Titles Books

Read Anything Good Lately by Susan Allen and Jane Lindaman is a cheerful concept book for young readers (or pre-readers). As it walks children through the alphabet, it works to stir up their interest in reading. Each letter of the alphabet is connected with words representing materials children can read and interesting places they can read. This list includes everything from "an atlas at the airport" to "the zodiac at the zoo".

Each page provides bright, colorful illustrations which stimulate discussions about the variety of situations where people can read. The fun use of alliteration (whoever would have thought of reading "joke books in a jacuzzi"?) make it a creative way to teach children the true enjoyment of reading--wherever and whenever they choose.

I connected with this book because I like to carry books with me wherever I go: the doctor's office, when I have to stand in a long line at the grocery store, or waiting in the car. It's important to show children that reading is not always a chore and I think this fun, colorful book does a fantastic job of that!

I really enjoyed reading this book to my kids. The pictures were terrific and really captured my son's imagination. There's so much to talk about from the text and pictures. Frankly, it's one of those books I don't mind reading over and over and over.

Great book for children starting to read and those learning the alphabet! Illustrations are fantastic!

Just finished reading this book and found it entertaining and my niece loved it. It gave her lots of ideas for other places to enjoy reading and other ideas of things to read. They did a tremendous job on this book and I think it will motivate kids to read more. And also help parents to get their kids to read more as well. Should be mandatory reading for every kindergarden and first grade student. What a great way for them to learn the alphabet and learn sounds at the same time. Super job!!! I hope to see more books by these talented authors and teachers. Don

The busy bookworm in "Read Anything Good Lately?" reminds us of all the various ways and locations that reading is a part of our life. Allen and Lindaman work their way creatively through the alphabet, accompanied by Enright's entertaining illustrations. Guaranteed to get you thinking of how much, and where, you read every day. A lovely, fun book all around.

"The music will help slow your heart rate, deepen your breathing, and move your brainwaves in the direction of calmness. Think of this CD as an acoustical balm for your nervous system to be played whenever you feel the need for peace, stillness, and tranquility." - From the liner notes

The hurried pace of overcommitted lives and manic striving is a breeding ground for stress and disease. Stress hormones bathe our delicate nervous system resulting in the fight-or-flight response once reserved for survival, resulting in fatigue, fuzzy thinking and irritability.

Fortunately, there are wonderful stress-reduction products out on the market like Dr. Andrew Weil's Music for Self-Healing: Relax and De-Stress. Joshua Leeds, an expert in psychoacoustics, has designed this CD to soothe the body's primary pulses--heart rate, brainwaves, and breathing rate.

In a sonic progression spanning 60 minutes, Leeds has selected and re-arranged instrumental compositions by renowned composers expressly for inducing the relaxation response. By arranging the musical selections so that each piece is progressively slower in tempo and simplified in melodic complexity, gentle healing sounds can relieve an overtaxed nervous system.

With lovely performances by the Apollo Chamber Ensemble, the Relax and De-Stress CD features the piano, cello, and oboe arranged by Leeds with four psychoacoustic techniques in mind:

1. Resonance - The impact of one vibration upon another

2. Entrainment - A natural process whereby heartbeat, breath and brainwaves speed up or slow down to match an external rhythm

3. Auditory Pattern Identification - Passive hearing techniques designed to relieve the mind of the tendency to "work" to figure out musical patterns

4. Beauty - Resolution between dissonance and consonance found in harmonies, melodies, and performances

Here are the eleven musical pieces found on the Relax and De-Stress CD:

* Aria Lento by Bach

* Reverie by Debussy

* Concerto for Oboe and Strings Sarabande (with nature sounds) by Corelli-Barbirolli

* Arioso from Cantata No. 156 - Bach

* Intermezzo Op. 116 No. 4 in E Major - Brahms

* Concerto for Oboe K. 314, Adagio non troppo by Mozart

* Cello and Piano Sonata in G Minor, Op. 65 Largo by Chopin

* Sonata Andante transcribed from Cello Suite No. 3 by Marcello

* Sonata in A Major D959 Andantino by Schubert

* Winter, Largo from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi

* Meditation by Moussorgsky

* Theme from Largo of "The New World Symphony" by Dvorak

I've listened to Dr. Andrew Weil's Music for Self-Healing: Relax and De-Stress several times and find it to be very relaxing. Aesthetically speaking, these aren't musical selections I'd put in my stereo to listen to for pleasure (even though they're pleasant), yet I can tell a measurable difference in both my mood and bodily state after I begin listening to this CD.

In fact, I'm listening to Relax and De-Stress right now and I'm noticing that my breathing has deepened and slowed--and that tension in my shoulders and neck seems to have melted away.

If you're looking for a soothing CD to put in the stereo after work or perhaps to listen to while you make dinner or get ready for bed, I can recommend with confidence the Relax and De-Stress compilation arranged by Joshua Leeds.

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)

I use this tape in my massage practice and the people seem to like very much and I find they seem to relax easier.

Wow, this artfully designed musical collection truly does what it says - the psychoacoustics technic really works! Carefully selected classical pieces and soft instrumentation make this an absolute delight to listen to.

However, what I originally purchased this for was to have some relaxing ambient background music to play while I'm working - and this definitely does NOT work - it's too relaxing! The songs are specifically ordered to be gradually slower and softer, and I can't get through half the songs before I want to take a nap. So for daytime ambience, I don't recommend it. If you're looking for a late-night wind-down or a cure for insomnia, I could not recommend it more highly. You'll be ready for sweet dreams in snoozeville by track 11, no drugs required!

I love this cd. It is wonderfully relaxing. After listening a few times, your body relaxes almost automatically. It is very soothing. I play it at night to help me go to sleep, and first thing in the morning. Worth the money.

"The music will help slow your heart rate, deepen your breathing, and move your brainwaves in the direction of calmness. Think of this CD as an acoustical balm for your nervous system to be played whenever you feel the need for peace, stillness, and tranquility." - From the liner notes

The hurried pace of overcommitted lives and manic striving is a breeding ground for stress and disease. Stress hormones bathe our delicate nervous system resulting in the fight-or-flight response once reserved for survival, resulting in fatigue, fuzzy thinking and irritability.

Fortunately, there are wonderful stress-reduction products out on the market like Dr. Andrew Weil's Music for Self-Healing: Relax and De-Stress. Joshua Leeds, an expert in psychoacoustics, has designed this CD to soothe the body's primary pulses--heart rate, brainwaves, and breathing rate.

In a sonic progression spanning 60 minutes, Leeds has selected and re-arranged instrumental compositions by renowned composers expressly for inducing the relaxation response. By arranging the musical selections so that each piece is progressively slower in tempo and simplified in melodic complexity, gentle healing sounds can relieve an overtaxed nervous system.

With lovely performances by the Apollo Chamber Ensemble, the Relax and De-Stress CD features the piano, cello, and oboe arranged by Leeds with four psychoacoustic techniques in mind:

1. Resonance - The impact of one vibration upon another

2. Entrainment - A natural process whereby heartbeat, breath and brainwaves speed up or slow down to match an external rhythm

3. Auditory Pattern Identification - Passive hearing techniques designed to relieve the mind of the tendency to "work" to figure out musical patterns

4. Beauty - Resolution between dissonance and consonance found in harmonies, melodies, and performances

Here are the eleven musical pieces found on the Relax and De-Stress CD:

* Aria Lento by Bach
* Reverie by Debussy
* Concerto for Oboe and Strings Sarabande (with nature sounds) by Corelli-Barbirolli
* Arioso from Cantata No. 156 - Bach
* Intermezzo Op. 116 No. 4 in E Major - Brahms
* Concerto for Oboe K. 314, Adagio non troppo by Mozart
* Cello and Piano Sonata in G Minor, Op. 65 Largo by Chopin
* Sonata Andante transcribed from Cello Suite No. 3 by Marcello
* Sonata in A Major D959 Andantino by Schubert
* Winter, Largo from The Four Seasons by Vivaldi
* Meditation by Moussorgsky
* Theme from Largo of "The New World Symphony" by Dvorak

I've listened to Dr. Andrew Weil's Music for Self-Healing: Relax and De-Stress several times and find it to be very relaxing. Aesthetically speaking, these aren't musical selections I'd put in my stereo to listen to for pleasure, yet I can tell a measurable difference in both my mood and bodily state after I begin listening to this CD.

In fact, I'm listening to Relax and De-Stress right now and I'm noticing that my breathing has deepened and slowed--and that tension in my shoulders and neck seems to have melted away.

If you're looking for a soothing CD to put in the stereo after work or perhaps to listen to while you make dinner or get ready for bed, I can recommend with confidence the Relax and De-Stress compilation arranged by Joshua Leeds.

(Note: Although the Amazon.com description says "audiobook", it is NOT. This is a psychoaucoustically arranged musical CD WITH sixteen pages of liner notes.)

Janet Boyer, author of The Back in Time Tarot Book: Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present (coming Fall 2008 from Hampton Roads Publishing)

"The Rough Guide To Cult Fiction" is one of those books you can pick up and open at random and spend a couple of hours skipping around in, making notes about which book described you would like to read next. It's a lot of fun, and it's useful too. The largest section, "Authors", is an encyclopedic listing nicely blended between cult authors you know of but haven't got around to yet (Raymond Carver, James Ellroy, Milan Kundera, Martin Amis) and those you've never heard of but sound interesting (Weldon Kees? Victor Pelevin? John Fante? Anna Kavan?) There's also a large section devoted to "one-hit wonders" ("A Clockwork Orange", "A Confederacy Of Dunces", "Little Big Man", "All The King's Men"). There's a section devoted to cult characters (Sherlock Holmes, Holden Caulfield.) There's a section for graphic novels (Neil Gaiman, Harvey Pekar) and a section of readable cult non-fiction ("Dispatches", "A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius"). Most of the entries are witty and informative. Some are maybe a little too opinionated (it gets tiring always being told how transgressive and rule-breaking all these writers are. Sometimes there's too much conformity in being so non-conformist.) Even so, this is a very worthwhile little reference book, to be kept beside your bedside.

When I first picked up this book I was immediately reminded of the 'AMOK 4th Dispatch' catalogue. Back in 1989 the AMOK bookstore out of L.A. released a sourcebook for the extremes of information in print. The book was an unbelievable find, a real jewel in the pre-internet age. Virtually every author who appeared in the 'PULPS' section of that catalogue has found themselves listed in this new ROUGH GUIDE.
For anyone who is tired of the bestseller lists and is looking for something different to read, this guidebook is indispensable! It features all the offbeat, wonderful authors who can lay claim to breaking new ground in literature. Some are well known bestselling authors (Vonnegut, Camus, Tolkien, Ellroy, Palahniuk, Pynchon), others are celebrated more for their lifestyles than their actual work (the infinitely emulated Kerouac, Bukowski and Henry Miller), still others are infamous (Selby, de Sade, Burroughs, Beirce) while many, many others have been either criminally ignored, forgotten or just faded with time (Crews, Himes, Mishima, Bowles, Dick, Willeford, Trocchi, Gysin et al.)
All have devoted (some would say slavish) readerships that have allowed for their works to remain in print one way or the other over the years. I have many of the writers in this collection but the real treasures are to be found with some of the other entries in the guide. You're bound to discover several new writers in this collection which, along with some extra facts that you may not have known about some of your favourite authors, makes it well worth buying. Some of you who haven't yet delved into the literary underworld are in for a real treat. I envy your upcoming voyage of discovery.
The guide is set up simply and efficiently. It covers over 200 novelists but also branches out to include classic cult books by authors who never became cult figures themselves, as well as graphic novels, beloved characters, non-fiction faves and even some trivia. I know about most of the authors mentioned in the book but there were still quite a few surprises as well as some illuminating facts, bios and recommended reads that made it well worth buying. I highly, highly recommend this guide for people who are ready to branch out from the bestsellers, the old classics and mainstream pulp. A whole new world of ideas awaits...

First, a word about the term cult fiction, and its implications. When I first saw the title of this little book, I assumed it would be full of strung-out wreckages like Burroughs and Dick. While the Rough Guide does contain them (as it should), its scope is far greater than writers of that type. In here you'll find a wind range of novelists reviewed, including Graham Greene, John Fowles, even Zane Grey. Bottom line: an excellent resource for readers.

I picked this up on a recent vacation to Minnapolis and found I couldn't put it down. I do think the book does omit some key cult writers but the ones who are included are handled by writers who obviously know their subjects. This guide includes a lot of my favorite writers (Jonathan Coe, Italo Calvino, Jasper Fforde, Borges, etc.) and I was pleased to find out some things about their lives and work that I didn't know before. The guide points out the writers' essential works and suggests what a particular writer might have in common with another writer. The book is often funny without being mean-spirited.

This book will fool most. It covers far more than simple "cult fiction." The author presents short biographies on many authors, some well known and some obscure. They include writers such as Joyce, not exactly a "cult" writer, so that gives an example of the range of writers cover in this guide. The authors cover hundreds of writers. It is a great buy and worth the investment.

In addition to the short biographies, they have selected the best works of each author. For someone like Dorothy Sayers or a similar writer, that is a great aid for a reader seeking guidance.

Based on their book I came up with a reading list as follows, i.e.:

BOOKS FOR A LONG SEA VOYAGE (taken mostly from the guide's suggestions):

1. Dorothy Sayers: Gaudy Night

2. Gertrude Stein: Three Lives

3. Hunter S. Thompson: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

4. Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Grey

5. Heinrich Boll: Last Honour of Katharina Blum

6. Charles Bukowski: Post office

7. Mikhail Bulgakov: The Master and the Margarita

8. Albert Camus: The Outsider

9. Gabriel Garcia Marguez: One Hundred Years of solitude

10. Tadeusz Konwicki: A Minor Apocolypse

11. and 12. Nabokov: Pale Fire and Pnin (two books)

13. Proust; Vol. I, In Search of lost Time.

Great book. 5 stars.

I highly recommend this book, and I'm a cop. Which basically means I'm not that bright, and even I could comprehend this book.

Asimov is easy to read and understand. He takes complicated issues, and simplifies them. He possess a brilliant mind, and views the world from a different perspective than most other humans. As I read this collection of essays, I found myself time and time again saying, "that's so true, why didn't I think of that". It's an enlightening book, a good read, and it's cheap.

I highly recommend it.

In agreement with the rest of the reviews to date, Asimov is very good at showing people how creative thinking and logical reasoning can be applied to various topics. This man has had a large influence in my life through his books on science fiction, and science facts. He was wiser than most, and very skilled at teaching.
He was an atheist however, and so some of his viewpoints especially in the first part of this book, could rub a religious person the wrong way. It does no harm to hear another's viewpoint however, if not to learn something new, then to at least bolster up why you feel differently about certain issue's. His book covers many different subjects, and so if you enjoy reading and flexing your mental muscle by having your mind rove about on different topics, then you are sure to find many of his essays, very interesting.

Isaac Asimov was probably the best person ever to write science fiction. He was also one of the best people to ever write science fact. His death in 1992 was a great loss to the world.

This book provides a good look into how Isaac Asimov thought about various issues. With all the problems in the world, the views of Asimov might help to make the world a bit more logical place if we pay attention to him.

No intelligent person needs to be told (surely?) that Isaac Asimov's name on a book is a guarantee of excellence. And most are aware that Asimov's science essays (62 in this collection) cover the multitude and variety of subjects that Robert Heinlein had in mind when he coined the word "synthesist." So instead of trying to gild fine gold or paint the lily, I will simply reproduce Asimov's words on three of the issues he discusses.
On religious doublethink: "If there is an earthquake and a thousand people die, and one person is uncovered in a ruined house, unhurt, the Moral Majority types cry, 'A miracle!' and fall to their knees in gratitude. And the thousand who died, whose deaths, indeed, were necessary to convert the one surviver into a miracle, what of them?"
On overpopulation: "Motherhood is a privilege that we must literally ration, for children, if produced indiscriminately, will be the death of the human race; and any woman who deliberately has more than two children is committing a crime against humanity."
On skepticism: "I believe evidence. I believe observation, measurement and reasoning, confirmed by independent observers. I'll believe anything, no matter how wild or ridiculous, if there is evidence for it. The wilder and more ridiculous something is, however, the firmer and more solid the evidence will have to be."
Other topics to which Asimov devotes essays include resurrected gods, creationism's demand to be taught in public schools, argument from consensus, scientific illiteracy in politics, sexual equality, pollution, and hyperspace ("There is no evidence for its existence").
Want to encourage your offspring to pursue a career in science? Buy them this book.
(see my unabridged review in A Humanist in the Bible Belt.)

The late Dr. Asimov's clear wit and wisdom is taken to bear here on fools and the future. He begins by excoriating "Religious Radicals," in harsh liberal prose that seems rather outdated today. (For instance, there is a chapter called "The Reagan Doctrine" that pokes fun at tactics Ronald Reagan used in battling the Soviet empire.) Other chapters are also dated, including several chapters on environmental predictions that are informed by distinctly Malthusian notions of supply shortages. (To wit, "And in the mad scramble for food on your part and on the part of billions of others, the people of eath will further damage the world they live in and will begin to fight each other over scraps.") Still, Asimov writes lucidly on science in a number of historical and opinion pieces, which are carefully reasoned. Five essays at the book's end give perspective to the late thinker's personal life, and a number of inserted memorials (new to this edition) from other prominent scientists and science fiction authors really round out a book that shows Asimov's incomparable breadth of interest. The "Roving Mind" of the title is Asimov's own intellect; any thoughtful reader will find his own mind broadened for having read it.

This is not just a book with simple facts laid out for you it read as a fun look into lives of these real figures in history, Amazing crazy facts of their odd behaviors and wacky ways! Keeps you wanting to turn the page. Written with a great sense of humor.

Let me be honest, I love these types of books, they are so much fun to read. This book is not only interesting on many levels, but the author is also witty and this is a must for a book of this sort. It's incredible to believe people like this existed and ruled countries, though I have a feeling the poor subjects of these nuts didnt find all this so funny.

This book is a very interesting and entertaining look at some of Royalty's weirdest characters

The people in the book range from Chinese Emperors in the 200 BCE's to the mad Roman Emperors about the time of Christ to people like Prince Phillip and Michael Abney-Hastings who people think is the rightful king of England

Anyone who likes books such as "Royal Babylon" by Karl Shaw, or "A Treasury of Royal Scandals" by Michael Farquhar will love this book!

In this remarkable book, fifty royal individuals are briefly profiled, spanning a period from the third century BC to the present day. In these profiles, the author has gone to great pains to focus on these individuals' various types and degrees of weirdness: from having odd but notable quirks to being stark raving mad. But what makes this book so enjoyable is the author's irreverent tongue-in-cheek writing style. On several occasions I found myself laughing out loud at his careful, well-thought-out choice of words and witty descriptions. This book should be of interest to everyone, but especially history buff who are looking for light historical narrative with a most pleasant twist.

Wow! What a great book. The Runaway Princess by Kate Coombs is a fun and exciting read. Meet Princess Margaret (Meg) of Greeve, the princess who didn't want to be a princess, Cam, one of her best friends, and apprentice gardener, and Dilly, Meg's other best friend, who also happens to be her maid. The story begins with Meg's father announcing that whoever rids the land of the three evils, The Dragon, The Witch, and The Bandits, shall win first place, the princess's hand and marriage, and become heir of the Kingdom of Greeve. Obviously, Meg is appalled, and tries furiously to end this long tradition. But, unfortunately her parents refuse, and lock Meg in a tower. This is definitely not the result Meg was looking for, and she wants out! With the help of several helpful persons, such as Cam and Dilly, she gets out. Thus begins the tale of the Runaway princess. Meg must travel the kingdom in hopes to win the contest herself; negotiate with a stubborn witch with a passion for amphibians (and the men they used to be), a baby dragon that comes under her care, a wizard in disguise, several nasty princes, a troop of bandits, and all the while pretend she is still in the tower! This book is similar to books by Gail Carson Levine such as Ella Enchanted, or, Fairest, though maybe for younger readers. I would recommend this book for ages 8-11, above that some of the writing may seem a bit easy to read, and less complex, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I loved this book, and would recommend it to anyone. It is a pleasurable read, one you would open on a rainy day, and not put down until you're done. The writing is enchanting, comical, and very descriptive, though at times it may seem a bit simple. But, the plot is witty and quickly changing. The end is sweet, if not a surprising, definitely not what I expected. As quoted from the end of the book, "Once upon a time, there was a princess who knew she meant for more than twirling her tresses and swooning." Enjoy!

I adored this novel. I have read dozens of books that have redone the classical fairy tale setting, but this is the best one I have ever had the pleasure to open. Coombs has a simple, yet elegant and easy to read writing style. The character interaction is hilarious, and the heroin is very likable and strong. Wonderfully done Kate Coombs! I hope there is a sequel.

RUNAWAY PRINCESS isn't your grandma's fairy tale. The princess in the tower? Yeah. She has no intention of staying there. And all those witches, bandits and dragons? Misunderstood. Kate Coombs gives us a fresh take on the well-known fairy tale world with clever touches, endearing characters, and unique twists, all adding up to a delightful and entertaining read.

Following closely on the heels of Coombs' lovely debut book THE SECRET KEEPER, RUNAWAY PRINCESS does not disappoint. It's sure to become a favorite of discerning readers everywhere.

This book was awsome! In my English class we had to pick a book for pleasure reading. I choose this one and believe me, it was PLEASURE reading. I couldn't put it down! The characters are so real and you find yourself rooting for them. This book is a clever twist on any fairy tale you've ever known. You'll find yourself laughing out loud and counting down the minutes till you can read it again. The twists, turns and halarious plot and characters make "The Runaway Princess" a must read!

Kate Coombs has done it again! Once again this gifted author takes a fairy-tale world and stands it on its head. Princess Meg stands up to her father and the Kingdom of Greeve will never be the same again. All the ingredients for a delicious romp through a world of wicked witches and fantabulous frogs await those clever enough to pick up this story. A winner!

This sweet little book has been in my house for more than 20 years. After taking it out from the library a few times, I bought one, and then another when the first copy wore out. A favorite read-over-and-over-over for my now-grown daughter and now my granddaughters. I'm so happy to see this timeless classic is back in print!

This was one of my favorite books when I was a kid, and I eagerly bought a copy when it was reprinted. The little sister has a plain room and yearns to visit her big sister's room, but she's kept out because she always messes it up. One day she reaches the latch and goes in, and her whole family finds out that she hasn't just grown in size, but also in responsibility. The book isn't preachy at all and doesn't use words like caring and responsibility, but that is why the message comes through so clearly and so poetically. Little Jenny imagines a glass cow wants a blade of grass and brings her a thimblefull of fresh grass. Big sister Sarah comes home shocked that her sibling is in her room, but finds the room clean. Jenny can now play in big sister's room anytime.

The story is beautifully written in a rhyming fashion that will appeal to young children, and Sendak's illustrations are, as always, wonderful to look at and also full of expression.

Jen and Sarah are sisters. Jen wants to have a room like her older sister Sarah's. Jen's family thinks that she's too young to care for nice things like dollhouses and wallpaper. One day Jen sneaks into Sarah's room and plays very nicely. Her mother and realize that she is growing up and can take care of nice things. They decide to redo Jen's room!



The book was short but I did like it because it was fun and full of imaganation.
It's great for children of all ages. Especially girls who have sisters. They will be able to relate to the characters in the book.

I read this book as a child and loved it! It's the story of a little girl named Jenny who loves her sister "Sarah's Room".Reading about how she grows and learns in this story touched me so much that even after 20 years it still is my favorite childrens book.I would reccomend this book for any little girl.Praise for Doris Orgel!

Poor Little Jen! She's too little and careless and messy to have a nice room like her big sister Sarah. In fact, she's banned from the room by a lock because she made such a mess out of it. But in a dream, Jen realizes she's grown enough to reach the lock. Later, while awake, she can in fact get inside and plays nicely. When she's discovered, she's praised and she too ends up with a beautiful bedroom of her own.

Maybe it's being a little sister, or perhaps it's Sendak's fantastic artwork or Doris Orgel's sweet rhymes, but this book always intrigued me as a little girl. I identified with Jen and was so happy for her for growing up. I also liked the idea of having a room in such beautiful, Sarah-like shape. Dollhouses all perfectly set up, glass animals on shelves, toys all in their place, wallpaper in pristine condition. I was always a slob and had to share a room, so this was a fantastic fantasy for me.

Children, especially girls, will love this simple and timeless story of sisters and growing up. It's a nice tiny edition that is a lovely gift for a child with a library or book collection. I had searched for it for years and am delighted to have it for my daughter.

A beautifully written novel about love between a white British woman and a black man from Senegal. The two meet in school, and against all odds and family and cultural prejudices, finally marry. When things go wrong deeply held beliefs are challenged and the reader is shown the "other side of the story." Paradoxes are revealed, allowing the reader to think critically about serious issues of race, prejudice, marriage, fidelity, and more.

This novel was recommended by an IB DP English language teacher I work with, and I agree. I highly recommend it for high school (age 16 & up) and university reading lists. Translated from the French.

This is a book club in Boston, MASS-USA of women of color and we focus on books written by "African Female Writers"...... thats how we found ourselves reading Scarlet Song by Mariama Ba... here below is a little synopsis of the book club meeting we had in November 2007.

Since some folks had problems getting the book, we offered a what was intended to be a short synopis - you know ten minutes - well when you get women of color from the diaspora to recap what they read, you will hear editorials, dramatizations and disagreements, that a ten minute synopsis turned into an hour of laughter and a market style conversation.
We all learnt about how our own backgrounds and perception of societal roles influence how we experience the world e.g. some thought that Mirielle did a good job with the meal she was sending her father in-law in an effort to be dutiful daughter in-law..... while quite a number of us did not understand what was going on in her head - like how dare she sends "a piece of chicken" for only her father in-law.... when in actuality he lived in a compound hence he had to send for all. In an African setting your generosity is in quantity not frugality. Yaye Khady was well within her rights to snub at her because for the first time it seemed as if there was a clush of cultures and no clear expectations were outlined. Being that she was the one that was in the foreign land she had to learn the ways of that land and adopt to them rather than the land adopting to her foreign ways. At this point you can clearly see that inspite of Mirielle prior stay in Senegal as a Diplomat's daughter, she experience Senegal through different lenses. Her interaction with the locals left alot to be desired because when she returned she appeared to be clueless about the expectations of the land.

Feminist notions aside ---- All of us were in awe of Ouleymattou's strategy in hooking Ousmane. Girlfriend can be an army general - she has perfect execution and got what she wanted..... and we are all in search of that incense / perfume... read the book to understand the new-found fascination. Our fascination with her was in context of trying to understand what it takes a woman to chase a married man, and a married man to court another woman in instances where polygamy is allowed. So we could not necessary judge her because it was ok in her setting to be a second wife.... as courtship goes its a GAME!

We all agreed that it was just a tragic story - the whole relationship was just naive and it had tragic consequences - I think everybody in the room drew from personal experiences, lessons related to interracial, inter-class, inter-caste --- whatever the social lines are. what needs to be acknowledged in order for things to even remotely work. I was personally enriched by the immerse diversity of opinions that were in the room, how thoughtful and insightful everybody was.

Please dont take this as a book review but just a report back on the discussion we had. As we read more books, I will take the time to do write-ups on the website because I realise that African Female writers are not the MOST explored writers hence any write-up on them would help somebody.

KEEP ON READING

its a wake up call, it was my first book on the subject of interracial marriages I ever read, it sure widened my horizon.

Mariama Ba brings to life the true realities and complexities of interraccial marriage. She writes poignantly and beautifully. She is a master narrator, and will amaze you with her fabulous storytelling. I have read "Scarlet Song" numerous times, and wrote my senoir thesis about this book.

Scarlet song is the story of two lovers, Ousmane Gueye and Mireille De La Valle who are in an interracial relationships. Both set of lovers endured their parental opposition to the relationship with Mireille receiving the raw end of the deal ... her father disowns her after her secret wedding. Unpeturbed by her father's repudiation, she relocates with her husband to his country, Senegal. Unfortunately, their story book romance is unable to withstand some of the traditions and expectations of her inlaws. Her mother inlaw mocks her and calls her a jinee. Ousmane, a weak willed fellow is gradually drawn into his culture, abandons his wife for his once secret crush, Ouleymatou, who had spurned his advances during their teenage years because of Ousmane's devotion to his mom. The two embark on an illicit romance with the approval of their family and a union is produced from the relationship. When Mireille gets wind of the illicit relationship, now legalized by the society, she suffers a breakdown and at the end of the novel, she is about to be deported back to France by the French Embassy.

Scarlet Song is another classic from Mariama Ba. The novel is very deep and intense, the literary qualities is superb, she writes with panache and at the end of the novel, the reader comes out with the conclusion that the narrator of this novel was adept at weaving the story consistently. She would have been a contender for the Nobel Prize for Literature if she was still alive.

Highly Recommended.

I love this book with all my heart. It always makes me smile and laff. It is like magic.

Mrs. Bean's daughter grows to be tall and strong like the vegetables in her garden, and her efforts in her garden produce wonders which become a family affair in this story of gardening delights and a small girl's special talents.

I just read this book to my son's 3 year old nursery school class and everyone loved it - the children, the teachers and myself. The teacher even asked for the title so she could get it to read to the kids. It is fun to see all of the veggies in such big proportions - the boys respond to the forklifts, chain saws etc.

I have been looking for a book on gardening and growing things for young children and this is just the thing. Adding magic to a child's love of gardening works because gardens can be magical. I'm using this in a storyhour for 3 - 5 year old children.

Good folksy fairy tale where the protagonist is a girl not scared to get her magical green fingers dirty. My two year old immediately loved the story of a young baby growing into a little girl and "doing something wonderful." I like that there are lots of opportunities to identify and name vegetables in the exciting if not overly refined illustrations. Also, I really recommend this book for its sense of community -- when the village comes together to harvest and eat Scarlette's giant vegetables, it's great to notice that women drive forklifts, priests sit down to eat with tattooed bikers and neighbors come in all shapes and colors. These details are not at issue in the content of the story, but added for discovery in the ilustrations.

The Serenity Principle helped me see addiction from the perspective of one afflicted with the problem, as well as how difficult the road to recovery is. It offers a fresh approach to both situations, as opposed to the tried, and often failed, feel bad in order to feel better. It is a very compassionate and humane approach. I sent copies to some of my friends.

Joseph Bailey did a wonderful service by writing this book which clearly and efficiently discusses how to apply POM to the understanding and treatment of addiction. Highly recommended to professionals and the self-help audience. --Fred P. Gallo, Ph.D., Author of Energy Tapping and Energy Psychology

This is a practical spiritual book no unlike 12 steps it works. I would also encourage people to read An Encounter With A Prophet for a powerful spiritual book that get's you closer to your higher power.

Bailey has presented easy to grasp ideas that really work for the person in recovery. I have used it on both a personal and professional level and would encourage others to do the same.

This book is excellent. You do not have to be recovering from anything for this book to have meaning. Read it several times.