Bernard Books

I am the Grand daughter of Bernard Martof!!!! I have liiked a the book. It has beautiful photographs. Great facts too!! If you need a reptile question answered you should look at this book!!! If I ever do a reptile study I think I will look in this book. I like the frog on the cover too!

Like another reviewer, I've had a copy of this book since the 80s. As a kid, I practically memorized this book, and I still think it's finest field guide I own. This book coverage of the most common species is quite thorough. The style and presentation are also excellent, so aspiring field guide writers should take notice.

Excellent book! It's a little more detailed that a typical field guide but what I like most about it is that its specific to our area. So, while I have a larger field guide (for the region) I also really love having this one because it's more focused. In the beginning of the book there's an introduction to habitat with great pictures showing what the habitats look like. The book then goes into the specific species - I was particularly interested in the salamanders and amphibians but the sections on snakes, turtles and lizards are super too. The pictures are great, descriptions cover approx. size, colors/patterns, species that they could be confused with, habitats, and egg laying (timing, incubation etc). Great book to have on hand.

I've had and used this book since it came out in 1980. I always recommend it to all of the classes and seminars I give on reptiles and amphibians and to all of the people who ask for a good field guide because, for the size and cost, there are none better for this part of the country. Well worth the money if a handy, accurate, well-done field guide with great photos and range maps is what you want.

I love this book. We see a snake in the woods, and take note of as many characteristics as we can, then look it up later to learn more about it. Same with frogs, toads, lizards, skinks! The actual information provided for each reptile is slim but very interesting. This is a great book to have if you spend any time in the wild in Virginia.

This is an excellent book describing the theory and research about the foundation of Appreciative Inquiry and also a practical guide to facilitating groups in using it. It provides an outline and details on each meeting with steps and stories to illustrate the concepts. I have used it in working with non profit groups and people become very excited about the process.

Appreciative Inquiry is an increasingly popular technique within the wider family of interventions designed to bring about change through cooperation across a whole system, working with a large group of people. Its distinguishing feature is the emphasis on the positive - what is good about the present and offers potential for the future, what aspirations there are for the future, how do we design such a future and what are the concrete steps to start bringing it about.

This book goes into great detail on the rationale for the approach and the step by step activities required to move through the process. It is a well set-out and thorough guide for practitioners.

For a guide to the range of techniques available and a comparison between them, refer to Napuk and Palmer: The Large Group Facilitator's Manual or Bunker and Alban: Large Group Interventions.

I found this book to be compelling. The authors offer the "Evolution of Thought on Managing Change" in the first chapter that suggests that today "Everyone innovates for extraordinary performance." Those companies/organizations and leaders that choose to accept this to be fact, should familiarize themselves with Appreciative Inquiry. And, for those looking for the "how-to" book to accomplish AI within their organizations on a grand scale, this is the textbook that fills that need.

This is an inspiring work at the confluence of idealism and practicality. It is a reference source relevant to the experienced practitioner and a great learning resource for one who wants to learn more about appreciative inquiry. Interweaving compelling stories, the authors provide an informative set of tools and guides. I was able to use information in the sample participant guide the same day the book arrived.

This book is a very practical step-by-step guide to conducting an AI summit. What I especially appreciated was how the book combines the great experiences and expertise of the authors and will be useful for the AI novice practitioner as well as for the very experienced AI OD consultant. It provides great examples of summit materials. It is a well written book that can be read and reread and used as the Summit bible for years to come.

The author writes in a more philosophical approach in this book. In other books, she is usually writing an autobiographical story. She presents all the key ideas in a clear and systematic fashion. She also touches upon how Buddhism is practiced by actual people and even lamas. She touches upon the importance of vegetarianism and how it is not practiced much in Tibet. She mentions one high lama who was vegetarian even though it is not a supported practice in Tibet. She goes into the four noble truths, the eightfold path, the twelve interdependent originations, karma, reincarnation, and universal law, the moral precepts, and other themes. There are small sutras in the appendix to round out the Buddhist views. She does this with less words and more clarity than other books I have seen. She feels precise and clear on nearly everything she writes. It was one of the first books I read on Buddhism and I am grateful for all I learned from this book. I remember how I got it that nonattachment and nonclinging ended all sorrow, how there were only two kinds of sorrow, (1) wanting what you did not have and (2) having what you do not want, and how accepting life as it is solved both.

I read this book twenty years ago. This is a valuable book for begginers and laymen alike.
I hope it finds its way back into print.

Alexandra David-Neel offers a scholarly treatise that examines the origins, techniques, beliefs, and contrasts within the sprawling religion of Buddhism. She tackles complex, seemingly impenetrable tenets of the various doctrines, then weaves together the key philosophy that yokes these within the overarching beliefs of Buddhism.

I found the book enlightening and rewarding, though I struggled at times to find and hold a point of reference. I also rarely could read more than five or six pages at a time because of the density of the text. The problem is not her writing---which is clear, thorough, abundant---but my own lack of knowledge about the history, culture, and people who shaped Buddhism.

To find those answers first-hand, Ms. David-Neel spent several years in Tibet, interviewing monks, abbots, spiritual leaders, and philosophers. The amount of material she must have collected is staggering, given that one assumes this book represents a distillation of that body of research.

Though I'm not sure what effect, if any, the following fact had in shaping the book, Ms. David-Neel was in effect undercover, dressing as man, to gain access to places and audiences with people off limits to women in Tibet at that time (and they may still be to some degree).

I recently read this book. Anyone interested in Buddhism would enjoy it. It is an introduction to the subject but who can explain all the concepts in it? Actually I read the book twice trying to grasp what is meant by no permanent ego. This book is good for getting to know Ms. David -Neel better. She knows her subject well.

Alexandra David-Neel was a fascinating woman, daring to travel in disguise through the Far East, going through traditional Buddhist lands, including the sacred city of Lhasa, before other Westerners (much less women!) were permitted such license. The daughter of an exiled Parisian, she spent years travelling and living in Buddhist monasteries before returning to Paris and becoming a celebrity. Her fame spread both through her writings and her exploits, well-reported and toasted in society. She died at the age of 100, in 1969.

David-Neel's writing helped inspire the nascent interest in Buddhism throughout Europe of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Never one to find herself confined to the academy, her writing does not suffer from the typical formulaic writing that much of religious studies scholarship possesses. Her work is clear and accessible, almost chatty at times, as befits a woman who lived the practices and beliefs of which she writes, rather than merely studying.

Buddhism has made significant in-roads into the Western psyche since Mme. David-Neel's first writings; many of the principles and beliefs she covers here are covered in greater detail elsewhere. However, David-Neel provides a wonderful introduction to Buddhism, particularly for those who have little or no background in the subject. She looks at the legendary life of the Buddha, recounting the tales in lively form. She looks at the basis of the teaching of the Buddha and the general principles of belief derived from them, most notably the issues of suffering and elimination of suffering, the Eight-fold path, and the ideas of karma (karman, David-Neel uses, a more neutral term linguistically) and nirvana.

The idea of confusion of philosophy and religion starts on the very first page of David-Neel's introduction - Buddhism lacks many of the 'classic' hallmarks of religion (lack of a deity is but one); David-Neel opts in this work not to go into the more arcane arguments of philosophy versus theology versus religion, but rather explains the experiential and practical side of Buddhism, whose adherents are rarely concerned about this distinction other than as an intellectual exercise.

David-Neel concentrates primarily on the oldest form of Buddhism, Therevada Buddhism, drawing in Tibetan and Mahayana Buddhism at different points; like the denominational divisions in Christianity, there is still a common core, and these commonalities form the majority of the narrative.

The appendices have translations of pieces of Buddhist writings and scripture, including rules for moral living, meditation and various other pieces of interest. Some are sayings, some are poetry, and some are in dialogue form, showing the diversity of writing forms.

I have a special place in my heart for this book, for it was the first religious-studies book I ever read, decades ago. I return to it regularly and recommend it frequently; while it is neither comprehensive nor exhaustive in its study, it provides a fresh and unique insight into Buddhism rarely captured in more academic texts.

It is like he interviewed my grandparents. This book is incredibly accurate and covers the most dynamic period of the Cajun history. This book should be mandatory reading for young people from this area. His coverage of the old perceptions regarding the Cajun people are particularly humorous and his arguments for the dilution of the French traditions well stated. Informative read.

The Cajun people have long been a subject of curiosity, and much has been written about their unique past. Since their existence, Cajuns have been studied by historians and romanticized by poets; however, there has been a dearth of serious historical work focusing on the recent transformation of their identity. Primarily a 20th century phenomenon for Cajuns, Americanization (the process by which a group or sub-culture becomes assimilated into the larger American identity) is the focal point of Bernard's The Cajuns.

Save for the introduction, which provides a quick historical overview of the Cajuns and perceptions of them through their existence, Bernard's tome consistently pairs each chapter to a corresponding decade, allowing the reader to follow the process of Cajun Americanization in a chronological fashion. Starting in the 1940s, chapter one discusses the effects of World War II on Cajuns in the military as well as those who remained back home. The decade of the 1950s, along with the cold war and global politics, and how these events affected Cajuns, makes up chapter two. In chapter three, the turbulent 1960s brings to light the changing mores and nationwide cultural shifts that Cajuns had to deal with, and how they were transformed by these changes. Chapter four reveals how Cajuns began to take back their identity in the 1970s through a number of initiatives. Finally, revitalization, expansion and exploitation of the culture and the resulting backlash in the 1980s and 1990s is explored in chapter five.

Bernard's examples of Americanization are numerous, stark and, in some cases, disturbing. Mostly isolated for around 200 years, the Cajuns enjoyed relative exclusion from the evolving American ethos. Indeed, early Acadian settlers into the Louisiana territory, whose descendants would later become Cajuns, had settled the prairies and bayous of modern day Louisiana even before it became part of the United States. And while one might presume that the 1803 purchase of the Louisiana Territory by the United States was the beginning of the Americanization process, Bernard's research points to the events of the 20th century, fueled by war and the acceleration of technology, as the paramount period of the culture's alteration.

While technological advances such as rural electrification, the automobile, and television provided a vehicle for the Americanization process, the seminal event that fostered Americanization of the Cajuns was World War II. Young Cajun G.I.s returned to their homes in South Louisiana with a new found awareness of the world. Some of these "world-wise" Cajuns began to pursue formal education, start businesses, and participate in politics.

Nonetheless, many Cajuns had no such opportunities, and for them, Americanization was an assault on their identity. The very language they spoke became a target, as evidenced by public school efforts to intimidate Cajun French speaking students into learning and speaking English. Techniques such as spanking, humiliation and writing of lines were used in order to coerce children to abandon their native tongue and learn the lingua franca of a unified America. (My own father experienced such methods upon first attending public school in 1951.) The result of this attempted eradication of the Cajuns' language was that the affected generation became ashamed to speak their first language, and was reticent to pass this gift to their children.

It should be noted that not every aspect of Americanization was brought about through coercion, however. Cajuns have readily accepted the economic advantages of becoming members of the American middle and upper class. Like their contemporaries in other parts of the United States, Cajuns drive SUVs and luxury cars, have mortgages, pay taxes, and invest in the stock market. From every external perception, they have become American. Yet in spite of this noticeable transformation, modern Cajuns have managed to negotiate a place for themselves in American society by maintaining cultural activities that project their inherent identity. Music, cuisine, religion and other institutions are the outlets used today to remind the world (and ironically, themselves) that they are still Cajun.

The reader will find, as I have, that Bernard's work is a unique prism from which to view contemporary Cajuns. No longer stereotyped as illiterate and poor French speaking people of bayous or prairies, Cajuns of the modern world are a composition of English and/or French speakers with surnames ranging from Arceneaux to Zerangue. And even while some may manifest no outward sign of their heritage, they are no less Cajun than a Vietnamese in Hanoi or a Chinese in Shanghai. Only time will tell if subsequent generations of Cajuns will keep at bay the ever-increasing tide of homogenous American culture, or be overcome by its powerful waves.

This book changed my life! Mr. Bernard does a great job of putting the culture in perspective. His history is accurate, interesting and inspiring. As a full blooded cajun, living outside of Louisiana, this book really hit home. I'm convinced I must return and learn the cajun french language and encourage the rest of the younger people in my family to do the same. Thanks for a great book.

When I first purchased Mr. Bernard's book, "The Cajuns: Americanization Of A People," I initially expected it to be a summary of the last few decades covering every festival, pilgrimmage to Nova Scotia, and Edwin Edwards. In other words, I expected it to be just like a lot of other things labeled Cajun these days: commercial. Although Edwards and Nova Scotia are covered in good detail, this book is anything but commercial. In fact, it can be utterly depressing at times.

When reading the book, one is introduced to a time period for Cajuns that is often glazed over or not even mentioned in Louisiana's colorful history. Most folks are told when the Cajuns landed in Louisiana and how the popularity of their food and "culture" brings loads of tourists and their money to the state. What we aren't told is how prejudice and hate almost forced this group into oblivion. Fortunately for us, this book brings these problems into focus.

To know that fellow countrymen ridiculed the Cajun soldiers for their weak English skills and considered them dumb isn't very good news. Things get bleaker as the decades pass. We are told how children are punished at school because they are speaking Cajun-French instead of English. We are given examples from prominent newspapers and other media in which Cajuns are considered backward, ignorant, stubborn, etc. We learn about the struggle over the term, "coonass," and how many people wear it as a badge of honor whereas others hate it entirely. We are told of how Cajuns are coupled with New Orleans, though New Orleans is one of the least Cajun places in Louisiana. Not only that, but it seems that Canadians and the French, with misguided good intentions, also looked down on Cajuns for their "broken" French language and attempted to repair it and give them a proper culture by introducing Parisian French in the classroom via CODOFIL.

Ah yes, CODOFIL, if you aren't aware of them, you'll know quite a bit about them by the end of this book. Bernard hammers them pretty hard(justifiably) for their early actions in trying to "save" the Cajun culture. He also praises them for their actions in the 1990's. What really amazed me about this group in particular is that they merely asked for an apology from the English for exiling the Cajuns to Canada instead of attempting to sucker reparations out of the British government. Kudos to CODOFIL for taking the high road on that one.

Bernard's book isn't entirely bleak. He does mention many of the contributions that Cajuns have made to society. He tells us how many Cajuns served as translators during WWII. He talks about the colorful and crooked Edwin Edwards and how he used his "Cajun Power" to ultimately become governor of Louisiana. We learn about Zachary Richard, an amazing artist and a rebel. Dewey Balfa, Barry Ancelet, and numerous others are introduced to the reader as positive influences on society.

Although I haven't stated it yet, I am a Cajun. I grew up on the fringes of Acadiana in Allen Parish. I was brought up Baptist(I became Catholic in 2000), can't speak enough French(Cajun or Parisian) to save my life, and yet I have come face-to-face with some of the prejudices that Bernard mentions in his book(though not nearly as extreme as those before me). I've been called a "dumb coonass" before, even though I kept a 4.0 GPA throughout high school and graduated with honors from McNeese State University in Lake Charles, LA with a degree in Mass Communication. I was also referred to as "one of those Frenchmen" when I worked in Beauregard parish for awhile. At a technical training class in Dallas, TX, I was amazed at how I became a sort of spectacle to the rest of the guys in my group. They were amazed that I ate crawfish and could say a few cusswords in French. When we all went out together, I always managed to sit at the "ethnic" end of the table with the black guy, the Navajo guy, the Mexican guy, and the Spanish guy from Texas(He was very aggressive in letting everyone know that he wasn't Mexican). In essence, I was considered a minority by the group as a whole. It's funny how having an "un-American" accent can make one feel like an outsider. I didn't hate anybody for considering me an ethnic. Heck, I enjoyed it because I was the center of attention. I've been barraged by questions about gumbo, accordians, the Rayne Frog Festival, and even pet alligators! In other words, I have stared into the face of commercial Cajunism all over the United States. I've also come into contact with people who try very hard to distance themselves from their heritage in an attempt to seem more intelligent or better than their Cajun roots.

Being a Cajun is something that any man, woman, or child should take pride in. Granted, these days most of us probably listen to Top 40 radio or gangsta rap more than the Balfa Brothers or BeauSoleil, and we can't speak French very well, but we are still Cajun deep inside. I am proud of and love my heritage and this book solidifies that pride and love.

Highly recommended to folks who aren't Cajun and mandatory reading for those who are. This book is important for those of us who don't want to see our heritage die.

In the 1940s, WASP schoolteachers across Louisiana were corporally punishing any students caught speaking Cajun French. Even though Cajun was the first language for most children, it was viewed as an impedement to progress that had to be weeded out of the state. By the 1990s, French natives recruited to teach in LA schools were told not to refer to Parisien French as "proper French," because this might imply that Cajun French was incorrect or wrong.
To explain the shift, Cajun author Shane K. Bernard leads his readers through decades of Cajun history, from WW2 to the present. At one end of his extensive book, LA's uniqueness is dissolving to homogenized America. Child actor Keith Thibedoux, who played Little Ricky on I Love Lucy, was so unaware of his heritage that he could only shrug when asked if he was Cajun. At the other end of the book, LA is in the midst of Francofete, a year-long, state-wide celebrationof French heritage, even as many LA residents were fast losing interest in preserving Cajun culture. "Where Did All the Cajuns Go?" one local newspaper asked.
Bernard examines how Louisiana Cajuns were impacted by national events by the Red Scare, local events like the completion of their state's stretch of Interstate 10, and the exploitation of their culture (Popeye's, for example, has done more to commercialize Cajun food than any other resteraunt). By the end of the book, Bernard's Louisiana readers must look in the mirror to find out where their state's Cajun, culture, and language are disappearing to.

I'm a chemist and in my practical experience in the laboratory I have to say this is probably the best text you will find if you are a analytical reader. Of course, this book is not written with a enjoyable style, but if you bear to read it carefully and really analize the details, you will not regret the effort. This is great for reference and if it wasn't so dull in style It will make a great job as a textbook too, besides this is a classic.

I'm medical student from Hong Kong. I find it very useful in preparing Problem-based-learning tutorilas. The interpretation of the laboratory results are the most useful. It helps me understand more in the PBL cases.

Simple and delightful , filled with nice illustrations this book is necessary to every doctor not only clinical pathologists and laboratorits but everyone who handles daily with ambulatory and infirmary pacients. A must in every uptodate doctor or even meddicine students bookshelf.

I rate this book a "4" as it's essential reading for residents in clinical pathology. A large number of the pathology board questions come directly from this book, making it necessary reading. It's also VERY dry reading, even for a pathology textbook. After reading this book you'll be ready from something comparatively exciting, like watching paint dry. However, due to its importance in studying for the boards, I highly recommend it.

This reference receives from all reviewers the top recommendations for comprehensive, concise, understandable presentations. Every laboratorian needs this reference. The 20th edition is due in February, 2001.

Charming, funny and well-written, a very good book for teens and adults alike.

Linda Howanietz
Journalist

Driven by the social upheaval of the last forty years including the women's, civil, and gay rights movements, the American family has been largely redefined. As a result children living in non-traditional families have been encouraged to feel much more part of the mainstream. At the same time the existence of family dysfunction at all levels of society is no longer concealed, and modern literature for young teens frequently reflects the somber realism of family issues beyond a child's control, such as parental strife, unemployment and alcoholism.

In contrast, Clive and Brie's intact family - breadwinner father, stay-at-home mother and two children - might at first glance seem like a throwback to a Leave-it-to-Beaver era. However, it becomes quickly apparent that Ms. Bernard doesn't hesitate to dig deep and look at challenging issues. Preteens and parents alike will readily relate to both the age-old emotions and thoroughly contemporary situations that she describes. She subtly guides her readers through the thought processes of not only Clive and Brie but also their parents, as they wrestle with complex situations and ethical decision making. Growing up can be painful but we watch these two young people becoming increasingly empowered. They are able to learn valuable coping skills in a family where open lines of communication between parents and adolescent children flourish alongside a respect for personal space. What's more, the consistent warmth and support their parents offer them is reflected both in their own attachment to their parents and their underlying sibling affection and loyalty.

Overall this is a delightful, family-affirming, uplifting tale, well seasoned with humor.

It's hard to find books for teens that are really thoughtful and humorous, too, but this one does both. My kids raved about the Harry Potter books, and this reminds me of them -- written for kids, but very enjoyable for me, too!

This is a great little book that everyone with kids can probably relate to (or everyone with a brother or sister!) Written for younger adolescents, it is really entertaining for adults, too.

This is a great story with appeal to adults and children alike. If you've ever had an overwhelming family, or an annoying sibling - you'll relate to the characters in a flash!

John Rushkin originally published this little volume in the winter of 1856/57. It promptly sold out and went into multiple printings. It is surprisingly still relevant today. Rushkin gives the reader many exercises beginning with a dip pen and ink and later moving to pencil and then watercolor (which in the 19th century was classified under drawing). I was so intrigued I actually bought a speedball dip pen and some india ink and began to practice the many exercises he gives. They work. By the time I finished the ink exercises I noticed a definite improvement from my early attempts compared to the later ones. And I am continuing the exercises.

Another fascinating aspect of this book is the snapshot it gives into the mind of a prominant 19th century art critic. Rushkin not only was a master draughtsman and painter but a widely respected art critic in his day. Monet was quoted by a British journalist to have said, "90% of the theory of Impressionist painting is in Rushkin's Elements of Drawing." A young George Seurat obtained a copy and admitted to having read it carefully. Now I'm no Monet or Seurat but I figure if these guys valued Rushkin's instruction I should certainly pay attention to what he had to say.

Rushkin explains exactly what the goal of each exercise is. He also recommends specific paintings or drawings to examine along with critiques of why this or that area in the drawing/painting is superior or lacking. He strongly believed it more profitable to study in-depth a few highly superior drawings/paintings to a wider assortment of middling/average execution. And he believed this even of famous artist's work - famous or not he advises to ignore for the moment their less masterful work and focus on the truly great ones. Rushkin pulled no punches. The entire treatise is full of his opinions right along side the exercises - yet I would say they are not opinions without merit. He gives you something to think about when looking at works of the art masters and something to strive for in your drawings and paintings so that you can become more than just technically competent. He addresses the heart and soul of drawing and painting. It made me think of why this or that particular line, shading or painting technique in an art master's drawing/painting touches me the way it does.

This is the best marriage between technical competence and artistry. And you grow in understanding that all the exercises he gives are only in service to the spirit of art. It is an emphasis that most modern how-to books don't touch. Analysis this deep in modern art books are left for books that are advertised as art critiques. Since almost all my art books fall under the "how-to" category (as anyone who's read my other book reviews will see) I found this critique aspect rather refreshing and wanting to read more such types of books.

I strongly recommend this book. Despite the lack of photos or modern step-by-step illustrations (the illustrations are line art - the most up-to-date technology for book illustration then available in an affordably priced book) I think it is very worth getting and reading. Perhaps artists who have been formally trained in universities or art academies will find this kind of instruction typical. But for someone like me who is entirely self-taught from the books he/she buys it is a great investment into expanding boundaries and knowledge of art in general.

I love this book. It's takes a no frills, 'no mercy' approach to teaching drawing. Surprisingly it has very few images but I find the text to be very readable. Written in the 1700's using the language of the time, it is at times very entertaining. It gives you instructions on the bare facts (including the pains required) on how to draw; in stark contrast to most current books which advocate the 'learn-to-draw-in-2-hours' approach. Indeed, Rusking is straight to the point enough to indicate the amount of time required to draw effectively - 160 hours! Ruskin was clearly a genius in the simple and effective approach on how he teaches drawing.

Written in the 1700's I found it to be a very fresh account and framework on how to draw in 2007!

Andrew Borg
[...].

I am enjoying this book. I'm an experienced draftsman, but feel that following the exercises Ruskin outlines in his book are greatly improving my drawing skills. The Watson-Guptill Illustrated Edition, with Notes by Bernard Dunstan, has added a number of illustrations of the work of Ruskin and his contemporaries, which are very helpful. They have also added additional notes to the margins from Ruskin's other writings that offer additional explanations, also very valuable. However, the modern illustrations done especially for this edition seem to me to miss Ruskin's points and may confuse a novice draftsman. Most obviously, early exercises that Ruskin emphasizes are to be done with careful precision in pen and ink are illustrated with quick, loosely executed, pencil sketches. The patience, sensitivity, and craftsmanship that the exercises are designed to develop I find largely missing from the new illustrations created for the book. I still would highly recommend this edition, advising the reader to study the modern illustrations for content but cast a critical eye on their technique.

As a long time admirer of art and a first time beginner of actually tapping my artistic well, this text is like having a private mentor guiding you through specific progressive exercises. It's language is quaint and cozy to modern ears, having first been written in 1856. But it is practical, clear and encouraging. It dispells the idea that only certain people can draw. And by focussing on drawing with pencil, it provides the foundation for using any other media. A wonderful find.

There is nothing new under the sun and this book originally written in 1850's is a gem. As an artist I found the book and descriptive language immensly readable (I guess that had to write well as diagrams were incredibly difficult/expensive to include). A gresat buy at the price!

I am only 13 and lately I have been interested in the Holocaust. Although i am catholic reading this book gave me a total diffrent look to the Holocaust. I read this book in only 3 days. This was so because just the details about the book made me think over how lucky they are to be here today. I finished the book today and thought to my self wow, i can't believe people would be treated in such a harsh way. I was so relieved when i read the ending with such intensity and could not be more happy for Bezo. If you are interested in the Holocaust then i suggest for you to read the book because it is awesome.

This is a great book. The plot is very interesting and keeps you reading. I wouldn't have thought that this was a true story. There is so much action and conflict in it, that it just doesn't seem possible, but it is. It's a miracle how these 45 people survived underground for such a long time when so many things couldn've gone wrong. It's a true story about survival and life during the hardest of times. I had to read this for English in 6th grade, and I usually don't like the required reading, but this is one exception. Mr. Mayer even wrote it in a way we could understand. I never had to use a dictionary once while reading. ;) He is a nice guy (he came to our school) and he really made this book a really great read.

Hi ...and i rate this book great .It has it all and i want it to be #1 in the world i have met the author my self. The book is about how 45 jews survived the holocaust in a under ground bunker beneth house of a kind gentile Ivan Bur .After the war bernard the author was libarated but unfortaly Ivan died fighting jews in Germany... and it's a true story

When I first read this book it was for pleasure. I thought that it was a very touching book. It explains one persons experience in the Holocaust.. This book is good because it was a reality. I really enjoyed it and think that it is a must read book!

I read this book in 6th grade and it was mandatory at my school. At first, I didn't wasn't to read it, but when I started it, it was very good and interesting to me, so I kept on reding until I was done.I loved this book very much, and I think you should enjoy it too.

This book is a treasure...it will actually do what it says...find the perfect mate....it did it for me..it will do it for you!

After years of fruitless dating, constantly yearning for that special someone, a friend recommended that I read this book. My initial reaction was Numerology, that's a bunch of bunk!!! But after reading it, and employing the Science taught in the book, I found my "Perfect Soulmate" within months. Thank you David Smith!!!

When I bought this book, I thought, "Yea, sure... I'll find out everything I need to know about a person by the date and year that they were born...that's crazy." And then I read the book. It caught my interest, so I TESTED it... on over 25 close friends and family, just for "fun". To my absolute shock, each and every number fit with those people's personality, work ethics, family beliefs, how they feel about love, and just what they were all about in general... Absolutely amazing!

You must get this book. It's a quick read, and it's fun. You can get alot of information on a person from this book, even if they don't want you have it!!

I thought it was just another book that would give me basic thought and philosophy. I truly believe now that the title is all that it says it is. I recommend it to anyone that can't understand their partner or friend for that matter. Buy it!

The content is very precise, easy to read, and can be used at any time or anywhere. My friends and relatives find it to be accurate and at social gatherings, it comes in quite handy. The reason that this will become a bestseller is because it contains no nonsense information that relates to all that read it.

"I just finished The Ghosts of Makara. I think it should be required reading in every history class in New Zealand. It is an interesting account of time past; it is remarkable that you remembers your childhood so clearly. I enjoyed your aside about "Treasonably my Haitian-born wife suggested years later that New Zealanders didn't know how to season lamb and used mint sauce to hide the strong taste!" The pages about "the sudden sense of cold realism, the realization that life was not a game" really hits one with their own memories. And your feeling about the Pamir, "The magic of this windjammer, sails billowing in the trade winds still evokes that thrill more than 50 years later." Beautiful writing.

Dr. Geraldine Bohning, former Prof, Barry University.
Davie, Florida.

"I just finished The Ghosts of Makara. I think it should be required reading in every history class in New Zealand. It is an interesting account of time past; it is remarkable that you remembers your childhood so clearly. I enjoyed your aside about "Treasonably my Haitian-born wife suggested years later that New Zealanders didn't know how to season lamb and used mint sauce to hide the strong taste!" The pages about "the sudden sense of cold realism, the realization that life was not a game" really hits one with their own memories. And your feeling about the Pamir, "The magic of this windjammer, sails billowing in the trade winds still evokes that thrill more than 50 years later." Beautiful writing.

"I just finished The Ghosts of Makara. I think it should be required reading in every history class in New Zealand. It is an interesting account of time past; it is remarkable that you remembers your childhood so clearly. I enjoyed your aside about "Treasonably my Haitian-born wife suggested years later that New Zealanders didn't know how to season lamb and used mint sauce to hide the strong taste!" The pages about "the sudden sense of cold realism, the realization that life was not a game" really hits one with their own memories. And your feeling about the Pamir, "The magic of this windjammer, sails billowing in the trade winds still evokes that thrill more than 50 years later." Beautiful writing.

"I just finished The Ghosts of Makara. I think it should be required reading in every history class in New Zealand. It is an interesting account of time past; it is remarkable that you remembers your childhood so clearly. I enjoyed your aside about "Treasonably my Haitian-born wife suggested years later that New Zealanders didn't know how to season lamb and used mint sauce to hide the strong taste!" The pages about "the sudden sense of cold realism, the realization that life was not a game" really hits one with their own memories. And your feeling about the Pamir, "The magic of this windjammer, sails billowing in the trade winds still evokes that thrill more than 50 years later." Beautiful writing.

This book is easy to read and full of color. I have been to Makara and this vivid description of the Makara of yesteryear reads like a movie. I enjoyed it and felt that as I read, I could taste the nostalgic loss of a reality that in some ways was a paradise and in others must have been hell. Although the story takes place in a far away land this could have been anywhere in the world. I recommend this very personal family account, as the story could easily be yours or mine.