| 21 Years of Wisdom: One Man's Extraordinary Odyssey in Japan Contributor(s): Gartrell, Darrell B. (Author), Mendelson, Frank (Editor) |
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ISBN: 0692547398 ISBN-13: 9780692547397 Publisher: Darrell Gartrell OUR PRICE: $23.74 Product Type: Hardcover - Other Formats Published: September 2018 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - Biography & Autobiography | Business - Travel | Asia - Japan - Biography & Autobiography | Personal Memoirs |
| Physical Information: 0.94" H x 6.14" W x 9.21" (1.59 lbs) 366 pages |
| Themes: - Cultural Region - Japanese |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: Growing up in the crime-ridden streets of Los Angeles, author Darrell Gartrell could easily have become just another statistic. But after a backpacking tour of Europe, he landed in Osaka, Japan. His private English lessons led to the opening of an Osaka-based English school in 1991. The "eikaiwa", called Wisdom21, was an instant hit and eventually expanded nationwide. But a "gaijin" managing a chain of language schools was to come at a heavy price. As a foreigner, he attracted, not only the endearment of polite Japanese society, but of the Japanese mafia as well. Darrell shares his experiences here-a penetrating, exceptionally written memoir of an American entrepreneur in Japan. Buy now! |
Contributor Bio(s): Gartrell, Darrell B.: - Darrell Gartrell was born in 1958 and raised in the gang-ridden neighborhoods of Los Angeles. After a tumultuous upbringing, he completed a degree in Finance while working at the Federal Reserve Bank at night. Following graduation, in 1989, he ventured to a dozen countries across Europe where, for the first time, he discovered what it meant to be an American-- both good and bad. Two years later, he was back in South LA teaching public school at Compton High School but was anxious to continue his world travels. In 1991 he landed in Osaka, Japan and found work as an English teacher at a well-respected college. Private tutoring sessions in his shoe-box apartment blossomed into a major educational facility. A decade later his business had expanded into nationwide network of upscale language boutiques, with dozens of employees and thousands of clients. A major recession, clashes with the mob, and poor planning ruined him, but the life-lessons he learned prepared him for a less than stellar return to the USA, where he now works as a teacher, writer, real estate investor, and occasional guest lecturer. He currently lives in Savannah, Georgia, home of his ancestors. |