoka's Travels Tatsuhiko Shibusawa Introducing Tatsuhiko Shibusawa—Japan’s Italo Calvino—in this fantastical tale of a Japanese prince who encounters both beauty and danger on a pilgrimage to India. Read More The Way Forward (vol. 5) Jing Liu How China became the China we know today, through war and societal transformation. Read More Bird Talk and Other Stories by Xu Xu Xu Xu Works of a major Chinese writer--liberal, cosmopolitan, and lyrically exotic--once banned but now embraced... Read More Illusory Dwellings Allen S. Weiss Essays on the nature, creation, and presentation of art, craft , and architecture in Japan, springing from the author’s experiences in Kyoto. Read More Kanazawa David Joiner In Kanazawa, Japan, Emmitt and his wife Mirai clash over how to pursue their future together until a 30-year-old mystery reveals a way forward. Read More Of Arcs and Circles Marc Peter Keane A renowned designer of Japanese gardens contemplates wildness, humanity, beauty, the liquid state of the world. Read More The Heron Catchers David Joiner Joiner's second novel set in the fabled Kanazawa area is an intimate yet understated look at an American who seeks recovery after his marriage to a Japanese woman has failed. Read More Tokyo Junkie Robert Whiting 60 years of observation: an American journalist’s memoir about Tokyo’s modern urban transformation, its criminal underworld and, oh yes, baseball. Read More Discovering Yamaguchi Sake Jim Rion A new and remarkable look at the sake produced in Japan’s Yamaguchi Prefecture Read More Japan from Anime to Zen David Watts Barton An accessible compendium of the most important aspects of Japanese arts, culture and history, for quick reference or a longer, in-depth read, for actual and armchair travelers alike. Read More Kyoto Stories Steve Alpert An American student in 1970s Kyoto rambles among the city’s beauties and traditions, learning as he goes. Read More Off the Beaten Tracks in Japan John Dougill Observations on the people, culture, and history of Japan from a long-time resident riding the rails along the less-traveled western coastline. Read More The Minamata Story Sean Michael Wilson and Akiko Shimojima The true story of how one Japanese village suffered and survived the mercury poisoning of its waters. Read More Tokyo Stroll Gilles Poitras The ultimate guidebook to walking the streets of Tokyo that Japan lovers and the curious have been waiting for. Read More Load More Titles Collections JAPAN JAPAN LANGUAGE LANGUAGE CHINA CHINA LITERATURE LITERATURE TRAVEL TRAVEL CULTURE FOOD & DESIGN CULTURE FOOD & DESIGN FILM ANIME & MANGA FILM ANIME & MANGA PHILOSOPHY & RELGION PHILOSOPHY& RELIGION

Literature A Bridge of Words Hiroaki Sato Prolific, award-winning translator of classical and modern Japanese poetry Hiroaki Sato recorded his thoughts on American society in mainly two columns across 30-plus years, collected here for the first time. Read More A Tractate on Japanese Aesthetics Donald Richie Sure to be a classic, Donald Richie's concise, profound insights into the mysteries of Japanese Aesthetics. Read More Dragon Palace Hiromi Kawakami Stories from a Japanese master of transformative fiction, where reality, myth, and human foibles meet shifting dimensions of gender, biology, and destiny. Read More Hojoki Kamo-no-Chomei A luminous translation of the classic Buddhist poem. Read More Japan from Anime to Zen David Watts Barton An accessible compendium of the most important aspects of Japanese arts, culture and history, for quick reference or a longer, in-depth read, for actual and armchair travelers alike. Read More Kyoto Stories Steve Alpert An American student in 1970s Kyoto rambles among the city’s beauties and traditions, learning as he goes. Read More A Diplomat in Japan Sir Ernest Satow The classic historical account of Japan’s first encounters with the West. Read More Amorous Woman Donna George Storey An American woman's sexual awakening in Japan, testing the limits of love and sensual pleasure. Read More Dreamland Japan Frederik L. Schodt The classic text by renowned manga expert in a beautiful new casebound edition, with a new foreword and afterword by the author. Read More I Wait For The Moon Momoko Kuroda Momoko Kuroda (b. 1938) is a remarkable haiku spirit and a powerfully independent Japanese woman. Read More Japanese Girl at the Siege of Changchun Homare Endo An unforgettable memoir of the horrors suffered by a Japanese family trapped in Changchun, China, at the end of WW2. Read More Milky Way Railroad Kenji Miyazawa One night, alone on a hilltop, a young boy is swept aboard a magical train bound for the Milky Way. Read More A Lateral View Donald Richie A revealing look at contemporary Japanese culture. Read More Basho's Narrow Road Matsuo Basho A stimulating exploration of the haiku masterpiece. Read More Evening Clouds Junzo Shono A masterpiece of quiet lyricism set against a backdrop of change and renewal in suburban Tokyo. Read More In the Woods of Memory Shun Medoruma A powerful and thought-provoking novel that raises important questions about World War II, war memory, and US imperialism and blowback. Read More Kanazawa David Joiner In Kanazawa, Japan, Emmitt and his wife Mirai clash over how to pursue their future together until a 30-year-old mystery reveals a way forward. Read More Mobile Suit Gundam Frederik L. Schodt The Gundam creator's own vision of his spectacularly successful cult franchise, in a new edition for hungry fans. Read More A Shameful Life Osamu Dazai A new, definitive translation of the postwar classic know to the west as No Longer Human—a tortured vision inspiring the likes of Junji Ito and Bungo Stray Dogs Read More Bird Talk and Other Stories by Xu Xu Xu Xu Works of a major Chinese writer--liberal, cosmopolitan, and lyrically exotic--once banned but now embraced... Read More Forty-Seven Samurai Hiroaki Sato One of the most spectacular vendettas ever: the history and haiku behind the mass-suicide featured in the 2013 film 47 Ronin. Read More Innovating Out Of Crisis Shigetaka Komori CEO Shigetaka Komori's own story of why Fujifilm succeeded where Kodak failed... Read More Kwaidan Lafcadio Hearn Twenty unusual tales from Japan collected by one of the greatest writers on the country. Read More My Year of Dirt and Water Tracy Franz Married to a Zen monk in training, an American woman in Japan chronicles her own year of growth and discovery. Read More Load More Titles Collections JAPAN JAPAN LANGUAGE LANGUAGE CHINA CHINA LITERATURE LITERATURE TRAVEL TRAVEL CULTURE FOOD & DESIGN CULTURE FOOD & DESIGN FILM ANIME & MANGA FILM ANIME & MANGA PHILOSOPHY & RELGION PHILOSOPHY& RELIGION

Film, Anime & Manga A Critical Handbook of Japanese Film Directors Alexander Jacoby A comprehensive volume on major directors in the history of Japanese film. Read More Division to Unification in Imperial China (vol. 2) Jing Liu The second volume in this fun, comic-style series that explores China's transition from the Three Kingdoms to the Tang Dynasty. Read More Humphrey the Lost Whale Wendy Tokuda & Richard Hall The heartwarming true story of a wrong-way humpback whale who is helped and cheered back to freedom in San Francisco. Read More Sharing a House with the Never-Ending Man Steve Alpert A unique behind-the-scenes look at Japanese business and how the animated films of Hayao Miyazaki were introduced to the world. Read More The Making of Modern China (vol. 4) Jing Liu The fourth volume in this fun, comic-style series that explores China's move to modernization! Read More The Understanding China Through Comics Series Jing Liu Who founded China? Who are the Chinese people? What is Chinese culture and how has it changed over time? Read More Anime Explosion! Patrick Drazen A fascinating guide to themes and films in the expanding Japanese megaverse. Read More Dreamland Japan Frederik L. Schodt The classic text by renowned manga expert in a beautiful new casebound edition, with a new foreword and afterword by the author. Read More Japanese Cinema Peter Cowie An informal yet informed journey through the classic works of Japanese cinema and their visionary directors. Read More The Anime Encyclopedia Jonathan Clements & Helen McCarthy Updated and expanded! 1,000,000+ words on films, artists, studios, themes, and Japan's animation culture, with key data and advisories. Read More The Midnight Eye Guide to New Japanese Film Tom Mes & Jasper Sharp The hottest directors, their coolest films . . . A complete guide to today's Japanese movie renaissance. Read More The Way Forward (vol. 5) Jing Liu How China became the China we know today, through war and societal transformation. Read More Barbarians and the Birth of Chinese Identity (vol. 3) Jing Liu This fun, comic-style series that explores China's relationship with its barbarian neighbors. The Mongols! Read More Foundations of Chinese Civilization (vol. 1) Jing Liu A fun way to learn about China in a visual, informative comic-style history. Read More Japanese the Manga Way Wayne P. Lammers A "real manga, real Japanese" study guide and resource for language students and teachers. Read More The Astro Boy Essays Frederik L. Schodt A tribute to Japan's God of Manga by his long-time American friend and translator. Includes rare, full-color, original Astro Boy Astro Boy art! Read More The Minamata Story Sean Michael Wilson and Akiko Shimojima The true story of how one Japanese village suffered and survived the mercury poisoning of its waters. Read More Warring Clans, Flashing Blades Patrick Galloway 50 more must-see martial arts films. Read More Basho's Haiku Journeys Freeman Ng & Cassandra Rockwood Ghanem Haiku tell the story of the poet Basho and the diaries he wrote while walking throughout Japan in the 1600s. Read More How to Take a Japanese Bath Leonard Koren An intoxicating, illustrated guide to Japan's ritual of hot-tub bathing. Read More Mobile Suit Gundam Frederik L. Schodt The Gundam creator's own vision of his spectacularly successful cult franchise, in a new edition for hungry fans. Read More The Four Immigrants Manga Henry (Yoshitaka) Kiyama The first English translation of the groundbreaking 1931 graphic novel! Read More The Osamu Tezuka Story Toshio Ban & Tezuka Productions A documentary manga biography of the influential artist and the birth and evolution of manga and anime in Japan. Read More Watching Anime, Reading Manga Fred Patten The first book-length collection by the most respected writer on anime and manga today. Read More Load More Titles Collections JAPAN JAPAN LANGUAGE LANGUAGE CHINA CHINA LITERATURE LITERATURE TRAVEL TRAVEL CULTURE FOOD & DESIGN CULTURE FOOD & DESIGN FILM ANIME & MANGA FILM ANIME & MANGA PHILOSOPHY & RELGION PHILOSOPHY& RELIGION

SBP 2023-2024 Catalog Pop Goes Korea Behind the Revolution in Movies, Music, and Internet Culture (Out of Print) Author Mark James Russell THIS TITLE IS OUT OF PRINT From kim chee to kim chic! South Korea came from nowhere in the 1990s to become one of the biggest producers of pop content (movies, music, comic books, TV dramas, online gaming) in Asia and the West. Why? Who's behind it? Mark James Russell tells an exciting tale of rapid growth and wild success marked by an uncanny knack for moving just one step ahead of changing technologies (such as music downloads and Internet comics) that have created new consumer markets around the world. Among the media pioneers profiled in this book is film director Kang Je-gyu, maker of Korea's first blockbuster film Shiri ; Lee Su-man, who went from folk singer to computer programmer to creator of Korea's biggest music label; and Nelson Shin, who rose from North Korea to the top of the animation business. Full of fresh analysis, engaging reportage, and insightful insider anecdotes, Pop Goes Korea explores the hallyu (the Korean Wave) hitting the world's shores in the new century. Preview Goodreads Details PUBLISH DATE 1/1/09 PISBN PRICE 9781933330686 $19.95 GENRE Nonfiction EISBN PRICE 9781611725421 NA DIMENSIONS 7 x 9" HARDCOVER ISBN PRICE NA NA # OF PAGES 260 AUDIOBOOK ISBN PRICE NA NA Praise Video Book Photos Retail Outlets Books sold at E-Books sold at Audiobooks sold at About the Author(s) Mark James Russell Living in Korea since 1996, covering Korean pop culture for such publications as the New York Times , Billboard, and Newsweek . His 2008 book, Pop Goes Korea , looked at how Korea became a pop culture powerhouse. Learn More

SBP 2023-2024 Catalog A Shameful Life (Ningen Shikkaku) Author Osamu Dazai Translator Mark Gibeau Recipient of the 2018 William F. Sibley Memorial Subvention Award for Japanese Translation A new, definitive translation of the postwar classic known to the west as No Longer Human —a tortured vision inspiring the likes of Junji Ito and Bungo Stray Dogs Osamu Dazai is one of the most famous—and infamous—writers of 20th-century Japan. A Shameful Life (Ningen Shikkaku ) is his final published work and has become a bestselling classic for its depiction of the tortured struggle of a young man to survive in a world that he cannot comprehend. Paralleling the life and death of Dazai himself, the delicate weaving of fact and fiction remorselessly documents via journals the life of Yozo, a university student who spends his time in increasing isolation and debauchery. His doomed love affairs, suicide attempts, and constant fear of revealing his true self haunt the pages of the book and reveal a slow descent into madness. This dark tale nevertheless conveys something authentic about the human heart and its inability to find its true bearing. Gibeau's translation cements A Shameful Life's place in the existentialist literary canon from Dostoevsky to Camus. Fans of Bungo Stray Dogs will recognize Osamu Dazai as one of the characters named after the giants of Japanese literature. Those familiar with the numerous adaptations in graphic novels and animation can experience the source material in faithful, modern prose. Preview Goodreads Details PUBLISH DATE 11/13/18 PISBN PRICE 9781611720440 $14.95 GENRE Literary Fiction EISBN PRICE 9781611729320 $9.95 DIMENSIONS 7 x 5" HARDCOVER ISBN PRICE NA NA # OF PAGES 144 AUDIOBOOK ISBN PRICE NA NA Praise Recipient of the 2018 William F. Sibley Memorial Subvention Award for Japanese Translation "Dazai is the ultimate bad boy of Japanese literature and Ningen Shikkaku is his supreme masterpiece, a novel that still shocks today with its brutal honesty and unflinching, strangely thrilling pessimism. Nothing remotely like it had been seen in Japanese literature before." —The Japan Times "A refreshing and interesting reconstruction of this Japanese classic... 70 years on, Gibeau’s translation shows that this captivating novel is still as relevant and powerful as it was on the day of its initial release." —The Japan Society UK Review “Powerful… a fascinating psychological portrait, of someone trying (or rather, constantly failing) to come to terms with a self they find unbearable.” —The Complete Review "An all-new translation of Osamu Dazai's bleak masterwork brings fresh clarity and immediacy to a staple of modern Japanese literature." —Ganriki.org "Oba Yozo, the central character and anti-hero of Dazai Osamu’s Ningen Shikkaku , is as familiar to Japanese readers as Holden Caulfield is to English readers. The Catcher in the Rye still sells a million copies per year... Catcher, however, pales beside Ningen as a literary achievement." —Asian Review of Books "Dazai's novel is unrelentingly bleak.... but the joylessness here is unique, yet still strangely readable. It's a grim portrait of post-war ennui and failure of nerve." — The Pacific Rim Review of Books "5/5 Osamu Dazai is one of the giants of 20th-century Japanese literature. He became even more of a cult-like figure when he committed suicide with his supposed lover in 1948. What we get is his last, and most autobiographical, work. One in which you ask yourself whether you are really reading a piece of fiction or something that the author wanted the world to know before he committed suicide." —Manhattan Book Review "Dazai's book is a challenging, important part of Japanese culture." —Japan Visitor "Dazai's reputation has not waned a bit in seventy years. Reading Mark Gibeau's brilliant translation will show you why." —Roger Pulvers, award-winning translator, film director, and author of LIV "This new translation brings fresh skill and sensitivity to the task of interpreting one of modern Japanese literature’s most endearing classics. It gives us Dazai in all his quirky hilarity and pathos, and deepens our understanding of this complex and brilliant writer." —Dr. Meredith McKinney, award winning translator of Sei Shônagon's The Pillow Book "Certain novels evoke such a vivid sense of a character that it almost hurts to reach the end. This nuanced, engaging translation of Dazai Osamu's masterpiece A Shameful Life is just such a work: subtle and complex, it pulls the reader in and refuses to let go. Indeed, Mark Gibeau's helpful afterword left me wanting to turn right back to the first page and dig into the book again. A Shameful Life has that kind of power: it is Dazai at his finest." —Michael Emmerich, Associate Professor of Japanese Literature at UCLA "A fluent new translation of a postwar classic by the brilliant and controversial writer Osamu Dazai. Most readers will feel that the life of the protagonist of this semi-autobiographical novel is indeed "shameful," but they will be taken aback by the very different view expressed in its final lines." —Paul McCarthy, prize-winning translator of works by Tanizaki Jun'ichiro, Nakajima Atsushi, and Kanai Mieko Video Book Photos Retail Outlets Books sold at E-Books sold at Audiobooks sold at About the Author(s) Osamu Dazai Retains an enormous following today. He is as famous for his darkly introspective novels as for the light-hearted children’s stories that are a staple of many Japanese textbooks. Learn More Mark Gibeau A literary translator and scholar of postwar Japanese literature. Learn More

SBP 2023-2024 Catalog A Straight Road with 99 Curves Coming of Age on the Path of Zen Author Gregory Shepherd Forward Ruben LF Habito From fascination to disillusionment and back, a memoir of one man's quest for Zen and spirituality in America and Japan. In 1971, when Greg Shepherd was in his early twenties, he left New Jersey and joined the Koko An Zendo community in Hawaii. What began as a quest for enlightenment became Greg's confrontation with his own inner demons: his need for approval, his distrust of authority, and his ego-driven fixation on achieving the profound spiritual breakthrough of kensho ("the Big K"). Later, in Japan, he struggled with prejudice and cultural rigidity and found his deeper meditations leading to actual panic attacks over fear of losing himself. Ultimately, he broke with Zen and his teachers to pursue a career in music. This frank memoir traces Greg Shepherd's meandering path from seeker to disillusionment, and, over a decade later, his way back to Zen and inner peace. We experience Zen practice in Japan and Hawaii and meet Zen masters Yamada Koun Roshi and Robert Aitken, the "dean of American Buddhism" (who had once pegged Greg as his successor). And we understand why Zen was so appealing to the American counterculture and how its profound lessons of focus and detachment remain insightful and important. Preview Goodreads Details PUBLISH DATE 4/9/13 PISBN PRICE 9781611720112 $14.95 GENRE Memoir EISBN PRICE 9781611725483 $9.95 DIMENSIONS 5.5 x 7.8" HARDCOVER ISBN PRICE NA NA # OF PAGES 176 AUDIOBOOK ISBN PRICE NA NA Praise "Greg Shepherd has captured the fundamental conflicts on the path of spiritual search from a uniquely American point of view. This book, a Zen American Graffiti , tells a story that is at once deeply involving, instructive, and capable of touching any reader who cares about the search for meaning." —Mitch Horowitz, Executive Editor at Tarcher/Putnam and author of Occult America "An unusually candid, well-told, and useful tale for Zen, other Buddhist, and all spiritual practitioners, . . . a rip roaring ride: hilarious, profound and poignant at turns, and finally, quintessentially human. . . . Shepherd's story drives home the importance and often the excruciating task of personalizing Buddhist practice, rather than settling for parroting others' wisdom." —Joseph Bobrow, author of Zen and Psychotherapy "Greg Shepherd gives us the history of his Zen quest: the hopes and disappointments, the ego-games and awakenings of a sincere student of the Way. In being so frank about his own struggles and fantasies, Greg's personal tale becomes something more universal: the story of a generation that brought Buddhist practice to the West, opening the door to a new type of spiritual experience." —David Loy, author of Money, Sex, War, Karma: Notes for a Buddhist Revolution Video Book Photos Retail Outlets Books sold at E-Books sold at Audiobooks sold at About the Author(s) Gregory Shepherd Studied Zen Buddhism since the early 1970s and is currently Associate Professor of music at Kauai Community College. Learn More Ruben LF Habito Born in the Philippines and is a former Jesuit priest turned master practicing in the Sanbo Kyodan lineage of Zen. Learn More

Stone Bridge Press Authors Ernest F. Fenollosa From his wikipedia page: Ernest Francisco Fenollosa (February 18, 1853 – September 21, 1908) was an American art historian of Japanese art, professor of philosophy and political economy at Tokyo Imperial University. An educator who helped introduce Westerners to traditional Japanese art forms. An important educator during the modernization of Japan during the Meiji Era, Fenollosa was an enthusiastic Orientalist who did much to preserve traditional Japanese art. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Fenollosa Titles by Author Epochs of Chinese and Japanese Art Ernest F. Fenollosa Two volumes of the essential and definitive survey of Chinese and Japanese art in one book. Read More

SBP 2023-2024 Catalog A Bridge of Words Views across America and Japan Author/Translator Hiroaki Sato Prolific, award-winning translator of classical and modern Japanese poetry Hiroaki Sato recorded his thoughts on American society in mainly two columns across 30-plus years, collected here for the first time. This anthology of over 60 of Sato’s commentaries reflect the writer’s wide-ranging erudition and his unsentimental views of both his native Japan and his adopted American homeland. Broadly he looks at the Pacific War and its aftermath and at war (and our love of it) in general, at the quirks and curiosities of the natural world exhibited by birds and other creatures, at friends and mentors who surprised and inspired, and finally at other writers and their works, many of them familiar—the Beats and John Ashbery, for example, and Mishima—but many others whose introduction is welcome. Sato is neither cheerleader nor angry expatriate. Remarkably clear-eyed and engaged with American culture, he is in the business of critical appraisal and translation, of taking words seriously, and of observing how well others write and speak to convey their own truths and ambitions. Preview Goodreads Details PUBLISH DATE 10/25/22 PISBN PRICE 9781611720785 $24.95 GENRE Essays EISBN PRICE 9781611729580 $10.95 DIMENSIONS 5.5 x 8" HARDCOVER ISBN PRICE NA NA # OF PAGES 324 AUDIOBOOK ISBN PRICE NA NA Praise "Japan Times and Mainichi Daily News columnist, Hiroaki Sato, has left us with a thought provoking, educational and entertaining anthology of his columns, ranging from 1984 to 2017." —Paul de Vries, Japan Forward "These pieces, most of which appeared originally as columns in the Mainichi Daily News and the Japan Times, have a conversational informality that allows for unexpected digressions and interjections. “I am prejudiced against golfing courses and golf courses,” he announces, and explains why. He quotes a scientist’s argument for limiting wild geese populations— “When you see geese, they’re eating or they’re defecating”— and immediately responds: “Isn’t that what we human beings do as well, too well?” The back and forth is continual, and continually energizing." —Geoffrey O’Brien Video Book Photos Retail Outlets Books sold at E-Books sold at Audiobooks sold at About the Author(s) Hiroaki Sato A prolific, award-winning translator of classical and modern Japanese poetry into English. American poet Gary Snyder has called Sato "perhaps the finest translator of contemporary Japanese poetry into American English." Learn More