I was really excited when I selected this book to read and review. I have always been interested in the give and take between tradition and progress. How can culture save what is best from its past while adopting only beneficial changes and improvements as it goes forward? Boy, what a letdown! Mr. Stanley has produced a dreadful book.! For reasons unknown to me, he dives into topics like the forced opening of Japan about 170 years ago and the Durham Miners Gala that still exists today. Also, his book lacks both depth and gravitas as evidenced by Mr. Stanley's heavy use of newspaper and magazine articles along with TV news reports as sources of authority. Simply put, I was deeply disappointed by Mr. Stanley's book!