Educators Books

Yours for Justice, Ida B. Wells: The Daring Life of a Crusading Journalist is an illustrated biography for young readers who are just about ready to make the transition from chapter books to more involved fare. Yours for Justice, Ida B. Wells tells of a former slave from Mississippi who became a crusader for justice and the rule of law, who used her position as a journalist to speak out against wrongdoing. After one of her friends was cruelly lynched, she went on a personal crusade to help bring an end to lynching in America. Her noble ideals and tireless dedication would help sow the seeds for the future legacy of the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 60s. The expressive, sweeping color illustrations add the perfect touch to this simple yet inspirational biography. Highly recommended, especially for children's library collections.

A very well organized and scholarly presentation of the subject. Dr. Guetzloe apparently understands and articulates the subject matter well. I applaud the work.

I enjoyed this so much the first time that I am rereading it. A heart-warming story about a former student paying homage to his favorite professor at Brandeis University. The book will tug at the heart and feed your soul, making you return for daily servings. Through Morrie's physical struggles with Lou Gherig's disease, Albom gives us the meaning of life through gentle reminders of what really matters - living life, appreciating friendships, looking within for life's rewards, not outwardly through material possessions. Told simply but poignantly, this book will stay with you long after you put it down

I'm a little late in getting to read Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom. It was written 11 years ago and yet the messages are still powerful today. If you haven't read it, pick it up and join in an amazing journey with Mitch and Morrie. If you have read it try a reread. We have all changed our roles in life over these past years, and you will be reading it with different eyes. Today with all the political and financial changes read this as a way to ground and stay on focus. Enjoy!
"We have to learn how to die in order to learn how to live" Morrie

worth reading, worth all the reviews, whoever reads this book will get at least one learning from it!

the book arrived in fantastic condition it took a bit longer to arrive than I had expected

the story is very good a must read.... the shipping was quick but not in the described condition....

content:
Cassie Bernall, 17, was being shot at the Littleton tragedy. Her mother describes the day her daughter was murdered, their last chat, the nail-biting wait for a lifesign from her. She also describes Cassies development as a teenager, her getting in touch with satanic thoughts and how this affects their family life. An unexptected and profound u-turn in Cassies life towards the christian faith changes her personality. Not only her mother, but other members of the family as well as fellow students and youthworkers report on Cathie both before and after her turning to Christ.

spelling style: easy to read

special features:
Cassie wrote down many of her thoughts. The reader finds pearls for him- or herself in these thoughts which are quite deep for a teenager.
I find the balanced presentation of Cassie to be remarkable. We learn about her negative sides as well as about the good ones. I can not see a martyr figure being illustrated.
A handwritten letter from the family of one of the murderers is not only interesting but impressive.

And the ageless message to do good to those that we love, is being written into the reader's soul.

I guess I am not the only reader who would want to hug mother Bernall after having read about her incredible loss. I wish her peace and comfort for each day.

There is no doubt this book will touch and change the lives of many people. It is indeed a powerful testimony of a child who was delivered from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God, and two loving parents who gave the best gift to their child, love. Yes, this book is about love. Say yes to God and you will be saved. There is a God who will judge heaven and earth whether you believe it or not. If you don't believe in God you're not smart, because the Devil believes in God and you don't.

The book annoyed me in the following ways:
1. It's not true, from everything else I've heard and read. Another girl was asked if she believed in God. Not Cassie
2. She could of made it more exciting, more intense. So we could feel her pain as Cassie's mother, but I felt nothing

I did like it because I did learn about Columbine and how parents figured things out.

I feel that even if it wasn't actually Cassie that said I believe this is still so important to show the humanity of the people that were killed. I definately would NOT say it's a Christian myth that the shootings were at least partly blamed on religion. The boys did ask the girl beside her if she believed in God. And what about Rachel Scott. She was shot after confessing her faith. This was not just about trying to kill jocks or popular kids. These boys hated religion and mocked God and basically were saying if you believe in God let him save you. By letting the other girl survive it's almost their sick game of playing God and deciding who lives and dies. It's a terrorist scare tactic. But Cassie did believe in God and right before she was shot she was praying to God out loud to just let her go home. Then one of the boys pounded on the table she was under said peek a boo and shot her. If you don't believe her killing was motivated by her beliefs read Rachel's Tears and be assured it played a big part in who they killed.

Because I'm in school to study some form of criminology, I started to research the Columbine shooting about 2 months ago. Having read roughly 500 pages of the Columbine Report (which is basically an 11,000 page report containing interviews and such from the teachers and students that were present at Columbine High School on April 20th, 1999), I knew that Cassie Bernall was NOT asked the infamous "Do you believe in God?" question so when I saw the title of this book, I was a bit curious as to why Cassie's mother would sort of "cash in" on the rumors/myths surrounding the shooting death of her daughter. I bought the book in hopes that it would answer my question. And here is what I learned.

The truth is (and believe me, I'm not trying to preach about my views on religion... I'm trying to express my views on this book by debunking the Columbine myths that make this book not credible), a girl named Valeen was asked the "Do you believe in God?" question. She at first said no, then said I don't know, then said yes. When asked by Eric Harris why she believed in God, her response was something along the lines of "Because that was how my parents taught me". She was shot but survived. The only thing that was said to Cassie was "peek-a-boo". It is highly disturbing in my opinion that the ignorant public (led on by the media) including, apparently, Cassie's mother (in the book she says "People say that nothing happens without a purpose--that perhaps Cassie was fulfilling a divine plan, or that in standing up for her beliefs, she was being used by God to further His kingdom. At a certain level, I take comfort in these thoughts. They give meaning to what others have called a "senseless" tragedy, and remind me that a life cut short need not to be a wasted life."), attempt to make Cassie's death more admirable than the other 12 innocent victims. If Valeen had not survived, I'm sure that people would disregard the fact that she said "no" at first. Because, apparently, being religious makes one's death more honorable than those who are not religious.

Look, the book isn't written badly. However, the title of the book and the deep inferences that suggest Cassie died because of her religion honestly disgust me. Those who do not know the truth behind her death will be lead to believe that she WAS asked the question, said yes, and ultimately paid the price by losing her life. This book is NOT supposed to be fiction. So to write it the way it was written make parts of the book lies.

That being said, had the book been mainly about the alleged question she was asked and her answer, I would have easily given this book 1 or 2 stars. But because Misty explains everything from the highlights AND the lowlights in Cassie's life (including Cassie's struggles with wanting to murder her parents) and she admits that Cassie would be upset that people are labeling her a martyr, I found myself able to get through the book rather quickly. Further, "She Said Yes" made me think about my own life and what I would want people to remember me for. For that, I chose to give this book 3 stars.

I'd recommend this book if you want to learn more about the Columbine massacre. The average person must know, however, that although Cassie might've said yes if she was asked the question, the fact is that she wasn't.

A while back I was glancing through one of my wife's magazines and found this article on John Nash. I read with interest and inexplicably began staring at one of the photos. "Oh, my God!" I recognized him. D floor. Firestone Library at Princeton University. For a while I had studied there rather steadily and spent a fair amount of time on D floor - coke machines and chatter. John Nash used to show up there fairly regularly and saw me as well. There was some gossip from the other D floor patrons about a professor in whose life something had gone wrong. Eventually Mr. Nash started to talk to me and started to show me books he was reading. I was fairly young and quite honestly became uncomfortable and uneasy for various reasons and did not promote future contacts although now I wish I had. Mr. Nash's life is fascinating to me, and I salute his achievements and recommend this book.

Here are typical descriptive passages from A Beautiful Mind. My comments are in square brackets.

Description of Nash: "He had the build... of an athlete, 'a very strong, very muscular body,' one fellow graduate student recalled. He was, moreover, 'handsome as a god,' according to another student... His hair flopped over his forehead; he was constantly brushing it away. He wore his fingernails very long, which drew attention to his rather limp and beautiful hands and long, delicate fingers." [I do find very long fingernails so fetching on a man. He is the very model of a modern major general.]

There are similar descriptions of other mathematicians. For example a professor of Geometry is described as having the "body of a gymnast." [Just the indispensable thing for a professor of Geometry. One cannot help but picture him doing cartwheels in the lecture hall to illustrate a rotating pentagon.]

Another mathematician, Artin, is described as follows: "Slender, handsome, with ice-blue eyes and a spellbinding voice, Artin looked like a 1920s German matinee idol. He wore a black leather trench coat and sandals throughout the academic year, wore his hair long and smoked incessantly... He was well known for screaming and throwing chalk at students." [Sound like a matinee idol to you? ... or like Gary Numan on Benzedrine.]

The book is pathological, diagnostic of the author's (somebody named Sylvia Nasar) insanity. Also, Nasar includes lengthy technical accounts of mathematical ideas without any attempt at explication, leaving the reader to think, "Deep stuff, I guess..." She also describes in words a board game Nash allegedly invented ("Hard evidence of his genius") without any diagram of the board, the starting array of playing pieces. She seems to want the reader to get aload of this board game (modestly named "Nash") but is so incapable of straight thinking that she does not just provide a diagram, showing you how to make a board and play it. The reader is left clueless. Nasar is an example of ordinary madness of the very lowest water.

(Spoiler alert) The book wasn't anything like the movie, but an excellent and engaging read. Nasar does a thorough job of including an adequate amount of detail about the influences in Nash's life without getting too bogged down in name dropping (the list of influences is interesting). The progression of his life, as told in the book, and the events that shaped his influence in the fields of mathematics and economics, all leading to his Nobel Prize award are put together well to keep the story moving. A fast-paced, compelling read.
Two minor criticisms were the omission of occasional details about who people were or specifics of some events the reader was expected to be familiar with, and the lack of explanation about some of the theorems and proofs Nash worked with that would have provided additional insight into the level of his genius (but might also have weighed the book down).
Overall, "A Beautiful Mind" is a very worthwhile read and exciting, non-mainstream biography.

I read this book about two weeks ago, and I couldn't put it down. Maybe my opinion is biased because I have schizophrenia myself, but I found this story to be particularly encouraging in terms of my own recovery. The genius John Nash refused the coercive treatments of psychiatry and recovered naturally as some people do. I think it's sad that John could never reach the height of his mathematical genius again, after his illness, but it's still a hopeful story because he made a complete recovery, in my opinion. This book explains the mysterious and challenging symptoms of a misunderstood illness, and it also tells a tale of a person with the classic schizophrenic personality. It seems Nash was predisposed to the illness, and his behavior leading up to his first episode is characteristic of they typical schizophrenic. The difference between Nash's story and those of so many others with this difficult illness is that John was a true genius, became mad, and then recovered through sheer willpower. I think this book challenges the prevailing biopsychiatric model of schizophrenia and demonstrates that people can indeed recover without the use of toxic psychiatric drugs. You can also learn a lot about the politics of the Nobel Prize in this book.

I saw the movie and loved it, BUT the book is much, much better. I am a physician and have treated patients with schizophrenia. This book is a must read.

It's about a time to reconsider what education is. For mass schooling damages students. We would actually need less school, not more!

The truth is that schools only teach us how to follow orders. Of the millions of things of value to study, always somebody else decides what few you need to study - and how. They make us intellectually dependent animals! Like a good student always has to wait for a teacher to tell him what to do, a model citizen should also rely on other people to do the real thinking for him.

The "specialists", who are supposedly much better trained than ourselves, must take over in everything. In politics, religion, healthcare - you name it! They always know best. But, how come everything in our society tends to SUCK so real well? -You figure it out...

But private schools, esp. Catholic schools are even worse. The students are dullards and conformist. The only real creative learning occurs in public schools, because the teachers are the best and the children nice, not spoiled brats. If you want unthinking conformity, try Catholic school.

I was glued to it from page 1. Actually, that's not true. I started long before page 1. You must read this book in it's entirety. Do not skip past the forwards or the "about the author" section! The whole thing was Fabulous. You really learn the truth about public schooling and it's agendas.
Thank you so much John Gatto!

This book is basically a collection of speeches and essays by anti-gov't school advocate John Taylor Gatto, who is himself a longtime veteran of teaching -- he even won some "Teacher of the Year" awards -- in New York City public schools. Here, he looks at what our school system REALLY teaches, and what's wrong with those teachings.

While short, this book is compulsively readable and sketches many of the arguments found fleshed out in Mr. Gatto's longer works (such as THE UNDERGROUND HISTORY OF AMERICAN EDUCATION) as well as works by other critics of "public education" who are of the libertarian, anarchist, individualist, or paleoconservative mindset (or combinations thereof.) Mr. Gatto is of the opinion that compulsory government schools can't be "fixed" because they're actually accomplishing their real (as opposed to their stated) purpose perfectly. That is, they're turning out, in factory-like fashion, incomplete, soul-less, dependent, ignorant people who are better suited to being cogs in a machine or bees in a hive than they are to being good, self-sufficient citizens of a free republic. These mass people are educated just enough to pay their taxes and buy the latest products, but not enough to think critically about their situation, question authority, or take care of themselves (serving the interests of big government and big business which actually, contrary to popular belief, dovetail more often than not.)

Read this book with an open mind. It will probably go against your conscious conceptions, but it will also articulate many of the murky misgivings you've felt if you have attended and/or worked at government schools. It may even make you decide to keep your child from becoming one of the victims of the Leviathan schools. Heck, if enough Americans read this book (and others like it that dare to tell unpopular truths), maybe we could actually slay this particular Leviathan. One can hope.

This is a great book for the most part. Although I agree with many of his points, I disagree in the part where he proposes a reform that requires mandatory community service. In the book he mostly says that people do well when they aren't made to do something, and yes community service is great but it shouldn't be forced on people, and people should have the option to decide if that is what they want to do. That's what freedom is all about.

He's right about school. My experience in school felt like a prison, where my teachers didn't take me seriously, they sometimes liked humiliating me and my classmates, and honestly to this day, I have zero respect for teachers. I can't look back on a teacher that I actually liked. Many of them just made me follow dumb rules that had nothing to do with learning but about respecting authority.

Even as a college student, I feel that college is just another scam, its not about learning but about getting that degree so you can get a good job. Getting As and Bs isn't a sign of intelligence, but a sign that you did the work the way that your teacher wanted you to. I think true learning occurs when you are accountable to yourself for your own education.

This book was more humorous than I had expected and I was pleasantly surprised by that. I enjoyed the peek into a culture that extended beyond the stereotypes we typically see in movies. The author did a good job of selecting good anecdotes to highlight the cultural subtleties that come into play when trying to build relationships with someone from another country.

Sometimes travel books can come across as "looking down" on the locals for their backwards and silly ways. This book shines in quite the opposite direction. Mark Salzman does an admirable job of telling about the challenges of his years in China in the 1980s, when China was still getting used to having Westerners within its borders. He encounters numerous bureaucratic hurdles, faces them with diligence. He meets many smart and wonderful locals and appreciates their talents. He realizes that many things he took for granted - electricity that always came on, a steady supply of food, mail service that delivered on schedule - were not to be assumed here.

The book is very well written. There were numerous parts that I laughed out loud at, and then read it to whoever was sitting near me at the time. There were other sections that were very sad. A woman commits suicide and everybody is worried that her children will suffer - her suicide is a crime against the Party, and her children will be punished as somehow not having properly prevented it.

There are many stories that illustrate a variety of differences between how Mark (and most Westerners) would interpret a situation, and how the Chinese do. It is fascinating to see him stymied by cultural misunderstandings, figuring his way around taboos and rules. A Westerner might say "Well why not just do XXXX and get it all done with?" But to the Chinese, it is far more proper to do things in a very different way.

One story that stuck with me involved a Chinese person trying to explain to Mark why the Chinese are so patient and accepting. The Chinese person said: once there was a farmer who had his horse run away. People said "how awful" but the farmer did not worry about it. Then the horse came home with a whole herd of friends. People said "how lucky!" but again the farmer did not react. Then the farmer's son broke a leg training one of the new horses, and people said "how awful" - but the farmer did not mind. Then the army came looking to drag away recruits for the war, and the son was safely ignored. This story was an example of why short term ups and downs should just be accepted as part of life's long term path.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in the Chinese culture.

This memoir is light and humorous and a wonderful way to learn about Chinese culture.

This was how Mark Salzman's students thought of him in China. His account of his time spent there in the early 1980s is a fantastic journey in and of itself. His narrative style is intriguing as he does not probe into the thinking of the Chinese people that he encounters day to day. He presents his experiences always on the surface and rarely speculates on the speakers intentions. Even though he is fluent in Chinese he does not seek to offer insight in the mindset of the culture he lived; he only reports it. Although such dialogue may sound superficial and trivial it is not. Salzman draws us into the events by merely presenting his encounters with his Chinese friends and acquaintances, and chance meetings. So powerful are the stories that the words and actions of the individuals portray an honesty and passion that is captivating.
The uniqueness of everyday Chinese thinking he faced for two years is inherently surprising, delightful, curious, odd, shocking, and hilarious.This was truly a memorable account of a young man who came not only to teach but to learn as well.

"Iron and Silk" is a delightful book and film. I had the pleasure of reading the book awhile ago; but was delighted to see the film in a local Asian film festival in my community.

The author Mark Salzman plays Mark Franklin in the movie of the same name. It is a memoir (a true story) of Mark's travel and teaching experiences in China (Changsha, Hunan Province). The events took place during 1982 - 1984 and Mark became as much of a student of Chinese life, martial arts, calligraphy, tai chi as he was a teacher of the Middle Aged English Teachers (a group of Chinese Russian teachers at the Hunan Medical College who had been told to forget Russian and now learn English).

Mark always wanted to be a Kung Fu master growing up, and he took lessons from a local teacher; but always felt like the smallest kid on the block. From a young age, he loved all things Asian. His mother was a musician and his father a social worker; but he found that he had developed an exceptional talent for the cello. He was admitted to Yale at 16 because of his cello expertise; but soon decided that he would major in Chinese languages and philosophy (again not much of a surprise). As part of a Yale program, he found himself traveling to Changsha, Hunan Province, China to teach English to a group of Chinese Russian teachers who were being asked to retrain. For two (2) years he lived, taught and learned a great deal in China about the Chinese people and also about himself.

He always wanted to study martial arts from a true wushu master and was fortunate enough to find as his teacher, the grand master himself: Pan Qingfu (known as the Iron Fist). Pan was the best in the world and was known as the Iron Fist because he punched a heavy iron plate 10,000 times a day! Mark was also learning Tai Chi and Chinese manners and etiquette from Teacher Wei and calligraphy as well from other teachers.

Mark soon found that "as a student in America, he had searched for ancient wisdom, as a teacher in China, he learned to find it in himself." Mark Salzman, when interviewed, stated: "Learning about another culture doesn't mean you have to reject your own, It allows you to see yourself from another perspective, see your good side and your bad side and appreciate what you have." Some will say that the book and the movie focus on martial arts and in part that is one of the major themes; but the blending and the co-existence of the two cultures in the classroom and in social interactions is illuminating.

There are many humorous and philosophical revelations in both the book and movie. Telling Mark that he has a big nose by saying, "You have a very 3 dimensional face"...is probably the most diplomatic way of stating the obvious. Mark might have been able to name the book, "Let's Make a Regulation" if he wanted to only focus on the difficult aspects he faced in being a foreigner living in China. The Washington Post reviewed that "Salzman demonstrates with skill and subtlety just how China society works."

This Pulitzer Prize finalist in 1987 is dated; but describes the undercurrent that still exists in part today. The movie's script stayed true to the book; yet the movie was shot in Hangzhou and not Changsha. Make sure to stay for the vignettes and movie credits at the end; they are another joyful experience of the film and you will not be disappointed that you waited. Mark found out that happiness was not a simple thing in China and though he valued being well liked and mastering a skill; his Chinese friend felt that "these goals can be achieved easily. All you have to do is to be kind and work hard. But to eat and sleep well that is a difficult wish, because you cannot control these things yourself."

One interesting note is that on the last night of the shooting of the movie, the brutal crackdown occurred in Tiananmen Square (June 3, 1989).

I loved this book and the movie and the delight that two very different cultures shared in learning about each other. All that I can say is "very well done" (Manhaodilei!)

Mark really learned Qong Fu: a skill that transcends mere surface beauty!

Bentley/2007
Iron and Silk

i ordered Up from Slavery because I thought I needed to read it. However, I found I wanted to read it. I recommend it for all Americans. It was truely inspirational.

Booker Ts story really inspires. It just shows that with positive thinking and motivation, tremendous difficulties, odds and challenges are beatable. It's a message many of us would gain from if we would just stop complaining and blaming others for our lot in life, and just get moving on up!

I've reviewed the CreateSpace edition, ISBN 1438268165. It's a clear, easy to read version, well designed and the print and binding are excellent. Highly recommended!

Wow! What an amazing story! It is fascinating to read Booker T. Washington's account of a childhood in slavery followed by his rise to national prominence as the founder of the Tuskegee Institute.

While some may argue that Washington was naive and overly accomodating, I was amazed at his ability to forgive and see the best in people. He did not nurse grudges or let others bring him down. Whether or not you feel that he should have spoken up more for judicial equality, you have to admit that he was a strong, dedicated man of character.

Everyone: white, black, brown, or any other shade, can benefit from reading the autobiography of this great American.

Washington's relentlessly positive message is encouraging but at the same time too perfect for believability. The reader desires that Washington would once take off the mask of cheer that he appears to be putting over some parts of his autobiography and tell us what he really thinks.

His optimism extended to the political status of African-Americans and their future integration into American society. As the constant threat of lynching and KKK-ism continued throughout most of the 20th Century, even as positive steps were made in racial integration, it appears his optimism was at best proven wrong, or at least premature. And it is easy to understand the criticism by other contemporary black leaders like W. E. B. DuBois for his easy optimism.

But on the other hand, until and unless I read otherwise in a well-researched biography, perhaps Washington's optimism isn't a front or a mask to cover deep bitterness, but is true and sincere, and indeed, nothing in his story hear reads as if forced or fraudulent.

I purchased this book at the small National Park bookstore at Booker T. Washington's birthplace in rural southwestern Virginia. The setting still matches the quiet and isolation that Washington describes, and lends credence to his tale of self-reliant optimism. I also purchased a National Park Service pamphlet Booker T. Washington: An Appreciation Of The Man And His Times, which makes a nice short companion to Washington's masterpiece.

Up from Slavery, autobiography by Booker T. Washington, is a true classic in African-American literature. Washington opens Chapter 1: "A Slave Among Slaves" with his vivid recollections as a Negro child growing up in the South: a slave on a plantation in Virginia, a white father he never knew, illiterate and living in horrid conditions. After the emancipation of slaves, Washington's family moves to West Virginia where he labors at the salt furnace and in the coal mines. In his precious few moments of spare time, he learns to read and gains enough confidence to leave everything behind to journey to the Hampton Institute. Later, because of his success at Hampton, he is given the opportunity to start Tuskegee Institute in Alabama. Tuskegee Institute is successful partly due to Washington's extensive travel to the North to solicit funds for the school. The students at Tuskegee, in addition to the day-to-day traditional class work, are expected to learn an industrious trade and to work at mastering that trade. Based on his own life experience, Washington believes that the most prudent way the Negro race will persevere is through this combination of education, hard work and service to others. He believes that the White race will come to appreciate the Negro race only if the Negro people prove their worth to society. Because of his passive stance, many, such as W.E.B. DuBois, et. al., labeled Washington as "The Great Accomodator." In other words, accommodating those who were the enslavers instead of advocating for the rights of those who were enslaved. You can get a sense of this in Washington's most notable speech, the address to the Atlanta Cotton States and International Exposition of 1895:

"The wisest among my race understand that the agitation of questions of social equality is the extremist folly, and that progress in the enjoyment of all the privileges that will come to us must be the result of severe and constant struggle rather than artificial forcing."

This speech brought national acclaim to Booker T. Washington and, at the time, placed him in the forefront as one of the leading authorities of his race.

This is my first Pat Conroy book. All of his books have great reviews on Amazon, so I wasn't sure which one to start with; I just picked this one. I think I made a very good choice by reading 'The Water Is Wide' first. It's an early book, and I got a lot of insight into who Pat Conroy is, his humor, his goodwill, the kinds of people he surrounds himself with, etc.

I just started reading 'Beach Music' and I really feel an affinity for this author after reading 'The Water is Wide.' I appreciate his ability to write and articulate ideas.

'The Water is Wide' is about the time period in the south in which many people grew up with racial prejudices as a way of life. As children, it's "just the way it is" and they don't know any better. As Mr. Conroy became a man, more educated and involved in the very things he had been taught to dislike as a child, he underwent a huge personal change and touched so many people along the way. I like his kick-*** attitude and how candidly he wrote about everything.

This story moved me on many different levels. This is a book about a man helping others, inspiring others, and overcoming the false beliefs about race that stemmed from his upbringing and culture. It's also about someone who was courageous enough to stand up to authority. It's a wonderful story. If it were fiction, it would be a good story. But the fact that it is based on the author's experience just makes it even better. Can't wait to read the rest of his books!

I looked up Daufuskie (aka Yamacraw) Island on Google and it seems to be a big resort island with golf courses and hotels now; probably nothing like the Yamacraw Mr. Conroy experienced many years ago. Must visit some day anyway.

I searched for the movie 'Conrack' on Amazon, but they seem to only have VHS version sold by a different seller, but not available on DVD. Conrack wasn't on Netflix either. Let's hope it gets re-released on DVD.

This is an early example of the promise of Pat Conroy. Everything I have read of his has been extraordinarily beautifully written. There are pages I have to reread just for the joy of the wording, the descriptions, the expressions of thoughts.

As a teacher he must have been a treasure. It is an indictment of the school system in which he worked that he was not fostered and encouraged. America's children are the losers in the situation. I know the people of "Yamacraw" felt the loss when he was not allowed to return to the school there.

America's readers have reaped the benefits of Conroy's education and experience and his exemplary use of the language.

Enjoy!

After having read the book, we had an opportunity to tour Daufuskie Island (Yamacraw Island in the book). After the tour we stopped at the General Store and noticed that The Water Is Wide was not offered for sale. We asked about this. We were told the Gullahs thought the book put them down and they did not want the book available on the island. ..... Interesting.

The author has an excellent command of words in describing characters and action. Unfortunately, they are not used to good effect in this autobiographical novel.

For me the book lacked interesting characters, a fascinating plotline, and impending danger and escalating conflict. Consequently it lacked ongoing suspense, failing to involve and absorb me in this so-called story.

I say so-called because the book seems more like a a series of isolated incidents, hardly focused on a particular end or goal, and therefore take on a rambling, babbling, numbing quality, one which I, for one, found increasingly boring.

There was no point in the book where I felt I couldn't put the book down and wonder or care about what was going to happen to the main, or even the subordinate, characters. It was all ho-hum. To me, a good book compels me to keep reading, even if I have to stay up all night doing so. Not this one--if anything, it threw me into an uncaring state of somnolence. And many of its points that are continually repeated contribute to this

At page 115 I tossed the book into the trash can so that I could better use my time by reading something better, hopefully a book that is more involving and fascinating.

While reading The Water is Wide, I experienced exactly the kind of heart-warming, comical, enjoyable reaction Pat Conroy had in mind while writing the book. Several themes are apparent throughout, and it was easy for the reader to recognize the most important one. Pat Conroy taught his students and readers that no matter a person's race, literacy level, age, or gender, everyone matters, and everyone is equal.
Pat Conroy moved many times as a child, since his father was in the military. His first job was teaching English in Beaufort, South Carolina. He then found himself teaching on the remote Daufuskie Island, which was referred to as Yamacraw Island in the novel. This teaching job provided the inspiration and plot for The Water is Wide.
Pat Conroy, referred to as "Conrack" by some students, has an excellent way of teaching readers the importance of acceptance and equality. He does not preach or lecture his message, but his delivery of it through countless situations is just as effective. Sometimes his point is concealed by the amusement of the Yamacraw students, but by the end of each chapter, the reader will be reminded of the seriousness at hand.
The Water is Wide never failed to entertain me. The book takes countless turns in the plot, and each turn results in comedy, sincerity, or amusement. The reader finds him or herself relating to each character, even though the lifestyle on Yamacraw Island is much different from most of the United States. Pat Conroy made me realize how lucky I am to live in a society where education is important and emphasized. This book opened my eyes to how people in other, less fortunate areas of the world live. I recognized that education is imperative, and how much the average student takes for granted.
While Pat Conroy had no problems capturing my attention with plenty of interesting stories, he sometimes overwhelmed readers with his personality. Several parts of the book were filled with Conroy's strong opinion on characters and school rules. This sometimes interrupted the plot. Other than the occasional rant by Pat Conroy, the book flowed smoothly.
The Water is Wide was an excellent read for teenagers and adults, especially those interested in teaching. I enjoyed reading this book from cover to cover, and it influenced me in ways only exceptional literature can.

Mark Salzman molds this book in a way that allows many of his experiences at juvenile hall lead the way. But, he does this with his own author's eye. While the book is chronological, Salzman chooses which moments to portray that will give readers the larger picture of what he and other members of the facility were attempting to do. He does not shy away from his own mistakes, but he revels in his successes as well. For teachers in alternative environments, and even teachers who are simply looking for new inspiration, this book gives insight to many pedagogical options and pitfalls. Salzman asks questions about the purpose of teaching that all teachers should be asking themselves, regardless of where they are teaching their students. This book is a worthwhile read for writers and teachers alike.

I was assigned to read this book for my Honors English 10 class, and I must admitt, I was not too thrilled with this being chosen for me. This is nowhere near my type of book. I like to read suspense and thrillers with the occasional teen books (you have to admitt they're hilarious), so I thought this would either be a waste of time or a major let-down. To my surprise, I loved it!

I figured it had to have somewhat substantial writings done by these kids in juvie, but I never expected them to make such a profound impact on the way I envisioned freedom and justice.

The works that Salzman included that were written by the HROs (high-risk offenders) astonished me.

This book teaches a vital lesson to society and life in general with the only downfall I saw as beimg the kids don't always get that happy ending that you're hoping for, but hey, neither does life all the time...

Very easy read, very informative on what its like for these juveniles who are caught up in our legal system. My words for review cannot describe how good of an account this is.

Better him than me. I just finished reading this for my third time, which is my typical reaction to a Mark Salzman title. Look up everything he's ever written, read them all, enjoy the movie based on one of his books, and thank me. You just can't go wrong with this guy.

Looking at this book in particular, I devoured it like it was new to my bookshelf. I just couldn't stop myself. I had some work I was supposed to be doing and I just rescheduled. Yeah, it's good to be the boss. Even better to have such a great book to read. It's still a keeper.

I taught English to boys in Central Juvenile Hall in LA every day for years. This book refers to conducting a writer's workshop. This book is an interesting slice of life of a selective audience, not a view reflecting the broader population.

About 75-80% of the kids are not able to function above the 4th or 5th grade level. Many are not literate in any language. There are a few who are very articulate. These kids come from all walks of life.

If the purpose was to really communicate the writing of kids who are in juvenile hall, I think this book missed it. If the attempt was to share some writing of a few incarcerated kids who messed up, it is fine.

Of course, everyone wants to work with the responsive one. The saddest were the ones who had done so much glue that they couldn't even remember their birthdays...