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O Books sorted by Average customer review: high to low .

O
The Knights Next Door: Everyday People Living Middle Ages Dreams
Published in Hardcover by iUniverse, Inc. (2004-10-20)
Author: Patrick O'Donnell
List price: $31.95
New price: $27.95
Used price: $25.25

Average review score:

He Got It Right
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-11
He did his research well and he relates the tales and legends of the SCA as well as we could do ourselves around a fire after a fine day at War.

If only the rest of the world could have Wars like ours, where no one is harmed and more friends than enemies are made.

story of growth and change
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-04-02
I remember some of the people mentioned in the book. I left the SCA a long time ago because of lack of time. Every now and then I think about going back into it but I'm geographically isolated. This was a nice look at the SCA and the changes that it makes on people in it.

Buy it! Read it!! You'll love it!!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-28
In sooth, it matters not if ye be SCAdian or mundane, this book will delight and inform ye. Partick O'Donnell's "voice" is a perfect balance between jaded old-timer and wide-eyed newbie, to what we call "The Dream". His observations are spot on, and witty. His appraisal is honest, neither sugar-coating the bad bits nor over-stating the good bits. As a long time player in the SCA (16 years and counting) I can vouche for the authenticity of his descriptions and his analyses. Great fun, and a good read!! I agree...buy TWO COPIES! One to read and one to loan. Your friends will thank you, and who knows...they might even come to war with you. Highly recommended. Hie thee to thy Shopping Cart and there addeth this book! Disappointed thou shall not be.

Not a bad read at all
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-22
I'm a swordfighter, using real armour and real swords. I found the whole insight into the SCA culture quite fascinating. But I found the best part of this book to be the following of one SCA member from his beginning in the SCA, to him becoming a well rounded person. It was a very interesting, very human story. Being from Australia the SCA movement is no where near as big here, so it was nice to see how the yanks do it.
In the last few chapters the author covers some groups from England. I found this quite fascinating, and I reckon he could do another book on it.

All in all a decent read.

A realistic and positive view of the SCA
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-15
For anyone who wants to know what the Society for Creative Anachronism is all about, this book is **really** worth reading.

It's a remarkably realistic, positive, yet still warts-and-all view of the SCA. Plus, it's written darn well.

It really drives home the fact that the SCA has grown steadily more history- and authenticity-oriented since its roots as a backyard costume party, but it **still** contains several fantasy elements... and likely *always* will.

The SCA is much more flexible and inclusive than most historical recreation groups, so you're always going to have the Tuchux and other groups playing within the Society that aren't strictly historical or fit within the SCA's designation as a pre-17th Century history reenactment organization.

Yes, the involvement of these fringe groups can make a number of us who are concerned about historical accuracy double-clutch at times and we strongly feel that it lessens our credibility with Academia... but I think those groups' involvement also stops us from taking things too seriously. I believe the sheer variety and diversity of folks and their interests is one of our greatest strengths -- we offer many things to many people.

Although the focus of the book is on the Middle Kingdom (midwest United States), the author does interview folks all over the nation. It has *tons* of wonderful interviews with folks from all periods of the group's development (Fleig, Diana Paxson, Ice Falcon, Cariadoc of the Bow, Roak, Alys Katherine...) Their stories made me laugh, gasp, and literally sometimes cry.

I also really appreciated the fact that the book gave me -- someone who has never donned a helm and fought with heavy weapons -- a better appreciation of how and why fighters do what they do.

I used to waterbear a lot when I first joined the Society and I basically looked at heavy weapons fighting as though it was just another type of martial arts competition, as though I was watching an aikido demonstration or a karate tournament.

This book helped me glimpse that there's a lot more to the mindset and the practice of heavy weapons fighting.

O
Michael Jordan Returns to NBA (Again)
Published in Paperback by H O M E Holding Onto Memorable (2001-02-20)
Author: Genie Saint Louis
List price: $10.00
New price: $10.00

Average review score:

Terric Screenplay
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-22
I would say that this is a well written and indepth looks at Michael Jordans return to profession basketball with the Washington Wizards.

Michael Jordan's Gracious Return
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-24
If you only read one story about Michael Jordan, this is the one to read. I am from D.C. and regard him as the greatest athlete of the 20th century. It was delightful to read about a second comeback. The fact that he did come back to be a Wizard, makes this story remarkable. Worth every sent!

The Greatest piece of Literature ever conceived
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2002-03-09
Wow is the only words that can penetrate the ranging emotions that occur when this book is read. Awesome. A must have for any Michael Jordan Fan. I want to be so much Like Mike Right Now.

Terric Screenplay
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2001-12-22
I would say that this is a well written and indepth looks at Michael Jordans return to profession basketball with the Washington Wizards.

Michael the Icon
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2001-11-24
For 13 brilliant seasons Michael Jordan danced the dance of greatness across hardwood floors of basketball arenas from New York to Los Angeles to Barcelona and Paris. With a warrior's heart and an artist's grace, Jordan long ago transcended the sport to become one of the 20th century's global icons.

On the court, his almost mythic flair for the spectacular prompted former Los Angeles Laker superstar Magic Johnson to say simply, "There's Michael, then there's all the rest of us"Off the court, Jordan's ability to alter markets and drive the business of his marketing partners is unprecedented.

Through it all, Jordan showed the world that greatness, true greatness, comes from the inside out. He remains perhaps the greatest practice player in the history of sports, his desire to improve upon his own example legendary. When critics questioned his all-around ability, he became the game's most dominant defensive player at his position. When teams decided to close down the lane and eliminate drives to the basket, he became a deadly jump shooter. Larry Bird and Magic Johnson had the most successfully teams of the 1980s but never won more than two consecutive championships. The Bulls won three straight--twice.

In Michael Jordan Returns to the NBA Again, the writer pulls back the curtain on one of the most remarkable sports figure of the 20th century and delves into the question of why he returns to the NBA after going out on top in 1998.

O
Novena: The Power of Prayer
Published in Hardcover by Penguin Studio (1999-03-01)
Authors: Barbara Calamari and Sandra Di Pasqua
List price: $24.95
New price: $13.50
Used price: $7.29

Average review score:

In need of a special prayer?
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-19
Worth everyday spent in prayer. Amazing photos, beautifully written Novena bio's of Christ, Mary, Saints, and Angels (including the Holy Spirit).

What caught my attention was the Novena of Saint Barbara.... I've never seen a prayer like this one written for her.

Of course The Sacred Heart and OL of the MM are the ones closest to my heart.

I purchased the hardcover version. Still beautiful w/o the dustcover in white with gold lettering and a gold cross.

"The Power of Prayer," Indeed
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-30
This is a beautiful book. The sections on the Infant of Prague, the Mother of Sorrows, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel are especially valuable. One mistake, however: The picture of Saint Catherine in the section on Saint Catherine of Siena is of Saint Catherine of Alexandria, not Saint Catherine of Siena.

Beautiful Inside and Out and Informative
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2005-09-24
Authors Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua give readers another invaluable resource for saintly intercession, prayer and personal edification with The Novena Book: The Power of Prayer (Penguin Studio, hardcover, 176 pages). As with the previous Calamari/DiPasqua books I've reviewed, The Novena Book combines informative and readable text with stunningly beautifully illustrations in a manner few other manuscripts can match. Their works grace my living room both because they are a treat to the eyes of my visitors and because I turn to them frequently for my own spiritual and educational formation.

In The Novena Book: The Power of Prayer Calamari and DiPasqua take a comprehensive look at the concept of Novenas. The introduction highlights the powerful nature of this prayer format. At the heart of the book is a lengthy series of chapters on Saints, Angels, the Madonna, and the Divinity. Each section on the saints provides a brief biographical or informative statement, an illustration, and a Novena. Rounding out the volume are additional prayer resources and a helpful topical index. The book features Novenas to several well known saints and to a few who make become your new favorites. I'm looking forward to sharing Novenas with my sons as we anticipate the rapid approach of the holiday season. The Novena Book: The Power of Prayer is the type of book you'll want to give as a gift, but be sure to purchase a copy of this treasure for your own spiritual library.

Beautifully done. A prayer book and coffe table book in one!
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2003-10-29
The authors have done a wonderful job taking the mystery out of Novenas and prayers. This book would make a wonderful gift for those searching for spirituality. The prayers work, I know this from personal experience. I've purchase several copies to give as gifts this coming Christmas.

Definitely a Keeper!
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2004-04-29
I've been an Amazon customer for years and have never felt compelled to write a review until now. I bought the book to learn more about St. Jude's novena and found myself completely immersed in reading all of the other saints' biographies. It is beautifully illustrated, well written and well organized. A must have for every library.

O
One Grain Of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale
Published in Hardcover by Scholastic Press (1997-04-01)
Author: Demi
List price: $19.95
New price: $10.45
Used price: $10.95
Collectible price: $19.95

Average review score:

Reading in high school math
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-02
I teach high school algebra and found that the addition of children's literature enhances my curriculum. I used this book when we began exponential functions. I read the first part to my students and then had them fill in a chart telling how many grains of rice she received each day for 30 days and ultimately come up with a formula. The book itself is beautiful and even high schoolers enjoyed it. (After the math activity, they asked me to finish the book. :)

Great book for all ages, really!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-29
I have purchased 5 copies of this book - one for my kids and the rest as gifts. I've also suggested it to others to give children as gifts. My older son is 2 1/2 years old and he enjoys this book. Certainly, I can expect an older child, around 5 or older, to get more of the mathematical detials from the book, but my son likes it too.

Instead of reading the numbers aloud, I show him that Rani shared the single grain of rice with this bird, 2 grains with that peacock.. the bagful of rice with the tiger... etc. He loves it. The illustrations are outstanding!! I always feel like I'm reading a book from the "royal" archives when I pick this up.

Enjoy!

a tale to delight both young and old
Helpful Votes: 15 out of 16 total.
Review Date: 2005-11-02
My daughter is three and loves this book -- not just for the gorgeous fold-out illustrated spread of the caravan of elephants carrying the rice on the 30th day -- but because she can follow along with the story. The tale is of a rich greedy rajah who doesn't want to share, but is then outwitted by a young girl and forced to give up all the grain in his storehouses. At the end, he is humbled and vows to be a more fair and wise ruler. My daughter loves to sit with one grain of rice in her hand like Rani on the title page of the book. I can see her forming rudimentary mathematical concepts, but I won't push it. There's plenty of time to return to this book when we introduce the times tables.

The visual progression of the increasing volume of rice is shown by the variety of animals which deliver the daily ration. First, just a series of birds with grains of rice in their beaks. Then on to a leopard, a tiger, and a lion each carrying a small pouch in their mouths. By the sixteenth day, a goat is pulling a cart on which sits a bag of rice. On the twenty-fourth day, eight deer each bring her a basket strapped to their backs. And so on until the enormous procession of elephants! The last page of the book is a very useful table called "from one grain of rice to one billion" which shows the actual numerical progression. Demi outdid herself with this book, which any homeschooling family will find useful.

A lot to learn, including girl-power
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-04-19
This is Demi's re-telling of an old folktale of a king who orders that all rice in his kingdom must be stored in the royal granaries so that there would be food in times of famine; but when his people start to go hungry, he refuses to open the granaries, claiming that the situation was not bad enough to warrant doing so - until a small child outsmarts him by asking for a grain of rice doubled every day for a month.

I love this book because there is a lot to be learned from it. Of course, there is the math: the concept of doubling and how quickly doubling makes the numbers grow. There is the art: lovely Indian-inspired illustrations with stunning gold effects. There are also moral lessons, namely that power can corrupt, and that even a small child can teach a mighty king.

Then, there is a special lesson for all little girls everywhere - that girls can do math. After all, the math-smart hero of the story is a little girl herself.

One grain of rice = many valuable lessons for students
Helpful Votes: 5 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2005-08-29
One Grain of RIce is not only a book of math, it is also a folktale. It shows how rice can grow from one grain, to two grains,to four grains, to 8 grains to 16 grains and all the way up to a whole barn full of grain.
It also tells of how people were treated by the leaders of the country in which they lived. A very valuable lesson.

O
Psychology
Published in Hardcover by Worth Publishers (2000-07-20)
Author: David G. Myers
List price:
New price: $5.00
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $93.56

Average review score:

Study guide
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-05
Exeptionally good study guide. Has helped raise my son's grade in his AP physcology class.

Simply the Best
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-08
This is the best textbook I've ever used. It is interesting and engaging. The content is excellent, but the charts, photos, quotes, cartoons, etc. make studying even more enjoyable. If you want to learn the basics of pyschology, but this book!

Best Intro-Psych Book Ever?
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-09-06
I finished reading this book about a month ago. I loved it. It covers many aspects of human behavior, albeit much of it rather superficially- but that's to be expected from an introductory Psych text, where a LOT of ground is covered in ~700 pages! Dr. Myers's writing style is very engaging, and the book is a joy to read. Practically every sentence in the book is backed up by at least one scientific study (the References section is downright intimidating... 97 pages!). The book is full of illuminating graphs & illustrations, quotes, captions, even relevant and humorous comic strips. Each section concludes with a "Review and Reflect" section that briefly summarizes the material and tests your understanding (answers are in the back).

I began reading this book in my spare time for my own enjoyment, and to sort of brush up on the introductory material (I'm a Psych major in school). During that time, I transferred schools and was told I would have to retake Intro-Psych because it didn't transfer credit. I sped up my reading so that I finished the book literally 2 nights before the semester started. So far, the class has been a breeze, and looks like it will continue to be. I am more than prepared - I feel like I'm almost as qualified to teach the class as the grad student that they have doing it. Thanks, Dr. Myers, for writing such a great introductory text on Psychology.

Well I got a n "A" in the class, need I say more?
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-21
It is long and gruelling reading but what else would one expect from a textbook on psychology??? Learned a lot though.

Still reading it...10 years out of college
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-06-02
I absolutely love this book. I'm one of those dorks who keeps her college textbooks (some, not all.) This is the one I have turned to the most of all of them, and always with reward.

Most of the reviews here cover everything well, but I want to add one comment. One of my favorite things about this book is a minor one: there are quotes by famous people in the margins, every few pages, that are really humorous and/or insightful. I look forward to coming across of those quotes while I read.

The book reads more like a feature article in a magazine rather than a textbook. I guess that's why it's the only textbook I have that I enjoy reading from.

My comments are based on the 5th edition, which was current during my college freshman year in 1997, so I'm sure the 8th edition has improved greatly. Thanks to the publishers for continuing to publish a quality book. I hope more colleges adopt this one.

O
Rumble in the Jungle
Published in Paperback by O'Brien Press Ltd (1997-03-31)
Authors: Giles Andreae and Giles Andrae
List price:
New price: $60.19
Used price: $4.72

Average review score:

Love this book!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-24
My son loves this book so much that when it started falling apart, I bought another one! He asks for this book every night. Highly recommend!!

Rumble in the Jungle! Rocks!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-21
This book is beautifully illustrated. The vibrant colors invited my students to be actively engaged while we were reading it together. The rhyme scheme of the book made my students laugh and learn at the same time. Humor is always a good way to learn. I would reccomend this book to anyone.

Fun for parents and kids
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-29
This book has been a favorite in our home since we got it over 8 years ago. The pictures are beautiful and fun. The rhymes are great. It is one of the few books that I do not tire of reading over and over and over again to the kiddos.

Only draw-back is that it is permanately stuck in my head. Can't go to the zoo without finding myself saying the rhymes. Oh, who am I kidding, that's not a draw-back...it is kinda fun! hee hee

A must for any home
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-09
This book has been loved by all of my children, every one of my children old enough to talk have this book memorized.

Take a look
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-29
This is such a cute book. Bright and colorful pictures to look at, with a story that isn't too repetitive. Readers will not mind reading time and again to children

O
Twin to Twin
Published in Hardcover by Margaret K. McElderry (2003-05-01)
Author: Margaret O'Hair
List price: $16.99
New price: $9.58
Used price: $4.79

Average review score:

Adorable!!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-09
I bought this book as a "congratulations" gift for a co-worker who is expecting twin girls. I am a twin myself and got a kick out of how adorable the book was. The illustrations are very sweet and my friend cried when she read the book. Guess it was the hormones working double-time!

Must Have Shower Gift!!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-05
Let's face it, in the age of fertility medicines and procedures - we are seeing way more twins than ever. I've been to 3 twin baby showers in the past year and I've bought this book as an extra little something for all of the moms. They have all loved it. This is a super cute book but you will probably have to put it away until the babies are old enough to read a paper book. I think it would be really nice to offer this in a board book because the writing is simple enough for an infant or toddler but it won't withstand the wear and tear that a young child can impose upon their favorite books. I still buy it for the moms to keep though.

Very Cute!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-11-09
I bought this book along with some others dealing with twins. It was very cute and was exactly what I was looking for. Graphics were fun and I loved the rhyme.

Your babies will love this book!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-05
When our boy/girl twins were born, a cousin gave us this book for a gift, and it quickly became one of our favorites to read to them, starting when they were just a few months old. Now they're almost 2 1/2 years old and it is one of their favorites as well. The rhyme is concise and sweet, and the pictures are very endearing. It really celebrates the joy of twins despite all the little frustrations they may create along the way!

Twin to Twin
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-15
Bought this book to read to my two year old because we are expecting a set of twins. He loves the book about "his babies" It is a cute book, great for preparing a sibling for the arrival of twins.

O
When All You'Ve Ever Wanted Isn't Enough
Published in Hardcover by Summit Books (1986-04)
Author: Harold S. Kushner
List price: $16.95
New price: $0.01
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $16.95

Average review score:

Kushner's pièce de résistance
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-29
Rabbi Harold Kushner is best known for his book When Bad Things Happen to Good People, but this work is in my judgment his greatest contribution to the philosophy of the spiritual life, Kushner's pièce de résistance. Using my favorite Hebrew Bible text, Ecclesiastes, as a springboard, Rabbi Kushner writes about the "ultimate thirst of our souls": the need for "meaning," for "the sense that we have figured out how to live so that our lives matter." Rabbi Kushner offers readers his wisdom -- born out of years of study, struggle and life experience -- about how to live a life that matters.

READ this REVIEW
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-08-04
READ this BOOK! Rabbi Kushner hits on so many relevant and pertinent topics that you will be amazed how you see yourself in the anedotes and examples used to illustrate Kushner's point. Rabbi Kushner uses the Old Testament story of Ecclesiastes to illustrate how man's search for happiness is eternal and not unique. I could not believe how similar Ecclesiaste's view on life and search for happiness are so similar to my own. I found myself stopping on many occasions and telling my wife "READ THIS!"
I have been on a self-help book crusade for the past several months. Reading a bunch of these books have helped in finding some understanding to the search for happiness I have been after. After each book, I can say one or two of the points explained in the book have made sense and have some good practical applications to dealing with everyday situations that arise in my life. Kushner's book is by the far the best. He gives you straightforward and understandable examples of the negative behavior that conflict in man's search for happiness.
From the opening pages Kushner had me! He hits the nail on the head when he says the lines "If you ask anybody what is more imporant - work or family? - without a doubt they answer family. But then ask them how much time they spend away from family by putting work ahead of family and making work more important than family obligations." (paraphrased) He has many of these observations that help the reader get some insight into how destructive these behaviors are towards our supposed goal of happiness. I highly, highly recommend this book - READ this BOOK!

Life on life's terms...
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-02-26
A great book and one the everyone should read at some time in their lives!

Thanks again for getting me the book so fast and in such good condition!

Gary

One of the best meaning-of-life books ever written!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2006-12-12
A thoughtful, spiritual examination of why fame and fortune do not produce happiness, and why "average" and "successful" people often feel emptiness in their lives. Many brief anecdotes are used to illustrate the author's observations, which are linked to the book of Ecclesiastes.
Read by the author. You will read (or listen to) this more than once!

Classic
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2006-01-24
Kushner is a sage and this book is a classic. As always Kushner's knits together wonderful stories, quotes, and historical observations that are always on the mark and move his thoughts forward. The disease that plagues our age is overconsumption and Kushner invites the reader to step away from the table of materialism and instead search out the things that really matter.

O
The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary
Published in Hardcover by W. W. Norton (2007-09-10)
Author: Robert Alter
List price: $35.00
New price: $20.11
Used price: $20.10

Average review score:

Scholar's Beautiful Translanslation of the Psalms
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-03
The Psalms, often described as the Prayer Book of the Bible,has been translated by a scholar of Biblical texts, to produce not only, probably, the most accurate translation of the Hebrew Text, with detailed notes, but more importantly from a layman's point of view, the most beautiful poetically up-lifting hebrew poetry, and indeed,truly prayerful at that. Highly recmmended.

Let the afflicted read and be glad!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-26
Executive summary: Going back to oldest available texts, Hebrew scholar Robert Alter has produced an unbiased and accurate translation, with copious explanation and footnotes. While the prose is inelegant compared to the familiar KJV, it is beautiful in keeping the economy, syntax, reflected meanings, etc. of the ancient Hebrew.

The author: Alter is a Professor at Berkley. His translations of the Pentateuch and other parts of the OT are also fabulous and noteworthy.

Author's special approach: Aside from being faithful to the Hebrew, Alter has struggled mightily to avoid selecting English that might lard Psalms with Christian meaning not actually there. He also uses copies annotations to explain when he has chosen between multiple meanings, damaged texts and why. He also explains when known what the intent of each psalm was, how it might have been sung, etc.

Surprises? yes-- Alter comes up with literally dozens of places where the much later Mesoretic texts appear mistaken. he explains just why the numbering in the Septuagint is correct, for example. This should be enough to prompt Christian readers to perhaps consider reading their English-language psalms from the newly published (Conciliar press) Orthodox Study Bible rather than, say NIV.

Conclusion: A valuable bit of research; wonderful translation effort, handsome edition (nice paper, built-in bookmark, etc.)--a must have for Bible scholars

She was thrilled!
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-12
This was high on my daughter's Christmas and birthday list. It was a high spot in her birthday celebration. It arrived on time and in great condition.

Immediacy
Helpful Votes: 14 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-15
I've been going through a patch of bad health lately. To help ease my way, some friends were kind enough to give me Robert Alter's translations of the Psalms. They didn't know that I'm a fan of Alter's earlier Five Books of Moses translation. I was delighted to receive their gift.

I've been reading the Book of Common Prayer (BCP) translations of the psalms for so long that they've become second nature to me. But Alter's renderings have an immediacy that really does bring a sense of vitality, of expectancy, of being-there-in-the-moment, that awakens both the senses and the heart.

Take the well known Quemadimodum, Psalm 42. The BCP's translation of the beginning is this:

As the deer longs for the water brooks,
so longs my soul for you, O God.

My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God;
when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?

Here's Alter's translation:

As a deer yearns for streams of water,
so I yearn for You, O God.

My whole being thirsts for God,
for the living God.

When shall I come and see
the presence of God?

The BCP version has a lovely, contemplative rhythm. But Alter's version has an edge that expresses not just longing but almost a demand. It's an interesting change of pace, and one that invites a different set of responses and prayers.

Alter's commentary to his translations is graceful and informative, and not--thank God!--heavy-handed and pedantic. I generally distrust commentary attached to translated poetry. But Alter's usually enhances rather than distracts.

This translation is a wonderful gift that Alter has given us all. And my copy of his translation is a wonderful gift from my friends. Thank you!

(you will) shout for joy, (you will) even sing (Ps 65)
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-02
Not being a scholar, I cannot review this book appropriately. But I can tell you why I am enjoying it and why I recommend that you read it and use it for reference (or reverence)

Alter writes, "What I have aimed at in this translation - inevitably, with imperfect success - is to represent Psalms in a kind of English verse that is readable as poetry yet sounds something like the Hebrew - emulating its rhythms wherever feasible, reproducing many of the effects of its expressive poetic syntax, seeking equivalents for the combination of homespun directness and archaizing in the original, hewing to the lexical concreteness of the Hebrew, and making more palpable the force of parallelism that is at the heart of biblical poetry."

Now ... with regard to two Psalms you may know by heart...:

Psalm 23: "The Lord is my shepherd...", in this translation is rendered:
The Lord is my shepherd / I shall not want. / In grass meadows He makes me lie down, / By quiet waters guide me. / My life He brings back. / He leads me on pathways of justice / For His name's sake. /
Though I walk in the vale of death's shadow, / I fear no harm. /For you are with me.

But what i truly enjoy are Alter's commentaries. Alter's commentary states, "Although the likening of God or a ruler to a shepherd is a commonplace in this pastoral culture, this psalm is justly famous for the affecting simplicity and concreteness with which it realizes the metaphor. Thus, in the next line the shepherd leads his sheep to meadows where there is abundant grass and riverbanks and where quiet waters run that the sheep can drink... [he makes me lie down] The verb used here, HIRBITS, is a specialized one for making animals lie down...... [My life he brings back] Though "he restoreth my soul" is time-honored, the Hebrew NEFESH does not mean "soul" but "life breath" or "life." The image is of someone who has almost stopped breathing and is revived, brought back to life... ...[in the vale of death's shadow] The intent of the translation is not to avoid the proverbial "in the shadow of the valley of death" but rather to cut through the proliferation of syllables in the King James Version, however eloquent, and better approximate the compactness of the Hebrew - BEGEY TSALMAWET. Though philologists assume that the Masoretic TSALMAWET is actually a misleading vocalization of TSALMUT - probably a poetic word for "darkness" with the UT ending simply a suffix of abstraction - the traditional vocalization reflects something like an orthographic pun or a folk etymology (TSEL means "shadow" MAWET means "DEATH"), so there is justification in retaining the death component... ... ... [You moisten my head with oil] The verb here, DISHEN, is not the one that is used for anointment, and its associations are sensual rather than sacramental...

And so.. you get a more in-depth understanding of the Psalm and its intentions in the original Hebrew. Or, take Psalm 137, you may recall it as, "By the rivers of Babylon, we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion."

In the Alter translation, we get:
By Babylon's streams /
there we sat, oh we wept, /
when we recalled Zion. /
On the poplars there / we hung up our lyres. / For there our captors has asked of us / words of song, / and our plunderers - rejoicing / "Sing us from Zion's songs."

But it is in the commentary that the esteemed Alter shines, when he writes, "This psalm was almost certainly composed shortly after the deportation of the Judeans by the Babylonians in 586 BCE - the experience of exile is fresh and acutely painful... The first Hebrew noun, NEHAROT, generally means "rivers," but because the more probable reference is to the network of canals that connected the Tigris and the Euphrates, "streams" is a preferable translation here. It should be noted that in keeping with the evolution of Hebrew poetry in the later biblical period, semantic parallelism within the lines in this poem is weak, an absence occasionally compensated for by interlinear parallelism."

Alter goes on to explain how the Hebrew use of the word SHAM (there), twice, in the next line is used poetically to express the alienation of the collective speakers from the place they find themselves, and how "hung up our lyres" can refer to the hiding of their lyres in the foliage, or a gesture of renunciation of their use.

O
Cane River
Published in Hardcover by Warner Books> C/o Little Br (2001-04)
Author: Lalita Tademy
List price: $24.95
New price: $4.69
Used price: $0.01
Collectible price: $18.00

Average review score:

Very Good Book
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-16
I saw this book reviewed in People magazine and thought I would take a chance. I am glad I did. I enjoyed it and learned alot also.

Excellent Read
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-01-28
This was a very fascinating account of the generations of a family that progressed from slavery to freedom to landowners. While they made many advancements in their lives, they never outlived the racial prejudices that followed them. Very well written and highly recommended.

Didn't want the stories to end!!!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-07-08
I recently finished this book and was blown away at how attached I found myself becoming to the characters! This novel tells the story of three generations of African-American women beginning from before the civil war and ending in the Depression era, all fighting to break the bonds and stigmas of slavery. This story tells of their loves, struggles, families, deaths and births and how each moment impacted them and future generations. Each woman has a story of bonding (either voluntarily or forcibly) with a powerful white male to "bleach the line" as Tademy calls it, or making the Negro skin whiter to give the future generations of children better opportunities as they become passable as white. The story talks of the struggles of interracial love in prejudice times and the heartbreak it leads to. Just everything in the story is so moving and I felt pain for each trial the character went through and cheered for every joy that came their way. I found myself wishing I could just sit with the older generation women and just listen to more of their stories about their lives. I was infuriated with the ruinations that came to the family through the ignorant prejudice behaviors of the supposedly higher class uppitty Christians meddling in private affairs. But I understand that was the way of the times.

I can honestly say this book gave me one of the best perspectives of that era that I have ever read. It does well in displaying the advantages and disadvantages of each side of the color line and I applaud Tademy for bringing such a monumental work to the masses. The story was even more touching with the documents and pictures within the book as a constant reminder that while the book may have been fictionalized, these characters were at one time real living breathing people.

If you get a copy of this one, don't let go!!!

Cane River
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-05-08
I am currently reading this book and it is an awesome book. I have not put the book down since I brought it. I am looking forward to read her next book Red River. Mrs. Lalita Tademy is a great author. She keeps the reader attention from the beginning to the end. It is a must read book that could be used in American Literature.

Happy readings!

Read it in one day!
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 2001-06-20
Cane River is absolutely enthralling. The story of Elisabeth, Suzette, Philomene and Emily is heartbreaking yet uplifting. It reaffirmed my faith in family and love. Get this book, you'll love it!


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