Customer Reviews

The Kanji ABC

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

 

 

This book shows the history and picture behind the Kanji. I was able to read the book and look at the pictures and learn the Kanji by remembering the explanation of what it is of. A fantastic tool for learning

Our school library has this book, and it's been the most helpful book that I've found for learning Kanji.

This is an excellent resource for anyone learning Kanji. Much more helpful than anything else I have seen in the last 25 yrs. An excellent format and approach. Looking through it is like having a light going on. The printing was obviously done in the days prior to word processing, but that is a very small distraction. Easy to overlook in order to reap the insights that the author shares after many years of thinking about this subject. I wish there were a second book in the series.

This and the other books in this series make for a very satisfying read or perusal. Not only does the reader benefit from an understanding of the logic behind each kanji symbol, one develops a better appreciation for the fundamentals of human language and cognition. I found it particularly interesting how the kanji symbols for numbers are shown to correspond to the Arabic/Indian numerals in common use. In reading Dykstra's analysis one gets the impression that certain universal mathematical concepts circled the globe way in advance of Columbus and Magellan!

I got this book because I wanted to learn Asian characters. But, my students, who know I love Japanese things, loved it too. I brought it into my class and gave the kids paint, brushes and paper and they made their own scrolls. It is sort of confusing and you really have to read through it to get the words/characters you want. I don't understand the order of the sections, but it didn't cost very much and I do get a lot of use out of it.