Average customer rating:
- Excellent beginning, awful rushed ending...
- Twisting Religous Convictions to Glorify Death/Martyrdom
- intriguing, enlightening content marred by stylistic flaws
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The Last Night of a Damned Soul: A Novel
Slimane Benaissa
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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WINDOWS ON THE WORLD
ASIN: 0802117805 |
Book Description
Slimane Benaïssa's writings have established him as one of France's most important thinkers engaging the topic of Islam and the West. Inspired by the author's grief over September 11, The Last Night of a Damned Soul tells the story of a young Arab-American man who joins a Muslim fundamentalist group and winds up conspiring to plot a terrorist attack.
Born into a moderate Muslim family in the Bay Area, Raouf has never strongly identified with his Islamic heritage. Pragmatic and scientifically minded, he has an American girlfriend he plans to marry-but his father's untimely death throws Raouf into a spiritual crisis. In this vulnerable state he falls under the influence of a Palestinian coworker, who brings Raouf to the radical mosque where he worships. Raouf immerses himself in the impassioned embrace of Islam, cutting off contact with his girlfriend and even his mother. Raouf's divided loyalties will be put to the test when his new spiritual leaders reveal their mission for him: to take part in plotting a terrorist attack.
The Last Night of a Damned Soul is a disturbing explication of the psychological, political, and religious realities that may underpin terrorism, and a rich and timely novel.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent beginning, awful rushed ending..........2006-10-14
This books starts off very well. The initial character development is very good and the plot is intriguing enough to keep readers engaged. Unfortunately as the reading progresses the quality of the book deteriorates climaxing with the ending, which is horrible. It leaves the reader wondering whether the author was pressured to end the work or he just got fed up with it himself.
There are some very good lines and deep thoughts in this book and that's why the three stars. Otherwise, it would have received two.
R.
Twisting Religous Convictions to Glorify Death/Martyrdom.......2005-05-12
This book is frightening in its ability to present how a rather normal individual of a Muslim background, born and educated in the USA, could become susceptible and vulnerable to the "culture of death" as taught by Islamic extremists. The book was originaly written in French and is a translation into English. It is a deep and complex book fraught with personal anguish and emotional tension ... Raouf is the only son of an Egyptian father and Lebanese mother, both highy educated and successful American immigrants of Muslim background. He examines the purpose of his life related to his religious awakening within the framework of the most painful experience of his life, the death of his father.
The emotional turmoil of this young computer engineer is the prelude to his gradual transformation into an Islamic extremist. He does at times have reservations, questions, and conflicts which are examined and analyzed through the dark cloud of his personal tragedy ... when life experiences, that is reality contradicts the teachings... his source of inspiration is a Muslim friend whose answer to most problems is to quote the Koran, a Hadith, or some portion of a sermon by a Mullah which consistently ties any conflict into a "submisson to G-d" response, most of which is associated with tolerating pain and realizing the Here and Now is unimportant and the Hereafter is what matters the most, when one attains the rewards of suffering in this life as promised for those who follow the teachings of Islam. The manipulation of this vulnerable man ... to accept a role to which he succombed is worth reading. It is a true education to see how religion is used for political ends by an extremist group.
The most important literary device or feature of this book is the use of quotations from the Koran and Hadiths which can make it a difficult reading experience . However, the reader will more fully appreciate the complex nature of the subject matter and *how* this literary device is effective when finished reading the book. In the end, most readers will view the recitation of different verses and suras as a device to create a hypnotic effect on the vulnerable Raouf, it can be viewed as the call to awakening of the young man. In this case, it has the same effect as the call to prayer five times a day when facing Mecca. This book would definitely have a stronger appeal if it were made into a film. Most readers will need to be patient ... to understand the beauty of the writing which reveals the genuine talents of this author. This book is a monumental literary achievement toward understanding the complex and difficult world in which we live. Erika Borsos (erikab93)
intriguing, enlightening content marred by stylistic flaws .......2004-10-05
The Last Night of a Damned Soul is the story of Raouf, a young Arab-American whose grief/confusion over his father's death leads him down the path of martyrdom, guided by his Palestinian friend and Kuwaiti boss. Over the course of the novel, Raouf removes himself more and more from the trappings of his American life (dog, apartment, girlfriend, mother, etc.) to enter further into the world of Islam and terrorism as he repents, is reborn, and is trained for a terrorist act. These acts of gradual removal are often preceded by long stretches of quoted sermons/speeches or long passages of introspection.
The book, due to its subject matter and its close focus on an individual, has a certain chill to it, and a sense of suspense as to whether Raouf will actually go through with the terrorist act (no telling here). And the passages where he is guided or preyed upon depending on one's viewpoint have a macabre sort of fascination. The sermons also are of interest, giving a window into a set of beliefs, a worldview, that many Western readers probably do not have.
In the end, however, the book's effectiveness is marred by its many flaws. One is that the characters in the book rarely seem to act like fully-fleshed, real people. Raouf's girlfriend, for instance, seems to be there simply so she can be discarded. Her reactions to the changes he displays are either non-existent or unbelievable and his changing reaction to her is all too easily glossed over in a few paragraphs of inner monologue. Before he is lured/co-opted into the terrorist world, it is all too obvious that his friend and his boss have leaning or connections that way and yet there is no recognition of this on his part, no internal turmoil, again, highly unbelievable. His mother too seems to be a role character whose major purpose is to sum up an opposing viewpoint in a lengthy letter clumsily introduced toward the end. And Raouf's own movement from young Arab-American software engineer to fundamentalist Islamic terrorist seems more acted out than acted from within, more staged than developed.
Stylistically, many of the characters do not speak like real people. The dialogue is often stilted and given to speechifying rather than conversing. While the characters are debating politics and religion, they do so less as people involved in a discussion than as people reading from prepared notes. The use of so many sermons quoted at such length also was a problem, slowing the book's narrative pace down, taking us away from the more intense and more compelling first-person narrative by Raouf.
Even the first-person form, however, has its problems as it too often allows the author to pile on the exposition or characterization by telling rather than showing. There were times the internal monologue told us things we had already figured out by more subtle preceding actions or descriptions or told us things that would have been better shown. His relationship with his father and his father's subsequent death, for instance, we're told over and over again, had a deep impact on the character, but we are never given any reason to believe this beyond being told it--we're given almost no scenes to convey it through flashback or memory or third-character viewpoint.
The end of the book is the most effective part, where Raouf must confront the actual decision to take part or not in the attack, where his mother writes an impassioned and eloquent "sermon" in opposition to the many preceding that led him down the path of terrorism. For all it effectiveness, however, the ending also highlights what the book could have been, and thus highlights its flaws.
As a novel, I can't really recommend the book based on its weak characterization and flawed style and structure. On the other hand, if one wishes to set those aside and read not so much for reading pleasure but for insight into a world many of us seldom glimpse let alone imagine, it does awaken an awareness in the reader, a bud of understanding, if not a full flower. If it were a longer work, I wouldn't recommend it even then, but since it's such a quick read, it is possible to tolerate the writing flaws for the payoff of subject matter. Therefore, a very mixed recommendation.
Customer Reviews:
The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.......2007-08-11
I read this graphic novel when it originally appeared in the mid90s as a monthly comic series...I recently rediscovered the series as trade paperbacks, and it's still one of the most intellectually challenging, underrated and undiscovered comics to be published in the past two decades.
As the final chapter in Grant Morrison's magnum opus, this book delivers the goods with outstanding art by Bond (and others) and a head-scratching ending, that makes you wish there was a coda published later... unless you go back and re-read the entire tale and you'll see that Morrison wove the story all back together.
Definitely worth the money and the time spent reading.
Well, maybe I'm too brave 4 my own good 2 criticize unclear script..........2006-01-17
...but it seems like Grant himself, whom I respect, didn't know how to wrap things up. This TPB is the MOST disgusting one , considering splatter put in the story, and, sometimes plain boring. End is unclear, and reminds me of what Arthur Clarke said once : 'I don't explain anything'. Puzzling ending for my fave characters, could it have been better?
An essential Invisibles read.......2005-08-27
"The Invisible Kingdom" is one of the best maxi-series I can think of. It is the 12-issue conclusion to Grant Morrison's magnum opus, The Invisibles, and like the issues that preceded it, it is extremely cryptic and not recommended for the casual reader.
That said, I will give you the pros and cons of the volume in my not-so-humble opinion. Oh yeah, SPOILER WARNING and all that.
PROS:
-Jack Frost is my favorite character in The Invisibles and this volume has some great Jack moments. His training under Elfayed is brilliant and his assertion to King Mob that he will continue to be an Invisible even if King Mob leaves are great. The last issue, where he fulfills the prophecy that got him into the whole mess, is equally brilliant.
-King Mob, my second favorite character, also has some great moments, like when he is rescued from certain death by Audrey Murray (the wife of a man he killed early in the series).
-Seeing more of Mr. Six is always a treat. He's almost as cool as King Mob!
-The first arc, "Satanstorm", was great. Phillip Bond is an amazing artist--check out his work in Vimamarama, another Grant Morrison collaboration.
-The last arc, before the final issue, "The Invisible Kingdom", is also good, despite the varied artwork (I have this wish that one day I will become rich enough to pay Phil Jiminez to redraw the first 11 issues, including this arc of this volume as a special gift).
-The final issue, "Glitterdammerung!", was one of the best in the whole series. It was confusing as hell, but then again so is the whole series so it didn't really matter. "Our sentence is up." is another great line from Jack Frost.
CONS:
-The second story arc, "Karmageddon", though well written, didn't fit with the story and took attention away from the plot (as well as Jack Frost ;)).
-Helga's character, as another reviewer mentioned before me, was a painfully annoying character until she actually did something in the last arc.
-And of course, some of the artwork (especially John Ridgway and Jill Thompson's) was just inexcusable bad.
CONCLUSIONS:
All in all, this volume, as well as the whole series, is a great read and I recommend it to anyone who is smart enough to know what "Manichean" means.
The Invisibles, Book 7: The Invisible Kingdom.......2005-06-11
Here it is, the final book of creator/writer Grant Morrison's Invisibles series. Books 1-3 collected Volume 1, Books 4-6 collected Volume 2, and Book 7 collects Volume 3 in its entirety. The previous two volumes had been over twenty issues each, but Volume 3 was only 12 issues, something which seems to spark much debate, these days.
I have seen many claims that Volume 3 was only 12 issues due to low sales, that DC/Vertigo requested Morrison to wrap up his series in half the time, to cut costs. This is simply not true. Volume 3 is Morrison's full vision; nothing was cut out due to editorial constraints. Here are Morrison's exact words, shortly before beginning Volume 3: "Volume 3 will appear as three four-part arcs-`Satanstorm'; `Karmageddon' and `The Invisible Kingdom'- in 1999. And then it's all done and I can go off and have my mid-life crisis in Tibet. There are some fears that this may not work and that `sales' will be dealt a permanent blow, but I prefer to have faith in all you wunnerful people out there who've stayed on the bus so far, and I'd like to think you'd rather see The Invisibles completed as intended than have me hack it out to meet a monthly deadline."
As it's the final book in the series, you might expect The Invisible Kingdom to answer questions and end the long journey. Unfortunately, you would be mistaken. In fact, most of Volume 3 doesn't even feel like the Invisibles we know and love. Where Volume 1 was slow-paced and focused on characterization, and Volume 2 was focused on action and metaphysics, Volume 3 seems like a totally different series. The main cause for this is that the Invisibles themselves are relegated to supporting-character status; Mr. Six and his Division X pals and archvillain Sir Miles Delacourt instead get the most "screen time," with King Mob, Jack, and Fanny reduced to small parts.
To make things worse, when Morrison DOES feature the Invisibles, instead of using the characters we already know, he instead tortures us with a new Invisible named Helga, who is probably the most annoying character in the series. Morrison obviously doesn't think so, however, as he gives Helga just about every "cool" line and "outrageous" action he can think of, in an attempt to make her cutting edge. Instead, she comes off as an annoyingly pretentious bore, and it doesn't help that Morrison fails to give her any sort of background or emotional makeup. What makes this all the more frustrating is that he uses this character so much, and totally ignores more interesting female Invisibles Ragged Robin and Boy. It's like Morrison ran out of ideas for the main characters, and had to come up with someone new to carry the plot; the problem is, he couldn't have chosen a worse lead character.
That being said, Book 7 picks up with Mr. Six and Division X, last seen in Book 3: "Entropy in the UK." They're still hot on the trail of Miles Delacourt and the monstrous "future king" of England. Meanwhile, Mr. Six strives to help his teammates remember that they're actually undercover Invisibles agents. In addition to this, Six and Helga attempt to deprogram Sir Miles. While this is going on, Jack Frost is in Africa with Jolly Roger, where he comes closer to realizing his Buddhahood. King Mob is mostly out of the picture, off meditating in India, trying to rid himself of the need to kill.
After laying to rest 99 year-old Invisible Edith, King Mob et al reunite for the final showdown with Miles Delacourt and the demonic Archons he serves. This culminates in a satanic crowning of the monstrous king on August 11, 1999, in a horrific ceremony which entails the butchering of children and homeless victims. Instead of an action scene as in Volume 2, the events play out more along the lines of the mystical denouement of Volume 1, with Jack Frost once again proving he is the most powerful human alive.
The above two paragraphs make the events of Volume 3 sound rather simplistic. This is not the case. As I mentioned, since this is the final volume of the series, one might expect Morrison to answer questions. Instead, he chooses to make Volume 3 as opaque and difficult as possible. Even the dialog doesn't help to sort things out; the characters don't talk to each other, they trade "I'm too cool" banter. What makes this all the more grating is that Morrison so obviously has taken his themes and plots from the works of Robert Anton Wilson and Terrence McKenna; but unlike those authors, who always guide the reader through their labyrinthine visions, Morrison instead tosses everything into a blender and hopes it all comes out "cool." Therefore, the chance for any emotional impact is pretty much lost.
Volume 3 is saved by the final story of the series, "Glitterdammerung." Fully illustrated by Frank Quitely, this is possibly the single best issue of the Invisibles. The previous 11 issues of Volume 3 wrapped up the series storyline, but it was up to "Glitterdammerung" to explain what the series itself was all about. Set in 2012 , the story operates more as a metaphysical look back at the series than as a linear tale. It does tie up several subplots, and also ends the series on a defiantly anarchic note, as Jack Frost frees himself from the confines of the comic itself. This story alone gives Book 7 a 4-star rating.
The secret revealed in Book 7 is this (avoid this paragraph if you hate spoilers, though if you know this, it probably wouldn't "spoil" anything, anyway!): the Invisibles is a game, one that is being played by someone (John A'Dreams? Jack Frost? YOU?). Toward the very end of the series, several characters begin to figure this out, most notably John A'Dreams, a white-suited former Invisible who disappeared before the events in Book 1: "Say You Want a Revolution." The idea is that the Invisibles is a reality-model experienced by those who wish to gain gnosis; hence the many, many times the phrase "Remember. It's just a game" was stated throughout Books 1-6. This entails the characters realizing they are not only works of fiction, but that each of them might even be the same person, only playing different characters, or "suits," as one enlightened character calls them. I've always felt this is Morrison's skewed way of interpreting the gnostic "all are one" belief, that all humans share one collective, unconscious soul - aka "God."
The art in Volume 3 is a mess. Volume 1 of the Invisibles was plagued with a succession of artists, some good, some terrible. Volume 2 corrected this in a big way. Unfortunately Volume 3 goes back to Volume 1 territory, only it's worse. Instead of different artists handling different story arcs, multiple artists work on the SAME story. This was a terrible idea on Morrison's part, and I think it backfired on him, as the art was so underwhelming in some places that DC/Vertigo had to have certain pages re-illustrated for this collection. Book 7 starts off promising enough, with Philip Bond and Warren Pleece's cartoonish art, but then it quickly falls to pieces when the "multiple artist" scenario rears its head. Quitely saves the day at the end however, and his art on "Glitterdammerung" is just as phenomenal as his work on Morrison's "Flex Mentallo." Special mention must also be made of Brian Bolland's cover art for this trade paperback. He's "remixed" the 12 original covers he did for Volume 3; one in particular, a "Sgt Pepper's" send-up, would make for a perfect poster.
Even though this review has been mostly negative, Book 7 is still required reading for all those who have made it this far. Morrison finishes the series in the fashion he intended from the start, and the character arcs are unique and inspiring. For example, what other work of fiction would feature a character like King Mob, who realizes over the course of the series that he's degenerating into a killer? Bruce Willis can kill umpteen terrorists in the "Die Hard" films and not once question if he himself is becoming as murderous as his enemies; King Mob instead gains enlightenment, and realizes that all life is precious. Of course, if something like this happened in a mainstream action film, audiences would write it off as tree-hugging schlock. But here it works, mostly because Morrison aimed for something higher with the Invisibles. And most of the time, he succeeded.
A great ending to an excellent series.......2005-04-30
The Invisibles is by far the best, and the most original, comic book series out there. Many do not think this a fitting ending, and though the artwork does not compliment Morrison's writing, the dialogue and plot more than make up for it. I fervently believe this has the best ending in any work of fiction (comic, movie, book, TV show, the list goes on and on) ever. Grant Morrison is the most innovative writer in any medium, and the Invisibles is easily his best work. The evolution of Jack's character is worth the price of admission, as well as Bond's artwork in the beginning arc (check out Vimanarama!, his latest collaboration with Grant Morrison). All in all, this is one of my favorite volumes of the Invisibles, and is definately worth multiple reads, especially if you want to understand what the @$%# he's talking about!!! So read the Invisibles, and join the everfilling ranks of those who believe Morrison is a comics god.
Book Description
Come to a world where angels, ghosts, and demons walk amongst the living and anything is possible. Here, in nine tales of the supernatural, invisible creatures take shape and roam the earth to aid or interfere in the lives of humans. A magic staff makes a man see ghosts, a handsome demon tricks a village girl into marriage, and an angel directs a young man through a dangerous venture -- in the guise of a goat!
Howard Schwartz's vibrant retelling of mystical Jewish folktales is full of magic and wonder. The stories span many centuries and range in origin from Middle East to Eastern Europe. Weather you believe in angels, ghosts, and demons is for you to decide, but not before you enter these invisible kingdoms and step into a world where the impossible takes shape and anything can happen!
Average customer rating:
- absurd
- Short and very readable character study
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The Invisible Man: The Life and Liberties of H.G. Wells
Michael Coren
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Journalists | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
19th Century | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
20th Century | British | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | England | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0689121199 |
Book Description
For almost half a century H.G. Wells was an international literary phenomenon; the only writer of his time who could command an audience with both Roosevelt and Stalin.
Unlike any other biographer of Wells, Coren paints a composite portrait of an extremely varied life set against the social and political background of the time. The Invisible Man delves deeply into the paradox that was H.G. Wells: the utopian visionary and staunch advocate of women's suffrage versus the misogynistic womanizer and vicious anti-Semite. This book exposes for the first time his disturbing views on "the Jewish problem," views that he defended vehemently even through the 1930s.
Customer Reviews:
absurd.......2004-05-01
The biography here is merely a bait-and-switch scaffolding. Really our putative biographer wants to attack Wells for his supposed "anti-semitism". The evidence presented, such as it is, is culled very selectively, mischaracterized, and hyperbolically flailed at. Wells was not anti-semitic; he was anti-nationalist. Read instead Anthony West's "H. G. Wells: Aspects of a Life" or, better yet, H. G. Wells's "Experiment in Autobiography".
Short and very readable character study.......2003-03-06
First let me say that I am neither a science fiction fan nor a literary expert. Like many children, I read The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau and the War of the Worlds. Those books became a part of my dreams-and nightmares-for many years. In the intervening decades, I had really almost forgotten about Wells. However,I recently came across a collection of his complete short stories, and this sparked my interest in learning more about him.
This is the first biography of H.G. Wells that I have read, and I must admit I chose it mainly because it was short and compact! I would actually class this book as as more of an essay on Wells the man and his character, than a history of his life. Not that the author ignores biographical data. I knew absolutely nothing about Wells when I opened the book, and now feel that I have learned quite a lot about his life and times.
However, the historical information is mainly presented as a background for the author's argument that Wells has been whitewashed by previous biographers. He begins with the premise that standard biographies of H.G. Wells ignored or downplayed certain negative aspects of his character and thought. According to Coren, Wells was wrongly admired as a working class hero, a scientific visionary, and a utopian dreamer. He states at the beginning that his purpose in writing this book was to set the record straight. His intent is to prove that Wells' works had a "pernicious" influence on society. He also contends that Wells was a man of bad moral character, which was concealed by a public image of genial tolerance.
The author attacks Wells and his previous biographers with two lines of argument. In one, he presents evidence for his assertions of Wells' pernicious influence on British society. Coren contends that Wells was an exponent of xenophobia, religious intolerance, and racism. As he quotes from Wells' own writings, these criticsms seem to be founded in fact. He quotes from works in which Wells predicts a future in which the world has been made safe through a combination of technological progress, and radical eugenics. (Although the author does not make this explicit connection, Wells seemed to be advocating a future totalitarian world society very much like Plato's Republic-except with flying machines and wireless communication.) If true, this certainly seems grounds for criticism.
The second line of attack is on Wells' faults as a friend and husband. The author gives considerable space to the feuds that Wells carried on with other literary figures such as Shaw and Chesterton, and to his spats with members of the Fabian Society. I found this the least interesting part of the book, but that may be because I know so little about the people involved.
Mr. Coren also takes Wells to task for his marital infidelity and irresponsible sexual behavior. Here the argument seems a bit shakey, as Wells and his circle were exponents of free love and sexual revolution. It is hard to see what else could have been expected from someone who held such views.
As I have not yet read the other biographies to which this book refers, I can't comment on the accuracy of his claims, or say whether Mr. Coren proves his point. However, reading this book was worthwhile. Before reading it, I had no idea that Wells had been such an influential man, or that his writings included such a broad range of subjects. I certainly found this book a fast and enjoyable read, and I am now interested in in tackling some of the longer biographies and crititical studies of H.G. Wells.
Average customer rating:
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The Invisible Woman: Aspects Of Women's Work In Eighteenth-century Britain (Studies in Labour History)
Manufacturer: Ashgate Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Labor & Industrial Relations | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
18th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
General | England | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
Labor & Industrial Relations | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0754635724 |
Average customer rating:
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How Invisible Helpers Assist The Animal Kingdom
Amber M. Tuttle
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Angels | Spirituality | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1425317618 |
Book Description
THIS 44 PAGE ARTICLE WAS EXTRACTED FROM THE BOOK: Work of Invisible Helpers, by Amber M. Tuttle. To purchase the entire book, please order ISBN 1564596761.
Average customer rating:
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The Invisible Children
Gitta Sereny
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Social Services & Welfare | Poverty | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Marriage & Family | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Culture | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Child Abuse | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Accessories:
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philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer
ASIN: 0394533895
Release Date: 1985-02-12 |
Average customer rating:
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The Invisible Children
Makins
Manufacturer: David Fulton Publish
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Adult & Continuing Education | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Mentally Disabled | Special Education | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Policy | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Education | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1853464929 |
Average customer rating:
- You'll never look at them the same way again.
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Invisible Children: Who are the Real Losers at School?
James Pye
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Special Education | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Elementary School | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books | General | Reading
Educational Psychology | Education Theory | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Sociology | Education Theory | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0192159585 |
Book Description
Discussing the plight of "anonymous" pupils, those who compulsively disguise their potential and elude the teachers' interest, this compelling account of the present condition of British secondary schools uses the author's experience as a teacher to tackle the questions often ignored in
current debates on education. Pye presents a series of vivid case studies to highlight his discussion of the dynamics of teacher-student relationships, the constraints that hinder teachers' intentions, sex stereotyping in schools, and the chances for successful learning to take place in large
classes.
Customer Reviews:
You'll never look at them the same way again........1997-05-09
James Pye inspired me in 1995 when I was studying education as part of my teacher's training. I borrowed the book accidentally - I was looking for material for an essay and grabbed practically everything on the shelf, hauled it all down to a level more suited to my stature, and started flicking through the tomes looking for anything that might help me inform my lecturers about kids with special needs. I flicked Invisible Children open and started reading the first page. I couldn't stop reading. I eventually had to force myself to put it down in order to continue with the canvass for relevant texts, but you can be sure that I borrowed it that very afternoon, and the other ten books remained unread while I grazed my way through Invisible Children. As a new teacher, the simple truths of James Pye's book were a revelation to me. I found myself expanding my view of all of the children in my classes - underachievers, quiet well-behaved kids, attention seekers, all of them. James Pye's book helped something click into place for me and helped me find my teaching vocation. James Pye's introduction to his book summed up teaching for him and for myself also. In the Introduction he related an anecdote about visiting a brother who had a child. James sat there reading the paper or a magazine and without thinking found himself reading bits aloud and pointing out interesting stories to his niece. Eventually she commented that he was just like her Dad, always sharing stories with her.James said that he realised that he was in teaching because of his innate love of learning and language, and his desire to share that with others, especially children. James Pye, if you ever get the chance to read this, Thank You for giving me the gift of realising that what I have always wanted to do is to pass on my love for the things that interested me when I was a student. Tanya Wheeler (9th May 1997)
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The Invisible College
Robert Lomas
Manufacturer: Headline Book Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Freemasonry | Other Practices | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
General | Science | Subjects | Books
General | History & Philosophy | Science | Subjects | Books
General | England | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
Tudor & Stuart | England | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
General | Ireland | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0747239770 |
Customer Reviews:
Well worthwhile.......2004-02-13
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and commend the author for presenting his research in such an accessible form. I've incidentally come to a better understanding of the abiding interest in Jacobean politics by present-day descendants of the Scottish families involved. Perhaps I've also come to an appreciation of the self-identification, stemming from this illustrious history, of some Protestant neighbours from my childhood.
Lomas has included an extensive bibliography but apparently at the time of writing was oblivious to the even more far-reaching account of the principle actors' philosophical roots, as detailed in M. Baigent and R. Leigh's The Elixir and the Stone (Penquin 1998; available at Amazon.ca and Amazon.co.uk)
In summary, the book lives up to all of its claims and is excellent value in the Headline Book Publishing paperback edition.
Books:
- The Magic Mirror: Law in American History
- The Man Who Made It Snow
- The Miracle of Right Thought and The Divinity of Desire
- The Moon Over Lake Elmo
- The O. Henry Prize Stories 2006 (Prize Stories (O Henry Awards))
- The Quick and the Dead: Artists and Anatomy
- The Real Deadwood: True Life Histories of Will Bill Hickock, Calamity Jane, Outlaw Towns, and Other Characters of the Lawless West
- The Reduced Shakespeare Company Christmas
- The Right Attitude to Rain: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel (Isabel Dalhousie Mysteries)
- The Tin Can Tree: A Novel (1st Ballantine Books Trade ed)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Special Agent: My Life On the Front Lines As Woman in the FBI
- Infidel
- Diary of a Mad Mom-to-Be
- Empire of the East
- History: Fiction or Science
- History: Fiction or Science
- Nelson's Victory: 101 Questions & Answers About HMS Victory, Nelson's Flagship at Trafalgar 1805
- Introduction to Vocabularies: Enhancing Access to Cultural Heritage Information
- Ecology of Fresh Waters: Man and Medium, Past to Future
- DEAR AND NOBLE BOY: The Life and Letters of Louis Stokes, 1897-1916
