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.

5 comments about Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman.

1. After reading this text, it is very clear to me why Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman is considered to be a classic in anthropological literature. Shostak does a fascinating job telling the story of Nisa, a fifty something female member of the !Kung tribe in the Kalahari desert of Africa. The !Kung are classic hunter and gatherers.
   
   The majority of the text is essentially an interview between Nisa and Shostak about Nisa's daily life (the remainder of the text is narrated by Shostak), and the experiences that she has had regarding many aspects of life, including marriage, childbirth, and sex, and family life.
   
   The text is exploding with interesting details of !Kung life. For Example, according to the !Kung, the gods gave them a wonderful thing when they gave them sex. The !Kung people spend much time talking about sex and about sexual endeavors. Also, !Kung women predict the coming of their menses by the phases of the moon. If the moon comes and goes without the commencement of menstruation, pregnancy can be suspected. This suspicion greatly increased when other symptoms of pregnancy are present, such as nausea or unusual emotion. This ethnography is jam packed with great conversation starters such as these.
   
   In Nisa, Shostak manages to include an abundance of dialogue of Nisa and additional narration, while simultaneously producing a very easy read. Nisa is a must read for anthropology students, those wanting to know more about the !Kung people, or anyone who enjoys biographies.



2. Marjorie Shostak offers readers an interesting and insightful account of her relationship with a member of the !Kung San people of the Kalahari Desert during the early 1970s, a woman known by the pseudonym "Nisa," in her seminal work Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman. The book is a coupling of both Shostak's ethnographic insight and Nisa's life history told in her own words, along with some very interesting photos taken by the author. Shostak admittedly runs into barriers that she must cross, particularly as to whether or not she can trust Nisa, who the rest of the tribe regards as a liar, but really, much can be seen in the lies that people choose to tell as well as the truths. Either way, Nisa's stories are compelling and give the reader a great window into their hunter-gatherer society and the dynamics that make it work. It reveals techniques of tribal socialization and ethic reasoning, the importance of intimacy, as well as offering a model (however debatable it may be) for the ways in which the status of women is compromised by changing demographics.
   
   Nisa's life history account reveals many instances in which can be seen a socialization process that is meant to turn her into a more productive and adaptive person in society. These instances can especially be seen in Nisa's childhood. The !Kung place a high value on sharing in their culture, and Nisa's early tendencies to selfishly covet and hoard food for herself was counterproductive to this ideal. Nisa's mother dealt with her daughter's stealing firmly, often hitting her and screaming such things like, "Nisa, stop stealing! Are you the only one who wants to eat klaru? Now, let me take what's left and cook them for all of us to eat. Did you really think you were the only one who was going to eat them all?" (Shostak 53). By this form of punishment, her mother not only chastised Nisa for her counterproductive actions, but she also reinforced the social norm of the culture - namely, sharing.
   
   Nisa's life history account is also filled with stories of intimacy. The frequency of these stories, as well as her descriptions, reveal much about !Kung principles and social organization. Marjorie Shostak at first assumes that Nisa's focus on sexual matters is her attempt at finding a common ground with a fellow woman, but she soon realizes that it is in fact quite characteristic of !Kung society. The !Kung say that "when the gods gave people sex... they gave us a wonderful thing" and its importance is seen as significant as that of food in sustaining life (Shostak 237). They find talk of sex to be important and it is often used as the subject of jokes "in a deliberate way to dispel tension" such as making pornographic gestures to cheer a man up who had been spat in the eye by a cobra (Shostak 237).
   
   But the act brings out other qualities of !Kung life as well. Many men and women of the society frequently take secret lovers. They see it as an exciting and passionate alternative when those fires have burned out between their spouses. For many women, especially, self-esteemed is gained through their secret games and rendezvous. It also symbolizes another belief among the !Kung, namely, the vitality of women and sex in the social organization: "women are strong; women are important... because women possess something very important, something that enables men to live: their genitals. A woman can bring a man back to life, even if he is almost dead. She can give him sex and make him alive again. If she were to refuse, he would die!" (Shostak 257).
   
   However, despite the powerful feelings a woman may have for her lover(s), it is very important to them that responsibility to their husbands are their main priority, signifying another element in the social organization. Even their lovers understand, as one of Nisa's did when she did not show as promised. He said, "if it was because of your husband, that's all right. But if you do it again, I'll beat you!" (Shostak 245). As Nisa explained:
   
   "When a woman has a lover, her heart goes out to him and also to her husband. Her heart feels strong towards both men. But if her heart is small for the important man and big for the other one, if her heart feels passion only for her lover and is cold toward her husband, that is very bad. Her husband will know and will want to kill her and the lover. A woman has to want her husband and her lover equally; that is when it is good" (Shostak 257).
   
   Perhaps the most significant aspect of this work is the changing status of !Kung women as result of environmental and demographic change. Traditionally, !Kung women have experienced relative equality with men. This is do mainly to the hunter-gatherer existence in which they live, for "!Kung women are recognized by men and women alike as the primary economic providers of the group" by gathering vegetables, roots, etc. (Shostak 216). However, as Tswana and Herero herdsmen have been in the past century moving in on their territory, and whose "village sites expanded to encompass more of the traditional !Kung waterholes, maintaining the !Kung way of life became increasingly difficult" (Shostak 194). This change has affected woman, though, most of all. As some of the !Kung began to settle in these villages they became second-class citizens, for the women's pattern of child caring began to see drastic changes. While these women had previously had a child perhaps once every four years, now those "who live more sedentary lives have shorter birth spacing between children" (Shostak 195). This could be because of cow's milk's effects of birth patterns or women being "better fed and less active," but "in any case, with two children to carry, the women are less likely to go gathering; they become more dependent of the new food sources, animal husbandry and agriculture" (Shostak 195). Because the role that gave women their equal position is now being threatened, so too is their status.
   
   Shostak's study works on a number of levels, and can indeed by appreciated on many as well. Whether one is interested in an ethnographic study of hunter-gathering tribes, or is concerned about feminist issues, or would just like a unique and interesting tale that provokes consideration, this book comes highly recommended.



3. The book is written by Shostak a woman, about Nisa also a woman, and that makes it more appealing because it deals with a lot of women issues. I know that Marjorie Shostak is now dead and Nisa is dead too. When you live with the author and the person she is writing about all this time it suddenly becomes a part of your life and you begin to mourn their death. I really admire Nisa and all these !Kung women and how courageous they live but I also know they don't live according to this book anymore. Long a go they changed their lifestyles.



4. Nisa is an autobiography of a young girl who is part of the Kung tribe. I feel that this book was a very easy read, and some parts of it were interesting but others weren't.
   
   The Kung people have many cultural customs and traditions, such as a woman should give birth alone and in silence, or you shouldn't drink your mother's breast milk if you have a younger sibling. But, Nisa is sort of a rule breaker, or as we would call her, a rebel. Nisa had three husbands, I think. Now, many women in America have had multiple husbands so it's not that big of a deal but along with Nisa's three husbands she has at least 17 affairs, or as they called them lovers. When her husband would go out to hunt for two or three nights another man would sneak to Nisa's hut and they would make love until her husband came back. Many times Nisa got caught, and many times she didn't.
   
   Nisa sometimes had reasons for leaving her husbands, but one of them she just didn't like. The Kung have something that is called a tribe headman. This man decides whether it is ok to get a divorce or not. One of the times Nisa didn't even go to the tribe's headman she just went back to her mother's village. Another time Nisa's husband, who was the father of her children died. Nisa cried and cried, but eventually she got over it. Nisa's next husband was a different story. He beat Nisa all the time, sometimes her back even swelled up. Nisa went to the headman to tell him that she wanted a divorce, but he gave her husband another chance. The next time Nisa went with bruises and the headman told her that she could divorce her husband.
   
   Nisa got pregnant many times, but actually only had 2 kids, one girl and one boy. The Kung people believe that women can have miscarriages in many different ways. For example, they Kung believe that, if the child is not wanted by the mother of father that god will take it away from them. Another way is if the mother is hit or injured while she is pregnant the baby may leave her. Nisa miscarried for many reasons. A lot of the time it was because it wasn't her husband who caused her to get pregnant, it was one of her lovers and it was hard for her to tell her husband, so she just kept lying. Another time Nisa's 3rd husband got very mad at her and hit her with a stick, which made it seem as if the baby wasn't wanted.
   
   Like I said before, I thought that Nisa was a very easy read, but it was still very informative. I really enjoyed how each chapter had a little bit about the culture, and a little bit about Nisa and how she fits in with her culture. Because the book was like that, it made it easier to stay interested because it wasn't 20 pages all about the same thing. I thought it was kind of cool that Nisa was a rebel, because if Nisa just followed all her customs it wouldn't be a very interesting book to read. Nisa seemed like she was very intelligent. She knew how to work her way out of trouble, how to cover up things that she knew she did wrong, and most of all how to lie. I never said that she was necessarily intelligent in a good way. If I were to compare this book to The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down, I would say that I enjoyed this book more. I think this is because The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down had whole chapters about the war and their trip to America but I was more interested in Lia herself. That's why I liked Nisa so much, the book was more about her then the culture.
   
   I recommend Nisa to people who are interested in autobiographies, but ones that are also about other cultures. I think this book offers a wide range of topics and is a very good book to debate this book. If I were to rate this book I would rate it 4 stars, because it kept me interested yet it was a very easy read.



5. Majorie Shostak's account of her anthropology trip to Africa's Kalahari Desert examining the rituals, lifestyles and existence of the !Kung tribe is not to be read like an expanded version of a National Geographic article. It is written with academic rigor and precise examination of a !Kung woman Nisa. The majority of the book is told through Nisa's words which are translated into English with as much accuracy possible by Shostak. Shostak prefaces each chapter with a more general description of the events of Nisa's life which follow. The !Kung have such a different life style than Westerners, so naturally the story telling methods Nisa uses are a little unfamiliar. There is much more repetition of certain phrases and ideas that some of us might find excessive. If one can get past this they will soon see what an expert Nisa actually is. Also it is a tribute to Shostak that she didn't slice up the narrative to make it more accessible for Westerners.
   
   The book in begun with an extensive introduction, about 40 pages. Although at first this might feel over detailed and cumbersome, it is a necessity to read it before jumping into Nisa's narrative because some of the actions taken might seem unfathomable without a better understanding of !Kung life. For instance, when Nisa describes stealing and hoarding food for herself as a child, we might feel she is extremely selfish. But after reading the introduction we understand that in !Kung life there is virtually no private property. Imagine being a young child and having nothing of "your own." I think we all would have stolen to some extent. Also during the time the book was written there was a struggle within the anthropology communities as to whether these "field work" expeditions we're even worth taking. There were many who thought that the "white man" was so engrained with his own cultural sense of morality that any attempt to interpret or understand someone different would be wasted time. So it is possible that in parts of the long introduction Shostak was justifying to her academic circle why it was important that she did go to see another kind of life.
   
   After the introduction is over, we move into various important events in Nisa's life, described by Nisa and prefaced by Shostak. Although these interviews were not given chronologically they are presented in as workable a series events as possible. We are taken first through her childhood in which Nisa's mother has her second child and no longer allows her to breast feed because it is believed that once her younger brother is born, it is his milk. We are then taken, to various cases of childhood problems. The `Discovering sex' chapter is worth noting, children go away and as Nisa says "play sexually". Although the parent's sometimes mildly scorn this, they remember how important is was for them in developing as sexual beings, so they pretty much look away. I think that our incredibly sexually conservative and private culture could learn something from this. It shouldn't necessarily be discouraged for children to discover certain aspects of themselves, and have sexual feeling, (we should stop pretending as if they don't!)
   
   We are then taken through trial marriages; theeseoften "fail", because the girl married is too young. The most important events in a !Kung woman's life are first menstruation, marriage, and childbirth.
   
   Another chapter worth noting is most clearly illuminates why Shostak's expedition into the Kalahari was so vital to understanding !Kung life. The chapter entitled 'Change' accounts the arrival of the very different Christian cattle herders. The Hero brought, (among other things), permanent villages, alcohol, western religion, tobacco, etc. Although some people might consider some of these things "civilization", (and I would not count myself among this crowd), the sad truth is that !Kung culture is dieing. More and more are forsaking the old way of life for the much more stable continuous food source. And even if the corrupt regimes they live under exploit their way of life to promote tourism, they are being stifled the the exact same regimes. Nisa's generation is the last link to the nearly completely un- westernized !Kung life. Without Shostak's magnificent book we would have a much harder time understanding this beautiful nomadic way of life.
   
   One of the amazing thing about this book, unlike many other cross cultural examinations, is that it doesn't concentrate on some of the "shocking" taboos that might have made it a bestseller, (just under Tom Clancy). It instead just tells the story of a woman. One does not finish it and say, "wow they're different they need Jesus." One feels a connection to Nisa, and we realize not that we are different but that we are more similar than we would know or like to know. This also shows us that they're clearly are universal human emotions. Nisa goes through, love, hate, guilt, grief, regret, resentment, fear, happiness, etc, just like every human being! To go through it is to be human. Even in a culture totally different than ours these emotions are still there. In an age where we feel like we must "spread democracy", like we're spreading humanity, it is all the more important to realize that the same humanity exists whether or not they are infested with corrupt corporate puppets. I would recommend this book to anyone who feels lie they want to know more about other societies, and ways of life, in a more in depth format.
   
   We have two wonderful women to thank for this powerful book on !Kung life, or !Kung life as it should be.

5 comments about Coltrane: The Story of a Sound.

1. John Coltrane is an endlessly fascinating musician, whether or not you like his music - he was both traditional and forward-looking, immensely disciplined and constantly striving for more freedom, technically brilliant yet willing to work with musicians considerably less able than himself. He made a series of relatively undistinguished recordings before suddenly emerging as a phenomenon when hired by Miles Davis, and then he went from one level to another, taking jazz to terrifying levels of complexity before breaking it down into something starkly simple.
   
   Ben Ratliff's book is about two things: what Coltrane wanted to do, and what people have wanted from Coltrane. He is clearly a good listener, and someone acutely aware of how Coltrane was coming across at the time. He is also very sensitive to the depths people have sometimes sunk to in both praise and dispraise of the man, citing as evidence both Frank Kofsky's absurd description of 'Live at the Village Vanguard Again!' as the greatest recording in the history of jazz, and Philip Larkin's bilious and vindictive article, written shortly after Coltrane's death, about how much he hated Coltrane's music - Larkin surely wanted to make other people agree with him that it was worthless, which is never a very noble ambition in a critic.
   
   Unusually for a jazz writer, Ratliff is also aware of how Coltrane's enormous influence has spread beyond jazz and into rock and punk (never thought I would see the great jazz-punk bass player Mike Watt mentioned in a book on Coltrane). He argues, if I take his point correctly, that Coltrane's influence has often been to make subsequent players sound like Coltrane, whereas the influence of an equally gifted player such as Sonny Rollins has worked more obliquely, helping players to sound more like themselves (perhaps because Sonny is not as imitable as Trane). It's true that, of the players (at least the sax players) who were most influenced by Coltrane, the majority have not been able to overcome his influence and develop truly distinctive voices - people on the level of Dave Liebman, etc., being the exceptions rather than the rule.
   
   This book does not require a degree in music theory to read, or any musical talent whatever. It helps if you've listened to a lot of music. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and my only quibble is that it wasn't longer. I can read about Coltrane forever.



2. I found this book disappointing and the subtitle misleading. Ratliff does not really provide a story or history of Coltrane's sound. He strings together some anecdotes and some opinions about Coltrane and that's about it. There was no coherent thematic thread drawing it all together. The fact that Coltrane's sound became pervasively influential is obvious to any jazz listener. The truly interesting story describing how that came to be, or even accurately describing this "sound" in the first place (Coltrane had a distinctive sound - what precisely made it distinctive? Also, since his sound changed over time, when did it really become "his" sound? Etc.), let alone the story explaining why this sound become so dominant, is sadly absent from these pages. There are some intriguing moments when Ratliff suggests that the Coltrane sound was actually a collective sounds generated by the "classic" quartet, but, like I said, that's about it.



3. i love john coltrane's music. thanks to this book, i know i lot more the things these musical jazz giants went through and i understand why i could not always follow the chords. this author dies a good job. well done



4. It's hard not to be amazed by John Coltrane's music, even for interested fans who are not expert musicians themselves (that applies to your current reviewer). Here Ben Ratliff digs deep into the substance of Coltrane's creative process - and most of all that elusive entity known as SOUND. Trying to do this in writing is an immediately incongruous prospect, though Ratliff does pretty well with prose that is full of precise musical adjectives and technical terminology that is reasonably easy for the non-expert reader to follow, all things considered. Though just watch out for the frequently congested prose that becomes necessary for Ratliff to transmit the sheer complexity of the music, such as "the meditative and semierotic aesthetic of endurance, of repetition, of ecstatic religion..." Here we can see how technical jazz really is as a genre, with Coltrane perhaps amongst the most knowledge-intensive. Another revelation here is evidence of Coltrane's lifelong search for musical perfection, as he passionately studied various instruments and genres, and even literature and languages, in a quest for the perfect sound. However, there is an underlying irony to Ratliff's entire endeavor, in that there is no proof that Coltrane (or any jazz musician of his caliber) saw the musical process in the same way as critics and writers, no matter how knowledgeable they are. One must wonder if such passionate technical analysis truly makes one appreciate the music, or if a less obsessive attitude is necessary to really feel the sound. What kind of love did Coltrane seek? [~doomsdayer520~]



5. As a beginning student of jazz piano it was enlightening to understand how the various modalities, rhythms, and chordal structures are used by one of the greats. Wonderful to have this perspective.

5 comments about My American Journey.

1. I read biographies of key officials as a means of trying to understand how they make decisions, and on what basis of fact or fancy they make decisions.
   
   Colin Powell is a great man, and I hope he returns as Secretary of State under a transpartisan team. He was destroyed by Dick Cheney and his own confusion of loyalty versus integrity.
   
   Here is the sentence, on page 293, that made my day:
   
   when he was Military Assistant to then Sectary of Defense Casper Weinberger, he preferred the Early Bird with its compendium of newspaper stories to the "cream of overnight intelligence" which was delivered to the Secretary of Defense by a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) courier each morning.
   
   See also:
   Preparing America's Foreign Policy for the 21st Century
   Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency
   Running on Empty: How the Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It
   Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq
   Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA
   The New Craft of Intelligence: Personal, Public, & Political--Citizen's Action Handbook for Fighting Terrorism, Genocide, Disease, Toxic Bombs, & Corruption
   Fog Facts: Searching for Truth in the Land of Spin
   The Price of Loyalty : George W. Bush, the White House, and the Education of Paul O'Neill
   High Noon 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them



2. Well, I kind of liked Colin Powell once. I kinda don't anymore. The book was ... dull. The same old same old - Horatio Alger type stuff. I bought the book because I thought that Colin might be going someplace and I wanted a glimpse at his philosophy. After his stint in Republican politics his future in that area looks pretty dim.
   He was a soldier and he has the soldier mentality. This book was probably designed to put him on his political career. I liked Swartzkoff's book much better. What happened to Swartzkoff anyway?



3. This is a great book and an inspirational story of what one can accomplish in America if one has the drive. Powell was born from two poor Jamaican immigrants and rose, quickly, to the highest uniform office in America, and took some of the top political posts (or was offered them), though he wrote this before he became Sec of State. Looks like a volume two would be a good idea. After reading this my respect for Powell has grown. He served under five presidents, top posts under four of them. It is an amazing story of an amazingman.



4. CP did himself a diservice when he chose whomever to help him write this. I was completely surprised how bad the writing was. CP has an interesting story, but his author fails him. In the Army we would call this good initiative, poor execution. Terribly underwritten.
   
   In the book Powell states that minorities are under represented in elite forces aka Rangers, Special Forces, etc. because of institutional racism. That is a total lie, and it is racism on his part. I began in the Army as an enlisted soldier and retired as an officer after 20+ years. The only racism I experienced was when my African American squad leader took care of all of the other African Americans in my squad and platoon and gave me the crappest and worst details because I was white.
   
   Besides that experience, after much experience in the Army I have never seen a more racially fair organization in my life. If there was every fairness and opportunity for minorities, it is certainly in the Army. There is a lot to dislike about the Army like ego maniacs allowed to run loose and having stupid people in charge of you and utterly ridgid thinkers, but the Army did, from my perspective, an excellent job with fairness to everyone with regard to color. I also served from the squad level to the platoon level to company level as an enlisted soldier and an officer, and I served at the battalion level and brigade level as an officer. I have been a few places and seen and done a few things if you are unsure about my validity.
   
   So, it seriously surprises me that CP said this. I think he was making a cheap political excuse to curry favor or work out an old grudge. By the way, after I left my unit, my squad leader got caught cheating on his wife with another African American squad leader, and his wife left him. I am sure he go into more trouble than that, but at least there was some justice.



5. I read the book and had to get the CD set for my husband's aunt. She loves to read non-fiction, patriotic American historical insights, etc. She cannot see now and longed for such things. She is a huge Powell fan (as am I) and wanted to share his story with her. Colin Powell is a hero and I have nothing but respect for the man and what he has done for this country! When he left the State Department, it was truly a sad, sad day.
   
   This book is written and read with intellect and interest that will keep you listening from beginning to end.

No comments about Mandela : Struggle and Triumph.

5 comments about The Women Who Raised Me: A Memoir.

1. Victoria Rowell, film and television actress, chronicles her life as a foster child in her memoir, The Women Who Raised Me: A Memoir. Rowell was the product of a blue-vein, old money Caucasian mother, whose family were Mayflower descendants, and an unknown black man. Her mother, Dorothy Collins, suffered from mental illness exhibiting schizophrenia. There were six children, three boys and three girls, all from different fathers. When Rowell was three months-old she was taken in as a foster child by Bertha Taylor, who wanted to adopt her but was not allowed to because of the state of Maine's statutes regarding interracial adoption. Little Vicki was only two years-old when she was taken away from her and placed in the home of a black woman, Agatha Wooten Armistead. Her two older sisters, also, both biracial, were taken in by Agatha.
   
   Under Agatha's care, Rowell thrived in a loving, extended family in rural Maine. Bertha came from a family of formidable women with austere backgrounds. Agatha encouraged Rowell's love of dance and purchased a how-to book so that when she had her first audition at eight years-old, though she was self-taught, her natural talent netted a scholarship to a prestigious dance program. At age 17, she received a scholarship to ABT, American Ballet Theater, thus starting an illustrious career that would lead her into modeling, commercials and eventually television, most notably an actress on The Young and the Restless and Diagnosis: Murder.
   
   Along the way, Rowell had an on again, off again relationship with her mother, Dorothy, who finally died in 1983. She also had other temporary and foster mothers of various backgrounds before she became an emancipated minor. Each of these women left something precious with her that she treasures to this day. Rowell married in her mid-twenties and had a daughter and later had a son with Wynton Marsalis. Marsalis's mother also became a role model and mentor as well as Latonya Jackson, wife of Samuel L. Jackson, as did other women who came into her life. But it was a turning point in 2002, that caused Rowell to retreat and reassess her life. That is when she also began to research her background which was the beginning of her life story.
   
   Part family history, memoir and inspirational guide, Rowell gave a credible account of the racial and social history of Maine, the story of her childhood navigating the foster care system, of the women who were so vital in her growing years, learning to love and accept herself and the monumental act of forgiveness--of herself and others. I met Rowell last fall when she was promoting her book in Oakland and she struck me as a warm, down-to-earth woman who is fiercely dedicated to her cause, foster care rights and her love of the arts. Though the middle of the book moved a little slow, I recommend to those who enjoy memoirs and stories of perseverance.
   
   Dera R. Williams
   APOOO BookClub



2. 
   
   In a splendid and glorious memorializing of a company of women who contributed to her growth, opportunities and eventual success, Victoria Rowell has created a grand gesture of epic proportions.
   
   Her story, told with grace and honesty, reveals the multi-layered character she became as a result of the fostering and mentoring she received...as she describes it, like the piecing together of a quilt.
   
   In successive foster homes in the state of Maine, from infancy, Victoria Rowell sets an example of triumph over adversity. Despite the early deprivation of a "biological mother", she grew in a positive direction through experiences that many would find challenging, at the very least. And yet, with the help of her foster mothers and mentors, social workers and others along the way, she faced every challenge, excelling as a ballet dancer and later as an actress, a mother, and then as a creator of her own network of support for foster youth by founding the Rowell Foster Children's Positive Plan and serving as a spokesperson for the Annie E. Casey Foundation/Casey Family Services.
   
   While in LA recently, attending Book Expo America, I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Rowell while signing copies of her book. I felt very honored to be in her presence for a brief time and want to congratulate her on her many accomplishments, including this wonderful book.
   



3. Fantastic! Amazon should permit a 10 star rating for The Women Who Raised Me. This is a moving and beautifully written testament of perseverance and determination against all odds. I thank Ms. Rowell for writing and sharing such an inspiring story of her life. Also, what's really important is that the Women Who Raised Me brings issues surrounding foster care to light. If you are looking for a fullfilling story please read the Women Who Raised Me and you will not be disappointed. This `hard-to-put-down' page-turner is well worth your time and investment. I highly recommend The Women Who Raised Me as required reading for high school and college students enrolled in social studies, art, and literary courses. Ms. Rowell I wish you continued success in all your endeavors to improve the state of foster care through your outstanding creative talents.
   
   Carla McManus
   Sisters and Brothers of Hotlanta Bookclub
   http://www.sistersbrothers.com



4. This memoir is a testament to one woman's love and adoration for all of the woman who took part in raising her. I had the privilege of meeting Victoria Rowell at her book signing. She was deeply passionate, and determined to give back to all of the woman, living or deceased, who loved her and guided her in her walk through life. Life as a biracial child of black and white was difficult for victoria but it was not long before she found the love and acceptance of several woman who, during her formative and teenage years, feverishly encouraged, prepared, and nurtured her. Victoria soon found her niche for dancing and then later acting which eventually propelled her into stardom. This book is written with love, intelligence, and diction. She is clear and poetic in her writing. This book is a wonderful, easy flowing memoir, not drama packed, but just enough sauce to keep you interested. Loaded with photos and also includes information about foster care.



5. This was a well written book. The author gives a heartfelt account of her life in foster care. She begins her story as a small child in rural Maine and concludes as an adult actress in Hollywood. This is a great book that deals with foster care, mental illness, achievements, and adversity in a young woman's life.

5 comments about Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography--The True Story of a Black Youth's Coming of Age in Apartheid South Africa.

1. I really enjoyed reading about this mans triumph to overcome the odds and to follow destiny (getting to America).



2. KAFFIR BOY is a must read for anyone interested in what life was like for a young boy coming of age in Apartheid South Africa. Mark Mathabane describes in vivid detail the horror of poverty and brutality which was a way of life for black children and families living in the squalor city of Alexandria near Johannesburg, the affluent suburb in South Africa. His account is heartbreaking. Yet, Mark was able to do the unthinkable. He was able to escape (thanks to the support of men like Stan Smith), and lived to write about his horrifying experiences. KAFFIR BOY is interesting and important because Mark Mathabane writes in a style as if he is talking directly to the reader, thereby allowing the reader to fully understand what it was like coping with the cruelty and injustice of apartheid.
   
   I thought that parts of the book could have been penned more concisely. Also, it was difficult at times to understand the character of Mark's mother and father. Yet, Mark Mathabane's powerful and profound account/message of life in Apartheid South Africa far outweighs the minor flaws of this book. I highly recommend this book.



3. Stark and poignant, Mark Mathabane shares his autobiography of life under South African apartheid until the miracle of his escape to the United States in Kaffir Boy (Free Press, 350 pages). Mr. Mathabane's story is told in three parts. The first, The Road to Alexandra, offers a description of the appalling squalor and violence found in a black ghetto under fourth-class citizen status. How children learn to survive, let alone attempt to carry on any type of hopeful existence, defies any common understanding of humanity and pulls at the reader's heartstrings. The challenges, frustrations, and sacrifices that confronted Mr. Mathabane and his family are documented throughout the second section, Passport to Knowledge, where education, religion, and tribal affiliations swirl as possible solutions to combat the Influx Control Law and other forms of white-minority separatist rule. Passport to Freedom, the third section, narrates Mr. Mathabane's discovery of tennis and the difficulties of making dreams come true.
   
   Despite the repetition of incidents and the infusion of seemingly inconsequential moments, Mr. Mathabane's autobiography is readable and moving. It is hard to imagine anyone living through the impoverished conditions he describes. Confrontations with his tribal father, local gangs, missionaries, and white authorities suggest hope of a better future is nothing short of a lottery ticket. The most effective sections of the text share Mr. Mathabane's inner turmoil in deciding his place as a black South African and an agent of change. The tumultuous history of apartheid is drawn with an effective narrative voice as violent uprisings and responses are juxtaposed with tender sacrifices and determination. With the assistance of liberal whites, Mr. Mathabane turned hard work and good fortune into a plane ticket to freedom. Kaffir Boy joins Cry Freedom and Master Harold & the Boys as yet another powerful depiction of South African life.



4. I picked up this book after watching the movie "Tsotsi". I was looking for a book about apartheid in South Africa and stumbled upon this one. And I am so glad I did. The author has done a great job in detailing his childhood and the struggle he and his family went through. Half-way through the book I found it extremely depressing and decided to stop. Later that night I realized that people have courage to actually go through and I can't even complete reading the book? People in Africa still go through horrifying experiences...Yes, it was a depressing read but a definite MUST. An absolute eye opener...



5. A truly heartwrenching tale of what life was like growing up under the oppressive system of apartheid in South Africa. Great resource for history classrooms and an excellent read, Mathabane relates a story that was hard to put down.

4 comments about Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave, Written by Himself (The Bedford Series in History and Culture).

1. In the classic slave narrative genre, Frederick Douglass' narrative of his life brings to life, in all its horrors, American slave society, and one slave's life-long protest against it.
   
   When we read Frederick Douglass in his own words, he is less the radical and more the reformer than we've been led to believe. He is also more the Christian statesmen and less the Christianity critic than we might imagine. Douglass' oft quoted comments about Christianity had much more to do with a righteous critique of distorted Christian living practiced by white masters than with any critique of Christianity or of Christ. In reality, Douglass, like so many enslaved African Americans before and after him, saw in Jesus a Savior they could identify with--a suffering Savior.
   
   Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction , Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.



2. Frederick Douglass is the complete ressurection of the saying, "Knowledge is Power." With the more information he aquired as a slave the more he lusted for freedom. He also provides an excellent example of what black people in this country could do for themselves, interms of their economical status. Looking further, Douglass loved to think and imagine the endless possiblities, while he was still in bondage physically. When he began to read and understand the "Hypocrasy" that this country was based on, using christianity as it main tool, and what every human should be allowed by right, this released his psychological enslavement. If blacks throughout this country could read and understand there were blacks that went through worse situatians and overcame them, and the current situation that destroy the black communities were created for them to fail, just like slavery, many would wake up and take on the mask of Douglass. The mask that says, "regardless of class, race, or creed, this world was created for everyone to enjoy including me."



3. I read this book as part of a summer assignment entering into the 11th grade in addition to "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" by Harriet Jacobs. Both are great pieces of African-American historical literature and well worth the read. I couldn't read this book all in one sitting, due to the need to fight the urge to throw up. He detailed descriptions of physical, psycological, and emotional abuse are enough to sicken any one and make you disgusted with the human race.



4. The honesty with which this is written is amazing. I was glued to it from page one. I felt disgusted by the human race, saddened by his traumas and guilty just for being white. I think this needs to be read more. Especially in schools. Why isn't it???

5 comments about Coming of Age in Mississippi.

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



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



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



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



5. I quit early on and here's why.
   Anne's mother leaves her 6 month old infant and Anne (who is "almost 4") in the hands of her (anne's mother) 8 y/o brother, then later her 12y/o brother, for 12+ hours every day. According to Anne they never took care of them and in fact took off as soon as her parents were out of sight.
   Who's feeding the 6 month old for those 12+ hours? They were living on a farm with lots of other black families. Surely the women had some kind of communal child care system going. Where's the wet nurse? I don't believe it.
   
   Same happens with the next infant. Mom's never home. All male babysitters. One male adult would take all three kids (ages 5, 2.5 and a little over a year old) HUNTING with him in the swamps! I don't believe it. I don't believe Anne Moody.
   
   How is it that Anne goes to school at age 5 but her mom's 8 y/o and 12y/o brothers don't?
   In Anne Moody's story the boys and some men stayed home and babysat while the girls go to school/work. Now I always thought it was just the opposite. Girls usually stayed home and tended to their younger siblings, cleaned, cooked etc., while the boys if they didn't go to school, worked along side the men.
   
   How is it that little 5 y/o Anne walks 2 miles up and 2 miles back to school everyday all by herself. Just try and picture that in your mind. A tiny little threadbare 5 y/o girl all alone walking 4 miles a day in the rain, humid heat or cold. Then hiding in the schools outhouse for as long as she can because she doesn't like school or the teacher! I don't see it. I don't believe it. Four miles is nothing for a healthy adult/teen/kid but a 5 y/o "baby"? I don't think they'd have the mind to do it nor the legs.
   
   How is it that when Anne is 6 and back at school, her mom just leaves the 3.5 y/o and 1.5 y/o all by themselves, all day at the house, no babysitter? I don't believe it. Was Anne's mother mentally retarded? They're living in town at this time. What about the neighbors, friends or church? Women have always gotten together to help care for the children?
   
   The story just wasn't adding up so I quit. Sorry.
   
   I also don't believe the memoirs of Augusten Burroughs "Running with Scissors" etc. and Mary Karr "The Liars' Club".

5 comments about The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou (Modern Library).

1. Great book. I've learned so much about Maya Angelou and am fascinated by her life.



2. I am not African American, not African, not American, and this book was such an eye opener. It is so rich in humanity, it is a pleasure to read. Each one of the 6 books is written with a distinctive voice as a person is maturing. Maya has a way of writing that is refreshing, intimate and profound.
   
   Through her eyes we become aware of the distinctive culture and values that her characters share or challenge. We see the need that every person has to live life fully and the questions we all need to answer about who we are and what are we here for.
   
   I particularly liked the "All God's chhildren need traveling shoes" best. this book is a must for people who seek to accept that we can be different, yet valued.
   
   It is a distinctive book because it is written in a way that lifts the spirits and intrigues the intelect. .... "to the determination to be no victim of any kind".



3. I happened to hear her speak at a lecture series. She spoke for an hour and I was interested to read more about her life. I am only on page 280 but this woman is amazing and her writing style is so crisp and clear, it is as captivating as she was as a speaker. I enthusiatically recommend this book.



4. Other than Maya's poems, I have never read her autobiographies. WOW barely describes what I read and felt. I always thought of Maya to be just what she is....a poet, an author. To read how her early life was, I see how her life's experiences brought her to where she is today. Not only does she speak honestly, her style of writing makes one feel they are her in the books. The size of the book may seem intimidating, but I could not put it down. I had to schedule myself to study for my class and read this book!



5. I purchased this book after reading, "I know why the caged bird sings", I found myself captivated by the spellbounding aura of maya angelou and in a thirst for her story purchased this book. I have drank her words readily and my only regret is that like all great things, the pages shall run out and my feast shall come to an end. This is a wonderful gift for any Maya Angelou fan, it branches outside of her poetry and makes the goddess of words appear a little more human.