The Redemption of Anna Dupree

Book Description

An aging, wicked-tongued actress finds new life in the friendship of a young graduate employed in the retirement home where she resides. When Colin helps Anna escape both embark on surprising adventures in which they experience a curious revival. Partly set in Mexico this novel signals a new direction for author Jim Christy, known for the hard-boiled crime fiction of his Gene Castle, Private Detective Vancouver Trilogy.

Book Description

Behind every great man is a great Artificial Intelligence. Hitoshi Kobe is a poor student, a bad athlete and may be the unluckiest man alive . . . though he does have a knack for creating Artificial Intelligences. Number Thirty is Hitoshi's favorite A.I. and the only girl he can talk to. But if a freak accident can turn Thirty into a real girl, can Thirty turn Hitoshi into a real man?

Customer Reviews:

Having a beauty on double each arm.......2007-09-27

I'm a Japaese, so I've read this manga in Japanese before. The heroine, Saati, and her rival, Cindy have constracting personalities. The autorher of this manga, Ken Akamatsu, is drawing charming girls all the while, but scripts leave something to be desired, I guess. I'm just thinkling that "A.I. Love You" has it both way for charming characters and interesting scripts. If you wanna know what Japanese otaku culture's keyword "moe" is , I recommend this manga!

A.I. Love You, Vol. 1.......2007-03-22

Another Brilliant work from Ken Akamatusu! Gives you the same feeling of Love Hina, well all the characters have a similiar representation. The idea of a computer program coming to life is original, it is rare to find works which have a original story line rather than following normal manga and anime trends. Some elements will make you laugh like Saati's cooking using oil paints. I think Ken Akamatsu should have skipped saati's ability to talk to other machines it seems to overdo it a bit too much and reminds you to much of 'Ah my goddess'. Overall it was worth reading and will become part of your manga collection.

some funny stuff.......2006-12-13

the book starts with some slow chapters that dont involve too much comedy. about midway, the chapters lay off the drama and start to show ken akamatsu at his finest.

this book is worth it even just for the latter half.

This was a Great Manga!.......2006-07-17

When I first went into the manga setion of borders to pick out something to read, I came across A.I Love you. To tell you the truth, I was not a manga wiz myself, I just knew about one manga called Ranma 1/2. Anyways, I pcked it up and started reading it. Hitoshi a poor sport, bad grades, and unpopular kid kinda of reminded me about myself (the whole unpopular thing, I have an A average in all my subjects, including sports hehehe, not to brag!). The whole school knows me because of my "musical Geniosity". Anyways, I loved the Manga! It was absolutely the best as far as I can tell! Whenever I can find time, I just read the books. They sure keep me Busy! And I loved the story line..

An excellent manga series.......2006-05-06

AI Love You (1994.) A Manga series by Ken Akamatsu.

INTRODUCTION:
One of the hottest names in Japanese Manga comic titles is Ken Akamatsu. With series like Love Hina and Negima to his name, his popularity ranks among top of Japan's many Manga writers. But, there was a time when Akamatsu wasn't so popular. A time when he was still an up-and-coming artist trying to make a name for himself. During that era was the time in which he released AI Love You, the series that would first expose the world to him. In many ways it was seen as his first major triumph! Read on, and see how AI Love You measures up!

OVERVIEW (INFORMATION):
Ken Akamatsu first released the AI Love You series in 1994. The volumes were originally smaller, broken-down stores that were featured in Japanese Manga showcase periodicals. This American edition was first released in 2004, roughly a decade after the Japanese debut, and the new edition features bonus material - character sketches, interviews with Akamatsu, and more.

OVERVIEW (STORYLINE):
AI Love You follows the story of a young man in high school. He's a total loser, unable to do anything well. Sports, school work, a social life - this guy fails in every area. Except for one - computer programming. Using an artificial intelligence program, he created the perfect girl. And she was just a pigment of his imagination inside of his computer - until a freak accident during a storm brought her out of his computer and into the real world! Now the loser nobody liked has the best-looking girl around at his side.... But it's not as great as it seems! Being an artificial intelligence, she lacks several common sense traits that people have. And because of this she always unintentionally screws things up or hurts people. But her creator stands by her all the way, trying to make her into the ideal girl he always dreamed of. As if he didn't have enough issues on his hands already....

REVIEW (STORY):
Wow. I never would have guessed that Ken Akamatsu would have had a story out this good prior to his magnum opus Love Hina! How wrong I was. This is not only an excellent story in its own right, it also seems like a premonition to his later work in many ways. For instance, the main character here is very similar to Keitaro, the male protagonist in Love Hina. His two male friends are also similar to Keitaro's two male friends from that series. There are a bunch of other little similarities, too. The art style is fairly primitive compared to his later works, and yet it still looks great. The storyline is instantly going to sound familiar to anyone who has seen the film Weird Science, but this is no rip-off of that film by any means! With plenty of interesting plot lines, drama, romance, and humor alike, it's an awesome series all its own. Akamatsu also makes the smart move of not introducing too many characters at once - a mistake he'd be making way too often in his later works (Negima comes to mind.) Likewise, at this point he wasn't using the same plot lines over and over again, making this one of his most unique and interesting works. This is one of the best Manga titles I have read in a long time. It definitely gets my highest recommendation.

REVIEW (EDITION):
These tenth anniversary reissues of AI Love You give the reader more than just the story. Much like the reissues of Love Hina, you get bonus content! The bonuses include interviews with Akamatsu, early/rough sketches of many of the characters, and plenty of other little things here and there. There are also the usual ads for other Manga series. Great series, and these bonus features make the deal even sweeter.

OVERALL:
This series exceeded my expectations. I was expecting a rough, underdeveloped half-assed take on Love Hina - but I got something that blew my mind! This is easily one of the best Manga titles out there, and it's unfortunate that it's not among the more popular works that Akamatsu has created over the years. If you're a fan of Manga, and you want a little bit of everything, AI Love You is for you. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

EDITION NOTES:
This Manga series was reissued in 2004 with the bonus content mentioned above. Those are the versions readily available in America, and any bookstore or Manga retailer should have plenty of them in stock.

Book Description

From a dying planet shall come the children of light...While on vacation on a small island, young Shiina Tamai dives under the water near an old shrine and discovers an unearthly starfish-like creature. She nearly drowns but is rescued by the silent, wide-eyed little animal, who Shiina befriends and names Hoshimaru. To Shiina`s surprise and delight, the creature changes shape, lets Shiina stand on him, and the two fly off into the clouds. But what looks to be a young girl`s ultimate fantasy soon takes a darker turn as Shiina and Hoshimaru become entangled in a struggle between rival extraterrestrial factions who battle in the skies upon huge alien beasts called Shadow Dragons, with the fate of Earth hanging in the balance.

Customer Reviews:

The sunny beginning to a relentlessly dark tale.......2007-05-03

Looking back on Shadow Star's first volume after I've read up to its eleventh, it really is amazing how misleading this series is. It's wonderful, deep, and unique--but misleading. It seems to start off as a shojo or magical girl tale, with some hints of Pokémon here and there. But once a few more characters are introduced, it plunges straight into the abyss and never really leaves.

Despite the fact that from a lighthearted beginning blooms an impossibly creepy and disturbing alien horror, the first volume of this wonderful series is great nonetheless. It tells the story of the energetic sixth grader Shiina Tamai, who discovers an otherworldly star creature while swimming off the shore of a small island during summer vacation. She names the flying, shape-shifting alien Hoshimaru and takes him home with her. On the flight home after an encounter with a sword beast that almost destroys her plane, and once she gets back to the city, Shiina quickly learns that Hoshimaru is only one of the dozens of psychic critters that have come to Earth. Her new, painfully shy friend Akira Sakura is also linked with one of these beings (called shadow dragons), and that not all shadow dragon owners are so kind... and many will not rest until they wipe out the laws of the world and rebuild the planet to their own liking.

From start to finish, it's a fantastic journey through the human psyche; every single one of the people with a shadow dragon is a fraught teenager with deep secrets and twisted desires. This shows exactly what kids would do with the power to kill, crush, slice, and blast their way through all of their problems.

Setting up the complex plot to come, in volume 1 Shiina is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl, she and Akira learn of each other's young shadow dragons, and a single boy begins devising a plot to bring down a nearby aviation company. Coupled with smart dialogue and a thin, sharp art style, here Shadow Star begins outlining some basic points while catching readers off-guard by its happy nature. As a satisfying opening that keeps you interested and exposes more key points than the manga, kicking off very complicated and mature stories rarely gets this good.

Getting the word out........2004-08-20

Shadowstar combines the cute with the disturbing. Kitoh's character designs are different from most other manga artists in a positive way. He employs views and perspectives that raise him a cut above other artists.
Take Tsuda's Karekano as an example. While I enjoyed the storyline, ideas, and character designs, the artist employs many still shots and head on or side views. Kitoh shows a wider repetoire techniques.
Through the series, I found the main characters realized and the mysteries compelling. If you like volume 1, 2-5 do not disappoint.

Special friends.......2003-02-03

A young girl named Shiina vacations in the summer with her grandparents and discovers a strange, star-shaped creature under the water just offshore. Swimming in an unsafe area, she nearly drowns, but the creature saves her and she secretly adopts it. Meanwhile, shape-changing "dragons" are making their presence known, causing chaos in the skies. And an older, disturbed girl Shiina meets in her kendo class may have a connection to her unearthly companion.

What does it all mean? "Starflight" provides the setup and introduces the characters, but answers will come later. SHADOW STAR begins like a lighthearted girl's adventure, but soon takes a darker turn. I am looking forward to seeing the mystery unfold in future volumes.

For those who have been following the serial in Dark Horse's SUPER MANGA BLAST, this collection reprints material from the first six issues.

don't let the cuteness fool you, this is serious manga..........2002-09-01

It starts out looking a bit like Totoro, begins to look magical girl, then takes a left and heads straight for the twilight zone. This is great manga with real characters. Shiina is lighthearted but determined but very unlike Sailor Moon. Akira is disturbing, she makes this series definitely not for kids! There are secrets behind secrets in this story and I can't wait to see more.

I really liked this.......2002-07-05

i really like this manga, its about Shiina a normal girl who gets rescued by Hoshimaru, a strange starfish thing. this manga can be dark at times, and a little grusome, but its also very light in parts, and cute. i really enjoyed reading this, and the next book, and i recommend it.

Average customer rating:

Great Book

expand your brew palate

Excellent addition to the brewing arsenal

Best book for a homebrewer

The best second book on brewing you should get

Radical Brewing: Recipes, Tales and World-Altering Meditations in a Glass
Randy Mosher
Manufacturer: Brewers Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Beer | Drinks & Beverages | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0937381837

Book Description

Radical Brewing takes a hip and creative look at beer brewing, presented with a graphically appealing two-color layout suitable for the Internet age.

Customer Reviews:

Great Book.......2007-07-30

excellent book lots of unique recipe it really bring you to re-think your current recipe. A must get for every brewer.

expand your brew palate.......2007-05-12

This book is well written with lots of humor, historical information, and new flavors with which to experiment. It teaches beyond the typical malt and hops recipes of 2 dimensional beers and introduces a broad range of new flavors and techniques to paint a more beautiful a complex beer. Even though there are probably hundreds of unorthodox ingredients discussed, there are still some left out... what about lemongrass, Mosher?

Excellent addition to the brewing arsenal.......2007-02-08

This book is awesome. If you are like me, and you don't listen to what the other brewing authors say about perfecting a few beers that you like, read this one. I hardly ever brew the same beer twice, and I like experimentation. This book will pave way for many new ideas and tasty new brews. There are a few inaccuracies and typos in the book. For example, altitude does change the boiling point of water. However, the few mistakes are far shadowed by the excellent writing and research that went into this book. If you brew with a lot of odd ingredients like I do, you will have to pick this one up.

Best book for a homebrewer.......2007-01-29

I bought this as a gift for my husband who is getting increasingly involved in home brewing. He read it cover-to-cover and loved it. I flipped through it myself and really enjoyed the light-hearted humor and plain-language of the text. There is a lot of information in here about beer, but the book is easy to read and enjoyable. A definite must for those who want to learn more about making their own beer.

The best second book on brewing you should get.......2006-05-16

Wow. Radical, indeed. The etymology is apropos; radical comes from the Latin radix, meaning root. Mosher gets to the root of all sorts of subjects with his witty style and erudition. This guy knows his stuff. If there is any grain or sugar or spice or herb in this world that has ended up in a brewpot, Mosher has probably written about it.

At the risk of turning this review section into a lovefest, I agree with the other reviewers. If you've never brewed before, get a good basic text; you can't do better than Palmer's How to Brew, and he's generous enough to put the entire text on line for free perusal--although you'll probably want to go ahead and get a hard copy just for convenience. Others will have their own preferences for a basic brewing book. I started out a couple of decades ago with Papazian's book, and it's fine--but I think Palmer's is a tad better.

One theme Mosher stresses is how the homebrewer can afford to use the best ingredients for his brew, something a corporate brewer can't. So what if using Maris Otter malt and lots of noble hops might make that batch cost a few cents more? You can afford it, and can make a brew that no big corporation would ever make.

If I were just starting out today, I'd probably spring for Palmer's book and this one by Mosher. Between those two you'd be able to brew virtually any style you want to. Plus, after reading Radical Brewing you'd have more esoteric beer knowledge than any sane person needs. But who ever said that homebrewers were sane?

Book Description

The C Level is an intermediate level of horsemanship. This C Level manual builds on material covered in The United States Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship: Basics for Beginners/D Level. Whether you are a Pony Clubber who has passed the D Level tests or simply a rider who has mastered the same basics, this manual will enable you to increase your skills and teach you what you must know in order to ride independently and correctlywith good position, balance, and use of the aidson the flat, over fences, and in the open. At the intermediate level you are expected to take more responsibility for the care and management of your pony, and you will learn how to do this as well. In addition, you will learn the skills needed for conditioning and preparing your pony and yourself for competitions and special events. From the C Level, you may go on to higher Pony Club ratings such as B, H-A, or A Ratings, or specialize in such disciplines as dressage, show jumping, eventing, and showing. Or you may just want to have the pleasure of caring for your horse or pony and participating in your favorite riding activities. Either way, The United States Pony Club Manual of Horsemanship: Intermediate Horsemanship/C Level will give you an excellent basis in horsemanship for the lifelong enjoyment of horses and horse sports.

Customer Reviews:

Very helpful and informative horse manual........1999-07-10

As a begging rider, I was wandering through a local tack shop when I saw the USPCA's Manuals for Horsemanship, D level and C level. I picked up the C level manual and was overwhelmed with the information, so I asked my mom to buy me the D level book. I read the book cover to cover in three days, although I was only ten years old at the time. I was surprised at how much I had been doing wrong (I have a great instructor who doesn't like to overwhelm begginers with directions). Six months later I was capable of completing all the requirments of the D manual, so my mom bought me the C manual. About a year later I joined a local Pony Club, and was very glad that I had read the manuals when I became a D-3 shortly after joining. Three years later, I am still very thankful to Susan E. Harris for writing the manuals. I am now a C-3, and hope to advance to the B level by next spring. I would recommend the manuals to anyone who rides english, however, remember to read them in order, or you will feel as if you are missing information. I have not read the B-A manual yet, but I do think that the C manual is the best of the three for building a sound riding career. P.S. I'm also in 4-H, and have found that Grooming to Win, also by Susan E. Harris, is extremely useful when preparing for Pony Club rallies or inspections, 4-H shows, and just about any other shows. It is also a great guide to daily grooming, trimming, and conditioning of your horse.

Essential book for English-style riders of all ages.......1998-06-12

Like Susan's first volume, this is a marvelous combination of clear language, straight-forward presentation, and logical organization, topped by many wonderful drawings. Once you've read and digested the "D" volume, go on to this one and continue your equestrian education in the most logical way I've found. I'm a long-time riding instructor, especially for the US Pony Clubs, and recommend this book to riders of any age. I also own about 900 horse books and Susan Harris's Manuals are, by far, the ones I consult most often.

Book Description

20 wonderful photos of the largest ballooning event in the world.

Average customer rating:

You can't put this book down.

The Healthy Home: An Attic-To-Basement Guide to Toxin-Free Living
Linda Mason Hunter
Manufacturer: Backinprint.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Cleaning, Caretaking & Relocating | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Green Housecleaning | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Safety & First Aid | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Home Enlightenment: Practical, Earth-Friendly Advice for Creating a Nurturing, Healthy, and Toxin-Free Home and Lifestyle

The Healthy Home Workbook: Easy Steps for Eco-Friendly Living

ASIN: 0595149715

Book Description

The Healthy Home gives a complete picture of indoor health, including a healthy home inspection checklist.

The New York Times called the book, “A sort of Whole Earth Catalog for the home, The Healthy Home has tips on soundproofing, safety, detecting carcinogens and an appendix of products and services.”

Customer Reviews:

You can't put this book down........1998-08-24

If you ever wanted to learn what those environmental problems in your home are then this is the book. This book will help you make your home healthy. This should be a must have book for every homeowner.

The Healthy Home An Attic-to-Basement Guide to Toxin-Free Living

Average customer rating:

The Healthy Home An Attic-to-Basement Guide to Toxin-Free Living
Linda Mason Hunter
Manufacturer: Rodale Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0NVOS

Average customer rating:

The Healthy Home: An Attic-To-Basement Guide to Toxin-Free Living
Linda Mason Hunter
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NXS3Y4

Customer Reviews:

Keith Haring: Radiant Child.......2000-07-08

I first became interested in Keith Haring as an artist when I saw a collection of his work at the Tampa Museum of Art in the very early 1990's. By that time, Keith had already passed away; however, he left behind a very large legacy of his remarkable work. I decided I had to know more about this man whose colorful pop art had caught my eye, so I went out and bought the book, "Keith Haring: The Authorized Biography." This book is awesome!! It is part autobiography, part miniature art gallery. Keith's story is told in a very intimate, revealing way, and it really makes you feel as if you are right there in the middle of his life in New York in the 80's. All of the famous artists and people from the entertainment world that comprised Keith's social circle are also included in the book, offering up their observations and anecdotes of Keith Haring, his lifestyle, and his art. There are many personal photographs of the artist at work and with his friends included in the book, as well as eye-popping photos of some of Keith's famous works. Often Keith Haring is called a "grafitti artist." When you read this book, you will realize that he is more than just that; Keith Haring was a down-to-earth man whose stunning and sometimes controversial art holds a universal appeal and a bittersweet social commentary of life as he knew it. Art lovers - don't miss out on this one!

This was the first biography that I'd read.......2000-03-10

I had always been under the impression that biographies were purposely designed to be dull and pointless, until I picked up this book. I have always liked Haring's work and wanted to find out more about the man himself. Not only is this book a biography but it contains words from Haring himself. It is very accessible, all chapters are broken down into easy to read sections and you can dip in and out of the book as you wish. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in his art (it contains many colour photographs of his more famous works) and all those who are interested in learning more about Haring's colourful life.

A fascinating and intimate portrait of an artist.......1997-01-25

What makes "Keith Haring: The Authorized Biography", such a moving work is its unique approach to the biographical format. Rather than just recount his research into Haring's life, author John Gruen has pieced together writings by Haring, the artist's friends, companions, mentors, and dealers. The narrative switches perspective quite often, resulting in a balanced and more revealing account of Haring's life and art, from different points of view. Among other things, Haring recounts his beginnings as a graffiti artist, his rivalry with the painter Jean-Michel Basquiat, and his coming to terms with being gay, and eventually, his contraction of AIDS. Profusely illustrated throughout, the book also gives an inside look at several aspects of the 80's art scene in New York city. By the end, the reader gains not only a thorough knowledge of Haring the artist, but more importantly, an understanding of the humanist philosophy and intent behind the art

Keith Haring, the Authorized Biography of the Artist from His Chalk Drawing to Prestigious Galleries & Museums Until His Death at 31 (1958-1990)

Average customer rating:

Keith Haring, the Authorized Biography of the Artist from His Chalk Drawing to Prestigious Galleries & Museums Until His Death at 31 (1958-1990)
John Gruen
Manufacturer: Fireside
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Amazon.com

Basketball is only the starting point for novelist John Edgar Wideman's meditations in this genre-defying book, which announces its difference in the opening paragraph. Some other author might have written the sentence, "Playing the game provided sanctuary, refuge from a hostile world." Only Wideman would follow it with, "Only trouble was, to reach the court we had left our women behind," and only Wideman would close a book about playground basketball with a letter to his grandmother. In between, he contrasts the sport with the craft of writing; mingles memories of learning to play with recollections of growing up in Pittsburgh; invokes the lover he found after his 30-year marriage broke up ("Turning this into a basketball game, aren't you, Mr. Hoopster?" she says at one point during their affair); talks about minstrel shows and African American music; and pits the purity and democracy of schoolyard ball against the professional sport, in which "a chosen few, players certified to be the very best, perform for pay as entertainers." You'll need to read it all to appreciate the way Wideman masterfully weaves together these diverse strands; suffice it to say that the importance of basketball to black men in a racist society, though a crucial subject here, is too straightforward to be the entire topic. "The deepest, simplest subject of this hoop book is pleasure," he writes, and he conveys that sensation to his readers on several different levels: the excitement of a superb description (men playing on a Greenwich Village court); the satisfaction of shrewd cultural analysis (why poor kids wear expensive clothes to play); the power of metaphor (the searing chapter titled "Who Invented the Jump Shot (A Fable)"); and most of all the thrill of watching an artist at the top of his game. --Wendy Smith

Book Description

A multilayered memoir of basketball, family, home, love, and race, John Edgar Wideman's Hoop Roots brings "a touch of Proust to the blacktop" (Time) as it tells of the author's love for a game he can no longer play. Beginning with the scruffy backlot playground he discovered in Pittsburgh some fifty years ago, Wideman works magical riffs that connect black music, language, culture, and sport. His voice modulates from nostalgic to outraged, from scholarly to streetwise, in describing the game that has sustained his passion throughout his life.

Customer Reviews:

Not for the low brow..........2005-09-14

May be the best novel about the inner experience of an aging athlete. An autobiographical novel by an accomplished writer and a complex man, Hoop Roots is a challenging read. Wideman demands something of his audience, a rarity these days, and those looking for a mindless basketball book will likely not be up to the task. As in his other books, Wideman occasionally gets carried away with his command of complex language, and some passages are a struggle even for the most commited readers. However, overall this is a first rate novel, by a first rate writer, on a subject with which he is singularly expert.

Spare yourself from this one.......2003-06-02

I had to read this book for a college course. Too bad for me, since it's the worst book I've had to read from cover to cover. HoRrIbLy boring, mostly incoherent, the book takes very promising themes and turns them into very stylish junk. Loaded with clichés and overused images. Blah, blah, blah, it goes on and on. If I wasn't being evaluated on it for class I would have stopped reading it after the first 15 pages. It's the only Wideman book I've read, and of course I don't plan to read any others, but if this is proof of his best work, I hope he is a better creative writing professor than his writing would suggest.

Spare yourself from this one.......2003-06-02

I had to read this book for a college course. Too bad for me, since it's the worst book I've had to read from cover to cover. HoRrIbLy boring, mostly incoherent, the book takes very promising themes and turns them into very stylish [material]. Loaded with clichés and overused images. Blah, blah, blah, it goes on and on. If I wasn't being evaluated on it for class I would have stopped reading it after the first 15 pages. It's the only Wideman book I've read, and of course I don't plan to read any others, but if this is proof of his best work, I hope he is a better creative writing professor than his writing would suggest.

A Disappointed Reader.......2002-02-18

If you think John Wideman's Hoop Roots is about playground basketball you may find yourself disappointed -- as I was.
Wideman is a wonderful writer. When he describes a player's drive to the basket, gliding into the air, checking out all around him, you can picture the action and feel the the excitement. When he describes the social protocols for the pick-up game he nails it When he describes the early days of the National Basketball Association, including the unique challenges for Black players, you can see it and feel it.
Unfortunately Hoop Roots contains far too few accounts like these. This book is about John Wideman growing up in a Black neighborhood in Pittsburgh, about his relationship to his family and in particular his grandmother, about Black athletes and Black men in America. Basketball, which has played such a key role in Wideman's life, is sprinkled throughout, often in bits and pieces that left me wanting much more.
Wideman was a star high school and college basketball player. He came the same neighborhood as NBA great Maurice Stokes and other noted stars. He played highly competitive playground basketball until he was 59, long after he had become an award-winning writer. I had so many questions for him. What was it like playing organized high school and college ball compared to the playgrounds? What were his own experiences as a playground player? What were some of his most memorable experiences in the playground game? How did he ever play until he was 59?!
Instead Wideman gives us long passages on the different routes he took to get to the playground as a youth, oversized shorts versus short shorts, and a fable about the Globe Trotters first road trip. It's all brilliantly written. It's just not about basketball.

Spellbinding.......2001-10-12

OK, after reading the previously posted review, I admit that I am one of those readers who will read ANYTHING by John Wideman, regardless of subject- but I disagree that this book has too much roots and too little hoops. This book is fantastic. Wideman manages to discuss basketball- its history, its present, its future, and at the same time discuss race, love, music- all so eloquently that I often had to put the book down and absorb. The various stories of his family members make me wonder how John and his talented daughter Jamila managed to come out on top, when his brother and his son are so mired in tragedy. John Wideman is the best writer alive in America- I am convinced- and this book is an absolute masterpiece.

Average customer rating:

Hoop Roots - Basketball, Race, And Love
John Edgar Wideman
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RIRAP8

Focus '96 Games on music roots, not hoop skirts

Average customer rating:

Focus '96 Games on music roots, not hoop skirts
J. Frank Lynch
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Olympic Games | Miscellaneous | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006PB86Y

Average customer rating:

Hoop Roots
John Edgar Wideman
Manufacturer: HOUGHTON MIFFLIN COMPANY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OKGQ6I

Average customer rating:

Hoop Roots
John Edgar Wideman
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OO32TS

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