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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Principal, P.S. 113Q (1974-1989), Glendale, N.Y., June 21, 2004
This review is from: Reflections: Personalizing Life, Nature, Man and God (Hardcover)
Radenko Fanuka has written a book, Reflections: Personalizing Life, Nature, Man and God, that is unique in almost every way. Most books are about stories, real, or imagined, that seize the reader's interest until the final chapter, or epilogue, when the outcome is at last disclosed. Other books are written for the express purpose of helping the reader in very specific ways. These books fall into the "How to" category, where the range of topics, and subjects has truly become endless. They include such diverse categories as health, finance, gardening, home decorations, sports, hobbies, etc. They serve their purpose well because they provide their readers with the information and directions they seek. Mr. Fanuka's book has no such purpose in mind. Thankfully so, otherwise, it would fall into the same big basket of books available to readers at any good book store, or public library. What Mr. Fanuka has done, is something very different, very special, very valuable, and extremely insightful. He has chosen to share major character forming experiences that took place in his life as he grew up on a rural farm in Croatia. He also included those experiences which greatly affected his life from the time he moved to America in 1962 until the present day. In essence, his book is a series of short essays which revolve around a variety of everyday subjects, people, animals, birds, morals, ethics, and feelings. In each essay, we are asked to think and reflect in ways we never do during the course of our everyday lives. Thankfully Mr. Fanuka constantly reminds us of the simple beauty, glory, and joy of nature and all living things that inhabit it, especially people. I cannot recall, or imagine an author who writes about animals, birds, plants and even insects in such descriptive terms which show their place and value in the grand scheme of life. Mr. Fanuka accomplishes this task because he has lived it, believes in it, and has used it to shape and guide his life and dealings with family and friends alike. His main theme in the book and in his personal life is, truth in all things, with nature serving as his guiding light. A poet once wrote, "Truth is beauty, beauty is truth." How fittingly this describes Mr. Fanuka's simple philosophy about how life should be lived by all people. Answer this question objectively and honestly. How many of us truly take the time or spend the energy to faithfully carry out the commandment, "Honor your Father and your Mother?" Again, Mr. Fanuka leads and guides us through his own personal care and devotion to and reflections about his parents. It is a constant source of strength and pride throughout the book. Unfortunately, our lives are here and gone at such a rapid pace that we often don't devote our time, energy and efforts on those who brought us into this world, cared for us, protected us, and guided our lives toward productive ends. To read and understand how Mr. Fanuka accomplished this greatest of all commandments is to realize and appreciate the meaning of only one of the many messages the author conveys. The list of lessons is long and vital, yet there is one more that I wish to include in this review. People who were born here in America, as I was, can never fully comprehend, or appreciate what freedom really means. Yes, we mumble the usual platitudes about freedom, and how sacred it is to us, but we can never fully understand the value of such a blessing when we have never been without it since birth. Can a person ever truly appreciate water or food when he/she has never once been thirsty or hungry? Obviously, the answer is no, and the same can be said about freedom. America, its freedoms, values and way of life, is a constantly recurring theme in the book, and it is not by accident, but by design and appreciation. Indeed, the terrible events of 9/11 are a source of deep, traumatic and sad reflection by the author. This theme surfaces in several of his essays. It is thus his hope and prayer that our suffering as individuals, families, and as a nation can be sustained and eventually overcome by our devotion to the ideas, ideals, and loving spirit that have made us the freest, kindest and greatest nation in the history of mankind.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pride in America and Love of Family, July 22, 2004
This review is from: Reflections: Personalizing Life, Nature, Man and God (Hardcover)
Mr. Fanuka's book, Reflections: Personalizing Life, Nature, Man and God, is unique. Pride in America, his new home, is one of his many topics. He has essays which are touching and others which make you laugh. His sensitivity and respect for his parents are heart warming. Love of his mother is very pronounced and treated with great tenderness. His early years in Croatia and his outlook on life is mesmerizing and refreshing. Mr. Fanuka's book is like a breath of fresh air. It reflects his appreciation of life and his eagerness to take time to smell the roses. He encourages us to do the same.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Reflections: Personalizing Life, Nature, Man and God, June 19, 2004
This review is from: Reflections: Personalizing Life, Nature, Man and God (Hardcover)
The words for Reflections: Personalizing Life, Nature, Man and God were born in the mind of a very simple man who lacks formal education, yet possesses much more knowledge than any human being I have ever encountered. That man is my brother, Radenko Fanuka, the author of this book. I worked with my brother and helped him to edit his work before its publication. Our time spent on this project was a wonderful time of sharing the good old times, the old memories, the laughter and the hardships we lived through our young lives in Croatia. I know Radenko my entire life, yet when I began working with him on this book, his ideas inspired me in a new way. Here was a man who I know as my older brother, my helper, the good cabinet maker in the family, and now I saw him in yet another light. I now saw an inspiring writer with solid ideas, once again attempting to help others. These ideas touched me as a human being, a woman, a sister, a daughter, a wife, a friend, a teacher and a mother. His heartfelt, genuine concern for a simple, good life and preservation of nature as our foundation, his desire to help others, his love for all children, the past, the present and future generation is stated in simple, loving terms, for that is the only way that he knows how to express himself. Simplicity was how our parents brought us up. Pride, respect and belief in God was what our Mother and Father taught us. Our survival depended on that, as well as on our willingness to work, and the ability to recognize and help those less fortunate than us. This book is a wonderful revelation of basic truth and beauty. It is a form and guide for survival from a man who was taught the best possible way, by "simply" living.
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