Rating: 
Summary: A tragedy that so many readers are so lost
Review: It's funny and sad how many reviewers are comparing this book to Golden's trite example, claiming it to be less beautifully written and not as exciting. I hate to break it to you, but Golden is a middle-aged man from New England writing about a teenaged Geisha during WWII. The only thing he's got going for him is his flowery language seeing as his accounts of the Geisha are completely INNACCURATE! His fluffy book offended me. "Geisha: A Life" is at least a first hand account, and it is not necessary to pump it up due to historical accuracy. These books are in two completely different categories. To compare them would be like measuring Danielle Steele against Stephen Hawking.
"Geisha: A Life" is appropriate retribution for the damage that Golden did with his mid-century soap opera trash. I enjoyed this book because the author tells it like it is, and apologizes for nothing. Now that is courage.
Rating: 
Summary: She's so full of herself it's painful to read the book
Review: It's official - this geisha is the most arrogant person, fictional or non-fictional, I've ever heard of. The best geisha. Always wronged. Extremely soulful. Stunningly beautiful. Hard-working. An excellent dancer. Sincere and trusting. I doubt anyone can say all this about him/herself truthfully, or that they would if they could, and I bet you have no idea how painful it is to hear this from herself every single page of the whole book. At times she seems to have been a raving lunatic, attacking a man with a knife for unintentionally humiliating her, but even this is justified by her elevated sense of honour. She CAN'T have been a good geisha with this attitude.
In addition to her very pretentious self, this is not even a good autobiography. She concentrates on insignificant details all the time (five pages on an error she commited dancing!). About half of the book is about her childhood, before she had even started training to be a geisha.
Also, I assume most people read this book to learn more about geishas, not this particular person. Despite the title and the blurb, the story is without doubt about HER and her - mostly petty - feelings, not about geishas in general.
All in all, this is a painful book. Not recommended at all, especially for those who hope to get something as wonderfully readable and educational as Golden's "Memories of a Geisha".
Rating:
Summary: A 'real' life story of Geisha
Review: Mineko is probably best known in the Western world as the geisha who sued Arthur Golden who wrote the bestseller "Memoirs of a Geisha", in which there are many inaccuracies which help to further the misconceptions long held in the western world that geisha are nothing more than ladies of the night. As a result of this Mineko decided to publish a book about her own life, it certainly is not going to provide you with all the technical information some might wish to read about geisha - but what it does provide to us is real feelings, real thoughts and a real person, and a first-hand account of the training and artistic skills taught that are required to become a geiko (geisha). Mineko's story is certainly quite fascinating to read and delivers to us a real and personal journey through the life of one of the most famous geiko to emerge from Gion. She talks about right from the beginning, when she chose to become an atotori (a heir of the house) of the Iwasaki okiya right through to her sudden and surprising retirement at the young age of 29. If you want to learn of the real lives of these 'women of dance and music' read this book.
Rating:
Summary: A 'real' life story of Geisha
Review: Mineko is probably best known in the Western world as the geisha who sued Arthur Golden who wrote the bestseller "Memoirs of a Geisha", in which there are many inaccuracies which help to further the misconceptions long held in the western world that geisha are nothing more than ladies of the night. As a result of this Mineko decided to publish a book about her own life, it certainly is not going to provide you with all the technical information some might wish to read about geisha - but what it does provide to us is real feelings, real thoughts and a real person, and a first-hand account of the training and artistic skills taught that are required to become a geiko (geisha). Mineko's story is certainly quite fascinating to read and delivers to us a real and personal journey through the life of one of the most famous geiko to emerge from Gion. She talks about right from the beginning, when she chose to become an atotori (a heir of the house) of the Iwasaki okiya right through to her sudden and surprising retirement at the young age of 29. If you want to learn of the real lives of these 'women of dance and music' read this book.
Rating: 
Summary: An impressive biography
Review: Mineko Iwasaki is one of the most famous modern geisha. She has met with famous people from Prince Charles to world famous film director Elia Kazan. Her life was neither simple nor without mistakes and this book tells it all. From her days as a little child to her retirement. When she was young she lived in a rather large family that had already sent away a few of their daughters to train to become geisha (or geiko). But when the leader of a geisha house sees Mineko she knows that Mineko was made to be a geisha. Over the next few years of her life she trains in dance and other arts of the geisha. Mineko seems to be taking a big risk in writing this book. Not only was the book Memoirs of a Geisha, loosely based on her life, she is so far the only geisha to ever publish her biography. You can tell from reading her book that not only is she a brave and a hard worker but she is also very proud, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. I'd recommend this book to people who want to know about what life is like as a Geisha. It clears up many of the mistakes that Arthur Golden has made in his writing about geisha. If you're looking for an honest biography about geisha life, this book is for you.
Rating:
Summary: Geisha, a compelling memoir.....
Review: Mineko Iwasaki tells the story of her life as one of the most renowned geisha in recent history. She was inspired to tell her story because she found offensive the common misconceptions about geisha that many people hold. She felt the only way to clear up the false ideas and impressions was to open the doors on the world of geisha and shine a light on her story, through her experience and her thoughts. Her story begins with her requesting to leave home at an early age to begin training with a Geisha at the age of five. The training is at best difficult and demanding both mentally and physically, but the emotional toll seems extremely severe. She perseveres through it all and her success is unprecedented. Her reflections on the demanding style of life lead her to a decision to retire at the age of 29 and to begin what she perceives to be a normal life.
The cultural differences are immense and at times difficult to comprehend. Mineko Iwasaki is not a sympathetic character and yet her story is a compelling memoir of an open and honest nature.
Rating: 
Summary: The fiction version was more realistic
Review: My interest in "Geisha: A Life" was due to the fact that the author was the basis of the fictional character for "Memoirs of a Geisha." I was interested to find out why she was upset about "Memoirs" and what differences she would point out. I was disappointed from the very first. A three-year-old who can psychoanalyze her parents is more than a little unbelievable. From there I felt like she was twisting the truth of other peoples' thoughts and actions in order to justify her own. My other complaints come from the writing style, which I found flat due to the lack of dialogue and interaction, and the history-lesson aspect. The history would be okay if it wasn't presented as a lecture and tainted with her personal opinions. I have not done any other research on geisha, but after reading this book and "Memoirs" I don't believe Ms. Iwasaki when she denies that sex ever happened for money. She was a little too adamant on the subject, and then her own sexual experiences lead me to believe that sex wasn't exactly taboo for geisha.
Rating:
Summary: Uninspiring
Review: Not even in the same league as 'Memoirs of a Geisha'. In fact I was shocked that she was a source of information for 'Memoirs'. This book was mechanical, uninteresting. It did not hold my attention. I would not recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: excellent, eye-opening
Review: One of your readers mentioned that Mineko's father "sold" 3 of his 4 daughters. Actually, it was 5 of his 7 daughters... Mineko clearly does not hold it against him, refreshing in this age of reproaching one's parents for everything one is or is not. I found her account fascinating and very informative.
Certainly she is pleased with herself, and, I think, has a right to be, given her success. She had daily dancing lessons from the age of 5 and seems to have truly loved that art. She had instruction also in music and countless other items, read up on foreign customers' interests, etc.I think it took a lot of work and dedication to accomplish what she did, and she does not forget to give thanks to and praise those who helped her. She also points out many of her own faults.
I enjoyed the insight into that peculiar life. The cost of the costumes give one pause! I had read "Life of a Geisha", and thought this book much more interesting.
I would certainly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in Japanese ways.
Rating:
Summary: Intriguing subjet, insipid and flat book
Review: Take a subject that fascinates western people, focus on the meaningless and insignificant details of it, put aside all the psychological depth of the characters evolving in this mysterious society, here is the recipe of a gigantic waste. Geisha is poorly written, with cheap literary tricks at the end of each chapter, and a final feeling of not learning anything.
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