This was an excellent and interesting romantic suspense. Shane and Dani were great characters and the action takes place in the US, Aruba and Tibet. I love Ann Maxwell/Elizabeth Lowell's books they never disappoint and this one won't either!

This book was Awesome!!! I tried this book because I am a big fan of her books written as Elizabeth Lowell. I wasn't sure what to expect at first. As I read, I could not put this book down. It wasn't your average romance novel, it had a plot with suspense, along with many interesting characters. I would recommend this book to everyone. The two main characters, Dani and Shane were great together. This book was a great combination of drama, suspense, and romance.

Impressive. Very impressive. Read it, and you'll see what I mean. I love the plot, the suspense, I love the characters - strong, powerful, intelligent, independent types.

Worth every cent.

Ever since I read Heinrich Harrer's "Seven Years in Tibet" six years, then the later "Return to Tibet" by the same author, I was hooked to Tibet, the Tibetan people, the Tibetan land, the Tibetan mountains, the Tibetan monasteries, everything Tibetan. I have cultivated an unspeakable tie to this unique land and its people. I began screening movies such as Kundun and Seven Years in Tibet. I have imagined and pictured Tibet according to Harrer's lively and mindful description during his residence in Lhasa. "The Spirit of Tibet" graciously allows me, for the very first time, to see Tibet unveiling its mysterious yet solemn beauty. A few other readers have complimented on the artistics and aesthetics of this collection. The collection really touches me because it communicates an unfailing passion. After the Chinese invasion in 1950, it is the Tibetan spirit and passion that sustain and unite the country and its people. When you look through the pictures, try to look into the Tibetans' eyes. Behind these eyes you will free yourself from the ordinary and see their life struggles, one and one, rooted deep in their mind and soul.

As a photographer and teacher of the photo arts it is easy to realize the quality of capturing the humanity of the people in this beautiful book. Alison Wright has done an excellent job. Place this in you home so that the tragedy that has been inflicted on the Tibetan people by the brutal and ruthless government of China is not forgotten.

Additional reads on the subject should include Tears of Blood / A Cry For Tibet by Mary Craig and for those who like their history in the style of Hollywood check out Kun Dun by Martin Scorcese, 7 years in Tibet, and Little Budda.

This book will move you to write your elected officials and ask them to support policies that will get China out of Tibet. You may also want to visit the official website for the Government of Tibet in Exile.

This book is beautifully shot by a truly skilled photographer -- a must have for anyone with an interest in photography or of the people of Tibet.

This book's focus on contemporary Vietnamese literary sources through the years makes it absolutely unique in the field. Its blend of straight history narrative and multiple-voice literature excerpts fleshes out Vietnamese society in a way that was sorely needed in the field. To those well-read in Asian studies: this book can almost be seen as a Vietnam analog to Patricia Ebrey's book "Chinese Civilization: A Sourcebook," which is a collection of contemporary Chinese sources through history.

The history is instructive and concise, with little excess prose. Jamieson writes in an eminently readable style, and focuses on the most interesting events in order to keep the reader from being bored. He does a pretty good job of giving both Northern and Southern Vietnamese viewpoints, although he does focus a little more than would be preferable on South Vietnam, especially in the later parts of the book. The twentieth century chapters do a better job than almost any book on the market in focusing on the Vietnamese, rather than on the multi-decade war in which they fought.

My only complaint is that the extended yin/yang analogy used to explain societal trends was not very helpful. On the whole, though, I'm really impressed.

I think this book is amazing! Jamieson accuately protrays Vietnam and Vietnamese culture through the eyes and views of the Vietnamese in a way never before written by a Westerner. He is articulate of the moods and feelings faceing the Vietnamese, well educated in the arts and literature of Vietnam, understands the importance to the core family structure, and scholarly in his research of what it means to be Vietnamese. I highly recommend this book if you want to understand the Vietnamese people who live in Vietnam, in the US, or anywhere...

This is a somewhat difficult book to understand, although it turns out to be a gem.

The author sets out to demonstrate that Vietnamese society, history, and culture from 1700 to 1990 revolve around the yin and yang system. While harmony derives from a balance between these two elements, an imbalance on the other hand results in revolution and war. The forces, which have been pulling the Vietnamese community apart since 1920, came to a head-on battle in 1945-50.

During the 1954-1975 war, the northern yang being stronger and more refined than the southern one led to a northern invasion and collapse of South Vietnam. The hegemony and repression of the north, however, caused a violent reaction of the southern yin during the post 1975 years: exodus of hundreds of thousands of boat people, and refusal of farmers to participate in the collectivization of the agriculture causing a decrease in productivity. Those who could not escape survived by peddling their belongings at flea markets, which over a period of time grew into a vibrant capitalistic system thanks in part to the money sent home by relatives abroad, especially in the U.S. A decade later, the southern economy rebounded while the northern counterpart floundered. This led to a reversal of the dogmatic northern policy and implementation of the "doi moi" policy in 1985.

The author also suggests that happiness and prosperity cannot come to Vietnam unless true freedom and basic human rights are respected.

The American Library Association has voted "Understanding Vietnam" the 1994 Outstanding Academic Book.

First of all, let me say that this is not light reading. Lynn Pan was on a mission when she began researching this book and she left no stone unturned. The immeasureable hours that she must have put into the preliminary parts of the actual writing shine through brightly. Miss Pan obviously was or became well traveled in preparation for this book seeing as how it covers the Chinese diaspora all across the globe. Her personal experiences in England and some in the U.S. no doubt were the cornerstones of the inspiration for this monumental work but the immense scope of the finished product is a true gift to the Chinese community. Tracing the immigration patterns of the Chinese focusing mainly on the last two centuries, Sons of the Yellow Emperor is an in depth look at the hot spots across the world where the Chinese have taken up residence. From Thailand, Malaysia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the U.S., England, Canada, Australia and so on, Miss Pan has outlined the defining characteristics of the places and people dwelling therein down to the very mainland roots of the different Chinese sects, Hokien, Fukien, etc., and their influences in the regions they spread into as well as how they were influenced by those regions. To top it all off, Miss Pan breaks each section down into short biographies of certain influential historical figures, showing their relevence to their time and place and what bearing they had within the history of the Chinese diaspora. I won't pretend to be educated on this topic at all, but I can tell you that Lynn Pan has eked out a summation of a new branch of history, and done so in such a manner as to be exhaustively informative and delightfully entertaining. Recently, I was in a bookstore and saw her newest work. I suppose it is an addendum to Sons of the Yellow Emperor. It is an Encyclopedia of the Chinese Diaspora huge and filled to the brim with captioned photographs and more insight into this branch of historical writing. Well done; and both works certainly fill a void and bring something of great interest to light for anyone curious.

A well informed book about the subject. The author gave a very interesting and in depth view of the history of the Chinese and how they strived to survived and survived overseas.

Reading the book has insipred me to want to read further about events that has shaped the history of the Chinese ie the Opium War.

Definitely a book every Chinese and everyone else should read.

The book gives a well researched and important explanation of the Migration of Chinese people in the 19th Century. It explains many issues that we see every day as we recognize the strength of the Chinese communities in many parts of the world. It may be an important history to tell Chinese youth today about the struggles of their ancestors.

This is not just a book but a comprehensive education for anyone concerned with the love-hate relationship between American and China. Too bad it came out at such a late date. To me, both and Korean and Vietnam wars might have been avoided had it come out in the late 1940s or early 1950s

simply using the United States, via Stilwell. The war with the Japanese was a convenience in aid of the real issue--waging war against the Communists.

"Stilwell and the American Experience in China" is a very interesting biography of one of America's great military leaders. It engages the reader on several levels.

Mrs. Tuchman weaves a study of an era in China's history around the biography of General Stilwell. The period spans approximately one hundred years, beginning with the Opium Wars of the mid 19th century. The history concludes with the Chinese Communists' assumption of power in 1949. Barbara Tuchman's research and analysis of the events and people who lived during this period provide a partial explanation for the success of the Communist revolution. She accomplishes this through her intriguing character studies of the main protagonists, Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Tse-tung, and President Franklin Roosevelt. The character studies suggest the motivation for their decisions.

Mrs. Tuchman also effectively exposes the vastly different management styles of the Allied military and political leaders. They include Churchill, Mountbatten, Roosevelt, Marshall, Eisenhower, Chiang Kai-shek, and Stilwell. She reveals how these men attempted to exert influence over each other in deciding the conduct of the war. She identifies which men prevailed in these negotiations. This book would serve as an excellent reference on management for either civilian or military leaders.

Mrs. Tuchman also provides interesting insights into the personalities of Major General Claire Chennault of the Flying Tigers and General George Marshall, who also authored the plan that restored Europe's economy after the war. She helps us understand the basis for their fame and determine whether they were worthy of the recognition they received.

Finally, this is a compelling biography of a man who played a significant role in World War II, but received little recognition during his lifetime. She details the reasons why General Stilwell is not as famous or held in the same regard as the other great military leaders of WWII. Even so, Mrs. Tuchman's analysis forces the reader to conclude that General Stilwell's devotion to this country and the people of China was unsurpassed.

I would like to see this book released again, so that more people can learn about General Stilwell and America's relationship with China during World War II.

One of the earliest (1986) accounts from the survivors of the Pol Pot regime, "The Stones Cry Out" seems to have set the style and standard for another more recent child's-eye perspective on the same era, "When Broken Glass Floats". The minute details of everyday life, not abstract poltical assessments, form the basis for our childhood memories. The author's account carries an unvarnished realism which draws the reader into her film-like image of daily life under threat of starvation and execution. This is probably as close as a reader can come to the truth of events in Cambodia during 1975-79. Oral histories such as "The Stones Cry Out" are perhaps the best way for survivors of human rights abuses to indict the perpetrators. Sadly, tribunals driven by international politics are unlikely to have the same impact as the simple testimony of a victimized child. Highly recommended reading for all those with an interest in human rights, Cambodia, and Southeast Asian culture.

Actualy I would rate this 4 and 1/2 stars.

Having read "First they killed my father" by Loung Ung It would be difficult for me to review this book with out comparing it to Loung Ung's memoir.

Both are essentially the same story, a young upper middle class girl living in Phnom Phen in april of 1975 when thier life, family and happiness are torn from them by the khmer rouge.

Many of thier experinces are similar as you might expect (long hours in forced labor, family deaths, witnessing murder ect..) but each has a unique story of thier own.

The writing styles also vary greatly and this is where Loung's "First they killed my Father is the better" book. Molyda tells her story in a very straight foward manner. Her discriptions of murder, torture and rotting corpses are alomost clinical in tone as if she is afaid to visit or express her real feelings at the time (and who could realy blame her) we are giving only hints about her family and life before April 17th 1975 (to be fair this may be in part to spare distant family members still in Cambodia from retalation)

In Loung's book however we are treated to two light hearted chapters discribing her life in Phnom Pehn before April 17th 1975 this gives the reader a chance to feel they realy know her, her brother's, sisters and parents thier strengths and weakness'.

Loung's memoir is far more emotional in tone and feeling leaving the reader almost gasping for air at points.

For those overly squimish that makes "The Stones Cry Out" the better of the two books. It is also the better of the two books if your sole interest is the surrounding history of the killing fields.

But for those just wishing to read a great emotional book "first They killed My father" is the better choice but I would highly recomend both to all.

I am a 12 year old reader, and this book was heart-breaking. It is so sad that something like this hapenned, and so many peoples' lives were destroyed. Molyda Szymusiak's story makes me realize how lucky I am to enjoy my freedoms.

In 1890, Fragrant Lotus is a young Chinese girl who loves her grandmother very much. But one day her grandmother decides it is time that she bind her granddaughter's feet, a tradition going back a thousand years, and Fragrant Lotus' life changes forever.

Though having bound feet is exceedingly painful, her grandmother does an extremely good job and through the beauty of her feet, Fragrant Lotus is able to move up through society and gain wealth, power, and prestige normally out of reach for the lower-class. However, the Communist revolution is coming.

Where once Fragrant Lotus was the epitome of female beauty, in the 20th Century, footbinding becomes a symbol of the "old" China...a China that the government wants to escape. Fragrant Lotus continues to 'stand up' for footbinding, but it is a losing battle.

In this book of fiction, the author draws comparisons between the bound feet of Chinese women and the "bound" minds of modern China after the Communist revolution. Readers of Chinese fiction, literary fiction, historical fiction, and those interested in Chinese history will devour this novel.

What a treat it is to stumble upon a master storyteller! Feng Jicai tells this story with brilliant wit and intelligence. Kudos to the translator as well. He uses historical references to fill the reader in on the tradition of foot binding, as well as weaves a creative plot. The book focuses on Fragrant Lotus, a girl who has her feet bound in the golden lotus style, and her father-in-law, who collects daughters-in-law to serve his foot fetish. He and his other "lotus loving" friends have contests and long debates in their quest for the perfect bound feet. Fragrant Lotus eventually reigns supreme in the family by virtue of her stylish feet, but Jicai uses an ironic twist at the end of the book to ask the reader an underlying political question-- why the people of China have participated in things that caused them to suffer, such foot binding and the Cultural Revolution, and why social change often comes about with cruelty. This question is all the more touching because Feng Jicai's family was persecuted during the Cultural Revolution.

Subtitled "a novel of foot binding", this book was first published in China in 1986 by the enormously popular Chinese writer, Feng Jicai and translated into English in 1994.

Told as a "once upon a time" story, the writer skillfully combines myth, reason and a compelling tale while bringing the reader into the world of the "three-inch golden lotus", the tiny bound feet of Chinese women.

Everything I have ever wondered about this fascinating custom is right here in this book. From the agonies inflicted upon young girls whose childhood includes broken bones and searing pain to the high esteem these tiny feet bring them as adults, it's all here, including the group of men who erotically adore them.

Set in the early part of the 20th century, Fragrant Lotus has her feet bound by her grandmother as an act of love and tradition. Later, her small feet catch the eyes of a wealthy man who makes her the bride of his oldest son. The women of the family all compete in family "foot contests" at which "lotus loving" friends of her father-in-law spend hours debating the fine points of the history of foot binding and its many nuances.

Through the years, Fragrant Lotus becomes the head of the family and comes face to face with the changing movement to outlaw foot binding.

At only 229 pages, this book is a great read on many levels. The writer really captures the world he has set out to describe, does a excellent job of characterization and keeps the tension high with his minute descriptions of the foot contests. He also has a way of making this all into a satirical tall tale as the concepts of truth and reality are constantly explored. Deceptively simple, this story has a far deeper meaning as a metaphor for the cultural revolution as standards of beauty change.

Highly recommended.

Fine color drawings by Nicholas Debon bring the Chinese topics to life. Warlord's Puzzle tells of a fierce warlord in China who receives a ceramic tile as a gift, but sentences the man to punishment when it's shattered. The artist poses an unusual contest as the solution for the problem.

The Warlord's Puzzle is a traditional Chinese tale that proves you do not have to have money or power to have intelligence. An artist gives a warlord a gift of a blue tile, and then drops it on the ground and breaks it into seven pieces. A contest is held that will reward anyone who can fix the tile, and the one who ends up solving the problem will surprise readers. The book has a mathematical twist because the pieces break in the shape of a tangram puzzle.

The author has found many ways to capture the interest of readers in this unique story. First, the characters of the book come alive through the beautiful pictures. Each page is rich in color and shows the emotions of the characters throughout the story. The words on each page are also arranged in unique ways to help give emphasis to the text and interest readers. Some of the phrasing of the sentences is difficult for young readers to understand, so some explanations may need to be given while reading. Overall, this is a very interesting and creative book that could lead into many different types of discussions.

A Chinese warlord receives a ceramic tile as a gift and promptly sentences the artist who made it to death when the title is shattered into seven pieces. The desperate artist proposes that a contest be held. Whoever is clever enough to put the tile fragments back together will be asked to live in the warlord's palace -- and his own life would be spared. After an enormous multitude of people fail at the task, a little peasant boy figures out a novel and unexpected solution. Virginia Pilegard's The Warlord's Puzzle is a delightful, highly recommended picturebook story that is gorgeously illustrated with the full color, museum quality artwork of Nicholas Debon.

I gave this book four stars because of its' wonderful illustrations and because it is a great folk tale.I also like how they all have to take a journey to find the quilt of their mother.Also because the little brother did not give up.And also how her dream comes true.I recommend this book if you like folk tales and dreams.

This book has great illustrations and a great storyline. I read it to my children now and suggest it to anyone who loves chinese folktales and art.

Ok when I first read this book I was 9 years old and after the first time I found it my local library I was never able to find it again because I forgot the title and the author but I never forgot the story or the beautiful artwork. Now that I'm 19 and there's now the internet to use, I'm happy to have found this book again! I've been looking for this book for 10 years, it is worth the search and will be memorable to any child who reads it. ^_^V

I found Lawless's book of Mongolia both funny and insightful. It makes you want to travel and experience life and it definitely makes you remember to stop and smell the 'roses'.

Not normally a reader of travel books, this one was a gift from a very dear friend. Now this is one of my favorite gifts for giving.

I hope she writes more, I thouroughly enjoy her wit and style.

I concur with the other reviewers. This is a well written and humorous book about life in Mongolia after the Soviets left. Oddly enough Mongolians have reversed the urban trend and have moved back to the countryside and their nomadic way of life to survive.

I found Jill Lawless' Wild East to be an unusual work of travel writing. She did not just make a pit stop in Mongolia, but lived there for two years as editor of the UB Post newspaper -- a feisty English language newspaper. This is a work in the tradition of the great engaged journalists, a ballsy (without the balls) Hemmingway for the 21st century. Her writing is wise, minus the naive first impressions of many travellers -- it is Mongolia from the inside. Wild East is a reality check on current debates over globalization. Mongolia is a country where even McDonalds dares to not go. Lawless digs deep into the country's own version of the 60s, as Mongolian's lustily embraced there new-found freedoms in the 90s. She takes us across the country, from the remote Gobi desert, to border clashes with Russian Tuva. She is especially good at covering the dynamic and chaotic world of Mongolian tabloid newspapers, including the rise and fall of "Hot Blanket" magazine.