Marine Reef Aquarium Handbook (A Complete Pet Owner's Manual)

Product Description

The basis of every reef aquarium is living coral, which depend on symbiotic algae in their tissues. The home coral reef is a careful balance of water and light conditions that nurture beneficial algae, starve noxious algae, and allow myriad other coral reef creatures to flourish. This manual advises on maintaining coral and the creatures that thrive in its environment: sponges, echinoderms, molluscs, crustaceans, and fishes, all of which can be included in a mini-reef aquarium. Many full-color photos. Paperback / 180 Pages / / 1997

Customer Reviews:

Way too technical.......2006-05-11

This book was thoroughly disappointing. Provided OK information, but was entirely too technical in its approach. If you do not have a Ph.D. in biology then do not bother with this book, you will not understand it.

compact reef guide.......2003-11-18

It should be rated at 5 stars but I give only 4 stars because of its technical nature and my beginner's comprehension. After that, it is a compact guide full of useful, hands-on info that helps the hobbyist create their own ideal aquarium environment.

No common name references.......2002-03-23

Don't get me wrong, this book is good, however... while reading the book, it uses mostly the scientific names for everything. It would be nice if after the scientific name, it has a common name in parenthesis, you know, using the names the fish stores use. Other than that, it is a decent book.

Five stars?.......2001-03-27

Yes, 5 stars! Pound for pound (and dollar for dollar) this is one of the best books on marine reef keeping you can buy.

I own several reef and aquarium books. They range from the brilliant, to the not-so-swift-waste-of-money types. The "Marine Reef Aquarium Handbook" by Robert J. Goldstein ranks waaaay up the list, kept from the top only because of its brevity.

This book touches on a LOT of topics, and it covers them in enough detail to really help you understand and apply what you need to keep your reef (or any aquarium) running well. Due to its (somewhat) small size, it does not cover topics in great detail. Depending on what you want, that may or may not be a good thing. There is however, enough information, written in plain English, for any aquarium keeper--from rank beginner, to the Old Man in the Sea--to learn something new.

No, this book doesn't contain the depth of information that one of those $80 marine reef books does. But it contains a wealth of information and will send you well on your way to starting up a reef or maintaining your current reef. Even if you're just looking for an interesting read, you can't go wrong with the "Marine Reef Aquarium Handbook" by Robert J. Goldstein.

Good reference.......2001-01-17

I like the pictures & the info is good for a reef beginner like me. I've had freshwater tanks for years, so the basic salt intro was what I needed & this fits the bill.

Average customer rating:

Not what you might expect
helpfull information
eh
A comprehensive, "user friendly" instructional guide to creating and maintaining a nano-reef aquarium
This book is excellent!

The Nano-Reef Handbook
Chris R. Brightwell
Manufacturer: TFH Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0793805724

Book Description

Any reef aquarium that contains less than 15 gallons of water is considered a nano-reef aquarium. These tiny ecosystems are almost as popular in the fishkeeping community as full-size marine aquarium setups, and with the proper information and tools, they can be set up and maintained by aquarists at any level of the hobby.

The wide range of topics covered in this guide include the importance of water quality and tips on maintaining stable water parameters; components of a nano-reef and how to choose the appropriate aquarium, lighting, and accessories for a tank; which fish and invertebrates are best for these types of tanks; and much, much more.

For a reef enthusiast looking for a new challenge or any up-and-coming fish hobbyist, nano-reef aquarium are a stunningly beautiful option. The Nano-Reef Handbook contains all the information necessary to get started.

Customer Reviews:

Not what you might expect.......2007-10-10

The seller that I bought this book was great..no problem there. However this was not the book I thought it would be. While lacking in some major areas the book seemed to "dumb itself down" for lack of better terms. People that are researching reef aquariums would be much better off if information was dumbed down for them. This causes confusion in general. The book while helpful on some points lacked any real "meat" to say the least. If I was going on a point system 1-5 I'd rate it about a 2.

helpfull information.......2007-05-21

all the information that yo need to a succesfull start with nano reef's

eh.......2007-03-06

this book was only helpful to me when selecting which fish I would put in my nano reef aquarium. other than that it was a waste of time. way too much unnecessary information.

A comprehensive, "user friendly" instructional guide to creating and maintaining a nano-reef aquarium .......2006-07-10

A "nano-reef" is an aquarium that is less than 15 gallons in total volume and houses reef organisms -- and especially suited for a home, office, or classroom. An aquarium hobbyist for more than 25 years, Christopher Brightwell draws upon his experience and expertise in The Nano-Reef Handbook to provide aspiring aquarium developers with a comprehensive, "user friendly" instructional guide to creating and maintaining their nano-reef aquarium including such factors as filtration, lighting, temperature control, water chemistry, and identifying more than thirty of the most highly recommended fishes and invertebrates for placement into their nano-reef aquarium. Whether a novice or seasoned aquarium enthusiast, The Nano-Reef Handbook will prove to be of exceptional interest, especially with respect to increasing the probability of success through suggested routine maintenance and sensible stock levels, creating a balanced system throughout the entire nano-reef habitat. Anyone considering establishing their own aquarium nano-reef should give Christopher Brightwell's strongly recommended The Nano-Reef Handbook a very careful reading.

This book is excellent!.......2006-04-01

This book is excellent! If you plan on setting up a tank under 15 gallons it'll really help explain who and what specimens of fish and or coral are compatible in such a small space.

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Coral Reef Restoration Handbook
William F. Precht
Manufacturer: CRC Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0849320739

Book Description

"Â… this book is the first to describe, in detail, the art and science of coral reef restoration. It is to be hoped that the information that can be gleaned within the pages of this book will set a path towards continued preservation of this valuable underwater treasure to be used, appreciated, and experienced for future generations." -- Senator Bob Graham (retired), Miami Lakes, Florida, from the Foreword Most of what we know about the rehabilitation of coral reef systems stems from efforts to repair reefs injured by vessels that have run aground. To date, however, there is a paucity of published literature regarding the efficacy and/or failure of coral reef restoration techniques. While most of the literature that is available comes from meeting abstracts, workshops and technical memoranda, these papers and reports have forged a scientific framework that can help guide future efforts. The Coral Reef Restoration Handbook is the first published volume devoted to the science of coral reef restoration. It offers a scientific, conceptual framework along with practical strategies for reef assessment and restoration. Contributors from a variety of disciplines discuss engineering, geological, biological, and socioeconomic factors to create a text that is designed to guide scientists and resource managers in the decision-making process from initial assessment of the injury through conceptual restoration design, implementation, and monitoring. An excellent selection of relevant case studies is utilized to illustrate concepts and challenges inherent in the process of restoration. This volume gives reef scientists and managers the opportunity to glean significant information from previous efforts. It provides them with the opportunity to build on the lessons learned and develop successful restoration efforts into the future.

Atlantic Reef Corals; A Handbook of the Common Reef and Shallow-Water Corals of Bermuda, the Bahamas, Florida, the West Indies, and Brazil

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Atlantic Reef Corals; A Handbook of the Common Reef and Shallow-Water Corals of Bermuda, the Bahamas, Florida, the West Indies, and Brazil
Frederick George Walton Smith
Manufacturer: Univ of Miami Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Atlantic Reef Corals A Handbook of the Common Reef and Shallow-Water Corrals of Bermuda, Florida, The West Indies and Brazil

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Atlantic Reef Corals A Handbook of the Common Reef and Shallow-Water Corrals of Bermuda, Florida, The West Indies and Brazil
Smith G. Walton
Manufacturer: University of Miami Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Atlantic reef corals,: A handbook of the common reef and shallow-water corals of Bermuda, Florida, the West Indies, and Brazil; (University of Miami. Marine Laboratory. Special publications)

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Atlantic reef corals,: A handbook of the common reef and shallow-water corals of Bermuda, Florida, the West Indies, and Brazil; (University of Miami. Marine Laboratory. Special publications)
Frederick George Walton Smith
Manufacturer: [distributed by Farrar, Straus, New York]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Australia's Great Barrier Reef;: A handbook on the corals, shells, crabs, larger animals and birds, with some remarks on the Reef's place in history

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Australia's Great Barrier Reef;: A handbook on the corals, shells, crabs, larger animals and birds, with some remarks on the Reef's place in history
Vincent Serventy
Manufacturer: Georgian House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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A Coral Reef Handbook

Manufacturer: Univ of Minnesota Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0949324477

A Coral Reef Handbook: A Guide to the Fauna, Flora and Geology of Heron Island and Adjacent Reefs and Cays

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A Coral Reef Handbook: A Guide to the Fauna, Flora and Geology of Heron Island and Adjacent Reefs and Cays
Patricia and Isobel Bennett (eds) Mather
Manufacturer: Australian Coral Reef Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Coral reef management handbook

Manufacturer: Unesco Regional Office for Science and Technology for South-East Asia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 9231022032

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Promotion and prevention of synthesis in bacteria (The Wilbur G. Malcolm lectures)
E. F Gale
Manufacturer: Syracuse university press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0006BRM5E

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Promotion and Prevention of Synthesis in Bacteria.
Ernest F Gale
Manufacturer: Syracuse University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0000EGMCU

Book Description

Forget Paris--there's nothing like Hong Kong, an in-your-face city offering the best of the best, anywhere in the world. This is the world's most incredible shopping paradise that also offers wonderful hotels, restaurants, and sightseeing attractions.

Book Description

Life begins at 16 ...

Driving. Dating. A real social life. And the one night where it all comes together ... the Sweet Sixteen is the ultimate party. Whether a total blast or a total bust, it's a memory to last a lifetime.

Now you're invited to six Sweet Sixteens, in six locations across the country. The party is just getting started ...

Trent has his sixteenth birthday party all planned out--a homestyle Texas ranch shindig and a practical joke on Tina, the class misfit. What he didn't plan on was falling in love with his target ...

Customer Reviews:

it was great.......2001-06-18

This was such a sweet book! I loved it! I let my cousin borrow it! And she's loving it to! The last part was great... I loved the ending!

Awesome! Must Read!.......2000-03-30

I absolutely Loved this book! Trent was a loser till he relized what a coward he had been then he was awesome! Tina was amazingly cool! Susan was a bucket full of laughs! Laurie was a witch! I think the ending was so sweet. My friend borrowed it and loved it! This is a must read book!

Book Description

The rapid growth of the study of apoptosis-mechanism-driven, regulated cell death-has created an urgent need for reliable documentation of the different approaches to and methods of studying the various aspects of the field. Apoptosis in Neurobiology is an important resource for researchers in this emerging frontier of biomedical study. This volume allows the uninitiated neuroscientist intellectual and practical access to the study of apoptosis, with special consideration to the nervous system. The first section concentrates on conceptual approaches to the study of apoptosis in neurobiology and its significance to the nervous system. The second section provides a user-friendly approach to methods and techniques in the study of apoptosis as applied to neurobiology.

Book Description

This book collects 42 peer-reviewed papers presented in the NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Nanostructured Materials by High-Pressure Severe Plastic Deformation, held in Donetsk, Ukraine, September 22-24, 2004.

Recently, it was reported that nanostructured materials processed under high pressure by HPT and ECAP have an extraordinary combination of both high strength and high ductility, which are two desirable, but rarely co-existing properties. These findings indicate that high-pressure is a critical factor that can be employed to process nanostructured materials with superior mechanical, and possibly also physical, properties. It is the objective of this workshop to review our current knowledge, identify issues for future research, and discuss future directions on the processing and properties of nanostructured materials via SPD techniques, with a special emphasis on high-pressure effects.

During the 3-day workshop, about 60 scientists from 12 countries presented 60 papers. Over 20 keynote presentations were given by distinguished scientists in this field. Papers in this book cover areas of high pressure effect on the nanostructure and properties of SPD-processed materials, fundamentals of nanostructured materials, development of high-pressure SPD technologies for commercializations, recent advances of SPD technologies as well as applications and future markets of SPD-processed nanostructured materials

Book Description

This readable and complete exposition of the nature of time as addressed in Einstein's special theory of relativity is accessible to readers without training in the sciences. Published on the 100th anniversary of Einstein's famous 1905 paper, it assumes only competency in simple high school algebra and a bit of elementary plane geometry.

The premise of the book is that relativity ought to be an important part of everyone's education because it is largely about time, a subject with which all are familiar. The book reveals that some of our most intuitive notions about time are shockingly wrong, and that the real nature of time discovered by Einstein can be rigorously explained without advanced mathematics.

The book evolved as Mermin taught the subject to diverse groups of undergraduates at Cornell University, none of them science majors, over three and a half decades. Mermin's approach is imaginative, yet accurate and complete. Clear, lively, and informal, the book will appeal to intellectually curious readers of all kinds, including even professional physicists, who will be intrigued by its highly original approach.

Customer Reviews:

It's About Time.......2007-03-22

Introduction of formulas a priori with only consecutive derivation is preceptionally inadequate. This combined with too a verbose and insufficiently organized progress of the argument makes for an uneasy reading.

The importance of thinking relatively.......2006-03-06

One hundred years after Einstein published the theory of relativity, publishers are still promoting popular books that explain reltivity to the lay reader. This is the best such book that I have read. That's because Mermin's approach is to help the reder to develop a thinking style so that it becomes almost second nature to get your brain to hop between moving frames of reference. Mermin's thought experiments examine the outcome of experiments performed on moving trains or by moving rockets. The reader discovers the trick of examining the outcome from two points of view: inside the moving train, and outside watching the train go by. Almost everyone, including professers of physics, will benefit from a careful rreading of this book. It does include many equations and diagrams.

finally an elegant text about this subject .......2006-02-19

The book is as simple as it can be but not simpler. It is as if Einstein learnt to explain in english. It cleared my way of thinking about time-place events. Now I am just afraid to think how many such simple things can be out there which my mind has not yet ever analysed.

The best way to learn the fundamentals of relativity.......2005-12-15

The basic ideas making up Albert Einstein's special theory of relativity are relatively easy to understand. The only mathematics required to understand the formulas is basic algebra and very little knowledge of physics is needed. The only essential physics background is an understanding of many of the words of physics. Concepts such as linear momentum, electromagnetic radiation, computing with units, velocity and simultaneity must all be clearly understood before you read this book.
Once into it, you will find some of the best non-technical descriptions of the special theory of relativity that have ever been published. While the author does not pathologically shrink from using equations, he also does not become infatuated with them. There are just enough to demonstrate the concepts and none that I considered superfluous. Many diagrams are used to illustrate the ideas and equations and the text is a superb complement to the formulas and figures.
The world where the special theory of relativity is valid is a strange one where our intuitive ideas based on everyday phenomena no longer apply. However, it is not impossible to understand and this book is the best place to begin that process.

Events of 1905.(Secrets of the Old One: Einstein, 1905)(It's About Time: Understanding Einstein's Relativity)(Book review) : An article from: American Scientist

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Events of 1905.(Secrets of the Old One: Einstein, 1905)(It's About Time: Understanding Einstein's Relativity)(Book review) : An article from: American Scientist

Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This is the first anthology ever devoted to early modern Japanese literature, spanning the period from 1600 to 1900, known variously as the Edo or the Tokugawa, one of the most creative epochs of Japanese culture. This anthology, which will be of vital interest to anyone involved in this era, includes not only fiction, poetry, and drama, but also essays, treatises, literary criticism, comic poetry, adaptations from Chinese, folk stories and other non-canonical works. Many of these texts have never been translated into English before, and several classics have been newly translated for this collection.

Early Modern Japanese Literature introduces English readers to an unprecedented range of prose fiction genres, including dangibon (satiric sermons), kibyôshi (satiric and didactic picture books), sharebon (books of wit and fashion), yomihon (reading books), kokkeibon (books of humor), gôkan (bound books), and ninjôbon (books of romance and sentiment). The anthology also offers a rich array of poetry -- waka, haiku, senryû, kyôka, kyôshi -- and eleven plays, which range from contemporary domestic drama to historical plays and from early puppet theater to nineteenth century kabuki. Since much of early modern Japanese literature is highly allusive and often elliptical, this anthology features introductions and commentary that provide the critical context for appreciating this diverse and fascinating body of texts.

One of the major characteristics of early modern Japanese literature is that almost all of the popular fiction was amply illustrated by wood-block prints, creating an extensive text-image phenomenon. In some genres such as kibyôshi and gôkan the text in fact appeared inside the woodblock image. Woodblock prints of actors were also an important aspect of the culture of kabuki drama. A major feature of this anthology is the inclusion of over 200 woodblock prints that accompanied the original texts and drama.

Customer Reviews:

OK..........2007-03-08

I purchased this book for one particular story, hohiron, treatises on farting. It was possibly the dryest translation of the at story I have ever read. Some of the other stories are a little better done, but only "OK" translation. This is however a good source for early modern Japanese literature and a great introduction to it.

Ian Myles Slater on: No Rivals on the Horizon.......2004-11-01

I have hardly made much progress through these 2000-plus pages, containing the work of thirty-two contributors, some immediately recognizable, others unfamiliar to me, and two (Donald Keene and Burton Watson) well-represented on my shelves. The library copy I started reading a couple of years ago was in demand, and I only had a short time to use it. I also skipped around quite a lot; it invites browsing. With the paperback edition now in my hands, however, I feel it would be useful to post a note (a sort of review-in-progress) both to clarify statements in one of the reviews of the hardcover edition, and give a general impression of the book for those even *less* at home in Japanese studies than myself.

Haruo Shirane's "Early Modern Japanese Literature" appears to have been designed to serve, along with a companion volume on earlier Japanese literature, as the equivalent of the well-known "Norton Anthology of English Literature," available for classroom use as much, or more, as for casual reading. At least, this is my guess at what was in the mind of the Columbia University Press editorial director, Jennifer Crewe, whom the editor credits with suggesting and facilitating the project.

As in the Norton volumes, there is a lot of historical information in an extended introduction (the whole first section), and clear introductions to the following twenty-six sections on specific genres. Again, informative-looking notes are abundant in some sections, although rare in others, corresponding to a reader's likely needs, not a critic's desire to offer new interpretations. (So far I have found them very helpful.)

It differs from the Norton Anthologies and other American textbooks of literature in one particular. Japanese printed literature has traditionally been illustrated, and examples are provided here. The captions to period woodcut illustrations are generally to the point; a few longer examples explain inscriptions, the conventions used by illustrators, or aspects of Japanese life being portrayed. There are also photographs from modern Japanese productions of classic puppet plays, which fill in gaps in the imagination. (But not another sort of gap: some of the plays are of Shakespearean proportions, and, to fully illustrate their variety, many are represented by excerpts, single acts, or even scenes. Inevitably, the longer forms suffer in this sort of compilation.)

Despite a complaint of many typographical errors, I have not so far spotted readily identifiable misprints in the sections I have read. They could be concentrated elsewhere. Some *should* be present in a book this size, and I may be reading past them; or many may have been silently corrected in the paperback edition.

Or the complaint may be about the treatment of Japanese words and proper names, which I would *not* be able to spot, barring inconsistencies within a line or two to tip me off to a problem. And, naturally, the pages are filled with such names and words, in fairly technical-looking spellings -- probably enough to discourage some readers. (I don't even want to think about the proof-reading involved!)

What I have found, however, is a statement that the romanization (transliteration to the rest of us) "is based on the Hepburn system," which is not terribly specific about what to expect. This may account for at least part of the complaint, and is a general issue with translations from Japanese, and so, I think, is worth pointing out.

The short version is: if you aren't familiar with the standard romanization used in translations from Japanese literature, the book is going to look REALLY WEIRD.

(You can skip the next several paragraphs if you are not interested in the problems of rendering words from a foreign language into English, using the standard Roman alphabet, or are familiar with the problems. I've had to spend enough time trying to figure this out to feel that some people might want to be warned in advance.)

Hepburn, a pioneering English-language scholar of the Japanese language, seems to have had a "tin ear" for sounds not consistently distinguished in English, but significant in Japanese -- phonemes, for those who know the term. His ear apparently was not as bad as that of the originators of the Wade-Giles system for Chinese (which in this volume is represented by Pinyin), and a system once sponsored by the Japanese government seems to have been even more confusing, but it still produces complications. (I could suggest three or four books which discuss the problem at various levels of difficulty -- most of them soon going beyond my ability to follow -- but a short, well-written non-technical account is presently available on-line; search for Andrew Horvat, "Total Quality Japanese: The Romaji (Roomaji) Conundrum.")

The Hepburn system has been modified several times in the last century, beginning with introducing "glides" where Hepburn had missed them, so that the spelling "Tokio" (To-ki-o) became the now-familiar "Tokyo" (To-kyo) -- with or without a macron (long mark) over the final vowel. Other changes are not always consistent, internally, or with other alterations; not to mention cases of publishers discarding long marks and apostrophes, which makes it less accurate instead of more. Anyone used to reading (or to employing!) a different variation of the Hepburn romanization is going to see some (not all) Japanese names and words in "incorrect" forms in this book, and many others.

If the "errors" in this or another book are consistent, they probably are intended spellings, based on a different standard. Irritating to those who want everyone to be consistent in another system, and a real pest if, like me, you are comparing translations, or histories, and aren't able to deal with the Japanese directly, but that is how it is.

In addition, there are several more recent systems based directly on Japanese orthography, which allows software to convert text from one script to another, but look odd to those who expect to see the Hepburn spellings. (And vice-versa.) Some rather sharp exchanges have been going on in recent years over the preferred standards for romanizing manga and anime, particularly since commercial versions of these seem to be hit-or-miss, or consistently inconsistent, on this problem.

If you think that this situation is annoying, try the truly strange-looking variations current among Classicists (such as Aeschylus *or* Aischulos, Thucydides *or* Thoukudides), as they attempt (or refuse to attempt) to replace time-honored English versions of Latin versions of Greek names with actual transliterations!

To resume the direct review (following from REALLY WEIRD):

In this case, "based on the Hepburn system" does turn out to include marking long vowels, and other features often discarded by commercial publishers. It is not for nothing that this volume is part of the Columbia "Translations from the Asian Classics" series, and produced to a standard at least tolerable to professional scholars, who by and large do manage to use pretty much the same approach. I find it a bit distracting, but have come to appreciate its importance.

Of course, the Japanese language was never a single, static, thing, but has a history. (Hepburn, for example, apparently used nineteenth-century Edo [Tokyo] speech as his standard.) As usual, local and class dialects, and changes over time, are not without significance for a literature. In other translations from Japanese, I have seen attempts to reproduce such variations in English (fortunately without the apparent Cockneys and Scots I have spotted in other contexts). In this book, transliterations are offered of some eighteenth-century "Comic and Satiric Poetry" (pages 520-537), with attention called in the notes to how words were actually being pronounced. (I found this very interesting, and I would hope that such statements are not taken for "mistakes" in Japanese.)

On another front, Donald Keene's 1976 book "World Within Walls: Japanese Literature of the Pre-Modern Era, 1600-1867" is NOT a rival anthology ignored by the publicity for "Early Modern Japanese Literature." It is the second of three volumes in Keene's impressive "History of Japanese Literature." It is listed here in the first section of the generous (pages 968-981) "English Language Bibliography," which includes an impressive number of translations of writers or texts included in the anthology, and an abundance of critical literature. (I had no idea just how much Japanese literature of those three centuries was now available in English; fortunately, in this area I never thought of myself as more than a casual reader!)

Since the announced aim of the collection was to be representative, considerable duplication of existing translations of important works was only to be expected. Although there are collections covering more works in certain genres, I am inclined to accept the claim of unprecedented coverage of the major literary forms of three centuries.

Some will probably continue to prefer Donald Keene's old (1955) "Anthology of Japanese Literature, from the Earliest Era to the Mid-Nineteenth Century" and its (1956) companion, "Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology," (from 1868 to the post-war "present day") on aesthetic, if not sentimental, grounds. A school library's copies were (along with Heian-era works translated by Arthur Waley, and Ivan Morris) my own introduction to Japanese literature, and I later acquired an Evergreen paperback edition of the former. Keene's two volumes are very different in their emphasis, covering both longer and shorter periods of time. But I am happy to have both selections available -- and look forward to Columbia's companion volume on Japan before 1600.

(Note: Columbia has announced for March 2005 the publication of "The Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature," edited by J. Thomas Rimer; picking up where Haruo Shirane's volume leaves off, this should cover the writings of the twentieth century in considerable detail. It will be interesting to see what genres are chosen for representation.)

From Early Paths to Highways and Byways.......2004-05-11

Haruo Shirane has given us a new and at once deeper and broader look at "early modern" Japanese literature than was previously possible. This is the first attempt at a gathering of the riches available in English translation--with many new translations made for this volume--since Donald Keene's landmark *Anthology of Japanese Literature: From the Earliest Era to the Mid-Nineteenth Century* published half a century ago (1955, to be precise). Whereas Keene's volume attempted to sketch well over a millennium in less than 450 pages, Shirane's spends more than 1000 larger pages on just three centuries: about a quarter of the time period represented in Keene's work covered in about three times the space.

The core and plan of Shirane's anthology revolves around the speedy and often jumpy evolution of literally dozens of genres of popular literature amidst a continuing reverence for and attempts to adapt the fundamentals of classical Heian, medieval Japanese, and Chinese culture to the new plebeian situation of Tokugawa Japan. The scores of complex and detailed introductions and sometimes minute examples (often two or three of one-page or less) initially seem like the work of too many designers and far more colors than a single tapestry could support. (At 108 rather smaller pages devoted to the same period, and containing reference to only a handful of genres, Keene's earlier anthology barely scratches the Tokugawa surface.)

Understandably, Keene's treatment of Tokugawa literature was brief, and concentrated on more accessible genres that needed less background information for at least a beginning appreciation. Shirane's work, of necessity, gives almost equal weight to background and translations. Without the background so supplied, how could the student with a limited knowledge of world literatures begin to approach a range that includes such genres as: stories from the pleasure quarters of Edo, the poetics of Japan's unique linked poetry, a puppet theater that rivals Shakespeare for depth but is steeped in Japanese and Chinese folklore and thinly veiled contemporary events rather than great moments of history, Japan's own versions of Confucian wisdom, competing poetries of leisured literati and barely literate carters and shop clerks, the beginnings of several types of genre fiction, a resurgence of poetry in older Japanese and Sino-Japanese genres, and a new modern type of oral literature for the masses, not to mention the still only somewhat familiar haiku and less familiar haikai prose with their own radical shifts in content and style from one generation to the next?

Make no mistake: Shirane's *Early Modern Japanese Literature* has pages and pages that offer enjoyable reading, but it is still a textbook, designed for those who wish to appreciate and learn something about not only specific works and their authors, but where each fits in the overall tapestry of Japanese and world literature. The book's extraordinary range and depth give the astute reader a better opportunity for that than any group of a half-dozen or more books I can think of. Taking advantage of the next two generations of scholars building on Keene's first attempts at a path through unexplored territory, Shirane has built a network of highways and byways that will take the reader into unsuspected corners of a new and burgeoning country.

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Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology, 1600-1900: An article from: Asian Theatre Journal : ATJ

Manufacturer: ProQuest Information and Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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ASIN: B000FI91P2
Release Date: 2006-04-19

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Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology, 1600-1900
Haruo Shirane
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPYVV0

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Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology, 1600-1900
Haruo Shirane
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPTKDO

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