Rating: 
Summary: Not Just About JET...
Review: David McConnell's book is a fascinating look at the JET Program. It is not only exhaustive and comprehensive, it is also the only real look at the JET Program in an academic light. However, that is not its only appeal. The book digs into serious questions of how Japan sees itself with regards to the outside world and how the Japanese bureacracy works. McConnell essentially takes the JET Program as a case study behind the inner workings of the Ministries in the first two chapters of the book and shows how decisions are made in a practical sense in Japan. He covers the formation of the program, the trobleshooting that was done, the improvements made and the reasons behind justifying the programs. He even delves (a little) into the give and take between the different Ministries when it comes to issues like funding, jurisdiction and accountability. McConnell also manages to establish an American viewpoint in his book, making it a useful work in the field of US-Japanese relations. He looks at the problems and the successes of the Program through American eyes and helps give depth to issues that Americans and Japanese see completely differently. So, yes, "Importing Diversity" is an incredibly useful tool for learning about the JET Program. Anyone who is applying to the program should read it. However, students and scholars of Japanese Politics, International Relations and Cutural Anthropology should read it as well. It is not to be missed by anyone with an interest in modern Japan.
Rating:
Summary: Scholarly overview
Review: Dr. David McConnell has written what will be the "bible" for the burgeoning JET Program. The work traces the JET Program from its inception to the mid-1990s, with much of the focus upon the Japanese culture and politics that both created and shaped it. The JET program is one of the most ambitious projects of the Japanese government, and one which has extremely long-term goals in mind: the changing of the very nature in which English is taught in Japan. A careful reader can, through the JET Program, see Japanese society at work. Although intended for an academic audience, the book should not be ignored by the general reader, as the successes and failures of the JET Program can be seen as a counter-balance to the more popular and currently trendy view of Japan as a dysfunctional, barely operating society. Although obviously of much interest for readers who wish to learn more about the JET Program, the book does have a wider appeal. For those readers interested in working or doing business in Japan, the book can provide valuable insight into how Japanese organizations function both within themselves and when dealing with other organizations. McConnell presents a balanced, well-articulated work that is well worth an examination.
Rating:
Summary: An excellent behind-the-scenes look at the JET Program
Review: I arrived in Japan as a JET in 1992 (-->1995), which from what I gather from Importing Divesrity is just after The JET Program's major wrinkles were ironed out. Every so often while reading I'd wonder aloud, "Why doesn't McConnell mention..." only to find that in almost every case my questions were answered. Overall the book is not only informative, but well written using both careful research and some humor. (5000 College graduates heading off to teach English in Japan would make a good comedy.) The minor problems with the book are not really significant but should be mentioned: 1) While it makes sense to focus on the English teaching aspect, a few more pages could have examined the role of the CIR. 2) There is a brief but solid section on the JET experience in the teacher's room. I would have liked more pages on this topic. (Though Japanse teacher-ALT relations are discussed at length -- just usually within the context of the classroom.) 3) There are some interesting tables in the book, yet considering how many surveys are out there about the JET experience, "Importing Diversity" really needs an appendix for more survey data. I hope an updated version in a few years will include this. If you have more than a passing interest in Japan, read this book.
Rating:
Summary: not just for JETs
Review: I arrived in Japan as a JET in 1992 (-->1995), which from what I gather from Importing Divesrity is just after The JET Program's major wrinkles were ironed out. Every so often while reading I'd wonder aloud, "Why doesn't McConnell mention..." only to find that in almost every case my questions were answered. Overall the book is not only informative, but well written using both careful research and some humor. (5000 College graduates heading off to teach English in Japan would make a good comedy.) The minor problems with the book are not really significant but should be mentioned: 1) While it makes sense to focus on the English teaching aspect, a few more pages could have examined the role of the CIR. 2) There is a brief but solid section on the JET experience in the teacher's room. I would have liked more pages on this topic. (Though Japanse teacher-ALT relations are discussed at length -- just usually within the context of the classroom.) 3) There are some interesting tables in the book, yet considering how many surveys are out there about the JET experience, "Importing Diversity" really needs an appendix for more survey data. I hope an updated version in a few years will include this. If you have more than a passing interest in Japan, read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: Beware that this is a history book!
Review: I currently live in Japan and know many JETs. I'm not too sure who the audience for this book is. If you want to know the current and future state of the JET program, you are not the audience. If you were in the JET program in 1988 or 1989 this would probably be good nostalgic material for you to reminisce over and laugh about. I don't question its accuracy and much of it is interesting to read (kind of like gossip because it focuses on mostly negative and sensational aspects of JET participants' experiences in Japan), but for most people I think it is just a reference book for when you need to know what happened back in the late 80s. If you are a prospective JET, I recommend that you talk to former JETs who were recently in Japan.
Rating:
Summary: Beware that this is a history book!
Review: I currently live in Japan and know many JETs. I'm not too sure who the audience for this book is. If you want to know the current and future state of the JET program, you are not the audience. If you were in the JET program in 1988 or 1989 this would probably be good nostalgic material for you to reminisce over and laugh about. I don't question its accuracy and much of it is interesting to read (kind of like gossip because it focuses on mostly negative and sensational aspects of JET participants' experiences in Japan), but for most people I think it is just a reference book for when you need to know what happened back in the late 80s. If you are a prospective JET, I recommend that you talk to former JETs who were recently in Japan.
Rating: 
Summary: THE book for JETs and JETs-to-be
Review: If you are a JET, were a JET, or even more importantly, if you want to become one, this is the book for you. McConnell has written the first comprehensive academic overview of the JET program. But although this book is written primarily from an academic perspective, it has enough human stories and anectdotes to keep a casual reader interested. This book lays out every aspect of the JET program, both from the viewpoints of participants and administrators. The Japanese government should buy these books for all new participants so that they know what JET is and how it works before they arrive. Knowing what to expect would smooth the transition of new JETs tremendously, and would probably reduce the number of JETs who bail out before their first year is finished. If you are already in JET and haven't learned everything about the program yet, this will help fill in the blanks. If you were a JET, this book will bring back lots of memories, hopefully all good.
Rating:
Summary: Required Reading for Anyone Planning to Teach in Japan
Review: Professor McConnell's coverage is thorough, well-researched, and fair. He takes us into the heads of the people on both sides of the various conflicts that have sprung up through the years in the JET Programme and continue to spring up throughout its various levels - from the inter-ministry feuds to the JTL/ALT clashes in the classroom - and in doing so, I believe he helps point the way to greater understanding and cooperation...at least on the local level... As a JET Prefectural Advisor* (my primary duties being to provide training, advice, and counseling for JETs in my prefecture on living in Japan and teaching in the Japanese school system) I believe that this book is a MUST HAVE for all JETs, past, present and future. One of the primary struggles that I think all of us JETs go through is that of contextualizing our experiences, figuring out where exactly we fit (if at all) in the larger scheme of things, wondering if what we do has any value or makes any type of difference. This book, with its decade and a half of perspective and examination of the various (and oftentimes contradictory) forces at work - all the way from the international to the national to the prefectural right down to the local school/community levels - provides an invaluable framework for understanding the JET Programme, warts and all, that I doubt any of us JETs would be able to construct on own. Tremendous change has been and is happening, though its movement may be too slow for most of us JETs (even those of us who stay for the full three years) to discern...and perhaps not in the directions that we might expect. Additionally, I agree with the writer of the previous review that _Importing Diversity_ has value not only to JETs but also to those seeking insight into the workings of Japanese government, education and society...but I shall leave the opining on that to the true scholars and less JET obsessed. To anybody thinking of or already teaching in a Japan school, I strongly recommend that you read this book (try also reading _Teaching and Learning in Japan_ (LeTendre & Rohlen, eds.)). I have recommmended this book to all of my JETs and I am basing a portion of the orientation training for this year's new batch of JETs on Chapter 5 of _Importing Diversity_. It is truly a shame that there is not yet a Japanese translation of this text for our Japanese counterpart teachers. * In no way does this review reflect the official views of or have any connection to the Shiga Prefectural Board of Education or the Shiga Prefectural Government. I take full responsibility for the content of this post.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating and eye-openning
Review: Reading this book has honestly changed my life. As a JET Program applicant, I bought this book in hopes that it would give me some insight which will help me do well in my job interview for the ALT position. Now, not only do I know more about the JET Program than I ever did before, but I think I also have a more enlightened understanding of Japanese culture and the true meaning of "internationalization." One recurring theme in the book is Program participants who have come to Japan with unrealistic expectations and the unwillingness to view things in a way which looks beyond their own cultural nearsightedness. In their jobs and daily life, these people become frustrated at what they perceive as intolerance from a rigid and naive Japanese society who should be grateful for foreigners who want to make Japanese culture into something more consistent with their own western values. What became obvious to me as I read these stories is that while there certainly exists some intolerance on the Japanese side of things, one of the biggest causes of these participants' frustrations has been that they have been blind to their own intolerance. I have learned that people who feel that the job of an ambassador (which seems to have more to do with a JET's duties than teaching English does) is to conduct themselves no differently than they would in their own culture actually end up creating divisiveness, misunderstanding, and tension between cultures, which is the opposite of their purpose. A foreigner who is willing to adapt to and learn from Japanese culture mores while retaining their personal values is the kind of person who truly embodies the ideals of "internationalization," and has much more power to affect positive social change than the kind of person described above. I have always viewed assertion of individuality to be a virtue, and I have viewed cultural pressure to conform as oppressive and wrong. But reading this book made me realize that many people's path to true happiness comes through being a good member of a group, and not necessarily through being a strong individual. While I still personally feel that my place in the world is to be a strong individual, I also am comfortable with the fact that many people feel differently. I have also realized that assertion of individuality in many cases, such as when it comes at the expense of damaged human relation, can actually be the opposite of virtuous. This is not to say though that the pressure of conformity is necessarily a good thing, just that those who feel most comfortable in situations where they are able to meet concrete expectations are not necessarily wrong just because they are different from me. Reading this review might lead you to believe that the book itself is devoted to spouting the kind of opinion that I have presented in this review. This is not the case. While I do believe that the author holds similar views to those I stated, his book is a serious, thorough, and objective study of the JET Program. He presents a variety of experiences, both positive and negative, from JET participants, Japanese educators, and people from various government ministries, and allows the reader to draw his or her own interpretations of the information presented. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in knowing more about the JET Program and to anyone who would like to gain insight into Japanese culture and the process of "internationalization" through the viewpoints of people who have been involved in the program.
Rating:
Summary: great inside story of the history of the program
Review: This book attempts to be a treatise of Japan's JET program. It succeeds in some ways but fails in many more. The first problem is that the material is dated; the bulk of his observations come from 1988-1989. While this provides a good sense of history for the program it makes the book less than useful for those who are interested in how the JET program operates today. To a certain extent this is rectified in the final chapter but the treatment of the modern JET program is brief and superficial. So if the book isn't a great guide to the modern JET program, how does it fare as a history of the program's foundations? Even here it is flawed. He breaks it into three main sections: the national perspective, the regional perspective, and the local perspective. The problem is that both the regional and local perspectives are based on very few observations. For instance, the entire regional chapter is based on interviews with one single administrator. A similar problem pervades much of the book. While I have no doubt that the events described are representative, the reliance on a single source for so much is a detraction from a book that presents itself as a broad based overview. My final complaint is that the book explicitly states that the most prominent feature of JET nowadays is its functional as a cultural exchange program. However, this aspect of the program gets almost no treatment. The majority of the time is spent discussing the English teaching aspects of the program: interaction with other teachers, team teaching, classroom motivation, etc. It seems strange to spend so much time on something the author acknowledges is not the main focus of the program and so little time on what he admits is the main focus.
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