Writers Books

I have never heard any of this information any where. This book is a must read. There is enough information here that makes a strong connection between calcium deposits, nanobacteria, and heart disease.

They do a great job in translating the terms for non medical people. Additionally, I would say that the relationship between the information presented and cancer represented about small percentage of the book, but the linkage is important and worth considering nevertheless.

I just finished reading an extraordinary book, The Calcium Bomb: The Nanobacteria Link to Heart Disease and Cancer. It also explains for the first time, the possible etiology and outline for a real treatment of my own ailment (which I know quite a bit about) ankloysing spondylitis. This is a work of excellent investigative scholarship and if its basic premise is true, namely that nanobacteria create calcium shells to protect themselves and can only be killed once they are unsheathed, then it may be one of the most important health books ever written. The relationship between nanobacteria and atherosclerosis and arteriosclerosis is portrayed convincingly.

An interesting read on health but is it fact or fiction? Pretty scary if true as it is not main stream.

The book discusses how a newly discovered microorganism, nanobacteria, are responsible for the plaque that accumulates within our tissues as we age. Plaque buildup is what causes heart disease, and other circulatory issues. Beyond that it describes how the use of EDTA suppositories and the antibiotic tetracycline have been used remove plaque from arteries and restore health to many who would certainly die without this therapy.
There is some controversy in that nanobacteria are not currently scientifically accepted as being living organisms, and that they are not accepted as the cause of arterial plaque formation. The authors give compelling evidence that they are organisms and they do cause plaque formation. Beyond the scientific argument about nanobacteria, there is no debate that arterial plaque and calcification are major contributors to heart disease, and that EDTA chelation therapy can remove this plaque in many people. The book gives numerous examples of those who have been saved from this therapy, and it provides references to where this therapy can be obtained.
It does downplay the effectiveness of oral EDTA chelation, and it highly recommends the use of tetracycline. In that, it seems to favor a therapeutic regimen that is currently available through only one source, and at a premium price. I am trying to give useful information here rather than a simple review. I have researched this to quite an extent and believe that oral EDTA chelation is fairly effective, it is much easier to take, and it is a lot cheaper than the suppositories they recommend. Beyond that garlic and curcumin, are very safe and effective herbs that offer some anti-plaque benefits.
This is one of the best books I have ever read. It is very thoroughly researched and referenced. Currently the web site www.calcify.com simply displays a message stating that the authors are working on an updated version of the book. I will certainly buy it as soon as it's available. I am disappointed that this book is already out of print and that currently it is selling for such a premium price. If you suffer from life threatening heart disease then by all means buy it, it will be worth every penny to you. If you have more of a scientific interest then you may wish to wait for the updated version or research EDTA chelation therapy on the web.
I would prefer that the future version of the book focus more on methods of removing plaque from the body and less on the scientific debate over nanobacteria.

This book is the natural complement to "Calcification: the Aging Factor," by Mark Mayer. While these books are on the same subject, they are both very different in content. The Calcium Bomb is about nanobacteria; while "Calcification: the Aging Factor" talks about other factors that can contribute to calcifications.

Reviewed by: Tyrone Vincent Banks of Betsie's Literary Page.

A well written thriller and an exciting love story.


Carly Manning encounters a group of men on a road after loosing control of her vehicle. She realizes that she has stumbled into the wrong place at the wrong time, but fortunately, she mentions the name of a mutual acquaintance and the group agrees to assist her. She meets Ken Morgan, a charismatic musician and the leader of a group called "The Compound." As Carly and Ken interact with one another you get the distinct impression that they are meant to be together. From that point forward they have begun an adventure that becomes the plot for The Compound.
Most espionage type thrillers consist of two dimensional characters that simply do what you expect them to do. Without conscience or remorse they bed anyone necessary to achieve their objective. Although Carly and Ken are attractive and attracted to each other, they keep a respectable distance from one another. That fact creates a cloak of sexual tension that the reader can detect on any page on which the names Ken and Carly are mentioned together. It is as if they want to put their past "exploits" behind them and experience true love. Both characters have a colorful past in which "love" simply means sexual relations, but that may change as the hero and heroine fall deeply in love.
Ken has become Carly's protector in a sense. From her innermost thoughts you can sense that she can take care of herself but she allows Ken to defend her, mainly from some of the other members of Ken's team. Now, the tables have turned and Carly must fight to save Ken from his destruction. His team, the Compound, has become obsolete and an assassin has been sent to bring Ken down. Carly has decided that she will do what is necessary to save the man that she loves. Will she fail? Will she succeed? Is she more than what she appears to be? Read the book and you will surrender yourself to a literary roller-coaster that you will not be able to put down.
A three dimensional plot has been merged with two three dimensional characters to create a realistic adventure that will entice and entertain the senses. Enter The Compound and sample the work of Gloria Shepherd. Ms. Shepherd is a seasoned, veteran writer with the ability to create believable characters tackling realistic issues. She writes with a romantic edge that will draw multiple audiences into the book with a desire to see how the book ends. Do the two heroes fall in love and stay together? Or, will the covert world of espionage tear them apart? I'm not going to tell...

If you like a fast moving thriller with just the right amount of sexual tension then this book is for you. Never a dull moment and hard to put down. The female character is creative and unpredictable. She has qualities that you never see in everyday romance novels and keeps you guessing till the end. The male characters are of the usual rough & tumble hero types but with an added note of sensitivity that makes them more human and believable with each passing chapter. The writting style is quick and never bogs down - All & all a very entertaining read!

Ken Morgan is the commander of The Compound, an elite U.S. covert military unit, and he's good at this job, not only in that he's charismatic, but also in that Carly Manning has met her match. Carly personifies the meaning of "femme fatale" and sparks fly. But the Soviet Union can be an even colder bedfellow, especially when it is learned that Carly has a close relationship with a Soviet spy. Ken now wants Carly in his group.
After a bitter dispute with the Joint Chief of Staff, the generals have no further use for Ken or his operations. They issue an immediate order for his termination; however, Carly doesn't want her Ken to become a casualty of the spy game. She sets her mind to meet the assassin hired to kill him, but will it be too late to save Ken's life?
THE COMPOUND is revealing, and the military aspects of both the United States Government and the Soviet Union will send a chill up your spine. This spy thriller is too close to the truth to be fiction. Ms. Shepherd knows her stuff, has done her research, and is the best plotter in America.

A fast moving, hard to put down book that keeps your attention throughout. A pleasurable, exciting experience that has me wanting more.

Friends who recommended this book to me told me they could not put it down. I have to admit they were right on the money. Not only is it a good read, but the way the author portrays the hero is unique and the plot indeed is a rollercoaster of action, adventure, and at times comedy.

What is most fascinating is the book is fact based. I can only imagine what the author has experienced and would hope she continues writing more.

The characters, Carly and Ken, are entertaining and do remind me of the Thin Man movie characters of Nick and Nora Charles, but a little more sexy. I liked Ken and Carly from the start and soon found myself cheering for them. What happens to them is quite exciting, but I won't give away the ending. As I mentioned previously, this is a book you won't be able to put down. I give it 5 stars *****! I think you will too.

I think deconstruction is important but have difficulty understanding it. This book is the only lucid explanation I've seen of it's basic principles.

If you are beginning to read derrida, this book will be very helpful. Now if they only made one for Judith Butler! (Skip the Foucault, his theories are not that complex.)

Derrida is my favorite philosopher. I don't think that his 'Deconstruction' is holistic necessarily but the gist of it explains the inherent problems of doing philosophy better then anything else I've read.

Unlike the greats of Science who simplify complex ideas (i.e..Stephen Hawking, Richard Feynman), the guru's of philosophy take fairly straight-forward ideas and shroud them with such mysterious sounding proprietary language that their work becomes nearly impossible to decipher. Derrida is no exception. This is a shame because his underlying message is brilliant...and really not not all that abstract.

So until philosophers realize that less words does not directly translate to less intelligence, we should be very glad to have commentators like Jim Powell around.

"Derrida For Beginners" concentrates on developing the key concept of "differance" and defining the necessary Derridian terminology used to communicate its meaning. The book clearly defines, "binary opposites", "texts", "logocentricism" etc.. and has plenty of diagram's to help you get the idea. While I can't say the artwork did much for me, the cartoon setting does force the message to be carried accross succinctly...no babling. The first book I read after failing miserably to tackle "Of Grammatology" was "Derrida" by Christopher Norris. While his was an excellent introduction..I will say that after I read "Derrida for Beginners" I went back and read most of Norris' book again and got a lot more out of it. Try this: read "Derrida for Beginners" as many times as needed until you have all the words in bold print at your fingertips..then, read Norris' book "Derrida". With this few hours of investment, do some online searches and read some of the commentaries and criticism of Derrida. You will be surprised at how badly he is misunderstood by so many who have studied him a lot more then you, and should feel good about your knowledge in comparisom. Of course you then need to get humble again so start reading "Of Grammatology". :)

This book is concerned with making accessible the often inaccessible Derrida. Derrida's philosophy will help you develop a healthy sensibility and cynicism for 'knowledge' and 'representation.'
Do not be fooled by the 'for beginners' title; it is not simply an introduction, it is a hands-on intepretation of several his 'major' works. The book has any value for anyone interested in learning about the world in which we live.

This book is concerned with making accessible the often inaccessible Derrida. Derrida's philosophy will help you develop a healthy sensibility and cynicism for 'knowledge' and 'representation.'
Do not be fooled by the 'for beginners' title; it is not simply an introduction, it is a hands-on intepretation of several his 'major' works. The book has any value for anyone interested in learning about the world in which we live.

This book was a shock to me. It's not just a book of annotations, it's also a history of Ireland, literature, language, and nearly everything else Joyce decided to allude to in his masterpiece. I never would have guessed that just reading the annotations (without the source text) would make good reading, but that is certainly the case here. You do not by any means need this book to enjoy Ulysses, but it does give remarkable insight into the mind behind it

I am still digesting "Ulysses." I read it while walking around Dublin a few years ago. It was marvelous to trace the steps of Leopold and Molly, and to see what they "saw," but the novel remains a distant pleasure to the reader. I must admit it is not the most accessible book ever written, but it gets four stars for its intent ... and that it is better than "Finnegan's Wake." Be warned: This book is not for the casual reader. But this annotated edition makes it all worthwhile. You'll get genuine, comprehensible guidance. If you must read "Ulysses," this edition might be most helpful.

Gifford's book offers fascinating glosses and contextual annotations for Ulysses, but was not quite what I was looking for to help me with my first attempt at the book. The annotations are mostly disjoint explanations of specific allusions and references.

There are other guides to Ulysses that are better suited for the novice Joyce reader, helping the reader to keep track of the plot, the progress of the Odyssey and Hamlet corelations and explaining the shifts in style through the book. This kind of hand-holding may be unnecessary for more sophisticated readers, but for my first read, it was essential!

Just a heads up that this is NOT an annotated edition of Ulysses (as I mistakenly thought in purchasing)(duh). It is 600-some pages of notes only and does not include the text of the novel.

When I first tucked James Joyce's ULYSSES under my arm, Don Gifford's ULYSSES ANNOTATED was tucked under the other. (My biceps became very well developed because of this.) It took me an entire summer to read the books side by side but how worthwhile it was. Gifford's essential line by line, almost word by word, guidance made ULYSSES less overwhelming than if I had tried to tackle it alone. Once I got through ULYSSES the second time (the following spring) I was able to go to the more overarching analyses of Joyce's masterpiece. Stuart Gilbert's ULYSSES and Richard Ellmann's ULYSSES ON THE LIFFEY were particularly helpful.

Lushly, sensuously, decadently overwritten, a fatal literary intersection where Baudelaire, Rimbaud, Poe, and Sade collide and out of the spectacular wreckage something lopes off into the surrounding woods declaiming like Nietzsche's Zarathustra with head trauma--Lautreamont's *Maldoror* is one of those ten or twelve books that aren't like any other. Part hallucination, part philosophy, part prose-poem, part prophecy, it's a bizarre stitched-together Frankenstein's monster of a text, a virtuoso improvisation animated by an electrifying genius who appears--and disappears--on the literary stage like a bolt out of the blue.

Here is a work where the first-person protagonist is an arrogant, cruel, disdainful superhuman egoist--sometimes seeming to be Satan; other times, something considerably less, but at all times evil incarnate. Dramatic and arbitrary shifts of narrative perspective and authorial points-of-view, a fractured, nonlinear plot-line, similes and metaphors of Homeric proportion that bring together the most disparate items in absurd conjunctions virtually without meaning. Was it all a joke? A parody of Romantic literature and the self-indulgent, self-pitying, overheated imagination of those who struck the Romantic stance of poetic revolt and existential defiance? What must the French public have thought of this black mass "celebrating" vice, blasphemy, pederasty, and murder--a work that held nothing--including itself--above disgust?

Predictably enough, *Maldoror* caused barely a ripple in the bourgeoisie calm when it was first published--by Ducasse himself incidentally--and remained unread by the general public who continues to not read it today. It remains a text ahead of its time--or perhaps more accurately--outside of time altogether. And yet it's had a huge influence on the writers, artists, and intellectuals of our time, from the Surrealists to the Situationists to literature in theory and practice to this day. *Maldoror* is a quintessentially postmodern text--a pastiche of genres with its penchant for self-parody and its direct address of the reader, breaking the illusion of "fictive reality" and authorial authority.

The translator argues forcefully that this is the edition of *Maldoror* to read--that other editions, most egregiously the Penguin--are rife with errors that stumble along the borderline of sheer incompetence. I've got no good reason to doubt this is the truth--and why not read this edition? It's attractively formatted, fully annotated, and contains all the known works of Lautreamont ((Ducasse)) including a few apocryphal tidbits, a chronology, biographical notes, and even a reminiscence by an old dude who once went to school with the Dark Prince of Letters. If there's a better edition, I'm unaware of it.

As for the heavily annotated *Poesies* that round out the main bulk of this volume--I had far less enthusiasm for them than for *Maldoror.* A series of gnomic axioms and aphorisms ala Pascal, indeed, many apparently in direct reply to Pascal, I didn't find them very interesting, often barely intelligible, even with the help of the comprehensive annotations--much of it in French which was unfortunately of no use to someone monolingual like me. What I did understand of the *Poesies,* the opinion of enthusiasts to the contrary, I found, for the most part, bombastic or banal, and very often both. A young man's ((Ducasse died in his early twenties)) bold, world-shattering, and consequently somewhat naïve proclamations on life and literature, any and all of which were likely to change if he'd lived to see even five more years of either. At twenty-three, you can be a genius and produce a literary masterpiece, but you still don't know much--certainly not even most--about life.

Indeed, even in the *Poesies,* Ducasse radically reverses field, mercilessly ridiculing Romanticism and its heroes, mocking the Satanic defiance that inspired such works as...*Maldoror!*

So was *Maldoror* all a goof then--a black spoof, a devastating satire? Had Ducasse turned a new leaf as he claimed in the *Poesies* and now dedicated himself to composing uplifting works of classical order and clarity? Was he pulling our leg then...or again? Was it all a joke--on us, on him? Was he simply insane, or just young, or both? Are we reading too much into all this--and is *that* the point?

These are some of the very potent post-contemporary questions that Ducasse has left us to contemplate in the wake of his great literary disappearing act--questions that remain in addition to, and beyond, those raised by the actual content of his enigmatic, and abbreviated, corpus of work.

An author--and a book--as important for being important as for the substance and merit of what he wrote, Ducasse and *Maldoror* is essential reading for the serious student of post-19th century literature. Ducasse/Lautreamont/Maldoror is a major signpost on the way to a new kind of writing, some of which we see today, more of which we'll see tomorrow.

this is the best book i've ever read and by far the best translation of it. i can't really say anything more.

What to say about Maldoror that hasn't been said yet? What to say about the mysterious son of a diplomat who appeared in France, wrote this book and died, vanishing from the world, yet leaving his mark for decades and centuries yet to come?
The first time I had the pleasure of reading this exceptional work, I was taken aback. Barely seventeen, I hungrily swallowed the disturbing images leaping at me from the pages, not to fully comprehend them until years later. This work, over a century old, is believed to be the first work, the foundation stone of the surrealist movement, a movement that penetrated into every aspect of art, life, being; whether we are willing to admit it or not, this work is as important today as it was when originally published in 1868 (well, at least a part of it was). The world was not ready to receive the complete self-awarness of evil Maldoror so fully comprehends, and the world is still not ready. This work is certainly not to be read by a "closed" mind. It is said that to be creative, one must borderline insanity, yet, Lautreamont was playing with genius; a genius of a caliber capable of scaring away even the most immodest of us. But get deeper into his work, walk past the disturbed images, surpass your fears and you shall see the light. This work cannot be ignored, cannot be left to collect dust. I have owned several copies over the past 14 years, and I am still finding new meanings, new passages and new understanding in this wonderful work. This trully is the one book that will never get old, that will always keep on giving, as long as one is ready to listen.

Isidore Ducasse's or Comte de Lautreamont's 'Les Chants de Maldoror' is a book one can contemplate over it's themes of darkness.
The songs of Maldoror is essentially an occult view of the world.
For good and evil are seen as equally important and mutually linked forces in nature, divorced from the moral content given to them by human beings. This is even noticeable in the name of the book's hero: Maldoror, which is a pun on 'mal d'aurore' (evil of dawn), the combination of darkness and light.
The book's phrase 'as beautiful as a chance meeting on a dissection table of a sewing machine and an umbrella' was also very important for the surrealists. It was valued because it was absolutely original in its combination of a banal object from everyday life with something that carries sinister and morbid overtones. The phrase also consists of a paradox, two of these objects have an constructive and therefore positive function, while the third has a dissecting and destructive, and therefore negative function. Yet these are only inanimate objects, it is only our imagination that puts "life" into them and give them these qualities.
It was this paradoxical metaphor that led Breton to describe Lautreaumont as the "unattackable".
The book also mocks science in its attempt to impose a static and rational order upon nature and attacks the belief that humanity is superior to the natural world. Religion is seen as an absurd delusion and god is seen as an unworthy, ineffectual, pathetic drunkard, scorned by the animals he is meant to have created.
This book can be seen as a belief that the "traditionally ugly" can be transmuted to an aesthetic value. When the socially conditioned fear of the ugly has been overcome, pleasure and psychological power are acquired.
Salvador Dali wrote:
"Repugnance is the sentry standing right near the door to those things that we desire most".

I like my writers drunk, blasphemous, decadent and French. If any of that list sounds even vaguely familiar then this is the book for you. Set the absinthe fountain to a slow drip, light some candles and prepare to tour an alchemical end-of-the-century underworld.

It's hard to believe this is the author's first novel. Sabra Brown Steinsiek tells a great story with characters you will love in interesting locales. My book club members will all be reading this in January and I know they'll join me in clamoring for a sequel.

I sat down to read on a Saturday morning...just for a minute...and spent the rest of the day with this terrific book. The character development was very well done and the plot made the book quite interesting. It's not your typical romance novel... I can't wait for the sequel!

"Timing is Everything" kept my attention to say the least! The plot has intriguing twists and turns, the characters are well depicted and the locales interesting. Ms. Steinsiek has produced a very good first novel and I'm hoping to hear more from her!

I'm not always a big fan of romance novels, but I tried a copy of this book before Thanksgiving when it was recommended to me by a friend--and it made my holiday shopping a piece of cake. I gave copies of "Timing Is Everything" to half the people on my Christmas list, and they've enjoyed it just as much as I did. For anyone who's ever daydreamed about befriending (or more?) a favourite famous performer, or held their breath when checking the e-mail, just in case there's a message there from, well, you know....this is a book that is harder to put down than the mouse, capturing lots of the same romantic charm and conflict as films like "Notting Hill" and "You've Got Mail". It was nice to see a protagonist with a Hispanic background for a change, too, and a colourful and convincing setting in the southwestern U.S.

Ms. Steinsiek writes a very entertaining and moving book. Laura and Taylor have the love and romance everyone hopes for. The story is entertaining moving and a sheer delight to read. Romance lovers will adore it, so would anyone else. It's a must read and deserves all the stars it can get. I look forward to reading the two sequels!

This is a literature in its truest form, the words, the style of writing, so beautiful, so mesmerizing, as the words take form, taking you on this journey. I have to admit, i found the first couple of chapters a difficult read. Its packed! You understand so much and yet so little, as you read on, it nicely unravels its mysteries.

As is obvious from other reviews, TTS is hard to sum up. I try.

It is a soulful journey into the greed, materialism, pain, struggle, betrayal, pride and beauty of the continent, everyone is present, the Nigerian, Ghanian, South African etc. Destruction reigns and can only be uprooted by returning to "the way, our way". A glimmer of hope is offered by the rise of a few visionaries who come to see the truth of this, and stand determined to fight the good fight, the fight against destruction.

Nevermind that it was first published c.1974, the wisdom contained in this book remains poignant. Few see. Some of these lack true conviction to take action. "The way" largely remains shunned and despised. Zombism is crowned, as mindless following remains the order of the day.

I strongly recommend buying this book, and please read it. My review does it very little justice. Also, if you have not been fortunate to read 'The Beautiful Ones are not yet Born' then please do so.

Two Thousand Seasons by Ayi Kwei Armah

(...)


African scholar and historian John Henrik Clarke once pointed out that in colonizing the world, Europeans also colonized information about the world. The savage theft of land and resources, the wholesale murder of millions - this physical assault was accompanied by an ideological assault from which Africans are still trying to recover.

In recent years, many of us have stepped up to challenge the backward, racist ideology that permeates much of what is written about African people, history and culture. Ayi Kwei Armah is one author who has taken on the task of reconstructuring out story. The body of work he has produced is just one example of how even creative outlets can be used to further our struggle for liberation.

Armah's novel Two Thousand Seasons was first published in 1973 and was reprinted last year by Per Ankh, an African publishing cooperative based in Senegal. Its significance is profound for all Africans fighting to reclaim out stolen land and resources, primarily because it tells a story built upon the progressive theories of African revolutionaries such as Nkrumah, Garvey and Diop. Armah lays the foundation for this in the opening pages of the novel by asserting that "we are not a people of yesterday," "that we black people are one people we know," and that "[Africa] is ours, not through murder, nor through theft, not by violence or any other trickery. This has always been our land. Here we began."

Two Thousand Seasons is a fictionalized account of the attack on Africa that has taken place over the last 1,000 years. Using the collective voice of a particular group, it traces the overall development of African history as it has unfolded for countless millions of our people.

Beginning in eastern Africa, the story follows a people as they encounter and are subjugated by Arabs, forcing them to migrate to the western part of the continent where they come up against the horrors of the slave trade. Ultimately, they enter into a campaign of resistance that continues even beyond the novel's end.

History of Role of Women, Religion and Social Equality

A number of issues related to our current struggle to reclaim Africa are addressed in the book. Questions concerning women, religion, and social equality are dealt with, all within the context of a fierce struggle to resist foreign domination. These elements combine to form the novel's basic premise - that the liberation of a land and resources is a necessary first step in reclaiming a way of thinking and understanding the world that has been battered, corrupted and altered by foreign influence.

Throughout the story, Armah propagates the legitimacy and appropriateness of a worldview that is intrinsically African. He simply calls this worldview "the way" or "our way." "The way" is not a religion; in fact, the term religion is discarded in all descriptions of traditional African thought. The dialectic term "reciprocity" is used instead and is defined as "not merely taking, not merely offering. Giving, but only to those from whom we receive in equal measure. Receiving, but only from those we give in reciprocal measure. How easy, how just, the way."

This characterization draws a distinct line between the philosophical understanding that has existed between Africans since ancient times, and the relatively new religious doctrines that to this day contribute to our enslavement.

These religious doctrines, which so easily lend themselves to oppression, are challenged early in the novel. "We are not stunted in spirit, we are not Christians that we should invent fables a child would laugh at and harden our eyes to preach them daylight and deep night as truth," Armah says. We are not so warped in soul, we are not Arabs, we are not Muslims to fabricate a desert God chanting madness in the wilderness, and call out creature creator. That is not out way."

This indictment of Christian and Islamic religious musing is followed by an explanation or how Africans view the world, as well as our place in it. In delineating this worldview, Armah takes a stance that is arguable materialist. He states, " What we do not know, we do not claim to claim to know. WE have no need to claim to know. Many thoughts, growing with each generation, have come down to us, many wonderings. The best have left us thinking it is not necessary for the earth to have been created by any imagined being. We have thought it better to start from sure knowledge, call fable fables, and wait till clarity.

The validity of a traditional African worldview is again asserted as Armah contrasts the structure of society prior to invasions with the societal transformations that is the result of foreign presence.

At the start of Two Thousand Seasons, there is a general social equality, there is no ruler or king as such, and those given jurisdiction over the community (chiefs or "caretakers" as they are referred to by Armah) are accountable to the people. In addition, male/female equality is recognized, and women share in all tasks related to governing and maintaining society. This structure is overturned, however, when Africans come under Arab domination. For the first time, African women experience exploitation and oppression as they are forced to serve as sex slaves for decadent Arabs.

Struggle Between those for Independence and Those Copying Imperialist Ways

Even after Africans free themselves from Arab domination, effects of that experience linger and are manifest in the ways some of them want to restructure society.

This creates a split among Africans. A struggle emerges between the "producers" (those who wish to return to the way) and the "parasites" (those who wish to emulate the ways of foreigners). Armah connects the urges of the latter to a misguided fascination with the power of white people. "They urged on us the setting up of a king from among the parasites to whom all - parasites, producers, women, children, in the condescension of the white destroyer's road - would be bound in unthinking, unquestioning allegiance. In such arrangements, the admirers saw the roots of the white predators' power."

Implications of the decision to abandon long-held notions of social equality are far reaching. Traditionally, gender equality was experienced in the larger context of general social equality. In other words, men weren't seen as superior to women just as no one is society was seen as superior to anyone else.

However, as society is transformed and certain people are given power over others, the role of women is transformed and women are confined to roles of child bearers and homemakers. " In the suppression of women first, in the reduction of all females to things - things for pleasure, things for use, things in the hands of men. - these admirers of the white predator's road saw a potent source of strength for men"


These societal changes eventually give rise to opportunism, form collaborator kings who, for their personal benefit, allow Europeans to set up an outpost of the slave trade, to "askaris" who make a living by aiding in the destruction of their own people.

The point Armah makes in all this is that social inequality, the oppression and exploitation of women, allowing certain people to rule over everyone else - all of these things constitute a break from African tradition.

Armah not only outlines how those breaks from tradition develop, creating a pathway for both the physical and ideological domination by foreign peoples. He also challenges the notion that African somehow welcomed enslavement by chronicling the movement for resistance.

There has never been a time when Africans accepted oppression. In the book, every move made to dismantle African society is met with resistance. As the fight for freedom escalates, the movement assumes s more strategic and skillful character. Two thousand Seasons draws to a close with Africans I the midst of a fierce battle to counter the ravenous slave trade and to recruit more and more people who are wiling to make this struggle their life's work.

Herein lies what is perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this novel. The story captured in the book begins way before the first page and continues far beyond the last. The book ends, yet the struggle being fought continues, as it will until all African peoples have freedom, power and self determination.

First printed in The Burning Spear, Volume 22, Number 4, July - October 2001. Newspaper of the African People's Socialist Party
(...)

Two thousand seasons does what few prior to it or after it can do. It exposes the magical intricacies and the aura's that exsit and exsited amongst first worlds people. Few do it as wonderfully as Ayi Kwei Armah. I was moved emotionally.

"Not all our souls are of a nature to answer the call of death, however sweetened. Easy these seasons to forget this too. Seasons, seasons and seasons ago the first thousand seasons passed. Before the passing of the second thousand, even before then, the time will come when those multitudes starting out on the road of death must meet predecessors returning scalded from the white taste of death"



"We told the white missionary that we had such fables too, but kept them for the entertainment of those yet growing up -- fables of gods and devils and a supreme being above everything. We told him we knew soft minds needed such illusions, but that when any mind grew among us into adulthood it grew beyond these fables and came to understand that there is indeed a great force in the world a force spiritual and able to shape the physical universe but that that force is not something that is cut off not something separate from ourselves."

Whoa!


Cell expanding revolutionary mind labyrinth of a novel. Soul searching, mystical, spiritual, historical fiction set in any time frame that you might imagine putting yourself thru....Read the prologue last, only then can you see clearly..

Armah is obviously a medium for the Ancestors. His work is clearly a message from our past and its life transforming. It helps us understand why the african slavetrade took place and what will need to happen to heal that experience. it is a history book, a life guide - my favorite book of all time. period.

In the case of Jane Anne Staw's Unstuck, what matters most, is that the author has written the bible for writers who are blocked. I appreciate her lack of usage of the "B" word, but at the end of the day--Blocked is blocked and sometimes we all need a bit of fiber to get things moving! Make this gem a part of your writing resource library. You simply can't go wrong.

I've had a serious three year block and have tried desperately to get out of it. I had looked at several books about writer's block and all of them were feel-good garbage or throwaway 101 Tips to...

Staw's book is the best I found dealing with the subject. As one reviewer noted, it's difficult to even take time to read a self-help book, because you tend to feel that it's one more case of avoidance or procrastination and the hour it took to read could have been spent writing. But Staw has some salient, psychotherapy-based points about those feelings--guilt and avoidance. She emphasizes kindness to oneself instead of listening to the inner hypercritic, and while this might sound like feel-good nonsense, the way she writes about it makes sense and this technique pretty common in counseling. Her examples of patients experiencing writer's block range from mild to extreme--which made me feel better. This guide by no means got rid of my block, but in some ways it gave me (or allowed me to give myself) permission to write sloppily. There's no way I can write as well as I'd like to, certainly not while experiencing a block, and I feel that Staw really nails it when she points out how counterproductive this drive for perfection can be. I've since loosened up enough to start writing small things without caring so much about the outcome (these reviews for instance)--and it's been a pleasurable step in the right direction.

I'm using this book right now and it's a healing and compassionate book for writers. I was already writing again, but the book is helping me to go back and heal the gaps from decades ago when I quit writing. I hadn't realized that I needed to be healed as a writer. The need to write never went away even though I tried not to write. This book is helping me to understand many things. I can't say enough. It's a valuable book if you have ever felt hurt or discouraged as a writer. The author is perceptive and knows of what she speaks.

I am posting this review for a long-time friend and exceptional writer: "UNSTUCK offers us a mother lode of authorial insight, inspiration, and encouragement. Dr. Staw, the ultimate writer's empathist, speaks with the authority of an unblocked writer herself, making this handbook of discovery and recovery both an indispensable road map for overcoming writer's block and a trusty guide for avoiding its recurrence."

As a near-life-long collector of books on the art/craft of writing, I treasure them not just because of their professional wisdom but also because, well: they're so well written. I've placed UNSTUCK within the top part of that latter characteristic. Thank you for writing it. -- Larry W. Bryant

Unlike most books for writers, this one assumes that you are already a writer of some kind, and treats you intelligently and sympathetically, exploring the various fears that are common among writers and are at the root of writer's block, and ways to work through them. The book assumes that all writers have their own backgrounds, their own way of working, and their own individual quirks, so it does not prescribe a set program that everybody should follow. Instead, it talks about how to use your own personality and techniques to get you past the block and put your butt back in the chair.

Some of the examples seem pretty extreme. There are successful writers out there, apparently, who develop such a strong block that they have panic attacks when they sit down to write, or even just look at their computers. I figure if Dr. Staw's approach can help them, it can help me. I don't really fear writing (or do I? the book made me think about that), I just have trouble getting to it. Several times I read what she writes and thought, that's not me, then realized hours or even days later that the writers she describes aren't as different from me as I wanted to think they were. It gave me a lot of insight into the way I approach my writing, how I think about it, how I think of myself as a writer (a not-quite-real writer--there's a whole chapter about that).

The funny thing is, I realized early in the book that I was actually using the book as an avoidance technique to help justify not writing. After all, if I was reading about writer's block, then obviously I was doing something about it, so that's almost as good as writing. Of course, the best thing I could have done was put my butt in my chair and my fingers on the keyboard, even if only for a few minutes, rather than keeping my nose in a book. But I'm glad I read it anyway.

If you want to understand your writing mind, your fears about writing, how to get past that inner critic, and so on, the book is worth the time it takes to read it, and the time it takes to digest what you've read.

Roorbach guides you step-by-step with exercises and examples that help you write about your life. He also explains what makes good writing different from not-so-good writing. In other words, he holds you to high standards and helps you meet them. Your eventual readers should be grateful!

Brief Summary: Bill Roorbach understands that memoir writing is not as simple as putting everything you can remember about your life on paper. Memories are no different than any other source - the characters and the plot must be interesting. To that end, he combines instruction and advice with a series of exercises to produce "the bones" of a good memoir. Starting at the beginning, he covers: finding a good place to write, mapping your memories, scene making and exposition, the ethics of writing about real people, method writing and voice, metaphor and adumbration, and texture. You might not do every exercise in this book - there are 94 in all - but most seem worthwhile. Roorback encourages his students to think of the exercise work as "good, clean rocks for an eventual stone wall." Several of the exercises use a process which Roorbach calls "cracking open," which might involve finding a sentence or phrase from something you previously wrote that condenses or skims over a possible scene, and building a scene of at least two pages. (As a writer, I like thinking of myself as a cracker and polisher of stones and a builder of walls.) Other great exercises include: looking at as many books as you can to make a list of your ten favorite first sentences, making a map of the earliest neighborhood you can remember, and making a list of the subjects upon which you are an expert. The final chapter gives some good, practical advice about how to locate appropriate editors and agents, with a final cautionary suggestion: "The only helpful ambition is to write something good, something that will satisfy readers unknown to you in both predictable and unpredictable ways. If your ambition is about the work, the dream of publication won't eat at you and make a fool out of you."

Sample Excerpts: Roorbach doesn't just "tell" us the rules, he "shows" us the rules. In this example, he shows us how a good scene replaces many pages of explaining. "Instead of a passage about your family's socioeconomic status, you show your dad pulling up in the brown Ford wagon, muffler dragging. Or does he pull up in a shiny Mercedes? Or does he walk up the hill with his jacket over his shoulder, car traded for shares in a new invention? Let the reader write the passage about class."

Primary Strength: Writing Life Stories is to memoir what Joy of Cooking is to cooking. If you can follow directions and do what the book tells you to do, you'll have everything you need to create a fine memoir or a tasty meal.

This book is full of insights into the writing process.
It offers lots of assignments ,it helps me with writing my life story.

Good book. Instructs with small easy-to-follow "chunks". Writer has a good sense of humor--evident in his writing. Writing isn't overly academic or political (unlike some of the other "memoir-writing" books out there).

After following Roorbach's lessons, you should be able to competently put out a very nice selection of some of the turning points in your life, special occasions, and those great memories. You'll have enough vivid "word-pictures" that folks will enjoy reading about your experiences rather than fall asleep from extreme boredom.

Overall, this is a good book that will get you started with getting your own story out there. Don't let your part in history be lost--start writing now with this book as a guide.

Regards,
Dave (aka "EditorDave" -- Capture_the_Memories on Squidoo)

This book has lots of exercises for those just beginning to edge near the writing-ledge and will help you dig into your own story. However, this book is only for those wanting to write an auto-biography and those just beginning to venture forth in their writing. If you buy this expecting help on writing someone else's life story you won't find what you're looking for. If you're not a beginning writer and you purchase this, it's likely that you'll be the proud owner of a book full of exercises you've long outgrown.

Noah Lukeman's books on writing, I believe there are three total, are the last word for any aspiring writer anywhere--I can't recommend him enough! :)

This book offers readers a chance to approach the complex world of proper grammar usuage in a manner that is both educational and personal. The chapter construction is easy on the eyes and non-threatening. In the past, grammar books have been text oriented, with less emphasis on making the subject accessible to struggling writers. This book makes learning grammar a cinch!

Definitely a book for all writers!

As an incoming freshman entering college, I wanted to find some way to improve my writing. The aspects of my writing were fine, but sometimes it felt short of fully emphasizing an idea, or just connecting sentences better. So I picked up this book (I'll admit, the only thing that caught my attention was the cover at first) and I learned more about punctuation from this book than I ever did from elementary school!

The good and bad examples of good punctuation usuage ultimately helped me understand how to correctly use puncation to improve writing. Also, the author explained the differences and similarities between the punctuation marks quite well. The examples were interesting; the danger of overuse and underuse of various punctuation kept me glued to the book; overall, a must read!

When I first saw this book I was skeptical: a book on punctuation? An entire chapter on the period, one on the comma, etc? What could someone possibly say about the period for an entire chapter?

I wasn't going to give this book a look but since I think Noah Lukeman's other two books are so good I decided to give this one a go. Luckily it was easy and didn't cost me anything: my local library had a copy.

As I progressed through it I saw how wrong I was. Noah Lukeman has obviously been editing and writing books for quite some time and has insight into how things should be done and luckily he is kind enough to share his wisdom with the rest of us.

I got half-way through the library copy and decided this one was a keeper. I ordered my own copy from Amazon. Grab a copy, and if you don't have his first two books, get them too.

Mr. Lukeman, forgive me for even being the least bit skeptical. After reading your first two books I should have known you would never put out anything that wasn't thoroughly useful to other authors. Thanks a bunch, and I look forward to whatever you've got coming next.

This compact new book on punctuation uniquely complements standard college writing guides like THE BEDFORD HANDBOOK, now in its seventh edition, the all-time bestselling college textbook. The Bedford as well as several other college writing handbooks, such as THE HARBRACE HANDBOOK, I have used in my teaching cite punctuation examples mostly from nonfiction works.

This book's uniqueness arises from its approach: illustrating punctuation "rules" with examples drawn mostly from literary works. Moreover, the author points out how literary masters flout "rules" to create special effects. The works cited include excerpts from numerous writers such as Mark Twain, William Faulkner, and Joyce Carol Oates.

Excellent book for fiction writers.

C J Singh