What Zizi Gave Honeyboy: A True Story About Love, Wisdom, and the Soul of America

Book Description

One recent spring Gerald Celente went to visit his cuddly eighty-three-year-old Italian aunt, Zizi, in Yonkers, New York. He was expecting the same delectable combination of food, friendship, and motherly love that Zizi had served up through the years at her little kitchen table. But Celente got more than he expected. Over chicken cutlets and games of Scrabble, the straight-talking Zizi raised some tough questions for her nephew, "Honeyboy," to consider. Targeting some of the essential issues of our time-work, family, health care, politics, war, and aging in America -- Zizi made Celente think about whether America was delivering on its promises. Have we lost too many timeless old-world values in the march of progress? Are we really better off today than we were yesterday? And what does the future hold for each one of us, our families, and our community as a whole?

Celente thought he had it all figured out. As the founder of the Trends Research Institute, he is well respected for his track record of picking business, consumer, political, and economic trends before they come to pass. It is his job to see the future and understand how the issues and events of today will determine the trends of tomorrow.

But it took Zizi to help him see the unsettling truths about what has happened to America over the last several decades. They would talk about the world they once knew -- a world filled with family, dinners together, and Sundays at church. Zizi would remember "back then" with fondness, and Celente would recall his years growing up with his parents and six siblings. As they reflect on their pasts, their lives, and where we've arrived as a nation, Celente and Zizi realize that something has been lost. There is an emptiness that most of us feel. But what is the cause of it? And what can we do to fix it?

In What Zizi Gave Honeyboy, Gerald Celente provides a provocative look at our lives today and a glimpse of the future we deserve in Zizi's warmth, her recipes, and her wisdom.

Customer Reviews:

A modern day "The Prophet" (Gibran) in plain words.......2005-05-12

OK, that may be a little exagerated, but I couldn't put the book down - and thoughts of "The Prophet" DID cross my mind at times. I only bought it for an easy read - it was that and more. It's a book that I expect to re-read and (selfishly) I won't loan it out - not for a long time. However, at the current price, I might buy extra copies to give away. Unlike one reviewer, I appreciated the author's commentary (and the statistics) using real life examples to illustrate ZiZi's wisdom. ZiZi (and the author) put into simple words what many of us have thought many times while observing present day events and then, the author's commentary and statistics, add new perspectives. I'm not Italian - and this book didn't make me wish to me. Plain & simple - it's a delightful book who's author (and his aunt) just happen to be Americans of Italian descent- and the book wouldn't be the same if they weren't. I'll definitely try out ZiZi's Anise Cookies recipe - maybe today!

Easy to read, like a nice conversation.......2002-09-16

I liked the book! I had heard the author interviewed on NPR and was so impressed and intrigued by the premise of the book that I decided to order it here.I appreciated the semi autobiographical way in which Celente presented the conversations he had with his aunt. And, not being Italian myself, I found the insights into Italian-American culture of the thirties throuh the present very interesting.Zizi is presented as neither omnisciently wiser than anyone else, nor as a caricature. Her life experiences are presented from the viewpoint of a typical person of her era, living, learning, and doing the best she can throughout her long life. I would recommend the book to anyone who is interested in sociological history, or just warm conversation with an older, wiser relative.

Love and wisdom transmitted by an Italian aunt.......2002-09-01

This is a quick read, but a heartwarming one, sure to spark memories in many Italian-Americans about life the way it used to be, in the days when several generations often lived together under one roof, when life was hard but laughter somehow came easy anyway. The photos which accompany the text will touch your heart.
But this isn't just a trip down memory lane but an examination and critique of modern life, as seen through the eyes of Zizi, a wise and loving Italian aunt. She happens to be author Gerald Celente's aunt and it is clear that she has been a pivotal figure in his life, offering support and comfort as he went through a traumatic divorce, dispensing wisdom and love as needed. In the hours Celente spends with his aunt, talking and enjoying the meals she prepares (some of the recipes are included in the book), he begins to think about life past and life present and takes the reader along for the ride.
After reading this book, you may find yourself thinking about the pitfalls of modern life and what has been sacrified in the pursuit of progress. You may also think about what the future holds for each of us.

I loved it.......2002-05-03

This book is a must read for anyone that grew up as an american italian and cares about our future. It reminded me of what we are missing today and what is really important.

Zizi rocks!.......2002-04-23

I bought this book and couldn't put it down until I was
done reading it, a pretty fast bittersweet read.

Celente does a great job of showing how the default culture
in America has really screwed things up - from the fake food
most folks now get to the phoney political system.

He laments what we lost in the breakup of the traditional
extended family without coming across as a sentimental
reactionary.

Zizi for president!

Average customer rating:
What Zizi Gave Honeyboy : A True Story about Love, Wisdom and the Soul of America
Gerald Celente
Manufacturer: William Morrow & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEZU1Q

Book Description

Following the critically acclaimed Zen at War (Weatherhill Publishers, 1997), Victoria now explores the intimate and supportive relationship between Japanese institutional Buddhism and militarism during the Second World War. He reveals for the first time, based on the wartime writings of the Japanese military itself, that the Zen school's view of life and death was deliberately incorporated into the military's programme of 'spiritual education' so as to develop a fanatical military spirit in both soldiers and civilians. Furthermore, it is revealed that D.T. Suzuki, the most famous exponent of Zen in the West, was a wartime exponent of this Zen-inspired viewpoint which enabled Japanese soldiers to leave for the battlefield already resigned to death. Victoria demonstrates how even champions of Japan's new religions strove to inculcate service to the state and loyalty to the emperor in generations of pre-war Japanese school children. The book also examines the relationship to Buddhism of Japan's seven class-A war criminals, hung by the. Tokyo War Crimes Tribunal. A highly controversial study, this book will be of interest not only to those studying the history of the period, but also to anyone concerned with the perennial question of the 'proper' relationship between religion and state.

Customer Reviews:

An excellent book.......2003-03-22

This well researched and controversial book makes a deep impression. It raises crucially important questions about the relationship between religion and state as well as casting new light upon twentieth century Japanese history. That even Buddhism, in theory the most peaceful of creeds, could have been so extensively corrupted by a military agenda, gives one many
insights into human nature, not least, by comparison, into the contemporary phenomenon of guerrilla fundamentalists and their crusading patriotic opponents. The book contains a wealth of fascinating original source material, a feature that not only brings home the reality of war and its moral dilemmas, but also, most importantly, enables the reader to draw his or her own conclusions. An excellent book.

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Zen War Stories
Brian Daizen Victoria
Manufacturer: Taylor & Francis, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MVAYUS

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Zen War Stories

Manufacturer: ROUTLEDGE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GVZOWM

Average customer rating:

Zen War Stories
Daizen/ Victoria, Brian Victoria
Manufacturer: Routledge 1/2/2004
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MHAT70

Average customer rating:

Zen War Stories
Brian Victoria Daizen Victoria
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MU8UZ0

Amazon.com

Beyond croaking, "Nevermore," what exactly do ravens do all day? Bernd Heinrich, biology professor at the University of Vermont and author of Ravens in Winter, has spent more than a decade learning the secrets of these giants of the crow family. He has observed startlingly complex activities among ravens, including strong pair-bonding, use of tools, elaborate vocal communication, and even play. Ravens are just plain smart, and we can see much of ourselves in their behavior. They seem to be affectionate, cranky, joyful, greedy, and competitive, just like us. And in Mind of the Raven, Heinrich makes no bones about attributing emotions and intellect to Corvus corax--just not the kind we humans can understand. He mostly catalogs their behaviors in the manner of a respectful anthropologist, although a few moments of proud papa show through when he describes the pet ravens he hand-raised to adulthood.

Heinrich spends hundreds of loving hours feeding roadkill fragments to endlessly hungry raven chicks, and cold days in blinds watching wild ravens squabble and frolic. He is a passionate fan of his "wolf-birds," a name he gave them when he made the central discovery of the book: that ravens in Yellowstone National Park are dependent on wolves to kill for them. Mind of the Raven offers inspiring insight into both the lives of ravens and the mind of a truly gifted scientist. --Therese Littleton

Book Description

In Mind of the Raven, Bernd Heinrich, award - winning naturalist, finds himself dreaming of ravens and decides he must get to the truth about this animal reputed to be so intelligent.

Much like a sleuth, Heinrich involves us in his quest, letting one clue lead to the next. But as animals can only be spied on by getting quite close Heinrich adopts ravens, thereby becoming a "raven father," as well as observing them in their natural habitat, studying their daily routines, and in the process painting a vivid picture of the world as lived by the ravens. At the heart of this book are Heinrich's love and respect for these complex and engaging creatures, and through his keen observation andanalysis, we become their intimates too.

Throughout history there has existed an extraordinary relationship between humans and ravens. Ravens, like early humans, are scavengers on the kills of great carnivores. As scavengers, ravens were associated with hunters they found in the north: wolves and, later, men. The trinity of wolf, man, and raven in the hunt is an extremely ancient one. In considering the appeal of the raven, Bernd Heinrich suspects that a meeting of the minds might reside in that hunting trinity.

Heinrich's passion for ravens has led him around the world in his research. Mind of the Raven takes you on an exotic journey--from New England to Germany, Montana to Baffin Island in the high Arctic--offering dazzling accounts of how science works in the field, filtered through the eyes of a passionate observer of nature.

Heinrich has a true gift; through his stories, his beautiful writing, illustrations, and photography, the ravens come alive. Each new discovery and insight into their behavior is thrilling to read. just as the title promises, the reader is given a rare glimpse into the mind of these wonderful creatures.

Following the dictum of Leonardo da Vinci--"It is not enough to believe what you see. YOU Must also understand what you see"--Bernd Heinrich enables us to see the natural world through the eyes of a scientist. At once lyrical and scientific, Mind of the Raven is bound to be a modern classic.

Customer Reviews:

Mind of the Raven.......2006-07-31

Very informative yet not too scientific. Contains many facts not commonly known about these intelligent birds. This book could change your mind about them.

The ultimate book of raven behavior.......2006-04-03

I knew the raven had many interesting feature to them before I opened this book but after reading "mind of the raven" I will say I was amazed of both the research Bernd Heinrich has done and of this remarkable bird. Heinrich are presenting his findings about the ravens where he is taking the subject (the raven) seriously and simultaneously managed to make it attractive for people that have not specialize in beaks and feathers.

3 - 2 - 1 ...........2006-03-16

I agree with most reviewers that this book fascinates the reader with interesting science and anecdotes about ravens. There are countless facts and amusing information provided about the intelligence, behavior and antics of both wild and tame ravens. One of the more humorous sections was on vocal communication, particulary mimicking. Heinrich provides descriptions of captive ravens making perfect renditions of radio static, toilets flushing and a motorcycle being revved up. There was also a scientist in a national park who distictly heard several times: "Three, two, one, bcccchhhh", sounding as if coming from a speaker. This was acually a raven who was sufficiently impressed with the park rangers conducting avalanche control to repeat the count-down and sound of the explosion. Hilarious...
The experiments and observations the author describes of wild ravens in the forests of Maine, Alaska,the western states & elsewhere are also superbly written and provide insights into the interactions and cooperation of ravens with large (and dangerous) predators including Man.

Proof that ravens understand a lot more than "Nevermore!".......2006-01-10

Although I have not yet read Ravens in Winter, after having read Mind of the Raven, I would not have any scruples about declaring these birds to be smarter than certain individuals who claim to be my relatives.

Each chapter is essentially a mini-story describing Heinrich's observations of raven behavior in exquisite, although at times excruciating, detail. Many of these observations are of Heinrich's wild-caught, hand-raised ravens housed in his aviary in Maine, while others are field studies conducted with (I dare not say "on") wild ravens. Heinrich also incorporates stories of pet ravens along with the research of others who have conducted field studies with these elusive birds. I was impressed by the fact that observations of ravens throughout the world were integrated throughout the book.

Heinrich manages to neatly intertwine innumerable factoids related to raven ecology and natural history within each behavioral observation. One learns what constitutes the typical diet of wild ravens (if there is such a thing), that only females make a call that sounds like knocking on wood, that it is not uncommon for ravens to reach 20 years of age or more, that ravens either are not offended by or simply cannot smell skunks - honestly, I felt like a raven expert after having read this book.

Overall, Heinrich does an excellent job of interpreting raven social behavior and cognition from his studies. Studies of the social behavior of wild and tame ravens are explored, and the behaviors of other animals are often presented to provide support for his speculations. Heinrich also examines the hypotheses proposed by the forerunners in animal behavior, such as Konrad Lorenz, along side his observations.

Heinrich incorporates studies he designed to test raven intelligence as well. One cannot help but marvel at how smart these birds are. Heinrich provides speculations on the results of these tests and I found myself nodding in agreement; however, I cannot decide if it is because his arguments are so cogent or if I'm simply so amazed by the results that I'm succumbing to anthropomorphism. Nevertheless, Heinrich notes that he was warned in graduate school to not study anything more intelligent than himself - he claims to have met his match.

Gotta love this raving naturalist.......2004-11-04

Bernd applies his multi-faceted brand of research to a species that is clearly close to his heart (the raven), with spectacular results. He weaves anecdotes and scientific studies together flawlessly to draw conclusions that are hard to argue with, if only because he refuses to draw unwarranted conclusions when the evidence isn't clear. He personally studies ravens in his northeastern home area, in Alaska, and in Germany to note the differences between different populations of the animal. He also draws extensively on his observations from his own aviary, where it seems he is at times obsessively painstaking in recording nuances of behavior that would fly over the heads of the average bird owner.

The Good and the Bad:
This book has been done right, with a real attempt to keep the reader's interest without compromising the scientific value of the work. The information given is enough to be compelling without being too boring about statistics. The end of the book gets a little more tilted towards hard science, with a fairly in-depth discussion about what warrants consciousness and intelligence, but there's no other conclusion that would be appropriate.

On the bad side, there are very occasional forays into self-indulgence, as when he takes the opportunity to argue the comments of a peer reviewer who contributed to the rejection of the publication of his study, or when a not-so-funny joke is recounted.

What I learned:
The raven is a remarkable animal, and consciousness evolves for as much of a specific reason as anything else. One bird might be given all of the instinct necessary to operate within a very narrow range of activity, but shorted on additional brain tissue, which is costly to maintain. But the raven has evolved to develop food gathering skills through problem-solving, which allows it to be much more flexible in its approach to food gathering, social interactions, and defense. This hardwired ability to solve problems manifests itself as curiosity, a desire to play, and the ability to visualize consequences without actually performing the action; this last is the most compelling criterion for awareness.

Other interesting raven facts: They can count to as high as seven. They hunt items ranging from ground squirrels to baby seals, but subsist mostly on the carrion provided by bigger predators. They lack the physical ability to pierce skin, and so have to eat through natural body openings or wounds. They have a collaborative relationship with other predators, generally wolves, which results in the ravens possibly directing the wolves to a kill so that they can take their share. This has a strange effect where they're actually uncomfortable eating from a carcass that lacks a predator as a feeding partner. This relationship has been transferred to other species where wolves are scarce, ranging from human hunters to polar bears to, possibly, a cougar, which seemed to be led to a human by a raven hoping to feast on the aftermath of a human kill. The problem-solving abilities were best demonstrated by the fact that a raven, when confronted with a piece of meat dangling from a string, will pull the string up by degrees so that it can reach the meat.

Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures With Wolf-Birds

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Mind of the Raven: Investigations and Adventures With Wolf-Birds
Bernd Heinrich
Manufacturer: Ecco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEM0PU

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