Neurotic Beauty: An Outsider Looks at Japan

I am a long time reader of Morris Berman's writings over the years, and so I naturally picked up Neurotic Beauty - An Outsider Looks at Japan, even though I have never expressed particular interest in Japanese history.Neurotic Beauty describes the personal and cultural convulsions Japan experienced after the arrival of Commodore Mathew Perry on its shore at Edo in 1853. At that point Japan's soul with its traditions,culture, and crafts began to unravel as they went into catch up mode to become like the west in a very short period of time. Neurotic Beauty describes this journey in detail.Professor Berman also explores the possibility of a post growth future for Japan. He suggests that Japan may be able to lead the world into a post capitalistic world because they have 250 years worth of history prior to their growth in which they were comfortably self-sufficient and isolated from the rest of the world.Japan's deep roots to a rich culture and traditions may help inform how they move forward. What form that will take is still an open question. Given the US love affair with expansion and growth, I find real hope in the possibility of alternatives to the growth addictions of the west.I have concentrated on one theme here and suggest the interested reader look at the other reviews for a broader picture.

The sheer volume of information in Neurotic Beauty would be intimidating were it not so skillfully researched and presented. When I finished I knew far more about Japan - it's history, likely reasons why Pearl Harbor was bombed, the underlying psychology and philosophy of the Japanese people, its strengths as a society and its fatal weaknesses - than I would have thought possible. Dr. Berman's gift as a writer of nonfiction is his ability to synthesize large amounts of knowledge and make it available to the reader in an engaging, highly readable fashion. Straightforward prose that explains complex ideas and historical events are brought into focus and woven together seamlessly. Of particular interest to me were the observations on the current state of affairs in Japan, revival of the craft tradition and Japanese youth's struggle to make sense of modernity and, hopefully, salvage the best from their ancient culture. I would recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Japan or planning a trip there.

Excellent analysis of Japan including many footnotes. I don't feel qualified to give a detailed review as I feel I'd need to read the book a few times, read some of the references, read on Japanese history, and then revisit. Topics include the bomb, Japanese philosophy, opening up of Japan by the West, Japanese craft/nerds, and discussion about the future of Japan, including the suggestion that Japan could be the first major industrial country to have a steady-state economy.Note: the author funded this work mostly on his own and has great passion for writing on Japan. This will be a book that I enjoy for many years.

I like the idea of this book, but it bored me. The author spends a bit too much time referring back to things I don't feel like looking up. Note to future writers, if you're trying to tell a complicated story, don't make it more so by referencing more obscure works. Besides that, not bad.

Tons and tons of well-written, thoughtful, well-footnoted observations here. Like the other Berman book I've bought, this is a book to read and re-read.

Morris Berman, in "Neurotic Beauty: An Outsider Looks At Japan," has written a lucid and compelling account of Japanese history and society. Like all of Mr. Berman's books, this volume is without fail in the care, detail, and description he gives to individuals, events, and historical points of view that frame the subject matter under discussion. "Neurotic Beauty" provides the reader with the remarkable and complex history of Japan; its philosophical, spiritual, and artistic contributions; the arrogant "trade or die" ultimatum of Commodore Perry and his black ships busting Japan open to Western notions of progress; the tragedy of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere and the lead-up to the Pacific War; horrible nuclear destruction and defeat in World War II; and a postwar Japan that was dominated by the Americans and the American-inspired creation of a consumer Mecca that essentially goes against the grain of "deep" Japanese history and the Japanese way of life.Of particular importance, and perhaps the most beautiful and demanding section of "Neurotic Beauty," is the overview of two thousand years of Japanese history, culture, and philosophy which ultimately presents a counter-narrative to what one sees and thinks about Japan today. A large part of that focus is on the history and practice of the Zen Buddhist tradition among many other Japanese traditions. A further unique component of "Neurotic Beauty" is Mr. Berman's ability to provide compelling narratives of both Japanese and American histories in an extremely personal and intimate way, while always keeping his eye centered on the possibility that Japan, despite its current situation, may hold the keys to a future society of sanity, a homeostatic no-growth society built and sustained by what human beings really want and need. Indeed, the core argument of "Neurotic Beauty" centers on the fact that what one really thinks about Japan now, is really the antithesis of Japan; one that doesn't square with what Japan really is. As a result, Japan, as a civilizational model, holds great promise for what is essentially a moribund West and, of course, an utterly feckless, dangerous, and ridiculous United States.Overall, "Neurotic Beauty" is a work of stunning breadth, scholarship, intellectual curiosity, and nourishment for the soul. In many ways, it follows Mr. Berman's intellectual journey as an author who courageously asks the tougher questions about the nature of human existence and the human condition. For these reasons and more, "Neurotic Beauty" is tremendously important.

I will use this in a class I am about to take.It looks really interesting

Another outstanding effort by Berman. Thoroughly researched. Enlightening look at contemporary/post war Japan. If you have read and enjoyed Berman's work in the past, you won't be disappointed.

Morris Berman has read everything that an English speaker without Japanese can read - but so have many others, and of course writers with more or less functional Japanese, a lifetime’s experience of visiting or living in the country and so forth. Berman towers above most of these figures (although he is not stingy with references and acknowledgements). He asks large questions and draws strong schematic analyses and his mind goes everywhere, nothing important is off limits. He loves the culture, the place, the people, but he has more to do than simply record or celebrate or register amazement. I have spent years reading about Japan and got halfway through a Cultural Studies Masters programme about the place but this book is making fabulous connections and opening fascinating perspectives that I just haven’t found elsewhere. So, all honour to Mr Berman - he’s done a fantastic job and this is a work of which I would say: if you only ever read one book about Japan, make sure it’s this one. It’s a crying shame the print edition is no longer available. Thank Providence for Kindle!