Book Review: Illegals by Darrell Ankarlo
Illegals: the unacceptable cost of America’s failure to control its borders, by Darrell Ankarlo
Published by Thomas Nelson
Release Date September 14, 2010
368 pages
List Price: $14.99; purchase from Amazon.com in print or Kindle Edition, Barnes and Noble in print or Nook Edition, and other book retailers.
Not since the Civil War has America been so divided over such a seemingly unsolvable issue as U.S. immigration policy.
That is what the editorials would have you thinking when you start this book. And it is true. In some ways. On April 23, 2010, a law was signed in Arizona, one of the toughest immigration laws in the states. Interestingly, this law is already a federal law. There are many individuals that do not realize this and were outraged when Arizona decided to get tough and as a state uphold this federal law by making mirroring state law.
Ankarlo begins his book in a very interesting fashion: he goes across the US border to see the lives of those who would risk everything to come to the US. He tells stories of those who fail to make it to the US; he tells stories of those who are out to help illegal immigrants make it to the US; there are accounts he has recorded of those who make it so far only to be stopped halfway (in a ‘drop house’); he tells stories of the money that is exchanged; the corruption that is evident on both sides of the border. Ankarlo’s argument is that by allowing illegal immigrants to continue to flood into the US, we, the citizens of the US, are actually keeping them in poverty as well as possibly a life of crime.
I wanted to like this book, or at least feel that I had read something worthwhile. I wanted to be able to read it and feel that I had learned something. And honestly, I did learn quite a bit. But perhaps not what was intended. I think I learned, once again, that those who write are free to press their own biases and agenda onto those who are reading. Ankarlo comes off as a pompous individual with really little respect for those who are attempting to cross the border to the US as well as those who are trying to keep them out! Consistently, Ankarlo refers to the government on both sides are incompetent. It reads like a heartless journalistic piece.
Many times Ankarlo refers to ‘racist’ in the book. I personally feel as he does; this word is thrown around casually with little regard for it’s true meaning. It is used in a way that would make people defensive and not because it is necessarily the case. Some would find Ankarlo’s book to be very patriotic; he is dedicated to preserving the US by keeping out those who are not citizens. Honestly, I had the impression that Ankarlo didn’t even want people to come from other locations who come in legally and become citizens. In the end, I did not appreciate this book. I did learn a lot from it but I had to read between the lines and get past Ankarlo’s bias and obvious contempt.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com <http://BookSneeze.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Lee: A Life of Virtue- Book Review
Lee: A Life of Virtue
by John Perry
One of the The Generals series books, Lee: A Life of Virtue is a great biography that goes right along with the other book that I have read so far in the series. General Lee is well-known; young and old know his name. But what do we really know about him? The basic consensus is usually that he was a general for the losing side in the Civil War; a man fighting for a lost cause- slavery.
There is much however, that we often do not know about Lee. This book has seventeen chapters that detail the life and times of General Robert E. Lee. They tell of a humble man who wasn’t fighting necessarily for slavery but for a way of life that he and his family and friends had come to rely on. He was not for the institution of slavery, rather was against it, but did not know how the South would survive without this.
I found this book to be one that was difficult to put down. The writing style is easy going, and engaging. We are given an intimate look at a man that often is prematurely judged for simply being on the ‘wrong’ side of the Civil War. I would recommend this book to any that are interested in military history, but more specifically the history of great individuals of the United States history.
*Disclaimer: I received this complementary copy from Thomas Nelson Publishing (www.booksneeze.com) in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to give a positive review. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
No Girls Allowed: Devotions for Boys- Book Review
No Girls Allowed: Devotions for Boys
by Jayce O’Neal and illustrated by Arrolynn Weiderhold
ISBN: 978-1-4143-3589-6
List Price: $9.99
I have a girl and a boy…it’s easy to find books for my girl but not so easy to find for my boy. I was pleasantly surprised when this book was up for review from Tyndale Publishing! I couldn’t wait to see this.
A short description:
No Girls Allowed Devotions for Boys is the companion devotion to the popular For Girls Only! Devotions (2009). The devotion books follow the same format: a story related to a scripture theme, a game/activity, a list of things to do, and quotes from people and the Bible that reinforce the theme. Each of the 60 devotions is 4 pages long (2 complete spreads) and includes original single-color art that will attract and engage boys ages 8-12. The illustrations are more like cartoons—each has a caption that relates to the theme. Some of the themes addressed include bullying, being a good winner, generosity, church participation, worship, and creation. The devotions use a wide range of examples. The author uses original stories, but he also uses things familiar to boys (G.I. Joe, Transformers, sports figures, superheroes, comics, video games, etc.) to illustrate his point.
My take on this book: It is great!
The issues covered are ones that my son deals with, or he knows what they are talking about. They are also dealt with in a very Christian manner. There is no pressuring to do what is wrong- only what is right. My son loves the activities throughout the book. Even things that he normally does not like (such as crosswords) he was wanting to do…staying up late to read this book, reading at the dinner table, wanting to read during school time.
I love the scriptural advice on every page. For everything that they say you should do, there is a scripture to back it up. This is a way to help my son feel that there is someone that understands what he has to deal with (being a mom I’m sometimes not the person to talk to about ‘boy’ problems!) and it takes him to the Bible. It is a great book.
This one gets 5 stars!
*Disclaimer: I was given a complimentary copy of this book from Tyndale House Publishing for an honest review. I received no compensation and the views expressed are my and my children’s own; I was not required to give a positive review.
The Boy Who Changed the World: Book Review
The Boy Who Changed the World by Andy Andrews, illustrated by Philip Hurst.
All of our actions affect the future- not just our own future but those of others. This book by Andy Andrews is written in an easy going manner to help kids see that what they do will have an effect. Through the lives of Norman Borlaug, Henry Wallace, George Washington Carver, and his adopted father, Moses, Andrews tells the stories of how a boy changed the world. Richly illustrated by Philip Hurst, this book is visually appealing.
Here is a snippet:
When a butterfly flaps its wings, it moves tiny pieces
of air . . . that move other tiny pieces of air . . . that move
other tiny pieces of air. In fact, on the other side of the world,
they might be feeling a big whoosh of wind—all because a
butterfly flapped its wings here just a few minutes ago!
That means every little thing YOU do matters:
what you did yesterday, what you do today, and what you
do tomorrow. God made your life so important that every
move you make, every action you take, matters . . . and not
only for you or the people around you. Everything you do
matters for everyone and for all time!
Did I like this book? Yes! Although my kids are both older, this book was enjoyable to them as well. Younger kids will enjoy the story told in pictures as well as words in this book. Andrews has written in a language and style that is directed at a younger audience but can be appreciated by older audiences as well. It definitely brings to light to children that, boy or girl, they could change the world!
I think that this would make a great read-aloud book for libraries, classrooms, or at home. I would recommend this book to others.
**Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Filed under Book Review | Comments OffBook Review: Sun Dancing
Sun Dancing: Life in a medieval Irish monastery and how Celtic spirituality influenced the world.
Geoffrey Moorhouse
I had to read this book for my History 320- The Celts- class recently. At first the 284 pages made me leery. I must disclose that I am not a big fan of ‘studying’ history the way that classrooms like me to study it- from books and papers written by historians. I want to see the history, live the history, if at all possible. In order to do that I need more than a book, I need a museum. But I have yet to find a history class held in a museum (yet, I said lol). Anyway, back to my review.
I thought this book be more pagan in content since “sun dancing” would portray to me a ritual of a sort and I hadn’t heard of any sun dancing in Christianity…so far. There is a little comment by Library Journal on the front cover that says, “Will delight anyone who enjoyed Thomas Cahill’s How the Irish Saved Civilization.” I have read most of Cahill’s book so then I began to think perhaps I wasn’t too far in my thinking. (If you have read Cahill’s book, feel free to disagree with me but majority of it talks about pagan Ireland.) I know that the subtitle plainly says “Irish Monastery” and that wouldn’t quite fit in with pagan rituals.
From the back: “Irish monks of the Middle Ages have been credited with saving Western civilization. But what is known of their day-to-day lives–the spiritual struggles and triumphs or the unbelievable physical hardships they endured? Exploring the origins of Ireland’s religious traditions, acclaimed writer Geoffrey Moorhouse travels back 1,400 years to re-create life on Skellig Michael, a cruel rock island off Ireland’s west coast and home to a community of monks for over six hundred years. Sun Dancing‘s imaginative stories not only capture a particularly intense form of monastic life, they illuminate one of the most mysterious yet important chapters of Celtic history. Entertaining and enlightening, Sun Dancing makes medieval Ireland come alive.”
I read the book from a historians point of view, I hope. The first part of the book is historical fiction. It is based on what might have happened. Moorhouse uses the resources that are available- the writing from the past, writings from those prominent in the field of history, of world history, church history and importantly Irish history- to form the foundation of his recreations. They are stories and although they are very well written it is good to remember that they did not truly happen the way that is portrayed.
So after getting caught up in the first half of the book Moorhouse gives readers some background and very useful information in the second half of the book. And this is where it all comes together, I believe. When reading some of Moorhouse’s words on the monks of Skellig Michael it is difficult, perhaps, at times to believe that it could have happened as he said- the harshness, the strictness, the lifestyle. But when we are presented with the historical evidence to support his portrayals it makes it more real and more interesting. It opens the mind to questions, to wanting to understand why and who. Mostly why for myself.
I didn’t think I would like this book. I really didn’t. But you know, I was very surprised. This is actually one of the best ‘history’ books I have read in a quite a while. Cahill’s How the Irish Saved Civilization definitely didn’t make it to the top of my list but Sun Dancing did.
**Disclaimer: This is a book that I purchased (for a class but still voluntarily!). I have not been compensated in any way for this review.
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