by Doug Carnine ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 25, 2017
An illuminating and hopeful account of inmate rehabilitation through Buddhist teachings.
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A retired education professor corresponds with prisoners who find peace through Buddhism.
Introduced to inmates at the Maximum Security Unit in Tucker, Arkansas, through his social activist daughter, Carnine (How Love Wins, 2017) began corresponding first with debut author Tester, eventually widening his epistolary acquaintance to three others. Tester had been drawn to meditating after seeing a fellow prisoner at Tucker Max discover tranquility through the technique. Carnine, a lay Buddhist minister, encouraged Tester and the other inmates—debut authors Bruno, Griffin, and Price—not only to meditate, write letters, and read the books he sent, but also to practice kindness with the other prisoners. The four men seemed unlikely Buddhists, having already committed crimes that were against the religion’s teachings. But Carnine, along with his wife, Linda, encouraged their development over a several-year period. While some of the acolytes occasionally slipped up—using cash Carnine sent them for the kindness project for their own needs—the enterprise overall succeeded, helping the originators find a degree of serenity in their circumstances and introducing both inmates and prison employees to Buddhist principles. In this absorbing book, the four incarcerated authors share their back stories; all of them were raised by abusive parents in unfavorable and unpleasant circumstances. While their early hardships fail to justify their eventual heinous crimes, the information does enlighten readers about their life experiences. The inclusion of excerpts from letters and the varying points of view enrich the text. As with the inmates’ back stories, the injustices and crimes committed inside Tucker Max will be eye-opening, if not shocking, to many readers. The prisoners’ occasional despair—particularly that of Tester, who also suffers from debilitating pain—is often palpable. While Carnine may have edited the contributions of his co-authors, the book is well-written. Some of the inmates’ jargon may be new to readers, but Carnine supplies a brief, useful glossary of Buddhist terms.
An illuminating and hopeful account of inmate rehabilitation through Buddhist teachings.Pub Date: July 25, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9980509-0-4
Page Count: 202
Publisher: Mindful Kindness Project
Review Posted Online: Nov. 17, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 2018
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996
This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)
Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996
ISBN: 0-15-100227-4
Page Count: 136
Publisher: Harcourt
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996
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by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955
An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.
Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955
ISBN: 0670717797
Page Count: -
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955
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