"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Neither puritanism nor sensuality was ever unique to East or West, yet, on the whole, it is for the latter that Westerners have looked East. There has been a sensual, even erotic, element in encounters--imaginary or real--between East and West since the ancient Greeks. The European idea of the Orient as female, voluptuous, decadent, amoral--in short, as dangerously seductive--long predates the European empires in India and Southeast Asia.Yet an unexpected reversal has upset this mode of thought. "From the official point of view of China, Singapore, Malaysia, South Korea, and Japan," writes Buruma, "Europe and the United States are now models not of masculine vim but, on the contrary, of decadence, libertinism, and sloth."
The best essay in The Missionary and the Libertine builds off this observation by examining Lee Kuan Yew's repressive Singapore and the "Asian values" debate. Startling anecdotes spring from the page (in this selection as well as the others), such as the employment ad Buruma shares from a Singapore daily: "Filipino. Hardworking. No day off." Buruma is more than just an observer; he's also an analyst. The very concept of "Asian values" rings untrue, he believes, because the phrase "only really makes sense in English. In Chinese, Malay, or Hindi, it would sound odd. Chinese think of themselves as Chinese, and Indians as Indians (or Tamils, or Punjabs). Asia, as a cultural concept, is an official invention to bridge vastly different ethnic populations living in former British colonies." Buruma also writes about Pakistan's Benazir Bhutto, the Philippines' Cory Aquino, V.S. Naipaul, the Seoul Olympics, the debate over the bomb in Japan, and so on. The book is a grab bag of literature and culture, and fans of Buruma will be delighted to have it all packed together in a single volume. --John J. Miller
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Book Description Hardback. Condition: Very Good. The book has been read, but is in excellent condition. Pages are intact and not marred by notes or highlighting. The spine remains undamaged. Seller Inventory # GOR004279366
Book Description Hardback. Condition: Good. The book has been read but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact and the cover is intact. Some minor wear to the spine. Seller Inventory # GOR003657534
Book Description 1st edition, 1996. Owner's label on title page; binding tight; dust jacket a little worn at edges; dust jacket not price-clipped. Used - Very Good. VG hardback in Good dust jacket. Seller Inventory # BOOKS160681I
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. Hardcover with jacket. Very good condition. First edition. The jacket has some minor shelfwear. Slight tanning to the page edges. All pages are clean and the text is clear. CM. Used. Seller Inventory # 465306
Book Description 1st edition. Near fine cloth copy in a good if somewhat edge-nicked and dust-dulled dust wrapper, now mylar-sleeved. Remains particularly well-preserved overall; tight, bright, clean and strong. Physical description: xxiii, 308p; 23cm. Notes: Bibliography: p303-308.Subjects: Culture. Cultural relations. Social change Asia. Missions Asia. Social change Asia Cross-cultural studies. International relations and culture Asia.East and West. Asia; Politics and government.Asia; Social conditions. 1 Kg. Seller Inventory # 323595
Book Description 1st edition. Near fine cloth copy in a good if somewhat edge-nicked and dust-dulled dust wrapper, now mylar-sleeved. Remains particularly well-preserved overall; tight, bright, clean and strong. Physical description: xxiii, 308p; 23cm. Notes: Bibliography: p303-308.Subjects: Culture. Cultural relations. Social change Asia. Missions Asia. Social change Asia Cross-cultural studies. International relations and culture Asia.East and West. Asia; Politics and government.Asia; Social conditions. 1 Kg. Seller Inventory # 323595
Book Description xxiii + 308pp, page edges browned, dustjacket extremities very lightly worn, a good hardback copy. Seller Inventory # 150876
Book Description xxiii + 308pp, page edges browned, dustjacket extremities lightly worn, a good hardback copy. Seller Inventory # 161409
Book Description Hard Cover. Condition: F. Dust Jacket Condition: F. First Edition. F/F. 8vo. original black boards in dustwrapper (a trfile rubbed); pp. xxiv (last blank), 308. A fine copy. Seller Inventory # 016656
Book Description Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good. 1st Edition. Black boards with white lettering on spine. Head and tail of spine lightly bumped and rubbed. Binding is neat and tidy. Page edges are rubbed and moderately discoloured and foxed. Head of free endpapers and title pages have some light discolouration, otherwise this book is in good condition. Dust wrapper has some rubbing at the edges. Back cover lightly scratched. Head and tail of spine thumbed. Edges and corners are showing light wear and tear, otherwise this dust wrapper is in good condition. *We always describe the faults of our books meticulously; they usually present better than they sound. Seller Inventory # HIS223