A memoir from David Tsubouchi, a Japanese Canadian who was the first person of Japanese descent elected in Canada as a municipal politician and as an MPP, to serve as a cabinet minister.

Ganbatte (gan-ba-tay) is a Japanese philosophy focused on doing the best you can with what you have. Though there is no direct translation, "keep going," and "give it your all," embody the sentiments behind the word. Just as wabi sabi shows the beauty of imperfection in life, ganbatte teaches you how to get past obstacles and be motivated to keep moving forward. In Ganbatte! author Albert Liebermann provides an inspirational, yet practical guide to becoming more resilient the Japanese way. In 50 short chapters, some deeper and some more playful, Liebermann guides you through ways you can adopt the ganbatte approach to achieve a happier, more fulfilling life--and a happier, more fulfilled self. These include: Separating "difficult" from "impossible" Making use of failure Cultivating patience Working mindfully with a sense of awareness Continually improving Practicing meditation Pushing through a crisis Taking the slow route Sprinkled throughout the book are "Ganbatte Rules"--short, actionable steps you can take to move forward in a part of your life where you may be stuck (whether it's fitness, love or starting a business). A foreword by Hector Garcia, author of the bestselling Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life, introduces the concept of ganbatte and how he learned of its existence from one of Japan's centenarians. While many aspects of life are beyond our control, how we deal with setbacks and difficulties is as much of a choice as how we approach everyday tasks. This book helps you tap into your own ability to persevere and encourages you to stay motivated and hopeful in difficult times. If you apply the tenacity and resilience of the Japanese in your daily life, difficult becomes easy, and impossible becomes possible.

"As a young, dissolute man, Ray Brooks set off from his native England and embarked on a path of self discovery. Through a series of serendipitous and often humorous events while living in Tokyo, Ray stumbled upon and began to study the ancient art of shakuhachi, and extremely difficult Japanese bamboo flute. With intuition as his guide, he found the heart of Zen through focused shakuhachi practice."--P. [4] of cover.

An accessible introduction to the rich language and culture of Japan, this tote-able Japanese language collection makes an artful addition to any library, as well as an ideal travel primer and companion for aspiring Japanese speakers. Pairing words and characters with whimsical illustrations, each section features examples of word pronunciation, the three main Japanese writing systems (kanji, hiragana, and katakana), and common Japanese elements. At once instructive and a joy to behold, Let's Learn Japanese is a go-to gift for the world traveler and language learner.

2013 American Educational Research Association's (AERA) Moral Development and Education Outstanding Book Award In Character Compass, Scott Seider offers portraits of three high-performing urban schools in Boston, Massachusetts that have made character development central to their mission of supporting student success, yet define character in three very different ways. One school focuses on students’ moral character development, another emphasizes civic character development, and the third prioritizes performance character development. Drawing on surveys, interviews, field notes, and student achievement data, Character Compass highlights the unique effects of these distinct approaches to character development as well as the implications for parents, educators, and policymakers committed to fostering powerful school culture in their own school communities.