I\'m Here to Tell You!

Product Description

As a boy, Fred Foisy spent 3 years in an orphanage. As a teenager, he faught in WW2. As a man, he spied over the Ukraine.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic History Lesson with insight.......2003-11-04

I read this book to learn more about my Grandpa's life, since he was unable to share it with his family, as it was happening. This is a great story about history, humanity, and survival. A great man lived through this, and I am proud to say he is my Grandpa. A very interesting book, nonetheless.

I'm here to tell you.: An article from: Combat Edge

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I'm here to tell you.: An article from: Combat Edge

Manufacturer: U.S. Department of the Air Force
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Combat Edge, published by U.S. Department of the Air Force on June 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1786 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: I'm here to tell you.
Publication: Combat Edge (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 1, 2005
Publisher: U.S. Department of the Air Force
Volume: 14 Issue: 1 Page: 8(4)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Customer Reviews:

Progressive Relazation and Breathing.......2002-05-02

This tape teaches you how to focus and bring about a state of relaxation through verbal instruction combined with calming music.You will trully feel ready for sleep.

Wonderful Audio ** Both sides are great.......2000-12-20

Since buying this audio tape, I listen to it frequently. I usually fall asleep before it is over, because either the progressive relaxation or the breathing works so fast to calm my body and mind. The production quality is excellent too. I would give it 10 stars if that were an option.

Stress relievers cited as diabetes risk boosters: meaningful interventions include progressive muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, and biofeedback.(Across ... An article from: Clinical Psychiatry News

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Stress relievers cited as diabetes risk boosters: meaningful interventions include progressive muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, and biofeedback.(Across ... An article from: Clinical Psychiatry News
Betsy Bates
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Clinical Psychiatry News, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2006. The length of the article is 692 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Stress relievers cited as diabetes risk boosters: meaningful interventions include progressive muscle relaxation, breathing exercises, and biofeedback.(Across Specialties)
Author: Betsy Bates
Publication: Clinical Psychiatry News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 34 Issue: 12 Page: 56(1)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

Excellent, creative food, fast and easy to make!

Something I can actually use!

helpul to any health-seeking or dieting cook

Great for those who hate to cook!

Inspiring! You'll never go back to bottled dressings. :-)

The Saucy Vegetarian
Joanne Stepaniak
Manufacturer: Book Publishing Company (TN)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Sauces, Salsa & Garnishes | Cooking by Ingredient | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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General | Vegetables & Vegetarian | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1570670919

Book Description

Here is a fresh approach for enhancing the flavor, attractiveness and healthfulness of even the most ordinary dish. This rich repertoire of recipes for nocook sauces and dressings was designed to release your creativity in the kitchen while keeping time and effort at bay. You'll learn the secrets for making either hot or cold nocook saucesfrom curried to Italianstyle, sweet or spicy, smooth or chunkyas well as a variety of dressings that will add zip to any simple meal of beans, pasta, rice, potatoes or veggies. Both novice cooks and experienced gourmets will find these recipes enjoyable.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent, creative food, fast and easy to make!.......2006-12-02

I have used this cookbook for years, and have found it delightful. Many other veggie cookbooks offer run-of-the-mill fare - we've all seen chili, tabbouli, hummus, and macaroni-and-cheese more times than we can count. In contrast, this cookbook offers something new and delicious on nearly every page. The recipes are creative and unique, and very easy to make. Generally, I can turn out a meal in the time it takes to boil a pot of rice. The author has good taste - her flavour combinations are reliably tasty, for carnivore and vegetarian alike.

Something I can actually use!.......2006-11-10

My partner has started asking me _not_ to use this cookbook because I have been making so many recipes we are getting bogged down in leftovers!

In contrast to most cookbooks, the recipes are just as quick to follow as they look; the focus is kept tightly on simple uncooked sauces and you will learn how to make all of them. Preparation time is pretty minimal for most recipes so it really is possible to whip up something to put over quinoa, potatoes, spaghetti squash, crusty bread, etc. etc. in ten minutes or so. And it tastes good. If the thought of a cold sauce turns you off, just microwave it for a couple of minutes and you will never know the difference.

The author does a good job of both explaining the principles you need to improvise sauces without following a recipe, and supplying plenty of good recipes to try while you are getting there.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick and straightforward guide to adding flavorful sauces, dressings, spreads, and dips to their food, vegetarian or not. You probably will need to buy some foods you would not likely have in the kitchen otherwise (unusual nut butters, specialty vinegars, etc.) but most of these keep well and are good values.

A word on blending - a food processor is not likely to be enough. At first I was hesitant to make anything for fear of the cleanup involved in a full-size blender full of sticky goop. Then I realized that a hand blender with a tall, narrow blender cup works excellently: nothing splatters if the cup matches the blender properly, there is no issue over cleaning food out from around the blades (just lift the hand blender out, _unplug_, and lick it off!), and it is easy to store leftovers by just capping the blender cup and tossing in the refrigerator. My Osterizer blender just broke recently but I will look for a new, sturdier one.

helpul to any health-seeking or dieting cook .......2006-08-25

the other reviews pretty much sum it up, however in addition I would like to add that all of these recipes are made from entirely "healthy" calories and can bring joy to any otherwise boring meal. If a less caloric sauce is desired, the sweetener is easily replaced with the according amount of STEVIA*, and the fat may be replaced with an equal amount of soymilk and thickener (i.e. xanthan, arrowroot, agar, etc...) resulting in a virtually calorie-free and equally satisfying topping for your gastronomic needs.

*stevia is a naturally occuring non-caloric sweetener, I recommend KAL brand of pure organic stevia extract 1 tsp = 1 cup of sugar, so be sure to adjust accordingly.

Great for those who hate to cook!.......2006-03-14

I'm a vegan with a gluten intolerance who hates to cook. Rather than starve to death, I bought The Saucy Vegetarian! This book allows me to create really great-tasting meals without slaving over the stove. The sauces require no cooking, so they are ready in less than five minutes. I prepare a grain, like quinoa or brown rice, a protein like beans or tofu, and one of the sauces in the book, mix them together, and voila! I have a yummy, healthy, meal! Many of the sauces in the book make good salad dressings, too. In the margins of the book are suggestions of what each sauce might taste good with. I use the suggestions as a springboard to try all kinds of combinations. If you own a wire whisk and a bowl, this book is for you!

Inspiring! You'll never go back to bottled dressings. :-).......2005-03-20

I have several shelves full of vegan and vegan-friendly cookbooks. The Saucy Vegetarian is one of my favorites, not just for the delicious 100% vegan recipes, but for the creativity it inspires. The recipes generally involve processing about 6 to 8 no-cook (with occasional stove-top roasting) ingredients in the blender, and in some cases a food processor. Using this simple technique, I've made many awesome sauces and dressings, both Jo Stepaniak's recipes, and variations based on her recipes. A couple of ingredient substitutions I make that work well are 1 tablespoon chopped onion for each teaspoon powdered onion, and 1 teaspoon maple syrup for each teaspoon sugar. Unlike Jo's earlier works, some of these recipes call for sugar rather than a more natural, lower glycemic index sweetener. Fortunately, this isn't a problem as the maple syrup works fine, and there is a section listing recommended sweeteners and describing how they work in recipes.

My favorite recipes from the book include:
* Instant Alfredo Sauce - Very cheesy and smooth. And you would never know it contains only 13 calories per tablespoon and 0 grams of fat!
* Walnut Pesto Sauce - Delicious and very quick to make. No need to chop the walnuts first, just pile them high in the measuring cup. Works well with 1 to 2 teaspoons of Bragg Liquid Aminos (similar to soy sauce) in lieu of the salt and water.
* Carrot-Dill Sauce - I add a secret ingredient of celery seed and cut down on the water a bit for a thicker sauce. Delicious over rice and vegetables.
* Tahini, Tamari & Onion Dressing - I was afraid when I first made this raw onion dressing it would be overpowering, but the tahini and olive oil combine with the onion to make a mild oniony dressing that won't make your eyes tear. I always double this one and cut down on the water a bit to thicken it. I imagine that with mint or dill, it would make a great falafel sauce.
* Herb and Onion Vinaigrette - Makes a restaurant-quality house dressing. I double this one and substitute an equal quantity maple syrup for the sugar. Works great with balsamic vinegar in lieu of the wine vinegar.
* Sunflower Seed Dressing - This makes an interesting ranch-style salad dressing or dipping sauce. But it excels as a sandwich spread or pita bread filling with vegetables.

Of the dozen or so recipes I've tried in the book, there's only one I didn't like--the Miso Citrus Sauce. Tasted like salty orange juice.

Two helpful features with each recipe are the nutrient listing (calories, protein, fat, and carbohydrates) and the listing of foods in the margin to try the sauce on. But, this cookbook contains an amazingly helpful feature rarely found in cookbooks: In addition to merely giving you her recipes, Jo teaches you how to put together the six basic tastes (sweet, salty, bitter, sour, pungent and astringent) to develop recipes of your own. She goes into a lot of detail about these tastes, which raw ingredients to use, styles of no-cook sauces and dressings, and even how to correct flavors if you don't like the concoction you invented. She also provides information on planning vegetarian menus, along with sample menus. Whether you're a novice or experienced vegetarian or vegan, it's worth reading the nearly 40-page educational section to get the creative juices flowing. Then follow Jo's advice to be innovative and consider her recipes as a starting point, altering as you see fit. That's what I do, and receive a lot of compliments in the kitchen. :-)

Book Description

Whether you’re stitching clothes, creating home accessories, personalizing garments, or jazzing up interiors, these techniques help you add that special, creative touch. Photos and diagrams show how to stitch in a straight line by machine or hand. Try tricks of the trade for everything from buttonholes to adding collars. Plus: dressmaking basics and caring for and repairing textiles.

Book Description

Scores of fun, easy ideas for enjoying life fill the pages of this uplifting Miniature Edition(tm) with special appeal to women. It's all about giving oneself permission to relax and be playful, if only for a few precious moments on a stressed-out day.

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I Prayed For You Today

inspiration thoughts

The best book ever to read for picking up the pieces and to go on living again.

I Prayed For You Today

I Prayed for You Today: A Collection of Uplifting Thoughts to Let Someone Know How Much You Care
Donna Fargo
Manufacturer: Blue Mountain Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer

ASIN: 0883969238

Book Description

This book is filled with uplifting words to make a difference in someone's life and tell someone special, "I prayed for you today." Whether you're experiencing a temporary setback, a health issue, or some unexpected, life-altering event, these good thoughts and best wishes are positive reminders that, with the help and support of family, faith, and friends, anything is possible.

In her characteristic spirit of optimism, which has made her one of country music's most memorable stars, Donna Fargo shares with readers some of the lessons she's learned when faced with mountains in her own life. She encourages taking authority over problems, living life one day at a time, and always believing in the importance of prayer. Donna inspires readers to trust that you are not alone, that God is with you all the time, but it is your responsibility to draw near to Him and to develop your faith. She believes that prayer is the most loving way to show someone how much you care.

Donna inspires us to trust that we are not alone, that God is with us all the time, but it is our responsibility to draw near to Him and to develop our faith. She believes that prayer is the most loving way to show someone how much you care.

Customer Reviews:

I Prayed For You Today.......2007-02-06

I have purchased at least 20 of this item. It is the best of all the books in this genre. I give a copy to friends who are troubled or ill, and especially when they have suffered a loss.
The comments I receive from each one are filled with gratitude for the quiet peace, comfort and inspiration that they receive from the contents.
Ms. Fargo is to be highly commended for her most helpful work.

inspiration thoughts.......2006-03-20

I purchase the books for my family members that were going throught diffult times. As I began reading some of the pages I began to cry, its a very special book for special people in your life.

The best book ever to read for picking up the pieces and to go on living again........2005-09-09

I have read books before but I have never read a book that really gave me an uplift in my struggles (good or bad) the way this book did. Not only would I highly recommend this book for yourself but to give as a gift to anyone you care about. When reading this book, I know you will want to read it more than once and everytime you feel the need to be uplifted and be in control again from your lows to function in your everyday activities. It's nice to know that there is an author out there that understands our needs and who knows how to write in words for others to heal and overcome their unbalance in life.

I Prayed For You Today.......2005-08-07

What a GREAT book!!!!!!!! A powerful book. I'm giving it to everybody I know for Christmas and birthday gifts. Every time I read it, I come away feeling more enpowered, positive, focused, energic, and happy. It makes me want to be a better person. ANOTHER well-written book by Ms. Fargo.

Book Description

“The intricacies of family and the complexities of the games they play mingle wonderfully here in a memoir quite unlike any other.”—George Plimpton, author of Truman Capote

Katy Lederer grew up on the bucolic campus of an exclusive East Coast boarding school where her father taught English, her mother retreated into crosswords and scotch, and her much older siblings played “grown-up” games like gin rummy and chess. But Katy faced much more than the typical trials of childhood. Within the confines of the Lederer household an unlikely transformation was brewing, one that would turn this darkly intellectual and game-happy group into a family of professional gamblers.

Poker Face is Katy Lederer’s perceptive account of her family’s lively history. From the long kitchen table where her mother played what seemed an endless game of solitaire, to the seedy New York bars where her brother first learned to play poker, to the glamorous Bellagio casino in Las Vegas, where her sister and brother wager hundreds of thousands of dollars a night at the tables, Lederer takes us on a tragicomic journey through a world where intelligence and deceit are used equally as currency. Not since Mary McCarthy’s Memories of a Catholic Girlhood has a writer cast such a witty and astringently analytic eye on the demands of growing up.

An unflinching exploration of trust and betrayal, competition, suspicion, and unconventional familial love, Poker Face is a testament to the human spirit’s inventiveness when faced with unusually difficult odds.

Customer Reviews:

YOU GOTTA KNOW WHEN TO FOLD THEM..........2006-02-06

This book does not deal the reader a full hand. It tantalizes and teases the reader into thinking that there is something of substance, ultimately failing to deliver anything other than a somewhat disjointed memoir that has difficulty holding the reader's interest.

The author's family is an interesting one, so it comes as a surprise that she deals with them in so pedantic a fashion. Her father is a bestselling author and her two older siblings, Howard Lederer and Annie Duke, are high stakes poker players of renown.

The author's family had its roots in academia, while she was growing up. Her father was an English teacher in an expensive boarding school on the East Coast. Her mother was an intelligent woman who was troubled by alcoholism, which was to have an affect on the marriage and family. By the time the inevitable split occurred between the author's parents, each member of the family seemed to have gone his or her own way. There was a disconnect among its members. The only unifying factor seemed to be a love of words and games.

It is unclear from the book as to why such a family, grounded in intellectual pursuits, should digress from the path that it seemed set upon and turn out as they did. The book is difficult to follow at times, as the author herself seems unsure what path to take, not only in her own personal life, but in terms of writing this book. What should have been an interesting sojourn, as the author seems to have a good deal of material with which to work, turned out simply to be a total bore.

really very good. .......2004-12-29

This is an odd book; but it's wonderful.

My review, however, is not wholly objective, though; I read the book already very much aware of the lives of its secondary characters. I'm a poker fan; I love watching the tournaments; I know the a-list players and their - often absorbing - personal stories. so my natural approach to the book was as a neat glimpse into the lives of no-limit goddess and god, Ms A. Duke and Mr. H Lederer - the sister and brother of the author.

But on the other hand, I'm also a more than avid reader - of fiction, criticism, etc., but predominantly of non-fiction, biographies and memoirs. So I can reasonably confirm that, as a memoir, Poker Face fulfills its role thoroughly.

Though the book is obviously discerning, there has been some complaint that because of its wide embrace it only brushes its fingers along each sterling insight. This isn't true. The book is short, indeed; but so are Mr A. Burroughs' memoirs - which latter are certainly never anemic. Despite the extensive temporal span and inclusive storyline of Poker Face, there is a driving core exploration/exposition here, a clear line Ms Lederer pursues. And she pursues it very well. The epilogue - or maybe it's just a short last chapter, I can't remember - nails it all down tight. And we're not talking Becket here; nothing is terribly complex; any mindful reader will automatically hear Ms Lederer's story whispering intensely and lucidly. And listening is very rewarding. The foibles of this family are so amplified and so seamlessly tied tangible representations - to games, like poker; or to the families comparative economic status - that a vista opens wide, and offers us the naked anatomy of any contemporary American family.

I do, however, decline the fifth star in my rating, only because the character's personalities bounce around a bit. Howard is - ironically - very stable as a character, but Annie, the mother - and even the father at times - are not. The characters are not developed enough to keep their portraits `within the lines', in the Crayola sense.

But, all-in-all, very much worth it. Very good.

Some parts work better than others.......2004-10-21

The book trails through Katy's memories chronologically, although selectively. She has wisely chosen to emphasize her relationship with her family and their poker lives, probably a prerequisite in order to get the book published. The reader is taken into the Lederer family home on an east coast campus, beginning with a focus on the mother's alcoholism. Then, Katy recounts her experiences in high school and college, before moving on to Las Vegas, where Howard has made himself wealthy by betting on sports and cards. Finally, Katy returns to the East Coast, and we are left with a feeling of a work in progress- Katy's life story has no climax or summation; she and her family are still in the throes of the issues raised by their unusual choice of occupation.
In general, I liked the book, because it showed the inner workings of a family that is at once familiar and strange. Their various prodigious talents and expressions of genius reminded me of two other genius families I mentioned just a short while ago: the Royal Tennenbaums and the family in The Hotel New Hampshire, right down to the physically frail and emotionally unstable youngest daughter becoming published by writing her memoirs.
The father of the family, Richard Lederer, is also known to me as the author of a series of books related to puns and various commonly made mistakes in the English language. Katy is obviously a serious literary talent, who has grown up around words being used as playthings. Howard, in addition to being a poker genius, is also a chess master. And their mother, who has an amazing rote memorization that helps her as an aspiring actress, has a special talent for puzzles.
Howard in particular is pulled into the seamier side of poker, getting sucked into a gritty lifestyle involving drugs and cat pee in New York City. But the family seems to have made good financially, even though Howard seemed to be in the midst of a police crackdown on his sports betting business as the book wraps up.
What struck me also about the book is how very embarrassing it must be to the members of the family. Howard, continually referred to as overweight, is found facedown in the midst of a drug-induced slumber. The mother is weeping all morning to herself, unaware that her daughter is watching her, and even more unaware that her daughter will eventually write about the episode for the book-buying public. I felt a little uncomfortable to be reading these things, knowing that the subjects are out there, probably not feeling all that great about the exposure.
By contrast, Katy is self-indulgent with her own portrayal, and potentially important but embarrassing episodes in her life, such as a break-up with a live-in boyfriend, are glossed over. Overall, we get a portrayal of a girl who is emotionally fragile, prone to depression and indulging that depression, who writes poetry and moons about in the background of happier goings-on because they are not appealing to her well-developed sense of being.
If you can ignore that, however, she does make interesting comments about how wealth has affected her family, and about the implications that Las Vegas's existence has on the human psyche. Money isn't happiness, she says, which is certainly a well-worn cliché, but which is never too tired a theme to be shown through interesting example, which is what Katy has done.
I guess, when I think about it, there is some self-criticism on Katy's part. She records her compulsive grade-grubbing, characterizing it as petty, and also talks about becoming a hypochondriac, but there's also a sense that these problems aren't her fault, and that they're special problems for a special person.
In the end, Katy's self-reflections and thoughts are far less compelling than the legitimately sordid and interesting tales of her other family members, and it is the portrayals of other members of the family that will stick with me into the future.
Katy is a good writer, although she is a little wordy for my tastes (she manages to use the word esplanade twice, for example). She has told the only interesting story from her personal experiences, and she probably could have told the truly interesting bits in about half the space. But I would like to read something written by her on another topic. She writes at one point that she has extensive notes and writing efforts surrounding her own stint as an aspiring poker player. This could be compelling reading, and I'd like to see more from her about topics other than herself.
Added: I saw Howard Lederer playing poker online at Ultimatebet.com, and I asked him whether Katy's book had made him unhappy in any way, what with all the revelations. He said no, not at all, and that he supported her 100%.

"Poker Face" should fold instead of raising our expectations.......2004-10-20

"Poker Face," Katy Lederer's well-written but prosaic memoir cannot decide if it is an analysis of her dysfunctional family or a discourse on America's newfound fascination with Texas Hold-'Em. When Lederer focuses on family relationships, her memoir is worthy of a raise; when she rhapsodizes about poker, she is trying to win the pot with a hand that should have been folded after the flop. Either way, we've been suckered to complete a book that should have been little more than an extended magazine piece.

Lederer unearths a fascinating, fractious family, one which consists of an alcoholic mother who yearns to act, a three-hundred pound vegan brother who excels as a gambler, a combative older sister who vaults into the big leagues of Las Vegas wagering and a literate father who toils anonymously as a teacher in an Eastern prep school before becoming a best-selling author. The youngest child in this menagerie, Katy recognizes games as the sole glue cementing her family. She never quite discovers what motivates her peripatetic wanderings, either physically or emotionally. In her life, she is an indifferent student then a grade-obsessed one; she gains employment in professions which capitalize on her obsessive qualities and dabbles herself in the harsh realities of professional poker. Nowhere is there an attachment to any one person, any one idea.

It is this detachment, however, which could have made her a talented Hold-'Em player. Her brother, sister and mother, all of whom eventually call Las Vegas home do not connect; instead they intersect, and none too gracefully. On the cusp of illegal activities, they make big bank, spend it frivolously and lead sterile lives. Aside from the adrenaline rush that poker produces, this is no kind of life for a poet, which, we find, Lederer eventually becomes.

If gambling is a zero-sum game, if for every winner there are numerous losers and if winning requires a dispassionate empathy (as the author so obliquely observes), then "Poker Face" is a perfect metaphor for the pastime Katy Lederer sets out to describe. She invites us to the table, notices our every weakness, makes us believe she has something far better than what we hold in our own hand and then takes us for all we're worth.

Interesting insight into the Lederer family.......2004-10-15

Katy, thank you so much for writing this book. I found it extremely interesting and enjoyable. I thought it was really interesting to see Howard and Annie's progression from playing card games with the family to being professional gamblers. This book also describes Katy's relationship with Howard, Annie, and her parents. The writing in this book is excellent!

Book Description

Two men, who meet and become good friends after enjoying successful adult lives in California, have experienced childhoods so tragically opposed that the two men must decide whether to talk about them or not. In 1944, 13-year-old Fritz was almost old enough to join the Hitler Youth in his German village of Kleinheubach. That same year in Tab, Hungary, 12-year-old Bernie was loaded onto a train with the rest of the village's Jewish inhabitants and taken to Auschwitz, where his whole family was murdered. How to bridge the deadly gulf that separated them in their youth, how not to allow the power of the past to separate them even now, as it separates many others, become the focus of their friendship, and together they begin the project of remembering.
The separate stories of their youth are told in one voice, at Bernat Rosner's request. He is able to retrace his journey into hell, slowly, over many sessions, describing for his friend the "other life" he has resolutely put away until now. Frederic Tubach, who must confront his own years in Nazi Germany as the story unfolds, becomes the narrator of their double memoir. Their decision to open their friendship to the past brings a poignancy to stories that are horrifyingly familiar. Adding a further and fascinating dimension is the counterpoint of their similar village childhoods before the Holocaust and their very different paths to personal rebirth and creative adulthood in America after the war.
Seldom has a memoir been so much about the present, as we see the authors proving what goodwill and intelligence can accomplish in the cause of reconciliation. This intimate story of two boys trapped in evil and destructive times, who become men with the freedom to construct their own future, has much to tell us about building bridges in our public as well as our personal lives.

Download Description

Two men, who meet and become good friends after enjoying successful adult lives in California, have experienced childhoods so tragically opposed that the two men must decide whether to talk about them or not. In 1944, 13-year-old Fritz was almost old enough to join the Hitler Youth in his German village of Kleinheubach. That same year in Tab, Hungary, 12-year-old Bernie was loaded onto a train with the rest of the village's Jewish inhabitants and taken to Auschwitz, where his whole family was murdered. How to bridge the deadly gulf that separated them in their youth, how not to allow the power of the past to separate them even now, as it separates many others, become the focus of their friendship, and together they begin the project of remembering. The separate stories of their youth are told in one voice, at Bernat Rosner's request. He is able to retrace his journey into hell, slowly, over many sessions, describing for his friend the "other life" he has resolutely put away until now. Frederic Tubach, who must confront his own years in Nazi Germany as the story unfolds, becomes the narrator of their double memoir. Their decision to open their friendship to the past brings a poignancy to stories that are horrifyingly familiar. Adding a further and fascinating dimension is the counterpoint of their similar village childhoods before the Holocaust and their very different paths to personal rebirth and creative adulthood in America after the war. Seldom has a memoir been so much about the present, as we see the authors proving what goodwill and intelligence can accomplish in the cause of reconciliation. This intimate story of two boys trapped in evil and destructive times, who become men with the freedom to construct their own future, has much to tell us about building bridges in our public as well as our personal lives.

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful story..........2007-05-17

Friendship comes in many forms, and that relationship between Bernie and Fritz, from different sides, Jewish and Christian, of the deep divide of WW2, is a marvelous testimony to "friendship". The only bitter-sweet moment was when I realized that Bernie had given up his religious beliefs in his "americanization". His children were not raised as Jews; another generation lost to the Holocaust, as much as the six million were.

I first saw this book when a seat mate on a flight was reading it. He praised it, so I ordered it. The book was well worth the praise.

From a distant relative of Fritz Tubach.......2002-04-10

In a world with a lot of open wounds in need of healing, "An Uncommon Friendship" helps bridge former sins and ongoing roots of bitterness to establish a world pregnant with new beginnings--every day. This book shows that other options are possible beyond the labels of cultural bigotry. When properly understood and appropriated, understanding and forgiveness are seldom far apart in life-giving relationships.

Recently we came in contact with a person who has such a high disregard for Germans. If only they knew and understood the rich heritage German culture has also given as a gift to the New World of new beginnings.

A vey moving historical book that everyone should read.......2002-01-08

I was very impressed with this book; for such a difficult subject it was beautifully written. I have been to the Holocaust Museum in Israel, and though the documentation there is quite graphic and disturbing, the voice of the child in Bernie, and the voice of the child on the other side in Fritz, completes a picture that is enlightening, but reveals a picture that no one wants to believe. It seems to me that is often the way people have dealt with this very terrible time, and the authors are very brave to tell this story. I think this book should be required reading for all college students.

I go to the school mentioned in the book!.......2001-11-14

The two authors of the book just visited my school today, and told me and the other students their stories. Bernat Rosner went to my school, Thomas Jefferson School, and he even mentions and has pictures of it in the book. I've yet to read it, but I'm eagerly anticipating it. Their stories are so touching, and I feel so honored to have met these two men. Also to have had a man as interesting as Bernie Rosner go to my school in 1950, it's just so amazing. They are very interesting people, and there's just so much more I could say, but this review would unfortunately become boring. I strongly suggest that everyone should read this book, the authors have two great stories to tell.

A profoundly interesting and original Holocaust memoir.......2001-10-24

Each memoir is important in adding to the historical record of this terrible period, and this book adds a considerable dimension with the authors shared as well as separate memories and their astute and insightful analyses of every aspect of their experiences. By the time I finished reading this book, I felt I knew both authors well and also many of the people who surrounded them over the years. I hope the book is widely read and given a place of honor in Holocaust literature. It deserves deep attention by scholars and general readers and seems eerily prescient, too, in light of September 11th, and its concern for the horrors our species can inflict on its victims. If I were still writing book reviews, this book would be a prime choice for me. It deserves all the notice in print it can get.

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