Pure Invention: How Japan Made the Modern World

Whoa.
The main ideas of this book are extremely intriguing. This isn't just a descriptive account of the pop culture flow between Japan and the West. It is a deep, but by no means long-winded or exhaustive story of the Japanese things that have shaped our lives and all the forces-historical, cultural, societal-that converged to make them be. There are so many good tidbits in here that are funny, fascinating, and unexpected. The way he intricately weaves all of it together is impressive. I also like the inclusion of little bits of Matt's personal stories here and there which were often very relatable. After my own childhood filled with many of the things in this book, which led me to study Japanese, live in Japan, and fall in love with even more things about Japan, this book gave me a bit more insight into how exactly all that even happened...and is still happening.