Middle East Books

Thrilling book that had a 90 year old picture in it of my wife's uncle who was waiting to leave Poland for America.

Alter Kacyzne was more than a photographer, recording the life and culture of the Jewish people of Warsaw and the provinces, he was a Poet, Author, Playwright, and after the Nazi invasion, a voice of resistance. His surviving photos, a portion of which are published in this volume, breath life back into small towns and their typical residents: the school teacher, the seamstress, the tinker, the carpenter, the baker, and the day labourers waiting in the square for the next job. The only thing I wished the editors would have done was to provide more context, the introduction is a useful short biography, but left me wanting to know more. I also wanted to know more about the people and places photographed, but there is nothing but the short, often cryptic descriptions subtitles like the one on page 24: A school teacher with his class of 5-6 year olds (probably distracted by Kacyzne and his camera), the subtitle is called "Giving a Hint." It is a beautiful photo but the star of the photo is not the bearded teacher giving the hint, but to the wide eyed boy next to the boy receiving the hint. Your eyes are drawn to his eyes, and you wonder if he survived what came after?

If you have any ancestry from Polyn, the old country, you will want to buy this book, or at least read it and study the photos. In addition to his field work, Kacyzne had a studio in Warsaw. This made me look at my own family albums. The book states that the 700 photos (now in the archives of the Yivo Institute) sent to US for the Newspaper "Forverts" is his sole remaining legacy. However I found in my album a Kacyzne studio picture of my Great Grandfather and his sons (now donated to Yivo}, maybe there are others waiting to be discovered? That is part of the power of this volume. It lets you look back, but it will also make you look inward, and around, and maybe other Kacyzne photos will be found in family albums and in picture frames in the USA and elsewhere so that Alter Kacyzne's collection will expand and his artistry become known to further generations.

I highly recommend this book.

Alter Kacyzne was a poet, dramatist, journalist, political activist and photographer. A central figure in Warsaw's Yiddish literary scene and cultural world, Kacyzne began a ten-year journey in 1921 that was to prove much more important than anyone could have conceived. The New York Yiddish daily newspaper, the "Forverts," commissioned him to document images of the Jewish life in Poland he had already celebrated in his writings. In 1921 there were three million Yiddish speaking Jews living in Poland or "Poyln," "the old country" - from Warsaw and Kracow to the remote villages of Ostrog and Brisk. For ten years Kacyzne traveled across the country recording their lives on film.

This collection of never before published photographs is truly a gift from the past. Luminous portraits, haunting images of village squares and primitive workshops, busy marketplaces, street peddlers, beautiful young women embroidering in a circle by a window, prayer groups and children at summer camp. Images of a people, a world, that is no more. Literally thousands of images were made - ten-year's worth of work. Yet the 700 photographs Kacyzne sent back to the "Forverts" are all that survived. His life's work was obliterated by the Nazis, just as millions of lives were obliterated...along with all the families' photographs.

Photographic collections like Roman Vishniac's "A Vanished World," and "Poyln: Jewish Life in the Old Country" by Alter Kacyzne are what remain. They provide a valuable link to the past - to help all of us remember.
JANA

He was truly a renaissance man and center of intellectual life: essayist, journalist, founder of a left-wing daily, worshipped photographer of the great and humble, and editor of both Peretz and Ansky. He was murdered in a Jewish cemetery by Ukranians in Tarnopol after escaping the Nazi's. His daughter survived, and was instrumental in getting this book published. Unfortunately she died earlier this year prior to publication. This collection is a treasure. My favorites are the famed photo of a Lublin cheder (1924), and the one of Khane Kolski, taken when she was 106, in which she says that her son in America doesnt even believe that she is still alive. To me, the photos create a lost world; but to the readers of The Forward, for whom the photos were taken, it probably reminded them why they fled the shtetls for the Golden Land of America.

I bought this book on the recommendation of my brother. `Procula' is a real "page turner" I could not put it down. The author's historical research is clearly very rigorous and it results in beautifully crafted characters and plot. For me, the most enjoyable aspect of this book is how Marion Youngquist helps us to understand one of the most significant times in the history of western civilization.

I enjoy reading Roman period fiction and this is well researched and a very good story behind a character that very little is known about. Being wife of Pontius Pilate she was involved in possibly the most politically significant event in the history of the world. I really felt as though I was there. It is a quite remarkable piece of work from a new author. I hope she writes more.

A very enjoyable historical novel. I began last night a little before 10, thinking that I would read the first few chapters before going to bed. Four hours and two glasses of wine later, led on by the interest the author aroused in Procula's life and society, I'd reached the end of a very satisfying reading experience.

Although I'm not a believer, I've read widely in the literature of the origin and history of Christianity and I found the world and characters of this novel convincing. For those who are Christians, I've no doubt that there is an additional happy element of enjoyment, but I found Procula a good novel on my own terms.

The only historical inaccuracy that I noticed was the fact that while characters on one occasion ate tomatoes, the tomato was, of course, a Mesoamerican plant that didn't make its way to Eurasia until the 16th century. A minor quibble, and it is, after all, hard to imagine a Rome without tomatoes!

Youngquist has brought forth a terrific, historical story with a twist of imagination that culminates in a great read. I "couldn't put it down". Not much is known of this fascinating wife of Pilate, but after reading this book, one must respect her proximity to the trial and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The historical and biblical research throughout this book is evident, which makes for a very convincing story of a woman placed in an extremely difficult and challenging position. I believe that this book will become the most telling book about this rather obscure character of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A MUST READ!!!

Weston brings his formidable intellect to a fascinating project--weaving past and present into a very readable account of what is often a puzzling culture. A must read for a better understanding of the interests and conflicts in this oil rich region.

I am a Saudi so my review might give a different perspective about Mark's book. I was astonished by the tremendous effort he puts in the data collection and research to write his book. He travelled to different cities and met many people. It also amazed me how much knowledge that Mark has about the history of Saudi Arabia.
In short, unlike other authors how wrote their books about Saudi Arabia from their offices in Washington, Mark did travel to Saudi Arabia and met and interviewed Saudi people from different backgrounds and levels in order to write his book.

An entertaining and detailed look at Saudi Arabia at a time when Westerners (and Americans in particular) need more than ever to understand the country. I learned a lot and enjoyed the read.

The price of gas is sky-high and I admit, I was surprised to realize that Saudi Arabia has a quarter of the world's oil while the United States has just 2 percent. I knew I had a lot to learn about the Saudi kingdom and am so glad to have Prophets and Princes as my guide. Mark Weston does a phenomenal job of separating myth (and mistrust) from fact and of explaining in a thoughtful and compelling way everything westerners should know from the birth of Islam to the recent and dramatic changes in Saudi Arabia today. A balanced and comprehensive book complete with remarkable photographs, this is an impressive tour de force that is also remarkably clear and readable.

Great home recipe's from Orissa/ Eastern India. Good to get the recipes for Chitau Pitha etc.

Very rarely one comes across a book that seems on surface to be
devoted to a narrow specialty, but which by virtue of its author's
knowledge and expertise, becomes a mirror in which the whole
subject area and more is reflected and illuminated.
In this sense ``Purba'' is not merely a book on food originating from a major
state in eastern India -- it is a palette on which the author
manages in her inimitable style to unify the basic methods and
techniques of food preparation from different regions of the
world as disparate as France, China and Orissa (the last being
the state in eastern India where she hails from). In this
identification of the basic principles and techniques of cuisine
from across the world, this book and its author (a computer
scientist from Orissa, working in New York) is symptomatic of
our times; for better or for worse, an indicator toward our
globalized future.

``Techniques + Ingredients = Recipes''. This, according to the
author, is the defining equation of all cuisines. It also captures
succinctly the point of view from which the author (a scientist
byprofession) approaches the subject. It is not on the particulars,
but on the universal techniques, that cut across cuisines across different
continents, that our attention is focused on. The author is clearly
a master of her subject matter, as well as a good expositor, with a
sleek style and the occasional scientific humor. It is in fact a good
read even if you don't want to step into the kitchen in this lifetime.

Of course, subject of the book is food from Orissa and the author
does an extremely good job of exposing the richness and variety of
Oriya cuisine to the non-Oriya speaking world. This is a great service
in itself, as unlike cuisines from North and South India, food from
Eastern India tend to be unnoticed outside India -- partly, because
of their elaborate preparations which makes them unsuitable for
the typical Indian restaurant. But, when one really delves into it there are
immense riches here to be picked for the gastronomically inclined and
``Purba'' is a wonderful introduction to this rich, new, culinary world.
The recipes themselves are described with unusual precision, and
is suitable for both beginners as well as experienced cooks.

One Lakshmi feeds the world, another Laxmi in NY tries food recipes and cooks them to taste.  Lakshmi at Puri is busy in making recipes from all her creations and endows color, grandeur and nutrition to food.  Laxmi at NY examines these recipes and selects the ones that people can attempt in their homes.  The eternal Lakshmi opens her many kitchens to scientist Laxmi to learn and write for the rest of the public.  Laxmi Parida, a computational biology scientist at IBM in NY has produced a magnificent collection of Oriya recipes in a book form.  The book called "Purba: Feasts from the East" is distributed through Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com.  For every Oriya and for any person interested in Orissa, this is an elegantly produced and extremely valuable reference book.  It has the distinct honor of the first Oriya cook book to hit the US stands.  Congratulations to Dr Parida, who carries the blessings from SriLakshmi.

The 207-page book is broken into nine chapters: Oriya pantry, Jalakhia, Pitha, Breads, Bhata, Entrees, Sun-drying (badi and pickles), Mitha and "East meets Far East".  Each chapter is wholesome and is loaded with specific recipes that carry the nostalgic charm and full-bodied instructions for preparation.  Through her home kitchen back in Orissa and with the urging of her mother (remember "Bend it like Beckam"), she has herself tried each dish and knows the failings well.  She is an astute observer and an expert teacher.  With the objective humor of a scientist, she guides any novice to travel through the roads of Oriya culinary arts.  For me, the reading itself was a meal.

Anything that you ate in homes or streets during your time in Orissa is in the book. My special favorites were the recipes for various chakulis, chitaus, arisa and kakara. People who know me know my weakness to these objects.  What we don't normally succeed is to create a full holiday meal as one had taken in Lekhanapur or Nardia. The holiday meal consists of pithas of grains and legumes of the season, seasoned with herbs and spices particular to the season, supplemented with vegetables cooked according to the climate and temperature of the season.  This is the food culture of Orissa and the book enables you to recreate it.  Then go to my other favorites of mithas: rasagolla, ladoo, kesar, khiri and tons of other savory dishes. Time has come that we impress our neighbors with the brilliant food that Oriyas invented and the  brilliant style the food is composed.  Let there be a weekly meal with "kakharu and saga" and "potala rasa" or a nonvegetarian festive meal with "machha mahura" and "mangsa gugni".  Let children enjoy "gaja" and "singada" and let "peda" and "sandesh" replace cakes.  Time has come to announce to the words that Oriya is style and sophistication.  The culture and food have been hundreds of years in the making.  It's royal.

Dr Parida is available to assist the new cooks to initiate into Oriya cooking. the veterans can comment and add more dishes to the book to make a second part.  SriJagannatha eats sabara food and the whole set of recipes from the hills and forests need assembly.  The recipes from south and the recipes from the inner villages at Puri would make other volumes.  The books reminds you of the richness of food as a sustenance and the beauty of human ingenuity in creating crafts in taste and nutrition.  At (cheap) e book is a bargain for all the information and the meticulous guidance.  Enjoy!!   

I have been interested in international cooking for years with a particular fondness for Indian cooking. I discovered this wonderful book on Amazon.com and found it appealing because 1) it covers a region of India (Orissa) whose recipes I have never seen before and 2) the author is actually a scientist so I knew the recipes would not omit any details. I must say I was not dissapointed. If you are like me, you will be amazed that Dr. Parida is not a full time chef and cookbook author.

Once you read the preface you will also see she has a great sense of humor that shines through again and again throughout the book.

For those among you who sometimes feel that the spice mixtures of Indian recipes are a little overwhelming, this book is for you. All of the recipes I made from this book are flavorful without being overpowering.

So far I have 3 recipes that I love from this book:

1) Khichidi - a wonderful rice and lentil combination that is extreemly easy to prepare, elegantly seasoned and can serve as a full meal on its own.

2) Baigana Bharta - Mashed fried eggplants. while the description may not sound so appetizing, think of it as an alternative to Babaganoush. The buttery flavor of the slow roasted eggplant and the delicate seasonings make this an excellent dish hot or cold. I serve it cold as an appetizer with thinly sliced crusty bread. My dinner guests rave about it!

3) Kheeri - Rice pudding. Indian comfort food! Rice pudding is one of favorite desserts and when I first saw this recipe I thought it had a typo because it appeared to call for too much milk. I tried the recipe as printed and the result was a deliciously silky rice and milk concoction that I have made again and again.

I highly recommend this wonderful book. Lets encourage this highly gifted author to keep writing books!

Israel Finkelstein is surprisingly candid about presenting the research and inescapable conclusions with honesty and candid love for science regardless of whom the conclusions may displease.

I have grown up reading the biblical stories recounted in the Hebrew bible as essentially historical recollections. I have always had some reservations about their accuracy as historical fact and their exaggerations of the scale of the Exodus. This book dispels any notion that the Bible records history accurately or factually. This book strongly suggests that the Exodus, as described in the Bible, is a work of fiction and that the 40 year wandering in the desert is more a theological wandering than a historical event. It does appear, from having read this book twice, that much of Israel's history is fabricated for political purposes and exaggerated toward the Southern Kingdom's benefit. Even the revered Solomon's very existence is questionable. At best he may be a fairly minor king whose exploits and building projects are either non-existent or greatly enhanced by later scribal embellishment.

This is an excellent introduction to the latest research in Biblical Archaeology, presenting a middle ground between the Minimalist and Maximalist debate which has sought to polarise the issue over the last 15 years. Both Finkelstein and Mazar are leading exponents in the field of Post-processual Archaeology, but neither are afraid of examining where the Biblical record is confirmed or challenged by the findings of modern archaeology. For a balanced view, with good editorial summaries, this book looks at the various periods and brings the reader up-to-date with the findings of the latest ecavations.

This book is a great resource for those who are interested in the history of ancient Israel. It is written in a manner that is very informative, but not so academic that the material is meaningless to people to aren't scholars. The book is divided into sections, with each part consisting of a chapter by Finkelstein and a chapter by Mazar. The intent of the authors is to examine and evaluate the archaeological data that pertains to the history of Israel, which includes a look at what archaeology says about the period of the patriarchs, the story of the exodus, the conquest, and the monarchy. The book demonstrates in an engaging way that, while the authors disagree on the interpretation of some of the archaeological data they are both in agreement that the Hebrew Bible (the Old Testament) contains historical data within its pages, and is not, as some scholars would assert, a completely fictional work. The book also serves as a handy summary reference for the archaoleogical data pertaining to these topics.

I have made several recipes from the book and all turned out well. Most of the ingredients are on hand with easy to follow instructions. I have purchased extra copies to give as gifts. You can not go wrong with this book.

This cookbook is only about 100 pages long so at first you'd think it couldn't possible provide descent meals for every night of the week but it does just that! There are 52 recipes but next time you change out the meat option and it's like a completely new dinner.

There are tips on grillings, tips on skewers, and then a section on necessary kitchen equipment. All the pictures are fantastic photographs, they show the true feel of the dish. Not every recipe has a picture but there are many.

The options are to make the kabobs into salads, or add rice, there are many different international flairs (indian, chinese,etc) so it's like a completely different dish each time; even though the basic premise is a skewer full of meat. There are tofu options as well.

There is a recipe for Asian Shrimp that is too die for. It's very good with nothing more than soy, hoisin, sesame oil, rice vinegar, chili paste and a few other ingredients. Certainly things you'd have on hand in your pantry. You could even use a ziploc baggie and make this a freezer meal and then thaw in the fridge overnight and when you get home put it on some skewers and grill. The picture shows adding broccoli and white rice but you could also serve on a bed of greens for a salad if you'd prefer. The next time around use beef tips with the same ingredients and you'd have another dish. Next time around use pork and so on and so forth.

All the recipes favor fresh herbs over dried but you can substitute dried if that's what you have. Also, there is minimal fat involved as you are grilling rather than frying all the food. And most grilling meals can be completed in under 10 minutes. We've even used our George Foreman with great results.

There is also a recipe for beef with herb butter that is delish. But I could see using swordfish to make this meal and it be just as great. Many of the recipes have a little blurb about where the author first tried the dish or some other little tidbit of information so it's almost like a friend telling you about her experiences.

Hope you will give this cookbook a try. It's great as far as I'm concerned. I'll have to check out her 52 weeks of cookies next!

Excellent easy to follow recipes that produce mouth watering results. The best thing about this cookbook is the tone - it is as if a friend is sitting with me in the kitchen gently guiding me and bringing me into her confidence. Sampson is a wizard, she connects through each page. I haven't found a cookie yet in her book that my family doesn't love.

A senior writer for 'Cooks Illustrated Magazine', Sally Sampson is the author of seven previous cookbooks and the co-author of six more. Now she has added another culinary title to her impressive list: "Recipe Of The Week: Cookies" showcasing fifty-two quick and easy recipes for turning out delicious cookies on a weekly basis all year long. Superbly illustrated with full color photography, this highly recommended and thoroughly 'kitchen cook friendly' collection of recipes ranges from Gingersnaps; Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies; Espresso Shortbread; and Orange Almond Cookies; to Jenny deBell's Snickerdoodles; Annie Fischel's Meringues; Coco Toffee Chunk Cookies; and Almond Coconut Macaroons. Especially recommended for dedicated cookie enthusiasts, "Recipe Of The Week: Cookies" will prove to be an especially popular addition to family and community library cookbook collections!

This book is simply that.... refreshing. The approach of assigning credit to the African 25th Egyptian Dynasty of Kush is really well explained. And also, traditional ideas about "Divine intervention" or "rats who ate the bowstrings of the Assyrians" are dismissed with good enough explanations.

This is one of the greatest books I have ever read. Before I read Aubin's book, I went out to either purchase or research about 10 books (excluding the versions of the 4 bibles I read ) that covered the subect matter. His explanation is the only plausible explanation I've read to-date. What a great mystery that was well argued and the wonderful detail that he presented was excellent. I read the whole book in about 2 days as if it was a mystery novel. It is great to know a that "white person -a father" wrote this book because it strengthen my faith in mankind, regardless of race. History should be about facts and not racial agendas, black or white.

I also happened to luck-up on a copy of James Henry Breasted "A History of Egypt", one of the writers mentioned in "The Rescue of Jerusalem". What a racist this guy was, who at the time was consisdered the premire expert in Egyptolgy. I'm glad I read Breasted's book myself to verify the accuracy of Aubin's quotations. Boy, he was right on the button concerning Breasted comments as well as the other theories that really doesn't add up.

I also read "What If" by William H. McNeill, who stated that the retreat of the Assyrian army was one of the greatest turning point in Western and therefore the world's history. Unfortuntely he believed in the "plagues theory". However, A 2nd review of the Aubin's book back cover now lists this author as a convert.

From my research into the biblical story of Jewish deliverance, The rescue of Jerusalem is the best source I could find, with clear and untterly convincing points.

Henry Aubin examines this biblical story with the uttermost scrutiny from most, if not all, the modern available evidence.

Henry Aubin with Rescue of Jerusalem, has opened a whole new way for me to look at history and religion. Henry is a Canadian Prize winning journalist and his perspective compared to certified historians makes the writing much easier to digest. His sense of drama lifts this detailed and accurate history to an art form. Don't be afraid of the footnotes. They are there for "doubting Tomases" and in no way detract from an exciting read. Congratulations Henry, I can't wait for another one. Lets hear more about these forgotten but vital parts of history.

From Brown's perspective the Christianization and formation of Europe is the result of a process in which a deeply rooted Christian politic, looking outward from its mediterranean seat, gradually dispersed and emerged from within the tiny Roman sub-cultures, embedded throughout the northwestern frontiers, to establish micro-Christendoms that sucessively meshed together under aristocratic influence, martial conquest, sojourning holy men and missionaries, and the organization and education of the clergy. Brown also looks to the "East Roman Empire" where a more harmonized Christianity boldly sustained the invasions and dominion of the Muslims, and triumphantly struggled for orthodoxy under the Iconoclasts, Nestorians, and Monophysites to eventually convert the Russians, Bulgars, and Slavs. This work is definately a one of a kind, and an interesting and contributing effort to explain the rise of Christendom.

It is always a pleasure to read Prof. Brown's writing, prose so gracious that the author's remarkable erudition fades effortlessly into the background. What makes reading The Rise of Western Christendom particularly enjoyable (and educational) is the vast expanse of its theme. In about 350 pages, Brown guides the reader across a spectacular terrain through eight momentous centuries of transformation. With the easy touch of a consummate storyteller, Brown brings to life a cast of characters as remarkable as any novel while tracing the developments of the first millenium in Europe, the Near East, and even the Far East. The scope of the book gives Brown the opportunity to integrate themes that he has explored elsewhere into a composite survey of this age. It is a remarkable accomplishment.

Peter Brown is an excellent historian of early European and early Christian history. In addition to this book, he is author of one of the foremost biographical texts on Augustine, the major Western Christian figure of the first 1000 years after the Apostolic Age, as well as another historical reference book I use frequently, 'The World of Late Antiquity'. Brown is an excellent writer, clear and engaging, drawing the narrative to life for the reader.

One of the best features of this book, even though the title specifically speaks to the rise of Western Christianity, is that it does not treat Eastern Christianity as an afterthought or mere appendage onto the 'more important' Western history. While this book covers the period of time of the 'undivided' church (the years 200 - 1000 C.E.), in fact, as Brown demonstrates, the church was anything but uniform across the various political units and culturally diverse regions.

In Brown's narrative, there are two primary Empires of concern, and not the traditional Western and Eastern Roman Empires, but rather the Roman Empire (as a whole), and the Persian Empire. Christianity flourished in Egypt, throughout the region of the Fertile Crescent, in Asia minor, and along the trade routes into the Far East and the Indian subcontinent. Because these strands of Christianity did not lead to the Western Catholic and Protestant church, they tend to be overlooked by Western historians and students. However, they formed the basis of the greater Eastern Orthodox church, which spread Christianity through Eastern Europe and Russia, a force that may begin to grow again on the world stage of Christianity.

Brown also traces the rise of Western Christianity, not in lock-step manner as focussed upon an all-powerful Rome, but rather as a continuing process of give and take between various powerful centres of political and intellectual life, which include the Celtic influence in church survival, the 'frontier' churches in Britain, Germany, and the Carolingian consolidation. The rise of the church in former imperial lands was more assured, but the frontiers lands still had powerful systems of legend and mythology -- the Britons had monsters like Grendel (of Beowulf), the Germans and Scandanavians sharing such and similar stories. The amalgamation of popular culture (priests would 'cast spells' and perform old fertility rites, using updated Christo-centric wording) into the church's missionary framework set the stage for later diversities to re-emerge.

Brown's text shows how different the Western Church is from the Eastern Church (for which it is important to develop an idea of the Eastern Church), both in development and in outlook. This is a broad survey -- within any text that covers a thousand-year time span, the author must be selective in choosing relevant events and personalities. Brown does a good job at tracing the primary history with enough detail to keep it lively. Brown concludes with select bibliographies divided by chapter topic, various chronologies of key groups, and a good index.

This book is one of those extremely rare achievements - a work of broad and learned scholarship which is easy to read. In fact it is more than easy, it is so fascinating and so perfectly written that I could hardly force myself to stop when I had to. It is a work of secular and religious history, of course, but it gave me in addition a sense of how people actually lived in the ancient world, an experience that only a truly great scholar could give. I recommend this book to anyone who has the faintest interest in what happenmed in the early centuries of the Christian Era, religious or otherwise.

An excellent book, along the model of other international wine guides, with details on wineries, reviews of wines and complete honesty on the part of the author. Some really fine wines from Israel and finally a book that describes them.

I have been drinking Israeli wines for many years. Neverhave they been as good as they are now,and finally a book that will help us separate the wheat from the chaff. Daniel Rogov seems like a thoroughly honest critic and his comments and tasting notes are not merely ego-trips but genuinely useful. Just enough about the history and technical details and lots and lots of easy to read tasting notes. This one goes with me to the stores every time I want to buy wines.

Good wines deserve a good book. Israeli wines are improving every year and this book makes a great guide to them. No nonsense reviews and good history, background. Good reading and good for shopping.

Daniel Rogov's book puts Israeli wines where they should be - as interesting to all wine lovers. Better yet, the book is completely professional, as interesting and competently written as those of Hugh Johnson, Oz Clarke and Robert Parker. Worth reading for every lover of wine and for those with a special connection to Israel. My rating - tops!!

The main character is a young girl from Israel and her friend is from Palestine, the place that has been in war with Israel for years. She needs to race for a reason her friend can't understand, but her father was killed and he was a runner so she has to run. I liked this book because it was well written and had just enough detail. It's about a really interesting topic- you know, the wars in Israel, really, things that happened only a couple years ago. This is a book full of meaning and truth.

Written by Anna Levine, her inspiration for Running on Eggs was developed from her experience living on a kibbutz, an agricultural settlement, in Israel. It is a book about a hidden friendship between two 13-year-old girls. Their families do not approve of their friendship and they try to hide it.

Karen and Yasmine are track teammates from very different backgrounds. Karen lives on an Israeli kibbutz as a Jewish girl. Her father was killed years ago in the war in Labanon. Her family is still struggling with the loss. She secretly meets Yasmine in "no man's land," a lot dividing Karen's kibbutz from Yasmine's village.

Yasmine lives in an Arab village. Her parents are very strict. Her dad does not allow her to run in shorts and wants her to run in a long skirt. Yasmine's family does not support her love for track, and eventually her father forces her to drop out.

Although they ride the bus together, the young Arabs and Jews have lived apart. On the bus, they purposely switch lunchboxes, giving them a reason to meet. The two are brought together by their passion for running. They both were hoping to do well in the Galilee Run so they could qualify for another race in Spain. After Yasmine is forced to quit, Karen continues to train with Yasmine's help.

When Yasmine's brother discovers the girls' friendship, the punishment could divide the two communities even. This book is about loyalty and friendship during conflicts and distrust. The story ends peacefully. This book teaches readers about the Arab-Israeli dispute. It also teaches about the way people judge others and form opinions based on preconceived ideas instead of the real person.

This was a great book. It's hard to believe it is a kids book because you don't get many books for kids on this subject. I think it's great that kids can learn about the Arab-Israeli dispute in a mellow way. I really liked this because you start to understand what it must feel like to be 9 in Israel right now. I think the reason the Israelis and Arabs got over their fight (in the book) is because they relized they could share, and they could use it for something they had in common. And, in the end it all worked out, for everyone.

This is a great book on a subject that is not often written about for kids. It is written in language that draws them into the story, and lets them understand and experience another part of the world through the eyes of normal kids facing problems that are much bigger than they are. This book tackles the subject of distrust between Jews and Arabs in Israel. It is ultimately about friendship. American kids will be easily able to identify with the kids in this story even though the subject may be new to them.