Customer Reviews

Confucius Lives Next Door: What Living in the East Teaches Us About Living in the West

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

This is a mostly entertaining and enlightening study from Reid, a foreign correspondent who has lived in Japan and traveled throughout Asia. Reid's concern is not the economic success of East Asia, but what he calls the "social miracle." This would be the great civility, politeness, high educational standards, low crime, and all-around successful social stability of Eastern Asian nations. Reid cites the deep cultural influences of Confucianism as the key to this success. Examples are the Confucian ideals of community, shame, and encouragement, which all contrast directly with the Western ideals of individuality, guilt, and punishment. Reid delivers these revelations in a very enlightening fashion and his writing is quite enjoyable, especially when talking about his Tokyo neighbor, the immensely polite and courteous Matsuda-san. However, Reid also learns that the most basic Confucian tenets of hard work and virtue are also core Western tenets, and that the West would be greatly improved by a return to those values. The main problem here is Reid's quite superficial interpretations of both Eastern and Western societies - he often talks like a sociologist but clearly isn't. In Japan especially, Reid probably saw mostly the politeness that the natives save for visitors, with little or no direct experience of real social problems. The book ends with very flimsy solutions, mostly concerning abstract concepts like morality, for the West to integrate Eastern concepts to everyone's social benefit. So beware of these superficialities in this otherwise enjoyable study of cultures that are both vastly different, but more alike than you might think.

This is one of those books that is hard to review, particularly in terms of stars. To me it teeters on the edge of three stars to four. Three seems harsh, but in ways appropriate.

In "Confucius Lives Next Door" T.R. Reid attempts to expose and explain East Asia's 'second miracle'. The first miracle being the enormous economic gains of the last half-century that started in Japan and now encompass most of the Pacific side of that continent. The second miracle, in Reid's view, is the social stability, low crime rate, and overall quality of life that can be found throughout East Asia. Boiling a complex issue that spans billions of people, thousands of years, dozens of languages and scores of cultures, he concludes that Confucius is to blame.

If that sounds overly simplistic, it is because it is; and inherently that is the problem with the book. Once again here we have a person trying to explain another culture(s) in simplistic historical solutions that fit many and divergent facets of a large swath of people.

Yet, in certain ways Reid is on to something. Just as Western thinking finds its philosophical underpinnings in the influence of Plato, with a liberal sprinkling of hundreds of thinkers along the way, Asia -- particularly countries historically influenced by China -- owe the core of their philosophical and social thinking to good old Confucius, with a liberal sprinkling of hundreds along the way. That much is good. Reid had me at the Plato-Confucius comparison, and his chapter about the life of Confucius was educational. Most of his ideas appear to have been instigated by conversations with his next-door neighbor, Mr. Matsuda, who seems to be the wizened neighbor we all wish we had. But in this book I fear Reid has ordered more lemon chicken than he can eat in one sitting. His examples mostly draw upon his experiences from living in Japan for five years, and from examples gleaned from second-hand sources about other Asian countries. If these are meant to be end-all examples, then they do not work. Though I also feel that Reid was using the trips to an elementary school and to the Toyota plant and elsewhere to illustrate points and to tell stories. This is fine and dandy, but it does not serve such a high-powered thesis completely; so it must be read with a pinch of forgiveness. Anybody who bothers with these studies will know that it is not all sugar drops and robotic dogs in Asia and that there are actual social problems as divergent as the cultures of each country highlighted. To gloss over these problems and to smudge the lines between cultures (I know of few people who would argue that Japan and Singapore use similar methods to keep their streets safe) is acceptable only in a work that admits its simplicity. The final chapter of "Confucius Lives Next Door" attempts this in certain degrees to limited satisfaction.

That being said, I have been a fan of T.R. Reid for a while now. His articles in National Geographic are always very lucid, and his sense of humor is a trait more people need to have who write on topics like these. For a while though he seems to abandon the humor and go pseudo-academic for good stretches of this book, which I think works only part of the time. Read this book as a collection of stories and it is worthwhile. But anybody who has spent more than a few months living in East Asia will feel they could have written half of this book.

I spent half of my life in Taiwan, and half in the US (15-years each). I've always been glad to be exposed to both Eastern and Western cultures. Mr. Reid's book was not only entertaining, it had inspired me search deeply within myself to identify my origin. I feel that I have become a better Chinese-American after reading this book, and it should be a must-read for people like me.

With a baby on the way, my wife and I will try our best to educate her and her siblings with the best combination of Confucius teachings and Western values. Thanks, Reido-san. BTW, I am a big fan of Mr. Reid on NPR, and I hope he comes on more often.

I was very disappointed with this book. I lived eight years in Japan, and am fluent in the language and culture. In my experience, there are two sides to Japan- the one shown to non-Japanese who do not speak the language well and are only there for a few years, and the real Japan under the surface. In the former, the foreigner sort of lives in a sheltered bubble world- everything is sunshine and roses, everyone is super kind and considerate, there are no disagreements, everyone works in harmony, etc. This is the world the author seems write from. When one becomes attuned to the culture, it is a different story. Japan has clearly paid a heavy, heavy price for its Confucian values. Japan is a vertical society (in part due to its Confucian influence) where seniority is placed above hard-work and ability, and those below (in work, school, society) are too often used and abused by those above, and are powerless to stop it. Creativity, individuality and unique expression and thought are crushed by the rigid and conformist nature of society. There is minimal social mobility. Racial and sexual discrimination is a good 50 years behind the U.S. in all areas of Japanese society. I have personally witnessed numerous instances of hostile, nasty and dehumanizing behavior in Japanese companies that would never be tolerated in U.S. or European ones- this can be done because of the vertical nature of the society in which those above have enormous power over those below. If you look at the various reviews here, you see those who have lived in Japan tend to paint a much different picture from that of the book.

There are some good points in the book in that it is always positive for the U.S.�@to learn from other societies- and there certainly are some good points to learn from Japan. However this book does not by any stretch of the imagination show the real Japan. For a much better work on the subject, I would recommend "Working for a Japanese Company" by March or "Japanese Etiquette & Ethics in Business"by Boye Lafayette De Mente.

This is a very interesting book for those who are familiar with Japan. (This books claims to be about Asia, but most of the examples and stories are based in Japan). Actually, I've been living in Japan for over 6 years, so it's difficult for me to remember what it was like to come to Japan for the first time. By reading this book, I rediscovered some of my feelings and thoughts that I had at that time. Putting that aside, that is probably the major flaw of this book. It comes across as someone spouting off about his trip after his first time in a foreign country. There are too many generalizations and minor errors for someone who has lived in Japan. Also his overly-literal translations are just silly. If you've lived in Japan or have a lot of knowledge about Japan, you're not going to learn anything new. However, for those who are visiting Japan for the first time, this book will prepare you for your experience. It's an iteresting introduction to Japan and Japanese society.

I think one of the editorial reviews said it best: "readable but superficial". T.R. Reid begins with some general observations of Asian society and his experiences living in Japan. Liberally sprinkled with some interesting statistics, the author goes on to expound on some of the cultural differences between Asian and western societies. But, I think the book fails to capture the many facets of Japan that make the place so unique. The writer starts to slow down in the middle chapters as the life and influence of Confucius is explored. He finally finishes with thoughts of individualism versus societal needs in the context of East versus West. I would suggest that readers looking for more on Japanese culture read Lost Japan by Alex Kerr which is also published by Lonely Planet Journeys.

I cannot remember when I have read a book that taught me so much so entertainingly. T. R. Reid obviously knows the culture he is describing, as well as its history and literature. I chuckled at the sections describing the types of fast food one can buy in Tokyo; I made mental notes of many of the sayings of Confucius for future use; and I couldn't resist exclaiming frequently to my husband, "Did you know that...?" I feel as if I now understand a very big part of our world much better. T. R. Reid is now in London. Will he do for our understanding of the Brits what he did for our knowledge of Asia?

I have alwayts enjoyed T.R. Reid's NPR commentaries. I also enjoyed most of his book. Aside from the excessive explanations confucism it is a good read. Reid does overgeneralize about Asia. For example, while Tokyo is very safe, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Singapore are not (relatively). Additionally, while "official" divorce rates are low in Japan, there are large numbers of couples that are divorced in every sense but the legal one.

Living in Japan, I am spoiled by the personal safety enjoyed being even the smallest children. I attribute it to a much more monlithic society than the U.S. and the government-fortified middle class.

Don't read this as your only view of Japan but combined with some other books is makes a good supplement.

For some lighter reading that also illustrates many differences between western and eastern thought also try Max Danger: Adevntures of an Expat in Tokyo

The author seems to have done little investigation into all of the forces at work in Japanese society. He simply regurgitates the Nihonjinron stereotypes that make discourse on Japan all the more difficult.

Low crime? Sure. On the other hand did he once mention the abhorrent practices of police brutality, forced confessions, broken kneecaps and busted skulls, 98% conviction rates, no habeas corpus, fudging of crime statistics and prison conditions that essentially amount to death sentences?

Low divorce rate? Until recently women were not entitled to a dime of their husbands money upon divorce. Now that they are, divorce rates are skyrocketing.

Contrary to what the author claims, Japan is not a homogeneous and harmonious society as any educated sociologist specializing in Japan knows. There are very distinct regional cultures, generational differences and dialects which greatly influence people's eating habits, language, thought patterns, housing styles, culturally influenced behavior etc...

There are great income and educational disparities. Minority, ethnic and gender issues DO exist however they often do not receive the attention from the media that they might elsewhere. One reason may be that Japan's freedom of the press is very low in comparison with other developed nations and groups fighting hard battles for recognition and rights are too often swept under the rug and ignored.

Any half-educated economist could tell you the real ECONOMIC factors that were behind Japan's boom and why it was not based upon Confucianism and "Asian Values". Lifetime employment is dying because companies found out the hard way that it does not work. There have been massive layoffs and a growing unemployment rate.

I could go on for pages citing realities and facts that contradict all of Reid's laughable stereotypes.

Asia has just as many problems as the west. They are equally as complex and difficult to solve. There is no Confucian quick-fix and anyone who says there is is seriously deluded.

Before making sweeping generalizations about the 120 million varied and diverse inhabitants of the islands of Japan, Reid needs to take a closer look at not only the omote (surface), tatemae (facade), and soto (outward) phenomenon of Japanese society (already covered in Japanese and foreign media ad nauseam), but its more intricate ura (undersurface), honne (true intentions), and uchi (inner) undercurrents.

If you are looking for a real balanced and objective view of Japanese society that neither overly-praises or degrades it, check out Yoshio Sugimoto's "An Introduction to Japanese society" which is a work that is actually based in reliable evidence, research, and solid conclusions.

The author lived in Asia for several years. In the book he discusses what we in the west might learn from the east. The east has lower crime rates, lower unemployment, safe, clean public places. He traces the roots of the Asian miracle to the emphasis and tradition of the Confucian ethic. That is the basic thesis of the book, but a large part of the pleasure of the book comes from Mr Reid's direct, down home writing style. He has many hilarious anecdotes. Mistranslated English, exotic asian pizzas... He writes about a steel company that made a giant indoor ski area and how that grew from an effort to keep people employed. His neighbor, an elderly gentleman intructs him an Japanese customs... Never dogmatic, always entertaining. The basic message is there are things we can learn from asia, so he lets us see some of the good stuff going on there. Certainly a good message.