African Books

I purchased this for my son who is a junior in H.S. After reading it, I gladly handed over to him for his use. Money well spent!

My son read this and seem to be impressed and attentive to the writer views since he is of African ethnicity and can relate to what young black males go through. I really considered the fact that for a person to take the time and write a book concerning the need to relate and instill his value system in teenagers that he sees himself through, his heart has to be passionate for males that are walking in the path he has traveled. I applaud him to want to reach back to the community. I think his book should have been publicized and promoted more for the mainstream crowd more and it was not. Perhaps that should have even been a few given free to allow the people that may want some inspiration (postive) to be able to read it.

I picked up this book in a gas station somewhere between North Carolina and Virginia. (It must have been on the border of Virginia/North Carolina because the line was very long for the lotto!)
I have a 19-year old away at school. He was brought up in the church and quite honestly he likes going to church. We've never add problems getting him to participate in church activities. So I feel he has the religious roots to stand on. However, being away from home, I know he is being challenged in his church attendance. More importantly I want him to "know the Lord" not just attend church. Flipping through the book at the store aroused enough of my interest to purchase it. I read it first before giving it to my son and was even more impressed. That's when I ordered 10 more to give to my husband, pastor, nephews, cousins, and brother-in-law being deployed to Kuwait.
I gave the book to my son the week before his Spring Break and told him I expected him to read it once, twice or as many times as necessary over Spring Break to get the message. And I would be quizzing him to be sure he read it. He truly surprised me and called to tell me he was almost done with it the week I gave it to him. My note inside the book said to him to pass it on to a friend if it benefited him. He said he had highlighted so much of the book, he wanted to keep his and could I send him 2 more to give to his room mates. (Yesterday he wanted 2 more for others who saw him reading it.)
I have not heard from my nephews that I gave it to. They may need a little more encouragement to read it, but that's why I gave it to them. They truly need "encouragement for a difficult journey".
Every Black young man that I know I want to share this with them and their parents. Some co-workers asked for some too. I teach Sunday School, ages 8-11 and I will use the section entitled, "Things I wished someone had told me at age 12" with my class.
I sent one book to a previous Sunday School student who is now incarcerated. The book was returned with a note that books could only be given to inmates if they were shipped directly from the printer or a bookstore. It would truly be a blessing to get this book into the prison.

This book is an inspirational work for the reader. It explores the three aspects of life that causes conflicts and problems in the life of young men. The spiritual, mental, and emotional aspects of life that for so long has gone unaddressed are delved into in detail. Although the book talks about young black men, this is a lesson for all young men.

I do a chapel service in a Juvenile Detention Center in the Bronx, and this book is the first book that I have found that I feel would be VERY helpful to the boys.

The reason is - it is broken down in a very simple fashion that is super easy to read, designed for one that may have a short attention span and doesn't typically read a lot, and is very practical and directive as to why and how to get onto a good path.

I am so grateful to this author for creating such a wonderful loving tool so full of wisdom. It has no hint of being condescending, which I also love.

Life lesson # 120: Share your knowledge.

The first thing I thought when I finished this book was that I wish I had money like Oprah to buy a copy for every woman that I know and meet. It is ageless and colorless in it's message. I'm in my 30s and I felt like the book was written just for me at this exact moment in my life. I plan to start 2008 with a new perspective and this book is will be a constant reference. Thank you Ms Munson!

I have literally read this book 4 times and each time I re-read it I gain new insight into my life. A good gift for any girlfriend and or teenager going through life's difficulties.

This had everything from poetry to insight and it was all spoken from real life experiences the author lived through. Like another reviewer said, all the topics was followed by a summary that showed a outline of the main points. This book was informative and inspirational and gives teenage girls the best advice they could ever have, to love themselves before they can love others.

Life Lessons for My Sister by Natasha Munson is a motivational book that combines poetry with life lessons for women. Ms. Munson uses her own experiences and life lessons to reach out to other women, especially young adults to help them develop themselves.

The combination of poetry writings along with the inspirational lessons for everyday life makes this book a great motivational find. Life Lessons for My Sister is great for the individual that needs affirmative guidance to help them find their spirit.



Jen Murphy A SISTAGIRL BOOK CLUB REVIEWER

Natasha Munson's book Life Lessons for My Sisters is a compilation of poetry, insight, and lessons based on the author's real life experiences. Munson describes in a unique, yet simplistic manner how to succeed in life and in love with an emphasis put on first knowing and loving one's self. I enjoyed that each point was often enhanced by a poem and after each topic, there was a summary to show the main points.

Life Lessons for My Sisters tackles all aspects of life in an informative and inspirational manner. Although the book seems to be geared toward a teenage/young adult audience, it contains information that women of all ages need to heed. I highly recommend this book for any girl or woman who needs guidance or positive affirmations in their lives.

Reviewed by Latoya Carter-Qawiyy
APOOO BookClub

This is one of the best books I've read since "What's Done in the Dark", by Gloria Mallette. I literally laughed throughout the whole book. It was a short read and I hated it ended so soon. As long as Ms. Culberson continues to write, I will continue to read.

San Culberson. You did your thing.
Readers-Don't let 208 pages fool you. She left nothing unturned. I actually felt what Fiona was feeling. I laughed with fiona on several pages and was ready to kick butt in others. This book will keep you entertained.

I truly enjoyed reading San Culberson's novel. Her characters were very realistic and her writing style definitely kept me turning the pages. A novel written for the mature reader, I found it easy to relate to her characters and their many 'issues'. All that and then some, Culberson is definitely a writer on the rise in the literary world.

This is one of the best books I've read in a long time. San Culberson is a refreshingly new and welcomed voice. I can't wait to read her next offering.

Got men problems? Join the club of women who have had their hearts broken. Regardless of how strong we think we are, no one is ever ready to find out that their man is cheating on them. After suffering through a year long separation, Fiona Daniels finally got her signed divorce papers.

With feelings of joy, she recruited her best friend, Nicole, to help her plan a "DFL - divorcee for life" party. Fiona spared no expense and invited 27 of our closet friends to celebrate with champagne, catered buffet, and private room. She shed her dressed to impress attorney façade for the evening and partied like there was no tomorrow. During the clean up phase of this soirée, she noticed the handsome cater. Drunken Fiona threw caution to the wind and invited him home for a one-night stand. Fiona acknowledged that the sex was hot and Nicholas "Nick" Nathaniel was FINE (frog hair split three ways fine) but in no way was she becoming involved in a serious relationship.

Nick is a divorcee, master chef and restaurant owner with two kids. He is a free spirit with a passion for expensive gifts and good food. Fiona captivated him while her mean spirit and her funky attitude made him even hungrier in the chase to win her heart. The friendship between the two gets complicated when Fiona realizes who her sisters new man is - waking up the ghetto side of this otherwise refined sister. She temporally loses touch with reality which may cause her to lose everything - her position at the firm, the love of her mother, and her new man friend - Nick.

THE NICK OF TIME is a story that rings true for so many sisters today. Culberson draws the reader in with humorous dialogue, theatrical twists, and the understanding that sex always has strings. Unquestionably, the BEST "chick lit" read of the year. Don't sleep on San Culberson because her pen flows with page turning action that will carry you through the full gamut of emotions.

Deltareviewer
Reviewing for Real Page Turners

No Mirrors in My Nana's House: Musical CD and Book This is a superb book for toddlers and young readers alike. It's music is by a member of the premier acapella group Sweet Honey in the Rock and teaches a wonderful message in a thoroughly enjoyable way. My nephew wanted it read and the music replayed over and over as he danced around.

Another music teacher here to recommend this book. My first graders LOVE LOVELOVE IT!!!! They love the pictures, they love singing the song - even the shy children, and at the end of the song they always ask to hear it again.

Plus, I wish you could've heard the interesting conversations we've had about why the people don't have faces.

I love Sweet Honey and I love this book!

The lead teacher at my son's school suggested that I buy this book for him because he loved it in music class. I had not heard of it, but decided to get it anyway since it had grabbed my son's attention. I am glad that I did. The whole family enjoys the book as well as the catchy tune of the CD. This is one worth having.

I am an elementary music teacher. I have shared this book with all my students from kinder through 5th grade. Every child loves the book and the song, they leave my class singing is every time we sing it. The artwork is so inspiring, a great conversation starter. Excellent resource for a teacher or parent.

"No Mirrors in my Nana's House" is great to have in your collection of musical books. The kids love the song that tells the story and it sends out a great message and shows diversity.

I thought the 4 authors did a wonderful job of pulling all the stories together. I especially loved the story by Rochelle Alers, since I am such a fan of hers anyway, I knew this would be good. The stories all gave lines of busines that you normally wouldn't think of African Americans dealing in which in itself was a nice foray from the norm.

This book helped me to remember the true meaning behind Christmas and the value of embracing the spirit of giving.

There are times when you read a book at just the right time in your life and this is one of those books and times. Hurricane Katrina took so much away from Biloxi MS, but more than anything material, it took away the hope and spirit of so many, myself included. The holiday season started out so bleakly and I admit that I just wanted it to be over, but when you have children you know you have to find the strength to make it as wonderful as possible. It was a struggle until I read A Season of Miracles. I started the book and before I knew it I could feel myself smiling and just feeling good about everything. This book made me believe in miracles again but most of all the miracle of a better tomorrow. It makes you feel so good inside and you cannot help but feel a little sad when you come to the last page, as you feel as if you are leaving behind friends you have come to know and care about. This book is a miracle in itself and one which I will read over and over again.

This book is to die for...after all the disasters that occurred in 2005 that devistated so many lives makes you wonder...But this book will inspire you to have faith and to believe that miracles do happen. I would recommend this book to anyone!!

There are four enchanting stories which will enhance the real meaning of the season and the blessing of miracles.

"Shepherd Moon" by Rochelle Alers tells of Rhianna, a young woman who fled her hometown when her fiancé was killed in an automobile accident. The face of his twin brother was too painful a reminder of what she had lost. Ten years later Rhianna returns home because of a family illness and runs into her fiancé's twin brother and also her past. Now Rhianna can bring closure to her loss and accept the real reason she fled Shepherd, New York.

"Wishing on a Starr" by Adrianne Byrd shares the turmoil seventeen-year-old Gia suffered when she became a widow and a single mother in a matter of months. But Gia never saw her daughter, her aunt saw to that. The loss of her child forced Gia to leave Talboton, GA for New York City. Almost fourteen years later Gia still longs for her child and wants to do something about it. In a crowded department store, Gia bumps into Daniel Davis and his thirteen- year-old daughter, Starr. There is an immediate attraction between the two, and an answer to a wish even Gia could not have imagined.

"Blind Faith" by Kayla Perrin revisits Andrea and Mark, a couple who ended their relationship because Mark was snubbed by Andrea's parents. Years later Andrea's family has fallen on hard times, but Mark has excelled and is an entrepreneur. Their chance meeting is cordial but strained, still Mark is intrigued. An impromptu visit, a near fatal accident, and some blind faith are what Mark needed to propel him past his hesitancy about capturing his holiday miracle.

My favorite, "A Christmas Serenade" by Janice Simms, brings a world traveled concert pianist back to his roots in Charleston, South Carolina in search of himself. The best friend of his deceased mother welcomes him with open arms and southern hospitality. But this motherly matchmaker offers Jack so much more. She shares information about his parents and tapes of performances by her daughter, Callie. Callie is also a pianist, a blues singer and a magazine editor. When Callie and Jack meet the holiday suddenly feels and sounds majestic. But Callie is afraid that the difference between their respective backgrounds may be a problem.

THE SEASON OF MIRACLES is a Christmas Anthology filled with promise and hope. Grab a cup of eggnog, get comfortable on the couch and experience the joy of holiday love. This one will delight the heart.

Reviewed by aNN
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers

To pick up Isak Dinesen's Seven Gothic Tales is to pick up one of the world's greatest literary masterpieces. Here in these seven stories we are presented with a universe that's compelling, beautiful and strange in a way that no other author has (in my opinion) ever equalled. If I was ever on a desert island and had one book I would hope it was this one.

If you enjoy stories by J. Sheridan Lefanu, Ray Bradbury, Hans Christian Anderson or Susanna Clarke, here you'll find similar ethereal qualities, but brought to a level of artistic beauty that surpasses everything that has been written before or since.

It is a mystery to me why this author is as little-known as she is - these tales represent, for me, the quintessential short fiction of the 20th Century.

dinesen/blixen was a true, living Scheherazade. this is an astounding collection of stories within stories within stories within stories. beautifully, elegantly written and set in various european locales, starring wonderfully alive characters straight out of fairytales, dreams and myth. these are strange, magical narratives (novellas, to be a stickler) with a modern sensibility. brimming with metaphors that will make you pause. kind of a cross between e.t.a. hoffman and a.s. byatt. definitely going to read more of her stuff.

This is a demanding work of seven multilayered and esoteric stories in this, Dinesen's first book.

We know of Dinesen more commonly by way of Meryl Streep, who played Dinesen, or the Baroness Karen Blixen, in "Out of Africa." But the woman we find here as the author of these stories is no easily-understood, Hollywood character. Her stories within stories are rich in symbolism, imagination, and a "long ago and far away" feeling that is carefully, carefully, controlled by the author. Dinesen wrote some of these tales in Africa, and finished others along with ordering the book back home in Denmark, after her farm had failed. She wrote, interestingly, in English (and did her own translations back into Danish later on). Many books follow this one, including LAST TALES and, of course, OUT OF AFRICA. Dinesen, while the heroic, strong, individualist of Streep's portrayal, is also kind of strange, introspective, and fabulously bizarre. She uses her stories' plot lines as a means, one feels, to work out her life philosophies, reshape and recast ideas and symbolic imagery, and impart creative insights. After getting to about the fourth or fifth story, one can see that she uses the same imagery repeatedly and even the same turns of phrase.

I have read this volume at least once before, and wanted to go through it again knowing just that much more literature and biblical references. (It helps to be well read in the classics when reading Dinesen.) Anything is up for her use, and if you don't see it, something will be lost to you as you interpret the stories and what they meant, or even, what happened. She loves Shakespeare (OUT OF AFRICA was written in five sections, after the five-act structure of Shakespearian drama), and Don Giovanni, she has interesting ideas about femininity and independent women, and symbolizes these issues with women who are doll-like, women who seem as if they can fly, women who are witches in some way or another, etc. She likes to toy with the mind of God, as well, having characters pronounce his proclivities, likes and dislikes, etc., quite often. I found these to be some of the most interesting passages, after some of the gender-defining ones, that is. (She chose her pseudonym, "Isak," as it is Hebrew for "He who laughs" and she definitely plays with many ideas here, many humorously.)

Of the seven tales (The Old Chevalier, The Roads Round Pisa, The Monkey, The Supper at Elsinore, The Dreamers, The Poet, and The Deluge at Norderney), The Roads Round Pisa is my favorite, and I have studied it for a graduate class. In the book, a mistake is the central event, and we learn of it only at the end. Our main character, Count Augustus Von Schimmelmann, is writing a letter to a friend, when a carriage accident occurs in front of him. An old woman, who seemed at first to him to be a man, is injured and asks that he go and seek out her granddaughter so that she may forgive her for an estrangement before she dies, as she believes she will do shortly. Augustus sets out for Pisa and in an inn meets a young man, with whom he engages in an interesting conversation. Soon, however, he finds out that this man is a woman, and whereas before he had been asking "him" for help in finding his way into the city, now he offers her his assistance as a gentleman. Their subsequent conversation holds a particularly compelling passage I have never forgotten. In it, Dinesen explicates a concept of women's differences, physically, psychologically and societally, from men through the artful use of the host and guest metaphor.

This passage is a key to the story's mood when toward the end the mistake around which the characters swirl is revealed. But the passage is also an interesting philosophical and societal analogy that provokes thought and discussion. This is, then, quintessential Dinesen.

The other stories deal with identity and loss (The Dreamers), a ghost who is allowed to rise up from hell whenever the sound between Denmark and Sweden freezes over (Supper at Elsinore), the mirage of lost love (The Old Chevalier), poetry and power (The Poet), the societal roles of women (The Monkey), and identity (The Deluge at Norderney), but these are very brief and basic categorizations. One could safely say that all the stories deal with many of the others' main themes. The book as a whole is an excellent study of the power of fiction to suggest and manipulate, with beautiful, evocative writing and deep and stirring underlying meanings. I recommend it.

These are strangely compelling stories, all of which evoke a sense of mystery and poetry. Floods and monkeys, skulls and puppet shows, vie with each other and figure here in short works that are too realistic for fables but too bizarre to be mistaken for reality.

Gothic surrealism might be the best way to describe the tone achieved by the author, whose real name was Karen Blixen (made familiar to modern audiences by the film "Out of Africa"). This is a reissue of a volume that first appeared in 1934.

Borrowing the author's phrase, each story is "like an echo in the engulfing darkness." Atmospheric and brooding, these tales are part Poe and part Brothers Grimm. Exotic in characterization as well as setting, we are introduced to a polyglot collection of virgin nuns and wandering n'er do wells, who cling to rooftops and journey on rhino-horn laden dhows.

Escape from the ordinary world is promised and delivered, but somehow, the people in these stories also remind us of people we know and situations that might not be as straightforward as we have assumed. A scarf may not be a scarf. The wind may be more than the wind. A scarf blown in the wind recalls to one character the memory of a little white snake -- madness is hinted at, at every turn.

They are seven distinctive tales. Yet, the evocation of place, the depiction of eccentricity, the precariousness of life, suffuse them all. They are magnetic and memorable. Even so, some readers may find the tales a bit too weird for their tastes.

If you find this review helpful you might want to read some of my other reviews, including those on subjects ranging from biography to architecture, as well as religion and fiction.

Why isn't I. Dinesen's work more widely known and accepted in the modernist pantheon? Her reputation seems to have settled into that of oddball literary personality and vehicle for Meryl Streep, however the work itself would have eluded me, despite a decent education in high school and university (for example, I was given Hesse and Camus to read in 10th grade, why not Isak?)had I not been attracted to this title in a dusty library. The work is about as anti-Hollywood as I could possibly imagine. Perhaps the answer is, she is not really a modernist but some sort of high baroque romanticist belonging more in the 19th century world of German prose; the "layering of stories" effect, especially in "Roads to Pisa", reads like she is channeling the world of Jan Potocki, enigmatic author of "The Saragossa Manuscript," who like Casanova moved in that incredible world of the international bohemian intellectual elite that Rexroth describes so well somewhere in one of his essays; that world of post-chaises and midnight rendezvous and military officers with seemingly endless resources of money, brains, education and cunning ... in fact "Saragossa" and Casanova's "Memoirs" were the books that came to my mind as I read her...reading this stuff is like eating a chocolate eclair with a brain more powerful than yours will ever be...why aren't there writers like this anymore? Was it all only a dream?

Sister Anne's Hands are different; that is one of the first things Anna Zabrocky notices about Sr. Anne. Set in the 1960's, in the days of hatred toward anything that made a person different, this book explores Civil Rights, learning, and love from the perspective of a black-skinned nun and a white-skinned child. Through the course of the book, we see through word and picture the image of how Sr. Anne's hands tell a story. They go from being the object of Anna's curiosity about all the colors in them, to being the expression of a child's love for her teacher in a card Anna makes for Sr. Anne. Anna learned the greatest lesson: to look beyond the fear of our differences to learn of the love we share in our similarities. This is a very intimate look, through the lens of diversity, at the love that grows between a teacher and a child.

This book is particularly useful to me in my work as a Catholic religious educator because it demonstrates through historical fiction, an approach to respecting life in all of its forms, and celebrating that which makes us unique! This book is special to me - I was attracted by the name. I have two aunts who are nuns, one of whom is named Sr. Ann. My aunts shared their vocations as nuns and their professions as teachers. I remember seeing pictures of Sr. Ann and Sr. Alice Marie in their full habits. I recall thinking about how strange they looked in their pictures because by the time I was born, nuns no longer wore a habit every day! The best memories of my aunts involve the feeling of being loved and whole in my aunts' presence, and that sense of love and being whole is very prominent in this book. Perhaps one of this book's greatest strengths is the author's ability to weave together many challenges to a person's dignity (exclusion by color, creed, and vocation) into a theme where differences and diversity are celebrated! The theme of this book aligns very closely with the tenor of the current presidential race in the US. In that, it is a timeless treasure and does not seem to have any apparent weakness.

Having lived as a child in the '60s, I found Sister Anne's Hands to be a authentic mirror of this era's racial biases and a gentle reminder that education is our best hope for an end to "isms."

Marybeth Lorbiecki takes a situation of racism and turns it around. She shares with the reader how a negative can become a positive between two individuals, even if the community at large stays negative. And with that, human lives are changed forever.

First, this is an outstanding book. It has substance and a wonderful message that makes its point without being preachy. Second, it is still a children's book that kids will enjoy reading or having read to them. Finally, the artwork is first rate and a joy to look at. It is the complete package. With so much mediocre childish children's 'literature', this is the real deal: a quality, substantive, enjoyable book. Enjoyable to read for parent and child.

Sister Anne's Hands is an incredible picture filled book about a girl growing up during the time when Blacks and white's were still at war. She learns through her teacher (Sister Anne) that it doesn't matter what's on the outside it matters what your like on the inside. Through this heart warming book your child will learn important lessons on building good character. I liked reading this book because it gave me inspiration to follow my heart through everything I do. Your sure to love Sister Anne's Hand!!! Author of Sister Anne's Hands: Marybeth Lorbiecki

This book kept me interested. It is a pretty good read. There were alot of errors in the book but other than that it was okay. I am kinda of curious about the sequel.

Kevin is a rich author suffering from writer's block.To get his creativity flowing for the next story he heads back to his hometown of Chicago.His ex-girlfriend Yolanda shows up and from there that's when all the drama begins.All I have to say is if you haven't read it, you will not be disappointed.You will find out just how crazy Yolanda really is!This is my first time reading Darrin Lowery's work and I am looking forward to reading the sequel Still Crazy II and his other books!!

I have read all of Darrin Lowery's novels. I must say that he is doing his thang on each novel.If you haven't had the pleasure of reading any of his novels. Please do so,you will not be dissappointed.

This book had a lot of drama in it and I liked that. As an author from the windy city myself, I truly liked the book. I enjoyed the descriptions of the city, the way that the lead character thought as well as the storyline itself. This was a story about life, love, drama, infidelity and forgiveness. The love scenes were detailed (they keep your attention) and the mini stories of things going on in the hood were off the chain. The descriptions were written in a way that you could picture the events as anyone's neighborhood from the 5th ward in Houston to Compton to the Bricks on the east coast. I'm looking forward to the next book.

Due to lack of payment of royalties for the second quarter, I am asking that my readers NOT purchase this version of "Still Crazy" This fall I will re-release the title under the same name but the ORIGINAL cover. For those of you that have been waiting, I will also release the sequel, "Still Crazy II" Crazy About You. I will make improvements on the original "Still Crazy" and have someone do the editing that the publisher didn't. For more information about Darrin Lowery or copies of "Still Crazy" that you would like to purchase, visit Darrin Lowery's website.

This volume could be the all-time official history of that legendary Red Light District of New Orleans. It is exhaustively researched and illustrated including interviews with some of the surviving colorful characters that inhabited the "Camelot of Sin" that was Storyville. The den of sin takes its name from Alderman Sidney Story who originated the ordinance that provided for a restricted Red Light District. Ironically, he hated having his good name attached to a Red Light District. Today it's the only way his name is remembered. Prior to his legal restrictions the brothels and parlors were spreading throughout New Orleans like a cancer.
Rose illustrated his book with photos, maps, directories, flyers, police reports, legal decisions, cartoons, business cards and almost any other surviving evidence of the now torn down section of the city. The author's research was exhaustive and probably as complete as can be contained in a single book. He combined aerial photos and maps of the area with close-up photos of the exterior and interiors of the many vice businesses. He shows pictures of the interior lushness of some more famous brothels, as well as the filth of some of the cribs. He uses most of the surviving photographic nude and semi-nude portraits that Ernest Bellocq made of some of the prostitutes of the district to make the architectural and interior photos of the bars, dance halls, gambling dens and brothels come to life. Rose also included quite a lot of humor in the form of stories from the time or through his selection of colorful characters to describe in detail. And they were colorful and probably wouldn't have been more colorful or interesting even if their biographies were fictionalized.
By the time the reader finishes this book he will feel like he has actually visited Storyville and walked its streets and listened to and witnessed the birth of New Orleans jazz. In fact, Rose does an excellent job of documenting that birth of Jazz and even tracing its spread to the rest of America. The reader will also have been taken step-by-step through the historical reasons that Storyville was a necessary and probably unavoidable development at that time in American history.
Storyville no longer exists. It was closed down by the U.S. Military in an attempt to keep sailors, soldiers and marines from contracting venereal diseases. After the buildings were empty they were condemned and torn down to be replaced by more desirable buildings in the classic version of urban renewal. It took the full force of the U.S. Military to destroy Storyville because New Orleans was and had always been too corrupt to accomplish the job. Almost from it's founding, the city was flooded with prostitutes and criminals (convicts) shipped from Europe to settle the colony. The riverboat traffic provided an endless supply of sex-starved customers for the fleshpots at the mouth of the Mississippi River.
Like Camelot, Storyville has become a popular legend in the eyes of the population. The legend may indeed become more mythical with the passage of time. Today the very name Storyville can catch the attention of the public and because of that it is frequently used in the titles of fiction and movies.
The reader won't feel that he hasn't received a very generous return on his cost for buying this fascinating non-fiction book. The fact is as interesting as the legend.

What can I say, Al Rose was the best. I wish he was still with us.

This book reads more like a textbook than a novel, but the historical information and photos are anything but boring. There are some wild stories about what these "buiseness women" did to one another that left my mouth gaping. I had no idea prior to reading this book how districts like these thrived. This is a thourough historical account that is worth reading.

I thought the transcripts from the interviews that Mr. Rose held with the (amazingly) still living, former residents and tradespeople were outstanding. Through their words you really got an idea of what life was like and the way they thought about things. He also remained true to his subjects by capturing the dialect in the interviews.
Also, he does a great job with mapping the district using the few remaining photographs and maps of the time in conjunction with the written descriptions of each of the brothels, bars, and cribs. Some of the pictures by Ernest Bellocq that were printed in this book I hadn't seen before.
Overall it's a very good read, and a must for New Orleans history lovers.

Covers the truly bizarre (and lewd) phenomenon of Storyville -- an 1897-1917 experiment with segregating all prostitution in the city into a 4 block x 4 block area. This was obviously a real labor of love. Al Rose appears to have looked under every sheet and peered into every closet. He has amassed a very large collection of interviews, correspondence, printed material, and photos. The final product is interesting, well organized, well illustrated, and well written. It is amazing what he fits into 200 large pages.

I'd highly recommend this adult glimpse into a seedier and less discussed element of New Orleans' unique and offbeat culture.

very good,worth reading,written by various people.....
enjoyable,gets you thinking,nice photographs too.
As you may or may not know African coyly hair is quite unique in vision, texture, behaviour and probably in chemical make up too. Coily haired women around the world, go to the most extremes in terms of spending.
(Spending time, spending pain and the spending price to have African coily hair styled)
A hairstyle that we believe looks good or will help us to become socially and economically advanced.
Or maybe for our own self-esteem and maybe to attract the charms of a love interest. Either way your hair is a reflection of the state of your consciousness, your internal beliefs and your relationship with the world.

This book is like having group therapy or interviewing other women,but it is not all black women's views.I am reviewng it because I think it is worth a read.

As you may or may not know African coily hair is quite unique in vision, texture, behaviour and probably in chemical make up too. Coily haired women around the world, go to the most extremes in terms of spending.
(Spending time, spending pain and the spending price to have African coily hair styled)
A hairstyle that we believe looks good or will help us to become socially and economically advanced.
Or maybe for our own self-esteem and maybe to attract the charms of a love interest.
Either way, psychologically and philosophically I believe that your hair is a reflection of the state of your consciousness, your internal beliefs and your relationship with the world.
What about exploring physics through african hair?
For example how much pressure, gravity and tension and tearing do we put our hair through by combing it?
let alone excessive harsh combing.
Mathematically speaking how many of you readers can tell me how many curls/coils per inch your hair has, and does it vary in coil and moisture?
Next question:When does the nature of the hair change and why?
(i know it does!)
It seems to me all these books on afro hair are good and I welcome it, but we still need to be more informed and they all seem to need better editing, just like Black American beauty magazines.I must campaign for better grammar and less air brushed photos!!!
It is as if we like to see ourselves falsely rather than the reality of what we are...
Black women need to demand more scientific reasoning from our books and be less competitive over black men which only fuels their egos and as a result probably creates more baby-mothers!!!
Sorry but I had to vent out my opinions.

I give this book four stars for the effort and time invested as a writer I know it takes time...
I maintain that it is still worth reading,more than any carcinogenic chemical so called hair treatment that you pay for.

Anyway what do I know I am a black african british woman!!!!
Most of you Americans think we in Britain have no trains or any kind of progressive development!!!
Anyway if I wrote my book answering my questions that I put to you how many of you would buy it?

This is a wonderful book for anyone who would like to explore the issues that Black women face vis a vis our hair from a variety of viewpoints; not just the "politicaly correct" ones.

The book was all that, very positive, and at times emotional (I'm thinking of the passage where a father is trying to figure out how to braid his daughter's hair since her mother is across the country. His trying, and eventually getting it right, turned into bonding sessions for them. It was beautiful.) Of course the book had my favorite culture critic, bell hooks, and as usual she gave me a new persepective: to look at the whole "perm" phenomena as initiation into womanhood. Just about any Black woman who was on the brink of adolescence and was dying to get a perm should relate to that. I did. That's what this book does, it helps Black women to see just how similar our trials have been with our hair; and it's not just a generational thing. Black women from 50 to 80 years ago had the same issues and thoughts Black teenagers have today. Everyone remembers hot combs and Goody pink rollers and Royal Crown grease. Looking back many women had feelings of remembered pain, and not just from the burns on the tips of their ears and on their scalps, but inside their hearts for our collective struggle with an unattainable beauty standard.
What I also admired about this book was that it touched on the subject of hair and erotic intimacy. There was a whole section devoted to hearing the responses of Black women and men when confronted with the bedroom question: Can I run my fingers through your hair? It showed a depraved relation to our hair. In order to get and keep that salon fresh look, sleek and shiny, it must not be touched (by you and most especially your lover). Hair does not bring pleasure in the sense of us luxuriating in how it feels. How can you when it's not even yours? Weave. A woman tells the story of a young man with whom she was getting intimate with, and he wanted to run his fingers through her seemingly long shiny tresses. The moment was interrupted when he felt the hard tracks on her scalp before she could effectively slap his touch away. "You have to train these men early," another woman admonishes, "not to touch the hair." A man married for over 20 years complains of his wife's hair roller pins always poking him when she's "going down on him." He also hates, but has gotten used to, her wearing a head scarf anytime they make love. It is described in the book as Black folks having perpetual menege trios, he, she, and the head scarf. Another man wakes up to his girlfriend's "100% Korean Hair" all over the bed and floor after an especially heated night; he later ends up paying $200 dollars to have it all put back in again. The women speak of not even wanting to touch their own hair, refering to it being "hard as a rock" from gels and hair sprays. It's all in the name of a certain look, the processed one. (It's this look that lured their mates in the first place right?) It's sad that Black women talk about orchestrating certain sex positions around not messing up their fresh 'do. "You don't even think about it after while." They compensate not allowing their men to touch their hair with confidence and boldness in their performance, "It's so good he won't even be thinking about touching my hair."

I love this book. It isn't just politics or just us behind closed doors. Every possible reference to what is done to our hair is mentioned, even going bald. A Muslim woman opened my eyes to how not showing her hair takes away from having to compete for attentions based on beauty standards of hair, by being above them. It reminds us that as women, we shouldn't let physical beauty define us, even though most times it does, and we let it. "Ms. Strand" tells her tale with humor, cultural criticism, African storytelling, and 'round tha way truthfulness, barring nothing from the conversation. Truly, Tenderheaded should not be passed over.

I expected to really enjoy this book, but was disappointed. Some of the stories/essays were very good, but some of them were poorly written and/or could have done with some serious editing. It might have been better if some of them had been omitted: the book would probably have been half as long, but the overall quality would have been significantly improved.

I was also disappointed by the way the book was laid out. It seemed jumbled and poorly conceived. Photos, illustrations and cartoons/comics were seemingly thrown in randomly, with little context or relation to the surrounding content. The graphic content of the book was good, but the layout just did not display it to full advantage.

The idea behind this book was a good one, but the execution could have been a little bit better.

This is a very unique book. I have to say I LOVED IT! My being a young black woman, all the stories hit close to home. This book gave a non-bias look at black women's hair, and black culture all around the world including here in America. It gave many view points, from men women, blacks and even whites. I recommed this book to anyone who is confused about their hair and themselves. Nappy is defiantly Happy!!!! Peace.