Fall-Down

Enquist's obsessive meditation on the task of living, on the redemptive power of acceptance and forgiveness, and on the need to search for the voice we deny ourselves and others when we hide our deformities away, builds its themes through repeated juxtapositions of its narrative strands: a freak with two heads, a couple grieving their twice-lost child, and the narrator's longing for the father he never knew.

Despite its sometimes difficult subject matter, the book sustains a tone of hope and renewal. Its poetic language, its sensitive depiction of the process by which love rescues the outcast, and-- above all-- Enquist's deft touch with his imagery and his ideas, all give this book a magic which transcends its apparently depressing elements.

With humor and insight gained from considerable experience as a practicing marriage therapist, Dr. William Morrow dons his referee shirt or flak jacket as the case may be and leads the reader on a journey across the reefs of marital discord. Morrow begins his collection of essays with an insider's look at the therapist' role. He concedes most folks come to therapy convinced of their own rightness and are waiting for the therapist to discover this and announce the obvious winner. They will first have to endure an episode of active listening. Admitting a bias in favor of marriage and the sustained relationship, Morrow, who is an ordained minister as well as a therapist, urges his clients to bring openness and courage to the therapy. Viewing relationship as a solid ship within which one is better prepared for both the joyous and the dire consequences of living, Morrow urges patience and committed listening to all participants.

This Transformers Graphic Novel collects Marvel US Transformers comic books #69-74! These stories were written by British fan favorite Transformers writer Simon Furman! The Artwork was done by British fan favorite artist Andrew Wildman as well! They are the creative team responsible for the success of the Marvel UK Transformers comic books! This Titan comic book collection has the most exciting Transformers stories ever produced! They were about the Gathering storm, the Comming of Unicron, Primus's Transformation and the Union between the Autobots and the Decepticons! The book also features the first apperance of the Neo Knights! Simon Furman's writing is superb! Andrew Wildman's art is top notched! This is a great collection for Transfans and fans of UK Transformers comic books! Simon Furman and Andrew Wildman did a wonderful job on these comic books back in 1990! Buy it! Highest Possible Recomendation!

Adorable drawings of multi-cultural children playing together. Wonderful rhythm and rhyme. Nice to have a board book that's bigger than 4" square! We just wish it was longer because it's so much fun to read with our toddler.

I have all 4 of these Oxenbury books and both of my kids have been absolutely captivated by them. It is the only book that they will just sit and actively listen and follow from between 6-15 months. Watch their faces while another reads it to them and you will be amazed at how the respond to the simple, large pictures and rhymes. As an adult, I am attracted to more detailed and complex illustrations, but this is what a BABY likes! Any of her books are a perfect way to introduce you child to book reading.

This is my 8 month old's favorite book. Everytime I read it to her, which is everyday for the past several months, she goes into a state of bliss. She loves the big, happy, bouncy multi-cultural babies and I always sing the words to her for added pleasure. Great choice for infants.

People who are not familiar with Hmong Americans may read this book and assume that all/most Hmong Americans are like the Lee family and other Hmong families presented in the book. The events that took place with the Lee family occured when Hmong first arrived here in the late 70s/early 80s. These days, the majority of Hmong Americans are a lot more Americanized compared to the early 1980s. Although the assimilation has been slow compared to other first generation Americans, things have changed a lot since then. For example, many Hmong no longer practice the traditional Hmong religion and have converted to Christianity. The Lee family was a lot more traditional than most Hmong American families in the early 80s. I just wanted to clear this up.

Having said that, I enjoyed this book because it does the impossible. Fadiman is able to make the reader better understand the traditional Hmong culture, a culture that seems irrational and is opposite of western culture. It doesn't mean that you will agree with the Hmong culture but you will better understand it, including why the family did/did not do certain things to help their daughter who had epilepsy. I also believe that this book is important for those who work with the public because it promotes sensitivity towards other cultures. The doctors and the family had the very best intentions for the daughter who had epilepsy but the cultural barriers were just too much.

700 word essay by Alexandria

"The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" is a good book. It is an educational reader. I like this book because it is a true story, The history told in the book is very interesting and new to me, if I were a teacher I would definitely read this book, It explores the history of important cultures that is not told in our history books. What is even more wonderful about the book is that it explains history through facts and not by over riding the truth through empty paragraphs.
The book is about a baby girl named Lia who is born with epilepsy. Her parents are Hmong people who immigrated to America. When Lia has a seizure her family takes her to an American doctor. When the doctors prescribed a medicine for Lia, her parents didn't follow the prescription. Seeing that Lia's parents are from a different culture, it is difficult for them to understand the traditions of Americans. The doctors interpreted this as child abuse and sent Lia to foster care for six months. After six months the parents of Lia are given another chance, if they screw it up Lia is gone forever.
Lia was returned to her parents, she was happy again. After Lia was returned to her parents she had one big seizure that was said to kill her (the book didn't say how long Lia was with her parents before she had this seizure). The doctors said that Lias was going to die, the parents accepted this and decided to take her home were she could die with her family. Lia is still alive and is around eighteen years old.
One thing I don't like about this book is the way that it is written. The author starts off talking about Lia and then she drifts off using chapter after chapter talking about things that are irrelevant to Lia, and her struggle for life. If you are looking for a book that concentrates on one topic then " The Spirit catches you and You Fall Down" is not the book that I think you should read. Books like "So Far from the Bamboo Groove" is a good reader that concentrates on one family without tying it to two hundred different stories that are similar to it, which is what the "Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" did.
If I were a teacher I would not assign this book to my cflass to read as a group. Although I might recommend it for a student to read for extra credit. The reason I wouldn't recommend this book to a whole class to read is because there isn't much to talk about in class. The book is like a mini textbook that is focused on one culture

I learned a lot from this book. For example, did you know that a lot of Hmong people died in the Vietnam War? And if it weren't for them the war would have been lost. Not only that but the Hmong were only paid three dollars for their services. After the was finished northern Vietnam hunted down the Hmong killing them and exploiting them in labor camps.
The CIA took notice to this and migrated 10,000 Hmong to America leaving thousands out to die in camps.
If you read the book you'll also learn about the drastic differences between cultural practices. For example, if a Hmong got sick she or he would call on a tix neeb which is a spiritual person that could heel in kind of sickness with his or her power. In the American culture if you get sick you go to a doctor where they prescribe you with a medicine. In the Hmong culture if a warrior were going to war that they were losing they would kill their wives and children to make them fight more fiercely. If this were done in America it would be against all our morals

What makes this rather eclectic work so utterly fascinating? Is it the exceptionally good writing? The universal appeal of an encounter with an a completely alien culture? The meticulous research that continually informs the reader? Fadiman's book catches you and forces you to question your preconceptions, prejudicies, and complacency. The author makes you care, deeply, about what it means to be Hmong -- not an easy feat given the polarity between the Hmong world view and our rationality-based, Western civilized frame of mind. The Spirit Catches You is a must read for anyone whose work involves contact with people from a very different little understood culture. This is a tale of what happened to a beautiful Hmong child when fear and misunderstanding between her parents and the medical community of Merced resulted in a tragic, and very likely avoidable, outcome.

Dasha Kelly packs a lot of suspense into her tiny 136-page debut novel, All Fall Down. Emorie and Denise are two good friends. They are having a girl's day out, when Denise makes what seems like an innocent statement that sends Emorie reeling. What Emorie doesn't know is this is a set-up. Denise has dark secrets that make her do wild and dangerous things, have crazy hallucinations and brings about her own self-destruction.

This novel is full of surprises. There is humor, a classic case study of someone with a mental illness, violence and a marriage that needs saving. In just a few short pages, the author was able to include all elements and bring it all together for a conclusion that ends with a boom! Pick up this book for a shocking, fast-moving read.

Jeanette
APOOO BookClub

Dasha Kelly takes her readers on a wild roller coaster ride in the shocking novel "All Fall Down."

After continuously running into each other at various events, Emoire, one of the main characters, decides to befriend the quirky Denise and they quickly become great friends. The two become inseparable, and are constantly hanging out together. They also share tidbits about their life which deepens their bond. Emoire shares stories about her family and Denise keeps Emoire on her toes with tales of her mysterious boyfriend "J". One day, while shopping at the mall, Denise reveals something which abruptly ends their friendship. Emoire is shocked and can't believe she let someone as treacherous as Denise into her life.

As we get to know Denise more, we realize she's dealing with a mental problem which has haunted her since high school. Her obsession for a man she met in college starts to affect her already shaky mental state. Denise's obsession begins to affect Emoire's life. Denise's actions causes events which may put Emoire's marriage and life at risk.

I truly enjoyed reading this novel but my only problem with the book was the size. It's pretty compact and readers might feel a little nervous about buying a book so small. However, don't let the size fool you. The book may be smaller than normal but it reads larger then life. It read like a soap opera and a lifetime movie rolled into one. "All Fall Down" is a true page turner and I loved every delicious moment of it.

Don't allow your plans for a juicy, psychological thriller to be foiled by the smallness of this book. In just 136 pages, Dasha Kelly introduces us to a character of whom the sharpest James Patterson villian would be proud.

Emorie and James have a strong marriage that is threatened when Emorie's good friend Denise alludes to having an affair with James. Emorie is thrown for a loop by this revelation and then sets out determined to find out what the hell has transpired between her husband and her best friend.

Don't let my synopsis fool you, though. This is no ordinary story of unfaithfulness and deceit. Kelly keeps you glued to her novel, feverishly turning the pages to find out what happens when they ALL FALL DOWN.

Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

A very readable book; made some excellent points. One thing Dobbs ignores completely, though, was the actual breaking down of the Berlin Wall by people wielding hammers and other instruments. The Wall had already been opened, yes, but the sight of people demolishing it, flashed around the world on TV, was of immense symbolic significance and it accordingly accelerated the downfall of Communism. Also, here's some food for thought: Andropov wasn't picked to lead the USSR as a "caretaker"; his death was untimely. Everyone had expected him to live for decades. Likewise, John Paul I died an untimely death after only two weeks as Pope. How might the history Dobbs describes have unfolded differently with Andropov in the Kremlin and an Italian Pope in the Vatican throughout the 1980's? Without John Paul II's protective influence, could Solidarity have survived to lead Poland into the 1990s? Maybe not....

This is a terrific book. It makes history come alive through the people, big and small, who caused Communism to collapse from within the Spviet Union. It is easy to feel you are there as the pages replay the key events during the 80's and early 90's. I was most impressed by the author's ability to craft this epic into a gripping, moving story. Well done!!

This is a compelling and vivid description of the events that led to the toatal disintegration of the Soviet Empire, from the collapse of its East European satellite states to the impolosion of the USSR itself. Dobbs was an eyewitness to many events described in the book, and he writes accurately and convincingly. The beginning of the end of the Soviet Empire is traced to the final years of Brezhnev's rule, with its stagnation, over the hill, senile politicians, and the tragic decision to invade Afghanistan.

Because this is a very rich journalistic account, the reder should be prepared to deal with a myriad of Eastern European proper names that occur throughout the book. Still, this is a very sophisticated, historically-informed journalism, and if you want to know about the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, you owe it to yourself to read this book.

This novel is of very poor quality. Mr. Caldwell has published it himself, and that is regrettable. He desperately needs an editor. I tend to agree with the prior reviewer that some (not all) of the favorable reviews herein are written by Mr. Caldwell's friends and perhaps by Mr. Caldwell himself. Providence RI

For far too long, fictional explorations of Christianity have been held hostage by poorly written novels that seemed more interested in progaganda than in truth. It's a history that has done too much damage on both sides of the fence...............................................

On the other side, novels that take such simplistic viewpoints about the faith utterly fail to engage practicing Christians or challenge them to explore their beliefs with any real depth. Left Behind turns off non-Christians and allows Christians to develop a sense of self-satisfaction. Both results are harmful.

Caldwell's novel avoids both traps. I have no idea if Caldwell is a Christian or not. What I do know after reading his novel is that he takes the Christian faith seriously, seriously enough to honestly look at why so many people reject it, to honestly look at what it is in humanity that keeps us seperate from God. This novel can be read as a character study, an exploration of spirituality, or simply a good adventure. It succeeds on all levels.

It's my dearest hope that We All Fall Down becomes a widely read novel because Christianity needs to be talked about in a mature, intellegent fashion, both so that non-Christians can feel like there is a door that is open to them, through which they feel comfortable in exploring these issues and so that practicing Christians have help in engaging themselves in a deeper exploration of their faith. Caldwell's novel brilliantly achives both of these tasks. It is a novel that is a pleasure to read and one that lingers in the thoughts for months after it's completion.

Buy this book.

Recomend it to your friends, both Christian and non.

It's an important work

For many years now, there have been an awful lot of books produced about Revelations. The emphasis is on awful. For whatever reason, those books have often been poorly writen, preachy to the point of offensive, and completely lacking any real spiritual insight. Finally, in the last few years, two authors have produced amazing books about Revelations. Brian Caldwell's We All Fall Down is the first truly mature look at Revelations. It's not a book for people looking to stand at a distance, as it is an emotionally devistating piece of fiction. It is raw and uncompromising, a book that will grab you by the throat and shake your soul. I don't think I have ever read a book that challenged me to examine my faith so strongly. BeauSeigneur's Christ Clone Trilogy is equally impressive, if in a different way. While Caldwell's book focuses on the spiritual psychology of a single character, Beausigneur tackles the big picture. His novels are intellegent and incredibly well-researched. His novels make you believe that the end of the world could happen, not just spiritually, but intellectually as well. The two authors complement each other quite well, with BeauSigneur tackling the big picture and Caldwell zeroing in on the personal.

What both writers have in common is a perfect ear for dialouge, a scathing intellegence, and an insight into spiritual matters that was exciting to read. After suffering through so many second rate novelists tackle revelations, it was an incomparable pleasure to read these magnificent books.

Let me start by saying I did not voluntarily purchase this text. I had to read it cover to cover for my "Solid Mechanics and Design" course.

This book is filled with many interesting aectdotes from the author's experiences. It is written in a casual way, which I like. Most textbooks I had overcomplicate everything! This book covers a broad range of topics without going into any of them too deeply.

The problem is that I found it lacked the detail I needed to actually "use" it. There's no math. This makes it great for the layman, but what layman would be interested in reading about Civil Engineering? It provided decent base knowledge, but when it was test time, I found it completely useless. The author repeatedly suggests out-of the-box thinking, which is good, but doesn't really help. He'll talk about birds and say "aeronautical engineers take note." Thanks a lot.

Buy this if you are passionate about science and engineering or are a middle school or high school student. Don't buy this if you're looking for help in college or your career.

The book is indeed good for the layman (I would even say very good), but it lacks rigour and this makes it less usable for professional purposes...
The author wants to avoid as much math as possible but as a consequence, some explanations contain gaps.
This book can be seen as an extra to more professional books, everybody will definitely learn something from it and it reads very well...But if you want to have a rigorous understanding of structures, you should buy another book ...

I first read both Structures and Gordon's other book, The New Science of Strong Materials, in the early '80's. I have read them several times since, and am constantly trying to find them because I keep giving them away to people. When I read Gordon's explanations of the history and present state of the engineering art, I look at things as diverse as cathedrals and dogs' bladders in a new way. I remember my training in the more equation-heavy disciplines, and I can compare my 16 years of experience in engineering to the words in the book and say, "Oh yes, that's just the way it is," or "Oh, so that's why that happened. Too bad I didn't think of it at the time."

This is a book you just can not put down. Different stories that all tie in together. I thought I might know who the killer was then I wasn't sure then i was sure then I wasn't sure again. I kept going back and forth. The ending had an excellent twist. I can't wait to read another book by Erica Spindler.

This author really knows how to write a suspense novel! I have read all her books (except Chances Are because it's out of print), and they are all fantastic. This one was no exception. You feel as if you actually know these characters. It's a fast-paced story with a lot of plot twists. You will not be disappointed with this one. I can't wait for the next book from Erica Spindler.

I bought Cause For Alarm and I immediately became addicted to Erica Spindler's intense and glorifying writing. This book was really well thought out and kept making me turn pages. Mia is so intense! I was not expecting her to be so two-faced. Ashley's just hurt and crazy and Melanie just kicks ass! I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is ready to be an Erica addict!