The narrator of this novel, Malory Carrick, an American woman residing in Britain who returns home to visit her uncle Atlas and to learn the true story of her grandfather from his diaries who had been a "boughten boy" just after the American Civil War. Her grandfather Jonathan Carrick, a white boy is sold into slavery at age 4 for fifteen dollars to a struggling brutal Kansas Tobacco farmer Alvah Stoke. Jonathan lived his adolescence working endlessly at planting, harvesting, picking off tabacco worms, wrapping tobacco plugs, and his ultimate humiliation, getting beat and bullied by his vicious tormentor Stroke's son, George. To the Stoke family Jonathan was " an animal that you need just need to break", but the hatred towards George grew till Jonathan couldn't take anymore and beat him till he was surely dead, then he escaped at the age of 16 taking the Trans. Continental to Denver to finally be free. Twenty years later Jonathan gets an education he has always wanted and soon after he marries, has 4 kids, and becomes a successful farmer. However, he neither forgot nor forgave the past. Soon after he finds out that George Stoke is alive and well as the US Senator now a "fat, cobra of a politician" he becomes Jonathan's target once again.

Joan Brady writes the story with such feeling and heart about her grandfather that it touched me as well. Jonathan Carrick's story is unusual because he was a white slave, which made it more interesting for me to read because you don't hear of cases such as these. The story about Jonathan's life made a serious impact on her family through out the generations and it made me realize how important your families history is. I think Joan Brady did a good job making Jonathan's history one everyone will remember.

This is a tale of white slavery in 19th century America with a part-claim to authenticity, featuring many nice observations, descriptions and anecdotes. Some reviewer compared this book to Jack London, which has its merits - and whenever Brady tells her story like London would she is at her best. There are many memorable incidents, and the main protagonist's fate is drawing the reader in. When Jonathan makes his appearance as a small and babbling boy with a natural talent for invention, the novel is taking off. The descriptions of 19th century farmlife, of pioneers' Denver or the first visit to a brothel are really well done. Still I was not completely happy with this book. The fictitious narrator, a grand-daughter of Jonathan, jumps back and forth in time, rather obtrusively showing that slavery not only managed to destroy Jonathan's life but that of his children and childrens' children as well. Brady gives these characters room enough to disrupt the main story but not enough to make them really interesting. The novel seems to be a mixture of fiction and authentic biography which does not really work out in the end. "Theory of War" is a rewarding read, no doubt, but rather for its many well-executed scenes than as a whole.

I was fascinated by the way Brady traced the stain of Jonathan's experience through the lives of his children and grandchildren. Without knowing why, they replicated his dysfunctional understanding of human interaction, over and over again: failed relationships, crippling depression, emotional escapism, and stunted personal growth. We are each of us the sum of our predecessors' experiences, whether we like it or not.

I'm with the first review I read, discussing the Jewish-Jewish divorce rate vs. Jewish-Christian divorce rate.
It's important to note that this can be an issue even if you have a Jew and a Gentile who are both non-practicing,
because Judaism is an ethnic identity. Because if you are Jewish, there are a whole lot of people out there who don't like you, and this rich cultural history you have, and your non-Jewish partner will not "get it".
As someone with an agnostic Jewish mother and a non-practicing Christian father, who was raised nothing, I can say that it just does not work. My parents had arguments for years over the Jewish-Christian issue. They finally divorced over it. My mother found a Jewish agnostic like herself, and my father found another lapsed Christian.
I had an identity crisis for years until I discovered that I am Jewish (because of my Jewish mother) and decided to discover Judaism. When I marry I will marry a Jew because I value my heritage and I want my children to know who they are.
Spare your parents the grief, spare your kids the heartache, just do one faith and be done with it.

Here's a big truth that I dearly wish the author of this book had pointed out: In the United States, for the last fifteen years, Jewish-Jewish marriages have had a seven percent divorce rate, while Jewish-Christian marriages have had a staggering SIXTY PERCENT DIVORCE RATE. That's even higher than the whopping fifty percent in the U.S. at large!

The writer treats the profound spiritual, historical, and cultural differences between Jews and Christians as matters that can be merely discussed and negotiated away. But in reality, there is no amount of planning, talking, agreement, or compromise that can undo this truth. Obviously there are tremendously important issues at stake, that run very deep into the core of who are are as individuals, and the kind of couple and family we are trying to create.

And here's another issue not really addressed by the author at all: For those couples who will marry and have "interfaith" children, certainly you have countless options for the religious upbringing of your kids. That's only ONE thing to consider. A much more profound issue for offspring of interfaith marriages as they grow into adulthood is often, "Why did my father (or mother) wind up having to cancel out his (or her) spiritual identity in order to satisfy someone else?"

Aside from that, the book is fine.

As someone about to begin an interfaith marriage, I found this book to be the most helpful of all the books I read. It has examples of how other people, from all different perspectives, have tackled many of the different problems of a Christian-Jewish marriage. It is easy to read and sparked many discussions to help us understand what we wanted. I think we now know some of the issues that are going to come up along the way, and at least now we have begun to understand where we both are and started working out ways to deal with them. I would really recommend this book. I'm even sending it to my parents so that they can also understand how this works a little more.

When they read accounts of western near-death experience to the Dalai Lama all he had to say was that he didn't believe them because the people who experienced them reported being greeted by dead relatives and dead relatives "would have to have taken rebirth in some realm long before." He went on to say that this was "only barely possible." He didn't claim to have any firsthand knowledge of this whatsoever, and in fact when once asked if he could point to anyone he actually knew who had attained enlightenment all he could say was: "There MAY be someone in caves somewhere."

He also didn't buy that the light people see in near death experiences was the same as the "clear light of the void." He politely only said they could be considered "analagous" or something of that sort. And when asked in this book to point to even just very advanced meditators who could go into the "clear light" at will, he only said it would be very difficult because "they are all so scattered" and also that such people are uncooperative because they are "stubborn."

So, honestly, at this point one might as well be talking with the Pope or a methodist minister in the sense that here is someone with a belief system who never seriously questions it. In other words, his belief system is "gospel" which is of course a way of saying it's beyond question. Ok, everyone get angry at me, because I'm asking if we in the west haven't overrated the tibetans because of their huge reputation for esoteric knowledge bestowed on them by such questionable people as Madam Blavatsky and Gurdjieff. Thankyou and I apologize to those of you who are now angry because I have questioned the unquestionable.

Several moderm day researchers spend a week with the Dalia Lama and discuss the topics of the books title. The material delivered from the Dalai Lama himself is the best part of this book.

Can you imagine a conversation about the essence of art taking place between, oh, say, Picasso and art therapists who treat mental patients, and some chemists who concoct formulaes for oil paints? Something like that is taking place here. The title alone is enough to pique your interest, but the content is less than secret-divulging. If you're not a neurologist,or a specialist in a related area,then much of the material presented by the neurologist will be for all practical purposes useless. If you're not familiar with the basic assumptions of esoteric buddhist psychology, then much of what HH Dalai Lama has to say will sound like so much dogma or articles of faith. I know next to nothing about brain sciences, but am academically acquainted with the buddhist conception of reality, so I found what the Dalai Lama had to say both interesting and amusing. Interesting, because he speaks as plainly as he can about things that are usually wrapped in some hairy buddhist language. Amusing, becuase the Dalai Lama would show utmost courtesy in listening to all the dry academic presentations, which even I found somewhat tedious, and then offer his views about the matter at hand by often beginning with what sounds like a gentle correction rather than a positing of difference of perspective only. I paraphrase from memory: "Well, your numbers and theories are all very nice, but no, it's actually like this." Some of the discussions on REM, and animal responses to dream states are interesting, but just merely interesting. Better on the Discovery channel. Much of the philosopher Charles Taylor's presentations concerning the Western/Christian conception of the Self is reliable but elementary. And dealing with the subject matter at hand, even an eminent philosopher can do only so much with Ratio alone. The book is of some value if one is willing to be open to the possibility that the Dalai Lama may be speaking of things that are real but not measurable, at least not with knobs and dials. Not yet. He never mentions it specifically in the book, but the idea of rebirth and the attendant conditions are indirectly there, for example when he questions the authenticity of the phenomenon of seeing one's departed ones in a near-death experience. He says, "Maybe the person is hallucinating at that point or projecting a wish. They (the loved ones who departed long ago) would have found new bodies by then." Taken as an record of an encounter with the Dalai Lama, this book sheds some light into that aspect of the man that won't show up when he is on Larry King or speaking of compassion to the multitude in Central Park. The guy is a professional in his own field, after all, and he knows his chops. Here, refreshingly enough, he sheds some of his avuncular "hey, be cool, people!" image and divulges some of his professional knowledge at a speed and intensity of delivery considerably higher than the mass media have shown him to be capable.

The Little Hippo's Adventure is an entertaining story by Lena Landstrom about three young and fun loving young hippos looking for adventure. They are anxious to jump from up high into the river below, anxious to trek through the jungle to the cliff, and anxious to jump from way up high on their dive platform in the river. Along the way they learn to watch out for each other and to listen to Mrs. Hippopotamus. They also learn what the real dangers are on the river. I think the illustrations are actually cuter than the story. Lots of fun for those little adventurers out there.

What is it that makes this book irresistible? Maybe the lovely illustrations, which are so warm and inviting that the jungle rolls into your living room. Maybe the funny plot, which centers on three little hippos who long for an adventure but aren't quite ready for what comes along with it. But mostly, I think, the child-like heart of the story. These little hippos have big dreams--they want to jump off Tall Cliff--but are cheerfully oblivious to their own limitations. They can't remember what to be scared of in the jungle, they can't remember what to look out for on the way home, and even though they decide that Tall Cliff is really too tall to jump from, they are just as thrilled and proud to jump from a lower ledge. Perhaps most importantly, the lessons they learn go down easy and never seem to spoil their fun. This is a real charmer.

I don't have any children, but the cover caught my attention so I read the book. The story may be slightly confusing in places, but the illustrations are adorable. Everyone that I show it to loves it.

First of all, let me make one thing quite clear: I am for the legalization of all drugs, I get really annoyed when people speak against marijuana, I am repulsed by the lies and propaganda that groups like DARE use against pot, and overall, I think pot is pretty cool--if you use it wisely. This book is a frivolous castle in the air. It presents all of the benefits, including some Ms Bello made up herself, and doesn't show you any of the downsides. In my experience, and in the experience of many of my friends, there are dangers as well as benefits regarding this plant. Marijuana is not some thing you can casually pick up and allow to fill your life; it can very easily take over your whole livelihood. In order to become a conscientious and responsible pot-smoker, you need to set limits for yourself, know when and when not to smoke, take up plenty of interests besides drugs, balance being "high" with being "normal", and above all, take the plant seriously! According to this book, smoking pot is like drinking water: 100% harmless, you can do it anytime you want and as much as you want, and without it, you're toast. ...This book automatically makes marijuana less safe than it would be otherwise! There are plenty of other books that will give a more balanced pro-and-con view of the old bhang! This is nothing but propaganda, equal and opposite to the propaganda used by DARE!

I found this book so over the top it was absurd. In one chapter it actually states that most people who try pot don't feel any difference at all and wonder what all the fuss is about. Give me break. I'm not anti marijuana, but I do feel there is a time and place to use it. The author seems to shove her opinion down your throat that all the cares in the world would be solved if people were to stay stoned as much as possible. Of course the economy as we know it would collapse but we would be too stoned to care. I thought the book would give a more factual account of the pros and cons I was dissappointed that it turned out to be such a fairy tale.

Joan Bello adresses feelings I have always had but I was not sure why. Now it makes a lot more sense. One big bonus in reading this book was I now try to pay a lot more attention to my inner self when I am in this higher state of consciousness as opposed to watching TV or something mundane like that. I try to expose myself to more stimulations than I use to. One other thing that I have noticed is I can really feel the depressing nature of alcohol way more than I use to. I have always had the feeling but I did not pay much attention to it. Now I find it really easy to tune into and it turns me off. This book is very interesting, a touch difficult to read in parts but in the end it improves your awareness of yourself and of this little beautiful plant that I have embraced for most of my life.

...this shouldn't be it. As a woman, I agree that someone ought to write a book about this subject, but Joans hasn't done it justice. She admits speaking with only one "Biker Chick" (author's caps) and nevertheless produces a whole slew of generalizations--based on what? Observation without interview doesn't make anthropology. Many premises are established (shakily) and then contradicted only pages later. Apparently she "interviewed" a bunch of her friends, threw together some poorly supported conclusions and wound up with this book. The scholarship is too poor to make it an academic work, and there aren't enough good stories to make it a general interest work. Save your money, or read The Perfect Vehicle instead.

This was an informative and enjoyable book, especially for the targeted audience. As an earlier reviewer wrote, it is not a scholarly treatise with data, so if you're an academic looking for such, you'll be disappointed. But for the motorcyclist and passenger, especially the Harley owner, it's a good read. Basically, the female author offers her opinions on Harley owners and passengers, based on her fairly recent involvement in the lifestyle. She categorizes and describes both male and female enthusiasts. Being female, and since females constitute most of the passengers and are such statistical outliers as riders, the author spends most of her time on female related issues. Her anecdotes, and those of the females she interviewed, of their riding experiences are both informative and entertaining. As a fairly recent Harley owner, I really benefitted from her insights, and I recommend the book to all my riding friends, especially the females.

BIKE LUST is a unique, forceful and informative ethnography in which Barbara Joans takes the reader inside the minds and hearts of an emergent, important and incompletely understood American subculture. She tells much of this story in the language and with the forcefulness of a cultural insider.
I know of no account of Harley culture like it. The examples are clear and cleanly and drawn, not only in the manner of a professional anthropologist but also as a storyteller with a sharp ear for language.
Joans comes to the task with particularly apt credentials, and the originality of her technique illuminates the character of the group she represents. An accomplished anthropologist with an established reputation in the field, Joans
has not written simply an anthropologist's monograph, but by adopting the voice of her study population, she brings the reader inside the community; she makes the events and the people come alive. This combining professional precision with subcultural patoise, enhances the portrayal. You find yourself seeing through biker's eyes, hearing and absorbing biker terminology and world view, and feeling the clamminess of water-soaked clothing after a stormy night's ride.
Because of Joans' highly accessible style, often invisible prose, and the intrinsic interest of the material, the work will have broad appeal. "Bike Lust" should find extensive readership among the general public because of its readability,
and because of the adventures it recounts. A significant part of Joans' contribution to this literature is her use of both masculine and feminine perspectives in equally engaging ways. For this reason it might be argued that Joans' work is the first effectively ethnographic study of this subculture.

I listened to this book on cassette, and then skimmed the paper version. This particular literary outing of Ms. Lunden and her co-author is disappointing.
Lunden's use of her own life as the model of "10 Positive Principles for Dealing with Change" is unrealistic -- possibly even more so when you hear her own voice expecting you to sympathize with her as she gets up at 4 am, and sympathize again as she struggles to get out of the early-rising habit following her departure from Good Morning America. The author CHOSE that life-style.
The author, as portrayed by the book, is a combination goddess and martyr -- never making a mistake, and yet ever-suffering and brave. Supposedly not slamming the network during her last show is an example of her maxims "take the high road" and "don't burn your bridges." She doesn't mention the unkind comments she made about her husband in the media during their divorce (e.g. Good Housekeeping 11/92).
When she states, "remove failure as an option," she seems to give no thought that a multi-million-dollar income national celebrity has a few more options than most of us. If I'm ever asked to be the guest headliner of a Las Vegas show, or to ride along in a U-2 spy plane, I'll certainly remember Lunden's advice to be brave and go through with it. And I'll be sure to get lots of sleep before considering all those offers to be the star of a TV show, or be spokesperson for a national product. (Yes, she really does use these examples.)
Most readers who are not national celebrities will not identify with the "poor little rich girl." For these readers, her supposed struggles are fantasyland. For $7700 per morning, she can get up on time. Yes, of course, the rich and famous do have real feelings and issues: Lunden simply doesn't touch on those in this book.

I picked this audio book up in a discount store. It was truely what I call a diamond in the rough. Sometimes people give them selves a self evaluation and feel that they need to make changes in their lives but just don't know how or where to begin. I am at that point and thru much prayer my answer came from this book. It makes you realize that though change is a part of life and sometimes it is vital, it is how we handle it that can make the difference. I've read the reviews and I while they are all different it is how we view something as to how we will benefit from it. There are some things I did not agree with and I chose not to focus on those things. There was much that I can use to my advantage and I choose to do just that. My whole life is about to change. From a person who felt that there was no hope I can say keep looking and keep praying. Faith is the substance of things hoped for. Keep an open mind and an open heart and be ready to recieve the blessings.

I recently read this book AGAIN. Joan has so many stories to inspire YOU to find the courage to make the necessary changes in your life. I'll admit I've thought the world of Joan Lunden for a long time and having worked in TV myself for many years, I enjoyed the "inside" stories. However, this book played an important role in helping me to tap into more of the courage, confidence and creativity I needed in making my own career change to authoring my first book, KIDS RULE! The Hopes and Dreams of 21st Century Children. This book gives you even more reasons to love, respect and embrace Joan Lunden and the adventurer inside you!

I bought this book because the cover and inside photographs were very appealing; unfortunately, there's not much else to the content. The recipes are complicated and misleadingly time-consuming. Save your money.

My mother in law, who likes steak and potatoes, would hate this book. But I love it, because it provides relatively easy recipes for mega-sophisticated meals...think pomegranite-glazed duck, unusual fruit desserts like grilled mango (much,much better than it sounds) and a to-die-for spin on grilled vegetables with orange-blossom honey. Just the thing to inspire a cool dinner party!

My one caveat: the ingredients are a bit high-falutin'---fennel pollen? But for foodies, a book like this is a godsend because it refuses to talk down to readers. One section explains the book's unusual ingredient and gives internet sources for them, which is quite helpful.

From the glitzy cover encased in Mylar, to the gorgeous photographs as composed as still life paintings, to the demanding quality of the ingredients (hand-harvested diver scallops for the seviche), to the splashy flavors of the food -Moroccan Spiced Shrimp with Artichokes and Pomegranate, Arugula with Manchego, Roasted Almonds and Quince Dressing, Parmigiano-Reggiano Pudding, Spiced Fruit Soup with Ginger and Toasted Almond Ice Cream - this book is designed for readers as well as cooks.

New York chef Kenney's (he grew up in Maine) Mediterranean cooking focuses on top-quality ingredients (the first chapter includes online food sources and shopping techniques), fresh, bold flavors and kitchen efficiency. Organized by cooking technique - "Simply Raw to Barely Cooked," "Roasting Fast and Slow," "Simmering Stews and Hot Pots," Kenney plans for a small kitchen, minimizing mess and chaos whatever the space. Though ingredient lists are sometimes long, assembly is usually quick and presentation is spectacular: Seared Tuna with Ginger Dressing, for instance, or Maple-Balsamic Glazed Pork Chops with Pecans and Ginger. This is a book for fun, for inspiration, for wowing guests with food that looks flashier than it is.

I was given this book for Christmas. I read it and was terribly disapointed. It was too long, and as a former review put it, preachy. When I read the cover, I thought it sounded good. I was wrong. When I got to many parts, I was shocked. I am a Christian, and I didn't agree with th author putting all those gay couples in the book. As I was reading, I thought it was bad enough that she was showing me they were married or whatever they called it in the book. ........................... And all the Sharers were gay, too. Eventually that gets old! I don't recommend this book to anybody.

I am not a big fan of sci-fi books (mainly secluded to Kurt Vonnegut), but this book was engrossing. It wasn't a great literary feat, but it kept me interested. It is good FICTION.

Slonczewski does a fantastic job of creating different cultures in this novel. Many SF novels suffer from poorly thought out cultures; a particular problem is that of monoculture, when the various cultures presented in the book have only superficial differences. Ms. Slonczewski avoids that completely. There are, by my count, four main cultures in this book: the ageless Elysians, the Clickers from Bronze Sky, the Urulites, and the Sharers. There are also several other cultures which play a less important part in the book.

Each of these cultures is completely distinct from the others, with regard not only to manners, customs, and dress, but also some of their fundamental assumptions about how human society should be organized. The interplay between members of these cultures -- their conversations, arguments, and differing opinions -- bring to life a novel which might otherwise have been tedious. Excellent reading!

I met Joan Didion the day she came to El Salvador. We talk for about one hour and though I find her a most inteligent woman, his ideas about the country and the civil war shocked me as completely fantastic, I thought that at the end of her visit, her ideas would be very different.
I was very surprised when I read her book several years ago. It was our conversation, as if it was written before she came to El Salvador. She first made her conclusions, then she came to the country to pick some anecdotes that fit them. Too bad. The book is a waste of paper and ink

"Salvador" completely discredits Joan Didion and all of her books. The two weeks she is believed to have "lived" in El Salvador was actually a mere four hours. Any truths in this book, and there are but a handful, have been obtained by outside sources, not by her own "research." I lived in El Salvador when she came in to gather info for her story. It is an outrage that she so flippantly used the sufferings of the Salvadorans to effect personal gain. If you want to read fiction, go ahead. She's a good storyteller. As a service to yourself, however, keep in mind that the author has almost zero first hand knowledge of what she writes. The only reason I have the book at all is that my father gave it to me. What a shame that he wasted his money on this piece of trash.

Didion's uncanny ability to use the words and mechanics of the English language to convey particular meanings is lustfully breathtaking. A fine line between the writings found inside a diary and a journalist's objective reportings, Joan Didion's _Salvador_ conveys El Salvador's civil war in ways that only she could. An outsider to the region, Didion's writings do not attempt to account for the chronological history of the civil war. Instead, she uses this diaretic format to help the reader enter into a world so foreign from the luxury-plagued U.S. that both Joan and her readers are left out of place, struggling to come to terms with the terror then reigning across El Salvador's tropical countryside--all along forcing her readers to confront the odious role played by our nation's then Vietnam Syndrome inflicted CIA. (May I also suggest the movie _Salvador_,...It is based on the diary of another freelance journalist/photographer who covered the civil war in El Salvador at the same time as Didion. These two works will move your mind and your heart, altering the way you look at the world as well as our country.)