Washington University Books

The Sikh DIASPORA, is a very thourgh and excellent written book, not only for academics alike but for our future generations, Tatla explains fully within context to the reader, a past, present and future look of Sikh movements, an excellent book and well contributed to the series of Diasporas around the world.

For Darshan Singh Tatla, Operation Bluestar--the Indian Army's 1984 storming of the Golden Temple in order to flush out the militant leader Bhindranwale and his followers--was the 'crucial' (p 210) event that transformed Sikhs' understanding of their identity: 'From a self-confident religious community, the Sikhs rapidly acquired many characteristics of a persecuted minority' (p 1). In particular, argues Tatla, the threat of an overly centralised and overtly Hindu India practising 'ethnocracy' (p 36) rather than democracy led the one million-strong Sikh diaspora to take up the role of popularisers-and chief fund-raisers-for Khalistan. Their reaction to Operation Bluestar also 'enabled them to redraw a strict definition of Sikh identity, highlighting the religious tradition and collective symbols of the community instead of the geography, language and cultural traits' (p 210). Tatla adds that support for Khalistan fed on the alienation which many Sikhs living abroad had long felt but rarely articulated.

Tatla's excellent work underscores the 'situational' (p 210) nature of ethnic consciousness. Why then does he only grudgingly admit that, for the Sikh diaspora, 'a broader loyalty towards India probably still exists' (p210)? With the return of peace to Punjab and the entrance of the Akali Dal (the main Sikh political party) into the recent national coalition government of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, support for Khalistan has become a slogan rather than a belief.

This book provides an important glimpse into the early years of Washington politics when the Congress and executive branch were beginning to organize their political institutions. Even though this book was first published in the late 1960s,it remains an important study in American political history. Individuals interested in politics or American history will find this to be an interesting and unique book.

I read this book in college, and it is one of the few books I remember from those years. What sticks in my mind most is the analysis of how early Washington DC's rooming houses became the site of nascent party-building. Congressman and Senators who came to Washington in those early years stayed in boarding houses, and Young's historical analysis showed how like-minded Congressman and Senators eat at the same table and slept in the same buildings. "Human beings design buildings, and the buildings they design also design us."

Ellen Dissanayake has influenced my art teaching philosophy. She tries to connect art making to the biological evolution of human kind, and it gets a little wacky, but I got very interested in the idea that making and responding to art are part of human nature. I think teaching kids about art is part of teaching them to be human.

Although there may be flaws in Dissanayake's first presentation on this topic, her ideas are revolutionary and (in their more developed form) will influence ideas about the genesis of art and its evolutionary role in human experience and culture for years to come. Her ideas are pioneering and will be quoted, argued, further developed, expanded, and expounded upon.

Best of all...this is a very readable book. In fact, its an exciting read; you may be challenged but you won't be bored.

This book is a must-read for anyone studying the development of modern art in Seattle or the Pacific Northwest. A very important figure. Kangas provides some enlightening background and interesting details about the artist's life. Beautiful paintings illustrate the book.

"For this publication, Kangas charts the evolution of William Cumming's work from socialist realism...to a socially relevant but less instrumental art that Kangas terms 'figurative formalism'...Cumming later merged his passion for populist figuration with an increasing focus on color, shape, and form." The biographical approach Kangas takes is particularly appropriate for following the evolution of this artist's career. Cumming is often seen as a member of the Northwest School for his association with other painters such as Tobey and Graves who make up this group so named because they were from the U. S. northwest. But Kangas proffers that for Cumming's deft skill and subtleties with color and shape he can be compared with Bonnard and Vuillard. This is probably stretching it--but one can see what Kangas is getting at. Surely Cumming is a better artist than to be routinely consigned to a school, though many of his subjects identify him with the west and northwest. The color plates of Cumming's work run from pages 78 to 143. These are followed by the section "Chronology, Exhibitions, and Collections." Kangas, the author for this book in conjunction with the exhibition in the Seattle Frye Museum, is a corresponding editor for Art in America and author of books and articles on art.

As a fan of football, Michael Richman's Redskins Encyclopedia is a must on my bookshelf. This comprehensive volume is the result of seven years of Richman's extensive and detailed research into his beloved Redskins. Organized chronologically, the volume begins with the birth of the team in 1932 as the "Boston Braves" and follows the history and lore of one of the most storied franchises in all of the National Football League through the 2006 season.

The level of detail in this book is truly extraordinary. Filled with anectodes, stories, data and quotes, The Redskins Encyclopedia is nirvana for any Hog. Hogs, in particular, will revel in the chapters on the George Allen era and delight in reading about the 80's when their beloved Skins become part of the NFL elite under the helm of Joe Gibbs.

For me, however, what makes this volume so special is the most incredible Appendix I have ever come across. It includes "all team records, rosters, coaches, game results, draft picks and players; year-by-year results, Monday Night Lights and the Ring of Fame." In short, Richman has assembled the most comprehensive set of statistics and historical data on the Redskins out there and it is exceptionally user friendly.

If you love the Redskins, you are going to love this book!

The Redskins Encyclopedia is a great book if you're a football fanatic.
I found it to be very resourceful and full of stats and recaps of past seasons and important playoff games. There are a couple of glitches I found (i.e. referring to the Arizona/Phoenix Cardinals as St. Louis during the mid-ninties). But if you're a dyed in the wool 'skins fan, then this is a must have. I had a lot of fun reading it. If you love football as much as I do, then do yourself a favor and buy a copy of this
book. I have read a quite a few football reference books and this happens to be one of the better ones.

Highly recommended.

This book is a keeper -- a coffee table book that will not just "Sit There", this is a great reference and a historical document as well.

The Redskins' Encyclopediea is divided into sections that give a foretaste of the Redskins' history and legends in rather descriptive terms "Born... Surviving.... Transforming... Ominous.... Sonny Days... Winning Flair... Redskins-Cowboy Rivalry... Elite... Mediocrity...").

It also singles out specific players throughout the Redskins' history in 2 special chapters "Washington Monuments" and "Best of the Rest", AND has a great Appendix of Records, Rosters, Coaches, Draft Picks and other very relevant stats... this book is a Redskins' history "play-by-play: a great reference, and also just FUN TO READ -- just open it to any chapter, and read on.

The dust-jacket is an attention getter. Too bad all the book's photos are black and white -- it could have used some half or full-page on-the-field action shots in color. And because of the exceptional wealth of information -- this book really needs an Index.

Some photos stand out more than others -- specifically: Redskins Spring Training -- 1940 style- on the Washington Monument grounds. Then contrast this with the aerial shot of the "State of the Art-Practice Facility: Redskin Park"

The "Washington Monuments" Section -- an alphabetical compendium of Redskin greats -- covered players as well as coaches, including the chapter on Sammy Baugh -- a great player, a true gentleman, a fan-pleaser -- and who woulda known that in addition to his stellar performance on the field, he also starred off the field as the "King of the Texas Rangers". (I also enjoyed the wry humor of that the photo of his uniform sitting by the fireplace.)

Of special note was "The Snap Seen Round the World" -- Joe Theisman's career-ending injury, and his first-person account of his painful rehabilitation period. I personally hope he makes it into the Hall of Fame.

The Redskins Encyclopedia would make a great gift for any Redskins (and other!) football fan.

Given the wide variety in terms of quality that one finds in sports books and encyclopedias, it was hard for me to have very high expectations for THE REDSKINS ENCYCLOPEDIA. But if I had gone in hoping for something impressive, well-written and absorbing, then my hopes would have been entirely realized. This book is not a hastily constructed collection of cut-n-paste jobs; this is a throughly researched, incredibly detailed tome that should be informative and insightful no matter your level of Redskins fanaticism.

The first half of the book is devoted to a year by year history of the organization. For each year, all important on and off field events are discussed. Important games are described. And if the team made the post-season that year, a section is dedicated to each playoff game. While this portion of the book is factual in nature, there is also analysis and discussion of what went right and wrong. Case in point, the chapter dealing with the years 1981-1992 are labeled, "An Icon Among The NFL Elite", while the years 1993-2006 are titled, "Mediocrity, Redskins Style".

The rest of the book is given over to discussing individuals. Players who have been enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame receive a chapter of their own and a second chapter is given over to those players and coaches who weren't recognized by the League, but made a large local impact to the team and its lore.

Dropped in at almost random intervals are short essays discussing a variety of topics: the Redskins-Cowboys rivalry, the coaching style of Vince Lombardi, the nicknames of player cliques, to name a few. The only minor problem I had with this book was that these essays aren't in the table of contents so locating them again can be difficult.

When I first received this book, my immediate attention was on those teams and players that I watched while growing up in the 1980s. It was a great nostalgic and fun time I had reliving those glory days and seeing all the old names again: Darrell Green, Art Monk, Joe Theismann, Gary Clark. I next moved on to reading about the era between Joe Gibbs' two coaching stints, which was a much less fun experience. But even in the slow times of the post-1992 era there were always great moments to relieve (Mark Brunell to Sanatana Moss -- twice -- on Monday Night in Dallas, to mention one).

However, I had almost as much fun flipping back to the earlier sections of the book. I knew a little bit about Redskins history simply from the natural osmosis that occurs from being a sports fan and reading contemporary articles which contain off-hand mentions of glories from long ago. But the information I learned from this book is an absolute treasure. For example, I knew that Sammy Baugh was one of the early Redskin heroes, but I hadn't fully appreciated what an dominant player he was. As fun as it was to once again read the anecdote about John Riggins telling Sandra Day O'Connor to "loosen up, Sandy Baby", it was great to read about stuff that was completely new to me.

I've spent quite some time browsing through this volume, and I'm sure I'll spend even more time in the future. There's a lot of history in the Redskins organization and a corresponding wealth of information to unpack from this encyclopedia. I'm willing to bet that the next time the Redskins score a glorious win over the Dallas Cowboys, I'll be pulling this book from the shelf to mentally compare and contrast the present with the storied games from the past.

The Redskins Encyclopedia is definitely a must have for Redskins fans. I am not even a Redskins fan and I found it thoroughly engaging and interesting, which is quite a feat for a text heavy encyclopedic history of a professional football team I don't even root for.

The bulk of the book is dedicated to a chronological history of the Washington Redskins franchise from its origin in 1932 as the Boston Braves to the Joe Gibbs II regime through 2006. The book provides a review of each and every season in Redskins history, from the 1940's with Slinging Sammy Baugh and a few World Championships, to the topsy-turvy 1970's under coach George Allen when the team lost Super Bowl VII to the undefeated Miami Dolphins, to its heyday in the 1980's winning three Super Bowls under Joe Gibbs, and through the post-Gibbs and the recent Gibbs returns to save the franchise but fails mediocrity that persists today (and will like to continue to do so under the meddlesome owner Dan Snyder). During the journey you will meet the great players and characters throughout Redskins history and get an excellent feel for the deep history and historical ebbs and flows of this long tenured franchise.

One of the nice touches of this work is that it breaks Redskins history into eras and provides introductory insights into the franchise and where it was at and where it was headed before delving into season by season reviews, which provides context and continuity. It also uses text boxes to provide greater detail about seminal Redskins owners, executives, and players. This provides some excellent information while nicely breaking up the text, making it more reader friendly.

The next section of the book consists of mini-biographies of all the great Washington Redskins players, coaches, owners, and executives in the history of the franchise. I thought I would skim through this section quickly but it captured my attention so much I read through the entire section.

The last part of the book provides what most encyclopedias are supposed to provide, all-time team results, records, and other various statistics about the team.

Overall, I found this to be a very through and engaging treatment of the history of the Washington Redskins.

Washington Square is a compact, tightly constructed story that focuses with almost unwavering gaze upon the Sloper family, or more particularly, on Catherine Sloper, a sweet, ordinary, rather dull young lady who falls in love with a man her father is convinced loves her purely for the inheritance she stands to gain upon his death. This early novel of Henry James' alternates between biting, witty exchanges amongst the characters and introspective, sensitive exploration of the feelings and thoughts of Catherine and her father. The narrator - never named, though at times he is quite chatty towards the reader - chooses not to take sides, instead displaying the different facets of each character as they are, leaving questions of personality and intent up to the reader.

It is usual in a novel involving a young lady and a potentially disastrous suitor that the female in question be beautiful, intelligent, resourceful, kind - even if she doesn't know it. These stories tend to follow her development from innocent to experienced, which is one of the many reasons why Washington Square plays out so differently. Catherine is, we are told, 'not ugly; she had simply a plain, dull, gentle countenance. The most that had ever been said for her was that she had a "nice" face'. Later, her father compares Catherine's intelligence to that of a bundle of shawls. He often laments Catherine's lack of qualities, and so does Catherine, and so does everyone else. She is a submissive, almost subservient in her attitudes, willing to submerge her ideas - if she has any - and bend with the will of her father. Enter love, however, and slowly a change begins to take place.

Morris Townsend is the man Catherine falls for. She had never experienced the interest of a male before, indeed, her life seems to have been somewhat sheltered. When Morris enters her life Catherine's father, Dr Sloper, who never had much hope for his daughter, becomes determined to prevent them from marrying. Sloper is the type of father who wishes a specific future for his child, so they will 'be happy', and yet when their happiness chooses a different direction, they become stubborn, obstinate, and, in this case, quite hurtful and damaging.

Neither Morris nor Dr Sloper are particularly admirable characters. Granted, both are intelligent and even charming, with the novel's most enjoyable moments coming from the interaction between the two. They snipe at one another during their very clever exchanges where epigrams fly and bon mots are thrown about with abandon. However, Morris is shown - rather bluntly - to be interested in Catherine's money and not herself, which he finds tiresome, and Dr Sloper is concerned with breaking the tiny backbone that has emerged from he knows not where within Catherine's heart.

Do we love Catherine? Is that the intent of this novel? The answer is - no. Catherine truly is plain, in the sense that there isn't much to her. She is confused by the larger forces in her life which seem to determine the direction of her future without any real input from herself. She believes that both Morris and her father have her best interests at heart, even when it is clear to the reader they do not. Whenever poor Catherine dares to speak her mind, Morris or her father are ready and willing to stamp it down. Her father can be quite manipulative. After asking Catherine to give Morris away, he says, 'Have you no faith in my wisdom, in my tenderness, in my solicitude for your future?', and later, when she stands by her man, he asks, 'You make nothing of my judgment, then?' Poor Catherine is left to wonder what to think, when all she knows is she loves her father and wants to marry Morris.

During the course of the novel, Catherine develops attitudes which distinctly reject her father's plans, but she also, to the surprise of Morris, refuses to go along with everything he says, either. There is a clear impression throughout the work that, should she choose Morris, she will be exchanging one master for another - the names may change, but the overall life of Catherine will not.

Henry James is known for his dense - some call it impenetrable - prose, and for his fondness for deeply exploring the inner workings of his characters. Washington Square is slightly different to his others works in this regard, perhaps because it is an earlier novel. The prose can be quite circumlocutory, with multiple clauses embedded within a single sentence, long rambling comma filled descriptions and niceties of expression that seem to exist purely to avoid stating the blunt truth of the matter. But it is these techniques which serve also to highlight the confusing world around Catherine, and the difficulty she finds in untangling the intention of the two very strong men who wish to control her life. James, at his best, is a phenomenal writer, and happily for the reader of Washington Square he is completely in charge of the material. The narrator is confident in expressing the feelings and thoughts of the major and minor characters, using tact, grace, eloquence and insight to create his little portraits.

Whether or not Catherine will marry Morris and defy her novel, though an important part of the novel, is not the primary thrust of James' work. It seems clear from the outset the direction the story will take, and this initial belief becomes true. Where the strengths of the story lie is in the growing independence of Catherine, her understanding of herself as a person capable of expressing intent and determining the direction of her life by herself. Catherine is an innocent in a world which is, invariably, destructive towards such people. She learns this the hard way, but there is something undeniably 'Catherine' that remains, even to the bitter end. Washington Square, while not a masterpiece on the level of The Portrait of a Lady, nevertheless explores its theme well, and does so with an assured hand. Catherine's life, though somber and small by today's standards, does evoke sympathy within the reader. The final line is very sad, because it was inevitable, and because, deep down, the reader knows that it is the best life Catherine could have had.

Eloquently composed by a master of the World and American novel, Henry James, WASHINGTON SQUARE is a revelatory , painful study of wealth, prestige, and social discrimination in mid nineteenth century New York. Quite possibly James' masterpiece, it poignantly depicts with sympathy and intellectual blindness the a father's oppressing memory of his dead wife upon his innocent, frail and oblivious daughter. The daughter, Catherine Sloper, has become an iconic chatacter in American dramatic literature and film due to James' superficial description of her awkwardness coupled with the arrival of her wit, ruthlessness, spirit and clever sensibility after she is jilted by her fiancee. A remarkable study of how parents unknowingly deprive children of love and nurturing though their grief and personal disappointment.

Nominally a story of young romance, Washington Square's plot actually pivots around two sharply defined characters: the young Catherine Sloper, honest and sweet, but embarrassingly average and plain, and her father, Dr. Austin Sloper, articulate and brilliant, but disturbingly cold-hearted and domineering. Henry James professed little liking for his early novel; through the years most readers have ignored his opinion.

The writings of Henry James, especially his later novels, are notable (some might say, infamous) for using lengthy, digressive sentence structures for exploring complex emotional and psychological motivations. Slow paced plots play a subordinate role to nuanced, subtle, ambiguous characterizations. Contrastingly, Washington Square's popularity most likely stems from its straight-forward plot, some suspense, and sharply defined characters.

Catherine was an only child; her mother and baby brother died of complications during childbirth. Years later Dr. Sloper is still grieved and angered by the loss of his beautiful, vivacious, and witty wife. Despite Catherine's love and admiration for him, Dr. Sloper remains distant and cold, viewing Catherine's social ineptness as an ironic parody of his deceased wife.

When the young, handsome, articulate Morris Townsend shows interest in Catherine, Dr. Sloper immediately concludes that his only interest is her wealth, and moves quickly to break them apart. Matters are complicated by Catherine's silly, meddlesome, and manipulative aunt (Mrs. Penniman, the widowed sister of Dr. Sloper) who functions as an uninvited go-between for the two young lovers. Dr. Sloper remains quite confident in his own judgment, but in the early stages of their romance we readers remain uncertain of Townsend's motivation.

My fascination with Washington Square centered not on whether Townsend was genuinely in love with Catherine, but with the way in which Catherine revealed her inner strength in managing her increasingly strained relationship with her insensitive father and in how she ultimately comes to terms with the duplicity of her lover. Washington Square may not have achieved the full psychological subtlety and complexity desired by Henry James, but it is far from a simple, superficial tale of bitter sweet romance.

Washington Square on film: I highly recommend Washington Square, a 1997 production that features Jennifer Jason Leigh as Catherine, Albert Finney as Dr. Sloper, Ben Chaplin as Morris Townsend, and Maggie Smith as Catherine's aunt. This casting is superb, with all four characterizations faithful to the novel.

There are a few unnecessary scenes, however, that portray Catherine as overly clumsy and inept. Also, Morris Townsend on occasion is unrealistically effusive in his praise and admiration. A little more of Henry James's subtlety and nuance would have been better. Washington Square was directed by Agnieszka Holland.

Washington Square in print: This novella is widely available in various anthologies, or published alone, in inexpensive paperbacks from Signet Classics, Penguin Classics, and others. I particularly like a Simon and Schuster, hard cover edition (ISBN 0-684-81911-2) with 16 pages of high quality, black and white historical photographs, many belonging to the Museum of the City of New York historical collection.

Although Henry James is best known for The Portrait of a Lady (Penguin Classics), this slender volume of a young woman's lifetime is one that resonates for the oddest reasons. With a protagonist who is entirely passive, a plot that is somewhat uneventful and a cast of supporting characters that are entirely unsympathetic, "Washington Square" is a novel that encapsulates a life hardly worth reading about. Paradoxically, that is precisely why it should be read, and why it's so surprisingly memorable.

Catherine Sloper is shy, plain, dull and a little slow in her studies. Her mother was none of these things, leaving her somewhat of a disappointment to her father, an accomplished and well-respected doctor, a man who Catherine adores and longs to please. Well aware of her spiritless nature, Catherine is astonished when she receives the attention of the handsome and charming Morris Townsend, and is soon devotedly in love with her new suitor. Encouraged by her romantic and foolish Aunt Lavinia Penniman, Catherine accepts Morris's proposal of marriage. Unfortunately, her father is not at all impressed by the match, (believing Morris to be a mercenary after her dowry) and forbids Catherine from seeing him on the threat of disinheritance. Torn between the two most important people in her life, the listless and confused Catherine decides to wait. But will her beloved wait for her, or is she deceived by his true intentions?

Catherine's complete ordinariness is what makes her special within the context of the novel, as I am hard-pressed to think up another heroine who is so uncommonly common. Though she is a pleasant enough person, there is nothing remotely interesting to her, save the predicament she finds herself in. Her situation is frustrating to behold, as the poor girl is torn between her intelligent, infallible father and her charming, loving fiancée. Although her father has his daughter's best interests at heart, he handles the affair with such practicality and stubbornness that his crusade against Townsend eventually dwindles into a battle of will between himself and his daughter, and then petty revenge and one-upmanship. Likewise, though Morris Townsend seems faithful and loving, declaring that he has no interest in Catherine's inheritance whatsoever, we cannot shake a sense of untrustworthiness in him. Despite Catherine's plainness, you can't help but feel that neither man deserves her.

To be privy to Catherine's inner struggles is to witness a tiny and insignificant life within literature, with none of the romance, passion or tragedy of Lizzie Bennett, Tess Durbeyfield, Cathy Earnslaw, Jane Eyre, or any other literary heroine that comes to mind. Although Mrs Penniman alleviates some of the gloom with her far-flung intrigues and romances, her presence ultimately brings more harm that good to her young charge. Catherine is a woman who suffers in silence, without witness or companionship, a testimony to how passive-aggressiveness, lost opportunities and selfishness can destroy the life of one who has no means of fighting back. Every single individual on earth would like to believe that they are special, unique and important in some way, and the mediocrity of a life ill-spent becomes quite terrifying by the close of the novel. Catherine's attempts to assert some control over her father and her suitor are pitiful to behold, though they are victories, they are tiny ones within the context of her life. It's almost as if James uses Catherine as a vessel for every individual who has simply "misplaced" their life, and the emptiness that follows those who don't have the means, strength or fortitude to fight against those that hold them in sway. Make sure it never happens to you.

Washington Square is a pleasure to read. Best of all is Henry James' lush prose; his ethereal descriptions of characters and their emotional states and feelings towards others is peerless - and beautiful, and often funny in a stylistic sense. The novel itself functions as an expostition of human greed and the need for control, physically and emotionally. The four focal characters are all well drawn, and because of that their more despicable natures come forward. The naive Catherine; her father, the overbearing Dr. Sloper; his sister, the officious Mrs. Penniman; and the greedy, and lazy, Morris Townsend, ostensibly interested in Catherine only for her, and her father's, money. There is plenty of scheming and posturing by all four of them, and any more words from me will spoil the novel. Also amusing, is the dated sensibilities of the characters; but it all adds up to an enjoyable novel by an American master.

I first read The Fifth Chinese Daughter in about 1963 when I was 13 and living 30 miles south of San Francisco. Visiting Chinatown was my first exposure to a foreign culture. It was mysterious and exotic, and I wondered what went on behind the building fronts lining the narrow bustling streets. This book gave me my first glimpse into this other world; very heady stuff for a 13 year old girl. Fast forward 45 years, and I'm looking for a book to recommend to my book club. I had never forgotten The Fifth Chinese Daughter but assumed it was out of print. Imagine my surprise when I found two copies on the shelf of our local bookstore. I snapped up both copies and jumped in. The Fifth Chinese Daughter was just as captivating and poignant to me at age 57. I can now appreciate it from a new perspective, viewing this work as a precursor to the wonderful Chinese American literature that followed. I could go on....but suffice to say, read this book.

I became interested in buying this book after reading the author's fascinating story in the L.A. Times last year. Since reading Fifth Chinese Daughter a few months ago, I have given it as a gift to three friends who also found this young woman's story as heartwarming and courageous as I did. Side benefit: I learned a great deal about Chinese-American culture and about American history, circa 1930s - 1950s.

It's also a great book for teen girls. Reading about Jade Snow's sometimes difficult youth and teen years and how she met her goals will be very inspirational to that age group.

"You must have confidence that I shall remain true to the spirit of your teachings. I shall bring back to you the knowledge of whatever I learn." Fifth Chinese Daughter is an inspiring autobiography that traces the life of Jade Snow Wong from childhood to adulthood in San Francisco's Chinatown. In her book, Jade Snow describes the numerous hardships and rewards that shaped her life. Through her vivid descriptions, the reader is immersed in the Asian culture of early twentieth-century America. Looking through Jade Snow's eyes, the reader is able to experience the conflicting cultural experiences of the middle daughter of a large family of Chinese immigrants.
Conforming to Chinese tradition, Jade Snow felt that her worth as an individual was dictated by her family. Although Jade Snow's father took pride in educating his daughters in both Chinese and American customs, he valued the future potential of his sons over that of his daughters. Jade Snow's childhood is tainted by unjust punishment and suppressed emotion. Such experiences led her to pursue independence and acknowledgment in a country that offered numerous opportunities for well-educated young woman. However, from her difficult childhood, Jade Snow learned discipline and respect, qualities that allowed her to succeed and gain respect from her family. It is fascinating to witness her transformation from a submissive child to a woman of integrity and perseverance.
As Jade Snow tirelessly worked her way through college, she came to understand the injustices of Chinese tradition. Ironically, at this time, she also developed a greater appreciation for her Chinese heritage and through it discovered her life's passions. Despite the heavy skepticism and criticism of her family, Jade Snow pursued her dreams with optimistic determination, suffering many hardships along the way. In each of her life's stories she proves to us that great rewards come from hard work and unfailing belief in one's self. If you ever feel hopeless or just want to be inspired, Jade Snow's story will lift you out of your darkness.

I usually don't write negative reviews, but I really was surprised by all the glowing reviews here. I truly think this is a terrible book and here is why.

1). The characters are only skin deep. We never really get to know them beyond their attitudes toward Jade Snow. And Jade Snow herself is very opaque as well, we don't get to know more of her except that she is filial, hard-working and eager to please people. The insides of these characters are not alive and they resemble dull automatons carrying out the actions of a pre-determined script.

2). The prose is very flat, so the end result reads like a very long summary of the plot rather than the book itself. The author crammed in many minutae of her life into the writing, with a emphasis on the details of food preparation. but most of the details are not evocative and fails to enrich the world she is trying to portray.

3). A streak of very patronizing attitude to Asians Americans run through out the book. It culminate with a cringe-inducing climax of self-hate at the very end of the last chapter, in a scene meant to be the big emotional pay-off for the whole book. Jade Snow's father tearfully confess that he had done wrong by raising her under the backward Chinese culture, and that he should have raised her in the superior, freedom-loving Christian way.

In the book Fifth Chinese Daughter by Jade Snow Wong, the author tells readers about her childhood as a Chinese girl living in San Francisco. Ms. Wong gives readers a chance to see what life was like growing up during the early 1900ýs as a Chinese girl. Throughout the book, you learn many things Chinese-Americans do which are different from American customs. Readers are given an idea of how Chinese-Americanýs raised their families during that time. The author shows in vivid detail what happened to her and what she had to work for in her childhood.
Jade Snow was brought up in a household that made sure their children knew their native culture as well as the culture around them. Since an early age, Jade was given Chinese lessons by her father until she was old enough to attend Chinese school everyday after her American classes were over. The book chronicles Jadeýs life from her early childhood to when she becomes a young woman living on her own. Throughout the book, you see Jade learn to do the shopping for the family, cope with problems in school like discrimination, get into college on her own, and find jobs for herself.
There were many things I liked about this book. Even though, this book isnýt like the books I normally read, it was very hard to put down. The author writes her story in
graphic details, which pulled me into the book. I loved how she talked about her father in many ways, how some days he believed in her and others, he had no confidence in her. Also, I believe that Jade was a strong girl throughout her childhood. This is because she had to live with such strict rules in her household like respecting her elders, and how if she or her siblings did anything wrong, they would get punished by getting whipped.
If I were to compare this novel with others I have read, I would have to say that this novel is in my top 50 books I have ever read. I found that every page I turned in this book, I was wondering what would happen next. This novel was very fun to read because I liked learning about what life was like for a young Chinese-American Women growing up during the early 1900ýs.
I would most likely recommend this novel to another, unless the person did not like autobiographies. I would recommend this book to people who like reading about people of different cultures. Jade Snowýs book is geared more to people who like to read about peopleýs cultures, but I think many would find this book very interesting.

I read this book, and couldn't figure out what Okada was trying to tell the reader. He is all over the place. It is fine to have different experiences, moods, and challenges, but it seems like Okada is over analyzing every single one of those things. And it is not a pleasant read. I am sure that he went through a lot. But the characters in this book are, for the most part, not right. Okada left me feeling apathetic towards almost every character. And the people we surround ourselves with are a representation of who we are.

In general, John Okada may have created one of the greatest piece of fiction I have ever read in the Asian American diaspora. The story kept me transfixed to the pages and I had no trouble keeping up. I thoroughly enjoyed the great detail and lengths he goes to accurately depict the life of a "No-No" boy in a world confused by a country whom had betrayed them and by their people who shun their existence. Powerful read.

This book stinks, the plot is trivial, the characters suck, and the chapters go on and on and on and on and on about nothing, nothing at all. Here is my favorite passage from the book "There was nothing for him to do but roll over and try to sleep. Somewhere, sometime, he had even forgotten how to cry." Yeah the entire book is like that.

John Okada's No-No Boy is an interesting perspective into Japanese-American life post WWII. The reader explores the protagonist Ichiro's struggles with being a "No No boy," or Japanese who refused the draft after the Japanese were put into internment camps. The placement of Japanese-Americans into internment camps pre-WWII is a historical subject that seems to be given little consideration outside the world of academia. This book explores the ways Japanese culture intersects with American culture, and how traditional Japanese values are or are not merged with American values. Those Japanese who refused the draft were abhorred by Japanese-American culture thereafter, and Okada explores the cultural and political implications of why this happened through Ichiro's struggle. The examination of the reaction of white America to Ichiro's experience opposed to the reaction of Japanese-America presents some interesting cultural differences concerning value. While certain people in white American would forgive and understand the perspective of Ichiro, he is seen as a threat to solidarity within the Japanese community. The expectations and standards that society places on an individual is made much more complicated if a person must do this between two different societal value systems, and also does not completely agree with either. Okada explores why this is relevant to the understanding of the history through the Ichiro's struggle. Okada's work is an interesting exploration of the intersection of different values, standards, stereotypes and politics.

I have read many books dealing with the Japanese internment during WWII and the aftermath, but this book was the first I have seen that tells a very different story. Beautifully written, the author tells of the conflicts and guilt of a young man who refuses to serve in the US military during the war while his family was being held in an internment camp. After spending two years in jail for the refusal, he returns to the Japanese community in Seattle and struggles to reconcile his dual identify as Japanese and as an American.

We are so impressed with the educational teaching of this book. We have purchased several copies for our grandchildren and friends. We are now purchasing for our great grandchildren. We hope you will continued to keep available.

A fun holiday book for young readers. But artwork and craftsmanship will awe and fascinate viewers of all ages. Robert Sabuda's books are always high quality and expertly crafted.

Every single page, letter, brings you a surprise. It is full of beatuiful whith images.

Bought them for my grandchildren & they are really nice books & the kids love them.

This book is really nice, but arrived with smudges and spots (looked like mold) on most of the pages. I bought 3 of these that I sent back, but the replacements arrived damaged as well. All have gone back. What a disappointment.

In case the mix-up of reviews of different collections is confusing you, this review is of 0517679019, edited by Lois Hill and illustrated by Nora Fry.

There is an introduction, recounting the history of Aesop's Fables. In terms of number of stories, this collection probably can't be beat. 200 stories are included, and are listed in alphabetical order in the table of contents. In this edition, each story is told briefly, usually in one page or less.

I recommend this book for ministers, speechwriters, or anyone else wishing to make a point with a story. I myself used this book for that purpose before finishing reading the book. I was on a discussion thread in which the uses and misuses of statistics were debated. I scanned page 125, which tells of a woman who doubles her provision of chicken feed, hoping that the hen would double its output.

Just one flaw: illustrations are reused where they don't exactly fit. On page 22, we see the Hare taking a nap while the Tortoise is slowly approaching the finish line. That illustration is used again on page 141, where another Hare appears, but does not take a nap. On page 25, we see the Frog bloating himself up to resemble an ox. That illustration is used again on page 185, where another Frog appears, but does not bloat himself up.

Most kid books are just fluff. Boring stuff.

Aesop's Fables, on the other hand teach REAL VALUES: hard work, honesty, unity, etc. And we hear people refer to various fables on a regular basis throughout our lives.

A child is really disadvantaged if he doesn't get exposed to these valuable stories and internalize them at an early age.

I recently had to repeat the story of "the boy who cried wolf" to my 10-year old son, in order to help him to improve his behavior. this is one of the most important books you could buy for your child.

--George Stancliffe

On my birthday in second grade, my parents gave me a package containing these stories, written by the ancient Aesop. I read through it, at first not enjoying it much, thinking ,"What fun could it be to read something wrtitten by some old guy?" after reading through one fable, I was changed. My heart lightened, and I finished the book inside my favorite blanket within a day,and my parents were surprised that I had already finished. And even if it was heavy reading for a second grader, I loved it and have read it several times over again. I suggest that everyone should read this book because of the helpful morals that allow you to understand everyday life.

Read carefully, and realize that the Publisher's Weekly review and several of the comments do not refer to this edition!

The body of Jacob Lawrence's artwork is a national treasure. These drawings may be black and white...they are also exceptional artwork by one of America's finest artists. In choosing this edition, you share not only Aesop's Fables with a child, but also truly great art.

Aesop's Fables is a great book that is a collection of short stories. This book gave us famous phrases that are used today, such as "sour grapes." These are easy to understand stories for all ages(unless you are under the age of 7). It's amazing that such small stories have great meaning. Every fable gives some kind of small lesson at the end. The characters fit each story very well. This book is a must read for people who wonder where some of our everyday phrases come from and who want to learn a lesson from just a few sentences.