Cultural Books

Worth buying and seeing his movie -- a great self-help book for any one of any age.

I needed this book like a nearly dead,confused,thirsty traveller wandering aimlessly through the parched desert needs water.
Over the past 2 1/2 years I have read, referenced, and reread this book countless times. I also bought the book on tape and often listen (sometimes just a chapter) for an easy self-centering. Thing is- I'm the sort that rarely watches a movie twice and if I love a book I might read it again- in a couple years. I can't get enough of this timeless wisdom- truly a map to concious living.

All I can say is this is the only "spiritual read" and "self help" book that I gravitate back to time and time again. It truly covers every pittfall and challenge to the human condition.

Thank you Dan Millman- I'm so very gratefull for you!

This guidebook by Dan Millman has useful and wise information for everyone. This book is not your typical trite self-help book that's been rehashed 1000 times.

Dan Millman has done extensive training in meditative disciplines, mystical practices, and other endeavors in the search for enlightenment. While he found these practices to be highly inspirational and wise, he also realized that these practices didn't do any good if you couldn't perform your everyday tasks in an enlightened manner. Thus-Everyday Enlightenment.

The book offers 12 practical and well thought-out-of areas or gateways to pass through for optimal growth as a person emotionally, physically and spiritually. Some of the gateways are: self-worth, money, health, emotions, taming the mind, trusting your intuition, sexuality, love, and serving others. As you apply the suggestions in each chapter you'll find yourself becoming more successful with that particular gateway. When you combine all the insights and wisdom you've learned from the gateways you can't help but live in a more satisfied way.

Dan makes it clear that none of us are ever going to perfect these gateways. They serve as signs and guides to lead us on the path of continual improvement. After all, enlightenment is what you do in the moment. In other words, it's the moment-to-moment awareness and actions that we bring to the present that make us enlightened. No one is ever completely enlightened-they just act more enlightened than others in their day-to-day affairs.

I found many of the anecdotes in the book to be inspirational. Especially inspirational was the chapter about serving others. There are many wonderful stories of people doing extraordinary acts of kindness to help others. If you don't find these moving you might want to get your pulse checked.

The wonderful thing about this book is that Dan writes in a clear fashion that is highly accessible to anyone. He also offers practical examples that aren't just fancy esoteric abstractions. Another thing of importance is that the information in this book doesn't depend on your personal beliefs, sexuality, religion or anything similar. The information rises above factional differences to a unified place that works for all humanity. However, you have to have the effort and willpower to apply the lessons taught.

What makes Dan's writing so impressive is that from these common bonds of enlightenment that apply to all of humanity he elaborates on them in a way that has personal meaning. He doesn't preach to people but accepts them as they are and shows them a path to take. He realizes that everyone's path is a little different but at the same time it's the same as well...The paradox of enlightenment. Read this book for yourself and start applying the techniques and lessons contained therein. This will open up a move vivid picture of reality that creates happiness, enlightenment, and awakening.

This book takes you up the summit of our selves, step by step through well yet openly defined pathways that lead to some consciousness which is all you'll need to keep coming back to-awakening through reading is the ideal experience and why we should do so. Each chapter or gateway has several short to mid size sections that makes it great for commuting and chewing on nuggets of wisdom. This too I found through the library web catalog quite gratefully while this book includes the Peaceful Warrior workout that also makes it worth buying so we can learn and pratice enlightenment through all our day to day actions.

Dan Millman has placed the most practical guide I have seen for living the ins and outs of the real world. We can't go sit on a mountain or retreat to a lake hideaway to revive ourselves. This book tells you how to live the 8-5, rush hour traffic, life while maintaining yourself physically,mentally and emotionally. This is what everyday enlightenment looks like.

this is an exceptional book. I could not put it down. It is a book that will capture your soul and heart from beginning to end. I also had the pleasure to be taught by the author, Dr. Good. He is a marvelous, enlightening, and kind man. His story is a real eye opener to other cultures that are very different from the U.S. incredible book that I will continue to read over and over again. I hope you enjoy the book as much as I did!

Good's work is a participant observation study of a primitive group of Indians who live along the Orinoco river in the Amazon. These people live communally and have a different world view than most of us are familiar with. As a result, the Yanomama normative structure is based on their world and culture. As I tell my sociology students, certain patterns may be considered universal, but the content of culture varies. For example, the Yanomama have no concept of privacy. Everything they did according to Good was public, except for sex and defecation. This is similar to the south African !Kung (Bushmen) who have no word for stranger. (Lee, 1969, !Kung Bushmen Subsistence...) They lived in large circular houses called shapono. There were no walls in these structures, and people arranged themselves by kinship and lineage so that the social organization of the families in the village is reflected in the placement of hearths and hammocks. It is within this structure and the central plaza that nearly all domestic activity takes place: child rearing, food distribution and preparation, trading and feasting, curing and cremation, drug taking of the men, singing and dancing of the women. (p. 33)

Good referred to the Yanomama as the pain in the neck people instead of the fierce people as Napoleon Chagnon did in his original work of the same title. Good found the Yanomama's lack of concern for privacy somewhat difficult to deal with. In our culture, privacy and independence are the expected norm. We even have terms for behaviors that violate such norms such as invasion of privacy and, of course, trespassing. The Yanomama are not viewed as violent or aggressive but rather as highly emotional and acting without (social) constraints. We might call this behavior impulsive.

Good believed that "... the best way to study the Yanomama was to understand the entire cultural context, rather than concentrate solely on the quantitative measurements...wanted to understand them--and I wanted them to understand me...not simply to record what they were doing, but to comprehend what it meant in the context of their lives." (p. 47)

The Yanomama never use their names in public...they call each other by the appropriate kinship term (father, mother, son, daughter) (p. 52) With a numeric system that stops at two, the Yanomama do not reckon years or ages; instead they categorize people according to general age groups: infants, children, adolescents, adults, elders. (p. 66) Their sense of self (women) included lack of concern for the way they appeared to others. Judgments about another person were not based on how they looked/appeared. Although skills in hunting and shamanism were valued, still every person was on the same level as every other one. There was minimal concern with vanity. (p. 80).

Among the Indians, a visit is never just a visit...and trade is always involved. (p. 97) Normally, the Indians don't like to have their pictures taken since they believe that the image (soul-noreshi) is captured. They were especially irritated when the German scientist Eibel-Eibesfeldt set up a video camera in the middle of the village all day. (p. 137)

I certainly empathize with Kenneth Good's comments about Chagnon's work. Unfortunately, I have never been to the Amazon, or lived with the Yanomamo. I do envy his experiences. In addition, I give complete credibility to his comments and find them most interesting. In the past, I assigned his book as required reading for my Sociology classes. I also list Chagnon's work as supplementary reading as well.

I was lucky enough to have Dr. Good for a class one semester at NJCU where he teaches. This book is an insightful look into a world far removed from ours. If one had read this book without meeting Professor Good, one would wonder what type of man he is given the difficulties he faced in the Amazon. Ken is one of the most down to earth professors I've ever had and opened my eyes to a new culture while teaching me to put aside ethnocentrism. If you attend NJCU, I suggest taking him for an anthropology class. Be prepared to have your cultural horizons broadened.

LIke many, I picked this book up from an interest in anthropology. Like most of those same people, when I finished it, it felt as if i'd ended a great novel. To be completely honest, there are a severely limited number of times I (a twenty-six year old male graduate student in politics) have read a book only to have tears roll down my cheeks. Seriously, this is a glorious story as well as a fascinating anthropological commentary.

Here's the context: Ken Good was a graduate student under Napoleon Chagnon who was one of the first to do work with the Yanomamo indians. Chagnon wanted Good to do some research (field work) that might help supplement Chagnon's thesis that that Yanomamo are violent more by nature than culture. No matter the reasons, Good ends up not only abandoning Chagnon and his research, but finds the Yanomamo significantly less violent (by nature or culture) than Chagnon did. This may, in part, have been due to the fact that where Chagnon always remained the detached observer (his book is full of graphs, charts, and statistics), Good's got very personal (no stats here, for better or worse).

...Which brings us to the next layer of the story. Beyond being an anthropological perspective on the Yanomama, it is a fantastic - FANTASTIC! - love story. After a few years of living in the Yanomama community, good was offered a wife according to tradition. It took him a while to warm to it (and her even longer, given that he had strange habits like writing in notebooks and wearing 'foot coverings' Who would do such things?!). Their love blossomed, though, and the second half of the book is much about a host of difficulties: his struggle to 'hold on to her' when obligation took him out of the village for months at a time, the struggle to get a legal marriage to a woman who has no birth records, and later, how to get her out of the village with him.

The only problem i had with the book has less to do with the book and more with its circumstances. Good comments that Chagnon, in painting the Yanomama to be 'fierce people' overexaggerated (rather than fabricated) their ferocity. My guess, after reading both books, is that Good did the same thing by possibly underexaggerating. Good, for instance, will speak of some of the heinous things that Yanomama do, speak of it as a ancillary side-note, and wrap it up in two sentences, only returning to the topic chapters down the road. Truth be told, I think the truth lies betwixt Chagnon's and Good's accounts and I can't fault either book, but when one reads the two together, one gets the impression that BOTH authors completely missed (or ignored) things that the other got. How else could such different accounts come to pass?

For all that I strongly recommend this read both for education in anthropology and as one of the best love stories around.

Book review

I have found the book "Into The Heart" by Kenneth Good very appealing both from a woman's point of view and from a Scriptural aspect. When reading the Bible about how a husband ought to love his wife: Ephesians chapter 5 verses 25, 28, 29, 31, 33, is very clear on that. In Kenneth Good's book I could sense the genuine love this man had for his wife which he had demonstrated in so many ways.

In the jungle, he tried to protect her from harm. During an imminent miscarriage, he insisted on carrying her heavy basket, while they were trekking in the rainforest. Husbands in that culture did not carry women's baskets even if these women were at death's door. Later, when the miscarriage was in progress, he was at her side in the dark of night, trying to comfort her. To shield her from insect bites he sprayed her back with mosquito repellent. A woman is obviously not at her attractive best during a miscarriage or childbirth, but this author was not turned off by her appearance. He did what he could to minimize her suffering. These were acts of kindness out of love. All he wanted to do was to ease her suffering, discomfort and fear. How many men in our Western civilized society would do this? A few but not all!

He further demonstrated his love for his wife when he took her back to the United States. By marrying her, he had made a statement to the WORLD: This is the woman I love, she is the one I have chosen to be the mother of my children. He knew full well that by this interracial cross cultural marriage he would face some criticism. Racism after all is alive and well in our Western Societies. But this author stood by his wife, was never ashamed to be seen with her. Financial sacrifices were made to return for a visit to his wife's tribe and family. It was during such a trip that their second child was born in a jungle hut. It is obvious that every thought of the author was to please his wife, to make her happy, to make her isolation and separation from her family bearable. This is a poignant love story, a story of endurance, a story of sacrifice, a story of one man's unselfish love for his wife. Albeit he lost his wife, but I concur with the saying: " It is better to have loved and lost than not to have loved at all".

A reader in Canada. macska@christiancanada.com

Very accesible book & good introduction not only to Duke Ellington but the world of Jazz. I suppose an author is limited by the number of pages how in depth one can get but still I expected a more critical examination of the contradiction of Ellington's public persona w/ his spirituality and how he reconciled these contradictions. That said, I still found Steed's argument convincing, especially his leading up to his sacred music. This is especially a good book for the new initiate to Duke Ellington.

The author's knowledge of Duke Ellington, and descriptions of his compositions is impressive. After studying Ellington's life and compositions through this book more closely, in his music, even when it is not overtly religious, one can quickly see that Ellington did indeed work out his spirituality through his music, as this author so convincingly argues. Of especial interest is the author's conception of spirituality and her deep artistry of both genuinely recognizing Ellington's and making that connection with his music, and how both shaped and influenced his life. This is not a scholarly tome, but rather a wonderfully quick, short read. As one of many old Ellington fans, my guess is that Duke Ellington would have smiled brightly and given his big stamp of approval to this book.

I just got finished listening to the new CDs of Duke Ellington's Sacred Music, picked up at Borders. Wow! While I was listening to this great stuff I was reading this book. And Wow! again. If you want the nitty, gritty, the lowdown, or dope so to speak, on the Duke you'll have to go somewhere else. Miss Steed does give you the whole story but her emphasis is on his work, his artistry, and his legend--what the Good Man left us with--and his Sacred Music, which he said, was not his best work, but his most important work. And it was real, man, this is what I was looking for, someone who really had something new to say about The Man, and knew what they were talking about! Buy this book and get to know the Duke and the man behind the legend.

I just recently joined a book discussion group and last night, during my first meeting we were discussing Janna Tull Steed's new book "Duke Ellington: A Spiritual Biography." In just 192 pages Steed traces Ellington's development from a piano player to bandleader to composer and his truly thrilling and sublime sacred concerts in the last decade of his life. Steed also discusses in depth Ellington's ability to write for the individual voice, or band member, which seems to be, at least partly, what made and marks him as such an extraordinary and perhaps greatest American composer--that and his overwelming dedication to his music and a relentless ability to constantly break new ground.

Steed's grasp of Ellington and his music, particularly Ellington as a composer is tops. She draws on the enormous archives at the Smithsonian Institution but also on extensive firsthand interviews with scores of people who were intimately familiar with Duke Ellington and his music, and especially his development of his sacred music and concerts. It is in the area of the sacred concerts that Steed breaks new ground but also her focus of Ellinton as composer, as well as his oft forgotten important work in Hollywood. Her outstanding achievment is that she accomplished this in 192 pages. Steed covers the entire scope of Ellington's remarkable life and career and her insights are very welcome and as engaging as they are informative.

I picked this book up after reading Joan of Arc in this Lives and Legacies Series. This new book delivers everything it promises. I'm a real biography nut with an interest in a very broad range of subjects (and that's just what this series delivers) but have little time to immerse myself in a 500 or 700 page reading. So it's great to be able to pick up these short biographies, get a great read, and then decide if I want to explore a subject in further depth. But I can tell you with both these books, short as they are (192 pages), they are still very in-depth, scholarly and but still accessible to the popular audience. Duke Ellington was a particular pleasure as I knew nothing about his Sacred music and Concerts, nor have I run across anything that examines so fully the films that him and his orchestra were featured in, and which by the way Ellington had a significant role in developing. Author Janna Steed offers up a terrific little gem with this new book on Duke Ellington.

Jan Yoors book on his experience living with the Romani is a vivid and beautiful portrayal of a people group that has been overlooked or stereotyped for the last several hundred years. This book helped fuel a desire in me to learn the truth of "Gypsie" culture beyond the stereotypes. It is well worth reading more than once for anyone interested in countercultural groups still in existence.

I really enjoyed reading about Gypsy life. When traveling I would see gypsy caravans here and there in Europe and have been fascinated by their life. This book having been told through the eyes of someone that lived in their world yet came from ours was really engaging. I was surprised to find out about the culture and many rules for making this life work. Also, it was so different than I expected since Gypsy life is very stereotyped; as with most groups there are good and bad members. Jan Yoors was fortunate to have been attached to this kind and loving group of travelers. I was amazed that his parents allowed him to continue to travel with the Gypsies at such a young age. I would be interested to know more about how they could reason that out. Also, it would have been helpful if the book had a glossary for the many words used to describe the Gypsy customs. This book has encouraged me to learn more about the Gypsies.

I am of Romani descent, my ancestors were Czech, and as a girl my great-grandmother told me fascinating stories about her family's nomadic lifestyle. For me, Yoors' work was a continuation of my grannies stories. Of all the material I have read on the Romani, I found "The Gypsies" to be the most concise. Yoors had the amazing opportunity to not only observe the Romani society, but also to be absorbed into it. The readers are given the rare gift of seeing dual sides of the story. Because of his young age, he was able to enter into their society with few cultural biases. At the same time, because he was a gaje he was able to appreciate and embrace the cultural differences. This is a wonderful chronicle of a beautiful culture, which unfortunately is fading fast. For infomation on present day Romani, "Bury Me Standing" by Isabel Fonseca is a great resource.

I am only about 30 pages into the book, but it is very informative and entertaining. I originally read - Bury Me Standing - and though it was thorough and concise, -The Gypsies - is a view of life with the nomadic Rom as seen through the eyes of a young boy. Colorful, whimsical, mysical.
MB

First I have to admit I am a gaje. However, I have an adopted grandson who is Gypsy. He is from a small town in Hungary near the Russian border. I have read a number of books related to the Gypsys and without a doubt this is absoultely the best as it deals with the lives of the Gypsy rather than the meaningless statistics of them or the hardships they have endured. The book left me with a number of unanswered questions such as what happened to Pulika and some of the others that Jan Yoors was associated with during his travels. I have somewhat of an understanding of why Yoors wrote the book in the manner in which he did because of the phylosophy of the Gypsys and their concept of today, completely disregarding yesterday and tomorrow as well as his deep feeling for those with whom he was associated. I found the answer to my questions by reading a follow-up article which answered most of my questions. That article is located at the following website and I would suggest reading this article only after reading the book. It is most unfortunate that Jan Yoors died at such a young age as he obviously had much to offer humanity in its consideration and accepatance of those who are unlike ourselves, but who at the same time have much to offet our society, regardless of the differences in customs and heritage. My grandson has taught me much about being different, which is a lesson much appreciated. Jan Yoors has done mankind a great service in sharing his experiences with us. God rest his soul and give him peace as the Gypsys would want. The site for a follow-up is http://www.nieman.harvard.edu/narrative/digest/notable/gypsy-mjones-010178-a.html

If you were born during the tail end of the Baby Boom or are part of Gen-X, think of "Retro Hell" as a travel guide to Memory Lane. This book covers almost every aspect of life in the 1970's and '80's, from the most profound to the most trivial. What makes this book a joy is its ability to remind you of the little things you've forgotten -- toys, fads, fashions, one-hit-wonder bands, TV shows, commercials -- and bring back a flood of memories.

Though much of the writing is strongly tongue-in-cheek, it's not all cynical... which is quite refreshing. Not everything about the '70's and '80's was horrible; indeed, in an age of terrorism and war, roller disco doesn't seem so bad.

This book was originally published in 1997. If a newer edition is planned, adding some context would be especially helpful, now that the entire decade of the '90's has passed. For it's the seemingly frivolous things that ultimately shape our lives in unexpected ways.

Perfectly suited to its target audience both in subject matter and in presentation, this little encyclopedia is guaranteed to be incomprehensible to anyone who was not a small child during the Ford and Carter administrations. It is an exhaustive laundry list of toys, television shows, and other products marketed to children mostly in the 1970's and early 1980's. Said children grew up, went to college, and spent many a late-night dorm room session processing their mixed amusement and time-gilded fondness for these products. Generation X's strangely premature nostalgia was in the mid-'90's documented and catalogued by the staffers of a 'zine called Ben Is Dead, and subsequently released as a book, published with a silver cover, adorned with a flaming disco ball and digito-futuro typeface, called "Retro Hell".

As with any encyclopedia, this book is not to be read cover to cover. Unlike with an encyclopedia, the entries will not strain the most fragile of attention spans, as they are brief and anecdotal. Some merely invoke the commercial slogan attached to the toy in order to clarify the meaning of the item. Chances are good that if you, a friend or a sibling had a particular game, toy, or favorite TV actor in 1976, it will merit an entry in this book, presumably to your surprise and affectionate delight.

OK, let's face it. We GenX'ers (my DOB: 12/20/69) had discussions about these silly things with our friends as far back as 1986, and it all began with our laughter at the memory of the Brady Bunch, with its plaid polyester and relentless good cheer. (Surprisingly no one has ever called attention in print to the sublime musical score of the Brady Bunch.) By the mid-1990's, most of us were a bit burnt out on that sort of discussion. And yet, the sheer inclusiveness of this book guarantees that the late-night discussions will continue for at least as long as it takes to comb through it, as the diligent editors of BID have dredged up for us memories of long-forgotten things like Wacky Packages, checkered Vans, and Operation!. One can imagine that this catalogue was generated with competitive passion, as the youthful 'zinesters engaged in that most cherished of all verbal sports, "Obscurity One-Upmanship", or "Who can recall the most marginal bit of shameless pop culture detritus from the furthest corners of their memory?

Their effort is worthwhile, despite its novelty. It is as ironic as the generation it was written for, as it is in fact useful trash. It is the narrowest history of minutiae you can possibly find, and therefore the most telling. As might once have been said on a nighttime infomercial somewhere around 1980, "It makes a great gift ! "

If you were born between 1965 to 1979, this book is aimed at you. You may end up disagreeing with many of the entries, but not because they're wrong- just because it can be so embarrassing to see your past held up in a modern light.

This is an encyclopaedic recounting of pop-culture memories of many authors, and was originally published in 3 consecutive issues of Darby's magazine "Ben is Dead". One of the unfortunate side-effects of the translation from magazine to book has been the loss of a bit of material. Most/all of the supplementary articles and sidebars have been lost; a lot of pictures have been dropped (possibly from copyright or trademark infringement?); individual entries have been changed, either to remove possibly inflammatory material, or for some judicious editing. Some entries are gone all-together.

But, after 5+ years, my copies of BiD are brown and curling from acidic decay, water damage, constant re-reading. This book is a more durable, more easily transportable, more easily read and shared compendium of what is undoubtedly the best part of the original 3 issues.

For most entries, there are comments from multiple authors- if you don't like what someone wrote about your favorite subject, there's someone else right after them that wrote exactly what you wish you could say. You'll have old dusty memories jarred- both pleasant and unpleasant. You'll cringe in agony when you realize just how stupid we looked drawing a "Z" in the dirt to run faster when wearing Zips shoes. You'll recall that night you saw Pink Lady & Jeff on TV and realized adults didn't know what they were doing, either. You'll also get a lot of info on regional fads (typically southern California) that may not mean much in the rest of the country, but makes for interesting reading.

The best part about the book is the editorial decision to not just concentrate on the happy/good parts of our collective past. A lot of dirt is listed, too, which will make some people uncomfortable, but it makes the book probably the most honest of the pop-culture books that reference the 70s. Instead of sanitizing and making palatable what was, in all honesty, an incredibly vapid and tasteless era, Retro Hell is more of a catharsis for everyone who grew up in that time. The book's not just a fun read, but it'll probably make you a better person, too.

Concentrating on the period 1970-1988, this textbook of cultural anthropology covers a variety of trivial obsessions which, at the time, must have seemed extremely important. For somebody from the UK, it's like a glimse into a bizarre alternative world of Pet Rocks, Farrah Fawcett's hair and the not-at-all drugs-related H. R. Pufnstuff. Did people once vote for Jimmy Carter? Apparently so. It's written in an engagingly everyday tone by the staff and freinds of a sadly-defunct magazine called 'Ben is Dead', and the only bad thing is that it isn't ten times the size - it's great to read on the train, and my copy is now creased and tatty.

My old punk rock pal Mary Mayhem pawned off a box of old fanzines on me the other day, and there was a big stack of BEN IS DEAD magazines amongst them. I had forgotten how good that magazine was. Its a bona fide work of art (without chewing on it, okay?). The publisher, Darby Romeo, was sort of the archetypal Southern California Jewish cultcha' chick for the '80s. Besides being a brilliant writer, she had a yearning quality and a very original slant. She always seemed to be looking for the real and the authentic, even as she was wading through the shallow and phony junk that is Pop Culture. With her "Retro Hell" issues, its almost as if she's looking for God in the details (and I'm sure He's there somewhere, even amidst the Fonzie lunchboxes and Charlie's Angels posters). Face it, we were all raised amidst the blizzard of Pop Culture artifacts. We tried to create a life (or a so-called lifestyle) out of the crap pouring out of our TV sets, radios, and rock magazines. Darby Romeo graduated from high school in 1985, started publishing BEN IS DEAD in 1988 at around age 21, and I think she kept publishing it until around 1999 or so. Every issue got better, slicker, more original, and even more successful (she even copped a book publishing contract out of the deal). And then, she apparently disappeared from public view. Rumor has it she joined a weird cult. WHich I suspect is just the kind of weird rumor that Romeo would appreciate (everytime I disappear from view people just assume I'm dead, sheesh). She had a highly defined sense of irony on top of irony on top of searching for something real on top of further irony. She was the kind of Hollywood chick who hated and smirked at everything "hip." Even as she seemed obsessed with all things hip. As a little girl in the '80s she had Duran Duran posters all over her bedroom walls (well, she would've if her father had let her). Then in the '90s she launched herself into the gears of the Media Machine and got to interview Duran Duran. She even got grab-assed by Simon LeBon, or one of those hair-boys. So you see, dreams come true. Its odd and odd experience re-reading those "Retro Hell" issues of BEN IS DEAD ten years later. Its a perfectly-preserved time-capsule of the long-gone '90s fanzine scene. So I guess now its Retro Retro.

For anyone who has an interest in Egypt or ever wondered exactly who the ancient Egyptians were and why their dynasties lasted for thousands of years, Barbara Mertz's "Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs" is the perfect introduction. More commonly known to readers as Elizabeth Peters, Mertz is the author of the popular Amelia Peabody mystery series.

Long before she started her career as a best-selling writer, however, Barbara Mertz began as a trained Egyptologist, with a PhD from the famed Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago, the launching pad for many successful Egyptologists. These credentials make her the perfect person to write this history, as she is able to translate the rich Egyptian history of the pharaohs into something more easily understood by readers with no archaeological background, except an interest in Egypt.

This is not to say that the book is always easy reading, although Mertz tackles her subject with a passion and humor readers are unlikely to find in any other, more typical history tome. She manages to bring the Egyptians of old to life, translating ancient hieroglyphs into fascinating stories of individuals, each with their own purpose, strengths and weaknesses exposed.

She opens up the fascinating world of tomb robbers and archaeologists (which some claim are not so far apart in purpose or behavior at times). She demonstrates how information is extrapolated from archaeological findings and illustrates how history is revised over time as new facts and theories come to light.

Despite the injection of personality Mertz brings, this can be dense material at times. For anyone uninitiated in the world of the Egyptians, there are more than 30 dynasties, each with several rulers, falling into 10 eras, dating from the Stone Age Archaic Period to the time of Cleopatra and the Roman invasion. The sheer length of time and individuals and events covered is staggering.

With repeating pharaohnic names, unfamiliar landscapes and place names, conflicting historical research and theories, the book can be overwhelming at times. Yet the reward for sticking it out (dare I even say, re-reading parts) is worth the time and effort expended. Frankly, I read this book twice, cover to cover, and the second time around, I finally began to get a real sense for the overall arc of historical time period covered. And I would hazard to say that it seems even more likely that dipping in again would yield even more historical treasure and understanding.

The richest gift that Mertz offers in her overview of Egypt can be found in the simple stories of the rulers described here, in illuminating for the novice the archaeological tricks of the trade (and weaknesses of such methods) used to determine exactly (or to the best of anyone's knowledge) what happened so many years ago. Mertz's infectious passion for all things Egyptian (well, except possibly pottery shards) can't help but influence her readers to want to learn more. Through her book, she has opened the door to her own exciting world, and readers can't help but want to share in that magic.

Christine Zibas, Book Pleasures

I loved this book. It's very well written and very informative - definitely not "dry" and "stuffy".

The book is interesting as well as fascinating with much information. Just what was needed to add to her Elizabeth Peters novels about Egypt.

I have been interested in Egypt virtually all my life, and have read many books about it over the years. The reason I bought "Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs" is because I knew that Barbara Mertz was the author Elizabeth Peters of Amelia Peabody fame - and Amelia Peters is a favourite of mine.

Dr Mertz combines her wealth of knowledge with her personal style of writing, which makes reading this book just sheer pleasure to read. The book is informative, easy to read and, as already stated, pleasurable to the very end. She provides a reading list for those readers who want to pursue the subject further, and I for one, will be ordering some of these very shortly.

Writing under the pen name Elizabeth Peters, Barbara Mertz started the Amelia Peabody series of tongue-in-cheek Victorian archaeological thrillers in 1975. But 11 years before then this trained Egyptologist published the first edition of "Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs".

Like many other books this traces of the history of ancient Egypt from the pre-dynastic to the Ptolemies. But Mertz brings her sense of humor to lighten what can be a dry series of lists of kings. She brings to life highpoints in the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms, as well as the chaotic periods in between. Moreover, she lifts the veil and lets the reader in on many of the scholarly disputes, like those over the woman pharaoh Hatshepsut and the role of Nefertiti in the succession to her heretical husband Akhenaton.

It's also nice to see someone reveal the egomaniac Ramses II for what he was, a poor leader who lost the second Battle of Kadesh, and who covered his weaknesses by pasting his image everywhere.

For anyone who has read the Peabody books, including the depiction there of Sir William Flinders Petrie (and his approach to feeding his staff), Mertz' homage here to the founder of modern Egyptology is interesting.

In her forward to this Second Edition, Mertz says she thought she wouldn't have to do much to revise the earlier work. But then, she adds, taking into account four decades of new discoveries proved to be a challenge. There are places in this book where she discusses post-1964 work, but the addition of the new material is seamless, with no sense of things just stuck in.

This is a delightful introduction to the fascinating history of ancient Egypt.

While the read was enjoyable and well paced, I'm confused as to the abundance of 5-star ratings for this book. I felt the plot and identity of the Falcon was far too easy to pick out from very early on. Had I been younger and less apt to figure it out, I might have enjoyed it better. I give it a four-star rating though because Stefano was pure deliciousness. I do agree that this book would be excellent as a movie, and will nurse an unlikely hope that a talented filmaker will take it up as his next project.

This book is fantastic. I bought it about a year ago, and I have read it a million times. I loved the mystery behind the "falcon", and the touch of romance all around. The characters are fascinating and keep you hooked. READ THIS BOOK! YOU WILL LOVE IT!

Oh yesss! Dreams of handsome, heroic, brave, strong, romantic, dashing, yummy, etc. etc. guys! I think I'd better reread it right now; maybe I'll get some more nice dreams. Ladies, you need this book even if you have to put up with a cruddy used copy from Amazon resales. (I'll bet someone's stolen the copy from your local library!)

This historical romance by 'Barbara Michaels' aka Elizabeth Peters, is set during the Italian Risorgimento of the mid nineteenth century. Francesca Fairbourn is the daughter of an impoverished English father and an aristocratic Italian mother. Her parents had eloped to England in a most romantic fashion, causing her to be disowned by her family. In true romance fashion the young woman died in childbirth leaving Francesca to be raised by her most impractical father. Shortly after leaving school at 18 Francesca's father dies leaving her totally alone in the world. At that dire moment a dashing young man comes to rescue her from a 'fate worst than death'. He turns out to be her half-cousin and has come to take her back to the family home in Italy. Once there Francesca finds herself embroiled in the Italian revolution, surrounded by anarchists, mercenary soldiers, spies, traitors and dashing romantic hero.

The novel has all the standard cliches of historical fiction and could have easily been just one of the numerous trashy examples of the genre well deserving the title of 'bodice ripper', but for the skillful hand of Michaels. The characters transcend the usual two dimensional character found in romances, the twists and turns of the plot are clever even though the reader will quite possibly solve at least some of the mysteries before the last few pages. The historical background is well researched and presented in an entertaining manner. It is, however, lacking the wry humor found in other works by this author (the Amelia Peabody and Vicky Bliss series).

For even an occasional reader of this type of fiction this one is a great find.

I have collected and read many of Barbara Michaels' Books and this one is My favorite. Set during the Italian Revolution, it gives you a different perspective of Italian History, through English eyes. It was very well written, so much so, that you feel as if the excitement in the book, is very real!! The main characters are intelligent, witty, and daring. You cheer for them throughout the book. I wish this were made into a movie, so visual people, like myself, could indulge in it further. Whether you're a closet romantic, history student, or mystery buff --- you'll want to read it twice....like I did!!!

Very informative book. Definitely not a light read but will leave you with a good understanding of the Amish. Without doubt, it is the first book to read when starting your study of these fascinating people.

After reading Brad Igou's "The Amish: In Their Own Words" I then came to this book by Hostettler - and am glad I did. This book "fills in" the portrait of the Amish by providing a very clear, readable, though factual history of the Amish "progression", if you will. With the Amish existence being much more fragmented than many people think as they lump them all under the term "Amish", this book really brings about an enlightened understanding of the range of the sects and their relation to each other and "the outside World" over the course of their development. It also offers the reader a very gracious, very real portrayal of the Amish that, thankfully, dispels many of the traditional misconceptions about these kind and earnest people.

I purchased this book to educate myself for an upcoming vacation to Pennsylvania Dutch country. I had a basic understanding of Amish beliefs and cultures, but was totally astounded at the differences between the sects. Mr. Hostetler provides first-hand knowledge that no one else has in any other book I've read pertaining to the Amish & Mennonites.

I have studied Amish culture and mores for some time out of both interest, admiration, and other motivations. And nowhere have I found a better resource than this book. That the author was himself raised Amish only lends to the credible nature of this book. But more importantly is the concise and thorough manner in which this book presents its truths and dispells rumors and myths. It served to take many of many of the half truths that I had known of the amish and complete them as no other resource has yet done. I heartily recommend this book. And it was a rather easy read, not bogged down by language. I finished it in a few days.

This was the most informative book on the Amish lifestyle that I have found. The author opens up the life of the amish to his readers. It is easy to understand. He takes you through the history, culture and beliefs. I have a deeper respect for the amish and understanding of their customs since purchasing this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who would like a look into a different way of life. This book opened my eyes and my heart to respecting the amish lifestyle and their privacy.

I love this book. It is funny, touching, memorable, humble, inspiring and all together delightful. I don't like Della's singing, don't know much about her acting. What captured me is her marvelous personality, her smile, her uncommon commonness. There are parts of this book I will carry with me to my grave.

Della Reese is like a streetcar to ecstatic experience. She knows the way to abundance consciousness and she will stop at whatever stop you need to get you there, because it's on her route. This is no airy fairy lady. She tells it totally like it is in this earthy, raw, absolutely beautiful and hilarious tale of her life adventure from Detroit's "Black Bottom" slums to the hills of Bel Air.

If you have ever felt excluded or ridiculed, had a jones for the wrong person or the wrong lifestyle, suffered a broken heart or known there was something great in you, no matter what anyone had to say about it, her words will pick you up and put you right on the trolley!

Like her early mentor, Mahalia Jackson, she fills herself with God-Essence and breathes it out sweetly and powerfully, right to your center, taking you on a trip to exactly the place she wants for you, which is home. Where you are comfortable in your own body and where you know that you are loved.

So, I guess that makes her an "angel", her loving word for people who appear with exactly what you need when you need it, like Nat King Cole, Ed Sullivan and many others did for her. In reading her account, it naturally makes you more aware of how people in your life serve as angels, even when you aren't aware of it at the time.

I first Della's voice when I was a hurtin' little kid, hanging on for dear life, literally, seeking solace in in art and music.
Her jazz voice got me and got me good. Her author's voice, like her voice in gospel, blues, "pop", TV and ministry, it is a voice that tells you of the WHOLE journey from despair to full-out happiness. And that telling causes resonance, so you can feel it, remember it and find your own way to it.

Read this juicy, juicy book! "Period. The end."

This book is wonderful! I love Touched by an Angel, and am a big fan of Della's (Have to buy some of her music someday!) This book really captures Della's effervescent, full-of-life, no-nonsense style. It reads just as if Della was sitting right there in your living room talking right to you. It is full of amazing stories and straight talk about her ups and downs professionally and personally, and the one thing that shines through so very clearly is her powerful and strong faith in God and how He and the human "angels" in her life have brought her through. You really feel you get to know her--her personality sparkles in every chapter. I loved this book.

Having been exposed to Ms. Reese's multi talents throughout my growing up years, I just now finished reading her book which covers the time period from her birth until 1997. And I am glad I did!
Ms. Reese is what I consider a "real" person as she is so wonderfully candid in everything she says and does. The story she tells in her book is no different as she recollects even the details in great honesty.
Her story is very inspiring and uplifting as she teaches her life's lessons in the tribulations she forged through.
If you've ever wanted to sit down and have a chat with Ms. Reese (And who wouldn't?) but couldn't, reading through these pages is the next best thing. It's almost as good as hearing her voice right beside you with her words, smooth and flowing.
I highly recommend this flawlessly written book. It is everything that Della Reese is - interesting, witty, inspiring, intelligent, gutsy, full of love and hope and just like her, it teaches straight from the heart.
BRAVO!!!...THANK YOU!!!... and...ENCORE!!!

This is a very interesting book, that makes you want to keep reading and reading. It focuses mainly on her early years and how she started in the music business, then onto her role as an actor, teacher and preacher. The stories of her life make you feel as though you know her on a more personal level. She speaks in very plain language so it is easy to understand what she is saying. Many people can relate to different parts of her life. You would have never expected some of the things that she has gone though. She has been though many ups and downs in her life and is not afraid to discuss them. She is very open and honest and I applaud her for that. This was very informative. This has made me want to read more biographies of other famous people.

The 21st century has witnessed the shrinking of the world into one global village. Today, businesses and financial markets are irrevocably interlinked. The internet has spawned a remarkable revolution which enables people from around the world to communicate for free with one another through email and online messengers.

As national boundaries become less important, people from all over the world have to interact with each other. Cultural clashes can be inevitable unless people learn to understand how other cultures think and behave.

Thomas Zweifel's book is a must read for today's global managers, diplomats, students, world travellers - infact just about anyone who wants to be a part of the globalized free world.

You cannot truly talk about multinational business issues much less work in a international professional space without understanding the cultures in question and the many pitfalls associated with "diving right in" with possible good intentions but little cultural knowledge. This small yet information heavy book is essential in understanding and navigating Culture Clash.

This book is a must read. For anyone in business looking to climb the corporate ladder this book offers very valuable insight. The author shares his broad and fascinating experiences working with different cultures. I couldn't put this book down. It was a real eye opener.

What is particularly great about this book is that it has so many telling examples, which allows the reader to compare them with his or her own culture.
Reading this book has made me think a lot about the characteristics of the Danish culture (my culture). The qoute on the Germans "But how do we do this? I can't see that this can be done" - that is so Danish!
Such insight is very helpful, because knowing intellectually that your own culture is "a set of rituals and norms" as all other cultures is one thing, but actually being able to see the specific characteristics of your own culture is so much more!

Helle Vincentz Jørgensen, journalist and writer, New York.

Thomas Zweifel's "Culture Clash" is a must-read for anyone embarking on his/her first ventures into the global economy, with valuable tips on how to proceed and, perhaps more significantly, how NOT to proceed. This applies to senior managers as well, including CEOs, especially those anxious to grab their share of the exploding global market without having experienced or learned about its complexities and nuances. Mistakes can be very costly. But it also is valuable for veteran multinationalists for its insightful reminders of what we went through during those formative years of emplaning to a foreign destination on business; the excitement, the formalities, the wisdom of listening, of modest presentation, of respect for ingrained customs, and what can go wrong as well as what did, indeed, go wrong. Beynd all that, its content is amusing and chock full of fascinating mini-case histories that help the pages fly by at a delightful clip. William Schechter
President
William Schechter Incorporated
New York, NY