The highlight list includes:

• Charles Stross: The Laundry novels and The Halting State

• Neil Gaiman's American Gods

• Nicholas Hornsby's High Fidelity

• Peter F. Hamilton's Night's Dawn Trilogy

• Terry Pratchett's Making Money and Going Postal

• Steven Barnes' Great Sky Woman

• Mark Law's The Pyjama Game: A journey Into Judo

That's not a fully complete list, but those are most of the books I remember. Well, there's also a bunch of classic science fiction books, but I'll talk about those later

This is a novel written in free verse – the whole story is a collection of unrhymed poems. Sometimes, poetry can be intimidating, but reading this book was effortless. Ideas, images, and dialogue flow so easily, it took only a second to adjust from my usual way of reading prose:

“ ‘Ava, I’m home,’ Mom calls from downstairs.

‘Are you awake?’

Suddenly…

Jackson’s face

flashes

next to mine.

I’d say

awake

is an

understatement.”

Ava’s desire to be loved and feel special is easy to relate to. Because she is so likeable, it is possible to ignore that the plot’s concept seems strange at times – like when Ava wonders if her ghostly boyfriend will be upset that she made small talk with her ex. As a whole, this book offers a lot of thought-provoking ideas about grieving, letting go, friendship, and romance.

~Marissa

A Lion’s Tale: Around the World in Spandex is a great book. Divided into fifty-five chapters, it tells the story of Jericho’s career wrestling in several countries, including Japan, Canada, Germany, Mexico, and various wresting promotions in the United States, such as WWE/F, WCW, ECW, and Smokey Mountain Wrestling. I’m not going to go into great detail here, because I think it would really spoil a fabulous book, but here are some of the highlights:

In the author’s note, Jericho says that this book was written before the Chris Benoit Tragedy, and that it is only about his life before the year 2000. As such, it only reflects on the Benoit that Jericho knew up to that point. If you want to know his thoughts on the Benoit tragedy, you have to buy the sequel. (Way to sell a book you haven’t written yet. I’m impressed.)

We start with his childhood in Manitoba, Canada, and get a feeling of how he became obsessed with wresting. Then it’s off to the Dungeon (The Hart Brothers’ Wrestling Camp) to learn to be one of the best in the business. Jericho has good and bad things to say about his time in the Dungeon, but does make it clear that he’s who he is today because of it. He also expressed disappointment that the Hart Brothers weren’t really there. Keith Hart made an appearance the first day and gave the students a speech, but other than that, Jericho never saw any of them while he was there. He says he was later able to get Stu Hart as an instructor, but his first experience in wrestling school was really no different than it would have been anywhere else.

We’re off to Mexico, where Jericho wrestled as “Corozon de Leon” or “Lion Heart” in Spanish. He quickly became friends with two other guys in the promotion, Los Gringos Locos – Art Barr and Eddy Guerrero. Jericho relates the first time he met Eddy in a hotel room. Eddy was drunk off his ass and was being rude to Jericho, and making fun of him. He asked him who he was. Jericho replied, “Corozon de Leon. It means ‘Lion Heart’ in Spanish.” Eddy yelled, “I’m Mexican! I know what it means!” Jericho has a tendency to say stupid things whenever he meets wrestlers more famous than himself, apparently. (Don’t worry, Y2J, I’m sure I’d say something way more stupid than that.)

Jericho then relates his time in Germany. He met Fit Finlay while working there. Finlay was working for a competing company. He came up to Jericho, and introduced himself and then asked Jericho to deliver a message for him. He wanted Jericho to go back to his own company and tell them they were a “bunch of cunts”.

He covers Japan next. I don’t even know how to tell you about this part without ruining the book. Just go out and read it. This section is great stuff.

There isn’t a whole lot on ECW. Jericho seems to have really loved his time there, but it was a short amount of time, so there isn’t a whole lot to say. His tales of Heyman’s amazing ability to lie to peoples faces are hilarious.

WCW is next. This is probably the most interesting section to me, because it is where I was truly introduced to Jericho, so it’s what I remember most clearly. He’ll tell you all about the backstage crap, especially his real life feud with Goldberg. But my absolute favorite part is his section on going to Vince McMahon’s mansion for contract negotiations to jump ship to the WWE.

And just like that, the countdown to the Y2J problem began. Too bad we have to wait for part two to read about it!

This book is fabulous. It’s filled with hilarious stories. It’s also got some tearful parts – The deaths of Owen Hart and Art Barr, even how his mother was paralyzed. However, this is a highly energetic, fun read that I literally could not put down.

I also really liked the fact that he didn’t throw a lot of personal shots out there. He had problems with guys like Goldberg and Bischoff, but he was able to still compliment them on what he thought they had done right. I was impressed to learn that his arch-nemesis is Vampiro, who apparently tried to sabotage Jericho’s career at several points in time. Vampiro is about the only person Jericho is truly rude to in this book.

I am excited to review the book The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner.

Women of all ages will appreciate this highly-readable, layered, and fast-paced story about self-discovery at all stages of life.  With rich undertones of intrigue and romance, this contemporary novel with a historical twist explores personal blinders and how upbringing and conditioning can shape people to judge others in ways that can lead to unhappy consequences.

Lauren Durough is a college student who finds herself on the road to self-discovery as she is hired by octogenarian Abigail Boyles to transcribe the journals of Mercy Hayworth, a seventeenth-century victim of the Massachusetts witch trials. Almost immediately, Lauren finds herself drawn to this girl who lived and died four centuries ago. The strength of her affinity with Mercy forces Lauren to take a startling new look at her own life, including her relationships with Abigail, her college roommate, and a young man named Raul.  But on the way to the truth, will Lauren find herself playing the helpless defendant or the misguided judge?  Can she break free from her own perceptions and see who she really is?

Readers will identify with Lauren’s struggle to break away from society’s expectations and her attempt to strike out on her own while figuring out what parts of her own story to hold on to.

Author Bio: From early school-day projects to becoming editor of a local newspaper in Minnesota, Susan Meissner’s love for writing has been apparent her entire life.  The Shape of Mercy is her latest novel in a string of books that delve into the deeper issues of life. She is the author of nine novels and lives with her family in San Diego.  Find out more about her at www.susanmeissner.com.

I loved this book.  The historical side was incredible and the characters were interesting and unusual.  I didn't want it to end and am still hoping we may hear more from Meissner about the character Lauren.  It wasn't too heavy on the Christian influence but still made reference to faith and the character's spirituality.  I am going to read more from Susan Meissner and hope many of you will leave me comments because I have two The Shape of Mercy books to give away.  If you like Christian fiction Meissner is sure to become one of your favorites!

You can purchase The Shape of Mercy at your local bookstore or at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400074568

]]> http://robblogva.wordpress.com/?p=42 Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:32:37 +0000 robbmccollum http://robblogva.tl.wordpress.com/2008/10/15/comments-on-davies-2007-evolution-of-a-language-test/ I just want to share a few comments on Alan Davies's contribution to Language Testing Reconsidered.

Davies, A. (2007). Assessing academic English language proficiency: 40+ years of U.K. language tests. In J. Fox, M. Wesche, D. Bayliss, L. Cheng, and C. E. Turner (eds.), Language testing reconsidered (pp. 73-86). Ottawa, ON: University of Ottawa Press.

Alan Davis is another one researcher that I met at LTRC 2008. He is very knowledgeable on the subject of language testing, and he is interested in exploring and answering deep-level issues related to language testing and not simply debating which statistical method is best for a certain analysis. Although his questions do not result in simple answers (and hence why many novice attendees at LTRC did not seem interested in what he had to say), I admire his drive to pose these socially-responsible issues even though he is far enough along in his career that he could simple sit back and rehash his previous research.

In this chapter, Davies explains the revisions in the test that eventually became IELTS. It is interesting to note that Davies seems almost aloof to the language testing idealogies that he describes. It's as if he is fully aware of the perspective outlined in Bachman's chapter, but that Davies doesn't even bother to get into the debate, because from his perspective, they are all variations of the same thing, only with a new name and a new method, but still resulting in the same kind of measure.

So although my take on Davies chapter is that he objectively details testing evolution while implying that it's all rather silly, I paid extra attention to his comments about defining academic language and how current trends aim to assess it.

There is some consensus in the notion of an integrated set of language skills required to socialize students in to the acquisition of academic language" writing...is not...a stand-alone skill but part if the whole process of text response and creation; when students use both reading and writing in crucial ways, they can become a part of the academic conversation - they signal their response to academic ideas and invite others to respond to their ideas in turn" (Hamp-Lyons and Kroll, 1997, p. 19). (p. 75)

If we believe that involving students in the academic conversation is important, then using test tasks that similate that conversation (such as integrated tasks) could get closer to that reality. Of course, it's possible that Davies views these kinds of tasks indifferently: we may still end up with the same kinds of scores whether or not we use these better tasks. It may have more to do with face validity and pandering to stakeholders than it has to do with measuring a better construct (p. 84).

Then why do we do it? If not for better scores, what value do better tests hold? Davies comes to the same conclusion that I do: better tests have a more positive impact on learning aka washback. If we test in better ways, then students will focus on learning more valuable aspects of language rather than simply learning what they need to pass the test. "In other words, test validity must now take account of washback or, even more widely of test impact (Hawkey, 2006)" (p. 84).

This is a story about a paradise lost. . . . About an African dream that began with a murder . . .

In 1978, in the final, bloodiest phase of the Rhodesian civil war, eleven-year-old Lauren St John moves with her family to Rainbow's End, a wild, beautiful farm and game reserve set on the banks of a slowflowing river. The house has been the scene of a horrific attack by guerrillas, and when Lauren's family settles there, a chain of events is set in motion that will change her life irrevocably.

Rainbow's End captures the overwhelming beauty and extraordinary danger of life in the African bush. Lauren's childhood reads like a girl's own adventure story. At the height of the war, Lauren rides through the wilderness on her horse, Morning Star, encountering lions, crocodiles, snakes, vicious ostriches, and mad cows. Many of the animals are pets, including Miss Piggy and Bacon and an elegant giraffe named Jenny. The constant threat of ruthless guerrillas prowling the land underscores everything, making each day more dangerous, vivid, and prized than the last.

After Independence, Lauren comes to the bitter realization that she'd been on the wrong side of the civil war. While she and her family believed that they were fighting for democracy over Communism, others saw the war as black against white. And when Robert Mugabe comes into power, he oversees the torture and persecution of thousands of members of an opposing tribe and goes on to become one of Africa's legendary dictators. The ending of this beautiful memoir is a fist to the stomach as Lauren realizes that she can be British or American, but she cannot be African. She can love it -- be willing to die for it -- butshe cannot claim Africa because she is white.

Review and Grade: B+

I'm in the middle of proctoring an exam and I just finished Rainbow's End. As I was reading it, I couldn't figure out how I felt about it and now that I'm done, I'm more ambivalent than ever.

There is something to be said for Lauren St. John's vivid descriptions about a world that is entirely foreign to me. I was able to picture and understand everything as though she was speaking in a very human language that appeals to us all. She was also able to portray the complexity and evolution of the many relationships more clearly than I would have thought possible. I realized when I finished that book that I could think back over earlier experiences as if they were memories with a new perspecitve as the reader grew up along with her.

I think my only problem is that the war didn't have the drama that I expected. I never fully felt the constant fear, which I suppose she meant to do because she mentioned how accostomed to the terror they had become. I understand that the book was more about the relationships between St. John and her family, her country and her understanding of her sef. In that regard, it was very good. I think I just got bogged down in the middle because I couldn't see where it was going. She would mention the height of the war and I was so nonplussed by it that I had trouble committing to finishing the book.

Basically, I was hooked initialy by the tragedy described that occured at Rainbow's End. I was interested in the beginning by the fascinating descriptions of Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe). I hated the middle because I couldn't see a point or direction, thus any purpose to continue reading. However, I loved the final portrayal of her dissillusionment and rapid maturation as a result that is so real and universal and described by St. John in a moving way that few authors have accomplished.

Rob also takes time to develop a way of seeing the bible that allows for more practical information later, when he brings in a number of stats concerning the current state of affairs in our world. It is amazing to me how Rob brings to light so many of the regular day to day activities that we take part in and how some of them are part of destructive systems in our empire, but we are quite blind to them.

To summarize then, I would say that basically the book is a walk from Egypt (the empire that enslaved) to Sinai (the covanent God made with Israel), to Jerusalem (which then became its own empire under Solomon) to Babylon (when the Israelites were exiled). And then everything flows from that as we engage the prophets, Jesus and the Eucharist. I will leave it at that and say that its a 4.5/5 on my CP rating and that it reads almost like poetry. Well done Rob.

Scot Mcknight has a great review here, if you care to read it.

I have read this novel over four times or say five times..and each time I finish the novel I feel pang and it hangs on my head for so many days. Why guilt is so painful that made such a strong women called Sakambari to suicide..or die...??

The novel has a wonderful language..the simplest of all. When I had read it for the first time..to tell the truth that I hadn't really understood the novel, I felt the love story in it and I couldnot understand the passion in the novel.. But this day I may say I am able to figure out the passion and the feelings of the author..

I really appreciate the wonderful story, the plot the real setting, the real characters...and the situation of the novel till it ends. The pain of running away from the feelings and passion. When the Suyogbir says.."Ma glass ma bhagchu" ( I forgot the line exactly...). The feelings is that we run away from pain...because we want to forget the pain..pain that we are suffering in our life.

What makes the old Suyogbir..the most flirtous guy..to fall in love with his friend's sister...who is half of his age..Sakambari..the character in the novel..seems to be such a strong woman..who is an atheist..who lives her life in her own way...The way she wants...The way she has been living..The inscet eating Sungavas...like whom she is...When she says "Jharnai parcha bhane afno iccha le jharne" ( still I forgot her words..) The book is here infront of me..

I found this underlined..which obviously I have done.. "Bari pani kehi rahasya lukaudi ho. Dhuwa ko Muslo bhitra ki awasya bari bhagdi ho dhuwa ma rangmangiyera". These are the exact words of Suyogbir in the novel which expresses the feelings..that Bari has preserved. At this very moment I remember my friend Suraj, who have asked whether I know the reality. Then I got the impression of the truth behind the novel, Parijat herself..and her perfect blend of the fact....the truth of her own life...her own passion..the hidden truth..Then I understood the above lines..clearly..crystal clear...!!!

But I won't tell the truth as well because I might be wrong to analyze the writer's creation with the personal..that would be totally injustice..if I did that. So, I assume that I have understood all those symbolical words..hidden symbols..hidden passions..hidden..truth...and hideen Parijat above all..and thats awesome.

The most eluding thing about the novel is the flow of passion...the passion of Suyogbir..the passion of Bari and yes the passion of Bari's brother..I forgot the name..Shanker??? I guess..the novel is full of passion..and if we know one thing then all thing becomes crystal clear...but that one thing I would not like...share it here...

The novel really made me cry..and I always do this..whenever I read the heart trembling..I feel palpitation in my heart..and a serious pang...at the end when Suyogbir says...."Meri Sakambari ! Aba malai Sarirbhari Khopera Hidna maan lageko cha, Jeewan ko Asafaltha ho, Yo Jewan ko durbhagya ho, Manis yesai pani dhuki cha , usai pani dukhi ! sadhai ritto hath, ritto maan farkana abhyesta manche ma rittai farke".......( right now too I am tearful ) The english transaltion would be done by Holmes..I am feeling sleepy..

But the feeling I want to write...these lines give a pang in my heart...how much has the failure in love accounted to Suyogbir..he has been tragic...so that he wants to hurt himself...and give him the physical pain..he even says at one instance..that loving Sakambari was more painful than his suffering there at Death-Valley...

Love's great...Love's worst...This must be the worst part of love..which covers..love itself..the unexpressed feelings..the lust..the sexual passion..the inner hidden desires...the LOVE itself....the tragedy...

P.S. This tragedy broked my feelings...really made me kneel down and cry at the faliure of a man's love..which he could never make his..the guilt Sakambari...feels and unnatural death...The biggest faliure...pang in my heart......painfull...agony...and I am in tears right now too.

I expectedly recieved a copy of this title in the mail last week as a result of LibraryThing's Early Reviewer's group. I'm exceptionally glad that I recieved this title, because this is a really heartwarming and unique work created by cartoonist Marian Henley.

First Line: One Christmas Eve, I drove to Dallas.

Written as a comic stip, like Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis, Marian Henley takes us through the emotional rollercoaster ride that engulf the process of adopting an infant from Russia. Henly is in her late 40's, and unwed, but has been in a long-term relationship for quite some time. She is worried about breaking the news of adopting a boy named Sergey to her family. Despite her concens, her family shows a surprising amount of encouragement and support. Not long after Sergey's adoption is announced and Marian feels more secure with her decision to go through with the adoption, she finds out that she cannot adopt Sergey afterall. Marian deals with high levels of incompetence with her chosen adoption agency, who bungle Marian's first attempt at adoption. Not long after, Marian tries again for a young boy named Igor. Throughout these struggles, Marian's father goes to the hospital for mutiple surgeries and his health seems to be failing each day.

This memoir is a tear-jerker, the blue and white cartoon images relate so much more of the story than a paragraph description could produce. Marian is a brave women for sticking her convictions and following through on her plan to adopt a child from Russia. Despite her tragedies in the process and her tragedies at home, this book provides insipiration for anyone who thinks "it just can't get worse", well, even if it does, it will somehow turn around and right itself.

The subtitle "A Family Love Story" captures the essence of this memoir, in that Marian is trying to complete the puzzle to her family through this adoption. She makes unique observations about life and death, youth and age.

FINAL GRADE: A+

Find this book at your local library

Buy this book from Better World Books

Buy this book from Amazon

The story is about Dino Dantas, who is the self appointed guardian of Goa, leads the Save Goa movement. The protagonist fights the odds against the politics and the businesses creating ripples in Aparanta - The land at the Horizon. Dino leads the fight against a real estate biggie, Winston Almeida, a political aspirant and a self proclaimed savior of Goa from the "bhaille" (outsiders) grabbing up the lands. He, for that is surrounded by a host of characters like a Russian drug lord, a corrupt policeman, a Brazilian transsexual go - between and politicians.

Initially through the book, I couldn't get on where the book is heading, but the story does get along as the pages turn. It could be difficult for a non Goan to understand the lingo and the Konkani words used in the book. In my opinion, the novel ends in a very up approving way. There could have been a better way of ending it, rather than something that resembles a sudden death for the story.

The characters in the book are also well sculpted; especially one that of Winston Almeida makes you remember it even after the book has ended; something like one would remember any wicked role from a movie flick. Be it the jokes on cashew feni or the satirical description of the youth flaunting rock band or European football club T - Shirts, the author has captured Goa in an amicable way. Cheers to the fact that a person of non Goan origin has written about Goa in an eloquent manner.

Helen murders her mother by suffocating her, wraps the body and then dumps her in the freezer. All pretty cold-blooded stuff you might assume. But then the story of her mother is gradually revealed - how she held the entire family to ransom through her mental illness (sounds a lot like agoraphobia). How her father was the closet person to her but at the mercy of her mother's every whim, leading him to eventually shoot himself, something which she has never got over. She is divorced and all her relationships seem rather dysfunctional once you get past the day to day. Sebold makes all this abundantly clear throughout the book and I got the feeling she was doing it to try to make you feel sorry for Helen. Perhaps it was too blatant a reason but I just didn't buy it somehow. Helen seems to live a rather unremarkable life until this happens and I can't help feeling that if it was caused by her dysfunctional family that something would have happened sooner.

I did not find Helen or any of the other character particularly likeable, with perhaps the exception of her father, although that may be a bias of how Helen remembers him. I found Helen very difficult to relate to. Although I am sure that dealing with senile decline and an ageing parent is heartbreaking and difficult to cope with, I could not empathise with her choice. This was made worse by the fact that she is so cold and calm about it afterwards but clearly in emotional turmoil as she goes off and sleeps with her best friend's son! She then involves her ex-husband and later her daughter in the deceit. There is a point where you think she is going to kill herself but even that I was not convinced by her as I felt no emotional attachment to her as a character. I found her too cold and detached to be realistic to me.

Sebold deals with an incredibly controversial issue and, if you are expecting another Lovely Bones, then this might not be the book for you. I admire her bravery in dealing with issues that never get much press and have a huge social stigma attached to them. I found this book compelling but not exactly enjoyable.

Next on the list is The Gathering by Anne Enright.

VeganMoFo Day 15

Vegetarian Indian by Shehzad Husain

We bought Vegetarian Indian many, many moons ago, so many in fact that the price sticker on the back lists the price in both Irish pounds and Euros, ah the halcyon bygone days of dual pricing!

It's not a vegan cookbook at all, there's lots of yogurt, cream, panir (bleugh), ghee (double bleugh) and butter floating around in most of the recipes but with a little creative thinking it is quite veganisable.

It has a helpful note on the inside of the cover in case you were unsure

Many Indian dishes are suitable for vegans, who should avoid recipes containing eggs, cream or milk, yogurt or panir, and use vegetable ghee instead of butter or ghee.

See, very helpful information :)

There are some beautiful photos of spices, vegetables and many of the dishes and there is a great ABC of ingredients commonly used in Indian recipes. I remember myself & Mr. HPP, starting out on our vegan cooking adventures, heading down to our local Indian Supermarket with a big long list of ingredients we had never heard of "aamchoor, chana dhaal, moong dhaal, onion seeds, tamarind, and about a million other types of dhaal". I think the shopkeeper though we were nuts! But it was good fun!

We've made a good few of the recipes, some of our favourites have been the Aloo Saag (Potatoes & Spinach), the Vegetable Balti, Whole Masoor Dhaal Khitchri, Spicy Chickpeas, Spicy Tomatoes & Aubergines with Chickpeas and Baby Corn & Mushrooms with Moong Dhaal.

A lot of the recipes rely very heavily on shocking amounts of corn oil, which we don't use very often, so we've been subbing in other oils instead. Along with all the main dishes there are also some tasty looking breads, a selection of desserts and some delicious accompaniments, Mr.HPP is quite the fan of their Aubergine Raita and Masala Sweetcorn Raita (made with soy yogurt of course!).

Overall while it is a well laid out book, with some great recipes in it, there are probably better vegan Indian cookbooks out there that would eliminate the need to sift through numerous panir recipes (bleugh). In any case, judging from its huge price tag at Amazon, it seems to be out of print now.

Do you own "Vegetarian Indian"? What do you think of it?

<- previous cookbook review | cookbook index | next cookbook review ->

he leaflets of history explain the gory invasion of British on the suppressed countries for centuries. British colonized those nations to rule them in seer hypocrisy, grabbed their enriched wealth, demeaned their identities and destructed their cultures. The acumination was performed with decrepit intention that followed by bloodbaths. How India, the hub of towering civilization, would have been spared by the British. India had enough wealth which British could loot. Mughals here had a great history of ruling, art, religious harmony and architectural historiography. The kings developed the sense of brotherhood amongst its subjects. Similarly hundreds of Hindu Kings too played pivotal role in their own provinces to make this country a heaven on the earth.
 
British eyed upon India and after repeated attempts of luring and deceiving Mughal kings they took control of Indian territory to fruition their modus operandi that tarnished the solemnity of its civilization. Their methodology to rule the country was intrinsic: weaken its kings through "lavish negotiations", trap the defective and opportunist officers of each kingdom through favouritism and have control over them. The opportunist kings who turned into the puppets of the British authorities would sooner got sidelined. 
 
The mutiny of 1857 began at Meerut near Delhi. It is considered as the first war of independence. There would have been no need of such mutinies that ended into genocide, bloodbath and pogrom, if the Mughal kings would have applied prudence by rejecting the British intruders at the first instance itself. The first war (mutiny) of independence in 1857 was an abortive attempt to pull an old horse for winning an uncertain race. Bahadur Shah Zafar, the beleaguered Mughal king, as a patron of the revolt, had already foreseen the consequences. He knew that he had to bear the burnt of the blunders of his forefathers. The consequences were seen sooner when Zafar paid the price for the mistakes of his forefathers. He got arrested and his sons were murdered in the broad daylight. His entire generation was assassinated in a planned regicide.
 
India is mourning for its 150 year old gloom. The shivering memories of anger that evolved in the form of a mutiny in 1857 remind us the sacrifices of our heroes who sowed the seeds of unity in diversity. The heroes initiated a renaissance with their blood to encourage the coming generations to carry forward their battle as a legacy. The country could never have seen its independence in 1947 if the mutiny had not happened in 1857. Though thousands of revolutionaries amongst many and the innocent masses were brutally killed and hanged by the British, the revolution united the entire country for a single cause --- freedom.
 
A major reason of India's disparity before 1857 was due to the emergence of "territorial kingship" culture. The country had abundant number of petite kings who didn't foresee future. They remained dispersed because they had to rule their "small size kingdoms". But the revolt in 1857 broke several myths. The rebels of 1857 had a pious intention to free the country from the colonial rule. The revolt united those kingdoms, washed off wounded religious and social plagues that had rooted amongst the masses in the disperse atmosphere. Revolt of 1857 began with angst: Hindu and Muslim armies serving the British army were complied to use the arms greased with cow and pig fats. Both the communities were incarcerated with their religious sentiments.The hypocrisy restrained both Hindus and Muslims to part away and never ever unite. But surprisingly the revolt of 1857 united the countrymen without any reservation of religion or caste.
 
I

ndia had dreamt of a future of an integrated nation in 1857 that turned into reality after nine decades of uninterrupted resistance against the British. But this diversity once again got jolted on August 15, 1947 when though the British bowed down before the freedom fighters and handed over the reins of the nation to its inhabitants, it divided the country into two --- a Hindu India and a Muslim Pakistan --- shattering the dreams of the war heroes of 1857 through religious provocation that worked in the favour of British.
 
The book under review explains each and every component of the first war of independence in a very comprehensive manner. Divided into two broad sections, the first section of the book is a collection of fourteen research based articles that urges the readers to go deep into the landscape of 1857. These articles are of unique connotation. Compiled and edited by eminent journalist Abrar Rahmani, the selected articles of the book define the varied aspects of the 1857 mutiny. The pages of the history are reopened in a very articulate manner that leaves enough scope to raise some unanswered questions. What was the role of Delhi in the first war for freedom? Why 1857? The sacrifices of Mughal king Bahadur Shah Zafar, sordid end of the Mughal kingdom, role of ulemas in 1857, Delhi Court Administration in 1857, bravery of General Bakht Khan, mutinies in Lucknow , Nagpur, Mewat and Allahabad and the attack on the residency in Hyderabad are the prominent issues that nourish the pages of this book scholastically. Each issue is tackled minutely with the historical references. These articles are balanced and adequate to understand the mutiny. An important chapter of this section has a first hand narration of the battleground of 1857.
 
The second section explains the literary and journalistic importance of the 1857 revolt. In a compilation of eight articles, this section raise what was the literary and journalistic importance of 1857, the freedom struggle and Kashmiri poetry, 1857 and Persian newspapers of India, role of media in the movement, Karl Marx, Indian society and the mutiny of 1857 are some major anecdotes of this section.
 
Two major articles of this section are highly labyrinthine. Why renowned poet Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, who happened to be an important literary organ in the Bahadur Shah Zafar's court, changed his hues to fulfill his own desires? Ghalib preferred to stand before the British. The article justifies its reason and necessity. The poet had seen the gory scenes in Delhi. He was a renowned poet of his time and unbendingly he was an "ordinary" royal poet. The article defies every suspicion raised against him.
 
Other major issue that has got space in the book is the reasons of loyalty to British that Sir Syed Ahmad Khan had have. He had felt and encountered the reasons of the mutiny that he wrote in his book Asbab-e-Baghawat-e-Hind (Reasons of the Indian Revolt). Still he remained loyal to the British because he had seen the pathetic condition of Muslims. His role in spreading modern education amongst the Muslim community through favouring British and letting them understand the causes of the revolt and his repeated insistences to have an amicable solution of the crisis is explained vividly in this chapter.
 
The scholastic collection of articles covers each aspect of the 1857 revolt. However there is a printing mistake in page numbers 168, 169 where an entire page is reprinted from one to another. Overall this book is highly readable and urges one to look into the past one and half century ago and acknowledge the sacrifices of the great heroes that turned the mindset of India for once and forever. 
                                                                                                                     
Asif Anwar Alig (asifanwaralig@gmail.com) was born in 1978 in India. He studied at Rauta High school in Bihar, & Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh. He has written, scripted and directed a short film. In his five & half year's association with ETV, he has produced and directed two thousand episodes of various programmes. He has made documentaries. He is a regular contributor to some twenty-seven publications around the world. Currently, he is an Editorial Coordinator with Vision --- the Journal of Business Perspective at Management Development Institute, Gurgaon (India).

Mumbai, September 01, 2007

Book Review:

Much ado about vandalism

Reviewed byAsif Anwar Alig

Name of the book                     AYODHYA: 6 December 1992

Pages                                    :               317

Author                                    :               P. V. Narasimha Rao

Price                            :               Indian Rupees 395/-

Publisher                              :               Penguin Books India Pvt. Limited

                                                                11, Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New  Delhi- 110 017( India)   

Indian democracy encountered its first crackdown on December 06, 1992, ever since the inception of its constitution, with the demolition of the historical Babri Masjid. The monument remained the bone of contention between both the Muslim and Hindu community leaders since the nation was readying itself for independence from the British rule. It was a religious movement turned political revolution turned chauvinism that resulted into gothic vandalism. Its consequences were religious intolerance that earmarked the Indian democracy to see its vault face more than a decade ago.

The Ram Janam Bhoomi Movement indeed instigated hatred and destined India to be a failed state. While the hooligans were giving final touches to their plans they were about to furnish their modus operandi. They knew that the centre and the state governments were in hallucination, in tiffs that seemed not to be resolved amicably. Both the governments lingered into the delinquent legal complexities, obeying the federal democracy of the nation while the karsewaks did their work peacefully because in this case U.P's the then state government proved more prudent.

Ironically, even after encountering this biggest setback Indian democracy is acknowledged as one of the second largest political systems in the world. With the secular intention in its nature and practicality unlike what is usually being projected on occasions is a matter of doubt and prejudice.

Religious sanctum sanctorum is pivotal in the lands of believers so does India that has been skewed upon the mammoth fancies of sentimentalism. India is graded as one of the mysterious lands in the history of religions because it is the only country that accommodates unaccountable religions of the world. Interestingly the constitution of India claims that religion doesn't play any role in the political anecdotes of the state unlike its generosity towards religious harmony for its inhabitants. But the country hasn't developed any effective mechanism of governance without the equal share of its religions --- in the absence of this clause.

Religion still has a say in Indian politics applied through unique means like politicizing it, seeding the pillars of communalism rooted upon religious disharmonies and et al. It depicted on December 06, 1992 when politics equally shared with the religious hatred. Religion has no role to play either in the governance or in the constitutional processes still it was brought into fore at the center stage to mobilize a community against another for reaching the corridors of power by the right wing politicians under the guise of hindutva cause.

The darkest phase of India's history and the utter shame its democratic governance promulgated on the day a particular group of believers chased the home of their co-inhabitant's God by invading their matter of faith through vandalizing it belonging to the Muslims was a cowardice act acknowledged as a crusade against this minority community. Hindus forcefully entered into the home of their rival's God Babri Masjid, hijacked it, broke down the essence of faith, liquidated the ascent of unity in diversity and demolished the structure as per their plan merely to accommodate their own God that was, their religious leaders claim, homeless since birth. To their records and a matter of coincidence the Hindu God was born at the same place thousands of centuries ago (exact data and its authenticity is still doubtful) where the mosque was constructed in the Mughal era.

The karsewaks ravaged the monument that was one of the finest examples of Mughal artistry. Babur might haven't read the history of the birth of Hindu God if he would have studied it he could have surely changed his plans. The karsewaks, as instructed, laid down the foundation of hatred through the so called "sacred stones" intended to use for constructing the home of their own God: The stones lie there since last one and half decades. Such chauvinism exultingly metamorphoses India into a failed state.

The demolition of Babri Masjid was the single political mistake of the then ruling Congress party and its leader P. V Narasimha Rao who is the author of this book Ayodhya: 06 December 1992. The sad incident left the Indian democracy into catch22situation. On the wake of the state and central government's tussle the demolition act was the biggest breakthrough of communalism in the democratic system of governance of India. While the mosque was demolished the central government was unable to save it, agrees Narasimha Rao and confesses through this posthumously released book, because of the constitutional perplexity complied the then Congress government at the center to obey the constitution and remain a silent spectator: a puppet in the hands of democracy.

The outcome was dearer to the Congress party that could have done extra constitutional efforts to save the historical mosque. This mistake doomed its political fortune in the years to come. The demolition of Babri Masjid by the kar sewaks was not merely rooted upon a biased sentimentalism but a brainchild of a hidden motive that has already been seen by all post demolition. The sentimentalism provoked the seeds of the communal politics in India. It strengthened the rightist politics and its ambition to materialize its political aspirations rooted upon the Hindu sentimentalism, which paved the way for their access to the corridors of power.

BJP ruled the country for six years post demolition. Their hidden dream, that they had had years before December 06, 1992 turned into reality within a decade itself. The grand success of BJP to rule the nation was an outcome of the Hindu sentimentalism. It lured the Hindu community but were the Hindus not befooled? Their political guardians on the name of religion hijacked their hollowed dreams.  

The book under review, Ayodhya: 6 December 1992 is a political confession. Though it sums count-by-count details of an array of the events that proved as an achilles hill for the secular fabric of India, it also notes a bizarre historical narration intended upon an honest escapism by the author P. V Narasimha Rao under whose premiership the demolition act was carried upon. The book notes in brief an entire chronology of the historical mistakes that turned into biggest political blunder of the Indian democracy on December 06, 1992 . Rao wrote this book in the mid 90's when he stepped down as prime minister, and it is published posthumously as per his wishes.

The book, being a confession note, is the key to understand one of the major political moments of the modern Indian history. It recounts the intricacies and dangers of exploiting religious sentiments for a narrow political benefit that was being used by the perpetrators of disharmony.

Through reproducing major and minor court decisions on Babri Masjid and the communication that Rao had with the then chief minister of U.P. Mr. Kalyan Sigh, as Rao claims, the state government had assured the Home Ministry which he brought into the attention of all concerned and Rao declared that he was stick to the constitutional hypothesis. Rao confesses in the pages of the book that he emphatically tried to save Babri Masjid but failed, which was a biggest setback for him in particular and the Congress party in general. He reprints the dialogues between both the community leaders, who were adamant to their rhetoric. The issue, as he explains, burgled on the egos of Hindus and Muslims but no amicable solution was seen because of the stubbornness of both the communities.

N

o government, since independence, could sort out the dilemma of Babri Masjid until it was demolished in Rao's regime. This book has a detailed note on the steps taken by the central governments prior to him and the role of the state governments on this matter. By reproducing the evidences and the chronology of events since December 23, 1949 till December 06, 1992, Rao draws a sympathetic approach towards the Muslim community.

P. V. Narasimha Rao's posthumous concerns for the minorities are aimed to prove himself a scapegoat of the political bigotries and proves that not him but the then chief minister of U.P., Kalyan Singh be blamed for this saddest happening that shattered the image of India. Mr. Singh was the part of a hidden plot that was being solely politicized to make mockery of the constitution, politics, emotion, sentimentalism and Hinduism at par.   

This book details the leanings and hidden motives of a shaken leadership. The dubious role played by the then chief minister of U.P Mr. Kalyan Singh is proved. Still there is ample scope to read between the lines on why Rao should not be blamed as an equal preparatory instrument for according the motives of the Hindu mindset. This political blunder was the part of the dark phase of Indian polity that saw its dead face on the constitutional corpse when the intruders of humanity mishandled religion.

Rao has tried to justify his stand but still the readers have enough scope to look beyond his words and confessions.   

* Asif Anwar Alig is a Delhi based freelance journalist

Author : Mark J. Penn with E. Kinney Zalesne

Release date : Sept., 2007

You pick up a book with a title like this and a back cover listing:

*”People are retiring but continuing to work.”

*”Teens are turning to knitting.”

*“Geeks are becoming the most sociable people around.” ….  You think: “Hey, this sounds just like my friend, Charlie…”

*”Women are driving technology.” …. and wonder, “I am…?”

*Dads are older than ever and spending more time with their kids than in the past.”

You flip to a page and soon become so engrossed in it that you don’t know you’re beginning to smile. Then you start to chuckle. Wait, you do know someone just like that---yourself! Before you know it,  you've chortled your way through a humorous chapter.   A lot of the details are plain hilarious!

Mark Penn just has a way with words. His wit lends a lot of levity to what easily could have been one of those tedious analytical tomes for intellectual heavyweights (just a nice euphemism for pedantic bores). He could write fiction and be a hit! He is just that funny.

But don’t let this lead you to thinking that this book is too breezy to be serious reading. Microtrends is a serious analysis. It’s a fascinating account of emerging social behaviors that are or will be powerful enough to influence how society will think, act, and be in the next several years. Penn writes:

“In fact, the whole idea that there are a few huge trends that determine how America and the world work is breaking down. There are no longer a couple of megaforces sweeping us all along. Instead, America and the world are being pulled apart by an intricate maze of choices, accumulating in “microtrends”---small, under-the-radar forces that can involve as little as 1 percent of the population, but which are powerfully shaping our society. It’s just not that small is the new big. It’s that in order to truly know what’s going on,…we need the equivalent of magnifying glasses and microscopes…polls, surveys, and statistics. They take a slice of the matter being studied and lay it open…and inside, you will find yourself, your friends, your clients, your customers, and your competition, clearer than you ever thought you might.”

Microtrends is really about “small ideas that can lead to large changes”. “A microtrend is an intense identity group, that is growing, which has needs and wants unmet by the current crop of companies, marketers, policymakers, and others who would influence society’s behavior.”

Although Penn’s focus is trending American society, he does go further to include similar global behavior. In a global economy, trends spread fast and could become international driving forces that may, in the future, upset or enhance established social norms around the world.

Who should read this book? Those who need to be one step ahead of competition have to watch and be aware of these growing groups whose unique requirements are changing the way things are.  But it would do most of us, “go with the flow” people, a lot of good to be enlightened. Let us not wake up one day and say, “What’s the world gotten into?” ; but say, “ “We've  known , we’ve read, and we’ve been watching.”

So, grab a copy. I guarantee an easy, fast read---a page-turner! For a non-fiction novel on sociology, that’s saying a lot! If only more analytical books were written like this, we would all be more “in the know”. Well, hey, maybe Penn just started a trend!

My Mark : Excellent

It was a perfect Fall day today. Sunny and crisp, but still warm enough to be comfortable without a jacket. After school, I dressed my boys in matching shirts (hoping for that holiday card picture, of course) and took them to the preschool pumpkin patch to pick out our future Jack-o-Lanterns and snap a few photos. We returned home to the leaves I had raked into a pile earlier in the day. Kids seem to know instinctively what to do with this... Ryker, still under two years, was the first to jump in. While I don't think that I got the "perfect" photo, we had a blast and certainly succeeded in digitally capturing some moments that I will treasure. It is far too seldom that I remember to tote the camera along with me and the boys.

The drastic contrast of seasons in the last two days, the idealistic autumn afternoon, and the thought of holiday cards, prompted me to take out a special Barefoot Book for bedtime this evening: Listen, Listen. The rhythmic verse by Phillis Gershator reminds us to appreciate the delicate sounds of nature that surround us each season. The art by Alison Jay, created with oil paint and a crackle varnish, evokes an especially nostalgic feel, invites the reader to explore the details, and perfectly complements the movement of the words.

"Listen, listen... summer's gone. Good-bye insects, autumn's come. Plop, plop, acorns drop. hurry, scurry, squirrels hop."

We always spend a lot of time when we sit down with this book. It wouldn't be right to rush through when the theme is just the opposite. There are all sorts of tiny things to spot in the illustrations. There are even smells, if your imagination is tuned in. It's the kind of book that reminds us to breathe and remember what is important in life. It is even a book about ecology. I promise to help my boys recall these lessons, linger a bit, and appreciate the treasures around us as we step outside each day.

Listen, Listen is available in hardcover and the newly released lap book version. The lap book is a larger format board book, ideal for the classroom setting or younger children. See Barefoot Books for more details.

So, here's the update:

From www.nicnocquee.com

Finally, the last day of the Summer Trip 2008 series On this final day, before we’re going back to Osaka by night bus, we went to many places around Tokyo, the capital city of Japan! Just like the title of this post implies, it was really feel like Amazing Race. The night before we planed and scheduled everything thoroughly, ..
read more here.

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From Unnoticed Perspective:

Use emoticon in your blogger post

I got this very cool feature from Mr. Fathah's blog. It's written in Indonesian, so I'll translate it here so you all can understand of course with his consent
Ok, here what u need to do: ...

read more here.

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From overblaze@wordpress:

Try not to laugh: Japanese guy speaks english

•October 13, 2008 • No Comments

I knew that Japan has so many weird game shows. This video I found is one of hilariously funny videos. ...

read more here.

Summary of the Series, Profiles in Reformed Spirituality:
A Sweet Flame is Volume 2 in the Profiles in Reformed Spirituality series. In this volume, Dr. Haykin takes several sections from the Letters and Personal Writings of Jonathan Edwards, George M. Marsden’s Jonathan Edwards: A Life, Sereno E. Dwight’s Memoirs of Jonathan Edwards, and Iain Murray’s Jonathan Edwards- A New Biography and compiles them into this 169-page book. Justin Taylor states, “Jonathan Edwards was not only a brilliant theologian, but also a devoted husband, father, pastor, and friend. Underneath it all, he was a man passionate about living in joyful obedience to God. In this highly recommended collection of letters, skillfully edited and annotated by historian Michael Haykin, Edwards’s warm-hearted piety shines through on every page, giving us a glimpse into the heart and mind of this servant of God.”

Summary of the Piety of Jonathan Edwards:
Dr. Haykin gives a brief biography of Jonathan Edwards (evidently paying close attention to previous other biographies written of him), which shows the piety of his life. It outlines the early years of Edwards’ life, at which point he was intellectually and spiritually above and beyond anyone of his age, and it also shows how the Scriptures molded his life. Dr. Haykin pulls excerpts from Edwards’ works to show his spirituality during his years in college, and most of all, his time with his family. Almost everyone knows of the tender heart that Edwards had for his dear wife Sarah. This section gives some of Jonathan Edwards’ first words recorded about his (future) wife in 1723, and also some of his writings that were lesser known… writings about his enjoyment with God (written to his dear friends) and the writings that his daughter wrote about him. Lastly, in this biographical sketch Dr. Haykin shows the areas in Edwards’ life that were exceptionally God-centered and clearly reveal his piety - namely his revivals, such as the Great Awakening.

Summary of the selected sections of Jonathan Edwards:
After the short biography, Dr. Haykin then gives 26 selected works from the multitude of letters written by Edwards. There is a wide variety included, such as writings to his mother, his wife, his daughter, George Whitfield, John Erskine, and the trustees of the college at Princeton. There are also two selections that were written by Sarah and Suzanna Edwards at his death. If you want to get inside the life of Jonathan Edwards, A Sweet Flame will give you that privilege. It will take you into his life of spirituality and will give you a clear picture of his character, as through his letters he talks to the love of his life – his wife, shows his tender heart towards his friends, and displays his passion for Christ.

Recommendation:  6 out of 10
In order to really enjoy this book you must have a passion for reading into the depth of Jonathan Edwards’ life. Although I am not personally a fan of reading diaries and letters written to people other than myself, the point of Dr. Haykin’s book is to show that Jonathan Edwards was not just a great mind and not just one of the greatest theologians that walked the earth - but to show that he was a humble and (often times) humiliated, tender hearted, and caring man that most will say they can never compare to.

If you own a good study bible already, you probably do not have to rush out and get the new ESVSB.
If you do not own a study bible, you should definitely get one.
If you do not own a bible, you should definitely ask someone at church, and we will give you one free. ESV, of course.

Back to ESVSB. Watch the following introduction and if you want one, please let any of the elders (Will L., Wayne S., and Sean H.) know because we will consider ordering several copies together. Blessings everyone. And keep reading your bibles.

[wpvideo NClduFMg]

I enjoyed this one, although I found some of the wording to go around in circles a little. I like the old fashioned use of the language, but it had me in knots at times as I reread to work out what she was saying. I'm actually glad of the twist as it means more books - obviously, but it will also mean a whole cache of new adventures. I would have worried that the storyline continued along the same vein.

I joined the Temeraire newsletter so I'm looking forward to receiving my first issue. I have really enjoyed this series and will eagerly anticipate the next installment.

I just recently finished reading "The Road," by Cormac McCarthy. I read it not because it won the pulitzer prize, but because after I saw and fell in love with "No Country for Old Men" I had to read the book. Having loved the book, the next logical step was to read another book by the same author. That's how I ended up here.

First of all, I really enjoyed the book. I read it in about a week. It usually takes me two to three weeks to finish a book mainly because I tend to read two to three books at a time. It reads very fast and easily, despite the author never using commas or quotation marks and the abundant sentence fragments. It's hard to have a problem with McCarthy's style because his prose is top notch and extremely vivid.

The theme of the book is actually somewhat similar to that of No Country for Old Men, in that the characters have to cope with a world gone mad. It is more understated in this book and is much more about the journey of the characters. That speaks to the overall genius of the book. McCarthy is able to tell a story about a father and son (who are never named) traveling through a post-apocalyptic wasteland and have it mean so much more than a simple tale of survival. In my view, No Country For Old Men was like practice for writing this book.

It was a very moving book. Masterpiece? I don't want to go that far, but time will tell.

BOOK REVIEW

David W. Lesch. The New Lion of Damascus: Bashar Al-Asad and Modern Syria. New Haven Yale University Press, 2005. 320 pp. Photographs, map. $35.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-300-10991-7.

Reviewed by Curtis Ryan

Same as the Old Boss? Bashar al-Asad and Modern Syria

In The New Lion of Damascus David Lesch, a longtime scholar of Syrian politics, attempts to understand the man at the pinnacle of power in Syria: Bashar al-Asad, the son of the even more enigmatic Hafiz al-Asad.

In 2000 Bashar succeeded his father as president of the Syrian Arab Republic, the first such succession in 30 years. The succession from father to son, in an otherwise anti-monarchical and ostensibly socialist republic, was in itself fascinating enough. But the succession was also apparently Plan B for the elder Asad. He had previously groomed his eldest son, Basil, as his successor. Yet Basil’s death in 1994 in a car accident prompted a significant change of plans and opened the way for a very unlikely candidate’s accession to the presidency of Syria.

In this book, Lesch provides a detailed analysis of this succession, and a revealing look at the man who became president. It is an unusual story. Bashar had largely avoided politics and even Ba’th Party membership prior to 1994, opting instead for a career as an ophthalmologist. Previously, his most active public role had been as president of the Syrian Computer Society. In fact, when news of his brother’s death arrived, Bashar was in London studying for his ophthalmology exams. What followed changed his life, to say the least, and has deep implications for the present and future of Syria and the entire Middle East.

In exploring the politics of this succession process and its outcome, Lesch’s book is in many ways the successor to Patrick Seale’s Asad: The Struggle for the Middle East (1989), a study of the presidency of Hafiz al-Asad. And in that light, The New Lion of Damascus features many of the same strengths and weaknesses as Seale’s work. In some circles, both of these books have been judged overly sympathetic to their subjects.

But both offer something that no other works can: direct and extensive personal contact with the Syrian president. Lesch acknowledges the problem at the outset of his study. He correctly notes that any scholarly work that is in any way positive regarding Syria or its president is certain to be regarded with suspicion in a field that is highly politicized. However, Lesch states his determination to remain fair and objective as he takes his readers through the corridors of power and into the family home of Syria’s relatively young leader.

Lesch conducted a number of lengthy interviews with Bashar al-Asad, and quotes the president extensively throughout the book. He also interviewed key players in Syrian politics, such as former vice president Abd al-Halim Khaddam, foreign minister Farouk al-Sharaa, government spokesperson Bouthaina Shaaban, and Syria’s ambassador to the United States, Imad Moustapha. In addition to such luminaries, Lesch also interviews other government officials, Bashar’s friends, his ophthalmological teachers and classmates in London, his grade school and secondary school teachers, and his wife, Asma. In the process, Lesch provides a detailed picture of the president’s upbringing, his family life, and a rich sense of his personality and his views on politics, family, exercise (Bashar is a devotee of the latter), and pop music.

Indeed, where else would one discover that the Syrian president still lives in the third-floor apartment of the building in which he was raised or that he is a huge fan of the Electric Light Orchestra and other British and American pop and rock bands from the '70s and '80s?

Still, the book is more than a personal biography alone. Rather, Lesch weaves the biographical narrative in and out of the story of modern Syrian politics. The biographical account is therefore supplemented with additional chapters that examine a series of key issues facing the country and the region, including the challenges of domestic reform, as well as Syria’s external relations with the United States, Israel, Lebanon, and pre- and post-invasion Iraq.

The author describes Bashar as extremely humble, unfailingly polite, and self-effacing. Lesch is emphatic that this president is in no way comparable to regional leaders such as the late Saddam Hussein. Instead, Lesch sees in Bashar al-Asad a “combination computer nerd, ophthalmologist, devoted family man, westernized pop-culturist, outgoing and caring friend, humble and reluctant leader, avid photographer, health and fitness advocate, and lurking reformer (who) had all of a sudden become a Middle Eastern dictator” (p. 4).

Yet as early as page 2, Lesch also compares Bashar to Michael Corleone of the Godfather movies, although he does not see Bashar ultimately following the brutal and ruthless lead of the Al Pacino character.

Instead, he portrays Bashar as genuine in his desire for reform, but severely constrained not only by an old guard elite (that Bashar is nonetheless gradually pushing aside), but also by weak or useless institutions, endemic corruption, and a managerial class that is not educated to function--much less compete--in the contemporary world economy. Lesch also argues that the seemingly nonstop crises in the region continue to impact Syrian domestic politics, impeding efforts to achieve greater domestic social, economic, and political change.

Lesch sees the current Syrian regime as distinctly different from that of the old “Lion of Damascus,” Hafiz al-Asad. He argues that Bashar does not fit the Corleone, or Machiavellian, or even Hafiz al-Asad model, and instead sees a constrained reformer who needs much more time to change an economic, social, and political system in dire need of overhaul. In his concluding chapter, Lesch compares Bashar to Iran’s ill-fated reformist prime minister Mohammad Mossadegh, who, tellingly, was overthrown in 1953 via a CIA-backed coup. The author’s desire for a different outcome in the contemporary Syrian case is quite evident.

For all its positive interpretation of Bashar’s motivations (if not the effectiveness of his policies thus far), Lesch’s book does not shy away from the many controversial issues surrounding Syrian politics, including such fiascos as the notorious 2005 assassination of Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri. Lesch concludes, however, that it is unlikely that Bashar was involved, but notes that Syrian agents probably were, thereby underscoring the president’s lack of control over parts of the Syrian state.

In explaining Syrian policy, Lesch attempts to balance the record, neither accepting Ba’thist propaganda nor engaging in Syria-bashing.

Lesch makes the case for seeing Syrian policy as essentially a kind of hard-nosed realism, but is emphatic that Syria is not comparable to Iran, North Korea, or Iraq. Indeed, “Syria Is Not Iraq” is even the title of one of the book’s chapters.

Despite his book’s title, Lesch ultimately concludes that Bashar is not the “New Lion of Damascus” after all. For those hoping for the kinds of change first envisioned in the so-called Damascus Spring of 2000, that is a good thing. The bad news, on the other hand, is how long all this is sure to take. Lesch often invokes the image of a broken-down automobile to describe the system Bashar inherited, arguing that the “solution may ultimately be not to tune up the engine of the old, broken-down car or replace some parts here and there that will keep the wreck running. Bashar may well have to get a new car” (p. 228). In that same vein, however, Lesch fears that an alternative regime, or a violent, Washington-backed attempt at “regime change,” would be disastrous. For that reason, he insists that “Bashar al-Asad ... is someone with whom we should be engaged, someone whom we should be helping to make sure Syria does not implode” (p. 242). Lesch also notes that Asad and members of his regime feel that they have taken great risks, with no real rewards. This is not just an analytical point, but also a warning. In Lesch’s view, if the United States does not respond positively to signs of moderation from the Bashar al-Asad regime, then Bashar’s “position domestically will be that much more weakened, compelling him to tack in the direction of confrontation in order to shore up the base of his regime” (p. 175).

Since the publication of The New Lion of Damascus, a number of dramatic events have occurred: Bashar’s reelection by plebiscite to a second seven-year term, the ouster of longtime vice president Khaddam (who then joined the exile opposition movement), and Israel’s 2006 war with Hizbullah in Lebanon. If anything, these dramatic regional changes only make the book, and especially its close inside look at an influential Middle East leader, that much more important and compelling. Even for those that find Lesch too sympathetic to his subject, the book remains a vital source of--in effect--insider analysis, but from a distinctly careful and scholarly perspective.

Overall this is a very well-written book, and flows easily for the reader, making it useful not just for scholars and policymakers interested in a key leader and important country in Middle East politics, but also for advanced undergraduates and graduate students in courses on the comparative politics or international relations of the region. In each of these contexts, the book is sure to generate lively debate.