方法论
写作是门手艺 豆瓣
9.2 (19 个评分) 作者: 刘军强 广西师范大学出版社 2020 - 7
酒吧凳子为什么那么高?人一辈子可以看多少书?玻璃和写作有什么关系?防弹背心和写作又有什么关系?这些问题看似与学术无关,但其实都会给论文写作带来不小的启示,书中将会为你一一解答。
从一而终式写作,三步提问法,马奇故事三原则,选题四象限,兰德标题法,WSPC结构……一本书涵盖36大概念干货,从分野、风格、阅读、视角、提问、文献、论证、结构、流动、故事10个角度透析论文;《罗生门》《费马大定理》等46部电影,带你在电影中掌握写作要领;《不必读书目》《常识》《反常识》等80余本精心选择的阅读材料,参考书单不用愁;25幅清华美院艺术家精心绘制漫画,精准还原学生与导师的日常;还有10类短篇写作、26个辩题和问题、48次实操动手机会……
总而言之,这是一本让你不再因为写不出论文而掉头发的书。
怦然心动的工作整理魔法 豆瓣
作者: 【日】 近藤麻理惠 / 【美】斯科特·索南沙因 译者: 王岑卉 磨铁文化·友谊出版社 2021 - 11
如果你曾经或正在面临这些困扰:
·办公区杂乱无章,想找的东西永远找不到
·一口气整理完,用不了多久很快打回原形
·电子文档不会归类,电脑桌面一团混乱
·时间永远不够,每天被各种deadline追着跑
·大会小会不断,高质量的会议却凤毛麟角
……
别犹豫,快翻开这本书,你需要的答案都在里面!
“日本整理女王”近藤麻理惠继《怦然心动的人生整理魔法》全球畅销12000000册后全新力作!这一次她重新梳理自己的“整理魔法思维”,从日常家居升级到“生活+工作”的双核模式,用整理的方法和概念,提供故事、研究和策略,帮我们从办公场所、办公工具甚至办公理念中真正腾出“空间和时间”,真正享受整洁的环境和思路带来的工作效率,真正找到工作与生活之间的快乐与平衡!
整理工作的内核是什么?,让工作更愉悦和高效→给生活腾出更多的时间和精力→真正找到且实现工作与生活中的平衡→拥有令人怦然心动的人生。
书的使用法 豆瓣
本の使い方
作者: [日] 出口治明 译者: 朱悦玮 后浪丨中国友谊出版公司 2021 - 5
阅读量1万册以上的日本知名“阅读大师”打造书的使用说明书,教给你超全面的读书法则,用阅读彻底消除你的知识焦虑!
◎ 编辑推荐
☆ 终身学习的时代,阅读无疑是有效且性价比极高的自我提升方式。而你,知道如何才能完全活用书这一工具吗?阅读量1万册以上的日本知名“阅读大师”毕生阅读心得与技巧——一本书的使用说明书。
☆ 怎样才能运用书,系统地掌握一个全新领域的知识?怎样才能精准找到适合当前需求的书?从经典的“大部头”中我们能够收获什么……作者精心整理了15个能够让你彻底掌握阅读本质的方法:如何从经典著作中汲取知识,提升自身修养的方法;想要探索未知领域时,应该如何选书,如何阅读,才能系统性地掌握知识;如何与书“交流”,等等。重塑你的阅读理念,让你找回单纯地汲取知识的乐趣。翻开这本书,学会用书提升自我,用前人和他人的智慧培养独立思考的能力,打造自己不可替代的优势。
◎ 内容简介
好书似毒,细细咀嚼,深入骨髓,方能深知其味。但你知道如何才能挖掘一本好书,如何有效地理解、消化书中的内容吗?
本书作者出口治明是日本最知名的“读书家”,即便是在创业最繁忙的阶段也能够每周阅读3~4本书,迄今为止他已经阅读过万册。在这本书中,他从长年的阅读经验出发,详细讲述了如何从经典著作中汲取知识,提升自身修养的方法;想要学习未知领域的知识时,应该如何选书,如何阅读,从而做到系统性地掌握知识;如何与书“交流”,如何更高效地“使用书”;等等。书中更有面向不同人群精心整理的书单,激发你对阅读的兴趣和理解。
小说六讲 豆瓣
作者: 王安忆 世纪文景/上海人民出版社 2021 - 8
◆从知青时代的农村生活到复旦大学的创意写作课堂互动,王安忆结合自身经验,以讲故事的方式带出阅读与写作的机要。
◆从儿童文学、类型小说到张爱玲和《红楼梦》,透过王安忆的叙述和拆解,不仅能拓宽对小说这一文体的认识,也能从中窥见作者的创作理念。
◆讲解深入浅出,例子生动丰富,无论是文学爱好者还是专业写作者,都能从中找到共鸣与启发。
《小说六讲》整理自王安忆的六堂公开课讲稿。对写作的兴趣从什么地方源起?如何建设一个小说的世界?为什么要关注类型小说?怎样才称得上一本好小说?小说写作能不能教与学?作为小说家和教育者,王安忆在课堂上坦诚分享自己的经验,带领读者探寻小说与生活之间的通道,体验阅读与创作的乐趣。
——————————
王安忆了不起的是,几乎每年对自己都有拓展。我惊讶于她的生活积累能力,似乎有层出不穷、用之不竭的素材,它们变成小说娓娓道来,细节丰满、亲切。——朱伟
王安忆能非常娴熟地拆解小说的机理,包括时间空间、也包括小说中涉及的产业发展规律,并将之复述出来。在校园中,王安忆叙述自己的发现,也启迪学生去发现。这些发现,都为叙述提供了新的可能。——张怡微
李诞脱口秀工作手册 豆瓣 Goodreads
李诞脱口秀工作手册
6.7 (92 个评分) 作者: 李诞 江苏凤凰文艺出版社 2021 - 8
脱口秀行业的大部分工作,都和创作有关。创意看似是智力活儿,其实是体力活儿,归根结底是苦力活儿。李诞从脱口秀编剧做起,线上线下,台前幕后,该干的不该干的,只要跟脱口秀有关的工作,他几乎全干过了。
这是李诞写给所有创意工作者的一本工作手册。在本书中,李诞毫无保留地分享了从业以来所有的创作心得,既有具体的创作方法,写逐字稿、天天写稿,也有对待工作的态度,你的全部人生都理应要为你的创作提供养分。除此之外,他还悉心解答了创意工作者在创作、工作过程中遇到的困惑与难题。这些方法、习惯成就了李诞,也会让你收获信念和实实在在的方法。
On Writing Well 豆瓣
8.7 (26 个评分) 作者: [美国] William Zinsser HarperCollins Publishers, New 2008
"On Writing Well" has been praised for its sound advice, its clarity and the warmth of its style. It is a book for everybody who wants to learn how to write or who needs to do some writing to get through the day, as almost everybody does in the age of e-mail and the Internet.
Whether you want to write about people or places, science and technology, business, sports, the arts or about yourself in the increasingly popular memoir genre, "On Writing Well" offers you fundamental priciples as well as the insights of a distinguished writer and teacher. With more than a million copies sold, this volume has stood the test of time and remains a valuable resource for writers and would-be writers.
How to Write a Lot 豆瓣 Goodreads
7.8 (11 个评分) 作者: Paul J. Silvia American Psychological Association 2007 - 1
All students and professors need to write, and many struggle to finish their stalled dissertations, journal articles, book chapters, or grant proposals. Writing is hard work and can be difficult to wedge into a frenetic academic schedule. In this practical, light-hearted, and encouraging book, Paul Silvia explains that writing productively does not require innate skills or special traits but specific tactics and actions. Drawing examples from his own field of psychology, he shows readers how to overcome motivational roadblocks and become prolific without sacrificing evenings, weekends, and vacations. After describing strategies for writing productively, the author gives detailed advice from the trenches on how to write, submit, revise, and resubmit articles, how to improve writing quality, and how to write and publish academic work.
Bird by Bird 豆瓣
作者: Anne Lamott Scribe Publications 2008 - 11
For a quarter century, more than a million readers—scribes and scribblers of all ages and abilities—have been inspired by Anne Lamott’s hilarious, big-hearted, homespun advice. Advice that begins with the simple words of wisdom passed down from Anne’s father—also a writer—in the iconic passage that gives the book its title:
“Thirty years ago my older brother, who was ten years old at the time, was trying to get a report on birds written that he’d had three months to write. It was due the next day. We were out at our family cabin in Bolinas, and he was at the kitchen table close to tears, surrounded by binder paper and pencils and unopened books on birds, immobilized by the hugeness of the task ahead. Then my father sat down beside him, put his arm around my brother’s shoulder, and said, ‘Bird by bird, buddy. Just take it bird by bird.’”
An essential volume for generations of writers young and old, Bird by Bird is a modern classic. This twenty-fifth anniversary edition will continue to spark creative minds for years to come.
吴军阅读与写作讲义 Goodreads 豆瓣
作者: 吴军 新星出版社 2021 - 5
你有没有遇到过这样的情况:一直闷头工作,却得不到自己想要的认可;明明工作成果不少,但得到提拔的永远不是自己;工作或生活中说出不合适的话,让场面很尴尬;汇报工作时不知道把重点放在哪里,让人感觉不专业;读书或读工作报告时效率很低,难以快速获取有效信息;每到要写点什么的时候就无从下手,只能上网找范文;聊天时理解不了别人的言外之意,造成误解……
所有这些问题,都是因为你缺乏“理解他人、表达自己”的能力。而这本《吴军阅读与写作讲义》,就是为了给你补上这一课,弥补你在这方面的不足。可以说,这门课比任何一门专业课都能让我们受益终身。
在这本书中,吴军老师非常系统地拆解了如何提高自己的阅读、理解能力和写作、表达能力。一方面,他以自己工作和生活的全部经验为基础,总结了一套系统的理论和方法,让我们可以拿来就用;另一方面,他也带领我们走进古今中外的文学经典,与一位位大师会晤、共鸣,体会并学习他们如何用文字表达自我,同时也跟随吴军老师的解读,亲身体验何谓阅读。
Hyperfocus 豆瓣
作者: Chris Bailey Viking 2018 - 8
A practical guide to managing your attention--the most powerful resource you have to get stuff done, become more creative, and live a meaningful life
Our attention has never been as overwhelmed as it is today. Many of us recognize that our brains struggle to multitask. Despite this, we feel compelled to do so anyway while we fill each moment of our lives to the brim with mindless distraction. Hyperfocus provides profound insights into how you can best take charge of your attention to achieve a greater sense of purpose and productivity throughout the day.
The most recent neuroscientific research reveals that our brain has two powerful modes that can be unlocked when we use our attention effectively: a focused mode (hyperfocus), which is the foundation for being highly productive, and a creative mode (scatterfocus), which enables us to connect ideas in novel ways. Hyperfocus helps you access each of the two mental modes so you can concentrate more deeply, think more clearly, and work and live more deliberately every day. Chris Bailey examines such topics such as:
* identifying and dealing with the four key types of distraction and interruption;
* establishing a clear physical and mental environment in which to work;
* controlling motivation and working fewer hours to become more productive;
* taking time-outs with intention;
* multitasking strategically; and
* learning when to pay attention and when to let your mind wander wherever it wants to.
By transforming how you think about your attention, Hyperfocus reveals that the more effectively you learn to take charge of it, the better you'll be able to manage every aspect of your life.
生存的12條法則 豆瓣 谷歌图书
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos
7.8 (5 个评分) 作者: 喬登.彼得森 Jordan B. Peterson 译者: 劉思潔 / 何雪綾 大家出版 2019 - 5
▍西方最具影響力的公共知識分子橫空出世之作 ▍
── 全球最突出的現象級大書 ──
★ 半年內銷售200萬冊,多國暢銷榜Top1
★衍生出大量的摘要版及解析版、無數熱門激辯影片
★ 50種語言版本陸續推出中
當討論嚴肅生存問題的YouTube頻道,也能擊敗網紅,創下3千5百萬點閱率;當心理學結合哲學及神學的著作成為全球暢銷書,我們知道,現代人需要的,不是虛假的勵志、無法帶來真實改變的安慰,而是直率到近乎殘酷地剖開生存的真相,讓我們看清人類這個物種有多麼擅長輕賤自己、傷害他人,也知道這一切不是無法改變。而解決之道,就藏在生物幾近永恆的演化史、人類亙古以來的集體智慧,以及嶄新的科學成果中。
作者試圖為這價值混亂的當代生活開出解方,處理人類受苦的問題。受苦來自一己的局限及不完美,也來自外界社會的嚴苛和評斷。然而,這一切並不是毫無意義。事實是,人類並不會因為完美而感到幸福。
「除非看到自己正在進步,否則我們不會快樂。」
我們比誰都能看清自己的殘缺、軟弱,也比誰都為自己的不符合理想厭棄自己,然而正是這樣的不足,給了我們目標,而目標的追求則給我們生存下去的意義。我們正是踏在混亂和秩序的那條交界上,一步步向前完成自己── 一開始就到達目標的生命,不值得活。
混亂在哪裡?混亂在霸凌、壓迫,然而作者也解釋了階級結構等社會特性是如何在演化的長河中浮現,這些特性又如何幫助人類生存。他舉龍蝦為例,龍蝦這成功在地球上存活了幾億年的古老生物,跟人類的共同點比我們所能想到的還要多,而且由於神經系統相對簡單,因此科學家能夠精確勘測龍蝦的神經電路,這有助於了解大腦的結構與功能。龍蝦就有階級結構──戰勝的龍蝦取得一切,戰敗的龍蝦腦部基本上會逐漸消失,重新長出劣勢者的腦,並分泌較低的血清素和較高的章魚胺,以適應新的劣勢者地位:變得不好鬥(膽怯、垂頭喪氣、躲躲藏藏),只需要少量刺激就會觸發逃跑的反射動作(罹患創傷後壓力症的士兵或受虐兒童典型的高度驚嚇反應)。
作者由此展開,用《創世記》裡最古老的人類故事講出人類這個物種自我輕賤、為惡的本質,以及追求超越的神聖形象,一路往下到心理學中的集體潛意識、哲學中的存在主義、文學中的邊緣人格,旁及道家的陰陽思想,以及作者在嚴寒、充滿歧視的生長環境中求生存的親身體驗──「我們知道懼怕和痛苦會如何打擊我們,因此也知道如何用別人的缺失來傷害、羞辱別人。然而,也正因如此,人類不分全體或個體都該得到一些憐憫…… 要治療人類的自覺所帶來的自我輕賤,最適當的處方正是憐憫,因為人類固然有理由自我輕賤,但那只傳遞出故事的一半真相。我們必須平衡掉自己對自我和人類的憎惡,而那有賴我們對傳統心存感激,並為平凡人在日常生活中的成就(更別說真正傑出者的卓越成就)感到驚奇。」
人類的基因、大腦、生理和心理現狀,都是在漫長的生存奮鬥史中形塑而出。所謂生存法則,正是生物一路努力至今的成就。而作者讓我們知道,如果沒有愛的關係、智慧的傳統,或是心理學的洞見的幫助,單一個人要處理自身受苦的問題,會是多麼孤獨、偏頗又困難。但他也讓我們知道,在面對受苦的問題時,人是可以從個人的、內在的層面,生發出力量去改變困境。
改變厭棄自己的現況,建立生命的架構,從實踐12條法則做起──
.龍蝦的腦神經系統告訴我們哪些關於抬頭挺胸和成功生命的訊息?
.為什麼亞伯那麼令上帝滿意,上帝卻讓他死去?
.為什我們可以輕易揪出小型謊言,卻不由自主相信大型謊言?
.為什麼小孩玩滑板時,不要干擾他們?
.為什麼在街上看到貓(狗也可以),不妨過去拍一拍?
讓我們一起加入這場全球對生存的討論!
心理學、生物學的嶄新發現+哲學、神學的深刻探索,
幫助我們找到穩定踏立的堅實地面,
面對自己的脆弱、惰性及自我輕賤,也面對外界的惡意和批評。
當今西方世界最具影響力的公共知識分子──美國《紐約時報》(The New York Times)
當代任何思想家都無法比擬,我們這個時代的先知──英國《每日郵報》(Daily Mail)
【2018年全球性文化現象】
文章一開始的故事,原本讀來覺得平凡無奇。不料行文峰迴路轉,犀利又充滿文化和知識底蘊的觀點從平凡的事實中破繭而出,讓人眼睛為之一亮。
最後的結果是:讓人心悅誠服去遵守作者提出的生活/生存規則,甚至覺得自己的細微改變、一舉手一投足都充滿智慧和知識的重量。作者在陳述人類疾病時帶到的知識,也能給人意外的亮光。
陶哲轩教你学数学 豆瓣
Solving Mathematical Problems: A Personal Perspective
作者: [澳] 陶哲轩 译者: 李馨 人民邮电出版社 2017 - 11
本书是天才数学家陶哲轩的第一本书,论述解决数学问题时会涉及的各种策略、方法,旨在激发青少年对数学的兴趣。书中涵盖的内容包括:数论、代数、分析、欧几里得几何、解析几何。
本书启发性强,既能激发学生的数学兴趣、培养思维逻辑,又能充分展现数学的魅力,适合对数学感兴趣的青少年阅读。
The Model Thinker Goodreads 豆瓣
作者: Scott E. Page Basic Books 2019 - 3
From the stock market to genomics laboratories, census figures to marketing email blasts, we are awash with data. But as anyone who has ever opened up a spreadsheet packed with seemingly infinite lines of data knows, numbers aren’t enough: we need to know how to make those numbers talk. In The Model Thinker, social scientist Scott E. Page shows us the mathematical, statistical, and computational models–from linear regression to random walks and far beyond–that can turn anyone into a genius. At the core of the book is Page’s “many-model paradigm,” which shows the reader how to apply multiple models to organize the data, leading to wiser choices, more accurate predictions, and more robust designs. The Model Thinker provides a toolkit for business people, students, scientists, pollsters, and bloggers to make them better, clearer thinkers, able to leverage data and information to their advantage.
怦然心动的人生整理魔法·实践解惑篇 豆瓣
人生がときめく片づけの魔法 2
7.2 (15 个评分) 作者: [日]近藤麻理惠 译者: 颜尚吟 湖南文艺出版社 2019 - 1
这本书能让你的整理收纳之旅画上完美的句号。
《怦然心动的人生整理魔法·实践解惑篇》是一本帮助人们终结永远也整理不完魔咒的生活美学书。
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什么是“怦然心动的感觉”?
“不心动又必需的东西”的真正用处是什么?“看似无用的心动物品”呢?
衣服应该怎么叠,厨房应该怎么整理?有图就好了。
整理中为家人的东西感到焦虑时,该怎么办?
整理中感觉“看不到终点、受到挫败”怎么办?
如果你有这些疑问,近藤麻理惠会在本书中为你逐一解答。
如果前一本是为了打破以往的整理误区,建立正确的整理心态,提倡先“丢弃”这个动作,那么这一本则侧重丢弃“不怦然心动”的物品后,如何创造理想的居家空间和心动的生活。书中除了新增多幅插图详解叠衣服、收拾物品,还专门用一章重点解读厨房空间的整理,并且给出了在整理过程中如何与家人及其物品愉快相处的建议。
Make Time 豆瓣 Goodreads
7.8 (10 个评分) 作者: Jake Knapp / John Zeratsky Currency 2018 - 9
"A charming manifesto—as well as an intrepid do-it-yourself guide to building smart habits that stick. If you want to achieve more (without going nuts), read this book."—Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better
From the New York Times bestselling authors of Sprint, a simple 4-step system for improving focus, finding greater joy in your work, and getting more out of every day.
Nobody ever looked at an empty calendar and said, "The best way to spend this time is by cramming it full of meetings!" or got to work in the morning and thought, Today I'll spend hours on Facebook! Yet that's exactly what we do. Why?
In a world where information refreshes endlessly and the workday feels like a race to react to other people's priorities faster, frazzled and distracted has become our default position. But what if the exhaustion of constant busyness wasn't mandatory? What if you could step off the hamster wheel and start taking control of your time and attention? That's what this book is about.
As creators of Google Ventures' renowned "design sprint," Jake and John have helped hundreds of teams solve important problems by changing how they work. Building on the success of these sprints and their experience designing ubiquitous tech products from Gmail to YouTube, they spent years experimenting with their own habits and routines, looking for ways to help people optimize their energy, focus, and time. Now they've packaged the most effective tactics into a four-step daily framework that anyone can use to systematically design their days. Make Time is not a one-size-fits-all formula. Instead, it offers a customizable menu of bite-size tips and strategies that can be tailored to individual habits and lifestyles.
Make Time isn't about productivity, or checking off more to-dos. Nor does it propose unrealistic solutions like throwing out your smartphone or swearing off social media. Making time isn't about radically overhauling your lifestyle; it's about making small shifts in your environment to liberate yourself from constant busyness and distraction.
A must-read for anyone who has ever thought, If only there were more hours in the day..., Make Time will help you stop passively reacting to the demands of the modern world and start intentionally making time for the things that matter.
怦然心动的人生整理魔法 豆瓣
人生がときめく片づけの魔法
7.4 (107 个评分) 作者: 〔日本〕近藤麻理惠 译者: 徐明中 译林出版社 2012 - 5
这本书是一本整理书,同时是一本心灵疗愈书。从精神层面到整理方法俱全。本书介绍“一旦整理,就不会变乱”的整理方法,教授按照心动的标准选择物品,按照先丢东西,后收纳的顺序,按照物品类别,进行一次性、短期、完善的整理等,使人通过整理找回人生决断力,找到最初的梦想,找到怦然心动的幸福人生。
2021年2月27日 已读
从思路到方法都很有启发。之前看到有豆友评论作者有点中二,确实,不过很可爱😂
方法论 日本 生活
The Systems Bible 豆瓣
作者: Gall, John General Systemantics Pr/Liberty 2003 - 1
The Indispensable Handbook of Systems-behavior, written specifically for all of us who must daily cope with the Pitfalls, Foibles, and Failures of the Systems that make up our Modern World.
GENERAL SYSTEMANTICS PRESS of Walker, Minnesota is proud to announce the revised and much enlarged THIRD Edition of SYSTEMANTICS, THE UNDERGROUND TEXT OF SYSTEMS LORE. Sixteen years in preparation, this THIRD Edition includes a new Preface, three new chapters, new AXIOMS, THEOREMS AND RULES OF THUMB, and many new Horrible Examples, for a total of 40 chapters covering the entire field from the PRIMAL SCENARIO to the FAIL-SAFE THEOREM and including the celebrated
definition of GARBAGE that is fundamental to any real understanding of SYSTEMANTICS.
The FIRST EDITION of SYSTEMANTICS was “highly recommended” by the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s Science Books and Films and has since been translated into Spanish, German, Hebrew, and Japanese.
The SECOND EDITION WAS favorably reviewed in the Whole Earth Catalogue by Kevin Kelly: “The author is having fun with a serious subject. . . insights come in the form of marvelously succinct rules of thumb, in the spirit of Murphy’s Law and the Peter Principle.” And Computer Book Review remarks, “From ‘Function-and-Failure’ to ‘Management and Other Myths’, here’s a collection of witty observations. . . grown into mature rules of thumb.
The Almanack of Naval Ravikant Eggplant.place 豆瓣
8.8 (24 个评分) 作者: Naval Ravikant / Eric Jorgenson Magrathea Publishing 2020 - 9
Getting rich is not just about luck; happiness is not just a trait we are born with. These aspirations may seem out of reach, but building wealth and being happy are skills we can learn.
So what are these skills, and how do we learn them? What are the principles that should guide our efforts? What does progress really look like?
Naval Ravikant is an entrepreneur, philosopher, and investor who has captivated the world with his principles for building wealth and creating long-term happiness. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant is a collection of Naval’s wisdom and experience from the last ten years, shared as a curation of his most insightful interviews and poignant reflections. This isn’t a how-to book, or a step-by-step gimmick. Instead, through Naval’s own words, you will learn how to walk your own unique path toward a happier, wealthier life.
This book has been created as a public service. It is available for free download in pdf and e-reader versions on Navalmanack.com. Naval is not earning any money on this book. Naval has essays, podcasts and more at Nav.al and is on Twitter @Naval.
Making Sense of Japanese 豆瓣
作者: Jay Rubin Kodansha International 2002 - 3
Making Sense of Japanese is the fruit of one foolhardy American's thirty-year struggle to learn and teach the Language of the Infinite. Previously known as Gone Fishin', this book has brought Jay Rubin more feedback than any of his literary translations or scholarly tomes, "even if," he says, "you discount the hate mail from spin-casters and the stray gill-netter."
To convey his conviction that "the Japanese language is not vague," Rubin has dared to explain how some of the most challenging Japanese grammatical forms work in terms of everyday English. Reached recently at a recuperative center in the hills north of Kyoto, Rubin declared, "I'm still pretty sure that Japanese is not vague. Or at least, it's not as vague as it used to be. Probably."
The notorious "subjectless sentence" of Japanese comes under close scrutiny in Part One. A sentence can't be a sentence without a subject, so even in cases where the subject seems to be lost or hiding, the author provides the tools to help you find it. Some attention is paid as well to the rest of the sentence, known technically to grammarians as "the rest of the sentence."
Part Two tackles a number of expressions that have baffled students of Japanese over the decades, and concludes with Rubin's patented technique of analyzing upside-down Japanese sentences right-side up, which, he claims, is "far more restful" than the traditional way, inside-out.
"The scholar," according to the great Japanese novelist Soseki Natsume, is "one who specializes in making the comprehensible incomprehensible." Despite his best scholarly efforts, Rubin seems to have done just the opposite.