i have not been able to see what this book contains but am very interested in the contents.

This book is about a young boy living in a village in the mountains of Morocco. This book may have been in 1984 somewhat true of the living conditions, however it's important to realize the geography of his living. Misconceptions can easily be brought by children thinking all people in Morocco live this way with no water after dark, no electricity, using donkeys for work, hard working children doing labor jobs and the such. There are better books to be found about Morocco!

Godement has failed in every sense of theword to convey any sort of new understanding to the war, except hiswild and untrue hallucinations with regard to the Japanese occupation. I can not understand at all how this "Western" Frenchman can even pass as a historian of "Asia". Relegating his writing to the realm of pure fiction, Godement either states the plainly obvious or the comically false. He constantly praises the Japanese for deeds that include the neglectable stimulation of Asian industry. I, however, would hardly call the atrocities committed by them to be anything by barbarous. Making only passing mention to the murderous attitude of the Japanese, he fails to underline perhaps the most neglected aspect of the war by Westerners. He makes it a point to tell the reader that Japan has made reparations for the war, when, in fact there are no reparations that can be made for the murderous acts. Until this day, there is no record of an international apology from Japan. Later Godement stresses the fact that Japan had encouraged the independence of the Southeast Asian countries that it conquered. In this, though, he fails to mention the many killed for their anit-Japanese stacne or to put in consideration the fact that these actions were done out of a realization of their imminent loss to the Americans. Perhaps most infuriating is the fact that he hardly discusses the takeover of Nanking. Godement cites that over 100,000 people were killed, but fails to record a source. One can only wonder whether this figure was created by a magic wand for there are actually records of more than twice as much. He dismisses this act that possibly shook the world to its core as "another conquest" by the Japanese. If his goal was to paint the Japanese in a well-rounded light, he only was able to paint them in a distubingly positive light. In fact, it is arguable that there was anything positive to be said. The destruction of the economic and social stability of a continent is nothing to be happy about. More sadistic is trying to shed some positive light upon incidents by saying that Japan was actually doing some "good". On a personal note, I feel that anyone who is able to see the occupation as a period of "modernisation" is definitely a medieval and violence-hungering beast. Spending more than half the chapter on the World War discussing the development activities of the Japanese during their ruthless occupation, he entirely misses the point of why this war was such a turning point in the view of humanity. He completely fails to highlight the pertinent aspects of the war. Among all this ignorant writing is a failing to understand any of the core values that make Asia unique as a continent. He calls Buddhism "fatalistic", a view that can easily attributed to the "Western" and "Christian" view of things. Furthermore, he gives no indication of a slight appreciation for the culture of the region, often saying that it was better the West conquered it without even putting himself in the shoes of his subjects. Writing as an intellectual calmly observing the horrors of the Pacific wars, he does little more than to show off his skewed and masochistic way of thinking. To summarize Godement's logic I'd like to ask: If your wife were raped by an invading army, would the child she bore be a good thing or a bad thing? Undoubtedly, his answer would be a resounding yes, it would be a good thing. END

Throughout this book one may find translations of important letters between Descartes and Princess Elizabeth that are otherwise unavailable in English. This is, however, the book's only merit. The "commentary" on the letters reduces Elizabeth's often insightful objections to concerns about suitors who only care to (actual quote from the book) "get into her pants." Conjectures about an affair between Elizabeth and Descartes, generalizations about the trials and tribulations of court life and pure incompetence regarding all substantive points raised in the correspondence pervade the entire work. An absolute insult.

Great activities for practice of sounds that you know how to make. No help for forming the sound if you are having trouble.

Absolutely appalling translation. Stick with Mottola's more scholarly version instead.