Education Books

A book I pass around alot! If you are concerned about Earth's natural resources and our future, this is a must read. The author explains the coming world production peak in conventional oil and the facts of dealing with finite resources.

Don't be surprised by the problems we face just around the corner in the new century in energy, minerals and water.

A very depressing book but a very important one if the author is correct. It covers resources of all types: water, metals, oil, arable soil, etc. as it relates to the various economies and lifestyles throughout the world. At the rate resources are being used up, in particular oil and gas, the standard of living outside of the Persian Gulf state could be materially affected in the next 50 to 100 years.

Read it at your own risk: it's going to paint a bleak picture of future mineral resources.

There are many good books on peak oil, but none fly as high as Youngquist's "Geodestinies", giving you an eagle-eye view of how the world works from a resource standpoint. Far more than just the mineral of oil is covered. Youngquist also delves into the role of minerals and good health, their use as currencies, the distribution of minerals around the world, and the most precious mineral of all: topsoil.

The range of what is covered is so vast I can't do justice to this book, but among other things, you'll learn the role of minerals and wars, civilizations, politics, and overviews of alternative energy sources. You'll emerge with a better understanding of how the world really works, what to invest in, and a deep appreciation of the amazing lives we're leading at this peak of civilization.

After I read this monumental book, I was sad and angry that history was never taught this way while I was in school. If there is one book you should have on your shelf for those who make it through the bottleneck of the coming ecological crash, this is it.

I have read thousands of non-fiction books as I walk to work and back ten miles a day -- this is the most important and life-changing book of all of them.

This is one of those rare works that has the power to transform society. It is extremely well written, easily readable and cites an extensive list of references.

This book should be required reading for all college freshmen, and should be included in every high school, college and public library.

It is unfortunate that the book is often out of stock and difficult to find.

While the book reads more like a high school textbook, for the inquisitive mind, the information imparted more than makes up for it. Learning the principle of doubling time and it's portent for future populaiton growth and resource depletion, alone is worth the price of the book. The information presented in the book is sobering and thought provoking, and not a little depressing.
Let's all hope that technology can deliver us from most of the doom and gloom presented in the book. As a geologist I was familiar with the limitations on our mineral resources but did not construct the relational scenarios that were presented in the book. The "oil interval" of earth history is overlooked by most people even in the sciences. It's far reaching implications points out the severe case of myopia from which our society suffers. The fact that we comsume 60% of our soon to be precious oil for the luxury of being able to run to the convenience store for a pack of gum is also sobering. Buy the book impart the information to your kids.

I have used another Caught Ya for several year, but have moved from high school to middle school. I am really enjoying the Caught Ya specifically for middle school. I can tell a difference in my students' writing, especially in the area of punctuation and more varied sentence formation.

Sara Sherrill
Hurricane Middle School

My gifted class will not sit still for a traditional (boring) grammar lesson, but their writing skills aren't keeping pace with their creative ideas. The "Caught'yas" in this book keep my kids focused on doing their grammar...everyday! The lessons help them with their writing and introduce $100 words into their vocabularies. With the included CD, I don't even need to type or write the "Caught'yas." I just copy and paste into a powerpoint and put the daily work on the projector. Truly a great find!

The service I received was excellent. I received the book within 3 days in perfect condition.

I cannot wait to use this grammar system in my 6th grade classroom. The book has everything you need to jump start your grammar lessons. The book is designed for grades 6-8 to use consecutively. If it works for me I will pass it one to my colleagues. Worth the purchase.

This is the third "Caught 'Ya" book I've purchased - my kids LOVE this idea, and they are LEARNING!

Faced with depressing realities on a global scale, many of us simply retreat into our own little world --- resolving to be kind to our kids, gentrify our own neighborhoods, and be good churchgoers. These activities are inherently fine to a point, yet they do not address the broader difficulties.

Haugen's book is a call to action, which we have heard before. What's different this time is that Haugen quantifies exactly what kinds of action we can take, and why such actions matter. With cutting-edge stories and keen insight into the reasons behind our inactivity, Haugen gets us up out of our La-Z-Boys and out into the streets.

Among this book's best features are the historical reminders that many of the most powerful social changes in North America are a direct result of Christ-followers engaging a broken culture and making a difference. From public schools to hospitals and beyond, some of our culture's best ideas flow from persons of faith, actively engaged in transforming society.

Note to persons of faith: now it's your turn.

Dr. David Frisbie
The Center for Marriage & Family Studies
Author of: Raising Great Kids on Your Own: A Guide and Companion for Every Single Parent

I highly recommend this book. I hope to use parts of it with my college students after we have viewed HOTEL RWANDA. This is a powerful follow-up to a movie that should shake you to your foundations.

Sometimes circumstances predispose us towards financial inequality that may further push us towards social inequality and one seems to falsely believe that there is no hope for our own future or for the generations to come. In such circumstances the only way to find a meaningful solution and to get oneself out of this vicious circle is to stand back and look at the big picture. At the heart of the problem are both external and internal factors. While we may not be able to control the external factors directly, being honest to ourselves we must resist the urge to focus solely on them. It is actually our moral obligation to directly address the internal problems, the key to which only we hold. If there is one undercurrent that makes it easier for things to get better, then that is inculcation of unwavering faith and strong family values and truly believing that there is hope for the future. These should not simply cease to exist for us the moment we step outside the church but must be reflected in how we live our lives and that is a profound lesson in life and religion. Closely intertwined with these are the values of gender equality as well as respect and belief in the dignity of every human life. There is no justification in pointing the finger outwards if we, ironically, are lacking the same values within ourselves that we expect others to demonstrate. We must look within ourselves to grow as better human beings. The ability to bring our dreams to realization is closely related to receiving the right education in the context of our innate potential, all held together by a strong and caring social structure that we can grow in. However, for all of this to take place the undercurrent of family values and faith and lasting marriages based on trust and mutual respect must be there. In this regard, from the religious perspective, it is also the responsibility of churches and religious organizations to bring to the limelight positive role models, help clean up bad social trends as well as leave no stone unturned for any broken family to get the much needed social support. Also critical is the need to provide constructive after-school programs as well as logistic and financial support in pushing children in the direction of their talent as well as receiving the right education such that each child is able to turn their dreams to reality...

This book changed the way I think about the world in important and good ways. I've heard the author speak, and he is uniquely credible.

Haugen is the president of the International Justice Mission, an incredible organization that seeks to demonstrate the compassion and justice of God in nations around the world. The book is first and foremost a defense of this concept - that we, as followers of Christ and children of God, serve a compassionate God who is concerned with and passionate about the particular travesties of injustice in every corner of the globe. Haugen takes the reader through dozens of scriptural passages and principles to make his point and leaves the reader asking what they can do to make a difference in the world.

Haugen next gives the reader not only a bird's eye view of the various injustices across the globe, but also a very personal look at several severe situations of injustice where IJM has made a difference in the lives of real people. Haugen calls for the body of Christ to be a body of action, engaged in various efforts to promote justice and compassion for the lost and hurting. A strategy is presented for the interested, but the primary thrust of the action is done through the channels of organizations like IJM who are already established and connected with resources to assist.

The book is an excellent read for any person who either is ignorant of the conditions of others across the globe or is questioning the concept that one person can't really make a difference. IJM is an outstanding ministry and opportunity for Christians everywhere to use their God-given time, talents and treasure to defend the defenseless. Micah 6:8 is a favorite verse of many and it reminds the follower of Christ what the Lord has told us is important in life - to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God. Justice is obviously a key component of God's character and must be a key facet of the ministry of God's people here on earth as a demonstration of His nature and goodness in this lost and dying world. Good News about Injustice is a great reminder of this principle meant to shake a self-absorbed culture from its comfortable La-Z-Boy rocker!

I've read "Getting What You Came For" and other highly recommended books out there about graduate school and academics, but this one is certainly the most up-to-date, detailed, and clearly focused on those who want a tenure-track job. Although this book is written for the humanities and I'm in a social science Ph.D. program I found it very helpful and it was easy to 'translate' to my field. If you know you want an academic career I highly recommend this engaging and well thought out book.

Finally! There's no better advice for graduate students in the humanities than what Prof. Colon Semenza offers in this incredibly detailed, thoroughly honest guide. I share other readers' regret that Graduate Study for the 21st Century wasn't available when I began graduate study in English. I've recommended this essential book to everyone I know in the humanities as well as the social sciences (where Colon Semenza's insights also apply in many respects).

It's about time this book was written. I wouldn't want to take a class with him, but his book is simply phenomenal.

This book was recommended to me by a well respected professor at my university. Because I am a fairly new graduate student who plans on getting a PhD in literature and teaching as a university professor, I figured it could only be helpful to give this book a serious perusal.
It is perhaps one of the smartest things I have done in informing myself about what lies ahead. There is a plethora of information offered to those who are automatically expected to know how to go about pursuing a tenure-track position in the humanities, but ultimately, do not.
This book covers everything from CVs to what, exactly, is expected from you in the way of teaching, research, and service. There is an extensive amount of material covering the importance of conferences etc. as well as a realistic lay out of what you can expect to be doing over the next decade of your life. The book can be intimidating, and downright scary, but serious scholars must understand that reality should always be preferable to a generous "sugar coating."
Perhaps what is most refreshing about this book is that it is laid out very simply...no bombastic and/or pedantic language! Nothing annoys me more than a scholar who tries to unload his entire lexicon in one page of information.
This book has proved to be invaluable to me and has given me a number of tools to help me further my career more quickly and efficiently.
Perhaps Semenza's best advice is this: "Do not pursue a PhD unless you are absolutely OBSESSED with your field"---with all that a person is expected to endure in his/her graduate program, this statement couldn't be more true.
So, if you have any questions concerning the proper path to take in beginning your career in academics/humanities, buy this book! It is worth every penny!

I am a tenured professor of English (coicidentally, my specialty is Semenza's -- early modern drama -- I should say, however, I don't know him). For several years now I have been running workshops on the job market, serving as my department's "placement director. This is easily the best book on the topic out there, an essential work for any graduate student in the humanities. When I read it I immediately disposed of stacks of photocopies (sample letters, etc.) and stopped preparing a rather lame powerpoint presentation. Now, I simply recommend (read:insist) students take a look at this book.

In "The Greengage Summer" five English youths have their vacation trip to the battlefields of France derailed when their mother develops a disabling illness due to an insect bite. While she is in hospital, they stay at a hotel run by two sour proprietors and peopled by an eccentric cast of characters. Each of the youths pursues his or her interests (painting, photography, etc.) while exploring the hotel and the grounds nearby. They befriend the handyman Paul, a young man with a perplexing past, and bond with their temporary guardian, Eliot, whose background, they eventually discover, is even more disturbing. In their summer stay, the children also stumble upon a mystery. As they collide with a foreign adult world, they receive an education, but not quite the one their mother originally intended.

The Grey children are taken to France by their mother to visit the battlefields of WW1 in the hope that it will make them less selfish. However, she is taken ill as soon as they arrive at their destination, the hotel Les Oeillets, and the children find themselves bewildered and frightened in a strange land with a barely conscious mother. They are befriended by Eliot, a charming and enigmatic Englishman staying at Les Oeillets, who sorts everything out. With their mother in hospital, the children are free to explore this strange and exotic new world, so different from the dull suburban English town they have come from. They get to know all the people at the hotel, Mamzelle Zizzi, the beautiful but slightly haggard proprietor, who is clearly besotted with Eliot, Madame Corbet, grim and unsmiling, who equally clearly detests him, and all the rest of the staff. They make friends with Paul, an orphan who is an overworked drudge in the kitchen, but dreams of some day owning his own lorry. The story is narrated by Cecil, thirteen years old, who observes everything, especially the growing attraction between Joss, her exquisitely lovely elder sister, and Eliot. As Eliot spends more and more time with the children, Mamzelle Zizzi's jealousy grown, until it finally explodes one night in a scene that terrifies and bewilders the Grey family. The children try to retreat from the scary grownupworld to their safe childhood idyll, but it is too late, the happy atmosphere is poisoned. As Eliot's behaviour grows more mysterious,and Mamzelle Zizzi continues to simmer with jealousy the story heads inevitably towards disaster. All the characters in this book are fascinating, from secretive, sexy Eliot to the drudge Paul, and you feel totally involved in their lives. The atmosphere of a French summer is so vividly described, you can taste the greengages the children stuff themselves with, and smell the eccentric French plumbing. A gripping and poignant story of lost innocence, this book is based on actual events in Rumer Godden's youth, and is quite unforgettable.

When the dog bites, when you're feeling blue, simply get a copy of The Greengage Summer to gorge on its luscious and heady prose. Godden is a timeless writer and I'm fairly sure this started life as 'adult' rather than 'children's' fiction - for all the worth of those meaningless categories. I guess the teen reads didn't exist then and this seething, hormonal coming-of-age novel captures the very essence of that moment when knowing youth casts its spell without being able to foresee the consequences, for it to appeal to younger readers, but I wonder if the hindsight of growing-up add another layer or three. The prose is limpid, laden with resonance and the characters are wondeful. I can smell and see the summer and its dangerous allure. Nicely tragic too (in that noone actually dies, but the consequences of playing with adult-hood are suitably dire!). It is a book I turn to time-and-again and recommend unstintingly to anyone who'll hear me out.

This is one of those books I've bought again and again. It's a beautiful coming-of-age story set in the French countryside. I first read it back when the earth was cooling, and I have no idea what became of that original copy. I bought it again as an adult, loaned it to a friend and never saw it again. I recently bought it yet a third time, a used copy on Amazon, and this one I'm not loaning out.
Greengage Summer is a delicious melange of mystery, romance, travel writing, and character study. I'm surprised it's no longer in print, because I truly think it's a classic. It started me reading everything Rumer Godden's written. I like her writing tremendously, but Greengage Summer is her best.
When Mum is confined to bed in a small French village, her children are left on their own in the pensione. It's mainly the story of the oldest daughter's blossoming toward maturity, but it's more, much more, than what appears on the surface.
Read it, and loan it to a friend - but be sure you get it back!

A former "diplobrat" who grew up abroad, I identified with Godden's description of a child's first encounter with France. The effect of their foreign adventure on each family member develops along with an excellent plot (not usually Godden's strong point). Even better than the character descriptions is the evocation of French country life at its most seductive -- "next best to being there."

Before reading Dr. John Morella's book, "A Guide For Effective Psychotherapy", or even being in his class at SLCC i did not know too much about the study. Just by reading this book which was compressed into only eleven chapters, you can understand the most effective methods for psychotherapy if you or a freind find you might need some attention.
The book starts off with an itroduction introducing the author and the book. The next chapter tells the reader about diffrent mental health providers wich is very importaqnt. Then the book goes on to tslk about issues concerning psychotherapy and where to look to for help. Overall this book was helpful because i had a relative seeking help coping with the death of two sibling in the past few years. They were able to find the help they needed.
This book can deffinatly be useful to anyone who wants to know about psychology and the practive. i would most deffinatly recomend this book in the future.

by : Adam Duplechain

Reading Dr. Morella's book was part of my assignment for his class. I did enjoy reading his book. He gives great examples and creates a better understanding of the different treatments offered. I find myself comparing everyday circumstances to the topics in his book. Thanks

Dr Morella's book is very effective in its purpose. Which is to provide an outline one might go about finding the right mental health profesional for themselves or a loved one. He defines what it is a mental health profesional does. He also defines the different types of mental health profesional. He also provides a clear outline for a parent who is looking to get profesional help for their child. There is a list of references in the book as well on who somebody may contact for a specific problem that is already defined. He mixes in humor with the book to lighten it up a bit. A Guide for Effective Psychotherapy, in conclusion, is a valuable resource for anyone who is looking for proffesional help or seeking it for a loved one.

Dr. Morella has written a concise book on the different types of psychotherapists, forms and format of therapy available for adults, teens, and children. Prior to reading A guide for effective psychotherapy, I had the misconception that all therapy involved "talk therapy" as seen in most movies today. This book provides information a person will need to make an informed decision in choosing the right type of therapist for themselves, a family member or a friend. He goes a step further offering the reader information on understanding their diagnosis to dealing with insurance companies. Dr. Morella also provides his reader a list of agencies and resources where they can find more information further enabling the reader to be informed. This book is an excellent first step for anyone interested in learning more about psychotherapy. Dr. Morella's book would be a compliment to every home's medical reference section. I look forward to reading his next book that he is currently working on.

John Morella has written a very clear, user friendly guide for anyone who is considering any form of therapy for the first time. He is able to explain the process from the beginning to the end in terms that even the most nervous or unknowledgeable person can understand and follow.

The first aspect of this book that draws the reader's attention is the Table of Contents. Instead of just a short listing of chapter titles he also lists all subtitles in bold print and a brief explanation of the purpose and content of each chapter. It states the goal of each section up front. If there is specific information needed it is easy to know where to look and it seems to replace an index.

The chapters begin with an over view of all the various options for mental health providers and types of psychotherapy. The number and variety of choices can be overwhelming to the novice and if in crisis it is especially daunting. Choosing the correct therapist is one of the most crucial selections that must be made. Morella reviews all the types of therapists, qualifications and the various therapy models. He does an excellent job of explaining the various models in terms lay people can understand. It is not easy to explain each one without being trapped by jargon or medical vernacular. His relaxed, simple style is not demeaning but appropriately unpretentious.

Later chapters cover everything from client's rights to children's services and medication. The end is a listing of resources with addresses including web sites and a short description of services. A few scenarios finish the book to prepare future clients as to what to expect from a session.

The format of the book is well laid out. Wider than usual margins on all sides help prevent the sensation of information becoming too formidable for the reader. A combination of paragraphs, bulleted lists and, of course, the occasional joke all form a well thought out, concise look at the therapy process. A Guide for Effective Psychotherapy should be readily available to anyone who is considering therapy for themselves, friend or family member. Libraries, medical offices and crisis services should have a copy of this tome to recommend to those in need.

There's quite a debate going on in these reviews, so let me return to the main point of these reviews and state that this is an excellent story and well worth reading. As others have pointed out, in adapting the book to a movie, Barbra STreisand made substantive changes in the story, changes that Singer himself did not approve of. It's definitely worth going back to the original text and reading the story as written.

The story is not only a moving tale of the bind a Jewish woman of late 19th or early 20th century Poland puts herself into in order to fulfill her need to study and learn, but a rich portrayal of both the joys and strictures of that society that is now gone (as are so many of Singer's stories). It helps to know something of Judaism to understand many of the references in the story but it is not critical to the reader's empathy with Yentl/Anshel's position.

And yes, the character as portrayed in the book is undoubtedly portrayed as what we would now call transgendered. It is not simply that Yentl wants to study Torah, because if that were the case she could marry Avigdor and continue to study with him; Avigdor offers her this option. She herself says she is not one or the other. I also love Singer's implied explanation for transgender identity as being that of a soul of one sex incarnated in the body of the other. It makes a deep kind of sense to me in both a spiritual and experiential way, and adds another dimension to this story.

This book is very short, really a novella, and is illustrated with interesting woodcuts that portray both moments from the story, and various Jewish ritual objects like spice boxes and the pointers used to read Torah scrolls. Do seek this book and other works of Singer's out, you won't regret it!

I first read this story way back when it first came out -- long before Streisand turned it into a third-wave feminist polemic. (Which, by the way, upset the author, I.B. Singer, so much that he tries to stop production. Unfortunately, he did not have artistic control over the film rights to his story, and so this travesty of his work was produced and lives on in infamy.) Upon re-reading it, I still think it is about a transgender person, not a feminist.

The reviewer here who said that another reviewer "should be shot" (such violent intolerance!) for claiming that Yentl was transgender by making a reference to "even heaven makes mistakes" obviously did not read the book -- because that's word-for-word what Yentl's father tells her on page 8. The story also clearly states that Yentl has "the soul of a man." (page 8 also). So, I suggest ignoring those PC polemicists who are talking about the movie only, which is VERY DIFFERENT from the book, and has ITS OWN PAGE for reviews! (If you haven't read the book, why are you reviewing here in the first place?)

Singer was writing in the 1960s. He wrote respectfully of Jewish culture in this story. He did not mock it the way Streisand later did in her movie. The book has no barkers shouting "Story books for women, holy books for men," and as far as I know, nobody even did that in real life. The line is anti-Hasidic propaganda, as is much of the movie. Streisand's film is a comedy. Singer's story is serious drama.

In the book, When Yentl says, "I wasn't created for plucking feathers and chattering with females," (page 47) is she really speaking like a radical 20th-century feminist about social roles -- or is she speaking literally, on a mystical spiritual level? If she were merely objecting to "plucking feathers" (woman's work) why does she also object to "chattering with females" -- and why use the word "females," as if to stress this is about GENDER? I think she means that she was not created to be a woman, period, regardless of roles. She certainly does not object when her father tells her that she has a man's soul and that "even heaven makes mistakes."

She reaffirms this transgender identity on page 49, where Avigdor asks her, "Tell me the truth, are you a heretic?" Yentl answers, "God forbid!" Clearly, she believes in Orthodox Judaism and respects it, IN SPITE OF her personal dilemma. As their discussion continues: "... All Anshel's [Yentl's] explanations seemed to point to one thing: she had the soul of a man in a woman's body." How much plainer can you get?

But today, in the 2000s, being a female-to-male transgender person is no longer politically correct in the feminist movement. Since the days when Singer wrote this story, the radical feminists have trashed and reviled female-to-male (FTM) transgender people for being "politically incorrect" to the point that they (the feminists) simply cannot stomach the idea that THIS IS WHAT SINGER WAS WRITING ABOUT!!!!!

Yentl doesn't act like a feminist in the book. She doesn't go out campaigning for women's rights. On the other hand, she does enjoy cross-dressing: "On Sabbath afternoons, when her father slept, she would dress up in his trousers, his fringed garment, his silk coat, his skullcap, his velvet hat, and study her reflection in the mirror." (page 8) She also secretly smoked her father's pipe. These are not feminist behaviors, they are transvestite / transgender behaviors.

Yes, there were restrictions against women in the 1850s (which, by the way, is the time frame for this story. Keep in mind that gentile universities didn't accept women back then, either.) But that is NOT the reason that Yentl crosses over to live as a man. If she were merely a disgruntled woman wanting "male privilege," why did she choose to live as a man even after divorcing Hadass? In the Streisand movie she goes back to dressing as a woman and takes a ship to America where, presumably, she will be "free." But that scene IS NOT IN THE BOOK! In the book, she lives out her life as the man, Anshel. Exactly as an FTM transgender person would do.

Regarding the debate here about whether Yentl was a feminist or a transsexual, I weigh in on the transgender side -- for all the reasons other reviewers have already listed here, and which I have also discussed on my Hasidism FAQ website. So I won't reinvent the wheel in this review. I agree that the movie was definitely a feminist statement, but the book, well, that's another story altogether.

We should remember that before the movie, there was the stage play. It followed the book pretty closely, (which the movie did not!) and was very popular in lesbian and avant garde theaters. When I saw the play performed in the 1970s, Yentl was played as the Jewish version of a "butch" lesbian. (In terms of social roles, not machismo. The ideal Jewish male in the timeframe of this story was a scholar, not a redneck.) In the play, like in the book, Yentl remains living as the man Anshel in Eastern Europe. In the movie, Streisand changed this very important point and had Yentl revert to wearing women's clothes and then going to America.

So nu, what was the relationship between Yentl/Anshel and Avigdor? They were study partners -- chaverim in Hebrew -- a relationship that doesn't seem to exist outside of the Orthodox Jewish community, so here's some background. The Talmud is written in dialogue mode with different rabbis agreeing and disagreeing on various points of Jewish law and theology. Talmud is traditionally studied out loud, by two people hotly debating, going point-by-point over the discussions on the page together. In the traditional yeshiva world -- even today -- the schools are not co-ed. So naturally, your study partner is going to be the same sex as yourself. And very often, your study partner is also your very best friend. You not only sit together in school, you confide in each other, hang out together, encourage each other in life's struggles, etc. And this can be a very close relationship. But it's not sexual. It's male bonding. If Anshel had joined the army, then he and Avigdor would have been "buddies" who fought battles together.

Anshel loves Avigdor, yes. But as a study partner, not a lover. What Anshel misses in Avigdor when he changes study halls is not sexual attraction, it's their learning together. Nobody else in the yeshiva is as serious or as brilliant a student as Avigdor. Nobody else is an intellectual match for Anshel -- and so, he studies alone.

When Anshel reveals to Avigdor that s/he is really the woman Yentl, Avigdor suggests that they could get married and still study together -- but Yentl/Anshel says no. S/he tells him that s/he is "neither one [sex] nor the other" and that s/he has "the soul of a man in the body of a woman." This teaches us that Yentl DID INDEED have a gender identity crisis. If she had just wanted to study Talmud, if she were in love with Avigdor, she could have married him and that would be that. But she chose instead to remain living as Anshel for the rest of her life, even without Avigdor. In other words, she chose loneliness and loss of friendship over going back to living as a woman -- a choice that many a real transsexual has also made.

Now, one issue that has not come up yet in the debate here is this: What exactly did I.B. Singer mean by "the SOUL of a man in the body of a woman?" Is this used figuratively, i.e., with "soul" meaning interests, ideas, disposition? Or did Singer mean it literally -- that the eternal soul of Yentl was male, trapped in a female body? If it was figurative, then why does Yentl's father explain it by telling her "even heaven makes mistakes?" I think it is meant literally -- that a male soul has incarnated in the female body named Yentl. Perhaps it was reincarnation (Singer did believe in that.) This was/is one explanation in kabbalah (Jewish mysticm) for what we now call, in scientific terms, "gender dysphoria."

When Singer was writing in the 1960s, "gender dysphoria" was assumed to be caused by a mismatch of social roles, such as a girl being raised as a tomboy. And that's how Singer portrayed Yentl, with her father teaching her "male" things. But even today, when women are free (in Western countries at least) to openly pursue any type of studies or career or lifestyle they want, there are STILL female-to-male (FTM) transsexuals who claim to have male souls trapped in female bodies. Many of them were NOT raised as tomboys, either. The issue for them is not social roles, it's gender identity.

Recent research seems to indicate that this inner conflict is caused by a difference in brain structure. (Nature, not nurture.) Apparently, there is a part of the brain that is hard-wired to "feel" male or female -- and if this is out of sync with the rest of the body, you have a transgendered person. Had Singer known this in his day, he might have focused less on Yentl's dislike of sewing and cooking (the so-called "women's work"), and more on her inner identity crisis about feeling male. But he was a man of his times and he used the literary devices available then. When he wrote this story in 1962, DNA had not even been discovered, and there were no MRI machines to map the activities of the living brain. He assumed (wrongly) that a Yentl became what s/he was because of how she was raised. 21st-century readers need to keep this in mind when they read this story.

The movie does attack the issues of feminism - albeit somewhat unrealistically. Yes, as one reviewer put, there are many restrictions on Chasidic women (and men!), but not necessarily in an oppressive manner. The laws of Judaism are really quite complex (and no I am not orthodox). Nevertheless, I believe the book is a story about s transsexual, Yentl (Anshel) who felt as though she were a man in a woman's body. Incidentally, she was brilliant and capable of the complex studies of the Talmud, but the book has very little to do with feminism or oppression of women.
Nevertheless, it is an excellent read, highly recommended. For the period on which it was written, Singer was very much ahead of his time in tackling such an issue.

The IBS short story (but not the movie) certainly IS about a transsexual. Tha character, Yentle/Anshel, is a woman who wants to be a man, and the study of Talmud is a major part of it only because Singer used 19th-early Eastern Europe as a setting. While Yentl is briliant and enjoys studying the Talmud this is not why she gets into her situation. Rather it's a literary mechanism. Singer clearly describes Yentl as a man inside a woman's body, and the reason why Talmud is emphasized is because of the setting in an eastern european jewish community. That is what the most respected men did in that culture; in modern Israel, it would be piloting an F-16 in the air force.

Although Yentl had studied secretly with her father, there were things that she had been hiding even from him: while he slept on shabbat afternoons she would dress up in his clothing, and smoke his pipe. She had not one female friend, then on the morning after the night when Anshel had married Haddass, the parents of Haddass held of the bed sheet and saw the blood. Singer writes that "Anshel had found a way to deflower Haddass", and that Haddass being so innocent and in love with Anshel hadn't realized that what was supposed to happen had not happened. IN OTHER WORDS...something happened SEXUALLY between Yentl/Anshel and Haddass, such that Haddass' hymen ruptured. Singer leaves the precise mechanism to the imagination, but it stands to reason that it was not the spilling of wine on the sheet as occured in the movie. It the short story it is actual blood. It seems hard to imagine but keep in mind that it is a culture wherein young women might never be told much if anything about sex before their marriage, the expectation being that they would find out from their husbands. Moreover the marriage goes on for several months with Haddass believing that her marriage is within a standard deviation of the norm.

It's just not conceivable that Yentl/Anshel is doing this -being intimate with Haddass via petting or whatever for several months - because of a heterosexual attraction to Avigdor. Then finally when she reveals herself to him and he suggest that they (Avigdor and Yentl) marry she says it wouldn't be good and that she's "neither one [gender] nor the other". And so she continues dressing as a man. She does not take a ship to another country as in the movie which would have been the right thing to do had she wanted to live as a woman and study the Talmud. She could have done that in western europe or america, but in the book she didn't and went on living as a man.

I love the writing in this series, it's such a pleasure to read, I wonder why are so many other textbooks so boring?

I'd love to give it five stars, except that there are recurring themes I find grating - some of her "fan club for the US government" stuff is just in totally inappropriate places. For instance, "American slavery was a horror. We should never pretend it was anything else. But the American system of government lets us correct mistakes. When you study history you see we usually do. Of that we can be proud." Gag me with a spoon, slavery was not abolished until more than 240 years after the first slave was delivered in 1619! Hakim does such a great job of fairly telling the story, why ruin it?

Another place I found disappointing was the perpetuation of the myth that the first settlers at Plymouth were called "Pilgrims" and that the Europeans started Thanksgiving. She has a box on Thanksgiving saying the story of the first Thanksgiving is a "real turkey", lists some other European Thanksgiving celebrations, and then neglects to mention that the Indians had been conducting Thanksgiving celebrations at harvest time for generations. I'd love to see someone do such a great job TELLING the story, who could also not perpetuate those irritating little false stories that schoolchildren are always taught.

Gosh, this doesn't sound like the positive review I inteded, but I see others have already told the good stuff. It's wonderfully well written!

This book is very fun and imformative. It gives us information, but in a fun way...I recomend this book to anyone under the age of 13, and who enjoys history...if you get this book in school, dont be scared it is fun!

I just borrowed this book from the library and now plan to buy the whole set. As a home schooling parent, I am always struggling to find quality materials and this series is just that. Hakim's books are easy to read and comprehend. Most importantly, they give a realistic view of history, not the politically correct one so often taught.

As I teach my children U.S. history, I want them to know that, yes, the white people were sometimes violent and unfair to the Native Americans, but some Native Americans were that way too. Before the Europeans came, they kidnapped and killed each other. I want my kids to know the whole truth and these books are very fair. No matter what the race, some people are good and some are not.

I highly recommend these books for teaching history to children and even adults.

"Making Thirteen Colonies: 1600-1740" is the second volume in Joy Hakim's "A History of US." The first volume covered how the first Americans crossed over from Asia to become Indians and the first Europeans, mainly the Spanish but also the French and English, began settling the New World. This volume focuses on the narrow string of settlements established by the English that became the thirteen colonies whose people began moving westward and who also started to question the relationship they had with England (there is a small amount of overlap between this and the next volume, which covers period of American history from 1735-1791).

Hakim begins with a preface that looks at the vast mixture of ideas that were brought over from the Mediterranean world and took root in the Americas. Along with the first chapter, which talks about the comet that appeared in 1607 as a portent of great changes for the world, this preface sets up several key themes that will be revisited throughout this and future volumes. "Making Thirteen Colonies" has 42 chapters and it the book is divided into five main sections. The first (chapters 2-12) tells how English settlers came to stay by establishing the first permanent colony in Jamestown, Virginia. The second (chapters 13-23) looks primarily at the Puritans arriving in New England, although Hakim also touches on what was happening between the Indians and the Spanish in the southwest. The third section (chapters 24-30) tells about the mid-Atlantic colonies, most notably New Amsterdam/York and Pennsylvania. The fourth section (chapter 31-39) returns to the South, looking at not only Ole Virginny but also the two Carolinas and Georgia. This unit also looks at the Triangle Trade and other considerations that united the four southern and nine northern colonies. The final section (chapters 40-42) is a transitional unit, that looks at how the colonists began to move westward and the stage was set for the period of history that would make those thirteen colonies into a new nation.

One of the great advantages to writing a ten-volume history of the United States is that unlike most standard American history textbooks "A History of US" is able to clearly establish the unique identities of each of those original thirteen colonies. I recently finished reading an excellent series of books, each of which was devoted to an individual colony, and Hakim ends up being closer to those volumes than she does the standard textbook. Consequently, in addition to the traditional stories about Pocahontas and John Smith in Jamestown, William Penn and the Quakers of Pennsylvania, the Salem witch trials, Ben Franklin as the quintessential American, and Daniel Boone finding routes through the mountains, Hakim establishes an individual identity for each colony.

However, the main strength of this series is how Hakim engages young readers, the same way you would expect a "real" teacher to do in a "real" classroom. This shows up primarily in her ability to anticipate and answer questions that students might have (e.g., why the Indians were not enslaved). I can easily see why this series is popular with parents who are home schooling their children. The book is richly illustrated with dozens and dozens of historic paintings, etchings, drawings, maps, engravings, and assorted reproductions. The margins are crammed with interesting facts, definitions, and quotations, and features on topics such as Land Green and Africa: The Unknown Continent are sprinkled throughout the book. The After Words this time around are devoted to cartography and has some superb examples of 16h- and 17th-century maps. It is easily to see why this series has impressed so many people and why Hakim is able to get such good responses from young students who are used to getting their information from computers and the Internet.

"Making Thirteen Colonies: 1600-1740" is the second volume in Joy Hakim's "A History of US." The first volume covered how the first Americans crossed over from Asia to become Indians and the first Europeans, mainly the Spanish but also the French and English, began settling the New World. This volume focuses on the narrow string of settlements established by the English that became the thirteen colonies whose people began moving westward and who also started to question the relationship they had with England (there is a small amount of overlap between this and the next volume, which covers period of American history from 1735-1791).

Hakim begins with a preface that looks at the vast mixture of ideas that were brought over from the Mediterranean world and took root in the Americas. Along with the first chapter, which talks about the comet that appeared in 1607 as a portent of great changes for the world, this preface sets up several key themes that will be revisited throughout this and future volumes. "Making Thirteen Colonies" has 42 chapters and it the book is divided into five main sections. The first (chapters 2-12) tells how English settlers came to stay by establishing the first permanent colony in Jamestown, Virginia. The second (chapters 13-23) looks primarily at the Puritans arriving in New England, although Hakim also touches on what was happening between the Indians and the Spanish in the southwest. The third section (chapters 24-30) tells about the mid-Atlantic colonies, most notably New Amsterdam/York and Pennsylvania. The fourth section (chapter 31-39) returns to the South, looking at not only Ole Virginny but also the two Carolinas and Georgia. This unit also looks at the Triangle Trade and other considerations that united the four southern and nine northern colonies. The final section (chapters 40-42) is a transitional unit, that looks at how the colonists began to move westward and the stage was set for the period of history that would make those thirteen colonies into a new nation.

One of the great advantages to writing a ten-volume history of the United States is that unlike most standard American history textbooks "A History of US" is able to clearly establish the unique identities of each of those original thirteen colonies. I recently finished reading an excellent series of books, each of which was devoted to an individual colony, and Hakim ends up being closer to those volumes than she does the standard textbook. Consequently, in addition to the traditional stories about Pocahontas and John Smith in Jamestown, William Penn and the Quakers of Pennsylvania, the Salem witch trials, Ben Franklin as the quintessential American, and Daniel Boone finding routes through the mountains, Hakim establishes an individual identity for each colony.

However, the main strength of this series is how Hakim engages young readers, the same way you would expect a "real" teacher to do in a "real" classroom. This shows up primarily in her ability to anticipate and answer questions that students might have (e.g., why the Indians were not enslaved). I can easily see why this series is popular with parents who are home schooling their children. The book is richly illustrated with dozens and dozens of historic paintings, etchings, drawings, maps, engravings, and assorted reproductions. The margins are crammed with interesting facts, definitions, and quotations, and features on topics such as Land Green and Africa: The Unknown Continent are sprinkled throughout the book. The After Words this time around are devoted to cartography and has some superb examples of 16th- and 17th-century maps. It is easily to see why this series has impressed so many people and why Hakim is able to get such good responses from young students who are used to getting their information from computers and the Internet.

What a breath of fresh air! I have two ADD/ADHD kids. My first son was just put on meds for his complete inability to focu(ADHD/Inattentive). I wanted to give him ways to focus and stay on task but wasn't sure where to start. This book was full of terrific ideas. I just devoured it! I can't wait to implement some of these things in our routine. This book
provided many concrete ideas without all the fluff.

My second son is just downright ADHD and Ms. Barnier's descriptions were right on. I do actually let him sit on his desk and he has long since abandoned his chair. I really appreciated the discipline advice in this book. It was comforting to hear that #1. She's also found spanking ineffective (yet doesn't denounce it all together) #2. She is mindful of what triggers her son and can see the decline (we call it "meltdown mode"). And #3. It helped me to see that it's ok to intervene with those triggers and keep that boy on a short leash!!

Oh, and I also have to THANK Ms. Barnier for making this book an easy read!!! I was easily able to retain what I read while being distracted 100 million times from my highly distractable children...lol! Most of what I find on ADHD is so full of medical jargon and clinical study after study that it makes my brain hurt. Really, I haven't always been this way. I used to be smart..then I had children.

I saw Carol at a Homeschool Convention and the book covers her talk but in more detail and also gives a hard copy so as to make it easy to refer back to and remember. The book is good for all kinds of kids, not just ADHD. It's a great resource for the homeschool parent. It's also encouraging to know I'm not the only one who's kid has climbed on the refrigerator.

We saw Carol Barnier at a homeschool convention recently, she is an amazing (and hilarious) speaker and I love her books. My son is very wiggly and distratactable, it was nice to see that we are definatly not alone with our experience homeschooling a hyperactive child. Her suggestions are wonderful, practical, and encouraging. My favorite chapter is "seeing the gift in this child," it really gave me an appreciation for my son's unique talents and personality. I have never seen a book like this, I know it will be a valuable resource we will turn to often now and in the years to come.

This book is a very encouraging and uplifting book. The author, having experience in raising and teaching a highly hyper-active child, is full of compassion and wisdom. If you're looking for encouragement in homeschooling or raising a special/hyperactive child, this book is a must-read. It encouraged me as well as helped me create some very exciting homeschooling ideas for my own ADHD child.

Carol Barnier's book on homeschooling active children really struck a cord with me when I first read it. I had homeschooled just such a child and she really knew how it works. You don't have to be homeschooling a child with ADHD, however, to use this book--her teaching methods are just so much fun that any homeschooling parent will benefit from using them! This is a book that will make you fel good about yourself and your teaching, while showing you how to do more than just survive--you'll learn to have the time of your life!

I didn't know much about the Montessori method, but this book was a great introduction to both the general principals, and specific practices. It's a fairly quick read, with lots of pictures (showcasing the most amazing kids fashion I've ever seen), but it offers a wonderful window into a method that has raised many successful and fascinating children and adults over the past century.

A very nice point about this book is that there are instructions on how to make some of the specific Montessori toys used for learning letters and numbers. There's also a short but comprehensive list at the end of suggested books and web resources. Since, as the book explains, the Montessori method isn't copyrighted and anyone can claim it, it was nice that the book offered some definitive sources that can be trusted.

I'd recommend this book to any parent of a young child. Even if you don't want to send your child to a Montessori school (and the book even freely admits that it's not for everyone), there are some really valuable ideas in this book about everything from learning to child development to discipline to specific activities to do with a child.

I recommend this book to parents interested in a Montessori education for their children. It gives a very clear understanding of what Montessori is about.

My daughter goes to a Montessori daycare. Before signing her up, I had reviewed online information. This book does not really give you more than what you can find online on the method itself, and does not touch on the critism made to the Montessori method.
However, it is a very pleasant book and good introduction. It gives very practical advise to apply Montessori to your home.

I checked this book out from our local library and was so impressed with the layout, photos, and the simple yet effective dialogue that I ordered two copies and gave them to our daughters who are each new mothers. It is a great way to introduce the Montessori philosophy to young parents!

This is no literary great, but a short and sweet little guide about montessori in the home. The photos are exquisite, a real joy in themselves. The ideas and activities in the book are more contemporary than some of the other montessori the in the home books around as well.