Science Books

A good friend,one who I had often worried about,for the zeal with which he dived into various forms of study,studying things I thought best left alone,advised me to buy this book. I read the thing and I must admit I was appalled. This is truly the work of Satan! Turn away from this vile rubbish! Cleanse your soul! Ask God to forgive you and turn away from your wrteched deeds--its not too late,I pray. As for my friend,he is going downhill on a path to misery,debauchery and death. Every time I see him he is with some immoral woman,often Asian or some other exotic creature,cheap and immoral,flashing her sexual availability,wearing little or no underwear. He indulges in every form of drink and drugs and devotes his life to sensual pleasure and "fun." He always seems to have a wallet loaded with money--yet he does no work! He doesnt get out of bed til its nearly sunset--indulging every whim,doing whatever he likes. This is what comes of reading trash like this!

I haven't read the whole thing yet because these things take time. However, I will say this: This book has a lot of good information in it. Granted, it was written at a college level - I don't know about the Doctoral Thesis analogy someone else used - but then again, given the subject matter, it was very well written. You are going to have to reread each section (possibly several times) before it makes sense to you on an emotional level but in my opinion it is well worth the effort.

If I had to throw away all my occult books and only keep one, this one would be it. This is the only occult book you will need to develop the mind, body, and soul and start yourself on the path of true magic. The exercises contained herein are soley for that purpose.

If only I had bought it sooner. I would have saved so much money and would have advanced so much. This book is a one to be treasured for a life time.

This it, the beginning book. You buy this and wour search for root knowledge is finished. stop wondering in the dark and illuminate yourself.

this has to be the greatest book ever written on magik.franz goes into great detail about using the the different techniques to utilize your mind but doesnt force upon his methods, and leaves enough room for experimentation. i wish i had started reading it sooner as i would be much further along in my own practices

If you're into the space program and what happened during this era, then I can't think of one reason why this shouldn't be in your library. It's one of my all-time favorite books.

This book was the basis for the movie Apollo 13. America had become complacent about our space shots by this time, which is something I still do not understand. But that may be because I worked so long at the Kennedy Space Center and always knew and still understand how dangerous each and every launch is. Apollo 13 was to have been the fifth mission to the moon. But two days into the trip, on April 13, 1970, the oxygen tank exploded in the command module, placing the three astronauts in grave danger. Lovell describes those terrifying days as astronauts, contractors, and Mission Controlled struggled to bring Apollo 13 safely back to earth. If you want to read what really happened by someone who was there...this is the book for you.

As someone who has been fascinated with space flight since childhood, and who well remembers the real Apollo 13 from his teenage years, I found this book a fascinating reminder of history. However, this book is about much more than the aborted flight of Apollo 13. It includes historical flashbacks that involved astronaut James Lovell. One chapter describes Lovell's teenage years as he launched homemade rockets. Another summarizes the early years of space exploration in the wake of Sputnik 1. Still another describes the selection of Lovell as an astronaut in late 1962. There is also a chapter on the Apollo 1 fire. Some of Lovell's closest friends perished in that needless tragedy. There is a fine description of the historical flight of Apollo 8, that Christmas lunar orbit in 1968. It included a reading from the Book of Genesis.

Now on to Apollo 13. In preparations for potential in-space emergencies, no one had imagined the simultaneous loss of both main oxygen tanks and all three fuel cells. This left the Odyssey itself with only a few hours of remaining oxygen, water, and electricity. Lovell and Kluge note that mission rules forbid a lunar landing if only one fuel cell becomes inoperable, even if nothing else is wrong. But the "Can the moon landing be saved?" quickly gave way to "Can the astronaut's lives be saved?"

The initial belief was that a meteoroid must have hit the ship. This later was discounted when the blown-open side of the service module became visible shortly after being jettisoned prior to re-entry. Clearly, the explosion must have originated from within the service module itself. Later investigation pointed to a confluence of factors, none decisive in and of themselves, that had combined to precipitate the near-tragedy. To begin with, the wrong-power fuses were being used within the oxygen tanks. When overloaded, they simply melted, allowing the overload of electricity to pass through. During assembly, the oxygen tank had been dropped, damaging an exit tube. During launch-pad exercises, the liquid oxygen was drained past the damaged exit tube by applying extra heat and driving the oxygen out another way. The sensor was not designed to warn of overheating above 80 F. Meanwhile, this procedure had unknowingly raised the temperatures to impossible levels, burning the insulation off much of the wire inside the oxygen tank. The first two times the stirring fan was turned on in space, there was no problem. But the third time, a spark must have flown and ignited the damaged insulation in the pure-oxygen environment, causing the explosion. The explosion itself damaged a tube connected to the second oxygen tank, thus draining it.

The book provides good detail about the dangers and challenges associated with the abort procedure itself. The decision was made not to attempt to fire the service module engine in order to reverse the flight direction in a deep-space abort, if only because the damaged service module might be unable to take the strain of the engine's thrust. The first critical burn of the lunar module's descent engine, done some six hours after the explosion and designed to change the hybrid trajectory back into a free-return trajectory, would have caused the Apollo 13 to crash into the far side of the moon if done incorrectly. Without the burn, however, Apollo 13 would be stuck in a 40,000 by 240,000 mile elliptical orbit around Earth. Thoughts were entertained about jettisoning the useless service module and using the lunar module's descent engine to accelerate the ship considerably--returning it from the vicinity of the moon to Earth in only some 36 hours. But this was not done out of fear that exposure of the command module's heat shield to the temperature extremes of space might damage it.

Everything on the ship had to be powered down--a strategy that worked, just barely. The severe cold aboard the ship, a secondary consequence of the powering down of all nonessential equipment, is described. The astronauts had a frosty breath. Some got urinary infections. They had a hard time getting comfortable enough to sleep.

The astronauts were slowly being poisoned by their own carbon dioxide. This was solved by the jury-rigging of the lithium hydroxide "scrubbers" of the command module to get them to fit into the circulation system of the lunar module. Just before re-entry, there were the challenges of successfully reviving the systems aboard the command module, and jettisoning both the service and lunar modules in a completely unconventional manner.

This well written book is a great time line of what really happened. I also enjoy the movie and this book fills in the gaps that were not covered in the movie. Also gives detailed accounts of nearly everyone involved in this mission.

Jim Lovell's dreams of landing on the moon were literally blown away in April 1970, when an oxygen tank aboard Apollo 13's service module exploded less than a day away from lunar orbit, forcing the crew to limp home under perilous circumstances. More than two decades after surviving that mission, Lovell (with his co-author Jeffrey Kluger) has written an excellent account of that ill-fated moon flight.

LOST MOON is one of the best of the Apollo books I've read, especially one concerning a single mission. This is also one of the best books about the work of mission control, who were the key figures behind the successful return of the crew. It is as complete a description of this mission as we are ever likely to see. The attention to detail is on a very high level, and the amount of transcripted dialogue is plentiful, well presented, and from a myriad of sources. There are a number of slightly testy exchanges between Lovell's crew and mission control, highlighting the tension of the situation in an honest and unapologetic manner. The examination of exactly how the accident happened, as told in the epilogue, is covered exceptionally well.

An aspect of the book that bothered me was the decision to use a third-person narrative throughout (which is defended unconvincingly in the author's notes). I had never before read any autobiographical account in which the central figure is treated in the third person. Basically, I was looking forward to reading Lovell's descriptions of events using his own voice and experience, and that didn't quite happen. To read Lovell -- one of the most engaging personalities of all the early astronauts -- diminished by such an impersonal, veiled perspective was disappointing. It adds nothing to the writing, and ultimately I felt it was a disservice to the book, though a minor one. If the authors had their doubts about mixing third-person and first-person perspectives successfully, they could have taken some cues from Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins, who wrote two books in that style and who is regarded as perhaps the best writer among the former astronauts.

Despite its compromises in narrative style, LOST MOON (or APOLLO 13, depending on the format) is an outstanding biographical account of the failed 1970 moon flight. It is potentially a five-star book if the writing had been appropriately personal when it counted the most.

No Flying in the House
By Betty Brock

Young Annabel is being raised by Gloria, a three-inch tall dog who can talk and do three hundred and sixty seven tricks.

Gloria teaches Annabel manners, she teaches her to brush her teeth and even listens to her prayers. Annabel grows up to be a very well trained little girl. Although Annabel loves Gloria, she begins to wonder why she doesn't have parents like everyone else. Gloria always tells her that someday her parents will return.

Gloria, the three-inch dog is very protective of Annabel and won't let her out of her sight, until the day Annabel starts school.

Annabel is visited by a golden cat, named Belinda. Belinda is rude and calls her stupid, but she also tells her a secret. Annabel is a fairy and she can fly. Annabel is not to tell anyone her secret. She tries to fly and only manages to break her ankle.

One day, much to her surprise, Annabel begins to fly around the house.
Although she is overjoyed to be a fairy, she is forced to choose between being a human child or a fairy. Her choice can make all the difference for her future happiness.

You will enjoy this unusual fairy tale and want to share it with your friends.

Jill Ammon Vanderwood
Author: Through the Rug
Through The Rug: Follow That Dog (Through the Rug)

I absolutely love, love, love this book! This was my favorite book when I was a child, and when I was having my own daughter I just had to have a copy of this book to share with her. Thank goodness Amazon had it! I read it to her a chapter at a time every night until she was 5 and started reading on her own. She loves the book as much as I do. It's just a fun book that you can share with your own children. Thanks, Amazon! Now if I could only get a good copy of Old Black Witch, another of my favorites.

I read this book as a child, and just loved it. I have a clear memory of trying VERY hard both to fly, and to kiss the tips of my own elbows while I read it (according to the book, the ultimate proof of being a fairy).However, I didn't remember any of the story's details -- neither the title nor the author. Finally, after an in-depth Internet search, I found it and I ordered it for my own 8 year old daughter, who read it straight through. She seems to have loved it as much as I did, and still talks about the memorable characters and situations. (I reread it the day it arrived in the mail, and it turns out it is not just a story about an orphaned little girl and her tiny talking dog -- it is a mystery as well!) The best part for me was watching my daughter try to kiss her own elbows. But why not? After all, who knows which of us is really a fairy? Now I am left to wonder why this author didn't write more children's books. I will definitely try and find other things she has written.

This was a book I read as a child... it was one of my favorite books and has now become my nine year old daughters' favorite. We read it together, a chapter each night, over a week... it was compelling, exciting, mysterious, and amazing all at once - we were captivated. I thoroughly recommend this story to any little girl who has dreamed about being a fairy.

I really loved NO FLYING IN THE HOUSE as a child. (I still have my original copy, which is 38 years old!) I still love it now. And I have just finished reading it to my three year old daughter, who was very taken with it. It was a delightful adventure for both of us, being able to share a true favorite together.

NO FLYING IN THE HOUSE is the story of 3 year old Annabel Tippens and her companion Gloria. Gloria is a small white dog, three inches long and three inches high; she can sit in the palm of your hand. But that is not the most remarkable thing about Gloria: she talks, she is extremely smart, and is the sole care-giver to young Annabel, whose parents have had to go away and who have entrusted Gloria with Annabel's care, upbringing and protection. But even that is not the MOST remarkable thing about Gloria...

Annabel is not quite what she seems, either. As Annabel gets older, she begins to discover certain unique abilities. As a matter of fact, Annabel can fly. (What little girl doesn't dream of flying???) It seems that Gloria has a secret that she has been keeping from Annabel, for her own good. Annabel isn't just any little girl, she is ½ a true fairy princess. Unfortunately, Annabel discovers this secret, and now she must make a very important choice, one that will change her life forever.

NO FLYING IN THE HOUSE written in a simple, straight forward style that captures the hearts and imaginations of readers young and old alike. It is an exciting tale of fairies and flying, that also teaches the true meaning of love. It is a wonderful story to share, and I am so glad that I did.

It was shipped to me within 2 days, great service and great product.

I had to read this book for one of my Woman's Studies classes at Western Illinois University. I think this is a must read book for everyone (especially those who are in recovery or have been convicted of a violent crime of this nature). It is a bit graphic and I don't recomend that anyone under high school age read it. I had to set it down a couple of times due to that, but, it was nessessary to truely understand Ms. Raine's story. You don't truely understand what someone goes though after rape without going through it yourself.

A friend loaned this book to me but it is likely a book I will never forget. Nancy Venable Raine tells her important story in a very accessible way. As a nurse who took care of rape victims in the middle 80's and now a school nurse, I am aware that the secret of abuse and assault reverberates in too many lives. And while I would never say that my experiences as a young nurse were equivalent to those of my patients, I vividly remember hearing my victim-patients stories and identifying with them. Many of my victim-patients were not that different from me--young, single, living alone. During that time, I _usually_ slept with the lights on because I wanted to try to be able to identify my perpetrator, if that ever happened to me.

Raine shows us her story, how it echoes in her life. Coming back from and integrating the experience in life is not, cannot be easy but one cannot help but feel she is one of the minority of individuals who gets the needed help to do so.

Now, in year 2007, I was acutely aware that at times Raine paired the rape experience and the torture experience. It is a source of sadness to me that we, as a nation, are perpetuating that experience for so many. There is something profound about her description of the rape victim as a container for her perpetrator's anger. And that is far from the only profound idea.

Having also read "Lucky" by Alice Sebold, I would say they are both very important books but this book is a far better glimpse into the recovery aspect.

"Throw away the lights, the definitions
And say of what you see in the dark" - Wallace Stevens

"Speech is civilization itself. The word . . . preserves contact - it is silence which isolates." - Thomas Mann

Following her rape, this author became a completely different person, a person who lived "with sudden fear the way others live with cancer. The fear was always there." It took seven years before she could begin writing about her experience. She states that the anniversary of her rape "was more significant than my own birthday, and yet there was only silence . . . I had become, the one who marked her anniversaries in silence . . . Could I celebrate my survival in silence and alone? Not according to Webster's, which defines the verb "to celebrate" this way: "to perform (a sacrament or solemn ceremony) publicly and with appropriate rites" . . . It pained my family and friends to remember. To acknowledge my experience might bring up what they hoped I had forgotten . . . for me to remind them that I had not forgotten seemed unkind, even cruel, because I knew they needed to believe I had. Our rite was, therefore, silence."

"I thought about Wittgenstein's observation that the limits of language are the limits of reality. Was rape off limits to our most distinctly human attribute - language? . . . I could no longer consent to silence."

Another friend and rape victim asked her, "How do I tell people who don't know, people who might become close friends? If I don't tell them, it makes it a secret, like something to be ashamed of. When I do tell them, they make it worse. They never ask me about it. It'a a part of me, part of who I am now, but they don't want to know about it. It's no-win. Just no-win."

"But silence has the rusty taste of shame. The words 'shut up' are the most terrible words I know. I cannot hear them without feeling cold to the bone. The man who raped me spat those words out over and over during the hours of my attack - when I screamed when I tried to talk him out of what he was doing, when I protested . . . The real shame, as I have learned, is to consent to them."

So she wrote an essay "Returns of the Day" in The New York Times Magazine in 1994. In response "Without exception, all of the letters from survivors described the isolation of the aftermath of rape, its life-altering transfromations."

"The victims of rape must carry their memories with them for the rest of their lives. They must not also carry the burden of silence and shame."

If you have friend or family member dealing with these issues (and the odds are that you do), here are other books that are also excellent on this and related topics, "Lucky" & "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold, & "Siolence" edited by Susan McMaster - all written by women. Rape victims and victims of relationship violence and abuse often hide their experiences and the behaviors of their abusers, feeling ashamed for even being involved with the abusive patterns. All of these books suggest women become more free and mentally at ease when they realize there is nothing to be ashamed of about being victimized. And they suggest the causes of our silences and the things we hide probably deserve more attention, new perspectives, and reconsideration.

Ms. Raine describes the trauma and recovery of rape in clear and helpful terms and I appreciate the references to other works about rape recovery and feminism. Raine's AFTER SILENCE inspired me to read another landmark TRAUMA AND RECOVERY by Judith Herman, MD. It is hard to find books about rape recovery and people who can and will talk calmly, rationally, compassionately (or at all) about this subject. Raine's AFTER SILENCE should be required reading in high school for both boys and girls! Rape is so widespread that it should be addressed more often by family and friends; local, state, national, and world leaders; educators and news media. Raine also references I NEVER CALLED IT RAPE by Robin Morgan, another excellent source for raising awareness of the frequency and extent of rape in society. My own childhood incest and young adult rape were not known to my parents, siblings and doctors for decades even though the symptoms were so obvious that I was hospitalized for months. Can't praise Raine's work enough. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to Raine and all those who made her work possible. Healing may be slow in coming, but it does come, after the silence, with the help of authors like Raine.

A series that absolutely HAS to be completed! One of the best fantasy reads ever--but not for children.

After the crazy carnage of the first book, the only hope for the forces of good is the superpowered Celtic earth warrior, the Morigu. Will even he be enough? Probably not, given how this is going.

It's been 20 years since I received this book to read. After two years of painful searching (longing really), I was able to purchase it. This is simply some of the best writting I have ever read. It holds its own with the best. For eighteen years I have faithfully read this book a least once (sometimes more) each year. It just never gets tired. It's the only book that I've read that I can now open ANY page and get totally taken up in the story. Even knowing what is going to happen doesn't deter the authors crisp, detailed, gut wrenching writting style, and raw emotions this book will pull out of you. I thank my friend Steve for allowing me to read the book for the first time so long ago. This is a MUST read for any fantasy fan.

I own both books. I hope for a third(and a fourth..?) This series presents a level of realism to an unreal universe. The characters, factions, events, and even the magic are presented in such a fashion that the story has a level of believability that is lacking in most titles of the genre. Without going into specifics, the characters and story undergo a large amount of change and development for such a short read. This is even more astounding considering the multitude of major players in the storyline. All in all, wonderful books. Just wish there were more (Hint, hint Mr. Perry)

I love this book, along with the sequel Morigu: The Dead. This was some fast paced, large scale fantasy. But be warned, the series was never completed. From what I have been able to gather, Mr. Perry's publisher dropped him after the second book, and he has found work in Hollywood. Given the length of time now, I seriously doubt he will finish the series even if he was willing. It is a shame, since those who have read these books love them.

I LOVE Jan Brett's books! I buy them anytime I see them whether on sale, old ones on Amazon as remainders, or new.. They make great gifts. I have a backup of many to give to children, particularly my granddaughters. The illustrations in this one are so beautiful it is really a keepsake to save as well as enjoy. Give it as a gift and you will make some child very happy and a parent happy,too.

Beautiful illustrations reprinted from over 40 sources. All illustrations are credited on last page. Book measures 9"X11.5" Only down side was that the price changes by the day. One day it's almost $11 another it's $8.97. But that's just the way Amazon works; something to be aware of. (It's worked in my favor often while shopping at midnight--price suddenly went down!)

it's a classic, so of course you can't go wrong, but as far as the best one being out there... well, I'm sure there are much better illustrated ones out there than this one

I bought this for my grandchildren last Christmas. The wording is traditional, and the illustrations are wonderful! This has become a part of the Christmas Eve tradition at my daughter's house.

These illustrations are the best ever for The Night Before Christmas...Stunning even! A worthy heirloom Christmas Book. The illustrations cover both sides of the page for a large panoramic view seldom seen in other books...

I have read it over 20 times and am still learning from it as well as most of my buddies who have read it. It makes you a better snow goose hunter.

The book helped me a lot this spring. I got a lot more snow geese using the information and tactics suggested in this book.

The book helped me last Fall and this Spring. I got a lot more snow geese because of it.

There were so many good things in this book that helped me become a better snow goose hunter.

For the inflated price, this book was a total disappointment. The author deals EXCLUSIVELY with the Mississippi/Central flyway, and spends a great deal of time speaking of specific areas in this region. This large portion of a VERY SMALL (8" X 6", large type, barely over 100 pages), outdated book was of zero use to a snow goose hunter from Maryland. As far as decoy types and placement, the author only reiterated what I'd already gleaned from magazines over two years (and that wasn't much). I will be returning this book, the first time I've ever returned anything to Amazon.com.

This book is enticing, exciting and sad, all on one page. Usually when a book is a sequel, it is necessary to have read the first book in order to fully enjoy it. That's not the case with this novel. The author has succeeded in giving you just enough insight to the previous book that you don't feel lost if you haven't read it, without reiterating everything in case you have. Bernice McFadden is quickly becoming one of my favorite novelists

Wow, What a book and I was thinking sugar was good, they are both good reads.Sugar comes back to bigelow for a reason, and now we know why.Jude send her back in her dreams to let her know what happen to her, and bring the family together with the true who sugar dad is.I see why mercy was put in her life the way she was to see that lappy have done to alot of people in that town.This was a great book IM sorry it taking so long to read it.

The group felt many of the unanswered questions from McFadden's novel "Sugar" were answered in "This Bitter Earth."

Overall the group felt that each character kept too many secrets. Everyone felt that the secrets were the source of the problems. Joe kept secrets about being Sugar's father and learning the details of Jude's murder. The Lacey sisters held secrets about Sugar's family including Shirley being her great-grandmother. Sugar's life would have been drastically different, if most of these secrets had been revealed earlier.

I just love this author work, her books are so heart felt. thank you bernice mcfadden.

Great book. Not your typical story line. This book was a page turner. Bernice McFadden is an amazing writer. I would strongly recommend this book as well as all this authors books.

I bought this book 4 weeks ago after trying out quite a few books about universe. This is by far the best book about the unimaginable universe. The things that I liked about this book are:

The book is divided into 4 sections. First one is overview of the universe. Second section goes into details of the solar system. Third talks about rest of the universe. Last section has guides to watch sky in the night.

It starts off with a few pages about technical understanding of forces that build universe. Excellent information about atoms, bonds, Bohr's orbits, photos, gravity etc. These basic concepts of physics are tied in to how the universe functions. If you are not a technical person, don't get scared by this since it is explained in a very neat and simple manner. I wish this kind of explanations were available in my high school.

It has few of the best ever pictures of celestial objects. Its not only a picture book though. It has lot of textual information about the object. There are lot of great illustrations to describe each planet in detail. I have not yet reached the part where it talks about rest of the universe but so far, I am loving this book.

Things I did not like? Not much really. I would have liked to see information about how these pictures are taken or from where the pictures are obtained but understand that it would make the book less appealing in terms of asthetics.

Great book overall, not just an eyecandy but a definitive resource about universe.

Thanks
Abhay Joshi

This is quite simply a magnificent book. It contains an incredible wealth of information, ranging from leptons, bosons and variously flavoured quarks right through to galaxy superclusters. The planets of the solar system are covered in-depth, and every other known type of structure in the universe besides. Apart from this description of the universe on every scale, this book contains pages covering the history and methods of astronomy, space travel, the question of life in the universe, and likely scenarios for the beginning and the end of the cosmos. Even string theory is touched upon. The final quarter of the book is taken up by an extensive collection of star charts, inviting the reader to actively involve him- or herself in some stargazing.
But it's not just the breadth and depth of the information covered that makes this book such a gem, it is also the way it is presented. Every single page is visually pleasing, through a clever merging of text and illustrations. With text often broken up into numerous, succinct, thematic lemmas, many pages almost feel like a book in themselves. The layout and design is stylish as well as colourful. Many of the images are absolutely dazzling. Once you open this visual guide, anywhere, chances are you'll be glued to it for the next hour. A must-have for anyone who likes to be immersed in the endless wonders of our universe.

This book is amazing. Its pictures are beautiful and explanations clear.
I leave it on my coffee table as the pictures are so beautiful and on every page. I would suggest this book for especially persons that have not had previous knowledge of the universe as this explains it all in understandable detail. Good for all ages except the very young.

The information and illustrations inside the book are wonderful. Every page you turn to has something that sparks your interest. Only downfall was that I purchased this for my husband for Christmas and the second time he opened the book to read out of it the binding broke.

Visually intoxicating! You can learn the secrets of the universe in this one volume. I have numerous DK published books all of which are excellent. However, this is the paragon that all the other books are judged by. Simply, it is the best book that they have ever published. It should be the standard text book for astronomy classes!

The junior standard-bearer for civil rights during the era of segregation recounts his rise through those times toward his own national recognition. It's an intimate and introspective offering. It's a unique perspective.
After his Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, crashes, he self-imposes exile as an "invisible man" in New York working as a grant officer for a private charity:
(p398) "New York was just too big for me. I didn't feel as if I could get my hands around it. In the South, communities seemed comprehensible, manageable, workable. You could see where things started and ended. You could get a grasp of the place and the people, as well as their problems. And you could respond to those problems with solutions that might work...."
He always has the South on his mind where there remains "a spirit instilled by the civil rights movement that is still felt and remembered today, a spirit that was not and is not felt in the same way in the North. That, I believe, is the huge difference between the legacy of the civil rights movement in the North and the South. All the great battlegrounds of the civil rights movement were in the South. That fact is cherished and remembered by the people there." (p 208).
There is confusion in "Feel Angry with Me". The chapter describes the fall of Schwerner, Goodman, and Chaney. Their violent deaths in defense of the U.S. Constitution and the rule of law during Freedom Summer (1964) fixed the nation's eyes on racist brutality in Mississippi. The confusion is in character casting and mixing the ridiculous partying with his friend, actress, Shirley MacLaine and his virginity in the same chapter with the sublime. Here, especially, the book sacrifices continuity to rigid chronology.
In and out of church - and on both sides of the pulpit - his cast of characters is most colorful, including a prominent one (not MacLaine) today facing bizarre criminal charges. So many stories within the author's story could make for a better book than a strict chronology.
The author alludes to his motivation to influence the masses, (p 400) "I felt the spirit, the hand of the Lord, the power of the Bible -- all of those things -- but only when they flowed through the church and out into the streets. As long as God and His teachings were kept inside the wall of a sanctuary, as they were when I was young, the church meant next to nothing to me." Like a good, "whooping" preacher, he is, at times, poetic. It's some of his best stuff.
Congressman Lewis is no great hero, though he has a measure of both -- greatness of association to the movement he led until the times turned violent -- and heroism for holding to his sometimes politically incorrect beliefs, though not sufficiently incorrect for this reviewer. And his book is not great literature. It is his gift to us with an interest in non-violent social change.

Ever since I came to the U.S. I learned about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his philosophy of non-violence, I always wanted to learn more about the civil rights movement because of the way African American citizens overcame their obstacles in a non-violent way.


Walking with the wind is a memoir of the author John Lewis, the book begins at his home town where he was raised and learned the meaning of discrimination at an early age. The book describes his whole life how he was discriminated and how became involved with the movement, and how he later on became chair man of the SNCC.
The book also has a part where it only describes the life of John Lewis after the movement, what he does and what happens to all of his close friends, this is at the end of the book, but also talks about how he tries to become something important in U.S. politics.


My favorite part of the whole book is when John Lewis is watching the presidential elections of 1976, when he sees that Jimmy Carter was elected he begins to cry because like he says, he finally sees the hands that picked cotton, picking a president, he cries because he sees that all his hard work pays off, by the government counting the black vote.


The knowledge that John Lewis wants to pass down to readers is the struggle of all African American people to gain freedom and rights, he wants the new generation of people of color to know how much the old generation had to go through to gain all the freedom kids posses these days.


This book is boring, there is almost no action, it is mostly talking about politics, so do not read this book if you are not hooked by memoirs. It takes time to get into the good stuff, like for example, there are parts where the author describes the way police responded in a violent way to a non-violent protest, there are many occasions like this through out the whole book.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the Civil Rights Movement. Lewis' broad range of experiences gives the reader a glimpse into nearly every facet of the 1960's part of the movement. However, it is also useful for the specific study of the Nashville student movement and the study of SNCC (Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee).

John Lewis' memoir tells of his pivotal role in the civil rights movement as , literally, its most prominent "fall guy." John Lewis was physically at the forefront of the major civil rights events-getting beaten, arrested, and ultimately, prevailing in the struggle to desegregate the south. He was one of the original Freedom Riders as well as the first person across the Pettis Bridge in Selma. He explains all of his actions and ethics through a mirror of highly disciplined non-violence that leaves the reader in awe of his amazing achievements. In sum, this book is a "must-read" for anyone interested in the civil rights movement.

John Lewis's powerful and moving retelling of his journey through the
Civil Rights years, much of it in leadership positions, is a walk through
important American history. His clarity of purpose, values, honed by the
beatings and jailings of those years shine through it all. This personal
insight into events we read about in history makes it real, and makes us
admire the courage and persistence of people like John Lewis. In our present
times of struggle over issues of war, environment and economic fairness,
we need both a reminder of this historical struggle and a next generation
to press us to make changes, to make a difference. A must read for anyone
concerned about our present times.