Customer Reviews

A Brief History of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I am Prof. of Interdisciplinary Humanities at San Francisco State and this has been classroom book of choice. Perhaps book's title should have been "a CULTURAL history of Chinese and Japanese Civilizations." A good 1/3 to 1/2 of each chapter is art, architecture, religion. For instance, "Tokugawa Japan," after four history sections, includes sections on "The Japanese Print... The Popular Theater: Kabuki and Bunraku... Popular Prose Literature... Haiku... Art and Lit after Genroku... Intellectual currents...." Pages are studded with apt illustrations. Undergrads liked though thought it pricey, but it replaced history and art books both.

As a professor of Asian History, I have found that this text is invaluable as a learning tool for hundreds of students. It thoroughly grounds the reader in the history of Asia. Schirokauer uses narrative and analytical thinking to present Asian History in an accessible and digestible format. The book offers an essential body of information about a massive geographic area that is as diverse as it is fascinating. Each section thoroughly reviews key historical trends in a style that is interesting and a genuine good read.

This book was specifically recommened to me by a Professor at the University of Texas as a fantastic "starter" on Chinese history. A fantastic read, this college text introduces the reader to Asian civilization in a way that provides information on both the history of Japan and China, as well as a very in-depth look at the cultures which grew out of this history. As Dr. Shirokauer clearly states in his introduction, this book serves as a survey in order to give the reader a general idea on the key aspects (both historically and culturally) of both the Japenese and Chinese civilizations. Weighing in at around 650 pages, this book is a massive undertaking in historical scholarship and provides a fantastic opportunity for the reader to gain a full understanding of Asia, while still leaving the reader thirsty for more at the end. Luckily, a thorough explanations of sources and a very large additional reading section provide avenues for those interested in Asian history to pursue specific topics.

For China, this story focuses around the various dynasties which ruled that country for so long. Beginning with the most early archealogical findings available for China and continuining through the Zhou, Song, Tang, Ming, etc... For Japan, the focus centers around the central administration of Kyoto until the creation of the Shogun and the rise in prominence of Edo (located at present-day Tokyo).

One aspect of this work which so distinguishes it from other college texts on these civilizations is it's focus on the cultural aspects of these two civilizations. The author covers the evolution of art in all forms, everyday living, architecture, and religion in as detailed a fashion as he explains their history. In this way, the reader is able to see a very detailed cultural progression that stands out due to the fact that most history books only pay minor lip service to the importance of culture in a society.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about a part of the world that is quickly catching up with it's Western neighbors. As countries like China and Korea begin to frequent more and more national headlines, it is important to understand the key aspects which differentiate it from the West. Not only will this knowledge better inform you of how these people live, but it will provide you with a historical perspective that explains how they got there in the first place.

I'm a college student majoring in East Asian Studies. This book is required for the intro course, and I hate it. Even ignoring the folly of trying to teach two of the world's oldest civilizations in one slim volume, I still can't recommend this title. It's poorly written (the number of typos and grammatical mistakes are atrocious, especially for a 3rd edition) and the tone is too "dumbed-down" for my taste. Worst of all, the writers did a terrible job in selecting what should be included in a one-volume history of China and Japan. They jump around from topic to topic in an attempt to cover as much material as possible, but they end up sounding indecisive. At the same time, too much of the book is focused on historical anecdotes and art of the period- which is interesting, but not appropriate to a one-volume history of two vast civilizations. The book might succeed if the prose could be polished and better material selected. As of now, I hate having to read something that reads like a long report slapped together by a couple high school kids. I can't wait to sell this back.

This book was absolutely atrocious. It was poorly written and didn't touch on one idea long enough for the reader to get a clear idea of what the author was attempting to get across. I understand that it is a "brief introduction" but that is no reason to be sketchy and incomprehensible on the majority of the subject matter presented in the text. At certain points I had to re-read some paragraphs because I felt like they were written in Haiku or some form of code. From my viewpoint it was like the author was attempting to tackle to many subjects at once, and because of this, wasn't able to expand fully enough on any of them. I also agree with the previous comments, there were multiple grammar errors and spelling issues that shouldn't have been present in a 3rd edition.

The third edition of "A brief history of Chinese and Japanese civilizations" is, beyond doubt, one of the worst textbooks I have had the misfortune of having to use. The only good thing I can say about this book is that it does cover, more-or-less accurately, the general history of China and Japan (the only reason I can give this text 2 stars). Though it, technically, fulfills its goals, this text is atrocious. Aside from frequent grammatical mistakes, the book is poorly written in the extreme. The book is difficult, at best, to get through, with frequently incomplete thoughts and ideas, and bizarrely contrasting vocabulary. There are also several spots where, as you read along, you turn a page and the next page repeats the last several lines, or, even, continues in the middle of an entirely different sentence of an entirely separate idea. No joke.

To be fair, there are many nice pictures.

If you are a professor looking for a class textbook I strongly encourage you to find something else. If you are a student getting a required book, I pity you.

I haven't read the book and will be returning it because I dropped the class. But the book is practically new with no noticeable wear or tear.

This book is cheap, the transportation is quick, and the book is super new! Almost completely no markings at all. Such a pleasure to read it!

Interesting text book. I didn't find it boring at all. If you're into East Asian history, this book can help a lot with the Chinese and Japanese portion of history, at least briefly.

I agree with those who said this book is badly written and jumps around too much. I was interested in the topic before taking a class centered around this book, but the combination of the teacher (who was one of the reviewers cited in the book) and the textbook have made me allergic to the topic.
This book is not well organized. Due to its structure (which my teacher followed) we were often asking our professor whether he was on China or Japan because it was rarely clear. The writing is not smooth or remotely enjoyable to read. The content seemed somewhat random and you in no way get a feel for any of the periods or civilizations in a visceral or relatable way. I also agree with those who said there was too much emphasis on the art for an introductory text. This book is dry and fulfills all the negative stereotypes about history textbooks. If possible, avoid it.