5 comments about A Single Square Picture: A Korean Adoptee's Search for Her Roots.

1. This is a beautifully written account of a Korean American Adoptee's search for her birthfamily and her own identity. She very skillfully takes the reader on a heartfelt adventure through her life. It was interesting to get the perspective of an older adoptee(she was adopted at age 7 ) as opposed to someone adopted right at birth. There were certain similarities and parallels to "A Daughter of the Ganges" as that adoptee also was adopted at age 6. Overall a must read for anyone touched by adoption.



2. It was the subtitle of this book that drew me to it initially. "A Korean Adoptee's Search for Her Roots" told me enough about the story that I knew I wanted to read it. But Robinson's story behind her adoptive status was not the story I expected. Being an auntie to three Korean adoptees (one boy and two girls all from the same orphanage and adopted by my sister and her husband), I felt certain this was to be one of those stories where, much like my sister does, the adoptive family had taught the child from a young age about her Korean heritage.
   
   Robinson, however, was not an infant at an orphanage when she was adopted by an American couple. She was seven years old. She was old enough to remember much, yet not enough, of her heritage when she became an adult. Clinging to a photograph of her mother and grandmother at the airport on the day of her departure for America, Robinson spent years wondering about the women in her past, the reason for her being sent to America, and about the people who would take her away from her Korean family.
   
   This is a beautifully written memoir that is peppered with bits and pieces of Korean culture and customs. There is much sadness to Robinson's story. Yet she delivers the story in a sensitive, warm manner.
   
   Readers are treated to a few photographs of Robinson's two families--the American one and the Korean one. These help to bring the people she writes about to life. The sad, almost numb expression on the faces of the grandmother and mother that fateful day at the airport is undeniable. Of this photograph, Robinson writes, "When so many memories fail me, this one stands out as a capsule of my childhood--The precise moment when the direction of my life suddenly and irreversibly changed." The obvious happiness of an American family, including an already grown Katy, says as much about the author's American family as her words say. The haunting photo used by the adoption agency to introduce the seven-year-old Katy to her prospective American family causes this mother's heart to knot up in wonder at how someone could knowingly take a child away from a parent and send her halfway around the world.
   
   Robinson's story is not only the story of an adoptee's search for her birth parents; it is the story of a a woman determined to find her place in both worlds that she can claim as her own. In neither is she totally an insider. At one point, she refers to herself as an "inside-outsider" when she is in Korea and looks Korean, but cannot speak the language and does not know the customs.
   
   Robinson's search brings her both heartache and joy. It provides many of the pieces of the puzzle that is her life. It answers many questions for her but provokes even more in their place. Robinson's search brings her the personal courage to continue to seek answers no matter how painful they may be, to process them in a constructive manner, and to live life as it is handed to her with an extra measure of grace and charm.
   
   by Lee Ambrose
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



3. I met Katy Robinson at the KAAN - Korean American Adoptees Network Conference. Although I had glanced at her book at Borders I did not read it until I heard her speak at the conference. It inspired me to also begin the search for my birth family!
   
   Other adoptees ask me for guides and my first choice is this book! One friend remarked how it is uncanny that my reunion parallels her story. As I am asked to write a book about my experience I look to Katy's memoir and continue to share how her story changed my life!



4. 
   This book took me by surprise. I'm not sure why I bought it and then i couldn't put it down. This is a good read for anyone, adopted or not.
   
   Speaking as a domestic adoptee, it felt like the author was reading my mind and heart--and able to articulate what sometimes gets stuck inside. Katy Robinson is incredibly honest and insightful.
   
   Do yourself a favor and buy this book. If you are an adoptive parent then this book is required reading, but it won't feel like it. Reading it will help you to understand your child's experience on a whole new level.



5. I really enjoyed this story. The images and feelings portrayed were vivid, so that I could appreciate Katy's perspective and viewpoints. I especially came to appreciate some new ideas and facts as an adult adoptee also from Korea. Yet regardless of background or ethnicity, readers attain a true understanding of her upbringing and life experiences. I was intrigued by the detailed memories of her Korean childhood, and how they translated to her eventual American lifestyle. The cultural descriptions and exchanges are interesting and allowed me to better my understanding of Korean culture.
   Overall, it was fun and interesting to read, and ultimately I appreciated and was impressed by her perserverance and fortune to have lived in Korea for a year and learn so much more about her family and background. Her journey enriches our enthusiasm and compassion for those who will or want to pursue knowledge about their family background (including me;)). Thank You Katy for this great written gift. -Michele Kim, CT

5 comments about Singing in a Strange Land: C. L. Franklin, the Black Church, and the Transformation of America.

1. In my humble opinion, the history delineated in this writing should be taught in classrooms across America and beyond! I learned so much about the evolution of citizenship, religion in the USA, and music of all genres from this book. I was left feeling that I owe such a great debt to so many who suffered and sacrificed so much that I can enjoy life in this country. The privileges and the luxuries we bask in have deep roots enlivened by much blood, sweat and tears. So much was made clear, especially where it pertains to different music artists, their styles of delivery and their associations with other genres of artists.
   
   I grew up loving both Rev. C. L. Franklin and Clara Ward. I was glad to learn that they loved each other, as Aretha Franklin also attests.



2. "Singing in a Strange Land" is very valuable as a sketch of this highly successful, complex legend. It was a compelling read that prompted me to read biographies of two of the most famous supporting characters, Mahalia Jackson and Clara Ward. For chronicles of these I read, and highly recommend, "Got to Tell It", Jules Schwerin's unsparing bio of Mahalia and "How I Got Over", Willa Ward-Royster's portrait of her gifted sister Clara Ward. Besides the priceless info about Mahalia and Clara, these biographies provide further details about C. L. Indeed, one of the vignettes in "Got to Tell It" (a conversation between Mahalia and Aretha about C. L.'s alleged drug use) paints a portrait of C. L. that leads me to suspect that daughter Erma Franklin's cooperation with "Singing in a Strange Land" was possibly conditioned on Salvatore's silence on some matters. Notwithstanding details of C. L.'s life unavailable elsewhere, and whatever self-exposure a preacher betrays in his sermons, "Singing in a Strange Land"'s shortcoming is the reader is left in the dark about C. L.'s thoughts and feelings. This is not the author's fault as Salvatore repeatedly refers to C. L.'s reticence to speak about personal feelings -- particularly about his early life in the Jim Crow South. Accordingly the reader is forced to draw inferences about the man, many of which may be unflattering due to the minister's impious personal life (e.g., his wife's decision to leave the philanderer though it meant painful separation from four of her young children).



3. If you live in America, particularly its big cities, you need it. If you lived through any part of the 20th century, you need it. "Singing in a Strange Land..." is a timely witness of the life of Rev. C.L. Franklin as an intersection of many apparently unrelated roads. Most interestingly, it gives insight to a time before Rev. Franklin was thought of as "Aretha's daddy". It chronicles the era when she was "the Rev.'s singing little girl".
   
   Aside from the strictly biographical aspects of this volume, there is much to reward those interested in subjects as diverse as the show business of gospel music, Detroit municipal politics, the civil-rights movement and even the growth of the Black community in Buffalo, NY! But, it it is a true pageturner, because Mr. Salvatore's writing never bores.
   
   Now dear reader, I am no expert on literature or scholastic research, but like the man in the museum looking at a Picasso, " I know what I like". I like this effort by Mr. Salvatore, and I believe you will, too. Don't miss it!



4. I enjoyed reading the book not only to hear about black history but to read about my daughter's history. Alyssa Ellan Smith who will be turning one on 1/4/05 will always have her history of her family in a book. Her grandmother Carl Ellan Kelley a remarkable woman who overcame many roadblocks in her life looks into Alyssa's eyes. Alyssa is a blessing to us but in an eerie feeling to look at Alyssa is to look at C.L. Franklin. From her eyes to her chin to the smile on her face she is an identical to her great-grandfather. We hold up pictures of the two and put them down in amazement. The book finally told the truth of Carl Ellan Kelley she was only a child who because of shame was raised by her grandparents who raised her to be a wonderful person. Thank you C.L. Franklin for giving us the gift of life our Grandmother and mother a woman who inspires me.



5. Readers interested in both black church music and black history will relish Singing In A Strange Land: C.L. Franklin, The Black Church, And The Transformation Of America. More than just a biography of C.L. Franklin, Singing In A Strange Land uses Franklin's background to explore both African American religion and musical development in America. Salvatore spent eight years extensively researching, including interviewing Franklin's associates, to develop a winning biography which includes so much more than civil rights history alone.

3 comments about Sandinista: Carlos Fonseca and the Nicaraguan Revolution.

1. Having lived trought the early years of the revolution in Nicaragua, althouhg just a child I got a first hand view of some of the struggles and dangers of the revolution. Because I was only a child I was not able to fully grasp the grand scheme of things and now as an adult I decided to begin reading about the revolution in Nicaragua and stubled upon this book.

   The book gives a clear, no nonsense account of Carlos Fonseca. Who he was, how he was raised and what he stood for over the course of his life. A clear chronological order of events into his life is presented as well as the struggles the young rag tag band of rebels went trought.

   If want to read an unbiased account into the revolution in Nicaragua and the role Carlos Fonseca played as leader of the FSLN then read this book. For me it shed light on some of the missing pieces about the revolution, the struggle and the ultimate outcome of the FSLN after the death of Fonseca.

   Good reading.




2. This is the first book I read about Carlos Fonseca that has more accurate information about him, than any other book I have read.
   I know this because I am the son of Raul Fonseca, but grew up with Carlos example and support. Carlos was the only father figure I ever had.

   Quite a task Ms. Zimmermann. Congratulations.

   I just read a few pages, but when I finish I will write a more complete review.

   God bless you!




3. This book pulls off a difficult feat, providing a balanced, neutral account of a subject about which supporters and opponents usually speak in strident, propagandistic terms.

   Because of the absence of any preachy rhetoric, and the reliance on first-hand interviews and actual source documents, the author delivers a compelling portrait of a leader whose faithfulness to pure idealism in a struggle against a seemingly unstoppable evil system can be compared to that of Churchill, Gandhi, and King.

   The Sandinistas were not the only group that took to the hills to arouse the populace in Latin America after the successful Cuban revolution, but they were the only group which actually came to power. Dr. Zimmermann's book is the story of the man who was the driving force behind the ideas, organization, strategy and success of their revolution.

   She does not flinch from criticizing the Sandinistas for their initial ill-informed and patronizing attitudes toward the indigineous peoples of their country, nor for their slow acceptance of their female compatriots, nor for their many tactical errors and blunders.

   Instead, this telling of the story of Fonseca and the Sanidnistas allows the reader to sense the very human feelings which became the basis of their appeal and allowed their success, even after Fonseca's death.

5 comments about American Chica: Two Worlds, One Childhood.

1. What a generous offering from a talented writer with a keen eye for the nuances of family life! Yes, she writes her own story, but she also writes her mother's and father's stories. And her siblings, though more sparingly drawn, also command her careful observation.
   
   She and her immediate family are described as they came up against the cultural norms, first in Peru in the 1950s, where the family spent 12 years, and then in the United States in the 1960s. Arana is a descendant of Peru's upper class, and while the story is one of growing up with economic 'privilege', we also see how that same class privilege imposes social restraints.
   
   One of my favorite passages describes Arana's observation that it is mothers who lovingly mold their sons into "machos", the archetype of the Latin male.



2. This is a heartfelt book; I can't think of another book that spells out the bicultural life so clearly. Arana has cut a new path here. This is not so much about being Hispanic American as being a new and different kind of American: split, with differing loyalties, and with all kinds of doubts along the way.
   I've just read the galleys of her new book, "Cellophane," which make me think that she's building something something new in her opus. This is a strong American writer with a great deal to say about what it means to be a person of the hemisphere. There is much inclusiveness here. I am struck by the largeness of her world.



3. As a native Spanish speaker and ESL/bilingual education
   teacher I was surprised to find so many
   Spanish mistakes in "American Chica." Given Ms.
   Arana's claims of bilingualism, I don't understand how
   this could have happened. A Spanish speaker, for
   example, knows that the word for an indigenous person,
   regardless of gender, is always indígena. Also, no
   fluent Spanish speaker would omit 'te' from "Te tengo
   a ti..." Nor write "proprio," "creatura," or
   "estranjera." And the problems with written accents
   throughout the book are serious! This is not
   nit-picking. As students and speakers of Spanish
   know, an accent's presence or absence can completely
   change the meaning of a word.
   
   While these mistakes were probably corrected in the
   paperback edition, I find it somewhat disrespectful
   that Ms. Arana took such a cavalier attitude with
   Spanish, particularly in a memoir about biculturalism.
   This sloppiness, as well as the author's rigid,
   outdated observations about Latin America vs. North
   America and all that made-for-gringos exoticism was
   very irritating to this particular American chica.



4. My wife grew up in Ecuador and moved to the United States 8 years ago, at age 31. I am always interested in better understanding her cross-cultural transition and that's why I picked up "American Chica". But actually this book is more of a family memoir, describing the difficult marriage of Arana's parents. The majority of the book is about her early childhood years growing up in Peru with her father's aristocratic family. The last couple of chapters do recount her family's move to New Jersey. But, while her father was miserable living the "gringo" lifestyle, Marie and her siblings appeared to make the transition quite easily - as children often do - despite facing racism as the only Latino kids in their school system.
   
   I prefer my non-fiction to be straightforward, with clear and concise writing. But Arana tends toward artsy pretentiousness, with descriptions and details that I found to be flowery and overly wordy. Obviously, many folks like her style of writing, as demonstrated by the numerous positive reviews. But, for me, it just didn't work.



5. I looked forward every night to reading Arana's way with words. Not only was the subject matter a great story -- duality on many levels, and she explored all the layers -- but she told her story with excellent prose.
   
   Having studied Latin America for years I've always been envious of my follow classmates & friends who have multiple identities...this book opened my eyes to the deeper challenges of multicultural identity, beyond the obvious racism/segregation to the more internal challenges; Arana's description of how she developed not just her gringa identity, or her Peruvian identity but her "faking it" identity fascinated me.
   
   I hope to see more of her work.

5 comments about Blues All around Me: The Autobiography of B. B. King.

1. The blues are not just a style of music. The appeal of the blues is it's unapologetic approach to the human condition. Rather than ignore the ups and downs of life, the blues find the human dignity revealed in suffering and rejoices in it. A good blues musician/singer is one who has discovered that human dignity in his own life and has become able to communicate it with others. B. B. King does that so well that he has done more than probably any other in promoting the blues in our time.
   
   In this heartfelt account, Riley King shares his life in pros with the same passion he has always shared it in music. He admits that his writing is an attempt to understand himself and he claims (unconvincingly) that he is not very good with words. And that is, perhaps, the only thing that seems a misrepresentation to the reader. Far from seeming to stumble and falter, Mr. King conveys such emotion that we are quickly drawn in to his story and held captive by his words. This is the story of the deep heartfelt emotion from which good blues springs. The human suffering that produces that kind of emotion is not remembered with bitterness but with an underlying joy in seeing that he has been a better man for it. The story of Mr. King's life is the story of his impassioned performances. It is the story of being human and embracing all that comes with the human condition.



2. BB King has penned a memoir that may be the best written of the many fine autobiographies issued by our finest blues musicians. And I've undertaken to read ém all! This one is frank, revealing, entertaining and full of historical insight, a must for blues fans, history fans and anyone who enjoys a fun read.



3. THERE ARE MANY BLUES SINGERS FROM ROBERT JOHNSON TO THE PRESENT, BUT THERE IS ONLY ONE THEY CALLED "THE KING OF THE BLUES" THIS MAN IS A LEGEND HE IS CALLED B.B.KING. THIS POWERFUL BOOK GOES INTO THE HUMBLE BEGINNING OF RILEY B. KING AS A SHARECROPPER,THROUGH THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT,RACISM TO PERFECTING THE MUSIC THAT IS HIS FIRST LOVE "THE BLUES" .HERE IS A MAN WHO CAME FROM A SIMPLE HUMBLE BEGINNING TO PERFORMING BEFORE KINGS AND QUEENS AND PRESIDENTS AND EVEN THE POPE. IF YOU HAVE SEEN B.B.KING YOU KNOW WHY HE IS CALLED THE KING OF THE BLUES, IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN HIM YOU ARE MISSING OUT ON "THE MAN" HIMSELF ALL YOU CAN DO IS READ THIS POWERFUL BOOK



4. I've read BB's book several times, maybe 5 or 6. Every time I read it I still love it. I learn something new about him every time. If you even consider yourself a fan of BB or the blues, you have to read this book. David Ritz is an awesome co-writer, keeping BB's voice in the forefront, and he just gently guides BB. He did a hell of a job with Etta James' autobiography also.
   An excellent book!!



5. His real name is Riley B. King, the B.B. stands for Blues Boy, and he is known as "America's ambassador of the blues". A recommended enjoyable, good read about growing up and into music, self-taught guitar, remarkable attitudes of a man who faced prejudice and hate with an even keel. A performer who went on stage even when he was suffering from a bad case of flu. B.B. King took his music to Israel, England, and Russia, and held up in stature through the lows and highs. And he loves his 'Lucille' (guitar)! David Ritz has co-authored with the King a wonderful synopsis of love, fortitude, belonging, and enthusiasm. Recommended for blues lovers or otherwise... please don't miss this splendid read. (Review based on hardcover 1996)
   Reviewer also recommends: 'Between Each Line of Pain and Glory My Life Story' by Gladys Knight

5 comments about Heading South, Looking North: A Bilingual Journey.

1. This is the worst book that i have ever tried to read. That is right i couldn't even finish this thing. If you are not being forced by a university to buy this then save your money and buy yourself some booze.



2. Ariel Dorfman's Death and the Maiden helped me learn some new Spanish words, soak in Chile, Chilito, pisco sour... it also helped me imagine with more concreteness the hell that foreign policy and the Pinochet dictatorship unleashed upon Chilean men and women. I learned pieces of the dialogues by heart and wondered about the implications of human frailty and resistance in general. Alas, I took the work to be an expression of criticism toward the weak-willed husband who was content with a foul compromise, with the so-called "dialogue". This memoir as well as Dorfman's pieces in Counterpunch opened my eyes, however. Dorfman has never advanced past the boy who forsook Spanish for English, the boy so awed by glories of Holywood that he'd rather be a whimsical, charming Ariel than a weird Vladimiro. It is hilarious that he is being criticized for Communist sympathies here, when he is a liberal in the nineteenth c. sense of the term who would fight and die for nothing but his piece of the northamerican pie. I wish I had never read any of his work, and I cannot forgive him his cowardice, his duplicity, his heading AND looking north. I'll stick to Galeano instead.



3. This book is the internal memoirs of a man whose defining moments were exile from his homelands and his languages. Exile was a longstanding way of life in Dorfman's family, from his grandparents who had to leave Eastern Europe, to his parents who had to flee both Argentina and the US, and now Dorfman himself, who was forced into asylum after the fall of Allende in Chile. But exile is more of a secondary or co-theme of this book. The other major theme is Dorfman's search for identity through his languages. Throughout the book, Dorfman describes how he came to know language, and the identity traits that go along with a language. He also describes how he came to choose which of his two languages, English and Spanish, to use in different contexts and to consciously construct different identities.

   Rather than tell his story chronologically, Dorfman works from a repertoire of pivotal moments. He has asked himself, when and why did I first start using English? When did I begin to write? When did I embrace the philosophy of non-violence? He then describes these episodes in detail, and speculates and philosophizes on them. The story of Dorfman's political activities in Chile and what happened to him during the coup constitute about half of the book, with these political chapters alternating with chapters about the other significant events in his life. The bouncing back-and-forth between time periods moves almost smoothly, like the thought patterns of an insomniac reflecting back at the end of a busy day.

   I found many aspects of this book quite interesting. The first-person account of bilingualism, and its ties to a conflicted identity were described very clearly. The inside perspective on the Allende regime and its fall was also informative. What was particularly telling was the speculation on why the regime lost popularity amongst the Chilean people- -how Dorfman himself shamed people who were celebrating the Allende victory with a right-wing singer who was trying to mend fences, and told them the singer was not welcome in the revolution, or how he didn't reach out to a neighbor whose job was jeopardized and then lost because he wasn't an Allendista. Another aspect of this story that I found intriguing was Dorfman's identity as a gringo English speaker brought to Chile against his will as a young teenager, who came to adopt the country and become active in its politics. I couldn't help but think of another young man, Michael Townley, who was also brought by his American family to Santiago in his teenage years, and also learned the language, married a local girl, and wanted to call Chile his permanent home. But Townley was on the other side of the revolution, and became a right-wing terrorist working for the Chilean intelligence forces. Did Dorfman ever encounter Townley? Of course, Dorfman wasn't actually American- -he was an Argentinean who spent a significant portion of his childhood in the US, but he looked and spoke the part. How many other young Americans adopted Chile during this period? What was their combined influence on Chilean politics?




4. While Mr. Dorfman's experience of crossing cultures and language during a high profile time in Chilian and American history is poinent, it is not unique or objective. His self absorbtion is irritating. His self rightousness criticism covers unresolved suvivor's guilt which would be better resolved in the analysts chair. It is unfortunate Mr. Dorfman presents such idealised view of the Salvador Allende. I have lived and worked in Chile and am well aquainted with many people,peers of Mr. Dorfman, who also have parents who immigrated from Europe or Russia. Allende caused terrible harm to the Chilian economy in his repartiation of middle class businesses and land amoung other things. Middle class housewives demonstrated in the streets begging the military to oust him. No one approved of the repressive regime, the fear and the disappearances of the early Pinochet years, but in the last years Pinochet opened the Chilian markets to the world. Pinochet was voted out and democracy in with the addition of "primary" elections so that no one will be elected with 33% of the vote as was Allende. There were no monsters in Chile, no saints,but there is complex history, culture and politics. It is a shame Mr Dorfman with his high visability couldn't have addressed that.



5. Both as a memorial to the democracy that was delayed for a generation in Chile (and to his friends who were casualties in the Pinochet terror) and as an account of how a major writer became the bilingual hybrid he is by rejecting first one and then the other of his linguistic selves, this is a fascinating book. . Battered from continent to continent by political events of the twentieth century, Dorfman's survival (as he knows well) depended on considerable luck and on his father's connections. Although he has accepted that his vocation is to tell stories, especially the stories of repression in Chile, there is no doubt that he harbors a considerable amount of survivor guilt.

   Contrary to the misrepresentation of earlier reviewers, Dorfman does mention Borges (three times, all with respect), criticizes Castro as well as Pinochet (though Chile is a place to which he gave his heart and soul), and is not just aware, but explicit that it is ironic "I should have become a spokesperson for the poor in Latin America because I had spent so many years in the rich North" and of the recurrent ironies that the connections of his marxist father got them out of harm's way.

   This is a very honest, un-narcissistic account of an interesting life of multiple exiles, observing failures of democracies, making clear the different selves that emerge in different languages. I would have liked more on the second American exile and assenting to bilingualism, and I regret that the hardback cover composition was replaced by the duller, less bicultural one on the paperback.

5 comments about Barry Sanders Now You See Him: His Story in His Own Words.

1. What a great Back. Rather booring book. Not too interesting at all. Very blah.



2. I was so glad to see this book and DVD come out. The story of Barry Sanders the NFL's legendary running back who played for the Detroit Lions for his entire NFL career. Barry Sanders didn't break the biggest records but, his name is mentioned as a runner up for all of them. This was mainly because Barry didn't play the game to break records. He played the game to the best of his abilities..... and his best, for those of us lucky enough to see him play, was nothing short of jaw-dropping! I know that Sanders could have broke all the records but, his modest and humble personality and upbringing would not permit any showboating. In many games where his team had a good lead he would take himself out of the game rather than pile on the garbage yards like so many others. Sanders also was able to produce a staggering amount of yards behind a mediocre front line. The Superbowl would elude him for his entire career and his sudden retirement was almost brilliant as we will never know what he could have accomplished if he played a few more years. Still if you look at his stats you will see he did break many records and left an impressive mark on the game. I don't think football has been as exciting since he retired. I know that many of today's players could take a lesson from this man in class,loyalty and good sportmanship. Even if you don't agree he was the greatest running back to play the game, he was certainly the most unique! The book is interesting and the DVD is very good but, I would have loved more footage of great runs from old "20 Blue", I'm sure they could fill a hefty DVD box set with just classic Barry runs. If your a fan it's worth picking up.



3. The greatest back of all time writes a pretty boring book. some things are interesting. I wish the DVD was better...but you could make a 10 disc set with his highlights.



4. THIS IS ABOUT FORMER DETROIT LION GREAT BARRY SANDERS. HE WROTE THIS HIMSELF WITH A LITTLE HELP. HIS STORY IS SHORT, SWEET AND VERY WELL WRITTEN. IT ALSO INCLUDES A DVD SHOWING SOME OF HIS RUNS. I THINK ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS IS HIS REASONS FOR RETIRING WHEN HE WAS ON THE VERGE OF BECOMING THE TOP RUSHER OF ALL TIME. BARRY IS A CHRISTIAN AND IS HIS OWN MAN. THE BOOK IS FOR ALL LION AND FOOTBALL FANS. ENJOY.



5. I've been looking for a Barry Sanders highlights DVD for years.... good news - there finally is one, it comes with the book. Bad news? It's only about 20 minutes long, and doesn't show many of his spectacular runs. The book is outstanding, as it's written pretty much by Barry himself, and has great comments from other players in the NFL, giving him the praise he deserves. Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, they have entire 60 minute DVD's (and more) on their lives.... if any player in the history of football should have one, it's Barry Sanders. All in all, if you like football at all, and appreciate magic, this is a must have, from the most talented running back in the history of the game.

3 comments about Great Jewish Men.

1. This work contains biographical portraits of some of the most important figures in Jewish history. The book is written with a clear factual tone, and provides accurate information on the entries. It is a kind of short encyclopedia and I believe an excellent educational tool in the Jewish people's struggle to deal with their own ignorance about themselves and their history.
   I suppose one element of reading such works is a certain ' pride ' if one is Jewish at knowing that one is somehow connected , belongs to the same people as the distinguished person in question.
   I think the authors were wise in choosing people whose actions are generally considered valuable contributions to the Jewish people and mankind as a whole.
   This work should be of real pleasure to anyone who takes interest in Jewish culture and history.



2. This book is an excellent book. It covers information about many different men who have played important roles in Judaism, from Abraham to David Ben Gurion. The book is good if you are looking for a 2-3 page biography and certain highlights of a person's career, but could not be used as an only reference for a research project.

   Overall, the Slaters have created a good book documenting important aspects of Jewish history.




3. I think the book was ok, but it left out a very important jewish person. That important person is Albert Einstein. As I finished this book I realized that it did not have Albert Einstein in it. That was very dissapointing. So, in conlusion, I would give this book 3 stars because it left out the amazing Albert Einstein.

5 comments about Restavec: From Haitian Slave Child to Middle-Class American.

1. A story of survival that will touch your heart and move you to action!
   Visit restavecfreedom.org



2. I know Mr. Cadet, and reading this book for me was a wonderful experience, both in understanding the man and in opening my eyes to a horribly overlooked norm in Haitian society. This book is amazing and will make you see both other countries and the American dream in a new way. Highly recommended to all.



3. Restavec is an excellent look into Haiti's secret slavery. It's an honest look at what is sadly going on in Haiti today, even though the author is writing about his past. The author is to be commended for writing this autobiography, for exposing and expressing the senseless, brutal and humiliating acts towards him. Reading this book, grabbed my heart and attention and has made me want to do something to help the children in Haiti that are currently oppressed. It was a really quick and easy read. A page-turner and I'm glad I read it.



4. I loved this book. I thought it was excellent, touching, compelling, and educational. The tales in Mr. Cadet's life are certaintly unforgetable. I cried, laughed, and lived with this book as I traveled with Mr. Cadet and his life experiences.
   
   This book is a must read.



5. I got this book in the mail on 7/12 at 6:00 pm. I could not stop reading it, even though I had a social to attend (took it with me) and finally fell asleep around 12:30 am. Woke up at 4 to finish it. I could not put it down. To think that what I read is all true is just overwhelming. I am encouraged by his triumph over his life struggles, but still understanding of his daily battle to fight feeling of insecurity and inferiority.
   
   If you need a new appreciation for life or a reason to strive for more, read this book. Someone who has suffered greatly has had enough victory to encourage you to do better.

3 comments about Negro with a Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey.

1. Lionized by some and pilloried by others within early 20th century black American leadership, Marcus Garvey was NOT ignorable. Between his push for a pan-African movement and a return to Africa by American blacks, on the one hand, and battles with other black leaders like W.E.B. Du Bois on the other -- including tussles over elitism and related events, Garvey brought an outsider's mileau, from Jamaica, to the American black experience and broadened it.
   
   The Black Power movement of the 1960s, the stress on titles and trappings within certain black American subcultures today and more all trace to this "Negro with a hat," as Du Bois called him with some condescension.
   
   Along the way, you'll get a side glance at 1920s Harlem, a battle for where to take black America beyond Booker T. Washington and more.



2. Wow! What a wonderful read. I learned so much and Mr. Grant made so many pieces of history fall into place for me. Obviously my education regarding African-American History has been incomplete. Growing up in the sixties with "The Black Power Movement," I now understand where it began and Garvey has not received enough credit or press for his "dream." This book has greatly blessed me. Right on Colin Grant! Thank you.



3. Independent historian and BBC Radio script editor Colin Grant presents Negro with a Hat: The Rise and Fall of Marcus Garvey, an in-depth biography of Marcus Mosiah Garvey (1887-1940), who is perhaps best-known for his "Back to Africa" movement that sought to create an independent homeland through Pan-African emigration. Known as the "Black Moses" to his many admirers, and crowned Jamaica's first national hero after his death, Marcus Garvey also made plenty of enemies - he was deemed a enough of a threat by Winston Churchill and J. Edgar Hoover to warrant surveillance, and was scornfully derided as a "negro with a hat" by W.E.B. Du Bois. His talent for promoting his ideas and resurrecting memory of lost African civilization was unsurpassed, and he earned his place in history as one of the founders of black nationalism and a crucial figure of the twentieth century. Negro with a Hat spares no detail yet remains accessible to readers of all backgrounds, and is highly recommended for its thoughtful and balanced presentation of a thoroughly complex individual's life.