Triumph Reviews

Having met Mr. Petrocelli in april, when he came to our school before prom, i can truthfully say that i found this book extemely warm and heartfelt. He expressed so much in this one little book. When he came to our school he told his story. And it touched my heart. Hes a wonderful person with a very warm story to tell.

I have met Mr. Petrocelli, in 1995 at a Pride Conference. he had inspired many young kids with his story about the tragic loss of his wife. He is an amazing writer and I an amazing man to be able to share his story with the world is just wonderful.

If I could buy a million copies of this book and be able to teach a class on drunk driving, I would use is book as an example on how many lives are lost due to this unscrupulous act of irresponsibility.

I would love for you to buy this book, in hope you will feel compelled to read it, understand it and help others learn what it is like to lose a loved one like Mr. Petrocelli did.

Like the other reviewers, when I entered the autitoruim the morning Bobby came to speak, I was ready for an extra hour of sleep while another boring speaker told his story about how it's "wrong to drink" and "don't do drugs". Well, I along with everyone else in the room that morning, left uplifted and amazed. Bobby's story was so powerful and moving. I was truley amazed by his courage and strength to move on, and especially to stand up infront of hundreds of teenagers and tell his emotional story. I would recommend the book to anyone, but it would be even better if you could hear him speak for yourself.

A century after the events Warren Zimmerman describes, questions of "American empire" are once again being debated. That makes this book a particularly timely and instructive one.

The book's structure has been described in many of these reviews: five biographies, about 40 pages each, and then a longer section weaving together the issues and events of these men's lives into the large drama of the growth of American imperialism. Though the book's length is certainly not unmanageable -- in fact, it would be hard to do this topic justice in a much smaller book -- one drawback of frontloading the biographies is that some of the details of the men's lives tend to be forgotten by the time they reappear later on in the narrative. Mahan, in particular, appears only sporadically in the second half of the book, although his influence on the other men can still be felt.

Zimmerman focuses his narrative, obviously, on these five men and their influence on their nation and the world. The author perhaps agrees with Henry Cabot Lodge, whom he quotes on page 184 as writing, "The personal qualities and individual abilities of public men ... make the history and determine the fate of nations" (ellipses in original). This "methodological individualist" tack is a refreshing approach in a discipline that these days is so mired in "social movements" and "impersonal forces" that the critical -- even indispensable -- roles of individual men and women is often forgotten. While America may yet have become an imperial power without these five men, Zimmerman makes a strong case that Roosevelt, Mahan, Lodge, Root, and Hay, by their own will, channeled America's might and power in the direction of their choosing. It's a direction we're still, by and large, moving today.

While the five biographies in the first half of the book are all useful, insightful, and well written, they're really mostly prologue. It's the second half where most of the action, drama, and even excitement can be found. Zimmerman does a fine job of charting the drive for empire, the various obstacles that our five subjects had to overcome, and the long-term consequences of it all.

Zimmerman doesn't play favorites. Although his approach to the rise of empire is generally positive, it is balanced and nonjudgmental: his discussion of the annexation of Hawai`i, for example, makes it clear that the coup against the native monarchy was little more than theft. At the same time, though, he does not idealize the pre-colonial era or downplay that monarchy's undeniable corruption. He is clear-eyed about the costs of empire-building, doesn't shy from naming certain American actions in Cuba and the Philippines the "atrocities" they were, charts successes and failures honestly, and makes painfully clear the disconnect between America's high-minded rhetoric and our often base conduct. In what may be the nearest our author comes to outright denunciation, he is very hard on Theodore Roosevelt's "spurious euphoria" about the glories of war and TR's general bloodthirstiness (pp. 416-7).

I would have liked to see a little more discussion of the opposition to war mounted by the "goo-goos," though Zimmerman's discussion, as far as it goes, is sound. This ground has also been covered well by Robert Beisner's "Twelve Against Empire" (1968), a work I recommend and which is listed in Zimmerman's bibliography.

Even today, there seems to be reluctance in some quarters to see the United States as an imperial power. But we became one a century ago, and remain one today. While our intentions, and certainly our rhetoric, may have been (and be) more idealistic than those of other empires, the real-world consequences have been largely the same. As an introduction to how and why the American empire was born, a primer to how we got to where we are today, and a reminder of the power individuals have to shape the world, Zimmerman's "First Great Triumph" is not to be missed.

"Americans like to pretend that they have no imperial past. Yet they have shown expansionist tendencies since colonial days." (Zimmermann, 17) So begins chapter 1 of First Great Triumph, Warren Zimmermann's book chronicling the rise of America to world power status and the five men that he credits with that accomplishment. Zimmermann's book states emphatically that contrary to popular belief, America has been an imperialist state since the beginning. Zimmermann seeks to show that not only did the United States seek to create an overseas empire; we did so enthusiastically, rather than reluctantly.
In his book, Zimmermann acknowledges that in many ways the tide of history was pulling America toward the role of imperial power. The American frontier had closed, the Indian wars were over and now the American expansionist impulse needed a new direction the once powerful Spanish empire entered the final period of its inevitable decline. Many influential Americans argued that the expansionist impulse was by definition, a violation of the basic American principles of freedom, and self-determination. Such was not the case with the five heroes men detailed in Zimmermann's book.
Theodore Roosevelt, Henry Cabot Lodge, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Elihu Root and John Hay, were all imperialists. In part one of his book, Zimmermann provides biographical sketches that, while brief, give full accounting of each of these men and how each became a driving force in the growth of American foreign policy at that most critical point in history.
Zimmermann draws from over 190 sources, many the works of prominent American historians. He also draws heavily from the words, both written and spoken, of his five central figures. Zimmermann's own experience as a diplomat give him a keen understanding of the relevant geopolitical questions and his qualities as a writer provide the reader with a very engaging account of these men and their times.
Zimmerman's narrative provides a clear path for the reader to follow to understanding his central theme. The biographies contained in the first part of the book, use the words and actions of the central characters to prove his point. From their early lives, each of the five seems destined to play some role in the growth of the American nation. The way that Zimmerman weaves their stories together, illustrates the fact that in reality, very little of the American rise to global power was accidental.

This is history at its best -- well written, thoroughly researched, and interesting to read. The principle characters come alive. It's an ambitious undertaking, too, to describe this chapter in our history. Zimmermann not only discusses the emergence of the United States onto the world scene as a major player, but also interweaves five amazing men: John Hay, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Elihu Root, Henry Cabot Lodge, and Theodore Roosevelt. I was familiar with them, but he makes them real. You get into their point of view, their successes and foibles, and their backgrounds and their struggles.

I had wanted to read about World War I and the formation of the Arab states as we know them today. Paris 1919 would be a good start. I decided to read this first, though, as a run-in to Paris 1919. What I discovered is that not only did this period posture the US as a world player, but also the striking similarity between the Spanish-American War and the War in Iraq. More about that later.

Zimmermann begins by describing the lives, philosophies, and contributions of these five men whose contributions were pivotal. These are not definitive biographies, to be sure, but rather a series of monographs that are delightful in their brevity and depth. The rest of the book provides an excellent history of the war with Spain -- going into detail about Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines -- along with our seizure of Guam and Hawaii. Along the way he touches on a wide variety of other persons, US and foreign.

The only downside is the lack of maps. They would help substantially, but their absence does not unduly detract from the strengths of the book. For example, there is fascinating detail regarding treaty negotiations with Spain and the debate within the US Senate for ratification. Zimmermann even gives insight into personalities in the Spanish ruling circles and how they affected Spanish actions.

There were a variety of reasons for the US to expand its thinking past its ocean boundaries. Quoting Mahan, "[our] growing production, public sentiment, a geographic position between two old worlds and two oceans, the growth of European colonies in the Pacific, the rise of Japan, and the peopling of the American West with men favoring a strong foreign policy" (115).

I always thought imperialism was driven more by economic motives (markets) and diplomatic and military motives (national power). Imperialism is not necessarily aimed just at less developed societies, but also between Western and regional powers. Still, I can see Zimmermann's point when he says, "Such a cultural atmosphere was extremely conducive to imperialist initiatives, because imperialism -- like Anglo-Saxonism, social Darwinism, and manifest destiny -- was also based on the principle of racial inequality" (37). Maybe "also" is the key word. Having said that, he also makes the point, "Three of America's earlier wars had been fought for specific principles: political liberty in 1776, freedom of the seas in 1812, and preservation of the Union in 1861. The Spanish-American War was the first in which Americans were activated in large part by the way a foreign government treated its subjects" (251).

This is where Zimmermann's analysis gets quite interesting for today's environment. Much has been made recently comparing the War in Iraq and where it may lead us to Vietnam and the Persian Gulf War. In reading this book you come to find out that the true comparison is the Spanish-American War. The parallels are numerous. Here are a few examples:

"...left unresolved [was] the crucial issue of who would inherit Cuba from Spain. Would it be the United States or the Cuban people? That fatal ambiguity has scarred American relations with Cuba ever since" (264).

"The Spanish had courage, but not the kind of courage that leads to victory" (283).

"If we turn this war, which was heralded to the world as a war of humanity, in any sense into a war of conquest, we shall forever forfeit the confidence of mankind" (337).

"The first years of American occupation of the Philippines were marked by full-scale war...'The people whom we liberated down there have turned against us.' From the outbreak of violence...it took the US more than three years to subdue what was to the Americans an insurrection and to the Filipinos a war for independence. At its height the American troop presence constituted three-quarters of the entire US Army. Casualties on both sides far exceeded the killed and wounded in the three weeks of fighting in Cuba." (386)

"'To leave the islands at this time would mean that they would fall into a welter of murderous anarchy. Such dereliction of duty on our part would be a crime against humanity.'" (404)

Zimmermann's insights go on and on. There is much that is different between then and now, but it's clear that the Spanish-American War has much for us to learn in our current foreign paths.

Zimmermann sums up his message of his book the best. "In retrospect, the twentieth century, for all the brilliance of its intellectual and technological accomplishments, was a time of violence and horror unprecedented in world history...The threat posed by Hitler's Germany became the major international preoccupation from 1933 until the German defeat in 1945. The threat of Stalin's Russia succeeded it as the main concern. Neither challenge could have been dealt with successfully without the full engagement of the US. The imperial initiation at the end of the nineteenth century had prepared Americans for the great power role that, in the twentieth century, only they could play." (482)

This is one of the best accounts of US history that I've read. I'd give it six stars if I could.

I am not a particularly devoted fan of the Three Stooges, but I am a big collector of Hollywood histories and Broadway biographies in general. I recently received this book as a gift, and admittedly was somewhat underwhelmed. But once I started reading it, I literally could not put this book down!

Surprisingly, The Three Stooges: The Triumphs and Tragedies of The Most Popular Comedy Team of All Time (Donaldson Books) is one of the best entertainment biographies I have ever read. In their fifth and latest release about what could be this country's all-time favorite comedy team, the Forrester brothers have successfully integrated their in-depth research skills, captivating photographic image collection and "just-the-facts-ma'am" journalistic writing style into a topnotch expose on Curly, Moe and Larry -- as well as the 15 other men who made up the Three Stooges. The birth and the death of a comedy team (and everything else in between) is carefully outlined and
painstakingly detailed by the authors in this fact-filled, fun and intimate look at the rather complicated story of all 18 men who became a Stooge for the act's creator, and long-forgotten funnyman, Ted Healy. The Three Stooges are the only classic comedians who have successfully moved from the early days of vaudeville to virtual reality and beyond while becoming more popular with each passing year.

Undoubtedly the Three Stooges were comedic geniuses and are finally being recognized as America's Sultans of Slapstick, and this book documents every step of their triumphant, and sometimes tragic, rise to superstardom. Beside being a compelling read, the huge collection of hundreds of vintage visuals and candid Stooge photos included throughout the text makes this book well worth the purchase price.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys entertainment and to everyone who could use a good laugh or even a good cry. Stooge fan or not you'd have to be some kind of Knucklehead to pass up your chance to read this great new book!

I have read every book available about The Three Stooges, and this is by far the best ever written on the subject. Fascinating, captivating, sometimes-shocking, and extremely well-researched text describes not only what it was like to be in on the inception of the team with Ted Healy in vaudeville, but also addresses Healy's untimely death/murder, the team's rocky road to solo success in radio and film, and eventual meteoric rise to super stardom in television and contemporary home entertainment. I was also amazed to discover that there were 18 different men to play the role of one of the "Three" Stooges throughout the team's lengthy career in showbusiness (most fans think there were only 6). This is also the most lavishly illustrated Stooge book ever, jammed-packed with rare photos of the Stooges both in and out of character, as well as posters, programs and newspaper clippings from throughout the team's entire career. I ordered my copy at stoogebook.com, where the book comes autographed by the authors (Stooge historians Jeff Forrester and Tom Forrester), editor Joe Wallison, and 92-year-old surviving vaudeville Stooge, Mousie Garner. If you're a Stooge fan, you can also visit the stoogebook.com website and get your name printed in the book's Fandom Honor Roll section like I did. This is the fifth Stooge book by the Forrester Brothers, and it is by far the best in the series. I strongly recommend this book to any Stooge fan, as well as anyone interested in Hollywood history and comedy in general.

This turns out to be the most accurate story of the 3 Stooges saga ever printed. A behind the scenes biography of the greatest comedy team of all time. Of particular interest is the fascinating story of how the Stooges were created by the great Ted Healy. For years other books have dismissed Healy as a footnote in Stooge history but here we find the real story of how Healy invented Stooge comedy and gave Moe, Larry, Curly and Shemp their big break in show business. Without Ted Healy there would be no Stooges. Just as fascinating is how the Stooges were developed at Columbia Pictures, by the likes of Jules White, Del Lord, Charley Chase and Edward Bernds, into Comedy Legends. The 3 Stooges are the only old time comedians that keep getting more popular as time goes on.

I read "And Still We Rise" aloud with two friends, and we were then able to discuss each chapter, which I found very helpful with this book. "And Still We Rise" is emotionally laden with questions, and inspires conversation about the state of affairs in our country, our inner cities, our schools and our homes. The book is dense with remarks which make a person question his own beliefs, or her previously unchallenged opinions.

Though his writing style is not as smooth or polished as I would have liked, at times, Corwin's heart is in the right place and he seeks to convey the classes and students in a realistic light. He does a good job at providing a complete picture of each of his main character students.

I also recommend "Makes me Wanna Holler" by Nathan McCall, about the journey of one black man growing up in the inner city, and "Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know" by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. Reading "Cultural Literacy" in the midst of the Little/Moultrie argument about curriculum provides an interesting discourse.

"And Still We Rise" was a compelling look at a group of students rarely disscussed. Inner city students who not only go to school to get by but against great odds are able to beat the odds and succeed in school. "And Still We Rise" follows a group of students attending Crenshaw High School enrolled in their gifted students program. "And Still We Rise" looks at the daily obsticals and pitfalls of the gifted program students face as they try to attain a better life through education. "And Still We Rise" also causes those of us in the educational community to question the way we look present day educational issues as well as our students. "And Still We Rise" is both inspirational as well as insightfull. I highly recommend this book for all people, especially those in education.

This book was thoroughly entertaining. The fact that the story does not have a predictable happy ending makes it even more realistic and enjoyable to read.

This book should be mandatory reading for all teachers who begin their teaching careers in the inner city. It should also be required reading for middle class high school students who question the need for affirmative action. The students profiled in this book would run circles around your average middle class teenager.

Very good book,hard to put down once you start reading it,even though there are a few mistakes through it. A must read for any racing fan.

An excellant book! After being a Davey Allison fan then Ernie Irvan fan.... a multitude of questions plagued the fans.....they are answered here....

While being very emotional there were some very humorous lighthearted moments!

Once you begin to read you won't want to stop!

Ernie explained everything that I had ever wanted to know in this book. I always knew that there was so much more to the Texaco story. It's an inside look at his life. I watched him in his career and always wanted to know more. This is more.

An intriguing book. A very interesting account of the events surrounding the murder of Alabama Attorney General Albert Patterson. My only real complaint about this book is the lack of a bibliography for the sources of Ms. Barnes' information. This would make the book more credible. Overall, I did enjoy this book.

The Phenix City story is still being written. There are secrets that have been kept and families that still have a stake in the shadows being perpetuated. During the late 40s and early 50s, there was a black market baby adoption racket. The children who were sold are today, still seeking their truths of who they really are. It is unfortunate that those still living that have first hand information refuse to help. Phenix City still lives in both fear and shame of it's past. The fear reaches out from the years to choke even those who care to report the events of the time. Same town, same story. I live there.

"The Tragedy and Triumph of Phenix City, Alabama" almost tests the limits of credulity. It weren't for the fact that I've heard of some of these events from other sources, I would have been hard-pressed to believe it. As it were, the book reads like a fictional screenplay of a small town in the complete grip of a criminal syndicate. The crooks own the cops, the courts and everything in between. The author, Margaret Anne Barnes, details efforts by local citizens to stop the lawlessness, but things come to a head when the state attorney general-elect is assassinated and a variation of martial law is declared. These events make for fascinating reading, and it makes me wonder why this story isn't better known. However, the book does suffer from some rather florid writing and improbable dialogue used to recreate conversations that were held a long time ago. Barnes' use of language in recapturing these dialogues weakens the book to the point that, at times, it sounds like an old pulp novel where there are only purely good people and purely evil people. Despite this simplistic weakness, however, the book does stand as a good example of local history.

I read about this book in an old Beatles A-Z encyclopedia, and it was listed as a work of fiction, chronicling the Beatles' past and "future." Written in 1978. The author, Shipper, has tried to make the book semi-fiction, mostly with comedy and wrong album titles and stuff that really isn't that funny at all. For example, John meets Yoko through her boyfriend, Mick Jagger. Then the story picks up in 1979 when the remaining Beatles get together and make a new album. One interesting thing is that the public doesn't want to hear this new record; they much prefer the memmories of their youth. Actually, if the Beatles had reformed, there is a good possibility that would have happend, so it was smart of Shipper to add this little "plot twist." But he has the four of them at a creative low, unable to write new material. (Meanwhile Paul McCartney has been putting out a steady stream of good work in these past 20 years since the book was written.) Other strange things is that Shipper chose to write that David Bowie was dead, killed in a plane crash in 1978. And, saddest of all, the Beatles reformation he has placed in Dec 1979. In real history it was one year after this that John Lennon was murdered, in December 1980.

I read this book many years ago, and I have read many books about the Beatles but this book has the distinction of being the funniest by far.

I think it would help if you had some knowledge of The Beatles before reading it, if only to give you a further appreciation of the humour. For example, did you know that Roll over Beethoven was inspired by McCartney trying to teach his English sheepdog some new tricks.

I echo the author's sentiments, this book really should be out there.

I bought this book in 1978 and absolutely loved it! It got misplaced & I spend years trying to track another one down; it was worth it! Just skimming through the pictures (and the hilarious captions underneath) is worth the price of admission. And the concert with Peter Frampton is hilarious. I find myself quoting this book again and again. Give us more Mark, please!

I didn't enjoy the format of constantly jumping back and forth from doctor to patient; but, I certainly glad the author found the courage to share her story. I have read numerous books on this topic and found this one to be one of the least helpful.

This book gives incredible insight into the work required by both the therapist and the patient with DID. I cried for the little girls who were so brutally treated and then ignored by those who should protect, and for Sarah and her Alters as they struggled with the aspects of integration and the resulting consequences for each of them.

Becoming One is a book which reveals the internal struggles through transcripts from therapy sessions and diaries. Personal notes reveal the inside story and the wisdom gained from hindsight and the very hard work and courage that was needed to heal.

It was a lengthy search for me to obtain a copy of this book and it certainly was worth the effort. It has brought me strength as I begin my own journey, and hope which is such a necessity. I have immense admiration for Sarah Olsen for overcoming such horrors, physical and emotional pain, and for having the courage to come forth to help others. I recommend Becoming One for both therapists and for those who continue to suffer from Dissociative Identity Disorder.

This book is the VERY BEST account for this disorder. She not only tells a brave, powerful, true story. She also, helps one to understand the disorder in simplier terms. This book is amazing in its detail.

This book is an extremely thoroughly researched study of the legendary American GI in the European Theater of World War II. Lieutenant Colonel Peter R. Mansoor, a Battalion Commander in the US Army and former professor of history at the United States Military Academy, offers a fascinating and a quasi-reformist look at the way in which the army's basic fighting unit was recruited, trained, mobilized, , deployed and commanded throughout the long four years that America fought in Europe. The GI Offensive in Europe: The Triumph of American Infantry Divisions, 1941-1945 is not only a beautifully crafted book, but more importantly it is a perpetuating addition to the latest revisionist rave where historians have claimed that the GI in World War II was better trained, equipped, and, most importantly, better led than their foe; Hitler's vaunted and often overly hailed Wermarcht. Mansoor's premise is that the American soldiers proved their capabilities in battle, which he correctly claims is the ultimate test for an army and a nation. "A fashionable argument in the past two decades has been that the Allies won World War II only through the sheer weight of material they threw at the Wermarcht in a relatively unskilled manner." Mansoor refutes this argument in this book first by dissecting the variables encompassed in the "combat effectiveness" formula and then quantifies the human, organizational, and technical capabilities of the opposing forces that fought in Europe. In the end Mansoor concludes that one of the most critical factors attributed to the American GI was his high level of endurance once engaged in combat. Referring to works by the likes of Bonn, Dupuy, van Crevald, and SLAM Marshall, Mansoor accomplishes where most of these great thinkers have marginally succeed; proving that the American GI in World War II was indeed superior to his foe. Mansoor achieves proving this thesis with an analysis that will most likely be used for years to come as THE single source to refer to when searching for a balanced comparison of the Allied GI and Wermarcht soldier. Dense with details and statistics, the book is written in an academic style, but in the same light, highly readable. He brings the reader comprehensively through each stage of the war, from mobilization through pre-combat training, and then to the beaches of Normandy and beyond. He leaves no stone unturned in this complete analysis. This book was no doubt a major undertaking and Mansoor's hard work and focussed approach will undoubtedly " provide fodder for historians of the war for years to come." The GI Offensive in Europe should be shelved alongside the best historians of World War II. Academician's and military leaders must read this book for it proves that the superior training, organization, and execution of doctrine by the American Military units is what accounted for the unprecedented success of the US in 1945 and will continue to do so in the future.

Peter Mansoor's book is a well written and well researched statement on how the US Army achieved ultimate victory in the European Theater. The volume is expensive as are most university press publications, however, worth the price as it pulls together numerous primary and secondary sources to make its argument (the book is most likely based upon Mansoor's PhD thesis). And that argument is that the victory of the US Army in the ETO suffers from a number of misconceptions, misstatements, and outright fabrications of the evidence (the latter case in point being the refutation of S.L.A. Marshall's statement that the GI infantryman only fired his weapon 25% of the time in combat). Mansoor attacks the myth that American infantrymen were less effective than their German adversaries, that the replacement system was a disaster (per Stephen Ambrose), and that the US Army won the war on the basis of an overwhelming amount of material resources or airpower which the Germans lacked, thereby beating the superior Wehrmacht through attrition of resources rather than superior fighting capability (one need only look at the American Army's greatest challenge, the Battle of the Bulge, wherein it had neither superior resources or airpower, to find evidence of the fighting capability of the GI). Mansoor proves that once American infantry divisions gained combat experience, they were an effective fighting force. Superior fire support from artillery battalions, attached armor support, superior communications and logistical support all worked to mold the infantry division into an winning fighting unit. As Mansoor so aptly demonstrates, it was at the Corps level and above that strategic decision making was wanting (the debacle at Anzio, the failure to trap the German army at Falaise, and the idiocy of the Huertgen Forest). If one is looking for a well-grounded study of the American army in Europe, detailing both the faults and successes of the US Army, this book cannot be surpassed.

Mr. Mansoor points out in a very clear and educated manner that the popular belief the US Army won World War II because it had more men, tanks, cannons etc, than the Germans did is false.

Mansoor examines the US Army in a very fair and precise manner, from its leadership, to its training, right down to the infantryman himself. At times his observations are not flattering but, they are accurate, and based on well documented facts which dispell many of the current beliefs held today about the performance of the American infantryman during World War II.

Female trackers are rarer than female hunters and Hannah Nyala is a master female tracker. Her book reveals the painful side of her life as she takes us down the battered trail of "a woman who stayed with a husband that beat her". And she opens up the tasks and thinking of a professional tracker. She shows how the act of following footprints on the ground leeds to a philosophy of life. For example these tracker truths are worth pondering:

1) As we hurry towards our goals in life we miss the subtleties of life itself.

2) Details mater enormously as you track...evidence of life, of movement, is what a tracker must find first.... Pattern are crucial.

3) Retracing steps requires getting alarmingly close to what is most unknown in ourselves

4) It is the little things, the tiny decision or non-decisions, that contribute most to losing one's way.

5) Part of the process of getting lost is losing sight of your reference point without noticing that it has disappeared.

Point last seen ...for a tracker is vitally important, getting to that location before all signs of the lost are destroyed is the trackers first priority. This is an enterating and engaging book. Recommended

Female trackers are rarer than female hunters and Hannah Nyala is a master female tracker. Her book reveals the painful side of her life as she takes us down the battered trail of "a woman who stayed with a husband that beat her". And she opens up the tasks and thinking of a professional tracker. She shows how the act of following footprints on the ground leeds to a philosophy of life. For example these tracker truths are worth pondering:

1) As we hurry towards our goals in life we miss the subtleties of life itself.

2) Details mater enormously as you track...evidence of life, of movement, is what a tracker must find first.... Pattern are crucial.

3) Retracing steps requires getting alarmingly close to what is most unknown in ourselves

4) It is the little things, the tiny decision or non-decisions, that contribute most to losing one's way.

5) Part of the process of getting lost is losing sight of your reference point without noticing that it has disappeared.

Point last seen ...for a tracker is vitally important, getting to that location before all signs of the lost are destroyed is the trackers first priority. This is an enterating and engaging book. Recommended

Hannah Nyala's life is of duality and parallels, where a childhood skills of tracking is her saving grace in her family and professional life. I was far more interested in learning how people track and how they see the world compared to the rest of us who generally have heads in the clouds, where as trackers are literally grounded. Nyala skillfully applies the tracker skills to narrating why women such as she stay in abusive marriages and how she would eventually find the confidence and strength to search for a different and better life, which parallels her growing skill as a tracker of lost hikers and frightened children. She would even journey to Africa to better her tracking skills and there she would realize domestic violence crosses culture, race, and class. Her writing style is calm and lacks self-pity. Nyala has a clear eye for those around her even when the future (goal) is yet to be found.