Hey there, I'm Jason Gots, and you're listening to Think Again, a Big Think podcast.

Started in 2008, Big Think is a kind of online think tank of big ideas from some of the most creative thinkers on the planet.

On the podcast, we revisit these ideas in new and different ways. Our producers surprised me and my guests with short interview clips from Big Things Archives,

ideas that we didn't necessarily come here prepared or expecting to discuss.

I'm very happy to be here today with Gish Jen.

She's the author of six previous books.

Her work has appeared in The Best American Short Stories Four Times,

including The Best American Short Stories of the Century, edited by John Updike.

She's a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences,

and her work was featured in a PBS American Masters special on the American novel.

Her new book is called The Girl at the

Baggage Claim, Explaining the East-West Culture Gap, and I'm told that she has a very melodious

Siamese cat who may possibly make an appearance during the interview. Welcome to think again,

Gish. It's wonderful to be here. So if the Siamese cat starts meowing,

maybe we'll keep just a little of that as a special bonus for listeners and then let her go.

So your book, I read a lot of books for this show, especially. In fact, I have little reading time,

you know, for anything else aside from preparing for interviews.

But that's good because, you know, I invite people whose books are interesting.

But your book has made a major impression on me. I'm kind of filtering everything now through the

lens of the basic premise. And so I think we should start with maybe you explaining a little

bit of the big picture of this idea that, you know, in general, Westerners have what you call the avocado pit self versus the flexi self, which is more typical in the far east.

Yes, and in the rest of the world.

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