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"O terrible wife of Siva / Your tongue is drinking the blood, / O dark Mother! O unclad Mother." It is remarkable that prior to writing this first novel, Dan Simmons had spent only two and a half days in Calcutta, a city "too wicked to be suffered," his narrator says. Fortunately back in print after several years during which it was hard to obtain, this rich, bizarre novel practically reeks with atmosphere. The story concerns an American poet who travels with his Indian wife and their baby to Calcutta to pick up an epic poem cycle about the goddess Kali. The Bengali poet who wrote the poem cycle has disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

Horror critic Edward Bryant calls Song of Kali "an exactingly constructed, brutal, and uncompromising study of the degree to which an evil place may permeate and steep all that makes us human" and writes that it embodies "the stance of a psychologically violent novel about a violent society as a defensible and indisputably moral work of art." Song of Kali won a World Fantasy Award. --Fiona WebsterBook Description
Think you know true fear? You don't.Think you've read the most chilling book? Not even close.Think you can't be shocked? Good luck!Maybe you're ready for the most truly frightening reading experience of your life, the World Fantasy Award-winning novel that's been terrifying readers for over a decade.Song of Kali. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (83)

Great setting, shaky plot
The strength of this book is its stunning power of setting:the misery and festering evil that is this version of Calcutta.The scenes live and breathe and are vicarious fun to drift through - just like a movie.

However, the hero is extremely unlikable, constantly exploding like a five year-old prone to tantrums and impulsive behavior.Also, the plot has real credibility problems.Why did the hero take his wife and baby to such an awful place as Calcutta?He knew he was inconveniencing his wife (a math professor who had work to do), and he also knew that she, while Indian, was not steeped in the right culture to serve as an effective interpreter and guide for him.

Why?Well, obviously to put them in danger as a clumsy plot device.Ultimately, the plot problems capsize the interest of the setting.I wouldn't recommend this one unless you want to try a library copy first.

Disappointing
After reading the Hyperion and Iluim novels, I approached Kali with high expectations and was frankly disappointed.Maybe I'm jaded by images of human sacrifice, but reading Kali was like reading the novelization of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom," minus the comedy.

Gut Wrenching
I picked this up to read on the plane during a recent vacation and couldn't put it down. Simmons' writing never fails to engage the reader. Song of Kali started off a little slow, but picks up the pace and drags you in; and down to places you probably don't want to go.

It would have rated 5 stars, but it seemed Simmons felt the need to soften the finale, which seemed a little out of place. Overall, this is an excellent story, and not one for the squeemish.

Racism, or just ignorance?
Wow... worst book ever written.It's depiction of one of India's holiest cities and it's inhabitants is deluded at best, and diabolically racist at it's worst.Not to mention how many Hindus (myself included) his depiction of our beloved Goddess, Kali Ma...Hindus definitely don't sacrifice people to Kali... most Hindus are at the very least semi-vegetarians.Disgusting anti-religious sentiment and racist hatred is what summarizes this book best.
Jai Sri Kali Mata!

Good, but overhyped.
I'll get to the point: the book is good, but not a masterpiece (understandably).

Regardless of what the hype on the back cover claims, this is not the scariest book out there. It's not the goriest, not the most depraved, not the most chilling. It's a fascinating view of a city that the book claims is rotten to the core accompanied by a mildly compelling storyline.

However, the story resolves itself suddenly without a satisfying conclusion or any real explanation of the book's events. It's an entertaining read, but not the 'masterwork' worthy of many re-reads like the 'Hyperion' books (by this author) are.

If you're looking for a horror novel, check out an early-mid Stephen King work. If you're looking for a fantasy (or sci-fi) novel, check Tad Williams, Terry Goodkind, J.R.R. Tolkien, or Ursula K. Leguin. ... Read more

Book Description

The author draws on the powerful imagery of painting, sculpture, and literature in this celebration of the Hindu goddess. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Passionate, Powerful, and Free
The value of this book is multifold and many-petaled:a compilation of interesting and beautiful images; informative text; and a medium for reflection upon divinity, the feminine principle, and how sacredness manifests in our world.The focus is Kali, a goddess created from Durga in order to defeat evil forces.So mighty was her power, according to Hindu belief, that after Kali defeated all the demons, her wrath and power were so great that only the loving surrender of Shiva, upon whose prostrate form Kali is often portrayed as standing, could assuage her.

In that image alone, there is much to consider.Today, as the world's body is being destroyed by violence and poison, there is urgent need to "ground" the free-floating rage and greed that threaten us all. It is useful to meditate upon the paradox of Shiva's appeasement of Kali, the red-tongued goddess now worshipped as the great liberator, ruler of death, and identified with blood.The acknowledgement of feminine power and yielding to it brings both peace and liberation to the cosmos. Unsurprisingly, Kali is especially important to women, signifying as she does, a power often obscured and even suppressed in the land where she is most often officially reverenced.

The author of this book begins by noting his wife's visionary or spiritual experience centered upon Kali, and alludes to how this subsequently transformed their marital relationship.This is a good illustration of how Kali and the feminine force embodied in her is not to be regarded as something "on the shelf" or solely present during puja (ritual worship); rather, her greater significance is the emergence of women from traditional limitations, opening them to the realization of their intrinsic power.

Readers who identify with Tantric, pagan, Wiccan, or mainstream Hindu traditions will find immediate relevance and value in this text and the wonderful images contained therein; those of a more secular inclination will appreciate this book's artistic and humanist impulse towards the liberation of humanity's greater half, with all the promise that holds for our shared destiny.

wonderful and thorough introduction to Kali
A lot of books on Kali come necessarily from a scholarly perspective that is deeply rooted in patriarchal presuppositions (as this is the nature of most of the research that's been done). However, Mookerjee's book delves into the heart of Kali, creating balance in the approach. This book is a thorough and thoughtful introduction to her history and worship, and demystifies her symbolism and terrible imagery, reminding us that Kali is seen both as the fierce destroyer AND the benevolent, all-encompassing, compassionate mother.

I highly recommend this to those who are new to Kali, as it's very accessible for Westerners.

Om Krim Kali!
This book is beautyful! The photographs, paintings and drawing are breathtaking. The information is on target. Its not a big book, but for its sized it has a good amount of information. The auther knows her stuff. I cant stand it when people write about Kali and have no idea what they are talking about and believe me people I see it often. Kali is not all about destruction, or hexing, or the end of time. Shes not just a goddess in her "Crone phase" Shes not just a Goddess of the moon. Kali is used for many things even for healing. In her Bhadra Kali aspect shes a young virgin. But some people do not know this about her. If theres one complaint about this book is that sometimes the auther can get off the subject of Kali. But regardless all the information is informative and wonderful. Its well researched. Its not as devotional as Kali by Elizabet U Harding but its defenitly a compliment to her book as well as to the book Kali Puja. I reccomend all three.

An excellent introduction
This book gives a great introduction to many of the more fascinating aspects of Kali:the history of the divine feminine in Hinduism, her relationship to other godesses (esp. Durga), the devotional poetry of Ramprasad, her role in Tantra.It's also full of beautiful and fascinating photographs and art related to the goddess.It is definitely a great book for anyone wanting to learn more about this fascinating deity who is so often misunderstood in the West.

Fascinating book about Kali
There is a popular misunderstanding in the Western world about the nature of Kali. Kali is often portrayed as some kind of demon and, unfortunateley, she sometimes even has been worshipped as such, even in India. There are documented cases where Kali worship has involved human sacrifice, and in the western world even some satanists has tried to integrate Kali in their pantheon.

But, of course, from the start she was the very opposite of a demon. In the original myth about Kali and Durga, wonderfully described in this book, these goddesses in fact save the gods and the world and defeats the male demonsthat threatens it.

In Mookerjees book, with a lot of splendid illustrations, you get the story of Kali, as well as some interesting insights in Devi worship, saktism, and, of cource, the story of Durga. It can highly be recommended. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

The story of a Kali temple
This book is about the temple of Kali and its history. For information on Kali Herself, there are better sources. The sections on the Goddess' myths and attributes are okay, but I do not care for the lengthy excerpts quoted from Barbara Walker'sThe Woman's Encyclopedia of Myths and Secrets - I mean, first of all if I wanted this I would read Walker's work; secondly they are rife with misinformed conjecture presented as fact.

Excerpts from The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, on the other hand, serve to inform the book's most charming elements and what are in essence its central subjects: the lives of Kali's famous devotees, especially Ramakrishna; the history of the Dakshineswar temple; and the temple's daily routine and festival observances, as witnessed and experienced first-hand by the author herself. These aspects of the work really took me to the temple and allowed me to envision and even commune with these saintly and lively children of Ma Kali.

If Ms. Harding had focused on and refined these aspects of her work, I would have rated this a five-star book.

Jai Ma Kali! Victory to the Ma Kali
KALI
The Black Goddess Of Dakshineswar
by Elizabeth U. Harding

Although this book is a bit on the patriarcal side a
bit. Even when India was very constrictive to women, many Hindu sects considdered the Goddess to be supreme and men who were devoted to the Goddess would want to dress as
a woman and become feminine and even have a pyschosematic period without the actual
blood. (even though they were not gay)
This book goes deep into the Goddess Kali in her many aspects of Kali names such as Shyama Kali, Maha Kali, Raksha Kali and more. This book tells of her benign side (Dakashin) and her terrible aspect (Smashan or Vama)
It describes the daily worship and the special puja of Kali. It explains her symbols the reason why she is seen with 50 human
severed heads and a girldle of arms. This book is truly for those who are devoted to the Mother Kali.
The auther describes how life is in India and how the devotees act toward the Mother Kali.
The book has many devotional prayers and writtings that were made to the Great Devi Kali.
She has wrote about Kalis Goddess intoxicated saints Rama Krishna, Sarada Devi, Ramprasad, and many of the lives of the devotes of Ma Kali.
This book will dispell any of the myths of what you heard of Kali, as Kali is greatly misunderstood by so many people. Kali is beyond good and
evil she is pure love and will but make no mistake she is also she who creates and she who destroys. The auther has added some of the writtings from the Gospel of Sri RamaKrishna and some of his visions of the Mother is there as well.
She also adds some information on Shiva and Tara as well. Ramprshad made no dstiction between Kali and Tara. Tara is so much like Kali in her Hindu wratful aspect. Tara is the next Mahavidya right after Kali. She also describes the life of Bamakhepa Taras goddess intoxicated saint.She also writes about the left hand tantricts (this is not an evil path of tantra) Left hand tantra defies what is considdered morally right and is useful in free the enslaved mind from human made restrictions.Devotes and saints would sit on top of a corpse in a crematorium and go
into deep traces and do other societies"unacceptable things" NO im not talking of human sacrifices. Also Elizabeth Harding writes about the Rani (Queen) who had the Dakashineswar temple built and what
goes on there.There are many wonderful pictures in this book and rare ones as well. Rare because pictures are forbidden to be taken of the

inside of templesonly the temple officials can take them.The Christians and the English
rule could not pull the whole country away from the Hindu religion no matter how bad the tyranny became. This book is inspirational and one of
pure beauty, it is a book of hope against struggle. The book delves into the mysteries of Kalima. In this book Kali is brought to life and dances
with her laughter, you can feel the soirit of the Great Devi in this book. This book has been praised by many Hindu and Goddess
devotees. It is a living story and one full of inspiration for all of us who love and revere the Goddess......Jai Ma, Kali Jaya!
I give this book 5 stars.

A JOURNEY I WON'T FORGET
Reading this book felt like an adventure.The author took me with her on her trip to India and was able to transmit her devotion, her love and her experiences in remarkable detail.It showed me how to experience Kali andto love her as much as I'm sure the author does.

caveat emptor
While this book clearly shows that Ms. Harding has much love for Ma, it also clearly shows that Ms. Harding still has a long way to go in her studies.This book is a rambling cacaphony of the author's personalexperiences, intermingled with lots of quotes from other books.Indeed, itis a good thing Ms. Harding included the quotes from other books, as herpersonal commentary is quite deluded and in some cases, downright racisttowards Vedic people.If you are interested in knowing more of Ma, youwould do better to purchase books by Sri Ramakrishna or Dr. Robert Svoboda. Except for the quotes included herein from other books, I found this bookfor the most part useless.However, it does show, if nothing else, thatMs. Harding has a great deal of love for Ma - definitely though more studyis in order for Ms. Harding.I would have rated this book NO STARS butthat option is apparently not available.

Very well written
This book is extremely well written. Her descriptions are excellent. I wish I had read the book before going to the temple. This is not an easily read book. It's more like an academic course, only one penned by aprofessor that can really write.By the time you finish this book you feellike you have really learned something- not just about Kali but about Indiaand about mythology and religion as well. Because of the subject matter andstark cover photo, this is the kind of book that will have strangers comeup to you and ask what you're reading. Because of it's well written andwell researched content- you are actualyy going to be able to tell them.Take it Starbuck's and you'll meet someone gauranteed. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Forget the politics
Previous reviewers have engaged in somewhat of "who's dady is the strongest" discussion, but that has nothing to say about this book. Now, I found the book very good in achieving the intended goal, i.e. giving an excellent presentation and explanation of the subject covered. My objection is that while it is nice to see applications of the same technique with different weapons, in some places the transfer is rather obvious, and I believe that that space could have been used better, maybe to show responses to some other types of attacks. Still, I have to note once more, thte book is very valuable to anyone interested in learning about FMA as it is, so I recommend it sincerely.

I've Studied The Villabrille-Largusa Kali Style for 15 years
This is an interesting book. As Grandmaster Ben Largusa taught me long ago, all of the styles from the Philippines have something worthwhile to offer.I have also read Mark Wiley's books. Quoting older Filipino practitioners and passing it off as scholarly research is a dubious practice at best. It is ironic that most of the people who comment on the late Grandmaster Villabrille have never met, talked to, nor practiced under him or his disciples. I have trained with Grandmaster Ben Largusa, Professor Greg Lontayao and Professors Allen and Mario Magdangal...all who had direct access to the legend himself.I have spend countless hours learning from and interviewing Grandmaster Largusa, Villabrille's direct descendant.The Grandmaster and I are writing a book on Villabrille.Mark Wiley has absolutely no idea what he's talking about when it comes to Grandmaster Villabrille and should leave him, respectfully and in perpetuity, out of his conversations.Take the time to experience and endure the rigors of this very traditional Kali system before venturing into territory of which you have no knowledge.Most people don't have the tenacity and fortitude to study the Villabrille system, and I suspect that's why it is so much easier to simple "talk" about it (and him).Villabrille learned the rudiments from his Uncle.The remainder he learned from the Princess Josefina and combat, making use of his own natural gifts.Put in proper perspective, it's to ok to add this book to your martial arts library.Again, they all have something to offer.
Guro Ron Smith

mistaken review by that Hawaiian guy
The book is OK as an introductory overview. The first guy who made a review was mistaken because despite all the videos and books circulated by authentic arnis/eskrima masters, they were never meant to impart more than a little peek into the art. For sure, they never meant to teach through books or videos, hence don't be surprised if this book is just 200 or so pages.

It's true that the Kalis Ilustrisimo masters learned by watching and videotaping Tatang Ilustrisimo. Most westerners like the first guy assume that arnis/eskrima has to be taught like a course or school subject. Sorry, but wrong. Arnis/eskrima is often self-learned in the Philippines by watching and training a few times with a few masters on sporadic instances. What makes them different from the much-looked down upon "seminar student" in the USA is that in the Philippines, you back up your training with LIVE and REAL sparring. Whereas in the US, they just attend seminars and collect certificates, videotapes, and photographs but don't spar w/o armor.Some masters and grandmasters here in the Philippines learned by just watching others practice or teach, and by imitating the moves and making them their own, AND THEN proving these techniques in sparring.

The students of Tatang didn't split up. Sagasa is not a school of Kali Ilustrisimo practitioners; it's a kickboxing style taught WITHIN and AS AN INTRINSIC PART OF Bakbakan International. Although not all Ilustrisimo practitioners are members of Bakbakan, they all interact together to this day since they all know each other personally.

Lastly, just because the late GM Villabrille was a great fighter, DOES NOT mean that he's incapable of telling tall tales. It is a very Filipino trait to tell tall tales especially in the FMA world where one-upmanship is the name of the game. The Filipino penchant for tall tales can be seen in the review posted by the Hawaiian first guy for this book, in which he describes the country of his ancestors' origins (I assume he's Filipino in ethnic descent due to his name and exposure to FMA, as well as his Hawaiian location) as NOTHING MORE THAN A COLLECTION OF GHETTOES. Exaggerated, isn't it? As I write this I am in the 52nd floor of an intelligent skyscraper in Manila.

It's safe to say that ALL the masters exaggerated their stories of achievement. The notion that GM Villabrille invented the word "kali" has enough basis although that notion isn't final as proven yet. The exaggerations come from the fact that they are all Filipinos, that they were recalling the stories from old memory hence getting some details mixed up or exaggerated, and that there was a language and conceptual barrier considering that 99% of FMA grandmasters who made FMA famous in the West were unschooled and practically illiterate. That's why the only jobs they got were not U.S.-educated "pensionados" but rather Hawaiian and Californian fruit pickers and harvesters.

All in all the book is great as an introduction and overview, and let's not begrudge the book's good traits just because we were hoping to learn Kalis Ilustrisimo from the book's contents. No, siree. If you want to learn Ilustrisimo, get yourself an AUTHENTIC teacher and train. Use the book only as reference and as a sort of primer on the style. Do not treat it as an instruction manual.

Kalis Ilustrisimo explained
This is a how-to-book which I think is inappropriate for escrima.This tract is some 200 pages but considering the illustrations, the actual text is less than 150.I read his whole book in four hours and it should have been a thousand pages to be complete in what little they intended to enunciate.A single movement has an almost infinite number of assumptions, antecedents, raison d' entre, and best practices.Escrima should be learned through corporal instruction.

The non-instructional parts of this book, the backround of Kalis Ilustrisimo, the life of the grandmaster Antonio Illustrisimo (first name may be wrong) is very useful and enlightening.Mark V. Wiley wrote the preface to this book and as I understand it he is an adherent to the Ilustrisimo style.I bring it up because it is his and the authors' contention of the falsehood of the term Kali.Mark V. Wiley and cohorts conclude based on their research that the term "Kali" was made up the very prolific stickfighter grandmaster Floro Villabrille.My opinion is that it is very hard to question Villabrille, he is a stickfighter par excelance. While in Hawaii, in tournaments, he killed a second man before stickfighting tournaments were outlawed, and one must wonder the unknown people he killed in stickfights(in the old days and maybe even now, there is such an event as a deathmatch, there is even a special sign for it).By insinuating that Villabrille, by coining the term Kali may have been mistaken is very polemic indeed.And it is tacky since Villabrille is safely dead and cannot defend himself against attacks to his reputation.

There are lapses in the writing in this book and there are two.The first is that it comes across that the only way that they learned from the grandmaster Ilustrisimo was by videotaping his counters and studying it.And that is the only way they learned, this is absurd, the grandmaster must have disclosed much more even thou he was reluctant to teach.Their style of Kalis Ilustrisimo is a complete style and there is much more to the pedagogy than videotaping the grandmasters' movements.The second is that they are very proud of the unbroken lineage of instruction within the Ilustrisimo family, but it comes across that Antonio Ilustrisimo rejected the strict regiment of his father and eventually washed out and left. Along the way he met and stayed with a man named Cortez for a long while.He must have learned from Cortez also, therefore his style must have been a composite style as most accomplished escrimadors are.This is because the very nature of escrima is to steal worthy styles from other escrimadores and make it their own.Antonio Ilustrisimo eventually returned to his family and learned more.But in their writing they leave out things that and contradict what is a misguided pride in the lineage.

Antonio Illustrisimo is a typical grandmaster, he has anting-anting (part fighting mojo, part magical charm) that is tattooed to his body, he has oracion (very effective premeditated prayer).Much like his grandmaster peers he must have lived in a world of vicious casual violence, especially in a place like the Philippines which is just a collection of ghettos.

I give the book three stars, I read the whole book in a convivial bookstore and did not purchase it, this is why I may be mistaken by the first name of the grandmaster since I don't have the book to refer to.It is sytopical with other escrima and arnis book on the market like the ones written by Mark V. Wiley.Wiley does not have a good reputation among some escrimadors.The authors of this book manage to put on airs about themselves as Mark V. Wiley is suppose to beknown for.The senior instructors of grandmaster Ilustrisimo broke ranks with each other to form their own schools.One of my favorite, because on its name, is the Sagasa school, sagasa roughly translates to tagalog as "to run over".Another is Bakbakan International, bakbakan roughly translates in tagalog as "fighting strife".
... Read more

Book Description
A rare and exciting true story of worship and initiation in an culture that still exists today. Bhairavan writes of his experience of initiation into the world of Kali's odiyyas shamans of the goddess. We learn the goddess tradition first-hand and experience and exorcism, Kundalini training, astral travel, shape-shifting, healing, how to deal with the death of a shaman, and how this matriarchal society governs the devotees. Glossary. Index. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Jai Mata
3 weeks ago I was thinking about buying this book, because I became interested in Kali or "Smashan Tara" after reading the Aghora trilogy by DR Svoboda, I went to North London and when I went to the ATM to get money for this book £20 was already there.. I bought it with £15 and bought a Kali Ma CD with the rest ..... this is the power of our mother, she will ALWAYS look out for us, and I am ALWAYS in her service ...Jai Ma Kali !!!

captivating memoir - a must read!
as an avid reader of biographies, i highly recommend "kali's odiyya".the author provides an intimate glimpse into a culture that revers the divine feminine.this book is a favorite on my bookshelf.it also makes a fabulous gift for friends that enjoy a well presented, enchanting life story.

Saraswati puja and the MahaVidyas
Great book! A must read. Amarananda Bhairavan will be in London September 2006 to give 3 day class on Traditional Tantra and Goddess studies followed by Saraswati Puja.

mindblowing !
This is an intriguing account of Amarananda Bhairavan's initiation, awakening and progression along the path of Kaula Tantra which was his destiny.
The fact that this man is coming to London in September presents a rare opportunity to learn directly from a master - not to be missed by anyone interested in discovering more about tantric mysticism and genuine tantric puja.

Tantric Mysticism at its BEST!!!
Amarananda Bhairavan is the real deal. His writing style and energy brings the reader into a mystical realm of profound beauty. This book is a real tribute to Kaula Shakta Tantra. I heardhe will be in London giving a 3 day workshop on Tantric Mysticism and the 10 Maha Vidyas along with a Saraswati Puja. His new book about the Odiyya's is going to be out this year. ... Read more

Book Description
Encountering Kalexplores one of the most remarkable divinities the world has seen--the Hindu goddess Kal . She is simultaneously understood as a blood-thirsty warrior, a goddess of ritual possession, a Tantric sexual partner, and an all-loving, compassionate Mother. Popular and scholarly interest in her has been on the rise in the West in recent years. Responding to this phenomenon, this volume focuses on the complexities involved in interpreting Kalin both her indigenous South Asian settings and her more recent Western incarnations. Using scriptural history, temple architecture, political violence, feminist and psychoanalytic criticism, autobiographical reflection, and the goddess's recent guises on the Internet, the contributors pose questions relevant to our understanding of Kal , as they illuminate the problems and promises inherent in every act of cross-cultural interpretation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Great resource for scholars and devotees alike
This collection of scholarly essays is an easy and enjoyable read for scholars and laypersons alike. What's so great about it is how many perspectives it gives on, as another reviewer noted, "the Kali phenomenon." McDermott and others tear away notions Westerners have of Kali, and present a much broader picture of her mythology, worship and cultural significance. McDermott's concluding essay spearheads the Western fascination with Kali, and dispels many myths along the way - including common etymological mistakes made frequently by feminist scholars and writers on Kali.

Western devotees of Kali should especially consider reading this volume - it will give necessary depth and breadth to your understanding of this complex Goddess, and is exceptionally readable. As this book was primarily written by and for scholars who are familiar with Sanskrit, those unfamiliar with transliteration diacritics will want to refer to online sources. Devotees who have Swami Satyananda Saraswati's excellent Kali Puja book will find a transliteration pronunciation guide in the back, which would be useful in this context.

Who Owns The Kali Franchise?
It is perhaps a mark of how far Kali has come as a goddess revered and celebrated in the West, that there is a steady increase in cautionary academic studies about "the real Kali."I'm waiting fora spate of corresponding articles about whether Indian Christians have "adopted" the "real" Jesus, or whether there is inevitable distortion, etc.

Are gods culture-bound, mere artifacts of geography, time, and social mores?If the answer to this is 'yes,' then what does that make religion?The sacred?Put another way, the question could be understood as one of what gods are; if they are not universally accessible, then in what sense are they gods?

This is the persistent question that emerged for me as I read through these essays.The writing itself is good, as you would expect.Most of these pieces are written in typical academic fashion, with much reference to the work of other academics, analysis of the literature, and so forth...but there is also the welcome change-of-pace instance of someone for whom Kali isn't simply an object of study and a medium of grantsmanship.One thing these authors should do--and I have seen this failing in several other texts, as well--is provide a legend that decrypts the many dots, underlines, and other markings used to indicate the pronunciation of various Indian words.What good are these symbolic notations without a key of some sort?

That aside--and given the major caveat offered at the beginning of this review--I recommend this as a useful resource to anyone desiring a better understanding of "the Kali phenomenon."As for an understanding of Kali, that is outside the province of academic quibbling and the struggle over who owns the gods. ... Read more

Book Description
Colored Amazons is a groundbreaking historical analysis of the crimes, prosecution, and incarceration of black women in Philadelphia at the turn of the twentieth century. Kali N. Gross reconstructs black women’s crimes and their representations in popular press accounts and within the discourses of urban and penal reform. Most importantly, she considers what these crimes signified about the experiences, ambitions, and frustrations of the marginalized women who committed them. Gross argues that the perpetrators and the state jointly constructed black female crime. For some women, crime functioned as a means to attain personal and social autonomy. For the state, black female crime and its representations effectively galvanized and justified a host of urban reform initiatives that reaffirmed white, middle-class authority.

Gross draws on prison records, trial transcripts, news accounts, and rare mug shot photographs. Providing an overview of Philadelphia’s black women criminals, she describes the women’s work, housing, and leisure activities and their social position in relation to the city’s native-born whites, European immigrants, and elite and middle-class African Americans. She relates how news accounts exaggerated black female crime, trading in sensationalistic portraits of threatening “colored Amazons,” and she considers criminologists’ interpretations of the women’s criminal acts, interpretations largely based on notions of hereditary criminality. Ultimately, Gross contends that the history of black female criminals is in many ways a history of the rift between the political rhetoric of democracy and the legal and social realities of those marginalized by its shortcomings. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Impressive: "the ever-changing same"
I once heard that criminal justice is the top growing major among American college students.I've also been told that it's not a very rigorous major and that graduate schools, and especially law schools, look down upon it.This book dealt with both criminal justice and history; however, it's a rigorous text more related to the latter subject.Based on the title, some may presume that this will be a repetitive account of crimes committed by some Black women of the time; it is not.Dr. Gross describes just a few cases to point to larger dynamics facing the subject population.In Catherine Fisher Collins' book "The Imprisonment of African American Women," she states that statistics on female prisoners rarely break down those numbers by race.Dr. Gross never states that she had problems finding information specifically about these African-American defendants and inmates.

Conservatives often complain that African Americans "always play the race card."Dr. Gross' book deftly spells out why that may be logical.She details thoroughly how Philadelphia could be a racist place even though it was in the North.She points to how Black women were only allowed to be domestics, and usually low-ordered ones at that.She points to how crusades to help poor, Southern, Black, female migrants were often patronizing and had mixed motives.She paints a picture so effectively of the oppression that Black women faced in that time and place that the fact that some in that group committed crimes becomes unsurprising, if not reasonable.Still, she never once says this group should not be responsible for their individual choices.

While Dr. Gross does describe how white women and Black men faced advantages that Black women didn't, it's the racial inequality that dominates.I am quite sure that a historian could investigate African-American men of that time and would conclude that they did not have a crystal stair either.Some criminologists state that women face chivalry from judges and police officers who downplay their bad actions, but this is treatment that Dr. Gross and many others have said only gets delivered to middle-class, white women.In addition to detailing the double oppression faced by Black women, Dr. Gross still admits that the poor, immigrants, and gay men and lesbians also faced injustice simultaneously.

At one point, Dr. Gross quotes a term "the ever-changing same."As informative as this book is, it may be irritating to many readers.African Americans are still stereotyped as criminal.Disproportionate numbers of female prisoners are still African American.The powers-that-be still fear and attempt to control Black female sexuality.I liked this book, but others may not want to learn that some barriers are age-old.

I thought the last two body chapters were the weakest.I'm not sure if Dr. Gross wanted to bury them by placing them near the end.I almost wondered if they could have been put in the beginning so that the book would gradually improve.Many chapter titles use alliteration.Many people accuse Blacks of constantly rhyming; be it rappers, the late Johnny Cochran, etc.I wonder if Dr. Gross is trying to be different by using the opposite poetic technique or go with the flow by doing something a bit stereotypical.

I'm still scratching my head as to why this was limited to 1880 to 1910.She discusses crimes before that period.1910 was post-Civil War but pre-19th Amendment.The modern Civil Rights Movement wouldn't arise until approximately 50 years later.Some potential readers may say, "Oh, I don't care about those decades" even though they would be thrilled by the discussion.Not sure why that decision was made.

Interesting book...
Different history for sure.Packs a lot into a readable, interesting narrative; provocative arguments too.Overall, I really enjoyed it and have to admire the research put into it.Great for anyone interested in crime, history, women, and race. ... Read more

Book Description
Worlds of Hurt presents a coherent rendering of the relationships between individual trauma and cultural interpretation, using as its focus the Holocaust, the Vietnam War, and the phenomenon of sexualized violence against women. Survivors of these traumas constitute themselves as unique communities and bear witness to their traumatic experiences both privately and publicly. The survivors themselves write a "literature of trauma"--born of the need to tell and retell the story of the traumatic experience, to make it "real" to the victim, the community and to the larger pyblic. ... Read more

Amazon.com
William Dalrymple has proved himself to be one of the most perceptive and enjoyable travel writers of the 1990s. His first book, In Xanadu, became an instant backpacker's classic, winning a stream of literary prizes. City of Djinns and From the Holy Mountain soon followed, to universal critical praise. Yet it is India that Dalrymple continues to return to in his travels, and his fourth book, The Age of Kali, is his most reflective book to date.

The result of 10 year's living and traveling throughout the Indian subcontinent, The Age of Kali emerges from Dalrymple's uneasy sense that the region is slipping into the most fearsome of all epochs in ancient Hindu cosmology: "the Kali Yug, the Age of Kali, the lowest possible throw, an epoch of strife, corruption, darkness, and disintegration." The brilliance of this book lies in its refusal to reflect any cultural pessimism. Dalrymple's love for the subcontinent, and his feel for its diverse cultural identity, comes across in every page, which makes its chronicles of political corruption, ethnic violence, and social disintegration all the more poignant. The scope of the book is particularly impressive, from the vivid opening chapters portraying the lawless caste violence of Bihar, to interviews with the drug barons on the North-West Frontier, and Dalrymple's extraordinary encounter with the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka. Some of the most fascinating sections of the book are Dalrymple's interviews with Imran Khan and Benazir Bhutto in Pakistan, which read like nonfiction companion pieces to Salman Rushdie's bitterly satirical Shame. The Age of Kali is a dark, disturbing book that takes the pulse of a continent facing some tough questions. --Jerry Brotton, Amazon.co.uk Book Description

William Dalrymple chronicles ten years of living and traveling in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and India. Here he discovers a region falling into a time of darkness, discord and disintegration which according to ancient Hindu cosmology is known as the Age of Kali. Despite the area's strife and discontent, Dalrymple's attitude does not fall to pessimism, rather every page reveals his passion for the people and culture of the Indian subcontinent. He encounters such figures as Benazir Bhutto and Imran Khan and meets with ostracised inmates of a widows' home.Critical yet sympathetic, The Age of Kali is must-have reading for anyone wanting to understand the countries of the subcontinent. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Few writers with as much skill as William Dalrymple
Some writers work harder than others. They write better than others. And they do it in a way that's so fluid and relaxed. William Dalrymple surely is one of those. You could pick up a Dalrymple book blindly, and expect to enter a world that's interesting, rich, crazy, chaotic and wonderful all at once.

I've read most of his books. And I'd say you just couldn't go wrong with William Dalrymple--or the Age of Kali for that matter.

Really good read, really crappy book
Wonderfull stories from India and Pakistan - unusual and well-told, but my Lonely Planet edition began to fall apart the moment I opened the book. After three days, all the pages fell out. Sorry about that, sez LP. Uh, yeah, thanks.

Fascinating and Intriguing
Age of Kali is a fascinating read. I have been to or lived at many places Dalrymple writes about in this book and so I can relate to what he says.
I must admit that insights that he brings out are much deeper than my own even when I spent years living in those places. The most interesting chapters are that of Vrindavan, Sri Lanka and Hyderabad. The section on Bombay was a bit of a drag, particularly when after having written so brilliantly so far he got stuck with Baba Sehgal and Shobha De (the latter only a few English speaking people know anyway) and missed the pulse of Bombay.
Both Bihar and Pakistan were equally depressing (not because of Mr Dalrymple), though insightful at the same time.
This is a great read, cover to cover but appears more of a collection of essays written at different times rather than a fluent continuous travelogue. Imran Khan's story could have been cut short by several pages and the author's journey into Reunion Island, though fascinating in its own right, seems like a chapter from another book.
There are flashes of brilliance in a wonderfully written piece but also dots of passable text.
Overall a brilliantly written book about an extremely complex people and difficult times with the elegance of a master story teller and pathos of a native.

Fearless and enlightening plunge into the conflict centers in India
In this relevant and political travelogue, it's hard to tell whether Dalrymple is playing devil's advocate in order to provoke the passions of his interview subjects, or if he can just be, at times, pigheadedly judgemental and narrow-minded.For example, he acts as if he doesn't recognize the symbolism of the first Kentucky Fried Chicken in Bangalore ("Three thousand tandoori restaurants in London don't seem to have destroyed British culture."); later, he questions Pakistan's failure to cede Kashmir to India based on India's superior military strength.

But you have to realize that the persona of Dalrymple as the interviewer doesn't really matter here.His itinerary is fearless (he visits conflict zones in both Sri Lanka and Pakistan), and his approach to history/travel writing through interviewing important political figures succeeds in making modern history come to life.Selflessly, he asks the toughest questions imaginable, as if he's looking for trouble (for example, insisting on probing the intra-familial feuding in Benazir Bhutto's family). The result is an intense and colorful portrayal of India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka- revealing the conflicts between Hinduism and Islam, between tradition and modernization, and between corruption and idealism.

While Dalrymple lightheartedly captures some of the colorful eccentricities of his subjects (e.g. listening to someone describe a holy man who reputedly appeared to be talking to a wall, when "if you got close enough you could hear what sounded like the wall talking to him"), at other times he ruthlessly exposes the character flaws of his subjects (at one point he describes a Tamil revolutionary in Sri Lanka as "the textbook revolutionary intellectual: quick-witted and intense, fond of gesticulation and dogmatic generalisation"; more colorfully, he portrays Benazir Bhutto ignoring his repeated attempts to interrupt her monologue with his own relevant questions).

In the end it's really up to the reader to discern the truth; for example, whether integrity really is a luxury in Pakistan, where police officers take bribes to augment their below-living-wage salaries, and whether it's okay for teenage girls to be so accepting of the violence that is part of their lives in Sri Lanka.

While Dalrymple's genius in this work stems from his in-depth research and use of dialogue to create lively characters, I found myself longing for the continuous narrative thread that makes another one of his works, City of Djinns, as readable as a novel and perhaps the greatest bit of travel and history writing I've read to date.But given the scope and format of this work, a series of political travelogues across the Indian subcontinent, it is right on the mark.

Fantastic account of the problems and promise of the subcontinent
_The Age of Kali_ by William Dalrymple is a fantastic and informative book on the Indian subcontinent, primarily abut India but with a section on Pakistan and essays as well on Sri Lank and the partially Indian island of Reunion. It is a result of ten years of travel by the author throughout the region, Dalrymple noting at the beginning of each essay in the book when he wrote it and in several cases following it up with a postscript (the earliest essay dates from the late 1980s and the book was published in 1998).

In his introduction, Darlymple stated that the great question facing India now was whether the prosperity of the south and west of the country can overcome the "disorder and decay" of the east and the north. The author adopted a more or less regional organization of his essays accordingly.

The first section was on the north and consisted of five essays. The first essay focused on the state of Bihar in the northeast of the country and on what the author termed the "Bihar effect;" Bihar has been gripped by corruption, caste conflict, government breakdown, and general lawlessness, something he feared might spread to other areas of India. Bihar has been subjected to nearly open warfare and outright massacres between armed Untouchables and high-caste Indians, criminal politicians (in 1997 thirty-three of its state assembly lawmakers had criminal records; one individual, Dular Chand Yadav, had fifty counts of murder pending against him), armed gangs robbing cars in broad daylight, kidnappings, and upwards of ten private armies roaming the countryside. Some of the problems of Bihar may be the result of a revolution in much of India, one in which lower caste politicians are supplanting upper-caste elites, a revolution which has had positive effects (among other things blunting the Hindu revivalist movement and anti-Muslim actions) and negative effects (the "emergence of a cadre of semi-literate village thugs" in some areas).

Other essays in this section focused on the once beautiful city of Lucknow (capital of the former Kingdom of Avadh, "indisputably" the largest, wealthiest, and most beautiful pre-Raj city in India), its palaces, pleasure gardens, and gilded dome mosques decaying due to poverty, neglect, corruption, and being replaced by shanty-huts and ugly concrete tower-blocks; the city of Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, a "temple town" where many devout Hindus believe Krishna still lives, destination for hundreds of thousands of Hindu pilgrims, and also heartbreakingly many thousands of widows, who live lives of terrible poverty and suffering, the result of traditional Hindu society views on widows, which with the death of their husband lose all status and are often exiled from their homes and even villages; an interview with Rajmata Vijayaraje Scindia, seen as both a "madwoman and a saint," a leader of the militant Hindu revivalists and once heir to Gwalior, a Portugal-sized kingdom dissolved at Independence in 1947; and a visit to English schools, legacy of the Raj, fragile "archipelagoes of Englishness" in a "choppy Indian sea" facing very uncertain futures.

The second section had three essays on Rajasthan (in the north and west of the country). The first essay was titled "The sad tale of Bahveri Devi" and was indeed a sad tale of brave sathins (informal social workers among village women) and their struggle to stop infanticide and child marriages and promote education for all children, the essay focusing on a lower-caste sathin who was raped and faced both caste and gender-based bias as result of her efforts and of the rape. The second essay focused on caste conflicts and what Indian opponents called "caste-apartheid." The third essay was on sati (the act of a widow throwing herself on her husband's funeral pyre); regrettably despite efforts to eradicate it sati is still deeply engrained in many parts of rural India and Rajasthan is a center for the cult of the goddess Sati Mata.

The third section was one the author titled "the new India," with one essay somewhat light-hearted, profiling a Hindi rap star and a Bombay-based romance novelist, and another more serious essay on protests against Western businesses in India, the author focusing in particular on rapidly developing and prosperous Bangalore, which has quadrupled in size in 25 years thanks to among other things its computer industry but like much of India faces huge problems thanks to hyper-development and the massive strains its puts on infrastructure and on the growing disparity in wealth between rich and poor.

The fourth section was on the south of India, the author taking the reader to the Tamil temple town of Madurai and the ancient worship of the goddess Meenakshi; to witness the decay of the culture and architecture of Hyderabad, a once Italy-sized state within India on the Deccan plateau, that thanks to its Golconda diamond mines once rivaled Belgium in wealth but was forcibly annexed by India in 1948 during Operation Polo; and to see an exorcism at a temple of the goddess Parashakti in Cochin.

Section five was titled "On the Indian Ocean" and was fascinating; "At Donna Georgina's" detailed the city of Goa, still heavy with Portuguese influence (the Portuguese having set up shop in 1510 and not having left until the locally unpopular "liberation" of Goa by India in 1961), a place like Lucknow and Hyderabad that was having its culture and architecture forcibly and deliberately eroded; another essay provided an excellent summation of the Tamil Tigers and the war in Sri Lanka; and the third essay was a wonderful account of Reunion.

The final section was on Pakistan, with essays on Imran Khan, ultra-famous sports star turned politician (and what his fame and life said about Pakistan as a whole); a very interesting tour of the tribal states of Pakistan and the ruins of the fascinating Gandhara civilization (a composite civilization influenced by the Alexander the Great, its greatest icon a meditating Buddha in a Greek toga), and an interview with and account of Benazir Bhutto and her family.
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Product Description
Who could forget their own mother, what to speak of the Mother of all souls? Kali, the Divine Mother of the Universe, emerges from these pages to engulf one with infinite love in this extraordinary description of Her many divine aspects. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

I loved this book!
This book really helped me to connect with Ma Kali and begin to understand the multitude of symbology around her form and history.I recommend this book to anyone who feels a connection to Divine Mother. ... Read more

Product Description
The story of a humanitarian mine detection dog named Kali that works in Cambodia. When a young boy becomes sick, Kali must prove that she is smart and brave as she leads the boy, his father, and her handler over a dangerous mountain path to the nearest hospital. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Teaching Kids Kindness and Caring
This little book teaches kindness, loyalty, and caring through the work of one brave little labrador retriever named Kali. This book is especially good for teachers to use in the classroom to instruct kids about how children in other parts of the world must contend with things like land mines. The book tells an upbeat story in a gentle and instructive manner. The colorful and upbeat illustrations support the text. Oh,and did I mention that you'll fall in love with the little dog Kali along the way!

something we can all hope for
Where danger lies, heroes lead the way. Sometimes those heroes are dedicated animals. In "Kali Leads the Way" by Nancy West, readers are introduced to one hero with four paws in the land mine strewn countryside of Cambodia.

Kali is a young Labrador Retriever in training to be a humanitarian mine detection dog. Her job is to use her keen sense of smell to detect buried land mines. Her challenge is to overcome her non-work related curiosity. Kali is distracted by butterflies and her trainer decides that she is not yet ready for work. She soon proves herself when her companion work dogs fail to find something that she spots easily...a live mine near the training site. When the monsoon season arrives in Cambodia the other dogs are brought to a nearby city to wait it out. The dogs cannot work in the heavy rain. Kali remains with her trainer to watch over the training grounds. One night, after many rain soaked days, the clouds clear and a knock is heard at the door. A man carries his young son, desperately in need of medical care, and hopes that Kali can lead them over the mountain to the city. Kali is able to focus on her work, and ignore temptation, but will she safely guide the group around a buried mine and the other dangers that lurk in the forest?

This beautifully illustrated book shows the dedicated service dogs like Kali provide. It also gently explains what land mines are and the dangers that farmers and others face having to live with this very real unknown threat. Educators looking to introduce this sad product of war will find this book to be a perfect blend of fact and hopeful outlook. Information on what can be done about land mines is provided at the back of the book.

Nancy West takes a tragic situation and turns it into something we can all hope for. Showing the growth of the dog's sense of duty puts the developing hero in a relatable light. Children will cheer her on as she ignores the monkeys and sticks to her task. Adult readers will be touched by the sense of need and desire for help. Kali is leading the world in showing compassion and taking control, and that's just what we all need more of. Well done!

Kali also leads children to explore a bigger world
One problem with adults reviewing a childrens book is that - well- we are not kids. Children look at the world from an entirely different perspective from us older folk. Too often writers "talk down" to children, underestimate their reading skills or beat them over the head with a moral lesson or perhaps with dogs that talk. Kali Leads the Way takes an entirely different approach.

Author Nancy West has successfully tackled a very adult subject and has delivered a convincing story involving war, mines, and Cambodia suitable for young children.It will not scare kids but may open them up for a lot of questions that parents or teachers should be prepared for; Why were the mines planted? Why can dogs smell things we can't?Where is Cambodia?

As a black lab Kali plays perfect host to addrssing some of these questions and Dana Kash's soft watercolors compliment the story without intruding on the text. Although listed as ages "8 and up" I think you can go a bit younger. I lent the book out to a couple of kids in the neighborhood and they thoroughly enjoyed it! Also a perfect book in a classroom setting for teachers to use.



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Book Description
Oh Terrifying Mother is an anthropological exploration of a South Indian ritual in which male actors become possessed by the fierce goddess Bhagvati as a divine offering. By providing an on-the-ground look at the many meanings of Kali to those who worship her, this book fills an important
niche in the burgeoning literature on Hindu goddesses. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Do not buy this book.
Completely inaccurate. The author does not understand Hinduism and nor does she understand the worship of the Goddess.

Very nice book
This book is very nice. It talks about the problems that mothers have in their life. Kinds, Husbend and many other problems mother has. A very intresting book. I strongly recommend it! ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (4)

Great perspective
Kevin Rushby has traveled extensively, and has written about his journeys with insight and tremendous empathy for people he has met.Children of Kali concerns his search for knowledge on the current state of the thug cult (murderous worshippers of the goddess Kali), and for one charismatic and well-known thug in particular.But the book does not read like some sort of true-crime or investigative work; rather, it takes the form of a travelogue, where Rushby learns about the parts of India he travels through, the types of people he meets. As such, although it develops at a slower or more leisurely pace, the work is deep and rich, and the reader feels he has learned not so much about the cult of Kali as gained somewhat of a new perspective on life.It was not exactly the type of book I was expecting, but I came to very much enjoy reading it.

Very interesting topic and travels but....
This book deals with some very interesting, yet somewhat disparate topics.Rushby's travelogue/history was apparently inspired by his learning of the British colonial administrator Sleeman, who allegedly eliminated the thuggees from India.He travels across India to investigate the thuggees, but somehow mixes them up with Indian bandits, gangsters, and assorted mischief-makers.His biggest problem is his tendency to write in a stream-of-conscious style that is confusing.He jumps around from different places, to different topics, switches between travelogue, history, and commentary, without effectively transitioning and explaining himself.At times he refers to phenomena, places and people without any explanation of who or what they are.With just a little better writing and editing, this could have earned five stars.

a bibliomaniac
I was expecting a much darker(creepy?) book from what I had read of the excerpt from the synopsis given by the bookstore. It turned out to be a very humorous travel log by Kevin Rushby's search of the Thug Cult. There are many entertaining encounters with the people in India, great descriptions of the food there, atrocious hotel rooms, the hustle and bustle of a very populated country - all a very informative and highly entertaining look of a Brit with a wonderful sense of humor travelling through ancient India. If you enjoy cooking or travel essays, this book's a keeper.

A must read investigative travelouge
Anybody interested in Modern India, I urge you to read "Children of Kali" by Kevin Rushby from several points of views:

1. How we get what we seek:
Kevin went to India in search of thugs and decoits, while Maddy (a character in the book) went to India in quest of happiness. See what each one got, and how this simple concept of "we get what we seek" revealed to Kevin at Sangam.

2. Real history of modern times:
The history of north and central India during East India company, Raj and after wee hours of independence is not taught to us, Indians in schools as it should be. Read how Kevin unearths it.

3. Travelogue:
How we all have very similar experiences as Kevin had in India, except he logs it in a superb fashion.

4. Objectivity:
If you are from India (a non-resident Indian, like me), see the places you grew up from an objective eye. Not necessarily an English eye, but an eye of a just seeker, Kevin that is!

5. Style:
I absolutely love the modern style of story-telling that is weaved with real facts and ground-level research. Just to examine this aspect, the book is worth reading.

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Book Description
This book chronicles the rise of goddess worship in the region of Bengal from the middle of the eighteenth century to the present. Focusing on the goddesses Kali and Uma, McDermott examines lyrical poems written by devotees from Ramprasad Sen (ca. 1718-1775) to Kazi Nazrul Islam (1899-1976). ... Read more

Book Description
Krsna and Kali are two of Hinduism's most popular deities, representing dramatically different truths about the nature of the sacred. The cruel and terrible Kali is thought to be born of wild, aboriginal roots. She is the goddess of thieves and often associated with human blood sacrifice. Krsna, in contrast, is the divine lover and inimitable prankster who plays a bewitching flute to draw all to him. But Kali and Krsna have much more in common than their contrasting personalities suggest. Kinsley shows that Krsna's flute can be interchangeable with Kali's sword, revealing important perceptions of the divine in the Hindu tradition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Wonderful Study of Two Impressive Deities
I have always had trouble relating to Krisha, even though I read many books, commentaries and scriptures about Him, attended a Vaisnava temple for many months, and spent numerous hours chanting His mantras in an attempt to crack the mystery of why this Deity is so ravenously popular. I enjoyed the stories of His pastimes, and greatly appreciated the art and iconography that surrounded Him - but the deeper implications were simply lost for some reason.

This book really brought home to me WHY Krishna so captured the people's hearts, as it showed a completely different perspective on the energies inherant to His workship. While the familiar themes, of course, remained the same, Kinsley throws a new light on the matter that was fresh and much needed.

As a Shakta, though, I obviously also adored the latter studies of Kali as well. They also bring up aspects and interpretations of Her worship that are not too commonly presented in other texts.

While this book is an academic text, it is easy and enjoyable to read, and not at all dry.

I highly recommend this book to any student of Hindu religion and spirituality, anyone wondering "what's the deal with Krishna", or even "who is this Kali that everyone's talking about". Those who have a general intrest in world religions and mythology will eat this one up, too. Spiritual seekers who wish to expand their perspectives on how divinity can and is experienced by hundreds of million, and how the seeminly contradictory aspects of the divine can be embraced and adored will find this study an excellent read as well.

A wonderful study of two Hindu deities
Kinsley's book is perhaps the most enjoyable work on Hinduism that I've ever had the pleasure to read. In it the author both explains the history of each deity and how they crystalize certain overarching truths of the Hindu worldview. The effect is both a complex understanding of Kali and Krishna's importance within Hinduism as well as a greater appreciation of Hinduism in its totality.

A scholarly yet very readable study
This book truly brings these two highly interesting Hindu dieties to life.Kinsley clearly illustrates the various truths each deity represents within the Hindu tradition. The reader is not only left well educated aboutKali and Krishna but about the rich character of the Hindu religioustradition as a whole. Perhaps the most enjoyable book I've ever readconcerning Hindu religion. ... Read more

Product Description
Tess can be summed up in one word...trouble. She draws it like a moth to a flame. As she finds herself in one situation after another, Tony Carter is there to save her. He appears as her personal knight in shining armor but Tess has long given up her belief in fairy tales. While part of her is dying to unravel the mystery of him, her reality tale lies in Blue, the hottest balla in Oakland, CA.Young, handsome and hood rich, his main desire is a family to call his own. After a failed marriage leaves Tess a single mother, their paths cross. For Tess, Blue and her son Trey, it's a case of love at first sight. The only problem is Tess's vow to stay away from men in the drug game. Despite her best efforts, she and her son are quickly swept into his dangerous lifestyle. Head over heels in love with Blue, they finally have it all within their grasps...true love and a real family. As lies and betrayals circle the air, Tess starts to see their dreams turn into a nightmare but can she get away? ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

worth my time..
It was a good first effort for Ms. James.. she did have some issues with prematurely releasing tension built up over tens of pages, And her writing style gave me problems now and then, but, overall, it was definitely worth my time.I look forward to reading more of her work in the future.

Awesome first novel!
Ms. James has written a wonderful story that is sharp and insightful, with in-your-face dialog that is straight from the streets of inner-city Oakland, CA.

Tess is a young mother of son who is trying to make ends meet on the streets of Oakland. She meets a man known as "Blue", who immediately sees something he wants in Tess and her son--an instant family--and he makes sure that he gets what he wants. Tess falls in love with him, even though he is a drug dealer with bad rep, and that's when things start to get exciting. She may live with Blue, but when the chips are down and she needs rescuing, it's Tony Carter who always seems to be there with a broad shoulder to cry on. When Tess finds out that Blue has been cheating on her all along, she realizes that she has to make a decision. Does she stay with a man whom she loves but doesn't trust, or trust her heart and go to the man who seems to know how to be there for her no matter what? Either way, someone is going to probably die, and Tess is torn between following the "code" or following her heart.

This is a powerfully written novel. The language is straight street slang, but that just makes the words more powerful. Ms. James characters are so true-to-life that they seem to leap off the page and into the room with the reader. The dialog between the characters is free flowing with the natural cadence of the spoken language. I became quite involved with the characters and felt frustrated several times with some of the situations that Tess got herself in to, but that is real also--I have a friend who is a lot like her! Anyone who reads this book will probably relate to many of the characters, because they are the kind of people most of us have had in our lives at one time or another.

I really enjoyed this book. I have never read urban lit before, but I thoroughly enjoyed my first venture into this fairly new genre. Ms. James is hard at work on her second book, which will continue with a cousin of Tess' and we will get to see how the story continues to play out.

I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an exciting and interesting read.

Fast paced, well written book
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It was very well written, and I couldn't put it down until I was finished. Kali did an excellent job making her characters believable and the storyline flowing. I'd definitely buy from this author again.

Best book i read in a while
KALI JAMES IS DOING HER THING IN CAN U GET AWAY? THE CHARACTER TESS HAS MANY MEN THAT WANT HER BUT AS SHE SOON FOUND OUT EVERYTHING THAT LOOKS GOOD IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD FOR YOU.kALI IS GOING TO TAKE YOU THERE EMOTIONALLY WITH THIS BOOK. CAN'T WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL.