The American Mixed Border

Book Description

Author Ann Lovejoy starts with the basics—site analysis, region, climate, soil, water—and proceeds to the various types of plants to be used and to appendices listing sources for plants and supplies, as well as gardens to visit for inspiration.

Customer Reviews:

Incredible book!.......2006-06-28

Beautifully written, well informed. Takes you step by step into the world of coordinating trees, shrubs, and perennials in the garden border. My copy is dog eared from use!

Elias Cornelius Boudinot: A Life on the Cherokee Border (American Indian Lives)

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Elias Cornelius Boudinot: A Life on the Cherokee Border (American Indian Lives)
James W. Parins
Manufacturer: University of Nebraska Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Cherokee Nation in the Civil War

ASIN: 0803237529

Book Description

Elias Cornelius Boudinot provides the first full account of a man who was intimately and prominently involved in the life of the Cherokee Nation in the second half of the nineteenth century and was highly influential in the opening of the former Indian Territory to white settlement and the eventual formation of the state of Oklahoma. Involved in nearly every aspect of social, economic, and political life in Indian Territory, he was ostracized by many Cherokees, some of whom also threatened his life.

Born into the influential Ridge-Boudinot-Watie family, Boudinot was raised in the East after the assassination of his father, who helped found the first newspaper published by an Indian nation. He returned to the Cherokee Nation, affiliating with his uncle Stand Watie and serving in the Confederate Army and as a representative of the Cherokees in the Confederate Congress. He was involved with treaty negotiations after the war, helped open the railroads into the Indian Territory, and founded the city of Vinita in Oklahoma. He also became a political figure in Washington, DC, a newspaper editor and publisher, and a prominent orator.

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Border Crossing: A Novel
Maria Colleen Cruz
Manufacturer: Pinata Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1558854053

Book Description

An entertaining novel about a young girl's search for her Mexican roots

When Ceci Alvarez decides to spend time thinking about who she is—and avoid taking yoga or reading books out of the "Self-Help" section when she grows up—she knows certain things. She is twelve going on thirteen. She is four feet and nine inches tall. She is named Cecilia Maryann Alvarez after her grandmothers, one name English and one name Spanish, which "made sense, since one of my grandmas spoke English and one spoke Spanish." But the things the teenager does not know will send her riding the rails from Los Angeles to Tijuana, Mexico to learn about her father's family.

One day while in her Nana's room, Ceci discovers a table brimming with old photographs of people she does not know and places she has never been. "Those pictures were probably the first things in the whole house which had ever interested me." This extraordinary find and the rapid Spanish of her grandmother's accusation that her father is embarrassed to be Mexican, propel Ceci on an odyssey that leads her from the trail of photographs to a new discovery.

Tony, a lively young teen Ceci meets on the train, leads her from one country to the next, and challenges her to see Mexico as "green and brown. It's little villages with big farms, and lots of grass, and towns where electricity is something not everyone has. It's spicy chilies, juicy tomatoes, and light tortillas. It's music, and laughter and pride."

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American Mixed Border Gardens for All
Ann Lovejoy
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O95OI0

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

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Russian Gold and Silver Work
Rh Value Publishing
Manufacturer: Random House Value Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Russia | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0517412926
Release Date: 1983-03-01

Faberge, Russian Works of Art, Objects of Vertu, English, Continental and American Silver and Gold

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Faberge, Russian Works of Art, Objects of Vertu, English, Continental and American Silver and Gold

Manufacturer: Sotheby Parke Bernet, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000IE5P9O

Amazon.com

Another impressive tome from Rodale Press, this practical text of nearly 1,000 pages covers organic gardening from the first soil preparation to the final harvesting and preserving. How to Grow Vegetable and Fruits by the Organic Method may be a bit daunting for the novice gardener, simply because of the size, but rest assured that all information is presented with a clear and simple vocabulary that first-timers can relate to easily. There's lots of handy lists and tables outlining the chemical composition of common items (feathers, fur, leaves) as well as charts for planting seasons and depths.

Unusual in a book of this size, there's also lots of letters from amateur gardeners addressing topics that range from a favorite type of lettuce (oakleaf) to in-house mushroom cultivation (under the sink is excellent). Illustrations tend to be line drawings, as well as small black-and-white photos--while helpful, they're just not as eye-pleasing as the big, color photos found in other books. For the committed organic gardener, the completeness of the text should more than make up for the lack of prettiness, as this book outlines numerous successful methods in use for decades. A great textbook for a crash course in organics or a handy reference manual for unfamiliar challenges, this is sure to provide fresh ideas for even the most experienced green thumbs out there. --Jill Lightner

Book Description

Originally published in 1959, this is the book that started it all. J.I. Rodale, founder of the organic gardening movement in the United States, compiled information from his visionary magazine into a 1100 page masterpiece on the art and function of organic gardening. Not a word has been changed in this nostalgic, yet extraordinarily applicable work. Topics include flower and vegetable gardening, soils, composting, greenhouses, fruit and nut trees, lawns, landscaping, pest control, and more. The Encuyclopedia of Organic Gardening truly does for gardeners what Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook is doing for food lovers!

How to Grow More Vegetables: And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine

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A good book with surplus pages
It's not easy, but it's brilliant and could save the world
Are you into numbers?
This is a great book
California Vegetarians

How to Grow More Vegetables: And Fruits, Nuts, Berries, Grains, and Other Crops Than You Ever Thought Possible on Less Land Than You Can Imagine
John Jeavons
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Vegetables | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1580082335

Book Description

A classic in the field of sustainable gardening, HOW TO GROW MORE VEGETABLES shows how to produce a beautiful organic garden with minimal watering and care, whether it's just a few tomatoes in a tiny backyard or enough food to feed a family of four on less than half an acre. Updated with the latest biointensive tips and techniques, this is an essential reference for gardeners of all skill levels seeking to grow some or all of their own food.

Customer Reviews:

A good book with surplus pages.......2007-08-16

This is a definitive guide to the Bio- Intensive method of growing vegetables. It is well written, and you can see that a lot of time and effort are behind the concepts presented here.
Two things bother me; There`s an almost 100- page bibliography included in the book!? Couldn`t it have been put up on a website or something, instead of just making the book (look) bigger and thicker? The second issue is that I find it always a bit irritating when a lot of equipment or systems get mentioned in a book, but to get their specifics or plans you must buy another book. Maybe the plans for the U- bar or for the mini- greenhouse could have fitted on those bibliography pages?
Anyways, the four stars is for the part where the actual system gets described.

It's not easy, but it's brilliant and could save the world.......2007-05-22

I am impressed at how many people misunderstand the purpose of this book. It's not just a gardening book. It lays out a comprehensive guide to growing the most food you can on the least amount of land in the most sustainable way -- meaning the way that is, on an ongoing basis into perpetuity, most healthy both for your family, your land, and the wider world. All those things are connected, and maintaining the connection is part of what the book and authors are all about.

The title means what it says, and they tell you exactly how to do it, basing their recommendations on the work of the organization that publishes the book, Ecology Action. They have been growing experimental gardens and conducting detailed research over the past 35 years. In succeeding editions of "How to Grow More Vegetables" they summarize their continuing research for those interested in personally benefiting from their methods and discoveries.

Some may object to the excruciatingly detailed charts and plans. Some of us find them a godsend. Regardless of what we think of them, they are the outgrowth of years of research and are intended to help, not just backyard gardeners in the US, but people in Kenya, India, Russia, Mexico, and other places around the world, whose lives and livelihoods, not to mention the health of their environment, may depend on maximizing their yields while minimizing their purchased inputs and water usage.

The central fact underlying this method is this: the only way to achieve the highest sustainable yields is to build and feed your soil, and the only way to build your soil without taking away fertility from someone else's soil (through purchased inputs such as compost, fertilizer, etc.) is to make and use your own compost. This book explains why, and shows you how. It works.

Though we are still shielded from it in the US, the world is facing a potentially devastating loss of agricultural fertility due to a combination of squandered topsoil (lost through both development and abuse by chemicals and poor tillage practices), water shortages, and soaring prices and reduced availability of fossil fuels (which power the farm equipment, get it to market, and form the basis of most chemical fertilizers). Years ago, Ecology Action set out to discover in a rational and scientific way, just how much land and labor it would take to grow the amount of food, properly balanced for calories and nutrition, required by one person for one year. Could a family of four truly feed itself from a 1200 square foot garden if it had to, or wanted to? How much work and water would it take? How much fertilizer would they have to buy? Could they grow their own fertilizer? What tools would they need? What about fiber for clothing? Building materials? Animal feed?

The "How to Grow More Vegetables" books answer those questions, and much, much more. As the years go by, (and with each succeeding food contamination scandal) more of us, even in the US, are realizing just how important those questions are. You may not need or want all the information in this book. But it is all there, and nowhere else that I am aware of, for those who do want it.

This book could save the world, if only the world would pay attention. But it will also show you how to grow fabulous, tasty vegetables with less water, less work, less weeding, less money.

Are you into numbers?.......2007-05-12

I like John Jeavons and his book is very useful. However, I'm not into calculating and figuring every square inch in the garden with tables/charts. I enjoy growing for the freedom of spirit it provides. This book although very useful, feels very constrictive. Not to mention EVERY page has at least 5 mentions of "Grow Biointensive". I felt like a was reading a long drawn out advertisement. Enough John, say it in the intro and then leave us alone to enjoy the book. If we weren't interested in your method we wouldn't be reading your book.

This is a great book.......2007-05-04

I had an earlier edition of this book that I used as an introduction to high intensity gardening. I love the book because gives technical information on such things as soil pH, soil preparation, plant spacing, and crop yields. It probably is not a book for people that do not enjoy the technical aspects of gardening; those wanting only a quick fix approach. I have ordered the 7th edition.

California Vegetarians .......2007-03-05

I have gardened organically for over 30 years, and always love to read good gardening books hoping to learn more. Unfortunately this book is so very focused on being totally vegetarian that they do not even recommend animal manures to be used in compost. I feel that they have totally ignored the natural cycles of birth - death - decomposition - and rebirth. A quote that says it all is, "Everything that eats is in turn eaten". That includes plants that feed on the remains of other plants, insects, or algae and bacteria. The author overlooks the fact that there are no total vegetarians in nature. Even grazers, gorillas, and great whales ingest insects or micro-fauna along with their grass, leaves, and plankton.

Organic gardening: How to grow healthy vegetables, fruits, and flowers using nature's own methods

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Organic gardening: How to grow healthy vegetables, fruits, and flowers using nature's own methods
J. I Rodale
Manufacturer: hanover House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007DOU8S

How to Grow Vegetables and Fruits By The Organic Method

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How to Grow Vegetables and Fruits By The Organic Method

Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H7M3LK

How to Grow Vegetables & Fruits By the Organic Method

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How to Grow Vegetables & Fruits By the Organic Method

Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J5XSKA

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How to Grow Vegetables and Fruits By the Organic Method
J. I. Rodale
Manufacturer: Rodale Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K1UE1O

HOW TO GROW VEGETABLES AND FRUITS BY ORGANIC METHOD

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HOW TO GROW VEGETABLES AND FRUITS BY ORGANIC METHOD

Manufacturer: Rodale Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GQB0ES

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How to Grow Vegetables and Fruits By the Organic Method
J I (editor) Rodale
Manufacturer: Rodale Books Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J1OP1K

Gardening with nature; how to grow your own vegetables, fruits, and flowers by natural methods

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Gardening with nature; how to grow your own vegetables, fruits, and flowers by natural methods
Leonard Wickenden
Manufacturer: Fawcett
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006W02CS

How to Grow Vegetable and Fruits By the Organic Method

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How to Grow Vegetable and Fruits By the Organic Method

Manufacturer: Rodale Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NRI3NG

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Not bad...

It is a ok book

TOP OF THE CLASS

We Tried It ... and It Worked!

Top of the Class: How Asian Parents Raise High Achievers

Top of the Class: How Asian Parents Raise High Achievers--and How You Can Too
Soo Kim Abboud , and Jane Y. Kim
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Child Development | Babies & Toddlers | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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The Minds of Boys: Saving Our Sons From Falling Behind in School and Life

Parents Do Make A Difference: How to Raise Kids with Solid Character, Strong Minds, and Caring Hearts (The Jossey-Bass Psychology Series)

How to Raise a Child with a High EQ: A Parents' Guide to Emotional Intelligence

POSITIVE PUSHING: HOW TO RAISE A SUCCESSFUL AND HAPPY CHILD

What Stories Does my son need?: A Guide to Books and Movies that Build Character in Boys

ASIN: 0425205614

Book Description

Asians and Asian-Americans make up 4% of the U.S. population...and 20% of the Ivy League. Now find out how they do it.

The numbers speak for themselves: 18% of Harvard's population; 25% of Columbia's; 42% of Berkeley's; 24% of Stanford's; 25% of Cornell's...

What are Asian parents doing to start their kids on the road to academic excellence at an early age? What can all parents do to help their children ace tests, strive to achieve, and reach educational goals? In this book, two sisters-a doctor and a lawyer whose parents came from South Korea to the U.S. with two hundred dollars in their pockets-reveal the practices that lead Asian-Americans to academic, professional, and personal success.

The authors contend that Asian-Americans are no more intelligent than any other race or ethnic group. They say, "the reason Asian students out-perform their peers in the classroom has nothing to do with how they

Customer Reviews:

Not bad..........2007-09-20

When I first picked up this book in the store I was heavily skeptical about it. (And yes, it *is* full of overbroad generalizations about America, Asian-Americans, education and so forth...) However, when I got to reading it, I found that heavy-handed chapter titles like "Forget the 'Do Whatever Makes You Happy' Mentality and Strive for Professions with Financial Security and Intellectual Fulfillment" were leavened by the thoughtfulness of the actual text. For example, in the aforementioned chapter, the authors write, "Education is never a waste--it not only opens doors, but also greatly increases your chances for financial security by providing you with skills the average person does not have." In a similar fashion, the authors thoughtfully address both sides of many educational choices throughout the book.

It seems to address those who have ambition for their children to succeed, but who don't feel they have the right tool set to do so. I suspect most of this material is already ingrained in the philosophies of most academically and professionally successful families of any race or background. (For example: Value learning for itself, set positive examples, set goals, be actively involved in your child's academic and social life.)

What seems to differentiate Asian-American families from other achieving families, at least according to the authors, is that the Asian families have no guilt about enforcing very specific academic standards and expectations. No valuing any of this floopy emotional or social development stuff at the expense of work that offers clear-cut, quantifiable returns. I suppose there's no point in arguing child-rearing and education philosophies--it's like arguing religion or politics, i.e. entertaining but futile--but it's interesting to read a well-articulated discussion of one perspective.

All of the above said, it's perfectly pleasant to read the educational life story of these two women and the parents who loved them very much.

Now, there are two unique, concrete ideas or observations that I drew from the book and thought I'd mention here: (1) The authors state that Asian parents use all those supercute Sanrio school supplies (the candy-colored erasers, the pencil cases that incorporate 100 different gadgets) as incentives that encourage kids to view starting school in a positive light. Interesting idea, might be particularly useful for exciting young girls. (2) They suggest parents invite a young student's entire class (and their parents) to early-school-year parties at Chuck E. Cheese or the like. The parents can then get to know their children's friends' parents a little better and ward off any who seem to have radically opposite value systems. That's pretty crafty if you ask me.

I was worried this book was going to capitalize on some "mysterious secrets of the Orient" angle, but it's really quite sensible. And that's the reason I'm giving it three stars. One star is missing because I disagree with some of the educational attitudes, and the second is missing because it's not differentiated enough from good common sense or the trillions of other "help your child succeed" books. A fair amount of good common sense would probably serve much the same purpose as this likable but not standout book.

It is a ok book .......2007-07-18

First, I think some points of the book are laudable. Study has to be a journey with both perseverance and fun. Nobody can go very far without either one. American culture encourages having fun more than hard work, while the Asian culture values persistence more than enjoyment. It is difficult to strike a balance. The parents of the authors have done a good job installing the kids the love to learn and enough perseverance to overcome the obstacles on the road. Another point I like is the involvement of parents in the children's education. No doubt, still at impressible ages, kids will be more motivated if parents spend time and offer guidance about their school work.

However, I feel somehow disturbed after finishing the book. Both authors went straight home after school during their school years so they could continue their study under the mother's guidance. I don't think this life style (lack of communication and understanding with peers, hand held by the parents without independence, deprivation of time to explore their interest and enjoy life) will raise a confident, independent, thoughtful and happy kid. Both authors spent years studying for SAT so they could get good score in the exam. But they didn't mention their parents encouraged them to develop a real thinking habit. Even the book itself has a wooden tone and lacks any original and well thought out analysis. That makes me think what years of cramming and unconditional obedience can do to the malleable young minds.

Anyway, I am glad I finished it and learned something. But I think several arguments in the book are way too rigid and extreme to provide help. So read the book with open mind and don't start applying all the principles before thinking it through.

TOP OF THE CLASS.......2007-07-09

This is a terrific book if for no other reason it has started parents talking about how they are rearing their children. The authors of this book, who are Asian, tell us how their parents specifically and Asian parents in general raise their children. I found very little in this book that I disagree with. The most interesting aspect of this debate is the shear hostility coming from many critics of this book. The authors have been called racist, naïve and unqualified to comment on the subject. I think these critics do protest too much. Are they just defensive because they know deep down inside that their parenting skills suck and have neither the willpower nor desire to actually control their children and provide the kind of direction that these women are talking about?
It seems to me that the absolute worst thing you can say about this is that it is the opinion of two individuals. The book is much more than that. It represents a truth, a reality buttressed by objective data - the success of Asian academically in this Country. These critics who find nothing of value in this book, should examine their own motivations. I have found that many parents are unwilling to invest much time into the intellectual development of their children and are defensive when others do. I think one word comes to mind when you read this book. PROACTIVE. A good parent is proactive.

We Tried It ... and It Worked!.......2007-06-01

As an American temporarily living in Tokyo, I have been very impressed with the high achievements and standards set by the Japanese children around me. For example, at my daughter's school, which encompasses a large international group of children, I noticed that the Japanese and Korean children do seem to take home not only the majority of the academic awards, but also a great majority of the music and sports prizes also.

After a little investigating on my part, I found the American parents often hold the attitude that children should come home and relax or play after school, and that the Asian parents pushed their children too hard to achieve. American children on the most part did not study beyond doing the required homework, played whatever sport was available for the three month sport season, and had no required practice time for music or other skills. However, after school many Japanese children attend extra school tutoring. Rather than play a different sport every three months, they concentrate on one sport, practicing year round to achieve greater competence. It is expected that homework, music or sports practice, or whatever be done to the best of one's ability.

After reading this book, I applied several of the ideas to my daughter. I have just left her end of the school year award ceremony, where she just increased her reading book count from last years minimum, to this year being the second highest reader of the school. She also just received an award for her new musical accomplishments. As for after school activities, she recently won several trophies for big wins in swimming competitions. She is so proud of herself, sees what a little extra work can do, and wants to accomplish more. This summer we are adding extra math work to bring that score up to the reading score, and two weeks at swim camp.

The ideas work. Read with an open mind, and I am sure you can find several ideas you can apply with your child also.

Top of the Class: How Asian Parents Raise High Achievers.......2007-05-15

I thought it was very poorly written. The authors claimed that one of the reasons that American children are not as successful in school as Asian children is because they are involved in too many extracurricular activities. While I agree that extracurricular activities should not cut into study time, I believe that there should be a balance. There are many American parents who have found this balance and their children are the ones that do well in school. I want my daughter to be successful, but I also want her to be happy.

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