Confronting Historical Paradigms: Peasants, Labor, and the Capitalist World System in Africa and Latin America

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Confronting Historical Paradigms: Peasants, Labor, and the Capitalist World System in Africa and Latin America
Frederick Cooper , and Allen F. Isaacman
Manufacturer: University of Wisconsin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0299136841

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Confronting Historical Paradigms: Peasants, Labor, and the Capitalist World System in Africa and Latin America
Frederick (Author) Mallon, Florencia E. (Joint Author) Isaacman, Allen F. (Joint Author) Cooper
Manufacturer: University of Wisconsin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ORVM42

Book Description

Khaled Abou El Fadl's book represents the first systematic examination of the idea and treatment of political resistance and rebellion in Islamic law. Pre-modern jurists produced an extensive and sophisticated discourse on the legality of rebellion and the treatment due to rebels under Islamic law. The book examines the emergence and development of these discourses from the eighth to the fifteenth centuries, and considers juristic responses to the various terror-inducing strategies employed by rebels--including assassination, stealth attacks and rape. The study demonstrates how Muslim jurists went about restructuring several competing doctrinal sources in order to construct a highly technical discourse on rebellion. Indeed many of these rulings may have a profound influence on contempoary practices. This is an important and challenging book which sheds light on the complexities of Islamic law, and pre-modern attitudes to dissidence and rebellion.

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Customer Reviews:

On Disingenuous Previous Reviews.......2002-11-19

The previous reviews entitled "What a Shame" and "Rebellion is not Violence" harbor ill will that reveal much about the reviewers and nothing about the author nor the book. First, I cannot imagine who better to comment on the book and the author, Dr. Abou El Fadl, than his graduate students, who have obviously committed their time and intellectual energy into studying his work at a depth that few others can. By defending their teacher, they honor their teacher, and this says nothing of whether or not the book can stand on its own merits. Without question, the book stands on its own merits, or it would not have been published by Cambridge University Press, nor won the accolades of so many reviewers that it has. I don't understand why someone would be critical of a professor's students defending their professor or his work, unless that person harbored some kind of ill will towards the students or the professor.

As to the other review, the reviewer embarrassingly reveals the fact that he has not even read the book in the comments that he makes. Among the most obvious guffaws are his comments that "the work is exclusively focused on Salafi thought," and that it "ignores the Shi'ite point of view." Ali must have been reading a different book or skipped past most of the chapters, because the book does neither. Ali claims that it is historically inaccurate that Islamic law does not call for the killing or destruction of rebels. If he had actually read the book, and understood what he was reading, he would have learned he was wrong in this statement. Ali's assertions that the author misunderstood what he was doing, was neglectful, confused or oversimplifying are funny, and the examples he provides as evidence are just as funny, not to mention flimsy, ahistorical and superficial. The punchline of the book being a "good start, but it is hardly a reference on rebellion and violence in Islamic law," is particularly comical when one considers the all-star league of a scholar such as Dr. Abou El Fadl and his sterling record of publications and scholarship. In contrast, considering the quality of this reviewer's comments, it is like someone from Little Leagues trying to tell the Player of the Year how to play ball.

Wow.......2002-11-03

You don't have to be a fan or student of Dr. Abou El Fadl to appreciate the labor and thoroughness that went into this work.

Rebellion Is Not Violence.......2002-08-13

...

I must admit that I approached this book with the recent events that led to the September 11 attacks in mind. I was hoping that the book will provide us readers with an understanding as to why Muslims resort to violence.

Understandably, the book did not satisfy that given that it was written prior to the events abovementioned. So if you are like me, looking for some answers about Muslims and violence as played out recently; I am afraid the book is not for you.

This is a book for the academic community and it is a great contribution in that regard. Just like the author said in the introduction, there is not enough literature on the subject (as secondary works), although it appears from the sources cited in the book that Muslims have given great concideration to the topic.

The value of the book is in its role in connecting Islamic politics (the caliphate) and jurisprudence (fiqh). The book also succeeded in unearthing the many Arabic resources that have dealt with the topic of violence and rebellion in Islam. But in doing so, I believe the author, in his attempt to chart new territory, confused many concepts and boxed together elements that ought not be put in the same basket. Here are just some of the problems that did not help in grasping the themes or bridge them with the primary sources:

1. The long footnotes: the author uses very long footnotes wherein he engages in stating opinions that require more analysis and explanations. Some of the footnotes should not have been there at all, other footnotes should have been placed in the body. Examples: pp. 8, 9, 17, 26, 36, 53, 69, 83, 88, 107, 139, 239, 285, 326.
In other other situations where a footnote is need, the author simply avoids referencing some claims and generalizations that he makes about key concepts. A key example for instance is his definition of rebellion and his introduction of the Arabic concepts baghy and muhaarib... he defines them and states the legal rule rearding such acts, but he neglected to footnote his source if there were any... (see pp. 32)
lastly, some time the author states an opinion, and places a footnote in support of it, upon checking the source, I failed on many occasions to see the relationship between the though/theory and the sources indicated in the footnote. They are simply mistakes, or totally mis-understood by the author.

2. factual inconsistencies: while stating the rule concerning the rebels and the various groups, he argued that Islamic law does not call for the killing or destructionof rebels. This is historically incorrect. The author is either attempting to soften Islamic law on rebellion or is oversimplifying the legal rules.

3. Method and approach: the author optd to discuss the theme in a timeline framework. That approach caused him (intentionally or not) to overlook many instances of rebellion in islamic history. The topic would have been better served if the author presented real cases of rebellion and political violence instead of a timeline of the concept.
4. Like many books on Islamic law, this book also ignores the Shi`ite point of view. The work is exclusively focused on Salafi thought. Isma`ilis and Zaydis and other denominations were briefly mentioned. However the major concept of khuruj was ignored or played down despite its centrality in Shi`i theology and jurisprudence. Despite that most of the resources are from Sunni works, the author goes further to reserve on full chapter for the Sunni position. Even the books history written by Sunni historians referred to khuruj as a form of rebellion, but the author inexplicbly chose even not to discuss the case of Hussein and his murder that was sanctioned by the Sunni establishment and Caliphate.

In short, this is good start, but it is hardly a reference on rebellion and violence in Islamic law...

Excellent.......2002-07-23

Staggering in its use of sources, and authoritative on all counts. An incredible book and timeless resource.

Islamic law Books In The Spotlight.......2002-07-18

Although Islam remains an all-inclusive faith with answers to all sorts of questions, the longevity of the Islamic style of governance and the rise of political Islam in modern history brought the discipline of Islamic Law to the forefront once more. As a result, Islam is being judged and appraised based on its contribution to the legal field more than its input in any other area of knowledge. Modern scholars are deeply divided over the authenticity and applicability of Islamic law principles. The recent publications are good barometers of the attitudes towards Islam in general. This review is intended to give interested readers some idea regarding some this and other important books and some background information about the influential authors active in the field of Islamic studies.

One could divide the modern authors into four major tendencies based on the background and ideas as expressed in their work and through their contact with the larger community of readers of Islamic publications and followers of Islamic faith.

Before we move on to these divisions, let's remind readers that Muslim scholars have generally held the view that Islamic law is based on the Qur'an, the Sunnah, and the ijtihád of the renowned Islamic scholars. They insist that all laws are based on the two primary sources (Qur'an & Sunnah) and whatever is not addressed therein was examined by the Mujtihids.

Unlike the accepting position of the Muslims, modern scholars are becoming more and more critical not only of the historical events as transmitted in the Muslim media, but also of the content of even the primary documents which served as a source of Muslim law and creed. In the following, I will categorize some of the works and authors based on the works they have published and the reactions they have elicited.
1. The critical camp was spearheaded by the orientalist Ignaz Goldziher (Hadith: The 'Traditions', Ascribed to Muhammed, Vol. 2, Format: Hardcover, ISBN: 0873952359, Publisher: State University of New York Press, Pub. Date: June 1971) who argued that a good part of the Hadith literature-considered the canonizing feature of Islamic law-was fabricated at least three hundred years after the time of Muhammad. After Goldziher, other orientalists like Joseph Schacht (The Legacy of Islam, Format: Hardcover, 2nd ed., 554pp., ISBN: 019821913X, Publisher: Oxford University Press, Pub. Date: August 1974, Edition Desc: 2d ed), and Wansbrough (Quranic Studies: Sources and Methods of Scriptural Interpretations, Format: Hardcover, 256pp., ISBN: 0197135889, Publisher: Oxford University Press, Pub. Date: April 1977), David Powers (Studies in Qur'an and Hadith: The Formation of the Islamic Law of Inheritance, Format: Hardcover, ISBN: 0520055586, Publisher: University of California Press, Pub. Date: January 1986), and Wael Hallaq (Authority, Continuity, and Change in Islamic Law, Format: Hardcover, 284pp., ISBN: 0521803314, Publisher: Cambridge University Press, Pub. Date: October 2001) followed the same path to bestow some doubt about the authenticity and historicity not only of the Hadith but also the Qur'an. Muslim reactionaries charged these scholars of starting and intellectual crusade to discredit Islam. The fact that these scholars were all either Jews or Christians played a major role in giving credence to this charge and the writings of these authors did not go beyond Western classroom walls as Muslim readers simply ignored them.
2. The second group of scholars can be characterized as the group of "apologetic non-Muslims" or the class of intellectual activists whose aspirations to bridge the gap between the people of the various faiths may have put them on a course of reconciliation rather than independent scholarship. Among these scholars, one can think of John L. Esposito (Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam, Format: Hardcover, 208pp. ISBN: 0195154355, Publisher: Oxford University Press, Pub. Date: March 2002), Bernard W. Lewis (Islam in History: Ideas, People, and Events in the Middle East, Format: Paperback, 496pp. ISBN: 0812695186, Publisher: Open Court Publishing Company, Pub. Date: November 2001, Edition Desc: REVISED & EXPANDED), and may more active in their associations.
3. The third group consists of "apologetic Muslims" like Dr. Yasin Dutton (The Origins of Islamic Law, Format: Hardcover, 264pp. ISBN: 0700710620, Publisher: Curzon Press, Pub. Date: September 1999), Dr. Khaled Abou El Fadl (Speaking in God's Name: Islamic Law, Authority and Women, Format: Paperback, 361pp., ISBN: 1851682627, Publisher: Oneworld Publications, Pub. Date: December 2001) and the late professor Fazlur Rahman. These scholars and others like them set course to recast Islamic tradition in a positive light without offering any systematic method or theory on how to determine what is sound and what is not. At times they even bent the logic and facts to portrait the tradition in a positive light. In other instances, they argued for the good of classical Islamic thought while suggesting its shortcomings without offering a practical mechanism for differentiation between the regressive and the progressive Islamic thought. Their work can be best described as a retroactive reading of ancient materials to accommodate present circumstances without any attempt to do away with principles that prevented Islamic law from staying on its alleged "progressive path".
4. The final group is the closest of what can be described as a class of free thinkers. These are individuals who appear to be immersed in their study first and interested in reconciliation last. Based on their writings and speeches, they seem to follow their theoretical agenda even if that would lead them to rejection of "almost" sacred principles of jurisprudence and philosophy. Scholars like Dr. Ahmed Souaiaia (Islamic Law & Government, Format: Paperback, 1st ed., 281pp., ISBN: 059523173X, Publisher: Writers Club Press, Pub. Date: June 2002) and Dr. Abdolkarim Soroush (Reason, Freedom, and Democracy in Islam, Format: Paperback, 254pp. ISBN: 0195158202 Publisher: Oxford University Press, Pub. Date: September 2002) have challenged the Sunni and Shi`ite traditional thinkers respectively to force a debate on the very foundational sources of law and ethics in classical and modern Islamic thought. In addition to these two intellectually promising scholars, there are a number of other authors from Egypt and North Africa (most of whom write in Arabic or French) who are embarked on the same path and who are destined to bring fresh idea to otherwise stagnant and frozen field. Individuals belonging to the last category are genuine independent thinkers who have an advantage as they themselves seemingly come as insiders who are very familiar with Islamic tradition; yet, who are theoretically sound given there research training. How their writings will be received by the general Muslim reading public will undoubtedly determine their (and others') impact.
None of these groups of scholars can take credit for this lively discussion of Islamic law and Islamic thought. Clearly, without one, the other may have never existed as each group contributed an idea to this topic which is becoming more and more the center of the world's attention. What is positive about this debate is that for the first time, Islamic tradition is being challenged and appraised as a social phenomenon after living all these years in the privacy of the religious centers. If Islam is to emerge as a social and cultural force, it must be subjected to critical analysis; these books are only element of that process.

I hope this review will be helpful to readers who are planning on buying some books on Islam and Islamic law. It is a hard task trying to pick up a book and learn from it without knowing the general trends and the various players. Hopefully other book lovers will be able to share with us more on this or simply write their reaction to the evaluation of scholarship on Islamic law.

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REBELLION AND VIOLENCE IN ISLAMIC LAW.
Khaled. Abou El Fadl
Manufacturer: Cambridge, Cambridge U.P., 2001. [12], 391 pp. First edition, in fine condition, in dust jacket. As new.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UDVEVG

Book Description

From mulching to greenhouses, the air space between the cover and the soil surface is the key to the classification of climates under cover. The same mechanism governs environments produced by the various covers.
This book describes and analyses all the different environments from mulching to greenhouses. The relationship between plants and environment is another important topic in the book.
Stress is placed on the link between quantitative phenomena and qualitative analyses. Most phenomena involved are nonlinear and non-steady-state. An approach called System Dynamics is used, and simulation models developed in the simulation language CSMP are fully used.
The subjects covered are of relevance to graduate students, to scientists and researchers in agriculture and biological sciences and, of course, to agricultural organizations in both the developing and developed countries.

Book Description

What does the future of science hold? Who is making the discoveries that will help shape this future? What areas of research show the greatest promise? Find definitive and insightful answers to such questions as these in the three volumes of Visions of the Future: Astronomy and Earth Science, Chemistry and Life Science, and Physics and Electronics. Representing a careful selection of authoritative articles published in a special issue of Philosophical Transactions--the world's longest-running scientific journal--the chapters explore such themes as:

The Big Bang

Humankind's exploration of the solar system

The deep interior of the Earth

Global warming and climate change

Atoms and molecules in motion

New materials and processes

Nature's secrets of biological growth and form

Understanding the human body and mind

Quantum physics and its relationship to relativity theory and human consciousness

Exotic quantum computing and data storage

Telecommunications and the Internet Written by leading young scientists, the timely contributions convey the excitement and enthusiasm that they have for their research and a preview of future research directions. J.M.T. Thompson is Professor of Nonlinear Dynamics and Director of the Center for Nonlinear Dynamics at University College London. Professor Thompson has published widely on instabilities, bifurcations, catastrophe theory and chaos. He was a Senior SERC Fellow, served on the IMA Council, and, in 1985, was awarded the Ewing Medal of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Currently, he is Editor of the Royal Society's Philosophical Transactions (Series A) which is the world's longest running scientific journal.

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Leading young scientists, many holding prestigious Royal Society Research Fellowships, describe their research and give their visions of the future. Re-written in a popular and well illustrated style, the articles are derived from scholarly and authoritative papers published in a special Millennium Issue of the Royal Society's Philosophical Transactions (used by Newton, this is the world's longest running scientific journal). Carefully selected by the journal's editor, Professor J. M. T. Thompson FRS, topics include studies of atoms and molecules in motion; new processes and materials; nature's secrets of biological growth and form; progress in understanding the human body and mind. The book conveys the excitement and enthusiasm of the young authors for their work in Chemistry and Life Science. Two companion books cover Astronomy and Earth Science, and Physics and Electronics. All are definitive reviews for anyone with a general interest in the future directions of science.

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Infrared analysis of polymers, resins and additives: An atlas. Atlas der Kunststoff-Analyse,
Dieter O Hummel
Manufacturer: Hanser [etc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007B42BU

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Infrared analysis of polymers, resins, and additives;: An atlas
Dieter O Hummel
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General & Reference | Chemistry | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: B0006BZJ2W

Customer Reviews:

A must-read.......2000-08-08

This is a must-read for anyone starting off in the world of quantum wells. Mr. Shik has made fundamental ideas very easy to grasp. For those with more sophisticated tastes, this is a book to keep close at hand, for those times when you have difficulty remembering the answers to easy questions!

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A Brilliant Book that is indeed LIFE CHANGING!!

I am a rapper

Danm Good

This book states the obvious without adding much.

Thought Provoking and Well Written

One More River to Cross: Black & Gay in America
Keith Boykin
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Nonfiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books
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Just Above My Head

ASIN: 0385479832
Release Date: 1997-12-29

Book Description

In the aftermath of the historic 1993 March on Washington for gay and lesbian rights, Keith Boykin, in One More River to Cross, clarifies the relationship between blacks and gays in America by portraying the "common ground" lives of those who are both black and gay.

Against a backdrop of civil rights and the black experience in America, Boykin interviews Baptist ministers, gay political leaders, and other black gays and lesbians on issues of faith, family, discrimination, and visibility to determine what differences--real and imagined--separate the two communities. Boykin points to evidence of African and precolonial same-sex behavior, as well as figures like James Baldwin and Bayard Rustin, to dispel the myth that homosexuality is a "white thang," while his research suggests that blacks are less homophobic than whites, despite the rhetoric of rap and religion. With stories from his own experience as well as that of other black gays and lesbians, Boykin targets gay racism and black homophobia and suggests that conservative forces have substituted the common language of racism for homophobia in order to prevent a potentially powerful coalition of blacks and gays.

By portraying what it means to be black and gay, One More River to Cross offers an extraordinary window into a community that challenges this country's acceptance of its minorities, both racial and sexual.

Customer Reviews:

A Brilliant Book that is indeed LIFE CHANGING!!.......2007-02-18

Mr. Boykin has done an outstanding job of relating the issues that challenge gay men and women of color in America. And I very much appreciated that many of Mr. Boykin's observations and analysis stem from personal experiences that he relates to such an honest degree that in some instances I felt uncomfortable (as if I was an intruder - albeit welcomed) while reading them. This book should be REQUIRED reading in every high school in America! While we are likely decades away from this ever being a real possibility - I am very thankful that Mr. Boykin took the time to weave together a story - a record - if you will - of a REALITY that is as AMAZING as it is PAINFUL for many of us at this point and time in American history.

I am a rapper.......2005-07-26

I am a rapper. I hate this book. It's wack and stupid.

Danm Good.......2005-06-08

This book is a page turner, you feel yourself actually wanting to coniue reading it.

This book states the obvious without adding much........2001-08-23

Kudos to Boykin for writing the book, but in all honesty, the work seems written for an audience that is either non-black or black but non-gay. For black gays, most of Boykin's observations will seem obvious, and he doesn't offer much new insight.

After a while, books like this grow tiresome and seem almost cynical in their opportunism.

Thought Provoking and Well Written.......2001-01-31

Keith Boykin's One More River to Cross offers a wonderful discussion on issues that arise with being African American and gay in today's society. He does a wonderful job of making relevant issues known and connects the African American struggle from Frederic Douglass to Audre Lorde's Zami. Read it, you'll love it.

One More River to Cross (Standing on the Promises, Book 1)

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Review from "Dunbar on Black Books"
Not Just Promises--But a Real Delivery!!

One More River to Cross (Standing on the Promises, Book 1)
Margaret Blair Young , and Darius Aidan Gray
Manufacturer: Deseret Book Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Literary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1573456292

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Review from "Dunbar on Black Books".......2004-01-15

The following review appeared in November 2000 online in "Dunbar on Black Books" (http://www.queenhyte.com/dobb/dobb_archives/dobb_00/nov_00.htm ):

One More River to Cross by Margaret Blair Young and Darius Aidan Gray (Bookcraft, ISBN 1-57345-629-2) is the first of a trilogy entitled Standing on the Promises. It is a historical novel about black Mormon pioneers. With it "Dunbar on Black Books" (DOBB) makes an exception to its custom of reviewing only nonfiction books. We do this for two reasons. First, this book, albeit a novel, observes canons of history more dutifully than some works that hold themselves out as pure works of history. In the author's notes, the reader is told: "We have been true to all the facts that we could find but have freely fictionalized the spaces between the facts." Second, this book deals convincingly with an important subject about which very little has been written: black Mormon adherents whose membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City dates back as far as 1832.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints makes much of the point that this book is not an official publication of the church. Bookcraft, its publisher, states that the book does not represent its position. One must know that Deseret Books publishes doctrinal works by Latter-day Saint leaders, biographies, and "enlightening" church historical books and that Bookcraft is a registered trademark of Deseret Book Company. It is in this context that DOBB reviews One More River to Cross.

When we overhear Delilah Abel whispering to her sleeping son Eli[jah] on the plantation just before they flee, we may think that they are fictional characters. We later learn from citations of the records of baptisms in the Nauvoo Temple Church of the Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City that they were living people and that Eli[jah] Abel was baptized there. So that while we may have reservations about the dialogue between the persons in the book, or even the accounts of events that took place on the journey to Salt Lake City from Maryland or from Alabama, or from wherever, we know that Elijah Abel made it to Salt Lake. More than that, we are provided with evidence that he was one of the very few blacks to receive the priesthood in the early church and that he was ordained by the Prophet himself.

This book is one of the first, if not the very first, that this reviewer read by starting with the end notes. Quite frankly, to me the notes are a most significant part of this book. The authors make excellent use of records in the Missionary Record Books of the church, of information from conversations of Joseph Smith, as reported in Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, from U.S. Census records in Salt Lake City, and from Brigham Young's Journal, to mention a few of their sources. They have given us a book providing information about African Americans in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that is not widely available.

A word about the authors is in order. Heber G. Wolsey, former managing director, public communications, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says of Darius Gray, the black co-author, "I know of no one who can express a more objective, more compassionate, more honest portrayal of blacks in the Mormon Church than Darius Gray." Gray is a former journalist and presides over the Genesis Group, an official arm of the Mormon Church. The Genesis Group was organized in 1971 to support church members of African descent. Coauthor Margaret Blair Young is a lifelong white member of the church, "with pioneer heritage," Mr. Wolsey points out. "She has felt deeply over the past few years the inspiration of her pioneer forebears, many of whom knew the Saints of color portrayed in this novel," he says.

This is an important book. It ought to be read by everyone as it throws light on some little-known facts about the history of the membership of African Americans in the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this era in which Protestants are looking to their roots after decades of ecumenism, Darius Gray, as a black Mormon should not be on the defensive because of widely held, erroneous perceptions of the history of black membership in his church.

If this book were a nonfiction work, I would make the observation that an index would have been useful. The bibliography is excellent. William G. Hartley, associate professor of history, Smith Institute, Brigham Young University, says it all when he says, "In a way that pure history cannot do, this story attaches us to black Saints who deserve to be known about and appreciated by our generation."

With two more volumes to come, the contributions of African Americans to the Mormon Church should be well documented for the general public. It has been said that the best way to keep information from black men is to put it in a book and classify it as nonfiction. Perhaps Margaret Blair Young and Darius Aidan Gray have found a formula to set this situation right.

Not Just Promises--But a Real Delivery!!.......2001-03-13

Anthony and Joan both could not put this book down! Anthony read it first, then read parts of it to Joan, then Joan read it. In the spirit of The Work and the Glory series by Lund, Standing on the Promises, combines factual history and characters with an outstanding story. The characters really come alive and the reader can truly imagine themselves right in the story and experiencing the events portrayed. The actual events and research are documented after each chapter and provide a wonderful historical review of the evidence. After, becoming acquainted with Elijah, Jane and Isaac in other publications, being able to read their stories was truly inspiritational. We are eagerly awaiting the next book in this series!

One More River to Cross: An African American Photograph Album

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Snapshots of a lost legacy in America...
A Stunning Chronicle of Americans!
Historic Photographs of African-American Experience

One More River to Cross: An African American Photograph Album
Walter Dean Myers
Manufacturer: Browndeer Press Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0152020217

Amazon.com

Winner of the Golden Kite Award from the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, One More River to Cross is essentially a photographic history of black America. Walter Dean Myers, a celebrated writer of young adult books, writes that he wanted to show black Americans as they're not always shown. Thus there are photographs of former slaves, black soldiers in the Civil War, black cowboys, baseball players, sailors, aviators, farmers, field hands, and just plain folks. Myers's text is minimal, leaving the emphasis on the photographs, which are sometimes haunting and sometimes inspiring, but always moving.

Book Description

This intimate collection of photographs documents the African American experience, a journey from captivity to freedom, from south to north, east to west. It celebrates the courageous achievements of men and women whose defiant rejection of inequality and subjugation put their own lives at risk.

Customer Reviews:

Snapshots of a lost legacy in America..........2006-11-10

One More River to Cross, by Walter Dean Myers displays endless research that is organized revealing a brillant reflection of Black American portraits in such a pique way that the historical snapshots reveal the struggles to freedom that led to hope and resilent faith in the promise land America the Beautiful.
Excellent photographs that capture the emotional ties of the past to the present.

A Stunning Chronicle of Americans!.......2005-01-16

Highly successful and popular children's author Walter Dean Myers has crafted a work of strength and power as he takes the reader on a photographic journey of the African-American from slavery to the present. The photographs assembled, mixed with the author's prose, effectively exhibit the numerous triumphs and tragedies that have been a part of the African-American experience.

Scenes of blacks toiling in the South's cotton fields are blended with rare looks at the black soldier throughout the various conflicts of which this country was involved. There are pictures of the famous (Madame C. J. Walker, Duke Ellington, and Joe Louis, to name a few) interspersed with the not so famous (members of an old "Negro League" baseball team, an unnamed soldier in the rice paddies of Viet Nam, to cite just two).

Professionals do some of the pictures while the amateur for family remembrances has taken others. It is no wonder that the book received a Golden Kite honor award, an accolade presented to authors by authors and artists.

This book comes highly recommended for its historical significance as well as its artistic and social merit.

Historic Photographs of African-American Experience.......2001-06-26

This book is woooonnnnderful!! You will not be sorry you bought this book. One-of-a-kind.

This is a story told through photographs, with text providing some framework for the pictures. Dignified, moving, insightful. The photographs date back to the 1800s and focus specifically on photographs of African-Americans. Only the very last few pages of the album have contemporary photographs of adults and children.

There are formal portraits of black families in their finest attire, pictures of black intellectuals, candid pictures of black families, children, social life, families on their homesteads, in large metropolitan cities, working in fields, upper-class black people.

More photographs than I have ever seen before of past generations of African-Americans in all of their variety. Photographs are worth a thousand words; more clear and illuminating than a dry volume of essays on the African-American experience. This history is in living color.

I have seen some libraries classify this album as a children's book, but it is not one. This is a full-size album, with stories told through photographs. This is a book to show to your children, to display and to cherish. A beautiful record of the past.

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An Extraordinary author!

One More River to Cross (Large Print)
S. E. Summers
Manufacturer: Ulverscroft Large Print
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 070892686X

Customer Reviews:

An Extraordinary author!.......1999-03-29

One of my favourite books from this author. Her books are always light, yet written with such wisdom, compassion and understanding. An Essie Summers tale would be incomplete without some twists and misunderstandings along the way. I have 43 of her books and plan to complete my library one day. An old-fashioned writer in the best sense of the world - how she will be missed.

One More River to Cross (Harlequin Romance, No. 2322)

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One More River to Cross (Harlequin Romance, No. 2322)
Essie Summers
Manufacturer: Harlequin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

Harlequin Romance | Series | Romance | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0373023227

Product Description

It had been her own impulsive decision to help her look-alike cousin, Becky, by taking her place at Craigievar. Becky had promptly vanished. Then the river had flooded, cutting off access to the remote sheep station. So Rebecca was forced to continue the deception. To make matters worse, Rebecca had fallen in love with Darrock Fordyce, the autocratic owner of Craigievar. But what use was that when he thought she was Becky-- and engaged to his cousin Lennox?

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One More River to Cross
Will Henry
Manufacturer: Barrie & Jenkins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Chiricahua

ASIN: 0257667180

One More River to Cross: The Story of Twelve Black Americans (Scholastic Biography)

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Wonderful for the Classroom!

One More River to Cross: The Story of Twelve Black Americans (Scholastic Biography)
James Haskins
Manufacturer: Scholastic Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful for the Classroom!.......2006-02-06

Jim Haskins' `One More River to Cross' is a wonderful book to utilize in the classroom during Black History Month. It combines 12 biographies of some of America's finest African Americans, ranging from Matthew Henson (who was one of the first to reach the North Pole) to Malcom X. The people who it addresses are timeless figures; most of which students will have little knowledge about, but each biography is impressive and different than the any other. Names like Charles Drew, who is credited with isolating blood plasma, will be new to most, but this only leaves room for more research to be done by students.
Although the book is 215 pages long, it is easy to use in the classroom by having students read a few chapters a day and then possibly journaling their reaction. Any of the people in this book could easily have a biography written about them that totals more than 215 pages, so each story is certainly abbreviated. This is a major drawback of the book; it feels rushed at times and sometimes leaves the reader feeling like you haven't gotten the whole story.
Also, as many of the biographies deal with lesser known figures of history, students may see them as not important. As an educator, you must teach them how everyone involved with history is important, regardless of the amount of attention they received. You could have them compare two figures in history. For instance, you could have them show how MLK Jr. (who is not in the book) is important, as is Crispus Attucks (who is in the book), who was involved in the Revolutionary War.
The book says it should be read at a 4th grade level, but I believe it would work better in the 6th grade classroom, due to some of the words involved in the book. This book could also be used in a high school setting though, with more emphasis put on the assignments used outside of the book, for instance an essay on which figure spoke most to a student and why. This book is specifically written for the classroom, thus the reason it is published by Scholastic Trade, and even though it was originally published in 1992, it is far from outdated.
Outside of the classroom, I personally enjoyed this book. It is an easy read that is hard to put down. However, if one must put it down, the chapter lengths make it easy to put down and pick up again whenever. I also enjoyed learning about some of America's lesser known heroes. We seem to focus on the same figures, and with some good reason, but it is nice to hear about others. I would strongly suggest reading this book to celebrate the rich cultural history of America and enlighten both yourself and your students.

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ONE MORE RIVER TO CROSS
HASKINS JIM
Manufacturer: Scholastic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PRMFR4

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ONE MORE RIVER TO CROSS
Walter Dean Myer
Manufacturer: Publisher Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WQX0CM

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ONE MORE RIVER TO CROSS

Manufacturer: Mills and Boon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HQWNAW

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