Book Description
Archaeologist Jim O'Neal finds his quiet life in Farmington, New Mexico turned upside down by an unusual discovery at the nearby sacred landmark, Shiprock. Together with fellow archaeologist Frank Tso, Jim must join forces with the mysterious Marji Carroll on a journey through betrayal,kidnapping and murder to uncover an ancient secret hidden by the Knights Templar. A secret that could set the world on the path to Armageddon . . .
Customer Reviews:
Not sure why I kept on reading.......2007-08-27
The premise of this book is indeed much less credible than many other Templar novels, with the Devil in human form and a nun on a secret mission, like 007, with a license to have sex.
This paperback was also one of the absolutely worst examples of proofreading and editing that I have ever read. Misspellings, omitted words, duplicate words throughout.
I guess I finished the book to see if it could get any worse.
a good read.......2007-07-24
"The First Seal" hooked me from the first page. As we all know, I'm a historical fiction fanatic, and this novel did not disappoint. From what I've read in other reviews that of this book, the historical facts contained in the story are being called into question; accurate or not, the story itself is engaging and compelling and I personally couldn't put it down.
The story is a combination of narratives; one stemming from the present time, and one from the 1500's. The two weave back and forth in a way that is easy to follow and an effective way of advancing the plot line. In the present day story we learn of a mysterious archealogical find, a stone tablet discovered in New Mexico, where it by all rights, should NOT be. Murder and mayhem ensue, as all parties involved in the story have different reasons for wanting to get their hands on the tablet.
Mixed in we also have the story set in the 1500's, of how the tablet came to be in New Mexico. The author weaved these two stories together in a very satisfying way... In the present day we are uncovering the tablet, while simultaneously in the past, we are fighting to bury it. From here we come to the ultimate showdown ending, which leaves me hopeful for a sequel...
If you're looking for a great story to get lost in, I think I've found it for you...you won't regret it.
Ludicrous - Worst Templar novel ever.......2007-06-29
I don't understand how the people that have reviewed this book so far are giving it such high marks. There are several issues that I don't understand with this novel. First, it portrays the Templar of the past as intelligent, driven men with a purpose. Yet, it portrays the templars of the present as blatant idiots. Then, you have a nun that is given a "dispensation" by the Vatican (for which her contact happens to be the devil) to steal, kill, and have sex with anyone in order to find the item in question. You may say whatever you want about the Catholic Church, but that premise is preposterous. Further, the book starts with a western/devil short story that is meant to present a preamble of what is to come, yet fails at such. You have demons raping women, men that have lived many 500 years, etc. Ludicrous does not start to describe this novel. I wonder if the "good" reviews are but trolls to jack up the "stars" on the review.
Wonderfully fun.......2007-05-17
This book is a great ride. IT is clear and concise. It keeps you wanting more. The DaVinci Code has NOTHING on this book. I cant wait for the rest of them.
Could not put the book down!!.......2007-04-29
There are enough well written characters to fill three different novels. The authors research of prior time and locales is evident in the story line and characters. Here's hoping the sequel is soon to be available.A must read for all.
Average customer rating:
- An honest look at the sealing industry
|
Over the Side, Mickey: A Sealer's First Hand Account of the Newfoundland Seal Hunt
Michael Dwyer
Manufacturer: Nimbus Publishing (CN)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
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General
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| Biographies & Memoirs
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Hunting & Fishing
| Outdoors & Nature
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| Fishing
| General & Anthologies
| Hunting
| Shooting
ASIN: 1551092530 |
Customer Reviews:
An honest look at the sealing industry.......2002-10-28
As a person who has led campaigns against the Canadian Sealing industry for 25 years, I can vouch for the accuracy of the events portrayed in this book. Mickey Dwyer is a sealer and no friend of mine but what he writes in this book speaks more to the issues of cruelty and waste than anything that I or any other opponent could write. We would be called liars for stating what Dwyer proudly confesses to in this book. It is a worthwhile book and deserves a place in the history of the bloody Canadian seal hunt.
Average customer rating:
- Awesome
- Joe Buff
- Everything's better, down where its wetter, under the Sea!
- Not even close...
- CONN-SONAR...INCOMING NUCLEAR TORPEDO!!!
|
Deep Sound Channel
Joe Buff
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Thunder in the Deep: A Novel of Undersea Military Action and Adventure
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Crush Depth
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Tidal Rip
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Seas of Crisis
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Vertical Dive
ASIN: 0553801333
Release Date: 2000-07-05 |
Book Description
An electrifying new voice in military fiction, Joe Buff has written a riveting and totally realistic tale of military adventure-a spectacular novel that is sure to establish this outstanding author as the new master of the genre. Vividly authentic and impeccably researched, it takes readers into the not-too-distant future, when the United States is embroiled in a tactical nuclear war that will mark a new era of weapons and tactics, geopolitical alignments, and human courage....
Deep Sound Channel
The year is 2011, and in South Africa a reactionary coup has established a military government that has begun sinking U.S. and British merchant ships. NATO quickly responds, with only Germany holding back-until Germany starts nuking Poland and eviscerating the French. Now the South Atlantic is a battleground where nuclear-tipped missiles rule-and the only gun worth using is one that seeks and fires from deep beneath the sea.
In response, Lieutenant Commander Jeffrey Fuller and the crew of the nuclear submarine USS Challenger are called in to help. Ceramic-hulled and designed for maximum stealth, the Challenger is being sent to South Africa for a mission critical to stopping the war. Together with a team of Navy SEALs and assisted by Boer freedom fighter Ilse Reebeck, Commander Fuller must infiltrate the enemy coast and attack a compound where scientists are putting together the ultimate biological weapon-a violent, deadly microbe that has the potential to wreak global devastation.
For Jeffrey Fuller, the operation will take him back to his former life as a SEAL. It's his job to steer the team of operatives to shore; penetrate concentric arcs of armaments, minefields, and sensors; and destroy the death lab. If the mission works, the
bioweapon will be destroyed and shock waves will cripple the South African government. If it goes wrong, fallout will kill thousands of innocent people.
Deep Sound Channel provides a rare and telling look into the future of our military's weapons-and into the horrific violence of tactical nuclear war. It is a cutting-edge masterpiece that takes readers on a wild and unforgettable ride of suspense, nuclear warfare, and underwater adventure
Customer Reviews:
Awesome.......2007-06-12
Read one of this series you will be totally hooked. Excellent excellent excellent....
Joe Buff.......2007-04-04
Another good book by a submarine-adventure author I enjoy. Amazon provides a good way to find early books by authors one enjoys. Books are consistently in the condition advertised and are shipped promptly.
Everything's better, down where its wetter, under the Sea!.......2005-07-10
In this intricately woven undersea-tale, Joe Buff has created a gripping story of a possible future conflict. Frightening believability is supplied by his technical research on current hardware and it's logical progession into future gadetry. The story line regarding the re-emergence of Germany as a dominating power in Europe, bent on reestablishing past levels of power and prestige on the world stage after the decline of the former US and Soviet Union "super-powers", is consistent with the rise and fall of other powerful nation-states over thousands of years of recorded history. Reinforced by an "Axis of Evil " partnership with like-minded South African Boer comrades seeking to relive their glory days of dominance over subject populations in their region, the new realities have forced the former super-powers into unaccustomed roles.
A badly weakened and disorganized America reacts slowly and with limited success to the surprise onslought of combined German-Boer forces. Russia is a "neutral", but supplying clandestine support to the new "AXIS", while the rest of the world waits to see who gains the upper hand before declaring any public support for either side! Joe's work in current national defense commentary for non-fiction outlets in military and public-policy circles lends additional credibility to the scenarios he paints in this novel.
The authentic operational proceedures and dialog between characters in military actions creates the feel of a transcript recorded on the scene by the author. This occasionally gets into a great deal of technical detail, obviously designed to help the reader follow the "decision cycle" and "brainstorming " needed to solve grave problems in a tense and critical situation. The relationships between characters, both official and unofficial, are well written and make the people worth caring about in the midst of all the technical wonder and battle excitement. The minor flaw of occasional technical overload in an otherwise outstanding first effort by Joe Buff, does not detract enough to mar a Five-Star rating !
Not even close..........2005-05-07
The authors name should be BLUFF because he seems to have bluffed his way onto the book shelves. The plot is dumb, the dialogue is childish, the technology is impossible, the tactics are unreal and the characters are flat. Other than that its a great book. Seriously - don't waste your time or money. This book is a loser.
CONN-SONAR...INCOMING NUCLEAR TORPEDO!!!.......2005-05-04
Move over Tom Clancy and Michael Dimercurio.
Clancy riveted us with "Red October" in the 80's and Dimercurio in the 90's. Now it's Joe Buff.
This story takes place in the 21st century and now a new enemy (or old one), not the Middle East, the Axis powers are aligned again. The battles are fought almost exclusively on and under the high seas using tactical nuclear weapons.
The sub versus sub cat and mouse battles have taken on a whole new game; the primary weapons are now nuclear torpedoes. Added to the plot is that the U.S Navy has a new deep-diving submarine commanded by a daring and innovative captain facing off against Germany's deep-diving submarine also commanded by a cunning captain. These two characters are just developed enough that you respect both of them and if it were not wartime they might even be colleagues; very well written! The sub battles will keep you on the edge of your seat as Mr. Buff's knowledge whether real or fictional is entertaining.
Compared to Clancy and Dimercurio I found the story-telling more evolved with technology and human drama perfectly intertwined. In other words if you find that Clancy and Dimercurio drown you in techno-babble you will like Joe Buff
Yes some of the technology is far-fetched but it helps make for great and interesting underwater battles.
You do not get lost in submarine techno-babble. Joe Buff does not really over-develop the characters; and just as he is giving you a glimpse into their human frailties that's when sonar picks up an incoming active nuclear tipped torpedo!
Joe Buff has Clancy's technological fact-spinning and mixes it with Dimercurio's real-life hands-on sub experience; the result is a great read.
Slightly unbelievable but still, an author which I highly recommend.
Book Description
Features introductions by both Richard Marcinko and John Weisman, co-authors of the bestselling Rogue Warrior series!
Back in Brooklyn, Boehm's mother once told him, "You'll either grow up a hero...or you'll end up in prison." But Roy Boehm was fated for heroism from the moment he shipped out with the U.S. Navy, eight months before Pearl Harbor. His brilliant and courageous fighting career would lead him from the monumental sea battles of the South Pacific across the battle zones of Korea to the shores of Castro's Cuba and into the killing fields and jungles of Vietnam.
As the Second World War came to a close and left in its wake an even greater threat to America's freedom -- the Cold War -- Boehm saw that unconventional times required the creation of an unconventional warrior. Drawing on his expertise as a diver and a member of the Navy's Underwater Demolitions Teams, he set out to invent a disciplined, dedicated, and ruthless force capable of attack from sea, air, or land. It would be a unique unit -- willing to disregard fear and walk through fire -- a team that would descend into hell itself to conduct dirty war: infiltration, sabotage, ambush. Boehm's team would become the legendary special operations force known as the Navy SEALs.
Discover the startling truth behind:
- Boehm and his SEALs' involvement in the Cuban Missile Crisis, including a personal meeting with President Kennedy.
- Life -- and death -- in the rice patties of Vietnam and the streets of Saigon, where, with a VC bounty on his head, Boehm developed relationships with a beautiful enemy spy and deadly Viet Cong officer.
- The unconventional techniques and strategies Boehm pioneered in the creation of the SEAL teams and much more.
In combat, Roy Boehm left nothing to chance. In First SEAL, he leaves nothing to the imagination. With the impact of a depth charge, First SEAL delivers an explosive, no-holds-barred, firsthand, inside look at what it takes to be one of the rare breed of men who live for war...or die for their country.
Customer Reviews:
A must read in memoirs of special operations memoirs.......2007-10-10
Great book, insight into what it took to build the teams and how stupid the bureaucrats and politically minded military officers can be (not a surprise to any veteran).
A must read for those who follow the Navy SEALS exploits through the years.
It is also one source, all such memoirs are best understood in the context of one of many views and opinions.from the dozens of SEAL memoirs I have read, Boehm is revered by real SEAL warriors.
The negative review of this book is obviously someone who served with him but was a bean counter not a warrior.
First Seal.......2007-01-14
Having met Mr. Boehm on a personal level, he is one of the United States greatest heros.
Awesome Book!.......2005-07-26
This book is incredible. This seal is one of a kind and anyone who does not like this book probably needs to find a different genre to read, b.c it is one of the best out there. Truly a great book to read.
A Must Read.......2005-01-17
If you've read any of Dick Marcinko's books, you owe it to yourself to read Roy Boehm. I've read all of Dick's books. My only regret was that I was into about my third when I "discovered" Boehm thru Dick's writings. Don't make the same mistake. Start with Boehm, then read all of Dick's books. The style is different, as Boehm's is a pretty straight bio.
I disagree with the reviewer who dismissed this as a book filled with vulgarity and historical mis-information. If you want to read about SEALs, this will give you the perspective of one of the best.
Spectacular book.......2004-11-24
I first checked out this book at Borders years ago, but didn't come around to reading it until my father was given a copy by some SEALs in the Phil. Navy, after he served with them in Mindanao.
Well, First Seal by Roy Boehm and Charles Sasser is an interesting book. SEAL history won't be complete without the story of the man that started it all: Roy Boehm, the so-called Godfather of all SEALs. His narrative perfectly captures the high tension of World War II and the impending dangers the Cold War brought. From large-scale conflicts the US military was geared for, to the low-intensity conflicts and unconventional warfare it wasn't quite familiar with, Boehm had amazing insights about the nature of unconventional warfare. As early as the late 1950's, he already figured out that Vietnam would be America's next battlefield. He also delved deeply on the Bay of Pigs invasion (further detailed on in Grayston Lynch's Decision for Disaster).
Boehm has an eye for some personal details about his early years in the Navy, and vividly retells the stories about his wartime service. The chapter where he lost his close friend to a shark made for some horrifyingly painful reading.
It was a surprise for me that Survivor and Combat Missions' Rudy Boesch (yes, that's him) was also mentioned in the book because he was one of the first members of SEAL Two.
Just like Richard Marcinko's commentaries about the Navy establishment and politics in his Rogue Warrior book series, Boehm also drives home his all-so-true writings on the same subjects, given the numerous courts-martial he faced and the red tape he had to cut through, simply because he pulled out all the stops to make sure that the SEALs he would form will be just as good as the Army's Special Forces.
It's a very sad fact that true-blooded Warriors like Roy Boehm are getting fewer and fewer everyday. Boehm is indeed a man who would rather get down and dirty in the mud battling the enemy than lead from behind a desk, because leadership in battle is about being out in front of your men, and defined in just two words Boehm takes to heart: FOLLOW ME!
I just found this book this afternoon after disappearing somewhere inside the house for three years, and I couldn't wait to read it again. It's a really cool book. Read it, you won't be disappointed.
Average customer rating:
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The Great Seal of the United States (First Facts)
Terri Degezelle
Manufacturer: First Facts Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| United States
| History & Historical Fiction
| Children's Books
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| Ages 4-8
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ASIN: 0736825282 |
Average customer rating:
- Nice short book on Interviews
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Get The Job! The Fast Guide to Answering Tough Questions on Job Interviews
David S. Seal
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
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All Amazon Upgrade
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Health, Mind & Body
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Reference
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ASIN: 1412053919
Release Date: 2006-07-06 |
Product Description
Get The Job! focuses on the critical part of job hunting - the interview. It discusses questions, answers and approaches to help applicants look smart and get the job! It\'s for my students and every student about to graduate from college.
Customer Reviews:
Nice short book on Interviews.......2007-02-20
This was a nice short overview on job interviews.
If the book was any smaller you would have to charge one dollar.
Average customer rating:
|
Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses (First Book)
Victoria Sherrow
Manufacturer: Franklin Watts
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding
Zoology
| Science, Nature & How It Works
| Children's Books
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ASIN: 0531200280 |
Average customer rating:
- A mini "Winds of War"
- Fascinating
|
Warrior Obsession: The First SEAL
Robert C. Powers
Manufacturer: Powerful Publisher Llc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Contemporary
| General
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War
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ASIN: 0976977346 |
Book Description
Warrior Obsession is a fictional novel based on the true-life adventures of Jack Taylor, recognized by Navy SEALs as the first Sea-Air-Land Commando, winner of the Navy Cross for heroism. The fictional character Tom Traylor in the novel is, like Jack, a dentist, sportsman, yachtsman, pilot and adventurer. While in Austria, he falls in love with the beautiful daughter of the Baron, but fights the feelings that would keep him from pursuing his adventurous life. When World War II erupts, Tom is turned down for a Navy commission because he is colorblind, but is accepted to become a naval commando. He became dedicated to developing the role of the Maritime Commando who can operate on the sea, from the air and on the land.
Customer Reviews:
A mini "Winds of War".......2007-02-03
A fast paced, can't put down book that takes the reader from pre-war US and Austria to the final days of the Nazi Occupation. The hero thrives on his "Warrior Ethic", first in yachting and flying in the US, later in combat in the Middle East, Adriatic, and finally back to Austria where he reclaims his love. The author presents the Warrior mentality of our US military in a candid yet honorable fashion. It is a book that Herman Wouk himself would enjoy reading.
Fascinating.......2007-01-08
Warrior Obsession is a fascinating portrayal of the early SEALs.
the 'incidence of coincidence' (same characters showing up in the stragest places) is high, but it made it all the more fun inside a serious topic.
I recommend it to all who like war stories.
EWC
Average customer rating:
- Fascinating account (despite the leftist agenda)
- Serious items of 20th Cent
- Our shared catastrophe and revelation
- An Echo in My Blood
- An amazing, page-turning story about real ideas
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An Echo in My Blood: The Search for My Family's Hidden Past
Alan Weisman
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World
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The World Without Us
ASIN: 0151002916 |
Book Description
Throughout his childhood in Minneapolis, Alan Weisman was told that his grandfather was killed by Communists in the Ukraine at the turn of the century. When, as an adult, he meets a long-estranged uncle who tells a very different version of the story, Alan embarks on a search for the truth that takes him to the chemical ruin of Chernobyl and back in time to the Bolshevik Revolution. He discovers the paradoxical rationale for his father's vehement political and social conservatism as well as a more universal truth: that all immigrant families, in order to survive in a new world, must create protective family myths. One of these myths hides the true fate of his grandfather-a nightmare too terrible to express. At once an examination of his rootless generation and a look at the hopes and dreams of his forefathers, An Echo in My Blood takes you from the secret heart of an America you might not recognize to the pogroms of turn-of-the-century Kiev.
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating account (despite the leftist agenda).......2004-01-05
Weisman is a good writer, with an amazing true story to tell. A journalist traveling to the Ukraine to investigate the Chernobyl disaster (an amazing story in its own right), he decides to visit his ancestral town of Elizavetgrad (Yelisavethgrad). This takes him on an unexpected odyssey of self-discovery and family history.
His insights into Jewish life (in Chicago and Russia) are especially engaging. Some readers will tire of his sometimes relentless left-wing agenda, but I was glad I didn't let that distract from the really fine cultural portrait he has composed.
Serious items of 20th Cent.......2001-09-10
I surpsed myself and finished this
book as I was going to stop on several
ocassions. His vinettes of imprtant
history(the Russian civil war,the Chicago
convention,the Unamerican Committee) were
incredible. I take issue with the extent
of his family history which was confusing
and tiring.
Our shared catastrophe and revelation.......2000-03-02
How deeply moved my wife and I have been by this momentous, beautiful book, which both of us have found to be truly unforgettable. Echo in the blood, indeed. Weisman has found a way to widen a story that is essentially "personal" and familial by ramifying that story in multiple dimensions -- geo-politically, ecologically, historically and racially (the euphemism is "culturally," but this is a book that is unabashedly concerned with the complex meanings of racial inheritance). Most staggering to me are the book's accounts of visiting the weirdly transformed Ukrainian landscape around Chernobyl, the passages that combine the author's father's letters from combat in World-War-Two-era Europe with descriptions of the ongoing lives of relatives at home in Minnesota, and the chapters detailing (with intricate, agonizing subtlety) the deaths of his parents, one then the other. My wife's strongest response was a whole-body recognition of a certain truth, in which the book immerses its reader: As a people, as a species, we are making war on each other and on the living earth. Every one of us carries the burden and the damage of that war into our future. This is extraordinary writing, extraordinarily difficult to make sing, and Alan Weisman has brought it to song.
An Echo in My Blood.......1999-12-14
I am a descendent of the family that Mr Weisman writes about. How ironic, that I discovered this book through a distant relative who knew I was looking for information on my great grandparents, on my mother's side. I am named for Bess Goldman, a relative of Mr. Weisman. I asked hundreds of questions about my family while my grandparents were alive, and most were stonewalled. After resigning myself to never knowing the truth, I read this book, and many mysteries are finally solved. I am now 56 and for most of my life the story of my family was concealed from me, I never knew why. In those days, living in denial saved you from the truth. I must be a distant cousin to Mr. Weisman, I had many relatives my grandparents would never tell me about, I never knew why they fled the Ukraine. this book has provided answers to lingering questions, echos, so to speak. I will be sending each my two children this book and will share it with remaining family members. Mr. Weisman's research is inspiring. I admire his tenacity in delving into the past with such enthusiasm. This book could be anybody's family, it is a microcosm of our journey from elsewhere to America. Pamela Price Lechtman
An amazing, page-turning story about real ideas.......1999-12-01
This book goes far beyond conventional memoir. The author's story shows how our world today is tangled with the past, and that we drag the past along with us, whether we know it or not. Through vivid personal stories, the writer shows how events as disparate as the Jewish pogroms in Russia, the McCarthy blacklist, and the current environmental crisis are all connected. He reminds us that we all share the inherited pain of immigration. A beautifully written, sad and funny, important book.
Average customer rating:
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Bittersweet Berries : Growing Up Jewish in Minnesota
Ruth F. Brin
Manufacturer: Holy Cow Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Ethnic & National
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ASIN: 0930100832 |
Customer Reviews:
How a Jewish congregation reclaimed traditional simplicity.......2003-10-11
"A Plain Pine Box" tells the story of how the Adath Jeshurun Synagogue (Conservative) in Minneapolis, alarmed at the rising costs of funerals (not to mention departures from tradition), decided to reclaim the right to care for its own dead. After studying the Jewish laws of burial and the role of the Chevra Kadisha (burial society), they formed their own Chevra and began to offer thier members the option of a plain pine box, to be provided for free by the congregation.
This is a reprint of a book that first came out in 1981. At that time, I was living in Minneapolis, where these events took place, so many of the people involved are personally familiar to me. Rabbi Arnold Goodman, the author, was the pulpit rabbi at the synagogue. The story was also featured as a TV documentary, which received wide acclaim at the time.
The many challenges that the congregation faced -- ranging from paranoia by the funeral industry to concerns about government burial ordinances to opposition within their own membership -- are all covered here in detail. In addition, Rabbi Goodman discusses many important issues surrounding Jewish funerals. I highly recommend this book as a primer to any congregation -- Jewish or not -- that is considering a return to simple funerals.
Average customer rating:
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Jews in Minnesota (The People of Minnesota)
Hyman Berman , and
Linda MacK Schloff
Manufacturer: Minnesota Historical Society Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0873514181 |
Average customer rating:
- A fantastic journey
- Wasn't quite clear to me where he was coming from
- Honest and moving
- Dating Advertisement
- An excellent story
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Shanda: The Making and Breaking of a Self-Loathing Jew
Neal Karlen
Manufacturer: Touchstone
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Binding: Hardcover
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Born to Kvetch: Yiddish Language and Culture in All of Its Moods (P.S.)
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The Trouble with Islam Today: A Muslim's Call for Reform in Her Faith
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A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a Missional, Evangelical, Post/Protestant, Liberal/Conservative, Mystical/Poetic, Biblical, Charismatic/Contemplative, Fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, Catholic, Green, Incarnational, Depressed-yet-Hopeful, Emergent, Unfinished CHRISTIAN
ASIN: 0743213823 |
Book Description
Early in his memoir, Neal Karlen tells a rabbi, "I love Judaism. It's Jews I can't stand."
What he means is that he hates the parochialism and material trappings of the young Jews he knows: Their new temples are gilded and the parking lots spill over with luxury cars. Religion for them is a quest for a Jewish wife from "the right" family and a big house and splendid clothes. Gone is the soulful practice of tradition that his grandparents brought over from Russia. Karlen sees communities from New York to Los Angeles of Jewish status seekers and he can't stand the thought of being identified as one of them.
Frustrated and embarrassed, Karlen stops looking for the Jewish enclave that fits him and, for the next ten years, simply rejects Judaism. He antagonizes rabbis. He becomes the token Jew among his Midwestern friends and the buffoon at cocktail parties with a shtick of Jewish jokes and imitations that cross the line. And then one day, Karlen goes too far: he marries a blue-eyed Protestant from a family with an anti-Semitic bent. The marriage is doomed.
At midlife Karlen discovers that he belongs nowhere and that the Jew he really hates is himself. He is a shanda -- a shame.
Written with irreverent zest and poignancy, Shanda is Karlen's story of finding his way back to Judaism -- and the Jewish community. His guide is an unlikely one: Rabbi Manis Friedman, the renowned Hasidic scholar with a beard to his chest and a fedora that makes him look like "Sam Spade about to go out in the rain." The rabbi invites Karlen to study with him. In their weekly meetings devoted to scholarship and Jewish ritual, Karlen asks the questions that assimilated Jews grapple with, such as "How do we bring meaning to the practice of Judaism?" "Where is the line between Jewish and too Jewish?" and "What does it mean to be Jewish-American and ashamed by Judaism?" Rabbi Friedman leads Karlen up the mountain to find these answers -- and shows both author and reader the stunning view from the top.
Ultimately, this odd couple discovers what it means to be a good person -- not just a good Jew. At its heart, Shanda is about their surprising friendship and the ways that people change -- and change each other. At once hilarious and heartbreaking, it is a parable for anyone who has ever questioned his faith or has lost his way.
Customer Reviews:
A fantastic journey.......2006-05-21
This is a must read for all people who struggle with religion and have to deal with the "fakers" who give religion a bad name.
You don't have to be Jewish to understand Neal's journey back to the fold.
In my personal life, my wife and I struggle with those who forget what religion means. Karlen sums it all up with the "It's not Judaism that I don't like; it's the Jews." He follows up with his quest to me a "mentsch," which is Yiddish for an upstanding person. My wife and I couldn't agree more.
We live in a world today where many of us have lost our moral compass. We judge wach other by what neighborhood they live in, the clothes on their backs, the car they drive and where they send their kids to school or camp. What happened to family values? Respect for our fellow man? Or the power of silence - when we should just shut up.
There's a little bit of Neal's Yiddishe Hartz (Jewish heart) in all of us. This should be a must read for all those trying to keep up with the Jones, Schwartzes, etc.
Wasn't quite clear to me where he was coming from.......2005-12-20
I agree in particular with what reviewer Adamchik aready stated about this book. The book would be more understandable to me if Karlen came from a less knowledgeable background. In fact, it's difficult to ascertain whether his background is Orthodox, Conservative, or somewhere inbetween. While there are people who were raised Orthodox who go "off the derech", that doesn't totally appear to be the case here. And then, Rabbi Friedman takes over the story. I've had the priviledge of hearing him speak - he is awesome, even if I'm not personally into Lubavitch. But all in all, the book seems a bit directionless, even if it is painful/funny at times.
Honest and moving.......2005-12-05
This is an honest and moving account of a man's journey away from and back to his Jewish roots. It's a story of redemption, and of the restoration of a father-son relationship.
You don't need to be Jewish (or speak Yiddish) to enjoy this book. In fact, gentiles may find that this book helps them understand some of the challenges and contradictions faced by modern Jews who seek to connect with their ancient faith.
Karlen's very conversational writing style makes this book an easy read. His own humor, plus one-liners borrowed from Henny Youngman and Steven Wright, provide comic relief despite the very serious issues addressed in this book.
At the end of the book I found myself wishing there were just a few more chapters (and perhaps a soundtrack album so we could hear this "nigguns" mentioned in the book). This is the story of a journey that seems to end before the final destination has been reached. Perhaps that's because the journey continues. But while it may seem a little unfinished, it is nonetheless a very satisfying book.
Dating Advertisement.......2005-08-19
I read the book. I kept thinking throughout, this guy is lonely, single, in his 40's, redeeming himself in the hope of finding a nice jewish wife.
I don't really believe most of his account.
This could have been posted on eharmony.
An excellent story.......2004-10-19
A truly exceptional page turner. Not only is the book light and humorous, but it also has a more deep level with lessons for us all. I highly recommend this faced paced and easy reading story to members of all faiths.
Average customer rating:
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Ethnic Identification Among American Jews
Dashefsky Arnold
Manufacturer: University Press of America
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
History
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ASIN: 0819183334 |
Book Description
What is a Jew? Who is a Jew? have long been important sociological questions. The authors, in addressing these issues, focus on the individual's interpersonal relationships during the socialization process and their personal integration in a social and organizational context. They assert that Jewish education, positive Jewish experiences with parents and peers during adolescence and ongoing involvement with other Jews is necessary and important for Jewish identification. This important study on factors shaping Jewish identification is often cited. Originally published by D.C. Heath in 1974. This edition contains a new preface by the authors.
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The Marrano
Howard Rose
Manufacturer: R. Saroff
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Contemporary
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ASIN: 1878352083 |
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Reform Jews of Minneapolis (MN) (Images of America)
Rhoda Lewin
Manufacturer: Arcadia Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| United States
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Minnesota
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ASIN: 0738532177
Release Date: 2004-09-22 |
Book Description
The German Jews who began coming to Minneapolis in the 1850s quickly entered society as doctors, lawyers, professors, merchants, and leaders in clothing and cigar manufacturing. In 1878 they founded Shaarai Tov, now Temple Israel—one of the ten largest Reform congregations in the U.S. today. They also enjoyed a busy social and cultural life, and both husbands and wives involved themselves in social service and welfare organizations. Including historic and present-day photographs and tales of the community—schools, synagogues, organizations, and outdoor activities—this collection uncovers the challenges and triumphs of Reform Jews in Minneapolis.
Books:
- The Geographic Revolution in Early America: Maps, Literacy, and National Identity (Published for the Omohundro Institute of Early American History and Culture, Williamsburg, Virginia)
- The Historian's Wizard of Oz: Reading L. Frank Baum's Classic as a Political and Monetary Allegory
- The Indo-China War 1946-1954 (Men-At-Arms, 322)
- The Mammoth Book of Eyewitness Ancient Rome: The History of the Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire in the Words of Those Who Were There (Mammoth Books)
- The Military Operations of General Beauregard in the War Between the States 1861 to 1865: Including a Brief Personal Sketch and a Narrative of His S
- The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt (Hist Atlas)
- The Second Attack on Pearl Harbor: Operation K And Other Japanese Attempts to Bomb America in World War II
- The Taming of the Samurai: Honorific Individualism and the Making of Modern Japan
- The Texas Rangers and the Mexican Revolution: The Bloodiest Decade, 1910-1920
- The Unknown American Revolution: The Unruly Birth of Democracy and the Struggle to Create America
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