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In Praise of Shadows
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 1 hr and 28 mins
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Publisher's summary
"Were it not for shadows there would be no beauty."
In Praise of Shadows is an eloquent tribute to the austere beauty of traditional Japanese aesthetics. Through architecture, ceramics, theatre, food, women, and even toilets, Tanizaki explains the essence of shadows and darkness, and how they are able to augment beauty. He laments the heavy electric lighting of the West and its introduction to Japan, and shows how the artificial, bright, and polished aesthetic of the West contrasts unfavorably with the moody and natural light of the East. Dreamy, melancholic, and mysterious, In Praise of Shadows is a haunting insight into a forgotten world.
The popular translation by Thomas J. Harper and Edward G. Seidensticker is essential listening for anyone interested in Japan and Japanese culture.
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To understand the significance of the parts played by Mikhail Gorbachev, Ronald Reagan, and Margaret Thatcher in East-West relations in the second half of the 1980s, Brown addresses several specific questions: What were the values and assumptions of these leaders, and how did their perceptions evolve? What were the major influences on them? To what extent were they reflecting the views of their own political establishment or challenging them? How important for ending the East-West standoff were their interrelations?
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Compelling story of important events
- By Edward C. on 07-13-20
By: Archie Brown
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The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve
- By: Stephen Greenblatt
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 11 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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Bolder even than the ambitious books for which Stephen Greenblatt is already renowned, The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve explores the enduring story of humanity's first parents. Comprising only a few ancient verses, the story of Adam and Eve has served as a mirror in which we seem to glimpse the whole long history of our fears and desires, as both a hymn to human responsibility and a dark fable about human wretchedness.
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For dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return
- By Darwin8u on 02-11-18
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The Lost River
- By: Michel Danino
- Narrated by: Vishal Menon
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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The Indian subcontinent was the scene of dramatic upheavals a few thousand years ago. The Northwest region entered an arid phase, and erosion coupled with tectonic events played havoc with river courses. One of them disappeared. Celebrated as Sarasvati in the Rig Veda and the Mahabharata, this river was rediscovered in the early 19th century through topographic explorations by British officials. Recently, geological and climatological studies have probed its evolution and disappearance, while satellite imagery has traced the river's buried courses....
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Superb introductory history "Indus Civilization"
- By DesiBOOKworm on 08-11-20
By: Michel Danino
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The Meaning of Masonry
- By: W.L. Wilmshurst
- Narrated by: Chris Coxon
- Length: 6 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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This set of essays discusses the esoteric side of Freemasonry. The Spirit of Masonry has been the essential source for anyone exploring the inner mysteries of the Masonic fraternity for more than 200 years.
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Great!
- By Go Seigen on 12-12-23
By: W.L. Wilmshurst
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Sun and Steel
- By: Yukio Mishima
- Narrated by: Matthew Taylor
- Length: 2 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
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In this fascinating document, one of Japan's best known - and controversial - writers created what might be termed a new literary form. It is new because it combines elements of many existing types of writing, yet in the end, fits into none of them. The road Mishima took to salvation is a highly personal one. Yet here, ultimately, one detects the unmistakable tones of a self transcending the particular and attaining to a poetic vision of the universal.
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SNOOZEFEST
- By Ivan Rueda on 04-17-21
By: Yukio Mishima
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The Plateau
- By: Maggie Paxson
- Narrated by: Maggie Paxson
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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In a remote pocket of Nazi-held France, ordinary people risked their lives to rescue many hundreds of strangers, mostly Jewish children. Was this a fluke of history, or something more? Anthropologist Maggie Paxson, certainties shaken by years of studying strife, arrives on the Plateau to explore this phenomenon: What are the traits that make a group choose selflessness?
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Remarkable. Masterpiece.
- By JWu on 09-02-19
By: Maggie Paxson
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How to Be a Dictator
- The Cult of Personality in the Twentieth Century
- By: Frank Dikötter
- Narrated by: Jack Bennett
- Length: 9 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
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No dictator can rule through fear and violence alone. Naked power can be grabbed and held temporarily, but it never suffices in the long term. A tyrant who can compel his own people to acclaim him will last longer. The paradox of the modern dictator is that he must create the illusion of popular support. Throughout the 20th century, hundreds of millions of people were condemned to enthusiasm, obliged to hail their leaders even as they were herded down the road to serfdom.
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Worth a listen
- By Amazon Customer on 12-06-19
By: Frank Dikötter
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VC
- An American History
- By: Tom Nicholas
- Narrated by: Bob Souer
- Length: 13 hrs
- Unabridged
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VC tells the riveting story of how the industry arose from the United States' long-running orientation toward entrepreneurship. Venture capital has been driven from the start by the pull of outsized returns through a skewed distribution of payoffs - a faith in low-probability but substantial financial rewards that rarely materialize. Whether the gamble is a whaling voyage setting sail from New Bedford or the newest startup in Silicon Valley, VC is not just a model of finance that has proven difficult to replicate in other countries.
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Could have been better if it was a shorter book
- By Gaerbear on 12-19-19
By: Tom Nicholas
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This Is Chance!
- The Shaking of an All-American City, a Voice That Held It Together
- By: Jon Mooallem
- Narrated by: Ray Porter
- Length: 8 hrs and 22 mins
- Unabridged
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In the spring of 1964, Anchorage, Alaska, was a modern-day frontier town yearning to be a metropolis - the largest, proudest city in a state that was still brand-new. But just before sundown on Good Friday, the community was jolted by the most powerful earthquake in American history, a catastrophic 9.2 on the Richter Scale. This Is Chance! is the thrilling, cinematic story of a community shattered by disaster - and the extraordinary woman who helped pull it back together.
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amazing story
- By Dani L on 02-07-21
By: Jon Mooallem
What listeners say about In Praise of Shadows
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- T. Prizer
- 11-07-17
Powerful evocation of materiality and its aura
In Praise of Shadows is as powerful an evocation of materiality's mysterious aura as anything ever composed. In breathtaking prose, Junichiro Tanizaki articulates the vital role of shadows (or the lack of direct light) not only in Japan's traditionally austere architectural design, but indeed in the long history of the Orient itself. He beautifully unpacks the power of shadows to render even the most everyday utensils and objects enchanting. Running throughout his essay is a dialogue of West vs. East -- of the harsh luminescence of Western lighting versus the warm embrace of the East's sparse use of light. This is essential reading not simply for those interested in Japanese culture and history, but rather for all who wish to further explore the power and agency of the material world. Sheer brilliance.
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2 people found this helpful
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- João Pedro Loes
- 06-01-21
nice enough
Very good descriptions but a certain arrogance in it's description of the west, as if it was one big homogeneous continent were everything was the same.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Mary
- 05-26-18
An interesting pov
I was recommended this book by my Japanese teacher. He told me that it was a perfect example of how Japan (or the generality of it) saw the western world. I can say that I somewhat agree with the author. While it is not an analysis on the western world itself but on the USA specifically, it is a good in-depth pondering on how much damage does the USA inflict on all the societies it comes in contact with. Then again, I am tired and maybe I am rambling. Regardless, I do recommend it
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5 people found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 02-17-23
Tony Fadell & Tim Ferriss recommended
Heard about from a podcast. Very interesting & unique book. Completely strange in a terrific way.
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- Anonymous User
- 03-25-18
How to listen
Listen to story at X75 to get the full effect of the story. Any faster you’ll miss the important key points.
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6 people found this helpful
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- Elmira Cancelada
- 09-22-18
Sophisticated intro into Japanese aesthetics
The Japanese art and design had and still has a huge influence on world. This short superbly written book explains where the Japanese aesthetics in architecture, music, theater, clothing, food has its roots. The answer might surprise you, but now I remember the dark lacquered Japanese bowls with subtle designs or golden flecks and their look makes sense.
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- Sarah
- 12-24-23
Thought provoking. Very short.
I really enjoyed this. It was a fascinating view into a culture I’m not very familiar with. The high specificity of the topic actually helped it to be very accessible, and the author shares their information and opinions on Japanese architecture and art in a way that crosses into philosophy, which was lovey and caused me to pause and deliberate the message at several points, and left me thinking long after the audio finished. The only downside I have to say is that this work is very short, only about an hour long, so it didn’t feel quite worth 1 credit. On the other hand, I have downloaded books that were longer but much lower quality content so in the end I feel it is worth it.
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- Andrew Schriner
- 03-23-22
Not that interesting
Rather than In Praise of Shadows, title should be: "Old grumpy man complains about electric lights"
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