I could not put this book down for anything. It was funny how Diana Palmer made her characters act and behave. The twist in plots kept me interested until the end. I loved this book.

I know this sounds cliched, but it is truly the most moving, beautiful, emotional and breathtaking book I have read. I picked the book out simply because I liked the cover, and when I started reading, I couldn't put it down. What I love is the story of the interracial marriage. How two people from two worlds could come together as one. Simply beautiful.

I spent much of this summer in the city of Cuzco, Peru, which is the capital of the depart. that is discussed at length. The book can be dense at times, but the rituals discussed are fascinating. I had the privilege to be tought by Zoila's husband during my trip and she would come to class and discuss the dances that we were going to see at the various festivals we visited. Highly recommended.

I bought this book before going to Peru for a visit. I worried it would be a dull academic treatise but instead found it to be profound but fun and lively. The author clearly knows the subject well and transmits her enthusiasm and knowledge. I particularly enjoyed the sections on gender. If you are intrigued by religion in Latin American, or like world music and dance, you'll enjoy this book. The cd is a treat.

This book has kept me company for many a days when the weather here in Seattle has been less than cooperative. Segur paints a picture of Chicago that is bleak yet strangely attractive to the young struggling artists and workers. Stanley, the main character lives his life in Chicago on a day to day basis that exemplifies what many early 20's adults are like today in a city that is so giant. The constant feeling of being less than something great. A wonderful book for those that have lived in Chicago or still living there, and for those that have gone through their early 20's wandering. It has certainly made me think of moving back...

I read this book in less than a week, which is twice as meaningful given that I am in grad school midterms. It was hard to put down. I read it on the train, walking down the street, and stayed up until 2 am to finish it. The everyday characters generate your interest because they are real people as opposed to the idealized characters that are traditionally presented in magazines, films and TV. In addition, the writing; visual and tactile culinary descriptions are great.

This book is not as useful to me as the Major American Universities Ph.D. Qualifying Questions and Solutions books, however it still provides adequate examples of problems in most of the major disciplines within the field of physics. The book is organized such that the problems are presented in the first ~half of the book, and the rest of the book is dedicated to detailed solutions. I would prefer that problems and solutions be printed together on the same page, however this setup is satisfactory.

This book provides excellent qualifying exam preparation. The book is a book of qual exam problems organized by subject. Solutions are provided at the end. I found it very well organized and very helpful in getting past the qualifying exams.

I first went through the "Review of Undergraduate Physics" by Hamermesh to get myself up to speed, then hit this book. It was great preparation for the real thing. I am now buying both books for my students.

"Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes" is the only title I have seen specifically looking at the process of how one goes about collecting and writing ethnograhpic data. The book begins with theoretical issues, then moves into jotting, full fieldnotes, and finally discusses how to analyze fieldnotes and write a full ethnography. In general it is an excellent treatment of the subject and provides very practical advice which is well-illustrated by samples collected by the authors and their students. The authros show a marked preferrence for interpretive and processual anthropology (there are frequent referrences to Clifford Geertz among others) so researchers and students with strong comittments to other approaches might not find it as useful as I did. If the book suffers from any shortcoming it is that at points the explanations become too wordy bogging the reader down somewhat. While this book would not be of much interest to the non-professional reader, I highly recommend it to anyone who is studying, practicing, or teaching ethnographic method. I found it very useful and practical.

Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes was written to fill a gap in ethnographic methods training - students are seldom guided through the process of turning notes jotted down as they do observation into publishable ethnographic documents. Not laden with academic jargon, the easy flowing text makes this book readily accessible to the undergraduate student - but the content is such that even an experienced ethnographer can benefit.

True teachers, Emerson, Shaw and Fretz (UCLA faculty) show just as much of the process as they tell. Step by step, readers are walked through the process of turning initial chicken scratches jotted down on scrap paper to publishable ethnographic documents. Rarely will you find more than a page between excerpts from real fieldnotes.

The authors recognize that every field situation is different and ethnographers rarely, if ever, find themselves in ideal situations for writing. Thus, they explain the tensions that constantly pull at ethnographers and also what things will become much easier as ethnographers gain experience. They discuss how to balance observing with writing, and demonstrate that how you write fieldnotes (what you emphasize, point-of-view used, quality of description, representing community members' voices) is just as important as what you write.

Redundancy might be a weak point, but overall the re-explaining of things in two or three different ways serves only to make the reader experience and assimilate the process of writing fieldnotes. Readers can then naturally employ the procedures rather than constantly referring to the book as a "checklist" when doing fieldwork.

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone seeking to understand the worldview and customs of another culture, or doing social research within their own culture. Even if your goal is not to do anthropology or to publish ethnographic documents, turning your experiences and observations into written text helps you to process things. Writing also helps you gain insights about the community you are working with by increasing your observational skills. You will not regret taking time to read Writing Ethnographic Fieldnotes.

The most interesting part of this book is introduction and the chapter on the "political and academic debate". The book was originally a typical scholarly paper published in a Peer-reviewed journal. It was ignored until the politically connected Cato Institute invited the author to speak. Then suddenly many jumped in to "refute" it without checking his data.

The Kirkus Review above is typical of this: "In Lott's mind. . . . Lott ignores common sense programs." The conclusion that more legally carried guns leads to less crime, that common sense programs like gun buy-backs don't reduce gun crimes, are driven by the data, not the desires of the author.

Lott's argument is based on hard data. The raw data he has made available to scholars who have asked. (A new scholarly curtesy made practical by computers and mini-discs.) None have refuted his interpretation of the data. Or declared the data inadequate.

But this issue is political and scientific data will continue to be ignored.

This book has definitely brought the anti-self defense lobby into an uproar. It probably won't win any converts among the overtly dogmatic gun control crowd who use lies, deceit, and legal manipulation too further their disarmament agenda. It's a good read to give to the "neutral" non-gun owner who's not quite as passionate about the Second Amendment, yet not decisively "anti-gun."

As the National Review has said, "Lott has done to gun control what Charles Murray did to welfare payments in Losing Ground." This book is a thorough, well-reasoned rebuttal to liberal gun control dogma and it proves that more guns do equal less crime. It's no coincidence that the highest-crime cities have the most gun control and that states like Vermont with "no permit required" concealed-carry enjoy the lowest crime rates. Lott does an excellent job shattering gun control myths... whether its those about gun buybacks, waiting periods, and background checks reducing crime or high-crime being attributable to a "proliferation of weapons." Lott, an economist at the University of Chicago makes a well-reasoned analysis of gun control trends and its consequences, while offering excellent reasoning, verbal logic and statistics based on facts not wild speculation. This is the book too have close at hand when gearing up for a debate with those against the inalienable right to self-defense.

Here are just a few of the academics who have expressed admiration for Lott's pathbreaking book. Few people have both the real world law enforcement experience and extenstive research background to take on this explosive issue of guns and crime. This is what the experts in the field think of Lott's book. (The quotes are from the paperback version of the book.)

"More Guns, Less Crime is one of the most important books of our time." -- Thomas Sowell, Professor, Stanford University

"John Lott has done the most extensive, thorough, and sophisticated study we have on the effects of loosening gun control laws." -- Gary Kleck, Professor, Florida State University

"Lott has done us all a service by his thorough, thoughtful, scholarly approach to a highly controversial issue." -- Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize winning economist, Stanford University

"A model of the meticulous application of economics and statistics to law and policy." John O. McGinnis, Professor, Cardozo Law School

"His empirical analysis sets a standard that will be difficult to match. . . . This has got to be the most extensive empirical study of crime deterrence that has been doen to date." -- Public Choice

"The standard reference on the subject for years to come." Stan Liebowitz, Professor, University of Texas

"This book will - or should - cause those who almost reflexively support the limitation of guns in the name of reducing crime to rethink their position." -- Steve Shavell, Professor, Harvard University Law School

The book has gotten similar positive comments from those working in law enforcement. This is a great book.

After hearing all the "hype" I decided to buy this book and I was quite disappointed. I felt the book was written based on a formula, i.e., A will lead to B which will cause C to happen and will end up with a conclusion of D. It was very predictable and I found myself wanting to change the entire "story line" of the book. I did find "Just As I Am" to be of more interest, however I read it AFTER "And This Too..." which made me even more disappointed with it. I tried to read "Invisible Life" AFTER "Just As I Am" but was angry because Mr. Harris killed off my favorite character, "Kyle" so I just couldn't get into it, knowing what was going to happen to him. While I would not give it a "10" I felt "Just As I Am" was a better book. I have not been inclined to read Mr. Harris's current book, "If This World Were Mine" after browsing through it in the bookstore. I feel it is more or less for the 21 and under age group and not my age group, 40 and over.

BEING THAT U HAVE 2 READ ALL OF E LYNN BOOKS IN ORDER U HAVE NO CHOICE BUT 2 READ THIS 1 IF UR GOING 2 CONTINUE WITH OTHERS OR UR GOING 2 B LOST. THIS WAS THE WORST 1 THOU NOT A BAD BOOK IT WAS NOT THE TYPICAL EXCITING PAGE TURNING BOOK. I GUESS E LYNN HIMSELF NEEDED A BREAK :-)

If you've been hardened as dried molten lava by your homophobia and prejudice over the people belonging to the gay community, then this book might just be suited for you.
E. Lynn Harris has perfectly crafted the intricate waft of society's realities. It very well captures the emotions and the voice of the minority by carefully using the plight of four black characters who tried to make it big in the fast-paced setting of Chicago.
Simple yet deep. Sorrowful yet true. Alarming yet very much enriching. "And This Too Shall Pass" is a very impressive and insightful work that challenges the harsh reality, which has been brewing around us, by testing our morality.
A book that shall sit for a time on my nightstand.

The Jungle is a very well written book, particularly for an author who was only 28 years old when he wrote it. The story features an early twentieth century family who has just immigrated to Chicago from Lithuania, and their struggles to survive in America. This is not an inspirational story about the American Dream. Quite the contrary, it is a story about how the American Dream was a nightmare for many poor and uneducated immigrants. The Jungle chronicles the travails of Jurvis and his family, as they struggle to learn how to survive. It is depressing to read about the disasters which befell this family, and how their ignorance was taken advantage of on so many levels. One would hope that this no longer happens to immigrants, but of course, it does, just in different ways. Jurvis and his family work in the meat processing district of Chicago, and the book details the working conditions of the meatpacking plants. Those details led to investigation and greater regulation of the meatpacking industry, as well as modern child labor laws. In the last several chapters, we witness a transformation of Jurvis, as he learns his entire family has either died or is selling themselves into prostitution. Jurvis stumbles upon socialism, and quickly becomes a supporter of the movement to bring power to the working class people, and end the wage-slavery taking place in the meatpacking plants. Jurvis' transformation into a socialist is a classic pro-socialism story, and it was particularly interesting to read that part. This pre-communist account reminds us that socialism is really simply a political theory, which was never really properly introduced in supposedly socialist countries. I did find the last few chapters dealing with socialism to be hastily written, and not nearly as engaging as the first part of the book. The Jungle is a classic, and for so many reasons, it should be required reading in college, if not high school (but sadly, it is not).

Upton Sinclair's the Jungle is a distressing and touching story of the immigrant life in America during the early years of this century. Jurgis, Ona, and their families came to America from Lithuania to live a better life. After some time, reality set it. Their faith in America remained though. America was not what they had expected, especially once Ona and Jurgis were married. There was a constant pressure to work, but no matter where they turned they were poverty-stricken. Jurgis insisted Ona not work, but their financial situation demanded her to. This historically accurate book displays and reveals the horrific factory work and the workers suffering. Jurgis job descriptions were unbelievable. He was asked to stay after one day from work to butcher pregnant cows and cows that had gone down or ones that were sick and had boils all over them. Their meat was then mixed with all the uncontaminated meat. Jurgis then realized how the packers operated. They sold this spoiled, contaminated, or adulterated meat without thinking twice. The workers were exposed to horrible diseases, had to work harsh working condition, were not paid for days off. The employers did not care because if they quit or would not do the work, there were plenty of people who would do the work and needed a job. Throughout the novel, it seems no matter where the family turns they cannot get ahead. After Antanas, wife Ona, and his two sons die, and Jurgis is forced to give up the house, he enters crime with a friend he met in jail. Jurgis found out quickly just how corrupt Chicago and city government was.

I decided to finally read this classic after reading Schlosser's work this year, Fast Food Nation. He mentioned the terrible conditions of the meat-packing plants today and I wanted to get an idea of what they began with back in Sinclair's time. I found this book to move very quickly as the story of Jurgis Rudkus and his demise is extensively fascinating.

We begin with Jurgis and his family leaving Lithuania to come to the 'free' land of America for more opportunities. What they find is a situation where they pay their life savings for a home which they don't really own, a situation in which jobs are scarce and the available ones are very dangerous, and a plethora of new diseases and ailments which take away members of the family bit by bit.

I enjoy the intense irony of this story because they came for freedom and found they themselves locked in poverty because of the capitalist society. The usurping heads of the meat industry end up controlling much more than their wages and their work hours. ...

Overall I felt that this was a good book. However, I not did feel the need to stay up all night turning the pages. I was easily able to put it down. I felt that the story moved at too slow a pace.

I wished that there had been more development to the Sandy character and I would have liked to have known more about Dashay's mother. It was hard for me to beleive that a mother could leave her baby like that. I know it happens, but it's hard to beleive. More development as to why that happened would have made me happy.

I cried at the end when Isaac proposed to Bebe. I was very happy that things had worked out for them.

I did believe in the characters. Ms. Joe was able to make me feel like these characters were people that I knew. Ms. Joe had the ability to make the characters real. I feel that that is the most important thing an author can do. As I said, I felt that overall the book was a good read. I look forward to reading future projects by Ms. Joe.

Yolanda Joe's BeBe's By Golly Wow is a truly remarkable book. As I read the book, I felt as though BeBe, Isaac, Dash, and Uncle Lucius were right in my living room. The chemistry between BeBe and Dash was outstanding. Can't wait until there is a sequel. I highly recommend this book for all romance readers.

When I finished reading He Say, She Say, I just had to find Bebe's By Golly Wow. And I am so glad I did find and read it. Bebe is truly a trip! I like her a lot. Sometimes I wish that I had the wit and "in your face" attitude that she has. I would definitely recommend this book to all of my friends and family. Actually, I already have. I'm waiting for the next one to come out. Hopefully it will be soon!