Books about Charter from Amazon.com

In Sue Monk Kidd's The Secret Life of Bees, 14-year-old Lily Owen, neglected by her father and isolated on their Georgia peach farm, spends hours imagining a blissful infancy when she was loved and nurtured by her mother, Deborah, whom she barely remembers. These consoling fantasies are her heart's answer to the family story that as a child, in unclear circumstances, Lily accidentally shot and killed her mother. All Lily has left of Deborah is a strange image of a Black Madonna, with the words "Tiburon, South Carolina" scrawled on the back. The search for a mother, and the need to mother oneself, are crucial elements in this well-written coming-of-age story set in the early 1960s against a background of racial violence and unrest. When Lily's beloved nanny, Rosaleen, manages to insult a group of angry white men on her way to register to vote and has to skip town, Lily takes the opportunity to go with her, fleeing to the only place she can think of--Tiburon, South Carolina--determined to find out more about her dead mother. Although the plot threads are too neatly trimmed, The Secret Life of Bees is a carefully crafted novel with an inspired depiction of character. The legend of the Black Madonna and the brave, kind, peculiar women who perpetuate Lily's story dominate the second half of the book, placing Kidd's debut novel squarely in the honored tradition of the Southern Gothic. --Regina Marler.
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Oprah Book Club® Selection, April 2000: Originally published in 1970, The Bluest Eye is Toni Morrison's first novel. In an afterword written more than two decades later, the author expressed her dissatisfaction with the book's language and structure: "It required a sophistication unavailable to me." Perhaps we can chalk up this verdict to modesty, or to the Nobel laureate's impossibly high standards of quality control. In any case, her debut is nothing if not sophisticated, in terms of both narrative ingenuity and rhetorical sweep. It also shows the young author drawing a bead on the subjects that would dominate much of her career: racial hatred, historical memory, and the dazzling or degrading power of language itself.

Set in Lorain, Ohio, in 1941, The Bluest Eye is something of an ensemble piece. The point of view is passed like a baton from one character to the next, with Morrison's own voice functioning as a kind of gold standard throughout. The focus, though, is on an 11-year-old black girl named Pecola Breedlove, whose entire family has been given a cosmetic cross to bear:

You looked at them and wondered why they were so ugly; you looked closely and could not find the source. Then you realized that it came from conviction, their conviction. It was as though some mysterious all-knowing master had given each one a cloak of ugliness to wear, and they had each accepted it without question.... And they took the ugliness in their hands, threw it as a mantle over them, and went about the world with it.

There are far uglier things in the world than, well, ugliness, and poor Pecola is subjected to most of them. She's spat upon, ridiculed, and ultimately raped and impregnated by her own father. No wonder she yearns to be the very opposite of what she is--yearns, in other words, to be a white child, possessed of the blondest hair and the bluest eye.

This vein of self-hatred is exactly what keeps Morrison's novel from devolving into a cut-and-dried scenario of victimization. She may in fact pin too much of the blame on the beauty myth: "Along with the idea of romantic love, she was introduced to another--physical beauty. Probably the most destructive ideas in the history of human thought. Both originated in envy, thrived in insecurity, and ended in disillusion." Yet the destructive power of these ideas is essentially colorblind, which gives The Bluest Eye the sort of universal reach that Morrison's imitators can only dream of. And that, combined with the novel's modulated pathos and musical, fine-grained language, makes for not merely a sophisticated debut but a permanent one. --James Marcus.
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Jack Kerouac's classic novel of freedom and longing defined what it meant to be "Beat" and has inspired every generation since its initial publication more than forty years ago.

Introduction by Ann Charters.
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No wonder it's so hard to lose weight -- our bodies are designed to keep weight on at all costs; it's a matter of survival It's embedded in our DNA. Our diet has changed dramatically over the past ten thousand years, but our genetic blueprint has not -- our bodies are not designed to process the types of food we are fed today. It's like putting diesel fuel into a regular car -- it just won't work. And making matters worse is the fact that diets don't work either: less than 6 percent of weight-loss attempts succeed. The average person who goes on a diet actually gains five pounds. But a medical revolution is under way, finally showing us precisely how the powerful forces that keep weight on can actually be reprogrammed to automatically burn fat and keep weight off for good. The concept is simple. By learning how to work with our bodies instead of against them, we can ignite the natural fat-burning furnaces that lie dormant within us. For the first time ever, Dr. Mark Hyman makes this new science of weight loss available to the general public. This medical revolution is based on a groundbreaking concept called nutrigenomics -- the science of how food talks to our genes. This science is actually startlingly simple. Food contains information and instructions for our bodies -- eat the right foods and send instructions of weight loss and health; eat the wrong foods and send messages of weight gain and disease. After spending the last ten years conducting pioneering, hands-on research with over two thousand patients at Canyon Ranch, one of the world's leading health resorts, Dr. Hyman has discovered the seven fundamental causes of obesity. While fad diets have identified one or two of these causes, never before have they all been integrated into a single, simple plan for automatic weight loss -- this is the promise of UltraMetabolism.

UltraMetabolism is an easy-to-follow eight-week plan to help you lose weight based on your own unique genetic needs. Since each of our bodies is different and may require more or less of certain nutrients to awaken our fat-burning DNA, Dr. Hyman shows you exactly how to customize the program for your own particular needs. The program includes menus, recipes, and shopping lists, as well as recommendations for supplements and exercise and lifestyle treatments designed to create a healthy metabolism -- an UltraMetabolism -- permanent weight loss, and lifelong health.

Ultrametabolism Testimonials

"...I lost 50 pounds and have kept it off for 4 years."

"The last five years have become the healthiest years of my life. Because of Dr. Hyman's program, I have an in-depth understanding of my physical condition and have tailored a weight loss program for my needs. Since following his plan, I've significantly reduced my cholesterol from 240 to 160. In addition, I lost 50 pounds and have kept it off for 4 years."

-- Joseph Bernstein Milwaukee, WI

"I've dropped 2 dress sizes (so far)...Dr. Hyman literally gave me my life back."

"Over the past few years I had gained 70 lbs and felt progressively worse as I bounced from doctor to doctor without any real answers for my weight gain, my migraines, or my many other ailments. Dr. Hyman helped me understand how many of my health issues were due to food allergies. Lab tests showed I was allergic to 28 different foods! I started on the DeTox phase of Dr. Hymans program and within 3 weeks, I lost 11 pounds and my swollen wrists and puffy face went away. I used to wake up extremely exhausted, but now I wake up at 6 am and maintain a constant level of energy throughout the day. No other program gave me a means to discover the real source of my problems. Now I have the energy to play with my 8-year-old and 11-year-old children. My entire family is finally eating healthier, and I've dropped 2 dress sizes (so far!) Dr Hyman literally gave me my life back."

-- Audrey Meyer Lampert North Granby, CT

"The menu was easy to implement, in spite of my hectic lifestyle..."

"Through Dr. Hyman's program, I not only dropped my cholesterol from 335 to below 200, but I lost 20 lbs and have kept if off for the last 2 years through his instructions including a specific meal plan, exercise, and supplements. The menu was easy to implement, in spite of my hectic lifestyle and easy to adapt when I traveled to hotels and restaurants. Matter of fact, I went from a pant size of 38 to a 36 and needed to buy a lot of new clothes."

-- Cavas Gobhai Cambridge, MA

"It was easy! All I needed to do was follow his instructions; in the first 30 days I lost 21 pounds."

"Substituting simple foods with other healthy foods that I love helped me lose the cravings for all the junk I used to eat. Dr. Hyman's weight loss program gave me a lot of information about my body. It was easy! All I needed to do was follow his instructions; in the first 30 days I lost 21 pounds. I feel better than I have in 10 years and can now walk up the stairs without losing my breath. I forgot how good I could I feel."

-- Deede Dominick Phippsburg, Maine

"I was ready for a change, and Dr. Hyman's program helped me prioritize my life."

"After I quit smoking three years ago, I snacked a lot in order to forget about smoking. After doing that for 6 months, I gained almost 30 pounds. I was sick and tired of having no energy, and I wanted to feel good again. In addition, I love to shop, and I wanted to buy fancy clothes without having to shop at the big and tall store. I was ready for a change, and Dr. Hyman's program helped me prioritize my life. Since I started in 2003 I have lost over 60 pounds and have maintained the loss. In addition, I've gone from a size 18 to a size 10. When I look at old pictures, I realize that I feel and look better than I did 15 years ago."

-- Margarida Glenhage Gothenburg Sweden

"...I lost 30 lbs with no exercise."

"As a single mother, I was tired of feeling sick all the time and decided to change my life so that I could become healthy for my 3%-year-old daughter. After relearning how to feed myself and my daughter, I lost 30 lbs with no exercise from June to December and I dropped my cholesterol 105 points."

-- Nancy Grey DC Bronxville, NY

"I lost 30 lbs, went back to a size 4, and no longer have migraines."

"After going through an 8-month period of being very sick with hives, having extreme inflammation in my face, and gaining 30 pounds, I found Dr. Hyman's program. Because I went through his simple plan, I uncovered that I am allergic to gluten, the protein in wheat, which was the source of all my problems. After getting on his plan, I lost 30 lbs, went back to a size 4, and no longer have migraines. My husband even noticed the change and went on the program too; so far, he's lost 45 pounds."

-- Debbie Gosney Charlotte, NC

"...it's easy to jump back on when I occasionally fall off..."

"This program gave me the satisfaction of being in control of my body and life. I've maintained my 18-pound weight loss since 2002, reduced my glucose levels from 170 to 102, and taken control over my diabetes to the point where I no longer have any symptoms. Going on a program like this is like a religious conversion; it's easy to jump back on when I occasionally fall off and I have more energy than I've ever had. At the age of 71, I run 4 miles a day and feel great.".
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It's difficult to imagine a harder first act to follow than The Kite Runner: a debut novel by an unknown writer about a country many readers knew little about that has gone on to have over four million copies in print worldwide. But when preview copies of Khaled Hosseini's second novel, A Thousand Splendid Suns, started circulating at Amazon.com, readers reacted with a unanimous enthusiasm that few of us could remember seeing before. As special as The Kite Runner was, those readers said, A Thousand Splendid Suns is more so, bringing Hosseini's compassionate storytelling and his sense of personal and national tragedy to a tale of two women that is weighted equally with despair and grave hope.

We wanted to spread the word on the book as widely, and as soon, as we could. See below for an exclusive excerpt from A Thousand Splendid Suns and early reviews of the book from some of our top customer reviewers.--The Editors

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An Exclusive Excerpt from A Thousand Splendid Suns

We have arranged with the publisher to make an exclusive excerpt of A Thousand Splendid Suns available on Amazon.com. Click here to read a scene from the novel. It's not the opening scene, but rather one from a crucial moment later in the book when Mariam, one of the novel's two main characters, steps into a new role.

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Early Buzz from Amazon.com Top Reviewers

We queried our top 100 customer reviewers as of March 6, 2007, and asked them to read A Thousand Splendid Suns and share their thoughts. We've included these early reviews below in the order they were received. For the sake of space, we've only included a brief excerpt of each reviewer's response, but each review is available for reading in its entirety by clicking the "Read the review" link.

Joanna Daneman: "His style is deceptively simple and clear, the characters drawn deftly and swiftly, his themes elemental and huge. This is a brilliant writer and I look forward to more of his work." Read Joanna Daneman's review

Seth J. Frantzman: "Khaled Hosseini has done it again with 'A Thousand Splendid Sons', presenting a new, dashing and dark tale of two generations of women trapped in a loveless marriage, bracketed by great events." Read Seth J. Frantzman's review

Donald Mitchell: "Khaled Hosseini has succeeded in capturing many important historical and contemporary themes in a way that will make your heart ache again and again. Why will your reaction be so strong? It's because you'll identify closely with the suffering of almost all the characters, a reaction that's very rare to a modern novel." Read Donald Mitchell's review

Lawrance M. Bernabo: "All things considered, following up on a successful first novel is probably harder than coming up with the original effort and Hosseini could have rested on his laurels in the manner of Harper Lee, but as "A Thousand Splendid Suns" amply proves, this native of Kabul has more stories to tell about the land of Afghanistan." Read Lawrance M. Bernabo's review

Amanda Richards: "There are parts of this book that will have grown men surreptitiously blotting the tears that are on the verge of overflowing their ducts, and by the time you get to the middle, you won't be able to put it down. Hosseini's simple but richly descriptive prose makes for an engrossing read, and in my opinion, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is among the best I have ever read. This is definitely not one to be missed." Read Amanda Richards's review

N. Durham: "All that being said, "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is a bit more enjoyable than Hosseini's previous "The Kite Runner", and once again he manages to give we readers another glimpse of a world that we know little about but frequently condemn and discard. However, if you were one of the many that for some reason absolutely loved "The Kite Runner", chances are that you'll love this as well." Read N. Durham's review

John Kwok: "Khaled Hosseini's "A Thousand Splendid Suns" is a genuine instant literary classic, and one destined to be remembered as one of 2007's best novels. It should be compared favorably to such legendary Russian novels like "War and Peace" and "Doctor Zhivago"." Read John Kwok's review

Thomas Duff: "Normally I'm more of an action-adventure type reader when it comes to novels and recreational reading. But I was given the chance to read A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner), so I decided to try something out of my normal genre. I am *so* glad I did. This is a stunning and moving novel of life and love in Afghanistan over a 30 year period." Read Thomas Duff's review

Charles Ashbacher: "This book manages to simultaneously capture the history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years and how women are treated in conservative Islamic societies.... In many ways it is a sad book, your heart goes out to these two women in their hopeless struggle to have a decent life with a brutal man in an unforgiving, intolerant society." Read Charles Ashbacher's review

W. Boudville: "Hosseini presents a piognant view into the recent tortured decades of the Afghan experience. From the 1970s, under a king, to the Soviet takeover, to the years of resistance. And then the rise and fall of the Taliban. An American reader will recognise many of the main political events. But to many Americans, Afghanistan and its peoples and religion remain an opaque and troubling mystery." Read W. Boudville's review

Mark Baker: "I tend to read plot heavy books, so this character study was a definite change of pace for me. I found the first half slow going at times, mainly because I knew where the story was going. Once I got into the second half, things really picked up. The ending was very bittersweet. I couldn't think of a better way to end it." Read Mark Baker's review

Grady Harp: "Hosseini takes us behind those walls for forty some years of Afghanistan's bloody history and while he does not spare us any of the descriptions of the terror that continues to besiege that country, he does offer us a story that speaks so tenderly about the fragile beauty of love and devotion and lasting impression people make on people." Read Grady Harp's review

Robert P. Beveridge: "When I was actively reading it, the pages kept turning, and more than once I found myself foregoing food or sleep temporarily to get in just one more chapter. When I had put it down, however, I felt no particular compulsion to pick it back up again. It's a good book, and a relatively well-written one, but it's not a great book. Enjoyable without leaving a lasting impression." Read Robert P. Beveridge's review

B. Marold: "While the events in Afghanistan and the wider world create a familiar framework for the stories of these two women, it is nothing more than a framework. The warp and weft of everyday life, and the interaction of the two women and their close relatives is the heartbeat of the story." Read B. Marold's review

Daniel Jolley: "Khaled Hosseini has written a majestic, sweeping, emotionally powerful story that provides the reader with a most telling window into Afghan society over the past thirty-odd years. It's also a moving story of friendship and sacrifice, giving Western readers a rare glimpse into the suffering and mistreatment of Afghan women that began long before the Taliban came to power." Read Daniel Jolley's review

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Larry Swedroe offers engaging stories to readers as a way of explaining sound investing concepts..
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