Quite rightly,Israel has been called a melting pot for immigrants from many diverse countries. Having previously reviewed a couple of books for the Jerusalem Post about Yemenite Jews,I looked forward (and wasn't disappointed ) to learn about another ethnic group-the Ethiopians.

But this is a story with a difference. The author is an English lady,the daughter of Holocaust survivors,who fell in love with a young Ethiopian from Gondar,when she was working as a counsellor in an absorption centre.

The main thrust of the book is a graphic description of the living conditions of Ethiopian Jews in their villages,the dangerous journey through Sudan to the Promised Land (dressed as a Christian priest),and the fears and longings and Jewish pride of the new immigrants. Arriving in Israel,they had to worry about their families not yet arrived while trying to learn Hebrew and adjust to a new lifestyle.

This very readable account pulls no punches and doesn't flinch from discussing the occasional frictions between the young couple because of their different backgrounds,as well as the Ethiopians distrust of the Jewish Agency and the Rabbinate.

Zafan (Eddie Murphy to his colleagues) is now a policeman living in Maale Adumin not far from Jerusalem with his wife,Naomi and four children ,Daniel Achenef,Michael Fassil,Yigal Tadele,and Eyal Takele. His mother spent the last eight years of her life suirrounded by her fouty-five grandchildren and ten great-grandchildren. But Naomi's mother died in England far from her fourteen Israeli grandchildren.

I will write no more because you need to read this book and be amazed,horrified,informed and exhilirated.

I think I must be using the wrong form -I am the author of this book, and I would like to provide a list of my other books, could you please tell me how to do this?
Thank you, Naomi

The book initially follows the journey of Naomi Fraser into the Appalachian mountains to serve as a missionary and children's home founder. Initially, I thought this book was going to be an unrealistic portrayal of a "saint." Instead, I found a sensitive portrayal of flawed but generally well meaning adults and children bound together in an orphanage. I read the book in a day and highly recommend it. The author, a family therapist, reveals her self-awareness as well as her understanding of the frame of reference of others.

This book is a true-life accounting of an institution that has become historical. Most of us have had no experience with an orphanage. We grow up in single family homes surrounded by a family who likely loves and cares for us. The thought of being in an orphanage may evoke vague fears. On the contrary, this book shows that life in an orphanage is much like life in a more traditional family: there are good and not-so-good "parents" and "siblings" that you care for or don't, as the case may be. Wardell provides an honest, unemotional account filled with overtones of courage and optimism. Far from being scarred by the experience, her journey through the system leaves her empowered and fully prepared for a rich and balanced life. I found this book very powerful and inspirational. My views about orphanages have changed - familial love can be found in different settings.

This is one of the more inventive Arthurian novels I have read. It is set in an Arthurian world with certain anachronistic qualities, specifically the presence of journalists and newspapers, and everything that goes along with them, such as cameras. It is centered around the quest for the Holy Grail and raises some intriguing questions. Worth reading if you can find it.

Green Knight Press produces (and reprints) some of the best Arthuriana available today, and this 1955 book by Naomi Mitchison is a very rare treat.

"Chapel Perilous" follows a pair of Arthurian journalists, Lienors and Dalyn (of the "Camelot Chronicle" and the "Northern Pict") who are scooping the big story: The Grail. But other developments crop up as well -- interviews with famous personages, the affair of Lancelot with Queen Guinevere, and more.

We follow Lienors, Dalyn, and other characters such as Ygraine la Grande (whose hair is "revolting" due to hair dye from Nimue) and Lord Horny (don't ask). We also have old favorites like Queen Guinevere, Morgan-Morgause (one person in this book), Sir Lancelot, the somewhat chattery Sir Galahad, the somewhat angry Elayne (you can tell that in this one, Galahad got his personality from his dad), and Merlin of course. (Addressed occasionally as "Mr. Merlin" -- this particularly interpretation of the old wizard is delightful)

Mitchison's writing is very clear and evocative; dialogue is very enjoyable, often lapsing into a "veddy veddy English" manner of speaking (Galahad is the most prominent of these). The usage of such terms as "O.K." never detracts from the dialogue, which is less pompous and self-conscious than many Arthurian books. These characters are willing to lampoon bishops, talk about hair dye, and discuss teen girl crushes on Lancelot.

Like all the GKP books I've read, this book has a lovely cover, and a very good binding and fine quality paper. It's shorter than most of the books by this publisher (219 pages) though significantly longer than many successful spoofs that I've read. And perhaps "spoof" is the wrong word for it — satire is infinitely better. There's a wry, sideways feel to this story, with some serious scenes and some that are outright hilarious. (It's not really suitable for kids, due to some mild subject matter connected with the original stories -- as well as one mildly dirty scene in Spiral Castle -- but is fine for teens)

This is a must-read for any Arthuriana fan, especially those who enjoy seeing sacred cows barbecued. And it will insure that you will never again read the stories about King Arthur and his knights without imagining Lienors and her dwarf in the background.

This slender book, first published in 1952, should be of interest both to the curious reader and to Naomi Mitchison fans. This is a story about magic, transformation and quest. In some respects it resembles Mitchison's much earlier novel, The Corn King and the Spring Queen, though more through thematic similarities than the style of writing. Both books have an engaging central heroine and both involve travel between various lands, actual and invented by the author herself, and both deal with religion and mystical forces. Travel Light, however, is suitable for young adults as well as grown-up readers. It is written in clear, precise English (which, admittedly, does come across as somewhat old-fashioned now). The tone of the writing is tinged with a certain sadness. But Travel Light it is not an even vaguely depressing book - the story is full of magic and mystery! The references to bears and dragons made me think of the sagas of Norse mythology (there are many fairy tale elements too) and, as ever with Naomi Mitchison's historical novels, the reader finds him or herself fully immersed in a captivating alien word. Travel Light a charming book which offers an easy read full of many pleasures.

This book is a magical gem that transports the reader to the mythopoetic era, when angelic beings interact freely with ordinary mortals.

If you want to gain vision into paradise, lost or found, read this little beauty. Your mind will expand as you stretch your wings in the pages of this world. This parable teaches lessons that may take a person a lifetime to appreciate.

This latest and last living collection of William Stafford's work covers the past 20 odd years of his poetry as well as giving the reader some new, never before published work including the poem he wrote on the day that he died. This collection gives us an overview of Stafford's poetry that reveals him to be a man who is both interested and amused by the world around him. The book is divided into four sections, each of which is full of intelligent and meditative work reminiscent of the best of E.B. White's essays. While White was an essayist (not just a children's writer), and Stafford a poet, both men revel in unraveling the intricacies of the world using nothing more than the simple information provided to them in their daily lives. In "Stories From Kansas", Stafford simplifies the voracious egos of humankind into silly yet proud tufts of grass, "Little bunches of/grass pretend they are bushes/that will never bow./ They bow..." "The Way I! ! t Is" is reccomended reading for those who like a little zen with their humility or a little salt with their watermelon.

(excerpted from "Sic Vice & Verse" review by Carlye Archibeque.)

When I read the poems of William Stafford, it feels less like reading and more like "listening." There's something about his voice that calls me to attention, that makes me notice not only the words on the page but all the sounds that attend my mornings: the return of the finches to the Hawthorne tree, for example, or the rustle of wind in the new cherry blossoms. As I re-read some of my favorite poems from The Way it Is, I find myself in a strange situation; I feel as though I have traded places with the poet, "partly propped up" on the sofa in his den at 4 a.m., where he wrote every day until he died in 1993. Perhaps it is because he often tells us so much about the writing process itself; Stafford's poems are imbued with that particular room; they arise from that private space he allows us to enter for a few moments at a time. He often brings in the same details over and over, the mundane yet transcendent things he notices in the early hours: sunlight moving across a wood floor, trees "still trying to arch as far as they could," the houses that "waited, white, blue, gray..." The things themselves, as in the poetry of William Carlos Williams, become the containers of ideas, thought, emotion. The diction is simple, the rhythm a comfort; before we know it, we've been lured into a place of transcendence without even trying.
The sun becomes a constant companion to the writing act, a kind of muse that illuminates the hand at work. For instance, the last poem he wrote, just hours before he died, begins with the line: "Well, it was yesterday./Sunlight used to follow my hand." Towards the end, he reiterates: "I listened and put my hand/out in the sun again. It was all easy." Perhaps the knowledge that these are the last lines Stafford will write adds to their poignancy (that hand will soon be stilled, in darkness), but I feel privileged, every time I open this book, to be in the presence of a voice that speaks so simply and yet with such passion. Because of the sheer number of poems and writings Stafford left behind, there are bound to be some clunkers, some lines that seem overly simplistic and sentimental, but the force of Stafford's voice overcomes these occasional lapses. The Way it Is is a "must have" for the writer's library; crack open the book at the start of your own writing session and you'll remember why you ever wanted to be a writer in the first place.

In the mid-1800s, Andersen wrote many original fairy tales. He has many common themes however to the stories that had been passed down for generations. This story is of a young girl sent away by her evil stepmother. She then must rescue her eleven brothers from the spell that has been placed upon them. In a dream, a fairy came to her and gave her the answer. So after, a king falls in love with her at first sight. This tale is a bit lengthy and has a few passages of irrelevant information, but because the reader feels an emotional attachment to the girl so quickly, attention never waivers. The watercolor illustrations help to support the text, but at times do not have very much contrast, giving them a murky feel. Second graders would be able to read the text; however it may take until fourth grade for children to be able to do it in one sitting.

Why 4 stars?:
Some passages in the story can get a bit lengthy. Although the text is written on a second grade level, it may take a while before students can read this in one sitting. However, they will definitely listen to it, as the characters are very captivating. The illustrations are a little muddy though.

I have owned this book since I was a yong child and has always been one of my favorites. It has all of the trimmings, a wickid step mother and all!

Habibi, by Naomi Shihab Nye, is a well-written and fascinating book! Habibi is about a 15-year-old girl named Liyana who moves with her father, Poppy, her mother, and younger brother, Rafik from St. Louis, Missouri to Jerusalem. There she meets her father's relatives, whom she has never met, including her grandmother, Sitti, who teaches her many things. At first, Liyana struggles to fit in, in a country where not many speak English; (including her relatives) but she makes some new friends and makes the decision on whether she would want to move back to St. Louis or stay in her new home in Jerusalem. Habibi, is an excellent book because not only is it well written and captivating, while reading it, you learn more about a Arabian culture, which is incredibly different from many of our own. You learn about different types of food eaten there, and the customs and rituals; as well as the religious customs. Not only does the book teaching you things, also when you read the book, you are transformed into Liyana's life; and you feel like you're the one who is struggling. This makes the book even more engaging and fascinating. Habibi, is a fabulous book! Although, this book is great in many ways, some people might disagree because it is unexciting for the first 20 pages or so. Despite this, if you continue reading it, it is much more captivating for the rest of the book. Another reason why others might dislike is if they are not enticed by learning about another culture. Even though the book is educational, the author writes it so it is not dull and tedious, but you always know what is happening and going on in a brief way. Even though these points are all true, the book over-all is a great page-turner, and extremely impressive. I especially recommend it for all boys and girl from age's 12- adult.

Habibi, by Naomi Nye, is a wonderful, well-written book. I had to read this for school, and I was reluctant at first, but when I picked it up I couldn't stop reading! It centers around Liyana Abboud, a half-American half-Palestinian girl growing up in St. Louis. When her father Poppy tells the family that they are moving to Jerusalem, Liyana is anything but happy. She is an outsider in her new school and her entire family in Jerusalem speaks a foreign language she doesn't understand. Then she meets Omer, a Jewish boy, and begins a forbidden friendship with him. Other characters in this book include Khaled and Nadine, two children living in a neighboring refugee camp; Rafik, Liyana's younger brother; and Sitti, Liyana's grandmother who speaks no English.

I love the way this book was written. It reads like one long, flowing poem (and the short chapters don't hurt, either). The style is so new and refreshing. One of the sentences reads: "In St. Louis, Liyana's room had been painted a deep, delicious color called 'raisin.'" This is an excellent, original book that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

However, some of the issues in Habibi deal with the ongoing hatred and violence between the Palenstinians and Jews, so take that into mind. But if you're looking for action and adventure, I would recommend another book.

All in all, Habibi is a wonderful, fresh book that I think deserves to be read.

I just read this book - as a Social Worker who has been involved with Race Relations, and has a desire for peace. I absolutely loved it! I picked it up because of the title, and finished it in two days (I did other things, too) - I just couldn't let it set. It shares valuable insight that every child, every person who has wondered about the conflict in the Holy Land, anyone who is curious, or who has dealt with breaking social barriers or been held accountable to old-fashioned, prejudiced ideals. It teaches a good bit about moving to a different culture, and introduces life in that area of the world. It is a good teaching tool for younger folks, and a good reminder for the slightly more experienced.

Death in Venice is one of the most moving works of fiction I have ever read in my life, and it is also a story that I never tire of reading. There is a haunting, dream-like quality to the tale itself, reinforced by the almost hypnotic prose brilliantly deployed by Thomas Mann. On the surface, it would seem to be a sordid story about a middle-aged man's tragic infatuation for a young boy, whilst on holiday in Venice. On reading it however, it becomes clear that it is not a story about homosexuality as such, but rather a profound consideration of the transcendent nature of beauty perceived by the senses. Yes, Gustav Von Ascherbach presents a tragic figure, chasing the object of his affections all over Venice. And, yes this infatuation also leads to his eventual doom. But, paradoxically, this new-found passion leads to his spiritual rebirth, as he realizes how beauty not only gives meaning to his art, but also to his own life. His love for Tadzio is a pure love. Through Tadzio he is being reconciled with himself, and his own sensual nature, after a lifetime of restraint and relentless self-discipline. So,for me, the underlying theme of this magnificent story is that "love really does conquer all" Please read it- you will be hooked for life!

Is there a finer experience than reading Thomas Mann? Death in Venice is his masterpiece, in my view (and arguably, one might add, Britten's greatest opera!), and, though the Russians come to mind, its pages, soaked in the majesty of the greatest art, reveal probably the greatest writing artist of the modern age. Aschenbach's passion is our own dilemma, and no other artist but Thomas Mann could leave him so lean and broken in our arms, and capable by that condition to fill us with consuming humanness. The philosopher Mann takes a language of human wounds and shows us ourselves, giving witness thereby to the essential power of literature. I consider it an act of religion to read Death in Venice every couple years. Religion is where, perhaps, we meet our heart; at the very least, art of this solicitude prompts a kind of faith that we still have one, after the wearing of the years, and all our private griefs. I hope the high schools and colleges are yet keeping Mann near, our children must yet gather and collect the food necessary to feed them all their lives. To 'recommend' this books seems almost pseudo-messianic! but if one commends it, let it be called not the work of a great literary messiah, but the cry of one of our brothers- a cry inextinguishable and provident.

Although by no means the most accessible of Mann's early fiction, Death in Venice is by far the greatest. Drawing heavily on mythology, Nietzsche's concept of art and his own perception of himself as an artist, Mann presents us with a well-respected, ordered author, Aschenbach, who has renounced the extreme introspection of his youth to concentrate on beauty of form. Yet, with a classic case of "writer's block", he decides to go to Venice, where he believes he has captured beauty itself in the form of a young Polish boy. He comes, however, to abandon his Appolline sense of order and gives himself up to the Dionysiac intoxication, hinted at even in the opening lines and mirrored in the sickly state of the city. The narrator's brilliantly ironic stance means that our perception of the protagonist can at no stage be certain. Is this a "moral tale" of an author who is at fault for renouncing his former life, is it the tragedy of any writer who in seeing through life must perforce descend ineluctably towards destruction, or is the ending in fact an apotheosis, where Aschenbach is actually reaching out to the infinite and to beauty itself? This is an incredibly personal text - the affinities between Mann and the protagonist are numerous - and one has the feeling in reading it that he is in fact saying, "There but for the grace of God go I." The artistic unity of the Visconti film is regrettably lost in portraying Aschenbach as a musician and in allowing him to be booed by the audience. One is merely left with striking scenes of the city and an ending which, though faithful to the text, fails to work within the film itself.

I expected a well written Jewish history novel like the books by Lion Feuchtwanger, instead I got a badly written love novel, were everything is very predictable from the beginning to the end. The heroin and historical figure of Hannah Mendeds stays fragmentory and if you have the slightest idea about sephardic jews, their history and their customs this book is not going add anything. The best this book did for me is getting me interested in Hannah Mendes and I'm going to read her biography by Cecil Roth next. One of the figures in the book, the dying grandmother reflects upon her life and how much time of her life she spend unwisely with many different things one of them being "reading a false, poorly written but amusing book". This is how I felt and I'm not even sure that the book was amusing giving its lack in creativity and literary style.

"The Ghost of Hannah Mendes" by Naomi Ragen is a gripping and moving novel, I found it fascinating, and enlightening. I loved the meld of present day and historical characters, I was gripped by the story, and my only complaint was that it ended too soon, and I was so interested in the historical sections, that I started reading some of the Jewish history books on that period on Spanish-Jewish history, I would recommend it to all who love a good story, and especially those who are interested in Jewish history.

Naomi Ragen's "The Ghost of Hannah Mendes" is a good story, told superbly. Ragen gives us a look into the Spain of 500 years ago that most of us only read about in dry history texts. She gives the characters life and color, and she takes us to the settings with a delightful mixture of sophistication, erudition and plain great storytelling. I grinned a lot during some of the modern sections, too. Who wouldn't want to type out the kind of message that one of the granddaughters writes at the end, partially in capital letters? Oh, you want to know what I'm talking about? Read the book!

Abandon all hope ye who enter here. Naomi Klein is one skilled writer and you can only thank some higher being that she has used her intellectual wit and analytical persistence to combat multi-million dollar companies as opposed to verbally carpet-bombing innocent bystanders such as uncovering journalists like herself. Just like her compadre in anti-corporate crusading, Michael Moore, Klein saves little ammo, let alone love, trust or respect, for anything ending in "Inc." and operating in anything closely resembling services or other low skilled labour areas. "These companies are our enemies" is a central message of this book and one that is continuously ground into the reader in various shapes, lest we not forget it. In terms of execution, No Logo leaves little to wish for. Well-written, footnoted and well-researched within the area of focus, the book takes us through the areas of society which have been permeated by the greedy ghouls of money-grubbing behemoths over the last decades. No stone is left unturned; education, the service sector, manufacturing, media, and one cannot help but wonder what the text will do to the paranoid reader since basically anything but breathing may be "giving in" to the evil mongers. If you are the accusatory type, and let's face it, most of us enjoy a good fights, especially one that is all about kicking the butt of the rich and scoring a few points for the ordinary, unknowing everyman of Americana, No Logo will not disappoint. That is also where the book runs into trouble. It is guilty of exactly the same phenomenon that most anti-establishment groups suffer from today: myopia and anger for anger's sake.

If you have an ambition to uncover and analyse something in order to defend a certain point of view (like Klein does in No Logo), it is always wise to respect and understand the opposite side. This is precisely the problem that most groups and accusatory voices in the media run into. It is one thing to present an argument and back it up with complimentary viewpoints and facts. It is quite another to present a standpoint and then analyse whatever happens to pass by this "analytical" lens, from this dogmatic perspective. Klein is on a mission to castrate the evil empires that are Nike, Microsoft, McDonald's and so on. But in doing this, she becomes highly one-dimensional, a fact that runs the risk of boring many readers in the long run. And that's when the serious trouble starts, since getting the message out is what No Logo is all about. If you want to see cruel intentions whenever you look out the window, you are sure to find it in everything and everyone. The problem then is that what was once factual (fact: there are some people out there that really are out to hurt and steal) now becomes subjective, and subjective viewpoints are always so much less interesting to listen to, let alone read. The one-sided perspective also evaporates any chance for the other side to score a single point, and as we all know, good dramatization just like good journalism needs a battle where both the protagonists (in this case the poor, innocent consumers and labourers) and the antagonists (McEvil Corp. et al) score points.

The myopic view also raises another interesting question. This book is basically a statement on cultural and commercial imperialism. Well, what else is more imperialistic than imposing foreign viewpoints in a society where they have no natural place? Indeed, it is highly problematic that companies like Nike do business in foreign countries and adopt the general business practices of that region. But is just as troublesome when occidental do-gooders come to redeem these places and save them from whatever undemocratic principles they've been slaves to. Who are westerners to acts as global policemen and impose rules to spare our sensitive media-groomed souls from having to see things like child-labour? Who are we to declare incapacity of people to judge for themselves and take decisions of where to work and under what conditions? It is more interesting to argue about this than to arrive at an answer, which is as impossible as having liberals and socialists agree in politics. But to completely shut out this discussion of a book that intends to "take aim at the brand bullies" severely damages both the credibility and the level of importance that No Logo could have achieved.

No side in the discussion about corporate (ir)responsibility needs more one-dimensional cannon-fodder. What's needed is a more philosophical discussion that takes in such aspects as conflicting viewpoints, and things that are unseen (such as the fate of children that are sacked from Asian factories that have been "liberated" by enclaves of Klein, Moore et al?). For the time being, No Logo serves as little more than a political pamphlet, albeit an amusing and at times informative one at that.

Simply put, this book is a masterpiece. It's not your typical marketing consultant book by any stretch of the imagination, after all, Naomi, is not of the Zyman, Reis, or Trout family of marketing writers. Those guys write about Positioning, Focus, (excellent works by the way) and how the only thing that matters in marketing is selling more things to more people more often. After reading Zymans "The End of Marketing as We Know It", you'd think there was nothing more important this world than getting people to consume until they explode or go bankrupt.

No Logo takes an entirely different tack. Branding, yea, it gets it due here. Most companies in the US don't make anything anymore. They build brands; they don't build products. Nike, whatever companies made the clothes on your back, or branded the computer you're reading this review on didn't sell you a product. They sold you an image. Maybe they sold your kids an image you finally broke down and bought at the expense of something else.

Cash strapped schools are great place to set the brand hook early. The kids might come home wired and fat from the Taco Bell lunches and Coke machines around every corner, moving one step closer to diabetes or heart disease every day. These days maybe we should just be happy the brand are there to step in and help out where public funding no longer makes the grade. As long as your kid isn't like Mike Cameron who got suspended for wearing a Pepsi shirt to school on "Coke day", there is nothing to worry about, right?

It's intuitive from the consumer side, particularly when we look around and see all the "stuff" we have for which there is really no need. Brands rule, branding "works"; it gets people to buy more stuff more often at increasingly higher prices, often required to offset the cost of the branding campaigns.

That's great unless yours is an industry that has or is in the process of outsourcing production of the actual material goods to an "Export Processing Zone" and your job entails some part of the production process. If it can be made in an overseas sweatshop and shipped back over here, chances are it will be in the not to distant future. It'll be interesting to see what effect the move to the brand based company has on the current and future economy of the US.

So maybe you think it's crazy (or not) that companies here spend billions just create images and perceptions to drive demand for products made elsewhere. Image becomes everything, however, an image can also be extremely fragile. People in glass houses don't throw rocks anymore, the lawyers protecting those fragile brands do. Sometimes it's shutting down fan sites or user groups on the net or trying to block the dissemination of informational leaflets that may not paint an ideal rosy picture of the brand. As was the case with McDonalds in the McSpotlight case, some times the brands take a beating. The glass house comes crumbling down. Sometimes it just takes a few brave sould to stand up for what they believe in.

No Logo will make you think. It might arouse a passion deep within to get involved and look for a ways to bring about change or affect your future career (hint - the money is in brand marketing!). It ought to be required reading for any student of marketing, if for no other reason to provide a sense of balance and awareness of how marketing and branding fits into the business process these days.

If ya like No Logo, you might also be interested in:

** The Age of Access by Jeremy Rifkin
** The Divine Right of Capital by Marjorie Kelly
** Unequal Protection by Thom Hartman

and on the more pro business side

** "Positioning", a classic by Reis and Trout
** "Focus", another outstanding marketing book by Al Ries

A tremendous amount of research and analysis has gone into this informative study of the dark secrets behind the brands that dominate our lives in Western society. The neglect and deliberate lack of social responsibility, both alarming and disturbing, that has become a central element to the maufacturing and business activities of some of the world's largest and most recognizeable brand names is staggering. How can these self-proclaimed leaders of our economy be so callous? Klein details their motivation and the evolution of such nefarious practices, as well as the collusion of corrupt and greedy local authorities in developing nations, which serve to sustain and propogate such injustice. On the flip side, Klein offers hope through her exaustive examination of the counter-movements that have to a degree succeeded in keeping the rampant exploitation of the afore-mentioned multinationals in check and on their toes. The book is written in an open and accessible tone, with down-to-earth interpretations of the patterns of disdain for labourers and their rights as well as for the environment and our planet's dimishing natural resources, all in an unrelenting quest to reinforce the brand name and dominate the market share. I for one will never look at brand logos such as the Nike swoosh, the same again. For that matter, thanks to this important and timely book, I will carefully monitor such questions as freedom of expression and the control that such corporations as Wal-Mart have on the content of what we as consumers have access to.