Evelyn,you have done a good job.I will support you.Actually,I am a male but I want to be a female.I want to go for sex change operation.I am 19 this year.In Hong Kong, sex change can only be done at the age of 21.So, I am going towait for 2 more years.I know more about Sex change.Thanks For Your Book!

This book chronicles the problems faced by the single mother of a transsexual male child. The anguish, the heartache and the unnecessary turmoil, through which mother and child are forced to endure, caused by society at large and the professional medical establishment, makes compelling reading. Just because this outstanding work is written in language easily understandable by any high school level teenager, don't make the mistake that it is a child's book.

Highly recommended for all who are facing the same life story, as well as for those who counsel and provide professional 'advice' to those having to deal with a transssexual life. Every public library should have a copy as should every professional dealing with the phenomenon of transsexuality.

Just Evelyn did a great job. I am a m-f transsexual at the age of 14. So I hope my mom can accept me the same way and will defenetly give this book to my mom when I come out. All parents and transsexuals should read this book.

This is a very quick read even for the 9-12 year age group it is intended for. Never-the-less, it is a very exciting and interesting bit of true Civil War drama. It is the story of Sarah Emma Edmonds, or Emma Edmonds as she was known, a young woman, born in Canada, who, disguised as a man, became a solider, battlefield nurse, spy and detective for the Union army. Emma was sworn into the Union army as Private Franklin Thompson and served bravely and cunningly in many dangerous missions and in many disguises. She was also a devoted and skilled battlefield nurse and tended the wounded of both the Union and the Confederacy with compassion. Her career as a male soldier ended at Vicksburg when she became so ill with malaria that she had to go AWOL in order to escape detection as a female. Her adventures did not stop there. This book is sure to grab the interest of anyone who picks it up. It is not a great work of writing skill, being very episodic with little to link together the various elements of Emma's courageous life. The dialogue is fabricated, of course, and rather stilted, but the facts here are accurate and taken from Emma's memoirs and other historical documents. At least 400 women disguised as men fought for the North during the Civil War, but Emma's tale of espionage is perhaps the most thrilling. I highly recommend this book to young people as a wonderful introduction to the Civil War. Getting to know the people who fought this tragic and bloody war is a wonderful way to understand this astonishing chapter of American history. This book is definitely a page turner and so all the better for keeping interest high and fostering curiosity and discovery. Don't miss it.

Written by Seymour Reit, "Behind Rebel Lines" tells the true story of Emma Edmonds. Running away from her father at the age of sixteen, she had left Canada for the country where freedom and liberty would become a reality. Now the year 1861, Emma is now 21 and the Civil War between states has begun. When President Lincoln asks for volunteers, Emma is determined not to just sit by. She disguises herself as a man and enlists herself into the Union Army. Now everyone, including her superior officers and fellow soldiers, believe her to be Private Franklin Thompson, assigned to Company F. But Emma wants to do more, so she volunteers to be a Union spy. But while she has been all this time fooling her own army, can she keep her secret behind rebel lines?

A truly well-written story, "Behind Enemy Lines" is sure to please. The author did a lot of research to write this book, re-creating Emma Edmond's story through Emma's memoirs, U.S. Army Records, and files from the National Archive. At the front cover of the book it is written "Great Episodes". This is because each chapter is separated in such a way. In that sense, while reading the story the reader might feel as though the book does not really flow as well as you would like. But on the overall, the whole story is written well if not a bit aimed more for younger audiences.

Emma's character is captivating and very realistic. Oh, I know that she WAS a real character, but in few cases, some authors cannot seem to grasp the character of who they're writing about. Fortunately, Seymour Reit puts down Emma's life down on paper flawlessly. You can almost 'hear' the imp voice in Emma's ear!

On the whole, "Behind Rebel Lines" is a gripping and fascinating historical biography and I can easily recommend it. Best for ages 10 - 14 but older teens and some adults might find this a good read.

"This stranger-than-fiction story will captivate history buffs and hold the attention of the most reluctant reader."
-Bank Street College of Education-

This is a true story,written by Seymour Reit, about a woman overcoming the odds in a man's place. The incredible woman i am talking about is Emma Edmonds. She posed as a male nurse named Franklin Thompson. Edmonds was sent as a spy behind rebel lines.She successfully completed 11 missions!
Behind Rebel Lines really did make me think. This book was excellent! I loved it. I could barely put it down(but I did haha). I loved reading about the struggle of a real woman who could demonstrate this amount of courage. It is so inspirational. By the way,I know I sound like a fruit but my teacher is making me write this haha. See ya!Have a GREAT day!!Love yas!

In Mr. Waugh's second novel, the absurdity of humankind is explored. The reader is allowed to follow a brief period in the lives of the "Bright Young People." They are young Londoners of the early 1930's who are well educated and from good families. Through the trials of the protagonist, Adam Fenwick-Symes, the reader is able to see the silliness of human existence. The "Bright Young People" spends their days and nights avoiding all real human experiences, especially love. Mr. Waugh chronicles a time in England when the motto "eat, drink and be merry" was embraced as a spiritual philosophy. At times, passages in this book are very amusing, but it never fails to recognize how life can be wasted when people are just "vile bodies."

One of the wittiest, and ultimately saddest, novels about the "lost generation" of the early 20th century. Waugh writes about arrogant, self-centered, wealthy, vapid, young socialites in the period of The Great War, when social mores and traditions were being reexamined and reconstructed or, in some cases, summarily destroyed. Waugh was one of the great chroniclers of the decline and fall of the aristocracy in the 20th century. Like Ronald Firbank, Waugh often gave his characters the most absurd names, such as Mrs. Melrose Ape, Lottie Crump, Judge Skimp, The Honourable Miles Malpractice, Mary Mouse, etc. Having done this, he has to work that much harder to make us identify and empathize with the characters, if indeed we ever really can. Waugh also has his characters spout the most inane, banal dialogue, even in their moments of greatest conflict and turmoil. It is difficult, for instance, to fathom Adam Fenwick-Symes' emotional distress from his thrice-broken engagement to Nina Blount from her comment: "It is a bore, isn't it?" (83). Despite the richness and abundance of the humour, there is an underlying tension, a darkness, which permeates the work from the opening sentence: "It was clearly going to be a bad crossing" (9). The beauty of this novel is in the juxtaposition of comical imagery and dialogue with the spectre of death and destruction looming large. There is a constant negotiation between personal "crises" and a burgeoning global catastrophe. We are often shocked by the intrusion of the real and violent into the placid, literate meta-world of the characters. Thus we read, for instance, the hilarious tabloid journalism of Simon Balcairn/Mr. Chatterbox interspersed with the grisply details of his desperate suicide (106). Or Agnes Runcible's attempt at car-racing, which ends with a crash and a nurse assuring the suffering Agnes: There's nothing to worry about, dear . . . nothing at all . . . nothing" (200). The words are delivered just as Agnes is slipping into a fatal coma. Despite the fact that the narrative is a string of wild parties ("Masked parties, Savage parties, Victorian paraties, Greek parties, Wild West parties, Russian parties, Circus parties, parties where one had to dress as somebody else, almost naked parties in St. John's wood, parties in flates and studios and houses and ships and hotels and night clubs, in windmills and swimming-baths . . . all that succession and repetition of massed humanity . . . Those vile bodies" [123]), these heady days end with "the most terrible and unexpected thing -- War has been declared" (219). Waugh then adds a brief, ironically-titled "Happy Ending" chapter set in "the biggest battlefield in the history of the world" (220), with Adam literally in the trenches fighting for his life. He encounters a young girl known as "Chastity" in the earlier part of the narrative. Sold into prostitution in South America and now living the wretched existence of "comfort girl" during the war, hers is the worst fate of the Bright Young Things of Mayfair. Easy to dismiss because of its brevity and its wit, this is a brilliant and important novel.

My favorite of Waugh's books, _Vile Bodies_ continues to be as timely now as before in many ways. Hilarious and absurd, it is a quick read and well worth the investment in time.

Approaching mid life and feeling restless in the world of London's fashion industry in the 1950s, Eric Newby asked a friend to go mountain climbing in the Hindu Kish. Newby quits his job, puts his affairs in order and, together with his friend, sets off for an adventure in Northeastern Afghanistan. Their walk was not short and they almost reached the summit of 19,880 foot Mir Samir, but not before stopping for four days of instruction about mountain climbing in Wales. Newby's description of the geography and peoples he encountered along the way opens the door a little further and provides another peek on one of the most mysterious regions of the world. Unlike many books in this genre that are often told in a breathless, self promoting style, Newby's approach is modest, self effacing and understated, right down to the title. This book is a delight!

Eric Newby's account of his trip to the Hindu Kush is a book both daunting and delightful. He makes light of the incompetence and ignorance of both himself and his companion in the realm of climbing and exploring. Yet what they achieve is nothing short of remarkable, given their level of ignorance. Perhaps a more experienced team would have sensibly given up in the face of hunger, illness and cold. Messrs. Newby and Carless soldier on and the account, understandably slightly incoherent, is both funny, self-deprecating and very, very readable. Their account of a chance meeting with the famous explorer Wilfred Thesiger is recounted, far less humorously, by the great man in one of his recent books.

They don't come sweeter than this. Facing middle age, Eric Newby abandons his chosen career as a fashion wholesaler to embark on a whimsical journey to remotest Afghanistan to attempt a mighty peak that has never been climbed. His companion, an old friend, knows as much about high-altitude (or ANY) climbing as he does: not a skerrick. They are almost parodies of a vanished England - absurdly brave, amateurish and uncomplaining; Newby's account of their scratchings up airy ice-walls will have the sweat springing from your palms. Along the way we get a rich insight into the rare mountain societies of one of the most mysterious nations on earth, but it is Newby's character itself that makes this book such a joy. Self-mocking, his courage entirely inferred, Newby's modesty holds until the final hilarious, appalling line. We may not want to go climbing with him, but we'd welcome his company on any journey. In fact, Newby's courage was always a key to his personality. His teenage years were spent as a high-rigging sailor on grain ships in the Southern Ocean. In World War Two he was a commando with the Special Boat Squadron. His capture, escape, and life on the run is memorably recounted in another of his classics "Love and War in the Appennines." But for me, "A Short Walk.." remains his most charming, exciting and extraordinary book.

ONE OF THE BEST NDE BOOKS I HAVE READ. STRANGE THAT THIS BOOK
SHARES THE SAME TITLE AS GEORGE ANDERSONS BOOK WHICH IS ALSO
EXCELLENT---MAKES FINDING IT EASIER.

THE POST LIFE REVIEW AND NON FEAR OF DEATH OF NDE PEOPLE IS
VERY INTERESTING.

I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED AT ALL WITH THIS BOOK AS I HAVE READ
SEVERAL NEW AGE BOOKS THAT FAILED TO HIT THE MARK.

Kenneth Ring has written a masterpiece on Near Death Experiences of many people during the course of his research (he is one of the leading researchers in the field). This book should be read by everyone, and especially those interested in the afterlife/NDE, spirituality, and metaphysics. When reading this book, those knowledgeable about these subjects will find a common thread by other authors/books and a beter understanding and substantiation will result. Other authors/books for those on the spiritual path are:- Sri Chinmoy (all his books, especially "Meditation") ; "KYBALION" - by Three Initiates ; "The Secret Life of Nature" - by Peter Tompkins ; "The Mystic Path"- by Raymund Andrea ; "The Wisdom of the Mystic Masters"-by Joseph Weed ; "Journey of Souls" and "Destiny of Souls"- by Michael Newton ; and "Life between Life"-by Joel Whitton.

After reading books on NDEs for over 10 years, this book is the absolute best one written. After effects cannot be faked and it is not only what we learn from dying but then what we learn about living. This book is a must to read!!!

Byrd was in an incredible location but there are many many more interesting books out there. When I read a book that I think is worth reading I will lend it to someone else. I don't think I will give this book to anyone else just because there are better adventure stories out there. Read "Endurance" instead.

The exquisite cover and beautiful print of this edition are a suitable frame for this wonderful book. Its strength lies both in the quality of the prose, which flows naturally, at times poetically, and in the fact that this is a personal account of a true story. The pain is real, the suspense is real.

If there is a flaw in this book it is that one wishes that Byrd could have gone deeper into the psychological and philosophical themes he brings up. Still, a very moving account indeed.

This journal account of Byrd's months at the South Pole reveal the most extreme circumstances that force a man to discover the absolute limits of his will and inner strength. With the heritage of the great sea explorers, and precursor to the great space adventurers, Byrd forces himself to unveil the depths of fear and determination when he alone is responsible for his survival. This book is one of the great adventure stories of the twentieth century and its factual account rivals any piece of fiction.

This book is great! I've read at least half the questions so far and I keep getting sidetracked by them. I've had to think of my life and friendships and work and relationships on whole new ways. Some of these I can't even answer, but they keep coming back to me, hours or days later. Definitely a hot conversation starter. Highly recommended

My girlfriends and I just had a slumber party the other night. After many bottles of wine... this book came out. It was the best way to get to know about your friends and having a great time while you're at it. Good for after dinner with friends when you want to sit around and not let the evening end!

When I first came upon this book, I picked it up and read the title out loud, thinking to my self what is this? I opened the book and read the first question on that particular page I had opened it up on. I stood there, thinking for what was probably 2 minutes for an answer, and became so involved in the book I answered to myself the next 3 questions on the page. I decided to buy the book, thinking this would be a great small party game, for couples and for your own self enjoyment!! Definatly a great book to add to your collection.

Amazing. Simply amazing.I bought this book after seeing the author perform in a recent symphony concert here in Cleveland. I was completely stunned by this mans' talent, his candor and rapport with the audience. Imagine a cross between Bobby Mc Ferrin and a one man "STOMP" and you will get the idea. I could not believe I had never heard of him before. Wanting to find out more I discovered this Book and CD. It is a glorious introduction to world music and percussion delivered in a completely personal way. This is a book that just about anyone could deeply enjoy, a perfect gift book. And not just for drummers!

The passion and intensity of this book is obvious from start to finish. I would make love to the photographer for the ocean drum shot alone. My house is decorated in the warm and wonderful tones of the cover shot. Buy this book for someone you love, someone you don't like, and then someone you hardly know. You won't regret it.

I simply love this book and CD and so have the many other people I have given this book to. I am a former student of ethnomusicology and I recognise many of the resources Mr. Maffit has drawn upon but he has managed to make a beautiful and readable introduction to a vast subject. Kudos to the photographer as well. As to the reviewer on these pages that gave this book such a negative review, well you can't please evrybody can you? I give this book my strongest recommendation

While it is horrible how our nurses were treated as POWs, by this account they lived in relative safety and comfort compared to their male counterparts where many were killed for sport, used for medical experiments, etc. While the facts are shocking, they reinforce the story given me by a Swiss friend who was also interred by the Japanese in the Philippines. I found the book difficult to read not due to content but rather due to writing style.

I ordered this book for the story of the Guam nurses. I found it a very important addition to the history of military women, WWII in the Pacific and POWs. But I also found some basic factual errors in the part of the story I know something about; the invasion of Guam. Read this fascinating book for the personal stories and details of war/POW experiences, but check the military/historical details in other books. The writing is somewhat difficult to wade through and the appendices confused me. The titles of the tables imply that they cover all the women POWs written about, but (except for the listing of Guam nurses) they do not appear to include the Guam POWs. I finally decided that the one listing ages shows their age at release. (Some were surprisingly old - in their 50s, few in their 20s.) In all a very interesting topic that deserves wider recognition.

I thought I knew about Bataan and Corregidor before I read ALL THIS HELL. I thought I knew what it meant to be civilized. I thought I knew the meaning of the words depravity and atrocity. I thought I knew the meaning of the words courage, bravery and heroism. I thought I knew the meaning of the word, Hell. But there is the Hell you see, the Hell you may be able to escape and the Hell that has to be survived. This book should be mandatory reading for all human beings who consider themselves civilized as well all Americans who appreciate our freedom. If you do not appreciate freedom now, you certainly will after reading ALL THIS HELL. After reading this book, when I hear the word, "Veterans", I will always think of women as well as men.

BLACK MISCHIEF is the sixth Waugh book I've read, and it's one of his funniest. The plot concerns goings-on in the fictional African empire of Azania (which is supposed to be off the coast of present day Somalia). Civil war has just erupted, and an English educated Azanian named Seth ends up the victor. He gets caught up with the British legation, including frivolous Basil Seal (an acquaintance of the recurring Waugh character - Lady Metroland). Basil is made the Minister of Moderization and has Seth's constant ear. Naturally, things spiral downward from there. BLACK MISCHIEF starts off a bit slow, and the first 75 pages are a bit tedious and confusing. However, things really take off afterwards. Waugh is always funny, but this book has more laugh-out-loud moments than most of his novels. Highly recommended for fans of Waugh and good satirical novels.

The only humor today that even comes close to that of Black Mischief, is ironically, that of the outrageous, black comedians- otherwise Waugh rules.
The whole concept of the British in exotic countries is a farce, and when mixed with Waugh's equally lunatic native characters face to face with bizarre and inexplicable Western civilization- whew- anything could and does happen. There are no noble characters, of course, but redeeming fools, which is about as good as one can get in a Wauvian satire. My favorites are the animal rights ladies who come to Africa to see that the natives are treating their livestock well. These ladies, one named Miss Tin, land in the midst of a revolution and have to hit a driver in the head with a brandy bottle to get a ride to the English settlement. They followed a fellow anti-vivesectionist cleric who led the ministry of our `dumb chums.'
There is every kind of European religion stirring up trouble and as usual, the British are completely sequestered amongst themselves preoccupied with their gardens and other habits in blissful and selfish ignorance. The leader of these Imperialists is described as "a self-assured old booby." One of the titled females is named `Lady Everyman.'

The political relevance is so acute that it seems impossible that this was written in 1932. Waugh even seems to have some political consciousness in this book, certainly, he is gentler, on the whole while being enduringly funny. I would definitely place this as my second favorite Waugh. It has a gripping end and is a statement less of bigotry, (of which he probably was one, but who wasn't,) but also of the need to reevaluate what in the name of God all of the colonizing was about.

In the novel "Black Mischief", Evelyn Waugh portrays the clash between deep rooted african traditional mind and western civilizational values, in an highly funny, irreverent and iconoclastic way, making absolutely no concessions to lofty mindedness - the book was written in 1932 and I must advise that political correctness believers can be shocked with some of the expressions of Waugh's literary speech.

This is an ideal work to provoke laugh and more laugh, but is also an excellent point of start to reflect about the condition of the african continent, very especially, his post-colonial reality. Waugh's work, a simple satire in the 30's, became partially the sad picture of Africa's nowadays situation.

Available at www.amazon.com/uk, usually shipped in 24 hours.