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Book Description

Blade for Barter is the story of Ryusuke Washington, a private samurai for hire. He lives in New Edo, a hodgepodge city-state where New York City meets ancient Japan, where monolithic skyscrapers tower over ramshackle wooden huts, and salarymen and samurai walk side-by-side. Along with his loyal dog Hachiko, our noble hero Ryusuke must deal with the likes of the corrupt Samurai Union, the Mafuza (a cross between the Italian mafia and the Yakuza); a Ninja Union of clumsy ninja; a sinister Zen Monk televangelist, and more - not to mention the temper-tantrum prone Lord Hoseki, who rule New Edo with bejeweled fingers and an iron fist. This publisher is a new client to Diamond Book Distributors!

Customer Reviews:

Nice Ameri-manga.......2006-03-07

One of the newbies in American manga, Seven Seas started out doing graphic novels in the right-to-left format. Meaning, that their books are being printed in the same fashion as regular translated Japanese manga. Whether this is trying to cash in on the current hype of manga, or an attempt to confuse potential buyers into thinking its an actual manga remains to be seen.

Blade For Barter is done as an all-ages action/comedy. In it, Ryusuke Washington is a freelance samurai(or ronin). He lives in the city of New Edo, which takes place in an alternate reality where modern day mixes with feudal Japan. Always looking for new work, Ryusuke hears about a job opening of an inhouse samurai for a big time corporation. After going through Super Mario-type efforts to make the interview, he looses his oppurtunity when he refuses to join the shifty Samurai Union.

Afterwards, he gets a new pet dog named Hachiko who he saved from being run over previously. However, his new neighbor and business rival, the sexy(?)ninja girl Macadameia, causes immeadiate friction for Ryusuke's pet. Then, some local restaraunt owners hire both of them to find some bandits who've beem eating and running with their meals. They only way to stop them is for Ryusuke and Macadamia to pretend to join the ranks of the bill-avoiding thieves.

The art style by illustrator Hai!(yes, that's his name)is very similar to those from the One Piece manga series. The story usually paces out like it too, with fast action and quick dialogue. Writer Jason DeAngelis originally started out as a translator for manga like Berserk. Together, they pull off a reasonably interesting graphic novel

A fun, light-hearted, original story with potential........2005-04-11

This book is entertaining, and has has a lot of potential. The story, set in a world that's a bizzare blend of modern-day US and feudal Japan, is fast-paced, intriguing, and delightfully original - a young samurai, the last one who remembers the way of Bushido, struggles to make ends meet in a world where Samurai are unionized, lazy, and corrupt.

The art, while very cartoony, is also very underrated - the wealth of little details generously sprinkled throughout the book testifies to the amount of work and dedication that went into making the story (see if you can spot a homeless Uncle Sam lookalike begging for money on the street)

The only initial drawback is the format - like Japanese manga, Blade for Barter is meant to be read right-to-left. However, that takes very little time to adjust to, and stops being an issue farily quickly.

Overall, a really fun read. Looking forward to volume 2.

Average customer rating:

I tried not to laugh but I could not help myself

Trying to hard to be clever

It's a Wonderful Read!

An Hilarious Satire of Real Thought

Santa Lives: Five Conclusive Arguments for the Existence of Santa Claus
Ellis Weiner
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Book Description

Does Santa Claus actually exist?

In this slim-but-enthralling volume, Ellis Weiner addresses this age-old question and comes to a surprising answer. Guess what it is.

Using many of the same arguments-and even some of the same words-employed by people much smarter than he to answer other, even harder questions, Weiner offers a brilliant step-by-step analysis that is as full of insight as it is insightful. His investigation touches on a myriad of topics, including the existence of napkins, the differences between birthday cake and fruitcake, and whether Santa is American.

So, does Santa Claus exist?

Read this unbelievably intelligent (and unbelievably funny) book to find out. Otherwise, no one would ever guess.

Download Description

"Is Santa Claus real? The range of opinion regarding Clausite existence spans the complete gamut, from outright denial (""There's no such thing as Santa Claus"") to fervent affirmation (""Yes there is and shut up""). And yet, after six-point-two jillion (approximately) years of human history, neither side has so far been able to dissuade the other, leaving both entrenched in their respective positions. Until now. For the first time, the thorny question of whether Santa Claus is real is definitively and hilariously answered. Ellis Weiner, the co-author of the best-selling Yiddish with Dick and Jane, gets to the very heart of this cultural and marketing icon whose existence continues to bedevil inquisitive children, befuddled parents, and toy retailers around the world. Using the kind of erudition and reasoning employed by the world's most advanced thinkers (and those people who make up standardized-test questions), Weiner offers five unimpeachable arguments for Santa's existence that are as inspired as they are insightful. But wait, there's more: Readers will learn far more than just whether Santa Claus is real. Weiner also explores the history of Santa, the existence of napkins, and the subtle but crucial distinctions between birthday cake and fruitcake--all copiously footnoted for reading pleasure. Illustrated throughout (for those who get tired of looking at all those words), this book clarifies, once and for all, the truth about Santa Claus. So does Santa exist? Of course he does, you ninny."

Customer Reviews:

I tried not to laugh but I could not help myself.......2006-12-07

Ellis Weiner is a former writer for the National Lampoon and Spy Magazine. It shows. This book is a stream of silly consciousness. Seemingly lightweight, it stuns you with the intellect behind it. Footnotes have footnotes. Weiner fights with his editor in various notes. It's clever and it is meant to amuse. Intolerant and humorless readers need not apply. If you don't get the jokes then it's probably because they are all about you. Get over it!

Trying to hard to be clever.......2006-11-14

The first thing I noticed about this book was it had several racy or off color jokes, & the use of the "F" word once. That didn't particularly bother me, but was surprising in a Santa book, & I was glad I read it before purchasing for some other people I'd intended to.
There is no magic in this book. It is an attempt to be clever, & some of it undoubtedly is. Some made me smile. But I didn't feel any Christmas spirit or excitement after reading it, just that I was supposed to be impressed with how smart the author was. It also had a section about how obviously Christmas isn't about God or celebrating Christ's birth. Overall I wouldn't recommend this book to Christmas fans. Someone who enjoys the intellectual arguements in here would enjoy it.

It's a Wonderful Read!.......2005-12-18

I bought this book on a whim and LOVED it. I've laughed out loud over and over--and I'm a serious New York City lawyer! It's not for children in that the language and thoughts are somewhat sophisticated and complex (in a funny way). Besides being hilarious, it's sweet, upbeat and comforting. I THINK it's fairly non-offensive, unless you are offended by the idea that Christmas is about Santa Claus more than Jesus or his teachings, an idea which is jokingly discussed, but to some people that's no joking matter. I loved the book and am ordering it for many friends and family.

An Hilarious Satire of Real Thought.......2005-11-30

As an amateur santalogist, I enthusiastically devoured the latest contribution to the field by Ellis Weiner. "Santa Lives!" is a humorous faux-philosophical exposition arguing for the existence of the Man with the Bag. Weiner employs five different epistemological angles: Ontological, Causal, Teleological, Experiential, and an especially weak attempt at using Morality based upon a strict construction of the canon laid out by Gillespie & Coots in "Santa Claus is Coming to Town." The most compelling argument for Santa's existence is simply Ockham's Razor: All around the world, similarly packaged gifts simultaneously appear under similarly decorated trees in millions of homes. It is much more parsimonious to conclude that one man carries this out than to hypothesize either coincidence or conspiracy. The author also provides solid evidence that Santa is a Swiss hermaphrodite and that Xmas cannot be a celebration of anyone's birth - Savior or not - because fruitcake is not (and cannot be) birthday cake. Fascinating.

The satire of real thought presented here is hilarious and worth the read at twice the price. I also found the ideas explored and methods employed in "Santa Lives!" to he highly relevant to other philosophical pursuits. For example, it is precisely the same logic that Weiner uses to prove the existence of Saint Nick that is engaged to refute evolution by natural selection. Oh, when will philosophers begin using their powers for Good?!

Book Description

From Jack Aaron, born 1933, to Darrell Zwerling, supporting actor of stage, screen and television in the 1970s and early '80s, this mammoth biographical reference work documents the lives and entire careers of 15,000 actors and actresses worldwide who made a screen appearance between January 1, 1967, and December 31, 1980. All of their known credits, from 1905 through December 31, 1983, are given. The many luminaries of Hollywood's "Golden Age" and more recent popular personalities: here for each are screen names (and alternate billings and pseudonyms), vital dates, a concise career summary, industry-related marriage and family data, and a list of screen appearances and, when applicable, television series. Addresses and/or contacts are included.

Book Description

A&E Biography meets Tales from the Crypt in this fun but respectful survey of the amazing lives and astonishing funerals of two dozen twentieth-century icons from politics, art, and pop culture. In more than 50 rare photographs and thoroughly researched profiles, What a Way to Go showcases all the colorful details of each subject's death, funeral service, and burial. From Muppet creator Jim Henson's upbeat service, attended by Big Bird, to Babe Ruth lying in state at Yankee Stadium as vendors sold hot dogs to waiting mourners--it's all here, the moving and the macabre. JFK, Notorious B.I.G., Elvis Presley, Chairman Mao, Eva Peron, the Ayatollah Khomeini, and many more find fitting tribute in this compulsively readable, visually lavish, richly entertaining celebration of our enduring fascination with the famous and the strange pageantry of their demise.

Customer Reviews:

Chaos in the Cemetery!.......2002-10-31

There was chaos in the cemetery of Elvis internment. Riots at Rudy's mortuary! And then there was that nasty business of Eva Peron's globe-trotting body.

This is the perfect Halloween Coffee Table (or Coffin Top - if that's how one decorates for the Holiday) Book. The author tells tales of two dozen dearly departed and how they got there. At The Beginning of each End, she gives "Vital Statistics" varyingly including age at and cause of death, survivors, previous "close calls," and "Last Words" ("I'm so bored with it all" Sir Winston Churchill, "I'm going into the bathroom to read" Elvis Presley) There are other headlines at the time of death, concise and interesting bios, and, of course, details of funerals and send-offs. It includes many glossy black and white photos.

The book notes questionable cause (or perpetrator) of death for Marilyn Monroe and Martin Luther King, Jr. but then ascribes JFK's death to the lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald. When Pigs fly! And, speaking of pigs, Muppets sang at Jim Henson's memorail service, at which no one wore black. Reviewed by TundraVision

Great stories and tales.......2002-10-05

Great book on funerals of some legendary people. In particular I remember the one about the funeral of Jim Henson. I wish it had a tad more photos (there were a lot but I like tons) but it's great for anyone into funerals and wants something on their cofee table..

Death Revisited.......2002-08-31

Call this 'Death and Burial Rites of the Celebrated'. This is an interesting take on the funeral rites of many famous people. I won't go into detail because this has already been done more than adequately in the first customer review. I was particularly fond of the manner in which the material was presented. I felt that the written accounts of the funeral rites discussed within presented a verbally visual sense of being there.
The subjects discussed were from quite diverse levels of celebrity. The information presented was in some cases as much reflective of the historical time frame during which they occurred as well as the individuals being honored.
This was a very interesting exhumation of information long buried and forgotten.

interesting, sometimes macabre, with great photos.......2002-08-12

Subtitled "Fabulous Funerals of the Famous and Infamous", this interesting book presents information in a set format about 24 luminaries and their final rites. Each chapter begins with the person's nickname, dates of birth and death, a quote and a picture. Vital statistics are presented -- the age and cause of death, survivors left behind and other close brushes with death. A multi-page synopsis of the person's life is given, followed by a lengthy description of the funeral preparation and service, including what objects the person was buried with, and the headlines of the day. Printed on heavy paper, the design is very nice and the photographs are plentiful and of high quality. The people discussed are: Josephine Baker, Sarah Bernhardt, Winston Churchill, Salvador Dali, Thomas Edison, Mahatma Gandhi, Jim Henson, Grace Kelly, JFK, Ayatollah Khomeini, Martin Luther King, Jr., Marilyn Monroe, Notorious B.I.G., Eva Peron, Edith Piaf, Pope John Paul XXIII, Elvis Presley, FDR, Babe Ruth, Diana Spencer, Joseph Stalin, Igor Stravinsky, Rudolph Valentino and Mao Zedong. This is a great book to leave out for browsing, filled with great photos and interesting facts. I was very happy when I received it. Very nicely done.

Leaving a lasting impression.......2002-04-06

In What a Way To Go, Adele O. Brown answers almost all the questions one would have about the deaths and funerals of 24 well known and, perhaps well loved individuals. The book has some outstanding black and white photographs that capture images of the lives and glimpses of the funerals of these celebrities. Her text reminds you of things that once were fresh in your mind, often eliciting that "oh yeah, I remember that" response. In other cases you truly learn something new and interesting. The book title leads you to expect a presentation of elaborate, perhaps even outlandish funerals. This is not the case. State funerals, dignified Hindu ceremonies, and semi-private services are presented. Given the promise of "fabulous funerals" you have to question some of the author's selections. (were is Richard Nixon? Robert Kennedy? Miles Davis? Ron Brown?) A simple service, attended by less than fifty people, with no adoring fans to line the funeral route does not really qualify as fabulous. But it is reasonable to expect the author to make some inclusions based on continued speculation and interest in details surrounding a questionable death.

The book is not one that invites you to read straight through without pause. In fact, it is written and organized somewhat like an encyclopedia. The author adds little or no commentary to the reported facts about a life, death, or funeral. The alphabetical arrangement of the chronicled individuals adds to the impression that this is a reference text. In what seems like an after-thought the author includes tidbits of tabloid style information, trivia, and even gossip in an effort to give some life and movement to the pages. Still, I found myself going to the table of contents to determine which of the persons I wanted to read about next, and scanning the text for interesting pictures. I wouldn't call this a riveting story, but I found myself picking it up again and again to check some fact about one individual or another. I can see myself using information gained here in light, trivial conversation.

Readers should read, for comparison of style and story, Passed on, by K. Holloway. This book deals with similar subjects, even using some of the same funerals to make its text.

Average customer rating:
What A Way to Go: Fabulous Funerals of the Famous and Infamous

Manufacturer: Chronicle Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GUU6VM

Average customer rating:
New York Times Book of Great Chess Victories and Defeats
Robert Byrne
Manufacturer: Times Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chess | Board Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0812918444

Average customer rating:
New York Times Book of Great Chess Victories and Defeats (Chess)
Robert Byrne
Manufacturer: Random House Puzzles & Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MC688Y

Book Description

Whatever you call it--an online auction house, the world's largest flea market, or a vast social experiment--no metaphor completely describes the huge trading community that is eBay. Underneath it all, eBay is also a computer program and a complex socio-economic system, requiring experience, finesse, and the right tools to master.

eBay Hacks, 2nd Edition has been completely revised and updated to make use of an array of new tools and features, as well as to reflect the changes in the eBay API, eBay's policies, and general practices of its increasingly sophisticated users. In all, the new edition of eBay Hacks sports 30 brand-new hacks plus dozens of hacks that have been expanded, deepened, or otherwise completely rewritten.

eBay Hacks shows you how to become a more efficient buyer and seller with clever tricks and shortcuts that will surprise even the most experienced eBayers. The book's wide range of topics covers all aspects of using eBay, such as advanced searching techniques, sniping tools, selling strategies, photography tips, and even research techniques for PowerSellers. But eBay Hacks doesn't just cover the basics; you'll learn how to write scripts to automate tedious tasks, take better photos, and tap into the eBay API to develop your own custom tools. Unlike any other book, eBay Hacks, 2nd Edition also provides insight into the social aspects of the eBay community, with diplomatic tools to help to get what you want with the least hassle and risk of negative feedback.

This bestseller supplies you with the tools you need to master eBay, whether as a buyer or seller, casual surfer or serious collector, novice or seasoned expert. With this guide, you will become a savvy power user who trades smarter and safer, makes more money, enjoys successes, and has fun doing it.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent investment for your money whether you are a buyer or a seller........2005-09-22

I have only read about half of the book so far and already I have used many of the tips and scripts. All the scripts mentioned in the book are available online so you don't have do all that typing. Many of the hacks are not really hacks, but tips and recommendations on how to do things.
The only minor complain I have is that the book references other chapters, but you have to go back to the Table of Contents to find the page number for the chapter. I think each page should have the current chapter number on it.
Each page does have the hack number on it so it makes it easy to find a hack without going back to the table of contents.

Good eBay Toolbook.......2005-07-28

Author: David A. Karp

Description:
eBay Hacks by David A. Karp
Published by O'Reilly ISBN 059610068X
Reviewed by Jim Lauria-HuNTUG member

From the introduction: "Essentially, you'll find in this book the tools to help you trade smarter and safer, make more money, and have fun doing it."

This second edition-revised and updated to June 2005-provides the eBayer with tips and tools (aka hacks) for successful bidding, buying and selling on the premier online auction web site.

I found the hacks provided by the author to be extremely helpful and informative, easy to use and understand. As a long time eBay seller I had become complacent with the tools and techniques which I had been using for months or even years. This book has given me new ideas and approaches to make my eBay business better.

Karp provides clever shortcuts and powerful tools to do all sorts of neat things like create better titles, listings and descriptions to fancier photographs (Hack 74) and even how to cultivate a good reputation and protect yourself and your $ (Hacks 25 & 85). He also provides warnings about your safety, privacy and money matters.

Included is a chapter on eBay's Application Programming Interface, XML, Perl, PHP and RSS and development of custom software apps that can be worked in to one's own business apps and can also be passed along to others-hey maybe even for a small fee!

The book is well written with plenty of photos, screen shots and lots of code to get you up and buying/selling in quick fashion. 438 pages that read through really quickly and are packed with plenty of good stuff.

I would recommend this title for anyone-novice or pro-who is or would like to make or save some money using eBay or just to have some fun while selling your wares. The book lists for $24.95-less online.

I give this one 5 stars.

The "best practices" guide to eBay..........2005-07-14

If you use eBay (as a buyer or seller), this is the "user's manual" or best practices guide that should be part of your signup... eBay Hacks by David A. Karp.

Contents: Diplomacy and Feedback; Searching; Bidding; Selling; Working with Photos; Completing Transactions; Running a Business on eBay; The eBay API; Index

Most Hacks titles consist of 100 tips and tricks related to the subject matter being discussed. In eBay Hacks, you get an extra 25 for your money. What a deal! :-) Regardless of whether you're a complete newbie to eBay or you actually run an eBay storefront, you'll find things in here that will save you time and money on a regular basis. Reading the chapter and hacks on feedback, I learned that there are ways to prevent negative feedback even after it's been given. Since so much of who you are on eBay relates directly back to your feedback rating, this can be a critical factor in getting buyers to trust you (or others to sell to you). The chapter on bidding went into the act of "sniping", or bidding at the last second, so that you can stand a much better chance of not being overbid at the last second. I didn't realize there are third-party services that will do this for you automatically. No wonder I've lost some things I really thought I had nailed. Karp even goes into how best to compose photos that will draw people to your auction rather than send them away for something that looks more appealing.

Obviously, you can use eBay without this book and information. I'm sure you'll do fine. But the first time you find an auction miscategorized (because you were looking for that condition) and you launch a bidding strategy that gets you the deal of a lifetime for next to nothing, you'll wonder why you waited so long. Good stuff here...

Good for volume sellers.......2005-06-14

One of my favorite activities in my spare time is buying and selling on eBay. It has quickly become the world's largest virtual mall of just about everything you can possibly think of. When I received this book I was eager to learn some of the "tricks of the trade" and found a lot of useful material, albeit some of it is geared towards power sellers and not the average user.

The book itself is packed with 125 "hacks" for eBay, which can range from the basics (leaving feedback) to the more complex (setting up your own online check-out). A lot of the hacks give you tweaks and twists on the normal way of doing things, or take a task and show you a different, sometimes a little more dynamic, way of doing it.

Some of the more advanced topics will only be feasible if you are a powerseller. The author covers a lot of third-party tools as well, which can quickly run into the big dollars if you are just selling a few things each week. However, there is a fair amount of material devoted to the mom and pop sellers, like many of us are. One of the shining points of this book is that it does show you how to do a lot of tricks yourself if you are willing to roll up your sleeves and play around with Perl.

However, the book is for more than just sellers. A lot of tips are there for buyers as well. Such things as how to snipe effectively, and how to take advantage of bid increments in the auction to get the item for the lowest price. Even though the author is writing for both parties, the buyer and seller, he does a good job of not taking advantage of one over.

A few of the topics he covers can be a bit controversial, depending on how you look at it. Things such as withholding feedback and sniping can be frowned upon by some -- but it is all perfectly legal in the world of eBay and the author tells you how to take advantage of it.

Overall, a good book for those who want to get more out of eBay than just the casual buyer/seller. If you want to kick-start your eBay selling career, this is one of the books you will want to have to help guide you; Whereas if you want to learn the tricks of the buying game, you couldn't have picked a better reference manual.

Book Description

Michael Andr Bernstein's passionate denunciation of apocalyptic thinking provides a moral, philosophical, and literary challenge to the way most of us make sense of our worlds. In our search for coherence, Bernstein argues, we tend to see our lives as moving toward a predetermined fate. This "foreshadowing" demeans the variety, the richness, and especially the unpredictability of everyday life. Apocalyptic history denies the openness and choice available to its actors. Bernstein chooses the Holocaust as the prime example of our tendency toward foregone conclusions. He argues eloquently against politicians and theologians who depict the Holocaust as foreordained and its victims as somehow implicated in a fate they should have been able to foresee. But his argument ranges wider. From recent biographies of Kafka to the Israeli-P.L.O. peace accords, from campus cultural diversity debates to the Crown Heights riots, Bernstein warns against our passive acceptance of historical or personal victimization. An essential contribution to Holocaust studies, this book is also a lucid call to transform the way we read and write history and the way we make sense of our lives.

Foregone Conclusions Against Apocalyptic History

Average customer rating:

Foregone Conclusions Against Apocalyptic History
Michael Andre Bernstein
Manufacturer: Univ of Calif Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000PRW5JC

Average customer rating:

Mat King; one of a kind

Wisdom, wit and profundity

Inspirational book not unlike Conversations with God

Very well rewarding,this book should be read by all.

A MUST-READ BOOK!

Noble Red Man: Lakota Wisdomkeeper Mathew King
Harvey Arden
Manufacturer: Atria Books/Beyond Words
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Native American | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
General | Sociology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Native American Studies | Special Groups | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1582700788

Book Description

The grandson of both Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull, Mathew King was a respected Elder of the Lakota (Sioux) Nation. His personal history, vision, and insights are compiled in this volume, structured to read like a conversation between trusted friends. King speaks about Native American spirituality, personal responsibility to one's land and people, and the struggles of the Lakota people to coexist with white people.

Customer Reviews:

Mat King; one of a kind.......2007-09-10

Harvey Arden has once again written a superb piece of work. Along with several of his other works, Arden continues the tradition that he, along with Steve Wall, began many moons ago; a tradition of listening and learning. Arden has stimulated my own path and for that, I am truly grateful. I also highly recommend his book, "Have you thought of Leonard Peltier Lately." A sad episode in U.S. history to make the ultimate understatement. Brother Arden, Keep Hope Alive!

Wisdom, wit and profundity.......2003-11-19

"We Lakota people have our giveaways. When something important happens we celebrate by sharing what we have," said the late Chief Mathew King, known as Noble Red Man in Indian Country. "Even the poorest among us share what we have....The more you share the more you're given to share."

Which is precisely what editor Harvey Arden has accomplished with his passion for keeping alive the wisdom of the American Indian. In this book, Arden, a former senior editor for National Geographic, has compiled a comprehensive volume of the thoughts, philosophy, humor and spirit of the great Oglala Lakota (Sioux) chief.

Noble Red Man was born Mathew King in 1902 in Grass Creek, S.D., a small community of Indians from different bands. He died in 1989. In the long stretch of time in between, he absorbed knowledge, wisdom and experiences that molded him into a sage and respected leader.

After three years in military school, his parents enrolled him in the Springfield Indian Seminary to become an ordained Episcopal minister. Hunger, more than faith, was his motivation.

"If you converted you ate better," said Noble Red Man. "To help feed the starving Lakota my father and uncles became missionaries." During training, he concluded that - despite being very spiritual - that the clergy was not his calling. He had misgivings over Christian theology. "I have always believed in the Great Spirit and worshipped Him in my own way," he said. "These people don't seem to want to change my belief in the Great Spirit, but to change my way of talking to Him."

Instead, Noble Red Man set out to do the Great Spirit's work by teaching Indians to "earn their bread by the sweat of their brow," finding work and securing labor rights for thousands of Indians over the years. He became a voice not only for the Lakota people, but American Indians everywhere, taking their case to court, before Congress and even overseas. His passion was fighting to regain South Dakota's Black Hills, sacred land promised the Lakota by the Fort Laramie Treaty of 1868, but swindled from them five years later when gold was discovered.

The federal government belittled the Indians' claim to this revered land in the 1970s by offering them $100 million. Noble Red Man retorted: "The Black Hills aren't for sale. What if we offered you a hundred million dollars for the Vatican, for Jerusalem?" The money still sits in escrow, unclaimed.

Arden first met Noble Red Man in 1983, on the 10th anniversary of the Lakota occupation of Wounded Knee, S.D., a reservation hamlet that was the site of the American Indians' last stand in 1890, as federal troops massacred over 350 Indians. The 1973 occupation - which was met with an FBI siege for 71days - was staged by the American Indian Movement (AIM) in protest over the government's harsh treatment of Indians. He and venerated Chief Frank Fools Crow provided moral support to the occupiers, while placating armed FBI agents.

As Arden attempted to explain to Noble Red Man why he'd come to Pine Ridge, the chief shot back: "I know why you're here! White Man came to this country and forgot his original Instructions. We Indians have never forgotten our Instructions.... I can't tell you what those were, but maybe there are some things that I can explain...."

That is what Arden has done. Culled from his interview notes and tapes, Arden felt that he didn't have enough material to compile the book that was Noble Red Man's unrealized dream. After the chief's death, Arden visited his daughter, Lavon King, who had kept her father's old reel-to-reel tapes in a trunk. In a labor of love, by 1994 Arden finished the job he began 11 years earlier. With this book, he has put into print Noble Red Man's credo, reflections, recollections and hopes.

There is even a good measure of humor, which captures Noble Red Man's keen sense of irony. My favorite anecdote was how he became a smoker at age four (!) by rolling cigarettes for his grandmother, Cane Woman. She "was blind, and I had to guide her around with her cane. People really laughed when they saw us....We must have been quite a sight, the two of us, both smoking Bull Durham cigarettes while I led her around by the elbow."

Reading his words, I was struck by how senseless the gulf between American Indians and the Americans occupying their land is, for they aspire freedom in the truest sense. However, more than any other people, American Indians have been systematically denied that freedom.

Yet, Noble Red Man kept optimistic. He counseled his fellow Indians to stay true to their heritage.

"Only one thing's sadder than remembering you once were free, and that's forgetting you once were free. That would be the saddest thing of all. That's one thing we Indians will never do."

Inspirational book not unlike Conversations with God.......1999-11-04

This book enlightened me with the wisdom of the original Americans. It's hard to believe the Christians were trying to convert a people most likely much closer to God than themselves. Several Indians performed acts that would be considered miracles by those of other faiths. Wonderful book.

Very well rewarding,this book should be read by all........1999-05-25

Very good and truly authentic..

A MUST-READ BOOK!.......1999-02-04

This is one of the best books written about Native American spirituality. It is a book I shall treasure always. My one regret this that I was not able to meet and talk with Mr. King (Noble Red Man).

Book Description

For decades, the determination of bone maturity has relied on a visual evaluation of skeletal development in the hand and wrist, most commonly using the Greulich and Pyle atlas. The Gilsanz and Ratib digital atlas takes advantage of the advent of digital imaging and provides a more effective and objective approach to skeletal maturity assessment. This atlas integrates the key morphological features of ossification in the bones of the hand and wrist and provides idealized, sex- and age-specific images of skeletal development. This computer-generated set of images should serve as a reasonable alternative to the reference books currently available.

Customer Reviews:

Bone Age Atlas.......2005-10-26

Es un buen resumen de imágenes digitales útiles para recordar las características principales de la anatomía radiológia de la maduración ósea en la mano desde el nacimiento a la adultez.

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