Stephen Brookes has written an engrossing account of his Anglo-Burmese family's flight before the Japanese army in 1942. Plagued by monsoons, starvation, disease and personal tragedy, harassed by the desperate remnants of the Chinese army, and abandoned by the British authorities, it is amazing that anyone survived the long circuitous trek from Burma to India. Scores of thousands did not. Brookes does an excellent job of recounting the horrific journey from the viewpoint of a young boy, but it most definitely is not a children's book. It is a book for anyone who appreciates a fascinating tale of survival in the face of incredible adversity.

Expecting a rather grim trek through familiar territory I found instead a remarkable story of loss and endurance told with a surprisingly lyrical and at times humorous touch. A twelve year old Anglo-Burmese boy tells of the flight of the Brookes family from the advancing Japanese army in Burma during the second world war. Fleeing first to China then back through Burma and on to India young Stevie tells of his frustration and anger at being dragged along not knowing what was happening or why.

There were several attempts at escape,each thwarted by events or the stubborness of one or other parent,eventually leading into the mountains of Upper Burma. Walking knee deep in mud, fighting off ambushes by renegade Chinese soldiers, or just surviving the malarial conditions of the monsoon jungle, the family trekked and starved along with thousands of others on the same journey, Worse was to come as they eventually reached the so-called safety of a British controlled village. There Dr Brookes came up against colonial racism when he was refused help by an acquaintance he had entertained in happier days - a Burmese wife was acceptable when offering hospitality but not apparently when the roles were reversed. Meanwhile the child had a man's responsibility thrust upon him as he struggled to provide food and medication for his ailing family as his father died. A harrowing tale of tragic mismanagement but also telling of the blitheness and strength of a young boy who had to learn the hard lessons survival yet managed to retain a joy and wonderment at the miracles of nature A brilliant read; even if you only buy one book this year make sure it is this one.

Expecting a rather grim trek through familiar territory I found instead a remarkable story of loss and endurance told with a surprisingly lyrical and at times humorous touch. A twelve year old Anglo-Burmese boy tells of the flight of the Brookes family from the advancing Japanese army in Burma during the second world war. Fleeing first to China then back through Burma and on to India young Stevie tells of his frustration and anger at being dragged along not knowing what was happening or why.

There were several attempts at escape,each thwarted by events or the stubborness of one or other parent,eventually leading into the mountains of Upper Burma. Walking knee deep in mud, fighting off ambushes by renegade Chinese soldiers, or just surviving the malarial conditions of the monsoon jungle, the family trekked and starved along with thousands of others on the same journey, Worse was to come as they eventually reached the so-called safety of a British controlled village. There Dr Brookes came up against colonial racism when he was refused help by an acquaintance he had entertained in happier days - a Burmese wife was acceptable when offering hospitality but not apparently when the roles were reversed. Meanwhile the child had a man's responsibility thrust upon him as he struggled to provide food and medication for his ailing family as his father died. A harrowing tale of tragic mismanagement but also telling of the blitheness and strength of a young boy who had to learn the hard lessons survival yet managed to retain a joy and wonderment at the miracles of nature A brilliant read; even if you only buy one book this year make sure it is this one.

Mothers always celebrate our daughters' 'first' birthdays, the 'first' day of school, and many other 'firsts'. Yet when our daughters begin 'first' menstruation, we are uncomfortable and silent. All girls deserve the honor and respect of a celebration as they change from girl to young woman. The First Moon kit gives mothers a complete celebration and begins a new way of thinking for girls (and moms) to love their bodies and their cycles.

With the coming of a new era, it is a time for new rituals in our culture. The power we have as women to create life will no longer be overlooked or diminished in value. The time has come to reclaim our magnificence and the first step in doing this is to honor our young girls as life-giving forces at the time of their first menstruation. This kit gives the new menstruant and mother a framework from which together they can create a sacred ceremony celebrating the glory of being a woman. i wish I had had something like this when I first got my period. My wish is that every woman realizes her own power from the first day her body becomes in synch with the moon. I recommend this book/kit to all women in every culture all over the world.

The First Moon kit is such a simple, yet revolutionary idea. To celebrate a girl's first menstruation with a celebration....how much simpler can it get to put a positive spin on something that is usually such a negative, forgotten, overlooked, neglected, yet hugely important part of each girl's life? This kit contains everything you need to start a life-long celebration of menstruation. This kit isn't just for girls. It is for anyone who wants to re-examine their relationship to their period, or get a group of friends together to discuss their own menarche experiences. it's a wonderful gift!

I picked up this book about a month ago. I was able to read straight through it in about 1 1/2 hours and understood everything, however, I'm slowly absorbing it as each day I pick it up, flip to a random page, read a section, and keep that with me throughout the day. What I like best about the book is how it makes me look at my world and my actions differently; it makes me consider what I do more carefully and it keeps reminding me of all the chances I have every day to do what I want to do. The technique I have of reading a small section and absorbing that to the fullest isn't how one has to read this book. It provides questions for those who like to sit and ponder things or write about them, and it has affirmations for people who want to get the point quickly. I think this book gives few boundaries and excellent options for ANYONE to absorb the important messages it contains. I love knowing this book is sitting in my book shelf.

I can already see the positive effect the concepts in this book have had and will continue to have on my life. The book doesn't present thoughts from only a single point of view. You create your own life plan using very simple and basic principles. I look at people differently now. I have a greater level of respect for myself and I will never allow anyone to lower that level of self-respect again. I'm just not afraid to ask for the things I need anymore. This one tops my list because it really works.

On a whim I picked up this book for leisure and ended up using it to take another look at my life. This beautiful book is small but absolutely crammed with remarkable insights. It could even be a magic bullet. Really! It makes so much sense. Dont' get me wrong. You still have to do the work. but it's so much fun to really pick apart the questions and feel the pieces of your life just falling in place. Now I carry this book everywhere with me. I ask my friends some of the questions in the book and we talk at a deeper level than we ever have. Anyone who loves life or wants to must read this book.

I have read just about every book the covers the history and detail of Triumph motorcycles, and this book is the best I have seen. When you consider the unique marketing of the US distributors and the American concept of what a great motorcycle should be this is a must read for anyone working on a Triumph in the US. Detailed, colorful, and well written, with plenty of reference photos it is the guide for the restorer or anyone seeking to understand the the role Triumph played in making this a nation of motorcycle riders.

Lindsay Brooke has written the best book I've ever read on the passion, the guts and the glory that was the Triumph story. Seamless weaving anecdote and accolade, he has produced a masterwork. Sitting in bed well after midnight, papercuts covering my fingers, lips chapped from reading, I simply couldn't put it down.

Provides the descriptive timeline from the introduction of Triumph in America to present day. Great book for the novice or expert Triumph aficionado. I thoroughly enjoyed the book.

The people of the Dagara culture relate to us that children have themselves recently re-emerged (via being born) from the world of the spirit, of the ancestors. They are fresh and full of wonder at being here, still very expressive of the spirit of the other world in all its truthfulness and spontaneity.

Sobonfu's husband [Malidoma Patrice Some] has covered very incisively the funeral and male initiation ceremonies in his three books; Sobonfu, by contrast, goes much more than he (given the stated topic) into such things as the pre-conception naming ritual. Then there is the ritual asking the child [before birth] what he/she is coming to life to be, to accomplish within the community. Then everyone in the community will be able to help the child in every way possible to grow into the person that he/she would be.

And there is the welcoming ceremony done for every child, each who has come on this long journey from the land of the ancestors to the land of the living. One beautiful feature of this is that the other village children (standing together in the next room) imitate the newborn child's first cry as accurately as possible to let the newborn know he/she has come to the right place.

Sobonfu goes into exquisite detail describing the bounteous relationship between children and their grandparents. The old ones are all getting closer to the world of the ancestral spirits, as they are approaching closer to the time they leave this world, whereas the young ones are most familiar with that world, having recently returned from there.

In another chapter she discusses how and why miscarriages occur, how strongly they affect the community (especially the mother and other close relatives), and what this has to do with the world of the ancestors. Then she articulates, once again, the rituals which attend the phenomena to help the grieving process that occurs as a result of this emotionally and spiritually traumatic breach [in the thin, permeable barrier between village life and that of the world beyond].

And there is the bonding ritual [re-commitment between husband and wife], the fertility ritual, and the bonding ritual between the child and its grandparents, as well as other ancillary activities.

Through all these examples she effortlessly and courageously articulates the vision the Dagara have of their life and community, so seamlessly it astounds you - the dawning of this worldview almost sneaks up on one as it gradually takes shape, almost from within the reader's subconscious. Her writing is the equal of that of her husband, as she dynamically melds all aspects together into an interpenetrating, wondrous whole.

"Children are the life-givers, the healers, the messengers of the ancestors. They bring out the spirit of the community - they bring spirit home. Children are embraced, celebrated and supported, for without them there would be emptiness in the hearts of all villagers." [p. 85]

In her last chapter, she recapitulates and outlines in detail how to perform all of the rituals previously mentioned, for the benefit of those here in the West who would like to transit to this most humanizing and spiritual form of community in their own lives. She first gives a summary of how to set up a ritual in general (and how it usually should flow), after which she tells about how dreams and/or storytelling can have a role, as well as how and why healing and integration can take place. For healing of hearts and souls in the community is, if not the primary focus for a given ceremony, always [at the very least] a significant by-product.

For more on the subject of African childrearing and educational practices (as well as how this affects an economy in which women do all the farming), this time from a Kongolese (central African) point of you, be sure to check out the slim volume by Fu-Kiau and Lukondo-Wamba, titled 'Kindezi - the Kongo Art of Babysitting', available at a number of fine university libraries around the world.

This book is infused with wonderful stories and lessons and the beauty and power of ritual from the West African culture. The writer heightens the readers awareness of the importance of each member of community and their roles and contributions and rituals to strengthen each individual thereby the overall village. She presents rituals in such a way that they can be done in America and by you, the reader.

This is a beautiful book.

I loved reading this book! It helped me to understand so much about my life. The since of community and love that is transfused into the children that are cared for by the methods in this book is a story that needs to be told.The rituals sound wonderful and I only wish that I had this knowledge prior to the birth of my children.This is a book about healing as well as love and honor for all of nature.This book gives wonderful information to instill pride in my African heritage. Prayer and intent are also stressed in this book and I find both to be very powerful forces in my life.

excellent, fast-paced, interesting story that makes it difficult to put down. In Bernfrieda's oppression, she has the last laugh. Makes me want to go back in time and be a knight, and fight for what is right.

Gabriella Brooke has used her knowledge, research, and resources to enlighten the reader of a rather dark period in Western history from a woman's point of view. Excellently written, a story once started that is very hard to quit reading from the first to the last pages. My respects to Ms. Brooke as I encourage to to continue her endeavors in the composing of similar and subsequent works.

This book is very well-written and researched. The story was intruiging and the historical background added to my enjoymen of the story. I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in the lives of medieval women!

These stories of modern day activists really give you a different perspective on the world we live in and what our role should be. Biggs is an excellent story teller.

Great stories of real people today who took a look at the world and didn't like what they saw. So they did something about it. Biggs is a great storyteller.

Brooke Biggs is a literary master with the heart of a lion and excellent taste in sneakers. Her latest volume, a staggeringly huge triumph of the written word, should find its way to the shelf of every sentient being on Earth, nestled between "Das Kapital" and the complete Nancy Drew series.

I am in the habit of previewing my 10-year-old's reading, because he can read beyond his grade level, and I don't want him getting into inappropriate material. As I read this book, I chuckled and chuckled -- and then listened to him squeal and hoot with laughter as he read it!
There's more to this book than humor, though. It gets at some pretty profound concepts -- the purposes and functions of language, the origin of grammar, the development of religion and of politics, and the birth of written language. Not bad for a piece of witty juvenile literature, huh?
I've already checked out William J. Brooke's other books from the library, and I'm looking forward to reading them with my son. I sincerely hope that Mr. Brooke follows _A is for AARRGH!_ with other books in a similar vein.

I really liked this book because it was exciting and left me cliff hanging every time I put it down. My favorite part was when Drog came back with "Greenbacks" and nobody really knew what they were. The reason I gave this five stars is because it had a great plot. Also, I liked that they had villages and it was set back in the time of Cave Men. I would reccommend this book to anyone who enjoys action and adventure. Reviewed by Sam McEntee

I like this book because it was realy funny,in the first paragraph mog threw a rock to og from 25.000 miles away and he still mist hem that was realy funy.
The best psrt of the book was wen mog deliverd the messages to the people that weare realy important and that they needed to know wat was going on.The worst part of the book was wen they send mog to do things that he did not wa net to do
Well ilike the book because the author wrote the book reelly god that i could read it thats why i like the book .

"... an inspiration! I'm ready to rediscover the Caribbean!" Penelope Ann Miller

"Fabulous facts and finds. I can't wait to go on vacation!" Julie Moran, Entertainment Tonight

"... let this book guide you. It spotlights extraordinary island resorts where you can become the star of your own movie, set in a tropical paradise." About.com Honeymoons

Ok this book isn't soo good! it does tell you about the goddess but not the info i really needed. it is great in magickal workings but to me not much in goddess warship! i've studied the craft at age 8 and i'm only 11. it's great for people intrested in magick but bad for people intrested in goddesses. If you wanna buy a book on goddesses buy this book called The Maiden, Mother, And the Crone.(i think i spelled the title right! but i might have been wrong! or close to the title)

when i'm feeling down, i take this and read a bit, then i'm feeling ok again. this is a great book for the beginner who is studying feminist witchcraft, and it covers herstory, witchcraft history, sabbats, herbs, tools, some spells, chakras, divinination, meditations, ethics etc. not so deeply, i guess, but enough to know, what to do. the author wrote this book with power and passion, like if i read few pages, i can feel or sense it so clearly, that it leaves me wordless. but anyway, at least i know that goddess-worshipping craft is part of me. that's why and how it makes me feel better.

I would definately recommend this book. I go back to it time and time again. It has a great overview to many aspects of Goddess worship, astrology, tarot, herbal folklore and the history of Goddess worship. She cites many resources in the back of the book that can provide further reading depending on where your interests lie. Excellent book, especailly for the beginner.