Reading Project List and Requirements

OK, here's the reading list. Plenty of selection, all readable. Follow your interests. I physically saw a good number of these at Barnes & Noble, but you can get them online and probably at other places, too. The links are to Amazon, where you can find reviews, but use your own judgment about where to buy these.

Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil by Deborah Rodriguez and Kristin Ohlson (Paperback - Dec 18, 2007)

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (Hardcover - May 22, 2007)

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin (Paperback - Jan 30, 2007)

Staircase of a Thousand Steps by Masha Hamilton (Paperback - May 7, 2002)

Snakes and Ladders by Gita Mehta (Paperback - April 13, 1998)

Iron and Silk by Mark Salzman (Paperback - Oct 12, 1987)

Red China Blues: My Long March From Mao to Now by Jan Wong (Paperback - May 19, 1997)

The Sacred Willow: Four Generations in the Life of a Vietnamese Family by Duong Van Mai Elliott (Paperback - April 20, 2000)

Daughters of the River Huong by Uyen Nicole Duong (Paperback - Aug 1, 2005)

The Taming of the Samurai: Honorific Individualism and the Making of Modern Japan by Eiko Ikegami (Paperback - Mar 25, 1997)

Tsukiji: The Fish Market at the Center of the World (California Studies in Food and Culture, 11) by Theodore C. Bestor (Paperback - Jul 12, 2004)

The Secrets of Mariko: A Year in the Life of a Japanese Woman and Her Family by Elisabeth Bumiller (Paperback - Oct 29, 1996)

City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi by William Dalrymple (Paperback - Mar 25, 2003)

I'll have the requirements for the written paper available for you when we meet on the 3rd, if I don't get them posted here sooner.

For Class #7, 10/27/08

1. Roster, calendar, other issues.

2. Movie projects and reports.

• Please make sure that you have sent me your written report.
• Present individual reports; discussion.
• Summary points.

3. As time permits: India and Buddhism presentation.

• http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=df8n9qbt_88cq4fg89r
• Some instruction, music and chant from Buddhist tradition: http://www.buddhanet.net/audio-library.htm

4. Discussion of readings due today: Fisher 4 and Novak 2 (Buddhism).

5. For next week, Nov. 3:

• If you have not finished: Chinese history--read Mason, 5 through 9. Reflection: Based on what you have read, why do you think Buddhism "exports" better than Hinduism? In other words, Buddhism is more like the Western religions in the way it seems to make converts in non-Indian cultures. Why do you think this is the case?
• Chinese religion/culture: Fisher, 6 and Novak, 3 and 4. Also, study the book list for the second project.
  

Update on Tonight's Cancellation (10/20)

Circumstances beyond our control--again. I knew when I walked by the Sugar Land office and saw the office staff, the facilities people and all the tech people sitting in a circle there was a problem. The network had gone down and the A/C was dead. They were waiting for Centerpoint to call back. At any rate, the best we would have been able to have was a phone/audio connection. I didn't think that was appropriate for you to give your movie reports, or for our discussion of Buddhism. I waited until they confirmed this diagnosis right before 7:00.

Here's your job between now and next Monday (27th)--

• I've received movie papers from a number of you, but I need the rest ASAP.
• Keep up with the reading. There is also a reflection question on the agenda for tonight (below). Do the best you can with it based on your reading, and get that e-mailed to me.
• I'll be posting the reading list and the requirements for the book project in a couple of days. Please begin checking out the territory on this.
• Next week's agenda will include your reports in a very quick fashion, the Buddhism discussion in a quick fashion, and a start, at least, on background to study Chinese culture.

See you then! Please e-mail if you have questions.

For Class #8, 10/20/08.

1. Roster, calendar, other issues.

2. Movie projects and reports.

• Please make sure that you have sent me your written report.
• Present individual reports; discussion.
• Summary points.

3. As time permits: India and Buddhism presentation.

• http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=df8n9qbt_88cq4fg89r

4. Discussion of readings due: Fisher 4 and Novak 2 (Buddhism).

5. For next week: Chinese history--read Mason, 5 through 9.

• Reflection: Based on what you have read, why do you think Buddhism "exports" better than Hinduism? In other words, Buddhism is more like the Western religions in the way it seems to make converts in non-Indian cultures. Why do you think this is the case?

For Class #7, 10/13/08.

1. Roster, calendar and other business.

• Calendar: Your movie project is due NEXT CLASS, the 20th. I need to have it by e-mail by the time class begins.
  

• http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df8n9qbt_234gfgkcjf5

2. Questions/points of interest from reading: Fisher (ch. 2) and Novak (ch. 1).

3. Continue with notes/discussion of Hinduism:

• http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=df8n9qbt_70fb6f8vwr

4. Introduce notes/discussion of Buddhism:

• http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=df8n9qbt_88cq4fg89r

5. Recap: Due next week--

• Film project: written report (e-mailed) and oral summary.
  
• Reading: Fisher (ch. 4) and Novak (ch 2).
  

For Class #6, 10/6/08

1. Roster, due dates, other business.

2. Questions about assigned readings.

3. Exploring South Asia's early history:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df8n9qbt_69dmkpnxc2

4. Hinduism notes and discussion.

http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=df8n9qbt_70fb6f8vwr

5. For next week:

Read--Fisher 2 and Novak 1;

Short reflection question, here--
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=df8n9qbt_246dtdgtfct

Remember that your movie papers are due. E-mail the paper to me, but keep a copy to work from when you give your 5-8 minute summary at next week's class.

5. Summary and questions.