By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept: A Novel of Forgiveness (P.S.)

Amazon.com

This first United States paperback of By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept comes after huge worldwide sales of the novel of faith, romance, miracles, and the importance of following the heart's true path. The inspirational tale follows Pilar, a young woman from the Spanish countryside who, sparked by the teachings of a now-mysterious man she has known and loved since childhood, leaves her graduate studies and embarks on a spiritual pilgrimage through the Pyrenees Mountains and reevaluates her life and her future. Brazilian writer Paulo Coelho, author of the international bestseller The Alchemist, is considered to be one of the most widely-read Latin American writers in the world.

Book Description

By bestselling author and international sensation Paulo Coelho, a poetic and transcendent story that reflects the mysteries of love and life.

Rarely does an adolescent love reach its full potential. What happens when, after eleven years, two lovers come together again? Pilar has become an independent and strong young woman. Her childhood friend has become a handsome spiritual leader. She has learned to bury her feelings, while he has turned to religion as a refuge from his inner conflicts.

Together they embark on a journey that is initially fraught with difficulties, as blame and resentment resurface after years of being hidden. But by the River Piedra, in a small village in the French Pyrenees, they discuss many of life's big questions and re–evaluate their own special relationship.

Customer Reviews:

LOVE IT!.......2007-09-17

I have this book since I am 16 years old. I've read it so many times and it always get me emotional... No matter what book they release, this is my FAVORITE BOOK EVER!

Poetic, Proseic, Imaginative, Spell Binding.......2007-09-04

Pilar grows-up becoming a lovely, strong independent woman! Her childhood friend has become some more handsome, charismatic spiritual leader, making use of his religion as a refuge from his raging inner conflicts. He is said to be one who is even able to heal persons!

This lovely crafted story begins like a poetic narrative until Pilar is introduced to the gripping surprise of her lover having become a Seminarian. His whole life has been turned into an adventure shaped by his studies and new committment! When the italicised poetry becomes more narrative, the story moves more quickly and has numerous fascinating twists and turns. "It's risky falling in love." Their love simply moves gradually into new adventures and amzing enw pictures of their interesting culture!

Although I had read early on THE ALCHEMIST by Coelho, this story grew more lovely and compelling the more I read. It is well-worth discovery as another winner by Paulo Coelho. In-spite of the reviews making far too much of its strong religion that Spanish flavor of Cathoicism is totally tempered by pictures of beautiful love-making!

As I discovered after reading other stories of Authur Golden, Memoirs Of A GEISHA and Rosamunde Pilcher, The Shell Seekers this story seemed to stay with me longer to become another model of poetic beauty and pictures an eternal love spanning this world and the one of the Great-Not-Yet! Gratefully from Retired Chaplain Fred W Hood

Book review.......2007-08-28

Excentlant book, a pretty fast read with lots of meaning.
I recomment Paulo Coelho as a writer one of my favourits

Wonderful!.......2007-06-09

I have been slowly finding time to read this book between grad school and work. Each time I begin I whish to have time to just sit and enjoy it. Today was that day as I awaited my tires to be mounted I sat in the sun and read this wonderful story. I saw so much of my own life reflected in the emotions, very well written and inspiring. I am passing it on to my mother so that she too can benifit from this work of art.
With all the praise why a 4 star rating? Well, although I truly love this story I was conflicted over some parts that just seemed to loose me. I read and reread certain passages just to get what happened. And still I found myself wondering too much with some odd unresolved feelings.
I loved the story I loved the dedication to the concepts of "LOVE and LOYALTY."
I recommend this book to everyone. As for me on to the next of his books...

Good Food for Thought.......2007-03-28

I read this book after reading Coelho's, The Alchemist. It is not as rich a story as The Alchemist but still worth reading. Coelho excels at writing his novels from a philosophical perspective. The two main characters have major life decisions to make and he does a fabulous job of taking the reader through the character's philosophical reasoning as to why they make the decisions they make. I truly enjoyed this book and plan to read more of Coelho's work.

Down in the River to Pray: Revisioning Baptism as God's Transforming Work

Average customer rating:

Very enriching discoveries
Down in the River to Pray
Down in the River to Pray
Wading Through the River
almost a home run

Down in the River to Pray: Revisioning Baptism as God's Transforming Work
John Mark Hicks , and Greg Taylor
Manufacturer: Leafwood Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0972842535

Book Description

Crimes unspeakable. A name synonymous with twisted brutality and hate. Jeffrey Dahmer. The most notorious serial killer of our time.A decade ago his story shocked our nation and the world. But we didnrsquo;t get the whole story. In prison Dahmerrsquo;s dark journey crossed paths with deep grace.Here is the whole story told by a man who at first tried to avoid meeting Jeffrey Dahmer but later became his friend and showed him the light of Godrsquo;s love.Itrsquo;s an unexpected story of first steps in faith of surprising questions about the Bible of light breaking into darkness. A story that will change what you thought you knew about grace.Jeffrey Dahmer. Christian.Grace unspeakable.

Customer Reviews:

Very enriching discoveries.......2006-08-15

Drs. Hicks and Taylor have put together a very thorough and enriching study of the biblical background and meaning of Christian baptism. You will find that baptism is a mosaic of images and plays a vital role in propelling our lives into God's transforming work. Those whose traditions have underemphasized baptism will gain new insights and appreciation for the part that baptism plays in conversion--a moment in which God works powerfully through faith. Those who have seen it as a legality will be drawn into the deeper, ongoing significance of it rich undercurrents for their lives. This study delves into the biblical teachings in depth. Yet it also speaks practically to our preconceptions from the standpoint of various church traditions and their roots in history. Unafraid to address the real issues that are raised, Hicks and Taylor make this book a valuable resource for any serious disciple of Jesus.

Down in the River to Pray.......2006-05-20

As a pastor, I found this book to be the most Biblical and compelling book on water baptism I have ever read. It is readable, Biblical and profounding refreshing. Having grown up in the churches of Christ, but having become disallusioned with their formulaic and legalistic approach to salvation, I had come to articulate and practice baptism in many of the ways that the authors describe. My hope and prayer is that their work transforms, not only the baptismal theology and practice of those within the Stone-Campbell movement, but also enriches and deepens the entire discussion of baptism in the larger body of Christ.

Down in the River to Pray.......2006-01-30

As a former member of a Stone/Cambell church that believed a person was going to hell if the minister didn't say the act was for the remission of sins when a person was baptized, it was refreshing to read such an historically informed book on baptism from a writer of this traditon. Acknowledging the long traditon of infant baptism in the church dating to the third, fourth and fifth centuries, Hicks gives the history and application of baptismal theology of the churches before and after the Reformation. Hicks urges a rejection of the Zwinglian view of baptism in favor of the Reformed view in the credobaptist tradtion, saying baptism is God's work, not mans'. Hopefully, this book is an indication that the Christian Churches/Churches of Christ are finally beginning to form a less works oriented and non-sectarian baptismal theology and are beginning to rethink the exteme view that they are the only true church.

Wading Through the River.......2005-08-09

As one who was born, bred and remains in the Stone-Campbell heritage, but who has been exposed to the vast richness of the large Christian world for many years now, I have often struggled with how "our" view of baptism--which I have continued to believe to be essentially correct--affects our relationship with others who have different views but who obviously have God's presence and blessings on their lives. This book helped me to answer many of those questions.

One of the most helpful sections was the historical one, showing how different views of baptism emerged in the Reformation, and how that a high view of baptism is not at all outside historical Christian tradition. I hope many within our movement read this book, but I also hope that it is widely read outside our movement.

We do have a great deal to contribute to the larger Christian discussion, and this book can help us assume a posture of acceptance and commonality with others in the discussion, instead of feeling that we always have to critique from without. Most notably, the authors' argument that "In the New Testament, baptism is the 'sinner's prayer,' challenges our evangelical brothers and sisters to critically examine how the Bible calls us to respond to God's grace.

The book, while exceptionally well-written, overdoes the river metaphor in my opinion.

almost a home run.......2004-09-28

John Mark Hicks and Greg Taylor have made a valuable contribution to the literature on baptism. They view baptism as one part of a process by which God transforms fallen humanity into the image of his Son for the purpose of eternal fellowship. They criticize Churches of Christ for missing this broader perspective and reducing baptism to a technical divider between the saved and lost. They criticize other traditions for missing the significance of baptism in the process of transformation and reducing it to a symbol or sign of a past work that lacks any present power or reality.

Chapters 2 through 4 offer an analysis of the biblical texts relating to baptism. Chapter 2 nicely sets the New Testament practice in the context of first-century Judaism and provides insights into the typology of the Flood (1 Pet. 3:18-21) and the Exodus (1 Cor. 10:1-5). Chapter 3 focuses on baptism in Luke-Acts. It includes good, brief discussions of John's baptism, the baptism of Jesus, and various conversion narratives. The authors reject reading the household baptisms as including infants and small children. They recognize the normal link between baptism and receipt of the Spirit, but deduce from the anomalies that God has not bound himself invariably to that link.

Chapter 4 focuses on baptism in Paul's letters. The authors argue cogently that, for Paul, baptism is not merely a symbol but a sign through which one actually is connected to the Christ-event and receives all that is related to that connection. Through it, we enter into a new identity, a new life, a new state, and a new hope.

Chapters 5 through 7 summarize baptismal theology and practice from the second through the fifth centuries, in the Reformation, and in the Stone-Campbell Movement. The discussions are skillful and, as is often the case with historical theology, humbling.

Chapter 8 explains why baptism does not belong in the category of "work" but in the category of "faith." It is the faith-based moment in which we share as beggars in Christ's atoning work and receive the gift of justification. Chapter 9 explores the link between baptism and sanctification. The Spirit we receive in baptism empowers us to produce spiritual fruit and transforms us into the image of Christ.

Chapter 10 addresses whether those who believe faith-based immersion is a part of conversion should receive as Christians those who have not been immersed in faith. It will be the most controversial chapter for those in Churches of Christ and therefore deserves extended comment. The authors claim that, since baptism is a means to God's end of transforming fallen humanity into the image of Christ and not an end itself, if God is transforming the life of an unbaptized believer (working toward the end), the church should accept that transformation as proof that God has accepted the believer (bestowed his grace) on the basis of his faith despite his non-rebellious failure to be baptized. To think otherwise is to miss the big picture of Scripture that God is a seeker who, because he is good, accepts hearts that seek him.

This claim appears to involve the following separate arguments:

Argument 1

 Receiving baptismal grace (the blessings normally received in baptism) results in transformation toward the image of Christ (it being a means to that end).
 Some unbaptized believers are being transformed toward the image of Christ.
 Therefore, some unbaptized believers have received baptismal grace.
 Since some unbaptized believers have received baptismal grace, they should be received into the fellowship of the church.

Argument 2

 God bestows on those who earnestly seek him the grace (blessings) normally associated with a ritual despite their failure to observe the ritual.
 Baptism is a ritual.
 Therefore, God bestows on those who earnestly seek him the grace normally associated with baptism despite their failure to be baptized.
 Since some unbaptized believers have received baptismal grace, they should be received into the fellowship of the church.

Argument 1 contains the fallacy of affirming the consequent (if A then B; B therefore A). The fact transformation follows baptismal grace does not mean that transformation proves the presence of baptismal grace. There are devout members of heretical groups whose lives have been transformed toward the image of Christ, yet none would take that transformation as sufficient to establish their acceptance by God. If transformation is an unreliable indicator of baptismal grace in the case of heretics, could it not also be unreliable in the case of the unbaptized orthodox?

The authors concede the point implicitly. They declare that "while the form, subject, and meaning of baptism is debated among professing Christians, in the light of Scripture and historic Christian tradition none should be considered disciples of Christ who refuse to be baptized and reject baptism as God's command." In other words, they accept that a line is to be drawn between all who agree that baptism is God's command (whatever their differences regarding its form, subjects, and meaning) and all who deny that baptism is part of the Christian faith. As the authors point out in an endnote, the latter includes Quakers, the Salvation Army, and some extreme dispensational theologians. They thus recognize that those believers should not be considered disciples of Christ despite their transformation toward his image.

In addition, reducing forgiveness, which is part of baptismal grace, to a means of transforming the believer's life undervalues its significance in present reconciliation. The transformation produced by baptismal grace is a process that follows a moment of reconciliation through forgiveness. The life that is lived from the point of forgiveness is lived in a state of reconciliation, however far one may be from the image of Christ. It is true that salvation is not simply about forgiveness, but neither is it simply about transformation.

Argument 2 is supported first by appeal to Hezekiah's Passover in 2 Chronicles 30. The authors conclude that God extended Passover-mercy to those who participated in Hezekiah's Passover despite the fact it was held on a month other than the one prescribed and despite the fact many of the participants violated the Law by sharing in the meal while ritually unclean. Because the people were seeking him with their hearts, God, in response to Hezekiah's prayer, graciously forgave their sins in observing the ritual (Passover) and extended his Passover-mercy as though no violations of the Law had occurred.

The authors have squeezed more out of this text than is there. First, there is no indication there was anything to forgive regarding the date on which this particular Passover was celebrated. Though the Law specified that the Passover be celebrated in the first month, the fact it allowed those excluded from the ritual to celebrate it in the second month established a principle that the second month was acceptable when circumstances precluded celebration in the first month. This almost certainly was how the leadership read the Law (2 Chron. 30:2-4). Unlike participating in the meal while ritually unclean, which is specifically noted to be contrary to the Law, there is no hint in the text that celebrating the Passover in the second month was, under the circumstances, contrary to God's will.

Second, vv. 18-22 indicate that God healed the uncleanness of the people in response to Hezekiah's prayer *prior to* their sharing in the Passover. They ate *because* Hezekiah *had prayed* for the Lord to permit them to eat (to pardon their eating) despite their uncleanness (see, e.g., ESV). As people who sought God with their hearts, they did not presume on the Lord's mercy; they did not break the Law on the assumption that their hearts would render their disobedience acceptable. They ate only after the Lord said "yes" to Hezekiah's prayer, after he revealed he would make them fit to eat without their going through the prescribed means of purification.

The worshipers in that case were *unable* to observe the purification ritual in time to share in the Passover. They did not *refuse* to observe it because they were deceived into thinking they already had done so. Since the two cases may reflect a difference of heart (as the authors apparently recognize regarding those who believe baptism is God's command and those who do not), the fact God extended his mercy in the former case does not establish that he would do so in the latter. Applied to baptism, one cannot assume on the basis of Hezekiah's Passover that God bestows baptismal grace on those who refuse to submit to baptism because they are deceived into thinking they already did so when they were sprinkled as an infant.

From another angle, imagine that on a subsequent Passover some early-arriving worshipers claimed a right to share in the Passover on the basis that the sweat of their journey made them ritually clean. When urged to undergo the prescribed purification ritual, they refused on the grounds that their mode of purification was sufficient according to their understanding of the Law. Would the community be wrong to exclude them from sharing in the Passover? Nothing in the account of Hezekiah's Passover suggests that it would.

The authors also appeal to the Sabbath controversy in Matthew 12. The lesson they draw from the account is that, assuming arguendo the validity of the oral law on which the Pharisees relied, the Sabbath command did not forbid doing what was necessary to meet human need. The Pharisees misinterpreted the command by not recognizing that exception and thus wrongly condemned the innocent disciples. They should have realized from the Scriptures cited by the Lord that, when meeting human need conflicts with proper observance of a ritual, the former must take priority.

The problem here is not with the authors' understanding of the account but with their application of it to baptism. What human need conflicts with the proper observance of baptism so that one must alter observance of the ritual to meet the need? Certainly the need for divine mercy does not conflict with the observance of baptism, except in some extreme situation where it cannot be administered, as baptism is the very place where mercy is bestowed. The authors have jumped from the principle that meeting human need must take priority over ritual when the two are in conflict to the assertion that a refusal to observe a ritual because of a false belief will not exclude one from the blessings associated with the ritual.

It is one thing to accept the possibility of baptismal grace being conferred without baptism; it is another thing to urge the church, on the basis of 2 Chronicles 30 and Matthew 12, to view it as typical and receive the unimmersed into its fellowship. I think F. D. Srygley offered a better perspective more than a century ago:

"As I understand the N.T., the 'pious unimmersed' ought to be immersed. And in case they are not immersed, I know of no promise in the N.T. that they will be saved. But, as to whether God will make allowance for honest mistakes, and save those who think they are obeying him when in reality they are doing something he has not commanded in lieu of what he has commanded, is a question for God to settle, and I decline to take any part of it."

Chapter 11 moves from the truth that in the waters of baptism all kinds of people are united with Christ, the Spirit, and the Father to the church's obligation to bring all kinds of people into that union. The authors discuss that responsibility in terms of our call to make disciples against cultural resistance, across cultural lines, and within our own families.

In Chapter 12 the authors offer suggestions on how communities of faith might make baptism more meaningful. In addition to the thoughtful suggestions, the chapter is valuable simply for raising the issue, for causing us to think in terms of how we can change some of our practices for the better.

Chapter 13, the final chapter, is a call for baptism to be viewed as a conversion-initiation rite that serves God's ultimate goal of transformation, as a divine means of actually effecting that transformation, and as a normative but not an absolutely essential means of grace. Regarding the last of these, they write, "In the case of someone not baptized because of ignorance, error, or for any other reason God deems acceptable, we leave these in the hands of God, where we believe these matters belong." This is in keeping with Srygley's perspective quoted above, which is a more modest claim than is made in Chapter 10. The chapter concludes with thoughtful discussions of eight questions and reflections on the future of baptism.

In sum, except for what I judge to be overreaching in Chapter 10, this is a very good book.

House of Good Hope: A Promise for a Broken City (River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Prize)

Average customer rating:

thoughtful & interesting
A Tale Well Told

House of Good Hope: A Promise for a Broken City (River Teeth Literary Nonfiction Prize)
Michael Downs
Manufacturer: Bison Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0803260121

Book Description

It was a crumbling city, like so many others. But in Hartford five gifted young men, who met as high school athletes, promised their lives to the hometown that shaped them even as it was coming apart. They intended to go far. They would, they pledged, bring back college degrees and commit themselves to living and working in Hartford. This is the story of those five men and how they kept, or broke, that promise—told by a writer whose own family history and departure are also part of Hartford’s struggle. It is a story of hope and heartbreak; love, sacrifice, and murder; big-time college football and police brutality; a drug sting that fells a high school coach; and, finally, a reunion of friends who have learned how hard it is to honor the past and live for the future in a place like Hartford.

Through it all Michael Downs comes to terms with his own decision to leave his hometown and abandon his ailing grandparents to a city that shows little mercy. His is very much a narrative of our nation of migrants and immigrants, where we must forever ask: What happens to those we leave behind? And how can we make peace with ourselves when we can no longer help the places we once called home?

Customer Reviews:

thoughtful & interesting.......2007-06-18

Makes a person think about education, urban planning and the cost of suberbia.

A Tale Well Told.......2007-04-11

Michael Downs has done a wonderful job of weaving in his personal life with a story of hopes and dreams--some realized and some not. At times, his prose is poetic. The story of the virtual collapse of huge chunks of Hartford is a story that has played out in major cities across America. This story, extremely well-documented and reported, is uniquely and poignantly told.

Average customer rating:

Several good essays about the West
An addventurs book that you will love!
drifting along Ed's river
A rebel with a cause
Highly recommended!

Down the River (Plume)
Edward Abbey
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452265630

Book Description

"Be of good cheer," the war-horse Edward Abbey advises, "the military-industrial state will soon collapse." This sparkling book, which takes us up and down rivers and across mountains and deserts, is the perfect antidote to despair.

Along the way, Abbey makes time for Thoreau while he takes a hard look at the MX missile system, slated for the American West. "For 23 years now I've been floating rivers. Always downstream, the easy and natural way. The way Huck Finn and Jim did it, LaSalle and Marquette, the mountain men, and Major Powell."

"Abbey's the original fly in the ointment. Give him money and prizes. Don't let anything happen to him." --Thomas McGuane

Customer Reviews:

Several good essays about the West.......2005-09-30

I don't believe this is Edward Abbey's best work, but it is a nice collection of several very well-written essays.
The book includes good examinations of the issue of silt in Lake Powell and a decent look at the Colorado River hermit Bert Loper.
It's a great book to read on river, or in the desert, and Abbey's salty character comes through in every page--though the book does drag a little toward its end.

An addventurs book that you will love!.......2003-04-25

Many things I liked about this book was that it had alot of addventure and excitment. The characters always have exciting attitude's. Jessice is the main character she is 15 and only has a dad. She gets along with all group members once she gets to meet them.
One of the things I didn't like about this book was that they really didn't tell about their home lives much. like why pug was sent to this camp.
P.S. For the most part I thought that this book was extoridanory.

drifting along Ed's river.......2001-10-26

As a longtime Abbey fan, down the river is as powerful and exciting as any. The stories capture the imagination, and are filled with flowing, humorous, forceful prose. a gem to read!

A rebel with a cause.......2001-02-06

After "Desert Solitaire" this is my favorite Edward Abbey book. The essay on rafting the Glen Canyon before the dam was built is sublime and makes you ponder the true value of wilderness to the soul-- a value which can't be tabulated because it is immeasurable.

Abbey's a rebel, defending the West from the industrialists and profiteers. He makes no apologies for being passionate about his cause, and why should he. His passion may not be "fashionable," but Abbey is a true American original, and the kind of person we need more of. His writing is edgy, beautiful, makes you want to grab a raft and head down the Colorado. Nature is where he finds himself-- as harsh and uncompromising as it is, it's real.

I also love Abbey's sense of humor. I wonder if he ever met Hunter Thompson-- that would have been a great conversation. One of the funniest essays I've ever read is in this book: "The Legend of Josiah Gregg." Watching Abbey debunk a book about the life of this supposed great frontiersman had me on the floor. Probably the funniest part was Abbey's interpretation of his memoirs: the way thunderstorms appeared over his head bellowing at him in a purposeful way, the way his campfire got out of control and he fled from it across the plains. His assessment of the Great Plains as a "barren wasteland devoid of life." In Abbey's eyes, Gregg is the Inspector Clouseau of the frontier.

All in all, a great read. Spending time with Abbey is a pleasure.

Highly recommended!.......1999-07-31

I got this book while hiking around Olympic Peninsula in the rainforest. Reading it under a tree beside the river I realized we're lucky in N. America to still have some wilderness! The original inhabitants of this continent took care and even though we have done so much damage there is still lots left and we should not lose any more to corporations, consumer culture, anthropocentrism. Do you dare to confront the reality of your weekend warrior office job chain store shopper existence?

Old Glory : A Voyage Down the Mississippi

Average customer rating:

Borak down the river
Raban's Pursuit of A Dream
Glum and narrow-minded
One of my all time favorites
a tattered flag, still waving

Old Glory : A Voyage Down the Mississippi
Jonathan Raban
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375701001
Release Date: 1998-05-26

Amazon.com

"It is as big and depthless as the sky itself. You can see the curve of the earth on its surface as it stretches away for miles to the far shore." So begins Old Glory, in which Jonathan Raban recounts his eye-opening descent of the Mississippi River in a 16-foot aluminum motorboat. As the English author explains, his obsession with the subject began with Huckleberry Finn, which he first read as a 7-year-old. And in fact, his opening sentences refer as much to the imaginary river as to the real one, which turns out to be less bucolic than Raban expected. Three miles upstream from Oquawka, Illinois, he's nearly pulverized by a towboat. Later on, the intrepid voyager only just manages to escape a treacherous whirlpool near St. Louis, calming himself afterwards with a generous dose of tobacco and Valium.

True, when Raban isn't cheating death he encounters some stunning terrain, which he describes in no-less-stunning prose. Yet Old Glory is much, much more than a travelogue. It is also a brilliant interrogation of the American psyche, in the tradition of De Tocqueville and Crevecoeur. And ultimately, Raban tells us a great deal about the very phenomenon of travel, with all its rigors and rewards, and its peculiar, metaphysical dislocations: "Riding the river, I had seen myself as a sincere traveler, thinking of my voyage not as a holiday but as a scale model of a life. It was different from life in one essential: I would survive it to give an account of its end."

Book Description

The author of Bad Land realizes a lifelong dream as he navigates the waters of the Mississippi River in a spartan sixteen-foot motorboat, producing yet another masterpiece of contemporary American travel writing. In the course of his voyage, Raban records the mercurial caprices of the river and the astonishingly varied lives of the people who live along its banks. Whether he is fishing for walleye or hunting coon, discussing theology in Prairie Du Chien or race relations in Memphis, he is an expert observer of the heartyland's estrangement from America's capitals ot power and culture, and its helpless nostalgia for its lost past. Witty, elegaic, and magnificently erudite, Old Glory is as filled with strong currents as the Mississippi itself.

Customer Reviews:

Borak down the river.......2007-06-17

Raban is a very special travel writer and this book, which I read 18 years after he drifted down the Mississippi, warmed me like few others.
His conversations with such a diverse (but from my experience, typical) set of Americans were classic. I dont believe he is unduly pessimistic but rather realistic and in many ways he captured early , many growing influences that impact American society (and global politics) today.

Raban's Pursuit of A Dream.......2007-05-05

Um, fellow reviewers, do you think that every little town in America is a picture postcard? Or do you not think there is a dark side to life in London, New York, or in any little burg one might chance upon, say, going down the Mississippi? Do you think that people don't have a disgruntled, distrustful side as well as a kind, generous side? Would you, in short, prefer a chintzy Hallmark postcard to a well-penned, thoughtful, erudite travel book, such as this?--If so, why did you bother reading or reviewing it?

As Raban remarks to one of his inquisitors, he in not a journalist and this book is about him and his impressions on his, brave or quixotic, depending on how you view it, travel down the Mississippi inspired by dreams of it since a boyhood reading of Mark Twain.

Yes, some of it is sad and melancholy. But often it is laugh-out-loud funny at the author's expense as much as at the expense of any of the people he meets. It is often very bracing and generous; and erudite, like all of Raban's writings.

As a refutation to all the nay-sayers, please cast your eye on the last page of Chapter 10 where he opens the note from the tow captain he has been accompanying:

"I opened it ten minutes later and read it by the light of a city streetlamp, with the paper dimpling in the warm rain.

"I know very little
of writers, but people
I do no. You are a
Good man to ride
The River with, Jonathan Ravan
Bob Kelley
Master M/v Jimmie L.
Dec. 7, 1979"

It was the one certificate I had most wanted to earn."

Another fantastic book by Raban, the greatest, most thoughtful, introspective, literate travel writer alive today.

Glum and narrow-minded.......2007-04-06

I expected a lot more from this book. Having spent some time on the Mississippi River myself, I frankly thought this would be a good overview of the people and places along the river. Instead, I found it to be a dated (late 70s) and prejudiced view of the midwest USA in general. Raban starts the book by making fun of Minnesotans attending the Minnesota State Fair. Not that I have anything against making fun of Minnesotans, but to me he seemed to really MEAN it when he was talking about them.

This viewpoint of Americans as narrow-minded provincials seemed to permeate the entire book. I wonder if Raban would feel the same way almost 30 years later...

I also felt that he spent way too much time describing his stops on the northern part of his trip, and glossed over the lower Mississippi. Of course, considering that he took his boat on board a barge for most of the trip on the lower Mississippi, it's not surprising that he chose not to write about it as much. Frankly, I would have been happy if he had just chosen to write about his REAL trip via small boat and stopped there.

Unless Jonathan Raban chooses to update this book, I can't recommend it. It's just a glum and narrow-minded look at the midwest in the 1970s.

One of my all time favorites.......2005-10-30

I have owned at least two copies of this book and voyaged with Raban at least half a dozen times down the river. Each time some new little part of this beautifully written book seems to highlight itself. Raban has a great sense of humor, writes with an incisive and sometimes unkind clarity that has obviously upset some of the reviewers. I can understand that. It could be a shock if you set off down the river thinking your companion is a perfect English gentleman and find instead he is a slightly cynical foreigner, who is very perceptive but often unkind. It would not surprise me if some of the people he met along the way felt ill-used on reading the book. But wonderful writing has little to do with being Mr. Nice guy. This book was written during Carter's presidency and captures this period magnificently. It is one of my all time favorites.

a tattered flag, still waving.......2003-06-03

I have traveled a fair amount through the small towns of the United States and have to concur with Mr. Raban's depiction of both the towns and the people who live in them. Other readers who have taken the time to write reviews of this book here seem to have remembered only about half of what Raban wrote about each of the towns that he visited.

His initial impressions were often filled with disappointment. He had approached this trip with a boyhood dream in his head and he was continually set back on his proverbial heels by the reality of these river towns in 1979. More often than not, however, further exploration of the town, conversations with some of its citizens and reflection on his part, caused Raban to revise his evaluation of many of the places that he visited.

Some reviewers may perhaps have forgotten that this book describes this region as it was after years during which the US economy struggled through an oil crisis, bouts of inflation, intervals of high unemployment and the tail end of the history of the "old economy". Should someone have the time and inclination to retrace Raban's steps nearly 25 years later, I would not be surprised if they found these towns and their people had changed quite a bit, probably for the better in social and economic terms. For instance, Raban devoted most of a chapter to the failed election campaign of Memphis's first black candidate for mayor. A quick Google (keywords: Memphis Tennesee government) will show you that the present mayor of Memphis (Willie W. Herenton) is African-American. I'm going to guess that he is not the first black mayor of Memphis.

I loved Raban's modus operandi for getting to the heart of a place. Tie up your boat, go to the nearest bar and strike up a conversation. This would seem to me to be the most reliable means to quickly get an unvarnished opinion about a place. Sure, someone on a bar stool is likely to have a slightly dimmer view of the place where he or she lives than the average citizen, but Raban was rarely, if ever, content with their views. He basically used the tavern-sitters as a 1979-era local flesh-and-blood Google; he found out the basics about a place like who are the local characters, what are the main industries, which are the burning local political issues etc. His fellow barflies were more important as sources of germane questions than as sources of definitive answers.

Raban's perspective on the St. Louis metropolitan area is one that I can vouch for personally, having visited there 10 years after he did. Furthermore Jonathan Franzen's novel The Twenty-seventh City is an elaborate description of the city-county socio-politico-economic tensions during the late 1980s. The continuum between Raban and Franzen's descriptions is pretty easy to imagine. Franzen grew up in the county and would have been a teen-ager when Raban was shacked up with his rich, wigged-out girlfriend out in Clayton.

I took one long journey through the US accompanied by a Danish friend. Upon learning that my traveling companion was a foreigner nearly every American that we encountered relaxed almost visibly and began to wax philosophical about the state of things. The radius of their sphere of interest varied, but everyone had an opinion about something. It was delightful to see that Mr. Raban experienced this same lowering of guard and move toward introspection as soon as he announced that he was an Englishman traveling in the US.

The parochial character and narrow-mindedness of many of the people he encountered matches up well with my own experiences in similar terrain four years after his journey. It is important to note though that Raban was treated to extraordinary amounts of generosity, both material and emotional, by the people that he met, however rhetorically bigoted they might have been. The author is at pains to acknowledge both the generosity and the puzzling disconnect that he sees between their rhetoric and their behavior.

Just one of the wonderful things that Jonathan Raban does in the course of Old Glory is show the reader the essence of American character. Their aggressive rhetoric is their shield against the unknown, but once you are brought in behind that shield, Americans are among the most outrageously generous and genuinely good people that you are likely to find.

Average customer rating:

reliving my childhood

These books grow on one...

scuffy the tug boat

Wonderful for children

Scuffy the Tugboat

Scuffy the Tugboat and His Adventures Down the River
Gertrude Crampton , and Tibor Gergely
Manufacturer: Golden Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0307020460
Release Date: 2001-01-31

Book Description

Meant for “bigger things,” Scuffy the Tugboat sets off to explore the world. But on his daring adventure Scuffy realizes that home is where he’d rather be, sailing in his bathtub. For over 50 years, parents and children have cherished this classic Little Golden Book.

Customer Reviews:

reliving my childhood.......2007-05-15

While some of my childhood favorites have proved timeless, Scuffy the tugboat is not one of them. Oh well, you can't have everything.

These books grow on one..........2007-05-07

We seem to like these books more and more. There is a lot to talk about around these stories. The pictures are lovely too and they open up a lot of interesting subjects. My three year old often asks specifically for this one to be read to her.

scuffy the tug boat.......2006-12-15

Scuffy the tugbaot is one of the few books that have the meaning of there's no place like home. Scuffy the tugboat is about a little boat who thinks he has bigger priorities than hes given. Scuffy doesn't want to just sail in a tub or the sink, Scuffy wants to go on the a big adventure. As Scuffy went on his adventure he realized that he didn't a big river all he wanted in his life was a young boy, a guy with a poke a dot tie, and his favorite bath tub.

Wonderful for children.......2006-09-03

My son loves this story. It's a very heartwarming, original story that little boys and girls will enjoy. We love Little Golden Books.

Scuffy the Tugboat.......2006-06-13

In some cases, updating the illustrations is a good idea. With Scuffy, an update like that would definitely NOT be for the best! The illustrations, detailed and adorable, are perfect and always have been.

Scuffy isn't happy in the toy store, and not much happier when he's taken home and put in a tub by the man with a polka dot tie. When he gets placed in a brook high in the hills, he's sure he's found the life for him. He floats along and the next morning Scuffy finds himself in a river, very proud of himself and "his" river. Small scares, like night and a flood, are nothing compared to the sight of the sea, with no beginning and no end! Scuffy wishes he could find the man with the polka dot tie and his little boy again...

With few long words, Scuffy's a great place for young readers to work on their skills. The story is actually fairly exciting and fast-paced, for a book of only 23 pages, which will keep them turning the pages.

Across the Moscow River: The World Turned Upside Down

Average customer rating:

Superb! The Iron Lady's Ambassador to Moscow.

Across the Moscow River: The World Turned Upside Down
Rodric Braithwaite
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300094965

Book Description

Rodric Braithwaite was British ambassador to Moscow during the critical years of perestroika and the collapse of the Soviet Union, the failed coup of August 1991, and the rise of Boris Yeltsin. With his long experience of Russia, on good personal terms with Mikhail Gorbachev, he was in a privileged position close to the center of Russia's changing relationship with the West.

This frank and engrossing book gives an intimate account of momentous change and the people who drove it. As the Soviet Empire fell apart a demoralized army crept home from Afghanistan, Eastern Europe, and the outlying parts of the Soviet Union itself. Against the opposition of the generals, Gorbachev and his allies struggled to modernize and democratize a system that had already reached the point of terminal decay. The apex of the drama came in August 1991 when a gang of generals, politicians, and secret policemen sought-by storming Moscow's White House-to reverse the course of history.

Customer Reviews:

Superb! The Iron Lady's Ambassador to Moscow........2002-12-23

This was a wonderful book! Fresh, fast-paced, fascinating and immensely funny. The author was Maggie Thatcher's man in Moscow, he has an intimate knowledge of the Russian people and a great deal of experience in-country. His English humor (humour?) makes this book not just a chronicle of events, but a real gem. Examples...when visiting Kiev, he is invited to visit the musuem of UFO's which includes an exhibit of foot long iron bar munching rats from outer space, Ambasador Braithwaite dryly comments that although he would love to attend, he just can't seem to fit it into his schedule. When Moscow Radio plays excerpts from Pushkin in the throes of the 1991 aborted coup, he comments--who else but the Russians would air poetry at such a time? About half the length of Jack Matlock's epic "Anatomy on an Empire", (his colleague and apparent twin in the minds of the Russian people) Braithwaite's book is more accesible, and given in a lively style. While I do not agree 100% with all of his analysis, I do find this a supberb book and a must have for anyone who wants a Westerner's guide to understanding Russia.

Down by the River Where the Dead Men Go (Five Star Title)

Average customer rating:

I Love This Book!
atmospheric, immensely readable - standard Pelecanos stuff
A very entertaining book, but not one of Pelecanos' best
Pelecanos at his best
Pelecanos at his best

Down by the River Where the Dead Men Go (Five Star Title)
George P. Pelecanos
Manufacturer: Serpent's Tail
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1852427167

Customer Reviews:

I Love This Book!.......2004-05-04

How do I love thee Nick Stefanos, let me count the ways - Death. Despair. Drunkeness - These are a few of my favorite things the reader will find in pretty much every Pelecanos protagonist. If you stick to the Stefanos titles then you won't be disappointed however with recent titles, Pelecanos seems to be allowing himself to be sucked into the predictable cookie-cutter stories Grisham is better known for.

atmospheric, immensely readable - standard Pelecanos stuff.......2004-01-02

'Down by the River...' is so much like other other Pelecanos novels: great feel of inner city Washington, a nostalgic look at wasted young men who turn into wasted not-so-young men (..sex, drugs, rock & roll), and a rather interesting crime story on top. However after reading several of his books I fear Pelecanos is falling somewhat into the John Grisham mold - that is, his stories often seem too similar. You read one, you've read them all. Fortunately for Pelecanos it really doesn't matter what the story is about; one loves getting lost in his wasted Washington environment. Folks from urban America, especially those aged between 30 and 50, will really relate to the characters in his books.

Bottom line: another successful installment from the Pelecanos "factory". Fans will rejoice.

A very entertaining book, but not one of Pelecanos' best.......2003-01-01

I've now read all of George Pelecanos' novels and I loved them all, including this one. If there's a better crime thriller author out there, I haven't found them. Gritty seems to be the operative word in describing his work and this story is no exception. His stories are all set in Washington D.C., with lots of great word pictures of places there and lots of music references. It's an outstanding formula and Pelecanos works it very, very well.

Having said all the preceding, I will say that I'd rate this as clearly one of his lesser works. If you haven't read the other books with Stefanos et al, I don't believe this book really gives you all the character development you'd like from a stand alone novel. This book is fairly short and maybe that's why I felt that the characters and the story were a little short changed relative to other books by the author.

To sum it up, definitely read Pelecanos and you'll almost surely want to read this book and all his work, but don't select this as the first of his books - go with The Big Blowdown, A Firing Offense or Nick's Trip.

Pelecanos at his best.......2001-10-10

This is the last and most cynical novel in the Nick Stefanos trilogy. Nick has now travelled far down the dark road, and his struggle to get some peace of mind is more then ever tangled up in his love for a drink, some good music, and the warmth of a womans body. It's also in one of his more delerious nights that the story gets started. Nick happens to witness a murder when he's lying half unconscious in a pile of himself and his vomits; which is going to be the start of a dangerous ride that leads right into the drug and porn industry of Washington DC.

Pelecanos at his best.......2001-10-10

Down by the river where the dead men go is an excelent hard-boiled novel in all its ways. But what makes Pelecanos unique toward other writers, in this genre, is all his references to pop music, and film. This he uses in a very subtle way to describe his chracters and where in the subcultures of Washington DC's street life they belong. It is this total awareness of popular culture combined with his perfect feeling for street dialogue that makes Pelecanos not just a great crime writer, but a great writer in all terms of judgements. And it is in this third novel that he best manages to combine his feeling for pop music, and dialogue with a good and intriguing story.

Average customer rating:

Best of the Three..I Agree

The Best of the three!

Absolutely Wonderful !!!!!

strong spotlight on life in small town California

Very well done

Down By The River
Robyn Carr
Manufacturer: Mira
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 1551667045

Book Description

Grace Valley, California -- where you're never far from home . . .

In the peaceful town of Grace Valley, neighbors are like family -- and just as meddlesome, too.

June Hudson is the town's doctor, a caring, capable woman who now has a bit of explaining to do. People are beginning to notice the bloom in her cheeks -- and the swell of her belly. Happily, DEA agent Jim Post is back in June's arms for good, newly retired from undercover work and ready for new beginnings here in Grace Valley.

Expecting the unexpected is a way of life in Grace Valley, and the community is overflowing with gossip right now. Who is the secret paramour June's aunt Myrna is hiding? Does the town's pokerplaying pastor have too many aces up his sleeve?

But when dangers, from man and nature, rise up with a vengeance to threaten June and the town, this community pulls together and shows what it's made of. And Jim discovers the true meaning of happiness here in Grace Valley: there really is no place like home.

Customer Reviews:

Best of the Three..I Agree.......2007-04-08

This was a very good series..You just had to fall in love with the whole town and Jim was a hero to fall in love with. He was so masculine, yet so very tender & loving. His love for June was Awesome. I wanted to shake June so she would wake up and realize that she loved him and quit putting him off.

The Best of the three!.......2005-04-24

I read all of the books about Grace Valley, California and liked them, but each book got better and better. The first was pretty good but I loved this last one, maybe because I knew everyone so well. I love the relationship between June and Jim and how real it is. The small town atmosphere is wonderful and what we all wish we had. If you are feeling somewhat lukewarm after Down in the Valley - keep reading!! I hope this is not the last book about Grace Valley.

Absolutely Wonderful !!!!!.......2003-09-21

I am finding myself reading every book written by Robyn Carr and I love them ALL !!!! When I read her books I feel like I know each person in them and want to be their friends. You can't go wrong with any of her books...I just wish she would hurry and write some more......I will buy them for sure....

strong spotlight on life in small town California.......2003-06-16

Seems like everyone living in Grace Valley, California knows that Dr. June Hudson slept with an unknown man last night. June's partner in a local medical practice, Dr. John Stone, also confirmed she is four months pregnant. The amused and embarrassed June plans to introduce her beloved retired law enforcement agent Jim Post to her family and friends as she knows the town waits for them to show up at the café.

At about the same time June's octogenarian Aunt Myrna Hudson Claypool plans to soon present her mystery man to the crowd. Meanwhile, a druggie causes problems for everyone and a flood may destroy the town. In that atmosphere the townsfolk adopts Jim, though he had "deflowered" a favorite daughter, as if he lived there for life.

This is an interesting look at small town life with a touch of suspense thrown in on the side. The story line ambles slowly for most of the novel though the flood and the actions of a miscreant add suspense at the end. Readers see favorites from previous Grave Valley tales while also get deep inside the psyche of the key cast members to their inner essence. Robyn Carr shines a strong spotlight on life in small town California.

Harriet Klausner

Very well done.......2003-06-04

Sometimes in small towns, gossip spreads so fast that your neighbors now what you have done before you do. However, that is not always the case. For example, town doctor June Hudson managed to keep her secret romance hidden so well that no one knew about it until she was several months pregnant. Fortunately, by the time it was noticed, the father had returned to June's life. Now that Jim Post retired from the DEA, he wanted to make a new life in Grace Valley with June and his child. Hopefully, they can make it to the alter before the baby makes it to the world.

June is not alone in having secrets. Her Aunt Myrna has a hidden love as well, and the preacher is hiding something too. There is plenty to keep the tongue waggers busy, plus danger comes from natural and man made causes to keep life interesting.

Amazon.com

Edward Dolnick's Down the Great Unknown depicts the "last epic journey on American soil," John Wesley Powell's exploration of the Grand Canyon and the fulminating, carnivorous Colorado River. The book, a model of precision, clarity, and serene passion, outshines, arguably, its bestselling brother-volume, Stephen Ambrose's Undaunted Courage.

On May 24, 1869, Powell, an ambitious, autocratic, one-armed Civil War veteran and amateur scientist, and a casually recruited crew of nine--without a lick of white water experience--embarked from an obscure railroad stop in the Wyoming Territory to travel through a region "scarcely better known than Atlantis." Ninety-nine days, 1,000 miles and nearly 500 rapids later, six of the men came ashore in Arizona--the first humans to run the waters of the Grand Canyon. Dolnick tells this story of courage, naiveté, hardship, and petty squabbling simply and authoritatively using entries from the men's journals, deft overviews (we always know where we are), and short science, history, and psychology lessons, as well as the prodigious knowledge of present-day river runners and his own first-hand observations. His prose carries the day: Powell looks like a "stick of beef jerky adorned with whiskers," the boats are "walnut shells," which in rapids are little better than "ladybugs caught in a hose's blast" or "drunks trying to negotiate a revolving door," while the river is a "taunting bully," a "colossal mugger," a "sumo wrestler smothering a kitten," and a notable rock formation looks like what might happen if "Edward Gorey had designed the Bat Cave."

Down the Great Unknown brushes against perfection. This is history written as it should be--and too rarely is: enthusiastic, rigorous, painterly, gloriously free of both pedantry and hyperbole. --H. O'Billovitch

Book Description

On May 24, 1869 a one-armed Civil War veteran named John Wesley Powell and a ragtag band of nine mountain men embarked on the last great quest in the American West. No one had ever explored the fabled Grand Canyon, to adventurers of that era a region almost as mysterious as Atlantis -- and as perilous.

The ten men set out down the mighty Colorado River in wooden rowboats. Six survived. Drawing on rarely examined diaries and journals. Down the Great Unknown is the first book to tell the full, true story.

Customer Reviews:

To Be The First Through The Then Unknown Colorado...........2007-08-27

I've "rafted" the upper Colorado.

Of course that was in a motorized raft, led by experienced pilots, with a map and they did all the cooking and if something really bad happened the ranger service could chopper in and get me (Hey, I *did* hike out from Phantom Ranch)

I can't conceive of doing it in an ungainly rowboat, without a steering oar, having little provisions, without a map or even knowledge of the river (what happens if you hit a 100 ft fall and nowhere to portage?), and where a broken ankle would have meant an almost certain death -- and with one arm.

Truthfully, its amazing this exposition survived.

Dolnick weaves in Powell's embellished account with the other expedition journals to craft a balanced account of the expedition, along with correlating the trip with known features of the canyon. Dolnick describes the tensions within the team -- categorizes their moves, good and bad and tracks their trailblazing passage.

Excellent read.

Too many digressions ..........2007-08-20

This is a pretty decent book for the newcomer who has never read anything about Powell. I found it less entertaining than my fellow reviewers though, as it follows the tedium of the daily journals a little too closely. I also found the narrative to be interspersed with too many digressions. These range from opinions of the Green/Colorado river by modern rafting experts to accounts of other early rafting expeditions, and a lengthy 2-chapter segment on the American Civil war and Battle of Shiloh. This latter exercise contributes nothing to the book, by the way! The reader is also left in the dark about the Native American peoples, Mormon settlers, and miners who inhabited this area at the same point in time ... Really, it is as if the expedition were done in a vacuum. Even worse was the lack of information on 9 of the 10 men who took part in the expedition. While there is more than enough about John Wesley Powell, readers get only sketchy details about the lives of the other 9 men. Even the simplest details like where these men were born is left out, nor are we given much about the kinds of lives they lived (careers, families, etc.) prior to the expedition (and precious little afterwards as well). Although 6 of these 9 men were, like Powell, fellow Union veterans of the Civil War, but we get nothing about their wartime experiences! We also have no clue what motivated them to join this expedition. This oversight would not doubt have suited the egotistical Powell, but is a serious oversight for a modern historian.

Excellent read.......2007-08-04

I enjoyed this book very much. So much that I have loaned it to family and friends to enjoy.

Down the Great Unknown.......2006-03-19

This book was informative but not a real "page turner". The author went off on tangents often that took away from the story at hand. It was not a bad book, but it was not full of the adventure that you would have expected the trip to have been.

I would much rather read this than John Wesley Powell's actual book........2005-09-29

"Down the Great Unknown" is a terrific retelling of John Wesley Powell's 1869 expedition down the Colorado River. The book's author brings to life all of the expedition's more minor (and usually overlooked) characters, and gives the reader a great sense of the danger of the river and the grandeur of the canyons.
The author has an excellent sense of history, and does a wonderful job of tying all his sources together. The book also includes a detailed look at how John Wesley Powell lost his arm, and an examination of all the possibilities of what could have happened to the three men who abandoned the expedition.
If I had any objections to this book, it would be that the author dismisses too quickly the real possibility that a man named James White may have gone down the Colorado through the Grand Canyon alone two years before Powell did. (I hope the author has since read "Hell or High Water," a well-researched book on that subject.)
Overall though, this is a great read, and is much better written and much more interesting than even Powell's account. I would recommend it to any fan of adventure writing, and to any fan of the West.

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