Stone Books

This brief intro to the life of Ilan Ramon is well written, has beautiful, high-quality photos, and is very accessible to kids. Adults will probably learn something, too. (I did not know, for example, that Ramon's last name was originally Wolferman. After he graduated from flight school in Israel, he decided to take a Hebrew last name.)

The book opens with the blast-off of the space shuttle Columbia and the tragic explosion 16 days later. Then it goes back to "In the Beginning" with the story of Ilan Ramon's life, his career as a fighter pilot, how he was chose to be an astronaut, and his training at NASA. There's an explanation of what a space shuttle is and how it works, the jobs the astronauts do, etc. Also included are some of the experiments that kids had designed for the STARS program. As payload specialist, Ramon was in charge of monitoring these science experiments and reporting back to Earth about their progress.

Ilan was not a religious Jew, but he realized that, as the first Israeli astronaut ever, he was representing all kinds of Jews everywhere. He took several Jewish items aboard the shuttle Columbia, including a mezuzzah, a Torah scroll, and a drawing of a moonscape drawn by a 14-year-old boy who died in a Nazi concentration camp. Ramon also ate kosher food aboard the shuttle.

The last chapter, "Fallen Heroes," handles his death very well. The author explains that "Astronauts know the risk they are taking when they journey into space. But that doesn't make losing them any easier when tragedy strikes." (p. 37) The book closes with warm memories of Ilan from family, colleagues and friends, along with photos of his funeral. Altogether, this book presents a very human, personal picture of a hero that children of all backgrounds can look up to.

[Reviewer's P.S. Ramon was the first Israeli astronaut, but he was not the first Jew in space. That honor goes to American astronaut Judith Resnick, who perished aboard the Challenger shuttle in 1986. May they both rest in peace among the righteous souls in the heavenly Garden of Eden.]

This well-written biography is perfect for both children and adults who want to learn more about Ilan Ramon, a space-age hero whose life ended tragically in the recent shuttle disaster. A good choice for kids, parents, and teachers.

This well-written biography of Ilan Ramon is really accessible to kids. It manages to be heartwarming and pay tribute to an extraordinary guy while being accurate like all good nonfiction should. My kids loved it!

This is a book that is so powerful and deeply soulful that it is not forgettable. "In a Dark Time: A Prisoner's (Dwight Harrison) Struggle for Healing and Change" is a good story, extremely well written and profoundly moving, it is difficult to put down as we must know what happens next to Mr. Harrison. This book brings us into a world that is unknown to most of us, but somehow it is not entirely unfamiliar. Though the story focuses on one man, it's beautiful narrative and lack of commentary lead me to hear the story in such way that it was as much about society and our effects on each other as it was about Dwight Harrison. The only disappointing thing about this book is that it ended.

These authors have such an amazing way of conveying emotions and the healing process. It is so powerful and touches such a deep part of the soul. In a Dark Time left me feeling as if I know this man and could feel his pain and then his rediscovery and growth. The story was so gripping that I couldn't shake it; to have pulled oneself back from being so far gone is such a testimony to what the human soul is capable of. The book made me see that being a victim, and victimizing others, is much more complicated than I had thought. It's not always black and white. It is difficult to convey the effect that this book has had on me, but I wholeheartedly recommend it and urge others to read it.

Rich, haunting and vividly evoked, this is a memoir of losing freedom and winning it back -- one agonizing step at a time. From the spare details of a painful North Carolina boyhood emerges a furiously angry man-child, whose fast, reckless scramble for adulthood and safety sends him on a collision course with morality and the law. Barely 21, he commits a terrible crime. Sentence: 28 years.

"In a dark time, the eye begins to see" says the epigraph. Prison is indeed a dark time; the book is unflinching in its honest portrayal of Harrison's initial rage (nicknamed "Rebel" for his Southern accent, he more than lives up to the word's other meaning). Only gradually does he begin to notice, and eventually accept, the helping hands of friends and mentors reaching out in the darkness.

Read this book if you love thoughtful, deeply psychological memoirs, if you're fascinated by the strange details of prison life (the section on how to make your own coffee is priceless), if you want to know how a boy becomes a criminal before he becomes a man. Read this book to witness first the tragedy of a devastating slide downward and then the remarkable, slow, slippery climb back to humanity.

Several recent reports examine through a variety of media how enslaved our once free now corporate and monopolistic press has grown. For example, Tim Robbins in his play Embedded Live exposes the way our press, unlike for instance under the journalism of Al GOre in the rice fields of Vietnam, are led around on a leash by the military Public Disinformation Office, and never report the thousands we kill each day in our lust for oil.

Similarly, we see in Orwell Rolls in His Grave how and why this occurs on the domestic front as well, with our political front men and spin doctors tightly controlling the corporate owned media to dictate how we the public must frame our thoughts on important issues, and waste much time on insignificant ones.

This modern travesty of our Founding Fathers's legacy of a free press in order to provide our democracy with the necessary well-informed public was deftly delayed by the great IF Stone, whose likes we need now more than ever.

This collection of articles from his weekly, published between 1961 through 1967 (and thus covering the Kennedy and Johnson administrations), illustrate the kind of journalism our people now must hunger for: intelligent, independent and fearless.

In his brilliant introduction, Stone astutely and prophetically foretold our current dismal condition of a tightly controlled press. He explores how disfavored reporters could be locked out of news sources, just as we have seen happen these past few years. He explores how reporters are seduced by their sources, dazzled in the Pentagon, until Stockholm syndrome fully sets in. Writes Stone: "Reporters tend to be absorbed by the bureaucracies they cover; they take on the habits, attitudes, and even accents of the military or the diplomatic corps. Should a reporter resist the pressure, there are ways to get rid of him (p. xviii)." Stone then cites exclusion through innuendoes, of irresponsibility, or radicalism, even then of Marxism. Nowadays it is accusations of less than fervent patriotism.

Stone avoided such lock-outs by being his own boss and beholden to no one. We must therefore read with reliability his monumental and validated work.

He further states in this introduction that "No bureaucracy likes an independent newspaperman. Whether capitalist or communist, democratic or authoritarian, every regime does its best to color and control the flow of news in its favor (p. xx)." I think in bureaucratic we may now read corporate, and seek for that forum of our reliable independent newspaperman. Perhaps the monopolistic media now would simply dismiss Stone as a fringe whacko (they did then), but we may read his record of contemporary events with confidence, and mourn the lack now of such a strong philosohy of journalism in keeping with Thomas Jefferson's vision for our free democracy.

Stone further writes: "I believe that no society is good and can be healthy without freedom for dissent and for creative independence. ( . . .) In the darkest days of McCarthy, when I was often made to feel a pariah, I was heartened by the thought that I was preserving and carrying forward the best in America's traditions, that in my humble way I stood in a line that reached back to Jefferson. These are the origins and the preconceptions, the hopes and the aspirations, from which sprang the pieces which follow (p.xxi)."

Where beside the life work of Mr. Michael Moore (e.g., Sicko, Fahrenheit 9/11/ Bowling for Columbine / Roger and Me (3 Pack), etc.) do we now discover such hopes and aspirations and commitment to independent reporting?

We must console and inspire one another with a rereading of Mr. Stone, who fortunately has been prolifically and inexpensively reprinted. Economically speaking we cannot afford not to read him. Collections include The War Years, 1939-1945 (A Nonconformist History of Our Times), Truman's time, the Korean war, The Haunted Fifties: 1953-1963 (Nonconformist History of Our Times) with the McCarthy era, as well as this present work and a final one Polemics and prophecies, 1967-1970 (A Nonconformist history of our times). Also of interest in these times is his writings regarding The killings at Kent State;: How murder went unpunished, including, for the first time, the full text of the Justice Dept. secret summary of the FBI findings ... document the Ohio authorities ignored, as well as The Trial of Socrates. Please read, in peace.

I.F. Stone was a virtual legend among political junkies in the sixties and seventies, as indeed he was for well over a half century in various journalistic capacities from the Depression era until the late 1980s. He published an independent weekly journal for well over twenty years from the early 1950s until the mid-1970s in which he acted as soul reporter, editor, and publisher, and the work was acclaimed for its consistent accuracy, poignancy, and verve. He caught many scoops others were either not clever enough or courageous enough to cover, and his ability to focus on the way the facts of the situation fit together into a political byline made him a `must-read' for anyone interested in understanding how politics actually got done (down and dirty) in Washington, DC.

This particular book, "In A Time Of Torment, 1961-1967", is a superb collection of some of his most memorable articles, thought-pieces and observations taken from both the I.F. Stone Weekly as well as from the pages of `The Nation' and elsewhere during the most outrageous of times indeed, the turbulent and raucous 1960s. Also important in understanding Stone's approach is the book's subtitle, 'A Nonconformist History Of Our Times'; Stone is the most radical of journalists in that he approaches the issues at hand with supreme objectivity and without political blinders, and yet does so informed by a set of values and ethics that one wonders at his ability to `cut to the chase' and render the truth so consistently and so reliably that one often marvels at how simple he makes such erudition seem.

While describing himself as an anachronism, meaning he represented no one but himself, and found himself uncomfortable working within the constraints of a more institutional setting (even though he had done so quite marvelously for extended periods of time), he was that most rare of literary lions, a widely-read and intellectually circumspect truth-seeker. Like H.L Mencken, his prose often inspired one toward imitation, yet he also wrote clearly, unambiguously, and quite memorably. Herein we find a whole rafter of memorable articles, all short, ranging from several paragraphs to three or four pages in length. He covers subjects as distant from each other as JFK and the free press, from LBJ to China, and from Jeffersonian democracy to the racist issues inherent in the Israeli-Palestinian problem.

Indeed, Stone and his opinions were often viewed with alarm by the powers that be, for they understood all too well that he was read by many of the most important opinion makers and policy wonks within the Washington beltway and beyond, and that his weighing in on a specific issue often resulted in unwanted attention and a virtual spotlight being thrown in that general direction. This is a great book to have in your travel-bag; full of little gems you can read en route to almost anywhere, a pleasurable and intelligent companion that you can enjoy and finish in a few minutes and walk away better informed. He offers timeless intelligence, perspective, and some food for thought in almost everything he writes, and he can be taken in homeopathic doses. While most of the subjects he addressed are now dated, what he had to say was truly timeless. This is a great little book, and one I highly recommend. Enjoy!

I. F. Stone seemed to take it personally whenever any part of the globe was under consideration for being sent back to a new Stone Age by modern weaponry. Regarding proposals for more relentless pursuit of American policy in Vietnam on January 20, 1966, he wrote, "But this tough old troglodyte is not through yet. The whole air force drive in Vietnam is to transform a war we can't win to a war we might; from a war for the loyalties of the Vietnamese people into a war to destroy them; this is giving the obsolete B-52 its last murderous gasp over South Vietnam's jungles and rice paddies." (p. 104) That was a long time ago, and Stone can hardly be blamed for failing to see that the situations which could make such activities popular would fail to end in his own time. He had some grasp of history, but hardly could tell that we were all heading for catastrophes in which being unable to relate would be the new norm.

Torment is the key word in the title. The 1960s were years which were my golden age for understanding the geopolitical situation, because I was young enough to appreciate political views without regard for who was making money or controlling the means of production. I. F. Stone was astute enough to make his own economic criticism count in such times, even in the unlikely context of a review of the life of General Curtis LeMay, "after a lifetime of bomber command, as he told it to the writer of his story, MacKinley Kantor." (p. 92):

His nearest approach to an unfriendly remark about the capitalist system is an angry comment in his account of how the Air Corps flew the mails in 1934 under Roosevelt. "The public bought the idea (and still retains it)," he comments sourly, "that scores of Air Corps pilots lost their lives in an heroic but absurd attempt to emulate the superb performance of the commercial airlines." It is only in the bitterness of his feud with McNamara, that he allows himself to reflect by implication on the Business Man. . . .(p. 93).

Much as such disputes might have mattered in the Department of Defense, I. F. Stone was independent enough, in his own paper, to have his own approach: "The military-industrial complex never had an officer more loyally blinkered." (p. 94). These were merely preliminary matters to be gotten out of the way before discussing the forms of torment which were to be most closely associated with General Curtis LeMay in the tasks which he had willingly attempted to accomplish. The point at which I feel that I learned the most from I. F. Stone was in finding an intellectual foundation for this kind of torment in "the doctrine of the Prussian military writers of the nineteenth century." (pp. 96-7). It was an approach adopted by Hindenburg in Poland, early in World War I, on November 20, 1914, when he wrote, "Lotz is starving. That is deplorable, but it ought to be so. The more pitiless the conduct of the war the more humane it is in reality, for it will run its course all the sooner." (p. 97). The statement was only a little more than fifty years old when Stone quoted it. The amazing thing about this book is how Stone always manages to avoid being so pitiless.

From the cover: Some two thousand years ago, the people of the East began to value and display stones of extraordinary natural beauty. Refined by the Japanese over the following centuries, the presentation of these impressive stones in still-life arrangements or with miniature trees has become an elegant and esteemed art form known as suiseki. The essentials of this fine art are explained in this book: a complete "how-to" guide for collectors; a primer on key Japanese concepts and terminology; advice on displaying stones; hints on combining suiseki with bonsai; advice on using suiseki in interior design; instructions for carving and preparing bases; a historical overview of suiseki; and a bilingual classification guide. 69 plates in full color.

You will never look at rocks the same after reading this book.

Mr. Yoshimura and Dr. Covello provide all the basics of viewing stone development, preparation and appreciation. All material is well-written and presented in an easy-to-understand method that makes one want to begin this art immediately.

I am very disappointed and angry that a book published in 1984 by Vincent T. Covello and Yuji Yoshimura as co authors should now, since Mr Yoshimura has died and cannot comment, is describing Mr Yoshimura as a mere contributor. We all know that the Yoshimura name sold the book!

Here is a wonderful intro for children to the fabulous potential of computer graphics. Never mind the charming story, Kanyon and the Rainbow Stone shows us how dynamic computer art can be. The hero comes alive not only through narrative but through energized drawing, as engaging as the best comic book characters. Settings often show fascinating detail, or are washed with the colors of fantasy. A fine blend of art forms engaging the full imagination!

Kanyon and the Rainbow Stone is a must read for children of all ages. It shows them how they can make a difference when they seek to help others. From the still of the night in his quiet neighborhood, Kanyon is able, through his efforts, to make a difference in the lives of the little people of the forest. His one small act of kindness saves them from imminent destruction and makes young Kanyon a hero for all! Beyond the story itself, the 32 full color illustrations are innovative and cutting edge. Martine Gaudissart has done a fabulous job with her first book!

Kanyon shows us that we all have something to give and that we can make a difference in others lives if only our willingness to help and our sense of caring is alive within us. With just a little imagination and a lot of heart, Kanyon saves the little fairies of the forest and experiences the valuable qualities of love and caring for himself. The artwork is captivating and will draw the little readers into the scenes as well as the big readers! I loved the book and am sending it to all my nieces and nephews!

I found the book originally at the Alexandria location of the Kenington Rune Stone in Minnesota a few years back. I read the book & had to meet Thomas Reiersgord in Edina, Minnnesota, also my home town, too!

I throughly enjoyed the book, brought many copies from Tom, personally, & distributed them to my friend all over the states.
We only disagreed one point in his experience of writing the book, that was he clearly was involved in a past life with monks that wrote the Rune Stone ~ found by a farmer, Olof Ohman in 1898 wrapped in an Aspen tree's roots.

I'm sorry to hear my friend has passed on. At least he knows, now I was right, too, like he was on the Rune Stone depiction of the monks dying from the Black Death, actually the anthrax version of the bubonic plague!

But then, how did he know that & prove it? Read the book!:>)

Last year, shortly before his passing away, I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Olson. Lloyd grew up in the 20's on a farm near Kensington. He was best friends with Nils Flatten's son and knew the Ohman children as well. Lloyd has always defended his old neighbor, Olaf Ohman, by saying, "Olaf never carved anything in his life." The only question left for Lloyd was, "How did the KRS end up in Olaf's back forty?"
In his book, "KRS It's Place in History," Thomas Reiersgord finally answers that question. His book is as fresh as a Minnesota morning in June. It's cleverly written with tons of facts, readable maps, and loads of logical deductions. Mr. Reiersgord may go down in history as the "Sherlock Holmes of Minnesota." Great book!

My name is Sheryl Reiersgord and Tom Reiersgord was my great uncle. He recently passed away and that is when I decided that I didn't know him well enough. This book was one of his many passions in his life so I decided to read it. It was wonderful. He has great historical account and tells amazing facts. I'm thankful that my great uncle wrote this book, now I can cherish it forever!

The Kidnapped King is a very good book. This book is mostly about a boy named Dink looking for the King , Queen and the Prince of Socotra because they are friends. The royal family were being held prisoner in the hotel by Joan Klinker because the king's enemies wanted to take over the country. This book is a mystery book. My favorite part is when Dink looks for Sammi ( the Prince ) when I got to this part I didn't want to put the book down. Dink is brave, smart and an ordinary boy.

A new kid on the block (staying in Dink's house!), a little action (a kidnap!), a little language lesson (French!), and a lot of teamwork (involving both children, parents, and authority figures) leads to another intriguing tale and a happy ending. Ron Roy's A-To-Z-Mysteries have proven quite successful in our household. I've now read all eleven installments to my four-year-old son, and he has found them immensely entertaining. Similarly, our best friend's daughter, an advanced elementary school reader, promptly consumed these books and deemed them enjoyable. Sure, like most of the chapter book series for little people, the plots tend to be marginally predictable -- conversely, these books weren't written for the parents (and the children seem to find the mysteries sufficiently compelling). I also find that, at a certain level, the fact that the characters in these mysteries are (reasonably) normal children confronting seemingly pedestrian criminals is a welcome break from my son's fascination with the preternatural and his preference for the less realistic (but highly entertaining) series such as the Secrets of Droon, Bailey School Kids, and the Magic Tree House. Also, unlike many of the series books, it does not seem critical to read the books in order (although we do). It's also nice that the protagonists -- Dink, Ruth Rose, and Josh -- play well together, think through difficult problems, exhibit good manners and, for the most part, display the type of vocabulary you won't mind if your children repeat.

This is a book about three friends who solve mysteries. In this book the three friends will rescue three rich people who are the King, Queen, and Prince.

Now I will tell you about the story. These friends names are Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. These friends have solved many mysteries and saved many people from going to prison.

This author entertained my feelings. People write comments on his books because they like them. The mysteries he writes are very good.

The illustrator is also very good at drawing. He draws exactly what the author writes. The drawing looks really real.

I recommend this book because it is a very good mystery to read at night. I like the way he makes the kids find clues.

This book has his beginning when Helen Bannermann wrote and illustrated it for her two daughters in 1899. Now on it new version by Fred Marcellino, his story captures the scense of the original tale. Babachi is a kid who is going to learn how to be smart when he stands in front of many tigers in the jungle. This story runs like butter when you read it.

This book has his beginning when Helen Bannermann wrote and illustrated it for her two daughters in 1899. Now on it new version by Fred Marcellino, his story captures the scense of the original tale. Babachi is a kid who is going to learn how to be smart when he stands in front of many tigers in the jungle. This story runs like butter when you read it.

This book has his beginning when Helen Bannermann wrote and illustrated it for her two daughters in 1899. Now on it new version by Fred Marcellino, his story captures the scense of the original tale. Babachi is a kid who is going to learn how to be smart when he stands in front of many tigers in the jungle. This story runs like butter when you read it.

Be set for a reading marathon when you start this book, for once started it is almost impossible to put down as the reader is moved for downtown Chicago to Mexican town and countryside. The characters are believable and turns of plot absorbing. This is an ideal "escape" read.

Discovery of an ancient artifact attracts shadowy characters in the Mexico-Chicago drug "business", and upends the life and love and business career of Doug Sutherland. Sexy women, bad bad guys, and bad good guys join in an intelligent and action driven plot. Mr McIntosh knows and describes his locations well - cold, wintry Chicago and atmospheric San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where the story moves from one to the other. His characters are developed well and matter to me as reader. Sutherland's dark, disturbing childhood, his distanced mother and her mysterious history coupled with the action around "The Stone" gave me a most enjoyable read.

The Lagarto Stone is a fast moving,well-written creative thriller. The settings in Chicago and Mexico felt very authentic. I significantly broadened my Spanish vocabulary, and, as an avid reader, I must give Mr. McIntosh my greatest compliment: After the first few pages I felt that I was in "good hands." Is the next one coming soon? I hope so!

Cindy and Penny virtually take you to Europe "on the spot" via their emails sent home.You will hear conversations with Europeans, questions they ask of Americans,and you will be seated at their tables tasting their delicious food. My favorite chapter is Italy, where the girls housesit for 3 wks in a Tuscan villa, gather olives for olive oil, hear Puccini opera in a vineyard, and meet the local Tuscans. The authors paint well their adventures in watercolors and words. If you love travel,real travel, from the ground up-and love to smile at two girls making the "best of it", this book is the real thing!

What an inspirational tale! How many of us have thought of leaving the security of our day-to-day lives to pursue a dream? How many of us have actually had the courage to do it?

Not only is this an inspirational tale of two women giving up their long-term careers and the security of their futures, but it is also a glimpse into the backroads of Europe as seen on a bicycle. The writing is great and the story compelling - five stars for this one!

I wouldn't normally read a book like this since the last thing I want to do is sell all my stuff and bike Europe in all manner of weather on $10,000 for one year. But the book is about risk, survival, and transcendence. It's a journal on steriods with great stories full of insight, pathos and humor. Borden and Richardson have a knack for picking out the right detail: Cindy being attacked by a Monkey who wanted her M & M's; learning Dutch after eating dogfood in Belgium; surviving accidents, downpours and steep grades, then returning home to begin new lives, this time doing what they want to do, not what they have to do. Oh yes, and I loved the delicate water colors Cindy painted to capture a whole experience in elegant simplicity. If you want a fun and inspiring read, this is the book.