Amazon.com
Not many political thrillers are set in Tibet, and few can match the power and poetry of this debut novel by journalist Eliot Pattison. At the heart of the story is a forced labor camp where the Chinese imprison Buddhist monks and other local dissidents they've swept up since taking over Tibet. The prison also holds a few special Chinese prisoners--including Shan Tao Yun. This middle-aged man was once the inspector general of the Ministry of Economy in Beijing, specializing in fraud cases. For reasons even he doesn't understand, he has been imprisoned and brutalized, and now he spends his days breaking rocks high in the Himalayas on a road crew called the People's 404th Construction Brigade. Shan manages to survive under these harsh conditions thanks to the spiritual guidance of his fellow prisoners, but this precarious balance is threatened by the discovery of the headless body of a local Chinese official near a road construction site.
The dead man's head soon turns up in a famous shrine--a cave that contains the skulls of heroic monks. The shrewd Red Army colonel in charge of the district asks Shan to conduct an investigation: offers of better food and conditions combined with threats against his monk friends convinces him to take on the task. Colonel Tan wants a fast resolution that imcriminates a mute, passive monk found near the cave, but Shan is certain that the man isn't guilty. More likely killers include other high-ranking Chinese officials, as well as some American mining capitalists who had personal as well as financial dealings with the dead man.
By engaging his readers in a mass of details, Pattison makes us believe completely in Shan and his perilous situation--and creates a rare combination of excitement and enlightenment. --Dick Adler
Book Description
Critical acclaim ranks THE SKULL MANTRA with Gorky Park and Smilla's Sense of Snow as a novel as much about a people and a place--the Tibetans of the high Himalayas--as it is a gripping thriller. Winner of the Edgar Award for Best First Novel, author Eliot Pattison masterfully scales the heights of the genre, taking readers to the top of the world while he chills us to the bone....The corpse is missing its head and is dressed in American clothes.Found by a Tibetan prison work gang on a windy cliff, the grisly remains clearly belong to someone too important for Chinese authorities to bury and forget.So the case is handed to veteran police inspector Shan Tao Yun. Methodical, clever Shan is the best man for the job, but he too is a prisoner, deported to Tibet for offending Beijing.Granted a temporary release, Shan is soon pulled into the Tibetan people's desperate fight for its sacred mountains and the Chinese regime's blood-soaked policies.Then, a Buddhist priest is arrested, a man Shan knows is innocent.Now time is running out for Shan to find the real killer....in an astonishing, emotionally charged story that will change the way you think about Tibet--and freedom--forever.AUTHORBIO: ELIOT PATTISON is a world traveler and frequent visitor to China, whose numerous books and articles on international policy issues have been published on three continents. The Skull Mantra is his first work of fiction.
Customer Reviews:
eh it was ok .......2007-05-29
My entire class loved this book. I DID NOT . i thought it was boring. and if i wanted to learn about a religion it certainly would not come from a fiction book.My class appreciated the cultrual aspects. I did not. they say its because im white. i think its because the book was boring. but thats just me. i like action not this slow moving literature
ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC READ!!!!!.......2005-06-30
As a reading fanatic, I comb Amazon for books that I haven't already read. Somehow, this one got past me; shame on me!! Before reading this book, I would have said that THE EIGHT was my favorite book, and Lois Bujold MacMasters my favorite author. While both are still up there, Eliot Pattison, and ALL FOUR OF HIS BOOKS staring the Chinese Inspector/Detective Shan Tao Yun are, by far, the best books I have ever read.
Now, I usually start a book, read the first few chapters, then "speed read" the rest of the book. Not with these books. Each word; each picture so eloquently painted by Mr. Pattison's writing is a treat. You find yourself in Tibet; learning about the peoples, their history and their centuries, milenia of struggles.
The mystery in each book is solid, and you are with Shan each step of the confusing way. The quiet dignity of the myriad of characters enduring this harsh yet beautiful landscape, and their individual stories are a treat for the soul. The villans are true villans, and would be considered so under any type of government.
Thank you, Mr. Pattison for sharing your insights with us through these wonderful books. Once you pick up and read The Skull Mantra, you will trip over your own feet to get the next three books in the series.
Intellectual, enchanting, an exceptional writer, Tibet..........2005-05-04
This is my first exposure to the writing of Eliot Pattison, and I am enchanted and impressed with this intellectual, literary writer. IN SKULL MANTRA, the 'People's 404th Construction Brigade', (a unit of Tibetan prisoners) labor under guard to build a road, in the "service of socialism". Digging reveals a body, a headless body. The work brigade falls to its knees, chanting the mantra, which soon rises from the voices of the all of the prisoners. It is the chant of the 'invocation of Bardo', the "opening recitation for the ceremonies of death".
A prisoner of three years now, without a trial, Shan Tao Yun was the former Inspector General of the Ministry of Economy in Beijing. Shan is ordered by Chinese prison management, 'cold, flint-faced' Colonel Tam to file a report of the investigation of the body. Tam insists on a speedy report. The body, dressed in American clothing, is identified as Professor Jao. Against Shan's will, he is also ordered to interrogate the prisoner accused of the murder. But Shan strongly believes in the innocence of the accused, Sungpo. The former Inspector struggles with his own beliefs, compromise to the 'authorities', and his vast capacity of humaneness. For Shan, survival was managing fear that smolders within you, 'but don't ever show it'.
Eliot Pattison has created a story of lyrical immensity, beyond a murder investigation and espionage. It is a story of delicacy, a story of Tibetan monks versus a corrupt government, rendered with outstanding clarity and form. THE SKULL MANTRA beautifully and artistically informs the reader of the Tibetan countryside, the religious beliefs, and the strength and endurance of its people. It is a story of despair, imprisonment and torture, hope, and courage of an ill-treated culture. The author writes: "It's just that Tibet gets inside you...".
I highly recommend the consecutive writings of Eliot Pattison: 'Water Touching Stone' 2002; 'Bone Mountain' 2004, and 'Beautiful Ghosts' 2005. For further enlightenment I recommend the works of His Holiness The Dalai Lama, including 'The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living'; 'How to Practice: The Way to a Meaningful Life'; and 'An Open Heart: Practicing Compassion in Daily Life'.
The missing link between spiritualism and life.......2005-04-25
For all, who need assitance in finding how spiritualism can be applied in life: Read this book. This is a demonstration on how to believe in even worse times.
We all know it: It is so easy to be kind and gentle when we are healthy and nobody forces us to do something. But when life is changing from bad to worse? Read this book.
When you examine this book, than you'll find that Buddhism is nothing to believe. It's a profound knowledge of life and of how to behave.
Enjoy!
Strong Setting but Too Convoluted and Long.......2005-03-26
This award-winning debut by veteran journalist Pattison starts strongly, only to slow down and stagger under the weight of its convoluted plot and mystical imagery. I love reading mysteries set in exotic locales, and this fits the bill. The setting is fascinating, as the reader is introduced to the People's 404th Construction Brigade, hard at work carving a road through the mountains of a county in Chinese-occupied Tibet. The 404th is a penal labor outfit, populated mostly by Tibetan monks and dissidents, with a smattering of Chinese, including Shan Tao Yun, former Inspector General of the Ministry of Economy. The story is set in motion when the work crew discovers the headless corpse of a wealthy-looking man one day. In a setup strikingly similar to that of Martin Cruz Smith's Polar Star, the prisoner Shan is released from his regular duties by the authorities and ordered to lead an investigation. Very much like the exiled head of Moscow's murder squad in Polar Star, Shan tries to refuse, only to succumb to the siren song of doing something useful. Naturally, once he's begun, he refuses to play along with what his superiors intended and sweep it all under the rug.
The plot is very complicated, as it turns out the dead man was the regional prosecutor. The Chinese authorities want to blame a hermit monk for the murder, but Shan's conversion to Buddhism gives him insights that make him scoff at this claim. And when the body's head turns up in a shrine filled with the skulls of ancient monks, the complications mount. Especially when two Americans leading a joint-venture boron mining project seem involved somehow. And why is the new acting prosecutor always turning up where Shan is? And who is the mysterious scarfaced Major who keeps appearing in the margins? More importantly, what about the reported sightings of the Buddhist demon Tamdin? What about the looting of priceless Buddhist valuables? Oh yes, and this all needs to be wrapped up before the American tour groups start arriving with the good weather.
There are a lot of threads woven throughout the book, and for the all this complexity, most readers will likely identify the killer very early on (there's a very obvious clue given), if not the motive. As the story unfolds, the reader is taken on a very bumpy ride which gets a little overwhelming with all the nuances of Chinese bureaucracy and infighting, not to mention heavy doses of Tibetan Buddhism and folklore. The book is strongest when describing the specifics of Chinese physical and cultural atrocities against the monks and the monks' grace and resilience in the face of brutal oppression. But the pacing is such that the mystery side of thing loses all momentum and drags on and on and on, and for all Pattison's journalistic descriptive skill, the characters tend to be rather flat. If the book had been about 100 pages shorter, I might have enjoyed it more, but as it was, it got somewhat tedious by the end. The book also would have benefited from a glossary of the Chinese and Tibetan terms that appear throughout. Not a bad debut book, but not one I'd recommend to anyone aside from those with a particular interest in Tibet. For Chinese mysteries, I much prefer Qiu Xiaolong's Shanghai-set series Death of a Red Heroine, A Loyal Character Dancer, and When Red is Black.
Average customer rating:
|
Skull Mantra
Eliot Pattison
Manufacturer: Century
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Mystery & Thrillers
| Subjects
| Books
Action & Adventure
| Genre Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0712680594 |
Average customer rating:
|
SKULL MANTRA
Eliot Pattison
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Minotaur
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTM1VI |
Customer Reviews:
Non-Western Blood Magic.......2002-11-29
Unlike the previous Blood Magic book, this book explores non-western and non-Tremere blood magics. After all, Assamite sorcerers, undead Brahmins and Setite mystics have their own dark secrets far older than the upstart Tremere. If you intend on using non-western Thaumaturgy a lot, this book is almost required. The mechanics are explored for each form of Blood Magic, but the most important aspect is that the philosophy behind each form is explored in detail. Common beliefs, spiritual connections and mystic tools are given for every style.
The first section focuses on Akhu, the dead magics of Egypt which the Setites have become so well known for. While not exclusive to the Followers of Set, the small handful of other Egyptian vampires who practice Akhu still honor Set in their practices. This chapter goes into great detail on Egyptian mysticism and beliefs, explaining important Egyptian Gods and Goddesses (yes, including Set) and beliefs in the underworld. Most of the Paths used in Akhu are already existing Thaumaturgy Paths called by Egyptian names (Sutekh's Valor and Path of Anubis for example), but there are lots of specific rituals for Setite mystics as well. There are also a couple new paths, such as Ushabti (creating working servants) and Path of Duat (underworld magic).
Assamite fans will be pleased by the next chapter, covering Dur-An-Ki, the magics of the ancient Middle East. Drawing on everything from ancient Mesopotamian, Hittite, Persian and Assyrian rites to Jewish qabbala to Christian and Islamic mysticism to Neo-Platonic philosophy, this is a pretty potent collection of traditions (both living and dead). Although dominated by Assamite sorcerers, it also is known by some Middle Eastern Brujah, Hajj Nosferatu, Mithraic Ventrue and many other Mid-Eastern ashipu. Special notice is made that there is a schism between older practicioners, who lierally worship Mithras, Marduk, Dagon and so forth, and younger practicioners, many of whom are Jews, Christians or Muslims. Again, most of the paths and rituals are regular Thauamturgy with names made more "Arabic" or "Mid-Eastern". Alot of the names come from the revised Assamite clanbook. However, there are some new rituals, many based off Arab folklore and Mesopotamian mythology. There are also some new paths, like the Evil Eye (self-explanatory) and Covenant of Nergal (disease magics).
Sadhana, tantric blood magic of India, is explored next. This magic is steeped very heavily in Hindu belief, which isn't too unusual. However, the way that vampires interpert Hinduism is somewhat different from the way that living Hindus do. Nonetheless, this is still an excellent chapter. This magic, is should be noted, is the exclusive property of the Brahmin class and, as such, is unique almost entirely to the Setites, Ventrue and Ravnos, the ruling castes in India. Notes on Hindu beliefs (and vampiric perversions thereoff) along with Hindu Gods and various Indian symbols and beliefs are given. Again, most paths are already existing Thauamturgical paths, though there are plenty of new rituals (some of which are quite potent). New Paths, including the long awaited Path of Karma, and the Blood-Nectar Path (which, incidentally, the Assamites know a variation of) are given.
Finally, we also get a look at Wanga, blood magics that were spawned from Afro-Carribean traditions. As might be expected, Wanga is used primarily by the Serpents of Light, Samedi and other Kindred from that region. The section explores the beliefs of various Afro-Carribean faiths, with the majority being devoted to Voudon, Santeria and Palo Mayombe. As could be expected, Wanateurs need to believe in one (or more) of these religions to use Wanga. Important Loas, Orishas and Nikisi are explored, along with commmon tools in Voudon. Again, most common Thaumaturgy paths and rituals are used in Wanga, along with some unique rituals. New Paths, including Voice of the Wild (an animal based path), are given. This chapter does briefly mention that similar magics are used in Africa, but it doesn't go into details. Presumably, more on African blood magic will be explored in Kindred of the Ebony Kingdom.
The book closes out with a Storyteller section, which gives some more Rituals for both Koldunic Sorcery and Voudon Necromany, and some odds and ends. There is alot of information on "spontaneous talismans" and how to use them in your Chronicles. There is also a write-up for the Tlacique, an Aztec/Mayan/Incan bloodline of Setites, and their own blood magics. Drawing from Olmec, Toltec, Aztec, Mayan, Incan and other traditions, this is pretty dark and gruesome stuff. The Path of Xipe Totec is pretty nasty!
All in all, this is an excellent book. Players of Assamites will definately appreciate how fleshed out Dur-An-Ki has become, while anyone who wanted to use Setite blood magics will appreciate the fleshing out of Egyptian, Indian, Voudon/Santerian and Aztec/Mayan/Incan blood magics. Given the heavy focus on Egypt, the Middle East and Africa, this could also be appropriate for running "Year of the Scarab" games or Mummy-crossovers (or you could use the Tlacique and their magics if you want to crossover with the South American Capacocha). Regardless of how you use it though, this book can be very useful for both players and STs.
If You Love Thaum..........2002-08-13
For thaumaturgy fans, this book is a great resource. Not needed or reccommended for new players/ST's, or those using blood magic purely as an offhanded filler. But, for those who want to immerse their players or characters in the world of thaumaturgy, this resource has fantastic info on non-Tremere paths and rituals, including a "lost" bloodline.
Book Description
All parents want the best for their babies, and there's no doubt about the fact that human milk is the ideal food for human babies. What's the secret of successful breastfeeding? For almost fifty years mothers who have been in touch with La Leche League have found the kind of information and support they needed to breastfeed their babies.
In this newly revised edition of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, you will learn:
• How human milk offers lifetime benefits for your baby
• How to prepare for breastfeeding during pregnancy
• How to exercise and lose weight safely while nursing
• How to find time for yourself while meeting baby's needs
• How to increase your milk supply by using herbs and medications
• How to be sure your baby is getting enough to eat
The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding was the first book of its kind, written for mothers by mothers. Over the years, more than two million mothers have turned to it for information and inspiration.
Customer Reviews:
disinformation.......2007-10-10
I was sorely disappointing in reading just the first chapter. Information relayed in the book as to epidural effects on breastfeeding was used as a scare tactic as was the pushing natural delivery.
I was most disappointed because this is a group that comes highly recommended and yet presents opinions as facts that are in direct contrast to the Mayo Clinic.
It was a waste of $13.
GREAT resource.......2007-10-04
You know the LLL is the number one agency for breastfeeding resource and this is THEIR book. LOTS of info for those women who are undertaking this labor of love and want to be ready.
Not very helpful for new moms.......2007-09-24
Following the birth of my first child, I had lots of questions about breastfeeding, despite my attendance of a breastfeeding class and appointments with a lactation consultant. This book provides some motivation to breastfeed, but did not answer many of my questions, esp. technical ones regarding supply/demand, latch-on problems, etc.
Instead I recommend the Sears' breastfeeding book or The Nursing Mother's Companion by Huggins.
Every breastfeeding moms bible!.......2007-09-18
I used this book when my 7 yr old was born, actually after reading so many conflicting books, I NEEDED this book. Now my neighbor has a new baby, & I purchased this book for her. You just have to read what you need to know, don't take heart to some of the things the book will advise. La Leche can come on strong, but they have good intentions, and the book is one of them! Definately a good guide for new moms, or neighbors helping new moms! :-)
The Breastfeeding Book Every Woman Needs.......2007-09-16
Trust me, I read them all before my son was born. This is the one that got me through those 2am crises and supported me through our entire breastfeeding experience from birth to child-led weaning. Its solid information with good backing from a variety of professionals.
Customer Reviews:
The BEST!.......2007-09-06
I am a native Louisianian and believe this is, by far, the best cookbook available. It is beautifully written and illustrated.
A treasure!.......2007-09-02
Someone gave us this book as a gift about 10 years ago and we use it for every holiday as it reminds us of our southern roots and holidays at my grandmother's. If you are a southern cook or love southern cooking, you can't go wrong with this one. I am living out of the country for a year and this is the one cookbook I want to have with me. The desserts are especially scrumptious!
Honest ingredients and excellent results.......2007-07-21
My husband and I bought this book in the French Quarter on our honeymoon in 1976, and in spite of the care I've taken to protect it, it is now in tatters from all the use. Every recipe I've tried is wonderful, and many are standard fare now. For example, the Dutch Baby is a Sunday morning favorite, and Lemon Loves always get gobbled up first when taken to a summer party.
The amazing ladies and gentlemen who submitted the recipes use real ingredients for authentic results, and I'm thankful for the chance to get a new copy of this Southern classic.
Delicious!.......2005-11-23
I have gone through 3 copies of this cookbook. All the recipes are given by folks that have cooked them in their own homes. Darlin's you cannot go wrong. Try the artichoke hearts! Yum! Yum!
First you get THE JOY OF COOKING, then...........2005-01-16
....you MUST have COTTON COUNTRY COLLECTIONS in your kitchen! These are the two most used cookbooks in my library. I have never had a recipe fail me lo these many years. I have given this as gifts for years as I'm getting ready to do right now through Amazon. Of course there are many "Southern" recipes in this wonderful cookbook, but I turn to it for all occasions. Many of the recipes offer suggestions for putting together a menu, which we can all appreciate! You'll find good basic recipes as well as special ones. And they are all so-o-o GOOD!
Average customer rating:
|
Cotton Country Collection
Manufacturer: Junior Charity League
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Plastic Comb
ASIN: B000CQ13Q2 |
Product Description
White plastic spiral bound cookbook with recipes collected by Junior Charity League of Monroe, Louisiana.
Average customer rating:
|
The Cotton Country Collection
Manufacturer: Junior Charity League of Monroe, LA, 1980
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GZAKBS |
Customer Reviews:
This cookbook was from where I graduated........2006-01-15
Thank you so much for sending me the High Cotton Cookbook. I graduated from Marvell Academy and I have always wanted one of there cookbooks. The mothers assocation does not sell them anymore so it has been very hard to find one. My moms recipe for doughnut is in there.
It was in such good shape also. This is something that I will keep forever. Thank you so much
Southern Cooking just like Mom and Nana made!.......2001-04-27
I received this cookbook as a wedding present from mom 20 years ago and I have used it so much the cover and some pages are lost!!!!...This cookbook is the best I have ever seen for good home or southern cooking. It has my Nana's Sugar cookie recipe I use every year for Christmas cookies. It has cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving Dinner just like my mom used to make and Turkey Gravy and Chicken & Dumplings just like my dear friend Pat taught me to make!It also has recipes that have been passed on by friends and family- Shirley in Florida and Aunt Sara in Arkansas passed on the same Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake-go figure-it's in there too! It also has some recipes I have never seen but use religiously now- like Monkey Bread and Peanut Brittle. This cookbook has everything and more-and I use no other!
Books:
- The Tainted Relic: An Historical Mystery
- The Vanished Hands (Javier Falcon Thrillers)
- The Vicious Vet (Agatha Raisin Mysteries)
- Thirty-three Teeth
- Tree of Hands
- Trial by Fury: A Mystery
- Tried & True All Season Grilling & BBQ: Top 200 Recipes
- Winter of the Wolf Moon: A Mystery (An Alex McKnight Novel)
- Winterkill (Joe Pickett Novels)
- A Fine And Bitter Snow (A Kate Shugak Novel)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Memoirs of General W.T. Sherman
- History: Fiction or Science
- Darwinian Natural Right: The Biological Ethics of Human Nature
- Dr. Mary's Monkey: How the Unsolved Murder of a Doctor, a Secret Laboratory in New Orleans and Cance
- Good to Great and the Social Sectors: A Monograph to Accompany Good to Great
- Leading Geeks: How to Manage and Lead the People Who Deliver Technology
- Homemade Sin
- Treasure Chests: The Legacy of Extraordinary Boxes
- Discourse By Three Drunkards On Government
- The Lady With the Dog and Other Stories: The Tales of Chekhov
Water Touching Stone
Beautiful Ghosts (Inspector Shan Tao Yun)
Bone Mountain
The Coroner's Lunch
Death of a Red Heroine (Soho Crime)
