Social Studies Books

This author's life story demonstrates how a refusal to accept society's "labels" and a strong determination, coupled with a strong faith in God can overcome even the most challenging and disappointing events in life. Several times while reading this book I had to stop, pause, reflect, sometime cry, sometime laugh and at other times feel encouraged. Just knowing that this author endured many of the same disappointments, hardships of being a teenage parent, ridicule by society and so called friends validated my pain and my struggles. This should be a required reading for all teenagers.

In the book True Vine, Fountain writes a timeless and powerful message of truth and consequences. It is a personal testimony that speaks to youth and adults alike...if you believe in (God) a power greater than yourself and apply positive action (faith and hard work) to fuel your beliefs, there is absolutely nothing that you cannot do. My grandmother used to say "He (God) may not come when you want him, but He's right on time". Fountain uses bits of wisdom like this, as shared by elders in his family, to help us understand the power of faith and the proof as is manifested in his survival and ultimate success. Long after you read this book, you will feel the despair of an impoverished K-town; and, it has to make one think about how many neighborhoods exist today where children and families barely survive (and many don't) through unspeakable horrors, insufferable living conditions and unbelieveable hardships -- in America, the richest country in the world? But the saving grace in this story for me is that John W. Fountain not only survived and succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, but that he cared enough to honestly share his story with the world. True Vine is a true story -- one that reveals some of the hidden truths about family, community, poverty, its victims and its survivors. True Vine is a branch of knowledge that provides us with food for thought about problems and solutions that we, as individuals, as viable members of communities and organizations, can all take part in -- righting the wrongs -- fighting poverty and violence. With faith as our foundation, one step at a time, we can help build prosperity in underprivileged neighborhoods for future generations. Fountain can be likened to the "voice crying in the wilderness" from which many will hear and be saved. This book is truly a fountain of revelations. It is much more than a personalized how-to-succeed book. There is a lesson in every chapter that should be read by every child and every parent in America. I am certain that this is not the last time we will hear from this great author. I for one, will be looking for more.

With True Vine, John W. Fountain has created an inspirational beacon. Not only has he trail blazed a path for all of the inner-city youth struggling in the jungle of poverty, he has written a travelogue of hope for all the souls who may have lost sight of their dreams.

This is one of the best books I have read, and will most likely be among my top 10 for the year. I wrote something down from this book that I know I will take away with me and remember for a long time: "You can't stop dreaming or you start to die."

When I first picked up this book, I was worried it would be a non-stop preach-fest; it turned out to be an inspiring tale of despair, hope, and faith.

Even though I grew up in a ranch house on a cul-de-sac in a well-to-do white Chicago suburb with grassy lawns and two-car garages, this book made me feel like I grew up in the poverty stricken neighborhoods of the west side of Chicago. It made me feel like a part of John W. Fountain's circle of friends and family.

This is the kind of book that comes along only once in a while. True Vine is a true treasure.

I found myself unable to put this book down even for sleep. It's one of those books you read from cover to cover, then promptly begin to put together the names of friends and family who simply MUST read this book.

I was deeply touched by his unwavering faith and integrity as he wrote about his life in the Chicago ghetto--up through poverty, his setbacks in life, and again recouping to claim a better life for himself and his family. I was most impressed by his early and continued determination to lead an exemplary male life, not wavering in his responsibilities to provide security and leadership no matter the adversity. His strong message of faith is a personal one, clearly and directly told. It is a touching, sincere, very warm book and so worth your time and money. You'll love it, I'm sure of it.

I was feeling pretty down when I picked up True Vine, I knew that I needed to know that I wasn't alone in what life was throwing at me at the time, I had no idea that this book would Re-new my Faith, and give me the Courage to keep going on. My sad, went to glad, my downs went to ups, my bad, went to good, and My Spirit Soared!!!!!!!God put John W. Fountain on this earth to give us our Faith Back, and to know that through God, all things are Possible, God Bless and Keep John, can't wait for book number two........

This book is somewhat thought provoking, but quickly redundant. The theory that working moms and stay at home moms are at war felt artificial and the resources used to support that this war is going on seemed either unbelievable to me or that I must be missing something. In real life, while there is guilt and mixed feelings about being one or the other, I don't see this as a huge struggle for women. We don't have time to be at war with each other, being a mother is hard and we are all trying to work it. Any attempt to make this a war seems media driven, and I imagine this book feeds from this drama, although again, I haven't seen this to be a huge issue. But then again, I don't watch talk shows, so maybe I'm missing something.

I almost abandoned this book at the start because I found it boring. It read more like a college paper. But, I kept reading and the book got a lot better.

This book is an unbiased look at mothers across the board: stay-at-home or working (any amount of hours). The author does not take sides and even questions if they whole "Mommy Wars" phenomenon is media created. She says that at the park what she sees are working and stay-at-home moms chatting and enjoying each others' company.

Discussed at length in this book is the question of how much "choice" women really have in the working/stay-at-home decision. She talks about how most part time work pays poorly or really isn't all that part time afterall. She also talks about the lack of benefits offered for much part-time work. She talks about how many of these factors drive mothers who would really like some actual part-time work into their homes completely. She also discusses the difficulty many women have in getting back into the workplace after many years at home, leaving big gaps in their resumes that have to be explained (and many employers are not overly excited about the "excuse" of motherhood-thinking that women have not really kept up any useful skills at home).

There is also lengthy discussion about how worn out most moms are and there are also many pages of stories and discussions about stay-at-home dads.

Finally, the book ends with some inspiring stories about real, average women who have made a difference with their time towards issues that effect parents. One example was the Starbucks public breastfeeding situation-how average mothers got together and changed policy that made it easier for moms to nurse in public.

One of my favorite parts of the book was the discussion about the "At-Home Infant Care" program which helps poor women stay home to parent their own children until age 2. I did not know about this program and am very proud to be from a state with this program in use. What a wonderful program to give poor mothers real choices! discussed in conjunction with this was welfare reform of 1996 which pushed poor womens' infants into daycare from birth. The message being that women are more valuable as workers than as mothers.

I really think all mothers/fathers will be able to relate to this book on some level.

Concerning the lack of choices-I agree to some extent. However, just because a choice leads to a less than ideal situation doesn't mean it still wasn't a choice. When one decides to have a family there are going to be trade offs. It's unrealistic to think there won't be. Sure, you can advocate for things like paid maternity leave, etc. but what about people who are childless, people who never marry, or people who raise their own children (which is probably over 50% of people/families)? Should we tax payroll money from a parent who is the sole provider for a family so that a dual income family-who probably make more money overall-can have paid maternity leave? If you are working and having children, you are going to have to make some sacrafices on one side or the other. At-home parents sacrafice too. They can't put away money tax free for "childcare costs" as working parents can for daycare costs-even tho at-home parents caring for their own children lose $10,000s/year for their choice. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

One other thing that worried me a bit is that in all this talk about moms we can forget about what is best for our kids. There was some discussion about all day pre-K programs, etc, that are convenient for some mothers. All day kindergarten would fit into this category too. Are these things really good for kids? Perhaps if your child really is exceptionally gifted or is learning ESL, but for the majority of kids, this is not the case. We need to make sure that we don't cheat our children out of the only childhood they will have just because something is convenient for us.

The author offers an enlightening and readable mix of solid academic research, personal experience, and feminist manifesto. She rejects the Mommy Wars as a media invention designed to sell insecure mothers more stuff, and suggests that our society needs to make changes that reflect a real commitment to the work of parenting: offer more high-quality part-time work, more gender parity in childrearing, and more awareness that the "choices" parents make are limited by economic and social pressures. An excellent book.

On a beautiful early evening at a beach I saw 2,3, and 4 years olds playing a baby world cup game. I was delighted to see such youngsters so engaged in a sport like mini-adults. However, children are not mini-adults. They are fragile kids in need of 100% supervision and dedication. In fact, I was amazed at how into the sport these little tykes were ... focused and aware ... it was a joy to watch. Now for the scary part ... some of the soccer parents were my age and (ghast) younger, like barely into their late 20's. At that moment I knew kids were not for me because .... I instantly wanted to hop on a plane for New York and skip along Broadway singing "It's ain't me Babe, it ain't me whose chained to the floor. Thank GOD I am single and childless!"

Mommy wars against each other now? Used to be mothers against non-mothers. Who said being selfish was just for single women? This is a bigger issue ... it's women against women with one holding her reproductive uterus hostage over another,playing the trump card that another is incomplete because she is baggage-free. Children are precious gifts (especially healthy and smart ones) and if a woman knows she can't live up to the demand and is not willing to sign her life away ... she has every right to say no to reproduction. Why harm another young life when you are not cut out to be a mother other than in the biological sense. Being a mother means you not only give birth but you are 100% emotionally available to your child.

In this book, Peskowitz examines the supposed war between working moms and sat-at-home moms and concludes that it's a war perpetuated by the media rather than an actual one. She then explores the nature of work in America and argues that most moms lack real choice in their working decisions.

She provides examples of stay-at-home moms who would like to work part-time but cannot find work worth their time. She shares the stories of other moms who want to stay home with their kids but simply cannot afford it. Comparing America to 170 other countries, she concludes that America is far behind in valuing the work that mothers do every day in raising their children and that the country needs to begin valuing this work.

She also shows that this difficulty goes beyond class lines. While women in higher-powered jobs may have more choice, they, too, have to fight for flexible working conditions and often "opt out" of the workforce because no suitable choices exist for them.

This book is easy to read and is well researched. In debunking the existence of the mommy wars, Peskowitz urges *all* moms to stand together in order to start making change happen in this country.

I, like another reviewer, read this about 8 years ago when in a college Civil War course. I never sold mine back because I knew I would want to read it again. I also immediately bought copies for my mom and a friend that is a descendant of Caribbean slaves. I can't believe this book isn't more widely known; in fact, it saddens me because Solomon Northup's story is so riveting and deserves recognition.

I was glued to the story from about the third chapter to the end. It was almost like a thriller or mystery because you want to know what happens! Much of it was heartbreaking, though. I had tears streaming down my face when he describes Patsey's predicament. The unending hope and love from his family really touched me, too.

I think this account is even better than Uncle Tom's Cabin for 2 reasons. First, the plot is not as disjointed. Second, and most importantly, everything in the account is true. What's even more amazing is that the author, despite being stolen from his family and forced into servitude, remains somewhat objective about his ordeal. He is a natural storyteller. You can tell Northup was extremely intelligant and observant. His prose is beautiful and easy to read despite being written in the 1850's.

Anyone with even a remote interest in American slavery or Antebellum/Civil War history should read this book.

I had to read this book for school and was very suprised because the story takes place in and around my hometown. I had always saw the "Northup Trail" signs but never knew what they were about until I read this book. I grew up in Avoyelles Parish so this story really hit home. It is an awesome but tragic story everyone should read.

While browsing thru the Boston Public Library in 1970 I accidentally came across this book. I have read it at least ten times over the years, have kept in touch with the editor, Sue Eakin, an expert on the South and cultural matters of this kind. This book is an inspiration to everyone. You will be amazed at the tenacity and sheer courage of Northup as he makes his way thru 12 long years on the plantation, and remember that he did not KNOW it would be 12 years. Every Jan 3 or 4th I wake up and think to myself, this is the day Solomon was set free! This book is clearly a treasure that is relatively unknown. You will not read this book only once-----

This book presents its readers with a first-hand account of not only the cruelties of United States slavery itself, but more importantly it touches upon the ways in which other areas of social life were negatively influenced by the institution. Solomon Northup was a black man who was born a free black man in New York in 1808. In 1841, Northup was kidnapped in Boston and take to the south to be sold as a slave. He spent the next 12 years as a slave, and this book was written after he was rescued in 1853.

Many people have associated this book with "Uncle Tom's Cabin" ever since the former was published. While the story line is not exactly the same, there are a lot of similarities. Most notably, both books have evil Northerners and benevolent Southerners, a feature that I think is too often overlooked. This adds credibility to Northup's account, insofar as he does not simply condemn all Southerners. Other themes, such as the break-up of slave families, the harsh treatment of slaves (especially female slaves who had the misfortune of handsomeness), and camaraderie between slaves also reflect those written about in "Uncle Tom's Cabin".

In the past the credibility of Northup's work had been in question, especially since a newspaper worker helped him write his account. However, in light of the vast number of particular details the Northup provides and the extent to which those details match up with other records, historians generally view this work as an authentic and truthful account of a free man sold into slavery. This is an incredible read, and the fact that it is a real account makes it even more fascinating. This book should be required reading for high school or college American history classes that cover the Civil War era.

A compelling and wrenchingly honest first-hand account of slavery, many
times breaking my heart and making me think of the children of Africa
today. A new book, "The Last Witness From a Dirt Road" which takes
place in 1946, was given to me after commenting about Solomon Northup's
narrative, and it could almost be a sequel to Twelve Years a Slave,
written a 100 years later by the son of an overseer on a plantation
along the banks of Bayou Bouef in the same location in Louisiana. Old
social and economic orders seemed little changed from 1841 to 1946,
tragic, heart rendering but both books are riveting and honest, are
timely and universal.

I received my copy yesterday and laughed so hard I immediately ordered a few more for my friends. Any dog lover, gay or straight (unless you are a narrow-minded homophobe) with a sense of humor will adore this book. The illustrations are just gorgeous -- a real pleasure for the eyes! In addition to the tongue-in-cheek humor, the book is also informative. I will not repeat what others have already said. I will add that I was impressed that there was a section about puppymills and the Amish were exposed for being the worst culprits of this horrific money-making endeavor (just ask my dog who was locked in a tiny cage by the Amish for 5 years without access to sunlight or grass). Most people do not know that the worst puppymills are Amish enterprises and that they will not hesitate to club dogs to death when they can no longer bring in a buck. Here's an exerpt on this topic: "At the risk of losing book sales to my gay Amish fan base, a number of the Pennsylvania Dutch folk have become notorious for raising puppies under farmlike conditions and selling directly to brokers. Their dog-proud German relatives would be appalled; the Amish should stick to what they're best at: quilts, pretzels, and high fashion" (p. 122). You tell them Andrew DePrisco!

This Book is a Classic!!!
Great Humor,w/a Lot of Truth!!!!!
Would Highly Recommend to Anybody

I think this book is wonderful. It was a great present for someone who has everything. If you have a good sense of humor you will really enjoy this book. It is definately one of a kind!!

"Woof!" is an absolute delight. A fun and informative read for prospective dog owners of every persuasion. DePrisco is an experienced dog owner and brilliant writer who offers wise and witty advice on choosing and caring for a dog and answers questions you never thought to ask. Best of all, you will find yourself smiling as you turn the pages! O'Malley's illustrations are superb, making this a perfect coffee table book.

This book will solve many of your Christmas shopping dilemmas. It's a can't miss gift.

Woof! is Great! I've enjoyed reading every word of this book. It is the perfect gift for gay and gay-friendly households who are seeking a dog or already have a dog! Buy it! You won't regret it!

We bought two of these for our 17 year old daughter & her boyfriend to work on together. Great workbooks!

This is the companion workbook for The 7 Habit of Highly Effective Teens book The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective Teens

This combination is very good for middle and high school age kids. It gives them a direction and a way to plan how they live and interact with other teens and adults. Used together they are very effective.

Nice workbook with alot of interesting information. Nice guide for ANY teenager who wants to do something with their life.

I use this book in my clinical practice. It allows my clients to make positive changes in thier lives. It is user friendly and easy to use and understand.

This book provides a great opportunity to discuss with young teens important habits and goals in life and how to achieve them. The format and approach are appropriate for younger teens to appreciate and enjoy. The examples are helpful and relevant. OVerall a good discussion book for and with younger teens.

I have read and reread this book and I also recommend it to other people. The best book I ever read about adoption and I've read a lot of them. I adopted two foster children and this book was the best preparation I found. If you're considering adopting older children, it's a good preparation. Don't pass it up!

I read this book about a year after my daughter joined our family, at age four. It is the only book I have read like it. It takes you step-by-step through the process, from applying with an agency to the new child's adjustment - and the family's adjustment to their new arrival.

I wish I had read it before we started, although I read many other good books. I like that Adopting the Older Child addresses some of the feelings people don't like to talk about...like the adoptive parents doubting whether they made the right decision. I also like that it explores older child adoption among different types of families (those with bio kids, those without, etc.).

My only 'complaint' is that it does kind of wrap up the case studies a bit too neatly at the end...as if the issues are all gone after a few years. Most who have adopted older children will agree that some of the emotional issues will be life-long issues, to an extent. Other than that, I thought it was great! Highly recommended!

Christine Mitchell
Author and Illustrator of Welcome Home, Forever Child Welcome Home, Forever Child: A Celebration of Children Adopted as Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Beyond

My husband and I are in the process of adopting an older child from the ages of 3-8. We went through our adoption classes and received alot of great information we will need but I was also reading this book at the same time. I was able to ask questions to our instructor that I would never have thought of without the book. I loved the way the author put in characters of the adoptive child awaiting adoption, Parents waiting to adopt, The case workers point of view, and all the emotions they were going through. I told our instructor about this book and she said she would let other adoptive parents know about it. This book was so informative and fun to read that I found myself not wanting to put it down.

This book is a must have for anyone thinking of adoption. It may have been written 20 years ago but you couldn't tell since the information is mostly about emotions and how to work together with the child but also with your case workers. I was already excited about adopting an older child but this book helped me to prepare for the best and worse of situations that may occur adopting an older child. If you buy this book you won't regret it!

As we move forward in the adoption process of a 17 yr. old, I am thrilled to have just read this book. It was an easy read, full of insight, with just the right balance of warmth and challenge. Best of all, as both a professional counselor and adoptive mother (seven times over!) the author is truly credible, including a nice mix of research and personal experience. I give this book my highest recommendation.

This book dicusses the adoption of older children. Through a series of stories told in the viewpoint of the adoptive parents, adoptive children, and their social worker, readers gain insight into what they can expect during the process. This book put to ease some of my fars about adopting an older child, and makes me feel more equipped to handle situations when our time to adopt comes.

Wonderful information. Dr. Klein backs up his positions with actual facts and science, something that the other side doesn't do. His explanation on how our government views science as just another argument to circumvent when it comes to sexuality is worth the price of the book alone. Great read!

I had to read this book for a Human Sexuality class for a graduate class and even though the class is over and I did not finish reading the book I cant wait to finish it. The book is great at explaining topics such as teen pregnancy and sex education. A MUST READ!!!

"The battle lines have been drawn, and it's not just the think tanks and advocacy groups that have stakes in this war. The sexuality of everyone is at risk, making America's War on Sex a must read for all citizens" says Bill Taverner, M.A. Co-Founding Editor, American Journal of Sexuality Education. Author Michael Castleman reports "America's War on Sex--the title may sound a bit hyped, but it's isn't. It's true: Social conservatives have truly declared war on sex, and no one lays out their agenda better than Marty Klein in this frightening and cogently argued book. Frightening because sexual civil rights are in jeopardy. Klein describes how the forces of sex-negativity are working to set up camp in our bedrooms.

Honored CAMFT (California Association of Marriage & Family Therapists -)member, Dr. Marty Klein is making people angry with his newest book, America's War On Sex. And rightfully so! Upon delivering this outstanding book the AASECT (American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists) Best Book of the Year Award at a sex therapist conference in June, Dr. Joy Davidson stated that she was angry while reading this book and that everyone in America, especially therapist, should be too!

Why be angry while reading Dr. Klein extremely factual, and yet at times humorous, discourse on sex in America today? Because he is right! We, all Americans, are under attack by those who want to robe us of our sexual rights, freedoms and education! In this book Dr. Klein explains with great fines how abstinence only sex education is being promoted and funded by our government despite overwhelming evidence of its failure to deliver the results it has promised, how women's rights to purchase and own vibrators are being legally denied by an increasing amount of state legislators and how sexual mis-information is deliberately being promoted in an effort to take away rights from the GLBT communities!

The anger one experiences when reading this book is not limited to sex therapists or the general public either. It is vital that all psychotherapists read and understand the issues addressed in this book. Our clients come into our offices carrying guilt and shame for engaging in healthy sexual practices after being convinced by negative myths promoted to illuminate sex from our society. They struggle with issue around parenting stemming from fear based messages about children's sexuality. HIV, unwanted pregnancy and the lack of positive sexual expression is the result. We as psychotherapist have an obligation to know the facts about sexuality, to help our clients understand them, to debunk dangerous myths and to support our client's sexual education, personal development and positive sexuality within couples. That is why I say America's War On Sex is the most important book in our field today and is a must read by all clinicians!

Stephen L. Braveman, M.A., L.M.F.T., D.S.T.
Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist # MFC 28926
AASECT Certified Diplomate of Sex Therapy
AASECT Certified Supervisor and Certified CE Provider
Gender Specialist - Clinical Member of WPATH
Tantra Facilitator-Practitioner
AASECT Western Region Representative
CAMFT Past President - Monterey Chapter
Author:
- "Innovative Methods of Treating Patients with Sexual Trauma"
in "Innovations in Clinical Practice: Focus on Sexual Health, 2007"
- "CPR for Your Sex Life: How to Breathe Life Into a Dead, Dying or Dull Sex Life"
(Co-Author: Mildred Brown, Ph.D.), 2007.

What I like most about Dr. Klein and his new book, America's War on Sex, is that he's not afraid to battle the bullies and bigots who have hijacked our country. With facts and footnotes up the wazzoo, Dr. Klein's no holds barred, easy to read and humorous polemic is a must for any American who cares about their freedom.

The factual basis of this book paints a detailed landscape of America's irrational persecution of and delusional obsession with all activities sex-related. If you're a like thinker, it will simply confirm your own beliefs, but if you're conservative, be prepared to have all the world's evils laid at your feet. This is the first time I've even heard the phrase "conservative feminist". You have only to look at Congressional (and state legislative) voting records to see that the war on sex is by no means a strictly conservative crusade (although the bulk of it is certainly initiated by them). I've read books on the topic by other authors, including Nadine Strossen, that are much more credible simply because they do not demonize the conservative right while excluding the liberal contribution to the war on sex. Nonetheless, while rather one-dimensional, it is also an excellent presentation of just how stunningly pervasive the problem really is.

Finally, nowhere in the 230 pages is there any mention of prostitution laws. Indeed prostitution, call girls, massage parlors don't even show up in the index. If laws banning the sale of sex toys deserve prominent coverage, one would think that laws against prostitution would at least earn an honorable mention. Unless one subscribes to the concept that the war on prostitutes is acceptable, that is.

I don't know the reason prostitution is left out, but it shouldn't have been. Surely, if the phrase, "your body, your choice" means anything, it gives you the right to use your god-given body as an asset to put a roof over your head and food on your table no different from a laborer, doctor, or sports star. But, beyond that, laws against prostitution sadistically deny one of humanity's most pleasurable and intimate communions to a class of people who are only likely to experience it through the services of a prostitute. That would include many handicapped people, those who have been maimed by war or accidents, those with serious birth defects, the home bound, the bed-ridden, and the just plain ugly (such as myself). If that doesn't deserve mention as part of America's War on Sex, then nothing does.

Few books make ancient history come to life as brilliantly and as completely as this one. When they do, they are usually military books. The evryday life of ordinary people is hardly ever described. More than just a survey, it offers a great insight into the real conditions of life and the details we often don't even think about. Inspiring.

Most books with really good illustrations are usually a little weak in the next. Not The Ancient City. The excellent text in this book is completmented by beautiful illustrations of what is being told.

I wanted a basic overview text on Greek and Roman civilizations. Luckily I stumbled upon this book by Connolly and Dodge. The book is terrific. The layout is excellent. The writing is succinct and the text moves along smoothly. I now have a basic knowledge of Greek and Roman eras. I got a lot more out of this book by also reading Edith Hamilton's The Greek Way. However, I must confess, this book is far more interesting and keeps one glued. A joy to read. Very highly recommended.

The past is another country, and the farther back in time we try to go, the harder it is to get there. If it is difficult to understand daily life in Rome and Athens today, even if we are there in person, able to see the sights and walk the streets with a native guide, then imagine how much more difficult the task to go back several thousand years. The natives are long gone, and only the shattered remains of marble buildings and monuments remain to guide us.

"The Ancient City" shows us, with a wealth of pictures and artistic reproductions, what life may have been like when Rome and Athens were the centers of their respective empires. Illustrator Peter Connolly draws on the latest archaeological finds to recreate buildings that range from the well-known, such as the Parthenon and the Colosseum, to tenements, temples, public baths and latrines (of the one in Rome -- dedicated to topping any other city -- boasted of one that featured an open-air design and over 100 seats).

Connolly also recreates statues, reliefs, frienzes and pottery, sometimes adding the original color scheme, creating a startling effect to an eye used to seeing plain white marble. The text, co-written with Hazel Dodge, describes daily life, how the people dressed, wed, entertained, worshiped and died.

Short of building your own time machine, "The Ancient World" is a worthwhile passport to the past.

I teach Classical Studies from the junior school to the senior student and am always on the lookout for resource material which can make the subject more inherently interesting. This book has it all-a wealth .of information presented in a great format with brilliant illustrations. I have posters by the author hanging in my classroom but in this production he outdoes himself. I can now readily picture what the great Panathenaic procession might have looked like , what happened in bathing establishments and how the average citizen coped with the problems of everyday life.
If anyone ever thought the Classics were dull, I would encourage him or her to peruse this book. A new adventure awaits the reader.

Antipodes is a major milestone in the scholarly and scientific theory and methodology of visionary plants, entheogens, and the phenomena of the dissociative cognitive state, in the tradition of William James. Nitrous showed James the ordinary state of consciousness isn't enough for a full account of the mind.

Shanon critiques previous approaches to cognitive psychology, entheogens, and the mystic state and surpasses previous coverage of drug-induced mysticism. He presents and calls for a sophisticated, well-informed phenomenological Cognitive Psychology approach to the mind and to the dissociative cognitive state and primary religious experiencing.

He presents a research methodology, framework, and paradigm of extensive first-hand experience and training in the dissociative visionary cognitive state, with extensive comparison of experiential observations with many other experienced observers or trained practitioners, per Ken Wilber's Eye to Eye. He demonstrates how the altered, dissociative cognitive state informs the scientific study of the mind, and how a phenomenological cognitive psychology perspective informs the scientific, systematic study of the states induced by visionary plants.

He approaches cognitive psychology as a concern with overall dynamic mental activity and phenomena, rather than underlying-level mental representation. He critiques the established Psychology models of mystic-state experiencing, emphasizing that the visionary altered state affects and works comprehensively and non-specifically upon the entirety of experiencing and cognitive activity, including movement and performance, neither centered in uncovering hidden layer of already-ongoing sub-cognitive activity nor being restricted to merely the isolated faculty of imagination.

Antipodes opens a new era in research and theory on visionary plants and mythic metaphor. Myths were discovered through the use of substance-induced altered states of consciousness; the world of myth is the world of entheogens. Ayahuasca drinkers tend toward the universal metaphysical conclusion, of idealist monism: only interconnected thoughts exist.

Although noting Ancient Jewish mysticism used a Ayahuasca mixture such as Rue and Acacia or Mimosa, he emphasizes myths as metaphorical description of dissociative cognitive experiencing induced by visionary plants, not of the plants themselves like previous entheogen scholars. Myth describes dissociative experiencing through small-scale mythemes and larger-scale structures, and represents mental transformation over multiple sessions.

Shanon's coverage of mystical phenomena is less developed and coherent than of imagery. His categories of experiential phenomena and visionary metaphor don't cover the specifically religious-experiencing realm such as a willing sacrificing of kingship; he covers temples as merely a visual object, not really explaining why kings and temples are seen. He covers control-instability, personal autonomy issues, and fear as though separate from religious/spiritual divine-encounter aspects.

Practitioners fearfully cross themselves and pray for mercy before taking the Eucharistic potion. Cognitive dissociation brings thought-control crisis in which reliance on one's own powers and resources is of no avail; to combat fear and restabilize mental control, trust is needed in something beyond one's local autonomous self.

He advises mastering fearful thoughts and remembering you're an autonomous self who can influence thoughts -- yet asserts Ayahuasca drinkers feel the source and master of which thoughts happen isn't themselves, but external forces; it's scientifically unknown how thoughts originate; and the source of thoughts, control, and what happens in one's mind is not oneself, but a hidden, transcendent source.

Metaphorical descriptions of dissociative phenomena are also covered in Metzner's Unfolding Self; Culiano's Out of this World; Collins' Death, Ecstasy, and Other Worldly Journeys; Arbel's Beholders of Divine Secrets; and Thorne's Marihuana: Mysticism & Cannabis Experience. Antipodes is a must-have for consciousness and entheogen researchers.

To this date this book is the best analytical physiological examination and charting of the ayahusca experience that I have ever before seen. It is an exceptional book and a must read for any one interested in Psychology, Visionary substances, Ayahusca, spirituality, religion or the mind. Benny is going through the book charting cataloging and grouping the various Ayahuasca phenomena and experiences into the first ever-scientific exploration into the visionary state. He is very loyal to the scientific western model and I respect this as well as many of his ideas and personal views on the visionary experience as well as his deep admiration for Platonic thought. Although I would like to say that I feel it is quite a shame on his part that he discounts the Spiritual dimension so. I feel that in his attempt to categorize the ayahusca phenomena has allowed him to miss the Forest through the trees if you will. I think it is very presumptuous to assume the entire shamanism history of the world as well as the entire visionary and Ayahusca community is largely in fault to believe in the reality, how ever large or small it may be, to the spiritual dimension. But then again he is not a Physicist and the idea of Other physical realitys as noted in quontom theory is not something he belives in at all, I know I have talked with him personaly on this matter in Peru. But in benny's own words from the book " Ayahusca brings us to the very limits of what rational western psychology can comfortably know or answer he then delvs with the conclusions of his book with a examination of Platonic thought wich I fing beutiful and a perfect intalectial match to the tone of this amazing work. I give this astounding book 5 stars, and a must have for any personal Library.

Antipodes of the Mind: Charting the Phenomenology of the Ayahuasca Experience by Dr. Benny Shanon, Oxford University Press, 2002

This is a difficult review for me to write. There is only one word I can think of to describe how I feel regarding the level of scholarship Dr. Shanon has put forth in this book: flabbergasted.

Beyond this single word description, the rest I'll try to elaborate, however inefficiently.

I have read, I would guess, some one hundred plus books regarding ethnopharmacology and botany surrounding the likes of what is generically called "shamanism" - not to mention authoring two of my own books on the subject. I can honestly say, without solicitation or hesitation, that this book stands out on its own as hands down the best book I have ever read. I don't say this meaning within these certain parameters of study, i.e. ethnopharmacology or psychology, I mean - Period.

How could a book be the best I've ever read? That's a good question and one I'm somewhat startled over, but I'll try to elaborate:

For starters, the unbiased presentation. Dr. Shanon not only studied Ayahuasca, but took it himself 120 times (160 to date) for his study, something that is rare in most clinical investigations. Unlike other publications on Ayahuasca (see Metzner, 1999), this book is thankfully not new agey, and it does provide indigenous reports, as well as reports from people from all walks of life who've partaken in the Ayahuasca ceremony.

As someone who has many years of my own psychonautical exploration, including with Ayahuasca, I was awestruck at the literary composition and presentation of the Ayahuasca experiences that Shanon has provided his readers - so many of which I've experienced myself. I've never thought that this level of description of the experience was possible.

I've read Huxley's Doors of Perception, from which Shanon's book is aptly named, but Huxley did not deliver us near the understanding and clarity that Shanon has here.

Furthermore, during Shanon's investigation of the Ayahuasca experience, he destroyed old prejudiced paradigms of psychological beliefs systems and created new standards by which researchers may continue further study.

Beyond these points, to which I'm here admittedly overly vague, Shanon also brings the metaphysical toe to toe with science - staring each other eye to eye into the great dance of wisdom - of opposites. I can not think of another book (at least that I've read) where this has ever been accomplished - except, maybe, The Fairy Faith in Celtic Countries by Dr. Evens-Wentz.

As for my negative contentions regarding this book? I have none. I've never before read a book that I did not have some reservation or hesitation regarding some piece of evidence, presentation or conclusion. Not so here. At this point, I have no contentions against Shanon's work. He has raised the bar.

Antipodes of the Mind is the first book I've ever read that I whole heartedly endorse. Maybe this is due to my own level of ignorance in regards to the field of psychology, but I don't think so. I rather think Shanon has written one of the strongest arguments regarding any topic I've yet come across - much less the entheogenic experience.

This is THE BOOK to refer to when people ask about or question the authenticity of the entheogenic experience. This is THE BOOK to refer to when someone doesn't get what it's all about. Now the question is: will they read it? So, therefore, I guess I do have one contention: That I had read it sooner myself.

Simply immense! You simply MUST read this book! 5 Stars!

INTRODUCTION
What happens when a worldly Israeli cognitive psychologist goes to the Amazon Basin where he ingests the famed psychotropic concoction Ayahuasca (the `vine of the dead') again and again and again? Our intrepid philosophical psychologist is no longer a sprightly youth, maddened for adventure. He is instead an accomplished theoretician with widely published articles (several in this journal) and a noted book (*The Representational and the Presentational*, 1993) that speak the from the perspective of cognitive (or phenomenological, for Shanon) psychology against the reductive tendency to view the mind's activities as created by the the brain's activities. Even before his Amazonian quest, he placed himself in the Gibsonian camp seeing the mind as dynamic intermediary between organism and environment and active participant in both. What did happen is this extraordinary book, a scientific analysis of his own visions and the education of both Shanon's views and, perhaps, his soul.

Benny Shanon's accomplishment in this unique and carefully written treatise is nonpareil. In his landmark attempt to chart and classify the experiences that follow ingesting the Amazonian brew, Ayahuasca (always capitalized by Shanon), he demonstrates a will to observe and explain as relentless as carbon steel, but his seeing and experiencing also require him to be as flexible as tungsten when he must shape his interpretations within experiences that have all but overthrown the pretense of objective observation. Indeed, as he becomes `educated' through his journeys with this brewed plant compound, apparently beginning his own shamanic initiation, his will, his very self must capitulate to experiences beyond words. Later, back at his desk, Shanon will use his notes and memory to go discover the order of things. This breakthrough study will achieve the respect and renown it deserves, but it is currently causing a stir in certain circles and amongst the openminded international intelligentsia.

Shanon has written a slow-rising classic that should stay aloft for the duration of our era, not just as cognitive psychology or even as another narrative of the psychedelic experience, but as the revelation of the boundless potentials within the human journey itself. Since its release, it appears to have received universal praise from other critics and readers. However, word has not filtered out into the hungry minds of the general public or surely *Antipodes*(1) would be on a bestseller list. Either its subject matter - pharmaceutically induced altered states of consciousness - is still considered too politically threatening or Benny Shanon needs to hit the talk show circuit. His book enters deep waters yet never loses its way. It may be a challenge for some to wade through his classifications but in doing so may find their thinking clarified. Shanon's writing is clear as a mountain brook. He wastes no words for grand effect but always goes straight and true for the point of the topic he had begun. This makes for a very satisfying read, which is helped immensely by the greater story lurking within it to do with one man's awakening from the sleep from self consciousness. *Antipodes* is neither obscure nor excessive, so it might make a good selection for a book-of-the-month for educated readers. Oprah, are you listening?

Nothing exactly like this has ever been written before(2), beautifully rendered and incisively analysed yet finally superseding its own analytic. The reader joins a dedicated scientist on a journey that most would consider well beyond the possibility of scientific data gathering, except in terms of chemistry or anthropology. This journey is a phenomenological analysis, Shanon's close observation his own experience. He wastes no pages speculating on what the neural correlates of his visionary experiences might be, not even taking much time to explain the active ingredients of the `brew' or how it changes the brain. Within this work (but not always within his own experience), the phenomenological-analytical approach seldom wavers. Such an approach still requires a certain distance, so when the object of study is his own earthshaking visions or emotional tsunamis rising up to lay bare every suppressed anxiety, guilt, or self delusion - not even to mention the digestive trauma often encountered(3), one finds oneself in mute admiration for this stalwart scholar who steadily perseveres, refusing to be swept away from his purpose. He admits to making wrong choices in his early Ayahuasca journeys, lingering at banquet or resisting the lure of jaguar metamorphosis when he should have continued his quest, but he learns and begins again. As new worlds open before him, sometimes terrifying, he never retreats in a desperate attempt to turn the experience off. But he also learns when to surrender. Song pours from him amongst strangers, but he knew he must allow the joy to have voice. Though only briefly alluded to, it seems his perseverance and purity of purpose allowed him to finally transcend the limits of knowledge altogether by surrendering his cognition and his very self in a metanoia beyond the realm of words, memory, or interpretation. Needless to say, this experience is not described.

It is in this sense that *Antipodes* may find itself attacked (or ignored) from two opposed positions at once. Most hard science does not consider phenomenology a respectable undertaking since one's subjective experiences can neither be observed by anyone else nor shown to produce repeatable effects. One attempting to draw up analytical structures for drug-induced visions is likely to be dismissed out of hand as delusional, taking hallucinations for reality(4). On the other hand, true believers - religious followers, mystic esotericists, New Agers - will be annoyed for though Shanon puts the stamp of `reality' upon his altered-state journeys, he continues to be skeptical about the existence of supernatural deities behind the metaphysical curtain. In his captivating Prologue he states: `For years I characterized myself as a "devout atheist". When I left South America I was no longer one' (p. 9), but he later explains that his `theism' is more related to a Spinozan pantheism grounded in creative dynamics than to anybody's pantheon or hierarchy of static divinities. He also rejects as unlikely the many reports of enhanced psi powers during the Ayahuasca intoxication (noting that increased perceptual sensitivity and interpersonal attunement can explain the `mind reading' he has experienced and heard reported). He remains open, however, expressing the wish that reports like that involving the remote viewing of an actual European city by an Amazonian native who had neither seen pictures nor heard stories of such a place should be objectively investigated.

Others will argue, and have done so, that immersion in the vision quest involves the suspension of the judgmental, cognitive faculty. Shanon seems to have learned the right steps to his dance between reception and cognition. When the moment presents itself, he allows the imagery or ambiance to take over; but when he returns he makes note of all that can circumscribed. Such imagistic encouragement is similar to Spinoza's intuitive mode of knowing, as Shanon notes (p. 205), but he also stands by the need for subsequent careful analysis in the same way elucidated by Whitehead (1978): `The true method of discovery is like the flight of an aeroplane. It starts from the ground of particular observation; it makes a flight in the thin air of imaginative generalization; and it again lands for renewed observation rendered acute by rational interpretation' (p. 5). Whether this `rational interpretation' infects that which is so interpreted, thus standing on the primary ontological ground beyond that of visionary experience remains an open question, to be asked again below.

In what follows, I will attempt the briefest of summaries though such is an injustice to this groundbreaking psychological cartography of what is terra incognita to most of us. I will then share my perplexities and a personal response, before concluding.

SUMMARY
As a reader, I was hooked immediately by the dramatic Prologue as well as the few selected illustrations, all details from the artwork Planos by Brazilian `shaman-turned-artist' Céu. Each detail is a picture unto itself - a `frame of reference' - yet `the big picture' reveals them all as aspects of a greater dynamic spiralling out from or in towards a core of light that no doubt `passeth all understanding'. The plates seemed to be metaphor for *The Antipodes of the Mind*, frame of reference within frames of reference, each part structured by the whole, while the whole is changed by the activity of the parts.

In the Prologue, Shanon tells the story of his first encounters with the Ayahuasca brew and the questions that brought him to begin his mammoth research project. In his first experience of any consequence he had visions that included jaguars and snakes. He learned later that this was commonplace for Ayahuasca drinkers and his professional curiosity as a cognitive psychologist was roused: `Snakes and jaguars seem to be just too specific to define cognitive universals' (p. 7). But he also underwent horrible visions of human cruelty throughout history, including what must have been especially wrenching, the Jewish Holocaust. But rather than back away or fall into bitter cynicism, he countered it with contemplation of the beauty that humans had brought into the world: `However evil and petty human beings are, I thought, they are also the creators of some of the most beautiful things that exist in the universe. With culture and art, as well as with religion and spirituality, humankind can be redeemed' (p. 5). The anguish or fear evoked by unexpected and shocking presentations of evil must be the gate that has turned away many other first time drinkers from further pursuing this course. Through his faith in life and the human journey, Shanon himself emerged beyond the gates in a centre of serenity within which it seemed the world and himself was born anew: `It seemed this was the first day of creation' (p. 6).

After these first world-changing experiences with the Santo Daime Church (daime=Ayahuasca), he was thrown into a period of critical self-analysis. He knew he had to further study this vine and its power, but how? It seems he first had to accept who he already was, an accomplished cognitive psychologist; he confirmed this identity by ending his self-analysis and beginning his journey to other realities found through Ayahuasca and then a long critical, objective, and categorical analysis of the Ayahuasca experience. This book is the fruit of his labours. It is clear, however, that he had also personal motivations to discover a way to confront the human dilemma of good and evil, as well as facing (or `being faced by') the everpresent questions of a spiritual nature.

Shanon set the time aside, returned to the Amazon, underwent prescribed purifications, and became a dedicated student of the School of Ayahuasca, a mystes into its mysteries. He knew from the first he would never `graduate' as the result of a handful of Ayahuasca sessions, so he took his work seriously indeed. He travelled to gatherings among the three churches (two Christian inspired, one an offshoot of the Umbanda movement) in Brazil that use Ayahuasca as their sacrament and participated in their organized sessions. He sat with Amazonian tribespeople under the jungle canopy, often with the guidance of a ayahuasquero, the `specialist of the sacred', a shaman. Later, as he began to master his visions, he journeyed with few others among accomplished shaman-healers. He shared the brew with experienced users in urban settings, and, when he felt ready, flew solo. At the time of publication, he had gone on over 130 Ayahuasca journeys, though the `core corpus' of his phenomenological research work is his first 67 sessions. Each session was summarized at its conclusion. Beyond that, he read everything he could find on the brew, from early reports of missionaries or explorers to current extended scientific analyses. None combined scholarly analysis with extended personal experience. Finally, he set out in good cognitive psychological fashion and interviewed others who had just concluded their own sessions or anyone in general who also had extensive experience with the brew: `My estimate is that, all told, the data discussed here are based on about 2,500 Ayahuasca sessions' (p. 410).

Then Shanon got back to his desk to reveal the structure of the world (perhaps that should be `worlds'). The bulk of the book consists of prolonged exegeses, enumeration and elaboration of steps, systems and subsystems, categories of subcategories within supercategories, and lists of effects and affects. His point of departure is the phenomenology of his `core corpus'. I will not summarize here his structural program, central to his topic as he deems it to be. Strange to say, I rarely found this approach tedious. For one thing, as noted above, the objects of his classifications are confrontations and participation with other realities, so there is a veritable tale of wonders interwoven within the data. Running through the exposition like an unruly stream upon well-manicured fields is the underlying narrative of the paradigmatic hero's journey into meaning. Furthermore, Shanon's mind, as expressed in his writing, is so refreshingly clear and organized that one feels perfectly secure in boarding his `aeroplane' to survey mysteries of terror and delight well beyond most of our experience or comprehension. It may be, however, that Shanon needed this comprehensive organization as a grounding for his more ultimate revelations. Perhaps it was necessary for him `systematically to chart the various phenomena that Ayahuasca may induce and *to establish order in them*' (p. 48, my italics), so he could at least recall the pathway back toward the Source, the `still point of the turning world'.

Shanon learns there are stages of advancement into these mysteries: The novitiate begins passively watching wonders unfold as on a screen, but with experience and courage, learns to enter the vision and explore its reality from within. Then there comes a stage where a certain degree of control over the unfolding reality is possible, though such `control' is always partial and participatory - Shanon often uses the metaphor of playing an instrument or being played as such: `Thus, I say that the Ayahuasca experience is like music played on an instrument which is the soul and that this music is a perfect mirroring of one's entire being' (p. 380). Indeed, the final stage seems to involve gaining the power to engage many worlds (or realities) simultaneously, but also the power to act in this world in ways never previously attained or attempted, such as the expressive arts or guidance and healing. The `grades' of the School of Ayahuasca are summarized thus:

`First there was an exposition. ...the second course was discipline. ... The third course of my schooling was primarily concerned with healing and disease. ... The grades that followed focused on the sacred and involved powerful spiritual experiences. Then I had a long period-coupled with my partaking of Ayahuasca with traditional Amazonian healers-that focused on shamanism. ... The subsequent course ... focused on a variety of more specific issues' (pp. 302-3).

To get this far, the novitiate or mystes has endured many trials and temptations, yet s/he must be bold enough to know when to surrender to the reality that presents itself and wise enough to know when to actively alter it. One must have overcome the narcissistic limitations of one's fears while not inflating vanity over one's piloting control or expanding knowledge. Such hubris, as myths have taught us, may lead to the pride that goes before a fall.

Shanon found the pure heart and `empty centre' to be accepted amongst the healers of the Amazon rain forest. He mentions that now he feels his role has become more performative than explorative as guide, hierophant, and something of an ayahuasquero himself. In terms of powers, Benny Shanon emerges as `Benny Shaman' (though I doubt he would admit this or appreciate the wordplay). In terms of wisdom, he states his conviction that the most expressive gesture of ontological truth is found simply in songs of praise for all creation, in the 'Hallelujah' of his ancestors. As to the ontological question of what exactly is being so praised, Shanon avers it is not anything at all but the joy of the eternal dynamic process - neither God as an entity (or any other form of the supernatural), nor is it humanity or nature, as such. Creation is what the name implies, an ongoing unfolding of the infinitely potent creative core of all things, including ourselves.

Obviously, such `knowledge' cannot be attained either through phenomenological or analytic reduction. It is everpresent beyond the edge of the `known world', that is, beyond the conscious mind `Wherefrom words turn back,/Together with the mind not having attained...' (*Tattirïya Upanishad* 2.9). It is at this point that Shanon the scientist must give up on science and even knowledge in any usual sense and admit that such direct communion exceeds communication: `Yet, there were occasions that it was clear to me that I had to make a choice-if I really wished to undergo the experience presenting itself to me, I would have to forgo my future recollection of it and give up any thought of ever talking about it' (p. 355). Furthermore, even the path to the edge of this unspeakable awakening is one not of ordered signposts and structured roads but of intuitive knowledge, well beyond categorical reasoning. After all his phenomenological analysis, Shanon at last confesses that

`very poignantly, I realized how limited the scientific approach is. It was evident to me that [in] pursuing this stance, there are realms of knowledge that can never be attained. I further comprehended that there are levels of knowledge that demand one to let go and relinquish all critical, distanced analysis. ... In this respect, despite all its limitations in terms of sociological power and cultural permanence, the indigenous stance has the upper hand' (p. 356).

PERPLEXITIES
I continue to be perplexed about several things hinted at in this tome but not fully explained and I outline them here. These mainly result from my own application of traditional reasoning to that which eludes it or from Shanon's expressed reticence to reveal more personal detail or delve into metaphysics. My perplexities are mainly to do with the world of light and truth revealed to the author and apparently to other experienced Ayahuasca drinkers. Either the dark side is less real or it plays a smaller role than I had imagined.

Unlike with LSD, there are said to be no `bad trips' with Ayahuasca. Shanon admits he interviewed no one who drank the turbid brew but once, which would surely be the result if anyone `freaked out' or was just turned off by the whole experience. The nausea, gastritis, and vomiting, emphasized in other first person accounts, may be enough to cause one to avoid the substance next time, but actual `mind-blowing' has not been reported, to my knowledge. Shanon makes it clear that when faced with a personal crisis under the intoxication one must soldier on, dealing with fear and related negative emotions in as grounded and unperturbed manner as possible. Still, crises occur: `Quite commonly,' he states matter-of-factly, `people feel that they are about to die' (p. 57). Elsewhere he notes that a mental breakdown is real possibility. Yet not in Antipodes or anything else I have read to do with Ayahuasca experiences is such a breakdown recorded. Is it bad-trip free?

Along these same lines, my all-too-human binary thinking gets skewed in Shanon's brief discussion of the ontological status of good and evil. On the same page he reports that `Ayahuasca leads people to the conclusion that the world contains both good and evil, that the two are intertwined, and that the ultimate reality is beyond good and evil', but that, `Finally, there are visions in which one feels one is encountering the Supreme Good' (p. 174). I realize I'm probably not getting the mystical paradox here, but elsewhere it's said that Ayahuasca has a cosmic sense of humor (not always benign), that it lies or hides as much as it reveals. Is the Supreme Light without shadow, or what?

I wonder also about the dark side of the initiatory process, especially shamanic initiation. In the pattern of the ritual death-rebirth cycle, there must be a dark night of the soul before the dawn of revelation. Shamanic lore especially emphasizes the almost universal experience of death and dismemberment(5) - apparently the death of the everyday self - before the shaman returns, being one with death yet remaining alive. Shanon modestly and perhaps wisely downplays the significance, but he acted as shamanic healer and guide for others and was accepted at least among one ayahuasquero guild. The fact of this exceptional book's existence is enough to convince me of Shanon's shamanic metamorphosis. No ordinary insight could have carried it through to the end. What I want to know is what sort of ritual or visionary death did our author have to endure? Or did he achieve his dawn without a dusk? Admittedly, he states such an autobiographical confessio