Reviews (25)

A quick read but slow to forget
This story, set in 1960's, concerns Ron, an affluent art collector who wears designer suits and is a world traveler; and Denver, a dangerous, illiterate drifter who left virtual slavery on a cotton farm in Louisiana. Denver's room in the slave shack is smaller than a closet in one of Ron's multiple houses. The heroine is Ron's wife, a lovely lady of faith and trust. Affluence does not jade her tender qualities. She fights a battle with cancer while they fight a battle of coming to a stronger faith and trust such as she possesses.
Connect with purpose Anita Jefferson*Climb Every Obstacle*
This book is authentic in its language of spiritual love that was lived by Debbie and Ron Hall which was unpretentiously extended to those in need. It was sure providence that guided the Texas socialite Halls and homeless, illiterate, street-hard Denver Moore to mingle first at a soup kitchen but eventually around the family table.
Excellent book--a story about extending oneself for love and glorious transformations it brings
I could not put this book down. Because this is a true story, I hope to purchase many more copies to give to my friends so they too can be touched by the powerful story of transformations taken place in the heart of Ron, Debbie and Denver. It's wonderful to know that God is still moving in His powerful and mysterious way. I thank the authors for writing this book because i know it must have been a difficult book to write since the story deals with so much of their vulnerability and emotions. I believe this story will continue to change lives, bring hopes and stengthen faith in many others. This is an excellent and inspirational story about the glory of God revealed in these people's courage, love, faith and friendship. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography And Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Christianity - Theology - Apologetics    6. General    7. Personal Memoirs    8. Religious    9. Biography & Autobiography / General    10. Biography: general    11. Slavery & emancipation    12. True stories of endurance & survival    13. USA   

Reviews (51)

They Finally Get To Tell Their Stories...
What a fantastic book. I saw a short write up for it in a popular women's magazine, and though I never before had any interest in this subject, I was intrigued. I'm so glad I read it. I can't believe the things these poor scared young women had to go through. Most being pretty much abandoned by their families, and sent to 'homes for unwed mothers'...all because society of the 50's and 60's said it was unacceptable to be a pregnant, unmarried woman.
I lived with the Aftermath of my Mother's History....
My mother was a "Girl who Went Away"...a fact that I didn't learn until I was in my mid-twenties.
Such an important book which sheds light on the past as well as the present
Fessler has compiled a very moving collection of oral histories from mostly white, middle class women who were coerced to relinquish their babies as teenage unwed mothers.Many of their stories recount how little they knew about sex and pregnancy, and their very ignorance makes a strong indictment of the social norms of the times, when the sexual appetites of teenage girls were denied. The saddest stories are told by women who saw their pregnancies as the culmination of their love affairs and as the beginning of family life with their babies' fathers.To protect the reputation of their own families, parents of these girls turned to the adoption industry and the babies disappeared.Young mothers were told that they would forget about this early 'mistake' when they married and had more children. They were also told that they were not competent to be parents, and that other couples were more worthy.Many of the storytellers in this book carried that sense of unworthiness with them throughout their adulthood until, aided by reunion with their now adult surrendered children, some are able to heal.
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Subjects:  1. Adoption    2. Adoption And Adoption Services    3. Birthmothers    4. Psychological aspects    5. Social History    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. United States    9. Women's Studies - General    10. Women's Studies - History    11. Social Science / Women's Studies   

Reviews (28)

Looking for a great survey of a great country?
This hefty book goes through the history of the United States from the Age of Discovery with great sailors to the 20th Century where America had established their position as one of the world's superpowers.It's very interesting to see how The ideas that we hold sacred were almost happened upon by the founders and the fact that those ideas perservered through adversity from all directions.Bennett describes the political scene in depth and leaves out much of the cultural makeup of the nation, but one can still get a good feel for the way life was back then.The author gives a strong backing to the Republican party throughout American History (claiming Jefferson's party was 'Republican' instead of Democratic Republican) and shows the 'Democrats' as the clear antagonist to freedom and prosperity.This may be true in some contexts, but Bennett fails to recognize the inconsistency within the Republican party- starting out more democratic and ending up more federalist, and how the republican party started off as radicalists and entered the 20th century as the conservatives.This ebb and flow of political status is more an more evident as the current administration shows- what fiscally conservative politician can claim to have presided over the largest government budget in the history of America?
A superb, well balanced history of the United States
Revisionist histories that cast the United States as an evil nation have been all the rage among academics for the past several decades. William Bennett has an answer to that trend: a wonderfully written, well-balanced American history that doesn't hesitate to describe the mistakes along the way to the creation of the best functioning, longest lived democracy on the planet.
An Excellent Textbook
I found this to be the best book on American history that I have read.The author covers colonial history and then proceeds to address each presidential election and administration. There are many tidbits of information that I did not know or had forgotten.These included: George Washington as president leading the militia to oppose the Whiskey Rebellion; a story told of the rotund President Taft giving up his seat on the trolley to three ladies; President Grover Cleveland being awakened by his wife who tells him there is a burglar in the house and his reply: no, in the senate maybe but not in the house.
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Subjects:  1. History    2. History - General History    3. History - U.S.    4. History: American    5. United States    6. United States - General    7. United States History (General)    8. History / United States / General   

Reviews (347)

A Two For Effort
This book is written from the viewpoint of a flaming socialist with the attitude that anything white or European or is overly valued in American history textbooks.Loewen does have many valid points about what history textbooks omit, but the degree to which he is clearly slanted to the left is ludicrous."Lies My Teacher Told Me" could have been an amazing book, but all it did was aggrivate me and motivate me to write a 23 page paper debunking half of what the author wrote, much to the dismay of my idiotic Sociology professor.The only reason I didn't give the book 1 star is because the overall intent and effort put forth were good, but the book as a whole is just far too biased.

an important book
Interesting, informative, and should be required reading for high school and college students.

A mixed review
I have mixed feelings about this book.
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Subjects:  1. Historiography    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: American    5. Indians of North America in te    6. Indians of North America in textbooks    7. Study & Teaching    8. Textbooks    9. Thanksgiving Day in textbooks    10. United States    11. United States - General    12. United States History (General)    13. History / General    14. Humour    15. USA   

Reviews (164)

Heart-Warming, Moving Account of the Holocaust
The story of Corrie ten Boom and her family and their work in the Dutch underground during World War II has been around 35 years but this is the first time I've sat down to read this amazing story.I am so glad I did!Built on the premise that love will conquer all, the story shows what relatively normal people can accomplish in extraordinary times.
A Tale Of Love, Courage, And Compassion
In Corrie Ten Boom's book "The Hiding Place", she gives an exciting account of how during the terrifying years of the Holocaust and World War 11 her entire family strove to hide as many Jews as they could from Nazi forces.
A Moving Tale
This is a beautiful, beautiful book. I could read it over and over, and feel touched, inspired, and renewed again. I first tried to read it when I was about twelve years old, but it was two heavy for me. Then I read it a few months ago, and it came alive. This is one book I would definately want to add to my library soon. I love the Ten Boom family - especially Betsy. I am looking forward to meeting them all in heaven someday. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Historical - Holocaust    4. Personal narratives, Dutch    5. Ravensbruck (Germany : concentration camp)    6. Religious    7. Ten Boom, Corrie    8. Women    9. World War, 1939-1945    10. Biography: general    11. History / Holocaust   

Editorial Review

World War II may have ended in 1945, but according to historian Tony Judt, the conflict's epilogue lasted for nearly the rest of the century. Calling 1945-1989 "an interim age," Judt examines what happened on each side of the Iron Curtain, with the West nervously inching forward while the East endured the "peace of the prison yard" until the fall of Communism in 1989 signaled their chance to progress. Though he proposes no grand, overarching theory of the postwar period, Judt's massive work covers the broad strokes as well as the fine details of the years 1945 to 2005. No one book (even at nearly a thousand pages) could fully encompass this complex period, but Read more

Reviews (34)

Turns a bright light on a dimly lit corner of recent history.
Postwar is truly a huge achievement.While it is a long book, it is actually short given how much ground Judt covers and how effectively he covers it.the book starts with a great synopsis of some under-stated facts and thoughts about the impact that WWII had on Europe as a whole and on its constituent parts.This book is worth reading for that synopsis alone.
worthy, not perfect
I have just finished Mr.Judt's tome on modern Europe. I am a little embarrassed to admit that it took me several months. I enjoyed learning the information; the book is certainly filled with detail. It is not by any means an easy read or a "page turner, " however. Although I agree with some other reviewers that the US' role is deemphasized a bit, overall I felt the author was fairly objective. In contrast to a reviewer's comment that the French will love this book, I would argue that the author reveals the French during this periodas deeply flawed. Certainly the Soviet leadershipproperly receives a great deal of blame, as do many of the citizenry throughout Europe.I agree that the book's strength lies in the breadth of the information, which at first seems overwhelming but is kept semi-manageable. Mr. Judt is less successful in neatly synthesizing all the info, but I personally think that that is primarily a realistic function of the subject matter. I did find the epilogue discussing specifically the treatment of jews a little jarring in its placement.
What is the future of Europe?
"Postwar - A history of Europe since 1945" by Tony Judt is the best book I have read on the subject.Its perspective on events since 1989 up to 2005 is remarkably good.
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Subjects:  1. 1945-    2. Europe    3. Europe - General    4. Europe - History    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. Post World War II History    9. History / Europe / General   

Reviews (125)

Difficult but worthwhile read
I read this when it came out and again recently. It is not an easy read but the author has obviously done his homework on the subject of killing from a military point of view. Having been a Marine sniper for two years in Vietnam I was interested in his research and findings and found them fascinating. With the young men and now women returning from Iraq this is a tough but necessary read for loved ones. The author details various aspects of the impact of doing this work and this is a good work.

Stunning and In Depth!Remarkable!
I have only read half of this book and it is excellent.A must read for anyone in the military or law enforcement fields.

May change your perspective on combat
As I wasn't familiar with Gen. S.L.A. Marshall's study previously, Grossman's presentation of low firing rates prior to the Korean conflict was new and intriguing to me.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. History    3. Military    4. Military - General    5. Military Science    6. Psychology    7. History / Military / General    8. Warfare & Defence   

Reviews (26)

Race Exists
Besides writing an excellent commentary on human evolution, Mr. Wade has done all of us a favor by stating clearly that race exists.He does not suggest that that fact is an argument for discrimination; nor do I.Race is nothing more than an expected biological adapation to different selective pressures.Humans are not exempt from evolution.However, refusing to recognize the obvious biological fact that race exists does more harm than good.In medicine, for example, it is well known that the genetic legacy of different races includes risk factors for different diseases.It is also known that different races respond differently to different diets, different treatments, and different medications.In the last year or so, for example, a new drug designed expressly to treat blacks was approved.How would it be possible to create a drug that is particularly beneficial to a given race if that race does not exist in some biolgically distinct way?The delusional branches of academia have been peddling for years the idea that what we call 'race,' 'gender,' 'homosexuality, and so forth are socially constructed, that they have no independent and verifiable existence, and that they are merely notional creations of our culture.This nonsensical view has survived more by mob-like academic bullying than by facts or arguments.It is time we returned to reality and accept that there are such things as facts, that many of them are discoverable, and that they will not go away just because we do not like them.Nicholas Wade's 'Before the Dawn' is an important step in the right direction.

Manly realism
Nicholas Wade has done in this book a splendid job of describing the prehistory of the human beast, primarily told thru the examination of the differences in the DNA sequences of the peoples of the world. These studies have shown that the human race is divided into geographic groups and subgroups which on the largest scale are seen to be the Caucasian, Asian, and Negro races. This should be no surprise to any observant, sentient being, but the are fashionably denied by certain cultural anthropologists, American sociologists and other academicians who should know better.Wade is quite up to date on the latest findings, and gives a good account of such things as ancestry informative markers, Lewontin's misleading treatment of Fst, the mitochondrial Eve, and the reconstruction of ancient human migrations.He also gives a very lucid account of the evidence from the linguists who study the relatedness and evolution of language to infer how the peopling of the world happened.
Compelling reading, hard to put down.
This as a compelling book. As an adventure story about our ancestors, once started it was hard to put down. Wade's story telling skills are second to none. He even makes the mitochondrial family tree fascinating. Wade's wide ranging book throws into stark contrast the balkanisation of academia. The lessons from genetics are rewriting our history and this book will be controversial as it overturns pet theories in multiple disciplines. For example the anthropology department's true believers in the peaceful, noble savage will not like the conclusion that had tribal warfare casualty rates continued in modern warfare, war deaths in the 20th century would have totalled 2 billion not 200 million! Buy this book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Human evolution    3. Life Sciences - Evolution    4. Life Sciences - Evolution - Human    5. Science    6. Science/Mathematics    7. Social evolution    8. Science / Evolution   

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - U.S.    3. History: American    4. United States - General    5. History / United States / General   

Reviews (9)

A useful compendium of original source material
I obtained this volume of translations of Ancient Near Eastern texts and pictures along with its companionVolume I � An Anthology of Texts and Pictures which was first published in 1958.This volume, which was published in 1975,includes translations of more recently discovered material selected from the 1969 anthologyof Supplementary Texts and Pictures Relating to the Old Testament. A useful compendium of original source material
I bought this book along with its companion:Volume II � A New Anthology of Texts and Pictures,because it was time for me to see for myself what the the original sources had to say about the Ancient Near East. A Stimulating Resource
Volume II or "The Ancient Near East" is a good companion to Volume I, containing mythic, legal, and monumental information from the Middle East Bronze and Iron Ages. It really puts youback there to read actual letters and contracts, or to see the developments in poetic, narrative and visual arts. The only real problem is the lack of consistent dating infomation, particularly for the artwork. It makes it difficult to form a conceptual picture if things are presented in what appears to be a random order. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Bible    3. Bible.    4. Collections    5. General    6. History    7. History of contemporary events    8. History: World    9. Middle East - Egypt    10. Middle Eastern literature    11. O.T    12. O.T.    13. Oriental literature    14. Philosophy    15. Translations into English    16. ASIA    17. Ancient World    18. Archaeology and Ancient History    19. Biblical archaeology    20. History / Egypt    21. Mind, Body, Spirit    22. Reference    23. Religion   

Features

• Box set

Reviews (151)

vgmani
I dont know how to rate this!! The book... I am yet to read! But I received collectorS edition within a collector edition! The book is printed upside down while the cover page is printed straight!

The Life of Vladek
The combination of volume one and volume two of Maus instills emotion, unfelt by any Holocaust story.Spiegelman (hey that's me; so of coarse it's a must read) implements humor, details, and characters that allow for a stunning plot of the life of his father Vladek. The relationship between Mala and Vladek, is humorous and tragic at the same time. I don't want to reveal too much plot, but would like to end writing the animals characterizations of personalities is ingenious.

Excellent Book
I am ordinarily very uninterested in graphic novels. Just seems like a stupid format to me. BUT, this was a great book. It is just the right story and right presentation for someone like me to enjoy. I highly recommend it and will probably give other graphic novels a chance ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Children of Holocaust survivors    6. Comic books, strips, etc    7. General    8. Historical - General    9. Holocaust    10. Holocaust survivors    11. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)    12. Poland    13. United States    14. Biography & Autobiography / Literary    15. Biography: general    16. Jewish studies    17. The Holocaust   

Reviews (80)

Yes, this is true!
This was a very confusing time for us at home trying to read the news. Bing West explains the interaction between the politicians and military commanders. My brother was in Fallujah at this time and enjoyed finding new information.

Average "Joe" view
It's truly amazing what our military men an women go through in Iraq (and elsewhere). Unselfissly risking their lives to help total strangers.Very intense. The book puts you right there in the action.The author comes across as very objective about the war.

Marine dad's view.
My Marine son gave me this book for Christmas 2005 after his deployment to Fallujah. I could not put it down from page one.Bing West is the "real deal" and sets forth the compelling story of the Battle of Fallujah as only a Marine can do. This work is a true and fitting tribute to the brave men who exemplify the best of the Marine Corps core values of Honor, Courage, and Commitment."No True Glory" is a must read for any parent with a son in the Corps.
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Subjects:  1. Campaigns    2. Fallujah, Battle of, Fallåujah, Iraq, 2004    3. History    4. History - Military / War    5. Iraq War, 2003-    6. Military    7. Military - Iraq War    8. Military - Strategy    9. Military History - 1990-    10. Political Freedom & Security - General    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Rebellion And Insurgency    13. History / Military / United States   

Reviews (31)

A House Divided
"The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid Schooling in America" will challenge any illusion the reader holds that America has left her divided and racist history far behind. Truly a heart rending account of apartheid schooling that bridges the larger social implications of racial and economic disparity with the daily life and dreams of our children.

A voice for those who do not have a say right now.
Promises made are not always promises kept.We all say that we want education to be a priority for all.Do we all really support that?The Shame of the Nation exposes the compliancy that many Americans have when it comes to actually promoting equal opportunities for all.We want our professional athletes and Olympic contestants to be able to compete and train in the best facilities and with the best practices.This enables them to reach their fullest potential and beyond.We should all be willing to support this endeavor for the education of all of our students.This book helps us to walk in another's shoes and truly empathize with the inequaties that so many children must deal with.Reading this book should open ones eyes to how many future adult American are set up for failure.Brown vs. Board of Education may have imposed laws for equality but it must go further into the mindset of funding agencies.If we are truly to become equal, we must alleviate the barriers that cause the fragmentation of opporutnity and success.
Opened my eyes to problems in our public education system
This book explains how racial segregation in the public schools has been getting worse and why that is a problem.If children interact with other races at a young age, they're less likely to have racist ideas as adults.When people extol the legal and political victories that allowed integrated schools, Kozol finds it ironic because even though apartheid is not the law, current public policy discourages integration.Well-meaning parents in affluent school districts lobby against any zoning change that would include children from poorer areas.The result is that school districts are unintentionally set up to segregate the poor from the middle class and dark-skinned from the ligher-skinned.This makes our society seem horribly unfair to the children going through the segregated, inferior schools.
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Subjects:  1. Administration - General    2. De facto school segregation    3. Discrimination & Racism    4. Education    5. Education / Teaching    6. Educational Policy & Reform    7. General    8. Multicultural Education    9. Philosophy & Social Aspects    10. Sociology Of Education    11. United States    12. Education / General   

Editorial Review

Ron Suskind won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 1995 for his stories on Cedric Jennings, a talented black teenager struggling to succeed in one of the worst public high schools in Washington, D.C. Suskind has expanded those features into a full-length nonfiction narrative, following Jennings beyond his high-school graduation to Brown University, and in the tradition of Leon Dash's Read more

Reviews (110)

A poignant and insightful story
What does it take to overcome great obstacles and find the best in oneself? The author found a young man named Cedric Jennings to explore this question. The author observes Cedric's life in a uniquely honest way. We are able to experience first-hand the often painful and complicated emotions of young people who grow up in socially disadvantaged neighborhoods and broken homes. The day to day experiences of these young people often necessitate the need to focus on emotional and financial survival, rather than intellectual pursuits or personal aspirations.
A tale of a boy who made it out...
This book would typically not be on my list of interesting reading; but the book was for college so I thought I would read it.To my great suprise, the book actually made emotions run through my body when I read it.It wasn't that these experiences were personal for me; but I recognized the struggle I had seen so often and how I seemed to be a part of the "majority" who didn't know any better.This seemed to bother me the most, I kept asking myself, "Am I really that ignorant?".The answer unfortunetly was yes, I really had become just another example of something the minority had to struggle so hard against to succeed.The idea that my suburban schools were far ahead of all the inner city schools seemed almost ludicrous.The more I looked into it, the more I realized that this struggle has been going on longer than I have lived, and that even though I feel bad for the minority; I still continue to live my life casually without sticking my neck out for others.
Grasping for the Gold Ring
"A Hope in the Unseen" provides insight into an ambitious, Africian American highschooler's mind as he pursues good grades and a life of integrity. Cedric, a Ballou High School student from Washington, DC, shares his journey with us as he, not only plans to graduate from high school as an honor student, but also heads into an Ivy League college and steps into his career with dignity.Great read for any one desiring to take responsibility of their own life and go for the "gold". ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Afro-American college students    2. Afro-American teenage boys    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Discrimination & Racism    6. Education    7. Frank W. Ballou Senior High School (Washington, D.C.)    8. People of Color    9. Social Science    10. Sociology    11. Sociology - Urban    12. Specific Groups - General    13. Students    14. Washington (D.C.)    15. Modern fiction    16. Social Science / Sociology / Urban    17. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (1)

The Hows & Whys of a Historical Tragedy
A lot of experts say that there are four periods in modern times that helped shape present-day China:World War II, the Civil War & rise of the Chinese Communist Party, the Great Leap Forward & resulting famine, and the Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution.I'm not an expert, merely someone who's interested in History, but I tend to agree.This theory explains many things, including why true republicanism is coming so slowly to the People's Republic.But there is one further question everyone asks - How can something like the Cultural Revolution happen?
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Subjects:  1. Asia - China    2. China    3. Cultural Revolution, 1966-1976    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    8. History / China    9. c 1960 to c 1970   

Editorial Review

A beloved classic since its initial publication in 1947, this vivid, insightful journal is a fitting memorial to the gifted Jewish teenager who died at Bergen-Belsen, Germany, in 1945. Born in 1929, Anne Frank received a blank diary on her 13th birthday, just weeks before she and her family went into hiding in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Her marvelously detailed, engagingly personal entries chronicle 25 trying months of claustrophobic, quarrelsome intimacy with her parents, sister, a second family, and a middle-aged dentist who has little tolerance for Anne's vivacity. The diary's universal appeal stems from its riveting blend of the grubby particulars of life during wartime (scant, bad food; shabby, outgrown clothes that can't be replaced; constant fear of discovery) and candid discussion of emotions familiar to every adolescent (everyone criticizes me, no one sees my real nature, when will I be loved?). Yet Frank was no ordinary teen: the later entries reveal a sense of compassion and a spiritual depth remarkable in a girl barely 15. Her death epitomizes the madness of the Holocaust, but for the millions who meet Anne through her diary, it is also a very individual loss. Read more

Reviews (560)

'Anne Frank, better than ever'
'The Diary Of A Young Girl: The Definitive edition' is more or less the un-cut version of the book that was originally published in the late 1940's. it contains approx. 30% more material, and in my opinion makes Anne more relatable than ever, particularly to adolescents.