A compelling and highly readable indictment of slavery in America, "Dred" takes risks that "Uncle Tom's Cabin" did not. The ending of "Dred" is powerful and strong, unlike that of "Uncle Tom", which seemed to advocate ultimately that the slaves should be freed and encourged to return to Africa. Harriet Beecher Stowe is just as sharp in her criticism of the North and she is to the South. She is quick to condemn the passive profiteers of slavery as she is the slaveholder himself. I throughly enjoyed this book. I will read it a secod time.

There are many books on the market that try to give both the starting physician and the experienced physician guidance on "current therapy", but most of them, I think, spend way too much time on diagnosis and not nearly enough time on the details of treatment - which drugs to use first, second, third, and in what dosages, and the rationale for choosing certain drugs. This book, Drug Therapy: Decision Making Guide, however, is written on the principle that most diagnoses a physician makes are reasonably routine, so it saves your time by getting right to the point - how to treat, with plenty of detail. I especially appreciate the fact that the authors back up their preferences with CITATIONS from the current literature. This is a great book for medical students, interns and residents to learn from, giving them guidance solidly based in the literature for effectively using medicines. This edition, written in 1996, is starting to get a little old in some areas and it really is time for the authors to update it, but, even so, it's still a good guide and is still completely up-to-date in most of the areas that matter.

Many readers know Carolina de Jesus's memior "Child of the Dark" but few knew that she wrote a second book about her bitter journey from her favela shack to the brick house of her dreams. There, she was treated just as badly as she had been when she was a scavenger for garbage in the favela. As a former Peace Corps volunteer in Brazil (too many years ago!!) I loved this book. It is riveting, unexpected, and filled with insights about how Carolina de Jesus saw the world. The editor's background description and analysis is excellent, too.

In addition to a crisp survey of photography in Latin America from the earliest days in the 1840s to the 20th century, the author shows how the photographic images may be used as social documents for historical research. This path-breaking approach values the visual images for what they reveal about society and people's lives. Of great value to researchers and readers who wish to know about how photographs--even if not taken by famous photographers--tell us about vanished times. A must read for students of historical methodology and visual sociology.

This is a marvelous study not only of a poignant African-Brazilian woman persecuted for daring to state her beliefs, but one that reveals the different ways that American (Levine) and Brazilian (Meihy) scholars perceive the problems of race in society. A must read for anyone interested in Latin American society or the history of women or of blacks in the hemisphere.

This book is a must have for the medical student or resident. It has the important facts that you need to know to decide between various medications even within the same class of drugs. It also has the necessary interactions, side effects and dosing. It even has directions on how to taper doses (Ex: PO amiodarone loading and maintanence dosing). Still keep your Pharmacopeia because this book doesn't have every drug. However, for 95% of the meds you'll prescribe this is the book to have.

The Story of the Orchestra is an excellent book for. Adults would probably know most of the information covered in the book, but still a good read. Covers famous composers and highlights of their lives, orchestra history, instruments used in orchestras and bands. All information is true, and is a good source if you are doing any reports on instruments. Context is good and fits childrens' appetites- the Viola is the "violin's big brother." Good book. I highly recommend it.

Compiled and edited by Harry Thomas, Talking With Poets comprises unique selection of interviews with five very different, but highly notable poets: Robert Pinsky, Seamus Heaney, Philip Levine, Michael Hofmann, and David Ferry. A deep and moving examination into lives, motivations, and how life experiences flow into written words on the page, Talking With Poets is an enthusiastically recommended look into what goes into the making of elegant and expressive verse, and of these five men who are particularly gifted in such creations.

Levine has managed to write a book that is enlightening and helpful for the partner of a rape or incest survivor. Most literature on this subject is authored by survivors, and offers insight into the healing process of the victim, and how as a partner we can support them through it. While an understanding of the survivor's feelings and difficulties is invaluable, I don't want to feel like I'm only a tool in my wife's healing process. As a partner I have encountered difficulties of my own, and through testimonies of other victims, this book validated many of my own feelings, and suggested exercises to help my wife AND myself cope. I found that the writing exercises in the workbook helped me gain insight into my emotions, and allowed me to absorb and retain the advice of the interviewed partners far more effectively than reading alone. This book also goes into the bedroom, providing exercises for building a safe and loving environment for intimate contact. This subject is often ignored, and I was happy to see it covered here.

Just an outstanding account of real life in Rio de Janeiro. Carolina is a true heroine in her own right. She goes against the social standards and works to support her children by herself. It is a great book about the trials of the human heart-and Carolina certainly triumphs over them.

the daily diary of the Carolina De Jesus describes a daily hard life of a woman, who picked up paper and metal everyday just to get enough money to feed her children. Also, in her diary she describes the horrible realatioship of the government to the people of the lower class.. The hunger and poorness of these people clearly illustrates in this book. The contest of these book clearly reflevt it's title, "Child of The Dark."

This book is both an uplifting and depressing work. For anyone who has ever visited the third world, and especially for those that never have; this book is a must read. It is uplifting and inspiring in showing the heroine's sheer strength of character that gets her through a life that would most certainly kill most of us. Written without pretense, it is a brutal indictment of the negative forces that constantly try the human spirtit. Here the enemy is not one person, or an army or even the poverty that wreaks havoc on the lives of these people, but rather the world's tolerance and acceptance of the pain, hunger suffering and injustices that are created by a world where the the rich can justify their greed by demoninzing their own creation: the conditons that make people live in utter desperation. Poverty and ignorance are not romantized here but instead like in Buñuel's film Los Olvidados, Child of the Dark shows us that hunger and loss of dignity brings out the worst in people. It is depressing because we all know that places like this exist not only in Brazil, but in almost all countries on earth, and that we all share in the guilt of allowing such horror to exist.