Amazon.com
Lynn C. Franklin's memoir of giving a child up for adoption and the relationship she developed with her son later in life examines the complexities of the adoption process--which seems to be lifelong. Franklin, who spoke to her son's father only once after the birth, was a typical unmarried mother of the 1960s. Her son, Andrew, approached her in 1993 and they met a scant month after their first contact. In her book, Franklin uses her feelings about and relationship to Andrew as particular examples in a larger survey of adoption.
While Andrew firmly informed Franklin that he considered his mother to be the woman who raised him, a central point of the book is that adoptive families--like many families in a world where divorce and remarriage are common--are flexible, elastic institutions. Franklin, who is the only birth parent on the board of directors of an adoption agency, values her contact with adoptive parents on the board (as well as with Andrew's father and mother) because it helps all of them understand others' perspectives and break through the barriers of fear and ignorance that can isolate members of the "adoption triad." Franklin uses many excerpts from interviews with and writings by birth parents, adoptees, and adoptive parents. Ably assisted by freelance writer Elizabeth Ferber, she organizes these varied voices into a unified narrative that leads readers through each phase of the adoption process, which evolves over the lifetime of all the participants.
Book Description
May the Circle Be Unbroken is both a poignant memoir of a woman who reunited with a child she gave up for adoption and a no-nonsense book that gives readers an intelligent and well-informed approach to adoption. The two are woven seamlessly into a complex and engaging story that is, in fact, many stories from many people that form a complete picture of the varied and often fulfilling experience of adoption.
In the 1960s, when she was an unmarried college sophomore, Lynn Franklin surrendered her newborn son for adoption. Using her own story as a point of departure, Franklin examines the changing face of adoption and explores the uncertainties and emotions that surround it with rare honesty and perception.
Moving and enlightened,
May the Circle Be Unbroken will prove invaluable for readers concerned with the practical, emotional, and legal aspects of adoption, whether they are thinking of making an adoption plan for their child or hoping to be chosen as suitable parents for someone else's child. Franklin demystifies adoption and offers essential comfort to those who have felt, firsthand, the impact of adoption on their lives. She has dialogues with children of adoption who discuss the struggle to come to terms with their feelings of loss and abandonment and the difficulty of forging an identity without knowing their biological heritage. She gives equal time to those who became parents through an abundance of human affection rather than by biology, by audition rather than chance.
Franklin covers the changing face of adoption and virtually every possible form of adoption, but, perhaps most important, she speaks to adoptees wondering if they should search for their mothers and to women who have relinquished a child and are wondering if they are emotionally able to reconnect. While her own powerful story anchors the book, it is her voice as a birth mother that will distinguish this book from others on the subject. It will also resonate emotionally for people who have no individual experience of adoption, but who, like any of us, struggle with the universal issues of loss, identity, and personal reconciliation.
Since finding her son, Franklin has come to know his wife and children, who also have become an important part of her life. In so doing, she has closed one of life's most precious circles.
Customer Reviews:
Compelling, and From the Heart.......2003-12-28
Poignant, timeless, and compelling, this book should be required reading for every young woman considering adoption and its likely consequences.
Recommended!!.......2001-07-24
A must read for any member of the adoption triad- or anyone who's life has been touched by adoption.
This book explores the issues of adoption and reunion from all sides of the adoption triangle; and Ms. Franklin does it fairly and eloquently.
As an adoptee, "May the Circle Be Unbroken" was eye-opening to me. It validated many of the feelings I've had about adoption & lent perspective that I'd never before considered.
Heartwarming!.......2001-07-19
As an adoptee fortunate enough to find her birthparents (and therefore being familiar with all aspects of the triad), I found Lynn C. Franklin's book excellent. I have read many books about adoption, this one outshines them all. It was not overly clinical or statistical and was written with compassion, heart and objectivity. Adoption is such a complex topic, this is not an accomplishment to be taken lightly. Ms. Franklin's candid personal reflections of the search for her son stirred emotions deep within this reader and in my opinion brings greater understanding to everyone who has been touched by adoption or is interested in the subject. She gives voice to birthparents, adoptees and adoptive parents and their struggles with depth and kindness and backs it up with facts and experience. I am grateful to her for her efforts.
A self absorbed account of adoption.......2000-03-28
As an adoptive mother, I read this book looking for some insight into the mind of a birth mother. I had regular conversation with my child's birth mother before and after he was born. But I found the author's notion of the Primal Wound offensive. It was if she placed herself above whatever had been given to the child she placed for adoption by his parents. Its great that she could find her son and establish a relationship with him. I kept having to remind myself that she was a birth mother who apparently had to justify giving her child up for adoption by placing herself foremost in his life. It was insightful if only for that, but otherwise a total waste of time compared to less self absorbed books written by birth parents, adoptees and adoptive parents.
this book is too superficial and badly written.......2000-03-22
The only reason I give this book even two stars is that it's written by a birth mother, which is pretty unusual. Unfortunately, we do not get enough of her own and her son's stories; it is not a memoir. Neither is it a well-researched informational book about adoption. The information it contains is pretty superficial. (To give an idea, the author cites People magazine for the earth-shattering news that some foreign-born adoptees are now searching for their roots.) It's also not very well-written: despite her boast that ``literature and language have always been part of my life'' as a translator and publisher, the author comes across as not only stilted but downright ungrammatical. In short, I found this book a boring read and not worth the effort. Too bad, because there aren't many books out there from the birth mother's perspective.
Book Description
During the late summer of 1862, Confederate forces attempted a three-pronged strategic advance into the North. The outcome of this offensive—the only coordinated Confederate attempt to carry the conflict to the enemy—was disastrous. The results at Antietam and in Kentucky are well known; the third offensive, the northern Mississippi campaign, led to the devastating and little-studied defeats at Iuka and Corinth, defeats that would open the way for Grant's attack on Vicksburg.
Peter Cozzens here presents the first book-length study of these two complex and vicious battles. Drawing on extensive primary research, he details the tactical stories of Iuka—where nearly one-third of those engaged fell—and Corinth—fought under brutally oppressive conditions—analyzing troop movements down to the regimental level. He also provides compelling portraits of Generals Grant, Rosecrans, Van Dorn, and Price, exposing the ways in which their clashing ambitions and antipathies affected the outcome of the campaign. Finally, he draws out the larger, strategic implications of the battles of Iuka and Corinth, exploring their impact on the fate of the northern Mississippi campaign, and by extension, the fate of the Confederacy.
Customer Reviews:
Very Good Book, But Caveat Emptor.......2007-05-30
This is a very good battle study of three key battles in one of the war's most overlooked theatres of operations. Cozzens has produced an excellent study of Corinth, Iuka, and Davis' Bridge, and by the end of the book has made a good case for this being a minor turning point of the war in the west.
However, there's a major caveat emptor: Cozzen's is looking to take potshots at Ulysses S. Grant, and often times covers over the mistakes or even outright malfeasance of others to make his points in that regard. Two examples come to mind. First, Cozzens ignores good evidence that Rosecrans attempted to smear Grant by having a staff member claim that Grant was drunk at Iuka. Secondly, Cozzens gives credence to Rosecrans' claim that he could have marched to Vicksburg in 6 days and easily destroyed Van Dorn's army in the process, when in reality Vicksburg was a months' march away and reinforcements were already on the way to Van Dorn.
Without the egregious Grant bashing, this book gets five stars.
excellent.......2007-03-26
I was very pleased with the purchase and the time it took to reach me. The condition of the book was excellent.
The BEST on the Iuka-Corinth campaign!.......2005-06-21
In 1862, Jefferson Davis proclaimed that there were two crucial places that the Confederacy must hold if it was to survive - Richmond, VA and Corinth, MS. While Richmond is a major focal point of the American Civil War, Corinth and Iuka, Mississippi have had little if any attention, except by those who study the western and Trans-Mississippi armies of the war.
Peter Cozzens has written THE definitive work on the battles at Iuka and Corinth in the fall of 1862. The writing is full of the facts and research that are a hallmark of Mr. Cozzen's previous efforts, and the descriptions are so vibrant that one can almost smell the gunpowder and feel the earth shake to the rumble of cannons.
Not only does Mr. Cozzens provide great detail on the battles themselves along with the Battle of Davis Bridge (Hatchie River) that followed the fight at Corinth; he provides an understanding of the importance of these battles, how they fit into the scheme of things (Van Dorn / Price were defeated at Corinth during the same week that Bragg was defeated at Perryville). We see one of the few attempts at a Confederate "Grand Strategy," but like many of the Confederate operations, this one is beset by political intrigue between Van Dorn and Price with Richmond; nebulous orders, rank insubordination and a failure to follow through on opportunities earned on the battlefield. In downtown Corinth and at Batteries Robinette and Powell, some of the bloodiest fighting of the war occurred.
Winning at Corinth allowed the Federals to control the extremely valuable north-south and east-west rail roads that crossed in downtown Corinth and set the stage for Grant's victory at Vicksburg the next summer. It deprived the Confederacy of the means to ship food, men and supplies from the Mississippi to the East by rail.
Mr. Cozzen's book served as the "bible" for the planning and execution of the huge re-enactment of the Battle of Corinth staged Oct. 1-2, 2005 near Corinth, MS.
Another Winner from Cozzens.......2004-06-17
Cozzens has written many fine books about the less well known Western Theater campaigns. The Darkest Days of the War: The Battles of Iuka and Corinth is perhaps the finest yet. It goes into great detail about 2 obscure, but ultimately important battles in the western theater. It manages to describe the battles in clear terms, set out convincing portraits of the key players and place these campaigns in context. At the same time, Cozzens avoids the pitfalls common to many Civil War books. (No, not everyone who dreams that they are going to die, dies. Its just that those dreams, when related to others, are the ones that are remembered. Cozzens doesn't treat us to the umpteenth take on this old saw).
Highly recommended.
This Guy Should Write More Books....!.......2004-04-28
Peter Cozzens is, arguably, the greatest writer today of the Western Theatre of the Civil War. I live 90 miles from Corinth and have been to many of the sites related to the Battle of Corinth of fall-1862 (and some sites from the April-May 1862 siege of the city), but never knew even the basic series of events of this battle. Not so after reading Mr. Cozzens' great book.
Of course, Cozzens brings back his great writing style and research, then adds the maps by one George Skoch, one of the best mapmakers of military history today. Along with all this, many good illustrations are spread across the book.
But this book does not only cover the Battle of Corinth; it covers the Battle of Iuka, the engagement precipitating the much larger battle at Corinth, and the Battle of Davis Bridge, which followed the Battle of Corinth.
On my most recent trip to Shiloh and Corinth in early-April, on the way home I decided to stop by the Davis Bridge Battlefield, and happily found it to be in pristine condition, and interpreted. I never would have visited the battlefield had it not been for this book.
If you are a fan of the Western Theatre, your book collection is definitely incomplete without this fine volume; if you are a fan of the Eastern Theatre, Trans-Mississippi Theatre, or the Civil War in general, I would also urge you to purchase this book!
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Kliatt, published by Thomson Gale on November 1, 2006. The length of the article is 444 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: Cozzens, Peter. The darkest days of the war; the battles of Iuka and Corinth.(Young adult review)(Brief article)(Book review)
Author: Raymond Puffer
Publication:
Kliatt (Magazine/Journal)
Date: November 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 40
Issue: 6
Page: 39(1)
Article Type: Book review, Brief article, Young adult review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
Integrating physical, economic, social, and political perspectives, Cutter and Renwick's Fourth Edition presents readers with a wide range of opinions and interpretations of the major natural resource issues facing the world today.
Customer Reviews:
huh?.......2005-05-29
i dont like having to reread pages because i have no idea what i just read. Organized HORRIBLY, seems as though there is almost no concise outline, uses overly complex and lengthy examples to explain simple concepts, and like said before extremely dry.
boring.......2001-04-23
This text is very dry which maks it hard to read. It does seem to be a great source of fact type information though.
Amazon.com
Matteo Ricci (1552-1616), an Italian Jesuit, entered China in 1583 to spread Catholicism in the largely Confucian country. In order to make a persuasive argument for the educated Chinese to abandon their traditional faith for the new one he was carrying, Ricci realized that he would have to prove the general superiority of Western culture. He did so by teaching young Confucian scholars tricks to increase their memory skills--an important advantage in a nation with countless laws and rituals that had to be learned by heart. Ricci attracted numerous students with this method; more important, Ricci came to have a sympathetic understanding for China that he communicated to Rome, and thence to the European nations at large. Spence's portrait of Ricci is a gem of historical writing. --Gregory MacNamee
Customer Reviews:
Train of Consciousness..........2006-12-22
This book had some wonderful nuggets about Ricci and China, but there were so many tangents and mind-numbing details that it was challenging to read. The main issue is that the book is thematic in nature rather than chronological. On one page Spence is talking in detail about China in 1582 and the next he's talking in detail about Portugal in 1567. He flips back and forth across the decades and the continents enough that it's very difficult to get a picture of Ricci's life. A lot of Spence's content seems pulled from history books on Europe, having little or nothing to do with either Ricci or China. If you want a random, panoramic view of life in the late 1500's this book is for you. If you're looking for a comprehensive, orderly look at Ricci or China or his memory system you may be disappointed. It's worth the read, but with appropriate expectations.
A summary, a memory form.......2005-04-04
You can find a summary below with floors for chapters, http://olivierinshanghai.free.fr/npds/chinois/ricci.pdf
"Memory Palace" holds a wealth of information.......2003-12-11
I wrote my BA of Humanities thesis on Matteo Ricci and found Spence's book valuable for its information but mildly frustrating. "Memory Palace" is an excellence source for facts about Ricci's life for those who are not fluent in multiple languages or do not have access to the research material that Spence does. I turned to Spence for his commentary on Ricci's various writings that I did not have access to and for various tidbits of facts. Furthermore, Spence does a good job of illustrating the world that Ricci lived and worked in. For example, I was enlightened on the relationship of the Jesuits to the Portuguese King and how the Portuguese port of Macao in China operated. It was good background information to supplement the primary text I was using.
However, the frustrating part of this book is its organization. While it's an interesting idea to organize it according to the first four Chinese characters in his mnemonic system (or "memory palace"), it makes for a near meaningless train of thought; I ended up skimming the lengthy chapter on "water." I'm still disappointed by the end because Spence offers no real conclusion or summary, just an enigmatic statement. I had previously read Spence's "Death of Woman Wang" and I realize that it is Spence's style to amass historical information with unorthodox organization (I think it's his selling point). It's creative, but not very useful. Fortunately, the book has an excellent index, so it's fairly easy to re-find significant passages.
For those that want to read an actual narrative of Ricci's mission, I highly recommend the English translation of Trigault's transcription of Ricci's mission journals; this was the primary text for my paper. I found it very interesting and suprisingly high in entertainment value, considering its origin.
Trigault, Nicolas S. J. "China in the Sixteenth Century:
The Journals of Mathew Ricci: 1583-1610."
trans. Lous J. Gallagher, S.J. (New York: Random House, Inc. 1953).
Also recommended for his examination of the religious issues involved with Ricci and the other Jesuits preaching Christianity in China is Jaques Gernet's "China and the Christian Impact." To sum up, it answers this question and more, "What happens when you try to insert the Christian God into the ancient writings of a sophisticated society?"
Gernet, Jaques, "China and the Christian Impact." (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990).
Not About Memory Systems.......2002-09-21
Having been hipped to the existence of the phenomenon of memory palaces by the books of Thomas Harris, (I'd forgotten all about them after reading one of Tom Wujec's earlier books) I was looking forward to finding a how-to book on the subject. The Memory Palaces Of Matteo Ricci, however, is, again not it. I already felt burned by Francis Yates' "Art Of Memory", which is more about Hermeticism than the purported subject.
Interesting though it may be, the book is mainly about Ricci's life and times as a Jesuit missionary in China, something I would have gotten from any biography about the man, which in fact this is. There is some cursory mention made of the principles of using loci for the purpose of memory, but that's it. Not even Ricci's own method is analyzed or discussed in great detail.
Biography? History? Memory Improvement?.......2002-09-13
Jonathan D. Spence has written a book which can fall into a number of categories. On one level, it is a biography of a Jesuit who worked as a missionary in China during the Post-Reformation period. On another, it is an examination of his remarkable memory. On yet another, it vividly describes the China of this era and the efforts to bring Christianity to this closed society. The structure of the book is unusual for the genre, but is surprisingly successful. Ultimately, the book becomes a sort of psycho-historical account of a most remarkable man in a most remarkable place in a most remarkable time. Images from this book will linger in your mind for some time to come. Recommended for those interested in religious history, missions, the Jesuits, China, or artificial memory. A more technical companion piece is Francis Yates' _The Art of Memory_.
Average customer rating:
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AA Command (Monuments of War)
Colin Dobinson
Manufacturer: Methuen Publishing, Ltd.
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ASIN: 0413765407 |
Book Description
The first major study, supported by English Heritage, of Britain's Anti-Aircraft defenses during World War II, including maps of key sites and the memories of those involved.
Customer Reviews:
great perspective on this ongoing problem.......2006-11-03
This is worth reading if the problems in Iran, Iraq and the Middle East concern you. It is a tragic tale that shows American foreign policy as the immature outgrowth of US intervention in world affairs during the 1940's. No administration is spared. The author we involved in these events while in the US State Department.
This book is one reason why I only read non-fiction.......2005-11-03
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the modern middle east, political Islam, the Iranian revolution, or the Iran hostage crisis.
EXTENSIVE FAILURE OF U.S. POLICY TOWARDS IRAN.......2005-06-21
"The Eagle and the Lion: The Tragedy of American-Iran Relations", is an excellent book by James Bill, who explores the files of history in an effort to assess the series of events that culminated in the worsening and then breaking of U.S. -Iranian links. The author looks at the manner in which the American policy makers handled relations between the two countries. He highlights the uneasy diplomatic contacts between the two countries that date back to 1883 while searching for the causes of the artificiality of the "healthy" relationship between the two countries.
The main emphasis of Professor Bill is on the fact that American policy makers misunderstood those societal dimensions of Iran which play an important part in its foreign policy behavior. For example, the perceptions of the Iranians towards the Europeans or Americans; the sensitivity of the people of Iran towards their religion and culture and the respect that was given to the religious leadership. The writer emphasizes the modes adopted by the American foreign policy makers, especially in the context of delicate situations when ever they arose.
In order to reach a logical conclusion for the "mismanagement," the author is concerned with the deteriorating relations between the two countries, - and for that the book traces out the initial heavy contacts between the Iranians and the Americans.
One must give credit to the Professor for his understanding of Iranian society and his compassionate analysis. This study is a must for the students of U.S.-Iran relations. It is a welcome contribution, not only to the literature on the subject but also to the study of Iranian as well as American decision makers. This is the best book of its genre written by an American author.
Prof.Dr. S. Farooq Hasnat
Former Chairman,
Department of Political Science
Punjab University, Lahore
Pakistan
A MUST-READ.......2003-08-26
After reading this book, I am amazed that James Bill is not the most sought-after Middle East commentator in America. His analysis of 20th century Iran leading up to the revolution of 1979 is a clear and concise explanation of part of the puzzle that led to the tragedies of 9/11. This is a MUST-READ for anyone who wants to become truly familiar with Iran's tumultuous history and its rocky relationship with the West. As the Bush administration continues to evolve its policy towards this area of the world, it would be wise for officials at the State Department and at the Pentagon to read and absorb the lessons contained in this crucial analysis of US-Iran relations. Again, this is a must-read.
Engaging read with reference-quality scholarship.......2002-02-23
Far and away the most balanced, well-researched, accurate and thoughtful book on US-Iran relations. Excellent psychographical backgrounds of the key players.
Book Description
Never in history has life been so complicated and full of sudden changes. Technology, the environment, and the way we work and relate to one another are all in upheaval. With wit, humor, a calm voice, and great authority, Swimming Lessons gives a clear view of what our world has become - not just our successes, but also the destruction set loose by our own genius and inventions. In addition, it offers practical, non-utopian suggestions for keeping afloat in the dangerous waters of the 21st century's globalized civilization. Whether it is describing a comical brainstorming session in a Washington boardroom or a close encounter with an Alaskan grizzly and her cubs, Swimming Lessons is a delight to read. Trained in history, medicine, and zoology, David Ehrenfeld brings a grand perspective to his challenging task. He writes not just as a scientist, but as one who values and understands the social sciences and humanities as well. In the first half of Swimming Lessons, we learn to recognize the lies we live: about education, new military weapons systems, biotechnology, electronic pseudocommunities, and accelerated obsolescence. We also learn about the deadly corporate economics that affect every aspect of our lives, even environmental conservation. The second half reveals the pitfalls and opportunities in the main tasks we face: relating to nature in a manmade world and restoring our damaged communities.
Customer Reviews:
Lovely thought.......2006-06-29
Very seldom do I find something to read that provides an instantly respectful response. This author's work does. Nearly anything I write about this sounds pompous but this author's flow of ideas is friendly and deeply attaching.
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