Ben Waber reviewed Precarious Japan by Anne Allison
An Anecdote-Heavy Philosophical Work
3 stars
Here Allison puts forward the theory that since the collapse of the property bubble Japan has become mired in economic and social precarity, using anecdotes from her experiences in Japan and a small number of interviews to make the case. Unfortunately this methodology is ill-suited to investigating this issue, and macro quantitative data is very rarely deployed here. Much of the analysis is rooted in long discredited economic and social theories, and the strange animosity towards nuclear power distracts from the main thrust of the book. Also here's a protip for aspiring theorists: don't analyze the movie "Battle Royale" as a serious work of cinema.
Here Allison puts forward the theory that since the collapse of the property bubble Japan has become mired in economic and social precarity, using anecdotes from her experiences in Japan and a small number of interviews to make the case. Unfortunately this methodology is ill-suited to investigating this issue, and macro quantitative data is very rarely deployed here. Much of the analysis is rooted in long discredited economic and social theories, and the strange animosity towards nuclear power distracts from the main thrust of the book. Also here's a protip for aspiring theorists: don't analyze the movie "Battle Royale" as a serious work of cinema.