Caribbean Books

First off, let it be said that this is not a critique from the right. People ought to read this work, which is more informative in terms of what we want to do now than, say, the Bolivia Diary, which we don't want to repeat.

One can see here something that has plagued the left for many, many, years. Throughout Che's work, there is a very comprehensive idea of the "good" person and all members of society will be molded into such a person. Che says that in socialism, heroism will become a feature of everyday life.

This sort of hypermoralistic perfectionism is not what governments should be doing. Heroism should "above the call of duty" and not made a public goal. Governments should expand freedom, which could very well include redistributing wealth or changing workplaces and forms of ownership. But creating the new socialist man should be left up to citizens to figure out.

Elections would be nice, too.

In this small book, originaly a letter, Guevara explains the various steps that individuals have in the revolutionary strugle. He explains the relation between a vanguard party and the masses, and focus on the echo that the party has to have on the masses needs. This is a key point in understanding Cuba and Socialism since in a one party sistem, the only way of having a participative democracie is by forcing the party to follow the peoples needs. More over, it's the view of a very tender and humane man, that differs greatly from the more known Stalinist Socialism.

Does socialism deaden individual freedom and creativity? Che Guevara, a leader of the Cuban revolution, answers this question in this 1965 article. He draws on the experience of that revolution. Guevara demonstrates that the individual reaches its highest creativity as part of the struggle against the exploitation and violence of capitalism. It is only through this process that the individual can reach his or her fullest development.

This pamphlet ranks with the communist manifesto, with State and the Revolution, with Trotsky's great writings against stalin, as one of the texts the encapsulates why and how we fight for a world of working people in power, why revolutionists like Che gave their lives for the cause of socialism, why humanity has a future out of the muck and mire and filth, why we fight.

Che admits revolutionists fight for the love of the world. Che who brought books of poetry and of languages and of higher math with him to Bolivia, not for his own enjoyment, but to truly educate the other fighters, Che in simple direct butalmost poetic words, explains why we fight, why we will win.


While this book may not be directly available from Amazon at times, they are available from the booksfrompathfinder on Amazon that you can find by clicking on the new and used books on this page.

Why did Cuba survive the 'collapse of communism' ? Che Guevara explained that
without a communist party, a genuine one which means led by the most politically
conscious and self-sacrificing workers and farmers, leading a constant battle for workers'
control and a higher level of consciousness and solidarity among the whole population,
any revolution would slide back toward capitalism. The Cuban Communist Party is such a
party: the only one in power anywhere since the 1920s.Thus, he predicted the collapse
of Stalinism ( as opposed to communism).Cuba put his ideas into practice in the middle
to late 1980s for the first time on a nationwide basis.It was this battle against bureaucracy
and for workers' democracy that made Cuba strong enough to survive its severest
economic crisis since the revolutionary triumph.Cuba is ready to aid as always any
revolutionary movements that develop as a result of the present crisis of capitalism, and
to aid the revolutions to come : its internationalism is intact. The basic line of march ,the
ideas as a guide to action that make Cuba capable of mobilizing millions for socialism and
the revolution in 2002 are outlined in this pamphlet.Workers and farmers everywhere
who fight back against capital NEED THIS BOOKLET.

This book is an excellent and entertaining devotional for Christians. Swashbuckling faith uses examples from the movie to help us learn more about God's love for us through Jesus. The author has an amazing way of drawing you in to the topic very creatively as he brings spiritual truths to light in a very practicaly way. I highly recommend this book for Christians young and old.

Who ever would have thought that Jack Sparrow's piratical ways could have meaning for a Christian ? Tim Wesemann creatively combines spiritual truths with humor and an unmistakable passion for furthering his and our relationship with God.It's like being handed a map for your faith ! Dig up this treasure....And be a good little pirate and share the gems with your friends.

Tim Wesemann has a writing style that leads a reader down a comfortable journey. In this book he outlines the treasures and the choppy waters we can face as we walk a Christian life. The journey in this book is wonderfully humorous but just as equally inspiring. If you are looking to mature in your faith, this book can certainly fit the bill in an entertaining way. The only problem is that it was such an easy read that I finished it way too fast. Now I'll have to go back and read it again and again (what a problem to have)!

Pirates of the Caribbean, the original Disney movie, had plenty of supernatural elements to it. But is there anything we can learn from it about Christian living? In Swashbuckling Faith, former pastor Tim Wesemann contends that there are pearls of truth throughout the film worthy of our exploration.

The book contains 32 brief chapters, each a lesson using the movie's plot as a springboard (or plank) for discussion. Each chapter begins with a "pirate's hook," a snapshot from the movie illustrated the pearl of truth. The topics range from honoring codes and mutiny to captains needing crews and trusting our anchor.

Perhaps my favorite treasure/lesson in the book was "One Good Deed Deserves..." In the movie, Commodore Norrington tells Jack, "One good deed is not enough to redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness." Wesemann pillages this spiritual truth wonderfully: "Maybe a better question is whether one good act should redeem us from a lifetime of iniquity." (30)

With almost any book of this nature, one naturally expects a certain amount of cheesiness. While there are cheesy elements in Swashbuckling Faith (such as the JSV Bible translation- Jack Sparrow Version), it's kept at an appropriate level without going too far over board. Tim Wesemann is a poetic writer who skillfully navigates the deeper waters of living faith. Avast me heartys, this be a fun and practical read whether yer landlubbin or out to sea. Now, bring me that horizon...

This is a book that I just couldn't put down. It was a real boost to my faith. It was entertaining, interesting, challenging and faith building. I will go back to it again and again for encouragement and fun. I can't recommend it enough.

Alice Pero's work weaves its way around the psyche like so many vines gone "liberated." It is ephemeral at times, while rock solid at others; allowing for the ebb and flow that is life. There are many possible "reads" of this book~none (thank goodness) will be the same...neither will the reader, upon being freed up from too much gravity, finding him/herself reaching contentedly ever closer to the stars.

Alice Pero writes lean, twisty, surprising lines. She's not afraid of abstractions or even of old-fashioned soaring, but even her flightiest poems ambush us with bits of kitchenware and other earthly trinkets, always, somehow, appropriate. Her ability to move like lightning between familiar and esoteric reminds me of Emily Dickinson, except that in Alice's poems, death is no masterful gentleman, just a bratty kid throwing a tantrum because no one in Alice's world quite believes in him. She's often funny and occasionally (e.g., in her poem "With Very Good Reason", dedicated to the New Yorker) gloriously snide (and spot-on). I found that the book improved as I read, and even on rereading (which the book demanded), I found the first section less compelling than what followed, so I urge browsing readers to sample the later chapters as well as Chapter 1 before making up their minds. I think if you do, you'll find she'd speaking to you and that she speaks VERY well.

Her work is highly readable,simple in its rhythms, wonderfully rich in its content. She has obviously put in the hours and effort to hone each of these poems to completeness. Even poems tinged with loss are kept from becoming maudlin or overly wrought. Everything is clean as can be.

These are very moving poems, in the guise of playful jaunts to another realm.

"Thawed Stars," poems by Alice Pero is full of energy, delight and exhilaration. Poems leap into your mind and become three dimensional experiences. The deceptive innocence, the light-heartedness, rides over a profound wisdom. This is a being, a viewpoint, at play who makes worlds. And the worlds are worth visiting. Some are worth living in. Great art lets you live in it and lives in you. Like a favorite song or painting, some of these poems continue to resonate, and one returns to them as to friends for friendly company. At a time when "serious art" must bow to pain and loss, these poems operate out of a lightness of being so pure that one is in danger of disappearing into a dance. I have read every word of this book and thoroughly recommend it.

Having lived in the Caribbean, I am hard to please when it comes to our dishes...they have to taste "just right" and be authentic. This cookbook definitely has many recipies that are very familiar to me. True island cooking at its best! You will not be disappointed with this purchase. Gwaan an enjoy it!

My wife loves the fact that I like to cook. Our kitchen shelves are filled with cookbooks and most have a few recipes that I like. Tropic Cooking is one that I consistently use and everyone, including my kids, loves the results.

The Florida Avocado Dip is wonderful, I usually leave off the olives though.

Pork Chops Negril is a sweet treat that just takes a few minutes to create. It's perfect for an evening when you're strapped for time.

Potatoes Bonaventure is always a hit at pot lucks, I think it's the pastrami that catches peoples attention as well as tickles their tastbuds.

If you can get fresh ripe tomatoes that don't taste like cardboard then one of these two recipes are wonderful.

Broiled Tomatoes with Mushroom Bits.

Fried Tomatoes.

I wish I was more of a dessert person because some of these sound wonderful. Cicely's Baked Bananas was an experiment once for a dessert party and it was very well received. I took home an empty plate which is always a good sign.

I highly recommend Tropic Cooking!

I have a libary of cookbooks and "Tropic Cooking" is the one I constantly use.

Love this cookbook. Recipes are from the Caribbean, as well as a number of Florida's best restaurants. I use this book all the time and have for years. It's fun!

This is one of the best, easy-to-follow cookbooks and guides on how to cook lowfat, delicious Caribbean foods. I was the "hit" of many dinner events with family and guests using this great guide to unique and delicious recipes. I recommend "Tropic Cooking" by Joyce LaFray for the experienced chef or the novice cook who's looking for an easy to follow, hard to find cook book to yummy Island dining.

While taking an African American literature course in college I was introduced to this novella written by William Craft. It is a must-read for American and African American history classes. The novella is a quick and easy read, with the capacity for great discussion and in-depth analysis. Humor, suspense, mystery and action is all provided in this wonderful tale of escape and hypocrisey.

Ellen and William Craft were a young (mid-20's) slave couple who made a daring escape to freedom. Light-skinned Ellen cut her hair short and dressed in the suit and tophat of a white planter. Since she was illiterate, her husband William made a sling for her arm, so she had an excuse not to sign hotel registers. And since she had a womanly voice, the couple devised a poultice tied around her jaw indicating she had a bad toothache and could not speak. William played the role of his white massa's slave. And the couple traveled by train, steamship, and wagon to their destination in the north. They soon became popular lecturers in the United States and Europe. This is a remarkable story of daring and bravery and should be read by everyone. Anyone who wants to introduce their children to good historical fiction should get them The Journal of Darien Duff, an Emancipated Slave, The Diary of a Slave Girl, Ruby Jo, and The Journal of Leroy Jones, a Fugitive Slave.

This book is a captivating account of the injustices of slavery and a amazing story of two fugitives running for there freedom. This book is a great story that should be taught in schools and should not be ignored in American History classes. It opened my mind to the horrors slavery actually caused. It represents a part of our history that should never be repeated. 5 plus stars.

I read this for a college history survey course before it was mistakenly announced that the book was out of print. The book was dropped from the syllabus, but I am glad I read it anyway.

The first and shortest part of the book is William Craft's powerful account of how he and his wife Ellen executed a daring escape from servitude in Georgia. Their plan was remarkable in its ingenuity: The almost white Ellen, outfitted with a master's clothes and a poultice on her face to prevent incriminating speech with strangers, and her husband William, disguised as a servant, escaped to freedom in the north. Travelling by rail, the pair exultantly crossed over into Canada and from thence headed for England.

The second part of the book is a third person summary of the couple's travels after their ambitious escape. It follows them from Georgia through the slave and free states, in which they were well received and protected (especially in Boston), up to Halifax and across the water to England. I found the final two thirds of the book the most enjoyable, as it treated of foreign travel, in which I have a keen interest. Both portions of the book are beautifully written and often gripping. I hope a few of my classmates read this before that announcement. This book is both pleasurable to read and historically vital.

Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom is a must read for all American history students and should be required reading at least at the high school level. This book gives the reader a first-person view of that "Peculiar Instition" known as slavery and to what lengths one will go to achieve personal freedom. This book will change your view of slavery forever.

For many Westerners, history is something that happened last year and this deliberate ignorance of the past gives rise to many false beliefs today. Chief among them would be the belief in the West that we have always been aggressors in the Levant and Islam is simply now fighting back. Even a cursury examination of history reveals the dangerous falsehood in that belief.

Niccolo Capponi's book on the Battle of Curzolaris (AKA Lepanto to many Americans)is well worth the time to read. Though he breaks no real new ground, his detail and love of subject (pre 16th century Med cultures, esp. Italy)shows. Copiously end noted with many charts comparing manpower, ships, armaments, losses etc (about 20% of the book), the book puts together an engrossing story of a world at war.

From the pre League political climate and the earlier attempts to forge a concerted Christian force to battle the Ottomans as they ravaged the shores of Europe, Mr. Capponi's book does an admirable job of illustrating the problems and weaknesses of Christian Europe at this time. He notes how the new Pope, Pius V would be the mover and true shaker of the enterprise. to do so, he had to overcome a relucant Spain, many suspicious Italian states, the crusading orders of St Stephen and Hospitallers, the machinations of France trying to aid its Ottoman allies(!), and everyone's suspicions of Venice. By devious use of subsidies and reminders of religious duty, Pius finally cobbles together his League.

Ironically it would be the Ottoman capture of Famagusta(Cyprus), a Venetian possession and the treatment of the garrison and inhabitants that would cause a creaky alliance to tun into a avenging force that went on to destroy the bulk of the Ottoman fleet. It is here that Capponi is strongest, his detailed knowledge of the people involved paints the battle in colorful detail. He highlights the bravery of both sides and gives credit where it is due to both Moslem and Christian bravery.

The battle itself is well treated but it is the prefacing of the battle and the aftermath (often surprising and sad at the same time) that is the best part. This time was not one of cleanly divided lines, politically or religously. Both sides had no problems with slavery or disrupting lives and livelihoods in the region. Alliances were often temporary and often surprising. Both sides were torn with factional infighting but for this once, the Christian side was less so. It can truly be said that this was one of the turning points of history....

Niccolò Capponi has written a fascinating and detailed history of Europe and the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century and the fractious relationships between the European states,the Venetian Republic,and the Papacy. Often more suspicious of each other than of the Turks, they finally merged into a shaky Christian coalition which faced down the Sultan's navy at the battle of Lepanto. Although full of historical and military detail, "Victory of the West" is a very readable book, laced with humor and compassion, and much attention to good storytelling. When the two naval forces finally face each other, I guarantee you won't be able to put the book down until the finish!

A good description of this so important battle events that lead to it and the main characters involved.

The description of the battle itself could be more extended, but I realize that without animation and modern resources it is hard to describe a 500 ship melee.
Maybe someone could design an adequate animation to complement a fine book like this one?

by far the best book I have read on this battle, full of information and ancedote

An excellent book that from now on (but just until I'll write my own narration of Lepanto ....) will be the unquestionable reference work on the subject. Almost one hundred years ago Alethea Wiel, in The Navy of Venice (London, 1910) wrote: "They (the six Venetian Galleasses positioned in front of the Christian fleet) bore so distinguished and important a part in the crushing defeat of the Turks at Lepanto as to have, it is said, secured the victory to Venice and her allies." This in one of the various points that Niccolò Capponi, leading Italian military historian, probed and researched in depth providing full evidence of what really happened the 7th of October 1571. Many errors, constantly repeated since the times of Jurien de la Gravière (and perhaps earlier) by almost all the authors, have been so eradicated with the help of an opulent amount of newly discovered archival documents.
Some inaccuracies: at page 187 the moschetto, a small piece of artillery was named after a bird, a special kind of falcon; at page 192 Antonio (and not Arturo) Surian, called the Armenian, was a very well known inventor and not a Master Gunner. This is all I have been able to discover so far but, being green with envy, I am sure that reading the book again I'll be able to uncover other crucial blunders of the same magnitude.
Summing up: a virtually flawless, superior level academic work that can be read with absolute ease and pleasure.

As funky, ferocious, and fun as any big beat coming out a sound system in downtown Kingston on a summer night, this book brings Jamaican dancehall to life with some scintillating prose 'riddims'. A sensitive and vivid writer and a longtime student of all things Jamaican, Stolzoff goes everywhere, knows everyone, and brings it all together in the best book on popular culture that I have read in years. A must-read for anyone interested in contemporary music, African-American studies, or the Caribbean. Kudos also to the publisher for creating a beautifully designed book, with many superb photos from Stolzoff's camera. This book will be a classic for many years to come.

Randy Lewis Assistant Professor of American Studies University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma

As a lover of the creative, colorful and very controversial culture known as Jamaican dancehall, I received this book ecstatically, but I wasn't quite sure of what to expect. I mean, this is a world that changes so rapidly that any attempts to document it have felt outdated even before their ink dried. I thought Stolzoff would play it safe and keep his approach as superficial as possible-a nice coffee table book perhaps, filled with eye-pleasing full-color pix of scantily-dressed dancehall queens, posturing dapper dons, maybe even the occasional text paragraph with amusing tidbits like, "Whatever happened to Wayne 'Sleng Teng' Smith?" Instead, I found a meticulously researched study packed with so much detail that several times I had to "wheel back and come again" (re-read pages) in order to digest it all.

Of course, this isn't the first piece of writing to cast a critical eye on dancehall; but past discussions (helmed mostly by staunch roots reggae apologists who make no bones about expressing their view of the subject as an anti-musical ebola responsible for devouring the innards of upright, "real" reggae as exemplified by the likes of Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Burning Spear), irrespective of whether they have been pro- or anti-dancehall, have all revolved to varying degrees around the old dancehall "reggae" vs. "traditional" reggae issue.

Stolzoff distinguishes himself from the pack by sidestepping that stumbling block altogether: In (what I think is) a revolutionary move, he posits ALL Jamaican music, in essence, as dancehall-from the creolized drum and fiddle music of 18th century slave frolics to the thundering amplified bass blaring from contemporary Kingston sound systems. In short, he sees dancehall not as a distinct genre of music, but as an interactive method of experiencing music that might be specifically Jamaican.

Stolzoff's an anthropologist, not a rock critic, so rather than examining the music in isolation, he reconstructs the world that is dancehall's context, starting from the beginning with the sound systems, the cornerstone of the Jamaican music world.( Stolzoff scores a major coup by including extensive interviews with sound system pioneers like Hedley Jones, who provide a lot of insight into the Jamaican music experience prior to the birth of the local music industry-all other books on reggae up until this time have summed the whole era up in a sentence or two). Upon that foundation, Stolzoff layers the various social and ideological trends that have shaped the dancehall: rude boys, Rastafar-I, fashion, technology... You come to see that as chaotic as the dancehall universe appears to be, it is a well-ordered cosmology where everything has its place: sexuality, piety, violence, flamboyance, humility... They can all co-exist.

What I really, really love is the "career trajectory" Stolzoff maps out from his observation of the dancehall field. Using many of the aspiring and established dancehall stars he befriended, Stolzoff illustrates the stages of a career as a performer in the dancehall economy-which is an actual economy that employs millions of Jamaicans in various capacities.

I think this is definitely an important book and a complete must-read not only for fans of Jamaican music, but for anybody interested in the way that music and culture intersect with the daily lives of its participants.

This is an excellant book, written by a genuinely knowledgeable scholar of dancehall music and Jamaican popular culture. Dr. Stolzoff has done an incredible amount of research for this book and puts it altogether with Wake The Town. A must for all reggae and dancehall afficionados. This book will be a classic for a long time.

I would like to commend Mr. Stolzoff for an in depth and enjoyable study of dancehall reggae. Being a dancehall fan for some time now, it's wonderful to see the music and culture being taken seriously. Ready first hand accounts of artists like the great Tenor Saw was an unexpected and exciting part of the book. Mr. Stolzoff goes indept as he discusses the origins of dancehall back to Africa right up to today with the top artists like Buju Banton, Bounty Killer, Beenie Man, Sizzla, etc etc. As Ricky Trooper says in the begining of the book, if you haven't been to the dancehall before, you wouldn't understand it, dancehall it something that you have to experience. Great reading!

This book is too incredible to believe. For those of us who are into dancehall, when we are in the midst of it, study and academia seem so far away. I never thought it was something that someone could record on paper and carry the true vibes of the whole thing. Stolzoff has not only captured the vibes of the dancehall itself, but also the vibes of life for the dancehall community, the economy, and the realities of Jamaica today. For anyone who ever wanted to get away from the tourist fakeries of what you think Jamaica and reggae music are all about, this book is for you. Of course there is nothing like the true experience of the dancehall itself, but outside of that, this book is the next best thing. Buy this book, you won't regret it. Even most of us Jamaicans, can learn a thing or two from it. And for my anthropologists out there, this book is the most gripping, meaningful ethnography since Bourgois' "In Search of Respect : Selling Crack in El Barrio".

How JFK kept sane we will never know , obviously the JCS wanted to send us all into god knows where but you can bet they would have been safe in their hideaway . Seems to me , like Churchill had his mission in life , there at the right time , then so JFK was put in charge for his ability to change the thinking.

Sheldon M. Stern's aptly chosen title recalls that wonderful science fiction film of the 1950s, "The Day the Earth Stood Still." It is good to have that echo in mind as you look back upon the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962. Mid-century Hollywood reminds us of what the Cold War was like and Mr. Stern's book expresses what nearly happened. Aside from age and place of birth - I wish an aversion to war was a presidential requirement. President John Fitzgerald Kennedy had it. He had been to war and in his heart he did not wish to start another.

This is a great book for History Students and we should all be students of our history. While it is a condensation it seems more like an explosive compression of "Averting the Final Failure" (2003), which I have reviewed earlier -- describing it as, "a chilling, provocative page turner." So is this book and there are fewer pages to turn; this would have gratified me in my student days. If you would like more information, thoughts and opinion please turn to my earlier review.

Sheldon Stern has presented a harrowing study of one of the most dangerous events in World History - The Cuban Missile Crisis. In his book, The Week the World Stood Still: Inside the Secret Cuban Missile Crisis, we are presented with an event whose story line reads like it was written by a Robert Ludlum-like mystery writer, this story, however, was frighteningly true history. With the careful, thoughtful, and thorough research that is Mr. Stern's trademark, the reader is presented with the complete inside story of that fateful week. This is a must read for, not only students, but adults as well. Kudos!

Sheldon Stern takes us right into perhaps the most important decision-making in U.S. history. This account has been scrupulously put together from the primary sources, including the taped deliberations. Kennedy no longer emerges as a simplistic "cold warrior" but as a statesman whose value has even been enhanced by subsequent events. This is about as definitive account as we are likely to get, and is essentially reading for anyone who wants to be informed about those days of crisis.

Herbert S. Parmet

The Cuban missile crisis was the most dangerous moment of the Cold War and has received numerous analysis in other titles and articles. What makes Sheldon M. Stern's The Week The World Stood Still: Inside The Secret Cuban Missile Crisis different is its focus on a narrative written for students and general readers. The author's own transcriptions of the secretly recorded ExComm meetings serves as a foundation for an analysis which captures the striking moments of tension behind the scenes. The newest addition to the "Stanford Nuclear Age Series", The Week The World Stood Still is an impressive work of scholarship that is also highly recommended for non-specialist general readers with an interest in the history of the Cold War era.

I enjoyed this book. It was an absorbing, eye-opening look into the world of the ballet written by an insider - a young, intense and highly intelligent young woman, a dancer with the NYC Ballet, who exposes life in this elite and unique world.

I really enjoyed this book. It gave a wonderful glimpse into the real world of professional dancing. Miss Bentley told this story with beautiful language, her words flowed like water. I found it wonderful to know what it was like to live the life of a dancer, to know the struggles and the victories, the fantasies and the realities. I recommend this book for all who love dance and for anyone interested in show business or simply anyone who enjoys a good read.

With "Winter Season," Toni Bentley allows her audience to see a real picture of the incredibly tough, demanding and creative world of professional ballet. We see George Balanchine at the end of the career, and such greats as Suzanne Farrell and Peter Martins. The incredible, difficult, almost insane demands put on the dancers are clearly drawn, as is Ms. Bentley's love for her art. Especially evocative is her struggle with reconciling art with her demanding profession.

Often, artistic memoirs focus on the superstars, the Tallchiefs and Nureyevs, for instance. The view from the corps de ballet is all the more interesting for being so rare. This book is beautiful, wry, humorous and exquisitely-written. I wish Ms. Bentley had written several other volumes.

Winter Season: A Dancer's Journal is the exquisite chronicle of a ballet dancer's experiences with the New York City Ballet. The dancer, Toni Bentley, claims a certain naivetee, but I don't believe it's innocent ignorance as much as it is simple yearning for experiences she rarely has.

She has a delicate flair for words, and her prose couldn't be any less lovely than her pliees and tondus.

Dancing with a world-famous ballet company is gruelling. The dancers are overworked, underfed, and have little understanding of how the "real world" works, yet it would seem they like it that way. Ballet companies thusly have much in common with military outfits: soldiers and dancers work brutally hard, but have their concerns looked after by the higher-ups. Balanchine is the dancers' general.

With the incredibly long hours and the accompanying mental and physical exhaustion, how did Toni get the time to write this book?

She writes,

"We are hairless. We have no leg hairs, no pubic hair, no armpit hair, no facial hair, no neck hair and only a solid little lump at the top of our heads. Any sign of stubble must be closely watched out for and removed.

"That is not all. We don't eat food, we eat music. We need artistic sustenance only. Emotional, inspiring sustenance. Al our physical energy is the overflow of spiritual feelings. We live on faith, belief, love, inspiration, vitamins and Tab."

Toni eventually does break free of the NYC Ballet machine, but she's drawn inexorably back. After all, as she says, "We live only to dance. If living were not an essential prerequisite, we would abstain."

This is a beautifully written very open look at the world of a professional dancer. The difficulties and joys of life in a world class ballet company are clearly and thoughtfully laid out by Bentley. The pride she had for her place in NYCB, and the sadness of standing in the background while others danced in the spotlight in front of her. But ultimately we are allowed to see the great joy finds in her dancing, and the struggle and work it took to get her there, as well as the struggle and hard work it took to keep her there. Overall I thought that Bentley was very candid and very honest about her life in NYCB. Every dance student planning a life as a professional dancer should read this book.

It's always refreshing to read about the Caribbean, especially when it involves carnival and when the recount is being done by such a great writer. I must say that at times I felt like screaming that this woman really does not know how to let loose and really enjoy carnival. Just imagine if she were in Trinidad instead playing j'ouvert, and doing carnival for 2 days straight!! Nevertheless, I liked the fact that she paid careful attention to detail and incorporated much historical content into the novel.

Until this short, entertaining book, part memoir and part travelogue, I'd never read much of anything positive about Haiti. Years of political strife and the Duvalier dictatorships have certainly taken its toll on this densely populated third of Hispaniola (the rest is the Dominican Republic), but apparently Haiti is ready for tourists again and there's much to attact us there. Carnival, those jubilant and reckless days before Lent, would be a grand time to go. Like similar celebrations in Rio, Venice, and New Orleans, this a festival of the bizarre and the ridiculously sublime. Danticat is a fine writer and portrays her native country and countrymen with clarity and passion. This is part of Crown Journeys, a very promising new series of travel essays, written by some of our finest contemporary authors. Educating and entertaining; makes you want to book passage on the next flight or ship.

You are given a challenge that harkens back to your childhood ---return to carnival and write about it. You think about the consequences, and perhaps second guess yourself for allowing someone to even suggest going back to deal with the demons that sent you packing in the first place. Such is the case that the author contemplates in this installment of The Crown Journeys, a new series that has authors writing about different places around the world after traveling them on foot.

While acquiescing and taking the walk that spawned this book, Edwidge Danticat doesn't disappoint. In recent years she has fast become a media darling and one of Haiti's rising stars in literature. Here she shares with her readers a poignant and compelling view of the Jacmel Carnival, one of the Caribbean's major carnivals --- rivaled with and compared only to Rio and Trinidad. She gives insight and deep-rooted analogies of historic content, exploration of the land in and around her hometown of Jacmel, and the traditions of the people themselves as a true native would tell it.

The old adage of "there's no place like home" will always have a sense of purpose when coming back, and relative to the aforementioned, Ms Danticat gives the readers something to digest. Along the way she visits a cemetery and reveals what she thinks of them: ýI have always enjoyed cemeteries. Altars for the living as well as resting places for the dead they are entryways, I think to any town or cityýthe best places to become acquainted with the tastes of the inhabitants, both present and goneý.

She also references Jacmelýs uneven history via the landmarks she remembered as a child; gives a detailed explanation of how the masks and costumes play a major role based on age-old fables; and revisits the hills and rainforests with stories supporting political drama(s) relative thereof. The customs, social life, and other ménage of experiences associated with carnival represents an expressive attitude that inspires the people of this proud nation a reason to shun struggle, forget present troubles and escape to the wild hedonistic, but sexual suggestive party that bring out carnal knowledge at its best.

The one thing that got my interest early on in this narrative is the fact that she was scared off from celebrating the rituals associated with this celebration by a family member. How she has dealt with it over the years --- and the decision to face this challenge is worthy reading. In the process sheýs able to rediscover herself and shed inhibitions in embracing this festive time. Witness the reckless abandon as she describes the freedom she now can express without remorse. I feel that readers will feel as mesmerized as I was --- and feel as if you were there too.

--- Reviewed by Alvin C. Romer

"After the Dance" by Edwidge Danticat, is a celebration of the beauty, history and power of African culture in the diaspora of Haiti. Edwidge Danticat's writings stand on the shoulders of great writers such as Zora Neal Hurston, Langston Hughes and Walter Mosley. "After the Dance" champions the day to day experiences, joys, and challenges of people of African ancestry as they celebrate Carnival in Haiti. By accurately telling their story in "After the Danice", Edwidge Danticat paints a multi-sided portait of a community in transition, and as with any great writer, the truth she speaks about one community , informs our understanding of all communities. "After the Dance" is an excellent work by an excellent writer...