I remember when Jay-Z said he liked R. Kelly cause he was one of the few R&B singers who could talk about women & love without being corny. The whole time I read the love scenes in this book, I shook my head. They were corny! But Mr. Jasper had a very interesting and unique topic to write about. His writing skill is still impressive, but "Dark" was 100% better than this book. The main character was lame, kept fighting between tough guy vs. corny guy, and there were too many Cinderella and Superman scenes. But I'd still buy his next book cause "Dark" showed me that the man has skill.

Kenji Jasper's sophomore offering is a slam-dunk in Dakota Grand where he gives readers a view of the world of Hip-Hop journalism. Dakota Grand is a young man on the rise. Twenty-two years old, he left his home in Atlanta to make his mark in the Big Apple and is ready to take on New York, showing the world he has what it takes to write the big stories and maybe in the process write that Great American Novel--Hip-Hop style. He is also determined to redeem himself in his single mother's eyes who is disappointed because he left college to pursue his dream.

Dakota is a big fan of Arbor Day, a recently disbanded two-man rap duo. When he is awarded the assignment of his life, an interview with one of brothers in the group, Mirage, he sees it as his big break; this coup will set him apart. With this interview, he will be in the same league as the big boys who write the cover stories for Source and Vibe magazines. However, along with that honor, unfortunately sometimes comes an occupational hazard of incurring the wrath of the entertainers. It seems they can change their mind after the interview and that is exactly what happens. Threats are issued and what ensues becomes a stack of tumbling cards.

How does this happen when everything seems to be coming together? He has the magazine career of his life-he is the man of the hour with freelance assignments being offered to him at every turn, a publishing house wants to publish his novel, and he has a new woman in his life. Carolina, a chocolate sister from Cuba that he meets on the subway, allows him to see the possibilities of allowing someone to get close to him.
Told in first person, this offering allows readers to become familiar with several facets of a writer's life, a world where a freelancer lives hand-to-mouth, where obtaining the next writing assignment or getting a big break determines if one has food to eat or can pay the rent. We see Dakota going through the writing process, the discipline, the disappointments, and the gradual awareness of his acknowledgement that there is much to be learned about the craft. Jasper has a writing style that has influences of Baldwin and Ellison, surreal, precise and genuine. He can only grow more prolific with time and I look forward to his next novel.

Dera Williams
APOOO BookClub

Kenji Jasper is undoubtedly one of the most gifted young writers of our time. People are using and misuing the term "Hip Hop Generation" but Kenji is actually representing what is going on. His style is reminiscent of extraordinary writers such as James Baldwin. His characters are well developed and complex. If Dark (his first book) didn't already make you a fan, Dakota Grand will make the connection for you. It a must-read!!

Karl Jaspers has undertaken an interesting study in the little book. He looks at the teachings of four men who have had the most far-reaching impact on our world. He claims that the greatness of their influence is measured in centuries as well as globally. The four great men he chose for this book are, as the title suggests, Socrates, Buddha, Confucius and Jesus. He entertained the thought of including Mohammed but chose not to. He explains that Mohammed "might be comparable in historical importance but not in individual depth (p. 87)." One other interesting insight comes from Jaspers on the same page. We have no writings from any of the four themselves - what we do have comes from their disciples after they died.

So much for the interesting, now for the question of trustworthiness.

Jaspers examined the biblical accounts of Jesus through the lens of higher criticism. In other words, Jaspers did not deal with the biblical text itself when he studied Jesus, he dealt with the text after sifting through what others thought was truly the teaching of Jesus. The reason this poses a problem is important to all readers, not merely to Christians. If he did not take the teachings of Jesus (as recorded by his disciples) at face value, did he take the teachings of Socrates, Buddha and Confucius (as recorded by their disciples) at face value? Is the reader really getting Socrates, Buddha, Confucius and Jesus, or is the reader getting Karl Jaspers? Knowing the aspects of Jesus' teachings that have been ignored in this study, and their importance to understanding Jesus' view of himself and the world around him, makes me wonder what we may have lost, in this study, from the other three great men included here.

This book is a very interesting idea. But, is it trustworthy scholarship? Not in my humble opinion. However, those who do not wish to sift through the original writings will inevitably want to read Jasper's abridgement of those writings. This may be to the readers' benefit, or to their detriment.

Jaspers has this rare ability to write both insightfully and very, very clearly on complex issues. Given the outstanding subject matter, this book had to be great !

For those who like Jasper's style I recommend also his account of Nietzsche's philosophy and life. It is a pure pleasure to read whether you agree with Nietzsche or not.

Aside from being an intelligently written book, I gave this book 5 stars because it made a big impression on me. Jaspers explanation of Confucius made the strength of Confucious's teaching clear. Now I'm very interested in Confucious and am reading more books about him. In that respect, this slim volume changed my life: It brought Confucious to life. What's more, by explaining Confucius's feelings about Taoism, this slim book did more to explain classic Taoism than the 2 books on the Tao I've already read.

Be aware that this book is due to the editing of Hannah Arendt. This means that Jaspers did not put this book out and say "Ta Da, the 4 Greatest!" No, Jaspers wrote a 2 volume book on the great philosophers due to his post War interest in increasing tolerance among men (per the Encyclopedia Britanica). This book does not appear to have any noticable Existentialist influence.

Finally, if you are a fundamentalist Christian, be warned that it is clear from his writing that Jaspers does not believe that Jesus is the Son of God, nor does he believe the Bible is free of error. He is not disrespectful of Jesus nor of Christianity, but do not think that because Jesus is in this book that the book is strongly pro-Jesus.

Having just finished Anne Somersets more definitive bio on Elizabeth I have to agree with previous reviewers that the author seems to have it in for his subject. Does he even like her?. He portrays her more as vindictive, vascillating, procrastinating,vain and downright bloodthirsty. Most notably in her relations with the english puritans, the protestant rebels in the Netherlands and especially her close relatives. The latter being her treatment of Katherine Grey, sister of the beheaded Jane for whom there was no love lost. He does not give her any credit for being a woman in a mans world and having the guts and wisdom to choose some very bright men as ministers and councillors and not yes-men at that. Walshingham and William Cecil openly disagreed with her on many issues but at no time did she contemplate dismissing them. He also appears to be saying that Elizabeth's foreign policy was based on the divine right of princes to rule their own kingdoms, and that rebels against their rightful lords be they protestant or catholic deserve to be severely punished hence her sympathetic correspondence with Philip of Spain. Ridley also has a penchant for drawing out in unnecessary detail execution and torture scenes. When the assassin of William of Orange is submitted to all kinds of horrific torture before his eventual execution, smiling the whole time the reader finds himself squirming uncomfortably. Despite the authors elegant prose I prefer the Sommerset or even Antonia Fraser biographies. They may not deify the woman but at least they dont vilify her.

What a refreshingly well-written, concise and historically well-researched book! Ridley is a master of the historic biography, and every book I have read so far (having started off with his account of Henry VIII) is a riveting read and impossible to put away.

May Royal Tunbridge Wells continue to serve as an inspiration to this gifted writer and connaisseur of the depth of the English language.

Jasper Ridley's biography of Elizabeth is well-written and coherent, broken into chapters that examine pivotal events during the reign in foreign and domestic policy. Ridley's work differs from most Elizabethan biographies in its focus on political and military aspects rather than personal studies of the queen. While at times the text drags, for the most part it is crisp and solid reading, and paints a fascinating picture. What makes the book stand out, however, is the quality of its documentation and use of primary sources, and its tremendous value as a research tool. Mr. Ridley has made assiduous use of archived state papers and contemporary commentaries that depict events as they were actually experienced and grasped by the people in the 16th and early 17th centuries. A student partaking in research on this period or studying the European Renaissance in general would benefit tremendously from a consultation of the bibliography, since the author essentially gives an index of the calendars of state publications that detail various decisions and military planning of the late 1500s. Furthermore, Mr. Ridley is careful to delve deeply into foreign sources as well; he makes extensive use of the archives in Simancas, Spain, as well as archival resources in Italy, to furnish shades of detail often overlooked. The overall result is that Mr. Ridley's biography has an unparalleled "real-time" feel to it. And, the author covers territory that too often is neglected in Elizabethan biographies, especially in regard to military affairs that are difficult to research elsewhere. He examines the English defeat and expulsion from Le Havre in France that resulted in the permanent loss of Calais in 1563; the long Anglo-Spanish war of the 1590s that crippled the finances of both countries, and (with Spanish victories at sea) frustrated English attempts at colonization in the Western Hemisphere while preserving Spain's foothold; and also at the bitter Anglo-Irish guerrilla war of the century's last decade, which devastated the Irish countryside and drained England's resources to the limit. For a detailed biography, Jasper Ridley's biography (along with that of Anne Somerset) is top-notch, and as a research tool it is of inestimable help.

I found this book very similar in material to Gene Smith's earlier book Maximilian and Carlotta. I think Ridley followed
the same context as Smith, and threw in a little more material on
Juarez. So, if you have read one of these books, don't read the other.
Overall, it presents the conflict between the Conservatives and
Liberals and Maximilian and Juarez correctly. It poses Maximilian as heroic and wrong headed while Juarez is portrayed as stubborn and single minded. Both needed more analization to portray them correctly. The book was very readable.

I started doing some basic reading about Juarez prior to writing a newspaper article about Cinco de Mayo. A number of sources recommended this book, so I found a copy and dug into it. Ridley doesn't "whitewash" any of the main figures, nor is it a hatchet job. I'd certainly gained more respect for Benito after reading Ridley's book.

Ridley does a more than credible job of portraying the conflict surrounding the attempt to install a foreign emperor in Mexico. Much emphasis is placed on the internal power struggle between conservatives and liberals and the ultimate succes of the Mexican hero Benito Juarez. Many of the leaders of the times are introduced but seldom with any great depth. The title is Maximillian &Juarez and this is not a biography I suppose. Napolean III is obviously given more treatment since it was his idea to install the ill fated Maximillian. The other leaders who are involved in the story are Mexican Generals Santa Ana, Leonardo Marquez, Porfirio Diaz, Miguel Miramon, Melchor Ocampo and other foreign major role players like Marshall Achille Bazine, William Steward. United States major role players brought tot life are Generals Grant amd Sheridan and of course President Lincoln. Their are also some pages dedicated to the plan(adopt) of Maximillian to install his successor Augustin Iturbide(grandson of Emperor Iturbide) but this was not to be. Of particular interest is the international scheme and involvement of various nations in this attempt to install Maximillian. Light is shed on the United States involvement although it was preoccupied with it's own internal problems since it was during the time of the Civil War. The difference between the South's attitude is also discussed. It was also interesting to see the interaction between the foreign French society in Mexcio and the ruling class of Mexico, many marriages were conveniently arranged to preserve the strength of families. I thoroughly enjoyed this glimpse into a part of Mexico's past and learned some interesting facts about the players and places involved. The importation of arms and the circumvent route was fascinating as was the involvement of the French Foreign Legion. The importation of 500 captured black Sudanese by Egyptian forces I found quite alarming and cruel as they were taken unwillingly from their families not knowing their fate. The thought behind this was that they would be better suited for the heat and could fight(for their lives) better than the French. Many of the cruelities and manipulations of war are revealed in this book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is a history buff or has a particular interest in Mexico or France. Although the title features the main players the emphasis is not neccessarily just focued on them and gives a much broader and realistic scope. A very readable and enjoyable portrait of a part of Mexico's history of foreign intervention that does not read like a history book but more like a novel, a bittersweet story of foreign intervention, war and triumph.

DISAPPOINTED THAT THE BOOK DID NOT GO BACK TO THE EARLY HOMER LAUGHLIN. LITTLE INFO ABOUT VARIOUS MARKS. NOT COMPLETE ENOUGH FOR THE PRICE.

I recently aquired some Homer Laughlin china and was unable to identify the patterns. This book helped me tremendously! The pictures and descriptions were very useful. Also, there is alot of trivia about the company and some of the designers. I highly recommend this book.

This is a very well organized reference for those collectors of Homer Laughlin who enjoy the "other" HL pottery (other than Fiesta, of course). Jasper has put a great deal of effort into categorizing the various patterns, and includes hundreds of photos. Each pattern has a little history that goes with it, and often the backstamp (mark) will be shown alongside. She includes an extensive history of the pottery, discusses the difficulties in identifying certain patterns, and includes pages from some of the old catalogs. All in all an admirable work and well worth the purchase price.

You should be aware that this "reader" offers extracts from 83 works in only 191 pages (the Amazon description as of 7/24/00 giving the page count as 400 is wrong); most works are represented through passages that are only a page or so in length. If you are expecting an anthology, you will be disappointed. If you are looking for a text that compiles brief passages relevant to the theme of literature and religion from a wide range of sources, this book will serve your needs.

The change in biblical studies, with an increasing tendency to read the Bible as literature and to relate it to other literature, offers a field day to those who are skilled in both and there is plenty of evidence that they are able to exploit it. Anything in that department bearing the name of David Jasper is likely to be worth reading and this book is no exception. Fundamentally it is a resource book for teachers and students by two people with experience of both, but it also has much to offer to offer the general reader, especially those who find difficulty moving from the world of modernism (where life is rational and organised) to the world of post-modernism (which seems to be chaotic and marred by uncertainty). In a world where individual interpretations replace community interpretations and trust often gives way to suspicion, these editors explore religious literature afresh and at the same time uncover new biblical insights, not least in those biblical passages often neglected.

If the potential readership is broad so too is the literature. Eight chapters include extracts on origins (beginning with Genesis and the prologue to John and going on to the Quiché Indians and a creation story from the Iroquois), on sacred texts, biblical motifs and images, and on the great themes of literature and religion.

Writers include Ovid, Augustine, Wordsworth, Shakespeare, Luther, Bunyan, Kierkegaard, Teresa of Avila, Mark Twain, D H Lawrence, Goethe, Milton, Merton, Donne, Blake, Kafka, Eliot, Beckett, Derrida, and Ricoeur, to mention only a few of the more familiar. With such a wealth it is difficult to be selective, but Michèle Roberts, The Wild Girl, described as 'a kind of fifth gospel written by Mary Magdalene', is a good example of breaking into new territory, the bringing together of Job and Kafka a creative way of tackling a theodicy, Elie Wiesel's Night perhaps the most moving, and Flannery O'Connor's Wise Blood the seeds of a sermon on Matthew 7:3.

Once you begin to think this way it is difficult ever again to be content with interpreting biblical literature in isolation from other literature, and indeed from all the other arts and the whole world of culture. It certainly raises awkward and embarrassing questions but that may be a more effective way of uncovering religious truth than the traditional watering places of church, liturgy and sermon. Readers should be prepared to be stretched, occasionally alarmed and sometimes threatened, but much of the struggle is avoided only at our peril.

Robert Detweiler and David Jasper edit Religion And Literature, a reader which offers selections from over seventy sources ranging from ancient classics and Western writings to literary analyses. Study questions at the end of each chapter lend to a fine scholarly presentation.

The target audience is teachers of English who have grown up without the basic Bible knowledge expected of every educated person a couple of generations ago. A secondary market must be biblical scholars and teachers who suffer similar deficiencies when it come to English literature.

Familiar Bible passages and relevant extracts from English literature therefore find themselves side by side without any attempt to relate the one to the other, thus providing a resource of considerable value to both parties. In each case we have a few pages of commentary on the biblical passages with a brief explanation as to why each of the liteary passages was chosen, followed by a selection of literary material without commentary. Literary sources include Milton, Chaucer, Augustine, Kirkegaard, T S Eliot, D H Lawrence, C S Lewis, Gerald Manley Hopkins, Dylan Thomas, Bunyanm, Dryden, Shakespeare, Umberto Eco, Oscar Wilde, Shaw, Wordsworth, James Joyce and Derrida.

Two meanings of the Bible in literature are differentiated: the one which treats the Bible simply as a collection of secular writings and the other which sees a literary understanding of the Bible not as a subsititute for its religious content but as an adjunct to it.

We bought this one this past summer because it was one of the only guides on Kracow then available. I think there may be a DK guide now, which I would definitely purchase before going back.

The book has some strong points. There is lots of detailed information about churches, the food, and Kracow's interesting history (I especially liked learning about the trumpet call from St. Mary's). It is an excellent guide for getting background information.

As a practical guide, however, it wasn't very helpful. Much of the restaurant information was out-of-date. I'm also not sure why they chose to include pencil drawings rather than photographs; we often compared the drawing in the book to the actual site and said, "Are you sure this is the right place?" Lastly, all guide books should be durable. The pages to the Blue Guide were falling out before we left home.

This is a pretty good history of the Hanovers and their two immediate descendants. There are alot of pictures, and fairly short biographies of each of them. The book is very informative and a very quick read. I just wish that these biographers would realize that not all of us speak French, there are never any translations. Latin I can read, but French is beyond me, and I would guess, alot of other people.

While the appeal of the 'oxford' name and the attractive price/page ratio make this book seem like a good deal, I found it extremely difficult to get any useful information out of this book. The authors give their opinions on subjects, before (or in many cases, in place of) giving any coherent summary of it. Just for example, try to figure out who Draco was. If you don't already know, this book is not going to tell you. The writing style is not especially clear, either. If this is one of the best texts available, I can see why nobody learns classical history anymore.

The best aspect of this book on Greek history is its comprehensive treatment of all aspects of Greek life. Literature, politics, religion, etc. are all covered in this book. My favorite sections dealt with how the Greeks socialized through organizations such as the Gymnasion and the Prytany. It really showed how the Greeks were devoted to the polis and how they were required to be very social creatures from cradle to grave. A serious problem of the book is tendencies by some of the authors to write in a style that is not user friendly. Also, a background in Greek history is required to recognize names and places. Without that you will be lost. Don't buy it unless you are really interested in Greek culture.

This is a very good work on classical Europe.

There are many virtues of this complete book, I would like to stress though its most important: its fresh look at ancient world (eg the first chapter by Mr G.Forrest is a good example), and although one might not agree with all points in the book (e.g the hindoeuropen idea at which Mr Griffin is attached is at best weak), but certainly one agrees that the concept of the book is on the right track.

I especially enjoyed the very good chapters in a not well known part of hellenic history, that of the hellenistic times, at which the Macedonian hellenes, made Greece a Universal culture. Buy this book and study it, you can only gain!