Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (1999, Paperback)

This is a POP-culture must read. Even if you are in no way interested in this material the style of the writing sucks-you-into the life of the main character in a weird voyeuristic sort of way. I would classify this as CHICK-lit because it is most appealing to women and most of the people I have met who have read this are women. I would put this in a book club reading list and I would not recommend for anyone under college age. Western philosophy does not apply to this storyline so be prepared, this is not a happy story. It does have a vast mount of historical data put into its story line and it gives a hint into the changes Geishas have made. This is beach reading or coffee shop reading it is not made for literature junkies. It is a mainstream book that has done a wonderful job of making a splash with a fresh topic.