Special Education in Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Exceptionality (with First Person CD-ROM and InfoTrac®)

Special Education in Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Exceptionality (with First Person CD-ROM and InfoTrac®)
Average customer rating:

Some good information, but waaaaay watered down

Special Education in Contemporary Society: An Introduction to Exceptionality (with First Person CD-ROM and InfoTrac®)
Richard M. Gargiulo
Manufacturer: Wadsworth Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

Study Guide for Gargiulo's Special Education in Contemporary Society: Introduction to Exceptionality, 2nd

Special EducationNow? for Gargiulo's Special Education in Contemporary Society: Introduction to Exceptionality, 2nd

ASIN: 0534626416

Book Description

This engaging text and media package, designed for students of special and general education, provides a rare glimpse into the lives of persons with exceptionalities, their families, and their teachers. Focusing on human exceptionalities across the life span, it employs a traditional organization beginning with four foundations chapters covering such important topics as the historical and legal contexts of special education, service delivery models, cultural and linguistic diversity, and a full chapter on parents and families. Ten "categorical" chapters, each of which share a common organizational format, follow these chapters. The Second Edition includes a new full chapter on ADHD, "Persons with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder," reflecting growing prevalence of this disability. Each categorical chapter also features sections on transition, cultural diversity, technology, instructional strategies, and family considerations. The "Making Inclusion Work" feature, prepared by in-service teachers, offers strategies for effective inclusion and appears in most of the categorical chapters. The FREE CD-Rom includes video cases that focus on the teaching of children with exceptionalities, paying special attention to inclusion and working with families. A margin notation in the text, "Video Case Connections, directs you to specific videos that are keyed to relevant areas of text coverage.

Customer Reviews:

Some good information, but waaaaay watered down.......2006-01-27

This book is 692 pages and, I swear, it could be 69. The chapters are very tedious to read, though there is some useful information in it and ideas that anyone interested in the topic needs to know, but it seems like there'd have to be a more interesting and less repetitive (not to mention cheaper) way to do it. Typical dry, dry, dry textbook (the sole exception being the accounts by real people of their experiences with family members with special needs..those were very interesting and moving).

Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith

Average customer rating:

Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time
Do you trust the Jesus Seminar?
Meeting Jesus AGAIN for the first time
Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith
Help for recovering baptists.

Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith
Marcus J. Borg
Manufacturer: HarperOne
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060609176

Amazon.com

All Christianity is, to some extent, idolatrous. Christian worship is a response to a worshiper's image of Jesus, and all images of Jesus fall short of his reality--in the same way that all biographies and portraits fail to depict a whole person. In Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, New Testament scholar Marcus Borg attempts to understand how popular images of Jesus connect Christians to their savior and isolate them from him. Borg writes about his own evolving ideas of who Jesus was, considers the scholarly and popular religious evolution of Jesus' public image, and investigates with special care the effects of Historical Jesus research on contemporary images of Jesus. Meeting Jesus Again is written in an affable, gracious, and unflinchingly honest voice. Borg's description of his own faith particularly exemplifies these qualities, and gives the reader a simultaneously safe and unsettling new perspective on the peasant from Galilee: "[T]he central issue of the Christian life is not believing in God or believing in the Bible," he writes. "Rather, the Christian life is about entering into a relationship with that to which the Christian tradition points, which may be spoken of as God, the risen, living Christ, or the Spirit. And a Christian is one who lives out his or her relationship to God within the framework of the Christian tradition." --Michael Joseph Gross

Book Description

Of the many recent books on the historical Jesus, none has explored what the latest biblical scholarship means for personal faith. Now, in Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, Marcus Borg addresses the yearnings of those who want a fully contemporary faith that welcomes rather than oppresses our critical intelligence and openness to the best of historical scholarship. Borg shows how a rigorous examination of historical findings can lead to a new faith in Christ, one that is critical and, at the same time, sustaining.

"Believing in Jesus does not mean believing doctrines about him," Borg writes. "Rather, it means to give one's heart, one's self at its deepest level, to . . . the living Lord."

Drawing on his own journey from a naive, unquestioning belief in Christ through collegiate scepticism to a mature and contemporary Christian faith, Borg illustrates how an understanding of the historical Jesus can actually lead to a more authentic Christian life––one not rooted in creeds or dogma, but in a life of spiritual challenge, compassion, and community.

In straightforward, accessible prose, Borg looks at the major findings of modern Jesus scholarship from the perspective of faith, bringing alive the many levels of Jesus' character: spirit person, teacher of alternative wisdom, social prophet, and movement founder. He also reexamines the major stories of the Old Testament vital to an authentic understanding of Jesus, showing how an enriched understanding of these stories can uncover new truths and new pathways to faith.

For questioning believers, doubters, and reluctant unbelievers alike, Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time frees our understanding of Jesus' life and message from popular misconceptions and outlines the way to a sound and contemporary faith: "For ultimately, Jesus is not simply a figure of the past, but a figure of the present. Meeting that Jesus––the living one who comes to us even now––will be like meeting Jesus again for the first time."

Customer Reviews:

Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time.......2007-10-05

Having been raised in a conservative Lutheran denomination, I found that Borg's chapter on his experience of Jesus in the Lutheran Church resonated with mine. His distinction between the pre-Easter and post-Easter Jesus was a new view for me as is his vision of Jesus as a "spirit person." Most Christians have turned Jesus into an idol to be worshipped. This distances him from us rather than bringing us close to him in the kind of union he had with "Abba," the God of Abraham, Moses and the prophets.
Borg explains words used over the centuries that are poorly understood by ordinary people--grace, salvation and prayer. He explains how the historical Jesus became associated with the second person of the Holy Trinity by early Christians rather than "the face of God." This book is a must for anyone interested in the development of Christology and soteriology over time.

Do you trust the Jesus Seminar?.......2007-09-29

This book is written by a member of the Jesus Seminar. Check wikipedia about them. Should you believe a guy who votes with beads to figure out if something could be true. Let me vote with a bead to see if his book is true! This is a terrible book. Compare his statements with the Bible and a good concordance. I did and his errors are revealed. What happens to most people when they go to college: if what you believed was not real to you, you wont believe it after college. Sad that we should have to pay to read lies.

Meeting Jesus AGAIN for the first time.......2007-08-07

Author Marc Borg is without a doubt a most resourceful and creative

writer of a most spiritual book for modern Christianity !

....Paul Kee-Hua Hang, Jr.
Author of "Blessings by the Dozen" & "More...Blessings by the Dozen"

Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time: The Historical Jesus and the Heart of Contemporary Faith.......2007-05-12

An excellent book into the understanding of Jesus for us today... Meeting Jesus Again, was certainly meeting Jesus again, a book that is central to the formation of any religious group... thank you Marcus.

Help for recovering baptists........2007-03-24

Like the author, I have traveled the agnostic-atheist-confused path in my spirituality-seeking. Marcus Borg has not only traveled the path, but was able to take notes along the way. A refreshing and renewing source of help for followers of Jesus.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (Prima Official Game Guide)

Average customer rating:

Organization-NOT
Why do I keep buying Prima guides?
Somewhat dissapointing
Really cool, minor problems
Macsfriend review

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (Prima Official Game Guide)
Dan Birlew
Manufacturer: Prima Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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F.E.A.R. Extraction Point

ASIN: 0761547738
Release Date: 2007-03-22

Book Description

Memories Gone, Mission Unclear, Area Unknown... Prima Can Help

•Basics of stalking thoroughly explained: hunt and trade like a pro stalker in The Zone.
•Complete summary of all main quests--includes rewards received and side quests.
•Full guide to all secondary jobs; learn which NPCs have the best jobs and what they pay.
•Complete list of weapons and items to make sure you have the best gear available.

Customer Reviews:

Organization-NOT.......2007-08-13

Not a lot of specific help issues. Maps not of great help. No one-page overview map of the whole game. Had to consistantly flip back and forth to find specifics for even the same section of game. Overall, not very well organized or of great help.

Why do I keep buying Prima guides?.......2007-06-25

This guide is more buggy than the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game it purports to bring to light. It is basically a hard copy of the guide which is already installed at the \Program Files\THQ\S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl\ directory created at installation. I will not get into what I think about the game, this review is for the guide and I am trying to save some people a ten spot or more in avoiding this inept work. The primary usefulness of this guide is to beginning players, but even then it is hardly worth the effort to get it, never the less the money spent. It lacks any depth in any area, the weapon, artifact and area descriptions are taken right out of the in-game PDA write up. There are no useable maps and the run down of missions is laughable as they lack the maps and simply give a general theory of completion. What I did like about this guide is that it has a rundown of all the weapons, but since the information is already in the inventory interface, it doesn't warrant purchase for that reason alone. Even in that area, the guide furthers the typos inherent in the game and copies them into the guide which had the Obokan rifles description all confused. There is some very good artwork in the guide in full color, but really most text in the book is ripped right from the PDA entries. The combat tips are in the level of explaining straffing and leaning, so if you have ever played another FPS, it is worthless in that purpose as you already know the basics. The other thing that is annoying is that the guide never attempts to shine a light on the broken side quests in the game and is seemingly unaware that item / personnel locations in these types of missions are often randomly generated every time you take a job from a character in the game. It states exactly where they will be in the guide and although they are sometimes there, they can be at multiple locations from the random generation. It also does this with artifacts that sometimes randomly generate and it will say to pick up some artifact at some location only once you arrive - it's either not there or another artifact altogether. The layout of the guide is haphazard at best and downright schizophrenic most of the times with no apparant order that is discernible. I simply cannot think of a worse guide then this. Players who have gotten even a quarter of the way through the game will not learn anything from it and even newbies should just save their money and read the PDA entries.

Somewhat dissapointing.......2007-06-06

If you are looking for the best path through the game, it may be better to find a free online walkthrough, especially since I heard that there are bugs in many of the side missions, making a fair number of those unstable. So, it is possible that some of the book's information about side missions is useless. I'm unsure how well the new patch, or future patches, fix these problems. The character and weapon art in the margins is extremely good, except that there is no closeup drawing of the fascinating gauss rifle, which I *REALLY* wanted to see. There are no closeups of the knife, binoculars, anti-radition drug kit, or other medical kits, either. The kits are just featureless boxes, so they do not stimulate the imagination or allow you to imagine what is inside. Some of the margin art does show excellent conceptions of what Russian special forces troops, fully loaded with their equipment, might look like in the future. Some people might like the pictures of the mutant creatures, if they like violent and horrifying stuff.

Really cool, minor problems.......2007-05-14

It wasn't as open ended as I had hoped but still and amazing game. The atmosphere alone is worth the money. Really sweet concept and monsters however I was really disappointed by the online play. I have horrible lag problems with it and I'm running cable internet with dual 4200 processors, 2 gigs of ram and a x1900 pro video card which leaves me to believe it's simply the servers. Oh well, single player is definetly enough fun. Buy this game, you won't be disappointed:-D

Macsfriend review.......2007-05-13

This game is unique. I advise buying the Prima Game Guide and obtain a download of the IGN FAQ on the game. Even with these you will find it a confusing and tough game but it is worth the effort. I sculled around in the game at first and got used to its strange russian ways. Its a good idea to do this because you then get used to some of the rules and the odd morals of the game. Good gun battles - fun wepons - good monsters - the the humanoid phychic mutant has a mind weapon that really puts the wind up you but if you can take it he can be shot in the head dead.
It is a big game and some mistakes mean you have to go back to NEW GAME.
Great fun and quite a challange.

Facts and Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts and Slavery: 8 Projects, 20 Blocks, First-Person Accounts

Average customer rating:

Slaves & Slavery Review
Facts Without the Fabrications
quilts during slavery
Super book on African-American quilt history
Quilts and Slave History

Facts and Fabrications: Unraveling the History of Quilts and Slavery: 8 Projects, 20 Blocks, First-Person Accounts
Barbara Brackman
Manufacturer: C&T Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Slavery & Emancipation | World | History | Subjects | Books

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Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns

ASIN: 1571203648
Release Date: 2006-11-15

Book Description

* Celebrate and continue an American quilt tradition
* Combines history and quilting
* Great for homeschoolers--includes curriculum!

Enslaved peoples in the American South preserved their memories with quilts. Today, In nine remarkable projects, quilt historian and artist Barbara Brackman guides readers through the stories they told--and lets crafters create quilts and samplers that capture their own memories. Mix and match historic blocks and Brackman's new designs to create timeless treasures.

Customer Reviews:

Slaves & Slavery Review.......2007-08-02

A fascinating insight into a bygone era with the reliable details and research we have come to expect from B.Brackman. It is also a revelation of man's inhumanity towards man and the arrogance of white people towards anyone different. As a student of history I could have done without the quilt patterns though. When will publishers realise there is a market for historic facts without the frills? If I want quilt patterns I will buy a book devoted entirely to them, when I want history I would like to have it without the added patterns.

Facts Without the Fabrications.......2007-06-20

A fascinating book by Barbara Brackman on the history of slavery & quilts. She goes into depth on how slavery originated, emancipation & integration of slaves, or lack thereof. She didn't quite hit the mark disproving the link between escaping slaves & the role of the underground railroad quilt in sending directional messages, which was an area she briefly glossed over leaving the reader dissatisfied & still questioning the outcome.

The quilts portrayed were attractive but not as outstanding as the projects in her many other wonderful books.

As a book on the history of slavery, this text is excellent. In disproving fabrications between underground railroad quilts & escaping slaves, I feel it falls short. A worthwhile read, however.

quilts during slavery.......2007-05-18

Great history of quilts during the Civil War and slavery. Very informative and interesting reading. Highly recommend.

Super book on African-American quilt history.......2007-04-11

This is a beautiful book of history on African-American quilt making and is chock full of photos, patterns, and basic American history as well. She pulls no punches, tells no lies or tales, and tells you what is an absolute FACT and what is questionable. If you are interested at all in the subject, you must have this book. It is way beyond the info in E.Burns Underground Railroad book. (Which is also a nice resource.)

Quilts and Slave History.......2007-04-11

Although I haven't finished this book I am very impressed with what I've read so far. This book would interest anyone who wants to know more about the early history of quilting without regard to the "color" of the quilter. The pictures show families during this time and their living conditions. I would recommend highly. I am eager to make some of the quilt squares offered here.

Programming a Multiplayer FPS in DirectX (Game Development Series)

Average customer rating:

Godd introduction, complete coverage
Interesting book; good analysis
Useful book, really bad FPS game
Man does this book suck!
Good but not perfect

Programming a Multiplayer FPS in DirectX (Game Development Series)
Vaughan Young
Manufacturer: Charles River Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1584503637

Book Description

If you have experience with C++ and DirectX and have always wanted to program your own game, this is the book for you. Programming a Multiplayer FPS in DirectX takes you from the basic game design to a fully functioning game! All of the source code, assets, and tools are included- you just work through the tutorial-based chapters and watch the game come to life as you develop it. And as new features are added, you can begin playing with them to see them in action. Following a typical game development process, the book is separated into two distinct parts: Part One focuses on the design and development of the game engine, and Part Two concentrates on putting the game together using the engine. The theory has been kept to a minimum, so that you are following a hands-on approach and adding new functionality to your engine as you proceed. In the first part, you'll learn about the many facets of DirectX, C++, and object-oriented programming. You'll also learn how to design the engine and put the infrastructure into place. The next chapters will each add a new module to your engine including input, scripting, 3D rendering, sound, networking, and scene management. The second part covers the final development stages, including everything from game play to player management; it culminates with the complete multiplayer FPS game. Throughout the book you'll learn key topics that will bring you up to speed with industry proven techniques, while improving your confidence as a developer. And because DirectX is the most prevalent game development tool available, once you master this project, you'll have the skills you need to create a variety of games!

Customer Reviews:

Godd introduction, complete coverage.......2007-09-11

In general I'm very pleased with the book "Programming a multiplayer FPS in directX". It provides a very nice introduction on how to approach the task of building a complex 3d application for user with basic knowledge of C(++) and DirectX. Structured programming is important! It is nice that one has such a concrete result at the end of the book. The only drawback is that it could have a little more in depth treatment of certain areas, but hey, it is already almost 500 pages :)

Interesting book; good analysis.......2007-07-24

At my school we used this book for our networking class. (I had been begging our teacher to show us some directPlay stuff... yes, I'm aware that directPlay is ugh in terms of networking, but, it was a lot better than learning some java networking stuff. At least to me).

This book was an invaluable tool for designing my networking system. I basically gutted this networking system and stacked on some variable size packets that I studied from one of the Lamothe (actual author:Todd Baron ) books. (weird book, guy talks about his exploits in ultimate online for like, almost a chapter before he goes on to explain about how you can hack the networking system for exploits.

This book shows you how to implement a peer to peer network and then treat it like a server/client system. It's an interesting (I chose to just go strictly peer-to-peer in my system) approach. And I read in one of the Game Programming Gems a way to bypass some of the connectivity issues with peer to peer networks.

Regardless, this book is an EXCELLENT study of networking for games. I read the networking chapter probably 20x during our project and it took me quite a while to figure out exactly what he was doing with it. In the end, it's a logical system that works fairly decently.

We didn't use the rest of the code in the book too much. Some of the other people in my class modified the FPS game to do other things (made a shooting gallery, other's made some text based games on the networking code, etc).

The source code is useful and there is an update available for it (his precious linked list had a memory leak in it... he really harps on about it).

If you have never designed a game system before. This book is going to be a tremendous help. It teaches a bit about design patterns without all the unnecessary mumbo-jumbo, and how they directly relate to game programming and how they're useful (helloooo singleton).

The code is in visual studio 6 I believe, and you have to set the default project to the actual project and not the engine to get it to run. Also, if your hardware doesn't support hardware vertex buffers (you have integrated graphics, we had a couple people on the team with this issue) you have to change one of the directX intializers to something else to account for this (can't remember the call now, look at some other directX init calls from somewhere else and you can find it).

He goes into quite a bit of detail about each topic and the basics, and then delves down into the design of each system. It's very methodical and well thought out. AND YOU GET SOMETHING WORKING AT THE END!

Do not get this book if:
You are new to C++(you better have a CRYSTAL clear understanding of pointers and OOP, classes etc).

You are not interested in engine design.

You hate directX, or directPlay.

You hate max; he uses 3dsMax to make the scene files etc.

You are an industry professional that has a basic understanding of how a game engine works. This is definitely a n00b book.

You expect to get your hand completely held at each step. He does skip over some details that are easily discovered if you delve a little into the MSDN or any other online resource.

Get this book if:
You are incredibly interesting in engine design and want to get your feet wet; as well as learn some engine design in the process.

You're interested in any of the systems this book covers ( I can really only attest to the networking system, and that he uses directPlay, which is in sunset mode).

Interested in basic modular programming and looking to expand the code in the book to meet your needs or to experiment with. It is an incredibly useful base to start with.

Are extremely comfortable in c++/directX and are interested in expanding your knowledge and it's applications into games.

Overall, the book was a good purchase and is an excellent stepping stone into engine design. It has been very useful in my future projects since I've used this book in my course work.

Useful book, really bad FPS game.......2007-02-05

I've enjoyed reading this book. It effectively shows you how to write a very basic first person shooter in directx. Well done. It briefly introduces rendering, a simple scripting system, peer-to-peer networking, handling user input, scene management, collision detection, sound effects, and more. Not bad. The code is fine, I had no problems compiling it in VS2005 (check the authors website for the latest code though) and I learned a lot from reading the book and going through the code. In short, I am glad to have bought and read this book and I do recommend it to others.

The book does have some drawbacks though. I feel that the actual game that is built in this book is embarrasingly bad. The networking system, rendering system, user interface, and everything else about it are bare-bones functional, but certainly not good enough that you'd want to encorporate them into your own game. I suppose that the thought is that you should first learn to build a Yugo before you learn to build a Ferrari, but personally I'd rather just learn to build the ferrari right off the bat :) Oh, and why must the graphics suck so badly? I realize that it doesn't necessarily impact the goal of learning the various topics, but seriously, how hard would it have been to at least provide a decent character model, or some decent textures and lighting and so forth?

One last thing. The book assumes a familiarity with C++ and to a lesser extent with Directx, so if you are brand new to either of those, the book will be pretty challenging to follow.

Man does this book suck!.......2006-07-13

This book is terrible! You read through the whole thing, and you don't even learn anything!

I would strongly recommend people not to buy this book.

Otherwise, you just wasted 30 dollars on worthless bs.

Good but not perfect.......2006-07-05

This book gives the reader a good general understanding of how networked gameprogramming works, and also a good bit of information about the internals of a complete game engine. The downside about this book is that it uses mixed hardware/software vertex processing which results in noncompatable programs with my laptop, however, if you change that to only software and recompile every demo then it works greate (A setting in CreateDevice()...), but slow (on my laptop...),, the occlusion checks ain't the best, and the partitioning on load is slow,, slow as in - you cant augment the code for profiling or it will be runnig for more then 15 minutes on a 1.03GHz laptop... ("more then" due to the fact that i aborted it....) and the use of 3DsMAX files as levelmodels... and the occlusions based not on the real environement but on objects placed in the scene.. (invisible...)...

Except the minor none-perfect things this book is GREATE!!! AND a BIG NOTE: The minors noted above ain't to bad,, it just looks like much when it's writen down,, and I think that this book is a good read for everyone,, and I do REALY recomend it... however, i give it 4 of 5 due to the recomile things and the occlusion,,, however, this book ain't about perfekt rendering,, it's about connection a game to the internet :)... and it gives you MORE then plenty :)

Average customer rating:

In an age of rampant hyperbole, what is the word for genius?
The Power To Do Anything
"The troubles always start when they start for you."
something missing
The Ministry of Special Cases

The Ministry of Special Cases
Nathan Englander
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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For the Relief of Unbearable Urges: Stories
Divisadero

ASIN: 0375404937
Release Date: 2007-04-24

Book Description

The long-awaited novel from Nathan Englander, author of For the Relief of Unbearable Urges. Englander’s wondrous and much-heralded collection of stories won the 2000 Pen/Malamud Award and was translated into more than a dozen languages.

From its unforgettable opening scene in the darkness of a forgotten cemetery in Buenos Aires, The Ministry of Special Cases casts a powerful spell. In the heart of Argentina’s Dirty War, Kaddish Poznan struggles with a son who won’t accept him; strives for a wife who forever saves him; and spends his nights protecting the good name of a community that denies his existence--and denies a checkered history that only Kaddish holds dear. When the nightmare of the disappeared children brings the Poznan family to its knees, they are thrust into the unyielding corridors of the Ministry of Special Cases, the refuge of last resort.

Nathan Englander’s first novel is a timeless story of fathers and sons. In a world turned upside down, where the past and the future, the nature of truth itself, all take shape according to a corrupt government’s whims, one man--one spectacularly hopeless man--fights to overcome his history and his name, and, if for only once in his life, to put things right. Here again are all the marvelous qualities for which Englander’s first book was immediately beloved: his exuberant wit and invention, his cosmic sense of the absurd, his genius for balancing joyfulness and despair. Through the devastation of a single family, Englander captures, indelibly, the grief of a nation. The Ministry of Special Cases, like Englander’s stories before it, is a celebration of our humanity, in all its weakness, and--despite that--hope.

Customer Reviews:

In an age of rampant hyperbole, what is the word for genius?.......2007-09-04

Nathan Englander's short story collection, "For the Relief of Unbearable Urges" received accolades and awards when it debuted five years ago, all well deserved. Now, after five-years, Englander offers his first novel, "The Ministry of Special Cases." If any thought that the fresh pathos laden voice of "Relief" was a fluke, "Ministry" will surely set them straight.

First, a brief review of the plot. The place is Argentina in the 70's under the reign of a military junta that snaps citizens up without paper work and recourse and then pretends as if they know nothing about them. In this surreal environment, where reality, memory, and the official story often conflict lives our main character, Kaddish Pozen, a Jewish son of a whore living on the outskirts of his community who supports his family by collecting fees from the descendants of unsavory deceased Jews who pay him to erase their ancestors name off of grave stones in the cemetery where criminals lay buried. The cast of characters we meet along the way are as many and varied as one can imagine, all touched and warped by the insanity of their world.

While the premise surely will prove irresistible to many readers, a few may question an author's ability to execute a tale layered with such a thick helping of symbolism. A credit to Englander's talent then that he not only succeeds, but does so with the sensitivity and humor that marks him as a young author of great potential. While every writer imagines themselves a unique voice, Englander's novel, with its characters facing problems far beyond their depth and often contrasting images at once frightening and absurd brings to mind Isaac Singer's work, clearly one of the author's inspirations.

Any effort to explain too much of this novel risks spoiling some of the fun of watching it uncoil. Suffice to say, I suspect in a few decades' people will recall fondly when they first discovered Mr. Englander's gift.

The Power To Do Anything.......2007-08-13

Englander's book is truly an amazing example of the author's superb writing abilities. It compares very favorably with his first book of short stories, but here, Englander gets into serious depth of character development and how they deal with bad situations way beyond their ability to control.

The book describes a period during the dictatorship of Argentina and the discrimination experienced by Jewish Argentinians during the reign of the dictatorship in the country at the middle and end of the 20th century. The book focuses on not just discrimination against Jews, but governmentally sanctioned discrimination against youth and liberal or different political and social ideas and ideals. The book is the story of one very unusual Jew, who realized that an old and closed Jewish cemetary could in fact be of danger to those still living. Many decades ago, the business of prostitution in Buenos Ares was a Jewish monopoly, no longer true, but at a time it was. Those people had their own cemetary and it occured to Kadish, the protagonist, that people would pay to have their last names removed from those tombstones. So, he started a business removing the names off people's tombstones to protect those still living.

While the story centers around the Jewish element of the social climate, Englander is careful to point out that the discrimination was not just against Jews, but against Youth and Thought. The police randomly rounded up groups of youths and then either incarcerated them, released them or killed them. The actions of the police were related to power and control.

In addition, Englander paints a wonderful picture of the legal system and its absurdity. In fact, the book is reminiscent of "The Trial" by Franz Kafka, in that no matter what is done, there seems to be no end or ability to seek legal relief or redress. The system seems to be designed to specifically frustrate and delay the attempts of any individual trying to get information on any youth taken away by the police.

In totality, the book is a truly wonderful picture of life in a totalitarian dictatorship, where those who are given the power to enforce the law, abuse this duty to the maximum extent. Absolute power corrupts absolutely; as illustrated so beautifully and graphically by Englander in this book.

The book is truly powerful and beautifully written. All the author's unique talents have been brought to bare in this fabulous work. The book is recommended to all adults who have interest in seeing how things become skewed horribly in situations where there is no check and balance on power, and where people find it amusing and fun to inflict pain, anguish and even death randomly on people, purely because they CAN! It is a fast reading book and highly recommended for its beautiful writing and its clarity of intent.

"The troubles always start when they start for you.".......2007-08-04

Set in the Argentina of 1976 - a dark and violent time of upheaval - "The Ministry of Special Cases" is about a family torn apart by a power-corrupted government. It centers primarily on the actions of Kaddish and Lillian Poznan after their teenaged son, Pato, is `disappeared' by mysterious officials one night, perhaps never to be seen again. Kaddish and Lillian are locked in a futile race against time, knowing that every day their son is missing the likelihood that he has not survived increases. But how can they penetrate the defenses of the government and the police to get information regarding a son whose existence is now denied? At best, Kaddish and Lillian are told that their son must have run away from them, and are advised to give up their search before making `needless' trouble. But the Poznans know the truth about Pato's disappearance - Kaddish was home when his son was escorted from their apartment by mysterious men, who also removed three of Pato's books that they had deemed inappropriate.

The search for their son leads Lillian to Argentina's Ministry of Special cases, where hundreds of people line up and fight for information about missing loved ones, and are frustrated by bureaucratic dead-ends. Worse than the government's unswerving apathy toward Kaddish and Lillian is the fearfully uncaring attitude that they find from general citizens they turn to for assistance. Everyone is too wrapped up in their own problems to care about the Poznan's plight - and much too afraid of losing their own family if they anger the government. Until their own son was taken from them Kaddish and Lillian themselves had been blind to the severity of the problem - Lillian is genuinely startled to find so many people waiting at the Ministry of Special Cases, and dismayed to hear from a couple that is finally giving up hope after two long years of no news.

The strength of Englander's story is that the Poznans are a believable family unit. They are not the utopian family of amateur fiction, but a realistic family burdened by animosity and failure and bitter disappointment. Kaddish is marked by his low birth - an `hijo de puta' who will never earn respect or dignity, and the spectacular failures of his numerous get-rich-quick schemes to overcome his status have put a great deal of strain on his marriage to Lillian, who had believed in his abilities as a young (naïve?) young woman. And Pato is your typical disgruntled teenager; he hates his parents, acts out, runs away to his friends' home, smokes pot, and refuses to listen to their sage advice that could have kept him safe. And yet the reader feels the strength of their familial bond thanks to Englander's prodigious talents as a writer. Despite their fighting, it feels devastating when the Poznans are torn apart.

But is "The Ministry of Special Cases" for everyone? No. Englander is a gifted writer, but his eccentricities will turn some readers off as unnecessary and annoying. As a fan of Nathan Englander's story collection, For the Relief of Unbearable Urges: Stories, perhaps I was already primed for his style before picking this book up, but I enjoy his quirks and I have spoken to several other people who do too. For those who can appreciate them, "Ministry" is a one-of-a-kind treat and an amazing novel.
Grade: A-

something missing.......2007-07-15

I read the book and couldn't put it down. I gave it to my mom and she couldn't finish it (which is rare it is usually the other way around). I really wanted to like this book, but there is some quality about it that I just can't describe. The book takes place in a time and place that makes it difficult to fully get into the context of the book and the author doesn't do a lot to describe the character's environment. The book zig zags around with suspense but not much action. Extremely well written, I just didn't like the story.

The Ministry of Special Cases.......2007-07-07

The Ministry of Special Cases

Articulately written book by Nathan Englander, a young writer with a sage's
literary gift. Unbelievable that he can plumb the depths of a time and place
in history through the eyes of one family that not only illuminates their agonies but also those of a multitude of Argentinians.
A must read.

Misty: First Person Stories of the F-100 Fast FACs in the Vietnam War

Average customer rating:

bob cassaro
Misty : Riveting First Hand stories of Misty FAC Group in Nam
Stories Well Worth Reading
The RAF in Vietnam
This books deserves 6 stars!

Misty: First Person Stories of the F-100 Fast FACs in the Vietnam War
USAF (Ret ). Major General Don Shepperd
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Similar Items:

Bury Us Upside Down: The Misty Pilots and the Secret Battle for the Ho Chi Minh Trail
Palace Cobra: A Fighter Pilot in the Vietnam Air War
First In, Last Out: Stories by The Wild Weasels
100 Missions North: A Fighter Pilot's Story of the Vietnam War
When Thunder Rolled

ASIN: 0759652546

Book Description

First person stories of 155 fighter pilots who flew in a special Top Secret mission during the Vietnam War. There has never been a book like this. These are their personal stories - full of emotion, drama, tragedy and humor.

Customer Reviews:

bob cassaro.......2007-06-19

Bob Cassaro is my father.
My name is bret branon.
b@westparkfoundries.com
Yesterday was fathers day, and we didnt talk.
Sometimes I wish things were different.

Misty : Riveting First Hand stories of Misty FAC Group in Nam.......2006-11-06

An absolute must read for anyone interested in Viet Nam War History, flying and adrenaline. First hand stories from the pilots who flew recon and rescue missions in Nam. Repetitive? Absolutely not as each person tells his story, as it happened to him. You get a well rounded view of each mission. I couldn't put it down. It is an adrenaline rush just to read. Bess Carnahan

Stories Well Worth Reading.......2006-09-23

This book is, in my view, a companion to another book entitled "Bury Us Upside Down: The Misty Pilots and the Secret Battle for the Ho Chi Minh Trail." That book took a slice in time through the "Misty" mission and discussed the actions of a narrow group of flyers, apparently those with whom the author served and with whom he was most familiar. This book takes a broader view and essentially presents the complete history of "Commando Sabre," termed "Misty," as told by many of the men who flew in that top secret unit during the Vietnam War. As such, it is a valuable piece of military history and well worth reading.

The book did, however, come across as a little repetitive, but in all probability that couldn't be helped. For many of the stories were written in 1970, seemingly for some other purpose, while others were written in response to solicitations by the author/editor, apparently without specific guidelines (e.g., Don't tell us how the unit was formed or why, how many missions you had to fly in the back seat to qualify, etc.). Furthermore, since "Mistys" flew in pairs and when in heavy action were often supported or replaced by other Mistys, more than one story author often wrote about the same event from his own perspective.

Nevertheless, this is a great read, particularly for those interested in military history or the Vietnam War. For all others, I would suggest that you at least check this book out of the library and read the following excerpts: "A Trip to North Vietnam," by Don Jones (pgs. 162-170); "Combat Photographer," by Wells Jackson (pgs. 240-252); "Rescue in POL Valley," by Steve Amdor (pgs. 280-283); "What Was That?," by Bob Bryan (pgs. 306-309); "Tidbits," by Bob Cassaro (pgs. 314-319); "Gutsy Gunner," by Tony McPeak (pgs. 338-341); "War," by E. Lynn Farnsworth (pgs. 411-419); "The POWs" (pgs. 435-477); and "Then and Now," by P. K. Robinson (pgs. 523-537) These are the best written stories, and most are told in an entertaining way. They will give you the flavor of Misty and tell you much about the brave men who flew in the Vietnam War, in general, and those who flew in this top secret unit, in particular.

The RAF in Vietnam.......2006-08-21

This is the companion book to "Bury me Upside Down". Any complaints that you might have about that book not staying on message are immediately dispelled in the more than 600 pages and 81 personal "stories" by the Misty pilots. The stories would seem fantastic if fictional, but these are real life stories. From the training in the US to the POW camps in Hanoi, from the multiple ejections to the "Mig sweeps" at the officer clubs, you will be fascinated by each person's stories. The references in the back are beyond useful. I found myself constantly flipping back to see what this pilot was doing today or who the other pilots were in his "generation" at Phu Cat.

And the ultimate farce of war is also present. Joseph Heller did not even com,e close to the truth in "Catch 22". When Colonels from Saigon would complain about the FACS getting their F-100 "damaged" by ground fire and write up the pilots and maintenance people for not taking better care of the US Government equipment, you had to wonder how we ever made any progress in that war.

If you want a read on what the "real" war was like for the US Air Force in Vietnam get this book and read it. You will not be disappointed.

This books deserves 6 stars!.......2004-11-11

This book is terrific, plain and simple. Any person interested in the courage and bravado of true fighter pilot heros in the VietNam War will be well-served reading this work.....you'll be glad you did!

No Lifeguard: The Accidental Life of the World's First Supermodel

Average customer rating:

Craptabulous!
Enjoyed it
Great book
This is a woman who needs professional help!
no lifeguard on duty

No Lifeguard: The Accidental Life of the World's First Supermodel
Janice Dickinson
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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Everything About Me Is Fake-- And I'm Perfect
Check, Please!: Dating, Mating, and Extricating
Thing of Beauty
Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women
A Paper Life

ASIN: 0060566175
Release Date: 2003-09-30

Book Description

A rollicking memoir by one of the greatest (and most outrageous) supermodels of the 1970s.

Janice Dickinson was not only the first of the supermodels, she endured a nightmarishly traumatic childhood at the hands of a sadistic, sexually and emotionally abusive father, and emerged in the early 1970s as the first lush–lipped 'exotic' brunette to break into a modelling world dominated by sunny California blondes.

Janice owned the modelling world in the 1970s. Animated by a fierce desire to be recognised, a fearless spirit, and an insatiable hunger for alcohol, cocaine, sex, and fun, Dickinson appeared on every magazine cover, worked with every major designer and photographer (from Calvin Klein and Gianni Versace to Helmut Newton and Richard Avedon), was married three times, and had passionate affairs or one–night stands with everyone from Warren Beatty to Jack Nicholson to Mick Jagger. Though her career waned in the 1990s, her dramatic life story did not: in recent years she has fought a hotly contested paternity suit with Sylvester Stallone, survived a near–fatal car wreck during a tequila/marijuana blackout in St Bart's, and waged a raging battle with alcohol and drug addiction.

Customer Reviews:

Craptabulous!.......2007-08-24

So, I am a fan of crazy-gorgeous-extreme model types, because they are so much the opposite of me.

Take Janice Dickinson, for instance. Janice walks in a room, and everyone knows it. Maybe they smell her heady melange of booze, perfume, and cigarettes. It could be the obnoxiously loud string of foulness that always enters before she does. And perhaps it's because she's gorgeous and has those crazy -- as in substantially unstable -- eyes that demand attention in a Charlie Manson kind of way. I don't know. Whatever it is, I want it, as do millions of young ladies.

So I really wanted to like this book and experience a lot of "Oh no she di'int" admiration, but mostly, I was stumbling over the lackluster, disconnected writing. Does anyone believe celebrities of her caliber -- low, that is -- really write their own material? I suppose her "writing partner" is partially to blame for the poor quality, but having seen Dickinson in action (critiquing ANTM contestants and manipulating her way through the D-list dumpster that is The Surreal Life), I don't doubt for a second that she'd have creative control and final say on the content and style.

Janice does deliver some juicy bits. For example, way back when Sly Stallone was her man, Janice was regularly given mystery "vitamins" by the Rocky that, in light of recent events, may've been an early iteration of HGH. Hm. Plus there's tons of drugs and boyfriends (and girlfriends), although I could've done without the explicit descriptions of sex ham-fistedly sandwiched into random spots. (It's like she forgot she wasn't writing a Harlequin for a couple of pages.)

As in other memoirs by people who shouldn't necessarily be writing any, there's the usual childhood drama blown out of proportion. Being abused is drama enough -- why add the Lifetime Movie of the Week sentiment for fanfare? It feels a little... exploitative.

But I suppose that's the point. Dickinson made her career out of exploitation -- of her body, the camera, other people's bodies... you name it. I appreciate the candor she shows, and no-holds-barred "outing" of celeb secrets is balanced by kind words for others (for instance, Christie Brinkley is -- or at least was -- a saint). This could've been an excellent book if only she'd taken an intensive in English composition and pulled out a thesaurus. (At least it wasn't as bad as Iceberg Slim!)

Enjoyed it.......2007-06-28

I thought this book was v interesting & honest...a true look into Janice's Dickinsons life. She is a strong character & has survived a hell of a childhood - now i now why she still acts kinda crazy when you see her on tv!

Great book.......2007-06-27

This woman has balls. It is not a book written by someone who is afraid of looking bad, or offending people (I am looking at YOU Kimora Lee Simmons). Janice is one fierce b*tch. I must say she did start to get on my nerves after viewing her reality show, but if you are looking for a juicy book, get this one. You will be satisfied!

This is a woman who needs professional help!.......2007-06-13

This is truly a sick (emotionally & maybe mentally) and delusional woman.

It's amazing to me that this sewer-mouthed narcisist got as far as she did.

This book is trash!

no lifeguard on duty.......2007-05-24

this book is interesting when it talks about her life with family and friends but the rest of it is slow and boring i thought this was going to be great like her other book but its very boring and hard to keep reading,

The Lost World of the Egyptian Jews: First-person Accounts from Egypt's Jewish Community In the Twentieth Century

Average customer rating:

Fascinating history
A touching memorial

The Lost World of the Egyptian Jews: First-person Accounts from Egypt's Jewish Community In the Twentieth Century
Liliane S Dammond
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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Egypt | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

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The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World
Out of Egypt: A Memoir
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The Septembers of Shiraz

ASIN: 0595399304

Book Description

Jews lived in Egypt without interruption since Biblical times. The community knew an apogee in the first half of 20th century. Political events during the second half of the 20th century caused the Jews to leave Egypt and disperse throughout the world. This book contains 28 interviews of middle class Egyptian Jews describing their life in Egypt in their own voices just before their final departure. They bring to life the charm and diversities of the lives they led with its many contradictions. A cosmopolitan life they shared with many other groups living in Egypt at that time.

"As a professional historian, I found the material of immense potential scholarly value. As a Jew who left Egypt during the 1956 Suez crisis, it touches me in a deep and personal way. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the forces that affect cultural dynamics, political conflict and, last but not least, human nature."

-Jean Marc R. Openheim, PHD

Teachers College, Columbia University

"We have been given an extraordinary gift in this compilation of poignant memories of an Egypt of long ago. These oral histories not only capture the rich way of life of Egyptian Jews, but they also inform of their caring for this land and its people."

-Nimet Habachy

Author, Broadcaster (WQXR)

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating history.......2007-04-11

The world of the Egyptian Jewish community would be lost to us if it were not for Lilliane Dammond's efforts to preserve their memories. Like it's authors, it reflects the emotions, issues and foibles relating to families, friends, and identity. I highly recommend it.

A touching memorial.......2007-03-31

In the first half of the 20th century the "foreign" communities in both Cairo and Alexandria had developed into a sophisticated, well educated group.
Following the creation of Israel in 1948, Arab nationalism expulsed and dispossesed this entire class of people. Many of these were Jews who were forced to leave, without their livelihood and savings.
More than a generation later, Lilianne Dammond has interviewed some of those who were obliged to create new lives for themselves in many new countries. These individuals recount their memories in the first person, lending a touch of pathos and affection to their wistful recollection of a country which ejected them.
It is a touching work, which I heartily recommend.

Touching the Void: The Harrowing First Person Account Of One Man's Miraculous Survival

Average customer rating:

Warning: Ice is slippery
Amazing story of survival
BORING BORING BORING
Touching the void-a touching story
Hard to put this book down once started.

Touching the Void: The Harrowing First Person Account Of One Man's Miraculous Survival
Joe Simpson
Manufacturer: Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Touching the Void
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
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ASIN: 0060916540

Amazon.com

Concise and yet packed with detail, Touching the Void, Joe Simpson's harrowing account of near-death in the Peruvian Andes, is a compact tour de force that wrestles with issues of bravery, friendship, physical endurance, the code of the mountains, and the will to live. Simpson dedicates the book to his climbing partner, Simon Yates, and to "those friends who have gone to the mountains and have not returned." What is it that compels certain individuals to willingly seek out the most inhospitable climate on earth? To risk their lives in an attempt to leave footprints where few or none have gone before? Simpson's vivid narrative of a dangerous climbing expedition will convince even the most die-hard couch potato that such pursuits fall within the realm of the sane. As the author struggles ever higher, readers learn of the mountain's awesome power, the beautiful--and sometimes deadly--sheets of blue glacial ice, and the accomplishment of a successful ascent. And then catastrophe: the second half of Touching the Void sees Simpson at his darkest moment. With a smashed, useless leg, he and his partner must struggle down a near-vertical face--and that's only the beginning of their troubles.

Book Description

"A truly astounding account of suffering and fortitude."
--The Times (London)

Joe Simpson and his climbing partner, Simon Yates, had just reached the top of a 21,000-foot peak in the Andes when disaster struck.Simpson plunged off the vertical face of an ice ledge, breaking his leg. In the hours that followed, darkness fell and a blizzard raged as Yates tried to lower his friend to safety. Finally, Yates was forced to cut the rope, moments before he would have been pulled to his own death.

The next three days were an impossibly grueling ordeal for both men. Yates, certain that Simpson was dead, returned to base camp consumed with grief and guilt over abandoning him. Miraculously, Simpson had survived the fall but, crippled, starving, and severely frostbitten, was trapped in a deep crevasse. Summoning vast reserves of physical and spiritual strength, Simpson hopped, hobbled, and crawled over the cliffs and canyons of the Andes, reaching the base hours before Yates had planned to break camp.

How both men overcame the torments of those harrowing days is an epic tale of fear, suffering, and survival; a poignant testament to unshakable courage and friendship.

"Told with lyrical quality and stunning immediacy, Touching the Void transcends its genre and becomes accessible to readers who have never had any desire to climb a glacier."
--New York Newsday

"A gripping narrative that should excite armchair adventurers everywhere."
--Cleveland Plain Dealer

"Simpson touches a nerve of the mountaineering community and the hearts of others."
--Los Angeles Times

"Riveting, even compulsive reading."
--Minneapolis Star Tribune

Customer Reviews:

Warning: Ice is slippery.......2007-10-02

Perhaps posting this notice on mountains would prevent exactly the type of incident outlined in this book. If one climbs UP an icy lump of rock, falling back DOWN is certainly one possible outcome. And if there are chasms, yes one will fall into them. Haven't we ever dropped a peanut butter sandwich? Goodness. Anyway, we already HAVE the Discovery Channel. There is simply no need for youngsters to get themselves up to this kind of hijinks, particularly on slippery slopes. Why do you think we use that metaphor? How many books of this sort must I read before the Human Race realizes the outdoors were not meant for us. If we were intended to rush about in the open, why would God have invented the Ritz Carlton. If one must go to areas of natural wonder, one should stay in a hotel like a normal person. Scenery is best viewed from the en-suite television. Remember, there is no room service in nature. And while nature is scenic, it is hell on one's vital organs, not to mention manicures. If one truly wishes to risk life and limb, why not do it for a valid REASON, for heaven's sake. Climbing rocks is the kind of challenge that ants and potato bugs must overcome. Not us, darlings. We are not potato bugs. No, no, no! If one is simply determined to undertake some highly threatening physical activity, fine. But at least make it worthwhile for me. Become my surrogate shopper at the Max Azaria BCBG sample sale downtown, or at the annual Fred Segal sale in Santa Monica. You will have all the danger you crave. Immediate decisions and swift actions are imperative, you will be injured, probably killed. All the thrills of outdoor adventure, but with up to 75% off. If you manage to grab me a pair of gray suede Ferragamo pumps, size 8, the ones with the thin leather piping, at Fred's, lunch is on me, name the place.

Oh, about the book? Well, I DID read some of it, except for parts in the beginning, middle and end. The writer just goes on and on about everything. In a nutshell, they climbed up something covered in ice, they fell down. It was cold. Anyhoo, I don't want to give anything away, but the author DID write the book, so there is your big clue as to the outcome.

Ciao darlings.

Amazing story of survival.......2007-08-14

When two hikers, Joe and Simon set off to climb Sula Grande in South America they had no idea how it would turn out. In the course of the descent Joe is lowered over a cliff by mistake in the gathering clouds. His climbing partner is forced to cut the rope in order for himself not to be dragged over, thus ensuring Joe's death. But Joe does not die. He has a brocken leg and is lodged in a crevace. After houre os harrowing attempts to go up he decides to go down.

This book tells the story of his fascinating survival, his tremendous will to live, his thoughts on death and God, and his realization that only he could get himself free.

An amazing story, one of the most extraordinary survival stories, up their with Alive. A great story of the outdoors that rivals Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster. However it may not be quite as good as the documentary on the same story, Touching the Void: The True Story of One Man's Miraculous Survival.

Seth J. Frantzman

BORING BORING BORING.......2007-07-29

i am sorry but i was so disappointed with this book! -i read this book after seeing all the great reviews and i do not understand all the hype- i think the only reason there are so many great reviews is that climbers stick together and have a reverence for eachother so perhaps they don't want to "pan" joe simpson's book- but as far as i am concerned, this book was very poorly written, so slow, so boring, way too technical and such a chore to get through- i didn't understand what all the terms meant and even when looking them up, i still couldn't get a clear picture of what was happening to him- even the photos were of no help- if you are not a climber you will have the same problem- and if you are a climber, you will still find it as i described above less the terminology problems- i didn't find it enjoyable at all- i expected to find it rivetting and interesting and heart wrenching but it was none of the above- and his friend simon yates was so despicable in this book that you just can't believe that joe even talks to him let alone includes his version of events in this book and dedicates the book to him? huh?- it just made no sense- but,
if you do want the greatest true adventure survival story EVER WRITTEN then you ABSOLUTELY MUST read "ADRIFT"- it is BY FAR the greatest true survival story ever written- it is superbly written and you don't have to be a sailor to understand his plight- your heart aches and you feel you are there as he literally drifts across the atlantic in a sinking dinghy for 76 days waiting to be rescued- but he realizes no one is coming to rescue him, so therefore, he must save himself- UNBELIEVABLE- he is an amazing man- now this is an amazing story of survival- i am shocked that touching the void was even put to pen to be honest- this may sound unkind but while i was reading it i kept thinking, "why was a book written about this?" -didn't seem worth writing a book over- (sorry joe- glad you are alive though of course)- i encourage you all to skip this one and read "ADRIFT" instead- UPDATE: i decided to rent the movie "touching the void" from the library to see if the movie made for a more interesting story- well yes it did- it wasn't the best adventure survival movie i have ever seen but it was still infinitely better than the book- and it was nice to see the real joe tell the story- he really lets us into his soul i find and one could see how much this experience has affected him- tears were never far from his eyes- i came away liking the guy- you will not get the same feeling from simon yates, however- if you read his excerpts in the book and watch him in the movie, you will see he is a cold person, a friend you wouldn't want to have- a friend who would leave you to die when you needed him- with friends like that who needs enemies? glad you are safe joe! and i must say it was brave of simon to show his face in the movie- at least he is not denying his role (or lack thereof) in this adventure- to you readers, my advice is to watch the movie over the book-

Touching the void-a touching story.......2007-06-01

Joe Simpson, and Simon Yates are truely admirable and courageous people. The bravery Joe Simpson mantained during his difficult situation is amazing, and an attitude to look up to. His frustration was understandable and the fact he made it was somewhat...a miracle.
Simon Yates was called by many a traitor. He cut the rope when (although he wasn't aware of it) Joe Simpson, alive but not so well, was on the recieving end. People think this is disgraceful but if you watch the film, or read the book you will accept why he did it. You'll also find it took more bravery for him to cut the rope, than stay there in the freezing cold, never living to tell the tale.
The rope is, apparently, a representitive of the bond between the climbers, but really it's just a rope.

Hard to put this book down once started........2007-05-29

This book is well written, very interesting to anyone who has been up on a Mountain in South America or elsewhere. I enjoyed reading this book as a recommendation I had from a British climber on our trip to Cotopaxi in Equador.

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