Gertie the Duck: Look! I-Can-Read Book

Book Description

The author of Video Night in Kathmandu ups the ante on himself in this sublimely evocative and acerbically funny tour through the world's loneliest and most eccentric places. From Iceland to Bhutan to Argentina, Iyer remains both uncannily observant and hilarious.

Customer Reviews:

Witty and Insightful ..........2005-08-09

Pico's short book is full of sharp and witty humor conjugated with intelligent insightful observations. He combines day-to-day anecdotes, personal interactions and socio-political prose with amazing dexterity. The background information provided for each lonely country visited by Pico is pretty amazing.
I have traveled to some of these lonely places and can almost relive my travel experiences after reading his book (though he traveled almost a decade before I did). With every passing chapter, I could observe a progressive improvement in Pico's writing style. Essays from Argentina, Paraguay and Bhutan are very interesting. He comes into his own with the concluding essay on Australia.

Great ideas for an intrepid traveller. .......2005-05-12

Pico Iyer has a keen eye and great facility with words, and therefore his books always make for great reading. "Falling off the map," is a book that describes at lenght about some lonely places in the world. He has an uncanny knack of painting a vivid portrait that instally transports you to these places.

Iyer defines lonley places as those places that are not the topic of conversation at any international dinner tables. These places are "shy,defensive,curious places: places that do not know how they are supposed to behave." And Iyer convices us in that in this ever-shrinking world such placs still exist: Cuba, Iceland, Bhutan, Vietnam and others.

The minute I finished reading the book, I wanted to go these lonely and interesting places that Iyer talks about in this book. But, that was just a passing thought, and then harsh reality intruded and I started to fret about creature comforts, food, transportion etc.Visiting these places is not for the faint-hearted with weak stomachs.

If you can brave these places like Iyer did, you are a lucky person, but if you are like the masses that like to sit in the comfort of a lazybody of the living room and indulge in arm-chair travelling then this is a must-read book. That is precisely what I did. I derived great vicarious pleasure by reading this book.

But, alas Iyer made his expedition to these lonely places over a decade ago, and since then things have changed in some of these lonely places, and they are fast becoming the new destination for regular travellers. There is some hope for me in this changing travelling trend ...perhaps, I can get to visit these places in my lifetime.

A Non-Guide to Non-Tourist Attractions.......2005-05-07

I have to admit I'm a sucker for all travel narratives. I have a serious travel jones myself, and since I'm not in a position to jet all over the world right now, I have to armchair travel. Pico Iyer was recommended highly to me by a fellow armchair traveler so I set about this book with some high expectations.

The downside of this book is that he's writing about a number of places I'm likely not to visit-North Korea, Cuba, Paraguay-but after a few chapters my disappointment at reading about "lonely places" that will remain unvisited by me gradually fell away as Iyer's style became more comfortable for me.

He refers to classic travel writers frequently, and if you haven't read these authors, some of the references lose their impact, but Iyer's observations are so detailed, so full of atmosphere, that you don't necessarily get a picture of the country he's visiting, but a total feeling that's larger than the individual portraits he presents. I get the feeling he genuinely loves the people and the places he's visited and doesn't see them as part of some journalistic assignment he has to get through.

home is where everything is the same and yet different.......2002-05-13

Pico Iyer's prose caught my eye in his Time Magazine columns where he did a good job showing us how recognizable the exotic has become. This collection, his first in book form, again reiterates that the most difficult aspect of long distance travel is not any longer how to get there, how to dodge danger or how to find your way back but how to avoid to bump into the same features you left 10,000 miles and 6 timezones earlier. Showing through many examples, sometimes hilarious and sometimes profoundly sad how globalisation regurgitates the same marketing ideas dressed in different flags it really makes its point that the era of the curious gentleman(woman) traveler looking for exotic shores has been overtaken by the vastly less romantic quest to escape the onslaught of canned icons in any neck of the woods.
The book also does a nice job of illuminating the paradoxical quest of the overfed and understimulated prestigious first world traveler trying to find hidden corners where there is still some sort of exploration possible and where not all laws of our structured civilization apply only to be greeted by the not so happy natives who are dying to know how to join the West or in the least purchase its most potent logos.

Has Iyer Ever Really Left His Desk?.......2002-04-11

This guy either makes up things as he goes along or doesn't actually go along! For instance, he said garden fences and TV antenna are banned in Canberra Australia, which is nonsense. In fact, fences are erected at the time houses are built, so everyone has them, and most roofs also sport TV antennas. Plus, he describes Australian houses as "semi-detached," when they are almost all just like your average suburban American house. Not major points, but he certainly lost all credibility with me. In fact, I seriously doubt that he's actually been here. Read Bill Bryson's book if you want to learn about Australia.

Falling Off The Map (Some Lonely Places of the World

Average customer rating:

Falling Off The Map (Some Lonely Places of the World
Pico Iyer
Manufacturer: Black Swan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NCU7AS

Average customer rating:

Falling Off the Map: Some Lonely Places of the World

Manufacturer: Black Swan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0552995851

Average customer rating:

Falling Off the Map : Some Lonely Places of the World
Pico Lyer
Manufacturer: New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1993
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OMFCCU

Average customer rating:

Falling Off the Map, Some Lonely Places of the World
Pico IYER
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KRR9MA

Book Description

Beginning with George Washington's inauguration and continuing into the nineteenth century, The New Nation tells the story of the remarkable challenges that the freshly formed United States faced. Thomas Jefferson's purchase of the Louisiana Territories (bought from France at a mere four cents an acre!), Lewis and Clark's daring expedition through this wilderness, the War of 1812 a.k.a. "Revolutionary War, Part II," Tecumseh's effort to form an Indian confederacy, the growth of Southern plantations, the beginning of the abolitionist movement, and the disgraceful Trail of Tears are just a few of the setbacks, sidetracks, and formidable tasks put in the new nation's path. Master storyteller Joy Hakim weaves these dramatic events and more into a seamless tale that's so exciting, how could it be true? But it is--it's A History of US.

Customer Reviews:

The American experiment goes from theory to practice.......2003-08-02

The reason Joy Hakim's "A History of US" series is so perfect for home schooling is that she actively engages her young readers in each volume. Usually in a history textbook like this the author is primarily concerned with presenting a lot of information in a captivating manner. There is some attention paid to the importance of people and events, but it is often left to the teacher in the classroom to make the connections and bring history alive for their students. However, Hakim takes a much more actively role in her textbooks. She is constantly asking her young readers to put themselves in the position of the people she is writing about and does an excellent job of anticipating questions that students would ask while reading about this particular events.

Volume 4 in this series deals with "The New Nation 1789-1850," which is the longest period of time covered in a single volume after the first two, which covered epochs from the first arrival of humans in North America to the entrenchment of the British in America. Hakim begins with the nation getting started with the inauguration of George Washington as the first President and ends with the Compromise of 1850, the watershed event that forestalled the coming of Civil War for another decade. However, the next volume in the series, "Liberty For All? 1820-1860" clearly overlaps with this one big time. This volume deals with the War of 1812 and the Seminole Wars while "Liberty For All?" covers the Mexican American War. The best way to describe the basic distinction between the two volumes is that this one looks at the country as a political experiment while the other deals with the expansion of the nation.

"The New Nation" is basically divided into four sections. The first (Chapters 1-9) deals with the Federalist administrations of George Washington and John Adams, including a look at the key principle of judicial review. The second (Chapters 10-20) deals with the nation from the presidency of Thomas Jefferson to that of Andrew Jackson, which involves both the Indian question and the War of 1812 (a.k.a. the Revolutionary War Part II). The third section (Chapters 21-26) contrasts American ingenuity with the treatment of the Indians. The final section (Chapters 27-36) addresses the slavery issue and the rise of the Abolitionists, ending with the great debate in which Henry Clay, John C. Calhoun, and Daniel Webster gave their final great speeches (I have a background in rhetoric so this is one of my favorite parts of American history).

Hakim's focus is on how the principles of the revolution embodied in Constitution had to be enacted in practice. She underscores that at this point in American history the idea of "people," (as in "we the People") does not mean what it means today. If you are not an adult, white, free, male, property owners, then you are not really a citizen (and it is not until the Gettysburg Address that Lincoln makes the idea that "all men are created equal" part of the national consciousness). Anyhow, I agree with the impulse to have some overlap between the two volumes bridging the Revolution and the Civil War and to provide a clearer focus on the political and social elements by dealing with them this way.

Average customer rating:

Great for home schooling

Homeschooling Dream

A History of US: Book 4: The New Nation (1789-1850) (History of U.S., Book 4)
Joy Hakim
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

History | Subjects | Books | Africa | Americas | Ancient | Arctic & Antarctica | Asia | Audiobooks | Australia & Oceania | Europe | Gay & Lesbian | Historical Study | Large Print | Middle East | Military | Military Science | Russia | United States | World
General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Colonial & Revolutionary | United States | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | United States | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

A History of US, Book 2: Making Thirteen Colonies (History of US)

A History of US: Book 5: Liberty for All? 1820-1860 (History of Us)

A History of US: Book 3: From Colonies to Country 1735-1791 Teaching Guide (History of Us, 3)

A History of US: Book 6: War, Terrible War 1855-1865 (History of Us, Book 6)

A History of Us: Liberty for All? 1820-1860 Teaching Guide (History of Us)

ASIN: 0195127587

Book Description

Observe our very first President as he figures out how to do the job. Also, herein: Details of one of the world's greatest land bargains. News of an expedition to unmapped territory west of the wide Mississippi. And stories of a powerful Indian leader and of a man who made himself free.

Customer Reviews:

Great for home schooling.......2004-09-24

I think that this book has been a life saver for our homeschool history needs. It is written at a level my 5th grader understands and sparks many conversations that I had not expected to have until high school history. It has sparked his interest to learn more about the people and places of history. I love the shorter sentences and all of the thinking questions. Even the chapters are short so we can take one step at a time. It defines words that he would have asked about in the margin and gives great pronunciations to difficult words and people's names. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to read history with their child

Homeschooling Dream.......2000-05-10

Joy Hakim's entire series is a homeschoolers dream. The books are written so well and the pictures are so nice that interest is kept by both student and teacher.

A History of US: Book 4: The New Nation, 1789-1850 Teaching Guide for Elementary School Classes (History of Us)

Average customer rating:

A History of US: Book 4: The New Nation, 1789-1850 Teaching Guide for Elementary School Classes (History of Us)
Joy Hakim
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Pedagogy | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Arts & Photography | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0195168518

Book Description

Teacher's Guide to accompany A History of US Book 4: The New Nation. The fourth in a set of 10.

The New Nation 1789-1850 (The History of the US, Book 4)

Average customer rating:

The New Nation 1789-1850 (The History of the US, Book 4)

Manufacturer: D. C. Heath and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0669360236

Product Description

The History of the US, The New Nation 1789-1850, Book 4, Teaching Guide. Written by Deborah Parks, Published by D. C. Heath and Company, 1994.

Book of the New American Nation (Brown Paper School US Kids History)

Average customer rating:

A review from a fifth-grade teacher

Book of the New American Nation (Brown Paper School US Kids History)
Marlene Smith-Baranzini , and Howard Egger-Bovet
Manufacturer: Little Brown & Co (Juv)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0316969230

Customer Reviews:

A review from a fifth-grade teacher.......2000-04-02

This book is an excellent resource for any teacher who is doing a unit on the American Revolution. The book includes activities that are suitable for ages 8-13 and factual narrative stories that are directed at this audience. It even includes a skit about the Boston Massacre that students love to do! Whether you are writing lesson plans or looking for a resource for you classroom library or media center, this book is a must-have!

A History of US: Book 4: The New Nation, Teacher's Guide (A History of Us)

Average customer rating:

A History of US: Book 4: The New Nation, Teacher's Guide (A History of Us)
Joy Hakim
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0195110900

Book Description

This A History of US guide includes teaching strategies, conceptual frameworks, and assessment suggestions as well as a range of activities for enrichement and extension.

A History of US: Teacher's Guide, Grade 8 Book 4, New Nation (History of Us)

Average customer rating:

A History of US: Teacher's Guide, Grade 8 Book 4, New Nation (History of Us)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Study & Teaching | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Pedagogy | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0195188896

The New Nation: A History of US, Book 4 (Unabridged)

Average customer rating:

The New Nation: A History of US, Book 4 (Unabridged)
Joy Hakim
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download

War of 1812 | Military | History | Subjects | Books

A History of US: Book 4: The New Nation 1789-1850 (A History of US)

Average customer rating:

A History of US: Book 4: The New Nation 1789-1850 (A History of US)
Joy Hakim
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette

General | Books on Cassette | Audiobooks | Formats | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1402524153

Book Description

Average customer rating:

A History Of Us: Book 4: The New Nation, 1789-1850 Teaching Guide For Elementary School Classes (history Of Us)
Joy Hakim
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKSOPY

Customer Reviews:

Good Images but no web addresses.......2000-05-30

It's a good book with interesting stock photography, but not one company has a web page address printed on the book, so finding the companies from other countries is a pain.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books