Thomas was born during the Great Depression. He grew up in the rural community of Short Creek; Alabama; on the Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River where farm work was mainly what he did in those early years; but he always had a dream of one day being a military man. A little too young for World War Two; he was ready when the Korean War broke out. He hitchhiked across America on his way to a destination called Evil. When the Russian MIG-15 landed at Kimpo Air Field north of Seoul; Korea; Thomas was right there immediately and secured the plane and the area and guarded the plane for about four hours. Fifty-four years later he was reunited with Lt. No Kum Sok (Ken Rowe); the MIG-15 pilot; at the Southern Museum of Flight in Birmingham; Alabama. He and Lt. No were featured in a PBS documentary which aired several times on television. He and his wife; Annette Bell; have been married fifty-five years with three children: Patricia Ann; Thomas Keith; and Mark Edward. They have seven grandchildren: Rachel; Jeremy; Joshua; Krystal; Kurtis; Heather; and Blake.
#795291 in Books 2013-09-06Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.85 x .49 x 5.31l; .51 #File Name: 1604190728197 pages
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. not your average textbookBy Jordan M CaciciA very interesting book; though for different reasons than I anticipated. I expected an introductory textbook on basic Hindu practices and instead found a collection of essays containing the author’s musings on divinity. As a consequence; the reader must keep in mind that these reflections on God come from a Hindu practitioner with a particular set of beliefs and biases (with a noticeable affinity for the Gita). However; this should not be seen as a shortcoming of the book; but rather a strength since it was clearly written with understanding and passion. Take this text as an opportunity to read about the complex nature of God in Hinduism from the perspective of a unique and scholarly believer.Bottom line: Whether you are a member of the Hindu faith looking to strengthen or challenge your own notions of the divine; or a student of religious studies looking to gain a deeper understanding of how some Hindus try to understand God; have a read through this book. If you want the kind of basic; purely descriptive; Asian Religions 101; traditional-style textbook; look somewhere else.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. On Hinduism by Irina GajjarBy Nini HeugleThis important book discusses the origins and progress of Hindu beliefs through millenia and their relevance today. It is a perfect vehicle for anybody seeking to understand how monotheism; scripture; yoga; mythology; karma and tradition are intertwined in Hindu minds.Read in full; On Hinduism gives a faithful overview and interpretation of the multiple aspects of Hindu religion. It presents a clear picture of Hindu philosophy; practice and spirituality. Read in part; it can clear up questions you might have about Hindu belief and Hindu way of life. Excerpts from holy texts enhance many explanations. The glossary and detailed index are good reference tools.On Hinduism stands on its own; but also makes an excellent companion to Irina Gajjar's Sanskrit-to-English translation entitled The Gita: A New Translation of Hindu Sacred Scripture. While the beauty of this translation lies in the fact that interpretation is left to the reader; On Hinduism offers opinions and generally accepted views on how Hindus view God and life.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This is a horrible whitewashing of Hinduism for Western eyeballs.By S. J. SnyderThat said; it stands in a tradition of about 200 years or so of such. That is less well known than the attempt to gussy up Buddhism for Western eyeballs. But calling Hinduism "monotheism" is about as true as calling Buddhism "just a psychology."That said; Gajjar talks around or ignores the main stumblig blocks of Hinduism. That includes:1. If this world; and therefore; physical actions in it; are illusory; how can there be any such thing as karma? Isn't it too illusory? (Arguably; that could be seen as a version of Buddhist satori; but that's not the angle I'm taking.)2. If we can't remember past lives; how does karma work? (Actually; in another satori-like moment; if past lives did exist; shouldn't we try harder to forget them; in a form of detachment?)3. Assuming that the mind is embodied and physically based; how can we know the physical world is illusory since the mind is thus also illusory?Meanwhile any book purporting to explain Hinduism with NOT ONE MENTION OF KALI gets 1-starred on that grounds alone.
