This story needs to be told. It shows how powerful Miami Cubans not only punished the man responsible for the process of dialogue that led to the release of prisoners from Castro's jails, but essentially elected George W. Bush president in the astonishing electoral race of that year in Florida.

I was moved by the travails of Bernardo Benes,who put his life and family at risk because insensitive right-wingers in the Cuban exile community in Miami turned him into a paraih because he dared talk with Cuba's Castro in behalf of political prisoners and dialogue.

This book masterfully exposes the venality of the right-wing Cuban exile power brokers, especially the suffocating voices of Spanish-language radio in Miami. I can attest to the fact that the book is wholly on the mark. It reveals details about the exile experience that are astonishing, and also very sad. This is the best book I have ever read on the subject, and also on the precarious, often bad-faith relationship between Washington D.C. and Havana.

This, reader, is an unvarnished narrative of one doomed by the laws of the Southern States to be a slave. It tells not only its own story of grief, but speaks of a thousand wrongs and woes beside, which never see the light; all the more bitter and dreadful, because no help can relieve, no sympathy can mitigate, and no hope can cheer. -William Wells Brown, Clotel, or The President's Daughter

Clotel would have historic interest simply by virtue of the fact that William Wells Brown appears to have been the first African American to write a novel. But it's not merely a literary curiosity; it is also an eminently readable and emotionally powerful, if forgivably melodramatic, portrait of the dehumanizing horrors of slave life in the Ante-bellum South. Brown, himself an escaped slave, tells the story of the slave Currer and her daughters, Clotel and Althesa, and of their attempts to escape from slavery. The central conceit of the story is that the unacknowledged father of the girls is Thomas Jefferson himself.

There is an immediacy to the stories here--of slave auctions, of families being torn apart, of card games where humans are wagered and lost, of sickly slaves being purchased for the express purpose of resale for medical experimentation upon their imminent deaths, of suicides and of many more indignities and brutalities--which no textbook can adequately convey. Though the characters tend too much to the archetypal, Brown does put a human face on this most repellent of American tragedies. He also makes extensive use (so extensive that he has been accused, it seems unfairly, of plagiarism) of actual sermons, lectures, political pamphlets, newspaper advertisements, and the like, to give the book something of a docudrama effect.

The Bedford Cultural Edition of the book, edited by Robert S. Levine, has extensive footnotes and a number of helpful essays on Brown and on the sources, even reproducing some of them verbatim. Overall, it gives the novel the kind of serious presentation and treatment which it deserves, but for obvious reasons has not received in the past. Brown's style is naturally a little bit dated and his passions are too distant for us to feel them immediately, but as you read the horrifying scenes of blacks being treated like chattel, you quickly come to share his moral outrage at this most shameful chapter in our history.

GRADE : B

This is a exemplary novel that also deals with the harsh realities of slavery. This novel distinctly tells a true story, which is relevant to ALL Americans (believe it or not. This is a must reader for ALL.

This book is far more than a recitation of historical facts; it ties together the evolution of political, economic, cultural and social forces to show how Brazil came to be today. It's well worth reading; by a serious scholar, and with an excellent bibliography.

However, it presents the material from a particular viewpoint that makes its coverage somewhat selective, and possibly misleading on some topics. The underlying assumption of the book is that Brazil up until the 1990's was divided into a well-to-do politically empowered elite and an impoverished and mostly illiterate underclass, with little social mobility and no political influence. This assumption is too simplistic. At least by 1960 there was a large and thriving middle class, ranging from skilled industrial workers to well-educated professionals and a great number of independent small businessmen. Although these people were generally not rich, they could lead reasonably comfortable lives, and their political influence was (and has continued to be) much greater than Levine makes clear. For example, the social unrest that led to the military 1964 coup against President Goulart was most prominent in the middle class; I can testify to that because I was there while the strikes, demonstrations and protests were becoming more and more vigorous during 1961, '62 and '63, and I saw where the impetus was coming from.

A key fact that few Americans know (and even many Brazilians don't know) is that over the last 200+ years, the average rate of growth of GDP in Brazil has been higher than the average rate of growth of GDP in the United States. This is not immediately obvious, because Brazil still lags so far behind the USA in GDP per capita; it's explained by the fact that in the late 18th century the USA was already comparatively prosperous, whereas almost all Brazilians lived in abject poverty. So Brazil has been playing catchup, and has come a long ways, although still with a long way to go. Levine fails to point this out. He also writes as if the economic progress since the 1930s has only benefitted the elite, and this is just not so; much of the economic progress has been a steady enlargement of the middle class.

He also fails to point out the extent to which Brazil is now competitive in the world economy. Brazil has exported hundreds of commercial aircraft to the United States; it supplies a significant fraction of US imports of pharmaceuticals; it exports machine tools to Germany; it exports automobiles to many coutries; it exports military hardware such as armored personnel carriers to a number of countries; and so on. To be sure, it also exports plenty of commodity raw materials, but the recent economic stability in the face of falling commodity prices in the world market is largely due to Brazil's high-tech exports.

So, in short, this is a fine book, and I recommend it wholeheartedly, but read it with the understanding that it only gives part of the story.

This new book is great because it is lively, emphasizes the most important issues, and shows a great deal of compassion for Brazil's people. The section on the recent past is extraordinary. It clarifies things that I, a Brazlian, did not know.

This book taught me many new words that are valuable for everyday conversation. It is divided into different categories such as: number words, medical words, words from other languages, figurative expressions, etc. The authors give a definition and a sentence for each new word. They give exercises to help you master the words. The book also tells the history of some words which is often a good way to remember the word. However, sometimes these can get boring since they are all basically the same. I used this book to study for spelling bees, and I recommend it to students and adults alike. You will learn from this book.

I bought this book some time ago and just recently started to use it and I am very impressed. It has the same things as the others: word families, roots, stories, and exercises. However, the "thinking with your new words" section is genius! It's the best exercise I've seen which aids one's "recall." Having to take a description or phrase and narrow it down to a specific word instead of vice versa (determining a single word's meaning from the surrounding context) is the best way to add and retain/recall words to one's SPEAKING vocabulary (we all have one in addition to reading and writing). It's this part of our vocabulary which is the sorely lacking. I wish the authors would do a newer and bigger book with more words and with only this type of exercise (by the way, how could I get in touch with them to offer this suggestion?). We'd all be (like the Victorians who raised the art of conversation to unparalleled heights) a lot more eloquent!

I love to read reviews of books on amazon.com but this is the first time I am writing one. In response to the person in Colorado, I too an a Cuban Jew who grew up there before coming with my family to the US in 1961. I found the book to be sensitive, well-written, and compassionate. The photographs alone are worth the price of the book.

This book hits home. I am the son of Cuban Jews who came from Turkey to Cuba in 1911, faced hard times, finally did well enough, but then had to leave when Fidel took over. The book offers a poignant look at the misfortunes of the early arrivals and explains how they were treated.

I'm surprised at the earlier reader's comments. This book, by an author who usually writes about Brazil but who is enormously informed about Cuba and Jewish history, offers a sensitive portrait of Jews who found refuge on Cuba only to be forced to leave to the US after Castro took over. It is very well written and very worth reading!

Bitita's Diary, from Brazil, is an interesting and easy to follow factual book. They way life was for Bitita and her family is so vastly different than my own experience that it helped open my eyes to the world and the ways things are for some people in different places. She writes of her life when she was younger, always being inquisitve and wanting to help her fellow man. She is a bright girl with many grown up thoughts about the world- even if they are stated in a way that a child would express themself. She is a strong woman in a time of great gender, race, and class discrimination. It is a testimonial of her life trials and of the people and way of life surrounding her. Carolina Maria de Jesus spoke out and paved the way for future women by writing this book, even though it was widely criticized at the time. A must read.

I felt that the book Bitita's Diary by Carolina Maria de Jesus was an excellent testimonial about a young girl growing up in Brazil during the early 1900s. As a young girl living in the favelas near Sacramento, she faced many hardships because of her race, gender, and class. She was discriminated in every which way because she was a women of darker skin who belonged to the lower class. Throughout all the obstacles that she faced in life, she still seemed to conquer the impossible. She recieved an education which helped to succeed in life. I really did enjoy this book because Bitita took you on a journey through her thoughts and feelings. She forced you to endure the suffering that she felt during her hard times, yet she also let you enjoy her happiness during good times. What I also enjoyed about the book is that by it being testimonial it challenges "offical history." Many time there is only one side to the story, but through Bitita's writing, one can see how a young girl of the lower class viewed the Brazilian Revolution of 1930 differently than others.

Bitita's Diary by Carolina Maria de Jesus is a wonderful testimonial depicting the life of a poor, black, Brazilian woman. Bitita takes the reader first hand through her life from a young girl to a mature woman. Most importantly, this book opened my eyes to class, gender, and race relations in Latin America. Not only is Bitita discriminated against because she is black, but she also feels discrimination because she is poor and a woman. Despite her misfortunes and sicknesses, Bitita becomes quite educated (mainly self-taught). Through Carolina Maria de Jesus' style of writing, the reader can see just how spunky and inquisitive of a child Bitita was. The innocence of a child can see truths and wrongs quite easily, unlike us adults. Not only does Bitita question these wrongs - she argues them loudly and openly. For this, I admire Bitita. This book was an easy read because of the author's frankness and honesty. The background settings were well explained which lead to the complete understanding of why Bitita acted the way she did. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Latin American culture, or the plight of gender, class, and race issues.

This book is an incredible, shocking, and educational look into the misunderstood and much maligned "adult video" industry. Although the interviews seem, at first, way too repetetive, it actually allows the readers a clearer view of what was really happening on the set, getting past all the ego blinders the interviewees threw at the interviewers. Those wishing for cheap thrills and juicy photos need look elsewhere. Those interested in actually learning something about this industry and the people who work in it will definitely finish this book happy.

Through a series of interviews with writers, directors, cast and crew, the author dissects the process of making a pornographic movie from conception to release. Far from the giggly bimbo-fest one might expect, all the persons interviewed come across as intelligent adults who have made the conscious decision to be involved with the x-rated film industry. I was especially impressed with veteran actress Nina Hartley's thoughts on her illustrious career and her complete confidence that what she is doing is not wrong. Another affecting piece was from an actor who is trying to leave the industry, but with a wife and new baby at home, he finds it difficult to stay away from the money. Made me think of Boogie Nights, and the ex-porn star couple trying to get a loan to start their own business. All in all a very impressive academic study.

While recently researching for a documentary film on the porn industry, I stumbled upon this book at the library. It was the only one they had that appeared equally weighted in terms of objectivity and lack of moralizing. I particulary liked the shared voices of the academic and porn producer.

In addition, this book assumed that you have some knowledge of how the film industry works, and of the porn industry in particular. If you're looking for porn information and you're starting at "ground zero" you should just surf the internet and educate yourself instead of buying one of the other riduculous books recommended on this site. Also, check out lukeford.com for even more up-to-date insights.

If you are trying to learn how to yo-yo FOR THE FIRST TIME, then this is a good book for you. Advanced spinners shouldn't consider this book at all (if you know what a lindy loop is, you're advanced). I've mastered tricks like atom smasher and barrel rolls and am now working on pop-up tricks and I find this book almost common sense. if you can do braintwisters and other tricks of that level, there isn't much for you to learn from this book.

This book is a good one for beginners, offering basic tricks, tips, and history. Unfortunately, most beginners aren't serious enough about yo-yoing to buy a book. If you can't do a braintwister, this is a good buy; if you can, learn tougher tricks from websites like Cosmic Yo-Yo, 3D Smarty Pants, and Sector Y.

In conclusion, first timers should get this book, but spin masters shouldn't.

There are a lot of Yo-Yo trick books on the market, but this one stands apart from the rest. The chapters on History, Types of Yo-Yos and Maintenance are great! The illustrations are great - tricks are explained using color photos.

The history section has information I've not seen anywhere else, and the maintenance section covers fixed axle yo-yos as well as transaxle yo-yos. I found the Science chapter very informative and entertaining. The zoetrope of "Time Warp" was a nice touch too.

I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in learning to yo-yo. Tricks go from the very basic one handed tricks to advanced two handed tricks. Tricks are explained in easy language and are graded according to difficulty (very helpful for the beginner looking to learn some new tricks).

I used this textbook for a course in statistics. I must say that it was better then the first time that I had taken statistics 5 years ago. The book uses one or two data sets per chapter that helps you focus your thoughts while learning the different techniques. A nice feature about this book that wasnt available 5 years ago is the Excel and Minitab examples which saves a lot of time that is ordinarly spent on copious number crunching. I would have given the book 5 stars, however I found some obvious errors in the book that should have been edited out before the release. Good starter book for sats.

This book is interesting for the issues it raises, and it is not a difficult read, but there are some disappointments as well.

I am told that his research is sound, but haven't reviewed it personally past abstracts. He continues his research presently from CSU Fresno. The ideas and annecdotes are interesting, and since the orignal version, Levine has continued to publish research on this subject. As a book to introduce someone to issues of time and culture in a semi-structured way, this is not bad.

Unfortunately, there is something a little ... annoying about the tone in the book, and sadly, from what I can tell by other communications, it comes directly from the author. When telling a story, he's engaged and interested (in writing and otherwise). When the scholarship is the issue, we get less responsiveness, and more rushed pithiness, which is a shame, really. One just can't escape the sense of judgment sometimes in the text.

If there is an update to the text from the original version, let us hope he has expanded some of his original studies to concentrate less on California - a huge portion of his population in the studies in the book - and include other place, both in and outside the USA.

If you have an interest in time, psychology, social behaviour, or some combination of the above, it's not an awful read.

I had to read this book for a sociology class this year. The author uses anecdotes to discuss cultural variances of time. However, the text lacks substantial historical explanations that address why these variances exist. This is a fun collection of observations. an easy read

"A Geography of Time" is an almost-excellent study of perception of time, and how this perception is affected by culture and location. A new vocabulary is introduced to the reader, along with a host of new ideas about time, including "event time," "natural time," and the familiar "clock time." The author's research is enlightening and challenging.

The concepts are easy to absorb, and the subject is well-researched and documented. I have no doubt that Levine's work is strong. Some of the work involves providing evidence for well-known concepts, such as bigger cities have a faster pace than smaller cities. Interesting correlations are drawn between the pace of a location and the accuracy of it's timepieces. I found the concept of being able to train oneself to elongate and condense time perception to be particularly interesting, such as in the case of a martial artist who moves fast by forcing an opponent to appear to move slow. Other interesting tidbits include the "contradiction of Japan," which shows that an ultra-fast paced life can be balanced out with cultural rules to prevent aggression, and how a slow-paced city is not necessarily kinder than a fast-paced city.

The reason why "A Geography of Time" is only almost-excellent is due to the author's skills as a writer. Ideas are not presented in a structured manner, information is redundantly repeated and personal opinions are freely mixed with research and evidence. Some difficult concepts, such as Einstein's time dilatation in Special Relativity are introduced as window dressing for what amounts to a sociological subject. A brief history of the introduction of clocks in America is included. The last chapter is almost a "self help" opinion piece by the author, on how to use knowledge of time to greatest advantage.

All in all, while the research is interesting and the concepts are worth reading, the book would have benefited from a tighter focus on the author's part. The book wander's lazily from concept to concept, and hurts the material overall. All in all, worth reading and enjoyable, but falling just short of the mark.