I give The Adventures of Brer Rabbit and Friends to every new baby I know! As a parent, grandparent, early childhood educator and school board member, I am thrilled to find a book that meets my criteria for excellence. Karima Amin has skillfully combined the richness of the vernacular language with current concepts and expressions familiar to today's child. The colorful, active illustrations also draw us into the wonderful world of pranks, surprises, and fun. Sections on the African storytelling tradition, the Southern plantation world of Brer Rabbit, and the animals native to Southern USA deepen our learning and appreciation of the treasured tales we have in this lovely book. Brer Rabbit and Friends is perfect for lap reading, group reading, dramatization and learning to be a storyteller. Karima Amin's Brer Rabbit is truly every child's pal!

This is a very good book that my son loves to read over and over again at night:) It not only is entertaining for children, but it teaches them a lesson.

November is a chilly, leafless month where I live in Western New York. However I just finished re-reading The Adventures of Brer Rabbit and Friends as retold by performing storyteller Karima Amin, and it was like drinking a magic spring tonic. Instantly, I found myself transported to the warm, sun-drenched, dreamy world of Brer Rabbit and his myriad animal neighbors. The text of each story wraps and winds its way around the lush color illustrations by Eric Copeland, with a sprinkling of big, bold, bouncy exclamations of "Bookity-Bookity", "Splishy-splushy", and "Lippity-clippety" jumping out to grab your attention at just the right moment. The stories have a universal appeal because they reflect the "life lessons" we all struggle to learn when growing up - to pay attention, to get along with your neighbors, to use your natural abilities, to take time to laugh. Of course, these stories didn't appear out of thin air and the book includes insightful background on the historical context of these classic African American tales and their even-earlier African origins. The only way the publishers could have improved upon this well-done project would have been to offer a cassette or cd/book read-along package. That would have allowed readers the pleasure of following along as Karima Amin brings to life these charming oral tradition folk tales.

Soldiers are often the best of us. We honor them, we respect them and we look up to them. There is nothing more moving than seeing a brave soldier standing at the border of his/her nation with only one thought in his/her mind and heart... that as long as I am here, no will every harm my family, my people, my nation where I can practice my own beliefs. This book shows some of them at their jobs. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to see the human spirit and vigilance at it's best. Soldiers are the best of us, no matter what nation they belong to.

This is indeed a great effort by the authors. It revealed some of the exotic features of Pakistani Armed Forces. It unveiled some of those facts of Asian war strategies that were not yet discovered by the rest of the world. But this book needs to be updated half yearly due to the continuous change in the battle equipments and war planning in the Sub-Continent.

Very good high yield material,vignettes gear you for the real exam,must read in supplement with your review.

I found these books to be the best source for USMLE step 2 and step 3 exams. A lot of the cases were directly from these books. I scored extremely well in my exams and it was due to the detail, focused issues and the high-lighted aspects of this text that allowed me to score well. The books are highly recommeded. They do not have any MCQs but after reading these books inside and out you will be prepared to answer the majority of the questions correctly.

This marks the first volume of an ambitious anthology project headed by Seyyed Hossein Nasr and Mehdi Aminrazavi. The goal is eventually have 4-5 volumes. What is impressive about this work is that for the first time, many of the most important philosophical texts will be made available in contemporary and scholarly translations. While there is no shortage of books on Islamic philosophy, it has been very difficult to find accurate translations of Islamic philosophical texts. One would imagine that this project would be of interest to students of Islamic thought, as well as Aristotelian and Neoplatonic philosophy. We look forward to the future volumes which will deal with Isma'ili and Kalam texts as well. Highly recommended.

The author does an excellent job of showing the similarities in the teachings of Christianity and Islam.This book clearly highlights those chapters and verses in the Bible and Koran that carry the same message.Having never read the Koran, I had know idea that it has some of the same teachings as the Holy Bible.This book by Mustafa EL-Amin was a great help to me.I am sure it will be a great help to others. I highly recommend it.

The story of Samarkand is woven around the history of the manuscript of the Rubaiyaat of Omar Khayyam, from its creation by the poet and sage in eleventh-century Persia to its loss when the Titanic sank in 1912. Unwittingly involved in a brawl on the streets of Samarkand, Omar Khayyam is brought before a local judge who recognizes his genius as a poet and gives him a blank book in which to inscribe his verses. Thus the head of a great poet is saved and the Rubaiyaat of Omar Khayyam is born. The threads of his life become interwoven with the designs of the vizier, Nizam al Mulk, and of Hassan Sabbah, the founder of the Order of the Assassins who later hides the precious manuscript in his famous mountain fortress. At the end of the nineteenth century the poems fire the imagination of the West in Edward Fitzgerald's evocative translation. An American scholar learns of the manuscript's survival and recovers it with the help of a Persian princess. Together they take it on the fateful voyage of the Titanic.

What a book! I am totally in love with this Novel. Amin Maalouf deserves a lot of recognition and I hope he will get it.

For me, the book evokes feelings of nostalgia, pride, despair, hope and scorn among other feelings all while it immerses you in the state of affairs of the Orient over almost a thousand years. For those who are hopelessly sentimental it evokes passion and dreams of lovers, poetry and secret gardens. For those interested in history, it weaves in and out of momentous events and upheavals that are as common today in our world of the East as they ever were. I am sure that others will find all kinds of hidden treasures.

Reading Smarkand made me lament the fact that I could not read the book in the original language it was written in, but the English version is pretty good I must say. I seem to be unable to make up my mind whether turning this novel into a movie will do it justice.

In the end, I could not get over the disappearance of Shireen and the sinking of the Samarkand Manuscript with the Titanic, but I will quote Khayyam:

You ask what is this life so frail, so vain. 'Tis long to tell, yet I will make it plain; 'Tis but a breath blown from the vasty deeps, And then blown back to those same deeps again!

Where is the manuscript of Omar Khayyam's Rubaiyaat? A once empty book made out of the white mulberry branches' pulp according to an old Chinese recipe. A blank book that was given to Khayam by a "qadi" who recognized his genius as a poet.
"Whenever a verse takes shape in your mind, or is on the tip of your tongue, just hold it back. Write it down on these sheets." The Rubaiyaat were born in Samarkand in 1072 A.D. The manuscript is claimed to have vanished on the maiden voyage of the Titanic.

Maalouf spins fact and fiction and creates a fascinating tale of 11th-century Persia, with assassins and intrigues, and returns to it 900 years later through the eyes of an American searching for the manuscript.

This has got to be one of the more engaging historical fiction books I have ever read. Maalouf did an excellent and very thorough research. The text flows very nicely and the language is exquisite. It is what I call a rich book... A tale of war, politics, friendship, and betrayal. A tale of poetry and philosophy and of course history. It was such a sumptuous read, I was devouring all the details about the places such as Samarkand, Isfahan, Tabriz and about the characters Khayyam of Nishapur, Nizam al Mulk, and Hassan Sabbah, the founder of the Order of the Assassins, among many others.
Two exotic tales of romance between Khayyam and Jahan; and centuries later
between Benjamin and his Persian Princess, Shireen.

The suspenseful adventure tale of finding the manuscript is interwoven with a love story between Benjamin and Shireen and concludes with a final verse uttered. I think it best describes this book...
"You ask what is this life so frail, so vain
'Tis long to tell, yet will I make it plain
'Tis but a breath blown from the vastly deeps,
And then blown back to those same deeps again."

Maalouf kept me intrigued and thirsty for more and more. I couldn't quench my thirst any better that when I read the final words " Today I wonder: Did she exist?" So poignant, so beautiful right up to the last page.
I highly recommend this book and.. to the readers who are thinking of reading it...Here's a taste..
"Travelers are too great a rush these days, in a rush to arrive - whatever it takes. But you do not arrive only at your destination. At every step of the journey you arrive somewhere and with every step you can discover a hidden facet of our planet. All you have to do is look, wish, believe and love."
So do begin this Journey.. a Journey to another world.. another space and time..
This is a book to indulge yourself into. Just go with the flow and you'll soon be absorbed by it's magical aura.

I just finished reading this book (it took me two days) and I have to say that it was quite a joy and a change from Maalouf's other books. The writing style is, as usual, first rate and the difference lies in it being more creative and philosophical. While reading it one cannot help but wonder about the state of our world and the very likely scenarios set out here. This is even more important today with the seemingly limitless possibilities expected from genetic manipulation now that the human genome has been cracked. A very enlightening book that is a joy to read.

The First century after Beatrice was a perfect read. Short, making you want it more than anything too go on! Amin Maalouf writes melodies of words, sentances that are beautiful... His characters are clear and imaginable, but maintain a shadowy edge, as if a slight magic mist is with them at all times. The story is good. Believable. I don't want to use the term science fiction for fear of bringing robots into your head, it's not that at all. It is the best sort of science fiction. Brilliantly written, believable unreality. You are guaranteed to enjoy. Love Mari a xx

I have started reading Maalouf's books with Semekand and have always been impressed with the well-researched, perfectly-written historically based books of him. This time he compeletely changes his style and still handles of the best books I have ever read in my whole life... Not only the political estimations but also the characters are deeply thought. The way he criticised the enthusiasm of todays world on gene cloning is really impressive. If you want to think about the North-South relationships on the globe next century, this book will give you a certain perspective for sure. You should also read the gender relationships throughout the world from such a creative point of view... Definetely worth reading. I recommended this book to everybody I know.

This book revitalised my desire to read novels; for a long while, I thought novel was finished. But, no, not only it is not finished, it is still the best kind of reading. Maalouf manages to bring together all the essential elements: romance, gallantry, betrayal, suspense, surprise, hope, sorrow, pain, joy, you name it. I love reading his work but this one is something else. The scene where the hero meets his daughter in the asylum without actually knowing (but suspecting) who she is is going to make any reader tearful.

This is a very pleasant read. It is how a novel should be, effortless and touching essentially human issues, like love and destiny.

His third person narrative makes it interesting and allows Amin to voice his own thoughts throughout.

It is full of regional colors, characters and history, so typical of most of his writing. Quintessential Mediterane.

I was shocked to find out that his "Balthasar's Travels" is yet to be pubished here. I read the translation, it is a magnificient epic through medival Europe and Middle East, highly recommended also when it comes out this year. Amin is a master of historical context.

The heros of this book live a love story punctuated by wars, family tragedies and cultural and religious tensions. Most of the background events are the ones that have actually dominated our news for decades, but these folks actually live through it. In the end, their love seems to be the only thing that survives, or is it?

Highly recommended for a relaxing and warm reading that leaves a lasting taste and memory.

This is my personal favourite from Maalouf. For those who like his historical research, you will appreciate this Levantine history. For those who like a good novel, you will fall for his love story and for those who look for an eloquent narrator and an excellent writer, you will marvel at his words. This is one of very few books that made me cry!

I enjoyed the information in this book. It points out the numerous ways we are getting parasites inside our bodies, what they are doing to us, and how they affect us in so many ways.

What the author doesn't realize, however, that you can get rid of these parasites using minerals. Take one tablespoon of copper in the mornings, and in the afternoon you will take one tablespoon of zinc and one tablespoon of silver. These minerals must be angstrom sized, in liquid form, or it wont be effective. Copper kills parasites and makes them want to leave the body. Zinc and silver escort the dead carcasses out of the body for a complete "cleanse". It works as I've done this and I know many other people who have done this. Parasites have NO place in your bodies. They are destructive and you don't want them around!

All I can say is God Bless Ann Louise Gittleman. If it were not for this book that I brought with me into my physician's office, I would have never discovered that I had a chronic case of giardia. My doctor was dismissing my symptoms for the longest time and finally when I found Ann Louise's books, I realized that a parasitic infection can be misdiagnosed as flu, IBS, or even gall bladder disease. Now that I have taken the prescribed medication and am using Ann Louise's suggested natural herbs from Uni Key as a follow up, I am a new person. This book should be Mandatory reading for every high school student, college student and health minded individual in America.

I thought Ann Louise Gittleman did a wonderfully thorough job of exposing parasites in terms of where they come from, who gets them, and what we can do about it to prevent them. Her dietary information was right on in light of the current concerns about sugar and processed foods plus the herbal and homeopathic remedies really work. I think the overly sensitive reviewer from San Franciso should get with the program - This book tells it like it is and specifically states that parasites know no boundary regardless of gender, race, or economic level.

first of all i cannot commend Mukhtar enough for this great piece of work that he has put together in book form. it is definately an instructional treaties on how to organize and structure progress that can be measured. his writing style and scholarship is par-excellence. i encourage him to continue to evolve his abilities and give us many more books that can add to the great standard that he has set with this book.im an avid reader and i would put this book at the very top in terms of being motovational, instructional,and very informative. may Allah bless Mukhtar and his family for a great contribution to the muslim community in general and the muslim american society in particular. thanks. Imam.

Mukhtar Muhammed has done an excellent job in providing an analysis of organizational and leadership development issues within the Islamic context.

I appreciate his look at the transformational leadership that Muslim Americans experienced from 1975 to the present. His assessment of the decentralization that took place helped me understand more of what I experienced as a second generation Muslim who grew up in the Nation of Islam and later Orthodox Islam.

I also believe Prophet Mohammed's (SAW) model for business and strategic planning was well documented. I use this book as one of my main business guides as I work through organizational change at work, in the masjid, and the community at large.

Mukhtar Muhammad has written an insightful book on leadership that should interest all americans this day and time. This book is excellent reading for anyone seeking knowledge of Al-Islam and the proper leadership and management for the individual,the family, and the community.