A Half Caste and Other Writings (Asian American Experience)

Book Description

Onoto Watanna (1875-1954) was born Winnifred Eaton, the daughter of a British father and a Chinese mother. The first novelist of Chinese descent to be published in the United States, she "became" Japanese to escape Americans' scorn of the Chinese and to capitalize on their fascination with things Japanese. The earliest essay here, "A Half Caste," appeared in 1898, a year before Miss Num: A Japanese-American Romance, the first of her best-selling novels. The last story, "Elspeth," appeared in 1923.

Of Watanna's numerous shorter works, this volume includes nineteen--thirteen stories and six essays -- intended to show the scope and versatility of her writing. While some of Watanna's fictional characters will remind today's readers of the delicate but tragic Madame Butterfly, others foreshadow such types as the trickster in Maxine Hong Kingston's Tripmaster Monkey (a novel in which Onoto Watanna makes a cameo appearance). Watanna's characters are always capable, clever, and inventive--molded in the author's own image.

A Half Caste and Other Writings (The Asian American Experience)
Average customer rating:
A Half Caste and Other Writings (The Asian American Experience)
Linda Trinh Moser, Elizabeth Rooney Onoto Watanna
Manufacturer: University of Illinois Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPY2SM

The Meq (Meq, The)
Average customer rating:

Strong debut to a promising series

I get a kick out of this kind of story...(not the writing)

Please. just. get. on. with. it.

Interesting, though not entirely developed

The Meq
The Meq (Meq, The)
Steve Cash
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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Time Dancers (Meq, The)

Yossel Yossel

Rock Star Superstar

Fault Line

Upstate : A Novel (Alex Awards (Awards))

ASIN: 0345470923
Release Date: 2005-01-25

Book Description

In every generation, a fantasy novel is published that captures something essential and enduring about life that no other book has expressed in quite the same way. Here unfolds a journey of discovery–in a story that surprises us on every page. . . .

THE MEQ

On May 4, 1881, the day that Zianno Zezen–Z, for short–turns twelve, his life changes forever. Amid the confusion of a tragic train wreck, he has the first inkling that he is no ordinary boy . . . that he is not human at all, but instead a member of a race known as the Meq. The Meq have lost all memory of their origins; they do not know why they heal with astonishing speed, or why, once they turn twelve, they stop aging unless they meet the single other member of their race destined to join with them.

Certain Meq possess even more amazing powers, thanks to mysterious Stones they have carried since before the dawn of recorded history. Z’s father carried such a Stone, the Stone of Dreams. Now that Stone is Z’s to bear . . . and to protect.

The Meq are far-flung and elusive, but Z finds allies. He will need them; for a challenge comes from the renegade Meq called the Fleur-du-Mal–the Flower of Evil. A sadistic assassin in the body of a twelve-year-old boy, the Fleur-du-Mal will become Z’s archenemy in a story that spans decades and continents and features an unforgettable cast of characters, human and Meq alike.

Customer Reviews:

Strong debut to a promising series.......2007-08-15

At the risk of gushing, the word "awesome" really doesn't do this book justice. The Meq is Cash's first novel, but the richness of the text and the strong characters seem like the work of veteran writer. So, you may ask, what is the Meq about? The quick version is that it's a story akin to the Highlander movies. But that doesn't really explain much.

The Meq are a mysterious race of immortals that have been around since, well, the beginning. They stop aging when they turn twelve, they cannot get sick or die, and they do not continue aging until meeting their ameq (soulmate). The catch is they have no idea why they are immortal; no knowledge of their origins.

Cash's book begins when Zianno Zezen turns twelve (for the first time) in 1881 and learns that he and his parents are Meq. This book, the first in a series, spans from 1881 to 1918. Cash's writing style lends itself to the breezy way that the Meq can deal with time (what's a few years when you can live forever?). And, while it may seem strange to read about centuries-old people living in the bodies of children, Cash makes that work too. While the story has adventure and romance, the main conceit of this novel (and I presume later ones in the series) is Z's search, along with his fellow Meq, for the truth behind their origins.

The book is generally categorized as YA, but I really think it's a must-read for anyone who has any interest in fantasy novels.

I get a kick out of this kind of story...(not the writing).......2007-08-09

I've been reading the second book in this series slowly, and did the same thing with this first volume. I'll be honest and agree that the writing has some holes, and flaws. If you're stuck on technique, versus just a cool story, you might not like this. I totally dig the story that lines up with historical developments (granted mostly related to American history) starting at the tail end of the 19th century. Mostly I feel like I'd like to defend the author's work because I so enjoy the overall concept/premise. I'm really hoping that Steve Cash delivers his best novel with the third volume (yet to be published). Also, if you don't know city of St. Louis, Steve Cash will endear you to the city and many of the historical stars that were from that fair city. I'd love to get a St. Louis city tour from Steve any day.

Please. just. get. on. with. it........2007-03-01

The story has huge potential, but the execution is so poor that "The Meq" is difficult to read. The plot feels as though it is slogging through mud... in February... going uphill... wearing ankle weights... (Is this thought finished yet? Why no! It just keeps going and going and going... ARGH!)

The book focuses on the life of a Meq man, Z, who is trapped immortal in the body of a child until he finds his soulmate and chooses to cross over into mortality with her at his side. There are other Meq, both old-child and adult, who help Z through his trials. His trials are many... and drawn out... and slow... and melodramatic... and GET ON WITH IT, PLEASE.

Cash uses early 20th century St. Louis as a recurring backdrop for his story, and he needlessly pulls well-known Missouri icons into his story, but it just feels like name-dropping. You'll catch glimpses of early baseball players, T.S. Elliot, Scott Joplin, etc... I'm still waiting for Mark Twain to drop in. The inclusion of these characters somehow tarnishes the almost-believable Meq storyline. It certainly just bogs down the plot even further.

I seriously doubt I'll bother with the sequals.

Interesting, though not entirely developed.......2006-12-27

The Meq did have an interesting premise. I loved the idea of a race of immortal children chasing their dark counterpart, the Fleur-du-Mal, across the ages. Initially, the characters were well-done and entrancing; Sailor, in particular, was fun to read. The main character, Zianno Zezen, was believable, though not particularly complex, and I liked watching him form ties with the rest of the Meq.
The plot was only slightly complicated at first, but later on, it degenerated into a tangled mass of unfollowable characters and alliances. If there had been about 5 less of the Meq, I probably could have kept my bearings on the story, but there was an endless parade of mysterious people. I completely lost track of the plot when Zianno went off to a desert to find his friend's daughter, whom the Fleur-du-Mal had kidnapped. I decided to skip over the next 50 pages, tuning in briefly for the almost nonexistent climax, then "reading" the last part of the book; once I'd finished, I had no idea how it had ended.
What was a strong plot basis, had crumbled into way too many characters and events. The book started well, but ended missing the point.
I have to say that I loved Steve Cash's use of the Basque language, which, being a solitary language basically untouched by French and Spanish, is one of the most interesting and ancient languages. It worked very well as the tongue of the Meq- I don't know if the Meq are actually a Basque legend, but anyway, it added spice to the narrative.
Overall, I'd suggest skimming this book for the interesting parts if you get too bogged down. You won't miss anything too crucial.

The Meq.......2006-11-21

I loved the book from the first time I heard Steve Cash's daughter, Star read the first chapter at school. I asked to have our book autographed, which he kindly did for us. It was great reading. We read as a family. It was captivating. We couldn't wait to get back together to read in the evenings.

Average customer rating:

stop the worldhopping please!
Learn to Love St. Louis (even if you've never been there)
A Good book!
wild zany science fiction thriller

Time Dancers (Meq, The)
Steve Cash
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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The Meq (Meq, The)
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ASIN: 0345470931
Release Date: 2006-05-30

Book Description

Steve Cash created “an absorbing [and] intriguing saga” (The San Diego Union-Tribune) in his debut novel, The Meq. Outwardly indistinguishable from human beings, but with abilities no human can claim, the Meq search for their lost history and face a mysterious prophesied reckoning. . . .

It has been thirty-eight years since Zianno–known as Z–turned twelve. In appearance, he has not aged a day. Like all Meq, Z has become accustomed to a near immortal existence, possessing an uncanny ability to recuperate from injury and resist disease. Like only four others of his kind, he holds one of the fabled Stones, the Stone of Dreams. These bearers believe it is their destiny to guide the Meq toward and through the Remembering, where it is said that they will recall their long-forgotten origins and purpose.

But the rogue Meq assassin called the Fleur-du-Mal threatens their efforts and their lives. Pursuing rumors of a lost Sixth Stone, he is intent on finding the legendary talisman and eliminating anyone, Meq or human, who stands in the way.

Z and his allies–Opari, Sailor, Geaxi, Nova, Ray, Mowsel, Carolina, Jack, and others–embark on a desperate quest spanning decades and continents to track down the stone before their lethal adversary gets to it first. Along the way, every belief they have about themselves will be challenged and shaken–and a new, even deadlier enemy will arise.

Customer Reviews:

stop the worldhopping please!.......2007-08-20

Like most, I really enjoyed the first book, The Meq. However, I've been able to finish only half of Time Dancers. I'm frustrated with three things: Cash drops in historical facts to the point of absurdity, as the professional reviewer shared above; he has characters inexplicably "go away," alienating a reader who likes said character; and through all the country-hopping it's hard to keep sight of the original goal. Even the threat of the Fleur-du-Mal is not enough at this point.

What I liked about The Meq was the fact we were experiencing it through a newcomer's (Z) eyes; but here, Z is a little older, a little more wise, and there are parts where I find it difficult to sympathize with him.

What Steve Cash is doing in three books could possibly be done in two.

I want to like this book and will probably go back to it soon. I am planning to read the 3rd book to see how it all wraps up. However, I find this installment a little too frustrating.

Learn to Love St. Louis (even if you've never been there).......2007-07-22

I picked up the first book of this series after stumbling across it, liking the coverart, liking the premise, and loving the beginning time frame (turn of the 19th to 20th century fascinates me to no ends). What I didn't expect was the creative and innovative use of place and history that Steve Cash uses so well to his advantage. I will say that names and various characters who come and go at the blink of an eye for years can make keeping the plot ordered in your mind a bit challenging. I'd love a list in the front (or back) of the books with a listing of the characters and their major relationships. I haven't finished this second volume yet, though I am thoroughly enjoying my own reunion with Z, Sailor, Ray, Opari, and the rest of the Giza and Meq gang. Steve Cash also gives special attention to St. Louis, a city that obviously means a great deal to him. In a heartbeat, I'd go to St. Louis to take a tour of St. Louis with him---whatcha' think Steve?

A Good book!.......2006-06-07

Time Dancers continues the quest started by Zianno Zezen--Z for short--and his companions in The Meq,the first book in the trilogy. During his quest, Z has learned much about being Meq, made many new friends, and found his Ameq or soulmate. Now the Meq are gathering, they have one hundred years or fewer to prepare for the Time of Remembering, when they will finally uncover their destiny.

Like the first book, this one begins with a train journey. This journey, however, is one of hope and renewal, reuniting lost loved ones and finally returning home. Unfortunately, this time of happiness doesn't last long as Z's archenemy, Xanti Otso or the Fleur de Mal, kills two of their number. The Meq are few and cannot afford to lose any of their people, especially to one of their own. So a plan is made to hunt down the Fleur de Mal and his accomplices and kill them, thereby ending their reign of terror.

Working in teams, the Meq scatter to the ends of the Earth and follow whispers, rumors, and sightings false and real.

They search far and wide, yet the Fleur de Mal is always one step ahead. He lures them into ambush after ambush, each time causing loss and confusion. During this quest, the Meq discover that they are changing--and not always for the good. Ray Ytuarte, one of Z's oldest friends, becomes deathly ill after being bitten by a mosquito, something that has never happened before in the Meq's known history.

The timeline extends from the end of World War I in 1919 all the way through the bombing of Nagasaki in 1945. In contrast to The Meq, the action moves along at a fairly even speed, although there are sections where years pass with barely a mention. Author Cash has done his research, and a constant flow of historical figures and events litter the pages. From Babe Ruth's homerun record, to Josephine Baker in Paris, to Lindbergh's solo flight and the eventual murder of his son by kidnappers--it's all included.

Being the second book in a trilogy leaves this book at somewhat of a disadvantage. Although there is a two-page recap, without first perusing The Meq, the reader has an enormous handicap.

Armchair Interviews says: Time Dancers also ends with a major cliffhanger and is obviously to be continued. This will leave the reader somewhat frustrated while they await the publication of the final segment sometime in 2007.

wild zany science fiction thriller.......2006-05-31

In 1919 Zianno "Z" Zezen, a Meq-American, is about to turn twelve for the twentieth time since he has yet to meet his soul mate, Z remains a preteen. This is the norm for his Basque ancestry who never age past twelve until they meet the one. He feels pretty good about coming home to St. Louis, but soon learns that he cannot stay long as the Time of the Remembering is upon his people.

However, he and his associates are busy at the moment; lethal Meq Fleur-du-Mal feels the necessity to commit genocide of his immortal race. He has a compatriot Zuriaa who assists him by abducting the oldest known living Meq the matriarch Susheela the Ninth in order to force her to reveal to them location of the mystical Sixth Stone that could lead to a pandemic eradication. Z and his cronies must once again stop Fleur du-Mal.

The sequel to THE MEQ, TIME DANCERS is a wild zany science fiction thriller that uses real twentieth century historical points and persona as anchors though several of the choices seem to flakily fluky to fit the plot. The story line is all over the place. But smoothly moves forward. Z and his family and friends remain fascinating characters while the assassin Fleur du-Mal seems even more deranged this time around. Fans of zany way out science fiction thrillers will enjoy Steve Cash's latest entertaining madcap ride.

Harriet Klausner

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The Meq
Steve Cash
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OIUA0S

The productivity push: it's lagging in Quebec and MEQ wants to turn that around by targeting Quebec manufacturing SMEs to improve productivity through ... programme): An article from: CMA Management

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The productivity push: it's lagging in Quebec and MEQ wants to turn that around by targeting Quebec manufacturing SMEs to improve productivity through ... programme): An article from: CMA Management
Julie Demers
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from CMA Management, published by Thomson Gale on April 1, 2003. The length of the article is 1856 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: The productivity push: it's lagging in Quebec and MEQ wants to turn that around by targeting Quebec manufacturing SMEs to improve productivity through training.(Manufacturiers et exportateurs du Quebec launch new training programme)
Author: Julie Demers
Publication: CMA Management (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2003
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 77 Issue: 2 Page: 24(3)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Meq

Manufacturer: MACMILLAN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GSBE2Y

Customer Reviews:

Too much sex, not enough science fiction.......2006-05-27

Luckily I read Pandora's star and Judas unchained before I read this, apparently the first book in the series, or I would have given up and missed the whole series, and the others are really great.
What a load of rubbish this book is. You keep hoping for something science-fiction like to happen, but it never does. They just keep having (explicit, R18) sex.
I like Peter F hamilton's other two books, but sorry, this oen is a dud!

Choose any other Hamilton title.......2005-10-06

What utter crap.

After reading the Night's Dawn trilogy and Fallen Dragon, I eagerly snatched and bought this one. While the concept of rejuvenation hasn't been explored fully, and the way in which Hamilton deals with EU politics of the future is entertaining enough, the novel's degeneration into bad character development and description, lousy ending and all-too-predictable scenes made me wonder if it was the same author.

All in all, one star for the steamy scenes - just because you don't get much of those in mature SF - and one star for the well-developed world - because after all my ranting, it is still a good setting. But the book as a complete work is bad. Very bad.

Missed opportunity but entertaining nonetheless.......2005-09-05

Being a fan of Peter F. Hamilton I would have bought this book blind, but the theme of rejuvenation and its implications for morality caught my interest as well. However, I'm sorry to say this book does not live up to the high standard I've come to expect from Hamilton. Perhaps Hamilton elected to write a novel that can finally be produced as a single movie?

In Misspent Youth, one man is given the opportunity to undergo an experimental rejuvenation treatment, with the tab picked up by the EU. Jeff Baker is chosen because of his enormous contribution to innovation by inventing the memory chrystals that are essential to the successor of the Internet. His elderly mind is given the body of his former twentyfive-ish self, with the understanding that he will apply his considerable intellectual powers to helping figure out a room temperature superconductor.

It all sounds pretty scifi so far, but in reality the book is a family drama more than anything else. What's an old man in a young body to do? Party, Drinks and Nookie of course! Preferably with his son's friends. However, the way that Baker strays seems, well, a bit mundane. The real questions, like how to determine the age of someone rejuvenated (by memories or by appearance) are only touched upon, but not fleshed out.

The story quickly degenerates into a tale of love, lust and jealousy, with Jeff and his son Tim as the main antagonists. Of course by the end of the book everything is neatly wrapped up but it takes a lot of increasingly unrealistic sex scenes to get there.

That said, I did have a very good time reading the book. Hamilton has a knack for portraying girls and women we would all like to fall in love with (or be like). As a holiday novel, this should easily get you through a long tedious flight or a few days at the beach. Bring sunscreen!

Ok, but not what I've come to expect from Hamilton.......2004-09-27

Peter Hamilton is probably my favorite author for his Night's Dawn Trilogy, Fallen Dragon, and the recent Pandora's Star, so I had high hopes for this book as well. While this book isn't bad, it just doesn't live up to the standard set in Hamilton's other books.

First of all, this book is much more driven by the characters than the story or the setting, which is somewhat different than the other books I mentioned where Hamilton does a great job of creating a complicated believable setting for the stories to take place. This story is set much closer to the present, so he does not have as much leeway to mold the setting which is what he really seems to excel at. Despite this, however, I really thought that it would be interesting to see one of the technologies Hamilton uses so well to shape his stories in its infant stages instead of when it is already perfected and widespread. And that part of the story was pretty good. But the characters, while likeable and interesting, just weren't all that believable, which is more important in this story as it is driven mainly by the characters.

The first part of the story is spent painting Jeff as one kind of person, then throughout the story we see that he isn't that at all, but is something much different than we have been led to believe, and that also is pretty well done. The problem comes in towards the end of the story when we're again led to believe that he is the kind of person that we started with, despite the bulk of the story which assures us that he isn't. It just isn't very well done.

If you're a fan of Hamilton, this is probably worth reading, but just don't expect the same quality, or the same epic feel of some of his other work.

How favorite authors can fail..........2004-01-06

Peter Hamilton has been one of my favorite authors, but this book is, I am sorry to say, an absolute waste of time.
Written around unrealistic teenagers sexual dreams (willing girls, very potent man) and ending like the author didn't knew how to end it. The theme of rejuvenation and the effects on personal life unsatisfactorily worked out.
The only good thing is that, like all his books, it is an easy read, because he absolutely knows how to write.
Please, mr. Hamilton, go back to space opera and hard SF.

Average customer rating:

Tortured Pleasure
Excellent writing
The Truth will set you free
oh stinky
My relationship with Meghan

My Misspent Youth: Essays
Meghan Daum
Manufacturer: Grove Press, Open City Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | Essays | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1890447269

Book Description

Meghan Daum is one of the most celebrated nonfiction writers of her generation, widely recognized for the fresh, provocative approach with which she unearths hidden fault lines in the American landscape. From her well-remembered New Yorker essays about the financial demands of big-city ambition and the ethereal, strangely old-fashioned allure of cyber relationships to her dazzlingly hilarious riff in Harper's about musical passions that give way to middle-brow paraphernalia, Daum delves into the center of things while closely examining the detritus that spills out along the way. She speaks to questions at the root of the contemporary experience, from the search for authenticity and interpersonal connection in a society defined by consumerism and media; to the disenchantment of working in a "glamour profession"; to the catastrophic effects of living among New York City's terminal hipsters. With precision and well-balanced irony, Daum implicates herself as readily as she does the targets that fascinate and horrify her. In a review of The KGB Bar Reader, in which Daphne Merkin singled out Daum's essay about the inability to mourn a friend's death, Merkin wrote: "It's brutally quick, the way this happens, this falling in love with a writer's style. Daum's story hooked me by the second line. Hmm, I thought, this is a writer worth suspending my routines for."

Customer Reviews:

Tortured Pleasure.......2006-11-01

Having purchased this book based upon an Amazon rec, I spent the first chapter cursing Meghan Daum and Jeff Bezos. It was EXCRUTIATINGLY true of everything I know about young adult life in New York City, and I hated having it served up to me in such precise, laboriously correct fashion. However, I persisted, and was ultimately rewarded by much of what I read...finally succumbing altogether when I reached the "Music is My Bag" segment; as one bearing the viciously peculiar scars of an adolescent oboe experience, I laughed OUT LOUD during a morning rush-hour train ride, and forgave everything remotely unsatisfying that had come before. Anyone who has ever had the burden of Eccentricity as Excellence imposed by a parent, for whatever reason, will both cringe and rejoice at this INCREDIBLY detailed accounting of what it costs to be too smart and unique for the flute (or its functional equivalent--name the field). Congratulations, Meghan: You finally put down that heinous 'horn' and its attendant reed making, as did I, and never looked back. I fantasize that someday I'll have the privilege of recounting "The Horror of Interlochen (Michigan) All-State Orchestra 1979" to you over coffee...I thank you for giving voice to every over-achiever who's ever questioned the mission we were unwittingly assigned, and found the courage to defy the twin tyrannies of conformity AND its evil twin, The Subculture of Bagdom.

Excellent writing.......2003-10-23

So often you read a highly recommended book, even an award-winning book, and it stinks. This is why I generally read 19th century fiction....but along comes Meghan Daum and what a refreshing discovery. She is an excellent writer - clear, direct, authoritative, and very funny. It's strange in a way, to be reading about my own generation from one of its members. Her recollections of the 80's made me laugh out loud. And the essay about carpet was brilliant - I felt as though it had been written about me. She puts into words so many ideas, thoughts, and feeling that I have had but could never properly articulate. It seems that the Generation X'ers are finally getting a chance on the stage. I hope she writes about the insufferable arrogance of the baby-boomers.

The Truth will set you free.......2003-07-11

I found MY MISSPENT YOUTH almost too painful to read. Thankfully I stuck with her wonderfully written essays and can say I'm a better man for it. I too suffered at the hands of a New York City and almost went bankrupt trying to self-actualize on my creative ambitions. The big break never happened, something that never factored into the game plan. New York City, that place drives me nuts!

I just can't help but talk about my plight because what Meghan perfectly verbalized in MY MISSPENT YOUTH captures my New York experience and my twenties in ways I could never articulate. And at the root of her essays Meghan subtly answers the meaning of life. For real! That is, the meaning of life for those who failed.

oh stinky.......2002-09-17

Don't waste your time with this dreck. go get Dan Zevin's "The Day I Turned Uncool: Confessions of a Reluctant Grown-up."

My relationship with Meghan.......2002-07-19

I fell in love with Meghan while reading her book but our love was short-lived, as I'm not compatible with Meghan for reasons you can guess while turning these pages. It is the sort of love that doesn't leave you because it cannot ultimately be satisfying, but rather the kind of compromised love one would possess after the slow realization that the person one is planning marriage with is simply a little too much this or not quite enough that. I don't find Meghan arrogant or annoying, and I understand her repugnance for carpeting. I may not agree with all of her social and material preferences but I endlessly admire the conviction of her idiosyncratic nature. Meghan, if you're reading this: please do write again.

Memories of a misspent youth, 1872-1896,

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Memories of a misspent youth, 1872-1896,
Grant Richards
Manufacturer: W. Heinemann, ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006D61F4

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MISSPENT YOUTH
Not Applicable
Manufacturer: The Audit Commission.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000P9IU7G

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Misspent Youth (National Report)

Manufacturer: Audit Commission
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1862400075

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Musings on a Misspent Youth
M.D. John R. Judge
Manufacturer: Buono Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0963805908

Product Description

Trade paperback.

The Next Better Place: Memories of My Misspent Youth

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This book ends too soon..
Long Day's Outrageous Journey
Coming of age story of the highest order
brilliant wanderings

The Next Better Place: Memories of My Misspent Youth
Michael C. Keith
Manufacturer: Algonquin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Adult Children of Alcoholics | Recovery | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1565124367

Book Description

In 1959, at the age of eleven, Michael Keith ditched his relatively stable life with his mother and sisters in Albany, New York, and surreptitiously set off hitchhiking out West with his estranged, alcoholic dad. His memoir, told without sentimentality in the funny, world-wise voice of the young boy he once was, describes the bizarre characters they encounter in the rundown rooming houses and homeless missions of Pittsburgh and Ft. Worth, where they hole up as Michael's father works odd jobs to make enough money for them to move on; in the carnivals of the Midwest and the casinos of Las Vegas, where Michael dreams of Hollywood stardom; and in every two-bit town along the way, where they attend AA meetings just for a cup of coffee and a decent doughnut.

The Next Better Place explores the fine line between wanderlust and compulsion, between running away and arriving, and will resonate for anyone who has enjoyed the work of Tobias Wolff, Jack Kerouac, and William Kennedy.

Customer Reviews:

This book ends too soon.........2007-08-29

I was left wishing the author would write a follow up to this memoir. It was good to read a memoir from the man's point of view. The book also got me interested in the different cities and states that the author spent time in growing up with his father.

Long Day's Outrageous Journey.......2005-07-25

What a rip roaring road trip. More ups and downs than a Six Flags ride and more entertaining. One of the best memoirs in the last few years.

Coming of age story of the highest order.......2004-07-05

The author combines memoir, travelogue and coming of age story forms to take you with him on a sad but incredibly funny journey with his alcoholic, grass-is-always-greener father. The facts are heartbreaking but the boy is gonna make it and you know that as you go with him. If you having any wanderlust you will be looking out the window after reading this book. The writing is first-rate with memorable passages. I read half of the book before leaving the bookstore! It didn't hurt that he starts his journey in Albany, which happens to be my home, getting all the details right as he heads to California. But all the rest is purely universal. A must read.

brilliant wanderings.......2004-06-19

The book reads even better the second time around, and the Afterword addresses some questions I was left with. A real fun romp. It would make a great road flick.

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Evidence of a Misspent Youth
Mark Pickard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000R46V1Q

Product Description

Self-published paperback.

Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth [Digitally remastered from first generation tapes]

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Glorious Results of a Misspent Youth [Digitally remastered from first generation tapes]
Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
Manufacturer: Blackheart Records
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
ASIN: B000KYRBLC

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Misspent Youth
Peter F Hamilton
Manufacturer: Tor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OUMC0W

Book Description

In A Fury for God—now updated with a new analysis of the “War on Terror” and U.S. policies in Afghanistan and Iraq—Malise Ruthven, eminent scholar of Islamic history and Middle Eastern affairs, traces the religious and intellectual background behind the terrorist attacks of September 11th.

Customer Reviews:

A window into the mind of radical Islam.......2006-05-30

The "Fury for God" provides unique insight into the threat America faces from radical Islam. The author possesses extensive knowledge of the historical and philosophical underpinnings of today's Islamic terrorist. It is obvious the author have spent extensive time in the Middle East and is intimately familiar with the original sources that provide the theoretical base of modern radical Islam. The author's ability to describe the profile of many terrorists was one of the best parts of the books. He describes why many are from middle class backgrounds, possess advanced degrees in technical fields, and live in the West.

The book describes in detail the involvement of rich influential Saudi's in the spread of radical Islam and the unstable nature of the Saudi regime. It definitely game me a whole new insight into Islam and the Middle East.

The only criticism is the book often losses focus as the author wanders deep into Islamic theory or off on an unconnected tangent. A strong editor would have tightened the book up and made it flow better. Despite its scattered design, the unique insight into the mindset of radical Islam makes this book worth your time.

I wish I could say I became more optimistic about the future of the Islamic world after reading this book, but i did not.

A new analysis of U.S. policies in the Middle East .......2004-11-06

Malise Ruthven's revised, updated survey has been expanded with a new analysis of U.S. policies in the Middle East and the `war on terror' since 9/11: add this expansion to a fine scholarly survey of Islamic history and the religious and intellectual growth of the region and you have an in-depth college-level analysis of the history and causes of the rise of militant Islam.

Excellent Introduction to Islamic Radicalism.......2004-08-17

For the reader who wants to understand the background of Islamic radicalism, this book is an excellent starting point. Ruthven gives an entertaining and insightful introduction to the early Islamic radicals whose thoughts influence Usama Bin Ladin and other radicals of today. His descriptions of the early leadership of the Muslim Brotherhood is excellent and makes us understand, at least in part, the motivations that lead to some early terrorist events.
Recommended highly.

What makes extremists tick?.......2002-12-12

Amidst all the paranoid, hysterical and bigoted writings that have flooded the market in the wake of 9/11 Malise Ruthven's "A Fury for God" is a beacon of restraint. Except for the somewhat overly dramatic first chapter this book is a serious attempt to trace the roots of the seeming incomprehensible fury unleashed against anything American in the late Summer of 2001.

Although, in his preface, he makes no claims to great originality, Ruthven's approach of the subject matter is refreshingly different from most other books, the vast majority of which run aground in superficial treatment and overly easy conclusions regarding the motivations of Muslim extremists. It is a bit of a pity that Ruthven did not resist the temptation to graft his narrative on the dramatic imagery of eyewitness accounts. But he quickly makes good on this by shifting to a philosophical approach. For this the author brings with him a solid grounding in religious studies. Although his specialism is indeed Islam, it becomes obvious that he is also conversant with the broader field of comparative religion, enabling him to draw parallels with Christian and even Hindu traditions.

One of the most important points he makes in the first chapter is the key realization of the incommensurability of fundamentalist and more liberal thought patterns. Where the latter tend to see religions as 'cummulative traditions', a syncretism of various cultural influences, the former search for pristine faith: with clear-cut and neat oppositions. Fundamentalists are hardcore dualists, says Ruthven, reducing the world to the Manichaean dimensions of good and evil. In fact, for fundamentalists, faith IS Manichaean. A very interesting observation in this context is that, in that sense, the religious views of many Americans are equally dualist. As Ruthven points out American diplomacy has a distinctly 'Manichaean' streak because American politics has deep biblical and puritan roots.

A major difference between fundamentalist Muslims and fundamentalist Protestants is however how far they are willing to carry their literalism. In the remainder of the book Malise Ruthven sets out to uncover the genealogy of Islamic fundamentalism.

The writer commences with an extensive historical examination of the Jihad doctrine, beginning with its Quranic origins in the so-called "Sword Verse", he moves on to the importance of the rapid territorial expansion of the Islamic empire during its first generation, and introduces later-day conceptualizations such as the differentiation between individual and collective obligations to defend the faith, and religious warfare as a sociological agent. Ruthven also signals the centrality of the rewards of martyrdom in Jihad doctrine.

Probably the most revealing chapter of the book is "The Aesthetics of Martyrdom". Here Ruthven tries to make sense of the intellectual heritage left by one of the chief ideologists of fundamentalist Islam: Sayyid Qutb. Most source books on Muslim radicalism recognize the seminal importance of this writer, but Ruthven assigns key importance to Qutb's stay in the USA during 1949-1950. This experience changed his worldview so profoundly that he gave up his earlier literary career and became a Muslim activist. Qutb's statement that he was born in 1951 sounds eerily familiar: 'Reborn' Christians refer to their religious experience in similar terms.

Another important point made in this chapter is the new way in which Qutb encourages his followers to read the Quran. Ruthven calls this 'proof-texting', meaning that certain passages are taken out of context and treated like talismans for spiritual guidance and "fetishes" of scientific truth. This is further elaborated in the next chapter, where the phenomenon of dedication to a cause until death is investigated. Alongside references to accepted authorities in the fields of Islamic and general religious studies, Ruthven also maps the emergence of a plethora of radical Muslim organizations since the late 1960s. This chapter is also used to set up another key notion: the question of identity. Finally, Ruthven makes some rather surprising connections with `70s urban guerrilla groups (like Germany's Baader-Meinhoff Gruppe) and the philosopher Nietzsche.

In "Cultural Schizophrenia" the writer tries to get into the perpetrators' heads. Not in an effort to come up with some sort of apologetic explanation, but to make sense of how basically rational, relatively well-educated young men can be brought to such horrific acts. This chapter is a search for a common ground in the life experience of the young Saudis of 9/11 and Sayyid Qutb's American sojourn. It also unveils some interesting facts on the pervasiveness of tribal affilitation in Saudi society and the latent dissent among the Wahhabi religious scholars.

The two following chapters cover territory that is also dealt with in other books: Saudi Arabia's 'Islamic imperialism', the creation of - in the end uncontrolable - Jihadist organizations fighting the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, and the importance of the 1990-1991 Gulf War and its aftermath in breeding resentment against the governments in Riyadh and Washington, a feeling ruthlessly exploited by Bin Laden c.s.

In the concluding chapter "A Clash of Civilizations?", Ruthven critically examines the doctrines propounded by two "spin doctors" of the Clash-of-Civilizations thesis: Samuel Huntington and Benjamin Barber. Malise Ruthven acknowledges the plausibility of Huntington's civilization concept, but finds his ideas on religion wanting. According to Ruthven, Huntington is shortselling religion because he limits it to formal doctrines and ritual practices, better were it to take them as communication systems or symbolic languages expressing a vast array of human impulses. This might be especially relevant for Islam, which can be characterized as institutionally poor but rich in discursive tradition. Although Barber provides a powerful antidote to the Huntington doctrine, his explanation has another flaw: the denial of modern Islamism's claim of universality, lumping it together with mysticism and nationalism.

Some of Ruthven's references provide already a hint of the direction in which the author is looking for a way out of the cul-de-sac into which Muslim fundamentalism is leading the Islamic world. In the closing paragraphs the author points at the need of unwavering commitment to restructuring Muslim society on democratic principles, which are not inherently incompatible with Islam.

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