5 comments about Power Lines : Two Years on South Africa's Borders.

1. Jason Carter's account of his two years in the Peace Corps was an easy, comfortable read. I was captivated. Thanks to Jason Carter and National Geographic for sharing this important experience about a nation in transition. Few have commented on the poignant introduction of Jason Carter's grandfather which concentrates on President Carter's own mother, Lillian Carter, and her own experience in an Indian village in the Peace Corp when she was in her 70's and at a very different time in the late 1960s.



2. A great book that gives rare insight into Swazi culture and life in rural South Africa. Having lived in the area as a school teacher and a researcher, I enjoyed the innocence with which Jason re-created and shared his impressions and experiences.

   Jason's immersion in the language and culture of poor rural South Africans is admirable. He clearly "goes native:" identifying with "the Blacks" and uncomfortably, judgmentally, dealing with Westerners and South African Whites. The brilliant twist in the story comes when Jason struggles to come to terms with South Africa's Black elite. He's the rugged, White bushboy reaching out to victims of apartheid who are now more like American yuppies than real "Africans."

   I also appreciated his attempts to reveal the differences in experiences that Black (like me) and White Americans often have in South Africa. Interestingly, Jason's feelings about race in America affected how he perceived South Africa, and his South African experienced revised his sense of US race relations.

   Definitely worth reading, along with James Hall's Sangoma!




3. Read this book to learn about Ubuntu which is a philosophy of life that Jason Carter found to be thriving in the Swazi. This approach to people and thus community is held out as a core strong hope for the South African native culture. This book is well worth reading. I have not stopped thinking whether Ubuntu is possible in our country or not. Let's hope it is not too late...we need it!



4. I loaned this book out from the library hoping to find something relating to travel, to the Peace Corps, and something relating to new ideas and places. I got this and a great story from a very successful teller. Carter's experiences are exactly what many dream of while working in the Peace Corps. But this book is full of history and even more personal experience. I enjoyed it immensly.



5. Just received Power Lines and am excited to read it. I glanced at the Introduction written by the author's grandfather, former President Jimmy Carter, in which he describes how his own mother joined the Peace Corps at 70. She was based in India; her grandson spent his time in Africa. Looking forward to reading!

1 comments about Andalusian Morocco: A Discovery in Living Art (Museum With No Frontiers International Exhibition Cycle : Islamic Art in the Mediterranean : Morocco).

1. For seven hundred years, Morocco and Spain were politically, culturally and economically inter-connected. This close relationship was severed in 1492, when the Spanish monarchs expelled Spain's large Jewish and Muslim minorities. Many of the refugees fled to neighboring Morocco where they brought with them their rich artistic traditions. "Andulisian Morocco" endeavors to show the living legacy of those refugees which still can be seen in Morocco.
   
   The core of this book are eight travel itineraries through Morocco. Unlike most travel guides, this one is written by Moroccan art historians who provide suggested architectural routes through Meknes, Fez, Chefchaouen, Tetouan and the ports that line the Straits of Gibraltar. This book is a must for anyone who wants to understand the deep cultural ties that bind not only Morocco to Spain but that which connects the entire Mediterranean world.
   
   "Andalusian Morocco" is one volume in an eleven volume series entitled "Islamic Art in the Mediterranean". These volumes are published by a Museum With No Frontiers a unique multi-national cooperative which examines the cultural ties that bind Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. These is the first volume in the series that I have read and I will definitely purchase additional volumes.

1 comments about Tourist Third Cabin: Steamship Travel in the Interwar Years.

1. I personally own over 200 books on steamships and ocean liners. Until I read this book,I did not think it was possible to find a boring book on ocean line travel. If I found myself at sea with only this book I would jump overboard.

4 comments about Across Time: Mystery of the Great Sphinx.

1. Across Time: Mystery of the Great Sphinx by author O.J. Harp III is a refreshing surprise. It tells the daunting tale of a group of people who bravely travel back and forth through time in an effort to discover their true identities, correct some mistakes of the past and reinforce some timeless principles into their present existence.
   
   Dr. John Steel, a Clinical Psychologist and recent Ph.D. graduate is happy with his present life. He still, however, has no memory of his childhood since he, as a pre-teen, mysteriously found himself by the Potomac River with nothing and no one to validate his existence. Deep down inside he knows that something is very different about him - a difference that goes way beyond just his childhood.
   
   As the story unfolds, Dr. Steele slowly unlocks the keys to his past, unveiling a destiny unlike anything he could have ever imagined. Other main characters include Mutshat Ma'at, a police cadet and the long-lost love of Dr. Steele, Dr. Christopher Jones - a minister and philanthropist (with a past of his own) and students Eddie Richardson and Victor Carter, of the I Have a Dream Charter School.
   
   Unbeknownst to this special group of people, they will all soon be caught up in a battle stemming from their past lives as Nubian warriors and Kemetic royalty from Ancient Egypt who are being pursued by an ancient tribe, the Anu and an evil, legendary Pharaoh who is seeking world domination for all ages to come. The help of some psychic practitioners, human geneticists and super-intelligent robots are enlisted along the way as these valiant trailblazers transcend the barriers of space and time, defying even the laws of gravity. When all is said and done, lost identities are discovered, true love is found, lessons of justice, morality and truth are learned and, best of all, good triumphs over evil.
   
   This book is a great read and is by no means for the faint of heart. A lot of historical, scientific and even paranormal information is covered in this novel, and I found the supplementary sections, i.e., the fact, prologue and glossary sections of great and necessary value.
   
   It can be enjoyed by all readers, regardless of age. Some parts cater to a younger audience, making it relatable in today's language while at the same time fostering a desire to learn more about history including prehistoric times, Egyptology and slavery.
   
   For the more mature audience, it offers a different, more spontaneous reading experience. It speaks to the adult mindset through themes of romance, the discussion of art and travel and by dealing with sociopolitical and religious subjects such as cloning and reincarnation. I personally identified with the emphasis placed on the beauty, power and mystery of the Black race.
   
   What I expected to be a dull, long and drawn-out history lesson actually turned out to be a virtual adventure. The author combined history, science and psychology and then cleverly blended in the imaginative elements of time travel, magic, wizardry and extreme science fiction in order to create this whirlwind tale of past, present and future ideas. A roller-coaster ride full of twists, turns, loops and tunnels, this novel goes beyond entertaining with enough substance to satisfy even the most ambitious thrill-seeker.
   
   Across Time: Mystery of the Great Sphinx would be a great addition to the list of required reading for high schools and colleges across the nation. I recommend it highly and give it 5 stars.
   
   Reviewed by Devalyn M. Kirkman for "WAF Book Reviews"
   WAF Book Reviewer[...]



2. "Rich with history and imagination, a perfect blend of fact and fiction. Across Time: Mystery of the Great Sphinx will educate, empower and inspire readers of all ages."
   
   "This amazing novel will take readers on a journey through time exploring the beginnings of ancient Africa. Presenting a culture that is filled with historical detail, creatively merging the past with the present and demonstrating what the future may hold."
   
   "O. J. Harp III has created a powerful read that will forge a deep appreciation of African culture while delivering great messages of strength, determination and pride."



3. O. J. HARP, III, in a most intellectually imaginative way, takes the mind of his patients, the characters, on a spiritual and subconscious voyage into the past based on ancient pre-Egyptian history. In doing so, HARP brilliantly tells two stories simultaneously.
   
   First, HARP guides the reader in the spiritual, mythical, magical, subconscious realm of ACROSS TIME through the specialized techniques of the character Dr. John Steele, an African-American psychologist. The second story runs parallel to that as the voyage continues in the carnal realm with the characters in the story unknowingly transporting the Kemots and the Anu and the Heka and other mythical, sci-fi characters from early Egyptian history in their dreams. In order to help bring closure to what is a battle of the pre-Egyptian ancestral spirits, Dr. Steele teaches his patients to overcome their fearful nightmares or end their disturbing, re-occurring dreams through age-regression techniques. Understanding they all have key roles in ACROSS TIME, the patients learn to look around their dreams for clues, messages, and supporting details. This allows the characters to become active in their dreams which is a genius element of the story and subconscious. They are also empowered. Certainly, readers will be dreaming differently after reading this exceptional mastermind story. Awesome!
   
   With brief historical accounts at the outset of the story, the reader is benefited to understand and learn enough about prehistoric Egyptian ancestors to see the significance of the characters in the carnal story over time. The plot unfolds in a sci-fi way to recreate unfinished business of love and power, good and evil, and wisdom and destiny. The characters develop to perform their pre-assigned roles of the past for the future. You will meet Mutshat Ma'at, the beautiful patient/lover of psychologist Dr. John Steele. Ma'at suffers from memory loss and unknowingly holds the ultimate key to her civilization's pre-existence. Then Harp delights readers with some unique boys who have a talented legacy of their own. They are at-risk youths charged with great insight and power and full of humor to move the story along nicely. Dr. Steele must prepare them for their rightful inheritance in the future ancient spiritual civilization. Though a bit hurried, this story is awesomely tied together to accomplish that. It is told very well in simple language, appropriate for varying levels of literacy and that is what makes this book especially perfect for the reader who likes to think and learn critically, consciously and subconsciously.
   
   Reviewed by Swaggie Coleman
   for The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers



4. In Across Time, O. J. Harp has carved a picture of ancient Egypt that began before history was written. This adventurous story starts out with Imhotep, Mutshat Maat,and the brothers Bekele, and Paki sailing down the Azure Sea . The travelers encounter a Supercroc and from that point on their journey sails uphill. Imhotep uses an ancient relic to save the group from certain death. Use of this relic thrusts them forward in time. Most of the time travelers are left without memories of whom they are, and they must assume present day lives. Bekele becomes Dr. Steele, a Psychologist who works with people that have memory problems. Dr. Steele also becomes a counselor at a school for troubled students, who also have memory problems. The school has reported mysterious sightings of shadow people appearing and frightening the students. The police are called in when a teacher and student disappear. Officer Mutshat Maat is instantly attracted to Dr. Steel as he is to she; they feel as though they have always known each other.
   
   A team of psychics is called in to exercise the spirits. To unwind after the problem is seemingly solved, Dr. Steele decides to take a Bermuda cruise and take along some of his patients that have memory problems. While on the cruise the shadow people reappear and when a mummy is being shown the Shadow people steal the Mummy and passengers disappear.
   
   I enjoyed reading this book as I enjoy stories about time travel. This story took many twists and turns and at times became a bit confusing. It has a huge cast of characters and this was awkward for this reader. However the author provides a nice glossary for those not familiar with Egyptian history. My copy of this book was an uncorrected proof but this did not stop my enjoyment of the book. I really hope that this becomes a series because I will read everyone of them.
   
   Reviewed by Margaret Ball
   APOOO BookClub

No comments about Canary Islands (Eyewitness Travel Guides).

3 comments about Mara-Serengeti: A Photographer's Paradise.

1. Mara-Serengeti captures the essence of living in the Mara-Serengeti region in a way that you would not experience in a dozen safaris to Africa. The images of predators, prey, wildlife migrations, and the Masai bring you close up during moments of blazing color in the sky and dramatic action in the grasslands. The images are improved by thoughtful essays that draw on the photographers' many years of experience with these subjects.

   The animal photographs are mostly grouped by subject and include lions, leopards, zebras, wart hogs, impalas, cheetahs, wildebeest, hyenas, crocodiles, vultures, and wild dogs. The subjects are usually of animal families, migration, killing, and eating in often symbolic settings for these activities. The Masai images come at the book's end, sort of completing the evolutionary progression of the food chain.

   You probably have heard of the Serengeti. It's a vast grassland in Tanzania, and is now protected as the Serengeti National Park there. The Masai Mara National Reserve is in neighboring Kenya, and the two lands are connected geographically, if not politically. A map in the book will display all of this for you. This site is the area where humans probably first walked the face of the Earth, and the dwindling of these remarkable spaces marks the potential for us to lose our ability to visualize our roots.

   The name, Serengeti, in Masai means "land of endless space." The closest we have to this habitat in the United States that I have seen is the brief enclosure in the wild animal park that the San Diego zoo maintains near Escondido, California.

   The action photographs impressed me the most. These show predators literally flying and spinning in the air just before they land while the terrorized prey wheels desperately away. The action is captured almost like a key play in a sporting event. That's pretty typical of the photography here. The images emphasize action and perspectives that you do not yet have, and this book will add wonderfully to your sense of the special nature of the grasslands of Africa.

   After you have finished expanding your vision of natural selection, I suggest that you think about the ways that our lives are enhanced by understanding our origins and how our lives are not. How can we draw inspiration from nature and stand in our most meaningful role?

   Look for what few have seen . . . always! Truth will emerge from your trial.




2. Having been to this area of Africa three times, twice in the Masi Mara and once to the Serengeti this book brings me back over and over again to this heaven on earth. The combination of drawings, photographs, and writing of Jonathan and Angela Scott are outstanding. This is my all time favorite book. The love these authors feel for this area and the animals and people who live there comes through on every page. For anyone who has the slightest interest in wild animals, ecology, photography, art, travel or Africa this book is a must have. Awesome!



3. This book was more than I had hoped for. The moments captured are extrordinary, some of the best photos of African Wildlife I have ever seen. I haven't read the text yet, but the captions by the photos are very informative and contain little interesting tidbits I didn't know. I have a lot of coffee table books and this is definitely a favorite.

1 comments about Botswana Travel Map (Globetrotter Travel Map).

1. The map lacks detail. Doesn't show many rivers or give the names of the few it does show. Hard to find places. In its defense, it's possible that the country is poorly mapped. However, I doubt that.

3 comments about The Circle of life: Wildlife on the African Savannah.

1. Anup and Manoj Shah have distinguished themselves in the populous field of wildlife photography by producing expressive and beautiful portraits of wild animals that document the individuals' lives while achieving impressive aesthetic grace. Many of the brothers' photographs are simply unforgettable works of art that I never tire of looking at. "The Circle of Life" is a massive book that contains 235 photographs of wildlife on the African Savannah. About 40 species of mammal are represented, as well as some birds and reptiles. In the most comprehensive photographic essay of wildlife that I have ever seen, the Shah brothers document the lives of the many animals who live and die in this vast African ecosystem that spans much of Kenya and Tanzania. The authors have organized this photographic odyssey by dividing the book into 20 chapters, each showcasing one aspect of life on the Savannah. The early chapters show us the basic elements that create and sustain life. Some example chapters are: "Driven by Wet and Dry", "Light and Energy", and "Shaped by Fire and Elephants". The book then moves on to the subjects of birth and growing up on the Savannah. "Natural Selection", "Adaptation and Diversity", "Peaceful Coexistence", and "Mother and Offspring", for example. Then we see the lives of adult animals. Some examples are: "Herds and Social Groups", "Grazers and Browsers", and "The Hunters". And finally these animals die, returning to the earth, and the "circle of life" begins again: "Scavengers and Decomposers", "Land and Life". Each chapter begins with an essay written by Anup Shah that explains what that particular facet of life on the Savannah entails and how it fits into the greater life cycle.

   The photographs in "The Circle of Life" are mostly one-to-a-page, but there are also 2-page spreads and pages containing two photographs. The reproduction quality is good. All photographs have detailed captions. An index in the back of the book allows the reader to locate text and photographs by species or topic. The index is most helpful considering the size of this volume. If you're familiar with the work of Anup and Manoj Shah through "Nature's Best" magazine, most, but not all, of their "Nature's Best" photographs are included in this book. "The Circle of Life" is a record of wildlife on the African Savannah that is impressive in its size, scope, and beauty. Only photographers who spend an extraordinary amount of time in this environment could have captured so much of the lives of so many species. It's a pleasure to see the results of Anup and Manoj Shah's experience and persistence in one volume. "The Circle of Life" is a fantastic coffee table book for nature photography fans, as well as a great visual resource for anyone studying this ecosystem.




2. These are simply amazing wildlife photos, all from East Africa, where the Shah brothers live. This large-format book is beautifully printed, and these photos are about as good as wildlife photography gets. Lots of everyone's favorite (mine anyway), baby animal photos! Now, almost anyone (even me) can take a cute photo of baby cheetahs in their furpunk soft-Mohawk glory. But the Shahs can photograph a baby *hippo* and make it look cuddly (p. 146)....
   
   The Shahs have the unfair advantage of living in Kenya, so their photos represent literally years of fieldwork in their own backyard (big backyard!). Which wouldn't matter except that they may well be the finest photographers of East African wildlife so far. Astonishing work, absolutely not to be missed. I know, I'm stuck in superlative mode here, but these guys are really, really good, and Harry Abrams has done them up proud.
   
   You've almost certainly seen some of the Shah's photographs, likely in National Geographic -- though if you're as oblivious as me, you may not have noticed their names. I've uploaded a couple of images to jog your memory. Most highly recommended for anyone who's interested in African wildlife. And yes, you should save up for a trip to East Africa someday....
   
   Happy viewing--
   Peter D. Tillman



3. A fantastic collection of African wildlife photographs.
   Well worth having for the coffee table!

No comments about Kenya And Tanzania: The Insider's Guide (Insiders Guide).

5 comments about The Wildlife of Southern Africa: A Field Guide to the Animal and Plants of the Region.

1. Haven't taken this on the safari yet, but have gone through it to get familiar - it is fairly small (compared to the other book I got, Safari Companion), yet has hundreds of clear illustrations and descriptions of invertebrates, insects, birds, fish, mammals and plants. I think this is going to be a very useful tool!



2. lots and lots of detailed drawings of species. Everything you could hope to see in one book which is nice when weight and space are considerations. Some people might wish for photos but those books are usually not as complete.



3. I've traveled through southern Africa with this book a number of times. Very useful as a more general field guide. Nicely illustrated.



4. I just returned from a wonderful two week trip to South Africa and Botswana. In Botswana we spent 6 nights at camps in the bush. Here is my impression of this book.
   
   Pros:
   Sturdy, well-constructed book with excellent illustrations.
   
   Cons:
   Because this book tries to be all-inclusive and compact, it necessarily makes significant compromises. As a birder, I carried a separate bird book (by Ian Sinclair) which I enjoyed and used frequently. I therefore was not too concerned about the birding aspect of this book. However, if you tried using this book for birding you would be very frustrated. Many female and juvenile plumages are omitted. From a practical standpoint, many of the individual birds you are likely to see would not be identifiable with this guide.
   
   For the identification of large mammals, this book is fine-- but honestly, how hard is it to identify lions, elephants, hippos and antelope (ok, the antelope can be tricky). It would be nice, however, if the descriptions discussed more about the lives of these creatures and their taxonomic relationships. A guide to animal tracks would have been wonderful. Looking at animal tracks on the dirt/sand roads that we travelled occupied a significant amount of our time. This book was no help. Out of 310 pages, only 21 are devoted to mammals.
   
   Identifying flowers was also difficult. We came across a very common lily-like flower in the Okavango Delta which was in bloom in late March. It was interspersed with grass and presumably was arising from a bulb. I still don't know what it is. It wasn't in this book.
   
   If you only want to carry one book (and field guides are heavy), this would be fine. If you have special interests, I would carry other guides as well (interestingly, the back of this book has an extensive list of suggested reading). If I were doing it again, I would probably still bring this book (for the insects, reptiles, amphibians, trees, and flowers), but I would also bring a guide for mammals. Also, check with the camps you are going to-- they may have books on their shelves.



5. Essential for a Safari for Africa. Used by our guide. Fun to use to idenitify all wildlife in South Africa.