V Books

This was a very supportive book,and had very useful information. Heal Your Headache by Dr. David Buchholz helped me more.

After living with Migraine Disease for 22 years (I am now only 26) this book has provided me with some answers. I have been suffering from chronic daily headache for the past four years. I picked up this book one weekend and could NOT put it down. Within a week, I was on the recommended Web sites, found a recommended doctor in my area and got in to see him. I've been headache-free for 2 days now! That might not seem like much to some people but to me, it feels like forever! Thank you Teri!

I have had migraines for over 20 years. I thought I knew it all and could write the book on migraines, but this one actually taught me some new tricks! I have shared it with 3 other people and even bought it for my sisters who suffer from migraines.

I enjoyed this book far more than I expected. Since the author also experiences migraine attacks, she writes with a great deal of empathy for the sufferer. Reading the stories of the author and others who have experienced attacks at least as frequent or as "bad" as mine reassured me that I am not alone. This book makes two main points: Nearly all migraine patients can be helped, and we should not settle for inadequate medical care. I recommend this book to anyone who experiences migraine attacks, or who cares about someone who does. The book provides both information and encouragement.

This is the book that changed my life! It gives you comprehensive information, guides on how to help yourself in an ER situation, doctors that don't listen, and how to get the best care possible for yourself or your loved one.

Teri writes with such knowledge and compassion. Every single medical term is explained. She speaks from the heart and you can tell this book was a labor of love.

Thank you Teri! You helped me get my life back!!

Sometimes I read parenting books for inspiration, other times for nitty-gritty advice. In a tone that's respectful of parents as well as children, Samalin delivers both. She is terrific at empathizing with a parent's perspective (she understands what it's like to be an overwhelmed parent), yet keeps the child's well-being in clear focus. I appreciate the specific, solution-oriented advice (for setting limits while remaining supportive of your child, for example), as well as the pat on the back from this friendly, often humorous author. As usual, Samalin contributes to the fun of becoming a well educated parent.

I read this book a few months ago and immediately took it to heart. It absolutely changed the way I think about discipline. The most interesting thing is that recently, I picked it up to browse through again, and was amazed at all the thoughts from the book that I have adopted as my own. So many tips I've used...so many anecdotes I've repeated to friends...so much GOOD STUFF that I've internalized since I read it the first time.

My husband read the book, too. He has for the past 4 years been a believer in the style of discipline promoted by John Rosemond: very authoritarian and a strict disciplinarian of the old school, "just like your grandmother." This style has become very popular lately, as American children seem to be more insolent, violent and disrespectful than ever before. A reversion to that old-time discipline seems, at first blush, to be the answer.

Although we certainly want our children to be well-behaved and respectful, we also want them to be happy and well-adjusted, not sneaky and defiant. After reading Samalin's thoughtful book, my husband and I have decided that we agree with Rosemond's goals, but not his methods. Samalin will give you options, and ways to be an authoritative parent, instead of an authoritarian one. THAT INSIGHT ALONE IS WORTH THE PRICE OF THIS BOOK, and there are many more.

I've never found one parenting book that has all the answers. In fact, the longer I'm a parent, the more convinced I am that there are no clear-cut instructions on discipline that are right for every child. But this book -- with its wonderful anecdotes, sample dialogues and calm, pragmatic suggestions -- is the one book I recommend above all others. I certainly wish my parents had read it.

Finally, a book I can actually use everyday! So many parenting books are great "in theory" but never work in practice. Nancy Samalin's book, Loving without Spoiling, saves my family from upset on a daily basis. I read parts of it over and over again, and it never fails to amaze me. I especially follow the "pick your battles" advice--this is so effective. Her simple suggestions to change the way you phrase requests are incredibly effective!

This is the book I would like to hand every new parent as they begin their journey. Nancy Samalin has provided a map for parents to help them navigate the bumps and blind curves on the road to raising happy, responsible children. Experienced parents will recognize and appreciate the jewels of wisdom in this practical and wise guide to parenting.

Maureen Murphy, Director of The Children's School, recognized by the Ford Foundation as a leader and innovator in early childhood education.

This book has become my most often referenced parenting book. Its format is ideal for 3-minute refresher courses on strategies. Today, I just re-read "End Morning Madness" and "Jump-Start the Dawdler" to help get ready for the first week of school. When you feel like there must be a better way to deal with a situation, but you are too stressed, distracted, or busy to calmly think it through, give yourself a time-out and run for this book.

A very cute book. The images are dated but cute. While I think that this book was meant for a younger child, my 6 year old is still excited by it. She thinks that it's great to have a baby book of her own to fill out!

This is a beautiful book that would be a great gift for any big brother or sister. What a wonderful way to encourage love for a younger sibling.

This book is really adorable. I can't wait for my 3 year old to fill it out with me. It has really great checklists and places for pictures for your older sibling to fill out.

This is a great product. I have been really worried about how my 3 year old daughter is gonna take being a big sister. She has been very spoiled her whole life. When we got this book in the mail she was so happy. I am only 13 weeks so she has plenty of time to wait until she can use the book but she thought it was really cool. I think this a good idea to keep them involved.

I bought this book for my three kids. It is actually for one child to fill out about the new baby. I have adapted it for all three kids to share. It makes them feel involved and adds to the excitement of the new baby. I think all new brothers and sisters should have this book.

This powerful work is at once inspiring, frustrating and captivating. Kozol draws the reader into a world called Mott Haven that is filled with substance, love, service and hope. He poignantly describes the lives of children while blasting the manner in which we have chosen to deal with our most needy sectors of society. Kozol's gifted and powerful storytelling reminds us of several truths:

1. Segregation is potentially a bigger problem today than ever. White flight, private schools, school choice, home-schooling, virtual schools and lack of equitable access to technology are widening the gap.
2. Inequities in education must be addressed with the underlying belief that every child has the potential to achieve his/her dreams. Society must be responsible and held accountable for creating conditions ensuring that this occurs.
3. Teachers and students must all be able to work and learn in optimum conditions that safeguard and ensure dignity.
4. Although children appear to be resilient, we must protect their innocence, ensure they have the chance to dream and be inspired by their eternal optimism and hope. The real heroes of today are those who spend time with our children, listening to and nurturing their dreams.
5. We spend too much on our prison system and must figure out a way to divert that funding to education and healthcare so we can be proactive rather than reactive.

Kozol manages to convey the realities of inner city education by illuminating the complexities behind the daily challenges facing teachers and parents. His manner of connecting the problems to the institutions and practices that society has created to deal with those who do not "fit the system" provides a wake-up call to all of us who are working to make a difference in the lives of children. Kozol shows us that the system we have created is nurturing itself instead of helping people to break out of the vicious cycle characterized by lack of quality education, health care, meaningful work opportunities and dignity. We can no longer ignore the problems in the inner cities of America, not just because it makes economic sense but because it makes human sense to individually develop our most precious resources - our children. Community leaders, parents, educators, and corporate leaders should put this compelling book on the top of their "must read" list.

In Ordinary Resurrections, Jonathan Kozol deviates from his usual "gloves off" attack of the issues facing minority children. Instead of building the case against the inequitable system with facts and figures, as he has in previous work, he has chosen the subtle but effective approach of a storyteller. He paints a very descriptive portrait of the victims of continued segregation and racism that may inspire those in positions of influence to make more compassionate decisions regarding the lives of the children they serve.

Things that scream out to me from Kozol's book(s):

1) Incarceration vs. Education (do the math!)
The incarceration industry is thriving on blind public support. If taxpayers knew they were paying on the average ten to twenty times more to incarcerate supposed perpetrators of victimless crimes than it would cost to educate them, I'd bet they might even overlook their racist fears. The corporate/federal mentality that chooses to decide early on what these children will bring to the economy seems to prefer them as a product in this system versus potential contributors to something greater.

2) Resilience (despite our conditional "help")
In their innocent naiveté the children neglected by the system remain courageous, hopeful, and resilient. This resilience may diminish as they weather the inequities of the system that oppresses them, but it is often the attribute that enables them to succeed regardless of our preaching and teaching. Just imagine what heights they might reach if they continued to be nurtured as they are by the caring individuals in their lives now.

3) Compassion (essential)
As a beneficiary of white male privilege his reflections from the other side of the gap are poignant and insightful lessons for those of us too far removed from the reality that exists in many of our cities. Even after this racial inequity is acknowledged it is difficult for most of us to express empathy in ways that ring genuine. Kozol does! He is trusted and welcomed by the culture and community he strives to serve. His stories reflect a model for learning and practicing compassion which, in my opinion, may be the single most important factor in saving ourselves from extinction. Kozol repeatedly demonstrates the importance
of compassion in his work. Listen to him!

4) Racism, segregation, inequality (market view politics)
Racism is institutionalized in the United States despite the hope segregation was ending that the civil rights movements of the sixties inspired. "Kids notice that no politicians talk about this. They hear the politicians saying, "We're gonna have tougher standards in your separate-but-not-equal schools. We're gonna raise the bar of academic discipline in your separate-but-not-equal schools." But nobody says we're going to make them less separate and more equal. Nobody says that." - Kozol interview in Education World

5) Toxic environments (no one to litigate)
AIDS, asthma, drugs, violence, toxic pollution, poverty, malnutrition, lack of medical attention, apartheid economics, and neglect are common elements in the environment Kozol's children try to survive in. Basic needs must be satisfied before we can expect children to be receptive to that which we would have them learn. Kozol is issuing a wake-up call to the complacent masses that are either unaware or in denial that this situation is serious and threatens all of us socially, emotionally, and economically.

In my opinion, implications for educators that may be gleaned from Kozol's book include:
* The extreme importance of compassion in all aspects of dealing with children.
* Recognition that before we talk about diversity we need to spend a lot more
time in the conversation about racism.
* Locking people up is not rehabilitation and in the long run is socially,
emotionally, spiritually, and economically disastrous. Break the cycle of incarceration!

The Bronx has a long history. I'm always bumping into middle-aged and elderly professionals from the Bronx. Their mothers scrubbed floors; they went to City University. They now live in million-dollar condos in Manhattan. The ghetto is a conveyor belt for those who make up their minds to sacrifice their youth for future gain. Today's Bronx looks very much as Kozol describes. The very young are cute and inspiring, I suppose, but there must be a reason he leaves out the teens and their older brothers and sisters. The modern ghetto doesn't put a premium on discipline and learning. Kozol feeds into the victimology, seeing the community suffering from the failures of others to "do" right by them. Teachers know, however, that much would be improved if parents would simply make their children go to bed on time. Crime would be halved if kids were told to come in by 9. Early immigrants left the Bronx for the affluent suburbs, having devoted themselves to their children's education. Today it is rare indeed to meet a parent who has even one book in the house. Funding won't make up for this basic poverty of values.

Ordinary Resurrections is one of the most important books I've ever read and one of the most poignantly beautiful. It is an absolute must read for everyone who cares about children, the wide disparity in economic opportunity in the U.S., and who dares to hope for our future. Kozol movingly brings to life in his first-hand descriptive account the lives and conditions in their own words of children and their families who have been deliberately neglected, ignored, hidden away. This true story of their hope, strength, resilience, and beauty testifies to the dominance of the human spirit in the face of unspeakable abuse by government at every level and all systems that have failed them.

Jonathan Kozal has taken away the protective myth that America's school children are all treated equally, with dignity and given unvarying opportunities. In his latest book, ORDINARY RESURRECTIONS, Kozal's readers get a glimpse into a reality that replaces equal value with present day segregation to children of the poor. Although many in power would like to ignore the disgrace of how our underprivileged students are educationally treated in areas such as Mott Haven, New York, Kozal's first hand account of such inequality calls for a recognition and reformation of America's priorities. Told in the children's words, this book contributes awareness to the desperate need for compassion to and knowledge of the struggles of many American youth. The facts are both shocking and compelling, and will challenge the values one holds to necessitate action on our children's behalf. As Kozal states, the reality is that "...there are few areas in which the value we attribute to a child's life may be so clearly measured as in the decisions that we make about the money we believe it's worth investing in the education of one person's child as opposed to that of someone else's child." Once read, ORDINARY RESURRECTIONS destroys the bliss of ignorance. One is faced with the decision to powerfully act or despairingly ignore.

When I bought this book, I hope to discover some facts about piano making and I am happy with the purchase. This is a good book for everyone because is the point of view of a writer and is the general view just like everyone who isn't in the piano world just piano technicians, piano teachers, buyers,dealers; is great for pianists, musicians and all the people who wants to know how is the making of a piano for one of the greatest piano makers, isn't a technical book, have historical facts in the way of anecdotic, humorous, and some factory language.

Steinway pianos are my favorite. Being that I am a professional country/blues pianist, if I can't play a Steinway, I would rather not play! James Barron wrote an historical account of the making of a Steinway. The piano is still made the way they started since the 1800's. No assembly line, no plastic parts, and no artificial wood. They are constructed by hand and skilled craftsmanship.

Why buy a $400.00 piano made in China? That is an insult not only to beginning and professional pianists, but an insult to the piano itself. In 2000, the piano celebrated it's 300th anniversary. Piano is the most famous house hold instrument.

This book is enjoyable, and educational even to those who do not play, but love to hear the glorious 88 keys hitting the strings. The harpsichord was a for runner of the piano. The difference was, you may beat the keys as hard as you can, but you still only received one level of sound. Strings were plucked, and the piano was made for the hammers to hit the strings. The harder you played, the louder a piano sounded. The piano changed the history of the world. I think two of the greatest pianist is Floyd Cramer, and Roger Williams.

Steinway takes you deep into the heart of their factory, and shows you how a piano is meant to be built and played. The history is fascinating.

K-0862 became a living...feeling...emotional entity by the end of this book........A very very original idea (to breath life into this piano) and well written. Actually EXTREMELY WELL WRITTEN book...My NEW favorite among all books...right up there with OVER THE EDGE OF THE WORLD......... The two most enjoyable....... educational........ books I have ever read!!!!!! KUDOS!!!!!!! I hated when i got to the end of this one!!!!!!

I took my copy of "Piano: The Making of a Steinway Concert Grand" to the beach with me. I read it in 4 days! Mr. Barron infuses a wealth of information into a wonderful story about this piano,and oh so much more. Before you know it K-0862 is a character you care about. I cannot imagine anyone not finding something to love about this book!!! Masterfully written!

Excellently and diligently written, this little book tells the story of one Steinway concert grand piano from conception to adolescence. Barron loves the piano, respects the Company, and is dilgent in showing the evolution of Steinway, as well as the creation of one, new opus - a 9 foot concert piano. Barron introduces us to the barons of Steinway and the individual craftsmen who hand make these excellent instruments. To me, the quality and individual character of each Steinway piano are no longer a mystery.

Each time I play my own small grand piano (a quality A B Chase, close replica of the Steinway model S), I think of the efforts that went into it. Unlike Yamahas and such, the Steinway is an almost hand-built piano from a Company which has never relented in its determination to produce the best.

The book also explains why age is not all that becoming in the tonal life of a piano. The instrument has a birth, a development, and an aging process which are measured in tonal character progress, not just years. The aged Steiway seems a time integral of all that has come before - including hundred year old designs and techniques, and all the way up to its last tuning.

If you think a piano is a piano, is a piano, Barron's book will change your outlook.

While the authors are amazing, I'm sure they would agree that is Mother Antonia who makes the book a blessing. Just as in her life, this book will teach you that Christ is alive and each of us must only "follow" and He will be revealed. Read this book. Support her mission if you can. She's just a real person, like the rest of us - but her walk is that of a saint. I just wanted to hug her after reading this book. I'm sorry I missed the opportunity to meet her when she visited a large town nearby.

I read this book in several sittings which is unusual for me. I just couldn't stop and wanted to read some more of this fascinating story. It is a feel good story for the modern ages. If you are reading this you probably know about the former Beverly Hillls mom , twice divorced who was unable to receive Holy Communion from the Catholic Church, circumvented any road blocks and began her service for mankind(the most down and out of low people in La Mesa prison near Tijuana)and our Lord at age fifty. She produced her own habit and eventually was recognized by an official order. She has worked amongst the biggest drug dealers of Mexico, the murderer of Presidential candidate Colosio, the bloodiest of assasins and the peons who are just to poor to live in society and seek refuge in jail(now that is desperate)and the mentally ill. A prison in Mexico is unlike an American prison. Torture is common. She got involded in prison reform as well as changing men. Mother Antonia is unafraid of the toughest and meanest because she is a righteous woman and all who encounter her love and admire her. She lives in prison. She lives the same way the prisoners do. She walks and talks to the hardest of hard core. She gives them hope and transforrms many of their lives through the miracle of faith. This is an inspirational story that will leave you pondering your own existence; it is truly an amazing story that all should read as it will make you feel better about mankind. She is truly a living saint. Oh yes, there is a large print edition of this book available for the visually handicapped. God bless Sister Antonio and all who she touches.

This is a very inspirational book and helps people see how they can still be useful as they get older.

The Prison Angel is one of the most inspiring books I've ever read. Mother Antonia is so amazing that one would question the truth of her story if it weren't for the consistent witness and corroboration provided by all those who come into contact with her. She loves and ministers to everyone without distinction. This is a great book for teaching the golden rule.

Mother Antonia is an inspiration for us to see all people as fellow humans with similar needs - to be cared for, loved, and accepted. I appreciate that she paved the way to be valuable at an "older" age, and she welcomes women in their later years as valuable and able to serve others. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and passed it around among many friends.

In addition to everyone's positive comments, I'd like to add that my now 6-year old daughter has enjoyed this book for over two years now. She doesn't like to have too many books read to her more than once, but likes to hear Ruby's Wish when we can't think of anything else. I think we're up to at least ten times now! She's a Chinese-Japanese American who likes how Ruby overcomes everyone's (low) expectations of girls' academic achievement, her love of bright colors, and her inner strength! I'm looking forward to my daughter reading the book to me soon.

The book Ruby's Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges, takes place a long time ago in a city in China. A rich man married many wives and had over one hundred children. So since he had so many children he hired a teacher. Girls never really learned how to read and write. That's why girls had to work extra hard. The girls were supposed to just learn how to cook and keep house. All girls stopped going to class accept for Ruby. Ruby wrote a poem that her teacher and her grandfather were impressed with. She wanted to go to university than get married. So when she got older her grandfather gave her a red packet. When she opened it, it was a letter from a university saying they would accept her as one of there first female students

Ruby is a fantastic student she had the best calligraphy in her class. Even when all the other girls stopped going she stayed.

Ruby really wants to learn. Shirin Yim Bridges wrote, "When the boys had finished there studies for the day, they were free to play." "But the girls had to learn how to learn about cooking and keeping house. Ruby wanted to go to university even though it was unusual for girls to do that.

Ruby is a really hard working person. She chose to go to school because if she didn't want to she didn't have to. Ruby had to work hard since she was a girl. She worked so hard she was accepted to university.

By Jesus

Our six year old daughter really likes this book. It has a great message and darling pictures.

I loved this book! Ruby is a Chinese child living in China with her very large family. As a child, she knew that she was destined to marry, like all the females in her family, but she really wanted to
go to the university. It is a childrens' book with beautiful illustrations. There is a special little twist at the end that makes the story even more endearing to the reader. We have given it as a birthday present to a few of my 5 year old daughter's classmates, as well as to her teachers for a year-end present. We highly recommend this book!

Set in turn-of-the-century China, young Ruby wants to go to school, but tradition holds that only boys get an education - hence the title, _Ruby's Wish_. The artwork is beautiful, with abundant details, but the book's strength is the story itself and the morals of the value of an education and working for what one desires. The ending is also very sweet. Particularly recommended for young girls.

woderfull,Rabbi Chefitz is a wonderfull story teller and this novel is profaund ,really enjoy it!

Certain books call to me. Most books I won't buy until I've read and analyzed all the reviews on Amazon, but this book I picked up in a bookstore, read til the store closed, and then at every opportunity until I finished it. The narrative is real enough to be believable, but strongly tinged with the mystical, and works at many different levels. The telling of stories to teach and heal is an art and science, and Mitch Chefitz has mastered both ends of the spectrum with this extraordinary work.

The fictional rabbi at the center of this novel is a thoroughly modern mystic who is all too aware that some lessons can be dangerous if the teacher doesn't meet the student where he/she stands. Goldberg's "Bee Season" suggested that mystical strains of Judaism could propel American fiction; Chefitz's "Seventh Telling" proves that American fiction can teach mystical Judaism. "The Seventh Telling" is the more ambitious and more successful of the two novels. It is the best book I've read this year and the only book for which I've ever been moved to offer a testimonial.

This is a powerful,beautifully written novel that has the ability to speak to the reader in many different ways. The first time I read it was for pleasure and I could not put it down. I literally finished the last page and went back to the first page to read it again. Each reading has given me a different level of understanding and I am sure that when I read it again I will learn on still another level. What a rarity for Kabballah to be made so accessible and what a surprise to have it in the form of a very readable novel. You will be swept up in the lives of the characters and captivated by the stories. I am looking forward to the sequel that is due out next year!

I don't know why this book called my name as I chanced upon it at a bookstore. But, it did. I picked it up, began reading, read at every opportunity, ordered the sequel before I was finished, moved right on to the sequel, and am now re-reading the first book. I even e-mailed Mitchell Chefitz (he answered my e-mail, by the way). I hardly recognize myself.

This book is transformative. It took this hard-headed realist into the nature of mysticism, slowly, evenly and intelligently. (I think the ancient kabbalists were on to quantum mechanics well before the 20th century physicists were.) It can be read on so many levels that there is something in it for everybody.

It changed my view of death. Read it.

have a problem with using words like "brilliant", "masterful" and "intelligent." But willing apply all words to this brilliant book, masterfully research and intelligently told.

The author gives a very full and complete treatise on Brown versus the Board of Education, but of greater interest, he writes of all the history that lead up to the ruling.

An exceptional book chronicling an extremely important issue in our country's history.

Long a mainstay of every 1L's pre-law school summer reading list, SIMPLE JUSTICE is more than a retelling of the tortured history of the landmark cases now known collectively as Brown v. Board of Ed. It is more than a retelling of the agonizing struggles of both gifted and ordinary people---black and white and every other---to reverse the four centuries of racial disparagement that make up the ugliest of all underpinnings of the American Experiment. What SIMPLE JUSTICE is, is an exhaustive sociological history of race relations in the United States to the 1950s.

It is a book every American should read. The endemic quality of racism in the American psyche is so overwhelming that it is easy to lose the human element. SIMPLE JUSTICE restores that element with sensitive, intelligent writing, exhaustive and documented research, and a tone which is pitch perfect, strident when need be, reasoned and thoughtful throughout. Ultimately optimistic, SIMPLE JUSTICE will renew your belief in the American system even while tempering it.

In it's retelling of nightmarish incident after nightmarish incident (the explosive and hideous lynchings are often easier to understand than the equally hideous and more subtle segregation and caricaturing that endured for, it seems, ever), SIMPLE JUSTICE shows us an America riven by its view of itself as a noble nation being eaten by the canker in its soul.

Although many Americans now consider race discrimination passe, it is not so hard to see the continuation of a pattern of violence toward blacks and the denigration of the black experience, even today. And yet, there is more, for not only are Black Americans denigrated, but White Americans as well, both suffering because this nation is only a fraction of what it might othewise be.

SIMPLE JUSTICE is a crucial Civics lesson. Read it to learn. Read it to know. Read it. Read it again.

This is certainly the best book ever written -- the best book that ever will be written -- about race, law and American society. It is a remarkably insightful history and one of the most stunning existing examples of narrative journalism. It is a masterpiece.

I'm a fan of nonfiction works and this easily moved to my top 5 favorite books. When I was growing up there were no courses on the contributions blacks made to America. There was no black history month. And I was cheated. I'm a 50+ white woman who lived through desegregation and had no clue that it was a struggle. I honestly don't remember a time when my elementary classes were all white but they must have been. I do remember clearly when my elementary class stopped being all white. That was when Richard Harris became my Batman buddy. On the aftenoons following the show we would go to the neighborhood soda shop and have a coke and discuss all the action of the previous evening's show and check for new Batman bubble gum cards with the intensity that only 5th graders can bring to such an important endeavor. It felt normal to chat Batman with Richard; and I'm so sorry for all the children that had such a dumb practice as segregation rob them of those moments.

This book read like a thiriller for me. Couldn't put it down. Underlined and highlighted parts. Read other sections out loud to my husband and to some friends at work. This is American history. Everyone should have the opportunity to learn about the value of education, the value of varied experiences and the perseverance to acquire the rights that should never have been denied to the black people. It's made me hungry to know more and I'll be keeping my eye out for other works by Kluger. Excellent author.

I just finished this book, A Simple Justice, and it is fantastic. It's the story of Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka, which is the landmark Supreme Court case that desegregated compulsory public schools in America. But it's so much more than that. After reading this book, I felt almost ashamed of my previous ignorance to the struggles and condition of black america at the hands of almost everyone else in the country. It is comprehensive in its scope and perspicacious in its analysis, sparing no feelings on either (or rather, any) side. I believe myself to be, for the most part, a judicious man when it comes to philosophical or sociological observations, but Kluger was able to open my eyes to angles I had previously missed on issues I thought I had resolved long ago. So if you're not too scared of big books, this one's worth the time.

Andrea Camilleri is one of the few brilliant writers in the genre of detective fiction. His work has it all: superb writing, sensuality, food, funny and moving characters, a great detective, and a setting that allows for all kinds of innuendo and inference - Sicily. The translations are amazingly good, and the only caveat I have is BEWARE: these books are highly addictive.

Having read all the Andrea Camilleri books in Italian, I want to emphasize that the opening of Cane di Terracotta gives a perfect intro to Montalbano's character and ambience, and is an example of his best writing.
All Camilleri's Montalbano books read as if set for TV or movie, with quick moving short scenes, easily engaging the contemporary reader.
Can you imagine reading an Italian translation of Faulkner's works and being able to claim that you understood the depth of his writing? The same is true of Camilleri's Sicilian dialect being translated into English. Aside from his wonderful focus on the pleasures and travails of everyday life, and on the foibles of humanity, the true joy of his writing lies in its dialectical inventiveness, something that cannot be translated.
In fact, Camilleri has elevated his dialect to an art form, validating the usage of dialect in a world which is becoming ever more homogenized. Wasn't there a fellow named Dante that did a similar good turn?
I would encourage inquisitive readers to brush up their Italian so they can read other Andrea Camilleri books, especially those which are not Montalbano thrillers. My favorites are La Scomparsa di Pato, and La Concessione del Telefono. If your Italian is ok, you can learn the dialect from context as you read the books,
but if you want a little help, get Un Filo di Fumo, which has as its appendix a brief dictionary.

This was the first Camilleri novel I read. I started it and finished it in a day. The plot is quick; it drives you along with Inspector Montalbano who is a real "character" in every sense of the word.

Montalbano uses fowl language, LOVES food; he's direct, smug, unpredictable, truly Italian and a great detective. These mysteries have a definite Italian feel to them which only adds to their charm. They may not be for everyone, but if you want a gritty story that keeps you turning pages (and don't mind a few fowl words and so on...) these stories will intrigue you.

In this novel two mysteries are solved. One mystery is from about 50 years ago and the other occurs in present day. Montalbano and his fellow officers unravel both in the way only they can - not always by the book and with a few surprises. You also learn more about Montalbano's ambiguous personal life, which as always includes food, women and a swim in the ocean.

Inspector Salvo Montalbano of Vigàta gets an urgent call from his best friend Greg the pimp they need to meet on the quick, Montalbano is informed that Greg was told to relay a message from Tano the Greek (the number two Mafioso) he wants a secret tête-à-tête. Tano the Greek had been in hiding for quite sometime and on every wanted policeman list possible, Tano had made his conditions very clear that Montalbano should come alone and tell no one. Sudden trembles and panic enter Montalbono head, then suspicion why out of the blue would a member of the Mafioso want to meet with him? Curiosity more than anything gets the better of him and he complies to go without calling it in.

Meanwhile in another part of Vigàta a supermarket heist is taking place, Montalbano soon finds out everything did not go according to plan. Why would anyone bother to set up a heist then not only abandoned the goods but also leave a whole bagful of cash?

Inspector Montalbano is then on the move again this time his called to Palermo Hospital urgently to listen to a dying man's words, which in due course leads Montalbano to a secret cave, two more bodies are discovered embracing each other, even more shocking these bodies had been there for at least fifty years what sort of twisted dark past was this, who were these people and why were they being watched over by a Terracotta dog? Montalbano needs to understand what happened here, he takes time rediscovering the horrors of a WWII past. It's the only way forward.

Andrea Camilleri has written a wonderful Montalbano mystery series, what I love firstly about this whole series would be the charactizations and language the usage of dialogue in conversation it's all been kept real it's got sharp wit and comic moments the sly comments on Italian life and culture keeps things interesting and really amusing. Montalbano is a fantastic leading character his middle-aged, melancholy vein, recites certain favorite authors' lines in moments of doubt and his clearly well read. His passion for great flavored food is endless and mouthwatering, his also a thinker and manages to untangle a spun web of lies and sort out the logic of his cases to get to the truth. Montalbano is not afraid to explore all areas even into obsession. His got a huge female following of all ages because he has that attractiveness about him, one would be his "get to the point attitude" and can say it in many different ways. In spite of much temptation from women he remains faithful to his long time girlfriend Livia who in turn is happy to adjust her life and will calm and comfort in his time of need, Livia understands what his trying to achieve in his world that is corrupted and knows how to handle his darker moods. Montalbano loyal team continues to support him no matter what his faults and tactics may be.

The Fictional town of Vigàta is so vividly portrayed by Camilleri that it feels like a real place in Sicily; Camilleri himself in an interview said he based this town on his birthplace in Sicily Porto Empedocle, people of his home town have now recently changed the name to Vigàta to match the book in his honour. The whole series seems to have a timeless feel about them; I took a whole batch of this series on a recent vacation plotted up and read one to the next, it was addictive reading and I was not disappointed by any. Although you can start anywhere in the series, it clearly deserves to be read from the beginning. This is the second book in the series the first being (La form dell'acqua) The shape of Water.

A special mention to poet Stephen Sartarelli, for the clear translation of each book and for the informative notes given at the back on wording. Thank you.

This book was an intriguing wonderful read, the one that will hook and reel you in.

A.Bowhill

I have become enamoured with the Italian mystery genre in the last 2-3 years. It has been an education to explore Venice with Commissario Brunetti and Florence with Marshall Guarnaccia or Sicily with Inspector Montealbano. All three authors (Donna Leon, Magdalen Nabb, and Andrea Camilleri) know their locale and focus on the daily lives of the citizens, while moving along a rip-roaring story. But there are significant differences - Leon and Nabb write in English (Nabb uses British terms that remind me of Christie that break the spell) while Camilleri writes in Italian. He is Italian - he understands the importance of the land and the wine and especially the food that fuels Sicily. (The translation is superb.) Leon and Nabb certainly know their areas and their craft and they are very, very good, but Camilleri works the magic.

Camilleri captures the angst and the pain and the loneliness of Inspector Montalbano. But he also captures in mouthwatering detail the need to eat with a focus on the quality and variety of food that stops the Inspector's world, even when he has to go long distances to find the right place to eat.

I like to read a series from the beginning. I like to meet and greet the protagonist and then watch him/her grow with fond memories brought about by references to prior books. The Terra Cotta Dog is the first of the series that has been translated into English. Apparently the entire collection is large and the selection for translation has been severe, but the stories and especially the translations have been excellent. This is the place to start.

I highly recommend all three Italian protagonists with Inspector Montalbano and Commissario Brunetti right at the top of my list of "must buy" when a new book hit the market. They take me to places I have never visited, though I now seem to know, and allow me to interact with people I would like to know better.

My colleague and his wife visited his ancestor's Sicily last spring for the first time. I got them 5 of the books and suggested they read them in the order they were written if they had the time. The results were astounding. Apparently there was a fight for the books amongst the 4 that went and Mr. Camilleri's introduction to Sicily through the eyes of Inspector Montalbano made the trip even more memorable than expected. They "lived" Sicily by reading the books - not the big things from the guide books, but the small rituals of life and especially the food. Yes, for the Inspector, it all comes down to food and this is what made the trip so memorable.

Enjoy your tour of Venice or Florence or Sicily!