i couldn't put this book down. palden gyatso's story of human suffering and strength affected me like so few stories have. someday i hope to be in the audience when this courageous men speaks. i feel as if i know him after reading this book. i recently visited a beastie boys site (perhaps a milarepa fund site) and found a statement by palden gyatso there. it gave me great happiness to know that he is educating the public on the plight of the tibetans.also, i recently read in the new york times of the communist movement to enforce the practice of athiesm amongst the tibetan people (a privelage once reserved for the members of the communist party alone) in hopes that the tibetans will completely abandon their beliefs in the "old ways". it is such a relief to know that by telling their stories, people like palden gyatso are fighting to keep the level of awareness of the suffering of the tibetans high and that their people will never forget their "old ways" and will someday enjoy the freedom they once had.

I read this book shortly before travelling to Tibet and was profoundly moved by Palden Gyatso's incredible story of suffering and faith. Once in Tibet, I found his story to be of immeasurable help in my understanding of the Tibetans' ongoing struggle to retain their heritage and to not be swallowed up by a cruel and destructive regime.

I've read a few books about the sufferings of Tibetans by now, but still, this book managed to affect me and make me stop and think. Again and again. First of all, how has nothing changed since this book confirmed that China is continuing to do all it can to wipe out the culture, religion and spirit of Tibet? I know I have responsibility to speak up about this (and I will) but I still can't believe that higher powers up there did not stop China by now.

Anyway, back to the book- Palden Gyatso is the image of courage, compassion and inner strength. I read passages of how he was tortured and bullied and then would flip to the inner photo of this tiny, frail man-astonishing! I see now that the determined and strong look on his face at the UK Independence rally co-exists with the gentle, loving portrait on the cover and it's a wonderful combination. This book reminded me that it takes deep courage to stand up for who you are and what you believe in but there is no greater purpose for each of us than to aim for that goal with all that we have.

Read this book to better understand why Tibet needs our support but also to re-instill your own will to be a decent,kind and courageous human being.

This book is priceless. It is written by an 8 year old girl, Ying Ying Fry, who is adopted from China. It is her story of going back to her orphanage in ChangSha, China to see and talk to kids in the orphange and learn about their life. My daughter is also adopted from ChangSha so this story held even more meaning. The words are Ying Ying's and they are powerful in her observations. The pictures of the children and of life in general in China also fill in gaps of what her life may have been like. This is a perfect gift for your child from China. We will treasure it for its glimpse it gave us of life in China. Thank you Ying Ying!

I've already read "Kids" with my daughter nearly a dozen times and we'll no doubt read (and talk about it) it again and again and again. It's touching, enlightening, and really fun to see China through Ying Ying's eyes. It's also wonderful that the book is not just her story, but clearly one that could belong to any kid from China. Having read only parents' accounts so far, I'm also really, really pleased to get the perspectives of a child, For me, it's all about the kids, and it's clear that they can be every bit as eloquent in telling their own stories in their own words. This book should dispel all doubts that kids are capable of making sense of their complex stories. "Kids" doesn't gloss over the hard stuff, but has it all just right in just the right amount of detail. I love it for the hard stuff and I love it for the fun stuff. We get the fun stuff through Ying Ying's ability to converse in Mandarin, which simply gives her (and us) access to the ordinary in China: other kids' lives, schools, and homes. My daughter is just drinking this in and I can't get enough of it. Great story, great pictures, great book!

Kids Like Me In China is absolutely fabulous, beautifully presented, very basic story of one child's visit to her land of birth and the orphanage where she was cared for as an infant, complete with photos that will touch the hearts of all who have travelled to China to make their family complete. It is all at once enchanting, realistic, touching, and upbeat. Personally, I got the added delight of discovering that author Ying Ying Fry is from the same part of China as my own daughter!! I recommend this book to every parent who is contemplating talking to their child about origins and adoption. It will serve as a valuable keepsake and aide in assisting our children to learn/understand/appreciate their very special story!! Congratulations to Ying Ying, who has a wonderful future in whatever she chooses to do!!

This was an AWSOME book. It had the mixture of things I like in a book. Romance, Supernatural, Mystery, and just a bit of tragety, you can't have a good book without just a little tragety, right?
This book is about a college student named Clare, who goes with her mother to a town called Ravensmere, which she knows nothing about. Then, she finds out her mother, who she thought was from London was born there. She spends her time finding out just how much more of a mystery this secluded town is to her. There is a secret that no one will tell her. Not even her mother.
Then, she meets this guy, named Mark, who in my opinion, would be totally hot, if he were actually real. Anyways, she meets him and finds that she is falling in love with Mark. In short, this book is really awsome! It's one of those books you can read over and over and always find out something new. I've read it about 3 times myself. BUY IT!

I have to admit, the beginning is a bit boring, but when you get to the middle of the book and the story begins to unfold, this book will amaze you.

Liz Berry, the author, did a wonderful job writing "The China Garden." It had all the elements to make a story great. It had adventure, romance, and mystery. I especially loved reading about Clare and Mark's relationship. It makes you want to have a guy like Mark yourself. The funny things they did made me smile all day thinking about it. "The China Garden" also had a lot of twists that had me surprised.

I would recomend this book, but not to anyone under the age of 13. Some parts are unsuitable for younger kids.

Well, to sum it all up, buy this book! If your a person who doesn't like to read, this book will change your mind. It had me staying up on a school night to try to finish.

The China Garden casts a spell on anyone who picks it up to read and will not let go until you are finished. Once you get few the first few chapters, it is almost impossible to put down. Liz Berry magically unfolds Clare's story in the most amazing way. I was so shocked every time another piece of this mysterious puzzle would fall into place. This story has the perfect mix of romance, mystery, fantasy, history, and reality that anyone, no matter what genre they usually read, will adore this book. I usually don't like mystery or fantasy, but this book had just the right mix of everything that I loved it! This book is similar to the Harry Potter books in the way that it incorporates fantasy into real life. The China Garden has a more realistic swing to it instead of Harry Potter which is more fantasy based. Clare and Mark's love is so amazing that every girl would long to have Mark for her own. And this true love story is not too mushy to turn you away, but just enough to pull you in and not let you go. Her quest to uncover her family history, sends Clare on a journey that sends her to talk to the earl himself. As more and more pieces fall into place, I kept rereading the earlier chapters to realize the full effect of Berry's foreshadowing. Over all, this book is the most amazing book that I have ever read.

I have read the autobiography, I Am Jackie Chan.This book is some three-hundred pages long but good from page one.I liked this book because it was very well written by the person who actually lived it.This book takes you all through the life of a small poor Chinese boy who worked his way up and went on to become a well known movie star.It all started with his living in the emporer's castle, his dad being the cook and his mom the maid.On ascale from one to ten I give it a ten because it kept me interested the whole time and I never wanted to put it down.Jackie Chan had many experiences in his life that we will never have. He attended the school of the Peking Opera in his days as a child.Also a student at the opera was NBC's hit show Martial Law's star, Samo Hung.Jackie started out as a stuntman, constantly searching for work. He became known for his stunts and began getting bigger and bigger pieces of movies,and in more famous movies themselves.If you look carefully you can find Jackie Chan in Bruce Lee's famous movie, Enter the Dragon.(My personal favorite)To sum this all up I'm just going to say that this book is great and beyond a shdow of a doubt well worth reading.

This book looks great from the cover to the end and especially his fans will adore it.I haven't read more than ten pages and it already captivated me.Jackie Chan is a wonderful man and actor and a whole lot more and his past was not easy at all,most great men in history are like that.Let's hope he will be a little more careful in the future with his life,we'd rather risk hiself less and live longer.Jackie Chan we love you and support you.This is a must book in real words.

I wish I could give this book ten stars.

I'm not even a big Jackie Chan fan. I've seen a few of his new movies and enjoy them. I've been into reading biographies and since my husband is a big fan of Jackie Chan, I thought I'd give it a try. Well, it is one of the best books I've read.

My favorite aspect of the book is Jackie's relationship with Samo Hung. In the beginning, they have a bully/victim relationship. Then slowly, they gain mutual respect for each other...which eventually leads to friendship and a great working relationship. I think it's very inspiring because it shows how the people we "hate" today might be our best friends one day.

I was really surprised how their relationship turned out. I didn't expect them to become friends, I thought Jackie Chan was just venting about this annoying guy from his childhood and that the character would be dropped as soon as he left the opera school. Then when it seemed like the bully was actually staying in the book and getting a career of his own, I asked my husband if he had ever head of him. My husband said "Yeah, that's the guy from Martial Law." I was shocked!

There's a lot of very interesting material in this book. I found descriptions of the human condition and basic tenets of Buddhism to be intelligently written, and to be inspiring at times. However, I'd like to issue a warning to skeptical people like me who have little interest in unproven or unprovable opinions and expressions of "faith" in their Buddhism. This book spends a lot of time on Tibetan ritual. It cites numerous examples of things the author has seen that seem to prove reincarnation, the possibility and power of enlightenment, karma, near death experiences, etc. When enlightened monks die, did you know that their bodies often don't rot? Or that their bodies disappear into thin air, or that rainbows appear thousands of miles away? That dead monks bodies stay warm for weeks? These things may or may not be true, but I'm just skeptical enough to not want to take the author's word for them. If you tackle this book, brace yourself to read about a lot of belief topics, and then prepare to be accused of being too cynical and capitive of your own ego for doubting it. I would categorize this book as religious Buddhism, as opposed to philosophical Buddhism. An aside: the author's reverence and love for his teachers and his faith is truly touching. His knowledge is great, his love is great, but I'm not sure that makes him the best possible reporter for those who are seeking truth instead of opinion.

This book should be read by or to everyone at some point in their lives. It not is not just for the buddhist. As His Holiness, the Dalia Lama explains, no matter what religion you practice the goal is the same: happiness. This book can be an inspiration at all times in life. Once you have read it through once, it is organized in such a way, so one can go back and read certain sections to help along the way. Sogyal Rinpoche captures the essence of his purpose of creating the book when he writes: "to learn how to die, is to learn how to live." That simple statement is a social commentary on the development of modern society and the direction it is heading in. The ageing and dying are quickly isolated and doctors are rarely educated in emotional or spiritual care. Sogyal Rinpoche's proposes a new attidute to those who are in a stage that we all will reach at some point. His beautiful writing style and comforting compassion radiates from the pages themselves. I do not associate myself with any one religion, but consider myself a wanderer following my own road in search for answers, for all those who feel the same, this book can illuminate some of the darkness that surrounds us all who have not yet awakened.

This book gives you a spirutal, personal and intimate understanding of death and dying. More than that, it compels you to stop and take a deep and serious look at your own life and your own death. The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying helps to alievate your own fear of dying and helps you take the responsibility to prepare for your death. At the same time, it gently helps you prepare yourself for the death and dying of a loved one. The teachings and personal experiences of Sogyal are simple to understand and intrepret and incorporate into your personal life. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for every introspective person as well as for those facing the death of a loved one.

Sometimes you don't choose a book to buy off the shelf - it chooses you...and Thy's autobiography somehow made it's way into my hands.

In a beautiful story about courage and loyalty to family even when staring death in the face, it is impossible not to become attatched to characters such as Pa, Mak and Chea. Although I cannot deny that parts of the story are left unfinished, such as Ra's first marriage and subsequently her second marriage to bang Ventha, which left me wondering what eventuated, it does not detract from the overall effect of the book.

It is heartwrenching to read of the hunger, death and inhumane conditions Thy and her family endured at the hands of the Khmer Rouge. As cliched as it sounds, it truly does make one realise how blessed we are to be living in a country where atrocities such as what Thy suffered no longer occur...

"When Broken Glass Floats" is one of those rare books that remains etched in your memory long after the last page closes...

In general I think that Amazon customers rate books too highly, but I cannot say enough good things about this book. The author has an excellent, readable writing style. Combined with the amazing story of her family's experiences in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge, this book is nearly impossible to put down. I finished it in two days and when I was not reading it, I was thinking about it. I only wish that the author would have told us a bit more about her life in the U.S. and what became of her other family members. However, I cannot imagine that anyone would dislike this book.

When she hears the news of the death of yet another family member, young Chanrithy writes, "Death is a constant, and we've become numb to the shock of it. People die here and there, all around us, falling like flies that have been sprayed with poison." Such was life under the Khmer Rouge. Chanrithy Him was only four years old when war came to Cambodia, first in the form of troops fleeing from neighboring Vietnam, and then the more deadly Khmer Rouge. Educated professionals were summarily executed, entire cities were evacuated under threat of death, and children such as Chanrithy were forced to work in inhumane conditions. An entire culture was virtually destroyed, but Him still manages to maintain an amazing degree of innocence and positivity. This is a powerful book about a tragic period in world history.

Bridge of Birds begins as a simple tale of a young man known as Number Ten Ox who solicits the help of the aged Master Li to save the children of his village from a deadly poison. Together they journey across China in search of a legendary ginseng root, meanwhile becoming entangled in a grander quest involving the gods themselves.

This fabled China of Barry Hughart's imagination is a wonderful setting for a story filled with adventure and wonder. Throughout, Number Ten Ox plays the Watson to Master Li's Sherlock Holmes, but the mystery they tackle involves a murderous tyrant, forlorn ghosts, a ruined city, a deadly labyrinth, and an ancient legend.

At times a lighthearted fairy tale (with a humorously drawn cast of supporting characters) and at other times a bit bloody, Bridge of Birds is in all ways a beautiful story and well worth reading.

This book shows that length is of no accord when it comes to fantasy. Its single volume of eloquence, humour, wit, drama and pure imagination puts the multi-volume monoliths of Eddings and Tolkien to shame. To date, this is still the best fantasy book that I have ever read. Hughart manages to enthral his readers with a magical and fascinating world of musical trinkets, mystical caverns and outrageuosly funny characters. He manages to blend Eastern and Western folklore in a way that is at once recognisable yet seamless. In reading it, one cannot help but sense that Hughart had a whale of a time writing it. Absolutely unfetterred imagination. I read this book six years ago and it's still fresh in my mind. "Jade plate, six eight, fire that burns hot, night that is not." It warms my heart that so many other readers share in the joy of reading this volume. Give yourself a trip of a life-time, READ IT

"Bridge of Birds" is the most effective, most moving fantasy novel I have read since John Crowley's "Engine Summer." Set in (to use the publisher's blurb) "an ancient China that never was," this is at least on the surface the tale of Number Ten Ox, a young man from a rural village who sets out with Master Li, a scholar and sage with "a slight flaw in his character," on a quest for the "great root of power," the only medicine of sufficient potency to cure the village children of a case of ku poisoning. As the story unfolds and these two characters experience adventures enough to fill many novels (one can imagine Tor or some other publisher spinning out these yarns by the tens a la Conan if they got a hold of the publishing rights), their quest begins to intertwine with another one, relating to an ancient wrong done to a goddess.

More details would be superfluous, for there is simply no substitute for reading this book. The culture and characters described here are fully realized (writers of doorstop-sized fantasy novels, such as Robert Jordan, could take object lessons from Hughart in how to tell a large story succinctly), and the overall atmosphere that this novel achieves is that of the finest kind of fable, although I would not necessarily recommend it for young children. Hughart spices his narrative throughout with a liberal dose of humor; I found myself laughing aloud many times as I read along. If there is a flaw to be found here, I failed to see it. This is as good as fantasy gets--one of the few novels that merits the adjective "magical."

Randy Alcorn has written his BEST novel ever!!! I have read all of his novels and "Safely Home" has climbed to the top of my list and is neck to neck with "Deadline" also by Alcorn and in my top ten list of best Christian Fiction books. I too was initially skeptical by the title of the book "Safely Home" and also was distracted by the Chinese Characters written on the cover of the book. PLEASE DO NOT let that stop you from reading this LIFE CHANGING novel!!!!

The story centers around two old college friends who were once roomates and bestfriends. Ben is an American living in the US and is now a promonient, wealthy business man and a divorced father of two. Li-Chen is Chinese, who after studying in the US, moved back to China and has been living there as a locksmith's assistant with his wife & son in a one-room cottage. The two men are reunited during Ben's business trip to China. Ben, who originally introduced Li-Chen to the Lord, has grown cold in his faith and his life focus has shifted to wealth and material things. Li-Chen has grown tremendously as a Christian in China where Christianity is illegal and punishable by the law. When the two friends reunite after many years, the Lord works miraculously in both men's lives and they are changed by their experiences and the work of the Lord in their lives forever.

This book will make you angry and will also bring you to tears...but most importantly- this book will really make you examine your own personal relationship with God and what true "SERVICE TO THE LORD" is really about.

If we are not living each day in light of Christ's return, we need to step back and re-examine our lives. The characters in Alcorn's novel will stay imprinted in your heart and mind forever. This is truly a deep and life-changing novel! Run, don't walk and get a copy of this book and read it! When you finish, pass it on to someone else who is not saved or who needs a "kickstart" in their walk with God. Hopefully, this book will encourage all of us to live our lives in light of eternity, with the goal of making it "Safely Home."

An insightful look into Christian persecution in China (and in the US, if you can call it persecution). The book presents a look into the life of the Chinese house church Christians and wraps it in a fictional, but very believable, story. As an Asian-American, I appreciated how well Randy Alcorn immersed the reader into the Chinese culture. The use of pinyin for key phrases throughout the book really made me believe I was there listening to them speak (though I believe "Zhen jin bu ba huo lian" should be "Zhen jin bu PA huo lian"). There's a lot of interesting information throughout the book about Chinese history and culture, language appreciation, persecution, and governmental corruption. It also takes on addressing several issues such as human rights, civil disobedience, God allowing suffering, and what is heaven like. While reading the book, it was apparent a lot of research and prayer went into it.

The book has personally challenged me to live a life of picking up the cross daily and to pray for those around me and the persecuted Christians throughout the world.

If you want to learn more about China and be challenged in your Christian walk, I'd highly recommend Safely Home.

Warning, do not read this book if you do not want to be challenged by God. It is a life changing book that will make you
think twice about your personal faith. This book has given me an insight of the persecuted Chinese christians and has given me a heart for them. Alcorn's bring the characters of Li Quan and Ben Fielding to life. Li Quan reminds me of the apostle Paul. Now, when I read Paul's letters to the churches in the bible they take a new meaning. You will find yourself crying with their trails. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a revival in your personal walk. Believe me, you will never take God's word for granted after reading this book.

This book is not as entertaining as the earlier volume. But it does cover a lot of history, and certainly is one way to get kids today learning some history. The reading list in the back of the book is excellent.

I didn't think that the first history of the universe could be beat, but he did it. By keeping the view worldwide, and multicultural, he makes the learning experience maximal. However, I did find the injection of personal views on things somewhat annoying, although that only happens 2 or three times in the entire book, and perhaps I am a little bit sensitive to such issues in a book like this. Excellent! I would say that even if you took the history of civilizations about 60% or more of this would be new to you, and is presented in a fascinating format. Can't wait for the next one...

Larry Gonick's Cartoon History of the Universe, all 13 volumes of it so far, encapsulates all the best juicy details of history and presents it in a way that you can't help but want to read it. I've read both books over and over again, and not only am I constantly finding new details and being entertained, I'm learning more than I ever did in my public high school history classes. Hilarious, witty, and informative. You will not regret buying this book, unless you regularly regale in the bliss of Jenny Jones twice a day, right after Judge Judy.

I have been a huge Tintin fan ever since I received my first Tintin book ('The Red Sea Sharks') in 1974, while on a trip to Kashmir. I have read all of Tintin's adventures as a child, but I have never truly appreciated Herge's artistic style. Now as an adult, I am amazed by the sheer detail and complex characterization of all the Tintin books. Tintin books are truly classic graphic novels which are as interesting to read in 2000 as they were in 1974! I am 32, and I still pick up the ocassional Tintin graphic novel to read whenever the mood strikes me. As an adult, 'Tintin in Tibet' is my favorite book of the entire Tintin series. I am also really glad that the adventures of Tintin are now shown on cable television. If you only had to buy one Tintin book in the entire series (I hope you buy them all), then 'Tintin in Tibet' is the one to have. This book combines great art with amazing characters set in a truly exotic country -- Tibet!

Tintin and Snowy were created in 1929 by Georges Remi (a.k.a. Herge). In 1934 Herge met a young Chinese student, Chang Chong-Chen, at which point Tinti''s creator became convinced of the importance of having a soundly built storyline and getting the facts straight. In short, Herge started taking his soundtrack very seriously. After the Communists took over China, Herge and Chang lost touch. In 1960 the English version of "Tintin in Tibet" was published and it was immediately clear that this was a very personal story for Herge, who was writing about his friendship with a friend he had not seen in decades.

Tintin has a dream about Chang, the boy he made friends with in China in "The Blue Lotus." Chang is lying in the snow, half buried, holding out his hands and calling to Tintin to help him. When Tintin gets a letter from Change he is surprised at the remarkable coincidence, but then he reads in the newspaper that Chang's plane has crashed in Tibet. Tintin, convinced his friend is not dead, goes off to save his friend.

There are none of the traditional villains in this rather special Tintin story in which our hero is aided only by Snowy and Captain Haddock (with a brief appearance by Calculus). This is arguably the most poignant Tintin adventure, focusing on the power of loyalty and hope overcoming all obstacles and Herge places a lot of obstacles in Tintin's way. I think what I like most about this story is about how Herge keeps what are essentially a series of cliffhangers going and going but in a realistic manner, while still working in the series trademark humor with Snowy and the Captain. "Tintin in Tibet" is an atypical Tintin adventure, but that just makes it all the more special.

By the way, in 1981 Herge and Chang Chong-Chen were happily reunited.

More recently in the news, "Tintin in Tibet" was recently in the news when it was announced that the Chinese translation had the story as "Dingding in Chinese Tibet." Given that Fanny Rodwell, the widow of Tintin's Belgian creator Herg, is reported to be a personal friend of the Dalai Lama it is not surprising that she decided not to attend the promotional ceremonies in China for the launching of the Chinese language version of Tintin (the Chinese are not publishing "Tintin in the Land of the Soviets" (anti-communist) and "Tintin in the Congo" (too racist and imperialist).

Tintin and Snowy were created in 1929 by Georges Remi (a.k.a. Hergé). In 1934 Hergé met a young Chinese student, Chang Chong-Chen, at which point Tintin's creator became convinced of the importance of having a soundly built storyline and getting the facts straight. In short, Hergé started taking his soundtrack very seriously. After the Communists took over China, Hergé and Chang lost touch. In 1960 the English version of "Tintin in Tibet" was published and it was immediately clear that this was a very personal story for Hergé, who was writing about his friendship with a friend he had not seen in decades.

Tintin has a dream about Chang, the boy he made friends with in China back in the adventure of "The Blue Lotus." In the dream Tintin sees Chang lying in the snow, half buried, holding out his hands and calling to Tintin to help him. When Tintin gets a letter from Chang he is surprised at the remarkable coincidence, but then he reads in the newspaper that Chang's plane has crashed in Tibet. Tintin, convinced his friend is not dead, goes off to the land of the ice and snow to save his friend.

There are none of the traditional villains in this rather special Tintin story in which our hero is aided only by Snowy and Captain Haddock (with a brief appearance by Calculus). This is arguably the most poignant Tintin adventure, focusing on the power of loyalty and hope overcoming all obstacles and Hergé places a lot of obstacles in Tintin's way. I think what I like most about this story is about how Hergé keeps what are essentially a series of cliffhangers going and going but in a realistic manner, while still working in the series trademark humor with Snowy and the Captain. "Tintin in Tibet" is an atypical Tintin adventure, but that just makes it all the more special (By the way, in 1981 Hergé and Chang Chong-Chen were happily reunited).

"Tintin in Tibet" was recently in the news when it was announced that the Chinese translation had the story as "Dingding in Chinese Tibet." Given that Fanny Rodwell, Hergé's widwow, is reported to be a personal friend of the Dalai Lama it is not surprising that she decided not to attend the promotional ceremonies in China for the launching of the Chinese language version of Tintin (the Chinese are not publishing "Tintin in the Land of the Soviets" (anti-communist) and "Tintin in the Congo" (too racist and imperialist).