Average customer rating:
- A Super Modern Western Adventure!
- Cowboys!~
- Part "High Plains Drifter" and Part "Romeo and Juliet."
- A wonderful reading experience
- All the Pretty Horses
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All the Pretty Horses
Cormac Mccarthy
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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The Crossing
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Cities of the Plain
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Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West
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No Country for Old Men
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Suttree
ASIN: 0679744398
Release Date: 1993-06-29 |
Amazon.com
Part bildungsroman, part horse opera, part meditation on courage and loyalty, this beautifully crafted novel won the National Book Award in 1992. The plot is simple enough. John Grady Cole, a 16-year-old dispossessed Texan, crosses the Rio Grande into Mexico in 1949, accompanied by his pal Lacey Rawlins. The two precocious horsemen pick up a sidekick--a laughable but deadly marksman named Jimmy Blevins--encounter various adventures on their way south and finally arrive at a paradisiacal hacienda where Cole falls into an ill-fated romance. Readers familiar with McCarthy's Faulknerian prose will find the writing more restrained than in Suttree and Blood Meridian. Newcomers will be mesmerized by the tragic tale of John Grady Cole's coming of age.
Book Description
Now a major motion picture from Columbia Pictures starring Matt Damon, produced by Mike Nichols, and directed by Billy Bob Thornton.
The national bestseller and the first volume in Cormac McCarthy's
Border Trilogy,
All the Pretty Horses is the tale of John Grady Cole, who at sixteen finds himself at the end of a long line of Texas ranchers, cut off from the only life he has ever imagined for himself. With two companions, he sets off for Mexico on a sometimes idyllic, sometimes comic journey to a place where dreams are paid for in blood. Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction.
Customer Reviews:
A Super Modern Western Adventure!.......2007-09-22
Note: I made some Mormon reader angry over my reviews of books written by Mormons out to prove the Book of Mormon, and that person has been slamming my reviews. This review of "All the Pretty Horses" is pretty good. I didn't want to ruin the story by telling too much. Your "helpful" votes are appreciated.
This memorable novel caught me and wouldn't let go. Around 1948, two teenage boys from Texas ride their horses down into Mexico. From there, the adventure begins. For a while, they live at a cattle ranch where the one boy falls in love with the wealthy rancher's daughter.
Highly recommended.
McCarthy is a powerful writer, and his novel "Blood Meridian" is the most powerful novel I ever read (see my review where I compare his prose to that of Conrad).
Blood Meridian:
"That night they rode through a region electric and wild where strange shapes of soft blue fire ran over the metal of the hoses' trappings and the wagonwheels rolled in hoops of fire and little shapes of pale blue light came to perch in the ears of the horses and in the beards of the men. All night sheetlightning quaked and sourceless to the west beyond the midnight thunderheads, making a bluish day of the distant desert, the mountains on the sudden skyline stark and black and lived like a land of some other order out there whose true geology was not stone but fear. The thunder moved up from the southwest and lightning lit the desert all about them, blue and barren, great clanging reaches ordered out of the absolute night like some demon kingdom summoned up or changeling land that come the day would leave them neither trace nor smoke nor ruin more than any troubling dream."
Compare above lines to similar lines in "The Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad:
"We could have fancied ourselves the first of men taking possession of an accursed inheritance, to be subdued at the cost of profound anguish and of excessive toil. But suddenly, as we struggled round a bend, there would be a glimpse of rush walls, of peaked grass-roofs, a burst of yells, a whirl of black limbs, a mass of hands clapping, of feet stamping, of bodies swaying, , of eyes rolling, under the droop of heavy and motionless foliage. The steamer toiled along slowly on the edge of a black and incomprehensible frenzy. The prehistoric man was cursing us, praying to us, welcoming us--who could tell" we were cut off from the comprehension of our surroundings; we glided past like phantoms, wondering and secretly appalled, as sane men would be before an enthusiastic outbreak in a madhouse. We could not understand because we were too far and could not remember because we were travelling in the night of first ages, of those ages that are gone, leaving hardly a sign--and no memories."
Blood Meridian: Or the Evening Redness in the West
Cowboys!~.......2007-09-18
This book is short but really interesting. Anybody can read it quickly. The only confusing part is that the book has many quotes but it doesn't say who is saying it. This is why sometimes you have to think twice about who said this and that. The lovestory is not like any typical teenage lovestory- in one word it is DIFFERENT.
Part "High Plains Drifter" and Part "Romeo and Juliet.".......2007-09-10
Cormac McCarthy was born in Rhode island and grew up in Tennessee, but now lives in Tesuque, New Mexico. He is viewed by many as one of the more unusual and most talented of the current American writers. For example, Harold Bloom has written a number of things about McCarthy.
Some describe Mccarthy as a loner. Coincidentally, that is what one might call the protagonist in the present novel: John Grady. The novel is set in the 1950s time period and Grady is a young man or mature boy caught between the horse and buggy days of the old west and the new west connected by modern highways. Grady has a fascination for horses and is a talented rider.
The story is about two men who ride their horses into Mexico and work as ranch hands in Mexico. It is part love story and part a tale of justice and adventure, i.e.: Grady meets a woman in Mexico. The protagonist is a sympathetic character and most readers will find it to be a compelling read.
Some might not like it for the prose. The prose is complicated by design. I thought the first thirty pages were sometimes a bit awful but effective as well, but then McCarthy lightens up a bit on his writing. He reminded me a bit of the opening of Farewell to Arms where Hemingway tries to set the mood through the use of prose: Hemingway uses a narrative of the natural surroundings. McCarthy uses expressions such as "the sun sat blood red and elliptic," and these seem out of place when compared to the spartan dialogue of a father and son talking over a breakfast of eggs and coffee.
Also, McCarthy uses what is called polysyndeton, or the use of several conjunctions in close succession, especially where some might be omitted. It is a stylistic scheme used to slow down the tempo. As pointed out by others, polysyndeton is used extensively in the King James Version of the Bible. For example:
"And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark." Genesis 7:22-24
One of the best parts in the book - and exceptional writing by the way - is where he describes a dream in the middle of the book about horses running free on a plain and he does so in 18 continuous lines with no punctuation.
So, this is based on some universal themes, set in Texas and Mexico, and has some interesting and complicated prose. Once you get passed page 30 to 50, it is a novel that is hard to put down. I read most of the novel in an evening.
Highly recommended page turner: 5 stars.
A wonderful reading experience.......2007-09-09
This was one of the best reading experiences Ive ever had. What was most important to me was how true to the how people of this lifestyle actually are. I grew up in this type of atmosphere and its a big part of who I am even though it no longer defines me on a daily basis. Working with horses is a lifestyle. It what you live and breathe. McCarthy captures that. It had such an effect on me and took me back to a life I miss so much. Enjoy this book.
All the Pretty Horses.......2007-08-06
I was disappointed in the style of this book. I had just read "Water for Elephants" and was blown away. The reviews I read lead me to this author and the above book. The story line is good however he is slow to develop it. I appreciate discriptive text however a paragraph (or more) it seems to descibbe a dry river bed is a bit much especially when there is one on every page. Alas the last 1/3 of the book will go unread. And I will search for the next W.F.E.
Book Description
What you see is not always what you get - and this true story of a man and his dog is no exception. Woven just under the surface of this simple parable, Keller presents profound spiritual truth. It is the story of Lass, a worthless animal thought to be untrainable, who becomes a magnificent and valuable sheepdog - not terribly unlike how God's love can transform our worst characteristics into blessings that serve to further His Kingdom. Allow yourself to see Biblical truth in this classic tale of what can happen when you yield to the Master.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Books / Excellent Buy.......2007-09-28
Loved this book - a wonderful story of Love through the eyes of a shepherd. Lass is a sheepdog who is abused and unloved. Her transformation when she is loved by her master is a picture of our transformation when we receive God's (our master's) love.
Lessons from a Sheep Dog.......2007-04-28
The write ups were misleading. I bought this book for my grandson, only to find it contained Christian propaganda. "Obey the Master's voice" ??? please...
Engaging, light read - recommend for all.......2006-10-09
This book is warm story that shows the relationship of trust and loyalty built between an abused dog and his new owner. I highly recommend it to any and all.
Worthy of a re-read from time to time. Among other messages, a gentle reminder of the spirit of service we are all meant to demonstrate!
Great book for dog lovers.......2006-07-09
I gave this book to a friend for her birthday. She has a dog just like Lass and could relate very closely to the author's experiences. She loved the book. I am reading it now and agree completely. Great book for any dog lover.
Lessons from a Sheep Dog.......2006-03-20
Be sure to get this little book to go with "A shepherd looks at psalm 23". It will open you eyes to your relationship with our good shepherd and it may put you to shame as to how willing are you to follow His call.
Book Description
âDirector’s Cutâ of Jabez Follows Up on Spiritual Phenomenon Bruce Wilkinson’s breakthrough teaching in The Prayer of Jabez captivated millions and continues to lead to changed lives around the world. This follow-up message discusses in greater detail the specific steps to take in making this scriptural passage part of your prayer life. For each of the prayer’s four sections, Wilkinson explains important biblical distinctions, answers misconceptions about the prayer, offers practical steps to praying the prayer, and shows potential results in readers’ lives. New content, exciting Jabez-inspired stories, and enriched commentary from Dr. Wilkinson make this a must-have for anyone who wants to live a world-changing life for God.
Go Deeper.
Farther.
BEYOND.
When people passionately pray, God doesn’t just listen. He responds!
Where the #1 New York Times bestseller The Prayer of Jabez left off, Beyond Jabez picks up and goes even deeper.
Priceless testimonies of answered prayer and bold, biblical teaching clear up the misconceptions surrounding this once little-known prayer. Is it really right to ask God to bless me? How can I experience the miracles accompanying a Jabez lifestyle? The answers inside will destroy doubt and sound the trumpet blast announcing a glorious new chapter in your walk with the Lord!
Are you ready? Because
God is still movingâand asking
you to do the same!
Inside Left Flap
Dare to Go There.
True Stories
When The Prayer of Jabez sold nine million copies in two years, Bruce Wilkinson’s mailbox was flooded with countless personal stories of answered prayer. God’s mighty hand was using the prayer to change lives in both small and dramatic ways. Such undeniable testimonies make it impossible to ignore God’s presence, active and alive today!
Refreshing Clarity
Beyond Jabez examines the larger biblical context of the once little-known prayer found in 1 Chronicles 4:9–10. Wilkinson’s sound instruction answers the skepticism surrounding the Jabez phenomenon and returns an awesome sense of wonder to the miracle of prayer.
Deeper Application
Packed with practical guidance from a man who daily prays Jabez’s prayerâand has for more than thirty years!â Beyond Jabez reveals how, with a sincere heart and a devoted prayer life, God can use you mightily for His purposes!
Story Behind the Book
Bruce Wilkinson spent thirty years studying and praying the prayer of Jabez. The original manuscript was over three hundred pages long. When The Prayer of Jabez was released in the spring of 2000, it had been culled down to 96 pages. It was originally intended as a gift from Bruce to the attendees of the 2000 National Day of Prayer. Now in 2005, the fifth anniversary of the release of the original Prayer of Jabez, the release of Beyond Jabez will be more like the book Bruce Wilkinson originally intended to writeâa book with more teaching, stories of God’s blessings, and more application of what God intended of us in petitioning Him.
Customer Reviews:
WOW.......2007-06-09
When you think you have it all, along comes another gem to challenge your Christian walk. This will make you walk holy
Excellent.......2007-01-11
Nothing less than the first book, this is a Must read for any Christian.
God Bestows Blessings.......2006-12-14
This is a companion to the book 'Prayer of Jabez' by Bruce Wilkinson. Here Bruce discusses in greater detail the steps to take in making Jabez's petition to God a part of daily life. He has also included readers' accounts of the ways their lives have been enriched by prayer in the unabridged Library of Congress tapes. A very inspirational read.
Great Book on Blessings .......2005-10-19
Before I read the prayer of Jabez I always wondered about praying for blessings, but this follow up to that let me know that God really does want to bless his children. Thanks Bruce for making so easy to uderstand God wants to bless us!!
An inspiring sequel to THE PRAYER OF JABEZ.......2005-08-03
Dr. Bruce Wilkinson has written this follow-up to his phenomenal bestseller, THE PRAYER OF JABEZ, for several reasons. Primarily he hoped to delve more deeply into each section of the prayer and to explore its deeper practical applications. Also, he felt it necessary to clarify some of the misconceptions that led to controversy over the first book.
"And Jabez called upon the God of Israel saying,
'Oh that You would bless me indeed,
and enlarge my territory,
that Your hand would be with me,
and that You would keep me from evil,
that I may not cause pain.'
So God granted him what he requested." 1 Chron. 4:10
This is the prayer that inspired the books and generated strong debate among Christian factions, especially extremists at either end of the spectrum. There were those who decried it as another "name it and claim it" gimmick while others were bursting with positive testimonies of personal miracles when they "prayed Jabez." Dr. Wilkinson says that he never meant for it to be a mantra or a magic lamp but simply a model to help people enrich their prayer lives.
I remember buying the book as a Christmas present for my son. And I prayed the prayer just to see what would happen. Within two days my already bloated caseload increased 25%. The Lord increased my territory! Reinforcing a truth that we often forget, God's ways are not our ways. What we might have in mind and what He has in mind are often entirely different.
While it's true that God cares about our smallest needs and can provide a parking place right up front on a day that you're in a hurry, it's 110 degrees and your hip is killing you. On the other hand, when you get home you may receive that dreaded phone call telling you that the friend everyone at church has been praying for did not survive her latest stroke. So, what's the deal? The real deal is God's sovereignty. His ways are not our ways and we'll never understand everything. We just have to trust that He knows what He is doing. Whether you "pray Jabez", address Him in King James English, or talk to Him as you would to your loving Father, the key is the relationship.
BEYOND JABEZ is an inspiring sequel to THE PRAYER OF JABEZ and is sure to help those who read it expand their understanding of the importance of prayer and faith. Dr. Wilkinson challenges us to broaden our horizons.
--- Reviewed by Maggie Harding, a substance abuse counselor in Phoenix, AZ who wanted to be Brenda Starr before life intervened. (...)
Book Description
The provocative bestseller She’s Not There is the winning, utterly surprising story of a person changing genders. By turns hilarious and deeply moving, Jennifer Finney Boylan explores the territory that lies between men and women, examines changing friendships, and rejoices in the redeeming power of family. Told in Boylan’s fresh voice, She’s Not There is about a person bearing and finally revealing a complex secret. Through her clear eyes, She’s Not There provides a new window on the confounding process of accepting our true selves.
“Probably no book I’ve read in recent years has made me so question my basic assumptions about both the centrality and the permeability of gender, and made me recognize myself in a situation I’ve never known and have never faced . . . The universality of the astonishingly uncommon: that’s the trick of She’s Not There. And with laughs, too. What a good book.” —Anna Quindlen, from the Introduction to the Book-of-the-Month-Club edition.
Customer Reviews:
Overall a pleasant book.......2007-10-03
It is very interesting the past people that she did run into from her previous life as a male. However, one thing that sort of threw me off about the book was how it seemed to be disjointed and went from one time to a totally different time. I am still grateful for her courage in writing on it and have not been able to progress too far into the book so it may change my ideas, but I am just grateful that there are books dealing specifically with transitioning.
3.5 Stars ... A Moving and Amazing Story .......2007-06-27
This is the story of Jenny Boylan born James Boylan and her journey to become the woman she always believed she was.
Jenny Boylan undergoes a sex change operation so she can live out the rest of her life as a woman. This book tells us some of that story and what it was like for Jenny to be trapped inside the wrong body her whole life.
A thoughtful story...This book makes you question how much of who we are is unchangeable and how much is malleable? What does it mean to truly love someone? Why is it so hard for some to accept people who are different? Especially when we are really so much more alike than not?
I really enjoyed the Afterword by Richard Russo he offers a different perspective to the transformation of Jim to Jenny and shares insights to her story that she can't offer.
The sense of humor throughout this book was great. What an amazing, brave and difficult journey. She might not be an astronaut but she's pretty courageous none the less.
I find the topic of gender studies interesting and I have recently read two other books dealing with gender issues. If you enjoyed this book you might also want to read Why Gender Matters: What Parents and Teachers Need to Know about the Emerging Science of Sex Differences and Self-Made Man: One Woman's Journey into Manhood and Back I thought they were both very interesting and insightful.
Left me feeling sad.......2007-05-26
I give this book 4 stars because of it's easy readability and interesting(!) subject matter.A book to cetainly make one wonder and have sympathy for what some humans must suffer through. I liked the writing style (I know some readers/reviewers have not).
But the story to me is just so sad. I finished reading this a couple of weeks ago and wanted to see if my feelings "settled" a bit but they have not. I was not convinced by the end of the book that Jenny had found the peace she was searching for by changing genders. I don't know why but I "liked" the author better in the beginning when she was still James. I guess I bonded with him as a he. After the gender reassignment surgery I just wasn't "convinced" of Jenny's femaleness. Wearing skirts, long hair and diet cokes have nothing to do with femininity in my opinion.Kind of pathetic attempts actually. I realize some of that was his-into-her way of outwardly showing society who she "really" was/is. And I think some of it was dry humor, but I didn't laugh. I thought in the end it was pretty crummy what he/she did to his/her family/loved ones. I certainly wish Jenny peace and happiness but the book and story left me feeling sad and wondering if she's not "there" where in the world is she....now. Is she "there" now? And is her inner world so much different/better to her now as a woman?
Been there.......2007-05-24
Have no problems with which sex you're to show to the world? You're very fortunate. I've been in this world of sexual dysphoria for 40+ years and it's difficult to live normally. This book set everyone straight about this condition.
Support for Transgenders.......2007-05-10
This story of a transgender trying to get by in today's world is captivating and makes a great case study.
Book Description
Explains for the layman - with or without the BPD - what it's like to live with the borderline personality disorder, and how to recover. Includes explanations of biology, medications, therapy, and other diagnoses. An extensive bibliography and glossary are included. Life at the Border was placed on the recommended reading list by the National Institute of Mental Health and is a reference book at NIMH.
Customer Reviews:
Helpful and Hopeful.......2003-01-30
Offering help to borderline personalities and their loved ones long before other popular self help writers, Dr. Heller's book suffers from miserable printing and formatting. It's a shame, because Life at the Border is jam packed with straightforward and valuable overview information. Family Physician and "positive thinker" Dr. Heller places an interesting, optimistic emphasis on the biological causes and cures of BPD (especially limbic brain disorders) (while not neglecting the full spectrum of causes and treatments, including supportive alternative treatments). He mentions in passing that he will be writing a book on coping with borderline personalities and for those who need to deal with the trauma of having lived with a borderline; his unique contribution in that area is long overdue. He writes in conclusion to the borderline personality: "Find a therapist and get the help you need. Then read as many positive, mentally healthy books as you can and as often as you can -- it will make a difference. Listen to motivational tapes every day, and retrain your brain with positive, healthy affirmations. Make peace with God and your spirituality. If possible, make peace with your loved ones. Most of all, make peace with the most important person in the world -- the one in the mirror. He/she needs and deserves to be forgiven." Dated and badly in need of a completely revised version, but still very valuable.
LELAND!!.. The ANTIDOTE for the Misunderstanding of BPD........2002-05-28
When I was first diagnosed with Dyslimbia, (the appropriate and correct term for BPD) I took on the perception that it meant I could never be treated effectively. I would never be emotionally well, and that my condition was one that no one looked forward to treating a patient for. Dr. Heller's book was quick to dispel that myth in my mind.
He dissected the condition and explained it piece by piece so that anyone in the world could understand it without the defeatist's attitude that often seems to be prevalent in the communtiy of psychiatry in general (where Dyslimbia is concerned). He explains what it is, the origins of it, the modus operandi, the symptoms, the effect of those symptoms upon our lives, the possibility of being cured, and tools with which to progress towards and reach the place of being cured.
I felt very relieved and excited to learn of someone who had actually been cured of this condition. He give's the readers (who suffer from Dyslimbia (BPD)) a sense of pride as he explains that people who suffer from Dyslimbia are not Dyslimbics or BPDers. They are people who suffer from a medical condition called Dyslimbia which menifests itself via emotional/ mental symptoms that negatively effect their lives.
His book shows us that we shouldn't see ourselves as a terrible ailment or condition. We are People With a medical condition. We don't refer to people with cancer by saying, "Hey there End Stage Carcinoma, how's it going?" Nor should we say, "Hi, my name is Indigo and I'm a BPDer. What's your name?.....My name is Polyp. Nice to meet you BPDer."
His contrast of the self and the condition, adds perspective to the task at hand, which is to maintain a positive outlook concerning recovery, to take responsibility for our recovery, to focus on and use the tools given to progress to recovery, and to have a clear understanding of the nature and occurrance of our own behavior as it relates to Dyslimbia.
Indigo ...
Future, Brilliant, Female Surgeon 2B
I couldn't put this book down..........2001-12-02
As a sufferer of BPD, my attention span is not great. But
I literally couldn't put this book down...it just fed my
soul. Finally someone who "gets" it. Although medication
is outdated (newer drugs have less side effects and more
benefits), advice and support is up to date. It has given
me the knowledge that recovery is possible...something I
didn't believe before.
OUTDATED - But still not bad at all.......2000-11-23
I liked this book, Dr. Heller seems to have a lot of experience in the treatment of BPD. The book is easy to read and follow, and I found it pretty interesting. HOWEVER, the book is really nt up-to-date with the recent medical and psychological research. It is claimed that the book has been updated in 1999. I dno't believe it. Nothing to say about DBT, newer SSRIs and atypical antipsychotics.
If you just want to understand the disorder, get this book. If you are looking for treatment, this book is way out of date,
An excellent book for both bpds and nons, as it were.......2000-02-21
I found this book informative and in-depth, and Dr. Heller certainly knows a lot about borderline personality disorder. I would recommend this book to anyone who has bpd or a person who knows someone with it. The only thing I didn't like about the book was that it included a section on the entire spectrum of personality disorders, which wasn't really necessary. I would have liked to see more information on HOW to deal with a person who has bpd. Btw, my book has bad binding. It fell apart the first day I read it!
Book Description
A true story of violence, drugs, human smuggling and dirty politicians along the Mexican/American border.
When he was 14, Lee Morgan learned to shoot a rifle from a young Marine who later became the "Texas Tower Sniper." Four years later, Lee was conducting CIA assassination missions in Vietnam. Then he spent the next 31 years on the U.S.-Mexico border as a federal agent, where the struggle against smugglers of drugs and starving human beings is as harrowing as anything Lee encountered in Vietnam.
The Reaper's Line is a non-fiction account of unparalleled official corruption, mass murders, gunfights, treason, betrayal, and government wrongdoing.
Customer Reviews:
Lee Morgan's Line.......2007-09-06
Reading this book is like having Lee Morgan II in your face. It's like listening to a monologue from some guy in a blue-collar bar. After two or three beers, he's throwing bottles and banging his fist on the table, and you're nodding and smiling and eyeing the door. Only you don't leave because you've just got to hear where the story's going.
This collection of war stories and rants from Morgan's years as a federal agent on the Mexican border is served up in the finest southern good ol' boy style. Redman is the chew to calm your nerves before the stuff hits the fan, and the stuff is said to hit the fan too many times to count. But if the raunchy style doesn't put you off, the book offers a unique inside look at our undeclared border war with Mexico and the people who are fighting it.
There is bitterness in this book, and it's no big surprise when Morgan reveals that he was forced into retirement from Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He was "put out to pasture" for outspokenly opposing cooperation with the Border Patrol, which he claims is "one of the most corrupt law enforcement agencies in existence."
But it's not just his former bosses who are the targets of Morgan's wrath. He rails at the REMFs (Rear-Echelon so-and-so's) who deprive field agents of the weapons and equipment they need and impose asinine rules that hamstring field operations. He sneers at the cynicism of national politicians who certify the Mexican government as a partner in the war on drugs and require the border services to provide Mexican officials with the names of confidential informants in Mexico. But he reserves his heaviest artillery for the Mexican government, dope smugglers, human traffickers, corrupt agents, and redneck border vigilantes.
Morgan names names, accusing scores of people, including mayors, judges, governors, and presidents, of everything from ineptness to outright corruption. About the only people that escape his flames are migrant workers, with whom he sympathizes, and his fellow field agents - the honest ones, that is.
The war stories are mostly rip-roaring action tales. There are enough gun, knife, and fist fights, wild car chases and crashes to make a Steven Seagal movie. There are tortured bodies cropping up in shallow graves, psycho killers, smuggled AK-47's, booby-trapped tunnels, and buried explosives. Reader discretion advised: content might not be suitable for intellectuals and wimps.
Some of the stories dealing with migrant workers are sad. A few stories are eccentrically funny, like the time Morgan drew down on Jimmy Stewart with a shotgun, and then apologized in a self-mocking parody of a southern drawl. You get the feeling the stories are embellished to make good tales, but that's all right. That's how it is with war stories.
There are no maps in this book. Also, there are no footnotes, no list of sources, bibliograpy, index, photos, or acknowledgements. If you're looking for the kind of balanced, well-researched and documented reportage Bob Woodward or Mark Bowden would do, you won't find it here. What you got here is Lee Morgan, in your face, the man telling you how he sees it, banging on the table. You smile and nod and stay in your seat because you want to see where he's going with it.
A Great Read.......2007-06-08
What an incredible real life adventure story. I couldn't put it down.
told the way it happened.......2007-01-25
As a 19 year veteran of the Border Patrol, with my first 10 years in Douglas, AZ I can say for a fact that the book is completely true. I was there! For the Record I do know Mr. Morgan very well. These events actually happened, occasionaly I was involved also. Other reviewers may doubt the authencity I don't. As for putting the USBP in a bad light, maybe maybe not. We get what we deserve. I find no fault with Lee on this. He did not portray all BP agents as inept nor did he portray all Customs agents saintly. The truth is the truth.
Great Book
Scary Reading.......2007-01-14
I am retired from the California Department of Corrections and could write my own book about the flow of illegal aliens. I can attest that there are prison gangs that require that the potential member is illegal. As a nurse, I can also attest to where California Tax dollars are spent on illegals. I enjoyed the humourous and factual content. This book should be required reading for all law enforcement that will be dealing with the illegal alien problems.
Awesome Book!.......2007-01-11
Very real to life from a man who spent many years trying to make our country safe. He has very good and true notions about drugs and immigration. As a law enforcement officer, everything he says about the administration is true of every government agency. Seems the ones in the carpeted office who have never been there (or havent in so long they forgot how it was) can make all the decisions about what is best for you and how best to do your job. I admire the author for his many years of dedication and service, and the care and concern he shows for his "kids". Too bad that instead of being pushed out, he wasn't pushed up, could have made a world of difference for our future, our country, and our agents. I am sure that the REMF's see it as "sour grapes", but believe me, the attitude and beliefs are TRUE! Thank you Lee Morgan!
Book Description
A compelling and unprecedented look at life on the other side of the border. Despite the numbers of people crossing over to the U.S., hundreds more remain behind in abject poverty. Urrea worked closely with them and provides a compassionate and candid account of their lives.
Customer Reviews:
who cares about objectivity........2006-04-11
people who read this book need to understand that this book is going to be biased. in the beginning the author explicitly states that this book is going to be his personal account about his experience of the border life in Tijuana. people who want truth about the hardships these people face need to pick up this book and read it. i read it for a class that i am interning for and i work in a homeless youth shelter in the city of Tijuana and i see so many similarities of this life. i see the children and have to ask myself where and how did these children end up on the streets. why have they chosen this life, a life of hardship and chaos? Never knowing when your time is up or who that person down the street is beating up or for my case, how can there be a drug house next door to these children? this book is a very emotional account of those that have gone as far as they could only to end up a step closer to that freedom. this book definitely opened my eyes to those who have come this far only to continue to struggle. searching in the dumps for food, living on a piece of land where you could be kicked off in a instant, only to be more homeless than you already are. this is a story, a true srory, that will hopefully open the eyes of all who read this book. it is an account of hope and survival, quite often things that you or me need not to worry about. the people who are talking about immigration reform and who are hoping to make it alot more strict because they feel "their country" is being overrun by illegals, need to pick up this book. you need to step out of your bubble and volunteer with a group that goes across the wire to the other side, the true other side. not revolution avenue, but go into the city, go to houses on the hills. go and see the way these people live and then ask yourself if you have the right to complain about those people who are trying to make a better life for their families and themselves.
Have A Good Cry, But Then Act.......2005-02-08
This is a heart wrenching book that attempts to describe what it's like to be one of the poorest of the poor in the world. The author outstandingly introduces to people, some of whom are his close friends, who live in an entirely different world and yet have the same desires and dreams as we although they are often too discouraged to dream them.
The author, a reasonably intelligent man with a good education and experience, is also wise enough to know that there are no easy remedies to the poverty that afflicts the people in his book and so many others.
The saddest part of the book is actually in Urrea's follow-up book, "By the Lake of Sleeping Children". In it, he describes how people have contacted him about the region seeking to do research, write articles or event o a television show. "Very few," he wrote, "want to send money." Sending money is not the solution to poverty, but writing a check is the easiest thing to do to temporarily alleviate some of their suffering. So go and have a good cry. Then, after you get down on your knees and thank God for the blessings you have, consider putting your compassion into action.
Former Border Patrol Agent writes..........2003-06-28
I am a former United States Border Patrol Agent and I read this book while working the fixed positions we often manned along the Arizona-Mexico border. I was so moved by this story, I cried. I cried as I read this book, right there in my Border Patrol vehicle on the very line separating two very different worlds! This book is an easy read and can be taken a little at a time. Its impact is incredible and your heart will be broken. It is a must read! I am not compromising my stance on immigration laws here, I am just expressing my heart-felt pain for some of what the beautiful people of Mexico must face in their lives. God bless!
No sugar coated Mexican cliches here, just the sad truth........2003-02-23
Brilliant read, by a heroically courageous soul. If you are aspiring to learn more about Mexican reality, read this book. Highly recommended.
comments can be deceptive..........2002-11-26
I'm basically writing this review because I feel that the comments posted here do not reflect how beautiful this book actually is. It was assigned reading during a Chicano Studies course I took last quarter, and quite literally changed the way I look at the Mexican-US border. Too often we on this side of the border are shown a VERY diluted picture of life on the border, and NEVER a complete picture. I felt that this book helped to fill in the gaps in my own bias. There is nothing cruel, nothing romantic, nothing emotional about this book. It presents a sring of events told objectivly by the author, for our own emotional responses to perceive however we choose. A fairly short book made of extraordinarily powerful yet short anecdotes, you'll find it VERY hard to not finish this in one sitting. HIGHLY recommended; one of my favourite books of all time, that has not been given the mainstream acclaim it deserves.
Book Description
These seven original essays offer the first ethnohistorical interpretation of Spanish-Indian interaction from Florida to California. The indigenous peoples in the borderlands were hunter-gatherers or agriculturalists whose lives differed substantially from the lives of Indians in large-scale hierarchical societies of central Mexico. As a result, Spains entry and expansion varied throughout the borderlands.
How did indigenous peoples fare under Spanish rule from the sixteenth through the eighteenth centuries? The contributors to this book discuss the social, demographic, and economic impacts of Spanish colonization on Indians. Relations among settlers, soldiers, priests, and indigenous peoples throughout the borderlands are examined, bringing immediacy and human interest to the interpretation.
Contributors are Susan M. Deeds, Jesus F. de la Teja, Ross Frank, Robert H. Jackson, Peter Stern, and Patricia Wickman. Their essays offer a new and engaging synthesis that will reinvigorate teaching and research in borderlands history.
Average customer rating:
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Tannenberg: Erich Ludendorff and the Defence of the Eastern German Border in 1914 (The Holy Land Revealed Guides)
Perry Pierik
Manufacturer: Aspekt B V Uitgeverij
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Poland | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 9059111060 |
Book Description
"A threshold is a sacred thing," goes the traditional saying of ancient wisdom. In some corners of the earth, in some traditional cultures, and in monastic life, this is still remembered. But in our fast-paced modern world, this wisdom is often lost on us.
It is important for us to remember the significance of the threshold. While it is certainly true that thresholds mark the end of one thing and the beginning of another, they also act as borders—the places in between, the points of transition. These can be physical, such as the geographical borders of a country; others, such as the spiritual border between the inner and outer world—between ourselves and others—are intangible.
In To Pause at the Threshold, Esther de Waal looks at what it is like to live in actual "border country," the Welsh countryside with its "slower rhythms" and "earth-linked textures," and explores the importance of opening up and being receptive to one's surroundings, whatever they may be.
Customer Reviews:
Entering into a life in the Spirit..........2007-06-03
In our 21st century world, this meditation on the ordinary becomes a poetic statement about finding one's way, and is so needed. A work that broadens ones vista, the subtitle of the book, "Reflections on Living on the Border," contains new visions of life from ancient wisdom. A small book, the author Esther de Waal explains how and what to do with the new found in places like, "So when I went walking along the stretch of Off's Dyke that ran only a few miles away, I came to know afresh the world that had earlier delighted my father." This book tells the way to live in the world. It speaks of living with the inner world of the heart and mind, as well. For me, these are important.
"All our lives are inevitably made of a succession of borders and thresholds, which open up into the new and promise excitement or fear. The traveler encountering unknown places has all the exhilaration, the thrill of another country." For some time, I have sought to find newness of seeing things and knowing things, and also in regard to people in my life. This book helps to change the reader in ways that open the eyes to new ways of living and seeing. It is a work of vision and ongoing renewal. Again, in a book, she accomplishes with clarity and easy style lessons of the meaningful in life, and finding meaning.
She writes about pausing in the book. Titled "To Pause at the Threshold: Reflections on Living on the Border," published by Morehouse Publishing, she writes about living a spiritual life, of living life within the Anglican Communion. The book is both dear, as in personal and telling, and objective as in telling and demonstrating. "Above all I want to explore the role of thresholds, of the crossing-over places, not only geographical ones but also metaphorical thresholds," she writes in her introduction. This book is for the spiritually inclined, for the religious individual, and for the seeker of new life in living.
Our world is uncertain. Her instructions on living a better life go like this: "The first step in listening, learning, and changing is to see that different is not dangerous; the second is to be happy and willing to live with uncertainty the third is to rejoice in ambiguity and to embrace it." Originally published under an imprint of St. Mary's Works called The Canterbury Press Norwich, this formerly English book will find many readers in the United States. She says so many things that speak to the Anglican religious way of living, and so many things that speak to a society that is diverse as America. She finds the central places of the spirit in her writing. Two other books are noted here as worthwhile: "Living with Contradictions: An Introduction to Benedictine Spirituality" and, "Seeking God: The Way of St. Benedict." One quickly gets an idea of the thrust of her work from the titles.
Laying a way to enjoy and reflect on the ordinary in life, she draws large inferences in this book: "...we find ourselves touched by something primal, that repetition of birth and death, dying and new life, experienced again and again, year in and year out, repeated throughout our lives." These are some patterns of the day, like the simple task of bowing ones head down during the day in the bright light, "...giving glory to the great God of life for the magnificence of the sun and for the goodness of its light to the children and men and to the animals of the world."
Here is another nugget from a book that flows and contains nuggets of establishing oneself in a place. Esther de Waal quotes from many sources. Here she quotes John Howard Griffin's diary: "August 6, 1969. 5:45 a.m. Before dawn. With the beginnings of the predawn-light some of the birds come to life--not with singing yet, but with a kind of murmuring. I carried my coffee out on the concrete porch and drank it walking back and forth. The air is cool, almost cold, and fresh. Light came slowly. I watched the trees assume black shapes through the fog. I thought of Tom who saw the sounds, smelled the same predawn freshness, allowed the same silences to do their work in him."
For people who like a good read, the 102-page book categorized as spirituality is intelligent and inviting. There is importance in opening up and being inviting to one's surroundings, as the book blurb states. I agree, this is a book that sees "A threshold as a sacred thing..." Her book is like the porter in St. Benedict's rule who waits at the gate, the work "...shows us a conversation between the holy and the everyday..." Esther de Waal points the way to enjoyment.
--Peter Menkin, Pentecost 2007
Another firmly grounded set of meditations from de Waal.......2005-08-07
Deceptively slim, this book of meditations from de Waal's reading and personal experience asks for careful reading and cogitation. I found myself reading it aloud, softly and slowly, in order to take in the deep meaning. This is truly matter for Lectio Divina. A quotation: " If the borders are not frontiers, and if the thresholds are continually crossed and recrossed, then we open up to the new." Readers of de Waal will find familiar sources-- St Benedict, Celtic writings-- as well as fruits of de Waal's wide current reading. This book should become a spiritual classic.
To Pause at the Threshold.......2005-01-28
Esther de Waal never lets us down! In To Pause at the Threshold she explores how even the busiest life can be lived mindfully and prayerfully. She attunes us to what the Celtic Christians called "thin" moments, those times when what is before gives way to the new, when God is experienced as most palpably present. Life is immeasurably blessed, she assures us, when we receive the next moment, the next event, the next person with reverence and expectation. This fine little book is a lovely companion for the one who lives life on pilgrimage.
Books:
- Ambient Findability: What We Find Changes Who We Become
- Be a Kickass Assistant: How to Get from a Grunt Job to a Great Career
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- Book of Shadows: A Modern Woman's Journey into the Wisdom of Witchcraft and the Magic of the Goddess
- Bright Lights Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA
- Brother Eagle, Sister Sky
- Call Me by Your Name: A Novel
- Complete Champion: A Player's Guide to Divine Heroes (Dungeons & Dragons d20 3.5 Fantasy Roleplaying)
- Doll -Softcover Volume 1 (Doll)
- Dragons of Summer Flame
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