Captive is a great book that is definetly worth reading. The author puts a visual in your head that makes you feel as if you are actualy there whitnessing the story.the story is about an African American Kofi who gets taken out of his home and is shiped to an owner to be his slave. his only possesions are the clothes on his back and a flute. On the ship the author describes his frusteration and confusion wtih not being able to talk to any one.He meets two other boys and they get sold to a master. his master beats him and tourchers him.The masters wife however teaches him to speak to learn and to write English. Then him and his two friends dreanm of being free again and plan to ecscape. Will Kofi and his friends ecscape?Will Will kofis dream of being free someday come true?
I enjoyed reading this book and I hope you will too.It has all the things that I like in a book action suspence and emotion. so if you are looking for that kind of book this would be a good one.

After the first 10 pages, I felt as if I could not stop. All of the African religions and action. I do feel bad for the characters in the book when they get kidnapped and sent to America. It was very sad when Kofi had to earn his own belongs back when some one stole it from him. When he escaped from the Browne's house and then they went to court I felt very happy for them and I felt bad for Tim because he had to go back. Read the book and find out the rest of the story.

This book is really good because Its about a son of a great Ashanti chief who is captured and sold to be a slave and its about how he tries to get back to his people and he meets 1 american slave called Joseph and another kid who is a british bound servant called Tim.The coolest part is when Kofi learns how to speak english because he can understand people and not make everybody frustrated.The worst part is when Kofi gts taken away to be a slave because he looses his freedom and can't do anything but work.

I loved this book! It gives readers a breather in the series, since the most of the books have dangerous situations. This book is not so dangerous until the end, but it is soooo interesting to see the simalarities between the idea's of the people they meet and Christianity. It starts when Dr. Cooper and his kids investigate the apearance of a large, perfectly rectangle stone in a mountain pass. The tribe they meet behind it is very friendly to them. During their stay with the them they discover the tribe is expecting water to come from the stone to help them grow crops, although the army on the other side is terrified of it. Dr. Cooper's family also dicover the people have a religion very similar to Christianity, with some of the same stories that some from the Bible. In the end, the stone saves them all. This is such an interesting book, it was a thrill for me to read.

Frank Peretti is one of the best authors on the face of this Earth. This book, The Secret of the Desert Stone, displays that talent. He perfectly captures the greatness, and soverigntiy of God in a creative way. Once again, I totally admire the Coopers maturity as Christians, and their complete trust in the Father.

This book is a great book for all ages. I am currently 17 and I love it. It is a wonderful testimony of what you can do with faith in God.

After reading this book, now I'm all the more excited to visit Morocco. Hargraves paints such a vivid picture of the people, the culture. It is a complicated society, very foreign to my understanding and experience. And yet, as I read through it, so many times, page after page, I realize that the culture is so familiar, so like my experience. Most of all, I now understand that it will take a lifetime to learn to adapt to Moroccan culture. I am eager to see how the words lift off the pages and into reality.

Almost every page has nuggets and key points to learn and understand, and my copy is mostly yellow from highlighting. One aspect that I wish were different, though- Hargraves appears too often to accept the stratification in Moroccan culture, and the mistreatment of the lower classes, as par the course, and something Moroccans accept, and therefore something that we should accept, and something culturally neutral. There is so much good in Moroccan society, but, just as in any society, some that is not as good as well.

But that's only one small detraction in an otherwise great text. Particularly interesting is the quiz at the end of the book, where you test one's knowledge gained through reading. I've never seen this in any other culture or travel book, and it should really be more common! Hargraves doesn't just repeat information here either- rather, he asks the reader to intuit the answers not yet given, from the information that he's previously provided- and then of course, he provides all the possible correct answers.

I want to learn how to live and eat and talk and think, Moroccan. I want to see what it means to be a Moroccan who is so adept at adaptation to so many different cultural situations. I want to learn to engage in real Arab relationship, and to learn how to politely refuse a request, and how to be a good guest, and a good host. I want to learn how to serve the Moroccan peoples. If you're interested in this as well, then this is a book you need to get.

I have spent 3 summers in Morocco and 5 years with my husband who is Moroccan and this book clarified a lot aspects of Moroccan life for me. No matter how objective one may be about cultural differences, it helps to have a neutral party explain what is happening in a given interaction. I didn't even realize how much I suffered from culture shock until I read "Culture Shock!" Particually helpful were the author's comments on the difference in Western and Eastern concepts of personal space, public space and privacy.

In anticipation of accompanying my close Moroccon friend to his homeland on a business trip with another American, I read this book in one sitting and read it twice more before leaving for Morocco. It proved to be an invaluable tool to better understanding my Moroccan friend here in the states and it provided knowledge, information and tips that proved priceless during my recent stay in Morocco. I have no doubt that had I not read this book, I would have had a very different experience. This book enabled me to have the most incredible travel experience of my life despite the fact that I don't speak arabic or french. At the very least I had an understanding of this wonderfully rich culture steeped in tradition. I recommend this book to anyone interested in Morocco whether for travelling or simply interested in the country, their people and customs. While this book is ideal for someone relocating, I found it to be more useful than any of the other travel companions I purchased for my trip. Any future travel plans of mine will start with a purchase of "Culture Shock..." for that country.

"The Healing Drum: African Wisdom teachings" by YaYa Diallo and Mitchell Hall offers an introspective view into the Minianka culture of Mali. As an African-American student, this book helped me to understand a lot about myself. For example, YaYa explains that in his culture, musicians have a responsibility for the affect that the music has on it's listeners. "In my culture, art is allied with morality." (94)We in the West have debated the issue of the artist's responsibility for some time now. As an aspiring actress and writer, my belief has always been that we have are responsible for the messages we send through our art. YaYa explains that music can not only heal, but also can hurt. This is evident in the complacent attitude of many of today's rap artists and it's consumers. YaYa also expounds on some of the differences between the value of time and structure in Minanka culture vs. the same concept in the West. Understanding this element of an African culture allowed me to realize that I am not as crazy as many of my peers and professsors would have me to believe. YaYa's description of the late-night festivals helped me to understand why I can stay up all night and sleep all day sometimes.
I was offended by one review which stated that YaYa's book describes Minankas as drug addicts. His description of the Minianka's use of herbs and medicines to heal is no different or worse than the Western philosophy of popping pills to make troubles disappear, i.e, prozac, ridalin, sleeping pills, etc. YaYa also emphasizes the importance of music in the healing process, and his descriptions of instances in which music was used to heal in his culture are both moving and sincere.
In light of American's recent "liberation" of Iraq, it was also interesting to read YaYa's description of the French colonization of Mali. "The French glorified their colonization of large parts of Africa as a 'mission civilsatirce', a civilizing mission...The textbooks spoke of Africa rarely enough and then only referred pejoratively to the 'natives', not the human beings who belonged to our continent." (120)
It has been long understood in the elevated members of my own culture, that Africa and America are inextricably connected. I believe a closer look at the statement above could easily be related to the reluctance of many Black youth in America to take an interest in formal education. The teachings in this book are, in many cases, universal and, in most cases, interesting and inspirational. YaYa Diallo tells his story with simplicistic eloquence,humor, and wisdom. The book offers much in the way of history and parables, without beating you over the head. Mitchell Hall has done an excellent job of translation.
I was required to read this book for an African Dance class I was taking at the University of Louisville. For any person who is interested in learning more about music, Minianka culture, or the world, I would highly recommend YaYa Diallo and Mitchell Hall's "The Healing Drumm", and for anyone in Louisville, I encourage you to take Harlina Churn Diallo's African Dance class. Bring out the Drums!

I wanted to read this book because I have recently started learning to play the djembe drum and I wished to find out more about West African culture and how traditional music is used to heal. This was the perfect book for both aspects.

The author helps us to appreciate the culture of his village through his own experiences. We read about his struggles to follow the customs and teachings of his village as he is educated to "be a Frenchman" and embrace the Western way of life.

We also gain an insight into the secret societies and social aspects of life in his village. Suspend disbelief at some of the awesome sights that he relates to us, I only wish that I could see them for myself! The sociological, psychological and religious knowledge that he reveals about his community is fascinating.

Yaya shows us that a musician in this culture does not just "play" music, music sustains the society and heals lost souls. The musician is a healer and a protector of the people. The musician cannot just play any old music, each piece of music has implications, positive or negative and the musician has a responsibility to the community to play well and appropriately.

This book has helped me to gain an insight into African culture and music; from now on my djembe playing will have more significance for me and I feel inspired by the healing potential that I now hold in my hands.

Having experienced the power and wisdom of traditional African healers, I was glad to see that Yaya took great efforts to convey the potency derived from following ancient traditions. His life story, like many other traditionalists living in the west, is one that is inspiring given all the efforts he and his tribal elders make to keep their old ways alive in the face of pressures to modernize.

As a student of cross-cultural and shamanic traditions I found this book provides clarity into the use of music and sound for enhancing and stimulating healing, as well as the need to gain sufficient mastery before using this healing modality.

THIS IS AN EXCELLENT BOOK, IT UNFOLDS THE TRUE HISTORY OF AFRICAN PEOPLE. IT DEALS WITH THE MULTITUDE OF DISTORTION AND HOW AFRICAN PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WRITTEN OUT OF HISTORY. CAUSE OF SLAVERY, RACISM AND WHITE SUPREMIST PROPAGANDA. HE DEALS WITH ETHIOPIA AND THE ORIGIN OF CIVILIZATION, SHOWING HOW THE FIRST HUMAN BEING ERECTED FROM AFRICA. SO IF AFRICA GAVE BIRTH TO MANKIND THEN IT IS LOGICAL TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT AFRICA GAVE BIRTH TO CIVILIZATION. HE TALKS ABOUT ETHIOPIA, ANCIENT EGYPT, AND NUBIA, GHANA, MALI, SONGHAY, MONOMOTOPA, AND ECT. HE SYSTEMATICAL SHOWS HOW AFRICANS EVEN ENGAGED IN SEA VOYAGES WITH AMPLE PROOF AND EVIDENCE. THIS IS AN EXCELLENT, OBJECTIVE AND WELL ROUNDED BOOK.

This is the most excellent and comprehensive book dealing with African Civilizations as a whole to date. He spans the entire continent, using a time frame that spans to the beginning of civilization, and completely disembowels the Eurocentric view of the black culture.

A textbook-style study which challenges European historians. Details ancient Ethiopia, Egypt, the Moors, West, Central, and Southern Africa. An occasionally difficult, but excellent and comprehensive study. I consider this the foremost work in African history - it is for the serious student. For somewhat less comprehensive, but easier reads, look for J.A. Rogers, Chancellor Williams, Ivan Van Sertima, all whom have produced excellent works.

I live in Norway, and Africa's Horn is far from my everyday life. I have travelled several times to Eritrea though, and have been searching for guide books from the country. When I went to Eritrea last fall it was with great pleasure I bought the LP book by Frances Linzee Gordon, Ethiopia, Eritrea & Djibouti.

The book is one of the best LP books I've read. The writing is clearly, and it gives us good insight in history, facts, geography, and so on. I have read parts of the book about all three countries, but the Eritrean part is the only one I have actuallu used when travelling.

The books has some very good pictures and maps, and give alot of up to date information. My favorite part is the part about Asmara's architecture, "Asmara, or Piccola Roma, soon came to epitomise the new philosophy: it was not just beautiful, but was well planned, well built and, above all, functiomal. The book is a good guide to use when you plan your travel ahead, and is even better when you actually are there and need or want information.

An extra benefit of the book is the small notes you find alot of, giving interesting information. Reading these notes makes your travel alot more special.

When I travel I use my guidebooks as kind of diaries. I write down restaurants I visit, hotel I stay at, interesting places I see and so on. And this book is filled with my writings almost on all pages. Gordon has seen it all, and gives very useful information about a very interesting, though little known country.

Britt Arnhild Lindland

As a Lonely Planet author, I'd like to echo the words of other reviewers of this book. This is clearly Lonely Planet's best title - the writing is clear, concise and informative, the asides are entertaining, the tone is objective yet engaging, and Frances Linzee Gordon's photos are nothing short of spectacular. Congratulations, Frances - you've produced a winner!

A recent front page article in the New York Times on the Lalibela churches in northern Ethiopia sent me running for my LP copy of this book. I was most pleasantly surprised to find over a dozen pages of detailed information on this incredible center of early Christianity. F. Linzee-Gordon's first hand account of a visit to the churches provided a most informative background lacking in the NY Times article. Well done!

Haunting--this book is raw and hontest. I can't get it off my mind. Will be visiting friends doing VSO in northern Ghana soon and am trying to get a copy for them as well.

I read a tattered, much passed around copy of Village of Waiting in my Peace Corps house in a village not far from George Packer's. I just returned in October 2001. Hard to imagine that after nearly twenty years, so much of what Packer wrote about Togo has not changed very much. . . Togo still waits. When people ask me about Togo, I'm still not sure what to say. I imagine Packer is still unsure. All I can say is that it is easy to give up on Togo, quite another thing to give up on its people. Packer's reflections of life in Lavie provide a lot of insight into the life of a Peace Corps Volunteer. This is a book that many PCVs either love or hate. Although it must be said that they seem to hate it when they arrive in Togo, and love it if they read or re-read it later, especially after leaving Togo. Many PCVs have complained that he was too soft, and couldn't handle it, but it is my impression that Packer really understood his reality and that is what made it so hard for him to handle it everyday. He understood the absurdity and hardship, and did not romanticize it. It made him angry. I know how he felt. I often wondered about the characters in Packer's book, as I zoomed through Lavie on my way up-country. Luckily, this new print has some follow-up on the many characters of his village.

For the longest time after reading this amazing and wonderful book I worried about George Packer - how he had gotten on, if he was successful, where he had gone, and if he had written more in the same lucid and painfully honest style he used in this autobiographical essay on his years in Togo as a Peace Corps volunteer. So it was with special joy today that I discovered not only that he's just written a major work (on American liberalism) that has been reviewed by the NY Times quite favorably, but that's he's written other works as well. Truly, Packer has an intellectual honesty that is extremely rare, coupled with an innate ability to put in words the deepest and most sincere and heartfelt feelings of Peace Corps volunteer and of those who have share the volunteer experience, particularly those among us who were blessed with service in Africa. The Village of Waiting is a "travel narrative", you might call it, that transcends the genre. Highly recommended.

The characters really come to life in this compelling read. 4 stars because I just finished reading Neal Peart's "Masked Rider" and that was tops. 5 stars - check that one out if you enjoyed this one. Overall an enjoyable read.

I had so much fun reading this book! As a traveler, I related so much to all the different pieces of it. I laughed so hard, and I also found that it had a surprising emotional impact that lasted long after I put it down. I couldn't stop thinking about the characters-- I felt like I knew the Africans, the volunteers, and the narrator herself, in all their glorious confused humanness! What a great journey.

Move over, V. S. Naipaul and Paul Theroux; there's a new kid on the block, but with a decided feminist slant. Tanya Shaffer's African odyssey, adds an affecting intimacy to the account of the people, places, and things chronicled in the usual travel book. Her role as a volunteer in the construction of schools and hospitals in small communities of Ghana, living in the homes of local families and sharing their lives, and her wanderings by the most plebeian public conveyances - overcrowded buses and canoes - are the settings for heartwarming encounters with individuals whose lives we come to share. Ms. Shaffer's staunch respect for cultural differences does not silence her from voicing her objections to men who follow sexist tribal customs.that demean their wives and impede the modernization of Africa.. Her narrative sets a brisk pace that holds and delights the reader through a charming picaresque tale of the personal growth of a young woman.

Nzenza retuns to Zimbabwe after many years abroad in Australia. She brings with her a husband and child. As they learn the ropes of Zimbabwe and meet her extended family in the village, Nzenza id dealing with family members that are either dying or have died, most from AIDS. It is a touching book, composed of seperate tales, but connected stories.

She speaks very clearly of her appreciation of the village and her love for the people there. At the same time she speaks from the knowledge that she can not return to live there, having spent too much time in Western cities with conveniences that the village lacks. I enjoyed the portraits of the village she paints and could easily see the picture she laid out.

The stories of AIDS and it's debilitating effect on Zimbabwean life was saddening. I can only hope future portraits can touch on a Zimbabwe that has conquered this disease.

The complex journey back to Sekai's roots in this autobiography, begins with her taking a trip back to Zimbabwe to visit her family. The book revolves mainly around the events that happen to her and around herin Zimbabwe. I think that the theme of the book is really re-discovering your roots, and finding your true heritage. I found this book to be very easy to relate to, as i am familiar with the land of Zimbabwe and some of the phrases and words used in the book. Many of these elements are the foundation of Sekai's complex story, which captures your attention instantly.
My only critisism about the book is that sometimes the author goes so deeply into a subject, that she gets slightly off track. I personally was drawn into the book by the authors use of catchy sentences and complex ideas that made me want to keep reading.
In conclusion, I'd recomend this book to anyone who enjoys a good story with a cultural and ethnic flare to it.

Nzenza is one of our women who went to the West, but realized she belong in soil of her people, the beautiful country of Africa. She reccounts how much misery the West has brought t Africa, but is able to rediscover true African life, family traditions, witchcraft, etc. She has come back to her truly natural life and the place where she belong to, the earth that nurtured us for all generations, our true mother. Brothers and Sisters, you can't miss reading her experience if you don't feel like this. Read and feel. And I became very emotional when reading that book. Speak to our African hart, sister Sekai.

Kurtz's message of coming to love those you have been taught to hate is never emphasized enough in today's world. (Think Serbia.) Kurtz story is compelling but must be read carefully by taking time to read over the stories, the explanations of the girls' cultural histories, and the meanings of their words. Unfortunately, this is something most young readers would rather not do. If given as a class assignment, I am afraid many young readers comments may be less favorable. Anytime a children's book accurately tells about a global problem it deserves much attention and reading, and such is the case of "Storyteller's Beads". Previous Amazon reviewers have properly used this book - sharing it with an adult. Having the background notes in the front of the book would have improved the book's effectiveness. For this reason I give it 4 not 5 stars.

Can you imagine for someone to travel to an extended journey from Ethiopia to Jerusalem? In the novel, The Storyteller's Beads by Jane Kurtz is the exact similar event that happened to the main characters Sahay and Rahel. The genre of the novel is fiction. The setting of the story is generally Ethiopia and Sudan, in 1980, (during the political strife and famine). It illustrates that since most Ethiopian people wanted to seek for safety, they struggle to escape to Sudan. Therefore, the novel is a refugee story.
Sahay and Rahel, play a role in the most part of the plot. Sahay, a Christian girl, in the first place did not realized that life could get worth, but now, her uncle is rushing her through the night away from the only home she has ever known out of Ethiopia, forever. Blind Jewish as child, Rahel has always relied on her grandmother to guide her; however, her parents are sending her and her brother on a long petrify trip, with no assurance when. This illustrates that both of these girls' families wanted the two girls to live in a developed life in another place instead of Ethiopia. The Sudan soldiers sent Sahay's uncle and Rahel's brother back to Ethiopia from Sudan. When Sahay's and Rahel's paths join, they were both in a bad mood; but Sahay is disgusted to share food and water with Rahel. This shows that males could not go out of Ethiopia around 1980. Therefore, Sahay and Rahel are trying a superlative way to save each other; in addition, they want to attain their dream, which is going to Jerusalem.
One of Sahay and Rahel's external conflicts is that Sahay's uncle and Rahel's brother were sent back to Ethiopia. On page 120: Sahay said to Rahel, "Let's go to the edge of the camp everyday and we will try to find my uncle and your brother." This illustrates that both of the girls wished if the two men approached back to Sudan. It is because they are frightened, and they do not have anyone to support them in Sudan and help them survive the hazardous journey. Consequently, Sahay become Rahel's guide; however, they repeatedly go to the mountains to examine if the two men are circuitously.
One of Sahay's internal conflicts is to be friends with Rahel or not. On page 118: Sahay thought when she has nobody, even a blind Falasha (Ethiopian Jewish) girl is somebody, even though she does not like Falasha. This shows that Sahay felt being with Rahel is better than being with no one. This is because people in her family have always feared and hated Ethiopian Jewish. Consequently, Sahay started getting along with Rahel, to overcome their cultural prejudges and help each other.
The theme subject of the story is refugee. A quote that proves the theme is on page 143: they arrived to Jerusalem and saw them self that they had come to the land where for now, no matter what lay ahead, and no one was stranger. The authors comment about refugee is that refugees can accomplish a place that they can truly call home. The author's comment is true, because Rahel and Sahay accomplished a place that they can truly call home in Jerusalem. The Storyteller's Beads is a great book, and it would be recommend for anyone who want to determine some of the experiences that refugees go through.

The Storyteller's Beads explores a timely theme: how do we make connections with people from different religious, ethnic and geographical backgrounds? Read this book, and the magic of distant lands will come alive for you. Hardships and suffering are transcended by the grace of friendship. The author lived in Ethiopia as a girl and writes with exquisite detail and nuance. A must-read for ages 9-12 in this difficult moment of history. Read aloud to aware 8 year olds. Also a marvelous testament to the strength of a young woman who is physically blind but morally gifted.