Africa Books

Pirate's Plot by Ellen Miles is a story about a boy named Leo. He was thinking of quitting soccer because his new coach was teaching drills that Leo found boring. Even during class, Leo kept thinking about quitting soccer. So his teacher, Mr. Taylor decided to help him out with the decision. So Mr. Taylor asked Leo to choose five items. Leo chose: a brass key, a six toed cat, a hunk of cheese, a mop, and a pirate ship. Mr. Taylor started his storytelling. He included the five items in his plot. He told a story about a young stowaway named Tom.
After Mr. Taylor ends his story, Leo gets a better idea that helps him decide what to do next.

This book was amazing because it taught me a big lesson and it might also teach you a lesson if you read it. I recommend this book for first and second graders.

By Luisa (soon to be in second grade)

I'm a second grade teacher with 4 boys of my own at home. These "tales" are stories within a story. The author really captures teachers' ability to engage their students in storytelling. You must give these stories a try! Normally I do not care for "series", but these are great. I'm ordering a set to read with my students in small group guided reading.

This is our first experience with this author and this series and I must say, we are quite pleased with what we read here. In The Pirate's Plot, we meet Mr. Taylor (a new teacher) and his class...specifically Leo, the student who gets to choose the five special items for the tale being told here. The entire premise of Taylor-Made Tales is that this new teacher allows one student at a time to pick five items and he then tells a story that must include those five items! Leo loves soccer but is not feeling happy with how the new coach handles the practices, so blurts out in class that he wants to quit the soccer team (a very big decision for him).

When he's chosen to pick the items, Leo is sure that he can stump Mr. Taylor...he chooses a pirate ship, a huge hunk of cheese, a six toed cat, a brass key and a mop. To his surprise, Mr. Taylor begins to weave an excellent tale about Tom a ten year old boy who wants something more than daily routines and roast on Sunday...a boy who longs for sometime different and who thinks he might find that in Barbados...so he stows away on the Adele and gets much more than he bargained for...sure he gets adventure but he also gets much, much more!

It seems that the books in this series are written in such a way that the story is divided between the Taylor-Made part and the "classroom" or real time events that include Leo and the rest of the class. The story takes a week time to tell and the students must work to earn more bits of story time, so it's both a creative process and a motivating one, something that keeps the students excited about learning. There is a certain excitement for young readers to watch for the items selected and see how and when they come into play in the story. One of the interesting things about the creation of the Taylor-Made tale is that the author manages to weave together Tom's adventure and lesson therein with Leo's soccer dilemma, creating an entertaining story AND a lesson for Leo that the entire class can appreciate, learn from and be entertained by!

Overall I give The Pirate's Plot five stars. It would make a fine read aloud...but I think its strength is in young readers who have made (or are just making) the transition from picture books to chapter books. There are a few illustrations to help the story along and it's slightly more complex than most beginner chapter books in that the reader has to work out the division of "real time" story (about Leo, the class and Mr. Taylor) and the story...the text makes the division clear (bolder text for the Taylor-Made parts), but for readers who have not experienced such a division in their reading, it makes for an interesting reading experience. The story overall is entertaining and well done, its not heavy handed in the message that Mr. Taylor creates about drilling and practice in the story which Leo can draw from to help him solve his own dilemma with his future on the soccer team. I'd recommend it heartily for readers ages 5-8 as a read aloud and ages 8-10 as a read alone book and highly recommend it for beginning chapter book readers.

Great book...my 6 year old sat and listened to the entire book in one sitting. Really caught his attention and kept it! He can't wait to read more of this series!

It has all the elements of a great story, but in a way that is accessible to a young child. Decent lesson. My son and I enjoyed reading this together.

This is one of James Martin's earlier works and what a wonderful presentation of a lived experience in East Africa working with refugees. Martin takes the reader along for a front-seat journey through his experience of a two-year formation internship in Kenya. Filled with true stories of the people he journeyed with, your heart will be touched by the relationships Martin formed over the course of his stay.

Not knowing much of the situation of East African refugees (in the 1990s), I found this book educational in addition to the spiritual focus that comes forth naturally in such a work.

This is just an all around great book from the excellent and engaging writing style of Martin to the retelling of the journey walking with refugees in Africa; read this book.

I'm planning on going on a missions trip to Kenya this summer, so I was really searching for a book that would give me insight on the people of that region, not just the normal tourist information. This book blew away all my expectations. Not only did I meet the refugees through James Martins engaging narratives, I also felt like I knew them and could really identify with their hardships. The stories grew depressing at times, but such is life in East Africa, and that fact only made their faith and hope more amazing and inspiring. Martin was often humorous and candid, and I felt myself trying to cheer him along on his journeys as if I was right there with him.
This our Exile is a good read for anyone interested in East Africa and it's people who are often ignored and under represented. 2 giant thumbs up.

Father Martin has written a very good book. The strength of the book lies in the way that the refugee's stories are presented. Father Martin does not parade their hardships and poverty before us in an attempt to provoke our sympathy or guilt. Rather, Father Martin presents us with real people who love and live. We come to know the people in the book as people, no different in their humanity than you or I. On the surface, this is no great insight, but I think we tend to objectify the exiles of the world in order to keep our distance from them. Father Martin does not let us do this. We come to know and care about the people in this book very deeply. Of course, this opens us up, as readers, to a deeper sorrow and (hopefully) a deeper understanding of how too many people live. But it also opens us up to a greater experience of God and how God works in the world. This book is a slim volume and easily read, but the spirutual insights are deep and meaningful. This book should be read by all of the idle and self-involved inhabitants of the "first world." You will never be able to look at a disposable plastic cup in the same way again.

In this engaging book, a young Jesuit recounts the trials, tribulations and rewards of his two-year stint among the refugees of East Africa. He describes in vivid detail true-life vignettes of strength and hope in the midst of grinding poverty. But this book is far from somber--rather, it's full of laugh-out-loud humor combined with an evident love of the author's fellow man. A great book!!

What a wonderfully inspirational read !! We follow a young Jesuit to Kenya, where he works for two years ministering to the material and spiritual needs of East African refugees from Rwanda, Somalia, the Sudan and other strife-torn areas of the continent. We share his small triumphs as well as his disappointments and frustrations as he labors against frightful odds to help the refugees start up modest income-producing projects.

The author, a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School who joined the Jesuits after working for six years in industry, went to Africa to learn and help in some small way. Instead, he wound up the student, learning from the refugees about the true meaning of dignity and perserverance.

Buy it...Read it..You'll feel fulfilled by it.

This book is beautiful and passionate. The photographs are stellar, as well as the simple and profound text. I love to have this book around just to stare at the images and imagine the lives of the Malagasy people. Children respond so strongly to this book, asking questions that bring up meaningful conversation and creating discussion.

Also, it's great that a portion of the proceeds is going back to Madagascar to help these beautiful people.

This book is very touching... it captures simplicity and all that is offers... I was touched by the message of joy, being human, and getting back to what matters in life.

What a great book to give to anyone.

A picture is said to be worth a thousand words, but the pictures in Joni Kabana's new book Torina's World, A Child's Life in Madagascar is worth far more than words. Kabana treats her readers to a child's view of her life and culture through the eye of a camera.

Meet Torina, an eight year old Malagasy girl from the island country called Madagascar. Torina shares with the audience different aspects of her life through text and photographs under the headings: We Live!, We Grow!, and We Feel!.

By reading and exploring this book, children have the unique opportunity to view and examine life in a developing country. Simple sentences and questions on each page of text provoke children to compare and contrast their lives with that of Torina. Statements are fashioned in a way that when read, the similarities between Torina's world and that of a Western child's are very obvious.

Only when coupled with the photographs do children see the various differences. For example, one page states "We wash our clothes together. How do you wash your clothes?" A child may realize that just like Torina, her clothes need to be washed and that maybe she helps her mother with that chore. It is only when the picture is viewed that the child realizes washing her clothes in a washing machine is very different from washing clothes in Madagascar.

When read to a four and six year-old audience, the children were fascinated by the story. They enjoyed the way the book involved them, eagerly answering each question and pointing out the differences they saw in the pictures. Most importantly, the children asked questions about what they were seeing.

While Torina's World, A Child's Life in Madagascar is intended for children, adults can appreciate this book as well. The remarkable photography and the detailed glimpse into the "humanity" of the village brings to life this foreign world. A short discussion at the end of the book gives the reader general information regarding Madagascar. Included are the size and location of the island, the population, and a brief look at the varied beliefs held by the Malagasy people.

This is a beautiful book whose depth goes beyond the simplicity of its text. Torina's World, A Child's Life in Madagascar opens up the world to children in a manner that is non-threatening and exciting. This book belongs in the library of any child whose parents' hope for them is to have an appreciation for the world around them, as well as that beyond the borders of their own country and culture.

This is an excellent book for kids to adults showing the real true emotion of the people and culture of Madacasgar. What I like best about the book is that many images show how happy these kids are with so little. It is a reminder for us all that it does not take all the material items of today to have a smile on our face. Joni's photos are amazing and really help to pull the viewer into the whole experience!

Having lived in Madagascar, I find these thought-provoking photos a beautiful reflection of the country. The natural questions that arise when viewing them are an ideal first-step for children to begin discovering the vast differences and common values among peoples around the globe. Although rhythms and traditions may vary, children looking at these photos will see that all children dream, learn, play, and help their families.

As Joseph Wresinski once said, The world will change one day because we will have listened to children. The conversations this book will start are sure to sow seeds of peace and respect among cultures.

I'm a professional vegetarian chef and with out a doubt this ranks as probably my favorite "ethnic" cookbook, if not just one of my all time favorite cookbooks in general.

This book covers some excellent Moroccan dishes, and is one of my favorite cookbooks. The Vegetarian Table is a terrific series of cookbooks for anyone who enjoys great food; including non-vegetarians.

Cookbooks seem to be the rage today. What used to be almost biblical - black text on white paper - has now transformed into stylish coffee table books that you wouldn't dream of bringing into an active kitchen. That's probably a good thing too; few of those recipes are very interesting or authentic. This book is very different. I still won't bring it into the kitchen, but I love to cook with it. The photography is beautiful and the recipes are excellent. Unique methods and ingredients are clearly described with substitutions for some of the more elusive kitchen gadgets or components. The recipes cover every meal and it should give you a good "taste" of North African cuisine.

This is a great cookbook. I'm so glad I bought it. It has a whole bunch of different couscous recipes, a number of moroccan tagines, appetizers that are quite yummy and salads. A variety of spices are used which lends itself to foods that have a nice depth of flavor. Each recipe has a brief intro that tells about the food and gives additional tips. Its a fun cookbook with great recipes. I highly recommend it!

This is quite simply a beautiful book of wonderful Moroccan recipes written by a Moroccan-born American. Kitty Morse was born in Casablanca and now is a food and travel writer living in Southern California. Kitty has been returning to her homeland yearly to lead tours-- most recently a chef's tour of her favorite Moroccan restaurants. This book includes traditional Moroccan recipes that have been tailored to allow preparation in an American kitchen. The photography by Deborah Jones is first rate. From cous-cous to harira soup, this book will help those who are not vegetarians realize they're not missing anything

The most concise depiction of the clash between the European and native African cultures. This book pulls no punches, and seeks to tell this epic tale without prejudice. It may at times infuriate you but will always intertain. Includes: Battle of Isandlawana, Roark's drift, Hlobane, and Napolean III.

I don't believe that you will find a more accurate, concise and truthful book on the history of South Africa. I say truthful because it contradicts current day, politically correct thinking about how and who actually settled and developed South Africa.

Did you ever watch the movie "Zulu" featuring Michael Caine, Stanley Baker and Jack Hawkins(among others) when you were a kid? Did you marvel at the bravery of the Rourke's Drift defenders? I know I did! Well...its nearly all true. Get this book and find out the real story. I love Welsh choirs! But seriously, if you are interested in this particular episode of British imperialism read the book. Its better than Isandlawana!

I have a 1965 copy of this great book and I don't think that there has been a better account of the rise & fall of the Zulu nation. This is one of the best accounts of how the Zulu nation become one of the most feared in Africa under Shaka and how it fell to ruin under Cetshwayo during the war with England in 1879. A great read that has not aged in these 30 odd years. This book has been the standard that all others have been compared to since its publication. It's one of my all time favourite books and I have no hesitation in recommending it to anyone who has a love for this period or a passion for history.

This book deals with the rise of the Zulu Nation under Shaka to its fall under Ceteswayo. There are no glossed over facts, and the last reprint in 1996 has a covering prologue from Chief Mangasuto Buthelese. Any military historian with a keen interest in this Nations short life should make this book their top archive source. This book is still availble from some of the UK outlets priced at around £15.99. This history of the Black Spartans is a must. It tells of their true courage against unsormountable odds to defend their homeland against a well equiped and disciplined army, but also shows that they themselves were just as highly disciplined, and sure footed, and were not afraid to pitch Assegia and Cowhide shield agains, field guns, boxer henry .45 martini henrys, gatling guns and the formidable British Red Coats.

This book has placed Sobonfu on my list of truly inspirational leaders. I was inspired, impressed and entertained by the concise, vivid and useful information provided in this book. It provides a vision of spiritual community, plus a few simple techniques for those who are ready to make their first steps in that direction.

Principles like the ones outlined in this book will help improve our communities, and put spirituality back into its place as paramount to our well-being.

A must-have for parents, teachers, midwives, family counselors, and administrators who want to improve the quality of life for the children they take care of.

I am deeply grateful to Some for writing Welcoming Spirit Home and sharing how her community prepares for, welcomes, and supports babies and families having babies. I have worked with families for over 30years as an ob nurse, childbirth educator, marriage and family therapist, prenatal and birth therapist for babies and children, graduate school professor and family consultant. In my resesarch and writing a new model of early development that recognizes our fundamental spiritual nature and "new ways" to support our babies' whole self, I find Some' community has been practicing these principles for generations. When I read this book, I wept for the beauty of her message. I highly recommend this book to help us all remember more of our innate knowing of life, of babies, of connected living. Prenatal and perinatal psychology is the new field that is revealing more and more in our western ways how conscious, aware, and sensitive prenates and babies are. Our western science is coming full circle to remember how to welcome consciousness.
Some's book holds gems of how her community honors and prepares for this sacred passage of the spiritual being into human life. I imagine reading this book on a picnic in nature and being nourished by this beautiful message.

This book is infused with wonderful stories and lessons and the beauty and power of ritual from the West African culture. The writer heightens the readers awareness of the importance of each member of community and their roles and contributions and rituals to strengthen each individual thereby the overall village. She presents rituals in such a way that they can be done in America and by you, the reader.

This is a beautiful book.

The people of the Dagara culture relate to us that children have themselves recently re-emerged (via being born) from the world of the spirit, of the ancestors. They are fresh and full of wonder at being here, still very expressive of the spirit of the other world in all its truthfulness and spontaneity.

Sobonfu's husband [Malidoma Patrice Some] has covered very incisively the funeral and male initiation ceremonies in his three books; Sobonfu, by contrast, goes much more than he (given the stated topic) into such things as the pre-conception naming ritual. Then there is the ritual asking the child [before birth] what he/she is coming to life to be, to accomplish within the community. Then everyone in the community will be able to help the child in every way possible to grow into the person that he/she would be.

And there is the welcoming ceremony done for every child, each who has come on this long journey from the land of the ancestors to the land of the living. One beautiful feature of this is that the other village children (standing together in the next room) imitate the newborn child's first cry as accurately as possible to let the newborn know he/she has come to the right place.

Sobonfu goes into exquisite detail describing the bounteous relationship between children and their grandparents. The old ones are all getting closer to the world of the ancestral spirits, as they are approaching closer to the time they leave this world, whereas the young ones are most familiar with that world, having recently returned from there.

In another chapter she discusses how and why miscarriages occur, how strongly they affect the community (especially the mother and other close relatives), and what this has to do with the world of the ancestors. Then she articulates, once again, the rituals which attend the phenomena to help the grieving process that occurs as a result of this emotionally and spiritually traumatic breach [in the thin, permeable barrier between village life and that of the world beyond].

And there is the bonding ritual [re-commitment between husband and wife], the fertility ritual, and the bonding ritual between the child and its grandparents, as well as other ancillary activities.

Through all these examples she effortlessly and courageously articulates the vision the Dagara have of their life and community, so seamlessly it astounds you - the dawning of this worldview almost sneaks up on one as it gradually takes shape, almost from within the reader's subconscious. Her writing is the equal of that of her husband, as she dynamically melds all aspects together into an interpenetrating, wondrous whole.

"Children are the life-givers, the healers, the messengers of the ancestors. They bring out the spirit of the community - they bring spirit home. Children are embraced, celebrated and supported, for without them there would be emptiness in the hearts of all villagers." [p. 85]

In her last chapter, she recapitulates and outlines in detail how to perform all of the rituals previously mentioned, for the benefit of those here in the West who would like to transit to this most humanizing and spiritual form of community in their own lives. She first gives a summary of how to set up a ritual in general (and how it usually should flow), after which she tells about how dreams and/or storytelling can have a role, as well as how and why healing and integration can take place. For healing of hearts and souls in the community is, if not the primary focus for a given ceremony, always [at the very least] a significant by-product.

For more on the subject of African childrearing and educational practices (as well as how this affects an economy in which women do all the farming), this time from a Kongolese (central African) point of you, be sure to check out the slim volume by Fu-Kiau and Lukondo-Wamba, titled 'Kindezi - the Kongo Art of Babysitting', available at a number of fine university libraries around the world.

I loved reading this book! It helped me to understand so much about my life. The since of community and love that is transfused into the children that are cared for by the methods in this book is a story that needs to be told.The rituals sound wonderful and I only wish that I had this knowledge prior to the birth of my children.This is a book about healing as well as love and honor for all of nature.This book gives wonderful information to instill pride in my African heritage. Prayer and intent are also stressed in this book and I find both to be very powerful forces in my life.

Wired is a beautifully produced book from cover to cover. This extraordinary art form is depicted eloquently in text and photos and is the perfect addition to any art book collector's library. I found Mr. Arment's historic representation of the craft to be informative and the featured artisan weaver's stories to be both compelling and personal. The contemporary design, exquisite photography and high quality of production contribute to an outstanding book.

This is a great book on the Zulu art of making baskets out of colorful telephone wire. Not only is this a fascinating collection of images that jump off the pages, but it gives this art form its due. The use of wire in sub-Saharan Africa is explained and adds some historic context to this contemporary art form. The development of this form by the pioneers of the craft - the true night watchmen, is also documented here for the first time. The book also highlights the masters of this art form, with some personal history and images of each person's work. This is a highly recommended addition to you collection of books on African Art.

I just got a copy of this book and it is extraordinary!!! I travel to South Africa frequently and have several telephone wire baskets. I often wondered who made these baskets, and how they were connected to traditional African baskets and crafts. Well, this book answers my questions and more. The history is well written, including a GREAT foreword by Karel Nel, THE expert on South African art. In addition, the book gives the artist's their due, highlighting 14 weavers (or should I say artists), with their personal story and images of their work. I can now identify baskets in my collection, some by these weavers. This is a book you will love.

This book documents a marvelously vital art form and is itself a beautiful work of art. It is obviously expensively produced and carefully executed. The jacket, the cover , the paper, everything about it is absolutely first rate. An informative and very entertaining documentation of this fascinating art form. The photography by Andrew Cerino and the well known interiors photographer Peter Vitale is brilliant and voluptous (the color reproduction is astonishing).
I couldn't be happier with it and I think it will soon be a very valuable and much sought-after reference source.

This is an extremely high quality "art book" which will be at home on any coffee table or in any library of people interested in baskets, Africa or any indigenous arts and crafts. The photographs are outstanding, the paper weight feels wonderful in your hand, it's a very well produced volume. I especially enjoyed the introduction by Paul Mikula which gave a great context for how difficult the baskets are to weave and spoke to the history of the weaving from more of the standpoint of the Zulu people. I have been carrying these types of baskets for over 3 years now and there has been a big void in the world for information on these baskets. This book fills the void plus some! Thanks to the authors for a great information source!

Indeed, excellent and scholarly explanations to tough spiritual and genetics questions.

Wallenstein.R.D.Rawlins
Barbados.

Phenomenal!! This book answered all my questions plus some. I have renewed self-esteem and will never question God promises, gifts and love again. Truly ignorance is NOT bliss. Understanding your true heritage commands spiritural strength in a world so deceived. I stand amazed and awed by the unadulterated answers given in this book followed by gratitude and the asurity of having been blessed..

Every African American who reads the bible should read this book. This book is an easy read. For many years, I wanted to know the history of black presence in the Bible. Many African American churches and African American religious groups are really scared to rock the boat when it comes to the black presence in the Bible. I do understand that there are other cultures that also play a presence in the bible, I firmly believe, if many young men knew that there was a deep presence of blacks in the bible, and the churches would elaborate on this I believe that there would be many more African American male presence in the church. I believe that you still can learn God's word, but you can also include this also.


I would like to thank Dr. Johnson for a very enlightening book that gives me a more understanding of my heritage.

This book is very informative, and should be a must read for all those who are interested in black biblical facts.

very informative , and very real .with bibical scriptures to backup these claims.but most of all it is true ,and common sense.why would africa be inhabited by caucasion ,and how could cleopatra be exotic and caucasion.especially the very hot and dry climate.caucasion skin is much to thin made for colder climates.it is an exellent research on the history of african race in the bible and lets people see that they were around then and will continue to be

I encountered this book years ago in the University Hills Library in Austin, Texas. Burned by my involvement with my previous church and ministry, I had become disillusioned, distraught and lacking in faith. Atheism, before the current popular tomes advocating a departure from all faiths, appealed to me. This literally turned my head and halted me in my tracks. I checked it out - 3 times - before purchasing it on Amazon.

This is a wellspring that allows one to hold his/her head up as we see (now) played out in American politics the onslaught against African Americans by forces on the left and right that do not know the contributions Africans have made not only to world culture but to the most significant spiritual expression in Western civilization. Current events find European Americans still ignorant of the complex Homiletics of the African Diaspora and its spiritual entities. "Black Liberation Theology" is something now discovered on Fox News and sound bites on You Tube the complete philosophy of Senator Obama's former pastor. It is a willful ignorance born of arrogance and hegemony from the previous "peculiar institution" formerly known as slavery that would birth such a tradition.

"Our people perish due to a lack of [self] knowledge." (Hosea 4:6) And the knowledge should be shared, discussed and preached. It should be used to build us up as a people; to "set the captives free." (Luke 4:18)

[...]: "About 10.4% of the entire African-American male population in the United States aged 25 to 29 was incarcerated, by far the largest racial or ethnic group--by comparison, 2.4% of Hispanic men and 1.2% of white men in that same age group were incarcerated. According to a report by the Justice Policy Institute in 2002, the number of black men in prison has grown to five times the rate it was twenty years ago. Today, more African-American men are in jail than in college. In 2000 there were 791,600 black men in prison and 603,032 enrolled in college. In 1980, there were 143,000 black men in prison and 463,700 enrolled in college." Too many of our men are in prison because they are unaware who they are, and thus misbehave.

I heartily recommend this book as enthusiastically as I did years ago when it stopped me literally in my tracks.

This review is entitled "Confirmation" because it serves to confirm or ratify what, intuitively, I have felt for as long as I can recall. Having been raised in a strongly religious family, I have been exposed to various versions of the Holy Bible, all of which tended to depict and illustrate all personalities with white faces. Given that all of the accounts in the Bible took place on the continent of Africa, prior to the arrival of any significant numbers of Europeans, it was very difficult for me to accept that none of the major figures in the Bible was Black, yet that is what is portrayed. Although I felt that something was "wrong with this picture", I had no way to refute it, and in fact, was reluctant to voice it among some of my own friends and elders who would have deemed such thoughts as sacrilegious, or worse. It still bothered me, nonetheless. As my educational experiences progressed, I had increasing difficulty reconciling what was thrust upon me by the media, those omnipresent Bible illustrations, TV Evangelists, and others who perpetuated the same notion that all of the personalities in the Bible were white. I began to research on my own, and with the advent of the Internet, other avenues were opened to me. I have read a number of other treatises and writings by other distinguished Black religious scholars on the issue of the Black presence in the Bible, all of which enlightened me, and at the same time gave me a deep sense of "connection" with those Biblical personalities, as well as a sense of pride. On the other hand, it also aroused in me a sense of anger and frustration, as it confirmed to me that religious history, just as history in general, has been manipulated, twisted, distorted, and violated for the very sinister and express purpose of discrediting a People and robbing them of a very rich heritage and perpetuating a myth of so-called "superiority". This book should be mandatory reading, not just for Blacks, but for whites, as well, who have themselves been, in the words of Carter G. Woodson, "miseducated". I applaud Dr. Johnson and his colleagues, who are making an invaluable contribution to the telling of OUR history, as too often the euphamism that history is simply "his story" as it pertains to Blacks, is validated over and over. My record will reflect that I have ordered multiple copies of this book in the past, and am at this writing ordering several more copies. They make great gifts, and I can't imagine a better gift than the gift of truth.

Presenting the original language of the first humans , the locale and identity of these humans has long been shelved . This book should be in the educational systems of every educational institution in this country as well as international educational systems.

Across Time: Mystery of the Great Sphinx by author O.J. Harp III is a refreshing surprise. It tells the daunting tale of a group of people who bravely travel back and forth through time in an effort to discover their true identities, correct some mistakes of the past and reinforce some timeless principles into their present existence.

Dr. John Steel, a Clinical Psychologist and recent Ph.D. graduate is happy with his present life. He still, however, has no memory of his childhood since he, as a pre-teen, mysteriously found himself by the Potomac River with nothing and no one to validate his existence. Deep down inside he knows that something is very different about him - a difference that goes way beyond just his childhood.

As the story unfolds, Dr. Steele slowly unlocks the keys to his past, unveiling a destiny unlike anything he could have ever imagined. Other main characters include Mutshat Ma'at, a police cadet and the long-lost love of Dr. Steele, Dr. Christopher Jones - a minister and philanthropist (with a past of his own) and students Eddie Richardson and Victor Carter, of the I Have a Dream Charter School.

Unbeknownst to this special group of people, they will all soon be caught up in a battle stemming from their past lives as Nubian warriors and Kemetic royalty from Ancient Egypt who are being pursued by an ancient tribe, the Anu and an evil, legendary Pharaoh who is seeking world domination for all ages to come. The help of some psychic practitioners, human geneticists and super-intelligent robots are enlisted along the way as these valiant trailblazers transcend the barriers of space and time, defying even the laws of gravity. When all is said and done, lost identities are discovered, true love is found, lessons of justice, morality and truth are learned and, best of all, good triumphs over evil.

This book is a great read and is by no means for the faint of heart. A lot of historical, scientific and even paranormal information is covered in this novel, and I found the supplementary sections, i.e., the fact, prologue and glossary sections of great and necessary value.

It can be enjoyed by all readers, regardless of age. Some parts cater to a younger audience, making it relatable in today's language while at the same time fostering a desire to learn more about history including prehistoric times, Egyptology and slavery.

For the more mature audience, it offers a different, more spontaneous reading experience. It speaks to the adult mindset through themes of romance, the discussion of art and travel and by dealing with sociopolitical and religious subjects such as cloning and reincarnation. I personally identified with the emphasis placed on the beauty, power and mystery of the Black race.

What I expected to be a dull, long and drawn-out history lesson actually turned out to be a virtual adventure. The author combined history, science and psychology and then cleverly blended in the imaginative elements of time travel, magic, wizardry and extreme science fiction in order to create this whirlwind tale of past, present and future ideas. A roller-coaster ride full of twists, turns, loops and tunnels, this novel goes beyond entertaining with enough substance to satisfy even the most ambitious thrill-seeker.

Across Time: Mystery of the Great Sphinx would be a great addition to the list of required reading for high schools and colleges across the nation. I recommend it highly and give it 5 stars.

Reviewed by Devalyn M. Kirkman for "WAF Book Reviews"
WAF Book Reviewer[...]

O. J. HARP, III, in a most intellectually imaginative way, takes the mind of his patients, the characters, on a spiritual and subconscious voyage into the past based on ancient pre-Egyptian history. In doing so, HARP brilliantly tells two stories simultaneously.

First, HARP guides the reader in the spiritual, mythical, magical, subconscious realm of ACROSS TIME through the specialized techniques of the character Dr. John Steele, an African-American psychologist. The second story runs parallel to that as the voyage continues in the carnal realm with the characters in the story unknowingly transporting the Kemots and the Anu and the Heka and other mythical, sci-fi characters from early Egyptian history in their dreams. In order to help bring closure to what is a battle of the pre-Egyptian ancestral spirits, Dr. Steele teaches his patients to overcome their fearful nightmares or end their disturbing, re-occurring dreams through age-regression techniques. Understanding they all have key roles in ACROSS TIME, the patients learn to look around their dreams for clues, messages, and supporting details. This allows the characters to become active in their dreams which is a genius element of the story and subconscious. They are also empowered. Certainly, readers will be dreaming differently after reading this exceptional mastermind story. Awesome!

With brief historical accounts at the outset of the story, the reader is benefited to understand and learn enough about prehistoric Egyptian ancestors to see the significance of the characters in the carnal story over time. The plot unfolds in a sci-fi way to recreate unfinished business of love and power, good and evil, and wisdom and destiny. The characters develop to perform their pre-assigned roles of the past for the future. You will meet Mutshat Ma'at, the beautiful patient/lover of psychologist Dr. John Steele. Ma'at suffers from memory loss and unknowingly holds the ultimate key to her civilization's pre-existence. Then Harp delights readers with some unique boys who have a talented legacy of their own. They are at-risk youths charged with great insight and power and full of humor to move the story along nicely. Dr. Steele must prepare them for their rightful inheritance in the future ancient spiritual civilization. Though a bit hurried, this story is awesomely tied together to accomplish that. It is told very well in simple language, appropriate for varying levels of literacy and that is what makes this book especially perfect for the reader who likes to think and learn critically, consciously and subconsciously.

Reviewed by Swaggie Coleman
for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

"Rich with history and imagination, a perfect blend of fact and fiction. Across Time: Mystery of the Great Sphinx will educate, empower and inspire readers of all ages."

"This amazing novel will take readers on a journey through time exploring the beginnings of ancient Africa. Presenting a culture that is filled with historical detail, creatively merging the past with the present and demonstrating what the future may hold."

"O. J. Harp III has created a powerful read that will forge a deep appreciation of African culture while delivering great messages of strength, determination and pride."

In Across Time, O. J. Harp has carved a picture of ancient Egypt that began before history was written. This adventurous story starts out with Imhotep, Mutshat Maat,and the brothers Bekele, and Paki sailing down the Azure Sea . The travelers encounter a Supercroc and from that point on their journey sails uphill. Imhotep uses an ancient relic to save the group from certain death. Use of this relic thrusts them forward in time. Most of the time travelers are left without memories of whom they are, and they must assume present day lives. Bekele becomes Dr. Steele, a Psychologist who works with people that have memory problems. Dr. Steele also becomes a counselor at a school for troubled students, who also have memory problems. The school has reported mysterious sightings of shadow people appearing and frightening the students. The police are called in when a teacher and student disappear. Officer Mutshat Maat is instantly attracted to Dr. Steel as he is to she; they feel as though they have always known each other.

A team of psychics is called in to exercise the spirits. To unwind after the problem is seemingly solved, Dr. Steele decides to take a Bermuda cruise and take along some of his patients that have memory problems. While on the cruise the shadow people reappear and when a mummy is being shown the Shadow people steal the Mummy and passengers disappear.

I enjoyed reading this book as I enjoy stories about time travel. This story took many twists and turns and at times became a bit confusing. It has a huge cast of characters and this was awkward for this reader. However the author provides a nice glossary for those not familiar with Egyptian history. My copy of this book was an uncorrected proof but this did not stop my enjoyment of the book. I really hope that this becomes a series because I will read everyone of them.

Reviewed by Margaret Ball
APOOO BookClub