Book Description
The Simplest Path, Step One: Free Your Mind delineates, in one slim volume, a complete system for achieving personal spiritual awakening, along with a straightforward, no-nonsense plan individuals and groups so enlightened can follow to awaken Humanity en masse and positively transform the world. This book contains keys to awakening. Awakening from our personal dream shatters the solid "box" of limitation memes have built around our lives, and frees us to fluidly craft our personalities, environments, relationships, careers, etc. as an artist paints a landscape or a sculptor teases form from formless clay. All of us awakening together from the shared dream of the planet will mark the birth of our species out of our current global nightmare of decline into a limitless future literally beyond our present ability to imagine, even in our "wildest dreams," indeed.
Customer Reviews:
Way Beyond "Socrates Revisited".......2007-08-22
After reading the commentary attached to the one star rating given by the young man from Texas, I feel compelled to step forward in defense of this very fine book. With only one exception, every point made in that negative review is simply wrong. Just not factually correct. The reviewer identifies himself as a young man (... "to my young mind"), and since all of his other Amazon reviews are of TV episodes on DVD, video games and rock music CDs I take him at his word. Well, I am an "old man," closing in on my sixty-third birthday, and I came to Mr. Casspriano's book after six decades of life experience, the last three of those decades a zealous practitioner of Zen Buddhism. I say this not to "brag," but simply to qualify myself as a reviewer before beginning.
I'll start where the one star reviewer closed his argument, with his statement that the simplest path reduces to two Socratic concepts: "Admit that you don't know anything" and "know yourself."
The first part is nominally true (the exception). Like Zen Buddhism, a central tenet of the simplest path is working to release the false notion we all hold that we know ourselves, other people, the world around us. But identifying and releasing our attachments to our illusions is a life's work, not some brash "I don't know nothin'!" as the young Texan seems to imply. Under normal circumstances, we go about our daily lives with no idea we are deluded about anything, as Maya (the illusion of the phenomenal world around and even inside us) is so convincing that most of us never even think to question its validity. Casspriano did not invent the notion of human beings being trapped in illusion, as this truth was known to the timeless authors of the Hindu Vedas and is central to all schools of Buddhism (not just Zen). But his scientific/spiritual exploration of the mechanism by which Maya ensnares our minds and can, with effort, be overcome is among the best "plain English" explanations of this process I have read. There is no "inscrutable mystery" in the simplest path (a criticism that has been accurately leveled toward Zen Buddhism, as a lot of Eastern thought truly does come off as "inscrutable" when translated into English and/or the metaphors of Western culture). Casspriano lays out in no-nonsense American English exactly what our brains are doing when they create the illusion we mistake for reality, then shows the reader in the same clear terms how to train his or her brain to break free of illusion and taste reality as-it-is. In just 216 pages, that is no mean feat. After thirty years of Zen practice and numerous kensho experiences (of varying depths and intensities), I can say from personal experience that Casspriano is correct. Enlightenment comes as the fruit of a long, incremental process of retraining the mind to touch reality in a new way, and the process described in the simplest path is the same as that followed in Zen practice, especially Rienzi Zen koan study (I'll have more to say about this in a later paragraph). Casspriano's approach and language is very different from traditional Zen (more "scientific," and no sitting meditation is required), which I think would appeal to Americans and other Westerners seeking to experience "awakening" without necessarily committing themselves to a religion like Buddhism, but the internal mental/spiritual process and final destination are the same.
"Know yourself," on the other hand, is not in this book at all, at least not in the way the young reviewer, or Socrates for that matter, uses the phrase. As in Buddhism, Casspriano takes pains to demonstrate that "self" is as much of an illusion as our misapprehension of the phenomenal world, and is a byproduct of exactly the same mind process that creates outer Maya. A core teaching of Buddhism is that our "self," our personality/ego, is nothing more than an aggregation of outside influences that cluster together in our minds like shiny stones gathered into a pile, and which we mistake not only for something "real," but tragically, for our essential selves. Yet this "pile" has nothing really to do with who we are at all. Buddhism teaches "no-self." Belief in the illusion of a unique and independent "self" is our greatest obstacle to enlightenment. Wasting time and energy getting to "know yourself" in the Western sense is foreign to Eastern thought. Casspriano again does a great job of translating the Buddhist concept of "no-self" into Western scientific/spiritual terminology. He shows the process by which our ego/personality aggregate "piles up," as well as how to take the pile down, stone by stone. Enlightenment is what the pile was covering up, and so it naturally appears as soon as the pile is removed - but oh how we cling to our personal pile of stones! "Self" is what we must trade for enlightenment, what must be surrendered, and Casspriano returns to this truth many times in the simplest path. My point is that the one star reviewer's reduction of the simplest path to "know yourself" has no basis at all in the actual book.
As to the book being "gimmicky": Yes, the words "The Simplest Path" recur frequently throughout the book, but not in reference to the book itself (at least that's not how I took it), but rather to the system of understanding the mind and working toward "awakening" Casspriano is describing - and it is a complete system that deserves to be considered as a whole, on its own. At times the repetition does have a feel of "branding" in the commercial sense, so I understand where the reviewer may have taken his impression. But the simplest path, while resonant with Zen Buddhism (and apparently, according to Casspriano, with the Toltec philosophy espoused by Carlos Castaneda, of which I have no personal knowledge, so I'll have to take the author's word for that) is far enough different that it needs its own "name" to set it apart from other schools of similar but not identical thought. The reviewer's criticism is like saying that every use of the term "Zen" in a book called "Zen Buddhism" should be taken as a reference to the book, and not to the larger practice of Zen Buddhism as a spiritual discipline that the book is describing. Casspriano's point in repeatedly linking The Simplest Path, Zen Buddhism and Toltec Shamanism throughout the book, at least as I understood it, is to highlight these three spiritual practices as related reliable paths through a dark forest of illusion, a forest in which many apparent (and more popular) paths, including most (all?) religious beliefs, actively vie to mislead travelers toward deeper ensnarement in the dream, rather than leading them toward "awakening."
I want to say a word about koan study in Rienzi Zen and how it relates to the simplest path. Koans are those quirky Zen sayings and stories like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" or "what was your original face before you (or your parents) were born?" that have no rational answer, and which Zen students turn and turn in their minds like the tumblers of a combination lock until their imprisoned psyches "explode" in a "super-rational" experience of reality beyond the illusion ("irrational" would be the wrong term, as that implies "nonsense"). That "super-rational" vision of reality is called "kensho." I have experienced it myself, more than once in my lifetime. I have come to think of Casspriano's "Key Questions" in the second half of the simplest path, especially the later seven of the ten, as "cultural koans" designed to trigger "collective kensho" for the whole human race at once. Like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?", unflinching consideration of the value of human life, of how our beliefs about the future shape the present, of the true origin and destiny of life on Earth, etc., especially as seen through the lens of Casspriano's "Key Question Technique," reveals that none of these questions have rational answers, yet all require our active and immediate response. Successful resolution of these larger riddles that impact everyone will require us all to eventually "explode" into reality, together, in a "super-rational" way. We'll have to break through the illusion and wake up together, as one (which has been the goal of Mahayana Buddhism, of which Zen is a sect, since around 200 BCE). That is the "Planetary Awakening" addressed in this book, and I believe Casspriano's "Key Questions" are a concrete step in that direction. I'm glad I spent my fifteen dollars.
This is my "old man" take on the simplest path, having encountered it after 30 years of Zen Buddhist practice (I'm not veering off my chosen path here, just bowing respectfully in passing toward Casspriano's). From a Buddhist perspective, the simplest path is true Dharma, though I do not get the impression from reading his book that Vincent Casspriano is himself a Buddhist or a follower of any religion. That to my mind makes his book all the more interesting.
True, but gimmicky.......2007-08-09
Casspriano's book is scientifically and philosophically sound as best as my young mind can tell, but I don't recommend this book. Its scattered with numerous pages of advertising about how his "program" works and how it compares to other religions and spiritual movements. Why must this author physically write out "The Simplest Path" in reference to his book every other page, and talk about his second volume? Perhaps because he's not out for pure truth, but for our money.
All this book comes down to after you strip away the nonsense is two things. First, admit that you don't truly know anything. Second, know yourself. Do those two things (they essentially both mean to question EVERYTHING), and you'll have Casspriano's "Planetary Awakening," with 15 bucks still in your pocket. And you'll be following the fundamental truths already said by Socrates.. so do yourself a favor and pick up Plato's "Apology" and read up on the Socratic dialogue on how to live a good life. And don't stop there, because you can't be sure he's right.
And I have 10 bucks that says these other couple of reviews were written by the book publisher. In any case, ignore the hype.
A Unique and Inspiring Wake-up Call.......2007-05-15
This is one of the most clear-headed books I've read in years on the subject of real, nitty gritty, get your hands dirty spiritual development (as opposed to the fru fru New Age variety). So much of what passes for "spirituality" in our time amounts to some author, celebrity, priest, philosopher or self-appointed guru telling us what to "believe," sight unseen, if we want to reach heaven, attain enlightenment, achieve "ascension," etc. Casspriano takes an at times startling opposite approach. For Casspriano, such unquestioned/unquestionable beliefs are not only NOT the path to spiritual awakening, they represent the chief obstacle blocking our realization of higher consciousness. And it's not just religious beliefs ("faith") he's talking about, but all our beliefs about reality, especially those that enclose our thinking in "boxes" that limit our freedom to find solutions to real-world threats like Peak Oil, overpopulation, Global Warming, etc. Though much of the book focuses on individual enlightenment, for Casspriano, these larger planetary issues are "spiritual," as well. Whether the issue is our personal inability to find happiness or Humanity's collective rush toward physical extinction, the cause is the same - our wrong-headed beliefs about what's real. The solution is the same, as well - continuous, deep questioning. Using Richard Dawkins' concept of "memes" as a central metaphor, Casspriano first breaks down the basic process of belief, showing the mechanism in our brains by which beliefs misdirect and control our psyches, then he walks the reader through an exploration of a series of ten "anti-meme questions" aimed at breaking down the walls of our mental "boxes" and setting our minds free. With each question, he supplies an exercise designed to allow the reader to attain a personal taste of reality "beyond the box," especially as flavored by that chapter's "Key Question." For the most part, this formula works very well (with a few rare moments of over-exuberance on the author's part, as already described in other reviews, though as a card carrying vegan environmentalist, I can't say I particularly minded), delivering a cumulative series of death-blows to some of the most basic "pillars" of our present human consensus reality. Beyond the walls those pillars supported lies real reality, where we are all interconnected and interdependent, and, in Casspriano's view, mutually destined for greatness, if we can just wake up and grab the reins of our runaway culture in time. This is not a book for spiritual "feel gooders" seeking soft assurances that they're perfect just they way they are and everything's going to be all right, no matter what. This is a wake up call, a tool kit and a concrete action plan for becoming individually enlightened and collectively saving the world, all rolled up into one. That, I think, is a cause well-worthy of exuberance.
Challenge Consensus Reality!.......2007-05-10
This is a thoughtful book that addresses how we may go about developing a process to question our everyday consensus reality. I suppose if I have learned anything in 49 years of life, it is that all personal and social problems stem from our fundamental views on the nature of reality itself. Vincent Casspriano uses the concept of a "meme" as a fundamental unit of ideas, assumptions, etc. that often block our understanding of reality itself. One such meme, for example, may be that we have to "fight for our freedom" or the world's a "fearful" place and hence, we have to be ready to kill to protect ourselves. I suppose you could also use the word "paradigm" here as well, but the essential point of this book is that we "unconsciously" function in our life with many limited points of view that block our ability to solve problems on both a personal and a social basis.
While Vince Casspriano is to be congradulated for producing a book that presents both a methodology and a motivation for personal transformation, there are a few pitfalls here that the potential reader should be aware of before tackling this material. The author has some rather strong views on fossil fuel consumption, meet consumption, and the role of humans in the cycle of procreation. While I generally agree with his analysis on fossil fuel consumtion and meat consumption (as I have viewed large tracks of deforrested grazing land in developing countries), these viewpoints can distract the reader from the essential point here which is to rigourously question consensus reality. Since I am single, and have no motivation to have children, I definitely disagree with his views on the necessity of human procreation on this planet, but here again, it is important to extract the essential meaning rather than get caught in the specific political/social debates that these issues may spawn.
If you are serious about personal transformation with the potential for changing our global consciousness, than this book can be an invaluable tool. I do agree with the Author that a world population of "high functioning" people can resolve every planetary problem we face today. As we systematically question our consensus reality, we will see our problems in new ways, and with this new perspective, problems can often be quickly resolved or transcended.
A Simple Cure For What's "Eating Us".......2006-11-13
I considered titling this review, "Stop Whining, Wake Up and Get Busy Saving the World," but decided "Eating Us" would be more attention-grabbing - which matters because I believe Vincent Casspriano, Jr.'s "The Simplest Path, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND" is an important book, and I want to do whatever I can to draw your attention to it. Pick the title you like best. Both very fittingly describe what you will find within the pages of this remarkable new release from New Paradigm Press.
I have selected three short quotations to explore in this review that I think best summarize Casspriano's overall message:
From Chapter One, "The Boxes We Dream In":
"Right now, this very moment, you are asleep... Even if you are reading these words in broad daylight - sitting at your desk or beside the kitchen table, your feet firmly planted on the floor, eyes open, senses alert, feeling the weight of this book in your hands as sounds of life rise and fall rhythmically around you - you are deeply asleep, and dreaming furiously"
Now, the idea that Humans are sleeping, and must therefore "awaken," is by no means unique to Casspriano's "Simplest Path" spiritual system, being the root observation underlying pretty much all Eastern religion, and a lot of Western Occultism and New Age metaphysics, as well. In fairness, Casspriano makes no claim to this as an original insight, openly supporting his assessment of the human predicament with quotations taken from Animism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. He then flows seamlessly into a list of complementary illustrations from the secular realms of Quantum Physics, brain/consciousness research, and most to-the-point, the study of memes and memetics, ala Evolutionary Biologist and world's best-known cheerleader for scientific atheism, Richard Dawkins.
If you've never heard of memes or memetics, a quick Google of those terms will reveal hundreds of serious, information-rich websites devoted to this now thirty-year old science. In a nutshell, a "meme" is a sort of contagious thought-form that spreads between people by way of imitation. Obvious memes in our environment include advertising jingles, fads and fashions, etc. Casspriano somewhat radically extends the concept to include just about everything that makes up the contents of our individual brains and shared human culture. While he resists redefining the word "meme" wholesale, he decidedly expands its definition to make memes and "memeplexes" (what you get when a number of memes band together into an organic, relational unit, like a religion or cultural or political movement) the basic, fundamental building blocks of everything we habitually label "real..."
And then he demonstrates, in at times excruciating detail, the complete emptiness of the "apparent-reality" that is a byproduct of memetic activity in our brains. What we call "real" is not real at all. It's an illusion spun up by our memes. And our memes are not original to us. They are "viral invaders" assailing our minds from without. Worse - and, while even this thought is not wholly unique to Casspriano, he certainly gives it his own very effective spin - memes are by no means mere passive beliefs or simple "harmless ideas." They are, Casspriano believes, actively predatory psychic parasites whose survival depends on our buying into the illusions they create in our minds. Think of illusion (Samsara, Maya, etc.) as a web we're caught in. Memes are the spider. We are the fly. Gotcha.
One thing I like very much about Casspriano's book is that he never asks us to take anything on faith, least of all this rather ugly depiction of the human psychic/spiritual condition. He not only challenges readers to test his hypothesis firsthand in order to experience what is real and true for ourselves, he spends a large chunk of the book outlining specific exercises anyone can do to escape memetic interference and personally experience reality as-it-is. The exercises in Part II of the book are powerful medicine... But this is a digression, so let me return to the point.
Memes are the spider, and we are the fly. A better metaphor might be that memes are the farmer, and we are the cow. Domesticated and docile, we allow memes to milk us daily, to extract from our minds the potent human psychic energy which, if reclaimed by us and put to proper human use, would quickly and positively transform our lives and our world. This transformation is awakening, ascension, enlightenment, metanoia, the Buddha-like change of consciousness most religions and spiritual systems on Earth hint at, but few ever actually deliver to followers. In this analysis, Casspriano's "Simplest Path" is very much in line with Gurdjieff's "Fourth Way," Carlos Castaneda's Toltec sorcery, and a few other well known spiritual practices inhabiting a somewhat darker, though perhaps more realistic corner of the New Age. But unlike most of those other systems, Casspriano's prescription for escaping illusion and awakening to reality is remarkably, well... simple.
From Chapter Three, "Waking Up":
"The simple truth is that we are sleeping because we lack sufficient energy to wake up."
And later in the same chapter:
"The real work that brings about awakening, rather than merely granting the external appearance of "being spiritual," while actually embroiling us ever more deeply in the dream, is a rigorous, daily commitment to the identification and elimination of every self-serving belief from which our personal dream-lives are constructed."
For "belief" in the quotation above, read "meme/memeplex." Casspriano certainly does, treating the terms as largely interchangeable. In the end, this genuinely simple - at least in the sense of being uncomplicated and pragmatic - spiritual practice amounts to discovering reality as-it-actually-is less by searching for a glimpse beyond the illusion, than by systematically withdrawing our participation in, and identification with, the dream. When we disentangle our psyches from memetic illusion, only reality remains. We don't have to chase it; to a meme-free mind, reality just appears. This is "Satori" in Zen Buddhism. This is "stopping the world" in the Toltec sorcery of Castaneda and others. Casspriano's genius lies in his talent for exposing the core mechanism behind such complex and often inscrutable spiritual systems, and for putting into plain language clear instructions for unraveling the dream and achieving personal awakening. The virus-like process by which memes take over and control our human minds, as described by Casspriano is, to my mind, very complicated (but well worth struggling through). What is genuinely simple about "The Simplest Path," however, is Casspriano's prescription for breaking those bonds, once you've made the effort to understand how they are created and maintained. For Casspriano, remaining a victim of spiritual sleep and energetic exploitation by memes is a complex activity in which we unconsciously invest enormous amounts of psychic energy every day of our lives. Awakening is the product of a simple act of withdrawing that investment, which automatically re-energizes of our minds and lives. Or as Casspriano cleverly phrases it when closing Chapter Three, "Waking Up":
"Unweave the tapestry of the dream, and awakening happens."
Anyone can do this. Spiritual awakening, in Casspriano's view, may be hard work, but it is not complicated work. The path to enlightenment is really rather shockingly simple. Fall out of love with the dream. Reclaim your psychic energy. Wake up to reality.
The ten "Key Questions" Casspriano explores in the second section of the book are designed to put the theory laid out in Part I to practical and immediate use. Essentially, I think Casspriano sees these ten issues - why we treat enlightenment as an "airy-fairy" ideal instead of a measurable transformation of brain functioning, the excuses we make for avoiding personal responsibility and integrity along the lines of Castaneda's "impeccability," the fallacy of belief in a "separate self," etc. - as pillars of both our personal and collective human dreams. They are by no means an exhaustive listing of the memes twisting our minds. But they are primary keystones on which layers upon layers of the grand illusion are built. Topple these ten baseline pillars and the larger structure crumbles.
Casspriano explores some "Keys" more successfully than others. One downside to the book is that, especially in the "Keys," Casspriano's own memetic prejudices shine at times rather glaringly through, as when, in his discussion of the American "What Would Jesus Do?" religious fad, he characterizes the Evangelical Christian purveyors of WWJD as, "ultra-conservative, right wing ideologues." Even should the reader personally agree with such pronouncements, its hard to resist thinking, "Hey Vince! Your memes are showing!" But where he nails his point, Casspriano's prose can be downright inspiring, as with the "Key" cosmological study "Is Earth the Center of the Universe?," which explores the gap between what we know, scientifically, about the Universe and what our daily choices and behavior says we really believe, about the cosmos and about ourselves. His closing "Key" "Are We Alone?" so poetically frames the true stakes of our global human predicament - species survival VS extinction - that its hard to imagine anyone keeping their gaze glued squarely to their own self-involved navel in the wake of reading it. Of course we are not alone. There are six and a half billion of us on Planet Earth, and whether we awaken to what's best in us or follow our darkest drives over History's cliff into oblivion, we do so as one. One planet, one fate.
This notion of "oneness" and of a common, intertwined human spiritual and biological destiny is a core theme in The Simplest Path, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND that sets it apart from any spiritual book in recent memory. My final quotation from the book returns us to the opening lines of Chapter One, "The Boxes We Dream In":
"We are all aware of the challenges facing us as we enter together into the 21st Century:
· World oil supplies are running out.
· Global warming is transforming the Earth into a steamy greenhouse.
· Even as our technology connects the world, ideological extremism, terrorism and militarism divide us as never before.
· Headlines bombard us with news of war, famine, pestilence and death until we feel overwhelmed and unable to respond.
· Time is running out..."
Vincent Casspriano, Jr.'s "The Simplest Path to Personal and Planetary Transformation, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND" does not offer easy escape from these very pressing real-world human ills, but rather, a down to Earth, workable prescription for their cure. Yes, we must awaken as individuals, and, rest assured, "The Simplest Path" shows spiritual seekers exactly how to do that. But a prime message of "The Simplest Path" is that, for personal awakening to have meaning, it must occur within the context of a complete re-visioning of global culture, and a mass wrenching away of the wheel of History from the control of viral memes, that we might create a common cosmic human destiny worthy of our highest potential as a species.
Now that's a meme worth feeding.
Book Description
Every year, the 9 million RV owners in the U.S. look for new and exciting vacation destinations. RV owners who aren't content staying put will be inspired by journeys, such as: Southeastern California's enigmatic deserts; Spectacular mountains on the Lewis and Clark route and a dozen more. Detailed trip maps, and insider's tips complete information on campgrounds.
Customer Reviews:
16 Great Western Vacations would be a better title........2001-06-15
To date I have used only a couple of the "trips" outlined by the author. Her data is definitely shy of specific rv information...just the skimpy basics. However, the "travelogue" sections are quite good on their own merits. Exclusive of the rv, we found much of her other information quite helpful and interesting. I hope the author revises the book and adds a healthy dose of really meaningful rv info.
Not RV Related.......2001-05-17
The title of this book is deceptive. The author's major RV experience was in driving an 18' motorhome and she definately feels that anything larger is more like staying at home than camping. If you are interested in RV related material, this book is not for you. If you want a so so travelogue with minimal information about where to park your RV, you might like the book. The author obviously has no experience in using RVs in urban environments--something than most owners of large RVs do on a routine basis. I think the title is highly misleading.
Book Description
Writing from the front lines of the hot wars of the post-Cold War world -- the Balkans, Africa, the Middle East, and most recently Afghanistan and Iraq for The New York Times Magazine -- David Rieff witnessed firsthand most of the armed interventions waged by the West or the United Nations in the name of human rights and democratization. His report is anything but reassuring. In this timely collection of his most illuminating articles, Rieff, one of our leading experts on the subject, reassesses some of his own judgments about the use of military might to solve the world's most pressing humanitarian problems and curb the world's cruelest human rights abusers, presenting what, taken as a whole, is a thoughtful and impassioned argument against armed intervention in all but the most extreme cases.
At the Point of a Gun raises critical questions we cannot ignore in this era of gunboat democracy. When, if ever, is it appropriate to intervene militarily in the domestic affairs of other nations? Are human rights and humanitarian concerns legitimate reasons for intervening, or is the assault on sovereignty -- sovereignty that is as much an article of faith at the UN as it is in Washington -- a flag of convenience for the recolonization of part of the world? What role should the United Nations play in alleviating humanitarian crises? And, above all, can democracy be imposed through the barrel of an M16?
Collected here for the first time, Rieff's essays draw a searing portrait of what happens when the grandiose schemes of policymakers and the grandiose ethical ambitions of human rights activists go horribly wrong in the field. Again and again, they ask the question: Do these moral ambitions of ours to protect people from massacre and want match either our means or our wisdom?
Rieff's articles appear as they were written. Some, however, are accompanied by brief reconsiderations in which the author describes how and why his thinking has changed both as he has reflected on what it means, as in Iraq, to impose democracy by force, and as he has witnessed, firsthand, what that redemptive project actually looks like in practice.
This is not an optimistic report. To the contrary, it is the chastened conclusion of a writer who was once one of the leading advocates of such interventions. But the questions Rieff raises are of the essence as the United States grapples with the harsh consequences of what it has wrought on the ground in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Customer Reviews:
Progressive Critique.......2005-10-31
Well written critic for all progressives/thinkers or anyone concerned about the use of force to achieve democratic "peace"
Almost Got the Answer.......2005-10-18
Rieff talks about many bad places. He talks about Rawanda and Bosnia. He eludes to the real truth of the matter but won't go the extra mile and say the obvious. He explains France's involement with Rawanda and how they facilitated the slaughter because of financial interests, and yet the US and UN did little to stop it. He talks about Bosnia and the anomosity between muslim and non-muslim and the NATO and NGO reactions. What Rieff seems to be approaching is a realization that some circumstances simply don't have compromises.
He talks about the increasing use of the word genocide and how it has become diluted. What he does point out is that the UN is just not up to the job. He just doesn't seem to want to say why. He talks around the answer as much as he can. I gather from these writings that the answer goes against his beliefs and dogma. He then goes on to comment about the many great leaders of Africa, even if they are just a little corrupt. He explains that the aid given to Africa was enough for them to get into trouble, but not enough to have real reforms. Rieff explains that the debt is what keeps Africa down, not the corruption. He argues against Globalization. Essentially blaming the globalization and capitalism for the failure of Africa. He just doesn't back it up with his writing.
He carps about the failures of the UN and the international community but has no real answers to help. If you want to hear someone rant about the failures, then attempt to turn those failures into failures of the US, read this book. I will say that it does contain some indepth information about the conflict in Rawanda. It just lacks understanding of humans or economics.
Amazon.com
Major League Baseball's 30 stadiums--each with its own distinct ambience and dimensions--greatly affect both a fan's devotion and a team's specific style of play. If not for the familiar sun- and beer-drenched bleachers and vine-covered walls, why else would fans perennially flock to Chicago's Wrigley Field to support yet another losing season? And, in St. Louis and Kansas City, Missouri, where the "grass" never needs mowing, why not assemble rosters with speed in mind?
Ahuja's Fields of Dreams is a baseball stadium tour guide, including both stadium logistics (tickets, concessions, parking) and profiles of each Major League town (lodging, restaurants, and attractions). But the book's strength lies in its ability to capture what it's like to be a fan in each Major League city, including past stadium heroics (slim for some hapless clubs) and descriptions of parks from home plate to foul pole. The author, who moonlights as a baseball tour guide, describes venerable Wrigley as "a great baseball park in a great neighborhood where you can see the game the way it should be--up close and personal." Montreal's Olympic Stadium contains "everything there is to dislike about a modern-day ballpark," but its "nightlife is absolutely incredible--unlike anything I've seen since visiting New Orleans." Fields of Dreams also includes Tropicana Field and Bank One Ballpark, the respective homes of 1998's expansion Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Arizona Diamondbacks. --Rob McDonald
Customer Reviews:
Mixture bag of stadium and tourist industy.......2004-08-26
This book proves to be mildly informative about the main subject matter, the baseball stadiums of the major league. However, I believed that the author spent too much time being a tour guide of the city of each stadium instead of the stadium itself. I wanted a lot more information about the stadium of each city instead of the city itself. I can find other books on the city if I need to. I don't need to read about it in a book I thought would be about major league baseball stadiums.
Each stadium is given a very short review and rest of the chapter centered around the sights, sound and places to stay. I really wanted to know bit more about the stadium, best seats, worst seats, food, and that sort of thing.
I got the 2001 edition and it does feel dated already. I think this book have been effectively replaced by "The Ultimate Baseball Road Trip" book that came out this year and contain a huge wealth of information about each stadium and its suroundings. But in that book, the stadium and baseball remains the main focus; in "Fields of Dreams", it seem to be the city. In many ways, "Fields of Dreams" should have read like the "The Ultimate Baseball Road Trip" but the author wasn't ambitious enough to do it right.
Overall, it does have useful information but they are rather minor and its dated. The "other" book have effective replaced it so I don't see why any one wants to buy this book any more.
Best Guide to America's Ball Parks!.......2002-09-30
Great guide to America's baseball parks, Ahuja's recommendations about the parks, nearby hotels, city attractions, purchasing tickets, seating guide and how to get to and from the baseball parks is extremely helpful. Field of Dreams is more than just a book about baseball parks. Field of Dreams is a helpful guide to resturants, nightlife and hotel for cities with baseball teams.
Ahuja does a nice job..........2002-08-29
of reviewing the major league ballparks in the United States. I enjoyed reading this book and finding out more about the cities that the ballparks were in. A good book for any fan interested in traveling to the games.
He missed visiting Bank one Ballpark!!.......2001-08-01
I picked this book up as a gift for someone who has talked about traveling to visit all ballparks over the next few years. Enjoyed reading about some of the ballparks that I have recently visited, but was disappointed to see that while this book was reveised in 2001, he did not visit BOB in Phoenix. The information is all pre-opening and is even written as if the park is not yet opened. Good discriptions of Pac-Bell and Safco field both which opened after BOB.
nice format, needs update.......2000-04-12
Like other reviewers said, much of the information is outdated, but I like what the book tried to do: collect both baseball and nonbaseball information in one volume. The 'closest major league city' section are a nice touch for someone planning a road trip, and the top ten lists scattered throughout the book are a nice touch
Average customer rating:
- intricate
- Rich and satisfying
- Fun read but less engaging then Point of Hopes
- A weak little sister to Point of Hopes
- Perfect blend of fantasy, mystery, & historical
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Point of Dreams (Astreiant)
Melissa Scott , and
Lisa A. Barnett
Manufacturer: Tor Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books | 18th Century | 19th Century | 20th Century | African American | Asian American | Classics | Collections & Readers | Drama | General | Hispanic | History & Criticism | Humor | Jewish American | Letters & Correspondence | Native American | Poetry | Short Stories | Women Writers
Scott, Melissa | ( S ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Point of Hopes
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Armor of Light, The
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Dreaming Metal
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Night Sky Mine
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Shadow Man
ASIN: 0312867824 |
Amazon.com
In the alternate Renaissance world of Point of Dreams, the dead return with the ghost-tide to haunt the living, and when a ghost fails to appear, it may mean the person was murdered. Though a dead judge's ghost is missing, the regents of the city of Astreiant forbid Pointsman Nicolas Rathe to investigate. And that's not the detective's only problem. His suddenly homeless partner is moving in with him. The city is in a frenzy over a popular play, "The Drowned Island," and the dangerous spell book it has popularized. His assigned case, an actor's murder, appears unsolvable--the actor drowned in a theater in which there is no water. And another body has just been found in the theater.
Point of Dreams is an accomplished and entertaining fantasy mystery, written with the same rigor as the best nonmagical mysteries. Since Point of Dreams is the sequel to The Armor of Light and Point of Hopes, its early pages may be tough going for some readers unfamiliar with the previous novels, but all readers will find themselves captivated by the novel and unwilling to put it down before they reach the end.
Melissa Scott received the John W. Campbell Award for best new writer and has twice won the Lambda Literary Award for best science fiction novel. --Cynthia Ward
Book Description
The city of Astreiant has gone crazy with enthusiasm for a new play, The Drowned Island, a lurid farrago of melodrama and innuendo. Pointsman Nicolas Rathe is not amused, however, at a real dead body on stage and must investigate. A string of murders follow, perhaps related to the politically important masque that is to play on that same stage. Rathe must once again recruit the help of his soldier lover, Philip Eslingen, whose knowledge of actors and the stage, and of the depths of human perversity and violence, blends well with Rathe's own hard-won experience with human greed and magical mayhem.
Their task is complicated by the season, for it is the time of year when the spirits of the dead haunt the city and influence everyone, and also by the change in their relationship when the loss of Philip's job forces him to move in with Nicolas. Mystery, political intrigue, floral magic, astrology, and romance--both theatrical and personal-- combine to make this a compelling read.
Customer Reviews:
intricate.......2006-11-24
This second episode of the late Renaissance series centred on pointsman (a policeman of sorts) Rathe is similar at first sight to the first but subtly different nonetheless, as if the two plots belonged to one of the two authors each.
The first was more focused on the mistery, on the action that brings to its solving and fleshed out with countless details about the lower class characters' way of life.
In this second one, the mistery seems not to be the focus of the narrative, it rather seems an excuse to examine characters interaction and the ways of upper classes of the same society. This is true to the point that the identity of the murder is quite clear from the first pages, as are his/her (I will not give you any hint though) motives.
In a way the novel suffers from this choice. It also suffers from the understated tone chosen by the author to describe people's feelings. I think it a good idea to let us face the intimate relationship between the two main characters (two men, by the way) as an already given fact, but this choice of understatement runs so far that we face a feeble characterization too: not that it is lacking, it is just superficially attended to, it lacks depth: you cannot really relate to any of them.
Nonetheless this novel deserves in my opinion five stars. The quality of the writing is high, the fastidious attention to details, the original society depicted. They all make this a worthwhile read. I only feel like complaining about a minor detail: that the authors, to make their point about a society ruled by women use "her" and "she" as general pronouns when the sex of the person is not known. This feels quite unnecessary.
Another problem, but I guess it comes from a deliberate choice too, is that even after two novels, the structure of the astreiant's society and even its basic geography are still unclear: the authors never taking the trouble of making clear, e.g. what the regents actually do, what the metropolitan is, etc. Outright explanations are likely to be clumsy, but the authors could have found a way to give us at least the more essential details.
Rich and satisfying.......2004-07-29
I set this aside with a feeling of satisfaction, as if I'd had a good meal. The mystery was well-done, the fantastic elements of the story and the world well-conceived, the backstory well-integrated and relatively easy to pick up once I got into the rhythm of the plot.
Scott and Barnett write with an attention to detail and a richness of atmosphere not often found in fantasy. The story moves along leisurely, over the course of a few days, and (forgive the clumsy metaphor) feels like dark chocolate syrup, rich, bittersweet, and luxurious. The Italian Renaissance atmosphere (to me, the city seems like Venice) and the stylized social structure is fascinating. The behind-the-scenes theatre action seems true-to-life, at least so far as my theatre experience has been.
It seems to me the society is matriarchal, as all the truly powerful positions were held by women, which is a refreshing change from most fantasy. And everyone seemed to have a mother, but I can't recall a mention of anyone's father.
And I rather like the idea of the "ghost-tide," in which our dead appear to us at a particular time of year. I wouldn't mind seeing my paternal grandparents again.
I'll be keeping my eye out for the previous two novels set in this world.
Fun read but less engaging then Point of Hopes.......2003-08-05
***1/2 stars to be more truthful...
For those of you who've read Point of Hopes and are hoping for more romance between Philip and Nico you won't be totally disappointed. Unfortunately, the authors made the odd choice of setting Point of Dreams 6 months after the case of the missing children has been solved and Nico and Philip are already involved physically and are moving quickly toward 'leman' status. There is no sex of any kind in this novel so if you are looking to be titilated and nothing else, look elsewhere. You won't even be allowed to witness a passionate kiss between the lovers. The reader is treated to a few charming and cozy domestic scenes in which Philip's nurturing nature emerges. Perhaps the authors wanted them to be at the more comfortable stage for this story in which case I wish they had saved it for another book so we could have been the voyeurs of the early stages of their romance. You know, the ROMANTIC parts! In the first book we are left hanging with vague feelings of attraction the men feel toward each other but barely acknowledge to themselves beyond vague feelings. The artistic decision to bypass the magical early moments of mutual attraction is questionable.
The mystery wasn't too hard to figure out and it took me awhile to figure out the significance of the flowers and the Alphabet book. I imagine the flowers, which were raised from expensive and delicate corms were based on the violent,intrigue-filled history of tulips in Western culture, albeit with a different twist. In this novel, the flowers are believed to have magic properties when used in conjuction with the book in question. It is Rathe's job to discover if there is any validity to the magic or if it is just a hoax. I would have liked to have seen more of Chresta Aconin, the playwrite responsible for the furor over the Alphabet and the corms. He is obviously based on poet/playwrite Christopher Marlowe, or at least Scott's characterization of him in Armour of Light.
That said, I enjoyed the book for the characters and the setting. I do look forward to another "Point" novel as there is the makings of a very engaging series here.
A weak little sister to Point of Hopes.......2003-04-24
Point of Dreams is the plain little sister of the delightful fantasy/mystery Point of Hopes. Though the books share background, genre, and main characters, Dreams just doesn't shine the way Hopes did.
The plot of Dreams is fairly weak. It's hard to write SF/mystery that obeys all the rules of traditional mysteries, and though Barnett and Scott succeeded in Hopes, they fail here - the mystery is remarkably easy to solve and is transparently clear by the book's midpoint.
Also, the setting, which was easily the best part of Hopes, is in Dreams just a backdrop for a (relatively) normal theater production. Hopes established a fascinating world. Dreams inhabits a tiny portion of it.
The real problem, though, is the further development of the main characters. At the start of Dreams, Rathe and Eslingen are living together, having gone from unexpressed mutual interest to an ongoing, committed relationship between books. Scott and Barnett, in choosing not to show the early stages of the romance, are making an unusual, daring, and ultimately unsuccessful choice. They can't, or won't, write the relationship convincingly without the early bits. (I love Melissa Scott's writing, and I honestly believe she *could* do this right, but that only makes this book's failure worse.)
In Dreams, it's hard to believe that Rathe and Eslingen actually love each other. In the brief interludes they spend together, they show very little affection, let alone romantic love. The strongest emotion they seem to feel is mutual jealousy; that's not exactly proof of true love. And it doesn't help that the one passionate sequence in the book is between Rathe and an ex-lover. The intensity of that bit just underscores the absence of any such feeling between our heroes.
Despite the problems, though, the book is still a good one. Fantasy/mysteries are rare, as I said, and the book would be worth reading for that alone. Add in the marvelous setting and the light, fun writing, and Point of Dreams becomes more than worth the purchase price. I just hope that the third book in the series reveals more kinship with Hopes than with Dreams.
Perfect blend of fantasy, mystery, & historical.......2002-05-26
If you have not read "Point of Dreams" or its prequel, "Point of Hopes," give yourself a treat and do so. A perfect blend of mystery, fantasy, and historical. There's something here to delight just about any reader.
Book Description
Lauren wins a scholarship that puts her back on the ice with Coach Perry...and just in time, too! The Regionals are only weeks away, and with Coach Perry's training, Lauren is sure that he will win first place. But suddenly Lauren finds that her feet have become all thumbs! Now she's worried that even the greatest coach in the world won't be able to help her get back on track.
Customer Reviews:
THE TURNING POINT .......2004-07-22
This is the first book in the Michelle Kwan Presents Skating Dreams series, and it includes a letter from Michelle addressed to you, in which she tells you a little bit about herself. All the books in the series include a full-color postcard of Michelle, plus her answers to real e-mails from her fans. There is an address where you can write to her, too.
In THE TURNING POINT, you'll meet 10-year-old Lauren Wing, a girl who loves to skate. She's training and practicing for the Regionals competition for novices, and she's looking forward to moving up, to become a junior-level skater, and then a senior-level skater. And maybe someday she can try out for the Olympics. In her dreams! But in her everyday life, Lauren just concentrates on skating her best in the Regionals competition.
Unfortunately, it's hard for Lauren to concentrate on her program when her cat gets lost. Her parents, her brother, her sisters, and all her friends help her look for him. They put up flyers. But they can't find him, and Lauren really misses him. To make things worse, another skater, Erica Claiborn, says nasty things to Lauren just before she has to skate in the competition, trying to make her goof up. The absolute worst thing, though, is when Lauren finds out --- just before she goes onto the ice --- that a world-famous skating coach, Eve Perry, has come to watch the competition. Lauren is scared to death!
She skates very well in her first routine, but in the second one she falls down. Erica wins first place. Lauren tries to be a good sport about it, but falling down was not something she wanted to do in front of Eve Perry! She'll never get to the Olympics that way.
Then something happens. Something that will change Lauren's life forever. If it works out. If she can do it. Will her parents go for it? Do dreams come true? Read this book to see if Lauren can find her cat, and if her skating dreams become a reality.
--- Reviewed by Tamara Penny
Fi learns about astral projection.......2000-10-13
While Fi, Clu and Jack are in Bardo, Wyoming they come along a girl they meet at a carnival who can leave her body and travel anywhere she wants to. Fi automatically is in awe by this weird happening meanwhile Clu and Jack are in awe, well just in awe of the girl. With the help of Fi Claire will learn a good lesson and gain a new friend in the process.
Average customer rating:
- That's good
- Your Basic retelling of Cinderella
- Will Ella find happiness?
- An awesome, modern retelling of a familiar fairy tale
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Once upon a Dream: At Midnight (Point Signature)
Jennifer Baker
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Love & Romance | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0590259474 |
Customer Reviews:
That's good.......2004-01-27
Well, that book was good story. Prince Will asked Ella--why not read NOW? That's really love story!
Your Basic retelling of Cinderella.......2000-02-15
There was not much to originality to the retelling of Cinderella. I felt and thought there could be added touches due to the fact that it was written to be more modern. For no teen today would have settled such as Ella did. There are too many lawyers and many other avenues that they could have searched out. The telling of how and the prince met could have used a bit of a different work, but overall it was warm and fun to read.
Will Ella find happiness?.......2000-02-11
After the death of her father,Ella becomes a servent in her own home. A woman named Fay just might have a surprise up her sleeve....Read This Today!
An awesome, modern retelling of a familiar fairy tale.......1998-07-21
At Midnight is told in a way that makes fairy tales seem within the relm of the possible. I loved the way it retained the magic and traditions of the story and yet was able to add a twist to make it new and worth the read. Ella seemed like a person that you would expect to run into at school, and the way the fairy Godmother is worked into the story is perfect. A ten speed bike turning to a convertible for the dance is just a hint of the charm of the story!
Average customer rating:
- Fabulous
- An amazing book
- A love Through life
- most memorable book of my childhood
- Holiday Tradition
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Winter Dreams, Christmas Love (Point)
Mary Francis Shura
Manufacturer: Point
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books | Action & Adventure | Children's Literature Guides | Classics by Age | Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths | General | Humorous | Literary Criticism & Collections | Poetry | Popular Culture | Read-Aloud | Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror | Short Story Collections
Love & Romance | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books
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A Winter Love Story
ASIN: 059044672X |
Customer Reviews:
Fabulous.......2007-09-18
I absolutely love this book. It's one of my favorites and I read it several times a year. I would recommend it to anyone looking for a good book, especially if you are looking for something involving romance.
An amazing book.......2007-09-04
I read this book five or more years ago, and I loved it. It is one of my most favorite books, I could relate with Ellen so much, and I think anyone can, being in love with someone so much, and yet nothing works out. I think this book should almost be required reading for young girls.
A love Through life.......2006-06-30
I read this book for the first time when I was 14, I am now 30. I love this book, I reccomend it to every young girl. This book will show them that life ia not always sweet. I will give this book to my daughter someday to read, and all of my neices.
most memorable book of my childhood.......2006-03-08
I read this book when I was 12; I still remember the day I bought it. I sat in my bedroom all weekend reading it. I loved it so much, I wanted to be just like Ellen. Every girl has a Michael Tyler in their lives! I have read this book every Christmas for the last 14 years. I just purchased a new copy to give to my daughter when she's a little older. I'll never part with mine.
Holiday Tradition.......2006-02-09
I purchased this book in the winter of my 7th grade year. The story made such an impact on me at that time in my life that it quickly became a favorite. I have continued to re-read the book every Christmas, and it has become my own holiday tradition. Now, at the age of 25, my Christmas holiday just doesn't seem complete without my yearly read of this innocent love story. I have read the story over at least 10 times and thoroughly enjoy it each time. It's my guilty pleasure!
Average customer rating:
- Awesome! So good even my manager stole it from me
- sparse and lacking
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Dream Notes 2003: Short and to the point Notes and Shortcuts on Microsoft's Office
Kirt, C. Kershaw
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Office | Applications | Microsoft | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
General | Accounting | Business | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
General | Business | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
General | Software | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1420830147 |
Book Description
During a typical days training, Kirt Kershaw would review with his students the course's concepts by writing down on the board the: Term, a brief definition, and its executable shortcut. Dream Notes 2003 is that, short and to the point notes on Microsoft's: Word 2003, Excel 2003, Outlook 2003, PowerPoint 2003, Access 2003, Publisher 2003, Project 2003 and bonus notes Windows XP. With Dream Notes 2003 you can get to a point, fast!
Customer Reviews:
Awesome! So good even my manager stole it from me.......2005-09-18
This book has been awesome and what a great resource. I shared it with my manager and she now keeps it on her desk to use. The office is always looking for short cuts in Microsoft office and we don't have time or money for training. I learned 5 new tricks in the first 10 minutes. Well worth the money I paid for! The best cliff notes I have ever seen on computers!
sparse and lacking.......2005-09-10
Kershaw goes through the products in Microsoft's Office 2003 suite. For each, he gives a very concise opinion about what he considers key points. Along with shortcuts [hacks], that some of you may find useful.
Overall, though, I found the book to be rather sparse and lacking. [...]
Average customer rating:
- Destiny to its Highest
- Floyd's Story
- Dakota Dreams
- "Indian Day"
- if you have to read this for school, you have my sympathy
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Dakota Dream (Point Signature)
James Bennett
Manufacturer: Scholastic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Teens | Subjects | Books | Authors, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Health, Mind & Body | History & Historical Fiction | Horror | Literature & Fiction | Manga | Mysteries | Reference | Religion & Spirituality | School & Sports | Science & Technology | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Series | Social Issues
General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
jp-unknown1 | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 059046681X |
Amazon.com
Shuffled from one foster home to another--and from one institution to the next--for most of his life, Floyd Rayfield is darn tired of traveling without a real destination. Floyd firmly believes that he will find his real home if he becomes a Sioux Indian. Determination, faith, and a lot of crazy luck help Floyd make the journey to the Sioux reservation and embark on the sort of vision quest on which only Native Americans are allowed. This is a touching, deeply-layered exploration of identity and belonging. Warriors come from the strangest places . . .
Customer Reviews:
Destiny to its Highest .......2005-11-22
This book is about a sixteen year old boy who wants to become a Native American. He would wear moccasins to school, had a Dakota pipe, would grow his hair long and die it black, he would also try to make his skin darker. Charley Black Crow was his Native American name and would sometimes sign his papers with that name. Floyd believed it was his destiny to become a Dakota Native American. He had a dream which showed him as a warrior. Floyd put it to heart after his dream to become a Native American.
Dakota Dream was not an exciting book. There were no parts where you just couldn't set the book down. It was very boring. The same tone was used throughout the whole story. Native American ways were used throughout the book, and I did learn a little. You also learn how life was in a foster home.
If you know your destiny this is a book for you. It will help you on the way to find your destiny. This book shows what one boy did for his. Now what will you do for yours?
Floyd's Story.......2005-03-02
This story is about a boy who is searching for his dream to become a Dakota Indian. One night he has a realistic dream that he is an Indian fighting one of the battles with the Indians against the colonists. He wants to get to an Indian reservation where hopefully he can fulfill his dream as an Indian but he has no way of getting there until he meets a boy with a broken down motorcycle and he tries to fix it and then in the night he rides it to the reservation so he can become an Indian and fulfill his dreams.
Dakota Dreams.......2003-02-25
This is a really good book. It's about a boy called Floyd. When he was young he decided he wanted to be an indian. He lives in foster homes and is always moving. This book even has some useful information in it about indians. I would recommend this book to someone who likes adventures and mischief; it's a good book.
In the book Floyd decides early on he wants to become an indian. He learns lots about them and even follows their religion. He lives in foster homes and is always moving. He is never in the same school long so he doesn't have any friends. He is starting to get sick of everything so he decides it's time to run away. He plans it all out and the leaves. The rest of the book is pretty much about what he does there.
I liked this book because it was kind of an adventure. It went lots of different ways. It went from being in one place, then going to a completely different place. It even had some useful information about indians. It's a really good book.
I think you should read this book. It's a good book for all different people. I rated this book 4 stars. This is a great book and is filled with lots of mischief and excitement.
"Indian Day".......2001-03-20
In "Dakota Dream" a young boy runs away from a group home to fullfill his dream about being a Dakota Indian and living on an real reservation. Personally I like this book a lot because I think it would be cool to be a Dakota Indian. The boy one night in in a vision in his dream, he sees himself as a Dakota Indian riding on horseback to go fight the settlers. Thats when it first comes to him, that his destiny is to become a Dakota Indian. He fights his way through life going from group home to group home, not even considering the fact that his parents died when he was a baby, and never saw them before. I think "Dakota Dream" is an exciting, and one of the best books I have ever read!
if you have to read this for school, you have my sympathy.......2000-05-08
My junior high age son and his friends had to read this book for school, and they were thoroughly annoyed with the self-obsessed protagonist, Floyd. They wanted him to grow up, already! I read the book to see what all the complaining was about and found myself agreeing.
The "adults" in the book humored Floyd too much; The only person who cared enough to make him grow up was the Sioux Indian Chief. One hopes that Floyd would learn something lasting from the one mature character in the book. Pick up Harry Potter or a Redwall book instead.
Books:
- The Vision A Two-in-one Volume Of The Final Quest And The Call
- The White Rose: Munich, 1942-1943
- The Writings of Florence Scovel Shinn: The Game of Life and How to Play It, Your Word Is Your Wand,the Secret Door to Success, the Power of the Spok
- They Shall Expel Demons: What You Need to Know about Demons - Your Invisible Enemies
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Tome of Battle: The Book of Nine Swords (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
- Tooth and Claw (Death Dealer)
- True to the Game: A Teri Woods Fable
- Turkey--Bright Sun, Strong Tea: On the Road with a Travel Writer
- Valley of Silence (The Circle Trilogy, Book 3)
Books Index
Books Home
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- Holy Image, Hallowed Ground
- Atlas of Human Anatomy for the Artist
- Desiderata for Cat Lovers: A Guide to Life & Happiness
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- Human Sexuality Today
- I Cried, You Didn't Listen: A Survivor's Expose of the California Youth Authority
- eBay Para Dummies
- Childbirth Wisdom: From the World's Oldest Societies
- Cockburn and the British Navy in Transition: Admiral Sir George Cockburn 1772-1853
The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World
Parallel Universe Of Self
How to Meet Yourself: ...and find true happiness
Life Without a Centre: Awakening from the Dream of Separation
One: Essential Writings on Nonduality
