Helpful Score: 1
What a great book! I've always wondered what it's like to teach English in Japan. Very insightful and worth the read.
Elizabeth T. (serenebean) reviewed Learning to Bow: Inside the Heart of Japan on + 34 more book reviews
i absolutely loved this book! one of my new faves. I learned SO much about Japan, the Japanese way of life, their ceremonies, and how different their culture is from the American culture. Bruce Feiler wrote the book in a humorous, entertaining way that kept my mind totally engaged.
We have a highschool foreign exchange student from Japan. I would ask him about different things in the book and we would talk about it. He said that some of the things the author talks about no longer occur but the author himself says that the school/community he was involved in hadn't changed as much as some of the other school districts. I will probably look into reading other books by this author.
A memoir of an American teaching 'Living English' to a Japanese Junior High School -- interesting observations on Japanese culture and their educational system. So very different from the United States. I found the book fascinating and very well written -- highly recommended to anyone who loves reading and learning about different cultures.
Absolutely delightful!
"'Learning to Bow' has been heralded as one of the funniest, liveliest, and most insightful books ever written about the clash of cultures between America and Japan. With warmth and candor, Bruce Feiler recounts the year he spent as a teacher in a small rural town. Beginning with a ritual outdoor bath and culminating in an all night trek to the top of Mt. Fuji, Feiler teaches his students about American culture, while they teach him everything from how to properly address an envelope to how to date a Japanese girl."
"'Learning to Bow' has been heralded as one of the funniest, liveliest, and most insightful books ever written about the clash of cultures between America and Japan. With warmth and candor, Bruce Feiler recounts the year he spent as a teacher in a small rural town. Beginning with a ritual outdoor bath and culminating in an all night trek to the top of Mt. Fuji, Feiler teaches his students about American culture, while they teach him everything from how to properly address an envelope to how to date a Japanese girl."