Educators Books

The story of a black teacher who is sent to work in a poor and downtrodden part of London. He then has racism to deal with, as well as all the problems of the students, both socioeconomic and otherwise. He tells how he tries to overcome this and get on with the job of teaching and getting them to learn.

I just saw "Amazing Grace" about William Wilberforce
and the ending of the British slave trade. There is little doubt that the Ricky Braithwaite who is a relatively young black teacher in England
is the breeding product of such slaves used by sugar planters
in British colonies. In arriving at their destination a large percentage died in the crossing. An even larger number usually died each year as
a result of over work and underfeeding. Genetically this actually tended to make the black slaves superior to their white masters in many ways.
Survival makes very good people.
But the question is not if Braitwaite was as good teacher a teacher as
he is a writer, but have conditions improved since 1959 when he first published this. From hearing about the life of Amy Winehouse who is a very popular British singer, one tends to think they may have actually gotten worse in London's East End, not better?
So for all the popularity of the book and movie of this book,
not a lot of attention was really paid to his lessons in understanding
and care for the poor and hard pressed of all races.
Amy Winehouse was expelled by a Weston type for being independent and different. Progressive education has been replaced with regimentation and discipline. Braitwaite made the point that music, even classical music, got through to these children, but in California we spend money on contact football instead? In California E. R. Braitwaite wouldn't be allowed to teach in an high school. He doesn't have a recognized teaching credential.

During my school days, we had an extract from this book as one of the lessons in our English subject. The lesson was named "In the Grip of Prejudice". After reading the lesson, I just wanted to read the whole book. ER Braithwaite has handled a touchy subject aesthetically.

Highly recommended! :-)

A very enjoyable book. Braithwaite tells an inspirational story about both teaching kids but also overcoming prejudice as a black man in post WWII England. I'm a new teacher and hope to develop the type of relationship he had with his students with mine some day.

I remember having read an extract of "To Sir with Love" during my school days and have been wanting to read it ever since. Unfortunately I never got around to doing so for quite a while. Recently while browsing in a bookshop, my eyes fell on the book and I decided to pick it up.

The book is an extremely inspiring autobiography which chronicles the life of a 'coloured' teacher in a particularly rowdy neighbourhood of London.

Written in an extremely touching, charming (and ocassionally witty) style, the author talks about how he has to deal with racial sterotypes. It is uphill all the way for Braithwaite as he counters the cynicism of his impressionable students and, ocassionally, that of his colleagues also. Slowly, he wins over the minds (and in the case of Pamela Dare, heart) of his students as he tries to wipe clean their minds of prejudices (racial or otherwise).

The book was also filmed starring the ever-charming Sidney Poitier in the lead role. See the movie after reading the book.

Hamlet's Dresser: A Memoir by Bob Smith

`Zoe died.' Just those two simple words. And from there on you are hooked. The sentence is up there with `Jesus wept' as one you are not going to forget in a long while. Maybe more so since at least we know who Jesus is. Who's Zoe? How did she die? Why begin a book with what would appear to be The End - and which certainly was for Zoe?

These are the opening two words from Bob Smith's memoir Hamlet's Dresser. Born in 1941 in New England into what would now be called a dysfunctional family - and aren't all families dysfunctional in different ways and to differing degrees - he was christened Robert, called Bobby as a child, a name he hated, and had to wait until he was an adult before he finished with plain `Bob'.

In 1944 his sister Carolyn was born and it is she who, together with Shakespeare, is at the centre of this book. Which coupling is fitting for, as Bob Smith points out, Shakespeare is full of ghosts and memory. Carolyn is also the person to whom the book is dedicated: For Carolyn Wells Smith.

Carolyn was born severely retarded. As she grew she had the body of a 21 year old woman, but the mind of a two-year old child - a child who was not potty trained. Bobby was drafted in to help. `Wipe her good Bobby!' was a phrase which stayed in his head all his life. As their mother retreated more and more to a sick bed and a pathological obsession with cleaning everything in the house sometimes several times a day, Bobby was drafted in to help here too.

`When I was four, my father joined the army - "to be a man," my mother said. She thought he'd abandoned her, and for a while he probably did. He went away because everybody cried all the time.'

For a short time the family followed him to Florida, where he was taking basic training, staying with relatives. It was here that a small miracle happened: `Carolyn looked up at me. I was by her crib making faces. Suddenly she stopped crying and just looked at me for a long, long time. I was amazed and a little afraid. I never saw her look at anyone, she never did! She was looking at me. And not crying! Then it happened .... My sister smiled at me.'

Thrown out of the house soon after because the relatives could not take the crying either, the husband handed over a bag of oranges. `A few days before he'd asked my mother when she would be taking the baboon out of his house? Over a lifetime she's repeated the cruel words a thousand times and always as if they'd been said only last week.'

After eighteen years of intensive and wearing family care - by this damaged but somehow heroic family - their parents decide Carolyn must go into a permanent home to be looked after. Six weeks later Bobby goes to visit her.

`Inside I asked a friendly nurse for directions. As I went up the iron stairs and down the long white hall I could hear my sister. She was saying my name over and over. She knew very few words - car, go to bed, Bobby. Even now in my old red house by the river all these years later I can hear her voice, her young lost voice, singsong - "Bobby ... Bobby ... Bobby."

Carolyn is one thread of this story. There are others. One is the growing up of a very bright, very gifted, very lonely boy who one day decides he will no longer conform to a school regime of testing to see that what has been `taught' has also been `learned'. He begins to follow his own solitary path taking off early on Saturdays to visit the Museum of Modern Art on 5th Avenue. There is also the influence of his relatives and in particular his maternal grandmother Nana.

But the most important influence is Shakespeare. It starts when he is in fifth grade, not yet into his teens. He does his homework every day at a beautifully furnished little gray stone local library. One day he gets soaked in a downpour and the librarian makes him take off his shoes and socks to dry them and she then gives him some rough paper towels to soak up the worst of the rain. While engaged in this task he notices a little stained glass portrait in the window. `It's the image of a bald fat man with a silly pointed beard and a cockyamamy moustache that curves up goofy at the corners.' Who is it he asks.
By answer, when he's dry enough to sit at table and start his arithmetic homework the librarian puts a little book at his elbow. `Stamped in gold on the dark blue cover was the same pudgy face as the window. Along the side in bright gold letters, "William Shakespeare The Merchant of Venice."
`I opened it. Antonio. "In sooth I know not why I am so sad." I read it again. Ten simple monosyllabic words and of course I couldn't know what sooth meant, but it's hardly necessary ... I think that the more confused you are inside, the more you need to trust a thing outside of yourself. I was desperate to lean against something bigger than me and it was clear that William Shakespeare understood what it's like to ache and not know why... Poetry became a beautiful place to hide from my life and from my parents, a place I knew they would never follow me to.'

That first oblique introduction by a sensitive empathetic librarian was to spark a lifelong passion, one that was to lead on to a job at sixteen as Hamlet's Dresser at the American Shakespeare Festival at Stratford USA; to meeting such luminaries as Katharine Hepburn, Bert Lahr (the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz), Jessica Tandy, Jimmy Cagney and others; to becoming an actor himself for a short spell - long enough, however, to know that acting was not for him but that directing was, so that there is a list of more than a dozen groups, companies and festivals where he has directed Shakespeare plays; and, finally, and memorably, to teach Shakespeare to actors, guilds and adult life-long learning classes, where Zoe and lots of other old-timers make an appearance.

All these threads are woven together, chapter after chapter, in a quite extraordinary way, interspersed with and moved along by short extracts - sometimes no more than a phrase - from the Bard's plays and sonnets.
The first part of this review may have made Hamlet's Dresser sound like the latest in a long line of what have been dubbed `misery memoirs'. Nothing could be further from the truth. The book is an enormously uplifting experience, an emotional roller-coaster, by turns heart-wrenching, absorbing, engaging, exhilarating and always life-affirming.

Most readers will have had the not uncommon experience of wanting a book never to end but for me this is the first time on completing a book that I have ever turned straight back to the beginning to start the whole experience again. Immediately.

A warning. One line I do remember schooldays: `If you have tears prepare to shed them now.' Julius Caesar.
DF

I have just finished reading Bob Smith's extraordinary memoir, and what a wonderful read it was. Very, very impressive. His story of growing up a solitary, lonely boy with a severely mentally and physically handicapped younger sister tugs at the heartstrings and makes for some harrowing reading, particularly the passages that describe his sister, Carolyn, as a young girl. I enjoyed his writing style, particularly the way he wove situation appropriate Shakespearean passages into the narrative. I also liked his passages describing his interactions with the senior citizens he taught Shakespeare to. One thing I was dissatisfied with, though, was why it took him four decades to reconcile with his sister. I did not feel that Smith spent enough time explaining or justifying why he left it so long, given that his guilt over the "abandonment" of his sister was so intense. I think he should have spent more time explaining this. However, that is a minor quibble. As a memoir, it is absolutely marvellous, evocative and gripping from page one. Highly, highly recommended.

I was born and raised in Stratford, CT., and I wanted to read the book because of the author's association with Stratford. But I found I loved the book for other reasons also, his honesty about himself and his family and his ability to let the reader understand how he overcame the difficulties in his life. I have passed it on to family members to read.

Mr. Smith's relationship with his sister so reminds me of Tom and Laura in "The Glass Menagerie" -- it has that kind of sensitivity and heartbreak about it. In an age where a lot of memoirs seem so sensational and motivated by a kind of "tell all," Smith takes his time, patiently weaving his inner with his outer life, seamlessly moving from past to present. His compassion for the stories of others (and for Shakespeare's stories) gives him the compassion to tell his own. I found his story -- the way he finds consolation in Shakespeare and in the theatre and the way he gives back -- very touching. I loved when he was offered a non-speaking role in "Richard II" at Stratford in his youth, he jumps at it, saying that after all, he didn't want to say lines, he wanted to hear them! As I finished the book, I felt so glad this man was out there in Connecticut -- his sweet soul a sort of tonic. While everyone else is busy talking, this man, even in writing, seems to be listening.

This memoir is incredibly heart felt, sensitive and beautiful. Interspersed with Shakespeare's words, and Smith's experiences sharing them with New York City's oldest people, as well as his experience with Shakespeare on stage is a pained and moving life.
This is a remarkable book for anyone who identifies with the social/communal feel of life in the theatre, or artists for that matter. As well, anybody who knows the outside of an easy going life, alienation, deep guilt, a stilted family life, and the strain and sublime beauty of mental retardation.
I feel thankful after reading this. Smith illuminates the simple beauty of a daily train ride into the city, the warmth and intensity of being an off stage dresser, the joy of being with young actors and artists, and the sweetness of giving to older folks, and finding out that they need vitality and art as much as anyone. Great for actors and theatre lovers!

In this wonderful book, Dan Robb has managed to write about his experience teaching troubled boys with soul and without sentimentality. The rawness of his experience teaching on an isolated island off of Cape Cod, and the soul searching it prompted, makes for compelling reading no matter how much time you spend thinking about or working with kids. As the mother of a small boy, I also felt that reading this book was a way of learning about how to be a good parent to my child. I recommend this book with all my heart, and hope that it touches you as deeply as it did me.

As I read this wonderful book by Robb, I mused that I wish I had been able to teach it at the University where I taught Young Adult literature teachers of young adults. So much of the YA literature offers "insider" stories, but never seems to give the idea that there is a way out, often leaving readers feeling hopeless and helpless in our modern world. This remarkable book offers us a true glimpse into a modern young person's problematic life, and yet shows us that there are always choices, always people like Dan to offer a better way.
One thing that truly impressed me was the subtle, never over-wrought literary allusions to such writers as Henry David Thoreau and Mark Twain. Daniel Robb went to the Island to live deliberately, to simplify, to get in touch with himself, the core of his being, and to reach out to some of the troubled young men of our current world. Furthermore, the entire story is built on a the extended metaphor of the story of Beowulf. Robb informs his readers at the end of his book just how the ancient story of Beowulf is anything but dead literature--it still resonates in our modern world. The readers of this excellent memoir will be given as much as the subjects of the story, and this reader is indeed grateful to Daniel Robb for his insight and his fine writing. Dr. Janice E. Patten

As my title states, I just couldn't get into this book, even though I work with kids. I didn't finish it. I thought it was sad that the school's success rate with the kids wasn't much better than the prison system's success rate. It seemed that the school administration was proud of the fact that they didn't have any professional counselling for the kids, and I'm not so sure that's something to be proud of.

Dan Robb's memoir criss-crosses the worlds of the Pennikese bad boys--his students; of his own memories of a sometimes tempest-tossed adolescence; of his adult role of teacher in uncharted territory; and of an island--sere and beautiful, immutably changing with the seasons and with the boys who come and go--a place isolated yet self-contained, severe and yet secure, once "home" to lepers, now a prison-home for boys perched on the brink of social leprosy.
Robb's beautifully descriptive book carries the reader back and forth among these intersecting worlds while limning sharp yet fleshy portraits of the boys, each of whose stories grabs and engrosses. This is a book--yes, for teachers who know, or are learning, that the best kind of pedagogy is through memory, storytelling and the imaging of new worlds; for those concerned about how to treat and heal our outcast and abandoned children; and for those who, along with their interest in a critical and wrenching problem, also take pleasure in the work of a gifted teacher/writer/artist.

Dan Robb's memoir criss-crosses the worlds of the Pennikese bad boys--his students; of his own memories of a sometimes tempest-tossed adolescence; of his adult role of teacher in uncharted territory; and of an island--sere and beautiful, immutably changing with the seasons and with the boys who come and go--a place isolated yet self-contained, severe and yet secure, once "home" to lepers, now a prison-home for boys perched on the brink of social leprosy.
Robb's beautifully descriptive book carries the reader back and forth among these intersecting worlds while limning sharp yet fleshy portraits of the boys, each of whose stories grabs and engrosses. This is a book--yes, for teachers who know, or are learning, that the best kind of pedagogy is through memory, storytelling and the imaging of new worlds; for those concerned about how to treat and heal our outcast and abandoned children; and for those who, along with their interest in a critical and wrenching problem, can also take pleasure in the work of a gifted teacher/writer/artist.

i enjoyed this book. a really good read that blends bohemia with academia. he blasts the fear the government tried to instill in all of us for pursuing independent thought. he distinguishes between the illicit drug use that destroys neighborhoods with the controlled settings where everyone has a safe, postive experience. an excellent overview of intelligent psychedelia. he's an icon of free speech and thought, not rampant drug use. the fear-mongers distorted his message, he sets it straight here.

Timothy Leary's last stand. It's terribly sad so many trees had to die a painful death in order for this man to give the world one last horray-me before his colon ate him alive. Sadly, the book amasses to nothing more than "Me Against the Government: They Won..." For nearly 500 pages we hear Leary addressing his life in a manner of speaking that even George W. Bush would consider arrogant. Read Greenfield's biography of Leary for the true story.

Este libro es como una biblia, un manual y un diccionario todo en uno, en este libro Tim Leary nos sumerge en este mundo que sin lugar a dudas es intrigante y a veces hasta peligroso, pero este libro no es extrictamente para el usuario o ex usuario de tan maravillosa droga es algo que puede ser disfrutado por cualquier lector.

... or anyone who wants to revisit the good ole daze...

I met Tim quite a bit later in life, when he was in his 60's, and man was he a bright, charismatic guy! You could just tell from watching him and listening to him that he was on a whole other level.

He was a veritable smorgasbord of wisdom, experience, humanity, love, insight, wonder, beauty, light, fun, excitement, and so on and so forth, ad infinitum...

He was very sharp into his transitional years (transitioning from old age to what we call death, what Tim would call a new beginning), way sharper than most younger people ever will be... The guy was a genius, highly intelligent, brilliant, an Einstein of consciousness.

He'd seen things; no, not hallucinations, but deep reality, deep consciousness, high consciousness, the way things work on an atomic level, the way things work on a macrocosmic level...

And he could tell you things... As he said one time "I'm a cheerleader for consciousness!" And he was. He taught a lot of people about freedom, about questioning reality, questioning authority, questioning your illusions, questioning everything.

Meanwhile, he lived quite a life. And this book is about that life, in his own words.

I found the book to be an absolute page-turner, fun, funny, interesting, amazing...

If you are looking for a really well-written and interesting autobiography, about one of the sixties' greatest men, I highly recommend you read this book. If you do, you'll see that Tim was about a lot more than just "turn on, tune in, drop out".

A really good book, lot's of funny stories about Leary and Liddy squaring off, a very intelligent man, comparable to John C. Lilly's Center of the Cyclone. Many Beatles references and 60's chantra's-Turn on tune in, drop out! The one where he escapes from CMC is funny, what an acrobat. The book is better than the audio cassettes. Book has his baby-boomer/whiz kids chart. Supposedly, any kid born after 1965, is a computer nut in the future, could be, but more like internet kids. Tells about his experiences at Harvard, and how stuffy they were in the early 60's. Tells about his [drug] experience with Marilyn Monroe, and he says"If I knew how sick she was then, my God I would of never given her the [stuff]." She in turn gave him some Randy/Mandy's, some Barb that gives feeling of Euphoria when mixed with booze. She was more wacked out than him. He talks about how happy he is, and how happy the world was in the 60's. Good book and I'm going to read it again, when I can afford it!-A good buy, for a book!-Love Marilyn(Garry)

Speaking as a fellow teacher, I applaud Mr. Brown's efforts in his classroom. I especially liked it when he admitted his mistakes - nothing worse than a teacher book where the teacher ALWAYS succeeds 'cause that's not reality. Mr. Brown writes in an engaging manner that reminded me of Tracey Kidder's Among School Children. I do disagree with Mr. Brown on how to solve the inner city crisis - actually, I don't have a solution but I do know that until the parents of these children make better choices, no amount of money or "desegregation" will erase the problems these children face. Put the responsibility where it belongs and quite blaming everyone and anything else, or nothing will ever get better. Alibi Ike!

The Great Expectations was REALLY interesting to read. It went quickly (I finished it in 2 days.) I've recommended it to everyone I know--- I think every responsible citizen should read this story, but especially people who are becoming teachers. It should be required reading. An unblinking look at the reality of life in a tough school: the blood, sweat, tears, laughs, and life-changing rewards. Thank you Mr. Brown!

And Sonandia, you are a true hero!

As a teacher and administrator who has worked in urban schools for almost thirty years, I was amazed at how Dan Brown's experiences and his roller coaster of emotions resonated with me. While I entered the profession at a different time, I always wonder how new teachers like Dan Brown are able to walk into one of today's urban classrooms and teach with confidence and skill. With candor, and at times with humor, Dan Brown's memoir captures the sad truth of public education in urban districts. Kudos to all those teachers and administrators who dedicate themselves to improving the lives of the children who attend these schools, in spite of all the internal and external obstacles. Thank you, Dan Brown, for writing about your experience as "a rookie teacher in the blackboard jungle."

You gotta sing as you kick them, that's the message of the 20th century. The low expectations of the "Great Expectations School" stand out, but the author persuades us that all is not lost. This author goes a long way toward adding some realism back into the great fantasy known as "all children can learn." When you stop laughing at that, let the author's humor take you even further into the nightmare of public education. Wit is one of the first things to go when you enter this profession. Brown's possession of it is the first sign that this guy wasn't born to be a teacher but rather an observer and commentator. So be it, his astute observations bring out the best and the worst of finest prison system known to man, the New York Public Schools.

Beware this is not Dan Brown the auther of "The Da Vinci Code". Different people!!!!!!!!!

This is truly a phenomenal book. Not a novel, but a true life story about
John Steinbeck and his pal, marine biologist, Ed Ricketts, up in Northern
waters. The book is well documented, factual and best of all, a fun book to read.

Although I enjoyed the first part of the book and scattered sections throughout, Tamm did not succeed in capturing Rickett's ecological worldview by a kind of non-lineal, disorganized presentation of information. It is also unbalanced by his love 'em/hate 'em view of Steinbeck, and his love 'em like crazy view of Campbell, which in most cases obfuscates the story (except in telling of actual facts, such as Steinbeck's poor judgment in taking Rickett's name off the Viking edition of Sea of Cortez).
Tamm's inordinate fixation on personality conflicts affected the development of the book most particularly in his not exploring the trip to Baha. It is oddly and disappointingly skipped, and at this point the book becomes centered on Rickett's journeys to the Vancouver Is. area, which, lo and behold, is where Tamm is from.
There are a lot of interesting spots in this book, but it would have been better served by good editorial direction (much as Rickett's writings were served by Steinbeck's pen).

As one only slightly familiar with Steinbeck and Rickets and stories of their friendship, I found Mr. Tamm's book incredibly well researched and full of the stories and details I was hoping to find. I was so intrigued that these major intellectuals, that is Steinbeck and Joseph Campbell, found this much lesser known personality of Ed Rickets as the galvanizing force in their mutual friendships, but more so as a major influence in the shaping of their personal philosophies. I wonder if that is why Steinbeck is so compelling since people know his life was surrounded with people as interesting and elusive as Ed Rickets. This is one of those true stories, it seems, that is larger than fiction. If you, too, are curious, you will not be disappointed in Mr. Tamm's book.

I was drawn to this book by my curiosity regarding the "Doc" character from the Steinbeck novels. I had expected a short biography that would cover most of the facts of his life and perhaps stress some of the more sensational moments that may have been inspirational to Steinbeck. What I found instead was a very finely crafted piece of non-fiction writing.

What sets this book apart from a mere biography is how the author develops many secondary themes that relate to Ed Ricketts and then weaves them together in a rich tapestry of ideas. There are the secondary characters of Steinbeck and Campbell, but there are also other significant themes such as ecology. There are wonderful descriptions of the Pacific Coast, particularly Vancouver Island, which I am sure Ricketts himself would have been very enthusiastic about.

Beyond the Outer Shores is also attractively illustrated and features many interesting photographs. Whether you are a Biologist or a fan of Steinbeck you will find this non-fictional account of a life lived with passion more compelling than any fictional character ever created.

My favorite read for 2007 was Beyond The Outer Shores, Eric Enno Tamm's insightful and illuminating biography of ecological pioneer and polymath Ed Ricketts. The book's tagline mentioned Ricketts as an inspiration for John Steinbeck and Joseph Campbell, and this is what initially caught my attention (being a fan of Campbell). Tamm tells the story of how Rickett's personal philosophy and humanist outlook inspired them both. In particular, the "Doc" character of Cannery Row was directly modeled on Ricketts.

A biologist with the outlook of a philosopher and heart of a poet, Ricketts lived a fascinating yet shortened life, never receiving his due recognition as a scientist and thinker until well after his death. His environmental philosophy permeated the works of Steinbeck in the late 1930s. In this way, Tamm shows The Grapes of Wrath can be read as a warning against anthropogenic environmental degradation, and Cannery Row read as a human reflection of the diversity of tidepools. Likewise, his revolutionary work on the western American and Canadian shores remains influential to this day. Tamm's book is a fantastic read that brings to light the life and spirit of a true Renaissance Man.

Wonderful descriptions of the children, their world and their concerns. I loved the samples of student writing. Swopes has great insight into the world of schools. There are few studies of children's writing over time and this look at how the children evolved as writers from third grade through fifth grade is priceless. Should be required reading for all elementary education teachers!

I stumbled upon this wonderful book at my local library. I have found three of my favorite books in this way, and for those who love working with children, this book is a must read.

Swope is a wonderful storyteller and his favorite stories from the children he taught in NYC are priceless.

I found this to be a truly inspiring read about a writer who started out to just do a workshop with a group of third graders and wound up following them through two more years of school, encouraging them to be writers. As a teacher, I know the frustrations of trying to find topics in which students like to write about. After reading Sam Swope's book, I am inspired to try different approaches to getting my elementary class to want to write! I definitely recommend that all teachers, and anyone intersted in writing read this book!

I am a Pencil recounts a three year stint in a NY public school. Starting with third grade, Sam Swope, a children's book author, pledges to work with kids to help them find their 'inner writer'. What starts out being a one year commitment ends up lasting three years. The entire timeframe is captured by Sam, who shares his approach, the kid's written works (some that will just blow you away!) and his experiences.
As I person who loves both teaching, writing and learning, this was a very good read. It is well written and captivated my thoughts and creativity. The only 'soft spots' were places where Sam became critical of the student's passion to write or where he seemed to direct the kid's writing as he edited and refined their work. Not everyone likes to write and Sam seemed to push them as if they were all budding authors. It frustrated me to see Sam be so overbearing at times. Creativity comes from freedom of thought and at the tender age of 9 years old, it doesn't warrant pushy direction or too much guidance.
Even with this drawback, the book is really good. I recommend it to anyone who teaches children or loves the written word.

Fantastic, Fun, exhilarating, and emotional. I read this cover to cover as soon as I got started, it was that good.

Mr. Zubry has offered for readers a thought-provoking collection of essays and stories. They are told with a sharply-etched and compelling point of view. Readers of "Land of Sinbad the Sailor" will learn more about Saudi Arabia than in most textbooks--and they will come away with an understanding of the Mideast's problems that is real and heartfelt. Highly recommended.

Can you picture Mark Twain telling stories with a Russian accent? I can, because I have read "Miles of Experience," a wonderful collection of short stories by Boris Zubry. The Twain-like stories are told in such a way that I pictured myself sitting on the author's front porch (or perhaps his dacha, overlooking the Black Sea), watching the sun set, listenting to the night insects buzz, while he spins warm and fascinating tales of his childhood adventures, his work abroad, or serious stories about Russia.

The twelve short stories are told in a gentle and deeply personal voice. The author speaks with the wisdom of someone who has seen the best and worst in people, and who still manages to find humor in life. Many of the stories take place in the author's native country, Russia. "Crickets," my favorite story, is the bittersweet tale of one idyllic summer spent at a dacha, when the author built a toy castle and caught crickets to populate it.

Those who enjoy reflections on the human condition, told with intimacy and great detail, will surely enjoy "Miles of Experience." I feel I have come to know the author quite well from this book. He makes me smile.

I often wonder: How is it that there is a lyrical quality to the works of every Russian writer, unmatched by those of any other provenance with the exception of the Irish? Oh, I am aware that Boris Zubry has been living in the U.S. for the past 35 years and has been an American citizen for almost as long. But he was born in Russia and quite obviously raised on a lavish supply of that country's rich literary stock; and also quite obviously he has ingested enough of that fare to easily find his own place in the same literary tradition, somewhere between the works of Alexander Pushkin, Anton Chekhov and Ilya Ilf/Yevgenyi Petrov's "Twelve Chairs," with a dose of Jewish satirist Ephraim Kishon thrown in for good measure.

"Miles of Experience" is Zubry's second book; a collection of stories and stream-of-conscience-style essays set in the Soviet Union of the author's youth, in Saudi Arabia, the U.S. and in WWII Poland and Germany. Introducing each entry by a short poem and at his best when writing from a first-person perspective, describing life's small, simple things - pleasures and disappointments, happiness and horror alike - Zubry takes the reader on a trip back in time and space, to places he has seen and experiences he has made; never shying from speaking his mind: direct, unapologetic, sometimes jarred, and not afraid of controversy. You won't always find yourself agreeing with him; but you will be incited to think and to formulate your own position.

The book opens with "Ali," the touching account of an Arab shopkeeper's young son who, raised in a traditional environment, is suddenly exposed to a group of rich city dwellers: an encounter that his simple upbringing leaves him ill-equipped to deal with.

The second story, "Cannon," takes the reader to Portland, Oregon, where a friend of the narrator's acquires a real cannon at an antiques fair and places it into his house's front yard - with unexpected consequences.

"Crickets" (my personal favorite) is a story about the lost innocence of childhood, about a magical summer vacation's ingenious children's game gone horribly wrong, and about lessons learned and never forgotten.

In "Dates," Zubry returns to Saudi Arabia, for a closer inspection of that country's traditions and the clash of its contemporary society with the values of the Western world.

The title of "Domestic Violence" speaks for itself as far as subject matter is concerned - and women readers in particular should be prepared for being confronted with a viewpoint which, while based on the author's personal observations, is as far as can be imagined from a politically correct approach to the issue.

"Jewish Blood" deals with the encounter between a highly-decorated German officer and a Polish soldier on the WWII front lines outside Warsaw - and the discovery of an unexpected link between the two of them.

"Land of Sinbad the Sailor" again takes the reader to present-day Saudi Arabia; and while (particularly in the post-9-11-2001 world) Zubry's analysis here and, partly, already in "Dates" probably reflects that of many Westerners, I would expect there to be some disagreement from an Arab and/or Muslim point of view. Along with "Domestic Violence" and "Sexual Harassment" (see below), this is doubtlessly one of the book's most controversial pieces. Yet, when juxtaposing it with the first story, "Ali," and also taking into account Zubry's praise of Arab traditions like that of hospitality in "Dates," it is clear that his overall view of the Saudi society is far more complex than appears to be the case here; something that should be born in mind when reading his often provocative statements.

"The Last Pogrom" is the collection's single longest entry: part novella, part nonfiction account, it addresses anti-Semitism in the officially atheist Soviet Union and its consequences for the individuals concerned, as exemplified by a promising young engineer studying at Leningrad's prestigious, top secret Institute for Military Mechanics, and his experience during a high Jewish holiday.

"A Room for a Boy" (another favorite of mine) explores a man's secret loneliness: Although well-liked and respected in his community both on his own merits and those of his clever cat, there is an unfulfilled spot in his life ... and he has found a unique way of making up for it.

"Russian Dedication" (rounding up the list of my greatest favorites) takes a hilarious look at the trademark inefficiencies of the socialist economy, Soviet style; seen in a construction project stuck in time and in endless repetitions of the same useless routine.

"Sexual Harassment" tells the story of a woman's discrimination lawsuit against a midsize Silicon Valley pharmaceutical company, and its effects even after it has been settled. Again, the author expresses views that not all of his readers (especially women and members of minorities) will be comfortable with, but which are far from uncommon, and in the author's case seem to be grounded on personal observations.

"Wild Strawberries," finally, is another return to the author's childhood days, and to a magical vacation gone horribly wrong; although in this case not for the narrator himself but for a much-idolized personal hero who is belatedly caught up in the Soviet society's web of political intrigue.

The twelve pieces collected in "Miles of Experience" are diamonds in the rough: Sometimes I would have wished for the hands of a gentle, insightful editor: not to censor of course, nor do I think Mr. Zubry's hand could (or should!) be forced - but to remove some of the rocky edges occasionally obscuring the underlying brilliance, and to bring it out in its full shine. Yet, even without such extra polish they are a joy to read; and in a time when literature (and particularly so, essays and short stories) increasingly seem to be about form and language rather than content, it is refreshing to find an author who is not afraid of expressing a straightforward opinion, while at the same time understanding the lyrical beauty of everyday life.

Also recommended:
Russian Short Stories from Pushkin to Buida (Penguin Classics)
The Collected Stories (Everyman's Library)
Anton Chekhov's Short Stories (Norton Critical Editions)
Collected Stories of Ivan Bunin
Collected Stories (Penguin Modern Classics)
The Twelve Chairs (European Classics)
The Funniest Man in the World: The Wild and Crazy Humor of Ephraim Kishon

Boris Zubry has written an unusual book: personal essays punctuated by short stories, all inspired by his experiences worldwide. He begins MILES OF EXPERIENCE with fiction about a father and son living in an unspecified part of the Arab world and who come into tragic contact with drug dealers driving American cars. The next chapter, one of the author's strongest, is a personal essay titled "Cannon", which details Zubry's discovery of a cannon at a Washington antique show and what becomes of it. Zubry is at his best when describing simple moments: building a cricket cage out of toothpicks, sharing his house with a lizard in Saudi Arabia, or watching, with his brother-in-law at his side, a Soviet construction vehicle become mired in the mud for the fifth day in a row.

Zubry's style is simple and often repetitive, easily readable and rhythmic. His essays tend to feel like stream-of-consciousness pieces because they meander from one scene to another until the end is reached. Zubry never shrinks from expressing his opinions, as unpopular as they might be; at times he goes on at length about his judgment of a particular situation or person. Although this can get tiring and even offensive, MILES OF EXPERIENCE would be a different book without it. Clearly, these stories and opinions mean much to the author as they are told emphatically and with authority.

I recommend this book especially for readers who have an interest in the former Soviet Union, the Jewish experience, and the unique point of view of immigrants.

I know Boris Zubry. I have never met him, I have never spoken to him, yet I know him. How can this be? Because Mr. Zubry virtually extends his hand in warm greetings from the pages of his wonderful book, MILES OF EXPERIENCE.

Zubry writes in a soothing, conversational style--as if he had pulled up a chair next to you in front of the fireplace to engage in a friendly chat. I heard his Russian accent as I read his stories, stories about his childhood in the former Soviet Union, stories about distant lands and distant cultures, stories about persecution, corruption, intolerance. Most of his stories do not have happy endings, yet the reader still treasures them--still treasures the author for presenting them in such a warm, humanistic manner.

By far, my favorite story (although I enjoyed them all) was "Russian Dedication." Zubry provides a hilarious, yet biting, account of a construction project gone awry to demonstrate the hopeless inefficiency and corruption of the former Soviet Republic. It is more than apparent the author has a genuine love for his homeland and its people, but cared nothing for the Communist government. In fact, Zubry renounced his Soviet citizenship in 1978 and became a U.S. citizen in 1984.

Russia's loss is America's gain.

MILES OF EXPERIENCE is highly recommended. As I mentioned earlier, you will get to know Boris Zubry through the pages of this book, and you'll be proud and honored to consider him a friend.

Here's a great companion to Michael Thompson's Raising Cain: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys. While this "report card on our sons" was hardly "surprising" to this community college teacher, Peg Tyre provides lots of facts and figures to support the growing realization among educators that too many young men are not reaching their potential. In too many classrooms, girls are productively engaged, earning good grades and getting what they need from their education while boys are either absent or disengaged and failing. Tyre's examples are illuminating, her breadth of information is convincing and her conclusions are reasonable. The style of language is quite engaging and accessible, so that the facts and figures area easily understandable for parents as well as teachers. Well, done, Ms. Tyre! Here's hoping your elucidation of this problem will prompt more work toward its solution. Wouldn't it be great if those boys would read it and see it as a wake-up call?
Janet Gingold
author of Finch Goes Wild, a novel about a middle school boy who turns his life around

A wealth of information, ideas and resources for those who are concerned about the issue and working to make it better. My only minor quibble is the title which could be read to mean the problem is the boys. However, make no mistake, the tenor and tone of this book strikes the stark opposite conclusion. The problem is not boys rather what we have been doing to them. It is a balanced approach which I think hopes to avoid the polemic politicized rancor and ire this topic inspires among gender feminist groups like the AAUW and similar advocacy groups that utilize resources and strategies to undermine efforts of those hoping to improve the lives of boys. If interested in the politicized nature I would recommend locating and reading reports by the aforementioned. Ms. Tyre goes beyond and gets down to the nitty gritty and presents ideas to consider, practical solutions and includes numerous resources to tap into. I was most interested in the research surrounding teaching by phonics. A good solid book for those of us committed to effecting change for the benefit of boys, and moving beyond the peripheral and unfortunate efforts to make this a political platform.

Many very good reviews have already been written, so I'll try to share something new. I was interested in this topic because I'm an elementary school teacher and am very interested in finding ways to help my struggling boy students. When I was working on my master's thesis with this very topic, I e-mailed Peg Tyre. At the time, she was working at Newsweek and had just written one of the articles about boys' underachievement that would later lead to this book. She was very helpful with my question and led me to additional resources. Because she is the mother of two boys and her articles were always interesting and well-written, this book intrigued me.

Tyre devotes a lot of time to describing why there is in fact a growing problem with the underachievement of boys, and she is effective in doing this. A large portion of the book describes how in some universities there is already a kind of affirmative action for boys because so many more girls are being accepted, and schools are changing their policies just to try to maintain some kind of balance.

A somewhat funny (and sobering) part of the book was when she mentioned the saying from the 80's that a woman is more likely to be killed by a terrorist than find a suitable man (I'm paraphrasing). Although this isn't true, it is true that increasingly more women are being admitted and graduating from college than men. Since these women tend to not want to "marry down" and look for equally successful partners with at least somewhat equal earning power,(men with a college degree)it's getting harder for these women to find men with college degrees, and it's even worse news for men who didn't go to college. (The percentage of unmarried men who didn't go to college has gone up considerably). I don't articulate this as well as she does, but I wanted to mention it because I never considered how a disparity between the numbers of men and women in college could have that kind of long-term consequence.

*She describes the importance of boys having mentors and gives many interesting anecdotes of this, including a high school that assigns men from the community to mentor its students, a "Dad's Club" that helps with projects around the school, and the importance of having boys see their Dads (or other men) involved with literacy.

*The impact of No Child Left Behind and its effect on school curriculum is described. It's scary to me that there are elementary schools being built without playgrounds. When I have to sit for most of the day in an inservice, it reminds me of how hard it is to be a student with a lot of energy. The importance of movement is discussed.

*While Tyre does describe some recent brain research, she is careful not to jump to conclusions with it. In fact, she mentions that neuroscientists don't believe we know enough about gender and learning to come up with brain-based gender-specific instruction.

*The impact of single-sex schooling is discussed. I disagree with an earlier review who said that Tyre seems to suggest that you should send your child to a private school if you can afford it. I thought Tyre mentioned several times that most single-sex schooling has been inconclusive in raising student achievement. She described an inner-city school in Baltimore that became a single-sex school (for males) but without careful planning and it was a disaster and became a hotbed for violence. However, she also mentions how for certain populations single-sex schooling could work well.

There is a lot more that I didn't even get to, but earlier reviews mention some of those points. This book is well worth your time.

This books makes you think about how the US school system has swung the pendulum so far in the direction of girls that boys get lost. Hopefully there can be more balance in the future.

This book is a follow on to the author's Newsweek cover story about the widening gap between boys and girls academic performance in the United States. She makes the case that, just as we rallied in the 90s to help girls catch up to boys in math and science, we need to do the same for boys in reading and writing. The book cites a great deal of research from schools across the United States to show how this phenomenon is taking shape. It's really interesting stuff. Essentially, education in the US uses teaching methods that favor girls. At times the book is a little like a text book, but it offers startling conclusions that any parent with school-aged children needs to understand.

Another book I came across this week that I really enjoyed and recommend to parents is The Emotional Intelligence Quick Book.

Jensen's "W.O.W" is part memoir, part polemic on America's industrialized system of education which he has been a part of as a writing teacher in higher ed and the prison system. His arguments for the power of writing as a humanizing force are compelling and inspiring for teachers of writing at any level, and his anecdotes describing his unconventional approach to classroom teaching are thought-provoking for any teacher looking for a fresh perspective on reaching students. And it's a quick and entertaining read!

While evangelicals/creationists strive to retard education Derrick Jensen encourages us to inspire and challenge students. Instill passion and imagination and refute mind-numbing dogma.

This is one of the most moving books I've read in several years. If you are a teacher this book will lead you to re-evaluate and think about what you are doing and how you treat your students. This was the first book that I've read by Derrick Jensen and I look forward to reading the rest of his books in the near future.

A must have for anyone who works with education...It gives you a fresh outlook on teaching & and that there is a refreshing way to teach various subjects...

No seriously, this book is phenomenally self-aware, and self-critical, while also making a strong case for totally dismantling institutionalized education. But Jensen doesn't simply condemn a system built to squash the human spirit, he goes far, far beyond that. For every page explaining the horrors of the traditional educational model and his problems working within it, he provides ten pages of real life examples of how he answered the toughest question of all, "what would you do instead?" The fact that he gives us a peek into his fantastic classes is tempered by his constant reminders that there is no one answer. Instead, we all must constantly probe our innermost depths to find our own answers. How will we confront systems of conformity and discover how to be ourselves?