Another outstanding volume in the Library of Nations series from Time-Life Books. Of course it is dated, as it is from the 1980s; but as a snapshot of the country at that point, it is a sincere, authentic, and dedicated attempt at describing and interpreting an often mysterious culture and people. It brings out well the extraordinary lengths to which they go in being productive, whether in agriculture (yields on their tiny farmsteads being many times those in most of the rest of the world), or in engineering and technology. We owe the dedication and self-sacrifice of the Japanese for so many products that have been a source of joy and instruction to us. The photographs and charts add value, not the least because they are grainy and hence all the more authentic-looking. ( )