Rainbow The Books

This is a shoot-up in the old Zane Grey style......lots of swash and buckle. The setting may be the rugged outback of Anatolia in the 1920's but the plot is pure horse-opera. Scarcely worth the time of day for a grownup, alas.

John Truman NYC

This is Yashar Kemal's (1922-present) first novel, originally published in 1955. He is one of the best read Turkish writers. The lucid translation into English is by Edouard Roditi, the author of The Delights of Turkey: Twenty Tales. Kemal's story draws on his childhood as a Kurd in a poor southern Anatolian village of hard-laboring share-croppers.

The twin strengths of the story are its sense of place and of identification with Memed, its bandit hero. Abdi Agha, the village landlord, collects two-thirds of farmers' hard won harvest and otherwise rules as a local despot. Abdi Agha singles out Memed and his widowed mother for abuse. Memed rebels and flees to the nearby Taurus Mountains, where he becomes a bandit. His struggle is for dignity but also for violent revenge. Despite this violent urge, Memed mostly avoids violence, and seeks to treat most enemies as well as friends with compassion.

In the end, the story of Memed, son of Ibrahim the Miserable, is about triumph of the oppressed against the arbitrary. It's not realistic, it's a fantasy. Yet the story serves a purpose: in his introduction, Kemal affirms that:

"By creating myths, by conjuring up worlds of dreams, one can withstand the great suffering of the world..."

Kemal writes with clear avuncular voice of a village story teller, speaking to children of his native village, in the dry heat of a clear Mediterranean evening. The tale is full of light, illuminating his landscape of home. This is a landscape of hard earth, of fields of thistle, below the foothills of the Taurus Mountains, some miles inland from the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. In nearly every passage, the reader feels this sense of belonging, the sense of familiar soil, something that it's hard for me to find within, except sometimes when I remember the smell and color of leaves, scattered in my path to elementary school, on a brisk October day in Philadelphia. This is how Kemal describes his home:

"Only beyond the low hilltops crowned with heavy-scented myrtle do the rocks suddenly appear, and with them the pine trees. The crystal-bright drops of resin ooze from the trunks and trickle down to the ground. Beyond the pines are plateaus where the soil is gray and arid. From here it looks as if the snow-capped peaks of the Taurus are very close, almost within arms reach.

Dikenli, the Plateau of Thistles, is one of these highland plains, with five small villages clustered on it. The inhabitants of all five are tenant farmers, on Abdi Agha's Land. Dikenli is a world by itself, with its own laws and customs.."

Read on.

Memed, my hawk is nothing short of a revelation. It is the first instalment of four books and the final instalment was written more than twenty after the first one. I, being from
Turkey, had not read this book until i was 24 years old, certainly much later than I had read the works of Tolstoy, Soholov, Chaucer, Steinbeck etc. But this book was completely
in a league of its own. The first one was spectacular, but the second, third and fourth simply unbeatable. For all the comparisons made with Robin Hood ,Don Kichote and other great
literary achievements (all appreciated), nevertheless this is
- believe me - the finest any writer has ever produced. The great author Yasar Kemal has produced many fine works since 1953, when the book was first published; but all of them will be eclipsed by this book, which reads so fresh more than 50 years after it is written. Memed, My Hawk is to literature what 24 is to TV or what Les Miserables is to theatre.
A life changing book if ever there was one. READ!!!!

It does not surprise me that this book, written in 1953 and translated into English in 1961, was made into a movie in 1984, starring Peter Ustinov, who also directed it. Its author, Yashar Kemal, was born in southern Anatolia and at the age of 5, witnessed the brutal murder of his father. His family lived in the shadow of the great and beautiful Taurus Mountains, which is the setting of this tale. It's clear the author knows his landscape well, and the characters that appear in this work were inspired by real bandits who inhabited those mountains and whom he knew as a child and young man.

"Memed, My Hawk" is cinematic and filled with extremes of emotion, a true action-packed adventure story that sometimes resembles a wild Western and at other times seems biblical in its descriptive power. True oppressors of the people, the landlords or "aghas," take on the profile of evil dictators as they steal the people's crops and land and relentlessly brutalize helpless villagers. The land is the most treasured object there is. In this oppressive atmosphere, there is one who will not allow himself to be oppressed. And although he takes on heroic proportions in his grim struggle for justice, Memed is also compassionate and human. The author takes great pains to ensure that Memed is a real human being and not just a stock character, and he succeeds brilliantly.

Violent vengeful emotions and tribalism play big roles in this book. Villagers silently express themselves and support their heroes by banding tightly together and cursing their enemies. Evil acts are never forgotten. And vindication is what drives these characters forward every day. This book is a classic, a heavy dose of Turkish adventure, beauty, and cruelty. Although I was sometimes jarred by what must have been a rushed translation, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in this work. I recommend it as a quick read and as a way to achieving insight into oppressed peoples and their longing for liberation.

This book is certainly an exhilarating page-turner! But not merely this: Lush descriptions of the Turkish countryside as it existed at the time, a cast of characters Tolstoyan in their sweep, and, above all, an epic story of a downtrodden hero---In short, the book is a Romance. It is not, though, the simple-minded, pat story that one sometimes associates with this term. It is a Romance in the sense that War and Peace and Don Quixote are Romances. The author goes to some pains in the introduction to explain why he has written this sort of book, instead of something dry and dispiriting as many of the works of, say, V. S .Naipaul are. If I could sum up these arguments, it would be that such a work as Memed, My Hawk touches on what is written in every human heart. And it does. It is ribald, comic, sad, distressing, heartbreaking---all the emotions, which, blended together, make up a human life. It is also, of course, more specifically, about a particular human named Memed, who embodies these traits in an heroic fashion. - I don't think that it belittles this book a jot to compare it to the movie Braveheart. I found myself reminded of this cinematic work more than anything else throughout the book---There are so many thematic and plot similarities. Let's put it this way, if you love Braveheart, you will love this book. But also, if you love War and Peace or Don Quixote, you will love this book. And I say, good and well, let's have the old pathos and lyricism back that made literature what it is. Let's not leave it to the dry hacks who warn us, like so many bloodless Jeremiahs, of the perils of following our hearts. Let's let literature be literature! ---But never mind me. Let's let Kemal have the last word:

"No matter how limited a man's field of vision, his imagination knows no bounds. A man who has never been outside his village of Deyirmenoluk can still create a whole imaginary world that can reach as far as the stars. Without travelling, a man can penetrate to the other end of the world. Even without much imagination the place where he dwells can become different in his dreams, a true paradise." P.77

So, go. Read and Dream!

To say this is a life changing book is an understatement. Even the author says that certain of his core beliefs were changed while researching this book.

Mr. Dallen, a lawyer by profession, presents a case for righteous behaviour that would sway any jury. The book is very well written, and easy to read and understand. The multitude of references that Mr. Dallen provides would easily take years to study.

This book is not a call to change a person's faith, nor a call to convert to any specific religion, but is instead a book calling us to come back to the minimum requirements that God has given for proper living.

Be forewarned, this book will change your life.

The seven standards advocated in this book are doubtless all good ones: prohibition of idolatry, prohibition of murder, prohibition of theft, prohibition of sexual promiscuity, prohibition of blasphemy, prohibition of cruelty to animals, in addition to the requirement to form a just government to ensure that these standards are observed by members of society. What could be wrong with that?

These "Seven Laws" [Sheva Mitzvot] are said to be derived from Genesis 9:1-17. But you will have a hard job to find them there! Their real origin is in the *Tosefta* (Sanhedrin 9:4). This work was compiled as late as 180-200CE to parallel and supplement the *Mishnah*. They also appear in the *Gemara*, which was added to the *Mishnah* to form the *Talmud* (see tractate Sanhedrin 56a/b). The *Gemara* was compiled around 500CE.

However, the *Torah* is God's actual Word, as given to the prophet Moses as early as 1500BCE and has authority over any human production. Writings like the *Tosefta*, the *Mishnah*, and the *Gemara* are no more than human commentaries upon the Word of God; they are not the Word of God itself.

Therefore, the so-called "Noahide Laws" entail reading back into God's Word later human deductions. They are not commanded by God to anyone on earth for the present day. Rather they were devised by certain leading Rabbis who, not content with enjoining their 613 Laws upon their captive Jewish audience, also wanted to bring Gentiles under their authority.

If you are a Gentile who has been taught that you can earn your salvation by following these Laws, please note that you are not following precepts commanded by God Himself, but only principles enjoined by human authority.

This does not mean that the seven principles are not good ones in themselves. Indeed, they are. And they may provide you with a better quality of life. But please do be aware that you will not gain any form of everlasting spiritual salvation by following them. God gives no guarantee whatever that those who observe them are assured of a place in the world to come.

In "The Rainbow Covenant," author Michael Dallen shows that in addition to the well-known ten commandments directed at the Jewish people, under biblical law there are seven universal commandments which should govern the conduct of the rest of mankind. Employing extensive research from the Torah and other sources, Dallen, himself Jewish, presents a compelling case that non-Jews can be righteous "as Israel's highest priest" in the eyes of the Lord.

The seven universal laws are sometimes known as the Code of Noah or the Noahide Code, and their history is thoroughly explored. Dallen painstakingly goes back to the ancient sources and shows how these laws continue to be highly relevant to life in today's society. This book answers many questions about universal law and morality which many great thinkers have struggled with through the centuries.

One cannot write seriously on religious topics without stepping on someone's toes, and Dallen is never afraid to do so. Contrary to one published criticism, Dallen does not advocate worship of Jesus. He simply observes that a wide variety of religious beliefs and practices by non-Jews will not be condemned by God provided that certain basic rules are followed. The author does not attack or endorse Christianity for non-Jews, though he expressly opposes it for Jews, whose duties go far beyond those of the seven commandments. In showing the potential compatibility of other religious traditions with the Noahide Code, Dallen cites Christian and Muslim authorities for their support of monotheism, a fundamental principle that is the bedrock of Jewish and much non-Jewish religious thought.

Dallen's detailed analysis discusses practical situations involving diet, property rights, gender roles, sex practices, murder, justice, idolatry, etc., and provides surprisingly clear answers to many thorny questions. Once again, toes are stepped on, as various groups may find that the word of God as recounted by the author from the sacred scriptures does not accord with their political views or their personal preferences in life. To Dallen, it is the word of God that controls, and other factors must take a back seat. But, Dallen also shows how the rules established in the biblical scriptures are positive rules that enhance the value of life on earth as well as one's spiritual well-being. To Dallen, even if God had not communicated these seven Noahide commandments, logic would inevitably lead mankind to the same principles anyway.

Although the author rarely expresses doubt over anything on which he has expressed an opinion, he modestly advises the reader not to consider this work as dispositive, and expresses a hope that others will continue the study and research and develop further understandings.

If you were to find this book on a bookstore shelf, you might be fooled by the brightly colored cover into thinking this is a frivolous book, or book for children. To the contrary, Dallen tackles difficult religious and philosophical issues in a mature and pensive way, with scholarly attention to source material (one chapter has over 200 footnotes). Although some of his conclusions are controversial, intelligent people who approach religious thought with seriousness will find a great deal to study and to challenge them here, whether they end up agreeing with all of Dallen's conclusions or not. Religious thinkers of various stripes will enjoy an intellectual feast as they make their way through ancient and contemporary concepts ultimately rooted in the fundamental words of the Torah and the experience of thousands of years of history.

James S. Lawrence

What this book does is give you a comprehensive understanding of the beauty of the Torah and its inclussion of humanity in general.

God's plan, for all humanity, is to recognize His authority. In the text of the Torah (for you Christians- the first five books of the OT)we find God's words speaking to us in a way, that, when we study them, we gain knowledge, understanding; thus, yielding wisdom.

The Seven Laws of Noah or Seven Universal Laws are seen within the context of the text and you get to know that after getting familiar with them. This book does just that; it gets you familiar with them.

You see, even though these are not listed as the Ten Words are, they are a part of the context of the text of the Torah. The beauty is that, if all religions were to apply these, in the context of the Torah, we would all be on the same page. The Children of Israel have been able to give us the guideline that was to be the drive for humanity from the conception of time. That is their mission in life, even though some have forgotten.

This book caters to the Noahide Laws and their part in God's plan for all humanity. This would include Christians, but it DOES NOT include, IN ANY SHAPE OR FORM, the worshiping of a dead man. For anyone to say that it does, it is to "speak falsely".

Anyone who agrees that the God of the Torah is the Creator, then, do yourself a favor and read this book. It is a "shinning light" in a time of darkness. Then, you can decide if it is a good book or not...

Be well and may Hashem, the God of Creation, bless and keep you in your life journey.

This book clearly states the ideas behind the Seven Laws of Noah. Despite what some might think about this book, it is Jesus-free and does not have anything to do with Christianity. As one who has read this book from cover to cover, I can say with 100% certainty that TRC offers a better hope for teshuvah to mankind from the Torah perspective than the so-called New Testament and its plan for salvation, which is predicated upon belief in a Jewish man dying, rising, and flying up to heaven to become a replacement for HaShem. HaShem doesn't work that way, despite what 2,000 years of Christian opposition has said, and the TRC has nothing to do with the Superman from Nazareth.

What the TRC does offer is an easy-to-follow introduction to the Noahide Laws, which have been heavily commented upon but little understood by centuries of rabbinic scholars. Law-by-law, TRC breaks the entire Noahde system apart for the reader, offering commentary and clarification. It's a handbook, not a tool to push some spurious agenda on a gullible reader. Mr. Dallen offers a hands-on approach to the Seven Laws of Noah, and his commentary on the Noahide system is free of technical or legalistic jargon. This is a book for the layperson, and a person doesn't need to be familiar at all with rabbinic commentary to be able to read and, more importantly, make sense of it. It's indexed and offers references for the interested reader who wants to do some independent study on the Noahide Laws.

I won't offer any excessive praise. This is a very good book, but most of what's been said by other positive reviewers doesn't need any repetition. I will say this, this book works. It works very well. It works very well and can lead a person into a new, better understanding of the Bible. Mr. Dallen has a gift for making plain what the authors of other books on this subject have turned into a complex affair. The Seven Laws of Noah aren't a new platform, but simply a reiteration of the time-honored process we call natural law theory, which is an idiot-proof system of morality and justice built into every human being from birth. So, why a divine code of laws to emphasize what humans already now from birth? Because, as history shows, people tend to forget the lessons HaShem teaches. So, there's a need for the Torah to instruct and a need for commentary on the Divine Laws. 613 of these belong to the people of Israel, but 7 of them belong to the rest of us.

Read "The Rainbow Covenant" and get educated. This book can be a stepping stone to the larger world of what Mr. Dallen calls the Hebrew Revolution. The secret of this Revolution is that there's a little Hebrew in us all.

i have read everything mary jo putney,every single book and like many i fell in love with the fallen angels,but this book was amazing i couldn't put it down. michael kenyon just took my heart he is a hero and a daling.

I love this "Fallen Angel" series, and I have read every single one of the stories, except "River of Fire", which will be next if I can get my hands on it. Mary Jo Putney is definetely a gifted writer.

However I have to confess that I was not looking forward to this book that much, I guessed that because Michael is a soldier there would be too much war involved to my liking. And there was war alright. Almost half of the book takes place around the Penninsular Campaign and the Battle of Waterloo. Nonetheless, I was captured by this book from the first page. It was a real effort to put it down, when I had other duties to attend to. I should have had more faith in MJP talent.

The narrative was compelling and strong, the description of places and circumstances was so well done that I felt like I was watching a movie. By the way, why hasn't this book made into a movie? Sometimes I watch movies with huge budgets depicting this period and their stories are not half as good as this one. This novel has all the elements to be transformed into a great epic movie - war, action, adventure, intrigue, compelling and believable characters, inner struggles and love, lots of romance and love. I know I would rather watch a movie based on this novel than "The Last Samurai" or "Master and Comander" for example. It is a shame that Hollywood producers don't turn to romace novels for inspiration, because I think several I have read, specially from authors like Mary Jo Putney and Jo Beverley would make splendid motion pictures.

But I digress. Really there is not much I can add to what other reviewers have written about this book. I can only say it is magnificent. An example of what a romance novel should be like. I strongly recommend this book and the rest of the "Fallen Angels" series. Actually I recommend all books from Mary Jo Putney.

Haldoran! Haldoran! Does whatever a scoundrel can! Can he shoot? Can he scheme? Ravishing Catherine is his dream. Here comes that Haldoran man!

All Spider Man tributes aside, this is one of the best historical romance novels I've ever read. Mary Jo Putney has a great talent for not only creating hunky heroes, but heroines with real skills and intelligence, and villains who are far more deadly and resourceful than the liars and cowardly weaklings who make up "the usual suspects" in most romance.

I fell in love with Catherine right from the beginning. I love the way she's not only married, her daughter Amy is nearly a teenager by the time the book opens. Yet Catherine is not only beautiful, poised, and classy, she's a battlefield nurse, army wife, and really almost a combat soldier in her own right. Mary Jo Putney has created a really multi-faceted heroine, miles ahead of the usual angry spitfire or silly young virgin. Catherine is so serene and good on the surface it's intriguing to find the cracks and flaws underneath. This is a very special heroine!

I liked Michael a lot too. He's not only a brave soldier, he's a man of honor who feels compelled to deny himself out of respect to Catherine's goodness and reputation. I loved the way his battle scenes at Waterloo are written almost like an adventure novel, not skimmed over like in most historical romances. It really made history come alive!

But of course, the most notable character in this book is the villain -- the Amazing Haldoran. This is not some weakling who bursts into tears the minute the hero punches him in the nose. Haldoran is a swordsman, a hunter, a master of intrigue, a master of disguise, and a villain who can keep on swinging even when the odds are against him. The final chapters of this amazing novel shift the mood entirely, from VANITY FAIR (high society, gallant battles) to something more primal and modern, almost like SURVIVOR or THE MOST DANGEROUS GAME. Haldoran is so completely evil, yet his very presence creates chilling suspense as Michael and Catherine must outwit a truly satanic villain in a bleak and uncanny landscape of crags and moors and ruins. If only Haldoran could have blown himself up in his castle instead of just falling off a cliff!

"Made it, ma! Top of the world!"

Mary Jo Putney writes a wonderful, adventurous story from the first page to the very last. It is part of the Fallen Angel series and is probably the most fulfilling for me. From the first moment you meet the hero Michael Kenyon you find him extraordinarily passionate, strong and determined. Catherine (heroine) has very similar qualities plus being a very good mother. I don't think there are two better characters that are better suited for one another. The first time you meet these characters you see and feel their love for one another and yet they remain loyal to their own morals. And when they do get together, you can't help but cheer and hip, hip, hooray! Everything about this story was great and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did.

She saved the best for last (of the original Fallen Angels)
Even then I cannot say that with a straight face. I enjoyed all the original four of the fallen angel series.
I was so glad that the epilogue put a nice little bow on the ending, making me smile for several minutes after I closed the book.
As usual, you go through the heart wrenching emotions from the first chapter.
Of course, Ms Putney graced us with History as accurate as ever, and even added a fictional Island into the story to bring us everything we needed for our enjoyment.
I also loved the appearances by the other Fallen Angels, and a glimpse of our other "Honorary" fallen angels.
This is one of the best series I have read in a long time.
Awesome!!

Wade Davis has written a remarkable book here. Although he went to Haiti
on a scientific assignment, the story unfolds like a novel. It is absolutely riveting, and you won't be able to put it down. The society of the voodoo culture is all here - all the mystery, the chilling accounts of becoming Zombis, the secret societies, the intrigue.

Once you read this book, you will have to read his others. He has an addictive style of writing.

I highly recommend "The Serpent and the Rainbow".

May Lattanzio
Author: Waltz on the Wild Side - An Animal Lover's Journal
Amazon Shorts Author - Paradise and The Last Striper
http://maylattanzio.blogspot,com/

Voodoo gets a bad rap in the West. Too often people think of it as something sinister or nefarious; or worse, "primative". Yet as this book clearly illustrates, it's a legitemate religion like any other, with its own particular logic, order and rituals. Probably the most well-known (and least understood) of these rituals is the process of zombification, whereby an individual is brought "back to life" with no will and no identity to toil as a slave. Davis begins his journey to Haiti to uncover the medical/biological basis of zombification, but mixing science, anthropology and history he paints a facinating picture of a country and a culture long ignored and misunderstood. In other words, don't expect Night of the Living Dead-type zombies, or DaVinci Code-esque secret societies - this true account is much deeper and more thought-provoking than the sensationalized nonsense we typically associate with such things.

Davis is a very talented writer and his work is both compassionate and well-researched. Yet, at times this book can drag a little and he spends a great deal of time asking questions with obvious answers - hence 4 stars instead of 5. For example, the last seventy-five or so pages where he attempts to uncover why certain people are made into zombies seems pretty self-evident based on earlier sections. Despite the above criticism, this is still a very entertaining and eye-opening book that I would recommend to anyone.

Dr. Davis did a great job scientifically speaking about the book. The book is NOTHING like the silly movie in the 1990's. Davis talked vividly about how a "zombie" may be "created". The book also mentions Papa Max Beauvoir who used have the Temple of Yahwe in Washington, D.C. Boy do I miss him (Beauvoir)

LAD

An international best-seller that was published in 10 languages, Harvard ethnobiologist Wade Davis destroys the Eurocentric preconceptions and lies about the nature of zombies and voodoo practices in Haitian culture.

Davis weaves his journey with history, customs and beliefs as he seeks to discover the drug compounds and folk preparations for the zombie-making voodoo practices. He befriends a Voudon and the chemicals he finds prove to be of value to the field of anesthesiology.

Zombiefication, Davis writes, condemns a law-breaker to eternal slavery and is administered as part of a complex, local judicial system. It is truly eternal damnation.

The story is compelling and Davis is successful in making the reader better comprehend and appreciate the rich Haitian heritage and traditions. The book is one of the best I ever read.

After seeing the movie "Serpent and the Rainbow", I sought out the novel to gain a deeper appreciation for what happened to Wade Davis in Haiti. To my surprise, the movie had only about 2% in common with what happened in the book. To my surprise, Wade's actual encounters with the Haitians was mostly friendly and congenial. His life was never threated, he never was interrogated or tortured by the government there. He never had a metal spike nailed into his leg. He was never zombified and resurrected. In fact, he is treated exceptionally well despite the fact that he is there to try to uncover medical secrets of which, if successful, the Haitians would probably never see one penny of reward from. The movie had a lot of suspense, mystery and supernatural occurences. Aside from Wade seeing some ceremonial "possessions",the book does not. Wade is after the Zombi medicine, he is shown how to make it, he returns with a sample and it is verified. End of story, or it should have been. The book should have stopped there. After Wade returns to Haiti to try to see a Zombi resurrected, the text just bogs down in a slow history lesson of Haiti and its secret societies and lacks a climax of any kind.
In closing, the book and the movie are two completely different stories, and should be treated as such. I can certainly understand if Wade Davis was upset over his story was taken by Hollywood and made so sensational and untrue!

The book has no pictures or even line drawings. It makes extensive use of Haitian vocabulary, but thankfully has a small glossary in the back for reference. It has quite a few scientific terms and medical terminology to describe the actions and chemistry of the Zombi powder. Many of these terms are also in the glossary. It redefines a Zombi as a person who, under the influence of this powder, now lacks the ability to form a thought or initiative. They are used as slaves to work the land. They dont kill or do the evil bidding of some dark master, nor do they eat flesh. People aren't really scared of the Zombis that wander around, they are more afraid of being turned into one.

I would really like to know what became of the research that was done of the Zombi powders that Wade brought back for analysis-are their components being used by medicine today? was it a breakthrough? who is profiting from it all? a little follow-up is needed here!

The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to laugh at the round about way kids tell stories, taking you on a winding and tiring road that makes you put the story pieces together in a straight line. I originally bought this book when our son was very young, and recently re-purchased it (he is now 16) to get a chuckle out of his long winded, end-to-beginning way of telling stories!

This is a true children's classic, and I don't care that it was not written back in the far day with cutesy pictures. This tells a great story in a "backwards" format where what should have been a simple explanation becomes worse and worse as more details are brought in. The illustrations are amazing and hilarious and do more than their part in telling this charming story. This is a great way to show logic and sequence and more kids need to know this story!

I'm 21 and I still love this book. Maybe it's not exactly a comedy routine, but it's so much fun; you have to smile reading it.

I liked this because the boa ate the wash. My favorite character is Jimmy. You should read this book because it is a really good book.

A fun book, not too many words per page, with a lot of the fun of the story being in the pictures. However, when I read this to three 1st and 2nd graders, I was surprised that they didn't laugh at all. I'm not sure if it was because they've never been on a field trip, or because the other books I've read them had more complex plots. Much of the humor of this book is in the funny pictures, but the plot is very basic. You don't come away feeling like you've really gotten to know any of the characters.

This was a book I bought on recommendation from a reading list. It was well illustrated, but definately not a "happy" type book. It doesn't teach as much as it illustrates, and it was too far removed from my kindergartner's level of understanding int he story line. Maybe for older kids? I just thought it was OK.

My three year old son gets as much joy out of this classic story as I did as a child (according to my mother). He identifies with the little boy as well as with the giant - and he asks for it over and over - the enclosed CD allows me to read to him or to let this be independent play as I need to.

Got this book from a used book store when our kid was 2 years old. It's had a magical effect on her even today, a year later. She has imitated the Abiyoyo character, begs me to make up Abiyoyo stories, tells me he's her friend, etc. We've read it at least 200 times. The monster is a real, significant presence in our daughter's life.

Perhaps because its phrasing comes from a song, the lines are memorable. Our child has memorized whole pages, and "sings" along when we read it to her. There's not a single word that can be deleted, it's that finely edited.

Definitely in the top 10 in our library.

The book was received in a timely manner. It took about a week for me to receive it after placing my order. The book was in new condition. I would definitely order from this seller again.

Illustarations excellent..story in the book and on dvd are a favortie of my grandchildren...must confess, even though I am 67, I enjoyed it too.

I grew up in SE Asia and I was enthralled when I first saw the movie. Two decades later I finally got to reading the book.

First thing is that Kock is a beautiful writer. Some of his sentences just blew me away. Especially when he describes Indonesia. He completely captures all the senses and you're right there on a hot Jakarta night with the aroma of clove cigarettes. He's a journalist so his knowledge of the underlying political event surrounding the novel are impressive as well. If you want to understand the unsteady and inscrutable world of SE Asian politics then this book will be a great introduction.

I think the book is weak in a few areas that prevent it from becoming a class. The critical failure is that the reader does not identify with any characters in the novel. The protagonist is Guy Hamilton and we're allowed to see his thoughts but I don't think we deeply relate to him. He's too shallow of a character. His main issues are that he's afraid of relationship commitment and he hasn't been able to succeed at work. Nothing too interesting here. Jill is also somewhat distant and I didn't feel the passion between them. The movie did a far better job of this. Billy, the dwarf, is the deepest character but he's too creepy to relate to.

The second issue is point of view. It's written from the point of view of another journalist, Cookie, who sees Guy and the other characters and writes the story. However we're able to get into Guy's brain and this switching between Cookie's view and Guy's internal thoughts is confusing.

The conflict never built up sufficiently either. We knew from what Cookie said that Billy would die and he would meet Guy in London later.

It's a good read especially if you want to be immersed in all that is SE Asia - mysticism, smells, poverty, riches, cruelty, passion. From that point I enjoyed reading it.

I loved the movie with Mel Gibson and the book is just as good if not better. You're able to sense the danger and the mystery of the main character's situation and Billy becomes a figure you never forget.

Not a bad read at all actually. The hero is a half-Chinese dwarf named Billy. The other characters treat him quite shabbily at times, but things never descend to the level of dwarf tossing. There is lots of atmospheric stuff about how hot and humid it is in Indonesia -- duh! -- which I could have done without. Otherwise, a pretty good read.

Keeping the politics of this book aside; I can really recommend it for anyone who wants to feel what it's like to live through a coup and martial law. No other book I've read can really make that smell of fear and random violence as alive as Mr. Koch.

The movie is best avoided. The nearest parallel movie to rival the atmosphere of this book would be "Power Play" with Peter O'Toole.

Funny thing, I'm yet to meet an Indonesian who's ever even heard of "The Year of Living Dangerously".

Intriguing thriller set in one of Indonesia's most turbulent times follows the basic plot of most of that country's shadow puppet fables. Viz: The earthly balance of good and evil has lapsed, and the clueless but good-hearted hero finds himself aided by the unexpected attentions of a bold dwarf.

There is so much going on, it's to be enjoyed on several levels. Innocence lost, cloak and daggery, true political intrigue, guy meets girl, expatriate sleaze, lessons in Indonesian culture: it's all there. Very nicely written with a perfect pace and memorable characters; Koch seems to be a great observer and decent researcher.

So nicely composed was this book, the subsequent film (featuring breathtakingly fresh performances by youngsters Sigourney Weaver and Mel Gibson) captured the best dialogue and the steamy atmosphere with apparent ease. Destined to be a classic, YLD is a story that takes hold and stays with you a long time.

De rigeur reading for the expats of Indonesia, but also a great book to have along if traveling in Indonesia (the twenty year ban on this book has been lifted by the government, so you can bring it in legally now)!

THis is a book that I and my students thoroughly enjoyed. I love teh emphasis on hardwork and perseverance.Most children can relate to the notion of saving money to purchase something they really want to have. Written from the perspective of the child makes the story easy for children to identify with. The notion of harwork and perseverance is weaved through out the story. From the mother's long hours at the diner to the family's year of saving change in a jar. The Coldecott-winning illustrations allow the reader to feel the emotions the little girl is feeling and correspond beautifully with the text. The cover of the book is an outsiders view of the diner where the little girl's mother works. Ths vantage point lends to the perspective from which the story is told. I feel this is a story that can transcend time. There will always be the need for hard work and perseverance. There will always be hard times one has to overcome. The notion of earning and valuing material pocessions can cross all cultures.

i bought this for my neice over the summer. i was a big reading rainbow fan as a kid. now as an adult i can appreciate this book and its illustrations even more.this is a must read for all little girls!!

This, along with Something Special for Me have been top picks for our 3 1/2 year old for the last few months. She asks for them over and over. I love how this book tells a simple story yet illustrates wonderful family values without being preachy. I imagine this will be in the regular rotation at our house for years to come.

A beautiful book, visually and story-wise. My children loved it, I loved it and now the grandchildren love it. It has drama and kindness and an appreciation for small things that make life rich.

Some children's books speak to our lives in special ways.

I'm stepping away from a teacher voice to a "person teaching" talking tonight, it isn't the same exactly. Pretty close. I came from my personal past into this life, so my valuing, my struggles are mine, and I look from those eyes on what happens in my present life. It's a book that allows me to talk about how important I find it for us to use books to let children share from their lives, as they really can be, like this one. I find this isn't a homogenized world told about as our mandated basal portrays it.
This is "About the fire that burned away the things a family loved". Where I teach, in poverty, many things are burning all the time. Things included. My kids know words, even at six, not all children know: eviction, landlord, payments, lay-away, pawn shop. Last year I almost cried at how a child brightened hearing pawn shop to tell me of what of hers was staying there. And so we got her toys back. That little girl now in 5th grade has not missed a morning working in my room before school.
Do you know Elizabeth Cotton? Do you know the tune Shake Sugaree, try these two versions with kids:

Shake Sugaree

Shake Sugaree: Taj Mahal Sings And Plays For Children


They connect to our experiences in my classroom, as literature allows, validates. It doesn't say "think positive" or that your struggles bore me, or that you need to speak happy tales to me, no, it tells a child they are valid because they speak. For me to believe in anyone I want to know who they really are. This book says you are more than the sum of the parts shaped in an imperfect world, you are a blessed child. In the arts we celebrate your struggles. We will know the " you."

My now 18 year old daughter introduced me to the Vera B. Williams books.
She never let us down. Sylvia was extraordinary reading Cherries and Cherry Pits as a very young 4 year old to her new kindergarten class. It's a bit of a marvelous read. But this lovely one she shared with me after taking it out from the library. That's where we found these Vera B. Williams books in Monterey, but as the years went by I got those I could find for my classes of 1st graders.

So let me tell you about this. I don't want to be misunderstood, it is a story that spoke to me, as me. A book about the idealized notions of momma. My mom is having her birthday in a few days, a milestone birthday, so she would not appreciate my posting her near centurion date but I want to remember a little story I tell the children at some point. With some editing I'll not do today. I don't tell as much as I'll put here. She's sitting looking at TV perched on the corner of the arm of a chair. This Momma doesn't sit.

We watch the Grammy's and feel really disconnected from "music today." But we like Tina Turner and Aretha. Do you remember the Grammy awards when Paul Simon sang about 50 ways To Leave Your Lover? I do. And I think My Little Town at another. Dave Grohl Foo Fighters, I'm waiting for the 2nd coming. it's different to me. And what did they do to Alicia Keyes? Produced it I guess. But at least we heard Hancock on Gershwin. And that lovely humble Amy Winehouse give her tribute to the Queen's English and the rehabilitation that will certainly fail her.

This is a child's story about a family that lives barely making ends meet. Told from the perspective of a young child, in their voice. Vera B. Williams often narrates in child voice,
wonderfully so. It's so powerful and dear and in many ways teaches a child they can narrate their own story. Among the many things needed for a child to write is the "sound of that writing." This is a model for that.
This family had their home devastated by fire. It isn't unknown in the classes I teach. Apartment fires happen quite a bit more than I ever knew. This is the story of saving into a big glass jar all the coins for a very long, long time to go get their dear Momma a new chair. What holds the readers is the love of the mother, the tenderness of acknowledging her struggle to make ends meet, and the feelings of how hard she works to have anything, and replace things after the fire.

Listen to the text:

"When we can't get a single other coin into the jar, we are going to take out all the money and go and buy a chair. Yes, a chair. A wonderful, beautiful, fat, soft armchair. we will get one covered in velvet with roses all over it. We are going to get the best chair in the whole world. That is because our old chairs burned up. There was a big fire in our house. all our chairs burned. So did our sofa and so did everything else. That wasn't such a long time ago. My mother and I were coming home from buying new shoes. I had new sandals. She had new pumps. We were walking to our house from the bus. We were looking at everyone's tulips. she was saying she liked red tulips and I was saying I liked yellow ones. Then we came to our block. Right outside our house stood two big fire engines. I could see lots of smoke. Tall orange flames came out of the roof. all the neighbors stood in a bunch across the street. Mama grabbed my hand and we ran. My uncle Sandy saw us and ran to us. Mama yelled, "Where's Mother?" I yelled, "Where's my grandma?" My aunt Ida waved and shouted, "She's here, she's here. She's O.K. Don't worry." Grandma was all right. our cat was safe too, though it took a while to find her. But everything else in our whole house was spoiled.


I knew those shoes. My family grew up much richer than my grandparents who lived in a hand built cabin with no plumbing, but my life wasn't easy.
I actually did get a pair of shoes a year. Had two or three toys at Christmases. This in my case was compounded by a monster father, professor, that wanted the love of others and resented his obligations at home. He raged all the time and made the life of a mom with her own issues so difficult she broke when I was in my teens. After he left to father another child with a girl my age ( all of this is the part I omit for kids of course) and contribute about $100 a month to our survival monthly my mom was in pieces. So it is. Off he went not really looking back except to lie/rage some more. But she had a tiny house, mortgage still to be paid, and troubles because we had no dishwasher, broken oven, furniture from my babyhood. It was all very hard and unnecessarily depressing as my father was out buying himself his well deserved life.
She called me one day from town having taken a second mortgage. I was upset really to deal with this, it indebted me to more work, but met her at the furniture store walking the 6 miles to get to her. we never had a car. Took an hour or so. She was so happy as I went in to find out what on earth was going on, sitting in this enormous shaggy bright orange chair. She wanted me to sign so that we would buy this huge burnt orange sofa and chair set. Huge pieces. I had to pay $50 to get it to the house. And so into our tiny split level with my grand mom dying of Alzheimer's and all the issues of those times, we were swallowed up in the biggest brightest couch and chair I ever saw. Dad never let us change the carpet or improve anything, so the floor in our home was this slightly sour light tan stained nightmare it just swallowed up any aesthetic with the paneling of thin cabin wood. But I never woke up and walked out in our main room I didn't from then on think, can that really be in this room? Is it really this bright. It couldn't be hidden under any afghan I made. And my grand mom poured a gallon of milk on the chair one midnight as she wandered about a month new. I found orange hard to decorate around. We ended up painting what we had orange.

Now how does this possibly relate to this Williams story?
This is a story about the feeling I had then. I wanted my mom to have what she liked.
I've never seen my mom sit in a chair in her life, except that day I went into the furniture store and saw her wrap it around her injured heart trying to stop the bleeding from the years of pain, dad's rejection and the damage all of it did to her. She had this smile that day like a little lost puppy child, like she might be worth a big burnt orange chair.
She said that she had never chosen a piece of the furniture she'd lived with for 28 years.
I can't forget that.

Williams captures in this book the vulnerability and the reality of being poor.
In her beautiful, beautiful watercolors.
Of having to save pennies and change in a jar for a very long time to get your mom her chair. She does this without pity or pleas for someone to save them. No one will.
She just presents and honors the life that is led everyday by many faceless, voiceless people. Ones that are damaged by hurricanes, fires, heart breaks with nothing left to do but struggle to go on. They aren't the ones jumping around tonight on the Grammy's on high wires doing whatever that is to sing a so called tribute to the Beatles or in some black light costumes in some Pyramid rapping in some weird-o tribute to the song of this year. They are probably working the diner many blocks down. Long ago they gave us our music.

Anyway it talks about what is lost in a fire. Possessions. It talks to children that know about these things. So it does fit my Sheltered Immersion 1st grade place teaching in my neighborhood. One of my little boys crying recently all morning, all morning, inconsolable but not talking for so long until I was breaking... over the car stolen from his family over the weekend. It speaks to these kids that save and save for what they have. Or know it in their families.

One of teachers, after I read it to her class years ago told me her story. She saved and saved for new furniture buying a set for a couple thousand. This meant everything to her, her life harder by far than mine. And the company the next day went into bankruptcy so she lost her money, got nothing due to leins on the stock of the store. And she had saved years and years.
No one to shed a tear. It just is, she said to me, looking broken, looking lost a few seconds. Needing the care of someone.

Vera B. Williams writes stories that honor the beauty and fragility of human life. Our pennies collect into our jars as we reaching deep inside try to find ways to give our mommas a big chair for a little rest. Rest from their burdens. Days that bring us up on their laps for time to share our stories.

I like to read this at Mom's day and then the children enjoy conducting a Mom's Day Tea. You have the children pick and learn very well a poem. They can even write it about their mom's, grandmums, about you if you stand in as I have done for children left alone. Each child says their poetry. It can be filmed and played. It can be acted out or sung. It can be songs. Then they serve tea in pretty little cups you have been collecting all year from yard sales and junk shops in your town, (absent that bring in some china) if you yard sale they keep them to remember. In our town the stores for various charities have the things to get plus you are giving them business. After the tea and cookies then it's time to take Mom in arms for a little waltz to a nice tune. I like the Circle Game: Folk Music for Kids, by Joni Mitchell. Send everybody home with a box of tissues. It will be worth all the trouble.

Happy Birthday Mum. Your life was not an easy one. I do owe you my life.

I read the original hardcover edition of 2004. The book has 400 regular text pages (180 about animals, for the very most part vertebrates and the occasional insect; 220 about humans), a seven-page appendix, 50 pages of footnotes and with the rest altogether 492 pages.

The perspective of an openly transgendered science author is most refreshing - and necessary. Some reviewers choose to indulge in rhetoric that for the status of her transgender nature the author has to be biased automatically and as the result the book has to get dismissed. I am sorry, but I can't follow that line of thought. The most it shows is that the author has an interest to come closer to the truth. In contrast to the usual transphobic and/or homophobic biologist in a deeply transphobic and homophobic society, she is NOT biased against anyone. Occasionally, she raises questions, offers a thesis, but leaves the final answer open, as we don't know yet. She isn't sparing lesbian and gay authors either, when it comes to perception warps. Frankly, she uses science exactly as I do. (I deleted "medical" in the following quote.): "Our task as informed readers of science is to extract as best as we can the data from the layers of ... prejudice in which they're embedded." I have to say, even without any claim of final judgement by her or me, her theories make much more sense than what we are fed with by most other "education". When the establishment's biologists' theories don't add up, they get deservedly ridiculed. Joan Roughgarden is also criticizing biased language which humanizes animals, e.g. when the behavior of some birds is expressed in criminalizing vocabulary, thereby distorting what is objectively happening.

She is also further developing or correcting existing knowledge, as she expects to get treated the same way. She re-thinks some of Darwin's essential theses and sinks the sexual selection theory. [Don't mind the title in this context, I recommend also reading Sexual Selections: What We Can and Can't Learn about Sex from Animals by a feminist biologist. Occasionally, Roughgarden is also summarizing parts of the modern classic Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality and Natural Diversity (Stonewall Inn Editions), an encyclopedia on some 450 lesbian, gay, transgendered and "alternatively" heterosexual animal species].

Personally, I have only minor criticisms. For one thing, she isn't always providing the Latin and/or exact (sub)species name of the peculiar examples of animal ways of life. Sometimes, they are provided in the footnotes, other times not, especially concerning fish. It is very ardous to find out more about those examples elsewhere, when you don't know the exact name. Her examples are true, of course, as far as I was able to find the species and read up on them.

While her general lines of thought sound correct, occasionally, she is simplifying matters by leaving out "surplus" information. For example on the function of antlers, she has forgotten to mention that in some species they are also erogenous zones. As I am not a biologist and know that by chance only, I wonder what else might have been left out. I am not quite sure wether the "development of homosexuality" is probably happening between the ages from 1-10. In fact, I am surprised to read such a line of thought coming from this author.

Not really criticism, but constructive reasonings: It doesn't seem to occur to the author that in a certain triangle of bird relationship one male isn't mating with the female, because she is HIS MOTHER (= not the best of gene mixing choices). I would be careful to exclusively judge procreation advantage as the thing which counts in the animal kingdom. I am specifically referring to the mentioned salmons, some of them living longer, some more time in danger etc. She is basing one thesis on the preceding question of why any human isn't homosexual (as in bisexual) like the bonobos are. Well, she has forgotten that in some human societies that was or is very much the case. As in various societies on New Guinea (read Ritualized Homosexuality in Melanesia (Studies in Melanesian Anthropology)). Or, of potential special interest to the author, supposedly every male Samoan has had sexual encounters with a Fa'afafine at least once. ("Biological men" who in childhood are chosen to be raised to assume female gender roles.) Which concerns exactly what she elaborates on in Western society as the exception, i.e. non-fetish lovers who don't expect transsexuals to alter her body appearance.

However, I don't have to agree 100% with the author. The information and challenge value far exceeds these minor flaws of my perceptions to merit a full subtraction of a star in the rating. Her occasional colloquial inserts keep the book a fun reading on top of everything.

She is also going into the Bible a bit. Which may be the reason why some reviewers are especially jolted.

a very interesting and mindful book. interesting in that it shows how the gender dichotomy of western societies is ever so rigid and needs to loosen up. mindful in that it exudes tolerance and simply makes you appreciate diversity. i enjoyed reading it.

No matter what one may think about Roughgarden's hypotheses (though these are to my mind often inspired) Evolution's Rainbow was a great read if only for the sheer quantity of information it encapsulates. One comes away from this book with a profoundly altered idea of what constitutes "natural" in reference to sexuality and gender.

The only criticism I have is of the rather strained effort at the end of the book to reconcile the Bible with homosexuality. While I agree the Sodom story is primarily aimed at a lack of hospitality other scriptures e.g. Romans 1:31-32 are more explicit. It is unfortunate that an exemplary scientist still feels the need to pander to moral constructs based upon faith i.e. the belief in things that cannot be seen or demonstrated. By this criteria the 9/11 terrorists were very moral people.

Roughgarden's work in Evolution's Rainbow should be required reading for all college and high school students in the country. Starting with relatively simple animals and working into increasingly complex organisms (finally culminating with humans), Roughgarden convincingly and irrefutably demonstrates how sexual diversity is widespread in nature, not simply "weird statistical anomalies" as many believe. In fact, an over-abundance of examples from nature in the first section of the book is often somewhat exhausting to follow, but serves to establish the widespread nature of homosexuality, transsexuality, and even intersexuality in nature. And finally, the ending sections of the book, demonstrating how various societies have accepted/incorporpated sexually diverse elements, should serve as a motivation for LGBTI peoples around the world. Overall an excellent and politically timely book that can be appreciated by biologists and non-scientists alike.

Finally, someone is putting together all of the real, scientific information regarding sexuality and gender variance in the animal world.
Roughgarden may well have taken on too much for one book - there is something of a rushed pace and she often drops dissertation-worthy bits of information into one page - but she has gathered some wonderful examples of the true nature of diversity in the animal kingdom.
Her reasons for writing the book may be political and personal in nature, but I think her reasoning and biology are sound.

this book really moved me to tears; the metaphoric wordplay, with themes that any who are a dreamer at heart would kinder to longingly.

This was one of my absolute favorite books as a child, and I still love it. It inspires such creativity.

I received this book when I was quite young and it became an instant favorite with me. I think, at the time, my father gave it to me because I was actually afraid of the dark. Not only was it a reassuring friend in that respect, but the prevailing message of hope and ease in the book helped me immensely in my attempts to cope with the dark confusion that was childhood. Today, as an adult, I still keep it by my bedside. There is something in the surreal and beautiful illustrations, simple and absurd message that can still bring a certain level of peace to my disquieted self in these dark days that are adulthood. I would recommend this book to any person, great or small, who may need a touch of reassurance and hope.

This is a beautiful book. I first came across it in a store called Serendipity in Rockport MA about 25 years ago. I still have my copy but bought a copy this year for my cousin who is 16 and getting ready to go off to college. The artwork and the messages are so enduring. The thoughts in here stayed with me through many ups and downs of life and growing up and living in general. Such wonderful messages that just whisper in your ear when you need them most.....if it's the last dance, dance backwards. This is one of my all-time favorite books, right up there with The Little Prince.

This book is written for children with the purpose of making them feel better in times of stress by using their imaginations and looking at the world in a different way. The illustrations are very colorful and bring to life each one of the creatve verses contained within. The book is meant to inspire and encourage children and each one of the small proverbs carries meaning that people of all ages could possibly learn from. Nevertheless, despite the fact that it's intended for children, some sensitive children might be afraid of some of the illustrations inside. But, overall this is a wonderful and charming book that can inspire and encourage most who read it.