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THE MANITOUS

THE SPIRITUAL WORLD OF THE OJIBWAY

Through soothing rhythms and repetition, Johnston recreates the ancient storytelling tradition of the Ojibway Indians. The word manitou has usually been translated to mean simply ``spirit,'' but according to Johnston, the term connotes mystery, mysticism, godliness, and the essence of things. Manitous are also the supernatural beings of the Anishinaubae, ``the good men and people'' of the Ojibway, Ottowa, Pottawatomi, and Algonquin tribes. Johnston here tells the stories of these beings, and his tales are buoyed up with commentary so skillfully interwoven with the narrative that the reader is unconsciously instructed in the history and method behind them. He includes traditional creation and flood myths; the stories of Nana'b'oozoo, the prototypical human being; the origin tales of corn, birch, flint, and tobacco; and much more. These stories are meant not only to answer questions about the world, but to teach valuable life lessons. In the beautiful tale of the spruce tree, a young woman is married off against her will to an old man. At first she is despondent, but after many years she begins to appreciate her husband's goodness and finally to love him. When he dies she keeps a vigil at his grave until she too dies, and from their joint grave grows a tree that rains a light mist, said to be the tears shed by the young wife over her beloved husband. This story teaches respect for elders, the value of kindness, the unpredictable nature of love; others show respect for nature, for animals, and for the wisdom of the elders. In the last story of Nana'b'oozoo, he is seen sadly leaving his people, unremarked and unmourned, a symbol of the Indians' lost heritage. With his writing and storytelling, Johnston hopes to summon Nana'b'oozoo back. An extraordinary glimpse into a rich and meaningful mythology. (15 line drawings)

Pub Date: Aug. 2, 1995

ISBN: 0-06-017199-5

Page Count: 272

Publisher: HarperCollins

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: June 1, 1995

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ROSE BOOK OF BIBLE CHARTS, MAPS AND TIME LINES

Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.

A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.

This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.

Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.

Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005

ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8

Page Count: -

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010

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THE MYTH OF SISYPHUS

AND OTHER ESSAYS

This a book of earlier, philosophical essays concerned with the essential "absurdity" of life and the concept that- to overcome the strong tendency to suicide in every thoughtful man-one must accept life on its own terms with its values of revolt, liberty and passion. A dreary thesis- derived from and distorting the beliefs of the founders of existentialism, Jaspers, Heldegger and Kierkegaard, etc., the point of view seems peculiarly outmoded. It is based on the experience of war and the resistance, liberally laced with Andre Gide's excessive intellectualism. The younger existentialists such as Sartre and Camus, with their gift for the terse novel or intense drama, seem to have omitted from their philosophy all the deep religiosity which permeates the work of the great existentialist thinkers. This contributes to a basic lack of vitality in themselves, in these essays, and ten years after the war Camus seems unaware that the life force has healed old wounds... Largely for avant garde aesthetes and his special coterie.

Pub Date: Sept. 26, 1955

ISBN: 0679733736

Page Count: 228

Publisher: Knopf

Review Posted Online: Sept. 19, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 1, 1955

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