Asia Books

My 7-year-old son and I recently began our adventure of learning kung fu. This book was a great source of information for the both of us. It provides enough story line to keep younger children interested and links to further study for those who are older or thirsty for more. Shaolin temple, kung fu, chi, map and timelines are just a few treasures covered in this little gem.

This is a very enjoyable introduction to the legends of the shaolin temple, where the martial arts may have been honed by buddhist monks centuries ago. I can verify that it caught the imagination of a novice eight year old, and sparked his interest in both gong fu and Buddhism.

Enhanced with an accompanying 3D animation DVD, "Shaolin: Legends Of Zen And King Fu" is a unique picturebook written and illustrated by Liow Kah Joon. Shaolin is a 1,500-year-9ld Zen Buddhist temple in China famous for monks who are expert in the kung fu martial arts. This remarkable and entertaining children's book reveals the wonder, compassion and skill that is the essence of Shaolin Kung Fu through traditional Shaolin stories of a courageous young boy who seeks to master those ancient skills, as well as the philosophy and wisdom that underlies them. Young readers will learn about Zen, Kung Fu, the training and weaponry involved, the 'Shaolin Five Annimals", the story of thirteen Shaolin monks, a brief Shaolin timeline, and so much more. "Shaolin" is enthusiastically recommended addition to school and community library collections - and a 'must' for children with an interest in learning about the marital arts in general, and Shaolin Kung Fu in particular!

The author has done a wonderful job of presenting a brief history of Shaolin - the temple and the monks. He also offers a simple and easy to understand overview of the training techniques used by Shaolin Martial Arts practitioners. While the illustrations will appeal to children young and old, the message will probably be best received by young people 8 and above. It is a welcome addition to our martial arts schools library.

This is a very well written book with beautiful pictures......I truly enjoy reading it!
Kah Joon had made Zen and Shaolin Kung Fung easy to understand and interesting for children and adults alike.
I truly appreciate Kah Joon's detail to attention, even the papers are made of the highest quality. The 3D animation DVD is a such a great addition!
Read it and you will know what I am talking about :)

I decided to read "Six Records of a Floating Life" after spending a summer in Suzhou, the city of Shen Fu's birth and his home for many years. When describing this work, my Chinese friends were quick to use words like "romantic" and "touching". However I was skeptical since I had also heard that this book detailed Shen Fu's relationship not only with his wife, Yun, but also concubines and courtesans - thus setting it far outside the scope of what is traditionally considered "romantic" by modern, Western standards. Yet, if one is willing to keep an open mind and look at Shen Fu's extra-marital relations (which are, in fact, treated very briefly) within the context of the time and culture during which he wrote, one can see that that author and his wife were very much in love and cared passionately for each other for more than twenty years. Fu's description of the airy joys and carefree pleasures they experienced together as husband and wife are sure to bring a smile to the face of anyone who's every been in love.

Yet, with great happiness Shen Fu also experienced great pain and numerous hardships. Considered a failure in both business and scholarship, he was never wealthy and he struggled to provide even a modest living for himself and his family. Indeed, Fu drifted from place to place, job to job, often relying on friends and relatives to provide him with money and shelter. Adding to the pressures of poverty was his wife's chronic illness, which eventually took her life. Shen Fu's description of his wife's death is truely heart-breaking, as he writes:

"Her spirit vanished in the mist and she began her long journey... When it happened there was a solitary lamp burning in the room. I looked up but saw nothing, there was nothing for my two hands to hold, and my heart felt as if it would shatter" (p. 89)

Part romance, part tragedy, part travelogue and part memoir this book indeed lives up to it's reputation as a classic. Shen Fu articulates the joys and sorrows of ordinary human life with the skill of an artist, and he is always someone with whom we can identify. Like we all do, he struggled to find peace and comfort while trying to bear the weight of sadness. Whether you're interested in Chinese history and culture or not, this book deserves to be read and appreciated.

There are so many contradictions within this quirky memoir that it could only possibly be true.

This is a memoir of life right around the start of the 19th century. It recounts the adult life of Shen Fu, a man who appears to have been ordinary in the extreme. Although educated, he did not pass the literary tests of the civil service. At best, his career could have been a secretary under one of the successful examinees, but his times weren't always the best. His positions never lasted, and his business attempts failed. Often, he sold his possessions and his wife's down to the clothes on their backs (or less). He fell out with his family, in a time when filial duty was enforced by law, and became outcast in almost every sense.

But his life never wholly failed, either. Perhaps it was the glow of nostalgia, but his twenty-three years of marriage were always a joy to him, even when his wife's health failed, and even when she may have been the source of some of his problems. They had their times of poverty, but never to the point of starvation. He was honorable enough to quit a corrupt position when it offended his honor too deeply. He was devoted enough to heal the familial rifts. His joys and Yun's were simple - travel, each other, the beauty of the full moon, and maybe a little too much wine shared with happy company. Shen Fu and his devoted Yun never demanded much from their lives, and usually got enough to enjoy.

The text wanders. The first three chapters chart the ups and downs of the marriage to his beloved wife. She died early, from some frightening disease. Still, she and he accepted it stoically, or mostly did. The fourth chapter collects a few decades of moments together, the sights and sounds of travel. With his wife and after her, Shun Fu visited temples, sacred caves, and pleasure districts, reported in some drifting collage of personal history. Despite the "six" promised in the title, we have only four. It's probably better that way, according to the appendices.

I really think I would have liked Shun Fu. He was honest enough, loving enough, and devoted enough to his children. Even when his own situation deteriorated badly, he fostered his son as best he could and sheltered his daughter with people who could marry her well. He never wholly succeeded or failed, but muddled through the chances that appeared to him. He was no grand hero, nor villain, nor idle dreamer, nor driven workaholic. He was just a guy, living some guy's life pretty well. Maybe he dressed up his memories just a bit, but don't we all?

//wiredweird

"Six Records" (also known as "Six Chapters of a Floating Life"), c. 1805, is an extraordinarily frank autobiography that is totally unprecedented and unparalleled in the history of Chinese literature. It describes the life of the author Shen Fu and his beloved wife, Ch'en Yun (1763-1803), in extremely revealing detail. The intimacy and joy shared by the couple are as unusual by normal standards of Chinese married life as is the author's daringness in revealing them to others. Their close, playful relationship stands in defiant opposition to the staid decorum of married life expected by Confucian ideology.

A thoroughly enjoyable and inspiring read. Ch'en Yun is a woman ahead of her time who admirably balances her love of learning and passion for life with her duties and obligations as a traditional Chinese wife.

a very, very good book to get to know the everyday life of late imperial Chinese!

If one reads the introduction, this book is not meant to be read as a sequential narrative, instead it is a collection of memoirs and hence the word "records" in the title. Through this collection of records and memoirs, readers are welcomed to peer into segments of the author's bumpy life.

The records follow Shen Fu on his numerous failed attempts to find contentment in life: As an educated man, Shen Fu tried to gain a position through civil examinations but got nowhere, he tried his hand at being a painter but found that he had no talent, he made friends with people who eventually betrayed him, he got into debt and was disowned by his father, and the final blow came when he lost his child and beloved wife, Yun. In the end Shen Fu's decided to live a "floating Life" by giving up worldly matters to wander China.

Shen Fu is also a groundbreaking author. He is very descriptive of his environment, which is uncharacteristic of Chinese writers of his time. Through Shen Fu's accounts the reader can experience the long lost customs of ancient China, for example, lonely men with a bit of pocket money can visit brothel boats sitting "like aimless floating leaves" on the river.

Moreover, Shen Fu's accounts of his wife, Yun, were against conventions because he does not cease in describing her only as a dutiful wife and daughter-in-law according to Confucian ideology, but he portrays her as an intelligent and adventurous woman who was willing to dress up as a man to visit a temple (which forbids women) with him. To Shen Fu, Yun was his soul mate and she transcends his memoirs into a love story. She is present from his first record, "The Joys of the Wedding Chamber" where they first met as an arranged marriage to his last record, "The Delights of Roaming Afar" where Shen Fu is constantly reminded of Yun, long after her death, when he travelled to places he wished he had brought her to.

Lastly, Shen Fu's tone is full of indignant passion making him an amusing storyteller. The translators (Leonard Pratt and Chiang Su-hui) translate Shen Fu's work without losing his ease and personality, making the book a delightful read.

Keeping in mind that not many authors in feudal China reveal an honest account of their times and even less-so the intimate accounts of their domestic life, this autobiography is wonderfully rare.

I was in the Army in Nellingen, Germany in 1970 during the events described in Cortright's book. I knew the players personally, and I took part in the anti-war activities. I did nothing violent or criminal except to refuse to cooperate, and I was fully aware that there would be severe consequences. Some of my fellow GI's were more violent and firebombed the CO's headquarters. Blacks and anti-war whites were on the same page.

I received a court-martial, put in the stockade in Mannheim for 30 days, then put into a sort of a house arrest for several months, and finally discharged as an undesirable.

It was very frustrating to come back to the U.S. to be stereotyped as some kind of right-wing, baby killer veteran by people who thought they were hip. I tried to tell the story many times but only to disbelief. I gave up talking about it quickly seeing that people's perceptions were pretty much shaped by the mass media.

I didn't know about this book when it was released in the 70's. I recently found out about on the Internet. I'm so glad this and other stories of resistance in the military during the Vietnam era are being told. Such rebellion within the American military was unprecedented. This is an important and relevant part of American history.

Students of the Vietnam War have many, many histories and analyses to choose from: now SOLDIERS IN REVOLT: GI RESISTANCE DURING THE VIETNAM WAR provides yet another angle, and is the first to explore in depth the process of organized opposition and resistance that undermined U.S. military attacks. It was a uniquely American movement at home and abroad which helped bring the war to an end: SOLDIERS IN REVOLT focuses on the rebellion WITHIN the U.S. military, from front lines to stateside.

This is a re-issue of an older book (early 1970's), this book is still relavant because much of its contents are not recognized by many people. It tells the story of the dissent that brewed among the GI's in 'Nam. By no means universal, the dissent actually crippled America's ability to fight the war.

Neo-cons admit the truth of this book's comments every time they extol the greatness of an all-volunteer army as opposed to one formed by draftees. The truth of this book is exhibited by the armed forces' refusal to start a draft even as recruiting goals fail today. But the history books still do not speak of the widerspread GI revolt in Vietnam.

I started to protest the Vietnam War in Sept. of 1967. Long before the
Winter Soldier start up.
I can't find any news stories about S.P.D.s???
Let this also be part of the history...
Sorry About That.

On December 20, 2004 the Department of Veterans Affairs, granted me full disability as a result of what happened to me in the service. I was diagnosed under the `Decision'
"Service connection for bipolar disorder is granted and the disability is combined with your evaluation for posttraumatic stress disorder." This is unique because I am the first serviceman granted as having PTSD cause my bipolar. My PTSD was caused from trauma, I incurred while in combat...
My bipolar on the other hand incurred while serving out my time stateside. You see, what happened to me after I made it home was far more stressful and horrifying than anything I experienced in combat.
What makes this interesting is that if it wasn't for the Freedom of Information Act, I couldn't prove anything. While I was still in the military and after I was released from their custody I tried in vein to seek help for my condition to no avail. I felt that there was something wrong with me and was concerned enough to seek help.
Here's the rub; that was back in 1967.
Granted, the military did not know anything about PTSD or bipolar in those days. So I was just pushed along as being a disgruntled grunt. `Sorry About That' boy, now get on with your life. So be it, I felt...
It is not my style to bore you with `my' Vietnam experience. You know all too well we all have a story to tell. {Blah, blah, blah}.
Saying that, I believe many people do not realize that less than 6% of Vietnam veterans saw any actual combat doing their tour. And even fewer were involved in hand to hand
hard core combat. Lets say, maybe 1%? I can say with confidence I am in the 1% club.
Within 72 hours of landing in Saigon, I was fighting for my life. My experience is noted in the book the fields of bamboo by General S.L.A. Marshall. (1971 The Dial Press). Starting on page 68, "A Romp In The Sun." Amazon dot COM books has it rated `Five Stars.' (Few years ago)
If that wasn't enough, I served as a door-gunner on a UH 1 B Gun Ship where I survived three crashes. I got my PTSD the old fashioned way, I earned it.
What I feel I did not earn, was my bipolar.
There were over "half a million" less than honorable discharges given from 1966 to 1973. It was as though many of us who had been in the war realized there was something wrong with what our country was doing and wanted out. {1967-1968 two hundred thousand courts martial took place}
Because the system was so overcrowded, makeshift "concentration camps" were set up around the country,{ Known as "Special Processing Detachments."} Aka, S.P.D's.
That's where I found myself, (1967- 1969) after I protested our country's involvement in the Vietnam War. Not, mind you in the streets, but rather, to my `Band of Brothers.'
Before I did this, I sought help from the military mental hygiene department at Fort Bragg while serving with the 82nd Airborne Pathfinders. (1967)
I told the so- called head shrink'ers. That I believed that the war was unconstitutional
That our country attacked a sovereign nation with malice and our commander-in-chief was not to be trusted and was in fact, using us to fight an immoral war. It was our duty to stop him at all cost and by any means. I told the head doctors that I had been informed as early as 1966 in the jungles of Vietnam by an ex OSS officer that there isn't any South Vietnam and Ho was the truly elected leader of his country. I was also told that China was Vietnam's number one enemy and has been for over a thousand years. In fact, some of what I was told back in 1966 was to come out later in the Pentagon Papers.
I was told many things that turned out to be the case. (Too many, to take your time here).
However, this I do know and believed in 1966, that if China was Vietnam's number one enemy and Russia was China's enemy then we were not there fighting the communist threat. To my dismay, the two psychiatrists listening to me rant came unglued. They didn't think I was mad but rather delusional and had to be dealt with. I was sent back to my unit and held under house arrest. "For what", I asked? {murder, and spreading commie propaganda, to the troops, at Fort Bragg and Pope Air Force Base}.
I went ballistic. My military record, exemplary until then, begin turning black.
I would not stand to be held and or wait until the military tried to figure out just what to do with me. Acting stupid I thought I had no options. I then demanded a dishonorable discharge. (I felt the just deserts for an elite warrior participating in a dishonorable war).
No one would oblige. I was told I was simply confused. So to help matters along, I deserted the military in order to get what I wanted.
After being hounded by the FBI and government authorities I was turned in by my own family and friends. Being from Orange County, California, they were doing their duty and thought it was for my own good. Once in the grips of the military system, my life became worse than it had ever been in combat. Sadistic guards wanted to make an example of me because they believed I was a veteran who disgraced his uniform. I was tortured, stripped, and had a gun put to my head. I was thrown naked into solitary confinement where the shadow of the stars and stripes-{designs cut into the ceiling} - covered my body. I was forced to eat cereal and water from a bowl like a dog while others watched. I witnessed other prisoners being tortured and murdered.
`Abu Ghraib in spades'. Right here in America back in 1967 the military guards did the same things to U.S. soldiers in stockades across the country. I survived in and escaped from three stockades and four courts martial. I witnessed the same treatment from guards at every stockade I was in.
I do not feel sorry for myself. I joined the military and volunteered to go to Vietnam. I was proud and excited to become a paratrooper with the 101st Airborne. I loved it.
That is until I found out what was really going on `over there.' I was not to be part of the BRIGHT and Shinning Lie that was to be known as the Vietnam debacle.
Anyway, if you think another Vietnam story is not as interesting as our latest war so be it.

Thanks,
Richard F Denne
Rdenne@aol.com

David Cortright originally wrote his hidden history of resistance within the U.S. Armed Forces to the Vietnam War in 1975. Thanks to Howard Zinn for rescuing it from the memory hole of information warfare.

Cortright's thesis is that the U.S. military in Vietnam resisted the war on a massive scale. By 1969, the enlistees took the lead over the draftees in opposition to the war. Stateside, enlistees had formed protest organizations at most bases in all the branches of the military. The enlistee resistance movement produced over 200 G.I. newspapers such as "All Hands Abandon Ship" and "Harass the Brass". Enlistees also organized off-base meetings in coffee houses and staged demonstrations against the war. Over in Vietnam, "survival politics" led to refusals to engage the Vietnamese in combat, avoidance of making contact with the Vietnamese, and 12 mini-mutinies of companies and platoons.

This is an important history. When the peace movement pressured the government to get out of Vietnam, it was to be a time of peace - especially for the U.S. military. Later the Berlin Wall fell and the Warsaw Pact was disintegrating. The Soviet threat was neutralized by its own perestroika. Then came the Bushes, Clinton and their wars and monthly bombings in Iraq non-stop during the last 15 (that's right - fifteen) years.

This latest Iraq invasion and occupation has reached deeply into our communities. Fathers, and mothers, left their children only to end up killing children in a land whose inhabitants had never made a threat to us. Worse, some troops engaged in shameful tortures.

Bush should be impeached now for his war crimes. And after that, one more thing remains: bringing the troops home to their children and our apologies.

I entered flight school in 68 and went on to a year and half
of rotor work in SVN and parts, in 69. A must read. Glad I found it.
This wonderful book took me everywhere..with perfect wit.

Foley is a professional writer, now, and it shows in the vivid clarity of his words and the mental images they evoke. He takes his own experiences in the Army (enlisted recruit to Lt. Col.) at a critical point in its existence and gives us the grunt's view, but with the insight of an outstanding staff officer. He points out the many failings of the staff and leadership in the 1960's Army (as only a grunt can) and how men like those he served with on the ground in the 101st, LRPs, and Green Berets made up for those failings. His stories of going from PFC into MCO school, into OCS are full of the details that add dimension to his later activities and service in the jungle. And he points out his own failings. A refrain that repeats itself goes along these lines: "I thought such-and-such, but how wrong I was."

He also gives insight into the workings of the upper echelons, and how good men and women in those ranks worked to shove the Army into the later 20th century. Unfortunately, he left the Army before the results of those efforts really paid off in the desert and the many interventions and peace-keeping efforts we send our people into. But for a solid, well written account of Viet Nam, and one guy's experiences there, "Special Men" is one of the best written, most balanced accounts I've read, and I've read a lot of them. For another view of the evolution of the Army in the crucial 20 years between Viet Nam and Desert Storm, I recommend Fred Franks' "Into The Storm."

Dennis grasps of the military and understanding of the soldiers really shows through. Foley as an enlisted men first, he knew what it was like to be a buck-private and always had respect for the men. I know I served under him in F Compnay, 51st LRP (Abn.) Infantry and what he wrote about the unit is sad considering its great past records of what we did during Tet 1968 that saved thousands of Allied lives. A claim that no other Lurp unit in Vietnam could come close too. For a better understanding of Lurping, read Don C. Hall's book I SERVED or check out the web site at i-served.com. Dennis is a fine example of what outstanding men can do to carry the unit, in spite of, the poor performance by a few. It's in his book. Check it out!

Dennis has done it again. I think that I have read all his books, and can say without fear of contridiction that his book keeps you spell bound.

He write with the auhority of one who has been there done that. Would have given 8 stars but five was the most I could givein this rating system.

Roadrunner 6 out

I wish Dennis Foley could write an updated version of the
very important lessons to be learned from his great book, SPECIAL MEN. His book should be read by anyone going into
the military, and required re-reading for those who are careerists, rather
than warriors. The lessons to be learned from this book are that vital.

I enlisted two years prior to Dennis Foley. One of my mentors , Col John Paul Vann, told me the difference between a warrior and a careerist. One of Dennis Foley's mentors, the late Col David Hackworth, was the epitome of why we need more warriors and fewer careerists in our military. LTC Foley is another great example of why, as well.

SPECIAL MEN is a great autobiography, beautifully told and written. One of its lessons is how we mismanaged to lose the war in Vietnam, by losing it in America first. Sadly, recent leaders of our country learned nothing from Vietnam and are mismanaging
us in a war today that is far more important to our nation's survival than was Vietnam.

As LTC Foley points out, we cannot afford a military run as a popularity contest. We cannot afford an undisciplined military. And, he is writing primarily about the 1960s and '70s military.
What must he think of today's PC-driven, kindler/gentler bureaucratic military?

But, I know what he thinks of the young men and women serving in our
military, because a true leader and a good officer never changes. Like his mentor, David Hackworth, whom I knew, Dennis
Foley cares about his troops...honestly, deeply and always. It
shows on every page of this book.

With more Dennis Foleys running our military we'd never lose another war. But, since he's no longer in the military, and is now writing about the military, I sure hope that more folks heed his important messages.

Personally, I have a few ROTC cadets from a nearby university working for me parttime. As each graduates, he or she gets a
copy of SPECIAL MEN from me as a graduation present. It's the best I can do for them.

As a professional photographer, I can honestly say that this is a wonderful book! It is full of fantastic photos of a culture that is struggling to survive. I highly recommend it!

This book is beautifully shot by a truly skilled photographer -- a must have for anyone with an interest in photography or of the people of Tibet.

San Francisco Sunday Examiner and ChronicleBy Linda Watanabee McFerrinFreelance photojournalist Alison Wright's vivid portrait of Tibetan life in exile will kindle the warmth in any heart. In her vibrant visual sojourn with the Tibetan refugees in Dharamsala, India,she reveals lives rich in reflection and celebration, and creates a doorway into a culturethat survives in spite of travail. Nuns, monks, musicians, yak herders, children, the survivors of political prisons and His Holiness, the Dalai Lama, animate the pages. Her compositions are stunning, the color and light with which she adeptly enflames her subjects exuding both strength and intimacy. A short forward by the photographer underscores the spirit of the composition, but truly this is a book that needs few words. Wright, whose work appears frequently in the Examiner, is most articulate in her photography; and that is worth countless lines of text. "Good intent very important. Most important in all that you do. Never forget, " the Dalai Lama advises her in a garden encounter in Dharamsala. In her work, Wright makes it clear that the message is, indeed, unforgettable.

Ever since I read Heinrich Harrer's "Seven Years in Tibet" six years, then the later "Return to Tibet" by the same author, I was hooked to Tibet, the Tibetan people, the Tibetan land, the Tibetan mountains, the Tibetan monasteries, everything Tibetan. I have cultivated an unspeakable tie to this unique land and its people. I began screening movies such as Kundun and Seven Years in Tibet. I have imagined and pictured Tibet according to Harrer's lively and mindful description during his residence in Lhasa. "The Spirit of Tibet" graciously allows me, for the very first time, to see Tibet unveiling its mysterious yet solemn beauty. A few other readers have complimented on the artistics and aesthetics of this collection. The collection really touches me because it communicates an unfailing passion. After the Chinese invasion in 1950, it is the Tibetan spirit and passion that sustain and unite the country and its people. When you look through the pictures, try to look into the Tibetans' eyes. Behind these eyes you will free yourself from the ordinary and see their life struggles, one and one, rooted deep in their mind and soul.

As a photographer and teacher of the photo arts it is easy to realize the quality of capturing the humanity of the people in this beautiful book. Alison Wright has done an excellent job. Place this in you home so that the tragedy that has been inflicted on the Tibetan people by the brutal and ruthless government of China is not forgotten.

Additional reads on the subject should include Tears of Blood / A Cry For Tibet by Mary Craig and for those who like their history in the style of Hollywood check out Kun Dun by Martin Scorcese, 7 years in Tibet, and Little Budda.

This book will move you to write your elected officials and ask them to support policies that will get China out of Tibet. You may also want to visit the official website for the Government of Tibet in Exile.

Because I referred readers to this book in my 3-STAR review of the Prestons' recently published Taj Mahal: Passion and Genius..., I want to offer a more specific comparison of the two. Significantly, the amount of text each devotes to the Taj complex and those directly associated with it is the same. So, too, is most of the information. But rather than detailing differences--such as that only in this book are criticisms of the mausoleum or that only in the Prestons' are technical details about the water system as well as inconsequential elaboration on who could not have been the architect of the Taj--let it suffice to say that regardless of which book you own, the notes you'd add from the other would amount to but a few pages, unless you'd also want to copy the two pages of translated calligraphic inscriptions that appear only in Okada/Joshi/Nou's TAJ MAHAL.

What makes the two books so dramatically different is that 3/4ths of this one is devoted to showing readers the Taj Mahal complex via Nou's stunning photographs, all of which are in color. There are, for example, 56 of the interior of the mausoleum: 7 are two-page spreads; 40 fill an entire page; many are close-ups that reveal astounding detail. Also given extensive photographic coverage is the exterior of the mausoleum as well as the complex's mosque, guest house and main gate. And showing the magnificence of the entire complex from different perspectives are 4 three-page foldouts.

So many photographs are there in this book, in fact, that as revealing as they are, many begin to have a sameness about them. That the explanations of the architecture/ornamentation are not integrated with the photography may also be a negative for some as may be the absence of any photographs of the related funerary architecture that Joshi discusses. Nevertheless, if you are primarily interested in photographs of the splendors of the Taj Mahal complex as it now appears, you will find none better than Nou's. Before deciding on this book, however, I strongly recommend that you investigate one that merits 10 STARS: Ebba Koch,'s The Complete Taj Mahal, published in 2006. --B. Evans, 4/14/07

Following my recent visit to India I purched the book Taj Mahal as a permanent reminder of this magnificent building. The photographs in the book are of a very high standard and have been taken when there is an absence of visitors - a level the average sightseer can never achieve. The special lighting and techniques used for the internal photography makes you feel as though you are actually there. Added to this there is a very informative narrative on the history of and how the Taj Mahal was built. It is certainly a wonderful memento and am sure it will whet the appetite of future visitors.

The Taj Mahal is one of the most spectacularly beautiful buildings in the world, saying it's breathtaking does not do it justice. Not only is it gorgeous but it has one of the great romantic stories tied into its creation. This book does a wonderful job of giving the reader a real feel for this singular structure. The images are vivid and stunning and the scholarly text is highly informative. The intracate detail and exquisite craftmanship in this building are unparalleled. This sublime garden tomb is truly a wonder. If you have any interst in the Taj Mahal or just apprecate beautiful books then I cannot imagine you not loving this book, oh and be forwarned that after taking in this great book you will want to hop a plane to India.

Namaste (Hindu Hi)

this is the best book I have seen on the History of Taj Mahal, if you can't go to India to see the Taj Mahal buy this book this is excellent book, it will give you a very detailed photography of Taj Mahal, the photographer has done excellent work. I give it 5 stars & highly reccomend it.

This famous monument of love has been a favorite of tourists especially romantics, for many generations now. Visitors from all over the world are drawn to its irresistible charm, beauty and grandeur.

This book, dedicated to the most famous man-made wonder, slowly reveals its glorious detail. Color close-ups of semi-precious stones inlaid in white marble, intricate carvings, decorative patterns, and calligraphy enchant the readers. These artistically taken pictures draw the reader's attention to detail that a regular tourist may have easily missed during visit to the Taj. In fact these pictures are such fine quality and detail as to distract the reader from the well-written text that accompanies them. Every time you pick up this book, you are likely to notice something new, some other fine detail that you missed the last time. We, at Recipedelights.com, think this book is a must-see-and-must-read for designers, artists, armchair tourists, tourists planning to visit Taj and even those who have already visited it.

Thompson's book goes where few others have gone before; inside the lives of undocumented workers from New York to Mexico. It's a human story of family, survival, and love. This book should give pause to anyone who tries to argue that undocumented workers do not bring value to our country. Thompson writes clearly and allows those he meets to speak for themselves, something that is too rare in our public debate about immigration.

This is a well-written narrative that doesn't go far enough. In particular, there's a very untold story about Hispanics in the suburbs that one documentary (Farmingville) brought to light at its worst -- and that was only touched upon in this book...the clash of race and class is being played out in the suburbs and Jose's brief stint in Porchester felt like an aside. That said, this book is moving, well-written, and compassionate, particularly the road trip to Mexico...a terrific story in itself. CBock

Thompson writes a fact filled account of the life of his friend Enrique, a Mexican immigrant living in Brooklyn, and the people around him. The author meets Enrique as a tenant struggling with housing issues. Later in the book Thompson travels to Mexico with Enrique and members of his family. The many experiences are described with conversations and impressions but little editorializing by the author. And that is not needed because the stories speak for themselves. This book fills an incredible gap.

The truth about Mexican immigration

Gabriel Thompson hits the heart of immigration problem. People tend to oppose to migration blindly without analyzing the factors that propel all these poor people to work outside of their homeland, being humiliated, underpaid, and overworked for a few dollars. Also all these "Minuteman" and other racists would not do the work that a Mexican does; yet they want to throw out the people who give this country their work so that those racists could live in the land of plenty. People that oppose this migration are also the descendants of other immigrants that came to this country for the same reasons as these new migrants. Mexican migrants and all migrants in general are the backbone of our industry and our economy, we should be thankful that there are people like these poor Mexicans and migrants from other countries that do so much work in exchange of very little. I'm grateful that amid this sea of racism and ignorance there are a few people like Gabriel Thompson that expose the truth as it is.

The best work of non-fiction narrative I have read in years. It reminds me of Jimmy Breslin's down-to-earth journalistic style. Sorry Lou Dobbs, there is no political spin here; you can get this book for your racist uncle or for your socialist aunt because this book speaks to the heart and helps you realize that Enrique could have been either an Irish, Norwegian, or German immigrant in a different time and a different place. Still, Enrique's journey is fascinating and knowing that people of his stature still come to our shores makes me feel optimistic about the future of this country.

Having read both this book and James and Sybil Stockdale's IN LOVE AND WAR, I enthusiastically recommend them both. That said, THOUGHTS of a PHILOSOPHICAL FIGHTER PILOT (Thoughts...) is the one I have on my bookshelf, and the one to which I find myself referring frequently.

Thoughts... is a collection of several essays and speeches given by VADM Stockdale over the years. Each is powerful and profound, with elegant and simple points that, for me at least, have stuck with me since reading the book. While there is some redundancy as VADM Stockdale worked the same themes into several speeches, that does allow the reader to really distill the philosophical anchors which allowed him survive almost eight years in the Hanoi Hilton not just with his dignity in tact, but with the devotion to duty that earned him the Medal of Honor while in the "Pressure Cooker".

Thoughts... is a amazing collection, that will make you better person and make you *think*. VADM Stockdales observation that our election process focuses too much attention on ISSUES may at first sound absurd. He points out however, that complex problems rarely have the 30-second sound-bite solutions given by politicians trying to get elected on CNN, that most crisis encountered by our leaders were never addressed (since they were surprises) in the campaigns, and the honorable performance of ones duty depends on his (or her) character, not whether he's right or left of center.

Despite my description of the book as "a handbook for life..." this isn't some Dr. Phil pull-yourself-up-by-your-bootstraps self-help pamphlet. VADM Stockdale has learned some hard lessons. He articulately shares them with the reader. Rooted in the fundamentals of classical philosophy and history, he provides simple building-blocks for an honorable life.

Read this book, and you will be a better person for it.

I do not waste my time reviewing marginal books. I thought long and hard before writing this review. It is presumptuous to comment on the life and thoughts of this man. But it is also compelling to encourage its readership by the broadest possible audience....especially our young people. It is especially relevant today, circa early 2008, as America decides on a President.

This is perhaps the most intellectually and emotionally charged book I have read. And yet Admiral Stockdale was a quiet, humble man. As previous reviewers have commented, there is a wealth of material: ethics, history, drama...but I focus on the introspection he demands of America, especially in choosing leaders that send our young men and women into harms was...and, at times, into 7 and-a-half years of constant torture.

Do not presume to think you know the substance of this book. I assure you, you will be proven wrong. The book is brutal. Yes, it does describe the torture and underground resistance - the ordeal and triumph American POWs. And that is more than useful for several generations of Americans who came to maturity when we, as a Nation, preferred to ignore a government's duplicity and, in many instances, stupidity in the conduct of war and national affairs.

The book is critical of the government. What? A Vice Admiral and holder of the Medal of Honor being critical of the government? Damn right! So pay attention. This is not a criticism based on emotion or a "why didn't you help me" cry. It's a demand...nothing less...that elected officials exhibit character. Character is unambiguous. You want an example...it is simple: It is not what you believe in. It is how you act.

On page 30, Stockdale recounts a conversation as I quote: "I think that in an important way, the television news industry is doing the whole country a continuing disservice. We constantly reinforce a bad idea that we helped invent - the idea that the key to being a good citizen, a discerning voter, is to know where all the candidates stand on all the issues. The issues are given center stage and the politician is cast as their suitor. We have made the expression `so much for philosophy, lets get down to issues' a maxim of conventional wisdom. And at news time every evening, all networks project scenes of harassed men and women being nailed down by stubborn interviewers who insist on quick answers on where their victims stand on gun control, abortion, and so on......

"...what's important is not the person's current views on transient issues, but his character."

And this, from Lester Crystal, then the President of NBC News!

Character. How does a man or woman of character act? They do not quibble. They do not lie. They do not debate "What 'is' is?"

On many levels, Stockdale defines the term.

Stockdale mixes philosophy with his hard-earned wisdom as a POW in this incredible, honest inspiring book. Better than 99% of all self-help books. Read it, live it.

I do not normally choose to read a book based on the author's resume', but Stockdale's credentials (retired thirty-three year U.S. Navy Vice Admiral (3-stars), spent over seven years as the highest ranking U.S. prisoner of war (POW) in Vietnam, Medal of Honor recipient, 1992 Reform Party vice presidential candidate, president of the Naval War College and the Citadel, holder of eleven honorary doctoral degrees, experimental test pilot, author, professor), compelled me to read his book. I am very glad I followed my gut instincts, for Stockdale wrote one of the best thought-provoking books about life, character, and leadership that I have ever read.

This book is a collection of essays, speeches, and articles by Stockdale (and one by a Stockdale friend and colleague) about his many and diverse experiences and how they have influenced his personal philosophies about life, character, and leadership. Many of his key points are repeated throughout the book, but the different purposes and audiences for the essays, speeches, and articles prevented those key points from becoming stale.

Stockdale's key points included, but were not limited to: character is demonstrated under pressure; his POW experience was the defining event in his life, a blessing (that I believe most non-POWs (like myself) will have trouble understanding or appreciating); the value of an education in philosophic classics (i.e. Stoicism, Epictetus, the Enchiridion, etc.); his first-hand accounts of the events leading up to the 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution which officially began our involvement in the Vietnam War (I was surprised); how the lack of character and integrity in senior U.S. leadership prolonged the Vietnam War and ultimately led to defeat and betrayal; and how Vietnam's U.S. POWs differed from our POWs in other wars.

Not one of the easiest books to read, but certainly one of my most inspiring and stimulating readings. I believe this book is one that I will use as a frequent reference, and it is already influencing my personal research and reading selections.

I am not qualified to review Admiral Stockdale's work. He is an officer and scholar of the highest order. I am rating it as five stars, not because of my opinion of his writing, but because of my conviction that this book serves as a starting point for learning about one's self. This collection of essays and speeches is a college-level survey course in what it means to be a warrior, a leader, and a man. Additionally, the book is an excellent bibliography for anyone looking for recommended reading on moral philosophy. I recommend this to all military officers, as well as anyone who wishes to overcome a "victim" mentality.

Usagi Yojimbo is the kind of quality work that transcends time, genres, demographics, and even age groups. It crafts a delicate and beautiful balance between honor and savagery, cute innocence and dark brutality, simple heart-warming stories and multi-part epics that shape a dense continuity. Whether or not you've ever been a fan of feudal Japanese culture, furry anthro characters, or independent, non-superhero comics, Usagi Yojimbo is a comic that can't help but impress even the harshest critic.

"The Wanderer's Road" (volume 3 of the series), is really where so much of this title's charm first begins to shine. We begin with "The Tower," a truly touching story in which Usagi risks everything to save the life of an innocent creature, gaining an unforgettable traveling companion in the process. In contrast, "A Mother's Love" was the first of many Usagi stories to paint a tragedy so rich that it brought me to tears. This is quickly surpassed by "Return of the Blind Swordspig," a story which not only brings back a fantastic character (you'll want to go back and consult volume 1 for the genesis of this conflict), but also concludes with an incredibly touching resolution. "Blade of the Gods" introduces "Jei," Usagi's greatest and most disturbing nemesis in a story that isn't easily forgotten. Finally, the Tea Cup is a fun and intriguing Usagi & Gen team-up (Gen also first appears in volume 1), and The Shogun's Gift brings back Lady Tomoe and Lord Noriyuki while also resurrecting and developing the threat of the Neko Ninja Clan.

All in all, Volume 3 brings back many early characters to help build and expand upon Usagi's world, all while painting rich, memorable stories that will pull on the heart strings as easily as they pump your adrenaline. This is the first of many times that Sakai really seems to outdo himself, taking his work to a whole new level of art and storytelling. Don't miss it!

I'll keep this one simple, folks; READ THIS BOOK! READ ALL OF THEM!
Stan Sakai is a genius, pure and simple. The art is great, the characters compelling, and the action bloody and so hard-core a certain berserker mutant would stand back in awe. This is NOT a fuzzy animal book; there just happen to be mostly non-human people in it.

Once again, Stan Sakai delivers a mix of touching and funny adventures. With Spot, Gen and others all getting to share some page time, readers won't be disappointed. In this volume, Mr. Sakai continues to flesh out the characters and establish their personalities. His art, too, improves with every stroke.

I know that saying a book is good for all ages is something of a cliche, but I can't think of another book for which it is more true. In my family, we all fight over who gets to read the new Usagi first, from the children who are enjoying the bunnies to the adults enjoying the culture, stories and characterizations. This is an amazing series.

In this collection we are introduced to Spot (the pet lizard), Jei (demon samurai), and Shingen (leader of the Neko Ninjas). We are also treated to the first meeting between Leonardo (of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and Miayamoto Usagi.

Chapter One:
A lizard is chased up a tower by a cruel cook. Usagi climbs the tower to save the creature. He ends up naming him Spot and adopting him as a pet.

Chapter Two:
Usagi and Spot meet an old woman on their travels. After accompanying her back to her village it is revealed that her son is an evil money lender who rules the town with an iron fist. Usagi is shocked after the old woman asks him to kill her son.

Chapter Three:
Usagi vs. Ino 2

Chapter Four:
Usagi gets stuck in a storm. He shares a hut with a samurai who wields a black blade named Jei. The two end up in a duel with a shocking ending.

Chapter Five:
Usagi meets up once again with Gen. This time the pair set out to deliver a valuable tea cup to it's rightful owner...for a price of course.

Chapter Six:
Lord Noriyuki has had a sword specially crafted for the Shogun. A ninja named Shingen steals the blade but runs into Usagi along the way. After a series of mind games Usagi returns the blade to Noriyuki.

Bonus (not affiliated with a storyline):
Leonardo (TMNT) somehow ends up in Feudal Japan. He ends up in a battle against a horde of Samurai. At the same time Miyamoto Usagi runs into a horde of Ninjas. After dispatching the hordes Usagi and Leonardo mistake each other for enemies and prepare to do battle.

Like almost every Usagi novel this one is great for the whole family. I strongly recommend this for any Miyamoto fans or to anyone looking for a fun quick read.

(Note: The photo on amazon shows the cover of "Book 2: Samurai" but don't worry...This is indeed "Book 3: Wanderer's Road.")

WAR TORN is a brilliant and riveting collection of essays by the handful of smart and courageous women who actually went to the battlefields in Asia to report on the Vietnamese War. For everyone who served in the war or had loved ones who did, for those of us who lived through these events at home, and for younger readers who have no sense of this history, this compelling book reveals these critical years from a perspective most of us never knew existed. The stories of these nine brave women will capture your minds and break your heart a bit. A thorougly uplifting and informative book with stories you've never heard before.

A unique insight to the ravages of the wars of the mid 20th century from the viewpointss of a group of female corrrespondents who had to claw their way through the jungles
of the eastern asia and the media industry to get their views
across....highly recommended to gain an added persective of a
turbulant time in world history

I don't know much about Vietnam, but I was drawn to the book by the sad and thoughtful face on the cover. My highest praise to these women. They brought the Vietnam war alive to someone who was not even born at its conclusion. The stories are beautiful, sad, funny and touching. My thanks to the authors for putting such a wonderful piece of writing and important part of history down on paper.

The stories in War Torn are riveting and capture the will and determination of women journalists to have equal access to cover the war. But they also bring Saigon and Vietnam in the 60s and 70 alive to anyone too young to remember. I applaud these women for making the Vietnam war accessible to a generation who grew up after the war.
War Torn leave the reader happy and sad but thoroughly enchanted. For anyone who is a history buff, a traveler planning to visit Vietnam or simply a lover of great tales, I highly recommend this book.

" Having been born in the early forties, Vietnam was MY war. Unlike the women of WAR TORN, I busied myself with raising a family in the good, old, safe & sound USA. I cannot say enough about the impact this book had on me. These selfless, courageous, determined correspondents took me on a tour of a Vietnam that I never knew existed. Reading WAR TORN was truly an educational, eye-opening experience for me. They way these women express their adventures, insights, and emotions is absolutely glorious. This is a must read for people of all ages."