Yoshiko Jinzenji has made a beautiful book showing her magnificient quilts and pieces of fabric arts.

The book itself, photos, paper, printing, writing, style, is a piece of art. A book you will be happy to own, no matter if you are a quilter or just a book lover. A perfect coffee table book for any home, though this one is so much more than a coffee table book. This book deserves to be read and be looked through again and again.

Yoshiko Jinzenji has been a quilter for a lifetime, and during these years she has developed her own unique and perfect style. We get to know Jinzenji through the pages of the book, both through words and through pictures. We meet her and her quilts in Kyoto, and we meet her in her studio in Bali. The book also have a section on how to make quilts, easy to read, easy to follow the step by step instructions. Jinzenji makes her quilts from ancient fabric collected from around the world, and she makes her quilts from natural dyes in light, clean colors. But no matter what the fabric is, her vibrant quilts all stand out and have all their own story to tell

The highlights in the book though are the pictures. The somewhat clean and stylish picture of a Small Modern Amish quilt displayed on the wall in her Kyoto home, the fantastic puzzle of an uncountable number of small Mandala quilts put together to form a universe in colors, cloths and patterns, the collague of many pictures from scenes around her studio in Bali as inspirations for future quilts.

The way the writing and photos in the book are put together shows the reader a new way to look at the surroundings, and through that a new way to look at life. Or to say it with the words from the foreword of the book, written by textile designer Jun'ichi Arai; I am convinced that Yoshiko Jinzenji's achievements in establishing a new genre in quilting will never be forgotten.

A piece of fabric is the pulse of life is written across our eyes by drape, shape, texture, and hue. Art forms, and perhaps art itself, have their own genetic codes-forms of doubling and redoubling that, as DNA does with the cell, determine a look, a feel, a character, an emotion. Lucky, then, are the pieces of fabric doubled and redoubled by the eyes and hands of Yoshiko Jinzenji. A few snips of color and weave become a mix of art and the irrepressible urge to adorn that make you want to dive off this world and into what you see.

She best articulates the origins of all this in her book's Introduction:

"I have a very clear memory of my first encounter with quilts. It was in Toronto in the winter of 1970, in the furniture section of Eaton's department store downtown. There, surrounded by standardized fluffy bedspreads, were two handmade quilts draped over wooden racks. I went over to them as if drawn by a magnet and took them in my hand, wondering what on earth these handmade quilts were doing in the middle of a display of manufactured goods. The oddity of the combination was stunning. The quilts were made by joining together many small pieces of cloth and then covering the whole with fine hand stitching. Each had a price tag, and I was stunned again to see that they were not much more expensive than the manufactured spreads. Who could have made these, I asked myself, and what had inspired their beautiful handwork

Yoshiko's work is a textile manifestation of the preoccupation with apres-antique and avant-garde that characterizes so much of Japanese culture today. On page 40 she recounts the symbiosis of ancient textiles in the tea ceremony; a scant 7 pages further on were are suddenly confronted with a work made of some of the most interesting cloth ideations of Jun'ichi Arai. Jun'ichi is arguably the most innovative and certainly the most influential textile creative artist working today-the textile equivalent of Issey Miyake's fabrications in his heyday of two decades ago. Jun'ichi has taken the marriage of technology and history further down the road to progeny than any other designer. He also is an astonishingly good and sensitive writer, and his Foreword to Yoshiko's book is so good that it is reproduced below.

Yoshiko, like Jun'ichi, is nothing if not a creative technician who happens to make art. Her text and caption content sums to an amazingly low overall word count given the amount of detail and philosophy it conveys. One reason is the lush plates-many so good they could be enlarged and hung in a gallery devoted to contemporary fine-art photography. Then there are the dozens of step-by-step how-to diagrams that guide the home quilter through the process of emulating Yoshiko's pieces. The readers need not be especially accomplished sewers, either, for despite their complex look, Yoshiko's pieces are really composed of fairly straightforward elements lines and patterns; there's just a lot of them. Any who would re-create one of her works at home needs patience more than proficiency.

Yoshiko is generous enough to pass along step-by-step instructions for a dyeing method she found via experiment in order to accomplish what must be the ultimate coals-to-Newcastle notion in textile history: dyeing white material white. That might seem an exercise in conceit, but the reason goes far back into the wellsprings of Japanese aesthetics. As she tells it,

"I had been making quilts for years from fabrics that I dyed myself with natural dyes when I had a kind of awakening. It was during an exhibition where my work was being shown together with that of a lacquerware artist. When I looked at his pieces, with their simple and beautiful form and their quiet sheen achieved by applying lacquer in careful layers, I thought, what kind of fabric could I make that would have the same sense of power? Finally it came to me, I wanted to find a natural dye that would dye cloth white. . . . In the field of natural dyes white was the one color no one knew how to obtain. For me white was suggestive of the fusuma and shoji sliding doors used to separate Japanese-style rooms, as well as the traditions of sumi ink drawings and calligraphy and even the white sand of Zen gardens."

"Finally I hit on the idea of trying that strange combination of tree and grass, bamboo. Two or three hours later the cloth had been transformed. It was if the silk was a prism sparkling with colors like pink, yellow, and green. It was a white with depths."

Yoshiko's book is a combination of high art and ladle-in-the-dyebath practicality. The many full-plate and even more part-page pictures amply illustrate the first. The drawings and text take care of the latter. With so many active quilters and societies all around the world these days, few would argue that quilting isn't an art form. With Yoshiko's book in hand, anyone interested in quilting, textiles, home design, or fashion design will be inspired to make art of their own. Her 90 specific projects, clear design patterns and detailed instructions can guide just about anyone with enthusiasm and patience to make quilts, pillows, clutch purses, mandalas, spreads, wall hangings, and even a hammock to end all hammocks. Yoshiko's work is a rarity even in the world of art-to-wear and its nonwearable textile art relatives: utterly unique.

This book is beautifully written and designed. The cover and paper used are artful. Yoshiko Jenzenji shares her passion for quilting in a way that weaves a common thread through cultures, locales, nature, and spirituality. I could feel my heart swell as I read through this book and as I looked at and studied the photographs. This is a book about her quilts and about quilting--but the photography and artistry of its cover and between its covers makes it a special treasure. I am excited to own this book and will be proud to display it. I am so inspired by Yoshiko Jenzenji's quilt work and passion for quilting. I became dizzy with inspiration! I will recommend it to every friend I have--and not all of them are quilters! I would think they would all want to BECOME quilters after experiencing this book. Yoshiko Jenzenji seemed to open her heart and her home with this book. I am thankful to her for sharing her passion and talent with the world!

Dear Mr. Haber,

Thank you for writing this wholly satisfying, and life afirming story of growing up in the 1940's

I was 7 years old in 1941 (about the same age as the storyteller) in The Red Heifer.

I grew up in the Boro Park section of Brooklyn, another Jewish enclave and attended Yeshiva Etz Chaim. My school was just around the corner on 13th Avenue from my 2 bedroom apartment in a 4 story walk-up.

After listening to me praise your book, some ask "What's it about?" I reply by asking them to imagine a combination of Huckelberry Finn and Catcher in the Rye set in New York.

You described my childhhod pefectly, as though you were by side. Your book brought back memories of my father leading the round table debate of current events around the kichen table. This was usually with my older sister and her friends. I absorbed these discussions and latter gave my now informed opions to the "gang" that was trying to make sense of our crazy world, with our limited knowledge.We hung out in front in front the Menorah Temple(the local pool hall and bowling alley) every Friday and Saturday night.

Although most the the incidents depicted in The Red Heifer didn't happen to me, I recognize all my childood friends.

I was already reading passages aloud from your book to my wife, when I came across the recipe for the "Gogl-Mogl". This nearly blew my mind. I was right back in the kitchen on 51st Street, third floor rear, diagonally across from the elevated portion the the BMT line of the subway. In the past when I described this concoction to my family, the thought it was just a family folk remedy. Thank you for reafrming a part of my childhood that was almost forgotten.

I apppreciate the work that went into writing this book,since my son has also written a book. ...

I really connected with this book . and I look foward to a sequel
Sincerely yours,

Lionel Press

I didn't even know cows could write.

Don't let the novel's relative brevity fool you: This is, in its ambition, scope and its wealth of incidents and insights, a very big book indeed. It is an allegorical account, sometimes poignant, sometimes comic, sometimes almost mystical, of a Jewish boy's childhood and adolescence in New York's Lower East Side of the 1930s and 40s. Given the vividness and apparent authenticity of the descriptions of the sights, sounds and even smells of that time and place, one assumes that the novel is at least in part autobiographical. In any case, that is less important than how well "The Red Heifer" works as a piece of storytelling. Part Isaac Babel, part Henry Roth, part Isaac Bashevis Singer and part Saul Bellow, it is also an original. Recommended.

In addition to very fascinating excursions to Mesopotamia, where the author sends a camera up in a kite to take photos of the scorched lines in the earth left over from what he suspects may by either Sodom or Gomorrah, and the profile of ancient Ninevah including a canal system inside the city walls, Pellegrino takes a moment to let us know that prior to the elimination of coconut oil as an ingredient, Twinkies would burn for 20 minutes, and were a great back up source of light for underground explorations. Now, he makes do with giant Cheetos, held with a tweezers, which will burn for maybe 10 minutes. I tried it, and it's true.

With wit and humor Dr. Pellegrino and his companions today led me on the most stirring and provacative tour of my life. Places once disconnected in my mind's eye are now alive, and full of fascination for me: the straight, steady Nile River Valley and its sluggish culture; the now-you-see-them-now-you -don't peoples of the fertile plains of Mesopotamia; and the ancient ancestors, cousins over the centuries from Asia, Africa, and Europe, woven together in the Middle East. The Gulf War, its rising up and falling down, make sense to me now, historically if not humanly, as does the conflict between Israel and Palestine, and the cyclic nature of life. Thank you, Charles, for a most interesting and illuminating day.

Dr. Pellegrino welded my eyes, and mind, to his fascinating archaeological journey thorough the Holy Land. I enjoyed reading a book where the author doesn't use religious bias. His knowledge of the Bible is extremely extensive, which combines with his archaeological expertise to produce a book that gives the reader a better understanding, in clearer terms, of the fascinating stories of the Bible. Read this book with an open mind, and read it again once you are done with it. For those who are non-practicing Christians (like me), this book is an excellent companion guide to the Holy Scriptures. Once your mind is saturated in its informative content, you'll want to recomend it to the rest of your friends and family, and just about anyone else you meet from that day on. --Andrés Goyanes--

I read a lot and found this book in a second hand shop and bought it on a whim for 1 dollar. Could not put it down I recommend it to everyone. Better than Puzo's Godfather.

Ride A tiger is the most riveting novel of the MOB since The Godfather. It's not only just another book about the MOB, it is a shattering isight into the personality of a major vrime. Leo Gorodetsky stsrted of with his illegal card game and ended up becoming American most wanted crime leader. With the success of his business, him and his inmate friend Harry Wiserman, along with some of the biggest names of the Italian families combined and created their own organization with their own sets of rules. With the obsession in the business, Leo nearly destroyed his own family. This novel is filled with unique characteristic and clawed with betrayal,trust,love, and hate. This novel is a must read!

Follows the life of Leo Goredetsky who starts his life as a runner for illegal card games and becomes a Godfather in American crime. The story cleverly parallels the history of the US through the 30's to 60's and leads the reader to speculate on how much could actually have been influenced by such people and their organizations.

I read this book 10 years ago and it was just as enjoyable this time around. This book is full of insights not only into the person of Bob Shannon, but offers an informative look into East St. Louis. A very quick and easy read. I had the pleasure of having Shannon as a teacher many years ago. Reading his words brings to mind his most distinctive voice, which always commanded respect.

Having played against Bob Shannon, I know full well of the East Side mystique. Being a former player at nearby Granite City, I went to nearly every game mentioned in Bob's book. So, I'm over qualified to say that the East Side Flyers's story is a fascinating one. The place just emits an aura that has High School Football all around it! The 'Side was made on big play football, coached by Shannon, a big time coach

This is one the best books on football that I have read. Coach Shannon is a credit to our coaching profession and this book shows that. It also gives us a look at what is like to work under adverse conditions. If you are a football coach who thinks he has it tough, then you should read The Right Kind Of Heroes.

I have learned a great deal on the roots of Egypian politics by reading this book. Currently, the Middle East situation is so that we must all pay heed to the structure of those countries. I apologize for the demanding heading...I did not know what else to write. Botman does, however; this is quality.

This book was rockin...it helped me so much in my comparative politics course, especially when it was time to do my term paper. NOt only was it a good resource though, it really taught me about the middle east background and situation. I think that it's an important book to read whether or not you have to do so for class. Three cheers!

I had to read selections from this for my course at school about Egyptian politics. Actually, I only signed up because I heard the teacher liked hockey players a lot. But I read this book, the entire thing, not just the selections, because I needed to do well on the exam to maintain my GPA, since I'm an athlete. I read this and I got and A on the exam and a B+ in the class. THANK YOU SELMA BOTMAN! I didn't fail because I read the book and I learned a lot of things that I probably would have never known if I hadn't taken this course. I won't be a major in Eygptian politics, but I will at least know what I'm talking about when someone brings up something about MIddle Eastern politics. I GOT AN A! that's nuts. If I can get an A, you can too. Read this book, I swear your Profs will love you for it.

This book is required reading for anyone interested in the ex-East Germany. From the very beginning, Naimark shows how the Moscow Germans (Ulbricht, et al) were apologists for everything and anything the Soviets did to their conquered German "friends." This more than anything else painted the Communists and their "United Front" Party, the SED, as little more than stooges for the hated Russians. Thus, the GDR leadership had no legitimacy in the eyes of the average worker. Naimark's study also describes how complete Sovietization was in the arts and education, though he only peripherally describes the Lutheran Church's involvement in the social transformation being wrought. This is curious, since it was the Church that provided a haven for dissent in the future years, but Naimark clearly had to prioritize his subjects of focus. This is a "must-have" for anyone interested in the Cold War, the GDR and the Soviet Union.

This is a quite outstanding piece of research into a subject that was once all but closed off to scholars, thanks to East German and Soviet secrecy. The author seems familiar with all the available source material in German and Russian and as a result writes with complete authority. Among his conclusions are that even the East German Communists found it hard to accept some of the sheer brutality and bullying of the Soviet occupiers. At the same time, the Soviet authorities were not too impressed with the East German comrades' plans to accelerate the imposition of a Soviet-type political and economic system. Meanwhile, rape and rapacity on the part of the occupiers proceeded apace. A remarkable work that leaves a lasting impression.

Because history is written by the victors, one seldom hears of the plight of the vanquished. The author desribes the rape, plunder, murder, and indoctrination of ordinary Germans after WWII. by the Russians and their communist allies. This book documents the terror these people indured and how they survived.

Western society's intense interest in Eastern culture and religion is best exemplified in this beautifully detailed and comprehensive book. With an engaging look at the history of each of the East's major religions, the authors offer the reader a special insight in the sacred rites and rituals which typify each of these religions. For those who subscribe to Buddhist, Taoist, Shinto philosophy, or Confucian wisdom, it a rare gem of a book, through which Eastern philosophy devotees can command a better appreciation of their tenets and worldviews. Fastidiously detailed, with brilliantly photographed selections of the various sects in costume, architecture and symbolism, the authors also offer a penetrating look into the minds and hearts of the believers, while assisting the reader in a better understanding of Eastern mysticism and metaphysicalism. Editor Scott Littleton and his colleagues have written a "primer extraordinaire" for Eastern religious thought!

This text is a very well laid out and detailed script. The photos are excellent. If you had to buy one book explaining all the religions / belief systems covered...... I would suggest this one as your pick!

This is a beautiful, well-laid out and easy to read book that covers all the basics of Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Taoism and Shinto. The contributors and editors all have excellent backgrounds in the study of these various religions. The text is extremely accessible and lends itself well to use as a text book in a college course.

In Sacred Sites Of Wisconsin, John-Brian and Teresa Paprock effectively collaborate to profile over 400 places around the state of Wisconsin that are known for worship and pilgrimage, ranging from churches, temples, and synagogues to cemeteries, effigy mounds, and retreat centers. Each location has its history described, along with what makes it sacred and all the information a traveler will need to find and enjoy it, such as contact hours, location, and phone number. Sacred Sites Of Wisconsin contains nearly 80 photographs of its many destinations, and maps of each reason. A superb reference for anyone seeking to take a spiritual journey within Wisconsin, no Wisconsin community library state reference collection would be complete with the inclusion of John-Brian and Teresa Paprock's Sacred Sites Of Wisconsin.

Sacred Sites of Wisconsin will remind people of childhood trips to Holy Hill or the Dickeyville Grotto. What a great opportunity to think back on churches and other places that mean so much to us. And what a great opportunity to visit them again!

Sacred Sites of Wisconsin is a complete guide to buildings, places and natural areas that are or have been considered sacred in Wisconsin. Inclusive in its approach, it showcases the diversity of beliefs that are a part of Wisconsin heritage.

This guide will be of interest to spiritual seekers, historians, and those who might want to expand their knowledge of their own faith and its heritage in the state.

Best of all, Sacred Sites is a guidebook, meant to be kept in the car for quick reference. It includes contact information, hours and directions for the sites.

Sacred Sites would also make a great holiday gift for those with an interest in the sacred.

This book is one of the greatest anyone can buy about Saddam Hussein. It exposes him for what he is, a ruthless, bloody man who will backstab people just as easily as he will make deals with them. All things and ideals are just pawns in his game to continue his reign. Sanctions, Palestine, Israel, Arab Unity, Iraqi people, each are just pawns that he uses when it favors him, and attacks them when it favors him. The book goes into detail about how to Hussein EVERYTHING is allowed as long it furthers his own goals. An informative book that I would recommend to anyone interested in the topic.

Rather than offer a lay psychoanalysis of the personality of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, the authors present a detailed account of his political career.

The intricate maze of Middle Eastern politics in the late 20th century is made understandable, even to someone without a firm grounding in the history of the region (no mean feat).

There are few major surprises in the book (unless you go into it thinking that Saddam Hussein attained and retains his position through lawful, humanitarian means...) but there is much that clarifies how the present world situation has reached the point that it has.

This is a fascinating read. The book does a very good job of outlining the background of Saddam Hussein and traces his rise to power with extraordinary insight. The authors have produced an essay that exposes the brutality and self-serving megalomania that is the Iraqi dictator. Anyone that seeks an in-depth look at the current problem with Iraq should certainly read this book.