This book was able to put into words what anyone who's lived in Hawai'i has sensed all along. Chapters on the Hawaiians, the Caucasians, the Chinese, the Japanese, the Portuguese, the Okinawans, the Koreans, the Filipinos, the Samoans and the people of Indochina discuss the history of the arrivals of the different people in the islands, value systems, stereotypes, contemporary situations, etc.

As a kid at Makalapa Elementary school I knew that lots of my Chinese friends had extended families, lots of my Japanese friends had YBA on Saturdays, lots of my Caucasian friends from military families lived almost cloistered, separate lives, that you couldn't tell who was part Hawaiian by someone's first name, that lots of people put down Filipinos, etc. But I didn't know most Caucasians value individuality over extended family and that they are unique in doing this in the land of 'ohana. Or that hanai adoptions by a child's tutu were the norm (such that nearly 1/3 of the Hawaiian community surveyed in 1970 had legal or informal adoptions in their family). Or that traditional Japanese wives were expected to move in with their mothers-in-law. Or that traditional Samoan views on childrearing involve older children taking care of younger children and physical punishement or shaming for "bad" behavior.

The different chapters were all written by experts on the community in question. The book does a great job of presenting balanced views (including both positive and negative stereotypes) and avoiding generalizations. The book is geared towards use in the mental health care field, but will appeal to a far greater audience. This is a must-read for anyone curious about the histories of different cultural groups in Hawai'i, or with an interest in racial relations in the United States. Accessible and extremely well done!

I have been a biography reader for many years and I can surly say that after reading this wonderful book about a lady who gave more to others then herself must have been to good to be true. Reading stories like this, reminds me when I was a little boy when my mother and grandmother would sit around a table and tell me about their lives. Most of all when their lives went to rags to riches to rags again like Evalyn did. I could not put Queen of Diamonds down. I'm so glad that a great grandson has taken a true story and is able to share his memories to everyone. It's wonderful and I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone who wants to read a good story. I applaude him. A MUST TO READ AND TO HAVE TO SHARE TO OTHERS.

Literature before James Joyce, before Jane Austen, before Daniel Defoe: No Ulysses, no Emma, no Robinson Crusoe - for modern readers it is hard to imagine a stock of English literature without the existence of these and other important writers and their 'novels'. What kind of literature could one refer to in a pre-novelistic age? As a matter of fact, there were authors, such as Sir Thomas More and Sir Francis Bacon, who wrote prose which, indeed, still affects our thinking. However, neither More nor Bacon used English, but chose Latin as their original means of expression. For what reasons? And none of these authors was in fact a free-lance writer - they were all occupied in public and political spheres. What made them actually write fictional works? How does their fiction relate to their cultural environment - or, what was regarded as 'fiction'? These texts cover a century of political, religious, scientific and literary debates and gave rise to a new understanding of knowledge, and introduced influential literary devices.

My words are no match for the words of Thomas Lombardi. His love of Wallace Stevens leaps off of each page as one reads it. This book is a wonderful journey, a journey one wishes would never end.

If you are planning a paper on Stevens, there is no other resource so valuable as this book. If you are an English major, it would also be an enjoyable book to pass along the cool fall or winter nights.

I have read this book as a child and as an adult read it to my children. This is truly a piece to read at Christmas time every year.

I'm a sucker for any anthology that ends with Richard Petty accepting the National Book Award. . . This one also has a lot of heart. The first of what promises to be an annual collection of stories promoting "a rebirth of beauty and life-affirming values," the Silver Rose Anthology offers a strong mix of voices and attitudes. Not every story here will appeal to every reader (the opening story, for instance, does little for me), but the collection overall is outstanding. Personal favorites (in addition to George Singleton's outrageous "Richard Petty Accepts the National Book Award") include Robert Olen Butler's seamless "Rafferty and Josephine," Julie Orringer's touching "Note to Sixth-Grade Self" Patry Francis'"Limbe," and Patricia Hackbarth's provocative "A Brief Geological Guide to Canyon County."
Move over Bill Henderson, Katrina Keneson, and Larry Dark. Watson's in the house!

When Kevin Watson gathered the stories for this anthology, he was doing us a public service. This is a hard world: hearts break, and lives are shattered. Stories that don't deal with those realities aren't true to life. But there's so much more to life--and should be to art. These stories are "life-affirming" in the best kind of way: They don't stay sunk in gloom, but they don't stoop to easy answers. Each one shows us a new facet of getting on with life, making things work, following the path. The individual stories are excellent--I especially like the story by Pulitzer Prize-winner Robert Olen Butler, although it's one of several strong stories--and in their cumulative effect, the collection becomes (and I mean this in the best kind of way) inspirational.

i only gave this book 5 stars because i could not give it more. i went to a reading of one of the writers and soon went on to read the rest. it has a good mix of voices, but by far the best writer is Heidi Shayla and her story "The Coffin Builder's Romance", it is a beautiful story of quilts, boxes, and of course, coffins. it is my all time favorite anthology, and i would definetly recomend it.

General George H. Thomas deserves recognition not only for his bravery in Civil War battle but also for his brave choice to fight for the Union despite his Virginia birth. Education in Violence grants this recognition, but with a shortage of style. Francis F. McKinney's prose is often wooden and he is short on drama - his long, droning passages sometimes fail to give a sense of a battle as a whole or its significance. He doesn't answer the great question of why Thomas remained with the Union while fellow Virginians like Robert E. Lee and Joe Johnston went over to the rebel side. There is also a transparent partisanship here: Thomas and Grant were at odds, and there is no doubt which side this book favors. A recent book, The Warrior Generals by Thomas B. Buell, does a better job explaining Thomas's superb organizational abilities, his mastery at using maps in battle, and his grasp of how the technological advances of his day could tip the tide in battle. Read Education in Violence as a good source book on the General that is entirely devoted to the subject but limited in style.

This is easily the best account of General Thomas' life - just about everthing you ever wanted to know about his life is here, although I wish that the author had included more examples of his writing. Much more, the book is a great history of the war in the West and of how and why the Union won so decisively. The author writes very well and has an extremely broad (and opinionated) view of the war and this book was simply a great pleasure to read.

"Education in Violence" examines the life of the most admirable general of the Civil War and the army he led, with accuracy and literary clarity. Chapter 16 provides the best overview overview of the battle of Chickamauga in print and serves as a model of visualization of the geography and complex action occurring on a battle site. The account of Stones River is somewhat superficial by comparison, but the book's strengths make it one of the very finest volumes on 19th Century American history.

As a former police reserve officer, I spent years requesting CSI with little understanding of just what they do. This book goes well beyond lifting fingerprints and other routine tasks that police officers are typically limited to. I now have a better awareness of the capabilities of CSI and conciderations about how to protect a scene and how CSI can be used to investigate certain crimes. I also have a greater appreciation for CSI personnel and the difficult job they have. I liked the book and believe it would be helpful to anyone in law enforcement.

This is a very good introductory Criminal Justice text. It is easy to see that the authors targeted the general introductory cj students and those interested in exploring the field of crime scene investigation. Basic terms and proceedures are presented in clear everyday science based applications. This text uses understandable charts, graphs and photos to enhance crime scene applications. This text is clearly not for those who are working at the graduate level, but it clearly meets the needs of the student who is surveing forensic opportunties. Good job

I found this book to be a solid introduction into the varied and complex field of CSI. It presented a balance between basic and advanced techniques. The authors state this book was written for students considering CSI and those currently in the field and I agree. It provided a refresher in some areas and exposed me to new concepts in others. I also liked the community-policing feel of this text as it relates to addressing the needs of victims. The book is easy to follow and contains many photographs. I recommend it to anyone considering a job in CSI or to enhance their skills. I also read the first edition. This one seems to be much improved.

This text is a timely and insightful work. The authors give a good overview of the major assessment instruments used in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. Procedural guidelines, cultural validity and family concerns are also discussed. I found that the book is a great reference tool to go back to when questions arise! I would recommend this book to anyone working in the field of Special Education.

A CD-Rom jammed with articles from EXECUTIVE EXCELLENCE. I actually got my copy as a bonus for subscribing a couple of years ago. Many of the articles are interesting, but they are all quite short, almost MTV-ish. This seems to be the preferred style for this publication. If you are a fan of Warren Bennis, or one of the writers who regularly contribute to that publication, this is a good way to pick up some new material from your favored writer. The articles are on a variety of topics, which means that there will probably be something for everyone with an interest in this subject, but by the same token, there will be a lot that won't interest you. The CD includes a search engine that is workable. I benefitted from the magazine and the CD, but they didn't set my world on fire.