Grandfather

Rating:
Summary: On a scale from 1 to 10 I rate this one...11!
Review: "On a scale from 1 to 10 I rate this one... 11!" is what my gf said, after having read Grandfather; something that for me sums up how I myself would rate this book.

"Grandfather" is a collection of stories of Tom Brown Jr's mentor; a mentor who besides teaching him about tracking and survival, taught him foremost about Spirit, and the laws of Spirit. It is through these stories that the reader becomes aware that much of what Grandfather taught Tom Brown Jr was knowledge and wisdom that he himself had to work at for years to accummulate; something that makes his achievement only the more admirable.

Stories that clearly illustrate Grandfathers' passion for finding and honouring The Truth; not a social 'manmade truth' but the truth regarding the nature of Spirit; to Grandfather the definitive truth; the same one that the White Man lost contact with so long ago.

In his quest for knowledge Grandfather repeatedly puts his own life on the line, something that I found very impressive, never foolishly though, but always in a way that illustrates great sobriety on his part and the courage to do what he deems is necessary to come to the greater knowledge and wisdom that he so passionately seeks.

Knowledge and wisdom that leads him from from the southwest to the jungles of the amazon and all the way back and up to alaska. Gets him stranded in the mountains in a snowstorm in Canada, nearly killed in Death Valley, in the suburbs of Chicago and much and much more.

All this is very impressive to me; a man accomplishing all that on his own in a hostile environment, he was a native american living outside the reservation after all, without any backup, not many who could accomplish that. But what impresses me the most is that despite the violence with which the White Man approached the Native Americans, never did this stop him from always respecting whoever crossed his path, be they red or white or black; which illustrates how sacred life and the heart was to Grandfather. And it is this respect that Grandfather shows continuously, to man and earth and everything part of this earth, and how this enables him to build a bridge between himself and those who cross his path, that fills me with hope for the future....

So in the end this collection of stories gave me far more then expected: HOPE! Something that many are in need of these days.

My advice? Buy it, read it and then... try to live it!

Rating:
Summary: Rich and Real
Review: A friend loaned me the Tracker and The Search a few months ago and I was impressed with the straight forward truths in the writing and the experiences that the author shared. I next chose Grandfather and was not disappointed. Each chapter struck me deeply and contained powerful "connection with earth and all things" truths that will be with me for a long time. I highly recommend each of these three books and I look forward to reading more from this author.

Rating:
Summary: On a scale from 1 to 10 I rate this one...11!
Review: Every culture has its heroes and legends, its folk tales and myths. In this book, Tom Brown, Jr. presents the legend of Stalking Wolf, Brown's own mentor and teacher in the ways of the scout, who is affectionately referred to as Grandfather.

In "Grandfather," Brown reveals how Stalking Wolf received the gift of communicating with spirits and how that eventually led to his training as a scout and a shaman in his Apache tribe. In the decades that followed his training, as he roamed North, Central, and South America, Stalking Wolf learned the many vital lessons (often at the point of death) that he would eventually pass on to Brown as a child.

This book has been criticized for being overly-sentimental as well as for presenting Stalking Wolf as a near-deity, a legendary hero that always survives to tell the tale. The very depths of Grandfather are not explored, and it is hard to believe that he is human at times. But that is the beauty of this book. Stories about great men are always embellished to the point of seeming mythical. The goal of such stories is to inspire the reader to action, and I think Brown has accomplished this.

It is a shame that much of the wisdom of the Native Americans was lost, but I'm happy that some of it has been preserved through Brown's writing.

Rating:
Summary: Outstanding, this book will rock your world!
Review: I have read all of Tom's books and I beleive this is one of his very best, if not the best. Grandfather is Tom's Native American mentor, Stalking Wolf who taught Tom for over ten years about Native American Wilderness Survival and Spiritualism. This book explains who this exceptional teacher was and how he became so enlightened in his 90+ years of perfecting his Spiritual development and wilderness survival techniques

Rating:
Summary: Eric's Review for Grandfather
Review: I was deeply affected by The Tracker -- after reading it, when I went to look at the stars in the winter, the cold didn't bother me as much. I didn't expect this to be better, but it most definitely is. If you've ever struggled with why humans exist on this planet when we're so capable of destroying it, you should get this book immediately and read the chapter entitled "The Tree Speaks". There are many other gems of native wisdom in here as well.

Rating:
Summary: excellent book
Review: I've seen some skeptical comments about Tom Brown's alleged Apache teacher, Stalking Wolf. All I can say is it doesn't really matter whether this book is biographical or a fictitious novel. It makes you think, which is the best any book can do. I've browsed Brown's Field Guides also but they do not show half the heart of "Grandfather". None of the ideas are earth-shatteringly new, but somehow Brown manages to radiate a real love for wilderness and a concern for where the modern world is headed, without resorting to the same old tree-hugger rants that are becoming background noise to most people today. His story rings true against "Black Elk Speaks" and "Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee", and even if not based entirely on fact, hits the mark it is aimed at surely and squarely. Great read and I wish Brown would write more of those many stories about Grandfather that he claims to have.

Rating:
Summary: A True Hero and Exemplar
Review: It's hard to call to mind a book that is as moving as this one is: the incredible account of the life and thought of Stalking Wolf, the wise and courageous native American elder who served as the medicine man for a fiercely independent Apache tribe that refused to be domiciled. This is the stuff of screenplays -- or at least of what screenplays should be. For Stalking Wolf was nothing short of a hero's hero -- a thoughful, righteous man who bemoaned the sacrileges that modern society heaped upon the land -- and upon people's minds and hearts! Here was a man who loved both the earth and all its denizens -- human, plant, and animal-- and who lived his teachings to the fullest, as a true exemplar. To have met this man would have been an honor beyond honors; to have lived as his student, as the author did as a youngster, would have been a privilege incomparable. In an age of cardboard heroes and plastic personalities, I can't think of a better role model for kids -- and even for we adults! -- than this beloved "Grandfather." Hats off to you, Tom Brown, for writing such an intensely vivid and stirring account. "Thanks for the memories..."

Rating:
Summary: Seventh Generation-A Circle Complete, Through The Past
Review: This is by far the best Tom Brown book, ever written.....For those of you whom have not read Tom Brown's books! Pick this one up, and here is why!! People seem to reaching out and trying soo hard to get a grasp of the spiritual wisdom of the past, this is their answer!! This book is your answer, through remarkable, true accounts of an Apache elder......Tom Brown brings you to the brink of the end of an era of spirituality of the ancients. Through the looking glass that will someday rivert back on such wisdom for freedom. Don't read this book because it is greatly written book, but read it because you can feel the ancient breath on fingertips...

howard bryan