Freedom Books

Great book. I found this book to be highly information and motivational. The motivational part is especially self-satisfying. It really breaks any fears or lack of confidence away in simple and easy to understand language. Basically everyone is empowered to master their own financial destiny. Some practical advice also, particularly about organizing your own money management system, PALS. It even encourages you to DREAM about your financial success! Part of book was a bit long on the financial record keeping part, but overall a recommended read.

This is a very good book with lots of ideas on how to improve your finances. Some of the material can be found on other books on finances. What makes this book stand out are the exercises in each chapter of the book, plus the wealth-building forms at the back of the book. On page 208 of the book, it provides a variety of things to do in the 8 minutes a day program to reach your goal of creating wealth.

One point the book made is the advice that who you are has nothing to do with how much or how little money you have at any given time in your life. An excellent chapter also is chapter 5, "Transforming Your Personal Money Myths).

I didn't find anything that I disliked about the book. I will keep this book and re-read it on my journey with money.

I particularly enjoyed the part about setting up effective financial records and "getting my house in order." The book provides practical guidance for how to gain control of your finances and start aiming toward your dreams. Most importantly, it realizes that while each person reading the book is coming from a different situation, all readers have the same aspiration: control of your financial future. The book is non-judgemental and teaches readers not to judge themselves based on their past money-management successes or failures. It helps readers re-program their thoughts to become their own reliable financial advisors.

This is the best program out there, and believe me I have tried them all! I was able to stop behaving like a teenager with my money and become an adult financial planner in a very short period of time! I even attracted a new job and doubled my income because of the affirmations I used from this program. Don't wait, buy it now, and use every word and piece of advice. It was easy and I have been reluctant for years to do this because I didn't want to see how bad my financial picture was. Ron and Mary taught me to let go of past judgements about myself and my ability to manage money! This is the one!

I love this book. I didn't realize how much until I found myself checking it out and renewing it endless times at the library. It's too bad it's out of print. This book gives you everything you need to get started right away. You really don't need any other book to get control of your finances. After spending a little bit of time logging my expenses (the forms are included), I was able to get a clear picture of what I was spending and making. I needed only the forms included in the book, a copier and a few other simple materials (listed in the book) to get my self in shape. It helped me get rid of that sinking feeling I would get when thinking about money.

Vignettes of a host of nonviolent political conflicts: in Russia 1905, Ghandi in India, Poland and the USSR, U.S. civil rights, South Africa, El Salvador, Chile, Palestine, etc. Nicely written and easy to follow. Draws important lessons at the end for those interested in learning from the past. This is inspiring, useful and important stuff.

--Alan Zundel, the HeartAwake Center

Why did revenge and vengeance dominate the 9-11 discussion by public officials and the media? Why do our public discourse and media images seem virtually bereft of the common sense that informs many other areas of life? This outstanding book could help fill the void. It consists of a dozen very well-written and well-documented case studies of the power of nonviolence in dealing with injustice on a national or international scale. And I mean the power of nonviolence like King and Gandhi lived it, not the stereotype of nonviolence as passivity or cowardice.

Good parents know revenge doesn't work with their children, good teachers know it doesn't work in the classroom, good citizens know it doesn't work in their community, and a growing proportion of the criminal justice world is embracing the vision of "restorative justice" as a much more functional grounding for most of their work. Even though the majority of people in the US know that revenge doesn't work, there is a lack of awareness of the power of nonviolence in the larger public arena, even though two thirds of the world's population has experienced nonviolent social change that was successful beyond anyone's wildest dreams in South Africa, Eastern Europe, the Philippines, Gandhi in India, the US civil rights movement, to name just a few case studies covered in this remarkable book.

As someone who has taught and worked in community centers in the highest crime areas of NYC and Oakland and directed conflict and peace studies programs for 80 public schools, a university, and several community and national organizations, I can affirm that people are hungry for the hope that comes from stories of nonviolence in action.

This is a very important book and deserves consideration for inclusion in ALL history education classes in America, if not the world. Of course, many powers-that-be would be adverse to this subversive idea, since it would in effect, instruct people on how to take control of their own lives out of the hands of malfeasant, greedy politicians and instead empower democracy through democracy, rather than the current American vogue of democracy at the point of a gun. The book describes several of the well-known non-violent movements as well as lesser known ones, such as the German women who embarrassed the Nazis into returning their arrested Jewish husbands from certain death. The associated documentary is also outstanding. A must-have for anyone who hopes the world can save itself from itself (and I'm not sure I'm in that category.)

Excellent! One of the most powerful books I have ever read. Explodes the left-wing myth that revolutions only occur through violence a la Che Guevara, cites many examples where non-violence protest has ultimately changed the executive power of states from the Phillipines to El Salvador, and won people civil rights. Includes Gandhi and also the Civil Rights movement in the USA in the 60s as case studies.

If your a social activists, and you sometimes feel that "progress" is a lost cause... READ THIS BOOK. If you are a political organizer, and it just doesn't seem worth it anymore... READ THIS BOOK. If you really believe in the power of Direct Action, but feel all used up and stale in your efforts... READ THIS BOOK. This is one of the few books available for people with leftisits, or humanist, causes that will make you smile and give you hope, and remind you that sometimes "the good fight" is a long one - but well worth it. It also takes one out of a self centered reality, and pays homage to those who have faught so hard before us. (and I am not talking about soldiers or fireman..)

Four Steps to Spiritual Freedom is an authentic and beautifully written book. Fr. Ryan's style brings the journey to spiritual freedom within the reader's grasp. One of the concepts that stayed with me is the idea of letting go of what others and the "world" think you should be to find what makes you unique. When you are who you were meant to be and live the life you were meant to live, from integrity and in harmony with the universe, you will feel the presence of God. As daunting as this may seem, Fr. Ryan makes it real by disclosing experiences from his own life and the lives of others who have inspired him on his own spiritual journey. This book resonates with honesty and sincerity as I could relate it to various experiences in my own life. It is a book that I didn't want to end.

Fr. Ryan's book Four Steps to Spiritual Freedom is a beautifully insightful reflection on the challenge to find freedom for our souls as we journey with God. The many stories about himself and others that he incorporates throughout the chapters breathe life into his ideas, resonating deeply and memorably because they are so real. I was particularly struck by the spiritual director's wise counsel: "Learn to be at home in the mud!" I felt that Ryan offered a thoughtful balance between practices such as prayer that strenghten our faith and the sheer grace that is the root and source of our spiritual freedom. Most meaningful and captivating to me was the second step to freedom, "Live Your Calling to the Full." Never before has anyone given me such a strong impression that desire should be a central aspect of the way we seek and answer God's call. Indeed, there is not only freedom but great joy in contemplating that God uses our desires to direct and guide us. I read Ryan's book twice; I am aware that I could easily go back to read it again and still learn from it. My friends are buying the book and discovering the same thing. This is a rich resource for people who want their spiritual lives to grow and be renewed.

I savored this book-forcing myself to read only a little bit each day when in effect I didn't want to put it down. Father Ryan writes/instructs with gentleness humility, and great compassion, honestly sharing his own life's experiences and faith processes.

His book is theologically respectful of the teachings of the Church while inviting us to understand how good aspects of other faiths can help us to create a deep, personal and meaningful relationship with God. The anecdotal stories of others' personal "dark nights of the soul" often spoke so directly to me that I was able to work through many of my own hang ups that were interfering with my personal relationship with God and with others.

I have not often had success in centering prayer/meditation but Father Ryan's "Four Steps to Spiritual Freedom" enabled me to meditate and reflect on my life and my connection to God in a way that I have not been able to do before.

This prayerful book, allowed me to achieve a real breakthrough in my life, in my faith and my ability to pray in a more meaningful, deeper and mature level. It brought me through a difficult time in my life. I continue to refer to various passages and to reflect on them.

Some of my most concentrated reading time happens on Metro (subway) as I travel from home to work and back again. I read Four Steps to Spiritual Freedom that way. It was like having a 20-minute retreat every day. I looked forward to each day and the new insights as well as tough questions that could force growth.

This spring I went through an illness that was a new and disturbing experience for me. Reading this book helped me to consider recovery ... and how much of my old schedule and patterns I want to recover and which it is time to let go of. The questions about passion and living as centered in what God wants rather than the more noisesome demands of everyday have been enticing me to take stock. This book is a perfect companion for those seeking renewal, regeneration, or recovery of meaning.

Excellent book for anyone who takes their spiritual development seriously, or for those who desire to develop ongoing spiritual practices. Fr. Tom Ryan's examples from his own life, and those of people he knows, help illustrate the impact serious spiritual reflection and practices can bring to discovering meaning in life. Can also be used for self reflection, or a book club, with the questions Fr. Ryan uses at the end of each section.
As a lay person with a regular spiritual practice for some time, Fr. Ryan's book helped me step back and look at what is essential in my practice. It also gets to the heart of what is important in simple language.
The last chapter provides guidance on specific practices, in the Christian traditions.

What can I say is awesome and timely, finally truth. This book really opened my eyes to so much. I guess if I could single out one thing I would single out the part in the book when you were instructed to right down your struggles and you will see that people that struggle with homosexuality also have the same issues that people who do not struggle or rather participating solely in heterosexual sexual attraction. This was awesome to see how the devil will make one issue so huge and tie in other issues such as low self-esteem, no real good relationships with men, a bad self image, etc into homosexuality. What mainly blessed me was the truth of Apostle Youngblood. The coming out stage!!! It really is a process but we have to really stop hiding for the devil for real saints! JESUS nailed this sin to the cross and I don't know about you but I will be free because HE made me free! John 8:36 and that's it! Get the book and be blessed but most of all get the WORD in you in the BOOK!

This is the heart of God for me. I have been hiding in a large church for two years and a friend sent me word about this book. After reading it I know God was speaking to me. I would encourage everyone to read it. I have been in church since I was 3 and I am 22 now and I have never heard it like Bishop Duane wrote it and I pray God blesses him like he has blessed me. No more hiding for me. I have repented and know I am in a battle, but I expect to win. Get the Book.

I do not know how to fit all my thoughts about his book in this box but I must start by saying that I am thankful to God that he did not allow me to turn 25 without reading this book. I have spent 13 1/2 years messing with guys. After reading this book it is like Bishop Youngblood wrote it about me. I have been living with another man for 3 years and still going to church and until I heard this story I never really considered the life I was living. I went to church with a whole different attitude yesterday due to the book and rededicated my life to Christ. I encourage everyone struggling with homosexuality and trying to quiet that storm inside to read this book and be set free to become who you were born to be. I applaud Bishop Youngblood for being honest enough to admit his own errors. His honesty gives me hope and I know that God will use me too. Again, get this book and be blessed. Thank you Jesus and Thank you Bishop Youngblood

I sit in church every week listening to the preacher speak about everything in the world and when he finally mentions homosexuality and he speaks like it is some special poison and all homosexuals are going to hell. I am so glad that Bishop Youngblood wrote this book to help a young man like me understand the love of God and his expectations of me. I have accepted the truth that I am to be free and was not born to be gay. Through this book I have also accepted the fact that my associations have always been a problem. I thank God for this book it has blessed me and I encourage everyone to read it and pray for Bishop Youngblood

I read this book a few days ago and have made some major decisions in my life. I am a singer in church and fit right in what Bishop Youngblood had to say about homosexuality. Reading this book was like reading my life. I want to say to all my 20-25 year old brothas in Baltimore get down with this book. What we have been feeling is answered here. Finally there is a PREACHER who has help and ain't tryna take us there

This book tells the stories of two times and two places. It bounces between the journals of Shea Penbrook's distant relative from Georgia in 1849 to Shea's story, which unfolds in Oregon and Georgia in 1949.

The author does a great job highlighting each character's voice and making them distinct. There is no confusion about who's talking or which time period the book is in on any particular page. I had concerns that it could become confusing to jump back and forth, but it didn't bother me at all.

In addition, the settings were described vividly so I could see the rooms and the different locations. The book was a pleasant read that I enjoyed. It allowed me to step back into different time periods and forget about my life as I became involved in Shea's efforts to find a meaning for her life.

As Batemaan's characters fight for what is rightfully theirs against slavery and a century's worth of racism, they learn valuable lessons in endurance, compassion, and God's sovereignty; at last, discovering freedom of the body and soul.
Once again, Bateman has filled each page with characters possessing a depth of emotion rarely seen in fiction. Unafraid to delve into the sensitive issue of racism, she reminds the reader of a person's true value which is found beyond the skin--the soul. The freedom of which can only be found in Christ. Without mounting a soapbox, Bateman delicately points out that even those possessing a saving knowledge of Christ can find themselves enslaved by pride, guilt, and an ugly past.
An engrossing conclusion to "The Color of the Soul", you will not want to skim a single paragraph. A skillful balance of drama, tension, and love, each chapter is better than the last. You will not be disappointed.

Tracey Bateman's second installment in the Penbrook Diary Series is reminiscent of the classics--think To Kill A Mockingbird situated at Scarlet's Tara. Multiple generations battle the war of the races. Parallel injustices occur a century apart. In The Color of the Soul, Bateman deals with a reporter who uncovers a colorful family history in Miss Penbrook's diary. In The Freedom of the Soul, Bateman shows the cost of freedom.
Shea Penbrook discovers her white trash reputation is undeserved when she finds her great great grandfather's diaries. But as she reads his story, so much more is revealed. Great great grandmother Celeste is a one-quarter black slave, nursing Mac, the son of the master. As the story unfolds in the diary, Shea's own life takes a similar course.
Shea is inspired to fight for what is rightfully hers in Oregon as well as the plantation in Georgia. Enter Jonas Riley, the cocky son of the current heir of Penbrook Mansion. Shea tries to convince herself to remain void of emotion when it comes to Jonas, but sparks fly in both directions.
Be sure to pick up this colorful read for a taste of what entire generations have endured. I read this book first, and will certainly go back to read book one in this series of The Penbrook Diaries.

In 1949 Oregon Shea Penbrook feels all alone as she buries her Granddad; her fiancé died during the war in the Pacific and her dad not long afterward. At the funeral with her are the preacher she paid and the family helper who asks for his wages. Even before she can get home, her avariciou neighbor Jackson Sable demands she sell the place to him, which she is forced to do by an unfair legal ruling. Going inside her shack, she packs her possessions, but in the attic she finds the diaries of an ancestor who makes her believe she has some African American blood inside her. Lonely she decides to go to Oak Junction, Georgia to find her other roots.

Shea is shocked when she sees how blacks are treated as inhuman, but finds solace in the diaries that focus on the love between Mac the offspring of a wealthy white slave owner and Celeste one of their slaves. She wonders who Mac will marry, a white neighbor who condones his having a discrete tryst or the slave who captures his heart though she sort of knows the answer already. Meanwhile she meets Chicago based Jonas Riley who does not trust Shea, but has no choice except to invite the enemy into his home and more.

The sequel to THE COLOR OF THE SOUL, THE FREEDOM OF THE SOUL, is a fabulous historical thriller that brings to life two eras, the Deep South just after WWII and the Antebellum mid ninetieth century South prior to the Civil War. The prime story line focuses on Shea's need to belong to someone and somewhere, but also uses the diaries to tell the story of Mac and Celeste. Readers will appreciate this character driven look at racial relationships while rooting for the best to happen to the deserving Shea.

Harriet Klausner

After her grandfather's death Shae Penbrook is alone. Although she can't bear the thought of selling her family farm to Jackson Sable, a man who has hated the Penbrooks for years, Shae has no choice. She has no money, and no one to care what happens to her. In clearing out the house she finds the Penbrook diaries. What she reads there sends her on a mission to learn more about the family secret.

Jonas Riley has come to Georgia and finds his friend, Andy, who is black was attacked by the Klan and left to die. Shae Penbrook found him and saved his life. Jonas is attracted to Shae, but he suspects she isn't exactly truthful about her reasons for being in Oak Junction. Jonas is in danger from the Klan too. Georgia, in 1949, isn't a good place to be if you are black. It isn't a good place for Yankees either, especially if they're from a northern newspaper covering a trial of white men accused of killing a white man and a black woman. Will the killer walk free? Oak Junction, Georgia is a tinderbox and too many of the residents are willing to strike the match. A lot of innocent people will be hurt in the explosion.

Both Shea and Jonas have secrets they are afraid to share. There is a growing attractiion between the two, but will that attraction be strong enough to survive the violence swirling around them? Tracey Bateman's Freedom of the Soul was developed from a bit of family history. From what little she knew about her ancestor she has written a thought provoking tale of a love that trancended racial bariers. She does a great job of blending characters from two areas in a suspenseful story that will grip the reader from the first sentence. Bateman is a good writer, and Freedom of the Soul is top of the line. I'm happy to recommend it.

This book is another great addition to the Pivotal moments in American history series. This series seeks to assess the events that led to a major paradigm shift in American history changing the country in some way. The argument here is that the Freedom Rides established a basis for social justice that had not been achieved previously. With this topic the author does an excellent job of putting a human face on the struggle the riders went through and you can feel the palpable hatred that the riders experienced and the racism is simply nauseating. It is unbelievable how clear the author captures it and not only for the hate towards the riders but the strict values that held this racism in place. What many people saw as right was the destruction of the freedom riders. The author does an excellent job at explaining the dichotomy in the country and showing how the Freedom Rides changed the perception of everyone towards social justice issues. For the first time white and black worked together not always seamlessly but with greater fervor than ever before. The direct action campaigns shifted focuses on what was happening the country creating new challenges. The book is extensively researched and relies not only on newspapers but countless interviews and the author should be commended for the work he put in. An excellent book to read and highly recommended.

In the past ten years or so we've witnessed staged "revolutions" - Orange, Green, Rose, etc. - funded around the globe by Western NGOs, toppling the chosen tyrant and installing the pro-Western liberal reformer of the moment. When it came to democratic movements within the USA, of course, the enthusiasm at home was markedly lacking.

Thus, before the age of NED or Freedom House, those who challenged entrenched tyranny in America faced real risk to life and limb, with only scattered support from the media and none from either the State Department or NGO clones. Such were the Freedom Riders, who were armed with naught but the courage of their ideals, as they embarked cross-country for the lion's den to stick their heads in his jaws.

That they ultimately prevailed is a commendation of the "American Way"; but they did so only after considerable risk, repression, and one-sided bloodshed. The "flowering of democracy" in the American South was fertilized not by the blood of tyrants but those seeking freedom. Would that such cheap imitators in Serbia, Ukraine or Lebanon - basking in Western funding and media cheerleading - have had to endure a tenth of what these brave people had to risk in the US itself.

I heard Mr. Arsenault speak recently and his love of this subject came through. I highly recommend this book.

As a participant,I can vouch for all material that related to my experiences as a Freedom Rider in the book.The writing accurately descibes the atmosphere and conditions of my experiences in Jackson City Jail and Parchman Prison Farm's maximum security unit.I was amazed by the fidelity of the narrative,it was like being transfered back in time!The short but excellent telling of the Monroe Freedom Rider Project with Robert Williams in North Carolina was enlightning for me as a participant because of the dramatic events of that disastorous Sunday.I was one of five riders not on the picket line and never heard of the experiences of those arrested downtown.I cannot recommend this book more highly for anyone interested in the civil rights movement. It should be read by anyone who is politically active in order to understand the complexity of social movements and the responsibilty of the participant to their cause and the people they are attempting to help.
We shall overcome!

The perfect follow up to "America in the King Years," (by
Taylor Branch) Arsenault focuses in on the single most important, ground breaking, and personally dangerous aspect of the civil rights movement.

This is a gripping story, and reads like a thriller. Truly, this is contemporary history that you can't put down.

Freedom River
By Doreen Rappaport and Illustrated by Bryan Collier
Review by Shelley Styles, Maggie Mathena, and Sylvia Robison


This nonfiction picture book is a true story of one of the journeys made by John Parker, a successful business, into Kentucky to help an African American family escape to freedom into Ohio. John Parker owned a foundry where he employed white people. This particular story began with one of John's employees saying that some one had helped a slave woman cross the river during the night. Another employee answered that perhaps Mr. Parker had helped the woman escape. One of John's employees, Jim Shrofe's father owned slaves. Jim Shrofe taunted, "I dare him to cross the river and try to steal my father's slaves, if he does, my father will set the dogs on him and rip him to shreds."
Although there was a $1000 reward for John, dead or alive, he kept trying to help others. In November, John crossed the river and saw a black man in the shadows and told him about his boat to freedom. The man told John that he couldn't go and leave his wife and baby. As the man ran away, a white man swung a club at John, they wrestled and John escaped back to the river.
December and January came and John couldn't get across the river to help slaves escape. Jim Shrofe continued to taunt that John was too scared to mess with his daddy's slaves. John kept quiet, until April. John went back across the river and found the same man and told him that he had come back for him and his family. The man told John to leave him alone because since the first time he had come the master watches them carefully and took their baby and makes her sleep at the end of his bed. He also said that the master has a loaded pistol at his side and would kill anyone who comes after the baby. John went home feeling bad that he could not help this family.
The next night, John rowed back across the river to save the family. They were afraid, so John told the father to hold his shoes and he would go get their baby. Soon John came back with the baby followed by the sound of gun shots. They ran to the boat and rowed back across the river. The man lost John's shoes when he was running.
Soon after John made it home, he heard a knock on the door. It was Jim Shrofe holding John's shoes. He offered the shoes in exchange for his father's slaves. John said that he had never seen the shoes before and invited Jim in to look for the slaves, allowing more time for the family to get a head start to freedom. Jim Shrofe did not show up for work the next day, or ever again.
The author used words like Listen, Listen; wait, wait; run, row to describe how John planned and accomplished his tasks to help others to freedom. She used text to self and text to world to help the reader visualize the events that took place during John's plight. The illustrator used wavy lines across the faces of the characters to represent the river, for the river was the path to freedom.

Doreen Rapport Freedom River; Illustration by Bryan Collier
14pp. ISBN 0-7868-0350-9.-ISBN 0-7868-1229-X (pbk.).-ISBN 0-7868-229-0 (lib.bdg.)
(Intermediate)

Freedom River is a true story, about getting from Kentucky to the free state Ohio. John Parker a former slave, and now a businessman of Ripely Ohio. John then helps a couple and their child escape being slaves to freedom. The freeing of these salves is taken place through out the year. Both the author and the illustrator work wonderfully together to make this book seem real. The text clearly goes along with the pictures. The illustration is remarkable, the pictures look like photographs. Bryan Collier uses a different technique for his illustrations, it looks as if the pictures are pieces of a puzzle arranged together. As you begin to read this book look closely at the faces of the people, you will see wavy lines, these lines represent the Ohio River. The color schemes really put things in perspective also, they are realistic colors. Through out this book, Doreen Rapport uses short phrases to describe the event that is taking place: Run. Run, Row. Row, Listen. Listen, Wait. Wait, Closer. Louder, Crawl. Crawl. This gives the reader insight to what is going on in the picture by just two word phrases. Another author that does this same technique is Under the Quilt of Night by Deborah Hopkinson. The ending of this story is really surprising, I but when thought about it makes sense. This book is just not about the freeing of slaves, but it is about doing what is right in life, helping others out. I recommend this book to adults and children in the intermediate level. An interesting addition to the end of the story is a historical note which explains in great detail about the life of John Parker.

Doreen Rapport Freedom River; Illustration by Bryan Collier
14pp. ISBN 0-7868-0350-9.-ISBN 0-7868-1229-X (pbk.).-ISBN 0-7868-229-0 (lib.bdg.)
(Intermediate)

Freedom River is a true story, about getting from Kentucky to the free state Ohio. John Parker a former slave, and now a businessman of Ripely Ohio. John then helps a couple and their child escape being slaves to freedom. The freeing of these salves is taken place through out the year. Both the author and the illustrator work wonderfully together to make this book seem real. The text clearly goes along with the pictures. The illustration is remarkable, the pictures look like photographs. Bryan Collier uses a different technique for his illustrations, it looks as if the pictures are pieces of a puzzle arranged together. As you begin to read this book look closely at the faces of the people, you will see wavy lines, these lines represent the Ohio River. The color schemes really put things in perspective also, they are realistic colors. Through out this book, Doreen Rapport uses short phrases to describe the event that is taking place: Run. Run, Row. Row, Listen. Listen, Wait. Wait, Closer. Louder, Crawl. Crawl. This gives the reader insight to what is going on in the picture by just two word phrases. Another author that does this same technique is Under the Quilt of Night by Deborah Hopkinson. The ending of this story is really surprising, I but when thought about it makes sense. This book is just not about the freeing of slaves, but it is about doing what is right in life, helping others out. I recommend this book to adults and children in the intermediate level. An interesting addition to the end of the story is a historical note which explains in great detail about the life of John Parker.

In the book, A Freedom River, the writing of Doreen Rappaport along with the illustrations of Bryan Collier together create a stunning retelling of one particular trip on the Underground Railroad. This is the story of a slave family escaping from the slave state of Kentucky to the free state of Ohio.
The book's uniqueness lies not in its topic, but rather in the characters. John Parker, this true story's hero, was not only a conductor on the Underground Railroad, but also an accomplished businessman from Ripley, Ohio. He was born a slave and worked to buy his freedom. He owned his own foundry, and employed both black and white individuals from both Ohio and Kentucky. He helped to make this book unique because he is not a well known conductor, but his impact on the Underground Railroad was just as great. It is said that he helped over 900 slaves escape to freedom during his lifetime.
A Freedom River draws the reader into the experience of the Underground Railroad. It masterfully pulls forth every imaginable emotion, as the characters must make choices that may end in the separation of families, death or freedom. The pace of the book along with large, bold directives, such as RUN, CRAWL, and LISTEN, create a feeling of breathlessness, much as if the reader too, were running for freedom.
The illustrations work hand in hand with the written word in order to create the overall experience of the book. The multi-textured collages with realistic faces add emotion and dept to the story. Wavy lives found throughout the illustrations deeply symbolize the river and its importance in the search for freedom.
This is a beautiful book and worthy of a rating of more than five stars. It could be successfully used with children from 1st to 6th grade. It is an excellent book for introducing and further understanding the Underground Railroad.

Before the Civil War, Kentucky was a slave state. But just 1000 feet across the Ohio River, Ohio was a free state. John Parker, was as a conductor on the Underground Railroad and helped hundreds of slaves cross that river to freedom. John was a unique individual, an ex-slave who learned to read and write and was able to buy his freedom and a successful Ohio businessman who employed both black and white workers. But he never forgot his slave roots and the terrible pain of being separated from his mother and sold when he was eight years old. Because of this, he risked and devoted his own life to helping slaves escape to safety in Ohio. Freedom River tells the story of one of John Parker's trips to Kentucky to rescue a family of three..... Doreen Rappaport has written a powerful and inspiring story of the courage and determination of one man to right the wrongs of slavery. Her eloquent text makes John Parker and this story come alive and is complimented by Bryan Collier's vivid illustrations that add a real sense of drama and urgency. Perfect for children 8-12, Freedom River is a wonderful introduction to the Underground Railroad and includes historical notes to enhance the story and augment discussion.

For those who don't know the name, Rossmo is the detective / mathematician whose pioneering work on criminal profiling in Canada has helped re-shape the way investigators worldwide track down serial offenders. By mathematically studying the location and distribution of crimes, Rossmo developed a way of pinpointing the most likely location of the offender's home base. This book explains his work.

Written as a textbook, "Geographic Profiling" is clearly organized, packed with well-documented research, and is both theoretical enough to satisfy university researchers and practical enough to inform the rest of us. The book can at times be dense and a little tough to wade through, but it's worth it.

Even though you might gulp when you see the inexplicably high price tag on this book, if you're interested in understanding geographic profiling and the different ways that temporal and spatial crime distribution can assist in investigation, pick up a copy. You'll be glad you did.

This book is a real innovation in the field of crime research. The area of criminal profiling is populated by no shortage of Walter Mittys with no empirical grounding, so is it refreshing to find a text that cements the theories of this complex and fascinating area with empirical analysis of real cases. The text is well written and opens up a new area of criminal behaviour analysis to students and police officers alike. This book will undoubtedly become a key text in the field of criminal profiling and a welcome replacement to the long list of dull criminal psychology books that do not tell you anything useful, because the ivory tower authors have no practical experience.

This book is packed with information and offers a complete summary of pertinent research on serial arson, serial homicide, rape, and crime paths. It is the bible of geographic profiling. You won't find a more informative, well-researched, or complete book anywhere.

I use this book in my Geographic Profiling course and the students read it and keep it(they don't sell it after the final exam). The bibliography alone is worth the price of the book. Rossmo presents an excellent piece of cutting-edge research that is written to effectively communicate with a broad audience.

Dr. D. Kim Rossmo has done an excellent job of presenting the theories and practice of criminal profiling in general, and geographic profiling in specific. His book is thoroughly researched and based on empirical studies which demonstrate he is a true pioneer in criminology. It should be noted that geographic profiling can only be tested on solved cases, since it is essential to know where the criminal lives to prove of the validity of any geographic profiling methodology. Dr. Rossmo has proven that geographic profiling is a useful tool to support investigations of serial crimes. Well-written, comprehensive, and innovative--this work could be used as a textbook in any criminology class covering the field of criminal profiling.

Although published in 2004, this book is a timely read. It makes a compelling case why the recent Supreme Court decision (in June 2008) about Guantanamo prisoner's rights is indeed in line with the United State's Constitution, why the treatment of prisoners at Guantanamo has been unconstitutional, and how the denial of their human rights is another example of the Bush administration's war and constitutional crimes.

Anyone who cares about American morals, and the importance of upholding human and Constitutional rights, will appreciate this book.

With the exception of those on the payroll of the United States Government, Michael Ratner (with staff he directs at the Center for Constitutional Rights and volunteer lawyers he assembled) knows more about Guantánamo than anyone.

The book is a quick read at 93 pages of text.

For those who have grown up believing that the rule of law is central to our democracy, it is a chilling read.

Published in mid-2004 it reviews a broad array of the issues which had arisen as of that time and which continue to inform the realities on the ground at Gitmo today. It provides a careful analysis of the ways in which "rule by executive fiat" deviated from the U.S. Constitution, the entirety of the Anglo-American legal tradition, the Geneva Conventions, and international law.

He discusses how a great percentage of persons were selected to be prisoners at Guantánamo, a great many by bounty hunters capturing persons far from any battlefield, the bounties paid for by U.S. tax dollars. He discusses extraordinary rendition of prisoners rendered to countries known to torture, the "outsourcing" of torture.

He recounts the abuse and torture suffered meted out to those interrogated at Guantánamo and links the methods used there to those later made infamous by the exposé of interrogations at Abu Ghraib.

The more serious reader will appreciate the 66-pages of primary source documents collected in the appendix covering a broad range of topics from the original lease of Guantánamo from the Cuba to relevant parts of Geneva Conventions to a series of memoranda issued by various departments of the executive branch which framed some of the major issues that the detentions at Guantánamo present for our country.

For anyone concerned about the state of our democracy, this is an important book.

This book provides a really concise, clear and powerful explanation of the American interrogation camp at Guantanamo Bay Cuba. The author who represents some of the detainees and has interviewed them paints a vivid picture of their hideous treamtment. He demonstrates that the camp is not only outside the law, but a threat to the safety of us all. If you want to know why Guantanamo has become iconic in the Muslism world for everything wrong with the US, read this book.

This book consists of interviews of Michael Ratner, President of the Center for Constitutional Rights, by writer Ellen Ray, plus relevant UN and other documents. Ratner was co-counsel in Rasul v Bush, which the New York Times called "the most important civil rights case in half a century" because on 28 June 2004 the Supreme Court ruled against President Bush that the US military could not hold what it called `enemy combatants' indefinitely, without charge and without access to legal representation. The Court ruled that the prisoners had the right to challenge their detentions in civilian courts.

The Bush government then set up `combatant status review tribunals', supposedly to decide whether the detainees had been correctly designated as enemy combatants and therefore were being rightfully detained according to the laws of combat. However, the administration breached the Supreme Court's ruling that the prisoners had the right to challenge their detentions in civilian courts, since all the tribunals' members are military officers.

Guantanamo is `an interrogation camp', which is flatly illegal, under US and international law. It harks back to Stuart Britain's offshore penal colonies which were beyond the reach of law, forms of executive imprisonment which the 1679 Habeas Corpus Act made illegal. The US detention centres in Iraq, Afghanistan and Diego Garcia and on board US aircraft carriers are modern Devil's Islands.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has reported that US forces had inflicted on the 550 prisoners illegally held at Guantanamo Bay psychological and physical coercion that was `tantamount to torture'. It said, "the construction of such a system, whose stated purpose is the production of intelligence, cannot be considered other than an intentional system of cruel, unusual and degrading treatment and a form of torture." At least three children, between 11 and 13, were held at Guantanamo; some are still there today.

The British state is guilty of collaboration and connivance with these illegal US state actions. British courts, like US courts, are using as evidence statements made under duress and torture in these US-run camps, thereby condoning the use of torture.

You need to read this book. Since the suicides of last week, the US government has sealed off Gtmo from the world - no lawyers, no press. It is vitally important that we understand what is going on there and close Gtmo down. Michael Ratner and Ellen Ray have collaborated to produce a highly readable "primer" on this disgraceful period in US history. I used this book in my human rights courses.
Susan Gzesh, Director, Human Rights Program, the University of Chicago

Although dated in some sections, the compilation of articles on the various gun control topics provides a reasoned and fact based discussion.

Everyone will disagree with some recommendations but the authors provide the reasoning behind their recommendations. It will give you something to ponder.

A definite read if you want to be armed with the facts on gun control.

After reading John Lotts, "More Guns Less Crime,"(which I highly recommend) I then picked up this one, and found that this book also suggests gun control solutions which at least make some sense. "Guns: Who Should Have Them", struck a chord with me here, because the suggested solutions don't affect law abiding citezens nearly as much as current and proposed legislation, and focuses on the criminals. I would ask anyone on one side or the other of the gun debate to at least be knowlegable about what the effects of waiting periods, and permissions laws really are. This book covers it all.

Each chapter in this powerful volume will help the readers cut through the rhetoric and sensationalism that frequently surrounds the gun control debate.

Written by the leading experts in law, criminology and medicine, this volume includes such headings as "Arms and the Woman"; "Doctors and Guns," further rebutting the arguments that guns are a public health menace; and "Children and Guns," dissecting the contentious and timely issue of guns and violence in our schools. It compliments David Kopel's previous masterpiece, The Samurai, the Mountie, and the Cowboy: Should America Adopt the Gun Controls of Other Democracies? honored as the 1993 Book of the Year by the American Society of Criminology's Division of International Criminology.

This expertly written book should occupy a place in the library of all citizens genuinely interested in the topic of gun and violence research and in understanding the fallacies of gun control as a public health issue.

Attorney, scholar and criminologist, David Kopel, should be commended for editing and compiling this comprehensive yet highly readable masterpiece.

Miguel A. Faria, Jr., M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the Medical Sentinel of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) and author of Medical Warrior: Fighting Corporate Socialized Medicine.

I can't stress it enough - this book may be one of the most important books for all voting Americans to read today. This slices right through the rhetoric that the news media employ to confuse Americans about gun control and stir up hysteria about guns. This book thoughtfully and thoroughly dismantles every major argument for gun control and reveals the dangerous flaws in all recent federal gun-control legislation. Whether you're a gun lover, gun hater, or something in between, you should read this book!

David Kopel's second major book on the efficacy of gun control laws is an extensive and objective review of research both supporting and denying the basic premises of gun control in preventing crime and accidents involving firearms. Kopel takes an even-handed approach that is greatly missing in most compilations on this subject. Kopel takes great care to examine the merits of the existing research, almost always providing extensive analysis and reference to each work. Just as in his previous award-winning book, "The Samurai, the Mountie, and the Cowboy", Kopel's analyses (in the chapters he writes) are complete, to the point, and well-written. Kopel's writing is clear and effective. The strongest and weakest chapters of the book, however, are contributed by other authors. The chapters on feminist theory (by Mary Zeiss Stange) and race control and guns ( by Robert Cottrol and Raymond Diamond) provide some good background on the subject but fail to deliver the knockout blow that they could. The chapter on doctors and guns, however, delivers not as much the knockout blow as takes a sledgehammer to the medical community, AMA, American Association of Pediatriacs, and Center for Disease Control. Don Kates, Henry Schaffer, John Lattimer, George Murray,and Edward Cassem expose the intellectual dishonesty and horrendous scholarship in the medical literature concering firearms, violence, and safety. All accustations are well-documented and examined. This chapter should be must reading for every single medical school student in the United States. It may make you fear your doctor.

This book should take its place among the other outstanding, intellectually honest works in the literature of the gun control efficacy genre, including Gary Kleck's "Point Blank". the previously mentioned Kopel work, and John R. Lott, Jr.'s "More Guns Less Crime".

An added feature of this book is not only the brilliant analyses and conclusions Kopel makes on the ineffectualness of gun control laws on preventing crime and accidents, but Kopel provides analyses on REAL causes of these social ills and suggests REAL solutions. You should buy four copies of this book: one for you, one for your doctor, and send the other three to your senators and congressman.