Central America Books

This book pretty much just made me mad. The terrorist group M-19 attempted to take government workers hostage in order to get political consideration. The first time(s) is worked. The "macho" new President decided not to negotiate and a large number (unknown) of the hostages were killed. From the few witnesses left, the terrorists killed some soldiers, but no hostages. The un-identified bodies were buried and had acid poured on their graves to prevent later identification. Fortunately for the Government, an earthquake provided hundreds more bodies to dump over the killed hostages further hindering later identification.

Bottom line, I ain't ever going to Columbia and thank GOD they don't run our police forces. The President allowed the military to kill all of the terrorists and all of the hostages that couldn't get away from the army.

The author is a good investigator and writer. She's also VERY lucky to be here.

"The Palace of Justice" is a brutal story of life in Colombia. Carrigan is a tier-one journalist who lived in Colombia and used many first hand accounts to expose the flaws in the government's coverup.

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This is an utterly brilliant book.
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Ana Carrigan provides a meticulously researched and detailed
account of a climactic event in the ongoing Colombian violence.
The significance of this saga is not in its direct effects but
the insight into the workings and priorities of the Colombian
government and military revealed to us by this moment of crisis.
The author gives the critical background to the saga and covers
in detail the political maneuvering and subsequent
Orwellian "official explanation" of what really happened.
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Read this book. If it's out-of-print, harangue the publisher.

This book is truly the most complete investigation on those two intense and definitive days in recent Colombian history. Told with gripping narrative, it is hard to put down: it took me only three days to read. As a Colombian, for me it is also a source of profound sadness, because the book, through its tale, illustrates all the workings of colombian politics, with all its lies, manipulations, self-interests, and lack of any decent statemanship and generosity. Except for a few personalities, all the actors in this drama show an inmense human mediocrity, from the president of the nation on down. Also, it shows the brutality of an armed force that has always been distinguished by its corruption and incompetence in the field of battle. This book should be mandatory reading for anybody interested in Colombian politics, history and society.

A very enjoyable book about a very bloody and unfortunate event in Colombia`s recent history. As a Colombian I can vouch for the accuracy of the events the author describes. I want to congratulate the author and at the same time recommend this book to everyone.

As a recent traveler to Colombia I found this book to be a truly great reminder of my trip. The wide angle photography gives you a pespective that can only be beaten by being there. It feels like you are truly in the picture. I also like the book because it doesn't focus on one area or on one type of geography. Countyside and City are equally represented. As are the mountains, the coastal regions and the jungle.

This is honestly one of the best ever depictions of such a rich country, not only in culture, art, architecture, history and geographical variety, but in the people, the spirit, the colors and the sharp contrasts that this beautiful country has.
The photographer exposes an intimate and personal view that allows us to be inside the picture, as if living it ourselves. He has entered areas and dangerous zones to show us those existing contrasts, and has exposed us to the magnificense of this varied country. It is a perfect example of being able to see through someone else's eyes, and how beautiful it is.

perfect and beautiful. Any time you want to visit a world of difference, beauty -go to this book. I would reccomend this book to any serious cofee table book enthusiast. Weather you have been to Colombia or not, you will like it!

Probably no country in South America has a greater geographical variety than Colombia. In 2002 I spent a month exploring Colombia (although the terrorists-FARC problem seriously restricted my movement). "Panoramic Colombia" helped me to remember, vividly, what I had seen and get a glimpse the many parts of Colombia I needed to return to see.

Using a roundshot, 360 degree camera, Villegas has done a great job of showcasing the cities and natural wonders of Colombia. Each color photograph captures mountains, jungles, coastal areas, rainforests, moorlands, towns and vibrant cities. Each geographical region is delineated by a map (a nice touch). The reproduction of color is a notch below excellent. Most of the two page panoramic photos are 30 inches long, however, there are twenty photos that fold out into three pages, over 45 inches long!

"Panoramic Colombia" is an excellent introduction to Colombia. A great book for anyone who is going to visit, or who has visited, this diverse country. "Panoramic Colombia" would make a fantastic gift for anyone from Colombia or interested in this Latin American gem. Highly Recommended

We purchased the Spanish version of this book while in Colombia. It had been recommended to us by other Colombians who felt it was the best photographic representation thus far of their country. The content is spectacular in that it captures pristine landscapes, beautiful seascapes and candid events. The photo quality itself is slightly imperfect in sharpness and lighting (sometimes the faces are in shadows), but this is understandable with the use of the panoramic lens. I have mostly enjoyed the corresponding eloquent citations from authors describing their impressions of, feelings about or experiences in Colombia.

...this book is definitely for the obsessive. These are pioneers who, for the most part, predate the concepts of stardom. Early recording companies, like early movie studios, were not interested in sharing any revenue with any "stars" that required promotion -- yes, Sarah Bernhardt made a movie or two, and Caruso sold a lot of records, but they were exceptions -- people who had reputations built outside the new mediums. For this reason, you'll find a lack of big-name stars. What you will find is a wealth of information on the practically unknown legions of men and women who were among the first to actually record the sounds and songs from the last two centuries. I found it fascinating, and of value in the obsessive cataloging that often goes hand-in-hand with the hobby of record collecting. It also helped to make a great many names a lot more human to me, and I'm thankful to the author for that. Not for the average reader, but if you have an interest in the acoustic recordings of popular music from the earliest days... well, you'll be as happy as Jones & Hare.

This is a well written biographical dictionary of the key popular (vs. classical) performers featured on early recordings. For example, you can look up "Edison Quartette" and find out that it was also known as the Hayden Quartet and exchanged performers with the American Quartet. Then you can look up the individual singers. I just consulted it this morning to find out about an early recording of John Philip Sousa's band.

While it is not a discography, it has information about selected early records, along with a song index. If you want to get a peek at the style, check out Tim Gracyk's site online.

I don't see how any collector of early popular records could live without this book.

POPULAR AMERICAN RECORDING PIONEERS: 1895-1925, by Tim Gracyk, has detailed biographies of singers/musicians on old records! 444 pages. This is the ONLY book ever published to give biographies of early recording pioneers. Learn facts about the singers who made records of "popular" music before 1925! The book's opening essay gives a summary of the history of the early recording industry, the "acoustic" era. Rare sources were used--trade journals like TALKING MACHINE WORLD, memos from the Edison, Victor, Zon-O-Phone, U-S Everlasting, and Columbia record companies, etc. Following the long intro are detailed encyclopedic articles (organized alphabetically): 100 artists with separate entries in the book include the American Quartet, Billy Murray, Ada Jones, Cal Stewart (Uncle Josh), Nat Wills, Steve Porter, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (other "jass" bands of 1917 covered, too), Paul Whiteman, George J. Gaskin, Carl Fenton, Sam Ash, Aileen Stanley, Henry Burr, the Peerless Quartet, Arthur Collins, Byron G. Harlan, the duo Collins and Harlan (separate entry--new info!), S. H. Dudley, Al Bernard, Edward M. Favor, Rudy Wiedoeft, Sousa, Walter B. Rogers, Vess L. Ossman, Sam Lanin, Bert Williams, Frisco Jazz Band, Olive Kline, J. W. Myers, Ben Selvin, the Green Brothers, Haydn Quartet (the quartet that sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" for Victor), Marion Harris, Arthur Fields, Irving Kaufman, Will F. Denny, Frank C. Stanley, Nat Shilkret, Frank Ferera (did his wife and fellow recording artist Helen Louise die of foul play? she vanished during a ship voyage in 1919!), James Reese Europe (Jim Europe), Victor Military Band, Victor Light Opera Company, Werrenrath, Shannon Four (Revelers), Richard Jose...many more! Rare info here from descendants of the artists, from old letters sent to historian Jim Walsh (some never published by Walsh), from rare primary sources like birth & death certificates, from archives! This is the ONLY book that covers artists who, from the 1890s to the mid-1920s, made records of music that was "popular" in nature, as opposed to records of operatic arias, symphonic works, or concert pieces. A pre-electric method for recording was used, with musicians performing into a horn, not a microphone. This encyclopedia covers American artists who recorded Tin Pan Alley numbers, Broadway show tunes, ragtime, "coon" songs, novelty numbers, quartet arrangements, parlor ballads, early jazz (sometimes called "jass"), blues, dance music, hymns, and early country. This book makes a distinction between stage personalities who happened to make some recordings--when they found time in their busy schedules--and artists who made their living largely by recording regularly, perhaps finding a little time on the side for theatrical performances, vaudeville, or concert recitals. Few stars of the stage made records regularly, exceptions being Bert Williams, Nora Bayes, and Al Jolson--even their output is minuscule compared with that of Henry Burr, Harry Macdonough, Lewis James, Vernon Dalhart, Irving Kaufman, and others who, for a long time, earned a living by recording. Over 100 of these kinds of artists covered in detail, with info available nowhere else! This book has a GREAT INDEX if you want to look up specific records/songs.

Anyone who collects old 78s knows how frustratingly difficult it can sometimes be to learn about the musicians responsible for making the recordings. This book spotlights dozens of acoustic-era (1890s-1920s) recording stars, in most cases providing the most complete and detailed biographies I've found anywhere. The introduction is particularly helpful, providing an overview of the recording industry in its early years, examining how recording limitations dictated what and who was recorded, offering glimpses into the studios where these records were made, and a valuable note about estimations of record sales. This introduction nicely balances the individual accounts that come after and helps us see how these musicians fit in the "overall picture." If you've got moldy stacks of old 78s by Arthur Fields, Irving Kaufman, Ada Jones, The Sannon Quartet, Joseph C. Smith, or others like that, you might just find yourself cleaning them off and playing them again after reading this book. I find these old acoustics are much easier to enjoy once I know something about the people who made them.

This isn't a sit-down-and-read-like-a-novel book, it's more like an encyclopedia, with 1-10 page articles about individual musicians and groups. At times, the articles feel a bit "choppy," but on the whole they are quite readable and there's plenty of information. Unfortunately, the binding of this paperback version is rather poor (the sheets are just glued directly to the flimsy spine, not sewn together), maybe the hardcover version is better bound? So far, my paperback is still intact, but for how much longer, I can only guess. This is a book I pull off the shelf often to answer many of the questions that come up when I listen to my 78s. Gracyk and Hoffman will give you a whole new appreciation for these old records! Highly recommended!

POPULAR AMERICAN RECORDING PIONEERS: 1895-1925, by Tim Gracyk, has detailed biographies of singers/musicians on old records! 444 pages. This is the ONLY book ever published to give biographies of early recording pioneers. Learn facts about the singers who made records of "popular" music before 1925! The book's opening essay gives a summary of the history of the early recording industry, the "acoustic" era. Rare sources were used--trade journals like TALKING MACHINE WORLD, memos from the Edison, Victor, Zon-O-Phone, U-S Everlasting, and Columbia record companies, etc. Following the long intro are detailed encyclopedic articles (organized alphabetically): 100 artists with separate entries in the book include the American Quartet, Billy Murray, Ada Jones, Cal Stewart (Uncle Josh), Nat Wills, Steve Porter, the Original Dixieland Jazz Band (other "jass" bands of 1917 covered, too), Paul Whiteman, George J. Gaskin, Carl Fenton, Sam Ash, Aileen Stanley, Henry Burr, the Peerless Quartet, Arthur Collins, Byron G. Harlan, the duo Collins and Harlan (separate entry--new info!), S. H. Dudley, Al Bernard, Edward M. Favor, Rudy Wiedoeft, Sousa, Walter B. Rogers, Vess L. Ossman, Sam Lanin, Bert Williams, Frisco Jazz Band, Olive Kline, J. W. Myers, Ben Selvin, the Green Brothers, Haydn Quartet (the quartet that sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" for Victor), Marion Harris, Arthur Fields, Irving Kaufman, Will F. Denny, Frank C. Stanley, Nat Shilkret, Frank Ferera (did his wife and fellow recording artist Helen Louise die of foul play? she vanished during a ship voyage in 1919!), James Reese Europe (Jim Europe), Victor Military Band, Victor Light Opera Company, Werrenrath, Shannon Four (Revelers), Richard Jose...many more! Rare info here from descendants of the artists, from old letters sent to historian Jim Walsh (some never published by Walsh), from rare primary sources like birth & death certificates, from archives! This is the ONLY book that covers artists who, from the 1890s to the mid-1920s, made records of music that was "popular" in nature, as opposed to records of operatic arias, symphonic works, or concert pieces. A pre-electric method for recording was used, with musicians performing into a horn, not a microphone. This encyclopedia covers American artists who recorded Tin Pan Alley numbers, Broadway show tunes, ragtime, "coon" songs, novelty numbers, quartet arrangements, parlor ballads, early jazz (sometimes called "jass"), blues, dance music, hymns, and early country. This book makes a distinction between stage personalities who happened to make some recordings--when they found time in their busy schedules--and artists who made their living largely by recording regularly, perhaps finding a little time on the side for theatrical performances, vaudeville, or concert recitals. Few stars of the stage made records regularly, exceptions being Bert Williams, Nora Bayes, and Al Jolson--even their output is minuscule compared with that of Henry Burr, Harry Macdonough, Lewis James, Vernon Dalhart, Irving Kaufman, and others who, for a long time, earned a living by recording. Over 100 of these kinds of artists covered in detail, with info available nowhere else! This book has a GREAT INDEX if you want to look up specific records/songs.

"Raining Sardines" is just a wonderful, fantastical story. While the title references a unique phenomenon in some Latin American countries in which the skies occasionally open up and rain down sardines, hamsters, frogs, and the like, the title is a tad misleading. The story is actually about the adventures of the two principal characters (children) in their quest to save their small town from a brutish land-baron who's family has been bullying the townsfolk for decades. Flores-Galbis writes with a confident and easy prose that is both colorful and poetic. "Raining Sardines" is a fast-paced and engrossing story that is perfect for pre-teens and early teens alike... and for their parents who also love a good, whimsical adventure.

Enrique Flores paints a vivid world with his words in "Raining Sardines". This book is a fun, great read for "young" readers of all ages. I highly recommend it - que chévere.

I was one of Enrique's first friends when he came to America with his three brothers. There are parts of this book that i remember him talking about when we were playing. After reading the book, I have ordered books for the elementary school back home for their library. I treasure the autographed copy I have at home, we recently saw each other again after almost 40 years, it was like we had stayed in touch all these years.

Flores-Galbis has a background in art and this is evident in his writing style. Raining Sardines is replete with figurative language and imagery. He illustrates the adventures of two young Cubans, Enriquito and Ernestina, very picturesquely. This is certainly a book that will appeal to young readers. I am currently using this novel with my advanced/gifted middle school students and, needless to say, they have developed and expressed a significant level of interest in this work.

Enrique Flores-Galbis takes you on a colorful adventure that keeps you at the edge of your seat! DO NOT start this book without leaving time to read it all the way through! Too hard to put it down! My new favorite book!

THIS IS A MUST READ FOR EVERY U.S. CITIZEN !!!!!

Terrorists are not the only ones trying to destroy America and our way of life! You simply can't help but get angry at the blatant attacks on our way of life and the disgusting failures of the "System" when you read Brett Kingstone's story. If this book doesn't get you mad enough to call your Congressmen and Senators nothing will.

This book is a real life true story of how small business innovators are being targeted by foreign sponsored economic espionage and are having thier livelihoods stolen out from underneath them. And if it can get worse than that, these modern day foreign sponsored pirates are being given assistance and safe harbor by our own Government. It is shocking that U.S. Government Prosecutors and Judges fail to uphold thier oath's of office to protect law abiding U.S. citizens but provide every protection available to these morally corrupt foreign entities and foreign citizens that are raping America. . . including providing them with U.S. taxpayer funded defense attorneys.

Tell your friends thye have to read this book . . . then call your Congressmen and Senators . . . tell them that it is time we take back America and start protecting the American dream once again ! ! ! !

Anyone that has the "IT" should read this book.

Mr. Kingstone writes a brutal book about his personal experience with international thievery, lawyers (also thieving) and our own judicial system. His positive attitude is inspiring and well worth the effort to learn of his plight. My hat is off to such an honest man who tells it like it is. Hope you get these bums Brett!

"The story that my friend Brett Kingstone tells in The Real War Against America is as good as any spy novel you can pick up....Today, intellectual property theft costs American industry an estimated $250 billion a year. And the price tag is rising...
The dreams and imaginations of Americans is something worth fighting for. Let's hope we win this battle."
Congressman Ric Keller (R, 8th District Florida), Co-Author of the Intellectual Property Protection Act of 2002.


"At first, I thought this book was another Tom Clancy techno-thriller, then I realized it was non-fiction -- the true story of a dynamic American entrepreneur whose company was under attack by one of China's largest gang of counterfeiters. If any book about global business today should be made into a movie, The Real War Against America is it."
Professor Pat Choate, Author: Agents of Influence, Hot Properties, The High Flex Society, America in Ruins and Being Number One: Rebuilding the U.S. Economy. Director, Manufacturing Policy Project and former Vice Presidential running mate of H.Ross Perot.


"The story of Brett Kingstone and his company is far more than a high-tech Horatio Alger tale. It is an adventure which should become a case study for every business school candidate to memorize, for here lies a glimpse of the real war and its battles which can be our nation's demise."
Dwight Carey, President, APG. U.S. Congress Business of the Year Award Winner.


"Kingstone's Saga is the untold tale of intellectual property scandal in America. Piracy and counterfeiting are costing businesses billions of dollars annually in the U.S....I am mesmerized by Kingstone's spirit...he truly represents the lifeblood of American Manufacturing."
Peggy Smedley, Publisher Start Magazine, Author of Mending Manufacturing

This is a must read for anyone that manufactures or creates for a living.
When you read this book, pinch yourself and remember that this is a true story even though it could have been taken from the pages of an Ian Fleming novel. America faces a very real threat today - one far more insidious and underhand than anything we see in today's headlines, yet equally as sinister and threatening to our economy and standard of living.
Small business is the engine that drives the American economy and this is one mans story of his fight to protect his business, his family and the families of those who work for him.
Far from a dull account of industrial piracy and lawsuits, the author fully involves the reader in his fight and throughout the book I was struck by his humanity and love of family and friends around him.
Whatever the color of your collar this is your fight, and it could be happening to your business or your employer right now... It probably is.

Max Milligan is an international art photographer who work hangs in private and corporate collections worldwide. All his photographs are naturally lit without the use of flash or filters, and with no subsequent manipulation. You can see an extraordinary collection of his photos, including many from this book, on his website. Google Max Milligan .

Realm of the Incas was published by HarperCollins in 2001. "The Times" [of London] listed it as one of its Top Ten Travel Books of the Year. This edition sold out quickly, but it has been republished by Idlewild. I believe the two editions are identical.

"New Scientist" wrote that this is a "stunning visual odyssey of Inca past and present. It presents nine beautifully conceived photographic essays." I agree completely. The first edition from HarperCollins is a great bargain; if you can't find it, do yourself a great favor and buy the Idelwild edition.

Robert C. Ross
Robert C. Ross 2008

Max Milligan's "Realm of the Incas" is described as a celebration of the extraordinary diversity at the heart of Tithuantinsuyo, or, "Land of the Four Quarters", and that's true, but it is more, much more, for Max is a man deeply in love, in love with a majestic, mysterious and beautiful country and its people. We, the readers of this book, are privileged, privileged to be presented with such a breathtakingly beautiful and wonderful perspective from one so passionate about his subject.

Max Milligan is an outstanding photographer and his magical photographs take us places we've never been before, and make us want to go to them just as soon as we can. His text continues to entice us - to know more about the majestic moments of past and present in Peru's fabled Realm of the Incas.

If your interested in the myths, beliefs and customs of the wonderfully diverse inhabitants of areas such as the Andes, Cuzco, the Amazon, or the Sacred Valley of the Incas, and their rich biodiversity, this book is definitely for you!

This is an excellent book. We did extensive travel in Peru and the book clearly captured what we had learnt.

Wonderful succession of photographs of Inca country accompanied by very personal observations by the photographer, whose love for the region shines through in his text as well as his pictures. Though not a photographer myself, I particular enjoyed some of his comments on how and where certain shots were taken. I can vouch for the accuracy of the depictions, which provide a fine overview of one of the more fascinating parts of the planet.

For those who've been to Peru, this book is a terrific souvenir. The photographs are stunning, interesting and some are unusual, almost abstract; the text is informative and clever and the book covers much of Peru... For those who have not been to Peru, this is an invitation. The book sold out in England. Very worth the price. Top notch.

Although this is a novel based on a tragic event in Jamaican history, Beverley East has not told a mournful, somber tale revolving solely around death and darkness. By detailing the events leading up the tragedy and the effects of this life-changing event on one family, decimated by the train crash, the novel pays homage to the hundreds who died, and gives voice to the countless who grieved. Filled with colorful characters and rich description of the life and customs in Jamaica during this period, the novel is about the many unpredictable twists and turns that life can take and the ability of the human spirit to supersede unimaginable grief.

Like almost everyone outside Jamaica, I had never heard of the Kendal crash. But Beverly East, who lost 14 family members in the disaster, remembers it well. She has also researched it thoroughly, with the keen eye of an anthropologist. But instead of giving us a dry factual account of that awful night, she has made it immediate and compelling. She has made a forgotten event unforgetable. How? By creating a story within a history, the story of the people who survived and whose lives were forever changed. We follow two sisters and a brother who lost their parents and other relatives in the wreck as they grapple to rediscover meaning in life.

The family saga transcends the event at its core. It extends from the teeming tropics of Jamaica to the dreary cold of immigrant life in racist London. In embraces ghosts and spirits, passsionate love and passionate hate, lust and longing, faith and the renunciation of faith. Out of these varied ingredients Ms. East has created a spicy Jamaican stew. Her remarkable cast of characters, their trials and triumphs, will grab you and you probably won't realize for awhile that you have also experienced a moving lesson in history. Savor this feast that Ms. East has cooked up.

Bruce Grimes

Ms. East has crafted a truly absorbing but heartwrenching tale. I learned so much about the era, and the lives of the many family members and others that were described in this tale, that it was really amazing. Though the story of the train wreck is a very sad one, with lasting impacts, Ms. East has managed to convey the story in a way that made it a very fluid read. The scenes are very richly described, which adds to the texture of the story - - but the attention is constantly and skillfully pulled back to the characters, their thoughts and their emotions. I, as the reader, really was anxious to continue reading to find out what happened to each and every character. All stories cannot have happy endings, but in spite of a startling climax and tragedy, this story manages to move many of the characters on to excellent places and adventures.

My hat is off to Ms. Beverly East, and I highly recommend this book. We are all so busy these days, that it is tough to carve out time for reading sometimes. This book makes it truly worth it!

Beverly East has so accurately titled this book. The Kendal Crash pierced the souls of the crash victims, the surviving family members as well as the Jamaican citizens. With each new chapter, I sympathized with the crash's victims and survivors. I could not put this book down! As I read each page, I felt the emotions that the author fully developed in each of her characters. Her well written story placed me in the home of the surviving family members, at the crash site as the search for victims and survivors was underway, in the homes and on the streets in London and with the main characters as they overcame obstacles, discovered their real purposes and moved on with their lives.

I am grateful to learn about this story - untold until now, not discussed for 50 years, but never forgotten by Ms. East.
Fetina Ward

Reaper of Souls kept me up many nights because I just couldn't put it down. The characters were so well developed that I felt that I knew them personally. It was humbling to witness the historic Kendal Crash tragedy first-hand through the characters. Beverley East's style of writing made me feel she was talking directly to me. I didn't want it to end. There was history, romance, culture, tragedy, crime, and heart-breaking family dynamics all rolled into one fantastic book. I recommend it highly to everyone.

This book that is great to give to new families starting out their library. The rythm of this story makes it so fun to read and for the kids to listen to- over and over and over again. Its simple enough for the youngest child to have fun with and fill in the fun sounds, or a life lesson in getting, or not getting, your work done for older kids.

My 7 month old loves this book. His face lights up when he hears the rain "plinka, plinka" and the wind "Wooya, Wooya". He also loves the pictures. I know this will always be one of his favorites.

The talents of the prolific Nancy Van Laan ("In a Circle Long Ago," and many others) and illustrator Yumi Heo ("Sometimes I'm Bombaloo") combine in this cheery retelling of a Brazilian folktale about blackmouth monkeys. The monkeys frolic through the Brazilian rainforest, swinging from vine to vine, and, most importantly, climbing the thorny tall trees:

Still they climb, UP-UP!
And they slide, Down-Down!
They sing, "Jibba-jibba-jabba."
swinging round and round

JUMP, JABBA JABBA,
RUN, JABBA JABBA,
SLIDE, JABBA JABBA,
Tiny monkeys having fun!

But these same trees keep them from having a comfortable home, unlike their neighbors the armadillo and the toucan. The monkeys SAY they're going to build a house, but fun and delicious things (e.g., bananas!) keep them from doing it!

The short rhymes and wonderful animal and nature sounds make this a very fun book to read out loud. The rhythms are musical, and the capitalized sounds (e.g., PLINKA PLINKA, WOOYA WOOYA, GURR-YUH GURR-YUH) are your cue to turn up the narrative volume for your little one. They'll eat it up. Slightly older toddlers may also enjoy the monkeys' priorities of fun and food over practicality. Yumi Heo has an unusual palette: I love the blues in her bubbling river and stormy sky. Her repetition of the playing monkeys nicely complements the repeated sounds of the text, and her flat, "folkish" drawings, filled with repeated designs and iconic imagery, evoke the teeming rainforest. The book was included in "The 3rd Edition of The New York Times Parent's Guide to the Best Books for Children." A simple but superb performance by van Laan and Heo.

Both my three year old daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It's rhyming verse is fun to read and the pictures are captivating. The actual story of how the carefree monkeys avoid making their night-time nests is light-hearted and amusing. My daughter and I borrowed this entertaining book from our local library. We liked it so well that I intend to buy it for her collection of favorites.

Never mind the review that says this for age 3+. My 14 month old won't go to bed until we've read this at least three times. He's barely talking but he picks up the books and says "Whee!" And his older brother (age 4) chimes in with the "Jibba Jibba Jabba" every time!

Martin Prechtel is perhaps the most capable of sacred story telling of today's authors. His respect for the power of language is immense and this book where he is retelling an ancient Mayan myth as it parallels his own experience is stunning in its capacity to illuminate todays world in all its contrasts. It is the third in an autobiographical trilogy. However, if you have not yet read the first two, don't worry, it stands completely on its own. This book was previously released under the title "The Toe Bone and the Tooth".

You wouldn't think it possible to say "this is Martin Prechtel's best book yet" because they are all so exceptional. If you are interested in current Mayan culture, indigenous peoples, love, life, Central American politics... this book is a tour de force. Martin Prechtel is one of the most truly amazing, talented, gifted, wise, insightful people you might ever hope to meet. On top of this, he is an extraordinarily gifted writer. Buy the book. Buy them all.

It might help readers to know that this book and "The Disobedience of the Daughter of the Sun" are written to be read aloud. When you do this the prose has a rhythm that is part of the meaning of the book.

"In much wisdom is much grief" says the Preacher in Ecclesiastes, "and he that increaseth knowledge, increaseth sorrow." There is much wisdom, grief, knowledge, sorrow, and finally joy in Martin Prechtel's new book. You don't have to read his previous three, *Secrets of the Talking Jaguar,* *Long Life, Honey in the Heart,* and *The Disobedience of the Daughter of the Sun* to understand and appreciate the message of *The Toe Bone and the Tooth* - but it helps.

This is a story about keeping the Great Story alive - "An Ancient Mayan Story Relived in Modern Times: Leaving Home to Come Home."

It starts out with Martin's return to Guatamala in 1992 after many years in exile from his adopted country, where his village of Santiago Atitlan had been destroyed and 1800 of his friends and villagers slaughtered by American-backed death squads in the 1980s. He was picked up at the airport by three teenage boys (who had been small children when the devastation took place) and smuggled back to the village under a truckload of Mayan squashes. Along the way, the boys were eager to hear the story of the Toe Bone and Tooth that had been outlawed (as well as their language) by the various and many invaders of their country. Landmarks of the Story were everywhere (much as Australian Dreamtime stories are dependent on the land for the telling).

Martin was welcomed in Santiago Atitlan as the Shaman and healer that he was for many years. He had had a Mayan wife and three sons there (one son died) and his little family had barely escaped with their lives.

The ancient story of the Toe Bone and Tooth is inserted here - the Story of a mortal, Raggedy Boy, who fell in love with the Water Goddess, the story of her death after bearing him two corn children and being forgotten when her husband returned to the mortal world. When he did remember her through dreams, he had to re-member her, gathering her bones with the help of Coyote (who had the toe bone and tooth) and descending into the underworld to retrieve her heart. He was helped by an old magical couple. Re-membered, she became an ordinary woman and he became an ordinary man, and from them, all humans are descended.

The next few chapters chronicle the story of Martin's first arrival in Santiago Atitlan - how he'd been lost in a blizzard in his American homeland of Northern New Mexico in his youth, and how he was saved by a mare named Morningstar and an old Spanish lady who cured him of an almost fatal fever with bear grease and herbs. During his convalescence, he had 11 dreams of Santiago Atitlan and Nicolas Chiviliu Tacaxoy, who was to become his teacher, friend and mentor and who had called him through dreams for three years before he finally arrived in the village. Says Prechtel, "Though I was blond and born far away, we were the old and young generation of throwbacks from other times and layers of existence in which a humble dynasty of people in service to the remembrance of the Dismembered Goddess was continued from century to century."

Another chapter tells of Martin's defense of a young Mayan seminary student, Gaspar Culan, who was accused of worshipping idols because he had participated in an ancient Mayan sacred ceremony involving Holy Boy, whom the Catholic Church had branded as a devil but is actually a Christ figure. Martin (who speaks English, Spanish, and Mayan fluently) was to be Gaspar's advocate. Holy Boy had been called a Jew by the Church. Martin pointed out that they had dubbed the deity a Jew (and a devil) because Jews were at least considered to be human and therefore were subject to the 16th Century Inquisition. Mayans hadn't been considered people before that, so if their God was a Jew, the Inquisition could persecute and prosecute them. Martin won his case, and Culan was ordained as the first Mayan Catholic priest.

Several chapters are devoted to the Prechtel family's nothing-short-of-miraculous escape from Guatamala. Martin's teacher had ordered Martin to stay alive at all costs so that he might carry the seed of the story to the U.S. and preserve it for the Mayans whose history and culture had been outlawed.

When Martin got back to the U.S. and his old homeland in New Mexico, he and his family lived in poverty and difficulties for several years, but in Santa Fe he met a homeless couple who were like the old couple in the Story. Here, the narrative goes into the third person as the old couple tell Martin's story and do for him what he had done for countless people in his life - re-membered him for the holy amnesiacs (all of us). Martin's story mirrors the Great Story - "the story of ordinary people, extraordinarily in love and the story of the struggle of what it takes to be graced with such love is the story from which all humans are descended."

The author dedicates this book to the "deer-eyed daughter of the mountain, the mother of the great diversity" and to "all those peoples, plants and animals who have been and continue to be forcibly uprooted, rerouted, relocated, corralled, cut, branded, burnt out, burned down, burnt up, crushed, eradicated or driven from their homes in infinite diasporas of all types, to live where they may be unwelcome, while still trying to keep alive their seed capsules of cultural memory in hopes to regrow a home again. May their descendants be carved by the inherited grief of their ancestral loss to become feeders of what is holy in the ground, dedicated to something bigger than their need for justice and the pursuit of revenge."

This is a fantastic, exciting but true story, and in my opinion, this is a life-changing book. Read it!

TV, more than any other medium, has become America's storyteller. Sometimes that's not so bad; other times it presents shallow and false values to impressionable minds. When I'm hungry for ultimate truths, I've often found it best to go to other cultures and borrow their stories. One of the very, very best is "Stealing Benefacio's Roses." Within this story you will find your heart and be surprised at how strong and lovely it is. You will find your soul and come to know your true self. It's a story that works on the surface level of "Once upon a time . . ." yet also touches the deeper realms of mythology, spirituality, psychology, history and the many varieties of love. The writing is superb. Here's a quote: "Onto the floor I dropped to sleep, drifting on the tossing sea of my aching heart in a little canoe of Gustavo's friendship, into dreams filled with the unkillable perfume of Benefacio's roses." To understand and savor the last five words, buy the book and enjoy the revelations. This is the one you will keep to reread over time.

I have heard that Assata is the aunt of famous rapper, Tupac Shakur. Is this true? Is their any mention of Tupac in her books???

A collection of mostly interviews conducted over a number of years, the voices of Dhoruba Bin Wahad, Mumia Abu-Jamal and Assata Shakur speak loud & proud while revealing the roles of a variety of government agencies in destroying the Black Power movement.

Originally published in 1993, the topics covered include the Black Panther Party, (Philadelphia) MOVE, the Black Liberation Army and the racism in the American judicial system. Particularly interesting is the BPP chronology and a collection of FBI documents that explain in government-speak the targeting of individuals/organizations.

These are important accounts that challenge and ultimately debunks mainstream media coverage of individuals & events that will continue to have significance when one researches the real history of the Black Power movement.

This book gives a insight of the most famous victim of The F.B.I's cointelpro next to Geronimo Pratt. This book shows that 19 years of Prison has not dulled Dhoruba's committment to Revolutionary Struggle. The excerpts by Mumia abu Jamal and Assata Shakur are very helpful.

After spending about two decades in America's penal system for a crime he did not commit Dhoruba bin Wahad gives us his too brief insights into America and it's relationship with Blacks. Interms of clearity perhaps only matched by Chomsky.

The other two writers [Jamal and Shakur] one on death row, the other exiled in Cuba also peel back the illusions of justice for all citzens in America. A vivid account of what it is to have the most powerful country in the world trying to destroy you for standing up for justice.Also a great general history lesson.

Book should be part of a mandatory reading list in public schools for all students black and white.

This book gives a insight of the most famous victim of The F.B.I's cointelpro next to Geronimo Pratt. This book shows that 19 years of Prison has not dulled Dhoruba's committment to Revolutionary Struggle. The excerpts by Mumia abu Jamal and Assata Shakur are very helpful.