Reprinted fifty times, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword remains a classic volume in Japanese studies. Ruth Benedict's piquant observations on the Japanese family, hierarchical society the customs of marriage and child rearing, concepts like self discipline and filial piety and other noatble attributes of the Japanese remain relevant today. By examining seemingly isolated bits of behavior and fitting the details into a coherent overall pattern, Bemedict succeeds in sketching the main outlines of a society unlike that found in the West. The result is a completely fascinating.incisive and informative book, on what makes the Japanese, Japanese.

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