Frank Books

My daughter loved this book so much when we checked it out at the library, that I decided to buy it for her birthday. Of course, I couldn't just find it at a store. Lucky for her, I found it online and with a cd! We love reading it together- she does the line "Jump frog Jump"

I was SO glad when this came back in print. This is a cumulative tale a la "House that Jack Built". You can get the children chanting "Jump Frog Jump!" in a few pages. Barton's bright folk-like illustrations fit right in.

As a teacher and an aunt I highly recommend this book which is a favorite with the kids! It's easy for them to memorize the lines and follow the words (a great skill to develop while learning how to read). A fantastic addition to any child's library of books!

The repetition and predictable outcomes were a joy for my 4 year old boy. After 3 readings he enthusiastically read the Jump, Frog, Jump! page by himself! We used green pillows as lily pads and acted out the escaping frog scenes.

I frequently use Juran and Gryna's Quality Control Handbook as a reference for my work and writing. It is a comprehensive reference for many issues in quality management, quality control, and statisitical process control. There are excellent discussions of quality as "fitness for use," and the true costs of poor quality. If you plan to take any of the American Society for Quality Control's certification examinations, this is a good reference. I used it for the Quality Engineering, Reliability Engineering, Quality Management, and Quality Auditing exams, and it served me well in each case. -William A. Levinson

While I continue to find Juran's Quality Control Handbook useful today, it was especially valuable to me when re-engineering software to support Health and Welfare Benefit business systems.
Also, later at a federal agency I found Juran's "root cause" for quality problem management extremely valuable. Currently, I am pursuing a senior level advisory position in the federal government and hold the Certified Information Systems Security Professional credential. I find Juran's handbook still valuable and worth studying even in today's Internet world.

Quality Control Handbook is classic reference book for quality engineers, first released in 1951. Among the quality management ideas and concepts for which Juran is well known include top management involvement, the Pareto principle, the need for widespread training in quality, the definition of quality as fitness for use, the project-by-project approach to quality improvement.

Joseph Juran's belief that "quality does not happen by accident" gave rise to the quality trilogy namely Quality Planning, Quality Improvement and Quality Control. The elements of the quality trilogy can be summarised as follows:

Quality Planning
* Identify who are the customers.
* Determine the needs of those customers.
* Translate those needs into our language.
* Develop a product that can respond to those needs.
* Optimise the product features so as to meet our needs and customer needs.

Quality Improvement
* Develop a process which is able to produce the product.
* Optimise the process.

Quality Control
* Prove that the process can produce the product under operating conditions with minimal inspection.
* Transfer the process to Operations.

Juran revolutionized the Japanese philosophy on quality management significantly helped shape their economy into the industrial leader it is today.

This is an excellent book that is highly recommended for those involved in quality control and management.

Planning on taking the ASQC certification exams? Need to bring the least amoutns of reference materials? This handbook and the primer are all you need

I love this book's incredibly simple but expressive illustrations. The story is also quite simple, but packs a profound (and rather touching) lesson at the end.

Frank Asch is on my entering kindergartener's Summer Reading List and I (we: boy and girl; 3 and 5) have read a great many of them. Mr. Asch's books are inevitably wonderful, with simple, delightful illustrations and gentle stories.

This book is a little different however in that it shows puppies being born. Well, to be honest, the illustrations are not exactly graphic and my two children (boy and girl; 3 and 5) certainly didn't 'grasp' that the puppies were coming out of the mommy dog. A fact, which allows me (and you) the opportunity to point this out, or not.

Personally, I plan to point this out at a latter time.

But in any case, this is a wonderful book about a puppy who happens to be last in doing many things. He is last to be borne, the last to eat and open his eyes, and the last to learn to drink from a saucer. He is even the last one in the doghouse at night.

None of these things seem to matter though until it comes time to find a new home. The last puppy becomes distressed when he is constantly not chosen by visitors. And then one day, a little boy comes and gets him. He laughs and says, "You know what? You're my first puppy."

Five Stars. A great book with a good kid's story with plenty of opportunity to teach life lessons.

Note: there are cute stories at the www.frankasch.com website read by the author. My kids love it.

My wife, daughter and I all loved this book. The illustrations of the puppies being born are wonderful. My three year old got so emotionally involved in it that she could bearly stand to find out what happens to the "last puppy."

This has been my favorite book every since I was born! I'm 13years old now, and I still ask my mom and dad to read it to me everynight. This book is great for everyone. The Last Puppy says that you can be last at EVERYTHING, but still, be first at something. I recommend it to everyone!

I think the product was excellent. It came brand new and it was hard cover. I would recommend the book as well as the person who sold it to me. It came very quickly in the mail at a good price.

This is the textbook I used while in college. It is very easy to read and well organized. It covers all aspects of learning disabilities from history to teaching strategies. It covers all the characteristics of learning disabilities; perceptual problems, motor, reading, written language, math, social and emotional.

I am a teacher of students with mild to moderate specific learning disabilities and I have found this book to be of such a tremendous help, I call it my "special education Bible!"

Professor Lerner has put together a comprehensive book of approaches within the filed of learning disabilities; procedures for assessing and evaluating students; and teaching methods, strategies, and materials. This 8th edition is written with the new IDEA '97 regulations in mind.

Whether you are an undergraduate, or graduate student, pre-service special ed. teacher or an inservice teacher, this text is an invaluable resource that will benefit the novice and the veteran alike. I am in the process of completing my student teaching and I bought this text because I felt that there was so much I still needed to learn about learning disabilities. I am sincere when I say I was not disappointed!

This is an excellent book. It is very readable and quite informative. I used the book for one of my graduate classes in Learning Disabilities. It was also an excellent review source for Praxis II preparation. Get it if you can, especially if you are planning to be a Special Education teacher.

As a judge, a lawyer and an historian I had heard about the Leo Frank case but did not know the details. Leonard Dinnerstein does an excellent job of relating the story of Leo Frank in a fair and unbiased manner. He also puts the entire affair in a historical context. This would be an excellent read for any student of racism in America and of the New South. It is easy to read and has an excellent bibliography.

I got interested in this case after reading a large write up in the local paper, the Atlanta Journal constitution, which is quoted many times in the book. I like historical books and was really amazed at the semitic overtones in the south during the civil war. As stated by reveiwer C. Ellen, it was written well and put into context with other goings on in that period. Being from Atlanta myself, I could very easily relate to the narative and it held my facination throughout. It told what I beleive to be the complete story and facts as well as being updated for NEW release in 1987 by adding an additional preface. Anyone who is interested in civil war reads, the laws of the time , or who lives in or around Atlanta , will be interested in this book. Over 50 pages of it are dedicated to the bibliography and all facts are well documented. It is a story that is all to reminiscent of famous cases that have arrisen in the past few years. It's a sad commentary on just how far the attitudes of this nation have come in the past 100 years or so. If interested in further information after reading this book, then I suggest trying to contact the Atlanta Journal Constitution for their brilliant account of the incident in the June 11, 2000 addition of their paper. It also gives a partial list of the lynching mob, held in secretcy until this time. A great book to own for any historical book collection.

The circumstances and attitudes that coincided in the trial of Leo Frank, had very little to do with the accused or the victim. They were both surrogates for a larger battle; Leo Frank was proxy for Northern industrialists and "Little Mary Phagan" stood in for the victimized South who had been taken advantage of by Northern opportunists.

The fact is that the case of Leo Frank acted as a steam valve, in many respects, to the buildup of Southern frustration and anger that had grown since the Civil War, then through Reconstruction and its aftermath. Southern Pride took a near-mortal blow when Lee surrendered to Sherman at Appomattox, humiliating the survivors of hundreds of thousands of dead. Reconstruction brought in Northern carpetbaggers who participated in the governments of the states that they had just defeated. Southern anger accumulated, especially as attempts to overturn it were thwarted until the contested election of 1876, in which Rutherford B. Hayes won on the condition of agreeing to end Reconstruction.

Reconstruction allowed Southern states to exact a measure of revenge on black populations, although resentment toward the North remained unavenged. In an honor-bound society such as the South, it is very difficult to imagine that wrong to one's family would go without settling the score. Such is the larger metaphor of the South as a whole to the North. Southern society and culture prided itself on being a distinct and cultured entity from the slavish industrialists of the North.

Thus, when a stereotypical Northern carpetbagger, a Jew no less, found himself in connection with the violent death of a Southern belle, vengeance became a powerful a prevailing force. Upon Leo Frank was heaped all of the indignation from Southern loss to the North - the industrialization, forcing young girls to work in factories; the ownership of capital; the imposition of Reconstruction; Lincoln marching into Richmond - all Southern rage at the North was embodied in the trial of Leo Frank. (Ironically, a Northern newspaper magnate, William Randolph Hearst, fed the flames through his acquisition of the Atlanta Georgian, which led the pack in sensationalizing the trial.)

All of this is to say that the forces which demanded that Leo Frank be the sacrificial lamb for the North's crimes against the South were too powerful for rational legal procedures. If the governor had reversed the conviction or the commuted the sentence, he would have been denying the mob the satisfaction of revenge. The lynching of Frank did give rise to the Klu Klux Klan, however the immediate reaction of Georgia (and the South) was a demand for justice, even though it was at the end of a rope.

It is telling that Frank did not receive a pardon of his conviction until 1986, and even that was amid controversy in the South. Those eighty years had to pass before rational analysis of a crime could be carried out and a form of justice could be executed, which lends perspective to the heft of the event in the history of the South. Tom Watson's remark was an astute reflection of the prevailing sentiment of the day and offers a glimpse into larger, unresolved tensions of the day.

Dinnerstein does a beautiful job in eloquently presenting the facts of the famous Leo Frank case. All angles of the case are examined in a thorough, impartial manner. A must read for anyone familiar with the Frank case, and well worth looking into for anyone who loves a good murder mystery.

Not being a regular novel reader it took me a while to keep the characters straight, but once I got into the third chapter I couldn't put it down. The suspense and action reminded me of a Grisham novel. The clarity of the descriptions of the chase scenes was such that I could literally "see" the action and the pace was so fast that I felt like I was there. I cannot wait to get my hands on Tony Frank's next release!

Mr. Frank has the gift! This story is like silk. There is an economy of words here that makes it an effortless and enjoyable read. The book has the pace of a movie, cutting from one scene to the next in a way that draws the reader inexorably into it. It's a timely story, told very well, and provides a revealing view into the complexities of computer hacking.

A captivating thriller charged with adventure and intrigue. This novel is well written and very well researched. I really could not put it down after I got going. I loved the continuous suspense and speed, it would make a great movie!

I found the book exiciting. The plot is one that will keep you on the edge of your seat. I especially enjoyed the accuracy of the area, (central Texas) in which the story takes place. Mr. Frank appears to have a grasp on a writing style that will take the reader thru many mental twists and turns. This I found to be a rare quality in todays reading adventures. I look forward to Mr. Franks next book. Bravo!

Dissecting Pinocchio: How to Detect Deception in Business, Life, and Love

If you are interested in learning how to spot lies and liars, rather than just dealing with the emotions brought on by being deceived, I suggest reading Dissecting Pinocchio.

My family practice physician "prescribed" this book for me during a very dark period in my life. It's short, practical and a very easy read. I make it a practice to re-read the book at least once a year.

While I've found the book makes an excellent gift for folks who are suffering, it's important for the giver to remember that reading this book -- or any book -- doesn't guarantee a magic fix. The reader must be committed to change. But sometimes when we're suffering, we're so overwhelmed that we don't know where to begin. This book has some mightily powerful suggestions.

This book was the beginning of a journey that has changed my life. After suffering through many years of anxiety and depression, among other things, The Lies We Believe showed me the misconceptions that I had been letting cause my unhappiness and ultimately it has led me to a deeper understanding of myself and Jesus Christ. If you take the Truth from this book to heart, you also can experience the peace that has begun to flow in my life.

This book has been my number one best 'life changing' book. I'm aware of the lies I believe, tell myself and unknowingly teach others. I wish I would have known about this when I was five. It's important to filter your thoughts, understand your behaviors and destroy the lies you tell yourself daily. Chris clarifies what's a lie and why and then empowers you, through Christ, to make changes and live in freedom. Walking in the truth is powerful...read his sequel to the book called, The Truths We Must Believe. Both are truly 'life changing.'

I first watched this Christmas TV special when my children were small and found it interesting and fun. It brings a different view of how Santa Claus came to be with the help of Nature's creatures. It also has a great message for children that my children got the first time. I watch it every Christmas and enjoy it very much.It makes a nice change from the predictable, sugary shows you can get recently.

This book has a rather peculiar history. Originally published in 1902, two years after Baum's success with The Wizard of Oz,the first printing contained 20 color illustrations. In the second printing, eight of the color illustrations were left out, replaced by numerous black and white marginal illustrations. So you can imagine the delight of Oz fans when they discover this lovely edition in full color readily available after so many years of black and white reprints of the original edition.

The book is in three sections: "Youth", "Manhood", and "Old Age". Santa was discovered as an infant abandoned in the Forest of Burzee. The nymphs, fairies and elves adopted him and under the tutelage of Ak, the Master Woodsman of the World, Claus is bought up to appreciate and understand that all living things are sacred and deserve respect. In the "Manhood" section Baum tells the reader how Claus began making toys and delivering them to the world. He had his problems though. The Awgwas, who are evil creatures and can't tolerate happiness, continue to plague Claus first by intercepting his toys during delivery and then kidnapping Claus himself. "Old Age" describes the immortals' decision to take certain actions so that Claus can continue to give to the world.

Numerous questions are answered here:
What is the reason for hanging stockings?
How and why did Santa enlist the help of reindeer?
Why does he slide down the chimney?

As in the Wizard of Oz a good number of the characters here are Baum's own creations. You'll meet the knooks and the ryls, for example. You'll also meet the Gnome King who is rather benign here, but, by the end of Ozma of Oz, becomes the arch enemy of that fairy kingdom.

Michael Hague's illustrations are glorious.In the "Illustrator's Note" he states that the illustrations took three times longer than he expected. Well, it certainly shows. This was a labor of love. The pictures are in two varieties, full color and two color. The endpapers show a snowy day in the woods, a small creature trudging through it with a sack on its back. This is indeed one of Mr. Hague's finest moments. I wish I could give this book a 10, 5 for the story and 5 for the pictures.

In this Book L. Frank Baum seeks to explain the origins of Santa Claus to children and he succeeds wonderfully. I read this book when I was much younger and really treasure the talent Baum has to tell a tale and explain where Santa Claus comes from and why he delivers those toys. Baum plays with traditional Santa myths as with most tellings Santa is an orphan or foundling adopted by others. Here Claus is adopted by the wood nymphs and raised to love the forest and all it's creatures. If there is one thing Baum asserts in this book is a love for nature, love and peace. He is taught to love the human race and another great message in this book is to do good in this world and leave it in better condition than we found it. besides that Baum explains how Claus learns to create toys and uses them to bring happiness to the children around him. Every thing is explained how the sleigh and reindeer were first used, how the first stockings were fillied, how Claus created the first christmas tree, and how he became immortal.
The book is not without a conflict as Baum created the Awgawas, creatures who seek to corrupt children through bad behavior. The creature try to destroy Claus only to earn the wrath of the immortals who befriend him. This battle in the book is noteworthy as supposedly insignificant weapons destroy their attackers.

This particular edition is beautifully painted by Hague. His nymphs are straight out of a style like the elves from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. His Santa is more like a cross between a Father Christmas and Saint Nicholas. He is jolly, and happy. Although I note he also looks a bit like Hague which is fine, why not, Hague sees the Santa in himself. This book is the most beautiful edition of Baum's Christmas classic and worth a read through out December.

I remember reading this book around fifth grade. I kind of liked it then, I think because of the whole fairies thing.

Basically the story follows the life of Claus, a baby adopted by fairies. (The story starts in fairy land and much of it involves the fairies and woodland spirits. If you are expecting traditional Christmas lore you will get that but not quite yet.) The fairies are immortal, but Claus will grow up and age. When he has grown to be a teenager the fairies set him up in a cottage in the woods. Apparently they are bringing him food and necessities, so his only job is to discover his purpose in life. He begins to make toys for children to cheer them up, and the story goes from there.

The entire host of fairies gets involved in toy production. Instead of making toys like the merry elves, they bring colors from flowers and other magical properties that Claus can include in his toys. This reads like a fairy tale and grdually Baum brings in elements from the Santa mythology. The transition from fairies and magic to Santa is what I liked most in the book.

I recently reread this book and liked it except for the whole toys making kids happy thing. Its not that I dislike kids or toys. Here Claus (obviously the future Santa Claus) makes toys for children and the toys are the panacea that makes their world perfect. With a small carved toy dog all of a sudden they are kind to siblings, respect their parents and are bursting with joy. If he passed out lifetime supplies of cocain and valium he couldn't make them happier. If I were to find that Baum had been commissioned by a department store to write this book as a special advertising section for holiday spending then that would explain alot. The huge emphasis on more toys=happy makes the book a little sick.

Overall this is a nifty twist on the Santa Claus myth. It reads well even in the summertime. The only drawback is the huge focus on happiness through toys. The only moral that I could extract from the story is that children NEED toys to be happy and this is soooo important that the entire world of fairy restructures itself around toys. Good story but it sometimes feels like good press for the toy department.

For the reader who likes living on the edge or a visit to the world of boxing, this is a perfect read. The genre edges are blurred as Johnny DeMarco, part-time P.I. and almot retired boxer searches for a missing girl.

In the midst of preparing for a come-back in the ring, Johnny is hired by an old friend to find his daughter who has disappeared into the strange world of wannabe vampires and Satanists who are working for the day when Satan will take over the world.

The story is peopled with fascinating characters from Johnny's crusty trainer, Willie, to the wise-cracking Raster who works for an underground newspaper among whose advertisers and readers are the Satanists.

As Johnny alternates between the boxing world and his PI work, he moves deeper and deeper into the black void inhabited by The Ninth Society, a devil-worshipping society led by The Crimson Dragon, Fletcher Ebrus, a wealthy man who proudly traces his ancestry back to the very early members of the society he now rules.

Ebrus and Johnny cross paths as Johnny searches for the missing girl, and Ebrus takes steps to remove him as a threat. A dark story written by a talented author who leads us into the blackness of mens' souls. A story rich in interesting characters set in an unusual and fascinating background. Enjoy. I did.

This book takes place in a neighborhood very similar to the one I grew up in. The colorful, short chapters punch at the reader with Italian/American colloquialisms which paint accurate living word pictures that palpably define the personnas and attitudes of the main characters, while advancing the plot in the "jabbing" style of the professional boxer.

he familiarity of the dialoque and descriptions of Tony De Marco's world, with its many technically and historically accurate references to the boxing community, were genuine and real, all of which gives the reader the actual feeling of being there.

The easy manner in which the main plat, and the several sub-plots are presented, kept me glued to the book, flipping pages. wrapped in the developing mystery and intrique of the characters and their relationships to eachother. The personal loss of the main character, lends a poignant undercurrent to the story, as it explores Tony De Marco's conflicting and unresolved emotions.

On every level, the story, the writing style, the premise, the venue, the dialoque, and the manner in which the writer ties them all together gave me the, the reader, an all too breif and enjoyable escape to "familiar places".

I could not put this book down. Mr. Megna has written a very entertaining detective novel/screen story featuring an over the hill boxer/PI, his mostly "old school" friends and associates, a clique of devil-worshipper bad guys and a few very sophisticated urbanites. A Chandler-esque book set in the NYC of today.

Some will say Frank Megna's The Long Count is a novel about boxing. Some will say it's a detective story with romantic overtones, or a love story with mystery thrown in. But The Long Count is mostly about getting down to the nitty-gritty of life, what we're doing here, what's left of any value after all is said and done - if all is really ever "said and done."

Johnny DeMarco's wife Mary died a few years before we meet Johnny, but she permeates the narrative. We see glimpses of her beauty and purity, strong images of his guilt, and a delicately woven tapestry of two souls unquestionably fused. We have no trouble believing that she was devoted to him in all imaginable ways, that he was not the perfect husband, and that their imprint on each other was divinely indelible.

Having somehow survived the first dozen stages of grief, Johnny is now consumed with tackling impossible challenges. When he trains for one last fight, it is somehow for Mary. When he takes on the job of finding the missing daughter of a friend, we know that is probably about Mary as well. Johnny is ordinary and decent, just trying to put one foot in front of the other. Nonetheless, he seems eager to hear the end of the count.

Johnny DeMarco is a man you would like to know, a man you will root for.

Accidentally found by an amateur named Russell Burrows, the extraordinary collection of artifacts taken from a cave in southern Illinois has been believed to be a fake and a hoax. Viewed with much opposition and skepticism by many lofty archeological experts. A large subterranean crypt which is accounted to contain gold statues, sarcophagi, coins and medallions, uncut diamonds and inscribed scrolls among many other valuable antiquities. But the most intriguing artifacts to come out of Burrows Cave are the hundreds of portrait stones. All depicting men and women in more than just Roman, Egyptian, Phoenician, Numidian and Hebrew appearances as well as their written languages. This mixture of ancient society found in one unusual setting seems all too good to be true, as nothing else like it has ever been found in the New World. But the author presents a large amount of curious evidence in how authenticity is considered possible, and explains the important links to pre-Columbian history. He tells of many other significant findings made in Illinois, North America, South America and the Old World that provide factual support for verification. Bringing it all together effectively with great persuasive detail.

The author begins with a thorough history of King Juba II and how he and his wife, Cleopatra Selene became rulers of ancient Mauretania in North Africa. Then continues to explain the war waged by Rome against this semi-independent nation and it's effects, or the Mauertanian exodus it caused. All of these events the author illustrates in a slightly dramatized manner. With the majority of chapters that follow, he focuses on the Illinois site; it's relics and the comments of various experts, while giving his own viewpoints and understandings. The information is arranged well with perfect quotes at the start of each chapter, plenty of black and white photos and a summarizing timeline. Because there is still much that remains untold and undiscovered on the subject, could be why the book wasn't closed with a strong conclusion. And I also felt that a few more maps, besides the one of Illinois would have been beneficial to the book. But otherwise I was pleased with it overall.

Whether the existence of a "treasure house of gold" remains entirely true or not, it still is a very interesting and educational read. Even the actions and nature of Mr. Burrows, and the trouble he caused interested investigators, makes it read almost something like a fiction novel. And as controversial as theories can be, it still is a story that shouldn't be ignored or remain lost in time. For starters, Frank Joseph's book will entice your curiosity.

Frank Joseph's latest book offers a good overview of the controversy surrounding the Burroughs Cave,well known in diffusionist circles but less so elsewhere.While he can't prove the authenticity of the artifacts he does clearly lay out how the controversy developed and the reasons he believes the artifacts are 'real'.The automatic anti-diffusionist bias of conventional academia definitely does prevent a fair ascesment of the case, though many diffusionists remain skeptical as well. Where the book shines is in the lucid description of ancient Mauritania's history and how that could fit in with the existance of the cave in Illinois and it's purported treasure.The reader learns about the complex mixture of cultures in ancient north Africa and it's maritime tradition. The story of the province's rise to wealth and cosmopolitan splendour is excellently told, as is it's trajic destruction at the hands of Rome.l feel these chapters are worthwhile even for those unfamiliar with the diffusionist- isolationist debate, revealing a dramatic yet little known chapter in ancient history.lt forms a sort of sequel to the famous tale of Ceaser,Anthony and Cleopatra.Even many students of history may not have been aware or the survival and ultimate fate of the Ptolemaic dynasty after Cleopatra's death.lt has all the makings of an engrossing historical novel.Hence l recommend the book to both history buffs and those fascinated by the possibility of trans-oceanic diffusion in antiquity.

In 1982 a hobby archaeologist discovered the strangest of treasures in an Illinois cave: Many thousands of artifacts and coins, appearing to be all of the below: Phoenician, Mauretanien, Numidian, Egyptian, Roman, Celtic, Jewish, Christian and some others (of various phenotypes, by the way, this isn't exclusively about black skinned Africans). It isn't only about African traces in the pre-Columbian, even pre-Viking Americas, but about that incredible mix.

The structure of the 2003 book is most rewarding. Five chapters (1/4 of the book) is devoted to ancient Mediterranean history, featuring Egypt, Rome (including Greece), Numidia and Mauretania. Starting with Cleopatra and ending with her grandkids. The popularly "educated" via respective Hollywood movies will be left very surprised. The next chapter is devoted to reconstructed history at the time, after Caligula turned the Roman empire's previous amicable relationship with ancient Mauretania (roughly today's Morocco) sour, conquered that African kingdom, leading to an exodus of its multicultural population to the only save haven: The Americas, largely unknown to Rome, but not to the Africans. Seven chapters are devoted to the controversy of most important archaeological find of the century (at least) versus most elaborate hoax. Usually I don't care that much for this sort of focus, but in this case I can promise a most suspensefull and eye-opening reading experience of this major section of the book. Two chapters are devoted to general evidence of Africans in the pre-Columbian Americas (largely not copying Ivan Van Sertima's 1976 classic They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America, but listing fresh findings). Another two are devoted to the evidence of the Illinois cave itself, analyzing the many significances.

Be prepared that this print doesn't finish up everything about Burrows Cave and that you will google it after having finished this book. The reason for that is that within the 21 years after its discovery an all-encompassing scientific analasys of the cave could not take place. For the most absurd, yet fascinating, mostly saddening, frustrating and angering reasons. Yet many objects have been able to get scientifically analyzed, in a CSI fashion. And yes, the way, all of this has been handled could be described as a crime. By virtually everyone involved. That provides for an unexpected reading. Not only focusing on the find itself, but the high-handedness of the discoverer who doesn't want to diclose too much, the greed of some of the involved, asocial private collectors, ignorance and arrogance of prejudiced experts, inadequate laws, the utter passivity of the government throughout the entire affair and many more failures of I-and-I (us) humans who are obviously not able to deal with such a find, no matter from which perspective. As a result, this treasure has survived almost two millennia, getting protected by Native Americans during that time, only to get largely lost, destroyed and otherwise inaccessible within a few years of exposure to current Western culture. I hardly dared to turn the pages for the contrast of awestruck wonder for the 1st century A.D. forgotten Mauretanian exodus with its evidence left behind and the grim despair of having to learn about our contemporaries: "What have they done now to the historic evidence?!".

If you are interested in the subject of early "discoveries" of the Americas preceding Columbus from all sorts of peoples such as Africans, Polynesians, Chinese and Europeans, would like to read an update (of 2006) and are able to overstand German, look for "Bevor Kolumbus kam. Die frühen Entdecker Amerikas" by Rene Oth (literally translating as: "Before Columbus Came: The Early Discoverers of America")

In The Lost Treasure Of King Juba, Frank Joseph provides an inherently interesting and iconoclastic discourse on the evidence of Africans in America before Columbus, outlining evidence obtained from over 7000 artifacts removed from a 1982 cave in southern Illinois. Here Joseph pieces together the common story of how these artifacts came to appear in a hidden cave in Illinois, recreating the story of a fleet of ships which voyaged to a land in escape of their ruined African kingdom. A fascinating discourse.