Washington Books

Before this one, many other books often provide one-sided view from Washington by war historians, scholars and analysts (who did not know off-hand the combat and strategic position at the time nor the moral, spirit and willingness to fight by these young, heroic and patriotic Special Branch Commandos). These books were based largely from declassified War Department MACV-SOG material since 1995, with few interviews with actual SB personnel. The sacrifice these Commandos made (in secrecy from 1956 to 1975) were not told the way it deserves in these books.
At Paris, in 1972, hundreds of these Commandos had been betrayed by Henry Kissinger and their American allied. The American team members got released while the Vietnamese are kept 10 years or longer in prisons. Years later, they are still cheated by many books that often lack the acknowledgement of their heroic sacrifice.

Finally this is one of the two books (the other is by Ken Conboy and Dale Andrade) about the secret war conducted by the CIA and Colonel Ngo The Linh's Bureau 45B (or Special Branch). Mr. Tourison interviewed many Vietnamese commandos & case officers and have made great effort to provide a more complete and accurate account of success and failure of CIA & Special Branch and SOG & Coastal Security Service.

Many of these Commandos died in North Vietnamese cruelest prisons, the rest spent between 15 to 22 years in hard-labor. Their stories are now finally told.

I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Thank you Mr. Tourison.

Before this one, many other books often provide one-sided view from Washington by war historians, scholars and analysts (who did not know off-hand the combat and strategic position at the time nor the moral, spirit and willingness to fight by these young, heroic and patriotic Special Branch Commandos). These books were based largely from declassified War Department MACV-SOG material since 1995, with few interviews with actual SB personnel. The sacrifice these Commandos made (in secrecy from 1956 to 1975) were not told the way it deserves in these books.

At Paris, in 1972, hundreds of these Commandos had been betrayed by Henry Kissinger and their American allied. The American team members got released while the Vietnamese are kept 10 years or longer in prisons. Years later, they are still cheated by many books that often lack the acknowledgement of their heroic sacrifice.

Finally this is one of the two books (the other is by Ken Conboy and Dale Andrade) about the secret war conducted by the CIA and Colonel Ngo The Linh's Bureau 45B (or Special Branch). Mr. Tourison interviewed many Vietnamese commandos & case officers and have made great effort to provide a more complete and accurate account of success and failure of CIA & Special Branch and SOG & Coastal Security Service.

Many of these Commandos died in North Vietnamese cruelest prisons, the rest spent between 15 to 22 years in hard-labor. Their stories are now finally told.

I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Thank you Mr. Tourison.

Tourison provides a long overdue account of ill-conceived covert operations which achieved little other than to demonstrate the bravery of the naive young Vietnamese men who undertook these missions. This is a group which suffered some of the worst treatment dished out in the Vietnamese communist re-education camp system. Readers of Vietnamese should seek out the lengthy memoir "Thep Den" written under the pen name Dang Chi Binh, which covers the recruitment, training, mission, capture and inmprisonment of one of these operatives. Sadly, when some of these men arrived in the refugee camps of Thailand during the late 1980s they had trouble convincing the officials screening them for refugee status that their far-fetched backgrounds were indeed true. That some small measure of financial compensation has finally been provided to this group by the United States government is a welcome gesture, but no gesture will erase the guilt of those responsible for dispatching these men to certain death or imprisonment.

I admire Tourison for revealing the truth about the Gulf of Tonkin incidents which led to an escalation of the Vietnam conflict. The book tells of the CIA's Operation Plan 34a which directed commando raids against N Vietnam which resulted in PT boat attacks against American destroyers in the gulf where they seemed to be supporting the commandos. Those attacks resulted in the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which gave the president extraordinary war powers which began an all-out war, although it was never declared as such by congress. It was great to learn how the war *Really* began. Sad to say, it was started by us :-(

Before this one, many other books provide the one-sided view from Washington by war historians, scholars and analysts (who did not know off-hand the combat and strategic position at the time nor the moral, spirit and willingness to fight by the young and heroic Special Branch Commandos). These books were based largely from declassified War Department MACV-SOG material since 1995, with few interviews with actual SB personnel. The sacrifice these Commandos made (in secrecy from 1956 to 1975) were not told the way it deserves in these books.

At Paris, in 1972, the Lost Commandos had been totally ignored by Henry Kissinger. Their American team members got released while the Vietnamese are kept 10 years or longer in prisons. Years later, these Commandos are betrayed again and cheated of the praise they deserve in many books by American writers.

Finally this is one of the two books (the other is by Ken Conboy and Dale Andrade) about the secret war waged by the CIA and Colonel Ngo The Linh's Special Branch. Mr. Tourison interviewed the Vietnamese side and have made great effort to provide a more complete and accurate account of success and failure of CIA & Special Branch and SOG & Coastal Security Service.

Many of these young SB Commanods died in North Vietnamese cruelest prisons. The rest spent between 15 to 22 years in hard-labor prisons until 1982.

Their stories are now finally told...

This guidebook presents more detailed descriptions of the most popular routes in the Cascades than are available in Beckey's guides. So it's definitely helpful for newer climbers who really want to have as much detail as possible about the routes they are about to tackle.
That said, you will eventually want to have the Beckey guides to refer to for routes beyond the small collection represented here, and once you have the Beckey guides you can find out pretty much anything else you need to by researching on-line trip reports. Perhaps it's more convenient to have all the information in a single book though.
I used this guide quite a bit for my fist few months climbing, but after that it more or less stayed on the shelf and I tend to use Beckey and climbing websites to plan my routes now.
It's a good book though. Unlike the Smoot guides these are mostly accurate. The only negative is simply the limited selection of routes.

This book includes a great selection of climbs in the Cascade Mountains. From classic routes up Mt. Rainier and Mt. Baker to more obscure climbs in North Cascade National Park, it has it all. The descriptions are clear and contain all of the pertinent information to get you to the top! The pictures of the routes and the graphics of the rock pitches are extremely useful. The history behind each climb also adds to the overall enjoyment of the climbing experience. It is a good resource for the beginning climber as well as the advanced. Read it and hit the hills!

This book has a great selection of climbs from glaciered peaks like Mt Rainier to remote rock climbs in the North Cascades. The pictures of the routes and the graphics of the rock pitches are excellent. The histories of each climb add to the total enjoyment of doing a route. It is a pleasure to read and a real asset for the climber.

This guide thoroughly describes several climbs in the cascades of Washington, ranging from simple walk-ups to technical rock climbs. It gives detailed information on the best climbs. I have used it extensively on numerous climbs and find it informative, current, easy to read, and very helpful. The maps and pictures with routes are especially helpful. Almost every major climb in the North Cascades is covered and the history section preceding the description of each climb is very interesting. This is a great book and a must for any mountaineer in Washington, whether they be a beginner or a seasoned climber.

This is one of the most well done guidebooks I have ever seen. Some of my friends refer to the first volume of this book as "The Bible of Northwest Climbing." This one is destined for the same accolades.

The book itself is made of heavy stock paper - something that you can throw around in your car and not worry about too much. The black and white pictures are awesome and the route descriptions are well written. Hardware suggestions appear to be appropriate and the permit information looks good too.

This book describes 96 new routes and includes crag climbs (something which was not covered in the first edition). Perhaps the best thing about this book is that most of the climbs are somewhat off of the beaten track and not the most well known. Every self-respecting climber in the northwest should own both of these books - they're guaranteed to get you excited and help you pick your next trip.

Persian Images, are fascinating to begin with right? However, what brings more interest to this book, is that most of these pictures come from a collection that was purposely destroyed in the early 1900's,by the Iranian government. The stories shared in reference to each photo are as interesting as the pictures themselves. There happens to be a much larger collection both in Iran, and in the states, but sadly they did not make an appearance in this particular book.

If the area of your study or/and interest involves Art,Photography,History of Asia and Near East this is a must have book. Sevruguin went to Iran and stayed there for almost all of his life. This book is a collection of the first photographs from Iran (that of course he took). Through Sevruguin's eyes the reader/viewer is able to discover a new world. Not only this world is new to you if you are a western viewer, but also these photographs reveal yet another angle for a native viewer, such as myself, since many of these photographs have never displayed back in Iran. I think, in a broader sense, as long as one keeps in mind that these are representations of one culture through the eyes of an outsider, this book is useful and interesting.

One of my favorite photo essays on the old middle east. Wonderful collection of photographs and fascinating history.

this is a great collection of some excellent photos of iran at the turn of the last century - it chronicles everyday life, including peasants, and the aristocracy and monarchy - there is a great picture of tehran's bustling main street, with horse-drawn, rail carriages, and the throngs of crowds, some of whom are temporairly mesmerized by the photographer perched on some rooftop. A must-have for iran-history-nastalgic buffs. Only wish there was more...

"Sevruguin and the Persian Image" presents the Smithsonian's collection of one of Qajar Iran's preeminent photographers. In addition to the photographs, the volume contains valuable histories of early photography in Iran, the career of Antoin Sevruguin, and how the collection itself came about. The double entendre of the title refers to how Sevruguin's art was informed by and catered to the Orientalist tastes of a Europe in which he was educated. Yet as an Armenian Christian who was born, lived, died and was buried in Tehran, he presented a different image of Iran than the typical Orientalist photographers of the day. "Sevruguin and the Persian Image" is both a solid examination of a photographer's art as well as a thoughtful analysis of the Western image of Iran in the late nineteenth century.

Katherine Kirkpatrick's The Snow Baby tells the remarkable tale of a remarkable childhood. Marie Ahnighito Peary, daughter of Arctic explorer Admiral Robert E. Peary, was born in a hut on the coast of Greenland, and spent much of her childhood accompanying her father and mother on excursions to the Arctic, eventually witnessing the historic triumph of Peary's North Pole expedition. Ms. Kirkpatrick's prose is clear and engaging, approaching her topic with historical accuracy and charm. She describes Marie Peary's adventures on the ice from a child's eye point of view, giving equal attention to historic events, Marie's love for wild arctic pets, and her excitement at wearing a grown-up dress. Even life-threatening circumstances are made fun and full of joy as Marie over-winters on a ship locked in the ice, narrowly escapes an avalanche, and races off a cracking ice-sheet that had been the site of outdoor games moments before. When Marie witnesses an Inuit walrus hunt, she focuses her appreciation on the skill of the hunters to deal with her distaste. The harshness of the Arctic experience is reflected instead on a beloved rabbit that dies on deck, exposed to the unrelenting cold.

Relying on Marie Peary's own writings and related works, Ms. Kirkpatrick depicts a girl with spunk, endurance, and a gift for taking her extraordinary life in stride. The Snow Baby is beautifully illustrated with period photographs, clippings, and even a handwritten letter from Marie, making the book a handsome and fascinating portrait of an inspiring young girl.

Marie Ahnighito Peary was born in the far north of Greenland on September 12, 1893. Her mother, who was a member of an educated Wasington, D.C. family, had shocked all her family and friends by accompanying her husband, Robert Peary, the famous Arctic explorer, to his winter base camp. Marie spent the first months of her life in a tarpaper house surrounded by Arctic winter darkness. When the long darkness ended in February, a ray of sunlight shone through the window onto Baby Marie. Her father reported, " Marie reached for the golden bar as other children reach for a beautiful toy." This quotation about
Marie is accompanied by a poignant picture of the chubby baby reaching for the sun.


This biography, which will fascinate young readers, follows the singular childhood of a girl raised in two very different environments, her grandmother's home in Washington, D.C., and the ships and camps where she
grew to know and love the Inuit culture and people. From these camps, her father made attempt after attempt to reach the North Pole. Her intrepid mother took Marie many times to the far north with her father. Robert Peary, promoted to Admiral, finally reached his goal on April 6, 1909 when Marie was fifteen. Following Peary's obsession with reaching the North Pole by tracing the childhood of his adventurous daughter is
a delightful way to learn history.

If ever there was a coffee-table book for young readers, this would be it. "The Snow Baby" is a beautifully produced book with the highest quality layout and design; and professionally reproduced photos, with the adorable image of 18-month Marie Peary, radiant in her Inuit furs, welcoming the reader to this unique inside look at the life of Robert E. Peary's daughter. But this book is more "than a pretty face"; it is a well-crafted story of a greatly admired American family that reads like a compelling page-turner. It is about cultural respect of indigenous peoples, as well as the value of perseverance and courage. Moreover, it is the story of a young girl who parlayed her young experiences into an admirable life -- surely an inspiration to all.

Robert Peary's daughter was born in the Artic to a world of ice and snow and lived there as a child on and off, never knowing if her beloved father would return from yet again trying to reach the North Pole. Between her life in warm furs and a ship trapped in the ice, playing with Inuit children, and her other life as a proper Victorian little girl in America, Marie Peary is a fascinating real life heroine. A totally engrossing story that you can't put down, illustrated with old photos, among them a tiny little Marie encased in fur and a ship bound by ice. She escapes danger so often and so many times fears to lose her beloved father to the ice and snow; set around 1900 before telephones or computers of any sort, Marie and her mother had to wait long and terrible months to find out if her father would come home again. Young readers will love this story. There's nothing else quite like it, and it really happened!

There are topics in this world that lend themselves to children's non-fiction. Some of these topics are the usual cast of characters. The Titanic. Roanoke. The Molasses Flood of 1919. Other topics are a little less well-known but when you hear of them your jaw drops and you sputter something along the lines of, "How did no one think to write this book until now?" I would say that Katherine Kirkpatrick's, "The Snow Baby" falls squarely into the latter category. Quick and fun, factual and fast-paced, the story of Admiral Peary's daughter and her years in the frozen north makes for ideal non-fiction reading for kids.

She was born in the far north of Greenland in 1893 in a part of the world where the sun wasn't to appear again for months. The daughter of the American Arctic explorer Lieutenant Robert E. Peary and his wife Josephine, Marie Ahnighito Peary spent her early years bouncing about the frozen north. Her father was determined to become the first man to reach the North Pole, and once in a while his family joined him part of the way on his expeditions. Marie's life consisted of Inuit friends, snow as far as the eye can see, and small adventures on the ice. Author Katherine Kirkpatrick traces Marie's numerous journeys between America and the Arctic, while also charting her father's dream and the lives of everyone she touched.

Kirkpatrick cleverly limits the length of the story to a mere 50 pages or so. In doing so it's as interesting to take note of what she does mention as what she doesn't. For example, Matthew Henson was Peary's personal aide in the Arctic. He was also an African-American and a true hero in his own right. And Kirkpatrick does eventually sort of mention to this fact by and by, but her focus is squarely on Marie. Mr. Henson's skin color comes out in degrees more than anything else. She also is exceedingly careful with her facts. At no point does Kirkpatrick ever force her own opinion onto the reader. With an impartiality verging on the distanced, we learn of the two Inuit children Peary fathered when his wife was not around. We hear about how he took three meteorites the Inuits used for making knives and spear points with a quiet, "Peary saw no reason why he shouldn't take the meteorites from Greenland. According to him, the Inuit no longer needed the iron meteorites because they could now trade for metal knife blades." Be that as it may, as we read towards the end of the book the Inuit were "left without the trade goods they'd grown accustomed to," after Peary's departed in 1909. Kirkpatrick is sly. She is certainly allowing the child reader the chance to reach their own conclusions on these subjects without seemingly putting forth her own. Just the same, when she recounts how Peary hired Matthew Henson for his lectures, Kirkpatrick points out that Matt was hired, "to wear (and perspire in) thick furs." True enough. You can give facts that damn a man without having actually write, "What an awful guy!," on the page. This distance is necessary when discussing the Inuit too. We hear about how Marie's friend Billy Bah was married at fourteen. Later we see a cheery twelve-year-old with her own baby. Some authors would condemn this practice. Others might try to explain it. Kirkpatrick, however, lays the facts before you and then takes a step back. However you choose to digest this information is up to you and you alone.

One of the first things that really struck me about this book was the number of photographs found here. I count at least sixty-three photographs in this book. Of these, a stunning twenty-eight are of Marie herself. Additionally, each page contains at least one photo, usually with more than one breaking up the text. Considering the time period with which we are dealing (late 19th/early 20th century) the fact that there even were this many photographs taken is impressive in and of itself. And that so many of them were taken of a single girl is just children's book gold. Kirkpatrick does a remarkable job of showing you images of many of the characters mentioned in the book too. The sole exception, I guess, would have to be Marie's childhood companion Koodlooktoo who only appears as a very small infant at the beginning of the book. And you can hardly blame the author for not being able to produce his face out of thin air.

And did I mention how exciting it was? One minute Marie's sliding down a hill and the next thing you know she's about to skim right over a cliff into the frozen waters below unless Koodlooktoo is able to save her. Ships are constantly getting iced in and trapped. People have to eat dogs. The book's wild and the fact that it's so well researched and cited just aids to the pleasure of reading it. Kirkpatrick is careful to include a Bibliography of First and Secondary Sources, a list of Source Notes, an Index, and a long listing of Picture Credits for anyone curious as to where she found all these great shots. Proper credit is given in the text itself to Ms. Peary's own book, "The Snowbaby's Own Story," though I would hazard a guess that this book is the more honest of the two. Something tells me that Marie probably wouldn't have mentioned her illegitimate half-brothers and sisters when discussing her much beloved (and absent) father.

If I were placed in charge of marketing this book, you know the first thing I would have mentioned in the bookflap/press releases/what-have-you would be the fact that its subject (deep breath), Marie Ahnighito Peary Stafford Kuhne, was a children's author in her own right. You may have stumbled on her Little Tooktoo stories at some point in your travels. In any case, with its short length and young subject, "The Snow Baby" might pair very well with other non-fiction titles like, The Cat With the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin by Susan Goldman Rubin. And for those people wishing to do a unit on polar exploration, you might want to consider also taking a look at, Onward: A Photobiography of African-American Polar Explorer Matthew Henson by Delores Johnson. All in all, consider this a really spectacular non-fiction choice for any given year. A non-fiction read that comes across as a true pleasure.

I have known Bertie for 35 years, since I was a messenger on the Foreign Relations Committee. Years ago, Bertie told me some of the stories in the book; I witnessed many; and I knew about many more. Bertie used to introduce me as his cousin to his friends in the Senate, to their surprise. I leave it to the reader to guess my color.

I never learned more than when I worked for Bertie. If a reader wants to understand the backstage workings of the Senate, they will read this book.

I enjoyed the book. I saw Bertie on 60 Minutes and ordered his book. The book was very inspirational. He has had quite a remarkable journey. I applaud the fact that Bertie doesn't advocate doing what he did for today's youth. The world is very different and a lot less friendly.

I highly recommend this excellent memoir by a person who overcame very humble beginnings to create a wonderful and successful life. His success was attained through hard work, a work ethic you don't see much nowadays, an enthusiasm that was contagious and came through in the book, and his courage, honesty and humility. I saw the interview with Bertie on "Sixty Minutes" and just had to buy his book. His story is fascinating, especially the parts about some public figures you might consider racist who were friends with him, helped him, and were very kind to him. This book will make you feel good and may even inspire you.

I gave this to my mother-in-law who is originally from a small town outside Charleston, S.C. but who now lives in Maryland. She called and told me that she could not put the book down over the weekend since it bought back so many memories to her about that time. She mentioned she and her husband laughed at some of the anecdotes since they had some very similar experiences when they had moved from their small town to a "big city." She is sharing this book with her sisters and brothers and recommends it highly.

I have had the privilege of knowing Mr. Bowman for many years. His book is a story of dignity, determination and persistence.His story stands with many other distinguished titles in the canon of civil rights sagas, modern American history and memoirs.

Packed with interesting information about Seattle. The book must have been written before the rabbit problem started in the area around Greenlake. A chapter for a second edition? I subtract one star for the "ring-necked gull?" on page 19 and the lack of an index.

As a city-dweller I love cafes, the opera, the night-life.... but I also need the trees, the birds, and the Puget Sound. Williams' wonderful collection of notes on my hometown, Seattle, are a fun read and have helped me discover things I would have never discovered otherwise. If you live in Seattle, or even if you're coming for a visit and want an alternative to the regular tourist attractions, this book is for you. Enjoy!

I learned a lot about Seattle that I can't wait to tell visitors (guess what's under I-5?!) and got inspired to take some of the urban nature walks myself, like all the way along Thornton Creek. What I liked best was the view of what Seattle historically looked like - accompanied by really nice maps!

I just moved to Seattle a couple of weeks ago and was given this book to read. Can I just say that it is by far one of the best books I've ever had the pleasure of meeting?

The author explores all sorts of natural phenomena around Seattle, from the geological quirks to the water quality to the crows. I learned a LOT about the local area, as far as the natural setting goes.

The writing is superior--it's obvious he's done his research, both in books and in the field. I can't imagine how much time he put into this. And he has an excellent sense of humor that had my giggling every couple of pages.

Highly, highly, highly recommended

I am loudly and joyously singing the praises of "The Street-Smart Naturalist: Field Notes from Seattle"; this is the sort of book about Seattle's natural history that I was particularly searching for. Keeping mostly within the city limits, David Williams talks about natural boglands and bald eagles, the fossils and stones that make up Seattle's skyscrapers, naturally occuring plants and recent imports, tectonic plates and city planning, radiocarbon dating of the last earthquake by the trees displaced and drowned, local microclimates and how they affect the weather (Capitol Hill gets 11 inches more of rain per year than the University of Washington campus ten minutes away) -- Williams has it all, and recounts his anecdotes with a dry and wonderful sense of humor. He traces creeks and chases crows, catalogues billion year old granite, and tells anyone who will listen about the fine quarries and the fossil beds from whence they came. This is exactly the sort of local history that I wanted to hear, happily jumping from the geological aeons to the conservation programs of the last fifty years. Every Seattleite interested in history or nature should buy this book. Non-Seattleites interested in urban orienteering/nature-in-the-city are also likely to be fans. Go go David Williams.

I read this book, and then I shared it with 6 other freinds,now they want their own copy and they are recommending to every one else. I have already approached the idea of the church including it our library. It cuts straight to the heart and allows you to see yourself and know that God has a way. This book will allow us to stop fooling ourselves and really confront our stuff. Everybdy who reads this book will see from the first sentence themselves. This is a must read. God has released yet another way for us to overcome that mess we try so hard to hide. After reading this book I said I could have wrote this. I wouldn't have. It exposes you. But if you are sincerely ready to live for the Most High God. Read the book. It helps you understand you.

Take off the mask is a brillant book written by a brillant writer. She spills her heart out just to save the souls of those who are scared to reveal their unworthyness. She went through alot just because Jesus wanted him to show the world that being truthful is the best way to be. The book i can relate too, because in my situations i had faith although through my struggle. It's sad that she had those thoughts in her mind, but Jesus' only put her in darkness so she can be developed into a beautiful and inspiraring writer. How do i know? I'm her daughter. Read this book, not only because I'm her offspring but because her message needs to be send out and told before its too late.

I thoroughly enjoyed Take off the Mask. This book really stired me to renew my trust in God in areas I was strugling to have complete faith in. I can relate to Mrs. Washington's experiences. I have had many similar experiences and It was joyful to hear her story about how God brought her through those experiences. It helped me to believe God more for my own experiences. I really appreciate this book and recommend it to anyone who want to be refreshed and to go deeper in their faith.

From beginning to end, Teri Washington's style of writing is very enticing! She reaches out to the reader by sharing her experiences of hiding her shortcomings in the House of God. As we all know, church (the House of God) is a place where we go for spiritual, mental and physical healing, as well as a place to praise God. However, many times we go to church as if we have it all together and nothing ever goes wrong in our lives. Well, this book tells us how we should come into the House of the Lord- boldly and naked before the One who wants to save and heal us! I encourage you to read this book and share it with those around you. It will definitely bless you!

Take off the Mask captures the heart of the reader by getting to the root: the masks we wear. With the Word of God & love combined Teri Washington shares her life story and the masks she lived through. Divine purpose is in every page, and once you read it you will never be the same again...I recommend this book to every person who desires to be naked before God, and experience the freedom of taking off the mask !

Tell them who I am was a great read. what better way to share the stories of homeless women than to be right there with them day to day as they face each struggle and try to dig themselves out of the situation they are in.
Unless you have been there, you don't really understand. Elliot Liebow does a great job in connecting with each woman and sharing her story, how she feels and the tough choices she must make each day that people who are not homeless, are oblivious to.
To gain a better understanding of how some women live, and how you can help people, read this book. It will touch your heart and your soul.

Tell Them Who I Am is a tale about several homeless women and one non-homeless man. For all its merits as an ethnography of women's shelters, which are many, one of the most endearing things about this book is its author. In 1984 Elliot Liebow found out he had terminal cancer. He promptly quit his job at the National Institute of Mental Health and headed for the soup kitchens and shelters of a small city outside of Washington, D.C. Taking notes "out of habit" he gradually compiled his thoughts (and those of his informants) as he got to know the women of these shelters. His participant-observation approach led him to be very involved as an actor in the lives of the women he met, and they too became involved in the writing of their stories. The result is a fascinating book which details the trials of homelessness alongside the joys and sorrows of being human

With his book, Tell Them Who I Am: The Lives of Homeless Women, Elliot Liebow has done an excellent job of putting the facts of shelter life together. His research was not done in a far away library with his nose in a book, rather he learned first hand by working in women's shelters and soup kitchens in Washington DC. In his book, he explores the multitude of ways that "the humanity of the women is under constant threat" and gives the reader an in-depth and intensely personal view into the different facets of the lives of homeless women. Liebow continues throughout the book to deliver the facts to the reader in such a way that they reveal the brutal truth of the women's lives without dragging the reader to a place where (s)he is overcome with pity and shame. Instead, Liebow manages to connect the reader to the women, showing their humanity. I wanted to cheer them on, encourage them, defend each of them, from opinionated Betty to retarded Ginger to Grace, a born-again Christian, although these aren't the actual names of the women. This book makes a the reader see homeless women as people and forces the reader to look beyond stereotypes. It gives the women faces and shows their individuality. Tell Them Who I Am also goes into some detail about the different shelters themselves, the ways they are run, and what function they serve. It also mentions such things as Social Services and Medicare, pointing out what they provide and, very importantly, the weaknesses that these services and others have when dealing with the homeless. These weaknesses are evidenced through the multitude of difficulties that the women experienced in dealing with various "helpful" agencies. Probably the most important reason for a person to read Tell Them Who I Am is that one can learn from it. The facts contained within this very well-written book are the facts that could go a long way toward a better understanding of homeless women and what can be done to aid them. The fear that "in all its forms stands out," can be worn away with some of the understanding can be found in this book.

I have been reading and researching the United States homeless issues for a few months and found this book to be fairly insightful. Liebow writes from a very intimate point of view and backs up his observations with sources and facts. This is a very palatable introductory book to the general issues of homelessness in America today.

In a world of McMansions, there is homelessness. Liebow is a participant-observer. He had written TALLY'S CORNER at an earlier point.

Elliot Liebow tries to make the relationships with the women symmetrical. In his study he ignores mental illness since he is an anthropologist. Three night shelters and a day shelter are portrayed. The names of persons and places are changed.

Women come into homelessness because they are poor and powerless. Hard living is the norm. Street living creates problems of bathing, washing, eating, and sleeping sufficiently and safely. There is perennial fatigue and boredom. Protection of belongings and lack of storage creates bag ladies. Health suffers. Treatment of choice is unavailable.

Some women are too sick, old, or crazy to work. Others value work over walking all day. Looking for work is a way of holding onto humanity.

Shelters replace broken families. Mentally disabled residents have difficulty with their own relatives over money and power. Some residents hit the streets when they fear violence will erupt. Shelter providers fear violent behavior and keep records. Black-listing is common.

The women suffer from losses of privacy and dignity. They prefer a shelter Liebow calls The Refuge where few questions are asked. Providers of services to the unsheltered fear creating dependency. History shows that after the Great Depression, the opportunities presented by World War Two emptied out the skid rows.

Religious belief is a topic of shelter talk. Women see themselves as equal before God. Belief can invest homelessness with meaning.

The women talk about jobs, not careers. Elementary security is a paramount concern. The women are prevented from planning through their sense of powerlessness. They live one day at a time as a coping strategy.

Homelessness is rooted in poverty. Unemployment, underemployment, and substandard wages are causes. Really, now, does a market system require human sacrifice?

And frequently all the same person. A cross-dressing young lady yclept Viola carries Duke Orsino's messages of undying love to Olivia. Olivia hurls harsh word at the Duke as her reply, and in the end gets her desire. Olivia's head servant, Malvolio isn't as smart as he thinks he is, but Feste, the fool, is smarter than anyone thinks he is. And Cesario isn't the man that Olivia and the Duke think he is (but it turns out that Cesario has a crush on the Duke...)

I can see why this one is considered one of Shakespeare's best. It's got confused identities, room for slapstick, bawdy word play, swordplay, a girl disguised as a boy (but originally played by a boy; I bet he didn't know whether to sit or stand after rehearsal), and all those traits of Shakespeare's best.

I loved it.

E.M. Van Court

The Folger Shakespeare edition of this play gives it a leg up on other versions as far as homeschooling goes. First, the text of the play appears on the right-hand pages, leaving the left-hand pages for glosses, text notes, and illustrations that clarify numerous allusions in the play. Second, sections in the introductory material explain Shakespeare's language, life, and theater, as well as the print history of the play. In the closing material, the editors have included textual notes, an essay entitled "*Twelfth Night*: A Modern Perspective" by Catherine Belsey, an annotated list for further reading, and a key to famous lines in the play. Most useful for homeschooling, perhaps, are the lesson plans available at the Folger web site in either PDF or print version. This play served as the basis of the popular movie *She's the Man*, which can be viewed as a follow-up for comparison and discussion.

Twelfth Night is a very amazing book full of true love, confusion, and adventure. It starts out with a shipwreck on a fictious island of Illyria where Viola and her twin brother Sebastian are staying and neither of them thinks the other is alive. So therefore, they both go into Illyira and Viola posing as a man who is a messenger for Duke Orisno. Results in big trouble for all of them in Illyria. This is only some events that happen in the book. Other things are Duke Orsino is madly in love with Olivia who does not love him. Malvolio thinking Olivia loves him when she doesn't. Things just aren't going so well in Illyria for all the characters. But overall this is an excellent book and I truly enjoyed reading it.

I saw she's the man in theaters, then I went on the internet and read about it. Then I found out it is based on twelfth night. So I read the play and I like it. I've also read A midsummer night's dream. I like twelfth night more. It's a great play.

This play is about a girl who goes under cover as a man to try to find her twin brother who was lost in a shipwreck. she goes to work for the self indulgent Duke Orsino. the play is filled with comedic events such as the Duchess Olivia falls love with the main character, Viola, because Olivia thinks Viola is a man, as well as the drunken antics of Sir Toby and Sir Andrew. overall it was a very funny play and I enjoyed reading it and I would reccoment it to anyone who likes Shakespeare.

The wording, the same as with any shakespeare play, was a little hard to get used to. When reading it I would get a vague understanding what the character was saying but then I would chekc the definition of specific words that are on the the opposite page. It would then become clear to me what was happening in the play. I enjoyed the comedic flow of the story. the series of different converging plots made for a little difficult comprehension but it all came together at the end of the play. This was definitely a funny play, and it was even better when I saw it on stage. There seems to be so much one misses when just reading a play, but when one sees it on stage the overall understanding of what is happening and why is greater. I thouroughly enjoyed reading the play as well as seeing it on stage and it was overall a solid comedy by William Shakespeare.

I love this book for many reasons, but perhaps most of all for the way the watercolors capture the light inside a Metro station and the texture of the concrete. It is the finest artistic representation of Metro I have seen.

I bought this book for my 2 year old daughter and her playgroup friends for Christmas. Each and every child has loved this book and has read it over and over again (we just bought another copy since we've worn one out). The descriptions of DC's Metro are very accurate and the poetic text make it memorable, especially when adding in the "rrrrumm whoooosh" sounds. My daughter now loves riding on the Metro and likes to bring this book along. This book is a must for city kids -- especially DC residents.

My daughter, Isabel, and I live in DC at the metro stop that Quattlebaum describes in "Underground Train," and we love this book. The language is poetic, the story easy to identify with, and the illustrations nicely fit the action. I heartily recommend "Underground Train" to families with train-riding kids everywhere.

Mary Quattlebaum's book evokes the sights and sounds of Washington, D.C., and especially of the D.C. subway system. The writing is downright poetic and is illustrated with beautiful, charming, and accurate depictions of the city. The day I bought this book, my two-year-old wanted it read to him again and again. I didn't mind; I love it too! The book is out of print and may be hard to find, but it's worth the trouble.

My son (age 4) has this book on his frequent reading request list! I like it too, but not as well as he does. He gets very confused by the parts of the book that are set above the ground, and I find them sort of needless---especially since on some pages there is no picture at all of the train underground. My son asks every time we are on those pages---"where's the train?". But that small flaw in our eyes is not enough to make him not like this book very much! His favorite part is the descriptive writing of how the train sounds! If you have a young train or subway lover, I would get this one!