Asia Books

During the Pacific Conflict of WWII, the Japanese where characterized as brutal imperialistic conquerors, hungry for more territory and more resources as well as greater control over their asian neighbors in China, Korea, Southeast Asia, and the Phillipines. The United States is viewed as the pure of heart liberators who had come to rescue and aid such people. It is a sad and shameful fact that America had roughly committed the same act of vicious colonialism on the Phillipines years before Japanese troops set foot on the islands.

After the fall of Spanish-American War, rather than attempting to help the Fillipinos to rebuild their occupied homeland, the United States government, in a deeply disturbing turn to greed and arrogance, opted to occupy them just as their Spanish adversaries had done. Huge divisions of soldiers where sent to the Phillipines. The Fillipino guerillas and resistance fighters found themselves battling an enemy that they had considered a friend and ally only a few years before. Though a "successful" counterinsurgency, the Phillipine Insurrection is often thought of as a precursor to the American experience in Vietnam.

This is a conflict that the history books should stop trying to ignore. I love this country but if we want to avoid brutal and senseless campaigns like those in Iraq and Vietnam we need to take into account the wrongdoings of our country such as the occupation of the Phillipines. In fact, during WWII many Fillipino guerilla groups where reluctant to join forces with the US troops and even considered attacking BOTH sides to ensure that either Japanese or American occupation would not happen.

Those who ignore history are condemned to repeat it.

(click the author's name for several other editions of this book)

From: Philippine Daily Inquirer May 26, 2003 SECTION: 8

"LITTLE BROWN BROTHER" is the title of the book Leon Wolff wrote in 1961. It was an eye-opener not just for Filipinos but for Americans as well, most of whom had grown up believing the American seizure of the Philippines, along with Cuba and Puerto Rico, before the turn of the last century was done with the noblest of intentions and wrought through the most benign of intrusions. The original title of the book was "Little Brown Brother: The Forgotten American Bid For Empire Which Cost 250,000 Lives," which was eventually shortened. The subtitle pretty much sums up what the book is about. The 250,000 lives were of course the Filipinos', the American occupation force, as in Iraq more than a century later, suffering few casualties.

Wolff's book told not just of the way a good portion of the new colony's population was wiped out but of the way the entire population's memory was wiped out. The first claimed only 250,000 lives, the latter the souls of nearly every inhabitant of the island. Superimposed on the horrific reality was the general patronage movie version of the occupation, not unlike Fernando Poe's, which told of the making of the "little brown brother," the sidekick, with the face of Dencio Padilla, who would forever be at the hero's side. It was to become the cornerstone of "special relations," relations which have proven especially comfortable for the United States and especially excruciating to the Philippines. "


From The Washington Post, February 24, 1985:
The story of how, and why America liberated the Philippines from Spain and then took the islands back from their inhabitants two weeks later is a complicated one, already well told in one of the classics of American historiography, Leon Wolff's Little Brown Brother, published in 1960.



From BusinessWorld October 21, 1998:

"Little Brown Brother." The author is Leon Wolff, who also wrote the celebrated "In Flanders Field." The subhead on the front cover title and the introduction by the publishers provide an idea of the contents:

"America's Forgotten Bid for Empire Which Cost 250,000 Lives - At the end of the last century, when British imperialism was at its peak, the United States embarked on an acquisitive venture unique in that freedom-loving nation's story. The extra-ordinary circumstances of the annexation of the Philippine Islands and the bloody three-year war that followed the insurrection of its eight million inhabitants (a war in which a quarter of a million U.S. troops and Filipinos died) are today all but forgotten, even in America...

"It was after America's easy Caribbean victory in the war with Spain (1898) that the imperialist faction in American politics, whose leaders included President McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt, provoked a political controversy of almost unparalleled bitterness. Meanwhile, ten thousand miles away in the western Pacific, Filipino patriots under Emilio Aguinaldo, who had helped the invading Americans drive out the hated Spaniards, found themselves betrayed by their liberators and saddled with a fresh domination - against which they promptly revolted."

Wolff presents a balanced narrative, depicting an America split between the anti-imperialists, typified by William Jennings Bryant and Mark Twain, and politicians like McKinley, with his delusions of his country's "manifest destiny," and Roosevelt (Theodore), the former Rough Rider, who lumped Filipinos along with the native Americans whom he had fought in the bloody Indian wars.

According to Wolff, in accepting his vice-presidential nomination, Roosevelt declared: "... the presence of (U.S.) troops in the Philippines during the Tagal (Tagalog) insurrection has no more to do with militarism or imperialism than had their presence in the Dakotas, Minnesota and Wyoming during the many years which elapsed before the final outbreaks of the Sioux were definitely put down... (Self-government) under Aguinaldo would be like granting self-government to an Apache reservation under some local chief..."

This attitude was reflected in the way the Americans conducted the war. Two officers of a U.S. regiment leaked a particularly gory episode to the New York World, which wrote:

"... our soldiers here and there resort to horrible measures with the natives. Captains and lieutenants are sometimes judges, sheriffs and executioners... 'I don't want any more prisoners sent to Manila,' was the verbal order from the Governor-General three months ago... It is now the custom to avenge the death of an American soldier by burning to the ground all the houses, and killing right and left the natives who are only 'suspects.'"...

Liberation meant conquest
New York Times Review March 5, 1961
...Wolff also author of "In Flanders Field," condemns a few cruel men, but writes understandingly of the pressures and counter-pressures that led to inhuman conduct. The struggle became, for all the participants, a nightmare war fought in torrential tropical rains and ankle deep mud, involving incessant fatigue and hunger and a sudden horrible death along jungle trails...Wolff, drawing upon a mass of contemporary writing, published documents and the memoirs of Anguinaldo, has succeeded admirably in re-creating both sides of this nearly forgotten conflict. It is a shame that the American troops, fighting with courage and fortitude, were not enlisted in a better cause. At the time it appeared far more noble than it does today, but even then a British magazine commented, "There have never been more wicked wars than this...but never a more shabby war."

In Little Brown Brother, Leon Wolff contends that while Jose Rizal was a catalyst for the movement, Emilio Aguinaldo was "Revolution incarnate." Wolf describes Aguinaldo as a stubborn man of limited education who cleverly unified eight million people in the revolution against Spain. He reportedly had a great hatred for the Spanish and sought to prove that the Filipino was mentally and morally above the Europeans. As a result of imperialism, the US took control of the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico via the Spanish American War. Although there was still an abundant amount of land throughout the world that applied to the Manifest Destiny ideology, acquiring land on opposite sides of the globe required new methods. It would not be as easy as building roads and displacing a few thousand American Indians. Controlling colonial possession thousands of miles away required a new military commitment. This commitment came by way of a modern Navy. The US steamed into oversees expansion when the Federal Government commissioned the building of several cruisers and battleships between 1883 to 1890. It was clear to the US that those countries who controlled the seas, controlled their own destiny.

Wolff has done some extensive research and has come up with a balanced account of the situation in the Philippines during the Spanish American war. Little is really known of the extent of the atrocities that were the result of the Manifest Destiny and Benevolent Assimilation ideology but Wolf is balanced in his treatment of, on the Militray side: Aguinaldo, Dewey, Otis, and McArthur. On the political side, he is clear to point out that there was opposition to this proclomation for many reasons. His extensive treatment of the debate between William Jennings Bryan and William McKinley are also very extensive. An easy book to read and a very extensive and well researched piece. I give it 5 stars.

Miguel Llora

"Little Brown Brother" gives the reader an excellent introduction to the American conquest of the Philippines. With a copyright granted in 1960, the title may be dated, but the narrative is thorough.

This book is concentrated on the Philippine theatre of the Spanish American War. Leon Wolf begins with backgrounds of the Imperialist sentiment in the U. S. and the Philippine struggle for independence. The nature of the Spanish domination of the islands, largely through control of government and church offices, is laid out.

Action in the Far East began with Adm. Dewey's destruction of the Spanish fleet in Manila Bay on May 1, 1898. This left a multi-polar balance of power, with American dominance of the Bay, challenged by German and British fleets and the city under the control of the Spanish, but surrounded to landward by the Filipino insurgents. This state led to a series of discussions during which the Spanish negotiated with the Americans for an arrangement which would satisfy their pride while protecting them from massacre by the Filipinos. The Filipinos, meanwhile, were negotiating with the Americans for support for their revolution. These negotiations would lead to conflicting claims as to what was promised which would be adjusted by the American Army. With the build-up of the American Army the balance of power shifted and the American conquest began. Extending over several years, the Americans occupied first the Bay, next Manila and, after a drive across Luzon, the entire archipelago.

Much attention is devoted to the political struggles over whether the U. S. should take the islands and, if so, how much they should take. Other nations stirred in the troubled pot. Japan's offer to help govern the islands was spurned. German bellicose behavior was opposed by the Royal Navy.

American debate over taking the islands was reminiscent of more recent debates over foreign interventions. Many of the issues are similar to ones which have arisen at other times in history and which continue to arise. As the war with the Filipino insurgents dragged on, the Americans were accused of conduct which was similar to Spanish actions which led to American intervention in Cuba. Imperialists and Anti-imperialists argued over whether or not American treasure should be expended and blood spilled in tropical jungles and whether we were liberating or murdering their inhabitants. The concentration of natives in villages was not only reminiscent of Spanish measures but prescient of American actions decades later in another Asian battleground. American actions in the islands became a political football, while Filipino patriots attacked American troops while awaiting the election of William Jennings Bryan in anticipation of receiving a grant of independence from his hands. With the reelection of William McKinley, Filipino independence was deferred for over 40 years.

Throughout this book I enjoyed reading the history and comparing its issues with those of later eras. The conquest of the Philippines really set the pattern for American victories and defeats throughout the rest of the 20th Century. These comparisons provide fuel for hours of contemplation.

Throughout this work the author maintains a good balance between detail and broad themes, without ever becoming bogged down or detached from reality. It is informative and readable. As you can see from my other reviews, a really good book earns four stars from me. Only the exceptional ones, such as "Little Brown Brother", earn five.

Mr Wolff has compiled a classic account of this savage and mostly forgotten conflict that brough America into a war that would be very similar in the sixties. A brilliant telling of both sides of the war, from the political figures, Filipino field commanders, volunteer soldiers from Oregon and Kansas, the "Buffalo Soldiers", Marines, Moros wielding their razor-edged barongs to generals like Lawton, Merritt, Pershing, Funston and Arthur MacArthur. If you are interested in this story, I recommend this book and Muddy Glory by Russel Roth to name but a few. History as it should be taught in school.

When I decided to move to Lebanon three years ago, I bought the first edition of this book, and it was like a bible for my husband and me as we got our bearings, traveled around the country, and branched out on our own. We still use it as a reference when we go back to visit our favorite places. The information is clear and easy to follow, the historical sections, information about the culture, and practical information are all up to date and accurate. All in all, this is an excellent resource for anyone coming to Lebanon. Enjoy your stay!

For thousands of years Lebanon has occupied a position in history that is entirely out of proportion to its size. Nearly every Westerner has read or heard about this tiny country, yet its past and present, its inhabitants, and the land itself hold countless secrets. Ann Jousiffe's "Lebanon" will help you explore this legendary corner of the eastern Mediterranean, discover many of its unique treasures, and savor its seemingly infinite variety. Her book provides historical, cultural, and political commentary, advice on food and accommodations, extensive background on archaeological sites, a useful language section, and a glossary. It also includes maps and color photographs.

A perfect companion to Jousiffe's book is "Recipes and Remembrances from an Eastern Mediterranean Kitchen: A Culinary Journey through Syria, Lebanon, and Jordan," by Lebanese-born Sonia Uvezian. An astounding achievement of culinary, historical, and cultural research, this masterly volume is a godsend for anyone who plans to visit Lebanon.

I returned to Lebanon after many years away. This book had everything! My family (who have never left Lebanon) were also amazed by the detail and accuracy of the book (even the cost of a Taxi from Homs to Beirut to within 50 cents US). Insightful and straightforward. Arranged very well. There is very good detail, even on places that the Ministry of Tourism is scant on. Highly recommended!

When I decided to move to Lebanon three years ago, I bought the first edition of this book, and it was like a bible for my husband and me as we got our bearings, traveled around the country, and branched out on our own. We still use it as a reference when we go back to visit our favorite places. The information is clear and easy to follow, the historical sections, information about the culture, and practical information are all up to date and accurate. All in all, this is an excellent resource for anyone coming to Lebanon. Enjoy your stay!

Having travelled a lot using the LP guides with no problems I can only recommend them... but even if your not planning a trip to Lebanon- this book is amazing as a reference to the region; making order out of the chaos of Lebanon's recent history in an unbiased and moderate historiography- unswayed by religous or cultural persuasion and remaining sensitive to Lebanon's unique history of generally fruitful co-existance and co-operation between some 15 different religous/cultural groups who inhabit and interpret such a dramatic and tiny country, especially in a region characterised by the sometimes not-so-happy collision between east and west. This is an extremely valuable guide for travellers, people with an interest in the Mediteranean and the Near East, or for that matter, any one of the 13 million Lebanese descendants living outside of that tiny piece of heaven. The section on Mount Lebanon was particularly good, though the author could have covered more of the awesome hiking trails and forest overlooking Beirut to be found in the Metn valleys (midway between Jenkins & Jousiffes Mt Lebanon & Chouf)... but no body's perfect!! :) This book is excellent and very well written- the authors deserve great credit.

You will enjoy & learn a lot from this book. One of the most pleasurable experiences I've ever had in Thailand is eating the food. There is such a wide variety food you can eat in Thailand. As you begin to fall in love with this cuisine, you will want to eat new and more varied dishes. Ordering can be challenging as you evolve into more advanced Thai foods. Yes, you can point and gesture, but if you want to more fully enjoy the culinary delights of real Thai food, you need to know what it's called, and say how you want it cooked or mixed to your spice preferences. There is a lot of important etiquette tips, that will help you if you're invited to eat in a home of a family in a village, or with associates in the city. The regional, colloquial, and relevant slang is included. This means, the author has been there and done it, having lived in Thailand for for the most of 25 years, along with superb homework & research. The photographer, Jerry Alexander helps the reader identify visually with some of the foods that are described. The dictionary at the end included many useful phrases in addition to the food vocabulary. One error though, is that the letter "G" in Thai is listed as a "K" which is only the case when it is a stop final, at the end of a word, or syllable cluster. Read, learn, eat, and enjoy.

I went out on a limb and picked this little treasure up with out even looking at any of the recipies. Glad I did. I spent years as a cook and found that most ethnic dishes are a product of the environment and what the people have at their disposal. And that most methods of cooking are the same with just different spices. These cook books have picked up on that and give you the basics. Every Thai Grandma has her own special recipie for curry but the core recipies are all here. Along with, and this is why I'm so impressed with these books, a history of the culture and it's evolution, common customes at the dinner table, how to shop in the markets, what to order when and where, a great map of the country specifying each regions specialties and (these guy's are great) a little dictionary of the Thai language and their pronunciations. These books would not only make a great gift but a perfect addition to a collection of cook books. I only wanted to buy one Thai cook book and I'm glad I found this one first. It's got evey thing you need to learn and creat great Thai food.

I thought I was an expert on Thai food as I have been living in Thailand for 6 years. However, Joe's easy to read book taught me many a new thing. This is not your average cook book. It is really a cross between a travel guide and a recipe book with a sprinkling of cultural information. I would say that it is the definitive book on eating Thai food - whether that be in Thailand or abroad. Highly recommended for anyone who has visited Thailand and has fallen in love with the food or the armchair traveler who is eating Thai food at home.

I bought this book thinking it was just a cookbook, and was surprised to find much more. Eating is an essential part of life in Thailand, and Joe Cummings gives deep insight into Thai culture -- specifically how "being Thai" comes out in the preparation and enjoyment of food.

If you're buying the LP guide to Thailand and are going there for the first time, also buy this book. You'll get a much more in depth description of the Thai way of life, as well manners & etiquette for a foreigner. And you'll want the recipes when you return!!

The Lonely Planet Guides are justly regarded as bibles by backpackers the world over. They are exhaustively researched and very reliable. I backpacked through Thailand last year and relied heavily on Joe Cummings brilliant LP guide for advice, inspiration and tips on what to eat. When I heard that Joe Cummings had written the LP World Food Guide to Thailand I knew it would be as meticulously researched and filled with the same infectious enthusiasm as his guide to the country itself. I was not disappointed. Though this is not the only Thai cookbook you will ever need - there are only twenty or so recipes - the book rightly sets Thai cuisine in its rich context, building the case that Thai food - real Thai food - is one of the world's most exciting cuisines. The story of Thai food - it's distinctive ingredients, the way it is eaten by Thais, the many regional variations, how to shop for Thai ingredients, street food, etc - is studded with relevant recipes made all the more appealing by what you have just learned. Buy it - you won't be disappointed.

If you did not participate as a soilder, this is the closest you could get to understand the true feelings of those that did serve. If you were a protester, you will feel your shame.

Not only for those who lived through this time in our country but for the young who only know of it as some sort of "folk legend" of the past. MacPherson offers personal perspectives from every possible angle.

Reading this book was like revisiting the political cauldron that was the sixties. The author, a noted journalist for the Washington Post, chronicles the issues and matters that divided a country against itself, and split a generation of young Americans in half. Using a data base of hundreds of in-depth interviews with a representative sample of members of the baby-boomer generation coming of age in the sixties, Myra MacPherson explores the social, cultural, and political topography of the times, taking a deep and sometimes disturbing look at the at the wounds opened by the war in Vietnam, the sense of pride of both the pro-war and anti-war factions, both of whom seem convinced they had made the right decisions in participating either as combatants in the armed services or as protestors against the war. It was indeed a fabled albeit rancorous time, of which much has been written. Yet Ms. MacPherson centers in well on these issues related to the Vietnam War that so riveted the nation's attention and polarized a generation.

The saving grace of this entertaining and fascinating book is in the wide variety of individual stories it tells. Quite an interesting range of stories unfold in these pages, from the anti-war protestors who burned draft cards, marched in protests all over the nation and even fled to Canada to avoid military service to the largely blue-collar and mostly un- deferred volunteers who were anxious to serve their country, right or wrong. And serve they did, in the millions over the decade of active fighting in Southeast Asia. In some cases we hear from people who went to frightening extremes to escape the war, men who exiled themselves, or went underground in America. Some gave up the ghost and either filed as conscientious objectors or chose to go to jail rather than serve. Some starved themselves into ill health or even mutilated themselves to avoid the draft. Heading north to Montreal became a philosophically rite of passage for any number of young men who for a variety of reasons would rather leave the country than love what it was doing in Vietnam. We also hear from a variety of women who were involved, either as the lovers, wives, or sisters of the young men involved, or who were philosophically, politically, or socially opposed to the war.

On the other side, we hear from the young men and women who paid such a life's ransom for their patriotism, adventurism, and curiosity in serving in the military and many of them volunteering for Vietnam. So many fine young people were lost, and in turned lost so much, either through death or permanent disability that many of their fellow baby boomers began to think that ours, like the generation of the First World War, was a "lost generation". Often homecoming soldiers coming home in uniform were spit upon by cruel and stupid people, civilians who should have understood that most of these men served nobly and proudly on behalf of their generation. I once personally witnessed an enlisted buddy angrily attack such a provocateur. Yet, on the other hand, many of the veterans became quite vocal opponents of the war they had just come home from. It was this kind of activity that did so much to educate the rest of the population.

In truth, there were so many casualties on both sides of the fence, so many veterans and anti-war activists who had their lives ruined by the turmoil that aged around them that it is still difficult to recollect. This is a haunting and memorable book, a well written, compassionately framed study in the mischief the war did to everyone it touched; the young men, their wives and lovers, their brothers and sisters, their parents, and the community at large. Although the book is not currently in print, I am sure you can get a copy through Amazon's used book service, or by asking your local bookstore to do a search for you. I hope you find it as worthwhile a reading experience as I did.

Joseph Heller, author of Catch 22, said of "Long Time Passing: Vietnam and the Haunted Generation" "There has been no better body of war literature that I know of." Arnold R. Isaacs, noted autority on Vietnam, author of "Vietnam Shadows" writes "Any approach to the subject of Vietnam's aftermath must begin with Myra MacPherson's ground breaking book. Her book, among the first to break the long national silence on the war, remains one of the most moving and important works on the Vietnam bookshelf."
This new edition features a vital and topical new introduction that links the Vietnam Veteran Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)experience with today's civilian trauma following 9/11. It also connects Vietnam with present foreign affairs and military policies, including the war on terrorism in Afghanistan.
Yesterday's foot soldiers in Vietnam who are now leaders in the military and politics also reflect on Vietnam and provide new insight, as do those who were youthful leaders in the anti-war movement.
This brilliant examination of the generation is must reading, not only for those who lived through the war, but especially for a younger generation who can learn about--and learn from--the past.

This gripping generational saga remains as fresh and moving as "Hey Jude." In an astounding feat of reporting, Myra Macpherson takes us from the priviledged sanctuaries of middle-class college students to the bloody battlefields where poor blacks and whites faced the terror of massed North Vietnamese Army divisons. Today's post-draft generation of college students would do well to read how lucky they are, how their forebears faced the agony of having to choose between fighting in a loathsome war or fleeing to Canada. In one scene as alarming as it was when it was written nearly 25 years ago, one young man facing conscription cuts off his trigger finger with a kitchen knife.rather than go to Vietnam. Macpherson's real triumph of reporting, however, is in finding two brothers who served in Vietnam -- one now a United States senator -- who come home from the war with distinctly different opinions on whether it was worth fighting. This, of course, serves as a metaphor for the entire generation. If you think the 60s were all about flower children and free love, you will be shocked, and moved, by this engrossing book.

When I was preparing to visit China, I sought for more knowledge about China and their culture. Additionally, I wanted to know what things I should look when shopping. Americans buy so many things that say "Made in China", I did not want to bring home one of these items. This book "Look What Came from China!" by Miles Harvey was very helpful. There was just enough information to lead me to further investigate items for which I was interested. I have read this book several times to my grandchildren. They like to play a game with each other trying to see who can name the most things that came from China.

Mr.Harvey's series on the different aspects of life in other parts of the world is an excellent way to introduce grades 2 through 5 many other cultures! This is very well organized information! I highly recommend this book and others in the series.

This nonfiction book gives many interesting facts about things that come from or were invented in China. The book is well organized because there is a table of contents and the book is divided into sections. Along with a glossary, a resource page is also included, which lists other books and websites about China. The book is very educational, and the information presented is clear and direct. The photographs help capture the essence of China's great inventions. The most exciting thing included in the book is the Mandarin language, the official language of China, for some English words. The calligraphy is given first, and then a pronounciation key is provided. The one and only flaw in the book is the illustrations of ancient Chinese people making paper from pulp. The illustrations are vague, which makes it hard to understand the process it took to make paper. This is a great resource to have in any classroom library. Teachers can use this book to introduce a lesson about China. If students are doing research about China, they can use the book to learn valuable information.

If your preschooler likes pictures, and you as the parent like educating, then this is a fun, educational book! I love to use it to teach my chinese daughter about her birth country!
Kay

As a teacher of history, one of the most important lessons I hope to convey to students is why the study of history is of such importance. One reason is, the study of history helps us to comprehend why we are the way we are. In other words, we must look to the past to understand why we eat what we eat, wear what we wear, and view the world as we do. This book admirably supports, with clear, concise prose and colorful illustrations, why the China's history is everyones' history. It is also great fun to read!

This is a fine example of how ordinary people are capable of doing extraordanary things, in this case not only did Nick Dunlop write an incredible book but along with Nate Thayer was responsible for bringing enough attention to this bloody tyrant forcing the Govt. to finally incarcerate him. whether Duch ever goes on trial is anyboby's guess but without this book Duch would probably still be playing the role of missionary worker.

This is one of those books that you won't want to put down until the last word has been read. He is a great writer and has given me quite an education. I highly recommend it!

It takes a special writer to bring light to an issue of seemingly impenetrable horror. A young Irish photographer has done it in this superb debut. Pol Pot's frenzied demolition of Cambodia in 1975-79 has been documented from within(The Stones Cry Out, Stay Alive My Son) and by outsiders (Year Zero, S 21). What more could be said?

"The Lost Executioner" takes the form of a terrifying detective narrative. The young author with a picture in his pocket has an obsession - to find Cambodia's Himmler in the chaos of the country he helped to terrorize. In striking prose that reveals the photographer behind the pen (his descriptive powers are at their best rendering faces and images of rural life) the writer takes us deep into the heart and mind of Cambodia, its paralyzing paradoxes, and the west's policy swings between breathtaking cynicism and incompetent pity. Like Shelley's mariner, Nic Dunlop fixes us with an amazing tale and sets our sights clearly on what should be done. To read his book is to be challenged anew of our obligations to the family of man.

Like the best books, Nic Dunlp's "The Lost Executioner" relates much of what is known but makes us see it in a new light
This splendid and courageous book just might help re-awaken international opinion to re-consider our obligations to Cambodia.

Nic Dunlop's first-rate detective story on the trail of Pol Pot's chief executioner, the notorious Comrade Duch, is a fascinating journey into Cambodia's recent bloody history. Through a series of testimonies by Duch's family members and people who knew him, Dunlop builds up a compelling picture of this former teacher turned mass murderer, whilst also giving us a running commentary on the development of the Khmer Rouge organisation through the eyes of former cadre such as Sokheang, now a human rights investigator though formerly a Khmer Rouge sympathiser.

The Lost Executioner is Dunlop's first book; he's primarily a photographer who became obsessed with S-21, known to many as Tuol Sleng, and its commandant, Comrade Duch. He even kept a photo of Duch in his pocket. By an astonishing stroke of luck, Dunlop met the man responsible for the deaths of more than 20,000 people, in Samlaut, a small town in northwest Cambodia in 1999 and exposed him with the help of Nate Thayer and the Far Eastern Economic Review, leading to his arrest and detention, awaiting trial. Dunlop's subsequent investigations and interviews now provide us with a great wealth of detail about Duch's life before, during and after the Khmer Rouge reign of terror though ultimately the reason for Duch's transformation into a brutal killer remains an unexplained puzzle. In a perverse twist, Duch converted to Christianity, had worked for an American charity, was living under a new identity and had returned to teaching before his unmasking. The book is written in an easy to follow though powerful narrative and I recommend The Lost Executioner to anyone seeking to delve into the morass that is Cambodia's recent past. It's a remarkable and revealing story.

Needless to say, the tragedies depicted in this book were very disturbing. Having read much on the genocide in Rwanda, I couldn't help making comparisons. Sadly, I saw too many similarities and my response goes from shock to curiosity. To his credit, Dunlop did not exploit the gruesomeness of the torture and killings. He was very respectful toward people, families, and to Cambodia as a whole. The story's focus was primarily on one member of the Khmer Rouge known as Comrade Duch who headed a prison with a nortorious reputation for committing brutal crimes against humanity. This focus gave Dunlop a unique twist to his book, however, the story was often made confusing. Not only did Dunlop fail to provide adequate historical background to the story, but even paragraph to paragraph the story was not easy to follow. The writing did not flow as easliy as I would have liked. I found myself back tracking a bit to get the story straight. Another interesting twist Dunlop makes was to question how such atrocities as this occur. He gives some thought to the dangers of Buddhism and socialism but I would have loved him to expound on these thoughts a little more. Nevertheless we see that the problem is multidimensional and not just political. He also exposes the failures of the U.N.(suprise,suprise) and of the U.S., but again, his argument is not made clearly or in detail. Despite some of my criticism of Nic Dunlop's writing, I was extremely impressed by his diligence, his committment, his honesty, and his persistence. He gets 5 stars for character and is to be applauded for this work.

I love this book; the unusual way the author created fan shaped pages is delightful.

I used this book in a demonstration in my children's literature class. It was great, the illustrations & pop out pages are great & definately keep the readers/class entertained.

I'm a firm believer in the power of The Magic Fan. I'm sure you will also be after only one reading. This book holds a powerful lesson behind it's beautiful art -- that of self-discovery, independence, and character. I highly recommend this book to parents, adults, and kids of any age!

When my youngest child, now 15, was in kindergarten, I read him this wonderful book. Each year after that he took this book out of the school library the as soon as he could. He enjoyed the story, pictures and learning about another culture. Now I am buying this book for my grandson so he can enjoy this book also. My son can't wait to read it to his nephew.

Currently I am a student teacher, and I used the Magic Fan as one of my selections to discuss multi-culturalism in my class. The Magic Fan is a wonderful example of how different people within a village can help each other while still continue to follow their dreams. Yoshi's discovery that the magic for his great works came from within and children should look and trust what they see within themselves. My class was rivited to the reading and had some very interesting discussions about other projects Yoshi might have attempted. This is a wonderful book for any child's home library!

In another book called The Commanding Self Idries Shah says that the desired effect of these Teaching stories depends upon someone not knowing the intended effect. And this in a Teaching narrative that next tells us that the person he said this to, an editor for one of his books, then asked for an introduction explaining the intended effect of the stories. If you don't think thats funny, you probably won't like this book. There are no explanations here, no descriptions of spirituality, or theories about personal development. What is here, is very finely crafted Teaching stories and narratives that Shah collected from both oral and written sources, adding some of his own when "Sufic comprehensiveness demanded it". The stories are beautiful, challenging, disturbing, and often banal. And then one reads them again and finds that they are none of these things; that those were simply some of your own personal reactions to them. This book is a remarkable acheivement; a mirror for what can't be written down.

This book not only entertains, it educates as well. The tales and vignettes in it are called Teaching Stories because teaching is precisely what they do. They teach the reader how to escape from the confines and limitations of usual, normal thinking processes. They do so by showing the reader to himself or herself, reflected in the actions and motivations of the characters in the tales. The reader can learn how to operate more free of bias. The effect is similar to suddenly coming across riches, the riches buried within ourselves. Repeated readings reveal more layers and depths, each guiding the reader to greater understanding and freedom. 'The Magic Monastery' is, for these reasons, quite a catch.

About Sufism, it has been said that "in the West it's become very complicated because spiritual authority is understood on the wrong levels."

Shah's delivery is often times directed toward certain constructs of the ego within this reader's psyche. Painfulness is almost always imminent because he is capable in pointing out the fractures of this reader's brittle comprehension of Life. He points out how I can be my own worst enemy that keeps me from taking necessary steps needed to live a healthy and fulfilling life. In this sense, his tone can, in some instances, become characteristic of a stern father, a strict sensei, or a tough coach helping me steer clear of self-imagined obstructions. These moments aren't really ever pleasant, as they tend to turn my insides, and I feel singed. But, with some help, I am able to understand that this is an essential prerequisite for transformation in the Sufi way; therefore, I choose to understand these types of stern approaches in terms of "tough loving" that help bring equilibrium to my egoic ratios (inflation:deflation), and step in the direction of freeing myself of myself.

The Sufi stories within the Magic Monastery are, for me, the best times of diligent reading and mindful inner listening. I definitely become more aware of any inner voices compelling reactions and responses. Self-punishing? or self-rewarding? You make what you want of it.

Do you want to get to know yourself? That's what I did. Each of these stories is an opportunity to discover another aspect of your personality. Like me, you will find stories which you will like or find amusing, perhaps others that will annoy or startle you. Each is a mine of possibility that enriches with subsequent readings. Spend time with Idries Shah... and get to know You.

Here are 157 pieces of literature, most on a single page. Each one is like a room in a monastery; not the one in the title story, which is the product of the illusions of the greedy, but a genuine, inner one. Some rooms have windows through which to see the world around us more clearly. Some rooms have mirrors in which to see ourselves more clearly. Both windows and mirrors are specialized to help us see subtle things that we would otherwise miss. Then we realize that the windows have become mirrors, and the mirrors, windows. A handbook for inner work.

This cookbook is great! I've only been on the diet for a few weeks, so hopefully it works! Gives all of the information for a great diet, and tons of recipes that are easy to follow. Mostly involves eating a lot of low fat whole grains, and pastas--and staying away from red meats. If you want to check out information on the diet before purchasing the book, just check out their website at mediterrasian.com.

It just makes sense. The most delicious food is the most healthful. A few years ago it dawned on me that all my favorite cuisines were either from the Mediterranean or Asian regions. I daydreamed about a "MediterrAsian" restaurant, thinking what a catchy name I had cleverly invented. Surely no one else would ever join such different styles of food together. Or would they? I plunked "mediterrasian" into a search engine and was transported to a place even better than my imaginary restaurant.

Ric and Trudy's website was like an oasis to me. All my life I had never had to worry about my weight, but that changed when I became pregnant at age 29. By the time I found their website, number two was on the way and my metabolism wasn't keeping up. Dieting was completely foreign to me, and being a foodie who loved cooking, I dreaded the idea of having to give up fats like cheese, olives and avocados, or carbs like pasta, potatoes, and fresh fruits. All the popular diet programs either consisted of calorie counting (i.e. small portions of reduced fat or non-fat foods) or of eliminating carbs and eating lots of protein. My dream diet was more along the lines of French Women Don't Get Fat meets Yan Can Cook, but I didn't know how to translate that to every day life, or if it would even be healthy. Joining a gym sounded about as appealing as going to the dentist. Formal exercise and sports were not this bookworm's cup of tea.

So when the Mediterrasian Way presented that third, balanced option, it simply felt right...and had the scientific basis to back it up--not just from recent times, but going back centuries. As I explored the extensive website, it was like coming home--from a nutritional and culinary perspective, it all resonated with my knowledge and experience, gleaned from both my own education and being raised by a health-conscious ethnically diverse cooking-oriented family. Not only did the theory make sense, but the authors had translated it into practical menus and recipes for every day living.

The emphasis on natural movement was something I had always intuited, so it was refreshing to see that validated by the longevity reported in studies of Mediterranean and Asian cultures based on an active (and simultaneously restful) lifestyle combined with healthful cooking. Granted, I couldn't achieve that level of movement with my nose in a book or up against a computer screen all day, but as a mother of little ones and a homemaker in a house with stairs, my once somewhat sedentary existence has been exchanged for a life made up of fairly rigorous hands-on tasks.

I was tempted to print out the whole website, but instead I emailed the authors, thanking them for creating such an amazing resource and suggesting they turn it into a book. Well, I wasn't the only one, so it came as no surprise when about a year later, Ric informed me they were doing just that. I was quite willing to pay to hold a printed and bound version of their website in my hands, but the book is actually much more than that. It's a chronological journey and explanation of The MediterrAsian Way, as well as a treasury of creative meal planning ideas and recipes with pages of mouthwatering full color photographs.

Like the way of life it outlines, the book is light enough to read in a day, but so rich in content that I keep returning to it to absorb the principles and implement the techniques. Because no foods are excluded, this style of cooking and eating lends itself to very versatile and flexible menus.

In a literary sense, it reads more like a guidebook than a textbook, perfect for the armchair traveler, but also meaningful to those of us who've been overseas and are delighted to revisit the flavors and lifestyle we tasted while abroad. Thanks to Ric and Trudy's excellent direction, I have found my MediterrAsian restaurant--right in my own kitchen.

The book is beautiful from the very cover and is not just a collection of recipes. The first part explains the Mediterrasian philosophy, backed up with medical facts and history, and an actual plan to follow a Mediterrasian way of life for 14 days. (As someone currently living in Italy, I can say living like this for far more than 14 days is anything but a pain!) The second part is a catalog of delicious recipes showcased with beautiful pictures that, by a historical coincidence, happen to be great for your health.

This is not a diet plan. This is some rather helpful information that may lead to healthy lifestyle adjustments. The recipes are delicious. I found one error in the book as far as a page number but that is all. I am a cheese lover, but so far I have adapted more of an Asian approach to eating and I must say that I really don't miss dairy as much as I thought I would.

I hope that Ric And Trudi take it to the next level and provide some nutritional information on the various accompaniments that can be consumed with foods. I'm sure that there is some benefits to the various pickles, relishes, and non-alcoholic beverages I have enjoyed since my youth other than the taste they provide. There has not been much written on the subject but I'm sure a better understanding will add more dimension and enjoyment to eating food.

Not only a cookbook with great, fairly simple recipes but it also offers a unique 14 day menu/lifestyle plan a la mediterraean. I especially love the suggestions for menu/activity/lifestyle based on certain occasions such as a romantic evening, hectic weekend, airplane travel and several others. Great suggestions for living a more balanced, relaxed life and eating healthier as well. Highly recommended for those looking for something beyond the standard cookbook. Beautiful color pics as well of many of the recipes featured.

Beautiful illustrations will entrance children of all ages as Amy Tan shows she can entertain both children and adults.

Amy has shown she can captivate children as well as adults. Her illustrations are beautiful and wonderful and my 5 yr old daughter loved them as well. Wonderful story.

I was drawn to this book as an Amy Tan fan and found myself fascinated by the illustrations. They are gorgeous and vividly detailed. The story, narrated by a grandmother, of her childhood adventures while growing up in China will give kids a tantalizing glimpse of another time and place.

In The Moon Lady, Amy Tan author of The Joy Luck Club and The Bonesetter's Daughter, presents a small tale for young children which adults will also enjoy. Focusing on a story set in China, Tan brings her wealth of knowledge about China and its folktales as well as her love for this country and its traditions. In addition, the illustrations by Gretchen Schields add a wonderful dimension to the story since readers can also visualize the tale by viewing these pictures.

On a rainy day as grandchildren whine that they can't play outside their grandmother tells them a tale based on her own experiences as a child. Using this method Tan provides an allegorical tale concerning children and their wishes. Telling the children of her wishes as a young girl, Ying Ying tells the children a story about her own wishes at the times of the Moon Festival. And as all folk tales provide, Tan is adept at providing her readers with an adventurous tale compete with the mysterious Moon Lady and a moral to the story.

This is a good book for young children who cannot only learn about the Chinese culture but the saying "Be careful what you wish for." I also recommend this book at any age since it is also important to remember this as we move on in life.

Researchers constantly find that reading to children is valuable in a variety of ways, not least of which are instilling a love of reading and improved reading skills. With better parent-child bonding from reading, your child will also be more emotionally secure and able to relate better to others. Intellectual performance will expand as well. Spending time together watching television fails as a substitute.

To help other parents apply this advice, as a parent of four I consulted an expert, our youngest child, and asked her to share with me her favorite books that were read to her as a young child. The Moon Lady was one of her picks.

Adapted from Amy Tan's best selling book, The Joy Luck Club, The Moon Lady is a perfect book for encouraging children to read with and talk to their grandmother. The book also very subtly encourages children to take more responsibility for their own lives. The story provides a model for parents and grandparents for how to create their own stories to help children learn important lessons.

The story begins as three girls, Maggie, Lily and June, are bored because they have to stay in on a rainy day and can think of nothing that they want to do. Their grandmother, Nai-nai, is with them. Nai-nai tells them a story about when she was a young girl in China, and she ran and shouted and could not stand still also.

The story is about the day she told the Moon Lady her secret wish. Then unfolds a wonderful story of a young girl's adventure on a special trip to see the Moon Lady. Along the way, she sees many things she has not seen before, falls overboard, is rescued by a fishing family, and finds her family again after meeting the Moon Lady. In the process, she has one of those epiphanies that make all of our lives better -- that she is in charge of creating her own future.

The story is filled with references to family bonding and what is and is not proper behavior. The story also shows what family life was like for a somewhat well-to-do Chinese family in China at the beginning of the 20th century. These references are made all the more realistic by a wonderful series of drawings by Gretchen Schields with bright colors, beautiful detail, and authentic depictions of the China of years ago. It's almost like living a beautiful dream.

Then Nai-nai takes her granddaughters out to dance in the moon after the story is over.

Of all the children's books I have read, I place this one in the top ten for the 4-8 age category.

A central problem for many children today is that too much television, too many structured activities, and too little free time leave them feeling lost when nothing is on the agenda. Our misconception is that they need regimented lives like those that soldiers lead to fulfill their potential. This book will encourage you to readdress that misconception, and focus on how to make your children more competent in thinking about others, being more independent, and designing their own beneficial activities. That is all very important to actually unleashing their full potential. When you are done, think about how perhaps your own life needs a little improvement along these same lines.

Enjoy!

Donald Mitchell (donmitch@2000percentsolution.com)