Reviews Books

The authors of this book certainly had a daunting task, namely to put all of the events in Star Trek: The Original Series, the first six Star Trek feature films and the first five years of Star Trek: The Next Generation in chronological order. Some of the events are mentioned only on passing in episodes, yet they have managed to tie all of it together into a surprisingly coherent whole.
There are of course places where a consistent chronology is just not possible, and those situations are identified as such. Nevertheless, if you are a fan of Star Trek and are interested in what happened when, then this is the book for you.

Oh, my God! This hasn't been updated yet? I thought that after waiting almost 12 years for a revised edition it would have happened by now!!!

Michael and Denise, please, for the love of Spock!!!!!......update this tired old beloved history of the future!!! I'm beggin' ya! I'm sitting here with credit card in hand ready and anxiously waiting!!!!

I wouldn't use this to prepare for a history exam (although it does cover some actual history pretty well), but this book will tell you anything and everything you ever wanted to know about what happened when and where in the Star Trek Universe... at least, up until 1996 franchise time.

Movies and episodes of DS9, Voyager and Enterprise past that year are left out, for obvious reasons. Hopefully, given the lack of tv series/movie activity, they'll take the time to come up with an upgraded version of this book. An interactive CD-ROM would be nice, too.

Worth getting in the meantime, though.

A great reference that starts several billion years B.C. to about one thousand A.D. This book has up to Star Trek: Next Generation First Contact, Deep Space Nine Season Four, and Voyager Season Two. One favorite section of mine is the alternate universes section with ALL of the alternate universes up to date. Now I'm waiting for an revised edition...

Everything I need to know about Star Trek is in this amazing book. The only problem I have with it is that I bought it when Star Trek Deep Space Nine was ending it's fourth season, and in the book, it goes up to the end of it's fourth season. I had no idea what was happening for two years! Oh well, now I know. Anyway, this book really helped me to understand the world of Star Trek, and the amazing thing is, that everything in this book has followed history so far! Anyway, I reccommend this book to any true Star Trek fans!

This is definetly the best book on Star Wars I've ever read...

The beautifully designed coffee-table book takes the reader through the process of creating the Star Wars galaxy and then turning it into one of the most successful toylines in history. There are tons of photos depicting vintage Kenner toys as well as other merchandise.

The illustrations come with quite an informative text by journalist and collector Stephen J. Sansweet -- truely an expert when it comes to Star Wars toys.

A beautifully written book -- Sansweet is the reigning expert on Star Wars (have all of his book, with the Scrapbook and Encyclopedia being my favorites). I just had some quibbles with some of the design elements in it but it's a wonderful edition to my library nevertheless.

A must own for fans of the collectibles spawned from the greatest space fantasy of all time. Sansweet takes you through the entire process that brought about the Star Wars experience and gives details about little known information surrounding the film's creation, collectibles and magicians who brought it to life. A nostalgic trip into the past to relive three great films accompanied by crisp, clear photos. Check it out.

If I were to teach a class on the history Star Wars and Star Wars collectables, I would definitely use this as one of the textbooks. It is a very well written and interesting book. It contains lots of great pictures, including early drawings of movie characters made before the movies were ever created, as well as pictures of a variety of collectables (including both prototypes and finished products). Also contains lots of interesting factoids. This is not a price guide or a comprehensive guide to Star Wars collectables (so if that's what you are looking for, this is not the book for you). But if you want to learn about the Star Wars universe (literally from concept to screen to collectable), this will be a great addition to your library.

I have been a big Star Wars fan since the first film was released back in 1977. I used to own many of the old action figures and played with them all the time up until my grandmother gave them away to the Goodwill. I picked up this book in 1997 just as I was getting back into collecting Star Wars figures once again. This is a very detailed book with lots of great color photos. Seeing the pictures of all of the older toys brought back a lot of memories. And it makes you stop and think about how much your old collection would have been worth if you had saved it. I recommend this book to anyone who is a true Star Wars fan and collector. You will not be disappointed.

the most detailed read on so many artists&there impact on the charts.it covers Artists from A-Z&everything else in between.a very fun kind of read for folks like myself that just love Music.and also great to understand the changes with Charting&also how songs got as far they did&whatnot.a Great Read.

In recent years, the RIAA and its member record companies have bemoaned the decline of music sales, blaming digital music piracy and other hobgoblins. One look through this informative tome will tell you the real problem - the industry has destroyed its entree for the fans to new and talented artists - the hit single!! At $$$ a pop, not too many buyers are willing to try new or unfamiliar music, but at $-$, if an artist or group has several "hit" singles (established by radio air play), the subsequent investment in an album seems less risky. The music industry, in it's zeal to maximize profit by selling full length CDs instead of priming the demand pump with singles, has contributed to its own decline. If you peruse the shear breadth of music styles listed in Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles that have been able to make the "Top 100" over the years, you realize just how rich and exciting music WAS in the 50s through the early 80s. As the corporate entities who owned the stations became fewer and fewer due to mergers, the current blight of narrowcast programming blossomed. It worked - for a while. But a steady (and excessive) diet of your favorite food will ultimately become boring. This book is not just a dry list of song titles, artists and dates. It's our lives writ large in song - teenage crushes, first dates (and dances!), first automobile, leaving home, possibly time in military service, marriage, kids - all of these events punctuated with the musical nuggets listed in this volume. Here's hoping that a bright future continues to exist for the indelible impact of the "hit single".

This is a great collection for the music lover and for anyone who wants to get to know their favorite artist. This book features all of the songs from 1955 that hit the top 100. So if a song hit 92 you will find it in this book. the only problem I have with this is the price I think 50-70 dollars is high but it is worth it. I recommend this item to the music lover inside everyone.

You don't need to buy TOP POP SINGLES 1955-1999, because Joel Whitburn's own site (record research) will sell you the most up to date volume TOP POP SINGLES 1955-2002. I still have my TOP POP SINGLES 1955-1993. Essentially, it's the same book but updated by the year, by the inclustion of "B" sides, and Top Air Plays, making the new the edition the better buy. Why can't Amazon sell us the current most up to date record of this valuable resource? Any collector of popular music from 1955 to 2002, will find the TOP POP SINGLES 1955-2002, the best value. No school music library should be without this book as an addition to the curriculum. All songs the made the top hundred along with information on the artist is great as a resource book, a coffee table book or just for looking up your favourite song.

Joel Whitburn's book covers the pop charts from the Hit Parade era on up to the end of the century. This book is not just for collectors, but rather, it will satisfy anyone who loves music and has a desire to know more about the dynamics of the Billboard pop charts. Besides the easy, alphabetical listings by artist, the book includes features such as:

* debut date for each song
* a chronological listing, by peak date, of every song
* the peak position and weeks on chart for each song
* a listing, in the back of the book, of all song titles (listed alphabetically) in the artist selection
* assorted chart "facts and feats"

In addition, the book's typeface and bolding features makes it easy to read, without straining for particular entries. In total, this book is the most comprehensive source of info available for the music of this era. No one but Whitburn does anything close to this in terms of music factology. It's well worth the money, and if you intend on flipping through it over and over, the few extra bucks for the longer-lasting hardcover will be worth the expenditure.

Some of the stories are only four star, and that says a lot about the standard to which I hold Tim Winton. "Only four star." I've been writing for years and publish three-star work sometimes. This collection, meanwhile, is five stars overall.

This is a collection of thought-provoking stories which are loosely linked, always excellent, always natural, never showy or forced, always observant, and a pure pleasure to read. He's such a gifted author that you're actually not always aware of how gifted he is.

If you are looking for writing that takes your breath away and stories that make you look deeply into yourself and your life and the lives of others, then read this book. You will not be disappointed.

Sometimes Mr Winton seems to be straining to be profound riddling his books with impressive literary devices - or maybe I'm too dumb to recognise great art. But with THE TURNING he seems completely at ease and as a consequence the stories ring with a truth - an emotional and spiritual truth firmly set in a believable landscape. The title story about Raelene's physical and spiritual journey, is in the patois of we Australians - a ripper! Mr Winton's great contribution to world literature may indeed be the way in which he is liberating the Australian language and bringing the voice and stories of our caravan dwellers, fishermen, and other inhabitants of small town Australia - working and otherwise - to the fore.
The Lockie Leonard trilogy and THE TURNING I expect have joined or will be joining our collective memories much as Blinky Bill, Ginger Meggs and Voss already have.

Tim Winton has created a Western Australia community, which remote as it is, portrays a commonality of human spirit instantly recognizeable. The scruffy town of Port Angelus, whose whale-processing history is laid out in his book THE SHALLOWS, is as original a concept as the communities of Faulkner or Louise Erdrich or T. R. Pearson, and with each book, Winton continues to expand the community of Port Angelus while limning out the human condition. The people in these stories could live anywhere, but are still ineffably Australian. In this latest book, each story is complete within itself yet linked to one another. Each story could be a springboard for an entire novel of its own. And each story makes you care about its characters and wish you could know what happens long after you've closed the book.

There's a special appeal to the "linked" short story collection. Although the same names and places appear, each is new with the next story. The desperate men, the battered wives, the confused and bewildered children. They interact in their own ways, coming together and breaking apart over the years. In the hands of a master storyteller like Winton, each tale is a spark of reality. Every individual comes almost startlingly alive in but a few pages. As the sequence unfolds through the view of the protagonist, you gain fresh insights on circumstances. Absolute values have no place here, a lesson most of us would do well to remember.

The tales are set in a coastal town in Western Australia. Angelus is a fishing community - often under stress from unemployment, it is a contained locale. Children grow up as neighbours, move through school together, and interact in almost wildly varying ways as they mature. There are mysteries - why was a boy left broken and battered on a beach? Who was the girl found dead in a school loo and how did she die? Who escaped the almost desolate town and how bound do they remain to it in later years? These are common situations and questions in a small town, and the economic pressures add intensity to the expected conditions we all endured in adolescence. It is a credit to Winton's outstanding prose skills that beauty emerges within this forlorn community. A coastal location always provides a sense of expanded view lacking in inland towns. Yet here, as almost everywhere in Australia, the desert looms as an ever-present menace, poorly understood and a block to escape even mountains fail to match.

Vic Lang, the character around whom these stories weave, emerges first as a young child at a beach party. His life is complex. While in school, a girl with a facial birthmark fascinates him, but that's not the girl he marries. His attachments are intense and sometimes offbeat. He takes up with "Boner" McPharlin [the term comes from his job in an abattoir], the Huckleberry Finn of his time and place. Totally without ambition, Boner's presence gives Vic a basis for comparison with his own life. It's a shaky foundation to launch into adulthood. Vic symbolises the small-town outlook with his sense of being under constant scrutiny. In "The Long, Clear View", Vic reflects on his life and how the town imposed so much of itself on his later life.

North American readers often balk at the "culture shock" of Australian conditions and language. Winton's deft touch softens the shock to what might be deemed a "culture tickle". His character portrayals and the manner in which he deals with the passage of time among what become familiar people, guide the reader effortlessly through some unfamiliar terms and conditions. What does "shoot through" mean? It has nothing to do with weapons. It means "escape" or "desertion" depending on the protagonist's viewpoint. A "jacaranda" turns out to be a tree, ugly when not blooming, but a stunning array of colour in the proper season. If a blossom falls on while walking underneath, it is said to be a sign of good luck. Does that happen in Angelus?

Winton's realistic view of people and events is at odds with much of today's literature. His voice, while grim and sometimes even bleak, doesn't overwhelm the reader with despair. His people aren't crushed by events, they remain battlers even in the most seemingly desperate circumstances. You must, however, traverse the entire sequence to understand how they accomplish that feat. While each story stands entirely on its own, like a brick-built building, they must all be taken together to perceive the entire stunning edifice. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

This book does an excellent job of testing all relevant concepts. Some of the questions are artificially difficult and a little on the difficult side, but if you learn the answers your boards will be a success. I just finished the book for the second time and noticed a marked difference in my ability to remember the concepts that i had seen before. i definitely recommend this question book.

It's just as good as learning from the authors in person. Comprehensive with nice discussion of answers, sectioned by system, and a good format to review topipcs.

I had the pleasure of working with Brian Hall for a couple of years and he is a fantastic educator and is always quizzing himself and others to keep everybody sharp. I used this book for my written board review and found it to be very helpful. The residents nearly universally used this review at the Mayo Clinic and seemed to feel that it was of substantial help in their preparation.

This is a great review book, it got me 100% on my first anesthesia test!!!

I thought this Q&A review book was easily the most "bang for the buck" in preparation for the written boards. It does require a solid fundamental knowledge of anesthesiology, but the questions are very representative of written board-type questions, and the answers are comprehensive and largely satisfactory. Textbook references are fairly comprehensive and accurate. I highly recommend this book as a final step in preparation for the written boards!

For a designer+Trekkie like me, this book is a collector's item. This compilation of scenic art, concept sketches and production stills is just inspirational.

When I was first given The Art of Star Trek as a special gift by a close friend I was to say the least, over the moon. The present came as something of a pleasant shock for I was totally unaware that it had been published. As a lover of "the art of" books and an avid fan of Star Trek, I had long hoped for such a title and finally... here it was! The Art of Star Trek has fast become my favourite "art of" book (along with the Art of Star Wars books) and it is always near at hand.

The Art of Star Trek is everything I would have expected and more, stunning colour pictures, informative text and lavish presentation. This long overdue book covers several of Star Treks many and varied incarnations thus far on television and film alike and charts its visual evolution over more than thirty years. It is positively overflowing with many fascinating examples of the sketches and storyboards, production and matte paintings, posters, costumes, props and sets [etc] that fill the Paramount archives and private collections alike. Although most of the designs will not be used for various reasons, they loosely form the basis for how a Star Trek production might appear when completed. The concept art included in this volume has been created by many of the top film-television designers to have worked in Hollywood throughout the years. These creative individuals have played a seminal role in shaping the distinctive aesthetic of Star Trek over its almost forty year history. Included are such artists as Mike Okuda, Andrew Probert, John Eaves, Mike Minor and Matt Jefferies, who created the first brilliant prototype Starship Enterprise in the 1960s. Mr. Jefferies classic design has served as the blueprint for all subsequent Starfleet starship designs to this day. The many individuals included in this wonderful book are the unsung talents of Star Trek, and who for the most part go unrecognised by its legions of fans. They have diligently worked long hours behind the scenes of Star Trek series and movies to create the multitude of conceptual and commercial art that helps Trek run efficiently. Their concept art and finished designs play an important role in Star Treks appeal to a devoted fan-base around the world.

Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens have carefully chosen a wide selection of the finest art created for this most enduring of franchises. The book is arranged in a chronological order, the first half being devoted to the television series from The Original Series to Voyager. The second half of the book is devoted to Star Trek films from The Motion Picture leading up to Generations. With stunning full colour photographs throughout this is a fascinating and engrossing volume that will keep one rapt for hours. So if you haven't already got a copy in your library and are a serious Trekkie and art lover do yourself a big favour and buy this incredible coffee table book, you won't be disappointed.

Since The Art of Star Trek was first published (some years ago now) the Star Trek universe has been steadily expanding, Voyager and Deep Space Nine have long finished, three more movies have been made so far... and Star Trek: Enterprise has sadly been cancelled. In their wake they have left a whole gallery of exiting new material gathering dust in the Paramount archives that hopefully will be used in The Art of Star Trek: volume two at some future date.

This book has some of the best artwork that was made for the first four Star Trek series and some of the movies. It has photographs of the sets and props as well as diagrams of the ships, including Klingon and Romulan vessels, the movie and series Enterprises, and even Voyager. The book follows a plan which views the art history of Star Trek from the pilot film "The Cage" to "Star Trek: Voyager". You'll love this book if you're a Star Trek fan!

"The Art of Star Trek," by Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens, is to date the ultimate "coffee table" book for devoted Star Trek fans. This book, which was published in 1995, covers all aspects of "Trek" history up until its publication date. Through text and plentiful illustrations, the book celebrates the visual artistry that has been such an essential component of the "Trek" phenomenon.

The book deals with each of the specific series from the original until "Voyager," including both the often neglected animated series and the aborted "Phase II" series of the mid-1970s. All films from "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" to "Star Trek Generations" are also covered.

The amount and quality of items in this visual "museum" are astounding. There are behind-the-scenes photos, concept drawings, photos of models, prosthetic makeup designs, storyboards, movie posters from around the world, closeup shots of props, and more. Particularly interesting were the shots of certain props and aliens which were barely seen in fleeting shots, but which represent great imagination and artistry.

Also noteworthy are the drawings which document the evolution of both the original series "Enterprise" and the "Next Generation" ship. I was fascinated by the concept drawings of possible "Enterprises" for the aborted "Phase II" series, as well as by the rejected new uniforms for the first "Next Generation" feature film.

The concise but clear text is a good match for the wealth of glorious, full-color photographs. This book is, from start to finish, a visual feast for "Trek" fans.

My initial reaction to The Art of Star Trek and it's hefty price was skepticism. Once I did purchase it and start running through it, the price could've been twice and I still would've bought this gem. The Art of Star Trek is a pure celebration of everything that Star Trek is and was all the way through it's publication date. It includes articles from the very beginning to the lastest on Voyager and Star Trek Generations. The pictures and drawings are stunning to say the least. This is a book you'll definitely want to add to your collection if you haven't already.

this is an amazing book. great for learning the material for the rotation as well as the shelf exam (hits on the important things to know...it got me honors).

I am a second year medical student preparing for the boards while taking my courses. I really like this book. It gives a case then after the case has a description of the answer, a detailed explanation of the case, diagnosis, treatment, definitions, etc. It finishes each section with a few multiple choice questions. The chapters are short enough to read one in your"spare time." I recommend this to any medical student that enjoys to read case studies as a complement to their textbook reading. :)

This book helped me to honor my 3rd year OB/GYN rotation. I recommend it- easy reading with lots of pearls throughout. I just kept it at my bedside and read a few cases a night. I used this with Blueprints and was very prepared for the shelf exam.

This is by far the best preparation book I've used for the shelf exams. The format, questions, and clinical scenarios are extremely high yield. You can easily get through this book a few days before the exam.

Echoing the sentiments of previous reviewers, this book basically has 30-40% of the Ob/Gyn shelf within its pages. A lot of my friends read the book as well and were similarly amazed at its mimcry. Some of the questions seem to directly stem from the 60 cases in this text. You're hurting yourself by NOT reading this. It provides a good foundation for the major scenarios you might encounter in Ob/Gyn. It's particularly effective because the Ob/Gyn shelf is really specialized to the field and doesn't have too many general medicine questions like other clerkship tests.

That said, it should be noted this is not a textbook. You won't really get the ins and outs of fetal monitoring, birth, etc. This book is best utilized about a week from the exam or very early with the intent of RETAINING the specific scenarios. A good book to read to fully flesh out the subject would be Blueprints in Ob/Gyn.

A quick, effective read that's the easiest way to bettering your shelf score. If you enjoy your off time in med school, this is a great way to cram.

I wish I had had this wonderful and varied list of children's books when I was growing up. Because I didn't, I know now that I missed out on a great deal of excellent reading. Just think, this collection of reviews covers 550 years of children's literature. There are 133 titles, and the reviews are written by 62 people from every walk of life. This is truly an amazing book, one that you will want to read from cover to cover for the pure enjoyment of it. It also contains brief biographies of all the authors as well as biographies of each of the reviewers. This is a book that should be at the elbow of every parent and teacher, to suggest different titles based on the reading readiness of each child. The editor has thoughtfully put together a compilation that you won't want to miss.

Donald W. Burnes, PhD

In reading the reviews in Rev. Peck's great undertaking I have found that many of them are of things I have read in my youth and others are of things I have heard about, but never read. Of the ones I have read, I find myself wanting to experience them again with a grandchild. Many fairy tales, fables and stories as they have been presented in modern times have been Disneyfied far away from the original and show little resemblance to what the author actually wrote. Many author's of children's literature were not concerned with political correctness if it interfered with an imaginative and worthwhile story. These reviews are a fine avenue for a parent, teacher or grandparent to refresh or increase their knowledge in preparation for exposing their own charges to the wonderful world of the imagination as represented in classic children's literature.

Choosing books for children can be a daunting task. So many out there, which are the good ones? Here is an anthology full to the brim of good ones. Variety, quality of prose, and thematic excellence are its hallmarks. It is a pleasure simply to read through. Reading is an adventure and now you have a road map!

Paul Lachlan Peck's "Classic Children's Literature" is a delightful collection of priceless works which are familiar, at least in title, to all of us. Stories from our own childhood and schooling are uniquely reviewed by a vast cross section of authors from all around the Country and from all different walks of life. This book is a "must" for your personal library and is also a great gift idea for family and close friends.

What better way to divert your children from the dead-zone of television and mindless video games than to offer a solid alternative?
Could there be a better choice for young minds than reading? Or a better source for their material than classic children's literature?
The great news is that in this single volume our dear friend Rev Paul Peck has collected all the research you'll need to aim those fresh minds toward the finest adventure, fantasy and wonder that these great authors have left us.
With such a wonderful guide there is no reason for them to miss out on the great tales you loved growing up.
I was proud to be a part of this project as I know this book will be you and your child's best friend!

Anyone born between 1955 and 1970 HAS GOT TO SEE Dazed and Confused.

And this book adds to the fun. Plenty of real live Mad Magazine stuff, real live ads from the time period, with a bunch of side splittingly funny made up stuff based on the characters from DAC. Enjoyed the heck out of this book. Just wish it was longer so my trip through memory lane could go on another hour or so.

Great stuff! Where's Wooderson today, by the way?

It was in a fit of Dazed And Confused mania that I purchased Richard Linklater's tie-in book to his cult classic 70s adolescence movie several years ago. At the time I basically flipped through the book and then put it aside. Until earlier today when I was going through a stack of old college texts I was planning on getting rid of and wonder of wonders came across this one mixed in among them for some reason. So I decided to take a refresher course in 70s stoner adolescence and then offer up my take on it.

What I especially liked about Dazed And Confused the movie was the way Linklater managed to sneak in some profound truths about life amidst the nostalgia. In the book, the most profound and honest part is Linklater's introduction where he writes: "Let's face it, no matter where you live no matter at what time high school is a light prison sentence to be served. Once paroled, you don't look back".

From that point on, any social observation basically goes out the window as we are treated to a crash course in all things 70s as well as stuff related to the movie itself. All of the major characters are profiled and there are excerpts of a yearbook page from the high school they attend. Although it might seem redundant to most people, die hard fans of the film should enjoy it. Pick up a copy! Also recommended -------> The Losers Club by Richard Perez, an offbeat small press novel that you will truly dig. Like far out!

ATENTION ALL D&C FANS: IF YOU DO NOT GO OUT AND GET THIS BOOK RIGHT NOW, YOU WILL NEVER KNOW THE WHOLE STORY! This book has everything, from Clint's favorite colored muscle T-shirt to Benny's beer limit. It is definantly a must for not only Dazed fans, but to any fans of the seventies!

Dazed & Confused is a classic movie about the day in the life of high schoolers in a small Texas town on last day of school in 1976. This book that is a companion to the movie is just like the movie itself: funny. Designed as part high school yearbook, part 70's era teen magazine, it is a nostalgia filled, quick and enjoyable read. There are tons of pictures (the yearbook pictures of the cast are great) and everyone of the major cast member contributes an "article" to the book. If you are a fan of the movie, then this book is a must for your collection.

Let me just start by saying that I just bought this book no more than an hour ago. As soon as I got home I picked it up and didn't put it down forr the next hour. As a huge "Dazed and Confused" fan, I was extremely happy when I saw that there was a book to go along with the movie. But the book is not just about the movie. It starts out with a great introduction by the director and writer Richard Linklater. In this intro he explains the time period, the pros and cons of the 70's, and where the idea for the movie came from. Also in the book are synopsis's of all the basic charactar (the best is Clints, the guy who beats up the nerd). This book doesn't just follow along with the movie, it is an explanation of the 1970's, I enjoyed it considering I wasn't alive yet. So if you are a hardcore fan of "Dazed and Confused" or a collector of 70's memorobilia, than you need this book.

Another great discours from Aimee Cesaire reagrding the Europeans bumbling excuse for justifying the illegal acquistion of others peoples land and resources, and slavery. No wonder I personally have BLACK RAGE.

the quality of the product was the very best. it also arrived when i expected it too. i needed it in a crunch time and it came through beautifully.

This is a fascinating book for folks interested in the international decolonization movement of the 50s and 60s, and its relation to the Black Power movement in the States. The Discourse is beautifully written and passionately argued. The interview helps clarify Cesaire and Senghor's concept of "Negritude" as an early form of Black pride, rather than racial essentialism. The essay introduction is worthwhile since it puts the book in relation to Cesaire's poetic work and the Surrealist movement in France, America, and the Antilles. It's unduly dismissive of Cesaire's Marxist politics, especially since it goes against the spirit of the interview appended at the end.

I read Cesaire's 'discours sur le colonialisme' in one afternoon at a coffe place and it was captivating in how intellectually he wrote, with tinges of attitude in the words. A lot of the things he wrote about I already knew from studying a lot about Africa before and what ethnocentricism vs. ethno relativism means when applying yourself and perceptions of other cultures. This book is as applicable in the 1950's as today, I found that America seems to be the new France and Britain, as far as imperialism goes.

This book has so many good points about how one must look at the non Occidental world. Whenever I hear people talking about Africa in a degrading way in that the continent needs the Western world to give it medicine, schools, etc . . .it infuriates me with the lack of research these people have done. Although one can't expect everyone to know, but they would at least get a glimpse if they read this. They would see that it is the fault of the Occidentaux which is why Africa is in the state it is now. Before Europeans went there, the people of this rich, great continent had their own cultures, laws, languages, writing, religions that worked very well for them. Because they were different than Europes ways, they were viewed as primitive and uncivilized, but you can't measure a civilization by the same standards of another, far different one. Just because they didn't write their history down, doesn't mean they didn't have it. They used oral tradition for this, which is just one example of the European's prejudice. If Europe never went there, these African civilizations very well could have flourished and become great as the passage of time went along.

Colonization has done it's damage, Cesaire talks about decolonizing our minds, I wonder how long that will take to accomplish? I would recommend this short read to anyone who wants to try to get out of their own cultural shell and think about the way the world is viewed from the viewpoint of others, even though this book is seriously outdated and seems like the author has never even been to Africa.

Frantz Fanon is a more compelling read though (even though he's a bit of a misogynist), try "black skin, white masks" or "l'an V de la revolution algerienne/a dying colonialism".

In Aimé Césaire's "Discourse on Colonialism," She very blatantly voices her opinion that a (European) civilization that is:

...incapable of solving the problems it creates is a decadent civilization. A civilization that chooses to close its eyes to the most crucial problems is a stricken civilization. [and finally] A civilization that uses its principles for trickery and deceit is a dying civilization. (31)

As well as applying for both Britain's presence in Southeast Asia and the Caribbean, and France's colonial presence in Africa and the Caribbean, this powerful statement could become an equation for the line drawn between one country's involvements with another.

For example, here is an unmistakable connection here to the US' involvement in Iraq. Are we as a nation decadent? Stricken? Dying? The over $155B spent in Iraq (...) instead of other national priorities. Cesaire's points are very relevant to the times as she brings further knowledge and past histories into the damage of Colonialism: "...at the present time the barbarism of Western Europe...being only surpassed...by the barbarism of the United States" (47).
She talks about the `gangrene' of impartiality, in regards to the French hearing stories that are disturbing and pornographic. "Colonization, I repeat, dehumanizes even the most civilized man" (Césaire 41). A theme prevalent in films such as Black Girl, Chocolat, and Xala. It is easy to be impartial when one is ignorant.