A fairly good book about anime by Antonia Levi. It mostly details cultural implications in anime. I don't know how accurate it is, but it's a blast to read, for otakus and normal people alike. It covers a lot of series, movie, and OVA specific stuff as well as broad, general characteristics. The author holds a Ph.D. in Japanese history from Standford University. The ISBN number is 0-8126-9332-9.