Educators Books

Playing chess and living life provides many vivid opportunities for handling challenges and facing consequences that will assist the players to mature through many problem-solving lessons that are learned and chess aids the players to understand how to become increasingly knowledgeable players. Chess expert and author, Dr. Alexey Root talked about how chess train players how to handle life's challenges in her book. Dr. Root in her "Guide for Educators" the game, teaches players that they are in control of their decisions and choices. She explained how the players learn through actions and behaviors and about interacting with and facing new situations that occur in life. Through your reading, you will learn how Dr. Root, chess expert and author, relates playing chess is a lesson about life.

Children And Chess: A Guide For Educators by academician and chess expert Alexey W. Root is an in-depth analysis of using the game of chess as an effective educational tool as evidenced through psychological studies. Introducing readers to the incorporation of chess into a classroom curriculum, Children And Chess deftly explores the contribution which the game can have with respect to enhancing children's reading, math, science, and social studies skills. Providing a remarkably comprehensive grasp of the game's valuable for a child's intellectual skill development, Children And Chess is very strongly recommended reading for teachers and homeschooling parents of young students searching for a fun and highly educational activity.

Children And Chess: A Guide For Educators by academician and chess expert Alexey W. Root is an in-depth analysis of using the game of chess as an effective educational tool as evidenced through psychological studies. Introducing readers to the incorporation of chess into a classroom curriculum, Children And Chess deftly explores the contribution which the game can have with respect to enhancing children's reading, math, science, and social studies skills. Providing a remarkably comprehensive grasp of the game's valuable for a child's intellectual skill development, Children And Chess is very strongly recommended reading for teachers and homeschooling parents of young students searching for a fun and highly educational activity.

I have been teaching chess to children for the last 15 years.
The first steps of learning this wonderfully complex and artistic game are the toughest for children. So, it is important to implement some special teaching techniques, as described in the book "Children and Chess: A Guide for Educators". By using these techniques, educators such as myself can help children learn about the abstract concepts of chess in a fun, hands-on manner.
I already use a lot of the techniques described in the book because they are effective. In addition, the book comes up with fresh and new perspectives that can add to the learning environment of chess. In this book, I have found new ideas that children love, such as the Charades chess game. All the children enjoy it, and even the shy ones participate in role-playing and acting as a chess piece!

This book provides practical tools for implementing a truly peaceful classroom. More importantly, the tools taught in this book stay with the child for the rest of his/her life. In our world of seemingly ever-increasing conflict, both in the home and abroad, this book should be a vital part of every classroom.

This book is written for teachers. The first part of the book focuses on research and background for using positive, non-violent language with children and teaching them how to use it. The authors talk about the difference between what they call naming/blaming language and non-violent, positive language. The last part of the book gives many useful ideas to emplement in a classroom.

With bullying coming - finally - to the forefront in schools, this book is a wonderful, pro-active way to get started.

I have worked in the field of education for over 25 years. I've been a classroom teacher, consultant, trainer, administrator, and state-level bureaucrat. For the last three years, I have been a professor in a teacher education program at a small state university in Pennsylvania. I have provided the above background so that my comments about The Compassionate Classroom may have credibility with amazon.com customers.

I am delighted to agree wholeheartedly with John Zurbrigg's review here on amazon.com. I will add that my interest in The Compassionate Classroom was inspired first by my studies in Nonviolent Communication (NVC), as developed by Marshall Rosenberg. Sura and Victoria have done a masterful job translating NVC to the classroom, staying completely faithful to NVC principles, explaining them clearly, and providing examples and activities for teachers to follow and use. I will be using The Compassionate Classroom as a text in one of my undergraduate classes this fall, and I am applying the principles in all of my classes henceforth.

I simply cannot say enough about The Compassionate Classroom. It absolutely excites me by giving me hope that we can create classrooms where the passion for learning is truly nurtured. My request is that you buy it for yourself if you are a teacher, and give it to every teacher you know as a gift. On behalf of children and our future, let's start transforming education today. This book gives us the tools!

This is a landmark book that all educators of young and elementary aged children deserve to become familiar with. "The Compassionate Classroom" has the power to transform and improve the classroom social scene and learning experiences of children and teachers alike.

Supported by the research and experience of psychologists and educators like Daniel Goleman and William Glasser, the authors' main idea is that education depends on positive relationships and that children and adults need to learn to communicate in a mutually supportive way to achieve this. They draw directly on the seminal work of conflict resolution mediator and trainer Marshall Rosenberg who says, "The objective of Nonviolent Communication is not to change people and their behavior in order to get our way; it is to establish relationships based on honesty and empathy which will eventually fulfill everyone's needs." Sura Hart and Victoria Kindle Hodson masterfully translate the principles of "nonviolent communication" so that children can understand and apply them. Some of the highlights of this book are the numerous practical activities and lessons that teachers can use with their students to improve their ability to listen with empathy to others and make requests that will be sympathetically heard.

Children learn better in a supportive environment where they feel emotionally safe. They need the tools to communicate "from the heart" in order to achieve this. On the contrary, in today's hurried world our students are often exposed to impersonal pressures and models of social interaction that promote indifference, competition, hostility and violent "solutions'' to personal or social problems. "The Compassionate Classroom" provides an antidote to all this and sets a different standard for our children, one that is humane and "life-fulfilling." Along with many fellow teachers I say a heartfelt "Thank you and congratulations!" to Sura and Victoria for this wonderful contribution to our practice.

CURRICULUM ESSENTIALS is a resource book that pre-service teachers and graduate education-degree seeking students may find useful. The book is well-organized and is mostly concise providing many tools needed in studying, planning, and developing an educational curriculum. A list of important dates, synopsis of key figures, annotated bibliography, explanation of major theories, list of key school models, tables, models, charts, illustrations, and short synopsis of key research documents are just a sample of what is included in CURRICULUM ESSENTIALS. When I first looked through this book, I had just finished my pre-service teacher training and wasn't able to use it very much, but had really wished I had it a few months or years ago to help me with many of my curriculum papers and projects. Besides being a tool for education students at both the undergraduate and graduate level, CURRICULUM ESSENTIALS is also a good reference tool for school personnel.

I ran across this book on a friend's desk and found it to be full of everything curriculum people need to know. Every model, book reviews, important names....just everything. I've order one for all my staff.

I ran across this book on a friend's desk and found it to be full of everything curriculum people need to know. Every model, book reviews, important names....just everything. I've order one for all my staff.

Curriculum Essentials is a compact paperback that contains of the "right stuff" for graduate study in curriculum and instruction. It also would serve as the sole resource for school personnel. Included are annotated bibliograhies, models, program summaries, important dates etc. There also is a very sound treatment of the curriculum development process including how change can be promoted in a number of program areas

The story of a man who was a deacon and priest almost without knowing it, and how he ultimately came to be ordained to serve a rural town and church as their priest. Moving and poignant for persons called to serve as deacon or priest who have already been ministers.

Garrett Keizer's story will settle even the most adventurous spirit from searching to enfolding an inner Spirit much more gratifying.

Garret Keizer's book, A Dresser of Sycamore trees is a thoughtful and carefully written book which describes the "everyday" work of the Holy Spirit in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. Keizer's descriptions of his friends and neighbors in this small town are tremendous. He does an amazing job seeing God's presence in his everyday work and ministry as a vicar of a small church and a high school English teacher. He reminds me of what St. Francis is quoted to have said, "Preach the gospel. If necessary, speak." Garret Keizer preaches with his actions and through his descriptions of the lives of "ordinary" people. This is a must - read.

I am shocked that the publisher would describe this book as "a surprise critical sensation." It's prose alerts us to one Christian's view of the invisible Christ, manifest in people, things, and incidences. It is excellently, thought provokingly written. I cannot with my own words evoke the message of this book, so I will defer to the author, in a quote from his work. . . ."It is about mysticism and orthodoxy, ordinariness and sanctity, unity and diversity and about the intersection of all these things in a design that looks to me like a cross." -pg. 150 Read this book because it is about a common man doing the uncommon and thereby transforming his world, our world, into a place "set apart" for divine possiblities.

These books really work and they are so cute your child can't help but get the point. I have used a wide variety of phonics programs for my daughter who turned out to have an auditory processing disorder and I always return to Explode the Code.

Excellent. I have used the Explode the Code series with four of my children. It is simple to use for parent and child. The amount of work is not burdensome. The humour captivates the imagination and keeps us from being bored. I think it also tickles the funny bone of the brain and help stimulates memory.
The cost is extremely reasonable.
We have used book 1 for grade 1 very, very slowly. The children have then been able to manage two books per year (6 pages a week). They have begun reading part way through grade 2.
To create a love of books, read to them!!!!

Explode the Code is an excellent phonics based program for teaching your child to read. It's fun and EASY. I looked into many different books (Teaching Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons, etc) and have found this to be the simplest by far! My 5 year old homeschooled daughter is now starting Book 3. She began with Books A, B, & C when she was 4 years old. This series, combined with reading to her all the time, is the only reading training she has received. She loves reading and is doing an excellent job at it.

The progressive phonics introduction, the engaging little drawings, the repetitive tasks, the systematic skill progression, among other educational objectives, all boil down to one fact ~ THIS WORKS! I've tried several other methods to assist my special child in spelling and reading. While these workbooks are marketed more as a supplement to a reading program, nothing has been more influential in my daughter actually GETTING IT! She is always eager to pull out her Explode the Code book first. The progess is consistently steady. My friend's child who is not learning challenged feels the same enthusiam. The publisher of this series also produces the wonderful Wordly Wise 3000 workbooks which are equally successful and well-received by my students.

I use this for review and I find that it reinforces phonics rules well. My daughter enjoys this workbook; it is somewhat fun for her. I recommend Explode the Code.

I purchased and have used Explode the Code books 1-4 to date. I also bought and am using the Teachers Guides as well. I enjoy the Guides as they take me through the process of introducing a skill, by offering short and effective interactive presentations or exercises. These usually take only minutes each, and with only a small amount of creativity can be extended when needed. Such activities include a short review of previous skill(s), a phonemic awareness activity, fluency, comprehension, writing, and a challenge, as well as the introduction of that unit's skill. The feedback from these is just what I need to know if its time to progress or not. The exercises also allow me to teach objectives from several angles despite my limited experience. Additional exercises are also presented to appeal to various learning styles.

My student enjoys the Student pages in the Explode the Code books. Once a student learns to do each type of exercise they can be completed with a great degree of independence. Some times we spend more time on student pages one day and more time with other activities the other just to mix it up a bit.

The ETC 1/2 numbered series offers more practice on the same skills taught in the whole numbered books.

For those on a budget, or who are not ready to commit to purchasing an entire phonics system, as well as others who only need to remediate certain objectives, the fact that these books are sold separately is nice.

While I use these as part of our home schooling day, I feel these books would be well suited for parents who wish to challenge a reader who is not being challenged in early grades at school, or who wishes to help remediate a slow or struggling reader. Explode the code is actually written for use in a class setting however is well designed and lends to any student/teacher ratio.

The progressive phonics introduction, the engaging little drawings, the repetitive tasks, the systematic skill progression, among other educational objectives, all boil down to one fact ~ THIS WORKS! I've tried several other methods to assist my special child in spelling and reading. While these workbooks are marketed more as a supplement to a reading program, nothing has been more influential in my daughter actually GETTING IT! She is always eager to pull out her Explode the Code book first. The progess is consistently steady. My friend's child who is not learning challenged feels the same enthusiam. The publisher of this series also produces the wonderful Wordly Wise 3000 workbooks which are equally successful and well-received by my students.

I homeschool my 7 year-old daughter who is at the 2nd grade level. Explode the Code was recommended to me as a good phonics workbook for her and I agree 100%. Nancy Hall makes this a very easy way to learn phonics. My daughter has accepted this book easily and readily. I recommend this book to anybody who needs to learn phonics or teach it to their child.

"...a refreshing collection of essays by some of today's leading gay spokespersons on national campuses. Gay/lesbian movement activities and gay research are analyzed by gay professionals from a broad cross-section of scholarly disciplines. Endnotes, bibliographies and a comprehensive index are especially helpful for scholars and the scope and diversity of the general material can benefit anyone interested in the subject of homosexuality."

"The compilation is an original presentation in a burgeoning concern of scholarly inquiry."

An exceptionally important book of an entirely new kind: a collection of 26 original essays written by 22 different authors who are serious scholars, openly gay, and neither apologegic nor polemical. Significant insights.

"Reading THE GAY ACADEMIC...would be a worthwhile experience for most people connected with the academic world. Readers will find articles in their own fields of expertise viewed from a gay perspective; they will also have a chance to learn something about the situation of the homosexual in an academic setting."

Very entertaining. I read the book in two sittings. Captures the spirit of old school , why we ride. Felt as though I was along on the ride. If you enjoy riding a bike instead of posing as a biker, you will enjoy this book. Thanks Tiger.

The Ghost Of Scootertrash Past: Memories & Rants Of A Longrider is the personal testimony, stories, rants, and insights of Mark Tiger Edmonds, a motorcycling professor who cruises the road with a Scrabble game and Oreo cookies in his motorcycle's saddle bags. A flavorful, unique, and often surprising memoir of dirt roads, Zen and the art of motorcycle riding, the hazards of camping, and so much more, The Ghost Of Scootertrash Past is a thoroughly attention engaging read and recommended for motorcycle buffs and Americana enthusiasts.

Now maybe I'm not the the best person for putting out an unbiased opinion on this book, seein' as how I actually make an appearance or two within the pages (I'm the one of those who picks & patches him & the bike up a couple of times - made it to Tennessee to pick him up in his truck in about 11 hours).

But I'm not tapping away here to write a review, but rather to clear some things up:

1) He really does talk like that - it's called vernacular - they're called colloquialisms - it's not "poseur misuse of grammar", it's legitimate misuse of grammar that he was more careful about in the first book - not knowing how poseur book critics would take it.

2) He really is a professor of English (at my alma mater) - the colloquialisms don't get in the way, as he doesn't use them while grading papers of inconsiderate, psycho, crapweasel children (though the fact that it gets straight under the skin of administrators is a bonus).

3) Such of his stories as I'm personally able to speak to (having known him for only 15 years) are the gods-honest truth - I've patched too much fiberglass for them to be anything else.



4) Forget what I said about being biased - it's a great book - go buy one for yourself and a couple for your friends right now.

....Go on, what are you still reading for? I mean it - right now!

I read this book before reading Edmonds' first one, "Longrider". Both books are stories, vignettes, of his experiences putting more than a million miles on two wheels riding the US and Canada. While both books are enjoyable and the various stories engaging, I found "Ghost of Scootertrash Past" a better read with some caveats. I quickly became annoyed with his poser misuse of grammar. It just comes across as phony. The stories in "Longrider" were more disjointed but his voice more authentic. There is an art to story telling, and Edmonds does it well. Now I would like to try some of the roads/rides he describes.

After reading Professor Schiavone gripping GOD FROM AFAR,I was seized by the power of his memoirs with a feeling of malaise: that disturbing fin du siecle malaise that alas, seems to bid farewell to one century, and greet the new one with a deep sense of existentional despair. For in this written memoir Professor Schiavone has had, unlike most of his colleagues, the courage to warn us of the current parlous state of our most cherished institutions of higher education and unflinchingly delineate its implications for the new millenium that hardly bodes well for our country's intellectual (not to mention moral and ethical)preeminence as a nation of poets and scholars. Within its impeccably edited pages the reader learns of the political and moral rot that was hertofore hidden from public eye by the academic power elite, who, within a generation, took over one of our most cherished educational institutions (CUNY) and made it a stygian cesspool of corruption, incompetence, and more disturbing, out right disregard for truth, integrity, and the professionalism that we as a nation so revered and associated with higher education. Fortunately, Professor Schiavone, now retired from the City University of New York (CUNY),has left us a legacy in what must have been an agonizing experience, his memoirs, which now brings to light what must be firmly addressed by those who now ascend or sit upon, the besmirthed throne of academia if we are to survive as a nation dedicated to those traditional values and disciplines that was once a great cathedral of our culture, our much vaunted system of higher education, the rock that we all so dearly clung to as a means of perpetuating the great accomplishments of the past with the promise of a golden tommorow. Professor Schiavone is to be commended for his painful journey through the past thirty years of his caree in which he fought the iniquities that he found all too common around him, and emerged, with the dignity and strength, to warn us of what awaits us if we, as teachers, parents, and civic leaders, do not take heed of the impliations for the future that his memoirs so elegantly address. Would that our politicans now running for public office and giving lip service to the decline of the American system of higher education, refer to GOD FROM AFAR as they legislate policy for our nebulous future!

If misunderstandings proliferate and spread like an alluvial fan throughout the world to give us a false or naive understanding of the events we assume to know, then God From Afar is here to wake us all up and and clue us in to what it is REALLY like in the atmosphere of the educational environment. In two words: Absolutely Shocking. In one really twisted and psychologically enthralling word: Fascinating! One, like myself, would be inclined to think of the collegiate world as one of being a very stimulating and intellectually pleasing garden where the inhabitants stretch out behind tall shrubs and among the placid lakes, but this is not the case. As James Shiavone describes his long pursuit that yearns for the gratification one gets from teaching fresh minds in the classroom, we learn that there is actually quite a bit of turmoil behind the staff room doors. From the constant squabbling, to inane jealousies and rumours, to the physical altercations and trumped up charges, we see that the base apsects of human nature can take hold of even those we assume to be our most respected leaders. But it is Professor James Schiavone's valiant effort and endearment toward his students and passion for teaching that wins out overall. Even under the intimidation of hierarchal threats he does not back down and holds true to the cause he believes in, which has been long forgotten by most administrators, and that is teaching - the last thing that seems to be on the minds of those who have elected to be in this position. And through it all, what we see time and time again are those who reach a status rank only to grow sluggish, unenthusiastic, inflexible and self-serving. Those select few who attain power and leave no room for change or the little man, but what they expect from their often trite and narrow, little concerns. This book offers the reality of a cankered situation, and exposes it in a way so that we may bring remedy to a growing epidemic. Because invalid assumptions that go unchecked, only serve to help those who are helping themselves at the expense of the naive multitude. And this book brings these issues to light, and in a way you might say that with this book Professor James Schiavone is still in the classroom.

I am delighted that Professor Schiavone has decided to reissue his groundbreaking book, GOD FROM AFAR for the new millenium. His book gives me hope that God is closer than we think. After the educational debacle of the last century I am hopeful that the words of Dr. Schiavone will be heeded and seriously considered by politicians and academicians alike-especially in the upcoming election where education is such an important issue. In his memoirs, the professor tried to warn us of the corruption rife in academia-apparently they fell on deaf ears. Now with the issuance of the 2000 edition, there is hope once more that the education of our students at all levels, and especially at the college level will be taken seriously by those who should care the most. He has courageously tried in his memoirs to delineate the political atrocities of the past century which has left our system in shambles-a whole generation of students semi-literate and unable to cope with a more complicated world which requires the ability to think, to write, and yes, to read. To read his book is to find out just what happened and how it can be averted or corrected. The professor pulls no punches-he places blame and praise on those who deserve it-alas, he who is without spot may throw the first stone. Now in retirement, I welcome the reissuance of his GOD FROM AFAR and hope that its far reaching implications will be heard and felt in all parts of the nation where politicals, greedy for power and election, are touting their theories about education with one eye on the ballot box and saying little that is substantive about how to remedy the current debacle. It behooves all in academia and in politics to read his impeccably edited book carefully, to quote him generously, and to heed his words with alarm. When may we expect a follow up to GOD FROM AFAR? Certainly the talents of the author should not stop with his retirement- he must be ever vigilant that his words will make a significant change in a system, alas, gone awry.

In GOD FROM AFAR, Professor Schiavone narrates a fascinating account of his decision to attend college and become a teacher, the first in his family to do so.. Beginning with his birth, he includes heartwarming sketches of growing up in a close and supportive family, his parents children of immigrants. He encompasses his transition from a high school teacher to college professor, earning full professorship, and becoming the author of several text books. Readers who cling to the notion or naive enough to believe that the world of pedagogy represents the pinnacle of human elements in the realms of character, integrity, and human relations will find this account disillusioning. Professor Schiavone tells of his travails with honesty and reality. In the first segment of his memoirs, the author tells of his beginning years in New York, New Jersey, and Florida. He pays tribute to mentors and model teachers. Schiavone spent thirteen years in Florida and relates his interaction with students there and reveals his sensitivity to them. It was in Florida that he had diverse experience: TV, high school, and university . However, Professor Schiavone combatted and transcended personal jealousy so bizarre that it would defy veracity if it were not for his probity in narration, along with supporting material. This man who simply wanted to teach was to meet and surmount even greater obstacles upon his return to New York City and appointment at a CUNY branch. Academicians who have fallen victims of machinations perpetrated by administration and colleagues will commiserate. Professor Schiavone's story will be a revelation to others . Despite documentation, there may be readers who will simply not believe the bizarre mode of behavior that is permitted and condoned in academe. . There are readers who will be shocked that minuscule mentality extends beyond "local" officials. Others might recall that revengeful comportment is designed to control , tarnish, intimidate, and eliminate EMPLOYEES WHO CRITICIZE THE SYSTEM. This author documents that even the "college designee" was a pawn and puppet of the administration. . Professor Schiavone does not limit his disclosure to finagling against him personally. With clarity and honesty, he questions the process by which reappointment, promotion, sabbaticals, and tenure are granted. He tells of the positive and negative aspects of tenure. This man's pursuit of equity evoked wrath since it robbed "masters" of the chain that bound their "slaves." . GOD FROM AFAR is a revealing and compelling account of a college professor's sojourn in the academic arena. It is a saga of one man's battle with and victory over an "academic Bastille."

Anthony Winkler is a really gifted author and he has a talent for clearly reproducing the essence of raw Jamaica, even if it is a Jamaica that existed before I was born. He also wrote "The Lunatic" which I need to find and re-read again as well. He is a white Jamaican who currently lives in Atlanta, GA.

This book "Going Home To Teach" recounts his experiences when he returned home to Jamaica to teach back in the 1970s. Those were tumultuous times for Jamaica, when Michael Manley was in power and socialism was the philosophy du jour. Many people left, while Winkler was coming back. The book has a lot of pathos, humour, and drama; but what really makes it impressive and relevant to me are the observations on Jamaican, American and English culture. Here are some samples. I don't necessarily agree with all his observations, but I think they are worth noting.

On being white in Jamaica, specifically referring to his American wife's experience:
"To be white in a black country with a long English colonial history is to be a pariah, an ambiguous entity. It is to be simultaneously respected and despised, to arouse suspicion and curiosity, to evoke defiance, rudeness, envy and condescension. It is to be separated from that inalienable birthright every white American enjoys in his own country; the expectation of being treated with indifference in a public place. When you are white in a black land like Jamaica, you are no longer merely a man, or a woman, or a child. For good or ill, you are also immediately transmogrified into a living symbol of a detested colonial past."

On Jamaican and American attitudes towards economic roles:
"The American nation is essentially a confederation of economic tribes known as businesses and corporations, each with its own totemic history, identity...when you work for an American corporation it defines you, moulds you...and eventually changes your values and perceptions...Americans are reared with the expectation that a large part of their personal identity will eventually be defined in adulthood by an economic role. One becomes what one does...Jamaicans DO their careers, their occupational pursuits; Americans BECOME them...This wedding of personality and occupation is a most peculiar trait for Jamaicans to comprehend mainly because they have inherited from their own cultural experience a deep-seated dislike for ready-made economic roles. Jamaicans revel in the expression of an idiosyncratic self, and reject any occupational role that brings with it blanket expectations of the self. Why this is so no doubt goes back to our experience with slavery when we waged and endless war of passive resistance against the slave master's desires and struggled hard to repudiate what he wanted us to become."

On "getting on bad"
"This expression has a peculiar meaning to the Jamaican, and no known equivalent in America. To `go on bad' is to employ the behaviour of the lower class in a sphere of life where it is outlandishly inappropriate. One cannot `go on bad' in a true democracy like America, but only in a society that separates people into classes by a strictly prescribed code of manners. Under the Englishman's colonial blueprint, the ragged brute in the streets is expected to rant and rave over grievances and raise his voice in profanity, but not the tuxedoed gentleman at a formal dinner. And should the gentleman so behave for whatever reason other than rare excusable drunkenness, he is said to have `gone on bad.' His sin is not so much bad behaviour as it is a degenerate hybridisation of manners-bringing the lower-class brute into the drawing room- and the penalty is social expulsion. He simply will never be invited back."
The unfortunate thing is that many times, getting on bad is the only way to get anything done! He notes this in the anecdote that follows this quote, which I won't replay here.

It's a great autobiographical novel told from a point of view that I haven't even considered too much; that of the person who is born in Jamaica and is just as Jamaican as I am, except that he is white. It is an accurate snapshot of Jamaica in the 1970s as well. Well, I assume that, since I wasn't born then :D At any rate, I highly recommend it. Also read the rest of his books: "The Lunatic" "The Painted Canoe" "The Great Yacht Race" and "The Duppy". I have read them all except for the last one, those I have read have been very good also.

If you live in the Caribbean you will be able to identify with all the occurrences. If you used to live in the Caribbean, this book will bring back all the memories. If you have no Caribbean connections, then you will be highly amused by the "peculiarites" of the natives as Mr. Winkler cleverly reveals the culture and personalities of the island

I was a schoolgirl in Jamaica, during the 70s, the period Mr. Winkler writes about and I can attest that all the things he says are true. The book is hilarious and poignant at the same time, capturing all the things that make Jamaica a difficult place to live in, yet an impossible one to stay away from. He captures the crazy drama of everyday life there, with humor and beauty and sadness. The scene in the patty shop when he asked by two people behind him in line to judge which is the blacker one, is one of the funniest things I've ever read.

Just seeing his name on the book spine was enough to make me pick up the book.

Over the years, Anthony C. Winkler's rollicking novels of Jamaican life have given me considerable pleasure and insight into Caribbean sensibility. He writes with a great affection for the island nation's people, reveling in their culture and contradictions, equally amused by and compassionate toward all the social strata. However, I'd been curious about the writer himself since first reading THE LUNATIC years ago, after a St. Kitts-born friend and mentor pressed the book into my hand with a smile, saying "You must read this!" The brief bio in his books mentioned he was a native Jamaican and scant else. Who was he? I wondered to myself about his background, his roots, his understanding of Jamaica.

GOING HOME TO TEACH answered my questions and delivered a lot more. At heart, it's Winkler's memoir of his mid-1970s stint, when Michael Manley's "democratic socialist" administration ruled, as an instructor at a government-sponsored rural teacher training school. His return is part altruism, part nostalgia: As the author of successful, widely used college textbooks, he's got tidy sums squirreled away in American banks, so he can afford to return home and work for a pittance. On the other hand, at the time he's thirty-something, divorced, and he's spent thirteen years away from home to study and teach in the U.S., whose society bewilders him.

The meat of the book, though, is both personal and general. Winkler is a raconteur, a griot--a natural born storyteller--and he regales you with stories about his family (particularly his eccentric grandparents and crazy aunts), his encounters with hidebound administrators and bureaucrats, striking students, madmen, and the impossibility of finding competent repairpersons. And then again, there are his observations on American society and culture, the contrasts with Jamaica, and the cultural idiosyncrasies that he attributes to the history of slavery and English colonial rule. GOING HOME TO TEACH is a dense stew of memorable people, incidents and conclusions, richly seasoned with rib-tickling anecdotes.

Indeed, what makes the book really work is Winkler's humor and humanity, his conversational tone, his equanimity whether describing the absurd or the nearly tragic. He's not shy about his foibles, his family's or his countrymen's, and completely droll even when revealing the unpleasant side of paradise. Be cautioned about reading this book in public: you risk indelicate stares for laughing out loud, as I did particularly as I was reading his account of "night life"--the panoply of insects and other critters--in the Jamaican countryside.

There's also the bittersweet. Winkler's ancestry is European and Middle Eastern--which adds up to "white"--but he's Jamaica-born and bred (patois is his "native tongue" much as any other Jamaican's), and that's the land he loves. It results in a certain "double consciousness," which I find ironically analogous to the lot of "Black Americans":

"To be white in a black country with a long English colonial history is to be a pariah, an ambiguous entity. It is to be simultaneously respected and despised, to arouse suspicion and curiosity, to evoke defiance, rudeness, envy, and condescension. It is to be separated from that inalienable birthright every white American enjoys in his country: the expectation of being treated with indifference in a public place....

"The hardest thing about growing up white in a black country is the nagging feeling of not belonging.... Jamaicans of all races who have lived abroad for any length of time also suffer it after returning home, but for the white Jamaican the feeling of not belonging is a cross he must bear even if he has never set foot out of his own country."

If you're already a fan of Winkler's writing, I believe you'll also love this book. If you're not already acquainted, this should be a fine introduction to the man and the land. A highly recommended, rewarding read.