5 comments about The Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality.

1. This is as bad as it gets! Witness the swift-boating of Obama. Sad, very sad. How does Corsi keep getting work?



2. A must read for every voter. Obama's dishonesty concerning his past, his dangerous connections, and his plans for America's future is mindboggling. God help us if more people don't read this book and avoid "buying" into his corrupt ideology.



3. Unfortunately, as you can tell from the reviews, the one stars are from emotionally charged pp who did not read the book. Too bad today's liberals are anything but liberal unless it is THEIR opinion. They have not approached this book with an unbiased view.
   Dr. Corsi has references on most everything. Important book and recommend reading before you vote...vote responsibly, not emotionally. I wish Barack Obama was transparent...so many things he is hiding that books like this are important for pp to read and to draw their own conclusions.
   
   5 stars to balance all the critics who did not even read/buy/borrow it - just trying to destroy anything that does not agree with their views. The 'messiah' needs more of this so the public can be informed and draw their own conclusions...oh but I forgot, liberals FEEL only they have the correct conclusions.



4. I this is the best McCain can do, America is in trouble. A thoroughly disgraceful, factually deficient, ideolgical account of nothing. It is not true. It is hyped beyond belief. It is less than zero, as it might influence people to beleive tha this is Obama, as opposed to reality.



5. "If Corsi will lie about a Vietnam veteran's distinguished military service, what won't he lie about?" --venomlash
   
   Corsi is either a dangerously deranged wack job or a smearing, lying, distorting man with a radical, bigoted extreme-right wing agenda to push. Take your pick. His book "Unfit for Command: Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry" concerned a group called Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group dedicated to brining down John Kerry's distinguished military record. They were later proven to have concocted nothing more than lies. And Corsi's book about them is still on bookshelves.
   Does this sound like a credible man to you? I would not give him even the time of day.
   Not only is he racist (trying to paint Obama's father as an illiterate, womanizing drunkard, and playing on the age-old racist Confederate fear of a black man marrying a white woman) but he is also trying to make it a crime to be the son of a Muslim man (even though Obama's father gave up that religion in favor of atheism).
   Corsi is doing the same thing as Ms. Ann Coulter; he is spewing a bunch of hateful garbage to try and fool the American public that it's caviar. He only has power over anyone if you read his book or listen to him. Do not buy this book!

5 comments about Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance.

1. Obviously, I only bought and read the book, because Mr. Obama is in the race to become the next President.
   
   The book is easy reading, the story he tells is interesting enough so you will not put the book away because you are bored. The father he searches for was a gifted man, who wasted his gifts, became an alcoholic and an abuse, yet is Mr. Obama's eyes, he had one redeeming quality - he was BLACK!
   
   The book is full of racism! Not the "Red neck" kind of dumb racism, but a more sophisticated one - YET STILL RACISM!
   After having read this book, it is easy to understand, why Mr. Obama had such a difficult time to separate himself from Reverend Wright - he simply believes the same racist agenda, Mr. Wright does!
   
   Being a German national, the question of who to vote for does not arise, but I certainly feel, those Americans who contemplate voting for Mr. Obama should read this book.



2. Though I am not an American citizen and therefore I do not get a vote in the Nov election, I still find Obama an inspiring and interesting person.
   
   As for the book, it's interesting but not that engaging. It should be noted that the book was written over ten years ago and is not about his recent public political success and more about a young black boy growing up in Hawaii and Indonesia being raised by a white mother and her white grandparents.
   
   I found the real star of the book is Barack's mother. What an amazing woman. She put everything into raising him. At the beginning of the book, Barack writes, had he known his mother would not survive her cancer illness, he may have instead written a book about her (as a great parent) and not about the absent one.
   
   The book is about growing up, making decisions and reconciliation - going back to Africa to meet his brothers, sisters and grandparents.
   
   Growing up in Hawaii is the first part of the book. Going to university in California and New York is the second part of the book and the final part is Barack going home to meet his relatives. I find the latter half was better than the first half.
   
   Reading the book, I found it astounding the level of detail he goes into describing each scene and what everyone said. I later learned that names of characters have been changed to protect their privacy and the story is an approximation of what happened. Barack is quite the storyteller.
   
   I thought the book could have been edited a bit as it was long.
   
   Interesting read as I didn't realize how strong he feels attached to his black roots. There is so much separation in every scene who is black who is white. I was surprised by that. Very strong lines drawn between blacks and whites in his opinions.
   
   Overall, if you want to know about the man before age 25, and how he formed his views and values, I think you may find this book to be an interesting insight. It's not a page-turner but it does provide insight into the man and his thought processes.



3. The young Barack Obama, going to a school in Hawaii, flips through a library book in search of information about the Luo tribe of Africa from which his Grandfather and Father are descendants. His mind has entertained thoughts of his ancestor tribe as glorious kings, adorned in colorful traditional clothes. The book he is reading tells him that the Luo were a kind of nomadic farmers who wore a loincloth. He leaves the book open and walks out of the library.
   
   This incident is one of many that nicely illustrate the power and ultimate disillusionment of generational myths and how we have to reconcile truths with our affections. The author conveys a restless, impatient nature and a palpable unease with his heritage and his place in American society.
   
   This is not a book about a presidential candidate, it was written well before the author was seriously considering even his national Senate run.
   Actually, Dreams of My Father more closely hews to the conventions of 1st generation fiction, than it does to autobiography or memoir. The author has a nice way with language, though at times he crosses to cliche and seems too enamored with the literary scenes he has constructed. In the introduction to my paperback edition, Obama admits that on the republication of the book, he was tempted to edit it down a bit.
   
   The book is split into three main sections. First he lays out his "Origins," by talking about his parents and his childhood in Hawaii and Indonesia. He segues into his time of becoming a young man of color in the United States.
   
   In the second part, he tells of his days as an activist/organizer in Chicago. Working in one of the worst neighborhoods, Obama tries to accomplish little victories by gaining enough grass roots support from neighborhood residents for things like employment centers and increased policing.
   
   In the final act, he visits Kenya to meet his African family and learn more about his Father and his Grandfather, and he finds, not to his or our surpise, that the stories are complicated and not always flattering. Polygamy, violence, debt, political uprisings and betrayals are all part of the fabric of his heritage.
   
   The story could get there quicker, and, at key points, Obama would rather detach and look at a painful or heart wrenching event with a somewhat clinical or philosophical lens. I agree with other reviewers here that it is the type of book that you CAN put down. However, it does speak with with an authentic disaffected voice, one that you can hear a little in Obama's second book The Audacity of Hope, which is far less personal and more political.



4. Would be a better title from his polygamist alcoholic father who abanonded everyone in his family. Read closely and you will see the roots of the radical rage that we will all inherit from this corrupt loser...the father and the son...if he is ever elected. I dare you to delve into his past and believe he is a good man. Chicago anyone?



5. America is desperate for change. I fear how far the country will continue to spiral downward without it. Collectively, let us bless this man (and his family) with our thoughts, prayers and good intentions.

5 comments about Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood.

1. With Marjane Satrapi's animated film playing in theatres and available on disc, I almost jumped at the chance to read her book, the part-comic/part-memoir of Satrapi's childhood in Tehran, Iran.
   
   To avoid confusion with more current events, `Marji' (as she was called as a child) recalls her upbringing in a Marxist family, the fall of the last Shah regime, the Islamic Revolution of 1979, and Iran's war against Iraq in the 80's. While Satrapi's words are powerful enough to get in your head and stay there, her simple black-and-white drawing style captures the laughter, the tears, and the raw emotion felt throughout the story. Though only an individual account, the story itself is quite vivid in describing how Iran had left a world of tyranny and chaos--only to wind up in another. Though controversial in its own right, "Persepolis" is still a riveting book for those seeking intelligent reading.
   
   This comic is unrated: Violence, Adult Language, Adult Situations.



2. I feel I learned more about the history of Iran through the eyes of a little girl who was practically forced to become an adult by the age of 14 than most textbooks. Marjane Satrapi, or "Marji" captured my attention, thanks to the successful marriage of her "crudely-drawn" panels and approachable narrative. While I have yet to read the sequel, I feel I know this individual on a personal level as the book fills us in on her deepest fears and hopes and conflicts.



3. Although this book is written like a comic book, don't take it lightly. The story is a deep and meaningful one. It is a pretty fast read but not as fast as you'd think...I highly recommend it!



4. This book was a very easy read. Unfortunately, the plot was a little too easy to follow, and certain parts have nothing to do with the rest of the book. The illustrations, however, have a quirky charm, and the story telling is sweet and entertaining.



5. Our local community college is using this book as a common book experience for all incoming freshmen. It's a good choice for three reasons: 1) the subject matter (a young girl's experiences in revolutionary Iran) is timely and meaningful for coming-of-age college freshmen trying "to find themselves" 2) the graphic novel format is immediately engaging and easy to digest, and 3) the protagonist's story lends itself to myriad thematic explorations. In all, I was interested in and satisfied with this book. In fact, I couldn't put it down--I read it in an hour and a half. Apparently, there's a movie, too. That's next on my list.

5 comments about The Color of Water 10th Anniversary Edition.

1. loved this book. my son is also bi-racial. i was born in 1956 and could really relate and re-read the book with my son. he never experienced most of the things in the book so it was an incredible sharing and bonding experience for us and it opened a whole new dialogue with his dad who's family originated in north carolina. great read for all parents and children. truly enlightening



2. This is such a good book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It reminds me of so many strong women I know who raised their kids to the best of their ability regardless of their circumstances.



3. WOW! In addition to being a tribute to his mother, James McBride allows us to peek inside his incredible family history, his upbringing, and wrenching emotional conundrums. His extremely well-written and insightful book is a treasure trove of information. Words cannot express the positive impact that his story has had on me. The love of the parents for each other and the major contributions of both of the fathers was exceptional. When I got to the part about James's mother (who had hundreds of reasons to give up many times in her life) was enrolling in college, at age 65, to help others, I had to pause and send everyone involved a congratulatory mental-telepathy message of appreciation for all of their hard work, tenacity, abilities, and compassion for each other and the folks in their communities. I was delighted with the eventual world travels (of Mommy), huge family celebrations, and across-the-board positive - and extremely well deserved - outcomes for each of the 12 siblings. It's enough to encourage and uplift an entire nation, if not planet. Stunning!



4. This was the second copy of this book I purchased after the first disappeared into circulation among my friends. A timeless story interstingly structured and skillfully told. A worthwhile read.



5. Some reviews here say it all. This is indeed a remarkable biography/autobiography, so I would only add my praise for such a loving, touching homage to a very special lady and her remarkable family. I loved the forthright descriptions of this numerous mixed-race family and was touched by Mrs. McBride Jordan's personal tale, kept inside for so long. Her buried past and the author's own reminiscences entwine flawlessly, making this an emotion-stirring book. By writing it, James McBride is finally able to piece together his own past and that of his mother, thus quenching his desire to learn more about his origins.
   
   The difference with the original edition is an interesting Afterword, summarizing the 10 years since its first publication (1996) and the impact its success had on the author himself, his family and, above all, his mother. I shall not disclose anything here, but it is worth to look into.
   
   I truly think this is a standout among the various memoirs I have read so far, an inspiring and remarkable contribution to race-related literature.

5 comments about The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts.

1. 
   The women ancestors of a geeky Chinese-American girl pile up impressive resumes, no worries ! They are kungfu heroines, joining peasant armies that overthrow the very Imperial throne. They are doctors who brave ghosts and come to America. They are mothers and grandmothers who remain staunchly Chinese in the face of the full press of American culture. They are sisters or aunts in Chinatown apartments or unknown relatives killed for following their hearts instead of the rules back in village China. Slowly, slowly, the background of the author (maybe) is depicted. You need some patience to realize what the author is doing. She doesn't give quarter. Readers who like everything spelled out will be disappointed. Ghosts play a big role in every section of the book. Ghosts train the warriors, ghosts oppose the student and the laundryworker. All Americans even appear as ghosts of a vast variety. Yes, it's one way of looking at the experience of immigration. You leave home, where everything is known, and come to a very foreign land where nothing is comprehensible. You understand nothing of the language or customs, but you have to make your way, earn a living, survive. Daring to sit and struggle with ghosts in a haunted Chinese classroom is similar to fighting with aliens in an alien land. So, you might interpret everyone around you as a `ghost'--scary, but propitiated or turned aside each in its own way. Women in China are treated like chattel, she says, but here women take control, control ghosts, control lives, control themselves. Is it a dream ? Is it another way of looking at Chinese women ? You will decide this for yourself after reading this highly original, lyrical book of tales of immigration, tales of women in a strange land, tales of "how I got to be me". It's got to be one of the most creative immigrant novels yet written.



2. Woman Warrior is among the most gripping lyrical-memoirs I've read. It is author Maxine Kingston's Chinese ancestry that teaches her that girls are half-ghosts that walk a tight wire: one wrong step and they transcend into full-pledged ghosts, with all memory of their existence erased from time. Girls in the history of her Chinese culture are regarded much the way Middle Eastern women are regarded today: burdensome and dangerous. The Chinese saying "When fishing for treasures in the flood, be careful not to pull in girls," conveys a message repeated to Kingston throughout her girlhood.
   
   Kingston is eternally haunted by one particular "no-name" ghost: her dead aunt, a woman shamed by her village, a woman forgotten, a woman whose name and memory are not uttered. Haunted by her nameless, faceless aunt, Kingston also finds herself displaced and alienated as she attempts to put together two worlds: her Chinese ancestry, and her new American life.
   
   Resentment builds in Kingston as she struggles to put together the secrets and hushed words of her ancestry. The only stories her elders will elucidate to her are ones meant to haunt her, but even these are not fully in truth. How is she to form an identity when she is refused knowledge of her past? When she can't define her self as being a solid part of any given culture? Without proper definition of place, one merely floats along, trying to make sense of it.
   
   Kingston also faces the difficult challenge of becoming an American female, which is much different than a Chinese female. Caught between what she's been taught gives a female value in Chinese culture, and what she is learning gives a female value in American culture. Her feeling of alienation deepens as she realizes that she no longer holds an authentic, cultural identity. No longer native Chinese, not quite American either. Even amongst her fellow Chinese-American Immigrants, she finds herself displaced as they all melt into the pot at different consistencies. "No other Chinese, neither the ones in Sacramento, nor the ones in San Francisco, nor Hawaii speak like us."
   
   The only refuge Maxine Kingston finds is in the archetype of the Woman Warrior, Fa Mu Lan. Fa Mu Lan is used as a metaphor for female choice, female purpose, female strength and power. Fa Mu Lan assumes both the traditional Chinese female role, and the American, career-minded female role. Fa Mu Lan returns homes to assume traditional domestic roles, only after she has been out in the world fighting, first! She fights, she is warrior woman, and then at the end of it all, she returns to her duties at home. Fa Mu Lan is a survivor of both worlds, and because she faces such danger outside of her home, the inside of her home may seem relatively less dangerous--the home of Kingston's past being a symbolically dangerous place, as it was for her no-name aunt.



3. Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior is a powerful
   gem about the relationship between the author and her
   mother and other women in her family. It is a memoir
   but reads like fiction. I loved this book and especially
   how she utilizes symbols, particularly ghosts to represent
   people from different backgrounds, whom the author draws
   upon for wisdom, strength and remembrance.
   
   I usually have a tough time with "literary" fiction but
   the author writes in an almost conversational tone. I felt
   like I was there as the author told her story. This is
   an excellent book to read to learn about Chinese culture.



4. An excellent book, funny, insightful, poignant. Ms. Kingston brilliantly conveys how cultures can clash within the minds of those who straddle them. After reading this book I bought half a dozen copies to give to close friends.



5. This is a tremendous novel. The author threads the stories her mother told her when she was a child, through the retelling of her own life, using them to draw you into her own imagination. As she grows up, living half immersed in traditional myth and half in gritty reality, where mothers and daughters are only human, the reader grows up with her. The first person telling of her childhhood stories puts the reader directly in the shoes of a child/young adult working through the stories she has been told, using them to form her hopes and dreams and her understanding of the world.
   
   (N.B. You may not think that your childhood stories influenced the way you live, but if you think for a minute, I am certain some will come back to you and you'll realize that just the other day you did something based on or combatting that belief. Maybe you even still wish on stars?)

5 comments about The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley.

1. first off i want to thank malcolm x for his thoughts on race after visiting mecca.he saw that persons of all races got together to worship and were colorblind.i will see this man in heaven he saw past racism in america to be a great christian!also i would like to give a big F to public schools in america for not teaching everything about slavery and who was involved,for example it wasn't until i went to college to major in history that i learned the truth about slavery.the white man didn't just go to africa with a big gun and round up black people as slaves,they established trade with the local tribes who traded goods with tribal leaders who had their own slaves as spoils of war and traded them with the white man as just another trade good so the tribes that traded were africans tradeing off other africans to the white's.try to find this in high school history or elementary school history,not likely.it is true that some white slave owners treated slaves horribly and i'm sure african tribes even treated some of their slaves horribly also.wrong is wrong no matter what your skin looks like!slavery is wrong!racism is wrong!!!!! ! ! "everyone" should be able to live free and should be able to worship freely and have pride in their people without being called racist! i'm guilty of being white, i love my race,does this make me a racist! no i don't think so. LOVE,RED



2. I read this book along time ago and still retain alot of what I learned from it. There is no beating around the bush in this from the beginning he tells of his life as it happened. He tells of an early career in crime to his time in prison and he does not attempt to sugarcoat anything. He does explain his reasoning for having done what he had done in his youth, but he does not claim to be innocent.
   He did manage to find a better way to fight his enemies during his incarceration, and anyone who has ever seen any footage of Malcolm X will understand what I mean. The man was a very acticulate and confrontational speaker. He was the spark that ignited the engine of the civil rights movement in many respects. The civil rights movement began as far back as pre-civil war and was slow to develop with minor progress for each generation. Malcolm was the man brave enough to say enough and to make his voice heard over the many voices of the nation that tried to rise over him.
   Here is a man that took it upon himself to correct a society that had become accepting of the crimes of their ancestors and simply ignored them. It is only a stonesthrow back in time if you think about it and yet it is painful to imagine people could be so cruel.
   I recommend this to anyone who hasn't read it as it is an excellent book and is a document of the life of a man who managed to play a pivotal role in changing the way America viewed itself.



3. Despite the dispiriting revelation that this book was almost totally written by Alex Haley, "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" remains one of my favorite books. Which is a little strange, since his well-known struggles with civil rights, the police, Black identity, and Islam have little or no relevance to my life. Sorry.
   
   The part of this book that affects me most deeply is where Malcolm is in prison educating himself, studying on the floor of his cell in the dim night light. I can't think of another tale about the birth of an autodidact and the rewards of reading that is as uplifting and memorable as Malcolm's. I first read this book about twenty years ago, and that's the part that always sticks with me: the power of books to change your life, regardless of who you are or what you've done. And much of the rest sticks with me too, for example the poignant case of "West Indian Archie."
   
   I would like to advise, however, that you buy this edition: Autobiography of Malcolm X (Penguin Modern Classics), rather than the Ballantine edition, as the binding on the latter has proven unreliable, to say the least. I have gone through three different copies of the Ballantine edition of Malcolm X and the binding has fallen apart on all three of them -- to the point where the covers have come completely off, even though I don't really mistreat books. It can't just be bad luck.
   
   Malcolm X was said to have been a formidable debater, yet it's curious to me that none of his opponents ever made the obvious, unanswerable point: that whatever crimes and horrors the West can be charged with vis-à-vis the African slave trade, those of Islam have been even more extensive and blood-soaked. They go back a lot further, and continued a lot later. In fact, it was only two years previous to Malcolm's making his Hajj to Mecca (1964) that slavery was made illegal in Saudi Arabia!
   
   Hence jettisoning Christianity and Western culture for the supposed moral high ground of Islam was, when you think about it, a dingy move on Malcolm's part. Yet it is, unfortunately, the entirety of his position.
   
   But you'll find this book a cracking good read nonetheless.



4. An excellent unflinching book about Malcolm X read for my "Understanding Religious Traditions in Multicultural America" last spring. While at times unnerving to read due to its stark honesty, it was very illuminating. As a non-American, it really helped give me further insight into how powerful and tense race is of an issue in American culture. As someone born into a Muslim family, but is a closet agnostic, the perversions I felt Elijah Muhammad perpetuated made me severely uncomfortable anyway. Several parts of this book made me cry, or be wistful I could somehow have found peace in Islam as Malcolm X did.
   
   A very good book.



5. Every American should read this literature. It discusses America's most obvious flaw. More importantly it demonstrates the power of transformation, tolerance of self and of others, cooperation and the importance of hope.

5 comments about Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (Signet Classics).

1. It had some writing in it, but overall a good deal for the price. Thanks



2. 87 years after the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted and after the the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution Enslaved Americans gained thier freedom.
   
   Before the civil war Abolitionist were the Advocates of change in America the struggle to gain ones freedom from the experiences of slavery in the south is told from the true experiences of Fredrick Douglass. From Slavery to the Struggle for freedom to escape is the story told here, but also the story of survival to activism in the Abolitionist movement to change America.
   
   During the nearly 100 years after the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of 1787 Black America finally found Freedom, But between Slavery and Freedom was the struggle of the freedom fighters of the Revolutionary Abolitinist Movement to bring slavery in America to an end. This is the story of the virtues of a victim of Slavery turned into a revolutionary success story, This is the story of Fredrick Douglass.



3. As a political junkie, I watch several news and commentary television shows. On the day that Barack Obama was declared the nominee of the Democratic Party for the presidency of the United States, black journalist Eugene Robinson was speaking. He said that we should all stop for a minute and appreciate the significance of this event. In the early 1960's black people had a very difficult time voting and in the southern United States, whites who killed blacks were generally acquitted if brought to trial. Now, there is the very real chance that a black person will be the next president.
   One of the greatest assets Obama has is his incredible gift for speech and communication. He is extremely articulate and is capable of delivering his words in a manner that resonates. I was privileged to attend one of his rallies and was even able to ask him a question.
   When blacks were slaves, they were property, nothing more. If their owner was dissatisfied, they could whip or even kill their slaves with impunity. Therefore, to truly appreciate and understand how far things have come in the United States, it is necessary to read some of the descriptions of how slaves were treated.
   This is one of the best accounts of the horrors of slavery ever written. Douglass was one of the first articulate blacks to appeal to whites. He was even the vice presidential candidate of the Equal Rights Party in 1872. The presidential candidate was Victoria Woodhull, the first woman to run for president of the United States.
   Douglass describes the brutal and indiscriminant treatment that a slave was forced to endure. When a slave showed any sign of independence, the goal of the white supremacists was to break them by any means necessary. Mothers and fathers were separated from their children, food was withheld and physical mistreatment were all weapons in the arsenal of the slave-breaker.
   In this moment of the triumph of racial equality, it is an excellent look back to read the writings of Douglass. It gives you a perspective on how truly historic the nomination of Barack Obama is and will continue to be.



4. "I expose slavery in this country, because to expose it is to kill it. Slavery is one of those monsters of darkness to whom the light of truth is death." Frederic Douglass
   
   Frederic Douglass tells us the REAL story about slavery in early America. From the first page to the last, I was totally transfixed. There are so many things to admire about this great American. On top of being brilliant and brave and benevolent and broad-minded, etc... what I truly admire about this amazing soul was the fact that he is able to tell us his story sans bitterness. For let me tell you, if the majority of us had to endure one iota of what this man went through... Let's just say that those saccharine sweet saga's like "Gone with the Wind" left a few pertinent things out!
   
   This is one hell of a powerful story! The brutalities of slavery will disgust you, but to see this beautiful soul rise above it all is something special. He is the most important figure in nineteenth-century black American literature and a man that merits more attention than he gets. This is a magnificient achievement, an important work of art.
   
   Very highly recommended!



5. The Narrative is another book, like Hiroshima, that ever person should read. The in-depth look into Douglass' life shows how slaves were treated during the 19th Century. It explains why the struggle for freedom that led to the American Civil War and why it was such a brutal confrontation.

5 comments about Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books.

1. It took forever for me to start this book because I didn't think I would like it. However, It was extremely well-written...I thought that the weaving of the history of Tehran with the story of the girls/women in the book club with the review of the books (the great gatsby, Lolita, and Daisy Miller) was done so seemingly effortlessly. I felt like I was learning so much about all three topics and was fascinated by each.
   
   When I read this book, I was going through a very tough time at work...undergoing alot of institutional injustice. This was the perfect book to read during that trying time...I think it helped me to see that people can live inside of a world of injustice and ridiculous, illogical rules and still find art and beauty and love and friendship and that in some ways these things are cultivated more fully by repression and tragedy.



2. Reading Lolita in Tehran is one of the most beautifully written books I have read. Full of lines such as "Life in the Islamic Republic was as capricious as the month of April, when short periods of sunshine would suddenly give way to showers and storms."
   
   Another one I liked is: "A novel is not an allegory... It is a sensual experience of another world. If you don't enter the world, hold your breath with the characters and become involved in their destiny, you won't be able to empathize, and empathy is the heart of a novel. This is how you read a novel: you inhale the experience. So start breathing."
   
   She uses this logic with her own writing, drawing you in to revolutionary Iran. Deftly comparing and contrasting nightmarish, totalitarian scenes of the Islamic Republic's `morality guards' that feel like something straight out of 1984 with scenes and analysis from novels as diverse as Lolita and The Great Gatsby.
   
   A very enjoyable and one of a kind book.



3. Why should you avoid reading this memoir at all costs? Because it is incredibly poorly written, repetitive, condescending, obvious and yet obtuse, and one of the worst literary offenses I've had the misfortune of encountering.
   
   The author cannot decide if she wants to focus on her love of books, or her time in Tehran, and while I good writer would manage to blend these two concepts together in a thoughtful way, Nafisi chooses to just jerkily jump back and forth between the two topics, so that neither "story" gets to develop very much. The ties between the two are heavy-handed and artless, by which I mean that the author will explicitly explain how Nabokov or Lolita represented her situation in Iran, rather than crafting these ideas and allowing the reader to draw these parallels on his or her own. She firmly sticks to telling rather than showing, which makes for a pedantic and frustrating read. Chapters are arbitrarily demarcated, and the same thoughts and ideas pervade each one. Of course, the author is so discursive in her writing that were it not for this repetition, one might have no idea what was going on at all. The author, in her bid to be poetic and "deep", manages to sacrifice lucidity and meaning. She frequently peppers her writing with paragraphs replete with sentences that sound nice, but don't actually mean anything or logically follow the idea she's thus far been conveying. For an English professor, she writes like a 10th grader, and seems to have committed the cardinal sin of NOT having drawn up an outline before hand, leaving her writing a jumbled, opaque mess. Plus, when it comes to literature, she's as bad as the ayatollah she condemns, as she presents all of her opinions and interpretations of the works as though they were fact and the only way to correctly read the texts in question. A little acknowledgment that her own personal experiences may be coloring her views would have tempered some of her more grandiose claims, and would have introduced some subtlety and self-awareness that this book ultimately lacks but desperately needs. I would have loathed to take a class with her!
   
   The structure of the narrative (such that it is) is poor, the narrator herself is frustrating, and the ideas are simplistic and obvious. Often times the writing comes off as "twee" and overly quaint (e.g., referring to one of her acquaintances as "her magician"; calling the members of her book group "her girls" even though some of them were married women with children of their own...). Perhaps some degree of excessive sentimentality is excusable in a memoir, but here it's just reproachable because the whole novel feels incredibly inauthentic. Nafisi cloaks her story in her overwraught writing, akin to the hijabs and chadors the women in her story must wear, rather than letting anything true shine through. It all rings false and fails to deliver anything of value, and it also completely failed to connect with this reader.
   
   Overall, this is a badly written book that fails spectacularly. It just goes to show that just because you love books, that doesn't mean you should go ahead and write one. I made it to page 70 before the repetition and poor writing finally got the best of me. Save yourself the headache and just read Lolita instead, wherever you are.



4. Fantastic book, not only does she give u a real insight into her experiences during a key period in Iranian history but also serves as a quasi course on English literature...yet remains fluid, wholly engaging and easy to read!



5. Azar Nafisi was the right person (an intellectual and writer) who was in the right place (Tehran University) at the wrong time (The Iranian Revolution). Having lived in both America and in Iran, she was in unusual position of teaching American Literature at a time in Iranian history when America was demonized as the Great Satan. In soft and exquisitely-recalled detail, she describes her professional struggle to keep her class interested in Western works like Nabokov's "Lolita" and Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby." Her struggle was to remain true to the meaning of the texts at a time when even leftist and secular students saw these works as evidence of Western decadence. Her personal struggles are also detailed, notably her attempts to remain free of the veil at a time when armed thugs and armed government morality squads roamed the streets.
   Nafisi's eventual departure from the university prompts her to hold class in her own home for interested students, mostly women. These students come from all over the political and religious spectrum, but are united in their love of literature. Nafisi and her students find themselves drawn into a relationship that touches on their personal lives, proving again the transformative power of literature in even the least hospital climates.
   The voice of Nafisi is quiet, deliberate, thoughtful, lyrical and courageous. More headstrong as a young woman, her defiance of government oppression and terror is more measured, but no less strong. But "Reading Lolita in Tehran" is far more than a memoir one woman's experience under a brutal regime. As she details the conversations and arguments that break out inside her classroom, we become more than spectators. We too are in attendance and begin to appreciate the depths that her favorite authors -- Austen, James, Nabokov, Twain and Fitzgerald -- are able to plumb in their novels. Nafisi's skill in drilling down to the bedrock values of these stories, even to the point of finding commonalities between the American novels and the Iranian experience, is surprising and seems all but inevitable.
   In spite of its length, I found this book very engaging. The occasional scholarly reflections were often staged as lively discussions among characters, even a scene in which a book was put on trial. A wonderful read for those who love literature and who would like a peek into the darkest years of the Khomeini-led Iranian revolution.

5 comments about Coming of Age in Mississippi.

1. In several books I've read regarding Southern History and slavery, this story actually surpised me. Without giving much detail, she becomes famous overnight. Ironic, but to drive into Jackson, Ms. you would never guess just how dangerous a place with was, in fact, all along the Delta and Mississippi was dangerous. She's a born fighter. Good book, takes off towards the end.



2. A must read for anyone interested in first hand accounts of the Civil Rights movement in the United States.



3. This is by far one of the best books I have ever read. "Of Coming Age In Mississippi" shows segregation and Civil Rights hardships like it has never been shown before. You feel Anne Moody's heart break and understand segregation how it really was in the deep south. HIGHLY recommended to anyone who wants to open their eyes to another cultural period and understand it for what it really was. It is real, heartbreaking, and impossible to put down.



4. Though I read this book many years ago, I had to strongly disagree with part of the editor's initial characterization of this book as being "angry". Powerful, painful and anxiety producing, yes. Angry, no.
   
   I personally came away with the lasting impression of a very honest and heart-felt description of the events and struggles that shaped Ann Moody's life, and her active participation in the Civil Rights Movement. She describes beautifully the fears and pains felt by communities during tragic events such as the murder of the young Emmett Till, and injects the intensity felt by the leaders of the Movement, including MLK Jr., as they constantly tried to dodge authorities.
   
   I strongly believe, and echo other reviewer's opinions, that every High School and young college student should be required to read this book.



5. Thus a civil rights advocate was born.
   
   I read this book seven years ago, on a whim, because I was wanting to understand why Southerners were especially proud of their heritage when there was so much suffering among its own people, especially its blacks.
   
   Ann Moddy lived a life that most whites would be ashamed of, but that many blacks endured. This is a part of American history that mainstreem history books seldom cover in any detail and leave to the "Black Studies" department.
   
   Moody lived her life struggling for identity, struggling for change, struggling for advancement. She made something of herself and has never looked back. (I read somewhere that she doesn't like to talk about her growing-up years and has lived a life of seclusion.). She can only be admired for what she has made of herself.
   
   Moody never once expresses hurt. All she wanted was justice for all. She left Mississippi with more than a tinge of anger.
   
   This book should be required reading for all social studies classes. It is engrossing without being sentimental or overly emotional (and it certainly is not "girly" at all.) For anyone, regardless of color, gender or legal status, this should be a must-read.

5 comments about A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League.

1. This book is another ghetto story that has a lot of rhetoric regarding "inner city" life that is packaged to appeal to those who have no idea that this is pure bulls**t. In the book the high school is described as a place where learning is discouraged and success is frowned upon. I was raised in Detroit (the real Detroit, not the suburbs) and I attended Detroit Public Schools. Furthermore I taught for Detroit Public Schools for six years and currently teach for Columbus Ohio City Schools. With about two decades of "inner city" school involvement as a teacher and a student, I have RARELY seen someone picked on because they got good grades. There are some serious issues with inner city education but it is not how they portrayed it. I have seen many students like Cedric and some of them were harassed. It was not because they were smart or had good grades; it was because they were socially clumsy and immature. Students who are socially immature are harassed in many schools, not just in the "inner city". Additionally, the book never mentions what happens to his classmates. The tone implies that they are stuck Southeast Washington. I understand that this book attempts to expose the trials and tribulations of a "inner city" student but it does so by portraying negative and untrue images. If someone wants to read the book to understand the life of an "inner city" student, don't read this book, go to an "inner city" school and see for yourself.



2. Written with amazing detail and sensitivity, "A Hope In the Unseen" manages to avoid making trite observations about race or poverty, which is uncommon



3. The protagonist makes no excuses for himself. I love that. I think he realised early on (after the book was written) that he wanted to be most of all "real." It wasn't to be about how he overcame, living in the ghetto etc but more importantly, the emotions and finding himself.
   At certain points, I am like this kid is not a very pleasant person but even with that I could understand where he was coming from. This made him real.
   He also along the way learnt he was in charge of his and only his destiny. He couldn't pull his siblings up. or his mom and I think for the longest time that must have irked him a lot.
   
   He had to also learn to let go of this incessant rage murking in his soul. He had to face these demons so he could finally interact in the real world in a full capacity. This was not easy for him to do and he had so many missteps.
   
   This is a tale not fairy tale perfect but gritty and still on-going, right now as we speak.
   
   Cheers,



4. Great book. It details the last year in high school, and the first year in college of Cedric, a determined, intelligent inner city black kid who fights to make it out of the ghetto and to the promised land -- an ivy league college where he won't be taunted, beaten and despised for being smart.
   I lost my first copy, and went out and bought a second. I loan it out to anyone I can. Cedric's story is very compelling and inspirational. I love to give it to people whose idea of a rough upbringing is that the family only owned one car . . .



5. A Hope in the Unseen was an engaging read and I absolutely fell in the love with the beginning. Cedric's life was put into a perspective that I could connect to and it was as if I could see everything through is eyes. It is a story that is uplifting and can be appreciated by people of any gender or color.
   
   However, I did find a few things to frown upon. One part of the book that bothered me was the constant racial labeling. Understandably it is one of the main themes throughout the story and it is what makes this book so appealing to many. You get to see a struggling young black man make it out of a situation where many others would have gotten swallowed up. Yet, to me it became annoying because when I would finally reach a moment when I could connect to the characters as people the writer, and sometimes Cedric, would draw the whole focus back to who was what race and where they come from. It is great to be proud of who you are and what your background is but it doesn't have to define you.
   
   During one of the later chapters we encounter Cedric and Zayd eating lunch. Zayd's friend, Josh, wanders over and immediately Cedric makes a remark about he should not be seen with two white guys. Whether he meant it jokingly or not it hurt Josh's feelings and created an awkward situation. Maybe it's because I just don't understand it but I think it was a little insensitive of Cedric. This was the only flaw that I had problems ignoring. It just seemed as if Cedric felt that he was entitled to be at Brown simply because he was a minority. Even if he wasn't in the minority, I sense a certain attitude that develops from attending an ivy league institution. It is almost as if by having your name on their roster that it makes you superior to everyone else.
   This is definitely not the case and if people to hold on to such a mentality is disturbing.
   
   Another problem I had with the novel was that after finishing such an uplifting story you start wondering what is next and if the system has ever changed. Sure, Cedric made it out and became successful but what about everyone else who was left behind? What about the students who were not as academically inclined or those who were not fortunate enough to have people supporting and pushing them like Cedric did? This book gives people an insight into a world that many are oblivious to. This could have been a great opportunity to open people's eyes about social injustice and to spark their interest in finding a way for more students to become like Cedric. I believe the author could have steered this book into becoming a link between the readers and social activism. Plenty of people have either had similar experiences or are now more aware of such situations and would be more than happy to support and contribute to any programs that are trying to turn this around. I believe more could have been done with A Hope in the Unseen in this regard.
   
   All in all, this story was fairly interesting and inspiring. It was definitely helpful to read about the transitions from high school to college and to see how one person dealt with the common worries of university life. However, I do not see myself recommending this to many people and I believe that it is highly overrated. I do not believe it is "formula shattering" as one reviewer described it. In fact I think it follows the basic guidelines to any underdog story. I felt as if I could have been reading any number of stories, except with a different setting and character. A Hope in the Unseen is good for classroom reading assignments or book clubs because it has many discussion points and may lead readers to be more aware of the various issues it touches on. Other than that, I must truthfully say that I would not have read this given the chance to choose it for myself.