5 comments about Tihkal: The Continuation.

1. Why hunt for mushrooms when you can make your own psilocybin



2. This is a fine contribution although 'The Continuation' might lead one to believe that both Pihkal and Tihkal are of the same sphere. I suppose they are, if one isn't well-read regarding the metabolism and synthesis of these two very different families of compounds. As a synthetic organic chemist, I appreciated not only the autobiographical sketch but also the synthesis/observation section. Some of his methods are a bit dated. However, they are indeed valid if you don't mind sacrificing yield and purity.



3. This book is thinner (in every sense) than it's more famous older sibling "PIHKAL", but is well worth getting if you're curious about what became of Shulgin after angering the government by publishing PIHKAL. For those with an academic interest in psychedelic drugs, it's almost a mandatory purchase, containing dozens of novel new tryptamine-based psychoactives (including several LSD derivatives), many of which are now available through the so-called "research chemical" trade. For better or worse, Shulgin's two books are landmark works in the developing relationship between the public, the government, and a dizzying array of new psychoactive drugs.



4. A penetrating, intellectually substantive work that earns its right at center stage on your bookshelf. Filled with enlightening perspectives and solid scientific thought, hours are spent absorbing its wisdom.

   Highly recommended.




5. This book is the much anticipated follow up to PIHKAL, and although it does contain some interesting information, the narratives are often disjointed and whimsical. It is as though the authors said almost everything that needed to be said in PIHKAL and included this additional commentary to satisfy themselves rather than the reading audience.

   The chemistry section, however, is superlative, and is more than well worth the cost of the book in and of itself if you are interestd in the subject matter.

5 comments about Black Baby White Hands: A View from the Crib.

1. As a mother, I believe the messages in this book to be so valuable that I do not want others to miss them. This motivates my following comments. Most of the reviewers here seem to understand the spirit of this book. A few do not. In particular, the two dated prior to my own show a fundamental misunderstanding of what this book is. The author is sharing the journey of emotions and thoughts he went on AS A CHILD. He is not railing at his parents as an adult. He is not complaining, being ungrateful, or feeling sorry for himself. He is doing just the opposite: Trying to show us how a person can take pain and learn how to grow from it, and that even in a "good" family and "good" community adopted children can struggle. This book is humorous and triumphant and loving. His descriptions of his family members are nothing but warm and loving. He is not arguing against transracial adoption but creating a window for better understanding it. I know for a fact that he has worked with thousands of transracially adoptive families in support of their journey. . . . . In the reviews in question, the only bitterness involved is the bitterness of the reviewers. Perhaps they were threatened or made to feel uncomfortable by the rawness and honesty of the book. They were clearly feeling defensive. They seemed to think they were being somehow attacked even though the author seems to go to pains to express his love and gratitude for his family. One of the reviewers admitted she did not even read the second half of the book. If she had, she would have read the part of the story in which John grew to realize that he had turned his struggles into something self-defeating. He realized that he needed to change how he felt about himself and take control of his life, regardless of how others related to him. Hello! It helps to actually read a book if you are going to review it. Not scan through it. Not defensively scour it for offending statements. But open up your mind and heart . . . . . I work with foster and adoptive youth as a social worker. I am a foster mother. I'm not the smartest cookie but I have tried my best to listen to these young people as they share their feelings. I have heard hundreds of them say the same thing over and over again: It is hurtful to be attacked as being ungrateful, complaining, and self-pitying whenever they try to get their parents, social workers, anyone to understand what they are going through. They can't stand it when people say: "Would you rather have stayed in foster care or in that horrible situation with your birth family?" They hear this dismissive comment all the time. We wouldn't say to children raised in their biological family: "Would you rather have not been born?" These children have a right to feel pain, express it, and not be attacked. The reviewers in question spewed out the very same hurtful comments that foster and adoptive youth everywhere have been saying are the worst attitudes we can take with them . . . . . And it does not matter that "any adoptive child" or "any Black child" or "any child in a same-race placement" could feel the same way as John did, as the reviewers snarled. That is not the author's point. His point is this is what HE felt, because of being adopted and being Black in a White environment, and yes, his own nature. His point seems to be that each of these things can leave children more vulnerable and that we need to be aware. He also NEVER claims to be speaking for the experience of other children. I don't know where the reviewers came up with this. It seems to be a result of defensiveness--not wanting to believe anything in the book might apply to their family? This book is a memoir. All it does is tell one child's story . . . . John found the courage to share publicly because he clearly wanted to invite us into a private, poorly understood reality of foster and adopted children so we might LEARN SOMETHING. He wasn't saying anything that I haven't heard many times from other youth separated from their families or who are racially isolated. He was just saying it in a unique and insightful way. A revealing way. So if we would like to dismiss his story as no more than self pity and bitterness, we are doing ourselves a disservice. This is what these children are feeling! Please do not let such reviews discourage you from this or other books. You have to ask yourself about such reviews, are they telling me more about the book or the reviewer? . . . . . I found this book to be very uplifting. It showed me the power of people and families to change and grow. This isn't a cream puff story that treads lightly and delicately on race and culture and family issues. He told his story in a truthful, positive way. He could only have achieved this by being at peace with himself. His story concludes with basically a celebration of how his life has shaped him. Please, find out for yourself. Our attitude as we read a book, and our own sensitivities, can dictate how we experience that book. Try this one with openness.



2. I was excited to read this book, but was very dissapointed and personally feel it is way overrated. The language used is supposedly "poetic", but I just found it pretentious and esoteric. More importantly, however, I feel that the author basically took his own experience as an unhappy, isolated child and searching, hyper-sensitive adult (which seemed to me to be more a function of the author's innate personality than the fact that he was transracially adopted... or at least a combination of the two) and used it to negatively represent/unfairly characterize all trans-racial adoption. It seemed to me that this author's emotional difficulties and struggles growing up would have existed even if he had been raised in a same-race home (not that they weren't exacerbated by his racially-based experiences). The impression given by the author is that he speaks for all trans-racially adopted children, and I do not think this is fair or at all accurate. There are of course some things that will apply to others, but his experience, being an unusually intense, emotional child raised in an isolated all-white environment 30 years ago, is completely different from that of a child raised in a more diverse environment in 2008. It would be fine if he simply presented the book as a personal memoir of his own specific experiences in life and left it at that. But that is certainly not the impression the book leaves... and I think it is being presented in some adoption circles as a universal reflection of the experience of any trans-racially adopted child, much to the detriment of today's trans-racial families and waiting children. I hope potential trans-racial adopters will not be so frightened by this one person's experience that they allow themselves to be discouraged from this path. As long as you are prepared to be culturally sensitive to your child, honor his heritage, and commit to making sure there are plenty of same-race role models in his life, trans-racially adopted children can indeed grow up to be healthy and happy and fully attached to their adoptive family. If you are looking for a more balanced view, two much better choices are "The Color of Water" by James McBride or "In Their Own Voices, Transracial Adoptees Tell Their Stories" by Rita Simon and Rhonda Roorda.



3. Honestly, I only made it half way through the book before I could not stand it anymore. Although the author is a very eloquent writer, his pity party over his life was more then I could bare. He was raised by wonderful loving parents who did the best they could to raise him with all the opportunities, guidance, love and affection they could. He had extended family that loved him and treated him with respect (and by his own admittance, some overcame huge prejudicial upbringings to fully love and accept him as their kin). He had friends that accepted him, and loving siblings. He had a better life then I would say the majority of children growing up in America do. He had enough food on the table, family traditions, safe housing, wonderful memories, and most importantly loving family bonds. Although he was adopted by white parents (the author is black), he himself admits that they rescued him from a neglectful foster home. He came home to them so neglected that his head was flat and his muscles weak. His parents nursed him back to health. He waited 9 long months for a family, and because there were no black placements available, he was adopted by a white family. ANY family is better then living in a negectful foster home. FAMILY is the most important thing! Just ask the children that age out of the foster care sytem without one, 50% end up homeless and on drugs. Yet, this author does nothing but complain about how hard it was to be black in a white family. He gives no real evidence of this, no one treated him badly, he did not have major negative experiences within his family, he just was sensitive and felt insecure. Just think how insecure and unloved he would have felt if he were never adopted. Or stayed with his birthmother who was in no condition to raise another child? His parents moved away from their families to raise their black sons in an environment that was not prejudice. They did the best that they could. But all the author felt was sorry for himself. He was insecure and was always convinced that people did not truly love or accept him, despite their actions. He blamed things like having to share the back, cold room (a room his parents made several attempts to heat and make more comfortable) with his brother because he was black. Please, my husband who was the biological son of white parents slept out in the camper when his family got too big for their home, not because he was unfavored but because he was the eldest boy! I think the author needs to get a life! And realize the blessings that he was given. There is a huge orphan crisis in the world. Millions of children are going to bed hungry with no one to kiss them goodnight. Should we allow them to suffer or should we look beyond race or culture and bring them into good homes, in which they will be loved and valued? Which is the bigger sin, to love someone unconditionally who looks different from you or to allow someone to suffer alone because they are different. This author needs to get over his insecurities and look at all the good things that he had in his life, see how others have to live, and thank his lucky stars. I for one, do not feel sorry for him.



4. This is truly an inspirational book which gives a clear demonstration of how a young black boy grew into a mature black man in a positive manner despite the serious emotional and painful struggles that occured due to a lack of required sensitivity around race. Jaiya's message is important for all adults involved in making critical decisions about the future of children. It provides a hightened awareness for birth parents, foster and adoptive parents and social work professionals. Jaiya's ability to share his experiences is a true blessing for others.
   
   Selena M. Simons
   Coordinator of Foster Care - BERMUDA



5. Jaiya John shows immense courage as he gives the early details of his life's journey. His sensitivity and honesty triumph as he describes childhood illusion, confusion, and isolation. The way he tells his story, anyone can easily understand and relate to, regardless of background. The poetry throughout is brilliant. I read this book hoping to learn about the perspective of adopted children and children in foster care; I gained the perspective and insight I was seeking, but received much more in the reading of this memoir. I am grateful for the opportunity, and encourage others to experience this compelling story.

5 comments about A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex.

1. If your a wrestling fan (more so from the late 90s) do yourself a favour and buy, borrow or steal a copy of this book, even if your not a big reader you won't want to put it down. I lent it to a couple of friends of mine who also watch wrestling and they too found it highly entertaining. If your not or have never been a wrestling fan then you may not care for it and lose interest at least thats the opinion I got from someone else I lent it to, however if you do fit this category what are you doing looking up jericho's autobiography?



2. If you like Chris Jericho, you HAVE to read this book! Who knew he was so funny?! A great read for any fan.



3. I had high hopes for Chris Jericho's debut biography A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex, and for the most part I enjoyed what I read. However, perhaps due to the extreme hype, comparing Jericho's debut book to Mick Foley's classic Have a Nice Day, or perhaps even due to my own personal expectations, I was let down just a little bit. My main gripe with the book is that Chris doesn't get as personal with the reader as one would have enjoyed. Mick really exposes himself and allows himself to be vulnerable, while Chris still seemed to be holding back, mainly in the personal life department.
   Also, unlike Foley's book or even Shawn Michaels' book, A Lion's Tale seems to coast between feelings of "things are going ok" and "things are going really well" without hitting any sort of rock bottom that could possibly expose Chris to the reader and allowing us to see Chris Irvine and forget about Chris Jericho. HBK's book and Foley's books had extreme lows which made the highs that much better; something that Chris' first outting is seriously lacking.
   All in all however, I do suggest that wrestling fans and Chris Jericho fans alike pick up the book, it's a promising first effort, but it's no "Have a Nice Day". A follow up on his WWF/E days should be mighty interesting though.
   
   Sean



4. Chris Jericho's autobiography, A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex takes a look at the life and times of everyone's favorite Lionheart of the wrestling world. This is purposely written as a "part one" of sorts as A Lion's Tale only details Jericho's wrestling endeavors up until his then WWF debut in 1999. I fondly recall being a die-hard Jerichoholic from his late 90s WCW exploits, but I had barely a clue about his indy wrestling days, so the book was going to contain a lot of new information. I had no idea how interesting it was going to be reading about a lot of his fellow indy wrestlers I wasn't familiar with. It turned out be pretty interesting after all. Jericho spends a lot of time writing in-depth about training in the notorious Hart Family Dungeon in Canada and trying to get matches in California and Japan.
   
   After finishing this book, Jericho did have one heck of an indy career. Reading about how he became a teeny-bop sensation in Mexico and how being a guest on Mexico's top late-night program led to a live call-in vote to determine his ring name was just a tiny sampling of his crazy days wrestling all over the world. Jericho also has many more peculiar tales of his days wrestling under circus tents in Germany, desperately seeking out a McDonalds while wrestling for WAR in Japan, and shooting rock star promos a decade behind the times for Smokey Mountain Wrestling while tagging with Lance Storm. Don't just skim over these parts, there is a lot of intriguing information to be discovered about Jericho and his days on the indy scene.
   
   I was really anticipating him talking about his ECW and WCW tenure, and it delivered. He didn't spend too much time in ECW, just a few months and not even 30 matches before he was discovered and swept by WCW. His three year WCW run is by far the highlight of the book for me, most likely because it was what I was most familiar with and for his unique insight to what went on behind the scenes in WCW during the crazy nWo era. I was glued to the book to when Jericho detailed what he had to go through in order to get his storyline with Goldberg to go as far as it did, and still have no blowoff match to it all.
   
   It is very refreshing to see this book bring up a couple topics in great detail that aren't in most other wrestler's books that are published under the WWE Books label like steroid use and wrestler salaries. It's just too bad the book only covers his Pre-WWF/WWE years, I guess that's what the sequel is for, but if you can get by the fact he doesn't talk about his WWE years (he does talk about the process that lead to his signing and debut as the book ends the moment he interrupts the Rock's promo on this 8/99 RAW debut), than by all means check this one out.
   A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex



5. I usually read a wrestling book as a summer read and this year i read a Lion's Tail. A great book about a journey from the begining to what has become a possible hall of fame career. I highly recommend it.

3 comments about Mexican Enough: My Life between the Borderlines.

1. When she finally buried her shovel in Mexican soil she had no idea how rich the ground might be. No longer satisfied with simply being considered a Latina on applications, Griest, who learned Russian to travel in the former Soviet Union and Chinese to live in China, decided it was finally time to learn Spanish by traveling Mexico.
   
   In her best and most heartfelt book yet, Griest documents both her amazing process of embracing the wild, dangerous, loving, and enthralling calliope that is Mexico and its volatile political and social atmosphere. Along her way, Griest meets farmers and activists, gay men and macho wrestlers, revolutionaries and victims of violence. Each encounter changes both writer and reader.
   
   All the while the main question is hovers in the sky: What does it mean to be Mexican? Can a woman from Texas with roots in rural Mexico and the Kansas prairie find her reflection in brown eyes or blue eyes?
   
   Read the book. Griest's journey resonates with all of us who struggle to define ourselves in a complicated world.
   
   --



2. I found this amazing book to be very compelling. This author always gets to the very core of the people, visiting areas where tourists do not tend to tread. In Mexico, she not only does not hide the bad and ugly, but also takes us into the private lives of the good and the beautiful. Reading her book was like being her travel companion on her personal quest for the holy identity Grail. I highly recommend this book for anybody interested in Mexico. We all share in its history, its people and its culture. I also highly recommend this book to anybody wanting to take a journey of discovery into their own ancestral motherland. Stephanie inspires one to do so.



3. 
   I loved this author's other books, so I was really looking forward to "Mexican Enough." It does not disappoint. She routinely throws herself into the craziest situations (like sneaking into a prison in Oaxaca, or spending the night in a Zapatista camp in Chiapas) and finds the most amazing stories. I learned so much about Mexico, from the impact of NAFTA and immigration, to pop culture like lucha libre (think: Nacho Libre). Some of the stories are pretty heartbreaking, but there is a lot of humor as well. Even though I am not Latina, I can relate to her questioning her cultural identity, and whether or not she is "enough." It also reminds me of this ongoing debate about Obama being "black enough." That makes this an especially timely book.

5 comments about Dough: A Memoir.

1. I may have gone into this book with a bit too much anticipation, in hopes of juicy family secrets, lies, twists and turns, but in the end I was let down. Every time I picked up the book I was expecting an ascend towards a climax, but it never seemed to come. Despite the reference of money in the title, the author seems to use it simply to tell the story of a run-of-the-mill Jewish-American family, money or none.
   But it was the simpleness of the family, the quirkiness of the characters and the peak inside Jewish daily traditions that kept my interest. It was an easy read, but not something I would pass on to a friend.



2. Mort Zachter did a fabulous job on this memoir. The title weaves the history of the family bakery with the surprise inheritance of millions.
   
   Mort and his family grew up in New York and struggled. His two eccentric uncles ran a bakery that was the center of family life. They were tightwads and so it was a surprise to Mort when he learned of the family fortune.
   
   It sparks a multitude of questions which I hope will be addressed in subsequent works.
   
   It also may make your quirky relatives look tame...
   
   Other reviews have spoken about the content but I believe it is best to let readers discover the secret ingredients in this gem for themselves.
   
   It is a short but powerful read and I recommend it.



3. From the first sentence to the last, I was engrossed in this book. I have a fondness for personal stories, especially stories about Joe and Jane Commonperson, which is what this book is about - some average guys who work hard their whole lives at what seems to be a business that doesn't make a whole lot of money, but over their 60 years or so career, they save millions of dollars.
   
   Their story is told from the perspective of their grand-nephew, Mort Zachter (the author), who is now an adult and inherited most (all?) of their money when they died.
   
   Bouncing back and forth between the real time of today in the last few years of his uncle's life, as he succumbed to Alzheimer's, and into the past, Zachter tells the story of an immigrant family that comes to New York City and sets up a bread selling store in the early 1900s. The historical stories are told with love and affection, but never sentimentally - Zachter is willing to point out foibles, tensions, arguments, and even a possible very active sex life for one of his life-long bachelor uncles. On this odyssey through history, trying to piece his uncles' (and thus his family's) history, he touches on the experience of Jewish immigrants, Judaism and religion (and lack thereof), forgiveness, redemption, family squabbles and dysfunction as well as family banding together and supporting one another, disappointment, joy, and so much more.
   
   Throughout the book, Zachter makes mention that what he always really wanted to be was a writer, but his family pushed him to go into business and accounting, which he dutifully did. I'm glad he finally broke down (or, I suppose, inherited up) and decided to be a writer. He is definitely made to be a writer. His use of words and flow of story is beautiful to behold and very easy to read. In the hands of a lesser writer, the back and forth in time would be confusing and obnoxious, but he makes it work.
   
   This book was, for me, an absolute delight to read - many memories of places in my beloved New York City that are not there any more, a compelling literate and beautiful writing style, and an honest historical look at some interesting real people, warts and greatness all. It's so good, I read it in two days - I hated putting it down.
   
   I can't recommend this one enough. I look forward to more books from him.



4. I won't go too much into the summary of the story as there are already many reviews that cover this. I had some mixed feelings about this book initially. I found the concept that the author's uncles amassed a fortune quite interesting and liked how the use of visiting his childhood memories was employed. This helped to make his search for any indications that his uncles were amassing this fortune much more interesting.
   
   But overall, I found that the story was very thought provoking. If I had a similar situation, how would I feel? I think that I say this because I have two eccentric aunts that live similarly. I am not sure if I would be bitter at the fact that a lot of the financial hardships I could have faced could have been avoided. I think that I would be more elated by having inherited a large sum of money.
   
   I gave this book 4 stars because it really did stimulate my imagination and made me think if I had any closet rich relatives. I put this value along the same line as buying a lottery ticket - even though I know I won't win, it was worth a couple of bucks to have that optimism and hope and fantasize what I would do if I got rich.



5. I think everyone fantasizes about having a wealthy relative leaving some money to them after said relative passes on.
   
   Much to the complete astonishment of Zachter, this is exactly what happens, and the compelling narrative explores how the money came to be and why the family lived as if it never existed. Jokes are made about certain aspects of Jewish culture, but this book plumbs the depths of the lives of Jewish immigrants, those stereotypes and reasons for them, and reveals an unforgettable story about an unforgettable family on the Lower East Side of Manhattan (before it became the trust fund playground it is today).
   
   Another reviewer mentions Zachter's surprising windfall and then his profit from telling the story of it, but I'm not even mad because it was a story that needed to be told. Along that vein, for more interesting and funny essays on money from various writers, check out the anthology Money Changes Everything, edited by Jenny Offill and Elissa Shappel!

5 comments about Color Me Butterfly: A True Story of Courage, Hope and Transformation.

1. This book was amazing from start to finish. It was so interesting that I breezed right through the 400 plus pages. I highly recommend this book to any and every woman. Whether you suffer from domestic violence or not, all of us could learn something from this book. I look forward to reading more books in the future by Ms. Marlow.



2. My book club selected this book for our September meeting. I wasn't thrilled about reading when the book when I saw that it had over 400 pages, but this feeling quickly changed. This is a wonderful easy read, but more importantly, it tells the generational story of abuse experienced within one family. The reader is able to see what occurs in three generation of women who have suffered abuse, and the fourth generation where it's finally broken.
   
   I highly recommend this book.



3. This book was chosen by one of our book club members. The book was amazing...I could not put it down I kept telling myself okay one more chapter and then another and so on. The story made me cry, made me angry, made me think about my life and my circumstances. It showed me the true strength of a woman. I truly know why children are so much closer to their mothers's. Please read this book it's a quick read and you will thank me for my recommendation. Enjoy and remember to cast thy burdens on the Lord and he will sustain thee. L. Y. Marlow you are an amazing woman.



4. I am amazed at how this book was put together from a real true story. It was great to read. I am sorry her father never got to understand his personal life how he became so evil and I do not blame the kids for not wanting to see him or talk with him. Some of the horrible treatment he gave their mother and his children and only think he got was nothing.



5. Color Me Butterfly is a very inspiring book. It lets one know that generational curses are real. It also shows that through strenght and perserverence that generational curses can be overcame. L.Y. Marlow did an excellence job in showing the struggles that takes place in so many african-american family. Whether it is domestic violence,teenage pregnancy or whatever the curse may be it can be broken.

5 comments about On the Edge of Nowhere.

1. What a great read! Awe Inspiring, Alaskan all the way. Does not get more raw than that! I grew up in the bush hearing tales of the good old days. This is a story worth every word.



2. I spent time in the village of Huslia and actually taught in the school Jimmy started there. I met Jimmy's brother Sidney, who also wrote an awesome book, SHADOWS ON THE KOYUKUK. This is a beautiful, but harsh country where survival was not a given. This is a marvelous book..... unforgetable........ a must-read for a lover of adventure and the wilderness!



3. Recently, I have been fascinated by Alaska and the people that inhabit(ed) its interior. The life of Jim Huntington is to be admired by everyone. This book was a fast read and a real page turner. It is more adventurous than many fictional tails I have read. Excellent and should be read by everyone.



4. I think I bought the last eight copies, so please order more, Amazon. I teach high school in the Alaskan bush, and it is extremely difficult to find books that my non-readers enjoy reading that also have academic value. This book, and "Shadows on the Koyukuk" by Sidney Huntington, Jimmy's brother, have given my students insight into the transition between traditional Native culture and current native culture with its White influence and inclusion. My copies are going into the Alaska History tub of materials from our district resource center, to be shared by the other schools in our district. We will need more copies.



5. Jimmy Huntington wrote the best read I have seen in awhile--not too flowery, just basic truth. I loved it!!! Bonnie

5 comments about Once a King, Always a King: The Unmaking of a Latin King.

1. Once A King Always A King.
   The Unmaking of a Latin King.
   Author:Reymundo Sanchez. 283 pp.
   Independent Publishers Group. $24.00
   
   Reymundo Sanchez is motivational in urging gang members to abandon their lives on the street and start again. Temptations are constantly presented, however, the long-term satisfaction of accomplishments outweigh the temporary obstacles. Reymundo also reminds the other members of society that there are countless problems caused by this dangerous activity. In short, "Once A King Always A King" is written to merge a world full of crime with the unresponsive public to exhibit the need for the world to "refocus."
   The author's name, Reymundo Sanchez is the pseudonym for a former Latin King member no longer living in Chicago. Due to the fact that the story is a personal account, the hidden identity is acceptable. Although there is no way to locate this man, it is easy to recognize some of his work. "Once A King Always A King" is written as a sequel to a book entitled "My Bloody Life."
   Reymundo reaches his goal through the rawness of events and crude conclusion. An example of the effectiveness in simplicity is when "Rey" begins to develop strong feelings for a brilliant Puerto Rican woman named Marilyn. Sanchez says: "I respect you so much for what you have accomplished in your life, in the same period of time that I have done nothing. And now, well; now not only do I respect you but also I feel so good when I'm with you. I don't think I can say that about any other woman who has come into my life." Seeing thrugh the eyes of a substance-abuser who lacks education, a supportive family, and real freedom adds a genuine presence to each word.
   Even after living a comfortable lifestyle where I have been offered opportunities ranging from culture to extracarricular activities, this book has allowed me to accept Reymundo Sanchez as a person who stands to represent thousands. Unfortunately, the intensity results in a very graphic novel filled with inappropriate language, which limits age reccomendation. Nonetheless, editing would make the book flowery. Gang life in Chicago deserves accurate representation. Hopefully, closing the book will not push the isses aside. Instead, you will be instilled with a desperate desire to keep future generations off the streets. Life has so much to offer. Bring people back today.



2. Heads up to anyone that is about to read/purchase this book! I previously read Reymundo Sanchez previous book about his life as a Latin King, and though I did not believe all which he had written; I did consider it an interesting book. Unfortunately, in this current book, if you read VERY carefully, Sanchez states that this is not an autobiographical memoir, but rather a true-life story about the LIVES OF A FEW Latin King members made into the fictional life of ONE PERSON!!!! Therefore, like I had previously thought,this book is not at all true! Sanchez is a good writer and he must be given credit for that. But, he shouldn't have written this story as his own true-to-life events, when in fact it was based on happenings that occurred to a few of friends. Sanchez converts all of this information into one fictional person for his book, wants us to believe this his his true-life sob story!



3. I found this book very interesting and informative, but it's poorly and childish written... It's very easy to read, I finished it in just a couple of hours...Reymundos story is great, but he lacks professionalism.



4. I live in the neighborhood and see the same things that the author went through in the youth today. Gang life destroys neighborhoods and familys and it saddens me to know that life continues to get worse for these young confused children that don't have God in their life.



5. In a world dominated by drugs, sex, and violence Raymundo Sanchez begins to see an exit to the Latin Kings, one of Chicago's most feared Latino Gangs. He knows that to leave the gang will mean taking a three minute head to toe beating by three Latin Kings, something which could easily leave him dead.
   
   Having earned the name "Lil Loco" in the prequel My Bloody Life for his random acts of violence and his alcohol, drug, and sex addictions Sanchez is now faced with the ultimate decision. Leave the Latin Kings once and for all or become more involved and continue his path to self destruction.
   
   After being arrested, Sanchez has to face jail time which allows him to slow down his life and see things from a different perspective. He begins to see the Latin King's original message, to protect the Puerto Rican community, has faded and is now overcome by power and greed. The Latin Kings have turned on each other.
   
   He must deal with their motto, "once a king, always a king." If he leaves the gang life he will always be haunted by his past. Others will always see him as a Latin King even if he's not involved. His life will always be in danger by rival gangsters.
   
   The inability to keep a relationship due to his pimp lifestyle causes him to leave the one person who truly loved him. He must fight nightmares night after night, reliving the moments of death and pain he caused others.
   
   Raymundo Sanchez's journey as he tries to leave the Latin Kings illustrates the struggle of leaving the gang life but in the end it proves well worth it.

1 comments about 7 años secuestrado por las FARC.

1. This is another excellent account by an individual who was kidnapped by the FARC for seven years. It's an insight that no reporter would be able to give unless they too had been kidnapped.
   
   Do not miss this one....

5 comments about Storm of Steel (Penguin Classics).

1. For most people who only know World War I from their high school days when they did a book review on "All Quiet On The Western Front" this book is required reading. Against the spate of anti-war books by those who saw limited service and little combat, Ernst Juenger's book is truly authentic. He fought for his nation to win, and it was not until the Ludendorf offensive that he participated in during the Spring of 1918 was stopped (in his opinion, due to German artillery blocking the infantry's advance), that the author came to feel that Germany might lose the war. After all, at that time Romania, Serbia and Russia had been defeated, Italy was in disarray, the French relatively inactive, and the Americans had not yet arrived in strength. And it must be remembered that Germany always possessed inferior numbers compared to the allies on the Western front.
   
   The author has been condemned and marginalized in the US for his unabashed nationalism by the American leftist academic and political elite to the point that he is almost unknown in the English-speaking world. Juenger did his duty willingly and with enthusiam for four long years in combat on the Western front during World War I, and his refusal to condemn war has made him anathema to the Western literary world. Even though Juenger was not a Nazi and resisted Hitler's siren songs, his love for his country was enough to have his work censored through silence.
   
   The reader should carefully read the review by the Washington Post writer given above. Tellingly he states his personal viewpoint, "Like many people, I have absolutely no love for the martial spirit, detest all forms of nationalism, and feel queasy at the sight of blood." Hopefully the ER personnel attending to him following an accident will be able to function while seeing blood, but I guess "God Bless America" is out, and the Post reviewer will avoid service in the American Army with whatever excuse. This is the contemporary attitude of the liberal elite and media, formed over the last sixty years of leftist propaganda in our schools, universities, and on television. Juenger would be appalled.
   
   This translation by Hofmann is better than the ones I have read previously, but German speakers are advised to read his works in their original German. Hofmann effectively translates the German idioms that have stumped other translators and the Introduction should be read carefully to understand why a faithful translation is important. This volume is based on Juenger's revised edition (Juenger revised his book at least eight times), most probably the latest one from 1961.
   
   This book was written from Juenger's diary originally in 1920, is not fiction, and is the only extensive work from World War I from a long-serving combat soldier in the war. That alone makes it important, but that it is well-written and describes four major battles from the viewpoint of the soldier in the trenches makes it uniquely invaluable. That it remains almost unknown in the US is a tragedy and due exclusively to the powers that abhor the military and nationalism at any level -- even that for the United States.
   
   The details I leave to the many other reviewers who have more than adequately covered the tragedy and frightfulness of war. Juenger retains a sense of humor throughout, and even suggests that war is the most pronounced experience that a man can undergo. For the doubters, please read Glenn Gray's "The Warriors." In many respects, World War I was probably the most terrifying war in history for the individual infantryman. He lived a terrible existence in mud and squalor, subject to death at any moment from the ever-present artillery fire, and his survival depended more on chance than on his own skills. To some degree that changed in World War II and in subsequent wars where individual skills played an increasingly larger part in determining a soldier's survival.
   
   In short, BUY & READ this book. Don't accept passively what you are told to believe by the media, your teachers and professors. Juenger is well worth the read and you may actually learn something about lives of soldiers in World War I. Juenger is certainly an Alpha-male type, but his true story is as important as those written by anti-war fiction writers and those with political agendas.



2. STORM OF STEEL offers WWI from a German soldier's point of view, but Erich Maria Remarque it ain't. All told, author Ernst Junger was shot multiple times, yet would live not only to write this book (and many others) but to celebrate his 103rd birthday (attended by an unusually patient Grim Reaper-in-Waiting).
   
   On the penultimate page of this book, he writes: "Leaving out trifles such as ricochets and grazes, I was hit at least fourteen times, these being five bullets, two shell splinters, one shrapnel ball, four hand-grenade splinters and two bullet splinters, which, with entry and exit wounds, left me an even twenty scars." Like George Washington (who also was shot at, over, under, and through), someone seemed to be watching over Junger.
   
   Fans of war literature will relish this book. Junger takes the reader through the trenches of Flanders, the Somme, Cambrai, Langemarck, and many other WWI locales. His narrative is straightforward and blunt, including many details on soldiers' deaths (German AND British) with a full compliment of gory details. He seldom editorializes or pontificates, and even acts as if gas attacks are normal (well, they were -- then). The narrative has that "rubbernecker" effect going for it. The appalling body counts almost carry you forward, despite your disbelief at the complete waste of humanity. Meanwhile, Junger riffs on tests of manhood and the rush (along with the fear) that is war.
   
   Junger writes: "In war you learn your lessons, and they stay learned, but the tuition fees are high." Understatement. With examples of both mercy and bloody resolve, Junger's behavior will continue to astonish readers as they read his detailed account. Unencumbered by any attempts at high art or literary flair, STORM OF STEEL will put you there, giving you a real taste of how fleeting life was for these young men. The War had no winner and only one loser -- humanity itself -- only Junger chooses not to state as much. Instead, he trusts in his readers. Recommended for fans of history, WWI, and war literature. If you've read other works in the WWI canon, this is a worthy addition.



3. a straight-forward soldier's book written by a man who went through the whole war in the front lines - and survived! pleasingly free of the political whining and hand-wringing the saturates so many of the accounts written by 'our side' about this bloody and pointless conflict. the narrative touches on all aspects of the military experience of a member of the p.b.i. (poor bloody infantry) and can serve for those on any side or army in this meat grinder of a war. i've been reading a couple of books a week on military history for about 50 years and rate this book in the top three personal accounts - a truly excellent work.



4. This is an amazing book to read. Junger was a stormtrooper--the German soldiers who lead the first wave into the trenches--for something like four years. It seems extraordinary that anyone could have survived such a holocaust, let alone four years of it. There is very little in the way of emotional expression in this book, or personal or political observation. Junger devoted his writing to the material details of the battle. This book takes you right into it with unforgettable detail--the acrid smoke, the seemingly ceaseless rain of artillery. More of Jungers men seem to be felled by German artillery than the opposition. Junger describes a scene in which a battery is destroyed and a single horse survives, fleeing across the desolate landscape, "a white ghostly figure." From the very first minutes on the line, artillery remained a constant danger for these men. The book describes harrowing scenes of shootouts with snipers and machine gunners, shooting men at pointblank range with pistols. One scene describes a group of British cornered in a trench. Junger's men throw grenades into the trench. After each blast, helmets, rags of body parts, and blood flies up in the air. His unit moves forward to the edge of the smoking trench to finish the British off, only to be mowed down by British rifle fire as they prepare to fire. This is combat at its most intense! An ungorgettable read that takes you into the eye of the storm of steel. Definitely, good reading. You won't be able to put it down.



5. At first I thought this book was going to turn out to be one of those books that were written at a different time that just couldnt have a style to keep readers this day and age interested. I was wrong. Junger has a style all his own and you will feel has if you are the one standing in his boots through all the epic battles and hardships. You can almost see the mortor shells landing around him with all the carnage that goes with them. You will feel happy when he triumphs, and sad when men are there one minute and gone forever the next. This book will only get better the further you get into and the ending I will admit put a tear to my eye, this man deserved everything he earned and more. His final battle is one you will not be able to put down. I found my self reading paragraphs two and even three times over again convincing my self that my eyes were not playing tricks on me. This book is a must have for anyone who is even mildly interested in combat novels.