Amazon.com
The author of There Are No Children Here follows up that magnificent effort with the gripping story of a mysterious death in southwest Michigan. A black teenager surfaces in the St. Joseph River, drowned. How did he get there? The towns of Benton Harbor and St. Joseph, divided by both race and the river, grapple with the possibilities in this maddeningly difficult case. Alex Kotlowitz puts his sharp reporting skills to good work here, describing in detail everything that is known about Eric McGinnis's short life and untimely death. But the book is best at plumbing the racial psychology of these mutually suspicious communities. The Other Side of the River has that can't-put-it-down quality found in the best narrative nonfiction, and it speaks to issues affecting all of America.
Book Description
Alex Kotlowitz's There Are No Children Here was more than a bestseller; it was a national event. His beautifully narrated, heartbreaking nonfiction account of two black boys struggling to grow up in a Chicago public housing complex spent eight weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, was a made-for-television movie starring and produced by Oprah Winfrey, won many distinguished awards, and sparked a continuing national debate on the lives of inner-city children.
In The Other Side of the River, his eagerly awaited new book, Kotlowitz takes us to southern Michigan. Here, separated by the St. Joseph River, are two towns, St. Joseph and Benton Harbor. Geographically close, they are worlds apart, a living metaphor for America's racial divisions: St. Joseph is a prosperous lakeshore community and ninety-five percent white, while Benton Harbor is impoverished and ninety-two percent black. When the body of a black teenaged boy from Benton Harbor is found in the river, unhealed wounds and suspicions between the two towns' populations surface as well. The investigation into the young man's death becomes, inevitably, a screen on which each town projects their resentments and fears.
The Other Side of the River sensitively portrays the lives and hopes of the towns' citizens as they wrestle with this mystery--and reveals the attitudes and misperceptions that undermine race relations throughout America. In this gripping and ultimately profound book, Alex Kotlowitz proves why he is one of this country's foremost writers on the ever explosive issue of race.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Disjointed, unstable focus.......2007-10-17
Kotlowitz's first book was stunning and I think he should have stuck with that type of writing. This book is a disappointing second. The entire story is rambling and often has no discernible point. I'm sure this is much more meaningful for residents of the town. The racial thing has been slanted so many ways in the media by now, I still think that 'The Eye of the Storm' from 1968 takes the cake.
read in one night! a real page turner.......2007-04-30
Here's the thing - you know who died, and you know where the body was found and in what condition, but you don't know the why and how. And you still can't put this book down!
Alex Kotlowitz is a master story teller of a real life murder in a racially charged small town, geographically divided by a river but racially divided by mistrust and suspicion. His research is detailed and thorough, and the reader finds himself quickly immersed and emotionally invovled with the characters. Every character is complex and likeable. There are no bad guys/good guys. Just an unsolved murder, in a town yearning to heal.
Sometimes the truth is difficult to take.......2007-02-19
This was an excellent book--painful to read in some places, but important when it comes to understanding the role of racism and race relations in this country. I find it interesting to read the comments from some of the residents of St. Joe's who claim that their town was misrepresented. My sense is that many simply found their deeply entrenched bigoted attitudes and racism difficult to take when detailed in print for the world to read. Perhaps they should spend less time defending the indefensible and more on changing the fabric of their town and its relationship with their neighbors across the bridge.
Not as good as I expected..........2006-05-26
Alex's last book There Are No Children Here is hard to top, but I tried to give The Other Side of the River a chance. What was the point of the book? To show the different levels of racial tensions within this particular community or to find out who killed the teenager? I am still trying to understand the purpose of the book. I felt like I didn't learn anything new.
Great Writing.......2006-01-24
I bought this book for my parents since they own property north of Benton Harbor. I started reading the book after I realized I have worked with one of the people in the book. Very interesting. I will not state my personal opinion on the subject.
I rode a mountain bike from Saint Joseph into Benton Harbor shortly after these events took place and never realized how bad things were. Never had any problems until riding my motorcycle in Benton Harbor with my black fiance'.
Book Description
A vivid, funny, and viscerally powerful memoir about childhood, assimilation, food, and growing up in the 1980s
As a Vietnamese girl coming of age in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Bich Nguyen is filled with a rapacious hunger for American identity. In the pre-PC era Midwest, where the devoutly Christian blond-haired, blue-eyed Jennifers and Tiffanys reign supreme, NguyenÂ's barely conscious desire to belong transmutes into a passion for American food. More exotic seeming than her Buddhist grandmotherÂ's traditional specialties—spring rolls, delicate pancakes stuffed with meats, fried shrimp cakes—the campy, preservative-filled “delicacies” of mainstream America capture her imagination. And in this remarkable book, the glossy branded allure of such American foods as Pringles, Kit Kats, and Toll House cookies become an ingenious metaphor for her struggle to fit in, to become a “real” American.
Beginning with NguyenÂ's familyÂ's harrowing migration from Saigon in 1975, Stealing BuddhaÂ's Dinner is nostalgic and candid, deeply satisfying and minutely observed, and stands as a unique vision of the immigrant experience and a lyrical ode to how identity is often shaped by the things we long for.
Customer Reviews:
candid memoir of 70-80's American food in the midwest.......2007-09-11
"Stealing Buddha's Dinner" is as much Ms. Nguyen's story as it is mine. Ms. Nguyen reflects back on her childhood memories of TV commericials of Kool Aid, Carnation Instant Breakfast, and Hamburger Helper; her Dutch neighborhood of pork chops and shepard's pie; her grandmother's canh chua and bo xao voi hanh; and as if that wasn't enough, her stepmother Rosa's sopas. Throughout it all, Ms. Nguyen tries to find her identity in all these clashing cultures, desperately wanting to fit in, only to find solace in solitude, TV, and books. But perhaps the greatest mystery is what happened to her real mother.
It's truly a touching story of what it means to be an American with Asian eyes and black hair.
Is it more a problem of poverty or lack of substance?.......2007-08-29
This book is non-commital yet oddly angry and unsympathetic toward the narrator's kin: an ill-fitting immigrant step-mother, her ill-suited marraige and their whole patchwork family hold much potential for warmth and growth...but achieve none. Through the book I hoped for some grace, beauty or forgiveness - that the young narrator might find a connection to her family, her community or her nation(s).
At times there are glimpes of a connection, but in the end all of her self-pitiful assessments remain: her sisters were mean, father was distant, step-mother was an overly ambitious, class-confused control freak.
I'd hoped to learn that these fabulous, interesting people- her father, sisters, step-mother, and so-called friends (nothing more to her than ineffective stepping-stones to social success) actually had valid motives and had made valiant efforts, but in the end it was simple: they had not understood her and she had not understood them.
Most importantly, I learned that through her young life she'd been miserable. She'd wanted a lot of foods and other things she couldn't have, which was startlingly familiar to me because I was a kid at this time and I was poor too! I wanted all of those fabulous things like potato chips and soda-pop and barbie dolls, and I didn't get any of it either.
So perhaps this book is most eloquent as a story about growing up poor in America. Perhaps the difference between being a second generation immigrant and a fourth generation immigrant isn't so great as the difference between being poor and not being poor.
Or perhaps I read too much into this book, which may in fact just be about an angry girl who didn't know or get what she wanted.
If you're looking for an introduction into this time period and into an overlooked American population, or if you want an overview/example of the history and experience of Vietnamese/American refugee/immigrants, this is a good start...very simple and skimming the surface.
But for some really excellent and available Vietnamese literature, try "Novel without a Name" or "Paradise of the Blind" and for the Vietnamese-American experience, consider Le Ly Hayslip's "When Heaven & Earth Changed Places", for starters...for those who want to start with a little depth.
Awesome Book.......2007-08-23
This is an excellent book about growing up as a first generation american. I really identified witht the authors story. I also really enjoyed her style and all the awesome discriptions of food. Every time I finished a chapter, I wanted to get some pringles or a hostess cupcake. However, the thing I liked the most was that after reading this book, I realized that I was not alone. As a child I always felt different, but now that I am college I have learned to embrace who I am because being different is ok. Buy this book! Its great!
Great book!.......2007-07-05
I thought this book was excellent! Bich's memories of food, books and life in the 80s brought a ton of my own memories back to me. I may go back and read the Little House series again! :-) Very well written and compelling. I immediately passed it on to my mom who enjoyed it as well.
a fun, educational and interesting read.......2007-06-09
Growing up in Wisconsin I remember very well when many Vietnamese came to live in and around our city. Bich Ninh Nguyen brings her experience to life from the immigrants perspective and I felt as if I was there with her all along the way. This is an excellently writen book.
Average customer rating:
- A True Classic
- Great Book
- A rich, full novel
- I'm probably missing something.
- Absolutely entrancing...EVERY time I read it.
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Song of Solomon
Toni Morrison
Manufacturer: Vintage
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ASIN: 140003342X
Release Date: 2004-06-08 |
Amazon.com
The third novel from one America's most powerful writers turns 20 years old in 1997, but Song of Solomon long ago ascended to the top shelf in the ranks of great literature. This Everyman's Library hardcover edition of the Nobel Prize-winning Morrison's lyrical, powerful, and erudite novel contains a chronology that situates the book in its historical context, and an introduction from author Reynolds Price.
Book Description
Milkman Dead was born shortly after a neighborhood eccentric hurled himself off a rooftop in a vain attempt at flight. For the rest of his life he, too, will be trying to fly. With this brilliantly imagined novel, Toni Morrison transfigures the coming-of-age story as audaciously as Saul Bellow or Gabriel García Márquez. As she follows Milkman from his rustbelt city to the place of his family’s origins, Morrison introduces an entire cast of strivers and seeresses, liars and assassins, the inhabitants of a fully realized black world.
Customer Reviews:
A True Classic.......2007-08-03
This is a book you probably had to read in high school. You'll love now you're all grown up!
This novel is one of the best I've ever read about the search for identity. Ms. Morrison serves up the richest of emotional stews: histories and aspirations of African Americans, Native Americans, the rich, poor, the loved and those seeking love. This book is truly a song!
Great Book.......2007-07-11
This is one of my favorite books. I recommend that people read this before tackling any other Toni Morrison novels. I like this book better than her other novels because I could understand it more. I feel as if there is less symbolism here than in her other work. She is not as flowery here and uses more "plain everyday language." Overall, a great book. It is a good purchase for a home library.
A rich, full novel.......2007-01-29
Toni Morrison were letting the youth know about, people with amazing collection of losers and fighters, innocents and murders, followers of ghosts and followers of money, all of whom add to the pleasure of this exceptionally diverse novel. When Toni was a little girl she was raised in a bad neiborhood. Toni was scared to come out side the house because of the dangerous surroundings around here. Toni had a miserable life. She listened to stories from her friends about them getting raped and abused by their parents. She was very scared of her father as a young child.
I like this book because it's a good example about a freighting childhood inside of a bad neiborhood. I was raised in a bad nationhood but I wasn't scared of nothing I was very brave. She teaches our youth today to watch your surroundings. If you read this boot you would be like what a child life. You would never want to put your feet in her shoes.
I'm probably missing something........2006-12-10
Every time I read a novel by Toni Morrison, I feel like I must be missing something. I am able to take a step back and appreciate the beauty of her writing. Sentence by sentence, she puts together wonderful phrases that create stunning imagery. She is, without a doubt, a great writer.
However, I feel like her stories are supposed to have deeper meaning than I'm finding. I think I'm probably missing an underlying message somewhere, but I'm not sure how to analyze her books in order to get at this message.
I liked this book better than others of hers I've read; some have been too depressing for words and this one, although it had its moments, also had some redeeming characters and hopeful attitudes.
Milkman is a man whose adulthood is shaped by his childhood as the son of a dependent mother and a cold father, the much younger brother of two dissatisfied sisters. His father is obsessed with acquiring things as status symbols, and his mother is obsessed with the memory of her father, a prestigious doctor whom her husband is never able to measure up to.
Mostly because it is forbidden, Milkman begins spending time with his eccentric aunt, who lives with her daughter and granddaughter across town. Soon he starts up a relationship with the granddaughter, his cousin, but breaks it off when he tires of it, never considering his cousin's feelings.
Partly because of his cousin's murderous response to their breakup, partly as a quest for family treasure and partly because he is simply feeling smothered by his life, Milkman sets off on a journey to trace his family's roots. What he discovers about the past and about himself surprises him.
Absolutely entrancing...EVERY time I read it........2006-10-07
Toni Morrison has never disappointed. This is a deep, rich experience. Ms. Morrison writes in beautifully overlapping, intertwining layers and vines, like a French braid from head to floor, the strands only coming together inches above the plush carpeting. It is not possible to completely crack and embrace this gem encrusted geode in one read. About every ten years I discover something new to appreciate when I treat myself to another swim in Song of Solomon.
Book Description
The second edition of this successful guide to writing for graduate-and undergraduate-students has been modified to include updates and replacements of older data sets; an increased range of disciplines with tasks such as nursing, marketing, and art history; discussions of discourse analysis; a broader discussion of e-mail use that includes current e-mail practices.
Like its predecessor, this edition of Academic Writing for Graduate Students
" explains understanding the intended audience, the purpose of the paper, and academic genres.
" includes the use of task-based methodology, analytic group discussion, and genre consciousness-raising.
" shows how to write summaries and critiques.
" features "language focus" sections that address linguistic elements as they affect the wider rhetorical objectives.
" helps students position themselves as junior scholars in their academic communities.
The Commentary has also been revised and is available.
Customer Reviews:
academic writing for graduate studies.......2007-01-30
This book is a great tool for both experienced and novice writers in college matters. It introduces basic information about sentence structure, style, tone and other features you need to consider when writing a scholar papers. It also provides lots of practice to reinforce the concepts introduced and put them into practice.
Customer Reviews:
Fabulous Five Freshmen.......2006-04-10
"What scares you Jalen? Death, said Jalen,... because I can't imagine a world without me in it." The cockiness that was the Fab Five is captured perfectly by Mitch Albom in his book the Fab Five; Basketball, Trash Talk and the American Dream. Like Albom's other books Tuesdays with Morrie and 5 People You Meet in Heaven, his story telling engulfs the reader and transforms a normal story into a legendary tale. Albom recognizes the important interaction between people in their actions and conversations and captures that in his writing. This story, the Fab Five, was a great book and one of the best for any sports fan. The "Greatest Class Ever Recruited", as Albom called them, is a great story that is told from behind the scenes, during the Fab Five's historic career at the University of Michigan. The Fab Five by Albom is the finest sports book because Albom's humorous and stylish writing brings to life the events surrounding five freshmen that transformed college basketball.
The Fab Five is a book about Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson, the fabulous five freshmen at the University of Michigan. A group assembled in many different ways, each contributing a unique story to what brought them to Ann Arbor. Albom takes his first few chapters describing the intricate lines that connected each player to Ann Arbor. Jalen and Chris were from Detroit and went to UofM because they were always best friends. Ray Jackson and Jimmy King are from Texas. Ray Jackson was noticed accidentally while scouts were in Texas recruiting other players. For Jimmy King, he came to UofM because Juwan Howard, his roommate on a recruiting trip, was going. And to put it all together, Juwan became a Michigan Wolverine because his recently diseased grandmother wanted him to go to UofM. Together they became the Fab Five and marched their way on campus and took the college basketball world by storm making it to back-to-back NCAA men's national championship appearances.
The caliber of talent that sounds this book is one for the history books. However, the Fab Five would not be the book it was without the writing and story telling ability of Mitch Albom. Albom has been voted the number one sports writer an unprecedented seven times by the Associated Press Sports Editors. He has hosted a TV show on ESPN and written many famous books as well as a sports column for the "Detroit Free Press". His ability to touch every reader regardless of background is rare. He makes people cry reading Tuesdays with Morrie and people stand up in cheer for the `91 Michigan basketball team in the Fab Five. Undoubtedly, Albom is one of the best writers in American and is writing about one of the best sports teams America has ever witnessed.
Albom accurately describes the sequence of events leading five high school seniors to main-stream college freshman superstars. But one of the things that makes this story one for the ages is that while on many teams today it is rare to see two freshmen starting a game, in 1991 the Fab Five were five freshman players who all started on a team that made it to the NCAA men's Championship basketball game. Having five freshman start a national championship game is unheard of and still to this day, unmatched. Albom predicts, "There will never be another group like the Fab Five." Through what brought them to Michigan, through every behind the scenes event, through every exciting and electrifying game, this book comes to life in front of the readers' eyes. As the book progresses the plot thickens for these young athletes as if Albom himself wrote the story. Every big game and tournament game was commentated as if live from the radio. Albom writes, "And with 21 seconds left, Michigan lead by just a basket, 71-69. `No three-point-shots,' fisher yelled." The games brought a sense of involvement for the reader taking them back in time to the game. With writing style that is clear and descriptive, and while combined with the dazzling games provided by the Michigan Basketball team, this leads to a suspenseful, well illustrated book that makes the heart pump and adrenaline rush. While watching the suspenseful games, Albom knew greatness at the very moment it happened and was there to preserve ever moment of history in his book; a book about kids who became "The Greatest Class Ever Recruited."
They had become the most popular names and faces in college basketball. In Ann Arbor, they sold jerseys and shorts for a hundred and fifty dollars total; "They sold out in a heartbeat," Albom wrote. Stories like these make this book different than any other sports book, a book written while the events occurred with detailed stories nobody else could get. He also wrote about that one game they all walked onto the court with their fashionably baggy shorts, black socks and black shoes revolutionizing college basketball, and he was there to catch every story and detail. Black socks, black shoes and baggy shorts all surprised people watching college basketball. Later looking back, people would contribute these five freshmen as revolutionizing basketball and creating its image today. Albom knew this and felt it was necessary to capture their uniqueness in this book. Mitch Albom, like the rest of the world knew greatness while it was happening and the passion and enthusiasm that he wrote with to illustrate that greatness he was witnessing is another example of why this book is so fabulous.
Albom also included inside stories, taking the reader to a place only a few were able to see. Inside the games, inside the practices and inside the family that was the Fab Five. When Jalen walked in the first day as a freshman and announced, "Freshmen verse ya'll," everyone in the gym was stunned. Where most freshmen come in to find themselves at the bottom of the barrel, these freshmen came in and ran right to the top. After saying, "Freshmen verse ya'll," the five freshman went on to win three scrimmages against the upper classmen. Albom wrote, "The Fab Five has been born." While many people could watch the televised games and see for themselves the spectacle surrounding these freshmen, he took this audience backstage and incorporated these stories that give the reader more than they could otherwise see. Stories about crazy pranks to trash talking rants and bizarre interviews to the baggy shorts and black socks and shoes, is why Fab Five gives the reader more than a sports book. It gives the reader a legendary, and even though no previous knowledge is necessary a substantial amount of time is essential because putting the book down once the readers starts if difficult.
The Fab Five is a humorous, entertaining and well written book, but furthermore, it is an inside look at one of the greatest college basketball stories. Mitch Albom, as one of America's most heralded writers, gives one of his best writing performances for his perfectly illustrated, historical tale of "The Greatest Recruiting Class Ever." He captivated my attention and sparked my interest in Michigan Basketball because of his urban style humor and story telling ability. While most other historical accounts tend to be boring, Mitch Albom captivates his readers and provides one of the best books about sports; a must read for any sports fan. Albom quoted Jalen Rose, "they'll be talking about us for 20 years." This is true about the Fab Five and the Fab Five will be talked about for many years to come
No doubt........2004-12-24
With all the kids going to the pros now this book just gets more and more interesting. College hoops may never be the same as it was when the fab five were together. Although it may be wrong to say they were the reason for so many changes, they were certainly style agents of the nth degree. No doubt about the power of youth and potential and Albom captures all of it with a lot of excitement and enjoyment.
The Greatest Basketball Team Ever Assembled............2004-03-28
This book is excellent by far. I read this book whenever I'm bored, and it still excites me to this day. I can just flashback and remember what I was doing during the time the Fab Five was wrecking havoc on the college hardwoods. I still believe dat dis book is the greatest book Mitch Albom has ever written. He's already my favorite sports columnist in the world. Just like another person typed, if you love basketball buy this book. If you don't still buy this book, because you will grow to love college basketball.
One of the best sports books ever.......2004-01-17
This is an amazing in-depth look at the most popular and ballyhooed basketball team ever, Michigan's Fab Five. As a huge maize-and-blue fan I have read this masterpiece countless times but it shows all the details of running a major basketball program, the troubles that Steve Fisher had to deal with, and talks about the complex lives that Chris Webber, Jalen Rose, Juwan Howard, Jimmy King, and Ray Jackson led and lead. Pickthis one up now.
Unbelievable.......2003-12-17
Mitch Albom is supposedly a newspaper writer and journalist. Yet somehow he managed not to notice the fact the subjects of this book (The Fab Five) were paid over $600,000 to attend the University of Michigan.
This means that either:
A. Mitch knew about the payments and therefore all the material he wrote concerning the Michigan basketball program is suspect because he was in on the coverup.
OR
B. Mitch didn't know about the payments and therefore all the material he wrote concerning the Michigan basketball program is suspect because he didn't even notice that the college kids he was covering were being paid over a half million dollars to play basketball.
Book Description
In Bob Tarte's home, pandemonium is the order of the day, and animals literally rule the roost—thirty-nine of them at last count. Whether it's the knot-tying African grey parrot, or the overweight cat who's trained Bob to hold her water bowl just above the floor, or the nightmarish duck who challenges him to a shoving match, this menagerie, along with his endlessly optimistic wife, Linda, provides daily lessons on the chaos inherent in our lives. But not until this modern-day Noah's Ark hits stormy weather—and Bob's world spins out of control—does he realize that this exuberant gaggle of animals provides his spiritual anchor. It is their alien presence, their sense of humor, and their impulsive behavior that both drive Bob crazy and paradoxically return him to sanity.
With the same sly humor and dead-on character portraits that made Enslaved by Ducks such a rousing success, Tarte proves that life with animals offers a wholly different perspective on the world.
Customer Reviews:
A book sure to make you Smile!!!!.......2007-10-09
Fowl Weather is another one of Bob Tarte's wonderfully funny creations. Like his previous book Enslaved by Ducks, it will have you laughing out loud with tears in your eyes. Fowl Weather also exposes you to some more serious and poignant moments of his life. Bob has an amazingly expressive way of writing that enables you to truly experience what he is talking about. If you are an animal lover or just love reading a good book, then consider Fowl Weather and Enslaved by Ducks as "must reads"!!! Also be sure to visit his website for a good laugh and pictures of his whole menagerie!
Fowl Weather.......2007-10-01
This is a must read. The book has been written with such love and compasion. I laughed and I cried with every page. I could not put this book down because there was something around the corner of each page that kept your attention to the very end. Don't leave this world without reading Fowl Weather.
PM, San Antonio, TX
Librarians - make sure this book is in your collection!.......2007-09-12
It's hard to know what else to add to the 24 other 5 star reviews! I'm a poultry enthusiast who has found both of Bob's books to be poignant journals of how our pets own us. Without overly anthropomorphizing their pets, Bob manages to give us a home movie of them that is sometimes a bit Fellini, sometimes a bit Andy Griffith. The balance of wry humor, cozy anecdotes, and dark obsessions create a great read that is truly genius and satisfying. I heartily recommend this book to reading clubs, because there's something for everyone in here.
Only Tarte can tell a tale like this..........2007-08-31
After reading Bob Tarte's "Enslaved by Ducks" I promptly ordered "Fowl Weather". I was not disappointed!!!
In the comical way that only Tarte can "Fowl Weather" tells how crazy and chaotic his life can truly be! Not only have Bob and his wife Linda added animals to their herd, they've also added other unwanted guests of the human species. Among them the totally clueless master gardener and one of Bob's old schoolmates the self-righteous pest named Eileen. By the end I wanted to knock Eileen out!
Like most of us that raise animals, Bob discovers that his animals have shown him how to handle almost anything that life suddenly dishes out. Bob goes through losing his father, his mother being diagnosed with Alzheimers, losing his favorite rabbit and the passing of his favorite bird Stanley Sue. The animals HAVE taken over his life! They have taught him how to feel and have taught him how to love again. This is truly a heart touching book.
Weather fair and foul rules!.......2007-07-28
Bob Tarte has successfully engaged us again with Fowl Weather. Believer in no coincidences, he plods along with wife Linda, as true animal advocates, observing, but somehow not coming across as judgmental.
Any birdwatcher, animal lover, or nature enthusiast would love both this and his first book Enslaved by Ducks. I appreciated his candor and vulnerability, his brutal honesty has immortalized the real characters in this good read~ life as it is with all God's creatures. It is what it is.
Through fair and foul weather with their circle of family, friends, and pets, it's a true story of "live and let live", providing dignity and respect for all in life and in death. You will laugh out loud and shed some tears, but come away from this book with a greater appreciation for what animals give us in return for us loving them. Bob Tarte said it best ~ "The mixture of wildness and comfort they(his pets) brought to my life was life itself in miniature". He causes his readers to gain greater love and appreciation for their own menagerie of birds and beasties! Thank you for an excellent read!
Book Description
One day in March 1969, twenty-three- year-old Jane Mixer was on her way home to tell her parents she was getting married. She had arranged for a ride through the campus bulletin board at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she was one of a handful of pioneering women students at the law school. Her body was found the following morning just inside the gates of a small cemetery fourteen miles away, shot twice in the head and strangled.
Six other young women were murdered around the same time, and it was assumed they had all been victims of alleged serial killer John Collins, who was convicted of one of these crimes not long after. Jane Mixer's death was long considered to be one of the infamous Michigan Murders, as they had come to be known. But officially, Jane's murder remained unsolved, and Maggie Nelson grew up haunted by the possibility that the killer of her mother's sister was still at large.
In an instance of remarkable serendipity, more than three decades later, a 2004 DNA match led to the arrest of a new suspect for Jane's murder at precisely the same time that Nelson was set to publish a book of poetry about her aunt's life and death -- a book she had been working on for years, and which assumed her aunt's case to be closed forever.
The Red Parts chronicles the uncanny series of events that led to Nelson's interest in her aunt's death, the reopening of the case, the bizarre and brutal trial that ensued, and the effects these events had on the disparate group of people they brought together. But The Red Parts is much more than a "true crime" record of a murder, investigation, and trial. For into this story Nelson has woven a spare, poetic account of a girlhood and early adulthood haunted by loss, mortality, mystery, and betrayal, as well as a subtle but blistering look at the personal and political consequences of our cultural fixation on dead (white) women.
The result is a stark, fiercely intelligent, and beautifully written memoir that poses vital questions about America's complex relationship to spectacles of violence and suffering, and that scrupulously explores the limits and possibilities of honesty, grief, empathy, and justice.
Customer Reviews:
Sad but unsentimental, a real find.......2007-09-21
Maggie Nelson has written a powerful and deeply personal memoir that explores the world of quiet, enduring grief that settles on a family after suffering a horrific act of violence. Nelson doesn't seek easy answers or sentimental comforts, but rather delves unflinchingly into her own complicated life and the lives of her family as they revisit a tragedy that has left its stamp on them all for over three decades. One of the most haunting and original works I have had the pleasure of reading.
The Red Parts.......2007-06-07
I found this book interesting but sometimes hard to follow as it is a memoir of the author's thoughts and life weaved into the story of her aunt's murder. I find some of the the thoughts and actions of the author disturbing.
jaw-dropping horror and beauty.......2007-05-26
A stunning piece of writing that haunts the space between memoir and true crime. I re-read sentences over and over again because they were so perfectly shaped. It's the first book I've read about crime that foregrounds the gendered spaces of victim and perpetrator.
The Red Parts.......2007-03-21
The Red Parts is a deeply moving memoir. A compelling meditation on death, violence, justice and grief, as well as a gripping story. The writing is sharp and honest. There are no wasted words in this memorable book.
Average customer rating:
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A Student's Guide to the MELAB: (Michigan English Language Assessment Battery)
Mary C. Spaan
Manufacturer: University of Michigan Press/ESL
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Binding: Paperback
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How to Prepare for the Michigan Test Battery
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ASIN: 0472081659 |
Customer Reviews:
Reinhold Niebuhr's genius is simply unparalleled.......2007-01-09
I am a HUGE Niebuhr fan, and I strong suggest that anyone interested in politics, economics, social philosophy and/or theology should pick up as many of his works as possible. This book was a real treat for me, to get into peer into his mind in those oh so important formative years as a pastor in Detroit, WOW!
Even when he's just writing random thoughts on the passing scene, he's a fantastic writer. Here you have a demonstration of Bonhoeffer's views of the true Christian life which must "share in the problems of secular life, and teach all men what it means to live in Christ". You see the greater and greater emphasis on the role of repentence and the way Christ's oh so rigorous ethic acts as a judgment on all human behavior as time goes on. This will all become so important as he turns his mind to writing his great theological and social works in the 30's and 40's.
This book is a fairly easy read, none to technical, and relatively short, you can probably read it in 3 or 4 sittings. Pay attention to the way Niebuhr's doubts about his own position become theological fare, informing the way he thinks about theology and life in toto.
A huge help through the early years of ministry.......2004-12-22
This little gem was probably my favorite book from seminary. Niebuhr takes you with him on the difficult journey through the first years of his parish ministry and teaches you how to think theologically about really practical dilemmas that arise as a clergyperson. My favorite thing about the book is that it is not written as a memoir, but in the moment, so you don't have an old, brilliant theologian reflecting on his years in ministry, but rather a young, brilliant pastor who doesn't know all the answers and doesn't pretend to. I feel like Reinhold has become a close friend though the end of seminary and my first year working in the church, because he gives words to and insight into many of the struggles I have had.
Green, alive and leafy.......2003-05-27
Reinhold Niebuhr's small book, Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic, is perhaps his most famous and popular book. It has informed and helped to shape the lives and ministries of seminarians, educators, ministers and other prophetic and ethical people since it was first published early in this century. Niebuhr recounts with astonishing honesty the difficulties facing those who would do ministry, and act ethically, in the church today. His criticism is not held back from any sacred topics.
`I make no apology for being critical of what I love. No one wants a love which is based upon illusions, and there is no reason why we should not love a profession and yet be critical of it.'
Niebuhr talks about the shock of coming to realise the limitations of his ministry, going from being a fresh-from-seminary full-of-grace minister to a person confronting another person in the 'real world'. He talks about
`...the difficulty of acting as priest. It is not in your power to determine the use of a symbol. Whether it is a blessing or a bit of superstition rests altogether with the recipient.'
This real world also presents problems. Parishioners tend to ask practical questions, rather than theoretical ones. They ask, Why won't Jesus heal me? Didn't he heal others? It is in the Bible, after all.
`I do believe that Jesus healed people. I can't help but note, however, that a large proportion of his cures were among the demented.'
He talks about the practical limitations of doing ethical ministry and prophesy for the average pulpit preacher.
`I am not surprised that most prophets are itinerants. Critics of the church think we preachers are afraid to tell the truth because we are economically dependent upon the people of our church. There is something in that....'
Finally, Niebuhr comes to have realistic expectations of the church and his own ministry in it.
`The church is like the Red Cross service in war time. It keeps life from degenerating into a consistent inhumanity, but it does not materially alter the fact of the struggle itself. The Red Cross neither wins the war nor abolishes it.'
Niebuhr in this small work has given great insight. Barely 150 short pages of his journal from 1915-1928 as a parish minister--although he became much better known as a philosopher in later years, this book is most likely his best seller, and the one with the most profound day-to-day impact for his readers.
A must-read for anyone with a calling to ministry; a should-read for anyone in a helping and caring profession. It gives insight into how to remain human and fallible in the face of a congregation's (and one's own!) expectations of holiness and godly perfection.
As Applicable Today as When Written.......2002-07-27
This is a collection of Neibuhrs short essays. Each one stands on its own as a reflection of reality as applicable today as it was decades ago. I like it so much I am rationing it, reading one or two essays a day and stopping to think about the lesson in each one. These are sermons that are not "preachy" recognizing the human frailities and what should be expected of us. A book for the ages in my opinion
A Growing Pastor's Vision.......2001-11-17
In this marvelous book, which has graced my library for more than forty years, Professor Niebuhr shows himself as a young pastor who grows into his Detroit working "man's" parish. He courageously confronts his struggles, inward and outward.
He writes with a wit that I didn't always find in his more explicitly theological writings. I particularly identified with an early observation, "It is easier to speak sagely from the pulpit than to act wisely in the detailed tasks of the parish."
Another early observation shows him realizing what most of us must experience in our youthful ministries, when he speaks of repeating himself in the pulpit, noting, "A prophet speaks only when he is inspired. The parish preacher mus speak whether he he is inspired or not. I wonder whether it is possible to live on a high enough plane to do that without sinning against the Holy Spirit."
I would whole-heartedly recommend this book for any young pastor.
Book Description
The new edition of Toward Speaking Excellence addresses the recent changes to the Test of Spoken English (TSE®). The text introduces readers to the format of the new TSE®, typical questions, and scoring criteria. The second edition of Toward Speaking Excellence includes actual student responses that are used or modified to highlight specific characteristics of effective communication. Two complete sample TSE®-like tests are included for further practice. Also provided are practice with some of the skills that, while no longer tested on the TSE®, are key to sounding more native-like and fluent.
Toward Speaking Excellence may be used as an individual study tool or as a course text. While the material is directed toward the TSE® and SPEAK® tests, the communication strategies presented will prepare students for other types of oral exams (including the TAST®, interviews, and performance tests. Toward Speaking Excellence is a course book but may also be used for individual test-preparation/self-study.
Dean Papajohn is a Specialist in Education at the Center for Teaching Excellence, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign..
Customer Reviews:
Very helpful.......2007-09-07
arrived before the expected date, in a great condition and it helped me a lot.
Lots of practice material.......2007-06-09
Very nice book and lot of practice material. But sad side is that it doesn't have CD.
Toward Speaking Excellence (2nd ed.): The Michigan Guide to Maximizing Your Performance on TSE.......2007-03-09
This book is an indispensable tool for ESL/EFL instructors implementing speaking courses as well as tutoring for TSE test. It is really focused on enhancing non-native speakers' English communication skills.
Hopeless book.......2006-06-06
This is one of the useless book i have come across...the TSE exam which you will encounter is totally different than what they tell you in the book, furthermore, this book does not have good examples to practice... the authors should understand that TSE is about speaking and not writing or reading so by just reading this book there is no way anyone will understand how to speak in TSE.. I would not recommend this book to anyone
This is a very bad book.......2006-05-28
I can only assume that the authors are the ones that wrote the other reveiws. Half of the book has pictures for oral exercies, but it has no explaination or examples about how to speak correctly. The other half has exercises without explaination or answers. How can I learn if the book does not provide correct speaking examples. It may work for an instructor, but it is definately not a self study book. It might be an okay book if it contained a CD, but it does not so the book is really useless. I know this is a harsh review, but I don't want anyone else to waste their money.
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