the oriental way of life is particularly attractive to the american who wishes to escape from a culture which , i am sure you will agree , has become , to say the least of it , more and more unattractive except to the lower grades of the human species to whom bad but plentiful food , shiny toys such as the automobile and the television , and the `` quick buck '' , often dishonestly earned , or earned in exchange for minimal labour or skills , are the summum bonum , if you will allow the sentimental echo from my oxford education . '