Book Description

The history of the church has shaped what our faith and practice are like today. It's tempting to think that the way we do things now is best, but history also has much to teach us about what we've forgotten. In Water from a Deep Well, Gerald Sittser opens to us the rich history of spirituality, letting us gaze at the practices and stories of believers from the past who had the same thirst for God that we do today. As we see their deep faith through his vibrant narratives, we may discover that old ways can bring new life to our own spirituality.

Customer Reviews (4)

A good summary of different aspects of Christian history
I found this to be a good book that covered many different parts of Christian history. It was not dry and technical, but was very engaging and multiple times I found myself putting the book down to reflect what was being said.

Also, since it gave such a warm summary, it spurned me on to use other resources to do a more indepth study of the topics that really interested me.It really help cultivate a passion to engage in my studies, not for the sake of rote, but to embrace and appreciate the different aspects of my Christian faith.

A Passion for the History of Christian Spirituality
Jerry's ability to display his passion for the history of Christian Spirituality is second only to his desire for us to glean wisdom and practice in our spiritual lives through reflection on the saints. His representation, as a whole, of the history of Christian Spirituality is seamless. The written testimony of so many great saints and fathers of "the way" directs us towards the practical outcroppings of our faith in our daily walk with the Lord. History textbooks on this subject are needed and wonderful, but Jerry takes the history of the past and makes it the spiritual workings of the present; were we to lose the Christian foundations that we find in these martyrs and saints, we would be like a man who having climbed to the top of Mt. Everest could not remember his trek up the vast mountainside, but instead stood on the peak and asked his fellow climbers, "how did we get here?"

Jerry's passionate display for history to shape and impede upon us is a refreshing walk in the land of Christian Spirituality. If your feet are weary from the journey, take off your shoes and dip them into this refreshingly crisp deep well that is sure to invigorate your soul.

Refreshing!
The passion of our grandparents in faith seeps through these pages, inviting me to join them on my own journey of knowing and serving God.I have so much to learn, and Jerry helps these people and their God become more alive for me.

Drink slowly and savor.
Written in a warm and unpretentious style, this book gives an engaging, informative, and inspiring look at the history of Christian spirituality. There is much here to correct the cultural and chronological myopia that is prevalent in contemporary American Christianity. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

Powerful & Profound!
I am an advocate reader of anything pertaining to African culture and spirituality. I had heard of the many reviews of this book from many people, and all of them being positive. But what stood out in all those reviews is the fact that those who read it admitted "I couldn't put the book down". Well, I read the book and just by reading the introduction alone made me not want to put the book down. I knew that i was in for a reading that would be mind-boggling, thought provoking, powerful and profound. Brother Malidoma did not disappointment me at all.

Every chapter had a lesson behind it. The most impressive and powerful was when Malidoma returned to his village and his elders sanctioned him to be initiated. Eventhough he couldn't go into great detail, the experience that he could share was priceless. This is one of those "rare" books in which you use as a basis to measure the quality against others. Honestly, 5 stars is not enough to rate this book.

This book changed my life
I read this book in the midst of discovering the myriad of hidden truths about african history.Being African American myself I have spent many years trying to undo the backwards education that I was subjected to about my culture in this country by doing extensive research.

If for anything, read this book alone to gain an inside experience of whathorrors Africans suffered at the hands of missionaries who felt it was their duty to "save" african children from their "barbaric" roots.They stole these children away from their villages to bring them up in seminary schools where they were subject to brutal treatment and the brainwashing of their religion.I feel it is people's duty to understand the raw effects of these events as it has also happened to indigenous cultures all over the world.

As some reviewers say below, there is a lot about this book that seems fantastical.Malidoma takes us far into the magic and ritual of his culture. It takes an open mind, one that recognizes that the destructive path of colonialism was not only physical but emotional and spiritual.Take time if you will to reflect that if you think colonialism was a destructive force, it also took it's toll on our openess to the possibility of realities other than our own. There isn't hocus pocus in this book, Malidoma a very grounded, extremely well educated gentlemen who has experienced the western world and his traditional one inside out.What he offers in this book is an invaluable opportunity to see the remnants of a culture that we have lost touch with and just how important it is to reconnect to the possibility that what we experience as solid reality is only that which we have been brought up to believe in. It does not mean that it is the only one.

Malidoma's writing is also beautiful and engrossing, I couldn't put it down. I was left with a more solid sense of who I was as an African American, I have learned about the advanced architecture and maths that africans had but I had never had a chance to look this deeply into our spiritual history.

An unforgettable book
A riveting and beautiful mystical story that encompasses many lessons that we all could learn from. I could feel Malidoma's pain in his struggle with the evil criminals that complicated his life. This book is absolutely wonderful for all who appreciate the mysteries of existence but it also has many very important lessons that the Africans in America and the diaspora would do well to take notice of.In my opinion,this book should be in schools.

A mixed blessing
Malidoma Some's book is truly a mixed blessing! He writes about his personal experiences and life journey, about the spirituality of his people and the contrasts between the African Mindset and the ideas and pre-conceptions of Western people/white people.

Some parts of this book truly deserve 5 starts, other parts deserve 0! The most important part of this book is indeed Mr Some's return to his own village and his struggles to re-claim his own roots. Every practitioner and every seeker of African religions should have a look at this section of the book. It clearly shows that the western mindset can hinder us from fully embracing what African spirituality has to offer and how different the TRADITIONAL African mindset is to the mindset of western people. Just like Mr Some, who in the course of his journey realized that his "Europeanization" hindered him from fully embracing his own tradition, so should many Europeans who search for "greater powers" within the African traditions examine their own preconceptions and ideas. This part alone deserves 5 starts!

Other parts of the book read much like a fiction story and should be take with a big pinch of salt. This being said, some of the things Mr Some describes can still be found within African Traditional Religions in the West - visible spirit manifestations being just one example. However, others are rather dubious...0 stars for that part of the work!

Of Water and the Spirit, and contradictory book
first of all, i would like to have it known that i am 15, and i had to read this book for AC Writing Workshop.the first 4 or 5 chapters are very dull.the next few chapters are mildly distrubing, for he gets molested, and it is hinted that other boys are getting raped.later on, the book gets better.this book is entertaining, but unrealistic, i highly disagree with its title as an autobiography, for there is no way many of these happenings could have taken place.if it was classified as a fictional story, i would have no problem, but it is classified as an autobiography.i believe that many of his "experiences" have to do with either, dehydration, heat stroke, hallucinagents, or hypnosis.it is impossible for someone to jump into a light portal and disappear into another dimension.for this reason, i would not recomend using this book for a class, for it is completely ridiculus.it is entertaining towards the latter half of the book, the author occasionally slips into a few instances when he uses circumlocution, but other then that, its not too bad.read this book, if ur believe in spirits, but i would not recomend it if u are into science, and the phisical limits of certain things, for this book is completely contradictory to "western" beliefs.
John G. ... Read more

Book Description
The national bestseller A Yellow Raft In Blue Water is a fierce saga of three generations of Indian women, beset by hardships and torn by angry secrets, yet inextricably joined by the bonds of kinship.Download Description
The national bestseller A Yellow Raft In Blue Water is a fierce saga of three generations of Indian women, beset by hardships and torn by angry secrets, yet inextricably joined by the bonds of kinship. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (140)

Great Story
I first read this book in high school, over 10 years ago, when I saw it in a pile of used books at a library book sale.Tattered and worn, I didn't know what to expect from it, but I picked it up because of the cover.It was a gem that hooked me early on and kept me on the edge of my seat.It's not a thriller, but merely a well crafted story about people, relationships, and real life emotions and motivations.

The first section, told from the daughter Rayona's pov, is the best part of the novel.Dorris loses a little steam as he gets into Christina and, particularly, Aunt Ida's section, but the story still captivates.Starting out so well, though, set the bar pretty high and that Dorris couldn't keep it up isn't surprising, just a little disappointing.

After all these years, I kept this book on my bookshelf, always associating pleasant memories to it every time I'd glance at it.A testament to a great book is how it stays with you, and this novel has always stayed with me -- the images of Montana, the atmosphere of a summer in a confused girl's life, etc... I decided to re-read it last year and I loved it all over again.

Three strong women
Rayona, 15, biracial, resourceful, sits by the hospital bed of her Indian mother Christine in the opening of this book. She is a girl used to conflict; her father, who is black, is rarely around, and she has seen a multitude of her mother's boyfriends come and go as Christine searches endlessly for someone who can bring peace to her life. Christine is dying, though Rayona doesn't know this yet; and at some point, Christine reaches the conclusion that she would rather die at home, on the reservation, than in Seattle - even though she harbours no really good memories of the reservation either. She escapes from the hospital, bundles Rayona and whatever else she owns in an ancient Volare, and heads home.

On the reservation, Christine - for reasons that are made clear further along - abandons her daughter to the care of her mother - a formidable, large woman whom everyone calls Aunt Ida - and Christine hightails it to the home of a childhood friend. Rayona, friendless, ostracized by her reservation schoolmates for being an outsider - and not full Indian - takes the offer from the reservation priest to go to a retreat just to get away from the tension in her new surroundings, and because of an incident along the way, opts to fend for herself.

This story is told backwards - starting with Rayona's story, segueing into Christine's story, and ending at the beginning, with Aunt Ida. At the start, none of the adults present a sympathetic aspect; it's clear from the beginning that Christine is, and always has been, an angry, hungry person, looking for happiness. Her abandonment of her daughter seems heartless, and abandoning her to Aunt Ida seems particularly cruel; Ida has no apparent softness to her anywhere. As the book evolves, however, you gain a respect for all three generations, and you realize that though Christine is clearly on her way out, she's facing it squarely and without fear, and that the choices she made are the right ones for all three of them.

Aunt Ida was particularly interesting, and her segment of the story was my favourite. At the end, hers is the most poignant tale; a woman without resources, making a sacrifice no one should ever be asked to make, and coming out of it finally with her dignity intact.

"A Yellow Raft In Blue Water" was one of those books that worked on me after I had finished it, and I felt a sense of loss upon coming to the final word. These characters feel real; strongly written, compassionately portrayed, Michael Dorris did an exemplary job of reaching inside the thoughts and feelings of three women and putting into words what each was going through in a way that is wonderful; a commendable work of art.

I still think about this book.
I read this book over ten years as a freshman in high school. It touched me so much that when I am in a certain mood I think about the characters. They are great characters very deep, well thought out and relateable. I think this book is great book for women of all walks of life from teen years and up.

A rare American novel
One of the greatest tragedies regarding this book is that it has become required reading in many English classes.What a shame.Please don't mistake my intention here; one should come to this novel in a wholly voluntary way, with an open heart toward the telling of a good story.Dorris is, certainly, one of America's finest storytellers.This novel is rich with imagery and infused with the colors of Native American life.But it is essentially a novel about people and relationships undefined by race or color.It is a story of heartbreak and redemption, told by a man who knew personally of these things.As a feminist writer, I came to this book with a bias; I resented his presumption that he could tell a woman's story--several women's stories--from a woman's point of view.It taught me a lesson about my own prejudice, and brought me to a place of greater tolerance.Dorris draws together the fabric of three separate lives in this novel... and creates the warm quilt of a shared family history.Those who come to this novel of their own volition will not be disappointed.

Memorable!
There were times in this book when I had to force myself to keep reading because it slowed down. But for the most part, it was astonishing. As a reader, just when you think you've made good judgements of the characters, light shines on the passed leading up to the moments of judgement, and a whole new perspective is found, over and over again. Of all the books I've read this book has left the deepest impression on me. Fantastic! ... Read more

Product Description
Water is our best defense against disease of every kind.Sixty percent or more of all chronic disease would be significantly reduced if people would simply keep themselves properly hydrated. To ionize means to gain or lose an electron.Essentially, the ionization process robs an electron from one molecule and donates, or transfers, it to another molecule.Both Alkaline and Acid Ionized Water have extraordinary properties and benefits, however, their respective uses could not be more different.We consume Alkaline Ionized Water and use the Acid Ionized Water on the outside of our bodies for acne, cuts, scrapes and rashes of all kinds.It kills bacteria on contact and encourages plant growth.The centerpiece of Alkaline Ionized Water are its antioxidant properties.It is miraculous that normal tap water can be instantly transformed into a strong antioxidant.Alkaline Ionized Water has two antioxidant qualities, its negative charge and the presence of hydroxyl ions which are free radical scavengers.The body is starved for electrons and Alkaline Ionized Water contains an abundance of them, which nullify free radicals in the body. One can thrive on half the normal intake of food as long as we consume high electron-rich nutrients. Alkaline Ionized Water is an extremely effective antioxidant because it is a liquid that has a small grouping of water molecule clusters and thus is more easily absorbed into the body where it can be of immediate use.Drinking Alkaline Ionized Water gives you energy through better hydration and alkalization of the body and by providing the body with oxygen. Because of the predominance of hydroxyl ions in Alkaline Ionized Water, the water becomes alkaline, meaning it has a high pH.The pH level can be adjusted with a water ionizer between 7.5 and 9.9, which is the highest pH that it should be consumed.All disease thrives in an acid environment in the body and will not flourish and thrive in an alkaline environment.If we acidify ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great insight into ionized water and it's background
Reading this book was very helpful in trying to sort out all the information that is on the internet about water ionizers and the history of ionized water. We had researched quite a bit online but it was mostly companies selling machines and controversy concerning "Kangen" water. Details in the book describe how and where ionized water started, and Bob McCauley's involvement, along with his father, in the introduction of ionized water in the US. Very interesting... we discovered he had a website (he had a sticker on the book with that info) and we were able to buy a water ionizer from him at a reasonable price... we also learned about a magnetizer that replaces a soft water system that we had been using for years... it takes no maintenance, no salt, no upkeep, and it's a lifetime warranty... and much cheaper than a soft water system... well worth looking into... it produces "soft" water which is what we wanted but without the use of salt and doesn't remove minerals... and to use a water ionizer you want minerals in the water otherwise the electrolysis won't work... very impressed with this book and all the information included...

WOW!
This is such a great book.I have been researching ionized water for the past few months and finally I got some real answers.I was sort of on the fence about whether I wanted a water ionizer and now I have to have one.This book is an excellent guide to ionized water and water in general.I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to learn about water, especially ionized water. ... Read more

Amazon.com
You can't tell the story of Chez Panisse, Berkeley's famed restaurant, without relating that of its diminutive founder, proprietor, and sometime chef, Alice Waters. This is what Thomas McNamee does most handily in his Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, a chronicle that begins with the seat-of-the-pants opening night of the "counterculture" venture in 1971, and ends 35 years later with Waters's restaurant an American institution--one credited with birthing California Cuisine, a style devoted to simplicity, freshness and seasonality. The book also limns, with tasty gossip, the ever-evolving Chez Panisse family, including the cook-artisans uniquely responsible for dish creation; follows the attempts, mostly failed, to put the restaurant on sound financial footing; shows how dishes and menus get made; and of course pursues Waters as she broadens her commitment to "virtuous agriculture" by establishing ventures like The Edible Schoolyard and The Yale Sustainable Food Project.

The success of Chez Panisse--Gourmet magazine named it the best American restaurant in 2002--has everything to do with Waters, yet she remains an elusive protagonist.Sophisticated yet naive, professional and amateur, hard-driving but emotionally blurry, she invites reader interest but doesn't always satisfy it, as least as presented here. If McNamee cannot quite bring her to life, and if his tale lacks an insider's full conversance with his subject, he still engages readers in the considerable drama of people finding their way--blunderingly, with talented intent--to something new. With menus, narrated recipes, and photographs throughout, the book is vital reading for anyone interested in food, period.--Arthur BoehmBook Description
The first authorized biography of “the mother of American cooking” (The New York Times)

This adventurous book charts the origins of the local “market cooking” culture that we all savor today. When Francophile Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse in Berkeley in 1971, few Americans were familiar with goat cheese, cappuccino, or mesclun. But it wasn’t long before Waters and her motley coterie of dreamers inspired a new culinary standard incorporating ethics, politics, and the conviction that the best-grown food is also the tastiest. Based on unprecedented access to Waters and her inner circle, this is a truly delicious rags-to-riches saga. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Fascinating...
...book about a woman and her restaurant - constantly on the verge of going broke in the early days but went on to become the most influential and inspirational person in the American restaurant business. A must for all foodies (although Alice doesn't like the word!)

Interesting life, but author failed
I enjoyed reading this because of the subject's devotion to fresh, local, sustainable food, but was disappointed in the writing. The book is mainly a compilation of quotes from Alice Waters and her friends and people she's worked with - there's no synthesis provided by the author, no insight. It seems on the surface to be giving an honest portrait of the woman and her restaurant, but I just felt that there was a lot left unrevealed and unanalyzed. Instead of giving a clear-eyed assessment, this book fit into the mold of every project Alice has embarked on: She handpicked her biographer and gave him full access to sources so that it feels like a community effort, but she also made sure the book only carried the tone she desired - the tone she envisioned it should have - and was too impatient to provide or allow any introspection.

Eating local!! fresh and best!!
This is living proof that if we would only eat what is fresh and in season, we would experience flavor and taste, and "better for you" foods, as the food is FRESHER---this remarkable chef has treated food with respect-no contrivance here. Read and eat!

chez panisse - a point of light
alice waters is truly an inspiration because she lives life with a passion for making a difference - a rare commodity in today's world.

i'm not sure how i found out about chez panisse but a friend and i went to the bay area a couple of years ago for a culinary weekend and we started our tour at chez panisse's cafe.it remains as one of my most memorable meals ever - relatively simple yet the tastes and textures were absolutely sublime!

the food alone makes chez panisse one of the world's greatest restaurants. but when you add in her commitment to sustainability and social justice, alice waters get the big picture!

when i look at tv (i.e. the food network) and its easy-on-the-eyes celebrity chefs, i absolutely cringe because 99% of them can't hold a candle to alice waters, a real revolutionary who is still thinking outside the box 40 years later.

like alice waters, eric tucker - the mastermind behind the world-class vegan restaurant millenium in san francisco - is also an inspiration as well.not only for the incredibly inventive food he turns out consistently at millenium but for taking sustainability to a whole another level!

Open, frank; one of the best...
I was bowled over by its open, frank depiction of Alice Waters' life and the history of Chez Panisse.It is a compelling story, very inspiring, all laid out in the true-to-life detailed depiction of the misadventures, pecadillos, successes, tragedies and varied personalities that made this restaurant possible.And make no mistake about it, Chez Panisse has had a deep influence on American, if not world, cusine.The purity of Ms. Waters' vision shines through it all.I once met met Alice Waters and told her she needn't write another cookbook; what she needed to write was a book explaining how she managed to get so many creative people to buy into her vision and work so hard for her and the restaurant.This book explains some of that.For foodies, restauranteurs, food lovers, corporate management, feminists, those interested in how an enduring institution was built and sustained.One of the best and most truthful books I've read. ... Read more

Book Description
The non-toxic and tear-out pages of this Care Bears Paintwith Water Book is filled with happy thoughts from the cuddly Care Bears gang!Follow Your Dreams is book one in the series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Great painting book.
This is a wonderful book with cute pictures and lots of colors but I bought mine at Target for $0.89.

Love This Book
Bought two different books, Care Bear Water Painting Books.They are just like the ones from when I was growing up, which are hard to find in stores.They're great and all you have to worry about is a small glass of water.These were for a 19 mo. old.

Perfect for 18+ months!
My daughter loved these water color paint books with the paint already on the pages.She just dips her brush in water and paints!My daughter is 20 months, and LOVES this.And the fact that they are the CareBears reminds me of when I was a kid!!

Follow Your Dreams Care Bears Paint with Water Book
This is a great paint with water book. These are so hard to find these days. My two year old loves it! I like the bright/vibrant colors as well. Clean up is easy and she likes to paint away.

A really colorful paint with water book
Very colorful and high quality paint with water book for your toddler! ... Read more

Amazon.com
Setting: Yucatan coast, present day

Sensuality rating: 4-5

An Affair to Remember collides with Romancing the Stone in bestselling author Debbie MacOmber's Moon Over Water.. Lorraine Dancy and Jack Keller have little in common, but that doesn't stop their romance from blossoming under the scorching Yucatan sun. Framed for the theft of an ancient artifact and pursued by the police, a drug dealer nursing a grudge, and a crazed archeologist, Lorraine finds herself thrust into the questionable company of Jack Keller, retired mercenary. Jack's task is to get Lorraine safely back to the United States--all the while avoiding border patrols--but Lorraine keeps landing in trouble, right up to her pretty neck! Will the seemingly star-crossed lovers make it out of the jungle alive? And if they do, will they have the courage to live their dream and let love grow where it is meant to be--in each other's arms? Find out in this fast-paced and unpredictable contemporary that will delight loyal fans and make converts out of new readers. --Alison Trinkle ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

a fun adventure romance
This is third book in the Deliverance Company mercenary series, following Someday Soon (Cain's story) and Sooner or Later (Murphy's story), about unscrupulous but likable heros who rescue victims of third world terrorists. I wish I had realized that this was a series so I could have avoided reading the books out of order!

Exciting to read! A lesson in fighting for survival. It also contained a valuable lesson on coming to terms with past familial wrongs, forgiveness and reconciliation with estranged parents.

I enjoyed this book.
Not the best I've read, but it was entertaining. I recommend it.

Too dull to finish.
I couldn't finish this book-----it moved too slow and was too boring.

An easy read for a forgettable afternoon
I whipped through this 400 page book in record time.The book, though entertaining, does not require much brain power.It's definitely not one of Macomber's best.

I was perhaps most disappointed in the characters. The impetuously-witty-and-yet-often-ditzy-blond heroine, theunrequited-love-but-I'll-sleep-with-someone-else-to-chase-away-the-demonsfather, thehappy-when-with-daughter-but-unhappy-inside-although-I-did-it-to-myselfmother, and the typical-hardened-lonely-noble hero.Even the drug smugglerwas a stereotype and the wicked villian was obvious from the first.Itseems that chance, fate, and pure idiocy on the part of the characterscreate most of the action, and it doesn't work.

The biggestdisappointment was the ending.The climax--a big, exciting actionscene--was resolved 80 pages before the book ended.The last 80 pageswither away as the hero and heroine finally come together after literallymonths apart.After all, they are static characters: we know they haven'tchanged and (even after such a long time) will still be perfect for eachother heading into happily ever after land.

If you want a brainlessnovel, get this one.If you want literature, try somewhere else.

???
This book is not one of Macomber's best, but it is interesting to see how Jack ties the noose. ... Read more

Book Description
The award-winning author of The Babes in the Wood and The Rottweiler brings us another terrifically paced, richly drawn novel of suspense and psychological intrigue.

Weeks went by when Ismay never thought of it at all. Then something would bring it back or it would return in a dream. The dream always began in the same way.

She and her mother would be climbing the stairs, following Heather’s lead through the bedroom to what was on the other side, not a bathroom in the dream but a chamber floored and walled in marble. In the middle of it was a glassy lake. The white thing in the water floated towards her, its face submerged, and her mother said, absurdly, “Don’t look!”
The dead man was Ismay’s stepfather, Guy. Now, nine years on, she and her sister, Heather, still live in the same house in Clapham. But it has been divided into two self-contained flats. Their mother had lived upstairs with her sister, Pamela. And the bathroom, where Guy had drowned, had disappeared.

Ismay worked in public relations, and Heather in catering. They got on well. They always had. They never discussed the changes to the house, still less what had happened that August day. . .

But even lives as private as these, where secrets hang in the air like dust, intertwine with other worlds and other individuals. And, with painful inevitability, the truth will emerge. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (40)

A good book but not a great Rendell
When I first started reading this book, I wondered why Ruth Rendell didn't publish this under her pseudonym Barbara Vine, which is reserved for her best and most complex psychological dramas.By the time I was done, I understood.It is an interesting read with a very complex storyline but there are a few blatant coincidences that diminish this as a superb read.The devotion of sisters, one of whom may or may not have murdered their stepfather, and the subsequent catastrophic collapse of their mother form the centerpiece of the book.If only these people could have talked to one another!Rendell unflinchingly fails to rescue her characters from disastrous relationships and yet, through her eyes, we understand why people make such awful choices (and not just romantically).I think her writing is a little uneven in recent years but she still delivers a good story.Just not a great one, in this case.

Too many questions...
Too many unanswered questions and loose ends that I expected wrapped up.

Why was Guy ill?Did someone poison him (like Bea or Pam)?
Why did Micheal leave Bea?
What happened to Pam's rapist?
How could Barry fall for Marian?I thought he would turn out to be investigating her as a con person and that's why he was courting her.
Who killed Eva?
Why didn't Fowler die or become ill after ingesting the morphine?
Why wasn't Heather angry when Ismay asked her if she killed Eva?
Come to think of it, why did Heather want Eva to give up Andrew when she knew he was a class A jerk?

hackneyed plot and exaggerated characters
A really bad airplane book. The cover talks about how various critics *love* Rendell's psychological novels (as opposed to her mysteries). Really can't see why they would, if this is an example. The plot is hackneyed, the characters are exaggerated and mostly uninteresting. The conclusion is utterly predictable. (even with the surprise surprise ending). I fail to really get the point.

I generally like Ruth Rendell, by the way.

Great supporting cast
Seventy-seven-year-old Ruth Rendell is still writing haunting, suspenseful, riveting and sharply limned novels. In her newest effort, THE WATER'S LOVELY, she tells a tale of love, murder, lies, madness and redemption. Two sets of sisters share a renovated house where a murder took place. Pamela and Beatrix reside in the upstairs flat, while Ismay and Heather, Beatrix's daughters, are downstairs. For 13 years everyone except Pamela has lived in the shadow of a death that has driven Beatrix into madness and haunted Ismay to distraction.

At 13, Heather was a mysterious young girl who could be found eavesdropping in the shadows. One day Heather sees her 15-year-old sister in the arms of their stepfather, Guy. Ismay has no idea that she's been "caught" as she continues to flirt and play "the game" with this sleazy man. She thinks she's in love and does everything she can to lure him to bed. He never comes.

Time passes, and Beatrix takes Ismay shopping. Guy is ill and in bed. Heather is supposed to be at a friend's house, but that date was canceled at the last minute. This leaves her in the house alone with the man she loathes. Heather may appear cold and distant, but she has a healthy intuition. Guy calls to her and asks her to bring him something while he sits in the bathtub. Since she and her sister have their own bathroom, Heather was never in that one. It's strange for her to be standing there in this "forbidden" room handing Guy the shampoo. She's ready to leave when he invites her to join him. Without thinking, she grabs his feet and pulls him under the water until he's dead.

When the others return, Heather alerts them to Guy's dead body but claims she doesn't know what happened. Beatrix has enough strength to protect Heather by concocting an alibi for her: she had been shopping with her mother and sister but decided not to enter the shop. The police buy it and rule Guy's death a suicide. Almost immediately after things get relatively quiet, "the knowledge" (or lack of it) drives Beatrix "over the edge into the shadow of schizophrenia."

None of them ever talk about what happened or what Heather's part may have been. Ismay is plagued with thoughts about her sister and whether or not she is capable of murder, but never says a word. The girls grow up and go to school. Heather becomes a chef and Ismay an accountant. Ismay then falls in love --- blindly in love, passionately in love --- with Andrew Campbell-Sedge, a very good looking man who nevertheless has a hidden Jekyll-Hyde personality and is capable of doing great harm.

Andrew loathes Heather and calls her "that little gorgon" who he must put up with since she lives with Ismay. Then Heather falls in love with Edmund Litton, an overqualified nurse who works in the hospice where she's the chef. Andrew is furious; he wants Heather out of the house and is afraid "this male nurse" might move in with her. He complains and challenges Ismay with the threat of leaving.

Both the knowledge of this new relationship and Andrew's constant threats throw Ismay into the vortex of guilt, confusion, fear, responsibility, and what, if anything, her role should be if she is to protect her future brother-in-law. She can't tell him, though she does makes a tape just in case she has to inform someone. She decides to hide the tape and forget about it. Andrew leaves her, and she doesn't recover from his loss. For a very long time she "fades away into some parallel universe" where she tortures herself over and over.

In the hands of Rendell, the story doesn't end there. Additional characters make their mark in these peoples' lives, and other murders touch them all in strange ways. She always imbues her plots with fire and seamlessly merges the tension of the events into believable circumstances that keep readers apace. Another strength that supports the architecture of her books is that her characters not only fit their roles but also are stationed in their place. As the tale unfolds, readers instinctively know the book wouldn't work without this supporting cast. In addition to fleshing out the story, Rendell gives "life" to her players. She gets her inspiration from being observant and transforms what she sees or senses into innately convincing mysteries. Don't miss this one!

--- Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum

No, they don't edit bestselling authors properly these days...
Andrew Agassi is not Spanish. How could the (presumably) sophisticated editor/publisher of a sophisticated writer (whose work I seek out and appreciate) have allowed this snafu to pass?In an early chapter (which makes the editing crime even more heinous, since it should have been spotted right off) Guy is said to have courted Heather, his teenage stepdaughter, by chatting her up about Spain (since she's taking Spanish in school). One of the Spanish "subjects" they discussed was "Andrew Agassi." Note: Andrew Agassi was born in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A., and still lives here. Such mistakes mar the credibility of the writing.You never quite get your confidence in the book back after that. ... Read more

Book Description
The island is nearly deserted, haunting, beautiful. Across a slip of ocean lies South Carolina. But for the handful of families on Yamacraw island, America is a world away. For years the people here lived proudly from the sea, but now its waters are not safe.Waste from industry threatens their very existence–unless, somehow, they can learn a new life. But they will learn nothing without someone to teach them, and their school has no teacher.

Here is PAT CONROY’S extraordinary drama based on his own experience–the true story of a man who gave a year of his life to an island and the new life its people gave him.Download Description
A young schoolteacher struggles to bring literacy and self-respect to a black backwoods South Carolina school in this affecting work.An early, semi-autobiographical novel by the author of THE LORDS OF DISCIPLINE and THE PRINCE OF TIDES Filmed, as CONRAC ... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

My first taste of Conroy....and ooohhh so good.
I was really impressed with this book.Not only did I enjoy the story, which is true, but I also enjoyed the writing of Pat Conroy.This is the first book I have read by Conroy.This is about the experience Conroy had in the early 70's teaching in a one room school house on Yamacraw Island (which is the pseudonym for Daufuskie Island), an island off the coast of South Carolina.This island was populated by mostly African Americans.The experience was truly eye opening .It really depicted the society of that time:Civil Rights, Segregation and Southern Culture and it's resistance to change.Conroy took a true life experience and put in down on paper in such a way that the reader felt like they were there on the island with him.Add to that an exceptional sense of humor that was drizzled throughout the story and you have yourself a masterpiece.I have added all of the rest of Conroy's books on my wishlist and I feel a little bit more with the program after finally reading one of his works.

Pat's Best
This book is inspiring to say the least. I love Pat Conroy and have read every one of his books and this one is by far the best. Perfect for all age ranges especially as a teacher gift. It is funny, sad and just flat out good on so many levels.

Casual reader, engineer, historian
Enjoyed the book as I had just visited the island less than two weeks passed.Followed the feel of the island very closly as of today.I was a little disapointed in the authors follow up on the charaters.Wished for more closure on some of them since you got to know them so well.Author did a great job in showing how the southern political climate has changed and still changing.
A very well written book and fun to read.
Larry Love

Patty-Gae Matthews
The Water is Wide Great.After reading this I wish Pat Conroy would start writing more books.I loved the story that sparks this book.It really made my emotions about certain things come to the surface.It is wonderful to be so stimulated again as he did to us in the Prince of Tides.I am about to start his, "My Losing Season".I am sure I will be as glued to this as I always am to a Pat Conroy book.I just wish there were more of them.

Different slant on Conroy
This is a different type story for Conroy.It is his story and he does a great job of telling it.I appreciate him even more being a teacher myself.Every element of good story-telling is here. ... Read more

Book Description
In its mother's womb, a tiny baby grows, explores the waters, and talks with the angel who is there.

These gentle illustrations and wise words tell the story of that baby and the angel in the waters . . . a story that delights all children, because the journey from conception to birth is their story, too. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (32)

amazing
This book showed up on my reccomended list a couple of months ago. Hmmm, I thought--I'll chance it.
Since then I've given copies to:
--a 3 year old preparing for baptism
--a friend in the middle of potentially bad news about her pregnancy
--the teen mother of a child who died at 5 months gestation (I read it at the memorial service)
--the mother of a 19 year old killed in a car crash
Oh, and by the way, my son, who is adopted and who was abandoned at one week old, loves it, too. I think it's helping him form/reform hid connection to his birthmother in a really healthy way.
In any event--I like it. A lot. It is very simple, but can be used in very profound situations where something less whimsical would not work. It's charming, with gentle humor, and full of love.

A must for an expecting mother
I bought this for my older daughter when I was expecting no.2. It's about an unborn baby speaking to the angel inside the womb.It is so lovely, it actually brings tears to my eyes while carrying my baby and reading it to my older daughter on my lap.It also helps my older daughter to appreciate what is happening inside my tummy and appreciate her baby sister more!

Gift from Grandmom
I have bought this book for each of my grandbabies.I write little thoughtsand prayers for him and how excited I am that he is on the way into our family.I tell him that one of his Grandmom's in Heaven and is watching him all the time and his Pop Pop is in Heaven and telling him happy stories of the family andthat his guardian angel will always be with him.On the last page I enscribe when and where he was baptized and the name of the priest and godparents.This is then part of his Baptism present. This book offers a wonderful way to let your baby know that he lived in his Mom and is loved by his family---his earthly family and his Heavenly family.

Great as expected!
It is refreshing to have such a sensitive and special approach to the dignity and magesty of the unborn child in the womb. The pictures are sensitivly-warm and beautifully done and at the end of the book you end up saying I do believe in angles, I do belive in angels....
jean

Touching story of a child's life from conception to birth
This story presents the touching story of a child's life from conception to birth and beyond.The illustrations are magnificent.The story of an angel accompanying the child on its journey from womb to world is beautiful.This book is a must-read for all children, especially since it will help teach them that life is sacred and begins at conception. ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (8)

WHAT A DELIGHTFUL WAY TO TEACH AND LEARN.
This is probably one of the most useful books I have come across in recent years.It is a delight to the ear and the eye.The author teaches us the story of water, or more specifically, the water cycle.He does this with simple, lyrical prose and combines this with some wonderful, original art.The paintings in this book are breath taking.This is a wonderful way to teach children about rain, water, streams, lakes and nature.It can be read to the class and then discussed page by page (it is amazing to hear the comments of the children)and at the same time each painting can be admired and discussed.I have watched our art teachers use this one in class as well as the reading teachers.But just as importantly, I have observed quite a number of children just setting along, reading and carefully studying the pictures. (I must admit to picking up this one my self, quite often, and just gazing at the wonderful art). This is a pretty good indorsement for any children's book. This is certainly one that should be added to any children's library, either at home or at school.Highly recommend this one.

Artistic, Poetic and Educational?
Wonderful read for the whole family.This is a book we look forward to reading to our little one, over and over.The art work is fantastic, the words are entertaining and has a section at the end of the book to educate about all the cycles of water.Do not hesitate to add this to your library!

Water Dance is a beautiful way to learn
Thomas Locker's beautiful oil paintings make "Water Dance" a work of art and a wonderful way for kids to learn about the water cycle.I decided to see what's out there for kids about water and began with "Water Dance," "Where the River Begins," and "Cloud Dance," all by Locker. I fell in love with his art and . . . also bought "Sky Tree" and several others.
I just published a review of approximately 20 kids water books titled "Teaching Children about the Hydrologic Cycle." To read, go to www.ndwc.wvu.edu and click on the current issue of "On Tap," a magazine about drinking water in small communities.

Inquisitive soon-to-be-4-year-old can't put it down!
I bought this book as a gift for my friend's son. He wanted to read over and over again for days (and it looks like this will continue for some time!) The pictures are absolutely beautiful, the poetry soothing, inspiring and educational, and this 3-year-old insists on reading the scientific explanations at the end of the book every time. I can't imagine a child (or an adult!) who wouldn't enjoy it!

Water Dance
This review is by way of one of my 3rd grade students, who said that "this book is so beautiful that it make my heart hurt."After looking at the pictures and reading the wonderful descriptive phrases, I had to agree with her.It has become a favorite book to read when I needto quiet my classes down--and invariably, at least one student asks for thename and author so that they, too, can own it. ... Read more

Book Description
Illus. in color. "Comic pictures show how the fish rapidly outgrows its bowl, a vase, a cook pot, a bathtub."--The New York Times.   ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

CUTE!!!
My mother-in-law gave this book to my kids when they were young and they still remember the story of the little boy and his pet fish.A must for any kids' book collection.

Mama I wanna read Mr Carp!
Almost every nite we read "Mr. Carp" as my son calls it.Such a sweet story.I don't even mind reading it 700 times.I take it on vacation too.You'll love it.

Favorit kid's book ever.
This was one of my favorite books as a child and it was my daughter's absolute favorite book as a child.
Every new child in our family gets a copy of this book and it has become a favorite for all of them.

So Cool!
This book is so cool. You just got to read this book. You'll laugh your pants off. You just got to read this book.

A Fish Out of Water
When my son was a little boy, this was his favorite book.He wanted to take it out of the library so many times that I finally bought a copy and gave it to him for Christmas.

My little grandson is two years old and he has 3 goldfish.I thought the book would be appropriate for him -- and he loves it. ... Read more

Book Description
This is the participants guide to the Silver Medallion award-winning six session curriculum based on the critically acclaimed author's book.John Ortberg teaches participants the skills essential to water-walking in faith with God: discerning Gods call, transcending fear, risking faith, managing failure, and trusting God. The separate complete curriculum kit includes a leader's guide, a participant's guide, a Closed Captioned DVD video and VHS video, and a hardcover edition of the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The best Christian writer of our day
It's funny -- I love James Taylor and I love John Ortberg.I think the commonality there is that they are such great wordsmiths.Very honest, plain-spoken, and yet so much is contained in so little said.Ortberg is not a poet, but he's able to see great truth in simple things.
If you avoid being confronted with truth, then avoid this book.But if you're ready to face it, then read it.He's the CS Lewis of our day.

You Too Can Walk on Water
The weekly men's breakfast and Bible study that I lead spent an enjoyable six weeks examining how following Jesus today requires the same faith that allowed Peter to step out of the relative safety of the boat and move toward Jesus on the water. If you or the people you care about need encouragement in moving out of the comfort zone, this book will help.

Faith
This is one of the best book that I have which talk about faith. If you need encouragement or something to help you increase your faith, then this is the book for you.

If You Want to Walk on Water, You've Got to Get Out of the Boat - Participants Guide
John Ortberg really knows how to make it real and how to get people to begin applying biblical principles to their lives.

Get Your Small Group Out of the Boat
Ortberg's small group series are among the best, if used with his teaching DVD's (Zondervan, but you'll have to find that elsewhere, it appears).

This particular study appeals to a broad range of backgrounds, and experience levels.We all wrestle with "staying comfortable" vs. "stepping out in faith" when the situation calls for it.Through excellent groups discussion and Scripture investigation questions it is easy to guide a group to go beyond their current "comfort zone" and take steps of faith "outside the boat."

But purchasethe DVD for best results (use an Internet search engine and you should find it quickly).Ortberg is a master teacher, and his 25-30 minute teaching is a must. ... Read more

Book Description
A passionate call to action from one of the leading voices in the global struggle for universal access to the earth's most vital element—a sequel to the acclaimed Blue Gold.

"Life requires access to clean water; to deny the right to water is to deny the right to life."—from the introduction to Blue Covenant

In their international bestseller Blue Gold, Maude Barlow and co-author Tony Clarke exposed how a handful of corporations are gaining ownership and control of the earth's dwindling water supply, depriving millions of people around the world of access to this most basic of resources and accelerating the onset of a global water crisis.

Blue Covenant, the sequel to Blue Gold, describes a powerful response to this trend: the emergence of an international, grassroots-led movement to have water declared a basic human right, something that can't be bought or sold for profit.

World-renowned activist Maude Barlow is at the center of this movement, which is gaining popular and political support across the globe, encompassing protests in India against U.S. bottling giant Coca-Cola; in Bolivia against the water privatization scheme of European water conglomerate Suez; against the use of water meters in South Africa; and over groundwater mining in Barrington, New Hampshire, and dozens of other communities in North America.

With great passion and clarity, Barlow traces the history of these international battles, documents the life-and-death stakes involved in the fight for the right to water, and lays out the actions that we as global citizens must take to secure a water—just world—a "blue covenant"—for all. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great review of water policy
Maude Barlow has written a very readable review of water policy. At first this would not seem like a very exciting topic, but water policy will soon affect all of us as we deplete the supply of accessible clean water.

Ms. Barlow divides her book into five chapters. She starts by explaining the crisis. Basically, with so many humans on the planet, we are managing to deplete or pollute our finite resource of clean water. We are withdrawing water from aquifers at a rate faster than the aquifers can recharge. Through global warming, we are melting the glaciers that provide us with river water. Through carelessness in industry and agriculture, we are polluting the very same water that we drink.

In the second chapter, the author describes how a powerful water industry is forming to control these dwindling resources. She gives multiple examples of how the industry is not developing for the betterment of humanity or for fair distribution of water, but to reap profit from the increasingly scarce resource.

In the third chapter, she describes the problems with technological fixes such as desalination, water nanotechnology, and cloud seeding. She also emphasizes the ethical and practical problems with bottled water.

In the fourth chapter, she discusses some brave activists who are fighting back against the corporate control our water. She does a good job in covering the activities in multiple continents - the Americas, Asia, Australia, Europe, Africa - and giving concrete examples of activists who have pushed back and won against corporate water interests.

Ms. Barlow finishes with a chapter called "The Future of Water." Here she reviews potential sources of conflict over water. How will the water in the Colorado River be shared as the population in the US Southwest continues to grow? How will Israel, Jordan, and Palestine share the water of the Jordan River? How will Turkey and Syria resolve the conflict over the big dam project on the Euphrates? She finishes by speculating on potential alternatives to conflict. How do we encourage water conservation and fight for water justice?

There is also an appendix with "Sources and Further Reading" as well as a good index.

On the whole, this is an excellent book to review the upcoming water crisis. You will also understand more about the policies that are exacerbating the problems as well as some potential solutions.

Darn Hot!
A tremendous warning is the one Maude Marlow makes with this wonderful book... fascinating in essence, it lets us know why we must head towards a different kind of "growth"... simple: we are finishing even water supplies!the degree of detail she describes cannot be interpreted other than a last warning... either we rationalize our economies (world, national and even individual) or we are condemned to a next war: for water!

Referring to water, Ms. Barlow says: "...those areas of life thought to be common heritage of humanity for the benefit of the many, now coming under corporate control for the benefit of the few (rich)" is a phrase that resonates in my head as I drink water from my purchased bottle of water and wake up to conscience of this once simple act and its implications...

Worth reading document, rich (to say the least) in data, research material, etc.

¡Bravo Ms. Barlow! ... Read more

Amazon.com
A newspaper photographer, Jean, researches the lurid and sensational ax murder of two women in 1873 as an editorial tie-in with a brutal modern double murder. (Can you guess which one?) She discovers a cache of papers that appear to give an account of the murders by an eyewitness. The plot weaves between the narrative of the eyewitness and Jean's private struggle with jealousies and suspicions as her marriage teeters. A rich, textured novel.Book Description
More than a century after someone murders two people on a small island off the coast of New Hampshire, a photographer comes to shoot a photo essay about the famous crime.As she investigates the bleak, isolated lives of the victims, she comes to identify with their spiritual loneliness.For her own marriage is falling apart, crumbling into nights of heavy drinking and terrible silences.

Incited by the chaotic forces that blasted the island years ago, this modern woman is drawn inexorably toward the violence of the past, toward choices that will destroy all she has ever valued.With exquisitely stylish prose and arresting psychological insight, Anita Shreve captures one woman's journey into the farthest extremes of emotion.

"A stunning tale . . . . There is plenty for the reader to ponder and savor in this accomplished inquiry into the ravages of love."(Los Angeles Times) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (201)

i couldn't finish this one . . .
After being utterly disgusted by The Pilot's Wife,
I decided to give Shreve a second chance and read this.

What a disappointment! By the end of the first chapter,
I was bored out of my mind. There was too much going
on in the first chapter with too much dialogue and not
enough imagination on the author's part to determine
what's going on. Finally, I figured out that the author
was going back and forth between the past and the present
but she could have thrown the reader a life raft so we
wouldn't sink while reading.Even after I figured that
out, I still couldn't get into the story. I gave up and
donated my copy to the Salvation Army.

Magma
I loved how seamlessly the narrative moved between Jean's and Maren's stories, how at first they sparked off of each other in momentary connections, and then melded.

Jean's and Maren's matter-of-fact voices bely the molten activity beneath the surface of both until the killing eruptions break through.

Engaging read.
I like the fast reading and multiple story lines in this book. Anita Shreve's books are never slow and boring. This one was one of my favorites by her and I am a big fan. I also like that it involves sailing and the sea. One of Anitas best!

GRIPPING, HEART-WRENCHING, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN.
I'm not an Anita Shreve fan per se but I LOVED this wonderfully written book. The intertwined narration works perfectly and it brings out all the roughness and tenderness in the story. This has become one of those books I will read over and over again. It is, indeed, a gripping story with a heart-wrenching prose that reads like poetry. In two words: BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN. One of my library favorites.

A Lesson in Wishful Thinking?
Two stories intertwine together around various issues.While being very thought-provoking, this book still turns out to be an easy read. ... Read more

Book Description
What Hurricane Katrina reveals about the fault lines of race and poverty in America-and what lessons we must take from the flood-from best-selling "hip-hop intellectual" Michael Eric Dyson

Does George W. Bush care about black people?

Does the rest of America?

When Hurricane Katrina tore through New Orleans and the Gulf Coast, hundreds of thousands were left behind to suffer the ravages of destruction, disease, and even death. The majority of these people were black; nearly all were poor. The federal government's slow response to local appeals for help is by now notorious. Yet despite the cries of outrage that have mounted since the levees broke, we have failed to confront the disaster's true lesson: to be poor, or black, in today's ownership society, is to be left behind.

Displaying the intellectual rigor, political passion, and personal empathy that have won him fans across the color line, Michael Eric Dyson offers a searing assessment of the meaning of Hurricane Katrina. Combining interviews with survivors of the disaster with his deep knowledge of black migrations and government policy over decades, Dyson provides the historical context that has been sorely missing from public conversation. He explores the legacy of black suffering in America since slavery, including the shocking ways that black people are framed in the national consciousness even today.

With this call-to-action, Dyson warns us that we can only find redemption as a society if we acknowledge that Katrina was more than an engineering or emergency response failure. From the TV newsroom to the Capitol Building to the backyard, we must change the ways we relate to the black and the poor among us. What's at stake is no less than the future of democracy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

This guy belongs on "IN LIVING COLOR"
This author reminds of a character played on In Living Color where Damon Wayans is a convict that tries to use as many multi-syllabic words as he can so he can SOUND intelligent.This author is not.

This book is nothing more than an appeal to left-wing wackos suffering from Bush Derangement Syndrome.

A compelling and descriptive audio about Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath
Here is a compelling and descriptive audio about Hurricane Katrina and the aftermath. Professor Michael Eric Dyson points out that the majority of the people most affected were black and poor, and sees the problem as more than just a simple emergency response failure. He provides background information about the tense race relations in the city before the hurricane, along with the national media's response that may have contributed to racial bias in the United States.

Bad Planning; Worse Response
Hurricane Katrina was an event in which almost no one came away looking very good (OK, maybe forecasting chief at the National Hurricane Center, Max Mayfield; and the Coast Guard and Gen. Honore), and Dyson takes every level of government, particularly the federal government, to task,in this short but powerful book.About every five pages, you'll find yourself gasping "No!" and "They couldn't have done that!" but they did, exacerbating the suffering of the poor and forgotten, particularly in New Orleans.

Dyson lost me somewhat near the end with a fairly complicated theological discussion of the event and its aftermath. I don't think he endorses floodwater theology, the idea that God punishes the wicked with natural disasters, but I couldn't quite make out his point in this section (the Editorial Review above seems to have done a decent job on this point).

Overall, I recommend this book to those with interest in natural disasters and in the role of race in public policy.Based on Mike Tidwell's study of Katrina and global warming, "The Ravaging Tide", these are issues that everyone should be engaged in.My wife saysBreach of Faith: Hurricane Katrina and the Near Death of a Great American City written by the New Orleans reporter who wrote Amazon's editorial review is an even better book.

A message sure to resonate with readers of all races.
Come Hell or High Water is a scathing audiobook indictment of the Bush administration's and FEMA's failures to sufficiently aid New Orleans' mostly poor, mostly black population in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Heavily researched, Come Hell or High Water explores Katrina as the latest link in a legacy of black suffering perpetuated by the apathy of middle and upper class Americans of all races. Above all, Come Hell or High Water charges that American society's destructive path toward its African-American poor can only be altered if the public acknowledges that the Katrina debacle was far more than simply an engineering or emergency response failure. The means by which America and its people relate to its poor must undergo a transformation; nothing less than the future of democracy is at stake - a message sure to resonate with readers of all races.

Another Rant from Dyson
If you liked Michael Eric Dyson's other works then you will love this.It is essentially his standard "blame Amerika" rant with the words New Orleans, and Hurricane Katrina thrown in to render the work germane.The interesting thing about this book is how quickly it was published after Katrina.Given the length of time required to get a manuscript onto bookshelves, I calculated that he must have written this in the two weeks following the storm. Given that some of the "facts" he cites about Katrina can be shown empirically to be false, perhaps he should have waited just a little longer before jumping into the fray.

Anotherblow to Dyson's neo-Marxist take on Katrina is theKnight Ridder news story releasedin December (2006) that showed the pattern of death and to a certain extent destruction did NOT occure on racial/class lines as Dyson would have us believe also casts doubt on his narrative (for example, as a percentage of population, there was a stronger correlation between age and death than race and death. If those found dead in nursing homes were factored out, as a percentage of population, more