Granny and the Eskimo: Angels in Vietnam

Book Description

As Jim Rowell lay bleeding after an ambush in the jungles of Vietnam, his mother was watching the carnage unfold in a dream 12,000 miles away. What happened over the next few months convinced Jim he had angels protecting him.

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Customer Reviews:

Angels in Vietnam - Very interesting book!.......2006-05-07

This book kept my attention right from the beginning. The first part about his childhood was very heart warming and
brought chuckles from time to time. I enjoyed getting an
inside view of what happened in Viet Nam. I definited believe
their are Angels out their, and it certainly seemed Jim Rowell had a guardian angel. Reading this book, is definitely time
well spent.

Some angels wear combat boots.......2005-01-18

An intriguing look at one man's combat experience, you will sense the dangers found in the steamy hot jungles of Vietnam in the late 1960's as you walk with Jim as he relives his impressions and memories of the horrors of war and the forging of friendships far from home--friendships that would lie dormant for many years after his return to civilian life only to slowly awaken and reconnect as random events bring his story full circle to help resolve long buried feelings about the ravages of war on the body and soul and to re-affirm his belief in the existence of guardian angels. A beautifully written chronicle of fighting for what one believes is his duty to serve his country and a lovely tribute to his love of family and how it sustained him in the darkest hours, all woven together with the recurring refrain of a childhood song about Granny and a mockingbird. It's especially gratifying to read of a Vietnam war experience that was turned into a positive and productive life upon return to civilian life.

More than just another Vietnam story.......2004-12-28

First of all, I agree with most people that have read this outstanding book, on the life of one 1st. Cavalry soldier,and his experience in the war that was so controversial, but my association with Jim Rowell goes much deeper. Jim and I were both in the same places, at the same time, and never met each other until this year, when a friend of mine from my unit, asked me if I had read Jims book on Vietnam. Jim was with B-2-8 1st Cav, and I was with C-2-8, both in country at the same time, on the same Landing Zones, serving under the same battalion commander, and never met. We both were in some of the toughest battles of late 1968, through 1969, fought beside each other, and possibly shared a foxhole or a bunker, once or twice. The best thing about his story, is that I can attest to his words being true to the letter. The story he tells, is not fiction, but a great compilation of facts that make up just one soldier's experience in the battlefield, that so many of us shared, and tried to forget, for so many years. Call it strange, but many of the soldiers from the Vietnam era, are just coming out now, and trying to put meaning to what had happened so many years ago. I, for one never thought all that much about my buddies that I served with, or fought next to, for many years, until my family was raised, and started thinking about retirement. Now I find myself immersed in the computer, trying to reconnect with the men I stood with in the face of the enemy that we encountered. It has been 35+ years since Jim, and I stood together in a foreign land, in the face of communism, and held our faith in God and Country, protecting what we believed in, and doing our best to protect the values that we grew up learning, but I know that if called, we would do it all again. If you ever wanted to read anything on the "Real Story" of one soldiers time in country, then by all means, this is what you are looking for.

A poignant story of men at war.......2004-12-26

"Granny and the Eskimo -- Angels in Vietnam" is a moving tale of a young man's service in the Vietnam war and the angels who protected him. Jim Rowell, a retired police captain from Atlanta, originally wrote his story for his children. Fortunately, he has made it available to a much wider audience. He tells how the memories and teachings of his grandmother and the battlefield skills passed on by a valiant Alaskan Eskimo buddy in the 8th Cavalry Regiment saved his life in combat and carried him through his tour. Years later, Rowell looked up his platoon buddies -- Americans all, black, white, Christians, Jews, southerners, northerners. Countering the widely-accepted stereotype of a Vietnam vet as a long-haired, disillusioned drop-out, the men all got on with their lives, becoming successful family men. Rowell's locating the Eskimo took all his investigative talents. The Eskimo's civilian life story is heartbreaking, and tied closely to the memory of a brave Captain who died in combat. It was the Eskimo's tragic death that prompted the writing of this book. One of the most poignant chapters is Rowell's visit to the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington. "Granny and the Eskimo" deserves a place in the library of anyone interested the Vietnam War and the men who fought in it.

Gifts of the Heart.......2002-11-11

This book was such a joy to read. From childhood to manhood the pages offer adventure and memories wonderfully written -- a positive work full of gratitude and awe.

Average customer rating:

Horrible

FANTASTIC!

Your Water Workout: No-Impact Aerobic and Strength Training From Yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, and More
Jane Katz
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Pilates | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Aqua Fitness

Fantastic Water Workouts

Accessories:

Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 0767914821
Release Date: 2003-06-10

Book Description

Take your workout to the water!

Possibly the world’s perfect exercise, water workouts provide a highly-effective, low-impact way to burn calories, build muscle, improve flexibility, and have some fun.

International Swimming Hall of Fame board member and world masters champion Jane Katz uses a holistic approach to lead you to total body fitness, offering soothing and strengthening programs of exercises drawn from yoga, Pilates, tai chi, and popular land sports like skiing and golf. There are also high-intensity challenges and instructions for deep-water running and cross-training for athletes. Each exercise is accompanied by a simple drawing and step-by-step instructions for doing the move correctly. Programs for twenty-, thirty- and forty-five-minute workouts, including breathing exercises, warm ups and cool downs, are laid out to make it easy to dive right in. Individual exercises can also be combined to make a complete workout that is right for you.

Dr. Katz uses toys and accessories, from old-fashioned kickboards to flashy fins, to make every workout seem like play. Full of suggestions to keep your program exciting and fresh, Your Water Workout is a complete guide to working out in the water for lifelong fitness.

Customer Reviews:

Horrible.......2007-06-08

I recently started doing a lot of swimming and water exercises. There are several great books but this is not one of them. The book was done on the cheap with no photos to help you understand the exercise, just some line drawings.

FANTASTIC!.......2003-07-07

As a (almost) 16 year old swimmer who has been swimming before I could walk, I am always looking for ways to improve my swimmimg (which is the core of my fitness program). This is an excellent book and I recommend it to anyone who LOVES the water!

Average customer rating:

I Haven't Read Them -- I Have USED Them

Six Ingredients or Less: Pasta & Casseroles (Six Ingredients Or Less Cookbooks)
Carlean Johnson
Manufacturer: C J Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Pasta | Cooking by Ingredient | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | Quick & Easy | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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Six Ingredients or Less: Over 500 Quick and Easy Recipes Using 6 Ingredients or Less

ASIN: 0942878043

Customer Reviews:

I Haven't Read Them -- I Have USED Them.......2001-11-22

For the past eight years, Carlean Johnson's Six Ingredients or Less cookbooks have maintained a premier position on my cook book shelf. I can say this categorically, I have never had one of these recipes go bad. They are simple, easy to use (I use them to teach young people how to cook), use simple-easy to obtain ingredients, and above all are delights to eat. No kitchen should be without them; whether it be a cook who is on the "haute cuisine" level or one that is on the "I burn water" level. I recommend them highly.

Six Ingredients Or Less - Pasta & Casseroles

Average customer rating:

Six Ingredients Or Less - Pasta & Casseroles
Carlean Johnson
Manufacturer: C.J. Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RTF1DU

Book Description

Learn the fundamental language of horsemanship and how to find your own creative solutions to your riding problems. This book offers a proven, systematic program based on the theories of classical horsemanship in a way which is understandable and useful for everyday riding. Become a confident rider, learn how to communicate effectively with your horse, and learn how to mentally prepare for competition.

Customer Reviews:

How to Communicate........2002-09-19

I really like how James emphasizes that both rider and horse must work as one to accomplish whatever style of riding that they are training to compete. In chapter 6 Arrigon states "Mental equitation provides a clear understanding of what each building block means to the training of horse and rider"; this is really a great way to describe what he is trying to get across. A rider needs to communicate with the horse using their body and other natural aids to accomplish whatever event or training that is being done at the moment. The drawings and pictures demonstrated quite clearly what the reader should get out of the different methods of training. The uses of natural aids are strongly pointed out that they are the best way to go in training.
This book has challenged my ways of thinking how I can speak to my horse and how I can read my horse's clues.

Really helped me!.......2002-08-30

I liked this book a lot. It helped me to understand how to use the aids and how to communicate better with my horse.

Disappointed.......2000-11-29

I was misled by the title and thought that this book would be about the psychological and philosophical aspects of riding and horsemanship, and the common threads between the various disciplines. But nope, it is just another "how-to" book aimed at novice riders - how to hold the reins, how to mount etc. And it does not even succeed at this task! Mr Arrigon's definitions of behind the bit and above the bit are the opposite to the generally accepted definitions in the rest of the equestrian world. Several of the photographs are repeated throughout the book. The photos showing the "right" way to execute various movements (including jumping)leave a lot to be desired in both the horse and rider's positions. The pics of the dressage horse show that he is trying to open his mouth in most of the photos. There is tension in his back and no stretching over the topline. There is a pic of a rider in the landing phase of a jump and showing a good position - "finally!" I thought to myself. But no, the caption below the photo decried the rider's position. The pic of another rider in the flight phase of a jump is praised as showing good style -it would have to be one of the worst examples of jumping position I have ever seen. On the whole, very, very disappointing.

Book Description

Denim stands the test of time, and sewers are always looking for fresh ideas on how to transform denim into decorative items. Now, they can learn how to create unique home and fashion accessories from new and used denim with this resourceful book. It begins with an overview of denim and jean styles, and then reveals all the basic techniques for gluing and sewing. Whether using new denim or revamping old jeans, readers are show how to utilize every square inch to create useful and fun designs. Contains step by step instructions with photos for a wide variety of projects such as purses, pillows, frames, gift bags, storage containers, and desk accessories.

Customer Reviews:

Good book if you want to make purses.......2007-05-12

If you are into purses & accessories this would be a good book for you. It didn't fit my needs as I was looking for a way to turn several pairs of jeans into skirts.

Recycling Old Denims.......2006-03-15

This book has a great assortment of ideas for using old jeans, from pillows and other household items to personal and gift items. All the projects are illustrated showing different steps in making the item.

Full of Ideas.......2006-02-28

This book contains many ideas for reusing denim jeans as raw material for sewing projects. Chauncey provides an interesting short history of denim and jeans in the introduction to the book. Then she describes how to select denim for craft projects and some basic techniques for using denim. The main part of the book is divided into chapters containing directions for craft projects. These chapters include: around the house (pillows, bulletin boards, and organizers), handbags and totes, school stuff (scrap books, pencil case), denim Christmas (gift bags, Christmas tree skirt, ornaments), and gifts and things (picture frames, shaving tote, covered tin, basket). Each project starts with lists of required materials and supplies. The instructions for the projects are illustrated with high-quality color photographs. For most of the projects, Chauncey provides instructions for either sewing or gluing, so even non-sewers can try their hand. In order to undertake the projects in this book, a glue gun is practically indispensable, and a sewing machine highly recommended.

Many of the projects seem geared to young teenagers, and the sewing skills required are minimal. As a beginning sewer myself, I found the projects were well within my capabilities (yes, I still sit with the sewing machine manual on my lap when I sew so that I can quickly look up how to thread the machine). One of the strongest features of the book is the ideas that Chauncey provides for using every scrap of jeans. She shows how seams can be made into handles for bags or baskets, and how belt loops can have innumerable uses. I've only followed one of the projects in the book exactly (the shaving tote), but I have borrowed many of the ideas and techniques from the other projects in my own creations. This book is ideal for crafters who are just getting started in reusing denim.

Disappointing.......2005-01-27

This book should have been called "Quick Glue Gun Denim." I love to sew but don't do any other crafts. If you are the same, do not buy this book. Since I don't own or intend to buy a glue gun, there are very few projects I can do. This is the first time I've purchased a "sewing" book without looking over the projects first. I won't make that mistake again.

Quick-Sew Denim.......2003-07-20

This book is full of truly creative uses for old jeans - even those that are ready for the trash have "parts" that can be scavenged to embellish denim projects. The book has great photos, including step-by-step photos of the projects. The materials and supply lists and instructions are clear and consise. Projects range from decorative (and useful) pillows and wall hangings to practical purses and tote bags. There are also picture frames, Christmas ornaments, gift bags and a wonderful tree skirt, as well as baskets and pouches, book covers and locker organizers. The no-sew options for many projects make this a book that can be used by crafty people of various skill levels - and some of the projects will be fun to do with kids. If you are a jeans-lover, you will love this book! I can't wait to get started on the pocket pouch for on my desk.

Average customer rating:
Simply Essential: Family Records Kit (Self-Counsel)
Liberty Craig
Manufacturer: Self-Counsel Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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Accessories:

Health o Meter HDC100-01 "Grow with Me" Teddy Bear Scale for Babies and Toddlers

Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 1551803526

Book Description

- Organize your family records - Create a system for managing your important information - Consolidate your medical, legal, and financial data - Document your assets and your achievements

Simply Essential Family Records & Budgeting Kit

Average customer rating:

Simply Essential Family Records & Budgeting Kit
Self Counsel Press
Manufacturer: Self Counsel Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Average customer rating:

Richly Drawn

A unique persective on living with autism in the family

A n amazing book!

Not fully developed.

A fantastic book!

The Ride Together: A Brother and Sister's Memoir of Autism in the Family
Paul Karasik , and Judy Karasik
Manufacturer: Washington Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Special Needs | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Mental Illness | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Siblings | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
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Being the Other One: Growing Up with a Brother or Sister Who Has Special Needs

ASIN: 0743423372

Book Description

We looked like a cup of human fruit cocktail dumped onto the top of the house, each piece different but all out of the same can.

So begins a book unlike any other, half comics and half text, about a family that lives with autism -- and the strange life that is ordinary to them.

The oldest son, David, recites Superman episodes as he walks around the living room. A late-night family poker game spirals into a fog-driven duel. A thug from an old black-and-white rerun crawls out of the television. A housekeeper transforms into an avenging angel. A broken plate signals a terrible change in the family that none of them can prevent...until it's too late.

This groundbreaking work was excerpted in The New York Times for its ability to honestly, eloquently, and respectfully set forth what life is like with autism in the family. What sets The Ride Together apart is its combination of imagination and realism -- its vision of a family's inner world -- with David at the center.

Customer Reviews:

Richly Drawn.......2005-01-20

This is a truly outstanding book. Siblings Paul and Judy Karasik tell their life stories as relates to their brother David, who has an especially severe form of autism.

Born in 1948, David appeared to meet developmental milestones within normal limits during the first year of his life, save for speech. In beautifully, brilliantly drawn comic-style illustrations, his younger brother Paul depicts family scenes with David and then only sibling, younger brother Michael going to a doctor's office while David awaits his verdict. David receives a multitude of antiquated diagnoses given the times including aphasia.

Judy and Paul, the two youngest Karasik children chronicle the parallels of their neurotypical development alongside of that of David. Unable to stand changes to his routine, David insists on "putting on TV shows" wherein he "interviewed" politicians and copied the format of televised interviews. When crossed, he would self stim and even hit his own head, screaming out names of television characters. He also liked to list the names of the neighborhood barbers and seemed to derive comfort in anticipating his haircuts at their shop. The barbers had established a bond with the Karasik family and would step up to the plate for their father when he suffered his final illness in 1992.

Other challenges crop up in their family. The Karasik children's maternal grandfather and his daughter, their aunt move into their home in 1969. Their aunt, severely debilitated and profoundly retarded after suffering from a cerebral hemorrhage in infancy is installed in one room and their grandfather has the study. An angel of a nurse named Dorothy White cares for the pair as well as the Karasik children.

To ease Dorothy's work load, a night nurse is hired. When Judy comes home one night and finds the nurse watching television, ignoring her grandfather's anguished cries and dismissing them, the first person she calls is Dorothy. Like the Cavalry, Dorothy rushes over to the home to resume caring for the pair. The night nurse's departure is expedited and rightfully so after her callous inattention to the patients' needs.

Dorothy again steps up to the plate for her ailing charges. She insists on having them move into her home where she and other members of her family can care of them. This arrangement worked well until a fire destroyed her home in March, 1978 killing both patients, another relative who lived in the home and injuring Dorothy's husband. An electrical short from a television in an upstairs bedroom caused the fire and sadly, the patients perished from smoke inhalation. Luckily, the Karasiks were able to rally around Dorothy and her husband's side and continue a circle of love. Dorothy sounded like a genuine angel.

The professional and personal Long & Winding Roads of each Karasik are gently chronicled. Readers come away with an enriched sense of life with multiple challenges - severe autism; sibling questions; elderly relatives' needs and sadly, the death of a parent. The comic illustrations by Paul Karasik add much to the book and some are such beautifully moving accounts, such as the early one about David's diagnosis and later, the death of their father that they might make you cry. The final comic strip in this book is also quite moving indeed. Dorothy's kindness is also extremely heartwarming.

There are funny parts. Paul's middle school prank, as he drew many years later; Paul and David going to the Three Stoogeathon in their neighborhood theater and the HILARIOUS story Paul drew about that movie trip might make you laugh. I love that!

Judy describes watching the movie "Rain Man" on television. Although the movie is never mentioned by name, it is plain that it is the movie she references. In her words, it is a movie about somebody "with an autistic brother" who lives in a residence; can tell how many matches are in a box and who is taken out of his residential facility to travel the countryside with his neurotypical brother. Although I didn't care for "Rain Man," I found her comments about it in relation to her brother very interesting.

David was enrolled in residential facilities that were unsatisfactory and day programs with varying degrees of success. In 1995 when their mother, then widowed 3 years decides to sell the family home and move into a smaller place, the sad and frightening truth about David's then current placement emerges. Mother and siblings band together and find a good program that will meet David's needs.

This book really touched my heart. I hope other readers will enjoy it and find it as moving as I did.

A unique persective on living with autism in the family.......2004-12-05

"The Ride Together" provides a unique illustration of living
with--growing up with--autism. The book gives voice like nothing
else to the personal impact of autism on family members in ways not ordinarily considered. For example, a youngster wincing when his friend casually uses "retard" as an epithet. Or mom patiently explaining why it's fair that one's brother doesn't have to clean his room "because everything else is so hard for him." There are escape mechanisms one must develop in order not to be overwhelmed--one poignant example being the adoption of avoidance strategies in adolescence so the girl you want to date won't actually come to your house. The format of the book combines clear, unsentimental prose and graphic novel form, enhancing its message in the way that poetry lends added meaning to ordinary words and phrases.

A n amazing book!.......2004-01-27

What a unique and astounding experience this book is. The authors tell the story of their autistic brother in a way that made me shake my head in wonder. Alternating chapters of prose and graphic/illustrated text paint a portrait of such power and poignant insight that neither method alone could ever achieve. For me, it was like when, after instumental music has taken us as far as it can, the vocal chorus kicks in in Beethoven's Ninth. As I read (and re-read) this book, I found that the chapters were almost conducting a dialog with each other, with "prose" chapters challenging the "words-and-pictures" ones, and vice versa, each chapter upping the narrative ante. Because the format alternates as it does, our brains are constantly challenged and engaged, and we get to know David and all the members of the Karasik family in wasy that make it unlikely that we will soon forget them.

A stunning achievement.

Not fully developed........2004-01-12

Although the format is indeed innovative; interspersing cartoon chapters with prose, neither type of chapter had enough substance to make it worth reading. The book had a very interesting premise (which made me buy it), but I was disappointed that it was so loosely tied together and undeveloped.

A fantastic book!.......2003-12-01

This book is fantastic. It works on many levels. It makes autism less mysterious; it tells a compelling story; it shows how our experiences as part of a family make us who we are. The book alternates chapters of prose and graphic-novel format. This composition is very original and serves its subject well, conveying a complexity of emotion and relationships that neither format would be able to convey alone. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in autism, the human condition, or the creative process.

Book Description

In the years following her liberation from the Nazi death camp, Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, like most survivors of the Holocaust, struggled to build a normal life for herself. Decades later, she realized that in her efforts to achieve normality she had not spoken to her children or her grandchildren of her terrifying odyssey. Her memoir of the period between 1939 and 1945, was written for her children so that they would Inherit the Truth.

This is the story of the destruction of a talented Jewish family, and of the survival against all the odds of two young sisters. Anita and her elder sister Renate defied death at the hands of the Gestapo and the SS over a period of two and a half years, being first imprisoned as criminals and then being transferred, separately to Auschwitz, and finally to Belsen. They were saved by their exceptional courage, determination and ingenuity, and by several improbable strokes of good luck -- the greatest of which was the fact that Anita played the cello.

Lasker-Wallfisch draws from her own startlingly vivid memories of her experience, and also incorporates the letters her family wrote to one another during this period as well as other primary documents. She succeeds in conveying -- in unsentimental prose -- what it was to have been a Jew living in Germany at the time of the Third Reich and what it was to have survived.

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