Nobuhiko Tsuno'oka, *Pistols and Thorns: Kunihiko Konishi, the Man Who Carried Osaka on His Shoulders with Discrimination and Violence* (Kodansha, 1st edition, 2012, with obi) Slight scuffing on the cover. Otherwise, no noticeable damage. Hardcover, 4x6 format, 253 pages. Kunihiko Konishi, a man who wore two pairs of shoes, a yakuza and a Buraku liberation movement activist, amassed a vast fortune and power. In his later years, he was arrested in the "Asukakai Incident" and passed away in 2007 in disappointment. During the bubble era, he spent 10 million yen a month on entertainment, and his influence extended to the city administration, police, tax office, and financial circles, wielding considerable power. In 1969, he became the branch chief of the Buraku Liberation League and held that position for 40 years, but gradually his life's purpose shifted to welfare work, and he devoted himself to the management of special nursing homes and nurseries. This coincided with a period when scandals involving people related to the liberation movement continued, and the movement declined. A full-fledged biography depicting the turbulent 74-year life of a man who embodied the "wealth and poverty, purity and impurity" of life. The author's first work after winning the Kodansha Nonfiction Prize last year (from the publisher's website). #Nobuhiko Tsuno'oka