Bridges Books

Wow, I am simply floored by this incredible collection of poetry. It speaks to me on so many different levels. The images are so tangible and real life. It is hard to pick just one poem and call it my favorite. I cannot believe that one person can have so much talent. I reccomend this book to everyone who loves to read poetry. I will be reading this over and over again for many years to come. I have purchased copies for several friends who also love this book.

This is, by far, most interesting and the easiest reading that I have done on the homeless. It is about homeless people living under the bridges in Los Angeles. Mr. Underwood constantly visits these particular people and actually spends some time living with them. He gets to know them personally, so he gets past their facades and their fantasies. He tells of their lives and the impossibility of ever changing their situation in today's system. His lack of judgment gives truth to the story. The homeless do try to change their lives, but as they take one step forward, they are thrown two steps back. Mr. Underwood documents this. He mentions people by their first names. As I read this book, I became very interested in a man he referred to as Larry. As I anxiously approached the end of this book, I was pretty certain that I knew Larry very well. As my husband of 4 1/2 years also read this book, he confirmed what I had suspected. We are both quite certain that my husband is the Larry mentioned in this book written in 1993. Larry and I met 10/93 at the Dome Village in Los Angeles and we married 12/4/93. Jackson Underwood mentions Justiceville as a homeless activist group in L.A. This is the group who opened the Dome Village on 11/5/93. Little did I know how much I would be rewarded for this volunteer work - Larry is the best gift the Universe could have given me! This book talks of the homeless people as the "just like you and me - but without resources" human beings they really are and the hopelessness they feel when they try to succeed using the "system". This is the only research book about the homeless that I have read that speaks like this about the homeless, about their particular lives, and about the reasons they cannot escape their homelessness - vs. numbers and statistics. I found a priceless treasure within the homeless in L.A. and I know many other treasures who are still there.

This is the ultimate guide to the repair of bridges, a worthy companion to any civil engineer inspecting, designing, construction or repairing spans, in the field or in the office. A must have for bridge engineers.

This text was published in 1931, after the fall of Wall Street, when people were feeling uneasy about world tensions and a faltering economy. Much like today! Jeans was a famous scientist and thinker, which comes through his work like a beam of golden light. I'm usually attracted to the arcane, the esoteric, but this text held my interest and then some. Jeans develops his ideas in the following chapters:
--The Dying Sun
--The New World of Modern Physics
--Matter and Radiation
--Relativity and the Ether
--Into the Deep Waters
Jeans forwards the concept of radiation--all around us, through us--as germane to understanding life itself. Apparently he was inspired to develop this idea from one of his famous friends, Dr. Oscar Brunler, who also hit on radiation theory in his writings. Although we have progressed miles in our understanding of physics, this text if nothing else helps us to understand the dawning of its importance in everyday life. Well written and thought-provoking!

This text is a wonderful read for anyone interested in Americanhistory and the underground railroad. Our only wish would have been that we had published it.

Sincerely, Ronald R. Seagrave Sergeant Kirkland's Press

In "The Bridge that Arched the Flood" Robert Bruska presents an engaging and entertaining historical novel. Lt. Peter Polt may be a fictional character created for the story, but he appears on a very real stage, accurately interwoven with the battles, locations, and personages of the Revolutionary War. George Washington, Lord Cornwallis, Benedict Arnold, and many others make this tale come alive with authenticity. Mr. Bruska obviously did his research. He also exhibits quite a command of the language and on many occasions I found that he, ever the teacher, was helping to expand my vocabulary.

Fivel and his family survive life in a Polish shtetl, waiting for the day Pa will send for them to come to America. After seven years, the money arrives and the family endures the difficult journey, ultimately reuniting with Pa and making a new life for themselves in Minnesota.

While somewhat fictionalized, the characters and events are based on the true story of Phil (Fivel) Myzel. The author has captured the realistic personalities of the family members, making the characters believable and lively. While the Myzel family experiences much that is typical of the era, the story also includes unusual incidents that make it uniquely interesting, such as when Benyomin escapes death at the hands of Cossacks because of his hat.

Rather than begin with arrival in America as so many immigration stories do, the first half of Bridge to America takes place in the old country. This sets the stage and helps readers understand who the characters are and what their life is like before they face enormous changes. It also helps readers perceive the sharp contrast between the shtetl and the new world.

Jewish content is expertly integrated into the narrative so that it is an essential but not overwhelming aspect of the tale. The Jewish experience of life in the early 20th century is accurately and sympathetically explored. In the final chapters of the book, Fivel/Phil struggles to embrace both his old and new identities, a poignant and relevant theme not often addressed in children's literature, but dealt with skillfully here.

The book is written with heartfelt respect and love for the characters and for the generation that braved the hardships of immigration. This attitude gives the story an inner glow and brings it to life. Glaser loves the people she writes about, and she makes readers love them too. This comes through even more strongly in the audio interview with both Glaser and Myzel, available on The Book of Life podcast's July episode at www.jewishbooks.blogspot.com.

Bridge to America was named a 2006 Notable Children's Book of Jewish Content by the Association of Jewish Libraries. Recommended for Grades 4-6.

I found this book to be useful in my work as a paraprofessional in work with blind children. The tips on organizing the blind students materials were clear and precise. I found it fascinating to learn what the parts of a braillewriter are. This book is a simple but essential resource for parents and educators working with young blind students.

One read and all you want to do is write, write, write. Because this book teaches you how. Without it I would have surely flunked my undergraduate English courses. But with it, I am a master of writing.

I use this text to help children with special needs develop math concepts. It is easy to use, very visual and helps keep the material fresh by rotating concepts. A bit on the old side, but math really doesn't change that quickly (and often the changes are less than helpful).