{"product_id":"you-gotta-have-wa-9780307455970","title":"You Gotta Have Wa","description":"A hilarious, informative, and riveting account of Japanese baseball and the cultural clashes that ensued when Americans began playing there professionally. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn Japan, baseball is a way of life. It is a philosophy. It is \u003ci\u003ebesuboru\u003c\/i\u003e. Its most important element is \u003ci\u003ewa\u003c\/i\u003e--group harmony--embodied in the proverb \"The nail that sticks up shall be hammered down.\" In this witty and incisive book, Robert Whiting gives us a close-up look at \u003ci\u003ebesuboru\u003c\/i\u003e's teams, obsessive ritualism, and history, as seen through the eyes of American players who found the Japanese approach--rigorous \u003ci\u003epre\u003c\/i\u003egame practices, the tolerance for \u003ci\u003etie\u003c\/i\u003e games, \u003ci\u003einjured \u003c\/i\u003epitchers encouraged to \"pitch through the pain\"--completely baffling. With vivid accounts of East meeting West, involving Babe Ruth, Ichiro Suzuki, Bobby Valentine, Japanese home run king Sadaharu Oh, and many others, this lively and completely unique book is an utter gem and baseball classic.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Knopf Publishing Group\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 03\/24\/2009\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780307455970\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 416\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.86lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 8.04h x 5.18w x 0.86d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eReview Citations: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003ci\u003eEntertainment Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e 05\/08\/2009 pg. 68\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Robert Whiting","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52051811238069,"sku":"9780307455970","price":16.15,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0473\/0804\/6492\/files\/img_6f503790-65ca-40d4-b238-a271d48ebb50.jpg?v=1764048061","url":"https:\/\/pastforward.org\/products\/you-gotta-have-wa-9780307455970","provider":"Past Forward","version":"1.0","type":"link"}