Book Review #10 - The Lost Tribe

• Hardcover: 258 pages
• Publisher: Henry Holt & Company (October 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805053182
• ISBN-13: 978-0805053180
• Genre: Non-fiction
• Days spent reading: 11

Synopsis

Two years before this story begins, the Liawep were a lost tribe. There were seventy-nine of them, living in deep jungle in far northwest Papua New Guinea. They worshipped a mountain and dressed in leaves. They hid when planes flew overhead, believing them to be evil sanguma birds. There was no record of them in census books; as far as the outside world was concerned they did not exist. Edward Marriott first heard about the Liawep tribe in 1993, when their 'discovery' by a missionary hit the international headlines. Unable to believe that anyone could still be truly lost, he set out to find them himself, to hear their stories, hopes for the future and fears for their changing world. Banned by the Papua New Guinea government from visiting them, he assembled his own patrol and crossed the jungle illegally. However, nothing could prepare him for what he found nor for the dramatic events that followed. Intriguing and impressive, The Lost Tribe is both a compelling adventure story and an extraordinary account of a small society caught at a time of dramatic change.

I thought I would never finish reading this book. From the beginning to the end, I had to drag myself reading it. The book came a little short of what I expected from it. As I was reading it, I was hoping that sooner or later, I would be reaching the climax of the story that would vindicate the chapters that failed to sustain my interest. Nevertheless, the only part that I enjoyed is the last part, where the author reflected what he has learned from the experience.

This is what I like the most:

I wanted so badly to draw a line between myself good and enlightened, but the distinction was blurred. Definitions, too, had turned on me- "lost" applied far more to my escapade that it ever had to the Liawep.

Date a Girl Who Reads-Rosemarie Urquico

While book blog hopping, I stumbled upon this article posted in coypatalagsa's blog that really impressed me. I was impressed because I agree with most of what she says. I would like to share it also with my readers.

Here it is...

Date a girl who reads. Date a girl who spends her money on books instead of clothes. She has problems with closet space because she has too many books. Date a girl who has a list of books she wants to read, who has had a library card since she was twelve.

Find a girl who reads. You’ll know that she does because she will always have an unread book in her bag. She’s the one lovingly looking over the shelves in the bookstore, the one who quietly cries out when she finds the book she wants. You see the weird chick sniffing the pages of an old book in a second hand book shop? That’s the reader. They can never resist smelling the pages, especially when they are yellow.

She’s the girl reading while waiting in that coffee shop down the street. If you take a peek at her mug, the non-dairy creamer is floating on top because she’s kind of engrossed already. Lost in a world of the author’s making. Sit down. She might give you a glare, as most girls who read do not like to be interrupted.

Ask her if she likes the book.

Buy her another cup of coffee.

Let her know what you really think of Murakami. See if she got through the first chapter of Fellowship. Understand that if she says she understood James Joyce’s Ulysses she’s just saying that to sound intelligent. Ask her if she loves Alice or she would like to be Alice.

It’s easy to date a girl who reads. Give her books for her birthday, for Christmas and for anniversaries. Give her the gift of words, in poetry, in song. Give her Neruda, Pound, Sexton, Cummings. Let her know that you understand that words are love. Understand that she knows the difference between books and reality but by god, she’s going to try to make her life a little like her favorite book. It will never be your fault if she does.

She has to give it a shot somehow.

Lie to her. If she understands syntax, she will understand your need to lie. Behind words are other things: motivation, value, nuance, dialogue. It will not be the end of the world.

Fail her. Because a girl who reads knows that failure always leads up to the climax. Because girls who understand that all things will come to end. That you can always write a sequel. That you can begin again and again and still be the hero. That life is meant to have a villain or two.

Why be frightened of everything that you are not? Girls who read understand that

people, like characters, develop. Except in the Twilight series.

If you find a girl who reads, keep her close. When you find her up at 2 AM clutching a book to her chest and weeping, make her a cup of tea and hold her.You may lose her for a couple of hours but she will always come back to you. She’ll talk as if the characters in the book are real, because for a while, they always are.

You will propose on a hot air balloon. Or during a rock concert. Or very casually next time she’s sick. Over Skype.

You will smile so hard you will wonder why your heart hasn’t burst and bled out all over your chest yet. You will write the story of your lives, have kids with strange names and even stranger tastes. She will introduce your children to the Cat in the Hat and Aslan, maybe in the same day. You will walk the winters of your old age together and she will recite Keats under her breath while you shake the snow off your boots.

Date a girl who reads because you deserve it. You deserve a girl who can give you the most colorful life imaginable. If you can only give her monotony, and stale hours and half-baked proposals, then you’re better off alone. If you want the world and the worlds beyond it, date a girl who reads.

Or better yet, date a girl who writes.

Don't you agree with what the author says here?

Marley the Dog Book Review

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
• Paperback: 196 pages
• Publisher: Collins; a special adaption for youth edition (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• Genre: Non-fiction
• Days spent reading: 2 days

From Booklist

Acquired by Grogan and his wife in Florida when he was a puppy, Marley, an oversize, energetic, and supremely loving yellow Lab, was expelled from his first obedience school but successfully auditioned for a part in a movie. He bolted his food, chewed everything in sight, and went berserk in thunderstorms. After moving to Pennsylvania with the growing Grogan family, he discovered the joy of snow, tobogganing down the hill on his master's stomach. Although never really well-behaved, Marley made his home in their hearts for 13 years. Grogan has trimmed down his best-selling account, Marley and Me (2005), for younger readers, leaving out considerable detail about the family but keeping all the deeds and misdeeds that made Marley so entertaining. The dog's poignant last days are detailed as well. 

This has been the second incident that a dog made me cry! Hachiko:The Story of a Dog movie being the first one, and now, Marley.

While making my progress in the middle of the book, I decided to continue reading it the next day. But, when I got to the chapter that tells about Marley's last days, I just couldn't put the book down, that I read it even until 1:35 in the morning! My tears just won't stop flowing. I felt Marley's pain, not of his owner. I just can imagine how it feels when you know that you are dying soon and the idea of leaving behind your love ones. 

My heart was crushed when I'm reading how Marley, even in pain, struggled to be near his master. I'm glad that he died peacefully. Was happy to know that a similar dog lives near the family.:-)

Hitler: The Pathology of Evil Book Review

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Potomac Books Inc. (December 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1574882287
• ISBN-13: 978-1574882285
• Genre: Nonfiction 
• Days spent reading: 7 days

From Library Journal

Any student of World War II knows that Adolph Hitler was a complex and demon-ridden man. Victor, a Jewish psychotherapist dealing with personality disorders, argues that Hitler's troubled pathology has never been seriously studied because of fears that he might emerge as a guiltless and even sympathetic victim of forces beyond his control. In this painstaking analysis of Hitler's family background and childhood, supported by exhaustive study of his written and spoken utterances, the author makes a convincing case of how the German leader came to be deeply disturbed and shows how these findings manifested themselves in Hitler's social philosophy, leadership style, and, eventually, his fateful policy decisions. Less convincing is his contention that Hitler deliberately avoided quick victories over Britain and the Soviet Union to have time to complete the Holocaust. Even so, this is a fascinating and extremely lucid journey into the mind of one of the century's most pivotal figures.?Raymond L. Puffer, U.S. Air Force History Prog., Edwards AFB, Cal. Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

 
I thought I would never finished reading this book. It took me almost two weeks and I'm a bit frustrated to be stuck with it.  I was excited to read this book when I first saw it. Now, I'm excited that I'm finally done with it! It's not about what's written inside, but the fonts are way too small for me to enjoy reading it. My eyes easily got tired of reading the book so I have to rest my eyes once in a while.

The story starts in a page-turning mode, although a bit slow. Then it's quite a drag in the middle. The last chapters is a struggle for me. I was reading but I'm sure my comprehension is below 70%. I just couldn't absorb them anymore. Still, it's a great book.

Reading Personality Quiz

I found about this quiz in a fellow Filipino Book Blogger and got interested (of course!) to take the quiz and to know what's my reading personality. Take the quiz to know your reading personality.

Here's my result:

Your responses showed you fitting equally into all four reading personalities:

Involved Reader: You don't just love to read books, you love to read about books. For you, half the fun of reading is the thrill of the chase - discovering new books and authors, and discussing your finds with others.  

~ I just love it when I find something rare and worth reading, although it's  not so obvious on the cover. For me, it's just like finding a treasure.

Exacting Reader: You love books but you rarely have as much time to read as you'd like - so you're very particular about the books you choose.  

~ I'm very picky when it choosing a book to read. I prefer nonfiction. Not that I don't like novels, its just that I value my time so much that I don't want to spend it in a fantasy world.

Serial Reader: Once you discover a favorite writer you tend to stick with him/her through thick and thin.  

~ I'm not so sure about this one. I'm not really into authors. I just read any books that is appealing to me. But I do have lots of books from one author, they are books about my faith.

Eclectic Reader: You read for entertainment but also to expand your mind. You're open to new ideas and new writers, and are not wedded to a particular genre or limited range of authors.

~ This is especially true. One of the reason why I read is for relaxation. So I prefer my books to be light to relieve me of physical or intellectual stress. I read serious books only when my mind is prepared to digest and absorb the printed words.

I was surprised to see that I fit into all four reading personalities. I wonder if this is a common thing.

What about you? What is your reading personality?

Healthy Books

 Today, I've deicided to list the books that helped me live a healthy life.

I grew up in a health-conscious family so I prefer to eat healthy and nutritious foods even though Im not a vegetarian. I only eat chicken and beef occassionally, when I'm craving or when there's nothing else safe to order in a foreign menu.

Today, looking and feeling good are a high lifestyle priority. For way less than a doctor, this health classic will tell you how to manage stress, get well, prevent disease, and feel vibrantly alive. Does God have a health care plan for people living today? Is their a link between diet and spiritual growth? Does the Master Physician desire to heal people today as He did in Bible times? These answers and more are contained in this classic, Ministry of Healing by Ellen G. White.

Eight Secrets of Health Being healthy has never been this easy! Read this book and learn not just one secrets of health but eight. Learn new insights on how to stay healthy in this unhealthy world.

Why do some kidneys fail? This book provides you with empowering information--how the kidneys work, kidney diseases, including their signs and symptoms, and how to avoid them. It is a practical guide on how to prevent and deal with kidney problems. So, don't wait until it's too late!

Healing Wonders of Herbs Transform your backyard into a “roadside drugstore” Heal yourself with natural drugs that are safe and has no side effects. (By Herminia de Guzman-Ladion)

Healing Wonders of Water Be able to treat your patients right in the comfort and privacy of your home. Learn different hydrotherapy techniques. (By Herminia de Guzman-Ladion)

Healing Wonders of Diet This guidebook to effective diet therapy provides various dietary regimens to meet the needed food requirements.(By Blecenda Miranda-Varona, Maria Elena Tablante Godoy, and David Arsulo Varona)

 I'm good in eating but not in cooking. That's why I need recipe books.

Cooking Smart by Belcenda Miranda-Varona and David Arsulo-Varona. Enjoy cooking over 200 meatless recipes through simple food combinations and still meet your daily nutritional needs.

Added features: RDA graph, 7-day menu, and food pyramid.

Your Food and You A guide to better nutrition, this cookbook is designed for you as you prepare native delectable delicacies for different occasions. Let your culinary expertise surface with this guide.

Best Recipes For the Home Not just another cookbook, this volume abounds with 500 recipes you can do to serve happiness to the people you love. Available in Cebuan, Tagalog, Ilocano and English.

Bookmooch #2 - Book from Turkey

Koreans are celebrating their Lunar New Year. We received lots of gifts from them. But my most favorite for this week is this...

All the way from Turkey

After sending 5 books last week for those who mooched from, I got another treat from a fellow bookmoocher who sent me this book. I'm quite fascinated, not just by the book, but by what I saw inside the book. There are lots of underlined words and writings on several pages and on the margins. And this is what fascinates me most, that's why I like used or old books. I'm reading not just the book itself, but also the thoughts of the previous reader written on its pages.