Z Books

Great European Novel, The language is Croatian, not Serbo Croatian. Town and country he is writing about is Zagreb and Croatia. The characters are unfogetable (Boba, Kyriales and others). I read this book about 100 times during the past 24 years. Make yourself a favour, read it slowly! Enoy!

The early 20th century Croatian novelist Miroslav Krleza is far less well known in this country than, say, Bosnian novelist Ivo Andric or Croatian journalist and novelist Slavenka Drakulic, but reading this excellent book convinces me that he is far superior to the latter and almost in the class of the former. "The Return of Philip Latinowicz" tells the story of an aging and doubting painter who returns from cosmopolitan Europe to his small Croatian home town, both to retreat from current problems and to confront lingering uncertainties and resentments from his youth. The atmosphere, as the reader from the Netherlands writes, is wonderfully Dostoevskian in places; the characters are drawn unforgettably (at times with humor, at others with pathos); the story moves slowly at the beginning but becomes a sort of psychological thriller by the end. This is a very impressive book that deserves wide readership.

Just another great classic from the hand of the greatest coroatian writer.Like his early works, this book represent a modern style in his best way. A must read!

Unfortunately, only two novels of Krleza's have been translated into English, which does not even come near to doing justice to the volumes of novels, stories, plays, poems and essays this multi-talented writer has produced. The reviewer below is incorrect in saying Krleza is "almost" in the class of Andric. Krleza far surpasses Andric, and this can be sensed in "The Return of Filip Latinovicz." I highly recommend this and esp. "On the Edge of Reason."

This novel, rammed with ideas, bulging with imagination, shows fierceness and intensity of feeling characteristic of a slavic temperament. The Croatian writer, although sharing certain similarities with russian giant Dostoyevsky, has created a radiating, mind-boggling existential drama, soaked in regional folklore, yet, deeply resonating with universal verities.

Very interesting & informative! Familiar saints & those less-known are brought to life through the writings of Cynthia Cavnar. I also thought "A Note to the Reader" was a most valuable lesson on the process leading to sainthood. Since I have been living in Germany for the past 3 years, the book made those who are saints or on their way to sainthood that lived in this area during the period of WWII, a real inspiration. This book is not only a great reference book but also a most enjoyable read.

Cindy Cavnar does it again! She has a knack for finding the most unusual,inspiring facts about the saints, particularly tales of their everyday lives that often mirror our own. Her ability to weave accurate information and fascinating detail into short, easy to read anecdotes makes the book consistently enjoyable.

Very interesting & informative! Familiar saints & those less-known are brought to life through the writings of Cynthia Cavnar. I also thought "A Note to the Reader" was a most valuable lesson on the process leading to sainthood. Since I have been living in Germany for the past 3 years, the book made those who are saints or on their way to sainthood that lived in this area during the period of WWII, a real inspiration. This book is not only a great reference book but also a most enjoyable read.

Cynthia Cavnar has made a valuable contribution to present-day readers whether they already are fans of the saints or newly interested persons with a desire to learn more about those Christians who have gone before us establishing the rich tradition of the church. She has done much research and does an excellent job with a balanced and believable presentation. She searches for the "truth" about the saints, neither neglecting nor overemphasizing their humanity as well as their spirituality and the mysticism surrounding their lives. This book is informative and inspirational. It can be a valuable resource for all church related educational programs as well as spiritually rewarding for the individual reader.

This is the kind of book you can read a little at a time, picking places at random, and have an "inspiration" each time. Whether you happen on an established Saint, a "Servant of God", "Venerable" or "Blessed" person (all explained simply in the forward to the book), you'll be captivated by the short biographies of these people.

The variety is exceptional: familiar names you may want to refresh your memory on, and you're sure to find several brand new stories, as well. From many countries, all walks of life, and all centuries, the aquaintances you make here will renew your faith in humanity, and boost your own hope for the world. I found quite a few, too, who challenged me, and reminded me that I, too, am called to live a life for others.

Vocabulary is suitable for older high school students, young adults and adults; those folks would have to re-tell the stories for younger readers.

I'm thinking of making this my "book for Lent"--it will fit into the few minutes I can steal morning, waiting for appointments and before falling asleep. And what better company could I find for the long Lenten journey?

Santora, The Good Daughter, is one of my all-time favorite books. It is impeccably written, sensitive, intense, exciting, subtle, and even humorous. It is a tale of one woman's search for spiritual clarity, identity, and strength of character. Cruz sweeps the reader along in a tidal wave of inner conflict and searching. Her protagonist struggles with religion, spirituality, magic, superstition, lust, sex, romance, family, tradition, commitment, prayer, spells, independence, love, and the fear that she may be "chosen," albeit reluctantly. This book has it all! Cruz strips away the convention of society and religion to reveal hypocrisy, mob mentality, and mundane obsessions.

I love the clarity with which Cruz reveals the Latino family values in America: the traditions, the loyalty, the food. This is a wonderful, fun, and very exciting read, and you can take it as lightly or as deeply as you choose, because it runs the gamut. I highly recommend it to anyone involved in the healing arts, spiritual searching, personal magic, and I especially recommend it to Latinas who feel they don't quite "fit in," either in their traditional culture or the mainstream American culture.(Review by Jeanne du Soleil, author of A Guide for Tortured Souls)

This book is a wonderful example of our connections to our indigenismo history. Excellent writing, and carefully edited for misrepresentations of the culture.

This was a magical, sometimes humorous journey as we watch Candela change from a hesitant young woman unsure how to use her powers of healing and sight, into a woman with a clear purpose. Confused and ambivalent about the Catholic Church, Candela nevertheless puts the symbols and spiritual powers of the church to her own uses, which I thought was one of the most fascinating aspects of the story. There is a quasi-reality to some of the experiences Candela has, which serve as an expression of her personal perceptions of life in this, and the other, world. There is also a warm reality in her home life, which Candela struggles to put there with her traditional Mexican cooking, described in sensuous detail. I think these two levels of reality are brought together in the ending, and we can see that Candela will be a strong, independent and loving woman, putting her knowledge and powers to good use.

The artwork, front and back cover, as well as the small milagros at the beginning of each chapter, were just great, helping me to visualize the story. The non-traditional milagros are additional ironic comments on the symbols of the Catholic church.

This book was very entertaining and packed with an intact story line and sub-stories. Candela's transition from a young, difting lifestyle to a mature, confident woman was very well portrayed using many characters, sub stories, styles and tempos. It can be read for light entertainment or like an onion, layers can be peeled off and discussed in great detail for it's social/religious/cultural content.
It is truly a great piece of work and should be of great interest to people looking for high quality novels by latino americans.

I really enjoyed Santora, The Good daughter for several reasons.

It gave me a glimpse into a persons life whose culture, environment and beliefs are very different than mine. I am allways interested in broadening my horizons and I value diveresity. I felt that this book provided insight into spritualism and mexican culture in a format that was very entertaining.

It was a good story. I thought the characters where interesting and the events that our hero went through held my interest. I especially liked the battle at the Botanica along with the disco evening with Jesus.

The artwork also gave me something to think about as each chapter unfolded.

I enjoyed the setting. I am familiar with San Francisco so I like all books that highlight neighborhoods whose streets I have walked upon. I do need to get more courageous about entering the shops and perhaps buying some candles. The book has inspired me to build my own altar.

This is a hugely impressive book. It's accessible, informative and well written. A must have if the area interests you.

Mickey Z is one of the best left wing writers (and a great poet) working right now. Everyone should pre-order this book and tell their friends. To put it in a simpler way - Mickey Z is more fun to read then most of the radical but dry books about Bush's war propaganda - and is also far more hard hitting - but as accessible than the troika of mainstream liberals suddenly declaring themselves anti-imperialist In many ways, he is comparable to a Brooklyn version of Paul Virillio - he sees through everything, but instead of writing like a professor of architecture, his style is that of Bukowski filtered through historical materialism. His writing is witty enough for a high school kid who's cynical about politcs but sophisticated enough for seasoned analysts like Michael Parenti.

The vast majority of citizens of the United States are either unaware or don't care about the magnitude and regularity of the crimes committed by their government in their name. They rather think their government is a "light unto the world" going about its business, wishing nothing other than to be left alone to pursue its peaceful American dream. Whether this is due to the disingenuousness of those citizens or the effectiveness of these spins is debatable. This book is more of a too often obscure but important documentation proving the United States government continues to be, and with occasional competition always has been, the greatest threat to world peace. It serves also as a look into the modus operandi of the mafia enterprise known as America.

Mickey's historical reach encompasses with equal clarity events as disparate as George Washington's racism justifying the slaughter of Natives by labeling them savages and brutes, to the current campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq, and beyond. Yet his narrative is vivifying rather than ponderous. He touches upon many important U.S. historical epochs to prove even more than what the worst cynic might have suspected: the whole history of this country is conceived and steeped in bloodshed and suffering - and spin. From the arrival of Columbus in 1492 right up to the current imperial crusades in Iraq, Afghanistan, Colombia, Israel/Palestine, and, given the nature of spin and the complicity of the corporate media, who knows where all else, U.S. policy has been one imperial aggrandizement after another.

The Seven Deadly Spins are used to turn America's long historical penchant for war, brutality, and ethnic cleansing into something other than what it really is, often its very opposite, to justify it, and allow its perpetuation. Part of the aim of spin is to glorify war as the triumphing of the quasi-religious good, the United States and its actions, over the foreboding evil, the enemy du jour, in the eternal Manichean struggle between the forces of light and darkness. Another part is to sanitize the wanton bloodshed of countless innocents and other atrocities. For the charade to continue, these must be whitewashed as unfortunate accidents, or justified as necessary for a greater good, when they are acknowledged at all.

Vietnam and the ethnic cleansing of Native Americans are the most obvious of many examples of American rapine. Far too many are quite forgiving of these and a long list of like outrages. As Mickey quotes Robert Jensen as saying, "In affluent societies, one should expect a lot of `willed ignorance' from people. If one's privilege is based on maintaining the empire, it's not surprising that some people won't want to know about what the empire really does."

Although the information is available, fewer bother to learn about U.S. complicity in other imperial intrigues, like the assassination of Allende in Chile and the installation of the brutal Pinochet in his stead, for example. Likewise the U.S.-backed Suharto and his multiple genocides in Indonesia and East Timor. The assassination of Arbenz in Guatemala in 1954 was accomplished at Eisenhower's behest, ushering in four decades of terror resulting in 200,000 murders. Mickey touches upon these shameful but hardly anomalous chapters in American history, as well as countless assaults on Cuba over a century, 32 interventions into Latin America between 1989 and 1934 alone, along with interventions into Grenada, Somalia, Serbia, Kosovo, the Congo, Panama, Russia in 1919, the calculated indifference to the Rwandan genocide contrary to international law, and the reality of the often surreptitious motives animating U.S. policy in World Wars I and II. Michey doesn't so much cover old territory in describing these shameful chapters in U.S. foreign policy as he does detail the perennial spin that is used to justify, slant, and hide them.

Mickey's prose is inimitable, terse, buoying and accessible. We observe along with him the rule in U.S. political affairs, conscious and deliberate, which invariably gives lie to the conventional history. Illustrative is President James Polk unilaterally provoking a war with Mexico in 1946, which, as intended, eventuated in U.S. annexation of what are now Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Nevada, Utah, California, and part of Colorado. Mickey cites Teddy Roosevelt, enshrined on Mount Rushmore with all that's good and decent about America, as saying, "I should welcome any war, for I think this country needs one." The sinking of the Maine in Havana Harbor, probably the result of an accidental explosion of its coal-fired engine, soon served as the pretext for war with Spain. This short war in turn led to the U.S. invasion of the Philippines, and the merciless slaughter of 600,000 defenseless Filipinos.

One of many virtues of this book is the sources from which it draws, and with whom Mickey's writing deserves to be classed: Noam Chomsky, William Blum and Howard Zinn are the most noteworthy. Equally as important voices as Paul Atwood, Mark Zepezauer, Ward Churchill, and Kenneth C. Davis are also cited. All draw a similar picture. As Paul Atwood puts it, "While we claim to be a generous, humane society, I see us as cold-blooded, selfish, increasingly narcissistic and out of touch with a broader reality. Though half the population of the planet goes to bed hungry every night, we Americans are grossly overfed. There is a direct connection between these two phenomena but we are in denial about it."

"Professional iconoclast..."
--New York Newsday

"Political provocateur..."
--Time Out New York

"Acerbic wit and dogged interrogation of accepted wisdom...matches Chomsky in breadth of source material and in the scalding heat of his moral outrage..."
--New Internationalist

"Iconoclastic and bold..."
--Howard Zinn

"Bukowski filtered through historical materialism..."
--Jordy Cummings

"Very similar to the stuff Emma Goldman was saying back in 1898..."
--Chuck Munson, Infoshop News

"...encyclopedic knowledge..."
--Greg Elich

"Has a sharp eye which sees what most miss..."
--Joe Connelly, editor of Veg News

"In the tradition of Zinn and Galeano..."
--David Barsamian, Alternative Radio

"Mickey Z. rocks!"
--Mark Zepezauer

"How can one be so sweet and yet so fierce?"
--Sander Hicks, founder of Soft Skull Press

"You write well; it's too bad you're on the wrong side."
--Peter F. Vallone, Jr., New York City Council Member, District 22

This is a must read for anyone that believes the government goes to war only for humanitarian and defense related reasons. Z in his direct, hilarious style exposes the fraud we call American democracy, through hard facts and clear prose. Buy this book for your relative or friend that wants to understand why you question everything. Mickey is their gateway to dissent.

This book covers pretty much all the stains you are likely to deal with at home.

I bought a copies for my daughters. One has a toddler and the other is expecting a baby soon. I told them they don't think they need this now, but wait.

Great shape and timely arrival.

I have found this book to be a great addition to my laundry room for quick reference. I have given several away as shower gifts, a high school graduation and birthdays. I like the size and the easy reference.

This seems like a great little book and should be very useful for many years. I trust it because it is published by Good Housekeeping whose test labs do a lot of testing and research.

This book was published too soon to contain any details from THE SWORD OF KHALESS (DS9), TRIALS AND TRIBBLE-ATIONS (DS9), FLASHBACK (VOYAGER), & the FIRST CONTACT film. Otherwise, it's a great book with alternate titles and references to all of the classic & cartoon episodes and films

i thought that the original copy was better with the little chart that helps find certain episodes, but all in all i love this book.

When Bjo Trimble did her first CONCORDANCE in the 1970's it was FANTASTIC,a really good book that covered everything at that time.Now,with the final STAR TREK film done, there is the closing out of the great STAR TREK era and this book covers it very well.There are other good STAR TREK history books,but this is one that stands out.This is a NEEDED part of ANY STAR TREK collection,a well done job.

For those of you who liked the original "Fan Produced" edition and/or the 1977 professionally produced one, YOU ARE GONNA LOVE THIS ONE! BJO has completely revised the book, not only including info from the moveis, but also info about both the live-action and annimated seriese from Gene Roddenberrys and others files that she did not have access to before. The book has got to have at least 10 times the info in the 1977 edition and she has also corrected the errors that cropped up in the older editions and added a lot more "fan art" than before. I can not emphasise this enough! This is a must have for all trekkies. Even Gene Goddenberry himself use the oleder version of this book to keep track of his universe. The star trek Encycolpedia pales in comparison to detali to this one. so if you love your Classic Trek, order it now.

...but be aware that this book is from 1976, so you will only get information on the original series from the 1960s and the often neglected (but often bizarre) animated series from 1973-74. So you won't find any info on any of the movies (since the first Star Trek movie wouldn't be until 1979), The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, or Voyager. This is basically those who enjoy the original and the animated Star Trek. The 1976 version of Star Trek Concordance came with a gimmick cover, which you use as an index for each episode, stardate, and other things, and it guides you to what page the episode and stardate are. In the book itself is a description of each and every episode, both the original and the animateds. Description of the cast members are also given in every episode. Near the back is a glossary giving details to each and every character such as Spock, Dr. McCoy, Kirk, Sulu, Uhura, Scotty, etc. (and who played them, like Shatner, Nimoy, Takei, Doohan, etc.), as well as discriptions of various alien life like Vulcans, Romulans, Klingons, etc. The glossary even goes as so far as describing terms that might be a bit over some people's head. They even mention haggis, since there was a famous episode where Scotty said, "The haggis is in the fire now". In the very back is Star Trek fan art, where various people submitted their own artwork of different Star Trek characters and aliens. It's a great and useful book, if you bear in mind when this was published. If you're looking for info on the Star Trek movies, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine and Voyager, you will obviously need much more updated material.

People who are headed toward their retirement years will be especially uplifted by this one. I would recommend Dr. Peale's books to those who are interested in the "New Age" type "Secrets" venues as he knew the secret a long time ago. Ever so often, both my daughter & I, re-read his timeless treasure, "The Power of Positive Thinking"; a book my father's generation read and just as pertinent, today, as ever. Read them, give them as gifts for all ages. They will rejuvenate the mind.

Having just read a 1957 copy of this book, it is absolutely amazing how much American life back then is still so applicable today. Dr. Peale's words of wisdom are skillfully set out by experience and example, personal and otherwise. Many of the characters identified in the book are still living. Dr. Peale candidly offers healthy, inspirational and spiritual techniques to heal the wounds of everyday living with class and resolve leaving the reader to truly feel that life is not a problem, but rather that life is a solution.

If you want to make your life happier and a better place to live in you are on the search of a right book that'll make you relax and teach you to be confident of yourself on every turn of life. A soothing book that suggests you remedies to relieve tension and stress. Life brings along with it all types of ups and downs which make you happy as well as sad so to overcome your sadness this book will be the greatest guide with the best examples from your day to day life. DO TRY IT.

Stay Alive All Of Your Life is absolutely a must have book. It gives guidelines on how to enjoy each moment of every day . It is written in simple english so that it is easy to understand. It lets us know that life can be fun and exciting, no matter what the world problems are. A wonderful book!!

Dr. Peale starts out reminding us that Jesus said He came to give us life and to give it more abundantly! (See John 10:10). From that Scripture he goes on to tell us that "You can do no more than you believe you can." Actions begin with the seed of belief. This book is designed to plant the right seeds of belief within its readers.

Faith enables an individual to get in harmony with God. It is through trusting Him that the supernatural is manifested. He emphasizes this point by encouraging us to continually fill our minds with possibility thoughts. Replace doubt with expectancy.

A familiar theme that he drives home in this book and other works is that what you visualize in your mind is produced in the physical dimension. Consider the statement he makes on faith and results when he says, "Think big, and powerful forces are released." Planning for inspiration is essential to the achiever's lifestyle. "Travel, music, art, stimulating friends, and good books contribute to inspirational living," he reminds us.

Some profound thoughts on God's perfect timing are also included. We're reminded of the need to synchronize our timing with His, and that as Christians He lives in us.

Dr. Peale is a master at communicating truth from the Bible. His teachings on how to apply eternal principles is as effective now as ever. Read this book and apply it and you will attain the satisfaction of a life well lived.

I'm a basketball fanatic, I love every aspect of the game. I watch it as a spectator, I coach, I ref, I organize, I do whatever to help the game advance. I also read a lot. I bought this book few years back and read it, I loved every minute of it. Every page had something interesting, some piece of advice. I knew most of it, I got a different perspective on a lot of things and a lot of ideas. Unfortunately, I forgot about this book in my bookshelf. I came across last week and started reading it again, it's still as good as it was the first, second and third time I read it. It's something I will likely come back to every now and then, just like some other excellent basketball books. Highly recommended for everyone who loves basketball.

This new version of the late Dick DeVenzio's classic book of basketball 'tips' has been re-typeset and is much easier to read thanks to his Point Guard College protege Dena Evans. Every player and coach should have a copy of this book. Amazon's price is great on this hardcover edition. I bought the original in 1995 when I broke my foot and was unable to play ball for two years. Now I have bought copies for my son and his high school coaches along with DeVenzio's Runnin' the Show.

The things covered in Stuff are not found in any other basketball book I have read-- things many coaches surely know, but don't remember to teach and reinforce- or things they have forgotten and never really put into words. If you are a player or coach or know one, buy this book.

Coaches: You may try, but you can't teach every principle and golden rule in this book. So give it to them on their birthday's and they might surprise you by making the play you wanted them to make, without teaching it to them. Coach Dick "stuff" Devenzio did.
Players: surprise your coach by knowing and performing what he wants, before he even tells you.
As a player I would have liked to keep this book in my sportsbag, as a coach I would have liked to have written this book myself.

Although this book is in alphabetical order it doesn't jump all over the place. They try to keep a continuous flow to make it interesting and informative. The best point of this book is to give you a different approach to almost anything you'd encounter in a game.

It is exactly what I was looking for. The price was right and the book could only be found on Amazon. Thanks

Oooh, the illustrations in this book. They are just delicious.

The story is great -- terrific characters, and very easy to relate to.

And in the end, the bear has a full tummy and goes to bed, but not before he writes a thank-you note!

Find a copy of this one and devour it with your children. It is a keeper.

I should mention that my husband does not like the gulping sounds the animals make (such as "hom hom" and "hop la")-- he doesn't like to read them aloud. But they are Hungarian, I suppose, so on with the show!

We love it.

Tale of Tails is a clever play on words. It is a fun story about a fox who uses his tail to catch much desired fish. His friend, Bear wants some, but fox is too greedy to share and told Bear about his fishing method--to use his tale. Well, the fun of the story is what happens next. It is well written, and cleverly illustrated.

Judit Bodnar's rollicking tale of tables turned & turned again, in a funny & Aesopian tall tale, is wonderfully endowed by John Sandford's awesome artistry of life in an amazingly enchanted forest!

Fox is a quick witted creature & soon catches himself a basketful of trout. Just as he's about to dig in to his huge supper, he hears a knocking at his door. It's Bear, drawn to his friend's home by the lovely fishy smell.

Fox is not a polite neighbor & tells Bear to take a hike & when Bear persists, Fox thinks to give him a hard time by telling him how to fish for his own supper.

Bear, being a bit of a bumbler, takes Fox's lesson to heart & sits for one miserably cold winter night with his tale stuck in a lake.

In the morning, without catching one fish, Bear decides to go home. When he stands up he finds his tale frozen to the lake. With a mighty heave Bear pulls the whole lake out & staggers away, muttering at his Foxy friend.

Naturally, the lake melts & Bear gets his own feast, beyond Fox's imaginings!

A wonderful book to be read & re-read for the story & for the pictures!

My son was read this book in school and absolutely loved it! He's 7 years old and begged me for a copy of his own. He can't wait to receive it.

I was delighted to discover this book while volunteering at my son's school library. After renewing Tale of a Tail from the library twice, I decided we needed to own it for our own home collection.

This story is new to those of us in the West, but it has all the elements of a classic (and is, in fact, an old Hungarian fable.) The story of Tale of a Tail has a wonderful and surprising twist that makes it an enjoyable read for parents as well as children. The artwork in the illustrations is gorgeous; I am surprised this book did not win a Caldecott award.

This book earns the highest recommendation of our family!!!

Kantrowitz, Arnie. "Under the Rainbow: Growing Up Gay". Morrow, 1977.

An Early Treasure

Amos Lassen

"Under the Rainbow" is one of the first gay books I ever read and although it was written 30 years ago I found when rereading it last night that it still has a lot to say.
Arnie Kantrowitz has always been one of my heroes because he dared to buck the system for gay rights when not many dared to do so. He is a "good Jewish boy" who was a child t very difficult parents or as he calls them "Freudian classics" and he happened to turn out to be gay. This book is his story and it gives great insight of what it is like to grow up Jewish and gay. We learn all about him from his earliest recognition that he had same-sex tendencies and read about his coming out of the closet a long time later and his ultimately becoming a national spokesman and gay activist. He appeared on the Jack Paar show early on when talk shows were new and because of this he was uninvited by his parents to the yearly Passover mean and his uncle declared him to be dead.
The beauty of the book is that he omits nothing. In the beginning he tried to love both women and men and finally had to admit the truth to the women who loved him. He attempted suicide several times and did not succeed. His life is filled with sex--anonymous, random and bathhouse orgies, he cruised Fire Island, and bathrooms for gratification. He became involved in politics and he lived on a gay commune and he lived the history of our movement and community.
The boy focuses on his gay experiences but it does not leave out the author's other life--ethnic, psychological, educational and spiritual. We get a whole picture of the whole man and he is quite a man.
Memoirs written in the first person can be very boring reads but this is one that will hold your interest and have you flipping pages. His views and insights on organizing for gay rights are wonderful as is the way he writes on his relationship with his family, his lovers and his friends. There is neither bitterness nor regret here.
I love the way Kantrowitz wrote of his mother--she is THE Jewish mother--complex, intelligent and resourceful and dominating. I also respect greatly the way our freedoms were stressed and knowing that the author had something to do with us achieving them gives me a sense of kinship with him.
This is a touching book especially when we realize that so much of it is part of our history. He writes of tolerance and acceptance and above all loving yourself, something all of us need to do a little more.
This is a book that demands to be read and it is a pity tthat not many know about it. Kantrowitz is open and honest and he moved me to tears on several occasions. I can't recommend it highly enough.

I had Professor Kantrowitz as my English teacher in college and I was glad I took his class. He mentioned during class that he wrote a book dealing with his sexuality. I think I might have been the only person to read it. Arnie makes the book his and flies with it. I am amazed that he is as bright and cheerfull as he is today considering. I spoke with him in office about the book and a brief shadow of sadness reflected on his face. I give due credit to him for the strength he has and the obstacles he overcame.

This is a sweet, wonderful, easily readable book about one man's life before and after Stonewall.

First-person stories about being gay can be boring, especially if they've very confessional in nature. Kantrowitz thankfully avoids that. He speaks about the inside politics of gay rights organizing, and relationships with family, lovers and friends, without bitterness....

One of things I found most interesting in Under The Rainbow was the portrayal of Arnie's mother. Like Arnie, I'm Jewish, and personally, I've come to find the doting, ...nurturing "greenhorn" yiddishe mama figure in literature two-dimensional and unrealistic. In contrast, Arnie's portrayal of his mother is that of a complex, intelligent, resourceful woman tormented by being of two mindsets, that of New York City and "the shtetl". ...

Under the Rainbow also explores the dynamics of poverty in the Jewish community, which is a refreshing change from the usual first-generation-tailor-second-generation-doctor immigrant success story.

I'm also gay, and this book make me grateful for the freedoms I have now. I hope that more gay people in their twenties read this. Knowing one's own history is important.

I don't have any harsh criticisms of this book. Would every gay person see themselves in this book? Probably not, but it's ridiculous to presume that all gay people should. Some readers would probably be rankled by Kantrowitz's left-wing politics (though others would say he isn't radical enough), others by the S and M, others by not seeing their specific ethnic groups represented. You can't please everyone. How much can you fit in one book that you can still carry around?

The only reason I don't give it more than four stars is that I'm not sure any book is perfect.

Arnie Kantrowitz was my College Professor, and it was there that he told us about his book. I purchased it, and I was floored. I am a heterosexual female, and I felt like I knew what he was going through. His memories; funny, sad, and always vivid, touched me as few books ever have. Though I have not seen him in several years, the lessons I learned in his class, and his book, guide me today. His book is about tolerance, acceptance, and self-love, something we can all use a little of. Wherever you are, Professor Kantrowitz, I love you!

This coming out story should be required reading! To all those who thought the "classic" coming out story was John Reid's BEST LITTLE BOY IN THE WORLD, all I can say is, you must read UNDER THE RAINBOW. Arnie Kantrowitz is open and honest about his life in a way Reid never attempted. Reading this book, I was frequently moved to tears as I recognized in his story the same experiences I had had in my own coming-out process. It is a shame that this book is not better known; it is the best book of its kind that I have ever read. Don't miss this one!