Indian Books

This is one of my favorite books off all time. Spiritual, accessible, non dogmatic, written by a true spiritual master.

I invite you to explore its gifts and wisdom.

This is indeed a spiritual classic that I have found incredibly engaging, as well as enlightening. The patient eloquence of Sri Nisargadatta when occasionally confronted with the frustrated and confused ignorance of the interviewer's questions is quite humorous - often like a parent talking to a child.

The one thing that disappoints me is the quality of the printing - at least with my copy. On most pages it is so bad that some words are missing letters, or part of a letter and much of the printed text is so light that it appears the printing press was low on ink. It's not so bad that it's unreadable, just somewhat annoying. Perhaps this is the exception and not the rule. It's just a shame that one of my favorite books has such poor quality printing. Hence the 4 stars.

The book fascinated me, changed the way I considered things,made me think enlightment was really at hand. Three years later, I have changed my mind about it. The discerment and rethoric Nisargadat are just impressive, perhaps underrated in todays philosophic and spiritual world.
However, I must say it's up to the reader to believe if this is the real path to enlightment. I won't say here what I believe. The book is a jewell of the advaita philosophy. I don't remember skipping pages or being bored in the 400 or more pages this book has.
Recommendable investment.

Any true spiritual seeker cannot afford to pass this book up. Ironically, it's impossible to convey in words what it contains and why it is so valuable. It's left to each of us to find the way. Highly recommended, but bear in mind that it isn't "easy."

I have a library of hundreds of spiritual books, representing every major religious and mystical tradition.

Few possess the clarity, the startling immediacy, the actual life-altering power of this volume.

If there is such a thing as a holy book, here is one.

What more can be said?

Once I picked up Ride the Wind I did not put it down. I read this book whenever and as often as I can. This is an incredible story, the tragedy of watching your family and friends die around you, to becoming one of the "People" all the lessons of what life throws at us. I love everything about this book, I wish they would make a movie that follows the book down to the last detail. Cynthia Ann, Nocona,and the many others mentioned are so strong in history and knowing that Quanah goes on to be such a historic, amazing part of this makes the book more worth reading.
I challenge anyone who reads Ride the Wind to look up some history.

This compelling, meticulously-researched novel is fascinating, thrilling and heartbreaking. I only demoted it to four stars (I would have given it four and a half if I'd had the option) because, like most mass-market paperbacks, it is first-rate story telling but only second-rate writing. That's OK with me, though, a novel doesn't have to be beautifully written to be worth reading.

I enjoyed this book very much but as a mother I feel I must warn anyone who's sensitive that it is very difficult to read in places. In this account of the last years of the Comanche, babies and children are regularly placed in peril, and many of them die. They die from disease and from the elements but most of them are brutally tortured and murdered. The atrocities are committed not just by whites (in fact the whites seem to commit fewer atrocities against women and children overall) but by the Comanche and the other tribes, who don't seem to have any moral rules against torturing and murdering children. I often wondered how much of what I was reading was based on fact and how much was exaggerated, and when researching the question discovered that many of these accounts were taken directly from history.

That is why I found this book so surprising. If you are looking for a romanticized version of Plains Indian life ala "Dances With Wolves," you will not find it here. The Comanche culture was beautiful in many ways, and it was far kinder to nature than European culture will ever be, but the Comanches were a culture of warfare. They did not believe in mercy. When they could, they tortured their enemies, and were not above burning women and children alive, mutilating and raping them. I was fascinated by the detail of the Comanche world but I found it hard to feel any sympathy for many of the characters in this book, on either side, since nearly everyone condoned that kind of warfare and it was difficult for me to relate to them. I can't imagine how anyone who exists in a society where murder and torture is no longer a part of our moral fabric could really feel much sympathy for someone who murdered a child.

Having said that, this is a wonderful book for students of American history, or for anyone who is interested in the Plains Indians. The author has meticulously detailed almost every aspect of Comanche life, from building a lodge to making pemmican. I particularly recommend this book as a balanced look at the conflict between the Plains Indians and white settlers. This was indeed a clash of two cultures who would never be able to peacefully co-exist, and like in any war, there were heroes and villains on both sides.

Or you could try the novelization written by Douglas C. Jones,
Season of Yellow Leaf. Very very good, go try it. It's probably in your library.

I really enjoyed this book. It was moving and well done. Very emotional - I cried a lot.

I highly recommend this book. It is well written and easy to read.
The book shows both sides of the story of indians and white settlers and is intresting and emotional. I would have to say this is my favourite book.

It was a really good book.My favorite part was when she finally becomes friends with the indians.Although recommend it to older kids becuase of the violence.

INDIANS EVERY WERE





Catty gets kidnapped by Indians,
Thomas gets sick,
Will Catty marry Snow Hunter?



In the book, Standing in the Light Catty's family respects the Indians.
They leave their doors unlocked and windows open to show the Indians
They are not afraid. But one night the Indians swoop throw the window
And kidnap Catty and Thomas.

My favorite part is when Catty's Indian Grandmother tells her
Indian mother that Catty and snow hunter are probley going to get
Married. I like this part because it is sweet and unsuspecting and
Catty is so surprised

I think the authors main idea is you can go from HOME to HOME
And will always be loved.

I would recommend this because it is surprising and you won't want
To stop!!!!!
By:Lauren

I absolutly loved this book. It made my stomach have butterflies. It feels like you are actually in the book. It was interesting and sad. I almost cried for some parts. LOL I would recomend this book to any kid who loves excitement, and history.

I love reading books in diary form and the "Dear America" series of books for younger readers are not only beautifully bound, but each individual story is truly engaging, transporting readers into a bygone era with its entailing adventures.

The heroines are typically young girls who find themselves in extraordinary circumstances - and having to display immense courage in trying times. "Standing in the Light" is the diary of Catharine Carey Logan, a Quaker who lived in the Delaware Valley in Pennsylvania c 1763. Her diary is an account of her experiences growing up in the valley and also about her capture by the Lenape Indians. It is a sad yet very engrossing read.

Another highlight of the book is the author's historical note on life in America during the time [1763] - there are also illustrations and drawings of Quakers and Lenape Indians engaged in their respective pursuits, and highlights the cultural differences between the two groups. In conclusion - an engaging historical read!

Standing in the Light was an excellent book. Caty and her brother Thomas are kidnapped by the Lenape on their way home from school. At first Caty feels they'll be killed but instead they return to the Lenape village where she and her brother are separated and giving to two new families. This was the first time I'd ever heard of the Lenape and the author painted a vivid picture of what these Native Americans were like. I loved the transformation as Caty goes from fearing her captives, to loving them especially one in particular Snow Hunter.

One of my all-time favorites. This is the second copy purchased. Never got the other returned.

27 years ago my English teacher at a private international boarding school in Malaysia read this book to me in class. Wow! A dramatic, exciting, story about a true adventure that includes that angst of a Christian trying to understand and do what he believes God wants him to; including leaving home and being a missionary at 19!

The author writes well and the reader can feel Bruchko's emotions, smell the humid jungle and the unwashed bodies sleeping in hammocks in smoky huts. You live the adventure with the writer and Bruce Olsen helps you reflect on your own journey of faith as you observe, through reading, Bruce's personal pilgrimage and adventure.

I have read this book several times and am now reading it to my own students at the international boarding school I currently teach at in Korea.

If you have ANY interest in missions or young people or Christian faith or adventure (or any combination of these) then buy and read this book. Well written, exciting to read; enjoy it!

Even though I haven't gotten a chance to read this book since it arrived a week ago, I'm giving it 5 stars because my husband got a hold of it first and read it before me and absolutely loved it, and now I've ordered the next book for him. My son now has the book, so I'm not sure when I'll actually get to read it myself, but I'm looking forward to reading about how Bruchko - Bruce Olson - trusted God with everything. What an encouragement, and what a challenge!

Great book. Amazing story. Very inspiring. Easy read, and you won't want to put it down.

This book is an outcry for those who want to see a Christian life given to God to serve whatever purpose that He has. The story is of a man, Bruce Olsen, who as a child comes to know God through Jesus and begins to be persecuted by his parents who eventually kick him out as a young teenager. The book is a story of Bruce's life thereafter, in which he constantly is given to seeking and trying to find the will of God and the place where he needs to be. It is an illustration of someone doing the work of the Almighty and being blessed for it and being taken care of out of nowhere when he had nothing and noone else to look to. This book should be read, and it will be read quickly by those who pick it up, by any person who claims to be a Christian. It may shock many to see the way they are living is nothing like the way that it should be, and this book is a good example of that life.

I both read the book and listened to it. The book carries you through the four seasons during 1849 with a young Ojibwe and her family. This book is fascinating, the history and descriptions for chores is fantastic. There is hardship and work and joy and aggravation. It's a regular family. That's what it is so easily relatable to children.

I preferred to have the book read to me through the audio book, this audio book is read by Nicole Littrell. I think this is a great book to read aloud. Once you have finished this one pick up the Game of Silence where we can continue to journey with Omakayas read by Anna Fields, the Porcupine year has not been released to audiobook as of October 2008.

After reading so many praises from young adult readers, I'd like to make a suggestion for adult readers of historical fiction. I read this book, not so that I could instill a love of reading for my children, but rather, for my own pleasure in reading young adult fiction. The books may not involve many subplots, intrigues, and thickly woven characterizations, but certain ones can immerse you into their world of historical make-believe and even lead you to tears. I for one cried when reading this book. The way Louise Erdrich handles the coping of virulent illness and death through the eyes of a child is incredible. Not only does she paint this glorious heroine from a late 1800s Ojibwa girl, but she makes me dwell on the delicate vitality of the human soul and the subtle interconnectedness of each other. Yes, this book describes accurately the lives of the Ojibwa people of that time, but more importantly, above the cultural/historical lesson, the most prominent lesson from Erdrich's storytelling is her unveiling of human transformation into maturity clothed in the culture of the Ojibwa girl, Omakayas. Her auspicious past, her gifts with animals, her perseverance in caring for her family during the smallpox epidemic, and her coping with her brother's death -- for readers to feel that the book has a slow start, Erdrich more than likely chose to portray Omakayas' life in that way because that was exactly the pace it was. Meaning to say, it's not always violence and passion every minute, every chapter. The life of Ojibwas had a steady rhythm that followed the course of nature and only when the white settlers introduced themselves did that rhythm falter. For people who'd like an exciting quick read having to do with Native American history, I can't think of any. But for people who want to see life through a young girl's eyes -- life that involved hard work, sacrifice, love, death and living with what nature has provided, then this book is an excellent choice. Otherwise, there are a lot of old western novels that involve Native Americans (inaccurately of course) that would provide more of a thrill ride, if thrills are what you seek.

I purchased this book for my daughter who is attending CSUN. It arrived in a week and was in good condition, just like the description said.
Very happy with this purchase and many others.

This sweet, tender, sometimes humorous book, chronicles a year in the life of Omakayas, a seven year old girl who lives with her tribe on an island near Lake Superior. The book is divided into four main sections, each relating to a season of the year, just as the Native America daily life is based. Through Omakayas, children learn as they read about how she helps build a birch bark house, how she does her chores, and many other important details of Native American life. This makes the book especially invaluable for the fifth grade Social Studies curriculum. Many Native American words are used throughout this book, but this is done in a manner which makes their meaning apparent. There is even a glossary for these words in the back of the book. Children will love this book as Omakayas makes friends with animals and deals with feelings about her family, loss, fear, happiness, and contentment, as well as other feelings familiar to the young reader.

Generations of American children have grown up reading Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I'm in one of those generations. These stories gave us a view into settlers moving into formerly Indian territories and the hardships of breaking new lands to the plow, fighting weather, droughts, floods, and illness. These stories are our stories of conquering the prairie West. But there's another story that needs to be told and this story is of the Indians we died of disease and starvation and were moved off the lands so that white settlers could build farms and towns.

Laura Ingalls Wilder told the only stories she could tell - one dimensional tales of white people in a white nation. Louise Erdrich tells the story she is equipped to tell - one of a rich group of people living together in the Northern prairie lands. In this story Omakayas is a young Ojibwe girl living with her family, but the characters aren't all Indian. There's Albert LaPautre, a Frenchman who bumbles through trades and wild visions. There's Omakayas' father who works to pay off his yearly debt to the trading post and knows how to play chess so well that he can sometimes win enough food to help his family through hard times. There's Old Tallow, a medicine woman with a pack of angry dogs who teaches kind lessons through harsh examples.

For Omakayas and her family life is both hard and wonderful. There's enough sadness in the book to make you cry and enough happiness to make a child play-act the parts. The one thing I love about native storytelling is the respect shown to animals and plants that are needed to survive. Ms. Erdrich tells of this relationship with the skill of a master storyteller.

This book is richer and more complete than Little House on the Prairie. It's a responsible book and deserves more accolades and a greater following than that earlier work. It's brilliant and sensitive and fun. Everyday life never made me feel so fully. Please let all children in your life read this beautiful book.

- CV Rick, May 2008

While looking to see if one of my favorite historical authors (James Alexander Thom) had a new novel out, I came across the books of Allan W. Eckert on of those "If You Like This Book, You'll Like This Too" lists. I had never heard of Eckert before, but based upon the GREAT reviews of this book I decided to give it a try. What a suprise! All of the positive reviews aren't lying. I can't put the book down! It just pulls you in until you feel like you're roaming the Ohio Valley with Kenton and all the other brave folks (White and Indian). The 588 LARGE pages make it extra special for folks like myself who fly through books quickly. I would highly recommend the book and can't wait to start another one by him.

P.S. The books by James Alexander Thom are equally well written for those who are looking for a simular type author.

Wow, what an interesting, exciting, factual book! Just as engaging and excitingly written as any Louis Lamour or Zane Grey novel, except very factual. Based on tens of thousands of pages of interview notes taken from those who lived during this period of history. You will learn a lot of American history and enjoy it, to boot, if you read this book! Don't miss this one!

Eckert has written a truly engrossing book on an amazing figure in American history. Simon Kenton, like Daniel Boone had the lust to wonder the woods for days and both had a immense memory for the scope of the land he wondered. The narrative writing is excellent. It puts you back in the 18th century when America was truly wild. It was a harsh land when one false step led to an early death, often times gruesome. The Shawnees were none to compliant to give up their lands and sold it at a high cost of human life. Tecumseh also emerges here, also one of the greatest figures in history. A Sorrow in Our Heart, which is about Tecumseh is also a must read. In the Frontiersman, the Ohio River flowed blood red with hatred for intruders. There are captivating stories here of the many clashes that took place between whites and indians. It was a time period of two cultures clashing, one wanting to hold on to a way of life etched into the land through balance and harmony, aganst a culture that produced men who were determined to see new vistas and experience the thrill of blazing a trail that many would soon follow. But it was this migration which ruined the very thing they loved most, the feeling of true wilderness. This book captures it all. A must read for those who find history a fascinating subject.

I first became acquainted with Mr. Eckert's books a few years ago while shopping for a gift for my son-in-law who loves local history and someone recommended one of his books. I took it home and while wrapping it, read a page. I was hooked, I went out and bought one for myself. We live in an area rich in history and his books cover our area extensively. I only wish all the history classes I took in high school and college had been this interesting. Our whole family now enjoys Mr. Eckert's books.

I was assigned to read this book for my 10th grade American History summer reading. I loved to read as a teen. I loved history -- I went on to get my degree in it. This book threatened to change all of that.
A ponderous piece of agonizing minutiae, this book brought me to the breaking point. I read it -- the whole thing. As a fifteen year old. I think it actually made me cry, I hated it so much. It's well researched, but seemed almost masturbatory in its envisioning of the motivations of frontiersmen. And excruciatingly long. Some people obviously enjoy this book. To each their own. But for the rest of you, it is okay to hate it. Really. You know you want to.

The entire transaction was perfect. Book arrived quickly and was in great condition. Very satisfied.

For those of you who love to collect great cookbooks, this is an awesome Cuban cookbook. All the recipes invoke memories of Mama and Abuela cooking in the kitchen. They are authentic recipes and the stories are worth reading. Many of them will bring sweet memories to Cuban refugees who have adopted the U.S.A as our new home. This is a must-have book in the kitchen!

This book has great recipes and they are very well written. The instructions are very easy to follow. Very much the same ingredients my Cuban Mother has used all my life.

My husband is from Miami and when i was pregnant he took me to Miami and got me addicted to cuban food. We both really missed the food and this book brings back so many good memories. It really satisfies your taste buds.

After sitting in the bookstore, going over about 10-20 so called Cuban recipe cookbooks, this is the ONE in my kitchen. Both my parents are from Cuba, I was born there as well, so naturally my siblings and I grew up on traditional Cuban recipes. This book is the closest to Mom's cooking I have ever found, and with some help from Mom, these recipes are just like being home. Easy to follow, simple, traditional recipes. Once you get the hang of "sofrito", which is base for most of our dishes, you won't be disappointed. LOVE this cookbook, and its wonderful, savory Cuban dishes!

Absolutely fantastic book. Mrs Rogers is a wonderful writer who captures your imagination and compassion.

I read this book over thirty years ago and still love it. It is one of the best novels ever written. Gayle Rogers is a master storyteller. Although the romance between the two main characters is not as intense for me as when I first read it (keep in mind I am alot older now), the book is as fresh and appealing as ever. A tender, haunting, and beautifully written love story.

I, too, read Nakoa's Woman in the early seventies and could never get it out of my mind. I rate is as my all-time favorite and had wondered for many years why there were no other books, I feared she would never write another. I even wrote Dell to inquire about the release date on the proposed movie but they sent me a form letter instead, stating they were glutted with manuscripts. As an author myself, it only strengthened my belief they never really look at manuscripts before throwing letters into slush piles. In December 2004, I learned she had more books out and have since corresponded with her and now own all five of her books. She is a very sweet lady and we've emailed back and forth. Her new publisher is Sojourner Publishers Inc.

From the first time I read Nakoa's Woman at age 15 it has not ceased to live in my heart. The story is hauntingly beautiful, the characters are endearing and come alive to the reader. My whole family have read this book and have loved it as much as I have. I recommend it to anyone who loves to read, men and women alike. I look forward to reading the authors other books, of which I just became aware.

This is a book that is hard to put down once you pick it up. I enjoyed the historical aspect that reflected on the
comparison of the indian way and the white man's way, and how the lives and priorities reflect in very different ways.
The indian people took Maria in and taught her about the circle of life and how we all grow through this circle. As you walk with Maria and Nakoa through this journey you will become engrossed in their lives and will be able to feel their emotions.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who likes to read love stories, historical books, novels for entertainment, or a book that keeps interested.

Luana Kennedy
Marysville WA

I love the way the yoga philosophy is presented and interpreted. It's a wonderful resource for understanding Patanjali's Yoga Sutras. I highly recommend it.

A beautiful book for anyone who wants to dive into the essence of yoga. Great practical tips and wonderful/powerful chapters helping one to understand the origin and meaning of a personal practise.

I don't have a strong background in Iyengar yoga to tell you that this is an excellent book for anyone on a yogic journey!TAMARA'S YOGA FUSION

We assign this book for our Advanced Yoga class. It is a great way to bridge physical activity with mental activity in the practices of yoga. I enjoyed this book, but it is not for beginners. I think some basic understanding of the practice is needed before reading this which is in more detail.

Being a yoga teacher, I am often asked if there were only 1 book on yoga that I could recommend, which would it be? The answer is The Heart of Yoga. There is no hidden agenda here. The essence of yoga from the heart of a yogi. My second choice would be Srivatsa Ramaswami's-- Yoga for the Three Stages of Life: Developing Your Practice As an Art Form, a Physical Therapy, and a Guiding Philosophy. Second only because it did not have a translation of the Yoga Sutras included, as does The Heart of Yoga.

This is an incredible story about following Jesus and seeking to reach tribal people for Him. This book contains extensive journal entries from the five men involved, so provides a rich amount of detail. Most of the book is comprised of these entries, with Elliot mostly providing background information and transitions between entires. She doesn't fully express herself until the Epilogues, which are very powerful. This book is sure to have a profound impact on all who read it. Highly recommended.

I loved this book, it is definitely one to keep in my collection. Although I noticed that the type is very small and therefore a bit difficult to read ( and I have good eyesight ). Also I think something should be mentioned co: the pictures in the book, I knew it was tribal but I was not aware that there were photos. I still would have bought the book but I would definitely give it a PG rating.

If you are a Christian - this is a must read. If you are not a Christian - this is a must read.

This book should be a part of every Christian's library. I had heard Elizabeth Elliot talk on the radio and had known the story of "the five missionaries" but reading the book gave me great insight to the lives of these families- devoted to ministering to the unsaved. They gave definition to 'the purpose driven life!'

Great book. Poor presentation in this current printing. Words and pictures are small. Paper and physical book itself is low quality.