Book order forms for the Fall are on my desk again, and again I am going to ask for any advice people might feel like sending my way. The two Asia courses I am teaching are Modern Japan and Introduction to Asian Studies.<\/p>\n
Introduction to Asian Studies is the tricky one. It is supposed to introduce our Asian Studies majors and minors to the study of Asia. I learned from my evaluations last time that some of them expect the class to cover all the societies of Asia from all possible disciplinary perspectives. I am a bit more modest in my goals and usually build the class around four or five books and a couple of movies that deal with several different parts of Asia from various disciplines.<\/p>\n
The theme for this time will be “Protest and Dissent in Asia”\u00a0 and I was thinking of using<\/p>\n
-Multatuli Max Havelaar: Or the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company<\/em><\/a> Indonesia, colonialism, and it’s a novel!<\/p>\n -Apter and Sawa Against the State:Politics and Social Protest in Japan<\/em><\/a> Japan and Political Science. Has anyone used this?<\/p>\n -Nir Rosen In the Belly of the Green Bird: The Triumph of the Martyrs in Iraq<\/em><\/a> Iraq (obviously) and journalism. I like making them read something by a journalist, since they read a lot of journalism stuff anyway and should learn how to work with it. This title jumped out at me, but It has not arrived yet and I have not yet read it. Any other suggestions?<\/p>\n John W. Dardess Blood and History in China: The Donglin Faction and its Repression 1620-1627\u00a0 <\/a>China and history. I have my doubts about this. I liked it, but will it work for students? I like making them realize that the world existed before 1800, but this book may not work. There must be some biography or whatever of some pre-modern dissident that is out in paperback. Maybe do Keene’s Frog in a Well\u00a0 <\/a>and dump Apter and do something Poly-Sci ish on China, like Lee’s Against the Law: Labor Protests in China’s Rustbelt and Sunbelt<\/a>?(really more Anthro than poly-sci, actually)<\/p>\n Basically, I am looking for good books that will stick with students. Any recommendations are most welcome.<\/p>\n For the Modern Japan class I am going to use a textbook and probably<\/p>\n