Serviceable both for introducing the topic and for replacing a lost or worn copy of an earlier version.
A fresh edition of the author’s ever-useful overview of Egyptian myth and legend, rearranged and featuring some new content.
From the “dynamic duo” of Khnum and Amun-Ra to the giant snake Apep and the “dual-gendered fertility god” Hapi, crowds of deities and “creepy monsters” parade through Nardo’s analytical summaries. His insistence in the rewritten introduction and elsewhere that the ancient Egyptians saw the gods and their deeds as historical seems at odds with mentions elsewhere of “symbolic” representations in art and conflicting variations in local creation myths and pantheons. Still, readers able to weather his short discourses on cosmogonies and zoomorphs will enjoy the relish with which he recounts, for instance, how evil Seth chopped brother Osiris into “bloody morsels,” the awful vengeance cow-headed Hathor wrought on the “mere humans” who “disrespected” her father Ra, and how she rescued blinded Horus after Seth was able to “get the drop on him.” The image chosen to portray the tale of Seth and Osiris unfortunately features Seth as a brutish, black-skinned man and evokes racist caricatures; other images show ancient artifacts and sites. In this edition, a chapter on Egyptian myths in modern culture has been switched out for one that’s less likely to go stale, thrillingly titled “Serpents, Soul Eaters, and Other Monsters,” and the resource lists at the end have been updated as well.
Serviceable both for introducing the topic and for replacing a lost or worn copy of an earlier version. (source notes, further research, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Jan. 1, 2024
ISBN: 9781678207281
Page Count: 64
Publisher: ReferencePoint Press
Review Posted Online: Jan. 5, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 2024
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
Catnip for scandal junkies, with a bit of historical perspective stirred in.
A gleefully explicit catalogue of the past century’s headline-grabbing bad behavior.
Aimed at readers who don’t need to be told who Brangelina is but may be hazy on “twisted besties” Leopold and Loeb or even Monica Lewinsky, this edutaining survey presents a wide-angle array of murders, sexual follies, controversial trials, race violence, political corruption and general envelope-pushing from the 1906 killing of Stanford White on. Each of the chronologically arranged entries opens with a capsule “Scoop” followed by a slightly fuller account under a “What Went Down” header. Along with a small black-and-white photo and one or two sidebar quotes, the author tacks on subsequent developments, sometimes-perceptive suggestions about “Why We Still Care” and a short roster of similar incidents in recent history. Though she misspells “Symbionese” and repeatedly awards FDR only three Presidential wins, in general Fryd presents reasonably accurate summaries of events and issues while giving all sides of the more muddled conflicts at least a nod. Additional cred is provided by a teen panel of editorial advisors.
Catnip for scandal junkies, with a bit of historical perspective stirred in. (index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Feb. 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-9827322-0-5
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Zest/Orange Avenue
Review Posted Online: Jan. 8, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
Readers will find answers to basic questions about Muslims, yet they might not understand the bigger picture if they don’t...
Ali-Karamali offers plenty of anecdotes about growing up Muslim in America in a conversational tone that is undermined by poor organization.
The work explores a range of questions that non-Muslims might have about followers of Islam. Ranging from a discussion of Muslim holidays or the kinds of clothes worn by Muslims to the development of Islam, the author explains these topics in a friendly, engaging manner. She provides several examples of Muslim practices around the world, going beyond her American experiences to reflect Islam’s diversity. Chapters are organized into three fact-filled sections on beliefs and practices, the development of Islam and current Muslim demographics. Unfortunately, beginning with the practical questions about food, fasting and fashion delays important concepts such as how jihad is not equivalent to terrorism and whether Islam mandates women wear face veils (in a word, no). Compounding this basic conceptual flaw, this organizational choice necessitates clunky references to later chapters. Moreover, it is not until Chapter 4 that cited figures or quotes are provided references, an example of sloppy scholarship.
Readers will find answers to basic questions about Muslims, yet they might not understand the bigger picture if they don’t hang in until the end. (notes, bibliography, index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)Pub Date: Aug. 14, 2012
ISBN: 978-0-385-74095-1
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Delacorte
Review Posted Online: June 19, 2012
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 2012
BOOK REVIEW
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