Foster Books

THE MUFFIN CHILD is a beautifully written book about loss andlove. Tanya, the protagonist, will steal your heart quietly andcompletely. It is the kind of story that catches up on you as you find yourself turning page after page. And when you get to the end, you'll find yourself reaching for a tissue...and wishing for more. THE MUFFIN CHILD would make a wonderful gift.

The Muffin Child is a novel of unusual beauty and power. On nearly every page, I found a phrase, a sentence, a paragraph that I read aloud to myself -- "It was one of those days that promises no sun, and then just before sundown the sun finds a crack in the clouds and glances over the countryside. The orange light caught the insects floating over the grass." Yes, exactly!

The story of loss denied was real to me. Tanya denies loss, plans for the return of her parents: "She was basking in the heat when the thought came to her to warm up the oven and make muffins for her parents. They would be hungry when they came. They would welcome a plate of hot muffins waiting for them. They would all have muffins and tea -- Tanya, her parents, and the man driving the cart."

But then there is the painful scene in the village when the cruel words and violence of the villagers brings the truth to her mind:

"They were dead. They had drowned. She'd heard the villagers say it. No one had ever come out and said it before. Now it was true.

"She knew it was true because, in a way, she'd known it amost from the beginning, as a kind of cold frightening thought in the back of her mind. In the back of her mind was a place like the well on the farm, when you leaned over its stone rim and looked down and couldn't see anything, but you felt the chill breathing up at you. Tanya had felt the chill ever since the night the river roared over the bridge."

"Now it was true." The cruel words of the villagers made it true.

Milenka, the cow, worried me at first. A cow that provides affection like a pet could easily have been very sentimental. But it didn't turn out that way. Menick carefully kept avoided that trap:

"Then she thought of Milenka. She should milk Milenka. Tanya went out and crossed the barnyard. The dawn was turning purple, with the silver of the moon like a golden weather vane on the top of the barn.

"It was warm inside the barn and it had that smell Tanya loved, the smell of cow and hay. The chickens rusted in their coop, and the geese in their pens lifted their heads and looked. Tanya heard something up in the hayloft -- the barn owl, home after a night's work.

"'Good morning, Milenka,' Tanya said, and as Milenka turned her head, Tanya felt the cow's wet breath on her arms. She reached down and pulled, and Malenka's milk squirted into the pail and smelled sweet."

A warm relationship, but, still, Milenka is a cow to be milked. And the milk makes possible those muffins.

Historical novels are not my favorite kind of reading. Some strike me as mostly "historical" and, therefore, removed from the immediacy of the lives of living human beings. Others seem to me to be modern sensationalism set uncomfortably in another time. Not The Muffin Child. The author brilliantly creates a world that is clearly very old and very distant; but he also creates a young girl who is so alive that she lives both now and then and other characters, selfish, even evil who also live in their own time but in my immediate world as well.

I understand that the final chapters of the book, where the Gypsies become major players, have caused some negative reactions. I guess I can understand that only if one forgets what the villagers do to the Gypsies, who (Anton, the knife sharpener and supposed friend of Tanya) turns out to have done the evil to the disabled child, Nikola, and why Tanya ends up with them. And, of course, the frame of the story -- a mother today telling a story to her rather disagreeable daughter, also named Tanya -- tells us at the end who the Tanya of the story was and brings the two Tanyas together:

"In the middle of the night the cow got out from under the covers. Tanya brought her back in. Milenka smelled like stale chocolate, or like a dog just in from the rain.

"Later, Milenka smelled like herself, like Milenka. The sun rose in the dark and burned the insects floating over the meadow. Tanya looked for the Muffin Child but didn't see her. The grass rustled at her feet, and she could feel Milenka's hide under the palm of her hand."

For the writing alone, The Muffin Child deserves a full five stars (six or more if that were possible). For the insights into loss and love, evil, cruelty, and forgiveness, I'd give it the Newbery Award if it were mine to give

A deceptively simple tale, "The Muffin Child" is a powerful story of loss, with its current of inner strength woven seamlessly through Stephen Menick's vivid and poetic writing style. Anyone who loves the magic of language and complexity of character, will love this book!

Tanya's life becomes entwined in the nightmarish threads of life as she strives to maintain her parents' memory. Complex and many-faceted, The Muffin Child successfully portrays the horrors ordinary people can inflict on others. It is a moving book to be enjoyed on all reading levels. Menick's brainchild is destined for a Newbery.

Stephen Menick weaves a wonderful tale in this novel for young readers. Set in the Balkans in the early days of the twentieth century, the story tells of eleven-year-old Tanya, a forthright little girl who refuses to give up hope when her parents are swept away by a raging river. At first in hopes of welcoming them back, then to brace against loneliness, and, eventually, to survive, Tanya bakes soon-to-be-renowned muffins, and learns that few things in life are as they first appear. Well-paced, masterfully told and with at times simply beautiful writing, this novel and its engaging characters (a faithful cow, meddling villagers, a blade-sharpener who speaks almost entirely in rhyme and pun, mysterious Gypsies) will surely entertain young readers for a week of rainy afternoons. Adults will admire Menick's deft handling of an intriguing plot and real-life themes that will linger in the mind and heart long after the clouds of adolescence have cleared away.

When starting out on a search for birth parents, particularly with international adoptions where one has no idea of who (or what circumstances) one will find, this is a superb guide.

They key point here, something most psychiatrists apparently have yet to learn, is that adopted children from the youngest ages frequently and actively wonder about their birth parents, and often conceptualize circumstances that cause serious acting out. During their teen years especially--a time of emotional upheaval even for kids raised in their biological families--adopted children experience a wide range of feelings that must be dealt with. There is no way for parents to successfully take their children "around" their natural grief, the authors note. The only way to handle it is to help them "through."

This, of course, is contrary to traditional thinking. "Oh just forget the past," relatives may say. Don't listen to them. Adopted children need to find out who they are, and even though they most likely never met them, they have love and concerns for their birth parents, feelings that the best adoptive parents will help them digest and manage.

Schooler describes the various levels at which adopted children may conceptualize their origins, depending on their age. And anger can be a big factor particularly during the middle school and high school years. Not dealing with these fantasies and feelings is a prescription for disaster. So is dealing with them in an insensitive or unthinking way.

The message is plain: share everything you know with your adopted child, as soon as you know, with as much respect for the child's feelings as you can. You cannot erase their pain. You can only help them cope with it. And in this way, help them grow into productive young men and women in their own rights.

A fabulous resource, which all adoptive parents, all pediatricians, and all mental health professionals, should study.

I am so pleased that I found this book. I have already recommended it to several people I know. If you are not sure IF or HOW you should talk to your child about being a foster or adopted child, then you need to read this book. If you don't know how much to tell the child and what information is age-appropriate, then you need to read this book. Great practical advice broken down by age groups and situations so your situation is addressed. As with all books giving advice, it is helpful to read a variety and see what feels best for you. I know for me, this book answered the questions that other books only brought up as problems.

If there is any part of your child's past that you wish to shelter them from, then read this book. It helps you figure out how to tell the truth without over sharing and guide your children through the grief and loss process. Excellent.

All parents who have adopted a child with a difficult birth family history should read this book. Parents natural tendency is to protect their child from information that they fear will hurt the child or damage their self-esteem. The authors do a great job of explaining why children need to be told the truth, in an age-appropriate manner at the appropriate time. This book helped to resolve doubts I had on this issue.

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

Keefer & Schooler have given us an excellent and substantive guide on numerous issues concerning adoption, notably how to tell children about adoption, how to handle adolescents' feelings. Unlike some other writers who think that children as young as 2-1/2 can understand and conceptualize the ideas of birth and adoption, Keefer and Schooler recognize that only by age eight do children have the ability to think in abstract terms and begin to understand the meaning of adoption. (In their book, Openness in Adoption, Exploring Family Connections, Harold D. Grotevant and Ruth G. McRoy found that only at the mean age of 10.5, age range 8.0-12.1, is the adoption relationship fully understood with its characterized permanency.) Schooler's description of the adoptee's various developmental stages is worded such that it appears all adoptees grieve, go through stages of anger and during adolescence experience an identity crisis. The adopted youths 'identity may fluctuate with their current fantasy of the birth family.' I am puzzled by our daughter who insists that she has never suffered an identity crisis. She has grown up with many adopted children, some of whom suffered such a crisis, others did not. Some studies of identity crises in adoptees and nonadoptees have shown no significant differences between the groups, so that 'adoptive status itself cannot produce a negative identity.' One study showed that nonsearchers had more positive self-concepts than searchers and overall self-esteem, identity, family self, physical self, self-satisfaction. These nonsearchers had less concern than searchers about their own background.
But research results are like see-saws: One result says green, the other says red. It's bewildering and cause for caution not to generalize. Gisela Gasper Fitzgerald, author of ADOPTION: An Open, Semi-Open or Closed Practice?

Paul foster case presents a true understanding of the inner principles of the Invisible Order of The True Rosicrucians based on the two true manifestoes.I was skeptical of course at first,but being a student of occult sciences such as Qabalah,Mental Alchemy,Esoteric Astrology,and yes Esoteric Tarot,he hits it at the heart.He does not claim to be a rosicrucian nor his school to be a Rosicrucian Order as such.He simply states what is clearly seen by those with eyes to see.The True rosicrucian order is in the hearts of all the children Of the ONE INFINITE REALITY,plain and simple.

So many different people and groups claim lineage with the Rosicrucians there is no way to really tell which one's are legitimate and which are not. Although this book may be about the true Rosicrucian Order it doesn't mean the information is accurate. It does contain some interesting information but I think it needs to be taken with a grain of salt. And I have to admit that I got bored with the many pages of tarot explainations that were presented as if they represented the true inner teaching of the Order.

Dr. Case was a gift to humanity and True and Invisible Rosicrucian Order is a crown jewel amongst the treasure of material he left behind. It is not for everybody. This book requires patience and many readings to get the full value out of it.

I agree with the other reviewers who say that the BOTA lessons provide a necessary foundation for truly getting the most out of this dense and difficult text. That being said, there is so much value here words fail me.

I have read so many books on occultism. I have started so many "self-initiation" programs. When I found the BOTA I felt like I was coming home. When I then discovered this book I felt like I found a treasure chest in the attic. I have spent the last two years primarily focused on studying this text and no other experience in my life (outside of my marriage) has provided me with such clear exercise and evidence of spiritual development.

I am humbled by Dr. Case and his legacy. My only prayer is that I might become a channel for that Divine Love that has so graciously provided my being. I owe it to Dr. Case that I even have an inkling of the worthiness of that prayer.

Who were the Rosicrucians? Appearing out of nowhere in 1614, the Rosicrucian fraternity anonymously published two manifestoes and then went silent. Because of this silence, many scholars surmised that the Rosicrucian Order was just an elaborate hoax... but the the Rosicrucian manifestoes undeniably had an immediate and profound impact on the philosophy, science, and politics of the age. Even unto the Twenty-First Century, Rosicrucian thinking continues to play a major role in Freemasonry and many other esoteric organizations.

Paul Foster Case wrote "The True and Invisible Rosicrucian Order" because he believed that the original Rosicrucian manifestoes were written in a sort of Qabalistic short-hand, making them clearly understandable to those versed in alchemy and Qabala-- and obscuring much of their meaning from the general reading public. The first portion of Case's book is an exhaustive look at the Rosicrucian manifestoes, gleaning a treasure-trove of Qabalistic symbolism, numerology, and sacred geometry from the literal words printed in the documents; the second half of this book presents a series of highly subjective meditations on Rosicrucian philosophy, using Tarot keys to communicate the wisdom of the Rosicrucian masters.

The first portion of the book, covering the Rosicrucian manifestoes, is hardly light reading. Case spends page after page delving into the esoteric significance of the two Rosicrucian documents, reading deeply between the lines for a hint as to their real meaning. Admittedly, Dr. Case's style is relentlessly analytical, and he writes with a sort of focused intensity that may not appeal to everyone. Much of this material is difficult to grasp, many of Dr. Case's references are obscure, and there are several entire chapters which are little more than advanced occult geometry lessons. Despite these entirely valid criticisms, however, Case's analysis of the Rosicrucian manifestoes stands as a tour de force of Qabalistic Gematria and Rosicrucian philosophy. You simply won't find a better work of this nature anywhere! As Case correctly points out, the Rosicrucian manifestoes were addressed to an "erudite" reading audience, and their occultic significance could not have been missed by the practicing alchemists and philosophers of early Seventeenth-Century Europe.

My favorite parts of the first section of the book are those discussing Brother C.R.C.'s allegorical tale, the geometry of the Vault of the Adeptii, and especially the meaning of the Rosicrucian rose-cross symbol (Case's analysis of this symbol will undoubtedly have special significance to Scottish Rite Masons!).

Where the first half of this book is unnervingly direct, the second half is more subtle. This section covers the traditional Rosicrucian scheme of initiation (patterned after the Qabalistic 'Tree of Life' diagram), and provides the reader with a true system of self-initiation very much in accord with the Golden Dawn tradition. Because each Grade of Initiation is associated with a particular center on the Tree of Life, Dr. Case focuses on one aspect or attribute of that center, and then uses the Qabalistic attributions of the Hebrew letters in that word to establish a set of "doctrines" for each Grade. These doctrines are then exemplified using their associated Tarot Keys, providing the would-be initiate with a complete series of Tarot meditations to guide them up the Path.

The methods suggested in "The True and Invisible Rosicrucian Order" are solid, but unfortunately, this book doesn't provide any instructions for carrying them out. This was probably by design, and there are certainly strong arguments in favor of this omission, but it's easy to see how the would-be initiate might become frustrated with the book's total lack of guidance. Individuals who are already familiar with Case's writing will probably have an inkling about how to use these meditations to their best effect, and for this reason, I would strongly recommend reading Case's other masterpiece, "The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ancients," before attempting to tackle the exercises suggested in this book.

Paul Foster Case was a gifted teacher, and this book is probably his crowning achievement in the field of occultism. Outside of B.O.T.A., the Order that Case founded, you aren't going to find a more open discussion of his techniques. However, because of the complexity of "The True and Invisible Rosicrucian Order," this certainly isn't a title that I would recommend to a beginner on the Path.

For more information about B.O.T.A., see http://www.bota.org.

SHALOM!

Those of us who are serious Seekers can struggle for years before the light begins to dawn. I have been a Freemason for many years and an SRIA member. I have read Boehme, Blake and others. Struggled with Tarot and Qabalah, but on getting into this book the scales fell from my eyes. Many feel within; and struggle to find words. Paul Foster Case finds them for us.

My parents recently separated & are getting a divorce after 34 years of marriage. My father had an affair with a much younger woman for over a year. I never thought I would have to deal with such a huge change in our family, but I did. And reading this book helped me through it. Honestly, once I was done reading it I saw things differently and it truly helped me get a grip on the way things will NOW be. I highly highly recommend this book to anyone feeling lost and not sure where to turn. I took comfort in knowing this has happened to others and how they chose to deal with it.

WOW...I read this book with such enthralled interest and found myself nodding through so much of it because it fully validated all I have felt in the 12 1/2 years since I learned my parents' nearly 29-year marriage was ending.

Let me first say to anyone considering "staying together for the kids" that you seriously reconsider! Not only is there NO evidence that waiting until the kids are adults makes it less painful, but as many of the interviewees in the book attest, it makes the marriage seem to be a sham, and if the disenchantment with it is made known to the kids after they're grown, particularly if all appeared to be well, we end up questioning all we thought we had learned from it. I had always thought my parents were happy together. They never fought in front of us, and we always saw them make up. I was actually proud to have parents who appeared to be in love with each other after years and years--the way my husband and I are--only to find out from my mother when she left my dad for his best friend that she didn't think she had EVER really been in love with him! I had only been married for 4 years by then myself, and it crushed me. I began to question my own identity because of all the lies that suddenly came to light.

The other thing I wrestled with was the timing. I had just learned I was pregnant with my second child and had just had a crisis with a lifelong chronic health condition. Mom, who had always been so protective of me, chose THAT TIME to leave my father! She also lied many times to me about what she had planned to do, and perhaps predictably, I became extremely sick and battled one thing after another through my entire pregnancy. Brooke Foster validated for me what I have always wondered: whether all the stress from the split, as well as all the pleas and fights over whose "side" I should be on contributed to the demise of my health during that time. I'm sure now that it did, and since my son was subsequently diagnosed with autism, I am sad to say that I can't dismiss the role of the divorce as contributing to it.

I'm relieved to say I have a great relationship with both of my parents now, and even my mom's husband (sorry; can't say "stepfather"! I was 28 when they married!), and I have moved on from all of the anger and hurt I felt about it, but it does change who you are and how you think about your own relationships. When I find that my husband and I squabble about the same things over and over again, I worry that the cycle is beginning again, so even if you get to the point of being "over it," it can have a lasting--perhaps even lifelong--influence over you in some way. If you need to leave a lousy marriage, do, by all means, but please don't stay on account of your kids, because I can assure you that they will have other problems as a result.

If you are looking for a book that reassures you that you aren't (or haven't been) overreacting to your parents' divorce, this is the book to read, from someone who has "been there and done that." Please pick it up. It is definitely worth the read.

10-years ago my wife ended a 32-year marriage. She said she had not loved me for years but would not divorce me until the children were on their own and married. She said that she didn't believe that I would take care of my children financially. Oh how wrong she was. My son has not spoken to me in years. He will not acknowledge telephone calls, letters, gifts, birthdays and holidays. Brooke Leas Foster has written a wonderful book about adult children of divorce. I have always believed that it was harder on ACOD than it was on younger children for all the various reasons cited in Brooke's book. As a result of having read The Way They Were from my children's prespective I have ordered the book for my daughter. I hope that she will also share it with my son. The "guilt" that I felt as a Dad has been lifted as a result of this book. I highly recommend to any parent of adult children contemplating divorce. A must read for all. Thank you Brooke. Well done.

I'm not a literary type, but when my parents announced that after 39 years of marriage they were divorcing, I had feelings I was unsure of how to deal with. I was actually at the hair salon, reading one of their magazines when I found the review of this book. It was exactly what I needed to read. I'm almost to the end of the book, but things that I said to my friends and family BEFORE I read the book, were right there in black and white. I was happy to see that I wasn't alone in my feeling about the divorce. It helped me tremendously to read and endorsed my feeling. As soon as I'm finished, I'm going to give it to my Brother, then to my Husband, then maybe mom and dad should get a copy for Christmas or something. Thanks Brooke!

I really enjoyed reading this and for once I was able to identify with someone else's feeling about their parents' divorce. So many divorces seem to happen when children are young and we, as ACOD, have vastly different experiences than them.

I recognized so many emotions in this book and I am so glad to finally hear that I am not alone in these. Having your sense of security snatched away when you're a young adult that's new to independence can almost retard emotional growth.

The one thing that I would have liked to have seen portrayed in this book is the "nightmare" behaviors that one can experience as an adult child of divorce - whether that behavior is coming from the parent's new partner or whether they are coming from within one's self as the pain and anguish really starts to come to the surface. A lot of us dealt with this stuff in less than healthy ways - a bit of decadent behavior perhaps - and I would have liked to have read a bit more discussion on that. Not all of us dealing with divorces were drink-free, drug-free, straight A students with the ability to sit down and rationalize our behaviors and our experiences are just as valid. It would have been nice to have seen that side represented.

I guess for that reason alone I would have given it four stars. But because it's the first book on divorce that made me feel like other people understood it remains at a five.

We love this book. It is very well written and seems to be written just for us. We love to camp, we have a horse, we are members at the zoo. So many things we love to do are mentioned in this book.

Christine Mitchell successfully communicates a much needed message, on a child's level, that both the adopted toddler and the parent need reinforced...the many firsts that they will share. Great job!


Chuck Giacinto - Producer of the Adoptive Music CD releasesThe Spirit of Adoption & Lullabies - For China's Daughters & Their Adoptive Families

The book Welcome Home, Forever Child is a wonderful children's book! This one is different from the children's books I've reviewed in the past, as this one is written particularly for children who are NOT adopted as infants. There is a whole different set of issues and questions that go along with a child who is adopted at an older age. They may remember experiences shared with birth and/or foster families, and have questions about how long they will be with their "new" family.

If you've adopted a toddler, preschooler, or older child, then this book is a MUST for your family! Author Christine Mitchell shares a story of love and the meaning of adoption in rhyming words that children will love to hear and easily understand. It will help create a bond with adoptive parents, and explain to the child what "forever" means.

The illustrations are so sweet. The author has used cats as the characters in the story. I love this because it makes the book appropriate for any type of adoptive situation- transracial, etc. The book starts out by talking about all the important milestones that may have been missed by the adoptive parents, but goes on to primarily focus on all the "firsts" that are to come, with a promise of being there to share in them. I am sure this book will be one that you will read over and over again with your child(ren).

My children and I read this book together. Actually, my older daughter read it to my younger daughter and I. Although my children are older (9 & 12), they really enjoyed it. My younger daughter said "This book should be in the home of every family, not just families that adopted. Every family should have one so their children can learn about adoption". My older daughter loved that Christine Mitchell not only wrote the book, but illustrated it as well. She said "It was smart of her to use cats instead of human beings. Children can relate to animals and also she wouldn't have to decide what race to make everybody. That way it appeals to everybody".

I am a kindergarten teacher and loved this book from the first moment I read it! I was so touched by the message of love, hope, permanence and a lifetime of memories that an adopted child would finally find with his/her new adoptive family. I bought this book for a friend who is in the process of adopting two older children.

and what an encouraging story to read. If you need to read something that will lift your spirits, read this one :)

Mrs. D.

This book is a very good read. I am a child care provider and I take care of children from all walks of life. I read this book and it brought tears to my eyes in some chapters. Patty anglin really has a way with bonding with people and children. I have a lot of respect for this woman and her husband. Also, I love the fact that this book has pictures in it too. It brings you into her world, and the children are adorable too.
I suggest that you read this book for the sake of the children who want you to hear their story..

After reading this book, I am in awe of this woman! She has such love and such grace. So many children crossed her path, and so many were helped by her. It really stretches the concept of how much one person can accomplish.

The last time I saw Patty was in l969 in Stockholm, Sweden. Her family and ours had lived on the same mission station in the Congo and were on our way back to the States. I have had no contact with Patty since then. But, even more than 30 years ago, I saw the same Patty that is so beautifully expressed in Acres of Hope. Even at such a young age, she was caring and compassionate - and such a champion for what was right and just. This is a book well worth the read - and so well written. Every parent should read it! Thanks, Patty! You do your Mother proud - and your Lord!

This is a beautiful, quality book about a woman who doesn't give up! Patty tells of her experiences growing up as a missionary's daughter in Africa, her faith in facing major obstacles in life, and how God has helped her move mountains. Most of the book is dedicated to relating the trials and miracles she and her husband have experienced in adopting children who might otherwise not have had families. She shares some important bonding techniques and ideas that will definitely help other adoptive parents of special needs infants. As a prospective adoptive parent, this book filled my heart with "acres" of hope! I recommend this book to everyone I love.

"Architects on Architects" is such an amazing book where you can learn from the masters. See also Gray's "Designers on Designers" and "Writers on Directors" to discover how the pros are influenced by their mentors.

"...much more edifying is Tadao Ando's epiphany on his first visit to Le Corbusier's Ronchamp chapel: 'Because of the overwhelming spatial experience, which penetrated deep into my soul, I had to escape after staying less than one hour. I was awe-struck by a light unprecedented in my life.'Best among the other appreciations are Carlos Jimenez on Luis Barragan; Ricardo Legorreta on another Mexican, the little-remembered Jose Villagran;and Hugh Hardy on William van Alen, architect of the Chrysler Building. As Hardy writes of that idiosyncratic aluminum-spired skyscraper,'This iconic office building goes for broke, flaunting the exterior skin's independence as a costume pageant of pattern, gleaming profiles and symbolic panache. It's a theatrical gesture that identifies this as a building like no other, and gives New Yorkers proof that they are extraordinary.'"

Classic text, rich assortment of photos, all presented in this, the new contemporary work on archs. What could she possibly venture into next....can't wait Ms. Gray

Practitioners of a wildly competitive art form, architects are always looking over their shoulders, not just at contemporaries with whom they must compete for jobs but also at the great predecessors against whom they'll be measured by history. The master builders that 24 present-day architects chose to write about for this revealing if somewhat repetitive collection tell as much about the authors as their subjects. Predictably, many of the participants (all men, with the exception of Diana Agrest) gravitated toward the big boys of modernism, and three architects are the focus of almost half the essays, with five on Le Corbusier, four on Paul Rudolph and two on Louis I. Kahn. Sometimes those pairings can seem willfully contradictory. It would have been far more interesting to find out what Richard Meier thinks about Le Corbusier,who has had such an overwhelming influence on his own aesthetic,than for him to draw tenuous analogies between his work and the diametrically different architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright. Likewise, there is more than a bit of irony in Michael Graves's praise for Le Corbusier, whom he routinely belittled in lectures earlier in his career. Much more edifying is Tadao Ando's epiphany on his first visit to Le Corbusier's Ronchamp chapel:''Because of the overwhelming spatial experience, which penetrated deep into my soul, I had to escape after staying less than one hour. I was awe-struck by a light unprecedented in my life.'' Best among the other appreciations are Carlos Jimenez on Luis Barragan; Ricardo Legorreta on another Mexican, the little-remembered Jose Villagran;and Hugh Hardy on William van Alen, architect of the Chrysler Building. As Hardy writes of that idiosyncratic aluminum-spired skyscraper, ''This iconic office building goes for broke, flaunting the exterior skin's independence as a costume pageant of pattern, gleaming profiles and symbolic panache. It's a theatrical gesture that identifies this as a building like no other, and gives New Yorkers proof that they are extraordinary.''

Introspecting Influence

Who inspired the Whos Who of Architecture? "Architects on Architects" attempts to address this loaded question in a series of 24 essays by leading architects of the late twentieth century from around the world from Norman Foster to Carlos Jimenez to Tadao Ando. As the essays illustrate, influence is actually not simply a question of "who?" but rather comes from a number of different sources: a single building, an entire career of an architect,or sometimes just an attitude or way of looking. Many of these influential experiences happened during the architects formative years as students or interns and the impact of how these influences changed the direction of a life are revealed for the first time in these later career recollections. For Richard Rogers, his visit to the Maison de Verre as a student in 1955 would not only determine his thesis project, it would stay with him through the next half century as the symbol of "the power of innovation itself." For Tadao Ando, Le Corbusiers words in "Vers une Architecture" stressing that a journey in ones youth has a deep and strong significance throughout a lifetime inspired the young untrained aspiring architect to visit Le Corbusiers church at Ronchamp in 1965.As the essays attest, the importance of an architect can be measured not only by his or her designs, but also by the architects impact on other architects careers. Based on this criteria, Le Corbusier, Paul Rudolph,and Louis Kahn appear in these essays as some of the most influential architects. However, although five of the 24 essays are devoted to Le Corbusier, we see five very different aspects of the master architect: Ando describes impressions of Ronchamp, Michael Graves talks about Le Corbusiers method of drawing, William Lim discusses him in relation to Frank Gehry, Sumet Jumsai describes his personal meeting, and Arata Isozaki describes the context of his death. While Paul Rudolphs reputation suffered greatly during the Postmodern period, we see his lasting impact through his students who studied at Yale ranging from Norman Foster to current dean Robert A. M. Stern.
One of the most interesting aspects of this collection is the great variety of topics that the architects chose to write about. Some easily understandable choices include Cesar Pelli writing about his mentor and former employer Eero Saarinen and high-rise building specialist William Pederson writing about Rockefeller Center. However, it might come as a surprise to see Diana Agrest writing about architect-turned-filmmaker Sergei M. Eisenstein or Richard Meier writing about Frank Lloyd Wright rather than Le Corbusier. For the most part, these short essays are poignantly written -- a refreshing change from the typical arrogance and incoherence of many architects writing about their own work. Nevertheless, the essays shed great insight into the
architects inner thinking and also reveal architecture as a collective profession greater than the work of any single architect.The collection serves as a valuable document to understand this generation of architects from the second half of the twentieth century and also begs the question of how this generation will influence future generations of architects.

I highly recommend this book, especially for pre-teen children who are just beginning to think more deeply about issues raised by international adoption. The watercolors are beautiful, the concept is excellent and the narrative well written and very strong. At Home in This World will help older children think about the issues surrounding their abandonment and adoption and may help many of them articulate their own ideas and feelings. I especially like that this story is told through the voice of an older child rather than an omniscient narrator or parent. It invites the reading child to identify with the narrator and leaves room for the child to spin the story as she wishes. An important contribution to the emerging literature written for internationally-adopted children.

This book is such a provocative, sobering, thoughtful, and well-written look at abandonment and adoption from the perspective of a nine-year-old girl. The prologue really gave this newly-adoptive mother something to think about, and the story even more. I've read the story several times and think of it often as I consider my daughter and her experience and how we'll give her the space, support and love she needs to integrate her journey into her life here. I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone adopting a child of any age.

There are at least two things that make this book stand out from the growing field of literature about adoption from China: it is told from the perspective of a child, rather than an adult, and it takes into account the sad feelings, as well as the happy ones that we parents remember so well.

In her introduction, the author (a mother of two girls from China) describes how she first put together an adoption story that emphasized all the wonderful things about adoption including a "...baby-book heavy on adoption-day photographs." Then she realized that "The relentlessly positive spin I chose to put on my girls' pre-adoption birth story was confusing to my daughters, who recognized buried feelings that didn't always parallel mine." She found that she needed to address and legitimize these feelings.

This is not to say that the book is sad. The young narrator tries to make sense of why her birthparents would leave her, she wonders what they look like, she notes that she looks like a "confused little baby" in her adoption video, and she talks about early dreams she had of being lost after she went to sleep at night. She says "I understand all of these things in my head, but it is so much harder to understand in my heart." She concludes her story by saying that she is bringing her sides together ..."One girl from two places who is growing up to be at home in this big, wide world."

After the story, the author includes some information at questions that parents and children can discuss after they read the book.

The book is illustrated with charming watercolors by Qin Su, a native of China. They have a fresh, direct quality to them.

This belongs on adoptive parents' bookshelf along with Mommy Far, Mommy Near by Carol Antoinette Peacock and Kids Like Me in China by Yin Ying Fry.

I think the best way to share the impact of this book is to relate the following--after I read the book to my daughter, Jaclyn, who was adopted at the age of 4 from China, she silently cluctched the book to her chest and then placed it in the pile of "treasures" she has. Needless to say the book had a powerful impact. This book was very needed as there was truly a void in books that help the slightly older girls express "their" story. Jean did a fabulous job in doing this and in conveying, as part of the education guide, the importance of helping our kids relate and understand their stories. The book also has captivating photos and is truly a treasure!!! I can't recommend it highly enough.

International adoption can be complex, adoption from China can be even more so due to current population restrictions enforced by the Chinese government. Explaining to our children how they came to be a part of our family can be a delicate topic to navigate given that there are so many unknowns leading to questions that quite possibly may go unanswered. I ordered this book upon our return from China with our daughter. In the course of our adoption journey I've read many books from the perspective of the parent - understanding the challenges that lie ahead, what life is like in the orphanages and the Chinese culture. Aside from the book by Ying Ying Fry, this is a rare book written for and from the the child's perspective and heart. As our daughter grows she will learn more of her life story and she will have questions. Some answers will lead to more questions, okay pretty much all of them will. This book will be one of the tools to enable her to know that she isn't the only one who has wondered these same things and that it's okay to want to find answers to her questions. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is already the parent, grand-parent, aunt or uncle to a child born in China who is now home in their world, and to all the children who have found their Forever Families. As much as our children are a gift to us, this book could bring peace of mind and heart to our children, a treasured gift.

This books proves that our children are brainwashed to fight in this losing war. A war I did not want. A war of lies, and about money for the oil boys in the white house. In the book, the Marines move along like they are having a good time preparing to kill people. I mean, is this how Marines really are? Do Marines really like having to fight? I didn't know Marines had thoughts...let alone, thinking and then going into the enemy barking and howling and waving at the enemy to bring it on. I am now afraid of the ROWDY men who defend my freedom. If the world is really like this, then it was a very good-very informative book, and I am living in the dark...happily.

Great book. I saw several typs in the book. I would say that was a publisher issue and not a reflection on the story. It was great. I loved the little guy they abused for fun while "training him to be a nobody." He was the real underdog amongst such well trained. I did not like the language being of common foul but, it fits the attitudes.
Overall, a good book to read. Just hide it from the teenagers. I did. It will make them want to join. My boy is about the right age to get ideas. Thanks.

Tanya

I'm not sure what else to say but WOW. I bought this book expecting it to be like most other "war stories" but this one was completely different, it didn't have the depressing side of war but the humorous side! I would recommend this book to others!

Wonderful writing! With all of the personal experience written into the book, I felt like I was a part of the action and their with the troops! It's nice to know that even in the face of danger, our troops continue to keep their sense of humor and show that humanity can still override the bad in this world! This book helps show the how in the time of crisis how our troops can still be themselves, it makes me proud of all of our troops!

This book had me laughing so hard I was crying! It's nice to have a new perspective on the "typical" war type of book, this isn't a book that talks about the worst side of war, but the funny side of how troops have dealt with the pressures of war. I would highly recommend this book to any avid war story book collector, it's a must have for any collection!

This is a great, thought-provoking book, as other reviewers have noted, and should be read by everyone who is trying to live the gospel. We read it as a family; even teens aren't too young to grasp and discuss the ideas especially if facilitated by parents or other adults. A good gift for a college student or young adult, or any (reading) Christian for that matter.

This book has been a blessing to read. Foster came through as simple, and yet profound in his writing style; there was ample references to scripture, and Foster brings modern times into perspective with long held biblical spirituality; I plan to reread this book over again.

I have read the Chinese translation of the book. In fact, the translation is sold in a set of three different books. I have read them at different times. It provides direct and biblical insights into how Christians should view money, sex and power. Richard's writing is succinct. If you want to dive further into a topic, a rather extensive bibliography is provided.

PLOT: Money, Sex, & Power, these are the three big temptations of church leadership. The early monks battled these with vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Protestants today are more likely to use the tools of simplicity, fidelity, and servanthood. Foster does an excellent job exploring these three dangerous areas.

POSITIVES: Foster draws from Scripture, other authors, and his own excellent understanding of theology. This is a book I find myself coming back to again and again.

PROBLEMS: Foster is given to strong statements. I didn't agree with all of them. I found myself highlighting certain passages and writing notes of praise. I found myself highlighting other passages and disagreeing with them. This is not a problem for me. I often interact with the books I read and sometimes go back years later and interact with my own notes as I wrestle with myself. But this could be a problem with some readers, who either feel they have a handle on theology or are threatened by ideas they disagree with. Let the buyer beware.

I think this is one of the best books on the difficulty of living in a society driven by money, power, consumerism, sex and continual change.

Foster has a compassionate, realistic view of what life is really like and how to deal with it. His opening chapter, Money, Sex and Power in Christian Perspective lays out the focus of the book - it is difficult to walk the walk. He isn't focusing on the external morality of ethical behavior, but on the social implications. He offers historical views of attitudes on money, sex and power, and divides the books into sections that focus on each issue.

In a small section titled "When Good Things Go Bad," he says, "There is, of course, a proper place in Christian life and experience for money, sex, and power. When properly placed and effectively functioning, they have the ability as nothing else does to enhance and bless life." He goes on to identify what the problem is in each area -the demon in money is greed; the demon in sex is lust; the demon in power is pride. And he tells us that these really are not matters we can be neutral about in hopes that they will disappear - if we ignore them, we will be dominated by them.

How do we avoid be controlled by our own desires, instead of controlling them to our own advantage? In the Power area, Foster suggests that we face the demons within, instead of projecting them on others. In addition, he suggests that we stop trying to manage and control others, and focus on our own spiritual powers.

Foster manages to be 'proper' without being unrealistically 'prim.' Whether read by fundamentalist Christians, small "c" christians, or Buddhists, this book gives food for thought. Agnostics, athiests and many free spirits will be turned off by references to the Bible and the focus on Jesus.

I used to think you had to agree with everything you read in a book, to find it of any use. There are parts of this book I don't agree with, but I took what was helpful, and left the rest. Those who keep an open mind will find that this is not a dogmatic, preaching book, but one that will make you think.