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Table of Contents
Reviewer's Choice
Step Across This Line: Collected non-fiction 1992-2002
Salman Rushdie
Random House
ISBN: 0224 061607, A$ 59.95, 454 pages
Ann Skea, Reviewer
http://ann.skea.com/
For someone like me, who has read all of Rushdie's published fiction but very little of his
non-fiction,
this collection offers an interesting picture of the author. Actually, it's more like a kaleidoscope of
glimpses, since the essays date from 1992 to 2002, with several excursions into memories of
earlier
times. We see Rushdie as an aspiring hippy in 1967 (and the vision of him in "red crushed-velvet
flares" is hard to forget!); Rushdie as a serious and outspoken advocate of intellectual and artistic
freedom; Rushdie onstage with the band U2; Rushdie the Bombay-born Indian; Rushdie the critic
and columnist; Rushdie the football fan; Rushdie considering acting as an alternative career
(having
played a dancing pixie at the age of seven); and Rushdie the courageous spokesman for oppressed
writers.
Many of the essays are lighthearted but, more than anything, I came to admire Rushdie's
willingness
to speak out on issues of terrorism, security, and religious bigotry of all kinds. He is adamant that
writers everywhere should have the right to use their imaginative gifts to the full. He has, of
course,
first-hand experience of living under the threat of assassination, but he chose to fight it rather than
change his life and live in hiding. He wanted, as he says, to live his own life: and who can disagree
with that.
Part II of this book, 'Messages from the Plague Years', collects together pieces which Rushdie
wrote
whilst under the Satanic Verses fatwa. He writes of his horror at the deaths of others who became
associated with his work, and of the blame which some place on him for these deaths. He writes,
too, of all those who have also suffered, and still suffer, from similar accusations and persecution.
He writes of the need to fight despair and the need to keep always in mind that blame lies with the
oppressors. And he writes that the oppressors' "assumption of infallibility" is a question of power
not
morality. He writes from a personal conviction of the need to fight such oppression and he argues
bravely and cogently for his beliefs. How many of his critics, or his supporters, would be as brave
were they under similar threat?
What does not destroy us, it is said, makes us stronger. There is no doubt that Rushdie is now a
strong, combative, determined and opinionated man. But clearly, it is his nature to be
argumentative.
He was well trained, he tells us, by growing up in a family dominated by formidable women: "to
be
heard in this company you must not only raise your voice but also have something interesting to
say.". So perhaps it is not surprising that in his essays, especially those in Part III of this book
where
his journalistic pieces are collected, he has become something of a pundit and expounds on
'Gobalization', Islam and the West', 'Northern Ireland', 'Kosovo', American politics, Indian
abortion
and even 'Reality - TV'. Perhaps, too, it is only a function of the choice of essays included here,
that
he seems to have no doubt about the rightness of his views.
As always, Rushdie writes with imagination, clarity and flair, and these essays cover a very wide
range of topics and moods. I particularly enjoyed the humour and perception of Rushdie's critical
deconstruction of The Wizard of Oz, and his diary entries about his return to India with his son,
Zafar, in July 2000. His occasional comments about sources in his own work are enlightening. His
response to the Daily Mail's claims that his protection cost the British taxpayer millions of pounds
sets the record straight. And his Human Rights lecture at Yale (from which this book takes its
title)
is an interesting mixture of prosaic public lecture, personal memory, a moral stand expressed with
spirited integrity, and polemic.
Rushdie, himself, has crossed many frontiers in his life and, especially, in his writing. Judging by
the
essays in this book, he now treads fearlessly where many others fear to tread, he is unafraid of
crossing boundaries - always ready to cross the line - and because of this, his writing is, by turn,
pleasing, amusing, argumentative, confrontational, angry, sad, controversial. It is almost never
dull.
The Real Middle Earth
Brian Bates
Macmillan
ISBN 0283073535, A$50, 292 pages
Reviewed by David Skea
david@skea.com
If you've read Tolkien's The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings and have seen the movies than maybe
you
wondered if any of these tales were based on a time that really existed or was it just pure
fantasy?
Well, some of the tales do come out of the past - the Dark Ages, a time so-called by scholars to
mark the relative lack of written records. This was the period between the Romans leaving
Europe
and the establishment of the Christian religions throughout Europe and Iceland, say about 400 -
1000 CE.
Professor Bates tells us that Middle-earth really existed. Historical research has revealed that
some
2000 years ago there arose a largely forgotten civilisation stretching from Old England to
Scandinavia and across western Europe which foreshadowed Tolkien's imagined world.
Tolkien readily admitted in his letters that the concept of Middle-earth was not his own invention,
but an old Anglo-Saxon term for the magical world inhabited, in the first millennium, by the
people
now grouped together and known as Celts, Anglo-Saxons and Norse. Fortunately some of their
knowledge has survived and Professor Bates has put a lot of this information into this book.
He begins by telling how Middle-earth came about and about the people who lived there. These
people lived in a land that was far more wooded than we know today and lived very close to
nature.
To them the land was a magical place inhabited by dragons, elves, dwarves, giants, wizards,
monsters and other beings, some beneficial and many malevolent. And these beings were taken
into
account in everyday living. So, many of the strange beings that Tolkien wrote about in The
Hobbit
and Lord of the Rings were believed to exist
Professor Bates then documents many of the strange beings and myths associated with
Middle-earth
and makes links to the characters Tolkien wrote about. So we learn about dragons, elves, wells of
wisdom, plant magic, the raven's omen, seeresses, ents, dwarves, spider monsters and the web of
destiny amongst other things.
To the people of Middle-earth three realms made up the cosmos. These realms were
Upper-world,
Middle-earth and Lower-world and suspended among these three realms were nine other worlds.
These three realms surrounded the World Tree, whose branches reached up to heaven, like three
disks.
Gods and goddesses inhabited the Upper-world. These were the old warrior gods and fertility
goddesses. This was also the land of light elves who expressed the spirit of nature.
Middle-earth was where humans lived and was surrounded by a vast ocean containing an immense
world serpent, so long that it encircled Middle-earth and bit its own tail. Close by, but over the
ocean, was the world of giants or ents. These beings established the Earth. Dwarves also lived in
this
Middle realm, underground in the north, as did the 'dark elves'.
The Lower-world contained the world of the dead and lay to the north and down from
Middle-earth.
Its citadel was Hel governed by a half black, half white female monster of the same name. It was a
dark and forbidding place containing the wisdom of the dead.
To the people of Middle-earth the landscape looked quite different to the way we see it. Elves
populated the trees and streams, dwarves forged magical weapons, dragons slumbered beneath
the
hills guarding treasure, wizards cast spells and seeresses foretold the future. Wizards made
perilous
visits the other realms to obtain knowledge and hence become wise.
Professor Bates identifies the source of many of the myths, strange beings and places used by
Tolkien and for those wanting to research further a full reference list is given in the Notes. These
include Tacitus' account of the early German peoples written in 98CE, the 1000 year old medical
manuscript in the British Library (Harley 585) known as Lugnunga, and Snorri Sturluson's The
Prose Edda written about 1200CE.
After the Norman Conquest and throughout the Middle Ages these pre-Christian beliefs were
denigrated and dismissed as primitive superstitions and as an embarrassing interlude of history
between the Romans and the Normans. However it is interesting to observe that the Christian
Church believed in many of these superstitions, their objection to them being that they gained their
powers from sources outside the blessings of the Church and hence undermined the political
power
of the Church. Where the Church could not successfully outlaw a magical practice they adopted it
into Christian custom. And so these age-old beliefs live on.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Real Middle-earth. This is a book that I am sure to refer to in
the
future.
Housebreaking A Husband
Lori Soard
Five Star Books
ISBN 0786245786, $26.95
Marge Perry
Reviewer
Just as funny as the title promises it will be, I found Ms. Soard's characters engaging and
well-rounded. The twins could have easily taken over the entire story line but their appearances
were skillfully balanced with the budding romance between the hero and heroine. Anyone who
loves
short, romantic comedy will appreciate this book.
Trent Kasey is the owner of a construction company, trying desperately to juggle a twin niece
and
nephew he's raising with his career. His sister left the children in his care upon her death. She had
no reason to think their deadbeat father might come back and claim custody. He's never been a
part
of the twins' life. Trent's lost everyone he ever loved and he's determined to keep custody of
Caitlin
and Kyle.
Sarah Goldwyne is a dog trainer. She figures dogs are fine company and tries to tell herself she
can
be satisfied with that. But she longs for children of her own--children she can't have because of a
tragic accident. She's been wounded deeply by her ex-fiance who walked out on her when their
unborn baby died.
Despite her attempts to keep her distance, Sarah quickly becomes attached to the children. When
Trent's attempts to hire a nanny fail, she steps in and takes over the job. But the date for the
custody
hearing looms, Trent's chances aren't great against a biological father, and his lawyer is insisting
he
find a wife.
From the moment I picked this book up until I set it down, it held my attention. Ms. Soard is still
a
fairly new writer and there were a few things that kept me from giving it that coveted grade of an
"A," such as some choppy sentences and quick shifts in scenes. However, overall the story was
engaging and the author's voice and style pleasing.
Readers will enjoy this fun but sometimes serious book. Grab your copy, brew a cup of hot cocoa
and curl up next to the fire for an enchanting read.
The Mate Map
Steven Sacks
Banner Publishing
145 E. 16th St., #3J New York, NY 10003
ISBN: 0-971-38870-9, $24.95, www.matemap.com
David Leonhardt, Reviewer
http://TheHappyGuy.com
The last thing any of us associate with "mating" is structure. We generally prefer to fall in love
and
enjoy it, then double-check our compatibility if we decide the person might be interesting for a
long
term relationship. That is exactly the way NOT to build a long-term relationship, according to
Steven Sacks, author of the Mate Map.
The Mate Map suggests that mates should be chosen using a structure that starts with a vision of
what we want, and continues by separating "love", "personality fit" and "magnetism" for analytical
purposes.
Perhaps the most interesting piece of advice Sacks offers is to beware of extreme similarities and
extreme differences. We hear that "opposites attract", but that doesn't mean they make good
partners. We also know that people with many things in common have a basis for a relationship,
but
too much similarity can cause things too break down. For instance, two leaders will be constantly
stepping on each others' toes, whereas two indecisive people will never reach a decision.
Sacks draws his credibility from a real life "Mate Map Study", and he recounts the successes of
that
study right up front.
This is one of the better books on relationships, since it focuses less on telling people how to find
a
mate and more on how to decide if the person is right for you. However, true romantics might
have
some difficulty relating to the almost scientific analysis that Sacks puts readers through. As a
reviewer not looking for a mate, I found much of the latter half of the book tough reading, so I
would recommend reading only the second section until you actually have someone to
evaluate.
Beyond Literary Theory: Literature as a Search for the Meaning of Human Destiny.
Eduard H. Strauch
University Press of America.
c/o Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group
4720 Boston Way, Lanham, Maryland 20706
ISBN: 0761819924, $44.00, Hardcover, 360 pp
Frank P. King
kingfr@earthlink.net
Dr. Strauch, who is also the author of How Nature Taught Man to Know, Imagine, and Reason:
How Language and Literature Recreate Nature's Lessons (Peter Lang, 1995), discusses a variety
of
major classical writers from Aristotle to I.A. Richards and Paul Diel. He summarizes the
"traditions
of literature" in thirteen statements and analyzes the "scope and limits" of rational-philosophical,
scientific, and psychological interpretations of literature before he considers the "mystical
dimension
of literature." He reaches a number of insightful, fresh conslusions such as this: "The natural
world is
not divided by spiritual powers of light and darkness, spirit versus matter, good versus evil, mind
versus body, or essence versus existence. Dualism is pure mythology. It does not exist as a
material,
empirical, or scientific reality. In whatever form, dualism is a delusion." (p.257) This book is a
very
important and original study of literary theory and is written in an admirably efficient and effective
style which reflects the author's exceptionally mature scholarship and clear thinking about a
cluster
of essential topics related to literature and philosophy.
Conjunctions:39 - The New Wave of Fabulists
Peter Straub, editor
Bard
ISBN: 0-941964-55-8, $TBA, www.conjunctions.com
Cindy Lynn Speer
Reviewer
In these sixteen short stories, two novel excepts and two essays, we find our selves lost in new
worlds. When they say fabulous, they are not using the term in its "How wonderful" term, but
going
back to its essence, creating a condition, a state of being, an atmosphere of difference, that one is
lucky that the stories are short - mere windows where we witness the unusual places we find
ourselves passing, before we are pulled back, gently, and pushed in the direction of the next
one.
Truly, it is not familiar territory. Here, even the darkest of us can find redemption ("The Bearing
of
Light", Patrick O'Leary) the seasons can be personified, and meet to tell tales, ("October in the
Chair", Neil Gaiman) and phone sex workers become modern day Scheherazahds ("Lull", Kelly
Link). And with these three examples, I have only touched the edge of the fantastical things found
in
here. Some stories push the fantastical to the furthest degree, stretching the suspension of
disbelief
to its breaking point and using it to crochet a new shawl. Some take stories old and well known,
and
take them to new levels.
But what is the point? These stories are (well, mostly) not common fantasy. Even Gene Wolf's
except from his book Knight, the closet thing here to what we think of as fantasy, slips away from
the usual. There is horror, even an occasional bit of mystery, but they are not horrible for the
point
of fear, not fantastical for the point of exploring that excepted genre, either.
So what are they? They are fabulist works, and they are works with a sharp, literary point.
Lessons
can be learned.about wonder, about finding and accepting who you are. (I would say that was a
theme in many of these stories, most especially in Nalo Hopkinson's Shift, Andy Duncan's "The
Big
Rock Candy Mountain", Gaimans' "October in the Chair" and even, oddly enough, in China
Mi‚ville's "Familiar".) That forgiveness is eternal, and precious. That the worlds around us are
much,
much larger and filled with so many possibilities than even this group of fabulous writers can
consider.
To tie it all up, there are two amazing essays. Gary K. Wolfe and John Clute do an amazing job,
both of analyzing the genre (Wolfe's "Malebolge, Or the Ordinance of Genre) and analyzing these
stories (Clute's "Beyond the Pale" ) giving us a greater perspective of how these stories actually
do
fit into the octopus like body of work that we call fiction, as well as on the stories
themselves.
Murder on the Wrong Note
Shelley Glodowski
Infinity Publishing.com
519 West Lancaster Avenue, Haverford, PA 194041-1413
ISBN 0741413361, $16.95, www.amazon.com
Gregory E. Rutledge
Reviewer
Shelley Glodowski knows suspense novels. As a senior reviewer for the Midwest Book Review,
she
has written hundreds of reviews, many of them for suspense novels, which is her forte. She also
knows music, for she has been a long-time rock n' roller as a founding member, along with her
husband Randy, of ZBM, has released a couple of CDs, and even continues to play. Some might
say
it's coincidence, but when many years of someone's life are centered around these two strains of
creativity, rock n' rolling and read n' writing, it's only natural that the two would flow together
and,
ultimately, mutually reinforce one another. In this case, the result is Murder on the Wrong Note
(2002), Glodowski's first novel, which is a combination of a rock n' roll tour and the tour de force
of
a murder investigation tangled in the bass-line of drugs, money, greed, and celebrity. While the
FBI
is involved, along with the gruff, hard-boiled detectives from two police departments, it takes a
woman's touch to sleuth-out the culprit, whose identity adds a nice touch of irony itself. Enter
Samantha Peters.
Sam is a detective with the Cleveland Police Department. She is one of the department's best,
which
is why she and her partner are assigned to the high-profile murder investigation of LeMar Ridley,
a
powerful booking agent who is assassinated in his sleep. The media frenzy one might expect from
the murder of a music-industry mogul who has many connections and probably just as many
enemies
is a story in and of itself. But Glodowski personalizes this story by situating the plot around the
members of Heartthrob, Ridley's star band. As a collection of young, beautiful, and talented
performers, Heartthrob's members face a murder investigation that could cause irreparable
damage
to the band's reputation and esprit de corp just as it begins its first road tour. But at least one of
them has motive to kill Ridley, among other performers traveling with the band; moreover, a host
of
others, from booking agents, cocaine-addicted managers, and gang leaders, also makes the web
more difficult for Sam to unravel.
Lest the reader be deceived that Glodowski takes the standard approach to her plot, she adds a
subtle yet important twist. While men like Jerry Malone, her "fatherly" boss, are significant, Sam
takes exception to the patriarchal environment in which she works. Yes, she's tall, athletic, and
beautiful, but she's also intelligent, talented, and capable, a point Glodowski emphasizes through
Sam's dealings with men on both sides of the law. For example, Sam finds Dan Holiday, Ridley's
former partner, so disgusting that he seems to have "crawled out of a rock somewhere" (133), and
St. Paul detective Barry White so egotistical that Sam's first conversation with him makes her
think,
"No wonder some cops earn the name of farm animals" (166). Glodowski reiterates this point by
turning the plot away from the typical suspects, the first- and second-level individuals who have
the
typical motives, and provides a puzzle only someone of Sam's particular insights and talents can
unravel.
This is the strength of Murder on the Wrong Note. By making Sam the character she is and the
murder investigation what it is, Glodowski adds a feminist twist to the typical male-centered
detective story that is more than capable of holding readers in suspense. However, the plot isn't an
ideological vehicle, for Glodowski balances Sam's feminist impulses with romance, compassion,
and
integrity, and the story with action, rock n' roll music, and mystery. Indeed, the rich cast of
characters, multiple venues, and interlocking subplots make the novel balanced, nuanced, and
intriguing. But like many first novels, Murder on the Wrong Note does have its own false ones.
The
very complexity of the plot, from character motivations to investigative protocol, is sometimes
undeveloped. In addition, while the characters will no doubt leave strong impressions on readers,
they occasionally lack the depth to make their actions believable. Notwithstanding these
weaknesses,
Murder on the Wrong Note is, as an engaging read and literary debut, the beginning chord of
what
promises to be a rewarding literary career.
Continental Divide
Naveed Burney
Writers Club Press
2021 Pine Lake Road, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68512
ISBN: 0595261175, $11.95 U.S, 142 pp.
Ian Robertson
Reviewer
Someone aptly said: "A precondition for reading good books is not reading bad ones: for life is
short." The problem though is how to determine the good from the bad? Of course, the obvious
answer lies in reading the book and deciding if it is good or bad, and in this day and age when the
market is saturated with millions of books, and more being published every day, it is important to
do
some screening before one invests precious time in reading any title.
It was the intriguing graphics of American symbols contrasted with the spiritual ones on the cover
of
Naveed Burney's fiction titled Continental Divide that attracted me to read it. A quick perusal
indicated promise and I got bold enough to walk to the cashier with the story. After having read
it, I
felt that I did succeed in ferreting out a good book from the ocean of the good, bad and the ugly.
I
also recognized the relevance of the graphics on the cover after discovering the dichotomous
character traits of pragmatism and spiritualism in the main character. And honestly, it was not a
waste of time reading it, for; on the contrary, it was fun.
The book is interesting. For starters, it kept me glued to the twists and turns of the plot and what
I
would consider a predominantly character driven focus a feature not frequently found, particularly
in the genre of mystery and adventure in modern fiction.
The setting of the novel takes the reader to different places the author appears to have had a first
hand experience with. The result: Captivating description, intimate and persuasive situations and
hints of a travelogue style. The style of writing is varied, lively and enjoyable that offers a chance
for
characters to become animated, not content to be merely dressings on a flagpole.
I would classify the novel as a page turner and I would suggest that the reader's interest does not
flag throughout, except in some stray tracts before we are introduced to a very lively rendition
and
description of Indian culture, so very much alien to the western world.
It is with the help of RSVP, an intriguing character, and Urmilla another gem that we see the
lively
cultural intricacies of an exotic world. Urmilla, who appears almost in a cameo role, is a definite
bonus or reward for the reader thrown in by the author, who even without her help could have
provided a reasonable pleasurable episode of reading.
The delineation of Tony Corrodo's character the no-nonsense tough customer is a close
rendition of a person who one is likely to meet or hear about in real life. His is a character with
interesting dimensions almost as dynamic as that of the protagonist, Dave Marsupial, whose
exploits
and culmination of adventure in the book could be a definite take off for a sequel. The villains are
convincing all enemies of decent living and American ideals.
Mixed up in the writing is an element of humor hard to define but nevertheless most welcome. So
are the themes of the potency of blending American pragmatism with Eastern spiritualism, in
addition to a few others available on closer inspection.
In the end, the reading is light and cheerful. Continental Divide is a book ideal to be read during a
bus ride or a subway sojourn, or just when the daily grind of life is about to get the better of you.
Readers who like mystery, thrill, adventure and action will certainly appreciate this book, which
could have afforded to have more pages to it.
Don't Let Your CHEATING MATE Drive You to the Mental Institution
Jacqueline Grant
A Cappela Publishing/Advocate House imprint
P.O. Box 3691, Sarasota, FL 34230-3691
ISBN 0-9706576-2-5 $19.95 phone/fax 941-362-3481, paperback 193 pages
Jodi Greene
Reviewer
EVER THOUGHT ABOUT KILLING YOUR HUSBAND?
This author did, and spent a year in a mental institution recovering her sanity.
Could this happen to you?
What if you gave up your life, your kids and your family to marry someone you loved completely?
What if you found out that someone had separate lives with five other women? What if your
confrontation with him resulted in his death? What if the mental institution was your only hope for
survival?
Bizarre as it sounds, this is a true story, written by a woman who loved and was betrayed. We
follow the author from the happy days of her marriage through her discovery of her husband's
other
lives; through her conversations with the other women in his life and her confrontation with her
husband. We know exactly how she feels as she gathers her courage to face him with the facts,
and
experience her shock at his violent response. We are as unbelieving a she was that her
self-defensive
blow results in his death.
We then walk with her through her year of rehabilitation when she releases her guilt, renews her
self-esteem and moves on with her life. We come to understand how she got into this fix, and see
her step-by-step recovery from the nightmare of it.
For everyone who has become involved in a co-dependent relationship
For every woman who has been used or abused by her mate
For everyone who has loved completely and been betrayed
And for anyone who could doubt that such things happen
--This is a must-read book
Sullivan's Bookshelf
Harold and William, The Battle for England, A.D. l064-l066
Benton Rain Patterson
Cooper Square Press
ISBN #0815411650, $28.95, 207 pp.
Everyone knows that William the Conqueror, defeated King Harold and took over England and
its
royal throne. Few, however, are aware of how this came about and the details leading up to the
decisive Battle of Hastings in l066. The book tells in dramatic, narrative fashion, just how it
happened and why.
This reviewer hadn't known, for example, that immediately before William invaded England, King
Harold, a relatively new English monarch, had had to fight a major battle with his own brother,
Tostig, who was allied with a terrifying bully, Harald Hadrada, the brutish King of Norway.
Harold successfully defeated those two enemies and their invading army. But the effort seriously
depleted Harold's forces and drained those who survived. Consequently, when he had to face
William, Duke of Normandy, so soon after the first battle, Harold was at a distinct
disadvantage.
He did, though, manage to choose his battlefield, taking there a defensive position. William, the
aggressor, attacked the King's position. Harold's forces initially did so well that they even broke
ranks, though ordered not to, in chasing after William's retreating army elements. But that
allowed
William, astride a horse, and with his cavalry, to get directly at the heart of the Saxon
position.
The invading Normans made mincemeat, literally and figuratively, not only of the English military,
but of King Harold, too. In fact, Harold was so hacked to death as to be unrecognizable.
William,
who couldn't positively identify the fallen English monarch found the Norman soldier responsible
and admonisted then banished him.
Patterson writes at the beginning of the book, "As a writer, I felt that the tragedy of Hastings was
too poignant to be ignored and that Harold was too heroic to be remembered only as England's
last
Anglo-Saxon king. He deserved to have his story told, not merely the story of the Battle of
Hastings or even of that whole disastrous year, but the story of the man himself{....}"
And tell it the author does! The gripping, smooth flowing, informative read, from beginning to
end,
reminded this reviewer of another book about war, GETTYSBURG by Shaara. Yes, HAROLD
AND WILLIAM is history--but the volume reads like a novel and is highly recommended.
A retired journalism academic, Patterson taught and still resides in Florida.
The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
Greg Palast
Pluto Press
ISBN # 0745318460 $25.00, 211 pp.
Palast is a journalist with the British newspaper, the OBSERVER. Many of his major stories are
reprinted in this book. Basically, an investigative reporter, his work as won him kudos and
condemnation. Fortunately, his complimenters outnumber his critics.
In the U.S., Palast came to the fore with his thorough reporting on the Bush/Gore presidential
electiion and its Florida debacle. This reporter found that in the Sunshine State's supposed
removal
of felons from the eligible voters rolls that many were incorrectly on the felon's list and
consequently
were improperly removed from voters registration lists. And guilty or not, they couldn't vote.
Had
those truly non-felons been allowed to vote, Gore most likely would have won, according to
Palast.
Reported revelations about Evangelist Pat Robertson's less-than-holy financial dealings landed
Palast
in hot water, again. This was typical fallout for much that Palast wrote. Favoring the little, or
average guy, this reporter knocks, when the truth calls for it, both Democrats and Repuublicans.
He
even took Tony Blair's Labour Party government, for example, to the woodshed in a big way.
This
book covers, also, what Palast found out about the rigors of gloalization, the greed and abuse in
corporations, and the skullduggery in other money matters that hurt the public.
The author writes, "You read the papers and you watch television, so you know the kind of
spiderbrained, commercially poisoned piece-of-crap reporting you get in America. If you're
reading
this in Britain, you stand a chance of getting some real information, but YOUR news is censored
and
twisted in a knot that...well, that's another story {....}.
You could call this book: What You Didn't Read in the NEW YORK TIMES. {....]"
An American, raised in the poorer end of Los Angeles, Palast earned a scholarship in the
University
of Chicago. After his schooling, he did undercover work for a major union. Then he got
interested
in journalism. Much of his reporting today seems too hot to handle for most establishment
media.
Palast has won many journalism awards. He has also been published in SALON.com,
WAWSHINGTON POST, HARPER'S, and THE NATION. He divides his time living and
working
in London and New york.
Despite this volume's small print, its contents are eye-opening for other reasons as well and,
therefore, recommended!
Jim Sullivan
Reviewer
Roger's Bookshelf
Speak with Confidence
Dianna Booher
McGraw-Hill Book Company
Two Penn Plaza, New York, NY 10121
ISBN 0071408053, $12.95, 240 pages, 1-800-722-4726
Well, it's 2003 and here's another book on speaking in front of audiences. There are plenty of
books
on this topic, since public speaking is consistently rated the experience that frightens us most.
Statistically, people would rather die in a plane crash than give a speech. Giving a speech is not
terminal, so if we gain some good advice about how to do it, we can overcome the fear and
become
more effective.
So why this book instead of all the other fine books that have been written on the topic? I suggest
there are three reasons to choose "Speak with Confidence."
When I pick up a non-fiction book, particularly a how-to book, I want to see some author
credibility. What gives this person the right to write this book? Dianna Booher is a Certified
Speaking Professional with a considerable amount of platform experience. "Successful Meetings"
magazine identifies her as one of the Top 21 Speakers for the 21st Century. Here's a classic case
of
"been there, done that."
The second thing I look for in this kind of a book is readability. Is the book designed in such a
way
that I can grasp the concepts without getting bogged down in a morass of irrelevant and
confusing
text? I was delighted with the way "Speak with Confidence" is put together. There are 16
chapters
to organize the information, but the tips are presented in numbered paragraphs-497 of them!
Whew!
The table of contents design, combined with the list of tips in the back of the book, makes it easy
to
get to the knowledge you want.
The third criterion for me is content. Is there good solid material? Can the reader really learn
something? This book is jam-packed with information that is easily accessible and presented in a
way
that helps the reader. The author weaves in some of her own experiences to juice up the
presentation, but these pages are filled with in-depth advice. Even after ten years in Toastmasters
and 23 years speaking professionally, I found myself learning new ideas while refreshing things I
knew.
Special gift idea: every up-and-coming corporate leader will benefit from reading this book and
practicing the principles that are presented. Building the ability to speak before groups will put
you
miles ahead of your peers. This book will help get you there.
Memories of Mayberry
Newell Mitchell Kutzer
Dynamic Living Press
PO Box 3164, St. Augustine, FL 32085
ISBN 0971100047, $19.95, 189 pages
Thousands and thousands of us faithfully watched the television classic, The Andy Griffith Show
and
its sequel, Mayberry RFD. We followed Sheriff Taylor, Barney, Aunt Bea, and the rest through
249
episodes from 1960 through 1968. From 1968 through 1971, we were treated to 78 episodes of
Mayberry RFD. Watching these shows today is a heartwarming nostalgic experience. Why, there's
even an active The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club!
Mayberry has its roots firmly and deeply planted in Mt. Airy, North Carolina, a small town nestled
in
the mountains between Winston-Salem and the Virginia state line. Andy Griffith is celebrated
there,
along with all the traditions of hometown America, during community festivals and other
events.
Jewell Kutzer grew up in Mayberry, just a couple of years behind Andy Griffith. She shares many
of
the memories that inspired Griffith to create Mayberry and the character of the popular television
show. In Memories of Mayberry, she shares her experiences growing up in this now-famous small
town. It's a pleasant, comfortable book to read, like having a conversation with a friend. Mt. Airy
was a microcosm of life in a changing country, in a changing world. Lives were interwoven with
the
lives of others in the community. People were real, they were caring neighbors, they led simpler
lives
in the 1940s and 1950s. This book takes the reader back to those uncomplicated times.
Did I say uncomplicated? Well, compared to today's complex lifestyles. But for Jewell, growing
up
in a small town, life brought one adventure after another. Her tales of yesteryear are referenced to
episodes in The Andy Griffith Show that relate to the memories. Readers will gain a deeper
appreciation of how Griffith made the show so real in the earlier days of television.
Want a trip back to our roots? To the values on which our country was built? Pick up a copy of
Memories of Mayberry to open your mind and heart to our wonderful past, not just in Mt. Airy,
but
in hundreds of other small towns across the land. Definitely designed for readers over 40 (we
were
there), but offers valuable insights for younger readers, too.
Jump Start Your Business Brain
Doug Hall
Brain Brew Books
1507 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, Ohio 45207
ISBN 1-55870-607-0 $24.99, 324 pages
Doug Hall is a Chemical Engineer by education, a master marketer by training and experience.
He's
a superior innovator. No, he's a research-based stimulator who helps corporate executives
innovate
and follow-through to sell their products and services at high profits. You could be one of those
successful corporate executives if you read this book and follow the abundant advice.
You're not a big-shot executive of a major well-funded corporation? Not a problem. Hall's
specialty
is helping small companies (97 percent of American companies earn less than $1 million in
revenue
in a year) achieve greatness. Yes, he works with large clients like Mattel, AT&T, Johnson &
Johnson, Pepsi-Cola, Tyson Food Service, and John Hancock Insurance. The learning he gleans
from them is then shared with smaller companies as Hall enjoys his role as a modern-day
corporate
Robin Hood. His readers are the beneficiaries of his knowledge, insight, and experience.
If you've read marketing books, some of Hall's urgings will sound familiar. He's a self- admitted
follower of marketing guru David Ogilvy. But, that's just the beginning. Hall will take you to the
next level. Before I even finished the book, I was re-writing my firm's marketing messages.
In the first part of the book, Hall delves into what he calls the Three Laws of Marketing Physics.
You'll learn about Overt Benefit, Reason to Believe, and Dramatic Difference. The concepts
presented will awaken your thinking and fuel your idea generator. This section is valuable for
readers who need to understand the principles that underlie what Hall prescribes. The second
section
jumps into the nitty-gritty, exploring the Three Laws of Capitalist Creativity: Explore Stimuli,
Leverage Diversity, and Face Fears.
In addition to the inspiring flow of material in the chapters themselves, you'll find value in the
frequently asked questions sections, the bibliography, and the index-which you'll probably use
liberally as you convert the book from a good read to a powerful tool. Think you know a lot of
this
stuff already? Take the Quick Quiz at the start of the book and you'll discover there's more to
learn.
Doug Hall will be your teacher.
Roger E. Herman, Reviewer
www.hermangroup.com
Pogo's Bookshelf
Follow This Path: How the World's Greatest Organization Drive Growth by Unleashing Human
Potential
Curt Coffman and Gabriel Gonzalez-Molina
AOL Time-Warner Books: A Warner Business Book
1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York NY 10020
0-7595-9768-5, 2002 Gallup, 305pp, First Ebook Edition, http://www.twbookmark.com
Follow This Path is a mix of motivational speaking and practical management manual for
improving
staff and clientele relations to result in a stable base and potential market growth. The
presentation is
based on the Q12 method of the Gallup Path for improving profits through employee and
customer
satisfaction as growth is perceived as the harmonious triad of relationships: the company to
employee, employee with customer and customer with company. The trick is to make each
happy.
When there is a satisfied customer, he comes back. When there is a happy employee, he remains
with the company and produces more resulting with company growth.. The management is happy
because the turkey in the yard is growing up to be an ostrich. How is it done? According to
Gallup,
they have perfected a method of analyzing employee talents, temperaments and skills to match
their
positions, with the credo that each person within a company has special abilities that should be
applied to maximise their potential-- ultimately resulting in the company's stock growth. Logical?
Certainly. "But how?" the bemused business professional asks. By following the Gallup Path is
their
reply. Buy the book to find out.
In synopsis, Gallup has organized "talent themes" into certain catagories: Relating, Impacting,
Striving, and Thinking. More succintly, drop the unnecessary jargon to call them human
attributes,
each having associated characteristics. A person who is classified as "Impacting" is influential,
affecting those around him, often unconsciously initiating action. The "Relating" person
empathisizes
easily with others, identifying with others' reactions and problems. "The Striving" person is the
ambitious go-getter, never satisfied with anything and always in need of limelight and new
accolades. "The Thinker" was sculpted by Rodin. Break the 305pp into smaller sections for study.
Much of the information is valuable and will enhance internal company operations. However, the
world is divided into great managers and great companies with great managers following the
Gallup
Path. It is imperative that upon opening this book to lock your other thoughts and ideas in a
drawer.
Put aside your previous life because the true enlightenment of the Gallup Path lies before you.
Each
step, each page will lead you to increased profits and greater corporate health.
Practical principles are set forward giving deep insight into company relationships between
personnel, and between clientele and employee. The principles are applied into the daily work
situation by addressing twelve issues that identify potential problems and frustrations within a
company possibly obstructing the growth of the company. They are:
1. Expectations are placed upon the employee.
2. Availability of materials and equipment.
3. The opportunity to excel daily.
4. Personal recognition for good work.
5. Corporate concern for the individual.
6. Personal optimization of talent.
7. Employee opinions.
8. Connecting the corporate mission to the individual goal.
9. Quality work evidenced among fellow employees and associates.
10. Friends at work.
11. Personal acknowledgement of achievement and development.
12. Opportunity to learn and grow at work.
Termed "the emotional-driven economy," the authors present personnel management and
corporate
growth based on personal satisfaction and loyalty towards the company as radically new thinking.
By learning to identify the discontent within the company, the employer has the golden
opportunity
to improve performance and output by seeking to recognize the talents of each employee and
exploit
them rather than send the unlucky person into training camps focusing only on his weaknesses. By
capitalizing on the strengths of the individual, the worker has the opportunity to perform better,
have better self-image and produces a better product. He is then more satisfied with job and the
world, grumbles less and optimizes his time. Unfortunately, Gallup could have saved themselves
several thousands of hours and seven decades of investigation just by asking Birgit Nilsson about
her
relationship with the Metropolitan. She would have tersely informed them that "when the birds are
happy, they sing better."
The ideas are not radical or earth-shaking, but present new perspectives on old problems.
Certainly,
it is old news that much of the time and energy of the workforce is wasted, nor a surprise that a
small percentage of the workforce produces effectively. In a world where people are treated as
disposable machines with their personal needs and achievements unrecognized, there is little
motivation to be a top achiever or quality worker. There is little or no reward for the effort
invested
into an impersonal organization. The kernel of the book is the examination of interplay between
roles and conditions, revealing that companies frequently can change and the production does
improve when the individual receives recognition and becomes a significant member of a
team.
The book offers advice how to change a company from being a cold prison of labor to becoming a
warm environment where individual ability is acknowledged and developed-- whether the mail
clerk
or the medical technologist. Three things fault the writing for a busy professional: the verbose
rhetoric that becomes inflated and turgid like the Mississippi at flood-time with its limited
vocabulary. There are endnotes, appendexes and explanations regarding the development of the
method at the back, but no links. And most shaming of all, the endnote citations aren't in any
standard format but squished together like persimmons in a sieve to make pudding. Just remember
the old WWI song, "scroll, scroll, scroll."
Once Upon a Time When the Princess Rescued the Prince
Rosemary Lake
Dragon Tree Press
POB 1209, Guerneville, CA 95446
www.dragontree.com
www.rosemarylake.com
ISBN 0-940918-50-1 $12.95 paperback, 0-940918-54-4 $3.95 ebook
Some beautiful heroines dutifully sacrifice themselves to beasts and others become enslaved to
kitchen drudgery cleaning pots and pans, sifting peas from ashes, while still others spend their
lives
sewing shirts from nettles. The fairytale heroine lives a tediously daunting life in setting the
example
of fidelity and patience, humility and obedience beyond the endurance of Penelope, who sits
beside a
fireside and waiting years for the returning Odysseus, while gracefully allowing the bullying
suitors
to track mud in on her newly woven carpet and eat the pantry out of food.
Enough of this? Time to break out of the cookie-cutter stereotype of Miss Goody-Two Shoes
climbing over the mountains to redeem the worthless lover who has wandered off with the local
Ice
Princess? Then find out about when the princess rescued the prince to get in touch with reality.
Instead of filling a book with cut-out pictures of princes and princesses, golden birds, talking
frogs
and fishes, Rosemary Lake opens the magical door into a universe where the heroine is a
progressive-thinking feminist, taking charge of the world in which she lives, tired of the low
expectations of female roles in society and the mundane pursuits of being ladylike. Imagine being
commanded to marry by your father, the king:
Once there was a princess whose father wished her to choose a husband, but she did not like any
of
the men she knew. "Just what kind of a man do you want?" her father demanded? "That's an
interesting question," said the princess, whose name was Biance. "I will think it over" After a few
days, she returned to her father and said: "I want a husband who is handsome, but not too
handsome. I want him to be sharp, but not too sharp. I want him to be sweet, but not too spicy..."
The king became angry. "You cannot just make up a man to suit yourself, like ordering a cake
from
the baker!" "That's a good idea," said the princess. "The king began jumping up and down and
screaming, so the princess went away to the kitchen. There she ordered the cooks to bring her
twenty pounds of flour, twenty pounds of sugar, and twenty pounds of powdered almonds..."
(p23)
And with this delicious mix of satire and fairytale Rosemary feeds us her story line by line, naming
the knight, Sir Marzipan. Added to these ingredients is a touch of classical mythology with the
entrance of Queen Medea plotting to abduct the cooked-up knight.
Or consider that kings and queens might have learned from reading about the past when getting
babies baptized:
"The whole kingdom celebrated, but at the christening the visiting fairies became troubled. It was
the custom in those days for the fairies to tell the fortune of the new baby, but this time the fairies
just whispered and shook their heads. "Go on," the king urged them. "Do you see some
misfortune
for our baby? Have we forgotten to invite someone?" "Do we need to get rid of all the spindles?"
said the queen. "Good riddance, I'd say." (p50)
No more do little girls just obey the royal commands and do what daddy says:
"At this, the poor king lost his wits and went quite insane. "Preziosa, only you have golden hair
like
your mother's. You must marry my old servant and immediately have a son to be my heir. I will
continue in charge, and you will All Do Exactly as I Tell You."
Preziosa got mad. "Change the law, and I will be your heir myself. But I will not be your puppet!
And I will not marry anyone just to produce a grandson for you!"
"Yes, you will!" shouted the king, "You are My daughter, and you will follow My commands."
(p52)
The heroines not only challenge their fathers, but the society in which they are born. They are
savvy,
witty and have sharp tongues for repartee. They are not satisfied with the sewing or knitting
classes
imposed upon them to send clothes to the soldiers at the front, but take it upon themselves to
explore beyond the walls, right the wrongs and rescue the hapless prince or helpless knight,
turning
the world on its ear. They challenge the "little girls wear pink dresses" mentality:
Once a rich merchant had two daughters, whom he loved dearly. The older always wore fancy
clothes and minded her dignity; but the younger sister, Portia, wore old clothes, played in the
mud,
and carried bugs and snakes out of the house with her bare hands. "They never bite me, " she told
her big sister, "because they know I mean them no harm, poor things."
"You'll never get on in the world that way," sniffed the older, who was named Priscilla, and who
was getting ready fo her first ball. "Their father agreed. "Men do not want a girl who is braver
than
they are. You are supposed to shriek and toss your hair around ineffectually." "And shudder in a
ladylike way," said Priscilla. "And call for smelling salts, and be prissy and quaint."
Portia sighed. "I ain't the kind." (p92)
And in destroying the myth of the ideal woman, Rosemary Lake enables her heroines to react to
the
world in a different way with realistic dialogue while spinning satire on the helpless female image.
They have other assets to beguile you besides playing the harpsichord, flute and dulcimer,
including
wriggling their ears. Undaunted by the tasks they face, they do not shudder, but cross the
Mountains
of Moon and climb the tallest Mountain of the Sun to as ask the Hermit living in a house of gold
for
his advice-- which is --only to scale the Mountains of the Stars. And being liberated as well as
clever, they are not worn down by the impossible demands of wearing Iron Shoes, but find
creative
solutions. They are models of self-determination and independence as they seek to solve the
problems of their lives, freeing the enslaved from captivity and winning the hearts of their
admirers
by their brilliant personalities.
The stories are annotated with brief comments regarding their origins. For teachers, looking for
alternative reading materials, the stories are individually classed by the Flesch Reading Ease and
Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level in the backmatter. For those interested in studying or teaching
fairytales, the book is valuable for new interpretations on old themes and for the selected
annotated
bibliography that the author gracously includes. From beginning to end, there is never a dull
moment
, as we go off on adventures with the extraordinay characters spouting lively dialogue that could
easily translate into dramatic scenes for colorful animation. We snicker privately as we see the
skewed perceptions of social roles reflected in the characters of the stories:
So the next week the Governess arrived: a very nice lady who wore lots of beads and shawls
pinned
together by cameo brooches. She set up a school-room on the top floor of their house, in a turret
with bay windows all around, most of which were held cloed by the branches of a beautiful green
elm tree (for the shutters had fallen into disrepair long ago). The room was like a tree house, and
both girls fell in love with it and with their Governess immediately.
One day when they were all in the schoolroom happily studying (in the dancing shadows of the
elm
leaves) a
chapter of the Etiquette Manual on Polite Subterfuges for Declining Unwanted invitations, Portia
asked, "Why not just tell the truth?" (p93)
In a society that is addicted to television fantasy and Hollywood illusions, the question cannot be
so
easily dismissed by an alert reader. How many changes has society made to admit women into the
executive ranks or raise their income to the equivelant of their male counterparts? Although witty
and satirical, children stories mirror the values that we hoard. Is life so much safer being an
employed wife and mother? Or is it time to take that next step to attaining social recognition in
being the self-reliant administrator, the go-getter and problem-solver of society rather than just
another teacher or nanny willing to passively give into the social expectations of the past. Perhaps
parents should better consider the heroine scaling the Mountains of the Moon to encourage their
daughters to take off into the wide universe where a teacher finally gets her ride with NASA to
the
International Space Station. Delayed, a few years late, but slated for history.
The backgrounds of the stories are enriched by Rosemary Lake's personal travels and experiences
in
Thailand, Singapore, Sri lanka and New Delhi as she sees the world turn under the vibrant colors
of
the sun's rising. A student of McMurray College in Abilene and U Tex in Austin, Rosemary
dropped
out of academic life to marry a sailor and follow the sea of the universe. In the 1980's they began
publishing books for Fantasy Role-Playing Materials and inventing new worlds. Living in a
Winnebago, they stopped by woods and streams to write, managing their business through
telephone
booths. In following their literary paths, they arrived with new outlooks on times past when the
princess rescued the prince.
Pogo, Reviewer
pogomcl@dowse.com
Paul's Bookshelf
Spirit of Independence
Keith Rommel
Barclay Books LLC
6161 51st Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33715
http://www.barclaybooks.com
ISBN 1-931402-04-3, $14.95, 276 pages
Travis Winter is your average soldier fighting in the latter days of World War II. One day, he is
killed in cold blood by another American soldier. Then his adventures begin.
He has been recruited, by Heaven, as a new kind of warrior in the age-old battle between heaven
and
Hell. Now called the Spirit of Independence, Winter's first stop is at the Gates of Hell. He is
confronted by the ruler, a being who calls himself Navarro and claims to be a nice guy who was
thrown out of Heaven by a mean and vindictive God. Winter is rescued by a group of angels, and
so
thus begins a new phase in the Heaven-Hell battle.
As a Spirit, Winter is able to travel in the spirit and material worlds. One of his duties is to bring
souls to the Light when the time comes. He meets all sorts of beings, including his predecessors as
Spirit. Among the humans brought into the battle is a woman named Amanda. During a time in
the
material world, she is dragged into a building and brutally raped. While she is unconscious,
Navarro
shows up and changes the DNA of the fetus to match his own. Amanda is pregnant for two full
years, then gives birth to a being that changes, within minutes, from a newborn baby to a
full-grown
adult with horns, red skin and a tail.
As you might have guessed, this is a very strange novel. Written from several different
perspectives,
it's intended as a sort of guide for the reader, chosen as the next Spirit. The first of a four-part
series,
this is also a pretty graphic story, with a considerable amount of violence. It's not a very easy
read,
but it's a very well done and very satisfying read that is well worth the reader's time.
Transcend
Richard Joseph
Stoic Press
244 Fifth Ave, Suite 253, New York, NY 10001-7604
http://www.transcend.ws
ISBN 0-97-07301-0-1, $13.50, 324 pages
Most of this book is an autobiography of your average New Yorker, who, after college, was not
sure what he wanted to do with his life, so he decided to see America. He bought a used car and
headed west. He slept at campsites and hostels and worked as a cook at Glacier National Park
along
the way. He hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, and discovered, the hard way, that he had
chosen the wrong trail on the return trip.
He got word of a job teaching Korea at a school in Korea, so, after getting the required
permission,
off he went. He left the school after a few months; the trip turns into a sixteen-month odyssey
through Asia from Korea to India. His companion is Jes, a young woman from British Columbia.
To
say that the trip, especially their time in India, could be described as "sensory overload," would be
a
huge understatement. Joseph begins to realize that after seeing people forced to live on the
equivalent of a couple of dollars per day (most of the world), the urban American complaints
about
traffic and work stress seem pretty silly and meaningless.
Returning home to New York City, he attempts to reconnect with his friends. To his dismay, he
finds that they haven't done any emotional growing up during his absence. They just want to stay
home and watch TV, while Joseph wants to, at minimum, have a few beers at the local bar.
On a later trip to Japan, he discovers a huge market for American vintage clothing, the sort that
would be found at the local Salvation Army. Driving cars cross country for a car rental company,
he
stops in thrift stores along the way to check out their stock. Upon reaching the West Coast, he
continues on to Japan and sells the clothing at 10 or 20 times the purchase price.
The rest of the book is Joseph's attempt at psychology. He talks about what he calls Objective
Truths. Everyone will die someday. There is no objective, scientific proof that an Afterlife exists.
Is
it possible that the Afterlife was created by early humans to give them something to look forward
to;
to tell them that this life isn't "it"? He also talks about how America is the richest, and most
wasteful,
society on earth.
Others are more qualified than I to judge the psychology part of this book, but I enjoyed the
whole
book. I appreciated the travelogue, and the perception that there is much more to life than work
and
TV and thinking that Americans are The Chosen People. It may take some effort on the part of
the
reader, but this book is more than worth the time. It is well worth reading for all Americans.
The Star Rover
Jack London
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228-2197
http://www.prometheusbooks.com
ISBN 1-57392-695-7, 329 pages, $9.95
This is the story of former college professor Darrell Standing, serving a life sentence in San
Quentin
for murdering a colleague. Another prisoner, Cecil Winwood, convinces forty other convicts to
join
him in a jailbreak. At the appropriate time, the guards capture everyone and throw them into
solitary
(little better than a dungeon). They knew about the jailbreak ahead of time, because Winwood had
turned stool pigeon in hopes of reducing his sentence for forgery. All of the "conspirators" are
beaten by the guards, including Standing, some to the point of becoming permanent physical or
mental cripples. Winwood then tells the warden that a supply of dynamite to be used in the
jailbreak
is hidden somewhere in the prison and only Standing knows the location. He then finds himself the
subject of torture by the warden and guards, including, among other things, being left in a strait
jacket for days at a time. Of course, there is no dynamite.
He escapes the pain and torment by astral travel, withdrawing into dreams of his past lives during
his
"eternal recurrence on earth." At one time, he is a nobleman in medieval France. Another time, he
spends years shipwrecked on an outcropping of rock barely one-half mile square in the middle of
the
ocean; his only possession was an oar on which he wrote his tale. While in prison, he got word to
a
famous museum that just happened to have that oar in storage. Still another time, he is an
Englishman living in 1600s Korea. For a time, he is a trusted friend and confidante of the
Emperor.
When the political winds change, he and his Korean wife are made outcasts by the new Emperor.
For twenty years, they are forbidden to leave Korea, and they are also not to receive any
assistance
from the local population.
Back in the real world, during one of his periodic beatings by the guards, Standing, having wasted
away to a bag of bones, is able to defend himself just enough to give one of the guards a
nosebleed.
For this "assault," he is sentenced to hang, not for killing his college colleague.
Having spent time in prison for vagrancy (today it's called "being homeless"), this is London's
attempt to expose the horrors of prison. It's not his most famous novel, But it's still very poignant
and thought-provoking, and is well worth reading.
This is the Place
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
AmErica House Publishers
http://www.publishamerica.com
ISBN 1-58851-352-1, $19.95, 217 pages
This novel is about Mormon culture in 1950s Utah. It's also about the sting of bigotry and
intolerance and how it can be disguised as love and acceptance.
Sky (short for Skylar) Eccles is a young woman who has several "strikes" against her. In the
insular
Mormon community, she is considered a half-breed (in her case, her father was Mormon and her
mother was Protestant, the religion under which she was raised). She is unmarried; Mormon
women
are supposed to marry young, stay home and have lots of children. Sky agrees to marry a man
named Archer Benson, a man about as true-blue Mormon as they come. But they decide not to
have
a Temple wedding (not to get married in the Mormon church), which doesn't go over well with
her
relatives. Not only does Sky work outside the home, she writes for the Other Newspaper in Utah,
the Salt Lake Tribune, the one not owned by the Mormons.
Raised with something of a double identity, Sky is forced to look at her own family history,
containing several instances of women who entered into mixed marriages. Hr career in journalism
clarifies her vision of herself and her ancestors. Suffering a series of devastating events, Sky
begins
to see that her future is up to her, that she must find her own way in the world, find her own true
north.
This is a fine piece of writing. It gives quite a look inside a culture with which few outsiders are
familiar, it's a "quiet" book that says a lot, the characters are real people, and, overall, it's well
worth
reading.
Death Before Dawn: SEAL STRIKE!
Martin L. Strong
Writer's Showcase
5220 S. 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512; http://www.iuniverse.com
ISBN 0-595-18454-5, $11.95, 151 pages
Matthew Barrett is the son of a highly decorated soldier, now deceased. His father's method of
parenting was heavy on the pushing and very light on the praise and encouragement. Nothing
Matt
did was good enough for his father.
Matt joins the Navy SEALs, partly to prove to his father, and himself, that he is good enough.
Since
SEAL stands for Sea, Air and Land, Matt practices all sorts of scenarios with the other members
of
his squad. As a lieutenant, Matt is the designated leader of the squad. Each member of the squad
has
their own area of expertise, but they are also supposed to function as one unit. Matt passes SEAL
training, but not exactly with flying colors.
Meantime, the government of Egypt is on the brink of collapse. An Islamic fundamentalist leader
named Banadar has been gaining popularity among parts of the military. The transformation of
Egypt into a fundamentalist government would be a disaster for America and the West, so the
decision is made to invade Egypt to keep that from happening. Matt's squad has the task of
discovering the size and strength of Egyptian forces at the international airport in Alexandria.
They
must relay that information to a group of Army Rangers who are right behind them and who will
do
the actual taking over of the airport. Unfortunately, the Rangers get shot out of the sky by the
Egyptian military, so Matt and his squad must now wait several hours for assistance. The military
units stationed at the airport know that something is wrong, and it's only a matter of time before
they pinpoint the squad's location and open fire.
This one is quite good. It's short and easy to read, the squad members are real people, and not just
tall, square-jawed military stereotypes, and it feels very plausible (it had better be plausible, the
author is a former actual Navy SEAL). This novel is well worth the reader's time.
Pipsqueak
Brian M. Wiprud
iUniverse, Inc
5220 S. 16th Street, #200, Lincoln, NE 68512
http://www.iuniverse.com
ISBN 0-595-22727-9, 219 pages, $14.95
Garth Carson is a taxidermy restorer and collector. One day, in an out-of-the-way antique shop,
he
sees a very famous stuffed squirrel. Pipsqueak the Nutty Nut was a character from the General
Buster Show, an afternoon children's TV show from the era before cable and afternoon TV talk
shows. Garth nearly gets caught in a robbery at the antique shop, at which a biker ends up dead
and
Pipsqueak ends up missing.
Garth and his live-in girlfriend, Angie, a jewelry designer, suddenly find themselves in a rapidly
growing conspiracy, all centered on Pipsqueak. It involves a stuffed loon, tuning forks, Soviet-era
secrets, thugs wearing plaid cummerbunds and Garth's older brother, Nicholas, who Garth hasn't
seen in 15 years. Along the way, Garth and Angie find themselves inside the retro-swing music
revival and discover a mind control conspiracy involving digital TV. Included are some very
interesting things hidden inside Pipsqueak and his two colleagues from the General Buster Show,
Howlie the Wolf and Possum, his sidekick.
This story rates pretty high on the strange meter. It has something for everyone, and it will
certainly
keep the reader's interest. Wiprud has done another fine job; this one is well worth reading.
Wisdom on the Green: Smarter Six Sigma Business Solutions
Forrest W. Breyfogle III, et al.
Smarter Solutions Inc
13776 US Highway 183 N., Suite 122-110, Austin, TX 78750-1811
http://www.smartersolutions.com
ISBN 0-9713222-0-1, $16.95, 170 pages
Four friends who first met during their MBA days get together for their monthly round of golf.
Now
working at different companies, each has their own challenges and problems at work to fix. Using
the metaphor of golf as something where there is no such thing as total perfection (like in
business),
the authors show how business problems can be solved using a business strategy called Six
Sigma.
It's a methodology for pursuing continuous improvement in profit and customer satisfaction
applicable to any sort of business, not just manufacturing. If the problem is to be found at Point X
in
the process, it would be easy to say Fix Point X and the problem is solved. What if fixing Point X
creates a new problem at Point Y? Six Sigma looks at improving the entire strategic plan instead
of
focusing just on the trouble spot. It can be applied to everyday, real-world problems like
increasing
sales, cost reduction and inventory control.
This is a very specialized and very technical book (much of which was over my head), but it is
much
better than the average dry business textbook. For most people, this book can be skipped. But, for
those in middle or upper management, or those for whom defect reduction is a daily concern
(shouldn't that be everyone in management?), this book is very much worth checking out.
Only in America
John Soltez, Gansevoort Press
807 Washington St, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014
jsoltez@aol.com
ISBN 0-9710168-0-1, $21.95, 249 pages
Buck Fourcade is a tycoon from Louisiana who has turned American politics on its head.
Plugging
into the discontent of the people, the Presidential election becomes a marathon as results take
much
longer than expected, or are changed more than once. The election is declared inconclusive, so
attention shifts to the Electoral College. Some states just happen to have a law on their books
saying
that the Electoral College elector doesn't have to vote the way the state did during the election.
The
political chaos continues as the next stop is the House of Representatives. Fourcade supporters
encourage the House to choose Buck as President by surrounding the US Capitol with a ring of
four
million supporters. Congress gets the message, and Buck Fourcade is soon sworn in as President.
He quickly sets about changing things in Washington, promising to run America like a business.
He
changes the Cabinet positions into Vice President For positions, cracks down on corporations
who
don't pay taxes and institutes Government By 1-900 Number. (Remember Ross Perot in
1992?)
This is seen through the eyes of Doug Murphy, middle-level employee of Continental Brewing,
and
living in the Midwest town of Brookville. He is your typical apathetic person who totally believes
in
the American Dream. Still, he notes the increasing number of For Sale signs and closed businesses
in
town, along with wave after wave of layoffs at work. He also notices how some of the town's
leading citizens are not just Fourcade supporters, but obsessed with him.
That obsession turns to anger when Fourcade is assassinated. Seeing plenty of "suspects," they
take
to the streets, letting out their anger on anything and everything. Doug watches as things like
newspaper delivery, street repair and trash pickup become things of the past. The situation in
Washington can best be described as "chaotic." Policies of the past 20 or 30 years, like running up
a
multi-trillion dollar debt and printing paper money without the gold to back it up, come to the
forefront. What passes for a national government divides the country into security zones and
deploys
troops to quell the growing internal rebellion. Canada and Mexico move troops to their borders to
stop fleeing Americans. As unemployment skyrockets (Doug is one of the victims), the only
businesses left are convenience stores, sporting goods stores (suppliers of knives and guns) and
those run by Fourcade supporters.
This is not an optimistic novel, but it is very much a Must Read. It's also quite spooky (not so
much
"horror movie" spooky as "very plausible" spooky). For those, like Doug Murphy, who are total
believers in the American Dream, this book may just change your mind.
Brown Glass Windows
Devorah Major
Curbstone Press
321 Jackson St, Willimantic, CT 06226
http://www.curbstone.org
ISBN 1-880684-87-X, $15.95, 194 pages
This novel is about a family who live on Fillmore Street in present-day San Francisco. Formerly a
thriving, close-knit place to live, the street is in the process of being gentrified out of
existence.
Jamal, a graffiti artist who calls himself "Sketch," lives with his grandmother. Jamal's father,
Ranger,
came back from Vietnam a cocaine addict and spends most of his time living on the streets.
Ironically, just when Ranger seems to have his addiction actually conquered, he is caught in the
middle of a drive-by shooting. Because of the family's built-up resentments and recriminations, a
period of emotional turmoil results, and, each in their own way, the family comes out the other
end
stronger and more united than ever.
The family is helped in their journey by an older, eccentric woman named Victoria. Never one to
venture outside without looking "presentable," her obsession (?) grew until she reached the point
where she dressed all in white, including white pancake makeup on her African-American skin,
and
believed herself to be invisible. She is accompanied by the book's narrator, the spirit of a
300-year-old African slave, who has "adopted" Victoria for the time being.
This story works in several different ways. It's a must read for urban residents forced to watch the
transformation of their neighborhood into something unrecognizable. It does a very good job at
showing one family's attempt to come to grips with the legacy of the Vietnam War. For those who
like their fiction with a touch of strange, the author does a fine job with the Latin American magic
realism. This novel is well worth the search, and well worth reading.
Students Against Sweatshops
Liza Featherstone
Verso Books
180 Varick St, New York, NY 10014-4606
http://www.versobooks.com
ISBN 1-85984-302-6, $15.00, 120 pages
A movement is growing on college campuses across America; a movement broadly focused on the
relationship between universities and multinational corporations and more specifically on the
places
(sweatshops) where college apparel is made.
When a group of students stages a protest march or petition drive to get their university to get
their
apparel supplier to get the clothing factory to improve conditions for their workers, the usual
response from the university is to ignore them. Given enough pressure, and enough solidarity
from
other groups on campus, the administration usually comes around. Many universities joined the
industry-led Fair Labor Association as a way to get the students to be quiet. Under more student
pressure, they switched sides and joined the student-run Workers Rights Consortium.
Naturally, the corporations are not just sitting around, hoping the students will go away. When
they
get wind of a protest planned for one of their stores, they start by deploying plainclothes security
and video surveillance, and go from there.
The concern (or criticism) has been raised by African-American students at these same schools
that
USAS (United Students Against Sweatshops) focuses on conditions overseas so it won't have to
discuss the sensitive issue of race relations here at home. When white students protest an issue,
they
at least get a meeting with the school administration. When minority students protest an issue,
they
get totally ignored. Some USAS chapters have gotten the message, and begun to focus on issues
closer to home, like a fair wage for hourly employees at the university.
To those who think that all American college students are apathetic partiers, this book will help
change your mind. It's (too) short, very easy to read and tells of young people who are actually
doing something to change things around the world. It's highly recommended.
Vegan and Vegetarian FAQ: Answers to Your Frequently Asked Questions
Davida Gypsy Breier
Vegetarian Resource Group
P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203
http://www.vrg.org
ISBN 0-931411-24-6, $15.00, 272 pages
This is a collection of questions sent to the Vegetarian Resource Group on all aspects of
vegetarianism. They are grouped into categories like Vegetarianism in Daily Life, Nutrition, Food
Ingredients, Travel and Restaurants, Cooking and Baking, Soy and Veggie Kids.
Here are a few examples of the questions answered in this book. Where can I find vegan
marshmallows? At the moment, there aren't any. Is it true that Krispy Kreme donuts are vegan?
No.
Does guacamole contain gelatin? Some processed kinds do, but fresh guacamole is often
gelatin-free. I just found out gummy bears are made with gelatin. Is there a veggie bear available?
Yes. My daughter is raising her infant son on a vegan diet. Should I be worried? Not if the child is
getting adequate nutrition. Why do people become vegetarian? Among the many reasons are
dislike
of meat, belief in non-violence, compassion for animals, and health, cological and religious
concerns.
Are there vegan flu vaccines? No, because vaccine materials are generally grown on egg-based
media. Is photographic film really made of cow bones? Yes. Can I be a vegan and an athlete? Yes.
Does bone china really have bones in it? Yes. Is tattoo ink vegan? Ask your tattooist.
The book also contains a number of vegetarian recipes, and has a large appendix including a quick
guide to fast food, a senior's (and athlete's) guide to good nutrition, a feeding plan for infants and
toddlers, and the protein content of selected fast foods.
This is an excellent one-stop resource for all things vegetarian. For anyone who wants to learn
more
about vegetarianism, or those who want to become vegetarians but don't how to go about it, start
here. Even veggie veterans will learn a lot from this book. It is well worth reading.
Al-Jazeera
Mohammed El-Nawawy and Adel Iskandar
Westview Press
5500 Central Avenue, Boulder, CO 80301
http://www.westviewpress.com;
ISBN 0-8133-4017-9, $24.00, 228 pages
Al-Jazeera is the all-Arabic TV news channel which burst on to the international scene in the
wake
of September 11 and the war in Afghanistan. Its unfettered access to that country during the war
and
its showing of the bin Laden tapes made it an automatic force on the world stage.
Based in the Gulf state of Qatar, it came from the remnants of the BBC Arabic TV service. With
the
help of startup money from the Emir of Qatar, Al-Jazeera was to have complete editorial
independence.
In a part of the world where the press is usually government controlled, Al-Jazeera is not afraid to
get specific and name names. At one time or another, it has been criticized or condemned by
seemingly every government in the Arab world, for broadcasting things that the local government
would prefer not be broadcast. Every local editorial of condemnation and every denial of press
credentials to Al-Jazeera reporters just increases its audience all over the world by satellite.
One of the things that Al-Jazeera is most known for is its talk shows, especially a nightly,
two-hour
show called The Opposite Direction. Two guests appear on the show, with totally opposite
opinions
on a certain issue, and with help from live phone calls, the sparks fly. Even by American TV
standards, things get pretty loud and lively. Arab governments have noticed, and have begun
imitating the format on their tame and boring government TV channels.
Even though Al-Jazeera is an Arab TV channel, it has tried very hard to be impartial, hosting
members of the Bush Administration, after September 11, and government officials from
Israel.
For those who want to decide for themselves if Al-Jazeera is a legitimate news broadcaster or a
terrorist mouthpiece, this book is highly recommended. It's comprehensive, clearly written and is
quite enlightening.
The Best of Annals of Improbable Research
Marc Abrahams, editor
W.H. Freeman and Company
41 Madison Ave., 37th Floor, New York, NY 10010
ISBN 0-7167-3094-4, $14.95, 208 pages
The Annals of Improbable Research (AIR) is an actual bi-monthly magazine that combines two
areas
of human endeavor that are not thought to go together: science and humor. This is a collection of
articles from AIR, written like actual scientific papers, some of which were published in real
scientific journals.
The book (and magazine) cover all areas of science, from astronomy, to biology, chemistry, math
and medicine. The titles include: The Aerodynamics of Potato Chips, Apples and Oranges: A
Comparison, The Politically Correct Periodic Table, How Dead Is a Doornail?, The Medical
Effects
of Kissing Boo-Boos, The Ability of Woodchucks to Chuck Cellulose Fibers, How To Write a
Scientific Paper, and the classic piece of scientific experimentation, The Taxonomy of
Barney.
The author also looks at the IgNobel Prize ceremony held every fall at Harvard University (the
author is also the Master of Ceremonies). Prizes are presented by real Nobel Prize winners, in
various categories. A few past honorees include: a dentist from Minnesota for his study Patient
Preference for Waxed or Unwaxed Dental Floss, the authors of the painstakingly researched study
Acute Management of the Zipper-Entrapped Penis, and a man from South Carolina for calculating
the exact odds, over 8.6 trillion to 1, that Mikhail Gorbachev is the Antichrist. Of course, who can
forget IgNobel honoree Dan Quayle, for demonstrating the need for science education?
This book is hilarious. Some are going to say that science and humor don't belong in the same
sentence, let alone the same book. Nonsense. It shows that scientists can laugh at themselves, and
if
it gets even one young person interested in science, this book will have been a success. It is highly
recommended.
Paul Lappen, Reviewer
plappen@arrl.org
Magdalena's Bookshelf
Belief or Non-Belief: A Confrontation
Umberto Eco and Cardinal Martini
Translated from the Italian by Minna Proctor
Continuum
ISBN: 0-82645210-8, $TBA, July 2001, Hardback Arcade Publishing
ISBN: 1559704977, $17.95, January 2000, Hardcover
It is a wonderful concept. Invite two of the modern world's most eloquent thinkers, each from
opposing perspectives in their life's work, to a written debate, and publish the results. This is the
origin of Belief or Non-Belief, a slim but thought provoking book which journals the staged
correspondence which initially took place between Umberto Eco and Cardinal Carlos Maria
Martini
in the Italian newslpaper La Correra de la Serra. Most of the questions are raised by Eco, and
answered by Martini, although the once exception is perhaps the most striking exchange in the
book.
In all instances, both Eco and Martini are respectful to one another, thoughtful, intelligent and
above
all, extremely clear in their attempts to illuminate deep and often complex and difficult concept of
ethics, faith and a modern morality.
The topics are wide reaching and relevant, beginning with the impending apocalypse, which takes
its
cue from the Millennium but also looks more broadly at whether there is a notion of hope and
responsibility for both believers and non-believers in the concept of an end of the world, end of
time
or end of the universe. Martini's answer to this question is beautifully phrased, in a way that
makes
sense both within and outside of religion, and is equally applicable to how we come to terms with
our own individual impending deaths.
For the notion of an end to make use as aware of the future as we are of the past, as something to
be
reflected on in a critical way, the end must be an end, with the characters of an ultimate
declaration
of value, illuminating our endeavours in the present and endowing them with significance.
(39)
There is no hedging from controversial topics either, and for his second question, Eco asks, in
reference to the Church's stand on abortion, "when does life begin?" Again, the questions are
framed and explored in the broadest perspective, with prose as rich as poetry:
I do want to say that at the very core of Christian theology lies the question of the threshold (a
paper-thin threshold) beyond which what was a hypothesis, a gem - a dark articulation of life still
tied to the mother body, a marvellous desire for the light, not unlike a seed deep in the earth
struggling to flower - at a certain point is recognized as a rational animal, a mortal.(38)
Eco's third question is the least powerful in the book, partly because Eco himself remains
unengaged
with it: "clearly this is not a personal issue for me." The issue of women's role in the Church,
specifically in reference to ordination seems drier and more theoretical than the other issues, and
although it may well be of profound interest to a Churchgoer, to a secular thinker, it seems trivial
in
comparison with the weight of the other issues. Martini's answer to this question also seems, for
once only, to avoid the issue. This one shallow exchange is more than made up for however in the
final question, which brings the book full circle. Posed by Martini, the question asks where the
layman finds illumination or a basic ethical foundation. This is an important question and Eco
rises
to the challenge providing a lucid and powerful answer which evokes Martini's on hope in the first
question:
Yet even the vision of a great and unique cosmic Substance into which we will one da be
reabsorbed
can generate a vision of tolerance and of benevolence, precisely because we are all invested in
maintaining the equilibrium and harmony of the only Substance think it impossible that this
Substance is not somehow enriched or deformed by what we have done through the millenia - that
is
why we care. (95)
Eco's philosophical arguments are as strong as his writing and the only negative thing about this
book is that it is too short. It would have been wonderful to see Martini's reply to Eco's final
argument, and indeed to see the questions and answers to more of life's big mysteries.
The book is worth reading for its philosophical insights and the beauty of its prose alone, but the
very fact that a correspondence like this can take place is also meritous and powerful. In these
times
of fundamentalist ignorance and intolerance, it is only by thoughtful, respectful and reasoned
conversation that we move forward, away from fear, prejudice and racism. As a precedent, it
doesn't get any better than this book. That two intellectuals of this calibre from such opposite
walks
of life can converse on such a powerful plane is cause for great hope. Of course fanatics are
unlikely
to be reading books like this, but nevertheless, both Martini's and Eco's interest in "frank and
unfettered dialogue" is vitally important. Reasoned debate, thoughtful discourse and even good
dinner conversations are becoming rarities in our overly "busy" world. This book is cause for
celebration, conceptually, spiritually and practically.
All I Ever Wanted Was A Window
John West
Pardalote Press
ISBN 0-957-8436-2-3, $TBA 61pgs
The poems in John West's fourth collection of poetry are strong, stark, and filled with a very
ordinary ennui and pain that most readers will be able to relate to. At 61 pages, this slim volume
contains an equal number of poems generally one to a page. Most of the poems take their
landscape
from the Australian environment - the hot summer, dust, local icons, specific locations and lingo
informing a kind of personal sadness and longing for something beyond the endless days, nursing
home duties, friends long gone, scars both internal and external and addiction.
Some of the recurring themes include the evocative mercy of death, the awkward pain of the teen
years, as typified by West's son Matthew, aging, alcoholism and recovery (AA), and a kind of late
mid-life crisis of meaning coupled with the odd moment of perfection. Death is everywhere
though,
particularly in his odes to other poets now gone - one perhaps a friend, as in the Newcastle Prize
commended "Mowing the Lawn with Michael Dransfield" which compares a sudden death to "this
endless scratch of living":
"You can't expect forgiveness for your endless lack of belly, the way that you escaped from
Malcolm
Fraser, from planning your retirement, from haemorrhoids, the terrors of retrenchment, from
weekend access visits."
Similarly "Waking Up With Philip Larkin" romanticises the release that death brings from the
mediocrity and ugliness of aging:
"no unruly veins, just rest, rest, and nuzzling the moist black honeycombe kept hidden
underground."
In "Watery Eye" we face the standard sort of impending death heralded by a sign of aging:
"It's all so suddenly close this toppling backwards into coffins, this kneading your body to your
grave"
The poems are simply written and easy to enter, but there is always the twist at the ending which
brings home the truth - the real meaning of the poem:
"it's like waking at night in a razor factory naked."
In the teenage poems we feel sympathy with the awkward ill fitting youths, or most powerfully
with
the sense of waste and a lost future, in an ode to his son's dead friend, only "15 & 1/3":
"Mouths are open now, eyes quirt tears, heads are shaken but there are only questions, fluttering
all
around us like a swarm of butterflies."
Many of the poems towards the end of the book are written out of West's work in a rehabilitation
hospital, and look at the pain of aging, and the pain of observing and ministering to the aged,
infirm
and dying with their coated scrotums, handfuls of pills in different colours and loneliness:
"people with pickets filled with the marble chips of dreams the bluestone chunks of age"
Everywhere there is boredom, pain, death and sadness, but these poems are neither empty nor
depressing. There is always a glimmer of light somewhere, that moment of joy, however, brief
and
already passed as in "A Perfect Autumn Day" or "Canoeing," or in the best instance, the last poem
of the collection, "Daylesford Weekend":
"and so I fidget, but slowly the sky is prinnkled with stars and th enight hten blossems into
morning
into another afternoon and awkward hugs of farewell and I have finally returned to the
stammering
world of need, of people of love."
For more information on All I Ever Wanted Was a Window visit:
http://www.toorakcollege.vic.edu.au/warrickw/poetry/john_launch.htm
Magdalena Ball, Reviewer
http://www.compulsivereader.com/html
Lori's Bookshelf
The Blind Season: Common Threads in the Life
Ronald L. Donaghe
Writers Club Press/www.rondonaghe.com
2001/$19.95/368 Pages/ISBN: 0595189768
In the middle 1980s, author Ronald Donaghe envisioned a four book series which he called
Common Threads in the Life. The initial book, Common Sons, was published in 1989 and found
a
cult audience, particularly among youth, both gay and lesbian, who were struggling with their own
coming out issues. Then it took well over a decade to bring the sequel to fruition. The Blind
Season
is that long-awaited sequel and is the continued story of Joel Reece and Tom Allen, two young
men
from Common, New Mexico. The sequel picks up in 1970, four years after Common Sons left
off.
The two boys are now young men who live together, work on Joel's parents' farm, and consider
themselves married. Though the townspeople continue to be suspicious, prejudiced, and
unsupporting, Tom and Joel are mostly happy-but not entirely happy because they want children
of
their own.
The boys set out to find a young woman to carry their child, and they meet Sharon Minninger,
who
is a shunned Mennonite runaway living over the border in Mexico. Sharon has dreams of her
own,
including getting an education and making something of herself. She agrees to bear Tom and
Joel's
child in return for help to go to college. The circumstances of the baby's conception, Sharon's
pregnancy, and the little girl who is subsequently born bring strong feelings out in the open from
the
townspeople and from Tom and Joel's families as well. The story of how they navigate all of this
is
suspenseful, dramatic, and touching. While many people are against Tom and Joel - particularly
the
vicious, latent homosexual police officer in town - they gradually find others like Margaret, the
low-key lesbian from the local diner, who support and encourage them. In addition, there are
some
real surprises from members of their families.
This story evoked a tear or two along with a few chuckles. It's lively, entertaining, and a highly
effective sequel to Common Sons. Mr. Donaghe is a talented writer who continues to put a
realistic
and reflective face on the gay young men about whom he writes. This is a book anyone from high
school to age 100 could enjoy, and I highly recommend both this book and the series.
Winged Isis
Jean Stewart
Bella Books
2002/$11.95/232 Pages/ISBN: 1931513015, www.bellabooks.com
From 1992 to 1995, Jean Stewart published three speculative adventure/romance books about the
women of Isis (Return to Isis, Isis Rising, and Warriors of Isis). Upon completion of that trilogy,
it
seemed that the story of the Isis society and the two main characters, Whit and Kali, was
completed.
Not so. Stewart surprises and delights with a new trilogy beginning with Winged Isis.
The women of Isis live in Freeland, a democratic city-colony on one half of the U.S., which is
protected by an invisible Border. On the other side is Elysium where religious fanatics, corrupt
men,
and the regulators, a
Gestapo-type of police force live violent, miserable lives. The highly technological and deadly
Elysium men want nothing more than to destroy Isis and take their resources, and only the Border
shield powered from the
satellites is stopping them. They have been kept out for over eight decades, but now the Border
shows signs of decay and breakdown.
Tomyris "Whit" Whitaker and her psychologically adept partner, Kali Tyler, are leaders in Isis
who
want to prevent disaster before the Border breaks down. The satellites which power the invisible
shield must be repaired. But there is dissension in the ranks as well as treachery and sabotage.
Can
the satellites be repaired? And what sacrifices will be made? Kali is pregnant with their child.
Will
they manage to maintain a society that is safe for their unborn daughter and for all children? Or
will
they fall prey to the violent, fundamentalist Elysians?
Jean Stewart has created a fascinating society that is especially interesting because harmony is not
necessarily the state of affairs in Isis. Unlike many Utopias, the women of Isis disagree and fight
about things, and power struggles are typical. The secondary characters are strong and fully
fleshed
out, and provide a worthy counterpoint to Kali and Whit's struggles on behalf of Isis.
Stewart's writing style is crisp and clear. She gives enough back story to thoroughly ground this
new trilogy in the facts of the previous books without overwhelming the reader, and then she
moves
quickly into the meat of
the conflict. Unlike many sci-fi/fantasy stories, the author doesn't resort to magic and highly
fantastical tricks. The women in Isis are scientifically and psychologically gifted, and they use
those
talents as much as possible, but their society is not a world of sorcery and magicians. This places
Stewart's work in its own special category: a hybrid of science fiction, adventure, and romance in
a
uniquely lesbian framework.
Winged Isis has a complex plot, a fast pace, compelling characters, and a surprise ending that will
leave the reader excited and ready for the next book in the series, which, one can only hope, will
be
published soon.
Winged Isis is marvelous storytelling, and I give Stewart sincere kudos for bringing the women of
Isis back to life again.
Up: A Novel
Lisa Jones
Sticky Press
2002/$12.95/121 pages/ISBN: 0971530904 www.stickypress.com
Becky Pine graduates from college and smack dab into the realization that she is lesbian. Just to
be
sure, she goes out on the town, meets a woman named Marta, and sleeps with her. Sure enough,
she's gay. Becky calmly reports this news to her parents, jumps in the car, and heads out of
Colorado toward what she hopes will be a more gay friendly life in L.A. where Marta just happens
to live. She moves into a gay-friendly neighborhood and tells us she "hoped that a motherly
lesbian
couple would knock on my door and give me Bundt cake. I imagined a sisterhood of women like
woodland nymphs adorning me with flower garlands. There would be singing, dancing, as I was
inducted into a lesbian society of mutual support. At the very least I expected a few friendly
hellos.
This was not to be."
Alone and lonely, Becky gets a job at a car dealership and learns a lot about the business of roping
people into buying vehicles. Squatty is her boss. Gil is the sleazy lead salesman, ready to betray a
coworker in an instant. Reynolds is another salesman who is more ethical. An "Up" is the sucker
the salesperson tries to get to buy something. Becky is only marginally successful with her Ups.
She can sell the buyer on the car, but the weaseling and obfuscation of closing the monetary deal
is
not her best skill. "At Southland Auto Acres, selling and screwing are interchangeable concepts."
Becky is not very good at screwing. Literally. We find that
out in one bizarre scene with Gil.
In boredom and loneliness, Becky looks up Marta, the woman from the one night stand in
Colorado.
This leads to a series of misadventures, including much bad blood from Marta's lover, Joy. It also
gives Becky the chance to focus her 'gaydar' on Linnie, a straight woman who is engaged to a man
but who has all her meaningful relationships with lesbians. Becky believes Linnie is running from
her
true sexual orientation, and Becky becomes enamored with her, intent on winning the other
woman
over. Disaster follows swiftly.
Jones' writing style is fresh, humorous and entertaining. Her characters are drolly sketched, and
seeing things through Becky's eyes is often highly amusing. It becomes abundantly clear early on
that Becky has no clue what she wants in the car lot of life, and the only way for her to find out is
to
get into the metaphorical car and experience it. The test drives she takes lead to disaster far more
often than not, but she is a fast learner after all.
At a mere 121 pages, the book could have been longer, but Jones packs a lot into those pages,
and
the story is resolved effectively. If you enjoy clever dialogue, funny turns of phrase, and a coming
out plot that manages
to be both wacky and reflective, then Up: A Novel will entertain you immensely.
Word Work: Surviving and Thriving as a Writer
Bruce Holland Rogers
Invisible Cities Press
2002/$16.95/256 Pages/ISBN: 1931229171 www.invisiblecitiespress.com
About this book, Damon Knight said, "These brilliant essays illuminate the art of writing in a way
I
have never seen before." That is exactly what Bruce Holland Rogers has accomplished, and Mr.
Knight is right.
Many writing books give the reader specific technical instruction followed by batches of writing
exercises. Not so with this one. Although Rogers shares ideas for getting around writing
problems
(procrastination, networking, writer's block, taking rejections, etc.), he concentrates on the entire
world of being a writer. He shares what he knows in essay format in such a way that any
reflective,
working writer can benefit. I was especially taken by the chapter, "Death and the Day Job," in
which
Rogers discusses the real reasons we should think about and focus upon our writing and why we
do
it.
This is a book for thinkers, doers, achievers, and all those who want to work toward
accomplishments in any realm of writing. It reads like a wise, but humble, mentor is sharing the
information, and the entire book is
peppered with humor and information about other writers and their processes.
I give this book high marks and recommend it to all thoughtful and reflective writers who are
working at a career in writing.
Lori L. Lake
Reviewer
Liana's Bookshelf
God Exists: An Engineer Explains Why
Peter Soszek
e book, $TBA 156 pp
Peter Soszek, an engineer, had decided that he would write an e book about God. Although he
does
not consider himself a writer, yet, after a long time he has finally reached his goal. He has become
a
writer and through his book about God he wants to help people live a happier life.
GOD EXISTS is a philosophy book based on the writer's observations throughout the years, from
his childhood till now. Peter tries to unveil the mysteries around us in a simple way and each
opinion
of his is carefully illustrated by examples of everyday life. This book is actually written by a simple
man and is addressed to simple people who wish to think about God's existence.
'"Do I believe that there is a god?" The question is very private for a variety of reasons,' the writer
says at the introduction of the book. ' The purpose of this e book is to present my perspective and
to
explain just some of the reasons why I know, without a doubt, that there is God.'
'In terms of happiness, I hope that this material will help those people who find themselves stuck
at
the edge of the fence, choose and get on the right side of the fence,' Peter says.
The book is divided into three sections:
The first section explains what the author feels are some very fundamental concepts and is
important
to the overall understanding of the later parts of the book. The second section addresses his
perspectives and outlooks on the various sciences: physics, mathematics, engineering, chemistry,
biology, a little astronomy and evolution. The third section consists of the writer's answers to
what
he thinks are common challenges issued be people on whether or not God exists.
GOD EXISTS contains 16 chapters. The first one, Forces of Simplification, deals with a theory
about the universe and a force that exists. Peter describes "the law of simplification" in plain
words
for the readers to understand.
'In summary, no matter what a person may create during their lifetime, no matter how complex
the
item, the Forces of Simplification will eventually act on that item and reduce it to a simpler and
more
random form,' the author says.
Chapter two is about Possibility and Probability, and Peter's theories are supported by events from
his childhood, while in chapter three, The Super Labs vs The Primordial Organic Soup, the writer
displays the hypothetical challenge of Science vs Nature.
In chapter four, Peter's theory is based on physics, and chapter five deals with chemistry.
Biology comes next, where the writer says:
'Does Biology have a unifying theory of life, basic laws, or a "mathematics" of biology that allows
a
description of the laws and any systematic advancements?' Peter tries to analyze that question in
depth.
Chapters seven, The Ant and the Universe, is a section where the author recalls certain events
from
his childhood related to ants and the philosophy of life, while, chapter eight . deals with the
Theory
of Evolution. Chapter nine hits the point : If There is a God, Why is God Punishing Us All? Read
Peter's viewpoint and find out.
The tenth chapter, Why Doesn't God just Give me a Sign?, tries to analyze the popular question
for
people who have doubts about the existence of God, while chapter eleven, A Calculation of God's
Power, answers the question of how powerful God would be.
In chapter twelve, the readers will come to grips with The Ten Commandments :
'We need law and order . That is the tough part,' the writer says.
Who has The Most Toys Wins is the thirteenth chapter where Peter says:
'Yeah Right. It is the old- "the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer". This is a
very
distressing situation and collectively we have to start changing some attitudes in people about
this.'
The following chapter, The Lottery of Life, is about the attraction of gambling and the disastrous
results:
'The problem is that our soul and this innate sense we feel is beyond all of our regular human
senses
and any scientific detection methods that may exist. Is this all a part of the sixth sense that we are
supposed to have?'
Next comes Fate and Faith: The extreme odd couple.
'Is it according to Fate or Faith? The choice likely reflects on our mental outlook, how we act or
behave, and even how people view us,' Peter says.
In the last chapter, Conclusion, the writer gives his answers to the previously mentioned concepts,
and finally states:
'Please, choose to believe in God. This work has been meant to help and not to hurt. God bless
you.'
GOD EXISTS is a inspiring e book, simply written and enjoyable to read . The theories of the
writer
are well supported by examples of daily life. It caters to everybody who wants to research this
issue
and is meant to help people become happier.
You can visit Peter's site at http://www.mts.net/~pekored and read the e book . It is free.
Now We're Cooking! 43 authors in the kitchen.
Eva Kende
E book, 2001, $TBA 126 pp
Eva Kende is the lead author of this inspirational e book that is actually a live link to all 43
contributing authors from all over the world. All contributors are authors in a variety of genre and
it
is quite interesting to be able to reach each one of them through their web site address that is
displayed in the last section of the book.
NOW WE'RE COOKING! 43 authors in the kitchen is a revolutionary cookbook! Some readers
may wonder though: "What is this cookbook about? Why is it free? And how did it get started?"
Eva gives all the answers at the introduction of the book which is worth reading before you move
to
the recipes.
"A group of talented authors from all over the world got together over the Internet to share our
passion for electronic books and for food," the writers says. 'These recipes are the home -cooking
family favorites we use every day "
Eva urges the readers to contact them:
"You can email any of us from our web sites . We'd love to hear from you".
Apart from the conventional Table of Contents, this book has also something innovative: A Table
of
Contents by genre! So, there is a Children's section, a Fantasy section and so on. You can use
your
imagination and search the part you would like to try.
The cookbook consists of 12 cooking sections.
The first one, Appetizers and Salads, deals with the preparation of every day dishes that will boost
us with vitamins. You should try the Simple Salad Dressing which is quick, easy and tasty, and the
Golden Fruit Salad, which is greatly refreshing and is suitable for summer and not only! Soups,
Meat
and Seafood follow, packed with delicious recipes while, Eggs and Cheese is a section that will
surprise you. Easy to make recipes and absolutely tasty can become one of your favorites. Cheese
Potatoes is an easy Irish dish that can satisfactorily fill you up any time.
Vegetables, Sides and Sauces include delicious dishes such as Tomato Tart, a tasty way to use the
harvest. Here comes the Desserts section, filled with flavor and passion for the fast and- easy
lovers, too.
Cakes and Pies comes next, with Mud Cake, a simple cocoa cake which is not only for the kids,
while, Cookies and Squares, and Breads and Rolls offer a variety of interesting foods . Try the
Honey Wheat Bread which is unbelievably moist and light.
Confections is next, while Entertaining comes along with Pastry Crunch, an easy recipe for the
party
of the kids .
At the end of the book there is a table of Common Measure Conversion, the Epilogue and the
Web
sites of contributors.
NOW WE'RE COOKING! 43 authors in the kitchen is a very informative and entertaining
cookbook that appeals to every age, and all levels: from beginners to professionals. It is clearly
laid
out and the recipes are simple and easy to make. The important thing is that you are not supposed
to
stick to the rules strictly: you can improvise and alter ingredients, and create your own recipe out
of
this book. It is a book that can inspire you!
Related Titles:
Recipe Hall of Fame Quick and Easy Cookbook, Quail Ridge Press
Liana Metal, Reviewer
http://lianametal.tripod.com
Kinni's Bookshelf
Finance for Managers
Richard Luecke and Samuel Hayes
Harvard Business School Press
ISBN 1578518768 $19.95
An entry in the new Harvard Business Essentials series, Finance for Managers is a primer by
Richard Luecke and Samuel Hayes which is designed to introduce non-financial managers to
business finance. Short chapters define and describe the basic elements of financial statements,
accounting, taxes, venture capitalization, budgeting, decision and investment analysis, and
business
valuation in layman's terms.
Toxic Emotions at Work
Peter Frost
Harvard Business School Press
ISBN 1578512573 $27.50
Toxicity - emotional pain - is "a normal by-product of organizational life," says University of
British
Columbia's Peter Frost. In the best book of the month, Toxic Emotions at Work: How
Compassionate Managers Handle Pain And Conflict, he describes the sources and effects of
organizational pain, the role of "toxin handlers," and strategies for defusing toxic emotions,
protecting the handlers, and creating compassionate organizations.
Ceo Capital
Leslie Gaines-Ross
Wiley
ISBN 0471268070 $29.95
For better or worse, CEO reputation is a corporate asset that must be managed, according to
consultant Gaines-Ross. Leslie Gaines-Ross' Ceo Capital: A Guide To Building CEO Reputation
And Company Success describes five characteristics of CEO reputation (being credible,
establishing
organizational ethics, effective internal communication, management teambuilding, and the ability
to
motivate and inspire) and describes how to achieve them throughout what she identifies as the five
stages of a leader's tenure.
What Clients Love
Harry Beckwith
Warner Business
ISBN 0446527556 $21.95
Marketing maven Harry Beckwith is back with What Clients Love: A Field Guide To Growing
Your
Business , a new collection of short (often less than a page) lessons in pleasing customers. He
begins
with 14 counterintuitive ideas for business planning, but the core of the book revolves around four
main themes: creating clear communications, compelling messages, reassuring brands, and caring
service.
Branded
Alissa Quart
Perseus
ISBN 0738206644 $25.00
The commercialization of kids is a burgeoning phenomenon with a dark side, according to
journalist
Alissa Quart. In Branded: The Buying And Selling of Teenagers , she argues that companies are
successfully using sex, schools and social needs to market their brands and move goods, while
teens
are being insidiously transformed into consumer-zombies unable to just say no.
More than a Pink Cadillac
Jim Underwood
McGraw-Hill
ISBN 0071408398 $21.95
In More than a Pink Cadillac: Mary Kay Inc.'s 9 Leadership Keys To Success , management
professional Jim Underwood uses Mary Kay, Inc. to illustrate nine management principles
including
building a unifying brand, value-based leadership, maintaining a higher purpose, continuous
innovation, etc. In doing so, he shows how Mary Kay grew from a $5,000 investment into a $2
billion company with 900,000 sales reps in 33 countries.
In the Company of Owners
Joseph Blasi, Douglas Kruse & Aaron Bernstein
Basic Books
ISBN 0465007007 $27.50
Greedy top execs aside, the authors argue that stock options serve as the enabler of "partnership
capitalism" and should be offered to all employees. They prove their point in In the Company of
Owners: The Truth About Stock Options (And Why You Should Have Them) by exploring the
history of employee stock options and analyzing the results they deliver to investors and
employees
alike.
The One Minute Apology
Ken Blanchard and Margret McBride
Morrow
ISBN 0688169813 $19.95
The timing seems particularly ripe for The One Minute Apology: A Powerful Way To Make
Things
Better , a fast, simple business guide to the mea culpa. Ken Blanchard and literary agent Margret
McBride call on the One Minute Manager to once again solve a management crisis - this time by
teaching the mechanics behind an apology that can raise self-awareness, heal relationships, and
create a commitment to future improvement.
Attitude 101: What Every Leader Needs To Know
John Maxwell
Thomas Nelson
ISBN 0785263500 $9.99
"Attitude can make or break you," writes leadership guru John Maxwell in Attitude 101: What
Every Leader Needs To Know , a fast, motivational read. With plain prose, short anecdotes and
quotes, he explains the power of attitude, describes how attitudes are shaped and changed, and
how
to approach both failure and success with a positive, productive mindset.
It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys
Marilyn Paul
Viking Compass
ISBN 0670031941 $24.95
Writing for the chronically disorganized, OD consultant Marilyn Paul promises that an organized
life
yields "more self-confidence, more energy, and more joy." Her Seven-Step Change Process delves
deep for the roots of the problem and establishes a purpose and vision for a more organized life.
It's
Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys: The Seven-Step Path To Becoming
Truly Organized is supported with plenty of practical techniques and exercises.
The Value Profit Chain
James Heskett, W. Earl Sasser, Jr., & Leonard Schlesinger
The Free Press
ISBN 0743225694 $35.00
James Heskett, W. Earl Sasser, Jr., & Leonard Schlesinger teamup to examine thirty years of
research and anecdotal evidence to prove the efficacy of the "value profit chain" (happy
employees =
happy customers = profits). The Value Profit Chain: Treat Employees Like Customers And
Customers Like Employees describes the "performance trinity" -- leadership and management,
culture and values, and vision and strategy - and how it is used to fulfill the equation.
Mastering Alliance Strategy
James Bamford, Benjamin Gomes-Casseres & Michael Robinson
Jossey-Bass
ISBN 078796462X $45.00
Mastering Alliance Strategy: A Comprehensive Guide To Design, Management, and Organization
is
a compendium which is drawn from the archives of the now-defunct magazine, The Alliance
Analyst. The articles have been updated and edited around four major topics: designing alliances,
managing alliances, creating alliance constellations, and developing internal alliance
competence.
Competitive Solutions
R. Preston McAfee
Princeton University Press
ISBN 0691096465 $59.50
Based on the idea that strategy is often situational, University of Texas's R. Preseton McAfee
delivers an impressively encyclopedic selection of strategic concepts in Competitive Solutions:
The
Strategist's Toolkit . The tools cover a wide range of purposes (industry analysis, labor
bargaining,
pricing, compensation and incentives, product life cycles, etc.), include technical instructions for
use,
and are illustrated with short case studies.
Theodore Kinni, Reviewer
http://home1.gte.net/bizbooks
Judine's Bookshelf
The Little Website That Could
Lynne Schlumpf
Route 66 Cyber Cafe, Inc.
9222 S 36th West Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74132
ISBN 0971806132 $24.95, eBook
The Internet is becoming a booming retail business. Anyone can have a website selling items from
apricots to customized ziplock bags. To the untrained eye, it's quite seamless to log on and click
the
check-out icons. For the most part, many sites do not change their main design often. This might
give the impression of a maintenance free operation. Okay, so you want to start your own site.
Don't
let these appearances fool you. Do your homework first, and gain knowledge from those who
learned the hard way.
"The Little Website That Could" hauls all of the information you need to know about steering a
virtual freight train, from the engine to the caboose. It begins to chug along with getting your
business started as a corporation. The chapters of lessons learned along the way, tips about
marketing with ezines, and suggestions for looking like a big corporation are the first few cars of
the
train. Information about search engines, ebooks, and affiliate programs fuel the other chapters and
the dogs running by can't catch up with you. Be sure to read the ebooklet "How I Turned An
Ordinary Hobby Into My Wildest Dreams." With a little determination, you too can have
extraordinary success with your website.
Lynne Schlumpf describes her entire website experience in this book. She loves trains, and the
moral
of the story "The Little That Could" has always stuck with her. This book is a result of the
success
and failures from 8 years of researching internet marketing and operating her website Route 66
Cyber Cafe. I would recommend "The Little Website That Could" to all entrepreneurs who want
to
drive a successful internet freight train.
Release Your Unique Potential
Ronnee McGee
ChooseToExcel
2900 Government Way, #320, Coeur d' Alene, ID 83815
ISBN 1-891429-46-9 $11.95
The art from of writing has an ancient history. Studies show that writing can relive stress and
reduce
the symptoms of many chronic illnesses. Writing can also be used as an aid for personal or
professional growth. Great writing is not mandatory. Don't worry about grammatical errors or
sentence structure. The only requirement is a desire to see the picture of whom you are at the
core
with a willingness to change.
"Release Your Unique Potential" qualifies as an excellent snapshot guide for professional growth.
The twelve lessons focus on the panoramic scene of your career, and encourage you to peer
through
the zoom lense for close up snapshots. Timed assignments are provided for quiet reflection and
workbook entries enhance your individual life photographs. If you set aside just six hours of one
day, your successful career becomes an album filled with multiple proofs for self evaluation to
release your unique potential.
Ronnee McGee summaries her experience as a Career Guidance Performance trainer into a very
educational book. She realized not everyone can participate in her seminars, so she creatively
brought the seminar to the reader in book form. By studying and practicing the ideas which she
teaches, Ms. McGee lives the successful life that she imagined, and she wants the same for
everyone.
I would recommend "Release Your Unique Potential" to anyone who wants a change from the
hum
drum of their current career.
The Book
Bonnie Elaine Doss
DLSIJ Press
http://dlsijpress.com
ISBN 1-928973-93-0, eBook
When was the last time you weren't really concentrating on where you were going, and you
missed
the turn or exit to your destination? Then, when you try to get back on track, it seemed long and
cumbersome. So, eventually you gave up going to that location, and arrived at another spot in the
vicinity. Once at the new destination, there is someone you haven't seen in quite awhile, and
you're
glad your initial plans were rearranged. Chalk it up to a coincidence?
"The Book" emphasizes that every encounter in life is a culmination of your journey in life. There
are no coincidences; everything happens for a reason. With Avatar as our spiritual mentor, we are
guided to raise our conscious minds to a greater awareness of life events. Avatar walks with us
through thunderstorms, pre-dawn mornings and moonlit nights to help each of us find our own
Truth. As an esoteric traveler, the entire journey will take approximately one year, in order to
transform your world into one which is fully enlightened, fully awakened and fully enriched.
Bonnie Elaine Doss writes as if she personally knows the reader. She combines ancient wisdom
for
many cultures to teach a systematic approach to higher wisdom. Her vivid imagery captured me
as if
I was not reading her words, but actually listening to her speak in person. Her soft calm voice
encouraged me to find a beautiful meaning in every single event in my life. That's one of The
Truths
I found. Although the title of the book is quite pretentious, I would recommend "The Book" for
anyone seeking the wisdom of their life through self-transformation.
Judine Bishop Slaughter, Reviewer
http://www.eybooks.com
Jennifer's Bookshelf
A Fine Work of Art
Shelby Reed
Ellora's cave
ISBN 1843603608, $TBA, www.ellorascave.com
Elizabeth is an art teacher. She's middle aged and is going through a particularly painful divorce.
Her
husband has just left her for a beautiful woman half Elizabeth's age, and Elizabeth is feeling very
low. So it's with first disbelief, then amazement tinged with regret, that she realizes that Boone
McCrea, her very handsome, talented art student has a crush her. Boone is twelve years her
junior,
and although he's twenty four and she's, well, in her mind she's way too old for him. But his
attentions flatter her and he cheers her up when she's feeling blue. He seems to be there for her
when
she needs him, and to her surprise, she finds herself more and more attracted to him. She resists
though, and it takes Boone a while to find the seduction scene that works; and surprise when
they
are together, sparks fly. But things don't always go smoothly in romances, as in real life. Elizabeth
has troubles besetting her as her ex-husband shows up. Then she had problems at work, and
Boone
and Elizabeth find themselves struggling against the prejudices of others.
This love story had me hooked. I've always liked the older woman, younger man scenario, and
this
one was unusual in that the younger man took the initiative, was more experienced, and generally
took over. Elizabeth is no weak heroine though. She's smart and she's sexy it took Boone to
convince her of that though! And she's a talented painter in her own right. If you like your love
stories with more than a touch of realism, your characters well rounded and the story clear, you'll
really enjoy 'A Fine Work of Art.' The sex scenes are sizzling, and the chemistry between
Elizabeth
and Boone keeps this story moving along at a fast pace. Highly Recommended.
Vanished
Jaid Black
Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 1843603357, $TBA, www.ellorascave.com
Lynne Temple, her red SUV full of her belongings, is driving towards a new life, a new home and
a
new job. Little does she suspect that the tranquil future she's had in mind is about to fall apart.
One
wrong turn, and her life will never be the same. In the snowstorm, her car goes into a spin and
crashes. Lynn passes out, but not before seeing the man. A tall man, who, for some reason, seems
to
be wearing chains. When Lynne wakes up, her worst fears are realized. She's not dead but she
may
wish she were dead. There is a man with her, and she instantly recognizes him as the serial killer
rapist, who had stalked his victims all up and down the east coast. He must have escaped and now
she's his hostage. They are alone in a little cabin, miles away from anyone. Panicked, Lynne
decides
she'll do anything anything to save herself. Including offering her body to the killer. She wants to
live. Jesse Redshaw has escaped prison. He was falsely accused, and now he wants nothing to
prove
his innocence. But a woman crashes her car right in front of him, and he saved her life. When she
wakes up, three days later, she's convinced he's a deadly assassin, and before he can explain, she's
stripped off her clothes and begging him to screw her. Well, what's a man to do? Especially one
who's been in prison for a while, and who has an admitted taste for a little bondage? This story is
a
fast read, with likeable characters and a scary, yet amusing premise. Ms. Black is a superb writer,
and the story had me turning pages until way after midnight to see what would happen! A little
menacing, a lot sexy, this story is one of those 'grab you and won't let you go' tales that go on the
keeper shelf. I highly recommend 'Vanished'.
Hansell and Gretty
Sahara Kelly
Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 1843603411, $TBA, www.ellorascave.com
Ellora's Cave has decided to issue take-offs on Grimm's fairy tales. They've asked their authors to
choose one and rewrite it in their fashion, with an erotic, romantic streak. Sahara Kelly has chosen
the spooky Hansel and Gretel for her story, and the result it nothing like you've ever read in a
fairy
tale book! Emma Hansell is a graphic artist, and for years has been in love with Michael Gretty.
They have a long-distance relationship, until the day Michael begs Emma to move to the East
Coast.
He even goes so far as to get her an interview with the boss of his company, Enchanted Cottage,
Inc. so she can work with him. Emma gets the job and moves in with Michael. Everything is
perfect.
Almost. There is, however, a wicked witch in the story. Or wicked Wietsch. Jasmine Wietsch.
She's
the new CIO and has an unshakable, voracious appetite for new blood. Or in this case, young,
handsome men. And those who do not play along with her game find themselves fired. But she
manages to keep this aspect of her personality hidden. So, when Jasmine invites Michael and
Emma
to her house for a working weekend, they don't suspect it is so that Jasmine can feast on Michael.
There is even a big, bad Wolf in the story thinly disguised under the name of Max Wolfe,
Jasmine's
assistant. Max and Jasmine have plans for Ms. Hansell and Mr. Gretty, and their 'working'
weekend
is nothing but an excuse to 'sink their teeth' into the charming young couple. But Emma and
Michael
are madly in love, and it takes more than a pretty face or a moonlight swim to tear these two
apart.
Besides, when Emma finds out what Jasmine is up to, she concocts a little revenge of her own.
The
new fairy tale heroines have sharper teeth than the wolves, it turns out! This was a light-hearted,
very sexy romp through a familiar story. By taking Hansell and Gretel into the twenty-first
century,
Ms. Kelly has made a new classic. One that's so hot you'll be wishing all the fairy tales were as
naughty and nice! Very highly reccomended
Jennifer Macaire, Reviewer
http://www.jacobytebooks.com
Hodgins' Bookshelf
"Once Upon the River Love" [no capitals in title on the book's cover]
Andrei Makine (in French, 1994);
tr. to English by Geoffrey Strachan, 1998;
Penguin Books
ISBN 0-14-028362-5; US$12.95, Can$18.99;
story 209 pp., plus Translator's Note, Reader's Guide, author notes, etc.
"The River Love" is a whimsical, poetic, multilingual rendering of the name of the great Amur
River
that, with its tributaries, drains eastern Mongolia and separates Siberia from Manchuria, but that
in
its lower reaches has Russian soil on both banks. "Amur" also is a Russian name for Cupid; in
French it is written Amour - more commonly meaning "love".
This rather short but psychologically insightful novel's Russian author wrote in French using the
title,
"Au temps du fleuve Amour". Such Russian classics as "War and Peace" show that a good deal of
French was once spoken by Russia's educated classes. Whatever the repressions of the late Soviet
state, the old Francophilic tradition seems to have affected Makine, who now lives in France and
has
as his publisher les Editions du Fe'lin.
A problem exists for the transliteration into French of Russian names ending in "-in", like Lenin,
Stalin, Scriabin, in this book Utkin, and yes, this book's author's name too; for I believe Makine
would, without the French connection, be spelled Makin.
English has its pronunciation of "in" in common with Russian. In French, though, that sound
sequence doesn't exist. There, one must choose between a nasal vowel we may roughly
approximate
as lying between the normal vowel and the English "-ng", yet having the spelling "-in"; or a sound
that rhymes with Halloween, and is spelled "-ine", like chlorine.
Given that choice, French adds its final e and settles for the pronunciation "Makeen", in the
author's
case. Yet within this volume, the names Lenin and Utkin appear in their English form.
Again in French, Makine's fore- or given name is rendered with an umlaut (two dots, called a
tre'ma
in French) above the i, so as to create a dipthong e-i sound. That spelling I can closest approach
by
writing Andre"i. In English, though, we render the name as simply Andrei, the dipthong being
widely
understood as in "Hey!"
A prefatory Translator's Note explains a number of Russian terms that Makine has kept, perhaps
for
lack of good equivalents in his adoptive language. It turns out that a few of these terms have
perfectly good English equivalents, at least in North America; e.g. izba = log cabin. Others, such
as
apparatchik, will already be understood by many fairly sophisticated readers. In any case,
occasional
Russian words have a positive use in reminding us at intervals of the tale's exotic origin.
A term now rendered into English as "bath house" might better have been given its wellknown
Finnish name, "sauna" ("bastu" in Sweden, where a renowned Ingmar Bergman film showed
details
much like those in use perhaps ten thousand kilometres farther east.) You don't immerse yourself
in
water, in a sauna; you sit in a hot, steamy atmosphere, and you sweat.
Not all exotic things are necessarily pleasant. An ugly feature of this story's landscape is the local
Communist-era prison camp, or gulag, although it is off limits to the village's inhabitants. Further
landmarks were a militia & KGB building, and a barbed-wire factory. An important institution of
a
different sort, more associated with freedom than with confinement, was the Transsiberian
Railway,
of which the protagonist's aunt was a track-switch operator - not likely out of gender equality, but
partly because of a scarcity of men, as noted below.
This aunt acts in loco parentis to the orphaned boy, but her absences at work makes her
supervision
rather lax. Toward the novel's end, as well, there is the distraction of her December/December
romance with the local ferry operator. All in all, protagonist Dmitri (nickname: Mitya) and his two
closest friends, Utkin and Samurai (the latter so nicknamed after he had nearly been raped and had
taken up Oriental marital arts for self-defence) are pretty much left to run free in this tale, perhaps
like a trio of Huckleberry Finns if I recall that Mark Twain character fairly.
Another feature that will strike most readers as exotic, if probably unpleasant, is that at least twice
during the adolescence of these boys, snow falls so heavily overnight that the village's log cabins
are
literally buried, and tunnels must be excavated from house doorways up to the surface. Folk I
once
knew who had lived in Japan, I presume in the north of that long island chain, have mentioned just
such snowfalls.
This first-person, well told (but, all too typically for fiction where historicity is important, short on
dates) story concerns the three teenaged boys undergoing their own versions of coming of age -
certainly organically - in a country incredibly scarred by warfare, loss, and very forceful ideology.
Although they live in a distant part of Siberia that never was reached by Hitler's onslaught during
World War II, the cream of the young manhood that had survived the Civil War has been
siphoned
off and all but destroyed. There are however frequent mentions of enigmatic male truck drivers
who
pass through town to assist the supposedly heroic destruction of the taiga, meaning boreal
coniferous forest, or woods.
Women had been left in bitterly lonely desolation, and had to make do with brutally short trysts
with
whatever manhood they might be able to attract - often logging-truck drivers passing through -
gossipy neighbours notwithstanding. Others continue their heartbreaking patrols of places, no
matter
how bleak, where they hope someday to see their men return to them.
Despite the foregoing social disparity, at one point Makine says the boys lived in a world without
women. I interpret that to mean the boys didn't (yet) seek out girls of their own age, while older
women didn't rob the cradle of its boys. The story holds various such unexplained inconsistencies,
though, and my interpretation of this one may be wrong.
A couple of young, attractive women, standing out as blondes in a dark-haired region, perhaps
geology students being driven about in a four-wheel-drive vehicle, happen upon Mitya and
Samurai
alternatively heating themselves, naked, by a fire and diving into the frigid river. The third boy,
Utkin, had been horribly mangled by an ice floe during the Amur's spring breakup; he had
somehow
survived, but he no longer bathed outdoors. Uncharacteristically for females, these girls feast their
eyes upon the lads while the latter cover their genitals with their hands.
Samurai heads for the water, but Mitya, nickname of protagonist Dmitri, has locked eyes with the
girls and can't seem to move, while one of the girls, still eyeing him, compares him to an angel.
Mitya feels the first hopeful if confused stirrings of love, like a bird within his breast, although on
such short acquaintance - not even that! - he doesn't focus distinctly on one girl or the other. Then
the driver, who had gone to the river for water, restarts the vehicle and the episode ends.
It seems characteristic of Makine's writing not to close the circle. Right to the book's end, time
passes with no further sight of those girls. While that mode of writing may express a deficiency of
real life in which, for every bullseye that's hit, there may be a thousand misses, in romantic terms
he
creates a protracted letdown. Giving his readers warm, fuzzy feelings, though, is clearly not
Makine's aim; a few sexual couplings occur as the lads grow up, and they see more on a cinema
screen, but love and romance? Forget it!
At last and in despair, then, Mitya hires a prostitute - whereat the wild bird within him,
symbolizing
the ideals of romance, seems to die. He becomes suicidal, but his plan to jump from a bridge
miscarries.
This novel's Chapter 1 could have been named "Prologue", while the brief, concluding Part 4
could
have been the "Epilogue", those sections both being set in roughly "present time" for their author,
Makine, working as he did in the 1993-94 period. In between, the meat of the novel takes place in
(as I eventually deduced from a mention of Lenin's birthday) the 1970s, or about two decades
earlier.
In the "Prologue" Utkin, that unfortunate fellow, had dreamed of writing but, owing to his ugly,
disabling deformities, he has been unable to gather the necessary life experiences about which to
write. Most specifically, by implication he seems still a virgin after the passage of many more
years.
Thus the book begins with his call, all the way from New York, to ask his old chum Mitya to
describe a sexual adventure as "raw material" for Utkin's writing. This novel's original copyright
date
(1994) suggests a cutoff of the timeframe of those events, and also of the ones occurring in the
"Epilogue".
As if it were an international pandemic, once again we have a writer (Makine) writing about a
writer
(Utkin), but this overly familiar situation does provide a basis for some arrestingly spicy text in
"Amur"'s first lines, where it may ensnare book browsers in a thousand shops.
Part 2 of Makine's novel more or less fixates upon the three companions' 17 (yes, that's
SEVENTEEN) visits to the nearest big town to see a single, unnamed James Bond-style French
film
starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and a (the back-cover blurb says many) beautiful, suntanned woman
spy (or spies) who appear(s) to have provided "easy lays" to the dashing Belmondo, at least in his
imagination; for he is also shown, in real life, as a sensually deprived writer who has created an
ultra-glamorous, highly dynamic but merely imaginary life, casting himself as the star.
Two Belmondo characters, then, contrast the swashbuckler with the nerd, the latter again being a
writer about whom some other writer has written (how this profession does enjoy milking
itself!)
The availability of such an entertainment-for-entertainment's-sake Western film deep within the
Soviet Union, even in far Siberia with its continued plethora of prison camps, signals some
relaxation of the former official rigour, but those were early days in the de-Stalinization process.
Khruschev, together with his reforms, had been overthrown, whereas Gorbachev's liberalizing day
had not yet dawned. Brezhnev, then in power in Moscow, was to visit West Germany in May
1973
and USA in June, but any softening of the official Communist hard line capable of letting in
Western
films before those events must obviously have had other causes.
The most likely mellowing event of 1972 had been Nixon's May visit to Moscow, said to mark the
beginning of de'tente - the easing of strained relations between countries. The SALT I (Strategic
Arms Limitation) Treaty was signed during that visit, and SALT II talks were begun.
That first Belmondo film caused a tremendous stir. Such was its power that the three boys all
memorized each word of its dubbed-in Russian dialogue, while even the most improbable, stuffy,
conservative citizens were swept up in the communal viewing frenzy. Meanwhile, everyone
seemed
to come away from the Red October cinema dreaming not only of Belmondo's heroics, but also of
the hidden assets of a mousy, covered-up girl in Belmondo's writerly life - assets which, during the
film's fantasy sequences, turn out to be the long, suntanned thighs and superb breasts of the chief
girl
spy of the writer's action epic.
By way of contrast, Makine outlines the accompanying sterile Soviet propaganda film in which a
handsome young couple strays into a field of, I think, barley. The audience evidently hopes for a
lush
sequence beginning with contacts of eyes, lips, then whole bodies, progressing with much heavy
breathing and squirming to the shedding of suddenly superfluous clothes and "a-doin' what comes
natcherly." Instead, as good little puppets of the state, the actors enthuse over the new crop's
prospects, precipitating a huge audience groan and a filmic fadeout - after which, the time is a
year
later; a tiny new tovarisch (comrade) is shown off, presumably having been brought by a
hammer-and-sickle stork.
A special Soviet anniversary eventually required a change of the Red October cinema's
programme.
A new, propagandized newsreel prefaced a second and almost equally illuminating Belmondo
film.
At last that propaganda piece allows us more or less to fix a date in this narrative, at page 122 of
the
novel. It celebrated the 103rd birthday of Lenin, born in April 1870. We don't know by how much
the newsreel's distribution was prepared ahead of time, versus by how much it was delayed in
transport, but it clearly was shown early in 1973.
One of the numerous elements that may make this novel qualify as capital-L Literature is a simple
observation, spoken by protagonist Mitya, that each of his group wanted to see a different
Belmondo for reasons of different personal experiences. To me the most interesting case is
Utkin's,
particularly as I have been privileged to know a comparably handicapped artist in a different field.
Such people, finding themselves all but shut out of our world by unalterable physical
circumstances,
may live in, and adjust almost wholly to, personal, quite different worlds marked, above all, by
their
solitude. Having those special worlds all to themselves, inhabitants may even resent outsiders' well
meant intrusions.
In any case, Utkin first had to find his way to the inner life of his personal world of writing, to find
the solution to his loneliness. To that end, he was vastly helped by two guideposts.
First, his onetime journalist (once more, a writer!) grandfather gave him in typed manuscript a
wartime memoir of how he'd found his way in the most desolate circumstances, during a
disheartened retreat before the overwhelming might of the enemy. He owed it all, the grandfather
claimed, to a particular look a passing woman had chanced to give him. The message Utkin took
from that document was that he must not despair, for somewhere out there some equivalent to
that
smile waited to lift his heart, too. Second, he began to identify with the quieter, but in a sense
no
less heroic (because indomitable) Belmondo, the downtrodden, sickly writer who nonetheless had
what it took to produce the brilliant pyrotechnics of his diverting "Western World" fantasy.
As Makine expresses it (in part) on page 118, "And Utkin fell in love with the poor slave to the
typewriter. This was the Belmondo he felt close to. The one who climbed the stairs painfully,
pumping his broken-winded lungs, ravaged by tobacco. In short, that very vulnerable being. Now
hurt by his own son's boorishness; now by the unintended betrayal of his lovely young neighbour
...
Yet it was enough [to that Belmondo] for there to be a sheet of white paper in his machine, and
reality was transfigured ..."
Those two factors would change Utkin's life. The scenario is perfectly plausible and very, very
well
observed.
Where the boys got the money for all that movie-going remains a mystery. However, it seems that
gold dust, grains, and even nuggets were found in the local streams, although mining them was a
state offence.
That source of wealth was definitely what got them out of a scrape when, after one show, they
had
burgled their way into an empty train parked overnight on a siding, to awaken already in motion
and
far from home, ultimately reaching a (to them) exotic Pacific Ocean port, perhaps Vladivostok.
While realizing they'd reached the Far East, they found it redolent of the vastly admired Western
World which, they were sure, began again somewhere out there, offshore. Here they sold a
nugget
to pay for their third-class passage home - in the process of which, a restless Mitya explored as far
as, perhaps, First Class. There he encountered, but hadn't the nerve to speak to, a heartstoppingly
glamorous Western Woman.
Time flies when you're having fun, and so do review paragraphs. I tend to give away too much of
my review books' contents, and here I would stop at page 150 if I could, leaving Parts 3 and 4
largely for readers' own discovery. My excuse not to is that there is little important plot in this
work,
another indicator of big-L Literature status. What we see here is simply youth, and three
individuals'
fumbling departures from it.
Part 3, then, continues the evolution of ignorant or at least unsophisticated boys into young
men-of-the-Western-World-in-the-East. Now we meet a hitherto mysterious Olga, whose identity
Samurai has evidently been protecting in case of state persecution. She is a noblewoman who has
seen Paris - which, for the boys, requires this exclamation point!
Olga is not, however, as clever and well informed as she supposes. In part she misleads the boys
in a
common way, with a cockeyed prejudice. Specifically, she calls the English language nothing but
bastardized French - whereas it was bastardized from an Old English base (Anglo-Saxon
GERMAN)
by Scandinavian (Germanic) Vikings/Norsemen/Northmen/Normans who had invaded Gaul to
found
Normandy, developing a new French dialect.
According to the encyclopaedia, moreover, "By the end of the 12th century the Normans in
England
might fairly pass as Englishmen, and they had largely adopted the English language. The
fashionable
use of French [continued] for nearly two centuries longer ..." That is, any need for French in
England finally died out in the 14th century; Olga, who evidently wouldn't have known a
Shakespeare from a slingshot, suggests French remained the official language of England until the
17th.
If you want to be as mean-spirited as she, you may say that French itself is nothing but bastardized
Latin - and even Latin was bastardized Sanskrit, or something else of that ancient order. Oh, well
...
Americans fare still worse in the arrogant Olga's descriptions, but that dragon took no notice of
Canada at all, I'm happy to say. Anyhow, Olga's function in this tale, as I see it, is simply to
further
the boys' development, particularly their curiosity about the West. Let's just hope that no-one
takes
her seriously.
Mitya is the first to leave their little community. He sneaks off to study film-making, with a dream
of
meeting Belmondo himself, in Leningrad (today again St. Petersburg). "The only Western city of
the
Empire", it lay the far end of the USSR.
There Mitya receives a card from Samurai reporting Olga's death and showing himself in a
marines
uniform aboard a ship in Havana, possibly on his way to play a Belmondo-inspired role in Central
America. Utkin had moved to Kiev, and has begun writing a Solzhenitsyn-style novel.
The final Part 4 is less than 11 pages long. The time is 20 years later, about the time Makine was
writing this novel. The scene is in Brighton Beach, apparently a Russian suburb of New York.
Utkin
has witnessed Samurai's death, "riddled with steel" in Central America, and has asked Mitya to
call.
Utkin shows his work; he has, after all, been making erotic comic books with the "raw material"
Mitya had provided.
Ah, but what memories they share!
"All the Brave Fellows"
James L. Nelson
Pocket Books div.
Simon & Schuster Inc.
ISBN 0-671-03846-X; US$25.95, Can$38.95
prefatory pages with ship diagrams, map, etc., and 395 pp. text incl. Historical Note &
Glossary.
The back cover's dust-jacket flap tells us the author of this book "... is a native of Maine and a
former professional square-rig sailor." For purposes of my own naval historical series I covet Mr.
Nelson's second claim above, as well as his possible relationship to that most illustrious of British
admirals, Horatio Nelson, d. at Battle of Trafalgar, 1805.
The present Nelson is also credited with authorship of four previous Pocket Books novels, all
perhaps being in the naval historical genre - although I admit to knowing nothing of them beyond
their titles. (There are hints in the present work that those other volumes are precursors or
"prequels" to "All the Brave Fellows", in a single series.)
Either author Nelson has a weak grip of some American history of which he writes, or my
customary reference works do so. After fairly extensive research and comparisons of source
materials, I find the latter to be the case. I feel especially disappointed in my seemingly infallible
reference, "The Oxford Companion to Ships and the Sea", 1988 paperback edition, ISBN
0-19-282084-2 (pbk.). Oxford will hear from me shortly!
"The Encyclopaedia Britannica" (Chicago, London, Toronto), 1957 ed., proves better, once one
studies the Index volume closely enough to find "- navy" in the line following "Continental
National
Bank and Trust Co. of Chicago", of all things.
I don't accuse the "Oxford Companion" of publishing falsehoods, but rather of apparent ignorance
of, or failure to publish, some rather significant facts.
Luckily, I'd had a creepy feeling about Oxford's coverage of "CONTINENTAL NAVY", pp.
197-8,
and the reference there to a further item on p. 806, "SIX ORIGINAL FRIGATES", as laid down
only in 1794 to protect American commerce against the Barbary States. Otherwise I might
unjustly
have criticized Mr. Nelson's work on his page 4, where he writes "the original thirteen frigates,
ordered in those heady days of December 1775".
As I interpret plain English words, you see, "original" means and has always meant ORIGINAL -
that is, "first". I therefore hold that the second lot of frigates could not have been "original",
unless
through insertion of some such modifier as "post-revolutionary".
In my arithmatic, moreover, 6 does not equal 13.
As noted, my research vindicates Mr. Nelson rather than Oxford. Should you need greater detail
(as
I do to amend my own naval historicals based upon Oxford's word), the best reference data I have
discovered to date may be found on pages 19-21 of "Pictorial History of Ships" by J.H. Martin &
Geoffrey Bennett (Octopus Books Limited, 59 Grosvenor St., London W1, 1977), ISBN 0 7064
0625 7 - price and availability today unknown.
I've also found information on the Web supporting both Mr. Nelson and the authors of "Pictorial
History of Ships". It's possible, though, that the little-mentioned, truly original 13 frigates may
have
embarrassed American historians, who in calling the second batch "original" may have hoped to
obfuscate the dismal tale of (most of?) the ORIGINAL originals.
It is author Nelson who reveals the fates of the new frigates. "Of those thirteen," his page 4
informs
us, "Only four had got to sea. Of those four, the `Hancock' had already been captured and the
`Randolph' was ... crippled ...".
The Britannica's v. 6, pp. 337-8 article re. "CONTINENTAL CONGRESS, THE" is also helpful.
The term "Continental" was pressed into service, I rather imagine, for lack of the still uncoined
name, "United States of America" - but at no time did the gathering represent more than a fraction
of the continent's territory. The congress(es) met annually from 1774 until 1788, following which
the
United States were/was finally formed by adoption of the Constitution in 1789.
The concept of statehood for the 13 colonies, or at least the use of the word "state" in the same
context, was not new in 1789; it seems simply to have remained unofficial, or not agreed upon,
until
that year.
According to the Encyclopaedia's article on John Adams, "On June 7, 1776, [Adams] seconded
the
famous resolution introduced by Richard Henry Lee ... that `these colonies are, and of a right
ought
to be, free and independent states.'" The resolution would be adopted on July 2.
Moreover, archived materials from before and during the Revolution refer to [Old] State Houses
in
such towns as Boston, Mass., and Annapolis, Md. Too much should not be read into that usage,
in
my view; a "state house" may have been more or less equivalent to today's term, "government
house" - which, in the case of the mansion of that name in Ottawa, is the residence of the
Governor
General (our Head of State), but is not a place where any actual governing occurs. It's unlikely,
then,
that before 1789 "State House" implied statehood in the modern American sense.
Instead of "states", it seems that, throughout the Revolution (or War of Independence), the
Colonies
generally still referred to themselves as colonies, or more occasionally as provinces - or, if
referring
to the whole cooperating group, then (as indicated in a Francis Hopkinson's commission to the
Continental Congress) as the "United Colonies".
There obviously are far greater specialists than I in American history, institutions and usages, but
a
likely undeniable point is that if you see a Revolutionary-era ship named, as one example, the
"USS
[for United States Ship] Virginia", something is amiss; for no legal entity was named The United
States of America until 1789. Likewise there was no United States Navy until still later, it having
been authorized by Congress only in 1794. The words "United States Navy", which twice appear
on
page 14 in company with "The Continental Congress", also seem anachronistic.
Vol. 22, p. 762 of the Encyclopaedia provides the following insights. American yards were able to
build the new ships required by war because nearly a third of all vessels engaged in Great Britain's
commerce had been built there. Too, the earliest sea battles of the war were fought (to protect
local
water-borne commerce) by small vessels armed by nine of the 13 colonies. In fact it appears that
at
least some of those colonies possessed "navies". The Continental Navy soon began taking form,
though - and, I suppose, annexed the states' components for their better coordination.
Page 21 of "Pictorial History of Ships" tells us, "After the Revolution the Americans disposed of
their army and navy and for a time were without any defence forces apart from the local militia
companies." Thenceforth until 1794, then, the Continental Navy may have existed only on
paper.
I'm running too far ahead of "All the Brave Fellows", though. No matter how interesting later
naval
history may be, I should fall back and discuss the actual story Nelson spins for us, insofar as I can
do
so without spoiling readers' pleasure.
As may befit a work of fiction, Nelson invents a fictitious extra frigate, aboard which his hero's
(Captain Isaac Biddlecomb's) future exploits will presumably be carried out. Tacked onto a
second
order of vessels placed by Congress late in 1776, she's the soon-to-be-launched `Falmouth' of
twenty-eight 12-pounder guns (smooth-bore, round-shot cannon), a fairly typical frigate of her
day.
Of the 13 original 1775 frigates, five carried or were intended to carry 32 guns each; another five
were designed for 28 and, unless their guns were of a different size, they would therefore have
been
of the same strength as Biddlecomb's future `Falmouth' command; while three more vessels were
to
have 24 guns each, and were among the smaller frigates of the period.
All these vessels were of course ship rigged, meaning that each carried three masts and a
bowsprit,
with squaresails on every mast and occasionally even a squarecut spritsail spread beneath the
bowsprit.
A brig (see diagram among this novel's prefatory pages) looks fairly similar, but normally is
significantly smaller and, by definition, always carries only two masts. Such a vessel would, in
British
naval practice, have been a lieutenant's command; I believe Americans generally followed the
British
lead, such as carrying marines aboard, the mother country having worked out many procedures by
trial and error over the centuries. Granted, though, at this novel's outset Isaac Biddlecomb is
ranked
Captain, yet he commands "the Continental brig-of-war `Charlemagne'". In those early war days
there evidently were too few true warships to go around to all such deserving officers as he.
At all events there seems to have been every likelihood of his receiving a real captain's command
aboard the `Falmouth', as soon as she is ready for sea ... only, just before the ship's launch, he
goes
missing!
Especially to a general, unspecialized reader, Nelson tells a fine nautical tale - although, unlike
that
great master of the genre, the late Patrick O'Brian, Nelson doesn't always get all details quite
right.
On a point of style, as well, Nelson seems to me to come a little too close to drawing caricatures,
not portraits, of some of his characters. I have a vague notion that writing in the third person with
a
floating POV (point of view) ... one might even call it "writing in the third personS" ... may tend
to
encourage such a tendency among fiction writers who use the form.
Given that so many stories of this genre have been written from the British perspective, it's
interesting to find one from an opponent's. I think, though, I mustn't say much more about the
yarn
itself for fear of spoiling it for my more retentive readers. Yet perhaps I may be pardoned for
mentioning that Biddlecomb is a married man whose wife and infant son are aboard during this
novel's perilous opening maritime episode.
I also can say it surprises me that an evidently much experienced sailor can get a point of sailing
lore
askew; for a common landlubbers' error resounds on page 33 of "All the Brave Fellows".
It involves the considerable distinction between two superficially similar verbs, "to careen" and "to
career". Stated as briefly as possible, to "careen" is to haul a beached ship over on her side by
means
of tackles rove to her mastheads, so as to let barnacles and other marine growths be scraped and
burned off the exposed side of the hull's bottom. This word derives from care`ne, French for
"hull".
To "career", in contrast, is to move about quickly and wildly, out of control; at sea, a loose
cannon
might CAREER very dangerously about a ship's deck, with every pitch or roll.
"Careen" is necessarily a nautical maintenance term, but "career" is not. "Career" may equally be
said of, for example, the bulls annually turned loose to chase people about the streets of
Pamplona.
Nelson has written, "... the `Charlemagne' careening toward [the nearby New Jersey beach],
turned
sideways and taking the seas on the beam, rolling wildly ..." Thus the crippled, uncontrollable
vessel
so described clearly CAREERED inshore; any appearance that she might spontaneously begin the
CAREENING process without human participation was illusory.
For me, of greater concern by far were the facts that the brig was then on fire while, as a
man-of-war, she carried large stores of highly explosive gunpowder. In such a position anyone
aboard, or even within a considerable distance of the vessel, was in dire peril of being blown to
bits,
roasted, or struck by flying timbers. Such persons, unless choosing to die, would have been
anxious,
even panic-stricken to get themselves and others away from the forthcoming holocaust. Yet in
that
critical moment, (see page 38), what occupied Captain Biddlecomb's mind? "The redcoats were
coming"! Either the Captain's priorities were badly out of kilter, or the novelist describing him
failed
to recognize, forgot, or purposely disregarded the self-evident #1 issue of the moment.
Sometimes thoroughly understanding a situation may help save lives in a real-life emergency. At
other times, though, it can spoil the fun when, as a reader, you encounter an inadequately handled
fictional crisis.
Oh well, just mimic the presumed editor. Let yourself be carried away by the action, don't think
too
analytically about details, and you too may get a great "BANG!" out of this yarn.
"Jump"
Marianne Ackerman
McArthur & Company
ISBN 1-55278-184-4; Can $9.99, 380 pp. (text begins pg. 9).
(NOTE: I've stopped writing Montreal and Quebec with an apostrophe, ', in my futile attempts to
represent the French "accent aigu", acute accent, above the first e. You should know such accents
belong there, though.)
It's true that this novel contains no illustrative material, but by today's standards "Jump" seems a
good bargain.
Divided for no very good reason that I can see into two parts, "QUESTION" and "ANSWER",
the
novel has several themes, including its usual protagonist* Myra Grant's failed marriage, the two
quickly maturing kids of whom she's had chief custody, her interests in the stage and in Quebec
politics (especially the 1995 referendum), and her freelance writing.
___ * While it's true the novel's most consistent protagonist is Myra, at times the POV (point of
view) briefly shifts to that of her estranged husband, Jack. Compared to other third-person fiction,
though, this work remains comparatively constant in its POV.
The theme of Myra's literary interests broadens toward "Jump"'s end, to include her
post-referendum
intention to write a nonfiction political book. Once again we see a writer (Ackerman) writing
about
a writer (Myra) - but this time we are spared the convention of agonizing over "writer's block".
More generally, writing may not be mentioned for pages at a time in "Jump"; it's a minor theme
compared with the political one, at least until the latter has vastly simmered down after the
vote.
I'm fairly convinced that those "Q" & "A" words relate to the Quebec referendum of 30 October
1995, politics being the issue most likely to affect the book's structure. The referendum was
intended
(with fervent hopes for a big "yes" majority) to decide whether Quebeckers wanted
"sovereignty-association", widely interpreted to mean, in practice, an advantageous separation
from
the rest of Canada; the latter, of course, showed no interest in granting Quebec all the goodies, as
were sought by that essentially self-serving proposal.
We already know the referendum question's answer: NO, but by such a thin margin that the
governing separatist party was little discouraged, and next proposed an infinite series of
repetitions
so tedious that Anglos nicknamed them "The Neverendum".
Yet it seems the people of Quebec, especially the young ones, have since lost interest in that sort
of
politics - in essence, the politics of lingering hatred - perhaps because neither side has burned or
trodden on the other's flag in years now. Without fresh outrage, how can you maintain your anger
toward folk for whom you have a liking and an undeniable need?
The status-quo or "Non" (No) side was greatly encouraged when the Cree (Cri, in French) and
Inuit
indigenous peoples held counter-referenda to determine attitudes in their Northern Quebec areas,
establishing that they might quit Quebec and take very large territories with them, were Quebec to
quit Canada. Areas in Southern Quebec also caught the new "Partitionist" fever, leaving only a
rump
area along the St. Lawrence River as assured post-independence Quebec land. The "Oui" or Yes
faction had, it seemed, taken careful aim as if to shoot itself in the foot!
Author Ackerman's view of what happened more generally is outlined on pages 354-5 where, to
summarize her summary further, she sees the exclusionary views of the old-French ethnic
population
as having left no reason why other groups would support their essentially elitist project.
This novel seems as Canadian (of the modern, urban subspecies) as it can be. Its scenes are set in
Montreal especially, but also in Calgary and Toronto, as well as with reminiscences of Ottawa
(e.g.,
mentioning picturesque Byward Market) and Port Hope, Ont., the lastnamed having been Myra's
original hometown and having gained notoriety from its uranium processing industry. In the final
pages there even are episodes set in a Cornwall, Ontario motel.
Of all the themes making up this novel, politics dominate until the last quarter or so of the book.
Author Ackerman quite successfully captures the excitement of Quebec's cliffhanger referendum.
Later, though, with the outcome eventually known, the focus shifts elsewhere.
She herself was born in Belleville, Ont., about 80 km (50 mi.) east of Port Hope on the north
shore
of Lake Ontario. She shares Myra's having put down roots in Montreal, an old city whose rich if
not
uniformly wealthy character is illustrated in "Jump"'s strikingly artistic cover.
Montreal has been called the world's second-largest "French" city, although the proportion of
inhabitants who have English or some other language as their mother tongues has been quite
substantial ever since the 18th century. In character, Montreal may be called the New Orleans of
Canada, but it probably remains larger; my old encyclopaedia says that in 1950 New Orleans had
fewer than 600,000 inhabitants, while in 1951 Montreal had over 1,000,000. Montreal was
Canada's
largest city until the separatist upheavals; it remains second-largest even today.
Quebec politics generally, and separatism in particular, are Myra's reason for living in Montreal.
Her
interest goes beyond her work as a freelance journalist. She claims some relationship to the late
Rene' Le'vesque, a founder and first leader of the modern Quebec nationalist movement. Further,
she
believes that separatism (or independence - there's supposed to be a nuance of difference between
such terms, but I forget how the hair is split) is "right" for Quebec. Her stance opposes that of the
majority of the English-speaking community, including her own husband while their marriage
lasts,
Jack. His federalist vote, in fact, cancels her separatist one until he moves away to Calgary,
Alberta.
It seems there's a lot of Marianne Ackerman in Myra Grant. Their shared attitude toward
Quebec's
independence would help explain why author Ackerman sometimes insists that Quebec is a
"nation".
On page 90 alone she quotes a friend's father, with my added emphasis, "Quebec is finished ...
Kaput, too many politicians, a NATION of whiners." In the next paragraph Ackerman adds,
"Joey's
Quebec is a NATION of muses ... Politicians ... defend an oppressed NATION ... artists ... keep
the
... STATE-in-waiting alive ..."
A neutral voice, one not intent upon scoring Ackerman's political point, seems more likely have
phrased such remarks more like this: "Kaput, too many politicians, a SOCIETY of whiners;" or,
"...
a group/bunch/gaggle/crowd of whiners."
Ackerman does concede that much political posing or hypocrisy seems to go on. For instance, a
separatist woman columnist (in French) and TV personality (in English), who sometimes
canvasses
Myra to "represent" hundreds of thousands of English-speaking Quebeckers of various stripes, is
publicly an inde'pendantiste but, more privately, is deep in an passionate affair with a Scotsman,
and,
within an ostensibly French sentence, uses such expressions as "out of this world".
That's nothing, however, when you consider how all of Quebec has embraced the essentially
British
parliamentary system, complete with "le speaker". Chain-smoker Le'vesque having died, others
who
now held the reins of separatist power had personally benefited a great deal from the Anglo
connection and had made it parts of themselves.
Ackerman puts the situation as follows, on pages 114-115: "... Lucien Bouchard [was] the
former
[Canadian] Ambassador to Paris, former Conservative Party federalist, who, after a stellar career
as
a Canadian, woke up one day [on the] road to Damascus, Quebec.
"Officially, the Oui campaign is led by Premier Jacques Parizeau, a portly erudite type who speaks
English with a BBC accent acquired at the London School of Economics. But Parizeau has failed
to
arouse passion, and his campaign is going nowhere. Out of desperation, strategists have ...
decided
he can't win this one alone. Bouchard at least has the ability to bring a crowd to its feet, [without
which] the status quo is going to win hands down."
As I recall, the pro-Canada federalist No side was slow off the mark but eventually got in its licks,
for one thing insisting loudly on a clear and candid referendum question. Like so many political
campaigns, then, the run-up was an often cynical contest between manipulators of public opinion.
For instance, knowing that a real separation of Quebec from Canada would be a hard, possibly
impossible sell, its nominal proponents resorted to word-spinning and, if I may voice my opinion,
to
outright bafflegab. They referred to themselves not as separatists but as the "Oui" (Yes) side,
creating an impression that they were a positive force, while branding federalists as the "Non"
(No,
or negative) side.
Had their question been "Do you wish to remain Canadian?" the positive, "yes" answer would
have
been a vote for federalism. However, the separatists immediately seized the positive position for
themselves, and sought a question phrased accordingly.
Even then they had much spinning to do. They steadfastly refused to ask a simple, point-blank,
fully
revealing question such as "Do you want Quebec to be an independent country with its own
armed
forces, customs & immigration, foreign embassies, etc.?" Instead of anything like that, the "Oui"
side
pursued a meandering query that they hoped might lead to their goal, irrespective of how the
public
might interpret any obscure phraseology they might string together.
Criticized for obfuscation, they created a question whose words one might perhaps understand,
but
whose ultimate meaning remained unclear because, for one thing, it depended upon a test that had
not yet been pursued. It read, "Do you agree that Quebec should become sovereign, after having
made a formal offer to Canada for a new economic and political partnership within the scope of
the
Bill respecting the future of Quebec and the agreement signed on June 12, 1995?" Seven words
began clearly, but the query ended in obscurity.
Beyond the fact that no such offer had been made, and disregarding that Quebec in the meantime
was, and remains today, an integral part of that Canada with which it envisaged bargaining, the
real
meaning of the word "sovereign" went unexplored in the question. However, the buzz was put
about
that Quebec would expect to continue use of such established assets of Canada as our dollar and
our
passport. Canada would not, in other words, become a foreign country to Quebeckers at all, if
they
had their say. Quebec's "Oui" side wished to keep the benefits of Canadianism, but without
sharing
actual Canadianism. The cliche' fitted perfectly; they wanted to have their cake, and eat it
too.
The Federal Government would have none of that, and did its best to make it clear that
"sovereignty" meant separation - period! Visions of guarded border crossings springing up where
there is now free passage, of federal jobs being lost to Quebeckers, began troubling Canadian
minds.
Politics is - no, are! - just one theme in this book, but its - no, their! - seeming predominance may,
I
hope, justify much of the genre label I've spun out of thin air and stuck into this review's first line.
"Literary", also in my genre description, is an inherently nebulous concept with which I've already
tussled several times here.
Now I mean that Ackerman writes at least some evocative phrases, while largely avoiding that
Literary no-no, "action". One of her themes moreover concerns a stage play, an obviously literary
form, but I'm a poor judge of whether or not these factors add up to Literary genre status.
A back cover blurb tells us "Jump" is author Ackerman's first novel, but that she previously had
written a number of stage plays. Hence protagonist Myra's involvement, too, in the stage.
Myra and her friend Joey Rosenbaum (at one point Ackerman calls them soulmates, but in the end
Joey seems simply forgotten as Myra goes off with another man) are involved in a Montreal
theatre
company named Off the Main, "the Main" being Montreal slang for le Boulevard Saint-Laurent,
or
St. Lawrence Boulevard. Thus the imaginary company's name uses the same basic idea as Off
Broadway, in New York.
A possible mixup for the reader, beginning on page 62, about Montreal bars may be worth
clarifying;
for even I, who know Montreal moderately well, felt puzzled at first.
The difficulty involves two joints named Copacabana and La Cabane - largely synonymous terms
from the Spanish and French, respectively. The prefix "Copa" means "cup", but "caban~a" and
"cabane" both mean "cabin". In a mainly French city much given to slang, it would be no surprise
to
hear "Copacabana" familiarly called "La Cabane". Nonetheless they must be two separate
businesses,
given that on page 68 Myra and Joey leave the Copacabana for La Cabane so as to catch the
second
hangout's happy hour.
Myra is the "first" Mrs. Jack Grant. Together with second "wife" Paulette (actually, there has
been
no divorce and no new marriage, - see pages 10, 183, and 279-280), Myra's estranged husband
Jack
has moved from Montreal to Calgary before the opening scene. I had trouble at first to understand
just who was married to whom, but perhaps these few words may help other readers get started;
for
even the volume's back cover blurb is confused, calling Jack Myra's ex-husband and saying he has
a
"new French Canadian wife." If even a blurb writer can't follow a plot, watch out!
Early in the book the two women coexist on a surprisingly civil footing, all things considered.
When
Jack gets seriously ill, Myra simply flies to Calgary to see him; among other matters, their two
children must be provided for.
In Calgary she is well received by Paulette, and given houseroom without fuss or question. The
only
source of serious resentment is that while Jack had been paying off Myra's housing in Montreal,
he
and Paulette had deferred for too long their plans to found a family of their own.
When the chips are down on page 300, though, pot-and-kettle Myra tells Jack that Paulette is his
"slut of a girlfriend," while another man's sperm may still be swimming inside her. At times like
this,
I begin to wonder whether I've happened upon a soap opera?
Earlier - but how much earlier, I couldn't tell - Myra had not been the perfect wife by any means.
Page 51 tells us that "... when the kids were away with Jack, [she] had lovers ..." Supposing she
and
Jack hadn't yet split, I imagined her warmth had been tapped off by too many strange men to keep
Jack happy with her cold leftovers, likely encouraging his affair with Paulette. By then, Myra
could
not reasonably have resented Jack's doing with Paulette what she had done with a series of
unnamed
men ... but the sequence of events remained unclear to me, as I read the book.
(As an amusing aside, in a preceding paragraph an innocent typo made a clause initially come out,
"while Jack had been paying off Myra's hosing in Montreal ...")
Could Jack's switch of allegiance be the source of the tale's title, "Jump"? That hypothesis didn't
seem to stand up, and one is kept almost perpetually guessing, although by 2/3 of the way through
the book I'd begun wondering whether there was a reference to the way the work keeps moving
from one theme to another. Even after reading every word of this book, I still hadn't a single, solid
clue about that title's real significance, if any. Is it an author's proper business to set up puzzles to
distract a reader's attention like that, I wonder?
Besides a husband in common - in fact, the marital status of all three remains unclear until, on
pages
279-280, it comes out that Jack and Myra have never actually completed their divorce
proceedings -
the two "Mrs. Grants" are given a digestive-tract quirk to share. First Myra lets fly her stomach's
contents onto Paulette's ceramic bathroom floor, on page 28; then, almost as if not to be outdone,
at
page 39 Paulette redecorates her own livingroom rug by the same means.
One might infer either that the combination of shrimp and wine is intolerable, or that both women
happen to react this way when stressed, for there is no suggestion of a flu epidemic sweeping
through Calgary during Myra's visit. I think, though, the coincidence results from this being a first
novel, insufficiently gestated. Yet a good editor should have noticed a virtual double-barf, as well
as
the Copacabana-La Cabane confusion, and ought to have procured some amendments. (There
also
are intended coincidences in "Jump". I haven't documented them all but, being alerted by pages
363-6, I found it amazing that opposite-sex acquaintances driving opposite ways on a divided
highway could be involved in separate accidents occurring so closely together in time and place
that
the two meet and become lovers.)
No mere by-rote proofreader, and no mere electronic equivalent - a spelling-checker computer
program - can identify and amend such faults; what's needed is a real editor of unimpeachable
logic
and perception.
Lacking such wisdom, apparently, we have on page 73, "Her father spent his working life at a tool
and dye plant ...". Now anyone, and any electronic checker, will recognize the spelling, "dye".
However, the SENSE of its usage here is all wrong. What goes with toolmaking is not the
manufacture of chemical colouring agents (dyestuffs), but rather DIEmaking - the manufacture of
mechanical dies, which are tool-like devices designed specifically for the working (stamping,
cutting,
extruding, bending, moulding ...) of metals or other materials into given shapes and patterns, such
as
those of coins & medals, table cutlery, automotive or other machine parts, and even extruded clay
bricks.
About halfway through "Jump", when you think you've already met all the significant dramatis
personae, a couple of Myra's male business associates turn up who at first don't seem there to
stay.
One's is simply called Pain; the other is Rowan Gaunt. By the book's end, though, Myra will
casually
have bedded with both, although one at a time; should you read this book, I suggest taking note
when those names first turn up, in hopes of knowing who they are later on.
Despite all these apparent infidelities, etc., "Jump" is not in the slightest degree a sexual book.
Breasts may be mentioned once or twice in connection with the fit of clothes or something, but
that's
about it. For all we know, Myra and, say, Rowan may not even touch each other under the
covers. It
seems a peculiarly womanly trait to lead us through the Valley of the Shadow of Sex, where we
may
fear no evil. As a male writer, I find that trait very difficult to copy where necessary.
For a true feeling of Montreal it's essential that this story not be told 100% in English, but I'd
think
there are not enough French words in "Jump" - 1%, perhaps - to defy unilingual English readers.
It
may be wise, though, to keep a French-English dictionary at hand.
On page 356, "Mick" should have been Mitch, Myra's and Jack's son.
I recall only one error in French, an error of gender, using "le" instead of la Reine on page 182 -
meaning "the Queen", but putting it erroneously into the masculine voice. (Although we don't use
"reine" in English, it's derived from the Latin "regina", queen, found on coins bearing the Queen's
likeness; Regina also is the name of the capital city of Saskatchewan.) Giving credit where it is
due,
"Jump" actually corrects my spelling of "patrimoine" - patrimony or heritage.
Thanks to the Norman conquest of 1066 and subsequent history, the meanings of many French
words in "Jump" can be easily guessed; some, such as fe'licitations, exist also in English - but
shorn
of any French accents, as in this case.
It's not as if the second language of this book were, say, Urdu or Turkish!
I must again limit myself. Here are my remaining observations.
For a while, frequent references are made to "Waiting for Godot", a show that others besides
myself
will never have seen (or read, if it has also appeared in book form.) Those mentions may go over
readers' heads and so, before reading "Jump", it may be helpful, but it isn't imperative, to see or
read
"Godot".
The narration of "Jump" abruptly leaps from theme to theme quite often, possibly confusing or
tiring
readers. Can this pattern at last explain the work's title? To the very end, I'm never sure. The
reference may equally well be to the way Myra and Rowan, who happen to be in the right place at
the right time to Jump into bed, or to Jump at the chance - halfbaked though the idea is, and
despite
their professed, undying love for Montreal - to take off for Mexico (shades of Kerouac?), where
Myra is to write her book about Quebec politics. Totally vanished, meantime, are thoughts of
Jack
and Joel, which may require a Jump of our belief. Let me just say, I've seen better named novels
than
this.
In Ackerman's more familiar work of stage productions, usually the curtain either is up to let the
action proceed, or it is down to let the stagehands change scenes. That is, stage action is normally
choppy. A novel, in contrast, can maintain a smoother flow, a potential that's inherent in the
prose-on-paper medium. It will be interesting to see how Ackerman will have progressed, next
time
she publishes a novel.
Subject to those caveats, readers with interest in the indicated subject fields will have no trouble in
finding enjoyment and even enlightenment in this work. One comes away with a better
appreciation
of what may go on behind the scenes - be they stage, political, or family.
"The Annotated Alice: the Definitive Edition"
Lewis Carroll, author, original illustrations by John Tenniel, intro. & notes by Martin
Gardner
W.W. Norton & Company
ISBN 0-393-04847-0; price, US$29.95, Can.$42.00, pp. xxviii, 312, incl. many extra
features
The above-specified, recent Norton edition of these often paired Alice books contrasts sharply
with
my old (but I think not yet "antique") Blackie & Son version, telling the identical two stories, that
I
was given at Christmas 2002 and had read right through by Boxing Day. The Norton product is a
much better documented edition, even if one disregards its copious notes; for my "Blackie" is
undated, it carries no ISBN number, it is very likely out of print, and, at the time of its issue, it
had
only the old-style British price of 6/- printed on its dust jacket. The Norton is, moreover, much
bigger to hold its very extensive notes; clearly, it contains the notes themselves; and it sports a
magnificent dust jacket.
One might shrink from criticizing "Alice" or Carroll, for both have become semi-cult icons on
several continents. Pages 303-4 of the Norton book, my standard reference hereunder, give
addresses for Lewis Carroll societies in Britain, USA, Canada, and Japan. That Carroll and
"Alice"
have been studied almost to death becomes apparent in the very copiousness of the notes
compiled
by Martin Gardner, who was aided by a great many other enthusiasts.
I became much more a fan of "Alice" while reading to my children as they grew up, than ever I
had
been as as child myself - or, as to that, than my kids then were. Now history repeats itself as I
recite,
or now simply read, the same material to my grand-daughter, still aged only four; for thus far,
"Alice" doesn't seem to catch her attention much.
The original work by Lewis Carroll (pen name of Charles Lutwige Dodgson, an Oxford don and
mathematician who also wrote academic works under his real name) and artist John Tenniel was
designed specifically for the delectation of ten-year-old Alice Pleasance Liddell (see below), and
her
two sisters. If you're an adult with a reasonable sense of humour, though, this book is for
you!
However, I promise nothing concerning your children, if any. For one thing, TV and the Internet
are
now said to have seriously reduced whole generations' attention spans, reversing a long history of
progress since introduction of the Greek phonetic alphabet 2,500 years ago.
Dodgson, who was strongly attracted to little girls but managed to keep it all on a seemingly
innocent, aesthetic plane, made up and orally enunciated his first tales as a little Thames River
boating party went along (see three paragraphs below) on a hot summer's day, during which
process
his listeners could surely question him on any obscure points, and he would no doubt attune his
words and expressions to the knowledge levels of even the youngest. WE cannot likewise ask him
questions, for he died over a century ago. This is where the voluminous supplementary
information
in "The Annotated Alice" comes in, then, by furnishing answers to almost all possible questions
before they even arise in our minds.
Physically, this is done not with footnotes, endnotes, or marginal notes, but by adding whole
sections of discussion both before and after Carroll's actual writings, and by dividing perhaps
every
Carrollian page vertically into one column of Carroll's work, and a second column of
supplementary
information. If the Carroll columns were normally if not always the broader, the columns of notes
probably contain more words by using smaller type. My guess is that, all told, there are nearly
twice
as many words in the added notes as in the actual stories.
The Disneyfied "Alice" story is, in contrast to all the above, designed and largely rewritten for
young
children. It tends to annoy me, I being an adult with a keen although not fanatical appreciation of
the
original works. For instance, I feel quite satisfied with the real Alice story's White Rabbit remark,
"Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be too late!", without the excesses of Disney's song, "I'm late! I'm late!
For a very important date! No time to say hello, goodbye, I'm late, I'm late, I'm late ..."
(Much the same relationships apply to the A. A. Milne vis-a-vis the Disney versions of the
"Winnie-
[originally a pet & military mascot bear, named for Winnipeg, Canada] the-Pooh" series of tales.
As
an adult, I've had many a good laugh at the Milne literature, but I actively resent the Disneyfied
stuff. However, again I suppose it is the other way about for kids, especially since they've been so
heavily weaned on TV.)
To understand the relevance of the seven-stanza poem with which Carroll prefaces his first
"Alice"
tale, one should know how he spent a certain amount of time entertaining those three daughters of
his academic superior, Dean Liddell of Christ Church, Oxford; indeed, my encyclopaedia says it
was
an open secret - since appearance of "The Annotated Alice" it is no secret at all - that one of those
young girls, ages 13, 10, and eight, was the original of "Alice", the middle daughter in fact being
named Alice Pleasance Liddell.
These were, then, the "cruel Three" who demanded that Dodgson, alias Carroll, tell them an
amusing story during a little boating party on the Thames River.
My remark that analysis of the "Alice" stories and of Carroll himself has been almost overdone is
borne out in the Gardner notes on that boating-party poem. He considers every appearance there
of
the word "little" to be a pun on the fact that, for instance, the "little arms" plying the oars are also
"Liddell arms". (I used to know a sailor by the name of Dave Little, but I don't recall ever having
lowered Dave or myself by punning on his name.) Elsewhere, though, there's no doubt that
Carroll
did enjoy and perpetrate many a GOOD pun.
www.wwnorton.com/catalog/fall99/annotatednotes1.htm , "Notes to the Preface", provides other
details on that founding boat trip.
The first "Alice" story (1865), which originally was titled with the word "Underground" rather
than
"Wonderland", unfolds as an extended fantasy dreamed by Alice as she drowses on a riverbank by
the side of her elder sister, absorbed in a book that doesn't interest the young sibling.
"Through the Looking Glass" (1872), the second tale of this pair - or, more exactly, Carroll's third
such effort, but "Phantasmagoria" (1869) seems to have been less successful and is commonly
dropped from the collection - begins somewhat like the first, except that the passive part played
by
the elder sister is now played somewhat more actively by two kittens. Likewise, whereas a deck
of
playing cards peoples some of the "Wonderland" story, in the "Looking Glass" sequel there is a
chess set, which Alice actually joins, eventually to be "queened", herself.
It may heighten interest here, and it will certainly improve understanding, for readers to know the
basic principles of the board game of chess - e.g. that a Queen may move in any of eight
directions
(forward, backward, to either side, or on any of four diagonals) as far as the board's limits will
allow;
that a King can also move in eight directions, but only one square at a time; and so forth.
However,
in playing the game in my youth, there were advanced aspects that I never learned or missed. Now
I
miss them even less, in reading "Alice".
Sometimes these tales turn ferocious enough to frighten children, at least if the background isn't
explained - and this could be where "The Annotated Alice" excels, by providing all necessary
background material. For instance, where the Duchess sings to her baby in a pepper-filled
atmosphere, "Speak roughly to your little boy,/And beat him when he sneezes:/He only does it to
annoy,/Because he knows it teases," it may help a child to know that it's only a parody of a largely
disremembered poem, "Speak Gently" (see pages 62-3).
Perhaps the greatest charm of these tales is Carroll's comic but duly rhyming and scanning poetry,
often induced by Alice's attempts at remembering, while asleep, poems that she might have known
perfectly, awake. Thus, quite near the beginning of the "Wonderland" tale, whereas an earnest
children's poem that originally started, "How doth the little busy bee/Improve each shining hour
...,"
in Alice's mouth it becomes,
"How doth the little crocodile
Improve his shining tail,
And pour the waters of the Nile
On every golden scale!
"How cheerfully he seems to grin,
How neatly spreads his claws,
And welcomes little fishes inWith gently smiling jaws!"
These are however mere foretastes of the poetical gems to follow. A few pages later there is a
mouse's tale which, pun-like, gets confused with his tail. It actually is printed in a tapering, wavy
column whose contents rhyme, and which is more or less tail-shaped in appearence.
Some pages later we come to "You are old, Father William," the first stanza of which may give
some slight idea of the rest:
"You are old, Father William," the young man said,
"And your hair has become very white;
And yet you incessantly stand of your head -
Do you think, at your age, it is right?"
(The father then makes an even more nonsensical reply, whereat the son comes right back with a
further impertinently stated question, a cycle which is repeated until the old man finally blows his
stack. This book's notes identify the source inspiration as "The Old Man's Comforts and How He
Gained Them", by Robert Southey, 1774-1843. If you can, read the Southey original first, on
page
49 of "The Annotated Alice"; you may then find Alice's version doubly hilarious. Gardner calls it
"one of the undisputed masterpieces of nonsense verse," and "a clever parody".)
This "Father William" rhyme, and "The Walrus and the Carpenter" from "Through the Looking
Glass", so greatly pleased me right from the start that I memorized them both, to the full extent of
their availability in the book then on hand.
Thereby hangs a cautionary tale, though. For reasons that escape me, that edition omitted six
complete six-line stanzas from "The Walrus and the Carpenter". If you possess such an edition, it
seems to me that you may justly feel short-changed.
I feel inclined to explore only one further issue here, in part to save as much "good stuff" as
possible
for the reader's own discovery (but, please note, you'll need a considerable tolerance for
essentially
trivial nonsense - unless, at least, you have "The Annotated Alice".)
That issue is, whether or not to call these two quite short works "novels". I estimate their lengths,
as
written by Carroll (that is, omitting the work of later commentators,) to be 30,000 to 35,000
words
each. To me, that range says "novellas" or "novelettes". It's conceivable that some folk might wish
even to call them "long short stories", but I find their structures, including their division into series
of chapters, favour either of the terms I've proposed.
A great deal of further background information is furnished, free of charge, in the Norton Website
-
far more than could possibly be fitted in here. If you can't find or can't afford "The Annotated
Alice",
the Website will be better than nothing.
Pete Hodgins
Reviewer
Harold's Bookshelf
Off the Internet for Everyone: Stories, Jokes, and Inspiration from the World Wide Web to
You!
Tammy Wright
Wright Opportunities, Inc.
PO Box 15022, Richmond, VA 23227
ISBN: 0972116702, $9.99 Pages: 126
"Off the Internet" is a compilation of various jokes, inspirational stories, and other miscellaneous
writing collected off the Internet. Think you've heard all the "blonde" jokes? I did too, but there
were several new ones in here. Think you receive so many e-mails that there is not an
inspirational
story out there that you haven't heard? I'll bet you are wrong and there are new ones in here.
Tammy Wright has done a good job of filtering through the off-color and often less than
humorous
jokes to compile only the best. If you are looking for the occasional inspirational story she has
likewise filtered through the many thousands on the Internet to provide a collection of some of
the
best. Just about everyone is sure to find something enjoyable in "Off the Internet".
Monster Lies: A Woman's Guide to Controlling Her Destiny
Sally Franz and Jennifer Webb
Beagle Bay Books
3040 June Meadows Road, Reno, NV 89509
ISBN: 0967959160, $25.00 Pages: 323
"Monster Lies: A Woman's Guide to Controlling Her Destiny" is an excellent guide to finding the
"Lies" that control our destiny as well as uncovering ways to regain control. It begins by
identifying
the twelve most common "lies" that people often come to accept as truth. Each chapter then
takes
one of those lies and examines it in detail from how to identify it to determining how it affects
your
life to a pathway to freedom and choice.
Have you come to accept any of the following lies as truth? The Doomesday Lie says that if
nothing
ever changes then what is the point of trying? The Stressor Lie says that you have no control
over
what happens to you. The Perfecto Lie says that you have to do things perfectly the first time so
don't try anything new. The Scarcity Lie says that you should hoard what you have and never
enjoy
them because they may not be there tomorrow. The Satisfaction Lie says that you shouldn't ask
others for anything but settle for what you can do yourself. The Experteaser Lie says that you
should not trust yourself or your opinion but rely on other experts. The Yardstick Lie says that
you
have to measure up to how other people measure you. The Stuck-in-the-mud Lie says that you
should be so busy helping others that you are unable to live your own life. The Clairvoyant Lie
says
that people should know how you feel and respond appropriately without your telling them. The
Assumption Lie says that you can make assumptions about other people even if you don't know
them. The Sandman Lie says that you should just relax and accept everything and give up trying
to
change anything. The Worrywart Lie says that you should worry about every little detail of what
might possibly happen no matter how remote the possibility.
If any of those descriptions sound familiar to you, if any of them describe you, then you owe it to
yourself to read this book. The authors provide a clear, workable path to free yourself from the
power of these lies and put yourself back in control of your life. The format is not only designed
for
the individual reader but is also excellent for small discussion groups. It is a highly recommended
read.
Mother Power: Discover The Difference That Women Have Made All Over The World
Jacqueline Hornor Plumez, PhD
Sourcebooks, Inc.
PO Box 4410, Naperville, Il 60567-4419
ISBN: 1570718237 $14.95 Pages: 342
In "Mother Power" author Jacqueline Plumez builds a convincing case that there is a change
occurring around the world as women discover their real power. Looking at factual events that
have occurred and are still occurring she takes us through example after example of women
coming
together to change their world. Examples from the book include the mothers who organized in
Argentina to stop the disappearance of their children when the police, political system, and even
the
church would do nothing. Or the mothers that organized to demonstrate against the violence in
Northern Ireland and the reduction in violence that resulted. Or the group of mothers in
Larchmont,
New York who started an organization to help with the domestic needs of the terminally ill.
Mother power does not only occur on such large scales creating groups and organizations to
change
the world, but also on much smaller scales. The author demonstrates this with stories such as the
mother whose son wrote the Pulitzer Prize winning novel "A Confederacy of Dunces". Her son
was
unsuccessful at getting it published and when she reread it after his death she decided that it
should
be published. Her story of how she continued after multiple rejections and dead ends shows how
her
belief in her son's novel carried her through to finally getting it published.
This book is a great collection of factual stories that show how women and the instincts and
qualities
of motherhood are changing the world, sometimes one person at a time, sometimes whole nations
at
a time. "Mother Power" is a highly recommended read.
Questions for Kids: A Book To Discover a Child's Imagination and Knowledge
Michael Smith
East West Discovery Press
PO Box 2393, Gardena, CA 90247
ISBN: 0966943716 $9.95 Pages: 200
"Questions for Kids" is a collection of a thousand questions that can be used to help kids expand
their imagination and understanding of the world around them. Each question can be used as a
springboard to discussion and education. Some answers are sure to bring surprises to the adult
asking the question. Others are just good questions to help children expand their thinking.
For example, one question is "What do you need to make pizza?". This leaves you with the
option
of including pizza dough or flour, water, and other ingredients of the dough. On the other hand
when it comes to toppings what could be added? You could get really creative with this in
determining what is appropriate or not. What about ice cream for a topping? Not appropriate?
Maybe it would be if the "pizza dough" were phyllo, the "tomato sauce" were ice cream and the
toppings were strawberries with chocolate drizzled across it. Open a child's mind to the
possibilities
of the world is one of the best gifts you can give them, this book helps you get started with many,
many questions that can be used to help them think creatively.
If you would like a collection of questions to ask your young child that will help them learn
manners
("What do you do if someone has bad breath?"), basic science ("Do fish have feathers?"), or
expand
their creativity ("What do you like to pretend to be?") this is a great collection to get you started.
A
recommended purchase for anyone seeking a starting place for expanding their child's mind, it is a
recommended purchase.
The Womanly Art of Alligator Wrestling: Inspirational Stories for Outrageous Women Who
Survive
by Their Wisdom and Wit
Ana Tampanna
Silsby Publishing Company
PO Box 5243, Winston-Salem, NC 27113-5243
ISBN: 0971032149 $16.95 Pages: 299
"The Womanly Art of Alligator Wrestling" is first and foremost a compilation of stories of the
experiences of Ana Tampanna. Why are this person's experiences interesting enough to justify
reading? Well first of all she demonstrates through her stories the unique ability to rise above
challenges, think in a different way, and blaze a path to success where none existed. It is a
compilation of examples of highly creative thinking. In addition, Ana writes in a humorous and
engaging style that keeps the reader moving along chapter after chapter. A fine collection of
inspirational stories it is sure to delight readers looking for examples of ways to think differently
and
the courage to try something new.
Journey to the Impossible
Scott Jeffrey
Creative Crayon Publishing
1173A Second Ave, Suite #356, New York, NY 10021
ISBN: 0971481504 $23.00 Pages: 191
I review many, many books each year and each year I find two or three that are so powerful that I
find myself taking notes. "Journey to the Impossible" is one of these books. Read it, reread it,
highlight it, take notes, do whatever you need to do to keep this information at hand while you
use it
to transform your life.
A lot of things are impossible only because we perceive them to be impossible. And yet others
who
don't see them that way achieve those same goals. Scott Jeffrey takes us on a wonderful journey
to
achieving the impossible every day. With short, easy to read chapters the book lends itself to
reading a chapter whenever you get a few minutes. This is easily one of the most practical
life-changing books that I have ever read. Bravo, Scott Jeffrey, I could not recommend the book
more highly.
Understanding Women with AD/HD
Kathleen G. Nadeau, PhD and Patricia O. Quinn, M.D.
Advantage Books
1001 Spring Street, Suite 206, Silver Spring, MD 20910
ISBN: 0966036646 $19.95 Pages: 455
"Understanding Women with AD/HD" is a compilation of articles by various medical
professionals.
Kathleen Nadeau and Patricia Quinn have taken these articles (many of which they contributed to)
and put them into a logical order and format so that it is easy for the non-professional to gain a
comprehensive understanding of AD/HD as it relates to women.
Of all the books on AD/HD I have read this one provides most comprehensive coverage while still
being highly approachable. Subjects covered include why the DSM-IV diagnosis may be
inadequate,
a self-assessment, hormonal influences, depression, deprogramming, women's life stages, and
other
issues relating to women with AD/HD.
Easy to follow, the editors make a complex subject understandable. "Understanding Women with
AD/HD" is a highly recommended, authoritative read for anyone desiring an understanding of
AD/HD and of particular interest for those whose interest is in the unique problems of
women.
World Trivia: The Book of Fascinating Facts: Culture, Politics and Geography, Second
Edition
Michael Smith
East West Discovery Press
PO Box 2393, Gardena, CA 90247
ISBN: 0966943724 $9.95 Pages: 266
Like the prior edition this book contains a collection of trivia questions and answers that center
around world culture, politics and geography. As such it is not only interesting but also
educational.
So many trivia books contain such obscure information that it has no value other than as a trivia
question. That is not the case with either the first or the second edition of this book. "World
Trivia", second edition is a complete rewrite that contains none of the questions of the first
edition.
Michael Smith again tackles one of the most difficult areas of trivia because culture, politics and
many aspects of geography are in a state of constant flux. So, while the trivia questions and
answers
are accurate today, within a few years many of them may not be. With well-chosen educational
and
truly interesting questions the book is a recommended purchase.
Gardening With Soul: Healing the Earth and Ourselves with Feng Shui and Environmental
Awareness
Gaylah Balter
Learning Tree Books
3038 N. Malinda Dr., Fayetteville, AR 72703
ISBN: 0970786115 $18.00 Pages: 141
"Gardening With Soul" in its most basic form is a book about establishing a garden using Feng
Shui
techniques. Gardens have traditionally been a place of solace and recharging our energy levels.
In
this book Gaylah Balter takes us through the steps of planning that place of sanctuary and then
creating it. From discussing the qualities of trees, plants, water and soil to a discussion of color
coordination, use of rocks, insects, butterflies and wildlife it covers all you need to know to create
a
garden that is in harmony. I particularly liked the chart that provided a list of plants to be
protected,
the insects that attack them and the guard plant that will repel that insect.
While useful for those who are not of the New Age mindset, the last half of the book includes a
chapter on communicating with angels and fairies to help with your garden and an extensive
section
on Feng Shui. The Feng Shui section details various ways to lay out your garden that promote
centering and harmony and is very good. For those who want to create a garden sanctuary this is
an
informative and recommended book.
The Female Power Within: A Guide to Living a Gentler, More Meaningful Life
Marilyn Graman, Maureen Walsh
Life Works Books
55 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10003
ISBN: 0971854823 $22.95 Pages: 281
I have to admit that the title is what originally piqued my interest in this book. "The Female
Power
Within" is not a male-bashing book or anything like that. It is a book on being true to yourself no
matter where that takes you. In a world that defines power and success in terms like paycheck
size,
job title, number and size of deals closed and similar measures it is okay for you to define success
and happiness by your terms. In fact, isn't your definition the only one that really matters to
you?
"The Female Power Within: A Guide to Living a Gentler, More Meaningful Life" guides the
reader
in learning how to achieve peace and happiness by realizing that "power" does not necessarily
mean
"aggressive" but greater power can be achieved through cooperation and communication, two of
the
traits more commonly found in women. The very factors that others define as power, such as
aggressiveness, can be the same factors that actually limit your power. Be yourself, seek your
goals,
follow your own destiny and realize your power by doing so. This is a well-reasoned exposition
on
how to make your life more meaningful by being your "authentic" self. A recommended read not
only for women but also for men that are not caught up in the "macho" image and are free to be
their "authentic" self.
Argumentation: The Study of Effective Reasoning
David Zarefsky
The Teaching Company
4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151-1232
Lectures: 24
Format: CD, Audio Tape, or Video
"Argumentation" is a course in classical rhetoric. This is not the rhetoric the way the word is used
commonly today, but a course is how to debate, how to influence others by sound reasoning, how
to
gain support for your position in an disagreement. As is the standard fare for The Teaching
Company, the course is very thorough and well organized. I've read books on debate and
argumentation before but none have covered the subject as completely as this course.
The first four lectures set the foundation by covering the history of rhetoric and definitions that
will
be used throughout the rest of the course. Starting with lecture five the course gets into the real
meat of argumentation. Areas covered include Resolutions, Argument Analysis, Claims,
Evidence,
Reasoning from Parts to Whole, Establishing Correlations, What Makes a Strong Argument,
Fallacies in Reasoning, Assembling a Case, Language and Style, and the Ends of Argument.
Even if you do not find yourself in situations where you need to influence others this course has
tremendous value. By the end of the course you are able to spot problems and manipulation in the
media, from politicians, and others that would seek to manipulate and confuse you. It is a highly
recommended purchase for anyone seeking to understand sound argumentation and debate.
How to Listen to and Understand Great Music
Robert Greenberg
The Teaching Company
4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151-1232
Copyright: 1998
Lectures: 48
Format: CD, Audio Tape, or Video
I've never made a secret of the fact that I consider the products from The Teaching Company to
be
the best value in college level education today. But sometimes they rise above that already high
mark and produce a course that exceeds all expectations. That is the case with this course. Let
me
start with stating that I knew nothing about great music before this course. I have to confess that
if
I heard a movement of classical music my knowledge was limited to associating it with the
cartoon
that used it as background. That is no longer the situation.
While I approached this course with some trepidation, I soon found that the professor was able to
draw me into the lectures and kindle an interest in great music. I know many of you will find it a
contradiction in terms but in this course we have a very knowledgeable professor who not only
knows his material, but also has a real personality! His excitement for the subject shows through
at
all times and his wonderful sense of humor and judicious use of examples keeps the listener
interested. I actually stayed interested even through the opera section!
The course covers just about everything you can think of concerning great music. From chants to
baroque to classical, all the areas are covered. Now I can recognize and appreciate a fugue. I
know
the difference between an oratorio and a cantata. And best of all I've learned to understand and
appreciate the music itself. While I had my doubts as to whether a course like this would make
any
difference in how I listened to music, they were totally unfounded. If you are interested in
understanding great music there is no better course available. This is the definitive course against
which all others should be compared. Take my advice and open up a new world of enjoyment and
pleasure for yourself by taking this course. Bravo, Robert Greenberg and The Teaching
Company.
This course deserves the highest recommendation I can give.
Jewish Intellectual History: 16th to 20th Century
David Ruderman
The Teaching Company
4151 Lafayette Center Drive, Suite 100, Chantilly, VA 20151-1232
Copyright: 2002
Lectures: 24
Format: CD, Audio Tape, or Video
"Jewish Intellectual History" focuses on Jewish identity and how that identity has changed over
the
years. How could the Jews reconcile some of the tremendous suffering they have endured
throughout history and still conceive of a God who is in control of all things? How do they
reconcile their status as a chosen people set apart by God when the rest of the world demands
integration into the standards of the day? This course examines Jewish intellectual thinkers and
how
they have sought to resolve these and other problems in light of God, tradition, ritual, and
personal
belief in the modern world.
Some of the Jewish thinkers discussed include Baruch Spinoza, Moses Mendelssohn, Heinrich
Graetz, Abraham Geiger, Zecharias Frankel, Leo Baeck, Martin Buber and Mardecai Kaplan.
Specific social situations, such as the Italian Ghetto and the Holocaust, and their influence on the
thinking of the time are discussed. Religious trends and how they affected Jewish thought include
Messianism, Judaism, Atticism, and Zionism.
This is not a course on Jewish interpretation of the Torah and how that has been interpreted over
the
years but a look at the challenges of the modern world and how the Jewish faith has met and
responded to those challenges. An excellent course, it is recommended for anyone interested in
the
history of Jewish thought and faith.
Harold McFarland
Reviewer
Grant's Bookshelf
The Tiger Rising
Kate DiCamillo, author
Chris Sheban, illustrator
Candlewick Press, Inc.
2067 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02140
FAX: (617) 661-0565 http://www.candlewick.com/
ISBN 0763618985 Price $5.99 Grade 5 and up (ages 10 and up)
The Tiger Rising is a powerful and moving story. Kate DiCamillo knows how to capture the
attention of the reader immediately. Her writing is taut, concise and poetic. The characters might
as
well be real people; you care about them that much.
After the death of Rob's mother, he and his father, Robert, moved from Jacksonville to Lister,
Florida. Since money is tight, they live in a room at the Kentucky Star, the motel where Robert
works as a handy man. Staying in Jacksonville was not an option. It pained Robert to think about
his
wife. Back in Jacksonville, all anyone ever did was talk about her.
Rob learned quickly. His father did not want him crying over the death of his mother. It wasn't
going
to change anything. It wasn't going to bring her back. What he did was tuck all of his memories,
all
of his wishes, all of his dreams into a suitcase he carried around inside his head. He locked it and
tucked it away in the deep recesses of his mind.
Rob, in the sixth grade, thought school was horrible. The kids picked on him mercilessly and no
one
ever tried to stop it. Not the bus driver, not the teachers, not the principal. Maybe the kids picked
on
him because he was new. Maybe because he had a terrible rash on his legs. And maybe kids
picked
on him just because kids can be that cruel and don't necessarily need a reason. No matter how bad
they treated him, or how hard they hit him, he refused to cry. This only made things worse. It
presented a challenge to the bullies. Rob saw no point in complaining to anyone, though. He
learned
after the death of his mother, crying and complaining isn't going to help. It isn't going to change a
thing.
When his life seemed more miserable than possible, things change . . . for the better, or so Rob
thought. This is where the story starts. Deep in the woods behind the Kentucky Star Rob finds a
caged tiger. Can it be real? Is it his imagination?
Then he met Sistine Bailey. To school she wore a dress, as if going to a party. The girls pick on
her
as bad as the boys pick on Rob. Her mom and dad have divorced. She lived with her mom, who
moved back home to Lister. She believed that her father would come rescue her. He had to care
more about her than his new girlfriend. Rob and Sistine become close friends. Rob, with his
misery
buried deep inside, and Sistine, who is angry at the world, proves to be a unique couple. The bond
strengthens when Rob decides to share his secret with her. Sistine knows immediately what they
must do. They must free the tiger.
The Tiger Rising is an emotional novel. Heartfelt and gripping. DiCamillo knows how to tell a
variety of stories all at the same time in an easy format that flows smoothly. The last several
chapters
brought me to tears, over and over. Attachment to the story and the characters is inevitable. If a
book can do that, it has succeeded as a masterpiece. Not just kids will enjoy this book. Anyone
who
wants to be touched will cherish the tale.
The school was concerned that the rash on his legs might be contagious. They wanted him to stay
out of school until his cleared up.
Thin Air
Bette Nordberg
Bethany House
11400 Hampshire Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55438
0764223984, $11.99, 315 pages, 1-800-328-6109
Thin Air, by Christian author Bette Nordberg, reads like a movie of the week. The story contains
a
compilation of personal danger and spiritual drama. Poetic prose and vivid descriptions are only
part
of Nordberg's talent. Nordberg also pays focused-attention to pacing, scenes and setting.
On top of being part oriental and married to the pastor of a failing church, and the mother of
three,
Beth Cheng is a wildlife biologist. Living in Washington, Cheng's job requires her to make
frequent
plane journeys over and around Mount Rainier.
During a late October trek over the mountain range Cheng and a small crew are conducting a
survey
on goats. An early winter storm is on its way. Cheng wants to make a few more passes to get as
much work done as possible. Before there is time to turn and head back home, a cluster of low
clouds disorientate the pilot. The accident happens suddenly. The plane crashes into the mountain.
Cheng is alive. Battered, bruised, suffering from broken bones, but alive. When she wakes up
from
the crash, the winter storm is all over the crash site, hiding the white plane in a camouflage of
fresh
falling snow.
Cheng's husband learns of the downed plane. He contacts his church to start a prayer chain. He
and
Cheng's father head for the airport, anxious to find out what's going on. Parishioners unite under
the
tragedy of their troubled pastor and volunteer to man the rescue effort at the airport.
Determined to survive, desperate to see her family one more time, Cheng refuses to die alone on
the
mountain. However the frigid in-human weather and the spreading of infection from her injuries
challenge her willpower.
Cheng learns that someone else is on the mountain, she knows she can live through the ordeal.
Cheng finds out that her savior is a disturbed Viet Nam veteran, living illegally on the land like a
hermit in a log cabin and hidden away in the woods. Her ray of hope for survival dims. He may
not
want her to get off the mountain alive. She knows where he lives, and he is sure she'll lead the
government to his door. He can't have that. And besides, he can't trust a Vietnamese person.
They're
killers. Even the women.
Intense and gripping. Powerful and insightful. Clever and satisfying. Bette Nordberg has managed
to
craft a satisfying contemporary thriller. The emotional story is multi-dimensional; with a
perceptive
look into the life a Viet Nam vet, into the heart of a distraught husband, and into the soul of a
woman who desperately wants to live.
Grant R. Philips, Reviewer
phillip.tomasso@kodak.com
Gorden's Bookshelf
'The Ten Thousand'
Michael Curtis Ford
St. Martin's Press
175 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10010
ISBN : 0-312-98032-9 price: $6.99 paperback edition October 2002, 439 pages
'The Ten Thousand' is based on a historical military event so powerful soldiers twenty-five
hundred
years later still talk about it with awe. The 'Anabasis' by Xenophon tells the story in stark bare
words and is still possibly the best retelling of the facts. Ford's novelization brings out the
emotions
of the events. Ford is not the best writer but he has made good choices in this retelling. The
narrator
is a slave/squire/freeman from the household of Xenophon. This gives the narrator access to all
the
information in the tale plus, being a non-Greek, he can fill in historical and cultural details not
known to the modern reader. Ford does embellish the tale with un-needed details and plotlines
but
generally he does a good job supplying the historical facts needed to appreciate the story.
In the 5th century B.C. the Peloponnesian War has ended. The Greek soldiers have no one to
fight
and homelands not able to support their return. Ten thousand Greek mercenaries find a job with
the
Persian Cyrus. Marching from Sardis, near the Aegean coast, with an army hundreds of
thousands
strong, Cyrus starts a campaign to gain the throne in Babylon. Just outside of Babylon near the
town of Cunaxa, Cyrus meets his brother's army of one million. The ten thousand Greeks rout
half
of the Babylonian army without a single casualty but Cyrus dies in combat and the rest of the
army
falls apart. The Persian king doesn't want to let the Greeks go but his army can't standup to the
ten
thousand in open combat. The Greeks know they can defeat the Persians in the field but are not
numerous enough to assault the fortified Babylon. The Persians promise to let the Greeks march
home and try defeating them with treachery. The result is a winter march under near continuous
attack from Babylon to the Black Sea.
Even with the overdone narration, 'The Ten Thousand' is a great read for anyone who is
interested
in history or the military. Ford adds more than enough historical detail to make up for straying
during the telling.
'The Universe in a Nutshell'
Stephen Hawking
Bantam Books
A division of Random House, Inc.
1540 Broadway New York, NY
www.randomhouse.com
ISBN: 0-5535-80202-X price: $35.00 copyright 2001, 201 pages
Hawking is possibly the most trusted author of popular physics books alive today and he is one
of
the greatest scientific minds. This puts an enormous strain on a reviewer. If the reviewer glows,
he
is taking the easy way out. If the reviewer questions, everyone thinks he is grandstanding. This
reviewer loved 'The Universe in a Nutshell' but found some faults.
'The Universe in a Nutshell' is the same type of book as 'A Brief History of Time'; Hawking tries
to
summarize in plain English the mathematics of modern physics. The book starts out with a review
of Einstein's ideas on relativity, the core behind all modern theories on the universe. Chapter two
is
a survey of how time fits in with the other dimensions of the universe. Using the information in
the
first two chapters, Hawking examines concepts in predicting future events, questions that time
travel asks, information accumulation, and how the universe fits with everything around it.
As usual, Hawking is at his best explaining Quantum physics, his field of expertise, in everyday
terms. But all popular science books have to be a balance between simplified English language
storytelling and technical scientific idiom. Hawking had a harder time finding the balance between
the two extremes in 'Universe' than he did in 'A Brief History', but most readers will never notice
the problem. There was also some trouble incorporating Complexity, especially biological
complexity, and Topological ideas into the story. Both scientific disciplines take a different
approach than Quantum so Hawking's difficulty translating their concepts into general English
had
to be expected.
If you liked 'A Brief History of Time', you will love 'The Universe in a Nutshell'. 'The Universe' is
a
somewhat harder read but can be more enjoyable because of its broader scope. The only caveat is
the slightly weaker treatment of Complexity and Topology concepts.
S.A. Gorden, Reviewer
www.paulbunyan.net/users/gsirvio/content.html
Donna's Bookshelf
Weird Friends : unlikely allies in the animal kingdom
Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey
Gulliver Books
c/o Harcourt, Brace and Company
15 East 26th Street, 15th floor, New York, NY 10010
0152021280, $16.00, 2002, 32 pages, 1-800-543-1918
How does a near sighted Rhinoceros keep lions away from her calf? Via a Cattle Egret Lookout.
Who baby sits the caterpillar of the Large Blue Butterfly? Red ants, of course. What company
sees
to the insect extermination needs of the Forest Mouse? None other than Beetles, Inc. Written and
illustrated by multiple award winning artists Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey, Weird Friends,
Unlikely Allies in the Animal Kingdom introduces preschoolers and their mentors to a wide range
of
symbiotic friendships, from Clown Fish and Sea Anemones, to Water Thick Knees and
Crocodiles
Unique among preschool animal picture books, Weird Friends serves a plurality of purposes: an
intriguing introduction to the science of symbiosis; a primer on the facets of friendship, a bright,
appealing picture book that will hold little eyes (and bigger ones) captive for a long, interested
while;
a portfolio of scenarios for play activity. As individual as each symbiotic relationship, the
illustration
media include pen and ink, gouache, watercolor and pastel. Simple and colorful, they will
encourage
little artists, as well as mentors looking for new display ideas. The scientifically correct,
uncomplicated data is presented from a preschooler's viewpoint, encouraging further study into
the
field of symbiosis. Weird Friends concludes with a brief summary of the countries in which the
subject animals live, thus becoming an introduction to geography. Recommended to anyone
working
with preschoolers: Sunday school to public school to home school.
Lectures on the Pilgrim's Progress
George Barrell
SAT Publications
PO Box 713, Grants Pass, OR 97528
LCCN #93014663, $16.00, 2000, 279 pages, http://www.satpub.com/
During the late eighteen-hundreds, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress captured the sanctified
imagination
of a dedicated pastor, Rev. G. B. Cheever. An all time best seller, Pilgrim's Progress still captures
the imagination. Similarly, this facsimile reproduction of Cheever's Lectures on the Pilgrim's
Progress, captures the reader's interest, raising and answering many important questions. Using
pertinent quotes from Bunyan's book, some of Bunyan's own problems, and scripture references,
Cheever weaves his insights and comments throughout an abridgment of the Pilgrim's Progress. In
these ten nonsectarian lectures, the author aims to honor only his Lord, and to activate readers
toward self-application of the lessons. The last lecture fittingly ends with a plea to become a
pilgrim,
taking God as your strength and portion for ever.
Producing calm, the rhythm of this quaint, innovative book is slower, the wording more involved
than that produced today. The essential ideas, expressed in readily understandable yet scholarly
phrasing, are engaging, clear, and thought provoking. Useful as both a study and a research aid,
the
Table of Contents gives a brief but thorough overview of each lecture. Coming from an earlier,
less
familiar era, this facsimile reproduction catches the eye. When opened by the hand that can't
refuse
its antique delight, it also catches the mind. Anyone mature enough to read and understand the
Pilgrim's Progress will enjoy these lectures. Lectures on the Pilgrim's Progress makes a valuable
addition to the home, the church, the school, and the public library.
This is a facsimile printing of a book from the 19th century.
Donna Eggett, Reviewer
Twowndrn@aol.com
Denise's Bookshelf
Until Next Time
Linda Alexander
PublishAmerica
ISBN: 1-59129-679-X $19.95
Perry Connors if a successful businessman living in Arizona, who has just opened a new business
venture. Perry has what could be equated as 'the Midas Touch', but despite his overwhelming
success, he's an unhappy man.
At the root of his discontent are chronic and disturbing dreams, not nightmares per se, but dreams
that leave him shaken, exhausted and confused. His ex wife Mollie and a female judge he spurned,
Annette Black, are set on destroying him. And his personal assistant, Lillia Donovan, has her own
plans in store for Perry, the least of which is seduction and intimate control over his financial
empire.
Perry begins seeing a renowned psychiatrist named Mickey Vicente - a beautiful, solid and
compassionate woman who is desperate to help him overcome his troubles. But Perry doesn't
make
her job any easier with his reluctant gravitation toward Lillia, who continues to eerily draw him
toward her despite his personal dislike of her.
What forces are at work on Perry are for him and Mickey to discover - before it's too late to save
Perry from ruination. And before they do, they both must confront a real evil that will test their
burgeoning love, their determination and their very souls.
Until Next Time is a well-written romantic mystery that keeps the reader turning the pages to find
the truth. Ms. Alexander handles her audience deftly, revealing the truth layer by intricate layer.
Her
narrative and dialog are well blended to provide a very smooth read, and her characters
exceptionally well wrought - this book is a tease - in more ways than one!
The Hamster Never Sleeps
Michael McGan
1st Books Library
2511 West 3rd St. Suite #1, Bloomington, IN 47404
ISBN: 1-58721-608-6 $13.98
The Hamster Never Sleeps is author Michael McGan's first published collection of short,
irreverent
and unique humor pieces. As with his second publication, "Fleeting Thoughts", author McGan
takes
a less than serious look at the foibles and idiosyncrasies of society. Among his reflections, take for
example, his comment about saving stamps. You know, the kind you used to get from stores and
you'd fill up a book to buy something nifty? According to McGan, they are 'a cruel joke. over the
years you end up spending what could have secured you a Malibu beach home for your
retirement,
just to get enough points to trade in for a t-shirt bearing the image of .Marty Mallo'.
Or how about his take on First Draft Expressions. 'When the going get's tough, don't call me'. or
how about comments about how people don't give each other enough space any more.
Interspersing
these witty vignettes are a few poems, but they aren't serious either. You think they are until you
realize too late that you've been fooled again, and delightfully so. How else could you think that
running over a squirrel could be humorous?
Mr. McGan has a way with words, no doubt about it. But his special gift is offering you
something
serious to ponder even while you're grinning madly at his comments. His second offering of
humor
collections is contained in "Fleeting Thoughts". He is currently working on his third book, which
would make a perfect trilogy for gift giving. After all, a few laughs go a long way.
Banshee Rising
Walter Ihlefield
Xlibris Corp.
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
ISBN: 1-4010-2132-8 $20.99 www.xlibris.com
"Banshee Rising" is one of those books you start to read that dangles the bait, waits for you to
bite,
then reels you in. Despite the fact I had more pressing things to do besides read, I gallantly
ignored
them and finished this book in one sitting.
Mitchell Parks is a police officer in a small Virginia town. As a part Native American and former
Navy SEAL who served in Viet Nam, Parks is already a formidable man. But wait until you meet
his
'other half', Banshee - his codename while he was a SEAL.
After discovering a ghost in his attic, Mitch and his partner/lover Detective Dana Warren begin
looking into a 30-year-old mystery of a family's disappearance. Joining the hunt for the truth is
Mitch's former Navy SEAL buddy 'Hawk' Taggert. The trio discovers more than they bargained
for
as they uncover a trail of lies, drugs and murder that threatens not only to tear the small town
apart,
but one that leaves bodies and attempted murders in its wake.
This exciting, page-turning book has everything going for it - mystery, action, romance, even a bit
of
the paranormal. A strong plotline and likeable, if sometimes fearful characters, draws the reader
into
a world of revenge, regret and a single-minded pursuit for justice. Mr. Ihlefield has created not
only
compelling action, but characters struggling with a myriad of emotions, offering us a brief glimpse
into the mindset of not only a fictional patriot, but one with the heart of a warrior and the honor
and
loyalty that defines today's veterans. My only complaint about this book? It ended.
Shining Mountains, Western Sea
Margaret Wyman
Idyllwild Publishing Company
P.O. Box 355, Idyllwild, CA 92549
ISBN: 1-931857-01-6 $21.95
At a whopping 671 pages, this book is not a fast read. Indeed, it is an epic of the type penned in
the
1970's, and so very well done it would hold its own against a John Jakes or a James Michener any
day.
Shining Mountains, Western Sea is an adventure that follows the Lewis & Clark Expeditions that
set
out at the beginning to the 19th Century. It's a story told through the eyes of the crewmen that
made
up the exploration party, mainly through the perspective of young George Shannon, the youngest
and greenest member of the expedition.
Riddled with historically accurate characters and incidents, this ambitious tale runs the gamut of
emotion and plot as the reader follows George from civilization to the rugged wilds of the
Western
Territory of the first decade of the 1800's. The book takes the reader from Kentucky to the
Mandan
villages of the eastern Plains to the forks of the great Missouri before heading out into the open
Plains - meeting hostile tribes and dangerous situations nearly every step of the way.
Ms. Wyman's extremely thorough research shines through in this awesome retelling of one of the
most daring explorations ever attempted in the Americas. The reader will revel in the majesty of
the
plains and the Tetons, shiver during dangerous river crossings, and bask in the sunshine of their
meadows. Rich in sensory input and description, one can literally smell the campfires and feel the
cold wind creep into the bones. and the hairs on the back of the neck to rise at the sight of the
Nez
Pierce, Mandan, Crow and Sioux the party meets along the way. As a lover of history, this reader
happily buried herself within the pages of this ambitious though richly rewarding work by Ms.
Wyman. There are not enough adjectives to properly praise this work, so suffice it to say it is a
creation borne of love, determination and a love of history that is rarely seen in today's authors.
An
extremely satisfying read that will not be soon forgotten.
Puppet Child
Talia Carner
Mecox Hudson
ISBN: 1-930252-98-6 $13.95 www.MecoxHudson.com
Sometimes the result of an unimaginable, horrifying situation has the power to bring many to their
knees in defeat. And while many succumb to the belief that one person alone cannot make a
difference, there are others who put that belief to the test. And with that determination comes
hope
and the ability to make changes, not only in personal lives, but in society. A new author has
attempted to do just that with her tale of a fallible justice system and the unforgivable crime of
sexual child abuse. As the reviews are gathered, one can say that this author, alone, has the power
to
make just such a difference.
Puppet Child is author Talia Carner's first novel; a unique and daring venture into the world of the
criminal justice system and the sexual and emotional abuse of children.
The story revolves around Rachael Belmore, her daughter Ellie, and her surgeon husband,
Wesley.
For some reason, ever since little Ellie was an infant, Rachael has experienced feelings of disquiet
whenever her husband is with Ellie alone. She has nothing to base her gut instinct on, she's never
caught him doing anything, and it's just a nagging concern. A year later, when her daughter is
nearly
two years old, Rachael is shocked and horrified to discover that her instincts were correct when
she
walk in on her husband abusing the child
What follows is a nightmare of accusations, flight, injustice and outrage. Rachael vows to protect
Ellie at all costs despite the judges, lawyers and psychologists she must contend with every step of
the way.
While the theme of child abuse is extremely disturbing and at times difficult to read, especially in
regard to vivid descriptions rendered in painful detail by the author, Ms. Carner has written a
book
that encourages a sense of outrage and a demand for justice for her tiny victim. Excellent
narrative
blends with compelling dialog to create a thoroughly professional tale for this new author. Puppet
Child is an intensely disturbing read. It is also a must read.
Controlled Conclusion
Walter Ihlefield
Page Free Publishing
ISBN: 1-58961-051-2 $16.95 www.pagefreepublishing.com
Controlled Conclusion is the second of author Ihlefield's 'Banshee' Series - and once again
revolves
around Brideway Police Chief Mitchell Parks. Parks, an ex-Navy SEAL known as 'Banshee', is
stunned by the murder of his best friend, Kentucky police officer Owen 'Hawk' Taggart, also an
ex-Navy SEAL from Park's military unit during the Vietnam War. Found in the dead man's pocket
is
a list of names that Park recognizes - they all belong to his old SEAL Team One, with the
exception
of one name on the list. Though Michael Parks, Mitchell's younger brother was also a Navy
SEAL,
he belonged to a different unit than the rest of them. so why was he included in the list?
Someone is out to kill the members of Team One, and it's up to Mitch and his brother to
determine
who want him, his brother and his friends dead. But vengeance and retribution are left to Mitch
and
his Banshee Spirit; who longs only to take revenge against those who have murdered his friends
before he looses everyone he holds close to his warrior heart.
Controlled Conclusion offers something for everyone; a mystery with a hint of mysticism, a bit of
romance and a lot of action to suit any taste. Author Ihlefield has once again delivered an
intensely
riveting read filled with action, great characterizations and a myriad of emotions. In Mitchell
'Banshee' Parks, Ihlefield has created a man's man - a hero for our times; a no-nonsense
ex-military
man whose taste for unleashed violence vies with his ingrained sense of loyalty, honor and justice.
His heart of gold reaches out to touch a woman's heart, while his ingrained sense of duty and his
thirst for revenge makes for an exhilarating read.
Birth and Early Growth Of the Christian Church
Jack Burton, author, Jeff Winter, narrator
Drive2Learn, Inc.
Drive2Learn Audio CD, CD-Rom $4.95 http://www.drive2learn.com
A new company providing inexpensive audio learning CD's has as one of its first releases a fine
history encompassing the birth and growth of the Christian church. Authored by Jack Burton, this
CD-Rom traces the birth of the church - from how it all began to the influence of Jesus himself, to
how and where his disciples spread the Word of the gospel throughout Asia Minor.
Author Burton delves into an in-depth, heavily researched and quoted work, yet one which is
fascinating and easily followed through the voice of narrator Jeff Winter. It's a fascinating account
of
how the message of the church was first spread, of what happened to the original disciples and the
addition of new converts to the fresh religion.
Birth and Early Growth of the Christian Church explores the difference between the messages to
the
Jews and the Gentiles, yet despite the variances, this message intended to unite, not divide, these
new believers in Jesus Christ. The growth of the message translated into the development of a
true
and united church, in the beginning, and only later fractured into various groups and factions as
time
progressed.
The author describes the early persecutions, using as a main source of information the writings of
Flavius Josephus, and describes how Christianity impacted the Roman Empire and vice versa. In
addition to his richly detailed narratives are brief and interesting profiles of the early founders the
Christian faith, including the disciples, their followers, bishops and other church leaders.
This work is extremely well researched and more importantly, easy to listen to and follow on
audio.
The combination of the narrator's soothing voice and the highly polished narrative style of the
author
blend into a truly enjoyable learning experience.
And Howls for us to Follow: A Book of Poems
Kenny Rose Butts
Sunny Rays Press
P.O. Box 4489, West Hills, CA 91308
ISBN: 0-9720510-0-7, 128 pps., $14.95 www.sunnyrayspress.com
This unusual yet captivating collection of poems takes the reader on a journey of relationships,
and
attempts to illustrate how we as humans relate to the world around us; to each other, the animals
of
nature, tame and wild, and on into the world of politics and war. Ultimately, the poems offer us
insight into what makes us so unique.
Each poem is an entity unto itself, evoking a variety of emotion, of whimsy, somber reflection,
joy,
and a love for nature. Each poem is captivating in its own way, each bringing to mind a visual
interpretation and provoking thought. This reader is not an expert on poetry, indeed, rarely reads
it,
but the author's style and subject matter drew this novice into the world of poetry in a subtle
manner, creating a different world as seen through many different sets of eyes.
But it was the last stanza of the last poem, "And Howls for us to Follow", which most captivated
this reader/reviewer -
Coyote, standing in reality, watches. then
Slips through a loophole in these worlds
And howls for us to follow
And howls for us to follow
If only we could, for the world of the coyote in Mr. Butts' poem beckons to the need and desire in
all of us. This collection is a stunning treat for the senses, the poetry pieces of work that will
linger
long after the book is set down. Make a permanent place for it on the shelf.
Denise M. Clark, Reviewer
http://www.denisemclark.com
Christina's Bookshelf
Blood Crazy
Simon Clark
Dorchester Publishing
ISBN 0843948256 $5.99, 397, pages, paperback
Blood Crazy begins with a very bloody killing and a glimpse into the life of Nick Aten. It was a bit
hard to read at the start, due to me not being used to such carnage at the beginning of a story.
Soon
enough, however, Clark moved on to the telling of this fairly original story.
Nick Aten is the main character of the story and is depicted as a fairly normal teenager. He is
involved in some strife with one of his classmates, Tug Slatter, like teens will be. Slatter seems to
be
the bully in the book, wanting to beat poor Nick up just because he doesn't like his face. Of
course,
the feeling is mutual between the two. Weaving in and out of this story, Slatter adds to the realism
of the yarn. With what is happening in this book-anything convincing readers that this story may
have happened at all-or is even a candidate for really happening--is well received.
What is Blood Crazy's plot?
Imagine this: One day, out of the clear blue sky, all adult people start killing. The killings are not
anything easy, either. They are abrupt, horrific and very very bloody. The adults are killing kids;
either their own offspring or the offspring of other adults who are having trouble killing the
kiddies.
By the time that Nick finds out that parents are doing the killing, and the victims are their own
children, he has lost his brother and has no idea where his own parents have gone. When Nick
witnesses his good friends' massacre, the events of the day begin to reflect on the town.
"And at that moment I knew that the town itself had begun to die. The traffic lights went out;
screens in the electrical stores blanked; VDU timetables at the bust stop faded to black.
Electricity is like blood flowing through your veins. You don't notice it until it stops.
Now there was something cold and inert about the town. The buildings, even in sunshine, seemed
suddenly dark. It was quieter. All the air-conditioning units and Xpelair fans that provide the
subliminal hum had died too." Readers will wonder if this is how the world will really end. Clark's
idea of Armageddon seems to add up and make sense. Until you find out his explanation for these
occurrences.
Clark's writing is descriptive and very visual. Readers will really feel that they are on scene as the
world ceases to exist as we know it. This is Clark's writing gift, along with the ability to take a
mainstream idea and give it a horror slant.
The story goes on with Nick seeking out the answer to why parents are killing their children and
why they seem so "zombie-like" in stature. Nick also bands together with some other children and
tries to help them build a New World.
Especially appreciated here is the way that Clark depicts the possibilities of having young people
in
charge of society. Running while balancing a can, under threat at of losing a body appendage (or
one's life), seems fairly realistic for a city past time when considering the mindsets of today's
turbulent teens. A massive rape by a certain group of people and the mighty gaining control over
the
brainy also occurs. All the while, the teens are working hard at trying to outwit the
"killer-parents."
"The first blow came from behind. I fell forward, my skull ringing with pain. I pulled myself to my
knees as I saw mum lift the rock above my head. She smiled again. Then swung the rock down
Then
all I remember is seeing blood dripping red onto fallen leaves-and nothing more."
Simon Clark's writing is a flow that is enjoyable reading. He keeps the reader interested, without
being too predictable. The only thing I didn't like was the reasoning used for the strange actions of
the residents. The reasoning is complicated and, I felt, unrealistic. With the tone of the rest of the
book, the explanation doesn't seem to quite fit.
This is Simon Clark's second book published by Leisure. Nailed by the Heart is the other one.
Blood Crazy is horror. Blood Crazy is science fiction. Blood Crazy is fantasy. Okay, okay! Blood
Crazy just is. Do yourself a favor and read it.
Shadow Dreams
Elizabeth Massie
Leisure Books
ISBN 0843949996 $5.99, Paperback, 337 pages
If you haven't treated yourself to the fiction of Elizabeth Massie, here is the perfect opportunity to
do just that. This collection of short stories is the fourth book, penned by Massie, published by
Leisure Books and contains 17 short stories which are termed by the publisher as Massie's "best
stories from the past ten years."
To say Elizabeth Massie's writing is a bit different is a gross understatement of her art. Elizabeth
Massie has a diabolical way with words. She seems to know just what to say and when to say it to
make the reader tingle in anticipation of what is coming up next. Many of her plot and theme
ideas
are fresh, as is the way she tells the story. With Massie, readers are indeed letting themselves in
for a
real treat. Maybe that is why I am a new fan of hers.
Beginning with Welcome Back to the Night, I have read all of Elizabeth Massie's books except
Sineater (which I plan to read in the near future). Her stories are what I like to call "Life Horror."
That is, the horror between these pages are of a nature that make the reader wonder if these
events
are occurring and where! As we read the latest editions of the newspapers each day, we seem to
see
events from Massie's mind making it into the pages.
The characters Massie creates are well rounded and realistic. So well at describing the scene,
Massie
shows readers the tale right before their eyes. It's almost like watching a film, as opposed to
reading
a book. The difference is that the reader can take in bits at a time to prevent any overload of the
horror found with in these covers.
Take "I Am Not My Smell," for instance. This lead story in Shadow Dreams takes place on a
beach
and revolves around a dirty, filthy homeless woman. For those of you fortunate enough to have
never witnessed homelessness in person, this tale will take you there.
"The mother, face all painted and plucked, also looked over the bench seat. Her face registered
my
smell and then my foot. She contorted. "Disgusting."
"I said, 'In the Bible, Lazarus let the dogs at the gate lick his sores.' But the mother and child were
gone already, off in a hurry down the sandy walk and they didn't hear what I had to say."
This tale shares the humanism of the homeless, however, something you might not find elsewhere.
I
warn you; this yarn has some horrific points when the protagonist is trying to get through a simple
day. Making friends with a dog seems to be her salvation, but all too soon we learn that this
friendship was created by Massie to show a sickening line of thought meant to relieve your
stomach
of dinner. The best thing about Shadow Dreams is that the rest of the tales don't evoke the upset
that this one does. So, don't give up-read on.
In Snow Day, the question of what tribulations await a child when school is closed for weather
reasons seems to be the theme. Never coming straight out with the abuse the girl is probably
enduring, Massie gently hints at atrocities bizarre enough to get the reader's mind clicking some
awful images. At the end of this story, readers will be relieved that Massie did skip detail that she
is
so talented at describing. And readers are left wondering.
Anyone working with mentally handicapped people will cringe at some of the thoughts a few
characters in Damaged Goods hold. With a clear scene and plot, this story makes readers think
about the real differences between good and evil. Some of the evils here are reality and still dictate
the beliefs of our society. My problem with Damaged Goods was the end. I felt like I had missed
something, which would make everything clear to me. Whatever that something is, by rereading
this
story I find it is not here. The story is still an excellent, thought-provoking read.
Perhaps the best, or one of the best, story here is No Solicitors, Curious a Quarter. Beginning
with a
graphic description of a partially decapitated grandmother, this story illustrates how lemonade can
actually be made when life hands you lemons. This is the story of a grandmother who is taking
care
of a developmentally disabled granddaughter. Enter local criminals trying to make her life harder
than it has to be. The fresh enterprenial way Nannie deals with the problem is entertaining in a
dark
way. I will warn you; however, the end here is a real shocker.
Other stories are Sanctuary of the Shrinking Soul, Dibs, Assault, What Happened When Mosby
Paulsen Had Her Painting Reproduced On The Cover Of The Phone Book, Meat, M Is For The
Many Things, White Hair, We Adore, Honey Girls On Line and five more. Elizabeth Massie is a
new
fresh voice in horror with many readers looking forward to her next tale
Check out my interview with writer Alisha Valdes-Rodriguez!! She took the publishing world by
storm when her first novel sold for $500,000 at a manuscript auction! Read all about it in Writing
for Dollars!
Read an interview with Christina Kiplinger-Johns at http://sellwritingonline.com/authors.html
Biting Midnight is a new collection of dark fantasy/horror poetry by Maria Alexander and
Christina
Kiplinger-Johns. The book is published by Medium Rare Books and is available now.
http://www.mediumrarebooks.com
Christina Kiplinger-Johns
Reviewer
Barbara's Bookshelf
A True Writer
Essay by Barbara J. Robinson
A true writer writes, not for money, but for the pure love and pleasure of writing to share the
heart
and soul and life experiences with others. Writing is thinking and reflecting, a process of discovery
about one's self and the world around him, a time of deep thought and reflection.
The mind is a powerful work of art. Henry David Thoreau said he was monarch of all he
surveyed.
A writer is monarch of all he creates. Students need to improve both their reading and writing
skills
for state-mandated testing. Students are interested and motivated to write when writing is tied to
their lives and their lives are tied to writing. Students Stephanie Nicole Ortiz, Giovanni Aponte,
Jeremy Pedelose, and Miguel Agosto were inspired to write about the 911 tragedy the day after
the
terrible event, and their stories have been released in 911: The Day America Cried by Obadiah
Press.
Doug MacMillan, Executive Director of the Todd M. Beamer Foundation, said, "Although each
story is unique, you will be especially touched by the short stories written by the children. Their
unique perspective on the events of September 11 reminds us that today's children are tomorrow's
heroes, capable of positively impacting our world for the good of others."
Victoria Walker, who selected the student stories and complied the book, said, "To all the young
writers who contributed to this book --Your forthright honesty and emotion is priceless. Never
stop
reaching for your dreams; never give up hope in America or in your fellow Americans."
While many former students and educators may remember their first experience at becoming
published in the pages of their school newspaper, the fact is that these young writers will
remember
their first publishing experiences of becoming published in a very special book honoring loved
ones,
families, and friends of the victims of the September 11 tragedy which will never be forgotten.
The
technique of tying writing to their lives and their lives to writing is the technique to foster both
lifelong readers and writers among young people and allow them to be part of books and the
newspaper world as well as allowing them to become a part of current events.
Teaching the art of memoir and autobiographical writing allows students to take part in the world
around them as well as discover themselves and the world around them. Through my own
memoir,
Magnolia: A Wilting Flower, using childhood incidents about my own school days, I have used
my
personal writing as a tool to reach out and teach, and it has paid off in the form of students who
care
about the world around them and who want to write to be included as a voice in the world around
them.
911: The Day America Cried: A collection of poems, letters, and stories on an American
tragedy
Victoria Walker, compiler; Tina L. Miller, editor
Obadiah Press
607 North Cleveland Street, Merrill, WI 34452
No ISBN, $TBA, 1-866-536-3167, www.amazon.com
Author/educator Barbara J. Robinson and four of her students were inspired to share their
heartfelt
emotions in the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy as were adults and students around the
world, and their stories have been released in 911: The Day America Cried by Obadiah Press, as a
memorial tribute to the victims and their families. Robinson, author of the Southern memoir,
Magnolia: A Wilting Flower, wrote a story titled "911: A Cry for Tolerance". One of her students
wrote a poem titled "Angels". The other three wrote heartfelt essays to express themselves, their
shock, anger, and raw emotion. Many of her students had relatives living in New York, and the
tragedy struck close to home for them. America united worldwide to produce the beautiful
paperback anthology of heartfelt emotions in 288 pages of raw emotion. See
www.ObadiahPress.com for more information. Doug MacMillan, Executive Director of the Todd
M. Beamer Foundation, said, "Although each story is unique, you will be especially touched by
the
short stories written by the children. Their unique perspective on the events of September 11
reminds us that today's children are tomorrow's heroes, capable of positively impacting our world
for the good of others."
Victoria Walker, who selected the student stories and complied the book, said, "To all the young
writers who contributed to this book --Your forthright honesty and emotion is priceless. Never
stop
reaching for your dreams; never give up hope in America or in your fellow Americans."
Robinson says, "Don't miss the stories of fellow Americans around the world in this beautiful
tribute
of America united in a tragedy that was meant to divide us. 911: The Day America Cried is
available
through www.amazon.com, or by calling toll free 1-866-536-3167.
Magnolia: A Wilting Flower
Barbara J. Robinson
PublishAmerica
ISBN 1-59129-430-4 , $16.95, 201 page, Southern memoir
1-877-333-7422, www.publishamerica.com, http://pages.prodigy.net/bud25
A beautiful paperback Southern memoir set in the Strawberry Capital of the World and America's
Antique City, Ponchatoula, Louisiana, Magnolia: A Wilting Flower is the story of a gutsy girl who
lost her father on Christmas Day in a little Southern town. Get a glimpse of the past through this
coming-of-age memoir set in the same school setting where Pistol Pete played basketball and was
filmed. Share Magnolia's pain, heartache, and her coming-of-age struggles and growing-up-pains
as
she learns some of life's lessons the hard way. Education was important to Magnolia's father, and
he
left her a symbol of what education meant to him in the little, red-plaid booksack he bought for
her.
Magnolia is raised on superstitions and fairy tales. Will Prince Charming come? The spunky
youngster gets herself and her little sister into some pretty cementing situations. Even as a child,
Magnolia wanted to become a teacher. Do fairy tales come true, after all? Be transported to
another
place and another time, back to a simpler time in life beneath the shade of a huge pecan, when
Jack's
cookies and Coca Colas were only a nickel. Share Magnolia's struggles with peer relationships,
losing her beloved father at four years old on Christmas Day, and learning to deal with a
stepfather.
Turn the pages of Magnolia's life through this beautiful Southern memoir and check out her
website
at http://pages.prodigy.net/bud25 for the free prologue and two beautiful poems from the
book!
Barbara J. Robinson
Reviewer
Alyice's Bookshelf
Baby Be Loved
Susan Ann Stelfox
Mason Publishing
ISBN Number: 0-9705242-0-X, $19.95, Hardcover, 26 pages
Baby Be Loved is a fascinating concept in parenting survival for both first-time and veteran
mommies. I especially love the design of the book. With simplistic yet vibrant pages and binding
that
allow the book to hang on the wall, much like that of a calendar... coming back to it daily... it
offers
tid-bits of information that inspire, instruct, and nurture. The tid-bits also offer ways to bond with
one's infant, without adding to the mother's already hectic schedule or having the mother feel
overwhelmed with facts or tasks. But this book isn't just about bonding with one's newborn, this
book gently interweaves lessons for mommy that leave her feeling mentally, spiritually, and yes...
even emotionally well.
I can only hope that Stelfox will continue her studies, and create more of these books, based on
the
various stages of a child's life... such as the teenage years when parents need to understand their
children's desire to separate themselves, find individuality, and yet still need the closeness and
guidance of a parent.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for the perfect baby shower gift!
Order Baby Be Loved Today!
I Thought there was a Road There... and Other Lessons in Life from God
Lynn Assimacopoulos
Pine Hill Press
ISBN: 1-57579-206-0, $12.00, Paperback, 99 pages
I read "I Thought there was a Road There.." during a very stressful, chaotic and scary time in my
life. My husband lost his job and wondering how we were going to make it on a day to day basis
had
me feeling overwhelmed. I found this book to be very calming.
Assimacopoulos' stories are like medicine for the soul. Assimacopoulos writes of everyday tasks
that
we often take for granted, and reminds us how powerful our lives can be, in our simplicity.
We all go through moments, days, weeks, and even months when we feel as though nothing we
do
matters in this world; as though we are living in a vacuum that just sucks the life out of us.
Reading
Assimacopoulos' stories, and final thoughts about how those simple days apply to the greater and
grander scheme of things, seems to put everything into perspective.
Assimacopoulos reminds us that every single part of our lives can be used for the greater good, no
matter how unimportant we may think they are. Her book is filled with memories that have us
laughing, crying, and feeling comforted.
Life is meant to be lived and cherished despite the curve balls that are often thrown our way. We
are
to rejoice in the simple pleasures of life, find our own way to reach out and touch the lives of
others,
and to remember that no matter where our paths take us -- God will always be at the forefront of
our lives, waiting with open arms to comfort us, to give us strength, or simply share in the joys
that
life presents us.
"I Thought there was a Road There..." is as heart-warming, comforting, and calming, as sipping a
cup of hot cocoa, nestled under warm blankets, on a rainy day.
Order I Thought there was a Road There... today! A portion of the proceeds from this book go to
Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society -- a non-profit long term care organization.
Alyice Edrich, Reviewer
http://thedabblingmum.com
Harwood's Bookshelf
Review by Norman Pridmore
c/o Freethinker
P O Box 234, Brighton BN14XD, United Kingdom
NORMAN PRIDMORE reviews The Autobiography of God
as told to William Harwood
www.Xlibris.com, 2002, ppb, 325 pp., $19.54, ISBN 1-4010-5666-0
Reprinted from FREETHINKER January 2003.
IF BOOKS were beasts, this odd, hybrid volume would count among the stranger ones, up there
with such wonders as the platypus and the golden mole. Why? Well, this animal runs on three
legs.
The first leg is that of postmodernism, a compound of such devices as multiple points of view and
unreliable narration. The second is an intriguing mixture of history, theology and anthropology.
The
third is science fiction, which provides an imaginative and curious background as well as much of
the book's narrative energy.
Given its strange method of locomotion it covers a surprising amount of ground, and does so
remarkably fleetly. It will offend and annoy all religionists and, I suspect, a good number of
humanists too. It is clever, tricky, learned, frequently foul-mouthed (mainly down to Yahweh),
and
very full of ideas-many of which are (to say the least) highly controversial.
The book's author, William Harwood PhD. M.Litt. (Cambridge) was born in Australia. This may
or
may not be significant. He himself calls Australia "the world's largest culturally deprived
environment," a place where "people ... live in constant terror that some day, somewhere,
someone
might actually do something." He spent time as a research student at Cambridge, during which
period he discovered that England is "the world's largest insane asylum." He now lives in "what is
politely called Canada's Bible Belt.... more accurately described as the redneck anus of the
universe...."
There is in the book a photograph of the author with his grandchildren. I'm not sure whether his
expression is irritable and peevish or phlegmatically remote. It could be both, I suppose: the
photograph is somewhat blurry.
Harwood is the author of some highly regarded science fiction, a number of historical and more
conventional novels, and various scholarly translations and histories. He is perhaps best known for
his book Mythology's Last Gods, of which Bernard Katz wrote in the American Rationalist that it
"demonstrates that the Judaeo-Christian Bible is full of errors of fact, bum guesses, prophecies ex
post facto, excuses, and deliberate lies. The blurb says 'it is the first book to critically analyze, and
take issue with, every section of the Judaeo-Christian Bible from a wholly skeptical, utterly
scholarly
perspective.' I agree."
The Autobiography of God is told through three voices, those of Hughie, Yahweh, and Pan.
Hughie
begins the book with a bang:
"I am Hughie; hear me roar,
a god like none you've met before."
Unlike any previous god, Hughie is sane and not evil. He is, he tells us, "intelligent, just,
consistent,
and morally evolved." Unlike all previous gods he is not "capricious, partisan, morally retarded,
susceptible to flattery, afflicted with the human psychoses of jealousy and revenge-lust ... or ...
scientifically illiterate..."
Hughie has only one minor imperfection, he tells us: "I probably do not exist." Except, perhaps, as
the voice closest to that of the author...
Yahweh speaks next. He is the god of the religionists and is, frankly, barking. Harwood has used
his
vast knowledge of "holy" texts to put together a character who is both shocking and grimly
plausible. There is nothing this god does, and no element of his personality, that does not derive
from some identifiable religion-sanctioned source. He's a shape-shifting, devious, power-crazed,
worship-addicted, psychopathic opportunist. And that's being generous!
Pan is Yahweh's brother. Logician, historian, rationalist, ironist, and pitier of humans, Pan is the
figure that Christian mythology insists is Satan. Harwood is, in this respect, and like Milton and
Blake before him, somewhat of the Devil's party. It's a novel and productive characterization that,
like the portrait of Yahweh, derives from considerable scholarship. Unconventional, yes-but well
founded.
The three voices speak in strict turn, each having a short chapter to itself. This avoids the tedium
of
the formal dialogue (which is always best suited to shorter forms) but does allow a flow of
argument, as when one of the gods wishes to comment upon something said or done by another.
It's
not an easy device to carry off effectively, the main dangers being those of the voices being
insufficiently distinct in tone from one another, and of too much material being repeated.
Harwood
manages the difficulties pretty well and there are few longuers despite the book's length and its
inevitably rather cerebral nature.
So what's it all about, then? Harwood's purpose is clearly didactic. The book is an attempt to
convey
to the reader a great deal of knowledge and opinion in as sprightly a way as possible. He is
concerned to demolish all conventional religious notions of God, and offers much in the way of
'orrible 'istory (derived-where else?-from holy books) to support this demolition. Not only ancient
history, either. By the end Harwood has navigated his craft right into the turbulent waters of the
present, commenting on drugs, genes, population economics, sexuality and more.
He is concerned to demolish all those moralities that are god-dependent or god-derived. If this
sounds Nietzschean, rest assured-it is. But it's not all destruction. He propounds ideas of his own
that are at the very least startling. Harwood is a moralist and an extreme pragmatist, and about as
tough-minded as they come. The point of demolishing gods and of sweeping away the rubble so
comprehensively is not only because belief in gods is stupid, but because if the "old ideas" remain
they will taint and distort any chance of working out a truly rational ethics based upon real human
needs and behaviors. Harwood's ultimate principle is that the only true evil is the non-consensual
infliction by one person upon another of actual and avoidable harm. If this idea is familiar, then it
should be-it's both the oldest and newest on the block, running from the earliest codifications of
law
to the thought of Richard Rutty in the present. It's an idea that's easier to formulate than to apply,
and Harwood's consistency in attempting to do so results in some very provocative ideas being
outlined.
It's a libertarian and anti-paternalist project communicated with wit and imagination. Eccentric
and
angry, it demands attention.
Having praised the book I'd like to end with a pedantic quibble and take a pop at whoever read
the
proofs of this work. How the hell was the howler on page 290 of this book allowed to remain? It
was not Julian Huxley (as Harwood appears to insist) that debated evolution with "Soapy Sam"
Wilberforce, the Bishop of Oxford, but his estimable ancestor Thomas. In a book so
fact-dependent,
such a mistake can tend to undermine the reader's trust in the author's less easily checked
assertions.
Indeed, I'd go further and say that the whole episode is rather less clear-cut than popular history
insists and that any serious historian should accommodate knowledge of such ambiguities and
uncertainties. Stephen Jay Gould, for example, in his essay "Knight takes Bishop?" (collected in
the
volume Bully for Brontosaurus) suggests that this "most famous story in all the hagiography of
evolution is, if not false, at least grossly distorted by biased reconstruction long after the
fact."
Such mistakes are the straws that religionists will grasp at in their inevitable attempts to devalue
and
dismiss this book (and any others that offend them, for that matter). They should not be given
such
chances. They've had enough already.
The Apostle Frankenstein
Bob Truett
Church of the Natural Way
P.O. Box 97, Vandiver, AL 35176
1999, 52 pp., magazine format, $6 post paid from publisher
The Frankenstein of Truett's title is the mythmaker Paul of Tarsus, and the monster he created is
the
Jesus of Christianity. While that particular analogy is new, Paul's status as the inventor of
Christianity has long been recognized and is disputed by no person with any legitimate claim to be
a
biblical scholar. A. Powell Davies even titled his biography of Paul The First Christian.
Nonetheless,
Truett claims of his reconstruction of Christian origins, "To the best of my knowledge, this
evidence
has never before been examined for the purpose of discovering how and why the myth was
created."
While such was not his purpose, that statement reveals just how inadequate his knowledge really
is.
Truett considers Jesus a purely mythical creation. After describing how Dr Frankenstein's assistant
"brings back the brain of a criminally insane killer ... that goes into the monster," he writes, "When
Paul created a savior god and made him the son of the Jewish god Jahveh, he was putting into his
monster a criminally insane brain." In that sense, the persons who claim that Jesus was not a real
person are right. But as Truett explains, "Myths begin with a kernel of truth. With every telling
this
kernel of truth is embellished with interesting details, improvisations, exaggerations, and outright
fabrications." And he adds what may be the most concise and definitive argument for a historical
Jesus onto whom the pagan myths were grafted: "Asking if there was a Jesus crucified in the
stated
time period is like asking if there was an American named Steve arrested for possession of drugs
in
California in 1972." Paul did make a random choice of one of the dozen or more recently crucified
messiahs to be the figurehead of his purely gentile religion. But any similarity between the
historical
Jesus and the biblical Jesus is, as Truett recognizes, coincidental.
Another clue to Truett's inadequacy for the task he undertakes in The Apostle Frankenstein is his
statement that "the King James Bible is the most accurate translation available in the English
language and the closest to what was written in the original languages." Nonsense. The KJV
falsifies
the proper name, Yahweh, into "the LORD." It falsifies ha-elohim, a generic plural meaning "the
(male and female) gods" into the masculine proper name, "God." Most other bibles do likewise,
although there are some bibles that call Yahweh Yahweh (or Jehovah). Also, the
seventeenth-century English in which the KJV is written is all but incomprehensible four hundred
years later. And one should not forget that only the KJV's translation of Deuteronomy 23:13
makes
it seem that soldiers on campaign are being ordered to masturbate.
Truett makes a lot of valid points: "The ancient Jews believed there was more than just one god....
Other gods could do wonders, but their god could outdo all of the others." "Adama and Heva
were
created by the god Brahma who placed them on the island of Ceylon. Brahma told this new
couple
not to attempt to leave the island." "Jews did not invent monotheism." Commenting on Jesus'
physical appearance: "Common sense tells us that people do not call someone gluttonous if he is
slim and trim.... They call you gluttonous when you start to put on extra weight." And most
accurately: "Paul is the man who changed the entire history of the world right down to today and
probably for many years into the future.... Paul single-handedly created the Christian
religion."
But unfortunately those smidgens of wheat are strewn among a barn full of chaff. In recognizing
that
the Jews did not invent monotheism, he asserts that the Persians did. In fact monotheism was
invented in Egypt, by Pharaoh Ikhenaton. Persia's Zoroastrianism was dualistic, not monotheistic.
"Acts was written by a close co-worker of Saul's, at Saul's direction." Wrong! Scenes in Acts are
so
incompatible with Paul's claims in his letters, that no one who knew Paul could have written them.
"Another piece of the Christ myth that Paul made ... was the concept of the Trinity." Wrong! The
earliest Christian triad, that evolved into a Trinity in the teachings of Athanasius, originated a
century after Paul's death. "At the end of Matthew Jesus is quoted as speaking ... of the Father,
and
of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." The current Matthew certainly contains such a passage, but it
was an interpolation added long after the gospel author's death "First Corinthians, chapter 13 ...
is, I
think, the best thing written by Paul." Wrong! 1 Corinthians chapter 13 is an interpolation. "Paul
created a savior god and made him the son of the Jewish god." Wrong! Jesus was not made the
son
of a virgin, fathered by an aspect of the Jewish god, until forty years after Paul's death, and not
himself deified until seventy years after Paul's death. "In Romans 5 Paul mentions the tripartite
concept of god." Wrong! Paul identified Jesus as Yahweh's son in a strictly metaphorical, adopted
sense, as King David and other Jewish rulers had been Yahweh's adopted sons. And "Holy Ghost"
is
a Christian mistranslation of "spirit of holiness," an Essene concept preached by Jesus to mean a
just
disposition.
Truett's theories of the composition of the Christian writings are nonsense. He credits Paul with
the
authorship of Mark, and a companion of Paul with the authorship of Luke. His theory that Paul
put
speeches into Jesus' mouth that had the avowed purpose of converting anti-Roman Jews into
pro-Roman Christians can only stem from ignorance of the reality that all of the teachings alleged
to
have such a purpose originated in the Essene Manual of Disciple, and for that reason were
probably
indeed preached by the neo-Essene Jesus. It was not Paul but the author of Mark (NOT the same
person), who first transformed Jesus from a deluded fanatic who proclaimed a war of Jewish
independence, and was promptly executed when his 50 to 150 Zealot followers were killed or
captured in ten minutes by one Roman cohort, into the friend of Rome that he never was.
But where Truett ventures into the deepest quicksand is when he validates some of the
masturbation
fantasies of the new Velikovsky, Roman Piso. "It is quite probable that Arrius and other
descendants
of ... Piso wrote some parts of the New Testament that are attributed to Peter, John James, and
Matthew." Camel excrement!
Truett acknowledges, "I am capable of making mistakes.... Perhaps there are others who can
make a
better explanation for the sudden creation of the Jesus myth during the middle part of the first
century and the writing of the gospels around the end of the first century." There certainly are.
For
persons who know little or nothing about Christian origins, the place to look is my novel, Uncle
Yeshu, Messiah (Xlibris, 2001). It is fiction but, to put it bluntly, so is The Apostle Frankenstein.
It
duplicates all of Truett's valid conjectures, and contains none of his myriad of errors. For an
accurate
biography of the life of Jesus and his posthumous transformation into a Greek savior-god, see the
last two chapters of Mythology's Last Gods (Prometheus, 1992).
As for Truett's advocacy of a new religion in which, "The church should teach real morality which
consists of good deeds surely, but also acceptance and respect for those who are different from
the
majority," I think he will find a philosophy he can endorse spelled out in the "Hughie" chapters of
The Autobiography of God (Xlibris, 2002).
As an undergraduate essay, The Apostle Frankenstein would deserve at least a B-. As a graduate
thesis, it would rate an F. Recommended only for persons who already know enough to separate
the
sense from the nonsense.
The Sunken Kingdom: The Atlantis Mystery Solved
Peter James
Random House, London, 1996 ppb, 338 pp.
First published in Indian Skeptic, October 2000.
"Only the meanest of skeptics could fail to be intrigued by the mass of anecdotal evidence
suggesting
that crystals may have unexplored and beneficial properties." (p. 4)
That passage was an early warning that this was not going to be a book I could take seriously,
and
that tentative judgment did not prove to be premature. Further on, James describes the firing of
astronomers who supported the masturbation fantasies of Immanuel Velikovsky as "this shameful
episode in scientific history." In my view, it was not the firing of astronomers so incompetent that
they could not distinguish between legitimate scientific speculation and nonsense that was
shameful,
but the failure to fire biologists so incompetent that they touted creationism as a better
explanation
for human origins than evolution. And James does nothing for his credibility when he includes in
his
bibliography a book by Charles Berlitz, one about Edgar Cayce, and a journal article on psychic
archaeology.
James sets out to prove that Plato's Atlantis tales had a factual basis, and that basis was a Lydian
city
called Tantalis. To lead up to that conclusion, he debunks, very effectively, all other identifications
of Atlantis with real islands such as the Azores and Crete. For example, he shows that parallels
between Atlantis's bull cult and frescoes from Minoan Crete are no closer than parallels with
several
other bull-centered cultures, and that the incompatibilities far exceed the similarities.
Unfortunately,
in doing so he simultaneously undermines his own claim that Atlantis closely parallels a lost city in
Lydia. While a city so devastated by an earthquake that it wound up at the bottom of a newly
created lake may be rare, it is far from being so improbable that it must have been the source of
the
myth of a continent that sank into the sea. And at the end of the book we learn that James did not
actually find such a sunken city. He merely postulates that it must be down there. He does not
even
have the consolation that future archaeology may prove him right, since his theory assumes that a
Lydian legend involving Tantalos and Tantalis became corrupted in oral transmission into Atlas
and
Atlantis-and that can never be proven.
James does make a plausible case that Plato was telling the truth when he claimed to have
obtained
the skeleton of the Atlantis legend from Solon by way of Kritias, that Solon learned the story in
Lydia rather than Egypt, and that Plato inserted the impossible date to harmonize the story with
Egyptian claims to have established a civilization 8,000 years earlier. But his attempt to
de-fictionalize the myth and equate Atlantis with a sunken city in Lydia is no more successful than
Spyridon Marinatos's attempt to equate Atlantis with Thera and Crete. That scholars are not
impressed by James's theory can be inferred from Random House's failure, seven years after the
book's first London publication, to produce an American edition.
So does James's book live up to its subtitle, The Atlantis Mystery Solved? In the sense that James
puts the final coffin nail in the pretence that Plato was writing nonfiction, yes. In the sense that
James intended, sadly, no.
The Judaeo-Christian Bible, various translations, reviewed by William Harwood
Previously published in American Rationalist, Nov/Dec 1997
Novelist Trevor Hoyle once acknowledged a debt "not least to the authors of the Judeo-Christian
Bible, King James Version, which has got to be the greatest work of science fiction ever written."
Most science fiction fans would disagree. First of all, the Bible is fantasy, a genre only the
undiscriminating equate with science fiction. And secondly, the adjective "greatest" should surely
be
reserved for books such as Stranger in a Strange Land that promulgate the valid moral philosophy
that has been the unifying theme in all worthwhile science fiction for more than sixty years. The
moral philosophy of the Bible, in contrast, is more akin to Adolf Hitler's Mein Kampf and the
Marquis de Sade's Juliette.
For example, the Bible's earliest author, at the very beginning of his narrative, has his hero, the
god
Yahweh, tell Adam and Eve (paraphrased), "This is a pomegranate. It is tasty, delicious,
scrumptious and mouth-watering. You're not to eat it. If you eat it I'll kill you. And I'll kill your
children, and your children's children, and their children, forever and ever. Now run along and
have
fun, kiddies."
Naturally Adam and Eve ate the pomegranate. Having been shown that the cookie jar was
unguarded, how could they have not eaten from it? And naturally Yahweh carried out his threat.
To
this day, according to biblical literalists, Yahweh is executing a quarter-million men, women and
children each and every day in reprisal for that alleged offense of their distant ancestors. And in
case
the message is missed, Yahweh reiterates in Exodus 20:5 that he intends to go on punishing
descendants for their ancestors' crimes. So do believers question Yahweh's morality? They do not.
Apparently, "When God does it, it's not evil." And when the president does it, it's not illegal. Thus
spoke Richard Nixon.
Many Christians take the attitude that no lesson can be drawn from their Bible's "Old Testament"
books. So what, they shrug, if Yahweh used to be a capricious, sadistic mass murderer? So what
if
he instructed his pets "When Yahweh your gods [generic plural] has settled you in the land you're
about to occupy.... You're going to exterminate (the inhabitants) in a massive genocide until
they're
eliminated"? (Deuteronomy 7:1-23) So what if he inflicted Job with unspeakable cruelty just to
see
whether he would question the god's right to do anything it wished? That was the old god. The
new
god is nice.
Unfortunately, one can only conclude that persons who think the New Testament god is nicer
than
his Old Testament self have not read the Christian books. For example, Paul of Tarsus justified
Yahweh's partisanship by arguing, "Doesn't the potter have power over the clay, to make from the
same lump one vessel in honor and the other in dishonor?" (Romans 9:21) And when Jesus'
students
asked him why he preached in riddles, he explained that, if he used plain language, too many
listeners might convert and he might accidentally cause the salvation of persons whom his
omnipotent sky-father had predestined for damnation (Mark 4:10-12).
Among the allegories Jesus allegedly preached is one whose moral can be summarized, "Cheat
those
who are no longer useful to you, and use the stolen money to bribe those who are in a position to
do
you good." (Luke 16:1-9). Did Jesus actually preach anything of the sort? The answer is
irrelevant.
It is the Bible that is being evaluated here, not Jesus. And the Bible is unequivocally a paean to
evil.
That is not to say that Jesus might have been a much nicer man than the Bible paints him. As an
Essene, raised to believe in a purgatory where even the righteous were barbecued with flame
throwers for the purpose of burning away the stain of sin and purifying the dead soul in readiness
for
its reward, Jesus almost certainly did preach the sadistic "hell" doctrine attributed to him in the
Christian gospels. But he (or his posthumous script-writer) made one slight change. He (they)
changed the purpose of the torture from purification to punishment, thereby transforming the
Zoroastrian/Essene/Pharisee purgatory into the Christian hell. A sicker, more evil concept than
Hell
cannot be imaged, and whether or not Jesus preached it, the Bible certainly preaches it. By
comparison, de Sade was a philanthropist.
Since the Bible was compiled by editing separate, self-contained versions of the same stories into
a
single narrative, not surprisingly it is riddled with internal inconsistencies. Malory's Le Mort
D'Arthur, constructed by the same method, shows persons killed in one chapter turning up alive in
a
later chapter, and the same can be seen in Homer's Iliad. The Bible shows giants alive in Moses'
time
(Numbers 13:33), as well as the descendants of Cain, even though the giants and the Cainites had
both been killed off in Noah's flood. And the story of Moses producing water out of a rock
appears
twice (Exodus 17:1-7; Numbers 20:2-13), forcing literalists to rationalize that the same fantastic
event occurred twice-as if finding water for two million Israelites and their livestock in the middle
of
the Sinai desert even once did not sufficiently strain readers' credulity.
Of all English Bible translations produced by organized religions, not a single one acknowledges
that
the Towrah authors were not monotheists. Everywhere that the Hebrew refers to ha-elohim,
meaning "the god and goddess committee," English Bibles substitute the singular, masculine,
proper
name "God." And with the exception of The Jerusalem Bible and The New World Translation,
English Bibles falsify the proper name, Yahweh, into "the Lord." (The NWT uses "Jehovah," a
mistranscription but not a deliberate falsification). And all English Bibles have Jesus' students
address him as "Lord," even though that translation of kyrios was correct when the King James
Bible was written in 1611 and "Lord" was a title of rank, akin to "House of Lords," but is
incorrect
today, when "Lord" has ceased to be a synonym for "Master" and has acquired connotations of
divinity. A correct translation would be "Your Lordship" or "Sire," depending on whether the
speaker accepted Jesus' claim to be his king.
Other falsifications designed to create the illusion that Bible authors believed the same things
present-day god-addicts believe include the translation of the same word as "sky" when it refers to
the abode of birds, and "heaven" when it refers to the abode of gods, even though neither Hebrew
nor Greek makes any such distinction, and a distinction between "messenger" and "angel" that
similarly does not exist in either original language.
Even ignoring the differences between Orthodox Bibles which contain 3 and 4 Esdras and other
Bibles that do not, between Catholic Bibles that contain I and 2 Maccabees and Protestant Bibles
that do not, and between Christian Bibles that contain Mark and Matthew and Jewish Bibles that
do
not, all Bibles contain approximately one thousand internal inconsistencies, pairs of statements
that
are mutually incompatible and therefore cannot both be true. For example, Daniel, written by a
Pharisee, endorses the reality of life after death. Ecclesiastes, by a Sadducee, explicitly repudiates
life
after death. Matthew tells birth tales that could be true only if Jesus was born during the lifetime
of
King Herod. Luke's birth tales could be true only if Jesus was born ten years after Herod's death.
And of the Bible's external inconsistencies, the most blatant are the seven descriptions of a flat
earth
(Genesis 1:1-19; Isaiah 40:21-22; Job 22:14; Daniel 4:10; Matthew 4:8; Revelation 7:1; Psalm
103:12).
So why does religion not face reality and acknowledge that its Bible is a work of the imagination?
The answer is that, without the Bible's say-so, there is no reason whatsoever to believe in gods
capable of rewarding sycophants with eternal life. And without the mind-deadening opiate of an
afterlife belief to annul the terrifying finality of death, an estimated one-sixth of the human race
would have to be institutionalized and diapered. So, sadly, we can expect the Bible to be around
for
a long time.
William Harwood
Reviewer
Dana's Bookshelf
Vivekananda: Lessons In Classical Yoga
Dave DeLuca, compiler & editor
Namaste Books
P.O. Box 30303, Anaheim Hills, CA 92809-0210
ISBN 0972434879, $19.95, 290 pages
1-800-255-2007; fax 714-242-2073, http://www.namastebooks.com
Swami Vivekananda is relatively obscure today, yet he was one of the great spiritual figures India
bequeathed to the modern era. He was one of the first to introduce the ancient treasures of Indian
philosophy and Classical Yoga to the world outside of India treasures that are commonplaces
today but sensational when Swami Vivekananda first introduced them at the world's first
Parliament
of Religions in Chicago in 1893. A shy, almost inconspicuous persona all through the conference,
when it was his turn to speak, his message was a sensation. He quite literally made national
headlines
in the mainstream media of the day.*
*For a stirring account of the Swami Vivekananda's presentation at the 1893 Parliament of
Religions, see www.namastebooks.com.
Over the next decade his international standing rose until he was reckoned one of the great
religious
teachers of the day. Those who were present at his lectures said in news reports and their later
memoirs that his spiritual puissance was unforgettable. One of those rare speakers on spiritual
matters whose oratory is matched by wisdom, he became a mahattaya, a great personage, in the
then-colonial Parliament of his homeland. To the hearts and the minds of his Western followers,
his
message confirmed the stature of India as spiritual sourcebook to the world.
After the Parliament of Religions, he passed more than four years traveling throughout the United
States, teaching to all who would listen the spiritual philosophies and practices of India. In this he
was a pioneer, the first missionary of the wisdom of Yoga to the West. Some have said that he
inspired the renaissance the resurgence of Indian philosophy in the West. The eloquence of his
message was an antidote to Western underappreciation of the depths and subtleties of Indian
religiosity. His message was simple: India's was a nobler legacy of thought than the image of it
painted by missionaries whose vested interest lay in keeping up the fiction that the Indian mind
knew
only superstition, idol worship, and heathen ritual.
All this in itself would have been inspiring, but he was more than a popularizer, a silvertongue
who
could move minds with words. Any pulpit-pounder can do that. Far greater was Vivekananda's
introduction of the Vedanta philosophy of the Upanishads, and in this is his enduring legacy to us
today.
It is useful to step back for a moment to understand why the Upanishads are such an important
part
of Vivekananda's and through him India's legacy.
The term Upanishad means literally "those who sit near," and indeed the word is generally used in
the context of disciples listening closely to the doctrines of a guru or spiritual teacher. The most
famous Upanishads verse distills one of the great preoccupations underlying all Indian
religiosity:
"From the unreal lead me to the real. From darkness lead me to light. From death lead me to
immortality."
Where, in what we cannot see or know, is the state called "real"? In this delusional, tricky, world
whose only guarantee is mortality, where in it can be found a permanent, ineffable,
incontrovertible
truth?
The message of the Upanishads is that truth is not a state, it is a becoming. After all, even an
utterly
empty void really is made of everything, for Voidness comprises the infinite potential to be
something. In the Upanishads, Truth is the becoming aware that our spiritual essence, our soul
(atman), is at one with all things a Oneness which was, and is, created by Brahman. Although
Brahman can be thought of as "God" the Western three-lettered deity is far too human to be
anything but a hyperglorified human. Brahman is The Creator, and given what we know today
about
the vast complexity of existence, from the particle to the universe and the picosecond to eternity,
cell
to plasm to three billion years of life, Brahman, the All, is a far more appropriate concept than any
human self-myth done up with a face and beard. By knowing the One that is our atman, we know
the One that is Brahman. To sum it into Hinduism's primal concept: atman is Brahman. We are the
One and the One is us. I am not a me, I am a we.
To Vivekananda, the Upanishads contained the most beautiful and poetic proclamations of
Oneness
ever offered to humanity. His life mission was to convey his realization to others. The path by
which
he did it was clearly and eloquently explaining the Classical Yoga pathways which lead to
self-realization pathways that are taught in the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras. Vivekananda
in essence opened a treasure chest of the spiritual jewels to the world, giving them freely in words
the world would understand.
This was a gigantic gift, and it was quickly understood as such. As the historian R. C. Majumdar
put
it,
"Vivekananda championed the cause of Hinduism in the Parliament of Religions held at Chicago
in
1893. There, in the presence of the representatives of all the religions from almost all the
countries in
the world, the young monk from India expounded the principles of Vedanta and the greatness of
Hinduism with such persuasive eloquence that from the very first he captivated the hearts of the
vast
audience. It would be hardly an exaggeration to say that Swami Vivekananda made a place for
Hinduism in the cultural map of the modern world. The civilized nations of the West had hitherto
looked down upon Hinduism as a bundle of superstitions. Now, for the first time, they not only
greeted with hearty approval the lofty principles of Hinduism as expounded by Vivekananda, but
accorded it a very high place in the cultures and civilizations of the world."
To that another renowned guru named Swami Siddhinathananda added,
"Vivekananda's writings are a modern commentary on the Upanishads in English. What Sri
Shankara
did a thousand years ago through his Sanskrit commentaries, Swami Vivekananda did in modern
times through English in propagating the eternal values of our spiritual lore. His words are live
and
direct; you feel you are hearing him straight and not simply reading his words. They are music to
the
soul. They go home straight. His writings and lectures form his greatest monument and the
priceless
treasure of his legacy. They are the Gospel of the future. Swami Vivekananda's works will be
considered one of the greatest contributions of India to the world at large."
One of the devotees who knew Vivekananda personally summed his feelings this way:
"His Divine presence spread peace and tranquillity wherever he went. None knew him but to love
him No being lived so low, be he a man or a beast, that Vivekananda would not salute. His was
not only an appeal to the poor and lowly, but also to kings and princes and mighty rulers of the
earth. Vivekananda shook the world of thought in all its higher lines. Great teachers bowed
reverently at his feet, the humble followed reverently to kiss the hem of his garments; no other
single
human being was revered more during his life, than was Vivekananda."
Many similar paeans are quoted in Dave DeLuca's book, but to recite them one after another here
would quickly become tedious. What is more important is why anyone with an interest in Indian
spirituality should buy this book.
Until Mr. DeLuca came along, Swami Vivekananda had all but slipped off into history's footnotes.
Who, after all, reads the proceedings of the 1893 Parliament of Religions in Chicago? So many
events have transpired over the 100 years that not only is his memory obscured, but so is the
impact
he had on the world of his day. Indeed, had the world listened to him more, perhaps the litany of
subsequent events wouldn't be so lachrymose two world wars and an uncountable number of
lesser
ones, at least four attempts at genocide, economic and spiritual depressions, material gluttony and
spiritual poverty; new and new-age religions and movements, some pertinent, others frivolous. It
is
no surprise Vivekananda all but disappeared, that his gift of the Yogic way survived more as
arcana
on the intellectual table than the feast for the soul that Yoga really is.
And so, this great Yoga master, still celebrated in India as one of its brightest spiritual lights, had
become a flake on the sand of the Western tide. In a phrase: neglected out of existence.
The neglect is over. Mr. DeLuca's enthusiastic and inspired edition of the Swami's writings has
been
thoughtfully compiled and edited with a kind of popularist rigor. The result is that Vivekananda:
Lessons in Classical Yoga is one of the finest books on scriptural yoga available anywhere
today.
Mr. DeLuca sifted Vivekananda's key teachings out of the massive corpus of writings and lectures
on Classical Yoga preserved in his nine-volume Complete Works. Mr. DeLuca then refined them
into 108 really quite personable 1- to 4-page selections. Each is presented in such a way that it
can
stand on its own. As a merger of spiritual education, wisdom, and guidance, the 108 readings
resemble the works of the Hazelden Foundation, though without the goal of recovery of some
kind.
Mr. DeLuca's approach is not about recovery, it is about discovery.
In grand scheme, the book is sectioned into six parts, starting with Swami Vivekananda's
exposition
of the Vedanta concept of Oneness the core message of the Upanishads from which authentic
Yoga is derived.
Part Two presents the Swami's teachings on the four Classical Yoga pathways as taught in the
Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali.
The remaining four parts are devoted to Vivekananda's teachings on each of the Classical Yogas:
Jnana Yoga, the pathway to Oneness through the Intellect; Karma Yoga, the pathway to Oneness
through selfless service; Bhakti Yoga, the pathway to Oneness through love of a Personal God;
and
Raja Yoga, the pathway to Oneness through the control of mind.
The writings contained in this package are certainly stirring, inspirational indeed universal. But
more, they are practical (that rare quality in the doctrinal document) and can be used by anyone
for
personal spiritual grounding in today's chaotic world. These writings demonstrate why millions of
people throughout the world believe Vivekananda to be one of the greatest Yogis and Yoga
teachers who ever lived.
One certainly has to admire that even a short-list of his students especially in light of their later
accomplishments attests to Vivekananda's lofty level of authority. They include Mahatma Gandhi,
Sri Aurobindo, Leo Tolstoy, William James, Jawaharlal Nehru, and many others. Gandhi himself
proclaimed, "I have gone through his works very thoroughly, and after having gone through them,
the love that I had for my country became a thousand-fold."
William James, author of the classic "The Varieties of Religious Experience," felt sufficiently
moved
to venture beyond his usual reserve to state, "The paragon of all Unity systems is the Vedanta
philosophy of India, and the paragon of Vedantist missionaries was the late Swami Vivekananda
who visited our land some years ago the Swami is an honor to humanity." Jawaharlal Nehru, the
first Prime Minister of India, extolled, "Where can you find a man like him? Study what he wrote,
and learn from his teachings, for if you do, you will gain immense strength. Take advantage of the
fountain of wisdom, of Spirit, and of fire that flowed through Vivekananda!"
Sri Aurobindo, unquestionably one of India's great sages of the last five centuries, commented on
the
pioneering work of Vivekananda's ministry this way:
"The going forth of Vivekananda as the heroic soul destined to take the world between his two
hands and change it was the first visible sign that India was awake He was a power if ever there
was one, a very lion among men. We perceive his influence still working gigantically in something
grand, intuitive, upheaving and we say, 'Behold, Vivekananda still lives in the soul of his Mother*
and her children.'"
*In this context, "Mother" means "Mother India" and "her children" are all Hindus.
Many more such expressions of reverence and gratitude pepper Mr. DeLuca's book. As neglected
as
Swami Vivekananda had become a century after his death, the neglect has now been made good.
Prior to Mr. DeLuca's book, Vivekananda's works were available only in collected lectures
comprised of many lessons each, or in out-of-context paragraphs extracted from different writings
and rearranged according to topic. The collected-lecture approach did not elevate each teaching
to a
limelight of its own, and the cut-and-paste approach deprived the reader of the Swami's two most
gifted talents: lofty elocution and vivid craftwork of meaning.
Each selection is a clear, focused guidance stirring, as lively as if he is there with us, spirit to
spirit,
illuminating us, exhorting us to spiritual action. We come away with a much clearer synthesis of
the
most important Vedanta concepts Oneness, yoga, meditation, karma, maya, rebirth, and many
other practices of Indian philosophy. For the first time in any compilation of Swami Vivekananda's
works, Mr. DeLuca has included the stirring account of Swami's 1893 appearance at the world
Parliament of Religions, along with a biography of Vivekananda's life. The sumtotal of these make
this book an unrivaled commentary on Yoga philosophy and practice spiritual nourishment is here,
enough to last a lifetime.
What's to say about a package such as this, aside from the obligation to not throw on the
afterburner
of adjectives? Simply put, the combination of Vivekananda's sublime wisdom and DeLuca's
inspired
presentation makes Vivekananda: Lessons In Classical Yoga an unrivaled commentary on
scriptural
Yoga philosophy and practice. No library of Yoga study will be complete without the revered
teachings of Swami Vivekananda, and no edition brings them to us more beautifully than Dave
DeLuca's Vivekananda: Lessons In Classical Yoga. If you are thinking of buying a book on
authentic Yoga, make it this one.
Dana De Zoysa
Reviewer
Buhle's Bookshelf
...Ask What You Can Do For Your Country
Dan B. Fleming, Jr.
Vandamere Press
PO Box 17446, Clearwater, FL 33762
0918339618 $24.95 vandamere.com
...Ask What You Can Do For Your Country: The Memory And Legacy Of John F. Kennedy by
Dan
B. Fleming, Jr. is an informed and erudite tribute to one of America's most beloved and deeply
mourned presidents. Based on interviews with people across the U.S.A. and the world, ...Ask
What
You Can Do For Your Country gathers reactions to the shock of JFK's assassination; vignettes of
personal reflection; anecdotes about JFK, and much more. A moving tribute and testimony to a
great
elected leader, ...Ask What You Can Do For Your Country is a strongly recommended addition
to
personal, academic, and community library American History, Political Science, and Biographical
Studies collections.
Taming The Sicilian
Nigel Davies
Everyman Publishers
c/o The Globe Pequot Press
PO Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437
1857443012 $19.95 1-800-243-0495
Accessibly written by chess grandmaster and trainer Nigel Davies, Taming The Sicilian is a highly
detailed chess manual showcasing techniques and strategies that players of the White side in a
game
of chess can utilize against one of the most popular opening moves for the Black side. Numerous
technical diagrams and instructions cover variations including the Najdorf, Classical,
Scheveningen,
Pelikan-Sveshnikov, and more. An excellent guide for advanced chess players looking to sharpen
their skills further, Taming The Sicilian is a highly recommended addition to any dedicated chess
player's reference shelf.
The Magic Window
James Von Schilling
The Haworth Press, Inc.
10 Alice St, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580
0789015064 $24.95 haworthpress.com
The Magic Window: American Television 1939-1953 by American popular culture expert James
Von Schilling (Professor of English, Northampton Community College) provides a scholarly
presentation of the inherently fascinating story of how television became the immensely popular
attraction and cultural force it is today. From the electronic phenomenon's first public appearance
in
the 1939 New York World's Fair, to the creation and development of landmark and influential
programming from 1939 to 1953, and television's rapid proliferation to the point where it became
an
integral part of almost every American household ever since, The Magic Window is meticulously
detailed in its presentation. Especially recommended reading for TV buffs wanting to learn more
about the history of this widespread and widely beloved form of mass-media, The Magic Window
is
also commended to the attention of students and scholars in the fields of 20th Century American
History, American Popular Culture, and Communications & Media Studies.
Polar Extremes
Beekman H. Pool
University of Alaska Press
PO Box 756240, Fairbanks, AK 99775-6240
1889963445 $24.95 1-888-252-6657
Polar Extremes: The World Of Lincoln Ellsworth is the historic and engagingly written saga of
Lincoln Ellsworth's impressive and hazardous struggle to make aviation history by flying over the
earth's Poles. From his 1926 attempt to fly across the North Pole in a dirigible, to flying his
custom-made plane over Antarctica in 1935 and discovering a mountain range now called the
Ellsworths, Polar Extremes is a compelling biography of a daring and adventures life driven by
death-defying passions. Polar Extremes is highly recommended as a rousing and true biographical
account and a welcome contribution to the growing library of Aviation History.
Willis M. Buhle
Reviewer
Taylor's Bookshelf
The Seeker's Guide To Jesus in the Gospels
Steve Mueller
Loyola Press
3441 N. Ashland Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657
0829415513 $11.95 1-800-621-1008
The Seeker's Guide To Jesus in the Gospels by Steve Mueller (Editor and Writer for Living the
Good News Publications) is a thoroughly "reader friendly" introduction for both laymen and New
Testament students seeking a better knowing and understanding Jesus Christ through the Gospels,
and the other writings about him left behind by his friends and contemporaries. A straightforward
account designed and written for Christians of all ages, and offering them a superb beginning to
understanding the Jesus of the New Testament, The Seeker's Guide To Jesus in the Gospels is an
ideal and prized contribution to New Testament Studies in general, and the life and teachings of
Jesus Christ in particular.
Thank You, Jesus
Charlotte Lundy, author & Heather Claremont, illustrator
Bay Light Publishing, Inc.
PO Box 3032, Mooresville, NC 28117
0967028019 $15.95 1-866-541-3895 www.baylightpub.com
The eighth volume in the outstanding Bay Light Publishing "Thank You, God" series, Thank You,
Jesus is the story of a little girl named Madison who is afraid of a lame kitten. After Madison's
grandmother tells her the story of Jesus and how he loves everyone even though they are
different,
she falls in love with the kitten and asks to keep it. Gently written by Charlotte Lundy and warmly
illustrated by heather Claremont, Thank You, Jesus is an especially recommended picture book
for
parents and Sunday School teachers wanting to help children to realize and accept that it is okay
for
them to care for someone with a handicap or who may look or sound or behave differently from
themselves. Indeed, the final sentence of this remarkable story is "Thank you God for sending
Jesus
to teach us to love everyone even thought they may be different."
Paul and Jesus
David Wenham
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company
255 Jefferson Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503
0802839835 $20.00 www.eerdmans.com
Paul and Jesus: The True Story by the Reverend David Wenham (an Anglican parish priest and a
researcher/teacher at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, England) is an informed and commendable attempt to
address common negative views of the apostle Paul, who is often credited with changing or
modifying Jesus' original ideas, messages and teachings, especially with regard to the role and
status
of women and sex. Presenting the true story of Paul and Jesus, and what the scriptures themselves
tell a modern readership, Paul and Jesus is a straightforward, highly recommended, scholarly
interpretation offering a wealth of documented and supported insights into the "Apostle to the
Gentiles" and the true story of the two most influential figures in the establishment of Christianity
into what would become one of the major religious movements the world would ever know.
Hey, God!
Kip Conlon
Andrews McMeel Publishing
4520 Main Street, Kansas City, MO 64111
0740726900 $9.95 1-800-851-8923
Compiled by Kip Conlon, Hey, God!: Side-Splittingly Funny Letters To God is a 128-page
collection of genuinely humorous letters written directly to the Creator, and reflects the human
nature, foibles, insecurities, and mishaps of the writers in ways sure to elicit a solid chuckle. "Dear
God, I work at the zoo. I used to work at the zoo. Lambs should not lie down with lions under
any
circumstances. If you want to go back and fix that part. Sincerely, Les Faraday"
Grandma, What is Prayer?
Katherine Bohlmann, author & Jan Naimo Jones, illustrator
Concordia Publishing House
3558 South Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118-3968
0758600437 $14.99 www.cph.org
Grandma, What is Prayer? is a superbly written and presented Christian children's picture book
which is warmly illustrated in full color and entails a conversation between a brother, a sister, and
their grandmother over the nature of prayer and God's love. Grandma, What Is Prayer? is
confidently recommended as a touching and inspirational introduction to learning God's ways and
turning to the Bible for wisdom, peppered with relevant quotes from scripture on the pages
beneath
the story text.
The Messenger
Tim Woodroof
NavPress
3820 North 30th Street, Colorado Springs, CO 80904
1576833569 $14.00 1-800-366-7788
The Messenger by Tim Woodroof is a fictionalized account of Paul's letter to the Philippians, and
presents the reader with an exciting and enthusiastically recommended saga that fully colors and
brings to life a New Testament saga as it well may have happened. Tracing a dangerous journey
and
the depths of human faith, The Messenger is a profound saga of one man's inner strength and trust
in
God - and a mission that was to shape and change the destiny of millions down.
The Compassionate Congregation
Karen Mulder and Ginger Jurries
CRC Publications
2850 Kalamazoo Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49560
1562128558 $12.95 1-800-333-8300 www.FaithAliveResources.org
Collaboratively written by educators and seminar speakers Karen Mulder and Ginger Jurries, The
Compassionate Congregation: A Handbook for People Who Care is a thoroughly "user friendly"
guide for Christians seeking to become compassionately helpful to their friends and fellow church
members caught up in the midst of inevitable and diverse crisis. Individual testimonies and
anecdotes
regarding matters of illness, parenting struggles, relationship difficulties, disabilities, and more fill
out the pages of this helpful and very highly recommended instructional and inspirational guide to
being truly good to those in need.
The Power Of Small Groups In Christian Education
Harley Atkinson
Evangel Publishing House
2000 Evangel Way, PO Box 189, Nappanee, IN 46550
1928915280 $19.95 1-800-253-9315 www.evangelpublishing.com
The Power Of Small Groups In Christian Education is a treatise by Harley Atkinson (Director of
the
Department of Bible and Theology, Toccoa Falls College, Toccoa Falls, Georgia) that both
informatively discusses the value of small groups in Christian education and church society, while
offering advice for enriching the curriculum of such a group and making group discussions more
dynamic. Individual chapters address a range of issues including taking gender and cultural
differences into account; improving communication; founding, forming, and implementing a
group;
and more. The Power Of Small Groups In Christian Education is especially recommended reading
for anyone charged with forming or who is responsible for maintaining a Bible Study or similar
Christian education oriented small group studies program or ministry.
Apocalypse of John
Dr. Leonard L. Thompson
Moulting Mantis Library
346 Winnebago Ave., Menasha, WI 54952-3437
0972478604 $14.95 www.moultingmantis.com
Apocalypse Of John is an impressive translation and accessible arrangement by Dr. Leonard L.
Thompson of the Greek New Testament Gospel upon which the movie "Apocalypse Now" and
the
"Left Behind" series were based, rendering the prophet John's discoveries, visions, and prophesies
into clear, sharp, and highly accessible English verse. A straightforward account with meticulous
translation notes, rendered in the form of poetry, and highly recommended for Biblical Studies
reference shelves and supplemental reading lists, Apocalypse of John is ideal for the non-specialist
general reader and highly recommended for any dedicated scholar in the field of Christian
Theology
and New Testament Studies.
An Insider's View of Mormon Origins
Grant H. Palmer
Signature Books
564 W. 400 North, Salt Lake City, UT 84116-3411
1560851570 $24.95 1-800-356-5687 www.signaturebooks.com
An Insider's View of Mormon Origins by Grant H. Palmer (three-time director of LDS Institutes
of
Religion in California and Utah, former instructor at the Church College of New Zealand, an LDS
seminary teacher at two Utah-based locations, and Mormon High Priest Group Instructor), is an
informed, informative, and original study of the roots of the Mormon faith. Emphasizing that the
core importance is how the first and founding members of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day
Saints interpreted the great spiritual and metaphysical events of Mormon origins, and
incorporating
the transcribers nineteenth-century world-view to gain a more accurate picture of what they were
truly saying, An Insider's View of Mormon Origins is a thought-provoking, scholarly,
well-written,
and very highly recommended study of what today is one of the most rapidly growing of the
Christian communities.
Jesus According To Scripture
Darrell L. Bock
Baker Book House Company
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
080102370X $39.99 www.bakerbooks.com
Jesus According to Scripture: Restoring The Portrait From the Gospels is an extensive and
erudite
account by Darrell L. Bock (Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Dallas Theological
Seminary) that strives to piece together a thorough and accurate portrait of Jesus Christ as drawn
from the synoptic gospels, as well as an analysis of Jesus' portrayal in The Book of John. No
effort is
spared in the scrutinizing of close detail resulting in a truly scholarly and meticulous
reconstruction
which presents the reader with a clear and cohesive portrait of the Christ himself. Jesus According
To Scripture is a welcome and impressive contribution to Christian Theological Studies in
general,
and those who seek a clearer understanding of the Gospel depiction of the role and personhood of
Jesus in particular.
Who Is The True Jesus?
Vision Video
PO Box 540, Worcester, PA 19490-0540
#4620 $19.99 1-800-523-0226
In October of 2000, the "Faith & Science Lecture Forum" hosted a debate between Islamic
apologist
Shabir Ally and Christian advocate Jay Smith, as to whether the Jesus of history was the
Koran-based Moslem concept of Jesus as a sinless prophet born of a virgin, or the New
Testament-based Christian understanding of Jesus as a literal son of God and thus a member of
the
divine trinity of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The debate was capably moderated by Peggy
Wchmeyer (former Religion Correspondent for ABC News). This informed and informative 2
hour
and 30 minute VHS format video presentation offers a complete engagement of the diverse
presentations and rebuttals -- including responses by both men to questions submitted from the
audience, by satellite, and via the Internet. Who Is The True Jesus? is very highly recommended
viewing and a model of an informed and informative interfaith debate held with respect,
cordiality,
and even humor.
Gender
Frederica Mathewes-Green
Conciliar Press
PO Box 76, Ben Lomond, CA 95005-0076
1888212314 $15.95 www.conciliarpress.com
Gender: Men, Women, Sex, Feminism is an informed and enjoyable collections of insightful
writings
by Frederica Mathewes-Green, a commentator on National Public Radio's "Morning Edition" and
a
columnist for Beliefnet.com, concerning the subjects of men and women, sex and feminism, and
the
foibles that the world heaps upon both genders. Frederica takes the reader along on her own
personal journey through her early years as a feminist, her conversion to Christianity, and the
growing realization that while men and women are equal in the sight of God, there are gender
differences that are unique and that matter greatly in God's scheme of things. These brief, witty,
and
often very wise essays make for compelling reading, and almost impossible to put down!
The Glenstal Book of Icons
Gregory Collins, OSB
The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
0814629350 $17.95 1-800-858-5450
The Glenstal Book of Icons: Praying With The Glenstal Icons by Gregory Collins OSB (Lecturer
in
Orthodox Theology, Benedictine University of Sant' Anselmo, Rome), presents diverse prayers
and
meditations on various icons from St John's Abbey's Byzantine chapel. Full-color photographs of
the
icons themselves (which in the monastic practice of lectio divina are seen as "texts" prompting
meditation on Christian mysteries), as well as an extensive and erudite commentary on the
practice
of praying with these classic works of art and faith, make The Glenstal Book of Icons the next
best
thing to personally visiting the abbey to view these venerated icons on location.
God And The Crisis Of Freedom
Richard Bauckham
Westminster/John Knox Press
100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-1396
0664224792 $22.95 1-800-227-2872
God And The Crisis Of Freedom: Biblical And Contemporary Perspectives is a thoughtful treatise
by
Richard Bauckham (Professor of New Testament Studies and Bishop Wardlaw Professor at the
University of St. Andrews, Scotland) on a very serious question: Does faith in God necessarily
require that one's freedom be limited? Proposing that true freedom only comes through
dependence,
belonging, community, and divine authority, Professor Bauckham takes a controversial standpoint
and defends it well, investing heavily in deep theological discussion and persuasion for the case
that
human freedom is intertwined with the human relationship to the triune God of Christianity.
Rethinking New Testament Textual Criticism
David Alan Black, editor
Baker Book House
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
0801022800 $16.99 www.bakeracademic.com
Compiled and edited by David Alan Black, (Professor of New Testament and Greek,
Southeastern
Baptist Theological Seminary) Rethinking New Testament Textual Criticism is a selection of
essays
by five learned authors concerning interpretations of the New Testament and the various methods
to
determine the original text among conflicting readings. Topics addressed include the case for
reasoned eclecticism versus the case for thoroughgoing eclecticism, the case for a Byzantine
priority,
and more in a thoughtful account that spans debate from the nineteenth to the twenty-first
centuries.
The essayists include: Eldon Jay Epp (Issues in New Testament Textual Criticism: Moving from
the
Nineteenth Century to the Twenty-First Century); Michael W. Holmes (The Case for Reasoned
Eclecticism); J. K. Elliott (The Case for Thoroughgoing Eclecticism); Maurice A. Robinson (The
Case for Byzantine Priority); and Moises Silva (Response). Enhanced with both a Subject Index
and
a Scripture Index, Rethinking New Testament Textual Criticism is a work of confidently
recommended scholarship and a welcome contribution to Christian Studies reference collections
and
reading lists.
A Bundle of Choices
Anne-Marie Wright
Greg Kofford Books, Inc.
PO Box 1362, Draper, UT 84020
1589580184 $14.95 www.koffordbooks.com
A Bundle of Choices: The Option Overload Of LDS Mothers Today is a thoughtful guide based
on
interviews with more than one hundred women by Anne-Marie Wright, who then wrote most
especially for those mothers who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
(popularly referred to as the Mormon Church). Discussing the many modern options that wives
and
mothers have, as caretakers and career women, and in pursuing higher education, as well as the
importance of creating balance between all of these roles, A Bundle of Choices addresses
physical,
divine, and spiritual needs from a Christian perspective while also offering practical advice,
illustrated by personal testimonies. A Bundle Of Choices is highly recommended reading for all
Christian women concerned with properly raising their children within a Christian home
atmosphere
and community in a contemporary and secular world.
Embracing The World
Jane E. Vennard
Jossey-Bass
989 Market St., San Francisco, CA 94103-1741
0787958875 $18.95 www.josseybass.com
Embracing The World: Praying For Justice And Peace by Jane E. Vennard (Iliff School of
Theology,
Denver, Colorado) is a unique guide specifically written for Christians who place their faith in the
wisdom and mercy of God. Individual chapters offer helpful advice and penetrating insight for
praying through actions, praying for renewal, living in God's light and according to his Will, as
well
as the power of spreading prayer as love for God and for one's fellow human beings. Embracing
The
World is very highly recommended to the Christian community as a profound, meaningful, and
reverential treatise on changing the world through the power and practice of prayer.
The First Grace (religious studies)
Russell Hittinger
ISI Books
Box 4431, Wilmington, DE 19807-0431
188292682X $24.95 www.isibooks.org
The First Grace: Rediscovering The Natural Law In A Post-Christian World by Russell Hittinger
(Chairman, Department of Philosophy and Religion, University of Tulsa, Oklahoma) is an
impressively written and presented philosophical and theological study of the intersection between
faith, natural law, and the erosion of religious absolutes in an increasingly multicultural and
secular
world. Decrying the liberal legal idea of privacy elevated to an extreme degree, as well as the
tendency in American law today to distrust religion and legislatively/judicially shield children from
it,
The First Grace stresses that in a Post-Christian world it is more important than ever to remember
older notions of the principles of freedom and law. An erudite and expertly argued account, The
First Grace is a welcome and timely contribution for today's national dialogues over the proper
roles
and relationships between the secular government and faith-based institutions, organizations,
programs, and policies.
Living The Good Life
Dr. Charles M. Wood, II
Woodland Press, LLC
118 Woodland Drive, Chapmanville, WV 25508
0972486704 $13.95 www.woodlandpress.com
Living The Good Life: Surviving In The 21st Century is a memorable collection of inspirational
anecdotes and short stories collected by pastor, professor, and newspaper columnist Dr. Charles
Wood, II. Drawing upon the wisdom of forty years' experience in Christian ministry and
counseling,
Living the Good Life reveals to the dedicated reader just how to embrace an intimate relationship
with God, enjoy a life filled with happiness and hope, and find practical solutions to the manifold
and
often inevitable problems of life.
Hip, Hug, Hooray!
Christine Tangvald & Tony Griego
Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55438
0764225405 $9.99 www.bethanyhouse.com
From "up-and-down, bend-the-knee hugs" to special "you-and-me hugs", Hip, Hug, Hooray!
presents preschool readers ages 2 to 5 with the many wonderful kinds of hugs they can share with
those who love them. Showcased and underscored by the warmhearted illustrations of Tony
Griego,
Christine Tangvaled (author of more than 85 books for children) presents a unique and
entertaining
picture book celebrating the use of hugs that share the joy of life and love that are the
God-ordained
blessings for every child and every adult. Highly recommended for Christian families with very
young children!
Does Heaven Have a Refrigerator?
Joyce P. Hale & Stacey Rawlings
Passage Publishing
2318 Canal Street, Boise, ID 83705
0971592616 $15.95 www.upcountrycreations.com www.amazon.com
Speculating on what a Christian heaven is like from a child's point of view, Does Heaven Have a
Refrigerator? is a gentle picturebook deftly written by Joyce P. Hale and enhanced with simple,
full-color illustrations by Stacey Rawlings. This original presentation offers a warm, inviting,
appealing, entertaining, and recommended introduction for young readers from Christian families
to
the concept of a benevolent afterlife. "I guess God hugs us and kisses us too, / and tucks us in like
Mom and Dad do. /Well, maybe I'll visit there sometime later... / Does Heaven have a
refrigerator?"
The Rebirth Of Orthodoxy
Thomas C. Oden
HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
353 Sacramento Street, #500, San Francisco, CA 94111-3653
006009785X $24.95 1-800-272-7737
The Rebirth Of Orthodoxy: Signs Of New Life in Christianity by theologian and
post-denominational ecumenical scholar Thomas C. Oden (Chairman of The Institute on Religion
and Democracy) is an informed and informative examination of the new trend of revitalized
traditional faith, a close study of scripture and daily prayer, a treatise on moral accountability, and
a
combining of hopes and dreams across doctrinal lines. Individual chapters address the renewal of
orthodoxy within the Christian community, observe why orthodoxy survives in the modern era,
how
the multicultural aspect of orthodoxy can be strengthened, classical ecumenical methods, and a
great
deal more. A worthy, persuasive, and scholarly study of a noteworthy trend in contemporary
religious thought, The Rebirth Of Orthodoxy is a welcome and highly recommended contribution
to
Religious Studies reading lists and library collections.
John Taylor
Reviewer
Sharon's Bookshelf
Freedom To Play
Norah L. Lewis, editor
Wilfrid Laurier University Press
75 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3C5
0889204063 $24.95 www.wlupress.wlu.ca
Examining the period of 1900 through 1955, Freedom To Play: We Made Our Own Fun presents
the fond childhood memories of a variety of Canadians, and who learned to entertain themselves
with improvised toys and games. From simple sports to crafting one's own radio to going sledding
or on a school picnic, these enjoyable pastimes both preserve wonderful memories of the past and
offer timeless alternatives to the blare of popular culture entertainment today. Compiled and
edited
by educator Norah L. Lewis (a member of the Canadian Childhood History Project), Freedom To
Play is an original, scholarly, and highly recommended contribution to Canadian History reference
collections and Canadian Popular Culture Studies reading lists.
Raku
John Mathieson
The American Ceramic Society
735 Ceramic Place, Westerville, OH 43081
1574981668 $26.00 www.ceramics.org
Raku, by seasoned ceramic expert John Mathieson (a member of the Craft Potters Association
and
contributor to a number of ceramics journals), is a straightforward instructional and reference
guide
to the art of crafting Raku pottery, with special attention to clays, glazes, kilns, burners, firing and
post-firing production suitable to the Raku style. Beautiful, full-color photographs enhance the
thoroughly "reader friendly" text. The result is a helpful and practical manual which is very highly
recommended for aspiring potters of all skill and experience levels.
Michael Busselle's Guide To Travel & Vacation Photography
Michael Busselle
RotoVision
c/o Rockport Publishers
33 Commercial St, Gloucester, MA 01930
2880467217 $22.95 www.rockpub.com
Michael Busselle's Guide To Travel & Vacation Photography is a superbly organized and
thoroughly
"user friendly" guide for photographers of all skill levels to the art and pleasure of capturing great
travel photographs by making the most of available lighting, using appropriate cameras, lenses,
and
accessories to optimize one's picture, and much, much more. Filled from cover to cover with
sensational color photographs that are a pleasure to look at (as well as excellent examples of the
described techniques), Michael Busselle's Guide To Travel & Vacation Photography is
enthusiastically recommended for any vacationer or traveler determined to take the best quality
snapshots in order to preserve their memories of the places they been and the people they've
met.
Storybook Culture
Joseph Homme and Cheryl Homme
Collectors Press, Inc.
PO Box 230986, Portland, OR 97281
1888054719 $39.95 1-800-423-1848
The collaborative effort of Joseph Homme and Cheryl Homme, Storybook Culture: The Art Of
Popular Children's Books is a gorgeous coffee-table artwork filled from cover to cover with
full-color photographs showcasing the cover art of a wide variety of classic and vintage children's
books and magazines. Storybook Culture is enhanced with a few cogent essays about these classic
and popular books (and their inspirational cover art), but the majority of this enchanting tome is
dedicated to the cover illustrations themselves, each with an informative caption about the book's
author, illustrator, and publisher. A treasure trove timeless art and visual memories, Storybook
Culture is especially recommended as a school or community library Memorial Fund acquisition
selection.
A Simple Guide To Birth Control
Kamal K. Dutta, M.D., FACOG, FACS
Nipari Publishing
PO Box 230, Oakland, NJ 07436
1931991502 $14.95 www.birthcontroladvice.com www.amazon.com
Accessibly written by Kamal K. Dutta, M.D. (a member of the Diplomate American Board of
Obstetrics and Gynecology), A Simple Guide To Birth Control is an informative, practical,
"reader
friendly" guide for both sexes about the varieties of available birth control methods, including
pills,
condoms, spermicides, the NuvaRing, transdermal contraception, contraceptive implants,
injectable
contraceptives, sterilization, emergency contraceptive pills, and fertility awareness methods. Other
than the pregnancy-terminating effects of emergency contraceptive pills, abortion in general is not
covered in A Simple Guide To Birth Control. Examining the effectiveness of various methods in
both preventing unwanted pregnancy and halting the transmission of sexual transmitted diseases
(STDs), A Simple Guide To Birth Control is a superbly presented, easy-to-understand resource
which very strongly recommended for anyone who is (or intends to be) sexually active.
The Ultimate Guide To Great Sex
Alex Lluch and Elizabeth Lluch
Wedding Solutions Publishing
6347 Caminito Tenedor, San Diego, CA 92120
1887169288 $19.95 www.amazon.com
Collaboratively compiled and edited by Alex and Elizabeth Lluch, The Ultimate Guide To Great
Sex
is a unique compendium of fifty sex games for intimate partners. Some are designed especially
for
the woman's pleasure; others especially for the man's. Each individual game is concealed behind
perforated, sealed pages, so that the casual bookstore browser can't simply uncover the games'
details -- the reader must obtain his or her own copy before learning the erotic rules and
suggestions
for instilling an entertaining variety and skill in their lovemaking. Every game concludes with a
special tip for either gender for the purpose of improving their "sexual wisdom", such as "even
without the physical exertion and release that comes from sex, the average person falls asleep in
just
seven minutes! So as he is drifting off to sweet dreams, know that your lovemaking simply
accelerated the process." The Ultimate Guide To Great Sex is confidently recommended for
mature
readers seeking to enhance and enliven their intimate relationships.
A Pocket Of Tunes
Don R. MacMannis, Ph.D. (Dr. Mac)
Dr. Mac Productions
1435 School House Road, Santa Barbara, CA 93108
0972429808 $16.95 1-805-969-6041
A Pocket Of Tunes: Songs And Activities For Social And Emotional Learning by Dr. Mac (child
and developmental psychologist Don R. MacMannis) is an unusual and highly recommended
educational resource specifically designed to help children ages 4 through 9 in learning emotional
and social skills. A music CD (filled with fourteen fun-filled songs) combines with coloring pages
and
activities ideal for the classroom or the home enhance the valuable lessons in cooperation,
celebrating diversity, self-confidence, patience, communication, and more. A Pocket Of Tunes is
an
upbeat, entertaining, and welcome supplement to home-schooling or school classroom
curriculums.
Literacy And Young Children
Diane M. Barone and Lesley Mandel Morrow, editors
The Guilford Press
72 Spring Street, New York, NY 10012
1572308192 $28.00 www.guilford.com
Collaboratively compiled and edited by Diane M. Barone (Professor of Literacy studies,
University
of Nevada, Reno) and Lesley Mandel Morrow (Professor, Department of learning and Teaching,
Graduate School of Education, Rutgers University), Literacy and Young Children:
Research-Based
Practices surveys and presents the latest techniques in literacy education. Grounded solidly in
scientific research, Literacy And Young Children focuses on helping young children develop their
skills and talent in reading and writing. A variety of essays by learned authors address
multidimensional approaches to beginning literacy, literacy among Latino families, the expansion
of
what true literacy means in the digital age, organizing expository texts, and more. Highly
recommended reading for educators, tutors, and homeschoolers of young children Literacy And
Young Children is an invaluable and seminal contribution to the field of Literacy Education.
Finding Your Leadership Style
Jeffrey Glanz
ASCD
1703 N. Beauregard Street, Alexandria, VA 22311-1714
0871206927 $25.95 www.ascd.org
Finding Your Leadership Style: A Guide For Educators by Jeffrey Glanz (Dean of Graduate
Programs and Head of the Department of Education, Wagner College, Staten Island, New York)
is
an informed and informative instructional manual written especially for educational leaders and
administrators. Describing seven types of leadership styles (dynamic aggressive, dynamic
assertive,
dynamic supportive, adaptive aggressive, adaptive assertive, adaptive supportive, and creative
assertive), Finding Your Leadership Style offers practical scenarios and solid advice for embracing
and making the best of one's own leadership strengths and talents. An excellent resource for
teachers, supervisors, district leaders, and more, Finding Your Leadership Style is a welcome and
recommended addition to Educational Administration and Management Studies reference
collections
and reading lists.
Arbor Alma/The Giving Tree In Latin
Shel Silverstein
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.
1000 Brown Street, Wauconda, IL 60084
0865164991 $14.95 www.bolchazy.com
Arbor Alma/The Giving Tree In Latin by Shel Silverstein is the profound and simple story of a
lifelong relationship between a boy and a tree who happily responds to the boys's every need. As
the
boy grows to become an old man and, (from branches to trunk) diminishes the tree's stature with
his
continuing requests, both the human and the tree find themselves transformed -- yet the tree
remains
happy. An evocative and engaging parable, The Giving Tree is rendered in an exquisite Latin
which
wonderfully complements Shel Silverstein's original story and illustrations, adding an unexpected
and very welcome dimension to a multifaceted classic with its ageless and timeless appeal.
Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Black Rose Blooms
Software Sculptors
c/o Central Park Media
250 West 57th Street, Suite 317, New York, NY 10107
www.software-sculptors.com, www.centralparkmedia.com
$29.99 1-800-626-4277 (consumers) 1-800-833-7452 x221 (retailers)
Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Black Rose Blooms is the long-awaited volume 3 in the Japanese
animation odyssey, covering television episodes 14-17, about an orphaned young woman who
dreams of being a "prince" - one whose nobility and spirit leads her to fight for what is right and
help
others in time of need - and how she is drawn into the secretive, and mystical machinations of an
elite society of duelists who receive mystical instructions from "The End of the World." Utena's
battle for freedom, identity, and her quest to help her friend and roommate Anthy develop
independence continues, as new villains enter the fray. Using black rose magic grown from an evil
massacre, they take control of people close to Utena's friends, and force them to fight against our
heroine in this dazzling action-adventure that blends serious reflection with fast-paced sword
fighting, exciting music, and the occasional break for wry comedy. Revolutionary Girl Utena is
not
rated; some violence, brief nudity, and subtle references to non-heterosexual love may be
inappropriate for very young viewers, but there is no explicit sexual or graphically bloody content,
and the story on whole should not be objectionable to show to mature teens. Featuring both
English
and Japanese language tracks, with the option of English subtitles, and extras including a
summary
of episodes 1-12, an interview with director Kunihiko Ikuhara (also known for his direction of
Sailor
Moon), an interview with American voice actor Roxanne Beck, an art gallery, and a biography of
Chiho Saito, the original creator of Utena in the pages of Japanese comic books, Revolutionary
Girl
Utena: The Black Rose Blooms is packed with material, a joy to watch, and deserves the highest
praise. Also recommended are Revolutionary Girl Utena: The Rose Collection Volumes 1 And 2,
which contain the first 13 episodes of this classic and entertaining anime series.
Sharon Stuart
Reviewer
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
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