1 comments about Adorno in America.

1. Written by David Jenemann (assistant professor of English, University of Vermont) Adorno in America is a biography of German philosopher and cultural critic Theodor W. Adorno (1903-1969), who lived in exile in the United States from 1938 to 1953. Drawing upon Adorno's theories and archival materials ranging from Adorno's unpublished writings to FBI files, Jenemann reveals Adorno's experiences in New York and Los Angeles, and proffers not only the Adorno's story, but an evolving perspective on the rise of mass culture and consumerism. An exalting portrait of Adorno as a defender of intellectual democracy, as well as an intriguing portrait of mid-twentieth century cultural shifts, Adorno in America is highly recommended for philosophy and cultural criticism shelves as well as biography shelves.

No comments about Sketch for a Self-Analysis.

2 comments about Luhmann Explained: From Souls to Systems (Ideas Explained).

1. College-level collections strong in philosophy will appreciate this blend of philosophy and sociology, which considers systems, society, and Niklas Luhmann's sociological theories in particular, which departs from many competing concepts in explaining how economics and mass media evolve. From biology to philosophy and other genres, LUHMANN EXPLAINED analyzes the fundamentals of world society and its logical systems. College-level students will find it a challenging, exciting read.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



2. This book surprised me since I received it from Amazon and immediately started reading it! I am always a little bit suspicious about this kind of "summaries" and "reports" on someone's else work. Mostly when this someone else is Niklas Luhmann, whose work I have been studying for my academic texts. In the case of Moeller's "Luhmann Explained", I have to recognise the excellence of the result in the "dangerous" task taken up by his author. First of all because he tried to introduce Luhmann's complex and difficult theory by using quotations and citations from Luhmann himself. The fact is that he succeeded in being as much as possible "faithful" to Luhmann's own texts. In few occasions, when strictly necessary, Moeller puts forward his own opinions on Luhmann's ideas. I recommend this book for everyone who wants to be "safely" introduced to Luhmann's complexity. It is a serious "entrance gate" to the contingency which caracterizes Luhmann's ideas as, for instance, the formulation of a theory of a nonhuman society based on the differentiation of the autopoietic "social systems".
   If you are interested in learning about one of the most intriguing and "puzzling" thinker of 20th century: be welcome on board!
   
   Ulisses Schwarz Viana
   Brasilia (Brazil)

No comments about Classical Sociological Theory: Rediscovering the Promise of Sociology.

5 comments about Mama's Girl.

1. I've read the book Mama's Girl and I find it interesting.I just know why they named the book "Mama's Girl", because it she never became her mother little girl. I read the different thing that young teen go through.The book shows the ups and downs of children with divorced parents.If I put myself in her positon I would have taken things differently. This book shows how hard it can be being the only parent with little money. Knowing that it is a high percentage of women getting abused help them run away from it all. I don't think that Veronica was as strong because she keeps thing to herself which lead to anger.



2. I liked this book because it reminds me of my mother. Whenever my mom was around 13 years-old her dad would go to clubs. This book should be read by teenagers because it has bad words and little kids should not be reading this kind of book. If I was Vickie I would put my stepmom in jail for beating me up. By reading this book I feel how she felt because of all the beating and cursing of her dad. I wouldn't like to be in her spot because I would probably run away from home. I think she shouldn't forgive her mom because her mom really didn't pay attention to her. I learned to have patience before doing something that you would regret later in life. Veronica had lots of patience because she never argued with her parents instead she kept things to herself.



3. Mama's Girl was a great book. I really liked how Veronica explained everything and said everything correct. She had struggles almost everyday of her life and she overcame them almost every time.I loved that. I also like how the story was detailed; it was like you are Veronica. I learned from this book not to be selfish because it will come back. I think my friend Lee should read it because he has struggles everyday and he needs to know how to deal with them.



4. This book was very good, it wasn't excellent but it was good.Although the beginning of the book might not get your full attention keep reading.This book talks about the trials and errors of the life of Veronica Chambers.One of the main issues of this book is domestic violence, and how she and her mother deal with it.I'm sure the title might not seen interesting but give it a chance.You will see that not everyone has a perfect life and that you can succeed in many things and accomplish many goals.



5. An incredibly moving, REAL memoir. Veronica takes you right beside her as she grows-- through every bit of ugliness and hardship growing up in her family all the way to seeing a dream come true. I could read this again and again. I first read it in college when I was 24. Hard to put down. Very compelling and sincere-- made me want to jump in and be her friend. If you are a high school age girl, I suspect you will really enjoy this book.

2 comments about With a Daughter's Eye: Memoir of Margaret Mead and Gregory Bateson, A.

1. I enjoyed the careful description of two legendary lives observed by the author as a daughter and an anthropologist. As a piece of anthropological writing, a certain distance is maintained when the author tells of her memories of growing up with her parents and the relationship between them. Yet, I can still detect her sadness and love in the seemingly unemotional and impersonal writing style. Often, significant feelings are embedded in the scientific explaination of her parents' theories and ideas. I not only gained a better understanding of the field of anthropology, but also find the "differences" (such as different kinds of families, marriages, choices, ideas, personalities) that we encounter in life as descriped by the author enriching.



2. Margaret Mead was one of my heroines when I was growing up. How fascinating to read this biography which is a blend of intellectual and up close and personal history of her. To have her husband, Gregory Bateson included is icing on the cake. Mary Catherine has done an extremely creditble job. For example, she writes, "Margaret always emphasized the importance of recording first impressions . . . for . . . the informed eye has its own blindness as it begins to take for granted things that were initially bizarre." As I read of Margaret's reaction to Mary Catherine's wedding -- that it must be a format that reflected Margaret and Gregory's place in the world, rather than just the personal joy and celebration of a daughter, I had to wonder if Mary Catherine ever connected the above passage to her own children. This daughter writes with a fairly clear eye about her parents. They are neither great untouchable icons, nor are they flawed little humans. I suspect she did a great deal of balancing in her own emotions to come up with the portraits she painted because, in truth, we have three portraits here, all interconnected and somehow, ongoing. Not a superficial book.

4 comments about Bronx Primitive: Portraits in a Childhood.

1. Good fortune was with me when I happened upon this book last year. It is now one of my all-time favorites and I went on to read the two books that chronologically follow this one. My only complaint is that Ms. Simon died before she had the chance to tell us every minute detail about her unextraordinary, extraordinary life. A Jewish immigrant household in the Bronx shaped Kate's wonderful and unique personality. She shares her childhood - engrossing tales of urban fairy tale embedded in the real world of poverty -with the aplomb of a grand story-teller. If only I could have met her. She is the baudy humorous glamorous grandmother we all wish was our own.



2. The frank portrayal of Simon's relationship with her father in this book is refreshing, as are many of the stories about daily life as a girl growing up Jewish in the Bronx after WWI. However, the parts dealing with sexual advances of older man and, in general, older people's sexual opportunism with younger people were things I found really disturbing. Simon tells these anecdotes well and evenly, but as a reader, I felt frustrated and helpless reading so much about the way the taboos of sexuality trapped kids into silence about their victimization.



3. Kate Simon's little book will doubtless become a classic of the genre: memoir, coming of age, the immigrant experience, sexual awakening, life on the stoops in the Bronx...
   Told unsentimentally and with a refreshingly straightforward style, Simon manages to convey both the sense and the essence of her unusual childhood to her readers.



4. This book is a warm, witty and intricate look at the author's childhood and teenage years in the Bronx. The prose sucks you in, and you are given enough detail so that you feel that you are right there with the author.
   
   However, if you want to give it as a gift to a young bookworm, be forewarned that it contains graphic sexual content, including a blow-by-blow description of the male and female anatomy, and several descriptions of sexual (and physical) abuse.

2 comments about Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. Fondly called W.E.B., Dr William Edward Burghardt DuBois was a conscientious voice, whose mouthpiece was just a pen. Each of his writings buttressed this point.
   A bundle of intellect, all his works have remained potent till this day. Having enumerated the problems and experiences of emancipated slaves in "The Souls of Black Folk", Dr DuBois used this book, "Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil", to highlight the intricacies of the then White-Black relationships. This book has a socio-economic focus, and dealt with such associational issues like exploitative labour, voting rights, women's rights, and family values. It suggested guidance and remedies wherever necessary. The ideas and insights of Dr DuBois were general in perspective: both Whites and Blacks were thought of.
   This book is more than eighty years old; however, anybody who reads it, needs only to turn a few pages before discovering that we are still grappling with most of its lamentations.
   Finally, I must say that I cherished reading this book. "Darkwater: Voices from Within the Veil" is a compelling piece; especially for anyone who is familiar with either "The Souls of Black Folk" or "Dusk of Dawn".



2. This book addresses global issues, immigration policy, womens rights, civil rights, and the nature of European colonizaton of Africa. Du Bois connects the dots that tie the East St. Louis riots, the brutal treatment of african labor by european colonists, the low wages of domestic african american workers and women in america, and the shortage of european migration/workers because of the "great war". This is a first hand account of history by an African American that differs from past accounts of the above mentioned events in history texts, the movies, and the majority press.
   Darkwater is an easy read that educates. This is history not written as history by the author but as a comment on the events of his time that have significance to what is occuring in the world today.
   I found the book very enjoyable and enlightening. I witheld one star from the rating because the poetry, although good, seemed be tossed in as a filler.

5 comments about Where the Body Meets Memory.

1. Mr. Mura leaves much to be desired with this literary piece. At times extremely frustrating, at others poignant, Mura's vision of the world might be judged simply as lacking in any type of insight into the world that surrounds him, but incredibly intuitive at describing issues arising out of his personal emotions and relations. There is danger here, pedantic rants at the treatment of Japanese-Americans in American history and contemporary culture are presented without mention of the xenophobia and the abuse of other Asian nationalities by the "home" archipelago. And yet the occassional awareness of the absurdity of his formed cosmology saves Mr. Mura's work, the descent from the fictional renderings of the internment camps that his forefathers endured to the sexual frustration of a spoiled, egotistical privileged Asian-American from the Chicago suburbs who found love in the cornfields of Grinnell, make this a story of a relatively interesting person who has not/ will not make much of a mark on the world. While I disagree profusely with Mr. Mura's commentary on racial dynamics in middle America, I read the book from cover to cover and feel little remorse for the time spent. It is rare that Asian-American Grinnell alumnists get a chance to gain this much access into the life of a fellow student; it is unfortunate that this is our one opportunity.



2. Sometimes I felt that this book did not have much relevance to me. Then Mura really foes into discussing the struggles of Asian-Americans today. Problems of fitting in, and sexual stereotypes. His description of the Asian male being this country's eunuch really hit home. He put words to very deep, very vague feelings that I have carried and that a lot of asians growing up in this society probably have as well.



3. I'm an American of Korean descent (2nd generation), born and raised in the Deep South. I bought this book two years ago, based on Mura's reputation and a sense that this book would speak to my emerging consciousness as an Asian American male. It sat on my shelf for 2 years until last week, and now I can see why. This is a painful read.

   Other reviewers have branded this book as "self absorbed" and "tedious," which to me are the characteristics of the journey towards wholeness and healing. Read it if you are Asian or love someone who is.




4. David Mura's book, as the subtitle suggests, spans some fairly heavy issues. For more than a few readers in my Asian American Literature class, this book was a little too explicit, but for anyone in search of a frank and personal account of the sansei experience, this may be it. Mura discusses the problems he inherits through his inculcation of the model minority myth, and the mantra on which he was raised: "Act like everybody else and you will BE like everybody else." The book charts Mura's dawning consciousness of his racial identity, as well as his deep addiction to promiscuity and pornography--an addiction that Mura identifies as stemming from the standards of white beauty trained in him since boyhood. His discussion of what pornography does to the male psyche are particularly interesting, and his assessment of his addiction in terms of his racial identity is not one that I have heard anywhere else.

   The book certainly met with criticism from those who would rather emphasize race unity for the fact that by the end, Mura seems to distill every aspect of his life and his identity into a race issue. However, it was equally applauded in my class for the same issues. The explicit nature of the book seemed as much a pro as a con in discussion as well. Whatever the case, this is book that sparked a great deal of controversy at my university, and generated a great deal of conversation. If you are interested in the Asian American experience, this is certainly worth the read. You will have opinions about this book, I can guarantee you that, and no matter what they are, you will find plenty of people willing to argue them with you.




5. Although the first half of the book is really boring, the second half makes up for the slow and banal start. The first half focuses on Japanese-American tribulations during the Pearl Harbor era, which through composition and writing style, certainly not topic, is a miserable read. The book doesn't begin to redeem itself until the author goes into his own personal struggles of sexual identity, which is great because most books that I've encountered in Asian-American issues usually goes into differences in food, domestic tribulations, or are too scholastic to enjoy on a personal level. On this point I felt it was a great read despite the first half. Though in hind sight, the first half seems integral for the continuity of which the book is based on; how history and experiences leave a residue of meaning that dissolves into reoccurring memories; these memories that keep coming back to shape our lives-these traces of identities. In this aspect it was hard for me to rate this book, which I struggled between a 3 or 4 star rating. I will say however, that it is a definite must read for any one who is familiar with Asian-American issues. Thank you David Mura for having the balls to write this book; it was worth the whole production despite the criticisms.

No comments about When Did You Last See Your Father?: A Son's Memoir of Love and Loss.