Cultural Books

I almost didn't pick this one up ~ just another book on life of middle easterners. Three Cups of Tea is the most mind opening tale that clearly demonstrates what it's going to take to bring peace to the middle east. Another truthful demonstration of how America brings countries down under the banner of democracy, but fails to rebuild under the same. This book serves well as the next phase from Charlie Wilson's War. If you care one iota about the future of this world and how it can be changed, you must read this book ~ it is guaranteed to move you.

I raced home, (on foot) after work each day to devour more pages of this exceptional story. Greg Mortenson is inspiring, a driven and motivated man on a quest to save us all, one school at a time. Risking all he has, his family, his life. I love his dedication to his focus of educating students, and most of all young girls living in poverty half way around the world.


An excellent read! I loved it!

When my mother gave me this book to read I was a little scared of what I might find inside. The name, "Three Cups of Tea" didn't sound very exciting. The cover, showing three young girls studying, didn't look very appealing. And the subtitle, "One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time," wasn't the most exciting thing in the world either. It looked like an Oprah book or a chick lit book.

Since my Mom recommended it, I read it...and thoroughly enjoyed "Three Cups of Tea."

The book is about Central Asia Institute director, Greg Mortenson, and how building schools in the highlands of Pakistan and Afghanistan became his passion. Still sounds like an Oprah book, doesn't it? Well it is much, much more. The reader gets the account of how Mortenson's failed attempt to climb K2 nearly led to his death and how that failure gave him the idea of building schools in remote regions of Asia.

The reader is also given a thoughtful look at what it was like for Americans who were in this part of Asia when the planes struck the World Trade Center in 2001. Mortenson's ideas on promoting peace through education seem somewhat idealistic at times, but the man's passion for this cause comes blazing through in every chapter.

"Three Cups of Tea" is an exciting adventure story as well as an inspirational story showing that one man can make a difference.

gripping from start to finish. An important book for readers of all ages. A lesson in choosing the really important issues and having the guts to follow the righ path.

I would definitely vote this book as an award winner (it gets really good after the first half -- especially towards the last third of the book). Greg Mortenson definitely needs to win the Nobel Peace Prize! A definite must-read for our times.

I highly recommend this book to ANY reader--the football fan, the God fan, the prayer fan, or othewise. It is an excellent, life-changing read.

As a companion piece to his best-selling book by the same title, respected and influential NFL head coach Tony Dungy delves into the knowledge, inspiration and lessons contained in the Bible.

The study sections are built upon six questions:

* What is my game plan?
* What is my strength?
* What is success?
* Where is my security?
* What is my significance?
* What is my legacy?

An excellent guide to be used by an individual or in groups, coach Dungy styles this playbook for any male wishing to open his heart and make a strong commitment to live a better life.

This book is very powerful for anyone striving to excel with God as your guide. Tony Dungy is a great example of a faithful man in the face of tremendous success and soul shattering pain. Thanks for writing the book, all of us that read it are indebted to you.

Tony Dungy shows that the quiet man can accomplish great things. Coaching,and life do not require boisterous, bloviating and bullying to be sucessful. We need more coaches like Tony. In sports and in life itself.

Even if you are not a football fan, there are "life" lessons and leadership qualities that can be very beneficial to anyone who has to deal with people. This book is inspirational, using Christian principals, useful in everyday life.

The book shows plenty of emotions of their loved ones being lost. Livia wrote her memory into a book, like most Holocaust survivors did. Most people are unaware of the presence of the Holocaust or just were uninterested. Like most Holocaust books they show the nightmare they experienced. Elli gives the reader an idea that they have hope to survive.
Some people read certain Holocaust books that fits their writing style and her Livia gives the reader the first person point of view.
We chose this book for our English class and we presented how they were killed like if one person in the barrack did not cooperate with the SS officers, the entire barrack was sent to gas chambers.
I recommend readers read this book.

Fantastic book, I recommend it to many of my students at work. I cried and cried at the end. We certainly have no idea in our cosy 2007 world. A brave, graphic and well written book.

She was one in thirty five that returned...Originally, five hundred left. Into the ghetto then into cattle cars, off to fend for their lives. Thirteen year old Elli (later, changing her name to Livia. Yes, this is a true story!) was one of many young, Jewish, innocent, Holocaust victims. Elli and her family lived a comfortable life. They owned a local gocerey store, they were successful and had many close friends and family...that is, until Germany took over. In March 1944, the Nazis invaded Hungary. Privledges were taken away slowly but surely, no more school, giving up prized possessions and their store, having to wear yellow stars. What was this? No one knew. SUddenly, Elli finds that all will be lost. Elli's family is moved into a crowded ghetto, and they lose all the privledges and possessions that they hadn't already lose. It took everything they had to survive, yet little did they know, this was only the beginning. Soon, they were put on cattle cars. Ellie's family was spilt up among concentration camps; although, Ellie and her mother managed to stay together and survive some of the harshest punishments the Nazis dished out. This is a remarkable memoir of a teenage girl who no doubt had, lived a thousand years, she had no chouce. Her hope and faith along with her suffering and fears, you won't beleive a thirteen year old would've realized and out smarted the Nazis in such ways. Not only is this a beautiful story of survival but an ugly piece of history. Having background on WOrld War II helped me understand a bit more but also this book taught me a great deal of history, another reason to read. This book, was definitely a fast read, I couldn't put it down. You're constantly wondering..."Will she survive?! How will she out smart them this time?! Will she escape?!" You would definitely need to enjoy survival and history to get through this novel and also know that some chapters are a bit graphic. This woman went through the unthinkable and she doesn't hold back on letting you know that. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants an amazing story with some history behind it. Livia Bitton-Jackson is a part of our history and survived as one of thirty five returning of an original five hundred. This woman did the unthinkable.

-Kaitlyn Toner

This book is so powerful. I have read many stories of Holocaust survivors, but few if any have presented such a vivid view of the horrors the Jews faced. Some parts were disturbing, but they describe true history, so they are definitely important to read. If you're interested in the Holocaust, this is a great read.

"I Have Lived A Thousand Years" is a personal and gut-wrenching story of how a 13-year old girl survived the German Holocaust in the death camp of Auschwitz. The book is fairly short with short chapters. It is obviously written for adolescent readers, but can certainly be appreciated by adults as well. This is a very good first book for teens to learn about the Holocaust. It is written in the first person, and we "see" the horrifying conditions through the author's sensitve eyes.

The story is gripping from page one to the last page. It should be read and then discussed with the adolescent reader, as many questions will be raised as to the horrific nature of the Holocaust.

There are many good Holocost books, but the stark reality presented in this book, along with the narrative style, makes this an excellent introductory first-person account to the atrocities of the Holocaust.

Jim Koenig

Life Is So Good
This is an excellent extraordinary autobiography of a wonderful person. Every student in the US should have the opportunity to read this book. It's breath taking.... dcw

Life Is So Good An absolutely fascinating autobiography as told by Mr. Dawson. His experiances of growing up in the South and his travels across America and Mexico make for interesting reading. His personal experiances of growing up black in a 'white world' provide insight into how different parts of the country and Mexico viewed blacks. His personal moral and ethical insights about life cut across all racial barriers. He is truly and an example of 'you are never too old to learn'.

I guess some of the most important things I feel I've learned from this book is: don't dwell, take pride in your work, and focus on the power of beauty. This man (as thousands and thousands of others) had to endure more mental abuse in his life so far, then a million men, but was able and lucky enough to swim to top of that putrid pond of a life he was given and see the good in it, as fleeting as that was. I was thinking of this book as a mirror and what message I saw in it, that would be "Have a Lion's Heart" .

This book enlightened me and really got to me, much more than I expected. I was delighted to read about the life of a 102-year old african american man from the south, as I am a 30-something white woman from MT. He has a lot to teach us, and a lot to remind us of and has a way of doing so that makes us thankful for what we have. George Dawson is a gem and I am pleased that someone took the time to put his story on paper. What a great book!

Even though this book was published six years ago, the message of "Life is so good" is timeless. It is a window into a world that we are all a part of, but some of us rarely see. Truly memorable! Dawson sees literacy as an incredible gift and he in turn gives the reader numerous ones in return.

This piece of work created by the editors of Vibe Magazine could easily be appropriately titled "Essence of Tupac." In this collection of previous interviews and vivrant photos you truely get the feeling that you are holding a conversation with The ledgendary Tupac Shakur. This is a must have for all Tupac fans and for anyone wishing to know more about Pac's Life. Good job by the folks at Vibe Magazine.

I my self am not a very big fan of rap music however i was intrigued to read this book after looking into some of the lyrics of 2pacs singles they seemed very in depth. After reading the lyrics i felt that his words had a lot of depth and soul attached to them which intrigued me to find out more about the rap star.

I myself have a genuine interest in politics, philisophy and poetry similarly to 2pac and i felt that i could relate to some of the lyrics he wrote. This book on tupac gives a deeper insight to the rap artist not only his music and talent but to his life it shed light on many differant topics from differant aspects and i found it very inspirational. What i particularly liked about this book was the way it presented both sides of the story (with the rape case) and i felt this ruled out any bias.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has a love for reading regardless of whether they have a genuine interest in rap this book not only looks at his career but looks at his inspiration, ambition, life and above all recognised him as more than a rap artist but as a human being and who he actually was!!!

When I discovered that my 3rd graders knew who Tupac was, even though he died the year they were born, I felt that I needed to know more about Tupac. This book is published by Vibe, the official scribes of hip hop. It is a collection on interviews and articles that appeared in Vibe and they document the rise and fall of Tupac.
Tupac had "Thug Life" tatooed on his stomach and he lived the life of a misogynist thug. He was disrespectful to everyone around him. Perhaps, as Quincy Jones suggests in the forward, Tupac could've changed into a positive force had he lived past 25. However, this book, and his own words, show him to be a negative influence on everyone he had contact with. It is very sad that he died at such a young age. It is even sadder that so many youngesters know who he was but cannot tell you about the lives of people who have accomplished great things with their lives. I have my work cut out for me next school year.
Mark Gast

As a massive fan of the late great Tupac Shakur, there are few publishings that capture as much information and insight into his life and career as this amazing book from the good people at Vibe Magazine. Consisting of every Vibe article and interview written on Shakur between 1994-97, this gives even the most casual of Pac's fans more information than they could ever dream of. With features on his early career, his signing to Death Row, and his infamous interview with Kevin Powell from inside Clinton Correctional Facility where he denounced "Thug Life", it's all here. This book also contains some of the most informative material on the feud between Death Row Records and Bad Boy. You'll get everyone's side of the story on the Can-Am Studio shooting. You'll hear what both Suge and Puffy had to say about the East vs. West saga. You will also get to hear Pac at his rawest and most candid. If you are even the least bit interested in the amazing story of Tupac Shakur, you should pick up this book.

2pac is a legacy of our generation..he is and will always be the best, not only was he an awesome rapper, but he was also a good actor and poet. This book is very well done and covers so much. When he was shot the first time 5 times..and leading up to his unjustly death..i recommend this book to anyone if they want to learn about 2pac, he wasnt a bad man or a gangsta like most assume, he was just at the wrong place at the wrong time..or he just got involved with the wrong ppl...and like he said live by the gun..die by the gun..and that is exactly what happened to this man...may he rest in peace

I have just finnished reading The Long Road Home and must commend Martha Raddatz on her brilliant book. I have been a friend of the Weibleys(Trysha)for years and decided that it was past due for me to read. It was not political or opinionated in any way, it was factual and desctiptive like nothing I have ever read.Since There is one part of this book where Seth gets out to clean a windshild..knowing him the way I do, I HAD to laugh through the tears. It was just soooo something he would do.
Thank you for writing this amazing book for the world to read. It is integral to all Americans to know what REALLY happend that day. I know that the Weibleys apreciate it as do I and all that I will be passing this on to.

I saw Martha Raddatz speak at the Pritzker Military Library last week (June 2008) and bought the book there on the spot. I have read it straight through in a couple of days and wish that every American would read this book or one with a similar story. It seems that Iraq has become background noise in light of the energy crisis and the country's economic woes.

It's easy to forget that we are at war and that American servicemen are losing their lives. This book brings that reality home. It's not a fun read - it's a distinctly uncomfortable and sometimes depressing one. But reading stories like this might go some ways towards breaking through this desensitization we seem to have as a country when it comes to the war in Iraq.

I think that the portions of the book written from the view of the soldiers are solid and really brought me into the action of that awful battle. I won't ever know what it is like to be a soldier who engages in battle and is wounded or sees friends wounded or, worse, killed in action. But this book at least makes me really think about it and gives a good description of how these soldiers felt.

On the other hand, I did not think that the parts of the book written from the perspective of the families was as strong. I am not sure if this is the result of Ms. Raddatz respecting the wives of the killed soldiers and not interviewing them directly or just because her passion lies with the stories that these men have to tell more than with the stories of their families. Either way, it made the book feel a little unbalanced to me.

All that being said, I think that this book is important. The story that it tells is important not only because the battle it details was a turning point in the war but because it reminds us that our fellow countrymen are going through unspeakable things. This war remains relevant and I applaud the efforts of Ms. Raddatz and others like her for fighting to keep it in the media.

Excellent read about the war in Iraq. I bought this book after I found parts contained action my son was involved in. Found my son's name and picture of truck he was in. He was trying to save Cindy Sheenan's son Casey. He was ambushed also and was hit in his foot. They lost eight good soliders that day. I hope they make a movie someday. My son is a IV and he was shot on 4-4-4 in Sadr City Iraq. He now has PTSD and is divorced from the woman he loves. Where is Cindy Sheenan now?

This book is a must read in this election year. Put all else aside, pick up this book and struggle through the reality of what is going on and few of us bother to realize. This is not a pleasant read, this is not a feel good story. This is the truth of what happens when politicians make decisions based on their own legacy in mind. This is how those decisions affect you, me and our neighbors. These kids are in a horrible situation in Iraq. If the evidence to enter the war was real, OK, this is duty. In retrospect, this is a sin. No one should face 10 minutes of what these husbands, boyfirends, sons and daughters are going through. Martha Raddatz did an incredible job of piecing this story together. If 10 % of this is accurate, no one should be subjected to this kind of horror. I can tell you, having had a brother serve in Vietnam in the late 60s, there is nothing you hope to avoid than a taxi, your parish priest or minister, and a stranger dressed in a military uniform in the middle of the night. Soldiers,, families are all suffering, the problem is, they are in the minority. The majority of us simply bitch about high gas prices. We don't have a clue what is going on. Read this book and become informed. When you vote in November, consider what you are doing, seriously. Is this war in the middle east worth it? Is it winnable? Is there an honorable way out. Don't just assume there is, understand what these soldiers are going through and make sure the way you vote is not going to prolong this disaster.

In Iraq right now and had to read this. Wasn't as good as I thought it would be but it gives a perspective.

This book is on our UMW 2008 reading list. The book is very well written and takes you on this journey that these boys made. It is amazing that they survived and overcame all obstacles

When I picked it up I didnt know it was written written by the boys themselves. This made it very original. It makes me realize that every piece of food I put into my mouth has a value X times greater to a starving child.

My favorite little independent bookshop, Latitude 33, recommended I read this when they found out I was interested in African Affairs. Melanie, the manager, said that she and several of her book club customers read the book and loved it. That was encourgement enough for me.

I was completely caught off guard.

"They Poured Fire on us From the Sky" changed my life in a profound way.
After reading this book about the Civil War in Southern Sudan, I felt compelled to do something on behalf of Darfur. The story told by Benjamin and his brothers is now tragically repeating itself with devastating consequences to the Fur.

Thankfully, the editor used at light hand so that it retained the Dinka voice, which is the
heart and soul of the story tellers.
You will fall in love with these boys. You will pray for these boys, and you will thank the IRC for bringing them hope in the form of a mentor and friend, Judy Bernstein. READ THIS BOOK!

It is hard to believe that in this 21st century, the atrocities that take place in Sudan are still happening and the rest of the world is blind to them. My heart goes to these strong boys that survive. I cannot imagine my own small son having to endure even a fraction of what Benson, Ben, Alphonso and so many other children had to live during their perilous journey.
I hope many read this book and open their eyes to what goes on in other countries. Let's not be quiet about it... This is a must read for our own leaders in hopes they get some perspective of what international conflicts are really important to stop.

Harrowing. Intense. Disturbing. Raw. Emotional. True. Tragically hopeful. A must read among the well-to-do. This will put anyone's life and problems into proper perspective. It is a tale of survival in the midst of the worst affliction that any child could endure imaginable.

Although this book was written in the 1960s, it is, still, very relevant today. This book was recommended to me back in 1983 or 1984 when I was in the military. I bought it with a number of other books. It took me twenty years to read it. I should have read it alot sooner; but, the rigors of life and the fact that a good many other books I bought kept pushing this one further back on the reading list. I grew up in the streets of NYC and saw his life being played out in a number of guys and gals I hung out with at that time. I didn't get caught up in the drug scene nor in the gangsta scene but, like the author, there was a lot going on outside the walls of the house to keep me outside nearly all day. Yeah this world was much newer for me then rather than now but I had to see what was going on within and without my neighborhood. As a parent looking at my kid, I know this world is new to them, which I can't shelter them from. As my kids look at me as their parent, they are constantly telling me to get out of their way. I want to see what is going out there. This only helps me to keep life real for them with a dose of non-reality here and there. Fortunately for Claude Brown, the street made him wise and through his book some of us can reminesce about those days and explain to others what urban life was like for us and how it made us what we are today. For others who have not experienced this urban lifestyle, take the book for what it is and re-evaluate your own experiences in hopes of passing on a reality check of your own life to your children.

This is an awesome book that I highly recommend to all young men trying to find their "way". It can be a little harsh, but it is about life in the inner city and a young man becoming a man.

I can't believe I didn't write a review for a book I read 10 years ago. This is one of my favorite books. It was this one book that drew me into reading books and becoming a book lover. One of the best books I ever read. Highly Recommended!!

Claude Brown's slightly fictionalized autobiography recounts his childhood and early adulthood throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Manchild in the Promised Land also documents the changing atmosphere of Harlem and the people it affected. Brown tells stories of himself as a hell-raiser, involved in theft and drug dealing, and spending time in juvenile detention centers like Wiltwyck and Warwick. He was able to establish a feared and respected name for himself both among the streetwalkers of Harlem and the inmates of the reform schools. Lacking formal education (resulting from years of playing hooky) and idolizing the criminal elements around him, he seemed to be heading down a short road of vice and danger.

Only after Brown moved to Greenwich Village shortly before turning twenty was he able to begin viewing Harlem with a more objective eye, and see the factors that led him down the downward spiral he had been traveling. One of the main reasons Brown believes he and his friends were wrought with such violence and recklessness is due to the mentality imported by their parents from the South. The thing that mattered most to them was fighting: for one's money, girl/family, and manhood (Brown 260). He feels that that rural mentality had been brought to a crowded city life that was not only incompatible with the setting, but also destructive. He laments, "it seems as though if I had stayed in Harlem all my life, I might have never known that there was anything else to life other than sex, religion, liquor, and violence" (Brown 281).

As a youth, Brown excelled in these very base attributes. It wasn't until the introduction of heroine, or "horse," as it was first introduced in the early 1950s, that he feels Harlem truly became unable to cope with their values. Instead of young men fighting for honor, they were killing and robbing for money to sustain their overwhelming addictions, introducing more guns into the neighborhood with desperate people wielding them. He witnessed his friends begin to fade away into scratching, nodding junkies. However, by this time Brown was able to leave and slowly break away from the crumbling Harlem he once knew, watching from afar many of the individuals he once hustled with fall victim to the crimes they themselves would perpetrate.

Many opted instead to stay in Harlem and live the street life. He attributes this to the attitudes of whites outside Harlem and the racism they encountered. To live a "clean" life usually meant to work for a white man who underpaid, referred to them in a racially derogatory manner, and made them perform the most labor intensive tasks. When it came to these prospects, most understandably chose the life of a self-employed drug dealer in Harlem over the self-effacing menial work elsewhere, despite the danger (Brown 287).

Where some people turned to drugs or religion to deal with these problems, Brown found his calling through more established and secular means. Education and music became outlets for him to express himself, gain a self-pride through non-criminal means, and eventually lead to a promising career as a lawyer and author.

One of the things that make this autobiography interesting is its use of language. Brown writes in a notable street dialect, however, the language itself evolves with the character. For instance, "cat" slowly comes into use around page 67 and is used throughout, though it receives less use towards the end. More notably, on page 109 the young Claude begins idolizing a street pimp named Johnny: "To Johnny, every chick was a b*tch. Even mothers were b*tches." And so on page 114 Brown writes "Jackie was a beautiful black b*tch." From then on women are regularly referred to as "b*tches" until the character matures enough to treat women with more respect, and Johnny's spell seems to have completely worn off by the time Brown falls in love with a fellow student. Likewise, the sentence structures become less erratic and grow in sophistication as the book goes on, using less slang chapter by chapter when he begins to change. This seems to be by design.

Claude Brown's personal accounts are no doubt fictionalized to some degree, for his characters go on exhaustive speeches several times, and he certainly didn't tape record them for every word. However, Brown's intentions are to present Harlem and its difficulties in approachable and creative ways. To allow readers (such as white-suburban-me) an inside look into the ways of urban life it invites an understanding and, hopefully, sympathy for the situations of the junkies, prostitutes, and drug dealers that we pass on the street. He shows them in a way that cannot be easily neglected, in intimate, personal relationships that reveal the influences and regrets that have placed them in those situations. These factors were not unique to the 1940s and 1950s. They existed before and do so today. Brown allows insight into the hardships while telling an encouraging tale of one who made it out. By personal drive and education, through art and self-expression (as this book is), he shows that the situation is not dire, but attitudes must change before the world will follow.

I was able to find this book relatively easy, based on a few keywords. My boyfriend started reading it several years ago and was unable to complete it. The storyline stuck in his memory and I bought it as a surprise for him, because over the years he mentioned it occasionally. Thanks for making the lookup so easy!

AUTOBIOGRAPHY ON ANGELINE JOLIE AND A LOG OF HER TRAVELS FOR THE UNITED NATION. VERY INTERESTING. JM

These extracts from Angelina's journal provide a unique insight into the plight of refugees all over the world. It is heart-wrenching to read about the terrible ordeals these people have faced during war & continue to face even after the fighting is over. The courage they show during such adversity is humbling & inspiring to the last page. A must-read book if you have any interest in the plight of your fellow man.

Angelina Jolie has a very personal connection with those who are in hard circumstances like the poor in Africa, one can speculate why but cannot realistically claim it is not sincere. She spends a lot of her time and money there and writes with warmth and humility. She expresses appreciation for those things in other areas that help keep poverty and related problems at bay. A good read as a eyewitness account of what people are going through but also a meaningful social commentary, most of all I find this book an inspiring example of how to bravely contribute whatever one can.

One of the most treasured books in my home library, Angie's courage and compassion for those less fortunate comes alive in every page of this book. This book is very inspiring and very humbling at the same time. My respect for Angelina has increased a thousand fold from reading this gem...plus she is donating all her proceeds to the UNHCR! I hope she writes more books!

This was a great book, i am soo glad i bought it. It really made things real and showed you the reality of what goes on in the world outside the bubble of your own perspective and own country. I would recommend this for everyone, even if your not an angelina fan because everyone should know about these living conditions that are how a large portion of the world are subjected too and it really makes you appreciate what you have. I wish that the book was longer i loved it so much!.

This is a fascinating look at how people all over the world live. My children have enjoyed thumbing through it, & our realtor gives it out as gifts to his clients! A unique project indeed.

This book was created from pictures taken in the early 90's, so it is s bit dated, especially in the more developed nations. Things like computers and other tech is obviously missing. I know that many destitute Africans now even have cell phones, not shown here. Otherwise, this is a great book and is very educational. After reading it, I got to wondering what my possesions on the street would look like...

I thoroughly have enjoyed this book, looking at the people from around the world and their possessions and realizing how different I live from another. It was amazing to see each family so proud, of either how little they have or how much they have, and to have all that they own on display (from in the dead of winter to floating on a boat!).

This book is absolutely a wake-up call for many people out there who think they don't have enough! Beautifully put together. Outstanding.

Material World by Peter Menzel is one of the most exciting and informative books I have come across in a long time . No other book I have ever read has given me such in depth knowledge of the lives and circumstances of people living in other countries around the globe. The photographs are breathtakingly beautiful and the statistics are fascinating. Ursula Michelson, author of Alzheimers Patients in the Nursing Home: How Well Do Caregivers Meet Their Needs?