Book Description
"Somewhere in the first five pages of HER OWN PLACE the glow begins....And you begin to glow becuase it just feels so good."
THE BOSTON GLOBE
This is Mae Lee Barnes, story--from girlhood to womanhood to motherhood--and all stops in between, living the troubled, joyous, and indomitable life of a black matriarch during a time of change that will alter her life and her family's forever....
Customer Reviews:
Loved It.......2005-11-12
I was hoping that this writer would come back with another book, but so far she hasn't; This story tells about a young girl who marries a hometown boy who went to WW2, saves her money until she gets some land and farm of her own; the hubby comes back, but he doesn't want the life and eventually leaves her though she agreed to move with him up north; She ends up raising the kids they had and working the farm doing pretty well for herself although it wasn't an easy road; But as she ages, she becomes more settled about life and to me it's a good easy read;
Boring and Plotless.......2003-11-29
This is the story of Mae Lee Barnes. Mae Lee marries a man who goes to be a soldier. She faithfully writes him, though he doesn't write her a single letter back. He comes home from the military and fathers her firstborn. Then he leaves for prolonged periods with no sufficient explanation, returning every now and then to father yet another child until Mae Lee has a total of five kids. Then her husband skips town for good. She buys a farm and manages it, along with raising her five kids.
And that's where any semblance of plot ends.
The rest of the book is spent describing how behind-the-times Mae Lee is. She spends many pages fretting about her grandson's earring, and how he must be gay because he wears an earring. After much angst and drama over such an issue, she finally comes to term with the earring. She volunteers at a local hospital. She eats dinner at the other volunteers' homes. She invites them to eat at her home. She rides in a plane for the first time. She rides a bus a lot.
Exciting - Not. There is little-to-no plot in this book. If you took any person and wrote down everything they do in their life, from waking up in the morning to going to bed at night, you'd note that 99% of their day was mundane and not worth writing about. Unfortunately, this author thought that 99% was worth writing about. She tried to make something of small details not worth noting, and she dragged these details out.
The protagonist is an ignorant, perpetually pregnant wife who I can't sympathize with a bit. The book is virtually completely lacking in plot. The dialogue is dull. The characters are unbelievable. This is one to pass on.
Wonderful, inspirational folksy read........2000-10-22
A friend who lives in South Carolina recommended this author to me and I must thank her here. Thanks, Angie! What an engaging story written with such simple, easy to read style.
I came away with respect and awe for the main character, Mae Lee Barnes, who raised five children without the help of a husband OR welfare or food stamps. Mae Lee's mother and father instilled in her the value of hard work and saving money and she became a land owner in a time when few blacks owned land---much less a black woman with five children. This book is the intriguing story of her life. Very enjoyable, uplifting read!
This is the way it was. Really........1998-11-18
Is is possible for a black Southerner - or a white one - to write without predjudice? Apparently it is, and Dori Sanders has done so. She has no axe to grind, just a good story to tell about growing up on a black farm in South Carolina in the years that encompass (but do not end with) World War II and the beginnings of the Civil Rights movement. Just when you thought you knew "how it was", here comes a different slant: Mae Lee (like Dori Sanders herself) is unusual for a Southern black woman, in that she owns her farm -- not that that solves her problems.
Average customer rating:
|
Biddy Mason: A Place of Her Own
Camille Gavin
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Motivational
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1424160413
Release Date: 2007-01-29 |
Book Description
Biddy Mason, born into slavery, walked two thousand miles to get to California. She won her freedom in a Los Angeles courtroom in 1856-even though the law did not allow people of color to speak in open court. A skilled nurse and midwife, she saved her money and helped anyone who was in need. She also bought property and became a wealthy woman. In 1872 she founded the First African Methodist Episcopal Church of Los Angeles. And because the public school was not open to blacks, she provided the money to start the city's first school for African-Americans. Using a narrative style, the author tells the compelling story of this valiant woman. Biddy Mason was a true pioneer of the Old West and a worthy role model for young readers.
Average customer rating:
|
A Place of Her Own
Manufacturer: Scholastic Book Services
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0590087517 |
Product Description
Fifteen years old and an orphan - When her parents die, Stina must leave her country home to live in the city with her older sisiter. She loves her sister and brother-in-law, but there's really no room in their tiny apartment. How can Stina keep up with the homework in her new school, or invite friends over? And then there's the awful loneliness that won't go away. Stina feels like giving up - until one wonderful day...
Product Description
11-1/2 x 13-1/2; gilt edges, lettering & decoration; unpaginated but text block approx. 1-1/2" deep; 16 p. historical notes on each site; 8x10 b/w photo illustrations & brief descriptions of "royal residences, homes of princes and noblemen, palaces, castles and stately houses, beauties of mountain, lake and river". Embossed gold/mauve endpapers are gorgeous.
Product Description
Royal residences, palaces and castles, bowers and hunting lodges, river banks and islets, the homes of princes
Book Description
In a sassy, chick-lit style, Neufeld delivers the 4-1-1 on how to handle all the challenges women face goin' solo for the first time. The book is packed with tips on acquiring an apartment, finding a dream job (and the day job to support it), networking ideas, taking care of oneself and entertaining alone--giving websites, phone numbers and addresses to get what you want, when you need it.
Customer Reviews:
really, really useful!.......2004-08-17
All about living on your own, told quickly & articulately, about what cities offer; where to live; how to make money & manage it too; mental health; enjoying the mateless life & so much more!
With city specific resource guides, & sharing both the terrors & the excitements, each time you pull GOING' SOLO...AT 20 AND 30 out as you plan the next move in your life, it's like having an older sister in your pocket -- she's been there, done that, & here's how to save yourself some grief.
Rebeccasreads highly recommends GOING' SOLO...AT 20 AND 30 as the best thing you can give a girl as she sets out on her first solo adventure in the Big City.
If you love your daughter, this book is a must.............2004-07-14
A great resource for any college grad just starting out. I wish I had this book back in the day. It sure would have saved me lotsa time, money, and heartache!
Just what i needed.......2004-06-14
I moved from one big city to the next and this book has been great for someone on a budget! From NYC to Chicago I am always looking for inexpensive way to decorate, entertain etc....Goin SOlo gave me some really great ideas and I would def recommend for people right out of school or new to a big city!
GREAT $$ saving tips for living in any city.......2004-04-24
I loved this book. It showed me great ways to save money and still have a great time and make the most out of the opportunity. I LOVED the party throwing ideas. Adina Kalish Neufeld really understands what it is like to live in the big city on a budget! I definitely recommend this book to all.
Finally, a book with useful and practical resources.......2004-04-20
It's a breath of fresh air to finally read a book that offers actual resources and suggestions. I have read countless resource guides that do everything but offer concrete resources. Adina does an excellent job of providing useful information while keeping the reader interested with her youthful humor and wit. Loved it!!
Average customer rating:
|
Her Own Place
not illus.
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000V8WC6Q |
Average customer rating:
|
Her Own Place
Dori Sanders
Manufacturer: Fawcett Columbine
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JZWQVW |
Average customer rating:
|
Her Own Place
Dori SANDERS
Manufacturer: Algonquin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OP98TA |
Average customer rating:
|
Her Own Place
Dori Sanders
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O7TO2E |
Average customer rating:
- Great follow-up to Outlaw!
- YUCK!!!
- Not the best but certainly the least!
- *Not* hard to fathom
- I liked this book...
|
To Please a Lady
Susan Johnson
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Johnson, Susan | ( J ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Romance | Subjects | Books
General | Historical | Romance | Subjects | Books
Johnson, Susan | ( J ) | Authors, A-Z | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Historical | Romance | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:
-
Outlaw
-
Legendary Lover
-
Taboo
-
Sweet Love, Survive
-
A Touch of Sin
ASIN: 0553578669
Release Date: 1999-10-05 |
Amazon.com
In To Please a Lady, Johnson reacquaints readers with the devilish Carre men of Outlaw fame, and will they ever be grateful for it! Johnnie Carre's impetuous and oh-so-sexy younger brother Robbie continues his pursuit of Roxanne, the twice-widowed Countess of Kilmarnock, in spite of the price on his rebellious head. And despite the political intrigue that Roxanne finds herself involved in, she cannot deny her passion for the handsome young man. But can Robbie protect Roxanne and her children from the machinations of the unscrupulous Englishmen and turncoat Scotsmen threatening their love and future together? Caught in the midst of conspiracy, Roxanne and the fugitive Robbie battle the greed of the crown to secure a place for themselves and their undeniable need for each other. --Alison Trinkle
Book Description
She risked everything for a Scottish outlaw who would do whatever it takes...
Author of more than a dozen national bestsellers, award winner Susan Johnson is unmatched when it comes to writing novels that thrill, excite, and seduce. Now she once again captivates with this exciting historical novel of sensual adventure and forbidden love....
Roxane Forrestor was determined to live life on her own terms--even in a man's world. The beautiful Countess of Kilmarnock had so far survived the political and romantic intrigues of Scotland's most powerful suitors. So why couldn't she resist the brash Robbie Carre? Why did she find it impossible to throw the rebel earl out of her bedchamber even though it meant harboring a wanted man?
Robbie cared nothing for his own safety. But he knew all too well that his ruthless enemies, desperate to capture him, would use Roxie and her children as pawns. He would brave the odds to protect them, would fight for his fugitive love with Roxie...even if their stolen moments of pleasure cost him his life.
Customer Reviews:
Great follow-up to Outlaw!.......2005-09-15
The only reason not 5 stars is Robbies age. Since I have boys this young I have a problem -even knowing that times were different that Robbie only 18 could have been quite the man of the world, nor had so many sexual experiences. He was written to seem older, naturally so his exploits were believable to a reader, but not when I thought about it rationally. Baring that - I truly thought this was one of Johnson's better more complete love stories. Although I like her sex scenes that are hot and heavy, this book seemed to rely more on a truly intense, long term depth of caring. Roxanne had loved only once before in her life - her first husband that she had 5 children by. She was a very independent woman, and Robbie was a very commanding presence in her life. She fought this commanding way of his, but in the end it was really the kind of man she needed and wanted. He fought hard for her. I do not understand those that felt he acted immaturely - he may have been young but I thought he acted quite honorably. Actually at times it seemed that Roxanne was more the rouge - she seemed to have quite a sexual past as well - and I did not always understand why she kept throwing Robbies in his face. The political intrigue while a backdrop to the love story was interesting, for me it was just a backdrop. It was much more exciting watching the Carre brothers in action - and to see Robbie fight for the love of his young life. I really think this is a great Susan Johnson book and would be a must buy for a Johnson lover - also to follow up on the Outlaw book - which was in itself a true 5 star read!
YUCK!!!.......2005-06-20
I honestly dont know where to start with this book. I guess for starters, I dont see the huge age gap between Roxie and Robbie sexy in the least. The whole book, I was trying to imagine Robbie as being older and Roxie as being younger. But the biggest thing for me was the yo-yo romance. Up one minute down the next. Very tiring! The only reason I finished was because I cant stand not finishing a book I start. I DO NOT reccomend this book to anyone.
Not the best but certainly the least!.......2002-07-23
This is the worst of SJ book I have ever read. First of all Robbie Carr is too young, at 18 and spoil, selfish and acts like a child all the time, doesn't constitue what a man should be like. Sorry readers but I enjoy romance and love hot steamy sex but this book lacks everything. The only reason I finish this book was because I spend money on it and also I wanted to know more about Elizabeth and Johnnie(Outlaw). If I had to suggest a book it would be Outlaw and that readers you will get your money worth
*Not* hard to fathom.......2001-11-27
Just a few comments on the book and the other reviews of the
book:
While this book isn't the best of Susan Johnson's, and the
storyline could be improved, I still enjoyed reading it.
While I thought the age of 18 years old for the man was a
bit silly (25 years would have been more acceptable) a man
of 18 years a couple centuries ago wasn't a child (unlike
the 18 year old weaklings of this pampered lazy generation)
he was a man, strong and tough, life was hard in the past,
people worked hard and people grew up pretty fast back then.
I suppose if a story was about a woman with five kids who
got involved with a man 20 years *older* than her (yech!)
that would be acceptable? (yech!) I would prefer youth,
stamina and virility in a man rather than old age.
I guess a woman with 5 children isn't supposed to have a
sex drive or enjoy pleasure, much less even have a sex life?
Society still doesn't accept that women can have a strong
sex drive and enjoy their lifes even after they become a
mother or after they reach a certain age perhaps?!?
And by the way, I don't think the reader from Colorado even
read the book.... or perhaps she is dyslexic??
The 18 year old man was panting after and chasing and pursuing
the older woman, *not* the other way around. The woman in the
book is a beautiful woman with several powerful men who are
fighting and vying for her attention, hardly some desperate
woman chasing a young man, she was resisting his advances
actually.
Personally, I enjoyed the fantasy of a woman who had several
choices of men who were all lusting after and fighting over
her and who enjoys a sex life with a man younger than her.
Must we be such prudes or so incest phobic that we can't
even enjoy a fantasy about sex with a handsome younger man?!?
Quite sad, if even ones fantasies have to be sexually repressed!
I liked this book..........2000-11-19
Sure, Robbie is only 18,but this is not a contemporary setting. I don't know why everyone is making such a big deal of this...I haven't been reading romance very long but it seems that in many historical romances the woman is much younger than the man. So the positions are reversed here. He is not an 18 year old of today either. He is very powerful and very wealthy. I liked the conversation too..a lot was very humorous. Haven't read Susan Johnson before so I can't say if this is better or worse than her others. I found it enjoyable with just a few questions. What's with all the footnotes? Do I really care about detail here? I didn't check any of them. It's a romance novel. This is all in fun..nothing serious about it. Also, some of the conversation was questionable. Did they really use those words back then? I don't really care. I liked it and found it very entertaining!!
Average customer rating:
|
Ladies, Please
Maryanne Camilleri
Manufacturer: LPC Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Photographers, A-Z | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Photo Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
General | How-to | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1550960539 |
Average customer rating:
- This is a POETRY book
- Love Smut!!
- Sir Richard Styff--You just know his friends call him "Dick"
- Bitchin Smut
|
Nine Inch Will Please a Lady: A Treasury of Smut
R. Styff
Manufacturer: Ariel Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Anthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | Humor | Entertainment | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Anthologies | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0898049997 |
Book Description
Prudery alert: the book contains poems that will cause prudes to suffers fits of indignation. Normal people will simply break down in gales of laughter and merriment. Nine Inch Will Please a Lady is a collection of "smuttery"--poems and songs that have been condemned or banned by prudes as smut at one time or another. It is the first anthology of its kind every openly published in this country, and contains selections by Robert Burns, Alexander Pope, Rudyard Kipling, Jonathon Swift, and many others. There is also a collection of the smuttiest limericks of all time.
Customer Reviews:
This is a POETRY book.......2000-12-17
....a warning for those who expected anything else. The poems in this books are, for the most part, rather humorous and bawdy, but when I ordered it, I did not expect to receive in the mail a book of bawdy English poetry.
While the book itself has merit, do not purchase this if you are expecting a collection of erotic writings to "turn your crank", so to speak. You'll be disappointed as I was.
Love Smut!!.......2000-11-24
This book made me extremely horny!
Sir Richard Styff--You just know his friends call him "Dick".......1999-06-10
A rollicking, robust piece of bawdy writing, past and present. May I quote something? Well, perhaps not, this is a family website. Let's just say that the title is from a Robert Burns poem. This book will duly serve those with a taste for exemplary smut.
Bitchin Smut.......1999-05-20
If you're into high class smut, this book is your bible. The author has a way of making you feel as if you're a character, and the one being whipped and beaten, and enjoying the hell out of it...because you've been bad and you know it.
Product Description
Multiple books shipped as one item for your convenience. Save on Shipping/Handling charges.
Average customer rating:
|
The Lost Ones (Star Wars: Young Jedi Knights, Book 3)
Kevin J. Anderson , and
Rebecca Moesta
Manufacturer: Berkley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Science Fiction, Fantasy, & Magic
| Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Young Jedi Knights
| Star Wars
| Science Fiction
| Series
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Adventure
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Star Wars
| Media Series
| Series
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
Young Jedi Knights
| Series
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0425169995 |
Average customer rating:
- Jewish genetics
- DNA and Tradition: Ancient Hebrews
- Arthur Koestler Reviewer: Shame on you for appropriating authors name.
- Scattered and Gathered
- A wonderful work, also a refutation of the review by Arthur Koestler
|
DNA and Tradition: The Genetic Link to the Ancient Hebrews
Yaakov Kleiman
Manufacturer: Devora Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Jewish
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Science & Religion
| Religious Studies
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1932687130 |
Book Description
Did the Twelve Tribes of Israel really exist? Are the scattered groups of modern Jews really the direct descendants of the ancient Hebrews of the Bible? This extraordinary book chronicles the latest discoveries in the cutting-edge field of Molecular Population Genetics that add empirical evidence and scientific confirmation to Biblical tradition.
The areas that are analyzed include:
The Discovery of the "Cohen Gene",
DNA Tests of Tradition,
Confirming the Origin of World Jewry,
Discovering the Genetic Matriarchs,
Abraham's Chromosome Signature
Customer Reviews:
Jewish genetics.......2007-08-31
This book is a very good insiders look at the genetic history of the priestly tibe, the Levites and descendants from Aaron. The book and data suggest that the priestly line is intact after a hundred generations and that fact makes me proud (I am one of them). The book also seems to dispel the notion that a large segment of Jews are descendants from Central Asian converts, a theory that has occupied Jewish though for a long time. It is good to know that we are pure and descended from people in the bible.
DNA and Tradition: Ancient Hebrews.......2007-05-13
This is a great book with lots of information for anybody that wants to understand the concepts behind DNA and the link to the ancient Kohanim dynasty. The book is good for either neophytes or advanced individuals in the field of DNA that want a higher level of specific knowledge related to Cohen Modal Haplotype. The book further has a good linkage to the biblical versus that are the underpinning to the Kohanim group.
Arthur Koestler Reviewer: Shame on you for appropriating authors name........2006-09-06
or provide your credentials for the whole lot of nothing you wrote.
Scattered and Gathered.......2006-09-03
This remarkable book reveals recent discoveries in molecular genetics that provide scientific confirmation of Biblical and oral tradition. For those completely unfamiliar with genetics, it is advised to read chapter four first. The basics of DNA are covered there, including the history of its discovery and key concepts like genes, the human genome poject, genetic markers and mitrochondrial DNA (mtDNA).
Using DNA analysis, it has become possible to find definite answers to questions of Biblical tradition and genealogy. Chapter one discusses two pioneering studies that detected Y-Chromosome markers that occur with high frequency in the Jewish priestly line of Kohanim. This genetic signature has become known as the Cohen Modal Haplotype (CMH).
Further studies of Diaspora communities revealed that Jewish people around the globe are closely related to one another, distinct from their host communities, and share a common geographical origin in the Middle East. Chapter Three looks at the genetic and biblical Matriarchs through studies of the mtDNA, which is transferred through the female line. Studies seem to confirm that people like Sarah, Rebeccah, Rachel and Leah were real individuals, not mythical constructs.
Chapter Five deals with the Ancient Hebrews and the question of the Lost Tribes. It provides a historical overview of Ancient Israel, early exile communities, legends of the lost tribes and a look at modern groups that claim Hebrew roots, complete with the results of genetic tests. These groups include, amongst others, the Pathans of Afghanistan, Georgian, Kurdish and Bukharan Jews, the Bene Menashe of India, tiny communities in China and Japan, plus the Ethiopian Jews and the Lemba people of Southern Africa. The priestly Buba clan of the Lemba has a significant percentage of the aforementioned CMH. The Khazar question is also explored here.
The next chapter goes into more detail on the history of the Ashkenazi of Europe and the Sefardi of the Middle East and Mediterranean communities. Genetic studies reveal that these two broadly defined groups are closely related despite the long years of separation. This chapter contains the results of numerous genetic studies and includes a map of the history of Ashkenazi movements in Europe.
Chapter Seven addresses the question of who a Kohan is, discusses Aaron the High Priest and his descendents and includes a table of Kohanim Down The Ages. There is a fascinating section on Kohan names, which include Cohn, Kahn, Kaplan, Rappaport and Shapiro, and how they were adapted or derived. This interesting chapter also describes the duties and personality of the Kohanim, their lineages, plus the Tribe of Levi and their genealogy with a list of surnames that include Levy, Lewis, Segal and Horowitz. This section concludes with information on organizations working towards the reactivation of the Kohanim.
The next chapter is devoted to ancestor research, providing helpful information on Biblical and Rabbinical genealogy, how to go about searching out one's ancestors, special interest groups, online resources and a bibliography of useful books. All the tools needed for tracking down your forebears are provided here.
The next chapter is just as interesting as chapter seven as it examines the genetic indications of the historical Abraham. The CMH marker is also a signature of the Judeo-Christian patriarch. Research reveals that large populations in the Middle East, like Lebanese, Kurds and Armenians, share this marker. There are also Europeans, like Hungarians and the southern and central Italian people, that carry this genetic signature.
The last chapter provides a summary of the latest findings from molecular genetics as they relate to Biblical genealogy. The conclusion is that DNA research has verified both the oral and the scriptural tradition. It concludes with an illuminating section on the spiritual heirs of Abraham and his biological heirs through Jacob, to whom the land was given as an inheritance forever.
The Appendix includes three scientific studies; from Nature: Y-Chromosomes Of Jewish Priests (1997), and Origins Of Old Testament Priests (1998). The article from the Proceedings Of The Natural Academy Of Sciences of the USA (2000) is titled Jews And Middle Eastern Non-Jewish Populations Share a Common Pool of Y-Chromosome Biallelic Haplotypes.
There are illustrations, maps, charts and tables throughout the text and the book concludes with bibliographic notes arranged by chapter. I highly recommend this well-written and beautifully crafted work to all those who cherish our Judeo-Christian tradition. Not only does it reveal close correspondences between scripture and science, but also provides other insights with significant implications for the future. DNA & Tradition is a work of major importance.
A wonderful work, also a refutation of the review by Arthur Koestler .......2006-08-27
The following is both a review of the book as well as a counter to the review called "Based on the wrong starting point by Arthur Koestler (Spain)." Please don't take my comments as a personal attack on Arthur Koestler it is simply a refutation about his comments on the book DNA and Tradition: The Genetic Link to the Ancient Hebrews.
To start off, the review called "Based on the wrong starting point" does not have the facts of the book right. The reviewer Arthor Koestler wrote, "According to the author, the book is constructed around a scientific comparison of the genetical properties of sefardita and askhenazim Jews. But accordingly to the book, the samples were obtained from anatolian sefarditas, theoretically expelled from Spain in 1492."
This statement is completely incorrect. DNA and Tradition: The Genetic Link to the Ancient Hebrews is based on genetic testing of Yemenite Jews, Iraqi Jews, Syrian Jews, Libyan Jews, Ethiopian Jews, Moroccan Jews, Spanish Jews, Indian Jews, Ashkenazi Jews, the Lemba, the Samaritans and a number of non-Jewish middle eastern ethnic groups. If one reads page 29 of DNA and Tradition it states that the, "findings were that Jewish men from communities in the Near East: Iran/Iraq, Kurds, Yemenites and Roman Jews, as well as Ashkenazim/European Jews - all have very similar, almost identical genetic profiles!" Page 30 of DNA and Tradition provides further detail on the specific communities and their histories.
The reviewer Arthur Koestler also does not seem to know that the term "Sephardic" is often applied, though incorrectly, to all Jews who are not Ashkenazi. This is mostly in the non-Jewish world, but sometimes it is the case in Israel. The reason is because many Sephardi Jews, African Jews, and Middle Eastern Jewish share some of the same traditions. At one time there was only one Chief Rabbi in Israel and he was always Sephardi (from the Middle East mostly) until the division of the Rabbinate into Chief Sephardi Rabbi and Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi. Also, Sephardi Jews always had contact with the Jews of North Africa and Iraq long before the Khazars ever converted. Yemenite Jews are recognized as being different from both Sephardim and Mizrakhim (Middle Eastern Jews) mainly because they have different Jewish traditions. Yet, there are times when compared to Ashkenazim that all Sephardim, Mizrakhim, and Yemenites are called Sephardi.
Furthermore the review called "Based on the wrong starting point" states, "If this hipotesis is correct, then the jews expelled from Spain in 1492, can be wrongly catalogued as true "sefarditas", as they could be mainly composed of poor, khazarian jews newcomers, that were forced to return as near as possible to their original land -anatolia- when the conversion process was executed."
This assertion is again wrong and DNA and Tradition covers the possible influence of the Khazars. It was found that there were similar DNA between Levites from the Middle East and North Africa, but when it came to Ashkenazi Levites they found more differences. One of the theories that the book talks about is that that many of the Khazars who converted to Judaism were priests in their former religion. After converting to Judaism it is believed that they claimed to be Levites in the Eastern European communities they joined due to their past as priests in their former religion. This only affected the Levites and not the Kohanim in Eastern Europe since the Kohanim all over the world have strict rules on whom they can marry, and often check backgrounds before getting married. Check pages 85 and 95 of DNA and Tradition. Levites don't have all of the rules placed on the Kohanim thus it is understandable that the Levites may have more differences. Also, the Kohanim and Levites who converted during the Inquisition often were not allowed to be Kohanim anymore once their genealogy was questionable so the idea that Kohanim and Levites with questionable background made their way into Sephardi communities is false especially since most Sephardim are real strict on bloodlines and such. This is why many of the forced converts to Catholicism upon return to Judaism in some cases formed their own communities, and were only later augmented by other Jewish communities.
Also, there were no Khazars in most of North Africa and there are a number of Jewish communities in North Africa who were known to be there long before the Khazars converted to Judaism. Several groups of Northern African Jews are know to have been Africa at or around 586 BCE and even the Muslims of North Africa know this. Also, a number of Spanish Jews had already left Spain before the Inquisition and never had contacts with the Khazars. There is also the fact that there are three distinct Moroccan Jewish groups and only one of them was made up of Spanish and Portuguese Jews who stayed separate from the other groups. There were no Khazars in Yemen, Ethiopia, South East Africa or India so the Khazar excuse does not hold up in trying to bring down this book.
Further the writer of the review "Based on the wrong starting point" states, "I don't see in the book any comparison -by example- between current spaniards and palestinian DNA haplotypes, to see the most than probable coincidences, then if the author wants to shut down forever the khazarian origin theory, this genetical study must be accomplished."
Yet, on page 187 there is a DNA report which shows the comparison between Jewish DNA and Palestinian DNA. On page 187 of DNA and Tradition there is a study called Jewish and Middle Eastern Non-Jewish Populations Share a Common Pool of Y-chromosome Biallelic Haplotypes performed by PNAS the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. In this study the DNA of Yemenite Jews, Iraqi Jews, Syrian Jews, Libyan Jews, Ethiopian Jews, Moroccan Jews, Spanish Jews, Ashkenazi Jews, Samaritans, the Lemba, and Palestinians was compared and found to be similar. Based on this statement I am not sure the reviewer Arthur Koestler even read the book DNA and Tradition.
The book DNA and Tradition: The Genetic Link to the Ancient Hebrews is a really good book with a dearth of information on how the testing was performed and the fact that the testing was performed by more than one medical group, and on a number of Jewish and non-Jewish communities shows the balance in the scholarship. Rabbi Yaakov Kleiman did a wonderful job of backing up the research and giving lots of sources from different backgrounds.
Books:
- I Stand in the Center of the Good: Interviews with Contemporary Native American Artists (American Indian Lives)
- I, Strahd: The War Against Azalin
- In the Palm of Darkness: A Novel
- Intoxicated: A Novel of Money, Madness, and the Invention of the World's Favorite Soft Drink
- Jerusalem's Hope (The Zion Legacy, Book VI)
- Katerina: A Novel
- Layover
- Lens of an Infantryman: A World War II Memoir with Photographs from a Hidden Camera
- Little Altars Everywhere: A Novel
- Little Boys Come from the Stars
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Institutes of the Christian Religion
- Betty Crocker's Diabetes Cookbook: Everyday Meals, Easy as 1-2-3
- The Money Dragon
- The Indo-China War 1946-1954
- The Secret Life of Houdini: The Making of America's First Superhero
- Barron's SAT Subject Test in Physics 2007
- 50 Simple Things Kids Can Do to Save the Earth
- William and Henry Walters, the Reticent Collectors
- The Road to Sustained Growth in Jamaica
- Frank and Lillian Gilbreth: Critical Evaluations in Business and Management
Clover
Promise Land: A Farmer Remembers
Dori Sanders' Country Cooking: Recipes and Stories from the Family Farm Stand
