Somewhere a Song (Daughters of Fortune #2)

Book Description

Book 2 of Daughters of Fortune. Somewhere a Song opens the day after Pearl Harbor as the daughters of newspaper tycoon Keegan Hayes suffer the aftermath on three different continents-journalist Cameron Hayes in Moscow, searching for the half-brother she's never met; Jackie in California, dangerously aligning herself with the Japanese community; and Blair in Manila, desperately seeking the whereabouts of her estranged army officer husband even as she is caught up in the terror of war. The trauma each woman experiences threatens to further drive a wedge in the Hayes family. Is there hope when the world's at war?

Customer Reviews:

Love it!.......2007-10-04

Blair and Gary had became my favorite characters in this book and I just amazed how they fought to survive in the Philippines. Cameron was my second favorite and Jackie is my third. I had a hard time connecting with Jackie for some reasons. I believe any reader would be able to connect with some characters at some point that they can relate to their own life. I've never had to fight to survived in a jungle but I believe I was amazed with Blair and Gary because I know that could be my biggest weakness when it comes to my faith in God. I really felt like I was there with them. What a great book!

Lies, betrayal, war + characters you care about = Lovely Book.......2006-06-15

Blair lied, that's no great spoiler, but it is a bomb when it comes to her life. She follows her estranged husband, Gary, to the Phillipines to see if they can piece together their lives. Blair - the movie star, singer, actress - is soon gonna have to learn to rough it in the jungles but for now God's gently easing her into a harder life.
Cameron's still off chasing stories and falling in love. Yes, the practical one goes against all good sense for the sake of her heart. How troublingly romantic....and this is one romance bound to get her in big trouble. The poor woman will no doubt learn to hate telegrams as well...seems every other one she gets is another piece of fabric being ripped violently from her life.
Jacki's also in love. But the color of her love's skin will be big trouble for both of them. Doesn't matter that Sam is a bonafide American citizen. Being Japanese in America around this time in history is not so safe.

Throw in a few family disasters and such and it's all good.

Excellent Series.......2004-06-18

I love historical fiction, and this is just a great series taking place in World War II, from the perspective of three sisters strategically placed in three areas of the world in the midst of the chaos of this war. To see history from the perspective of people living through this time was very special. I'm now reading book 3, and the series continues with excellent writing, characters, and story.

Second book in a great series.......2004-02-01

"Somewhere a Song" by Judith Pella is the second book in the "Daughters of Fortune" Series. This book mainly focus on Blair, the middle daughter and her struggles of finding her faith, while facing the possiblitly of being a POW on the Philiippines. While I moved by her journey, there were times I wonder if it was real. Older sister Cameron, also finds her faith while working in Soviet Union. Younger sister Jackie remains at home, deepening her relationship with fellow Christian Japanese-American Sam, who is facing hatred since the bombing. I found Jackie story to be the most interesting, due to the fact that few war-time setting deal with the treatment of Japanese-Americans.
But Overall, "Somewhere a Song" should not be missed.

Another Great Book by Pella!.......2004-01-28

I have to say I was a little skeptical about the 2nd book in the Daughters of Fortune series because I liked the first one so much! But it lived up to my expectations. I became completely involved with Blair's story this time. She was such a spoiled brat in the first one but I grew to like her. Being in the middle of a war sure changes peoples outlooks on life. I'm just hoping the 3rd one lives up to my expectations as well

Music in the Air Somewhere: The Shifting Borders of West Virginia's Fiddle and Song Traditions

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Fresh Look at Old-Time Tunes

Music in the Air Somewhere: The Shifting Borders of West Virginia's Fiddle and Song Traditions
Erynn L. Marshall
Manufacturer: West Virginia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

History & Criticism | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 193320205X
Release Date: 2006-02-15

Product Description

This book with accompanying CD is a study on conventions that many West Virginians hold dear: fiddle music and folk traditions. It is also a look into the broad influences that folk music has on fiddlers compositions and their practices. By exploring the oral histories and music of seven celebrated, life-long West Virginian musicians, Erynn Marshall illuminates the diversity of these music traditions and the culmination of fiddle song genres. Included with this intense survey of Appalachian tradition is a CD of Marshalls field and archival recordings of West Virginia musicians Warren Cronin, Rita Emerson, Lela Gerkins, Leland Hall, Phyllis Marks, Lester and Linda McCumbers, Woody and William Simmons, Melvin Wine, and the Sand Valley Boys.

Customer Reviews:

Fresh Look at Old-Time Tunes.......2006-09-16

Erynn Marshall is a fiddler who researched West Virginia's fiddle traditions for over a decade in writing this book. She provides a good overview of old-time music in the book's opening chapters. The biographical sketches of important fiddlers from the state are particularly interesting. Her inclusion of several fine women fiddlers results in especially important contributions to the historical record, which expands our understanding of the cultural contexts of fiddling. From this strong background, Marshall then opens up new ground within the research on old-time fiddling by focusing on a wide range of genres that comprise the fiddlers' repertoires. She provides special attention to relationships between instrumental tunes and songs with lyrics. These fiddle-songs have often been regarded as peripheral to the core repertories of fiddlers, but Marshall convincingly demonstrates that they actually constitute a genre that is essential to many fiddlers' musicianship. Her analysis of relationships between these fiddle-songs and the solely instrumental musical forms often identified as "fiddle-tunes" provides a good way to understand how musicians learn tunes as they acquire their repertoires. Her study also demonstrates how a knowledge of these fiddle-songs expands our understanding of the social contexts for music making. The accompanying CD also is a fine addition to this volume, and it is particularly useful for gaining a better understanding of the musical transcriptions that form an important part of this well-written and intriguing study of Appalachian folk music.

On the Way to Somewhere: Stories And Songs for the Journey

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On the Way to Somewhere: Stories And Songs for the Journey
Celia Whitler
Manufacturer: Abingdon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Gifts | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Inspirational | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Praying in Color: Drawing a New Path to God

ASIN: 0687493676

Shattered Songs: A Journey from Somewhere to Somewhere (Aya Press Poetry Series, No 1)

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Shattered Songs: A Journey from Somewhere to Somewhere (Aya Press Poetry Series, No 1)
Arnold Itwaru
Manufacturer: Aya Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Poetry | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0920544312

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Somewhere Music, Somehow Song

Manufacturer: Fathom Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000F8VKWE

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Somewhere Music, Somehow Song.
Michael. TARACHOW
Manufacturer: Chicago: Fathom Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000U2J8Z6

Music in the Air Somewhere: The Shifting Borders of West Virginia's Fiddle and Song Traditions.(Book review): An article from: Journal of Southern History

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Music in the Air Somewhere: The Shifting Borders of West Virginia's Fiddle and Song Traditions.(Book review): An article from: Journal of Southern History
Drew Beisswenger
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000VR16NC
Release Date: 2007-09-05

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Thomson Gale on August 1, 2007. The length of the article is 524 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Music in the Air Somewhere: The Shifting Borders of West Virginia's Fiddle and Song Traditions.(Book review)
Author: Drew Beisswenger
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: August 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 73 Issue: 3 Page: 759(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Somewhere a Song Prepack
Judith Pella
Manufacturer: Bethany House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Historical | Fiction | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0764289705

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Live Songs from Somewhere
Every Mother's Cdperr 114
Manufacturer: PERRIS RECORDS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

General | Books on CD | Audiobooks | Formats | Books
ASIN: 630745461X

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Somewhere may one song remain
Nellie Baldwin Rudser
Manufacturer: Blue River Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0008C0SSO

Book Description

Four extraordinary romance authors pen scintillating stories of the most dangerous rogues-and the fiery women who can soften their hardened hearts....Playing with Fire by Susan JohnsonOnce Burned by Dee HolmesMelting Ice by Stephanie LaurensSimple Sins by Eileen Wilks

Customer Reviews:

Rough vs Tough.......2003-03-05

Anthologies are short stories-which means you will not have to deal with a monstrous amount of subplots. (Yeah!!!!) Sometimes after reading amass of novels, anthologies give you a much-needed break. The short stories do not allow the 300+ pages authors use for interference from outsiders and forces them to stick to the main characters/plot.

Playing With Fire by Susan Johnson *****
Historical Romance: The penniless Duke of Ware has been brought and paid for by banker, John Overton who wanted a dukedom for his daughter, Olivia. Olivia is so excited that she does not even say "I do" when prompted by the priest and Ware is so enthused that he got drunk the night before his wedding and had to be dragged out of bed by his solicitor-after his the countess (his mistress) was dragged out. Unwillingly they must both stick with Overton's contract and each other until an heir is produced. I am partial to Susan Johnson and feel this is another great love story. Olivia is a strong woman and stands her ground with this notorious rake. Though he may be rough, she is tough enough to straighten out this Duke's edges.

Simple Sins by Eileen Wilks ****
Romance: Bad boy meets Good girl. Felicity is a school teacher in the good ole town of Cross Creek. Damon Reed left Cross Creek for the fast life and has only returned in order to get some closure after the death of his grandmother, Gertrude. Felicity is seeking closure too, her mother has a problem and she's trying to get into Gertrude's house to find it. Damon immediately recognizes her and since the road is flooded, they are forced to live under the same roof and play seek & find. Felicity knows there is no way someone like Damon could be interested in her but he has other ideas. First time I have ever heard of this author but that did not stop me from enjoying this great story.

Once Burned by Dee Holmes *****
Contemporary Romance: Marisa Thornton used to be in love with Deke Laslo until he for some unknown reason ended their relationship. She is trying to prove to her father that she has moved on, actually has a new beau, and decides to catch a ride with Deke to Rhode Island for her fathers' (also Deke's ex-boss) birthday party. Deke is a loner who recently quit his job as a mercenary and knows Marisa deserves someone more normal, stable, loveable, etc. Will he wisely use his second chance to have the love of his life? First time for this author also, hot, bumpy love story.

Melting Ice by Stephanie Laurens *****
Historical Romance: Dyan St. Laurent aka the lion has been forced to reluctantly return home to become the fourth Duke of Darke and continue the family line, immediately! He left this life behind him 15 years ago and is now happily living an uncomplicated, rich life in India. He bumps into Lady Iceberg aka Lady Fiona Winton-Ryder as she crashes an orgy held by their mutual childhood friends. Prime and Proper Fiona is a HANDful but Dyan is just the man to handle her. The distance did not diminish their mutual attraction. Hilarious at times, hot romance.

The Best Anthology I Have Read.......2001-01-01

This is a terrific book. All the authors have excelled themselves. The luscious love stories all have heroes and heroines breathing with life and acting realistically in coming to grips with their emotional problems and misunderstandings. The love scenes are hot and tillilating but never irksome as there is no gratuitous sex. I must say I have got much more than my money's worth.

Superb...Some of the best of the genre.......2000-06-13

After discovering the "spicy romance" genre a couple of years ago, my impression is that the short story or novella length is best for this type of tale. The 80 pages or so per story is enough to set the scene, develop the characters, crank up the intensity, and come to very satisfactory conclusion.

Susan Johnson's "Playing with Fire" and Stephanie Laurens' "Melting Ice" are set amongst the English nobility that romance authors seem to find especially fertile material. The authors know this arena so well they swiftly transport you the period. Although the outcomes were evident 10 pages into each story, I enjoyed every minute of the journey. The book's other two stories are present-day, and their very different characters and conflicts provide contrast and balance to the collection.

The stories in the collection are on a par with the ones in the "Secrets: The Best in Women's Sensual Fiction" (Volumes 1-4). Highly recommended.

WOW... what more can I say.......1999-11-29

I am a big fan of Stephanie Laurens, and I just loved her novella 'Melting Ice' in Rough Around the Edges. More risque and carnal than her previous full length novels, which made it all the more enjoyable. Will be anxiously awaiting her story in the Scottish Brides anthology. I hadn't read any books by Susan Johnson, Dee Holmes and Eileen Wilks but enjoyed their stories very much as well, especially Susan Johnson's 'Playing with Fire'. I'll definitely have to consider reading more of her books.

EXCELLENT.......1999-06-07

I just finished this book and it was great. Susan Johnson proved to continued to be a great writer even it short form. Now Stephanie Laurens is new to me and I'm now composing a list of her other books. These two authors knows how to add SPICE to romance. I enjoyed the other 2 stories also. But Johnson and Laurens proved to be the best of them, plots were there and straight to the point. Did'nt leave me waiting for to see what would happen in the next book.

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Rough Around the Edges
Debra Lighthart
Manufacturer: Publication Consultants
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1594330123

Book Description

Rough Around the Edges is a multi-volume series of books giving detailed instructions for making simple, rough-cut furnishings. Debra's ideas grew out of the need for furnishings in her home.

Customer Reviews:

But what keeps them together???.......2001-03-22

I've read many of Marie Ferrarella's books. I found this one a disappointment. The characters of Kitt and Shawn are good, but I was never able to buy into their attraction. There wasn't much interaction between the characters to understand what brought them together. The premise of the story showed that Shawn needed to marry Kitt to get is green card, but what was there to keep them together???

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Wow! What a way to warm up the winter!

Rough Around the Edges (Loveswept)
Pat Van Wie
Manufacturer: Loveswept
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Contemporary | Romance | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0553446215
Release Date: 1998-01-05

Book Description

A dark warrior whose touch was as seductive as it was dangerous . . .

Alex Jamison knew at a glance that Dr. Kristen Helton spelled trouble! The emerald-eyed physician was an outsider, a rich do-gooder he expected to run if things got rough on the mean streets he called home. Drawn to the haunted hero whose powerful body awakened a hunger too strong to resist, Kristen insisted on joining his fight to keep kids out of trouble. Could a woman who'd always played by the rules help a renegade battle the odds and win?

Capturing hearts with a tale as fiercely passionate as it is wildly sensual, Pat Van Wie celebrates the mysterious gift of hope that is love's unexpected treasure. She was his equal in courage and determination, a woman as stubborn as she was beautiful, but could he ask her to share a desperate struggle that risked their future, even their lives?

Customer Reviews:

Wow! What a way to warm up the winter!.......1998-10-04

I read this book in the middle of a January snow storm. What a way to warm up the dreary winter months. I felt like I was in Miami, along with Kristen and Alex, two wonderful characters I won't soon forget. This was the second book of Pat Van Wie's I've read, and I'm looking forward to more. She's definately one of Loveswept's most talented authors.

MIAMI: City of the Future that was born in a swamp and still rough around the edges.

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MIAMI: City of the Future that was born in a swamp and still rough around the edges.

Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ICT754

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Rough Around the Edges
Susan (EDT) Johnson
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTREWO

Rough Around the Edges (100th Book) (Silhouette Romance, No 1505) (Silhoette Romance, No 1505)

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Rough Around the Edges (100th Book) (Silhouette Romance, No 1505) (Silhoette Romance, No 1505)
Marie Ferrarella
Manufacturer: silhouette
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OWCQWE

Book Description

Abalone, Arizona, is a sleepy southwestern town whose chief concerns are boredom and surviving the Great Depression. That is, until the circus of Dr. Lao arrives and immensely and irrevocably changes the lives of everyone drawn to its tents. Expecting a sideshow spectacle, the citizens of Abalone instead confront and learn profound lessons from the mythical made real--a chimera, a Medusa, a talking sphinx, a sea serpent, witches, the Hound of the Hedges, a werewolf, a mermaid, an ancient god, and the elusive, ever-changing Dr. Lao. The circus unfolds, spinning magical, dark strands that ensnare the town's populace: the sea serpent's tale shatters love's illusions; the fortune-teller's shocking pronouncements toll the tedium and secret dread of every person's life; sensual undercurrents pour forth for men and women alike; and the dead walk again. Dazzling and macabre, literary and philosophical, The Circus of Dr. Lao has been acclaimed as a masterpiece of speculative fiction and influenced such writers as Ray Bradbury. This Bison Frontiers of Imagination edition features a new introduction by noted fantasy writer John Marco and striking illustrations by Boris Artzybasheff from the first edition. Charles G. Finney (1905-84) was a newspaperman and a writer based in Arizona. John Marco is the author of the Tyrants and Kings series, whose books include The Jackal of Nar, The Grand Design, and The Saints of the Sword.

Customer Reviews:

What do high-school students think of Dr Lao?.......2007-06-12

Here are comments by high-school students in the class I teach:

Charles G. Finney creates in his book, The Circus of Dr. Lao, a story of magic touching the disbelieving townspeople. This book is more of a collection of short stories rather than a novel. There is no one central plot, nor is there one protagonist, and there certainly isn't an antagonist. Finney doesn't add in any divisions in the book such a chapters, nor does he make use of foreshadowing or allusions. The fact that there was no central theme or plot bothered me when I was reading the book. Accepting a book such as this was hard, but once you realize that one should just enjoy the sardonic humor instead of hunting for a plotline, the read becomes a lot more enjoyable.
I could sum up all of the happenings of this book without giving away any of it. Hard to believe, but in The Circus of Dr. Lao, each encounter that a human has with an animal can be described in very few words. It is not the twists in events that make this story interesting, but rather, the vivid descriptions of their actions, of their form, of their words. The rather unique character of Dr. Lao is especially humorous, often switching from the eloquent speech of a sophisticated individual to the stereotypical vernacular of a "chinaman." An interesting and light read, with characters to please minds of all ages.

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I would like to comment on the review by Babytoxie from 2002. I have not seen the movie and thus cannot speak to the differences between it and the book, but I can address some of Babytoxie's criticisms of the novel. To begin with, Babytoxie states that the locals "play no worthwhile part in the story." Without the locals, there hardly is a story. The story lies in the locals' reactions to the animals, which offer a great deal of insight into the minds of these ordinary people as they are confronted with the extraordinary. Far from being "cardboard locals" with no personalities, they present numerous perspectives and characteristics, which their reactions to the mythical creatures and seemingly impossible events of the circus display to the reader. The author's concise and understated description of the locals cuts right to the core of the natures of the characters and, by extension, of humanity as a whole.
This is more of an extended short story than a novel, and it does not fit the standard mold of a novel. While it could probably be extended into a more developed novel, in the process it would lose much of what sets it apart from most books. The book's current format invites readers to explore the characters and the situations presented, draw their own conclusions about them, and search for the underlying message. The message may not be blatant, but neither is it inaccessible. By trying to make this story fit the confines of a standard novel, one cannot help but lose sight of its value as a unique and intriguing tale offering insights into humanity.

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While The Circus of Dr. Lao is certainly a very cleverly-written little book, it has no driving plot or particularly inspiring scene or character. Rather, it is simply a brief glimpse at a strange episode that happens to occur in Average Town, U.S.A., with the range of characters that one might expect to find there - drunken college students, a repressed schoolteacher, a wealthy old man, and many other middling sorts of people. Development-wise, the story just kind-of floats along, and then it ends. But despite this lack of conventional set-up, as the author shows this bizarre occurrence touching the lives of all the characters, the book turns out to be a rather interesting and hilarious examination of human nature. As an actual book, there is no reason to recommend it, because there is no hook, nothing truly attention-grabbing about it. However, I have decided to recommend it just the same, because it is one of those books that make its reader think. With no final resolution or grand declaration of purpose, it is left to the reader to try to figure out what the Hell is going on, and whether the characters are actually going to learn anything from this encounter.

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At first glance, it is easy to see why a reader might dismiss The Circus of Dr. Lao as racist, nonsensical tripe. This book does, after all, focus on the interactions between the largely racist population of a small town (Abalone, Arizona) and a circus of mythical creatures that, it seems, only a Classics professor would love. For some, this may be a hard premise to accept. Well, to each his own opinion. For my part, I thought that this was an excellent book.
Finney's writing is both amusing and insightful: while the townspeople try to figure out what type of creature is in a cage ("It's a man", "No, it's a bear", "It's a Russian"), Finney both illustrates the way the people of Abalone try to rationalize the miraculous things they see before them and pokes fun at their ignorant ways of thinking. If you're looking for a book to read to your five-year-old (as, it seems, many reviewers are), or if you always hated ancient mythology in school, this book is not for you. For the rest of us, it is a treasure.

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An Amusing Read!!!

Books serve many different purposes: some are meant to teach, others are meant to convey life lessons, and still others are simply meant to be enjoyed. "Dr. Lao" seems to be a brilliant example of a book intended to be enjoyed. Boasting a plethera of miracles and comic relief wielded as if by Shakespeare himself, "Dr. Lao" makes a magnificent read. "Dr. Lao" shows a complete lack of regard for any type of cohesive plot.
The book seems to reveal at a slightly dramatic level that humanity is simply beginning to deny the fact that miracles exist. Finney portrays the people of Abalone to be stubborn folk who don't believe that there is any such thing as magic. One would think in a town as mundane as Abalone people would be relieved to have a break from daily life, and indeed most of the people overcome by curiosity do indeed go view the parade and then circus. They are paid back in full for the efforts each of them witnessing amazing acts of magic or viewing an assortment of rare creatues. Whether they witness Apollonius raises the dead, or Medusa makes a statue out of a townswoman, or even a Roc egg hatch, the people of Abalone remain unphased. They take all such encounters as nothing more than particularly dry gossip.
Finney creates a wonderful environment easily allowing minds to wander in and among the circus tents privately viewing all the inhabitents for any lenght of time. He does so by giving such vivid descriptions of both the physical aspects of the creature and also of their temperments. Finney does a wonderful job describing everything and anything in this book; from the exciteable Dr. Lao, to the pensive Apollonius or even the agressive attitude of the fearless sea snake. Everything human or otherwise adopts a personality and connects with the townspeople in different ways. This book needs no plot with so many other brilliant attributes. It's hard to get bored reading about so many different rare creatures and their affect on the hard to impress townsfolk. All in all "Dr. Lao" is a magnificent read, with characters that keep the pages turning.

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Interesting Read

Being not a big reader I generally stray away from books. I tend to only read books for school and often hate reading the whole time. This book, however, was an outstanding book. Although the plot and story line are a little vague, the book is always turning a corner and keeping you reading. Dr. Lao is the ring master of a odd circus that comes to Abalone. The people of the town do not know what they are in for.
Dr. Laos' Circus is definitely one of a kind. With great descriptions of ancient creatures such as a chimera and the hound of the hedges the circus gets everyone interested. All of the creatures also have human like personalities and interact with the people that are visiting the circus. The creatures hold up conversations with the visitors, argue, and tell stories of mystic places and adventures. Magic is done and in the final show of the circus the the animals all go wild and the devil is even raised.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something exciting and that will keep them reading. For all the non readers out there like me I also recommend it for you because it is definitely interesting and it is also short so it can be finished in an afternoon. This book is a Casas and shouled be read by everyone looking for a book that is out there and that will keep them reading. I give this book two thumbs up.

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Charles Finney's "The Circus of Doctor Lao" is a novella about a circus
full of magical creatures that stops in Abalone, Arizona during the
depression. Finney's dead-pan prose - a delight to read - reveals both
the banality of Abalone's citizens and the casual viciousness of Dr. Lao's
attractions (the conversation between Mr. Etaoin the proofreader and the
sea snake provides a particularly sharp juxtaposition). For readers
interested in mythology, this story is full of treats.

However, those interested in tight plotting or climactic action
should pass "Dr. Lao" by, as it has neither. The story consists in a
series of vignettes, connected only by place and theme. If you require
certain conventional literary forms - such as an overarching conflict or
an indentifiable protagonist - to enjoy a work, "Dr. Lao" will only
frustrate you. In addition, some characters employ racist language; if
this bothers you, so will significant portions of the book.

I recommend "Dr. Lao" with the above reservations.

A really wonderful but odd little book.......2007-03-23

I love this book. I love it when Apollonius imparts "For all the good or evil, creation or destruction, your living might have accomplished, you might just as well never have lived at all." What an utterly devastating thing to say to someone. I love the name Woldercan. And I loved the movie with Tony Randall.

Extraordinary!!! A Great Book!!!.......2007-02-16

A brilliant, gentle, and wonderful book. This book has been found on great book lists and favorite book lists for over 70 years. Saturday Review, Ray Bradbury, and countless others hold it in high regard. Get it. Read it. It will probably become one your favorite books.

Dr..... WHY????.......2007-01-05

I came upon this book by random chance, and was mislead to believe that this was a piece of true literature. A book (short story really) that stumbles towards nothing. If you're looking for some popcorn reading, sure this might suite you just fine, but avoid like that plague otherwise. I suggest picking up some Vonnegut or Yates. I hope this review might save at least one of you!!!

PS: avoid frustratingly pointless epilogue..

Dr. Lao and the Dance of Life.......2005-07-28

_It came as a surprise to me to find that one of my favorite films as a boy was actually based on a novel. It was even more of a surprise to find that the novel was written in 1935. It was a further surprise to find that it was written by a newspaperman that had served as an enlisted man in the old 15th Infantry in China back before WWII. Finally, it was a surprise that I actually liked this little book even more than the film.

_The story centers around the most unusual circus of Dr. Lao. The good doctor's circus is his own personal world- and seems to obey no laws of man or nature but his own (and that of his junior partner, Apollonius of Tyana.) This is an appropriate partnership, for Apollonius was perhaps the wisest man of the classical West, while Lao, if I am not mistaken, is patterned on Lao Tzu, wisest man of the classical East. Between them, they have assembled a remarkable collection of creatures from all places and times for their little show: a Chimera, a Unicorn, a Sphinx, a Sea Serpent, a mermaid, a werewolf, a hedge hound, the Golden Ass, a medusa, a satyr, a faun, nymphs, a Roc, and much, much more. All of this for the edification of the inhabitants of the sleepy, ordinary, little town of Abalone, Arizona during one hot, dusty August during the Great Depression. Everything is intended to wake the little town from its slumber, for everything reflects the great dance of life in all its appetite and lust, its wonder and terror. Yet, above it all, and in control of it all, are the two great sages.

_Many of the inhabitants of Abalone are left in wonder or in denial. Either way, most of them will never be the same again....

THE CIRCUS OF DR (Doctor) LAO (filmed as 7 Faces of Dr Lao)

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THE CIRCUS OF DR (Doctor) LAO (filmed as 7 Faces of Dr Lao)
Charles Finney
Manufacturer: Avon Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0380000075

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THE CIRCUS OF DR. LAO

Manufacturer: Viking Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I0WQZY

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Lao means old in Mandarin and Cantonese

The Circus of Dr. Lao
Charles G. Finney
Manufacturer: Compass Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K0IUJS

Customer Reviews:

Lao means old in Mandarin and Cantonese.......2007-01-29

One day a Chink takes out an ad in the local news paper announcing a circus coming to town that day. The ad is mysteriously worded to attract a variety of locals and a transient. The side shows are quite different than most circuses and so are the animals including something that is consistently indefinable. Each person sees the circus in a different way. Many tend to ignore or gloss over any inconsistencies. It is if the circus had never been there.
They say it is best to write what you know. Charles G. Finney served in the U.S. 15th infantry in China; oddly enough so did one of his characters. He worked on a news paper in Arizona; oddly enough so did one of his characters. I suspect he is on a first name basis with the menagerie in Dr. Lao's Circus.

The story, well there really is not one. The plot, nope not one of them either. Characters? Yes they were characters.

A good movie adaptation of this book is "Severn faces of Dr. Lao", Dr. Lao played by Tony Randall. The all but absent plot was replaced with a standard one that helped tie the story together and wrapped up lose ends. They cleaned up the dirty parts and watered down the god Yottle. It is well worth viewing (see my review).

Average customer rating:

Circus of DR Lao
Finney/vliet
Manufacturer: LIMITED EDITIONS CLUB
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SO2TRU

Average customer rating:

Circus of Dr Lao
Charles G Finney
Manufacturer: Limited Editions Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ONHHCW

Average customer rating:

The Circus of Dr. Lao
Charles G. Finney
Manufacturer: Ben Abramson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GK8BN2

Average customer rating:

Circus of Dr. Lao
Charles G. Finney
Manufacturer: Viking Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000KEX94A

Average customer rating:

The Circus of Dr. Lao

Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000DCOKYC

Average customer rating:

The Circus of Dr. Lao
Charles G. Finney
Manufacturer: The Viking Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NXFW16

Average customer rating:

A Wonderful Approach to Socially Complicated Enigmas

Important book!

timely

The Great Awakening: A Buddhist Social Theory
David Loy
Manufacturer: Wisdom Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Buddhism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Sociology | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0861713664

Book Description

The most essential insight that Buddhism offers is that all our individual suffering arises from three and only three sources, known in Buddhism as the three poisons: greed, ill-will, and delusion. In The Great Awakening, scholar and Zen teacher David Loy examines how these three poisons, embodied in society's institutions, lie at the root of all social maladies as well. The teachings of Buddhism present a way that the individual can counteract these to alleviate personal suffering, and Loy boldly examines how these teachings can be applied to institutions and even whole cultures for the alleviation of suffering on a collective level. This book will help both Buddhists and non-Buddhists to realize the social importance of Buddhist teachings, while providing a theoretical framework for socially engaged members of society to apply their spiritual principles to collective social issues. The Great Awakening shows how Buddhism can help our postmodern world develop liberative possibilities otherwise obscured by the anti-religious bias of so much contemporary social theory.

Customer Reviews:

A Wonderful Approach to Socially Complicated Enigmas.......2004-02-29

David Loy in this magnificent text opens up to us by facing three crucial issues facing us in our modern times, the three poisons the Buddha called hindrances to practice. Ignorance, anger, and greed. These are the source of all suffering not just for individuals, but entire societies and even companies. This book addresses such issues with Loy's brilliant social theory on Buddhism.

Loy takes aim at big business in this work, showing his skepticism in saying that corporations and the globalization of world trade are certainly not realities which seem to be motivated by love and compassion (as politicians will have us believe); rather, they are motivated by greed. And it's a regrettable truth, that companies are out for two things: more profit, and more power. Of course, these companies are not the only problem. Because where you have a profiteering business, you find consumers. These consumers, especially those in Western culture, are in many ways like the hungry ghosts of Buddhism. Buddhism, as do most religious traditions, faces the reality of greed head on. It emphasizes the need to control it.

Who's accountable for this pressure on growth? Consumerism has taken over with a life completely of it's own. Many people are probably either oblivious to it or don't really want to face this subtle but all too apparent truth. Everyone is to blame, and therefore it must be tackled individually. The only way this can be accomplished is by eradicating our own innate tendency to support it all. The lack of responsibility, in short, embodies what is both happening today and why things are not changing. There are not many individuals standing up to take action. The world is basically in the hands of, in the current era, big business. This is scarecly a new insight for you and I. But the point of all of this, Loy stresses, is that somewhere for a breaking away of such practices to occur, we must have individuals willing to make sacrifices in order to accomplish such a task. That calling is for you and I. This book is so very engaging, won't you buy it?

Important book!.......2003-12-16

This book is not just for Buddhists. Anyone who wishes to see clearly the moral hole we have dug for ourselves here in the West, especially economically and politically, will profit from reading this important book. Gets to the root of the corruption plaguing our global system.

timely.......2003-07-28

This book integrates buddhism and western social concerns, forging an important link that I've found missing in buddhist oriented texts. Enjoyable reading, timely politically, and IMPORTANT!

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