North America Books

I recommend reading this book if you are interested in the rituals and culture of the Lakota. It provides clear and interesting discussions of major rituals that form important components of their way of life. The material is drawn largely from interviews with Black Elk, and the writing really explains significance of important details in the various practices. The book also provides a good basis for understanding how the cultural practices fit into Lakota history. This book is also a fine one to read in relation to "Black Elk Speaks," "The 6th Grandfather," and "When the Tree Flowered."

Black Elk is and was sacred Elder. Through his life we are given this knowledge. He has helped many to understand the way of the Lakota; following the natural law. While not all Lakota follow the traditional ways as closely as they did before the arrival of the white man, they are still connected to these rites and inhierently understand these teachings. It's only to outside world that these things become suprising moments of clarity. Joseph Epes Brown took time before it was too late, to record these teachings, which is a blessing and a gift of knowledge to all who would read, understand and heed these words. If you wish to learn what dwells is in the hearts of Native American people, you would do well to open this book and your minds.

I haven't actually finished this book yet but I'm looking forward to doing so. This spirituality is deeply sophisticated and elevated. I think the whole world is greatly indebted to the American Indian Nation. Furthermore, thank you for wonderful service.

Joseph Epes Brown was fortunate in meeting men who possessed great human and spiritual qualities, especially Black Elk who had a unique quality of power, kindliness and sense of mission. Born in 1862, Black Elk grew up when his people had the freedom of the plains, hunted bison; he fought at Little Bighorn and at Wounded Knee Creek and knew Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull, Red Cloud, and American Horse. He traveled with Buffalo Bill to Italy, France and England. During his youth Black Elk was instructed in the sacred love of his people by Whirlwind Chaser, Black Road and Elk Head from whom he learned the history and deep meanings of his people's spiritual heritage. Through prayer, fasting and deep understanding of his heritage, Black Elk became a wise man, receiving visions and acquiring special powers to be used for the good of his nation. Because of his sense of mission Black Elk wanted this book to be written so that the reader could gain a better understanding of the truths of the Indian traditions.

In his foreword Black Elk tells us: "There is much talk of peace among the Christians, yet this is just talk. Perhaps it may be, and this is my prayer, through our sacred pipe, and through this book in which I shall explain what our pipe really is, peace may come to those people who can understand, an understanding which must be of the heart and not of the head alone. Then they will realize that we Indians know the One true God, and that we pray to Him continually. I have wished to make this book through no other desire than to help my people in understanding the greatness and truth of our own tradition, and also to help in bringing peace upon the earth, not only among men, but within men and between the whole of creation."

The wisdom of the Indians is based on such concepts as "The Earth is your Grandmother and Mother, and She is sacred. Every step that is taken upon her should be as a prayer" and "Every dawn as it comes is a holy event, every day is holy." The Indians developed their own religion based on the gift of the sacred pipe given by a very beautiful woman who approached two Lakota Indians out hunting. One of them had bad intentions and he and the mysterious woman were wrapped in a cloud. When the cloud lifted the sacred woman was standing there and at her feet was the man who was nothing but bones and terrible snakes were eating him. Black Elk interpreted this as an eternal truth: "Any man who is attached to the senses and to the things of this world, is one who lives in ignorance and is being consumed by snakes which represent his own passions." The mysterious woman presented the tribe with a pipe and stone, explaining the significance of the gift. On her departure she said to the Standing Hollow Horn: "Behold this pipe! Always remember how sacred it is, and treat it as such, for it will take you to the end. Remember, in me there are four ages. I am leaving now, but I shall look back upon your people in every age, and at the end I shall return." These four ages find a parallel in the Hindu tradition during which true spirituality becomes increasingly obscured until the cycle closes with catastrophe, after which the primordial spirituality is restored and the cycle begins once again.

Through the rite of the keeping of the soul, the Indians purified the souls of the dead and increased love for one another. This rite is followed by the rite of purification, known to us as the sacred lodge. The ritual of "Crying for a Vision" was used long before the coming of the sacred pipe. Crazy Horse received most of his power through "lamenting" or crying for a vision for some great event or ordeal such as going on the war path. "But perhaps the most important reason for 'lamenting' is that it helps us to realize our oneness with all things, to know that all things are our relatives; and then in behalf of all things we pray to Wakan-Tanka that He may give to us knowledge of Him who is the source of all things, yet greater than all things." Chapters are devoted to the Sun dance - one of the greatest rites; to "The making of Relatives" reflecting the relationship between man and Wakan-Tanka; preparing a girl for womanhood; and the rite of "The Throwing of the ball." Through these ceremonies we learn how the Sioux have come to terms with God, nature and their fellow man.

If you question the superiority and validity of the goals of western society; if you are conducting a self-examination; if you are re-evaluating the premises and orientations of our society; if you are concerned about our environmental crisis; if you are concerned about the problems created by highly developed technology; if you are questioning our basic values concerning life, nature and the destiny of man; if you are open to look at the models represented by the American Indians; if you want talk about peace to become action about peace you will find something of value in this book.

A beautiful book. You can learn about Siuox religious practie and beliefs. The reader will come away with a sense of how similar religios faiths can be. The Sioux it turns out are not so different from Christians, Hindus or any other group that uses faith to guide people through what is both difficult and beautiful in life.

Although the material in this book is probably covered in greater detail elsewhere, it is pretty unique that the experiences of indigenous groups as diverse as the Iroquois and Incas, are presented here with equal detail. One learns interesting facts about each of them. While I knew about Manco Inca's revolt and establishing a mini-Inca state in the jungle, I had no idea that this was followed by a sort of "Inca Renaissance," with plays, histories and poems written in Quechua. In addition, the five groups that Wright chose either had their own written language or quickly learned one after European contact (and the Cherokee even had their own newspaper), so this history is genuinely "through Indian eyes." The unifying thread (in addition to the resilience of all 5 groups) is that the colonization of the New World by Europeans was not significantly different that of Africa and Asia- without the disease factor, the Americas might today be wholly governed by their original inhabitants.

Simply a "must" read for the Americans (talking about the whole continent for those who are geographically challenged LOL), the Europeans and anybody else interested in the "discovery" of America.

Well-researched and full of interesting facts concentrating on the 5 significant native cultures of the Americas: The Aztecs, the Mayas, the Incas, the Cherokees and the Iroquois. It is easy to read as well !!!

IMO it should be part of every high school history curriculum. Guaranteed to dispel many of the myths that are taught in schools today and reinforced by Hollywood.

Bravo Mr. Wright !!!!

My emotions, while reading this book, ranged from disbelief to outrage. Do not read this book on a full stomach.

For me, Ronald Wright exposed the faulty notion of America's 'virgin wilderness'. Before I read this I did not appreciate the size or sophistication the Native American nations he has profiled in 'Stolen Continents'.

Though this is a tragic history, it is one that should be told. The section on 'Rebirth' is encouraging, for some nations. For others it seems like the relentless attacks, that have deprived so many of so much, will never end.

I hope Mr. Wright profiles other aboriginal nations with this all too rare perspective.

I can't speak for the history of all the five nations, but my wife is Cherokee. Her family predates the arrival of the white race. She has a big thick book documenting the family genealogy compiled by her father, a true researcher. The words of Dragging Canoe, a realitive, are comprehensive and exact. Some quotes are new to the family, so Mr. Wright really did his research.

Mr. Wright painted an eye opening view of the real American Indian history, not what I learned in school and saw on TV.

As a native American whose people came perilously close to being wiped out completely, I welcome and applaud the care, consideration and integrity with which Ronald Wright has addressed the history of five native nations in the Americas--the Aztecs, Maya, Inca, Iroquois and Cherokee. By selecting cultures from north, central and south America, he shows, unequivocally, how pervasive disease and the voracious appetite for gold, land and vassals were in the nearly total devastation of the peoples of this land.

This book should be a "must" read for high school and college students in every nation in the Americas. It is phenomenal in its exploration of past and current circumstances of native Americans.

This is an amazing book! It gave me many new insights into my religion. We've always known that Hugh Nibley's mind and memory are "out of this world," and this book strongly confirmed it for me. But the huge number of references to old documents and what they can tell us sometimes is overwhelming, tempting the reader (me) to give up. But then come the marvelous and unique Nibley goodies, which make slogging through all the data well worth the effort.

I originally became interested in reading this book after my friend's professor mentioned some pieces in it. So as soon as I thought about it again and had a little extra money I went ahead and ordered it, my first exposure to something more than an article of Nibley's.

I feel shallow for saying this, but my favorite aspect of this book was that it was simply fun to read. I'm sort of a geek in the way that I like learning, and this is it. Nibley writes simpler than I would expected and as many pieces in here seem to have been speeches, the style is very conversational and I would almost say rambling--which only makes me respect the man even more. There is just something nice about a scholar who likes to reveal information rather than making a stiff report.

The work is literally divided into two pieces: specifics of the temple concept, modern and ancient; and temple themes of the gospel. Some chapters are more random than others, but all are fascinating due to Nibley's thorought research and sharp mind.

Nibley is indeed a scholar, but that does not mean there isn't a healthy dose of faith in here--which probably makes this more applicable to the LDS folk. Rather than a dump of research, I would say this is more to the respect of educated observations.

All in all, a great, fascinating read.

I have loved this book for years. Hugh Nibley was not only a brilliant man, a great scholar, and a dedicated teacher; he also had the gift of being able to cut past all the endless intellectual distractions to focus on what is important. When I first read this book, frankly, I was blown away. There was so much richness about the temple that I did not know. However, more than all that are the essays and talks on what the implications of all this are for the way should live our life here with regard to what comes hereafter.

A temple is the House of the Lord and God uses it to teach, enrich, and endow the lives of his children. Brother Nibley is right that the temple is a scale model of the universe. It shows not only our place and purpose, but sets us on the correct path through teaching, covenants, and ordinances. Temples make eternity understandable and unite all ages of time in one eternal present with our Father. In this book we not only see what was restored with the Church through revelation, the author also shows us echoes (not sources) of the true teachings in ancient and pagan temples and ceremonies.

There are a wide range of essays on various aspects of the theme of the temple and the cosmos (the everything). In one of them, Brother Nibley even talks about science fiction and the gospel! It is full of interesting illustrations.

Hugh Nibley enriched my own appreciation of the temple through the essays and talks collected in this wonderful book. If you are interested in what he had to say on this important gospel topic, I recommend it to you. The author makes so many great points of so many details that are easy to miss that you will never be able to look at the temple the same way again. And opening your vision to seeing the world anew is what a great teacher does.

This book is amazing. Nibley's grasp of the subject matter is truly astounding. While it is true that Nibley is a mormon apologist, this work is not skewed like many of his other works. This is his best effort. Whether you are mormon or not this book brings up a lot of intersting similarities with almost every ancient religion and their temple type. Zoroastrian fire temples being the most notable exception. a pure joy to read.

Nibley does not go into depth concerning mormon temple ceremonies but many of the things he discuss will still be easily understood by the non-mormon reader. In addition, a large portion of the book is devoted to the actual structure of the temple as a microcosm of the universe. Also of note is his discusion of sacred vestments through the ages.

Often the scholarly become so involved in proving their thesis that they lose sight of where they are going. In other words they can't see the forest for the trees! Such is the case with Nibley's Temple and Cosmos. Although very informative and well documented, in his zeal to justify the existence of Mormon temples by showing many amazing similarities to temples and temple rituals of the past, he fails to notice that nearly all of his examples are from pagan cultures. Nibley proves well that the origin of Mormon temples is paganism. While the Mormon Church claims its origins stem from ancient Hebrew culture, any real evidence supporting such a claim is conspicuously absent from Nibley's book. ...Go figure!

John Poole has done it again with "Tequila Junction"! This time, his focus is on Latin America and the challenges faced by the US there. Things start off at a fast pace in Chapter 1: "Dope Dealers, Gangs, Islamists, or Maoists?" (I ran into 3 of the 4 during my travels in South America in the '80s and the problem has just gotten worse since then). The book goes on to cover not only the problems in the region but also offers up practical solutions that could effectively deal with the problems, if given a chance. A must have for anyone interested in the region.

In his latest study, "Tequila Junction", H. John Poole draws together his previous scholarship on 4GW to redirect attention away from Islamic terrorists. As he rightly notes in the opening pages of this latest work, the overwhelming focus on Islamic terrorists and the Middle East has given other powers an opportunity to work in relative security, right in America's own backyard.

H. John Poole's works are remarkable for being forward-looking and counter to the military status-quo in strategic and tactical thinking. This book is no exception. After presenting a well-researched case for the influence of a foreign power in Central and South America, Poole goes on to explain why our conventional "heavy firepower" model would be useless for countering the threat. Never one to present a problem without a solution, Poole then goes on to provide a framework for strategic approaches to 4GW warfare in Latin America, and also several tactical prescriptions. In the chapters of "Tequila Junction" are several low-cost, high-payoff solutions for tactical insertion, exfiltration, tactical intelligence gathering, and community integration and defense.

What is perhaps most useful about the book, however, are not his specific recommendations, but his constant call to strip away overwhelming hierarchal control and give power to the warrior on the ground. Poole has confidence that the common American fighting man--and woman--with the proper training and enough radius of control can win our wars with less cost in blood and treasure. He has ample historical evidence to support his case. Poole's book will no doubt raise some hackles among the traditional military establishment, who are wedded to the doctrines of strict command and control and overwhelming force. Those who disagree with Poole should note that he has consistently been ahead of the curve in predicting the future of 4GW warfare and our military response. "Tequlia Junction" is a sound addition to an already impressive body of scholarship.

LTC Poole was written another stellar book concerning the subtle workings of the Chinese & muslim extremist groups operating in Central & South America. The Chinese are fighting a war against the US "by other means" & in this manner hide behind a smokescreen of narco-gangs such as MS-13 & other drug cartels using their drug sales as a self-supporting mechanism to fund their activities within the continent.
While all eyes & intelligence resources are looking to the East and wondering what will happen in Iraq & Afghanistan now that President-elect Obama is taking office, Chinese intelligence is developing contacts & networks to support anti-American activities in the future. The Chinese plant seeds & understand that they must give them time to grow strong, so as to make it difficult to up-root them later. The Chinese also understand to stay under the radar to the US intelligence community. In this they have done an outstanding job & the tree of insurgency grows.
Only tactics discussed in Poole's new book can the US government hope to prevent the establishment of a threat to the south of it's border.

According to LTC Poole, the way to combat the insurgency in South America is utilizing a police methodology of community policing & getting the local civilian population to understand that the gangs & insurgents will only cause them grief & suffering. Give the local residents the means & support necessary to fend off a smart adversary. Fending off the Chinese & muslim extremist threat at this point does not necessarily mean weapons procurement & killing. As Poole quoted Ghandi in Part Two, "Victory attained by violence is tantamount to a defeat for it is momentary." However I beg to differ with Ghandi since the US was born out of the American Revolution, which was not act of non-violence but bloody resistence to tyranny!
Also an American icon by the name of Al Capone was quoted as saying, "You can get more with a kind word and a gun, than just a kind word." The 4th Generation Counterinsurgency tactics explained by LTC Poole work & work very effectively but keep the big stick around just in case.

Outstanding book...promotes out-of-the-box thinking and reframes developing threats. It addresses a number of issues our government is not paying much attention to:

-issues pertaining to homeland security- Poole explains how migration, uncontrolled illegal immigration, contributes to the destruction of a nation-state. The United States is facing this problem now but our government is almost doing nothing about it.

-addresses how illicit activities related to illegal immigration create a market for narco-trafficking which feeds terrorist financing... making the war on terrorism a self licking ice cream cone in favor of terrorist groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas (a Shi'i Iranian backed terrorist group and Palestinian backed Sunni terrorist group).

-the activities create exploitable venues for nation-states which desire to diminish/manage United States influence, China being one example...Russia and Iran a possible second. The subversion of society provides competitive nation-states and means to wage war against the United States via nonmilitary means. This is the essence of fourth generation warfare... leveraging society, subverting societies, in order to achieve victory while undermining US technological military superiority. The state is unable to maintain its territorial integrity and eventually begins to wither away.

John is saying the emperor is naked

John Poole keeps doing it. Doing what you may ask?

He keeps providing our military leaders, of all ranks, excellent books on how to train and develop U.S. forces to deal with threats today and in the future that understand 4th Generation Warfare. I like Tequila Junction because I agree totally with John, that the biggest threat to the U.S. right now is just across our Southern border. Not from the state of Mexico itself, but from the non-state groups, the drug cartels that are starting to dismantle the state of Mexico and are pouring violence across our borders. And as the political leadership of Mexico (not all), but most continue to put self before service, and remain corrupt, the masses will continue to turn toward these groups to provide them a way to live. This, coupled with our own political leaders failing to secure our border, now seven years after 9/11 due to back channel political deals with the government of Mexico, has become the biggest threat to our nation.

But, as John has done in his other excellent books, he outlines the problem, but recommends a workable solution. It will just take leaders of character to implement it. I think so highly of John's books that I made his Last Hundred Yards one of my two main text books when I taught ROTC at Georgetown University (the other one was the Maneuver Warfare Handbook by William S. Lind). I also have pushed all his other books to my multitude of contacts as recommended mandatory reading for their students. In recent visits I have seen his books on the shelves and in the hands of instructors and students at the U.S. Army Infantry School, Military Intelligence School, and in ROTC programs,as well as the United States Military Academy at West Point (all of which are using my book Raising the Bar to teach adaptability).

Keep it up John,
Don

This book is classic Elizabeth Elliott. It is a memoir of her time on the mission field before her marriage to Jim Elliott and a colorful description of the joys and challenges of working with God in the jungle of Central America. The book reveals the excitement, frustration, joy, and sorrow of mission work through her descriptions of her fellow missionaries and the native people they lived and worked with.
Mission work seems to me to be exotic and a little frightening, but seen through books such as this one, I begin to realize that it is much more like my life than it is different (other than the living-in-the-jungle-with-no-running-water-miles-from-the-nearest-grocery-store part). Missionaries still struggle with motivation, they still experience relationship difficulties, they still wonder if they have truly understood God's leading.
I enjoyed this book very much, as I have EE's other books. It is fun, easy reading, and would make a great gift for someone who is interested in missions, knows someone in the mission field, or just enjoys reading memoirs.

This moving book is the true story of Elisabeth Elliot's first year of missionary work in Ecaudor. Her task was to formulate an alphabet for the unwritten Colorado language. With vivid and often humorous description, she tells of the trials of jungle living and the struggles of trying to help the Colorados who did their best to avoid the influence of outsiders.

During this time, Elisabeth faced several painful lessons, testing her faith in God when it appeared that this faith was in vain. Her missionary work seemed fruitless, yet through this suffering, she learned that it is "in our acceptance of what is given that God gives himself."

This story is hauntingly sad, but Elisabeth's firm belief in the sovereignty of God shines through. She shows that God asks us only to trust and obey. When all the evidence seems to prove your faith in vain, this book will encourage you to continue in faith, prayer, and obedience.

The story of Elisabeth's first year on the mission field has often been glossed over in response to the more well-known facts of her husbands martyrdom.
This book tells the story of that first year in such a vivid and open way that one can't help but connect with her through joys and sorrows, disappointments and triumphs.

In this book, more than any of the others, Elisabeth Elliot seems so real. What an encouragement that someone who wasn't all that different than me should turn out to be such a strong woman of God...

If you, like me, are one of those needing help to go on during a crisis, this is the book for you. Elisabeth Elliot follows Amy Carmichael's (missionary to India) wisdom and "does the next thing" leaving the results with God.

I've always thought Elisabeth Elliot was an exceptional woman. But after reading this book, I have a new found respect for her. It is easy to say God is sovereign.But when you have sacrificed the comforts of modern life and served God on his terms, you earn a whole new level of respect. This is an encouraging book. I am not a missionary, but a homeschooling mom. And this book spoke to my heart. Ms. Elliot speaks of four lessons of faith. They are bedrock. The last paragraph says, "Christ is sufficient. We do not need support groups for each and every separate tribulation. The most widely divergent sorrows may all be taken to the foot of the same old rugged cross and find there cleansing, peace and joy." It is so easy to be overwhelmed with life's situations, to think I am in a rut. This book is an uplifting reminder that we are not to be knocked off course by lifes trials. But to look at them as an opportunity for God to once again prove that his grace is sufficient.

I've just finished reading "Washaka - the bear dreamer" and I simply loved it! Congratulations to the author on this wonderful book! ... it gripped me from the first to the last page. The ending made me cry, though ... as it probably does most readers. But Jamie Lee has done the ending in such a comforting way, not dark and sinister, but full of hope and perspective. Many thanks to her for such an enjoyable read! This story will stay with me for a long while :)

I loved reading Washaka - it was mesmerizing. Probably the only book that ever made me feel as if I were meditating while I read it.

This book really drew me in, reading while the kids got ready for school, while supper was cooking, before bed, anytime there was more then a few minutes free. Finally, I threw myself on the couch and let the world spin around me while I read the last 60 pages. I couldn't put it down. It was one story that I truly didn't know the end 10 pages prior to it happening. I cried, it was sad. It wasn't supposed to happen that way. But yet it was such a beautiful spiritual 'scene'. (that is not the word I want but it wasn't an ending either). To be so connected with both worlds and not at the same time - is something I always believed death would be (& hoped) but never read it with such clarity.

Thanks for the wonderful story! It is one of those books that once finished you sit back to take it all in again, while the characters slowly fade. The story and characters were all so vivid, it was like I was there, sitting on the big boulder looking down on the village myself. I want to keep sitting there, but like all good things, reality jumps in and we all know how it ended. We are coming around to that 7th generation, but not yet.

"Washaka the Bear Dreamer: A Lakota Story Based On Leon Hale's Dreamr" is an engrossing new Lakota story based on a recurring series of dreams experienced by Leon Hale. He enlisted the help of Oglala Lakota College teacher Jamie Lee to commit the story of his dreams to novel form. The effort is so successful the reader cannot put the book down. The effort of communicating and sharing the story also helped Leon Hale to recover from life-threatening health crises. This is a beautiful story of of cross cultural friendship and the necessity of the races learning to get along. It contains a heartfelt record of a collision of cultural values and the failure engendered even between dominant culture members by a loss of respect and esteem for one another. In the book, Little Chief rescues a white boy from torture and beating by his father because of a dream he had of finding a wounded white bear. Little Chief is surrounded by Lakota family who carefully teach him the sacred way to honor his dream with his life. He follows his dream even though it finally costs him his life at the hands of the Others, leaving behind his new wife and little daughter. "Washaka the Bear Dreamer" is a visionary work whose heart is the lesson of compassion. There is not a single flaw or false start in this book. It makes me very proud to be a part of the audience who will appreciate "Washaka the Bear Dreamer" by Jamie Lee.

I was charmed by this book. It is a very engaging and pleasurable read that provides much insight into the ways of Lakota Indian culture and values. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and I know for sure that others will too.

I was not prepared for the dramatic change in my outlook and self-awareness after I read Wokini. I couldn't put it down, and I even took notes. Wokini answers the who, what, where, why, when, and how, of happiness. I bought extra copies to give to my family and friends, and I hope they pass thir copies along to their loved ones. Wokini is such an easy book to read. The spiritual journey described in the book carried you from place to place looking for not only answers but questions.

By chance, I found this book in my local library, read it and had a life change. Today while looking up Nicholas Sparks I find that Wokini is in print once again. Life is good! This book will change your whole attitude and outlook on life. It begins by breaking down the old ideas (lies) about what happiness is and is not. It follows with a day by day path on how to achieve true happiness. A great book to give and to keep!

When my grandmother died I had to go through her things, and I found not one but two copies of this book. Out of curiosity I read it, and was very moved and at the same time felt enlightened. I really wish that I could talk to her about this story, and regret that I didn't know her well enough, because anyone who appreciates this story is on the right path as far as I'm concerned. I am a Christian and I am not Native American, but those things really don't matter as the only thing you need to have when reading this is your desire to search, to learn more of yourself and the world. You will get out of this book much more than you spend on it!

I can't help but wonder who the target audience is/was intended for this book. At times it read very smoothly; other times I felt like it was written in an uncreative/predictable manner. It made a lot of good points; I valued a lot of the lessons and advice. I just felt like the whole story about David, the presence of his sister's spirit, etc could have been left out and it would have been just as good. I learned quite a bit; I just wasn't awed. I think there are better motivational books out there besides Wokini.

In a very clear, simple and entertaining way Billy Mills' story leads the reader to a better understanding of true happiness. At the same time he provides a little peek into Lakota beliefs and practices. The book is easy reading by children and adults alike, and will be enjoyed by both those who are interested in the Lakota and those who've looked for happiness in all the wrong places. I too hope that there will be another printing of this book. It is a sad commentary that such a delight should be lost to future generations. This is a book that I have given (and would love to continue if reprinted) as a gift to quite a few people. But, for the present, I must be satisfied with two... one for myself and one to loan out for others to read.

As a native New Yorker who formerly had a beautiful view of the World Trade Center, and now avoids looking at the painfully flat skyline every day, I have this fabulous volume to treasure instead. .............. While disappointed with the flood of tributes to the still unfathomable tragedy of 9/11, this book was a must have the moment I thumbed through for a quick cursory look. I was immediately impressed with all the gorgeous shots of the WTCs depicted in all the ways that I loved them. Shimmering in golden sunrise yellow, blinding in midday platinum steel, glowing in the ominously blue-violet dusk, and sparkling with the thousands of tiny lights that made the New York City skyline, the awesomely spectacular sight that so sadly, won't ever be the same. ................. The most wonderful thing about this book, is not only the terrific pictoral contents, with several posters included, but the informational text that accompanies it as well. If you are interested to know the complete history of the WTCs and New York City, you will see the city before the towers were built, how and by whom they were planned, the way they were built, when and why. Also covered, their effect on New York City, as well as their role in the media and Hollywood movies. Finally, you will get the brutally shocking photos of their horrible demise. Look no further for a truly complete tribute. Every single chapter goes into wonderful detail, and is accompanied by the most breathtaking photographic treasures ever seen, of these iconic masterpieces of lost architecture. Not only is this the absolute BEST book I've seen for anyone who wants to keep their memory of the WTCs alive forever, it's also one of the most reasonably priced. This volume offers a tremendous return for your dollar. It's all printed in sharp color, on thick gauge, glossy paper. There is not one page in here that will waste your time with filler. Author Pete Skinner, British born, but a longtime resident of Greenwich Village, had, like me, watched the birth of the World Trade Center, built and completed in 1973, and like me, watched it die. People all over the world felt the pain of this unprecedented loss, but those of us who were lucky enough to live among the Twin Towers for their retrospectively short lifespan, will treasure this book. ................... If you are looking for a book about the entire gamut of events that took place in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania, you may not find all of what you're looking for here. However, if you are like me, a person who will forever mourn the loss of these twin icons of prestige and success that defined the great soaring spirit of New York City, as well as the tragic loss of many wonderful hard-working New Yorkers who loved to work at the World Trade Center once upon a better time, then you have found the perfect tribute to a symbol of New York that will remain, forever in the American heart.

This book is the one to get, if you want fantastic photos, interesting prose, and just an overall great pictoral commemoration of the World Trade Center, which was destroyed in the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11.

With the War on Terror continuing, sometimes it is good to be reminded of why we are fighting and what it's all for. This book will bring the memories (and the resolve) flooding back.

An excellent tribute at a great price. Five stars!

The history of the WTC is traced from black and white photos and simple text regarding its design and architecture through the chilling events of 9/11. I have to say that the color photos of 9/11 capture the events totally and will leave you breathless.

I have purchased 6 copies of this book for family and friends and think it is the best WTC book out there.

I proudly keep a copy on my coffee table and leaf through it often and remember the beautiful buildings I once marveled at and loved.

As a native New Yorker who formerly had a beautiful view of the World Trade Center, and now avoids looking at the painfully flat skyline every day, I have this fabulous volume to treasure instead. .............. While disappointed with the flood of tributes to the still unfathomable tragedy of 9/11, this book was a must have the moment I thumbed through for a quick cursory look. I was immediately impressed with all the gorgeous shots of the WTCs depicted in all the ways that I loved them. Shimmering in golden sunrise yellow, blinding in midday platinum steel, glowing in the ominously blue-violet dusk, and sparkling with the thousands of tiny lights that made the New York City skyline, the awesomely spectacular sight that so sadly, won't ever be the same. ................. The most wonderful thing about this book, is not only the terrific pictoral contents, with several posters included, but the informational text that accompanies it as well. If you are interested to know the complete history of the WTCs and New York City, you will see the city before the towers were built, how and by whom they were planned, the way they were built, when and why. Also covered, their effect on New York City, as well as their role in the media and Hollywood movies. Finally, you will get the brutally shocking photos of their horrible demise. Look no further for a truly complete tribute. Every single chapter goes into wonderful detail, and is accompanied by the most breathtaking photographic treasures ever seen, of these iconic masterpieces of lost architecture. Not only is this the absolute BEST book I've seen for anyone who wants to keep their memory of the WTCs alive forever, it's also one of the most reasonably priced. This volume offers a tremendous return for your dollar. It's all printed in sharp color, on thick gauge, glossy paper. There is not one page in here that will waste your time with filler. Author Pete Skinner, British born, but a longtime resident of Greenwich Village, had, like me, watched the birth of the World Trade Center, built and completed in 1973, and like me, watched it die. People all over the world felt the pain of this unprecedented loss, but those of us who were lucky enough to live among the Twin Towers for their retrospectively short lifespan, will treasure this book. ................... If you are looking for a book about the entire gamut of events that took place in New York, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania, you may not find all of what you're looking for here. However, if you are like me, a person who will forever mourn the loss of these twin icons of prestige and success that defined the great soaring spirit of New York City, as well as the tragic loss of many wonderful hard-working New Yorkers who loved to work at the World Trade Center once upon a better time, then you have found the perfect tribute to a symbol of New York that will remain, forever in the American heart.

I live in the Midwest (have never visited NY) but saw a review of this book on a website. I just had to have it so I ordered the book from Amazon.com. I received the book late yesterday afternoon. The pictures and information contained in the book are truly amazing. It is amazing to see what Lower Manhattan looked like before the WTC was built. The pictures of the various models of WTC that were built. There are pictures of the construction of the twin towers. The book has some very nice posters of the WTC and New York skyline. There are many pictures taken on September 11th and in the days following. This book is a must-have for those who are interested in the World Trade Center. It's truly a remarkable book.

Not much to say really--a great book about a very great man. For those who think the struggle for racial equality began in 1954 this book will widden their historical hisorical horizons. But what it shows to me above all are the heroic possibilities of ordinary people in the US "Nate Shaw" or others like Hosea Hudson and later Fannie Lou Hamer--I wish somehow people in other parts of the world could read this book because they would realize there is a hidden America, an America not represented by our dreary and belicose politicians or our narcotic talking heads or worse our "official" historians" I can think of very few other books about American history that EVERONE MUST READ.

Nate Shaw was the father of my Uncle Oscar Turner's best friend. His real name was Nate Cobb and the family of the son, Lorraine, is prominent in the Middletown, Ohio ghetto.

The author has done a masterful job of illustrating how greatness was thrust upon him. Nate never set out to become a hero, only to protect his own dignity and provide for his children.

I do not believe that there is a better book for teaching about the lies of 20th century sharecroppers. Theirs is an overlooked legacy.

I am hoping that by entering a review here, I can see other reviews that I can use to write a book review on this title. Its due tomorrow! Yikes!

This is a timeless classic, and not just among memoirs, because the subject was a great American---a man who "had no get-back in him." Nate Shaw (real name Ned Cobb) had an amazing memory, and also an acute understanding of the post-Civil War rural South. The rhythm of the seasons, work routines, knowledge of livestock, nature and people too, combine for a profound view of a vanished America. (If you want to really know about mules, Ned's the man.) But Ned didn't just observe, he worked with the Alabama Sharecroppers' Union and defended powerless friends, serving 12 years in prison for his pains. This activism sets him apart from Kas Maine, a South African sharecropper to whom he's been compared in recent years. The earthy dialect wears out some readers, but otherwise "All God's Dangers" is compelling from start to end. Writers from Wendell Berry to Pete Daniel praise both man and book, while John Beecher's "In Egypt Land" is a moving poetic rendition of Ned's story. R. Kelley, "Hammer & Hoe" vividly recreates 1930s Alabama; on Kas Maine, see C. Van Onselen, "The Seed Is Mine." But Ned tells about his world far better than the others. In living, then narrating, a life of great struggle lived with great dignity, Ned Cobb performed a signal service---for all of us. We are in your debt!

In the middle of Rosengarten's book, truly a masterpiece of oral history memoir making, Nate Shaw says "all God's dangers ain't a white man." This would seem truly a remarkable thing for a black man who spent over a decade in an Alabama prison to say, but as a farmer growing cotton in Alabama during the first half of the twentieth century it quickly makes sense once he explains it. Shaw's story of his chaffing under his good for nothing father's roof; his growing prosperity as share cropper and than as a yeoman farmer; his hucksterism when dealing with violent and hostile whites attempting to cheat him; the defense of fellow small farmers that got him thrown in jail during the Great Depression; and his takes on the science of farming, race relations, the American class system and his own life experiences show Shaw to be a master story teller and Rosengarten and master interviewer. The combination of these two was absolute dynamite.

The Ancestors' Path is an oracle based upon the philosophies of traditional Native American beliefs. In this way, readers of the oracle seek to understand what part of the cyclical path a given experienced is located. This information tells them not only about their immediate circumstances but gives them a reference to understand how they got to that point in time and where they are headed.

The Ancestors' Path is probably one of the most easy to use but complex systems that I have come across. The set includes two dice, one representing the six elements and the other representing six totems. For a very basic reading, you simply throw the dice onto the board provided and look up the results. This gives you a very good idea about where you and your query are located in the cycle of change. With this information, you can also see what you have already accomplished and what the next step of the process will look like.

However, in order to get clarification on a particular issue, you can seek more guidance from the directions. Using the small compass provided, you line up the board you're your current north position. Throwing the dice in a particular direction specifies your question further. For instance, if you want to know specifically about the beginning of your current project, want a better understanding of the purpose of this path, or even wish to know how your spiritual helpers are supporting you on this path. This additional aspect creates an exceptional good picture of the particular situation at hand.

I have had experience with many other oracles, including The I-Ching, Geomancy, Tarot, Scrying and the observation of patterns in the natural world.

The Ancestor's Path is an incredible divinatory method. When the Paths are explored with the proper state of mind, when you use the oracle with proper ceremony, it can reveal stunning insights into your state of conciousness.

I have made difficult decisions using the oracular method and have been surprised by its accuracy on more than one occasion.

I highly recommend this system to any person who seeks a Shamanic, tribal interperetation of reality.

The Ancestors' Path is a helpful and fun way to consult "the Oracle", also instructing and educating the player in understanding the world through the Native American "looking glass". The answers to questions about life or any concern at hand will have universal meaning with the lovely flavour of the ancient traditions of this land. I recommend this book and divination game as a splendid gift to give a family member or friend for the Holidays!

I love this divination system. It taught me so much about Native American spirituality. More than that, the readings I receive when I "throw" the dice, which are part of the system, impart to me a depth of wisdom that I have rarely received when using other systems. The answers truly cut to the heart of any matter. With the Ancestors' Path, you experience the profound sense that you are, indeed, speaking with elders or ancestors, and that they have your best interests at heart.

I have had experience with many other oracles, including The I-Ching, Geomancy, Tarot, Scrying and the observation of patterns in the natural world.

The Ancestor's Path is an incredible divinatory method. When the Paths are explored with the proper state of mind, when you use the oracle with proper ceremony, it can reveal stunning insights into your state of conciousness.

I have made difficult decisions using the oracular method and have been surprised by its accuracy on more than one occasion.

I highly recommend this system to any person who seeks a Shamanic, tribal interperetation of reality.