Eras Books

Strain shifts the perspective on much of the civil-rights activism in the 1960s. For the most part, African Americans were not so much trying to make a new political order or create new social and economic ground as simply acting in self-defense. This makes sense when one considers that at the time, blacks were subject to institutionalized racism and frequently the targets of violence by whites with the tacit approval of the white political and legal authorities. In such circumstances, self-defense "was an essential part of the struggle for citizenship itself." Struggling for equality in education, employment, opportunity, etc., the various forms of black activism from Martin Luther King's nonviolent tactics to demonstrations and boycotts to occasional armed resistance cannot be regarded as anything other than self -defense; which self-defense is recognized in law and is an inherent part of psychology and behavior of all individuals. The title comes from Malcolm X's comment that he was urging African Americans to return "pure fire" to whites' hatred and suppression of them. Strain--teaching history and American studies at Florida Atlantic U.--also notes a statement by a Robert Williams before a Congressional committee that he urged his followers that "we should fight for the enforcement of the Constitution of the United States." Others have noted the character of self-defense in the civil-rights activism. But Strain goes far beyond simply giving a nod to this. He explores debates within the black community on the effectiveness and risks of violence in response to blatant and covert white violence and oppression; recounts the beliefs of proponents of violence such as Malcolm X; and assesses the role of advocating violence and instances of committing it in the changes worked by the civil-rights movement.

After trying to secure this book through Barnes and Nobles, I was told that there would be a delay on the shipment date. That would just simply not work as it was a present for a friend, so I turned to reliable Amazon. As a Peace Corps Volunteer from the South Pacific, I try to read as many books about that region of the world as possible, but it is often extremely difficult to find books about the South Pacific. This is a great find. Thanks!

I have read this book, and it rocked my world, literally! In addition, the author is impossibly sexy. If you can get a hold of a copy, I guarantee you will go to bed with it under your pillow every night.

Prof. (Late) T. B. Irving, rendered a great service by presenting an English translation in a tone and tongue so common in America today.

He is distinct among the English translators, as he rendered the words in his own way, to be more communicable. Let us illustrate this. Most translators have come close to say 'God is Unique', but none before him had use this word.

Sura 112, Ikhlas or Sincerity reads:
say: God is Unique!
God is the source (for everything)
He has not fathered anyone
now was He fathered and there
is nothing comparable to him.

Your tapes are fascinating! It's always a pleasure to listen to them.

Meta Morgan

Douglas Anderson has managed to produce a rich and extremely stimulating intellectual biography of Benjamin Franklin. He traces Franklin's ideas as reflected in his various writings throughout his life, with special focus on his literary and philosophical influences. For instance, he shows that Franklin, even in his teenage years, managed to produce a work of rather impressive learning and erudition, viz. Silence Dogood. This work quotes extensively from the popular English Republican work "Cato's Letters," and reflects explicitly the philosophical ideas of the great moral philosophy Lord Shaftesbury. Anderson ably demonstrates how his ideas changed and evolved with time and experience, as Franklin moved from being a poor apprentice to a publisher, scientist, politician, and revolutionary diplomat. He analyzes the full range of his thought on a myriad of subjects, including politics, religion, and science. In the end, this work is a major accomplishment that offers the interested reader a vast amount of enjoyment and education.

Lorena Oropeza has authored an outstanding study of the Chicano Civil Rights movement through the lens of patriotism and protest during the Vietnam war era. Her primary goal of the study is to demonstrate that the war in Vietnam fundmentally shaped the Chicano movement's challenge to long held assumptions about the history of Mexican-American people and their role in society (p. 5).

The evidence selected by Oropeza primarily stems from two states - California and New Mexico (this is the lone weakness of the book, in my opinion - virtually no mention of events in Arizona and little mention of Texas). She looks at protests and activism in these states.

Given my personal interests, I found her link between the land-grant movement in New Mexico (Reies Tijerina's activism) and the Vietnamese people to be the most persuasive argument in the book - Oropeza compellingly explained how the Chicano/as in New Mexico bound themselves with the Vietnamese emotionally, thus demonstrating why members of the movement shifted so suddenly from an ultra-patriotric group to one composed largely of protest.

This is an important book for Chicano studies, Vietnam War era studies, and the study of the post-WWII American West. I strongly recommend this book to all who are interested in any of the above broad topics.

To review F. Lanford Smith's book requires knowledge of the subject material in at least an equal to the author's ability. There are very few of us left that understand vacuum tube design. Most that are around considered Smith's book the Bible for circuit design during the historical evolution of electronic equipment prior to the inception of the transistor. To review this book would be technically arrogant and presumptuous. Instead we should stand in awe and be thankful that he had the drive to record his knowledge with such clarity and leave us with a wonderful historical record of that era.

This yet another excellent volume in the Oral History series. No slant--just the views and opinions of those who were there. I must say it focuses way more time on Iran-Contra than the Soviet nuke summits etc. Reagan's visit to Moscow is barely touched upon. Although the Iran-Contra stuff is enlightening, I would have liked more insight on the Reagan-Gorby relationship. Considering there have been entire books written on the subject, I'm sure there were lots of questions to ask.

Anyway--a very insightful book, but a bit Iran-Contra heavy. I highly recommend it.

Recipes and More from a Bygone Era edited by Betty Mac Kulaski is absolutely one of the best books I have ever purchased. Being in my early thirties, I am unfortunately not very "hands-on" when it comes to cooking, antidotes, etc., so I was a little unsure of the book--at first. However, after reading the book and looking at the way the female author used the most natural ingredients to keep her family healthy and happy, I am inspired to be more creative, more natural, and more environmentally-friendly in all aspects of my life. This book is truly a unique treasure reminding us all of the beauty of life surrounding us even in the most mundane affairs. I strongly recommend this book for males and females of all ages and for all occasions.