PIco Iyer has written books that many Mechanics' Institute members have shown they like: our records show his books have had numerous check-outs, in particular his 1991 book about Japan, The lady and the Monk: Four Seasons in Kyoto. Iyer has returned to this subject with his newest work A Beginner's Guide to Japan: Observations and Provocations. Given interest by MI members in Japan and travel, as well as this author's popuarity, we expect this one to be another well-read addition to our collection. Click on this link to place a hold.
British born of Indian parents, Iyer is best known for his writings on culture and philosophy inspired by his extensive travels. He started out in his youth bouncing back and forth several times a year between California, where his parents lived, and England, where he attended college. His early sense of "rootlessness" led him to feel comfortable with being an outsider where he lives despite having lived in Japan for almost 30 years. In addition to his travellogues and philosphical works, he has also published two novels, Cuba and the Night (recently ordered), and the one already in our collection, Abandon: A Romance, which has also proven very popular here. As a consequence of his life-long fascination with Graham Greene, Iyer once ventured into literary criticism with The Man Within My Head in 2012.
Please note: we cannot see who has checked out a given book after a member has returned it and paid the overdue fine (if any). We can only see a total number of times a book has been checked out.
