 |
Book Reviews,
Book Lover Resources, Advice for Writers and Publishers |
| Home / Reviewer's
Bookwatch |
Reviewer's Bookwatch
Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Semper Fi?: The Marine Motto, Does It Really Work?
Gallagher Rule
Rule Books
619 North Walnut, Newkirk, OK 74647
ISBN 1589610547, $16.95, (c) 1994, Revised 2002, 336 Pages, www.amazon.com
Thomas R. Keith, Jr.
oletom@cableone.net
Gallagher Rule was born into the great depression as the grandson of Oklahoma pioneers. He
inclined toward the classics and his heroes became Erasmus, Rembrandt, Mozart, and those
Marines who won WWII. There, he enlisted underage and trained as an electronic technician.
Later, he took an undergraduate degree in science, the ethics and philosophy of Aristotle,
German, and English literature at Marquette University. He worked in a dozen European
countries as an electronic and mechanical engineer retiring with several dozen copyrights and
patents.
This is a book for Marines, wives and families of Marines, and everybody that ever knew a
Marine. It tries to explain the United States Marine Corps Motto, "Semper Fidelis", and what it
really means to Marines. Having been a Marine Sergeant, I felt like an insider while reading the
book. I know the meaning, and feeling, of Semper Fi, and don't believe you can get the true grasp
of Semper Fi by reading a book. However, this book comes closer to conveying that meaning than
anything else I've ever read. The story stays with you long after the book has been put down.
Unidentified Flying Objects: Starcraft
Der Voron
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
ISBN: 1591297389, $19.95, http://www.publishamerica.com
Joseph Trainor, editor of UFO RoundUp publication
http://www.ufoinfo.com/roundup/
c/o Der Voron
der-voron@linkeseite.zzn.com
UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS: STARCRAFT by Der Voron opens with a little-known
close encounter of the pre-Roswell era. During the Battle of Kursk in July 1943, Lt. Gennadi
Zhalaginov of the Soviet Red Army spotted "a dark egg-shaped object that appeared above our
(artillery) battery" and "rushed by at great speed; its middle part pulsated." Der discusses some of
the best-known UFO incidents and spends some time on "the UFO crashes," notably the Kalahari
Desert event of 1989 and the capture of the seven aliens at Varginha, Minas Gerais state, Brazil
on January 20, 1996.
In Chapter 4, Der identifies and provides drawings of 31 models of extraterrestrial (ET)
"starcraft," including classic saucers, spherical objects, egg-shaped objects, elongated cylinders,
Saturn- shaped objects, toy-like tops and even a vimana straight out of the Hindu Mahabharata. In
Chapter 5, he outlines theories of what constitutes a UFO "powerplant" -- portable fusion
reactors and energy capacitors. Der's book is very well-written and has the unique quality of
appealing to both the first-time reader and the long- time "saucer buff." This is a very handy book
to have, if ever you spot an unusual object in the daytime sky and want to find out what it is.
Hotspur
Rita Mae Brown
Ballantine Books
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
ISBN: 0345428226, $24.95, 1-800-726-0600
Terry Mathews
Reviewer
While I love Rita Mae Brown's ability to co-mingle the animal and human experience, I found her
detailing of the incredible complexity of the fox hunting set to be just too much information than I
need to read a mystery.
I love Jane "Sister" Arnold, the 71 year-old Master of the Hunt and her friends/hounds/horses, but
the details in this book would appeal to only the most dedicated hunt fan. I did learn one good
thing, however. Americans only hunt the fox to its den, not like their brutal British cousins who
hunt to the death.
HOTSPUR's murder mystery takes a second -- or sometimes third -- seat to the machinations of
the hunt season, the old money, the social climbers and all the ins and outs of hunt life. I suppose
if you're a member of that set, these details and the constant fretting over your horse, your
wardrobe and your standing in your club would make for good reading.
It just doesn't play in Peoria....or a small town in east Texas.
I'll continue to read Rita Mae Brown and hope she realizes she's exhausted the hunt and it's time
to move on to other prey.
Visions of Eden
Anthony Hernandez
NovelBooks Inc.
PO Box 661, Douglas, MA 01516
http://www.novelbooksinc.com
ISBN: 1591050499; (trade paper); 1591050243 (ebook); Price: $14.95 (trade Paper); $5.50
(ebook)
Ed Teja, Reviewer
edteja@cybermesa.com
More ambitious than a book, Visions of Eden's subtitle proclaims it as "Book One of The
Earther's Biography." Such declarations always leave me with mixed feelings, for while (assuming
I like the characters) it is good to know that there will be more to read in the future, it worries me
that there might be no satisfying conclusion to this particular volume. Fortunately, Mr. Hernandez
doesn't go in for cliff hanging suspense at the end of the book and is content to plant those seeds
of uncertainty and impending trouble that lead naturally to sequels.
The construction of the book itself helps. It is episodic in the manner that characterizes the fiction
of writers who grew up with as many models from television and movie screens as from books.
Whereas sagas such as Dune stay rooted in the broad landscapes of traditional epic telling,
interweaving action with a careful building of the interactions of society, technology and human
failings, Visions of Eden depends for its forward motion far more on the action, both of the
creatures and of their carefully-postulated technologies. Mr. Hernandez is a technologist and has
owned a flight school, so his descriptions of general technology and flying in particular are
compelling. However, as with many of Larry Niven's stories, technology is nearly itself a character
in the book.
This doesn't mean that Mr. Herenandez's fictional worlds are superficial; the various societies we
encounter are elicited as the product of the technologies they develop and embrace, but even
more, the author contends that the attitudes of the people toward the resources they have, defines
them-their ethics, their sense of what it means to progress. This gives Mr. Hernandez a chance to
make our own race look a bit shabby in comparison to his fictional heroes, who appreciate their
creator-bestowed resources much better.
These sociological factors are merely the subtext of the book. The storytelling focuses on the
primary chase-how can a poor kid from backward Earth become an intergalactic hero in another
part of the universe? Despite the broad, nearly Homeric, sweep of events in just the first book,
whether or not you enjoy the book might hinge a great deal on whether or not you like David
Johnson. He is the focus; it is his biography. It's hard to see how it could be otherwise. I would
have liked to see a few stronger support characters however. The few we encounter, and some of
them promise to be interesting, are abandoned too quickly. This is largely a result of the fast pace
of the storyline, but the result is that while the setting is in other times and other places, the
emphasis on the derring-do of the main character brings the hero of Top Gun more to mind than
Captain Kirk. It's a spare story, with side excursions rather than subplots, giving it a structure that
is deviously linear, making it imminently suitable for the big screen.
That rapid pace is also the book's strength. Throughout, the action keeps you turning the pages,
and Mr. Hernandez has a good sense of how to keep the reader wondering just how the heck they
gonna get out of this one. And the answers are neither trite nor predictable.
A Turn in the South
V.S. Naipaul
Picador, Macmillan
ISBN: 0330487183, A$22.00, paperback, 307 pages
Vintage Books
ISBN: 0679724885, $14.00, paperback, 307 pages
Ann Skea, Reviewer
http://ann.skea.com
Every once in a while you read a book which alters your view of the world. A Turn in the South,
V.S. Naipaul's record of his exploration of the Southern States of America was, for me, such a
book.
Quite early in the book I began to be surprised by the continuing close presence of slave history
and the American Civil War in the psyche of Southerners. I suppose I was surprised that things
which I had always thought of as part of the distant past were still so much part of the everyday
lives of the people Naipaul met and talked to. Clearly my view of America has been distorted by
the books I have read, the films I have seen, and by other media presentations. And my few brief
visits to the US of A have never been long enough to get below the glossy, air-conditioned,
modern-day surface. It is easy for an outsider to think that The Big Apple, Silicon Valley and
Hawaii are representative of the whole, which of course, if you think about it at all, can't possibly
be true.
So, I began this book by being surprised. And I finished it full of admiration for Naipaul's ability
to get below the surface, to really listen to what people were saying, and to let their input change
and guide his journey so that, as he puts it, "the chapter in hand was continually changed by
accidents on the way". This in no way led to a rambling, unfocussed peregrination around the
country, rather, it refined Naipaul's focus and offered greater insight into the lives of people in the
various States he visited.
Naipaul rightly describes himself as a discoverer, not a traveller. He wants to do more than say
"This is me here"; and "this is me doing this; this is me doing that". He is not interested in
presenting amusing incidents, amusing characters or (as is more often the case in popular
travel-writing) caricatures. He is not interested, in short, in amusing the reader: he wants to
understand the people and the society, and he want to pass on to the reader some of that
understanding. In no way does this mean that his writing is dull and boring: quite the contrary.
But it does mean that this book is not for readers who want travel-writing which is focused on the
author and his or her funny encounters with the strange customs of an alien society.
Naipaul's approach, as he says, is to define a theme and to allow it to develop. And his theme in
this case began with a book he knew from his own Trinidad childhood, Up from Slavery, by
Booker T Washington. His discoveries began with him accompanying two friends to the home of
one of them in a small town called Bowen. "Home" - the identification of "one patch of the earth"
as home - is something Naipaul says he does not have, although he frequently refers in this book
to the Trinidad of his early life, and to its customs and history.
In Bowen, Hetty, his friend's mother, daughter of a black sharecropper, surprised Naipaul with
her way of seeing her town: "her special way of looking: her chant, as we had driven through the
countryside had been, "Black people, black people, white people, black people. All this side white
people, all that side black people". Hers was one kind of past, a sharecropper's past, the gloom of
which made her cry. And her son, with quite a different present, working as a designer and
lettering artist in New York, also remembered a past in which he'd had black resin-stained hands
from picking tobacco in the school holidays.
Others, like the poet James Applewhite (whose poetry I am glad to have been introduced to by
this book) knew the tobacco culture of North Carolina from the growers' side. He grew up in an
old tobacco family, and his home had been a wooden house in a patch of woodland in a vast area
of countryside which, for his grandfather, had been a ten mile buggy ride from the nearest county
centre: a day's journey. He knew the labour the crop required, the narcotic dangers of it, but he
also knew that it had given his childhood and the region in which he grew up its special
character.
Naipaul meets and listens to people from all parts of the community, old and young, radical and
liberal, religious and atheistic, black and white. His voyage of discovery takes him (to quote
chapter headings) to Atlanta, Charleston, Tallahassee, Tuskegee, Jackson - Mississippi, Nashville
and Chapel Hill.
He is delighted by the description of rednecks given to him by a man named Campbell. "It might
have been an updated version of something from Elizabethan low-life writing", he notes, "or John
Earle's Microcosmography, or something from Sir Thomas Overbury". It was a comprehensive,
lyrical, detailed description of a group ("a tribe", as it seems to Naipaul) and he reproduces it for
the reader from his notes. "Art hallows, creates, makes one see", Naipaul writes at this point, and
Campbell's description made him see and understand something about a group with its own
special code of thought, dress and customs, people he came to think of as "unlikely descendants
of the frontiersman".
In other encounters, Naipaul hears from Eudora Welty about the sense of richness and continuity
which she feels comes from living in a frontier state like Mississippi, where origins are important,
change is slow, and you get to know the generations. He is intrigued by the artistic methods of
country-music songwriter Bob McDill; and by the insight into the Memphis music business which
he gets from producer Allen Reynolds. He visits Elvis Presley's birthplace, and is prompted to
muse on the power of "a man of the people" who makes good: it is something which he
recognizes from the success of local politicians in Trinidad.
But A Turn in the South is not all about music and writing. The Civil War and its lingering effects
on loyalties and ways of thinking; the importance of religion and the sense of community it
fosters; the Civil Rights movement, its results and its continuing struggles; and the pervasive
awareness of colour, race, and family history; all these are an important part of Naipaul's book.
He seems to tap into a pervasive sense of loss for the old community values, but this is not,
perhaps, as peculiar to the Southern States of America as his encounters suggest. Rather, it seems
to be common to most societies where the rapidity of change in the past fifty years has meant that
new patterns of living and working have broken up the old, close-knit families and
communities.
Often Naipaul finds links between the Southern States and the West Indies. And he discovers
parallels between their histories and notes the differences which slavery and eventual freedom
from slavery have made in the two areas. Naipaul's memories of his own culture and its history
add footnotes to the stories he is told but, more than anything, it is the people Naipaul meets and
their thoughts and ideas which make this book so interesting and valuable. One hears just a little
of Naipaul's own trials with his health, with pollen-pollution and air-conditioning, but for him
these things serve mostly as reminders of the harsh conditions in which the early settlers,
sharecroppers and slaves, lived and worked. His focus, almost constantly, is on others and on the
events and ideas which shaped, and still shape, the Southern States of America.
Altogether, this is a rich, absorbing and penetrating book, written by a remarkably open-minded,
humane man who well deserves his Nobel Prize for Literature.
Tentacles of God
Dr. N. Bhaskara Acharya
neramballi1@sify.com
J. Shriyan, Editor/Reviewer
"Issues & Concerns" (An English monthly magazine published in India)
Friends on the dais and off the dais. Its indeed a pleasure to be with you all this afternoon to
deliberate on the book, "Tentacles of God". At the outset, my most sincere thanks to Smt Sharada
Bhat for inviting me to give this critical talk. Since the time is of essence to all of us, I go straight
in to the subject on hand.
I have divided my talk into 4 parts.
1. Prelude:
First of all I must confess that this is my first assignment of critical appraisal of any book. My
credentials simply do not make me a good candidate as a literary critic, although some exposure
to the world of letters I do have. However, it is a measure of the confidence that Smt. Sharada
Bhat had on my ability to do justice to this job. I am indebted to her for this gesture. I do hope to
live upto her trust in me. Another point I have to make is that the subject dealt in this book in
question TENTACLES OF GOD centres round the Mutt and the pulls and pressure generated
therein. I am not even remotely connected with this, even socially.
2. Every effort has two sides, the positive and the negative. So shall take the POSITIVE SIDE:
On the positive side, we must congratulate Dr. Bhaskara Acharya for his bold attempt in trying to
highlight the going s on within the precincts of Mutts so also within the portals of medical
learning. For an uninitiated reader, its an eye opener.Its indeed a a commendable effort. The
attempts of the administrator of the Mutt to tighten his vice like grip on the Mutt, the sexual baits
he throws on the pontiffs of the Mutt are well conceived and presented. The dilemmas of the
senior pontiffs are brought out credibly. As for the junior pontiffs' internal turmoil the fight to
remain man and wanting to become saint the bestial and the spiritual aspects of the evolution of
the pontiff and the role of the administrator in all these, has been brought out vividly. The final
realisation on the part of the junior pontiff that it was a battle, which he was not able to win, and a
war, which was lost forever, is indeed poignant and thought provoking. Shri Acharya has been
very realistic in his treatment and presentation of this SHESHA PRASHNE aspect of the whole
issue the deep rooted malaise within the system IS BEYOND REDEMPTION?
3. THE NEGATIVE SIDE: Now coming to the negative aspect of the book, I must say, ther have
been many. If I am permitted to take liberty with the author's prerogative I must say that the
author has looked at the problems discussed in the book as a material for a novel rather than an
ISSUE of contemporary relevance. Effort should have been to highlight as Prof. Nagaraj says in
his introduction the sanctimonious humbug prevailing within the portals of learning and
religious centres of our time, without these descriptive escapades / sexapades of the characters of
this book. For a book, which could have been a straightforward narrative, is replete with details
which, on the face of it, were completely avoidable. Thus the novel could have been reduced to
say 200 pages, without compromising the seriousness of the subject dealt with therein. To give an
example, the experience of Dinakar, the protagonist in the novel, inside the theatre, in the
company of his friends, both girls and boys, was described in minute details like "who puts hands
where" were totally irrelevant in an ostensibly serious book like "Tentacles of God", and there are
far too many instances like these. Not only these details have not improved its quality but it also
exposes a concealed hypocrisy in trying to portray Dinakar as a lotus in a cesspool. The
seriousness of the issues raised and these details to pander the base emotions of the reader, does
not get well.
The author, through Dinakar, tries to prescribe a certain standard of morality and ethics, whether
in his personal life or as a would be medical practitioner. When an individual is a part, passively or
actively of of an event which violates values dear to him, he will go through serious emotional
turmoil. Thus although the writer raises pertinent questions, he fails to carry conviction and
therefore the book lacks credibility.
3. VALUE EVALUATION: The issue of the "Other side of the Mutt morality" is a subject of
discussion since a long time. It's not new. Although was quitetaken aback when a respected
Senior journalist mentioned about a septuagenarian or may be octogenarian "Seer" of a well
known Mutt of being involved in something similar to what Dr. Acharya is writing about Godmen
of all kinds, from Vatican to Varanasi, are human beings first and all else is secondary. Therefore
attendant problems and issues involving humans cut across any sectarian barrier and not confined
to Mutts alone. In recent days, American press has been little vitriolic on the Roman Catholic
priests for their misadventure in the forbidden world. It's another matter that Indian press and the
Indian writers in their secular agenda only like to expose goings on in Mutts and temples.
However, the point is we should not try to create God out of men, by forcing on them taboos
which are against human nature per se. Yes, we must create venerable gentlemen of eminence,
venerable for their learning, for their commitment, for their upliftment of humanty, for their
value-based living both in theory and practice. Yes, we do need models. Being celibate is
certainly not one of the qualities a human being should aspire for. Best way to do away with a
desire is to yield to it. Assuming hypothetically one is successful in conquering oneself in terms of
celibacy, what's the big deal, what's so great about it? I would think in my limited thinking, the
person who has experienced every dimension of which flesh is heir to, but has not sold himself off
and has remained within control of himself is far more venerated that one who never experienced
the multi dimensional physical taste buds and he is the "Maryada Purushotham" Rt. Honourable
gentlemen. Jo peeya hi nahee, usey kya patha nasha kya cheez hai.
Therefore friends, the societal imposition of codes for swamies of a Hindu Mutt or Catholic
priests, right upto the pontiffs at Vatican, should be more realistic than idealistic. Like the rishis of
the yore, they should a life of Grahastha. I would think, the section of society concerned with
Mutts should debate this probability. If truth is God, its important that men in Mutts and even in
catholic churches have to live an open life.
There are few other questions to be answered. The role of Administrators, whether in Mutts or in
any other religious or charity service organization, management of money, men and material,
transcends sectarian limit. It's the human avarice everywhere, whether its power or money. Thus if
the Mutt seers are married then these machinations by administrators can be eliminated. Thus
removal of the celibacy code becomes more important.
Then the author talks about the difficultiesin getting converted into Hinduism, without discussing,
the caste implication which is of far more important in terms of reforms. If a Christian girl marries
a Brahmin boy, will she become Brahmin? Or if the girl happens to be a Hindu but from a lower
caste, would she get elevated to Brahmin caste, by virtue of marrying a Brahmin boy? Besides, the
author never discusses the possibility of Man & wife living together still practicing their respective
religion, and why not?
Again, medical ethics, this too is an issue of human nature, the greed, the avarice. It's the same
story. But what's happening in medical field is a crime against humanity, inviting strict
punishments rather than debate as is the case with Mutts or Churches. In one, you exploit the
ignorant, and in the other, you exploit the poor and the helpless therefore more heinous? Yes,
basically man has to change and if that happens, we shall have a much better society and therefore
less problems.
Dr. Acharya mentions about Mysore Medical College happenings to be true, of course without
names, but about Mutts he does not make such a statement. A forthright statement would have
enlightened the readers about the veracity that the events discussed therein are not fictitious.
In the end, while there is certainly scope for rounded improvements, its enlightening all the same.
Besides the title should have been "Tentacles of Godmen", instead of involving God where he has
no role.
The Guide to Identity Theft Prevention
Johnny R. May
1st Books Library
2595 West Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404-2782
0759647623, $14.95 8/2001 revised, 137 Pgs., 1-800-839-8640, www.1stbooks.com
Sarah Lee Marks
Reviewer
Identity theft is the largest and fastest growing menace to our national security.
Consumers have a far greater chance of becoming victims of credit fraud than getting hit by a car.
Yet most people view the risk of either occurrence happening to them with minimal concern.
Enter Johnny May, a corporate security consultant, trainer and author of The Guide to Identity
Theft Prevention. This well written handbook takes the reader through the obvious and sublime
tricks used by scam artists. From Computer technology to Dumpster diving, Mr. May addresses
the motive, techniques and information thieves utilize and how they obtain it. Beyond the
celebrated "identity theft" stories involving celebrities and public figures, this book provides a
glimpse into the dark side of a business that legally obtains and sells information on you to anyone
inquiring. " an online information broker was recently sued by the parents of a young woman
slain by an Internet stalker. The suit alleges that for $ 109, the broker had sold personal
information that led the killer to the victim's place of employment. He then ambushed her as she
got into her car after leaving work."
The guide includes reproducible forms and letters for the individual concerned about errors on
credit reports; Letter of Dispute or worse, known fraudulent activities; Affidavit of Fraud.
Website addresses for the major credit reporting agencies, government clearinghouses and
consumer affairs offices are included along with a complete list of State Statutes regarding
Identity Theft. May has resourced this material in a professional manner making this a quick
How-to for the average credit card holder and required reading for those pursuing a law
enforcement or personal security career.
The Kiss
Kathryn Harrison
4th Estate: A Division of HarperCollins Publishers
6 Salem Rd London W2 4BU
ISBN 0-00765-904-0, 207pp, 1997, 7.99 UK cover price, http://www.4thestate.com
Pogo, Reviewer
pogomcl@authorsden.com
Shadows of Max Frisch's Homo Faber cross your mind as you enter the haunting tale of the
socially taboo relationship between father and daughter.
"It begins when I'm twenty. it begins with a visit and afterward my mother and I disagree whose
idea it was to invite him. My mother says that it was mine. I think it was hers." (p32)
The beginning is innocuous and evolves into a life of clandestine meetings between the minister of
a Christian organization and his neglected daughter. The parents once met in a foyer of a theater
one evening. The relationship blossomed passionately as they became infatuated with one another
and an unwanted pregnancy was legitimized through marriage, followed shortly thereafter by
divorce. The daughter was left with her mother in a child's world split into halves like an apple
shared between strangers at life's crowded banquet. She was raised in the cool shadow of her
mother as her philandering father grew roots elsewhere with a second family.
She didn't know him until the fateful visit and it began with a kiss that lingered for years in her
tortured secret life.
"Twenty years old. My life is that of a fugitive. I'm always in an airline terminal, trudging after him
over expanses of stained carpet and dull linoleum. The walls around us warn of illegal transport.
Arrows point to baggage claims and taxi stands...
Our protracted good-byes are consumed along with magazines and junk food by the weary, bored
travelers who surround us, slumped in molded plastic chairs.
Do we resemble each other enough that people suspect that we're father and daughter? Do we sit
too close to one another? Does his hand on my arm betray his intent? And why do we cling so, as
if our parting will be as final as death?" (p23-24)
The author's haunting voice echoes in mind long after the book is closed. Incest like the hiss of an
poisonous snake not only warns us, but also freezes our instincts to move. We feel the
helplessness and the paralysis of the author's confusion. We sympathisize as we trace the complex
thoughts of an entangled relationship. Slowly the pages turn and we follow mesmerized by the
tormented voice, ever wary of the eventual conflict and confrontation of the two women, mother
and daughter regarding their relationships with the same man. And his argument is as insidious as
the serpent's hiss:
"There are rules that apply to most people," says my father, "and there are people who are outside
of those rules. People who are"
"How can you know that you that we are exceptions?"
"I just do," he says. "You'll have to trust me."
My father and I argue about the nature of love and its expressions. These conversations begin like
academic papers with suffocating theories, Latin and Greek words from divinity school: agape,
caritas. Not eros. But then abruptly they devolve into the personal. how can he help the way he
feels for me? It's the way God made him.
"God gave you to me," he says. (p108)
Although the subject matter lends itself to sexual titillation and could be exploited for lascivious
descriptions and screaming headlines in cheap tabloids, the author explores the intense conflicts
within the personal relationships. We gain a glimpse of the psychological stress that is involved
and the masks worn within the public place and the hardship born as a consequence. The writer
lays out the elaborate stage on which the story is performed; the actors' speech is carefully set and
every nuance is rehearsed and polished until it unfolds like a Greek tragedy within modern society.
We see the characters develop, the conflict build and the inner tension increase as each enter and
take their leave through life's drama.
Intensely personal, moving, haunting, the memoir reminds one of Hardy's, The Beloved of Frisch's
Homo Faber as we enter that shadowy land where ficiton reads as nonfiction and nonfiction,
fiction. Where the stairs lead or end is the eternal question of an Escher drawing in a world where
illusion is perceived as reality.
The Little Friend
Donna Tartt
Alfred A. Knopf
c/o Random House
1745 Broadway, 17th floor, New York, NY 10019
ISBN: 0679439382, $26.00, 555 pages, 1-800-726-0600
Diane Payne
Reviewer
When I opened the mail and found The Little Friend in the package, I thought, "Oh, no. Not this
week." I had been waiting for this book to arrive, but had hoped it'd come long before Finals.
First I was going to wait until the semester was over, but once I started reading it, I couldn't put
the book down. Every page is enticing. It's rare I think a book of this length is necessary. Usually
I wish I had a scissors and could cut out the extraneous pages, hoping to improve it for the next
reader. But not in this case. Every word made the story move.
Like our twelve-year-old main character Harriet, I, too, wanted to know who was responsible for
her brother's hanging twelve years earlier. Harriet's obsession for revenge became my obsession. It
seemed a bit uncanny that Harriet's mother was so oblivious to her daughters' lives, but after the
death of her young son, she may not have been able to grow any closer to her young daughters.
We don't know what their family life was like prior to this death, but we sense Robin's death
changed the family dramatically. Not only did the father move to Nashville, and just return for
brief holiday visits, though they remained married, but after Robin's death, the mother let
newspapers accumulate in piles throughout the house, never allowing the maid to throw any of
them away.
While the mother stayed in bed blaming herself for changing the Mother's Day meal to six instead
of noon, the factor she believed that caused her son's death on that fatal day, Harriet took on a
mission to figure out how he ended up dead, hanging in a tree. She was an infant out in the yard
when the death occurred, and her sister was four, but never answered any questions about what
had happened, though everyone believes they both saw everything. Like her mother, her sister
resorted to a protective silence. Harriet blamed the demise of her family on the death of her
brother and researched newspapers, interrogated neighbors, and determined Danny Ratliff, a drug
addict from a deranged family, was responsible for this death.
Like everyone in Harriet's family, Danny Ratliff was also plagued by this death, and never
understood why Robin's younger sister was pursuing him, placing her life and his in perpetual
danger. The dangers involved in this story would seem unbelievable from a less talented writer,
but Tartt makes every scene incredibly realistic.
This story takes place in a small town in the deeply rooted state of Mississippi. Even though the
characters appear generic- the black maid, the intimate sisters, the rednecks, the southern caste
system- each and every person in this book has a vivid personality and will linger with the reader
long after the book is finished. I couldn't put this book down at night because I was so eager to
find out what would happen next. I regretted reading the final page, knowing there'd be no more.
It's no wonder there is so much hype for this novel. It's a great book.
Steffi's Club
D.A. Blyler
BurnhillWolf Books
321 Prospect Street, NW, Lenoir, NC 28645
0964565544, $12.99, Jan. 2003, 178 pages, www.burnhillwolf.com
Mark Farthing
Reviewer
Steffi's Club finds writer D.A. Blyler, author of the infamous Salon.com satire The 7 Vices of
Highly Creative People, at the top of his game. Blyler is a keen and humorous observer of
kitsch-laden sensibilities and he exploits them to their full extent in his protagonist Daniel Fischer.
An American without a mission on the cobblestone streets of the Czech Republic, Daniel receives
more than he bargains for when he accepts a job teaching flirtatious English to the girls at Steffi's
Club, one of the town's most exclusive brothels. In less sure hands, the novel might simply be
passed off as a pulpish expatriate novel of love, murder, and redemption, but Blyler kicks up dust
outside such terrain to offer us a generational statement of those thirty-somethings who have
fallen through the cracks of parental, academic, and worldly expectations--a generation that has
long been waiting for a voice.
Four Blind Mice
James Patterson
Little, Brown & Company
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN: 0316693006, $27.95, 1-800-759-0190
Lisa Polisar, Reviewer
www.lisapolisar.com.
James Patterson's thrillers should be called "cutters" for the amount of paper cuts caused by
turning their pages too quickly. And his latest, Four Blind Mice, is no exception. After twenty-one
national bestsellers, James Patterson has evolved into this country's pre-eminent rule-breaker. You
want specifics? Since when do seven paragraphs constitute a chapter? And since when does a
prologue have two chapters? A first and third person point of view is another typical
Patterson-enigma and one of his stylistic trademarks, where he narrates the Alex Cross mythology
in the first person, but switches to third person narrative to take us into the heads of his killers.
Whether established by himself or his publisher, the effect gives intimacy and distance to an
otherwise confusing tactic.
The story opens like many other thrillers - a main character, in this case Alex Cross, caught in the
purgatorial wormhole between two worlds - past and future. Alex Cross is seconds from
retirement when his best friend, John Sampson, is presented a life dilemma - an old friend on
death row for a crime he didn't commit. The old duo sets off to prove the man's innocence and, in
so doing, entangles themselves in a web of silence and denial.
In Four Blind Mice, Patterson manages to serve up what people most want to read: crime and
punishment. Sin and redemption is a variation on this theme, but the idea of sin is based on a
consciousness of a crime. His killers, a/k/a Three Blind Mice, have a sadistic hunger for killing
young women and, afterward, decorating their corpses with red, white and blue paint. The grisly
trio includes highly trained, military rednecks with a twist of bloodlust and a notable lack of either
guilt or awareness of their crimes. Through their escapades, Patterson delivers his formula of
good versus evil right away. His books are not traditional whodunits by any stretch. Instead,
they're an all out hunt for killers you'd like to kill with your own hands. Alex Cross's dialogue
reads a little stiff, but the killers speak as naturally as the author's own voice. Patterson has seen
evil in his life - this is obvious. He knows it, describes it, yanks you under its massive rubber
wheels and pins you there till you stop breathing. And that's just the first chapter.
Following the painstaking discovery of the origins of Three Blind Mice is the certainty of a lethal
genius directing their acts of violence. Identifying this fourth blind mice draws Alex into the upper
most echelons of the United States Army and puts him closer to danger than any prior
investigation ever has. But he must succeed. Everything depends on it, including his own life and
future.
And just when you've lost all faith in human nature, you find yourself reading a romance novel.
Both Alex Cross and John Sampson find the most profound love of their lives in this book, and
only a writer like Patterson could marble such a horrific tale with an element like hope. Patterson's
stories are the barbecue of American literary consumption. They're all at once hot, sweet, spicy,
and nostalgic enough to transport you into his seamy underworld. They appeal to men and women
of every class and color, because his characters are authentic, flawed, and profoundly human. In
Alex Cross, Patterson has constructed a lineage of hope, family, and new beginnings.
Prisoners of Hope: The Story of Our Captivity and Freedom in Afghanistan
Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer, with Stacy Mattingly
Doubleday & Company
1540 Broadway, New York, New York 10036
ISBN: 0385507836, $19.99
WaterBrook Press
2375 Telstar Drive, Suite, 160, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80920
ISBN: 1578566452, $19.99
Kimberley L. Toynes
Reviewer
Walking in the trenches to seek out the indigent, illustrates the love of Jesus by His servants on
earth. Continuous labor and expressions of hope through songs, prayers, and giving of themselves
exemplifies Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry's life.
Their risky journey, "In a land where every man carries a gun.from Peshawar with an Afghan
driver and an armed Pakistani guard.to the Afghan border" necessitates imminent prayers of
restoration and prosperity in a destitute land.
A depiction of their human side aiding the depraved, ill, and homeless moves the reader to prayer.
In spite of their incarceration Heather and Dayna glorified the Lord in an Afghanistan criminal
holding facility. The words on the pages are reminiscent of a Pauline epistle by relating
instructions to other missionaries.
Prisoners of Hope is a must read for age groups as young as teenagers to learn and contemplate
the message that Jesus' love knows no boundaries even amidst threats and hatred. Before
completing the first chapter I was on my knees praying and crying out to God. I purchased an
additional copy of the book for a friend.
The Paperboy's Winter
Tim Bowling
Penguin Books Canada
ISBN: 0143012282; $24.00; 278 pages, www.amazon.com
Kathy McNinch
Reviewer
Tim Bowling has four poetry collections and another novel to his credit. The Paperboy's Winter is
his latest effort and it will not disappoint his poetry or fiction fans. He deftly combines a
coming-of-age tale with the changing of a culture.
Callum Taylor has been barely functioning since his father died. His trip to his hometown triggers
memories about events of the winter when he had a paper route. He was a naive ten year-old and
he endured the bullies at the paper shack, a borderline psychotic school principal and needy
customers on his route.
One man who fascinated Callum and his friends was Ezra Hemsworth. He lived an unconventional
life and his actions often crossed over into violence. He was secretive and seemingly needed no
contact with other people.
Callum and his friend become convinced that Ezra is hiding something and they are determined to
uncover the truth. They don't understand why adults accept lies when no one wants to see the
truth. They are leaving the security and innocence of childhood and moving into the adult
world.
Tim Bowling uses the rugged British Columbia coast as his setting for the story. He captures the
harsh beauty of this area and it defines the reality faced by the characters. They are sometimes
forced into poor choices just to survive.
Bowling shows the emotional growth of Callum over the winter. He can sense his interests
becoming different from those of his best friend. Callum no longer wants to ditch school just to
hang out and he doesn't know why. Bowling uses this to parallel the changing lifestyle of the
coastal communities as they became more modernized.
Ezra's character is an example of the clash of the old and modern ways. When Callum comes
across him 20 years later, Ezra is just as eccentric but he is not tolerated the way he was in earlier
times. He is treated like an outcast.
Bowling is an award-winning Canadian poet and his mastery of language makes this novel a
pleasure to read. By blending tragic elements with the comic, he has given us a story with many
layers.
Divinely Inspired: Spiritual Awakening of a Soul
Jerry J. Pollock Ph.D.
White Tulip
P.O. Box 644 Nesconset, NY 11767-0644
ISBN: 0972386602 , $18.95, Paperback, 224 pages, http://www.divinelyinspire.com
Jennifer M. Hollowell, Reviewer
http://www.geocities.com/jmhcreativesolutions
Despite the many different cultures, opinions and faiths of humanity, there's still one underlying
constant among us all: the necessity to find a path, to find our way. This is true for all walks of
life, both believing and non-believing individuals. What is it about this truth that sends so many
reeling into disaster? There need not be disaster if we face the reality of giving credit where credit
is due: to our Creator.
"I have written this book to share my experiences, feelings and spiritual insights with individuals
whose sad lives have been damaged by the ravages of their upbringing or mental illness. I will
always be a member of that group."
- Pollack, p. 20
That's the underlining theme for author Jerry Pollack's book, Divinely Inspired: Awakening of a
Soul. He describes his journey from childhood into his present adult relationship with God. His
path leads him through experiences with bipolar disorder, mania, manic depression, hallucinations,
clinical depression, ahedonia (loss of interest in activities), psychosis and neurosis among others. I
name each diagnosis separately, despite their often times happening simultaneously, as he did in
his writings.
In today's society, stepping out on one's beliefs is very challenging. Particularly when this
individual is met with endless scrutiny and judgements both from people who don't understand
and don't believe. However, when people are able voice these beliefs with strong supporting facts,
as Pollack has done, it is quite a different story.
I found this to be true for Pollack's book. He presents the acquiring of his beliefs through the
many experiences leading up to them. His insights are supported by what he went through while
achieving them. There's no room for controversy because in no way is it evident that he had prior
inclinations or a childhood upraising filled with spirituality or religion. At the same time, it must
be pointed out that Pollack's understanding of faith and God was always there. Understanding
these principals and applying them are two very different things. This is a strong lesson taught
throughout the course of the book.
Courage, wisdom, strength and the unrelenting desire to teach rather than preach are what this
author arms himself with. The support of his wife, Marcia, is also of particular interest. When the
phrase "for better or for worse" comes into play, Marcia Pollack provides a stunning example of
how to live under these circumstances. Without her love, as pointed out in the book, who knows
where Jerry Pollack would be today? More often than not, statistics show a marriage breaking up
quicker than staying intact when facing the challenges this couple have. Although separation was
discussed at one point, the true commitment between this married couple beat those odds.
Anxiety is covered quite well both in definitive terms and descriptions of the author's experiences.
Readers can easily relate to the challenges this man faced while trekking through the various
symptoms and medical remedies. One fact I found of particular interest was his proclamation that
those who suffer from anxiety are less likely able to be treated through use of prescription
medications due to the high tolerances they build up. This certainly explains a lot to me on a
personal level through the experiences I've had both myself and with my family.
Pollack delves into his treatments through use of ECT (electric shock) treatments and Primal
Therapy. Both these forms of treatments aren't common knowledge for me, so I found this to be
quite a learning experience as he described his experiences with these alternatives. Upon
completion of the book, I found it necessary to investigate these options further only to learn ECT
treatments are met with great controversy. This is something pointed out statistically in Pollack's
book, but he used this form of treatment nonetheless. I think, after enduring the trials this man has
gone through, I would consider the same option. The fact remains, however, that Pollack's newly
gained spirituality has lifted him from any need to seek such treatments again. This is refreshing to
both his readers and himself. What a relief it must have been for him to climb out of the darkness
to find well-ness and contentment.
At one point throughout the reading, Pollack describes his encounter with a cult while attempting
to remedy himself. When those are faces with desperate feelings, more often than not sensory
radar is disabled. This is the case with this author as he found himself almost engulfed in the
teachings and the ways of "The Fourth Way." Before he realized what was happening, his life
went from receiving an herbal dietary program to being exposed to this group's philosophies.
While I'm not read in this area, I won't dive into this group or this topic any further than Pollack
did in his own writings.
I'm closing this dialog (reveiw) with the following thoughts and insights excerpted directly from
Jerry Pollack's book. These among many others opened my eyes as I continued on my own
journey toward inner peace:
". . . with God's help, I'll never have to fight an unseen challenge again." - p. 164
"Faith is an integral part of one's spirituality." - p. 172
"Your soul is worth all the riches in the world." - p. 210 (from a fortune cookie)
Ponder these for a moment as you begin or continue on your own spiritual journey. This book has
had a profound affect on me, so sharing these truths has become an integral part of my own
spiritual walk and work. I'm not only considering what is written among these pages as a
description of experiences, I'm considering it a handbook for those seeking to get on the right
path. Gather these seeds of knowledge and wisdom, plant and harvest them and watch them grow
and flourish as a result of God's work. Live for today don't get lost in the past, embrace truth and
love for they shall always last.
Ambulance Girl: How I Saved My Life by Becoming an EMT
Jane Stern
Crown
299 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10171
ISBN 140004832X, $23.00, 1-800-726-0600, www.amazon.com
Mark Henricks
Reviewer
The roads are choked with laid-off dot-commers driving catering company vans, unindicted chief
financial officers bicycling back to college for fine arts degrees, and the like. Among them
(figuratively speaking) is a lone ambulance loaded with a best-selling pop culture writer who
morphed herself at mid-life into an emergency medical technician.
That newly minted EMT is Jane Stern, Gourmet magazine columnist, National Public Radio
commentator, co-author of a score of popular books about cooking and Americana. Five years
ago, she was also a neurotic mired in a numbing depression, a hypochondriac, a
quasi-agoraphobic, a person liable to faint at the thought of blood or germs or vomit. Ambulance
Girl (Crown, $23) is the story of how these traits propel her through the grueling training required
to be a volunteer EMT in her small Connecticut town and what happens there and at the scene of
health incidents both trivial and tragic.
This is a funny book, with the chummy and lighthearted style familiar to readers of Dog Eat Dog,
a 1997 look at dog shows, or any of the other books authored by Jane and Michael Stern. Stern's
nutty behaviors, such as her utter unwillingness to ride on buses or in the back seat of a private
vehicle driven by anyone but her husband, are told in a way that inspires comradely amusement
more than condescending pity. Likewise, you'll laugh with, not at, her descriptions of emergency
missions to an elderly caller who sat naked on a cat following an episode of incontinence and an
effeminate homeowner who dialed 9-1-1 when his "baby" -- a massive hound -- drowned in the
backyard pool.
This is also often a quite serious book. The depression Stern dragged herself out of, by the sounds
of it, could have ended worse. The majority of the health emergencies she responds to as an EMT
are genuinely life threatening. Her first encounter with a corpse and mission to an AIDS hospice
are presented with appropriate sobriety. Other anecdotes mix somber and silly, such as the time an
EMT instructor warned them against giving CPR to a severed head.
Ambulance Girl, like the Sterns' 1977 celebration of diner fare, Roadfood, is a story about
journeys. The central trek is Stern's odyssey from apathy into engagement, with side visits to go
to class, minister to accident victims, and occasionally descend back into near-depression. She
gets there, but not without difficulty. In the process of shedding the blue bathrobe she lives in at
the story's start for the worn jacket with "EMT" label she proudly puts on by the end, she
staunchly meets and overcomes many obstacles. Not the least is the reaction to her career change,
ranging from amazement and incredulity to hostility and harassment, by family, friends, firefighters
and domineering EMT trainers. Personal growth, it seems, can be a long, strange and lonely
trip.
At almost every stop, Stern loses emotional baggage and acquires useful skills. Learning to back a
massive fire engine up a twisting driveway at night is just one of the times she beats her fears and
wins an almost grudging self-respect. That adventure, like others she relates, is not for readers to
attempt at home. You'll be chilled when she single-handedly copes with a massive, psychotic
karate expert in a hospital emergency room. You'll also realize that she is lucky as well as
plucky.
Despite the peaks of fear and joy that populate many moments in Ambulance Girl, it's also a
celebration of the mundane. In this, it's reminiscent of Diane Ackerman's account of becoming a
crisis hotline volunteer, related in 1997's A Slender Thread (Random House). Much of
Ackerman's story revolved around the long episodes of boredom and the many calls from the
merely lonely that characterize the hotline volunteer's labor. Similarly, for every obstructed airway
Stern unblocks and personal phobia she triumphs over, there is a chronicle of firehouse politics,
note on classroom conniving or complaint about her uniform pants being too short.
That's not a bad thing, because everyday life is, after all, largely about being happy and calm and
well enough to be upset by inconsequential things. In that sense, Stern's latest work is an
extension of the care she provides in the back of that ambulance. Ambulance Girl takes us, the
walking wounded, to a place where healing is possible and deposits us, refreshed and renewed,
back home.
Reviewer Mark Henricks' latest book is Not Just a Living: The Complete Guide to Creating a
Business That Gives You a Life (Perseus, 2002). He lives in Austin, Texas.
The Man From Shenandoah
Marsha Ward.
Writers Club Press
c/o iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595263089, $14.95, Paperback, 248 pages, www.iuniverse.com
Donna L. Davis
lupis1dld@earthlink.net
I was born 120 years too late.
Ms. Ward paints vivid night skies for gazing, the warm sun on your face and makes you wish you
could lie down to contemplate the clouds in a meadow surrounded by quakies. (Aspen trees to
those not native to the Rockies). Colorado, Wyoming, Utah and Arizona have been my
playgrounds all my life, making this journey into past memories achingly sweet. Ellen, our
heroine, threw her arms up over her head, whirled around in a meadow full of wildflowers and
cried "I love you, Colorado, you're beautiful." This Colorado girl was so homesick she cried
tears.
I had nearly given up on reading Westerns. The newer ones I own are written with a very
contemporary feel, right down to the sex and dialogue. These folks are either very stiff or teasing
about the earthy, subtle sensuality that is gently touched on. Ms. Ward uses the language of the
class and region effectively to make The Man from Shenandoah shine as a true western. Our
characters work 'danged hard', cuss, ride horses hell-bent, and hate to drive critters. They love,
blush, build homes with their own sweaty labor, and fight outlaws. But best of all, they 'holler at
the kids to go down to the crick' to get water. Arizonans give me such strange looks when I talk
about the dry cricks here.
The book gives our characters joyous times but doesn't pass lightly over their hardships. The
author draws her characters with human warmth and depth ensuring that the reader has no trouble
recognizing each individual and his or her significance in the tale . We have paroled Johnny Reb,
Carl Owen, not a hero, but just an all-around likeable guy who can be counted on when needed.
There is his father Rod, a controlling parent who comfortably believes that he knows what is best
for his entire family forever. He brooks no arguments about his decisions. Mother Julia Owen gets
a little testy at his attitude., but true to the norm for the time, falls in with whatever his life plans
are. Often a western (especially with romance included) sketchily portrays the family if at all.
I love the style that eases us into seeing through Carl Owens' eyes. His thoughts and words flow
so clearly that we come to know him intimately. Carl is not given to flowery speeches. He can be
complex; at times makes some pretty humorous mistakes and he doesn't like to apologize for
them. But then, he's pretty good at laughing at his own foibles and sometimes holds conversations
with himself.
Carl's values and his honor cause him no end of conflict with family members, particularly his
younger brother James. Rod has decreed that each son be promised to a local girl in return for her
family's agreement to join the train on the way west. As life has a way of going, neither Carl nor
James was assigned the girl that they fell in love with. Carl wanted James' girl Ellen Bates while
his own Ida wanted a rich Englishman. Rod had made James leave his girl in Virginia. I imagine
we may be hearing more about James and his Jessica.
I enjoyed this novel because the main character is not the typical hero, a 'silent loner with no
family to teach him love and values'. He is, as are most of the characters, members of warm,
loving, laughing, arguing and sometimes flawed families. Feisty women, taciturn or rather
controlling men - they all enjoy a sense of community and deep friendship. It was a joy to get to
know them.
Well, human nature being what it is, there were people I loved and people I could do without but
loved to hate. I was a bit humbled by the women, who reminded me of my great-grandmother.
She was a bit like Ellen Bates. Now give us our sequel - it's so hard to wait!
I can't leave you without also mentioning that the cover is to die for. Yummy!
Nickel And Dimed
Barbara Ehrenreich
Owl Books
c/o Henry Holt & Company
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
ISBN: 0805063897 $13.00 Paperback: 240 pages, 1-888-330-8477
Alyice Edrich, Reviewer
http://thedabblingmum.com
I believe one of the books our political leaders should be required to read, when getting in public
office, or while in office, is Nickel and Dimed, by Barbara Ehrenreich.
One of the main reasons I feel our political leaders should read this book, is so that they can get a
true account of what goes on in our society, aside from the impersonal "statistics" that make many
Americans seem more like a number and less like a human being.
It is easy to keep a distance and not fully understand the pains, turmoils, and conditions of the
lower working class when one is sitting in an air conditioned office, driving luxury cars, and
spending their days reading documents and implementing laws based on those documents.
Nickel and Dimed is the true account of what many Americans face on a daily basis hard
working, under-educated, under-paid, under-insured, low income families working anywhere from
one to three jobs, just to keep a roof over their families' heads and food on the table.
Nickel and Dimed takes a realistic look at what goes on when a person doesn't have the skills to
maintain a decent living wage. It showcases the truth behind the reality that while our country is
one of the best places to live and raise a family, our minimum wage standard does not meet
standard living expenses.
In reading Nickel and Dimed, the reader is transformed from their cushy-lifestyle, and taken into a
time and place that just doesn't seem to fit our ideals of "Living the American Dream." The reader
will get a first-hand feel of what it means to not have enough money to feed your family, but make
too much to get the proper assistance one needs. The reader will see what it is like to work hard
and have enough to pay for a small apartment, but instead have to live in a motel because there
isn't enough money to come up with the required deposit and first month's rent. And the reader
will get a feel for how low income persons are treated and viewed by the upper (richer) class.
Nickel and Dimed is a book that should be read by every political leader, as well as every political
person on the rise to the top. While the Declaration of Independence gives each American the
right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that road is often paved by many hard-working
people who need to be reminded, every once in a while, that just because one is poor, doesn't
mean one is less! And it most definitely doesn't mean that one is seeking the easy way out, or
asking for a "hand-out." It is time our political leaders take a stand in this country and offer more
in the way of better working conditions, wages, and health benefits for those working their way
from the bottom up!
Jazz and Death: Medical Profiles of Jazz Greats
Frederick J. Spencer, M.D.
University Press of Mississippi
3825 Ridgewood Road, Jackson, MS 39211-6492
1578064538, $35.00, 311 pages, 1-800-737-7788
Harold V. Cordry
Reviewer
Kansas City bandleader Benny Moten died in 1935--before, during, or after a tonsillectomy. To
this extent jazz writers agree.
For the specific cause of his death, however, the writers generally have relied on rumor and
uninformed speculation by Moten's contemporaries. Several said he might have bled to death;
several mention a slip of the scalpel.
Of 12 sources quoted by Dr. Frederick J. Spencer in Jazz and Death, not one cites information
drawn from Moten's autopsy. In contrast with the punctilious reporting of band performances and
personnel that has become almost routine in recent years, reports concerning cause of death
continue to reflect little effort in pursuit of fact.
A professor and dean emeritus of the Virginia College of Medicine, Spencer happens to be also a
jazz fan with a respect for historiography. So following the example of John O'Shea's Music and
Death (Dent 1990), which dealt with 18th-century composers, Spencer hacked his way through
the dense overgrowth of myth and legend to discover extant medical records and to salvage
whatever facts resided there.
Moten's autopsy, Spencer says, lists the principal cause of death and related causes as coronary
sclerosis (hardening of the coronary arteries), chronic fibrous myocarditis (chronic inflammation
of the heart muscle), and acute pulmonary edema (watery congestion of the lungs).
Given these facts, he explains the various catastrophic scenarios to which they might have led,
never venturing far from what is known. All that can be safely concluded from the records, he
says, is that Bennie Moten died of "circulatory and respiratory collapse that was directly related to
chronic arterial and cardiac disease, quite possibly exacerbated by an operative hazard."
Although several of the contemporaneous accounts center on excessive bleeding as the cause of
death, Spencer finds nothing in the records to suggest that excessive bleeding had occurred.
Another jazz musician who built an early reputation in Kansas City was the tenor saxophonist
Lester Young, on whom his soul mate Billie Holiday conferred the title "Prez."
Young played with Moten, Walter Page, Andy Kirk, and finally, at the legendary Reno Club, with
Count Basie, before the Basie band, with Young firmly established in the sax section, decamped
for New York City in 1936.
It was only 23 years later that Young played his last gig, at the Blue Note in Paris. It ended
prematurely, after he became ill and decided to go home.
Young's physician, who met his plane in New York, reported that he had "bled all the way across
the Atlantic." Spencer discredits the physician's belief that Young was bleeding profusely from his
larnyx as a result of severe alcoholism," observing that no correlation exists between severe
alcoholism and laryngeal bleeding, and he concludes that the source of the bleeding was not the
larynx but the esophagus. He also disputes the assertion that Young died of cardiac arrest caused
by malnutrition and cirrhosis of the liver, saying that if he had suffered a heart attack, it was
probably precipitated by coronary thrombosis (blockage caused by blood clotting in a coronary
artery).
Some observers of the jazz scene are inclined to attribute deaths generally to the lifestyle of
indulgences and excesses that they presume to be typical, saying in effect that jazz musicians die
as a result of being jazz musicians. Spencer frequently cites chronic alcoholism or heavy drug use
as contributing causes of death but not as the cause from which death resulted directly. He even
dismisses the commonplace that jazz musicians tend to die early deaths, as Spencer puts it, "from
drink, drugs, women, and overwork," a truism for which he says there is no statistical basis.
There is often a triteness about death, compounded by the dry, factual accounting of stark medical
details concerning principal and contributing causes. But dying, if not death itself, is yet a part of
life, and ought to have a place in any biography whose subject is deceased. But scores of jazz
biographers have chosen to neglect it, either providing a date of death and little more or simply
reporting hearsay regarding the cause. Spencer's book is thus a valuable supplement to the
growing library of jazz biographies and even to some larger and more substantial reference works
that exhibit the same shortcomings.
Bella's Bookshelf
Dreams To Grow On
Christine Hurley Deriso, Illustrated by Matthew Archambault
Illumination Arts Publishing Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 1865, Bellevue, WA 98009
ISBN 0-9701-9072-7, $15.95, 30 pages, www.illumin.com
A little girl, having dreamt about growing up, decides to "practice" different professions,
imagining what it would be like to be a mother, an architect, a baker, a scientist, a trapeze artist, a
farmer, a pilot, a doctor, a sea captain, an actress, an artist, a teacher, and a writer. The story is
written in rhyme, and has a soothing, musical quality, which my six-year-old daughter enjoyed,
but I wanted more precise, poetic language to accompany these rich, imaginative oil painting
illustrations. Each profession occupies a two-page spread one side showing the girl exploring
one possibility for her future, and the other showing her supposed grown-up self. This creates a
magical sense of time, as well as the feeling that whatever can be imagined may become real. A
girl playing with a doll may one day become a woman holding her baby by the hands as she takes
her first tentative step. A girl building a house out of blocks may one day build it out of lumber. A
girl forming mud into pies may eventually use fresh whipping cream. A girl studying butterfly
wings may, in time, conduct laboratory experiments. Climbing the monkey bars is good training
for a trapeze artist, and so forth. The book ends with these words: "There are so many things to
be. My heart will lead the way, no matter what I choose to do. Great things are sure to happen as
I make my dreams come true." Illumination Arts publishes beautiful books with glossy images and
thoughtful, inspiring messages. This one is no exception, despite one or two Saccharine
moments.
One Smile
Cindy McKinley, Illustrated by Mary Gregg Byrne
Illumination Arts Publishing Company, Inc.
P.O. Box 1865, Bellevue, WA 98009
ISBN 0-9356-9923-6, $15.95, 28 pages, www.illumin.com
On her way to the bus stop, young Katie pauses to smile at a sad, twenty-something man who has
lost his job. Her smile creates a domino effect in a story about the power of kindness; one
warm-hearted act leads to another. The young man helps a woman whose car has broken down
on her way to an important meeting. That woman, still grateful, leaves her waitress a big tip at
lunchtime. The waitress uses the extra tip money to buy her sons the soccer ball they've been
wanting, and to buy groceries for a picnic. One of the waitress's sons suggests they invite the new
neighbors. The new neighbors' daughter, sad, because she left her old pals and hadn't found any
new playmates, gets along great with the waitress's sons, and begins to think moving wasn't such
a bad idea, after all. She calls her grandmother, who is happy to hear that her granddaughter has
made friends, and out of gratitude and joy, she sends stickers to each of her grandchildren. One of
them shares his stickers with a frightened girl at the doctor's office. The girl's dad later gives a
young man a job. The story comes full circle because this newly employed fellow is the same
twenty-something man from the beginning of the story. Working as a mechanic, he fixes Katie's
mother's car. Now they can drive to Grandpa's house to wish him a happy birthday. This book
made me feel good, and it reminded me how important and powerful acts of kindness are
especially now when so many people feel powerless in the face of global atrocities.
Bella Mahaya Carter
Reviewer
David's Bookshelf
Voyage of the Shadowmoon
Sean McMullen
Tor Books
1403 Flatiron Building
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
ISBN 0765306093, $15.00, 496 pages, 1-888-330-8477, www.amazon.com
I first ran across the Australian author Sean McMullen years ago when I read his Voices in the
Light and Mirrorsun Rising (as the original Australian publisher called the first and second
volumes of his Greatwinter Trilogy). These were science fiction stories bordering on the fantasy
but straight enough then to keep me interested. However the third volume was a long time
coming but eventually emerged from a U.S. publisher, Tor Books, and was, I think, written for a
younger less mature U.S. audience.
Voyage of the Shadowmoon is McMullen's latest novel but for me, alas, he has moved across
from the science fiction to the fully fantasy genre interlaced with slapstick. Not only that, he has
added a heavy sexual content that I found repugnant. However if you are a fantasy fan and can
stand the teenage innuendo then you may be satisfied with this book.
The story revolves around ten voyages of a sailing vessel cum island trader cum submersible that
involve vampires, magical weapons, spells, wizards, war lords, princesses, priests and priestesses
of strange esoteric 'religions'. It starts with the use of a magical weapon that various groups of
people then try to steal or neutralise. Classic goodies versus baddies fodder. The ship
'Shadowmoon' moves these people from mainland port to island to mainland port, managing most
of the time to avoid the marauding armies of a megalomaniac bent on world domination. However
for a lot of the time I found it quite difficult to follow where the ship was sailing to, who were on
board and why they were there. A map inside the end pages would have been a great help.
On top of this is the frequent sexual fantasy, either a castrated ex-king trying to regain his virility
(he has the lost items in a jar pickled in vinegar) or the exploits of some of the more sexually
adventurous and, of course, the coarse jokes surrounding these.
There are also the vampires with descriptions of their many meals of unfortunate bullies,
obnoxious citizens and wastrels.
Oh, and a kidnapped princess who struggles to keep her virginity. Happily she is rescued in
time.
I read an article once that said that there were only nine basic storylines and that the film
'Casablanca' contained all of them. Well, I think the same can be said of Voyage of the
Shadowmoon - that is, if you can sort them out from each other and the slapstick as well.
Voyage of the Shadowmoon
Sean McMullen Published
Tor Books
1403 Flatiron Building
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
ISBN 0765306093, $15.00, 496 pages, 1-888-330-8477, www.amazon.com
I first ran across the Australian author Sean McMullen years ago when I read his Voices in the
Light and Mirrorsun Rising (as the original Australian publisher called the first and second
volumes of his Greatwinter Trilogy). These were science fiction stories bordering on the fantasy
but straight enough then to keep me interested. However the third volume was a long time
coming but eventually emerged from a U.S. publisher, Tor Books, and was, I think, written for a
younger less mature U.S. audience.
Voyage of the Shadowmoon is McMullen's latest novel but for me, alas, he has moved across
from the science fiction to the fully fantasy genre interlaced with slapstick. Not only that, he has
added a heavy sexual content that I found repugnant. However if you are a fantasy fan and can
stand the teenage innuendo then you may be satisfied with this book.
The story revolves around ten voyages of a sailing vessel cum island trader cum submersible that
involve vampires, magical weapons, spells, wizards, war lords, princesses, priests and priestesses
of strange esoteric 'religions'. It starts with the use of a magical weapon that various groups of
people then try to steal or neutralise. Classic goodies versus baddies fodder. The ship
'Shadowmoon' moves these people from mainland port to island to mainland port, managing most
of the time to avoid the marauding armies of a megalomaniac bent on world domination. However
for a lot of the time I found it quite difficult to follow where the ship was sailing to, who were on
board and why they were there. A map inside the end pages would have been a great help.
On top of this is the frequent sexual fantasy, either a castrated ex-king trying to regain his virility
(he has the lost items in a jar pickled in vinegar) or the exploits of some of the more sexually
adventurous and, of course, the coarse jokes surrounding these.
There are also the vampires with descriptions of their many meals of unfortunate bullies,
obnoxious citizens and wastrels.
Oh, and a kidnapped princess who struggles to keep her virginity. Happily she is rescued in
time.
I read an article once that said that there were only nine basic storylines and that the film
'Casablanca' contained all of them. Well, I think the same can be said of Voyage of the
Shadowmoon - that is, if you can sort them out from each other and the slapstick as well.
David Skea
Reviewer
Denise's Bookshelf
Gilded
Catherine Karp
Coachlight Press
1704 Craig's Store Rd., Afton, VA 22920
ISBN: 0971679002, 312 pps, $14.95
This turn-of-the-century novel is a combination romance/suspense, but not in the terms many have
come to expect. It's the tale of one woman's struggle against a male-dominated society, spousal
abuse, and the growing movement for women's rights.
Emma Brandenberg is married to a much older man, Philip, mayor of their town of Hollybrook,
Massachusetts in 1897. She's desperately unhappy with her marriage, but is at a loss what she can
do about it. until the arrival of a woman's hat maker named Freddy Ash. It is his arrival in town
and the opening of Ash's Fine Parisian Millinery that sets the town on its ear and shows not only
Emily but the other women in town, that times are changing and the men folk better just get used
to it.
Ms. Karp has written an exquisitely plotted tale of female angst with her portrayal of Victorian
expectations and morals, and sometimes-backward logic. In Emma, Ms. Karp has put her finger
on the pulse of every woman's desire since the beginning of time to be cherished and respected.
Her characterizations jump off the page and become real, three-dimensional friends who dwell in
the mind for days after the last page is turned and illustrates that women have indeed come a long
way.
The Home Inspection Business from A to Z
Guy Cozzi
Nemmar Educational Training
ISBN: 1887450041, $34.95, 230 pps, www.amazon.com
Home inspectors are here to stay, and their services are not only needed, but are also desired in
today's fluctuating economy. Home inspectors check out a home before purchase by prospective
buyers to help determine the existing conditions of a home - they can also tell the prospective
home buyer what repairs and upgrades might be needed.
These problem spotters, and solvers, earn hundreds of dollars for their expertise, and can help
save potential homebuyers thousands of dollars on repairs and upgrades. A home inspector
performs a visual inspection - he identifies potential problems in a wealth of areas. He can spot
trouble in septic and well water systems, and with gas and water connections, among dozens of
others, including heating, air conditioning, and electrical and plumbing systems.
Author Cozzi, in a step-by-step, vastly illustrated guide shows the reader, homeowner, or
potential home inspector, exactly what to look for, both on the exterior of a home and its interior.
He shows the prospective inspector how to properly fill out reports, how to handle clients, and
how to maintain accurate reports and records.
Using his vast knowledge and experience, Mr. Cozzi has the uncanny ability to take what is
thought to be a convoluted process and simplify it with his easy writing style, one which entertains
as it instructs, which with most 'how-to' books, is no easy feat. His narrative is extremely
reader-friendly and amazingly informative at the same time, guiding the reader along on a
discourse of everything that is expected of a home inspector.
Mr. Cozzi has appeared in local and national newspapers, offering real estate advice. And it's easy
to see why. He's the expert. This book should be required reading for every homeowner.
Real Estate Appraising from A to Z
Guy Cozzi
Nemmar Educational Training
ISBN: 1887450025, 225 pps. $19.95
Real estate appraisers are in demand these days, and get paid hundreds of dollars for their
services. The best thing about becoming an appraiser is that you don't need a Master's Degree or
any special schooling to become one. What you do need, however, is knowledge. In his
extensively researched and illustrated Real Estate Appraising from A to Z, author Cozzi sets out
to give anyone interested in moving into this quickly growing field the tools he or she will need,
not only to do the job, but to do it right.
Mr. Cozzi starts with the very basics. For instance, the purpose, benefits and explanation of what
an appraiser is, what he does and how to become a certified appraiser. From there, he guides the
reader step by step through what appraisers look for when inspecting homes, both their exteriors
and interiors. He explains how to determine home values of not only single-dwelling homes, but
condominiums as well.
But Mr. Cozzi doesn't stop there. In basic, easily understood terms, he explains such topics as
depreciation, the different types of home mortgages and appraisal accounts such as original home
loan and refinance loan appraisals and foreclosure appraisals.
Real Estate Appraising from A to Z is just what the title implies. Mr. Cozzi's ability to instruct
without 'talking down' to his audience is a plus and a rare treat - even for those who know
absolutely nothing about the 'home' business. Homeowners would do well to have a copy of this
book on hand before obtaining an appraisal, and use Cozzi's inspection guidelines within the
actual appraising section of the book to obtain the most favorable value for their homes. Mr.
Cozzi's easy to read, friendly writing style offers expert and timely advice and instruction for both
homeowners and aspiring appraisers. If you want to work for yourself, earn extra money, or
increase the value of your home, this edition is a definite must.
Divinely Inspired: Spiritual Awakening of a Soul
Jerry Pollock
White Tulip Press
ISBN: 0972386602, 224 pps. $18.95
This touching, informative and spiritually strengthening book by author Jerry Pollock tells of one
man's effort to resolve some personal and emotional issues in his life. On the way to doing so, the
author claims one-on-one encounters with God, encounters that helped him to overcome these
struggles and enabled him to move forward toward peace and contentment.
In 'Divinely Inspired', the author believes, and rightly so, that the original Ten Commandments are
not only to maintain order in a chaotic world, but that they are also, in their essence, the source
for any human efforts at self improvement.
Author Pollock bares not only his personal history, but also his soul in this autobiographical
account of how his journey toward faith and God altered the course of his life. He proves that it is
never too late to find God. The author's honesty in dealing with his difficult past and emotional
handicaps results in a touching narrative that reaches out to the reader.
A thoroughly engrossing narrative style and almost conversational tone makes this an easy, fast
and extremely satisfying read, yet one that leaves the impact of a gentle, loving wallop, if there is
such a thing.
Discovering Veronica
Shannon Greenland
Wings Press
ISBN: 1590881524 (ebook); 1590888561 (print), www.wings-press.com
Better make sure the kids are in school, the cleaning's done and the errands are finished before
delving into this first novel by newcomer Shannon Greenland, for Discovering Veronica is a
triumphant example of style, plotting and fast reading excitement.
Hoping to start a new life for herself on Amelia Island in Florida, Veronica Burns has taken a
position as an Instructional Technologist at the prestigious Amelia Academy, a private institution
created Rico DeAngelo, her new boss. Rico is immediately attracted and drawn to vivacious yet
cautious Veronica, until he finds out she's been hired without his knowledge and approval.
Determined to succeed in her new position, Veronica can't understand his sudden coolness toward
her, but strives for perfection. To make matters worse, Rico is certain that she's just like all the
other women he's come to know over the last few years; selfish, insincere and completely
uninterested in his young daughter, Maria, who has just started school at the Academy.
But Maria proves Rico wrong on all counts and despite his attempt to ignore the compelling
attraction he feels for her, he is nevertheless brought to the conclusion that he's been behaving
badly. And finally admits it. But just when he makes amends, things start happening in Veronica's
personal life that do not bode well for their new relationship. A man is stalking her, and while
Veronica is determined to take care of herself, it is her very stubbornness that may lead to
disaster; not only for her, but Rico's precious daughter Maria, as well.
This tale of suspense is definitely a page-turner, filled with great characters and a thoroughly
disturbing subplot that puts the story head and shoulders above many others that are similar, but
not nearly so satisfying. The early tension and development of Rico and Veronica's relationship
offers the main story, while the stalker haunting her brings a very real threat to their happiness.
And while Veronica grows, so too does the story line, both keeping pace with one another.
This is an excellent first book for author Greenland, and this reviewer, for one, can't wait to read
more from this exciting and supremely gifted new author.
Denise M. Clark, Reviewer
http://www.denisemclark.com
Fortenberry's Bookshelf
The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ancient Greece
Sean Sheehan
Getty Publications
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 500, Los Angeles, California 90049-1682
ISBN: 0892366672, $19.95, 160 pp., www.getty.edu
The Illustrated History of Ancient Greece is without a doubt a beautiful collection. True to its
title, astounding images and paintings of Greek culture leap off each page, usually several per
page. The production of this oversized hardback is not cheap or shoddy; you will not find black
and white, blurry, or lackluster reproductions on any of these glossy pages. It has vibrant,
high-quality photography and only the best images are chosen to highlight large, easy-to-read
texts. This is an art book masquerading as a text, which is exactly what you would expect in a
book printed by a museum.
It is also, naturally, where one might find fault with this encyclopedia. Though it does indeed
cover a large amount of information (Achilles to Zeus, literally), of historic and mythic topics of
ancient Greece, the entries were surprisingly brief and too cursory for my taste (this review, for
instance, is longer than virtually every entry in the encyclopedia). The average entry is only two
paragraphs long, and this is, as noted above, using large font text. Thus we have only a few
sentences offered per topic. In my opinion, unless the purpose of this book is simply to be a coffee
table art book or conversation piece (which it admirably does), then it utterly fails at the
encyclopedic end of the deal. In contrast, I recently reviewed a similarly sized and high-quality
produced book on the Japanese samurai and it was packed with more information than a dozen
university courses. Perhaps this encyclopedia is meant to be lightweight and aimed at children. I
know that Sheehan has written many educational works for children, so I must presume that is the
purpose here. But, the book doesn't specific state that and I think it should. A little clarity of title
would do the trick. However, I think here we have an example of the publisher trying to balance
the promotion or appeal of the book and make it attractive to every age reader.
At any rate, despite the mild complaint of an armchair historian, this book does cover a lot of
ground. Not content to play with the Olympians, Sheehan also makes mention of most of Greek
civilization, from its philosophers and scientists, to its cities, leaders, money, weapons, armor,
clothing, food, games, technologies (mining, weaving, etc), painting, music, etc. In this sense it
provides a nice overview of ancient Greece. So, to make the distinction: for young readers this
book is an amazing wellspring of accessible and valuable information; for adults it is a beautiful
albeit cautionary tale of how to decorate your coffee table.
Samurai: The Weapons and Spirit of the Japanese Warrior
Clive Sinclaire
The Lyons Press
P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
ISBN: 1585742821, $29.95, 144 pp., 1-800-836-0510
Clive Sinclaire has written an amazingly complete, riveting history of the Japanese samurai, their
culture, and weapons. The book is a welcome surprise. Though an oversized hardback filled with
glorious photographs and paintings, it is nothing like a typical lightweight coffee-table book (all
glory, no guts). Samurai: The Weapons and Spirit of the Japanese Warrior is the most detailed
study I have yet read, which includes some massive, dusty old tomes. Sinclaire is absolute master
of his subject, as not only an author of many relevant studies and editor of Nihon-to, plus a
martial artist and lifelong student of the Orient, but more so as a champion of the historic
preservation of ancient Japanese culture. He is a longtime member of both the To-Ken Society of
Great Britain and the Nihon Bijutsu To-Ken Hozon Kyokai preservation society of Japan
dedicated to preserving artifacts of and documenting the Samurai era. His close ties over the
decades with Japanese scholars, artisans, and masters of the craft has benefitted us all, as this
book is packed to the gills with extremely detailed, very in-depth knowledge and rare first-hand
experience. However, though he pulls no punches and uses Japanese names and phrases at every
turn, Sinclaire never leaves his readers in the dust and always explains himself thoroughly with an
easy, accessible style. This is one of those rare books that forces the reader to learn something in
each and every sentence, yet does so in an enjoyable and fascinating way.
The sword is thought to be the highest form of this practical art expression. Its beautiful lines, the
exquisite forging patterns and the intricate patterns (hataraki) found in its hamon or quenched and
hardened edge, combined with its deadly efficiency, make it poetry sculpted in steel... (42)
You could say the same thing for Sinclaire's text. While an immense amount of information is
passed along to the reader -- for instance, you don't merely learn about a samurai sword, but
rather about its era, type, metal, forging, swordsmith, lineage or history, its point (kissaki), back
(mune), curvature (zori), shape and form (sugata), pattern of the body (jihada), hardened egde
(hamon), carvings (horimono), tang (nakago), inscriptions (suriage), pattern of the file marks
(yasuri), etc. -- it is done in a simply yet graceful manner. The detail is simply staggering. But he
does not lose control of his text and meander muddily through mountains of information and leave
the reader abandoned somewhere in the dark beneath the hills. His text is clean, concise and
packed with genius.
Samurai starts gently with a general overview of the history of Japan, the rise and rule of the
samurai, and their fall. My poetry sculpted in steel metaphor: like a samurai sword, this book is
exhibited, slowly drawn, then swung in a sharp, perfectly aimed arc. It slowly builds momentum,
flashes and spins out speeding details, and then cuts deep into its subject -- just like a perfectly
swung sword, it cuts to the bone and exposes its subject thoroughly, yet is held and honored with
the deepest respect. Samurai is thorough and covers the samurai and their armor, long and short
swords, daggers, spears and polearms (yari, naginata, and nagamaki), bows and arrows and
archery techniques, horses, and also guns. Each type of weapon is thoroughly explained with
numerous pictures and drawings to explain the techniques of forging or handle wrappings or edge
type or gilding, etc., as well as careful notes on the etiquette, study, appraisal, and care for all
these types of artifacts. This book is designed to be read and enjoyed by an amateur aficionado or
casual reader, yet explicit and knowledgeable enough to be used by a master collector. Samurai is
a brilliant study of a noble and important era in human history.
Thomas Fortenberry
Reviewer
Frank's Bookshelf
The Barbarians Speak: How the Conquered Peoples Shaped Roman Europe.
Peter S. Wells
Princeton University Press.
41 William St., Princeton, New Jersey 08540.
ISBN: 0691058717, $17.95, 335pp., 1-800-777-4726
The author is a professor of anthropology at the University of Minnesota and an expert in the
archaeolgy of southern Germany. This book has 45 black and white illustrations and maps, some
of them overly simple, and two overly brief chronologies. It also has an index, a short glossary
and list of Greek and Roman authors, and a very good bibliographic essay and bibliography. The
focus of Professor Wells's work is the various Celtic and Germanic tribes that lived and worked
north of the Roman Empire. They have left no written but a wealth of material records many of
which have only recently been discovered and studied. Most of the early accounts of these
peoples, whom the Romans called "barbarians," were written by Greeks and Romans. Wells
argues that after studying the physical remains of these peoples' cultures and settlements new
interpretations are warranted that show them to be much more interesting and worthy than the
written records by their conquerers have reported them to be. His investigation starts with Jullius
Caesar's conquest of the Gauls bewtween 58 and 51 BC, which he questionably calls the start of
European history north of the Mediterranean (p. ix), and the Romans' first humiliating and
important defeat by the barbarians in the Teutoburg Forest in northern Germany in AD 9. It ends
with the decline of Roman military and administrative power in northern Europe during the 3rd
century AD as they repeatedly were attacked by bands and tribes of various Goths, Alamanni,
Franks, Saxons, Burgundians, Langobards, Celts, and other groups. To this reviewer the most
fascinating parts of this book deal with the discussions of the lives and cultures of the urbanized,
Iron Age, indigenous peoples of Europe shortly before the Roman conqests, the descriptions of
their settlements called oppida which could be found scattered from France to Eastern Europe,
the culture and lives of people who lived in the early Roman frontier zones, and, of course, the
crises of the 3rd century which saw the "barbarians" starting to get their own way. This is
something of a specialist book filled with all kinds of interesting discussions of coins, monuments,
tools, settlement planning, and many other topics, but serious general readers and motivated
college and university students should be able to find it in their libraries.
A Concise History of China
J.A.G. Roberts
Harvard University Press
79 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
ISBN: 0674000757, $11.87, 341pp., 1-800-448-2242
The author, a historian at Huddersfield University in the United Kingdom, has published four
other histories of China. This one is comprehensive, well researched, and clearly written. It
includes 10 simple black and white maps, endnotes, a list of books on China in English, and an
index. Dr. Roberts states in the introduction that this book is "presented as being in no
fundamental way different from the history of any other nation or society." (p.xiii). He argues,
quite rightly, in his interpretation that traditional histories of China have placed far too much
emphasis on periodization and neat dynastic cycles. He touches on the prehistory of China but
starts his work seriously with the Xia (2205 BC to 1750 BC) and Shang (1766-1122 BC)
dynasties. He ends his work, which emphasizes economic, political, and military affairs, with a
discussion of the regime of Deng Xiaoping who died on 19 February 1997. All of the major
periods in China's long and complex history receive balanced coverage. Possibly the greatest
strength of this useful book is the efficient, concise manner of its presentation. It is indeed a
worthwhile source for general readers and high school-university students.
Southeast Asia: A Concise History
Mary Somers Heidhues
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
ISBN: 0500251177, $10.00, 192 pp., 1-800-233-4830
This highly informative and attractive survey of the island, maritime, and mainland region that
stretches from Burma/Myanmar and Sumatra in the West to Irian Jaya in the West includes the
nations of Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei
Darussalam, and the Philippines. It has a glossary, bibliography, an index, and 131 exceptionally
fine black and white illustrations, mainly photographs, and 11 excellent black and white maps. It
covers the period from prehistory to the late 1990s. Some of the topics covered are art, ecology,
economics, ethnic groups, languages, political-military-regional-foreign affairs, religions,
resources, and weather. This very successful book seems well suited to the needs and interests of
general readers and students from middle schools to universities.
Frank P. King
www.kingfr@earthlink.net
Frederick's Bookshelf
The Lovely Bones
Alice Sebold
Little, Brown & Company
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
0316666343, 330 pp., 2002, $21.95, 1-800-759-0190
After more than half a year on the New York Times Best Sellers List, The Lovely Bones is doing
well, not only with the public, but with critics too. The intended audience seems to just a general
audience, though perhaps a little leaning towards teenagers. This is Sebold's first attempt at novel
writing and the subjects she delves into are not ones for unseasoned writers. The title of this novel
refers to those she loves, friends and family. The topics of her book include serial murder, rape,
death, heaven, love, and life after the untimely loss of a loved one. The book begins with a
shocking confession, but then what follows is an inane narrative.
Susie Salmon is a fourteen year old girl lured into an underground death trap by her neighbor.
After suffering rape, her neighbor then kills and dismembers her. We learn of this after the fact
through Susie's first person narrative from "heaven". The rest of the story is simply what happens
to Susie's family and a select few friends as a result of her death in the years after her death. Her
father suspects the next door neighbor, but lack of evidence prevents his arrest. The long
unsolved murder and parental polarity about how to procede with the investigation eventually
causes the Abigail, Susie's mother, to abandon her family, her husband, her daughter Lynn, and
her son, Buckley. She first moves to the East Coast, then to California, sending postcards to her
children along the way. Abigail is intelligent and loves esoteric authors, Sarte, Moliere, Proust,
and Flaubert. But her characterization is flat at best with no believable reasons for her actions, her
being, or her lack of dialogue. The narrative continues until these people live their lives without
constantly thinking about Susie's unsolved murder.
Of the many issues that Sebold's novel addresses, her depictions of love, heaven, death, and
female characterization call for exploration. Since this is Susie's narrative, what is important to
understand is this story is from a teenager's perspective, supposedly. Given that she died at
fourteen, what follows in the narrative belies her age. At times she is omniscient and then she is
not. She can explain things with adult acumen, but she cannot understand that she is dead and no
longer among the living. She is not omnipresent, but can visit her family and friends at will just to
watch their lives, and she even watches her murderer's life, Mr. Harvey. In 'heaven' she watches
events on earth like people watch television here, occasionally switching channels in search of
something more interesting, which in this case is someone who is thinking about Susie. She is in
heaven, but is this heaven?
Love for Susie is very pragmatic. Since she is only fourteen at her death, she laments that she has
only one kiss prior to being raped and killed. This lamentation fills the pages of this novel and as
she watches her friends and siblings age, the curious idea that having sex fulfills Susie's notion that
they are growing up (157). When she watches Ray, the only boy who kissed her, she cannot help
but to fantasize about kissing him more. But her spectatorship does not end there. In fact, she
observes her sister's first sexual experience, her murderer's sexual experiences, and even her
mother's repeated infidelity that she describes as "merciful adultery" (197). Susie wants to have
sex with Ray, the exotic intelligent Indian boy who first kissed her and because she wants it so
bad, it comes true, rather predictably. Ruth, Susie's classmate, is a loner and weird. Ruth
establishes a friendship with Ray as a result of Susie's death and the two spend a lot of time
together. It is during Mr. Harvey's return to his neighborhood to settle things with Susie's sister
Lindsey--she broke into Mr. Harvey's house looking for evidence that he was the murder and thus
necessitating his departure from the neighborhood and flight from the law--that Ruth and Susie
trade places.
On the day Susie enters her heaven, she passes by and touches (all souls want to stay and try to
do so by touching someone before they depart) Ruth. Ruth is a strange loner and intelligent. Ruth
is also clairvoyant. She senses the death of women and girls where ever she goes. During one
scene, Ruth's clairvoyance is so overwhelming that she faints, leaves her body, and goes to
heaven. At that very second, Susie inhabits Ruth's body. Prior to this, Susie desparately wanted to
warn Lindsey about Mr. Harvey, but now that she is in a real body, all she can think about is
having sex with Ray. Ray runs to Ruth's aid since she has fainted, but he cannot tell who she is
since all she wants is for him to kiss her (and since Ruth was leaning to lesbianism, this is
confusing to Ray). Then she tells him that she is not Ruth, but Susie. That is when they go visit a
friend's bike shop and Ray decides to shower, Susie who is now in Ruth's body joins him and the
spend the most of the evening in sexual activity. As the night comes to an end, Susie, realizing
that her time is nearly over, then tries to phone her sister, but her brother answers and he cannot
hear her. She fades away into her heaven once more and Ruth re-enters her body. The scene is
disturbing for numerous reasons, but mainly that even though her sister's life is in danger, Susie
(in Ruth's body), prioritizes sex over the life of her sister.
The depiction of heaven in this novel is most bizarre. Two aspects require comment. There is a
complete absence of God, angels, Jesus Christ, or anything remotely related to traditional
concepts of heaven. Instead, this heaven is a place Susie finds herself after death and is escorted
to her eternal dwelling place after seemingly minor adjustments to the new surroundings. Susie
notices that heaven is similar to places on earth. Upon her third day there (apparently this heaven
functions with solar time, similar to the earth), she meets a girl in her yard on the swing set. Holly,
who becomes her friend, has only been there three days as well. After a little small talk, Susie asks
Holly "Do you like it here?" and the response is quite unexpected as she answers "No." Susie then
explains "we had been given, in our heavens, our simplest dreams" (18). Franny, her "intake
counsellor" explains that heaven is anything you desire, that "all you have to do is desire it, and if
you desire it enough and understand why,-really know-it will come" (19). Thus, the desire plays
an important role in the ever expanding parameters of the heavens. I pluralize the term because
each person has their own version of heaven, and sometimes the heavens intersect with the other
inhabitants' versions of heaven. When the heavens do not intersect, Susie is simply by herself.
The second aspect concerns the contrast of Sebold's heaven with Biblical or even Dantean
accounts of heaven. When God or Christ is mentioned, it is as a curse or mockery. No reverence,
but simply taking God's name in vain. Since there are too many depctions to address, a random
sampling here offers the contrasts. Susie first describes heaven as a place where "There wasn't a
lot of bullshit ..." (8). Though there was no "bullshit", Susie's heavenly air often smelled like
skunk, "just a hint of it" because "It was a smell she had always loved on earth" (40). Susie's
heaven is not necessarily permanent either. In fact, Susie repeatedly visits earth, once in her
friends' body while her friend visited heaven (the aforementioned trading-places event). Since it
was a place of realizing her desire, and she loved animals, especially dogs, she has all kinds of
dogs running around in the park outside her window. Her own dog eventually joins her. Finally,
when people die, Susie can see their souls leaving earth, souls that physically touch people as they
exit earth's realm.
Death in this novel is problematic. It happens for various reasons, most of them quite violent, but
the reason for death is secondary to being in heaven. Death is a transition, though painful
momentarily, it suggests that the quality of your life here does not impose on the quality of life in
heaven. In fact, there is no reason not believe that when Mr. Harvey dies, he will not be in heaven
as well. Why not? There certainly is no reason for him to be condemned. The novel draws no
distinction of what is right or wrong, just that desire is the ultimate guide. Therefore, Mr. Harvey
should have quite a nice heaven as well since he is merely driven by desire. But what is most
disturbing is that death and mourning are situations that these characters cannot cope with and
seek to avoid. Accepting the fact of death is most difficult, especially for Susie who is dead.
The depiction of females in the novel is most problematic, especially of motherhood. Of the four
mothers, Susie's Mother (Abigail), Abigail's mother, Lynn; Mr. Harvey's mother; and Ray Singh's
mother, Ruana, not one is simply normal. Abigail is lost in her own eyes, trying to find some
reason to live other than being a mother. Lynn, Susie's grandmother is alchoholic and driven to
vanity. Mr. Harvey's mom teaches him about murder and how to turn his heart "off an on" as
necessary. And finally, Ruana is an exotic foreigner who smokes Dunhill cigarettes living in a
marriage that is second to her husband's career. No mother is normal in this book, though perhaps
the end of the novel has a bit of hope that Lindsey will be normal as he has her first girl (she
decides to be a therapist as a result of constantly helping her father, brother, and even her mother
make it through during the difficult times). No mother is respected for being a mother, and after
her long separation, Abigail rejoins her family due to her husband's heart attack. In the car on the
way to the hospital, the only words her son has for her are two expletive rejections. Her departure
is unsettling since there is no real character development to explain why she has to leave besides
her loss of ability to put on a front, and her return is just as mysterious.
The depiction of the younger girls fares worse. Lindsey is a brilliant weirdo with the added stigma
of being the sister of the murdered girl. Susie's highly intelligent acquaintance, Ruth, suffers from
delusions which reveal to her gory deaths of other girls and women, seeing "sometimes only
bright flashes...and at other times it was as if an entire scenario spun out in her head in just the
amount of time it took for the girl or woman to die" (251). Intelligence and being female do not
seem to be normal qualities. If a girl is intelligent, there is often something unusual if not just plain
freaky as part of the girl's characterization.
This novel is not so much about heaven, but about not wanting to be there, about wanting to be
with family and with friends. That might simply be normal. But this novel is only about having
sex. Unprotected. Adulterous. Fornication. Since America is experiencing such a tremendous
surge in STD's, the overwhelming adultery, voyerism, and unprotected sex send a potent message
that engaging in such activities is okay; there are no consequences. Look hard to find any in this
novel. For example, Susie's voyeuristic propensity to watch her friends and family includes
observing her own mother's adultery where she state's " I felt the kisses as they came down my
mother's neck" (196). This is not normal, a fourteen year old daughter being a spectator of her
mother's adultery void of moral implication.
I wonder how lovely the bones would be if she lived a normal life. She certainly would not enjoy
such voyeuristic access to her friends and family's sexual activity. Perhaps she would not care
because by not being in heaven, she could not access everyone's presence. Since she had nothing
to do in heaven but watch them anyways, by not going to heaven, she might have ultimately lived
her life here without a predisposition to activities that most normal people would be arrested for if
caught.
The recent disappearances of young teen girls spark a great interest in this book. But, if there is
any relevance in the book, I find no comfort in knowing that victimized girls are in heaven
wanting to come back so then can "grow up" like everyone else, engaging in unprotected
premarital sexual activity. If Sebold's depiction of heaven is true, I find little healing in the notion
that their existence in heaven is merely whatever they desire it to be. It is a disturbing novel that
exemplifies and promotes prurient activity void of consequences and avoids the reality of death
altogether. As a result, most disturbing is that with the nature of heaven advanced in this novel, it
is just a place to go when you die, Mr. Harvey will also be there.
Frederick White
Reviewer
Gorden's Bookshelf
Cryptonomicon
Neal Stephenson
Avon Books
10 East 53rd Street New York, NY 10022
ISBN: 0060512806, $7.99, paperback, 1139 pages
Stephenson has written a massive complex novel of two intertwined stories separated by 50 years
in 'Cryptonomicon.' The stories are engaging and interesting but Stephenson likes words. Long
passages are unnecessarily complex and hard to follow as he fills them with sentences built for the
usage of words and not the telling of a story. If you love the play of words, you will love this
novel. If you like storytelling, you will wish there was a condensed version of the book.
'Cryptonomicon' is a story that follows two family lines, the Shaftoes and the Waterhouses, from
just before World War II to today. Cryptonomicon is a name given to a compilation of cryptology
techniques and methodology during World War II and is the thread that holds the story together.
The Waterhouses supply the brains to the tale while the Shaftoes the brawn. Stolen gold, spying,
encryption, war, death are all blended into a richly detailed action novel with a mystery twist.
If you like high tech action mysteries that require a lot of thinking, 'Cryptonomicon' is a good
story. The blending of action with a technical storyline is done flawlessly. If you can handle the
overuse of words, you will enjoy it. 'Crytonomicon' is good story that could be a great one if it
was under a thousand pages.
1st To Die
James Patterson
Warner Books, Inc.
1271 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10020
ISBN: 0446610038,$7.99, paperback, 462 pages
Patterson has written a fast easy reading action/detective mystery in '1st To Die.' Patterson is well
known as a detective mystery writer with a few of his stories made into movies. I do not read
many of Patterson's novels but 1st is a straight forward mystery with a final surprise twist.
Lindsay Boxer is a San Francisco homicide detective who gets called to a luxury hotel for a
gruesome murder of high society newlyweds on the same day she finds out she has a lethal form
of anemia. The murders and her illness threaten to overwhelm her. When the murders continue,
she decides to bring her friends together to help solve the case, Claire a medical examiner, Cindy a
crime reporter for the 'Chronicle,' and Jill an assistant DA. The Women's Murder Club is
started.
'1st To Die' is a satisfying mystery with a rich cast of characters. There is some weakness to the
story at the end but this is a solid tale. Patterson is at his best and the story is well worth
reading.
S.A. Gorden, Reviewer
http://www.paulbunyan.net/users/gsirvio/content.html
Harold's Bookshelf
To The Max: Revenue Maximization
Randy Browning and Sameer Kumar
PricewaterhouseCoopers
1177 Ave. of the Americas, New York, NY 10036
ISBN: 1931684065 $29.95 Pages: 248
"To The Max" is an insightful guide to the problem of revenue leakage. With growth rates so
much lower than they were in the early nineties, businesses have increased the focus on
maximizing the revenue stream. The authors are partners at PricewaterhouseCoopers and have
extensive experience in the trenches with the telecom industry. While their advice is current and
highly practical it is most appropriate for industries the have a great deal of transactions on a
regular basis such as telecoms, hospitals and similar organizations.
The areas covered include facts about revenue leakage, causes of revenue leaks, what some
companies are doing now, how to get a revenue maximization initiative going within your
organization, day-to-day processes, key automated tools, quantifiable monitoring mechanisms,
and the future of revenue maximization. While the authors focus on an approach they call
identify-quantify-capture, it is obvious that they have dealt in the real world. One of the places this
shows though most clearly is in the section where they discuss the problems of getting an
organization to commit to a program. It includes detailed discussion of some of the various
commitment phases and the process of moving through those phases on the path to commitment.
"To the Max" is a recommended read for anyone in business for their self or at the head of a large
department or corporation. It is a highly recommended read if that business is involved in a highly
detailed transactional business where thousands of transactions are detailed daily.
The Lonely Queue: The Forgotten History of the Courageous Chinese Americans in Los
Angeles
Icy Smith
East West Discovery Press
PO Box 2393, Gardena, CA 90247
ISBN: 0970165412 $39.95 Pages: 195
"The Lonely Queue" is a high quality, oversized book about the history of Chinese Americans in
Los Angeles. The text starts with 1850 when there were only two Chinese male house servants
recorded in the census and continues through the 1990s. The primary divisions are: Early
Settlement in Los Angeles, Chinese Exclusion Act Years in Old Chinatown, Social Conditions in
Old Chinatown, The Birth of China City, Chinese Americans in World War II, Postwar Years in
New Chinatown, Chinatown Troubles, The Development of Suburban Chinatown, The
Emergence of the San Gabriel Valley Chinese Communities, New Roles of Chinese Americans,
and The Future.
The book is filled with so many pictures and illustrations from the various time periods that it
appears more space is dedicated to the pictures than to the words. While this might not be
appropriate in other books, I have always found it to be wonderful in historical texts. Nothing
takes you back in time and gives you a feel for the period as well as a period photograph or
illustration. This is a highly recommended and very valuable book for anyone interested in the
history of Chinese Americans in Los Angeles.
Swords for Hire
Will Allen
CenterPunch Press
PO Box 43151, Cincinnati, OH 45243
ISBN: 0972488200 $6.95 Pages: 168
"Swords for Hire" is a humorous and exciting medieval adventure. Inspired by "The Princess
Bride", the style is similar enough that anyone who enjoyed that book should enjoy this one.
Although it is written for the juvenile market (age 9 or so and older) it is still a delightful read for
anyone. For a younger person the first thirty pages are somewhat slow but required in order to lay
the foundation for the rest of the book. On the other hand, once you get to the section on "The
Oddball" it picks up speed, the two primary characters become well developed and the book takes
off. After that it is hard to put the book down and you may find yourself sitting up to finish it.
"Swords for Hire" is a highly recommended and enjoyable read.
Money Working for You
Robert S. Bacarella
Monetta Educational Foundation
1776-A South Naperville Rd., Wheaton, IL 60187
ISBN: 0972367411 $24.95 Pages: 130
"Money Working for You" is a basic guide to the world of Finance and Investment. It is written
for the high school market but would be valuable to anyone who has had no formal education in
the area of finance. The text starts by defining money and its use as a medium of exchange, then
proceeds through earning, saving, simple and compound interest, investments, stocks and stock
charts, bonds, mutual funds, real estate and commodities.
Each area is covered in appropriate detail to provide a basic understanding. Coverage includes
such things as the rule of 72, reading stock market charts, basic rules of investing, understanding
risk, and volatility. The author, Robert S. Bacarella has been an investment professional for over
26 years and is currently the president and director of the Monetta Family of No-load Mutual
Funds. He is to be commended for producing a text that covers the basics of finance in an easy to
understand way and is entirely appropriate for the high school market.
"Money Working for You" is a highly recommended purchase for those wanting a good
introduction to finance. A supplemental guide with lesson plans is also available for those who
would want to use it in a scholastic environment.
Gestapo USA: When Justice Was Blindfolded
William E. Winterstein, Sr.
Lt. Colonel (Ret.)
Robert D. Reed Publishers
750 La Playa, Suite 647, San Francisco, CA 94121
ISBN: 1931741131 $25.95 Pages: 208
Gestapo USA examines the historical events of the German rocket team that developed the
technology that eventually sent satellites into space and men onto the moon. While it looks at
several historical curiosities such as how the team had the technology to send a satellite into space
before Sputnik but was held at bay for political reasons, the majority of the book examines the
case of Arthur Rudolph. Arthur Rudolph was one of the German scientists involved in U.S. rocket
research. After completing the majority of his research and developing the technology he was
suddenly accused of Nazi war crimes and deported.
The author, William E. Winterstein, is in an excellent position to walk the reader through the case.
He is a retired military officer and was intimately involved in the rocket research project. As he
gets into the details of the Rudolph case it appears at first to be just a case of a person trying to
clear the name of a good friend. But further reading shows that he is not only determined to clear
his friend's name but has a great deal of clear and convincing evidence that the Federal
investigators had an ulterior motive for deporting Rudolph. What that motive might be is never
clear, but Mr. Winterstein includes copies of letters, and other evidence that clearly points to a
governmental conspiracy. He presents much of the evidence in a voluminous series of appendices
to the text.
People who are interested in conspiracy theories will enjoy the book as it definitely opens a lot of
questions and leaves them unanswered. If you are interested in history, rocket science, political
science, conspiracy theories, or just want to know what the government is capable of doing to the
innocent this will be one of your favorite books. The title Gestapo USA may be a little overboard,
but the subtitle When Justice was Blindfolded is a perfect description of the situation. This is a
highly recommended read and sure to become a favorite for those interested in historical
truth.
Teleworking and Telecommuting
Jeffery D. Zbar
Made E-Z Products
384 S. Military Trail, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
ISBN: 1563825198 $14.95 Pages: 239
To put it succinctly "Teleworking and Telecommuting" is a must-have guide to anyone
considering either of these working paradigms. The author provides and extensive analysis of all
the benefits and pitfalls of working from home. He covers the personal characteristics necessary
for successfully working from home, home office furnishings, balancing problems with family life
and work life when at home, strategies for getting the employer to accept the proposition of
working from home, and many other things that are critical to your success but often overlooked
when considering working from home. The book ends with four appendices that provide a
teleworker aptitude test and three sample contracts. I've been involved in teleworking for some
time where I spend some time at the office and some time elsewhere providing work product.
This is the most comprehensive book on the subject that I have read and so is a highly
recommended read for anyone who is thinking of changing their work style to a teleworking
paradigm or who is thinking of taking a job where teleworking is required or an option.
Entrepreneurship
Mel Chasen
Made E-Z Products
384 S. Military Trail, Deerfield Beach, FL 33442
ISBN: 156382521X, $14.95 Pages: 220
"Entrepreneurship" discusses what an entrepreneur is and what makes a successful one. While all
of the advice is sound, this is a common subject for books and there is a lot of competition for
market share. All of them cover common problems of the entrepreneur, mistakes to avoid,
important steps and strategies to take, etc. Most also contain motivational stories and information.
So, why should you consider this book over other similar titles? Well it is the only one that I have
read that includes some very important factors to personal success. These important factors
include one that is left out of most lists. That factor is forgiveness. It is critical for success that
you be able to forgive not only employees that make errors but also errors that you make. I have
seen many businesses fail because the head made a mistake in judgment that they then spent all of
their time trying to recover instead of just forgetting it and moving on. A truly successful
entrepreneur has two personality characteristics that are not mentioned in most business books.
One is that they can forgive themselves and others and move on. The other is that they can't be
too personally attached to their ideas. If they try something and it fails then try it different, change
it, or try something entirely different, but don't be so personally attached to the idea that you have
to make it work just the way it was originally conceived. While the author does not come out and
express this as one of his top factors, the idea is embedded within the pages of the book. This
recognition that the successful entrepreneur must be able to forgive, adapt, and move on is what
makes this book different from most. The rest of them are sound business books for the
entrepreneur and some of them will still be required (such as a book that includes information on
the business form you might want to take - corporation, partnership, sole-proprietor, etc.) but this
book should be the beginning point. Use this book to determine whether you have what it takes to
be an entrepreneur or not. It is a recommended read for anyone thinking about going in business
for their self.
The Emotional Energy Factor: The Secrets High-Energy People Use to Beat Emotional
Fatigue
Mira Kirshenbaum
Delacorte Press/The Bantam Dell Publishing Group
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
ISBN: 0385336098 $23.95 Pages: 260
In The Emotional Energy Factor author Mira Kirshenbaum has produced a seminal work on why
we feel tired and what we can do about it. She explains that physical energy is only one factor of
our total energy formula, emotional energy is the larger and more important factor.
The book dedicates a chapter to each of several emotional drains and what needs to be done to
stop the draining and start the energy flow. The writing is skillfully done with a direct and to the
point style. Well researched and easy to understand, this book is sure to bring hope to millions
who suffer under emotionally draining circumstances and don't realize why they are so fatigued.
The Emotional Energy Factor is a highly recommended purchase.
The Devil Himself: The Mutiny of 1800
Dudley Pope
McBooks Press, Inc.
520 N. Meadow St., Ithaca, NY 14850
ISBN: 1590130359, $14.95 Pages: 201
Author Dudley Pope has pieced together the factual events of the Mutiny of 1800 and put them
into an easy to read story. Why is this particular mutiny significant? It is the only British mutiny to
occur during wartime where the mutineers actually delivered the ship to the enemy.
Written in a narrative style, "The Devil Himself" clearly illustrates the naval conditions of the time.
Seamen were often impressed into the naval service against their will, advancement was difficult
but often given for political reasons as much as talent, flogging was common, and in the case of
the Danae the quarters were small and the ceilings so low that you could not stand up at all.
A sleek ship, the Danae could overtake just about anything else on the water. What would cause
the ship's crew to mutiny? Why would a mutinous crew actually deliver their ship to the enemy?
Other mutinies had occurred but they resulted in better conditions for sailors, why was this one so
different?
This is a fascinating read for anyone interested in historical events. Put together from the British
and French Naval archives, where it is in a folder labeled Le Diable Lui-meme - The Devil
Himself, it is a recommended read.
Abandoned on Bataan
Oliver Allen (as told to Mildred Allen)
Crimson Horse Entertainment & Publishing Co.
103C Parkway, Boerne, TX 78006
ISBN: 0971318417, $18.95, Pages: 230
"Abandoned on Bataan"; is the detailed memoirs of Oliver Allen, one of may American soldiers
left behind on the Bataan peninsula during World War II. Most people with even a basic
knowledge of the history of the war in the Pacific know of the Bataan death march and the
condition of the people when they were rescued from camps in China and Japan. What we
generally don't know much about is what happened between those events. Oliver Allen's story fills
in that detail with his personal experiences. He details the treatment received (including the rare
instances of kindness shown by individual soldiers), the daily life in the camp, the work details, the
health conditions, and the eventual liberation. It is a story of strength in the darkest hours of
human travesty, it is a story of surviving, and it is a story of winning against all odds. For those
with an interest in history and in particular an interest in Bataan or the war in the Pacific in general
it is a highly recommended read.
Good Morning, Sun
Jenny Kochersperger
Beyond Borders Books
420 E 120th Ave, B-2 #206, Northglenn, CO 80234
ISBN: 0971588406, $16.95, Pages: 28
"Good Morning, Sun" is a basic children's book that starts them on the journey to learning about
geography and different cultures. In short, it is the story of the sun telling various countries
"Good Morning". For each country visited it shows the words "Good Morning" in their native
tongue and mentions an item of significance in their country. The sun says "Good Morning" to
American and the Statue of Liberty, to Mexico and Chichen Itza, to Germany and the
Brandenburg Gate, to Russia and the Kremlin, to France and the Eiffel Tower, and to China and
the Great Wall. All in all, it is a good book to start introducing children to geography and other
cultures, however, it would have been better if it had at least put the visits to the various countries
in the order in which they would be visited by the sun. This would allow additional discussion of
geography and the movement of the earth. Obviously, the sun would not visit the countries in the
order of America, Mexico, Germany, Russia, France, and then China. Still, it is a true children's
book with pages that are treated so they can easily be cleaned of dirty fingerprints and other
travails of children. "Good Morning, Sun" is a recommended purchase for young children.
Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order
Steven Strogatz
Hyperion
47 Riverside Avenue, Westport, CT 06880
ISBN: 0786868449, $24.95, Pages: 435
"Sync: The Emerging Science of Spontaneous Order" is a dissertation on synchronization and its
place in the universe. Standard entropy theory has always indicated that a system that is orderly
will, over time, move to a position of less and less organization. However, that is not always
consistent with observations in real life. Steven Strogatz does an inspired job of describing how
synchronization exists in such small areas as fireflies and plant leaves to much larger concepts of
the universe and the asteroid belt in our solar system.
One of the more fascinating sections of the book deals with synchronization in human beings. It
covers current research in areas such as sleep rhythms, circadian rhythms, the tendency for
women to match menstrual cycles over time, body temperature rhythms, and various other normal
cycles of the human experience.
This is a very academically oriented text that many with only a passing interest in such things
might find too detailed and scientific for their likes. On the other hand, for those with a keen
interest in the cycles of the natural world and current research into this emerging field this is one
of the foremost texts on the subject. It is a highly recommended read for anyone with a desire to
learn about how natural tendencies toward synchronization move us to spontaneous order.
The Mate Map: The Right Tool for Choosing the Right Mate
Steven Sacks
Banner Publishing
145 E. 16th Street, New York, NY 10003
ISBN: 0971388709, $24.95, Pages: 208 plus appendices and index
Have you ever wondered if there might be a tool to organize and rank the things that are
important in a successful relationship in such a way that it would show you whether someone was
the "right" person or not? That is the premise behind "The Mate Map". The author takes you first
through the basic principles of the Mate Map as well as dispelling relationship myths and defining
relationship truths. With this foundation then laid, he takes you through the Mate Map process in
intricate detail. The process is easy to follow and is complete with forms and examples of how to
work with them as well as an extensive section on how to interpret them. The idea is that you
would go through the process yourself and the other person you are interested in would also go
through the process. The result is a map that shows how compatible the two of you are. The
process is extensive and appears to provide a detailed analysis of what is important to you, what is
not important, and what you are really looking for in a relationship. While I can't say if it works or
not, I can say that it should at least open your eyes to the most important factors to you in a
relationship. It is a recommended read for anyone seeking to find that right someone.
Will You Dance?
Annette Childs-Oroz, PhD
The Wandering Feather Press
774 Mays Blvd. #10-488, Incline Village, NY 89451
ISBN: 097189020X, $24.95, Pages: 138
"Will You Dance?" is a symbolic story that defines the life experiences of most of us at one time
or another. In the form of shadowy figures it tells the story of how we move through an
emotionally crippling event to a whole new world. The figures are Destiny, Change, Fear, Loss,
Hope, Faith, Joy and they are presented in that order. Why that order? Because that is the normal
order of events. First something happens to us that changes our life, which is Destiny. Along with
such an event Change is always present. And, of course, along with Change comes Fear and Loss.
Eventually, these are followed by Hope, Faith, and then finally Joy.
We enter life full of joy and involved in the dance of life. At some point a life change occurs that
causes us to no longer dance the dance of life. If we follow through the whole process we are
finally asked the important question by Joy.... Will you dance? This book is a highly recommended
and enjoyable read written in an almost poetic style.
Charred Souls: A Story of Recreational Child Abuse
Trena Cole
Oberpark Publishing, Inc.
55 Monument Circle, Suite 1422, Indianapolis, IN 46204
ISBN: 097235350X, $16.95, Pages: 326
Writing under a pseudonym, the author of "Charred Souls" takes the reader through her
experiences growing up in an abusive family. It is not for the timid or those offended by foul
language but the hurt and pain the author has endured is openly visible through the text. What
makes this story somewhat different from most is that it is a case of recreational abuse, abuse that
is done just for the pleasure of the abuser. The author takes us from her earliest childhood
memories, through her childhood growth years, and on through high school to adulthood. At each
stage she shares her thoughts and experiences as a child. This book will appeal to people who
identify with the abused person and those who want to acquire a detailed knowledge of the
potential of this type of abusive relationship. It is a detailed and heart wrenching tale.
Unspeakable: The Truth About Grief
Herb Orrell
Bayou Publishing
2524 Nottingham, Houston, TX 77005
ISBN: 1886298149, $24.95, Pages: 152
It's not every day that a book comes along with a truly insightful perspective. "Unspeakable: The
Truth About Grief" is one of those books. Most people are familiar with the standard view of the
process of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Herb Orrell has noted that
many people don't seem to make that last step and as a result end up in some sort of continuous
depression. With that in mind and his many years of experience as a minister, he has come to the
conclusion that there may be a stage missing. That stage would be the search for meaning.
This is a book that examines grief in detail from an empathetic viewpoint. The way from
depression to acceptance involves a search for meaning in the event. When we search for meaning
and ask "Why" the traditional religious reaction is not to even attempt an answer but to point out
that asking "Why" is wrong. The author walks us through his experience and his questioning of
why bad things happen to good people. Why do children starve? Why does God allow a child to
continue in an abused home? Asking why is not wrong, but part of our normal search for
meaning.
Herb Orrell examines the role of fear, anger, and atonement in moving through grief from a very
personal perspective. This is a highly recommended book with a truly innovative view on working
through the stages of grief.
What to Do When Your Child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Strategies and Solutions
Aureen Pinto Wagner, PhD
Lighthouse Press, Inc.
35 Ryans Run, Rochester, NY 14624-1160
ISBN: 0967734711, $19.95, Pages: 418
"What to Do When Your Child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder" is an exhaustive,
authoritative and yet highly readable examination of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) in
children. It is organized into two parts with the first part a thorough education in OCD. It
examines what OCD is and what it is not, how it is diagnosed, causes of OCD, and various
treatments. The second part provides just as thorough an education in how OCD affects your
child's thoughts and behaviors. It examines the cycle of avoidance and how that cycle fuels OCD.
Parenting challenges related to OCD are also discussed in detail. The text also includes an
exhaustive examination of behavior therapy and how it is used to help the OCD child acquire the
skills to overcome their disorder.
This is easily one of the most approachable and thorough books I have ever read on OCD. Don't
forget the companion book "Up and Down the Worry Hill" that is specifically written for children
with OCD to help them understand the disorder and what will happen in behavior therapy. "What
to Do When Your Child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder" is a highly recommended read for
anyone wanting to understand OCD better.
Healing the Fisher King: Spiritual Lessons with Parzival, Gump, the Grail, Tao, and Star
Wars
Shelly Durrell
Art Tao Press
4405 SW 64 Court, Miami, FL 33155
ISBN: 0971076804, $38.95, Pages: 363
If I had to use one word to describe this book it would have to be "brilliant". Shelly Durrell deftly
takes the reader on a highly informative journey through the story of Parzival and the Grail
complete with a detailed psychological analysis. At the same time she explores how the theme is
used consistently throughout some of the most successful films of our time including Star Wars,
Forest Gump, The Natural, and others. This is a strong and detailed exegesis of the Arthurian tale
of Parzival, the search for the Grail, and the Fisher King. By understanding Parzival and the Fisher
King we come to understand how to heal our own emotional wounds.
A story of hurt, growth, and healing, "Healing the Fisher King" is a wonderful read as Shelly
Durrell provides a thoroughly illuminating examination of all aspects of the tale. It is a highly
recommended read for people dealing with an emotional hurt that will not heal, an interest in fine
literature, or anyone else that just enjoys a well written book that shows the common bonds that
we all must experience and work through in our lives. Bravo, Shelly Durrell.
Destructive Relationships: A Guide to Changing the Unhealthy Relationships in Your Life
Dr. Jill Murray
Jodere Group, Inc.
PO Box 910147, San Diego, CA 92191-0147
ISBN: 1588720268, $23.95, Pages: 317
While there are many types of destructive relationships this book deals primarily with abusive
ones. These relationships may be between husband and wife, boss and employee, friends, parents,
children, or any other group of people. The relationships may be physically abusive, or they may
be emotionally, sexually, or verbally abusive. "Destructive Relationships" walks the reader
through warning signs that a relationship might be unhealthy by defining what is normal and what
is not. The authors follow that up with an excellent look at self-esteem issues and how to deal
with them effectively instead of using ineffective coping mechanisms. Finally Dr. Murray shows
you the pathway to a positive future with healthy relationships.
The sections on the consequences of abusive relationships were exceptional. They defined not
only the consequence but also the various ways in which those consequences manifest themselves.
Each section then ended with an activity you can do to help lessen the power of the consequence.
There is also an excellent chapter on dealing with abusers in the real world.
"Destructive Relationships" is a highly recommended read for many people: for anyone involved
in such relationships and blaming themselves, for people who seem to always be getting into
abusive relationships, or anyone who knows someone in such a relationship. It is not a miracle
answer, but a pathway that the person must travel to achieve freedom from the grip of low
self-esteem, emotional fear, shame, guilt, and other consequences of destructive
relationships.
No Condition is Permanent
Rene Godefroy
InQuest Publishing
PO Box 725169, Atlanta, GA 31139
ISBN: 097197540X, $20.00, Pages: 162
One of the best motivational books of the year "No Condition is Permanent" is the story of the
rise of Rene Godefroy from the slums of Haiti to become a successful motivational speaker and
CEO of Village Hero, Inc. The premise of the book is that there is no condition that cannot be
changed if you really want to change it. The book provides a process for handling the excuses and
stumbling blocks that keep you from achieving your goals. It also provides the encouragement to
keep you moving along your path. This is a highly recommended motivational book.
Intuition for Starters
J. Donald Walters
Crystal Clarity Publishers
14619 Tyler Foote Rd., Nevada City, CA 95959
ISBN: 1565891554, $9.95, Pages: 116
"Intuition for Starters" is a small book on the basics of intuition and following your intuition.
While there are several books on the subject available and many more that have a chapter on
intuition, this book is unique in one very important aspect. It is the only book I have seen on
intuition that effectively explains how to know when something is intuition and when it is not.
People often learn to distrust their intuition because it has proven wrong when in reality it was not
intuition at all. Learning to discern when something is truly your intuition speaking to you and
when it is not is critically important if you are to learning to trust your intuition. This is a
recommended read because the discussion of discerning intuition is so well done.
Up and Down the Worry Hill
Aureen Pinto Wagner, PhD
Lighthouse Press, Inc.
35 Ryans Run, Rochester, NY 14624
ISBN: 0967734703, $16.95, Pages: 35
"Up and Down the Worry Hill" is a children's book about Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
(OCD). In the book we see the world through the eyes of Casy, a child with OCD. It effectively
illustrates the internal dialogue and struggles of Casey and the difficulties such children face. For a
child with OCD it teaches them that they are not alone and someone understands them. The end
of the story helps the child to understand what will happen if they seek treatment via a child
therapist and the use of behavior therapy. The book effectively illustrates that the problem is not
something wrong with the child, but is something that just happens sometimes to some people. It
is a highly recommended text for anyone with a child with OCD or to help children with a friend
with OCD to understand their self better.
The Secrets that Lie Within
Kerry Hearns-Smith and Vicky Arledge
Arbor Publishing
7051 Highway 70 South #191, Nashville, TN 37221-2207
ISBN: 097179670X, $14.99, Pages: 116
"The Secrets that Lie Within" is a well written fable that explores the disabling effects of fear in a
person's life. By using the art of fable the authors take us on a journey from an ideal village where
the people are happy and open to outsiders to one that has become fearful of outsiders and built
walls around the city. While this practice does keep others out, it also keeps the inhabitants
prisoners inside their own city. A few more enlightened citizens leave to find out the truth, but by
the time they return everything is different and they are outsiders.
While it is a story of this village, it is also a story of our internal selves. When faced with things
that confuse us it is easy to retreat to a place that is walled up and safe. This seals us in from the
danger but also leaves us a prisoner of fear and false beliefs. The story is an example of how to
follow your heart and restore harmony to your self.
While it is a story of reclaiming the peace that should be yours and finding your true self, every
opportunity within the book is used to point the reader to the Tru-Self program, a part of the
Tru-Skills program which is in turn a program of Tru-Skills, LLC, a corporation that was started
by the authors. As such it is not only a wonderful story of overcoming fear and reclaiming your
self, but also a piece of marketing literature. Unfortunately the continuous references to Tru-Self
reduce the effectiveness of the message. While it may be an excellent program to help people
work through problems such as that represented in the book, it would have worked better if it
were put in an appendix with an explanation of the program. With the over-abundance of
marketing hype that people are exposed to everyday, I found it made the red flags go up
immediately the first time I saw the words Tru-Self show up in the text. This immediately reduced
the enjoyment of the fable itself. But even with this caveat, it is still a recommended read.
Our Secret Rules: Why We Do The Things We Do
Jordan Weiss, MD
Square One Publishers
115 Herricks Road, Garden City Park, NY 11040
ISBN: 075700010X, $12.95, Pages: 230
"Our Secret Rules" deals with the secret rules that regulate an individual's behavior. All of us
know about our conscious, obvious rules and how these affect our behavior. But what about
those other rules, the ones we hold deep down inside that are not so obvious but still affect our
behavior. Jordan Weiss takes us on a trip to discover the rules we hold and how those rules affect
us. He does this by setting up a scenario, asking a question about it, and then asking us to choose
one of three answers to the question. Each of the three answers are then explained so you can
understand the subconscious rules that are related to the answer you chose.
Jordan Weiss, MD takes on several important categories in his analysis. The first area to be
discussed is Money, then Work and Career, then Gender Roles, Power and Control, Health,
Personal Expression, Friendship, Spirituality, Sex, and Love. Some of the scenarios will present
easy answers for the reader and others will present more difficult questions to answer, but answer
them you must if you want to understand the internal rules that control your behavior.
The one thing that I did not like was that some of the scenarios don't offer enough information to
choose one of the answers. For example, in the Gender Roles area there is a scenario that goes
like this: "You serve in the military and are presently in combat. Your safety depends on the
courage and skill of your superiors. An error in judgment could be fatal to one or more members
of your squad. Your direct superior, who is a woman, commands a specific course of action. One
of your team members - a man who is a highly experienced fighter - disagrees and refuses to
comply. Who do you follow?" The answer choices are: "A) I trust my superior and I will obey her
commands, B) I don't have confidence in my commanding officer; I feel better going with the
man's opinion, or C) I have a tendency to trust the man's opinion, but to avoid court-martial, I will
do what I am told." There is simply not enough information to make any kind of informed
opinion. What is her experience level with actual combat? Why does the other experienced fighter
have a problem with the command? Is his argument reasonable? Is her reason for the command
reasonable? Does he not want to comply because he has a problem with her being in command or
is there a legitimate reason? Was she ordered to issue her command from someone above her who
is sitting safely elsewhere not even familiar with the current situation? There are so many
possibilities that make a difference as to whether I would choose A or B that it is hard to choose
either. Further information could move the decision solidly from one to the other. While he raises
some very good scenarios and they can point to very good information about yourself, they often
are not simple enough to be reduce to three possible answers. Of course, you pick the best that
you can of the three and read all the explanations and perhaps it still sheds some light on your
secret rules.
"Our Secret Rules" is a recommended read for those who want to examine their personal rules
and how they affect their actions. The scenarios and choices, while not exhaustive, are at least
illustrative of various internal rules. If you can't figure out which answer you would choose you
can at least examine the underlying issues in the explanations.
For this book I would suggest that you enjoy the journey of discovery, but try not to overanalyze
things too much as I often have a tendency to do (which I am sure is the result of some sort of
other internal rule that I have).
Facing a Crowd: How to Foil Your Fear of Public Speaking
Keith Clinton
Drake Publishing
PO Box 8524, Bend, OR 97708-8524
ISBN: 0970991967, $18.95, Pages: 227
Have you ever had to do a speech in front of a group of strangers? What about smaller groups
like committee meetings? Or what about being part of a group discussion? Do you fail to give
your input because of a fear of public speaking? If this sounds like you then rejoice, this book was
written for you.
"Facing a Crowd" is divided into four sections. First is a section on recognizing and learning how
to ease your anxiety. This is followed by a section on techniques to become an effective speaker.
The third section covers how to prepare a quality presentation. And finally, the last section is how
to achieve your speaking goals. The end of the book contains a summary of key points, speaker
work sheets, and similar material.
The book does arm you with appropriate motivational material, advice, and techniques to
overcome a fear of public speaking. However, this knowledge is not sufficient in itself and the
author recognizes this. You still need to actually practice public speaking. To this end the author
suggests activities such as taking a class, joining Toastmasters International, signing up with a
club, or volunteering at places where you would have an opportunity to speak to the public. For
those who are uncomfortable speaking in public (one of the most common fears) this is a highly
recommended book. It cannot beat experience but it can provide the tools you need so that you
can get the experience and finally become comfortable speaking to groups.
Divorce is a Mitzvah
Rabbi Perry Netter
Jewish Lights Publishing
Sunset Farm Offices, Route 4, PO Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091
ISBN: 1580231721, $16.95, Pages: 198
In "Divorce is a Mitzvah" Rabbi Perry Netter takes the reader through a Jewish perspective of
divorce. A mitzvah is defined as a response to the voice of God that commands us to behave in a
particular way. While Jewish scholars have many writings on the importance and symbolic
significance of marriage and being an ideal couple, there is a dearth of writings concerning
divorce.
Rabbi Netter tackles this problem and many of the hardest questions of divorce. Chapters include:
"Why is this happening to me?", "Is divorce Kosher?", "What do I do with all this anger?", "How
do we tell the kids?", "How do I get to closure?", and "How do we continue to raise children
together?". All this is done from an understanding and compassionate position within the Jewish
belief system. The book is a highly recommended read for Jewish readers seeking answers on the
question of divorce.
Daily Meditations: For Surviving a Breakup, Separation or Divorce
Micki McWade, MSW
Champion Press, Ltd
500 West Bradley Road, A129, Fox Point, WI 53217
ISBN: 1891400320, $16.00, Pages: 208
"Daily Meditations" is a series of 365 daily meditations all of which are related to encouragement
and healing for those dealing with loss in their life. Each day starts with an appropriate quote,
followed by a short meditation and ending with an affirmation for the day. These are strong
positive meditations that are sure to make a difference in the reader's life if they will take the time
to reflect on them. This is a life-changing book and a highly recommended read.
God Is With You: That is All You Need
Larry Libby
Zondervan Publishing (Zonderkidz Division)
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
ISBN: 0310703433, $12.99, Pages: 30
It is rare that I review a book that I believe should be in every library, this is one of those very few
books that meet the criteria for such a recommendation. This book should be in every Christian
church library and on the shelves of any Christian with young children.
"God Is With You: That Is All You Need" is a wonderful book detailing various scenarios where
children might be afraid and supplying just the right amount of scripturally based advice. The
book deals effectively with situations like when you feel lonely, when you are afraid, when things
go wrong and you want to give up, when you have a hurt that won't go away, when people lie
about you, when you feel understood, when you are concerned about the future, when you are
asked to do something very difficult for you, and when your best friend moves away. These are
some of the most common and difficult problems of children and the teachings of this book can
help them move through those difficult times. The book ends with a very basic version of the plan
of salvation and invites the child to ask Jesus into their life.
In addition to a wonderful story, "God Is With You" is beautifully illustrated by Corbert Gauthier.
The detailed and brilliant use of color creates a visual feast that is sure to hold a child's attention
even with the rather long readings on some of the pages. I will be sure to look for the name
Corbert Gauthier as illustrator on other children's books when considering items for review.
In summary, this is one of the most highly recommended children's books that I have ever
reviewed.
The Book of God: The Bible as a Novel
Walter Wangerin, Jr.
Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 0310220211, $19.99, Pages: 649
One of the more common problems for Christians is that they learn the Bible stories but don't
really learn how each of the stories are related to one another in terms of time and sequence. For
example the book of Second Samuel covers roughly the same time period as First Chronicles,
Second Chronicles covers pretty much the same period as First and Second Kings. How were all
of these people and events related on a consistent time scale across the various books?
"The Book of God" is very effective in resolving this problem by taking all the Bible stories and
putting them in chronological order. The author then rewrites them in the style of a contemporary
novel. While this may not be appropriate for exegetical Biblical study it is extremely valuable if
you want to truly understand the Bible as a whole. The author takes many liberties in writing but
they are well-researched and based on historical knowledge. For example, he starts with Abraham
with the words "An old man entered his tent, dropping the door flap behind him. In the darkness
he knelt slowly before a clay firepot, very tired...... The man's face was lean and wounded and
streaked with the dust of recent travel. He began to unroll a straw mat for sleeping but paused
halfway, lost in thought." Obviously we don't know that Abraham ever did this or looked like this,
but it is all consistent with the normal lifestyle of nomadic travelers of the time.
Again, it is not for determining doctrinal positions but an enjoyable novel that is not only a
pleasurable read but also brings the various stories of the Bible
The American Civil War
Gary W. Gallagher
The Teaching Company
4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151-1232
$TBA, Formats: Tapes, CDs, or Video
Through this series of 48 thirty minute lectures Professor Gallagher provides a thorough analysis
of the Civil War. This is an even-handed view of the war that depicts the views of the North and
those of the South as well as how those views changed over time. Professor Gallagher deftly
points out critical events and details from both sides. At the same time he debunks various myths
about the war and carefully points out the truth.
Professor Gallagher teaches at Penn State and the University of Virginia and is considered one of
the foremost authorities on the Civil War. Of particular interest is the way that he examines the
issues. Instead of just examining the various conflicts he discusses the causes of the war, the
leaders of both sides, the strategy in the macro environment and in particular battles, the
consequences of the war and of particular battles, and opportunities gained and lost. In short, he
leaves no stone unturned in bringing a complete understanding of the war to the listener.
Although it is an excellent course I did have one complaint about the course. There was a
tendency for Gallagher's voice to occasionally lower to the point of hardly being audible. For
those of you who have had the pleasure of listening to a college lecturer speak from a podium
with a microphone I'm sure you will remember straining to hear the words as they looked down at
their notes and turned their mouth away from the microphone. While that may not be what
happened in these lectures, it is the same effect. In order to hear everything I had to play the
lectures louder than normal. The Teaching Company has advised me that they are redoing many
of their courses for better quality sound and I assume this is one of the things that they will
address.
Even with that minor flaw, from beginning to end it is a fascinating and complete analysis of the
Civil War and a highly recommended purchase.
Answering Your Call: A Guide for Living Your Deepest Purpose
John P. Schuster
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
ISBN: 1576752054, $15.95, Pages: 141
"Am I really being called or is it wishful thinking?" "If I am responding to the call, why do I still
have times of doubt?" These are among the questions one normally asks when dealing with a call.
John P. Schuster masterfully with these and other questions in "Answering Your Call".
The author makes a strong argument that we often don't feel fulfilled in life if we don't know our
purpose. The reason we feel we have no purpose is because we continue to miss our callings
when they occur. With this as his thesis he works through the process of knowing what a call is,
recognizing when you are called to do something, and responding to your call. This is a fresh and
insightful look at defining purpose in your life and a recommended read.
Alzheimer's A to Z: Secrets to Successful Caregiving
Jytte Lokvig, BA, MA
Endless Circle Press
228 Ojo de la Vaca, Santa Fe, NM 87508
ISBN: 0971039003, $19.95, Pages: 269 plus appendix
"Alzheimer's A to Z: Secrets of Successful Caregiving" is a wonderful book for those dealing with
a friend or loved one with Alzheimer's. The book is organized alphabetically by topic. These
topics include agitation, baby talk, coaching, cursing, diet, driving, eating, fantasy, hallucinations,
listening, medication, obsessive behavior, pets, routines, singing, undressing, vitamins, word
substitution, and many others. Each topic gives examples of the specific item, suggestions on how
to handle the situation, and related topics. This organization is one of the things that make this
book so valuable. You don't have to completely read through the entire thing to try to find
answers to your questions. Instead you can go directly to the topic. Written is a style reminiscent
of a family friend helping you understand someone with Alzheimer's, it inspires confidence,
empathy, and patience in the caregiver. A highly recommended read for the non-professional
seeking advice and understanding when dealing with someone with Alzheimer's.
All Is Not Lost: The Healing Journey Through Crisis, Grief and Loss
C. Leslie Charles
Yes! Press
PO Box 956, East Lansing, MI 48826
ISBN: 0964462133, $11.95, Pages: 183
"All is Not Lost" is a compassionate look at journeying through major life-changing crisis, grief,
or loss. The author skillfully deals with the many aspects of a true crisis from the normal questions
of "Why me?" to working through grieving to healing. It also deals with anger, disappointment,
acceptance, hope, and the other emotions that go along with grief. Each chapter ends with an
exercise to help you move along through the healing process. "All is Not Lost" takes you
thoughtfully, gently, and lovingly through the healing process. It is a highly recommended
read.
Harold McFarland
Reviewer
Harwood's Bookshelf
Alien Abductions: Creating a Modern Phenomenon
Terry Matheson
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228
ISBN 1573922447, hc, 300 pp., $30.00, 1-800-421-0351
Alien abduction claims made in the books of John Fuller, Whitley Strieber, John Mack and others
are a violation of the laws of reality. So when Terry Matheson, after rebutting them, tries to avoid
calling the fantasizers liars by offering an alternative explanation that is itself a violation of the
laws of reality, I find myself wondering whether to laugh or cry. Matheson is a literature
professor. But his belief in such science fiction concepts as hypnotism, psychoanalysis, Jung's
"collective unconscious," repressed memories, mental illness as something other than social
inadequacy, and an unconscious mind capable of hiding traumatic memories by converting them
into less frightening "screen memories," is as complete as any psychoquack's.
It is the "screen memories" psychobabble theory that comes within an inch of invalidating
Matheson's whole book. According to the theory, the mind, independently of the will, is able to
hide memories of traumatic events such as childhood sexual abuse, by transubstantiating them into
less frightening memories such as alien abductions. Matheson actually believes that this may have
happened. And Santa Claus comes down the chimney on Mithra's birthday.
In an effort to appear non-judgmental, Matheson writes (p. 33), "I do not, of course, mean to
accuse the majority of authors of deliberately lying or cynically attempting to perpetrate hoaxes to
mislead their readers for nefarious purposes." But that statement refers to authors Matheson's
own analysis has demonstrated are deliberately lying for nefarious purposes. One sees the same
kind of political correctness in Protestant writers who debunk Catholic beliefs about Bernadette
Soubirous while leaning over backward to avoid saying that Soubirous was simply a mentally
inept compulsive liar.
The closest Matheson comes to deriding abduction pushers in plain language, is when he states (p.
153), "At times it is hard for the reader not to see [Bud] Hopkins as simply gullible," describes
Raymond Fowler (p. 209) as, "looking not only extremely gullible but intellectually flighty (if not
unstable) as well," and (p.107) compares two books that "provide us with excellent examples of
what happens when respect for the facts is either present (as it is for the most part in Ann Druffel
and D. Scott Rogo) or when it is not (in the case of Travis Walton)." Yet he says of Whitley
Strieber (pp. 167-168), "He does not pursue the possibility that all his experiences might be
similarly amenable to a psychological explanation," even though the same evidence that led him to
such a conclusion will satisfy most readers that Strieber is a calculating, unmitigated liar.
Matheson offers a logical explanation for why later abduction claims have been believed when
earlier ones were not (p. 37): "If a story appears coherent, seems to have a logical sequence to its
events, contains certain recognizable consistencies, and is endorsed by authorities, it tends to be
believed whether it is true or not."
While Matheson is able to recognize that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and
that abduction claims do not meet that criterion, his own ability to evaluate evidence is extremely
suspect. For example, he suggests that Betty and Barney Hill deluded themselves that they had
been abducted by aliens (p. 55) because their real experience, perhaps with hoodlums, "was too
terrifying and humiliating to be handled straightforwardly and was suppressed by their conscious
minds." Apparently he is unaware that "suppressed memory" is as much a psychobabble concept
as multiple personality.
Matheson acknowledges (p. 60) that "hypnosis has little if any intrinsic credibility as an
investigative tool." But his references to the hypnotizing of alleged abductees throughout the
book leave little doubt that he believes hypnotism actually exists. Apparently he is unaware that
Thomas Szasz was summarizing the findings of every competent researcher in the field when he
defined hypnotism as, "two people lying to each other, each pretending to believe his own and his
partner's lies."
Matheson gives the definitive and most detailed debunking of John Fuller's Interrupted Journey,
about the alleged abduction of the Hills. Nothing comparable has been written in many years,
possibly because even hardcore UFO cults have long recognized the Hills as an embarrassment
and Fuller (author of The Ghost of Flight 401) as a fantasy writer who would pass off Alice in
Wonderland as nonfiction if he thought there were enough gullible believers to make it
economically feasible. But Matheson undermines his success when he implies that he alone is
objective, while the leading researcher in the field, Philip Klass, shows a degree of bias that,
although opposite, is nonetheless equal to Fuller's. And his suggestion that the aliens who
allegedly abducted the Hills were "really" human thugs, reminds me of nothing so much as Michel
Gauquelin's attempt to refute traditional astrology by inventing a new astrology. The Hills were
manipulated by a "hypnotist" into concocting a fantasy based on Betty Hill's dreams. End of
story.
Matheson is far too charitable to John Mack. He does say that a validation of Mack's
methodology "would essentially force us to believe in the literal reality of demon possession." (p.
260) But he mentions only in passing Mack's acceptance of the plausibility of such concepts, not
found in most previous pro-abduction books, as time travel, foreknowledge of the future,
reincarnation, and guardian aliens who protect a human soul through several incarnations. He
ignores the even more bizarre fantasies of encounters with ancient gods and a flying horse, and
offers no hint that a man who can take such claims seriously belongs in a pulpit, not a university.
And he also ignores the totality with which Mack's fatuous conceit that he can tell if a patient is
lying was annihilated by a woman who claimed to be an abductee in order to test whether Mack
used any methodology to guard against being hoaxed. Mack's claim, after being exposed, that the
woman who had fooled him really was an abductee who was now in denial (another psychobabble
concept), says more about his estrangement from reality than Matheson's whole chapter.
While Matheson correctly (for once) interprets Betty Andreasson's story of her tour of the aliens'
planet as a fantasy based on her religious conditioning, he makes no mention of the absurdity of a
round trip to another star system taking place within the space of one evening. Does he think that
Einstein's light speed limitation might be wrong?
Given how convincingly Matheson's chapter on Andreasson demonstrates that she is a fruitcake
first class, I strongly urge him to make a study of the sainted Bernadette-assuming that he can
access and read the French documents cited in the imprimatured biographies.
Alien Abductions contains an enormous amount of convincing arguments against the validity of
abduction claims that is not found in the books of Philip Klass, Robert Sheaffer or Kendrick
Frazier, for the logical reason that the earlier writers, having falsified the fantasies of Fuller, Mack
and the others to the satisfaction of all but incurable believers, would have seen the material in
Matheson's book as overkill. That is a legitimate position to take. But Matheson is also justified in
publishing evidence that, in itself, proves the same point in even greater detail. While his findings
are distorted by his belief in hypnotism and other dubious concepts, they are nonetheless worth
reading, provided the reader can get past Matheson's psychobabble interpretation of Fantasy A as
the (nonexistent) unconscious mind's bowdlerization of Fantasy B.
William Harwood
Reviewer
Jennifer's Bookshelf
Sizzle
Sahara Kelly
Ellora's Cave
http://www.ellorascave.com
Sizzle starts with a flash, a flashback that is, to where Susanna is staring in fascination from her
hiding place beneath the grandstands at Dylan Sinclair. Dylan, gloriously naked, is writhing on the
ground with the Winters twins, and Susanna can't help getting incredibly turned on as she watches
them. From her hiding place in the shadows, her hand creeps into her underwear and then, in a
flash of headlights from a far-away car, their eyes meet. Dylan stares straight at Susanna as they
come together, bound by nothing by their gaze. Then the car leaves, and Susanna flees into the
night.
Years later, Susan Chalmers is a pin-stripe-suited professional public speaker. Unflappable, except
when confronted by a ghost from the past. Or rather, a fantasy from the past. Although she won't
admit it, she's always been crazy about Dylan. And he certainly doesn't hide the fact that the night
beneath the grandstands was the most erotic experience he's ever had. However, the only date
she'll agree to go on is a seminar 'for couples only' given by a professional colleague of Susanna's.
The seminar, however, is absolutely not the stuffy thing that Dylan has feared and Susanna has
hoped for. No, it's a couple's therapy seminar and requires participation. Nearly naked
participation. With accessories.
I dare anyone who starts this book to stop it. It is so hot, so unusual, and so funny that I found
myself laughing while reaching for the ice-cubes to cool me down! Sizzle is the perfect title, and
Susanna and Dylan are perfect for each other. Full of interesting things to do as a couple, and
starring some extraordinary underwear, Sizzle is one of the best erotic stories I've read in ages. So
rush over to Ellora's Cave right now and grab a copy of Sizzle. You are in for a terrific
evening!
Very highly recommended
Luck of the Irish
Jennifer Dunne, Kate Douglas and Chris Tanglen
Ellora's Cave
http://www.ellorascave.com
ISBN: 1843603756, $TBA, Publishing Date: Feb. 2003, Publishing Format: E-book
In Ireland, at a wedding, three men sit around a table and talk. They've come to celebrate a
wedding. Drunk, and a bit maudlin, one proposes to the others to go catch a leprechaun and off
they go through the forest on a jaunt that will change their lives forever.
Catching a leprechaun isn't easy, but somehow they manage, and they demand to be taken to the
wee fellow's pot-O'-gold. But the crafty leprechaun tricks them into making a wish and each
man secretly confesses his heart's desire.
The first story, Sticks and Stones by Jennifer Dunne, has Dermot Stone picking his way through
the dark forest towards what the leprechaun has told him is 'his greatest desire'. Well, imagine his
surprise when a shapely dryad steps out of a willow tree and welcomes him into her embrace. Of
course, he doesn't know this, but a dryad's embrace is usually fatal. Happily ignoring this fact,
Dermot gives in to his biggest sexual fantasy that of being soundly spanked while making love.
Luckily for Dermot, a witch living nearby sees his plight and saves him. Their love story is hot and
exciting, and mega-rich Dermot has to use all his imagination and considerable influence to
convince his lady-love to leave her enchanted forest and come to the big city.
The second story, A Wolf by Any Other Name by Kate Douglas, is a hoot. Zev, the second man,
finds himself after his wish in a sensational wet-dream. Two fabulously beautiful women are
working over his naked body. But then he realizes he's awake, and soon he understands he's been
kidnapped by two immature witches, Petunia and Verbena, to be experimented on! Seems they're
determined to perfect their shape-shifting spells, and Zev just happened to fall into their zany
clutches. Petunia and Verbena have captured a wood sprite too, and she shares Zev's prison cell.
Fern, the charming wood sprite, is also serving as an experiment to the terrible twosome. Zev and
Fern fall madly in love, but they have more than just a magic prison holding them back. Fern isn't
quite all she seems to be, and Zev, well, Zev is actually quite a bit more than he thinks he is! A
Wolf by Any Other Name has an unforgettable cast of characters, and as soon as Petunia and
Verbena finish their punishment, I'm hoping Kate Douglas will write a book for them!
The third story, The Public Eye by Chris Tanglen, is about the third man's wish. Greg Tennerson
wakes up, yawns, and discovers a raving beauty in bed with him. According to her, his wish to the
Leprechaun had been to make love in a public place, and she is there to help him do just that.
Horrified and terribly turned on, Greg tries to convince Vivian that he didn't wish that, that he's a
respectable man with an important job, and to stop ravishing him in public places! But Vivian is
impossible to stop, and she manages to get his pants down in the most embarrassing places. And
then Greg meets the girl of his dreams, and he realizes he has to get rid of Vivian, even if she is a
magic wish come true. This story had me in stitches as Greg finds that sex in public places is more
than he'd bargained for!
Don't wait until St. Patrick's Day to pick up a copy of 'Luck of the Irish'! It's lighthearted erotica
is both steamy and witty, and you'll be yearning for a leprechaun of your own to capture for a
wish.
The Luck of the Irish comes very highly recommended indeed!
Jennifer Macaire
Reviewer
Judine's Bookshelf
Redemption of the Shattered: A Teenager's Healing Journey Through Sandtray Therapy
Bob Livingstone LCSW
Privately Published
205 E. 3rd Ave, Suite 207, San Mateo, CA 94401
ISBN: 1591130859; $16.50, pp.196; Paperback
When was the last time you took a stroll along the beach at dawn, while there were very few
people around? The air is crisp; the clap of the water is magnified; the bits of shell prick your
soles. You kneel down and cup some of the sand in your hand, remembering the times when you
played on the beach as a child. There is a peaceful aura. The ocean water washes away your
troubles as it slowly disintegrates your new sand castle. If you have never experienced this before,
plan a morning trip to a nearby beach, and witness the calming effects.
"Redemption of the Shattered" describes how the author used the act of playing in the sand to
heal the emotional scars from his teenage years. With the help of a Sandtray therapist, he reenacts
significant scenes of his life, by choosing from hundreds of miniature figures. Each chapter has a
narrative, a commentary and family discussion questions. The narrative or mini "play" describes
the event from his viewpoint as a teenager. A commentary follows the narrative, which explains
his feelings of the event in retrospect. Then there are family discussion questions, asking the
reader how they would feel in similar scenarios.
Bob Livingstone shares the tough parts of his life with the world. It takes a strong person to open
up, and say, "This happened to me, and here's how I received healing." He knows how life can be
dangerously cyclical, especially within families. "Redemption of the Shattered" shows how
Sandtray therapy helped to mend the cracks in his circle of life. This book should be
recommended reading not only for emotional wounded teenagers, but also for adults who need to
heal the sands of time.
Harvest of Souls Crossover
V.A. McCloud
Lifevest Publishing
8174 S. Holly Street, #107, Centennial, CO 80122
ISBN: 1932338047, $TBA, pp. 111, Paperback
Sometimes the world and people in it can be dangerous and cruel. How often have you been stung
by the hatred or meanness of another? What makes it bad, the person had a facade of kindness,
and their malicious deed occurred without a warning. Now imagine a parent trying to explain this
kind of behavior, so their child doesn't fall into the snares of these wicked traps. A creative
narrative not only captures the child's attention, but it also gets a message across without nagging
or preaching.
"Harvest of Souls Crossover" educates children about the real behaviors of different types of
people through a mini science fiction novel. Grandpa Howdy begins by telling his grandchildren
the story of how two worlds of people good and evil became one. Now it was hard to tell the
difference between those from either world. The lukewarm people are the worst, because they
attend church on Sunday, and create holy havoc the rest of the week.
Shuby, the master of evil, wants to get rid of the good ones, but he needs to destroy the ten
forefathers who lay asleep in tombs. Grandpa Howdy has hidden the forefathers, until their time
to wake and save the good people. Several interesting events lead up to a special church service,
where Shuby and three of his followers metamorphosis to "look good" in order to find
information about the forefathers. But, the grandchildren are gifted with special powers to
overcome the evil.
V.A. McCloud builds a bridge between hip hop and old school. Names like Heart Breaker Kid,
Peacemaker, and Goody Two Shoes describe the characters, while the context explains the
outcomes of their behaviors. Most children and teenagers will smile as they recognize traits of
family and friends. I recommend "Harvest of Souls Crossover" to parents or guardians as a child's
gift to help reinforce any religious schooling.
Higher Order Thinking Skills for Spiritual Abundance
Jeanette McKenzie
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
ISBN: 1591293383, $19.95, pp. 175, Paperback, www.publishamerican.com
Your momma may have read it,
Your papa may have read it,
But, God bless the child
That reads and studies the Bible themselves.
"Higher Order Thinking Skills for Spiritual Abundance" inspires the reader to revisit their
religious education from the very beginning, by using fundamental building blocks. These blocks
knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, evaluation, and synthesis -- build on one
another just like reading, writing and arithmetic. After you have mastered each subject, there are
worksheets to reinforce and supplement your training, just like in the classroom. These skills are
the foundation of a solid spiritual life, concepts we already know, but we got side tracked along
life's highway. It's always good to have a gentle reminder.
Jeanette McKenzie firmly but lovingly asks for our undivided attention. With the King James and
the New International versions of the Bible as her textbooks, she educates applying the Benjamin
Bloom's six principles for cognitive brain development. I felt as if she pulled me outside of the
classroom door, scolded me for not doing right, but reminded me I could start fresh when we
returned inside. Using her 20+ years of teaching experience, Ms. McKenzie demonstrates the
ability to motivate. I recommend "Higher Order Thinking Skills for Spiritual Abundance" for
those seeking to revisit their former Sunday school training.
Judine Slaughter
www.eybooks.com
Kinni's Bookshelf
Marketing Insights from A to Z
Philip Kotler
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
605 Third Avenue, 4th floor, New York, NY 10158-0012
ISBN 0471268674, $24.95, 1-800-225-5945
From "advertising" to "zest" (the attitude successful marketers bring to their work), marketing's
top academic sets out to define his discipline's most important concepts in "Marketing Insights
from A to Z: 80 Concepts Every Manager Needs To Know". Each concept gets a page or two of
Kotler's attention, a clear, practical definition for the layman, and a bit of analysis that cuts
through the hype that often surrounds ideas such as CRM.
The Merck Druggernaut
Fran Hawthorne
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
605 Third Avenue, 4th floor, New York, NY 10158-0012
ISBN 0471228788, $24.95, 1-800-225-5945
Merck's blue-chip reputation is somewhat tarnished these days, says journalist Hawthorne, but it
is still among the leaders in its industry. "The Merck Druggernaut: The Inside Story Of A
Pharmaceutical Giant", based largely on interviews and original research, offers a short history of
the company, a detailed look at its current position, structure and management, and an
exploration of the major issues facing Merck and its competitors.
Setting Global Standards
S. Prakash Sethi
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
605 Third Avenue, 4th floor, New York, NY 10158-0012
ISBN 0471414557, $34.95, 1-800-225-5945
Local laws and standards, particularly in Third World nations, are not sufficient to guide the
behavior and actions of multinational companies, declares professor Sethi in "Setting Global
Standards: Guidelines For Creating Codes Of Conduct In Multinational Corporations". They need
a self-imposed code of conduct that applies throughout the world. The best book of the month
describes how to establish, maintain, audit and enforce such codes.
Total Integrated Marketing
James Mac Hulbert, Noel Capon & Nigel Piercy
The Free Press
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN 0684848678, $28.00, 1-800-223-2336
"The only true role of marketing is as a guiding corporate philosophy for the business as a whole,"
writes this team of b-school professors in "Total Integrated Marketing: Breaking The Bounds Of
The Function". Their book details how strategy, finance, operations, sales, R&D, customer
service, and HR can be redesigned from a marketing orientation in order to better serve the only
asset a company needs over the long term, "paying customers."
Coaching Across Cultures
Philippe Rosinski
Nicholas Brealey Publishing
3704 Beard Avenue North, Minneapolis, MN 55422
ISBN 1875883012, $29.95, 1-888-273-2539
Brussels-based consultant Rosinski adds a new dimension to the discipline of coaching with
"Coaching Across Cultures: New Tools For Leveraging National, Corporate & Professional
Differences", a seminal exploration of what it takes to effectively coach groups with differing
cultures. He explains how to identify and analyze the cultural orientation of groups and offers a
three-step "Global Coaching Process."
On the Ball
David Carter and Darren Rovell
Prentice Hall Press
240 Frisch Court, Paramus, NJ 07652
ISBN 013100963X, $24.95, 1-800-631-8571
Sports marketing consultant Carter and ESPN.com reporter Rovell team up in "On the Ball: What
You Can Learn About Business From America's Sports Leaders" to describe how sports
organizations and high profile stars handle common business challenges. The chapters are
organized topically and include building a business, branding, customer and employee relations,
alliances, crisis management, etc.
Cowboys and Dragons
Charles Lee
Dearborn Trade
155 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606-1719
ISBN 0793160294, $27.00, 1-800-621-9621
A self-proclaimed "bicultural man," Lee attempts to bridge the chasm between Chinese and
American cultures for the business reader in his first book, "Cowboys and Dragons: Shattering
Cultural Myths to Advance Chinese-American Business". The key to doing business in China,
says the venture capitalist, is to forget about the mechanics of the deal until you understand the
cultural backgrounds, behavior, and desires of the players involved.
Creating Leaderful Organizations
Joseph Raelin
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
ISBN 157675233X, $22.95, 1-800-929-2929
Leadership need not be a solitary pursuit; it can be a "leaderful practice," according to
Northeastern University's Raelin in "Creating Leaderful Organizations: How To Bring Out
Leadership In Everyone". He shows why leader-full organizations are more effective and
describes their four enabling characteristics: leadership that is concurrent, collective,
collaborative, and compassionate.
Customer-Driven IT
David Moschella
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way , Boston, MA 02163
ISBN 1578518652, $29.95, 1-800-668-6780
Customers, not innovation or the high-tech companies themselves, are the primary developmental
force at work in the IT industry today, says consultant/journalist Moschella in "Customer-Driven
IT: How Users Are Shaping Technology Industry Growth". He spends most of this book proving
his thesis, waiting until the last chapter for advice on how IT vendors and customers can best
cope with the new environment.
The Power of Ulimate Six Sigma
Keki Bhote
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN 0814407595, $29.95, 1-800-250-5308
In his latest, "The Power of Ulimate Six Sigma: Keki Bhote's Proven System For Moving Beyond
Quality Excellence To Total Business Excellence", Keki Bhote positions Ultimate Six Sigma, his
"quantum leap over the standard treatment of Six Sigma," as the business world's solution to
terrorism, corporate greed, and dismal profits! Hyperbole aside, the quality consultant (and
co-creator of Motorola's original version of Six Sigma) does offer 200 practical suggestions for
applying the virtually zero-defect methodology across the complete range of business
functions.
Proactive Selling
William Miller
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN 0814407641 $17.95, 1-800-250-5308
In "Proactive Selling: Control The Process - Win The Sale", trainer William Miller offers a unique
take on the sales process that puts tactics before strategy - thus, allowing salespeople to develop
the information needed to create unique strategic approaches to each sale. His book presents
twenty tools designed to pull customers through a five-stage sales process: initiate, educate,
validate, justify, and close.
Grow Your Personal Capital: What You Know, Who You Know And How To Use It
Hilarie Owen
Perseus
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
ISBN 0738206555, $20.00, 1-800-242-7737
One of the Momentum series, Hilarie Owen's "Grow Your Personal Capital: What You Know,
Who You Know And How To Use It" focuses on self-actualization. It describes three kinds of
personal capital (knowledge, social, and emotions), how to assess your levels of each, and how to
further develop them. The goal: the fusion of all three to become a "whole human being."
Team Bush
Donald F. Kettl
McGraw-Hill Book Company
Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121
ISBN 0071416331, $19.95, 1-800-722-4726
University of Wisconsin professor Donald Kettl's aim in "Team Bush: Leadership Lessons from
the Bush White House", a fast, sometimes repetitive read, is to describe "the leadership ideas and
methods of America's 43rd president." The lessons highlight Bush's MBA education and his skill
at assembling, unifying and leading a highly qualified management team.
Theodore Kinni, Reviewer
http://home1.gte.net/bizbooks
Leonhardt's Bookshelf
Gathering Our Divinity
Linda Sedesky
Trafford Publishing
2333 Government Street, Suite E, Victoria, BC, Canada, V8T 4P4
ISBN: 1552125866, $13.95, www.trafford.com
I found it on page 17. The theme of Gathering Our Divinity could best be described as "Choosing
to Allow." The theme of allowance runs through this 106 page collection of ideas and thoughts
about our sense of being and our sense of spirituality.
Author Linda Sedesky shares her perceptions in what reads like a personal journal of
self-discovery, which she is sharing with the world. Each page or two corresponds to a separate
chapter with separate but related concepts.
There is nothing special about the writing, but the book is easy to read and will appeal to anyone
who is embarking on her own spiritual journey.
The Luck Factor
Dr. Richard Wiseman
Miramax Books
c/o Hyperion Books
77 West 66th Street, New York, NY 10023-6298
ISBN: 0786869143, $23.95, 1-800-759-0190, http://hyperionbooks.com/
The Luck Factor rips apart the notion that luck is something that just happens. Dr. Wiseman
reports on over three years of scientific inquiry into what is often considered the most unscientific
topic of all. However, Dr. Wiseman suggests another reason for the lack of scientific research into
luck:
"The situation is akin to the old story of the man who knows he dropped some treasure in one
part of the street but searches in another part because the light is better there."
Dr. Wiseman's central thesis is that luck can be predicted and therefore controlled. He offers four
"principles of luck", then explains how we can harness these principles to live luckier lives. The
four principles are:
a.. Maximize your chance opportunities
b.. Listen to your lucky hunches
c.. Expect good fortune
d.. Turn bad luck into good
The Luck Factor is everything that a psychology book should be. It details research conducted by
the author, as well as research from numerous other psychologists. Many of the experiments Dr.
Wiseman referenced were already familiar to me, as I had referenced them in my own book, Climb
your Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness.
At the same time, Dr. Wiseman makes the psychological research completely accessible to the
average reader, both through the use of plain language and by making his points through quizzes
and visual puzzles.
I give this book a rare ten out of ten, and predict it could be the best self-help/psychology book of
2003. I can't think of any reason not to buy this book immediately.
David Leonhardt, Reviewer
http://www.TheHappyGuy.com
Lori's Bookshelf
Unforgettable
Karin Kallmaker
Naiad Press
PO Box 10543, Tallahassee, FL 32302
ISBN: 1562802607, $11.95, http://www.naiadpress.com
This novel begins with singer Rett Jamison flying home from a music gig and groggily
remembering abusive words said long ago by her booze-loving mother. All Rett's life, she's heard
that voice in her head, and despite how far she has come in the 22+ years since she left home after
high school, she still hasn't entirely shaken the doubts and negativity. This opening scene serves as
a portent omen, for in the next few hours, Rett will discover that her lover/manager, Trish, has
been cheating on her, that Trish doesn't love her and has used her all along, and worst of all, that
Trish has blown the music deal of Rett's lifetime by being difficult and demanding. When the dust
settles, Rett is alone, Trish has depleted her savings, and there are no big music gigs in the
offing.
The breakup brings up painful old memories and is further complicated when Rett receives an
invitation to her high school reunion from Cinny, Rett's unrequited love from her teen years. In
the middle of all this change and confusion, Rett meets the familiar, but enigmatic Angel. The two
are drawn to one another and share one night of passion-after which Rett promptly loses Angel's
phone number. To make matters worse, that same day her agent calls with a long-term tour
engagement which could solve money problems and give Rett a shot at reviving her music career.
The catch is that she must leave town immediately to perform that very night. Will Rett ever find
Angel again? What about Cinny and the reunion? How can she banish the cruel voice in her head?
Rett knows she has a lot of issues to address.
One thing I have always liked about this author's style is her ability to render scenes with humor
and with feeling. An example of the humor comes when Rett is sweating in a hot car. She cranks
up the A/C because she "felt like a pot roast in a pressure cooker" (p. 118). In terms of evoking
genuine feeling, I liked this sentiment: "Love crept into dark places she'd always known were
there. In that instant, with the words she'd managed to say echoing in her head, all the dark places
were suffused with light" (p. 239).
Karin Kallmaker has built a solid reputation by writing complex stories of believable, vulnerable
lesbian characters who grow strong through facing tough issues. UNFORGETTABLE is vintage
lesbian romance, continuing Kallmaker's string of well-written, thoughtful stories about women
surviving difficult times and coming into their own.
Fadeout
Joseph Hansen
Alyson Publications, Inc.
6922 Hollywood Blvd., 10th floor, Los Angeles, CA 90028
ISBN: 155583552X, $11.95, http://www.alyson.com
When Pima, California's local celebrity/singer/radio show host Fox Olson turns up missing and his
T-Bird is found in the arroyo after a fierce storm, his wife, daughter, friends, and fans expect his
body to wash up any time. It doesn't happen. Dave Brandstetter, claims investigator for Medallion
Life Insurance Company comes to town. As he interviews family and friends, Dave discovers that
all was not well in Fox Olson's charmed life after all. Did Fox commit suicide? Or kill himself?
And if he's dead, where is the body? Dave thinks Fox disappeared on purpose, but in order to
prove it, he'll have to find the man.
Detective Dave Brandstetter is not only an appealing, sympathetic character, he is also a rugged,
hard-drinking, relentless investigator with his own secrets. He's just lost his lover of 20+ years to
cancer, and he is well aware that he is not in good shape emotionally. Against the backdrop of his
loss, Dave talks to the people of Pima, noses into old issues, and gets a possible lead on Fox's
whereabouts. But there is more than one person in town with something to hide, and some of
them may just be ready to kill to keep things quiet.
Author Joseph Hansen writes clear and delightful prose: "the rust from the nailheads had written
long, sad farewells down the salt-silver planks." Alternating captivating description with classic
hard-boiled narrative, the author brings Brandstetter's world alive, both inside and out. No
wonder Hansen has been compared to classic mystery writers such as Raymond Chandler and
Ross MacDonald.
Originally published in 1970, FADEOUT is remarkable in at least three ways: 1) the mystery
features the first openly gay private detective, Dave Brandstetter, who is unapologetically
homosexual and displays a solid strength and confidence that seems ahead of its time; 2) the
writing is crisp, exciting, and exudes style beyond the level of the typical mystery; and 3) after
over three decades, every aspect of the story and the writing holds up marvelously. Hansen's work
is destined to be deemed classic. The fact that Alyson has reprinted this debut novel and, so far,
two of the eleven subsequent installments of the Brandstetter series bodes well for Joseph
Hansen's revival.
Lori L. Lake
Reviewer
Magdalena's Bookshelf
Father Lands
Emily Ballou
Picador (Pan Macmillan)
ISBN 0330363840, RRP $A30.00
Cherry Laurel is 8 years old when her father leaves the family, the same year she begins the
"Historical Experiment" - a plan for integration which has her bussed to the previously all black
ML King Elementary school. The story follows Cherry's life during this year, and take her
perspective primarily. Cherry's world is a sensual, internal one, and her unexpressed emotions -
the pain of her losses, her anger and the changes she goes through during this pivotal year - are
exquisite. Ballou balances Cherry's story with three other narrative voices - Belle, Cherry's
mother, Macy, Cherry's friend Hugo's mother and one other - a kind of ghost - the archetypical
missing father as well as an actual missing [grand] father which slips in between the other
narratives.
Throughout the book, the intensity of the emotions are coupled with the tight 'coming of age' plot
and the very rich details which strongly evoke Milwaukee Wisconsin in the 1970s. Ballou is a poet
and her writing is strongly poetic, allowing the reader to get under the skin of her characters,
emphasising, sympathising and feeling the action from within. The separate stories of Macy and
Hugo, Cherry and her sisters and the phantom father's insets between the chapters bisect cleverly.
While waiting in the hospital with a neighbour who had hurt her head, Cherry watches the hurt
people come in, and sees the desperate father of Hugo's friend and neighbour, little Tode who was
fatally burnt:
"Cherry had never realised before how every day somebody was dying. Every day somebody was
having the worst day of their life watching somebody else that they loved dying. Waiting, pacing.
Wailing the coyote wail, the grief that could never quite get out." (126)
The loss of young Tode is paralleled by the loss of Hugo's brother George, and these lost children
are contrasted with their lost fathers. There are other connections. Macy works on a desk which
was built by Cherry's grandfather, modelled on Thomas Jefferson's desk, which Macy discovers on
a trip to Monticello. The particular experiences of Cherry are parallelled with the broader
experiences of history - the many missing fathers, including the countries' founding fathers whose
lofty goals for the country are questioned by Hugo, who wonders whether "All men are created
equal" was meant to include blacks and women. There is also the mixing up of black and white,
and Cherry's feelings of insecurity as she wonders whether she is damned forever for being the
wrong colour.
The most intense moments of the book are the climaxes of change, which produce poetic
responses in the heroines. For Cherry, this is when her father leaves:
"Goodbye, Cherry thought, clutching her slippery heart between her fingers. It slipped and slid
out of her hands, bounced down the basement stairs, squish squish squish like a wet rubber ball. It
left marks of blood on the floor. Cherry chased after it. Wait! Don't go yet! But the heart was
faster than she was." (134)
Or when Macy watches Hugo about to leave with his father:
"Macy felt her world shift sideways, felt her own body tumble down those stairs instead, saw her
own shattered bones at the bottom. She was about to lose all she had left to love. Knew Hugo
couldn't help but adore his father, despite everything. It was that way with fathers. The very fact
of them being the one that did the abandoning left them towering like Lincoln on a gigantic stone
throne, lit up for all nights and eternity, while some maid swept the stones around his feet and
chased away the birds liable to shit all over his precious lap. (332-3)"
Although Father Lands is universal enough in its theme and descriptive enough in its setting to
appeal to anyone, it is almost a shame that it has come out in Australia. The book is so powerful
and specific in its depiction of America in the 70s, that it would likely do very well in the
American market. The underlying corruption of "The American Way" is one which evokes the
film "American Beauty." There is the phoney perfection "mother of the year" of Belle's friend
Mary-Beth, and Cherry's "The American Dream is to have straight teeth." This is also conveyed
by the jungle-gyms which are forced upon families who can't afford them and then re-possessed,
or Belle's disillusionment:
"An American Girl could do anything. She could slump to school because she was too tall and
hide behind her breasts and stop speaking in class even when she knew all the answers. She could
have her colours done at the Clinique counter and find out that she was an Autumn and should
never wear pink in any shade. She could perm her hair until it fried. She could have it straightened
until it died...She could read every book in the library and still get raped there after school...They
could leave themselves too, if they didn't satisfy , and still come back from the dead with scars in
the right places. Could wear the wounds proudly, or hide them beneath long sleeves in summer.
The scars were there whether anybody could see them or not. Every girl had them (the burns, the
slashes, the rotting teeth, the skeletal body). It was the American Way.(145-146)"
There is also the impact of divorce. Although the US in the 70s doesn't hold a monopoly on
divorce, there was certainly something pervasive during this period, where nearly everyone in
Cherry's class comes from a broken family of one sort or another (250). The long term destructive
breakdown of the nuclear family - and the largely unexplored impact of this on the children of
these families is one of Ballou's key themes, and she does a beautiful job of evoking Cherry's
dislocation and sense of betrayal, Belle's loneliness, Hugo's hero worship, and the way in which
the men walk out and the women remain
Father Lands is a sad story - the phantoms that people this story never come back. The rifts are
never mended, and the pain never goes away. Belle marries a man she doesn't love, and Cherry
has to grow up quickly. This isn't a dour novel though. It is full of fun, including things like
Hugo's desperate attempts to keep himself found by leaving notes everywhere, Cherry's language
of trees, and things like flossing in class:
"Mrs Joy stood at the front of the class with Cherry by her side and together everybody flossed,
flinging bits of appple and Wonder-BreadTwinkiesChocolateCupcakes into the air. It was better
than Pledge Allegiance to the Flag (59)"
There is also joy. Both Cherry and perhaps even more powerfully, Macy, find their voices. Macy
is also victorious over the force of history - the oppression of both her sex and race, and over her
husband Ernie. In the end, even though the men have gone, there is still Hugo's promise, and there
is always feminine power - love, motherhood, forgiveness and the solace of the beauty of words.
In the end, it is a woman's voice we hear. Father Lands is a superb debut. Poet, screenwriter and
novelist Emily Ballou is a talent to watch.
For more information visit:
http://www.panmacmillan.com.au/pandetail.asp?ISBN=0330363840&Author=BALLOU,%20EMILY
Healing and Cleansing with Herbal Tea
Penelope Sach
Penguin
ISBN 0143001450, RRPA$8.95
"Tea is social. Tea is delicious. Tea is healing. Tea will surprise you." Did you know that herbal
teas are full of antioxidants, and together with their green and black counterparts, can help slow
the aging process, assist in preventing atherosclerosis, thrombosis, and even help minimise
hangovers? In addition, teas have a greater ability than even vegetables to "disable free radicals."
These are the claims that herbalist and tea maven Penelope Sach makes in her latest book
Healing and Cleansing with Herbal Tea.
Pocket sized, this cute little book contains information on the benefits of tea, the specific health
properties of black and especially green teas both of which Sach classes as herbal teas as well.
There is a chapter covering specific complaints such as allergies, poor digestion, fatigue,
hormonal imbalance, joint and muscular pain, skin problems and stress, and the type of tea to
address each complaint. There are also chapters on some of the more beneficial herbs for herbal
teas and their properties, including chamomile, ginger and licorice, with recipes for things like hair
rinces, compresses and foot baths. The book concludes with information on why loose leaf tea is
far superior to bags, information on how to choose quality tea and the best way to make a pot of
tea.
While this is hardly a comprehensive book of herbs for healing or even of tea in general, it is a fun,
easy to read book which will certainly inspire you to drink more herbal tea. Many of the blends
which Sach cites are her own, such as the lovely sounding "red wine" blend: "Berry," and since
these are not so readily available, this might just taunt readers (although you can find Australian
stockists from Sach's website, http://www.penelopesach.com.au/about.htm, and they are
promising direct ordering in the future. Nevertheless, this book does provide a nice overview of
the benefits of tea drinking. If it inspires you to drink a bit more herbal tea, well, as Sach suggests,
the increased fluid alone is sure to improve your health. If even some of the claims about the
health giving properties of herbal teas are also true (and Sach cites some serious authorities),
you'll be laughing. This book would also make a lovely gift for a tea drinker, perhaps with a few
boxes of quality tea and an infuser.
For more information visit: http://www.penelopesach.com.au/books.htm
Magdalena Ball, Reviewer
http://www.compulsivereader.com/html
Bethany's Bookshelf
Keepin' It Real
Sandra McLeod Humphrey
CSS Publishing Company
PO Box 4503, Lima, Ohio 45802-4503
0788019538 $9.50 1-800-241-4056 www.csspub.com www.kidscandoit.com
Keepin' It Real: A Young Teen Talks With God by Sandra McLeod Humphrey is an emotional
story about Leslie, a thirteen-year-old girl who is having a bad year, and is enrolled in a new
school separated from her former friends. The leader of her church discussion group asks Leslie
some challenging questions that she just can't answer. Leslie's written letters to God encapsuling
her conflicted feelings, yet in the process of writing she begins to learn more about herself and her
problems. Keepin' It Real is a moving and emotional story which is especially recommended for
adolescent readers.
Dawson's Gift
Andrea Bell
Odonata, LLC
PO Box 1533, Novato, CA 94948
0971720614 $24.95 www.dawsonsgift.com
Dawson's Gift by Andrea Bell is a superbly crafted story of synchronicity, wonder, faith, and
amazement. Dawson Bell is a 27-year-old man struggling to stay alive until he can receive a heart
transplant. Andrea Bell is his mother and she prays for him. It is Andrea's inspirational stories
which persuade another to name his soon-to-be-born son after hers. Dawson's Gift is an unfolding
tapestry of connections fills this emotional and thoughtful saga which, with its themes of children,
death, Christianity, grief, conversion, spirituality, restoration of faith and discovery that the hard
and harsh things in life happen for a reason, is strongly commended reading to Christians of all
denominations and backgrounds.
In All Things
Michael J. Daley and Lee P. Yeazell, editors
Loyola Press
3441 N. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
0829419578 $10.95 1-773-281-1818 www.loyolapress.org
Collaboratively compiled and edited by St. Xavier High School teachers Michael J. Daley and Lee
P. Yeazell, In All Things is a collection of prayers by a group of Cincinnati, Ohio Jesuit High
School students. Encompassing devotion to God, a wide variety of young adult anxieties, as well
as poetic inspiration encompassing love, fear, and so much more, these moving verses raptly
communicate the faith of their young authors. In All Things is a highly inspirational and spiritual
collection. "Is There a God?": I often find myself asking a question./I ask myself if there really is a
God./I don't know the exact answer, but I have an intuition./I don't think we all came from other
planets on a giant pod:/Or an asteroid containing bacteria crashed,/and we formed from the
germs./I think something made us,/Based on itself or on his, her, its own terms./No one can
answer my question, thus,/It's safe to say that there is a creator:/The creator who made the water
and the ground/on which we walk;/The creator who watches over us and knows/what will happen
later;/The creator who is the reason why we eat and talk./I don't know if there really is a God,/But
there is definitely a creator. Yu Fukushima
If The Prodigal Were A Daughter
Janice Chaffee
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, OR 97402-9173
0736909834 $10.99 1-800-547-8979
If The Prodigal Were A Daughter by Janice Chaffee provides the reader with a close and
informative examination of Biblical parables from a woman's point of view. Offering insights,
reflections on the Good Samaritan image of compassion, embodiment of virtues, and much more,
If The Prodigal Were A Daughter is confidently commended and recommended as a unique
resource for personal or group Bible Studies reading lists.
Fresh Elastic For Stretched Out Moms
Barbara Johnson
Fleming H. Revell
c/o Baker Book House Company
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
0800758595 $12.99 www.bakerbooks.com
Fresh Elastic For Stretched Out Moms by Barbara Johnson is a heartwarming, sometimes
humorous, sometimes insightful, and always deeply spiritual read especially recommended for
Christian mothers trying to cope with rebellious children. Filled with anecdotes, prayers, letters,
jokes, and favorite Scriptures, Fresh Elastic for Stretched Out Moms is truly uplifting and
inspirational reading.
Books Children Love
Elizabeth Wilson
Crossway Books
1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton IL 60187
1581341989 $14.99 1-800-323-3890
Compiled and organized by Elizabeth Wilson, Books Children Love is a wide-ranging guide to the
highest gems of children's literature. Presenting summaries of each recommended work,
alphabetically arranged by author and subdivided by general category, Books Children Love is a
superb resource for children's librarians and very highly recommended for concerned parents
seeking enjoyable, classic, age-appropriate stories for their children.
Your No-Nonsense Guide To Salon & Spa Services
Charlotte P. Muffitt
Education in Motion
5700 Berkshire Avenue, Baton Rouge, LA 70806
0970665903 $12.95 www.amazon.com
There is nothing quite like Charlotte Muffitt's Your No-Nonsense Guide To Salon & Spa
Services: What You Should Know Before You Go On The Market: a savvy consumer's guide to
salon and spa services which offers practical, critical advice for those who would frequent such
establishments and gain the most from their money. From service options and communicating
effectively with a stylist to reach a personal beauty goal to understanding how to locate the right
stylist and how to do it at home, this outlines myths, dangers, pros and cons of salons and spas
and even includes tips based on skin and ethnicity. A unique, handy consumer's handbook.
Tinker's Christmas
Sandra Jones Cropsey & Barbra K. Mudd
C Works, LLC
PO Box 1006, Griffin, GA 30224
0965236889 $16.99 1-770-229-1100
Sandra Jones Cropsey's Tinker's Christmas is a charming Christmas story for young readers who
are almost ready to graduate from picturebooks to novels. The extensive narrative tells of the
need to believe in something greater than ourselves, and also captures the author's personal love
of trains and the holiday season. Lovely color illustrations by Barbra K. Mudd add to the charm of
this wonderfully seasonal tale.
The Greatest King
WebCartoons LLC
5727 Canoga Avenue, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
9719241926 $13.99 1-818-620-4256 www.thegreatestkingbook.com
The Greatest King is a picture book collaboratively written by Jerry Yu Ching and Mike Onhai
especially for young Christians age 6 to 9. An arrogant young prince travels the world in search of
"the greatest king," and eventually he learns about The Greatest King of all - Jesus Christ, who
suffered and died for humanity's sins. Jerry Yu Ching's brightly color artwork practically leaps off
the page in this attention-getting, highly recommended storybook for young readers.
A Worm's Eye View
Cindy Kenney
Zonderkidz
c/o Zondervan Publishing House
5300 Patterson Avenue, S.E., Grand Rapids, MI 49530
0310704693 $12.99 zonderkidz.com
Based on the movie "Jonah - A VeggieTales Movie", A Worm's Eye View is an exuberant take on
the story of the Prophet Jonah, written by Cindy Kenney especially for a young Christian
readership. Brilliant color illustrations by Big Idea Design enhance a whimsical narration
presenting Jonah's story from the perspective of a humble worm. Embracing the moral that God
gives second chances to everyone, A Worm's Eye View is an unforgettable, entertaining, and
highly recommended introduction to a classic Biblical story for young people ages 4 to 8.
Susan Bethany
Reviewer
Burroughs' Bookshelf
Behind Every Choice Is A Story
Gloria Feldt
University of North Texas Press
PO Box 311336, Denton TX 76203-1336
1574411586 $19.95 1-800-826-8911 www.BehindEveryChoice.com
Compiled and edited by Gloria Feldt (the president of Planned Parenthood since 1996), Behind
Every Choice Is A Story is the spiritual sequel to "Motherhood in Bondage"an impressive
collection of letters published more than seventy years ago by Margaret Sanger, the founder of
Planned Parenthood. Behind Every Choice Is A Story is. Now is a candid collection of the stories
and personal testimony of a new generation of women confronted with dilemmas concerning love,
sex, pregnancy, and family. A profound and involving read, Behind Every Choice Is A Story is
highly recommended as an important contribution to Women's Studies, Social Issues, and the
ProChoice/ProLife national debate.
Fighting Identities
Leo Panitch, editors
The Merlin Press Ltd.
PO Box 30705, London WC2E 8QD
1583670858 $23.00 1-800-670-9499
Collaboratively compiled and edited by Leo Panitch and Colin Leys, Fighting Identities: Race,
Religion And Ethno-Nationalism is a collection of eighteen essays by learned authors offering an
informed and informative survey and analysis of the manifold causes of terrorism, racism, religious
fundamentalism and politicized ethnicity. From exploring the root of violence in postcolonial
Africa, to global politics with respect to Palestine and Israel, to xenophobia in Western Europe,
these sharply drawn, college-level scholarship, in-depth writings shed light on the workings of
individual and mass human nature in a highly recommended contribution for Sociology, Social
Issues, International Studies, and Political Science academic reference shelves and reading
lists.
A Field Guide To Texas Trees
Benny J. Simpson
Lone Star Books
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4720 Boston Way, Lanham, Maryland 20706
0877193576 $18.95 1-800-462-6420
Featuring an inset section filled with 253 stunningly beautiful full-color photographs, A Field
Guide to Texas Trees by Principal Soil Scientist, Superintendent, and Horticulturalist In
Residence at the Agricultural Division of the Texas Research Foundation, Renner, Texas) is an
easy-to-use, 372-page reference for identifying more than 220 trees which are native to Texas, as
well as 30 species that have become "naturalized" to the Lone Star State. The one-page entry for
each tree features a simple map showing where the tree species is found in Texas, its
description,
common names for the tree, its natural history, and more. A fun and simple guide for nature
lovers, A Field Guide To Texas Trees is a welcome addition to personal and professional
Arboreal Studies reference collections.
A Dangerous Place
Marc Reisner
Greystone Books
c/o Douglas & McIntyre Publishing Group
2323 Quebec Street, Suite 201, Vancouver, British Columbia V5T 4S7
155054974X $34.95 www.greystonebooks.com
A Dangerous Place: California's Unsettling Fate by the late Marc Reisner (he died in 2000) is a
much needed wake-up call for the citizens of California, particularly those in the Los Angeles and
San Francisco Bay area, for they live astride seismic zones that will eventually rupture, due to the
inevitability of plate tectonics activity. Predicting the inevitable catastrophes of earthquake
disasters to come, A Dangerous Place warns against too much complacency among the populace
and their leadership, or the seemingly all-to-human tendency to discount the full strength of the
Earth itself. If you live in California's earthquake zones, or have friends/family who do, then you
need to read A Dangerous Place!
Investing In China: Legal, Financial And Regulatory Risk
William B. Gamble
Publicity Department
Quorum Books
c/o Greenwood Publishing Group
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
1567205003, $49.95, 1-800-225-5800, www.amazon.com
Investing In China: Legal, Financial And Regulatory Risk by economic consultant William B.
Gamble (President of Emerging Market Strategies) is a impressively informative compilation of
case experience, raw data, and astute evaluations of the current economic and business
infrastructure in China. Gamble shows how the right international companies can best take
advantage of investing in the ancient, proud, and complex nation of China. Filled from cover to
cover with legal research, economic analysis, and savvy suited to the growing pains of over a
billion potential consumers, Investing In China is an absolute "must-read" for anyone seriously
interested in launching a China-oriented business endeavor or deploying China-based financial
investment expenditures.
Chaos Theory, Asimov's Foundations And Robots, And Herbert's Dune
Donald E. Palumbo
Greenwood Press
c/o Greenwood Publishing Group
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0313311897, $67.95, 1-800-225-5800, www.amazon.com
Chaos Theory, Asimov's Foundations And Robots, And Herbert's Dune: The Fractal Aesthetic Of
Epic Science Fiction by Donald E. Palumbo (Professor of English at East Carolina University) is
an astutely written, thoughtful and thought-provoking examination of the underlying themes to
the popular works of the prolific science fiction author Isaac Asimov, as well as the enduringly
popular science fiction Dune series by Frank Herbert. Comparing patterns of words and plots to
the fascinating contours of fractal theme and theory, Chaos Theory, Asimov's Foundations And
Robots, And Herbert's Dune add an intrinsically fascinating and insightful dimension which is
especially commended to academic library literary criticism reference collections, as well as the
legions of Asimov and Herbert fans.
The Great Armies Of Antiquity
Richard A. Gabriel
Praeger Publishers
c/o Greenwood Publishing Group
88 Post Road West, Westport, CT 06881
0275978095, $59.95, www.greenwood.com, www.amazon.com
The Great Armies Of Antiquity by military historian Richard A. Gabriel (Adjunct Professor of
Humanities and Ethics, Daniel Webster College) is a fascinating and superbly presented
documentary showcasing eighteen ancient army systems ranging from Sumer and Akkad, to the
Pharaohs, the Greeks, the Mongols, and Japanese. Professor Gabriel also provides an
introductory overview of war in the ancient world from 2500 BCE to 1453 CE, as well as an
overview of the evolution of modern warfare from 1453 to 2002 CE. A fact-filled, strictly logical
analysis packed with amazing military history and insights from the ancient world, The Great
Armies Of Antiquity is a seminal and inherently fascinating history. Also very highly
recommended is Professor Gabriel's early work: Great Captains Of Antiquity (Greenwood
Publishing Group, 0313312850, $72.95)
Jefferson's Great Gamble
Charles A. Cerami
Sourcebooks Inc.
1935 Brookdale Road, #139, Naperville, IL 60563
1570719454, $22.95, 1-800-432-7444, www.amazon.com
Jefferson's Great Gamble: The Remarkable Story Of Jefferson, Napoleon And The Men Behind
The Louisiana Purchase by historian and author Charles A. Cerami is a fascinating history and
inquiry into an unprecedented and pivotal presidential action of the then fledgling American
republic. Drawing from original correspondence and firsthand accounts to offer a uniquely
informative presentation of the political machinations and power plays that led to the dramatic
increase of America's size through what became known as the Louisiana Purchase, Jefferson's
Great Gamble accurately portrays the tortuous ups and downs of America's relationship with
France in an engaging and accurate history. Written with the smooth style of a novel, this
non-fiction history is a welcome contribution to school and community library American History
collections, and intrinsically interesting reading for American History buffs.
Jack Burroughs
Reviewer
Marya's Bookshelf
Gangsters at the Grand Atlantic
Sarah Masters Buckey
Pleasant Company Publications
8400 Fairway Place, P.O. Box 620998, Middleton, WI 53562
ISBN 1-58485-719-6, $6.95, 1-800-233-0264, www.pleasantcopublications.com
Who would have thought buying milk could become such a dangerous errand to run. Emily is an
ordinary sort of girl who finds herself in a most extraordinary situation when she witnesses an
attack on her landlord by some gangsters. To get her away from a possible threat on her life,
Emily's mother lets her go to the ocean with her sister Dorothy. Dorothy and Emily are guests of
Mrs. Brewster and her daughter Bitsy, a friend of Dorothy's from college. It is with horror that
Emily discovers that the leader of the gangsters, the mysterious Mr. M, is a fellow guest in the
Grand Atlantic Hotel. Is he there to shut her up? With the help of a new friend, Gwen, Emily
discovers what Mr. M is doing at the Grand Atlantic and puts together a plan to put a stop to his
criminal activities. This is a well crafted, suspenseful mystery which gives an interesting picture of
life in America in the 1930's against the backdrop of Prohibition.
The Feather-Bed Journey
Paula Kurzband Feder
Illustrated by Stacey Schuett
Albert Whitman and Company
6340 Oakton Street, Morton Grove, Ill. 60053-2723
ISBN 0-8075-2330-5, $15.95, 1800-255-7675, www.albertwhitman.com
One night Rachel and her brother have a fight over a pillow, a pillow that belongs to their
grandmother. They pull the pillow apart and feathers fly everywhere. Grandmother is very upset
and the two children are told that this pillow is very special. They ask their grandmother why it is
special and she tells them her story. Both the reader, and Rachel and her brother, listen to
grandmother's voice as she tells them about the pillow. It is a story about the persecution of the
Jews in Poland by the Nazis. When Rachel's grandmother was a little girl her mother made her a
feather bed. Soon after, World War Two began and her family was placed in a ghetto by the
Nazis. There the feather bed kept six often hungry and frightened children warm at night. It was
decided that grandmother would be taken out of the ghetto and hidden and this was done with the
help of kind people on the outside. When the war was over grandmother found her mother again
but the rest of her family was dead. Grandmother and her mother came to America to begin a new
and better life. One day, on Hanukkah, a parcel arrived from Poland. In it was a pillow made from
that feather bed that grandmother has slept on when she was little. One of the people who had
sheltered grandmother thought she might like to have it. Rachel and her brother learn about the
suffering their grandmother endured and how something as simple as a feather bed or a pillow can
come to mean a lot to someone. The author has told this story beautifully, taking us on a journey
with Rachel and her brother, back to a terrible time in the history of the world. An author's note in
the back explains why the author wrote this story and why it is important to remember what
happened in the past.
The Saddest Time
Norma Simon
Illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers
Albert Whitman and Company
6340 Oakton Street, Morton Grove, Ill. 60053-2723
ISBN 0-8075-7204-7, $5.95, 1800-255-7675, www.albertwhitman.com
Death is often something that is very hard to explain to a child. The loss of a family member,
friend, or pet can be a time of great uncertainty and even fear. In "The Saddest Time" the author
tells three short stories about loss. There is the death of a dearly loved terminally ill uncle, the
sudden death of a child, and the passing of a grandmother. In each story the reader is shown how
death is a part of our lives, just as birth is. It is especially hard for little children to grasp that
someone is truly gone, that they will not be coming back. The author of this book discusses this
openly and frankly, to ease the confusion a child may feel when someone near them dies. We learn
that it is all right to grieve, to cry, and to talk about the person who is gone. Talking about people
who have died keeps their memory alive and reminds us how lucky we are to have known them.
The author also shows us what we can do for each other to help one another through the loss of a
loved one. With delicate pencil drawings and gentle and soothing prose, Norma Simon has
created a lovely book to help children and those who love them cope with the reality of death. A
note at the back of the book offers further suggestions for parents and teachers on how to help a
child deal with the loss of someone close to them.
The St. Patrick's Day Shillelagh
Janet Nolan
Illustrated by Ben F. Stahl
Albert Whitman and Company
6340 Oakton Street, Morton Grove, Ill. 60053-2723
ISBN 0-875-7344-2, $15.95, 800-255-7675, www.albertwhitman.com
Between 1845 and 1851 thousands upon thousands of Irish men, women, and children died when
the potato crop failed. A million more left Ireland and came to America to start their lives over.
Fergus and his parents were just one of the many families which made the long uncomfortable
journey across the Atlantic. Before he left his home Fergus cut off a branch from a blackthorn
tree. This he whittled into a shillelagh, a walking stick. It is within this shillelagh that lies the story
Fergus's family. Every St. Patrick's day the story of their flight from Ireland is told. Fergus grows
up and gives the shillelagh to his son Declan. In turn Declan gives the shillelagh to his son Emmet
and so it goes on through the generations. With each passing generation we see the family gain a
better place in life until Ryan becomes the owner of the shillelagh. Ryan has made his family very
proud because he went to college. There is one thing he has failed to do though, and it is daughter
Kayleigh who reminds him of it. She finds the shillelagh in a closet and asks him about it. Ryan
regrets his being too busy "worrying about tomorrow I forgot to tell you our family's story of
yesterday." So, they get Grandpa to tell them the story of the shillelagh on St. Patrick's Day. In
this beautiful book Janet Nolan has found a wonderful way to tell the story of her family and its
successes through the story of the shillelagh.
Go Home! The True Story of James the Cat
Libby Phillips Meggs
Albert Whitman and Company
6340 Oakton Street, Morton Grove, Ill. 60053-2723
ISBN 0-8075-2975-3, $15.95, 1800-255-7675, www.albertwhitman.com
The black cat is on his own, with no home to go to, and no people to look after him. Then one
day a kind person talks to him and pets him. The lost cat remembers being petted before, a long
time ago, and he loves the attention. With a sense of loss the black cat watches the person go into
a house. She had told him to "Go home" but the black cat doesn't know where his old home is.
Following this meeting with the kind person, the black cat suffers though a time of drought and
then a terrible storm. When the storm is over the cat emerges from his hiding place only to find a
dog waiting for it. Thankfully, the kind person finds the black cat, injured by the dog and terribly
thin. Very upset at the cat's condition, she takes the black cat into her home. With care and love
the lost cat soon becomes a member of the household and at last he has a home, and a name. The
author and illustrator of this book has created a wonderful story about a stray cat that came into
her life, the real James the Cat. It is with concern that we see the cat struggling to survive in a
harsh world. It is also with regret that we read about how the person in the story, the first time
she met him, thought the cat belonged to someone because he was wearing a collar. In fact he had
been lost for so long that the collar had become terribly tight as he had grown. With beautiful
color illustrations we are brought into the life of this cat and rejoice in his good fortune on finding
a home at last.
The Strange Case of Baby H
Kathryn Reiss
Pleasant Company Publications
8400 Fairway Place, P.O Box 6200998, Middleton, MI 53562
ISBN 1-58485-533-9, $6.95, 1-800-845-0005, www.americangirl.com
Clara is rudely awakened one morning when the most extraordinary thing happens. Her bed starts
to heave, the walls of her room shake and she feels as if she were on a ship at sea. Earthquake!
We are in San Francisco and it is April 18, 1906. Clara, her mother and father, and the lodgers
who share their house, set up house in the yard and start to put their lives back together again.
With horror they watch the city of San Francisco burn. They hear huge explosions as men try to
check the flames by blowing up houses to create firebreaks. Will their house be next? In the
middle of this chaos a most extraordinary thing happens. Someone leaves a baby girl on their
porch. Clara and her family and friends find themselves put in a most peculiar situation. Who is
the baby and why are strangers trying to get her back? Against this backdrop of danger and
excitement Clara and her family try to get to grips with a terrible loss that they suffered not long
ago, the death of Clara's elder brother Gideon. Somehow the dreadful circumstances in which
they are placed makes them face their grief, regret and guilt. Clara is the kind of girl we all could
be and we feel great empathy for her. We understand her feelings and actions. The author has
created a gripping story which makes us think about the strength of the human spirit and which
reminds us that there are times when everything is not quite what it seems
Sarah, also known as Hannah
Lillian Hammer Ross
Illustrated by Helen Cogancherry
Albert Whitman and Company
6340 Oakton Street, Morton Grove, IL 60053-2723
ISBN 0-8075-7237-3, $13.95 800-255-7675, www.albertwhitman.com
A letter has arrived from America, and twelve-year-old Sarah and her family are both excited and
upset. Sarah and her family live in a small village in central Europe. Her father recently died and it
is very hard to make a living and to provide for everyone. Sarah's uncle and aunt have decided to
pay for Hannah, Sarah older sister, to go and join them in this new country which has so much to
offer and so much promise for a good life. At the last moment Sarah's mother insists that Hannah
must stay and Sarah must go in her place. Sarah is going to travel using the older girl's passport
and tickets. The author has managed to convey the great fear and unhappiness that Sarah
experiences on her trip. She has to leave everyone and everything she has ever known behind her,
and the grief of the separation is the hardest thing Sarah has ever had to endure. With simple and
yet meaningful language the author provides a young reader with a wonderful glimpse of a
significant time in European and American history.
Marvin and the Meanest Girl
Suzy Kline
Illustrations by Blanche Sims
Puffin Books/Penguin Putnam Inc.
375 Hudson Street, 15th floor, New York, NY 10014
ISBN: 0-698-11967-3, Ages 7 to 8, $4.99, 1-800-847-5515
For the first time in his life Marvin finds himself up against someone who is at least as mean as he
is. The challenge is almost more than he can bear. Thus begins the battle between Marvin and the
new girl in his class, Lucy the "stinker"Tinker. Marvin also calls her "porcupine" and tells her that
he thinks her multicolored finger nails are "dumb". On the battle rages between these two
stubborn and misguided children. Marvin is ready to believe that Lucy is a thief and decides that
he is going to expose her. It is with great confusion that he discovers that there is a reasonable
explanation for all her actions and that she is not a thief at all. From others he learns that Lucy is a
very lonely and unhappy child, motherless and recently made grandmother-less too. From
Marvin's stumbling and bumbling mistakes, the reader sees that things are not always as they seem
and it is not a bad idea to look carefully at a person before you judge them. An easy read for
newcomers to chapter books "Marvin and the Meanest Girl" is fast paced and true to the world of
schoolchildren trying to adjust to school life.
The Mixed-up Mask Mystery
Elizabeth Levy
Illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein
Aladdin Paperbacks
ISBN: 0-689-84628-2, Ages 7 to 10, $3.99
A person who likes salami, Italian salami, can't be all bad. That is the opinion of a very lazy yet
very loveable basset hound called Fletcher. Fletcher and his ride-along friend and sidekick, Jasper
the flea, participate in the preparations for a masked dance. Fletcher's owner Jill and other dog
owners make masks for their pets to wear to the dance. Then the trouble begins. The masks for
the dogs are vandalized, and a chewed wire almost causes a fire. On the day of the dance the
power goes off and the masks get mixed up. Who is behind all of these calamities? Will the dance
go ahead and will Fletcher have to dance after all? Fletcher has a wonderful doggy approach to
life. Naps and food have a high priority and he makes sure he is always around whenever a snack
may be in the offing. The repartee between the basset hound and the flea provide lots of amusing
moments in the story. With dry humor and delightful black and white illustrations "the Mixed-up
Mask Mystery" is an engaging read. This book is one of four about Fletcher and Jasper.
Tales from the House of Bunnicula: Screaming Mummies and the Pharaoh's Tomb II
James Howe
Illustrated by Brett Helquist
Atheneum Books
ISBN: 0-689-83953-7, Ages 7 to 9, $9.95
Who would have thought that screaming mummies could in fact be sad and sorry monsters
haunted by their past. Such us the case in this new tale by Howie Monroe (dog author) and
Delilah Gorbish (Howie's doggy girlfriend). We alternately read Howie's thoughts in his writing
journal and the story he and Delilah are writing about time-travel back to ancient Egypt. The
authors have a little trouble agreeing about what the plotline, the characters, and the title of the
story are going to be. The differences in their writing styles are amusing in themselves. Never for
a moment do we forget who this story was written for. The funny prose, including the sections
that are crossed out, sounds as if it came right out of the mouth of an eight-year-old. Relating to,
and liking, Howie Monroe, dog author extraordinaire, comes easily. Parodying the "Little House
on the Prairie," "The Wizard of Oz," the Indiana Jones adventures, and the "Harry Potter" books,
(among others) the author has created a wonderfully funny book. This is the fourth in the "Tales
from the House of Bunnicula" books.
Miss Hunnicutt's Hat
Jeff Brumbeau
Illustrated by Gail de Marcken
Orchard Books
ISBN: 0-439-31895-5, Ages 3 and up, $16.95
Miss Hunnicutt is taking a stand. She has had enough of being bossed around by others.
Unfortunately for the little town of Littleton, Miss Hunnicutt decides to take a stand on the one
day that the Queen is coming through the town. Miss Hunnicutt has decided to wear a beautiful
hat from Paris on her head. On top of the hat is perched a very handsome, very alive, chicken. The
people of Littleton try to get Miss Hunnicutt to remove her hat, some even order her to do so, but
Miss Hunnicutt will not be bullied into taking off her glorious hat. She has a "right to wear what I
like" and that is that. As it happens the Queen has a great fondness for unusual hats and has a very
odd hat of her own to show off. Beautifully and colorfully illustrated, this book is the second
written by Jeff Brumbeau and Gail de Marcken. Though it may not have the same magic as "The
Quiltmaker's Gift," this is a delightful story which shows that one can stand up for ones beliefs
(even if they are peculiar) and get away with it.
Red Berry Wool
Robyn Eversole
Illustrated by Tim Coffey
Albert Whitman and Co.
ISBN: 0-8075-6918-6, Ages 5 to 7, $6.95.
Lalo the lamb sees the Boy one day and what a beautiful soft, red jacket he is wearing. Lalo's
Mother tells him that the wool came from them, the sheep on the farm. Lalo decides that he too
wants to have a red jacket. How is he going to get such a thing? He asks his mother how the
Boy's jacket was made and she tells him that the wool is washed, spun, dyed and knitted. Little
Lalo diligently begins to do the same, literally. He washes himself in the stream, spins around and
around in the meadow, and rolls in a berry bush to get dyed. Everything Lalo does goes wrong
and the Boy rescues and comforts him each time. Lalo learns that red jackets are not all that
important and that the love and kindness of the little boy is all that really matters. Beautifully
illustrated in the colors of green hills and country places, this is a very simple and poignant story,
perfect for a small child.
Marya Jansen-Gruber
Reviewer
Miki's Bookshelf
Spirits of the Once Walking
Babs Lakey
Futures Mysterious Limited
3039 38th Ave South, Minneapolis, MN 55406
1928857051 $21.25
Who is this man named Randolph Boodles? He wears a Rolex, carries a briefcase, drives a Jaguar,
and trolls the streets for unwilling victims.
We already know who Elsie Sanders is from Babs Lakey's first two books in the trilogy: Spirit of
the Straightedge and Spirit of the Silent Butler. Elsie is vengeance. She, as ever, will not allow a
killer to go unpunished. Known to Randolph as Avenger Woman, Elise shows up when he is on
the verge of another rape and another murder. The very sight of Elsie chills Randolph's blood and
makes him run. For Elise has killed the guilty and gotten away with it. She may well kill
again.
Babs Lakey, with her third in the "Spirit" series has only gotten better as she purrs along. Her
style and prose are powerful. Outspokenly sexual and not afraid of the violent realities, author
Lakey adds to her following with every book. The thing of it is, she writes very well. And she
writes with intensity. A hatred of the victimization of human beings (usually female in our society)
pulses through her work, along with a compassion for the underdog of every stripe. Neither Elsie
nor Lakey will rest until the last evil perpetrator is cleansed from the city of Minneapolis.
Writing in a sensual and sensational style, Lakey produces prose that's unique. She grounds her
writing in reality, yet the images turn surreal at times, forming a dreamlike spiral that drags the
reader in. Events play out with us practically on the spot and inside the mind of not only the
protagonist, but the killer, too. We know it all, as we stick willingly with Lakey, who guides us on
the run, while dire events roll off the page, straight toward a genuinely chilling, heart-pounding
climax.
This is a terrific addition to the hardboiled subgenre, continuing Lakey's efforts to expand the
contemporary possibilities of crime noir. No way is she derivative. Lakey has created a new brand
here and a new type of protagonist--a female who is completely `woman,' yet has the guts and
action-oriented drive too often reserved for the fictional male. As Elise's friend Tony says in the
book, "I'll drink to that." And for any crime-fiction addicts out there, I'd also suggest the
magazine FUTURES Mysterious Anthology Magazine. Oh, okay, I write a column on criminal
justice issues for that publication. G. Miki Hayden
Bones of the Cross
Jeffrey Denhart
JoNa Books
P.O. Box 336, Bedford, IN 47421
0970672519 $12.95 http://www.kiva.net/~jonabook/
Reading has become somewhat of a routine task for me lately and though I'm always interested in
what I consume, I seldom take real delight in a book any more. Reading Bones of the Cross was
truly an exception for me. I found an old-time enjoyment here, in a novel that sustains a rather
captivating story--and was eager to get back to the tale periodically to finish my devouring of the
personalities and events.
Dr. Bill Mullins, with his wife, is visiting his sister-in-law in a small town in Missouri. An M.D.,
who has become a forensic anthropologist, Mullins is asked by the local sheriff to have a look at a
precisely patterned graveyard. He very much knows what he is about in arranging for the
excavation and examining the bones. The doctor is convincing enough in his endeavors to make
the reader believe that author Denhart has been there, done that, whether he actually has, or not.
The forensic anthropology material is absorbing and neither too dark for the habitual cozy reader
nor too fluffy for the mystery fan seeking a grittier tale.
At the same time that Mullins plies his fascinating trade, he also reels in the reader with a
substantial amount of personal decency, honesty, and human vulnerability. He's a well-drawn
character, fully capable of both holding our attention and pursuing a solution to a series of
mystifying killings.
In the interest of full disclosure, I admit to having a book out from the same publisher, but that
isn't at all why I give this book a two thumbs up. I enjoyed the progression from page one (when
the investigation get its start), through to the excavation of the burial sites, and then to the
increasingly suspenseful and intriguing conclusion.
I truly believe that every mystery reader I know will enjoy this one. The book is structured well,
the protagonist is sympathetic, and the pace just right. This is the type of novel that has gone into
creating fandom for the genre. Bones of the Cross offers a trip away for the reader--not from
reality, but to a place both (safely) dangerous and compelling. It's just a darn good read, a couple
of hours of relaxation with an interesting fellow who is doing a type of work we all like finding
out about. If I enjoyed this book subsequent to hours of correcting student fiction, you will also
satisfy your own hunger here for the perfect evening distraction. G. Miki Hayden
Organizations in the Movies: The Legend of the Dysfunctional System
Stephen B. Sloane
University Press of America
4720 Boston Way, Lanham, MD 20706
0761824340 $31.00
Everyone loves the movies, even academics like Dr. Sloane, who teaches political science at a
liberal arts college in California. In this book, a perfect text for a university course but readable
for any reader interested in the sociology of film, Sloane examines how individuals interact with
social constructs--as mythologized in our contemporary balladry--film.
Sloane's stated intention with this book is to look at the ":tension between what it means to be a
human doer and what it means to be a human being" by considering how people behave as
participants in organizational life. He posits that our roles in the organization can be a source of
our unhappiness, and that film and its examples of how others confront, or in some way deal with
their organizational, role can prepare the rest of us to cope in similar or dissimilar fashion.
Looking at films such as "Twelve O'Clock High" (about dangerous daylight bombing in Europe
during WW II), "Electric Horseman" (in which a famed cowboy sells his image to corporate
America), "Groundhog Day" (the saga of how a "cog in the wheel" of a local news team finds his
humanity), "2001: A Space Odyssey" (in which the machine rejects its human project partner)
--and others--Sloane reviews the types of solutions protagonists and antagonists have found
regarding their position in the grander scheme of things.
Part of the pleasure in reading the book is being reminded of some favorite films (I told you we
love movies) and part is in seeing those films in a brand new light. The dramatic story of a military
psychopath in "A Few Good Men," under Sloane's tutelage becomes the plight of a zealot
confronted by an organization that has its own, more moderate and culturally accommodating
views. In "Getting Lost in America," what we see as a comedic flight from corporate life is
viewed by Sloane as a journey allowing the protagonists to see more clearly what they really need
and want--what they had before. Thus, the author gives us a peek into another context.
Once we see Sloane's point in the films he chooses to expose to our view, we are more open to
regarding many other moves in the same way and to better our own situations through a
reinvigorated understanding of the social organism as a whole.
G. Miki Hayden
Reviewer
Paul's Bookshelf
Why Do People Hate America?
Ziauddin Sardar and Merryl Wyn Davies
The Disinformation Company Ltd.
163 Third Avenue, #108, New York, NY 10003
ISBN 0971394253, $22.95, 236 pages, http://www.disinfo.com
This book attempts to answer what has become a very important question since that day in
September 2001.
To say that they hate our freedom and diversity is overly simplistic. To say that they hate
America's one-sided support for Israel, or our support for regimes not democratically elected, like
in Egypt and Saudi Arabia, is closer to the truth, but still an easy answer.
They hate the destruction of their economies through the American-controlled International
Monetary Fund and World Bank. Before any money is loaned, a country must agree to a long list
of changes to their economy. For instance, they must eliminate subsidies for domestic agriculture,
eliminate tariffs on imports, sell state industries to the highest bidder, cut public spending and
crush independent labor unions. To take one example, eliminating tariffs on agricultural imports
will cause the country to be flooded with cheaper (usually American) agricultural products,
driving local farmers out of business, and forcing them to the already overcrowded cities in search
of work.
America talks a lot about "free trade" and "open markets," but the trade is free in only one
direction. While foreign markets are open to American products, sometimes by force, American
can put up all the barriers it wants to prevent foreign products from reaching the domestic
market.
They hate the destruction of their culture by Hollywood. American shows are dumped, in package
deals, on other countries at very cheap prices. The production values make local TV look
amateurish by comparison. Multi-national companies, like Coca-Cola or Philip Morris, are going
to advertise on American shows, so those shows will be aired. Hollywood movies flood other
countries to the point where local productions have a hard time reaching the local public. When is
the last time that any foreign movies or TV (except Britain) were widely available in
America?
Among other things that they hate about America is that it thinks and acts like it's the center of
the universe, and that the average American makes absolutely no attempt to understand other
cultures.
This book easily reaches the level of Wow. It's very clearly written and even I learned a lot from
it. Why do people hate America? This does an excellent job at answering that very question.
Shall We Gather at the Garden?
Kevin L. Donihe
Eraserhead Press
16455 E. Fairlynn Drive, Fountain Hills, AZ 85268
ISBN 0971357250, $14.95, 239 pages, http://www.eraserheadpress.com
This novel is in three general parts. The first part is about a man who joins a group of circus
midgets as they market a brand new consumer drink called Bottled Barbed Chains. Drink it, and
chains come out of your throat, but in a non-fatal way. With proper marketing, everyone will
want to have chains hanging from their throats. They get a famous sports star to ewndorse the
drink, but something goes wrong during the live commercial. The chains spring from his throat in
a very fatal way, and he dies on live TV.
The second part of the novel concerns Mark Anders, the author of the first part. It is published as
a romance (even though there is no romance in it) and the book quickly becomes a national
obsession. People are so enthralled with the story that they read while walking down the street,
and walk right into traffic. Others read while driving, with obvious consequences. Anders is not
able to go out in public any more, because his residence is constantly surrounded by people who
treat him practically as a god.
The third part concerns a couple of early 20s, mall food court employee types. After a particularly
heinous day, dealing with Mark Anders Day at the mall, they relax with some especially good
marijuana. They start dancing, and suddenly find themselves several million years in the future.
Their arrival had been foretold by Scripture, and the two find themselves as part of the only
church that's left, the Church of the Byrds. Among its holy relics are letters written by David
Crosby and the bones of Stephen Stills. Things move right along, until the Church of Lionel
Richie sets up shop nearby. A life-or-death battle ensues as the Church of the Byrds feel that they
are heathens who must be converted or eliminated.
I'm not sure if this is intended as satire or not, but it is certainly the strangest novel I have ever
read. Think William S. Burroughs or Philip Dick (one of the author's inspirations) after ingesting
large amounts of narcotics when reading this book. Not just an open mind, but a very open mind,
is needed hers, so this is not for everyone. For those who want a mind-blowing story, you won't
do much better than this. It's really worth reading.
The Remnant
Georgia Flosi
Booklocker.com
P.O. Box 2399, Bangor, ME 04402-2399
ISBN 1591130344, 219 pages, $14.95, http://www.booklocker.com
FBI Agent Shari Rigel keeps a very close watch on a religious cult located somewhere in the
wilds of Alaska. Known as The Remnant, they are led by a man named Brother Will. It's a place
where families are split up, and all new members are required to sign over all their worldly assets
to Brother Will. Despite this, he manages to stay just on the right side of the law.
Rigel has good reason for her near-obsession with Brother Will. As a child, she and her brother,
Andy, were the only survivors of Jonestown in Guyana, when over 800 people killed themselves
at the behest of Rev. Jim Jones. Shari knows something about cults, from the inside.
She discovers that Brother Will has his own mass suicide plan, with the intention of making it
look like the FBI again got trigger happy. Meantime, on the inside, Maya Webster secretly gets
her daughter, Crystal, out of The Remnant and away from Brother Will. It's bad enough that
Crystal is about to have Brother Will's baby. The proverbial last straw is Brother Will's plan to
make Crystal his fifth wife. Crystal is 12 years old.
Maya agrees to lead Shari back inside, to save as many children as possible, before the FBI fulfills
its part of the "prophecy." Shari's single-minded pursuit of Brother Will leads to the deaths of 17
children, trained to throw themselves on live hand grenades when the end comes. Shari is
officially cleared of blame in their deaths, but considers herself responsible.
For anyone who has a family member involved in a religious cult, or anyone who has recently left
a cult, this is an obvious Must Read. It feels like the author knows more than the average person
about cults. For everyone else, this is an interesting and well-done page turner, that is very
plausible and is very much worth reading.
Voices
Edward Bonadio
Writer's Club Press/iUniverse
5220 S 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512
ISBN 0595184308, $16.95, 291 pages, http://www.iuniverse.com
In this modern tale of good and evil, Jake Haley is a reclusive loner living in present-day Oakland,
California. His soul has become easy pickings for an evil that needs him to do the dirty work via
voices coming from his TV set. After he lets the entity take him over, Jake's new job is to kill
Wilson, the Mayor of Oakland, so that Cameron Parker, the Vice Mayor, another of the entity's
minions, can take over and run the city properly. Several years ago as a prosecutor, Wilson put
away Billy Martin, a notorious serial killer and another of the entity's minions. With Parker in the
Mayor's Office, Martin will have a better chance of escaping from police custody.
Jake almost succeeds in his quest to kill the Mayor. He sets up a bomb inside a hotel ballroom
where the Mayor is to appear. A lot of people die, but not the Mayor. Later, he sets up several
bombs inside a school gymnasium where Wilson is to appear, but is stopped by the police.
Jake isn't the only one hearing voices. Oakland police detective Lea Moore is a rising star in the
Department. She starts hearing voices, mostly that of Jimmy, her late partner and ex-lover. She
still feels responsible for his needless death months earlier. Through solid police work, and a lucky
break or two, she, and Arlis, her partner, get to Haley, before he kills more innocent people. In
police custody, Haley fingers Cameron Parker, just before the entity is exorcised out of him by
Father Rojas, a local priest suffering a crisis of faith and who has also been hearing voices. Lea
and Arlis have words with Parker, just before Parker kills Arlis and Moore kills Parker. With the
entity, named Matzorgein, defeated and with the immediate danger to the city over, the story
ends, right? A couple of years later, in another city, Matzorgein lets Lea know that it is about to
have the last laugh.
Is it possible that evil people like Hitler are the latest vehicles for ancient forces that conspire to
commit great evil? This book explores how such a thing could happen. Is your neighbor simply
not a nice person, or is the reason much more sinister?
This is much better than the average police/serial killer story. It touches on a lot of things, and it's
just plausible and spooky enough to keep the reader thinking long after the book is finished. It's
very much worth reading.
Pacifica Radio: The Rise of an Alternative Network
Matthew Lasar
Temple University Press
1601 N Broad Street, USB 305, Philadelphia, PA 19122-6099
ISBN 1566397774, $19.95, 320 pages, http://www.temple.edu/tempress
In America during World War II, to be a pacifist or otherwise opposed to the war was very
unpopular. The belief that this was a good war made the pacifist opposition practiced by people
like Lewis Hill seem practically treasonous. Having spent the war years in prison or in
conscientious objector camps, in 1949, Hill and a group of like-minded people started America's
first listener-supported radio station, KPFA-FM, in Berkeley, California.
The unspoken purpose was to resurrect the Jeffersonian ideal of free marketplace of ideas; to be a
place to engege the citizen in the highest of civic ideals. If there was a worst possible time to talk
like that, it was during this time, when World War II turned in to the Cold War. Much more
popular ideas were foregone conclusions and mistrusting your neighbor.
There was a never-ending lack of money at the station. In the beginning, subscriptions were sold,
along with specially-designed tuners to receive KPFA's signal on the then-empty FM band. For a
time, the station was actually off the air for several months because of money problems. When
writing grant requests to various groups, Hill would tailor the Pacifica Foundation's (the
governing body) purpose to whatever the group wanted.
Over the years, there were the inevitable personality conflicts and power struggles at the station.
Hill threatened to quit, or did quit, a number of times, until the time in the late 1950s when he
really did quit, by killing himself. Pacifica's purpose slowly changed as time went along, from
being a place for pacifism to political dissent. In the early 1960s, Pacifica found itself fighting for
its life, accused by the Justice Department of being a haven for communists. Pacifica had certainly
hosted communists in the past, but that didn't make them a "haven".
I really enjoyed this book. As with any history, there will be a difference of opinion on what
should have been less emphasized and more emphasized. As far as the author goes, he does a fine
job. In a time when radio is more and more homogenized and corporate controlled, it's good to
know that there is one spot on the dial where the listener actually has a chance to use their
brain--Pacifica. This history of its founding is highly recommended.
Sulekha Select: The Indian Experience in a Connected World, Smart Information Worldwide
4926 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite 101, Austin TX 78759
ISBN 0970815700, 252 pages, $9.95, http://www.sulekha.com
Sulekha.com is a website that is a rarity these days; not only is it still in existence after five years,
it is actually thriving. It is a total online community that is the most popular one for Indians (those
whose ancestry comes from the Indian subcontinent) in the whole world.
The site contains everything a person could want, from daily headlines to events and tickets to
social initiative to articles and columns to movie and book reviews. It also contains a section
called Sulekha Select, where people from all over the world send in their thoughts on what it
means to be Indian. This book collects some of those writings.
Why do intelligent, American-born Indians, with good jobs, flashy cars and MBAs still go back to
India to marry someone chosen by their parents? A visiting professor at a school in Japan attends
an evening musical concert. Needing to use the bathroom and understanding little Japanese, he is
forced to use the nearest bathroom (Japanese bathrooms do not have the helpful male/female
pictures on the door). He suddenly discovers that he is in the Ladies Room at intermission. A new
immigrant to Florida is introduced to the "religion" that is University of Florida football. Another
piece is on turning 40 and being thought of as a "Christmas baby." Also included are statements
from personal experience or confessions from close friends on the lives of Indian women: Always
serve the men first, we can eat later. It is our past life's sin that we were born women. A woman's
place is always behind her husband. You don't have an opinion. Be quiet and keep your mouth
shut. You must have asked for it.
This book would probably mean more to me if I was of Indian ancestry, but I still enjoyed it. For
any Indian who hasn't already done so: 1) visit www.sulekha.com immediately, 2) read this book.
It feels very much worth reading.
Legend of the Rainbow Warriors
Steven McFadden
Chiron Communications
7 Avenida Vista Grande #195, Santa Fe, NM 87505-9199
ISBN 0966523466, $19.95, 190 pages, http://www.chiron-communications.com
According to many Native American traditions, when the Earth becomes very sick, people of all
faiths and colors will rise up to face the challenges with caring, insight and honesty. Through a
combination of storytelling and journalism, this book attempts to show how the Legend of the
Rainbow Warriors matters right now.
The coming of the white man, and the near-elimination of the Indians, was not a surprise to
Native Americans. Many tribes have some version of the following legend: Light-skinned people
will come from the east in great canoes powered by huge white wings. They will talk of a new
religion of love and kindness, but not all will live by it. Instead they will enslave and exploit the
Red Nations. The Indians will offer mixed resistance and seem to lose their spirit. Their lives will
be filled with poverty and misery. The Earth will be filled with deadly metals and liquids, the air
will be filled with smoke and ash and birds and fish will die. At some point, Light will come from
the east, and natives will begin to regain their pride and wisdom. Many others, white, yellow and
black, will also realize that Earth gives us the food, water and other essentials for life. They will
come together using only peaceful means, and teach everyone to respect Mother Earth. They will
not have an easy time, but they will prevail.
Remember Harmonic Convergence back in 1987? It was more than just a New Age hippie
festival. According to many Native American calendars, that date signaled the start of a
worldwide transition phase lasting for 25 years. The question is: transition to what? Perhaps to
the point where the Legend of the Rainbow Warrior comes true.
The description of Earth being very sick and polluted, with plants and animals dying in great
numbers certainly sounds like present-day Earth. Keep an eye on December 2012, when this
25-year cycle is supposed to end.
This book cannot be dismissed as just New Age nonsense, though an openness to Native
American spirituality would be a big help when reading it. I found it to be very plausible, easy to
understand and well worth reading.
Paul Lappen
Reviewer
Peter's Bookshelf
The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days
Fern Reiss
PublishingGame.com
Peanut Butter and Jelly Press, LLC
P.O. Box 590239 Newton, Massachusetts 02459-0002
ISBN 1893290859, $19.95, 1-617-630-0945, www.amazon.com
The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days by Fern Reiss gives readers a step-by-step guide
to self-publishing their books. For each day of 30 days, The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in
30 Days shows the reader the tasks necessary to set up a successful publishing company and turn
a manuscript into a published book.
Some of the first days have a modest and fun agenda, such as Day 2, in which you "zero-in on a
hot topic...define your target audience, and choose a title and subtitle for your book."
Many of the other days have a more ambitious agenda, such as choosing and setting up a business
structure or setting up a database/accounting system to monitor book sales.
For each day's plan, Reiss gives valuable resources and options. Options range from low-cost,
do-it-yourself self-publishing to more professional, mid-sized publisher alternatives.
For example, in setting up a record-keeping system, the options Reiss covers range from $10,000
specialized database programs for mid-sized publishers to $100 accounting programs for smaller
publishers to buying a notebook and recording sales in a paper journal.
For setting up a promotional website, The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days lists
resources to help those who want to learn to do-it-themselves at low cost. Website programs
sponsored by the Writer's Guild to help authors are mentioned. And, for those with larger
budgets, references to professional website designers are given.
Any self-publisher should find an option within his/her publishing budget in this book. The main
focus of The Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days is not book marketing, but rather
getting a book produced and getting a new publishing company established.
Many business aspects of starting a publishing company, which tend to be neglected in other
self-publishing books, are discussed. For example, there is an excellent discussion about
distributor bankruptcy and how to protect your small publishing company if your exclusive
distributor fails. (A small publisher could lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in inventory stored
at the distributor during a distributor bankruptcy and never receive payment for it if they don't
protect themselves properly.)
Other days' effort involve many smaller, but necessary tasks, such as letting the major book buyers
know about your titles by filling out the ABI Books In Print form and similar forms.
Book pricing and discount schedules, getting an 800 phone number, setting up a merchant credit
card account to process credit cards, book cover design, interior book design, book indexing, and
many other topics are covered.
If you're looking for a step-by-step guide to self-publishing a book, I highly recommend The
Publishing Game: Publish a Book in 30 Days.
Reiss is also the author of two other titles of interest to publishers and authors: The Publishing
Game: Bestseller in 30 Days discusses book promotion; and The Publishing Game: Find an Agent
in 30 Days helps authors find agents.
The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance
and Personal Renewal
Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
The Free Press
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN 0743226747, $26.00, Hardcover, 246 pages, www.amazon.com
The Power of Full Engagement: Managing Energy, Not Time, Is the Key to High Performance
and Personal Renewal by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz is a self-help book for business
executives, managers, athletes, and others who feel overwhelmed by the demands of their jobs and
who want to improve their effectiveness.
Loehr and Schwartz argue that life isn't a marathon, rather it's a series of sprints. To be successful,
individuals need to balance recovery time with actual sprinting. A tired sprinter probably won't
win the next race. And, most of us treat life like a constant race with no downtime.
Loehr, a performance psychologist, came upon these observations while he was studying
professional tennis players to learn what separates the greatest players from the less successful
players. Loehr discovered what separated the greatest players, such as Ivan Lendl, from the less
successful players wasn't how they played tennis points. Rather, it was how they behaved between
playing points.
The greatest players developed rituals to help calm and relax themselves in the short time between
points. For example, Loehr and Schwartz tell us Lendl: "...predictably wiped his brow with his
wristband, knocked the head of his racket against each of his heels, took sawdust from his pocket,
bounced the ball four times and visualized where he intended to hit the ball. In the process, Lendl
was recalibrating his energy: pushing away distraction, calming his physiology, focusing his
attention, triggering reengagement and preparing his body to perform at its best."
When Loehr used EKG telemetry to monitor player heart rates, he discovered: "In the sixteen to
twenty seconds between points in a match, the heart rates of top competitors dropped as much as
twenty beats per minute. By building highly efficient and focused recovery routines, these players
had found a way to derive extraordinary energy renewal in a very short period of time."
The less successful players, on the other hand, didn't have rituals to help them recover between
points. Their heart rates remained high between points, and they couldn't seem to calm their
stress.
Similarly, Loehr and Schwartz say many managers and executives don't have rituals to help them
relax and remain effective. The authors argue that rituals help us connect to our values and what
we hold most dear. Rituals assure our effort is directed to serve our most important goals.
Loehr and Schwartz write: "We hold ourselves accountable for the ways that we manage our
time, and for that matter our money. We must learn to hold ourselves at least equally accountable
for how we manage our energy physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually."
To help managers balance production with recovery, Loehr and Schwartz developed The
Complete Corporate Athlete Training System. (Loehr and Schwartz are partners in LGE
Performance Systems, which works with executives and managers.)
Consider the case of poor Roger B., discussed in The Power of Full Engagement. He's a mess. He
skips breakfast. He doesn't exercise. He feels pressured and overwhelmed. He smokes and drinks,
and he's gained weight. He's just not cutting it at work anymore. He's also aloof from his family,
because he takes his work stress out on them.
His company sends Roger to LGE, where his body fat and cholesterol are measured and he's
thrown on a treadmill. Even though he was a college athlete, Roger hasn't maintained his physical
health.
Loehr and Schwartz tell us physical energy is crucial, even for those whose work is sedentary. If
we don't take care of our health, everything else will become more difficult. So, one of Roger's
rituals becomes setting aside fixed times for exercise.
Loehr and Schwartz say the specificity of goals is important to success. We can't spend too much
time thinking about our rituals or they'll become equivalent to New Year's resolutions that are
quickly dropped. Rituals must be nearly automatic.
In addition to the physical realm, Loehr and Schwartz argue we must similarly develop rituals to
develop personally on emotional, mental, and spiritual levels.
Peter Hupalo, Reviewer
http://www.thinkinglike.com
Rick's Bookshelf
Deadly Dance
Darville Knowles M.D.
Milligan Books
1425 West Manchester Avenue Suite C, Los Angeles California 90047
ISBN: 0971974985, $15.95, (323)750-3592, www.amazon.com
Some first novels are like a canned broth, sure they have some taste, but there is no essence of
what the main ingredient was. Others are as a fine wine, once savored, each drop lingers joyfully
relished by the mind far after the experience is over. "Deadly Dance" by author Darville Knowles
is the equivalent of a Rothschild 66 or a 1970 Chateau La Caronne, delicious to consume and
remembered long after the experience itself has passed.
First novels can be tough, yet in the hands of a writer as gifted as Dr. Knowles, the characters and
situations that he presents spring to life as if of their own accord. He has a style that allows the
readers to experience not only the external, but also the internal motivations, feelings, and turmoil
that they are going through.
The lead character of this story is Dr. Evander Parker, a noted psychiatrist that had everything
going for him; a successful practice in a high rise office, a great secretary, everything that could be
taken as signs of success. Then, in a series of trials and tribulations that would make Job feel sorry
for him, he loses everything. Now a homeless fugitive and wanted for a murder that he didn't
commit, he struggles to not only clear his good name and restore some resemblance of his life, but
to help bring those that caused this to happen to him to be brought to justice. Luckily he has
Taylor Nash, a Private Investigator, to help him-or is he?
This novel manages to weave several parallel stories at the same time, yet never in a confusing
way, until you are swept up in the onslaught of plots and characters as they rush to their final
fateful rendezvous. Along the way, we are treated to views on topics ranging from racial
prejudices to medical malpractice and religious extremism. This was an enjoyable read from an
author that I am sure we will hear more from as time goes by. In fact, I would not be surprised to
find out that there is more in store for this unlikely dynamic duo to come, and I for one will look
forward to their adventures.
"Wound Too Tight"
TJ Perkins
Publish America
PO Box 151, Frederick MD 21705-0151
ISBN: 1591295394, $16.95, paperback, www.amazon.com
You know, I need to rethink this whole stigma that I have about books for young readers. This is
the second one that I have read that has surprised me by being as well written and as engrossing
as any book geared for adults that has crossed my desk.
"Wound Too Tight" is the captivating tale of 6 young boys and their discovery of lost pirate
treasure. While that might sound as much of a tried old formula as an ancient Indian burial
ground, author T.J. Perkins has mixed in enough magic and adventure to leave a reader
spellbound. The treasure of Simon de Cruel (love that name) at first seems like a godsend to
Shawn, Steve, Jay, Bobby, Carl, and Rick, but is quickly becomes more than they bargained for
with the winding of an old watch discovered in one of the chests.
As his friends start disappearing one by one, Shawn discovers that the watch is cursed, that by it
ticking it has returned the pirate de Cruel to life, and he is not ready to give that up. De Cruel
takes Shawn's friends and turns them into mindless crewmembers for his ship, pirate zombies if
you will (my name, not hers) and it is up to Shawn to not only rescue his friends, but also see that
de Cruel is stopped.
If there is some magic to writing a children's book that is filled with adventure and excitement,
Ms. Perkins has certainly found the proper spell. Her characters are kids; they interacted as I
expected boys to do, and their dialogue never once sounded like it was the words of an adult
trying to sound like a child. I'm sure you have read work like that-either the writer writes so far
down to his audience that a ten year old sounds like a five, or they place fake hip slang that hasn't
been used since they were a child themselves. Her kids in this book are just that-kids.
Refreshingly, the adults are neither played as buffoons or as staunch authorities, but as adults
from a child's perspective.
Let me just say this as simply as I can, read this book, but most importantly, let your children read
it. And if you don't have any, well, get one of the neighbor's kids and read it with them. The entire
family can enjoy this book with no qualms or misgivings, kudos to Ms. Perkins. Now, maybe
when I'm looking for a book to read (once I get caught up on all the ones I have to review), I
might just wander over to the kids section of the store and be surprised by what I find.
Shadow of Death
Melody Ravert
Publish America
PO Box 151, Frederick MD 21705-0151
ISBN: 1592860443, $19.95, www.amazon.com
Christian Books. I'm sure there are those of you that think for a book to have a Christian message,
it must be either preachy, or so sappy that any glimpses of plot or characterization is thrown out
the window. How could a book that talks about God as a main force in the lives of the characters
possibly have anything mainstream about it, and especially when it is a murder mystery? Well, let
me tell you that I thought the same thing until I read 'Shadow of Death' by author Melody Ravert,
and boy did she open my eyes.
What a thrill it was to read this book! Paced like an action movie, it drags you through a plethora
of emotions as Carla Summers, a defense attorney, prepares a case to defend her client in a
murder case. Her client, Randal Turner, claims his innocence, and with the help of Homicide
Detective Nick Brunetti, perhaps she will be able to see justice done and an innocent man go free.
There is so much more under the surface than a homicide, and Ms. Ravert creates a complicated
web of blackmail, drug rings and murder that will leave you guessing until the end. Even after the
trial is over, Carla is still in great danger and Nick must race to not only solve the mystery, but
also rescue the woman he loves. It is obvious that there is chemistry between the two, which
forces her to face her lack of trust in men when it comes to intimate relationships due to her
former husband and the abuse she suffered at his hand. The way Ms. Ravert crafts the interaction
of the two characters, each with baggage, yet each wanting to give themselves to one another in
the purest sense of the term is beautifully portrayed. My complements to you for not writing
characters that just jump into the sack with each other, but instead creating characters that
interact on the best kind of level-real.
She also manages to combine her obvious deep-rooted religious beliefs into a tightly woven tale
of murder and intrigue that could and should take its place proudly beside any secular novel of the
same type. Her love of God shows in her writing, in the way the characters talk and act, as well as
react to their situations and each other. I think that this is the first book I have read in a long time
where when the character says, "Please God, let her be all right", I really felt as if it was a prayer
and not a cliche.
Let me tell you one more thing she does, as minor as it may seem, that I really liked. She ends the
book with the words, 'The End'. You have no idea how much a simple thing like that struck me; I
actually smiled. I mean, how long as it been since you saw those words on something? Anymore,
books just stop, movies just go to credits, or even go so far as to mention the next part as the first
finishes. Even though it is possible for there to be a sequel (and I hope there will be) it was
refreshing to see those two little words at the bottom of the last page. Her story was told as she
wanted it to be-THE END. I liked that.
That being said, let me take a page from the author so to speak, and end my review as she did her
story. If you love a good murder mystery, put aside any preconceived notion you might have and
try this book. You will be in for a great read by an author that I am sure we will be hearing more
from. I'm glad I read it, I enjoyed it thoroughly, and you will too.
THE END
The Shadow Government
Ray Derby
iUniverse
5220 S. 16th St. Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
ISBN: 0595234682, $14.95, 1.877.823.9235. www.iuniverse.com
Sometimes fiction is used for escapism - adventuring on the high seas with a band of cutthroat
pirates, or walking the surface of some distant planet. Sometimes it is used for wish fulfillment-
being able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, or pilot an X-wing fighter down through the
trenches to destroy the Death Star. However, sometimes, as is the case I think with "The Shadow
Government" by Ray Derby, it is a thinly veiled cover for what he knows is actually either going
on, or could well be coming up, in our world today, and that scares me.
I know since 9/11 every time you turn on the TV or pick up a paper, there seems that there is
some new attack about to be leveled against the United States. I am not the first to say that these
are troubled times we live in, nor will I be the last. We go up on the alert chart to a color we have
never been at before, and everyone panics, then when nothing happens, we drop back down,
breathe a sigh of relief, hug our children closer, and go back about our lives. However, what if
they lowered the alert too soon? What if the attack is so silent, so secretive that we have no inside
knowledge of it at all until it is too late? No missiles, no bombs, but attacked by weapons of a
biological nature that can kill most of our citizens in days, showing no trace of violence left
behind. Warfare upon this country that is apocalyptic in its devastation, and far reaching in its
ramification. The thought, troubling as it might be, lends itself to a compelling thriller that I could
not put down. Oh, I tried believe me, I tried. I mean, this story actually bothered me, it seemed so
real, but I found myself being drawn back like a moth to a flame until I had to finish.
They always say, whoever 'they' are, that a writer writes best when it comes to something he
knows about, and boy is that evident here. Author Ray Derby has been in the center of the
beltway of D.C, under five presidents, providing information on chemical, biological, and
radiological personal protection. He has been with the Civil Defense in a high level capacity, and a
Federal Emergency Coordinator. It is hard for me to believe that this is the first novel he has
written, it reads like the work of a Master at the Craft. His situations genuinely compelling and
believable, his plots and action truly spellbinding, and the storyline moves at such a pace that the
few seconds it takes to turn a page was agony. He has created characters that I cared about, and
found myself on more than one occasion, commenting out loud over what I had just read. Luckily,
there was no one else around at the time.
I don't know if it is the timing of the novel or just the fact that it is so darn good, but Mr. Derby is
on his way to being one of the big names of political thrillers if there is any justice in this world,
and it will be an honor bestowed upon him that is richly and rightfully deserved. If you like edge
of the seat white knuckle page turning thrillers that will keep you not only guessing but wanting
more, then I implore you to pick up this book. It is one of the most well written thrillers of its
type I have ever read, and my highest recommendation goes out to this novel.
Remember the name, "The Shadow Government" by Ray Derby. Buy it, read it, but most of all,
pray it is just fiction-for all of our sakes.
Rick Mohr
Reviewer
Roger's Bookshelf
Bringing Out the Best in Others
Thomas K. Connellan, PhD
Bard Press
5275 McCormick Mountain Drive, Austin, Texas 78734
ISBN 188516758X, $19.95, 208 pages, www.amazon.com
Comfortable, Convincing, Effective
I like a book that grabs my attention and my curiosity right away, a book that keeps me engaged.
The writing style, like sitting in on a conversation, hooked me in the first few pages. You'll find
this book to be a deceivingly quick read, though you'll probably catch yourself a number of
times-stopping, looking back over what you just read, and asking "what did he say?" Some of the
lessons kind of sneak up on you.
The premise of Connellan's approach is that three factors influence success: Expectations,
Responsibility, and Feedback. He relates those factors to improving human performance-in
business, in school, in family relationships, in personal development. Some improvement is
measurable; some is not, but you know the improvement is there.
In 15 chapters, the reader takes a journey through Connellan's three keys. After a couple of
introductory chapters on why people fall short and how to create consistently high performance,
each of the keys is explained, with how-to, by a consultant/counselor. His workshop participants
listen, then put the theories to work. A chapter on each success story illustrates what can be done
in a teaching mode that's inspirational at the same time.
I like the practicality of this book. You'll find plenty of good ideas, well-presented. The last few
pages hold a surprise: a Leader's Tool Kit to put the book's lessons to work. While reemphasizing
his three keys-confidence and expectations, accountability, and appropriate feedback, Connellan
offers additional resources and suggestions.
This book will be valuable for educators, parents, coaches, and corporate executives at all level.
It's small enough so it's not intimidating, but filled with a lot more value than you'd expect.
Journey to the Emerald City
Roger Connors and Tom Smith
Prentice Hall Press
240 Frisch Court, Paramus, NJ 07652
ISBN 073520358X, $14.00, 246 pages, 1-800-631-8571
Good Content, Don't Need Toto
In 1998, the authors wrote The Oz Principle around the concept that "an organization will
perform at its highest potential if, and only if, each of its members assumes personal accountability
for achieving its results." Thus, Conners and Smith emphasize a corporate culture that is based on
personal accountability, with leaders, goals, tasks, teams, and every aspect of organizational life
connected to that theme.
I will admit to being put off by the title and the cover. Wizard of Oz? Dorothy and her red shoes?
The Cowardly Lion? Do I have time for fables and games? There are some mentions of Frank
Baum's classic, some quotes, and some relationships like explaining that managers don't have
magic. Overall, however, this book is a solid management book on changing organizational
culture. And that's a vital issue for a lot of companies today.
The book is organized into three sections whose titles give good insight into the value and flow of
the text: Understanding Company Culture, Shifting to a New Culture, and Accelerating Culture
Change. The ten chapters explain the concepts and a process for moving forward in an organized,
results-oriented fashion. The book is filled with practical approaches that can open a company to
achievements that have been trapped inside by a dysfunctional culture. The key is accountability
that starts at the top of the organization with an open and complete style of leadership. No games:
communication.
The authors show us how to change the way people think and act. They show how to get people
involved in a positive way so transformation can occur. Culture change is a journey, a journey that
can be taken at an agonizingly slow pace, a normal flow (whatever that is), or moved to a higher
level of velocity and enthusiasm. Graphics and an index enhance the book's value, which is far
beyond the connection to the Oz story.
You'll learn from consultants who have "been there" and achieved results. The knowledge you
gain will enable you to achieve some change in your organization based on what these men have
learned and share in this book.
Increasing the Odds: Sales is not a Numbers Game
Bill Byron Concevitch
Mindset Marketing
5290 Hunter's Oaks Drive, Alpharetta, GA 30004
ISBN 0970769202, $17.50, Trade paperback, 88 pages, www.amazon.com
Deceivingly Small, Incredibly Powerful
A friend recommended this little book to me. "Powerful stuff," he says. "Not the usual sales
messages. You might find it stimulating."
How right he was! There are some really important messages in this volume for people who want
to be really effective in the sales process. Whether we're professional salespeople or professionals
who have to sell our services and products, we need to know how to reach the right people in the
right way to earn the desired decisions. There are probably more books, tapes, and training
courses on sales than on any other topic.
This one is different. Subtle. Higher level. If you're a CEO, the owner of your company, or
operate at a pretty high level (or you should be), invest a little time to read this book. It won't
take you long. The reading flows well, the anecdotes provide effective and believable illustrations,
and the chapters are only long enough to make their points. The summaries at the end of each
chapter will keep you focused.
You'll learn 16 steps to high achievement as you open your mind to increasing your odds of
success. Some of what you read will be new, thought-provoking ideas. Some will be insights that
jog your memory and almost embarrass you. You'll read about techniques that have worked well
when you've done them, but that you dropped when you relapsed back to the numbers game.
To be honest, before I finished this book I was starting a list of things I need to do differently.
You'll feel like you're sitting in a comfortable room with a really good coach or mentor...who is
making you uncomfortable with observations, teachings, and inquiries. As you move out of your
comfort zone (read: rut), you'll realize how a few changes in your process-and your thinking-will
drive much different results.
A bonus (and you'll appreciate why I say this after reading this book): the author's address is in
the book so you can send him a note to thank him. If you're open to significant change that will
overwhelm the competition, read this book soon. My only concern is that my competitors may see
this!
Dream Makers: Putting Vision and Values to Work
Michele Hunt
Davies-Black Publishing
3803 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
ISBN 0891061088, $26.95, Hardcover, 236 pages, 1-800-624-1765
Inspiring, Thought-Provoking
Several things grabbed my attention as I picked up this book. First was the author's photo on the
front cover-rather unusual. But, if you're a Black woman in today's world, achieving at a high
level, there's something to say here. Flipping over to the back cover, I saw testimonials from Peter
Senge, Frances Hesselbein (President and CEO of the Drucker Foundation for Nonprofit
Management), Warren Bennis, Jack Kemp, the chairman of ServiceMaster, the president of
London Fog, and more. OK, this woman is connected, obviously valued by some people who are
careful about where their names appear. Foreword by Max De Pree, former chairman and CEO of
Herman Miller, Inc.
Checking her biography, I learned that she served for two years as executive director of the
Federal Quality Institute, appointed by President Clinton. Prior to that she was vice president for
people and quality for Herman Miller. The impressive list goes on. This is a woman who knows
what makes the difference between high achieving organizations and also-rans.
In her first chapter, Hunt talks about visioning-imagining the world we want to create. Her
emphasis is on leading and living on purpose. She talks about change and how we need good
foundations to thrive when everything is changing around us at a frightening pace. "I believe
vision fuels our passion and lifts us above our fear." The redesign, realignment, reinvention must
be done with a deliberate urgency, engaging the hearts and minds of the people who comprise
organizations and communities. Dream makers inspire their people-all their stakeholders-to move
consciously and purposefully into the future. We can all learn from their examples.
The next twelve chapters consist of twelve stories of people who make a difference. At the end of
each chapter is a summary of lessons learned. Each one of these stories could be a valuable book
all by itself, so this collection has a lot to offer. The book concludes with some personal
philosophy from the author, putting the frosting on the cake. Recommended for leaders and
aspiring leaders who want to gain greater insights into the kinds of things that make life and
organizations work a lot better. Learn about "the vision thing" brought to life.
Effective E-Mail Marketing
Herschell Gordon Lewis
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN 0814471471, $24.95, Trade paperback, 288 pages, 1-800-250-5308
Lewis is a copywriting and marketing guru with over 25 books under his belt. This book is
designed for the times, when so many marketers are concerned about how to get their message
out by electronic mail-a lot cheaper than the alternative offered by the United States Postal
Service. Benefit: at least e-mail gets through; unfortunately, a lot of bulk mail has not made it to
addressees over the years.
So what's different about the electronic approach, other than the method of distribution? Don't
you still need great copy and an effective target list of potential buyers?
There are a lot of similarities between electronic and postal direct mail, so you'll read chapters on
words and phrases that work and don't work. You'll still get the advice on how to construct your
message to grab the attention of the recipient. This immediate attention issue is even more acute
with e-mail: hitting the DELETE button is a lot quicker than handling a piece of mail, opening it
or not, and tossing it in the trash.
Lewis has tailored this book nicely to this new medium, exploring how to adapt to this
communications vehicle without getting burned. Chapters discuss opt-ins, avoiding the "spam"
accusation, and how to use the e-mail subject line most effectively. He explores how to establish
rapport through e-mail, using personalization and psychology to elicit the desired response. The
chapter on rich media and viral mail is certainly something you won't find in a typical marketing
book.
This book is filled with medium-specific information, quelling my fear that this would be just
another marketing book with "E-Mail" dropped in the front of the title. These pages are a
treasure-trove of resources and tailored advice. The ten pages of tips at the end of the book
supplement the tips that appear on the pages throughout the text. An abundance of examples
illustrate the author's points. Indexed.
How to Identify Your Organization's Training Needs
John H. McConnell
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN 0814407102, $49.95, Hardcover, 352 pages, 1-800-250-5308
Valuable Resource for Employers
Employers in all fields are challenged to find, develop, and retain top talent. Their people are their
most valuable strategic resource, though many executives don't realize the importance of having
highly competent people on their team. Too often employers allow themselves to be satisfied with
less that adequate capacity.
As we have warned in our book, "Impending Crisis: Too Many Jobs, Too Few People," this
decade will see the most severe shortage of skilled workers in history. A major strategic
advantage in this highly competitive environment will be the opportunity for training and
education. Workers, dedicated to managing their own careers, will be increasingly hungry for
training to build their skills so they can stay marketable. Sharp employers will invest huge
amounts of resources to enhance the capacity of current employees to avoid the need to spend
heavily to recruit qualified people from the outside.
No longer can employers just throw training at employees, like spaghetti, watching to see how
much sticks. Now the focus must be on understanding exactly what is needed-to meet the needs
of the individual employees as well as the current and future needs of the employer. This book is
filled with powerful information that will enable wise employers to accurately assess training
needs to those needs can be met in whatever ways are appropriate.
Note: this book is very focused. Do not expect to wander into topics like how to convince the
boss to pay for more training or how to use computer-based training to teach skills. The power of
this book is the tight focus on assessing training needs and your organization's effectiveness in
meeting those needs. Using the methodologies presented in easy-to-understand practical fashion,
the reader will be able to avoid the course-of-the-week training mentality. No more stress training
just because it's Tuesday. No more customer service training because it's a nice thing to do. Focus
now on true needs that, once met well, will influence the organization's bottom line.
Using this book will enable you to evaluate the effectiveness of your training function, assess
various tools to determine the prioritized needs of your constituencies, and how to apply the
information gathered to design a training program that will make a real difference for the
organization. Resources are tight, so the better you are able to assess before you act, the more
efficient you will be.
The text is supported by graphics showing forms to use, checklists to follow, and a book design
that makes even this thick a book comfortable to use. The book is accompanied by a CD-ROM
with the forms and a step-by-step approach to this vital information gathering and
assessment-before-implementation process.
While this book will be most useful for corporate training and human resource professionals, it
will also be helpful for senior executives striving to understand the power of effective training.
Owners of mid-sized and many smaller companies that don't have training directors will find this
book to be a tool they can use to build and maintain a strong work team.
Success is a Journey: 7 Steps to Achieving Success in the Business of Life
Jeffrey J. Mayer
McGraw-Hill Book Company
Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121
ISBN 0071365141, $12.95, Paperback, 198 pages, 1-800-722-4726
A Salad of Fundamentals
This book is chock full of ideas and tips that have been around for a long time. This knowledge,
that everyone SHOULD have already, is packed into pages full of success tips, anecdotes,
timesaving tips and things to remember. Each of those categories has its own icon, with the tip
appearing in bold-face type. The result of this design is that the book is difficult to read from a
flow perspective. The presentation makes the reader jump from one category to another then back
to the basic text that was interrupted.
And there's no listing of all the success tips or all the timesaving tips to give the reader this kind of
value all in one place. Many of the anecdotes are short paragraphs about a minor life experience,
presented without embellishment or a real tie to the text other than commentary. The book does
have an index, but more could have been done to consolidate the highlights.
Mayer is also the author of four books on how to use the ACT! contact management software
developed by Symantec. A significant part of this book is consumed with suggestions about how
to use that program to be more organized and productive. The reader might get the feeling that
this is yet another book on ACT! with some fundamentals of time and life management wrapped
around it.
You'll find tips on time management, networking, conversation, master planning, and more. If
you're just beginning life in the business world, you'll probably find this book quite helpful. If
you've been around for a while, you'll pick up a few tips but may become bored with the simplicity
and the continual shallow presentation of multiple tips to be a success at whatever you do.
In spite of the organization, it's all mixed up together like a tossed salad. Pick out the stuff you
want to eat and leave the anchovies.
The Headcount Solution: How to Cut Compensation Costs and Keep Your Best People
N. Frederic Crandall and Marc J. Wallace, Jr.
McGraw-Hill Book Company
Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121
ISBN 0071402993, $29.95, Hardcover, 237 pages, 1-800-722-4726
A Book for the Times
Employers of all sizes and types are struggling in today's tight economy. For the past few years,
payrolls have been substantially reduced as companies sought every way possible to operate lean.
The economic downturn has inspired leaders to restructure their organizations, saying good-bye
to long-term employees who no longer fit while, at the same time, bringing in fresh workers with
the skills needed for the new corporate design.
The challenge through all this turmoil is to retain your top talent and control costs. That
combination is difficult to achieve, since highly proficient employees also expect to be highly
compensated. This dilemma has been front-burner for the past few years. Will it continue to be an
issue as we move through the decade in a growing economy? My perspective is yes: companies
will continue restructuring and the entire employment environment will be very fluid. The
balancing act of keeping people and managing compensation will be a vital skill for successful
business leaders.
The book begins with a recognition that layoffs, easy as they may be as a simple solution, may not
always be the best answer. Chapter 1 opens with Key Principles, a good positioning that continues
as a pattern through the book. Downsizing is explained in short sections in a style that reminds me
of USA Today-short, pithy statements. The practicality of the book jumps out with numbered
how-to steps to follow. You won't find a lot of depth here, but rather pragmatic thought
stimulators. This book will be most valuable for people with experience and/or knowledge in
human resource management practices.
The second chapter reports on what companies are doing to cut costs and keep people. The
chapter reports on the responses of 1,245 companies to a 2001 survey. Results are reported,
followed by the sort of summary that appears at the end of each chapter. The first section
concludes with a chapter on how leadership can maintain morale during the kind of crisis that
inspires downsizing.
Part Two moves from dilemma to solution, providing seven steps to cut compensation costs.
Readers will find an easy-to-read format (plenty of space between lines-airy). A wealth of ideas is
shared in these pages as you move from preparation to planning to implementation, to getting
back to business.
Then comes the frosting on the cake: five appendices, a glossary, and a good index. Two sample
employment termination agreements are offered, one for individual workers 40 and older and
another for more than one worker over 40. We're into the legal cover-your-anatomy stuff here.
The other three appendices are quite unusual. They're sample speeches for corporate leaders to
use in announcing rounds 1, 2, and 3 of cost cutting. I wondered about this feature, thinking that
this must be Cost Cutting for Real Dummies.
There is some value in the sample speeches as readers will gain some insight into the issues that
need to be covered. However, leaders should be encouraged to use their own phraseology and
creativity so their own personality comes through to their people.
As lead author of "Impending Crisis: Too Many Jobs, Too Few People," I believe that we will
soon move into an era of increasing headcounts, we're not quite there yet. So this book has instant
value today, and will have philosophical and procedural value into the future.
The Ultimate Competitive Advantage
Donald Mitchell and Carol Coles
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
ISBN 1576751678, $36.95, hardcover, 310 pages, 1-800-929-2929
The most successful organizations are continually competing-with other organizations and/or with
their own current state. The drive for improvement is viewed as a survival technique. The real
secret is to develop new business models-to change the way you do business. This book will show
you how, recharging your creativity, innovation, and profit.
How would you like to shrink yourself down to about four inches in height and hop in the pocket
of a highly effective management consultant? Can you imagine what you'd learn, riding along
wherever that consultant might go? What could you gain listening to the private, in-depth,
soul-baring conversations between consultants and their clients? This is the kind of experience
you'll have as you read this book.
The tools for success in today's turbulent business world are here. You'll learn about techniques
that are not normally brought to the surface in many corporations. Start by exploring your most
productive areas for innovation and how to increase value without raising prices and costs (can
you hear your customers cheering?). Price adjustment to increase profitability is balanced with
cost reduction. Some different creative ideas are presented, worth your consideration.
As you redesign and enrich your business model for internal and external strength, the rewards
will come. You'll feel the shift as you read through these pages and pay attention to the thoughts
going through your head. The content of this book will stimulate your thinking-and inspire
changes in the way you do business on a short term, and most importantly, a long term basis.
Filled with examples, real-life stuff that will grab your attention from your shirt-pocket vantage
point.
The authors are strategic consultants who have been there, done that, and seen the results.
Buy a fresh highlighter when you buy this book.
The Company of the Future
Frances Cairncross
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
ISBN 1578516579, $27.50, Hardcover, 229 pages, 1-800-668-6780
As a futurist, concentrating on workforce and workplace trends, I was eager to read this book.
The author is the Management Editor at The Economist magazine and resides in London.
Interesting...British author published by Harvard. I discovered that the book very effectively
bridges American and British concerns, and much more. It's a global look, even in the generic
sense of the word, at what companies will look like in the years ahead. The metamorphosis will be
evolutionary, but many of the concepts of tomorrow will be revolutionary compared to where
most employers are today.
The organization of this book-the chapters and the order in which they're presented, reveals the
emphasis Cairncross believes will characterize companies in the future. Right out of the box, she
focuses on management, information, and technology. Throughout the book, she observes that
the development and increasing use of the internet will change the way we do business. The
importance of knowledge, decision making, and innovation are emphasized early on, along with
recognition of the vitality of customers and brands in the years ahead.
The human side of enterprise is well covered, though Cairncross doesn't really engage this topic
until chapter 4. Since my personal bias is that people are the most important component, I found
this curious, but then noticed how she concentrated on different parts of this aspect in chapter 4
(Recruiting, Retaining, and Training), chapter 5 (Communities and Corporate Culture), chapter 8
(Corporate Structure), and chapter 9 (Leading and Managing). So, the field is well-covered in
these interwoven chapters, but her book organization puts people just a step behind information,
innovation, and technology.
Chapters on purchasing and strategic suppliers bring out the growing importance of alliances and
new relationships in the company of the future.
In the beginning of the book, Cairncross suggests that readers with time constraints read chapters
one and ten first to gain a perspective of her views. When more time is available, the reader can
delve into the other chapters. While that strategy would be effective, there is a richness of potent
observation, vivid warnings of challenges to come, and a plethora of thoughts to stimulate your
thinking throughout the book.
The Company of the Future is quite well-written, as you might expect from an editor of an
internationally-acclaimed magazine. This is the kind of book you'll want to read first, then share
with colleagues in your own organization...and in organizations where you have existing or
developing alliance relationships. The book has an index, notes, and readable text-no graphs,
pictures, or other tools of book designers. This one is pure, welcome, high-grade content.
Roger E. Herman, Reviewer
www.hermangroup.com
Sullivan's Bookshelf
Wealth And Our Commonwealth: Why America Should Tax Accumulated Fortunes
William H. Gates Sr. and Chuck Collins
Beacon Press
25 Beacon Street, Boston, MA 02108-2892
ISBN 0807047l8X, $25.00, l66 pages, www.beacon.org
President George W. Bush and his followers want to repeal many tpyes of taxes and to lower the
rates of others. As far as the estate tax is concerned, he wants it repealed. In fact, he's already
signed a bill into law that repeals this tax in 20l0. This book's authors want, for many reason, that
law rescinded, though they also urge that the tax rates and the exemptions under it be lowered
and raised respectively.
Supporters of the president refer to estate taxes as death taxes. They rail against 'double-taxation,'
too. One wonders how they feel about property taxes collected every year on their homes.
Moreover, the estate tax is not levied on the deceased nor on the living but on the estate.
This estate tax came into being in the U.S. in l9l6. It has produced billions in revenues for the
country that would have otherwise had to be provided by Americans less able to afford it. In
short, estate taxes are progressive and only charged on those estates that can pay.
Actually, the value of a family farm, business, or asset that is subject to this estate tax begins on
values in excess of $600,000 and much more for the surviving spouse. And still the estate tax
contributes tens of billions to the U.S. Treasury every year to pay government expenditures.
Moreover, the authors and many who agree with their ideas think that it is the responsibility of the
super rich to pay back a portion of their amassed assets to their nation. After all, without its form
of govenment, its laws, its infrastructure, and its way of life, one wouldn't be able, certainly not as
easily, to have the necesaary wherewithal and freedom to make all this money. So, at an estate
owner's death and before his or her heirs have received the inheritance, it's the least painful time to
pay estate taxes.
One of the book's authors is the father of the richest man in the world. This father is glad to pay
estate taxes. There are numerous other wealthy individuals mentioned in this book, whose names
would be immediately recognizable by most U.S. citizens, who agree totally with this
concept.
Maybe the most dangerous aspect of the complete repeal of the estate tax law has to do with
giving to charity. Because charitable deductions are allowed generous exemptions under estate tax
law, many estate owners give substantial bequests to charities. With the taxes repealed, however,
this donating may end. There would be no tax saving reason to give. And all charities, from
churches, to universities, to cancer research institutions would be the losers, meaning that all
Americans would lose.
This little volume, though it has small print and occasionlly gets enmeshed in economics,
percentages, and the like, is an important read for everyone. It deflates political rhetoric, spin, and
the emotions brought about by ths hot issue and looks at it with cold and sober eyes.
"Just what is the estate tax?" asks the authors. "The estate tax is a transfer tax imposed on large
accumulations of wealth when someone dies. Its exemptions are so high that it falls on the heirs of
fewer than 2 percent of estates every year. It contains provisions that encourage charitable
giving--and favor the transfer of businesses and farms if they remain family-owned and
-operated."
A retired lawyer, William H. Gates Sr. cohairs the Seattle-based Bill and Melinda Gates
Foundation.
Chuck Collins helped found the Boston-based United for a Fair Economy and Responsible
Wealth. He has also authored many books.
Recommmended reading!
The Theory Of Everything: The Origin and Fate of the Universe
Stephen W. Hawking
New Millennium Press
301 North Canon Drive, Suite 214, Beverly Hills, CA 90210
ISBN l893224546, $l9.95, l76 pages/indexed, 1-310-785-2180
Contrary to Hawking's last two books, A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME and THE UNIVERSE IN
A NUTSHELL, this volume is reasonably understandable. Okay, maybe the parts about black
holes and string theory are still arcane, but the majority of this book is a good, easy read.
Of course, Hawking is talking about science's quest for the eternal Grand Unifying Theory of how
everything in the physical universe works as it does. And he admits that the answer may never be
found. Yet he's of the opinion that its discovery is just around the corner.
This book is composed of his 7 'Life Works' lectures given at Cambridge University. In them he
talks about the Big Bang, Gravity, the strong and weak nuclear forces, electromagnetism,
Quantum Theory, and much more.
The author writes, "What whould it mean if we actually did discover the ultimate theory of the
universe? It would bring to an end a long and glorious chapter in the history of our struggle to
understand the universe. But it would also revolutionize the ordinary person's understanding of
the laws that govern the universe."
The Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, Stephen Hawking sits in the Sir Isaac Newton chair at
Cambridge University.
Recommended!
Jim Sullivan
Reviewer
Susan's Bookshelf
Real-Life Homeschooling
Rhonda Barfield
Fireside Books
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN 0743442296, $14.00, papberback, 299 pages, www.amazon.com
Real-Life Homeschooling is an inside look at the general routine of homeschooling parents and
their children. Rhonda Barfield shares a collection of 21 individual stories about parents and
children who are homeschooling. The author is careful to point out that the stories are not
intended to advocate against public school education, but many of the families share negative
experiences about the public schools in their areas which led them to choose homeschooling. The
stories are encouraging. Readers will gain a truer understanding of what homeschooling is all
about, different methods, educational materials, schedules, non-schedules, and most importantly a
parent's right and responsibility to take control of their children's education to ensure the highest
quality.
Children and parents share positive attitudes toward homeschooling, stating that it is a mutually
beneficial and satisfying way to learn. Parents are reaffirmed in their efforts as teachers when their
children consistently achieve higher scores on progress tests. Parents attribute this success to
God, to the less rigid academic structure, to quality materials that are adaptable to children's ages,
levels of understanding, and learning styles and to the fostering of a sincere love for learning. The
children themselves are optimistic, focused, and eager to get on with their educations and refer to
homeschooling as "fun" and "cool" and in many cases, when given the option of returning to the
public school system, opt for remaining in homeschool. Many of the children indicate that they
plan to homeschool their children, after they marry and begin families. Parents and children share
the opinion that school does not have to be a place the child trudges away to each morning at 7
a.m., making it seem like an unpleasant happenstance of life. Instead, learning is viewed as an
all-day process and incorporates real-life experiences and opportunities. The child may test math
skills while grocery shopping with mom, be designated as navigator and map reader on a family
vacation, or may mentor a younger sibling in learning shapes and colors while mom works with an
older child on a difficult composition assignment. It is obvious that, overall, homeschooled
children love learning and see it as a natural part of their lives, not a chore. They seem to know
and appreciate that it does not have to be drudgery. Learning can be fun. Who knew?
Every year more parents are opting to homeschool their children. Parents work to develop the
child's character traits and moral attitudes while the child's intellect is developing. Families of faith
build education around beliefs, proving that faith is not separate from education but is
fundamentally vital to it. Parents of gifted or special needs children tailor educational programs to
allow the children to develop at a pace more natural to inherent abilities. All the while, the
children are building strong relationships with parents and siblings, resulting in "close knit"
families. That, itself, is a glaringly positive reason for homeschooling. Homeschooling is not a new
concept by any means, but it is a vital alternative. As public schools become more dangerous and
curricula become more focused on obedience, rote memorization, and passing standardized tests,
homeschooling will become more and more necessary. Teachers in the public schools, especially
in large urban areas, are finding themselves spending blocks of time trying to establish and
maintain order, time they should have for the imparting of knowledge. This is especially true in
junior and high school classrooms.
Considering the stories offered in Real-Life Homeschooling, it would not be surprising to find
new national leaders emerging from the ranks of homeschooled children. Many of the nations
founding fathers were homeschooled children growing up during the early history of the country
when organized schools were not yet available. John Adams' early education was home based and
enhanced through life-skill apprenticeships. The habits and attitudes that Adams developed in his
youth were carried over into more formalized educational programs later. Like Adams, many
homeschooled children are "voracious readers" and many of them have read classics, learned
Greek and Latin, and, by Adams' accounting, would be considered "well read" for their ages.
They are also free thinkers and possess a strong desire to know and understand things thoroughly.
The children, under their parents' tutelage, acquire a strong sense of right and wrong, justice,
compassion, and become skilled and creative problem solvers. Homeschooling has a long tradition
in America and in countries where organized educational systems were, for a time, unavailable.
Today's homeschools are the one-room schoolhouses of yesterday, reinvented, where the basics
like reading, composition, and mathematics, comprise the foundation upon which science, history,
geography, political sciences, and social sciences are built. The author is careful to point out,
however, that homeschooling is not for everyone. It is certainly not a simple matter of sitting a
child down at the table with a workbook and expecting them to figure things out. Homeschooling
involves as much effort and enthusiasm on the part of the parent as it does for the children.
Homeschooling demands flexibility in schedules, the ability to adjust and adapt to interruptions
and scheduling conflicts, and demands close attention to the individual child's needs.
Individualized attention is something public educators often find difficult to provide in a class of
twenty or more students, all of who may need the same attention. Focused attention, compassion,
patience, and determination are essential and parents work with the understanding that how they
teach their children now will profoundly affect how that child adapts and interacts with the world
around them.
Real-Life Homeschooling stimulates a desire for greater understanding of homeschooling
methodology and the concept of 'unschooling', while at the same time dispelling some of the
mysteries and mistaken perceptions about it. Real-Life Homeschooling is highly recommended
reading for parents considering homeschooling their child. Through this compilation of stories,
Rhonda Barfield shows that, while a college degree is not required in many states, real-life
homeschooling does require a reality check, a lot of common sense, and sincere dedication to
helping the children develop and grow morally, spiritually, socially, and intellectually.
Homeschooling is a great undertaking and a way that parents can positively and profoundly affect
their children.
Children Who See Too Much: Lessons from the Child Witness to Violence Project
Betsy McAlister Groves
Beacon Press
25 Beacon St, Boston MA, 02108-2892
ISBN 0807031380, $24.00, hardcover, 145 pages, www.amazon.com
Betsy McAlister Groves, founder of the Child Witness to Violence Project through Boston
Medical Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts has seen a variety of traumatized children pass
through the center's doors - children who have witnessed parents, siblings, and friends being
murdered before them and children who have grown up in homes where domestic violence is an
everyday occurrence. In Children Who See Too Much Groves explains that social workers,
educators, law enforcement, medical professionals, parents, clergy, and family members need to
respond in a purposeful way to children who have witnessed violence or been indirectly influenced
by it. Groves provides evidence that children do not adjust or become numbed by continued
violence in the home, as many would like believe, but rather they develop intricate coping
mechanisms to survive the abuse physically and emotionally. They survive, that is, until a breaking
point is reached and they begin to act out their fears and frustrations in physically self-destructive
and even violent ways.
In Boston, a city of over a half-million, the Child Witness to Violence Project deals with violence
relating to gang activity, substance abuse, domestic issues, robbery, rape, and poverty, among
other social ills. The author notes that such social problems know no boundaries, geographically,
socially, economically, or racially and therefore rural areas are just as profoundly affected as urban
and suburban populations. These social problems simply exist in varying degrees of intensity.
Children Who See Too Much may prove to be a powerful preparatory tool for professionals on
the front lines, those faced with meeting the children at the time of crisis. Groves shares methods
for encouraging children to talk about their fears and reassures professionals, who may feel
inadequately prepared to deal with children's emotional needs at the point of crisis, that their
initial responsiveness is crucial in instilling a sense of safety and security for the children. A degree
in counseling is not necessary to reassure and promote a sense of immediate safety for a child, A
positive initial response, however, can facilitate greater success for the child, later, in overcoming
the trauma.
A sense of safety is essential for children's emotional development and Groves offers six broad
areas to be focused on when developing programs that will aid in building that security. These
include working to ensure children have stable relationships from birth, reducing poverty, having
adults set standards of respect and civility, creating a social environment with a zero tolerance for
violence against women and children, encouraging community members to become active
advocates for children, and providing skilled help to parents and children suffering the effects of
violence. While many of these areas are at the core of programs in effect today, Groves indicates
that a well-choreographed system of implementation is needed, a coordinated and goal-specific
response. Far too many children, she shows, are never realizing relief from the emotional trauma
of violence. Far too many of them will carry their fears and learned responses into their own
families.
Children Who See Too Much, those who never receive counseling to help them address their
fears and gain a sense of safety, will become unwitting instruments in the perpetuation of violence
in society. Bibliographical references and index.
Susan Cronk
Reviewer
Taylor's Bookshelf
When The Trees Say Nothing
Thomas Merton
Sorin Books/Ave Maria Press
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
1-893732-60-6 $15.95 1-800-282-1865
Compiled and edited by Kathleen Deignan ( Sister of the Congregation of Notre Dame), enhanced
with drawings by John Giuliani (Founder and Overseer of The Benedictine Grang, a spiritual
center in West Redding, Connecticut), and featuring an informative foreword by Thomas Berry,
When The Trees Say Nothing: Writings On Nature is an impressively thoughtful and
thought-provoking collection of commentaries by the late Thomas Merton (1915-1968), an
influential Catholic monk, poet, spiritual writer, and social activist. The commentaries,
observations, and writings are superbly organized into eight chapters: Seasons; Elements;
Firmament; Creatures; Festivals; Presences; and Sanctuary. These, along with the postscript
"Sophia," a section of notes, a list of abbreviations, and a bibliography, combine in a movingly
written, enthusiastically recommended volume of readings that are appropriate and spiritually
rewarding for readers of all faiths who seek to experience the sacred and the sacramental in God's
handiworks.
When The Lion Roars
Stephen J. Rossetti
Ave Maria Press, Inc.
PO Box 428, Notre Dame, IN 46556
0877939853 $11.95 www.avemariapress.com
When The Lion Roars by licenced psychologist and priest of the Diocese of Syracuse Stephen J.
Rossetti, is a informed and informative primer to Christian mysticism. Individual chapters aptly
address the joy of embracing God's limitless love and is well founded upon the wisdom of
scripture, as well as the ideas and commentaries of well-known mystical writers. Very strongly
recommended reading for students of Christian mysticism, When the Lion Roars encompasses
transformation, self-improvement, and a life lived out of reverence.
A Healing Walk With St. Ignatius
Lyn Holley Doucet
Loyola Press
3441 N. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
0829419888 $13.95 www.loyolabooks.org
A Healing Walk With St. Ignatius by spiritual directory and musical composer Lyn Holley Doucet
presents and combines insightful commentaries by St. Ignatius of Loyola with forty real-life
stories of healing from spiritual, emotional, or physical pain through the transforming effects of
God's love. A heartwarming and vividly inspirational anthology of personal testimonies filled with
warmth and devoted faith, A Healing Walk With St. Ignatius is a welcome and appreciated
contribution to Christian Studies in general, and the reading lists of individual seekers for spiritual
consolation and inspiration in particular.
Divinely Inspired
Jerry J. Pollock, Ph.D.
White Tulip
PO Box 644, Nesconset, New York 11767-0644
0972386602 $18.95 1-631-265-2958 whitetulipsinfo@aol.com
Divinely Inspired: Spiritual Awakening of a Soul by microbiologist and Biophysics expert Jerry
Pollock (Stony Brook University) is the story of his personal journey beyond bipolar disorder and
into the embrace of God's love. Professor Pollock has written an intensely candid and moving
spiritual guide to accepting the wisdom of God. The pages of this published testimony are aptly
written to accurately reflect Pollock's Christian faith, and offering unforgettable guidance and
encouragement to fellow seekers shed emotional negativity and devastation to search out and
embrace God's blessing within the context of a mature and maturing spirituality.
Find Your Pot Of Gold At The End Of The Rainbow
Stephen Difatta
ADF Publishing
PO Box St. Peters, MO 63376
0971983453 $24.95 1-636-926-8586 amdreamfoundation@yahoo.com
Stephen Difatta's Find Your Pot Of Gold At The End Of The Rainbow is an inspirational self-help
guide written especially for Christians yet applicable to all readers regardless of their religious
oriented. Packed cover to cover with cogent and practical advice for developing a positive
attitude, successful planning, speaking to individuals and groups, personal experiences with God,
and so much more, Find Your Pot Of Gold At The End Of The Rainbow is enthusiastically
recommended as being a useful and "user friendly" primer for faithfully earning financial and
social stability within a context of Christian principles.
St. Paul's Corinth
Jerome Murphy-O'Connor
The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
0814653030 $21.95 1-800-858-5450
Now in its third revised, updated, and expanded edition, St. Paul's Corinth: Texas And
Archaeology by Jerome Murphy-O'Connor (Professor of New Testament at the Ecole Biblique) is
a literary and archaeological exploration of Corinth, and presents the literary works of twenty-one
Greek and Latin authors in chronological order from the first century B.C.E., to the second
century C.E. Exhaustively researched with especial insight into the meticulous translations of the
works it presents, St. Paul's Corinth is a fascinating, informative, scholarly, "reader friendly", and
very highly recommended study.
Exploring Music As Worship And Theology
Mary E. McGann
The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
0814628249 $9.95 1-800-858-5450
The latest entry into the outstanding Liturgical Press "American Essays in Liturgy" series,
Exploring Music As Worship And Theology: Research In Liturgical Practice by Mary E. McGann
offers the reader a seminal essay written especially for liturgical scholars and pastoral leaders.
Exploring Music As Worship And Theology is focused on the concept and importance of the
music emerging from Christian assembly and worship, and calls for greater dialogue between
theories of liturgy/music and the actual practice. Ruminating on the role of music as a focus point
to expand worship to reach out to diverse, multi-cultural views, Exploring Music As Worship
And Theology offers new insights and wisdom on Christian faith and practice as expressed in
Christian music and music making.
The Bondage And Liberation Of The Will
John Calvin
Baker Books
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
080102076X $24.99 www.bakerbooks.com
First written in 1543, The Bondage And Liberation Of The Will: A Defence Of The Orthodox
Doctrine Of Human Choice Against Pighius is an English translation by G. I. Davies of one of
John Calvin's profound theological works concerning the relationship between grace and free will.
Astutely edited with meticulous notes by A. N. S. Lane (Director of Research and Senior Lecturer
in Christian Doctrine at the London Bible College), The Bondage And Liberation Of The Will is
an historically important and influential treatise of religious and historical significance, and one
which is very strongly recommended for Christian Studies theological reference and resource
shelves.
Inclusive Voices In Post-Exilic Judah
Anna L. Grant-Henderson
The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
0814653871 $17.95 1-800-858-5450
Inclusive Voices In Post-Exilic Judah by Anna L. Grant-Henderson (Lecturer in Old Testament
Studies, for the United Church in South Australia, Flinders University) is a close and measured
study of Isaiah 56-66, offering a ground breaking interpretation featuring broad-ranging
inclusiveness and the possibility that Israel may no longer claim to be the chosen nation of
YHWH. Very highly recommended reading, Inclusive Voices in Post-Exilic Judah is a succinctly
written, meticulously reasoned, scholarly evaluation that searches for the insight behind every
quote.
Shaping A Christian Worldview
David S. Dockery and Gregory Alan Thornbury, editors
Broadman & Holman Publishers
127 Ninth Avenue, North, Nashville, TN 37234
0805424482 $19.99 1-800-251-3225
Collaboratively compiled and edited by David S. Dockery (President of Union University) and
Gregory Alan Thornbury (Director of the Carl F. H. Henry Center for Christian Leadership and
Assistant Professor of Christian Studies, Union University), Shaping a Christian Worldview: The
Foundations of Christian Higher Education is an impressive and scholarly collection of learned
essays by seventeen erudite authors concerning the intersection of the Christian worldview and
educational and social goals. Astutely addressing dilemmas faced in contemporary education from
a deeply reverential and spiritual perspective, Shaping a Christian Worldview is as insightful as it
is serious and thoughtful.
Where Angels Tread
Anthony Ducklow
Bevers Pond Press
7104 Ohms Lane, Suite 216, Edina, MN 55439
1931646821, $12.99, 1-877-430-0044, www.amazon.com, www.midwestbookhouse.com
Where Angels Tread is a remarkable Christian novel by Anthony Ducklow, an accomplished inner
city school teacher and creator of the award-winning television program, "Captain McCool and
Friends". Nathaniel O'Brien is a disillusioned young man embittered by church conflict and
congregational hypocrisy who seriously considers walking away from his faith. That's when a
mysterious stranger takes Nathaniel on a journey past hardship, encountering a fallen angel, and
coming to Golgotha itself where he witnesses the collision of forces over the fate of mankind.
Where Angels Tread is commended to a Christian readership as being a profound and intensely
spiritual novel.
Street-Smart Ethics
Clinton W. McLemore
Westminister/John Knox Press
100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, KY 40202-1396
0664226280, $14.95, 1-800-227-2872, www.wjkbooks.com
Street-Smart Ethics: Succeeding In Business Without Selling Your Soul is a meaningful guide
written by psychologist and corporate consultant Clinton W. McLemore especially for those
Christians seeking to prosper in the business world, but not at the expense and pain of others.
Offering Proverbs-based guidelines to stay on an honorable path, true-false self-test questions,
ethical brainteasers, a solid primer of professional principles for dealing well and fairly with
others, Street-Smart Ethics is a practical, balanced, useful, Christian-based ethics instructional
guide for doing business in the world.
Executive Influence
Christopher A. Crane & Mike Hamel
NavPress
3820 North 30th Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
1576833739, $18.00, 1-800-366-7788, www.amazon.com
Compiled and edited by Christopher Crane and Mike Hamel, Executive Influence: Impacting
Your Workplace For Christ offers testimony from fifteen high-profile business executives who are
also devout Christians. Each contributor relates how they kept their faith, sharing their love of
Jesus Christ proudly without abusing the trust and responsibility of their business roles and
responsibilities. A moving and deeply spiritual testimonial compendium of balancing one's spiritual
calling with the duty of daily work, Executive Influence is highly recommended reading for any
Christian with corporate management responsibilities.
Rediscovering Catholicism
Matthew Kelly
Beacon Publishing (c/o The Matthew Kelly Foundation)
2330 Kemper Lane, Cincinnati, OH 45206
1929266081, $22.95, 1-513-221-7700, www.mathewkelly.org
Rediscovering Catholicism: Journeying Toward Our Spiritual North Star by Matthew Kelly is a
strongly written defense of traditional Catholicism as a way of life designed by God to help each
person live to the fullest. Pondering diverse issues and crises, dispelling dozens of myths, and all
the while reinforcing the importance of faith, hope, and salvation, Rediscovering Catholicism is
energetically recommended for its invigorating, inspirational, and spiritual presentation.
A Peace Reader
E. Morris Sider & Luke Keefer Jr., editors
Evangel Publishing House
2000 Evangel Way, Nappanee, IN 46550
1928915302, $14.95, 1-800-253-9315, www.evangelpublishing.com
Collaboratively compiled and edited by church historian E. Morris Sider and seminarian Luke
Keefer Jr. (Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio), A Peace Reader is an informed and
informative collection of essays by a wide variety of authors concerning Biblical and theological
themes of peace; the history of the Christian Church; stories of Christian peacemaking; and
perhaps most important, ways in which the morals and lessons learned can teach peace to a new
generation -- especially in the wake of the September 11th attacks. A Peace Reader is a
recommended, transforming, and deeply spiritual read about nothing less than making the world a
better place during troubled and troubling times.
Life After Death
Graham H. Twelftree
Kregel Publications
PO Box 2607, Grand Rapids, MI 49501
1854245252, $11.99, 1-800-733-2607, www.kregel.com
Part of the Kregel Publications "Thinking Clearly Series", Life After Death by Graham H.
Twelftree (Distinguished Professor of New Testament, School of Divinity, Regent University,
Virginia Beach, USA) is a thoughtful and Christian examination of the experience of life after
death. Addressing questions such as "Is Death the End?"; "Will We Have Bodies?"; "Can a Good
God Condemn Some of Us to Hell?"; "What is Heaven Like?"; and more, this deeply spiritual
discussion deftly explores the very essence of Christianity -- resurrection and eternal life through
Jesus Christ himself.
American Mennonites And The Great War 1914-1918
Gerlof D. Homan
Herald Press
616 Walnut Avenue, Scottdale, PA 15683-1999
0836131142 $19.99 1-800-759-4447
American Mennonites And The Great War 1914-1918 by educator and Mennonite Gerlof D.
Homan is a close study of the Germanic pacifist religion and culture of the Mennonites in
America, and how their resistance to military service (whether as soldiers or as noncombatants)
brought upon them the wrath of the American Government. Painstaking research and sharp
narration distinguish this provocative and informative scholarly account of the American
government's ruthlessness toward peace-loving Christian nonconformists during the era of the
First World War.
Creed & Culture: A Touchstone Reader
James M. Kushiner, editor
ISI Books
PO Box 4431, Wilmington, DE 19807-0431
1932236074, $15.00, 1-800-526-7022
Compiled and edited by James M. Kushiner (Executive Editor of "Touchstone: A Journal of Mere
Christianity" and Executive Director of the Fellowship of St. James), Creed & Culture: A
Touchstone Reader is an impressive collection of twenty-one essays contributed by a diverse
variety of learned authors. Each individually written work originally appeared in "Touchstone"
magazine, a forum for ecumenical discussion of matters pertaining to Protestant, Catholic, and
Orthodox Christians. From religion, atheism, and public schools, to the ecclesiastical vision of
John Chrysostom, to the difficulties encountered with Latitudinarian Conservatives, and more,
Creed & Culture offers non-specialist general readers with an insightful and perspicacious work
which is sharply relevant to the twenty-first century. Creed & Culture is an especially
recommended addition to personal Christian Studies reading lists and Religious Studies reference
collections.
Secret Gospels: Essays On Thomas And The Secret Gospel Of Mark
Marvin Meyer
Trinity Press International
4775 Linglestown Road, Harrisburg, PA 17112
1563384094, $23.00, 1-800-877-0012
Secret Gospels: Essays On Thomas And The Secret Gospel Of Mark by Marvin Meyer (Griset
Professor of Bible and Christian Studies, Chapman University, Orange, California) is a close and
scholarly study of apocryphal texts - those ancient Christian writings which are not included in the
canonical New Testament Gospels. These texts present accounts of Jesus' childhood, teenage
years, and relationships with women left out in the canonical gospels, and this in-depth study of
their meaning and symbolism offers a fascinating new dimension to Biblical reference shelves.
Also very highly recommended for Christian Studies reading lists are Professor Meyer's earlier
books: The Secret Teachings of Jesus: Four Gnostic Gospels (Vintage Books, 0394744330,
$11.00) and The Gospel of Thomas: The Hidden Sayings of Jesus (Harper SanFransciso,
006065581X, $19.00).
Miss Fannie's Hat
Jan Karon & Toni Goffe
Augsburg Fortress
Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440
0806645857 $17.99 1-800-328-4648
Jan Karon's Miss Fannie's Hat is a picture book for young Christian readers, about a little old lady
who loves her hats - yet when her church needs help, she gives up her favorite hat of all for their
auction. Playful color illustrations by Toni Goffe mark this whimsical and highly recommended
story about the joy of sharing. A cheerfully narrated audio CD accompanies this special edition
Christian storybook.
John Taylor
Reviewer
Vicki's Bookshelf
Capital
Lynn Curlee
Antheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0689849478, $17.95, 44 pages, www.SimonSaysKids.com
Simon & Schuster continues to lead the flag-waving wave of children's books with "Capital," the
publisher's latest patriotic primer. An informative tutorial geared for older picture book readers,
"Capital" is a no-nonsense mini-text book decorated with colorful illustrations, renderings and
maps. With years of scholarly research behind him as an art historian, author/illustrator Lynn
Curlee takes a suitably serious approach. Though not chaptered, his book is clearly and concisely
structured. First, Curlee gives an overview of the five great structures at the heart of the United
States capital city, the "bustling metropolis of Washington, D.C." namely, the White House,
George Washington Monument, Abraham Lincoln Memorial, Thomas Jefferson Memorial, and
the domed U.S. Capitol building then proceeds to take a closer look at each one individually
and chronologically. This is a fully fleshed account, with at least twice the text of the average
non-fiction picture book, so no details are skimped, and the reader is never cheated with sketchy
shortcuts. Amid the larger story, sections are peppered with interesting and memorable details
such as the fact that future president Thomas Jefferson entered and lost a competition to
design the original White House, then called the President's House. Curlee's bold, pristine
paintings of buildings, settings and key figures architectural are highly stylized, yet accurately
rendered to pay respect to the subjects, particularly the architectural details that are discussed in
accompanying text. And at the very end, an author's note conveniently outlines the difference
between "capitol," "Capitol" and "capital," which will surely aid conversations repeated again and
again by teachers, students and most readers including the book's editors who surely had an
interesting proofreading task.
Ella's Games
David Bedford & Peter Kavanagh
Barron's
250 Wireless Blvd., Hauppauge, NY 11788
ISBN 0764155830, $12.95, 32 pages, www.barronseduc.com
Ella is a tiny mouse with a very big imagination. Every time she asks her older brothers to let her
play with them, they refuse. "You'd be scared" or "You're too small," "You can't even climb," say
Joe, Jack and Jim. So Ella has no choice by play alone and so she makes the best of it by making
up all sorts of games. She finds a cat whisker and pretends she's tamed a wild rainbow cat. She
spies a dandelion and imagines she's tickling an elephant with it until he sneezes. She picks up a
stone and pretends it's the sore tooth she pulls from a dragon's mouth. Soon, her brothers realize
that Ella 's not too scared, too small or too unable to do anything, and that she plays the best
games of all. Soon they're all playing her newest game Captain Ella and her brave pirate crew
and all's well with the family that 's learned to play together. Anyone who's ever felt left out will
rejoice in Ella's independence, self-sufficiency, and ultimate victory in just doing things her own
way.
The Kiss That Missed
David Melling
Barron's
250 Wireless Blvd., Hauppauge, NY 11788
ISBN 0764154516, $14.95, 32 pages, www.barronseduc.com
What might happen if a king's goodnight kiss is blown to his son, but accidentally misses and
lands on a dragon instead? In this funny picture book for little princes everywhere, that's exactly
the dilemma at hand. The king is in too big of a hurry to give his son a proper tucking in bed, so
the kiss goes astray, floating out the Prince's bedroom window. The king orders his knight to
mount his horse and give chase, but the forest is filled with spooky things. Faced with bears and
wolves, they loose sight of the kiss, which flies right up the nose of a giant green dragon. As the
knight ponders the problem, a bigger problem finds him when the dragon takes chase. Will this the
tragic end of the knight and his horse? The big kiss off? Author/illustrator David Melling ("Gerda
The Goose") builds the climax into a grin-worthy story twist, and the moral of the story is one
that will not be taken lightly by all those too-busy dads out there. This "Kiss" doesn't miss a
thing.
How Do Dinosaurs Get Well Soon?
Jane Yolen & Mark Teague
Blue Sky Press / Scholastic
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 0439241006, $15.95, 32 pages, www.scholastic.com
Aside from the awkward title of this follow-up to the best-selling picture book, "How Do
Dinosaurs Say Goodnight?" this is a sure-footed sequel sure to cure the bedtime blahs. Veteran
children's book author Jane Yolen again teams up with illustrator Mark Teague, this time to
create an imaginative peek at the sick bed of an assortment of ailing velociraptors, styracosaurus,
parasaurolophus and other tongue-twisting thunder-lizards. It begins by posing the question
"What if a dinosaur catches the flu? Does he whimper and whine in between each Atchoo?" Does
he throw tissues on the floor, throw medicine out the door, dump out his juice, or wail about
staying in bed and going to the doctor? After posing a list of "what if" scenarios to which kids can
relate, Yolen answers with a positive "no." Rather, she insists, "He drinks lots of juice and he gets
lots of rest. He's good at the doctor's 'cause doctors know best." The pat conclusion would sound
downright preachy if not for Teague's humorous bigger-than-life depictions of dinosaurs
cooperating in unlikely situations. Like their previous dinosaur bedtime book, the "he" pronouns
and boyish stunts make this tale particularly appealing for young boys both well and sick.
Paul Revere's Ride
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Illustrated by Monica Vachula
Boyds Mills Press
815 Church St., Honesdale, Penn. 18431
ISBN 1563977990, $16.95, 32 pages, www.boydsmillspress.com
Hear ye, hear ye! The latest picture book edition of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "Paul
Revere's Ride" has arrived. This respectful version offers the unabridged original in bite-sized
pieces for young readers and listeners to easily digest. Artist Monica Vachula utilizes tremendous
detail in her dark-toned paintings, but the somber, reverential treatments don't live up to the
excitement and intrigue of the poetic adventure. The poem on its own, however, is exciting from
the get-go, even with the occasional obscure reference and vocabulary unfamiliar to many picture
book readers. The beginning is unavoidably dated, but still gripping: "Listen, my children, and you
shall hear / Of the midnight ride of Paul Revere / On the eighteenth of April, in [Seventeen]
Seventy-five / Hardly a man is now alive / Who remembers that famous day and year." Sure
enough, the poem has long been a favorite of children since its initial publication in the January
1861 edition of Atlantic Monthly, and two years later in "Tales of a Wayside Inn." It helped make
Longfellow the country's most popular poet, enjoyed by adults and children, the later of whom
were commonly required to memorize "Paul Revere's Ride" in its entirely for school. The patriotic
poem about an ordinary man who fought for liberty and equality still is often read, but has
fallen out of favor with teachers and historians who nowadays point out the story's historical
errors. "Paul Revere's ride was not the impulsive act of one man," Jayne Triber points out in the
book's post-script. "It was carefully planned and carried out by Revere, an experienced messenger
and spy, along with several other people." Still, the poem remains an exciting adventure classic,
and is one that will inspire others by Revere's brave example.
Whales! Strange and Wonderful
Laurence Pringle, Illustrated by Meryl Henderson
Boyds Mills Press
815 Church St., Honesdale, Penn. 18431
ISBN 1563974398, $15.95, 32 pages, www.boydsmillspress.com
Congratulations to author Laurence Pringle upon the publication of his 100th book. This
non-fiction picture book addition to his "Strange and Wonderful" series is his 98th children's
book, but we'll also count his two adult books for good measure. This new picture book directly
follows the publication of "Crows! Strange and Wonderful," a less obviously interesting subject
than the bats, sharks or dinosaurs of his previous books, or the whales discussed here. Indeed, the
earth's largest mammals are greatly compelling, and Pringle rises to the task of telling their
fascinating tale. The facts are all to be found here the blue whale is a giant that can grow as
large as 100 feet long; narwhals can grow a nine-foot tusk; dolphins and porpoises are, in fact,
kinds of whales but Pringle knows well to put such information into perspective so young
readers can better remember and appreciate what they learn here. And so he matter-of-factly
discusses how the animals live, the historical trials they've suffered, and their continuing
challenges in modern ecosystems. A post-script about whales and their conservation gives readers
ideas of ways they can personally participate in the preservation of these great creatures.
Alice in Wonderland
Lewis Carroll, Illustrated by Helen Oxenbury
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 0763620491, $12.99, 208 pages, www.candlewick.com
Available, at last, is this affordable paperback version of illustrator Helen Oxenbury's esteemed
version of the Lewis Carroll classic "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." Originally retailing at
$75 for the March 2000 limited edition, with a school and library binding edition (November
1999) listed at $25, the new paperback edition is now most sensibly priced at $12.99, but worth
its weight in gold. For more than 100 years, this wise and wonderful "nonsense" tale has stoked
the fires of imagination and wonderment, but never before has it been visually updated like this,
making it more contemporary for modern readers. Predictibly, Oxenbury's take on things is more
interesting for pre-teen readers who find it difficult to related to the original Victorian-era
protagonist. The original text is respectfully intact, but Oxenbury's lighthearted drawings of Alice
as a 20th Century child are fresh and friendly. Young readers will identify strongly with this
modern vision of Alice, her long, wavy blond hair streaming as she romps through the familiar
stories in a blue sundress and white sneakers. Many artists have reinterpreted Carroll's books, but
it's clear why Oxenbury 's special edition won accolades from the ALA and Horn Books, plus
Britain's Kate Greenaway Medal. It's skillfully and very generously illustrated, with approximately
100 color illustrations among its 207 pages. And Oxenbury's sweetly open style remains true to
herself while she tips her pen to Sir John Tenniel's original and much-beloved illustrations, as well
as reinterpreting the settings and main protagonist, a thoroughly modern miss who confidently
maneuvers her way through the topsy-turvy world. Respectfully, Carroll's text remains intact, and
is occasionally treated with playful typography that shrinks and tumbles along with Alice. Overall,
the pastel palette and presentation is deceptively pleasant, considering that it masks a
hallucinatory story masterfully disguising a 19th Century social and political treatise.
Jabberwocky
Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Joel Stewart
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
ISBN 0763620181, $15.99, 32 pages, www.candlewick.com
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay! From offbeat illustrator Joel Stewart comes this utterly charming
picture book adaptation of the celebrated nonsense rhyme "Jabberwocky" from Lewis Carroll's
classic children's novel "Through the Looking Glass." In muted, sepia tones sparked with lime
green, lemon yellow and apple red, Stewart paints the mysterious Jabberwocky as a creature part
English dandy, part Beetlejuice and part hedge. "And, as in uffish thought he stood, the
Jabberwock, with eyes of flame " and -- according to Stewart's whimsical drawings -- teeth of
checker boards, guts of a robot, and elongated claws of regular manicure appointments. A
supporting cast of characters appear and disappear without explanation (though, of course, none
is needed) as do the odd cameo appearances of different postage stamps on every spread. None of
this lovely nonsense should be surprising, as we've seen Stewart's quirky style before, in the
picture book "The Adventures of a Nose," the strange story of a nose's quest for belonging. What
is surprising, however, is that there is currently only one competing "Jabberwocky" book on the
market: the intricate 1989 interpretation by Graeme Base, the author/illustrator of the bestselling
"Animalia." 'Tis a brillig effort, to say the least. The most vorpal picture book effort in mome
raths.
101 Trucks
Sam Williams, illustrated by Ken Wilson-Max
Cartwheel Books / Scholastic
557 Broadway, NY, NY 10012-3999
ISBN 0439395429, $12.95, 12 pages, www.scholastic.com
One hundred and one trucks are on the move in this lift-the-flap book featuring a traffic jam of big
rigs filled with 101 movie-making props, costumes and other tools of the film trade. "Gigantic
cranes, a stunt-performing plane, windows and drapes, boots and capes, a variety of trees,
performing fleas " The list goes on and on as tots peek inside 101 trucks carrying rhyming loads
on five two-page spreads. Even by the final page ("Rollin' in Looking good the stars are
out Hollywood!"), little ones will won't likely understand the common thread uniting all the odd
contents, but what does that really matter? The fun is in the rhythm, rhymes and hands-on
discovery, and the intrinsic charm of a toddler lift-the-flap book that shift gears to avoid
wallowing in standard cutsey-wootsey tactics. Keep on truckin'!
Plants on the Trail with Lewis and Clark
Dorothy Hinshaw Patent, phots by William Munoz
Clarion Books / Houghton Mifflin
251 Park Avenue South, NY NY 10003
ISBN 0-618-06776-0, $18.00, 104 pages, www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com
The harrowing 1804 expedition of Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark across the
American wilderness has been well-documented on a library full of history books. Western
expansion was the dream of then-President Thomas Jefferson, and so the co-commanders Lewis
and Clark began a cross-country trip through the pristine wilderness stretching across North
America to the Pacific Ocean to not only stake a claim in the west, but also to collect specimens
of plants and animals, map the unfamiliar frontier, find a northwest passage for men to follow, and
to establish trade with Native American tribes. This informative book for elementary and middle
school students touches on all those matters, but takes a unique approach by concentrating on one
particular aspect of the expedition: North American flora and fauna. What new and exotic plants
did Lewis and Clark see during their cross-country trip through the pristine wilderness? What
specimens of plants and animals did they encounter? Why were trees so important to the success
of the expedition? What new sources of food did they discover? How did they discover uses for
wildflowers? What was the fate of Lewis's specimens? Most species collected were new to science
at the time Lewis collected them, so this historical look at the scientific nature of the journey is a
valuable one indeed. "Plants on the Trail with Lewis and Clark" will not only instill knowledge in
its young readers, but also a healthy desire to preserve the natural and historical places of the
western U.S.
Disney's Americana Storybook Collection
Disney Press
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 0786834021, $15.99, 320 pages, www.disneybooks.com
Baby-boomers in particular will enjoy this collection of children's stories originally published in
the 1950s and 1960s as spin-off picture books based on Walt Disney movies and cartoons.
Originally published individually by Golden Books, and the like, 17 of these picture books are
respectfully recycled and collected together for the first time in one edition, much like popular
previous editions such as "Disney's Princess Collection" (including "Cinderella," "The Little
Mermaid, "Beauty & the Beast"), "Disney's Animal Stories" (with "Bambi," "The Lion King,"
"Lady & the Tramp," etc.) and "Walt Disney's Classic Storybook" (with "Mary Poppins,"
"Pinnochio," "Dumbo" and others). This time the uniting theme is American nostalgia: beloved
stories about American legends like Paul Revere, Paul Bunyan, Toby Tyler, John Henry, "Casey
at the Bat" and Pecos Bill, which once again instill a sense of childlike wonder, whimsy and
patriotic pride. Most do indeed fall under a nostalgic "Americana" banner, but for others ("The
Ugly Dachshund" for instance), their inclusion is a bit of a stretch. Yet others fall into a filler
category that can loosely be considered American styles and traditions such as the circus
("Dumbo"), common pastimes ("Mickey Mouse's Picnic"), and architecture ("The Little House"),
but that's a stretch too. But somehow, the disparate stories compliment each other, united in the
fact that they remain fond memories of multiple generations. Time has not been kind to the
creators of these works, however, since the publisher has chosen to shamefully rob the writers and
illustrators of proper credits. Rather, Disney Press chooses to disrespectfully ignore the creators
by viewing the work simply as intellectual copyrights, thereby reducing the intrinsic value of these
works to that of sheer product. It's a disservice to the creators, the creative process and the
readers who deserve to know the names of those responsible for their precious memories.
Disney's Storybook Collection: Volume 1
Disney's Storybook Collection: Volume 2
Disney Press
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 078683234-7 (Vol. 1), $15.99, 320 pages, www.disneybooks.com
ISBN 078683359-9 (Vol. 2), $15.99, 320 pages, www.disneybooks.com
As a life-long fan of Disney films and cartoons, I can't help but enjoy these two collections of
picture book spin-offs from Walt Disney movies. Like "Disney's Americana Storybook
Collection" and the earlier series titles, these books contain recycled storybook tie-in merchandise
designed to get more buck for the bang from young film fans. Many older readers will remember
these pages from old Golden Book items picked up at five-and-dime stores; cheap souvenirs of
such beloved films as "Pinocchio," "Bambi," "Peter Pan" and "Sleeping Beauty," and in later
years, tie-in and book club editions for "Oliver & Company," "Aladdin," "Pocahontas," "The Lion
King" and "Hunchback of Notre Dame." The earliest stories tend to be the most readable, but the
text quality of post-'70s issues vary considerably, particularly on the lackluster story sequels of
"Disney's Storybook Collection Volume 2." Volume 2 is also weakened by the inclusion of 16
stories, compared with the first volume's more encompassing offering of 23. In both, however, the
art is king. Illustrations are brightly colored, action-packed, and brilliantly drawn to match the
style of the original animation cels. Fresh book designs by Todd Taliaferro and Deborah Boone
give a clean, cohesive look to the variety of art that zig-zags from classic hand-drawn art deco
images of "Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs," to the high-tech computer generated images of
"A Bug's Life" and "Dinosaur."
However, it's troubling that, like "Disney's Americana Storybook Collection," these books also
fail to give credit to a single author or illustrator, bringing our attention to the Mickey Mouse way
Disney often treats its creative contributors. Copyrights, on the other hand, are painstakingly
listed, including notes that "Mr. Potato Head is a registered trademark of Hasbro, Inc." and there's
a legal nod to "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" being based upon the works of A.A.
Milne and E.H. Shepard. Intellectual copyrights are here treated with more respect than the
now-invisible intellects that created the work in the first place, making it apparent that the
publisher views these glossy compendiums as nothing more than exploitation product.
The Life of Jesus
Sally Grindley, Illustrated by Chris Molan
DK Publishing
375 Hudson St., NY, NY, 10014
ISBN 0789488841, $17.99, 32 pages, www.dk.com
With surprisingly little preaching, this biographical picture book story of the life of Jesus Christ
presents the chronological account of all the major events of his life and ministry. Fourteen
chapters, an introduction and index take an instructional, scholarly approach to teaching children
age eight and up. Each chapter is beautifully illustrated, clearly outlined, and presented in an
easy-to-read narrative. Bible quotes frame each page, and corresponding New Testament chapters
are listed following each story, to encourage further reading. In all, 26 stories are covered,
including Jesus' birth in a manger, the sermon on the mount, the feeding of five thousand, calming
of the storm, the parable of the good Samaritan, the Lord's supper, the crucifixion, resurrection
and ascension. The final "People of the Bible" chapter gives a one-paragraph biography of 27
people who appear in the New Testament and are featured in the story of Jesus. Unlike most
authoritative non-fiction books published by Dorling Kindersley Publishing including their
"Eyewitness Books" series with titles on Christianity and Judaism -- this book presents religious
beliefs as fact, never questioning the authenticity of such mystical issues as healing the dying,
turning water into wine, and so on, thereby treading a fine line between fact and faith. The book's
no-nonsense approach, however, is refreshing, and its over-sized format is impressive, making it
attractive to Christian families as well as young non-Christians studying comparative
religions.
Sandmare
Helen Cooper, illustrations by Ted Dewan
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
19 Union Square West, NY, NY 10003
ISBN 0374364060, $15.00, 72 pages, www.fsgbooks.com
On a magical night a drawing in the sand comes to life in this short-and-sweet novel for
elementary school readers. After a young girl draws a picture of a horse at the beach, she makes a
wish that the Sandmare could run free. The drawing wishes the same thing at the same time,
making the impossible to come true. Suddenly, the sand, sea and sun all come alive
metaphysically at least and carry on conversations with the Sandmare, sending him on an
adventure to find his way to the stars. So, too, do other beach dwellers, such as a dog that helps
the Sandmare spring free from the sand, wild ponies who run along the shore, merry-go-round
horses who tell Sandmare of the white horses like him who dance in the waves as ocean foam, a
glass horse in a gift shop who tells Sandmare how to get wings he'll need, a territorial rocking
horse, and a kindly pony toy on wheels who leads Sandmare to the girl who drew him in the first
place and holds the key to his ultimate freedom. The simple, unusual fantasy and its dreamlike
settings is an easy, fast read that will appeal to young girls' fanciful love of horses, and desire for
spiritual connections with them.
Just You And Me
P.Taylor Copeland, illustrated by Suzi Bliss Kyle
Grammy Time Books
P.O. Box 639, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
ISBN 0971267502, $16.95, 30 pages www.grammytimebooks.com
"Giggles and stories, Oodles to see, Grammy time, Grammy time Just YOU and me," goes the
repeated refrain between scattered rhymes about seeing animals at the zoo, playing on the swings,
blowing bubbles, and reading lap-time stories. The common thread? Each scenario is a simple
moment often shared by grandparent and grandchild. This self-published book is one in a series of
"Grammy Time Books" designed for sharing between old and young family members; or, rather,
for one specific "Grammy" -- i.e. author P.Taylor Copeland to read to her own grandchildren.
It's a sweet, well-intentioned idea, but the author has personalized the text too much for
non-"Grammys" to be much interested. After all, there are lots of grandmas, grannies, nanas,
babas, and, of course, grandpas and papas, in this world, but few "grammys," and even fewer with
a collie named Rover. Even with its murky cover printing, the execution is considerably more
professional than most homespun efforts, thanks to imaginative type layouts and the boldly
colorful work of painter Suzi Bliss Kyle. But in the long run the concept is limited, leaving the
series, and this book in particular, with a difficult intrinsic problem to overcome if it's to reach an
audience outside a circle of friends and family.
Let's Make-Believe
P.Taylor Copeland, illustrated by Suzi Bliss Kyle
Grammy Time Books
P.O. Box 639, San Luis Obispo, CA 93406
ISBN 0971267510, $16.95, 32 pages, www.grammytimebooks.com
This companion release to the self-published "Just You And Me" manages to overcome the
difficult problem of its "twin" release by concentrating on rollicking verse that speaks to the child,
rather than to the adult reader. "Hippos swim shyly, Sneaking a peek Let's play their game, Let's
play hide-'n-seek," sings one sample verse in a gay list of animal-inspired make-believe games.
Suzi Bliss Kyle's close-up paintings really shine, and their bold primary colors are cleverly picked
up in the playful typefaces and solid backgrounds underneath. The sweet, rhythmic, rhyme stands
on its own quite nicely, though if the book had an editor who was not also the author, it's not
likely the word "Grammy" would have made it to final edit, nor some of the punctuation errors.
The book would also have benefited from the deletion of an introductory poem that needlessly
draws attention to the author, rather than the bouncy rhymes that follow.
Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez
Kathleen Kruss, Illustrated by Yuyi Morales
Harcourt Children's Books
525 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101
ISBN 0-15-201437-3, $17.00, 48 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com
Published in honor of Cesar Chavez Day, this heartfelt tribute is a picture book biography of the
famed founder of the National Farm Workers Association. His inspiring life story is told in full,
from his happy childhood days on a family ranch in Arizona, to his humiliating school days
experiences, through his first jobs as a migrant worker, and transformation as a civil rights leader
devoted to improving the lives of thousands of fellow workers. Unlike many picture book
biographies for children, Chavez's life story really does unfold like an exciting adventure tale. His
nonviolent fight for human rights sprouted organically from simple beginning the quest for
justice and naturally grew into the formation of the National Farm Workers Association, then a
grass-roots march that swelled from less than 100 participants to 10,000 by the time they reached
the California state capitol in Sacramento. The author characterizes the march as a parade that
turned into a giant fiesta, thereby engaging the readers in a way they can understand. Likewise,
the poetic language colors the events in a magical light, and the vividly-colored, folkloric
paintings underscore the story's multi-cultural importance. It may be a lot to expect children under
the age of six to sit through such a lengthy picture book, or to grasp the social and political
meanings of Chavez's accomplishments, but they will certainly gain empathy, and connect with the
desire to do what's right. Highly recommended for older picture book readers, reluctant readers of
non-fiction, and for all American elementary students as Cesar Chavez Day approaches each
March 31.
Bow Wow Meow Meow: It's Rhyming Cats and Dogs"
Douglas Florian
Harcourt, Inc.
525 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101
ISBN 0152163956, $17.00, 48 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com
Poet and painter Douglas Florian barks up the right tree in the young people poetry month
release, "Bow Wow Meow Meow: It's Rhyming Cats and Dogs." Twenty-one brief, humorous
poems about a kennel of dog and cat varieties playfully prowl its pages, accompanied by childlike
watercolor portraits of each species being analyzed in verse. (Another quirky pleasure comes from
the fact that Florian's loose, playful watercolors were painted on primed brown paper bags with
bits of collage.) Setting the stage for the book's first half is "Dog Log" with its deadpan "to do"
list of the average dog: "Rolled out of bed./ Scratched my head./ Brought the mail./ Wagged my
tail / Chewed a shoe --/ Table, too." The next ten spreads all focus on a different doggie from
the bulldog to wolf. Typical is "The Chihuahua" which manages to hilariously evoke the sound of
the little beast: "Chihuahua seems a sorry sight:/ So small in stature, weight, and height./ But it
can bark a brouhaha: / Chi-hua! hua! hua! hua! hua! hua! hua!" Segregating the cats from the
dogs, the second half is devoted to the felines, starting with the lilting "Cat Chat" introduction,
and ends with "The Black Panther": "Black on black / With big eyes green --- / At night the
panther's sight is keen,/ A stalking shadow, sly and sleek,/ That every night plays hide-and-seek."
As a poetry collection, this is the best-conceived, least-pretentious and most-fun work in years.
The idea is simplicity at its best, perfectly conceived and cleverly executed with a just-right
balance of smarts and playfulness. The witty, insightful nature of the poems is sure to delight all
ages, particularly fans of ee cummings, Ogden Nash and Bennett Cerf. Even concrete poetry
admirers will pleasantly note the subtly original ways in which simple type layouts are occasionally
used to enhance the rhythms and rhymes, such as the lines of "The Poodles" which are each set in
a tight swirl, mimicking their subject's "oodles and oodles or curls." Doggone good. To borrow a
pun from Florian, it would "puzzle ocelot" if this didn't end up an award-winner by year's
end.
Cat Count
Betsy Lewin
Henry Holt & Co.
115 W. 18th St., NY, NY 10011
ISBN 0805067477, $14.95, 32 pages, www.henry.holt.com
This full-color edition of "Cat Count" is a welcome improvement over the original 1981
black-and-white original. The title has always led one to believe this is another one-to-ten
counting book, when in fact it's a purr-fectly charming game of addition set to rhyme. "Cat
Count" is a lesson in addition, cleverly camouflaged as a sing-song rhyming picture book. Spread
one introduces us to the author's "one cat, a fat cat, a fun cat " leading next, naturally, to her
sibling's pair or felines: "My brother has two./ Two cats / True cats / Wild and ballyhoo cats. / Full
of derring do cats." In the upper right corner, the illustrator sneaks in a "+2," starting us on a
continuing tally on the next pages that add 3 more cats, then 4 more, and 5 more. "Count them!
All together that's How many cats? Fifteen." By the end, there are 55 cats in all, dancing the cha
cha, chasing butterflies, unrolling yarn balls, howling and just causing all sorts of typical
cat-astrophes. Fifty-five cats! But wait, remember the first fat cat? She has a surprise that calls for
a recount Author/illustrator Betsy Lewin has come up with a fun concept, well-conceived, and
humorously drawn in big, bold, inviting sketches. Recommended for children four and up, to hone
their math and pre-math skills, and to simply have fun with numbers.
The Terrible Underpants
Kaz Cooke
Hyperion
114 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10011-5690
ISBN 0786819243, $12.99, 32 pages, www.hyperionchildrensbooks.com
What would you do if you couldn't find clean underwear to wear in the morning? When it's time
to get dressed one day, spunky Wanda-Linda can't find any in her clothes drawer, so she pops on
a nice purple dress and searches high and low. "Ask your dad," says her mom. "Ask your mom,"
says her dad. She finally tracks down her clean undies on the clothes line, unfortunately, hanging
dripping wet. They only clean pair left are the dreaded "terrible underpants" with stretched-out
elastic, holes, stains, scratchy bits and a baggy bottom. Terrible indeed. "Never mind," says her
unhelpful dad. "Nobody will notice the Terrible Underpants." Famous last words, as it turns out,
as everyone ends up seeing them in a series of mishaps. The wind blows up her dress, as do
gymnastics moves and leaps over the sprinkler. Even a news helicopter gets a surprise peek, and
broadcasts it to everybody in the whole world. What's a girl to do? Why, take them off, of course.
Problem solved. Undies are always a good source of common-denominator humor, so this zippy
post-modern picture book is a crowd pleaser for kids and parents alike, particularly those fond of
cartoonish humor and sit-com pacing. Australian's are well accustomed to author/illustrator Kaz
Cooke's quirks from her comics published down under. It's about time we've had a chance to peek
at her underpants too.
The Arnold Lobel Book of Mother Goose
Illustrated by Arnold Lobel
Knopf / Random House
1540 Broadway, NY, NY 10036
ISBN 0679887369, $19.95, 176 pages, www.randomhouse.com/kids
Formerly published as "The Random House Book of Mother Goose" in 1986, this new hardback
reissue pays homage to the late Arnold Lobel, the famed Caldecott winning illustrator of the
beloved "Frog and Toad" books, "On Market Street" and more than 100 others. This treasury of
more than 300 classic nursery rhymes represents more than three years of toil for Lobel, and was
the crowning achievement of his amazing career in children's literature. Despite the massive
undertaking, Lobel never skimped here. Every rhyme no matter how brief -- has a beautiful
corresponding drawing, and many, many entries feature six or more images. Even for lengthy
poems like "The First Day of Christmas" and "The House That Jack Built," he refused to take
shortcuts, and so drew increasingly complicated images for each and every verse. Not everything
was taken literally, however, and so the pages for other poems offer a rich diversity of characters.
On one double-page spread, for instance, Lobel cleverly grouped unrelated verses and united
them by drawing a variety of pigs for each disparate scene. Even as presented in this unabridged
new edition today -- nearly two decades since the illustrations were created -- the fun, colorful
and imaginative drawings are fresh, offering a delightful introduction to the classic 18th Century
Mother Goose rhymes and assorted other gems for generations of children to come.
Last Night I Dreamed A Circus
Maya Gottfried, Illustrated by Robert Rahway Zakanitch
Knopf / Random House
1540 Broadway, NY, NY 10036
ISBN 0375823883, $15.95, 28 pages, www.randomhouse.com/kids
Tumbling across crisp black backgrounds, the colorful dreamscapes of artist Robert Rahway
Zakanitch weave a magical spell. Each boldly-hued spread in this picture book for pre-readers and
new readers is a tribute to a different type of circus performer. But rather than a humdrum
explanation of aerialists, clowns, trained animals, and so on, author Maya Gottfried describes each
character as if seen through the eyes of a child who fanaticizes of experiencing each event
personally. Corresponding with each bright image is a simple prose narration that uses words
sparingly to list each spectacular sight with an equally colorful description. And so, in this
dreamlike state, a trapeze artist "wore the sunset on a velvet cape," a clown "juggled a rose
garden," a gymnast "spun circles round the stars. I'm still not sure what an "elephant of the seven
seas" is, though; my five year old daughter was bored midway; and a hideous image of a monkey
in a dress still gives both of us the shivers. Ultimately, the book's looks are alluring, but the role
call list isn't terribly engaging, despite its poignant wording. Unfortunately, there's simply no story
to this storybook.
Porcupining: A Prickly Love Story
Lisa Wheeler, Illustrated by Janie Bynum
Little, Brown and Company
1271 Ave. of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0316989126, $14.95, 28 pages, www.twbookmark.com/children
Funny, punny author Lisa Wheeler is at it again in this follow up to her pun-filled "Sailor Moo"
and " Wool Gathering" picture books. This time, a love-struck porcupine is (porcu)pining for a
wife in this comic recasting of the "Froggy Went A'Courting" folk song. First Cushion (yes, as in
pin cushion) has to suffer the indignity of being the least popular resident of a petting zoo, for
obviously ouchy reasons. Then his lonesomeness is compounded each time he serenades a
potential bride. The rabbits get hopping mad, the pigs grunt their disapproval, and the
buck-toothed beaver gives him the brush off. But when a mysterious creature compliments
Cushion 's beautiful singing and, though "DO NOT TOUCH" signs warn him to stay away, he is
intrigued, particularly when she says her name is Barb, and she's got quills too. "You don't look
like a pork or a pine!" says Barb. "You don't look like a hedge or a hog!" says Cushion. Of course
the mismatched loners fall in love, otherwise -- as Wheeler writes, unable to resist one last pun --
"what would be the point of this whole story?" Although "Porcupining"'s simple prose text isn't as
snappy or rich as the perfectly perfect satirical rhymes of "Sailor Moo," the story is delightful and
the concept sharp, exhibiting plenty of prickly wit.
Swan Lake
Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky, Illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger
North-South Books
11 East 26th Street, NY, NY 10010
ISBN 0735817022, $15.95, 28 pages, www.northsouth.com
"With a flash, the lake was bathed in a shimmering light, and before him stood the most beautiful
woman he had ever seen. 'I am the Swan Queen,' she said. `I am the swan that you tried to kill.'"
The somber but beautiful drama of Tchaikovsky's brilliant ballet. "Swan Lake," has been
transformed into an elegant picture book for children retold and illustrated by Lisbeth Zwerger,
and translated by Marianne Martens. Zwerger a Hans Chrisitan Andersen Medal-winner for
lifetime achievement is in glorious form here. Her mysterious paintings are filled with emotion,
urgency, light and shadow, while her formal, dramatic text is as radiantly ethereal as the Swan
Queen herself. Few contemporary princess tales can come close to providing the grace and
majesty contained in the breathless passages here. It's a thing of beauty to be cherished. Next to
"The Nutcracker," "Swan Lake" is the most popular ballet for young children, so the natural
appeal of this book is great, particularly for budding ballerina's in training prone to their own
flights of fancy.
About Arachnids: A Guide for Children
Cathryn Sill, Illustrated by John Sill
Peachtree Publishers
1700 Chattahoochee Ave., Atlanta, GA 30318-2112
ISBN 1561450383, $15.95, 38 pages, www.peachtree-online.com
Young children will learn and retain more about arachnids from these spare pages, than from any
other introductory picture book on the subject that I' ve seen. Using the same simple language and
up-close "in the wild" illustrations of earlier books in the "About" series on birds, mammals,
reptiles and so on, "About Arachnids" answer all the basic questions inquisitive pre-schoolers
might pose when first engaged by the subject of arachnids, i.e., spiders, scorpions, mites and ticks.
Its simplicity is beautiful. Rather than give a lecture on the scientific classification or various
species, the first page boils it down to just four words -- "Arachnids have eight legs "
accompanied by a beautifully rendered close-up illustration of two Brown Daddy Longlegs. The
thought continues on the next spread, depicting a color-camoflaged Desert Tarantula: " and two
main body parts." Other fascinating species are selected for inclusion, from the crablike Spiny Orb
Weaver to the daring Jumping Spider. Children will naturally want to know more about these
mini-beasts, so the creators have included a four-page afterword that pairs a paragraph of data
with a repeated black-and-white sketch of the arachnid. Best, the author avoids unnecessary
drama and, in fact, judgement of any kind when it comes to such much-maligned crawlers as
the black widow, tarantula and deer tick. Rather, the conclusion calmly, rationally states "Some
arachnids may cause harm [Brown recluse] but most are helpful and should be protected." Wise
and wonderful.
As Far As the Eye Can Reach: Lewis and Clark's Westward Quest
Elizabeth Cody Kimmel
Random House Books for Young readers
1540 Broadway, NY, NY 10036
ISBN 0375813489, $14.95, 128 pages, www.randomhouse.com/kids
This year marks the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark's western adventure, so the arrival of this
history book addition to the "Landmark Books" series is right on time. In clear, readable text, "As
Far As The Eye Can Reach" tells the fascinating tale of how Captains Meriwether Lewis and
William Clark embarked on a harrowing journey to explore and conquer the mysterious western
parts of their new country. Western expansion was the dream of then-President Thomas Jefferson,
and so co-commanders Lewis and Clark began a cross-country trip through the pristine
wilderness stretching across North America to the Pacific Ocean. Faced with the unknown, their
aim was not only to stake a claim in the west, but also to collect specimens of plants and animals,
map the unfamiliar frontier, find a northwest passage for men to follow, and to establish a
diplomatic relationship with the various groups of Native Americans. Author Elizabeth Cody
Kimmel tells the grand tale in eight simple, straightforward chapters, a prologue, epilogue and
select bibliography. Chapters are numbered rather than named, making the book appear unfriendly
and unwieldy for use as a research tool without a comprehensive read-through. Similarly, the
impressive cover will attract many students, but the lackluster black-and-white illustrative
materials are more academic than enticing. Children age eight and up will find "As Far As The
Eye Can Reach" well suited for historical book reports, and teachers will find it a comprehensive
teaching tool.
Consider Love
Sandra Boynton
Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0689859082, $12.95, 32 pages, www.SimonSays.com
"Consider Love" subtitled "Its Moods and Many Ways" is a sweet valentine filled with
wisdom and heart. Though intended as a gift item for consenting adults, this is truly a novelty
book for all ages. It was created by the prolific Sandra Boynton, a greeting card
designer-turned-children's book author/illustrator who has previously created such clever board
books as "But Not The Hippopotamus," "Blue Hat, Green Hat" (about the foibles of getting
dressed), and "Horns to Toes" (about body parts). More than ever before, her greeting card past
is apparent in this 32-page card. Combining semi-serious verse with cartoonish characters, she
extols the virtues of love. "Consider love / Observe a while / It comes in every shape, and
style There's love that's shallow / Love that's deep / Love extravagant / Love well, cheap." For
the latter two instances, Boynton draws corresponding images of an elephant gifting his love with
an entire, uprooted apple tree (extravagant love), and a gorilla presenting his bemused mate with
an empty banana peel (cheap). A turtle pops out of his shell to express "bold love," a pair of
porcupines ponder "love problematic," and a moose gazes admiringly at his own reflection to
express "love unfounded." The conclusion is savvy enough to warm even the coolest heart, as it
calmly requests that the reader "consider one love in the midst of the crowd an affectionate
love, neither timid nor loud A love that is steady, devoted and true Consider my love for
incredible you."
Vicki Arkoff
Reviewer
Whelan's Bookshelf
Chief: Marine Corps Warrior
Sean J. Flynn
Sunflower University Press
PO Box 1009, Manhattan, KS 66505-1009
0897452674, $21.95, 1-800-258-1232, www.sunflower-univ-press.org
Chief: Marine Corps Warrior is the candid and dramatic biography of Lieutenant Colonel John P.
"Pat" Flynn, Jr., as written by his son Sean J. Flynn. With special emphases on John Flynn's loyal
and courageous service in the Marines, as well as conveying his loving family life, triumphs, and
foibles, Chief: Marine Corps Warrior is an inspirational military biography and a welcome,
appreciated addition to the growing library of World War II memoirs and biographies.
Rule Of Power Or Rule Of Law?
Nicole Deller, Arjun Makhijani, and John Burroughs
The Apex Press
777 United Nations Plaza, Suite 3C, NY, NY 10017
1891843176 $21.95 1-800-316-2739
Collaboratively compiled and edited by attorney Nicole Deller, energy and environmental research
expert Arjun Makhijani, and nuclear non-proliferation treaty expert John Burroughs, Rule Of
Power Or Rule Of Law?: An Assessment Of U.S. Policies And Actions Regarding
Security-Related Treaties is a sharply critical look at the United States government's recent global
policy,
including America's withdrawal from the ABM treaty, and the overwhelming impact of America's
views toward the antipersonnel mine ban treaty, the chemical weapons convention, the biological
weapons convention, the nuclear nonproliferation treaty, and more. Rule Of Power Or Rule Of
Law? is recommended as being a sober, extensively documented and carefully written account
which identifies and illustrates looming and dangerous trends in America's global political
character.
An Americana Century 1902-2002
Robert A. Clark & Patrick J. Brunet
The Arthur H. Clark Company
PO Box 14707, Spokane, WA 99214
0870623192, $75.00, 1-800-842-9286, www.ahclark.com, www.amazon.com
Collaboratively compiled by Robert A. Clark and Patrick J. Brunet, An Americana Century
1902-2002 is an impressive bibliography of the over 700 books published in the field of
Americana,
many of which are quite rare and collectible. The complete bibliographic entries include a physical
description of the book, author/editor and title listings, data on reprints, side comments of interest
regarding the work's publication, and more. A first-rate reference especially for Americana book
collectors, An Americana Century 1902-2002 would make an invaluable and imposing addition to
any scholarly or academic library American History reference collection.
Stalin's War: Tragedy And Triumph 1941-1945
Edwin P. Hoyt
Cooper Square Press/NBN, dist.
200 Park Avenue South, Suite 1109, New York, NY 10003
0815410328, $27.95, 1-800-462-6420, www.amazon.com
Stalin's War: Tragedy And Triumph 1941-1945 by military historian and author Edwin P. Hoyt is
a resolute examination of Communist dictator Josef Stalin's role in World War II, ranging from his
ill-advised nonaggression pact with Hitler; to the deadly cost of the war itself; to the postwar
creation of Communist puppet governments in Eastern Europe. An inset section of
black-and-white photographs enhances this profoundly informative and highly recommended
history of
Stalin's influence in the World War II European Theatre and Post-War European political
developments.
Lincoln And Booth: More Light On The Conspiracy
H. Donald Winkler
Cumberland House Publishing
431 Harding Industrial Park Drive, Nashville, TN 37211
1581823428, $16.95, 1-888-439-2665, www.cumberlandhouse.com, www.amazon.com
Lincoln And Booth: More Light On The Conspiracy is a close and revealing study of President
Abraham Lincoln's assassination. Journalist, historian, and political scientist H. Donald Winkler
sheds new light on the possible conspiracies and motives that may have been a factor in Lincoln's
assassination. Black and white photographs combined with deftly researched and presented
evidence make for an insightful and highly commended study of a terrible political murder that
was to serve as a grim and symbolic epilogue to the American Civil War. Lincoln And Booth is an
invaluable contribution to Civil War Studies reference collections and Lincoln Studies reading
lists.
Finn Burnett, Frontiersman
Robert Beebe David
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
0811724832, $17.95, 1-800-732-3669, www.amazon.com
Biographer Robert Beebe David provides the reader with a straightforwardly narrated account in
Finn Burnett, Frontiersman, the biography of an extraordinary pioneer of the American frontier. In
the upper Plains and northern Rockies, Finn Burnett was at first a staunch battler against Indians,
but later befriended them, including famous individuals such as Washakie, the Shoshone chief, and
Sacajawea, known for her role in the Lewis and Clark expedition. Part of the Stackpole Books
"Frontier Classics Series", Finn Burnett, Frontiersman is very highly recommended reading for
students of American frontier history.
Beyond The Weapons Of Our Fathers
Edward W. Wood Jr.
Fulcrum Publishing
16100 Table Mountain Parkway, Suite 300, Golden, Colorado 80403
155591179X, $22.95, 1-800-992-2908, www.amazon.com
Beyond The Weapons Of Our Fathers by poet and essayist Edward W. Wood Jr. is a close and
caustic study of the violence that has marked America since its war of independence, including the
terrible toll of the Civil War down to conflicts still vivid in the memory of today's generation. An
unflinching look at the intersection of violence and American History, culminating in a passionate
call for a better future, Beyond The Weapons Of Our Fathers is especially timely reading in view
of today's War on Terrorism and Middle East conflict with Iraq.
MPI Home Video
16101 South 108th Avenue, Orland Park, IL 60462
1-800-777-2223, www.mpimedia.com
The MPI Media Group has newly release three outstanding and enthusiastically recommended 50
minute documentary videos showcasing our ascension into space. Cosmonaut Cover-Up
(0788604759, $19.98) reveals that, unlike popular perception, Yuri Gargarin in 1961 was not the
first man to make a single orbit around the Earth. Recently de-classified evidence from Kremlin
archives, combined with interviews with Khrushchev's so and the former Director of the Russian
Space Agency reveals that the first man in space was Vladimir Ilyushin, a cosmonaut who was
blasted into space, orbited the Earth, and then crash-landed in a remote area of China. It was
because of the crash landing that the Soviet government went to great lengths to cover up their
flawed space flight mission. Behind The Race To The Moon (0788604767, $19.98) examines the
tension, truth, and cover-ups behind the race between the Americans and the Soviet Union to be
the first to land on the moon. Rare archival footage, interviews with former astronauts, and
information from previously sealed files blend together to showcase the real story behind the
technological and political competition to reach the moon. Project Gemini: Bridge To The Moon
(0788604775, $19.98) profiles all ten manned Gemini missions which developed the technology
required for the subsequent Apollo missions and were essential to NASA's eventual success with
respect to a lunar landing. Six of the original Gemini missions astronauts are interviewed, along
with top NASA officials. Each video is intrinsically fascinating. Taken together as a trilogy, they
offer a truly impressive and multifaceted history of one of the most remarkable technological
achievements in the history of the world.
Thomas G. Whelan
Reviewer
Buhle's Bookshelf
The White House World
Martha Joynt Kumar & Terry Sullivan, editors
Texas A&M University Press
Drawer C, College Station, TX 77843-4354
1585442275, $19.95, 1-800-826-8911, www.tamu.edu/upress
Compiled and edited by Martha Joynt Kumar (Department of Political Science, Towson
University) and Terry Sullivan (Department of Political Science, University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill), The White House World: Transitions, Organization, And Office Operations is an
imposing collection of scholarly essays by a variety of learned authors. Drawing from interviews
with seventy-five former senior White House officials representing six administrations (as well as
with former President Gerald Ford), to present a picture as assembled by top political scientists of
what really goes on in the White House West Wing, The White House World would well serve
future White House administrations seeking practical advice on how best to organize their
presidencies. Topics scrutinized include the mechanics of Presidential transition, the role of
various offices such as Press Secretary or The Office of Communication, and a special focus upon
President George W. Bush's transition. A worthy glimpse of the workings of American
government itself, The White House World is an invaluable contribution to Political Science
reference collections and reading lists.
Methods And Styles In The Development Of Chemistry
Joseph S. Fruton
American Philosophical Society
104 South Fifth Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3387
0871692457, $40.00, www.amphilsoc.org, www.amazon.com
Methods And Styles In The Development Of Chemistry by Joseph S. Fruton (Eugene Higgins
Professor Emeritus of Biochemistry and Senior Research Scholar in the History of Medicine at
Yale University) is an informed and informative study of how human beings have conceptualized
and evolved the science and art of chemistry, from Alchemy and the ancient wisdom of Greek
philosophers to Antoine Lavoisier's immortal contribution to more recent revolutions in
discovering the composition of elements, atoms, molecular structure, forces, and much more. An
impeccable work of scholarship, Methods And Style In The Development Of Chemistry is
commended as a thoroughly engaging journey through both the complex history and evolving
science of chemistry.
Kidnapped
Robert Louis Stevenson
Monterey Media Inc.
566 St. Charles Drive, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360-3901
#317214, $16.95, 1-800-934-4336, www.montereymedia.com
The St. Charles Players is a superb group of voice actors who perform classical stories with a
Radio Theatre style providing their listeners with a true "theatre of the mind" experience.
Kidnapped is the classic tale by Robert Louis Stevenson of a young boy who is victimized by a
villainous Uncle and finds himself kidnaped and held on a slave ship bound for the Americas.
Befriended by a Scottish soldier running from the British crown. The join forces, fight off the
ship's crews and escape. Accused of murder, they are forced to flee across the Scottish
countryside. It's during this dangerous journey that the boy becomes a man, and learns the
meaning of loyalty, friendship, and honor. Kidnapped is enthusiastically recommended for
personal and community library audiobook collections as being a superb adaptation of a timeless
story.
Your Outta Control Adopted Dog
Eve Adamson
T.F.H. Publications/NBN, dist.
1 TFH Plaza, 3rd & Union Avenue, Neptune City, NJ 07753
0793829011, $12.95, 1-800-631-2188, www.tfh.com, www.amazon.com
Your Outta Control Adopted Dog: How To Turn Your Crazy Companion Into A Delightful Dog
by canine expert Eve Adamson is a solidly written and thoroughly "user friendly" guide presented
especially for dog owners who are adjusting to the seemingly destructive behavior of a newly
adopted pet. Beautiful color photographs, practical information, and step-by-step instructions for
socializing an adopted dog, house training, preventing bad behavior such as biting, and much
more fill the pages of this very highly recommended resource which will prove an invaluable asset
for anyone needing to "civilize" their canine companion.
LifeSteps
Michael Pritchard
The Bureau For At-Risk Youth
PO Box 760, Plainview, NY 11803
$74.95 each; $799.00 (12-volume set); 1-800-99-YOUTH, www.at-risk.com
Youth counselor, humorist, and actor Michael Pritchard hosts LifeSteps, a unique, skill-based,
twelve cassette video series which combines age-appropriate comedy, exciting dramatizations of
real-life moral dilemmas, and insightful problem-solving sessions to assist students in grades 6
through 12 in developing the social and emotional skills necessary for becoming responsible,
knowledgeable, caring, and successful adults. Each 28 minute program focuses upon a particular
problem in terms of its difficulty and effectively dealing with it. The individual programs
comprising this outstanding series are: The ABC's of Emotional Intelligence; Knowing Who Your
Are; Taking Charge; Bouncing Back; Empathy, caring and Compassion; Creative Problem
Solving; Getting Along with Others; Building Character; Respect; Responsibility; Developing
Health Relationships; and Dong Your Best. Closed captioned for those who need it, and utilizing
culturally sensitive material reflecting a multiethnic student population, each program video is also
accompanied by a "Leader's Guide" to help facilitate post-viewing group and classroom
discussions. LifeSteps is an invaluable addition to school-based curriculum supplementation and is
ideal for use by community center social workers and youth counselors helping "at risk"
teenagers.
Henry James: Novels 1896-1899
Myra Jehlen, editor
The Library of America
14 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022
1931082308, $40.00, www.loa.org
Compiled and edited by Myra Jehlen (Board of Governors Chair of Literatures at Rutgers
University), Henry James: Novels 1896-1899 is the fourth volume in The Library of America
edition of the complete novels of Henry James and contains the four novels written after James
failed in his attempt to create a professional career as a playwright on the London stage. The
novels include "The Other House" (1896); "The Spoils of Poynton" (1897); "What Maise Knew"
(1897); and "The Awkward Age" (1899). Like all more than 150 titles published by The Library
of America, Henry James: Novels 1896-1899 is printed on high quality paper, intended for an
extended shelf life, and is a mandatory addition to University and College library collections.
The Lifetime Guide To The Jewish Holidays
Lesli Koppelman Ross
Jewish Legacy press
3000 Island Blvd., Suite 2606, Aventura, FL 33160
0972644911, $29.95 (pb); 0972644903, $39.95 (hc); 1-800-345-6665,
www.jewishlegacypress.com
The Lifetime Guide To The Jewish Holidays: Abundant Ways To Bring The Joy, Meaning And
Relevance of Celebration Into Your Home And Heart Year After Year by writer and communal
lay leader Lesli Koppelman Ross is a extensive fact-filled 608-page "family friendly" resource
describing Jewish holiday traditions. All of the holidays, major and minor, arising from Judaic
tradition and celebration (such as Yom Kippur, Khanukah, Pesakh or "Feast of Freedom") are
represented along with their associated symbols, enduring practices, stories, and histories. A core
addition to any personal, family, school, or community library collection, The Lifetime Guide To
The Jewish Holidays reflects the heart and soul of celebrating Jewish identity, faith, community,
and culture.
Willis M. Buhle
Reviewer
Betsy's Bookshelf
Aging In The New Millennium
Terry Tierrito
University of South Carolina Press
937 Assembly Street, 8th Floor, Columbia, SC 29208
1570034850, $18.95, 1-800-768-2500
Aging In The New Millennium: A Global View by Terry Tierrito (Associate Professor, College of
Social Work, University of South Carolina), is a complex and scholarly analysis of shifting global
population dynamics - the people in the world are, on average, older than ever and the trend
appears to be continuing. Thoughtful essays on the ramifications of increased life expectancy,
biopsychosocial perspectives, cultural attitudes and more fill the pages of this unique and
enlightening study. Aging In The New Millennium is commended for Contemporary Social Issues
reference collections and student reading lists.
Buddhism A To Z
Ronald B. Epstein
Buddhist Text Translation Society
1777 Murchison Drive, Burlingame, Ca 94010
0881393533, $21.95, www.drba.org
Buddhism A To Z is an enlightening, 284-page handbook structured in dictionary-like,
alphabetical format, and enhanced with 46 full color illustrations. Each entry presents the topic's
name in both English and Chinese, and refers to a concept, figure, practice, or other matters
related to Buddhism, succinctly defined and conceptualized for readers of all backgrounds. A
highly recommended introductory reference, Buddhism From A To Z is a "user friendly" and
recommended addition to personal and academic Buddhist Studies reference collections.
The Natural Medicine Guide To Drepression
Stephanie Marohn
Hampton Roads Publishing Company
1125 Stoney Ridge Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
1571742921, $14.95, 1-800-766-8009, www.amazon.com
The Natural Medicine Guide To Depression by medical journalist Stephanie Marohn informatively
studies a wide variety of causes for depression and recommends an assortment of treatments
(other than drugs) that can help alleviate depression and its diverse symptomatology. Natural
medicine treatments such as homeopathy, flower essence therapy, psychic healing, traditional
Chinese medicine, and others are discussed, in this thoughtful guide. However, the remedies here
showcased should not be seen as a first resort because the experience of a professional doctor is
of utmost importance. The Natural Medicine Guide is a recommended supplement to, not a
replacement of, standard medical care in the treatment of depression.
The Waiting Child
Cindy Champnella
St. Martin's Press
Phenix & Phenix (publicity)
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
0312309635, $23.95, 1-888-330-8477, www.amazon.com
The Waiting Child: How The Faith And Love Of One Orphan Saved The Life Of Another is an
emotional and heart-wrenching tale of adoption. Jaclyn is an adopted four-year-old girl who had
to struggle for her bi-racial family's opportunity to adopt still another child -- a young boy from
the same Chinese orphanage she had come from and whom Jaclyn regarded as "her baby" after
caring for him for so long while in the confines of the orphanage, and whose transition to the
United States was possible only after two long years of struggle. Written by Cindy Champenella
(who is the woman who adopted Jaclyn and her young charge) is a courageous and spiritually
uplifting read.
Magic Soy Desserts
David Woods
iUniverse.com, Inc.
2021 Pine Lake Road, #100, Lincoln, NE 68512
0595261914, $15.95, www.iuniverse.com
Soy is one of the most nutritional and versatile foods available for the health conscious consumer
today. Now David Woods (who trained to be a chef in Los Angeles and whose recipes have been
featured in "Better Homes & Gardens" magazine) has produced an entire cookbook specifically
dedicated to the utilization of soy for the making of truly delicious deserts that would grace any
table and honor any occasion. From Soy Banana Loaf; Whole Wheat Pecan Soy Muffins; and soy
Craisin Oatmeal Cookies; to Tofu Banana Pudding; Peach Soy Yogurt Custard Pie; and Tropical
Soynuts Trail Mix, Magic Soy Desserts is a unique and enthusiastically recommended addition to
any and all health oriented cookbook collections!
Magic Menus For People With Diabetes
American Diabetes Association
1701 North Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311
1580401732, $16.95, www.diabetes.org
Proper meal planning is more than a just good nutritional practice for a healthy lifestyle. For
diabetics, proper eating is a vital element and mandatory aspect for the care and control of their
medical condition. Now in an updated and expanded second edition, the American Diabetes
Association's Magic Menus For People With Diabetes continues to be a complete and
authoritative reference and resource for complete meal planning offering diabetes appropriate
menus for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Clear and concise directions are provided for
adjusting calorie levels to individual needs. Also provided are carb totals for each meal and snack
because keeping carb totals consistent affects keeping blood glucose levels in check. From Easy
Spud Breakfast; Veggie Pizza; and Chicken-Fried Steak with Pan Gravy; to Light and Creamy
Yogurt Pie; Bean Burgers; and Macedonia Fruit Cup, Magic Menus For People With Diabetes
will prove to be a popular addition to any diabetic's cookbook collection.
The Power Of Ancient Foods
Gene Spiller & Rowenda Hubbard
The Book Publishing Company
PO Box 99, Summertown, TN 38483
1570671400, $14.95, 1-800-695-2241, www.healthy-eating.com
The Power Of Ancient Foods: Over 200 Recipes, Food History & Nutrition Secrets is the
collaborative effort of nutrition expert and researcher Gene Spiller and professional chef and
registered dietitian Rowenda Hubbard. Superbly combining their historical research with modern
dietary and culinary expertise, the authors explain how dishes of ancient peoples can be a
beneficial aspect of contemporary, everyday meals. The recipes are drawn from Mayan, Inca,
Aztec, Anasazi, and other aboriginal cuisines. From Black-Eyed Pea Fritters (Akara); and
Ethiopian Teff Bread (Injera); to dishes from Asia (Savory Chickpeas Bombay, Stir-Fried Tofu
with Snow Peas and Hoisin); to selections from Northern Europe (Dark Barley-Rye Bread, Kale
Soup, Beets and Greens with Garlic Yogurt Sauce); to specialties from the Mediterranean and the
Middle East (Focaccia with Black Olives, Egyptian Brown Beans, Split Pea Hummus); to meal
time favorites from the Americas (Sunflower Quinoa Salad, Pumpkin Seed Butternut Squash
Soup, Amaranth Flat Bread), The Power Of Ancient Foods is an enthusiastically recommended
addition to personal and professional cookbook collections, as well as academic Food History
reference shelves and reading lists.
The Altai Chronicles: Tablets Of Light
Carol Hiltner
Altai Books
7721 - 17th Avenue Northeast, Seattle, WA 98115-4417
0971307911, $14.98, dwww.AltaiBooks.com
The Altai Chronicles: Tablets Of Light is the metaphysical journey of Carol Hiltner, a woman who
was called in a dream to the sacred mountains of Altai. Carol's duty was to open an
interdimensional door and translate the "Tablets of Light" for the benefit of all humanity. Carol's
unique quest is faithfully and accurately recounted in this impressive and candid blend of
autobiography and metaphysics that transcends human phases of existence. Enhanced with Carol's
inspired artwork, The Altai Chronicles: Tablets Of Light is the first volume of the Altai Chronicles
trilogy and zealously recommended reading for all dedicated students of metaphysics and
spirituality.
Past Continuous
Yaahov Shabtai
Tusk Ivories
c/o The Overlook Press
141 Wooster Street, New York, NY 10012
1585673390, $16.95, 1-800-743-1312
Past Continuous is an engaging novel by Yaahov Shabtai and is set in modern-day Tel Aviv.
Astutely translated from the original Hebrew by Dalya Bilu, Past Continuous strives to present a
landscape portrait of Tel Aviv, as it depicts three men, their lives, their loves, their families, and
their friends in a criss-cross tangled tale wrapped in the unfolding vibrancy of the city itself. A
compelling and deftly written saga, Past Continuous will well serve to introduce to American
readers an Israeli writer of significant literary talent.
How To Write Killer Fiction
Carolyn Wheat
Perseverance Press
c/o Daniel & Daniel, Publishers
PO Box 1525, Santa Barbara, CA 93102
1880284626 $13.95 1-800-662-8351
How To Write Killer Fiction: The Funhouse Of Mystery & The Roller Coaster Of Suspense by
award-winning mystery writer, editor, and anthologist Carolyn Wheat is a superbly presented,
192-page, "how-to" instructional reference work about the art of creating masterful and enjoyable
novels of mystery and suspense. Individual chapters address style and structure, creating satisfying
endings, the logistics of creating a story arc, and more. An excellent primer by a published author
who has earned the Anthony, Agatha, Macavity, and Shamus Awards, How To Write Killer
Fiction is a "must" for anyone aspiring to work in this demanding and popular genre.
Betsy L. Hogan
Reviewer
Greenspan's Bookshelf
Money As Sacrament
Adele Azar-Rucquoi
Celestial Arts
PO Box 7123, Berkeley, CA 94707
1587611376, $12.95, 1-800-841-2665
Money As Sacrament: Finding The Sacred In Money is a book written by peace activist Adele
Azar-Rucquoi especially for women. Encompassing the author's own personal experiences, the
candid and informative interviews of more than 50 women are drawn from a variety of
backgrounds, and exhibit a thoughtful scrutiny of just what money is and the potential it has.
Thoughtful and thought-provoking reading, Money As Sacrament blends the practical and the
spiritual into an even whole concerned with balancing needs of the body with needs of the
soul.
Representative American Speeches 2001-2002
Calvin M. Logue & Lynn M. Messina
H.W. Wilson Company
950 University Avenue, Bronx, NY 10452
0824210158, $45.00, 1-800-367-6770
Compiled and edited by Calvin M. Louge and Lynn M. Messina, Representative American
Speeches 2001-2002 is a well-rounded selection of unforgettable words from American elected
representatives, addressing responses to the September 11th attacks, issues of immigration, labor,
and economy, food safety, scientific matters such as stem cell research and cloning, as well as
other contemporary and pressing social issues. A stirring and involving "snapshot" of views of
held by those who direct the turning gears of the nation, Representative American Speeches
2001-2002 is a welcome, essential, and enduringly valued addition to school and community
library
Political Science and Social Issues reference collections.
Socrates' Way: Seven
Ronald Gross
Jeremy P. Tarcher
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
1585421928, $15.95, 1-800-847-5515
Socrates' Way: Seven: Master Keys To Using Your Mind To The Utmost by Ronald Gross is a
marvelous and unique "self-help" book that draws on the wisdom of the philosophical genius
Socrates himself. Centering on seven great precepts espoused by this wise man, ranging from
"Know Thyself"; to "Speak the Truth"; and "Strengthen Your Soul," Socrates' Way is an
inspirational, involving, rewarding reading and a superbly presented reading for anyone seeking
personal or professional self-improvement.
Chance The Tide
Kenneth Mowbray
Sheridan House Inc.
145 Palisade Street, Dobbs Ferry, NY 10522
1574091476, $17.95, 1-888-743-7425, www.sheridanhouse.com
Chance The Tide: How To Cruise To The Bahamas For The Winter by mechanical engineer and
sailing expert Kenneth Mowbray is a practical and "user friendly" how-to guide for enjoying a
Bahamas cruise in the wintertime. Individual chapters discuss a wide variety of different boats
ranging from sail to power and in terms of how they are best utilized, what equipment to bring,
how to navigate the Bahamas, enjoying life while living in a relatively small space, and more. A
useful guide filled with sound advice for cruise lovers everywhere, Chance The Tide is especially
commended to the attention of novice sailors while having a great deal to offer even the most
experienced when cruising Bahamian waters.
Prime Time Crime
Kemal Kurspahic
United States Institute of Peace Press
PO Box 605, Herndon, VA 20172
1929223382 $19.95 (pb); 1929223390, $42.50 (hc); 1-800-868-8064, www.usip.org
Prime Time Crime: Balkan Media In War And Peace by Kemal Kurspahic offers a compelling tale
of power, control, threat, and the outnumbered few who fought to preserve their journalistic
integrity during the bloody Balkan conflicts. Closely examining Slobodan Milosevic's stranglehold
on the media and his callous use of it to churn out favorable propaganda for his murderous and
genocidal expansionism, Prime Time Crime is a combination of modern history and real-life
cautionary tale, which is especially recommended reading for students of Journalism,
Contemporary European Studies, and Post-Cold War Yugoslavian History.
The Assassinations
James DiEugenio & Lisa Pease, editors
Feral House
PO Box 13067, Los Angeles, Ca 90013
0922915822, $24.00, 1-213-689-4502, www.feralhouse.com
Collaboratively compiled, organized and edited by James DiEugenio and Lisa Pease, The
Assassinations is an extensive collection of articles drawn from Probe magazine concerning the
murders of President John Kennedy, the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Kennedy, and
Malcolm X. A questing compendium of tantalizing truths, cover-ups, obvious and hidden motives,
and the struggle to track trails and pin down culprits, The Assassinations is a fascinating,
involving, informative, and occasionally iconoclastic resource especially recommended to the
attention of conspiracy buffs.
The Whistleblower Of Dimona: Israel, Vanunu, And The Bomb
Yoel Cohen
Holmes & Meier
160 Broadway, New York, NY 10038
0841914095, $24.95 (pb); 084191432X, $45.00 (hc); 1-800-698-7781
The Whistleblower Of Dimona: Israel, Vanunu, And The Bomb by media expert Yoel Cohen (a
British-born academic currently residing in Jerusalem and teaching Mass Communications and
Government Studies), is a charged revealing examination of the historical events surrounding the
London Sunday Times headline of October 5, 1986: "Revealed: the secrets of Israel's nuclear
arsenal". Mordechai Vanunu, was a former technician at Israel's secret nuclear research center at
Dimona, and had made public highly classified information about Israel's nuclear research
program; for this he was kidnaped by the Mossad, subjected to a closed doors trial, convicted of
espionage and treason, and subjected to an eighteen-year sentence. A careful and meticulous
study of the Vanunu affair, this startling expose involves Israel's intelligence community, and
draws from thousands of pages of court transcripts and testimony connected to the case. The
Whistleblower Of Dimona is compelling and strongly recommended reading -- especially in light
of contemporary international events in the Middle East.
The Story Of The Irish Pub: An Intoxicating History Of The Licensed Trade In Ireland
Cian Molloy
The Liffey Press
c/o Dufour Editions, Inc.
PO Box 7, Chester Springs, PA 19425-0007
1904148131, $24.95, 1-800-869-5677
The Story Of The Irish Pub: An Intoxicating History Of The Licensed Trade In Ireland by Cian
Molloy is an engaging and recommended survey of the social history, origins, and evolution of
Irish pubs, some of which have been owned by the same family for a century or more. A
uncommon and involving study of a unique cultural gathering place and experience (and peppered
with anecdotes and black-and-white photographs), The Story Of The Irish Pub includes profiles
of more than one hundred of the oldest family-owned pubs in Ireland.
A History Of The Jewish Experience
Rabbi Leo Trepp
Behrman House Inc.
11 Edison Place, Springfield, NJ 07081
0874416728 $24.95 1-800-221-2755 www.amazon.com
A History Of The Jewish Experience: Book One, Torah and History, Book Two Torah, Mitzvot,
And Jewish Thought by Rabbi Leo Trepp stretches across the centuries as it examines what it
means to be Jewish and to partake of Judaic culture, tradition, faith and a way of life which
embraces the Torah. Biblical history through the dynamics and issues of modern-day American
Jewry are discussed in this scholarly and thoughtful testimony. Enhanced with eight maps and 145
illustrations, A History Of The Jewish Experience is warmly recommended for personal,
academic, and community library Judaic Studies collections.
Legions: Onslaught Cycle Book II
J. Robert King
Wizards Of The Coast, Inc.
PO Box 707, Renton, WA 98057-0707
0786929146, $6.99, 1-800-821-8028
Legions by J. Robert King is Book Two of the Onslaught Cycle, a fantasy novel series bringing to
life the story from the Onslaught line of "Magic: The Gathering" collectible card game. Two
titanic beings, the bloodthirsty Phage and the ruthless angel Akroma, rend the world with their
deadly war, while the one man whose terrible wrongs created Phage and Akroma alike must find a
way to protect what is left of mortal kind from their devastation. An exciting and titanic science
fiction action/adventure saga.
Lighthouse Magic
Candice Poarch
BET Books
c/o One BET Plaza, 1900 West Place NE, Washington, DC 20018-1211
1583143491, $6.99, www.amazon.com
Lighthouse Magic by Candice Poarch is a love story embellished with the quest for identity and
the determination to stand up for oneself. Cecily Edmonds is a young woman who, after her
mother dies, learns that her father's name and inheritance have been concealed from her. Yet when
Cecily sets out to take back her legal property, a dangerous enemy threatens her well-being and
the budding relationship that is beginning to claim her heart. Lighthouse Magic is recommended
as being an emotional and evocative tale.
Able Greenspan
Reviewer
Michael's Bookshelf
A Panorama of American Film Noir
Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton
City Lights Books
261 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
087286412X $16.95 www.citylights.com
Succinctly translated into English by Paul Hammond, A Panorama of American Film Noir
1941-1953 is a remarkable and collaborative work by Raymond Borde and Etienne Chaumeton
which
was originally published in France in 1955. A Panorama Of American Film Noir offers unique
insights into the dark surrealism and ambivalent atmosphere of Hollywood's film noir glory days.
A brilliant critique of classic movies and the American culture that created them; as well as a film
noir chronology and filmography enhance this masterful work which is strongly recommended for
personal, professional, and academic Cinematic Studies reference collections and supplemental
reading lists.
Understanding Bioterrorism
Dr. Raghav N. Bhatnagar
American Literary Press, Inc.
8019 Belair Road, Suite 10, Baltimore, MD 21236
1561677469 $14.95 1-800-873-2003
Understanding Bioterrorism by registered pharmacist Raghav N. Bhatnagar is a straightforward
primer written to educate non-specialist general readers about the basics of biological pathogens,
how they work, and steps that can be taken to protect oneself. A highly accessible and informative
resource, Understanding Bioterrorism is a very timely and highly recommended informational
resource on a sensitive and contemporary social, political, and military issue for readers of all
backgrounds.
Maggie Houston: My Father's Honor
Jane Cook
Hendrick-Long Publishing Company
10635 Tower Oaks, Suite D, Houston, TX 77070
1885777302, $17.95, 1-800-544-3770, www.hendricklongpublishing.com
Maggie Houston: My Father's Honor is a work of historical fiction by Jane Cook is about the
great Texan leader Sam Houston, as if written by his 12-year old daughter Maggie. An involving
adventure told with love and reverence, centering upon a figure whom President George W. Bush
himself has named as a favorite hero, Maggie Houston: My Father's Honor is thoroughly
entertaining and highly recommended reading which blends facts, anecdotes and legends.
Sea Legs: Tales Of A Woman Oceanographer
Kathleen Crane
Westview Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
0813340047, $27.50, 1-800-242-7737
Sea Legs: Tales Of A Woman Oceanographer is the personal and inspiring story of Kathleen
Crane, one of the first female oceanographers to earn her credentials at the world-famous Scripps
Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla, California. From research on undersea volcanoes, to
meeting and befriending Soviet Union scientists during the height of the cold war, Sea Legs is a
memorable and informative autobiographical journey filled with a love of science, a respect for the
sea, and the sheer joy of reaching out to embrace the world.
Lost Over Laos: A True Story Of Tragedy, Mystery, And Friendship
Richard Pyle & Horst Faas
Da Capo Press
c/o Perseus Books Group
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
0306811960, $27.50, 1-800-242-7737
Collaboratively written by foreign correspondent Richard Pyle and Associated Press photographer
and photo editor Horst Faas, Lost Over Laos: A True Story Of Tragedy, Mystery, And Friendship
is an historical and memorial testimony showcasing four combat photographers who died in
Indochina: Larry Burrows of "Life" magazine; Henri Huet of the Associated Press; Kent Potter of
United Press International; and Keisaburo Shimamoto of "Newsweek". Twenty seven years later,
a recovery team was able to visit the site of the helicopter crash that took the lives of these
remarkable men, recover evidence, and bring closure to the tragedy. Lost Over Laos is a powerful
and poignant narration, and especially recommended reading for students of journalism.
The Battlefield: Algeria 1988-2002
Hugh Roberts
Verso
180 Varick Street, 10th floor, New York, NY 10014-4606
185984684X, $25.00, www.versobooks.com
The Battlefield: Algeria 1988-2002 by Hugh Roberts (Senior Research Fellow of the
Development Studies Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science) is a
close and meticulous study of the recent violence that has wracked Algeria. This impressive
history eschews oversimplifications reducing the conflict to simply Islamists vs. a secular state, or
the generals vs. the common people. Carefully examining the makeup and motivating forces for
the Islamists, the Berberists, various factions in the army and in the general regime, The
Battlefield is a compelling dissection of the heart of bloodshed. A work of considerable
scholarship but one which is easily accessible by the non-specialist general reader, The Battlefield
is highly recommended for students of 20th Century Algerian history.
Here I Lay My Burdens Down: A History Of The Black Cemeteries Of Richmond, Virginia
Veronica A. Davis
The Dietz Press
930 Winfield Road, Petersburg, VA 23803-4748
0875171184, $17.95, 1-800-391-6833
Here I Lay My Burdens Down: A History Of The Black Cemeteries Of Richmond, Virginia by
Veronica A. Davis (owner of Virginia Roots, an agency providing tours of, and educational
programs about, African American historical sites in and around Richmond) is a straightforward
history of the final resting places, funeral homes, and family traditions of Richmond, Virginia's
African-American citizens. Black-and-white maps and photographs enhance this sober,
thoughtfully written, fact-filled guide. Very highly recommended for Black Studies reference
collections and supplemental reading lists, Here I Lay My Burdens Down could very well serve as
a template for African-American History guides for other American cities and communities.
The Communications Handbook: 2nd Edition
Jerry D. Gibson, Editor-in-Chief
CRC Press
2000 NW Corporate Boulevard, Boca Raton, FL 33431-9868
0849309670, $169.95, 1-800-272-7737
Now in an updated second edition, The Communications Handbook is an extensive, scholarly,
professional level resource to the practical applications of electrical engineering technology for
telephones, communication networks, data recording, source compression, and much more. The
Communications Handbook is strongly recommended as being an utterly exhaustive reference
resource which is packed from cover to cover with extensive in-depth science and technical
applications.
Gemstone Buying Guide
Renee Newman GG
International Jewelry Publications
PO Box 13384, Los Angeles, CA 90013-0384
0929975340 $19.95 www.amazon.com
Now in an updated second edition, Gemstone Buying Guide by experienced and professional
gemologist Renee Newman is an authoritative, useful and "user friendly", no-nonsense guide to
evaluating, identifying, and caring for colored gems, ranging from pearls and opals, to moonstone,
topaz, turquoise, and more. Vibrant color photographs throughout add visualization to the tips,
tricks, and techniques skillfully described in the text. If you are buying or selling any kind of
gemstone then give Renee Newman's Gemstone Buying Guide is "must" reading.
Be Careful Who You SLAPP
Michelangelo Delfino & Mary E. Day
Upper Access
PO Box 457, 85 Upper Access Rd., Hinesburg, VT 05461
0972514104 $24.95 www.upperaccess.com
SLAPP is an acronym that stands for Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation. Be Careful
Who You SLAPP is the true-life story of Michelangelo Delfino and Mary E. Day, two people
who resisted the unjust lawsuit that Varian (a Fortune 500 company), brought against its critics
for the personal gain of the corporate executives. Court testimony, meticulous accounting, pride,
determination, and a strong test of wills comprise this involving read. SLAPP lawsuits have
become a standard tool in a business or corporation's attempts to silence public and consumer
criticism and perpetuate unethical (and even criminal) corporate behavior. Be Careful Who You
SLAPP is a timely contribution to what has become an increasingly oppressive social issue.
The Greatest Escape Stories Ever Told
Darren Brown
The Lyons Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1585744549 $22.95 www.lyonspress.com
The Greatest Escape Stories Ever Told: Twenty-Five Unforgettable Tales compiled and edited by
Darren Brown is a remarkable compilation of the most famous, desperate, death-defying and
inspirational escapes throughout history which were undertaken by prisoners of war, sentenced
criminals, including classic tunnel escapes, and even escapes captured in immortal prose by the
likes of Mark Twain and Alexander Dumas, -- which were based on true events in history. A
unique and compelling anthology, The greatest Escape Stories Every Told is enthusiastically
recommended reading.
Desert Sanctuaries: The Chinatis Of The Big Bend
Wyman Meinzer
Texas Tech University Press
PO Box 41037, Lubbock, TX 79409-1037
0896724883, $32.50 (hc), 1-800-832-4042
0896724891, $19.95 (pb), www.amazon.com
Desert Sanctuaries: The Chinatis Of The Big Bend by David Alloway (Naturalist at Big Bend
Ranch State Park) is an amazing showcase of full-color photography highlighting the wondrous
and diverse natural beauty of the Big Bend Ranch State Park and the Chinati Mountains State
Natural Area. A brief informative text provides an introduction which gives way to page after
page of pure visual splendor highlighting the flora, fauna, and landscapes of this rugged and
beautiful terrain. Desert Sanctuaries is very highly recommended reading for nature enthusiasts in
general, and on-site visitors to the Big Bend country in particular.
Michael J. Carson
Reviewer
Margaret's Bookshelf
Jasmine Nights & Monkey Pluck: Love, Discovery And Tea
Marylu Downing, Faith Morgan, Ellen Galford, compilers
Ellen Galford & Faith Morgan, photography
Foreant Press
6195 Anderson Road, Forestville, CA 95436
0964949741, $18.95, 1-707-887-7868, www.amazon.com
Jasmine Nights & Monkey Pluck: Love, Discovery And Tea is an engaging celebration of the
pleasure of savoring a steaming cup of tea. Lush, full-color photographs by Ellen Galford and
Faith Morgan blend with brief narrative and poetry vignettes collaboratively collected by Marylu
Downing, Faith Morgan, Ellen Galford to highlight the simple joys of tea. Jasmine Nights &
Monkey Pluck is a gentle meditative book which is very highly recommended reading for tea
lovers everywhere.
The First Days Of Class
Rebecca Lynn Wilke
Corwin Press, Inc.
2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 1320-2218
0761938133, $22.95 (pb); 0761938125, $51.95 (hc); 1-800-818-7243,
www.corwinpress.com
The First Days Of Class: A Practical Guide For The Beginning Teacher by Rebecca Lynn Wilke is
a "reader friendly" guide written especially for those new to the chaotic yet rewarding art of
educating young people, whether in a public or private school environment. From integrating
oneself into the daily life of one's new teaching job; to tips, tricks, and techniques for staying
organized; to long-term strategies and career goals, The First Days Of Class is a highly
recommended supplementary book which is especially suited for the novice classroom instructor
regardless of grade level or subject matter being taught.
China Diary: The Life Of Mary Austin Endicott
Shirley Jane Endicott
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, N2L 3C5
0889204128, $24.95, 1-519-884-0710, www.wlupress.wlu.ca, www.amazon.com
China Diary: The Life Of Mary Austin Endicott is the remarkable account of a missionary wife
whose husband felt the call to service mainland China. In 1947, Jim Endicott was accused of
treason and thus began the greatest test of her marriage, her faith, and her children, both born and
adopted. This impressively presented biography, written by Shirley Jane Endicott (Mary Austin
Endicott's daughter), offers an informed and informative look into a turbulent China, as well as
insights into the soul of a most resourceful and fascinating Canadian woman.
The Path Of The Priestess: A Guidebook For Awakening The Divine Feminine
Sharron Rose
Inner Traditions International, Ltd.
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
0892819642 $19.95 1-800-246-8648
The Path Of The Priestess: A Guidebook For Awakening The Divine Feminine by mythologist
and metaphysician Sharron Rose is an impressive and "user friendly" spiritual guidebook of
exercises and visualizations to understanding the metaphysical essence of being female. From
exploring the divine roles of women, to the mysticism taught in traditions of Hebrew Kabbalists,
Christian Gnostics, alchemists, and more, The Path Of The Priestess is an inspirational tome of
transcendental spirituality embracing the role model of the Great Goddess. The Path Of The
Priestess is strongly recommended reading for anyone seeking to understand the feminine
experience as spiritual teachers, visionaries, peacekeepers, and archetypal models of the Great
Goddess in Eastern and Western spiritual traditions.
Sacred Yoga Practice
Rainbeau Mars
Naturaljourneys/Goldhil Home Media
4 Volumes; $39.95 (VHS); $59.95 (DVD); 1-800-737-1825; www.Naturaljourneys.com
Sacred Yoga Practice is a "viewer friendly" four volume series of instructional videos where yoga
expert Rainbeau Mars celebrates special aspects of the popular form of Vinyasa Flow Yoga, a
practice which emphasizes the energizing combinations of breath and movement, awareness and
alignment, optimum strength and flexibility. Available individually for $14.98 each, the 30 minute
programs comprising this outstanding Sacred Yoga Practice series include: Vinyasa Flow For
Beginners; Vinyasa Flow Pure Power; Vinyasa Flow Pure Sweat; and Vinyasa Flow Pure
Tranquility. Ideal for use in the home, this Sacred Yoga Practice series is especially recommended
for those new to the practice of Yoga.
Anime Explosion!
Patrick Drazen
Stone Bridge Press
PO Box 8208, Berkeley, CA 94707
1880656728 $18.95 www.stonebridge.com
Japanese popular culture expert Patrick Drazen's Anime Explosion!: The What? Why? & Wow!
of Japanese Animation is an informed and informative introduction for non-specialist general
readers to Japanese animation called "anime", as well as Japanese animated television shows,
videos, and feature films. In addition to discussing history, tradition, conventions, common
cinematographic techniques, cultural hallmarks, etc. relevant to anime, the latter half of this
fascinating volume scrutinizes certain popular animated films and series in depth, including
Pokemon, Sailor Moon, Escaflowne, and Key the Metal Idol. Anime Explosion is very highly
recommended read for anyone seeking to learn more about the beauty, grace, and foundation of
this unique and popular form of cinematic art.
Not To Worry: Jewish Wisdom & Folklore
Michele Klein
Jewish Publication Society
2100 Arch Street, 2nd floor, Philadelphia PA 19103-1399
0827607539, $35.00, 1-800-234-3151, www.jewishpub.org, www.amazon.com
Not To Worry: Jewish Wisdom & Folklore by Judaic customs and folklore expert Michele Klein
provides the reader with an impressive combination of folklore, history, and psychological
wisdom, as she presents how feelings of worry have been handled by Jewish culture from Biblical
times down to the September 11th attacks. A spiritual work about journeying toward hope and a
welcome contribution to Judaic Studies, Not To Worry is a fascinating look into the internal
workings of Jewish culture, mind, and faith.
Inner Journeys
Cusco
The Higher Octave Music Group
PO Box 5106, Oxnard, CA 93031
72435-82259-2-1v, $16.98, 1-800-562-8283, www.higheroctave.com,
www.cuscomusic.com
Cusco's Inner Journeys is an impressive musical voyage that plunges the listeners into a world
ancient Hellenic myth and a time of timeless Greek legend. This extraordinary CD album is
comprised of Oracle of Delphi (4:29); Eros and Psyche (5:03); Ariadne (6:15); The Nine Muses
(6:11); Odysseus and the Sirens (8:59); Aphrodite (4:33); Janus (3:34); Orpheus and Eurydice
(5:56); Pan and the Nymph (3:48); and Poseidon (4:58). A unique listening experience, Inner
Journeys is a welcome addition to any personal or community library CD music collection!
Margaret Lane
Reviewer
Carol's Bookshelf
A Beginner's Guide To The Universe
Andrew Conway & Rosie Coleman
Cambridge University Press
40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211
0521806933, $25.00, 1-800-872-7423
Written by Andrew Conway (a professional astronomer) and Rosie Coleman (a primary school
teacher), A Beginner's Guide To The Universe is an amazing, fact-filled science book especially
recommended for inquisitive young readers ages seven to fourteen, but which would be
intrinsically interesting introduction for readers of any age or background. Color artwork and
photography superbly enhance the enriching and informative text packed from cover to cover with
information about the solar system, planets, galaxies, and beyond. An amazing and educational
guide to stir interest in the stars, A Beginner's Guide To The Universe is enthusiastically
recommended for personal, school, and community library Astronomy collections.
Someday I'm Going To Have Some Horses
Michelle Faith Nichols & Dana Conklin
Bear Paw's Enterprises
PO Box 1625, Lompoc, CA 93438
0966027108 $18.95 1-805-740-1842
Someday I'm Going To Have Some Horses is a warmly illustrated color picturebook about a
young child's dream of owning and caring for magnificent equines. Simple sentences by author
Michelle Faith Nichols accompanied by the wondrous artwork of Dana Conklin deftly blend
dream and reality to make Someday I'm Going To Have Some Horses excellent and highly
recommended picturebook experience for beginning readers.
The Windrider
Reagan Word
Color Cove Studio
165 Color Cove Road, Sedona, Arizona 86336
0971762902 $16.00 1-928-282-1047
Deftly written and superbly illustrated by Reagan Word, The Windrider is an extraordinary picture
book for young readers about a boy named Jon who has an artistic talent for airplanes, and who
feels depressed and isolated because of his parents' divorce. But some unique friends and a
dazzling midnight adventure teach him the importance of faith in himself. A thoughtfully written
story ideal for reading aloud, and splendidly illustrated with eye-catching full-color computer
rendered art, The Windrider is enthusiastically recommended for ages 8 to 10 and would make an
excellent addition to school and community library picture book collections.
The Sleep Fairy
Janie Peterson and Macy Peterson
Shawn Newlun, illustrator
Behave'N Kids Press
c/o KSB Promotions
55 Honey Creek NE, Ada, MI 49301
0971440506 $16.95 1-800-431-1579
The Sleep Fairy is an engaging bedtime picture book collaboratively written by Janie Peterson and
Macy Peterson especially for rambunctious young ones who tend to resist their appointed
bedtime. Soothing color illustrations by Shawn Newlun enhance this charming story about the
sleep fairy and her wondrous gifts make The Sleep Fairy an enjoyable read-aloud storybook and
especially recommended for children ages 2 through 5.
A Good Day for Shadows
Isabel Gordon
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th fl, Philadelphia, PA 19106
1401072739 $15.99 www.xlibris.com
A Good Day For Shadows features black-and-white snapshots taken by award-winning
photographer Isabel Gordon. Celebrating the contrasts in light, and the playfulness of the child
subjects and the shadows they cast, these remarkable images combine with a handful of short
sentences to present a photography book that is a joy to page through and highly recommended
browsing for children ages 3 to 6 years.
Keeper
Holly Goldberg Sloan
Scobre Press Corporation
2255 Calle Clara, La Jolla, CA 92037
0970899238 $9.95 www.scobre.com
Keeper by Holly Goldberg Sloan is an engaging novel for young readers ages 9 to 14, about
Sasha Beckdell Lewis, a girl who has fears of almost everything in the world. But when her best
friend Courtney persuades Sasha to join the 8th Grade soccer team, Sasha learns what fun sports
can be and begins to discover her own true potential beyond her many fears. Keeper is
enthusiastically recommended as an engaging story about dreams and about growing up.
More Precious than Gold
Evelyn Mizrahi Blatt with Eve-Lynn Gardner
Hachai Publishing
156 Chester Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11218
1929628102 $8.95 www.hachai.com
More Precious Than Gold by Evelyn Mizrahi Blatt (with the assistance of Eve-Lynn J. Gardner) is
a young adult novel set in Spain in 1492, featuring the story of Sara, a young Jewish girl who
struggles to save a priceless heirloom from the ruthless Spanish Inquisition. Enhanced with
occasional black-and-white illustrations by Eli Toron, More Precious Than Gold is an engagingly
written tale that makes Jewish history come alive, and is recommended for young readers ages 7
to 10.
The Junkyard Club
Andrea Bikfalvy
Crystal Dreams
PO Box 698, Dover, TN 37058
1591460557, $15.00, www.crystaldreamspub.com
Andrea Bikfalvy's The Junkyard Club a thoroughly enjoyable novel for young readers ages 10 to
14. Pete, Sue, and Tom are intrepid youths who follow the clues of a jack-o-lantern thief to the
local junkyard; once they solve the mystery of the missing pumpkins, they have the chance to
weave fast friendships with the adults living in the junkyard and together young and old learn new
things from one another. The Junkyard Club is recommended as a high-spirited and fun-filled
tale.
Crossing The Line: A Tale Of Two Teens In The Gaza Strip
Alexandra Powe Allred
Perfection Learning Corporation
10520 New York Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50322
078916017X, $5.95 (pb) perfectionlearning.com
0756913705, $11.95 (hc) 1-800-762-2999
Crossing The Line: A Tale Of Two Teens In The Gaza Strip by Alexandra Powe Allred is a
high-interest, vocabulary developing novel for reader impaired and reading phobic teenage readers
about two adolescent boys born on different sides of an enduring war in the Middle East. A
poignant and moving story about the deadly impact adult hatreds can have on childhood
friendships, Crossing The Line is highly recommended -- especially for high school level reading
skills development programs.
Una's Jungle Journey
Fred Otis Gibson
Hara Publishing Group
PO Box 507, Lynnwood, WA 98046
1883697476, $14.95, harapublishing.com
Una's Jungle Journey by Fred Otis Gibson is an engaging and enjoying novel for young adults.
Una
is a young girl who upon falling into a pond, finds herself transported to an unknown land. She
must find her way home in a journey that reveals lessons about the world and herself. An original
and mystical tale, Una's Jungle Journey is a thoroughly entertaining allegorical story of gentle
wisdom enhanced with occasional black-and-white illustrations.
Carol Volk
Reviewer
Sharon's Bookshelf
The Way Of Mystery: Magick, Mysticism & Self-Transcendence
Nema
Llewellyn Publications
PO Box 64383, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
0738702900, $15.95, www.llewellyn.com
The Way Of Mystery: Magick, Mysticism & Self-Transcendence by mystic and magickian Nema
is a non-denominational examination and presentation on mysticism and metaphysical studies.
Techniques for meditation, paths to magick, and insights on opening human perceptions to the
cosmos fill the pages of this thoughtful, inspirational, and informative guide. The Way Of Mystery
is an enthusiastically recommended addition to Metaphysical Studies reference collections and
reading lists.
Gatherings: A Sharing Of Tasteful And Playful Memories
Episcopal Day School
34 North Coria Street, Brownsville, TX 78520-8210
0971891303, $21.95, 1-954-542-5107, www.EpiscopalDaySchool.net
Gatherings: A Sharing Of Tasteful And Playful Memories is a collection of kitchen-tested recipes
from the Episcopal Day School. With a spiral binding allowing it to lay flat for easy reference,
Gatherings presents scrumptious, easy-to-prepare dishes for every occasion, from appetizers to
salads to barbecues, pasta, vegetables, and desserts. Thoughtful and inspirational asides by
children and adults bring the reader and chef in closer touch with the spiritual world of the
Episcopal Day School as well as their culinary world. From Stuffed French Loaf;
Cornbread-Sausage Apple Pie; Spicy Braised Spareribs; and Doves in Wine Marinade; to Broccoli
and
Artichoke Casserole; Sun-Dried Tomatoes with Chicken over Fettuccine; Chocolate Filled Pears
in Pastry; and Applesauce Crisp, Gatherings is a highly recommended addition to any Christian
family's kitchen cookbook collection.
AllThe Blood Tethers
Catherine Sasanov
Northeastern University Press
PO Box 116, Boston, MA 02117
1555535380, $14.95, 1-800-666-2211, www.nupress.neu.edu
Winner of the 2002 Morse Poetry Prize, All The Blood Tethers is a collection of intense and
powerful images crafted by the award-winning poet Catherine Sasanov illustrating and evoking
the severe side of Roman Catholicism, life in the brutal city, wandering past veils of death, and so
much more. "Walk into the patio. / Look up at the stars. / No one's left / to decipher God's
language / held just out of reach. / The royal cosmographers / died centuries ago."
Local Visitations
Stephen Dunn
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
0393052001, $21.95, 1-800-233-4830
Local Visitations is a selection of free-verse poetry by Pulitzer prize-winner Stephen Dunn.
Elegant and brief, these poems study the foibles of heroes who are only human. The Animals of
America: The animals have come down from the hills/and through the forests and across the
prairies./They are American animals, and carry with them/a history of their slaughter. There's not
one/who doesn't sleep with an eye open.//Our of necessity the small have banded/with the large,
the large with the large/of different species. When dark comes/they form an enormous circle.//It's
all, after years of night-whispers/and long-range cries, coming together.//To make a new world
the American animals/know there must be sacrifices. Every evening/a prayer is said for the spies
who've volunteered/to be petted in the houses of the enemy./"They are savages," one
reported,/"Let no one be fooled by their capacity for loving."
Sharon Stuart
Reviewer
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
e-mail: mwbookrevw@aol.com
http://www.midwestbookreview.com
Copyright ©2001
Site design by Williams Writing, Editing &
Design