Races Books

This book gives a window in to things that many have heard about and many don't get to see up close and personal - the urban drug culture and it's deeper causes, the Police from the perspective of their prey, life in the Cabrini Green housing development and much more. But, beyond that, it reflects on many deep challenges faced by U.S. society - and challenges the reader to reflect on them deeply.

One may not agree with the authors prescriptions for this or that social issue. But an honest reader has to stop and think about what they usually glide over when they read the newspaper or watch the 10 O'clock news. Or when they pass someone of a different race, nationality or culture on the street.

What I've said up to now might make you think that this book is a heavy, heavy read -- a slow, sociological treatise. It actually is a fast moving, engaging and entertaining reflection on the world. It is filled with love of people and joy for life. And, while sometimes the experiences of the author may seem far fetched one has to keep in mind that real life is often stranger than fiction.

I encourage anyone who wants to take a voyage into an unknown land to read this book and discover the unknown land that exists all around them in their every day life - a land you can't see until you look through someone else's eyes.

i enjoyed this book, i found it intriguing and entertaining. it was written by a real positive man who offers great insight into the streets of chicago.

Crossing Bully Creek

By Margaret Erhart
(308 pp, Milkweed Editions)

Reviewed by Tom Word


Tucked into the southwest corner of Georgia lies a small chunk of heaven. As different from the rest of the rural south as Tiffany's from Wal-Mart, these unspoiled acres hold the Yankee-owned plantations, Gardens of Eden strewn with live oaks, longleaf pines, magnolias, pecans, and cypresses, trimmed in Spanish moss and carpeted with wiregrass. Discovered by titans of the Gilded Age as the 19th Century closed, and bought up cheap ($8 an acre) from planters and small farmers laid low by recurring recessions and the boll weevil, the lands were transformed into great estates.
The attraction? An ideal winter climate and a small bird: the bobwhite quail.
Quail hunting and collateral sport required a considerable labor force. That force was provided by Southern whites, formerly share croppers, and descendants of African slaves. The interdependence of the three peoples-rich Yankees, crackers, and blacks, made a witches' brew for a brand new culture. Nested in the affections and resentments of these long, close associations live the haunting characters of Crossing Bully Creek, Margaret Erhart's highly literary Milkweed Prize novel. And what characters they are.
Erhart's style is evocative of both Faulkner and Hemingway. By restraint and a slow revealing of secrets in scenes from Longbrow's history over four decades, she creates a gripping story through characters the reader sees lurking in the shadows of Longbrow's ancient trees.
Erhart knows first hand the people and place of which she writes. She has long spent winters on a plantation like her mythical Longbrow, a part of her family heritage. Crossing Bully Creek is her fourth novel, her earlier Old Love, Augusta Cotton and Unusual Company having attracted considerable critical acclaim.

It's always dangerous for a book or writer to invite comparisons with a great writer, because this almost always leaves the inviter looking smaller. Thus Crossing Bully Creek is living dangerously by inviting comparions with William Faulkner. Though the publisher is prudent enough not to mention Faulkner or other famous southern writers on the jacket, its inevitable that any literate reader will immediately think: Faulkner. For starters, there's the cover: an antebellum mansion set behind a canopy of magnolia trees. Then there's the jacket storyline blurb: the owner of a plantation that's seen better days is dying, and a whole family and a whole southern world seem to be swirling with him to some sort of reckoning, as seen through multiple viewpoints. Now you are thinking not just Faulkner, but As I Lay Dying. The blurb also says that the story moves back and forth between the 1920s and the 1960s, and now you are thinking: The Sound and the Fury--and even Faulkner couldn't live up to The Sound and the Fury. Maybe you notice that the publisher is from Minnesota, and even though Milkweed is one of the treasures of American publishing today, you still know that Minnesota is about the last place where the National Barbeque Association would hold their annual cook-off. Not only that, the jacket says that the author was born in New York City (at this point in the salsa commercial the cowboys around the campfire would say in unison: NEW YORK CITY?!?!) and went to school in Iowa and lives in Arizona. And she is proposing to write about life in the south?
But not so fast there. Margaret Erhart wouldn't stand a chance in the annual bad Faulkner parody contest. She is the genuine goods, a graceful writer with her own voice and a story worth hearing. Just for starters, this story is set mainly at the end of the 1960s, an era Faulkner and other famous southern writers never lived to have a chance to come to grips with, an era of dramatic social change--or was it? One of the strengths of a novel with multiple viewpoints is that different characters are moving at their own speeds in their own orbits. Both the story of the times and the story of the family can look pretty different depending on whose eyes you look through. Indeed, the multiple viewpoints mean that you can either view the whole book as the story of a time as seen through the experience of a family, or the story of a family with the backdrop of a particular time. The multiple viewpoints also mean that every reader can take a particular personal interest in a different character or storyline and end up having a unique experience of the book. However you add up the whole, Erhart brings her own strengths to it. She has a keen poetic eye for the telling symbol or incident. She has a tender but not naive eye for human drama and family dynamics--and here's where women writers may have some advantages over the male writers whose heads are still ringing from the cannons and lost honor of the Civil War.
There are lots of poetic jewels in here, and not just sparkling word-images but meaningful sums. Here, almost at random, is one, occuring on Christmas Day: "Lewis had the whole long holy day to think on what he believed, and he sat down at the kitchen table intending to turn his mind in that direction. But it was an old man's mind, full of gravel, full of foolish starry shapes and dusty roads untraveled and the weak cry of birds at dusk and the caw-caw of crows in the morning....He believed in blackbirds, yes he did. Now, was that enough? That might be enough. But oughtn't he think on it until he could say why?"
My favorite image in the book is a stroke of poetic genius. (Don't read further if you don't want to spoil the surprise) One of the characters is the granddaughter of Union General William T. Sherman, who makes a brief but seemingly unimportant appearance by letter along the way. But in the end the cremated ashes of the plantation owner end up in the passed-down battle-dented metal cigar can that Sherman had carried with him in his march across the south. Now there's a punch of a symbol for the fate of the plantation south--a burned-up man in a can for long-burned-up cigars, cigars no doubt of Virgina slave-grown tobacco Sherman found delicious after he lit them with the same hand that lit the plantation mansions of the south on fire.

Crossing the Color Line is a superbly presented collection of stories by Alice Adams, Toni Bambara, and others examine the truth about the color line between blacks and whites, using contemporary stories by novelists to explore the issues and problems. The stories which comprise Crossing The Color Line provide insights more charged than debates and probe issues of politics, class, gender and religion alike.

Stories by Alice Adams, Toni Bambara, and others examine the truth about the color line between blacks and whites, using contemporary stories by novelists to explore the issues and problems. The stories which comprise Crossing the Color Line provide insights more charged than debates and probe issues of politics, class, gender and religion alike.

Race relations in the US is a difficult topic, given far more to misinformation and polemics than meaningful analysis. Korgen, however, has not only sifted through all of the confusion to present a clear picture of contemporary attitudes and beliefs about race, but she has captured the effects of these patterns on the experiences of people who maintain friendships across racial lines. This book is eminently readable, enjoyable, and timely.

This superb book presents a compelling and at times moving description of close friendships between black and white Americans. Kathleen Odell Korgen's study of how close black-white friendships form despite social and historical obstacles is a welcome contribution to our understanding of race relations. The author explores many interesting questions, including: How does the development of cross-racial friendships compare with same-race friendships? How do black/white friends deal with issues of race? How does a black-white friendship influence each friend's view on race? Korgen's engaging interviews as well as her lucid analysis provide in-depth answers to such questions. The book concludes with an informative discussion of the potential benefits to society of bridging the divide between white and black Americans and provides examples of successful efforts to bridge the racial divide in the U.S. Korgen has written a sensitive, detailed, and important book that fills a gap in studies of race. It is essential reading for those interested in contemporary race relations.

If you're interested in attending law school, if you're interested in the story of the civil rights movement, if you're looking for inspiration, if you're in search of a calling, if you enjoy drama or comedy, or if you simply enjoy a good book -- read Crusaders in the Courts. I was moved, outraged and inspired. Jack Greenberg brings the journey of these brave men and women (including himself) to life. The book is written very well and it is very accessible. If you're a teacher, tell your students to read this book. If you're a parent, your children should read it. The book puts the movement in perspective and introduces a whole new generation to the wonders of a band of lawyers committed to changing the future.

This book is the only one written by a lawyer who argued in Brown v. Board of Education. Before his 28th birthday, Jack Greenberg argued the first of more than 40 cases before the Supreme Court of the United States. Starting as Thurgood Marshall's assistant, he became Marshall's chosen successor as head of the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. His cases involved sit-ins and freedom riders, school segregation, capital punishment and affirmative action. He represented Martin Luther King in Birmingham and in his march from Selma to Montgomery. Much more than a book about the law, "Crusaders" describes the personalities, inter-organizational conflicts,and the conflict within the Legal Defense Fund over his refusal to represent Angela Davis. It also discusses the boycott of his class at Harvard Law School by black students because he was white, It includes new material about school integration of Roma (Gypsies) in Eastern Europe, the Supreme Court's recent affirmative action decisions, and his observations about schools today and their failure to educate black children. A fascinating analysis about how law develops and a good read.

The book I received was in great condition. The pages weren't bent and I don't think there was any/or much highlighting or writing from what I've noticed so far. If other reviews are this consistent, I would recommend purchasing from this seller.

Several years ago, I adopted this textbook for the course I teach in cross-cultural counseling. I have not regreted that decision since. This deceptively thin and relatively inexpensive text is jammed full of up-to-date and useful information about cross cultural counseling, diagnosis and assessment. The writing style is clear and concise. It is highly readable, because the author does not go out of his way to impress the reader with his extensive vocabulary. He uses plain English whenever possible. The interviews with the experienced "ethnic counselors" are interesting, insightful and thought-provoking. The content gets repetitive at times, but I believe that is probably done in an effort to drive home important points for students and readers. Similarities and differences between various ethnic groups becomes very apparent and the practical issues that arise as a result of those differences are addressed. The history of each minority ethnic groups is examined and the carry-over effects are discussed. In short, I love this text and intend to continue using it for a long time. I just hope that they don't stop publishing it. That would be a shame. If you are loooking for a cheap, yet detailed book on cross-cultural counseling this is the book for you.

This book addresses the dominant ideology in a way we can all understand. Dr. Kharem brings reality to challenges facing education systems in America. I highly recommend this book for anyone planning to teach in the United States.

I`ve never read a book that opened my eyes and managed to keep my attention throughtout the entire reading process. How amazingly true. Mr.Kharem did a wonderful job keeping the reading daringly truthful and simple. I applaued him and hope it won`t be long before he writes more. He could truly change the course of education and perhaps history with books such as these.

This IS probably one of the VERY BEST books that I have EVER read. I highly recommend buying this book.

This book was written as a fiction and yet the religious sections in it are very pleasing to the heart of Christians. The Author should get ready to write a "follow-up" on this one!

Marie Dallam's book "Daddy Grace: A Celebrity Preacher and his House of Prayer" is an outstanding, well written and well researched book. This is the first objective scholarly analysis of Daddy Grace and the House of Prayer that clearly explains the origins of many of the House of Prayer practices and customs and attempts to delve into who Daddy Grace was as a person.

It has been over 40 years since the death of Daddy Grace, yet there still many myths and misunderstandings about Daddy Grace and the House of Prayer. Many view Daddy Grace as a cult leader or sometimes confuse him with Father Divine. Dallam clearly and concisely explains why the House of Prayer should not be classified as a cult and explains the distinctions between the House of Prayer and the Church founded by Father Divine.

For members, this book is a must read, if you want to have a sound understanding of our founding father, the evolution of the House of Prayer, and to become aware of certain organizational areas that need improvement. More importantly, I think the book will help all members understand that we have a rich heritage that we should be proud of and that we must work to continually enhance all aspects of our faith.

Elder E.C. Smith, Member of the United House of Prayer for All People, Washington, D.C.

I received my books in a few days. They were brand new with no surprises.

This is the most sympathetic and healthy accounts of Palestinian Arabs you're ever likely to encounter. Written with disarming simplicity. I assign this book to my classes whenever possible.

Wonderful book. Gives a very insightful summary of the history of Israel from an Arab perspective on a personal scale. The author envelopes you into the story of one ordinary family's life from life in the British mandate through the beginning of the Intifadah. As well as being a description of Arab life within Israel, this book also provides interesting material about the life of small-scale agriculturalists in Arabia.