I had to read the whole book in one setting. I just couldn't put it down. It has everything. Love, danger, excitment, and mystery. And I would love to be in her shoes!!:)

As an Anthropology student at the Australian National University, Taylor spent two years in South Vietnam (92-94), then returned to this country in 95, 98, and 99. Faced with a unique southern identity, he decided to define the "idea of the South".

North and South Vietnam despite decades of postwar communist control are two completely different countries from the political, social, economical, and even musical aspects. In the first decade after the 1975 fall of Saigon, the communists controlled everything down to the toothpaste the Vietnamese used. Faced with poverty and income loss, southerners began to peddle their cherished belongings to the black market in order to survive. While goods in state stores were scarce, everything was available on the black market. Goods and money sent home from overseas Vietnamese swelled this illicit economy. As a result, the southern economy rebounded. A southern reformist, Nguyen Van Linh spearheaded the doi moi (renovation) policy officially moving the country to free market economy. The "modern" South thus replaced the "backward" North.

This unique southern free enterprise spirit did not sit well with Hanoi, which did everything to undermine it and ironically to profit from it at the same time. "Corruption, abuses of power, and administrative incompetence" became the hallmarks of communist Vietnam. However, the free southern spirit traced back to the pionering spirit of the South Vietnamese who settled in the Mekong delta some four centuries ago, lives on. If Saigon lost the war in 1975, it won the peace a decade later. Despite acknowledging past "errors", the communists still refused to release their grip on power.

The author is to be congratulated for his most interesting study and his keen observations of the South Vietnamese mind.

This volume is a reader's delight, for it presents not one but two of Francis Parkman's classic works: The Oregon Trail and The Conspiracy of Pontiac. Rightly hailed as America's greatest historian, in The Oregon Trail Francis Parkman relates a journey to the 1840's American West - undertaken for the express purpose of living among "real" American Indian tribes of the Great Plains before their way of life passed forever. By this experience Parkman hoped to better understand and relate what eastern tribes had so tragically fought for and lost in the preceding century's struggle for the continent. The Oregon Trail is a great book in its own right, and has been reviewed by this reader previously (see more in "About Me/ Other Reviews"), but the primary focus of this review is Parkman's study of a crucial chapter in the development of North America as we know it today: the disastrous consequences France's defeat in Canada would bring to the remaining eastern tribes. For this event would inexorably lead to the explosion of the English colonies across lands heretofore held by them under French "dominion".

While the Iroquois Nations had long maintained an uneasy alliance with the English as they pushed their way into the western reaches of New York, Pennsylvania and Virginia, those further west knew what the defeat of the French would bring: utter destruction. The Ottawa, Ojibwa, Pottawattami, Delaware, Shawnee, Illinois, Sauk and Foxes had long fought the intrusion of the arrogant and land-grabbing English from Quebec to the Mississippi. Pontiac himself had fought beside the Marquis de Montcalm as he tried in vain to save New France from ruin during the French & Indian War. But at last, in the mid-1700s France finally capitulated to her English rivals, her hold on the North American continent broken forever. The only task left to the conquerors was to make their way across the Great Lakes, into the valleys of the Ohio, and down the Mississippi into the Illinois country to make their claim upon the former French forts and trading houses. For a brief time a singular leader and a dozen nations blocked their way: Pontiac and his assembled allies.

Parkman sets the stage by briefly relating the history of France and England in America from the early 1600s-1760s, then meticulously details the source of the tribes' many grievances - grievances which would directly lead to Pontiac's bold attempt to decisively halt the English advance.

Though doomed to ultimate defeat against the onslaught of English guns and armies, traders and pioneers, for a short time Pontiac's initiative was remarkably successful. He brought war to nearly all of western America at the same time - from the siege at Detroit to the forests outside the gates of Niagara, from upper Michigan and Wisconsin to the Ohio valley, into western Pennsylvania, Virginia and New York, down the many rivers and tributaries leading into the Mississipi. A dozen forts fell before him and hundreds of miles of frontier settlements emptied in terror.

Parkman's work is perhaps the best chronicle of many of these tribes' last desperate fight for their lives and land. Those interested in the history of the struggles destined to come shortly to the tribes west of the Mississippi will derive much insight from Parkman's treatment of Pontiac's war. For his "conspiracy" was the original "last great battle" for the "American West" - 100 years before the battle for the further western Plains would come to an ignominious close. To understand Pontiac's war, the motives of both his people and the English and French, as well as the burgeoning force who would soon thereafter cast off their identity as "colonists" is to understand much of what would follow as American history.

This book is illustrated with LOTS of beautiful photographs of two spotted rabbits named Freckles and Dotty. It begins with their mother building a nest, and soon we see the first picture of the two rabbits as new-borns. As the babies grow, the illustrations follow, and we see them at eight days, thirteen days, three weeks (getting very cute), five and six weeks, and three thru seven months, when the bunnies have grow to adults and Freckles has her first litter of baby rabbits. The text is simple, and gives lots of information on rabbits, while telling the story of these rabbits in particular. This is a very enjoyable book.

Frederick Douglas was one of the most important African American leaders of the 19th Century. He was a man who spoke and wrote with an unsurpassed eloquent on the issues confronting the American people during his life. His commentaries ranged from the abolition of slavery to women's rights, From the Civil War to racial lynchings, from American patriotism to black nationalism. Frederick Douglas: Selected Speeches and Writings was originally edited by Philip S. Foner and has been abridged and adapted in this superb "The Library of Black America" edition by Yuval Taylor. Frederick Douglas: Selected Speeches And Writings will form a core title in any personal, academic, or public library Black Studies collection.

Two voices share compassion and humor in relating their concerns for the education of young women. The prime mover of the English Revolution advises his daughter on how to deal with her husband when he comes home drunk, with his friends, and needed reserve in expressing her emotions in church; Phoebe Taylor describes her own uncertainties in the depression of 1910 and on raising daughters 3 centuries later. Her mentor is a college professor of psychology, as wise as the Marquis. Great period reading with delightful illustrations.

The see how they grow series is yet another quality series put out by Dorling Kindersley (aka DK). Purchase them all if you can! Inspite of what the Horn Book review says, I found the presentation to be attractive and appropriate for younger children. The last two pages are a pictorial summary of how the frog grew from egg to tadpole to one year-old frog.

I read this wonderful book in February '97. Barbara talks about the effects rejections from her family members had in her life and the bad fruits of self rejection, fear, anger, bitterness... that grew up from the roots of rejection in her life (listed on page 93). To that list I added drunkeness, rebellion, shame, suicide, great sadness, deep pain, pornography and self hatred. Barbara talked about how God specially selected our parents and brothers and sisters, and that those who are closest to us that we love the most, also hurt us the deepest. Forgiveness, undeserved, is an absolute necessity to break the chains that hold us. I cried my heart out for several days as I chose to forgive those people in my life that hurt me so deeply. I went a step further and thanked God for the events and circumstances that took place. It is amazing because the drunkeness, pornography, self hate, suicide thoughts, all fell away. Thank you Barbara for revealing many of your heart secrets, your heart touched my heart and life time that lies ahead.

I have only taken up reading history recently and it is truly pleasing to find a book of this nature to read. The subjects are handled well and without ambiguoity. As for the comments by Mr.Taylor, one has to say that he is rather opinionated but yet engaging and lively without the stuffy old historians perspective.

Overall, highly recommended.

A friend of mine attended one of Deborah's Frozen Assets workshops at a homeschooling convention and told me it was really helpful to hear Deborah talk through the process in person. I decided to buy a copy of the audio workshop and I found out that my friend was right. The Frozen Assets book is great and I love the down-home family recipes (won't cook without it anymore), but listening to the author share tips that aren't even mentioned in the book and sharing her own personal stories and insights really helped me grasp the concepts and gave me the courage to venture out on this whole monthly cooking idea for myself. I've saved a ton of money and time in the process. I think it's definitely well-worth adding this tape to a collection of once-a-month cooking resources.