History Books

This is the worst classic I've ever read. I had to read it for high school English and my mother had to keep waking me up because I was so excruciatingly bored that I fell asleep every few pages. I could not care about the plot or about even one single character, although I sympathize with Dickens' social observations, I usually devour anything in print and I love 19th century novels as a rule. My high school class discussions did not bring me around in the least on this book. Dickens' female characters are either crones or ingenues, and he really does write as though he's being paid by the word. He was capable of better: "Great Expectations" is actually worth the paper its printed on; he actually seemed to give that one some care rather than just churning out word after word after word. Unfortunately out of all his books I've read, only "Great Expectations" lived up to his potential. If I want an English Victorian novelist, I'll take Thomas Hardy or Wilkie Collins (even at his most outlandish) any day, but spare me Charles Dickens.

Tale Of Two Cities represents a change for Dickens. Considering the story a short exposition on the French Revolution, Dickens avoids much explanation or background on a multitude of characters that are trapped in the world pre-french Revolution and yes this is a problem.
The tale opens up with the rescue of Dr. Manette. It's hard to care for Dr. Manette as he comes across as both eccentric and quirky and nothing else. We also don't know his past or his motivations or even why he got locked up in a French prison. His daughter Lucie comes across as a one dimensional soap opera character and Mr. Lorry is a cardboard cutout completing the triangle. Such is the start of the adventure. To be honest, you may struggle since Dickens demands a proper stage to be set introducing character after character without so much as an explanation why we are meeting them and it can seem frustrating. Dickens does this for a reason which is to provide a great deal of twists and turns at the conclusion (all is not what it seems).
Once the conflict kicks in -- Charles Darney (Lucie's husband) must go to France and now the Revolution has kicked in and it becomes a gripping page turner. Dickens is a master writer and creates mood over action and it works. As already mentioned, the plot twists do kick in and there is an obvious feeling of 'forced and contrived' in some instances but the emotions are real, the situations are frightening, and no other book I have read captures the French Revolution in such a personal level as this book. I just finished it tonight and I'm still processing it. If you chose to read it, try to not focus so much on character but situations and the times they are set in and you will more appreciate how wonderful this story really is even to today's modern audiences.

Charles Dickens is not a boring, old foagie author from times gone by, droning on and on in a language that cannot resonate with modern readers. Dickens was a great writer, a good man (flawed and human in his own life), and in "A Tale of Two Cities," he spins a story of the most terrible and wonderful, of profoundness and poignancy, of the best and the worst times and how people reacted to them.

I originally read "A Tale of Two Cities" as an assignment for high school English class. What a pleasant surprise I was in for. This book has every right to be called a classic. Its themes of political disillusion, cultural progress or regression, families torn apart and reconciled, love lost and gained, honorable sacrifice and religious confusion are true and timeless.

Dickens' characters speak to us today through Lucie's eternal love of a wife and mother and daughter, of Sydney Carton's rejected lover, of Charles Darnay's moral man trying to right the wrongs of his family's past. Carton, the tragic protagonist, is a wonderful, eventual hero, and a great study for theologians and psychologists. As an adult and now Christian, I have much greater appreciation for and understanding of Dickens' Biblical references, and of Carton's spiritual journey that occurs just before the end of Book the Third.

I highly recommend "A Tale of Two Cities" to young people, for a largely historically accurate and interesting account of the French Revolution, and the exploration of important psychological and religious topics. This is also quite enjoyable reading for lovers of classics, those interested in historical fiction, or even just a good novel. Do spend your money on an unabridged printing.

And, for fans of the new Doctor Who, check out the episode featuring Mr. Dickens, with Christopher Eccleston and Billie Piper, "The Unquiet Dead."

Perhaps it's my lack of enthusiam for classic English literature, but I found this book dull and very unamusing. I purchased this because my English teacher wanted us to read it, and while I don't regret buying it, I highly doubt I'm going to read it again.

Though, keep in mind I'm but a teenager, and not a fan of the classics. I'm sure if the classics are your thing, then you'll love this book. The included appendix and notes help out a lot.

Some honest disclosures. My strongest academic credentials relevant to literary criticism are that I minored in English. I have never been a "student" of Dickens. I enjoy Shakespeare plays in the same manner that I enjoy analyzing baseball games: I always get the point and relish in the general purpose of the production, but there are finer nuances that are beyond me and most of the people watching probably have a more sophisticated appreciation than I do. All of that stated, I dove into this classic Dickens title (actually, reading it aloud to my pre-teen kids) and was pleasantly surprised to find that I throughly enjoyed the experience.
As practically every review on this page will tell you, or as could be digested from Wikipedia or Cliff Notes, this novel is set in the circumstances of the French Revolution. What Dickens provided is a human tale from the perspective of the coming (and elapsed) revolution on the lives within one extended family based in Paris and London. Make no mistake: this book is long and plodding, and the language is sufficiently "Dickensesque" to discourage any modern American reader, but the investment of time and attention is rewarding. Dickens is wonderful, and it is a delight to read the words of someone whose universal messages can still reach across the centuries and cultures that separate us (like Twain, Shakespeare, and, what the heck, the Apostle Paul).
I am not expert enough in English literature or French history to provided more of an endorsement than this: this is a great read and is surprisingly accessable. The themes of violence, greed, rebellion, hatred, love, charity, mercy, and sacrifice are clear enough for anyone to appreciate. And my children, as young as eight-years, eagerly settled down for a chapter night after night. Another big shout goes out for Dickens.

My wife and I found the book to be very enlightening. People of all ages should read especially those who use make-up, prospective mothers, those pregnant, teen-agers, and folks with children, and members of government and people who just need to or should know about cosmetic industry, its potentially harmful effects of use and lack of protective health regulation.

We found the book riveting and to be honest a little scary, especially with our having three grand daughters.

A friend picked up this book to read with her older sister one day. Less than three monthes later, the pair started their own e-business called The Nature Of Beauty-- carrying all organic cosmetic lines. The truth, exposed in Not Just A Pretty Face shocked them, so they decided to fill the hole in the market for products that contain none of the chemicals mentioned in this book. She promptly gave this book to me to read after infoming me of her new business, and I finished it in one night! Not Just A Pretty Face is a very easy, "user-friendly" book to read, and is a must-read. After reading it, I looked at all of the labels on my cosmetics, and made a life-altering change to what I use. I urge all of you to read this book!

This book was great! It was very interesting. I couldn't put it down. It gives you a great insight into how big cosmetic companies really think.

THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT MAKEUP, IT IS ABOUT THE PRODUCTS WE USE ON ON BODIES! I COULDN'T PUT THE BOOK DOWN.

First let me put my biases up front. I do not like the cosmetics industry. I do not like the petroleum industry and I certainly do not like the advertising industry.

Having said that, let me try and and provide a constructive review.

This is a book that proposes to expose the seedy underside of the cosmetics industry. It is very readable and "user friendly". I read it from cover to cover in just a few days and in every chapter learned/was repulsed by something new. Given my biases I do encourage readers to check out the provided sources to determine for themselves the veracity of the information (I did so and was convinced). However, be aware that this is not an unbiased perspective. The author has a definite point of view (which I happen to agree with) but still raise some interesting and important issues that are worthy of further consideration beyond the "preaching to the choir" crowd. It is a well written, entertaining read and encourages you to pause and think a moment without being overly preachy. My wife is now regularly visiting the database the author and the affiliated organization has set up and made self informed choices about makeup, sunscreens and other cosmetics. Not as a reactionary "go all natural" consumer but being able to make reasonable choices about products that work for her and possible alternatives that are less risky/carcinogenic.

I highly recommend this book.

I loved this book on Cicero, one of my most favorite historical characters. Recommend it highly.

This book is a shining example of how to make Roman history fun and easy to learn. Please, anyone teaching subject matter relating to Roman history, READ THIS BOOK!

"Imperium" is brilliant. Robert Harris produces a historical novel that zips through with high intensity while maintaining steady grip on reality. Its amazing the tension Harris builds during the political events in the novel. Normally such events are not the stuff of thrillers, but not so here. Also wonderful are the characterizations, especially Cicero himself. Another favorite for me is Julius Ceasar who enters the novel early in his career. The "insider perspective" the reader gets into how Ceasar begins to win space in Roman politics and into the character traits that lead to his future importance is a special treat. I definitely am looking forward to a continuation of this Cicero's saga

Educational and fast story line. I bought other books by this author as a result.

This is a novel about Cicero, told from the perspective of his amanuensis, Tiro. Starting in 79 BC and finishing in 64 BC, Mr Harris writes a powerful novel that portrays historical events and people in republican Rome while bringing both the times and the characters to life.

The life of Marcus Tullius Cicero (approximately 106 to 43 BC) essentially coincided with the decline and fall of the Roman Republic. Cicero was a lawyer, an orator, a politician and a philosopher. His writings continue to be a valuable source of information about these events. Cicero's political career was remarkable. At this time, high political offices in Rome, though technically achieved through winning elections, were almost exclusively controlled by a group of wealthy aristocratic families that had held them for many generations. While Cicero's family were aristocratic, they lacked the connections and the wealth to be part of the inner circle. And so, Cicero relies on his abilities to achieve his ambitions.

Court cases, intrigue, depictions of the politics of the time: all make for fascinating reading. By using Tiro as his narrator, Mr Harris provides a wonderful means of viewing Cicero slightly dispassionately both in terms of his actions and motivations.

I'd recommend this novel highly both to those interested in this period of history as well as to those interested in a great story.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

The depth of Benjamin's pessimism has, I think, been underestimated.

"The story is told of an automation constructed in such a way that it could play a winning game of chess, answering each move of an opponent with a countermove. A puppet in Turkish attire and with a hookah in its mouth sat before a chessboard placed on a large table. A system of mirrors created the illusion that this table was transparent from all sides. Actually, a little hunchback who was an expert chess player sat inside and guided the puppet's hand by means of strings. One can imagine a philosophical counterpart to this device. The puppet called "historical materialism" is to win all the time. It can easily be a match for anyone if it enlists the services of theology, which today, as we know, is wizened and has to keep out of sight." Walter Benjamin, First "These on the Philosophy of History", p 253.

One can measure how far the contemporary Marxist (better said, the post or semi-Marxist) left has fallen by how many books have appeared, since the fall of the USSR, enthusing over the radically Universal and allegedly 'Progressive' nature of early Christianity. Walter Benjamin, who was first to place the wise but ugly dwarf (Theology) in the beautiful puppet (Historical Materialism) would be amazed (or perhaps not, see the letters between Benjamin and Scholem) to learn that puppet and dwarf are on the verge of switching places! That is, now the ugly dwarf (historical materialism) wants to hide in (and of course direct) the beautiful puppet of Christian theology. ...Crazy, you say? But even Habermas, the Keeper of the Flame of Critical Theory, has on occasion made somewhat similar noises. The best place, btw, to start reading about this new 'political-theology' probably remains Jacob Taubes.

But perhaps this emergent trend is really not so crazy after all. The only reason the Church became so cozy with Capitalism was its fear of Atheism. The collapse of the Soviet Union ended that fear. Now Christianity faces Capitalism alone. Or not, if the detente being proposed between the left and the Church is actually consummated. But every detente is a conspiracy of enemies to destroy an even greater enemy. The Church was with Capitalism because it had to defeat atheism. Now it is likely that the Church will join (a moderate) Socialism in trying to contain the 'soul-destroying' ravages of capitalism. This is only another move on the chessboard of History. ...But what did Benjamin think of History?

"A Klee painting named "Angelus Novus" shows an angel looking as though he is about to move away from something he is fixedly contemplating. His eyes are staring, his mouth is open, his wings are spread. This is how one pictures the angel of history. His face is turned toward the past. Where we perceive a chain of events, he sees one single catastrophe which keeps piling wreckage upon wreckage and hurls it in front of his feet. The angel would like to stay, awaken the dead, and make whole what has been smashed. But a storm is blowing from Paradise; it has got caught in his wings with such violence that the angel can no longer close them. This storm irresistibly propels him into the future to which his back is turned, while the pile of debris before him grows skyward. This storm is what we call progress." BENJAMIN, Ninth Thesis on History, p 257.

Picture this Angel, wings pinned back by the wind, shoulders forced back because of that - the Angel of History is almost in the position of the Crucified Christ; except that this crucification does not end. It is this tone of almost ontological despair that was new to the left. This Crucified Angel is the perfect image of the left-wing theoretical pessimism pioneered by not only Benjamin but also Adorno and Horkheimer that split the intellectual left into two camps: the revolutionary and the cultural. And though no one is likely to admit it, the cultural left has quietly come to think of revolution itself as but another 'progressive' force piling up bodies.

It is one of the little ironies of history that this despairing fantasy described contemporary reality exactly. The Angel of History is the image of dialectical knowledge. Rather than seeing disconnected events this Dialectical Knowledge grasps History as One (single catastrophe). Always facing the past ('the owl of Minerva takes flight at night', Hegel said; meaning that dialectical knowledge is retrospective) the 'contemplating' Angel is overwhelmed by historical action - the storm that has been blowing since the expulsion of humanity from paradise - and can never Himself achieve effective action. His knowledge grows in lockstep with the accumulating horror, but each new historical event only results (i,e., gets 'caught in the wings' of our Angel) in more contemplation. So we see how theory (our Angel) is 'irresistibly' propelled into the future. And we also see that the Knowledge dialectical theory gains is precisely equal to the debris the storm hurls at our Angel's feet. With an irony that strives to be equal to the wind blowing from Paradise Benjamin ends this meditation by calling this storm progress.

This is perhaps why Benjamin insisted over 50 years ago that the dwarf Theology must guide the puppet Historical Materialism. Theory can never be equal to action; circumstance piles upon circumstance so rapidly that theory cannot effectively act, and if it does act (presumably) it only adds to the debris. Thus theology (myth) must guide materialism's hand because theoretical knowledge is powerless to help. Benjamin quotes the following remarks of Willy Haas, with approval, in his large Kafka essay;

"'The object of the trial', he writes, 'indeed, the real hero of this incredible book is forgetting, whose main characteristic is the forgetting of itself [...] The most sacred ... act of the ... ritual is the erasing of sins from the book of memory.'
What has been forgotten - and this insight affords us yet another avenue of access to Kafka's work - is never something purely individual." (Benjamin, Franz Kafka, p 131.)

(The last sentence was Benjamin's own.) Theology is a non-individual forgetfulness. Thus myth (theology) is the only forgetfulness worthy of the name. What needs to be forgotten by all of us is the unsurpassable fact of the futility of theory...

It is difficult for most to look such despair in the face.

I have nothing to add to the reviews below except to note for scholarly interest that the essay 'The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction' included in this collection is not Benjamin's final version. (Neither is this title a good translation of the German: 'Das Kunstwerk im Zeitalter seiner technischen Reproduzierbarkeit'. Zohn's translation in the selected writings is better: 'The Work of Art in the Age of its Technological Reproducibility'.) The text in this collection is the 1935 manuscript, as originally published in 1936; the text collected in the Selected Writings, Vol. 4 is the final 1939 version that, as far as I can tell, was not published in Benjamin's lifetime. The difference between the two texts is slight, consisting mainly of some additional sentences here and there and some changed words. At least one of these revisions is, I hypothesize, the result of Adorno's criticisms of his letter to Benjamin of 18 Mar 1936.

Otherwise, for most purposes, this is the best collection of Benjamin's essays available for an introduction to his thought. This volume collects some of the best of his essays that are otherwise spread throughout the selected writings published by the Harvard U.P.

Benjamin is arguably the twentieth century's most important thinker--if there is anything left to say about our lives, it is surely in this book.

In 1940 Walter Benjamin committed suicide at the Franco-Spanish border fearing that he would be unable to escape the grasp of Hitler's regime. He left behind perhaps one of the finest collections of literary theory of his era, complete with lucidly brilliant essays on Kafka, Proust, Baudelaire, and general Marxist theory.

In this wholly excellent collection of essays, a remarkable introduction to Benjamin's life and work is provided by the late philosopher Hannah Arendt, who overviews his political formations and literary output. It's a model form of critical essay writing.

Perhaps the most famous essay in this collection is Benjamin's `The Task of the Translator,' widely regarded as one of the most important and thoughtful contributions to the field.

"No poem is intended for the reader, no picture for the beholder, no sympathy for the listener."

He argues that translation is a mode, and that the translatability of the work is the primary concern in the process.

Also included is an analysis of the philosophy of history.

I picked up this book primarily for the purpose of reading Benjamin's critically acclaimed essay "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction", as well as for his darkly poetic - and even apocalyptic - "Theses on the Philosophy of History". These essays are among Benjamin's most highly esteemed and are the last two selections in the book; regardless of whether you start with them or with the first essay, "Unpacking My Library: A Talk about Book Collecting", you are likely to be drawn into Benjamin's literary world quite quickly.

In many ways, Benjamin's writing style is quite unassuming; reading even his most profound insights is like reading a letter from an old friend. His writing comes in layers; one must make time to savor his presence. This book covers a range of subjects, from critical literary essays (the aforementioned "Unpacking My Library", as well as essays on Kafka, Baudelaire and Proust), to more hermeneutical reflections ("The Task of the Translator"), to straight up philosophy/theory ("The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" and "Theses on the Philosophy of History").

The 51 page introduction by Hannah Arendt is absolutely fantastic. It does not simply provide an overview of Benjamin's life, but sets that life within the culture of early 20th century Germany, focusing especially on the time between the two World Wars. She notes the influences of Zionism and Communism (and Marxism) on Benjamin's thought, as well as the broader cultural influence of a quasi-secularized Judaism in a culture where non-baptized Jews were still kept out of university teaching posts. Her introduction, like Benjamin's own writing, contains deep touches of the intimately personal (she selected the various essays that make up this volume).

In many ways, Benjamin was a deeply religious thinker. A friend of Gershom Scholem's (the founder of the modern-day study of Jewish mysticism), Benjamin and Scholem corresponded for a number of years. Although this particular volume pays little attention to his religious thought, "Theses on the Philosophy of History" (the final selection in the book which, in light of Benjamin's suicide, gives Illuminations a bit of a haunting finale), witnesses to Benjamin's poetic-religious insights:

"The soothsayers who found out from time what it had in store certainly did not experience time as either homogenous or empty. Anyone who keeps this in mind will perhaps get an idea of how past times were experienced in remembrance - namely, in just the same way. We know how the Jews were prohibited from investigating the future. This stripped the future of its magic, to which all those succumb who turn to the soothsayers for enlightenment. This does not imply, however, that for the Jews the future turned into homogenous, empty time. For every second of time was the strait gate through which the Messiah might enter."

Highly recommended.

This is a great tutorial and reference for anyone considering writing a comic book for the first time (or perhaps someone more experienced who'd like to get a fresh perspective and/or deeper understanding of fundamental structure). Scott has taken all those elements that go into making a good comic book (that you've probably noticed subconsciously but couldn't put into words) and laid them bare with expert analysis.

The analyses and guidelines are presented in a light-hearted, comic book format that is both entertaining and enlightening. You won't find yourself getting sleepy or distracted while reading this book - and you will understand every concept with perfect clarity, even if you are a complete novice.

Get this book! I found it at my local library and read it twice (cover to cover). I plan to buy it so that I'll have it handy for reference as I plan and begin drafting my first comic book.

Highly recommended.

Scott McCloud's "Making Comics" is a must-read for all aspiring comic artists. This book is very different from other comic technique books. While most other books will teach you how to draw characters or backgrounds, this one teaches you how to tell stories. McCloud goes in depth into what makes a good story through pacing, image choice, layout, words, facial expressions, among many other factors. All of the instruction is given in comic form, so it is very easy to see how the techniques are implemented since he shows you right on the page. I particularly like the section on facial expressions. He has a very inventive method of using basic facial expressions and then mixing them to create totally new facial expressions. It has to be seen to be believed.

If you're thinking of starting to draw comics, or if you're on the edge of giving up comics because you just can't get it right, this will give you the inspiration to keep trying. If you're a great artist, then you'll come to a better understanding of the techniques that you use. I definitely recommend reading this book.

I've always found it fascinating to imagine how a comic book author/illustrator creates the stories and images that appeal so much. Having been a non-fiction book author for many years, I have a firm understanding of the writing process. I sometimes pick out a few illustrations to put into a book.

But building a story around the illustrations, that seems like a trip to the planet Neptune to me. I was very pleased to find that Scott McCloud is very good at explaining (and illustrating) the creative and production processes he uses. I was delighted when I realized that he had also described how an individual could make a few comics to share with friends.

With computer art getting to be easier to do, I can see that there's even hope for those of us who couldn't draw out way out of a paper bag.

Mr. McCloud has the kind of mind that sees everything in perspective, in this case as facets of an overall story-telling task. He always has the goal of engaging the reader in mind and relates his points well to that purpose.

The work is impressive at another level . . . it's a masterpiece of providing instruction. The book shows more than tells, as a book about comics should do.

If Mr. McCloud ever tires of making comic books and graphic novels, he should go into explaining non-fiction subjects. He would make a fortune!

Well thought out, well written, quality throughout. I like this book the best so far; the previous weren't as appealing as this but were still very well done. The author really practices what he preaches as far as his message and the book speaks for itself. You won't be disappointed. Looking forward to the new books!

When my grandparents got me this book, I didn't think it could help me. I was looking for a "How to Draw" not a "How to Write". This book proved me so wrong. I couldn't believe how much fun it was to read, and it helped me a lot too. Almost everything I thought I knew was proved wrong and after reading it I felt like I understood comics so much better. As well as making me better at writing comic books, it made me a better writer altogether. I strongly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in comics or in just plain writing or art.

As recently as 60 years ago, Aramaic-speaking Jews were living in remote Kurdish villages, just as they had for thousands of years. Who knew? Their culture might have been lost forever when they were forced to leave Arab lands were it not for one of their number, Yona Sabar, who went on to become a world-renowned professor. While most other Kurdish Jews and their children assimilated into other societies, Sabar worked to preserve his native tongue in the halls of academia even as he watched the end of its 3000-year run as a living language. Now his son, Ariel, has brought his story to a mainstream audience.

My Father's Paradise is a tale of change and loss, but also of discovery. It offers a fascinating look at the Jews of Zahko, an isolated village in Iraqi Kurdistan where time appeared to stand still for centuries. Yona Sabar lived there until the age of 12, when his family left for Israel. The story follows his journey to the immigrant slums of Jerusalem, then on to Yale University, and eventually to a professorship in Los Angeles -- an adventure unimaginable to his parents' generation. Eventually, he returns to a very different Zakho from the one he remembers. When his entirely American son, the author, becomes a father himself, he develops an interest in his family history. This leads him to Kurdistan as well, and to write this book.

Most of My Father's Paradise is pretty riveting in its tales of old Zakho, immigrant life in Israel, and the Sabars' recent travels to their ancestral land. On the other hand, the less exotic chapters detailing the Sabars' life in America and Yona's academic career didn't hold my attention quite as much. Yona's linguistic work and Ariel's awakening, while somewhat inspiring, simply weren't that interesting. But they make up less than a third of the text. Overall, this is a very unique work that will appeal to history buffs as well as folks interested in immigrant stories.

Is there anyone out there who hasn't questioned their roots? Their faith? Their place in the world? Their own legacy?

Ariel Sabar has written one of the most interesting historical/biographical/spiritual books that I have read in a long time. He weaves historical content with the more personal memories of his father and his extended family and friends. I was fascinated by this tale of a man who, having scorned his father for so long, wakes up to find that he himself has become a father, and then moves on to try to connect himself and his son to their ancestry. This is a touching, humorous, soul-searching look at family, identity, place, and interconnectedness.

I was so taken in by the descriptions of Yona's childhood home and of his journey to new lands and new experiences with a family standing with one foot firmly in the past and another tentatively stepping into an uncertain future. I was also captivated by the history of Kurdish Iraq and the place that Jews held in that culture for so long. Sabar introduces a good deal of information about the history and linguistics of the region, and it was so moving to be able to read this and see how geography figures so prominently in anyone's culture by way of stories passed from one generation to another. It truly was like stepping back into another world.

Bravo for Arial Sabar and this fascinating book. I have raved about this book to so many people!

I did not want this book to end. I felt as though I was a member of the Sabar family travelling with them through their rich personal history.

In My Father's Paradise, Ariel Sabar tries to find himself by finding his past. He paints hauntingly beautiful images of his family's roots by creating a deeply personal and three dimensional Kurdistan. He shows it as it was and as it must have been for centuries. A region that was inevitably lost to history but that stood solid against the river of time.

He depicts the people and events that shaped this hardscrabble environment in a way that could only be done by a man who had been shaped by this place in the deepest and most personal ways.

As he moves on to describe the family's time in Israel, one can only ache with the family as one sees its dreams change. One cries when the family sheds tears and laughs when they triumph.

The book is a tale of redemption, of identity, of history, of a family and of a people. It is a story of community and of rugged individuality. It is a story of successes and failures and it is very much a story of a language. Aramaic. It is a story of how this language shaped empires and individuals. It shows how a language can sculpt an individual's soul and how one soul, the author's father, can save a language for his progeny and for the world.

I cannot recommend this book highly enough. With Kurdistan playing such an active role in shaping world affairs, one MUST read this book. One cannot grasp what is going on or what is at stake without understanding the personalities and the forces that have shaped the region, or the world views that have been held in that region. One can also gain an understanding of the early state of Israel and also hear the voice of an American immigrant.

I can guarantee one thing. You will never regret reading this book.

This is wonderfully realized and loving family story telling at its best; the book describes the lost world of the Northern Iraqi Kurdish Jews. Ariel Sabar, we learn, is the great-grandson of Ephraim the Dyer a Jewish mystic who lived in the Northern Iraqi-Kurdish town of Zhako. Zhako is where Ariel Sabar's father Yona was born and lived until the Jews of Iraq were expelled in a forced exodus to Israel in 1951.

Sabar lovingly reconstructs the lost world of the Aramaic speaking Jews of Zhako where his father was born and lived until the age of 12. We learn that Sabar's father Yona changed the original family name of Sabagha to Sabar in Israel, an indication of the disruption and trials caused by their exodus from the land the family's ancestors had inhabited for thousands of years. Yona's parents and grandparents struggled in the promised land of Israel where they were maligned as uneducated and illiterate Kurds.

The family history starts with thirteen-year-old Miryiam's marriage to Yona's father Rahamim Beh Sabagha. The couple's first child , the infant girl Rifka, was kidnapped by a tribal Muslim wet nurse and lost forever.

To illustrate the wonderful stories, consider the extraordinary experiences of Miryiam who escaped the clutches of an abusive stepmother by her child-marriage and conceived Yona after praying at the temple of the prophet Jonah (Yona's namesake) in Nineveh. The illiterate Miryiam emigrated to Israel with her family and eventually travelled to Yale where her son Yona was awarded a PHD in linguistics for work in her native tongue of neo-Aramaic. Many of Miryiam's experiences are both surreal and gripping, including seeing the movie Woodstock in the US with her son Uri and a Marilyn Monroe like encounter with New York City steam grates.

This is wonderfully enjoyable storytelling at its best; I loved the book and highly recommend it.

I've never been there, thank God, but this book got me closer to the madness of being there than comfortable. Outstanding read.

The subject matter is definitely worth 270+ pages, but I agree with others who said that Herr talks endlessly but doesn't seem to get to the point.

The first 80 pages are free associative. Chapters 3 and 4 are the meat of the book and the ones worth reading, and I recommend you read those and let that be the end of it. Towards the end he descends again into the free associative stuff. I have nothing against that style, but Herr is not a gifted-enough writer to pull it off. I think sometimes he thinks he's Joseph Heller. He isn't. And he isn't Joseph Conrad or Erich Remarque, either, though one gets the feeling he wants to be. Herr is at his best when he does the straight forward, journalistic writing.

Finally, do not mistake this book for non-fiction. Herr has admitted that he has taken liberties with the truth with this book, so consider it "inspired by actual events."

It made it right to my top ten. It is smart and humble and I want to read it over and over.

Fortunately I did not buy this book, it was given to me. Unfortunately I felt obliged to read it, and found it worth less than I had paid for it. I was so amazed by the how bad it was I read the whole thing, to see if it could maintain its low level of literary merit, I think it actually got worse. I would not normally bother to write a review on this book, but out of curiosity I looked at the reviews and thought ????. This is not James Joyce, or William Faulkner, this is Michael Herr, trying to get a little more fame and money out of his 18 months in Viet Nam. The only thing notable about this book is that he has managed in only 260 pages, to include every possible stereotype, caricature, and misconception there was, concerning the war and the solders. And then to read the reviews, Michael is not opening his heart to the reader he is trying very successfully to make some money. That he was in Viet Nam for so long a time and never talks of the people that live there shows how much he really cares. There are a lot of books about the Viet Nam War, many of them good, few of them as bad as this. To believe this is the way things were requires the reader to active want it to be so.

I just read this book for the first time since I was in college and it still is one of the best pieces of work on the hard job of covering a war from behind the lens of a camera. Herr always threw himself into the middle of things and had little patience for people who just went to VN to get their tickets punched. Incredible writing. Jaded but not cynical. Really called it as he saw it. As a former military and civilian reporter --but never in a war -- I can only marvel at how Herr kept doing his job day after day in the middle of so much terror and confusion.

Fascinating memoir of the same illnes my relative is enduring. I intend to share this with everyone i know who has a loved one with lewy body dementia. We must all live life to the fullest now, while are brains are healthy. Dr. Graboys' story is one of how love and humanity are possible beyond that, long into this illness. Beautiful!

Any general-interest library or health collection needs LIFE IN THE BALANCE: A PHYSICIAN'S MEMOIR OF LIFE, LOVE, AND LOSS WITH PARKINSON'S DISEASE AND DEMENTIA. The author is both a doctor and patient, at the peak of his career at age forty-nine when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of Parkinson's and dementia. His memoir is revealing and insightful - and considers Parkinson's from the rare vantage point of both patient and doctor.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Tom Graboys offers sensitive and poignant insight into a devastating disease that afflicts millions as patients, family and caregivers. Being married to a fellow academic physician, world renowned and respected, who suffers from Parkinsonism, I miss my spouse's wise counsel as the "go-to"- person described by Graboys, who continues to be a comforting, wise healer. This book fills that gap a bit by honestly describing the agony of the disease and how to cope with certain loss of self as previously known.

Tom Graboys tells about his life with Parkinsons. It's a "from the heart" book, an easy read, and gives hope to anyone with a disability.

An intriguing but somewhat eerie combination of confessional agony and deterioration as told by a 63 year old renowned cardiologist once well-regarded for his professional skill and compassion. This is a man who describes a childhood history of psychological desertion and is frank in recounting his subsequent vanity and narcissism as an adult. The physical and psychological aspects of his disorders are described in a deeply intimate way--for the squeamish, it may seem like "too much information." Yet,his modes of coping with Parkinson's and Lewey body dementia seem superhuman and make for painful and enlightening reading.

Counselor was very much what I expected., having heard a radio interview between Bob Edwards and the erudite Mr. Sorenson. Bordering on hero worship but honest and informative, this book confirmed what I always felt about JFK, that he was one of a kind and American politics has not and possibly may not see his ilk again.

A fascinating look at a fascinating time from a unique perspective, Ted Sorenson. Sorenson's own words & voice inflections are preserved for future generations. Anyone interested in the Kennedy Presidential era should add this to their collection. A must!

Should fairly obscure and relatively little known people write autobiographies? Answers to this question will vary, of course, but if the person's name is Theodore C. Sorensen, my answer would be 'definitely'. Indeed, Sorensen is one of several persons I identified several years ago in a category I labelled "I hope he writes and I can read his life story". [In case anyone is interested, the other two were/are musicians: Frederick Fennell (1914-2004) and Mitch Miller (1911- ).]

Ted Sorensen is one of those figures who essentially went from nowhere to become one of the closest aides to President John F. Kennedy. Readers of this memoir will be most interested in Sorensen's life between 1953 and Novemeber 22, 1963, during which he served as one of JFK's closest advisers ("Special Counsel" was his official title from 1961 to 1963) and his top speech writer.

There are many ideas a reviewer of this book could comment on. I will mention a few that especially interested me.

So, according to Sorensen, the following are accurate:
-- JFK was the person who conceived and was the main writer of his famous "Profiles in Courage" book, though he did receive lots of assistance from Sorensen.
--Kennedy "showed no courage" in avoiding voting on the censure of Senator Joe McCarthy during the 1950s.
--JFK did err (in accepting assurance of success from CIA leaders) in the Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba, but he recovered, learned from his experience, and was brilliant during the Cuban Missile Crisis, especially in triumphing over his hawkish associates.
--Kennedy took greater initiative in civil rights than any of the presidents before him.
--We really don't know what JFK would have done with respect to US involvement in Vietnam.

Here are a few additional revelations. Sorensen was responsible for the faux pas JFK made in his famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech in Berlin. The Kennedys and Lyndon Johnson really did not get along well, and JFK thought LBJ was just about useless as Vice President. There was much friction between Sorensen and JFK associates/advisers Ken O'Donnell and Richard Goodwin.

Regarding the JFK assassination, Sorensen was, along with many of JFK's close associates, too shocked and numbed by his death to give much thought to the question of who did it. But over the decades Sorensen has come around to accepting what most of the American people have believed: more persons than Lee Oswald were involved in this unsolved and unpunished crime.

The epilogue is extremely useful as a concise summary of Sorensen's view of JFK's strengths, weaknesses, triumphs, failures -- both personal and as a public figure. If one does not read all 530 pages of the book, at least read this epilogue.

I believe the book justified my hopes expressed in the first paragraph of this review. The writing is superb, for the most part candid, and full of humor. If the 1950s and and 1960s interest you at all, this is a book to investigate.
Tim Koerner
August 2008

Ted Sorensen's 2008 Convention Speech
Tuesday, August 26, 2008 at 03:20 PM

"In my more than 50 years of national conventions, this is one of the most important. Our 8 year national nightmare of mendacity, mediocrity and economic misery--with millions of Americans losing their jobs, their savings, their homes and their hopes--will soon end with the election of Barack Obama.

I have long dreamed that our party would produce another president matching John F. Kennedy's intellect and integrity, his capacity to inspire justice at home and peace around the world--and this week my dream is coming true. Once in a lifetime, said the poet, hope and history meet in one extraordinary man and movement--I thank the good Lord that I've lived long enough to meet and help such men twice in my lifetime, John Kennedy and Barack Obama.

Kennedy at 43 proved that age matters in the White House. His energy, appeal to other young world leaders, calm under pressure and openness to new thinking, well served our nation. Denounced as a candidate for lacking executive experience, he displayed sound judgment in leading a successful nationwide campaign, choosing a top-notch team, negotiating with difficult leaders, and out-organizing and out-th inking his adversaries--just as he would as president, particularly when, with prudence and courage, he induced the Soviets to withdraw their nuclear missiles from Cuba without the U.S. firing a shot; and the world gave thanks that the more experienced Richard Nixon had lost that close election.

In 1960, Kennedy, like Obama today, facing a Republican tied to a failed past, looked to a future of new ideas and opportunities. As president, he did not send the Marine Corps to preserve America's oil supplies, he sent the Peace Corps to preserve America's global standing. Confronting a Soviet military advantage in space, he made all Americans proud by literally reaching for the moon.

Today, we need new leadership. We have lost our way, lost the respect of our allies, lost the confidence of our investors and consumers. Are we to be the first generation of Americans to leave to our children a country in worse condition than we received it?

In short: this year, my friends, the fates will try us; erase all trace of fear and bias; we have the man we need at last to embrace the future, not the past, and to dispel eight years of pain and shame. Barack Obama is his name! Call the roll!"

I am an Irish Catholic, born six months prior to JFK's murder; the admiration for JFK as lost leader has been a backround to my life, and is deeply felt in my society. I have been thrilled on the speeches - `A man on the moon this decade' represents, for me, the it audacity, ambition and directness that I associate with the USA -so I am up for the whole Camelot ticket. I admire what Ted Kennedy has done for the Irish Peace process, and am willing to go along with the Obama endorsement. So I bought this book looking for an insight into JFK's character and the philosophy that backed it up. It gave me neither.
What I had previous known about Ted Sorensen was limited, though I knew he played some part in writing the speeches. In fact it turns out that he was JFK's right hand man for most of the 1950's and special counsel to the President during the Kennedy presidency. However I must admit that when I started the book, I skipped straight to the second section which describes the time that Sorensen started to work with Kennedy, guiltily, I later returned to the first section for the sake of completeness. One of things that struck me about the narrative is Sorensen's complete sublimation of his personality to Kennedy his statement that his role in the speeches and in writing Profiles in Courage, were to express Kennedy's own thoughts, because he, Sorensen, had come to know them so well. I found this a bit creepy.
Another source of guilt for me is the fact, mentioned in the Epilogue, that Sorensen is dictating this book ( to Obama's speechwriter, if I'm not mistaken) having had a stroke in 2001, leaving him with blurred vision, unable to read or write clearly. For a man who is so clearly well read, whose profession and interest centre around reading and writing, this must be devastating. Sorensen has shown remarkable fortitude to deal with this cruel blow.
Despite the above, I didn't enjoy the book. I felt that the view of Kennedy was too deferential, only grudgingly admitting that JFK had any faults, acknowledging only those weaknesses which are now public knowledge - womanizing, the pressure on the New York Times to remove their Vietnam correspondent - " I know of no other instance where he made such a request to another newspaper". Sorensen tells how high-minded Kennedy was in pursuit of policy matters, even to the point of political disadvantage. This to me just did not seem realistic, I do think he showed great courage is tackling the Civil Rights issues associated with desegregating the Southern School system - however I also think its realistic to say that he came to this issue quite late. Even Lincoln came late to Emancipation. His handling of the Big of Pigs was hesitant, of the Missile Crisis was deft. So I think its ok to say that he learned on the job.
At the same time as JFK is venerated, almost held in aspic, I felt a curious lack of human detail. What made him such a leader? There are flashes of his winning humour - to overcome rumours that his millionaire father was funding his campaign (which was true) JFK read out, at a press gathering, a (false) telegram from his father saying " don't buy one more vote than necessary, I'm damned if I'll pay for a landslide". But what attracted such a talented team, how did JFK overcome his relative youth, his privileged backround and administrative inexperience to become such a courageous leader? There really isn't much clue in this book, I'm afraid.
Sorensen's own view of the team and his role in it is too rosy also. He seems to be surprised to find out that Ken O'Donnell, another Kennedy advisor ( Played by Kevin Costner in the movie Thirteen Days) disliked Sorensen intensely. Indeed Sorensen seems to have been unaware of personal animosity and tension within the Kennedy team at all. I think this is unbelievable, tensions among ambitious people under pressure is inevitable. It is incredible to me that Sorensen won't acknowledge its existence. He quotes a Boston Globe editorial (from 1977) which describes Sorensen as " never a well-loved man with his icy brilliance and his hard eye for competence". Why not own up to this? His contempt for President Johnson is just beneath the polite surface, he quotes Jackie's comments on the references to LBJ in Sorenesen's biography of Kennedy "You must know - as well or better than I - his [JFK's] steadily diminishing opinion of him[LBJ]...", the book would be better if we got more of this flesh and blood feel of what it was like to live through the interaction of these characters. There is, however, a classic anecdote which summarises Sorensens view of the contrast between JFK and LBJ - JFK's speech's would quote and reference all manner of classical sources, but when LBJ received a draught speech referencing a quote from Socrates, he crossed out the ancients name and replaced it with `my granddaddy', you can almost see Sorensens nose wrinkle.
Sorensen practised law in New York after leaving government service, occasionally being drawn back into the political life, once tragically with Robert Kennedy, once, sourly, as a potential Carter appointee to the CIA. His candidateship ran into rough water in the Senate, and he was very bruised by fellow Demoncrats and abandoned by Carter. His stories about his international law practice left me a bit cold - He helps found the South Africa Feed Election (SAFE) fund to help South Africa get ready for its first election after Nelson Mandela's release. Anthony O'Reilly is the co-chair of SAFE and Sorensen tells of explaining the work of SAFE to Mandela while flying back to New York from O'Reilly's estate in the Bahamas, on O'Reilly's private plane. Anthony O'Reilly is one of Ireland's richest men, formerly CEO of Heinz, he is a media-magnate who has developed significant media businesses in the new South Africa.
He mentions working to develop a pipeline in Panama in 1976, the agreement was worked out between General Torrijos, Panama's leader (unelected) at the time and the company's president Harold Bernstein. Sorensen takes some pride is stating that thirty years later he returned to renegotiate the deal between Torrijo's son, Martin, then President of Panama and Jay Bernstein, president of the company. I think the feel of the elite going about their business makes me quite uncomfortable.
In truth there are many fine attributes to the book, Sorensens loyalty is evident, his eloquence is breathtaking, his advice on speechwriting and the US political process is acute. I think what I disappointed me most is the absence of a clear political philosophy. His loyalty to and admiration of Kennedy are commendable, his loathing of the current administration is palpable. He is very comfortable with a president who knows the limits of the feasible, even for a superpower. But I can't discern an overachieving philosophy that will guide those who wish to follow his hero's footsteps. Conservatives have fashioned a credible philosophy around Liberty - which justifies a belief in small government, looser regulation, lower taxation, it is also (at a stretch) used to justify the Iraq invasion. It is most exposed on issues of personal morality. Progressives (or Liberals or whatever) don't seem to me to have a comprehensive set of beliefs - presumably it could be fashioned around Equality - though US policy in regard to Healthcare, Infrastructure and International Co-operation definitely needs some work. I don't get that some this book.

A good read for anyone who's interested in anthropology or evolution. One of Diamond's main points in this book is that humans are not so different from our biological cousins, the apes. In fact, he says, we are more genetically close to chimpanzees than some species of orangutans are to other species of orangutan. Not to spoil the story, but this is a good read!

Of Jared Diamond's books, this one and Guns, Germs and Steel, I prefer this one. Unlike Guns this one is not as redundant and has more focused chapters. I compare it to going to listen to a good college lecturer where you might listen to well focused lectures that get you thinking, but may not have an ambitious global theme (like Guns) to tie it all together.

Most of the chapters I found enlightening and all though I am fairly well versed on physical anthropology there were many new insights that I picked up. The first chapter talks about breakthroughs in dna clocking that establishes the title.

The second chapter titled, The Great Leap Forward I found interesting and perhaps perplexing. Most anthropologists including Diamond seem to think that Homo Sapien goes back about 200,000 years. Most anthropologists mark 40,000 years ago, The Great Leap Forward as a critical time in Homo Sapien development. It seems clear that this is when we developed language which is supported by the physical changes in the skull. However, few seem to recognize this as the time when there was an actual species shift from Home Erectus to Home Sapien. This is also in spite of the fact that other possible rivals such as Neaderthal disappeared.

The best chapters in the book are three through six which detail aspects of human sexuality. I think these are must reading for anyone that is interested in an objective point of view of our sexual behaviours. There are enlightening sections that not only discuss behaviours that we have adapted such as monogamy but also why they would be advantageous to survival. There are other interesting discussions about menopause and why humans have large genitals comparative to other primates.

There is also a very good chapter called the Golden Age that Never Was. This questions the romantic notion that pre-westernized societies lived in harmony with nature and practiced better conservation habits then we did today. Diamond does a great job of debating this notion by detailing the disappearance of megafauna when coming into contact with humans. This is a controversial argument. I have spent an entire class with a professor who refuted this idea claiming that it is not likely that humans would hunt a species to extinction. Generally, I am biased to my education but in this case I was swayed to Diamond's point of view. He gave very convincing arguments. Especially, good was the discussion of the disappearance of Mammoth's in North America.

The only improvement I would ask for is the removal of the chapter 11, Why Do We Smoke, Drink and Use Dangerous Drugs. I really felt that he missed the mark on this one.

Wow! Got the paperback version. Need a magnifying glass to read it. Waiting for it to come on the Kindle.

One thing I admire about Jared Diamond is his ability (like Carl Sagan) to take complex issues and scientific concepts then molding them into comprehensive bites that the average reader can swallow. The Third Chimpanzee a book that Diamond had published in 1992 has come back into print because of the success of Collapse and Germs, Guns & Steel which is terrific since it tackles a very different series of subjects from the ability of animals to communicate with each other, natural selection and why homosapiens managed to come out on the top of the heap, how/why we find certain people attractive and select our mates to whether or not aliens are listening for our radio signals (and why we might be in big trouble because we gave them our address IF they were listening).

All of this falls under the general theme of the book which focuses on the nature and future of humanity. Diamond has a breezy, enjoyable style that most readers will find inviting and that makes the more complex scientific ideas that much easier to swallow (whether it be how scientist calculate how often we go through evolutionary change or which theory about why men have bigger...you know what than our nearest relatives).

Diamond's book is over 15 years old so things have changed a bit since he first wrote it although interestingly the very things that he suggested could happen do appear to be coming true in many cases so he's added a post script discussing some of these new ideas, etc. that weren't available when the book was written.

As with Diamond's other books he is very upfront about his thoughtful opinions on the subject he focuses on. Whether or not you enjoy the book will probably depend on whether or not you like to have your preconceptions challenged, you agree with him or both.

Hey, my review is going to be broken down in to four sections, the introduction, the information that you can retain from this book, the interest level of this book, and the age group I recommend this to. This book (The Third Chimpanzee) talks about how us humans are what we are today and what came in the process of it. This is an interesting topic to speak about because it is a surprise to know what we came from and how our great ancestors chose the "right" mates for them, which eventually created us in the end.
I will be talking about a few of the subjects Jared Diamond covers in his book, the evolution of human sexuality is a very important subject, you will learn about how your ancestors chose their mates and what made them do it. You will learn about male jealousy over a female and the evolution of extra-marital sex. The chapter on how we pick our mates and sex partners will make you want to read even more, Diamond talks about the scientific studies about this subject and how we subconsciously become turned on by different characteristics in a male or female without even realizing it, as example the temperature of their hands or as funny as it sounds the way they give you a hug may allow you to make a subconscious decision for mating. The information you retain from this book is amazing, if you are looking to find as much information as possible about human evolution, this book is for you. Now, how interesting this book is to me, I do not know, even though this books hold a lifetime worth of information, there is also a lot of ranting and raving, so many people might become very bored with this type of writing. This book is just a very hard read, to get into it you MUST give it your full attention or else you wont really learn anything about. I found part three to be one of the most interesting subjects because it spoke about the origins of art and how some societies elaborated on it and how some did not. The reason this book is a crucial read is because Jared Diamond does not just question the reader he also provides them with answers that have been long awaited. I recommend this book to a 16+ age group, not necessarily because younger children could not understand the book, but it is long and tiresome and certain points, so they may lose interest. This book is excellent for any information seekers, that are looking for theories and scientific studies to back a book or essay they are writing about, yet I would not really recommend this to someone who just wants to read for fun. Jared Diamond also covers an interesting topic which might spark an interest in high school readers which talks about why people smoke, drink and use dangerous drugs. This book is full of fun and interesting information so you kids who are in high school or you students who are in college, I recommend you read this for it will benefit you in the future.