The Chrysanthemum and the Sword

[pippa]

Has anybody heard about or read Ruth Benedict's 'The Chrysanthemum and the Sword'? I'm thinking about reading it and would like to hear your thoughts on it.

[justinh]

I was impressed with the book. I can't speak to the accuracy of the book, or how it applies to Japan today. Hopefully someone else can comment on that. I definitely learned some things, but I'm a total noob when it comes to the non-sensationalized side of Japanese culture. It's well written, in my opinion, and it was a lot less dry than I expected.