NEW YORK, Sept. 12, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Embracing new cultures is never an easy or doable thing in life, even though it is part of human nature to learn new things and to interact with one another. Not only do different cultures share occasional conflicting norms, people normally tend to be defensive or even protective of their heritage. For veteran columnist Ranko Iwamoto, however, crossing cultural boundaries and learning new things is not only adventurous but also fulfilling and educational. With the release of her new book Purity and Power, readers are about to experience the wonders of embracing multiple cultures through the first-hand experiences of the author.
The first in a series, Purity and Power narrates the early days of the author's adventurous experiences as a foreign student, getting to know herself and getting to know Americans. During that process, she learns very quickly to see things Japanese through America's viewpoints. In learning the depth of differences between cultures, she came to love both, choosing what part of each culture is genuinely valuable and to be cherished. This book is a narrative of inner choices, driven by a desire to understand and communicate with the people of a totally different culture with the purpose of finding ways to "meet" in mind and spirit.
One essential life skill that readers will discover is that of transcending "common sense," an often effective tool in arriving at creative solutions for crisis situations. Through this unafraid method of transcending established ways of thinking, one learns to listen to the inner voice, which generally offers a much better guide in dealing with life's situations.
Richly-layered and inspirational from the core, Purity and Power offers detailed personal experiences inviting readers to have intimate, vicarious experiences of American-Japanese encounters. It provides rare glimpses into the Japanese psyche encountering culturally opposite American norms and through the author's viewpoint, it emphasizes how a person can choose to respond to various challenging life situations and show results. "Ranko's book is different and is particularly needed at this time. Her life demonstrates that one individual who has a deep desire for the common good and is willing to work toward it can have a significant impact," Professor C.J. Simpson stressed in describing Purity and Power.
About the Author
Ranko Iwamoto, a popular Japanese columnist and international photojournalist for over twenty years, reports from Fifth Avenue, New York, focused on America and Japan. Ranko was instrumental in many intercultural events, such as: NBC's TODAY show's first broadcast from Japan -- a two-hours-a-day week; the Emperor's Exhibit at Rockefeller Center to celebrate the USA Bicentennial; and NHK's (the BBC of Japan) American Astronaut, another one-week broadcast in Japan. Ranko holds two journalism degrees: a Bachelor of Arts, Cum Laude, from Whitworth College and a Master of Science from Boston University. Born in Tokyo, Japan, Ranko now resides in New York City.
Purity and Power by Ranko Iwamoto
The Spirit of a Female Samurai
Trade Paperback; $17.84; 157 pages; 1-4257-1568-0
Cloth Hardback; $27.89; 157 pages; 1-4257-1569-9
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