Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil

Book Description

Soon after the fall of the Taliban, in 2001, Deborah Rodriguez went to Afghanistan as part of a group offering humanitarian aid to this war-torn nation. Surrounded by men and women whose skills–as doctors, nurses, and therapists–seemed eminently more practical than her own, Rodriguez, a hairdresser and mother of two from Michigan, despaired of being of any real use. Yet she soon found she had a gift for befriending Afghans, and once her profession became known she was eagerly sought out by Westerners desperate for a good haircut and by Afghan women, who have a long and proud tradition of running their own beauty salons. Thus an idea was born.

With the help of corporate and international sponsors, the Kabul Beauty School welcomed its first class in 2003. Well meaning but sometimes brazen, Rodriguez stumbled through language barriers, overstepped cultural customs, and constantly juggled the challenges of a postwar nation even as she learned how to empower her students to become their families’ breadwinners by learning the fundamentals of coloring techniques, haircutting, and makeup.

Yet within the small haven of the beauty school, the line between teacher and student quickly blurred as these vibrant women shared with Rodriguez their stories and their hearts: the newlywed who faked her virginity on her wedding night, the twelve-year-old bride sold into marriage to pay her family’s debts, the Taliban member’s wife who pursued her training despite her husband’s constant beatings. Through these and other stories, Rodriguez found the strength to leave her own unhealthy marriage and allow herself to love again, Afghan style.

With warmth and humor, Rodriguez details the lushness of a seemingly desolate region and reveals the magnificence behind the burqa. Kabul Beauty School is a remarkable tale of an extraordinary community of women who come together and learn the arts of perms, friendship, and freedom.

Customer Reviews:

Very good book!.......2007-10-01

I had heard the author on a radio station and bought the book afterwards. I really enjoyed her fresh and candid style of describing her experiences in Afghanistan. Her uncomlicated style of writing made the book a pleasure to read.

BIG HEART.......2007-09-29

I think that Deborah Rodriguez teachs us a beautiful lesson of kindness and love when she decided to leave her own family to go to Afghanistan to help women to build a life for them, and even when people said that she did wrong going there beacuse of the consecuences of this book for the afghan women, i strongly recognize that not all of us have the courage to leave the comfort of our lives here in the U.S to go to third world countries to help people and forget ourselves helping them.

Has Life for Afghani Women Improved Because of Rodriguez?.......2007-09-27

I have mixed feelings about this book. It's easy to read and certainly provides an interesting and informative portrayal of what life is like for the women of Afghanistan. I'm not sorry I read it, but it did seem to drag on in the end and I started counting pages wondering when it would be over. There is one heartbreaking and shocking story after the next, and too many "characters" to wrap one's mind around. This mélange of stories primarily boils down to this: Terrorizing Men and Terrorized Women. I don't believe life for Afghani women has improved because of the Kabul Beauty School, and from what I understand, because of their portrayal in this book, some of the women are in more danger now that the book is out and Rodriguez has fled.

In the end, reading Kabul Beauty School did not elicit the feelings I thought it might, which was to have met an extraordinary, selfless woman who achieved a major accomplishment. Throughout the reading, I didn't understand or appreciate the author's motivation. It's excellent memoir or journal material, but that's where the excellence ends. Does it entertain? Absolutely not. Unfortunately, there's a certain lack of credibility from the merely average writing skills of the author. (Perhaps hairdressers should stick to creating hairstyles rather than trying to create prose.) Deborah Rodriguez often comes across as victim of circumstance. She makes a series of foolish choices particularly when it comes to marriage, acts rashly, and often irreverently, probably drinks too much and smokes. (This may be harsh, but these traits, to me, have nothing to do with "beauty.") For example, it doesn't make her the least bit likeable when we learn she verbally assaults a man at an outdoor market when he follows her around and grabs her backside. Embarrassing and endangering her closest friend (and translator) in the process, the friend tells her outright that she will "never go to the market with her again." Rodriguez brings her strong, independent and liberated American woman traits with her, wears them on her sleeve, and it does not earn her respect from the people around her, or from this reader. It makes her nickname "Crazy Debbie" perfectly understandable. Also, she lets her friends arrange a marriage for her, (and granted the presence of an Afghani husband, "Sam," does help her cause in one dangerous and surprising circumstance after another), but this man already has a wife, and we soon learn, a baby on the way. It's all very bizarre.

It feels as though Rodriguez returned to Afghanistan (after her first genuine venture there to provide aid after the ousting of the Taliban) in search of an extraordinary life rather than because she wanted to be the savior of Afghani women. I'm not saying this is true (I don't know this woman), but if the purpose of this book was to tell the world who she is and why she went to Afghanistan at great personal expense to become the director of a beauty school with the hope of making life better for the women there, she has been successful. The book, published by a major house, and the movie deal also deem her "successful." As for the school and the cause? A failure. She is not, like the book jacket indicates, living in Afghanistan and still running the school. According to an article on NPR, "the subjects of her book say Rodriguez and her newfound fame have put their lives in danger. They say they've seen none of the money or help to get them out of Afghanistan that Rodriguez promised them in exchange for having their stories appear in the book." Rodriguez counters by saying the women misunderstood what she promised them.

In spite of this rather negative review, I do think Kabul Beauty School is an excellent choice for book clubs as it will no doubt, provoke a very interesting and thoughtful discussion about the lives of women living in Afghanistan, and whether or not the outside world should or shouldn't have something to say or do about this culture and the emancipation of women there.

From the author of "A Line Between Friends," McKenna Publishing Group.

Eye Opening But Sad.......2007-09-26

Clearly a memoir instead of a polished expose, this book showed both the best parts of the human spirit and the downfalls of being human and learning as we go.

The author's energy, enthusiasm and heart for her students clearly shows in her writing. Her honest good will and perseverence are a tribute to the best of human nature.

Unfortunately, like the rest of us, she learns through her mistakes. Some she recognizes, others she breezes over and leaves us to wonder at. For example, being married to a man who already has a wife. Though acceptable in that culture, it seems to go against all her other intentions to improve the lives of women in her new home.

I recommend this book if only for the insight the author's experiences have made available into the lives of Afghani women. The things they live and perservere through will make you daily grateful for the life we lead here in America and give a little more clarity and heart to the battle our brave men are fighting over there.

Good.......2007-09-23

Came at a good time, was in a new condition. Couldn't ask for anything better.

Average customer rating:

Ed Norton improved Somerset Maugham's ending
I Liked the Movie Better...
BOOK VS DVD
great book
look for connections

The Painted Veil
W. Somerset Maugham
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Razor's Edge
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ASIN: 0307277771
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Book Description

Set in England and Hong Kong in the 1920s, The Painted Veil is the story of the beautiful but love-starved Kitty Fane. When her husband discovers her adulterous affair, he forces her to accompany him to the heart of a cholera epidemic. Stripped of the British society of her youth and the small but effective society she fought so hard to attain in Hong Kong, she is compelled by her awakening conscience to reassess her life and learn how to love.

The Painted Veil is a beautifully written affirmation of the human capacity to grow, to change, and to forgive.

Customer Reviews:

Ed Norton improved Somerset Maugham's ending.......2007-09-25

The novel is eloquent, especially in its description of the feelings of Kitty, Walter's wife. Her need for affection and recognition is palpable, but Walter is so highly-strung, even for a Brit, that he can hardly hold a conversation. The plague in the remote region of China, which Walter (and later Kitty) try to alleviate, makes Kitty grow. This part is deep and moving. But Walter does not change at all; he is the same intolerable, reticent, unforgiving husband. He dies without forgiving Kitty. And that's where Ed Norton made a smart revision. His Walter does change and does forgive Kitty, and the process is real and unsentimental. The second mistake of Maugham is that when Kitty returns Beijin, she returns to the arms of her lustful, trashy lover. That right there destroys the immense growth that had taken place in her soul upon seeing the suffering of the plague's victims. Now, at the end of the novel, she hates herself. And rightly so. Ed Norton deserves a lot of credit for revising Maugham's disappointing and confusing ending.

I Liked the Movie Better..........2007-09-22

This is one of those books that is probably rated better if you haven't seen the movie with Edward Norton Jr. and Naomi Watts. The writing is effective but the problem was that I preferred the storyline of the movie over the book. Still, it's worth a read even if you have seen the movie because it fills the characters out nicely. The book portrays Kitty Fane's character more fully than others and seems to be written partly from her viewpoint.

That being said, I adore the movie! The Painted Veil

BOOK VS DVD.......2007-08-28

RECALLING READING THIS GREAT NOVEL MANY YEARS AGO, I ORDEREED THE DVD RATHER RELUCTANTLY FULLY AWARE THAT I WOULD BE DISAPPOINTED.

VIEWING THE DVD I IMMEDIATELY FOUND FAULT AND REALIZED THAT I MADE A GRAVE ERROR. THE PROFOUND PASSSAGES IN THE BOOK WERE SADLY LACKING.

I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS BOOK VERY HIGHLY, ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO HAD NOT SEEN THE DVD. THE BOOK WINS HANDS DOWN VS THE DVD.

I WAS SAD TO REACH THE LAST PAGE OF THE BOOK. SO MANY TOUGHT PROVOKING PASSAGES THAT WERE UNFORGETTABLE IN THE PAST AND WILL ENDURE IN THE FUTURE.

ROBERT LYONS
RENO, NEVADA

great book.......2007-08-24

I highly recomend the book. It is one of those books that you just can`t put away.

look for connections.......2007-07-26

The title is a clue to what the author is attempting in this novel. It is from a poem by Shelley "lift not the painted veil that which we call life." Another clue is the poem by Oliver Goldsmith which Walter murmurs at his death bed. Both refer to the "maya" or illusion of life. Maugham was greatly influenced by Eastern thinking and this novel showcases that thinking. Very sad and very moving book. He is one of my favorite authors.

Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

Average customer rating:

in the sad by true catagory
Excellent Personal Account of Life in Saudi Arabia
"Life Behind the Veil" or "Why Being a Girl in Saudi Arabia Really, Really Sucks"
Wow!
A real life heroin who dares to lift the veil

Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia
Jean P. Sasson
Manufacturer: Windsor-Brooke Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0967673747

Book Description

PRINCES: A TRUE STORY OF LIFE BEHIND THE VEIL IN SAUDI ARABIA describes the life of Princess Sultana Al Sa'ud, a princess in the royal house of Saudi Arabia. Hidden behind her black veil, she is a prisoner, jailed by her father, her husband, and her country.

Sultana tells of appalling oppressions, everyday occurrences that in any other culture would be seen as shocking human rights violations: thirteen-year-old girls forced to marry men five times their age, young women killed by drowning, stoning, or isolation in the "women's room."

PRINCESS is a testimony to a woman of indomitable spirit and courage, and you will never forget her or her Muslim sisters.

Customer Reviews:

in the sad by true catagory .......2007-09-29

I read this book more than 10 years ago and it still haunts me to this day. "Princess" is the most frightening book I have ever read because it is a true story!

In 1992 when this book was first published it became an instant sensation all over the world. This is the first book written about Saudi Arabia that really gives an honest portrayal of what life is really like for the women living in this historically oppressive country. The Saudi government even banned "Princess" because this book candidly "lifts the veil" on the culture surrounding women in their Kingdom.

Ms. Jean Sasson tells the first-hand story of Princess Sultana, a Royal living in the extremely discouraging Saudi Arabia. I have read all of Ms. Sasson's books, but "Princess" is my favorite. I am certain that anyone with a modicum of decency will be outraged and shocked after reading this book.

The book is written in first-person which makes for a very interesting read. Also included in the book is lots of extra info about the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, maps, a glossary and even some pictures. This book was both enthralling and educational because Jean Sasson is a rare writer that has a very gifted talent.

In 1948 the United Nations General Assembly came up with a list of human rights which is supposed to be guaranteed for every single human being; all over the world. This very basic list is called the "The Universal Declaration of Human Rights," and countries such as Saudi Arabia have consistently chosen to ignore these basic human rights.

Why is the Middle East and especially Islamic States such as Saudi Arabia so oppressive towards women? I have asked myself this question ever since I first read Princess Sultana's story. I wish the US would do more, but they are already viewed as a "bully" in this region of the world. Maybe the US cares more about oil than about the millions of women that are living in a modern-day Holocaust?

Jean Sasson wrote two other books about Princess Sultana and her family, Princess Sultana's Daughters and Princess Sultana's Circle (Princess Trilogy); both of which are beyond gripping. I really hope there will be more books updating readers about the Princess and about the plight of women's equality in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. I'd also love to read a book discussing homosexuality within the Middle East/Islamic States, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Gay men (and women) are virtually unheard of and are often murdered or imprisoned simply for being homosexual or lesbian. When the Iranian President recently told Columbia University that there are "no homosexuals in Iran" I had to laugh at his blatant homophobia, hatred, and disregard to human life. What a sick and bigoted statement to make. I also recommend picking up Ms. Sasson's latest book, Love in a Torn Land: Joanna of Kurdistan: The True Story of a Freedom Fighter's Escape from Iraqi Vengeance. This is an excellent tome, as well.

To refer to Saudi Arabia simply as "sexist," is, in my humble opinion a kind word for this dictatorship. Because, at least the word "sexist" has some meaning behind it. But as I learned in "Princess," women have no meaning because they are regarded as property. I really commend Ms. Sasson for having the courage to tell the this very disconsolate story. There isn't even a word for "sexist" in the Arabic language. Without say a word, that manages to say it all!

Excellent Personal Account of Life in Saudi Arabia.......2007-08-31

While reading this book, I was impressed with the writing style and verbage that the author used. It was an interesting look at the inside of The Kingdom that many people know little about. This book was tragically sad in many parts but hilariously funny in others. I am admiring of the Sultana and her strength in personality and character; especially when standing up to her brother and husband. She seems to be truly a good person and is someone I wish I could meet in person. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the position of women in Saudi Arabia.

"Life Behind the Veil" or "Why Being a Girl in Saudi Arabia Really, Really Sucks".......2007-08-17

I'm an educated person, and I am very much aware of the basic freedoms that women in Saudi Arabia are lacking. However, reading "Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia" sheds a whole new light on the horrific realities of life for women in this god-forsaken country.

This book is the real story of Princess Sultana, a member of Saudi Arabia's royal family. The name Sultana is an alias: If anyone in her family learned her true identity, she and her children would face deadly consequences. Instead, Sultana tells her story with the help of author Jean Sasson, a writer who befriended the princess while living and working in Saudi Arabia.

"Princess" details Sultana's upbringing in a home where the father had absolutely no regard for any of his daughters and instead catered only to the desires of his wretched son, Ali. Sultana was tormented by her older brother, and she was always determined to figure out a way to build a better life for herself and attain more rights than women are generally allowed in her country.

In Saudi Arabia, women are forced to wear black veils that cover their entire face. They can't drive cars, live independently, or make any decisions for themselves. Women are not valued as individuals, and in many cases Arabian men view women solely as their own sexual outlets. It's common for women and young girls to be raped by just about anyone. Women can even be stoned to death for their so-called "lewd" behavior, but of course men are never punished for their brutal crimes.

Sultana gives many examples of women she has known who met horrible fates, and she describes her own frustrations of being ruled by her father, brother, and eventually her husband. Because Sultana is a member of the royal family, she has a much better life than most women do in Saudi Arabia, and that's a terrifying thought. Sultana also has a strong, feisty spirit, but even her unflinching determination to change things has little effect on the events that unravel around her.

"Princess" is a wonderful book, but it's also extremely sad because it paints such a vivid picture of the horrors that Arabian women endure on a daily basis. It's almost impossible for me to fathom that a country in our modern world still adheres to these archaic practices, but it's true. Now that I've read this book, I'm anxious to learn more about the current state of affairs in Saudi Arabia: Have things improved even the slightest bit in the past 17 years? I'm almost afraid to find out.

Wow!.......2007-07-11

This book was eye-opening. I had the great fortune of reading it about a year ago, after buying it from a second-hand store. After completing it within two days (which is amazing for me), I felt compelled to tell other people about it. My cousin borrowed it, and she loved it, too (so much that I actually had to steal it back from her when I visited). You learn about the thought process of some of the women of Saudi Arabia, and how they can have a love-hate relationship with their placement in society. You become more aware of human rights violations and their effects. It's very interesting, and it makes you want to do something to help her.

A real life heroin who dares to lift the veil.......2007-06-15

This true story reads just like a novel. It's the story of Sultana, a fiery Princess for the ruling house of Al Sa'ud in Saudi Arabia. Throughout her personal experiences we learn a lot on the status of women in the country regardless of their social rank, and it shows how the culture that they cherish and accept to a certain degree is also one that they hate but have very little power over. This is fascinating and I highly recommend the trilogy to anyone who is interested in women in Saudi Arabia. I also recommend another book "Nine parts of desire" by Geraldine Brooks, which covers the same topic.

Why the French Don't Like Headscarves: Islam, the State, and Public Space

Average customer rating:

An Anthropology of Public Reasoning

Why the French Don't Like Headscarves: Islam, the State, and Public Space
John R. Bowen
Manufacturer: Princeton University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0691125066

Book Description

The French government's 2004 decision to ban Islamic headscarves and other religious signs from public schools puzzled many observers, both because it seemed to infringe needlessly on religious freedom, and because it was hailed by many in France as an answer to a surprisingly wide range of social ills, from violence against females in poor suburbs to anti-Semitism. Why the French Don't Like Headscarves explains why headscarves on schoolgirls caused such a furor, and why the furor yielded this law. Making sense of the dramatic debate from his perspective as an American anthropologist in France at the time, John Bowen writes about everyday life and public events while also presenting interviews with officials and intellectuals, and analyzing French television programs and other media.

Bowen argues that the focus on headscarves came from a century-old sensitivity to the public presence of religion in schools, feared links between public expressions of Islamic identity and radical Islam, and a media-driven frenzy that built support for a headscarf ban during 2003-2004. Although the defense of laïcité (secularity) was cited as the law's major justification, politicians, intellectuals, and the media linked the scarves to more concrete social anxieties--about "communalism," political Islam, and violence toward women.

Written in engaging, jargon-free prose, Why the French Don't Like Headscarves is the first comprehensive and objective analysis of this subject, in any language, and it speaks to tensions between assimilation and diversity that extend well beyond France's borders.

Customer Reviews:

An Anthropology of Public Reasoning.......2007-02-25

Three years after the facts, is it still worthwhile to revisit the French government's decision to ban Islamic headscarves and other religious signs from public schools? Should we not rather just let go, have time heal whatever wounds may have been caused, and move on to something else? If John Bower chose to dedicate a book to that decision and to the deliberations that led to it, it is not just because the law seems strange to outsiders and cannot be easily interpreted starting from a liberal viewpoint. It is, above all, because he felt that "its passage was one of those key moments in a country's life at which certain anxieties and assumptions come to the surface, when people take stock of who they are and of what kind of social life they wish to have."

To be true, the French are adept at staging such debates about themselves. The nation that invented the salons philosophiques and the art of conversation has a passion for probing into its own identity and entertains the belief that all social ills may be amenable to abstract reasoning and enlightened lawmaking. This is not only a matter of belief, but of social organization: the author finds that "French politicians, writers about public affairs, television 'talking heads', and philosophers are much more likely to read one another's work, be related to one another, or indeed be the same person than is the case in most other countries." These literati tend to base their opinion about social trends on anecdotes and media commentary, not hard data or sociological evidence. In a strange twist of cartesian thinking, they believe that if a theory is refuted by facts, then you have to change the facts, not the theory.

The theory here is that schools are a sanctuary of republican values, a sacred institution whose mission is to create a universal social morality in the minds of French pupils and to mold them into autonomous, rational and public-minded citizen. Philosophically, this conception is rooted in a certain brand of political philosophy originating with Jean-Jacques Rousseau, one that emphasizes general interests and shared values over individual interests and pluralism. Historically, it is associated with the figure of the hussard noir de la Republique, the schoolteacher in rural districts who was the designated agent to turn "peasants into Frenchmen" and have the Catholic church abdicate its control over the minds of primary school pupils. The reality is that state schools in contemporary France have to integrate an increasingly diverse population, notably the children of immigrants from North Africa, and that they cannot really cope with all the social requests that are imposed upon them.

It is in this context that wearing headscarves in state schools came to be seen as a threat to the central values of the Republic and a challenge to three hard-won battles: the fight to keep religion from controlling young minds, the struggle to forge a common French identity, and the promotion of gender equality in public and private life. The law banning headscarves in schools can therefore be seen as a product of a historical trajectory as well as a political response to the perceived threats of Islamism, communalism and sexism. Explaining that law, as the author does, "requires unpacking a great deal about France, including France's very particular history of religion and the state, the great hopes placed in the public schools, ideas about citizens and integration (and the challenges posed by Muslims and by Islam to those ideas), the continued weight of the colonial past, the role of television in shaping opinion, and the tendency to think that passing a law will resolve a social problem." That the author does so without losing a sense of sympathy and understanding for the young girls most directly affected by this measure is a testimony to his humanity and to his skills as a storyteller.

The Second Comforter: Conversing with the Lord Through the Veil

Average customer rating:

An inspired book
The Second Comforter Conversting with the Lord through the Veil
Brandon Blair
Read, Re-Read, Study, Reference to, and Share...
Not to be read lightly

The Second Comforter: Conversing with the Lord Through the Veil
Denver C. Snuffer, Jr.
Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0974015873
Release Date: 2006-06-14

Book Description

The Second Comforter describes the process, as set out in the Gospel of Jesus Christ taught through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is an Odyssey through the greatest principles, ordinances and meanings of the Latter-day Saint faith in a comprehensive narrative. It will change the way you think of yourself, and of your life.

Customer Reviews:

An inspired book.......2007-07-29

My wife and I have an extensive LDS library at home. I can say without doubt that this is a must in any LDS library.

I have recently ordered another 3 copies for my older children. It is difficult to adequately express the talent of Denver Snuffer to phrase in the simplest terms, complex issues. I enjoyed every page and have enjoyed sharing its truths with friends and family.

He has opened up the hearts of my wife and I to greater heights than any LDS book I have read over the last 20 years. (I also enjoyed his other book 'Nephi's Isaiah')

The Second Comforter Conversting with the Lord through the Veil.......2007-05-13

This book gives a great outline and builds with a wonder foundation.

Brandon Blair.......2007-02-06

I'm a recent convert to the LDS faith. Since my conversion, I've struggled with following the path. This book has been instrumental in clearing the mist of darkness from my path back to Our Lord, even to the extent that I can see where I'm heading more clearly now than I ever could before. I would like to offer an eternal thanks to Denver for this book and recommend it to ANYONE who is truly seeking after Our Lord and Savior. It is an inspired book, for I and the Holy Spirit who was in me while reading it testify that it is so, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Read, Re-Read, Study, Reference to, and Share..........2007-02-04

Denver is an inspired teacher, gathering centuries of scripture references and prophesies that verify Christ will come to man during his mortal life in the flesh, and that He has done and does so today as in ancient times. This book will give you fresh resolve to live more righteously as God wants you to, to be entitled to ALL of His blessings He offers to all men. I feel this is written as a guide for me/us to keep afresh what we know, and to reach deeper in seeking further knowledge of God's will for me/us personally. I am certain as you read you will have a great desire to follow our Savior with increased obedience to His ways, be more humble, live more Holy, and with the hope to qualify at some time during your mortal life for an audience with Jesus Christ. It is one to read, re-read, reference to often, and study, then teach what you learn here.... Thank you Denver for sharing what you have learned with me. This reading has been a spiritual feast for me.

Not to be read lightly.......2007-01-10

What Brother Snuffer is talking about in his book is one of THE greatest blessings we can receive during our mortal sojourn, according to a talk by Elder McConkie on "The Ten Blessings of the Priesthood"

It is the priviledge of seeing the Lord face to face, in this life, while still very mortal and fallible.

It is a journey fraught with intense paradox and increasing resistance from evil persons, both seen and unseen. It is a journey that the world-at-large cares very little about pursuing.

But as much as some may oppose it, there is greater power and support for having it happen in your life! He wants to bless us!

Like many gospel truths, reading this book and applying and LIVING the principles found therein, can bless your life on many levels. The deeper your surrender to the voice of the Lord, the more the things Snuffer's book talks about will bless you, up to and including meeting the Lord face-to-face. If you are LDS, read Ether chapter 3, and realize that this event was caused to be preserved in scripture FOR A REASON. And that reason was to let us know that such a meeting with the Lord is for every Saint. As I have read elsewhere, let us not siphon the power of this promise by assuming that it is reserved for some future judgement day when ALL will bow the knee and confess that Jesus is the Christ. D&C 93:1 looses much of it's potency it we assume it refers to some point in time AFTER death. While it may not happen to every soul while yet mortal (we must allow for that) -- by the same token, it cannot happen if we do not believe it can happen. Let us be believing and the Lord will take care of the timing and deny us no blessing that He has promised.

Thank you, Brother Snuffer, for obeying the Voice of the Lord. I pray that this book, written by the command of God Himself, will find those who are willing to receive the promised blessing(s).

I pray that I, too, can receive the Second Comforter when I am ready.

Average customer rating:

My rating is for the whole "trilogy" so far.
Ah, that Old Middle Book Syndrome
The Borderkind
Oliver, Jack, and Kitsune
superb dark fantasy

The Borderkind (The Veil)
Christopher Golden
Manufacturer: Spectra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0553383272
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

For centuries they lived amongst us. The frightful and wondrous, the angelic and bloodthirsty. Living in a reality just beyond the Veil, humanity’s myths and legends are caught in a struggle for their very survival—against hunters far more powerful than they are.

Into this struggle has stepped a New England lawyer who once wanted to be an actor—a man who both longs for the mortal woman he was to marry and is desperate to rescue the sister who’s been taken hostage. Neither hero nor warrior, Oliver Bascombe now finds himself brandishing a magical sword, walking in the company of a woman who sometimes appears as a fox and a man made of pure ice, and dueling with albino giants and winged killers. For in the world of the Borderkind—and the realms that exist beyond it—Oliver is discovering just how vulnerable are humankind’s myths, the dire consequences of their extinction, and the reason he was chosen to save them.…

Customer Reviews:

My rating is for the whole "trilogy" so far........2007-08-06

This is well done fantasy with enough orginality to keep it from becoming a total yawn. The only problem is that so far its substance is really too thin to pass for a true "trilogy." And I'm getting weary of publishers insisting on the extra bucks that can be generated from three separate trade paperbacks instead of issuing a story of this nature as one coherent volume.

Further, in order to make it a "trilogy" far too much padding was used and it gets a little tedious at time.

Read "Silverlock" if you want a notion as to how this story could have been packaged but of course "Silverlock" came out before the "trilogy" fever seized the publishing world.

Maybe the last "volume" of this "trilogy" will change my mind. I will be checking it out from my public library. If it does change my mind, I will buy the "trilogy" for my sister's Christmas present.

Ah, that Old Middle Book Syndrome.......2007-05-28

I greatly enjoyed the "Myth Hunters" much to my surprise, and this is a fairly decent follow up. But it sort of left me with that middle of trilogy feeling. Will be looking forward to the final book, but didn't like it as much as the first one. Am also looking forward the author's "Baltimore".

The Borderkind.......2007-05-13

I thought that the book was intriquing. However, it did not live up to the expectations and excitement of the first book "The Myth Hunters." It was because of the compelling story in "The Myth Hunters" that I felt compelled to buy "The Borderkind." With that being said, over the last year, I think that I have become a Chistopher Golden junkie. His stories are generally intricate and unique. I have read all of the Menagerie and Albion books, as well as "The Boys are Back in Town". If you have never read any of his books, you must. He is a very strong emerging author in science fiction/fantasy. I love the way he uses and connects unrelated metaphors/symbols/characters and weaves them into truly exceptional stories that cause people to think about the condition of humanity.

Oliver, Jack, and Kitsune.......2007-04-09

Christopher Golden continues his great trilogy with The Borderkind. As someone who had never even heard of this author before buying The Myth Hunters (Book One), I have been pleasantly surprised. To be honest, I usually stick with Stephen King, Dean Koontz, etc. But, I'm glad I picked up the first book because it has really been a joy to read. If you haven't read the first book, you can't skip it because you'd be lost, so read Myth Hunters first. If you have already read Myth Hunters....well, you are already reading this one I bet!

superb dark fantasy .......2007-04-05

He was suffering from cold feet the night before his marriage when Jack Frost busted into his Maine home pleading with him to save his life. Stunned lawyer Oliver Bascomb crosses the veil into the Two-Kingdoms where he finds a magical sword (see THE MYTH HUNTERS).

When he returns to the earthly realm he learns of the murder of his father and more important the abduction of his sister Collette held prisoner by the lethal Sandman. He vows to rescue his sibling and avenge his dad, but is unaware that he is the prime suspect. Meanwhile his jilted fiancée Julianna Whitney, still believes in his goodness and that he did not kill his father or the other corpses haunting Oliver's every step though the evidence speaks otherwise. She teams up with homicide detective Ted Halliwell to track down Oliver.

Christopher Golden is going to strike gold with this superior dark fantasy sequel that can stand on its own but is enhanced by reading the equally superb first tale. The story line is action-packed and stars a real American hero and a strong support cast from both sides of the veil. However, the key to this delightful saga is the belief that the Two Kingdoms and its fantasy creatures are not just plausible they are real.

Harriet Klausner

Average customer rating:

Visions Beyond the Vail
Essential read!
Inspiring and confiming
Visions Beyond the Veil
Visions Beyong the Veil

Visions Beyond the Veil
H. A. Baker
Manufacturer: Sovereign World
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1852402784

Book Description

Originally published many years ago, this outstanding book, now revised, is still fresh and challenging to us today. It tells the story of a group of children—mostly street beggars and orphans—living in the Adullam Rescue Mission in Yunan Province, China, under the care of missionaries H. A. Baker and his wife —the grandparents of Rolland Baker, founder of IRIS Ministries in Mozambique.

These children experienced an immense and incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit—so great that they literally "experienced Heaven" through visions, were aware of the presence of angels, and were able to describe in great detail what they saw. The result of these experiences of God was fervent passion for worship, the Word of God, and prayer.

Customer Reviews:

Visions Beyond the Vail.......2007-09-19

My wife and I found this book to be very exciting as it depicts how orphan children in China where provided with a home in an orphanage; how they were fed and clothes and taken care of. This - in and of itself - is a dynamic testimony of how Jesus Christ brings victory into the lives of these children. However, their experience of seeing visions and dreams of Heaven, of God, of Jesus and of angels is one to be envied. We strongly encourage you to read this book. You will not be able to put it down.
Sincerely, Rev. Richard and Holly Lang

Essential read!.......2007-09-01

This is an essential read for those who want more of God.

Story of these Chinese orphans who experience a radical outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The book documents their experiences and visions which will stretch your brain and wreck your heart.

It's a short read that should be in all believers libraries.

Inspiring and confiming.......2007-08-26

I rate this book very high as it offers hope for the Christian and even greater hope for the Christian missionaries. H.A. Baker's journal account of what the children in his orphanage experienced just confirms many of the testimonies of others in different parts of the world, even as recent as 2007. God is alive and He still reigns! Books like Visions Beyone the Veil are inspiring to motivate anyone with a desire, to Ask, Seek and Knock knowing that God will answer, you will find and He will open the door to understanding.

Visions Beyond the Veil.......2007-05-12

EXCELLENT.....10 Stars. If one reads with thirst for the Truth, with an open mind, the reader will be excited as they read through this non-fictional account of the experiences of a missionary and his wife to China in the early 1900s. If the reader has wondered what Heaven will truly be like, to read the spiritual accounts, experiences through the eyes of simple, x-street children, will bring the reader joy and encouragement. The accounts of what the children were seeing regarding Hades, will also encourage and motivate the Christian reader to be an active witness for Christ daily.

Visions Beyong the Veil.......2007-03-09

Awesome eye opener. If you're hungry to know more of the ways God deals with us here on earth, don't miss this one. I've met the Bakers on a mission trip to Mozambique & know them to to be very strong, hard working missionaries that you can trust. They love Jesus and the kids and it comes through when reading this book, how true they are to the calling God has given them.

Voices Behind the Veil: The World of Islam Through the Eyes of Women

Average customer rating:

Jesus is my huggie-bear?
Reveals Islam
Fascinating account of what really goes on in Islam
Ergun Caner's real life
I have no complain, evangelical women told the stories.

Voices Behind the Veil: The World of Islam Through the Eyes of Women
Ergun Mehmet Caner
Manufacturer: Kregel Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Costly Call, The: Modern-Day Stories of Muslims Who Found Jesus

ASIN: 082542402X

Book Description

An unprecedented, sympathetic, and wide-ranging exploration of the mysterious world of Islamic women--the people behind the veils--by female writers and Christian workers.

Customer Reviews:

Jesus is my huggie-bear?.......2007-02-02

The case stories are really interesting, but none of the Christian women telling the stories in this anthology knows enough about their own faith to make the book really captivating. It is not enough to say things like "Jesus loves me and He wants to love you too!" This does not work in the real world, and is probably also why Moslems in general have a hard time taking the popularized and Westernized version of Christianity seriously. To argue against Islam from an emotionalistic point of view and to do the "Jesus loves you" chant is to portray Christianity in a distorted way. And it is not convincing to portray God as a spiritual huggie-bear. On the contrary, Christianity is reality, it is the Truth - a Person. We need comparative publications done by people who not only care for mission - which is something this book does emphasise - but who also know Christian Theology, and is able to investigate the issues of Islam a little deeper than this book does.

Reveals Islam.......2006-05-05

I am glad someone has finaly written a book that exposes how islam rapes and degrades women. Islamic law says that if a woman refuses to have sex with a man that he is ALLOWED TO BEAT HER!! This book is excellent in pointing out how islam puts women on the level of animals and cattle. I hope we all wake up and see what kind of evil cult is spreading in our country. Will it take another Waco to wake us up?

Fascinating account of what really goes on in Islam.......2005-06-16

This book was easy to read and very informative. Particularly useful for women who are in a position to reach out to Muslim women and assist them find relief from the tragic ordeal they face under the oppresion of Islam. Muslim culture clearly prohibit any non muslim man from approaching muslim women , so it befalls on non-muslim women to make the approach. Very good book and highly recommended for those who would like to help out those unfortunate veiled muslim women find their way to freedom.

Ergun Caner's real life.......2005-04-11

Ergun Caner introduces himself as a convert. He says his father was an Islamic leader and he claims he was a devout Muslim. He says he is from a Muslim family. His father is a Turkish Muslim and his mother is a SWEDISH CHRISTIAN. At the age of 16 , in the midst of his parent's divorce he chose Christianity. I think he did this to take revenge from his father. What he knows about Islam is NOT what learned from his father until the age 16 but rather what he learned from Muslim-Hating Evangelist Christians who think all the Muslims live in tents. Please tell me why he hides his real life but fabricates all these lies. I tell you why: Because Evangelists believe to "save" and "deliver" unbelievers "lying" "cheating" "distorting" is fine and justified. That's exactly what he is doing so is his brother. These two were still kids when they chose Christianity and it was rather an emotional decision not a logical. What I do not like about this guy and his brother is not their decision about their religion but their hiding the truth about their real background and posing as "former" Muslims who knew and who know all about Islam as an insider. They were kids who wanted to take revenge from their father for the divorce and they did.

I have no complain, evangelical women told the stories........2005-03-10

In editorial review Dr Mac Brunson wrote "More than half a billion women live their entire lives peeking out from behind heavy veils." Is that right? Is not it an astronomical Christian missionary style lie? More than 70% Muslims live in Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, and India. Do you evangelical Christians know how many of them peek through heavy veils? Let alone wearing veil, many even do not cover their heads. If the sories in this book were indeed told by the evangelical Christian women, then these lies and deceptions make sense. I have no complain. Another slam dunk distortion by the Caner bros.

Witness to the Fire: Creativity and the Veil of Addiction

Average customer rating:

alcoholism & creativity
Inspiring
An Appreciation
Should be mandatory reading in any drug/alcohol counseling
A thorough look at creativity and psyche.

Witness to the Fire: Creativity and the Veil of Addiction
Linda Schierse Leonard
Manufacturer: Shambhala
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Alcoholism | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0877735883
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Book Description

In Witness to the Fire, Linda Schierse Leonard, Ph.D., explores the dark and fiery journey of transformation from the bondage of addiction to the freedom of recovery through creativity. A Jungian analyst, Leonard studies the relationship of creativity and addiction in the lives of writers such as Fyodor Dostoevsky, Eugene O'Neill, Jean Rhys, and Jack London, as well as the experiences of ordinary men and women. Leonard holds out the hope that anyone bound by addiction can reclaim the power that fuels dependency for a life of joy and creativity.

Customer Reviews:

alcoholism & creativity.......2002-01-12

Never have I seen anything quite like this. This is the definitive book on creativity. & When you don't create, ahhh, the ills that befall us. We fall into an addictive pattern trying desperatedly to recreate that atonement w/God. Failing that, one either drinks, or does whatever to replicate that feeling one more time. Again & again. This book revealed the essence alcoholism. Why certain people drink or create. Simple as that. I've reread this one @ least 2x now. Enjoy your journey.

Inspiring.......2000-10-10

This is a unique and courageous book, as heartening to the artist as to the addict in each of us. It is a marvelously distilled meditation on creativity's darkness en route to the light. Leonard has deftly woven literary, spiritual, and psychological treatments of the dark night of the soul into a seamless tapestry, and found precious meaning in some of the most devastating aspects of human experience. For anyone facing their own darkness, this book is a welcome and comforting companion, an inspiring guide, and a very wise friend.

An Appreciation.......2000-07-08

This is actually an appreciation - not a literary review. I am an alcoholic in recovery and have an immense gratitude to Linda for writing this book. In her book I found answers, or rather experiences I could relate to, so similar and fitting to many issues burning and un-explained within me. My daimon has been enriched and my recovery program enhanced as a result of reading her great work. I have become a survivor (witness) to the road less travelled up the ladder out of the Abyss - I am no longer terrified to visit that void of darkness because I understand the burning issues of Creativity and Addiction parallels and inter-relations all that much better for reading her book. I am able, daily, one step at a time, to unshackle myself as a hostage to my addiction and choose to harness my creativity productively as a result of being a student of "Witness to the Fire". And I am a student of her work still, and always will be, due to my acceptance of my powerlessness over my lifelong disease and my need for every tool I can find to keep me healthy and strong. But I have chosen to let My Higher Power guide my daily existence and can therefore cope and be creative once more. Linda's book is constantly next to my bedside along with my "Big Book" and "My Recovery Book" - in daily use during my prayers and meditations. You helped save my life Linda - Thank You. Colin Tatham

Should be mandatory reading in any drug/alcohol counseling.......1998-08-24

Should be mandatory reading in any drug/alcohol counseling course. I've read this book 2x and have savored it completely each and every time. I've gained new insights into myself. I finally understood the reaons for which I drank and how barren and empty my soul was for spirit. How badly I wanted to be "drunk" with spirit. And in my inability to replicate that experience, which fed my frustrations and in turn, lead me to drink. Understood the "voices" in my head that were there to punish me for every imagined infraction. Those harmful "parental voices" mocking approval and throwing tibits of love at me. My need to feel the connection to the spirit and the easy road that I took as a young adult. Every time I have re-read a page or two out of this book has always led me to create some form of art in some way.

A thorough look at creativity and psyche........1997-04-20

Linda Schierse Leonard provides anyone interested with the resources to look at psyche and archtype in relationship to being a creative person in "Witness to the Fire". For the "artist", this book is extremely helpful in providing a way of looking at onesself with the eye of an informed Jungian. You will come back to this book again and again as new issues come up in the creative process.
In particular, Leonard deals with addictive behaviors as they affect the psyche of the creative person. She outlines the lives of real people -- ranging from Dostoevsky to her own clients -- who have experienced the archtypal roles she describes.
Leonard's descriptions and analyses will assist the reader in understanding the behavior and thinking of anyone experiencing the struggles of creativity. She offers insights and descriptions that can be helpful to any reader who seeks to maximize their ability to truely live and create in a conscious manner.

Beyond the Veil: Male-Female Dynamics in a Modern Muslim Society

Average customer rating:

Unveiling an Inquisitive Mind
First book by a Muslim feminine writer
Very compelling, just a bit too academic
A much needed book
An Excellent Study in Male-Female Relations in the MidEast

Beyond the Veil: Male-Female Dynamics in a Modern Muslim Society
Fatima Mernissi
Manufacturer: Indiana University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0253204232

Customer Reviews:

Unveiling an Inquisitive Mind.......2005-09-11

Wow! This book really raises some serious, thought-provoking questions regarding female sexual status, and sexual self-determination in Arab-Muslim societies. If I had read this book in the 70s - when it was first written and published - I would have really thought of it as a classic work, but I wasn't born then.

Yet, the book is incredibly outdated. Mernissi does a good job in questioning the general notions (and misconceptions) widespread in her days about religion and the inferiority of women. However, she is out of touch with the contemporary revolutionary ideas that claimed Islam back from the selfish authority of the benighted "Mullahs," who misinterpted Islam out of ignorance, or to fulfill their own political agendas (as still happening in some Muslim countries, wherein Muslim women are subjugated and denied basic rights, such as education.)

Working at the courts in my conservative Gulf country, I witnessed cases in which women "self-determinedly" divorced their husbands, who could not satisfy them sexually. (Lol, awww! I can't believe I'm saying this!)

Even with some historical and Islamic inaccuracies (for instance, many hadiths - Prophetic traditions - quoted by Mernissi have been outruled as inauthentic by contemporary Islamic scholars, thus invalidating many of her arguments and theories), I found this book to be very interesting, and it sheds light - though indirectly, and perhaps unintentionally - on Moroccan history and culture. The chapter on Mothers-in-Law was especially amusing!

It is unfair to criticize the book without taking into consideration the fact that it was written decades ago, and until the latest edition (1985), it must have been current. Instead of complaining about the book and its outdated content, I think I'll just go ahead and write a well-researched book on the same topic!

First book by a Muslim feminine writer.......2004-12-07

When this book originally appeared, I did write a review and got in published in print media. In her work, I was happy to have been introduced for the first time from a pen of (western, muslim, voracious) female writer as to how this gender looked at Islam. I am glad that Fatima continues to provide interesting insights, and she is striving to keep people informed on the subject.

Very compelling, just a bit too academic.......2003-04-13

This book is like going through someone else's medicine cabinet. A fascinating look into the homes and bedrooms of the Middle East from a scholarly feminist perspective. The only problem is, it's a bit too scholarly to be a really quick and concise read. Still, Well worth buying.

A much needed book.......2002-10-23

Excellent book on the female condition in many Muslim societies. ... More books like this need to be written to stimulate debate and hopefully change.

An Excellent Study in Male-Female Relations in the MidEast.......2001-12-07

The topic of male-female dynamics in Muslim society is one of the main issues covered in the book, Beyond the Veil, by Fatima Mernissi. Mernissi covers a wide range of categories, all of which pertain to the female position in a Muslim society. Though much of the data comes from Moroccan society, the general subject matter attempts to describe all Muslim society. This book has two parts, one of which focuses on the traditional view of women, and the second, which focuses on a more modern and changing view of women¡¯s place in society. A fascinating look at women in Muslim society, this book pushes the reader to question previous biases, and take a look at women in a Muslim society from a Muslim perspective.
Beyond the Veil starts out by contrasting views on female sexuality. One view is that of Imman Ghazali, and the other view is that of Sigmund Freud. Ghazali claims that the female sexuality is active, and equal to the male sexuality. Therefore, females need to be restrained in order to prevent fitna (chaos) in the social order. Freud, on the other hand, sees female sexuality as passive, and therefore masochistic. Ironically, both theories attempt to prove the same point: that women, as uncontrollable beings, are destructive to the social order and need to be restrained.
Part two of the book starts out with interviews and data collection from Moroccan society. This information is mostly focused around sexual desegregation. Mernissi¡¯s conclusions basically say that the traditional/older generation is more sexually desegregated, while the more modernized/younger generation encourages desegregation. She also points out that rural societies are more sexually traditional than urban societies.
This book reveals much about Muslim society in a simplified manner. Mernissi draws her writings from various sources, including historical viewpoints, other writers on the topic, and interviews with Muslim women.
Beyond the Veil is not simply a one-dimensional view of male-female dynamics in Muslim society. The book covers all aspects of relationships between males and females, as well as the various positions women can take in a Muslim society. Mernissi allows for the reader to look three-dimensionally at the Muslim society, especially in regards to sexual space boundaries and desegregation, and form his or her personal opinion about the topic. Mernissi makes it somewhat simpler for the reader to understand the goals of the book by outlining the various dimensions as well as writing conclusions that draw from the section but also incorporate other ideas.
The objective of this book, explaining male-female dynamics in Muslim society, was quite clear and the writings of Mernissi certainly operationalized that objective. A non-fiction book that relied heavily on breakdowns of various interviews, Beyond the Veil, was more analytic than descriptive. However, this was an extremely effective way of scrutinizing the subject at hand. The information provided in the book would be particularly significant to those who are not familiar with Muslim society and wish to learn more about the ways in which males and females interact in this society.
Beyond the Veil explained many things to me, including the reasons behind female desegregation in Muslim society. Mernissi is thorough in her dissertation of male-female dynamics, and encourages the reader to form his or her own opinions about the topic. Beyond the Veil is a captivating look at the past, present, and future positions of women in a deeply complex Muslim society.

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