Book Description
Bill Bryson meets Bruce Lee in this raucously funny story of one scrawny AmericanÂ's quest to become a kung fu master at ChinaÂ's legendary Shaolin Temple.
Growing up a ninety-pound weakling tormented by bullies in the schoolyards of Kansas, young Matthew Polly dreamed of one day journeying to the Shaolin Temple in China to become the toughest fighter in the world, like Caine in his favorite 1970s TV series, Kung Fu. While in college, Matthew decided the time had come to pursue this quixotic dream before it was too late. Much to the dismay of his parents, he dropped out of Princeton to spend two years training with the legendary sect of monks who invented kung fu and Zen Buddhism.
Expecting to find an isolated citadel populated by supernatural ascetics that heÂ'd seen in countless badly dubbed chop-socky flicks, Matthew instead discovered a tacky tourist trap run by Communist party hacks. But the dedicated monks still trained in the rigorous age-old fighting forms—some even practicing the “iron kung fu” discipline, in which intensive training can make various body parts virtually indestructible (even the crotch). As Matthew grew in his knowledge of China and kung fu skill, he would come to represent the Temple in challenge matches and international competitions, and ultimately the monks would accept their new American initiate as close to one of their own as any Westerner had ever become.
Laced with humor and illuminated by cultural insight, American Shaolin is an unforgettable coming-of-age tale of one young manÂ's journey into the ancient art of kung fu—and a funny and poignant portrait of a rapidly changing China.
Customer Reviews:
American Sholin.......2007-10-07
Very entertaining..wouldn't be surprise if a movie was made based on this experience. Good reading!
An American's delightful stay among the Shaolin monks.......2007-09-28
American Shaolin is an amusing and insightful memoir of a young American's experiences while training with Shaolin monks in the 1990s. It is the kind of book that you will read in a few hours. I especially like the author's mostly positive attitude toward his environment. I compare it favorably to Paul Shirley's memoir as a basketball player, in which Shirley mostly complains and puts down his fellow athletes. In this book, the author has respect and awe for the monks, and it is satisfying to watch him approach their level of expertise. While it is nonfiction, the book follows a narrative structure and is essentially a coming-of-age story. Frankly, I'm suspicious of his success as a kungfu kickboxer. It is hard to believe that someone with months of training can defeat someone with years of training. However I do not think that he fabricated any of the stories. Rather, he chose the anecdotes that fit his storyline of physical (as a martial artist) and personal (as a man) growth. Thus, he starts with a few missteps and then describes a few more successes. I have one slight quibble: at the end, he refers to his respect for China's devotion to its culture, which I thought he could have referenced earlier in the book, to show his progression to that respect.
Six of one, half-dozen of the other.......2007-09-06
As a travel narrative, the book is excellent. It's easy to learn a lot about the Chinese culture from this period of time, and the local characters are likable, well-written, and complex. If read as a memoir, however, it's difficult for me to get over the fact that the author just isn't very likable. He begins as a self-centered college student, and never really evolves all that much. Sure, he gets stronger and more skilled at his art, but I was never able to sympathize with him. No matter why this is the case, the book is mildly recommended if read for what it is--a light travelogue for those interested in China or martial arts. Those looking for an example to follow or a character for which to root ought look elsewhere.
Go to CMAOD dot com to learn Shaolin and any other martial arts style for cheap, and avoid imposter martial arts teachers!.......2007-08-26
Shaolin kung fu is without question beautiful and if you wish to learn complete kung fu forms for only seven ninety nine per video disc, or slightly more for English-Chinese DVDs, visit the website that begins with the first letters of "Chinese Martial Arts On Disc": CMAOD dot com. "CMAOD dot com" offers every kind of kung fu form and style you would ever wish to learn from beginning to end: traditional hong gar, almost all styles of Shaolin, Dim Mak, traditional hong fist, animal styles, many fighting self-defense videos, wudang, er mei, and dozens of other complete systems of kung fu, including weapons, forms, and self-defense. You name it, you can learn it, without having to spend thousands of dollars to learn from phony kung fu teachers. Many Americans don't know that this website allows you to buy the best instructional VCDs and DVDs available. Visit the "wushu for youth" section of CMAOD dot com and you can buy the wushu fundamentals VCDs or DVDs that will teach you from the beginning stages. Visit the Shaolin section and you will find more fundamental Shaolin VCds or DVDs taught by two allegedly real Shaolin monks called Shi De Juan and Shi De Jian. I don't know how real their monkhood is, but they are gifted martial artists, and you can learn complete forms in many styles of martial arts. You've got to see this website to believe it. The owner Bill is a great guy, and offers great discounts on his website. You've got to visit CMAOD dot com to believe it. There are literally thousands of kung fu artists here that are "at least" as good as the so-called real Shaolin monks in China and America, and many are far far better. With a few bucks, they can be your teacher. If you can't find a good teacher in person, here's your only chance to learn real Shaolin or other styles for almost nothing. Ever wish you could find "the secret kung fu manual" to teach you various styles? Well, here it is in video disc or DVD form. Buy these VCDs or DVDs and enjoy learning great martial arts from top Chinese masters without worrying about being fooled by phony kung fu masters. Finally, every American has access to real kung fu learning at his or her own pace! I have written three international cover stories for Inside Kung Fu and Wushu Kung Fu magazines (now Kung Fu magazine) and can vouch that CMAOD dot com is the best source for learning authentic Shaolin and other kung fu step-by-step without being bamboozled by and kowtowing to phony practitioners of fake kung fu styles or schools. Learn at your own pace, according to your own interests from the best Chinese masters and grandmasters for less than eight dollars for VCDs.
A special book - warm, funny and thoroughly enjoyable.......2007-08-20
This book will appeal to anyone who likes a good story and a good laugh. On the surface, the book seemingly appeals more naturally to men, but it is great book for anyone who welcomes adventure, likes rooting for the underdog, and loves great writing ala PJ O'Rourke and Christopher Buckley. Matt Polly is a great new writer -- I'm hooked.
Amazon.com
Ron Suskind won the Pulitzer Prize for feature writing in 1995 for his stories on Cedric Jennings, a talented black teenager struggling to succeed in one of the worst public high schools in Washington, D.C. Suskind has expanded those features into a full-length nonfiction narrative, following Jennings beyond his high-school graduation to Brown University, and in the tradition of Leon Dash's Rosa Lee and Alex Kotlowitz's There Are No Children Here, delivers a compelling story on the struggles of inner-city life in modern America. While it appears to have a happy ending (with Jennings earning a B average in his sophomore year), A Hope in the Unseen is not without a few caveats (at times, Jennings feels profoundly alienated from his white peers). Trite as it may sound to say, this book teaches a lesson about the virtue of perseverance, and it's definitely worth reading. --John J. Miller
Book Description
It is 1993, and Cedric Jennings is a bright and ferociously determined honor student at Ballou, a high school in one of Washington D.C.’s most dangerous neighborhoods, where the dropout rate is well into double digits and just 80 students out of more than 1,350 boast an average of B or better. At Ballou, Cedric has almost no friends. He eats lunch in a classroom most days, plowing through the extra work he has asked for, knowing that he’s really competing with kids from other, harder schools. Cedric Jennings’s driving ambition–which is fully supported by his forceful mother–is to attend a top-flight college.
In September 1995, after years of near superhuman dedication, he realizes that ambition when he begins as a freshman at Brown University. In this updated edition, A Hope in the Unseen chronicles Cedric’s odyssey during his last two years of high school, follows him through his difficult first year at Brown, and now tells the story of his subsequent successes in college and the world of work.
Customer Reviews:
Overrated. .......2007-08-26
A Hope in the Unseen was an engaging read and I absolutely fell in the love with the beginning. Cedric's life was put into a perspective that I could connect to and it was as if I could see everything through is eyes. It is a story that is uplifting and can be appreciated by people of any gender or color.
However, I did find a few things to frown upon. One part of the book that bothered me was the constant racial labeling. Understandably it is one of the main themes throughout the story and it is what makes this book so appealing to many. You get to see a struggling young black man make it out of a situation where many others would have gotten swallowed up. Yet, to me it became annoying because when I would finally reach a moment when I could connect to the characters as people the writer, and sometimes Cedric, would draw the whole focus back to who was what race and where they come from. It is great to be proud of who you are and what your background is but it doesn't have to define you.
During one of the later chapters we encounter Cedric and Zayd eating lunch. Zayd's friend, Josh, wanders over and immediately Cedric makes a remark about he should not be seen with two white guys. Whether he meant it jokingly or not it hurt Josh's feelings and created an awkward situation. Maybe it's because I just don't understand it but I think it was a little insensitive of Cedric. This was the only flaw that I had problems ignoring. It just seemed as if Cedric felt that he was entitled to be at Brown simply because he was a minority. Even if he wasn't in the minority, I sense a certain attitude that develops from attending an ivy league institution. It is almost as if by having your name on their roster that it makes you superior to everyone else.
This is definitely not the case and if people to hold on to such a mentality is disturbing.
Another problem I had with the novel was that after finishing such an uplifting story you start wondering what is next and if the system has ever changed. Sure, Cedric made it out and became successful but what about everyone else who was left behind? What about the students who were not as academically inclined or those who were not fortunate enough to have people supporting and pushing them like Cedric did? This book gives people an insight into a world that many are oblivious to. This could have been a great opportunity to open people's eyes about social injustice and to spark their interest in finding a way for more students to become like Cedric. I believe the author could have steered this book into becoming a link between the readers and social activism. Plenty of people have either had similar experiences or are now more aware of such situations and would be more than happy to support and contribute to any programs that are trying to turn this around. I believe more could have been done with A Hope in the Unseen in this regard.
All in all, this story was fairly interesting and inspiring. It was definitely helpful to read about the transitions from high school to college and to see how one person dealt with the common worries of university life. However, I do not see myself recommending this to many people and I believe that it is highly overrated. I do not believe it is "formula shattering" as one reviewer described it. In fact I think it follows the basic guidelines to any underdog story. I felt as if I could have been reading any number of stories, except with a different setting and character. A Hope in the Unseen is good for classroom reading assignments or book clubs because it has many discussion points and may lead readers to be more aware of the various issues it touches on. Other than that, I must truthfully say that I would not have read this given the chance to choose it for myself.
A Beautiful Mind.......2007-07-07
Ron Suskind's A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League is reminiscent of A Beautiful Mind: The Life of Mathematical Genius and Nobel Laureate John Nash. In "A Beautiful Mind," our hero, John Nash, faces and fights his own demons to finally succeed and excel in the Ivy League world. In "A Hope Unseen," our hero, Cedric Jennings, fights and faces demons of societal injustice to finally succeed and excel in the Ivy League world.
Suskind's riveting narrative of Jenning's ascension from inner city life to Ivy League life paints a portrait of the contrasts between cultures like few other books ever have or ever could. More importantly, it tells the story of moving beyond suffering to a place of hope through persistence and resilience based upon Christian faith, maternal wisdom (mother wit), and the inspiring tradition of African American music.
Reviwer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.
Awesome Book!.......2007-02-06
This is an awesome book that I would have never read if it weren't required by one of my classes! Even though I paid for standard shipping, the book arrived quickly! I am very pleased with my purchase from this company.
Hope is seen.......2007-01-22
Moving story about a young man struggling through life in the inner city, who through grace, faith, determination and hardwork achieves the dream. The story follows him through high school and college. Outstanding novel for anyone to read, but especially for young black males.
Inspiring, but I'm not a fan of Suskind's style.......2007-01-04
I read A Hope in the Unseen recently and found it to be an uplifting story which had the potential to create awareness about DC's inner-city schools - but that's where it stopped.
I had been hoping for a bit more research within the story on the inner-city situation and proposals for its improvement, but I was let down in the face of a lot of needless detail which I did not care about and which had no lasting impact on me. The book is a nice story, but I finished it feeling as though I had not really learned anything new and although the book had a personally inspiring effect, its value as a tool for social activism is not there. That doesn't in any way make it a bad book, but it certainly could have been better, perhaps in the vein of Ted Conover's work - a combination of research, storytelling, and activism together.
I didn't feel that paragraphs devoted to such things as what CD Cedric happened to be holding were relevant, and was generally irritated by their inclusion. Suskind's "invisible author" perspective bothered me greatly, and could have been better handled in a different fashion. Those things said, the book was indeed a nice story - but it just could have been so much more.
Average customer rating:
- Calculations are only as good as your numbers
- Pants on fire?
- Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed.
- Very Interesting
- History as Science Fiction
|
History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)
Anatoly Fomenko
Manufacturer: Mithec
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ASIN: 2913621058 |
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.
Book Description
Out of the stories heard in her childhood in Los Angeles's Chinatown and years of research, See has constructed this sweeping chronicle of her Chinese-American family, a work that takes in stories of racism and romance, entrepreneurial genius and domestic heartache, secret marriages and sibling rivalries, in a powerful history of two cultures meeting in a new world. 82 photos.
Customer Reviews:
Made a nice gift.......2007-09-21
The person I gave this to thought it was a very nice read and recommends it.
Incredible Book.......2007-07-31
I am a new fan of Lisa See and I have to say that this is one of the best books I have ever read. It is a fascinating story. There were times I had to remind myself that this was a work of non-fiction. I only wish there were more photographs. A great read and hard to put down.
generational story.......2006-11-10
I like Lisa See's books and this is another example of her fine writing. This time, however, her focus is the story of her own family and their impact on their new country.
Engaging and educational..........2006-11-07
Lisa See is one of those rare authors that can draw you into and keep you engaged in a story weaved with historial significance as well as personal emotions. A must read for any first or second generation immigrant who has always been curious about the lives and struggles of our ancestors who first settled into this new "free" land called America.
Fascinating.......2006-08-27
This is a most interesting book. I am 75 years old and grew up in Los Angeles, visiting Chinatown many times, and knew nothing of the people who lived there, so it was particularly interesting to me. I have read other books by Lisa See and find her to be an excellent writer. I highly recommend this book, especially to people interested in the history of California.
Book Description
This 3
rd edition of The African-American Odyssey includes not only a CD-ROM-bound into every book (which incorporates over 150 documents in African American history), but also has a broadened international perspective, expanded coverage of interaction among African Americans and other ethnic groups, and new material on African Americans in the western portion of the United States. Free access to Research Navigator is included. This allows readers to access this powerful research tool with one site. Written by leading scholars, The African-American Odyssey is a clear and comprehensive narrative of African-American history, from its African roots through the Civil War through modern times. This book places African-American history in the context and at the center of American History.
Balancing accounts of the actions of African-American leaders with investigations of the lives of the ordinary men and women in black communities, exciting and readable coverage includes: African-American history from its African origins to the sixteenth century and the beginning of the forced migration of millions of Africans to the Americas. Succeeding chapters present the struggle of black people to maintain their humanity during the slave trade and as slaves in North America during the long colonial period. It continues through the Civil War and the beginning of Reconstruction, and continues through the Civil Rights movement to discussions of black life at the dawn of the 21
st century.
This is a compelling story of survival, struggle, and triumph over adversity. Readers will learn an appreciation of the central place of black people and black culture in this country, and a better understanding of both African-American and American history.
Customer Reviews:
A Comprehensive Primer.......2007-08-28
"The African American Odyssey" just got better with the release of the 3rd edition. Updated accounts, in-depth coverage, a broadened focus (the American West, and beyond America), and the wonderfully helpful enclosed CD which allows for additional research, all make this a comprehensive volume for any and all students of African American history.
The blending of the famous and the unknown, men and women, North and South, slave and free, provides for a tapestry that weaves together both the terror and the triumph of the African American experience which enabled them to move beyond the suffering to a place of healing hope. The faith-basis for so much of the African American triumph could have been covered more comprehensively, though it is more than hinted at in the original sources covered.
Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction.
Terror and Triumph.......2007-01-21
"The African American Odyssey" just got better with the release of the 3rd edition. Updated accounts, in-depth coverage, a broadened focus (the American West, and beyond America), and the wonderfully helpful enclosed CD which allows for additional research, all make this a comprehensive volume for any and all students of African American history.
The blending of the famous and the unknown, men and women, North and South, slave and free, provides for a tapestry that weaves together both the terror and the triumph of the African American experience which enabled them to move beyond the suffering to a place of healing hope. The faith-basis for so much of the African American triumph could have been covered more comprehensively, though it is more than hinted at in the original sources covered.
Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, Soul Physicians, and Spiritual Friends.
Great Job.......2006-02-25
I received this order on time and in excellent condition. I will do business with again.
A Great History Book.......2004-04-15
An effective book, which the young new generation of African Americans can really gain their sense of knowledge from.
Amazon.com
Lisa See, daughter of novelist Carolyn See, brings a novelist's skill to this sprawling ancestral history. Books tracing the roots of overseas Chinese writers are not uncommon these days, but See uncovered in her family tree a capsule history of the Sino-American diaspora: her great-grandfather, Fong See, founded a California business, married a Caucasian woman and fathered many offspring, and returned periodically to China to redistribute some of his wealth and launch another family. See, a Publishers Weekly writer, has conducted extensive interviews and drawn on family lore for an enthralling saga of ambition, prejudice, love, loyalty, and sorrow--social history at its best.
Customer Reviews:
A new family.......1998-04-19
I wish I had read this book first. I read Lisa's Flower Net and enjoyed it so much that I looked to see what else she had written. Finding On Gold Mountain (thanks, Amazon) I became immersed in the life of the author and her family. I have read so many stories of Chinese families in Mainland China and Taiwan, but this is the first I have read of the Chinese American experience. It is doubly interesting because of the marriages between Chinese and Caucasians, and how they resolved their cultural differences during a time when China itself was undergoing so many cultural changes. I highly recomend the book for its content and for its excellent narrative style.
An odyssey of a read.......1997-07-29
Lisa See, in describing the journey of her family over one hundred years, also takes the reader on a literary journey.
I have read many auto-biographical and semi-auto-biographical accounts of the Chinese diaspora and Lisa's book is amongst the best. We can read her book as an adventure and also as a history. A history about which she must be proud. This book has inspired me to write about my own family, who made a similar journey, over a hundred years ago, but in Australia
The author carries you along on her odyssey!.......1996-08-02
Lisa See's path to discover where and how she fits in in
this gifted, and far from ordinary immigrant American family is
as much your story as it is hers. Her writing is fresh and
alive enough to hold your interest and make you want to
hear more from and about this author. Her mother is Carolyn
See, who has written a little about Lisa's history in her own
book, Dreaming: Good Luck and Hard Times in America. Look
over both books and be prepared to hunker down for a while.
Customer Reviews:
Coming Face to Face with Ulysses.......2001-08-19
Tim Severin's "The Ulysses Voyage" is more than a fascinating adventure/detective story. It is, above all, a fine piece of scholarship, marshalling evidence from Homer, from a modern understanding of the geology and meteorology in Ulysses's time, and from what is known about local myths to construct a convincing account of the reality behind Homer's wondrous tale. The book, which includes color photographs of the likely waypoints on Ulysses' journey, inspired me to visit some of these waypoints, myself. I've now been to the land of the Cyclops and had coffee with the local expert Tim Severin spoke with, visited the Isle of Aeolius, and snorkeled in the bay where the Laestrygonians destroyed all but one of Ulysses'last 12 boats. "The Ulysses Voyage" is among the most valued books in my collection. Others of Severin's books are not far behind.
The story behind the myths?.......1999-12-02
I read this book many years ago, and it gave me a new perspective on the Odyssey. Tim Severin is an adventurer, but here he is searching for a reality behind the old myths. He does it in a very convincing as well as entertaining manner. As the Iliad was brought from the sphere of myths back to history by the discovery of the ruins of Troy, Tim Severin's re-tracing of a route from Troy to Ithaca, at least in my mind has turned the Odyssey into a historical event.
search.......1999-01-27
i am producer and i look for to join Tim Severin i work on Ulysse's documentary and i would like to known if Tim Severin get always his boat called Argos.
Thanks a lot
Hervé
Book Description
WHEN YOU'RE IN THE DEATH BUSINESS,
EACH DAWN COULD BE YOUR LAST.
Raw, straightforward, and powerful, Ed Kugler's account of his two years as a Marine scout-sniper in Vietnam vividly captures his experiences there--the good, the bad, and the ugly. After enlisting in the Marines at seventeen, then being wounded in Santo Domingo during the Dominican crisis, Kugler arrived in Vietnam in early 1966.
As a new sniper with the 4th Marines, Kugler picked up bush skills while attached to 3d Force Recon Company, and then joined the grunts. To take advantage of that experience, he formed the Rogues, a five-sniper team that hunted in the Co Bi-Than Tan Valley for VC and NVA. His descriptions of long, tense waits, sudden deadly action, and NVA countersniper ambushes are fascinating.
In DEAD CENTER, Kugler demonstrates the importance to a sniper of patience, marksmanship, bush skills, and guts--while underscoring exactly what a country demands of its youth when it sends them to war.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent View into a soldier's life.......2006-11-29
I'm not much on reading a lot of military works. Ed Kugler does an awesome job bringing me inside his world. Writing in a conversational voice, he draws you in and speaks directly from his feelings and views regarding life as scout-sniper during the Vietnam War.
This memiore of his military life brings along side Ed Kugler in the tall grass. Taking and supporting the point as they navigate past booby traps and enemy snipers to hunting grounds. History buffs and military readers will find this book to be a must read.
Ed Kugler does not romanticise war. He gives a direct account with the courage to show his thoughts and feelings, uncaring of judgement. I finished this book with a much deeper respect for my country's military. Men and women live each day fighting for our country and struggle to survive another day. Anyone enjoying this reading of one personal history should feel thankful too.
As real as it gets.......2006-04-19
This book is an excellent choice for those seeking a good war story. It is truthfull to the core. Every aspect of war from the combat to the language used by the troops is graphic. This book is definitly not for the faint of heart. It is jam packed with mind numbing suspense, explosive action, and gripping emotions. You wont be able to put this book down once you pick it up, and beleive me you will have a much deeper appreciation for what our vetrans have done, once you have finished.
Good Story.......2006-02-18
It's about a small town boy who reads a book about the Marines, joins up, and then finds himself in Nam. It's very different from what he thought it would be. This book will keep your attention but it ends abruptly when his tours are over.
Excellent Marine 'Sniper' book .......2005-08-22
Unlike many of this type of book, it does not have dull or boring spots. But, it does a good job of sucking you in personally to what went on & what/how the author was thinking.
I felt it was a very honest book & definitely one of the best personal post-Vietnam books of the many that I have read.
I recommend this to anyone - novices or people very familiar with the genre.
Great Story.......2005-06-27
I met Ed Kugler while installing a vinyl floor in his kitchen and noticed he had a little magnet on his refridgerator of the book cover. I found it quite amazing that this nice soft spoken teddy bear of a man was a marine sniper. He ended up giving me an autographed copy of the book and I thought that was aweful nice of him to do.
I let the book sit for about 3 months only reading a couple of pages at a time. Once I started really getting into the book I was so immersed in the story of his marine tour that I had to remind myself that I met the guy in his house on a hill in montana and that this is a true story...no B.S. Just the fact that he is not dead or missing limb's proves the greek was right. The story's here are top notch and there's never a dull moment in the book. Ed's vivid recollection of events really helps someone that has never been in war really get a good idea what it was like and what kind of things you think about. Definitely reccomend this to anyone over 15 years old for some education on how vietnam was for this group of snipers.
Average customer rating:
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American Odyssey
McGraw-Hill
Manufacturer: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0078600170 |
Book Description
A unique program focused on the social history of the United States American Odyssey: The 20th Century and Beyondcovers relationships, interprets evidence, and connects the present to the past—that's what history is all about. This engaging program helps students do all those things.
Customer Reviews:
It was a great book........1999-02-09
it was a great book that depicts our lives in the twentieth century and is extremely interesting. i love all of gary nash's books and find them all extremely important to have.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2001-05-30
This is a well thought out, organized and very important historical document/autobiography.
GIves perspective on the lives we lead.......2000-10-02
I was assigned Quiet Odyssey for an Asian American studies class, and I was riveted by the clean, simple prose. But the story is far from simple, I admire Mary Paik Lee for her incredible endurance and courage. As a second generation Asian American, my family's roots in the United States are relatively new, but now I realize, that it has been due to Asian Americans like Mary Paik Lee that allow me to lead and pursue the life I wish. Not only is Quiet Odyssey the story of her life, it is also the story of California. It's eye opening to see how much Los Angeles and the rest of California have changed since she first landed here. And lastly, Mary Paik Lee has some incredible spunk to do and say some of the things she did. Impressive.
Historical significance cannot be stressed enough! Read it!.......1999-07-28
I read this book in highschool while living in in Seoul, Korea. I am a Korean-American woman and I found the information in this book to be _invaluable_. Unlike similar historical works such as John Okada's 'No-No Boy' or Sui Sin Far's 'Mrs. Spring Fragrance and Other Writings', this is pure autobiography (or ethnobiography if you want to be technical). I cannot believe how lucky we are as Americans to get a first-hand account of a Korean-American living in turn of the century America, when there were literally only a handful living in the country at the time. The 'memoirs' are not only highly satisfying in themselves, they serve as anchors to the past in which to begin tracing a discernable branch of Asian-American history. Adds perspective in which to view today's world of American race relations. I think this is necessary reading for anyone who is interested in race, American society, and/or history. Will also appeal to minority activists.
One of the best ethnic study books I've ever read.......1999-05-06
I am a student from San Francisco State University and this is one of the books that I have to read for my Ethnic Studies Class. I really think this is a book made for student of Ethnic Studies and I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about history of Asian American.
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