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Compelling Read!
This beautifully written, compelling, real-life drama brings together a disparate group of individuals whose lives were changed by the events of 9/11.It's a story of hope against long odds, describing the devastating impact of the Taliban on Afghanistan, and the dawning of a new day there.After thirty years of war (starting with the Soviet invasion in 1979), famine, abandonment by the western world, and finally the scourge of the Taliban, there is finally hope after the overthrow of the Taliban.But how can a country rebound after so many years of disaster?One answer is in the power of media -- and this is the story of how a newly created radio station can change lives.Starting with funding from a Danish NGO, a small group of dedicated individuals makes a dramatic impact in Afghanistan with a new radio station broadcasting "Good Morning Afghanistan" to the millions of Afghan citizens.This story of hope -- and the difference that a small number of individuals can make -- is truly inspirational.

Good Morning Afghanistan
This is a magnificent book documenting the building of Radio Kabul and how it has progressed economically.It is a land where women must become invisible, music is learned, films and televisions are burned, books are torched, the contents of museums are destroyed because they contain offensive remarks about God.Freedom comes in many forms--the most powerful is self expression and by means of Good Morning Afghanistan, countless Afghan women and children teach one another how to be free.

This radio program is filled with heartbreak and triumph, despair, tears and laughter, and, above all, endless hope.

Reviewed by Claude Ury ... Read more

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First time in paperback, with a new Introduction and final chapter

World affairs expert and intrepid travel journalist Robert D. Kaplan braved the dangers of war-ravaged Afghanistan in the 1980s, living among the mujahidin—the “soldiers of god”—whose unwavering devotion to Islam fueled their mission to oust the formidable Soviet invaders. In Soldiers of God we follow Kaplan’s extraordinary journey and learn how the thwarted Soviet invasion gave rise to the ruthless Taliban and the defining international conflagration of the twenty-first century.

Kaplan returns a decade later and brings to life a lawless frontier. What he reveals is astonishing: teeming refugee camps on the deeply contentious Pakistan-Afghanistan border; a war front that combines primitive fighters with the most technologically advanced weapons known to man; rigorous Islamic indoctrination academies; a land of minefields plagued by drought, fierce tribalism, insurmountable ethnic and religious divisions, an abysmal literacy rate, and legions of war orphans who seek stability in military brotherhood. Traveling alongside Islamic guerrilla fighters, sharing their food, observing their piety in the face of deprivation, and witnessing their determination, Kaplan offers a unique opportunity to increase our understanding of a people and a country that are at the center of world events. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Afghanistan: The Superpower Trap created with perfect 20-20 Hindsight
This was one of the first of intrepid reporter, Robert Kaplan's, many timely and insightful Atlantic Monthly articles turned into a book. Kaplan has "made his bones" (and a stellar reputation) going where the action is. And then, even while measuring the temperature on the ground, never failing to raise his head above the trees to see where the forest leads. This ability to place the events on the ground into geostrategic context has made Kaplan a valuable resource to those of us who like to know how we get our superpower tail caught in so many costly and draining strategic traps.

Here, although we are forced to admit that some aspects of geopolitics are inevitable and almost always unforgiving and irreversible, this story is still about as unflattering as a strategic incursion can get: Severely burnt by the dumb anti-Communist domino geopolitics of Vietnam, the U.S., nevertheless could not wait to repeat the act in the most unforgiving and godforsaken land since Alexander the Great was defeated there in the 4th Century BC.

Thus there is a kind of poetic symmetry that after Vietnam, our next foreign policy folly would be Afghanistan. That it is an unforgiving trap that all the history we know of (and have actually experienced ourselves) tells us it is, with perfect 20-20 hindsight, we nevertheless willingly walked into the same trap. [The Russians must be laughing under their collectivist breaths.]

Because of our colossal ignorance of the lands and peoples we pretend to be assisting while actually in pursuit of our own geopolitical goals, we had no choice but to enlist and rely on the Pakistan intelligence service (CIS) as a proxy in our global plan to eject the Soviets from Afghanistan. This barely transparent plan apparently worked to perfection, except that none of the "after conflict loose ends" were tied up. It seems that it is a hallmark of U.S. foreign policy that loose ends are never tied up. The conflicts are just allowed to peter out, with the hope that the details will somehow work them selves out in the end. [Remember the last scene in "Charlie Wilson's War?]

As usual, the Pakistani CIS exacted a price for serving as our geopolitical proxy. The price was that they be allowed to hijack our strategic success for their own internal purposes.As a result, in the aftermath of the victory over Russia, the CIS had us back the wrong Afghan tribal horse. When the dust settled, the internecine virus called Afghanistan warlords, had metastasized into Osama bin Laden, who immediately turned on his erstwhile superpower arms supplier and backer.

Nine-eleven sealed the deal and enshrined this folly for perpetuity. Now, we cannot get out, no matter how much its costs in U.S. blood and treasure. There is nothing left to do but to allow it to run its costly and indeterminate course. The loose ends can never be tied up. Obama is not in the driver's seat; the tribal warlords are: as they have always been. We are just a hapless superpower again being dragged around by our tail by a ragtag bunch of "Soldiers of God." God help us. Five Stars

Not the best book on Afghanistan or War-reporting, but not a total waste of time either
I developed quite a dislike for Kaplan as I read this book, but the subject matter was sufficiently fascinating to help me forgive his not-entirely-subtle dislike of Asians. This book provides an on the ground view of the Soviet Invasion and subsequent chaos. The glimpses of Afghani society, although mostly confined to men involved in war, and the physical descriptions of Afghanistan's landscape were captivating. Kaplan seems quite enamored of the Pashtun culture, especially in comparison to Pakistan, which is portrayed unflatteringly but not entirely unfairly as a potential terrorist breeding ground. He seems to see himself as a brave, hugely suffering war reporter, although the most extreme suffering he appears to undergo is occasional separation from soft drinks. Obviously my disinclination for the author colored my view of the book, but I feel it was worthwhile reading as it increased my knowledge of the Soviet-Afghan war and my conviction that terrorism has its roots in poverty and desperation rather than pure ideology

Please Read Robert Kaplan
Really another outstanding book by Kaplan.In depth and personal view of the mujahidin in Afghanistan in the 80's.Kaplan may be a little biased, or wonder struck by the personalities he interviewed and lived with, and at times is self-congratulatory about his prescience, however, he acknowledges both facts in his re-written foreword.Neither of these points dilute the quality of this book, though.For me, it was a great read that illuminated class and clan struggle in Afghanistan, and a wonderful distinction between religious fundamentalism and politically institutionalized religious extremism.

The Many Worlds of Afghanistan
I read Soldiers of God at the same time that I read The Bookseller of Kabul (for book club) and found Soldiers to be an enlightening companion read because while Bookseller focused on one family in Kabul, its interpersonal dynamics, and how religion and culture affected its members, Soldiers gave a broader view of various groups and their political and personal dynamics in Afghanistan.Also, both books were written by Western journalists, which gave the books a somewhat similar (though by no means identical) perspective on Afghanistan, although differing in scope.

Specific to Soldiers, I enjoyed Robert Kaplan's story telling (part travelogue, part reportage), his ability to gain access to some very insular groups, and his obvious desire to present them and their goals as accurately as possible.It was compelling reading for me as I knew little about the country, its myriad elements and history.

A first rate book on Afghanistan
Kaplan is an American journalist who made several trips into Afghanistan during the time that the Soviet Union had occupied Afghanistan and was intent on turning Afghanistan into a communist country.

In his trips, Kaplan experienced and describes the life common to all mountain peoples, the cruelty and gruesomeness of war especially in its counter-insurgency edition, and the traditions of the different Afghan tribes.He describes the leaders of the resistance, except for the Islamist factions, who are all but ignored, and the various rather eccentric Europeans and Americans who joined their cause.

This book is moving - what else would one expect of a people that was willing to sustain a million fatalities in order to maintain their customs and not be occupied by a foreign power?

To use a colossal understatement, Afghanistan is a very colorful place, nothing at all like American suburbia.Anyone who wants to understand Afghanistan must recognize this fact.The best parts of the book, which alone are worth the price of the book, are the many thumbnail descriptions of the eccentric people and surreal situations that Kaplan found in Afghanistan. ... Read more

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This mesmerizing portrait of a proud man who, through three decades and successive repressive regimes, heroically braved persecution to bring books to the people of Kabul has elicited extraordinary praise throughout the world and become a phenomenal international bestseller. The Bookseller of Kabul is startling in its intimacy and its details - a revelation of the plight of Afghan women and a window into the surprising realities of daily life in today's Afghanistan. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (153)

The bookseller that promulgates illiteracy
I always enjoy reading books about books.When I heard about "The bookseller of Kabul" I envisioned a story about a bookseller who made high efforts to distribute books to the people of Afghanistan, without regard of who they were and where they came from.I envisioned men and women buying books from him, ordering secretly due to the presence of the Taliban.However, the story of the Khan family of Kabul told in this book is far from a story about a bookseller that worries about educating people.The idea for the book came to journalist Åsne Seierstad uponmeeting Shah Mohammed Rais, the most famous bookseller in town.With Rais' blessing, Seierstad moved in with the family and spent several months recording everything that went on in the four room apartment, giving a minute report of the trials and tribulations of everyday life in Afghanistan, the poverty, the ignorance and the frightful existence the people of that country endure throughout their lives.

Almost immediately after starting the book, one realizes that the only happy individual in the whole family is Rais, the bookseller, himself.Everyone else is unhappy.His sons resent him, his wives are depressed, and his mother and the other women in the family are withering away, living day after day without hope and in a semblance of sameness that is both depressing and deplorable, very much à la García Lorca in "The house of Bernarda Alba".

Even when Afghanistan has nothing to offer as a society, Rais has managed to make his business flourish.He has two bookshops in Kabul, an apartment in the city and a house in Pakistan.He periodically travels to Iran and to Pakistan, but this is all because of his business.Everywhere he goes he buys books and makes inquiries with the local printing houses, where he could have books printed cheap, and which he sells at high profit in Kabul.But as good as business goes, there is never a vacation for anyone in the family.Perhaps the greatest irony of all is that Rais' children sell books but themselves do not know how to read or write.They are fully illiterate because their father does not allow them to attend school in order to work twelve hours a day, seven days a week, at his bookshops.In fact, when his eldest son asks him to send his youngest brother to school, Rais says "Later" (page 211).He firmly believes, in the best Fascist and Nazi of manners, that "arbeit macht frei", and makes his children slaves of his own dreams; and in Seierstad's view, he is the only one allowed to dream.Everyone else must follow his (Rais') dreams.

When "The bookseller of Kabul" was first published it flew off the shelves in Norway.Soon after it was translated into thirteen languages, and not too much after that, Rais flew to Norway (business class, of course) and filed a lawsuit against Seierstad for defamation of character (see the article published by "The Guardian" at [...]

Personally, I think the book and its outcome has benefited Rais enormously.He is first and foremost, a shrewd business man, and his profile as a bookseller in such an inhospitable, illiterate country can only enthrall and awaken the curiosity of the world as to how this man has been successful as a bookseller, thus generating valuable publicity.This is what he always wanted, what he worked for all his life.(One can now purchase his books and his postcards on the internet through his very well designed website).

As per Seierstad, I can personally attest to what she is saying is the truth.When I became a Muslim I did it for love.As a woman, one is always doing the adjusting to the men around us, and as a Muslim woman this is even more pervasive.The fact that one is an outsider means that one is generally tolerated, but not fully accepted into the culture.Even after six years, I still get bored at family gatherings because no one speaks in English (although everyone is fully conversant in the language).The fact that women and men are separate at these gatherings means that I cannot talk to my husband while I am there; hence I look like a total segregate, as if every minute I am to be reminded that I AM FROM THE OUTSIDE AND DON'T YOU FORGET IT, YOU WHITE GIRL.

The book is obviously a strong feminist treatise but, putting my own views aside, I asked my husband as to the level of truth it portrays, being that he is from Pakistan, a country very close both in fact and lore to Afghanistan.He confirmed everything.Women are pretty much at the mercy of whoever "owns" them.Children MUST follow their parents' wishes in life - especially when it comes to marriage, and as to the liberties an individual has when compared to the ideals held in the western world, they simply do not exist; for in the east the "us" mentality, the fact the a person belongs to their tribe, thus making him or her part of a group, prevails.This is the reason for the honor killings of girls by their own brothers, and the one Seierstad describes in one of the first chapters of the book.If women sin (in whatever way that may be, however much, however little), they do not disgrace themselves but their entire family.They better be dead than have the family's honor tarnished and their members ostracized.It is all part of a brutal system of living that is as ancient as it is raw, and which Seierstad describes with a unique literary journalism.From the bottom of my heart, I sincerely hope that this book is the basis for a strong consideration towards change, a change that, while not abandoning tradition, welcomes tolerance and understanding and, above all, the acceptance of Afghani society worldwide.

Incredibly Insightful
I was not prepared for the anger and sorrow I felt while reading this book.If this an accurate portrayal of the power of one man over his family, it is frightening.His complete dominance over his brothers, sisters, children horrified me.But, perhaps the most tragic of all the chapters was the one entitled "the Carpenter."I still seethe over the injustice in that section of the book.How do men get to be so domineering and overbearing and egotistical?Some of the reviews have left me wondering if they even read the book when they say the author didn't appreciate the beauty of the culture....I see the women as beautiful, intelligent, but totally dominated over...that is not something to appreciate in any culture.I applaud the author's insight into the plight of women and children in Afghanistan.

The Bookseller of Kabul
I haven't read a non-fiction in awhile and was surprised to find that when I did, it read much like fiction.The Bookseller of Kabul is a real life account of the author's stay with a family in Afghanistan.Asne Seierstad had met with Sultan Khan, the patriarch of this family when visiting his book store in Kabul.He likes the idea of her writing a book about him and agrees to host her in his home for awhile.

The rest of the novel goes on to tell in third person form of him and his family and their activities.It visits mostly the lives of the women and the hardships they go through.Sultan Khan is mentioned on a trip he made in the beginning and when he is ordering other people what to do in the novel for the most part.The vast majority of the story tells about his sister's and their lives, and to a smaller extent, the stories of his two wives.Since the book takes place right after the fall of the Taliban, it shows in these women's actions how the vast majority of oppression hasn't vanished, especially when it comes from inside the home.Khan is an equal opportunity oppressor though, because he wants his business to thrive he has pulled his sons out of school and they work the business all day every day.For a man who loves books, in this account he doesn't seem to care much for education.

The book starts out with a forward from Seierstad that led me to believe she would be telling about her experiences with the family.It was quite a surprise then when she never mentions herself in the actual story.She just tells of events and experiences of the different people but doesn't relate her interactions with them.Also in the forward she does give warning that she is going to be biased.She is not happy with the treatment of women in Afghanistan and it definitely shows in her writing.

There is some controversy about this book because the family it's about has brought a lawsuit (and won) against Seierstad.While I can agree that taking hospitality and then writing the not so pleasant things about the family is rude, I couldn't find enough information to explain to me why she lost the suit.The only fault I could really find with her is that she disclosed her host's hiding place for money in the novel which seemed unnecessary.The tone of the book is definitely bitter though and I wish she would have added some of the family's happy moments in the book as well.

The writing was easy to read and as said before, mostly in the 3rd person.There is an epilogue that tells a bit on where the family is now but doesn't go into a great amount of detail.While I would have preferred she had written in the first person and included her experiences while living with them, the book is well done this way as well.There is a good amount of detail given about Kabul and the family's home and I give the book positive marks for that.I could picture in my head the surroundings and the quality of life from her words.

I don't think I'd suggest this book to anybody.But, if anyone were to ask I would answer truthfully that it offers an interesting perspective on life in post-Taliban Afghanistan.Seierstad certainly wasn't afraid to pour all the dirty details into this book so it does seem to be a truthful account of life there.It was just one of those books that didn't really grab me.

The Bookseller of Kabul
Copyright 2002
288 pages

an amazing read from someone who's studied the culture
I have a degree in middle eastern/indo-asian studies and this book is definately a great read. it is non-fiction, but unlike most non-fiction i've read, it isn't dry. the journalist who wrote it is a wonderful writer who captures the hearts of this family, especially the women. but she tries to get all sides, men and women, and does not shove the "they are oppressive to women" thing down your throat or the "terrorist" note either. some comes across but after all, it does have many old world people in the warlord provinces that do adhere to violent warfare and are oppressive to women - keeping them in the house, not allowing them to make any decisions about their own life. it's a beautiful read and for those who know little of afghanistan and the pashtoon region and the real story of the burka, this would be an educational read for you. but if you do know about the region, it is still quite enjoyable. i would however do some research before hand on the geography if you dont know anything about afghanistan.

A Nuanced Portrait of the Modern Afghan
Written by a young Norwegian journalist by the name of Asne Seierstad,who spent three months living with an Afghan family in Kabul, this is an often sad and depressing account of the way in which the family hierarchy is built and maintained by otherwise liberal and "modern" Afghans in the name of patriarchy.

Sultan Khan is a proud man who braves persecution by the Taliban in order to bring books to the citizens of Kabul.He is jailed and released several times, for selling banned books,maintaining to his family that he is a liberal believing in the truth that can set the country free.He abhors the "burka," referring to it as an "oppressive cage."Yet, at home he remains an authoritarian, frequently cruel and unapproachable to the women in his family and allowing young sons to rule when he is absent.

It is a revealing account of the Muslim world with layers of subtleties and nuance often revealing the inner desires of people living a life over which they have no control.



... Read more

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Les achats comprennent une adhésion à l'essai gratuite au club de livres de l'éditeur, dans lequel vous pouvez choisir parmi plus d'un million d'ouvrages, sans frais. Le livre consiste d'articles Wikipedia sur : Norouz, La Passe Du Diable, Bouzkachi, Pachtounwali, Marche Afghane, Cuisine Afghane, Miss Afghanistan. Non illustré. Mises à jour gratuites en ligne. Extrait : Norouz (en persan : نوروز; en kurde : Newroz; en turc : Nevruz) est la fête traditionnelle iranienne célébrant le nouvel an du calendrier iranien (premier jour du printemps). La fête est célébrée par certaines communautés le 21 mars et par d'autres le jour de l'équinoxe vernal, dont la date varie entre le 20 et le 22 mars. Elle est d'ailleurs aussi considérée par certaines communautés comme une fête du printemps. Le mot vient de l'avestique nava=nouveau + rəzaŋh=jour/lumière du jour signifiant "nouveau jour/lumière" et qui a toujours le même sens en persan ((no=nouveau + rouz=jour signifiant "nouveau jour") En kurde, le nom est décliné selon les dialectes ou les translittérations sous diverses formes dont : Newroz, Nûroj ou Neweroc. Norouz est célébré depuis au moins 3000 ans et est profondément enraciné parmi les rituels et les traditions du zoroastrisme. Aujourd'hui, la fête de Norouz est célébrée dans de nombreux pays qui ont été des territoires ou qui ont été influencés par l'Empire perse: en dehors de l'Iran, on peut citer le Kurdistan, l'Afghanistan, des parties du Moyen-Orient aussi bien que dans les ex-républiques soviétiques du Tadjikistan, de l'Ouzbékistan, de l'Azerbaïdjan, du Kazakhstan et du Kyrgyzstan, pays dans lesquels la fête est appelée Navrouz. La fête est aussi célébrée par les Parsis zoroastriens en Inde. Dans la plupart des pays, on accompagne la fête par un Norouz Mubarak (mubarak: félicitations). En Turquie, on dit Nevruz bayramı kutlu olsun (en turc) ou Cejna we pîroz be (en kurde), il est aussi, rarement dit Ergenekon bayramı kutlu ols...http://booksllc.net/?l=fr ... Read more

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Great Read!
Great read. Very accessabile to all interested in what the international community is doing in post-conflict societies.
How does a post-conflict society rebuilds itself in cooperation with international organizations and peace-keeping forces? Holohan answers this important question in the post 9/11 world in the context of two municipalities in Kosovo in 1999. Her research opens up a window into people's daily interactions in these two sites that lead to different results. Whereas one municipality cooperates with UN and other organizations, the other municipality carries on a culture of conflict. The key to understanding the difference lies in the level of trust, flexibility, cooperative problem solving tactics that emerges among the organizations and the people in these two sites.

Holohan's writing is lucid, multi-dimensional and intriguing. She shows the reader how countable democratic institutions emerge and are sustained in unstable societies. Her extensive and interesting field research answers macro as well as micro questions, a truly unique characteristic of good writing. The book is fascinating for policy-makers and sociologists as well as for general readers for its analysis of socio-emotional contents such as trust, friendship, bonds, and skillful problem solving strategies; issues we all face in our everyday encounters with institutions.

I particularly like Holohan's theoretical discussion (Chapter 2),transactive memory (chapter 6) and conclusion (chapter 8). Holohan explains complex theoretical issues in the most simple yet sophisticated manner.
Chapter 6 is about transactive memory, the glue that makes Information technology work in critical times. This chapter is interesting for all especially in this age when Information and computer technologies dominate our lives. Holohan brings back people's power back into this field. The conclusion ties in the micro analysis with the macro one intelligently.

Excellent case study in administration
Anne Holohan's book is a must-read for all managers, administrators, peacekeepers and development and aid workers. She takes two municipalities in Kosovo after the intervention in 1999 and compares how their paths towards development and reconstruction diverged. The book is fast-paced and eminently readable, particularly chapters 3 and 4 that are peppered with personal, and at the same time, relevant anecdotes. The second chapter that deals with sociological theory while of interest to academics can probably be skipped by the layperson.

As someone who had once, however briefly, entertained the idea of joining the Indian Administrative Service, this book makes me regret not pursuing that idea. It makes you want to get down to the ground and solve problems with results that are far more tangible than most people's jobs produce. Proper administration is key to development in Kosovo as in the rest of the world and this book uncovers the hidden factors and personalities behind a successful administration.

If there are any criticisms of the book they are that the book is sometimes too harsh on the administrators at Thezren and does not fully explore the drawbacks of Petersen's approach. However, these are minor nits and do not take away from the books readability and its understanding of administrative processes. ... Read more

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Deals with the ethnology of the areas such as Punjab North West frontier provinces. This work describes the land, religion, history rites, festivities, and religious rituals of these areas. ... Read more

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A Glossary of the Tribes and Castes of the Punjab and North-
This three volume set is available. For addtional information
contact educabook@yahoo.com

The Best Reference Book on this Topic
There is no better source than this three volume set for those who are interested in the subject of Ethnic background of the Punjabis. It is fascinating to read about the origins, trails and tribulations of varioustribes of Aryan, Scythian and Hun origins migrating to the plains of fiverivers, called Punjab. It is these tribes who embarked upon creating IndianCivilization and Hinduism. This book goes into great detail about variouscastes which originated out of this melting pot during 2000-700 BC. This isa must read for people of Punjab and belonging to Jats, Rajputs, Gujjars,Arain and a host of minor castes. As a Punjabi myself, it was fascinatingto find the detailed historical background of my ancestors; through Vedic,Epic, Maurya, Saka, Muslim and British periods. ... Read more

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With more than 120 photos in full color and the complete screenplay, the story behind the making of the movie based on the beloved bestselling novel directed by Marc Forster (Monster's Ball, Finding Neverland, and Stranger Than Fiction).

Based on one of the most acclaimed novels in recent memory, The Kite Runner is a profoundly emotional tale of friendship, family, devastating mistakes, and redeeming love. In a divided country on the verge of war, two childhood friends, Amirand Hassan, are about to be torn apart forever. One boy's fearful act of betrayal will mark their lives forever and set in motion an epic quest for redemption. Now, after 20 years of living in America, Amir returns to a perilous Afghanistan under the Taliban's iron-fisted rule to face the secrets that still haunt him and take one last daring chance to set things right. This universal human story speaks to anyone who has every yearned for a second chance to make a change and find forgiveness.

This beautifully designed pictorial book includes the complete screenplay, highlighted by exquisite color photographs, behind-the-scenes stories about the production, the locations (the western Chinese desert that borders Afghanistan), the casting of the globally diverse cast and crew, and commentaries by novelist Khaled Hosseini and director Marc Forster. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

I want my old life back

I had resisted the hoopla surrounding the publication of The Kite Runner and the subsequent release of the movie. But the book was thrust on me as a birthday gift with an injunction to put it at the top of my reading list. I recall reading it in two or three sittings and still remember the rapt attention of my two young adult daughters as I later recounted the story to them. My wife, on the other hand, said the story was too painful and she couldn't bear to read it. Simply put, Khaled Hosseini has written a masterpiece. His story is a powerful one narrated with total verisimilitude and with the sure voice of a master raconteur, not the debutant he was at the time. The frustration I felt at the flaws and weaknesses in the narrator's character was overcome in the end by the slow realization that flawed is how we humans are. My only enduring disappointment was in discovering after finishing the novel that the author's own comfortable childhood was worlds removed from the one so realistically depicted in The Kite Runner.

A touching and heartwarming film looked at from another angle
Khaled Hosselini delivers us to his experiences of watching his novel The Kite Runner coming to life in "The Kite Runner: A Portrait of the Marc Foster Film". A touching and heartwarming film looked at from another angle, this is a full on behind the scenes look on the film, detailing every process of creating the film, with over one hundred color photos from the border of western China where the movie was shot, along with the full screenplay for the film. Highly recommended for lovers of the movie and for anyone who wants a behind the scenes look at the movie- also for community library film collections.

Please read the book first!
This is a wonderful film.Still, I would strongly recommend that you read the book first.Like the "Lord of the Rings" and "Harry Potter" movies, this film is faithful to the book, and very evocative of it. If you have read the book, watching the movie is like remembering something you already love.Watching the movie first is fine also, but you lose some of the depth, the explanations of why things are important, the backgrounds.

For those who HAVE read the book, I say this:Don't be hesitant about watching the movie.It will not spoil the magic of the book, and it is not too graphic to allow its positive side to shine.At first, after reading the all-English book, I found the Dari/Farsi speakers with English subtitles to be off-putting, but I quickly got over it.The realism of having people speak their own languages quickly becomes enchanting.

This movie presents a part of the soul-wrenching history of Afghanistan.If you are not familiar with that history, this movie is an excellent if bittersweet recounting of parts of it.It will make you laugh and cry while educating you. ... Read more

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"I was late to school, and that's all I could think about. I started across the field. And then suddenly a fire flashed in my face and the earth seemed to move beneath my feet. I remember a shower of soil and then nothing. I woke up on the ground, surrounded by a crowd, men and boys...no women. They were all staring down at me with huge eyes. Their lips were moving, but I could hear no voices. All I heard was a loud ringing in my ears."

Farah Ahmedi is born into the world just as the war between the mujahideen and the Soviets reaches its peak in Afghanistan. Bombs are falling all over her country, and her native Kabul is swelling with hundreds of thousands of people looking for homes and jobs. The sounds of gunfire and fighter planes are as normal to Farah as the sounds of traffic or children playing are to a schoolgirl in America. When Farah steps on a land mine on her way to school, her world becomes much smaller than the dreams and hopes in her heart. She begins to learn--slowly--that ordinary people, often strangers, have immense power to save lives and restore hope.

The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky recounts an epic journey. It deftly interweaves a childhood in Afghanistan, where the classrooms are naked chambers with only chalkboards on the walls and are filled with more students than seats (and no books), with an American adolescence, where teenagers struggle to decide whether to try out for school plays, whom to take to the homecoming dance, and where to go to college. In Kabul, they cancel school because of rockets and bombings; in Chicago, Farah might have a snow day. In Kabul, a schoolgirl wears a black dress and a white headscarf; in America, girls need the right jeans and trendy tops.

Thanks to a number of good people who crossed her path at critical moments, Farah is thriving. She may be haunted by her past, but she is no longer enslaved by it. She is actively enjoying the realization of her childhood dreams; she's an Afghan American, free to learn, work, support herself, and choose her own path. She'll graduate from high school soon and is being recruited by some of the best colleges in the world.

Farah is living proof that not only can the human heart endure, it can also thrive. Even in war, there are miracles. Even when limbs are amputated, we are whole. Even in refugee camps, dreams come true. Even when fathers and siblings die young, there is love. The Story of My Life is our new great American memoir. ... Read more

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Incredible Book
"The Story of My Life by Farah Ahmedi is an autobiography about an Afghan girl's life and struggles.This inspiring and compelling story about survival is mesmerizing. It's a story many people can relate to their own lives and struggles.

I loved this book. I finished it in about five hours, only getting up to eat, drink, or use the bathroom..."

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All time favorite book.
This book is a true story of the courage of a young woman under the most difficult circumstances of war. She is an inspiration and reading this was a life changing experience. After I read it, I bought 6 copies for friends and family.
Wonderful, heartwrenching but inpirational story!

Awesome memoir!
I love memoirs, but I've also read some lousy ones. This ranks right up there with "The Glass Castle," even though it's a totally different type of story. I loved reading about the author's life in both the Middle East and then the U.S. She was a very likeable author and I LOVED THIS BOOK!

"This book is a great, mature book that kept me hooked."
The book, `The Other Side of the Sky' by Tamim Ansary is about a young girl turning into a young woman while living through the Taliban war.
The main character, Farah loses a leg to a land mine at nine years, is sent to Germany for a major part of her life, then shortly after she returns, finds herself fleeing from her country with only her mother.
Farah has to face problems that challenge her beyond what she thought she would have to go through. Farah's mother also goes through her own illnesses and in the doing challenging Farah's responsibility and Farah has to take some serious risks and choices to save her and her mothers lives...
This book is a very well written book that describes things so well you can practically feel the emotions the character is feeling. I would definitely recommend it from ages 10 and up. I think that this book is surprisingly intriguing and I found myself some nights staying up just so that I could finish that chapter that I was reading.

A refreshingly hopeful, at times humorous, and deeply moving story of a powerful young woman's improbable success
Farah Ahmedi was seven years old when she stepped on a landmine in her neighborhood in Kabul, Afghanistan and lost her left leg.A few years later, most of her family died in a Taliban rocket attack and Farah was forced to flee with her ailing mother across the border to Pakistan.There Farah and her mother trekked precariously from city to city and finally managed to secure admission into the U.S. as refugees--only to find that the struggle to survive, adapt and prosper was far from over.The Other Side of the Sky paints a vivid picture of the bewildering and even terrifying experiences refugees undergo in the apparent safety of American suburbs and public high schools. Throughout the memoir, however, Farah's faith, resilience and intellectual curiosity lead her from one inspirational triumph to the next.For all of Farah's suffering at the hands of others, her account persistently underlines that "strangers have been kind when it mattered most."The Other Side of the Sky is a refreshingly hopeful, at times humorous, and deeply moving story of a powerful young woman's improbable success. ... Read more

Product Description
This work on agriculture presents a comprehensive review on scientific and practical aspects of beekeeping. It covers the economic and developmental aspects of agriculture as a cottage industry and analyzes its prospects based on the ecological resources and socioeconomic conditions prevailing in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region. Against this background, the conclusions and recommendations drawn by the author should be relevant to other developing countries. ... Read more