Bodybuilding: Reforming Masculinities in British Art 1750-1810 (Paul Mellon Centre for Studies)

Book Description

This original book explores the radical transformation of the heroic male body in late eighteenth-century British art. It ranges across a period in which a modern art world was established, taking into account the lives and careers of a succession of major figures—from Benjamin West and Gavin Hamilton to Henry Fuseli, John Flaxman and William Blake—and influential institutions, from the Royal Academy to the commercial galleries of the 1790s.

Organized around the historical traumas of the Seven Years’ War (1756–63), the War of American Independence (1775–83) and the French Revolution and Revolutionary Wars (1789–1815), Bodybuilding places the visual representation of the hero at the heart of a series of narratives about social and economic change, gender identity, and the transformation of cultural value on the eve of modernity. The book offers a vivid image of a critical period in Britain’s cultural history and establishes a new framework for the study of late-eighteenth-century art and gender.

Customer Reviews:

Very readable for a period I do not generally appreciate.......2006-06-29

I was surpised at how interesting this book is - the topic could not be further away from the period of art I usually study. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

Book Description

Spinning directly out of the events of Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Past, Spider-Man and Sarah, the daughter of Gwen Stacy and the web-slinger's greatest enemy, embark on a journey of discovery - one that will take them halfway around the world to Paris, and into the sights of a mysterious new enemy! Plus: Once, he was the Mindworm, arch-nemesis of Spider-Man! Now, he's a lonely, forlorn beggar, trapped in an infernal triangle of poverty, booze and dementia. How can Peter Parker help his one-time foe - and is Spidey himself responsible for his pitiable condition? And finally, Ben Grimm's all-night poker games have become legendary among the super-hero set, and for the first time Spider-Man has been asked to join the table! But when the Kingpin unexpectedly deals himself in, the stakes are raised! Can the wall-crawler come out on top in this celebrity poker showdown? Guest-starring the Fantastic Four, Dr. Strange, the Black Cat and the Angel! Collects Spectacular Spider-Man #23-26.

Customer Reviews:

Some humor, Peter in a love triangle with Gwen's daughter..yikes!.......2006-09-17

Ok...I guess I'll be the 1st to review this tpb collection. This tpb collects Spectacualr Spider-man 23-26. There are no additional stories after this as mentioned in the Amazon editorial. No Mindworm or celebrity story here.

This is the continuation of the atrocious Sins Past storyline.

After an apparent overdose of drugs taken by Sarah, Peter Parker flies to Paris to check up on Gwen's daughter. After being release form the hospital, Peter stays with Sarah in Sarah's house without letting his wife MJ know. Sarah develops strong feeling for Peter that Peter is unaware of. MJ's female intuition propels her to go to Paris as well.

In Paris, MJ walks in as Sarah as she is kissing a shocked Peter. MJ storms out mad and upset. The rest of story involves Peter trying to explain himself and professing his love to a mad MJ. At the same time Spider-man must help Sarah out with a gangster named Dupree. Dupree wants Sarah to pay for her brother Gabriel's drug debt. Apparently Gabriel stole Duprees drugs and sold it. Now Dupree wants his money and is going after Sarah for it. Everything is nicely wrapped up in the end.

There is no mind-blowing story here. A few funny scenes here and there. The awkward moment when MJ walks into Sarah kissing Peter. Peter is told to look for Marguerite who turns out to be a "lady of the night." A good read even though I abhor the storyline of Gwen having Norman Osborn twins.

Customer Reviews:

Hex what?.......2006-05-16

Here is another of those little books off the discount shelf that called me to review it. I'm always up for a good old fashioned Book of Hexes.

But I am disappointed. First of all, no Table of Contents. Second, no index. So this is a "hunt through and see if what you are looking for is in here" book. Messy and time consuming. I like my books to have at least a Table of Contents, so I can find what I am looking for in a hurry.

So I started leafing through the book. Again, big disappointment. First Hex- "Hex to Humble Techno Snobs". Hmmm... someone has issues with people who know more about computers than they do. Even the incantation is a bit... off. And it tends to go on and on.

OK, moving right along, we have a hex "For People Who Always Tell the Ends of Movies or Books". How droll. This person needs to find some new folks to hang with. Where are the real hexes?

Next one is "A Spell for People Who Always One-Up You". Gee, this person has some serious people issues to work out, doesn't she? Personally, so far, these folks are not worth the energy to do a hexing on. I went on and started looking for a real "meat and potatoes" type of hex on someone who really deserves it.

There is one for "Someone who Cuts You Off on the Road". Beep your horn, make the sign of the horns and a lame incantation. Honk the horn to send the hex. Hmmmm... very lame.

"To Banish a Troublesome Co-Worker or Acquaintance" she does "doll magic" with a paper doll. Novel but the incantation again is lame. Interesting use of "doll magic" but it needs a little punch.

Seems some of the situations in this book suggest using a hex rather than calling 911 or seeing a lawyer. Sexual Harassment is a court case with a large cash settlement in my book. Stalkers are more repelled by a court restraining order than by a hex. Or use both, and make sure your hex involves specific body parts.

The hexes in this book lack real punch. The author's incantations limp in some places, stretch for a rhyme in others. Unruly neighbors should get a call to 911, not a hex. A couch potato should be dumped off the couch and told to move - to another house. A hateful letter deserves more than ashes and a feather returned to sender. It deserves at least a real poison pen letter in return.

And now I pass this along to you, so you don't make the same mistake. This book is not worth it at any price. Not even as a give away or a joke.

As for a hex on someone who sells a bad book, nope, not really worth it. But it does rate a review, which in this case is my "hex" on this book. boudica

Cute Book.......2003-04-20

This book os cute. I love the small size and it's a perfct gift for a girlfriend whoes feeling one of life's little downers. Witch or not.

HEXES FOR WOMEN.......2002-07-25

I FOUND THIS TO BE AN EASY BOOK TO UNDERSTAND FOR ADVANCED PEOPLE OR BEGINNERS LIKE ME. HOWEVER, I WISH THERE WOULD BE SOME MORE COMMON SPELLS WE COULD USE ON AN EVERYDAY BASIS, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE A FEW THAT I COULD USE DAILY. I THINK ITS A GOOD BOOK TO PUT IN YOUR "SPELL" AND "WITCHCRAFT" COLLECTION.

just what the witch ordered.......2001-04-27

this is an excellent spell book. easy to use, easy to read, easy to protect whats yours...my favorite is the "people who steal your parking spot" i am handicapped and when i see someone in that spot without a tag or not handicapped using someone elses tag, this is excellent to cast. i have used others to stop neighbors from talking about me and copying my ideas from my garden to my holiday decor. this is a must have book

it's not wise to cross a witch.......2000-11-08

I only got a chance to flip through this book. But I thought it was brilliant. Some folks need to be put in thier place and words don't always do the trick. Cat callers need to learn that it's not cool to harrass us chicks on the street. Folks shouldn't borrow stuff without returning it. Not all folks follow the codes of common courtesy. I'm beginning to see hexes as a means for protecting one's self. Setting psychic boundaries, is a more PC way to phrase it. I found this book both fun and amusing, I'd recommend it for a witch who's in tune with her dark side but who's more intent on teaching someone a lesson than causing one to suffer. Whether or not you actually use these spells, I think that just reading this book would be theraputic if you feel wronged. It's written with a sense of humor...and should cheer you up.

Book Description

Now you can tackle all your favorite games with strategies, tips, and secrets as essential today as they were back when sunken ships and shrouded redwoods first blew your mind. Prima?s CD-ROM Classics gives you insider hints for:

• The 7th Guest • The 11th Hour • Alone in the Dark •
• Companions of Xanth • Day of the Tentacle • The Dig •
• Dracula Unleashed • Dragonsphere • Eric the Unready •
• Full Throttle • Gabriel Knight: Sins of the Father •
• Gabriel Knight 2 • Indiana Jones and the Fate of Atlantis • Myst •
• Phantasmagoria • Return to Zork •
• Sam & Max Hit the Road • Star Trek: A Final Unity •
• Under a Killing Moon • Wing Commander III •

About the Author

Rick Barba is a game designer and author or co-author of numerous game books, including Myst: The Official Strategy Guide.

Customer Reviews:

i don't anything, i'm a new costumer.......2002-01-07

i from jakarta, i new now this book, so please give me all information about the book, pls

Book Description

Required reading for any Virtual Assistant!

If you're a new Virtual Assistant just starting your business or an experienced VA who wants to breath new life into your business, this book is a definite must read!

In The Virtual Assistants Guide to Marketing, you'll find fundamental ways to market your practice while exploring the VA approach to marketing, based on key relationship building concepts. This guide contains practical information that can be implemented immediately in your business. You'll learn how to:

• Build relationships that generate word of mouth and referrals
• Create top-notch marketing materials that will get noticed
• Plan and develop current and future marketing strategies

Written by a Virtual Assistant for Virtual Assistants, this down-to-earth, easy to read guide will develop business-generating ideas for sustaining momentum in your business.

Customer Reviews:

Great guide to marketing for new VA's!.......2007-05-30

This book is great in terms of marketing your VA business. It also gives a lot of helpful tips about the business. I have used this book everyday as my guideline to getting my business up and going. I would definitely recommend this book. I found this book more helpful than Virtual Assistant - The Series by Diana Ennen and Kelly Poelker. This book is a must read if you are considering entering into the VA business.

Excellent.......2007-05-12

Very informative, I should get a lot of knowledge out of reading this book.

Bought it, Liked it.......2005-08-06

I went on a buying spree and purchased three VA books at the same time.

One I loved, one I thought was OK and this one - which I think is a nice complement to the one I loved.

Marketing in any business is difficult and perhaps the area in which most VAs and other small business owners fall short in most often.

Ms. Jamieson does a nice job of walking the new VA through various marketing methods and takes the fear out of them. I especially liked the section on marketing kits. Nicely done!

Donna

Book Description

Dorothy Parker was known for her outrageous one-liners, her ruthless theater criticism, her clever verses and bittersweet stories, but there was another side to Dorothy Parker--a private life, set on a course of destruction. She suffered through two divorces, a string of painful affairs, a lifelong problem with alcohol, and several suicide attempts.

In this lively, absorbing biography, Marion Meade illuminates both the dark side of Parker and her days of wicked wittiness at the Algonquin Round Table with the likes of Robert Benchley, George Kaufman, and Harold Ross, and in Hollywood with S.J. Perelman, William Faulkner, and Lilian Hellman. At the dazzling center of it all, Meade gives us the flamboyant, self-destructive, and brilliant Dorothy Parker.

Customer Reviews:

Excruitiatingly Repetitious.......2007-05-15

I had heard Dorothy Parker was a creative wit, but I found this bio to be about 200 pages too long, with little evidence of her writing. As Dorothy would say, "What Fresh Hell is This?!" As for Dorothy - didn't see much in the way of her 'talent', but as a person, she was a very negative, mean-spirited, self-absorbed, promiscuous drunk who sponged off anyone she could her entire life. What a pathetic existance. And poor Alan Campbell who was her devoted husband. It's a wonder all her excesses didn't do her in before her 77 years. I have 150 MORE pages to slug through. I will finish it but prefer to read about people who make positive contributions to humanity, not suck dry what they can from others.

Good bio - a little windy.......2007-04-21

I am a big fan and was excited to read this book. It was a good read on some days and eye-burningly boring on others. I DO suggest the book but don't feel bad about skipping over parts - you won't miss anything. It could have been 50-80 pages shorter with the same info.

a great biography.......2007-02-16

this book is a great read and very imformative. it helped me with my project immensely.

Wow... what a b*(#h.......2006-06-28

I am nearly finished with this book - I haven't been this mesmerized by a book in forever! I would certainly recommend it.

Yes no maybe.......2006-01-08

I admit I knew very little about Dorothy Parker's life before reading this bio, and a decent amount after. But I must say I found this a very clumsily written, and apparently utterly un-edited, piece of work.

Just two examples, light and dark: on the light side, I suspect that Dorothy Parker herself would have found it hugely amusing to know that "She could be witty on paper, but her forte was oral agility."

Oral? Really? Are you sure?

On the dark side, just who, exactly, is Ms. Meade concerned with when writing "of the tragedies that would be recognized by twentieth century women as peculiarly their own: the gut-searing loneliness of the women who have 'careers,' the women who don't marry, the women who do but divorce; the women deprived of maternal warmth and comfort who are condemned to seek love forever in the barren soil of husbands and children and even animals; women howling primitively for nourishment, flanked on one side by rejecting mothers and on the other by rejecting lovers."

Ah, the primitive howlings for barren animal love. Dorothy, we hardly knew ye.

Dorothy Parker: What Fresh Hell Is This?

Average customer rating:

Dorothy Parker: What Fresh Hell Is This?
Dorothy] Meade, Marion [Parker
Manufacturer: Villard Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KVE8PC

Average customer rating:

DOROTHY PARKER WHAT FRESH HELL IS THIS?

Manufacturer: Villard Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I14MTG

Dorothy Parker: What Fresh Hell Is This? a Biography

Average customer rating:

Dorothy Parker: What Fresh Hell Is This? a Biography
Marion Meade
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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America redefined

A must read for all!!!

The Muddle of Everywhere

The Plight of Refugees in a magnificent piece

the world comes to your town

The Middle of Everywhere: The World's Refugees Come to Our Town
Mary Pipher
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
U.S. | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Emigration & Immigration | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0151006008
Release Date: 2002-03-22

Amazon.com

Though Lincoln, Nebraska, seems a strange gathering place for refugees from all corners of the globe, it is the setting for Mary Pipher's The Middle of Everywhere, an ardent, anecdotal, and at times moving study of some new arrivals to the United States. Pipher emphasizes the resiliency of the refugees--from Laos, Bosnia, Northern Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, and the former Soviet Union--whose homeland tales of death, privation, torture, and multi-pronged persecution vary only in the details. In America the refugees must learn a new language and pick their way among the temptations and wonders of a complex land. Does a Publishers Clearing House notice mean one is a millionaire? What is aluminum foil? Is an overdue library book a jailable offense? Pipher visits classrooms and homes and offers extended portraits of a female family of Kurds and a bewildered clan of Sudanese, as well as snapshots of many other refugees. She is a harsh critic of the Immigration and Naturalization Service and an advocate of "cultural brokers"--the social adjustment equivalent of practical nurses. --H. O'Billovich

Book Description

Over the past decade, Mary Pipher has helped us understand our family members. Reviving Ophelia did for our teenage daughters what Another Country did for our aging parents. Now, Pipher connects us with our greater family--the human family.
In cities and towns all over the country, refugees arrive daily. Lost Boys from Sudan, survivors from Kosovo, families fleeing Afghanistan and Vietnam: they come with nothing but the desire to experience the American dream. Their endurance in the face of tragedy and their ability to hold on to the essential virtues of family, love, and joy are a tonic for Americans who are now facing crises at home. Their stories will make you laugh and weep--and give you a deeper understanding of the wider world in which we live.
The Middle of Everywhere moves beyond the headlines, into the hearts and homes of refugees from around the world. Her stories bring to us the complexity of cultures we must come to understand in these times.

Harcourt is donating a portion of the proceeds from this book to the Pipher Refugee Relief Fund of the Lincoln Action Project.

Customer Reviews:

America redefined.......2007-02-14

I was working with a church group on mentoring Somalian refugees into mainstream America down south. This book fell into my hands as a blessing to understand how and why I am doing what I am doing. Pipher delves into the heart of the life of poor refugees (and to some extent immigrants too) who are given 'shelter' from their war or crisis torn homelands into a strange and completely different country. She looks into their past/present and possible futures with great love, compassion and above all a deep and sincere desire for America to be the real home of these people so separated from lands of their birth. I would give her five stars for that alone - the vast majority of americans i meet and whites in particularl live in an Utopian world where refugees and any other form of 'trouble' from the rest of the world is considered 'invasive' - the best they can come to is patronize, rarely any understanding. If not for churches and other immigrants life would be hell in more ways than one for these people. Pipher writes eloquently in the last few pages on using therapy (again a very american thing) in dealing with trauma, with both its pluses and minuses, and also on her own growth and healing from the lives of the many courageous souls she met in this process. My hope and prayers are for more people like her, and a more open minded America in times to come.

A must read for all!!!.......2006-03-01

At first I was apprehensive about reading this book. It was a required reading for a class. Once I started, I realized how wrong I was!!!

This is a great book. It brought to light how hard it is for refugees in America. I was also intrigued by the fact that Lincoln, NE is a major refugee hub.

I am a teacher, and I come into contact with Hmong students all of the time. This book remided me that they are not like us and everything I need to be aware of.

I have recommeded this book to everyone!!! I could not put it down!!!

The Muddle of Everywhere.......2004-04-26

For those who still believe that the forced (We voted on this WHEN?) conversion of the America into a "multicultural," ever-less-European caldron of aggravated grievances and simmering sensibilities remains limited to places like Los Angeles and New York, they should read clinical psychologist Mary Pipher's glowing account of the "transformation" of Lincoln, Nebraska. Lincoln is Pipher's hometown, one of the quiet American towns targeted by the U.S Office of Refugee Resettlement as a "preferred community for newly arrived refugees."

One of the difficult problems Pipher had growing up in Nebraska was that her "state's identity over the last 150 years has been mainly European." As a child Mary would wistfully play the "globe game," spinning a world globe, pointing her finger at some random spot, and imagining what wonders she would encounter there. Later she was increasingly torn: Travel to some exotic locale, or remain in monotonous old Lincoln, which many derided as "the middle of nowhere." But now, thanks to her government's refugee-immigration policies, the fun globe game has come to Mary Pipher!

Today, Pipher admits, when long-time residents of Lincoln drive down their quiet streets and see the same houses and trees, they are unaware that their town is becoming drastically altered. We will soon have a "brown Nebraska," and this is "happening nationwide," rejoices the "Irish-English" Mary Pipher. For, "We are becoming a richer curry of peoples."

Now Pipher looks at sections of her once dreary hometown and is happily reminded of the exciting colorfulness of "East Harlem" or "Bangkok." And, luckily for her, "where cultures collide [as in Iraq?] is the best vantage point for observing human resilience." Pipher has "always loved Culture and Personality studies and now," she writes, "I can be an anthropologist in my own town." Yes, at last, Pipher can visit the public schools in Lincoln and find "children from fifty different nationalities who speak thirty-two languages."

Someone might easily write another, equally voluminous book, a handy companion to this one, entitled "The Incredibly Obvious Things that Never Occur to Dr. Mary Pipher."

Pipher interviews three refugee Muslim brothers who are in tears describing how terribly American men treat American women, a sort of "mirror image" of how American men view Muslim men's treatment of Muslim women. Yes, it is undoubtedly painful for immigrants to live in a culture they see as sinful. What is completely lost on Pipher is that this is exactly why it has made sense historically for people of drastically different cultures to live in separate nations.

Also, one of the things that Pipher loves most about Nebraska is that it is a "vast farm and ranch state." In fact, the "state's best feature is our population density." That refugees and other immigrants continually flowing into Nebraska, many with historically high birthrates, will eventually bring staggering population growth, pollution, crime and all the other urban ills to her beloved sparsely-populated state never seems to penetrate the otherwise infinitely sensitive and psychologically nuanced mind of Mary Pipher.

Different refugees, we read, prefer to live among themselves, since they can help each other cope. Sometimes interviewing refugees can be tricky. There are "highly charged political and personal questions" and "Religion and politics are danger zones." In fact, "Everything is more complex than it seems." Gosh, no kiddin, Mare?

So what will happen when large sections of America are splintered among these very different cultures, and they all start contending for power over these "highly-charged" issues? Another question left unconsidered by Dr. Pipher.

Sometimes these lapses in cognition are so extreme that it is difficult to see them as innocent. "Globalization will change everything forever." Racially and culturally the world is becoming a cozy "bowl of salt and pepper." Oh really? Is China becoming less ethnically Chinese? Mexico less Hispanic? Why is this "salt and pepper" paradise only thought to be beneficial for traditionally white nations? Don't ask. On this question too, sorry, the Doctor cannot see you now.

One of the strengths of this book, however, is its humor, no matter how unintended. What we are witnessing today is the slow "unfurling" of the "unity of mankind." [Okay, I'll try to remember that when I'm watching the nightly TV body count.] Now it is time for us to "see our common humanity and blow each other a kiss of welcome."

It is tempting to laugh at these things, but it is always chilling to see how easily pious, high-minded utopianism can slither down into evil consequences.

Pipher writes that some Nebraskans just want to be "left alone." But, No way, says the compassionate grandmotherly psychotherapist, because now "nobody gets to be left alone," which is the "great lesson" of 9/11. "Either we all are safe or none of us is safe." How sweet.

Besides, Americans are so "protected" that they know almost nothing about the rest of the world. Pipher tells us that some refugees are unaware that the word is round, or can't find the United States on a world map, but Americans are suppose to feel like insensitive dolts because they don't know, for example, that they "should not touch a Vietnamese child on the head." In a world of hundreds of cultures? What a double standard!

Even Pipher concedes that refugees "range from saints to psychopaths." But why should we take in psychopaths? Because--forget about Washington, Jefferson, or the moon landing--"the central fact for American identity is that we take people in."

Tragically, the very thing that Lincoln, Nebraska was accused of being, it was not, but is now becoming. It was once the middle of a strong and cherished culture. It was at the very heart of somewhere. Now Pipher almost swoons when she describes the colorful "diversity" of a downtown park, with women in hijabs next to women in tank tops, and so on. But a nation is not a costume ball, nor is it a bizarre anthropological experiment. Only now is Lincoln becoming "the middle of nowhere."

The Plight of Refugees in a magnificent piece.......2003-02-13

The convergence of a fascinating and easy to follow narrative with a serious discussion of a theme of world proportions is seldom found in literature. Best seller author Mary Phipher met the challenge of writing with from the perspective of a health professional and a human being who exhibits compassion for a "people group," the refugee population.

The book describes Phipher's involvement in what I will call in theological terms, a ministry of care for other human beings, the refugees who have moved to Lincoln, Nebraska. It is poignant to read that she finished the manuscript on September 10, 2001 at the eve of the great disaster those of us living in New York experienced in what has been popularized as 9/11.

The book is presented in three symmetrical parts, each containing four chapters, and a Coda. Part One: "Hidden in Plain Sight" describes the unusual collisions of the culture of Lincoln, Nebraska, in the heartland of the nation, with the arrival of refugees from different countries of the world. Part Two: "Refugees across the Life Cycle," narrates Phipher's involvement with different "age groups" of the refugee population--children, youth, young adults, and families--
including social work, relief, counseling, and mentoring

Part Three: "The Alchemy of Healing--Turning Pain into Meaning," discusses specific case studies of selected groups of refugees who have suffered through wars, famines, ethnic cleansing, and displacement. It analyzes the stories and reactions of those who are finding healing and a new life in the community.

Chapters 11 and 12 were of significant help to this writer. Phipher deals with a case study of counseling and presents significant conclusions related to the challenges refugees face in their attempts to adapt to a new culture. She discusses in depth topics like choice and identity, the role of "home," what refugees can teach us about adaptation, and what the health professions need to face in dealing with persons in trauma whose cultural presuppositions are different from a "Western" approach to therapy. The section of chapter 12 "Just Plain Ignorance," (JPI) outlines ten stereotypes the general population has about refugees.

"Coda: We're All Here Now," and an Appendix provide helpful tools of "How to" for persons interested in ministering to refugees.

This writer has had emotional, intellectual and ministry connection with refugees. Ministering to Cuban, Vietnamese, Cambodian, and Salvadoran refugees in Texas during the 1970s and 80s, I entered into the narrative of the book as an active participant. I was reminded by the case studies of the pain, suffering, loneliness, and challenges facing refugees. It was also good to remember the multiple acts of kindness, mercy, grace, and love practiced by church members who took the challenge of the Old Testament injunction to "welcoming the stranger in your midst."

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees (UNHCR) classifies a refugee as a person fleeing a frontier and eligible to receive international protection. For these, an estimated 13-15 million, the agency has a mandate for assistance.
The "internally displaced persons" (IDPs) are those who are displaced in their own country and for whom assistance is more problematic. The UNHCR does not have a mandate to assist the estimated 20-25 million of IDPs, but about 6.4 million are helped. Estimates of the largest number of IDPs are in Sudan (4 million), Angola (2.3 million), Congo (1.8 million), Colombia (1.5 million), Eritrea (1.1 million), and Afghanistan (956,600).

Present and future wars will add to these overwhelming numbers. Western nations fearing terrorism are limiting the entry of many victims of persecution and ethnic cleansing, and refugees who flee seeking religious, political and economic freedom.

Those in ministry of mercy and grace working with refugees, internationals, migrants, and other foreign born persons can profit immensely by reading this book. Although the book is directed to the general population, I would recommend it for use as required reading for classes in pastoral ministry or social work.

the world comes to your town.......2002-09-19

Mary Pipher's "The Middle of Everywhere" is a marvelously wise book that encompasses the tales of people of many lands who come to Lincoln, Nebraska, and her personal story as a "cultural broker" who appreciates and respects them. The world has come to my town, also. Pipher writes, "Most of my friends were of European background. As I've made friends with people of Mideastern, Latino, African, and Southeast Asia backgrounds, I've changed a great deal. I've stopped seeing myself as a member of a majority culture. Instead, I see myself as a member of a world culture that flourishes in my hometown." That has been my experience exactly.

Especially interesting is her chapter on how American-style psychotherapy is not the method many of the refugee peoples use to heal from past traumas. She quotes a saying of her mother's: "There are three cures for all human pain and all involve salt--the salt of tears, the salt of sweat from hard work, and the salt of the great open seas." (She points out that, while once she interpreted the "seas" as an escape from family or memory, now she sees it as the beauty of the natural world.)

Pipher believes that young people adjusting to the American lifestyle should carefully choose to incorporate the best of their cultural heritage with the best of what America offers. (The pervasive media advertising and marketing, and all types of sleaze, for example, should be rejected. Family and community, shared meals, fun, love and laughter, should be cherished.) She celebrates the energy and the optimism of these newest Americans.

In a carefully reasoned discussion, she upholds the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and firmly maintains we are not practicing cultural bias when we seek to implant these basic rights all over the world.

Hats off to Mary Pipher, one of our own culture's wise women, a down-to-earth midwesterner who eats a lot of pie, and a world citizen whose heart is open to all. This book may stir you to become a cultural broker yourself, and you'll find your life enriched beyond measure. This book deserves the highest recommendation.

Average customer rating:
The Middle of Everywhere: The World's Refugees Come to Our Town
Mary Pipher
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MC34N6

Average customer rating:
The Middle of Everywhere: The World's Refugees Come to Our Town
Mary Pipher
Manufacturer: Harcourt
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJCA28

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