5 comments about Rena's Promise.

1. I had to pick holocaust memoir book for a college report and while all my classmates did memoirs of men I wanted something different. I found this book at my local bookstore & wasnt too sure about it but decided to try it anyway. I fell in love with it. Her discribtions make me feel like I'm with her in her horror. I felt her emotions as I read the book. I would spend many nights up late reading wanting to know what was going to happen next.



2. I came away from Rena's Promise with a new found respect for people who have experienced racial discrimination. Rena Korneich Gelissen and Heather Dune Macadam did an excellent job of reconstructing Rena's life prior to the Holocaust and what happened as the Allied Powers were beginning to win. Although I never read a novel about any historical issue, Rena's Promise seemed to portray an acquire example of many historical events within that time period. Even though I came away from the novel very pleased, it did possess some limitations. In my opinion the pictures within the book should be at the end of the novel because it takes away from the suspense of surviving her terrible ordeal. If this was put into thought, then the reader would have enjoyed her escape or her survival even more. I also enjoyed the author's use of diction because the reader is able to learn Polish or German words while they are reading, although they may have been hard to pronounce. Nevertheless this is an excellent book about a courageous young lady who went through some horrendous events during the Holocaust, although it was a little far fetch.



3. This is an incredible story of sisters in a concentration camp. I've done a great deal of research into the Holocaust, but never have I come across a book quite like this one. It literally changed my life. I found myself thinking about it for days afterwards, little things reminding me of Rena's story--eating a potato, walking outside with a coat on, seeing a young child playing. I found a distinct connection with Rena, even asking myself if I could do what she did.
   Rena is an astonishing woman who is responsible for her sister surviving Auschwitz. The critic got it wrong when s/he said that Rena's promise was made to her mother to protect the baby; Rena's promise is to her sister, that if her sister is to die in that terrible place, she will not die alone. Rena went through a terrible ordeal to keep them both alive, and to attempt to recount it here would be a great injustice to Rena's story and spirit.
   Read the book. It will change your life.



4. I just started reading this book yesterday, and I must say I am completely intrigued! I do like this type of memoir reading and I love to read about the atroscities of the holocaust. This book is a very easy read and it really captivates you; I haven't wanted to put it down yet!!



5. It's my #5 book on memoirs of the Holocaust. All of them I discovered right here, on Amazon.
   The first one was "Thanks to my Mother" by Shoshana Rabinovici about life and survival by a minute in the Vilna Ghetto. Then was "Alicia", "Cage"...
   Rena and Danka are two sisters in Poland. Rena promised their mother to be with her littler sister and watch her. And all she was doing in Auswitz was to keep Danka alive. Amazing woman and very very street smart. There were so many situations where most people would loose the will to live, but Rena kept finding the ways to save herself and Danka at the last split of a second. Over two years to be in the Death camp and survive!
   An amazing Courage to fight for Life!
   An amazing example for us all!

5 comments about The Old Way: A Story of the First People.

1. I first heard of the Bushmen through National Geographic's Genographic Project (Spencer Wells "The Journey of Man") which found genetic evidence suggesting Bushmen are one of the oldest, if not the oldest, peoples in the world--a "genetic Adam" from which all the worlds ethnic groups can ultimately trace genetic heritage. Within the face of a Bushmen one can see all the genetic expressions of the world (Asian eyes, African nose, Indian skin, etc..) So I was delighted when this new book appeared by bushmen expert Elizabeth Marshall Thomas who, along with her brother and parents, were one of the first westerners to live with and scientifically document the Bushmen in the 1950s (when Elizabeth was a teenager). Her parents and brother went on to become famous Bushmen experts and proponents in their own careers.
   
   Older members of the Bushmen tribe were valued and respected for their wisdom, likewise Elizabeth is passing down her knowledge and experience for later generations. The Bushman way of life she saw in the 1950s, perhaps as old as 150,000 years, no longer exists - all it took was one generation and the long unbroken chain known as "The Old Way" has disappeared. It is the same sad story told the world over from Native Americans to Tibet to Eskimos. Yet Elizabeth reveals a deeper lesson, which is the "myth" that the Bushmen ever wanted it any other way - they want the comforts of modernization, just as we would prefer not to hunt and gather food each day. Bushmen want to travel, see the world, be a part of wider humanity, and for that we can celebrate and welcome all they have to teach. This book provides that introduction.



2. I have all her books but two and I have been a fan for years and years. Starting with reindeer moon and then The hidden life of dogs, Tribe of Tiger, Certain Poor Shephards and everything else except Warrior Tribesman and The Harmless People which I plan to order. The books I have ordered or which were bought for me online were ordered by my best friend. I hope Elizabeth Marshall Thomas writes many more books. If I did not already have the most wonderful mother, I would wish that she was my mother. I really love her view of life, people and animals and nature. She is my favorite author of all time and I would'nt even loan her books to anyone else for fear of losing them. Keep it up EMT I'm forever your fan and I will always reread your books.



3. Thomas, anthropologist and author of such diverse bestsellers as "The Hidden Life of Dogs," and two excellent pre-history novels, "Reindeer Moon" and "The Animal Wife," began her writing career with the study, "The Harmless People," based on her youthful sojourn among the Bushmen of the Kalahari Desert. The Bushmen may be the only people who ever lived without war. But more on that later.
   
   With "The Old Way," she returns to the subject of that first book - a title that has been in print since 1959. Marshall first encountered the Ju/wasi, one of the five groups of Bushmen, in 1950 when she was 18, on the first of several Kalahari trips with her parents and brother.
   
   Her father, a founder of Raytheon, was a highly organized, take-charge sort of person, with versatile skills. Her mother, a former ballerina turned teacher, became a noted anthropologist over the course of these (and more) trips, and her brother devoted most of his life to the Bushmen.
   
   In the 1950s the Ju/wasi maintained their ancient nomadic culture in near isolation. Except for bits of metal they obtained in trade and used for arrowheads, the Ju/wasi made everything they needed from local material. They did not farm and had no domestic animals, but obtained all their food from hunting and gathering. They were the last people on earth, says Thomas, to follow the "Old Way," a way of life that depends on knowledge handed down one-to-one from generation to generation. The Old Way depends on intimacy between habitat and humanity.
   
   Thomas' book is not a scientific study or a memoir, but a bit of both, as well as a celebration and lament for a culture now gone. It's also a thoughtful reflection on how the Old Way shaped our species from the time we came down out of the trees and stepped on to the Savannah.
   
   Water, says Thomas, controlled the size of human hunter-gatherer groups, and that remained true among the Ju/wasi. Rain was scarce, and water holes passed down through families. Though children were betrothed young, they did not cohabit until the girl reached menarche - about age 17 - and the average age for bearing a first child was 19.
   
   Similarly, though no birth control was used, women bore children about four years apart and seldom had more than four. This was just what could be sustained, without starvation or overburdening the mother or group.
   
   Alliances were complex, all going to foster the strength of the group. Survival depended on group cohesion and the force of their culture went into strengthening those bonds, subsuming, smothering, the desires of the individual.
   
   The sharing of food, for instance, had little to do with who actually killed or gathered the food and the complex system was worked out before the gathering or hunting trip began. Periodic dances also reinforced ties and helped to dispel repressed tensions.
   
   Repression was the usual means of maintaining harmony. Temper tantrums, even among children, were frowned upon - for one thing childish noise could attract predators. Arguments flared, of course, but were almost always settled without violence.
   
   War, to the Ju/wasi, was unknown. Not because they were right thinking pacifists, but because they had developed the perfect weapon to make war - or murder - unthinkable.
   
   The Ju/wasi had only one real weapon - the poisoned arrow. It was all they used to hunt (though they finished off game with a spear). The poison was invariably fatal. A man who settled an argument with a stab from an arrow couldn't take it back - but he would have days to watch his victim die. And the victim, facing certain death, would be perfectly healthy for a day or more and quite capable of wreaking revenge.
   
   The lack of suitable weapons, and even more, the lack of any kind of shield, convince Thomas the Ju/wasi have never known war. She makes a convincing case.
   
   By the 1980s, however, the Ju/wasi were being forced into villages. Many of those Marshall knew as children are now dead - killed in fights, often fueled with drink. Today, alcohol and violence have decimated the Ju/wasi.
   
   While the book's conclusion is wrenching, most of it is a celebration of their intricate culture. Marshall captures the imagination with anecdotes - many from her old journals - that illustrate the matter-of-fact resourcefulness of a people who know the intricacies of all the plants and animals of their desert home.
   
   Some of her anecdotes simply demonstrate the odd commonalities of humanity: "Although I will eventually learn enough !Kung to stumble along in the language...at this point I am at the stage where the Ju/wasi either address me in baby talk or raised voices, or both."
   
   She describes gathering trips that take all day, but don't get going until mid-morning, baffling her own Yankee work ethic. Until she realizes the wisdom of waiting until lions and other nighttime predators are well and truly asleep.
   
   The lion stories are horrifically thrilling. She describes a lioness coming to the edge of their small encampment and roaring threateningly: "The roar was so deep and so loud that it had no direction. It seemed to be coming from anywhere, everywhere." Yet, scary as they were, the lions never hunted or preyed upon the Bushmen.
   
   Marshall does not try to provide answers for all her questions. Some things are "unknowable." This eloquent, passionate book does foster a sense of wonder at our own evolution. Though we've traded much of our intimacy with the earth for modern civilization, Marshall shows how many traces of the Old Way linger on in our blood.



4. This book, written by a personw ith long standing attachment and interest int he Bushmen of the Kalahari is a good summary of what they were like in the l950's and how they have (beenforced) changed and moved into today south Africa and Bostwana.
   
   An interesting and unique group of people, the Bushmen give links to what early human life was like. Ms Thomas does do a little interpreting about violence and drinking and gender roles, but it is plausible and interesting to reflect upon.



5. I bought this book, knowing little about it, simply because I have loved everything I've read by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas. This is the best of her best, which says a lot. The world is fortunate that her wealthy, and obviously very intelligent, family, chose to leave our way of life behind for long periods, and immerse themselves in the lives of southern African Bushmen in the 1950s. The story of the Bushman way of life, presented here in Thomas's clear and elegant prose, is endlessly fascinating. Their lives were vigorous, challenging, and based on a sense of sharing that we can all learn from. Of course, once western "civilization" takes over, tragedy follows. But that part of the story has been--and still is--repeated endlessly the world over. Marshall is a brilliant writer and observer, following in the footsteps of her amazing parents. This book is also her tribute to her beloved brother, and his lifelong friendships with the people they met and worked with over the years.

5 comments about Asimov's Guide to the Bible: A Historical Look at the Old and New Testaments.

1. Asimov's book gives a very good secular view of the Bible and puts the events occuring in the Bible into historical perspective. It also provides an understanding of the the structure of the Bible, e.g., what is considered canonical (by Jews, Catholics, Protestants), who likely wrote what (although the scholarship may be dated), what was occuring in history when the various books were written, etc. Consider this a book for Bible 101 to teach basic Bible literacy.



2. Isaac Asimov was widely considered the best science writer of the 20th century, because of his outstanding ability to make his subject matter interesting and understandable to the layman. This book gives the reader the historical background of the writing of the Bible and of the events recounted therein. Knowing this background material makes the Bible more readable and more understandable. Having been written by Isaac Asimov, the Guide is so interesting that you may have difficulty putting it down, but it is also a valuable reference work, to be kept handy whenever you read from the Bible.
   
   This is not a scholarly work of biblical criticism, nor does it attempt or pretend to be. If you are looking for such, look to books by such as:
   Marcus Borg (e.g. Reading the Bible Again For the First Time ),
   John Dominic Crossan (e.g. Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography),
   Michael Goulder (e.g. St. Paul Versus St. Peter: A Tale of Two Missions),
   Burton Mack (e.g. The Lost Gospel: The Book of Q and Christian Origins), snd
   John Shelby Spong (e.g. Liberating the Gospels). THIS IS A MUST READ before reading (or rereading) any of the gospels.
   These are all excellent books, well worth reading, but they don't give the reader the background Asimov does.(nor are they to be faulted because they don't, any more than Asimov's guide should be faulted for not being serious biblical criticism).
   
   watziznaym@gmail.com



3. This book can be only described with one word. AMAZING!
   
   The insight and knowledge of the late Isaac Asimov is shown here with such an amazing simplicity. He can explain the mystery of life in laymen's terms with extreme ease.
   
   This book, while vast and detailed, is a must have for all the people that have that itch to understand all the mysteries of the bible and only find books that only confuses them more.



4. This work was published in 2 volumes: OT 1967 and NT 1969 and sadly, the information in this book is outdated because so many new discoveries and evidence about this subject has exploded in the 1990s and 2000s. So, to a student of biblical criticism this book was rather a bore at times but, if you are new to the game I would recommend this book to get you started.
   I am sure this would have been a great read in the 1960s - 1980s.



5. My daughter suggested that I give her a Bible concordance as a Christmas gift. I bought one for her and then looked for Asimov's guide, which I have in my library and consider the best available guide to the Bible. Fortunately, I found it on Amazon. She was fascinated with it. Asimov knew what he was writing about. He wrote 200 books and I consider this among his best. He didn't just "translate the King James version into modern English"; he shared his vast knowledge of ancient history, geography, and languages.

5 comments about Initiation.

1. I enjoyed reading this book very much, a nice break from a lot of the dry esoteric books that I tend to read. If you accept reincarnation, then you should not have a problem with this book. It has been a while since I read this book, but what sticks in my mind are Elisabeth's Egyptian initiation experiences. The events ring true for me as regards what I have also heard regarding the ancient mysteries schools. Herein is the path of the razor's edge I.e. Tests and trials inclusive of death for divulging esoteric secrets. Elisabeth's reincarnation experiences include her making contact with a long lost love from Ancient Egypt. Her experiences going through war also made an impact on me. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that a recent girlfriend of mine also read this book; she equally enjoyed reading this book. I personally dislike fiction when it comes to esotericism; this includes a lot of the new age stuff. Elisabeth's book, I believe, does not come under this banner. There is something very authentic about this book. You can see by the many other reviews that this book touches people, leaving an impact.
   
   For those who enjoy reading spiritual books, I would also more highly recommend reading `Autobiography of a Yogi'.
   
   Since originally posting this review I have read another of Elisabeth Haich's books [ASIN: 0943358035 Sexual Energy and Yoga]. I have posted a review for this book and given this 5 stars.



2. This book is very deep and no nonsense. This book has so much information on spiritual teachings from the ancient Egytians, it could be used as a textbook. Not a light read!



3. I was very pleased with the service i received. The book arrived quickly and in the excellent condition advertised. Highly recommend this seller.



4. I've read quite a few books about philosophy, Atlantis, reincarnation, Edgar Cayce, etc., and this is one of the best so far. There are so many fascinating insights in this book.
   
   Apparently because the author had been initiated into the Egyptian mysteries thousands of years ago she was somehow able to go back and remember those times. She reveals the answers to many great questions and mysteries.
   
   The author had the ability to take a very internal experience and express it in such as way that others can relate to it. She ties in those memories from Egypt with her then current life on earth and shows how all of our past lives are interconnected.
   
   It reveals many amazing things about Moses who she says was the last initiate and explains the significance of the biblical Exodus. She also explains how Moses parted the Red Sea and drowned the pharaoh and his army.
   
   Apparently there were Atlantean devices inside the pyramids in Egypt at one time in the distant past and the Ark Of The Covenenant was one such device. The Ark as well as Moses' staff were made of a 'sort of bronze'. This was probably the reddish colored Atlantean metal 'orichalcum'. How interesting that the Atlaneteans were the red race.
   
   It talks about how Atlantis was accidentaly destroyed by the black magicians and sorcerers when they abused terrible forces of nature. This to me sounded like a thermo nuclear explosion.
   
   It explains the significance of certain geometrical shapes such as the triangle and pyramid. Who would doubt that the ancient Egyptians knew a lot about this ? This is undoubtedly where Plato heard about his famous geometric solids since Plato and I believe Jesus Christ also went through this initiation process.
   
   The true origins of the zodiac are also explained.
   
   There are many other amazing ideas in this book. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in philosophy. I wish I could find a similar book about someone who can remember Atlantis in this much detail.
   
   Jeff Marzano
   
   Meditation Music of Ancient Egypt
   
   The Atlantis Dialogue: Plato's Original Story of the Lost City, Continent, Empire, Civilization
   
   The Secret Teachings of All Ages (Reader's Edition)
   
   Same Soul, Many Bodies: Discover the Healing Power of Future Lives through Progression Therapy
   
   Edgar Cayce's Egypt: Psychic Revelations on the Most Fascinating Civilization Ever Known
   
   Edgar Cayce's Atlantis and Lemuria: The Lost Civilizations in the Light of Modern Discoveries
   
   The Mystery of the Crystal Skulls: Unlocking the Secrets of the Past, Present, and Future



5. Initiation
   This is amazing book and one of the best. I highly recommend.

5 comments about Pit Bull: Lessons from Wall Street's Champion Day Trader.

1. As other reviewers have noted, this is not a technical "how-to" type of book. However, it gives unique insight into the psychology of someone who has succeeded in a game where in the end, psychology more than anything else divides the winners from the losers, and the losers from their money.



2. I happened upon this book in a used bookstore, and bought it on a whim. All the way thru the book (read practically in one sitting), I kept thinking of how I was reading the story of Tony Soprano in his life as a day trader! Humerous, silly, engaging, challenging, stressful, vain, self-aggrandizing, amd more. I couldn't put it down, and I doubt you will want to either!



3. I was amazed at this guy. A lot of the practices he used then works now. Buzzy should be commended for putting his life story in such a vivid tale of success and almost death. I am thankful to have read this book. It has opened me up to another way of thinking and also validated a lot of the practices I do everyday. Buzzy, where is the sequel?



4. This book pretty much tells the story of a trader named Marty Schwartz. It describes how he got started trading and evolved into what Barron's called a master trader. There was a lot of "ego" to read about and I almost stopped reading but the story got better. Instead of spending the whole book telling me how smart he was, he started talking about some trades that didn't go so well too. I actually learned from him as he described his errors and how he recovered. It helped me reduce my "pig" factor when I day trade. There was some humor in the book too which kept it fun to read.
   
   So, this book isn't a how to book but it does indirectly give you some good advice to use in your trading. Its worth reading, I enjoyed it.



5. A very funny book on trading. The description of Michael Steinhardt as Porky is hilarious. You are not going to learn specific technique on how to trade. If you are hoping to learn some mechanical way to make money in the financial markets, you will be deeply disappointed. This book is for people who already know something about trading and who want to get better. Some advices are:
   
   1. Fit your trading habits to your personality. Everyone needs to understand himself so that he will find the "right" way to make money in the markets. Buzzy is a day trader because he loves to hear his cash register ring.
   2. Without a methodology for trading you have no edge.
   3. Become a winner by learning how to lose.

5 comments about Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia (Landmark Books).

1. If you've been playing Nintendo all night and watching TV all day, the pace of this book is going to seem slow in comparison. But for the serious young reader who wants to learn interesting historical facts, this is a terrific book by a terrific author in a terrific series.



2. If you've been playing Nintendo all night and watching TV all day, the pace of this book is going to seem slow in comparison. But for the serious young reader who wants to learn interesting historical facts, this is a terrific book by a terrific author in a terrific series.



3. Landmark books are always great and this is no exception. Written by an excellent author, this is a good book for young people to learn about Ben Frankliin. Unfortuntely, children today seem to think that everything has to have a fun value! This book may not be "fun" in that sense, but it is a very interesting book about a very interesting person. It may not be politically correct by today's standards, but it is good solid history, a worthy book.



4. although she normally only enjoys fiction! She's giggling with excitement with every chapter and can't stop talking about this book! If you have have a reluctant history student and want to *spark* an interest in Ben Franklin's life and work, *experiment* with this excellent Landmark that reads more like a story than a biography!



5. Ben Franklin of Old Philadelphia is a great book for the elementary school reader. When we visit historic sites we buy books about the people, places, and/or events of the area and time in history. This was one such book. This book gives the reader a good overview of the life of Ben Franklin, each chapter dealing with a different aspect of his life. It covers the major points without going into details that distract the young reader from the story of Benjamin Franklin's amazing life, highlighting some of his greatest accomplishments. As a mother and a historian, I highly recommend this book for the yound reader.

5 comments about Behaving as if the God in All Life Mattered.

1. This book was delivered within one week and it was in great condition.
   Thank you.



2. ALL OF LIFE IF LIFE. I FIND ANYTHING THIS AUTHOR WRITES IS EASY TO READ. EASY BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT'S PRESENTED. I ENJOY HER SENSE OF HUMOR. THE CONTENT GIVES ONE MUCH TO PONDER. THE BOOK MADE ME AWARE OF HOW LITTLE, STILL, MOST HUMANS ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF WHAT THE PLANET HAS TO OFFER. ALL THE POWER, HELP &HEALING THERE IS AVAILABLE IF ONLY WE LISTEN; LOOK.



3. The information in this book is great. I could have done without so much life-history in the first half of the book, but I understand why she included it, and think for many people it will be helpful. The second half is great. I wish her garden was still open to the public sometimes.



4. Behaving as if the God in all Life Mattered is a marvelous book, which I had heard about through the grapevine over the years, but had no idea how to find. Now, in her 1998 updated version, which I located on Amazon while looking for her new book, The MAP System of Healing, a very useful book as well. I am reading "Behaving" now and enjoy it imensely. It is so true and right in its assertions of Nature Spirit's willingness to work with us in our gardens, that I read a few pages daily as a meditation and to make the book last. Thank you, Machaelle, for this delightful book. Winifred O'Brien



5. Behaving as if the God in All Life Mattered is one of those life altering reads. Machelle's recounting of her childhood and her understanding of how we go from "there" to "here" bringing along the gifts and skills we unknowingly craft from an early age, brings awakening to a broader perspective into the hands of every person if they choose it.

5 comments about My Forbidden Face: Growing Up Under the Taliban: A Young Woman's Story.

1. My Forbidden Face : Growing Up Under the Taliban - A Young Woman's Story, is a firsthand account of a young girl under the Taliban. The Book begins as 16 year old Latifa, and ends when she is twenty one. I thought this book was very well written, and very enjoyable. I thought the book was kind of fluffy, meaning that, though it gave us information about the Taliban, and what it was like living under it, it was still not giving us a lot of detail. Sure, she talks about the rights they took away from women, and the depression it caused her and millions other women in the country, but I think she could have been a bit more focused on her life before the Taliban took over Afghanistan, as it is a biography.
   
   I do recommend this book to people who are interested in Human Rights, women in the Middle East, but I think that people who have read other books about Women's rights issues wouldn't like this book as much as someone who has just begun to take an interest in the subjects.
   
   I highy recommend The Princess Series, by Jean Sasson, and Nine Parts of Desire, by Geraldine Brooks.



2. This book jumps around a lot. The author could have used a better editor. Since this book deals with a lot of historical aspects of growing up in Afghanistan, a linear format would have worked better than the back and forth the author uses. One day her brother's fighting the Soviets. Then he's married in another country, then he's fighting the Soviets. You get the idea. It's a little hard to keep track of who's doing what.
   
   As to the descriptions of the author's life, however, it was pretty good, but I don't feel she adequately captured the horrors of what was going on, at least not compared to other books I've read on the subject. More detail and expansion would have been good.
   
   However, the book was very good, especially from one so young. I do recommend it.



3. I was eager to read this book because I wanted to learn about women's experiences in Afganistan at the hands of the Taliban. The title, "My Forbidden Face: Growing Up Under the Taliban, etc", indicated to me that this would be a personal, information-packed book on the subject. But as others have already said, the book was quite sketchy regarding the information it supposedly covered. Most of the Taliban decrees that Fatima listed were shocking to me, a western woman, and I wanted to understand her plight in greater detail. But instead I ended up with more questions than answers. Why was whistling forbidden (including ridiculously, even teakettles)? Why were photographs and paintings forbidden? Why were no books except the Quran allowed (that one would kill me for sure!)? What did she and her sisters do to pass the time living basically under house arrest for 3 years (besides lay on their bed, and listen clandestinely to the BBC in the evenings)? When she taught school, what did she teach and how did she teach it? How did the children respond? I would have loved to get a more personal account of her situation than I can get reading news stories. How does the Taliban's version of Islamic rule differ from non-Taliban rule? Why would the Taliban want to get rid of women, as she stated? These questions perplex me. I want to know the truth, I want to understand more.
   
   When she said the United States' policies in the Middle East were mistakes and mishandled, I would like to know specifically what she was referring to. I don't doubt for a minute that the U.S. has bungled things in that region, probably on a grand scale, but I truly wanted to know what she thought first hand. Instead I think maybe she was superficially stating other people's views that she may not have been old enough to process yet.
   
   As a non-Muslim American woman, Fatima's life and religion could not have been more opposite to mine than if she lived on another planet. Maybe Fatima will write another book after she has matured a bit so that she will add a more thorough account of her experiences to help those of us living in a far different world to understand the clash between our two cultures. Because I do believe that with knowledge and understanding of the other side, a way can come to get through this mess.



4. Home became prison for women when the Taliban arrived. And I don't think Taliban rule was a picnic for most men either. "Latifah" did a great job of describing the deep depression of women whose lives suddenly became worth nothing with no hope and no dreams allowed.
   
   This book was mentioned in a reader review of the book "A Thousand Splendid Suns". A reviewer implied that that the author plagiarized "Latifah's" book. I was curious so I bought "My Forbidden Face". I see no signs of any plagiarism at all. Can't imagine what the reviewer was thinking.
   
   Another reviewer of "My Forbidden Face" wanted to know the reasoning behind the Taliban rules so that she could understand better. The Taliban wanted to demoralize and subjugate the people for complete control. That was the reason behind every crazy pronouncement.
   
   I have to agree that the editing was poor and the timelines confusing. I had to re-read some portions of the book because I thought I missed segments. Turns out I didn't miss anything--what I was looking for wasn't there.
   
   Definitely worth reading for the young woman's account of what life was like in Afghanistan during that time period. Scary and heartbreaking.



5. This is a great little book which gives a personal, moving account of the years after the Taliban took over Afghanistan. I'd recommend it to anyone with a desire to know more about that part of the world.

5 comments about Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America.

1. Unlike some of the reviewers here I felt that this book's major strong points are when the author goes into a sociological and/or cultural analysis of The Beatles phenomena. For chapters like this, the book deserves five stars!
   It's when he becomes a music reviewer that he delves into troubled waters. A few of his insights are interesting, but so many others are way, way over the top analysis-wise, and when he turns negative, whoa!
   Music is something so personal for a lot of people. It's expected that one appreciate other's opinions. Still, no matter how open-minded one tries to be, it can be a bit psychologically unnerving to read such an obviously intelligent and learned individual put down one's favorite songs as either "a muddled-leaden mess" or "awkward-sounding rewrite... with... dreadful lyrics" or "an outright gaffe". It's as if someone is putting down the clothes you're wearing or the type of friends you keep.



2. So much more than a 'fan' book, Jonathan Gould's Can't Buy Me Love (2007) is an astute blending of personal, historical, cultural and musical interpretation. It follows the "Fab Four" from their very earliest days, without undue emphasis on extraneous details of their childhood, up through their coming together as The Bealtes, and then follows their career up to the end of their life together as Beatles . What really strikes me about this book is the amount of insightful commentary on the making of the music, the meaning of lyrics and the context in which each of the albums was put together. Gould is not afraid to criticize certain of thre Beatles compositions or projects; neither is he trying to 'demyth' the Bealtes. This is perhaps the most balanced, engaging account of the Bealtes, their impact, their foibles and their successes I have ever read.
   
   I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about the Beatles; I have listened to them since I was five years old--yet I learned a great deal about them in this excellent book!



3. I found this book completely satisfying and facinating from an historical as well as musical standpoint. Gould has taken the Beatles as a musical and cultural force and woven the last 60 years around them to create a complete understanding of the group's impact on 20th-21st century culture and music. This is one of the top 10 must reads for any serious scholar of the Beatles and it's a great read for people who just want to be well informed fans. He also manages to write in an interesting way that keeps you turning pages. One of the best books ever written about the fabs and well worth the 20 odd years he spent researching. A winner all the way.



4. The sentence structure is great and the narrative seamlessly flows. However, he is a music historian and hence goes into long detours when applying context. I would have greatly preferred if he had spent less time on these subjects and more on the actual Beatles themselves. A paragraph would suffice but I find myself skipping several pages. When I skip pages and scan for Beatles or Jon or McCartney, etc. I don't see anything on the Beatles for pages. I know that these long passages are unneeded because even after skipping pages I still understand the context just fine.
   
   Nonetheless, I still give it four stars because it ignores rumors, is rich with language, fills the holes of knowledge that I did not know as someone who grew up in the nineties, and the in depth analysis of songs. A glossary with vocabulary words would be great because he is a musician and as such thinks that all these words are common knowledge.



5. Gould's book sets a new standard for serious works on the Beatles. It is meticulously researched and documented, well-structured, and written with admirable clarity combined with the author's enjoyment of his subject. This is the most ambitious book about the Beatles and their cultural and historical context, and its success is attributable to Gould's determination, thoroughness, mature perspective, and accessible writing style. But perhaps I am biased. Darn it, this is the book that I have been meaning to write for the last 38 years.

5 comments about Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons on My Family Farm.

1. It is rare to read a book where the author works miracles with his hands and his words. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys non-fiction but finds it dry, without humanity. David Mas Masumoto is anything but dry. His land may be at times, but his poetic prose is anything but. His relationship with his family, his family's farm and nature is a rare combination. I highly recommend this read.



2. I live somewhat north of the area Mr. Masumoto writes about - where the San Francisco Bay Area Suburbs collide with the San Joaquin Farmlands. The Peach and Cherry Orchards and the Sweet Corn, Tomatoes and Strawberries are currently holding their own - but like Mr. Masumoto's Peaches and Grapes, only tenuously, and with great courage. If you would like to understand not only how these people live, but who and why they are, you should read this book. It is both beautifully written and thought provoking.



3. I feel a connection with David Masumoto. Not that I've met him or anything - in fact, there's a good chance I never will (although I keep hoping that one summer day I can make it over to his farm to pick peaches). No, this feeling is based on an impression that we have both fought the same fight over different things, for the same reasons. It is also because he writes so poignantly about a landscape I grew up in. Mr. Masumoto is an organic farmer in the valley of California, and his story is becoming more and more familiar to me as I see this way of life disappearing across the country.
   
   A third generation Japanese American peach and grape farmer, David Masumoto inherited the family orchard from his father. He also had the heritage of his childhood memories of how that particular peach variety, Sun Crest, tasted and ran with juice unlike the pretty red baseballs that have passed for today's supermarket peach varieties. Mr. M wanted to show the world how delightful an old-fashioned peach could be.
   
   When he took over his father's farm, he resolved to not only continue growing his Sun Crests, but to do it organically. This would prove challenging in our day and age of cheap, quick fixes; moreover, it would test his strongly felt ideals. The land needed to heal and replenish itself after years of chemical fertilizers and toxic pest control methods. Masumoto had to take his example from research on other organic farming practices, planting wildflowers to encourage beneficial insect life and sowing "green manure" crops to act as natural mulch and compost. All this took time, patience, and faith that his hard work would eventually pay off.
   
   Epitaph for a Peach is rich in sensory descriptions, philosophy, and nostalgic flashbacks. It is a picture of the way a farmer's life is connected to the seasons, capricious weather patterns, and changing market conditions. Not incidentally, Masumoto also teaches about the obscure history of Japanese farmers in the Valley - something that even I, native to Fresno, had little idea of. Reading this book was a slow, thoughtful experience much in the same manner that one slows down to savor a rich fruit. Recommended to anybody interested in history, growing food, or the vanishing California landscape.
   -Andrea, aka Merribelle



4. wonderful. when you read this work you can actually feel the soil, smell the grass, and taste the fruit. a greeat read



5. Author David Masumoto has written an excellent vignette into the year in a life of a small-scale, family farmer. His passion for his life's work, his connection to the land, and his strong family values are so clearly evident in his writing. I think a lot of readers will be envious of the life he describes. I share many of his views on the value of small family farms and the need to focus on how food should taste. Masumoto's book will reonsate deeply with those of us who know what it means to be curious about how something grows, who look forward to the first ripe peach or melon of the year, who prefer to make things from scratch and sit down with all our kids at dinner.