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FM
Former Member

Three years ago, posting as Bookman, I created GNI BOOK CLUB. The response was encouraging.

Following Bookman's self-exile in late 2011, however, the book club faded into the netherworld.

Today I'm pleased to launch GNI BOOK CLUB [2]. All members are invited to share information about books they're reading and discuss book-related matters.

********************************************************************

I just finished reading "MY LIFE WITH CHE: The Making of a Revolutionary" by Hilda Gadea. She was the first wife of the legendary revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara. This book was first published in 1972, five years after Che was assassinated in Bolivia. Hilda Gadea died of cancer in 1974.

Last week I also read another memoir by Che's second wife, Aleida March. That book, "REMEMBERING CHE:My Life With Che Guevara", was first published in 2008.

Together, these two books open windows into the personal and professional aspects of a larger-than-life character who made a mark in history and died at the youthful age of 39, fighting for a more humane world.

Replies sorted oldest to newest

Originally Posted by Sunil:

Did you see the Motocycle diaries of Che?

Yes, Sunil. And I read the book too.

I also read Che's Bolivian and Congo diaries.

In December 1969, I read REMINISCENCES OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR by Ernesto Che Guevara. I was 18 years old and impressionable. That book changed my life with the result that I joined a leftist political party and became an activist for many years.

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by Sunil:

Did you see the Motocycle diaries of Che?

Yes, Sunil. And I read the book too.

I also read Che's Bolivian and Congo diaries.

In December 1969, I read REMINISCENCES OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR by Ernesto Che Guevara. I was 18 years old and impressionable. That book changed my life with the result that I joined a leftist political party and became an activist for many years.

so you a commie

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by Sunil:

Did you see the Motocycle diaries of Che?

Yes, Sunil. And I read the book too.

I also read Che's Bolivian and Congo diaries.

In December 1969, I read REMINISCENCES OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR by Ernesto Che Guevara. I was 18 years old and impressionable. That book changed my life with the result that I joined a leftist political party and became an activist for many years.


I lived in  Caracas for a few year where I met a lot of Argentinans contemporaries of the Che who were in exile there, I also met a lot of Chileans including Isabella Allende who were also in exile. We used to hang out every Saturday evening discussing politics and listening to Cuban music of Silvio Rodriguez and Pablo Milanes.

Sunil
Originally Posted by Sunil:
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by Sunil:

Did you see the Motocycle diaries of Che?

Yes, Sunil. And I read the book too.

I also read Che's Bolivian and Congo diaries.

In December 1969, I read REMINISCENCES OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR by Ernesto Che Guevara. I was 18 years old and impressionable. That book changed my life with the result that I joined a leftist political party and became an activist for many years.


I lived in  Caracas for a few year where I met a lot of Argentinans contemporaries of the Che who were in exile there, I also met a lot of Chileans including Isabella Allende who were also in exile. We used to hang out every Saturday evening discussing politics and listening to Cuban music of Silvio Rodriguez and Pablo Milanes.

LUCKY GUY!

FM
Originally Posted by warrior:
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by Sunil:

Did you see the Motocycle diaries of Che?

Yes, Sunil. And I read the book too.

I also read Che's Bolivian and Congo diaries.

In December 1969, I read REMINISCENCES OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR by Ernesto Che Guevara. I was 18 years old and impressionable. That book changed my life with the result that I joined a leftist political party and became an activist for many years.

so you a commie

Warrior, where reading is concerned I'm open-minded. Some of my favorite authors were apologists for colonialism and imperialism. Just two examples: Rudyard Kipling and H. Rider Haggard. I love good writing, regardless of ideology.

FM

GNI crime fiction fans must have heard by now that US writer Elmore Leonard passed away today at age 87. He had suffered a stroke last month.

Elmore Leonard was a prolific novelist who started writing westerns and then settled for crime stories. Some of his books made for great action movies, e.g., "Get Shorty" starring John Travolta.

I've read only one of his books: CUBA LIBRE.

Elmore Leonard in 1983

FM



Racing With The Rain: A fast moving rain cloud in an otherwise clear sky triggers a sudden downpour and people run for cover. Is it possible to outrun the rain? Can one ever really escape the past? Guyanese born and Canadian naturalized Carl Dias will find out as he returns for his father’s funeral.  His visit will bring him in conflict with a government that is facing threats from an expat group intent on overthrowing the dictatorship. It will also evoke the events of the Kennedy Administration/ British Government manipulation of the internal politics of the former colony, an era where the CIA promoted an attempted coup, causing riots and the virtual destruction of the commercial district of Georgetown, the Capital. It was also a period where the Dias family imploded due to divided loyalties, resulting in scars that never healed.(AMAZON)




Just finished reading this one...

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by warrior:
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by Sunil:

Did you see the Motocycle diaries of Che?

Yes, Sunil. And I read the book too.

I also read Che's Bolivian and Congo diaries.

In December 1969, I read REMINISCENCES OF THE CUBAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR by Ernesto Che Guevara. I was 18 years old and impressionable. That book changed my life with the result that I joined a leftist political party and became an activist for many years.

so you a commie

Warrior, where reading is concerned I'm open-minded. Some of my favorite authors were apologists for colonialism and imperialism. Just two examples: Rudyard Kipling and H. Rider Haggard. I love good writing, regardless of ideology.

just joking my brother

FM

This is another good read - true story... I recalled one ot the incidents in this book...


"Conrad- I finished reading your manuscript, it was riveting! I think it should be made into a movie. You provided me with an enlightening look into a country I knew very little about, and into a fellow West Pointer who, after reading his work, I feel I could call a friend and a compatriot." - Kevin Mckeown, West Point Class of 1977

  • Archived in The Smithsonian Institute's Anacostia Library
  • Won 2nd place at Florida Writers Association's Royal Palm Literary Award(2011)

Little about Taylor's primitive upbringing, in a remote mining town in the Amazon jungle, prepared him for a first-of-a-kind scholarship to West Point. An extraordinary opportunity for most, his was a life-changer. PATH to FREEDOM charts a sometimes-humorous journey of perseverance, resilience, hope, survival, and love. It traverses between Guyana and the United States Military Academy - at the height of the Vietnam War.
The narrative sums up rude awakenings, especially after West Point - because of West Point. Taylor offers up a ringside seat to a dictatorship obsessed about him being in cahoots with the United States. His was the impossible task of proving that he was not - or else!
More than a memoir, this historically-accurate book provides a unique prism through which to see the cultural trauma of emigration, the unique experience that is West Point, the personal side of Cold-War-era geopolitics, and the mayhem of Third World politics. Its subtly-threaded love story sets it apart.

 
PATH to FREEDOM: My Story of Perseverance was selected for the Anacostia Museum Library of the Smithsonian Institute to support work on the history and culture of the African Diaspora in the Western Hemisphere. It's on display there as a reference resource.(AMAZON)
 
FM
Originally Posted by IGH:



Racing With The Rain: A fast moving rain cloud in an otherwise clear sky triggers a sudden downpour and people run for cover. Is it possible to outrun the rain? Can one ever really escape the past? Guyanese born and Canadian naturalized Carl Dias will find out as he returns for his father’s funeral.  His visit will bring him in conflict with a government that is facing threats from an expat group intent on overthrowing the dictatorship. It will also evoke the events of the Kennedy Administration/ British Government manipulation of the internal politics of the former colony, an era where the CIA promoted an attempted coup, causing riots and the virtual destruction of the commercial district of Georgetown, the Capital. It was also a period where the Dias family imploded due to divided loyalties, resulting in scars that never healed.(AMAZON)




Just finished reading this one...

IGH, this book is on my "to read" list. I have a pile of books lined up...

FM
Originally Posted by IGH:

This is another good read - true story... I recalled one ot the incidents in this book...


"Conrad- I finished reading your manuscript, it was riveting! I think it should be made into a movie. You provided me with an enlightening look into a country I knew very little about, and into a fellow West Pointer who, after reading his work, I feel I could call a friend and a compatriot." - Kevin Mckeown, West Point Class of 1977

  • Archived in The Smithsonian Institute's Anacostia Library
  • Won 2nd place at Florida Writers Association's Royal Palm Literary Award(2011)

Little about Taylor's primitive upbringing, in a remote mining town in the Amazon jungle, prepared him for a first-of-a-kind scholarship to West Point. An extraordinary opportunity for most, his was a life-changer. PATH to FREEDOM charts a sometimes-humorous journey of perseverance, resilience, hope, survival, and love. It traverses between Guyana and the United States Military Academy - at the height of the Vietnam War.
The narrative sums up rude awakenings, especially after West Point - because of West Point. Taylor offers up a ringside seat to a dictatorship obsessed about him being in cahoots with the United States. His was the impossible task of proving that he was not - or else!
More than a memoir, this historically-accurate book provides a unique prism through which to see the cultural trauma of emigration, the unique experience that is West Point, the personal side of Cold-War-era geopolitics, and the mayhem of Third World politics. Its subtly-threaded love story sets it apart.

 
PATH to FREEDOM: My Story of Perseverance was selected for the Anacostia Museum Library of the Smithsonian Institute to support work on the history and culture of the African Diaspora in the Western Hemisphere. It's on display there as a reference resource.(AMAZON)
 

IGH, I read this book recently. Conrad Taylor gave a first-hand account of the victimization and harassment he and another West Point grad Chaitram Singh were subjected to in the GDF. Taylor was not a member of any political party. Just because he and Singh were Queen's College cadets who got scholarships to study at West Point, they were suspected of being CIA spies. After spending only a few days in Guyana, Conrad fled to the USA.

FM
Originally Posted by IGH:

Gibakka, the incident I remember was when Conrad made LFSB his daughter's God-Father ... the tight security at Republic Park...

Both Conrad & Chait were denied top positions by personnel in GDF. Why because of a paranoid leader...

 

IGH, I should have pointed out that even though Conrad Taylor didn't belong to any political party, his mother-in-law was a PNC activist in Kitty and very close to comrade Burnham who also knew Conrad's wife since she was a little girl. That's how LFSB offered to be god father to Conrad's child.

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by IGH:

Gibakka, the incident I remember was when Conrad made LFSB his daughter's God-Father ... the tight security at Republic Park...

Both Conrad & Chait were denied top positions by personnel in GDF. Why because of a paranoid leader...

 

IGH, I should have pointed out that even though Conrad Taylor didn't belong to any political party, his mother-in-law was a PNC activist in Kitty and very close to comrade Burnham who also knew Conrad's wife since she was a little girl. That's how LFSB offered to be god father to Conrad's child.

Yes, Conrad's MIL held the party card ...

FM
Originally Posted by chameli:

summer time I rarely read more than gni

most of my sparetime is in the garden or sitting on the swingÃĐglider with my lover

Well...here are some books you and your lover could read on the glider and have a swinging time too:

LOVE STORY by Erich Segal

KAMA SUTRA by Anonymous Hindu

THE PERFUMED GARDEN by Anonymous Muslim

Good luck!

[Note to self: duck from Chameli's belna]

FM
Originally Posted by TI:
Originally Posted by Observer:

I have a huge picture of Che in my house.  My son asked me who's that rebel?  

 

TI, Ignatius reminds me of D3.

Hahahaha yu guessed

 

 

It is good to see to eraser heads on opposite spectrum  taking pot shot at me. At least it is a good thing to see you both read good books if but you understand little. The characters in the book are not people but extreme archetypes of philosophical  viewpoints. As caricatures they do not grow or transform or have any personality as humans but is known for the eccentricities of the philosophical positions they represent. Now you two twits, go and re read the book.

FM
Originally Posted by chameli:
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
[]Well...here are some books you and your lover could read on the glider and have a swinging time too:

LOVE STORY by Erich Segal

KAMA SUTRA by Anonymous Hindu

THE PERFUMED GARDEN by Anonymous Muslim

Good luck!

[Note to self: duck from Chameli's belna]

Sir, i  CAN wrIte the revised kama sutra

Pls send me your copy of LOVE STORY

 

i am sure that i have read ,or have at home, the Perfumed Garden

I regret to inform you that my copy of LOVE STORY was left in Guyana. Come to think of it, I wonder who has it.

FM

Finished reading THE GRAPES OF WRATH by John Steinbeck. This realist novel, first published in 1938, is set against the background of the Great Depression in the United States eight decades ago.

It tells the story of a tenant-farming Oklahoma extended family, the Joads. Driven from the land by drought and economic hardship, the family is enticed by a yellow handbill to travel all the way to supposedly green and fertile California. The handbill promises jobs as fruit pickers, and the Joads hope to settle down with nice house and land.

By story's end, however, the family has suffered two adult deaths, one desertion, a stillborn child, exploitation, near starvation and no hope of realizing the big dream.

The Joads are representative of thousands of other poor farmers in a similar plight, who are forced to face heartless banks and big farmers.

THE GRAPES OF WRATH is regarded as a classic of American literature.

 

FM

A friend asked me to read this book. The author is a friend of his...
Just started reading it...

 

 

 

It seemed a normal spring morning in Savannah until Jonathan Rayburn heard an angelic voice on Monterey Square. Within moments of setting eyes upon the exceptionally beautiful Keri McGuire, he welcomed her to his beloved city and into his heart. In the days ahead, his faith is severely tested because of one homeless man and a civil lawsuit. Daniel Stanton, a busy attorney in St. Augustine, arrived at Mrs. Quinn's home, questioning why his father's client has requested his legal advice. One portrait upstairs caught his attention; one nearly identical portrait in the music room captured his wishful thoughts. Never in his life had he been so disappointed when he actually met the granddaughter from Milwaukee. While Laura Martin challenged his ethics, he prayed to be a man of conviction.(AMAZON)



Editorial Reviews

 

About the Author

Gail Warner's parents joined the family of God five years before she was born, and they faithfully attended a large rural Nazarene Church named Richfield, near Flint, Michigan. For thirty-five years, Gail's varied roles as a minister's wife brought her great fulfillment and opportunities to witness for Christ. With fond memories, she recalls the years in a parsonage setting, where she and her husband, Richard, raised three outstanding daughters. Gail finds joy in traveling with their family, singing in a quartet, working in her flower garden, participating in Beth Moore Bible studies, and connecting with friends on Facebook. Though she is a five-time cancer survivor, she thanks God for giving her good health. Gail lives with her husband in Illinois, but because of Eugenia Price's novels, she has a love for historical places.



FM
Originally Posted by chameli:

I was sitting in a waiting area today and the book I started to read is CALL OF THE WILD!!!

 

nothing deep like what you folks reading

Our GNI Book Club is open to readers of all preferences. No one will be judged on the basis of his/her reading tastes.

 

Let's make our club a fun place where we simply share whatever we're reading, even if it's a slim comic book. BTW, I loved comic books and encouraged my son to read them when he was growing up.

Whether you're reading a romance novel, crime fiction, a western, an adventure story, a biography or whatever, I urge everyone to participate in our conversations on books.

Chameli, while CALL OF THE WILD might appear at first glance to be a simple tale about a sled dog named Buck, it is full of deep layers of meaning relating to philosophy and the environment.

FM

Read both of these books about 5 years ago..

I did not want to put these two book down, ocne I started reading it... 

 

 

In April 1992 a young man from a well-to-do family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness north of Mt. McKinley. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter.  How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild. .... (Amazon)


A bank of clouds was assembling on the not-so-distant horizon, but journalist-mountaineer Jon Krakauer, standing on the summit of Mt. Everest, saw nothing that "suggested that a murderous storm was bearing down." He was wrong. The storm, which claimed five lives and left countless more--including Krakauer's--in guilt-ridden disarray, would also provide the impetus for Into Thin Air, Krakauer's epic account of the May 1996 disaster.(Amazon)

FM
Originally Posted by Ronald Sugrim:

Just finished " The Old Man and the Sea" again because I had to teach it to a group of students. That marlin is some piece of work! 

What a coincidence! Last night I started reading THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA.

This is the third time I'm reading it.

Ernest Hemingway is one of my favorite authors. I visited his house in Cuba 24 years ago.

FM
Originally Posted by Ronald Sugrim:

This is crazy because it was just reported on CNN that a young man read " Into the Wild" and decided to follow Christopher. The young man's body was discovered, apparently wasted from starvation.  

On Saturday, Claire Jane Ackermann, a 29-year-old from Switzerland, died trying to reach the bus while crossing that same river, Alaska State Troopers report. The AP reports: Troopers say 29-year-old Claire Jane Ackermann attempted to cross  the Teklanika River with a 27-year-old man from France on Saturday when they  lost their footing and were pulled under by the current, according to the  Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. The man survived.The old Fairbanks city bus was where 24-year-old Chris McCandless  camped out and starved to death in 1992. It has become a destination for  adventurers - See more at: http://latimesblogs.latimes.co...sthash.Oc2HSo0G.dpuf
http://latimesblogs.latimes.co...-wild-fan-dies-.html


The events of the missing Arizona teen is being investigated  - probably suicide...
http://www.nydailynews.com/new...de-article-1.1437974

FM

Finished reading Ernest Hemingway's 1952 novella THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA; third time. Short and sweet.

Santiago is an old Cuban fisherman.  He has two obsessions: fishing and baseball.

For 84 straight days he sailed his tiny boat to the ocean north of Havana but returned home every day without a catch, not even a gilbakka. But Santiago was born to fish and doesn't give up.

He returns to the ocean, to a point where he can no longer see land, and hooks a fish that feels big and strong on his line. It takes him a day and a night to pull the big fish in and strap it alongside his boat. The fish, a marlin, is 18 feet long and Santiago estimates it weighs about 1500 pounds. He figures he can sell 1000 pounds good fish in a Havana market at 30 cents a pound.

Before Santiago returns to his ocean-front village, however, ferocious sharks attack and only the marlin's skeleton is left hanging on his boat.

On land, the skeleton becomes an object of wonder; one fisherman says it's the biggest fish ever caught.

Will the old man ever fish again? Sure. As he nicely puts it, a man can be destroyed but not defeated. Something to think about.

FM

FREE TOLSTOY BOOKS ONLINE

MOSCOW, September 5 (RIA Novosti) – Celebrated Russian author Leo Tolstoy’s entire body of work – all 90 volumes – along with comprehensive biographical materials has been posted online and will be available for free, a descendant says.

“We wanted to come up with an official website that will contain academically justified information,” said Fyokla Tolstaya, the writer’s great-great-granddaughter. 

The Tolstoy.ru website will feature the 90-volume edition that was scanned and proofread three times by more than 3,000 volunteers from 49 countries, Tolstaya said.

All of his novels, short stories, fairy tales, essays and personal letters will be available online for free and be downloadable in PDF, FB2 and EPUB formats, recognized by most e-book readers and computers, she said.

Tolstoy’s epics “War and Peace” and “Anna Karenina” still top most of the lists of greatest novels of all time.

 

 

Tolstoy’s works were part of the obligatory high-school curriculum in the Soviet Union and Russia. Generations of Russian students have had to read the more than 800-page “War and Peace” – with boys preferring the war and girls the peace, according to a popular saying.

 

FM

Finished reading "CHE'S AFTERLIFE:The Legacy of an Image" by Michael Casey.

The Argentine revolutionary Ernesto Che Guevara was killed 46 years ago, but his name and image are found today in all corners of the globe. Not only in political circles but also in fashion, commerce and pop culture. An estimated 40 million people own something with Che's name or face.

It is said that Che is the world's greatest T-shirt salesman. Che's face also appears on mouse pads, doormats, beach towels, cigarette lighters, condoms, lip balm, bikinis, hair combs, vodka, key rings, necklaces, etc.

Che Guevara fought against the capitalist system, but today's capitalists are raking in millions of dollars by making and selling the Che brand.

This book by Michael Casey gives a pretty good idea of how the world is still drawn to Che as a hot commodity.

FM

Finished reading "Across the River and into the Trees" by Ernest Hemingway.

The story is set in post-war Venice. A 51-year-old American military officer and a 19-year-old aristocratic Venetian girl truly love each other. At her prompting, he recalls his exploits during World War 2. He goes duck hunting one Sunday, shoots four or five fat ducks, and dies of a heart attack in the evening. A touching novel.

FM
Originally Posted by IGH:

 







 
**Guyana Gallery member wins Guyana Prize for Literature**

The Management Committee of the Guyana Prize for Literature has awarded the Prize in the category of BEST FIRST BOOK OF FICTION to Professor Chaitram Singh for his novel “The Flour Convoy.”

Chait’s "The February 23rd. Coup" was the runner-up in the category of BEST BOOK OF FICTION. The prizes were announced by President Ramotar at a ceremony last night at the Pegasus Hotel, Georgetown, Guyana.

Chait was allowed five minutes to read from his book, and was also required to present the Acceptance Speech on behalf of all the winners.

The prizes were awarded to the winners last night by President Donald Ramotar at the Pegasus Hotel.

The JCCSS Alumni Association takes pride in the honors and accolades earned by one of our grads, and extends warm congratulations to Chaitram Singh even as we encourage him to keep on writing for his supportive readership.
 
 
FM
Last edited by Former Member

Congratulations to Chaitram Singh for winning the Guyana Prize award for Best First Book of Fiction and for his high placement in the Best Book of Fiction category.

Chaitram, a West Point graduate, was denied the opportunity to pursue a military career in Guyana in the mid-1970s. He took a teaching job in Berbice, returned to the US, advanced himself academically and is now a professor emeritus. Evidently, judging from the setting and subject matter of his two novels, Chaitram has not given up on Guyana. His effort has paid off with the Guyana Prize, and I hope he will write more books, fiction and non-fiction, on Guyana.

FM

IGH, a true and dear friend presented these two books to me recently.

Trouble is, I couldn't read them because I have a high "to read" pile.

Yesterday, following news Chaitram Singh won a Guyana Prize, I started reading THE FLOUR CONVOY.

I finished Chapter 1, dealing with the bomb hoax at Timehri airport and how customs used the opportunity to detain outgoing passengers who had money and gold jewelry in their luggage. Those were the days when Guyanese were only allowed to leave with $15 travelling allowance.

I like Chaitram's style and attention to detail.

FM

 

 

I am currently reading the book above-- I first read it in 1997 and has re-read it a few times since.

 

Here is the first sentence in the introduction:

 

"No matter how accomplished we may be, no matter how happy or wealthy or talented, at some point we all find ourselves seeking a deeper meaning in life."

 

 

The Rev highly recommends "Toward A Meaningful Life".

 

Rev

 

FM

Finished reading "From Fidel Castro to Mother Teresa" by Joe McGowan, Jr.

The author was a correspondent for Associated Press, the American leading news agency. In this book he recalls his journalistic experiences in Cuba, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador.

As the title suggests, he met Cuban leader Fidel Castro and the late Mother Teresa of Calcutta. He also met Prime Minister Indira Gandhi of India.

FM

Finished reading "Painting Chinese" by Herbert Kohl.

This is a memoir by Kohl, a lifelong American educator and writer.

Nearing his 70th birthday, Kohl enrolled in a private art school to learn chinese painting. His classmates were children. Kohl discovered the child in himself, its eagerness for new things, and also gains a new spiritual awareness and exposure to millennia-old chinese philosophy.

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51F00p7NVmL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg

 

FM
Originally Posted by yuji22:

The Journey Home is a must read. Written by a great American Swami. 

 

 

 

 

JourneyHome

Amazon.com Book Description:

"Within this extraordinary memoir, Radhanath Swami weaves a colorful tapestry of adventure, mysticism, and love. Readers follow Richard Slavin from the suburbs of Chicago to the caves of the Himalayas as he transforms from young seeker to renowned spiritual guide. The Journey Home is an intimate account of the steps to self-awareness and also a penetrating glimpse into the heart of mystic traditions and the challenges that all souls must face on the road to inner harmony and a union with the Divine.
Through near-death encounters, apprenticeships with advanced yogis, and years of travel along the pilgrim’s path, Radhanath Swami eventually reaches the inner sanctum of India’s mystic culture and finds the love he has been seeking. It is a tale told with rare candor, immersing the reader in a journey that is at once engaging, humorous, and heartwarming."

FM
Originally Posted by IGH:
Originally Posted by Miraver:
Originally Posted by IGH:


Will try to read a James Patterson, tosee if I can get into his books.

IGH, you can try his "softer" books first. Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas and Sam's Letters to Jennifer. You might like these.

Thanks,Miraver... How are ?

 

IGH, does Miraver still read?

I notice she has been studiously steering clear of our book club and not sharing with us the titles of her books.

Hi Miraver, our door is always open. Feel free to drop in and drop a few lines before exiting.

FM
Originally Posted by IGH:
Originally Posted by Miraver:
Originally Posted by IGH:


Will try to read a James Patterson, tosee if I can get into his books.

IGH, you can try his "softer" books first. Suzanne's Diary for Nicholas and Sam's Letters to Jennifer. You might like these.

Thanks,Miraver... How are ?

 

Hi IGH, I'm doing well. Not walking too much nowadays. Oops! Derailing the threadThanks for asking.

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

 

IGH, does Miraver still read?

I notice she has been studiously steering clear of our book club and not sharing with us the titles of her books.

Hi Miraver, our door is always open. Feel free to drop in and drop a few lines before exiting.

Gilly, I still read I've got to steer myself back on this thread since I've been caught! At this time, I'm reading 365 Health and Happiness Boosters by M.J. Ryan

FM
Originally Posted by Miraver:
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

 

IGH, does Miraver still read?

I notice she has been studiously steering clear of our book club and not sharing with us the titles of her books.

Hi Miraver, our door is always open. Feel free to drop in and drop a few lines before exiting.

Gilly, I still read I've got to steer myself back on this thread since I've been caught! At this time, I'm reading 365 Health and Happiness Boosters by M.J. Ryan

Glad to know you're still reading, Miraver. Welcome back to our salon. So sorry I can't offer you coffee or tea. Or coffee tea.

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by Miraver:
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

 

IGH, does Miraver still read?

I notice she has been studiously steering clear of our book club and not sharing with us the titles of her books.

Hi Miraver, our door is always open. Feel free to drop in and drop a few lines before exiting.

Gilly, I still read I've got to steer myself back on this thread since I've been caught! At this time, I'm reading 365 Health and Happiness Boosters by M.J. Ryan

Glad to know you're still reading, Miraver. Welcome back to our salon. So sorry I can't offer you coffee or tea. Or coffee tea.

The only thing I can handle right now is black decaf tea with honey. I have a terrible cough that needs soothing.

FM

 

The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind by Dr. Joseph Murphy has been described as "the landmark best seller that gives you the key to the most awesome power within your reach..."

 

The book was first published in 1963.

 

CH 1: THE TREASURE HOUSE WITHIN YOU

 

FIRST PARAGRAPH:

 

"Infinite riches are all around you if you will open your mental eyes and behold the treasure house of infinity within you. There is a gold mine within you from which you can extract everything you need to live life gloriously, joyously, and abundantly."

 

 

Rev

 

FM
Originally Posted by Miraver:

I've read bits and pieces of this book. 


OK! Here's your assignment.

 

* Go and find that book--The power of your subconscious mind.

 

* Skip all the way to Chapter 20

 

* The title of Ch 20 is: "How To Stay Young In Spirit Forever"

 

Here is one line:

 

"Age is not the flight of years, but the dawn of wisdom"

 

Be sure your mind never retires.

 

After reading that chapter, you will understand why the Rev will be young forever.hahahaha

 

Rev

 

 

 

 

FM

 

Rabbi Harold Kushner dedicated this book in loving memory of his son Aaron who died in 1977 at the age of 14 of the incurable genetic disease progeria.

 

The question Kushner addresses in the book:

 

"If the universe was created by God and is governed by god---who is loving and kind---then why is there so much pain and suffering in it ?"

 

Rev

FM

Finished reading "The Flour Convoy" by Chaitram Singh.

Singh's award-winning first novel is a political thriller of sorts, set in Guyana around 1980-81. That era was characterized by growing authoritarianism, food and commodity shortages, repression of dissent, rigged elections, etc.

Within this scenario "The Flour Convoy" places the Guyana army, the central character being a West Point-trained captain named Allan Conrad Moore.

While Moore and some other army officers carry out their duties with professionalism, other officers including the Chief of Staff engage in various hustling activities, abusing army equipment and other assets in the process.

The novel explores the inevitable conflict between professional and corrupt soldiers. It runs along a riveting plot and is enriched by the real-life experience of the author as a GDF officer.

Captain Moore is a composite character, but the reader who knows the author's background can detect similarities between Moore and Chaitram Singh's real-life army buddy and fellow West Pointer Conrad Taylor.

For a first novel, Chaitram Singh has excelled as a fiction writer.

I must thank Mrs G for buying this book for me.

FM
Originally Posted by Rev:

 

Rabbi Harold Kushner dedicated this book in loving memory of his son Aaron who died in 1977 at the age of 14 of the incurable genetic disease progeria.

 

The question Kushner addresses in the book:

 

"If the universe was created by God and is governed by god---who is loving and kind---then why is there so much pain and suffering in it ?"

 

Rev

The answers is in the words of Christ. Mahammad and Buddha contemplated the same things. Form no attachments to the material world for in the end we will leave it all behind. Illnesses of the body we cannot control, sickness of the mind we cannot control. But Freedom we have-to choose. And most of mankind chooses the devil's ways-whose aim is to destroy. For God did not make man to suffer death. 

S

Finished reading "THE MURDER OF MAXIM GORKY: A Secret Execution" by Arkady Vaksberg.

Maxim Gorky was a famous Russian writer. His novel "Mother" has been read worldwide.

Gorky died under questionable circumstances in 1936 at age 68.

In this book, Vaksberg provides an impressive body of documented material and anecdotal information from people connected with Gorky to show that the writer had outlived his usefulness to Stalin and had to be put out of circulation.

FM

 

"The self taught Indian genius Srinivasa Ramanujan had a flair for strange and beautiful formulas, so unusual that mathematicians are still coming to grips with their true meaning. He was born in a poor Brahmin family in 1887 and was pursuing original research in his teens. In 1912 he was brought to work at Cambridge. He died of malnutrition and other unknown causes in 1920, leaving a rich legacy that is still not fully understood. There has never been another mathematical life story like it: RIVETTING."

 

 

Rev

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Originally Posted by Observer:

Rev, my boss has this book in his office.  He's intrigued by Ramanujan.  He visits India frequently and a few times Ramanujan's home in Tamil Nadu.  He said it's like a tourist attraction and all the taxi drivers know the address.   I've read bits and pieces but will try to read it in its entirety.


Observer:

 

When you get some free time---check out this video on Ramanujan---you may want to share it with your boss----go ahead and read the book.

 

RAMANUJAN: Letters From An Indian Clerk

 

 

Rev

 

FM

Finished reading "Cursed Days: A Diary of Revolution" by Ivan Bunin (1870-1953).

In 1933 Bunin became the first Russian to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

This diary, which he kept in Moscow and Odessa in 1918 and 1919, reflects events in the aftermath of the 1917 Russian Revolution.

Not being a supporter of revolutionary leader Lenin and his Bolshevik cause, Bunin was forced to flee his homeland. He settled in France until his death.

Without question, Bunin was a master fiction writer in the realist tradition.

FM

Finished reading "The God of Small Things" by Indian woman writer Arundhati Roy.

Ms Roy wrote this novel 17 years ago and it won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1997.

Although she wrote a few more books afterwards, "The God of Small Things" remains her only novel.

The book is set in the south Indian state of Kerala with a three-decade time period starting from the late 1960s. It focuses on extended-family relations, caste and class relations, love, jealousy, intrigue, spite, incest, tragedy.

I'm impressed with the quality of Ms Roy's writing, considering it is her first published book.

Product Details

 

FM
Originally Posted by chameli:

Sir Gilly i read that book  and Rohinton Mitry's such a fine balance when i was preggy in 1998...so many times my stomach got sick and made me vomit...so many times i was in tears and had to put it down

i kept saying i would read it again but never got around to it

I don't doubt you, Chameli. The story is powerful enough to bring out the emotions you experienced. It underscores Ms Roy's exceptional skill as a writer.

I was also shocked at the brother-sister sex at the end. I didn't expect it although I know twins are very close and almost inseparable.

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

Finished reading "The God of Small Things" by Indian woman writer Arundhati Roy.

Ms Roy wrote this novel 17 years ago and it won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1997.

Although she wrote a few more books afterwards, "The God of Small Things" remains her only novel.

The book is set in the south Indian state of Kerala with a three-decade time period starting from the late 1960s. It focuses on extended-family relations, caste and class relations, love, jealousy, intrigue, spite, incest, tragedy.

I'm impressed with the quality of Ms Roy's writing, considering it is her first published book.

Product Details

 

Read that many moons ago, Bookman.

FM
Originally Posted by IGH:
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

Finished reading "The God of Small Things" by Indian woman writer Arundhati Roy.

Ms Roy wrote this novel 17 years ago and it won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1997.

Although she wrote a few more books afterwards, "The God of Small Things" remains her only novel.

The book is set in the south Indian state of Kerala with a three-decade time period starting from the late 1960s. It focuses on extended-family relations, caste and class relations, love, jealousy, intrigue, spite, incest, tragedy.

I'm impressed with the quality of Ms Roy's writing, considering it is her first published book.

Product Details

 

Read that many moons ago, Bookman.

You beat me to it by many moons, IGH.

What amazes me is that Arundhati Roy was trained as an architect, but her first novel shows she has a strong literary sense.

I particularly like her description of village and river scenes in Kerala---the trees, insects, river behaviour, etc. She has an observant eye.

Many moons from now, I shall remember "The God of Small Things."

For the past four or five years I've been following Ms Roy's political activism. She is a leftist like me.

FM

 

This book is next on my list---will peruse it this weekend.

 

Nice write up:

 

In this emotional and heart-warming book Hellen Keller describes her life as a deaf and blind woman. The Story of My Life is a beautifully written memoir that appears fresh to a modern audience.

 

Keller is a vibrant young girl who appears trapped in a body that is discordant with her wild nature and frustrates and angers the author. Her world is truly moving as she describes the dedication of one teacher, Anne Sullivan, who managed to work with the young Keller to break down the difficulties posed by her disabilities.

 

Sullivan taught Keller how to spell words out on the palm of her hand, until she had a wonderful grasp of language. This is clear in the beautiful, sensory imagery that Keller conjures in her text. Smell and touch seem to jump from the page, as she describes her home and the surrounding garden, as you follow this young girl’s journey through adversity.

 

One of the truly most inspirational stories you could ever read and a must in any best autobiography books list!

 

Rev

 

 

FM
Originally Posted by Rev:

 

This book is next on my list---will peruse it this weekend.

 

Nice write up:

 

In this emotional and heart-warming book Hellen Keller describes her life as a deaf and blind woman. The Story of My Life is a beautifully written memoir that appears fresh to a modern audience.

 

Keller is a vibrant young girl who appears trapped in a body that is discordant with her wild nature and frustrates and angers the author. Her world is truly moving as she describes the dedication of one teacher, Anne Sullivan, who managed to work with the young Keller to break down the difficulties posed by her disabilities.

 

Sullivan taught Keller how to spell words out on the palm of her hand, until she had a wonderful grasp of language. This is clear in the beautiful, sensory imagery that Keller conjures in her text. Smell and touch seem to jump from the page, as she describes her home and the surrounding garden, as you follow this young girl’s journey through adversity.

 

One of the truly most inspirational stories you could ever read and a must in any best autobiography books list!

 

Rev

 

 

Rev, you've made an excellent choice here.

I read this wonderful and inspiring book 45 years ago, while attending Zeeburg Secondary School. I had borrowed it from the school's library.

I recall reading aloud portions of it to the girls in my class, parts counseling young women how to conduct themselves.

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by IGH:
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

Finished reading "The God of Small Things" by Indian woman writer Arundhati Roy.

Ms Roy wrote this novel 17 years ago and it won the prestigious Booker Prize in 1997.

Although she wrote a few more books afterwards, "The God of Small Things" remains her only novel.

The book is set in the south Indian state of Kerala with a three-decade time period starting from the late 1960s. It focuses on extended-family relations, caste and class relations, love, jealousy, intrigue, spite, incest, tragedy.

I'm impressed with the quality of Ms Roy's writing, considering it is her first published book.

Product Details

 

Read that many moons ago, Bookman.

You beat me to it by many moons, IGH.

What amazes me is that Arundhati Roy was trained as an architect, but her first novel shows she has a strong literary sense.

I particularly like her description of village and river scenes in Kerala---the trees, insects, river behaviour, etc. She has an observant eye.

Many moons from now, I shall remember "The God of Small Things."

For the past four or five years I've been following Ms Roy's political activism. She is a leftist like me.


Bookman, the book was gifted to me by my daughter as a birthday present...

 

FM

 

My sister recently read this book and passed in onto me last week---will read it over the weekend.

 

"We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand." Randy Pausch

 

* Randy Pausch was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon

 

* He learned he had pancreatic cancer in Sept 2006

 

* In August 2007 he was given 3-6 months to live

 

* He gave an upbeat lecture titled "The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams" on September 18, 2007, at Carnegie Mellon, which became a popular YouTube video and led to other media appearances. He then co-authored a book called The Last Lecture on the same theme, which became a New York Times best-seller.

 

Pausch died of complications from pancreatic cancer on July 25, 2008.

 

This should be a good read---will peruse it this coming weekend.

 

Rev

FM

Finished reading "The Seashell Anthology of Great Poetry", edited by Christopher Burns.

This collection includes poems from the USA, UK, Ireland, Russia and China.

Some of the poets featured are Carl Sandberg, Robert Frost, Walt Whitman, Seamus Heaney, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay, Rudyard Kipling, D. H. Lawrence, Thomas Hardy, Anna Akhmatova and Joseph Brodsky.

FM

I had lunch with Ms Roy and a girl colleague from Kerala in 1997 or 1998.  She came to NY to do a book reading on that book, and sorted of hinted that the work was part autobiography.  She was a tiny good looking girl and into fitness. I think she did aerobics classes or was a runner. She gave me a signed copy of the book and I loaned it out and never got it back. Last time I lending out a book! 

TI

Finished reading "Three Men in a Boat" by Jerome K. Jerome.

This novel, first published 124 years ago, centres around a two-week rowing trip by three friends and a dog on the Thames river in England.

When I started reading I did not expect to be entertained with so much rib-tickling humour that I encountered chapter after chapter. And I learned a few things about English history too.

This is a great weekend read after a hard-working week.

 

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

Finished reading "Three Men in a Boat" by Jerome K. Jerome.

This novel, first published 124 years ago, centres around a two-week rowing trip by three friends and a dog on the Thames river in England.

When I started reading I did not expect to be entertained with so much rib-tickling humour that I encountered chapter after chapter. And I learned a few things about English history too.

This is a great weekend read after a hard-working week.

 

"This is a great weekend read after a hard-working week."

 

 

Is how much pages so this book got? Sounds like my typea book.

I won't mind readin a lil bit so I figure if it takes a weekend to done it, it must got at least 10 pages.

 

Oi man Gilly, I clicked to look inside an not a rass happen, is wuh goin on?

cain

 

 

* In this thought-provoking book, the acclaimed author Frans De Waal
examines how empathy comes naturally to a great variety of animals, including humans.

 

* By studying social behaviors in animals, such as bonding, the herd instinct, the forming of trusting alliances, expressions of consolation, and conflict resolution, Frans de Waal demonstrates that animals–and humans–are "preprogrammed to reach out." He has found that chimpanzees care for mates that are wounded by leopards, elephants offer "reassuring rumbles" to youngsters in  distress, and dolphins support sick companions near the water's surface to prevent them from drowning. From day one humans have innate sensitivities to  faces, bodies, and voices; we've been designed to feel for one another.

 

* De Waal's theory runs counter to the assumption that humans are inherently  selfish, which can be seen in the fields of politics, law, and finance, and which seems to be evidenced by the current greed-driven stock market collapse.  But he cites the public's outrage at the U.S. government's lack of empathy in the wake of Hurricane Katrina as a significant shift in perspective–one that helped Barack Obama become elected and ushered in what may well become an Age of Empathy. Through a better understanding of empathy's survival value in evolution, de Waal suggests, we can work together toward a more just society based on a more generous and accurate view of human nature.

 

This book looks like it will be an interesting read---it's next up on my list.

 

Rev

FM

I might add this one to my reading list.

 

Rev, I used to think that all humans are born with the innate ability to show empathy. I've adjusted my thinking. I strongly feel that empathy is learned. If children don't have experiences with empathy, they grow up not knowing how to show it. As adults, they have to take deliberate steps to learn empathy. What are your thoughts?

FM

 

The first lady recently read this book and suggested the Rev take a read, so I'll peruse it over the weekend.

 

Here is the author's analysis in her introduction:

 

The more legal and material hindrances women have broken through, the more strictly and heavily and cruelly images of female beauty have come to weigh upon us... During the past decade, women breached the power structure; meanwhile, eating disorders rose exponentially and cosmetic surgery became the fastest-growing specialty... Pornography became the main media category, ahead of legitimate films and records combined, and thirty-three thousand American women told researchers that they would rather lose ten to fifteen pounds than achieve any other goal...More women have more money and power and scope and legal recognition than we have ever had before; but in terms of how we feel about ourselves physically, we may actually be worse off than our unliberated grandmothers

 

This ought to be an interesting read.

 

Rev

 

 

FM
Originally Posted by Miraver:

I might add this one to my reading list.

 

Rev, I used to think that all humans are born with the innate ability to show empathy. I've adjusted my thinking. I strongly feel that empathy is learned. If children don't have experiences with empathy, they grow up not knowing how to show it. As adults, they have to take deliberate steps to learn empathy. What are your thoughts?

Empathy could not exist if the hard wiring for its expression did not pre exist. It is one of those things like language. We come with a mentalese that makes us all receptive to language. As we have a language instinct we have an empathetic instinct.  That is self evident in that we can be thoroughly be defined via reciprocal altruism in everything we do. Yes, it is what generates the misunderstanding that we have a selfish gene and act only if it maximizes a desired return.

FM

Finished reading "Stoner", a novel by American writer John Williams.

This is a sad, moving and beautiful book written in smooth and straightforward prose.

The main character is William Stoner, son of a poor farmer in Missouri.

Stoner advances himself thru education and becomes an English Literature professor at the University of Missouri.

He marries a banker's daughter and they produce a girl child.

One would expect Stoner to be a happy man but his life is far from blissful.

Neither his wife nor university colleagues nor his students think much of him. Except one female instructor with whom he has a short extra-marital affair.

Stoner is forced by bad health to take early retirement. Shortly after, he dies at home of cancer.

For me, the novel's last two paragraphs resonate; Stoner dies with a book in his hands. A rare ending.

 

FM

Finished reading "Interpreter of Maladies", a collection of short stories by Indian American writer Jhumpa Lahiri.

This woman can write well. No wonder she won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for this book, her first.

As expected, the stories are peopled by Indians in the United States, Indians in Britain, and Indians in the homeland, West Bengal mostly. As expected, too, I read about egg curry, fish curry, dhal, samosas and arranged marriages.

Jhumpa Lahiri is not only brilliant, she is also beautiful. I am posting her photo in addition to my usual book cover pic.

FM
Originally Posted by TI:

Brilliant, beautiful woman, a PhD, ...alias taken..she is married to a journalist , I think.  Rarely do you find brilliant beautiful women, but if you look hard enough, you will

 

 

Jhumpa Lahiri is married to a Guatemalan-Greek-American journalist named Alberto Vourvoulias Bush. Here is Jhumpa on her wedding day in India in 2001:

FM

 

On October 12, 1972, a plane carrying a team of young rugby players crashed into the remote, snow-peaked Andes. Out of the forty-five original passengers and crew, only sixteen made it off the mountain alive. For ten excruciating weeks they suffered deprivations beyond imagining, confronting nature head-on at its most furious and inhospitable. And to survive, they were forced to do what would have once been unthinkable...
This is their story - one of the most astonishing true adventures of the twentieth century.

 

 

I'll be perusing "Alive" this weekend---was told it will be a gripping and absorbing read.

 

Rev

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Originally Posted by cain:

Oh rant Rev "Alive" is a ole ole book banna, even Iman aready read dat thing donkey years ago.

 

   

 

There are hundreds of excellent and interesting books the Rev has not yet gotten to. I try to read one a week. Glad to know you are a fellow reader. A lot of people stop reading after they are done with school.

 

Rev

FM

I shouldn't mention this but what the heck, it's Christmas

 

Have you ever been featured in a book, as a main character?

Well, this lady I know wrote a book that is on sale on Amazon. I ain't going to give you the name of the book, but I did buy the book. Damm book features me and is semi fiction. I was tempted to quote a few paragraphs, but Christmas or not, I ain't that brave.

TI
Last edited by TI
Originally Posted by TI:

I shouldn't mention this but what the heck, it's Christmas

 

Have you ever been featured in a book, as a main character?

Well, this lady I know wrote a book that is on sale on Amazon. I ain't going to give you the name of the book, but I did buy the book. Damm book features me and is semi fiction. I was tempted to quote a few paragraphs, but Christmas or not, I ain't that brave.

TI, if you shouldn't mention about the book, why did you? Christmas is not a good enough

FM
Originally Posted by TI:

I shouldn't mention this but what the heck, it's Christmas

 

Have you ever been featured in a book, as a main character?

Well, this lady I know wrote a book that is on sale on Amazon. I ain't going to give you the name of the book, but I did buy the book. Damm book features me and is semi fiction. I was tempted to quote a few paragraphs, but Christmas or not, I ain't that brave.

It is selfish not to mention the name of the book nor the author's name.

 

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

Finished reading "Interpreter of Maladies", a collection of short stories by Indian American writer Jhumpa Lahiri.

This woman can write well. No wonder she won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for this book, her first.

As expected, the stories are peopled by Indians in the United States, Indians in Britain, and Indians in the homeland, West Bengal mostly. As expected, too, I read about egg curry, fish curry, dhal, samosas and arranged marriages.

Jhumpa Lahiri is not only brilliant, she is also beautiful. I am posting her photo in addition to my usual book cover pic.

Bookman - read many moons ago.

ICIP(yep, that ICIP) & I had a discussion about this book many moons ago right here on GNI.

FM
Originally Posted by IGH:
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

Finished reading "Interpreter of Maladies", a collection of short stories by Indian American writer Jhumpa Lahiri.

This woman can write well. No wonder she won the 2000 Pulitzer Prize for this book, her first.

As expected, the stories are peopled by Indians in the United States, Indians in Britain, and Indians in the homeland, West Bengal mostly. As expected, too, I read about egg curry, fish curry, dhal, samosas and arranged marriages.

Jhumpa Lahiri is not only brilliant, she is also beautiful. I am posting her photo in addition to my usual book cover pic.

Bookman - read many moons ago.

Glad to hear, IGH. I recommend it to GNI folks.

FM
Originally Posted by IGH:
Originally Posted by TI:

I shouldn't mention this but what the heck, it's Christmas

 

Have you ever been featured in a book, as a main character?

Well, this lady I know wrote a book that is on sale on Amazon. I ain't going to give you the name of the book, but I did buy the book. Damm book features me and is semi fiction. I was tempted to quote a few paragraphs, but Christmas or not, I ain't that brave.

It is selfish not to mention the name of the book nor the author's name.

 

Haha, yu mean self preservation! . The book is semi fiction, so people might have the wrong impression of poor me. Also she gave me a British accent, whereas I does talk Guyanese

 

 

TI
Originally Posted by Miraver:

I am presently looking at Imprints in Life's Journey- short stories by:

Barbara Verasami

Dwarka Ramphal

Kennard Ramphal

 

Edited by Kennard Ramphal

Gilly, do you know Ken Ramphal? His bio says that he was born in Canal Ploder (#2). Infantry officer. Teacher.

 

I never met him. I heard about him. My mamoo knows him personally.

FM

 

 

This book is next on my list---ordered it from Amazon on Christmas day---it will be delivered on Saturday---will peruse it over the weekend.

 

HERE'S A WRITEUP:

 

Man's Search for Meaning is a 1946 book by Viktor Frankl chronicling his experiences as an Auschwitz concentration camp inmate during World War II, and describing his psychotherapeutic method, which involved identifying a purpose in life to feel positively about, and then immersively imagining that outcome. According to Frankl, the way a prisoner imagined the future affected his longevity. The book intends to answer the question "How was everyday life in a concentration camp reflected in the mind of the average prisoner?" Part One constitutes Frankl's analysis of his experiences in the concentration camps, while Part Two introduces his ideas of meaning and his theory called logotherapy

 

Rev

 

 

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by Miraver:

I am presently looking at Imprints in Life's Journey- short stories by:

Barbara Verasami

Dwarka Ramphal

Kennard Ramphal

 

Edited by Kennard Ramphal

Gilly, do you know Ken Ramphal? His bio says that he was born in Canal Ploder (#2). Infantry officer. Teacher.

 

I never met him. I heard about him. My mamoo knows him personally.

I've met him a few times and thoroughly enjoyed his company. I can't seem to get into his books though

FM
Originally Posted by Rev:

 

This book is next on my list---ordered it from Amazon on Christmas day---it will be delivered on Saturday---will peruse it over the weekend.

 

HERE'S A WRITEUP:

 

Man's Search for Meaning is a 1946 book by Viktor Frankl chronicling his experiences as an Auschwitz concentration camp inmate during World War II, and describing his psychotherapeutic method, which involved identifying a purpose in life to feel positively about, and then immersively imagining that outcome. According to Frankl, the way a prisoner imagined the future affected his longevity. The book intends to answer the question "How was everyday life in a concentration camp reflected in the mind of the average prisoner?" Part One constitutes Frankl's analysis of his experiences in the concentration camps, while Part Two introduces his ideas of meaning and his theory called logotherapy

 

Rev

 

 

I've only read excerpts of his writings. I ought to get a copy of this book too.

 

FM

Finished reading "The Day of the Jackal" by Frederick Forsyth.

This political thriller is about a plot by disgruntled ultra-right ex-soldiers to kill French President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. They hire a foreign mercenary to do the job.

French security authorities discover the plot, enlist help from British and American police, and launch a massive manhunt for the elusive hitman known as the Jackal. They eventually get and kill him seconds before he could aim at de Gaulle's head.

While reading this exciting book, I couldn't help but wonder how the plot could have turned out if there were cell phones, airport security cameras and other electronic security gadgets 50 years ago.

I'm pleased to report that I've ended my reading on a high note, having completed 49 books during 2013.

I wish to thank everyone who participated in our book club during the past year, and I hope we continue our enriching discussions thru 2014.

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

Finished reading "The Day of the Jackal" by Frederick Forsyth.

This political thriller is about a plot by disgruntled ultra-right ex-soldiers to kill French President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. They hire a foreign mercenary to do the job.

French security authorities discover the plot, enlist help from British and American police, and launch a massive manhunt for the elusive hitman known as the Jackal. They eventually get and kill him seconds before he could aim at de Gaulle's head.

While reading this exciting book, I couldn't help but wonder how the plot could have turned out if there were cell phones, airport security cameras and other electronic security gadgets 50 years ago.

I'm pleased to report that I've ended my reading on a high note, having completed 49 books during 2013.

I wish to thank everyone who participated in our book club during the past year, and I hope we continue our enriching discussions thru 2014.

if you read the day of the jackal then you must read Borne Identity 

FM
Originally Posted by warrior:
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

Finished reading "The Day of the Jackal" by Frederick Forsyth.

This political thriller is about a plot by disgruntled ultra-right ex-soldiers to kill French President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. They hire a foreign mercenary to do the job.

French security authorities discover the plot, enlist help from British and American police, and launch a massive manhunt for the elusive hitman known as the Jackal. They eventually get and kill him seconds before he could aim at de Gaulle's head.

While reading this exciting book, I couldn't help but wonder how the plot could have turned out if there were cell phones, airport security cameras and other electronic security gadgets 50 years ago.

I'm pleased to report that I've ended my reading on a high note, having completed 49 books during 2013.

I wish to thank everyone who participated in our book club during the past year, and I hope we continue our enriching discussions thru 2014.

if you read the day of the jackal then you must read Borne Identity 

Thanks for the recommendation, warrior.

FM
Bookman, Not sure if this is your kind of reading; since you did not finish Stieg Larsson series.


You have to read the books in order.




After the passing of Robert Ludlum, Eric Van Lustbader  continued the Bourne's story...

    The Bourne Legacy - (2004)
    The Bourne Betrayal - (2007)
    The Bourne Sanction - (2008)
    The Bourne Deception - (2009)
    The Bourne Objective - (2010)
    The Bourne Dominion - (2011)
    The Bourne Imperative - (2012)
    The Bourne Retribution - (2013)

I have read all...
FM
Last edited by Former Member
Originally Posted by warrior:
Originally Posted by ksazma:
Originally Posted by Rev:
 

I try to read one a week.

Rev

I usually just wait for the movie. Much more interactive.

sometime reading the book then watching the movie help like the godfather

I agree. My son enjoyed the Hunger Games movies because he knows the stories from reading the books.

FM
Originally Posted by IGH:
Bookman, Not sure if this is your kind of reading; since you did not finish Stieg Larsson series.


You have to read the books in order.




After the passing of Robert Ludlum, Eric Van Lustbader  continued the Bourne's story...

    The Bourne Legacy - (2004)
    The Bourne Betrayal - (2007)
    The Bourne Sanction - (2008)
    The Bourne Deception - (2009)
    The Bourne Objective - (2010)
    The Bourne Dominion - (2011)
    The Bourne Imperative - (2012)
    The Bourne Retribution - (2013)

I have read all...

I read one Van Lustbader Bourne book and was very disappointed. I don't think he depicted the character well.
However, the first Lustbader book I read, The Ninja, was great.

A
Originally Posted by IGH:
Bookman, Not sure if this is your kind of reading; since you did not finish Stieg Larsson series.


You have to read the books in order.




After the passing of Robert Ludlum, Eric Van Lustbader  continued the Bourne's story...

    The Bourne Legacy - (2004)
    The Bourne Betrayal - (2007)
    The Bourne Sanction - (2008)
    The Bourne Deception - (2009)
    The Bourne Objective - (2010)
    The Bourne Dominion - (2011)
    The Bourne Imperative - (2012)
    The Bourne Retribution - (2013)

I have read all...

Thanks, IGH. I'll put Robert Ludlum on my reading list. Oh, what a long list it is!

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by IGH:
Bookman, Not sure if this is your kind of reading; since you did not finish Stieg Larsson series.


You have to read the books in order.




After the passing of Robert Ludlum, Eric Van Lustbader  continued the Bourne's story...

    The Bourne Legacy - (2004)
    The Bourne Betrayal - (2007)
    The Bourne Sanction - (2008)
    The Bourne Deception - (2009)
    The Bourne Objective - (2010)
    The Bourne Dominion - (2011)
    The Bourne Imperative - (2012)
    The Bourne Retribution - (2013)

I have read all...

Thanks, IGH. I'll put Robert Ludlum on my reading list. Oh, what a long list it is!

 a book i enjoy reading is SHOGAN

FM
Have an autographed copy from Dr. Stone...

Very profound!

The book is a true story.  Dr. Stone is a Professor at Fordham University - LC




http://www.aboyionceknew.com/

------------------------------------------------------


Not from the above book...

"â€ĶSomeone once described the joy and anxiety of parenthood as the equivalent of having your heart outside of your body all the time, walking around. With their very first cry, this most precious, vital part of ourselves, our child, is suddenly exposed to the world, to possible mishap or malice, and every parent knows there’s nothing we will not do to shield our children from harm. And yet we also know that with that child’s very first step and each step after that, they are separating from us, that we won’t — that we can’t always be there for them."


- From Obama’s speech in Newtown, CT


This is the person's exact words:

"Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."
― Elizabeth Stone
FM
Last edited by Former Member

 

This book is next on my reading list:

 

* There are lots of people with great, distinguished professional careers but when it comes to their personal life, there is little fulfillment.

 

 

In Clayton Christensen’s new book, How Will You Measure Your Life?, the Harvard Business School professor offers profound advice about priorities; specifically about the importance of investing in family, about living a life of integrity and having metrics that make it easier to make the right decisions.

 

Christensen opens the book with a disturbing story. At the 30th reunion of his Harvard Business School class, about half of his returning classmates related stories of divorce, alienated kids and personal unhappiness. They had great careers but little fulfillment.

 

This should be an interesting read.

 

Rev

FM

Finished reading "Travels with My Aunt" by British writer Graham Greene.

This 1969 novel follows a retired bank manager as he travels with his 75-year-old aunt Augusta from Britain to France to Turkey and finally to Paraguay in South America.

Henry Pulling, who has not seen his aunt for 50 years, meets her at his mother's funeral. Augusta invites Henry to her apartment and tells him a bit of family history, including the fact that the woman who was just cremated was not Henry's real mother.

Augusta invites Henry to accompany her abroad. During these journeys Henry discovers Augusta has some mysterious and shady relationships and dealings.

In the end, as it turns out, Augusta is Henry's real mother.

I really enjoyed reading this novel, the first I've completed for the year.

At the rate I'm going, however, I will not match my reading record for last year. I must spend more time to catch up.

FM
Originally Posted by TI:

Gilly,

you know you can get most of these books free from the library as ebooks on kindle?  You check out online, and check back in when done read. Maybe you know this already, but just in case. I read ..kite runner..that way a while back.

TI, as I understand it, if you've purchased the printed edition of a book from Amazon, you can also download the electronic edition free. I haven't taken advantage of this offer yet. Thanks for the reminder.

FM

Finished reading "West Indian Tales of Old" by Algernon E. Aspinall.

This book was published 98 years ago.

It's part history, part travel and part legend.

Among the topics covered are the earthquake that sank Port Royal town in Jamaica, the English-French battle for Diamond Rock just south of Martinique, a famous battle for Brimstone Hill in St Kitts, and a human interest piece about ghosts haunting the great house at plantation Rose Hall in Jamaica.

FM

Finished reading "Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree", a historical novel by British writer Tariq Ali.

The story is set in Andalusia, south Spain, in 1499 to 1501. It begins with the Christian burning of rare and precious Islamic books 7 years after they had completed the reconquest of Spain. The Arabs/Moors had been ruling Spain since the 8th century.

Andalusia was the last Muslim holdout, where lived the brave and devout Hudayl clan. This novel is about the victories and defeats of that clan.

"Shadows of the Pomegranate Tree" is the first of a 5-book series called the "Islam Quintet."

 

FM

Finished reading "The Civil War in France" by Karl Marx. Originally a pamphlet, it was a seminal work on the 1871 Paris Commune.

On March 18 that year, Parisian workers overthrew an oppressive government and set up their own governing authority which they called a commune. They administered Paris on a shoestring budget and improved the living conditions of the common people.

Alas, the Paris Commune lasted only 71 days. It was crushed by the forces of former ruler Louis Bonaparte with some help from Prussia (Germany). To this day workers' organizations worldwide remember with immense respect the heroes and martyrs of the Paris Commune.

FM

COMPLEXITY BY M. MITCHELL WALDROP

 

 

* The great physicist Stephen Hawking once said: "I think the next century will be the century of complexity." Complexity science is one of the most important breakthroughs in  recent history. Unlike the traditional specialized approach to science, complexity focuses on patterns and properties that exist across different branches.

 

Mitchell Waldrop's book introduces readers to complexity by  telling a story about the people who brought it into the spotlight. Among the characters we meet are economists, physicists,  biologists and computer scientists responsible for establishing the Institute of Complex Systems in Santa Fe New Mexico. Through  their stories, Walldrop introduces the reader to the wonderful and profound world of complex systems.

 

* This ought to be an interesting and informative read.

 

Rev

FM

Finished reading "Far Away and Long Ago" by W.H. Hudson, first published in 1918.

This is a memoir of Hudson's early life in the vast plains or pampas of Argentina. It provides a vivid and beautiful panorama of that region in the 1840s and 1850s -- the community of English and Spanish sheep farmers and cattle ranchers, the native gauchos or cowboys, the rich varieties of birds and wildlife, etc.

I first read this book in high school in the late 1960s while preparing for the GCE 'O' Level exam in English Literature. At that time I didn't find it strange that a non-fiction book would be considered English Literature.

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

Finished reading "Far Away and Long Ago" by W.H. Hudson, first published in 1918.

This is a memoir of Hudson's early life in the vast plains or pampas of Argentina. It provides a vivid and beautiful panorama of that region in the 1840s and 1850s -- the community of English and Spanish sheep farmers and cattle ranchers, the native gauchos or cowboys, the rich varieties of birds and wildlife, etc.

I first read this book in high school in the late 1960s while preparing for the GCE 'O' Level exam in English Literature. At that time I didn't find it strange that a non-fiction book would be considered English Literature.

On my kindle to read again.  Read it when I was about 13. i still remember it as a green a hard cover book in my older brother's collection.

 

I read Green Manisons last year. 

All I will say nice description of then Br. Guiana.

 

 I have A Foot in England & A Crystal Age by Hudson to read also.

FM
Last edited by Former Member
Originally Posted by IGH:
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

Finished reading "Far Away and Long Ago" by W.H. Hudson, first published in 1918.

This is a memoir of Hudson's early life in the vast plains or pampas of Argentina. It provides a vivid and beautiful panorama of that region in the 1840s and 1850s -- the community of English and Spanish sheep farmers and cattle ranchers, the native gauchos or cowboys, the rich varieties of birds and wildlife, etc.

I first read this book in high school in the late 1960s while preparing for the GCE 'O' Level exam in English Literature. At that time I didn't find it strange that a non-fiction book would be considered English Literature.

On my kindle to read again.  Read it when I was about 13. i still remember it as a green a hard cover book in my older brother's collection.

 

I read Green Manisons last year. 

All I will say nice description of then Br. Guiana.

 

 I have A Foot in England & A Crystal Age by Hudson to read also.

Welcome back, IGH. I thought about you when I read this book because I know you read it too. I also read "Green Mansions" last year. I guess we're both hooked on Hudson.

FM
Originally Posted by IGH:

1Q84: 3 Volume Boxed Set (Vintage International) Tra Edition by Murakami, Haruki published by Vintage (2012) Paperback Paperback 


Bookman, the above was recommended to me by a colleague.  Thinking of buying the set....

I haven't read his books, but I've read about him and the reviews are generally great. Go ahead and buy.

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:
Originally Posted by IGH:

1Q84: 3 Volume Boxed Set (Vintage International) Tra Edition by Murakami, Haruki published by Vintage (2012) Paperback Paperback 


Bookman, the above was recommended to me by a colleague.  Thinking of buying the set....

I haven't read his books, but I've read about him and the reviews are generally great. Go ahead and buy.

FM

Finished reading "The Case of the Velvet Claws" by Erle Stanley Gardner.

This is the first Perry Mason novel that Gardner published, in 1933.

The book's main character, Perry Mason, was an unorthodox and successful American detective-lawyer. He featured in many of Gardner's novels.

When Erle Stanley Gardner died in 1970 at age 80, his novels were bestsellers in many countries, including Guyana.

 

FM

Finished reading "Twelve Years A Slave" by Solomon Northup.

Northup was born a free man in New York in 1808. At age 33 he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. He was bonded at sugar and cotton plantations in Louisiana for 12 years.

Northup's story is told with the help of a ghost writer. The edition which I read has extensive background footnotes by Dr Sue Eakin.

Coming from an insider, this ex-slave's memoir has shocked me to the bone.

I have studied Guyanese and West Indian history and learned many facts about slavery. Nothing touched my soul as Northup's book.

FM
Originally Posted by Gilbakka:

Finished reading "Twelve Years A Slave" by Solomon Northup.

Northup was born a free man in New York in 1808. At age 33 he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. He was bonded at sugar and cotton plantations in Louisiana for 12 years.

Northup's story is told with the help of a ghost writer. The edition which I read has extensive background footnotes by Dr Sue Eakin.

Coming from an insider, this ex-slave's memoir has shocked me to the bone.

I have studied Guyanese and West Indian history and learned many facts about slavery. Nothing touched my soul as Northup's book.

We went to see the movie last weekend because it's up for many Oscars tonight.

FM

Finished reading "WALTER RODNEY: His Last Days and Campaigns" by Eusi Kwayana, edited by Robert Lalljie and Peter Drake, with an Introduction by Clem Seecharan.

This little book has a strong lesson Dr Rodney bequeathed to all working class Guyanese, that only they can emancipate themselves from their oppressors.

I recommend it, especially now that there is a Commission of Inquiry into Dr Rodney's death.

One caution: lapses in editing and/or proofreading.

FM

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