Heidi Polk

Goin' up to the spirit in the sky...

What would we do without Discworld and its incalculable ability to act as a mirror for us, the citizens of Roundworld? Within this novel, Pratchett takes on religion, its high and low officials, the nature of philosophy and just what it is that makes a true believer. There are prophets (true and false), journeys across the desert and into the deepest recesses of the soul... Fantastic examination of humanity, its desperate yearning for something 'more' and just how powerful belief can be...
It's pretty obvious what this book is about...

Very accessible and it had some entries that I didn't know about, so that's always useful... The best thing about this book is that it's well-organized and has quite a few tips about how to incorporate various fooods, herbs, etc. into your daily routine with a minimum of hassle... Good, quick read for the health-conscious folk out there...
An interesting read, but different from what I had anticipated

This is a very interesting book, but it is more effective as source material than as a book that one can sit down and read... The actual general analysis that Shaheen makes is very small, limited only to the introductory chapter...the remainder of the book is a film encyclopedia, arranged alphabetically according to title... I did like the individual entries on movies I had actually seen, but didn't read every single entry throughout the remainder of the book - since it covers movies from the silent film era up to present day, it seemed like a bit of an arduous task to read about films I had never even heard of, let alone seen... However, I do recommend this book as Arabs in general remain one of the last major groups in Hollywood who are consistently stereotyped as murderous and dangerous 'others' to be avoided or killed off at every opportunity...this is obviously something that needs to change and I salute Shaheen for writing about it...
A great collection for anyone who enjoys reading and all things reading-related...

What a great collection of essays! I'd prefer not to give my own thoughts about it (as commenting on what another thinks of the process of reading and their books seems highly suspicious and definitely predestined for failure, lol)... I will say that I really sympathized with a lot of the habits that Fadiman describes (especially applying proofreading skills to newspapers, menus, etc.! lol)... Since I love reading (and reading about reading, lol), this was a great collection for me - I'll definitely be on the lookout at the other works she has produced!
A good read, and full of far more moral ambiguity than one might expect...

I first read this book a couple years ago, long after watching the film adaptation (starring Daniel Day-Lewis) several times... I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the book is actually quite entertaining and part of the larger series known as 'The Leatherstocking Tales' (named for the main character, Nathaniel Bumppo - aka Nathaniel 'Natty' Leatherstocking - aka 'Hawk-eye' - aka La Longue Carabine)...I have yet to read the other books in the 5-part series (LOTM is the second book), but will try and look them up for future reading... The film adaptation took a few of the main storylines and incorporated them into a cohesive whole...Cooper's work, on the other hand, is much more meandering and leisurely, and includes a much larger number of side characters and secondary plot lines...however, I don't think that this is detrimental to the story as a whole, as long as the reader is willing to embrace the journey that the author takes them upon... Cooper uses beautifully ...I first read this book a couple years ago, long after watching the film adaptation (starring Daniel Day-Lewis) several times... I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the book is actually quite entertaining and part of the larger series known as 'The Leatherstocking Tales' (named for the main character, Nathaniel Bumppo - aka Nathaniel 'Natty' Leatherstocking - aka 'Hawk-eye' - aka La Longue Carabine)...I have yet to read the other books in the 5-part series (LOTM is the second book), but will try and look them up for future reading... The film adaptation took a few of the main storylines and incorporated them into a cohesive whole...Cooper's work, on the other hand, is much more meandering and leisurely, and includes a much larger number of side characters and secondary plot lines...however, I don't think that this is detrimental to the story as a whole, as long as the reader is willing to embrace the journey that the author takes them upon... Cooper uses beautifully descriptive language, which truly captures the largely unspoiled American wilderness...his writing style reminds me of Mark Twain's writing and I think any Twain fans will have a special appreciation for Cooper... What is perhaps most notable about this book (especially when one considers the time that it was written and published) is the moral ambiguity accompanying the descriptions and actions of the French, the British, the Americans and the Indian tribes that are presented within the novel. While there are plenty of moments that grated on my 21st-century nerves (along the lines of European moral superiority and/or condescension to the 'savages'), the book does not convincingly stick with these themes and is instead almost surprisingly progressive in some of its ideas - there is Cora, the 'dark-haired' daughter, who is actually a mulatto, born of an interracial marriage b/w Colonel Munro and a freed slave; Uncas, the noble Mohican youth and (most significantly) Magua, the 'villain' of the piece, who presents clear justifications and reasoning behind every one of his actions that could be found in any Shakespearean play...(I'm not trying to make too much of this, I was just really surprised that Cooper took a much more sympathetic view than I expected)... A good read overall and, though it differs significantly from its film adaptation, I think both can be enjoyed in their own right and assessed on their own individual merits. (more)
Should be more appealing to the 'Sex and the City' end of the spectrum...

This is not by any means a work of great literary skill or depth... In my view, it reads more like an Arab version of 'Sex and the City' than a thought-provoking look at the Saudi Arabian culture and the interactions of men and women within it... Rereading that, I think my assessment makes me sound like a bit of a snob...I don't mean this in a bad way! I can see the appeal of lighter reading material and there were various scenes that I did enjoy throughout the book...however, I can't help but wonder whether a book like this might serve to cement Western stereotypes about the Middle East and the roles allotted to women, rather than truly open up a forum wherein discussion on predetermined gender roles can flourish...