Asia Books

This is a great book to read if you are planning to visit China, It is easy to read with beatiful pictures, a review about modern Chinese society, the good side and the dark side when the Dragon is rising.

Dragon Rising: An Inside Look at China Today comes from a Beijing-based journalist who examines the major issues around China's transition to a global power. His experiences with a wide range of Chinese residents, from urban to rural - and his observations of the different paths the Chinese are choosing on the road to modernity - lends to a blend of powerful images and social observation key to any understanding of Chinese culture. Both general-interest libraries and high school to college-level holdings strong in intercultural understanding will want to consider this introductory review.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

My father will be traveling to China in May for a 3-week trip, to learn more about this fascinating country. I can think of no better book, to prepare him for his travel to Beijing, Shanghai, and the Yangtze River. So, I will be sending him this book immediately.

Following up his well-researched and detailed 600-page "The Chinese" with "Dragon Rising," Becker has given the "China" shelf in the bookstore a book, which it dearly needed. Instead of reading about the Ming Dynasty or Chairman Mao, business travelers and adventure travelers needed a book, which could be easily read in a day, covering the different regions of China (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, Yunnan Province, etc.), an explanation of Deng's reforms which were responsible for the China economic miracle, and some hard-hitting truth-telling about the human and environmental impact of China's rush to modernism.

On this point, anyone who has read Becker's "The Chinese" will not be surprised by his honest assessment of this human impact on the Chinese. In the chapter on Beijing, he recounts the developments that led to the Tiananmen Square protests; in the Shanghai chapter, he documents the misery of construction workers building this city of the future and the prostitutes who inhabit it; and in the Pearl River Delta, he puts a face to the cheap labor and goods being sent from China to the rest of the world: the young and petite factory girls recruited from the countryside who live their regulated lives in factory dormitories.

Becker's reportage combines a sense of wonderment and awe about China's rise with a Dickensian sensibility. Becker is terrific at distilling confusing political developments into a language the average reader can understand. But, he is at best when his journalistic instinct kicks in: traveling the country to interview farmers, entrepreneurs, beggars, prostitutes, local party leaders, labor activists, and prostitutes. In a way, the book is a series of fascinating anecdotes strung from one chapter to another.

Finally, I should mention that this is a National Geographic book, so the pictures are tremendously beautiful, even when they focus on the poverty or environmental disasters of the countryside. More of the China books would be much better, if they contained more contemporary pictures!

All in all, this is a well-rounded, very readable book.

China's future impact on world affairs, economies, and raw-material/energy demand is frequently pondered, but with little detail. Becker's "Dragon Rising" brings clear detail and reality to recent accomplishments by China. In addition, the reader also learns interesting tidbits such as China lost Taiwan to Japan in 1895, Tiananmen Square was modeled after Moscow's Red Square, and Deng Xiaoping was the de facto Chinese leader who led China out of Mao's mess and into the modern world (despite being deposed twice, and sentenced to death once for non-conformist actions).

Example of Chinese Urban Renovation: China spent $30 billion from '92 to '99 to rebuild Shanghai's infrastructure. This supported construction of 8,000 high-rises in 15 years (each taller than any building in the area prior to 1980), new steel and car plants, an automated stock exchange, a new airport, and a Maglev train to/from the airport (top speed 269 mph). The bad news is that Shanghai has sunk 8 feet since '21, its population density now exceeds 5,800/square mile (much greater than New York, London, or Paris), many of the new buildings are of poor quality and will require significant repairs in ten years, prices have skyrocketed to as high as $1,250/square foot, many of the buildings are vacant, and the disparity between rich and poor has never been greater.

China has also build underground cities and factories in preparation for nuclear war.

Transitioning the Economy: China had about 300,000 state-owned enterprises (SOEs) with jobs and food originally guaranteed for life; however, with their overheads (about one administrator for every three workers) they were slow-moving, and productivity was poor. Deng began transitioning by changing their focus from military products to civilian, and by the late 1990s, two-thirds were operating in the red.

Glove Company Example: The firm began as a part-time husband/wife activity aimed at adding to their farm income. Success led to adding onto their house, buying a few Japanese machines, and hiring some workers. More success and reinvestment brought new machines made in China (some with computers), and a capacity of a million/year. Large orders were shared with others in the area.

Sales activities took place not only via mobile phones, but at a local market (in this case about a mile long with five floors and 40,000 vendors) - buyers liked it because of the ease in filling a shipping container, even with small purchases from individual vendors. Dongyang focuses on socks (about 9 billion pair/year), and attracts 100,000 buyers at its sock fair.

MBAs are not needed - the average number of employees is 18, and 70% of owners have at best a middle-school education. Profits are reinvested, or put into real-estate or even purchasing jet planes; China has private savings of over $1.4 trillion. Employees work 10-12 hours/day, often for less than minimum wage (many workers are illegal migrants from rural areas - China severely restricts movement to avoid peasants overwhelming cities). The government is trying to crack down on pay violations; other problems include a damaged environment, high-cost healthcare that often is of poor quality, and lack of worker safety standards.

How does this all add up? A Mattel Barbie doll retails for $10 in the U.S., with $1 going for management and shippers in Hong Kong, 65 cents for raw materials, and 35 cents for other factory costs (including labor and equipment). Sophisticated parts are often made outside China and simply assembled; look for this to change soon.

Why do peasants want to move to the cities? Their income has stagnated at low levels (average land farmed is 1.5 acres; title to the land still resides with the government). Regardless, this creates considerable pressure for the government to further increase trade so that they can move off the farm and the land can be consolidated for production efficiencies.

Bottom Line: Becker does not hide the fact that China has a long way to go as far as human rights are concerned. However, it is also clear that the Chinese government is maneuvering carefully, trying to avoid unmeetable expectations and the problems caused by instant transition (eg. Russia, East Germany). Regardless, China's future military, political, economic, and resource impact on the world will be very significant and occur much faster than we probably would have imagined.

Dragon Rising is a very well written book giving the reader an excellent overview of modern China. Its clear from the very beginning (via the introduction) that the author is not a "China cheerleader" and can ask the difficult questions. I think this book balances all the China hype we see and read about it in the economic media with the reality of the the many pressing economic and social problems that are becoming more acute.

This book is very interesting and easy to read and intersperses anecdotes, with history, and facts, as well as colorful photos -all without getting bogged down in minutiae. Probably the best book available for anyone interested in an overview of modern China. I would recommend it for anyone doing business with China or traveling to China, and interested in an overview of modern Chinese society. Not for academic types or someone interested in Chinese history.

The setting is in the Pusan area of South Korea two years after the start of the Korean War. Sookan and her family were residents of Seoul, but some of them fled southward amidst the falling bombs and destruction when the war started. Her brothers and father did not come with them, so Sookan believes that they are in the South Korean army.
Sookan and a few of her family members have now established themselves at a refugee camp and Sookan is working with her classmates and teachers to build a school so that they can continue to learn. Scrounging what they can, they are able to restart the school and Sookan is eager to begin learning again.
The times are of course hard, but they manage to make a life for themselves. Sookan also meets a boy her age named Junho and they develop a relationship considered scandalous in the rigid Korean society. Eventually, the truce is signed and Sookan and her family go back to Seoul and begin rebuilding their lives. They reunite with her brothers and learn that her father is dead.
Sookan is relentless in her studies and is able to pass an examination that allows her to go to the United States for more advanced education. Junho begins attending a University in Seoul and they meet once again. He is bound for the seminary, so although there are still deep feelings between them, they understand that the two of them are destined to go separate ways.
This is an excellent story about perseverance and the value of education for young people. It would have been easy for Sookan to have lost all faith in herself and her future during their flight from Seoul. Yet, the spark burned strongly in her and she was able to pursue her dream of an advanced education in the United States. I strongly recommend this book for group reading and evaluation.

This was a wonderful book. Ms. Choi capatures the essence of Korean culture with the reality which all can say, "I know what you mean." I would recomend this book to everyone.

Echoes of the White Giraffe, by Sook Nyul Choi is a sequel to Year of Impossible Goodbyes. The theme of this book is about refugees and what their lives are like in a different place. This book focuses on the main character Sookan who is again separated from her father and brothers. The book mainly explains about Sookan's refugee life in Pusan and how she adapts and meets new people in a strange and foreign place. I personally liked the other book, Year of Impossible Goodbyes better because it was more adventurous and exciting but this book was pretty fun also. It talked a lot about her first romance and how she lived as a refugee for two years.

It is a touching novel like the ones before and after it. You have to read A Gathering of Pearls to complete the set. The title of the book matches very well with its story. The set of books let you relieve a war and its affect on one family and kid. I recommend it for a reading project or anything for history.

This book is the BEST I've ever read! Well this and the book before it, The Year of Impossible Goodbyes. When you read it, it's like your actually there.. feeling the same thing the main character (Sookan) is. You'll read about everything she wishes and her thoughts and the horrible things she goes through. You might find it hard to believe at how she finds the most simple things, and enjoy it. She does all she can to enjoy life. This is a book I have really really really really enjoyed..

And recommend it to everyone!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Shashi Tharur's well-rounded analysis of various issues in Modern India. A must-read for non-resident as well as resident Indians !!!

I wanted to know a bit more about Indian culture and Indian history and I love this book. It's so well written. You must have some basic knolwedge of Indian history to understand it though. If you don't know who Nehru was and what the "partition" was you need to read some books before this one.
The book helped me to discover many facets of the Indian culture and society: the importance of secularism (and the current threats), the basic tenets of hinduism, the difference between north and south, the passion for cricket, the odd habit of changing cities' names, the use of the sari (or the lack of use), etc.
I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in knowing more about India.

This book is a must read for Non Resident Indians. Mr. Tharoor has perfectly portrayed India in a way NRIs would manifest their experiences of their home country. Though the book is not targeted only for Indians, it has few historical & personal references that only a true Indian can understand.

The book starts with little bit of Indian history talking about "People who made my India" that includes noted Indians from all sects including politics, cricket & bollywood. The author also provides a glimpse of India's culture (spirituality, traditional family values) & tourism (experiences at Ajanta & Ellora caves, Ayurvedic resort in Kerala) followed by India's progress in this 21st century (call centers, cellphone surge). Since Mr. Tharoor has been associated with the United Nations, the facts about India's growth, outlined in the book, truly suggest that India is the 21st century's emerging power.

I really enjoyed the chapter on India's cricket legend, Sunil Gavaskar, who was my hero too when growing up. It is nostalgic the way Mr. Tharoor has written about the "little master".

This is a must read for all Indians living outside their own home country.

The Elephant, the Tiger, and the Cell Phone, The: The Emerging 21st-
Century Power, Shashi Tharoor - We Indians are often so starved for some
metric -- any metric, really -- of validation that we blindly embrace
Indians of all stripes residing outside India. What else could explain
our head-long rush to claim Bobby Jindal as one of our own while
demonstrating obvious restraint for Mr. Shashi Tharoor? (For those
readers who may not know Mr. Jindal, he is the Indian-American
governor of the US state of Louisiana.) Unarguably, and just as
unfortunately, present the names of Mr. Jindal and Mr. Tharoor to any
Indian in the US and the chances are better than even that they have
pride in Mr. Jindal while drawing blanks when Mr. Tharoor's name is
mentioned. This is an egregious sin, for Mr. Tharoor revels in being an
Indian as much as Mr. Jindal repudiates it. This revelry in all things
Indian is evident in Mr. Tharoor's latest book.

He staunchly believes and defends the Indian notion of secularism, which
he maintains is not the absence of any religion, but the proliferation
of many religions, all equally protected under the constitution (a point
he makes in other books as well, most notably in India: from midnight
to the millennium). Going further, he makes the point that where
else can you find a political landscape so diverse that in the 2004
Indian elections, a Sikh (Manmohan Singh), representing a Congress party
headed by a Catholic (Sonia Gandhi), was sworn in as prime minister by
a Muslim president (A.P.J. Abdul Kalam)! It is certainly hard to argue
against that now, isn't it?

The book is great reading. Besides the weighty issues of politics,
religion, constitution, and culture, Mr. Tharoor also makes detours to
cover the light-hearted issues of ever-changing city names in India
(Bombay becomes Mumbai, etc.), and the desire to add extra consonants
and vowels in soap operas because the producers believe that this extra
letter will certainly and undoubtedly lend an air of success to the
endeavor! Oh, did I mention the fascination that Indians have with
cricket?

Any student of modern India -- be it in the political arena or cultural
one -- can ill afford to eschew the ruminations of Mr. Tharoor. My
advice: if you are Indian and really want to be proud of it, read Mr.
Tharoor and leave Mr. Jindal to his devices.

I adore Tharoor's erudite and amusing writing. This book feels like home with its loving description of all that matters - cricket, family, community, cinema, history, religion and politics - in that order. The author's pet theme is the ostensibly unwieldy yet absurdly functional pluralism fed by a range of coalition memberships - geographies, cricket solidarities and common political antipathies.

I love that Tharoor describes his India as an individual experience rather than an objective concept. Tharoor subtly endorses the thumping progressive new Indians with his metaphor of an elephant who became a tiger - suggesting provocatively that the vulgarly ostentatious 'five star culture' is more authentic than the discreet opulence of the club culture. However, his intense nostalgia quite clear in the subtext of every syllable - the longing for the old names Madras and Bombay, the self-conscious diginity of Nehruvian democracy and the portrayal of St. Stephens as a modern Nalanda of sorts!

Yet, there is nothing fatalistic or too precious about Tharoor - he denounces superstition and horsocopes and doesn't mind writing that as a man he'd like to see women in elegant saris. It's the sort of nice nationalism that warms one without being too jarring or jingoistic.

Easy reading, good personal story of Operation Babylift. I had previously read "War Cradle", a very wordy, messy retelling of the story. This one is much more elementary and not as detailed, but follows one boy through his life. Fascinating.

I also could not put this book down and had to read it straight through. Andrea Warren does a compelling and balanced job in telling Long's story. Not only do we gain real insight into how the war affected families and children in Vietnam, but we also learn the thoughts and hopes of children living in orphanages. As an adoptive mom, I found this to be a valuable book on many levels.

I read this straight through on an airplane and had to turn away from my seatmates so they wouldn't see me cry. As usual, Warren has written a compelling, evocative story about one child's experience, and in it has distilled an era and a place. The main character, Long, suffers through poverty and loss, then winds up in an orphanage where he vaccilates between grief over the loss of his own family and hope for a new mother. I got tears in my eyes as he said good-bye to his grandmother, who was his last surviving family member, and then again when he learned he had a new home in America. As a reader I felt his excitement and anxiety as the day approached when he would see his new family, and then his fear as the war moved from the countryside to the streets of his city. The drive to the bombed airport and the flight on the transport plane were terrifying, followed immediately by the joy as Long ran into the arms of his new mother. This story will stick with readers, both adults and children, leaving a personalized image of an otherwise hard-to-comprehend world event.

Once you start reading, you probably won't be able to put it down. This is an amazing story, with wonderful photographs. I cried twice and made my husband read it. He loved it too!
Teachers will find this useful in the classroom, for teaching about the war in Vietnam, and Long/Matt is a role model we'd be delighted to see any kid follow.

If you've loved Warren's earlier books about children surviving in difficult new circumstances (the two Orphan trains books, Surviving Hitler, and the one about the girl growing up on the prairie) you'll love this one, too. In this one, Long, the young hero, is half Vietnamese, half American. His survival depends on a pivotal airlift of Vietnamese orphans "tainted by the blood of the enemy" as the North Vietnamese are about to take over Saigon. But even before that the reader is caught up in the story of Long's mother and grandmother struggling to survive in a wartorn country.

The story works on one level for children and on another for adults -conveying how America's withdrawal from Vietnam affects the family of a boy whose young life is shaped by war. It has all the virtues of nonfiction wrapped up in a charming, moving, and compelling story. Adults and children may want to read this one together. It's a tribute to parenting, in whatever form it comes, and to the resilience of children.

This is an excellent guide to Afghanistan. Both for the expert and the newcomer. Given the current security situation in Afghanistan, I would recommend the Essential Field Guide as a must to all US and Coalition soldiers and peacekeepers. It could save their lives and US policy.

The guide provides exactly the sort of quick understanding with excellent overviews and infobriefs on culture, economies, health, environment, ethnic groups etc. that would prove more than useful through a more thorough understanding of this country and its people. Edward Girardet, who has written for the Christian Science Monitor and National Geographic, is also one of the top experts on the country since first reporting it at the beginning of the Soviet invasion. Apart from its information, the guide is simply a joy - and incredibly interesting - to read. Anyone serious about Afghanistan - aid worker, journalist, diplomat, academic, traveller, human rights advocate...should have a copy if not in their pocket then certainly on their bookshelves. Political science and journalism students should also study this as a must. It beats most other books on Afghanistan. Girardet and Walter and the Crosslines publishers should definitely do other books on humanitarian and conflict zones elsewhere. If they can do the same for Africa or the Middle East as they have with Afghanistan, they are doing an incredible service to all concerned.

CROSSLINES ESSENTIAL FIELD GUIDE TO AFGHANISTAN

Published by CROSSLINES Global Report and Media Action International (formerly the International Centre for Humanitarian Reporting-ICHR)

The Crosslines Essential Field Guide to AFGHANISTAN Is the only detailed guidebook dealing with the current situation of the country available in English. Although certain elements in the book have been overtaken by recent events, the field guide is still essential reading for all journalists, aid workers, diplomats and military personnel operating in the region or otherwise interested in Afghanistan. Journalists and relief workers from the BBC, TIME, UNHCR, UNICEF and other media or aid groups have already informed us that the Essential Guide to AFGHANISTAN is the best thing going for quick and informed background information.

The book features over 500 pages of political, humanitarian and military analysis, biographies of key Taliban and opposition players, essential information briefs on agriculture, medical relief, environment, culture etc. as well as all regions of the country, street maps, advice on health and security, phrasebooks in Persian and Pashto, contact details for diplomats, aid agencies and journalists. Specially commissioned essays written leading experts analyse the country's political, military, humanitarian, and cultural situation. All country data was collated through first hand field research the editors.

The editors are Edward Girardet (a journalist and former correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor; also author of Afghanistan - the Soviet War) and Jonathan Walter (a former officer with the British Army's Brigade of Gurkhas, and editor of the World Disasters Report)

The new (2005)edition of this guide brings the story up to 2004 and contains ample documentation regarding the struggling new democracy of Afghanistan. The writing is rich in colorful, touching, scary, revealing details that tend to get filtered out of official and semi-official reports. I found the discussions of deforestation, landmines, and security particularly helpful. Written from a European perspective, the book provides many useful suggestions for travel in Afghanistan that usefully complement advice from American sources.

This book was made for the use of relief workers working in Afghanistan. Aid for Aid participated in helping provide the maps for this book .

Crosslines Essential Field Guide to Afghanistan tells the full story about Afghanistan in a way I can't find in any other book. Whether it's politics, culture or humanitarian information you're after - it's all in there. I never realised how big those Buddhas were that the Taliban blew up until I saw a picture in this book! If you want to understand more about the country at the centre of world news, this is the book to buy!

I first came across this book in my local library. I was so enchanted by the different designs, that after tiring of renewing it, I have decided to order my own copy. I recommend it to any person interested in needlepoint, as well as global designs...

Must add my praise for this book. Gorgeous colors in clear graphic designs plus various colorways so you can see what would happen if you use different colors. I get a feeling of generosity from the authors who obviusly love their craft and want to share it.

In addition to bold and unusual patterns, Mary Norden has an extremely good eye for colors. I use patterns and parts of patterns from this book all the time.

There are many lovely needlepoint books with an emphasis on romantic or Victorian designs. This book consists of designs with Asian, African and Latin and Native American influences. The photographs are beautiful, the instructions and charts are clear, and the colors dazzling! Highly recommended for all needleworkers---knitters, cross stitchers, crocheters, etc.---not just needlepointers.

This book brings the beauty of the various international fabrics to your needlepoint canvas. It's not your grandmother's needlepoint - no cats or flowers, just bold and exciting designs with great color graphs and ideas. I highly recommend this book - I even ordered a copy for my sister although it was out-of-print.

I just bought a copy of this book because I saw the lecture Dr. Maguire gave on CSPAN and was riveted. The book is unbelievably important in these times when the United States claims to be doing things for international justice. But when you read this and see how Pol Pot got away with so much and what's going on in Asia you won't be able to understand why we were so consumed with a man like Saddam Hussein (oil). Everyone should read this book.

Peter Maguire's mix of personal travelogue and historical study works well, with the author lingering on the question of impunity and the ineffectual international community, whilst interviewing victims and perpetrators of Khmer Rouge crimes on many visits following his first trip to Cambodia in 1994. That first exciting yet unnerving visit in 1994 is something the author and myself have in common, as we do the loss of a close Cambodian friend in recent years. His loss was Sok Sin, well known as every journalist's 'fixer' and Maguire's tale of his demise is poignant. His interviews with the suvivors of Tuol Sleng such as Bou Meng, Vann Nath and Im Chan contrast sharply with the soul-less KR photographer Nhem En and guard Him Huy, whilst DC-Cam and Youk Chhang rightly emerge as a beacon of light in the chaos that is Cambodia. He also tracked down Mai Lam, the Vietnamese colonel who'd turned Tuol Sleng into a Genocide Museum though ultimately their discussions were stymied. I found the book stimulating, frustrating, insightful and vexing in equal measures, with Maguire admitting up front that he ultimately failed to come to any clear-cut conclusions. However, the journey to get to nowhere is an interesting one.

This remarkable book takes the reader deep inside the minds of a culture so hard to penetrate that I am returning this year to Cambodia just to attempt to understand the obvious - here is a country in a state of denial. "Facing Death in Cambodia" very effectively analyses Cambodia's culture of compliance, a nation meek to authority, and seemingly paralyzed by a recent past so convulsive that to even think about it is an invitation to "bad karma" - even among survivors and the unindicted killers of their children who sometimes share the same street. Mr Maguire excells at the job of rendering the 75-79 story in human terms. His portraits of the familiar figures like the photographer of those shattering Tuol Slong ID pictures are very important to our understanding of what sort of mental gymnastics many at the heart of the genocide are capable of. The heroic Vann Nath, whose miraculous survival is powerfully and touchingly explained in the book, emerges as a beacon of clear sightedness.Yet even here there is paradox - the survivor is eager to greet the photographer almost as an old friend. The author's tenacious search for the mind set and value system of the killers, and how D.K.'s perverted ideology can be effortlessly justified in Cambodia's "culture of impunity", make for provocative reading. I was particularly impressed by the author's descriptions of lurking violence. The weserner's stereotypes of the smiling Khmer do not long survive exposure to present reality. When Mr. Maguire takes you through the marketplaces and cafes of Phnom Penh, don't expect a comfortable ride. In one shattering passage,we are told how quickly peasant vengeance in the street over seeming trifles turns to horror in a blink. Overall, this book is one of the most important documents of Cambodia's modern history. Mr Maguire has no illusions that this beautiful, tormented country's battle to start over is going to be over soon. Here is a writer of compassion and power, and his book is an excellent one.

This is a clear and concise book about the horrendous regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge (1975-1979)and the aftermath. The author asks the question: why haven't leaders of the Khmer Rouge been prosecuted for the mass murder they perpetrated on their own people. He finds a partial answer by looking at international politics and the machinations of Cambodian leaders, the UN, and the US and everyone's lack of priority in seeking justice in Cambodia.

The author, along the way, adds his personal experiences and interesting observations about Phnom Penh and Cambodia in the 1990s and up until 2003. He interviews a large number of Cambodians, including guards and survivors, about the goings on at the notorious S-21 prison. As many as twenty thousand entered the prison; fewer than a dozen survived. There are photos of some of the murdered and the survivors and several historic photos of Khmer Rouge soldiers. The author delves into the mentality of the mass murderers and present day Cambodians who still suffer the trauma of that horrific era.

Chapter two in this book is one of the best brief descriptions of the Khmer Rouge takeover of Cambodia and its consequences that I have read. All in all the book is a readable introduction to the sordid history of the Khmer Rouge and the half-hearted international efforts to cope with mass murder and its perpetrators.

Smallchief

I've often wondered about the genocide in Cambodia. The amount of material available on the Holocaust is emmense. We basically went to war to stop the "Ethnic Clensing" in the Balkans. But in Cambodia, almost noting, even while it was going on it seemed to be largely ignored. The famous pictures of the piles of skulls seemed to have no effect.

When this was happening we had just ended our participation in the Viet Nam war. I asked a Viet Nam protester why they weren't protesting what was happening there, why are we building a Holocaust museum when something of almost horror was happening in Cambodia. There was no answer.

For a time I thought that it might be an issue of race/color. The Jews were white, the Cambodian brown. Then the happenings in Rawanda got a fair amount of press coverage. And I can only conclude that it was just a matter of time. Viet Nam took all the energy the protestors had, perhaps combined with such a contempt/hatred for our own government that they couldn't see the evil in the Khmer Rouge. Maybe it was the left's "love" for communism that made them blind.

Peter Maguire's book puts a personal and human face on this genocide. He has talked to the people all over Cambodia, he has analyzed the international response and concluded that "international law, human rights, and international criminal courts are little more than sonorous fictions without political will."

There is no political will to even think much about Cambodia, not while it was happening, not now.

Ages 4-8 will love Dick Cole's warm and realistic drawings in The Falling Flowers, a celebration of a child and grandmother's urban trip and relationship. The two take a train to the heart of Japan to see something special, but Grandmother won't say what it is until they get there: when they do, Mayumie discovers something special in the very heart of modern-day urban Japan.

Ideal for children 4 to 8, The Falling Flowers is the story of a young Japanese girl and her grandmother. Mayumie and her Grandmother take a train ride into the heart of Tokyo, then walk together down a quiet street in the middle of the city and find a grove of Japanese cherry trees all in blossom. The simple, elegant text by Jennifer Reed is perfectly showcased with Dick Cole's watercolors giving this original story a timeless and universal appeal. The Falling Flowers would make a truly fine and appreciated addition to any picturebook collection.

Ideal for children 4 to 8, The Falling Flowers is the story of a young Japanese girl and her grandmother. Mayumie and her Grandmother take a train ride into the heart of Tokyo, then walk together down a quiet street in the middle of the city and find a grove of Japanese cherry trees all in blossom. The simple, elegant text by Jennifer Reed is perfectly showcased with Dick Cole's watercolors giving this original story a timeless and universal appeal. The Falling Flowers would make a truly fine and appreciated addition to any picturebook collection.

Mayumie's grandmother is taking her someplace very special. Mayumie wonders aloud, "Are we going shopping? To the museum? To the shrine? To the zoo?" Patiently, Mayumie's grandmother explains that this place is much more magical than any of those places, and it can only be viewed once a year. What kind of place could it be? Readers of this book will get their answer in this beautiful story, rich in descriptive details that will have them right there with Mayumie and her grandmother seeing, smelling, and touching The Falling Flowers. Children will enjoy Mayumie's journey and discovery, and teachers and librarians will want to share this story, especially in conjunction with an Asian studies unit.

Jennifer's story and Dick's illustrations come together to form an enchanting story that will appeal to reader's of all ages. I particularly enjoyed reading it to my granddaughter.

This type of book should never be allowed to go out of print. It should be available for all to read and learn from. In it, Helene Tremblay offers a fascinating insight into the ordinary lives of various people from The Americas and The Caribbean by spending a typical day with a typical family. In a beautifully illustrated book, sensitively written, Ms Tremblay gently pushes opens a window into their different worlds, eating, resting and working with the families. There is no feeling of intrusion, just an unspoken respect for their way of life. It is at once humbling, honest, moving and utterly compelling. It is a book I refer to many times and can highly recommend.

This type of book should never be allowed to go out of print! It should be available for all to read and learn from. In it, Helene Tremblay offers a fascinating insight into the ordinary lives of various people from The Americas and Caribbean simply by spending a typical day with a chosen family. In a beautifully illustrated book, sensitively written, Ms Tremblay gently pushes opens a window into their different worlds, eating, resting and working with them. There is no feeling of intrusion, just an unspoken respect for their way of life. It is at once humbling, honest, moving and utterly compelling. It is a book I refer to many times and can highly recommend.

I enjoyed reading this book. I bought it for my husband as a gift, but I read it before he did. The photographs and stories were about at least one family from each North and South American country. Wide range of lifestyles, from tribal Amazonians, peasants in Mexico, poor and rich of Brazil, single mother families in West Indies, farmers in Canada, and urban folks from Chicago. The book covers their diligences and futilities in this world as a family unit.

Greetings to all! I love sociology, world culture, and travel. This book combines the best of these topics and so much more! Helene has displayed tremendous courage in her desire to produce a book about humanity and the one thing that bonds us all together: family. She has traveled to places that many of us would find undesirable and have brought forth families that we would have never known if it were not for her beautiful book! From the poorest of the poor to the elite, she has been the welcome guest of families picked randomly who best represent each country. She surprised these families by just showing up on their doorstep and then, as an unbiased observer, gives honest details of the lifestyle of the family. This is truly one of the most interesting books I've ever read and it now looks like a well-worn Bible, as I have read it time and time again. Through the eyes of Helene, we learn about families as far north as Canada and the USA, as well, as the Caribbean and South America and Mexico. I was so impressed by Helene's report on a family in the Honduras that we decided to sponsor a family from there! Truly, there is no other book like it and it is a great sadness to me that it is no longer in print. Anyone who can purchase this book will be adding a book of noble worth to their library! I can't say enough about this book! It is a tremendous way for children to learn about other families and places around the world! Helene, if you ever read this, know that you are always welcome at my home! ;-) In Friendship, Mrs. Marsha Swaggerty & Family

I've already given a review for the first book which is on this page for some reason... so I wholeheartedly agree that the book on Asia and the Pacific is just as spectacular as the book on the Americas... It was out of print and I was amazed when Amazon.Com came through with a used copy that was in beautiful condition! I was very pleased and impressed and am delighted to have this book in my collection... I was very intrigued by the families in Asia and the exotic Pacific! Very much worth the wait!

Outstanding Book. I thought that Paul did a very good job of telling it like it was.I lost quite a bit of sleep while reading this book. Could not put it down.

Even though I was not in the Vietnam War, I could not put this book down. Talking to others that were in the War, I found that this story was true for those who fought. Thanks to Paul Young I learned what it was like to be a marine fighting in the jungle.

I served with 1st force in vietnam in 67-68. Reading this book brought back alot of memories. Some good and some bad. The facts and stories were real and very much to the point. Great book.

I thought that this book was great in describing what Marine Recon really is which is quietly moving miles through rough terrain and then sitting around, trying to stay undetected, calling in air and artillery strikes on the enemy, and gathering information on the enemy to support the infantry. Also, Young really expressed what it was like to expierence war with the seperation from family, being fired upon with small arms fire and artillery and the loss of good friends.

Paul R Young really tells it like it happen I should know, I was a member of first recon One of Benoit's boys. As a former member of first Recon this book his been a terriffic way for us from Duckbill to tell our story.