Lonely Planet Southeast Asia on a Shoestring (Lonely Planet Shoestring Guides)

Book Description

The original and the best, Lonely Planet's `yellow bible' is your ticket to endless adventure in Southeast Asia. Want nonstop parties in 24-hour cities? Feel like sunning your skin on a deserted, white-sand beach? Picture yourself having tea with a remote hilltribe? Written by backpackers for backpackers, this guide will help you stay longer, pay less and experience more.

DIVE UNDER THE COVERS on current events, history, culture and the environment.

EAT CHEAP AND SLEEP EASY with our fully updated coverage of the best eateries and great-value accommodation.

GET YOUR THRILLS - the best scuba diving, elephant-trekking, rock-climbing, sea kayaking and surfing.

TALK YOUR WAY IN with our handy language guide.

BEAT YOUR OWN PATH using over 170 detailed maps.

Customer Reviews:

The SE asia bible!.......2006-11-29

Used this book to travel in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Bali (though I finally ended up buying another book for Bali as Indonesia itself is huge). Don't know if there is a better book that covers so many countries this well. Other people on tour had the Rough guide to SE Asia book and we found this one to be more useful because it had better maps and more information.

Obviously a bit tailored towards backpackers but you can easily find more upscale places (hotels, restaurants etc) in the "splurge" section.

Wouldn't dare to say that it covers everything but certainly a must-have for people traveling in the area

Lonely Planet- not with this many package tourists........2006-02-18

"Nobody touches the Lonely Planet for budget travel advice," states the back cover of this book.

I just finished travelling around Southeast Asia with this as my primary guidebook. It includes the basics for getting around, eating, etc... but it really is just the basics. I have used other books from the lonely planet series in the past, and have found them good enough to continue using, at least until this volume. It has been 5 years since I was in this region last, and things have changed. Especially the guidebook, which was once a rich trove of off-the-beaten-path hints and tips. Increasingly, however, it seems that the Lonely Planet authors seem less interested in helping you find a unique experience and more interested in serving up a cookie-cutter, package tourist rehash. I have a couple grievances with this book:

-It insists on constantly pointing out little sidebars entitled "Splurge!" which indicate ways that the budget traveller can spend a great deal of money in one shot. Why this is in a travel guide called "shoestring" I couldn't tell you. Neither do the authors, but I suppose we can assume that backpackers are interested in spending $5 a night for a couple of months and then blowing $150 to stay in some posh hotel in Kuala Lumpur or racking up an additional $20 in credit card debt for an entirely forgettable dining experience in Bangkok. I just don't feel these are relevant to 99% of actual budget travellers, but they waste a lot of space that could be much better used on greater detail. But I will get to that in a minute.

-Another issue I have is the lack of actual information about actually moving from one place to the next cheaply. Cheap local transport is available in many of the places covered in the book. For some reason though, the book usually offers helpful advice like 'just take a cab,' or 'buses are so cheap, so don't bother with local transport.' As an independent traveler that actually enjoys saving money AND spending time with the locals (what's the purpose of traveling again?!?!), I regret the lack of information about local transport.

-The maps in the book, though better than some in past editions, leave much to be desired. Streets are incorrectly labeled or in the wrong place, intersections are vaguely marked, and occasionally they add a street that doesn't exist or remove a street that does. Worst of all, in a region that prides itself on an almost complete lack of road signage, not many good landmarks are given to orient oneself. There is little that is less fun on the road than standing in front of a train station, staring at one's new alien surroundings, being hassled by touts who are trying to steer you in the wrong direction while trying to find that cheap hostel you read about.

Look, if you want a run-of-the-mill book to complete a run-of-the-mill trip, by all means, you will find this book quite helpful. But if you are looking for that individual experience that is the beauty of independent travel, you might be best going with a different guide for this region.

By the way, the quote I wrote at the beginning should be viewed as a warning rather than an enticement

Great to read but difficult to do so due to VERY SMALL print........2006-01-28

I really like the Lonely Planet guides, and this one is very good regarding the amount of information it contains. My main complaint is the size of the type. Not only is it very small and difficult to read even with glasses on, but the paper is very thin so the words from the reverse page show through. I'd rather pay a couple of extra dollars and have higher quality paper. I also agree with other reviewers who felt that the Indonesia chapter could easily be eliminated, partly because it is difficult to due justice to that widespread country in a chapter.

typical shoestring guide.......2005-08-25

This guide is really good value, although you notice easily that it covers a lot of countries. South East Asia is big, the book is limited in size and therefore detail is missing. I bought seperate guides for Laos and Cambodia and this benifited my trip greatly.
Also, the part about Bangkok doesn't show the best bits and doesn't quite warn you for the worst(sex tourism), either.

Lonely Planet SE Asia.......2005-08-15

This is another great issue from the dedicated researchers, writers and readers of the practical and economic guides for world travelers. The SE Asia book is written with particular care, insight, and affection. In addition to a wealth of information on the countries of SE Asia, the guide offers some of the best practical advice for living, traveling, and surviving in Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and other countries I did not visit and thus cannot speak to. It was just as good as any of their guides to China or India I that I have used in the past.

George Stella's Livin' Low Carb: Family Recipes Stella Style

Average customer rating:

George Stella's Livin Low Carb: Family Recipes Stella
great cookbook!
If you eat low carb, this book is for you
I LOVE THIS BOOK
Awesome recipes, great taste!

George Stella's Livin' Low Carb: Family Recipes Stella Style
George Stella , and Cory Williamson
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0743269977

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George Stella's Livin' Low Carb has little in common with diet books: In fact, it's got more in common with a cookbook you might have bought for yourself when you first moved out on your own. The style is casual and approachable, with no tense lists of diet-related details or overly-complex recipes, and cooking techniques require little more than a working stove and a frying pan.

George Stella (along with pastry chef-wife Rachel) have developed a wide range of recipes designed to compliment Atkins and other low-carb diet regimens. Rather than relying on packaged convenience foods that meet these dietary standards, they focus on home-cooked meals that satisfy the demands of low carb life without tasting like they were baked up in a factory. Flavors include Chinese (Szechuan stir-fry), Italian-American (clams casino), Southern (fried chicken), and American sweets (chocolate chip muffins and no-bake Key lime cheesecake). Snacks, salads, entrees, and desserts all see equal amounts of attention.

There's a heavy reliance on the sugar substitute Splenda, but in general this is real food for daily life. The condiment chapter contains homemade versions of ketchup, mustard sauce, barbecue sauce and even Thousand Island dressing, and makes a simple place to get started even if the only kitchen appliance you're comfortable with is a can opener. Each recipe clearly notes "special equipment" (like 8-inch square pans) as well as the yield, net carbs per serving, and separate times needed for prepping and cooking.

Because of the sugar substitute and number of recipes that alter classics in ways that compromise traditional textures in favor of lowering carbs (such as noodle-free lasagna), the book is most likely to be used by dieters, rather than all home cooks. Still, if you're looking for easy ways to tinker with your food intake that doesn't involve packaged mixes from the diet industry, Stella offers plenty of tasty options. --Jill Lightner

Book Description

George lost weight with Stella Style: "eating fresh foods, using low-carb ingredients to reinvent your old favorites, developing better eating habits, and, most of all -- eating food you love!" And he wasn't the only one: The entire Stella family shed more than 560 pounds.

In Livin' Low Carb, George has brought together more than 125 of the Stella family's favorite recipes. For breakfast there are Blueberry Pancakes or George's Gorgeous Macadamia Banana Muffins. For lunch or dinner try Low-Carb Pizza, Tequila Chicken Quesadillas, Spaghetti Squash Alfredo, Lasagna, Anaheim Shrimp Scampi, and Southern Fried Chicken. And don't forget soups, salads, and vegetables! You'll find recipes here for Key West Caesar Salad, Turkey Vegetable Soup, and Garlic Mock Mashed Potatoes. If it's sweets you crave, try Chocolate Pecan Brownies or New York Ricotta Cheesecake. There are also party recipes (Nutty Muddy Trail Mix, Teriyaki Sesame Tuna Skewers), tasty drink concoctions (Strawberry Milkshakes, Lemon-Lime Slushees), and a wide array of condiments and dressings (including Quick and Easy Ketchup and Thousand Island Dressing).

These recipes feature easy-to-find, low-carb ingredients that will fit any budget. More than just a cookbook, Livin' Low Carb is a practical guide to a sustainable low-carb lifestyle.

Customer Reviews:

George Stella's Livin Low Carb: Family Recipes Stella.......2007-10-10

Wonderful book, the Tequilla Chicken is great have shared that recipe with other co-workers & they all says it is the best. Have tried many other low-carb recipes & they always are lacking something, Stella's recipes taste like the real thing.

great cookbook!.......2007-08-07

I love this book....I have other low carb cookbooks and I use and enjoy them as well, but when I make recipes out of this book I do not feel like I am using crazy things like pork rinds to bread my chicken. I never thought that I would actually enjoy eating anything made with soy flour, but I have loved every recipe I have made out of this book!

If you eat low carb, this book is for you.......2007-06-24

I have both the Stella cookbooks and use them, if not every day, at least every week. Many of his recipes have become favorites of mine and my guests. The ingredients are easy to find and easy to prepare. Food boredom can become a problem with low carb diets. There's nothing to be bored about in these cookbooks.

I LOVE THIS BOOK.......2007-06-21

This cookbook is chock full of fun and easy recipes! Most can be made in less than a half hour. All can be made with typical kitchen staples except for Soy Flour. Easy to find in any local health food store! Don't wait,buy this book and start feeling and looking better!

Awesome recipes, great taste!.......2007-06-11

The only downside i think is that this isnt a very low carb book. Some recipes have moderate carbs per serving.

Eating Stella Style: Low-Carb Recipes for Healthy Living

Average customer rating:

"must have" cookbook, low carb or not
Wonderful !!
Great Book!
Great book
Low carb snacks and treats

Eating Stella Style: Low-Carb Recipes for Healthy Living
George Stella , and Christian Stella
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0743285212

Book Description

Professional chef George Stella serves up a feast of inspiration and 125 delicious recipes to kick-start any weight-loss plan!

George Stella lost more than 250 pounds on a low-carb eating plan and has turned thousands of fans on to Stella Style -- eating fresh, natural foods prepared with minimum effort for maximum taste. In Eating Stella Style, he shows readers how to tailor his recipes to fit any personalized weight-loss plan, whether it's low carb, low fat, or low calorie. He inspires even the most jaded dieters to begin a new eating lifestyle and shows them how to stay on track.

But Eating Stella Style is really about mouthwatering recipes: How does a Hot Ham and Cheese Egg Roll sound for breakfast? Or Strawberry and Mascarpone Cream Crêpes, Stella Style Baked Eggs Benedict, or Coconut Macaroon Muffins? For lunch or dinner, choose Grilled Portabella and Montrachet Salad, Wood-Grilled Oysters with Dill Butter, Kim's Stuffed Chicken Breasts with Lemony White Wine Sauce, Shaved Zucchini Parmesan Salad, or Spaghetti Squash with Clams Provençal Sauce. Satisfy your snack cravings with Better Cheddar Cheese Crisps, Devilish Deviled Eggs with Tuna, or Cheesy Pecan Cookies. And for dessert, try Pumpkin Pound Cake, Lemon Meringue Pie, Honeydew and Blackberry Granita, or Chocolate Pecan Truffles.

Perfect for both devoted Stella Style fans and new converts, Eating Stella Style will tempt you with tasty, flexible recipes that satisfy everyone!

Customer Reviews:

"must have" cookbook, low carb or not.......2007-10-09

This cookbook is a must have whether you are low carbing it or not. It contains such a wide variety of recipes, not the same old low carb you've seen a hundred times. There are no weird ingredients and George's tips are wonderful. I was highly skeptical of the almond flour, but I tried it in the pumpkin muffins and they are terrific. My 12 year old son had no idea they were low carb! I also recommend the pork souvlaki with tzatziki sauce. It's so good!

Wonderful !!.......2007-09-29

I've been looking for low carb recipes and finally found some good ones with George Stella's books. I LOVE the recipes he has in all his books !!

Great Book!.......2007-06-28

Easy, tasty recipes. I've been on a low-carb lifestyle for over four years (and thirty five pounds lighter). George's book is not only great in the recipe section but inspirational in the beginning. I have both books and use them constantly.

Great book.......2007-06-27

This is a great cookbook for low carb and non-low carb eaters. The recipes are straightforward, simple and delicious.

Low carb snacks and treats.......2007-04-01

Imaginative low carb recipes by this popular chef - including snacks and treat foods that are good for you!

Princely Rajasthan: Rajput Palaces and Mansions

Average customer rating:

Princely Rajasthan: Rajput Palaces and Mansions
Antonio Martinelli , and George Michell
Manufacturer: Vendome Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0865652406

Book Description

Rajasthan is a growing destination for both Indian and Western visitors, who are attracted by the region's history, tradition, luxurious hotels, and cuisine. This lush new book, written by a leading architecture and social historian, traces the evolution of palace architecture in Rajasthan from the 16th to the early 20th century. George Michell focuses on the major capitals of Rajput power, including Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, and Bikaner, as well as the lesser centers of Alwar, Bundi, Kota, and Jaisalmer, providing a glimpse into the lives of the often-colorful maharajas who lived in these and other fantastic palaces.

From the early fortresses of Chitor and Amber to the spacious city complexes in Jaipur and Udaipur and the Art Deco-style Umaid Bhavan in Jodhpur, Princely Rajasthan is at once a remarkable architectural history and a sumptuous visual evocation of Rajput courtly life. Antonio Martinelli's dazzling photographs bring to life the magnificent settings of the palaces, their outstanding architectural features and murals, and the royal collections of paintings, furniture, palanquins, and armor. AUTHOR BIO: George Michell trained as an architect and has a Ph.D. in Indian archaeology. He has published numerous books on Islamic and Indian architecture. Antonio Martinelli is an internationally renowned photographer who has worked extensively in India, Europe, and Japan.

The Appalachians: America's First and Last Frontier

Average customer rating:

The beautiful south
well meaning but little new information
Great Introduction to America's Southern Treasure
Glad You Suggested This Book & "People Of Passion" Together
A book worth reading

The Appalachians: America's First and Last Frontier

Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1400061865
Release Date: 2004-01-06

Book Description

In a time when the world has become a global village and America a global nation, there is one place where things are largely as they used to be. Protected by mountains, largely ignored by modern industry and developers, Appalachia is America’s first and last frontier. Encom-passing more than 195,000 square miles in thirteen states, it possesses the least understood and most underappreciated culture in the United States.

A beautifully produced companion volume to the PBS documentary narrated by Naomi Judd, The Appalachians fills the void in information about the region, offering a rich portrait of its history and its legacy in music, literature, and film.

The text includes essays by some of Appalachia’s most respected scholars and journalists; excerpts from never-before-published diaries and journals; firsthand recollections from native Appalachians including Loretta Lynn, Ricky Skaggs, and Ralph Stanley; indigenous song lyrics and poetry; and oral histories from common folk whose roots run strong and deep. The book also includes more than one hundred illustrations, both archival and newly created. Here is a wondrous book celebrating a unique and invaluable cultural heritage.

Customer Reviews:

The beautiful south.......2006-07-28

My parents are from that area. They moved up north when they were young to a large city. And I was born up there. They were simple, hard working people. They didn't drink and my mother read the Bible and prayed every night (BTW, I'm an agnostic and now a UU). My dad chose to move to my hometown because he was a machinist with only one leg. That was before the civil rights laws that protect the disabled and he never got over the fear of people finding out his disability.

I found this a wonderful book and made me homesick for a place that could have been my home.

Anyway, I have a love/hate relationship with the South. I hated being called a "hillbilly" and was often made fun of. Yet when I've gone down there, I feel a kinship with the land and the people (the ones who are not mean rednecks). I hide the fact that I'm just a generation away from being a Southerner from most people until I get to know them. I live far away from my hometown. My adult children know little about their background and I don't know if that is good or bad.

well meaning but little new information.......2006-01-31

I picked up this book like most folks, I bet, after watching the PBS series. I found the film more effective than the book. The book is really a rehash of a lot of old stories that don't veer too much off the well-trod paths...that is, fine folks in the backwoods, front porch story tellers, and mostly white Appalachians.

To be honest, a far more groundbreaking and fascinating and rich portrait is the new book, The United States of Appalachia: How Southern Mountaineers Brought Independence, Culture and Enlightenment to America.

Great Introduction to America's Southern Treasure.......2006-01-30

Mari-Lynn Evans and others have compiled a very nice volume of stories, information, and cultural images from the Southern Mountains called Appalachia into a concisely written book. The book is also rich in color and b/w pictures too. This book is in my opinion for those Americans who know nothing of the mountain history and cultural and want the truth about this often misunderstood and sterotyped part of our nation. The book was written in sections so one could read the book in parts and lay it down, then pick it up and resume reading. The book had some colorful stories in it that entertained and yet other sections that were deeply informative and historically ancedotal. That was a nice mix so the reader doesn't lose interest in the subject. There were no blatant mountain stereotypes or overly romanticized stories in the book, yet I have read other books on Appalachia where the information on the mountains was more in depth and dry reading. I have personally purchased this book for three other people besides myself. For those interested in this treasured part of America, this is a great book to read first.

Glad You Suggested This Book & "People Of Passion" Together.......2005-03-22

This book provides great insight for readers into an often misunderstood and underappreciated area of our country. I was born and reared in the highlands of Southern Appalachia and I was happy to read of some things I already knew and then learn some new things. The book has great photos and descriptive essays.

And, Amazon, under the "Better Together" banner, suggested buying "People Of Passion: Stories of Faith & Determination That Will Touch Your Heart & Warm Your Soul." What a great companion book this proved to be!

Through 48 brief personal stories, "People of Passion" presents 200 years of history in the Southern Appalachian Highlands. Beginning in the 1770s and going through the 1960s, these dramatic accounts are in chronological order, which I think makes them even more interesting. These informative chronicles often tugged at my heart strings and definitely caused me to even more deeply appreciate the courage and sacrifices of our ancestors. I was also surprised at some things that I had no idea of. "People of Passion" is an informative, entertaining, and inspirational book that complements well "The Appalachians: America's First & Last Frontier."

A book worth reading.......2004-11-02

This effort is one of a kind! The pictures complement instead of duplicating the text. On page 94 my grandfather's name should be Henry Whitter instead of Henry Whitner. Henry Whitter traveled to New York City in March 1923 to record several country folksongs which he had written and showcased around Southwestern Virginia. He pioneered country recordings and paved the way for recording careers for later artists such as Pop Stoneman and the Carter Family.

A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs: Northeastern and north-central United States and southeastern and south-centralCanada (Peterson Field Guides(R))

Average customer rating:

Learn to love trees! Or learn about the trees you love.
the one
Best for field work
Worthy of the Name
Definitive work for identification

A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs: Northeastern and north-central United States and southeastern and south-centralCanada (Peterson Field Guides(R))

Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 039535370X

Book Description

All the wild trees, shrubs, and woody vines in the area north to Newfoundland, south to North Carolina and Tennessee, and west to the Dakotas and Kansas are described in detail. Accounts of 646 species include shape and arrangement of leaves, height, color, bark texture, flowering season, and fruit. Clear, accurate drawings illustrate leaves, flowers, buds, tree silhouettes, and other characteristics.

Customer Reviews:

Learn to love trees! Or learn about the trees you love........2007-10-17

This is an wonderful guide to trees and one of the few that also includes shrubs. The format of keys and plates is very clear and an excellent introduction to the use of taxonomic keys.

the one.......2002-08-01

No mere Peterson field guide, this scholarly work is a concise encyclopedia of all the trees native to the northeastern United States, with descriptions that can truly be used to tell them apart (a unique feat). Belongs in the backpack of any hiker who wants to learn trees. Fits in a half-gallon Ziploc. Remember you need a magnifying glass and a sharp knife to use the book properly.

Best for field work.......2002-03-17

As a wetland delineator in PA, this book proves invaluable for field identification of trees, shrubs, and vines. Especially useful is are the keys for identification of these plants in winter when leaves and fruiting bodies are non-existant. I have several other tree books for reference, but they rarely are worth carting along in the field now that I have this book. I highly recommend it.

Worthy of the Name.......2001-08-03

Follows the fine tradition of Peterson Field Guides. Enough said.

Definitive work for identification.......1999-09-22

Petrides' work is the most accurate I have found in tree identification. Color pictures are no substitute for a close-up examination of the stems, leaves and fruit of trees and shrubs. It is considered the definitive source for the John Burroughs Naturalist Award bestowed by the Buckeye Council of the Boy Scouts of America only upon those capable of sight identification of approximately 600 trees, shrubs and wildflowers.

Hugo Chavez: The Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela

Average customer rating:

A useful but biased read.
A remarkable account of an extraordinary leader
Not very thorough
One of the few we have but be careful....
Not the best value for your money

Hugo Chavez: The Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela
Richard Gott
Manufacturer: Verso
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1844675335

Book Description

The only up-to-date book on the democratically elected president of Venezuela, and the US-assisted attempt—and failure—to depose him.

The only first-hand report on contemporary Venezuela, Hugo Chávez, by veteran correspondent Richard Gott, places the country's controversial and charismatic president in historical perspective, and examines his plans and programs. This new edition has a chapter on the attempted and failed military coup, Venezuela's recent recall election, and discusses US covert intervention against this democratically elected public official.

The spectre of Simon Bolívar hovers once again over Latin America as the aims and ambitions of the Liberator are taken up by Comandante Hugo Chávez. Welcomed by the inhabitants of the teeming shantytowns of Caracas as their potential savior, and greeted by Washington with considerable alarm, this former golpista-turned-democrat has already begun the most wide-ranging transformation of oil-rich Venezuela for half a century, and dramatically affected the political debate throughout Latin America.

Customer Reviews:

A useful but biased read. .......2007-07-12

Gott's it is definitely not an unbiased and balance account, but it is one that would help you get the other view (although a tainted one some times). The book's alleged factual information is not accurate and its narrations are simplistic many times. The book lacks research and depth. For example a key event like the Coup de etat of April 11, 2002, has a very simplistic linear argument with a lot of controversial interpretations of the events, just read "Venezuela's 2002 Coup Revisited: The Evidence Two Years On By Francisco Toro" (you can Google it on the web). The later does allow the reader to realize how complex were the events that date and how much is still not clear. The Book editorial work was also lax, for example Heinz Dieterich Steffan is introduced as an Argentinean journalist, when he is German sociologist professor at the UAM in Mexico. This sort of mistakes undermines the book's credibility. However, the authors close encounters with Chavez are interesting enough to make the book an amenable read.
Not withstanding, Gott does have insight on the region and is not as partisan as to be blind. Many of the criticisms he makes about the region are in many respects accurate and he has been following the region for many years. He has also shown he can do better research and more balance accounts of the events as he does in his Cuba: A New History; were at its end he writes a compelling portrait of the unjust and difficult conditions for Castro Cuba's opposition primordial organizations.

A remarkable account of an extraordinary leader.......2007-05-12

A very well written book that reviews the life and achievements of one of the most controversial leaders of our time. Hugo Chavez is a remarkable revolutionist who the world is paying. This book reveals why the world needs to pay attention to the extraordinary Venezuelan leader.

Not very thorough.......2007-04-14

If you are thinking of buying this book, there are a few things to be aware of.

(1) This book is biased. Mr Gott lavishes endless praise on Mr Chavez & it is clear where he stands in the fight for Venezuela's future. When it comes time to be critical of laws that endanger press freedom in Venezuela, Mr Gott does not criticize on the grounds that similar laws are in place in Western Europe. I understand everyone has their politics and that to some extent that will influence their writing, but Mr Gott goes overboard with his; the result is a book that may inaccurately depict Venezuela.
(2) This book is more about Chavez than about Venezuela. I was expecting a book that detailed recent Venezuelan history and while there is no doubt that Chavez has played a large role in it, this book was too Chavez-centric for me. Rarely did he focus on events that did not involve Chavez as the protagonist. I suspect that this contributed to the book lacking depth.
(3) This book does not have much depth. After reading Hugh Thomas' book on Cuba (Cuba: The Pursuit of Freedom), which is written by a scholar with the depth and the extensive footnotes one should expect, I was sorely disappointed by Gott's book. There are no footnotes, so you don't know the sources of his information, although there is a bibliography in it. Perhaps if you are using this book as a way to get your footing on recent Venezuelan history, it is worthwhile, but if you are looking to use this book as a starting point for in-depth research, you will be disappointed.
(4) This book leaves off in late-2004. I knew that when I bought it, so I wasn't surprised. But if you are looking to learn about modern-day Venezuela, be aware that much has changed in these last two years. You will need to fill that in for yourself... So, unless you have the research systems (e.g., Lexis Nexis, Academic Databases, etc.) or the time to read newspapers/article online, you'll walk away with an outdated perspective on a rapidly changing country. Heck, I bought this book two weeks ago and in the last few days, there have already been major changes in Venezuela.

My recommendation: Buy this book if you want a shallow treatment of recent Venezuelan history. If you'd prefer something a little more thorough, try looking elsewhere. Or even better, if you've got the brains and time, do the research yourself. You'll no doubt understand the country better and probably with more depth than if you simply read this book.

One of the few we have but be careful...........2007-04-14

This book provides one of the few looks that we have of Hugo Chavez. His dictatorship in Venezuela is one of the more unique in the world especially when analyzing his power base. A word of caution when reading this book however is that Gott is fiercely anti-American so a lot of the book is taken up with his rabid viewpoints. It is still one of the best portraits we have of Chavez and if you can look past the anti-American bias the book is very useful. If you want to learn about modern Venezuela you really can't go wrong with this book.

Not the best value for your money.......2007-04-09

The book is generally poorly written and biased. The book is informative and benefits from the writers own personal involvement in Venezuela for many years. But the text is poorly written, organized, and edited. As a result, it does not flow as well as it should. It's also simplistic in many places.

However, the biggest problem with the book is that it fails to give a critical view of Chavez. It's written by someone who can barely hide his excitement at the coming of a "revolution" in Venezuela to fix all those problems that everyone knows Venezuela has. He fails to explain, however, the risks that Chavez's policies are eroding individual liberties, judicial guarantees, democracy, freedom of expression, and economic development.

I also found the book's binding very odd. It's bound like a picture book with thick pages. I honestly don't know why book bindings are just not what they used to be. Oh well!

Engaged Surrender: African American Women and Islam (George Gund Foundation Imprint in African American Studies)

Average customer rating:

Excellent scholarly work!
Not appealing

Engaged Surrender: African American Women and Islam (George Gund Foundation Imprint in African American Studies)
Carolyn Moxley Rouse
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Religion & Spirituality | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0520237951

Book Description

Commonly portrayed in the media as holding women in strict subordination and deference to men, Islam is nonetheless attracting numerous converts among African American women. Are these women "reproducing their oppression," as it might seem? Or does their adherence to the religion suggest unsuspected subtleties and complexities in the relation of women, especially black women, to Islam? Carolyn Rouse sought answers to these questions among the women of Sunni Muslim mosques in Los Angeles. Her richly textured study provides rare insight into the meaning of Islam for African American women; in particular, Rouse shows how the teachings of Islam give these women a sense of power and control over interpretations of gender, family, authority, and obligations.
In Engaged Surrender, Islam becomes a unique prism for clarifying the role of faith in contemporary black women's experience. Through these women's stories, Rouse reveals how commitment to Islam refracts complex processes--urbanization, political and social radicalization, and deindustrialization--that shape black lives generally, and black women's lives in particular. Rather than focusing on traditional (and deeply male) ideas of autonomy and supremacy, the book--and the community of women it depicts--emphasizes more holistic notions of collective obligation, personal humility, and commitment to overarching codes of conduct and belief. A much-needed corrective to media portraits of Islam and the misconceptions they engender, this engaged and engaging work offers an intimate, in-depth look into the vexed and interlocking issues of Islam, gender, and race.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent scholarly work!.......2005-04-15

In this ethnographic study of African American women converts to the mainstream Sunni Islam in two communities in Los Angeles, California, Carolyn Moxley Rouse tries to understand what inspired these converts to make the switch and under what circumstances, as well as how they accept, interpret, and live Islamic teachings that are generally viewed as oppressive to women particularly when viewed from the Western feminist lens. Carolyn Moxley Rouse, currently an assistant professor of Anthropology at Princeton University, conducted this study as her Ph.D. thesis over the span of 10 years. The question she attempted to answer was: are those African American women reproducing their oppression? Her answer to this question is: "African American women who convert have `surrendered' to Islam-but `surrendered' in a way that engages their political consciousness and produces not only a spiritual but a social epiphany" (20). In Gender Negotiations chapter she gives evidence to how conversion to Islam has been an asset to some "to undo self-hatred" prevalent in African American communities.

The thesis of the book is: "The Muslima (Muslim sisters) accept the religiously prescribed gender roles and codes of conduct, believing that liberation emerges out of these disciplinary practices. Ultimately, the social history of black women in the United States contributes substantially to the reason why Muslima view Islam as a faith with the potential to liberate women from racism, sexism, and classism.... This book explores the lives of several women who through overt displays of their faith use their bodies as sites of resistance. These sisters challenge hegemonic discourse about race, gender, community, and faith at the level of the everyday." One of her main conclusions is that African American women's conversion to Sunni Islam cannot be described as simply "false consciousness" or full "liberation."

Rouse argues that her informants find their empowerment through the religious exegesis and authorizing discourse of Islam. Those who wear the hijab, in Rouse's study, are not only fulfilling a religious duty, but are also making statements of disagreement with the American mainstream culture, resisting Western middle-class hegemonic expectations of how a liberated American woman should look like and what she should wear. "For African Americans to socially acknowledge their Islamic faith through certain types of dress is like carrying a United States exit visa; it is a sign marking the closure of access to certain social and material rewards....[It] could be considered a form of social suicide" (8-9). This is true for everyone who publicly displays their religious, particularly Islamic, identity in the US, not just for African Americans. This is also true, and even to a greater extent, in other parts of the world where, for example, girls are expelled from public schools in France for choosing to wear the hijab.

In Chapter One, Rouse argues that African American Muslims in the communities she studied believe that "performing an Islamic identity in the United States, so to speak, may in the long run change social relations" where they can have "a more just community and society, [and] more successful interpersonal relationships" (9). I feel Rouse did not go through with this argument and did not give strong evidence to strengthen it. In fact, it seems to me that the personal lives of some of the women she interviewed are far away from having "successful interpersonal relationships" and it looks like the second generation of those converts is being co-opted/reclaimed by the American mainstream secular culture and driven back into poverty, illiteracy, and drugs.

Perhaps the strongest argument of this book is that some or most of Rouse's interviewees consider the Qur'an a feminist text and use religious exegesis (religious interpretation) to define their roles and empower themselves at a personal level, family level, and within the community. Male-centered readings of the Qur'an and Hadith, and not Islam itself, are the barriers to liberation (173). Rouse determines ambivalence, "which women attempt to reconcile through a holistic sense-making that combines exegesis, common sense, and pragmatism" as a path to empowerment. "[T]here is a layered process of identity reformulation that involves dimensions of both ambivalence and empowerment."

I believe Rouse has done Muslim women justice by letting the Muslim women themselves be heard instead of being represented by feminists, scholars, or extremists. Among the strong views that those Muslim women voiced was their belief that within the domestic sphere, gender roles are separate/different but equal and that wife's obedience to husband is conditional on husband's fulfillment of his financial responsibility. African American women converts believe that Western feminism led by white middle-class women has failed to liberate all women because social problems such as teenage pregnancies and decay of family structure have only increased. Additionally, Muslim feminists challenge Western feminist ideology of work as an empowerment for women. "[I]t is impossible to try to derive an objective universal truth about the ways in which people can or must be empowered."

Rouse's account of the four professional women who choose to perform faith, marriage, and career at the same time (in Chapter Seven) is an excellent, enlightening one that serves to balance some of the negativity surrounding women's status in Islam in the US. For example, in Zipporah's case, she is an example of an assertive Muslim woman who "believes the men are simply not ready for what she sees as Islam's radical empowerment of women" (168). In the case of Maimouna who owns a very successful law firm and who uses Islamic history to refer to "the four perfect women in Islam," Rouse says: "Far from the ideal of a wife secluded at home, Islam reaffirms for Maimouna that being a mother, wife, and professional are indeed compatible" (170).

This book displays the intersections of race, class, and gender in forming women's identities and characterizing their agency. Here, added to this mix of multiple subjectivities is the element of religion, where Islam makes those African American Muslim women a minority within a minority with a minority. Rouse says: "These women are resisting the deep structure, the internalized racism, sexism, and classism, a process I believe that is fundamental for lasting sociopolitical change" (218). In conclusion, African American Muslim women converts' surrender to Allah is accompanied by "engagement with the sources of faith, the texts, and the community."

Not appealing.......2004-06-14

In the current international climate, Rouse has given us a book that hopes to promote more understanding of Islam in the US. Or at least of a particular [small] set of Muslims. She has studied black women who have become Muslims, often having previously been Christians. Many non-Muslims, especially feminists, would be surprised. The common question is, have these women willingly given themselves to subservience?

Customer Reviews:

An American Home.......2001-12-03

George Washington's Mount Vernon is not only an American landmark but a landmark of what America is, a warm, welcoming and gracious home. This beautiful book takes you through a four season walk of Mount Vernons spectacular grounds and a detailed and historical tour of the homes interior. With the easy interesting writing and the spectacular color photography all guided by the expert hand of Wendell Garrett, we learn and understand Washington's love and devotion to his beloved home. For anyone searching for detailed information on colonial interiors or historical gardening ideas, this book will be a welcomed addition to your home library.

Randolph County (AL) (Images of America)

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Randolph County (AL) (Images of America)
Lois Walls George , Paula Burson Lambert and , and Wyner S. Phillips
Manufacturer: Arcadia Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

Randolph County began as an agricultural community and gradually industrialized as farmers left the fields for the factories and women left their kitchens for the sewing plant. This book celebrates a panorama of 175 years of life in Randolph County through a collection of photographs primarily from its citizens. Some individuals featured in the book are more prominent than others, but all helped fill Randolph County with Southern charm, gentility, and hospitality.

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