Customer Reviews:
The 'Devil Theory' of History-.......2007-03-14
is a quick, cheap device for brushing facts under the rug by historians. Conspiracy; the basic accepted theory for antitrust laws in the market place. If this can start an investigation of the market place why not for politicians?
An excellent book with facts, figures, and names, references. All leading up to 911 and Iraq.
Mass Amnesia?.......2006-09-20
This book, published in 1993, details Reagan's and Bush's (41) involvement in supplying Iraq with technology, funding, and weapons of mass destruction. Duplicity and illegal tactics were used to support the regime of Saddam Hussein nearly up to the day he invaded Kuwait, at which point the Thatcher and Bush administrations realized their horrific mistakes, for which they refused to take responsibility.
One of the reviewers on Amazon.com described the book as a fabrication. This charge is not credible, as Friedman has extensively supported his assertions with information collected from FOIA inquiries and the media. Selected excerpts of his detailed source material (memos, transcripts, original sources) are reproduced in appendices.
Friedman states:
"There is plenty of evidence, however, that in the first half of the 1980s the White House illegally armed Iraq and that in he latter period, running up through 1990, the tilt veered so far out of control, and so beyond reason, that it led to the willful abuse of taxpayer-funded programs and, after Operation Desert Storm, to efforts to hide the truth about U.S. policies toward Baghdad.
The author states this was not a conspiracy, neither in the US, nor Britain, nor Italy (who were each involved - Italy through the BCCI - Bank of Commerce and Credit - International) - but the outcome was indefensible and illegal, and the history has been obfuscated. This is a story of deceit and "manipulation of the truth at the highest levels of government."
Perhaps if more people read this history, the public would not be so trustful of their elected and appointed government servants, and there would be more advocates for full and open government communication. It is vital for any democracy to be supported by well informed voting public. The author makes the point that the public must not abdicate its responsibility to understand the foreign policy issues and activities of its government. He states with prescience: "If so telling a chapter of twentieth-century history is swept under the rug- ... Policy-makers, the public, and all those who believed in honesty in government will be the real victims."
A valuable account of complicity in Saddam's ascent.......2005-10-31
Many nations nourished Iraq as a faithful proxy against Iran in the 1980s. Led by the United States, they pragmatically supported a criminal regime as the lessor of two evils while discounting it's equally dangerous ambition.
Friedman deftly examines collaboration that enabled Saddam and policies that ultimately led to disaster. It's timely antidote to similar policy that used B-52s to deliver democracy to Iraq in 2003.
Worthy kindred studies are Gary Sick's `All Fall Down' (the Shah in Iran), Coll's `Ghost Wars' (jihadists in Afghanistan), and Johnson's `Blowback.'
Perhaps more timely now than when it was published!.......2004-11-10
Quite simply, this is the book to read to begin your research on how the US policy towards Iraq has brought about so much conflict, strife and confusion.
As offered with plain and clear irrefutable evidence, including copies of actual government memos, this book shows how many US politicians (many of them Republicans in the current Bush administration!) assisted Saddam up until his invasion of Kuwait in 1990.
This was no mere minor fling. The US government was in bed with Saddam and the Ba'ath Party since the very beginning when they (the party) overthrew the nationalist government with assistance of the CIA. At the time our government provided hit lists to the Ba'athists. One of the hit-men who received those lists was none other than Saddam Hussein. And it off it went . . .
After this book I highly recommend Said Aburish's "Saddam Hussein: The Politics of Revenge" which exposes further Saddam's brutalities and the complicity of the US government and how they helped him rise to power and stay there.
From there readers should check out "George Bush's War" by Jean Edward Smith which shows, again with factual concrete evidence, how the US once again coddled Saddam right up until 24 hours after the invasion of Kuwait and then did a massive switcheroo and altered US foreign policy by _finally_ opposing Saddam and his brutal regime.
Add it all up, beginning with this book, and you have a much clearer picture as to why many people across the globe, especially Arabs and Muslims, are skeptical of US motivations in Iraq today.
"Fooling America II" Investigative writing at its very best........2004-09-22
This is a very important book which uncovers and describes in meticulous and uncompromising detail how the Republican administration, together with William Casey's CIA, secretly armed Saddam Hussein with atomic, chemical and nerve agents breaking domestic and international law and then lying about these clandestine activities to the American people.
Spider's Web is an outstanding book and one which George Bush Sr might want to read to his "Fortunate Son" at bedtime. This just might help the current President gain a clearer understanding and deeper perspective of the historical and illegal trading relationship which created Saddam's huge war machine at a time when he was George Shultz and George Bush Sr's close friend in the Middle East.
Why does the American Mainstream Media fail to hold US politicians to account on their past illegal dealings with foreign dictators which Washington helped to create? Maybe they lack information, confidence or courage? Or maybe some American journalists just don't care what's done in America's name by the White House? But the buck for Saddam's creation and arming stops in Washington D.C. ...and at a desk in the Oval Office which was once chaired by Ronald Regan and George Bush Sr.
Read this book.
Customer Reviews:
Happy Teacher.......2005-10-04
I was very happy with this book. I loved it and so did my class. I plan to use it for many years to come.
Butterfly House.......2002-10-19
This book is about a girl who saves a caterpillar
from a hungry blue jay. The girl keeps the caterpilar until it is a butterfly. My favorite part is when they make the caterpillar's little house. I LOVE the illustrations.I'd recommend this book to people who like butterflies.
A very warm celebration........1999-10-04
I saw a copy of BUTTERFLY HOUSE and bought it right away because I was attracted to the love and warmth that the book radiates through its story and illustrations on one of my favorite subjects, the butterfly. Butterfly lovers can look for MALINDA MARTHA MEETS MARIPOSA too, different in that it features the Monarch rather than the Painted Lady and different again in that it offers the dimension of acting out the life-cycle as a play. Similar is the love for the butterfly that the children will experience in each book. One doesn't seem complete without the other. Together a child will build a life-time of love and knowledge on this subject.
A beautiful story of a girl her grandfather and butterflies........1999-05-02
This was a delightful book written by Eve Bunting highlighting her wonderful style of writing. This book caught my eye at first by the beautiful cover but then I was spell bound by the wonderful illustrations and the delightful story. I was also attracted to this book because of the butterflies. I am a teacher and my first grade class just raised painted lady butterflies, just like in the book. It was a wonderful book to share with my students, especially on the day we released our own butterflies. The book helped explain that it was okay to cry but to be happy at their new found freedom. I would recommend this book to anyone at any age.
Book Description
Illus. in full color. What happens when a group of industrious bugs finds a discarded tennis ball? They think, they plan, they draw up bluprints, and begin to build a snugly bug house. Ultra-simple text follows the bugs through their endeavors-- until their house is finished and they're happily ensconced.
Customer Reviews:
Son absolutly loves it.......2007-09-23
My son absolutely loves it. The first day we got I was looking through it and read a couple of pages. Well my little guy(10 mths at the time) waddled over and stood in front of me as I showed him the book and read through it. That's the first time he had ever really took an intrest in the books I was reading him. The first book is all torn up with pages missing but I still read it to him and he knows which book it is and brings it to me every day. So today I finally found a replacer on Amazon, can't wait till it arrives.
This book is so cute.......2007-03-22
I love to read to my six month old, and this is a favorite. He seems to like it because he sits still and stares at the pages, most books he just tries to grab. I love the illustrations and the story itself. I would recommend this book because it's simple and short so you won't mind reading it over and over.
Snug House Bug House.......2002-11-06
My son is only 23 months old and he can "read" this book. When we turn the page he shouts, "Push it, Mash it." Even when he's not reading it, he sometimes recites the words. It's one of his favorite books!
Snug House Bug House.......2001-07-11
This is an excellent book for children up to the age of eight. It is an excellent book for begining or early readers and for those not so early. It teaches by repeating common words over and over on each page. Each one rhythming with the next.
The book is full of colorful illustrations. The bugs work together to build their custom home using things people throw away every day.
It is a book that can be enjoyed over and over. I would also recommend their companion book "Snow Bugs" which is a continuation of the first story about the bugs' first winter in their home.
My child loves this book!!!.......1999-06-08
We love this book. We are fans of Jon Buller and Susan Schade. The rhythm of the book and the simple words keeps my child coming back for this and other books like it. Children love rhythm and things repeated over and over again. This gives them confidence. For my little one knowing the words by heart makes him feel like real reader. We have All the "Toad on the Road" Books. My 7 year old likes to read them to his brother.
Average customer rating:
- Great Fun!
- Utterly charming
- Great Read Aloud
- Fun funny funky book that has a good message
- I Saw An Ant on the Railroad Track
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I Saw an Ant on the Railroad Track
Joshua Prince
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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I Saw an Ant in a Parking Lot
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If Mom Had Three Arms
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Not Afraid of Dogs
ASIN: 1402721838 |
Customer Reviews:
Great Fun!.......2007-07-12
This book combines my son's favorite things: ants and trains. It was also a wonderful book for me to read out loud to him. It's my favorite children's book so far. And he loves it!!
Utterly charming.......2007-06-28
Our four-year old loves this book (as do I). The pace is quick, the pictures lively, and the rhymes quirky and intelligent. You will enjoy reading this together.
Great Read Aloud.......2007-05-25
This is one of my faves for preschool storytime reading.
The rhymes are natural, the plot is gripping and the pictures are large and humorous.
If you read to groups of preschoolers - or are doing a unit on insects at your primary school - don't miss this one.
Fun funny funky book that has a good message.......2007-04-30
We found this book in a bookstore and bought it for the train theme (our son loves trains), but keep going back because it's funny, fun to read, has tongue twisters, and is all about saving this ant from a train on the track - so it has a good message (helping those weaker than us, not hurting an ant) to boot. It's not preachy though, the message is just a perk to a fun book that has a lot to talk about with a child. But mostly it's just more "fun" and savvy than a lot of kids' books!
I Saw An Ant on the Railroad Track.......2007-04-03
THis book has become one of his favorites. The pictures and story are great for 3 yr olds.
Average customer rating:
- Solid House of M tie-in featuring Spidey
- Not the real spiderman; this or any reality
- WHAT
- Enjoyable read
- In the House of M universe, JJJ reveals that Spider-Man is...human!
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House of M: Spider-Man
Mark Waid ,
Salvador Larroca , and
Danny Miki
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
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House of M (X-Men, New Avengers)
ASIN: 0785117539 |
Book Description
Meet Spider-Man - hero to the people, champion of the weak and oopressed... and World Wrestling Alliance Championship Titleholder?! Peter Parker has it all: respect, fame, and the adoration of all. But he also has a deep, destructive secret that he keeps from the world and from his family - one that could well unravel the reality he knows! Collects Spider-Man: House of M #1-5.
Customer Reviews:
Solid House of M tie-in featuring Spidey.......2007-05-28
What's Spider-Man up to in the alternate reality of the House of M? He's a wealthy, famous professional wrestling superstar that's married to Gwen Stacy, has a kid, and his Uncle Ben never died. Needless to say, it's the life that Peter Parker jas basically always wanted. J. Jonah Jameson is his abused publicist, who helps the Green Goblin set up Spidey by leaking the secret that he's not a mutant, but a human given powers via a radioactive spider. Needless to say, this doesn't bode well in a world that is dominated by mutants. Mark Waid writes a compelling and interesting alternate look at Marvel's most popular character, while X-Men artist Salvador Larroca and inker Danny Miki provide solid work as well. The only downside to House of M: Spider-Man is that which was already mentioned by a previous reviewer: by the time the book ends, Spidey's status in Brian Michael Bendis' main House of M storyline contradicts what is found here. That aside though, this House of M tie-in is pretty good, and worth checking out for fans of the main storyline.
Not the real spiderman; this or any reality.......2006-10-06
I have to say this was a poor comic book. The story was below average, the main characters Parker and JJJ were fake personalities of the original characters. The only thing that took it up a star (to two) was the impressive art work. By all means this comic is nothing to be proud of.
The story has already been mention above, my gripe with it is first of all Parker as spiderman would not be hiding his secret but showing the whole world that as a human (or there abouts) he can help and rescue people whether there mutants or human and in that he becomes a symbol of campaigning for humans to have the same rights as mutants. JJJ in the other hand would campaign openly using his newspaper and media for the rights of humans, as well he would think of spidy a mutant secretly wanting to sabotage human rights. JJJ has no gripe with Parker; only with mask vigilantes who rome the streets of new york which spidy fits the package easily. Spiderman fights because he has the responsibility to. His powers lead him to fight for justice.
Although thats the states q; the reality is different here yet the characters themselves are completely different too, which is wrong, instead of spidy fighting for justice he entertains for money, he even hates JJJ for petty reason which are not even in the real spiderman realm. Normally Parker and JJJ get along, not Spidy and JJJ. To have Parker picking fights with JJJ is wrong and unlike the characters the comics are based on and I found it unpleasant. The other characters were weakly described as uncle Ben never seems to tell Parker off or gives him any words of wisdom in these troubled times. The villainess are meaningless and the ending was rubbish and spineless to say the least in fact instead of two star im going to resort to one. Infact this is not a spiderman comic none of the plot is meaningful, the characters have any enounce of who they suppose to be even in a distorted reality and the plot does not fit well with the house of m theme. Instead of Peter Paker they should have called him Pilly Parkr and his sperman costume and JJJ to JIQ and his spineless wit in this reality or any other.
WHAT.......2006-10-04
This story is a bit interesting but that's about it. This is the fast-food of stories, very little substainces. Why did Spidey have a diary? Did he know of the real universe? Alas, these questions will never be answered now. The only thing done right was that Gwen Stacy was brought back to life for this story. You know after doing a little bit of back reading, I get the feeling that MJ was just 2nd prize in Peter's heart. However, MJ can't take the place of Peter's first really romantic love. I don't get me wrong. I think Peter and MJ work! But, Peter and Gwen would be together through it all ... if that damn,(sob), Green Goblin hadn't !!!
Look, I didn't like House of M or really any of them to be exact. House of M is a story that was done just to get your money and nothing more. Sure, they have to tell a pretty convincing/dynmaic story to do that but for me they didn't. The other good thing about House of M. Hawkeye is back, baby!
Enjoyable read.......2006-09-02
Spider-man:House of M is a good read, accompanied by some great artwork. However, I couldn't seem to find exactly where it fit in with House of M (when did he meet up with every one?) But overall, it was one of the most interesting Spider-man stories I've read.
In the House of M universe, JJJ reveals that Spider-Man is...human!.......2006-05-14
I read "House of M" after I read "House of M: Spider-Man," simply because I read the latter when the five comic books came out and I waited for the trade paperback collection of the former. However, regardless of which you read first, if you read them both, then you will notice that they are not compatible. But then I have accepted that the "Amazing Spider-Man," "Ultimate Spider-Man," and "Mary Jane Love Spider-Man" comics are all in different universes, so I can handle another Spider-Man reality or two as well. Ultimately the more important distinction between the two is that "House of M: Spider-Man" is self-continued, while "House of M" is really just the set up for the sundry "House of M" titles. However, as long as you understand the basic premise of "House of M" you do not need to read that eight part story or "The Pulse: House of M Special Edition" newspaper to understand what is happening in this trade paperback.
The premise of "House of M" is that the New Avengers and X-Men meet to discuss the fate of Wanda Maximoff, a.k.a. the Scarlet Witch, and Magneto's daughter. Previously Wanda had lost control of her reality-altering powers and suffered a total nervous breakdown, during which she was reponsible for the deaths of the Vision, Hawkeye and Ant-Man. Magneto was able to stop her and take his daughter away to the devastated island-nation of Genosha, where Professor Xavier tried to aid her with her recover. However, he had failed and now the superheroes had gathered to debate whether Wanda should live or die. But then she, her brother Pietro, and Magneto disappear, the world burns to white and a new reality emerges where humans are the oppressed minority and mutants rule under the united kingdom of the House of Magnus. However, Wolverine remembers what is happening, then helps Emma Frost remember, and the two start gathering the Avengers and X-Men. That includes Peter Parker, who is known as the world famous Spider-Man, married to Gwen Stacy, has a son named Richie, and still takes care of Aunt May and Uncle Ben, and has a good relationship with his father-in-law, Captain Stacy.
"House of M: Spider-Man" obviously takes place in the House of M world, but the best way to explain it would be that the story is about what happens to the Spider-Man who does not remember his "real" life. Written by Mark Waid and Tom Peyer, with Salvador Larroca as the penciler and Danny Miki the inker, the five-part story begins with Peter in the master bedroom of his Connecticut estate with his wife and child, unaware that this is not the way it is suppose to be. This is a world where J. Jonah Jameson is Parker's publicist and Peter is one of Forbes Magazine's "Ten Richest Mutants of 2005." The first part has Peter's birthday party after which the Green Goblin pays a visit to Jameson and announces Jonah will be the pawn who is going to help him destroy Spider-Man. Jonah's response is, "When do we start?" This cannot be good for our hero.
Now, if you remember that this reality is one in which mutants rule, and if you recall the Spider-Man was created when a radioactive spider bit Peter Parker, then you should be able to figure out where this one is going. The Green Goblin gives Jameson the journal of Peter Parker, which reveals that Spider-Man is...a homo sapien. At that point the entire world of the famous wrestler/actor/scientist/philanthropist falls apart. I was anticipating a slightly different twist on the story than what we get at the end of issue #3, but the way it plays out is certainly consistent with the idea that Wanda created a world where mutants can be happy. The irony that humans are hated has its moments, and there is certainly some resonance to having Gwen and her father being around again. This story has a strong psychological dimension, which might be a more common complaint about the story. Still, fans of Spider-Man can find this alternative story of more than passing interest.
Average customer rating:
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Secrets of Dripping Fang, Book Four: Fall of the House of Mandible (Secrets of Dripping Fang)
Dan Greenburg
Manufacturer: Harcourt Children's Books
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ASIN: 0152054758 |
Book Description
Things seem pretty hopeless for the Shluffmuffin family in the fourth book in this hilarious series. The treacherous Mandible sisters have kidnapped Cheyenne again, and it's up to Wally to rescue her. And not only is their adoring dad a vampire, but lately he's taken up all sorts of offensive and unsavory activities like "volunteering" at a bloodmobile and licking strangers' bleeding wounds on buses. Gross!
Throw in thirty-six grubby orphans singing show tunes, a bizarre plot to overthrow the human race with a flu virus sprayed out of perfume bottles, and some deadly, chatty wolves, and things in Dripping Fang Forest couldn't get much more surreal.
But when Wally comes up with a brilliant SWAT team-style commando plan to get Cheyenne back, the Onts just may be defeated once and for all.
(Yeah, right . . .)
Customer Reviews:
Very Funny .......2007-08-14
As "Fall of the House of Mandible" begins, Wally and Cheyenne Shluffmuffin are on the run from the Onts (Hedy and Dagmar Mandible) who are really giant ants who want to overthrow humans and control the world. Wally manages to get away but the Onts kidnap Cheyenne and Wally is determined to help her escape. He enlists the help of his vampire Dad, Professor Spydelle and his spider wife Shirley, and Hortense Jolly (owner of the Jolly Days Orphanage) as well as the thirty-six orphans she is eager to get rid of. This motley group of characters will try to rescue Cheyenne and stop the Onts from spreading a flu-like virus that can destroy humans.
Children ages nine and older will enjoy "Fall of the House of Mandible", the fourth book in Dan Greenburg's delightful "Secrets of Dripping Fang" series. It's a quick and easy read filled with quirky humor. The humor starts with the chapter titles; the title of the first chapter "The No Child Left Alive Program" is a good example of the humor throughout the book. Other funny moments include when Wally and Cheyenne try to tell someone they are being kidnapped and Wally says "we're also orphans, in case that makes us more sympathetic"; Hortense Jolly treating the orphans as if they were a product she is selling; Wally and Cheyenne's dad volunteering at a blood bank and getting "fired" from the volunteer job that he is doing for free; the Dripping Fang Forest and it's inhabitants; the Onts spraying a flu virus using a perfume bottle; and a song the orphans sing. While much of the book is humorous and meant to be fun, there are some scary moments (one involving a fire) that may scare younger readers. Since the book is part of a series, the end of the book is a cliffhanger.
Older children, especially Lemony Snicket fans, will enjoy "Fall of the House of Mandible" and all the books in the Secrets of Dripping Fang series.
Book Description
Set in Fez, Morocco, during that country's 1954 nationalist uprising, The Spider's House is perhaps Paul Bowles's most beautifully subtle novel, richly descriptive of its setting and uncompromising in its characterizations. Exploring once again the dilemma of the outsider in an alien society, and the gap in understanding between cultures—recurrent themes of Paul Bowles's writings—The Spider's House is dramatic, brutally honest, and shockingly relevant to today's political situation in the Middle East and elsewhere.
Customer Reviews:
Exceptional .......2006-11-07
The spider's house, has a very appealing cover, with a equally appealing story. This book surpasses all expectations, and beyond. A historical over view is always illuminating in the backdrop of every conversation, told as if the characters were them selves speaking to the reader or even thinking out loud without any inhibitions.
It's first hand knowledge of the culture, that one can only gain from years of encounters. Paul Bowels, speaks of the Moroccan people as they truly are, the good, the bad, the awful, and their quest for a modern future, that is to bare many flaws.
The French influence, and there cruelty is also vividly detailed, and the reader is left wondering why such history is well forgotten by the new generation. Paul Bowles is not only forgiving but also critical in his judgments regarding the Moroccan people's limited perception of the other.
In all, this book covers the perspective view of every person who is encountered in this book, by that I really mean everyone.
Progress Shmogress.......2006-08-08
Paul Bowles was on a hot streak in the 1950s, and of the 3 novels he wrote between 1949 and 1955 this last one is my hands-down favorite. With each book Bowles seemed to grow more confident in his knowledge of Morocco, and in the gifted teenager Amar he creates his most complete Arab character to date, giving over more of the story to him than to his American hero, the detached expatriate novelist Stenham. The novel is also exciting for the way Bowles managed to map his longstanding concern with the differences between Islam and the modern West onto the explosive political events in Morocco in 1954, when the Moroccan Independence party was fighting a hot terrorist war against the French (sound familiar?)
Bowles sees the Moroccan rebels and the French occupiers as both destroying a traditional Islamic approach to time that enjoys life for the moment and leaves tomorrow to Allah, an attractive alternative to the Western obsession with logic, causality, and progress that keeps us from seeing the present in our frantic rush to the future. Stenham recognizes his own futility in trying to save the old Morocco he loves, and Bowles is more critical here than in some of his earlier writing of his own position as the privileged outsider. In the end, it made sense to me that Amar is a teenager; it's almost as if Bowles wants to keep his charming Moroccans in a state of perpetual adolescence, forever shielded from Coca-Cola, politics, and the secular pleasures of modernity. At the same time, by taking Moroccans on their own terms, sympathizing with their approach to life rather than trying to change it in the name of progress or democracy, he comes closer than I think Americans will be able to for a long, long time to come to understanding the attractions of a very different, and on its own terms very satisfying, approach to life.
Bowles' subtle "Spider's House.".......2004-11-09
I read Paul Bowles' SPIDER'S HOUSE (1954) after first reading his earlier novel, LET IT COME DOWN (1952). In both novels, Bowles insightfully examines the subtle culture gap between East and West. He has drawn the title of his novel from the Koran: "The likeness of those who choose other patrons than Allah is as the likeness of the spider when she taketh unto herself a house, and lo! The frailest of all houses is the spider's house, if they but knew," which is also the novel's epigrah.
THE SPIDER'S HOUSE opens in Fez after World War II, just as the French rule in Morocco is about to be challenged by a fierce Nationalist uprising, and the narrative shifts between an American expatriate writer, John Stenham, and an illiterate, Arab youth, Amar. Whereas Stenham, an existentialist, anti-imperialist, is captivated with the aesthetic, "medieval" traditions still alive in the streets of twentieth century Fez--"It did not really matter," to him "whether they worshipped Allah or carburetors," Amar has his own perspective on the use of religion for political gain by Istigal, the Moroccan nationalists movement. It is through the Moslem insights of Amar that Bowles triumphs as a writer. Amar is the real protagonist of the novel. He is something of a stranger in his own culture, with his own understanding of the events unfolding around him, and he believes he has the ability to see into men's hearts. Although Amar's religious faith tells him that the duty of the believer is to fight the unbeliever to the death, when it comes to the use of violence against fellow Moslems for political reasons, he is less certain. Eventually, the paths of Stenham and Amar cross with unexpected results. Now more than fifty years after its publication, without sentimentality, illusions, or blinders, THE SPIDER'S HOUSE remains relevant with its insights into the culture conflicts between East and West.
G. Merritt
The Huckelberry Finn of Islam.......2004-10-14
I strongly recommend this novel, written in 1954,yet totally alive and relevant to the contemporary reader. I was amazed to see Bowles capture the essence of the clash between the Islamic world view and the Western modern view in such a fresh and insightful manner.
The novel is about the final days of the French occupation of Morocco after World War II. The story is told through the eyes of an American expatriat, Stenham, and then through they eyes of a 15 year old Islamic young man. Stenham, a tired and disappointed writer, has seen the false promise of modernism, and thus is sympathetic to the Moslem determinism and process of living life embedded in faith. Amar, the Moroccan youth, also see those members of the Moroccan nationalists movement, Istiglal, who would use religion for political gain.
The story moves from luxury hotels and modest Moslem homes, to street fights and riots, to Islamic ceremonies high in the Moroccan mountains, to the cafes where Europeans gather to experience a world far different from their own, to the lairs of the subversives who plan to drive the French from Islamic lands.
Like Mark Twain's Huckelberry Finn, the world seen through the eyes of youth allows for fresh observations of the familiar world. Amar is the Moslem Huckelberry, trying to make sense of Europeans and countrymen in a struggle for power.
Yet it is the cultural interaction between modernism and Islam that Bowles captures perfectly. Bowles paints a realistic, honest, sympathetic vision of the Islamic world. The image reveals the weaknesses and barreness that modernism brings. I recommend this book strongly, especially in these times of conflict between the Western world and the world of Islam.
the struggle between knowledge and wisdom.......2004-03-08
This is a very moving look at a particular situation but it is also far more. TSH looks at the problem of progress vs the phenomenon of
faith in a way that is both committed and unflinching. As I have come to expect from Bowles, the story is as captivating as it is intelligent.
Book Description
Paul Bowles had already established himself as an important composer when at age 39 he published The Sheltering Sky and became recognized as one of the most powerful writers of the postwar period. From his base in Tangier he produced globally ranging novels, stories, and travel writings that set exquisite surfaces over violent undercurrents. His elegantly spare novels chart the unpredictable collisions between "civilized" exiles and a Morocco they never grasp, achieving effects of extreme horror and dislocation.
This Library of America Bowles set, the first annotated edition, offers the full range of his achievement: the portrait of an outsider who was one of the essential American writers of the last century. In addition to his novels-The Sheltering Sky (1949), Let It Come Down (1952), The Spider's House (1955), Up Above the World (1966)-and his collected stories-including such classics as "A Distant Episode" and "Pages from Cold Point"-they contain his masterpiece of travel writing, Their Heads Are Green and Their Hands Are Blue (1963). Throughout, Bowles shows himself a master of gothic terror and a diabolically funny observer of manners as well as a prescient guide to everything from the roots of Islamist politics to the world of Moghrebi music. With a hallucinatory clarity as dry and unforgiving as the desert air, Bowles sends his characters toward encounters with unknown and terrifying forces both outside them and within them.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Value!.......2007-03-03
You can read the other detailed reviews, all earning 5 stars, and see why this item is ranked so highly. Three novels all in one nice, hardbound, 900+ pages volume, at a great price. I already had all three in paperback, and still ordered this book. If you love Paul Bowles as I do, or are just beginning to read his work, this is the book to buy.
Interesting, Interesting, Interesting.......2002-10-26
This is my first exposure to the writings of Paul Bowles. What a surprise! The three novels in this edition were written in the late 1940s to mid 1950s. His characters are not at all dated. His writing is clear, and uncluttered. In contrasted to his writing style, are his characters who complex, murky and often compelling. I read straight through from the Sheltering Sky to Let It Come Down to The Spiders House. He is one of the most interesting 20th century American writers. The Library of America has done a wonderful service to readers by ensuring that Paul Bowles will remain in print.
The Sheltering Sky, the first of three novels in this edition, is short, only 250 pages long. It seems to be considered his defining novel. It is about a married couple, Kit, and Port, and their sojourn into the Sahara Desert. They are dishonest with each other about many things, their shaky marriage, and the danger of the trip they have embarked on, fidelity. They cannot take charge of anything, their lives, their marriage, their trip, and even their privacy. The decisions that they make exude with bad judgement. This is exposed early on, when Porter goes off for a walk alone the city. He encounters a stranger, Smail; Port walks off with this stranger, out of the city into the desert to meet and be entertained by a young girl, who he is told is not a [prostitute] but will want to be paid. The characters do dangerous things. You sense their doom with them. And, like them, the reader is compelled to go on. I do not want to give too many plot details as it might spoil the pleasure of reading what I think is an overlooked 20th century classic.
Let It Come Down, is about a bank clerk seeking adventure in Tangier. Like the Sheltering Sky, there is no happy ending here. You can sense the impending doom of the main character as he makes one bad decision after another. He gets involved with a local prostitute, financial intrigue, and in the end, drugs.
The Spiders House starts with a quote from the Thousand and One Nights To my way of thinking, there is nothing more delightful than to be a stranger. And so I mingle with human beings because they are not of my kind, and precisely in order to be a stranger among them. In the wake of the worldwide effects of militant Islamism, this is a fascinating book to read.
The characters include two Americans. The first, Stenham, sees the French colonial rule in Morocco as destructive. He becomes attracted to Islam. The second is arrogant and contemptuous of the locals, the country, just about everything Moroccan. Each is stranger. Each sees and judges the Moroccan people, their culture, and their religion through western eyes. And so, Bowles introduces Amar, a teenage Moroccan boy, who is a direct descendent of the prophet, Mohammed. The boy is illiterate and poor, but not ignorant. The view of the world that each maintains at the beginning of the novel cannot hold. Set in a time of rebellion, there is plenty of plot to keep the characters moving along.
I highly recommend these three novels. This hard cover edition is published by the Library of America. It is the one that you will want to buy, and keep as part of your permanent library.
Finally!.......2002-10-22
I couldn't be happier that the Library of America has released Paul Bowles' three best novels (he only wrote four) in one volume. Previously they were only available in not-so-easy to find small press editions. Hopefully this edition will make them readily available to a wider audience in volume and time.
The most striking thing about Bowles' work is its pace. It moves at a mesmerizing rate. The language is fairly simple but it plods along with a suspensful tension that never lets up even after a climatic moment. It is the kind of fiction to read next to a fountain in a courtyard.
Bowles' characters are almost always out of place, or are where they shouldn't be, or where they think they should be. They become engulfed by cultures that they don't understand not through stupidity or banality but often through the natural course of clashing cultures. Reading the books can give you a feeling of getting lost, and overcome with a feeling that you don't belong, or that you're delving into worlds you aren't prepared to delve into. This is the terror that underlies nearly all of his writing. They are cautionary tales, and they have become more relevant in the past few years since Bowles' death in 1999 (not highly publicized), and the rising relevance of Islam in and to the West.
Bowles is one of the first western writers of fiction that treats Islam equally to European society. Islam is not merely a backdrop in which his characters find fault or get ground up in (i.e., you never get the sense that Bowles is blaming the cultures themselves for the destruction of his characters, typically they are responsible, but it really isn't anybody's 'fault' per se). This is multicultural literature at its best, because it allows nastiness and goodness on all sides. Bowles is not afraid to show the dark sides of Islamic and European cultures side by side, while allowing positive aspects a place as well. He is also never racist towards either side, though some critics have accussed him of this (wrongly, in my opinion).
Bowles is an eye-opener. All three of these novels will make an impact on you and make you think about things you've never thought of before. Thanks again to the Library of America for releasing this collection. Buy it and read it.
Book Description
You open the kitchen cabinet, reach for the jar of peanut butter, and there on its top are mice droppings. What's the safest means to be rid of the mice? In Ask the Bugman, Board Certified Entomologist Richard Fagerlund offers advice on pest control drawn from answers to commonly asked questions in his nationally distributed newspaper column. For mice, live traps are best, using oatmeal as bait. Never use poisons or glue boards. He also encourages preventive measures to plug the holes mice use as entrances.
With thirty-years' experience in pest control, Fagerlund offers suggestions for controlling nearly fifty common (and a few not so common) pests found in and around the home. The questions are divided into categories including disruptive pests, destructive pests, biters and stingers, reptiles and rodents, and garden and household bugs. But what separates Ask the Bugman from other such books is its environmental ethic, which is carefully laid out in the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Typical IPM methods include habitat modification, improved sanitation, and the use of less-toxic, pest-specific baits. As alternatives to harmful chemicals, he counsels use of home remedies, provides a number of these, and includes others sent in by readers of his column. Ten original sketches of common household pests give readers an appreciation of their appearance.
How to control household pests in a more environmentally friendly way.
Customer Reviews:
bugman book.......2007-01-13
very intriguing ways of dealing with common pests - i used the caterpillar solution and it seemed to work very well. nice to have a non toxic solution.
Controlling mice, termites, bed bugs & more.......2002-07-07
Environmentally safe, effective ways of controlling mice, termites, bed bugs and other common household insects and creatures are revealed in Ask The Bugman!, a guide which uses a question and answer format to impart the basics, and a chapter organization by type of pest ("Biters and Stingers", "Ants") make answers quick to find. An excellent, basic guide to pest control options.
Best book of its kind available.......2002-03-10
This is an excellent book on how to control pests without using toxic chemicals or pest control companies. It is full of great ideas and excellent drawings. It is also entertaining when people, especially the school children, list their least favorite bugs. There is even a great short piece on hemp which makes the book a little controversial. Informative, entertaining and controversial equals very interesting. It is worth every penny...
Books:
- Straight from the Horse's Mouth: How to Talk to Animals and Get Answers
- Strangers in the Night
- Summer At Willow Lake (Lakeshore Chronicles)
- Surfacing
- Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer
- Telling the Truth: The Gospel as Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale
- The Assault on Reason
- The Book of Salt: A Novel
- The Borrowers Aloft
- The Covenant
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