Passage of Darkness: The Ethnobiology of the Haitian Zombie
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Revealing the truth behind zombies and voodoo!
  • Excellent Works; Good Groundwork
  • Great work - He also did the leg work
  • Interesting, informative
  • Fascinating, but why no follow up
Passage of Darkness: The Ethnobiology of the Haitian Zombie
Wade Davis
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0807842109

Book Description

In 1982, Harvard-trained ethnobotanist Wade Davis traveled into the Haitian countryside to research reports of zombies—the infamous living dead of Haitian folklore. A report by a team of physicians of a verifiable case of zombification led him to try to obtain the poison associated with the process and examine it for potential medical use.

Interdisciplinary in nature, this study reveals a network of power relations reaching all levels of Haitian political life. It sheds light on recent Haitian political history, including the meteoric rise under Duvalier of the Tonton Macoute. By explaining zombification as a rational process within the context of traditional Vodoun society, Davis demystifies one of the most exploited of folk beliefs, one that has been used to denigrate an entire people and their religion.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Revealing the truth behind zombies and voodoo!.......2006-02-16

Passage of Darkness: The Ethnobiology of the Haitian Zombie by Dr. Wade Davis, 1988.
Preface by Dr. Richard Evens Schultes (Harvard).

We have all seen the stereo-typical archetypes of the zombie portrayed on TV, in the movies, in video games, etc. But what if zombies are real? Dr. Wade Davis has given us the science of fact behind the mythological tales of the Haitian zombie.

Dr. Davis provides evidence beyond reasonable doubt for documented cases of zombies. As a student of the famed Dr. Richard Evens Schultes of Harvard's Botanical Museum, Dr. Davis sets out to uncover the mysterious history, pharmacology, anthropology (enthobiology) and socio-political motivations behind zombies.

As it turns out, the history of creating zombies is a political one. The slaves brought with them from Africa to Haiti their shamanic knowledge of powerful poisons as well as their systems of punishment, law, politics, government and secret societies (Bizango) that formed from the maroons. It is herein revealed that the Vodoun religion of Haiti is as much a political structure as it is a religious one. Part of the magic dealt by bokers and houngan of the Bizango societies of that of law and order, and sometimes punishment is dealt to the guilty in the form of zombification.

However, in Haiti, and juxtaposed to foreign concepts of zombies, the people actually fear becoming zombies, not being attacked by them. This is because the pariahs of society, the criminals, repeat thieves, rapists, those who take advantage of others for their own gain, those who don't properly share land with kin according to need and family size, are those who will be targeted for zombification. Zombification is not dealt out on a whim by evil sorcerers. It is only dealt after and public tribunal and hearing in which a member of the group is found guilty.

Davis here lays down the foundation of exactly how these zombies are created. A houngan or boker is appointed executioner by the Bizango society. These are people who have great knowledge of plant irritants and animal poisons such as tetrodotoxin of various puffer fish species (also known as fugu), frogs, etc. The guilty person is then, and often unknowingly slowly poisoned with a mixture of these deadly toxins. Depending on the sentence dealt by Bizango, if the sentence isn't death by poisoning, then it's often zombification. The poison places the victim in a catatonic state where heart rate slows, breath is almost non-existent, and to the best medical experts, the victim eventually appears dead. Due to the warm tropical climate of Haiti, the dead are normally buried within 24 hours. The victim in his catatonic state is buried (while fully conscious) in a coffin where the houngan who "killed" him will dig him up within a few days. He will cart the victim off while dazed to another location where the victim is forced to eat Datura for long periods to further confuse, disorientate, and scramble the mind of the victim who will then typically be enslaved - a true zombie.

The practice of the Vodoun religion is here shown as a sound, practical and important part of Haitian society and political self determination. Vodoun is here proven as a practice that has brought these people their well earned freedom and self determination for over 200 years, and will hopefully continue to do so with the present onslaught of colonialist invaders.

An important side note here is the fantastic information within this book on the secret societies themselves. This information is certainly important for anthropological examination of the origins of other secret societies.

Five stars!

5 out of 5 stars Excellent Works; Good Groundwork.......2005-05-07

Passage of Darkness seems to be the technical book of Wade Davis's findings after the field research was complete. SERPENT AND THE RAINBOW was the more popular version of the same material.
For anyone interested in this field, the work bears up under multiple readings. As to why "no followup"... take a look at Wade Davis's collected essays: the man is a polyglot in a marvelous sense. His current projects are absolutely essential, and he documents some cultures that are dying out. He has laid the groundwork for probably a number of Phd theses.
Check out :
Haiti: Guide to the Periodical Literature in English, 1800-1990 (Bibliographies and Indexes in Latin American and Caribbean Studies)
by Frantz Pratt (Compiler)

for more source material on Haiti. Wade Davis's Books including this one, PASSAGE OF DARKNESS, provide a great list of material to study a very significant culture.

5 out of 5 stars Great work - He also did the leg work.......2000-04-29

I actually met Wade Davis when he came to Haiti to do his research on his book, and I know personnaly manny of the characters in the book. Wade did an excellent job in portraying what goes on in the underworld of Haiti.

The chapter when he talks about the driver of the commandant of St Marc who was actually a secret society leader and actually had more power and influence than his boss is really key point in the balance of power in Haiti. Those who seem to be nobodies sometimes have more power than presidents

4 out of 5 stars Interesting, informative.......1999-03-27

While the information in the book can be gotten elsewhere these days, Davis' text holds together quite well, and without caving in to any commercial artiface. The term "ethnobiology" seems a little much, however -- I am not sure that any new theoretical ground has been surveyed.

4 out of 5 stars Fascinating, but why no follow up.......1997-02-23

This is an excellent well written and well researched book that gripped my like few non-fiction books ever have, yet, it leaves science minded people hanging. After all the research Davis conducted it makes no sense that he failed to follow up with experimentation using tetrodotoxin in a laboratory setting. It seems that he comes so close to finding a new use for this sodium blocking drug but fails to follow up. Maybe he has and I just haven't been able to find it despite extensive efforts. If you know of any follow-up please e-mail me
The Companion to Latin American Studies
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    The Companion to Latin American Studies
    Philip Swanson
    Manufacturer: A Hodder Arnold Publication
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

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    ASIN: 0340806826

    Book Description

    This guide gives a brief and accessible overview of the whole of Latin American Studies. Covering all the possible topics, from colonial cultures and identity to US Latino culture and issues of race, gender and sexuality, this book situates Latin America in its historical, linguistic and cultural context. Written by an international team of experts, the Companion includes time-lines, a glossary of terms and annotated suggestions for further reading.
    Why the Cocks Fight: Dominicans, Haitians, and the Struggle for Hispaniola
    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
    • I'll take this explaination for now
    • An Eye Opening experience
    • Why the Cock Fights...
    • Splendid overview of the complex, convoluted histories of the Dominican Republic and Haiti
    • Did Ms Wucker ever visit Haiti?
    Why the Cocks Fight: Dominicans, Haitians, and the Struggle for Hispaniola
    Michele Wucker
    Manufacturer: Hill and Wang
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    ASIN: 0809097133

    Amazon.com

    The Caribbean island of Hispaniola is home to historic, ongoing strife between two countries deeply divided by race, language, and history yet forced constantly into confrontation by their shared geography. In her first book, American journalist Michele Wucker reports from both Haiti and the Dominican Republic on the complex relations between these two cultures and sheds light on the sources of their struggles both in their island home and in the United States.

    This book is charged from the start with the violence and posturing of blood sport, as Wucker observes her first Haitian cockfight: "The air cracks with the impact of stiffened feathers as each bird tries to push the other to the ground. Around the ring, the Haitian men shout to one another and wave dirty wads of gourdes in the air, seeking bets.... Soon, the feathers of both cocks are slick with blood." Popular in both countries, these fights become a totemic image for the author, who finds in them, as in the many clashes between Hispaniola's two cultures, "both division and community, opposite sides of the same coin." This is a fine historical primer, buoyed along by Wucker's graceful, observant prose style. --Maria Dolan

    Book Description

    Like two roosters in a fighting arena, Haiti and the Dominican Republic are encircled by barriers of geography and poverty. They co-inhabit the Caribbean island of Hispaniola, but their histories are as deeply divided as their cultures: one French-speaking and black, one Spanish-speaking and mulatto. Yet, despite their antagonism, the two countries share a national symbol in the rooster--and a fundamental activity and favorite sport in the cockfight. In this book, Michele Wucker asks: "If the symbols that dominate a culture accurately express a nation's character, what kind of a country draws so heavily on images of cockfighting and roosters, birds bred to be aggressive? What does it mean when not one but two countries that are neighbors choose these symbols? Why do the cocks fight, and why do humans watch and glorify them?"

    Wucker studies the cockfight ritual in considerable detail, focusing as much on the customs and histories of these two nations as on their contemporary lifestyles and politics. Her well-cited and comprehensive volume also explores the relations of each nation toward the United States, which twice invaded both Haiti (in 1915 and 1994) and the Dominican Republic (in 1916 and 1965) during the twentieth century. Just as the owners of gamecocks contrive battles between their birds as a way of playing out human conflicts, Wucker argues, Haitian and Dominican leaders often stir up nationalist disputes and exaggerate their cultural and racial differences as a way of deflecting other kinds of turmoil. Thus Why the Cocks Fight highlights the factors in Caribbean history that still affect Hispaniola today, including the often contradictory policies of the U.S.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars I'll take this explaination for now.......2007-05-18

    I've been born and raised in Haiti. A few months back I've looked at the reviews of some Haitian and Dominicans, and I thought maybe this book was bias. I relunctantly purchase it because its always good to listen to one side of the story. This book is superb. The arguments which I believe the author produced to explain the situation in haiti and St. Domingo makes perfect sense. Michele Wucker's argument falls hand in hand with that of a Haitian Author called Nicholas Jallot in his book "histoire secrete d'haiti". Although I am skeptical to read what I havent researched myself, I still give this book a 5 star

    4 out of 5 stars An Eye Opening experience.......2007-01-14

    In reading this book, I learned many more things that I have not known. The island with all of it inhabitants shares a rich and tortured history. There seem to be many uncovered facts in this book, such as the Dominican Republic actually obtained it's Independence from Haiti, that Haiti actually took the steps that eventually liberated the entire island. Though much of the time seems to have been spent in the Dominican Republic with many oblique references to Haiti, a fair amount of that time illuminating the perverse dislike each has for the other, in some ways the idea of blaming the party that for obvious reasons is unable to counteract the argument. For the most part this book illuminates much more of the history between the Haitians and the Dominicans, more and more about the immigration issues that seem to rear its erstwhile head in many places, and why folks seem to be driven to improve upon their personal life spaces. How some of these enclaves come to be, and remain that way. Little is discussed about Arristede and many of his predecessors, the wasting of the land itself and how it came to be that many Haitians would eventually choose to live in the Dominican Republic or the United States, or why Haiti is the most impoverished country in this hemisphere by far.

    5 out of 5 stars Why the Cock Fights..........2007-01-10

    Well written and informative, an excellent perspective into the relationship between the Dominican Republic and Haiti. A must for anyone interested in traveling to Hispanola with an interest beyond the fancy, secluded, all inclusive resorts!

    5 out of 5 stars Splendid overview of the complex, convoluted histories of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.......2006-06-15

    Along the southern coast of the island of Hispaniola, in the Dominican Republic, one can still see the scars of a cataclysmic event in Earth's distant past; a vivid reminder of the large asteroid which collided with planet Earth 65 million years ago, leaving behind a vast impact crater whose outline is now part of Mexico's Yucatan coast. Nearly twenty years ago, Alan Hildebrand, a young Canadian geologist I knew in graduate school, stumbled upon these scars; thick layers of sedimentary rock encasing haphazardly strewn boulders and other rocky debris that were deposited by tidal waves flooding the island soon after the impact; an impact responsible for the extinction of approximately 40 percent of Earth's animals, including nonavian dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops (He would also rediscover the impact crater at Chicxulub, Yucatan, Mexico, relying on geological maps and seismic data obtained from Pemex, Mexico's nationalized oil company.). In "Why the Cocks Fight: Dominicans, Haitians, and the Struggle for Hispaniola", journalist Michele Wucker tells with ample brevity and poignant prose, the cataclysmic history of the humans living on Hispaniola, an engrossing saga replete with tragic events which are as memorable in their own right as the asteroid impact from 65 million years ago. It is an engrossing saga told well by Michele Wucker, who has written the best account I have come across of Hispaniola's 19th and 20th Century history.

    Wucker uses the popular Caribbean blood sport, cock fighting, as an apt analogy for the complex, convoluted, histories of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, emphasizing their cultural similarities, which are too subtle to notice to the untrained observer, rather than their perceived differences due to race and language. She begins and closes the book with an extensive discussion of cock fighting, occasionally interrupting her narrative to elaborate and to reflect upon it further, as though the book itself is a literary version of a cock fight, with the reader engrossed with bloody, vicious fighting in the arena. Soon she describes Columbus's discovery of his favorite Caribbean island, and then Spain's brutal enslavement of Hispaniola's indigenous peoples, most notably the Taino, decimated quickly by both arduous labor and deadly diseases like smallpox.

    The most poignant chapter in Wucker's terse tome ("Rio Massacre") describes the 1937 genocide committed against Haitians residing in the Dominician Republic (Itself the setting for Haitian-American writer Edwidge Danticat's emotionally gripping novel "The Farming of Bones" which was published shortly before Wucker's book.) orchestrated by Rafael Trujillo, the Dominican Republic's dictator (This bloody episode in Hispaniolan history still casts a dark shadow over relations between both countries; without question it is the pivotal, defining moment in their 20th Century history.). Wucker recounts the island's bloody 19th Century history as if these events were natural precursors to the Rio Massacre genocide, emphasizing the deep-seated hostility and distrust of Dominicians and Haitians towards each other, which regretfully still persists today (Both this hostility and distrust appears to be inexplicable and inexcusable, since both peoples share a strong passion for cock fighting and traditional folk music, and worship the indigenous Hispaniolan faith known as Vodou; all of which are virtually identical in both countries.). She writes passionately about battles and invasions and border disputes which linger well into the 20th Century.

    Dictator Joaquin Balaguer is undoubtedly the most important political figure in recent Dominican history; it is therefore no surprise that the latter half of "Why the Cocks Fight" revolves around the nearly forty years he was involved in the country's political life as either its de facto or de jure ruler. A less bloodthirsty figure than his mentor Rafael Trujillo, Balaguer was still nearly as ruthless, but willing to hold onto power by working behind the scenes, even when he was technically not ruling the country (For another, unique perspective on Balaguer, distinguished ecologist Jared Diamond portrays him as an accidental environmentalist in Chapter 11 of "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed", crediting him for preserving much of the Dominician Republic's forest, in stark contrast to the environmental destruction that occurred in Haiti.). Much to my surprise, Wucker discusses the rise of the Dominican-American community in the United States, most notably in the Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights, but this is a sensible diversion, noting the significant role played by this community in its homeland's recent political history (Some other reviewers have questioned why Wucker has devoted less space to recent Haitian history, but in her defense, I suspect it is because Balaguer and his dictatorial regime proved to be more interesting than the equally harsh rule of Haiti by Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, and his son, Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier.).

    Wucker concludes in the preface of "Why the Cocks Fight" with: "If the wealthiest countries of the world claim that their economies cannot support more people, imagine the effect of a massive flow of poor and hungry immigrants from one of the world's most impoverished nations, Haiti, to a country that is not much better off. As vast as the differences are between the United States and Hispaniola, the Dominicans' strategy is the same as ours. The struggles between Dominicans and Haitians are not just theirs. They are ours, too." This is an apt statement of her raison d'etre behind "Why the Cocks Fight", amply noting throughout it how the Dominicians have sought to restrict Haitian immigration into their country, with the Rio Massacre genocide as the most infamous example. But I beg to differ with her conclusion that the struggles of the peoples of Hispaniola are ours too; since the United States of America is too much of a polyglot ethnic mix of a nation to conform neatly to such a stereotype (But I will admit that possible exceptions may include both black and white race relations in the Deep South and between Mexicans and white Americans along La Frontera (the Southwest borderlands between California and Texas).).

    5 out of 5 stars Did Ms Wucker ever visit Haiti?.......2006-05-27

    An authoritative-sounding reviewer above, speaking from deep in the American Midwest, suggests that this author's knowledge of Haiti was based on occasional day trips. Without citing any experience of his own, he calls hers into question.

    Let me set the record - and that Kansan Scarecrow - straight.

    I'm a former editor of the Puerto Plata News, a now defunct sister publication of the Santo Domingo News. While I held that position - living there for three and a half-years - Ms Wucker held the same position at SDN.

    In 1991, when I returned to New York, I became an editor and columnist for the Spanish-language newspaper "Listin USA." I set in motion the hiring of Ms. Wucker as our Foreign Editor because we badly needed coverage of the events unfolding in Haiti where I knew her to be a regular visitor with connections at the top level in the Haitian Government - and well respected throughout all levels of that complex society. She speaks fluent Spanish, excellent Creole (the common language of Haiti) and a more than passable version of French.

    During her employment Listin sent her on an extended assignment to Haiti and she provided us with coverage that far exceeded that of any other US-based newspaper. Anyone who read her dispatches had an excellent understanding of what was happening there. She later returned on her own when she was working on this book.

    Now, in 2006, Ms. Wucker is a highly respected international reporter for Forbes Magazine and has become a Senior Fellow at the World Policy Institute.

    I have never met a single Dominican or Haitian who, having read her book, has had anything but praise for how well she this volume explains the past, present and potential future of those two cultures.
    Insurgent Cuba: Race, Nation, and Revolution, 1868-1898
    Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
    • Pathbreaking work on race and revolution
    Insurgent Cuba: Race, Nation, and Revolution, 1868-1898
    Ada Ferrer
    Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
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    ASIN: 0807847836
    Release Date: 1999-09-29

    Book Description

    In the late nineteenth century, in an age of ascendant racism and imperial expansion, there emerged in Cuba a movement that unified black, mulatto, and white men in an attack on Europe's oldest empire, with the goal of creating a nation explicitly defined as antiracist. This book tells the story of the thirty-year unfolding and undoing of that movement.

    Ada Ferrer examines the participation of black and mulatto Cubans in nationalist insurgency from 1868, when a slaveholder began the revolution by freeing his slaves, until the intervention of racially segregated American forces in 1898. In so doing, she uncovers the struggles over the boundaries of citizenship and nationality that their participation brought to the fore, and she shows that even as black participation helped sustain the movement ideologically and militarily, it simultaneously prompted accusations of race war and fed the forces of counterinsurgency.

    Carefully examining the tensions between racism and antiracism contained within Cuban nationalism, Ferrer paints a dynamic portrait of a movement built upon the coexistence of an ideology of racial fraternity and the persistence of presumptions of hierarchy.

    Customer Reviews:

    5 out of 5 stars Pathbreaking work on race and revolution.......2000-01-20

    Insurgent Cuba tracks the transformation of racial and gendered narratives of the revolution from the abolition of slavery to the war of independence. In this fascinating and pathbreaking book, Professor Ferrer reveals that, with the emergence of late 19th century Cuban nationalism, narratives of race, slavery, and the place of black people in the revolution shift dramatically. Through the voices of leaders like Jose Marti, black insurgents were constructed as color-blind patriots committed to the liberation of Cuba, not slaves and ex-slaves attempting to overthrow the regime of slavery and demand equal rights. Black people were transformed in these three decades from a problem and threat to the republic to the symbols of Cuban nationalism's commitment to multiracial democracy. Anti-racism became a weapon in the hands of Cuban revolutionaries in their battle against Spain, which changed the status of black insurgents, put them on a pedestal in a way, and made their stories fundamental to the narrative of the new republic--one that is colorblind and willing to incorporate everyone as long as they are patriots. For blacks and mulattoes, this discourse gave them a platform to complain about racism in the ranks of the army, in everyday life, everywhere. On the other hand, the ellision of racism in the discourse of Cuban nationalism and the celebration of multiracial republicanism was often used against critics of racism in Cuba. "To speak of race, then," Ferrer writes, "was to challenge the depth of racial and national unity." Any attempts to mobilize on the basis of racial solidarity was then dismissed as divisive and unpatriotic. By reconstructing these different narratives in the context of specific revolts and campaigns, Ferrer offers us a stunning alternative narrative of the struggle for Cuban Independence. Insurgent Cuba is perhaps the best book available on race and Cuba.
    Wilson Harris and the Modern Tradition: A New Architecture of the World (Contributions in Afro-American and African Studies)
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      Wilson Harris and the Modern Tradition: A New Architecture of the World (Contributions in Afro-American and African Studies)
      Sandra E. Drake
      Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
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      Human Sacrifice, Militarism, and Rulership: Materialization of State Ideology at the Feathered Serpent Pyramid, Teotihuacan (New Studies in Archaeology)
      Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
      • Fascinating
      Human Sacrifice, Militarism, and Rulership: Materialization of State Ideology at the Feathered Serpent Pyramid, Teotihuacan (New Studies in Archaeology)
      Saburo Sugiyama
      Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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      ASIN: 052178056X

      Book Description

      Teotihuacan was the largest urban center in the New World in the first two centuries AD, and the Feathered Serpent Pyramid was a spectacular symbol of state power. Saburo Sugiyama investigates the ritual sacrifice of some 200 men and women that marked the erection of the Pyramid in this volume, the first substantial archaeological analysis of the political institutions of Teotihuacan based on stratigraphically recorded evidence. In the process, he illuminates our understanding of urbanization, the ritual behavior of elites, and the role of warfare and sacrifice in early Teotihuacan statecraft.

      Customer Reviews:

      5 out of 5 stars Fascinating.......2007-01-12

      Teotihuacan is an amazing mystery. At its peak, it was the 6th largest city in the entire world and exerted at least partial control over key Maya cities up to 600 miles away. Yet it did so with stone age technology, no written language, no beasts of burden, and not even the wheel. And because of the lack of written records, it's very difficult for us today to understand how any of this was possible in general terms, let alone know the details of its civilization and administration.

      This book is an attempt to throw some light on these enigmas. It was written by one of the recognized experts on the site, who has participated in many of the key excavations there, and is based on what is known as of the present. The main discussion is a detailing of the massive (200-odd) victim human sacrifice that was part of the ground-breaking ceremony of the Feathered Serpent Pyramid, one of the 3 major buildings of Teotihuacan, and its implications for the government of the city.

      This book is definitely not light reading. It's written in a clear yet rather technical manner, so those who aren't familiar with scientific writing might find it rather heavy going, although still informative. For those with a real interest in pre-Columbian Mesoamerican history, however, it's a very useful and fascinating book. However, there's no way around the disturbing nature of its subject matter, although the book doesn't dwell or even speculate on the gory details. It just tries to explain what the quantity and arrangement of bodies and artifacts means for our understanding of life and government in Teotihuacan.

      None of the Above: Puerto Ricans in the Global Era (New Directions in Latino American Culture)
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        None of the Above: Puerto Ricans in the Global Era (New Directions in Latino American Culture)

        Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Caribbean & West Indies | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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        1. Emotional Bridges to Puerto Rico: Migration, Return Migration, and the Struggles of Incorporation (Perspectives on a Multiracial America) Emotional Bridges to Puerto Rico: Migration, Return Migration, and the Struggles of Incorporation (Perspectives on a Multiracial America)
        2. Boricua Power: A Political History of Puerto Ricans in the United States Boricua Power: A Political History of Puerto Ricans in the United States
        3. Puerto Ricans in the United States: A Contemporary Portrait (Latinos: Exploring Diversity & Change) Puerto Ricans in the United States: A Contemporary Portrait (Latinos: Exploring Diversity & Change)
        4. Puerto Rico in the American Century: A History since 1898 Puerto Rico in the American Century: A History since 1898
        5. Latinos and Citizenship: The Dilemma of Belonging Latinos and Citizenship: The Dilemma of Belonging

        ASIN: 1403962464
        Release Date: 2007-04-17

        Book Description

        None of the Above is a state-of-the-art volume about current debates regarding Puerto Rico and Puerto Ricans, both in the United States and on the Island. The title simultaneously refers to the results of a non-binding 1998 plebiscite held in San Juan to determine the Island's political status, the ambiguities that have historically characterized Puerto Rican political agency, and the complexities of Puerto Rican ethnic, national, and cultural identifications.
        Archaeology at La Isabela: Spain:America's First European Town
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Archaeology at La Isabela: Spain:America's First European Town
          Kathleen Deagan , and Jose Maria Cruxent
          Manufacturer: Yale University Press
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Hardcover

          Dominican RepublicDominican Republic | Caribbean & West Indies | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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          2. Ceramics, Glassware, and Beads (Artifacts of the Spanish Colonies of Florida and the Caribbean, 1500-1800 - Volume 1) Ceramics, Glassware, and Beads (Artifacts of the Spanish Colonies of Florida and the Caribbean, 1500-1800 - Volume 1)

          ASIN: 0300090412

          Book Description

          In this important book, Kathleen Deagan and José María Cruxent present detailed technical documentation of their ten-year archaeological excavation of La Isabela, America's first colony. The artifacts and material remains of the town offer rich material for comparative research into Euro-American cultural and material development during the crucial transition from the medieval era to the Renaissance. The period when La Isabela was in existence witnessed great innovation and change in many areas of technology. The archaeological evidence of La Isabela's architecture, weaponry, numismatics, pottery, and metallurgy can be precisely dated, helping to chart the sequence of this change and revealing much that is new about late medieval technology. The authors' archaeological research also provides a foundation for their insights into the reasons for the demise of La Isabela.
          The Puerto Rican Diaspora: Historical Perspectives
          Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
          • Boricua Author
          The Puerto Rican Diaspora: Historical Perspectives

          Manufacturer: Temple University Press
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

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          3. From Colonia to Community: The History of Puerto Ricans in New York City (Latino in American Society and Culture) From Colonia to Community: The History of Puerto Ricans in New York City (Latino in American Society and Culture)
          4. The Near Northwest Side Story: Migration, Displacement, and Puerto Rican Families The Near Northwest Side Story: Migration, Displacement, and Puerto Rican Families
          5. Divided Borders: Essays on Puerto Rican Identity Divided Borders: Essays on Puerto Rican Identity

          ASIN: 1592134130

          Book Description

          Puerto Ricans have a long history of migrating to and building communities in various parts of the United States in search of a better life. From their arrival in Hawai'i in 1900 to the post-World War II era—during which communities flourished throughout the Midwest and New England—the Puerto Rican diaspora has been growing steadily. In fact, the 2000 census shows that almost as many Puerto Ricans live in the United States as in Puerto Rico itself.

          The contributors to this volume provide an overview of the Puerto Rican experience in America, delving into particular aspects of colonization and citizenship, migration and community building. Each chapter bridges the historical past with contemporary issues. Throughout the text, personal narratives and photographs bring these histories to life, while grappling with underlying causes and critical issues such as racism and employment that shape Puerto Rican life in America.

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars Boricua Author.......2007-01-04

          An outstanding collection of stories covering an incredible spectrum of
          Boricua life throughout the Continent bolstered by no nonsense research.
          A must for every boricua writer, student, or researcher. Kudos to Carmen
          Whalen.
          From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans (2 vols. in 1)
          Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
          • Awesome Book Covering African-American History!
          • From Tragedy to Triumph
          • From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans (2 Vols. in 2)
          • Loved It
          • From Slavery to Freedom
          From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans (2 vols. in 1)
          John Hope Franklin , and Alfred A. Moss Jr.
          Manufacturer: Mcgraw-Hill College
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

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          3. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America (A Back Bay Book) (A Back Bay Book) A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America (A Back Bay Book) (A Back Bay Book)
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          5. Major Problems in African-American History: From Freedom to "Freedom Now," 1865-1990s (Major Problems in American History Series) Major Problems in African-American History: From Freedom to "Freedom Now," 1865-1990s (Major Problems in American History Series)

          ASIN: 0072295813

          Book Description

          The Eight Edition has been thoroughly revised to include expanded material on Africa, the history of African Americans in the Caribbean and Latin America, the current situation of African Americans in the United States, popular culture, and much more. It has also been redesigned with new charts, maps, photographs, paintings, illustrations, and color inserts. Written by distinguished and award-winning authors, retaining the same features that have made it the most popular text on African American History ever, and with fresh and appealing new features, From Slavery to Freedom remains the leading text on the market.

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars Awesome Book Covering African-American History!.......2007-08-08

          This is an excellent history book. I used it for a class on African-American history and really learned so much from reading and studying this textbook. John Hope Franklin has touched a high point in his career with this textbook. It was easy to read and very informative. The illustrations provided a lot of valuable information. As always, the pictures conveyed more than a thousand words. It was very enlightening to see color pictures in the book also. The text started with Chapter One, entitled, "Land of Their Ancestors" in 1076 and ended with Chapter 25 entitled "Half Century of Change" in 1998. Finally, being a graduate of the University of Maryland, University College, I must also give credit to Alfred A. Moss, Jr., for his marvelous work in producing this extraordinary text. Other excellent books to read are: "Trilogy Moments for the Mind, Body and Soul" with the new Epulaeryu poetry form; "The Language of Poetry Forms" by Tree Good; and, "Everyday Miracles" by Margaret Okubo.

          5 out of 5 stars From Tragedy to Triumph.......2007-04-07

          Now in its 8th edition, and now combined as two volumes in one, "From Slavery to Freedom" is an indispensable primer on African American historiography. Sweeping, even epic in its expanse, John Hope Franklin's overview of the African American experience, from African freedom to American enslavement, to American freedom, is the place to start to introduce oneself to this vital topic.

          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: A Theology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction, and Spiritual Friends: A Methodology of Soul Care And Spiritual Direction.

          5 out of 5 stars From Slavery to Freedom: A History of African Americans (2 Vols. in 2).......2007-03-18

          The book was exactly what I needed for my College History Class.
          AND the price was right.

          5 out of 5 stars Loved It.......2007-03-14

          I loved the fact that the book was in good shape (New as specified) when I received it and it also came on time as specified in the estimated delivery date. To me that was an excellent service right there.

          5 out of 5 stars From Slavery to Freedom.......2006-02-04

          I am a student of African-American history, and this is the most thorough book on African-American history I have read. From this book, one can gain a comprehensive view of the history of Blacks in Africa before they were brought to America as slaves. Once in America, the book expounds on every facet of Black life in every period of history from slavery to the contemporary era.

          This book should be a part of the library of any serious student of African-American history.

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          2. Population: 485: Meeting Your Neighbors One Siren at a Time
          3. Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know--And Doesn't
          4. Russian Thinkers (Penguin Philosophy)
          5. Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II
          6. Shakedown: Exposing the Real Jesse Jackson
          7. Silent Steel: The Mysterious Death of the Nuclear Attack Sub USS Scorpion
          8. Spanish Revival Architecture
          9. Suite Française
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