Cultural Books

slavery in Brazil! This book is very good! It backs everything up with documentation and it shows how cruel of an institution slavery was in Brazil. It also gives the reader a good idea on the scope of slavery in Brazil. 40% of the Africans transported to the new world went to Brazil. This was a country that was totally dependent on African slave labor.

Composed of myriad primary sources, Conrad prefaces each document with a description, date and summary of the following text. Organized topically and then chronologically within each section, the format perfectly suits the researcher. Interestingly, (for my purposes) the text contains numerous accounts of quilombos in Palmares, Bahia, Rio de Janeiro and others. The documents date from 1550 (approx.) through the final proclamation ending slavery in Brazil in 1888. Outstanding research tool, as well as an interesting read for those wishing to learn, first hand, about slavery in Brazil.

This book is a giant collection of primary sources collected and edited by Robert Conrad pertaining to black slavery in Brazil. We used this book in my Slaves Societies of the Americas history course and it was an invaluable asset to my research. I had learned almost nothing about slavery in Brazil prior to reading this book and it has truly showed me the horrors of the institution of slavery. Having been mostly educated on slavery in the US South, I was shocked to discover that there were vastly more slaves in Brazil and that the Brazilian slavery system lasted practically until 1890. This is a must read for those who wish to gain a better understanding of what slavery in the Americas was truly like.

this is a highly technical book with excellent historical references and obvious good research. Very educational and informative. It is very readable. A word of caution: some of the commentaries reflect US or English mindset bias, i.e. a hint of a moral superiority, unwarranted, most probably unintentional and unconsciously done, but frequently encountered in books written in the English language about other cultures, which may offend other native language speakers.

Anandam Kavoori's book, The Children of Shahida is an odd mix, at times compelling at times frustratingly amateurish with typos that an editor should have caught. Nonetheless, the author has created a book with sensitivity, humor and vivid imagery. Kavoori presents unique pockets of old world India, and modern America. He explores this juxtaposition with fresh characters that you want to follow. The book looks at loneliness and isolation from multiple perspectives and, along the way, delivers insights about the Indian soul, innocence and the universal need for belonging. There are moments of raw intimacy and little tender gems that stay with you. Despite its flaws it is well worth the read!

Kavoori's writing is tight, dense with structural and emotional pleasures. You savor his slices of old India, like lamb curries cooking all day long over a low kerosene flame. How effortlessly he shifts time, place and person from a childhood train voyage through post-colonial India to a twenties-something, BMW haul from Silicon Valley to Atlanta. Characters lovingly flawed, remain robust in heart despite major cultural transplants. So worth the read.

This beautifully written, evocative tale of 4 generations of an Indian family is a perfect book club selection. With memorable characters, detailed descriptions of India in the mid-to-late twentieth century, plainly-spoken realities of three major religious traditions struggling to co-exist, and life-changing events for all the characters, it lends itself well to discussion and reflection. While the three sections of the novel are written in the voice of each succeding generation's male character, the primary and most present "voice" thoughout, is Shahida's. She is the force whose life and example flow through the generations of this Christian-Muslim, Indian-American family. A unique perspective and an exquisitely told story.

Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views (6/07)

Anandam Kavoori has written a fictional account of a unique family, living in India and immigrating to the United States. The story covers the lives of three generations of the Solomons, a Christian family with a Muslim name. Rashid, Bashir, and Tyab narrate the story from their point of view. Rashid begins by telling of the formative events of childhood in India. He talks about the games, his friends, and cousins. The stories are filled with the awe and innocence of childhood and are interwoven with the fun-filled pranks and the insensitivity of taunting remarks and bigotry. Rashid tells of the family becoming Christians in Muslim India two generations ago and how, as a result, the family moved into a second-class minority.

Although the book is considered historical fiction, I sensed a parallel of Kavoor's own experiences. He, too, was raised in a small village in India. His father was a rural development officer. He attended high school and college in Delhi before coming to the United States to study. Whether autobiographical or not, it certainly gives him insights into the progression of change and cultural background and the resultant issues faced in intercultural relationships, especially after moving America.

Of the three men, I especially enjoyed Bashir. His experiences in childhood portrayed a love for life and for his family. In college he developed a questioning attitude, preparing him for new experiences while trying to hold on to the traditions and culture of his beloved India. His arranged marriage was a disappointment.

Tyab's world is one filled with trials and loneliness. Born in the United States, his life was impacted by isolation. His early life revolved around the trials of his lesbian mother. Restless, he became a transient moving from his birthplace in New York to Georgia, and later to California where he found work in the computer industry.

Kavoori's characters are so genuinely real and the details of their lives and the transformative events are so simply told it is hard to remember that this is a work of fiction. "The Children of Shahida" is an incredible chronicle of the pleasures and pain of separation and the breakthrough of moving to a different culture and country.

Kavoori explores questions of identity, religion, politics and sex with humor and interesting imagery. In "The Children of Shahida" he shares insights into the parallels and differences of Americans and Indians. Kavoori is a sleeping giant among promising new authors. I am eagerly looking forward to more of his captivating stories.

I had to read this book for a class, and it's definitely better than most of the required reading I've had. If you like F. Scott Fitzgerald and J.D. Salinger, where there is no action but it's a very enriching experience for the character, then you will probably like the book. If you like Michael Crichton or Tom Clancy and are stupid like 90% of everybody else out there, then you probably won't.

Choteau Creek: A Sioux Reminiscence by Joseph Iron Eye Dudley was an easy read, and I was almost turned off by the simple and straightforward style. However, in the end, it is what made the book so enchanting. There were no hidden agendas or questions left unanswered- just a simple story of a man's childhood filled with people everyone should be lucky enough to learn from. This is not to say the book did not deal with deep issues, just that the way they were presented was very easy to grasp. But then again, I would hope the love felt in this book was always this simple and wonderful.

This is a truly tremendous book! Among my personal list of favorites. I found this book quite by accident years ago in a local bookstore and it continues to impact me today. I recommend it wherever I go and have had my own teenage sons and other family members read it. It should be on high school and college reading lists. The style is simple yet heartfelt. The themes so meaningful yet rare in todays world. Themes such as real character, unselfishness, solid role models, tradition, and attachment to place are woven throughout the text. Read it!

I am reminded of a saying I once heard: People may come to dinner, but a true friend helps you wash the dishes. This book presents friends. I can picture Grandma as she tells stories of her childhood or humbly contemplates the meaning of the owl's call. She remains with me after the book is finished. This is a good book for those who need to see the beauty and small acts of kindness and generosity that are triumphant in the face of hardship.

This work has long been known to scholars in the field and is one of the best interpretive works on the relationship between classical culture and Christianity. If many of the judgments may seem a little assured to a new reader, (the first edition came out in 1940) Cochrane handles the extremely complex material with poise and skill, and the work is extremely well-written.
For a more recent take on this subject see Jaroslav Pelikan, Christianity and classical culture: the metamorphosis of natural theology in the Christian encounter with Hellenism. (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1993).

This is a comprehensive narrative of the decline of the classical pagan world and the rise of the Christian middle ages. It is aptly subtitled, "A Study of Thought and Action from Augustus to Augustine," for those two men stand out as the bookends of the transition. The story begins with Eternal Rome at the end of the Republic, and generally with the claims of pagan Rome to finality and mastery -- perfected science in the classical sense -- over the political order of the world. It ends with the destruction of the Empire and the seminal thinker of the next thousand years, Aurelius Augustine. On the way, Cochrane weaves together military history, theology, poetry, philosophy, law and politics in a prose that is certainly not to be confused with Gibbon, but is nonetheless quite readable. Cochrane's avowed mission is to let the classical authors, pagan and Christian alike, speak for themselves and for their positions, and this he does with remarkable fairness. A principal question of the book is, who won the war of philosophers and theologians? Did Athens conquer Jerusalem, imposing classical pagan or Platonic ideas on a Christianity now lost, or did Jerusalem conquer Athens, replacing the classical ways of thought in a radical way? The answer, as one might expect, is complicated, but intelligible. The book is 500 pages long, but will repay multiple readings.

If you want to know how, and why, romanitas became christianitas, this is the book for you. But make no mistake, this isn't any gloss of the process, this is an in-depth as a how-to discussion of surgery.

I've been through this book twice, and I'm always amazed by Cochrane's ability. It helps me (always) to have a primer on Roman history out as I go through it - to check on some of his references and "name-dropping." A Latin dictionary doesn't hurt, either (my Latin's a little rusty since college).

If you want an extensive examination of the christianization of the Roman empire, get this book!

Originally published in 1940, Christianity And Classical Culture: A Study Of Thought And Action From Augustus To Augustine by Charles Norris Chochrane (1889-1945) is a thoughtful, insightful, informative examination of the contrast and sometimes clash between the classical era's culture and struggle to understand the world in purely rational terms, and the completely new understanding of the world developed and spread by Christianity. From divisions of church and state; to the impact that Constantine and the spread of Christianity had; to a technical dissection of propositions concerning sometimes starkly different worldviews, Christianity and Classic Culture has survived the test of time to remain a pillar of philosophical, religious, and cultural analysis.

Once I began reading "Clearview:America's Course" I simply could not put it down. It is a personal historical account of the transition of our country from a place where only some enjoy freedom to a country where finally we can boast that all people are free. We see the past 7 decades through one man's vision, uncluttered by resentment and bitterness at the unjust treatment he endured simply because he was black. Dr. Powell is an inspiration to all. Ms. Nosner writes in a manner that is easy and enjoyable to read.

An excellent work to understand the cultural and historical issues facing blacks in pre civil rights history and beyond. It is a penetrating and inspirational look at overcoming obstacles in pursuit of a dream. It is not contexted solely in racial struggles of minorites but goes beyond this to the courage and deliberation required for any of us that have dreams and aspirations to accomplish something to make this a better world.

this book is one of the most inspirational and motivational books I have read in a long time. It teaches many lessons for people of all ages, especially to never give up.

This is a story of triumph over discrimination based upon the color of one's skin.

Imagine serving your country to win a war, and then returning to your homeland, and not having available to you the resources available to others who worked by your side.

Be amazed that there is only one golf coure in the United States in the year 2001 that is designed, built, and maintained by an African-American family.

Consider that the Professional Golf Association of America eliminated its white-only policy in the early 1960s.

Become inspired by imagining or playing this golf course that is available to any person, regardless of level of skill; for the love of the game.

Ellen Nossner's writing of this man's story is focused, fluid, and revealing.

America has come a long way, in part, due to triumphs of spirit like that of Mr. Powell. We must not lose sight that we still have a ways to go.

Philippe Rosinski's book is essential reading not only for global coaches but also for corporate leaders and business professionals who interact with diverse customers, clients and colleagues. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the diversity of cultural orientations, as well as specific tools and recommendations for broadening and leveraging different cultural orientations in the workplace.

The centerpiece of the book is a comprehensive model, The Cultural Orientations Framework, which provides a structured format for identifying, assessing, developing and leveraging cultural differences. This model can readily be implemented in the workplace, serving as an objective tool for raising an executive's awareness regarding his/her cultural orientation blind spots. As an executive coach working primarily with American executives who are focused on increasing the breadth and flexibility of their cultural orientations, I have found this book to be a valuable resource for enhancing the cross-cultural capabilities of global executives.

Let me be clear, I don't finish reading books these days unless they are good and I certainly don't bother writing reviews unless I think the book is top notch. So it is a pretty safe bet that if you like any of the other books that I have reviewed, you will like this one.

Coaching Across Cultures is another one of those - must have books - for any serious coach working with professionals. Even if you are not interested in an international practice, (and who isn't) this book still is required reading. The book is really about understanding and integrating our differences. Rosinski who lives currently in Belgium, is an Engineer and a MCC by training who has worked in Silicon Valley.

The book is a bit of a smorgasbord. However, it is well designed and packaged so that each section can be considered a self contained component on cultural issues. Part One makes the case for a cultural framework when coaching and points out the dangers of our assumptions and belief systems when working with others of any origin or background. Part Two provides a high level overview of the key components of developing a cross cultural mindset. Although generalized in content, it also provides concrete examples and practical applications of how this plays out in our interactions with others. Part Three is a bit more conceptual and is well suited to those who come from an organizational development perspective. Roskinski has created his own Global Scorecard approach that is tied into his Cultural Orientations Framework. For my reading, it seems thorough, usable and comprehensive.

Coaching Across Cultures is well documented with references, a glossary and some interesting appendixes. There is little to find fault. Perhaps that is because, Rosinski himself is careful never to find fault. He is a great diplomat and finds a place for all styles and approaches whether it is the transactional techniques of some North American coaching styles to the transformational style of others.

If there is one area that I find a little weak, it is his discussion of self-assessment as a precursor the organizational assessment through his Global Scorecard. Now I am the first to admit that assessments are not only my area of interest, it is my business - so I have a bias. That said, I found Rosinski focus on the tools he prefers (the MBTI specifically) left me with the impression that this is THE tool. I also believe that this was not Roskinki's intention - as he does mention a few others but not some that I would have expected. Now don't get me wrong, I love the MBTI and the others he includes but I thought that at least a few more should have been mentioned or acknowledged.

This is a solid, well-written and great new contribution to the field of coaching and working within the global setting. Don't just get this book - read it. I can almost guarantee it will have a positive affect on how you will interact in the future with your clients.

This is the first, and currently only, book on coaching cross-culturally. The author brings the multifaceted perspective of culture into the coaching equation. The book starts with an introduction to coaching and culture and then goes in depth in cultural perspectives. The author wraps up the book with a couple chapters integrating all this into coaching practice.

Coaching is defined as "the art of facilitating the unleashing of people's potential to reach meaningful, important objectives" (page 4). Surprisingly there is nothing distinctly cross-cultural in the definition. Such as "the art of facilitating in culturally relevant ways the unleashing of people's potential..." This definition could come from any book on coaching. Culture is defined broadly to include not just nations and peoples, but corporate culture as well.

The real meat of the book is the second section, nearly half the text. The author presents a series of Cultural Orientations each with tools for how to assess them through coaching. Orientations such as a sense of power and responsibility, time, identity and purpose, organization and communication each have a chapter devoted to them. The author begins each chapter with a presentation of the various cultural perspectives on the Orientation, for example, concerning time there are grids of scarce or plentiful; one activity at a time or multiple tasks; and past, present or future orientation. The author presents a tool for the coach to understand the client's orientation, and for the client (and teammates) to understand himself or herself. The final section is a synthesis of the theory into practice. The author illustrates how he uses his detailed Cultural Orientation grid during coaching sessions.

This book is helpful for those interested in the cross-cultural issues. The book gets a bit lost in trying to reach a wide audience by focusing on at least three audience needs: skills for coaching people of other cultures, cross-cultural team awareness, and personal cultural awareness. The niche this book best fits would be a multicultural team trying to understand each other and how a team leader might coach them through that process of understanding.

The book is not solely dedicated to the international arena but for everyone who works with people from different organizations and backgrounds. The author's aim is to raise the level of awareness of cultural orientations and suggests how to use differences constructively. The book breaks out of the usual confines of cultural assumptions to find creative solutions. It introduces coaching and cross-cultural concepts, provides a framework for integrating coaching and cultural perspectives, and examines numerous cultural orientations. Rosinski presents a Culture Orientations Framework to assess and profile culture, and a Global Scorecard to help set targets at all levels. Chapters discuss how to leverage power and responsibility, time management, identity and purpose, organizational arrangements, notions of territory and boundaries, communication patterns, and modes of thinking. This is a very thoughtful treatment of an unusual and highly important subject.

This is another incredibly beautiful (both the text and the photos) book by Cachuma Press (this review refers to the 1st Edition hardbound copy)!

Anyone living in California or interested otherwise in native conifers, has to have both this book and Ronald Lanner's "Conifers of California".

Each of these books is a remarkable gem, and you will never loan either one out to friends, though you will recommend both to your friends and family.

The paperback version of each is cheaper, slightly, but I think it's well worth getting the hard bound of each book. The binding will hold up much better, trust me. You can buy one paperback copy of each from one of Amazon's outside sellers, used or new, and loan that copy out to your friends, LOL.

Also, check out Ronald Lanner's review here on Amazon, of this Coast Redwood book. He is right-on, regarding how beautiful the book is, but he forgets to mention that his own "Conifers of California" is equally fantastic!

Cachuma Press has done it again, as they did with their book on California Oaks, and with Mr. Lanner's book on conifers...they deserve all the praise they receive!

Novices and academics alike will want copies for their libraries.

This is the first contemporary book that outlines the complete natural and cultural history of the world's tallest tree the Coast Redwood, Sequoia sempervirens. This book makes the most up-to-date scientific information about the trees, their ecology and associated wildlife, accessible and exciting to ordinary folks.

The authors tell the story of these remarkable trees, their logging, the emotions they have inspired, as well as the past- and present-day battles to preserve these forests in an easy to read, balanced manner.

Coast redwood is the world's tallest tree. It is also one of the most useful,rapidly producing enormous volumes of high-grade timber that satisfies many of man's structural and esthetic needs. It grows in very wet habitats that support high biodiversity. And the land it grows on is often fragile and easily eroded with disastrous consequences. For these reasons, and some others, the management and conservation of coast redwood has for well over a century been a focus of popular passions and public policies. From the fraudulent land-grabs of the Timber and Stone Act days to the tree-sit of Julia Butterfly Hill, this valuable and beautiful tree has excited those who would destroy it,those who would preserve it, and those who would use it sustainably.Coast redwood is also a botanical curiosity, from its hexaploid genome to its clonal habit; and much has been learned of its paleohistory. Finally, it is probably the tree that is known of by more people than any other, famous almost everywhere in the world. It is not surprising that much ink has been spilled over the years because of this tree. It has probably inspired the writing of more books than any other woody species, and the publication of more pretty pictures. Unfortunately, most of those books were written when little was known of the science of redwood; or when environmental photography had few practitioners; or by authors who knew a good sales opportunity but had little knowledge of their subject. Well, finally a redwood book has emerged that has the facts to match its utterly stunning pictorials. Though team-written by six authors, its expertise is unquestioned, and its smooth editing lets you glide without bumps from one topic to another. And the topics are comprehensive: origins and distribution, life history, ecology, wildlife, harvest and utilization, history of preservation, and conservation and management. Before writing this review I focused mainly on the biology, and found it nearly impeccable, and far more detailed than what is available elsewhere. But I found myself frequently turning pages to admire the color photos, or the nineteenth century black-and-whites, or the fascinating sidebars on a wide variety of subjects. So maybe I missed an overstatement, or even a blunder somewhere. Maybe. But since this is hands-down the most sumptously illustrated, factually rich monograph of any single tree species ever written for a popular and professional readership, I can only recommend you buy it. But only if you have an interest in forestry, botany, the environment, conservation, history, or wildlife. And if you think you can keep friends and family members from snatching it when your back is turned.

This is a wonderful book on the magnificent redwoods and is a great read. It covers the ancient history and scientific aspects of the redwood forest as well as the cultural history from the glutinous, pillaging past to the environmental inspiration and discoveries that may help save some small remnant of this tiny but magestic portion of our planet.

In addition, the photos are not a publishers quick picks of stock photos to fill the book, but are high resolution photo art from great photographers. I recently moved to the Mendocino area and wanted to get up to speed on the area that has fascinated me so much. This book was the perfect choice.

We live in an age where words like "invasion" and "pre-emptive war" are being bandied about in a frighteningly common-sensical manner. At a time when the US government seems to be set on embarking on a war that has faced consistent opposition, it has becomingly increasingly urgent for all of us to start questioning the nature of this common-sense: why has it become acceptable for policy-makers and media persons to talk about "attacks" and "regime-change" openly as a strategy to create a new world order; how "new" is this form of creating a world order; and what is the nature of the order that is being constructed? John Collins and Ross Glover's edited volume goes a long way in helping address these extremely important questions.
To say that the volume is timely is to state the obvious. What makes it invaluable is that the collection of essays attempts to historicize and bring to light the manner in which political contexts cannot be separated from what pass for rhetorical common-sense. Terms like "terrorism," "vital interests," and "fundamentalism" do not emerge in a vacuum. Understanding their meaning involves a closer look at the political context and the struggles within which they emerge. Collins and Glover have done a remarkable job of putting together a collection that does precisely that. Bypassing academic jargon, the authors have succeeded in making complex arguments accessible to a wide array of people. Collins' essay on "Terrorism" for instance, carefully takes the reader through the historical evolution of the term and the various meanings that have been associated with it during the three decades that it has been critical to US foreign policy. The essays on the concepts of Laura J. Riediehs) and "Civilization versus Barbarianism" (Marina A. Llorente) carefully delineate the manner in which concepts that are supposed to be universal and abstract, with meanings that supposedly make sense to one and all, are constructed in the context of political struggles. I could carefully go through each essay in the collection, but that might involved getting repetitive about what makes this collection so important. To put it in a nutshell, each essay in the volume is an excellent example of what political committed scholarship ought to look like. We live in a world where it is has become urgent for us to understand the dynamic and politically charged nature of the terms that are being used to construct a new world order. Collateral Language is a critical tool that needs to be used in this endeavor. The editing of the volume and its general tenor also make it a great text-book for any undergraduate course or high-school course- be it in Political Science, History or Cultural Studies. This book is a great and necessary read for anyone interested in contemporary politics.

I actually had one of the editors of this (Glover) as a teacher for a sociology course I took, and he brought this book to our attention for the latter third of the semester. While I don't think of him as the greatest of teachers I had, I can hardly fault his and Collins' ability to pick out good articles, and even write some themselves. The selection of articles helped bring some ideas forward in my mind and cleared my head on some matters. Others in the class would mutter afterwards about him being "too liberal," but it was refreshing and the ideas in here felt like fresh air after the stench of far-Right ideology (read: warmongering and abusiveness) I had the (dis)pleasure of dealing with frequently.

WW II led to a couple of interesting works on propaganda: not
how to make your own, but how to recognise it, and how to avoid being taken in by it. In wartime we are perhaps as much in danger of propaganda and manipulation of information from our own governments, as from any other government. George Orwell wrote on how language is manipulated, in 1984 and Animal Farm. Less well known is Thouless "Clear thinking in wartime", with sections on such old favourites as propaganda speeches, and atrocity stories. Thouless' aim was to de-bunk the persuasive-sounding words, and get the reader asking how much hard fact lay behind them. Often, not much.
This new book, edited by Collins and Glover, should make interesting reading. As the generation who remember WWII are dying out, we are losing our knowledge on how to defend ourselves against propaganda. This leaves each citizen at the mercy of an enemy, and also at the mercy of their own govenment. All the war-mongers need to do is roll out a few old tricks, and people will fall for them, just like they did 60 years ago. We badly need books like this one, to help us think clearly in the coming months.
Some will doubtless say books like these are "un-patriotic", or "damage the war effort" or "put our troops in danger" . All that will show is that the propagandists have already started - such words make reading books like these more essential, not less.

"war on terror," "pre-emptive war," "Anthrax," "Blowback," are some of the frequently used words by the trigger happy mullahs in washington. This book aims to illustarte the meaning behind these words. We saw how masterfully the words "Weopons of Mass destruction" were used to justify the occupation of Iraq by the Anglo-American forces. Now it is plain that all these false claims were used to woo the US public. Words such as these are being used by the bush admisnitration and the pentagon as simply and most centainly effectively as "Weopons of mass deception". This book tries to create an informed public by dissecting the rhetoric of the war mongers to create an informed public receptive to reason rather than fear.

Coming Here: Learning To Live In America was conceived and written by Rezzan A. Erten (who arrived in the United States from Ankara, Turkey, when she was seven years old and who currently serves as a contracting officer with the U.S. General Service Administration's Federal Technology Services Division) to be a compendium of practical advice, unsuspected choices, and creative insights into how nearly arrived immigrants and visitors to the United States could quickly and informatively acclimate themselves to their new surroundings. In this aspiration, Rezzan is so resoundingly successful that Coming Here can be strongly and enthusiastically recommended for even home-grown Americans who would like to view this country through fresh and renewed perspectives, as well as anyone, anywhere, who has moved into a new community and wishes to become a part of whatever there is that their new surroundings, neighbors, and community institutions have to offer.

Excellent book! Anyone considering a move to the US should read this wonderful book!

Everyone should read this book who travels, expecially abroad, as well as those that may consider moving to the United States permanently from a foregin country. Ms. Erten has put a perspective on this book like no other I have seen... and I lived in Europe for many years as child growing up in a military family. I wish we had a book like this that could have helped us back then! Ms. Erten's style and poise comes through clearly in her words----and it makes a remarkable story and an interesting read, one that surely will be read over and over in my household! Five stars to Ms. Erten and I hope she writes another story someday soon!

This is a charming and informative book, packed with information told in a very personal manner. I'd highly recommend it to those in other countries planning to visit or move to the United States, and also to Americans interested in learning about the process of adaptation faced by newcomers. Thank you Ms. Erten!

"Common Fire" is a scintillating work--but I'm not sure it's (ENTIRELY) aptly named. The "Fire" part seems to me entirely appropriate, for this book is positively pyrotechnic in its passion and pizzazz! On the other hand, its approach and content are FAR FROM "Common." This book is a masterful synthesis of wit and wisdom. It combines impeccable intellectual and academic credentials with a profoundly spiritual sense of consciousness. It taps and appeals to both the heart AND the mind. In other words, it plumbs the depth of our souls.

Citing scholars as diverse as Ronald Heifetz (of "Leadership W/out Easy Answers"), Robert Kegan (of "In Over Our Heads"), Nel Noddings (of "Caring: A Feminine Approach to Ethics & Moral Education"), Robert Bellah et al. (of "Habits of the Heart"), Robert Putnam (of "Bowling Alone"), Lev Vygotsky (of "Thought and Language,"), Cornel West (of "Race Matters," etc.), Erik Erikson, Thich Nhat Hanh, Peter Senge (of "The 5th Discipline"), and Garrett Hardin (who wrote the seminal essay: "The Tragedy of the Commons")--as well as MANY others, "Common Fire" touches its readers in remarkably nuanced and incisive ways.

The book chronicles the lives of actual people who are extraordinarily committed to serving the common/public good. These (auto)biographical sources lend the book an air of practical, non-fictional, personal authority. The "subjects" of the authors' study thus come across with all their human subjectivity, diversity, and individuality intact. But the book is also carefully enough researched, and thoroughly enough informed, that it conveys a more sweeping sense of "objective truth," as well. Perhaps that's because its authors understand and appreciate paradox, mystery, etc.

Dialectiticians at heart, they see the world thru' a subtle lens of dialectical sophistication & perspicacity. Moreover, their lyrical, compelling prose makes it a veritable page-turner. This book is engrossing. Once it entranced me within its seductive clutches, I couldn't put it down. When I finally finished it, I felt CHANGED, renewed, inspired in a way books rarely make me feel. "Common Fire" demonstrates the power of "constructive engagement with otherness," of the transcendent joy and possibilities of "living within and beyond our respective tribes," of "developing critical habits of mind, a responsible imagination," and "struggling with human fallibility."

SOMETHING has made you investigate this book thus far. I recommend your continuing to follow WHATEVER cosmic force is drawing you thither: So now you have only to go get your hands on this book in order to feel its promethean spark!

Common Fire is more than a book. It is itself a vision and an inspiration. If you're looking for hope and innumerable practical tips about how to create more possibilities for compassion and creativity in our schools and communities, then you'll love the incredible stories that this brilliant, care-full group of four author/educators has put together. Common Fire introduces us to a vision of what our good country can be when we re-envision ourselves as citizens rather than mere "consumers." I find it unbelievably heartbreaking to see America play darkly at the edges of cynicism, despair and violence, all of this supported by a daily barrage of TV and newspaper stories that hold out the lowest possible standard for what we humans can be, individually and in our communities. We are capable of so much more! Each one of our children should grow up in a safe home, surrounded by adults who know how to deal artfully with differences and potential conflict. Each one should grow into a visionary neighborhood of people who help one another and speak well of one another. These courageous Common Fire authors of have really gone out to the edge of what is possible for us as a nation, grounding their vision in the real experience of over one hundred extraordinary, visionary, incredibly committed leaders who refuse to take despair as the answer. As someone who has done professional interviewing, I know how difficult it is to ask good questions, to sort through masses of material for the gold. The Common Fire authors have done a superb job. These are good stories, real pearls of wisdom from mature American citizens who know what they're talking about. I am inspired by their stories, by their tenacity and creativity in situations where so many of us have given up. Common Fire is food for our hungry imaginations. Please read this book and present it as a gift of enkindled love to friends who are teachers, parents, college students, mental health professionals, politicians, community activists, business leaders, priests and ministers. I for one want the new life that these authors and their interviewees offer for us all. And I humbly thank them for all that they have already accomplished for my neighbors and for my country.

The book was astonishing in pinpointing the hearts of our "miracle workers" who have been able to elevate the conscious of those people who have either lost hope in the restructuring of our social fabric.

A wonderfully researched and written book that explores a difficult yet compelling topic. The authors should be commended for making striking advancements in the discussion of leading a committed life.