Eastern University Books

"The Return of Consciousness" and "Return of the Spirit" are two separate works written by al-Hakim. Return of the Spirit, originally published in 1933 tells the story of the 1919 Revolution in Egypt and is considered one of the inspirations for Nasser's 1952 Free Officers Coup. Hakim, initially an ardent supporter of the Nasserist program, quickly became disenchanted with the oftentimes despotic nature of the new regime, and in 1974 published "The Return of Consciousness" following Nasser's death. This publication elicited much criticism from pro-Nasserist forces within Egypt for its harsh critique of the Nasserist era.

I am rather sure that the proper translation of the title of this novel is "Return of the Spirit" (Awdad il Ruh). I did not read this translation but it concerns me that the title would be mistranslated important as it is because spirit and consciousness are two different things. I am sure the westerner who translated would argue the opposite. This books is possibly one of the best books I have ever read. It is Al-Hakim's best story. If you like this book you will also enjoy "Maze of Justice" and "Tree Climber" and "The Fate of a Cockroach".

A great book written by a Swedish psycologist(Hedi Fried) about her childhood experience in Sighet. She was in this city for a while until she was sent to Auschwitz. She was there with her sis Livi. This is a touching story for those who survived the Holocaust and even kids and grown-ups today. She reflects on how the camps worked and every where she went. They reach Sweden and Make the city of Stockholm there new home. She was separated from her sis for a while and then reunited. Hedi Fried was lost from her parents then finds out they were gased in the gas chamber. One of the greater stories I've ever read. She tells of the pain and inhumanity of the Nazis and their leader Adolf Hitler. This book leads into Schindler's List a little bit. Hedi Fried did a great job!!!

A touching account by Swedish psychologist Hedi Fried about her childhood experiences in the Transylvanian town of Sighet and later at the Auschwitz concentration camp. Especially moving is her relationship with her younger sister Livia whom she saves from near death a couple of times. Livia repays her sister by reviving her during the liberation of the camp. Although a gripping story about the nightmares of the Holocaust, Fried has the ability to look at the lighter, funnier sides of the hellish reality. Reaching Sweden, Hedi and Livi have recovered and made Stockholm their home. Fried is now a well-known personality in Sweden, famous for her work with traumatized people such as refugees and Holocaust survivors and their second-generation children. A documentary film "Little Big Sister" was produced following the book with the narration of Swedish actress Bibi Andersson.

I met K'tut on a freighter headed for Southeast Asia, in 1969. First of all I thought she was a little weird..starting with the name. Long story short. She wasn't weird. Very interesting and a lot of fun. We became good friends and spent much time together. She introduced me to many of her good friends, and I found her to be one of the most intriguing people I've ever met. She gave me a copy of Revolt in Paradise and wrote some very nice dedacatory things on the fly-leaf. The book is wonderful, warm, exciting & scary and I think it would make a terrific film. Shirley Mac Laine was her choice...back then. ?????
I was thinking about her and decided to Google her and here we are. Now I know. I wish she could Google me. We had some good times together.

This is a must read for anyone interested in Indonesian contemporary history and society. It is the story of the American woman who established the first hotel in Bali, later in life became known as the revolutionary "Surabaya Sue" and who died abroad forgotten by most. Her fabulous novel "Revolt in Paradise" was never made into a film, much to her frustration. Lindsey has done a fantastic job researching the archives and interviewing the old and somewhat bitter lady.

Just to let you know, we needed this book for a special assignment, and the seller sent it asap! AND it was exactly as described. That's a winning combination!

Happy in Minnesota

Any event that is as chaotic as the 1989 Romanian Revolution is difficult to cover simply because there were so many different things going on in so many different places. Unlike the 1917 Bolshevik Revolution, which had a single planned goal, the one in Romania seemed to have multiple goals that sprang up somewhat spontaneously.

The book does an excellent job of trying to discuss the many various parts of the turmoil, devoting most of its attention to the events in Bucharest before, during, and immediately after December 1989. It did this effectively within the constraints of the book's 315 pages. The book's concluding chapters deal with the founding of the NSF (National Salvation Front) in the midst of the hectic days just before Christmas 1989.

In my personal opinion, the NSF was simply a rehash of the old communism that the people who participated in the revolution were attempting to overthrow. Communism didn't die with the revolution nor with the execution of its dictator (Ceausescu). It simply grew a new head. But the book shows the sometimes amazing strength of the Romanian spirit to overcome the injustices visited upon them by their leaders.

Although the book is said to have been printed from camera-ready copy that I supplied, the copy editor took it upon himself to alter the text without having the courtesy of consulting me. In so doing, the paragraphing of the opening chapter was altered from that of Fouque's original text, and several errors were introduced into my annotations. It is regrettable to see these defects in a book to which I devoted eight years of conscientious effort. Apart from this, I hope that the book does credit to Fouque and his long-neglected contributions to geology and archeology.

In 1866-1870, Georgios volcano on Santorini had a series of eruptions that attracted many visitors and scientists. Several eye-witness accounts of the spectacular events were written, but two of them were outstanding, one by Jules Verne and another by Ferdinand Fouque. While Verne described in his science fiction novel how Captain Nemo and his crew witnessed the spectacular eruptions in the middle of Santorini caldera, Fouque wrote a scientific book entitled "Santorini et ses eruptions". Both books became famous. While Verne's book turned out to be a best seller and was translated into many languages, Fouque's book was never such a success because only 800 copies were printed and the many illustrations made it expensive. As a result, many geologists and archeologists have cited the book, but only a few have read the text. Now after more than 120 years this classic has been translated into English. The translator, a leading scientist in volcanology himself, Alexander McBirney of the University of Oregon, has given us a readable text that preserves the style and spirit of the original. His annotations inform the reader about later work and things that have changed since 1879. He has also added a short biographical sketch of Fouque, a doctor of medicine who became interested in volcanoes and was a pioneer in many fields, including the analysis of volcanic minerals and gases. McBirney brings the reader an update on the geological development of Snatorini since the appearance of the original French text. The book comes with the modern geological map of Santorini by Pichler and Kussmaul. Altogether, the combination of Fouque's science, the translator's scholarship, and the publisher's craftsmanship make this one of the best books about volcanoes and the archeology of Santorini ever written.

Sarajevo: A Biography is the history of a proud city that persevered under terrible strife. Haven of learning in the Ottoman era; site of the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand in 1914, causing World War I; host to the Winter Olympics in 1984; multicultural center under Tito; and by 1992 subject to the longest urban siege of the modern era, Sarajevo's story is a complex and tumultuous one. Sarajevo: A Biography spares no detail in Sarajevo's history, up to and including the aftermath of the 1992-5 siege and the citizens' efforts to rebuild and preserve a valued way of life. Highly recommended especially for world history and library reference shelves.

Dr. Robert Donia has written the best book in any language on the recent history of Sarajevo-- one of the most complex, fascinating, and misunderstood cities in the world. Dr. Donia, who has given extensive testimony as an expert consultant to the Hague Tribunal on war crimes in the former Yugoslavia, has known Sarajevo intimately since the 1970s, and understands the richness, and the sometimes tragic complexity of its multi-cultural heritage. (Donia's first book, on Bosnia's Muslims under Austro-Hungarian rule, remains the defintive work on the subject.)

"Sarajevo: a Biography" is informed by a profound historical understanding and a broad human sympathy. It is mercifully free from ethno-religious bias or political partisanship, although, precisely for that reason, it will no doubt be attacked by bigots and and chauvinists of several persuasions.

For anyone hoping to undersand the tragedy of Bosnia in the 1990s, this is the second book to read. The first is "Bosnia and Herzegovina: A Tradition Betrayed", co-authored by Donia and his Ph.D. thesis advisor, Professor John Fine of the University of Michigan. (John Fine's books are also essential to an understanding of the region's history.) If Richard Holbrook had read Donia and Fine before negotiating at Dayton, Bosnia might be in much better shape today than it is.

Prof. William Hunt, Department of History, St. Lawrence University, Canton, New York 13617

Like the way an Ottoman poet owns an inheritance of literary and cultural intertextualiy based on Turkish, Persian, Greek and other literary sources, Hilmi Yavuz owns this gorgeous inheritance, adds up it world poetry, and reflects it in "Seasons of the Word". His poetry is a very rich literary source in many ways especially when we think of Eastern-Western dialectics that has penetrated his poems. In the introduction part of the book, the translator presents a panaroma of Turkey's cultural history and discusses the results of radical political changes along with the revolution on literature and poetry. In the notes to the poems which come after extensive afterword by Barry Tharaud at the end of the book, he reads between the lines and deciphers the significant allusions and metaphors hidden in the poems, and thus helps readers to understand Yavuz's poetry better. These notes also open up new horizons for the inquisitive reader who wants to learn more about Turkish literary tradition which is full of brilliant poets and writers that grew up in the cultural mosaic of modern Turkey and Ottoman heritage. Within the context of world literature, "Seasons of the Word" will place Hilmi Yavuz in the company of the world's strong poets as Walter G. Andrews suggests, too. I strongly recommend this profound book to everybody who likes poetry.
Didem Gamze Erdinç (MA candidate)

Hilmi Yavuz's "Seasons Of The Word" is a very remarkable book because it produces high-value aesthetics. These poems contain of metaphors (and images) that belong to both Western and Middle-Eastern poetry; in other words, "Seasons Of the Word" is based on a very deep intellectual heritage. If you are not afraid of puzzling metaphors, images and if you like very insightful poetic journey, you must read this book. Ambiguity of Language is displayed with fascinating tropes and it is in harmony with gorgeous Sound. Moreover, this book is translated from Turkish into English by Walter G. Andrews who is one of the most celebrated scholars in Middle-Eastern studies. Barry Tharaud, who is another distinguished scholar, penetrates into Yavuz's work with a comprehensive article.
Alphan Akgül (phd candidate)

Excelent book and the half text in Arabic is a wonderful idea since every person interested in learning about Ancient Egypt should learn the language and culture or Modern Egypt as well.

A book for those interested to learn about the history of ancient egypt.The writter tells the story of the sphix very well. I recomened it to all those interested in history.

If Shackelton made it across the antartic as planned he probably would not be as well-known as he is today. The feat he and his crew managed to pull is simply astounding. One of the most inspiring adventure stories of all time in my opinion.
Amru Albeiruti

The collective effort of Jonathon Shackleton (Antarctic special and a cousin of the famed explorer) and biographer John Mackenna, Shackleton: An Irishman In Antarctica is an informed and informative portrayal of Ernest Shackleton's historic, dramatic, highly dangerous South Pole expedition. Even though the voyage's ultimately failed to achieve it's stated goal, and Shackleton's crew were stranded on ice floes, all hands worked together to survive for a year before the perilous return to civilization could be made. Not a single man died in Shackleton's expedition, a credit to Shackleton's leadership and determination. His is a profound, inspirational, and keenly engaging story which is very highly recommended reading.

Korean shamanism played a crucial role in traditional village religion, and the concepts and assumptions embodied in it are still present in Korean culture. Yet the village traditions have been disappearing, or at least rapidly changing, in modern Korea.

Kendall's thesis is that if you really want to understand Korean religion, shamanism is essential. Traditional scholars (influenced partly by Confucianism and partly by a "scientific" disdain for "superstition") emphasized Buddhism and Confucianism, with Christianity appearing and thriving in recent times. Shamanism and women's religious traditions were considered unimportant to the "official" religion of Korea. But Kendall argues successfully that actually the various traditions (not counting Christianity) are/were complementary in practice; the women's rituals dealt with some issues, the men's with others.

Underlying the discussion is the issue of women's traditional roles in Korea, which were frankly oppressive, and yet as Kendall reveals, of course the women were not entirely powerless. Kendall argues that women's roles complemented men's roles, implying (Kendall doesn't say so explicitly) that traditional accounts have overemphasized women's formal inferiority at the expense of an accurate understanding of the reality of everyday life and religion.

Anyway, this book is a very good introduction to the shamanist tradition in Korea--not so much an overview, but an introduction. She barely mentions the varieties of traditional shamanism in Korea, and gives minimal accounts of the mythologies associated with the gods, very minimal descriptions of the rituals. She is a little more interested in the way the women understand and experience them. She is most interested in the relation of the shaman and household religion to elements of everyday life such as sickness, business or educational success, marital conflict, and so on.

In short, it's kind of an introduction to women's ritual from the point of view of the women who practice it, rather than from the point of view of comparative anthropology or folk anthologies or something like that. Yet of course it is ultimately anthropological and scholarly. She does make helpful asides in the text and footnotes regarding typical scholarly interests, and concludes her study with comparison to Japanese, Okinawan and Chinese folk religious traditions (missing, in my opinion, is the Burmese, which I think is more similar to Korean folk tradition than any of these).

I recommend, if you are studying Korean religion, reading this book early in your study, if not first. My only criticism would be its brevity: if you've never been to Korea, you can't begin to imagine what a "kut" looks or sounds like. She doesn't do a good enough job describing it. Thus, I would say, this should probably not be the only book you read on Korean shamanism; just the first one.

I want to emphasize a few other books on Korean religion, just in case. The Janelli's have done a great study of ancestor worship, which is as fundamental as shamanism to Korean religion; while Buswell has done good studies of Buddhism (start with "The Zen Monastic Experience"). He's turned his attention to Christianity now, and I haven't kept up with him, but I suspect his work there is the best in that field as well.

It's been years since I read this book and I still remember how delightful I found it. The author's participatory study is illuminating and her subject matter interesting, but one thing I remember above all -- her prose style, the manner in which she communicates, is of the highest order for a study of this sort. This author is worth reading wherever you find her for her literary value alone, let alone the light she sheds on an important and little-understood aspect of Korean life. Go read!!