Book Description
This is one of the first books published that was written by a Camp Lejeune Marine who fought in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In this first hand graphic account, GySgt Jason K. Doran, a Silver Star recipient, shares his experiences of his tour of duty during the Iraqi War. The book covers the journey of 1st Battalion, 2nd Regiment, a part of Task Force Tarawa, from the ship ride over through the Suez Canal, to the bloody battle for the bridges at An Nasiriyah and then home again. This book allows the reader to share in the day-to-day experiences and personal account of a Marine's tour of duty. This is the real thing. Gunny Sergeant Doran was there.
Customer Reviews:
Not very good.......2006-02-12
The author is a real hero, but this is a mediocre book. Not reccomended.
SIMPLY THE TRUTH, UNEDITED.......2005-12-31
I wasn't even into the first chapter before I had tears in my eyes. This Gunny has it all right. He sees the military exactly as it is, and explains it perfectly. He has seen so much in his short 41 years, and it has effected him greatly in his personal life - yet he continued to ask for the tough assignments. ALL MILITARY MEMBERS WILL LAUGH at his picture perfect descriptions of military life. ALL CIVILIANS NEED TO READ this book to truly understand the War in Iraq.
Jason tells the sometimes gory truth, but it is a truth that more people should know. He paints a blow-by-blow, gunshot-by-gunshot picture of the war without losing the reader. It is captivating from the Foreward through to the last page. He is a Marine's Marine. One rough, tough, Texan who is still a caring, loving man and father. Buy the book.
Simple but Clean and Crisp.......2005-09-20
Writing was not the best but I enjoyed this story by a fellow Marine and praise him fr sitting down and knocking out this story of combat, something I hope to do in the future. Nice job mixing intr-unit relations with external threats.
Amazing.......2005-09-15
Why more out there don't know of this book is beyond me. Far surpasses even "Generation Kill" and, dare I say, "The March Up" simply on the fact that is a Gunny who knows where his heart, his head, and his loyalty is, without question. Inspiring and motivating, this is a book that I've given to my fellow Marines and that I continue to recommend at all times. Lets you know what it was, and is, really like...something even different than those of us who went over in 1991 saw. Get this, and realize that what you are seeing on your CNN and even your FOX, and reading about in your newspapers and magazines, is largely a ruse. I just can't recommend this enough and truly can't put into words the measure of this book (or for that matter, this Gunny). Semper Fi brothers.
Awesome.......2005-09-09
This was an awesome book! Very difficult to put down. Author writes as he speaks - unedited for profanity. When reading a book on the lastest war written by an Active Duty member you shouldn't expect sensorship and there is none in this book. If your delicate eyes can't handle profanity from someone getting shot at, don't read it!
Book Description
The Simplest Path, Step One: Free Your Mind delineates, in one slim volume, a complete system for achieving personal spiritual awakening, along with a straightforward, no-nonsense plan individuals and groups so enlightened can follow to awaken Humanity en masse and positively transform the world. This book contains keys to awakening. Awakening from our personal dream shatters the solid "box" of limitation memes have built around our lives, and frees us to fluidly craft our personalities, environments, relationships, careers, etc. as an artist paints a landscape or a sculptor teases form from formless clay. All of us awakening together from the shared dream of the planet will mark the birth of our species out of our current global nightmare of decline into a limitless future literally beyond our present ability to imagine, even in our "wildest dreams," indeed.
Customer Reviews:
Way Beyond "Socrates Revisited".......2007-08-22
After reading the commentary attached to the one star rating given by the young man from Texas, I feel compelled to step forward in defense of this very fine book. With only one exception, every point made in that negative review is simply wrong. Just not factually correct. The reviewer identifies himself as a young man (... "to my young mind"), and since all of his other Amazon reviews are of TV episodes on DVD, video games and rock music CDs I take him at his word. Well, I am an "old man," closing in on my sixty-third birthday, and I came to Mr. Casspriano's book after six decades of life experience, the last three of those decades a zealous practitioner of Zen Buddhism. I say this not to "brag," but simply to qualify myself as a reviewer before beginning.
I'll start where the one star reviewer closed his argument, with his statement that the simplest path reduces to two Socratic concepts: "Admit that you don't know anything" and "know yourself."
The first part is nominally true (the exception). Like Zen Buddhism, a central tenet of the simplest path is working to release the false notion we all hold that we know ourselves, other people, the world around us. But identifying and releasing our attachments to our illusions is a life's work, not some brash "I don't know nothin'!" as the young Texan seems to imply. Under normal circumstances, we go about our daily lives with no idea we are deluded about anything, as Maya (the illusion of the phenomenal world around and even inside us) is so convincing that most of us never even think to question its validity. Casspriano did not invent the notion of human beings being trapped in illusion, as this truth was known to the timeless authors of the Hindu Vedas and is central to all schools of Buddhism (not just Zen). But his scientific/spiritual exploration of the mechanism by which Maya ensnares our minds and can, with effort, be overcome is among the best "plain English" explanations of this process I have read. There is no "inscrutable mystery" in the simplest path (a criticism that has been accurately leveled toward Zen Buddhism, as a lot of Eastern thought truly does come off as "inscrutable" when translated into English and/or the metaphors of Western culture). Casspriano lays out in no-nonsense American English exactly what our brains are doing when they create the illusion we mistake for reality, then shows the reader in the same clear terms how to train his or her brain to break free of illusion and taste reality as-it-is. In just 216 pages, that is no mean feat. After thirty years of Zen practice and numerous kensho experiences (of varying depths and intensities), I can say from personal experience that Casspriano is correct. Enlightenment comes as the fruit of a long, incremental process of retraining the mind to touch reality in a new way, and the process described in the simplest path is the same as that followed in Zen practice, especially Rienzi Zen koan study (I'll have more to say about this in a later paragraph). Casspriano's approach and language is very different from traditional Zen (more "scientific," and no sitting meditation is required), which I think would appeal to Americans and other Westerners seeking to experience "awakening" without necessarily committing themselves to a religion like Buddhism, but the internal mental/spiritual process and final destination are the same.
"Know yourself," on the other hand, is not in this book at all, at least not in the way the young reviewer, or Socrates for that matter, uses the phrase. As in Buddhism, Casspriano takes pains to demonstrate that "self" is as much of an illusion as our misapprehension of the phenomenal world, and is a byproduct of exactly the same mind process that creates outer Maya. A core teaching of Buddhism is that our "self," our personality/ego, is nothing more than an aggregation of outside influences that cluster together in our minds like shiny stones gathered into a pile, and which we mistake not only for something "real," but tragically, for our essential selves. Yet this "pile" has nothing really to do with who we are at all. Buddhism teaches "no-self." Belief in the illusion of a unique and independent "self" is our greatest obstacle to enlightenment. Wasting time and energy getting to "know yourself" in the Western sense is foreign to Eastern thought. Casspriano again does a great job of translating the Buddhist concept of "no-self" into Western scientific/spiritual terminology. He shows the process by which our ego/personality aggregate "piles up," as well as how to take the pile down, stone by stone. Enlightenment is what the pile was covering up, and so it naturally appears as soon as the pile is removed - but oh how we cling to our personal pile of stones! "Self" is what we must trade for enlightenment, what must be surrendered, and Casspriano returns to this truth many times in the simplest path. My point is that the one star reviewer's reduction of the simplest path to "know yourself" has no basis at all in the actual book.
As to the book being "gimmicky": Yes, the words "The Simplest Path" recur frequently throughout the book, but not in reference to the book itself (at least that's not how I took it), but rather to the system of understanding the mind and working toward "awakening" Casspriano is describing - and it is a complete system that deserves to be considered as a whole, on its own. At times the repetition does have a feel of "branding" in the commercial sense, so I understand where the reviewer may have taken his impression. But the simplest path, while resonant with Zen Buddhism (and apparently, according to Casspriano, with the Toltec philosophy espoused by Carlos Castaneda, of which I have no personal knowledge, so I'll have to take the author's word for that) is far enough different that it needs its own "name" to set it apart from other schools of similar but not identical thought. The reviewer's criticism is like saying that every use of the term "Zen" in a book called "Zen Buddhism" should be taken as a reference to the book, and not to the larger practice of Zen Buddhism as a spiritual discipline that the book is describing. Casspriano's point in repeatedly linking The Simplest Path, Zen Buddhism and Toltec Shamanism throughout the book, at least as I understood it, is to highlight these three spiritual practices as related reliable paths through a dark forest of illusion, a forest in which many apparent (and more popular) paths, including most (all?) religious beliefs, actively vie to mislead travelers toward deeper ensnarement in the dream, rather than leading them toward "awakening."
I want to say a word about koan study in Rienzi Zen and how it relates to the simplest path. Koans are those quirky Zen sayings and stories like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" or "what was your original face before you (or your parents) were born?" that have no rational answer, and which Zen students turn and turn in their minds like the tumblers of a combination lock until their imprisoned psyches "explode" in a "super-rational" experience of reality beyond the illusion ("irrational" would be the wrong term, as that implies "nonsense"). That "super-rational" vision of reality is called "kensho." I have experienced it myself, more than once in my lifetime. I have come to think of Casspriano's "Key Questions" in the second half of the simplest path, especially the later seven of the ten, as "cultural koans" designed to trigger "collective kensho" for the whole human race at once. Like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?", unflinching consideration of the value of human life, of how our beliefs about the future shape the present, of the true origin and destiny of life on Earth, etc., especially as seen through the lens of Casspriano's "Key Question Technique," reveals that none of these questions have rational answers, yet all require our active and immediate response. Successful resolution of these larger riddles that impact everyone will require us all to eventually "explode" into reality, together, in a "super-rational" way. We'll have to break through the illusion and wake up together, as one (which has been the goal of Mahayana Buddhism, of which Zen is a sect, since around 200 BCE). That is the "Planetary Awakening" addressed in this book, and I believe Casspriano's "Key Questions" are a concrete step in that direction. I'm glad I spent my fifteen dollars.
This is my "old man" take on the simplest path, having encountered it after 30 years of Zen Buddhist practice (I'm not veering off my chosen path here, just bowing respectfully in passing toward Casspriano's). From a Buddhist perspective, the simplest path is true Dharma, though I do not get the impression from reading his book that Vincent Casspriano is himself a Buddhist or a follower of any religion. That to my mind makes his book all the more interesting.
True, but gimmicky.......2007-08-09
Casspriano's book is scientifically and philosophically sound as best as my young mind can tell, but I don't recommend this book. Its scattered with numerous pages of advertising about how his "program" works and how it compares to other religions and spiritual movements. Why must this author physically write out "The Simplest Path" in reference to his book every other page, and talk about his second volume? Perhaps because he's not out for pure truth, but for our money.
All this book comes down to after you strip away the nonsense is two things. First, admit that you don't truly know anything. Second, know yourself. Do those two things (they essentially both mean to question EVERYTHING), and you'll have Casspriano's "Planetary Awakening," with 15 bucks still in your pocket. And you'll be following the fundamental truths already said by Socrates.. so do yourself a favor and pick up Plato's "Apology" and read up on the Socratic dialogue on how to live a good life. And don't stop there, because you can't be sure he's right.
And I have 10 bucks that says these other couple of reviews were written by the book publisher. In any case, ignore the hype.
A Unique and Inspiring Wake-up Call.......2007-05-15
This is one of the most clear-headed books I've read in years on the subject of real, nitty gritty, get your hands dirty spiritual development (as opposed to the fru fru New Age variety). So much of what passes for "spirituality" in our time amounts to some author, celebrity, priest, philosopher or self-appointed guru telling us what to "believe," sight unseen, if we want to reach heaven, attain enlightenment, achieve "ascension," etc. Casspriano takes an at times startling opposite approach. For Casspriano, such unquestioned/unquestionable beliefs are not only NOT the path to spiritual awakening, they represent the chief obstacle blocking our realization of higher consciousness. And it's not just religious beliefs ("faith") he's talking about, but all our beliefs about reality, especially those that enclose our thinking in "boxes" that limit our freedom to find solutions to real-world threats like Peak Oil, overpopulation, Global Warming, etc. Though much of the book focuses on individual enlightenment, for Casspriano, these larger planetary issues are "spiritual," as well. Whether the issue is our personal inability to find happiness or Humanity's collective rush toward physical extinction, the cause is the same - our wrong-headed beliefs about what's real. The solution is the same, as well - continuous, deep questioning. Using Richard Dawkins' concept of "memes" as a central metaphor, Casspriano first breaks down the basic process of belief, showing the mechanism in our brains by which beliefs misdirect and control our psyches, then he walks the reader through an exploration of a series of ten "anti-meme questions" aimed at breaking down the walls of our mental "boxes" and setting our minds free. With each question, he supplies an exercise designed to allow the reader to attain a personal taste of reality "beyond the box," especially as flavored by that chapter's "Key Question." For the most part, this formula works very well (with a few rare moments of over-exuberance on the author's part, as already described in other reviews, though as a card carrying vegan environmentalist, I can't say I particularly minded), delivering a cumulative series of death-blows to some of the most basic "pillars" of our present human consensus reality. Beyond the walls those pillars supported lies real reality, where we are all interconnected and interdependent, and, in Casspriano's view, mutually destined for greatness, if we can just wake up and grab the reins of our runaway culture in time. This is not a book for spiritual "feel gooders" seeking soft assurances that they're perfect just they way they are and everything's going to be all right, no matter what. This is a wake up call, a tool kit and a concrete action plan for becoming individually enlightened and collectively saving the world, all rolled up into one. That, I think, is a cause well-worthy of exuberance.
Challenge Consensus Reality!.......2007-05-10
This is a thoughtful book that addresses how we may go about developing a process to question our everyday consensus reality. I suppose if I have learned anything in 49 years of life, it is that all personal and social problems stem from our fundamental views on the nature of reality itself. Vincent Casspriano uses the concept of a "meme" as a fundamental unit of ideas, assumptions, etc. that often block our understanding of reality itself. One such meme, for example, may be that we have to "fight for our freedom" or the world's a "fearful" place and hence, we have to be ready to kill to protect ourselves. I suppose you could also use the word "paradigm" here as well, but the essential point of this book is that we "unconsciously" function in our life with many limited points of view that block our ability to solve problems on both a personal and a social basis.
While Vince Casspriano is to be congradulated for producing a book that presents both a methodology and a motivation for personal transformation, there are a few pitfalls here that the potential reader should be aware of before tackling this material. The author has some rather strong views on fossil fuel consumption, meet consumption, and the role of humans in the cycle of procreation. While I generally agree with his analysis on fossil fuel consumtion and meat consumption (as I have viewed large tracks of deforrested grazing land in developing countries), these viewpoints can distract the reader from the essential point here which is to rigourously question consensus reality. Since I am single, and have no motivation to have children, I definitely disagree with his views on the necessity of human procreation on this planet, but here again, it is important to extract the essential meaning rather than get caught in the specific political/social debates that these issues may spawn.
If you are serious about personal transformation with the potential for changing our global consciousness, than this book can be an invaluable tool. I do agree with the Author that a world population of "high functioning" people can resolve every planetary problem we face today. As we systematically question our consensus reality, we will see our problems in new ways, and with this new perspective, problems can often be quickly resolved or transcended.
A Simple Cure For What's "Eating Us".......2006-11-13
I considered titling this review, "Stop Whining, Wake Up and Get Busy Saving the World," but decided "Eating Us" would be more attention-grabbing - which matters because I believe Vincent Casspriano, Jr.'s "The Simplest Path, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND" is an important book, and I want to do whatever I can to draw your attention to it. Pick the title you like best. Both very fittingly describe what you will find within the pages of this remarkable new release from New Paradigm Press.
I have selected three short quotations to explore in this review that I think best summarize Casspriano's overall message:
From Chapter One, "The Boxes We Dream In":
"Right now, this very moment, you are asleep... Even if you are reading these words in broad daylight - sitting at your desk or beside the kitchen table, your feet firmly planted on the floor, eyes open, senses alert, feeling the weight of this book in your hands as sounds of life rise and fall rhythmically around you - you are deeply asleep, and dreaming furiously"
Now, the idea that Humans are sleeping, and must therefore "awaken," is by no means unique to Casspriano's "Simplest Path" spiritual system, being the root observation underlying pretty much all Eastern religion, and a lot of Western Occultism and New Age metaphysics, as well. In fairness, Casspriano makes no claim to this as an original insight, openly supporting his assessment of the human predicament with quotations taken from Animism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. He then flows seamlessly into a list of complementary illustrations from the secular realms of Quantum Physics, brain/consciousness research, and most to-the-point, the study of memes and memetics, ala Evolutionary Biologist and world's best-known cheerleader for scientific atheism, Richard Dawkins.
If you've never heard of memes or memetics, a quick Google of those terms will reveal hundreds of serious, information-rich websites devoted to this now thirty-year old science. In a nutshell, a "meme" is a sort of contagious thought-form that spreads between people by way of imitation. Obvious memes in our environment include advertising jingles, fads and fashions, etc. Casspriano somewhat radically extends the concept to include just about everything that makes up the contents of our individual brains and shared human culture. While he resists redefining the word "meme" wholesale, he decidedly expands its definition to make memes and "memeplexes" (what you get when a number of memes band together into an organic, relational unit, like a religion or cultural or political movement) the basic, fundamental building blocks of everything we habitually label "real..."
And then he demonstrates, in at times excruciating detail, the complete emptiness of the "apparent-reality" that is a byproduct of memetic activity in our brains. What we call "real" is not real at all. It's an illusion spun up by our memes. And our memes are not original to us. They are "viral invaders" assailing our minds from without. Worse - and, while even this thought is not wholly unique to Casspriano, he certainly gives it his own very effective spin - memes are by no means mere passive beliefs or simple "harmless ideas." They are, Casspriano believes, actively predatory psychic parasites whose survival depends on our buying into the illusions they create in our minds. Think of illusion (Samsara, Maya, etc.) as a web we're caught in. Memes are the spider. We are the fly. Gotcha.
One thing I like very much about Casspriano's book is that he never asks us to take anything on faith, least of all this rather ugly depiction of the human psychic/spiritual condition. He not only challenges readers to test his hypothesis firsthand in order to experience what is real and true for ourselves, he spends a large chunk of the book outlining specific exercises anyone can do to escape memetic interference and personally experience reality as-it-is. The exercises in Part II of the book are powerful medicine... But this is a digression, so let me return to the point.
Memes are the spider, and we are the fly. A better metaphor might be that memes are the farmer, and we are the cow. Domesticated and docile, we allow memes to milk us daily, to extract from our minds the potent human psychic energy which, if reclaimed by us and put to proper human use, would quickly and positively transform our lives and our world. This transformation is awakening, ascension, enlightenment, metanoia, the Buddha-like change of consciousness most religions and spiritual systems on Earth hint at, but few ever actually deliver to followers. In this analysis, Casspriano's "Simplest Path" is very much in line with Gurdjieff's "Fourth Way," Carlos Castaneda's Toltec sorcery, and a few other well known spiritual practices inhabiting a somewhat darker, though perhaps more realistic corner of the New Age. But unlike most of those other systems, Casspriano's prescription for escaping illusion and awakening to reality is remarkably, well... simple.
From Chapter Three, "Waking Up":
"The simple truth is that we are sleeping because we lack sufficient energy to wake up."
And later in the same chapter:
"The real work that brings about awakening, rather than merely granting the external appearance of "being spiritual," while actually embroiling us ever more deeply in the dream, is a rigorous, daily commitment to the identification and elimination of every self-serving belief from which our personal dream-lives are constructed."
For "belief" in the quotation above, read "meme/memeplex." Casspriano certainly does, treating the terms as largely interchangeable. In the end, this genuinely simple - at least in the sense of being uncomplicated and pragmatic - spiritual practice amounts to discovering reality as-it-actually-is less by searching for a glimpse beyond the illusion, than by systematically withdrawing our participation in, and identification with, the dream. When we disentangle our psyches from memetic illusion, only reality remains. We don't have to chase it; to a meme-free mind, reality just appears. This is "Satori" in Zen Buddhism. This is "stopping the world" in the Toltec sorcery of Castaneda and others. Casspriano's genius lies in his talent for exposing the core mechanism behind such complex and often inscrutable spiritual systems, and for putting into plain language clear instructions for unraveling the dream and achieving personal awakening. The virus-like process by which memes take over and control our human minds, as described by Casspriano is, to my mind, very complicated (but well worth struggling through). What is genuinely simple about "The Simplest Path," however, is Casspriano's prescription for breaking those bonds, once you've made the effort to understand how they are created and maintained. For Casspriano, remaining a victim of spiritual sleep and energetic exploitation by memes is a complex activity in which we unconsciously invest enormous amounts of psychic energy every day of our lives. Awakening is the product of a simple act of withdrawing that investment, which automatically re-energizes of our minds and lives. Or as Casspriano cleverly phrases it when closing Chapter Three, "Waking Up":
"Unweave the tapestry of the dream, and awakening happens."
Anyone can do this. Spiritual awakening, in Casspriano's view, may be hard work, but it is not complicated work. The path to enlightenment is really rather shockingly simple. Fall out of love with the dream. Reclaim your psychic energy. Wake up to reality.
The ten "Key Questions" Casspriano explores in the second section of the book are designed to put the theory laid out in Part I to practical and immediate use. Essentially, I think Casspriano sees these ten issues - why we treat enlightenment as an "airy-fairy" ideal instead of a measurable transformation of brain functioning, the excuses we make for avoiding personal responsibility and integrity along the lines of Castaneda's "impeccability," the fallacy of belief in a "separate self," etc. - as pillars of both our personal and collective human dreams. They are by no means an exhaustive listing of the memes twisting our minds. But they are primary keystones on which layers upon layers of the grand illusion are built. Topple these ten baseline pillars and the larger structure crumbles.
Casspriano explores some "Keys" more successfully than others. One downside to the book is that, especially in the "Keys," Casspriano's own memetic prejudices shine at times rather glaringly through, as when, in his discussion of the American "What Would Jesus Do?" religious fad, he characterizes the Evangelical Christian purveyors of WWJD as, "ultra-conservative, right wing ideologues." Even should the reader personally agree with such pronouncements, its hard to resist thinking, "Hey Vince! Your memes are showing!" But where he nails his point, Casspriano's prose can be downright inspiring, as with the "Key" cosmological study "Is Earth the Center of the Universe?," which explores the gap between what we know, scientifically, about the Universe and what our daily choices and behavior says we really believe, about the cosmos and about ourselves. His closing "Key" "Are We Alone?" so poetically frames the true stakes of our global human predicament - species survival VS extinction - that its hard to imagine anyone keeping their gaze glued squarely to their own self-involved navel in the wake of reading it. Of course we are not alone. There are six and a half billion of us on Planet Earth, and whether we awaken to what's best in us or follow our darkest drives over History's cliff into oblivion, we do so as one. One planet, one fate.
This notion of "oneness" and of a common, intertwined human spiritual and biological destiny is a core theme in The Simplest Path, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND that sets it apart from any spiritual book in recent memory. My final quotation from the book returns us to the opening lines of Chapter One, "The Boxes We Dream In":
"We are all aware of the challenges facing us as we enter together into the 21st Century:
· World oil supplies are running out.
· Global warming is transforming the Earth into a steamy greenhouse.
· Even as our technology connects the world, ideological extremism, terrorism and militarism divide us as never before.
· Headlines bombard us with news of war, famine, pestilence and death until we feel overwhelmed and unable to respond.
· Time is running out..."
Vincent Casspriano, Jr.'s "The Simplest Path to Personal and Planetary Transformation, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND" does not offer easy escape from these very pressing real-world human ills, but rather, a down to Earth, workable prescription for their cure. Yes, we must awaken as individuals, and, rest assured, "The Simplest Path" shows spiritual seekers exactly how to do that. But a prime message of "The Simplest Path" is that, for personal awakening to have meaning, it must occur within the context of a complete re-visioning of global culture, and a mass wrenching away of the wheel of History from the control of viral memes, that we might create a common cosmic human destiny worthy of our highest potential as a species.
Now that's a meme worth feeding.
Book Description
Illustrated with black-and-white photographs. Young Shi Nomura was among the 120,000 American citizens who lost everything when he was sent by the U.S. government to Manzanar, an interment camp in the California desert, simply because he was of Japanese ancestry.
Customer Reviews:
THEY DESERVE BETTER.......1999-05-17
I read this boook because I had a history project all about Japanese Internment. Before I read this book I thought Japanese Interment was only about the Japanese in some camps. I didn't realize the injustice that we set upon these noble and great people. After reading this book I felt enraged at how the Japanese would have to sell or burn their beautiful and valuble items. I think they deserve so much more than a letter from the President. We should have a much better tribute toward them. I have always been proud of living in such a great state such as California, but I am not proud that they were the least tolerant of the Japanese.
Dear Fellow Adolescents,.......1999-02-05
In this book called I Am An American that I read is a really good book because it is for the kids at the reading level of 9-12 (ages to). If you wanted to know the story. Well in the story their is a yough boy and his family that were intered with others. Also in this story is based one a true one, it is almost like a biography. As I was thinking about this story I realized that is was a very educational it makes you think about the world itself. When I was reading some other reviews I saw one and it caught my attention and I had to write about it. It was about a girl who had experienced what went on in the book. As I was reading on in this review it said that the girl and her family were interned too, just like the boy in the girl in the review. The girl's name that was interned with her family was Shi Nomura. I think being interned is like you having to pack up all of your things and then moving out of the place where you were and then never returning. I think that is just like being interned because you can never go back. And then I started to read another review and it mentioned that this whole thing happened during World War II, and that was one of the worst wars that went on in the world years ago. They said that Japan and many other countries were over world order. "Freedom has a Tousand charms to show". I used this because the people that were interned probably thought that they were going to be free because it makes it seem like they were going to be free but they weren't, going to be free at all. I think that it was a good book because it tells how badly people were treated, it had said that it was a good book. Some people may say that it was not a good book because it might make kids think that when they grow up they will be treated that way. It also might make it seem that this is still going on. It also might make teens think that the world around them is unfair to different people (races). Then it might make teens feel that some people in the world are disrespectful to different people (races), and should be respect to them no matter what race the people are. And it could make them think that people have no kind of respect for others and instead of being mean to them. It is a good book however kids can read it, get an educational idea of their life and the world that surrounds it. I Am An American can get a teen or a child to start reading at the reading level of 9-12. If you by this book then you will enjoy reading it because it will tell you what went on in the world back then instead of now. If you read this book now you will think that "Life isn't the same".
Your Fellow Adolescent, Shanti Lipscomb
Amazon.com
Private First Class Jessica Lynch's capture and rescue during the 2003 war in Iraq captured the attention and captivated the emotions of millions of Americans. Accounts of the actual events surrounding Lynch were wildly varied as some took her to be a symbol of American righteousness while others made her out to be a pawn of the US military. But the Lynch that emerges in Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Rick Bragg's portrayal is an ordinary young woman caught up in an extraordinary series of events. Bragg, who had the cooperation of Lynch and her family in writing I Am a Soldier, Too intersperses her war story with a detailed portrait of the diminutive kid from Palestine, West Virginia who enlisted to see the world. What's truly remarkable about Lynch is how relatively unremarkable she is. She had a normal working class childhood, did fine in high school, performed capably in basic training, made some good friends, met a guy, and, like thousands of her contemporaries, was sent off to a war zone in the Middle East. But the story takes a sharp turn when her vehicle loses the convoy it was following near Nasiriyah, her four fellow soldiers are killed in the subsequent fighting, and Lynch is badly wounded and taken prisoner. Blacking out for three hours, she awakes in an Iraqi hospital where the tensions of war coupled with a lack of resources and a language and culture barrier make for a harrowing stay even as numerous medical personnel defy their own military to protect her and save her life. Finally, American troops captured Nasiriyah, kicked down the hospital doors (even as hospital workers tried to give them a master key) and airlifted Lynch out. Bragg also tells the story of the blue collar West Virginia town of Palestine and the Lynch family who the world watches, first as Jessica goes missing, then when she is rescued, and finally when she returns amid much fanfare. Bragg keeps the story telling pretty simple, avoiding an analysis of how the story was spun or the politics behind the war itself. In the end, Jessica Lynch is not, by her own insistence, a hero. Rather, she is a soldier with a remarkable story of survival to tell. Thankfully, she has now had the opportunity to tell it herself. --John Moe
Book Description
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and bestselling author Rick Bragg lends his remarkable narrative skills to the story of the most famous POW this country has known.
In
I Am a Soldier, Too, Bragg let’s Jessica Lynch tell the story of her capture in the Iraq War in her own words--not the sensationalized ones of the media's initial reports. Here we see how a humble rural upbringing leads to a stint in the military, one of the most exciting job options for a young person in Palestine, West Virginia. We see the real story behind the ambush in the Iraqi Desert that led to Lynch's capture. And we gain new perspective on her rescue from an Iraqi hospital where she had been receiving care. Here Lynch’s true heroism and above all, modesty, is allowed to emerge, as we're shown how she managed her physical recovery from her debilitating wounds and contended with the misinformation--both deliberate and unintended--surrounding her highly publicized rescue. In the end, what we see is a uniquely American story of courage and true heroism.
Customer Reviews:
Greatest Country Girl Of Our Time.......2007-07-11
Counter Terrorist
I Am a Soldier, Too The Jessica Lynch Story
The Jessica Lynch book, I am a Soldier Too, is about her time in Middle East, and her coming home. This woman was caught in route that every soldier has to go on. She was conveying in thirty-three vehicles operation. Lynch, was driving a truck, for the duration of five hours, and she was only going about nine miles. While driving the
trucks, her transfer case broke. This rode, was very tricky for all; the commander was only given a cd-rom, and a global position device. The commander only hoped he could skip Nasiriyah, which was the danger zone.
This battle in which many of the 507 Maintenance Company was attacked and killed was early in the war. This was a company of cooks, clerks and mechanics. The unit did not have any anti-tank weapons or grenades.
Their where a lot of thing that soldier needed such as more land navigation training, and armored Humvee, and bullet proof vests, in the start of "Operation Iraq Freedom".
Lynch wanted to serve her country, coming from a patriotic place, like Palestine, West Virginia. She entered basic July 20, 2001.She was only 18.She went to Ft Jackson were their motto read" Victory Starts Here". Her recruiter Sergeant Grady never lied, she joined to leave, Palestine, West Virginia for a little while and to see the world. Her birth control glasses, a army term referring to government issue glasses was what she got when she arrived, and a uniform that was to big but I guess the Army hoped she gain weight and get more muscle and fit into them. The drill sergeant saw her as weak, she learned Army values.
The continue decline of needs of factories, and factory workers, leads to little chances for young people trying to come up. This predicament only gives the young people of many rural areas, the military. They can only survive, and still be able to leave their matriarch or patriarch rule.
A soldier is not taught much in basic, often as a soldier you are told, you will get more when you get to your unit, or next time the unit decides to train on common task.
Jessica as a young private first class was really not given enough training, and being supply, often times is to busy to train. This really hurt this girl, in my opinion. She had a great fear of being left behind, and this fear is very normal.
The Iraq enemy was known for raping their captive women. This is always told by friendly, while discussing their enemy, throughout history. Although, during the time when Lynch was found, and brought to the hospital, in which she was treated, there was three hours lost, and some evidence of anal assault. Lynch is not sure what happened.
Lori Piestewa had slightly more ready to go being a Specialist, but had a shoulder injury. Piestewa had not pick up Lynch she would not be home today. The sergeant that went with lynch was put in anther truck.
One must think their where severely failure to this mission. Since this occurred basic training is longer, and most soldiers receive more land navigations training. The 507 Maintenance Company almost got wiped out; because of lack of basic convey proceeding.
The weapons soldiers used, has long history of failing soldiers in combat. The M-16 needs to go. No soldier could keep this weapon clean in any terrain, this jammed weapons makes people die
Basic convey proceedings include, having a working radio in every vehicle. Having flags on each vehicle, so they can be easily seen from a distance. Everyone traveling at a convey speed, establishing a catch up speed. Their must be a rally point for soldier, if some trucks get lost. Everyone who is part of convey, must know were they are going. It is also nice that everyone gets a, strip map. The soldiers must have grasp on mounted and dismounted land navigation. More Preventive Maintenance Inspection (PMI), these things did not happen in the beginning of the war.
Jessica Lynch was taken to a friendly hospital. The hospital she was in made her a POW. While there she thought she was being tortured. She had a lot of leg trouble and Iraq doctor almost, decided to take her leg. The doctor had put a rod in her leg that was the wrong size. Jessica had a nurse that would sing to her. Iraq tried to move her Iraq ambulance could not get threw American check point. Changed to Saddam Hussein hospital, nurse would sing to her. Losing classes made it hard for her to see, she was not sure why she was saved. Cut her leg off to transport her to make her dog and pony show she worried about Lori
While in hospital Lynch often times had thought of her friend Lori, Lori had a daughter named Carla and a son named Brandon and a son .Jessica Lynch did not know she died. The care Lynch got in hospital was the best the Iraq people had.
Jessica was missing in action. Her boyfriend, Reuben thought she was all right. The Lynch family watched the news, for clues, to what had happened to their daughter. But, the Lynch family really knew that the military gave bad news in person. The family really felt like she was alive because she had a ability to hide even just within herself helped her in Iraq, where Jessica was from, the mountains. The family would say she was "Country Tough".
Many things had to be done to the Lynch home for Jessica return. The whole neighborhood chipped in to make the home safer for Jessica. The town people were not sure how this girl would come back. A girl that got good grades in school, was a good kid and played basketball and softballs, Worried about her nails and hair, they were not sure how she would come home. The townspeople wanted to help the Lynch family, the father drove a truck, the townspeople wanted any way they can, since they can't go over their and do anything. The mom cut out horoscopes
Jessica injuries were right arm shattered, made it useless.3 places in spine. During the rescue a Special Forces soldier put a patch in his
hand to keep her calm her. She said to the soldier am an American soldier too.
The army event of the 507 Maintenance Company there is phrase that was used to take the blame off other, and that is it was not a wrong turn but a missed one. The unit was hit by a rocket propelled grenades on a rode they should never have been near.
Two years, has gone by since March 23, 2003, when Lynch ordeal began. In March 2005, there was a two year gathering, in which Lori Piestewa was honored. Lynch was given an award, by the Native American Veteran Council. This was multi Native American Nation event.
The Siox and the Havasupai-Grand Canyon Tribe's tradition were represented, in the medal presentation.
A Foundation was made to help Carla and Brandon Piestewa.This is called the Jessica Lynch Foundation. Later the foundation also helps other military veterans children and other veterans with injuries, am sure we will hear more from Jessica Lynch in the future.
1)I Am a Soldier, Too, The Jessica Lynch Story, Rick Bragg, Alfred A .Knopf, Publisher, New York, 11/2003.
2) I Am a Soldier, Too, The Jessica Lynch Story, Rick Bragg (Audio book, author reads book), Random House Audio.2003 Jessica Lynch, 2003 Random House, Inc
I wonder if she gave the money back .......2007-04-25
I just saw on the news that she said this was fabricated. While I think what she went through was horrible, and she did survive it. There are a few issues. First of all she was out of it most of the time according to her. She did not fire a single shot. There were several real herose in the book who endured torture and stuff like that. It was dumb luck and she made money because of it.
The horrors of war for a young woman........2007-01-02
At first I didn't want to read this story. This woman was subjected to some great cruelity, and there is not much pleasure in reading about that. Lynch was a young West Virginian teenager when she enrolled in the U.S. Army. Her recruiter told her she could see a little of the world and earn some college money. Fast forward two years, and Jessica is in the battle of her life. Her humvee in racing away after an ambush and then an RPG slams into it causing her best friend to die and her to be critically injured. She is then subjected to three hours of cruelity by Saddam's Fedyeen. The Iraqi doctors at the hospital try to save her and then she is "rescued" by U.S. Special Forces. The rest of the story is about her homecoming.
Jessie's story shows the cruel nature of war. Some of her fellow soldiers were executed in front of her eyes. She was abused for three hours by the Fedyeen. Jessie wishes this war was never fought because she lost her best friend. It also shows the friendship and sympathy she gained nationwide and especially in West Virginia. A nice story about the difficulties of the Iraq War.
Jessica is a Soldier and a Hero.......2006-08-26
This book is just what it claims to be, The Jessica Lynch Story. And she IS a soldier. All the reviewers who have chosen this format to start spouting political agendas based on their own theories are in the wrong place. People read reviews to decide if they want to buy a book, if they want to hear a bunch of media spin and MIS-information, then they can watch TV or read the New York Times.
If Jessica had been a man and been rescued, that soldier would still have been given media attention, and probably a book deal. The battle that was fought during the time of her capture was one of the bloodiest and most deadly for our troops. Whether or not she actually fired her gun does not matter to me.
Any solder serving in our military is already a hero. Anyone brave enough to sign up and go to war for our freedom, including the rights to speak about whatever we want, are my heroes.
The people who sit home in front of their computers and televisions, spouting off arm-chair politics without knowing the truth are not educated enough in the facts to declare who is a soldier and who is a hero.
So while I got off track in trying to compensate for the political reviews, suffice it to say that this book is an easy read. Well told from a young girls' perspective and something I would have never wanted to endure as a 20 year old girl; Rick Bragg has the perfect style to compliment the story.
Soldier: 1.a person who serves in an army; a person engaged in military service.2.an enlisted man or woman
Hero: a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal.
Good book but not based entirely on fact........2005-12-09
When I first heard about the Jessica Lynch incident, i thought like most other soldiers at the time we thought she was a hero. THat was untill the facts came out. I served with the rangers when the jessica lynch incident happened, and most of us had already heard about the mishap. When the facts finally came out most of us were angry. Ive read the ghost written book, and seen the ghost written movie. For those of you who dont know what ghost writter mean its a book about a person or biography that written bye another person without much or any input from the actual person. However the actual interviews and personal statments of lynch are mostly diffrent. After the stories of the other people involved in the incident came out i knew she was no hero and that the real heroes would never heard from.
The resons for Lynches hero status are for 3 reasons in this order.
Pretty face
A Women
Politics
For those of you who still believe shes worthy of a bronz star i will explain why she not. Most of these facts came from her interview with times and other television media (though i hate times i will use them anyway.) All these facts here down are by Lynches own admission.
1. Didnt fire her weapon. Most will say her m16 malfunctioned and it did, though the trouble it had was the most common malfunction and easily fixed, a bullet got stuck in the chamber. This problem is easily fixed and usually caused by dirt (aka) sand or not enough lube. (why they didnt maintian their weapons is another good question) Every person in the armed forces from navy army air force to marines is taught sports (slap pull observe release tap squeeze) in basic no matter what their mos. Its one of the most important facet of military basic training. If she wanted to fix it all she had to do was pull the chargiing handle back, but nope she paniced.
2. She tried to get another soldier in the humvee to fix it in panic but when they didnt (because they were to busy shooting) she threw down her weapon.
3. She then curled up in a ball and started crying
4. She had atleast 45 minutes to get over her sulking and atleast hand out ammo, reload weapons or even fix her own m16. (i might be wrong on time frame of ambush)
5. she countinued to sulk as each of her fellow soldiers died around her.
6. she surrenedered. Though i cant hold it against her for surrenedering.
7. she came back home proclaims herself a hero with help of media and makes million dollar book and movie deals off of her dead friend, which wouldnt bother me so much if she actually did something heroic. And do give me the bull she want to be left alone, got to here website aka shrine to herself and look at the opening picture.
Some of you might say well she never experinnced combat before and just broke down, while that may be true its not deserving of a heros status let alone a bronz star. She broke all of the core army values and then some.
What makes me mad is that she was made out to be a hero, though there were several others people during that incident that did way more then she did and are deserving of silver and other medals.
THe real heroes
The soldiers in her humvee that protected her and shot at the bad guys while she sulked.
Pfc Miller who was in a humvee few trucks behind her who deserves a silver star for taking out a mortar position with a "cough" malfunctioned rifle that he fixed.
the other soldiers who died fighing.
The rangers and seals who rescued her
If you can trust the story, the doctors who protected her.
The double standard
Though i cant remeber her name off hand, the black female pow and 2 other soldier who were captured while fighing long before Lynches story. They didnt get bronz stars or a heroes welcome, why because their not a pretty face.
And for those bush basher out there, no i dont think this was a propoganda thing to flm the rescue inbed reporters asked to come along with the rescue unit and they did. The hype over the incident was mostly the media doing, aka fox and cnn. The pentagon didnt put out the same number of release for the previous POWs.
If you want the truth about the incident read her interviews right after the incident aka times and walter i think was the other one. The book itself is a sham.
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I AM Love: From Nothing...to All Things
Reimar A C Schultze
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Abiding in Christ: The Essence of Christianity: A Daily Devotional
ASIN: 0972441115 |
Book Description
Although documentation on the fate of full-blooded Jews in Nazi Germany is abounding, little has been written on the part-Jews who lived each day under a cloud of uncertainty during that period. Reimar Schultze was born a part-Jew and in his autobiography, I AM Love, he chronicles his experiences in an anti-Semitic environment. He shares the horrors of the Allied bombings that killed 600,000 German civilians; he describes the family's abrupt flight from the Nazis to East Germany, only to run into the arms of the dreaded Soviet invasion. The Schultze's escape from the Russians made them part of the largest naval evacuation in history, in which Soviet torpedo boats sent 26,000 refugees and wounded to the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Following this nightmare the author spent two years in a detention camp in Denmark. The author lost his father and baby sister as a youth. But in spite of tragedy and loneliness Reimar met God in a forest and began his quest for the answers to the questions of origin, purpose, and destiny. As an immigrant to the U.S., Schultze describes his difficulties in adjusting to American culture and Christianity. Disappointed with the church and ill with tuberculosis, he withdrew to a long seclusion in which he found unbroken fellowship with Jesus. He began a journey of thrills, romance and adventure that he now shares by radio and through his writing ministry with people around the globe. This book is laden with rare historical data on WWII. It is packed with extraordinary drama and piercing questions about who we are and what we need to be. It is a beacon of hope to the lost, the hungry, the hurting, the hopeless, and the forsaken.
Customer Reviews:
God's hand at work.......2007-01-26
Excellent spiritual lessons from a life lived for God in the midst of challenging circumstances.
Customer Reviews:
The Songs That Launched A Thousand Careers.......2007-04-22
If you enjoy rock and roll, especially the "classic rock" of the 60's and 70's, then you know Willie Dixon, whether you're aware of it or not. His mighty pen wrote music that was made famous by none other than the Rolling Stones, the Doors, Cream, the Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin and Eric Clapton. This autobiography is an engrossing tale of the hardships and discrimination Dixon had to endure growing up in Mississippi, and his move to Chicago, where his career as a bassist and songwriter took root. Many of the songs that are identified with blues giants Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf were crafted by Willie, who also played bass in the studio recordings.
This book is a must-read for those who have an interest in the blues, early rock n' roll, or music in general.
He was the blues.......2006-12-29
Willie Dixon was a key person in 20th century music. It's a shame that he gets so little recognition in mainstream America. His talent for songwriting was only part of his greatness, though. He was quite a human being.
In this book, we get a look at Willie, what he did, and where he came from. I finished the book feeling as though I understand him as best as I can. And I have a greater appreciation of his music, and pride in the fact that my band plays a small role in keeping Willie's legacy alive.
The fact that much of this book is written in Willie's own words -- that is, with his early-to-mid-1900s southern black dialect -- may throw some people at first, but stories are best told in the language in which they arose. Sanitizing his words would lessen their impact.
The only reason I don't give this book five stars, is because I want more. I would love to have had more pages to read; more interviews with others about Willie; more photos of Willie.
If you like the blues, or even just like the story of someone who went from having nothing (perhaps less than nothing) to a self-taught cultural cornerstone, read this book. Then tell others about what you've learned about Willie Dixon and his inspiring story. And check out Willie's Blues Heaven Foundation.
Willie Dixon is the Blues........2005-05-06
Willie Dixon is the Blues. This book is a first-person window into his extraordinarily brilliant mind, and the adversity he struggled against to become one of the most influential producers in the Blues. Dixon was educated informally by life experience and hardship, and as a Golden Gloves Boxer he trained with Joe Lewis before being banned from the ring and breaking into music with vocal group The Big Three Trio. Speaking with a wisdom that reveals unparalleled optimism and common sense, I Am The Blues is the man responsible for setting up and orchestrating the Chicago Blues on Chess and Cobra Records in the 1950's. He literally wrote the songs to most of the hits for Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf, and gave voice to J.B.Lenoir, Koko Taylor, Little Walter, Otis Rush, and Lafayette Leake. It's not hard to say whether Dixon or Leonard Chess had more pull with the label during those days, as Dixon was responsible for the talent that came through the door. He later had to fight for his own copyrights to collect royalties on his own material. This book is recommended to all musicologists, and any fans of Muddy Waters, or Buddy Guy. All content copyright www.maximumink.com - Brett Lemke
B-O-R-I-N-G.......2002-08-07
This book may be the story of Willie Dixon's music, but it's certainly not Willie's story. I kept waiting to find out more about Willie, the man, but my questions were never answered.
Very Much Agree w/ Review Below....and..........2000-06-03
...also, it is important for whomever is into music recording and songwriting and performing to read this. Talk about being forefront in rhythm and blues and rock & roll and not getting your dues? Dixon, although he did not get all the monetary benefits and fame of a brilliant career, still comes up on top because of his uplifting attitude and strength of character exhibited in his great book. Read it, today.
Book Description
My name is C-3PO. I am a droid. There are many droids in the universe. Some fly ships, others fix Podracers, and still others fight dangerous battles. I would be honored to tell you more in this colorfully illustrated storybook.
Customer Reviews:
Hard to find.......2007-03-08
A great book for a 5-8 year old who loves Star Wars. Buy it new or in excellent condition to get the stickers.
an essential read for the young fan.......2007-01-26
"I am a Droid" takes the reader through a tour of the Star Wars galaxy's mechanized characters. As would be expected, everybody's favorite protocol droid is the narrator. C-3PO talks about both the benevolent robots (astromech droids, protocol droids, worker droids, etc.) and the nefarious ones (battle droids, destroyers, etc.). Some illustrations are from stills, but most images draw from "The Phantom Menace." The pages are very creatively designed with respect to the way the images interact with the text. The reading level is good for most second graders. Considering that the book initially retailed for $3.99, the accompanying stickers were by themselves worth the cost. "I am a Droid" is an essential book in any young Padawan's library.
Great book for young readers!.......2002-10-29
For those of you with young children, my son will be four in a couple months, this book is awesome! He hasn't put it down since we gave it to him a week ago.
This is a short picture book, which is narrated by C3-P0. The pictures are vivid and colorful. Most of them look as if they were taken straight from the Phantom Menace film footage, giving them an 'in the action' feel.
As an added bonus, this book also contains foil stickers of various droids/robots. My son loved pulling them off and sticking them to his clothes and bed posts. Reminds me of when I was four playing with my Star Wars figures and the likes. I will definitely be getting the remainder of the books in this series.
Excellent for kids and parents too!
Jack's review.......2001-01-16
It's a very good book. I like it. It's about droids. Battle droids and work droids.
Average customer rating:
- Good, but not potok's best
- Bland, Stereotypical, Inaccurate
- Very Disappointing....
- not chaim's greatest work
- Have Thine Own Way Lord
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I Am the Clay
Chaim Potok
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The Gates of November
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The Promise
ASIN: 0449221385
Release Date: 1993-12-04 |
Book Description
"Potok writes powerfully about the suffering of innocent people caught in the cross-fire of a war they cannot begin to understand....Humanity and compassion for his characters leap from every page."
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
As the Chinese and the army of the North sweep south during the Korean War, an old peasant farmer and his wife flee their village across the bleak, bombed-out landscape. They soon come upon a boy in a ditch who is wounded and unconscious. Stirred by possessiveness and caring the woman refuses to leave the boy behind. The man thinks she is crazy to nurse this boy, to risk their lives for some dying stranger. Angry and bewildered, he waits for the boy to die. And when the boy does not die, the old man begins to believe that the boy possesss a magic upon which all their lives depend....
Customer Reviews:
Good, but not potok's best.......2006-07-19
'I am the Clay' is a refreshing change to Potok's readers from an intimate view of Jewish family life to an intimate portrayal of innocent people caught in war.
Set in South Korea during the Korean war of the mid 1950's, I am the Clay is centered around the journey of two elderly South Korean peasants as they struggle to save a young orphaned boy they found in a ditch, and travel north (a poor choice during the war).
The book, as with most of Chaim Potok's, is very well-written and detailed.
However, I am the Clay lacks the intimacy od Potok's other celebrated works due to the fact that Potok, despite having served for two years as a Chaplain in South Korea and Japan, is largely ignorant about Korean culture. I am the Clay has two peasants who believe animals to be spirits, and a little boy to be a magical charm. Although the characters are intended to be simple-minded, it is not a part of Korean culture to believe animals to be spirits, and human beings are not regarded as lucky charms.
for this, I am the clay is certianly one of Chaim Potok's less imporessive novels. However, he does deserve three stars for experimenting with themes outside of Orthodox Judaism.
Bland, Stereotypical, Inaccurate.......2006-06-13
I am amazed at how Chaim Potok wrote this book, especially since he served as a Chaplain in the Korean war. He should learn more about Asian culture before he makes a direct comment on it. For example, he said that the Japanese do not use the Chinese characters, when, in fact, they do. Isn't that a surprise?
Potok needs to get over his obsession with the human phallus in this book. He talks about it in the most annoyingly random places you could ever imagine. It often has no relevance whatsoever to do with the book.
I think he also does not give enough credit to Koreans in terms of common knowledge. A great example of this is when the main characters think that bats are mouse-shaped spirits that fly.
The storyline of the book is of the utmost simplicity, and as the first reviewer of this book said, it is often easy to feel as though Chaim Potok had not enough to say and decided to "stretch things out" a bit.
Oh, and on the back of the book, it says that the people are heading north in the Korean war. They turn back north at one point, but the Chinese came and invaded south. Why on earth would anyone ever want to run north during the war?
Very Disappointing...........2006-06-02
I am an avid reader and liked/loved every book I ever read by Chaim Potok well until now. Sorry to say that this book was dragging and there were so many repetitions throughout the book that it got underneath my skin. It's one thing to write in detail (which I do enjoy) and it's another to make the reader feel like the writer has nothing to say therefore "lets stretch this out".
This was one of the very few books that I could not even finnish reading. I read about 3/4 of it and I had to put it down.
The story line was interesting and the book would've been enjoyable only if.....
not chaim's greatest work.......2005-11-29
this is definitely not one of Chaim's greater works of art. If you are expecting the type of work you got in "The Chosen" then you will be dissappointed. The plot is very slow developing and is not very interesting, it seems that nothing of importance happened in the novel from beginning to end, and you dont establish a connection with any of the characters like you did in his previous works. This book is not worth reading unless you are a fan of Chaim Potok.
Have Thine Own Way Lord.......2005-10-19
The title "I am the Clay" is taken from a Christian hymn that eventually serves as a theme throughout the progress of the novel. This short novel, reminiscent of a fable, focuses on the lives of three characters as they intersect and conflict during the Korean War. More famously known for his works in regards to Judaism, it is unique to have Potok's perspective on another culture; but unsurprisingly his writing is still shaped by tradition and the influence of the generations who came before.
"I am the Clay" is the story of an old man and woman in flight from their village which is under attack. Along the way, they discover an unconscious and wounded eleven-year-old boy in a ditch along the road. The old couple, childless, is at odds as to what to do. The old man wants to leave the boy - why waste their energy and food on someone who is a stranger to them? But the woman wants to take the boy with them, and her stubborness wins out. Then follows the long trek these three refugees make through the south from shanty town to refugee camp, and finally back to their village when the war ends.
Potok's book is a quick read, filled with a lyrical writing style that brings his vivid descriptions to life before the readers' eyes. At times the narrative can be confusing, since Potok interweaves all three perspectives with little indication between the shifts in narration. The suffering and ultimate redemption that these three characters face is powerfully told and universal in nature as destiny unfolds around them.
Book Description
My name is Qui-Gon Jinn. I am a Jedi. The Jedi are guardians of peace in the universe. We draw our strength from a mysterious power called the Force. I would be honored to tell you more in this storybook all about the Jedi Knights.
Customer Reviews:
StarWarsEpisode1Book.......2005-10-02
My son enjoyed this book. It was an easy read for a 7 year old, with nice pictures and interesting facts. Probably perfect for a 5 or 6 year old.
Wonderful, intelligent book for the very young andall others.......2000-08-20
This is just a terrific storybook. After a year, it is still one of my 3 year old niece's favorites.
The graphic design is sophisticated and elegant, and the book introduces young children to the Star Wars universe with great style. It's intelligent, a quality missing in so many children's movie tie-in books. The presentation of the Jedi is age-appropriate but will also appeal to much older readers.
Three cheers for Random House and Lucas Books!
Cute as a bug!.......1999-12-08
Got a grown-up Qui-Gon fan with a sense of humor who needs a stocking stuffer? This'll do nicely. It's got pretty pictures and stickers. And as every thinking being knows, stickers make *everything* better! ^_^
Excellent for young children.......1999-07-21
As a special education teacher working to stimulate children with reading differences/difficulties, I am always looking for highly motivating, well-illustrated, well-written books. This book is all three, plus it has the advantage of appealing, in its subject material, not just to the younger readers (grades 1-4), but to those in grades 5-12 (yes, 12!) as well. I was able to do many interesting activities for boys and girls with learning differences, using materials based on Episodes 4, 5, and 6. So far, the story/activity books from Episode I, including this one and the three others in the four-book series, are just as carefully done, with the same potential for entrancing and motivating the low-level reader. (And I, a high-level reader, also think they are simply super for reading to great-grandchildren or to myself.) The Star Wars materials, this story in particular, offer many opportunities to develop high-level critical thinking skills, which these students usually have in abundance, and to stimulate writing and vocabulary skills. Even a short book like this one offers the opportunity to discuss acceptable behaviors, to improve choice-making, and to define personal goals. Thank you, George Lucas, Marc Cerasini and Random House, for making solid-gold books like this available!
Average customer rating:
- A necessity for school libraries.
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I Am a Holocaust Torah: The Story of the Saving of 1,564 Torahs Stolen by the Nazis
Alex J. Goldman
Manufacturer: Gefen Publishing House, Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Fiction
| History & Historical Fiction
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Europe
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Similar Items:
-
Willy and Max: A Holocaust Story
ASIN: 9652292362 |
Book Description
The story of I AM A HOLOCAUST TORAH began in Czechoslovakia during WW2. The Nazis stormed into the country destroying lives, property, and Synagogues. The Nazis stole Torah scrolls and Torah adornments such as crowns, breastplates, and mantles and stored them in Prague.
By 1944, 1,564 Torahs and many adornments had beed gathered, and by the end of the War the Torahs were nearly forgotten.
Twenty years later, in 1964, an English art dealer negotiated with the Czech authorities to transfer the Torahs to London. The Torahs were all brought to Westminster Synagogue where they were inspected, distributed, or housed.
More than one thousand Torahs have found homes throughout the world. Those that remain are part of a permanent exhibit at the Czech Memorial Scrolls Center in Kent House of Westminster Synagogue, London.
I AM A HOLOCAUST TORAH is the historic and dramatic story of the 1,564 Torahs through the mind, heart, and words of the Torah.
Customer Reviews:
A necessity for school libraries........2005-08-30
This is a wonderful book that describes how the Holocaust torahs become part of today's religious world. Difficult for young children but the story is poetic. My Congregation just celebrated the 36th anniversary of our Holocaust Torah that is on permanent loan. This book was put in the library in honor of our founding and first president for bringing the torah to us. We all can learn a little humaity from this book.
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