Svientek, Cody

Anthropology 308

3/20/2015

Different Games Different Rules

By Haru Yamada, Georgetown University 1997

The book report that I have chosen is Different Games Different Rules by Haru Yamada. Mrs.

Yamada's book is a sociolinguistic and business communication manual explaining the different

thought processes regarding the English language and Japanese language. The general thesis portrayed

from the author, is a message of perseverance and trial and error, explaining her own experiences in

both Japan and the United States, and how they would apply to learning, adapting, and thriving in

achieving a business level education in Japanese and English. She explains how to conquer the

language barrier and the problems of different thought processes from both cultures.

To begin, our author, A Mrs. Haru Yamada is a woman of a multinational history, having

worked in the United States, France, United Kingdom, and Japan. She has over 20 years of education

teaching background and earned her doctorate in Linguistics in Georgetown University and has worked

in Oxford University developing cross cultural business strategies, and numerous jobs working with

children language development of English and Japanese. So it would be more than obvious that this

doctor is more than qualified to present a research thesis document to those interested in learning how

to conquer their fears in both practicing multicultural business practice and language learning.

The book breaks up the instructions into numerous chapters, each one lining up the previous

one into the next. Starting from the lowly cultural differences and ways of thinking, explaining that

English is a more direct logic based system of communication, that focuses on the individual

development. While Japanese on the other hand is more of a representative language that focuses more-

so on the group rather than the individual. She teaches the reader the different general equipmentof

each language, and the different cultural norms and how they influence the though process speaker and
listener. Some examples include Tone, social status, and humility of Japanese and their deep cultural

roots from it's history. Comparing to the American Get things done, independence, and equality and

how alien these concepts were originally to a Japanese audience, given the ocean of distance between

the two cultures.

Overall the book is quite a eye full to take in, it's a business communication manual that explains a

wide variety of business strategies and communication techniques and how to adapt to these changing

sociolinguistic norms. In each chapter you are taken through a journey from a simple grammar

difference and how the languages are structured, and then business practices of American and Japanese

businessmen, and eventually techniques on how to communicate to your co-workers on how to broaden

your horizons on cultural norms. The overall strength of this book is a detailed instruction manual on

diplomacy, economics, culture, and a way of Japanese thinking compared to the Unites States.

However this should be taken with a grain of salt since not too many English speaking people are

interested in learning Japanese business, and would rather just stick to the though processes and how to

mold their minds into a more Japanese one. In addition, since the doctor writing this academic thesis

is quite a verbose eyesore, and that if you do not have some academic background and wish to learn

Japanese, then this is not the book.

Overall, this book is not a complete academic breakthrough in the field of linguistic business

communicative strategy. However, it does break the mold of previous scholars before her since she was

the first Japanese woman to give a detailed opinion and strategy and many Japanese women entering

the business field would greatly benefit from this. This does not necessarily exclude non-Japanese

women though, I learned a great deal from reading this novel since I myself have some academic

background on the Japanese language, and it helped me conquer my previous issues with Japanese.

Plus, it helped change my thought process on speaking business level Japanese. All in all, I think if

you're a American or Japanese Businessman with some language experience, then I would recommend

this book to you.

 Sources

https://uk.linkedin.com/pub/dr-haru-yamada-mathieu/19/2a6/50a

Different Games Different Rules by Haru Yamada