Confessions of a Yakuza: A Life in Japan's Underworld

Confessions of a Yakuza: A Life in Japan's Underworld
Average customer rating:

Great Insight

book review

Interesting...but for deeper reasons than I expected.

The Honorable Past.

Half a Book

Confessions of a Yakuza: A Life in Japan's Underworld
Junichi Saga
Manufacturer: Kodansha International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Criminals | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Japan | Asia | History | Subjects | Books
Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Yakuza: Japan's Criminal Underworld, Expanded Edition

Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter

Tokyo Underworld: The Fast Times and Hard Life of an American Gangster in Japan

Speed Tribes: Days and Night's with Japan's Next Generation

The Dragon Syndicates: The Global Phenomenon of the Triads

ASIN: 4770019483

Book Description

This is the true story, as told to the doctor who looked after him just before he died, of the life of one of the last traditional yakuza in Japan. It wasn't a "good" life, in either sense of the word, but it was an adventurous one; and the tale he has to tell presents an honest and oddly
attractive picture of an insider in that separate, unofficial world.

In his low, hoarse voice, he describes the random events that led the son of a prosperous country shopkeeper to become a member, and ultimately the leader, of a gang organizing illegal dice games in Tokyo's liveliest entertainment area. He talks about his first police raid, and the brutal
interrogation and imprisonment that followed it. He remembers his first love affair, and the girl he ran away with, and the weeks they spent wandering about the countryside together. Briefly, and matter-of-factly, he describes how he cut off the little finger of his left hand as a ritual gesture of
apology. He explains how the games were run and the profits spent; why the ties between members of "the brotherhood" were so important; and how he came to kill a man who worked for him.

What emerges is a contradictory personality: tough but not unsentimental; stubborn yet willing to take life more or less as it comes; impulsive but careful to observe the rules of the business he had joined.

And in the end, when his tale is finished, you feel you would probably have liked him if you'd met him in person. Fortunately, Dr. Saga's record of his long conversations with him provides a wonderful substitute for that meeting.

Customer Reviews:

Great Insight.......2007-03-17

A great way to look into the yakuza world and not have Hollywood mucking it up. I recently did some research on the yakuza and out of all the books I read, this one was by far one of the best. Even though he's kind of recounting tales to this doctor, the story is still very involved and engrossing. A great read!

book review.......2007-03-17

it is a great book that combines history and the orginazied crime family that played a large part of many people's lives. It is an insider view of a world that very few knows exists.

Interesting...but for deeper reasons than I expected........2007-01-21

Somehow, I thought this would be some blood drenched melodrama, and along the way I would learn a thing or two about the Yakuza way.

But this book was far more subtle and deeply real. It is clear that in the old days, a good Yakuza boss keep a low profile and maintained good connections with his community. All of this is very subtly and carefully portrayed. Many times, it is his careful and diplomatic efforts that yield some of the best results.

And yet, his story is underscored by how he lived outside of society often times. On top of all this, it conveys a time in Japan long ago, and did so very graphically.

All in all, an very good book.

The Honorable Past. .......2007-01-02

It may sound odd that I use the word honor in the context of a gangster which is exactly what the yakuza were and are, but the man profiled here is completely old school in all its best connotations. Essentially, the background concerns a very old man about to die who tells his story to the random doctor who happens to examine him. The interviews are conducted over a series of weeks and they occur at the yakuza's home. To say that he lived in interesting times is definitely an understatement. Most of the action occurs before World War II, and, in those days, being a yakuza meant only running gambling houses. To do anything else was beneath them. One can see why the police were rather tolerant in regards to their general operations in light of this eventuality. The man described here eventually became the head of a local branch of the brotherhood, but the stories of his rise and his ever-so-complicated interactions with women were what most impressed this reviewer. This was a pretty fantastic read, and its value is all the greater should you be rather ignorant about Japan (as was the case with this reviewer).

Half a Book.......2006-04-02

Start on page 74 and you've got yourself a story. I think you'd have to have been to Japan to like this book whereas other's make u feel as if you're there. It's a piece of history tho, that's for sure.

Confessions of a Yakuza: A Life in Japan's Underworld

Average customer rating:

Confessions of a Yakuza: A Life in Japan's Underworld
Funichi Saga
Manufacturer: Kodansha Amer Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000KXZNV8

Twelve Days of Terror: A Definitive Investigation of the 1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks
Average customer rating:

Twelve Days of Terror:A Definitive Investigation of the 1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks

Great Book on the attacks of 1916

A GREAT READ

Great story but I'm not into all the extra details

twelve days of terror

Twelve Days of Terror: A Definitive Investigation of the 1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks
Richard G. Fernicola
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | State & Local | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Mammals | Animals | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Marine Life | Oceans & Seas | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 (Bccb Blue Ribbon Nonfiction Book Award (Awards))

Close To Shore: A True Story of Terror in An Age of Innocence

12 Days of Terror

Shark Trouble

Devil's Teeth, The: A True Story Of Survival And Obsession Among America's Great White Sharks

ASIN: 1585745758

Amazon.com

In July 1916, a time of record-setting heat and a raging polio epidemic, beachgoers along the New Jersey shore confronted a greater terror still: lurking in the water swam a shark, or perhaps several sharks, that had apparently developed a taste for human flesh. Within less than two weeks, the offending fish killed four swimmers and badly injured another, setting off a wave of panic that kept visitors well out of the water and threatened the state's thriving tourist economy.

Officials were quick to react. President Woodrow Wilson, himself from New Jersey, sought and received $5,000 from Congress to eradicate the villain. Unsure of which species was to blame, commercial fishermen and state police alike destroyed every shark they encountered, while some conspiracy-minded journalists hinted that the attacks had somehow been triggered by German U-boats plying the waters off New Jersey.

Those strange events of 1916 are not much remembered today, except, perhaps, by fans of Peter Benchley's novel Jaws, whose origin lies in the attacks. Richard Fernicola revives the incident with this thoroughgoing investigation, which offers solid information on the natural history and behavior of the many shark species that populate the Atlantic, and which hazards educated guesses as to which kind of shark did the fatal mischief--and why. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

In July 1916, with the specter of American involvement in World War I on the horizon and New York City in the throes of a deadly polio epidemic, the tri-state population thronged the Jersey shore in search of a respite from the stifling midsummer heat. The Atlantic's refreshing waters proved to be utterly inhospitable, however. In a shockingly brief span of just twelve days, four swimmers were violently and fatally mauled by a marauding shark (or school of sharks), and a fifth was seriously injured, escaping within inches of his life. By the third week in July, national newspapers were headlining reports of "Battles Against Man-Eating Sharks" above the battles of war across the ocean. In this thoroughly researched account, Dr. Richard Fernicola, the leading expert on the attacks, presents a riveting portrait of these twelve days of terror against the colorful backdrop of America in 1916. With the perspicacity of a private eye, he immerses himself in the specifics of the events as he carefully examines clues and reconstructs evidence to resolve what scientists have been arguing over for decades. Was a rogue shark or a school of sharks responsible? Was it a bull shark or a great white shark? Was the shark's motivation hunger or fear? Through primary sources and face-to-face interviews with witnesses, Fernicola pieces together a conclusive, if controversial, theory regarding the character and cause of these mysterious attacks. Part fascinating social history, part spellbinding detective story, Twelve Days of Terror is one of those rare books that proves truth can be stranger, more dramatic, and more terrifying than fiction. (6 x 9, 368 pages, b&w photos, illustrations)

Richard G. Fernicola is recognized as the foremost authority on the New Jersey shark attacks of 1916. His research became the basis for the highly acclaimed television documentaries Legends of Killer Sharks and Shark Attack: 1916, which aired on the Discovery Channel and The History Channel. He is also actively involved in the preservation and rescue of marine mammals.

Customer Reviews:

Twelve Days of Terror:A Definitive Investigation of the 1916 New Jersey Shark Attacks.......2007-09-03

I really enjoyed this book. Although it will keep me out of the oceans and creeks forever! It was very interesting, and packed full of information. A+

Great Book on the attacks of 1916.......2007-07-22

being from the area of the attacks and actually just went to the second annual sharkfest in Matawan yesterday, this book really bring the events of 1916 to life. Mr. Fernicola vividly brings you back to the times of the attacks to give you a great feel of what transpired in those fateful 12 days. A great book for anybody interested in sharks and of history in general, especially of the Jesrey Shore.

A GREAT READ.......2007-03-29

I got to tell you i am not a big history fan but this book puts one of my favorite animals into the perspective (the shark). This book closely defined the attacks during July 1st and the 12th in 1916 that happened on New Jersey's shore line.
This book reads like a novel with plenty of historical facts and scientific learning. The author, Mr. Fernicola has put a lot of structure into this book.
A must read for anyone who has been fascinated with sharks or the history of New Jersey.
The New Jersey Man-Eater makes the New Jersey Devil run and hide.

Great story but I'm not into all the extra details.......2007-02-07

I was both impressed and bored with this book at the same time. The story of the 1916 attacks was captivating and well written. I enjoy non-fiction and the first 100 pages did not disappoint. I admire and respect all the research and details, but do not care for that type of reading. Much of the book, especially the second half, was about the physiology of shark species as they relate to these attacks and others. I guess I was expecting more of the drama and excitement and less of the science and research. I certainly respect the author's expertise and this may be the most comprehensive study of the 1916 attacks (although it's the only one I've read, so don't hold me to that).

twelve days of terror.......2006-09-01

great book couldn't put it down, if you want to read the real "JAWS" this is it.

Book Description

NASA's Apollo answered President Kennedy's 1961 directive to land a man on the moon and return him safely to Earth by the end of the decade. The astronauts, scientists, and mission control operators who took part in the fifteen manned Apollo missions not only accomplished this memorable triumph of courage and technical ingenuity, they stirred the world's imagination and redefined the notion of what is truly possible.

In this captivating story of adventure and exploration, expert David West Reynolds presents a complete and engaging reconstruction of all the key events and personalities in the Apollo program. From the thrilling experiences of the astronauts to the men of extraordinary vision and skill who built a reality out of a dream, Reynolds captures the drama of this epic journey.

Rendering complex and technical material into accessible terms for the uninitiated reader, while providing unusual details for the aficionado, Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon takes you along on the most unforgettable ride of the twentieth century.

Customer Reviews:

Stunning tribute.......2006-11-26

A visual gem; this book is one that even those with just a passing interest in space history would enjoy. In addition to the numerous photos, the text is extremely cogent and well written. It covers all major aspects of the apollo program in a highly informative and entertaining manner. The book is of a very high quality and will not disappoint.

Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon.......2006-11-11

Outstanding book. It should be required reading for kids in high school. The only downside to this book is that it is printed in China. It's rather ridiculous to read about America's greatest achievement in a book printed by communist Chinese.

Apollo: Epic Journey (how America won the cold war).......2006-08-15

This is a very comprehensive read which takes you from the beginning of the space age through to what might have been if the momentum had not been lost around 1970.

The illustrations are some of the best I've ever seen and counterpoint the text superbly. There are none which are there just to look good, they all have a well defined reason for being where they are in the body of the book.
There is plenty of input from the people who were involved and a lot of the adventures are recalled in quite thrilling prose. It even manages to convince the reader that the technology really was there to establish bases on the moon and go to mars using the Saturn V booster. It leaves the reader with a clear feeling of NASA's betrayal by Richard Nixon, portaying him, albeit subtly, as someone willing to take the credit for Kennedy's commitment but unwilling to extend the legacy.

The book is somewhat spoiled by the fact that it is written very much from a cold war perspective. That the great and the good of the American people can overcome any adversary and that all other ideologies are wrong. A non-American is likely to find this a little sycophantic and it does leave a sour taste in the mouth in view of recent political activity, regardless of your enthusiasm for the subject. That it acknowledges that the space shuttle has failed in it's charter on just about every level since it's conception compounds the folly of the writer.

This should not put you off from buying this book. First hand accounts from the astronauts and the eye candy in this book alone make it worth the price. Yet it is the story it tells which is most compelling. It's an absolute must for any enthusiast. Even the All-American (which to be fair, it was) narrative is not sickly enough to stop me recommending it

Inspiring History of the Space Program.......2006-06-30

This book was a great resource to learn in depth about the history, people, technology and politics which was the genesis of the space program. Also, what the author captures uniquely well is the sense of imagination and wonder involved - the dream of space. That one reviewer dismisses this as 'childish' and 'inaccurate' is sad, because it's exactly that which inspired so many in America and the world, to look to the stars and understand the reach of human potential. (That includes me - as a child, btw). The personalities of the people who helped drive the program are inseparable from what was accomplished, and I was fascinated to hear more about figures like Von Braun and the Apollo astronauts. Though the writing can wax a little poetic at times, it's more than balanced by a thorough level of historical and technical detail.

I highly recommend Apollo as an inspiring book for anyone who has even a moderate interest in space. I think it'd make a great book for younger people with a technical bent too.

Gem for Space Nerds.......2005-11-29

I am a space nerd - majored in space physics, minored in space studies, worked in the space industry. Am enthralled with the Apollo program and have studied it extensively. This book does have a few minor errors, but they in no way detract from the thorough examination of the Apollo program. The book is worth its weight in charts, maps, diagrams and photographs alone. For example, I had never seen maps of the tracks of where each Apollo mission did its EVAs on the moon.

I refute the claim that this book is aimed at children - I doubt any standard kid would understand Delta V and Isp and hypergolic fuels and translunar insertions. I think having a background in rocketry helped me enjoy the book more, not less.

Average customer rating:

Apollo : The Epic Journey to the Moon
David West Reynolds
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJINU6

Average customer rating:

Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon
David West Reynolds
Manufacturer: Harcourt, Brace & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OLYMEA

Book Description

From the author of the bestseller 'Ecohouse' this challenging and exciting text gives you an insight into the real changes that are necessary to give our modern day built environment both 'sustainability' and 'survivability'.

The book is based on the premise that climate change is going to happen and its impacts on our lives are going to be far worse than generally expected. Sue Roaf argues that many modern buildings are not only 'unsustainable' in themselves but are also having a catastrophic effect on the global climate. In a unique argument, she illustrates that the only way we can hope to survive the following century in tact is if we not only begin to radically reduce CO2 emissions from our buildings and stop building climatically disastrous building types but also build only the buildings that can survive in the changed climates of the future.

Throughout the book, traditional and modern building types are used to: explain the history and impacts of climates past, present and future on buildings; set the scene in terms of the history of building development of where we are now and where we are going in terms of sustainability and survivability of buildings; develop two main scenarios of future building development with the 'business as usual' model and the 'survival plan' model, and to make a list of recommendations based on the two scenarios of what actions should be taken by architects, planners and engineers as well as local and national governments, businesses and ordinary people in ensuring the true sustainable nature of the built environment.

· A unique text that reassesses the fundamentals of sustainable design
· A discussion and design guide providing you with the full picture of true sustainability
· Includes case studies supporting the argument that challenges orthodox architectural design

Customer Reviews:

Planners and architects see the heat turned up and respond.......2007-04-05

Every American planning professional or aspiring city planner should include this book in their personal library. Besides the fight against standard American-style sprawl, planners are going to have to take the long view (it's why they're hired!) when designing buildings, cities, energy supplies, and transport systems in a much warmer world. This book is a start. In my opinion, any school that fails to include plannning aspects of climate change in its curriculum is derelict.
As you can see from my other book reviews I harp on the need to examine nuclear energy as an option for our quickly urbanizing world. Besides good coverage of alternative energy for buildings and cities, the authors mention the aging UK nuke plants, the problem of relying on French nuclear power during the last heat wave, and other issues, including Sweden's policy reversal on shutting down its nuclear program. But this assessment on p 278 stood out for me:
"However with the approaching oil crisis the UK govt may well have to review this (nuclear) policy. It is difficult to see how we will cope without nuclear power."
Whether the UK will modernize its nuclear infrastructure is another matter.

A vitally important subject comprehensively introduced........2005-04-02

How will we live when the oil runs out? How will we live when the climate is even hotter, with more floods, high winds, droughts? What kinds of buildings will be livable? How can we change what we build now to better serve humankind? Sue Roaf and co-authors argue that we won't be able to do it in "thin-skinned", windowless twentieth century buildings of glass and steel that keep out neither cold nor heat and require tremendous energy resources just to be usable. This is a great book about the many ways in which we need to and can change our thinking--particularly in architecture, in which a slavish adulation of "maestro-built," difficult-to-use buildings must be abandoned for a commitment to buildings and communities that will protect, preserve and comfort us in the resource-scarce times ahead.

Advances in Environmental Control Technology:: Ecological Issues and Environmental Impact Assessment (Advances in Environmental Control Technology)

Average customer rating:

Advances in Environmental Control Technology:: Ecological Issues and Environmental Impact Assessment (Advances in Environmental Control Technology)
Paul Cheremisinoff
Manufacturer: Gulf Professional Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Ecology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Natural Resources | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Urban Planning & Development | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0884152375

Book Description

In 31 chapters, this reference provides an overview of the ecological aspects of environmental design, urban ecology, rural planning, land use and pollution.

Average customer rating:

Building the Ecological City
Rodney R. White
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Urban Planning & Development | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Ecology | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0849313791

Book Description

Our cities are plagued by problems of congestion, waste, and pollution that deplete natural resources, damage the environment, and reduce the quality of life for their citizens. The irony is, as this fascinating new study shows, it doesn't have to be like this. Building the Ecological City describes the problems we face and puts forward solutions to the question - how can we build cities that provide an acceptable standard of living for their inhabitants without depleting the ecosystems and bio-geochemical cycles on which they depend? The book suggests and examines the concept of urban metabolism which characterizes the city as a set of interlinked systems of physical flows linking air, land, and water. A series of chapters looks at the production and management of waste, energy use and air emissions, water supply and management, urban land use, and air quality issues. Within the broader context of climate change, the book then considers a range of practical strategies for restoring the health of urban ecosystems from the remediation of 'brownfield' land to improving air quality and making better use of water resources. A major contribution to better urban management and planning for both citizens and the environment, Building the Ecological City is an invaluable sourcebook for urban and national planners, architects, and environmental agencies.

ESAs Made Easy: A Checklist Approach to Phase I Environmental Site Assessments

Average customer rating:

ESAs Made Easy: A Checklist Approach to Phase I Environmental Site Assessments
Andre R. Cooper
Manufacturer: Government Institutes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Urban Planning & Development | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Environmental Planning | Urban Planning & Development | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Risks | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Learn how to conduct and evaluate a successful Phase I ESA to identify existing or potential environmental hazards and special resources for a subject property. Through its easy-to-follow checklist format and sample ESA, this book shows you everything you need to know about Phase I ESAs, including ESA statement of work, environmental databases, ESA report appendices, ESA process, site history, governmental records, site reconnaissance, environmental hazards, underground and aboveground storage tanks, historic properties and national landmarks, scientific significance, and more.

Renewable Energy in Energy Performance Regulations: A Challenge for European Member States in Implementing the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive ... Urban Areas) (Sustainable Urban Areas)

Average customer rating:

Renewable Energy in Energy Performance Regulations: A Challenge for European Member States in Implementing the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive ... Urban Areas) (Sustainable Urban Areas)
Milou Berrepoot
Manufacturer: IOS Press/Delft University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Urban Planning & Development | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9040725349

Book Description

This research focuses on the possibilities for combining the introduction of the new or revised energy performance regulations required by the EC Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EPBD) with incentives to encourage the use of renewable energy. It reflects the results of the European research project Build-On-RES that studied the track record of possible incentives and developed recommendations for creating synergy between the promotion of renewable energy and the implementation of the EPBD. Both technical solutions as solutions in the context of energy performance regulations have been studied. The results of the research show that the introduction of (reviewed) energy performance regulations can pave the way for, amongst others, extra incentives for renewable energy, such as a 'renewable energy' accreditation to accompany the energy certificate; or an explicit indication of the share of renewable energy in the output of the energy performance calculation.

Building ecology into the planning continuum: case study of desert land preservation in Phoenix, Arizona (USA) [An article from: Landscape and Urban Planning]

Average customer rating:

Building ecology into the planning continuum: case study of desert land preservation in Phoenix, Arizona (USA) [An article from: Landscape and Urban Planning]
J. Ewan , R. Fish Ewan , and J. Burke
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Elsevier | By Publisher | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000RQYG02

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Landscape and Urban Planning, published by Elsevier in 2004. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
In the past 20 years, the city of Phoenix, Arizona, USA has grown in area by 47%, with annexations totaling 156 square miles (404km^2)-six times the size of Manhattan. Most of the annexations have occurred to the north of the city center. Urban and suburban development has been spreading across the relatively flat terrain, resulting in the destruction of an acre of desert land per hour every hour of every day. Consequently, desert land preservation within the expanding city limits has become an issue of great concern. Beginning in 1993 with a citizen's advisory group, a multi-governmental and interdisciplinary collaboration in preservation planning has been growing in an effort to keep pace with urban and suburban expansion. This article follows the evolution of preservation planning in Phoenix as a case study with particular consideration given to how landscape ecological principles have been integrated into an existing land planning structure. The case study examines (1) historic desert land preservation planning efforts, beginning with the establishment of South Mountain Park in 1925, at 16,500 acres (6677ha) now the largest municipal park in the nation; (2) more recent preservation planning efforts including a 1995 interdisciplinary charrette focused on desert preservation and alternative forms of urban, suburban, and rural development in Phoenix; (3) ecological inventories and analyses that have influenced the desert land preservation planning process; (4) the development and implementation of the Sonoran Preserve Master Plan, the plan for a 21,500 acre (8701ha) desert preserve in the north Phoenix area (NPA).

Ecological rescue project, Xochimilco (Lecture series)

Average customer rating:

Ecological rescue project, Xochimilco (Lecture series)
Juan Gil Elizondo
Manufacturer: College of Environmental Design, University of California, Berkeley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Mexico | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Urban & Land Use Planning | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books