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A Brief History of the Caribbean: From the Arawak and the Carib to the Present Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought the first edition of this book over 8 years ago, and couldn't let it down. "A Brief History of the Caribbean," by Jan Rogozinski simply is one of the most well researched and organized books on Caribbean history ever published. As a Latin American Studies major in college, this book was very reliable and informative in many of studies, and it allowed me, by utilizing the many maps and charts found in the book, to understand the very nature of Caribbean politics, culture, and most importantly, history. Everything from Pre-Colombian civilization to Post-Independence woes are covered here, and the author has released an updated edition with information as recent as of January 1999. I strongly recommend that readers of this book also read "A Continent of Islands," by Mark Kurlansky to gain more knowledge of this beautiful but troubled region.

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The first complete history of the Caribbeanislands--updated through the year 2000.This comprehensive volumetakes the reader and student through more than five hundred years ofCaribbean history, beginning with Columbus's arrival in the Bahamas in1492. A Brief History of the Caribbean traces the people andevents that have marked this constantly shifting region, encompassingeverything from economic booms and busts to epidemics, wars, andrevolutions, and bringing to life such important figures as SirFrancis Drake, Blackbeard, Toussaint Louverture, Fidel Castro, theDuvaliers, and Jean-Bertrand Aristide. This superbly writtenhistory, revised and updated, with new chapters that reflect theislands' most recent social, economic, and political developments, isa work of impeccable scholarship. Featuring maps, charts, tables, andphotographs, it remains the ideal guide to the region and itspeople."A veritable sourcebook of information . . . analysis,description, interpretation . . . interesting and useful."--LibraryJournal--This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Ancient Egypt Review

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(More customer reviews)I have always been fascinated with ancient egypt, and have many books on the location, and its history. This is a perfect coffee table book, in fact, I have it on my coffee table always. The images are vivid, and some breathtaking. There are historical details about the land, its culture, myths, gods, etc. The book also has wonderful images of many of the artifacts found in tombs during excavations, as well as detailed accounts of some of the gods and goddesses and their lives and influences on society. Other topics covered are the tombs, artwork, language, architecture, women in egypt and their roles, etc. wonderful book.

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A History of Russia Review

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(More customer reviews)I couldn't help but address the comments of the reader that gave this work 1 star. It's interesting that he cites the territories annexed by Russia as Chinese / Japanese / etc. Where do you think Japan / China / etc. got those territories? Did he ever stop to think that at one point in time Japan, China, and any other country didn't have statehood, and the latter is always achieved through a painful process of unification by both doplomatic and military means? If same logic of denying a country its legitimacy based on forceful means of expansion is used consistently, then our great country of the USA should also be considered an illegitimate occupant of native American lands. Please let us adhere to commonly accepted methods of historical research and exposition, instead of expressing one's ill attitude toward a country using flawed reasoning.
The book at hand does indeed present a comprehensive coverage of Russian history, albeit in a somewhat dry fashion. Do not expect to finish this book and be left with crisp and colorful images of Russia's history. But what you can expect is a comprehensive coverage of every period of Russian history, complete with dates, names, and places. After a once-over, this book can be used as a reference, or a refresher on a particular timeframe in the history of the country. I am still looking for a more captivating work on Russian history, so anyone knows of any - please recommend.

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Widely acclaimed as the best one-volume survey text available, A History of Russia presents the whole span of Russia's history, from the origins of the Kievan state and the building of an empire, to Soviet Russia, the successor states, and beyond. Drawing on both primary sources and major interpretive works, this sixth edition updates its existing coverage of the social, economic, cultural, political and miliary events of Russia's past and includes a new chapter on the post-Gorbachev era as well as helpful updated biblipgraphies and reading source lists. Examining contemporary issues such as the rise of Yeltsin, the nationalities question, and Russia's attempts to market capitalism, this sixth edition takes the study of Russia straight into the new millennium, continuing A History of Russia's nearly forty-year track record as the leader in the field.

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McGuffey's Eclectic Spelling Book Review

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(More customer reviews)Last year we used the Spalding method of spelling, and I think it is a geat way to learn spelling. The biggest hurdle to implementing that program for my son was the randomness of the words with no connection to what he is reading or learning in his daily life. This was a difficult hurdle for an intuitive learner like him to overcome. The McGuffy Speller lists words with common sounds. Thus you will have words like fair, and fare together on one list, teaching the child the different ways one sound can be spelled. I think this is easier for a child to deal with than having to decide as in Spalding which spelling goes with the same sound. In McGuffy the sounds are introduced with the words and this is less frustrating than a child having to feel he should somehow know which spelling to use: are, or air. If you tried Spalding, and liked the phonetic approach, but don't think you will continue in it, and are looking for a similar but more conventional approach, this may be a good choice for you. I think it takes the best of phonics, memorization, and word patterns, and combines them into a great word list that can be used for weekly spelling tests. Personally, I am not using even this method this year as I believe the memorization and detachment from hands on learning just won't stick with my son. If your child doesn't balk at weekly spelling tests, learning the words in this book will prepare him for college level reading and writing.

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Since 1836, children have been delighted by the McGuffey Readers' exotic adventures, exciting stories, beautiful poems, and funny fables. This companion volume was revised in 1879 to conform in orthography, pronunciation, and spelling to the latest edition of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary. The Eclectic Spelling-Book was designed to teach students the English language not by appealing merely to memory, but by associating each lesson with some principle of sound, meaning, or accent.

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A Short Guide to Writing about Film (Short Guides Series) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book is an invaluable guide to writing about film. If you've never taken a film class, you need a book like this to get you used to the vocabulary, style and format of film criticism and theory. Numerous examples and lucid prose make this book easy to use and to read.

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Introduction to Movies, Film Criticism, Film Appreciation.

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"They Say / I Say": The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing with Readings Review

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(More customer reviews)Even as a writer, writing teacher, and rhetorician, I could not see how many gaps I left in my writing until this book. So much of the writing process was just flung at me in public school that I was fortunate to absorb dribs and drabs. Graff, Birkenstein, and Durst dismantle writing into a system, based on the most recent rhetorical research, and lay the process out in short chapters, plain language, and a scheme of templates that students can use to kick-start their own writing.
The authors' thesis is that writing is an uncomplicated process which can be reduced to a handful of rhetorical components. If students see writing as a social act, joining a larger conversation already in process, they will produce engaging writing which both they and their teachers will enjoy. Since the book is laced with examples of effective and ineffective writing, there is no doubt as to which the authors aim for, making evaluation a simple, somewhat objective process.
This book seeks to be accessible to a mass audience. It's written in vernacular English, using examples from current culture and respected print sources. It is so straightforward that teachers can use it at multiple levels, from advanced middle school up through college composition. It's so explicit that it could even be used without a teacher, with only a writing group or college writing center to fill in the role of hands-on assistance with individual problems.
This "With Readings" edition contains the full text of Graff and Birkenstein's original short primer of the same title. The original is less than 150 pages and can be digested in small segments by teachers and students alike. This edition contains over 250 pages of articles from respected print and online publications to guide students into the larger writerly discourse. Selected authors include George Will, Thomas Friedman, Eric Schlosser, and Barack Obama.
My only regret is that I did not receive this book sooner. My teaching career up to this point would have been both easier and more productive if I had enjoyed this text, which simply states everything I wanted to say. Both teachers and students often make writing a more difficult process than it needs to be, but this book strips the mystification away and makes classroom writing as easy and clear-cut as the conversations students already have.

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"They Say / I Say" shows that writing well means mastering some key rhetorical moves, the most important of which involves summarizing what others have said ("they say") to set up one's own argument ("I say").
In addition to explaining the basic moves, this book provides writing templates that show students explicitly how to make these moves in their own writing. Now available in two versions, with and without an anthology of 32 readings.

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Figures of Speech Used in the Bible: Explained and Illustrated Review

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(More customer reviews)Reviewed by Ed Vasicek, Author of The Midrash Key: Pinpointing the Old Testament Texts from Which Jesus Preached
Bullinger's massive classifications of figures of speech used in the Bible provides a wealth of help in interpretation. When I am studying a difficult verse, I often use the Scripture index in Bullinger's work to find out if figurative language might come into play. Not only does Bullinger address figures that we commonly think of (exaggeration/hyperbole, etc.), but he divides them into subcategories -- and includes classifications of figures one would not ordinarily detect through a casual reading of Biblical texts.
This is not meant for reading or even studying through (though it is fascinating to thumb through it), but is more or less a very useful reference work. I would label it as an essential book for pastors and Bible teachers.
As an evangelical pastor of 24 years, I give this book two thumbs up.

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Bible translators have, through inattention to figures of speech, made serious translation blunders, clouding the real meaning of many important passages of God's Word. E. W. Bullinger's volume, first published in 1898, clarifies 217 distinct figures of speech used in the Bible. Walter C. Kaiser, dean of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, calls it "the best handbook on figures of speech. It should be on every exegete's shelf." In systematic order, this classic gives the proper pronunciation of each figure of speech, its etymology or origin, and a number of Scripture passages where the figure of speech is used, giving full explanation of its use in each context. Figures of Speech Used in the Bible cites nearly eight thousand Bible passages and includes five appendices and seven indexes, making it even more valuable as a reference tool.

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The World of Music Review

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(More customer reviews)The previous editions were actually better. They contained a better variety of music, listening and topics. The new edition has blatant errors... ie page 60, the performer is misidentified as Huddie Ledbetter, it is Taj Mahal. Pat Metheny is misidentified as "Bob Metheny" p. 133. There are more errors and shortcomings but the worst part is the brevity. Can you imagine the only listening examples of American popular music include Ethel Merman, Bob Wills, Ricky Skaggs, Gretchen Wilson, Little Richard, the Allman Bros, and Toni Braxton?
World music topics are arbitrary and spotty. There is no mention of Arabic music, Flamenco, and other important and influential traditions.
Only a passing reference is given to Latin Jazz, Jobim's music has been eliminated from the current edition of CDs even though his Girl from Ipanema is one of the greatest selling jazz records of all time. The French Gypsy Jazz of Django Reinhardt and Stephan Grappelli is not even mentioned.
Overall, a great concept but needs augmentation.

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The World of Music is a music appreciation book designed for instructors who want to focus on listening to music as it exists in the real world of their students. Expanding the traditional repertoire used for music study, this popular text begins with American folk, religious, jazz, popular, and ethnic music before introducing some world music and concluding with a thorough overview of Western classical music. The approach captures the essence of each repertoire, and equips students to recognize different styles, appreciate their different functions, and possess a solid foundation for a lifetime of musical appreciation.

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America's Musical Landscape Review

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(More customer reviews)Exactly what I needed for my music class. Good book, light read. Clear and concise.

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This text addresses the broad range of music in the United States from early periods to today, presenting this rich tapestry of sound in its historical and cultural context. Its reasonable length, readability, and logical organization make the text a useful and attractive means of furthering appreciation of the musical heritage of the United States. Frequent connections to other arts, particularly the visual arts, add to the book's appeal and enhance understanding of core musical concepts. The text also offers an elegant and readable introduction to the fundamentals of music.
To order the text packaged with a set of three CDs of recorded examples, at a discounted price, use ISBN 0-07-304387-7.

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The American Civil Rights Movement: Readings and Interpretations Review

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(More customer reviews)Raymond D'Angelo is Chair of the Social Science department at the school I attend, St. Joseph's College in Patchogue, NY. I took a class he taught during the spring of 2001 called "The Civil Rights Movement." He used this book as the text for the course. He knows alot about this subject and the book was very well written. I highly recommend this book for both students and people interested in the topic. By the way all the proceeds go to the Selma Voting Rights Museum and the National Civil Rights Museum.

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This new reader comprises an extensive collection of primary and secondary documents of the American Civil Rights movement. These documents are complemented by analytical and interpretive essays by the editor, setting these documents in their historical, social, and political context.The seeds for the modern Civil Rights Movement were planted nearly a century ago within the black Baptist Church, labor unions, the black press, and organizations like the NAACP and the SNYC. Each of the seven sections of this book present a carefully chosen selection of newspaper, magazine, and journal articles, letters, speeches, reports, and legal documents, all chronicling the one aspect of the movement for black rights from the earliest days of post-Civil War segregation to the present. The works of eminent scholars, historians, legislators, and jurists alternate with the voices of movement leaders and followers, black politicians, black entertainers, and average citizens, all blending together to tell the story of struggle, failures, and successes on the road to equality for Black Americans.

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The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory (Penguin Dictionary) Review

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(More customer reviews)You get a lot of value for the money with this one. For a reasonable price you get almost 1000 pages of literary information. Every obscure literary term imaginable is here, but that's not why I am taking the time to praise this handy little volume. It's a browsers dream.
What I found most interesting were the lengthy sections on genres. There are pages devoted to specific types of novels, dramas, and poems. There are luxuriously long sections on science fiction novels, crime fiction, pastoral writings, short stories, gothic fiction, comic drama, and a host of other such topics. When you go to the short story section, for instance, you will find 12 pages dedicated to coverage of authors and their works dating from biblical times to the present (1998). I quickly found recommended writers that I hadn't known along with those I was well acquainted with. Although this book was inexpensive, I have spent many times its purchase price buying new books that I found referenced in this Dictionary. There are no individual entries for authors or their works in this book. For that you need to go to books like the Oxford, Cambridge, New York Public Library or Benet's literature reference works.
In poetry sections you will find examples of the type of verse being discussed. You will be amused at some of the entries provided under "light verse" and "limericks". There is even a heading for "shaggy dog story".
Any weaknesses to the book? Well there are a few. This book has a single author, unlike many reference works that have a group of contributors. This can lead to weak sections that are outside the solo author's expertise. Every reader will find a favorite author or two missing from the genre sections. I was appalled, for instance, to find no mention of Flannery O'Connor in the section on American short story authors. As the author is English, there may also be a slight bias toward English writers. I was also somewhat annoyed that Mr. Cuddon often -but not always- didn't take the time to give a foreign title its English translation. Would it have hurt him to list the Victor Hugo novel as "Toilers of the Sea" instead of "Les Travailleurs de le Mer"?
I am a hopeless book addict, and this little reference work really made my day(s).

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The Penguin Dictionary of Literary Terms and Literary Theory is firmly established as a key work of reference in the complex and varied field of literary criticism. Now in its fourth edition, it remains the most comprehensive and accessible work of its kind, and is invaluable for student, teachers and general readers alike.

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Marxism and Literature (Marxist Introductions) Review

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(More customer reviews)I read some of this book in an American Civilization class at Brown University my junior year of college. It was the most difficult reading on the syllabus. Most of it went right over my head. It may be a useful tool for Marxists or others interested in class equality. Still, if you think Foucault is difficult reading, then you will REALLY be challenged by this. You may want to have at least 10 years in grad school or have 2 or 3 Ph.D.'s to get this. This book is for the academics' academics' academic. It is very hardcore, so be warned!

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This book extends the theme of Raymond Williams's earlier work in literary and cultural analysis. He analyses previous contributions to a Marxist theory of literature from Marx himself to Lukacs, Althusser, and Goldmann, and develops his own approach by outlining a theory of 'cultural materialism' which integrates Marxist theories of language with Marxist theories of literature. Williams moves from a review of the growth of the concepts of literature and idealogy to a redefinition of 'determinism' and 'hegemony'.His incisive discussion of the 'social material process' of cultural activity culminates in a re-examination of the problems of alignment and commitment and of the creative practice in individual authors and wider social groups.

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The Sumerians: Their History, Culture, and Character (Phoenix Books) Review

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(More customer reviews)This book was originally written as an addition to Kramer's previous work "History begins at Sumer". Eventually, however, a revised version of "History begins at Sumer" was published and incorporated a lot of material from "The Sumerians". Consequently, readers who have already become acquainted with "History begins at Sumer" may experience a bit of deja vu when reading the present book. For example, the chapters on Sumerian literature, education, and character contain extensive overlap with Kramer's other work. Despite this fact, Kramer's excellent discussion of Sumerian history, society and religion in "The Sumerians" still makes this book well-worth reading. As an added bonus, the appendix contains the Sumerian king list, the Code of Lipit-Ishtar (a forerunner of Hammurabi), and numerous other interesting translations.
I disagree with previous reviewers who claim that Kramer was prejudiced against the Sumerians and considered them to be inferior to their Semitic heirs. Indeed, if anything, I would say that Kramer emphasizes the legacy left by the Sumerians and the mark that they left behind on Semitic culture. The last chapter considers this subject in greater detail and also provides some interesting parallels between Sumerian culture and the Bible. Regardless of the negative criticism, "The Sumerians" is a great introduction to the history and culture of this ancient civilization and is worth checking out.

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The Sumerians, the pragmatic and gifted people who preceded the Semites in the land first known as Sumer and later as Babylonia, created what was probably the first high civilization in the history of man, spanning the fifth to the second millenniums B.C. This book is an unparalleled compendium of what is known about them.Professor Kramer communicates his enthusiasm for his subject as he outlines the history of the Sumerian civilization and describes their cities, religion, literature, education, scientific achievements, social structure, and psychology. Finally, he considers the legacy of Sumer to the ancient and modern world."There are few scholars in the world qualified to write such a book, and certainly Kramer is one of them. . . . One of the most valuable features of this book is the quantity of texts and fragments which are published for the first time in a form available to the general reader. For the layman the book provides a readable and up-to-date introduction to a most fascinating culture. For the specialist it presents a synthesis with which he may not agree but from which he will nonetheless derive stimulation."—American Journal of Archaeology"An uncontested authority on the civilization of Sumer, Professor Kramer writes with grace and urbanity."—Library Journal

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