African Americans is a superb and balanced portrayal of the history and current situation of African Americans in Michigan. The book is well written, objective and extremely well researched. The solutions proposed are realistic and well thougt. The analysis is logical, presented well and understandable. This is the best book I have read concerning African Americans.

Walter Benjamin and G. Scholem are two of the most important thinkers of this century. And in this book we can listen to their voices and thoughts. In my opinion the most interesting part of the book are the letters related to Franz Kafka. In fact, I think the way they understand and illustrate Kafka is still unsurpassed, and just for that is really worth to read this book.

Great book about Thomas Chaplin and His history on St. helena Island. Really gets you to know what life was like in antebellum South.

A captivating account of antebellum life on a Sea Island cotton plantation. This is a genuine depiction of innocent people pressed into unremitting labor under the most onerous conditions right here in the United States of America! It's not "Gone With the Wind." If you believe the Civil War wasn't about slavery, read this! Tombee House still stands today. Just drive to the southern end of St. Helena Island and look seaward. Read the book, then go visit the house -- it's a haunting experience!

Tombee provides an amazingly immediate view of the life of a "typical" slaveholder and cotton plantation owner in the years leading up to the Civil War. The book is divided into two parts, Rosengarten's commentary on Chaplin's life, and Chaplin's diary. If you read only one part, read Rosengarten's. You can feel the heat and the haze of the steamy low country in summer as the slaves toil and Chaplin frets over his life and finances. And you watch the story unfold knowing the Civil War is about to stamp out slavery and a tragic way of life. This is great history!

Sentimental Music is a thoroughly enjoyable novel combining humor and sensitivity. Everyone I've recommended it to has shared the same opinion.

A good racy read - a chance to see the modis operandi of the opportunistic male!

This book brings forth information on another aspect of African American history that has been overlooked. When most people talk about Blacks and Michigan, they automatically think of Detroit. This is a very narrow view. Drs. Walker and Wilson have written other books on the Black presence in the Great Lakes State and "Black Eden" is another chapter in the ever-evolving story. Besides some technical information that many people might find useless, the story of Idlewild involves many famous African Americans. W.E.B. Du Bois, Daniel Hale Williams, and Madam C. J. Walker all vacationed at this resort; some even owned land there. Often referred to as the Apollo of Michigan, Idlewild showcased the best in Black talent. Segregation allowed the venue to be a staple on the now renowned "chitlin curcuit". Integration took some, if not all, of that away.
"Black Eden" is also the story of regular, hardworking Black folk who would pack up the car and take the family on a weekend of fun and relaxation at the beach. Part of it is a people's history. Part of it is the rise of the Black celebrity. I believe that this book has a place on any bookshelf.

This reviewer is grateful that this book was not her first Dash mystery, because it would have been her last. Ms. Benjamin is too talented a writer to be judged on the basis of what one can only hope is a major and temporary lapse in judgment. If you're looking to try her work, go straight to her first book. In this book, Rachel Alexander comes off as not very likeable: wearing the victim's clothes and jewelry, sleeping with the victim's boyfriend, trying to live the victim's life....all of this has Rachel coming across as a rather sick voyeuristic woman...In fact, her treatment of the victim's boyfriend makes her a rather cruel and callous one. This reviewer does not understand the purpose behind having the victim's dog witness the crime or how the dog even figures into the plot at all. And not enough Dash in this book! Dash is but a secondary decoration in this book...and Rachel even goes out into a dangerous situation in the dead of night, and leaves him behind!!! The only good things I can say about the book is the writing style is good and you will be kept guessing as to what happened in the victim's last moment until the book's end; the problem is that by that point, you'll not care if Rachel herself winds up sharing the victim's fate. Ms. Benjamin is a better writer than this; her character needs rehabilitation after this book.....The readership deserves more Dash and less trash.....This reviewer's advice: Only resort to this Dash mystery when you've read all of the others......

This second book of Ms. Benjamin's was a huge improvement over her first book. At least in this book, the main focus is Lisa's alleged suicide and not the actual dog component of the book. However, as with the first book, I like the fact that Rachel throws herself into the case with tenacity. However, I think Rachel's concept of 'walking in Lisa's shoes' by going so far as to stay at Lisa's apartment, wear Lisa's clothes and jewelry, and doing all the activities that Lisa did was a little over the top. There's a big leap from putting yourself in somebody's place to completely taking over their life. The people who were part of Lisa's life who are Rachel's prime suspects are all odd and quirky, but it leant more to the story when trying to figure out which one did it and why.

Ah Rachel, she's really cool. As star detective of this first point of view tale, she knows how to keep things interesting. I thought I would hate her and the pursuit of who-done-it would be drab, but the way she handled a situation and her easygoing attitude made me like her instantly. The whole basis of the plot - a woman with everything supposedly does suicide doesn't strike a chord with her parents. They fetch Rachel P.I. to handle the case of their believed daughter's murder. Rachel then steps into the dojo shoes of Lisa's before life ; Lisa was into Tai Chi and went to the dojo regularly where her life ended. The gradual process of investigation was fun and mysterious. The people Rachel met who knew Lisa all seemed like probable suspects. The ending should have been more clear and longer. It doesn't state exactly who was the murder or why the person did it, but you figure who it is.

Let me see. If you think about buying this book. Forget it. It's a No No! The context are dull and boring. Believe it or not, this book really IS BAD! This is more like a history copy.