Long live the proud son of Africa and our respected statesman.
Achebe the honest and truthful dispenser of both sides of the story. Colonial griots (to borrow Achebe's words) such as Elspeth Huxley and other apologists have for too long been left alone to justify the dispossession of precious lands and cultures. Until the proud son of Africa made them eat their own words and exposed them for what they are. Dishonest griots deftly laying the groundwork for self-enrichment at the expense of peace loving and decent Human Beings.
Chinua Achebe as exemplified by his few but precious books writes not to make money but only when he must say something useful. Unlike modern day "authors" who are more about money than substance. I have no doubt Achebe can write profound and moving accounts of African and world issues at the rate of one book a day but he chose only to spend his time teaching.
It is obvious why the Nobel Prize went to Wole Soyinka instead of Chinua Achebe. Achebe refuses to write for a "foreign" audience and does not take his marching orders from anybody. He is his own man. Africans and honest people all over the world have in their own ways given Achebe the best prize in the world.
Continuous interest in his worthwhile classics such as Things Fall Apart,The Man of the People,No longer at Ease,Anthills of the Savannah, Morning Yet on Creation Day,Hopes and Impediments and many others.

Home and Exile may be a small book but has enough three pence (from Achebes "somebody knock me down and have three pence!") to liberate nations and individuals from the grip and stench of colonial and racist apologia masquerading as literature.

Long live Achebe, proud son of Africa and citizen of the world.
To know Achebe (by reading his books) is to know how to be an unassuming and proud Human Being who quitely and calmly states his truth for the benefit of us all.

Achebe's work was informative, thought provocing, and at times amusing. His work is another example of how important it is for all people to tell their own story/history, especially people who were once disposessed. This little book inspired me to write a few ideas to prevent my experiences from being misinterpreted.

The physical brevity of Achebe's "autobiography" truly belies the intrisic wisdom he so effortlessly spews upon his listeners. Mr. Achebe sets out to deconstruct the manifold, post-colonial ills (endemic to the dispossessed of African diasopora) with the assistance of historical literature, creation fables, and his own personal memories. Indeed, a thought provoking manifesto for any fan of the great Achebe; one which will aid the reader to pursue further literature with a new sense of enlightenment.

The Incredible Bread Machine concisely and methodically strikes down all the common misconceptions regarding government and capitalism. It covers all the common objections to personal freedom and exposes the true motive behind most government actions, and who really benefits from them. It is well researched, clearly written, and entertaining. It will also make you terribly upset about the nature of government and what it does to society.

Please read this book! The more people who read this book, the better place the world will be.

One of the best free-market books I've ever read. Recently republished (1999), available now from Laissez-Faire books. Has new examples, completely re-edited.

This is a wonderfully straightforward explanation of why individual freedom is the one necessary aspect for peace and prosperity. It is a decidedly libertarian volume with irrefutable logic that stands against the liberals, who want to control ones production, and conservatives, who want to control ones life. I recomment it as a grand introduction for those who are just beginning to consider what individual freedom (and there is no other kind) really is.

those authors couldn't have written a finer book. This restored Klingon version is enriched by an indeed eloquent tongue. You may have read Shakespearean plays before but you cannot appreciate Shakespeare until you have read him in original Klingon. William Shakespeare had the soul of a Klingon.
.

Klingon Hamlet is an elegant, graceful, vibrant and original Klingon
version of the critically acclaimed, glorious, magnificent and classic drama. That is why it is called "Restored version of Hamlet". The Hamlet's clumsy, inadequate, awkward and misleading English version has nothing but distorted, flaccid, ponderous meanderings. Now at last, the powerful drama of the legendary and brilliant playwright can be appreciated in the eloquence and glory of the Klingon language.

Well, okay, I liked it too.

those authors couldn't have written a finer book. This restored Klingon version is enriched by an indeed eloquent tongue. That's why Klingon Hamlet is regarded as the restored version.

You have read Shakespearean plays before but you cannot appreciate Shakespeare until you have read him in original Klingon.

You'll love reading the elegant, graceful, vibrant and original Klingon version of legendary, critically acclaimed and glorious drama Hamlet instead of clumsy and awkward English version.

You can read this book for free at the Institute of Medicines site. Do a title search at google.

A must have if you want to arm yourself with scientifically proven facts on this very controversially subject. I was so excited to find out what the Institute of Medicine had to say about cannabis, that I went out and told everyone I know. A true gem. Let's get this information out to everyone! And to all of those who helped put this book on the shelf, thank you! so much.

This book is the result of a $900,000 two year study of the known facts on marijuana, including a review of recent literature and interviews with patients. It was requested by "Drug Czar" McCaffrey after medical marijuana had become legal in California. No doubt McCaffrey was hoping the Institute of Medicine would come out against it. However, when finally released in March 1999, the Institute of Medicine report not only confirmed that marijuana has legitimate medical uses and is remarkably safe, it also demolished the myths that marijuana leads to harder drugs or that it causes "amotivational syndrome".

Did you know that 32% of all nicotine users develop a psychological dependency on their drug, as do 15% of all alcohol users versus only 9% of marijuana users? The book is full of useful facts like these.

If you want to get involved in the debate about what drug policy will serve us best you should read this book. Thank you, Mr McCaffrey :-)

This was the first cookbook that my late husband purchased for me after we were married in 1974. He had tasted everything I knew how to cook and could not tolerate my cooking any longer. The first recipe that I followed was Chicken Fricassee, he loved it so much that it became his favorite meal. When I prepared this same dish for my new husband, he too fell in love with it. Chicken Fricassee remains my family favorite meal to this day!
My sister-in-laws have tried to get my recipes from me many times. I tell them that they were passed down from my late relatives and they are our family secrets! Even though they know this isn't true, they leave me alone about it. I know it's mean, but its more fun that way.
There is a chowder recipe from this cookbook that my Pastor would not eat anywhere else, but from my kitchen. He even got up in front of the entire congregation and told them about it!
My cookbook is now so worn out that it is nearly impossible to find certain pages. Who ever is selling their cookbook must be very ill or they have never tried anything in it!
I am going to try and get a newer one and pass this poor worn cookbook down to my daughter who has wanted it for so long. She will be honored to receive it!

This was the first cookbook that my late husband purchased for me after we were married in 1974. He had tasted everything I knew how to cook and could not tolerate my cooking any longer. The first recipe that I followed was Chicken Fricassee, he loved it so much that it became his favorite meal. When I prepared this same dish for my new husband, he too fell in love with it. Chicken Fricassee remains my family favorite meal to this day!
My sister-in-laws have tried to get my recipes from me many times. I tell them that they were passed down from my late relatives and they are our family secrets!
There is a chowder recipe from this cookbook that my Pastor would not eat anywhere else, but from my kitchen. He even got up in front of the entire congregation and told them about it!
My cookbook is now so worn out that it is nearly impossible to find certain pages. Who ever is selling their cookbook must be very ill or they have never tried anything in it!
I am going to try and get a newer one and pass this poor worn cookbook down to my daughter who has wanted it for so long. She will be honored to receive it!

My parents had given me this cookbook when I was moving into my first apartment. It had everything in it from egg salad to beef wellington, beverages, you name it, and it was in there. The recipes were easy to understand and it provided substitutes to change almost every recipe so I never got tired of a specific one. Since I didn't really enjoy cooking this really helps. The down side... it didn't show a breakdown of calories, fat etc., but you know what you put into a meal, and what substitutes you can use to make it healthier for you. Unfortunately my labrador puppy chewed most of it up, so I don't have a copy any longer, but will purchase another one...

I first read James Kitfield's book in 2000 and have just finished rereading it. I am recommending it to my sons, an Air Force pilot working on his master's in military science and an Army combat engineer, as one of the four most influential books on the development of the United States military since WW II. The author traces in a very readable style the coming of age of the officers of all branches of service during the Viet Nam and post-Viet Nam eras and how those experiences shaped our ability to win a decisive victory in the 1990 Gulf War. The book also reveals the back room political wheeling and dealing that goes into watershed legislation such as the sweeping reforms of the Goldwater-Nichols Act. It's a "must read" for every professional military leader and student of the art of war.

From the prologue to the epilogue, and everything in between, this book is fantastic reading. Anyone who has ever been associated with the U.S. military will have a much clearer picture of the totality of resurection within all the services after Vietnam. "Duty, Honor, and Country" does not always mean the same thing to different people, to some it means a career that spans over thirty years, to others the words are just something on a recruiting poster. To anyone who reads the book these three words will take on a much clearer meaning. Some chapters will cause tears in even the toughest of old veterans, and even the young generation of future service members will begin to understand some of the major events which have transpired in the military in the decades since Vietnam. James Kitfield tells a story that is not just a chronicle, or a documentary, but a story worthy of telling, and he does it with style.

James Kitfield utilizes extensive research and well-toldvignettes to tell a compelling tale; how the economically starved andforgotten military that existed in a post-Vietnam America rose from the ashes to become the professional force that triumphed in Desert Storm. His story is excellent and very readable, and utilizes many small historical steps to reach its logical conclusion to include the end of Vietnam, the military's efforts to combat rampant drug use and undiscipline, the move to an All-Volunteer force, the failure of the 1980 Desert One mission, the advent of realistic training centers, and Graham-Rudman. His tale is told through the eyes of the young lieutenants and ensigns who went on to become the generals and admirals who applied the lessons they painfully learned in the past. A powerful story with a serious warning for military leaders of the present.

I admit it. I love to read in the bathroom. I've even been known to stay in there much longer than I need to (personal best... 1 hour... hey, I was enjoying what I was reading!). Uncle John's Bathroom Reader is a great way to pass the time in there. It is full of history, puzzles, stories, and other useless, but interesting, tidbits. Admit it. You want something to read in while you are in there. Go ahead and buy it. You'll be glad you did.

My husband loves this calendar. Everyday there is an interesting and often funny fact written. He just loves reading it before he goes to bed. I recommend this calendar to everyone who enjoys a bit of a laugh before going to bed.

This book is one of those "useless facts" books, but the useless things are so interesting and unlike other "useless facts" books, it actually held my attention because the things they talk about are interesting and relevant.

This is a great book for serious birders. It contains a great amount of important information that is well organized and helpful. This is a technical book that I would not recommend for the beginner, however, I found it practical in its structure and content.

I strongly recommend this book. I held back from awarding a full five stars because I felt that their illustrations lacked a little "life" although experienced birders will probably not find this to be a problem.

I bought this book and the contents are very helpful in identifying birds. The problem is it has the information duplicated from pages 145 to 176, skipping from page 112. I have tried to exchange it with another one, but it had the same problem. I tried to do that for the third time, and now I am waiting for it. I hope it arrives with all the pages and no duplications.

This book rocks the house

Siamese twins occur only once in 100,000 births. Those joined at the head, like the Guatemalan twins recently separated at UCLA are the rarest of all, occurring in less than one in a million births. UCLA, which has one of the world's leading neurosurgery centers is not the first operating theatre where a successful attempt was made to separate "craniopagus" twins who shared some of their neurological "wetware." That honor belongs to Vienna's university hospital and a team headed by pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Wolfgang Koos and American neurosurgeon, Dr. Robert Spetzler.

Step by step, "The Healing Blade" describes the operation performed on the conjoined twins. The surgeons had been rehearsing each step, "together and apart, through three months" to acquire the necessary precision of movement. The operation itself took place over a period of days. Sylvester describes the scene before it began:

"At the juncture of the twin operating tables lies what appears to be a log of ironwood, dried pale and clean. It is the long, common skull of the twins, shaved of that fringe of curly brown hair. Nearly a foot apart two small [three-year-old] faces appear carved into the wood, one facing straight out, one cast slightly downward, both in slumber, perfect cherubim carved into the column of their skull."

Read this fascinating account if you are at all interested in the fate of the Guatemalan twins at UCLA. Unfortunately, the twins who were separated in Vienna later died of infection, so this is a cautionary tale. We must not become too optimistic, even though the surgery was successful:

"In 30 attempts worldwide to separate twins joined at the head, from 1928 to 2000, only seven of the 60 children came through the surgery without brain damage; 30 died, 17 were neurologically impaired and the remainder of the cases were reported before the ultimate outcome could be determined, according to the medical journals [NY Times 08/07/2002]."

Other operations performed by Dr. Spetzler had more successful, long term outcomes as described in "The Healing Blade." This book focuses on three main subjects: Dr. Spetzler and his contributions to neurosurgery; the history of the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, where Dr. Spetzler performs the majority of his operations; and a new state of the art procedure called the "Standstill," which is a nickname for hypothermic arrest. In a sense, the patient dies for an hour--no blood and therefore no oxygen can reach his brain while he is chilled down to the point where his heart stops.

This book is much more unputdownable than the latest techno-thriller by, say Clancy or Ludlum, because it is true. The author's attention to detail places us right into the operating room with the surgical team, and deep into the magical cavern of the human skull. The only dry stretches of text concern the founding and history of the Barrow Neurological Institute, and they don't take up too much room. The author also works in a brief history of neurosurgery, but none of it is quite as fascinating as the scenes where Dr. Spetzler is poised over his intraoperative microscope, carefully dissecting an aneurysm that threatens to explode through the micro-currents of a human intelligence.

This book gives a compelling and realistic look into Barrow Neurological Institute and its leader, Dr. Robert Spetzler. And I should know.

I was on Dr. Spetzler's operating room table less than two years ago and am yet another of his miracles.

Anyone considering any kind of neurological surgery should read this book before doing anything.

Very few books actually make my all time favorite list (I'm not big on James Joyce, by the way) but this book did, and how! It reads so smoothly because it introduces you to the director of the Barrow's Neurological Institute by literally bringing you into a very complex surgery of clamping a middle cerebral artery aneurysm by using a makeshift heart lung bypass machine to cool the person's body and brain to 61F to literally shut down the metabolism of the brain to prevent anoxic damage when the blood is pumped out of the body to deflate the aneurysm so that the surgeon can dissect out crucial small blood vessels away from the aneurysm before clamping the aneurysm. And that's just the first chapter! There's great historical reference to Harvey Cushing and Walter Dandy. There's a "who's who" of neurosurgery (including Charles Wilson from UCSF). There's an insider look at the political side of academic neurosurgery as well as an impromptu history lesson of both the Barrows Neurological Institute and the Phoenix, AZ region. You will learn a lot about the techniques and personalities in the world of neurosurgery. It's an amazingly quick read...I can't put it down. After reading this book, go and buy Frank Vertosick's When the Air Hits Your Brain as well as Mark Shelton's Working in a Very Small Place.

This documentary is a reasonable exposition of Chomsky's views. For those unfamiliar with Chomsky's (and Edward Herman's) propaganda model, this film is highly recommended. Those already conversant with Chomsky will probably revel in the extension of his ideas to real Living Color (those who agree with him anyway). However, I have one complaint: the propaganda system is complicated, and the film seems to take a dive on the specifics instead of dealing with its essential details. The failure to explicate what exactly Chomsky means when he speaks of "thought control in a democratic society" allows the pejorative claim that his ideas are "conspiratorial" to seep into the argument. Tom Wolfe scoffingly impugns what he calls, "the cabal"- I doubt he's actually read Chomsky. Anyone who understands the propaganda model, even if they fervently deny its existence, realizes that it is not worthy of "conspiracy theory" derision. The film would have done well to debunk this myth.

The other flaw as I see is the focus on Chomsky's background and personal life, which are superfluous to the film's main message and inconsistent with Chomsky's own feelings about celebrity.

As you can imagine, the film is rather one-sided in favor of Chomsky's views. Once you've seen this, it's absolutely imperative to read "Necessary Illusions", "Manufacturing Consent", and even some of Chomsky's other books- "The Washington Connection" and "Rouge States" are recommended. Also of note is that Chomsky may be Godfather of media criticism, but others including Nancy Snow and Michael Parenti have written well on the subject.

This book is much more than a simple transcript of the documentary of the same name, it also offers a lot of information and excerpts from interviews with and writings by Noam Chomsky not included in the film. It is a very wonderfully put together book. This might be the best introduction to Chomsky's thought around. and the philosopher all star trading cards in the back of the book are a great idea. Plus, it really looks good on the coffee table.

"While the film has met with large-scale success throughout much of the world, it is as a book that Manufacturing Consent: Noam Chomsky and the Media is most useful. A virtual transcript of the film, it also includes a range of other materials--extended extracts from Chomsky's writings, reviews of those writings, interviews and a variety of novelty items, from comic strips through to a set of "Philosopher all-Star" trading cards attached to the spine. Through these, the emphasis on Chomsky's personality with marks the film (and about which Chomsky himself was concerned) is diminished, and the result is a highly skimmable guide to Chomsky's political ideas, the controversies in which he has been embroiled, and the notoriously thorny question of the relationship between his political and linguistic ideas. It is, perhaps, too fragmentary and montage-like in its organization to serve as a course text, but as a distillation of one important current within Western radical thought it is extremely useful."

Will Straw,
Canadian Journal of Communication