To you fellow book lovers:
What books have you read that gave you a clearer perspective on another people group than your own? And how has it impacted your relationships with other people?
(People group being another nationality, a subculture within your culture, etc.)
:beret:
Oh oh oh!! There's this book that I REALLY want to buy - it's called "One couple, two cultures" and it's about Chinese/Western interracial marriages - but it's about US$30 and I don't like paying that much just for a book!! But I keep looking at it every time I go to the bookstore to see if it's on sale, but it never is ;) It's awesome though, and I can REALLY identify with it!!
That said, I haven't really read THAT many books that really taught me about other "people groups"... not specifically anyway... not that I can think of... *shrugs*
Wow there have been so many That I can't even remember. Most of them are books my mother read to us as kids about slavery and world war II. My mom exposed us to some serious stuff at a young age. LOL
I'm with Jolene. Also, Alexander McCall Smith has a bunch of books on Africa, Botswana in particular. I read those before my trip...it really helped!
Also, I've read some stuff involving Amish people that really opened my eyes.
i have read so many it would take all day to tell you . . . and you'd be :sleep: by the time i was done.
however, that said, a couple come to mind that you might rather like . . . Russka is the story of Russia as if it were a fictional land. it's told like several stories in one book that starts at the dawn of time and continues to modern times. each part of the story is just fabulous!! it traces, in some loose manner, a family tree. very well done . . . i guess the same author has done one for England, but i'm not sure.
another author who goes into american history in an odd twist is louis l'amour. Jubal Sackett, for example, is really the story of frontier explorers that made it to the west coast "before history". apparently, there were several who made it without actually journaling their discoveries. the story of Jubal Sackett is purely fiction, but follows the "what if" scenario of a frontier traveler.
best story i have ever read about the Arab culture as it relates to women is Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir, Michele Fitoussi. true story, fabulously told.
hhhmmm . . .let me think if there are others i would so highly recommend.
you know me and books . . . i just can't say enough!
Seeing Voices: A journey into the world of the Deaf
AWESOME read! Really gives understanding into Deaf culture
http://www.oliversacks.com/voices.htm
I read Nelson Mandela's autobiography... that book is a BRICK - but it was really good too!!
that would be a great autobiography. nelson mandela led quite a life. i remember very vividly his imprisonment and the whole freedom movement.
going into that subject, there is a book called The Magic Lantern that is about the fall of communism in the Eastern Block countries that is just phenomenal!! it's a little dry to read, but this author was a photographer that just "happened" to be at the meeting where Lec Walensa and the other Solidarity leaders decided it was time to take action and then . . . this photographer was in those countries for the next 18 months as one after another the Iron Curtain fell. he was an unwitting eyewitness to history and it's a really good read.
in that vein, a book that would help someone understand the mindset of communism and why the Russian people fell for it, honestly, is Dr. Zhivago. but we already know that's one of my all-time favorites. hhhmmm . . . i think it's on the shelf begging for attention . . . .
I always wanted to read that book called "Desert Flower" - anyone ever heard of it? It's another autobiography, but I forget her name... some African woman...
I found it - http://www.amazon.com/Desert-Flower-Extraordinary-Journey-Nomad/dp/0688172377 - here's the "blurb" of it...
"By age 6, Waris Dirie was herding her family's sheep and goats, fending off hyenas and wild dogs as the family carved a path through Africa. She was just twice that age when she ran off into the vast furnace of the Somali desert to escape an arranged marriage to a much older man. Traveling for days without food and water, she made her way to Mogadishu and later to London as a servant to her uncle, the Somalian ambassador. There she wrestled with culture shock and got her first taste of the modeling life that eventually brought her into the public eye. Dirie is resilient, having survived drought, hunger, and the ritual female genital mutilation that marks a step toward womanhood among some traditional Moslems but, argue critics, steals or ruins many girls' lives. "As we traveled throughout Somalia," says Dirie, "we met families and I played with their daughters. When we visited them again, the girls were missing. No one spoke the truth about their absence or even spoke of them at all." As a special ambassador to the United Nations, Dirie has spoken out loudly on this subject and championed environmental causes, too. How much of her sometimes breathless story is gospel truth and how much embellished is hard to say. Like Dirie herself, though, the combination is intriguing, powerful, and unique. "
Oh, you mean that book! I've heard of it, put it on my mental book list, and then forgot about it. :-? It sounded really interesting....Maybe I need to go check it out.
:beret:
It's been on my mental list for 5 years or so ;) lol - I need to go get it from the library or something like that!!
Did you buy a copy of One Couple, Two Cultures, yet?
I tried looking it up at B & N, and would you believe they don't have it!?!? What's wrong with them, anyway? :)
:beret:
http://www.alibris.com/
try this website for hard to find books. that's where i found the book about the tolstoys (which i have yet to order for myself) and a couple of others that i thought were out of print. they seem to be reasonably priced . . . .
let me know what you think.
Oooo, I know about them, and forgot to check that. :pound:
You're right, they're pretty decent for finding tough-to-find stuff. :thumbsup2:
:beret:
One Couple Two Cultures: 81 Western-Chinese Couples Talk About Love and Marriages
by Waters, Dan other copies of this book
price: $49.45 Ships within 3 weeks
Binding: Paperback Publisher: MCCM Creations, Hong Kong Date Published: 2005 ISBN: 9889761009 Description: New. 276 p.; 22 cm. Includes Bibliography and Index. One Couple Two Cultures highlights information provided by eighty-one Western – Chinese couples whose views on codes of conduct and lifestyles vary considerably. Whilst some believe that a successful marriage can depend as much on smelly gorgonzola cheese read more
seller information:
Name: Mary Martin Booksell , INDIA
Found it. $50 for a paperback? wow . . must be some book!
Gracious! There has to be a cheaper copy than that! :o .....I hope.
:beret:
Well it's cheaper in Hong Kong than over there then ;) it's US$28 over here. I could make a profit on it!! Still, I was thinking that even THAT was too expensive for a soft cover book!!
I think I'm just going to end up buying it - because I really want to read it!!
I'll let you buy it....and then I'll borrow it if/when I get to come to HK. :teeth:
:beret:
IF?!!??!?!??!?!??!
I thought you were coming, it's a sure thing ;) You promised!!! :P ;)
yeah, sippin', for you it's just barely over the water. for me, it's a horse and buggy ride over the mountains and past the desert and THEN over seas. okay, maybe not the horse and buggy . . .
:biglaugh:
Alrighty then...I'll just hop into my rowboat and start paddling away. :teeth:
Seriously, Nicole, I'd love to come. But there're two small matters to figure out...1) A time frame when Kim will be off work to give me the grand tour, (and you, too, for that matter!), and 2) Can I honestly afford to come this year?
There's also this matter of very much wanting to go to Italy. Preferably in this lifetime.... :P
So...providing I work out those issues and end up in HK, do I get a turn at reading One Couple, Two Cultures?
(Oh, looky there! I put us back on topic! Points for me!) :)
:beret:
Quote from: SippinTea on January 31, 2007, 04:43:26 PM
:biglaugh:
Alrighty then...I'll just hop into my rowboat and start paddling away. :teeth:
Seriously, Nicole, I'd love to come. But there're two small matters to figure out...1) A time frame when Kim will be off work to give me the grand tour, (and you, too, for that matter!), and 2) Can I honestly afford to come this year?
There's also this matter of very much wanting to go to Italy. Preferably in this lifetime.... :P
So...providing I work out those issues and end up in HK, do I get a turn at reading One Couple, Two Cultures?
(Oh, looky there! I put us back on topic! Points for me!) :)
:beret:
Come at easter time - she's got a month off then!! Or at Christmas, if you need longer... OR I can be your tour guide while she's gotta work!! ;)
And of course you can read the book, as long as I actually buy it ;)
A month at Easter?....
That's tempting! If I was gone at Easter, then I couldn't very well be the director for any Easter programs, now could I? :biglaugh:
:beret:
:nono: shame shame
:hypocrite:
Quote from: SippinTea on February 01, 2007, 07:03:41 AM
A month at Easter?....
That's tempting! If I was gone at Easter, then I couldn't very well be the director for any Easter programs, now could I? :biglaugh:
:beret:
And my brother will be in Hong Kong at that time too!!
Actually - I think maybe Kim only has 2 weeks off - I forget... *shrugs* But still!! Come for 2 weeks!! ;)
It's nice to be so wanted...but I'm going to have think that through. :)
:beret:
we'll help you pray about it, right, nic? i'm all about seeing people expand their borders . . . . :walking:
in the meantime, might i suggest a couple of titles for helping you to understand some people groups . . .
1.
Frommer's Hong Kong (Frommer's Complete) 8th Editon by Beth Reiber (Paperback - Feb 25, 2005)
Buy new: $16.99 $12.06 Used & new from $6.95
Get it by Monday, Feb. 5, if you order in the next 10 hours and 35 minutes.
Excerpt - page 1: "... information on getting to know Hong Kong, see chapter ... them to travel to Hong Kong on their ..."
› See more references to hong kong travel in this book.
Surprise me! See a random page in this book.
Books: See all 1090 items
2.
Lonely Planet Best Of Hong Kong (Lonely Planet Best of Series) by Steve Fallon (Paperback - April 30, 2005)
Buy new: $14.99 $10.94 Used & new from $7.75
Get it by Monday, Feb. 5, if you order in the next 10 hours and 35 minutes.
Books: See all 1090 items
3.
Eyewitness Top 10 Travel Guides: Hong Kong (Eyewitness Travel Top 10) by DK Publishing (Paperback - Jul 1, 2002)
Buy new: $12.00 $8.30 Used & new from $2.48
Get it by Monday, Feb. 5, if you order in the next 10 hours and 5 minutes.
Books: See all 1090 items
4.
Lonely Planet Hong Kong & Macau (Lonely Planet Hong Kong and Macau) by Steve Fallon (Paperback - Jan 2006)
Buy new: $19.99 $14.19 Used & new from $12.74
Get it by Monday, Feb. 5, if you order in the next 10 hours and 5 minutes.
Books: See all 1090 items
5.
Insight City Guide Hong Kong: Macau & Guangzhou (Insight Guides) by Tom Le Bas (Turtleback - Nov 30, 2005)
Buy new: $15.95 $11.32 Used & new from $9.57
Get it by Monday, Feb. 5, if you order in the next 10 hours and 35 minutes.
Excerpt - page 40: "... However, Hong Kong residents are free to travel on foreign passports, since attempts ..."
› See more references to hong kong travel in this book.
Surprise me! See a random page in this book.
Books: See all 1090 items
6.
Suzy Gershman's Born to Shop Hong Kong, Shanghai & Beijing: The Ultimate Guide for Travelers Who Love to Shop (Born To Shop) by Suzy Gershman (Paperback - Sep 16, 2005)
Buy new: $15.99 $10.87 Used & new from $8.00
Get it by Monday, Feb. 5, if you order in the next 10 hours and 35 minutes.
Books: See all 1090 items
7.
Three Perfect Days: Hong Kong by Three Perfect Days (VHS Tape - Oct 12, 1999)
Used & new from $7.88
VHS: See all 11 items
8.
Weekend Explorer Hong Kong, City Of Life by Barnstormer Productions (DVD - Dec 1, 2006)
Buy new: $14.95 $12.99 Used & new from $12.99
Get it by Monday, Feb. 5, if you order in the next 7 hours and 5 minutes.
DVD: See all 8 items
I've browsed through a couple of those books at the bookstore - but none of them REALLY jumped out at me...
There are a bunch of books that are things like "Living in Hong Kong for expats" - and a few other biographies of white people who grew up in Hong Kong etc - the biography ones seem more interesting to me!! There's this one called Gweilo (which is literally "ghost man" but has come to mean the Expat foreigners who live over here) - that book looks really interesting too!!
Here's the amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Gweilo-Memories-Hong-Kong-Childhood/dp/0553816721
Here's a page with a review of it: http://www.ordinarygweilo.com/2004/12/martin_booth_gw.html
have you looked on Amazon or EBAY? I've gotten brand new books for under a $1 before....
Kris and Nic, you're both bad!!! :pound:
:biglaugh: Nothing like a little push in the direction of HK, eh?
But wouldn't you really rather go to Italy with me? :P
:beret:
oh, sure, italy in the autumn sounds lovely to me. though autumn of which YEAR is the question begging.
The sooner the better, of course. ;) And Nicole is funding the trip. :biglaugh:
:beret:
GREAT! Can I come too?
Quote from: SippinTea on February 02, 2007, 10:45:55 PM
The sooner the better, of course. ;) And Nicole is funding the trip. :biglaugh:
:beret:
Now, IIIFFFF I was funding a trip at all, (which I'm not), it would definitely be to Hong Kong, NOT Italy!! Unless I was coming to Italy too ;)
Hear that yall...Nicole is paying for us to go to Hong Kong instead!
Woo hoo! I'm gettin' on the plane tomorrow! ;) Hong Kong first, and then...Italy, here I come! (I mean, as long as Nicole is paying...)
:beret:
Do you want me to meet you in HK or come to your airport first so we can fly together?
Oh, definitely come here first. Then we can chat on the way there. ;)
:beret:
Dont forget to bring a thermos of hot water, and Ill bring some tea....
:thumbsup2:
Yup. ;) Realized it after I clicked 'post'. Here's an extra for good measure:
:beret: :beret:
Oh, boy. Now I've got a split personality.
:beret:
So why are you always up so late...I have an excuse...whats yours?
Um....no good excuse, I guess. The only time this house is quiet is after everyone else is in bed, which is part of it. Another factor would be that I got in a habit of staying up late while Surf was here for Cmas, and I'm not back on my usual schedule.
:beret:
Isn't your curfew around 7 pm though? :P
:kermit:
:beret:
Im being nosey....and I guess I missed the info....
Where did Surf go and why?
He lives in the SURFDAWORLD state, not in "freeze your toes off" land - and he came home for his white christmas, then went back to surf da world ;)
Sorry, Mel Mel. I closed down my computer last night before I saw this. But Nicole did a nice job of answering for me. ;)
:beret:
10-4
lol - Italy, Ruby? I've always wanted to visit there too! My aunt and her family live in Italy and I've yet to meet my cousins there.. As long as the flight is paid, I have free lodging though. ;)
:thumbsup2:
:beret:
Wow this is a pretty old topic.
And I might add that it is one of the first conversations that I had with my Ruby Friend too. ;)
Quote from: Rae on April 29, 2007, 12:23:01 PM
lol - Italy, Ruby? I've always wanted to visit there too! My aunt and her family live in Italy and I've yet to meet my cousins there.. As long as the flight is paid, I have free lodging though. ;)
Ruby just wants to go to Italy cause she thinks she will find a Beret wearin', Vespa Crusin', Available Apostolic Guy with a cute accent.... ;)
Meanwhile, BACK ON TOPIC.....
I am currently reading "Dominion" by Randy Alcorn, it came highly recommended, ;) And for VERY good reason. I cant put it down! I also have ordered "Deadline" and I should have waited to read Deadline first, but once I flipped thru this one, I had to read it. It is awesome, and it really has showed me some things about the Black race and culture that I thought I knew, but I was wrong... Very enlightening....
Side Note: Ruby...we need to discuss some things about this book. I wanted to tonight, but I got kinda sidetracked ;)
Quote from: MelodyB on September 11, 2007, 08:08:09 AM
Ruby just wants to go to Italy cause she thinks she will find a Beret wearin', Vespa Crusin', Available Apostolic Guy with a cute accent.... ;)
:spitlaugh: :laughhard: That was funny, Girlie! ;)
Quote from: MelodyB on September 11, 2007, 08:08:09 AM
Ruby...we need to discuss some things about this book. I wanted to tonight, but I got kinda sidetracked ;)
Uh, yeah.... me too. ;) But ditto what you said about the book. I've always(?) had black friends, but this book gave me a whole new picture.
:beret:
Quote from: nicolejoy on January 30, 2007, 03:26:23 PM
I always wanted to read that book called "Desert Flower" - anyone ever heard of it? It's another autobiography, but I forget her name... some African woman...
Sis wonders if our old poster knows about this book.
I've read so many things and researched so many things I couldn't name just one. Our museum was about natural history and world cultures, so there had been many, many exhibits about other cultures. I liked the one about the Kuna Indians from the San Blas Islands off of Panama. You may have seen the "Molas" they make. They are the front and back panels of the blouses the women wore.
(http://www.quiltethnic.com/images/mola.gif)
Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah.. It gave me a little more understanding about China.. where it's come from where it's going.. also, perhaps, what people go through coming from there to here.. and the reasons why they would.. I think it was just good for having more understanding of Chinese perspective..
Hey I was wondering if anyone on here knew of any good books that I can get from the local library or that I can read online?
My favorite book series is The Sword of Shannara Series by Terry Brooks, plus his Knight of Word series. Robert Jordon also tops the chart with his amazing Wheel of Time series, though sadly he passed away before the last book was finished. It's being finished though by his estate.
Has anyone read "The Scarlet Pimpernel"?
This is my favortive quote so far:
"Marguerite's thoughts flew back to him, the mysterious hero, whom she had always unconsciously loved, when his identity was still unknown to her. Laughingly, in the olden days, she used to call him the shadowy king of her heart, and now she had suddenly found that this enigmatic personality whom she had worshipped, and the man who loved her so passionately, were one and the same: what wonder that one or two happier Visions began to force their way before her mind? She vaguely wondered what she would say to him when first they would stand face to face."
"Odd's Fish!"
I was kinda meaning Christian books. lol. Anyways I am reading a real good book right now called " Maximize The Moment Gods Plan For Your Life. It is written by T.D. Jakes. And So far its a really good book. :lol:
"The Scarlet Pimpernel" is a historical classic about the French Revelution