The Chrysanthemum And the Sword

A recognized landmark of cultural anthropology, The Chrysanthemum and the Sword is essential reading for anyone interested in Japan. In this brilliant analysis of the culture, the world-renowned anthropologist Ruth Benedict offers an invaluable introduction to Japanese character and attitudes as reflected in daily manners, customs, and traditions. Tracing the political, religious, and economic life of the country from the seventh century through World War II, Benedict shows the evolution of Japanese ideology and explores some of the fascinating complexities of the society.

RUTH BENEDICT (1887–1948) was one of the twentieth century’s foremost anthropologists and helped to shape the discipline in the United States and around the world. Benedict was a student and later a colleague of Franz Boas at Columbia, where she taught from 1924. Margaret Mead was one of her students. Benedict’s contributions to the field of cultural anthropology are often cited today.