Suzuki Reviews

This book covers 63 basic affixes that are commonly used in Japanese. Explanations and examples are plentiful and the book is well organized. If you learn the entries in this book you could literally double your vocabulary. The back of the book gives a good analogy: gItfs as though you only knew the word esimple,f and then one day acquired esimplify,f esimplification,f esimplicity,f esimplistic,f and esimpleton.fh I feel this book is a must have for any intermediate student of the Japanese Language.

This book provides information that is powerfully helpful in learning Japanese. A must reference book for anyone serious about learning Japanese. Very well organized with Kanji, Hiragana and Romaji. A very helpful tool

I was very dissapointed by David Suzuki and his biased view-points about killer whales and society. However the rest of the book, makes up for a sour start

I reckon it's the best i've ever seen, MAD

I received my copy of the copy of the GS 750 and GS 550 Owners Workshop Manual 1976 -1982. The book does not contain any information on GS 750 models later than 1979, (16 valve TSCC engines) as the book title would indicate. However the book contains many good illustrations and technical information in general. The illustrations on CV carburator repair and adjustment are very good. The book could use some updates and some better troubleshooting tips,but don't hold your breath.

I'm the original owner of an '82 GS750E. I've always had a copy of this in my shop. Step by step instructions on nearly every possible procedure. Extremely useful.

The original title of this book, "The Power to Transcend Boundaries", is really more accurate since the book focuses on the artist's reflections on the nature of the Japanese traditional theatre and its post-war rebirth within his own aesthetic. "The Grammar of the Feet" is a particularly strong chapter, calling for a return to the wealth of sensitivities to be found within the relation of the bare foot to the stage. This "foot grammar" was something largely removed from the Japanese theatre of Suzuki's youth in the late 50's, when shoe-clad actors endeavored to imitate western naturalism.

While artist's retreats are by no means a new thing, Suzuki's tale of finding the soul of his company by moving the troupe out of Tokyo and into the deserted mountain village of Toga is truly poetic, even heroic. While by no means providing a fully realized "way of acting", or even a good description of his well-known method (though the photos of the actor Kenji are quite helpful), the book still gives a fine glimpse into some of the artist's keen observations on the essence of the theatrical act. These, while stemming from Japanese tradition, speak profoundly to anyone who has sought a life on the stage. Suzuki has published several other books which might more appropriately be titled "The Way of Acting" ("The Cozening Horizon", "What Theatre Is." and "The Sum of Internal Angles" being among them) but these sadly have no full English translation at present.

This book explores the wonderful techniques of Tadashi Suzuki, who often works hand in hand with Anne Bogart. The book is a spiritual and magical take on acting, concentrating on the actor's body and mind rather than his/her lines and blocking. It is a refreshing and challenging technique that is beautifully and simply explained in this book. Complete with pictures of the artist himself, the book is a wonderful way to get your feet wet in the Suzuki/Bogart technique.

As a person who trains in a lineage descended from Shaku Soen, I can say that this book helped alot in my understanding of my own lineage. In particluar, the expositions on the Dharma-kaya, on death, and on suffering are very well presented. The sections comparing Buddhism to Christianity alone are worth the price of the book.

That said, however, some of the concepts that are presented, in my opinion, are not rendered well in English. Too often the term "monism" is used, which has implications that have been seized upon by people that would rather create a caricature of Buddhism. ("Non-duality"- not two, and not one- is a better rendering). Unfortunately, Suzuki was an early translator, and this is an early translation of Japanese Buddhist ideas.

In addition, we see in this book some of the infusion of Japanese martial spirit that was later to tarnish Japanese Buddhism, and to provide Westerners with an important koan- how to reconcile the Dharma of compassion and respect for all beings with the militant nature espoused here. There is an answer to this koan, to be sure, but you'll only find the question hinted at here.

So, I'd recommend the book heartily, but the reader should also read other works to get a fuller picture- e.g., Brian Victoria's book on Zen at War, as well as Nagarjuna, and other writers.

Don't let this book's title mislead you--this is a wonderful introductory-level book not just to Zen but to Buddhism in general, presented in terms that make it easy for the Western mind to grasp. It does so by using Western religion, philosophy, and psychology as vivid points of reference for comparison and contrast. Given the time frame in which these lectures were given (1905-1906), when Buddhism was new to virtually all of the Western hemisphere, this approach made sense then. But it still works today. The book eschews the nearly impenetrable nature of later books on Zen, instead cutting right to the heart of what it means to be a Buddhist, in practical language. Rather than dive into technical explications of individual teachings, such as the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, Mr. Shaku prefers to simply explain the spirit behind them, which (as with all basic Buddhist teachings) is to realize enlightenment and help to lead others there. Thus, this book isn't the best for those who want the minutiae--historical backgrounds, lists of doctrines, and so on--but there are plenty of other books out there that do that job superbly.

Although today's committed Buddhist may be uncomfortable with the book's many allusions to "God," it's once again clear that invoking the God-concept was the most pragmatic way for Mr. Shaku to draw parallels for his audience to Buddhist metaphysical ideals that reflect similar notions of the absolute. It's for this reason that this remains an excellent book today for Americans who follow Western monotheistic traditions and need a good reference point from which to place Buddhism in the perspective of their psyches.

I lived in Okinawa for four years and have studied nutrition and worked as a dietary counselor for fifteen years. With these credentials, I heartily recommend the Okinawan program but I cannot encourage you to buy this book without sharing three big reservations and misgivings.

First, the Okinawans are almost certainly NOT the longest lived people on the earth. The authors came to this conclusion by citing worldwide demographic studies calculating the number of people who live to be 100 years old per 100,000 population. Okinawa is at the top of this chart - but this does not mean they are the longest lived people on the planet. The authors nowhere mention in their book the fact that the Okinawan centarians were in their late 40s during the Battle of Okinawa in April, 1945. Civilian casualities in the Typhoon of Bombs and Steel are estimated at greater than 50%. So what? The select Okinawans who survived this battle and the years of semi starvation consequent to the Battle were naturally stronger than those who did not. That a greater *percentage* of these people have survived to 100 reflects the harrowing of the weak members of that generation as much as their hardihood and lifestyle. It should also be noted that before and since the US 'restored' Okinawa to Japanese control in 1970 (the Okinawans are racially and culturally alien to the Japanese who are in effect an occupying country as they were in the 19th century - no suggestion of this in the book either!)there has been a tragic 'brain drain' and exodus from the archipelago; every young person of talent flees the country keeping their population artificially low and further skewing demographics. There are some really healthy old people on the island; any attempt to say there are a disproportionate number of them without factoring battle casualities/natural selection and brain drain into the calculations is deceptive at best.

Two, the authors only mention in an aside that the Okinawan program no longer exists on the island except in the memories and lifestyles of the venerable elders there. Okinawans under 50, the authors report, have "the highest level of obesity in Japan, the worst cardiovascular risk factor profile, and the highest risk of premature death" (p.49). The people most in need of learning the Okinawan program, sadly, are the Okinawans themselves. When we lived there, my wife had to import whole grains, the heart of this program, from the States because it was unavailable on the island except in medicinal packages; to the Okinawans, wanting to eat *genmai* or brown rice was a sign of ill health and only to be eaten at that time. Eating the Okinawan Program way is associated with war time austerities and deprevation - and avoided like the plague.

My third reservation explains this generation gap. The authors spend the entire book talking in categories that modern Okinawans understand (the sick ones) but which would be nonsense to the old folks we are supposed to emulate. The authors speak the language of chemical nutrition and psychospiritual categories that are concepts none of the older Okinawans use in their food or lifestyle choices. They are a traditional, that is, theocentric culture whose every decision is made in light of their religious/family obligations, from food choices to the clothes they wear. Their physics or natural science (a yin yand Taoism) reflects their metaphysics. This is nowhere mentioned in the book, though it means that this tropical way of life will work for you only if you live in a tropical environment (most of us do nowadays because of central heating and AC), understand food qualities rather than nutritional component quantities, and live in an Amish like worship community - with karate dojo's! Again, as the authors admit, this way of life is lost on the younger Okinawans who are the heaviest and sickest population on the pacific rim.

But, hey, the program the authors recommend is a good one! I have to marvel that they spent 25 years (really 6! for the data used in the book)on the study of Battle of Okinawa survivors, however, when the program they recommend is available in Andrew Weil's books (the authors know his integrative medicine well and have only re-packaged it here with a Okinawan face - Weil even writes the introduction!) and Dean Ornish's writings. If you need to believe there is a Shrangri-La Diet Program, this book is a well packaged program for you. But don't imagine that time in Okinawa will be of any help in your recovery; Naha, Koza, and Nago are some of the nastiest cities in Japan. If you want paradise or some vestige of the lifestyle described in this book, go to the outer islands, of which Miyako is probably the most accessible.

For help with the food they recommend, buy Macrobiotic cookbooks and go to Macrobiotic cooking classes. I give the book such a low rating because of the deceptiveness of its central premise (Okinawan longevity), the misrepresentation of Okinawa as it is, and its projection of scientism onto the traditional lifestyle and relationships of its old people as the reason for their survival. Read Dean Ornish's Love and Survival or anything by Andrew Weil for a more honest and applicable way to improve your health. Anything by Michio Kushi and his students will bring you closer to Okinawan eating than this book (if you'll have to add bitter melon - definitely an acquired taste!).

This book has so much information and makes so much sense!! I just wished I had found this book first, before buying all those other diet books! I just love what it says on the back cover - "If Americans lived more like the Okinawans, 80 percent of the nation's coronary care units, one-third of the cancer wards, and a lot of the nursing homes would be shut down." Some friends of ours (living in the bay area) had severe health problems - they moved to Okinawa several years ago - I've just recently heard from them - they have the best health, more energy and will probably outlive us all!! Wow, I am so impressed!! Even, Andrew Weil M.D. wrote - "As you will learn in this scientifically factual and highly readable book, the general principles of living the Okinawa way ... are accessible to everyone and quite consistent with the latest medical research on healthy lifestyles and healthy aging." He is author of "Spontaneous Healing and 8 Weeks to Optimum Health. Much Health To All - And Well Being!

I read the review by John Granger on August 19, 2003 called "Good Program but Not Okinawan". It was hard to believe that he and I are talking about the same book or that he actually lived in Okinawa since his review seemed so ill informed.

I have studied nutrition and met many of the healthy elders in Okinawa and indeed still live there. My guess is that he never got off the US Army base and met any of the healthy elders or travelled to the northern villages to see the natural beauty of Okinawa and share meals and stories with the elders. If he had he would have noticed that the lifestyle described in the Okinawa Program still exists but mostly in those healthy elders.

It is based in the philosphy of "nuchi gusui" which can be loosely translated as "food is medicine." I can't tell you how often I have heard that phrase since coming to this beautiful place. The point the Drs. Willcox and Suzuki were making was to emulate the lifestyle of the elders- not that of the youth in Okinawa.

Regarding longevity, it is well known among the Japanese that the Okinawans not only have more healthy centenarians but a longer life expectancy in general--that's precisely why there are so many centenarians. The oldsters just keep on going. It is also well known in Japan that Okinawa has what is called a U-turn migration pattern. People leave but they come back so lack of younger age groups in the population doesn't explain the high percentage of centenarians either. Also there is no longer a mass migration outward as in the old days (which would actualy have lowered the numbers of people who might have lived to one hundred) so that doesn't explain it either. Okinawans also have the highest birth rate in Japan so have HIGH numbers of very young people so that actually lowers the relative centenarian prevalence versus other Japanese.

Nor did the war cull all the weak from the population. Bullets and bombs killed most people, and these do not differentiate between weak and strong but are equally deadly to both. However, Granger does make one good point. That the deprivation before and after the war may have helped people live longer. Of course, he could have just looked up that point in the Okinawa Program, since the authors clearly state that a simple, low-calorie traditional diet helped with their longevity. The elders eat mainly plant foods, like sweet potatoes, other vegetables, tofu and very small amounts of lean meat and fish, which is a quite delicious way to eat and very likely contributes to their famed longevity through "caloric restriction" mechanisms.

A recent scientific report in the journal "Science" by David Sinclair's research group at Harvard showed that flavonoids, which appear in the Okinawan diet in higher quantitites than perhaps anywhere else, extended lifespan in their experiment by 70%! Perhaps Mr. Granger can chew on that for awhile. The Okinawan elders have been doing so and look what it did for them!

After looking at the pictures of the book on-line, it appeared to be a publication which was both beautifully photographed and written at an expert level - which would be helpful to the home gardener. Not so. Most of the photographs are of leaves only, not of the whole tree. This makes it less useful as an aid in deciding which varieties might fit into a particular landscape. The written descriptions alone cannot convey the variety and beauty of these trees. Very disappointing. Also, other than inadequate leaf photographs and short varietal summaries, the planting and care sections are woefully short. I have had trouble with leaf burn on my trees, and this book gave no additional insight on how to avoid it other than what I have read in other, less presuming publications. This book does not rise to the level of authority and usefulness in aspires to.

Filled with beautiful photos showing examples of hundreds of varieties of Japanese maples, this book is a treasure trove of information. This book features a plethura of information on care, maintenance, placement and characteristics of the many different Japanese maples available in an easy to understand format, that is also a pleasure to read. Vertrees manages to instill in the reader the same level of enthusiasm that he obviously fees for his subject, and, in fact, I can't wait until Spring to order some trees for my own garden!

Having the good fortune to own a property perfect for the cultivation of Japanese Maples, I was thrilled to find this exceptional book chock full of beautiful photos and detailed descriptions of numerous cultivars. I especially appreciate the summary pages in the back that rate the plants by color, suitability for companion plantings, dramatic effect in the garden, etc. With the web at our disposal, it is now possible to find many of the cultivars the author highlights, making for a very rewarding combination.

In his new book, From Naked Ape to Superspecies, David Suzuki explores a myriad of topics of profound importance. The environment is his central theme, though there are are chapters on genetic engineering, globalisation, and environmental activisim. Like other authors before him, Suzuki is deeply concerned about the current nature of the world. Biodiversity is threatened, cultural diversity is diminisihing with the onslaught of globalisation, and our very health and well-being are potentially in danger from genetically-modified (GM)food. Each of these topics is explained through the viewpoint of numerous experts in the various fields, as the book is based on a radio series which interviewed many people.

For a student of biological science, the book was real eye-opener as it exposed me to many of the ramifications of broad issues I had previously taken little notice of. I knew little of globalisation, now I think I know enough to be able to form an opinion. Same for GM food. I had not realised that Suzuki was so green, but he clearly has an active interest in the perhaps not-so-scientific side of environmentalism. He is a wise man who deserves to receive ample attention.

Overall, I found the book to be highly interesting and thought-provoking, and I recommend it to anyone with a more than a passing interest in the environment and other portentous issues. I have no criticisms to make, besides the fact that little written material seems to be referred to. As a result, the accuracy of some his comments must necessarily come under suscipician. This, however, should not detract from the overall superior quality of the book.

SUZUKI:

Although David Suzuki was trained to genetically engineer fruit flies to grow arms from their heads, his perspective on science and life is remarkably human. I would go so far as to say that his understanding of humanity and its place in nature is perhaps unequaled among environmental philosophers today. Aside from working as a scientist, Suzuki also spent some 30-some years producing nature documentaries. This gave him the opportunity travel the globe, visit many different cultures and geographic regions, from indigenous tribes to povrety-striken Third World nations. It was through profound cultural education that Suzuki unlearned the mad science he studied as a youth and gained new understand about culture, economics and biodiversity. Nowadays, Suzuki mainly spends his time writing books and articles. He also runs an environmental organization in Canada, where he and his family live, called the David Suzuki Foundation. The website address is: http://www.davidsuzuki.org/

DESCRIPTION OF THE BOOK:

In this book Suzuki teams up with writer and researcher Holly Dressel to produce a sort of global guide to the biosphere-a work of scope and detail that will amaze you. They will walk you through ancient arboreal forests and the global economy with the ease of an experienced mountain tracker. They will be introduced you to people and movements that are sure to move. And perhaps most importantly the book will provide you with an important ecological perspective. Filled with stories, anecdotes, interesting facts, and tons of suggestions and references, from books to organizations - "From Naked Ape to Super-Species" is nothing less than a manual for humanity. Simply put, this is one of the most important books I have read.

EXERPT:

"Time is the one ingredient that is absolutely for vital for nature. It is the vast sweep of evolutionary time that has allowed life to flourish and huge changes to occur. In the 4 billion years that life has existed, the sun has increased in intensity by 25 percent, magnetic poles have switched and reversed back, continents have smashed into each other and then pulled apart, ice ages and warm periods have come and gone, and the atmosphere has been transformed from a non-oxygen to a oxygen-rich one. Yet life has persisted, simply because of the immense periods of time it has to make adjustments.

Today, the rate at which we are extracting trees, fish, topsoil and clean water, as well as creating pollutants and greenhouse gases, may match the speed of information technology and the economy, but it is not in synch with the reproductive rates of natural systems. More and more, our sources of information are no longer connected to the natural world and its limits. Politics, civic action and participatory democracy need time too. Democratic groups like PTAs and other voluntary human institutions take time to do their work.

Until we slow down the rate of growth in information and technology and learn to pay attention to the true pace of the non-technological planet, we'll keep making unrealistic demands that can't be fulfilled. At the very least, we need to understand that our accelerated rates of production and use of human-made technical information function at a completely different pace from that of the natural rates of information exchange, like those I experienced in the Brazilian rain forest."

MAIN ISSUES:

General Environment Issuses: from the toxification of our environment to Environmental Justice.

Consumer Issues: How do our shopping habits effect the world aroud us?

The Question of Progress: What does it mean?

Food Issues and Biotechnology: In Canada, America, the world abroad.

Globalization Issues: Impacts at home and abroad

Global Warming and Forest Issues

Non-Violent Direct Actions: some groups and individuals fighting against large international corporations for local sovereignty

Human Rights, Environmental Rights

I encountered this book first on tape, and have now ordered a copy for my town library, another for a faculty member at Norwich University who chairs a committee that makes an annual Earth Stewardship Prize award to students/faculty, and one for the Environment bookshelf in my own library. Unfortunately, this is a message that is far too late, but " better late than never". Those who think that simply expanding world trade, or consuming as usual, or that technology will save us from the results of human predation and exploitation of the ecosystem of the planet, or that there is no real global warming, or that the world can sustain an unlimited human population are the ones who MUST read this book. Yes, the earth will recover from what we humans are doing to it , but there won't be any of our (highly endangered) species around to find out what the world will look like then!

I do not understand why Good News for a Change is considered Non-fiction. It is an amazing resource of je accuse rhetoric, stream-of-consciousness anecdotes, and endless encyclopedia of pejorative adjectives and adverbs. There is no good news in this book, it is filled with hate and loathing, it is anti-American and anti-humanity. On and on it goes breathlessly denigrating every industrial and social accomplishment since the Enlightment. Taking the view that environmentalism is a religious movement, Good news for a change, can be regarded as canonical testament.
Don't expect a lot of support for any statement in this book. You either believe or you don't. The number of pages devoted to explanatory notes is shorter than the detailed listing of environmental organizations!

06/03/2003

The world is a small place and a fragile one, too; it is troubled by an exploding population, immoral economic interests and an imbalance of political powers. Besides societies polarized by territorial and religious differences, commerce dissects the world-population into two uneven parties: a minority with overwhelming access to finite resources and a majority struggling to fight starvation, disease and the loss of political and economical autonomy. ‚Good News for a Change' by David Suzuki and Holly Dressel is a motivating roadmap to a politically and economically fairer, sustainable and enjoyable future.

Using the very contemporary threat of terrorism as an example of where we have arrived at the end of the industrial revolution, the authors argue that this political instability is the result of unsustainable business activities. To avoid dooming our children to disease and misery, we have to restore and sustainably maintain social equity and stay within the physical limitations of our planet.

The chapter 'Making Money Like the Bee: Doing Business Without Doing Harm' starts with an example of a small business enterprise that acts socially and ecologically responsibly by taking the physical, mental and financial health of its employees and the local community into account. The authors argue that environmentally sound business practice is predominantly concerned with the wellbeing of the human race. Yet to improve the quality of life of each and every individual, we have to heal the eco system in order to heal ourselves.

The authors continue to cite examples of corporate versus local interests. The anonymity of individuals behind large corporations tends to allow action without concern for the environment. In the chapter 'Withdrawing Consent', the authors plead for more democratic decision-making because the people most affected by a collapsing eco system are the people who live within it. Consequently, hope for change towards a more sustainable use of resources lies in the involvement of the local community.

The quote "Water will be to the 21st century what oil was to the 20th" by Shawn Tully (1) leads to the discussion of water pollution in marine ecosystems. The authors describe the decline of marine life and the resulting domino effect on the global ecosystem. With accounts of up to 90% (2) they single out agriculture as the primary waster of world water resources.

Today, agriculture produces 2kg of grain per head worldwide; the authors imply that unfair distribution is the reason for a starving 3rd world population since food resources are plenty. They plead for a return to the basics, to consider agricultural systems of the past, ruled by tradition and religion. The authors explain how the dependency and consequent desperation for fertilizers, herbi- and fungicide, promoted by the World Trade Organisation, disables local farming - especially within poor economies.

'Good News For a Change' is a collection of working solutions, uncovered by thorough research. The book continues to describe ways to counteract global warming, oil dependence and population explosion. The authors conclude that the key to a sustainable future may be better education, which would free us from the thinking pattern that brought us the problems in the first place.

Bart and Homer Simpson sing, "If no-one sees it, no-one gets mad - It's the American way!" (The Simpsons) and express the thinking behind corporate tactics to deceive the public. Suzuki attacks conservative and corporate influences in government, condemning American consumer behaviour to be the opposite of environmental consciousness. A recent review on amazon.com accuses David Suzuki to be anti-American and anti-human (3). Education is evidently a key element in the ability to comprehend the consequences of our thinking and acting, democracy is the means to a fair distribution of finite material goods, and common sense is a tool to responsibly manage these resources.

Bad news are prone to shock and paralyse, this book encourages the opposite. It is apparent to almost everyone that nature struggles with the impact of the modern consumer. 'Good News for a Change' has overcome the tedious negatives and looks towards a future of living in concord with the environment.

References:

1. Tully, Shawn (2000). "water, water everywhere", fortune magazine, may 15, 2000, p.55.
2. Postel, Sandra (2000). "Where Have All the Rivers Gone", The Sciences (Reviewed Book: p.158)
3. Scagel, Rob (2002). "No good news here", Online accessed 14/02/03 www.amazon.com

In their first book together, "From Naked Ape to Super-Species," Suzuki and Dressel undermined all our traditional notions of progress. With hard facts, they critiqued humankind as a wreckless, out-of-control species carelessly teetering on self-(and btw, homo sapiens is the only species that kills itself) and eco-destruction. What they left out of the book, however, was a roadmap for the future. Well, here it is. "Good News" is the other half of the story - a story of how creative, ecologically-minded business is sprouting up all over the world. In this global tour de force, Suzuki and Dressel offer multiple signs of hope for the future, and uncover evidence of a veritble grass-roots ecological revolution. With this book, you will see how businesses (both big and small) can "make money like the bee."

An example: Meet Judy Wicks, "a woman of about 50 with a mane of snow-white hair," owner and proprietor of White Dog Cafe and business revolutionary extraordinaire. White dog is a full-service restaurant in the university disctrict of Philadelphia that serves cruelty-free meats, organically raised produce, non-GE soy and corn oils, as well as Table Talks on the War on Drugs, the court decision to electe Bush, the GE debate, and much much more. White Dog Cafe is a $5 million grossing business cooperative (so you can bet the food is delicious), where the head cook makes the same salary as Wicks: about $65,000 a year, "a fine and comfortable living for a single parent with two college-age children." Instead of investing her extram money in expansion, Wicks choses to invest in her employees, her community, and the natural environment. White Dog runs mentoring programs, inner-city tours, holds community dances, buys local produce, offers jobs to struggling youth, provides scholarships for workers, and is active with many other local organizations, like the Chef's Collaborative 2000. In accord with her mission statement, Wicks runs her business for the benefit of her customers, the community, her employees, and the natural world. As she says, "small businesses are one of the plant's most wonderful means of *serving* and doing good."

White Dog Cafe is but one of many of positive examples of people are beginning to live together harmoniously with themselves and the environment. This book will introduce to revolutionary loggers, farmers, and other local peoples from all over the planet who show "again and again that the people in the best position to know what will really work over the long term in a given area are locals committed to that area" - that is, the same people who have a long-term interest in making sure that the area remains healthy. This book is a must read for anybody, from parents to revolutionaries. Whether you are deep ecologist or quid chewing lumberjack, you will find a niche in this book. There is something for everyone. Personally, I found it to be an indispensible resource, filled with inspiring new ideas that I hope to incorporate into my life. Once again, Suzuki and Dressel have outdone themselves.

I bought _Ring_ after watching _Ringu_ in the hopes that the book would explain some of the things that I didn't understand about the movie. Although the premise--a cursed videotape kills any watchers within seven days--remains the same, the main characters, the general feel, and a few major elements of the mystery are very different. If you were taken with the plot of the movie and would like to see it from a different angle, you may enjoy this book.

If you liked the movie's intrepid Ms. Asakawa and her surly-but-charismatic ex-husband Ryuji, you may be sorry to see them as very dull Mr. Asakawa and his unpleasant (and probably criminal) friend Ryuji. I got over my initial disappointment because their dynamic is intriguing. It seems their friendship is based on a horrible confession Ryuji made to Asakawa some time ago--something so awful, Asakawa knows he himself is capable of nothing worse. Because of this, they can be very open with one another. It also enables Asakawa to quell any feelings of guilt over showing Ryuji the tape and asking for his help breaking the curse. Ryuji, it seems, may well deserve to die.

The images--even those on the videotape--are different from the ones in the movie, keeping things fresh and a little more mysterious than they might be otherwise for someone who came to the book after watching the movie. The writing (or perhaps the translation) struck me as a bit clumsy; it reminded me more of Dean Koontz than of Stephen King. The supernatural and psychic elements of the story remain very creepy.

_Ring_ is a light read that delivers a feeling of dread and faint queasiness, but little in the way of scares. Overall, I preferred _Ringu_'s treatment of the story. For Japanese horror books, I'd much rather read a Junji Ito _manga_. If other books in this series were translated into English, I might read them, but I'd wait until they were in paperback to buy them.

Definitely try to read the book before seeing the American version of the film (haven't seen Ringu yet, won't comment). I don't know if I would have enjoyed the story more if I didn't know how it ended, but I think it would have made a difference.
Otherwise it's a fun book. It's honestly fun to read which not many books are. Asakawa's a fairly weak character though. He drives very little of the story. Ryuji has to explain everything to Asakawa and Ryuji makes all the decisions. Ryuji's definitely the Dues ex Machina. Asakawa doesn't even figure out the final mystery. Ryuji does that for him. This detracts from the story in general because the character the narrative's most closely tied to is Asakawa. We follow him and his discoveries. So, as a reader, we don't get to stumble across each clue or go through the analytical process of adding them all up. Ryuji makes all the discoveries, makes all the connections and then tells Asakawa and the reader about them.
The story got under my skin despite my issues with the characters. I started getting creeped out from the first chapter. I certainly enjoyed it. I read it in two nights. I wish the rest of the trilogy (this is the first volume) were translated and available. I want to know where it goes from here.

IF THERE IS ONE BOOK THAT I REALLY LIKED, IT WOULD BE RING. I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN THE RING MOVIE AND MAYBE SEEN IT'S MUCH BETTER ORIGINAL, RINGU, BUT, GEEE... THIS IS SO MUCH DIFFERENT!

FIRST OF ALL, ASAKAWA IS A MAN! YA KNOW, THE REPORTER, MAIN CHARACTER?

SECONDLY, SADAKO, THAT CREEPY LITTLE BLACK HAIRED GIRL, IS ANYTHING BUT CREEPY. SHE IS A SEDUCTRESS TYPE PERSON, WITH EVIL POWERS.

THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENCES THAT I CANNOT EXPLAIN. BUT, IF YOU LIKE THE MOVIES, CHECK THIS OUT. I GIVE IT THUMBS UP. 5 STARS. WHATEVER. JUST READ IT.

I WOULD NOT RECCOMEND THIS BOOK TO YOUNGER READERS, MOSTLY TOWARD AN OLDER AUDIENCE, DUE TO ADULT CONTENT.