5 comments about A Rip in Heaven: A Memoir of Murder And Its Aftermath.

1. As one reviewer has noted, this is not a typical addition to the true crime genre. It shares much in common with Strange Piece of Paradise in that both are attempts by a victim/family member to depict the aftermath of a crime. Where Terri Jentz had to confront years of not knowing who her attacker was, Jeanine Cummins and family had to face having a beloved family member being accused of killing two other beloved family members.
   
   It's hard to review a book such as this without a certain amount of sympathy entering into one's judgment. It is for me, at least. This is not the best written non-fiction book you'll ever read, nor is the prose in it the most fluid. It is also, because of Cummins' decision to tell this in the third-person, the most emotionally wrought. But it is better written than most first person accounts I've read. Cummins takes considerable pains to bring Julie and Robin Kerry to life, to make the reader feel the loss Cummins and her family felt. The horror of their deaths (and the nature of their deaths) is compounded when Cummins' brother is accused of their murders.
   
   This is the story of the death of innocence, both literal and figurative. By the time the murders are caught, turn on each other and three are sentenced to death there little sense of justice for the family. Two girls have been gang-raped and murdered, one of the bodies has never been found. The survivor of the attacks has been first branded the likely suspect by the press then must relive the events over and over, in the trials and the subsequent parole hearings. As if this isn't enough agony, they must endure having the convicted murderers still claim their innocence and blame one of the victims. The question of Why? remains unanswered by the perpetrators and possibly unanswerable.



2. I had this book on my book shelf for a while and hesitated to read it because I knew that it would be painful and depressing. This is the first book that I have read regarding true crime where you really feel to the core the effects and aftermath on the living. This book is excellent, well written, and one of the few books you read that will stay with you and effect how you process stories that you read and watch in the future. After reading this, you truly comprehend the pain and lasting effects that violence has on everyone left behind.



3. I have little to add to the other reviewers here. But as one who has written about victims myself, I believe this is the best account I've ever read of the devastation criminals leave in their wake.
   
   Read this not merely to learn about a heinous crime or evil men. Read it to meet two wonderful young women, or maybe three -- Julie and Robin, the victims, and Jeanine Cummins, the author.



4. I went to high school with Robin and Julie. I can't drive over the Mississippi River without thinking about them. The newspaper articles, and TV interviews in St Louis were mainly focused on Tom's (the cousin) guilt, and these "mystery 4 men". I was glad to hear a book had been written from "their" point of view. When I say "their" I mean Robin and Julie. Robin and Julie are gone, and no longer have a voice for themselves, so Jeanine did the best she could to capture this horrible moment in time, and the aftermath it caused.
   
   I feel that as much hatred that she COULD have to the four men that murdered her cousins, and let her brother be blamed for the crimes, Jeanine was fair, and kind to the men. She did not make excuses for their actions, but she did explain how a fun night out, a decision to rob, could turn so dangerous and deadly in minutes.



5. Although this is a true crime book and heartbreaking, it is also a heartwarming story. The love and concern Ms. Cummins had for her brother and cousins radiated from the pages as she told the story of the death of her cousins and near death of her brother. I was so moved by the story that I sent Ms. Cummins an email to let her know how she touched me and that I wished her a great future as an author. I was so surprised a few months later to receive an answer back, thanking me for my email. What a class act and her family should be so proud. May her cousins rest in peace and her brother have a wonderful life.

5 comments about Whale Hunt In The Desert: The Secret Las Vegas Of Superhost Steve Cyr.

1. Take a spectacular author writing about a spectacular person and you end up with a spectacular book!! This is an incredible read...it is by far the best book on high rollers and their hosts ever written. It is an "insider" view of Vegas that is both fascinating and revealing: a high octane blast of Superhost Steve Cyr and his multi-million dollar casino "whales" (high limit players) that will keep you turning pages faster than a blackjack pro can deal cards. If you want a glimpse of how a top casino host operates, the kinds of comps and treatment afforded high rollers, and the lifestyle and gambling habits of the truly wealthy...this book is for you. It's the next best thing to a seven figure credit line! Enjoy.



2. Although the last few chapters are clunky, the rest of the book is so good that I really didn't care! What a fabulous glimpse into the good, the bad, and the truly ugly sides of the cream-of-the-crop gamblers and their relationship with the casinos who host them.
   
   I just was fascinated to peek behind the curtain (or in this case, above the ordinary hotel rooms and inside the high-roller gaming areas).
   
   The next time I'm in Vegas, I'll be doing a lot more than looking for a "fun" slot machine or table game to try out ... I"ll be whale watching!



3. This is a book about an egotistical, self promoter. If you want to read about how great Cyr believes he is buy this book. You would think this guy was working on the cure for cancer rather than getting people that already want to come to the casino to actually come to the casino.
   No new stuff here.



4. As a gambler, I learned alot from the book. I never realized my casino host's bonus was tied to our losses. I always thought they were sincere. The book covers most subjects is good detail, however, it seems to loose steam towards the end. It is worth reading, especially if you gamble.



5. I enjoyed this book as it informs the reader how the behind the scenes casino hosting business works. What a job to have!

5 comments about Palace Cobra: A Fighter Pilot in the Vietnam Air War.

1. Once again the author goes into combat above North Vietnam. This time in an F-4 Phantom. Although the plot is similar to his earlier book, "When Thunder Rolled", this one's different enough not to feel like a warmed-over rehash. The only thing the same is his fantastic ability to "tell it like it is". Chronologicaly, the events described came after his other book but you need not have read it to enjoy this. Along with Ken Bell's "100 Missions North" this has to be one of my favorites. You come away from it with a much better understanding of the complexities of the war from a strategic as well as tactical view. The mundane day-to-day stuff balanced with the terror they must have felt flying over the most heavily defended airspace known to man. The aircrews involved did a great job in spite of the adversities and this book tells one brave pilot's story superbly!



2. 
   Rasimus returns to Vietnam for a second tour after transitioning to F-4's. We are indebted to Rasimus for his courage and his intellect. The book is superb.
   
   The book covers the air war from the height of air war against North Vietnam and the massive B-52 raids to the dog days near the end of the war when the REMF's came to get their tickets punched. Rasimus captures it all, from the sweaty, terror filled minutes of endless Sam killing missions deep over North Vietnam to the days near the end of the war when US planes did not venture into North Vietnam. The friendly skies of South Vietnam brought out those who had avoided the air war in various Pentagon burrows to get their 201 files filled with combat flying. Rasimus sorts out the good guys like Robin Olds from the slackers with a sharp knife.
   
   What differentiates this book from many other fine books is Rasimus' intellect and writing skills . Highly recommended.



3. Whilst putting you very much in the cockpit Mr Rasimus has at the same time managed to produce a thoughtful, insightful, and instructive book that gives an excellent view of the experiences, feelings and thoughts of what it meant to be a fighter pilot in the later years of the Vietnam war. An excellent sequel to his earlier book. Highly recommended.



4. Outstanding commentary of a two tour aerial war veteran of the Vietnam
   War. We were winning every time he and I left Nam.



5. ED RASIMUS WAS IN A GOOD POSITION TO DOCUMENT THE CHANGES IN ATTITUDE,TACTICS AND OPPOSITION LEVELS ENCOUNTERED IN 1966 AND THOSE IN 1972.IT IS A COLORFULL ,HONEST WITH NO PUNCHES PULLED BOOK.HE TAKES YOU ALONG IN THE COCKPIT WHERE YOU CAN ALMOST TASTE AND FEEL WHAT HE WENT THROUGH.WELL WRITTEN AND THOUROUGHLY ENJOYABLE BOOK !

5 comments about Stealing Buddha's Dinner: A Memoir.

1. This book is just okay. There were a few insighful moments about acculturation and religion, but nothing really new in the ethnic-american and/or memoir genre. It's a nice collection of memories, especially if you grew up in the 1980's. However, it lacks good storytelling. Nothing really happens. I find it surprising that the author teaches literature and creative writing. Overall, disappointing.



2. There is much to enjoy in "Stealing Buddha's Dinner." It is a nostalgic, pop culture fueled book that will appeal to anyone who can't leave the '80s behind. It is also a touching, almost gut wrenching story about Vietnamese boat people and their assimilation in the US. These two threads coalesce in a narrative that is centered around eating, particularly the American junk food that Bich Minh Nguyen glamorizes while growing up in Grand Rapids, MI.
   
   On the food front, I can relate to the author. I grew up in Minnesota during the same years, and my childhood was full of longing for the colorful candy and fast food that my parents disallowed. I used to steal away to the neighbors and luxuriate in junk food and bad TV. Good times. (Then again, when candy and toys look alike, that may be a sign of a culture headed towards an obesity epidemic. But I digress.) Nguyen writes in great detail about food, making this the literary equivalent of those nostalgia picture books that take you back. She also ties in a lot of pop culture -- music, TV, clothes. food -- somehow all these things slip into one category.
   
   Far more poignant are Nguyen's tales of her assimilation into American culture. I wasn't expecting this to go as deeply as it did; by the end the author has learned family secrets and reunited with lost relatives. I was almost crying by the evocative final chapter. It's amazing to me what people go through to get to this country, only to be met by mixed blessings.
   
   "Stealing Buddha's Dinner" is not without its problems. It skips around a lot, and many chapters don't rise to the quality of writing that the last few paragraphs achieve. Call it uneven. It is also truthful, fun, moving, and engrossing. I doubt I'll read this author again, but I'm grateful for this dip into her world.



3. As a child of the 80s (which was truly a silly time to grow up with the hairstyles and fractal patterned Trapper Keepers and whatnot), and a lover of food, I found much to love about this book.
   
   There were a few passages that I found to be a little off-track, like the chapter where the author rhapsodizes about the Laura Ingalls Wilder's books.
   
   But on the whole, I viewed it as a tiny but vivid window into the immigrant experience. I could find some way to relate to every member of the author's family, even when they were not on their best behaviour. I especially loved her depiction of her grandmother, Noi, who has such a lovely peaceful and nuturing presence throughout the book.
   
   The book was thoughtfully crafted and planned out, and beautifully written. I would recommend it to others.



4. As a Vietnamese-American, I related on so many levels. I laughed out loud, too many similar thoughts and experiences.



5. I really enjoyed this book. It is a fascinating look at the complications of being a first generation Vietmamese American. The places where cultures clash are sometimes very amusing and sometimes hard to take, but always enlightening.

5 comments about Going Gray: What I Learned about Beauty, Sex, Work, Motherhood, Authenticity, and Everything Else That Really Matters.

1. Going Gray (What I learned about beauty, sex, work, motherhood, authenticity and everything else that really matters), by Anne Kreamer, Little Brown, New York, is the sort of book title that the average man would pass on as probably girlish fluff. If a bald man is seen perusing this volume in a bookstore, chances are he's read Nora Ephron and has recently had a pedicure.
   
   And yet, stereotyping aside, Anne Kreamer has, almost inadvertently, written a book that, through the lens of its thesis, offers social and psychological insights into aging Americans of the demographic widely known as Baby Boomers. Today's fifty-somethings grew up in a culture that celebrated youth. With prescription medications now available to restore rosy optimism and sexual potency, what magic elixir might restore the appearance of youth? The elixir is hair color. The question Ms. Kreamer asks is existential: how does the magic in it work? And if there is no magic, what does that mean?
   
   The answer is not immediately apparent; we take our belief systems for granted as valid, and hair color has evolved as a mainstay of middle age. It was not until the author saw a photograph of her dark-haired self next to her teenage daughter that the white lie of hair color began to resound larger implications for her. What is truth and what is illusion, and does one wear the other as a mask in this case? If truth is beauty, then untruth moves us closer on the reality grid to the locus of ugliness, but what person, especially in their fifties, wants to go there? Anne Kreamer pushes that query, hoping to discover new legitimacy for "nature's changing course untrimmed." What does she learn?
   
   Many things: "How we choose to grow old is deeply idiosyncratic, a matter of individual taste and circumstance." Fair enough. But what about other people? How do they see us, how much should it matter, and is it ever valid to make assumptions about what is attractive? To finds answers, this (happily married) author makes excursions through the wilderness of dating web sites, meeting with single men, even contacting contemporary "image consultants," the first of whom was "Ginger, who wore a leopard-print cashmere sweater with caribou feathers trimming the deep V-neck and cuffs, slim black wool pants, and black suede Manolo Blahnik boots--an outfit that would have been less surprising to me if I'd made an appointment with a dominatrix."
   Going Gray is an antic but thoughtful account of her adventures, a report to the rest of us that beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder and, past a certain age, it's probably better to look to what wisdom we've earned than in the mirror. Finally, Anne Kreamer's book is about telling "more of the plain truth in small ways, then maybe we as a society and a culture will find it easier to recognize and reward the truth in bigger ways."



2. I read Kreamer's article about going gray in More magazine, and I have to say, it was one of the silliest things I've ever read. This whole thing with gray hair, and trying to make it something philosophic, is just plain ridiculous. The bottom line is that people dye their hair, and have been doing so for centuries, because gray hair makes you look old. Sorry, but that about sums it up. It is an unbecoming color on virtually everyone, and drains the color right out of your face. I can't think of anyone on this planet who looks better with their hair gray--it makes you look old and tired. In fact, gray hair will age you faster than anything else. Not only that, but hair that is graying looks dull and drab.
   
   I've seen Kreamer's before and after pictures, and she looks at least 10 years older with her gray hair. And matronly to boot. In addition to letting the gray come in, she also decided to cut her hair into one of those dowdy "age appropriate" hairdos, so it's a double whammy.
   
   If you want to let your hair go gray, fine. But please don't act like it's some sort of heroic act. If you want to dye your hair, that's fine too, although I've noticed that some women are even getting apologetic about it. Please, gray hair is not the new black, as one reviewer wrote. Most women (and a growing number of men) can't stand the way gray hair looks and will continue to color it.
   
   I find it a little odd that Kreamer thought she looked "older" with her dyed hair. I think she looked a lot younger and fresher, plus her haircut was more youthful. Now she looks like a dowdy old woman. Sorry I can't join the pep talk about what a great act this was on her part. It's simply convinced me more than ever that a lot of us have too much time on our hands.



3. I really enjoyed this book. I found it quite helpful and insightful for a situation that I too, am contemplating doing. The author wrote with humor and honesty which I could relate too. I'm glad I read the book, as it was a spontaneous purchase that happened to coincide with my own personal thoughts about going to my natural gray hair color, which is a BIG deal for me.



4. Four months in to my own graying experience I found this book delightful, humorous, and inspirational. I recommend it even for those who aren't gray (yet) or (there) but conflicted about embracing it. Gives interesting insight on the embracing your wonderfulness at midlife.



5. I read this for my book club. This book was so relevant to all of us forty-something women that we actually stayed on the topic of the book for hours (instead of our usual tangents)! The topic was also very interesting for my daughter who is in her twenties.

5 comments about iWoz: Computer Geek to Cult Icon: How I Invented the Personal Computer, Co-Founded Apple, and Had Fun Doing It.

1. I bought this book about a year ago when I had recently been laid off and wanted to introduce some new ideals into my brain.
   
   I read the Second Coming of Steve Jobs, which showed how a man can be a cutthroat and succeed.
   
   iWoz however, shows how a man can find success doing something he loves, and not get hung up on money or power.
   
   After initially reading the book I thought it was kind of blah, but after seeing more of Woz in person and in various bios, I truly appreciate how genius he truly is.
   
   Excellent read for anyone seeking innovation and drive, because Woz clearly has it!



2. My wife and I have been really enjoying listing to the 'Audible unabridged version' The father - son relationship is very interesting. A lot of very nice insights. It is quite a bit of fun to listen to the book as we are driving on trips. Highly recommended!



3. As an early adopter of the TRS-80 (1978) and later Apple II I have been an avid reader of much history of this period. There are great nuggets of inside events in this book but a little too much of Woz's philosophy and not as much new as I had hoped. The tech info was great though some of it a bit hard to follow which might be understandable of a proven genius telling his story.



4. I enjoyed reading this book but like others, I found it annoying at times. It is an autobiography. Most of the book is about boring details of Steve Wozniak's life. His account of how Apple Computer started and how the Apple I and II where created is very interesting, unfortunately it is a very small part of the book. It was very annoying reading his constant bragging about how humble he is.
   
   The book gave me a better understanding of early PC history and the history of Apple. I also wanted to learn more about a guy I consider a hero. I did learn more about Woz but I must say that based on what I learned from this book I respect him a lot less than before.



5. I'm a mac user, and I always wanted to know how Woz lived all Apple's building process.
   It's a great biography and really enjoyable to read. All is written in a very friendly way.
   I really recommend it. It's a piece of computer history, I think, all geeks should know.

5 comments about A Passion for the Impossible.

1. I just finished reading this book and was so impressed with the astonishing results this woman achieved because of her total surrender to God's plans. An accomplished young artist from an upper class Victorian family, she left the comforts of England and went into Algeria, a country inhabitated by Arabs who were mostly Muslim. It was a slow but steady start, because of language problems, government interference (because of suspicions about missionaries motives), and just the differences in the different ways of thinking and lifestyles of the Algerian people.
   
   Lilias spent several decades of her life doing the "basics" in securing the beginnings of a life long ministry among a people hungry for deep spiritual lessons, but finding ways to do this required much patience, thought and forgiveness. And on top of all this, she is dealing with a new language, both spoken and written.
   
   The majority of this book is taken from Lilias's copius journals, letters and writings where she kept records of what she was involved in day by day.
   
   I learned a lot about what the foreign missionary effort entails, and especially when you're the first to go into an area with some brand new ideas where life is so different. But she won them over slowly with her love. As time went on, she had much help from other women and men who worked with her in this cause.
   
   The last couple of decades her health was not good, but she just kept on plugging away, even writing from her bed the last two years.
   She wrote some beautiful booklets that have profound lessons of faith and obedience in them. "Parables of the Cross" and "Parables of the Christ Life" are just two of them.
   
   She gleaned such meaningful lessons from nature, things that the ordinary person would hardly think of. She could see great lessons from a grain of wheat, a peach, a bee, etc. She looked deeply into the whys and wherefores of the lessons that nature has to teach us.
   
   Lilias really had a heart for these people and she felt that God gave her that heart and she was to do what she could as well as she could for as long as she could. She was true to that effort.
   
   One thing I wished this book had was a map of the area that showed all the little towns and outposts that were mentioned in the book, and were developed over many years and many travels.
   This book is a good read, even though you are dealing with some new words and another way of thinking. You will learn a lot and wish you had known this woman who was totally devoted to God.



2. As the premier art critic in Victorian England, John Ruskin was the arbiter of taste. In 1883 he revealed a hard-to-believe prejudice: "For a long time I used to say . . . that except in a graceful and minor way, women could not draw or paint." Ruskin then discounted this view, based on his reaction to the art of a young woman named Lilias Trotter: "I'm beginning lately to bow myself to the much more delightful conviction that no one else can" draw or paint.

   In a 1960s book, RUSKIN TODAY, Sir Kenneth Clark mentioned Trotter as someone lost to history. But Clark hadn't turned over every leaf, as has biographer Miriam Rockness, who discovered Trotter through bequeathed volumes of her out-of-print illustrated books.

   A bright, talented daughter of a prominent stockbroker in London, Lilias Trotter (1853-1928) was comfortable in the company of privilege. At age 21 she was among guests, including George MacDonald and Bishop Wilberforce, invited to a religious retreat, the forerunner of the Keswick Conferences.

   Spiritually stirred by this and the preaching of Dwight Moody, Lilias grew discontent with the in-vogue "charity from a distance." For more than 10 years in London, she devotedly worked to help establish a hostel for working women, the forerunner of the YWCA.

   During this time, while on vacation in Venice, her meddling mother asked Ruskin to look at Lilias's watercolor paintings --- a request that led to art lessons, weekend invitations, and extended conversations and correspondence between the Miss and the Master, who claimed she could be the greatest painter of her generation if she would "give herself up to art." To the dismay of many, Lilias turned her back on Ruskin's challenge: "I cannot give myself to painting in the way he means and continue still to 'seek first the Kingdom of God.' "

   When Lilias was 35, this whole-spirited commitment dramatically "called" her to mission work in northern Africa. With two female colleagues --- none knowing Arabic, none robust enough to pass physicals required by established mission boards --- she sailed for Algeria, where she lived a life of saintly proportions until her death, at age 75.

   Two-thirds of Rockness's biography delves into the Algerian years. Learning Arabic was the first of many challenges: Muslim resistance to a Christian message, French resistance to British interlopers, male resistance to a female witness. And yet under Trotter's leadership, the original missionary band and later recruits translated portions of scripture, distributed literature, befriended women and children, opened cafés for men, and hosted summer camps for nomadic families.

   There are no imagined conversations in this book; there's no mistaking it for a novel. This is history, relying largely on journals, with some analysis and helpful foreshadowing. Ever aware of Lilias the artist, Rockness faithfully describes the palette of the desert so well that it's hard to distinguish Lilias the missionary from Lilias the artist.

   In time Lilias envisioned a "new approach to Arab literature": writings that would speak to Algerians, instead of what Trotter called the "hitherto translated stories of Jacks & Bobs whose surroundings are as foreign to children of the east as their names" and finding an affordable means of color printing, so as to attract people who delighted in color. To meet these goals, Lilias wrote and illustrated nature parables that may soon be back in print, thanks to Rockness's persistence.

   Some of the biography's most interesting material comes toward the end. In her last decade, Trotter won the respect of a group of Sufi (male) mystics. "The artist in her responded to the artist in the Sufis," notes Rockness. "Yet she never lost her spiritual focus." Confined to bed in the last two years, she wrote THE WAY OF THE SEVENFOLD SECRET, explaining to them seven "I Am" claims of Jesus --- as she managed what had become an extensive mission outreach.

   Trotter's printed word and art can indeed inspire a new generation. But only those who knew her can appreciate "perhaps her most palpable legacy": her love. As an obituary noted, "No wonder that Catholics and Jews and Moslems, as well as Protestants, are mourning her loss, for love, in the end, wins love."

   --- Reviewed by Evelyn Bence




3. There are few things that inspire me more than a true story of a child of God who is faithful in the face of success and apparent failure. I see the reality of this woman's walk with God to be the challenge and encouragement. The accounts of her passion, travels, and encounters challenge my perspective on missions. I don't believe I had a real grasp on missions until I read this book. The quotations of her own journals and other writings bring a special feeling of knowing Lilias by the end of the book. This is a book I highly encourage all believers to read.



4. I am a voracious reader of non-fiction (particularly Christian non-fiction), but out of thousands of books I have read, this biography captivated me like no other. Perhaps because I am a writer and artist, I could identify with Lilias and her passions. Ultimately, however, this is a story of adventure, sacrifice, surrender and uncompromising dedication to Jesus Christ, all set against the exotic backdrop of Algeria. I can't wait to meet Lilias in heaven and tell her how she inspired me. Of course, I also look forward to meeting the authors someday because they brought Lilias to life. The narrative is as lovely as Lilias' art!



5. This book does indeed weave a challenging and interesting tale of a pioneeer missionary, who for the sake of the gospel left a comfortable and gracious victorian life for a life of sacrifice in the northern deserts of Africa, among Muslim tribemen.It is carefully crafted and includes some prints of Lilias' own artwork, which from what can be seen, is lovely.I wish a book could be devoted to more prints and more about Lilias' travels!

5 comments about Obama - The Postmodern Coup: Making of a Manchurian Candidate.

1. Tired of the fake, controlled, contrived taking points both for and against Obama in the corporate media? Check this book out. Even if you disagree with everything the author says in the book, you'll still have a whole new perspective on this thanks to Tarpley.



2. First, let me begin by saying that I am no supporter of Barack Obama and believe that his election as president would be a colossal disaster. However, if I am to be fair minded I have to judge Tarpley's OBAMA-THE POSTMODERN COUP with the same objectivity that I would if he had for example published his book using MCCAIN instead of OBAMA in the title. I have no objection to any book written as a polemic. Indeed I have written numerous favorable reviews of polemics, but in those cases, each polemic that I praised was grounded in fact and backed by credible documentary evidence. Make no mistake. Tarpley's book is not much more than flimsy charges tinged with guilt by association. It is true that Barack Obama is a political lightweight but it ought to be up to the American voters to decide their ballots based on the facts, and in this case the facts that call into question Barack Obama's competency have been thoroughly documented elsewhere to such an extent that there is no need to indulge in the sort of conspiracies in Tarpley to derail Obama's quest for the White House. I shall not rehash here the Trilateral Commision brouhaha nor the Zbigniew Brezhinski controversy since neither is referenced by reliable footnotes. What emerges then from Tarpley is that the "coup" of the title exists only on the fringes of a discourse that is neither rational nor convincing. The left has no monopoly of character assassins.



3. Veteran author, columnist and GCN live radio host Webster Tarpley lays bare the tentacled arm of the insane Zbigniew Brzezinski and his main mouthpiece and puppet Obama.
   Tarpley outlines the crafting of this Manchurian candidate and the seriously apocalyptic vision that Obama will be used to fulfill culminating in WW3 with Russia.
   Look out for his new 'unauthorized biography on Obama' coming soon!



4. This book shows the hidden side of Saint Obama, and the crazed neocon/fascist agenda of those who puppeteer him. If anyone thinks either candidate for office is going to be any different than what we have, they haven't read enough.
   Webster hits the ball out of the park with this one.
   America DIED 11/22/63 and the same agenda is still going on....today it looks like war with Russia is back on target which should make Brezinski very happy.



5. I couldn't put it down. I learned alot. I had questions about a lot of things and independently did my own fact checking. and it all checked out. His conclusions seemed a bit out there, but the more you read and think about it and check it out, the more it seems to be spot on. Definitely worth the time and money.

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 Evasion.

1. I wish the Evasion kid went more into detail on certain things. I don't think that he was very clear on why exactly he was vegan, why he became homeless, why he did anything at all. It was just "free" but I wanted to understand his ideas a bit better, I suppose. If he has ideas, I mean.
   
   He reminds me of some of my friends. I started working an "under the table" job and I'm not "selling out" or giving into "the man" I'm just making money. And it's annoying when I've worked my [...] off then I have moocher friends like the Evasion kid that have no problem having you pay their way. Clearly not everyone can live like this kid.
   
   Interesting though. I'm going to have to pass it on to some friends.



2. Writing a review about 3 years after reading it. Spent time with the author's crowd and even talked to him a little.
   
   Good things: fun stories with a loose flowing conversational feel, and achieves some superficial excitement. I learned a few things in here that saved my life when broke.
   
   Bad things: for every authentic experience there's a pseudo-rebellious observation that sounds like it comes from the worst mooch of a roommate you could ever imagine. You know the kind- rants against the man, sob stories when the rent's due, and won't do the dishes. The crowd of people who relate to this book is full of scenesters and slumming people with attitudes like that, so try not to laugh if they use the term "working class". The book sounds like it's trying really hard to be something you should make part of your life- don't get suckered.



3. recently purchased this book from crimethinc and could not be more content with this piece of literature. This story is very compelling and gives a closer look at what society is able to throw away and what others are able to salvage from their garbage to create an interesting, adventurous lifestyle. Definately worth the price, pick this up for a good read.



4. If you have a wild imagination and a heart you will probally like enjoy the way this writer goes about turning small tasks into romantic adventures, but if you are a millitant and stoic machine only concearned with the rights and wrongs of revolution and dont relize that peoples ways of overcomming forms of opression can be complete different then the way you would go about it then you may want to not pick this one up.



5. 
   Okay - this is one of the best books I've real in the last 5 years. Although I disagree with alot of the author's personal tenets (shoplifting, minor fraud) I do agree that the world is a landscape/playground, and that the corporate octopus has truly enslaved us all and made us soft.
   
   This is written in journal style - one can imagine the author scribbling down his thoughts in front of some coffee house. His frank style is absent in current literature and gives authenticity to his prose. "Unknown" goes to great pains to put out his philosophy, while keeping his adventures in chronological order.
   
   Best story: his travels to Milwaukee and the metal fest. I can just imagine him sneaking in to a place he would normally never go.
   
   GREAT read. Pick this up!