First off, unlike most of the other reviewers, I've actually never read [b:Memoirs of a Geisha|930|Memoirs of a Geisha|Arthur Golden|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1157749066s/930.jpg|1558965]. I picked this up because I've always been curious about geishas and I have a love of memoirs.

I found Mineko's writing immediately engaging -- I think her skill as a geisha really comes out in the way she writes. Her words are precise, but captivating and she really captures the emotional tone of a scene.

Mineko's life is fascinating and otherworldly. She presents snippets of her life, leaving the reader to fill in details: a scene from her infancy, a scene from her toddlerhood, vignettes along the way to her being whisked into the secluded world of geisha-hood.

The book toes the line between a description of specifically Mineko's life and exposition of the life of a geisha. Unfortunately, by compromising in to the middle ground, it does an adequate job to both sides, but is stellar on neither. I learned a lot of the terminology, economy and practical matters that go into being a geisha; however, while Mineko states several times that she has a passion about the lack of education that geishas get, this passion is not demonstrated at all in the book and the emotions that the geishas have are obscured. Similarly, Mineko's decision to retire as a geisha and become an art dealer happens over the course of a mere handful of pages and seems to have no basis in the rest of the book.

Mineko also is very clearly a spoiled girl and woman, who is very used to being catered to. While she occasionally shows insight to that, there are also huge portions of the novel where she seems to have no insight, which left me wondering whether the injustices that she complains of were true, or figments of her unrealistic expectations. ( )

I really enjoyed this book. It was a great story largely about women and the relationships between women. Mineko's family is supportive, and her new one, by and large, is also supportive. It was also really neat to see Mineko work on her schooling and be passionate about doing well, and confront problems, particularly via self-improvement and standing up for herself.

If you're planning to read "Memoirs of a Geisha", don't. Read this instead. It's better written and more accurate, and the author of "Memoirs" based his take on this author's life, with a great deal of exaggeration. This book is a quick and enjoyable read, filled with romance, intrigue, political maneuvering and a matriarchal society. ( )

I’m still not a big fan of biographies or memoirs, but when I found out that a rebuttal had been published by one of the geisha who had been interviewed for Arthur Golden’s novel Memoirs of a Geisha (one of my favs, even for its faults) I HAD to go and read it. Memoirs may take readers behind the (heavily fictionalised and romanticised) veil of the world of the geisha of Gion, but Mineko Iwasaki’s story gets to the heart of the matter. Adopted at a very young age to become the heir to the Iwasaki okiya, Mineko enters the rarified world of the geisha as a means of pursuing her passion for dancing and to help her family. Her story may not have the same narrative resonance as Golden’s novel, but her honest examination of the world she grew up in is captivating nonetheless. Iwasaki paints the world of Gion in vivid detail, describing the colourful personalities of the other geiko, dance instructors and mentors, and patrons while also balancing the inherent drama with a pared down exploration of the business and practical aspects of growing up in the okiya that rings true. Golden may have captured the magic of the world of the geisha (albeit through an Orientalist lens), but Iwasaki carefully sets the word straight with no less interesting a story. ( )

life of one of last great geishas, starting at age 5 until she retired because system would not change

I loved this book because it taught me so many lessons. I will highlight three lessons that I learned from this book.

The first lesson that I learned was from Mineko Iwasaki's birth father Mr. Tanaka. He told her that 'a samurai never loses his dignity or pride when he has nothing.'- Mr. Tanaka.

This means that no matter what comes my way that I should still hold onto my dignity and pride because if I weather out the storm with grace and calmness then better will come to me. I also learned from this lesson that patience and levelheadedness are important and that when people are stressing out about an issue or problem that your calm demeanor can diffuse the situation and make it a little bit light heartened and calm. That is what I learned from Mr. Tanaka.

- Money can come and go but you have to spend only what is a necessity and save the rest- Masako Iwasaki

The second lesson I learned was from Masako Iwasaki Mineko's mother. The lesson she taught her daughter was that 'money can come and go but you have to spend only what is a necessity and save the rest.'- Masako Iwasaki

I took this to mean that no matter how much money I make-or however little-I should still spend on bills and required expenses but to save the rest so that when a rainy day comes I have something put aside to help me survive and keep me grounded while everyone else is complaining that they have nothing at all in monetary assets becasue they are in debt. I also learned that a person has to manage their money well even the little bits and pieces first and then gradually increase their income but never increasing their lifestyle. I learned this from Masako. That way when hard times comes you can be resourceful and have more as a fallback than those who did not manage their little bits and pieces of money well and are bearing their own failure of the fruits of their labors. Manage your money well when you have little and it will help you when you need it the most. That is a powerful lesson that Masako taught her daughter and I loved that aout her.

- Change is important. Never resist changing if it means it will benefit you and your career.- Mineko Iwasaki

I learned this lesson from the author herself. She states 'change is important. Never resist change if it means it will benefit you and your career.'- Mineko Iwasaki

I learned that changing constantly and adapting to those changing circumstances is what helps me to be successful both inside and outside the classroom. In finances by spending only what I need and putting away the rest. In relationships by pulling away from people who do not bring joy and healthy feelings in my life. And in spiritual matters by leaning on God through the difficult times knowing that He still cares for me even when it seems like people around me that are influenced by my parents do not. ( )