Redemption
Morgan J. Blake
Atlantic Bridge
ISBN 1-931761-26-4 download $4.95 CD $7.45
Paperback format coming in 2002
Priscilla A. Maine
Reviewer
Wylie Kinson is a trained Army scout, good at what he does. But when his mother is killed and
his
sister, Cara, kidnaped in Arizona Territory, the signs and tracks appear to lie. On the surface
everything points toward the Apaches being the culprits. It's what's beneath the obvious that
confuses Wylie. Indians don't slit a dead woman's throat, they don't wear boots and their horses
aren't shod.
Cara Kinson grew up dogging her older brother's footsteps. She learned what he learned, or at
least
imitated his efforts. She rode a horse and shot a gun as well as most men and better than some,
she
fights like a cornered bobcat when the situation calls for it. As a result, she deals her captors
misery
and if not for the other female captives she probably could escape and made it back on her own.
But
the others need her. The question is, can they hold out until her brother gets there? Because Cara
never doubts Wylie is coming for her.
Wylie and Cara Kinson learn that friendships and trust often crisscross a dusty path until they
blurr
the truth, exposing ragged edges of disguised treachery and evil.
Tighten your cinch partner, Morgan J. Blake's debut novel, Redemption, is a wild ride.
Cover Artist: Ariana Overton
Rhode Island A To Z
Adam Gertsacov/Donna Atwood
Donna Atwood Design
1137 West Culver Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007-1908
ISBN: 0-9669293-8-0, $9.95, (602) 254-7168, www.atwooddesign.com
David Leonhardt
Reviewer
Quick! What's a quahog? Where is America's third oldest zoo? How many islands does Rhode
Island have?
For the answers to these and other exciting questions, we turn to a coloring book Rhode Island
A
to Z is a coloring book for kids of all ages. (Well, it targets children ages nine to 12, but adults
seem
to be buying it for themselves, too.) Author Adam Gersacov, a professional clown, calls it a
"coloring/learning book".
As you might guess, each letter of the alphabet in Rhode Island A To Z is attached to some aspect
of Rhode Island history and culture. Maybe you thought Rhode Island would be too small to have
an
entire alphabet soup of culture. Think again. Gerasacov has it covered from X-treme Sports to
Kingscote Mansion.
This may be Gersacov's first book, but illustrator Donna Atwood has produced three other
coloring/learning books, all about the southwest.
There is no question this book is educational for the age group it targets, and the concept is
refreshing. As I expected, it is easy to read and easy to understand. And it even includes a
historical
time line. Anyone living too far away for a weekend in Rhode Island can see the state in all its
splendor and with custom colors, too.
Can it be improved upon? Well, I have one suggestion: close up a few dangling questions. For
instance, we are told that "Rhode Island has more coastline (by percentage) than any other state."
By percentage of what? Area? Borders? Population? An educational book has to be clear to be
effective.
And we discover that Rhode Island has the third-oldest zoo in the United States, but where is the
oldest? Why are we left hanging? Are they playing a practical joke on us? Or are they just building
anticipation for 49 more coloring books? Well, maybe one more, admits Gersacov. Clever
ploy.
Oh, yes. A quahog is a hard-shelled clam.
The Tides Of Love
Annette Ploumis
Advocate House, c/o A Cappela Publishing,
P.O.Box 3691, Sarasota, FL 34230-3691
ISBN 9706576-7-6, $9.95, phone/fax 1-941-362-3482, Format: e-book and POD
Jodi Greene
Reviewer
The Tides Of Love turns the tide....of the romance novel.
Although the romance genre has been undergoing big changes in 2001 in such giants as Simon &
Schuster, Harlequin and Silhouette, one first-time author has jumped the gun on all three of these
publishing giants with the first-ever romance novel to feature a male protagonist.
Marcos is handsome, ambitious, charismatic and focused. He believes in hard work, love and
destiny. The novel begins with his first love and leads readers on an exiting chase -- from Miami
to
Rome to New York, from hard work to immense wealth, from simple beliefs to an understanding
of
life's complexities --as Marcos fulfills his own destiny in the name of love.
At the loss of his first love, Marcos is inconsolable - until, on a college-graduation trip to Italy, he
meets a wise old man who shares his wisdom on life and love. Giovanni's words free Marcos from
his obsession. Then, like a fairy godfather, Giovanni hands him great wealth, an international
jewelry
empire, and Giovanni's own beautiful granddaughter, Isabella, who becomes Marcos' wife. Their
love is marred by complex international intrigues and betrayals, which ultimately lead to Isabella's
betrayal of their vows and her death. Again, Marcos is bereft. But once again love appears in his
life.
( I won't spoil it for you by disclosing the surprise ending.)
This Cinderfella novel is unusual in many ways. Not only does it dare to feature a man in a
formerly
women-only genre, it takes on the contemporary problem of what happens when Latino values
met
American ambition.
This is a story filled with passionate love, international intrigue, cruel betrayals and reluctant
foregiveness. It's fresh approach to the Romance genre is sure to delight. Treat yourself to a
sample
chapter at www.elitagent.com/c-Ploumis1.htm, then get the entire book (paperback or e-book) at
www.booklocker.com or (e-book only) www.cyber-bookstore.com
Bear Snores On
Karma Wilson, author & Jane Chapman, illustrator
Margaret K. McElderry Books
1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, N.Y. 10020.
ISBN: 0-689-83187-0, $16.00, Ages 3 to 7, 32 pages.
Emily S. Will
Reviewer
Page by rhyming page, this story unfolds as, one by one, a variety of animals take refuge in a
bear's
lair. They pop some corn, brew some tea, prepare a stew, and then they party! All this while,
"bear
snores on."
But when an errant pepper fleck causes Bear to sneeze, he awakens. He's not happy. "You've
snuck
in my lair and you've all had fun! But me? I was sleeping and I have had none!" Bear
blubbers.
The animals console him. More food can be cooked and more tales spun. Bear joins in the party
until
everyone is snoring except guess who?
This picture book provides a delightful, sprightful frolic for an adult and child to share on a wintry
night.
Chapman's acrylic illustrations impart warmth with the generous use of red-orange backgrounds.
By
focusing on the animals and their facial expressions, Chapman also creates a feeling of
togetherness
and coziness from the snowy outdoors.
As Karma Wilson's first book, it is definitely not a "big snore"!
Dev's Bookshelf
Edward Said And The Writing Of History
Shelley Walia
Totem Books/Allen & Unwin
PO Box 86, Kallista, Victoria 3791, Australia.
1840462701, $7.95, 77pp.
Earlier attempts to simplify matters only ended up in excessive and unnecessary scholarship,
leaving
you all the more bewildered in the labyrinth of postcolonial theory. The task of explaining and
clarifying the fundamental concepts had been undertaken by jargonizing it to the highest possible
magnitude. But here, in this book, the author goes straight to the crux of post colonial cultural
studies by taking up the central most issue of (re)writing history within the context of recent
debates
on ideology as a system of representation. In an earlier essay, "History and Its Discontents"
(Between Truth and History), Shelley Walia had expressed that "traditional practices of writing of
history fail to question the conditions of their own making and therefore retard any development
of
democratizing critical intelligence". Thus it becomes the need of the recent times to challenge the
"nature of objectivity, realism, and truth which traditional historians take as their essentials".
The present book, though succinct, proves significant in illuminating the notions and ideas
associated with postmodern theories through the kaleidoscopic vision of a great literary and post
colonial critic, Edward Said. Walia's concise introductory study examines him in the light of his
engagement as writer, teacher, and political activist. Tracing the evolution of Said's thinking over
the last thirty years, he draws attention to its conceptual coherence and value as a
work-in-progress
of cultural and historical critique, thereby emphasizing Said's involvement in public cultural
activity
and personal commitment to his insistent interrogation of political systems.
"Exile is a universal figure", says George Lamming and no one could apprehend this better than
Said
who has lived his life as an American as well as a Palestinian. But for Said "exile" is a position of
an
intellectual critic from where he can question the accepted tenets of society and also unveil the
essentialised truths to reveal the quashed realities. How far is history-writing free from prejudices
and to what extent does it bring to light disinterested facts is quite debatable. However the author
doesn't intend to show that Said, by advocating reinterpretation of history, considered all
historical
accounts adulterated with political objectives of their writers. He is only trying to elucidate the
true
aim of these scholars in employment of this practice of history-writing and other cultural forms as
a
vehicle of subjugation and a hegemonic strategy.
Shelley Walia, brings History and Literature' on the same platform to emphasize that "no writing
is
transparent". Applying Derrida's concept of differance' to historical narratives and literary texts,
one can contemplate that there cannot exist a single interpretation and that some meaning is
always
left out. To corroborate such thoughts, it becomes essential, to carry out a contrapuntal reading'
of
seminal texts like Heart of Darkness, Kim and Mansfield Park or Verdi's Aida. Said had
endeavored
to show the narratives as part of the relationship between culture and empire, emphasizing the fact
that the authors are impelled and modeled by their social set up. It has been implanted into our
psyches that the West is the only spring of anything and everything that is meaningful and
consequential. In other words the non-western regions of the world, by default, do not and cannot
be in possession of any history, culture or even dare to think of rectitude. And this is fortified by
the
science of Orientalism whose critique is studied in this book.
The author further reveals the length to which theorists like Foucault and Gramsci sway Said and
his
work. The concept of "field" is an elementary organizing principle to Foucault's writing whereby
he
means the "formal conditions which make the appearance of meaning possible". And Said by
conceiving orientalism as a field or a "power-in-space" seems to be gesturing towards the imperial
aggrandizement of geographical and psychic space of the colonized. Also crucial to the
understanding of Said's work is the relation of power and knowledge whose nexus establishes the
codes of society. At the same time Shelley Walia does not omit to speak of the point where Said
shifts his track of thought from Foucault's conviction that there is no premeditated design behind
western ascendancy. Said rather espouses Gramsci's standpoint regarding the relevance of counter
discursive practices and resistance from the subalterns along with his notion of "hegemony". The
author writes: "Gramsci's theory of cultural production and critique when applied to Said bring
out
the relevant issues of social domination and the subversion that takes place continuously to resist
any
fixed notions of cultural behaviour".
The book which will be of particular interest to the students of literature, history, social and
political
theory brings the perplexing issues of eurocentrism, universalism, postmodernism, cultural
positioning and political affiliations under the microscope of a secular critic. And Said, as a
secular
critic, desires for a "universal vocabulary" that can give "a greater human scope to what a
particular
race or nation suffered". Thus the author while bringing out interconnectedness of certain
fundamental concepts in postcolonial theoretical practice, draws attention to the inconsistencies
within western historical discourse that exposes the ends of ideology. And intellectuals like Said,
by
subverting ideological reproductions, indulge in revolutionary action.
Dev Datt Bayala
Reviewer
Enzo's Bookshelf
Maria Michela Sassi: The Science Of Man In Ancient Greece
Paul Tucker, translator
The University of Chicago Press
5801 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637-1496
ISBN: 0-226-73530-3, $34.00, 254 pp., 1-800-621-2736
The latin term "Scientia" literally referred to the action of "to see, finally, after having attempted
to
look at". According to this meaning, from its title, we understand that this book treats the
argument
of how the ancient Greeks had seen and defined themselves, put in the natural world that they
were
able to observe and, to some extent, to describe. The rich amount of different text sources from
which this task has been accomplished is related, principally, with physiognomy (i.e. the art of
estimating character from the features of the face or the form of the body), ethnography,
geography,
medicine and astrology. In the text an astonishing amount of different citations from ancient
literature, also form the less common authors, is continuously provided to support the statements
and the ideas developed. The last part of the book consists in 25 bibliography pages. Treated
topics
include contrasting representation and correlation of men, women, adolescents, barbarians, and
animals within the natural world, mainly described through astronomy, astrology and medicine.
All
of the themes are carried out using a convincing quantity of notes with different literary
provenance
and chronology.
Two observations immediately arise, characterising the science of man for Greeks from any other
previous typology of ancient philosophy. The first is that Man, not God, is put at the centre of the
investigation, and the second, with no lesser importance, is that the position of woman in the
Grecian world is almost neglected, at least considered just for comparison. This last observation,
even if expected, is astonishing, given the mole of different evidences systematically collected in
the
book, especially if compared with the importance of female figures in the Egyptian and Etruscan
worlds. Starting from this demonstrations the authoress leads the reader further on, offering him a
route, even if not a straight line, to elucidate how this "apartheid" situation had been able to be
established and strongly supported by "evidences" taken up and ordered from the observation of
natural events. The approaching readers should pay attentions to the different advice that the
authoress offers: at the beginning of the book, she notes that "Cultural models are much more
effective if they bear the stamp of nature, and they will therefore insist that natural law be
respected".
M.M. Sassi , to correctly estimate and collocate the meanings of the previous observations starts
her
work from the examination, in the first chapter "The Colors of Humanity", of how physiognomy
in
ancient Greece can be extracted not only directly from texts, but also indirectly, from art
masterpieces, frescos and theatrical representations. A common framework is outlined to classify
all
of the observations, trying to construct a rationale within which discussion can be opened for the
definition of the science of man. Using general and repetitive evidences coming in particular from
the
use of colors in texts, paintings and art in general, the authoress defines an increasing level of
systematic generalisation found in the various areas examined. Physiognomic classification fully
occupies the second chapter "The Physiognomical Gaze". Here animals, women, young men and
barbarians represent the main subjects of the comparative study through which the Greek male is
able to recognise and classify himself. At this point another observation, progressively emerging
since the beginning of the book, can clearly be stated. Whatever the source, in fact, the point of
view
remains the same: a middle aged free Greek male considering himself and his genre as superior to
all
others. Given explanations for this implicit statement arise from empirical observations
inextricably
bound with common prejudices as simple as coming from observation of body features, skin and
hair
colour, environmental climate and natural biological and sexual behaviours. Also remarkable is the
lack of break or paradigmatic changes in the common mental characteristics all along the Grecian
history. Changes or improvements from the common way of thinking will be found only when a
comparison is made with latin literature. This defined, starting from the third chapter "Reality and
Its
Classification: Women and Barbarians" a rationalisation is attempted, analysing medicine,
ethnography and geography. A gradual development of an explanatory paradigm, attempting o
give
reason of the existing differences in the human race from the Grecian point of view, is extracted
and
followed. We observe that a reduction of all of the observed different features is obtained relating
them to the cosmic elements: Earth, Water, Air and Fire, with their respective qualities, Cold,
Wet,
Dry and Hot. In the fourth, "Prediction and Norm", and fifth, "Framed by the Stars", chapters
additional works towards a deeper recognition of the rationalising method is offered from
medicine
and divination comparison, both of them trying to infer knowledge of human health and future
from
external, evident, objectives facts. The aim being the same for medicine and astrology, to analyse
signs in order to emit a prognosis on the human future events. Finally astrology is investigated as
a
comprehensive classificatory system incorporating physiognomic, ethnographical and medical
statements in a general coherent framework.
The origin of modern science is traditionally stated to begin with the Greek philosopher Thales of
Miletus. Somebody else before him had been able to elaborate scientific statements and
observations, as for the case of Babylonian astronomy or Egyptian architecture. Nevertheless
Thales
represents the first one whose name has been retained until now who was able to formulate
questions about universe and man, and that tried to give some answers without calling in help
gods.
As a consequence the Greek philosophy of Nature is still considered the reference point from
which
our Science developed. Nevertheless Greeks approached to Science, in the sense we mean it
today,
limiting themselves to noting the existence of a resemblance, without inferring any casual relation.
They did not develop any kind of experimental methodology. The aim was to appraise of visible
signs with the intention of ordering experience, and viceversa.
If we approach, thus, to the Greek ideological classification of empirical data with our knowledge
in
mind and refer conventionally to those old "scientific" pages only to assess the degree of
knowledge
anticipating our one, according to the established level of scientific achievements, this could result
in
a frustrating work. On the contrary from the same pages it is possible to extract information on
the
dynamics of observations of the world from which they have been elaborated. This work,
performed
by M.M. Sassi, can be inserted, exactly, within that part of classical studies whose attention
principally focus onto areas of ancient thought that for long have been neglected.
Astrology-alchemy-physiognomy too easily in the past have been dismissed as mere
"pseudo-sciences". As for this book, these kind of new studies incorporate examination of
evidences
coming not only from remained texts and from epistemological study but also from art
masterpieces
and manufacts, including grave inscriptions, vase paintings, coins ad sculptures. In some way we
have the opportunity to observe and correctly collocate, scientifically, the Greek world in its
natural
framework. This task to be accomplished results in a difficult and sometimes misleading work,
trying
to extract general information from singled observation. However to bring order to what could
seem
random observations in this context acquires great importance and, for example, it is helpful in
understanding the driving force of the Greek science. From the book we learn that Greeks have
been
able to elaborate regulating mechanisms to describe and foresee physical life development in
general,
human events in particular. As a second goal their Science had to explain, justify and, possibly,
glorify the Greek man's ability and his victory on nature.
At the same time given explications appear merely as tentative of explications, in the scientific
meaning we give to this term, or just observations with a rough lack of objectivity, even for the
oddest affirmations. Nevertheless what we can observe mostly is the need of rationalise this
ensemble of evidences, conjectures, philosophical concepts, realities and myths. Curiosity, at least,
can be evidenced, this last certainly related with Science in its modern sense. This necessary effort
in
rationalising can correctly be considered as the nucleus on which our knowledge began to
crystallise
and growth. It is thought to originate as the consequence of the interruption of connections with
the
previous civilisations of the Hellenic world. A situation that left Greeks with a poor and,
intellectually, not interesting theological panorama. At the same time they were rich with that sort
of
technological knowledge, previously developed, apt to render man's work and rule dominant on
the
natural surrounding environment.
To put order in the evidenced framework and to define a red line unifying the differently collected
and analysed signs, M. M. Sassi proposes a model with a high level of internal coherence, able to
interpret evidences of science, ethics and philosophy form the ancient world in Greece. Using
some
simple explanatory schemes it is shown as general and particular rules can be inferred for any
circumstance. The model proved to be able in combining data, it is a useful guide in the
exploration
of such ancient "disciplines of signs" and in the remaking of connections relating each with the
others (physiognomy, medicine, ethnography, astrology). Such a model has to be considered as a
meaningful instrument to analyse and to order the evidenced ancient Sciences of Man. Obviously
it
needs to be revised and developed, enlarged probably, to be able to work as an explanatory
algorithm in different contexts. Scientists would probably ask for a more detailed analysis of the
role
played by the natural elements (earth, wind, fire and air) outside the ancient scientific framework.
Ethymologists would ask for the deeper meanings of some words related with the model
following
the path along which ideas have been able to reach our cultural and anthropological context.
Applications of the model could be tried to enlarge until different cultures different from
Greeks.
If remarks could be moved to this book one should be a sort of disorder in organising the
discussed
materials, probably due to the difficulties in putting together several repeated statements again
found
from the VII century to the III century B.C. literature and cultural heritage.
Finally, it is impossible to avoid, while reading, comparisons with all of that kinds of sub-cultural
reminiscences of the ancient Science of Man still alive in our extremely technological world. In
some
occasions, familiar to everybody, the original meaning still remains unchanged, as for the expected
effects of the moon cycles on harvest and childbirth.
Dirt Music
Tim Winton
Picador, Pan Macmillan
0330363239, A$46.00 (Hardback), 465 pages
Scribner
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 14th fl., New York, NY 10020
0743228022, $26.00, 1-800-223-2336
No wonder Western Australians think their State should become independent from the rest. If
they
are like the people in this book they are obviously a bunch of anarchists who like to take the law
into
their own hands. Or maybe I live a sheltered life across here in Sydney. I've certainly not met a
community like the one Tim Winton describes. The inhabitants of White Point are rough, tough
Aussie blokes and Sheilas with a vengeance. Maybe, 'though, Georgie Jutland - divorced, drifting,
alcoholic, tough woman that she is - just mixes with that sort of company.
To my mind, the sad thing is that Winton is a writer whose skill at drawing Australian landscapes
is
superb, but this skill seems wasted on the bunch of course-mouthed, disillusioned characters who
people this story. I found it hard to listen to them and hard to like them, but perhaps that's just my
finicky taste: the book, after all, is called Dirt Music, which suggests a combination of the two.
And
there is music and sensitivity amongst all the ugly unpleasantness and tension, especially when Fox
(another drifter, but a musician) goes quietly "troppo"** in the isolation of a Far North West
Australian island.
To tell the story briefly:
Georgie lives with Jim Buckridge, a fisherman with a past she knows almost nothing about. Jim is
a
man who is treated with fearful respect by the White Point community. The romance has faded
from
their relationship and Georgie is contemplating moving on when she meets, and sleeps with,
Luther
Fox.
Fox has major sorrows of his own, which are eventually movingly revealed, but he fears Jim
Buckridge's revenge, especially when his van is shot-up and his dog is deliberately killed.
So, Fox takes off for the tropical islands and seas in the far North of Western Australia and, as he
fears, he is pursued by Jim, who takes Georgie along with him. What eventuates is unexpected,
exciting and, in the end, highly unlikely. However, to backtrack a little, on the way North, Fox
gets
lifts with an assortment of "characters": I use inverted commas deliberately, because Winton
teeters
on the edge of caricature here. A one-legged surfer called Rusty, with a grudge, a hypodermic
constantly stuck in his thigh and a manic, perpetual high from a cocktail of drugs, is a bit much.
And
an elderly ex-school-teacher, trying to run away from incurable bowel cancer, and obsessive about
Wordsworth, "Bill" Blake, Hardy, Anne Sexton and James Dicken, also pushes the bounds of
belief
a bit far. I am sure there must be people like these travelling that road but aren't there just a few
normal people too?
O.K., so this is fiction; this is entertainment; and it is well written and it will probably sell a lot of
copies and make Winton a lot of money. What more do I want?
I want to swim in Winton's warm, rich seas without being jarred by "arse" or "fuck". I want more
of
his sun-drenched, luminous island dreaming. I want, perhaps, the moon!
Winton is not, as Robert Taylor of the West Australian claims, "the most important Australian
writer
of his generation". How would one judge that? And on what criteria? But he is a very good writer
and he is an Australian writer who can capture the unique character of the land he loves in his
words. I wish he would just do that. And I hope that non-Australians reading this book keep in
mind
that the lawlessness and the characters he describes are fiction.
At least I think they are, but I haven't been to Western Australia for years.
(** "going troppo" is an Australian phrase used to describes a state of mental disturbance brought
on by living for too long in the tropics).
Portraits In Fiction
A. S. Byatt
Random House (U.K.)
0701173160, A$32.90 (Hardback), 101 pages
"Portraits in words and portraits in paint are opposites, rather than metaphors for each
other."
This is A.S. Byatt's opening line, but what does she mean? Surely both are metaphors for the
person
depicted, aren't they? Surely both can be equally informative and equally imaginative, can they
not?
Apparently not. Byatt, as an artist with words, favours words over pictures and argues that they
are
better at presenting a person's character and presence. But one of my favourite portraits is of two
young men and I know as much about them from this picture as any word portrait could tell me. I
know that the elder is the more serious, proud of his position, ready to shoulder responsibility.
And
the younger, who has a pleasant, open face, makes me laugh. I can see how pleased with himself
he
is; how carefully he has done his hair; how much he loves his soft, kid boots. No words can quite
capture the quality of that painting but the artist was inspired and that inspiration shines through
and
conveys something of the nature of his subjects. Words, too, can do this but in both cases it
depends
on the skill of the work's creator. Dull portraits are as common in literature as in art, inspired
work
is rare in both.
Byatt, nevertheless, presents an interesting argument and illustrates it with examples of portraits
in
fiction and fictional writing about art from a wide range of work, including her own. Amongst the
authors and artists she discusses are Proust, Ford Maddox Brown, Ford Maddox Ford, Oscar
Wilde,
Emile Zola, Joyce Carey, Iris Murdoch, Holbein, Durer, Monet and Manet. Rather spoiling her
argument about the superiority of words, however, are the many beautiful reproductions of
portraits
which accompany the text and add to the attraction of the book.
Ironically, considering her thesis, this book is based on a lecture which Byatt gave at the National
Portrait Gallery, London, last year (2000) for the Heywood Hill Annual Lecture. But this is not a
dry, heavy lecture - it is beautifully presented, entertaining and light in tone (it is literally light,
too,
being a surprisingly small, thin book for its price).
Byatt tells us that she first began to haunt the National Portrait Gallery when she was planning a
novel which, in part, concerned the difference between art and literature at the times of Elizabeth I
and Elizabeth II. The Darnley Portrait of Elizabeth I at the Gallery, she says, "dazzled and then
obsessed" her, and she offers us her portrait in words of this painting. But what does that do? It
points out things which an imaginative viewer might notice: that the fan is "dangled or gripped";
that
its colours suggest passion; that Elizabeth has the "stillness and energy of a young girl". All true.
All
part of the imaginative picture of Elizabeth I which a viewer might construct in their mind.
Yet, but both words and painting equally prompt and also limit the imaginative viewer in different
ways. Byatt's word description of her own fictional characters may suggest or state things about
them just as the Darnley Portrait does about Elizabeth I. Her presentation of her characters is just
as
subjective as the artist's presentation of Elizabeth, and readers or viewers will still construct their
own images from these sources, and no two mental images will be alike in every detail. So, is art
less
able than words to depict the "variety of selves" of its subject? Does a painting fix an image in
time
more than a word portrait does? I think not.
As you can see, this is a book which makes you think. For anyone who loves art and literature,
Byatt
has interesting things to say about both and says them in an interesting way, although she is,
naturally, biased towards words. As a lecture, this book is different to Byatt's fictional work and
will
appeal a different group of readers. But those who know and enjoy her novels will recognize her
style and find that her arguments, here, make interesting background reading to her stories.
Ann Skea, Reviewer
http://ann.skea.com
The Kaveny/Bogstad Bookshelf
Dr. Janice Bogstad has agreed to produce most of this month's Kaveny's Bookshelf as she focuses
her attention on of Houghton Mifflin's Lord of The Rings Movie tie-in items. I will have a few
comments on The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring movie after seeing it once in one
theater of an overflowing twelve-plex Cinema in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. My wife and I took two
of
our young women friends both graduate students, one from Kenya, and one from the Republic of
Georgia with us. Neither had ever really read or heard of J.R.R Tolkien, or Lord Of The Rings
before we took them to the movie. At the least I, think I can say with a degree of certainty we
were
all taken by the Northerness of it. What I mean by this is the film succeeded on all levels to set the
stage for the great epic which was J.R.R Tolkien (1892-1973), sought to create.
I can assure you, now that I have lived for the last two years in this small college town of 60,000
in
Northwest Central Wisconsin, that you don't have to be from Kenya or The Republic of Georgia
to
never have heard of J.R.R Tolkien. I found this out as I talked with several of my colleagues who
share space with me in a reconverted tire plant, now a high tech business start-up complex called
Banbury Place. But I think that will all change and these four tie-in books will satisfy a craving
created by the movie, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring. Let's also hope they
lead
young people to actually read the books themselves. In other words it is not necessary to have
read
The Fellowship Of The Ring to enjoy seeing The Fellowship of the Ring movie, but afterwards
you
will wish to.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring: Visual Companion
Jude Fisher
Houghton Mifflin/new Line Cinema
71 pg., $19.95, ISBN: 0-618-15401-9, Photographs on every page, 2001
An oversize, hardback book, this volume is clearly designed as a collector's item. The work is
arranged by major topic areas, and largely by 'type' of Middle-Earth character. A section entitled
History, begins the work and narrates the background material of the Lord of the Rings novels.
History focuses on the Rings of Power, and The Last Alliance of Elves and Men. Part 1 then
looks
at Hobbits, Bag End, Bilbo, Frodo, Samwise, Merry and Pippin. Part 2 describes Men, including
Bree and the major characters of Aragorn and Boromir. Part 3 gives us Elves, Elrond, Arwen and
Legolas, with a four-page foldout map and accompanying photos as well as a description of
Lothlorien, home of the Wood Elves, including Lady Galadriel, the more elusive and powerful of
the
female elves found in Tolkien's work. Part 4 is Dwarves with Gimli as a focus and the caves of
Moria as a setting. The Brotherhood of Wizards, the Istari follow Dwarves, but without a chapter
number, explaining first Gandalf the Grey, the Saruman the White. A final section concerns The
Dark Powers, Orcs, Uruk-Hai, and The Nazgul. As in other tie-in titles listed below, the
photographs are lush and lavish, all taken from the first film and allowing the reader to see 'still
photo' detailing of the costuming and sets. The text is a very basic, cursory description of places
and
'races' gleaned from Tolkien's narratives and presented as a factual listing.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring: Photo Guide
Alison Sage, editor
Houghton Mifflin/New Line Cinema
48 pg., $9.95, ISBN: 0-618-19558-0, (ages 8 and up), 2001
Portraying the major characters and events in action poses, this oversize trade-paperback (the
majority of which are photographs, with a few lines of text on some pages) is another 'picture
book'
for a young reader. With minimal text, it is ordered so that a viewer of the film can follow the
story's
progression. It begins in the Shire and describes Bilbo's birthday party and disappearance. Then it
pictures Frodo's discussion of the Ring with Gandalf, introduces his boon Hobbit companions,
Sam,
Merry and Pippin, and his departure from the Shire just ahead of the Ringwraiths. Saruman is
presented, first with Gandalf and then as he develops the dreaded 'Uruk-Hai' demons, as Frodo
and
his companions journey to Bree, meet Aragorn and rush off to Rivendell, Frodo in the company of
the elf princess Arwen. The forming of the Nine, four Hobbits, Aragorn and Boromir of the race
of
men, Legolas the Elf and Gimli the dwarf signals the beginning of a journey that takes them
through
Moria and encounters with Orcs and brief sojourn in Lothlorien with Galadriel and the Wood
Elves.
It ends in the breakup of the fellowship: Pippin and Merry stolen by Orcs, Boromir, dead,
Aragorn,
Gimli and Legolas going after Merry and Pippin and Sam and Frodo once again alone on their
quest
to destroy the Ring. Each of these stages of the first novel's plot is signaled by a box-heading on
the
appropriate pages and a few pictures from the movie, mostly half-page or less. The color
reproduction is as stunning as the film itself and this is the book you would get if you want a clue
to
the plot and well as a commemoration of this filmic adventure in the adaptation of Tolkien's
achievement.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring. Insider's Guide
Brian Sibley
Houghton Mifflin/New Line Cinema.
96 pg., $6.95, ISBN: 0-618-19559-9, (ages 8 and up), 15 pages color illustrations, 2001
This trade paperback (the text includes B/W illustrations on majority of pages) is clearly written
with
younger readers in mind. It's a slim but sturdy little book, with 16 pages of color illustrations in
the
center and the rest bw text with abundant bw illustrations. The book is written in very accessible
language, and designed around the idea that a young reader might want to know how the film was
made. Chapters focus on The Journey, The Book, The Director, Ideas and Images, Cast and
Characters, Locations and Sets, Props and weapons, Costumes and Armor, Makeup and Body
Parts,
Filming the Movies, Special Effects, and The Journey Continues.(which reveals that two more
years
will pass before we see "The Two Towers" (Dec, 2002) and "The Return of the King" (Dec,
2003).
The author suggests that those impatient to hear the end of the story might go ahead and read the
books.
Each short chapter gives a few background details on its subject. For example, "The Director,"
tells
us a little about Peter Jackson's life while filming and lists a few other films he's directed, as well
as
describing his early interest in Tolkien and Lord of the Rings. While all four books list 'eight and
up'
as the audience, this one is truly for a reader from 6-12 years old and will be collected by
completists
as an art object rather than as simply a source of information.
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring: Official Movie Guide
Brian Sibley
Houghton Mifflin/ New Line Cinema
119 pg., $14.95, ISBN: 0-618-15403-5, Photographs on every page, 2001.
The Official Movie Guide is primarily about the actors and actresses who play major parts in the
Fellowship of the ring and is organized alphabetically by their 'real' names (p. 39-66). Thus the
first
character described is Sam, played by Sean Austin and Elijah Wood, as Frodo, is almost the last.
For
some reason Celeborn, played by Marton Csokas, comes last. The actor-introductions are
preceded
by material locating the characters in the book, the movie and the story. 1-The Road to Middle
Earth is dedicated to Peter Jackson and his pursuit of this project 2-from book to script, briefly
describes the conversion process enacted by Jackson and his various crews, including narrative,
scenery and costuming, and introducing the visions of Alan Lee and John Howe, and the
costuming
renditions of the Weta Workshop that gave us the marvelous Dwarf and Orc faces and Hobbit
feet.
The most endearing section is the fellowship, friends and foes with a collection of anecdotes about
how the actors came to play their parts in this epic before they are introduced individually. The
reader might be frustrated by the brevity of each section, especially those in the middle of the text
that give us a glimpse of each actor. However, the full-page photographs of each in full costume
and
makeup are very satisfying. Also satisfying are the detailed pictures of scenery that ends the book,
with a picture of the Weta model of Elrond's house at Rivendell being my favorite. This particular
title is a feast for the eyes of an adoring movie viewer.
Dr. Janice Bogstad
Reviewer
Terry's Bookshelf
Disappearing Into View
Andrew Stone
So There Books
73 Allston Street, #1, Cambridge, MA 02139
ISBN 0967907314, 260 pages - $14.00
Andrew Stone's second novel tells the story of a young man from an upper-middle class family
whose world blows apart, both literally and figuratively when he is 15. Rather than facing life and
its
consequences, he chooses to run away and live on the street, surviving by selling dead pigeons to
restaurants who then serve it to their patrons as "squab."
Colin "Birdy" Franklin is doing all right on the street, but then he hooks up with some shady
underworld characters and ends up working at a food processing plant that turns out surprising
fare,
including ground up rats.
Birdy emerges as a leader of the workers in the plant, and by examining their lives, he begins to
put
the pieces of his shattered life back together.
While reading this bleak novel, I was reminding of Sinclair Lewis' expose on the meat-packing
plants
and I decided NEVER to order squab again!
There are underlying subplots in the story, but the main focus is on Birdy and his re-awakening to
the realities of life....we're all human and we make mistakes. We all need to forgive and be
forgiven.
I gave the novel 3 stars because it is so very bleak and stark. I read for recreation and
entertainment...and being middle-aged, I've figured out some of the lessons in the story, so I
would
advise anyone looking for a quick, easy week-end read to find another story. It's not that Stone
can't
write...it's just that his subject matter is so dark and troubling.
This Is The Place
Carolyn Howard-Johnson
America House Book Publishers
PO Box 1109 Frederick, MD 21702
1588513521, 217 pages - $19.95
An amazon.com reviewer says, "Another great American novel, Gone With The Wind, depicted
the
people and times...Carolyn Howard-Johnson's great American novel, This Is The Place depicts the
people and the times...."
The only thing similar between Gone With The Wind and This Is The Place is that they were first
novels. That's where any comparison should end.
The jacket for the book says: "A fond and bitter story, This Is The Place is set firmly in the midst
of
the Mormon culture of the 1950's. It is about how intolerance affects souls and society, about
subtle
prejudice as well a blatant bigotry....It is about how prejudice can be disguised with love, family,
and
religion and how it can turn on those who use it."
Maybe you need to be from Utah or be 1/2 Mormon and 1/2 Protestant, as the book's heroine
Skylar
Eccles is. Maybe you need to have grown up not knowing about racial prejudice in the south or
ethnic prejudice in the northeast.
To me, the story never shows the reader any real bigotry, nor were there any real consequences
for
those who weren't Mormon. Other than not having her grandparents at her wedding (they couldn't
come because it wasn't in one of their wards), Sky doesn't seem to suffer much from being a
half-breed. She goes through normal teen-age crises, but nothing like being denied access to an
all-white bathroom, drinking fountain, or restaurant.
Another reviewer says: "The written word has never before congealed into such a beautiful
tale...." I
believe readers of Virginia Woolf or Issak Dinesen or William Faulkner or Ernest Hemingway
would
disagree.
What the book seems to be, rather than such a grand epic, is a possible fictionalization of the
author's own therapeutic journals. Her stories are singularly personal and really don't reach across
the page with any interest for her readers. The author had issues with her Mormonism, to be sure,
but to make them into a book seems to be a bit of a stretch.
If you grew up in Utah and you have issues with the Mormon's dominance of all aspects of your
life,
maybe this book is for you. However, readers from the other 49 states probably won't find enough
substance to hold their interest.
Family Correspondence
Teresa Miller
Hawk Publishing
6420 S. Richmond Avenue, Tulsa OK 74136
1930709145, 225 pages, $14.95, http://www.hawkpub.com/
Teresa Miller has written an exquisitely complex novel about 3 generations of women who work
their way through life's temptations and troubles.
Introducing each chapter with some kind of correspondence, Ms. Miller carries her readers
through
the lives of these women:
Kathleen Wallace is dying of breast cancer. Her beloved husband, Lee, the local veterinarian, is
bereft at the prospect of losing his wife and turns to another woman. Kathleen has to hold it
together
for the sake of her young daughter, Marie, who is coming of age just as her mother is dying.
Marie, in turn, knows about her father's dalliances and her mother's impending death, even though
her parents deny it. She falls desperately in love with Ben Ashbrook, the handsome but disturbed
heir to a huge ranch. When Marie becomes pregnant, she and Ben marry, to the dismay of
everyone,
including Alice Ashbrook, Ben's over-protective mother.
Fast forward to the story of Nora and Leslie, Marie's children. Marie has just died in a horrific car
accident that took the lives of 2 other people. It's up to Nora, the rebellious one, to find out (1)
why
Dr. Carlile and his wife were traveling with Marie on the late night of the accident and (2) why
there
were large amounts of sedatives in her mother's body.
The format of Family Correspondence is sometimes difficult to follow, but you should stay with
this
book until the end....when there is a moment when everything falls into place, the pieces fits and
the
questions of the past are finally put to rest.
This is Teresa Miller's second novel. Her first was Remnants Of Glory. She is an author to watch.
She is a wordsmith in the style of Sandra Scofield....her characters have very rich interiors and
they
deal with life-altering issues that don't always end up in pretty packages tied neatly with ribbons.
In
other words, she deals with real people facing real issues and the consequences of their
choices.
Enjoy!
The Sigma Protocol
Robert Ludlum
St. Martin's Press
ISBN - 0 312 27688 5 - 535 pages - $27.95
Recommendation: *********** (there aren't enough stars for this last Ludlum)
This book reminds Ludlum fans WHY he was once the VERY BEST at the spy genre! I've read
every one of his books (some more than once), and I am here to tell you his last work (?) harkens
back to the roller coaster ride/thrill-a-minute Bourne Identity. Once I started The Sigma Protocol,
I
could not put it down, even though it meant reading all throughout the night and into the next
morning.
The plot centers around Ben Hartman, a man who is trying to put the ghost of his twin brother to
rest on an overseas trip...however, everywhere he turns, there is confusion, danger and death. An
old college buddy tries to gun him down in broad daylight....his brother may or may not be
dead....and no one or nothing is what it seems. The book's parallel plot involves the deaths of a lot
of older me who once belonged to a secret Nazi organization called SIGMA and Anna Navarro,
the
beautiful intelligence agent assigned to find the connection. Ben and Anna's paths cross and the
chase is on. In other words, this book is VINTAGE Ludlum!
If I have a criticism of the book, it's that the publisher uses the present tense on the jacket ....
Ludlum died earlier this year. If there are indeed 11 outlines on the boards, I certainly hope they'll
do
us a favor and reveal who ghosted future work(s).
Although he steadfastly maintained he never had any 'spy' experience, he must have been either
(1)
hooked up with someone who LIVED the world of espionage or (2) he did more than 'voice
overs'
to put his kids through college. He simply knows too much.
I didn't like a lot of Ludlum's later works -- they were just too contrived and sometimes way
beyond
the realm of possibilities -- but with The Sigma Protocol, the master returned home for one last
triumph!
Enjoy!
The Evolution Of Intimate Relationships: How Our Brains Are Hardwired For Relationships
Thomas David Kehoe
Casa Future Technologies
ISBN 0965718131, 335 pages, $22.50
I must preface this review by stating the author contacted me and asked me to read his book. I
told
him to send me a copy, which he did, but not until he told me that other copies had not been
reviewed as promised. So, when the book arrived during the holidays, I put it on the top of my
stack. Maybe Mr. Kehoe's faith in volunteer reviewers will be restored.
With that said, I must admit that The Evolution Of Intimate Relationships is a quick, interesting
and
sometimes amusing look at the age-old question of how to find a mate. It's not new territory, nor
is
it scientifically sound, but it's a quick read and a pretty handy guidebook for those just entering
the
dating/mating game.
I found the part on gods/goddesses more interesting than the rest of the book, as I'm a
middle-aged,
monogamous woman married for many, many years....based on Kehoe's assertions, I'm a cross
between a Persephone, Athena and Artemis and I'm married to a cross between a healthy
Dionysus
(not so ego-centric) and a Hephaestus. Since we've been very happily married for a number of
years,
I'm assuming our combination is okay.
The Evolution Of Intimate Relationships is neither exceptionally scholarly nor is it new
information.
It is, however, cleverly packaged and easy to read. I suspect those who find it useful will be
young
and 'on the hunt' for a partner/mate.
Enjoy!
Terry Mathews
Reviewer
Sullivan's Bookshelf
Horse Sense For People
Monty Roberts
Viking Press
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
0670899755 $24.95 1-800-847-5515
From the author of The Man Who Listened To Horses and Shy Boy, this new book is a
fascinating
explanation of how gentle horse training techniques can be used to benefit humans.
"I suppose," Robert writes, "all readers of this book have the right to ask what gives me the
authority to expound my theories on human-to-human communication. to many people, my only
claim to fame, if there is one, is as a horse psychologist. As I write this book, it is my sincere hope
that I will give the reader the understanding that there is a balance between all living things on this
earth and that we are all one family. If my work only brings to light certain limited connections
between human and horse, then I am very disappointed. Humankind has the most complex brain
of
any species on earth, and with such incredible cerebral power we must be able to apply what we
learn from animals to ourselves."
The author has worked with horses for over 50 years. He uses a self-developed, nonviolent
method
of getting unbroken or recalcitrant horses to cooperate with him in a process he calls Join-Up,
often
done in under a half hour. Now he tells how humans, allowed the same freedom of choice as a
horse
during Join-Up, can lead themselves on the straight path of life.
Roberts makes a strong case for his 'contract method' with human youngsters and how they can
be
brought into line for their own best interests. In this part of the plan, the children agree to rewards
if
they do something right and agree to punishments if they do a specific thing inappropriately or not
at
all.
The author and his wife have raised their own children and over 35 foster kids. Many times those
boys and girls came as troubled and/or troublemakers to the Roberts' home. But with this
horseman's
gentle and dependable teaching techniques and guidance, he and his spouse were able to help
mold
all the children for the better.
Business executives and management can learn a lot from the author's methods on how to treat
people. Roberts, in fact, consults with numerous business clients each year on how to improve
relationships with employees, customers, and vendors.
With his wife, Pat, Roberts lives at their 'Flag is Up Farm' in California.
Every parent in America would find insights in this volume.
Recommended!
A Long Way From Tipperary
John Dominic Crossan
HarperSanFrancisco
353 Sacramento Street, #500, San Francisco, CA 94111-3653
0060699744 $23.00 1-800-272-7737
The son of an Irish banker and housewife writes a memoir of his life. Though he had a pleasant
existence in many cities within Ireland as a youngster, his home life ended early as Crossan was
sent
off to boarding school, then seminary, and to graduate study at schools around the globe. During
those years, the author became an ordained priest and a Servite Monk in the Roman Catholic
Church. He evolved into a scholar of religion, becoming a theologian and professor. His religious
specialty was the historical Jesus.
Nearly 20 years after taking his final vows as a monk/priest, he decided, after many frustrating
years
with the church's hierarchy, that he'd do better as a layman. So he applied for and was released
from
his vows. Soon he was wed. Surprisingly, to him and to this reviewer, he managed to get a
position
as a scholar/professor at DePaul University in Chicago, a Roman Catholic school.
There he taught religion classes for nearly 30 years. He also wrote scholarly works about the
historical Jesus. They stirred up considerable conflict for Crossan. For example, he said that Jesus
didn't walk on water, that it was just a parable. Crossan hastened to add that this stipulation
doesn't
make Jesus unbelievable. The Biblical story, he goes on, was written to make a point.
He arrived at such views after studying the Gospels in and out of the Bible and other sources, like
the historian Josephus. Fundamentalist Christians have been his harshest detractors. But Crossan
seems to thrive on this.
The author refers to himself these days as an academic scholar/public intellectual. As such, he
says,
"...that role means speaking as publicly as possible about the Gospels and the New Testament, the
historical Jesus and earliest Christianity, in language true to both their ancient first-century
situations
and their modern twenty-first-century continuations. And 'as publicly as possible' is not a question
of
volume, but of clarity, not of indoctrination, but education. And education means awareness of all
your options. This hope is for debate without caricature and argument without derision."
After his first wife died, Crossan remarried. The two travel extensively since his retirement from
DePaul University. He remains, by his own disclosure, a Roman Catholic, if nonpracticing. He is
also the author of Who Killed Jesus?, The Birth Of Christianity, and The Historical Jesus, among
his
writings.
This book is recommended.
James C. Sullivan
Reviewer
Rose's Bookshelf
Trying Times
Man, oh man, are we trying-ever since the emergency calls went out on 911. And as happens
during
any time of trial, we are discovering what we are made of and what we truly believe.
The War Against Terrorism is the first to be fought primarily in consciousness. All of us have
become warriors. So choose wisely where you put your attention, on terror or a higher truth. You
could even consider it your patriotic duty to avoid focusing on fears related to current events
which,
ironically, enables terrorism.
Your greatest source of comfort these days will probably not be your TV set. Why turn it on
when
you can tune in awareness of God? No terrorist can take away that presence, nearer than the
nearest
and dearer than the dearest. Now's a good time to use spiritual practice to discover in a real and
conscious way how God is woven into the fabric of creation; for those of us who are spiritual
seekers, nothing can remove this awareness except our indifference, fear, or pain. Ironically, these
deep human habits are being brought to the surface by current circumstances, all the better to
finally
be released. Shocking but true: In later years we may bless our collective release.
Meanwhile, helping others can add to your sense of stability. Instructions for Empathic Volunteer
Work, for instance, have been on my website since September 12-click on
www.Rose-Rosetree.com. (The site also includes new sample readings of people in the
news-inspiring folks worth reading about.)
Peaceful Earth: Spiritual Perspectives On Hope And Healing Beyond Terrorism
Lisa Hepner, editor
Hold The Vision
14845 SW Murray Scholls Drive, Suite 110, PMB #302, Beaverton, OR 97007
0971584591, 78 pages, $12.00, 1-503-524-7151, www.peacefulearth.org
Here's the single best resource in book form for anyone seeking perspective about the War on
Terrorism. This reasonably priced anthology shares a range of wisdom from some of America's
leading spiritual teachers. Commentary by Alan Cohen is his usual gold standard-wisdom that can
ease your heart and awaken your spirit. Dan Millman, another outstanding New Age writer,
explains
"Let's not give more power to a small group of zealots; let's not let them live in our heads
rent-free."
Other contributors include Jean Houston, Marianne Williamson, and Terry Cole-Whittaker. Their
teachings may inspire you to write the most important commentary of all: the one electronically
stored in your head.
The Book Of Practical Faith
D. Patrick Miller
Fearless Books
1678 Shattuck Avenue #319, Berkeley, CA 94709
0965680924, 84 pages, $12.00, 1-800-480-2776, www.fearlesssbooks.com
Grab your highlighter pen before you sit down with this book. If you're like me you'll need it.
Even
though I don't have problems with faith, this book taught me so much that I highlighted an
average
of one quote per page-a lifetime record with any book. If you know someone who agonizes over
spiritual skepticism, do both of you a favor: give Miller's extraordinary book as a present. And
throw in a couple of highlighters.
Miller is a brilliant writer, an original thinker who has distilled his life experience into practical
wisdom. He's never belonged to organized religion in any form. Perhaps that has hurt the
marketing
of his books in the short run. If he belonged to any mainstream denomination, his book would be
stocked in its bookstores worldwide; it already could have become a mega-bestseller. Still, this is
a
timeless book of wisdom. I believe it's destined to become a classic.
Also see A Little Book Of Forgiveness, another extraordinary book by D. Patrick Miller.
Workout For The Soul: 8 Steps to Inner Fitness
Chrissie Blaze
Aslan Publishing
2490 Black Rock Turnpike, #342, Fairfield, CT 06432
168 pg, $14.95 + $3 shipping, 1-800-786-5427, www.aslanpublishing.com
Just holding this book in your hand is a privilege, for it represents over 25 years of devoted
service
and avid learning. Between the covers you'll find a lifetime program for spiritual development. Of
special interest are techniques for breathing, drawing energy from the sun and moon, and a
knock-your-socks-off meditation with the violet flame.
Blaze's common sense balances the mystical practices. For instance, I couldn't agree more with
her
advice about affirmations. "You should never lie to yourself.. it is a waste of time to affirm to
yourself that you have no financial problems and that you are extremely wealthy if in fact you are
deeply in debt. This lie can only result in confusion and, possibly, ill health." (Her explanation can
be
found in the chapter on "Building a Bridge to Your Soul.")
Chrissie Blaze's how-to culminates with the 15-minute workout in her book's subtitle. Initially the
idea turned me off-I figured it was a slick attempt to McDonaldize the search for God. But guess
what? Because she systematically builds up to the final chapter, and has designed it with care, her
workout works.
A final reason to consider this book is the superb introduction to the very concept of doing
spiritual
practice. It couldn't be more timely, especially these words:
"While this book can bring you. benefits, that is not its main focus. Above all, it was written to
teach
you how to help others in a more powerful way-for this is the key to spiritual development. For
once, let's take the emphasis away from us and get on with the most important job of all-becoming
a
light in our dark world."
Virtual Foreplay: Making Your Online Relationship A Real-Life Success
Eve Eschner Hogan, M.A.
Hunter House Publishers
PO Box 2914, Alameda, CA 94501-2914
0897933303, 116 pages, $13.95, 1-800-266-5592, 1-800-266-5592, www.hunterhouse.com
Since 911, many of us have found ourselves reaching out to others. And even before the anthrax
scare, many of us were turning to e-mail rather than snail mail. We're forming friendships, making
business contacts, developing hobbies-and therefore, you can probably learn a great deal from
Hogan's perspective. It has relevance even if you're not interested in online dating; if you are
single
and searching this is an important book for you to buy.
As she explains, "virtual" is "a strange word that leads us to think of "almost, but not quite."
Virtual
dating is dating in essence, but not in actuality. . . . Unfortunately, there are many times when the
fantasy and the reality don't ever converge, which, in the world of Internet dating, can be
frustrating,
deceiving, and time-consuming."
Practical advice from this thoroughly researched book includes developing an ethical code,
identifying personal values, deciding on non-negotiable issues, appreciating what you have to
offer, a
consumer's survey of major online dating sites, and "Fifty Ways to Delete Your Lover." Even the
list
of emoticons is delightful. (Next time you e-mail your Mom, how about sending her a kiss: :-x
)
In addition to being an experienced relationship coach and emerging media personality, Eve
Hogan
is really a spiritual teacher. Her wisdom about relationships really transcends the topic of online
meet-&-greet, and it's matched by considerable finesse of expression. "Ultimately," she writes, "it
makes no difference whom we choose as a partner, if we ourselves do not have the interpersonal
skills to support and maintain a relationship. Even if we find the mate of our dreams, we still need
to
be the mate of their dreams, as well."
When you buy the book, turn to her extraordinary analysis of the mechanics of falling in love,
pages
66-67. You'll find plenty of spiritual insights mingled with this book's solid how-to advice. I'm
sure
I'm not the first reader of Virtual Foreplay to have fallen in love with Eve Hogan, or at least risen
to
a higher level of liking and respect.
Another interesting book about relationships is by local author Karen Gail Lewis, Ed.D.'s With Or
Without A Man: Single Women Taking Control Of Their Lives, 246 pg., $18.95, Bull Publishing
Company, www.bullpub.com, 800-676-2855. If you consider being single a problem, this book
will
take you step-by-step through an array of solutions. This is the book to give to those who worry,
"What's wrong with me that I'm not married?"
The Invisible String
Patrice Karst, author & Geoff Stevenson, illustrator
DeVorss Publications
PO Box 550, Marina Del Rey, CA 90294
0875167349, 31 pages, hardcover, $15.95 plus $3.95 shipping, (800) 843-5743.
Order online at www.devorss.com, click on "new releases," then click on "The Invisible
String."
You'll laugh, you'll cry-at least I did. You'll jump at the surprise ending-at least my 10-year-old
son
did. Of course I can't predict how you'll react to this fabulous book about your connection to
God,
but I certainly do urge you to buy it for everyone on your shopping list, young or old.
Illustrations by Geoff Stevenson are uncommonly effective: simple, attractive, expressive, and
free-flowing. The visuals of this picture book are perfectly matched to Patrice Karst's skillful text.
It
would have been so easy to make the words preachy or sentimental, yet she never crosses that line
(narrower, even, than the slender string in her title).
Karst's author photo on the dust jacket also deserves recognition. As an aura reader and
physiognomist, I always scrutinize pictures before I review a book. Especially when someone
writes
directly about experiencing God, I'm curious what deeper perception will reveal, spiritual
magnificence or wishful thinking? With Karst it's clearly the former (as one might guess from the
eloquent simplicity of the book itself). But the regular-perception aspect of the photo is
noteworthy,
too. Never before have I seen a professional-quality author's picture with such lifelike
presentation.
Without make-up or much of a hairdo, Patrice Karst sits in the photographer's chair as if leaning
over your kitchen table to talk to you.
Wonder what typical author photos will look like well in the New Age? That's it, I predict--no
artifice or posturing, simply an honest presence. Which, in a way, is what the main character in
this
book is about, too.
For more (and differently) inspiring photos, see the award-winning Inner Reflections 2002
calendar
from Self-Realization Fellowship ($12.95). In this calendar, gorgeous nature photography is
paired
with inspirational quotes by Paramahansa Yogananda. For instance, imagine a photo of dwarf
birch
trees, turned red in Alaskan autumn. The thought you're given to accompany this is, "Purity,
peace,
happiness beyond dreams, are sparkling and dancing within your soul." To order, call
800-801-1952.
Personal Pilgrimage: One Day Soul Journeys For Busy People
Viki Hurst
Northstone Publishing
1896836445, Hardcover, 224 pages, $21.95, 1-800-663-2775, www.northston.com
"A pilgrimage is a journey one takes in order to receive enlightenment, to experience a sense of
deepening, to find wholeness." Retreat facilitator Viki Hurst has put together a soul-nurturing
collection of practical pilgrimages in the form of spiritual day trips. Waits at the airports are long
these days. Here's an alternative. Let Hurst show you how to take a vacation close to home,
spend
your time wisely, and integrate the pilgrimage experience into your daily life.
Concepts for 12 different journeys have been thoughtfully designed by this college professor
whose
effectiveness as a spiritually-based businessperson makes her a role model for entrepreneurial
women.
And her journal-style book has been crafted with uncommon care and beauty. Personal Pilgrimage
would make a superb gift to anyone you know who would benefit from spiritual renewal.
For another kind of pilgrimage, see My Monastery Is A Minivan: Where The Daily Is Divine And
The Routine Becomes Prayer. Denise Roy's book from Loyola Press allows us to share her serene
inwardness. This is a thoughtful book about the search for God in the world; it offers readers
hard-won insights into soul, not mere chicken soup. The 212-page book is $14.95, available at
800-621-1008 or www.loyolapress.org
Rose Rosetree, Reviewer
http://www.Rose-Rosetree.com
Shelley's Bookshelf
The Icing On The Corpse
Mary Jane Maffini
Napoleon Publishing/Rendezvous Press
1005-3266 Yonge St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4N 3P6
ISBN: 0-929141-81-4, $12.95 CAN/$10.95 U.S. paper
Mary Jane Maffini hails from Sydney, Nova Scotia and currently lives in Ottawa with her spouse
and
"various neurotic pets." A graduate of Dalhousie University, she is a former librarian who broke
into
writing via the publication of numerous short stories, which garnered many awards. Her short
story
fiction has appeared in: Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine, Chatelaine, Storyteller, On-Spec, Over
My Dead Body, as well as many anthologies. The Icing on the Corpse follows up the award
winning
Speak Ill of the Dead.
Camilla MacPhee, lawyer, embattled sister of three stiff-necked debutantes, and social crusader is
once again on patrol as victim's advocate for Justice For Victims. One of her clients, Lindsey
Grace,
has just testified against Ralph Benning, ferocious wife batterer. But Canadian law put Ralph back
on the streets in eighteen months. His first move was to revisit his former wife, who turns up
dead.
Camilla, her friend Merv of the Canadian Mounties, her rebellious and ever-surprising employee
Alvin, and her elderly neighbor and Harvey's aficionado Mrs. Parnell rush over to help Lindsey.
Somehow they all fall asleep, and Camilla's friend Elaine, Executive Director of "Women Against
Violence Everywhere," ends up as primary suspect when Ralph's frozen body is found as an ice
sculpture. Elaine rushes to confess to the murder that Camilla knows she didn't commit:
"As soon as it slammed shut, I turned to my alleged client. You're enjoying this.' Well, it is an
opportunity. Think of the profile for WAVE. You know, Camilla, at first I thought we had a
disaster
but on sober second thought, I realize this will give us some major media coverage."
Ms. Maffini has honed her writing skills to a sharp point with The Icing On The Corpse. She
juxtaposes Camilla's grim effort to solve the murder and save her friend against her hilarious
efforts
to deal with her sister's upcoming wedding and the issue of shopping for a bridesmaid dress.
Using a
skillful combination of snappy dialogue, endearing characters, and terrifying action, Maffini snares
the reader from page one until the alarming denouement. Camilla stays in lovable character
throughout the entire book, as women everywhere cheer her on.
8th Day
Kate Calloway
Bella Books, Inc.
PO Box 201007, Ferndale, MI 48220
ISBN: 1-931513-04-X $11.95
Kate Calloway is the author of seven prior Cassidy James mysteries, all with identifiable titles for
the
reader's edification: First Impressions, Second Fiddle, Third Degree, Fourth Down, Fifth Wheel,
Sixth Sense, and Seventh Heaven.
Cassidy James is a private eye and former teacher. She's quick with a computer, can ride a horse,
and is on the rebound after a couple of bad relationships. She's also a bit fey, and lately she's been
having dreams of being stuck in a mine. What she doesn't realize is that her dream is a
premonition
of things to come. Love is also in the mix, and she's as skittish as the horses who form the
backdrop
for this enjoyable tale.
When Grace Apodaca shows up at her house, scaring the be jesus out of Cassidy, her former
friend
is out for more than a rekindling of an old friendship and attraction. Grace's cousin Connie has
endured every woman's nightmare: an unjust prison sentence for a car accident after someone
slipped her drugs at a party, and the loss of parental rights to her now teenage daughter. Grace
and
Connie are convinced that Maddie is in danger and ask for Cassidy's help. Grace has gotten
herself
hired at Camp Turnaround, and Cassidy has no trouble following suit. When Cassidy arrives, she
finds people with names like Doc and Coach who use somewhat questionable methods to turn
around problem children:
"Coach turned around and faced her, the beam on his hard hat blinding her. 'Any time you get to
thinking you're pretty hot shit, Madeline, I want you to remember that sound. This mountain
could
swallow you up in one second. You're nothing to this mountain. Less than a gnat. Less than the
shit
of a gnat. You understand?'"
Calloway makes skillful use of point-of-view in this edge-of-your-seat thriller mystery. Written
from
an abused child's perspective, Calloway zeroes in on non-accredited military camps run by people
with no credentials and less moral fiber to allegorize just how precious a child is and how easily
they
are led into danger. Aside from moral considerations, 8th Day is a well written mystery with clues
galore leading the reader into the chaos of happy hunting. With an ending that is both surprising
and
logical, Calloway urges the reader further and further into the terrifying depths of the human
mind.
A smash-bang great story!
Lady Vanishes
Carol Lea Benjamin
Walker & Company
435 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
ISBN: 0-8027-3335-2 $8.95 (U.S.)/$13.95 (CAN), 1-800-289-2553
Carol Lea Benjamin is an expert dog trainer, and has written several books on the subject. She has
taught dog training seminars in the U.S. and Canada. She wrote her first Rachel and Dash novel,
This Dog For Hire, in 1996, followed by The Dog Who Knew Too Much and A Hell Of A Dog.
Her
first Rachel and Dash novel won the Shamus Award from Private Eye Writers of America. Ms.
Benjamin is a resident of Greenwich Village, New York.
In her fourth Dash and Rachel mystery, Rachel Alexander and her pit bull Dash enter the world of
autistic, or "throwaway" people. Lady, the resident therapy dog at Harbor View has disappeared,
and the owner and main benefactor, Harry Dietrich, has been killed in a bizarre hit-and-run bike
accident. Venus, the current administrator of Harbor View, contacts Rachel for her skills as a dog
therapist. But it quickly becomes evident that Venus needs Rachel's expertise as a detective, but
she
is reticent about explaining the reasons why she is so frightened:
"If Venus had been so lonely, where had it come from--the married man she met online? And why
was I hearing about him anyway? What did he have to do with a missing dog, a dead old guy, a
bunch of witnesses who don't speak and couldn't tell you the time of day if they did, and this
gorgeous, mysterious black woman who hires me because she thinks her life's in danger, then
won't
tell me why?"
Ms. Benjamin manages to grab the reader with this low-key tale about dog wisdom, autism, and
murder. From page one there is a wistful tone of whodunit, mixed with the obvious love the
author
holds for dogs, training, and dog-to-human therapy. We are quickly ensconced into Rachel and
Dash's world, and their own particular talents. The mystery is almost a background issue, but
nonetheless it is a real corker.
Ms. Benjamin uses wit, rigorous observational skills, and just plain old common sense to endear
the
reader to her characters. She spares no detail about autism, so that the reader comes away from
this
intensely entertaining tale both satisfied and a little wise. Rachel is a down-to-earth character who
has the uncanny ability to bring out the innermost secrets in virtually everyone she meets. She is a
real find as a crime solver, and is a true humanitarian to boot.
Theoretically Dead
Tinker Marks
New Victoria Publishers
PO Box 27, Norwich, VT 05055
ISBN: 1-892281-16-3, $11.95
Tinker Marks is a nom de plume for a husband and wife professor team, Mark Montgomery and
Irene Powell. Both are professors of economics at Grinnell College.
For anyone working in the field of academics, whether as an academic themselves or in a support
staff capacity, there is much to make fun of. Montgomery and Powell use a Philosophy
Department
conference as the setting for this hilariously funny, ribald and comedic mystery. Using the name of
Erik Weber (pronounced "Vee-bur" in true Teutonic form), this husband and wife team pull out
all
the stops to make for a delightful cosy thriller.
Set at Hammond College (all names are meticulously close to the mark while still being fictitious),
Professor Claire Sinclair, professor of economics and lesbian mate of famed philosopher Emma
Harrington, finds herself in the middle of a theater of the absurd murder mystery as she strives to
stay as far away as possible from Emma's upcoming conference. This conference, of course, may
make or break Emma's chance at a new chair, which would enable her to continue her
appointment
at Hammond. As the administration strive to deal with keeping public relations under control after
Professor Weber's body is found, Claire finds herself pulled deeper and deeper into the
quagmire:
"Claire,' Jack said, I guess that leaves you as the logical choice to talk to the media. Would you be
wiling to do that?' I couldn't believe my ears. Would I be willing to run a press conference on the
subject of Weber's death? Hell no, I wouldn't! I didn't have anything to do with Philosophy, I
didn't
have any knowledge of Weber's life, and I didn't have any experience dealing with the press. On
the
other hand, I didn't have tenure."
The Tinker Marks team does a first rate job of creating an enjoyable and witty mystery which
plumbs the depths of the academic world. While Claire stumbles through the mess constantly
created
by her "adorable" partner, Emma, we find a touching love story mixed with the consternation of
dealing with people who have been trained to focus on one thing...themselves. The plot thickens
nicely, and the Marks team effectively lead the reader through a labyrinth.
The Sewing Machine Murder
Michael McGrorty
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106
ISBN: 00-193390; Hardcover: 0-7388-5218-X; Softcover: 0-7388-5217-1,
www.Xlibris.com
Even real private eyes have a tale to tell. Michael McGrorty is a private eye, or private
investigator,
living in Los Angeles. Also a writer, his poetry and articles have been featured in Gray's Sporting
Journal, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Los Angeles Times Magazine.
Told from the vantage point of Merck Bayern, a youngish Hollywood private investigator who is
at
a crossroads in his life, The Sewing Machine Murder is a Columbo style, tongue-in-cheek pulp
style
murder mystery. The title gives a tease that it might be a cosy, so it takes a bit of adjustment on
the
reader's part to get past the title.
But once there, McGrorty gives the reader a thrill ride based on the murder of a sewing machine
repairman who is too old to hurt anyone, but who is full of secrets. Merck Bayern is a thirtyish
private eye with a mind for puzzles and an English major under his belt. Although he quickly finds
and dispatches the murderer or Sigfried Jahannes March, the mystery lies beneath the murder.
McGrorty intersperses the investigation with Bayern's own story, and that of his now deceased
partner/mentor, Frank Drenck:
"Drenck didn't start to die until he'd been home about four months. After that he went downhill
pretty fast, wasting away to nearly nothing. Six months after the doctor wrote him off, he looked
like he'd been strained through a condom. The cancer played its game with him; not happy to have
his liver, it rambled about through his insides, setting up shop wherever it pleased. They pumped
him
full of some sort of poison to slow it down. He got a good three months out of that, and then the
thing came roaring back, making up for the lost time."
Just when the reader wonders where Mr. McGrorty is taking us, the second whammy of the book
comes out. Bayern, in between cavorting with his lady love, begins to put together the real picture
of
the murder. Just as his empty pockets draw him back to academia, reality crooks its finger,
drawing
him back into the morass of murder and investigation. It's where his heart and talents lie.
McGrorty
does a great job of creating a modern-day knight. His writing does the rest.
Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer
Sandra's Bookshelf
Magnet Therapy
William H. Philpott, M.D., and Dwight K. Kalita, Ph.D., with Burton Goldberg
AlternativeMedicine.com, Inc.
1640 Tiburon Blvd, Tiburon, CA 94920
ISBN: 1-887299-21-1, Soft Cover, 245 pp., $14.95, www.alternativemedicine.com
1-800-333-HEAL
William H. Philpott, M.D., Dwight K. Kalita, Ph.D., and Burton Goldberg teamed up to write
Magnet Therapy, a comprehensive guide to using magnets in the prevention and cure of
disease.
The authors explain that "electromagnetic energy is an integral part of the human body. It can
help
produce illness and help bring healing, depending on its type and strength." We are surrounded by
electromagnetism--nearly everything produces magnetic fields, including the human body.
Magnets
have two poles--north, or positive; and south, or negative. Generally, negative magnetic fields are
used in healing. Positive can be used only in special instances and under medical supervision.
The authors clearly explain the sources of magnetism and how it works in the body. They then
describe, in general, how negative electromagnetic fields are used to stimulate the body's ability to
heal.
The bulk of the book is devoted to listing of 35 health conditions, complete with a description of
causes and detailed instructions for using magnet therapy to prevent and heal each condition.
Health
problems discussed include addictions, heart disease, diabetes, children's ailments, and
reproductive
organ diseases.
"While magnet therapy may just now be gaining more widespread use and popularity in the United
States and elsewhere, the use of magnetic energy for healing dates back thousands of years."
Magnet
Therapy provides all the information readers need to begin using this ancient technique to improve
and maintain their health.
Simple Numerology
Damian Sharp
Conari Press
2550 Ninth Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
ISBN: 1-57324-560-7 Hard Cover 123 pp. $14.95, http://www.conari.com 1-800-685-9595
Simple Numerology by Damian Sharp is an excellent book for newcomers to numerology. Sharp
begins with an introductory explanation of numerology, saying that it "provides us with a means
of
understanding our own individual cyclical patterns and personal qualities."
He is concerned only with Western numerology in this book, which is based on the teachings of
Pythagoras, a Greek philosopher who maintained that numbers were the basis of everything,
including relationships.
Important numbers are the name number, which reveals outer nature; birthpath, which indicates
destiny; persona, which tells how others perceive you; and soul number, which is inner destiny. He
also discusses the personal year number, the pinnacles, and challenge numbers.
Each number is easy to determine.
Sharp devotes the bulk of the book to explaining the significance of each number and how
individuals can use that information in decision making.
A final chapter describes compatibility between numbers, as an aid to successful personal and
business relationships.
Simple Numerology is a part of Conari Press' Simple Wisdom Book series. Simple Numerology is
Sharp's third book in that series; he's also won awards for other writing. Novices will find Simple
Numerology easy to understand and enlightening. Within minutes they will have new insight into
their personalities and lives.
Lakshmi Bertram has given birth to five babies, all under water. She shares her experiences in
Choosing Waterbirth, a book filled with practical advice and encouragement.
Bertram knew from the beginning that she wanted home births, maintaining that "most births do
not
actually require doctors or hospitals or fetal monitors or forceps or episiotomies or drugs." She
researched birthing methods carefully, learning about water birth shortly before her first child was
born. She learned that not only did water make birthing easier and less painful for the mother, it
also
provided "a kind, loving, and gentle entry into this world" for the baby.
In water birth, the mother immerses her lower body in a tub of water heated to body temperature.
The baby is born into the water. The baby continues to receive oxygen from the umbilical cord. It
is
then brought gently to the surface and handed to the mother. Babies will not try to breathe until
the
air hits their faces and are in no danger of drowning.
Bertram emphasizes that giving birth is a natural process for women and that, if left to their
intuition, they have the ability to deliver healthy babies. Having a baby does not have to be the
overwhelming and frightening experience that modern methods have led women to believe. She
provides lots of encouragement for women who want home births, even if they choose not to
have a
water birth. Alternatively some hospitals and birthing centers have water birth facilities available.
Each woman must do what she feels is best for her and her baby.
For those who do choose waterbirth, Bertram provides a wealth of information on where to find
birthing tubs (she purchased her first one at an animal feed store!), midwives and other attendants,
and birthing centers. She also details exactly the things to expect about birth in general, and water
birth in particular.
A long time yoga practitioner and certified instructor, Bertram includes a section on how
expectant
mothers may use yoga for relaxation and for strengthening and stretching the muscles that will be
used during childbirth. The detailed instructions are accompanied by pictures.
The final section of the book is entitled "Practice," and in it Bertram has included pictures of her
"water babies" and notes from her journals on their births. She says the hopes "to give women a
different view of what birth can be." Her experiences helped make childbirth "a part of the joy of
having children instead of a traumatic ordeal that had to be gone through in order to get
children."
Sandra McLanahan, M.D. , in a preface to Choosing Waterbirth says "Lakshmi's book provides
inspiration and support for women to learn to turn away from excess interventions, to return to
the
innate wisdom of the body and its natural resources." Every woman contemplating pregnancy,
whether interested in water birth or not, will find a wealth of information and
Dreaming While Awake: Techniques For 24-Hour Lucid Dreaming
Arnold Mindell, Ph.D.
Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc.
1125 Stoney Ridge Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
ISBN: 1-57174-187-9 Hard Cover 255 pp. $22.95, www.hrpub.com 1-800-766-8009
Arnold Mindell, Ph.D. has written more than a dozen books, and is known throughout the world
for
his work with dreams, bodywork, consciousness, shamanism, and conflict resolution. He's the
founder of the therapy known as Process Oriented Psychology and has established training centers
in
22 countries. Dr. Mindell has appeared on TV and radio and at conferences worldwide. He draws
on
his extensive experience and knowledge in his latest book, Dreaming While Awake: Techniques
For
24-Hour Lucid Dreaming.
In it, he explains that Dreaming (always with a capital letter) is "the energy behind everything; it is
the life force of all living beings, the power of trees and plants, and the power of motors, business,
and financial centers." While the dreaming we do at night has an important part in all this,
Dreaming
occurs 24 hours a day. Dr. Mindell says that "the Dreaming is always present, like an aura
shimmering around the objects and events you call everyday life."
His goal is to help readers "learn to move through and behind the world of everyday life,
exploring
the world of healing, divination, and immortality." He begins by defining Dreaming and discussing
it
in terms of religion, philosophy, and science. He then explains how it enhances personal health
(mental and physical), relationships, and work situations.
Dr. Mindell provides several simple exercises that individuals can use alone or with others to train
themselves in becoming aware of the subtleties of Dreaming. He says that many people have an
undefinable sense of something wrong or missing in their lives and says this is because they
unwittingly are only seeing half their lives and half the world--they aren't accessing
Dreaming.
Dreaming While Awake is not a dream interpretation book. Instead, it guides readers on a journey
of
recognition. A hidden world of information exists, with clues provided by the unconscious on a
continual basis. Individuals interested in learning to understand and use their Dreaming will find
the
help they seek in Dreaming While Awake.
Kundalini For Beginners
Ravindra Kumar, Ph.D.
Llewellyn Publications
P. O. Box 64383, St. Paul, MN 55164
ISBN: 1-56718-435-9, Soft cover, 329 pp., $12.95, www.llewellyn.com 1-800-THE-MOON
Ravindra Kumar, Ph.D. has studied the religions of the world and believes there is "a common
thread woven through all of them." He wrote Kundalini for Beginners to explore this common
thread and "to show that Kundalini or Sleeping Serpent Power is the common denominator in
most
cases of awakening, irrespective of the religion or faith of the aspirant."
Kundalini was awakened for Dr. Kumar in 1987. Later he retired from a long career as a
mathematics professor and devoted himself to spiritual research. He has lived and worked in
dozens
of countries. He's written several books and conducts workshops internationally.
Dr. Kumar defines Kundalini as a form of energy residing in every human. For many people, it
remains dormant. In a few, it awakens spontaneously. He says that "the awakening of Kundalini
causes a transformation and transcendence in life." Kundalini that is awakened prematurely or
incorrectly can be frightening, and in some cases, damaging.
He explains how people need to prepare themselves for Kundalini, then details how people can
work
to arouse their sleeping serpents in a safe manner. He calls his technique the "Integral Path,"
which
he says is "the shortest path to God."
As Kundalini is awakened, it rises through the chakras, which are energy centers located along the
length of the spine. Dr. Kumar describes what people should expect as Kundalini continues its
upward climb from the base of the spine to the crown of the head, which for most people, is a
12-year journey.
He also discusses the roles of psychic senses , free will, and reincarnation in the journey to self-
realization.
As Kundalini progresses, people experience what Dr. Kumar calls the "twin pillars of God," which
are Light and Sound. These are experienced on an inner level. People also achieve an inner
balance
between masculine and feminine aspects, and between instinct and intellectual powers. People for
whom Kundalini is fully awakened discover an ability to heal themselves and others.
Kundalini For Beginners is a useful reference for all those interested in learning "how to activate
and
assist the rise of Kundalini, and channel this energy in transcendent ways."
Sandra I. Smith
Reviewer
Peter's Bookshelf
Best Canadian Stories 01
Douglas Glover, editor
Oberon Press
400-350 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 7S8, Canada
ISBN: 0778011879, $34.95 (hardcover); 0778011887, $17.95 (paperback)
142 pages by gross count, incl. intro., etc.; 132 pp. of actual stories.
In the online writers' group known as the Writers' SIG or Special Interest Group, within the
National
Capital FreeNet based in Ottawa, Canada, Mr. Russell E. Smith regularly posts information on
current literary-prize contests of potential interest to SIG adherents. Below is information on one
of
perhaps a number of non-prize, professional-level annual "competitions" which might easily be
overlooked.
The word "competition" is used here in the context that writers must compete with one another
for
the privilege of publication; getting published is not a "right", obviously, even if one is a relative
of,
or is in a position to blackmail, the publisher.
There is or may be this general sort of competition for every sort of textual print space, to the
extent
that publishers allow submissions by more than one author at a time. For instance, you, the reader,
might submit an initial proposal or query for a book named, in your manuscript (ms.), "19th
Century
Widget Winders" ... but within the publisher's offices it will come into competition with Joe
Jones's
proposal for "The Gryphons of Griffin's Hill", as well as with Sue Smith's proposal, "Wild Willies
I
Have Known", and with any number of additional mss., too.
That much is a simple fact of life, but here I refer to a somewhat different phenomenon, in which
writers are openly invited each year to submit stories for inclusion in the next year's
anthology/collection.
Experienced ms.-submitters, or rather proposal-submitters, must surely notice an unfamiliar ring
to
the following invitation, printed near the beginning of the book under review here:
"Contributions for the thirty-second volume, published or unpublished, should be sent to Oberon
Press, 400-350 Sparks Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7S8 [Canada] before 31 March, 2002. All
manuscripts should enclose a stamped self-addressed envelope."
I mean to say, while that last sentence is familiar, how often does one get INVITED to submit a
ms.,
instead of being gruffly warned off with some statement like, "No unsolicited or unagented
manuscripts will be considered;" or perhaps, "No manuscript will be returned, only one winner
will
be selected, and the judges' decision will be final and binding." For, in the 2001 edition of "Best
Canadian Stories", eight stories are published. There seems moreover to be no specific reason
why
still more cannot be selected in given years, if their aggregate length is such as not to queer the
economic aspect for the publisher.
There clearly must be Canadian contents in stories selected in Oberon's annual publication, but
writers in other countries should be able to find comparable competitions for which they can
perfectly qualify.
I chiefly wish I'd realized all this years ago!
As to the actual contents of the 2001 edition, its Table of Contents lists the following authors and
their stories' titles:
Leon Rooke: The Yellow House
Alice Munro: Floating Bridge
Ramona Dearing: An Apology
George Bowering: Standing on Richards
Cynthia Flood: Religious Knowledge
Bill Gaston: The Alcoholist
Kevin Armstrong: The First Motion of Love
Charlotte Gill: The Art of Medicine
Five of these works had first appeared in one each of the following periodicals: "The New
Yorker",
"Malahat Review", "Prism International", "Event", and "Grain". Besides these five, 15 additional
magazines (generally of the capital-L Literary genre) were `consulted', apparently meaning that
their
contents were considered, but without additional stories having been selected. On the other hand,
three of the stories included in Oberon's 01 collection were evidently unpublished previously.
These
data, by the way - and I suppose you're aware that data is the plural of datum, "the given"? - are
to
be found on the back of the volume's frontispiece.
The bad news seems to be that ALL the writers listed above, and also the Editor, are shown by
the
author notes on pages 142-3 to be either Established (already published) authors, or about to
become so, implying that it will be as hard for a still unpublished author to make his or her
breakthrough by getting into Oberon's annual collection as it will for that proverbial camel to pass
through the eye of a needle.
What the world needs, therefore, is a book series of this general nature, but in which
Unestablished
authors may realistically compete on a level playing field; a series in which "Who You Are" will
not
be or even appear to be a, or even the, prime determinant on which success hinges!
Failing that improvement, the Unestablished need not apply, to all practical intents.
However, persons who buy a book of the present nature may well be attracted to do so precisely
because of a glittering series of known names - and a publisher whose purpose is to maximize the
work's sales seems unlikely ever to abandon that attraction while living in our hard-headed, "real"
world. The result tends to be the solidification of an oligopoly of Established writers from which
the
Unestablished tend to be indefinitely excluded.
"Well," the argument goes, "That is what the paying customer wants, and you know what they
say;
he who pays the piper calls the tune!" All of which suggests there badly needs to be an
educational
program designed to counteract the unreasoning public worship of celebrity for its own sake.
Pending that program's taking effect, though, a publisher's call to the Unestablished of the literary
field for manuscript submissions may amount to little more than window-dressing.
So much, however, for the apparent vs. the real role of the Oberon book as a mentoring medium;
for, to the book buyer as opposed to an author, the big issue presumably ought to concern
content.
It's a difficult task to devise a story title which is both decently concise and amply indicative of
content. Take for example the title, "The Yellow House". Concise these three words and four
syllables are, in contrast to the rambling and longwinded titles in vogue a couple of centuries ago.
They are not, however, awfully indicative of content.
True, there is almost certainly to be a yellow house someplace in the story, but for all one knows
before reading the work, the tale may be about the interactions of various people, one of whom
may
chance to own, or admire, or dislike a painting named "The Yellow House". Particularly if the
painting is modernistic, it may depict no detectable house shape, and it might even show no
yellow!
Leon Rooke's six-page fable of this name must therefore be read, to provide its gist. It proves to
be
a tale contrasting the vibrant life of a family across the way, in and around their happy, yellow
house;
and the dullness and fear of the writer's own family, afraid of its own shadow so to speak.
Of course there is more to it than this, but Rooke's story itself is so brief as to be almost a
summary
and I don't care to give away any more of it. It is in fact the shortest story in the whole 01
collection,
the closest others being about 12 pages long
The last piece in this group is the first tale I can recall ever encountering, written from the
second-person POV (point of view, or perspective). Nearly 15 1/2 pages long, it gets started
second-personating right away with the opening sentence, "University housing found you shared
accommodation."
I suppose one could get used to that quirky you-you-you style, but it happens to assign the wrong
sex to "you" (i.e., to me), for my liking. The author wants ME to respond when Colette says from
the doorway, Girl, is that all there is to you? ... and note also that quotation marks appear only
around books' titles - not in my writing, but in author Gill's.
It has been said, though, that capital-L Literature is defined, not for what it is, but rather for what
it
isn't (it must NOT be formulaic or genre writing). It must, by exclusion, presumably be whatever
is
left. That is, it must be innovative. Charlotte Gill's story is that, certainly.
Six more stories occupy the middle pages of this book. Are these eight really Canada's best, prior
to
the second quarter of 2001? I consider that as suspect a claim as "The world's best apple pie!"
was,
noted on a hand-lettered sign tacked to a fencepost along a secondary highway in, I think,
southern
Pennsylvania. The problems of the two situations were the much same: would the judging of the
pie
not depend heavily on the personal preferences of the taster? ... and just how was every apple pie
ever baked in the world tasted?
Granted, there quite likely are many fewer stories in Canada than there are or have been apple pies
in
the world - although the stories are less perishable and must be steadily accumulating - but all the
same, writers ignorant of the invitation quoted early in this review may have had on hand
thousands
upon thousands of stories which the "taster", whatever his personal preferences, has never yet so
much as seen!
Methinks the title doth protest, or claim, too much. However, these are GOOD stories in this
book,
there's little doubt about that.
The Floating Madhouse
Alexander Fullerton
Little, Brown and Company (UK)
ISBN: 0 316 85544 8; Can.$36.95; 376 pp., voyage map.
This romantically preoccupied naval historical novel is set before the lifetime of almost anyone
alive
today, recounting as it does events of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. It nonetheless has a
quite
modern feeling about it, compared with this reviewer's more frequent reading (and writing) fare,
set
roughly one to one-and-a-half centuries earlier still.
By 1904, steel steamships had replaced wooden sailing ones; breech loading, turreted great guns
with rifled steel barrels firing cylindrical, explosive projectiles were used in place of muzzle
loading,
truck mounted cast iron or brass smooth-bore cannon firing solid, spherical shot; electric lamps,
including searchlights, had displaced candles and oil lanterns; non-voice radio communications, in
addition to such older systems as signal flags, increased signalling options and ranges; steering
engines were used in large ships, in place of tillers, steering ropes, and the like; and not only
torpedoes but also torpedo boats and such other new vessel types as destroyers had joined the
fleet.
Yet "historical" applies both to "The Floating Madhouse" and to works set even more recently
(during the Vietnamese War, for example), a fact which raises a vexed question of just how far
back
"history" begins - a decade? a year? a month? a day? even just a second ago? Perhaps it means
whatever is too far back to be described with some such adjective as "current" or "modern" - but
next, how far back do these words reach?
At all events, the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05 indirectly played a large role in precipitating
catastrophic events for Russia and all the world, over the next century. A rebellious spirit was
already loose in that land, but whereas a victorious war might have silenced the disturbances,
Russia
was in fact to lose this particular contest.
That outcome had just the opposite effect of encouraging disorder, culminating in the Russian
Revolution a dozen years later, the destruction of the ruling house of Romanov, the creation of
the
USSR, the massacre of millions of victims by the brutal Stalinist regime, the Cold War with its
Space & Arms Races - and eventually the failed Soviet War in Afghanistan which saw the arming
of
Afghan factions (including those since vilified) by the USA as a means of countering its
archenemy;
followed by the events of 11 September 2001 in New York and Washington, and tracing right on
up
to the present global war against terrorism.
As deeper background that old but fateful war was caused by a collision of the thoughtlessly
imperious, expansionist Russian attitude toward all eastern neighbouring lands, and the
determination of the Japanese, scarcely emerged from their feudal age, to make their own mark by
establishing hegemony in the same region, the two sides at first badly underestimating each other.
Change any of those factors, and who knows where subsequent events might have led?
Of course the link with 1904-05 grows more tenuous with the passage of decades, but it seems
possible that had the Russo-Japanese conflict been resolved through diplomacy, or had the
Russians
won, much else that has happened since might have turned out very differently.
The 1904-05 war, therefore, is not merely the basis of a good yarn. It also carries major history
lessons for us to heed, even today. For one thing, repercussions of intemperate actions may roll
onward for as much as a century after the fact, to touch possibly very numerous people in a
variety
of the most unpredictable and often unfair ways.
This novel, told from the Russian point of view (more precisely, from that of a Russian-English,
moderately bilingual naval officer, although Fullerton writes only in English), begins with that war
already in progress. It was both a land and sea war, but whereas soldiers could be rushed by train
over the great distance from Europe to reinforce the Russian army in nearly the farthest corner of
Asia, once the Japanese had defeated the Russians' First Pacific Squadron at Port Arthur and
Round
Island, bringing up naval reinforcements from the Baltic and Black Seas meant steaming halfway
around the world, the smaller vessels using the Suez Canal but the capital ships circumnavigating
Africa.
The title derives from the character of that re-armament venture. It was one of those desperate,
doomed moves during which everything, for a variety of causes such as an inefficient
governmental
system, paranoia, pusillanimity and panic-proneness, and the incompetence and blind
self-deceptiveness of officers, makes a complete hash of the task.
The Russians greatly feared Japanese torpedo boats and firmly believed they would be sent
against
them even in European waters. As a result they committed mayhem upon a peaceful flotilla of
English fishing trawlers they chanced upon by night at the Dogger Bank.
Thus the Russian squadron became a seagoing band of pariahs, afraid to coal - that is, to renew
their
coal supplies - also in France, deciding instead to steam onward to Spain ... but now with the
added
apprehension of a British declaration of war hanging over them. Sharpening that apprehension,
unlighted warships which prove to be five British cruisers shadow their movements at night, then
present a disdainful show of seagoing prowess by day, none of this doing anything to bolster the
hapless Russians' already sagging morale; for grudgingly, they have been coming to face the fact
that
there had been no torpedo boats, and that besides Hull fishing boats, they shamefully had also
opened fire upon vessels of other innocent nations, e.g., a French schooner.
Even when the threat of Britain's declaring war seems past, matters continue to go wrong. Vessels
break down almost regularly. Then in Tangier a Russian ship fouls a telegraph cable with her
anchor,
and is ordered by the admiral to sever the cable, thus cutting all rapid communications between
Morocco and Europe; a floating madhouse, indeed!
From the beginning there has in any case been a smell of doom over the entire affair, for the
Russian
high command has seen fit to send along to all intents every ship it could lay hands on, including
an
icebreaker and a number of old Hamburg-Amerika passenger liners hurriedly refitted as "cruisers",
plus assorted other rust-buckets which promised chiefly to retard and possibly collide with the
true
warships. According to Fullerton, one vessel was even so old as to have been converted from
sail.
Were being ill-equipped not handicap enough, this Second Pacific Squadron also was poorly
manned
in terms of both crew training and officers' leadership abilities, undermined in part by Russians'
lamentable background of constantly kowtowing to persons of higher caste. The book's
framework,
including the Dogger Bank incident and the squadron's poor state, is historical. We do however
have
the author's word that, evidently at the personal level (meaning Tasha and Michael in particular,
but
no doubt including others), the work is one of fiction.
Leaving Tangier, even the Russian admiral's flagship figuratively runs amok amid the squadron
when
her steering engine fails!
Fullerton provides clearer insights into the sociology of czarist (but apparently "tsarist" is more
correct) Russia, although his is chiefly the aristocratic, titled stratum described also by Tolstoi,
light-years from the lower class featured by Dostoevsky and his ilk. The protagonist, Michael or
Mikhail, is madly in love with Natasha or Tasha, a lovely young Russian noblewoman he has been
obliged to leave behind in Russia. She, though, has been promised against her will (in effect sold)
for
selfish reasons by her father to Captain Zakharov. Michael and Tasha never actually meet within
this
story, but live instead on warm memories of having been together earlier; on mutual longing; and
on
especially her bitterness over their separation.
About the author himself, notes on his book's back dustjacket flap place Fullerton in Royal Navy
College in 1938-41, and in the Navy for the rest of the war. He wrote a wildly successful first
novel,
"Surface!" in his spare time at a shipping-company office during 1953, the present work being his
43rd (or so) novel.
Oddly enough, (and this goes to prove, if proof be needed, that indeed "pobody's nerfect"),
Fullerton
gets it wrong about tidal effects in the Baltic Sea; for whereas a "bottom line" statement in the
Encyclopaedia Britannica is, "Tidal movements are almost completely absent from the Baltic,"
pages
22-25 of this novel have the larger, overloaded Russian ships grounded in the Baltic by a low tide.
They expect however to be refloated by a rising tide "in an hour or two" - but I can guarantee that
that was not about to happen! Perhaps, despite his extensive oceangoing time, Fullerton had not
yet
actually experienced such almost non-tidal (because nearly landlocked) waters as those of the
Baltic,
the Mediterranean, and, most obviously, the Black Seas.
In other respects, although he may get into a streak of composing non-sentences he writes well,
and
slowly but effectively builds a sense of dread over the affair of his protagonist, Michael and his
(eventual) captain's fiancee - but less so over the fate awaiting the Second Pacific Squadron,
which
was to be virtually wiped out by sinking or capture.
This book's front dustjacket flap proves significant in a different way by letting us know that,
"Michael Henderson, Lieutenant RN, has been caught `in flagrante delicto' with the young
Princess
Natasha Volodnyakova ... the scandal breaks in the aftermath of a party to announce Tasha's
engagement to a wealthy naval captain whom she's only just set eyes on ..."
That is a much clearer, more explicit telling of the party sequence than that on page 12 of the
book
itself, a passage which, oddly enough, is scarcely comprehensible without the dustjacket's aid. One
is
not warned accordingly, by the book's author; one thus may not grasp the "flagrante delicto"
aspect
in the tale's oblique phrasing, still unclear after one reads, nearly halfway through the volume on
page 175 in Chapter 12, what is presumed to be a torrid passage in which, as a typically unclear
example, "Up for air then" may possibly - or may not at all - hint that Mikhail has been giving
Tasha
cunnilingus.
Fullerton's writing can hardly be denounced as pornographic, then, when his spiciest bits are this
delicately vague. Relying on a dustjacket to tell one's tale, though, in itself seems a trifle mad.
(How
the couple came to be caught in the act - by her father's servant's prying - will at last be explained
in
pages 314-319.)
Another reviewer might however laud Fullerton for his subtlety, which may quite possibly be a
valid
perspective. Oh, well!
Michael initially ships out (please, not "sails", under steam power!) in the Second Squadron's
flagship. Between the Baltic and Spain he only sees what should be his own vessel once, when she
comes dashingly within hail alongside, to allow Michael's cuckolded (if that term properly applies
to
the merely affianced) rival to speak through megaphones with the admiral.
Michael thus has no need or opportunity to interact with the apparently unsuspecting captain until
at
last he is transferred while the squadron coals at Tangier, Morocco (page 129). Meantime, he
exchanges pining love & newsletters with his girl through trusted intermediaries in distant places,
who add new envelopes and postmarks so as to avoid the machinations of her very difficult
nobleman father, in particular, and in hopes of keeping their secret from Capt. Zakharov (who
turns
out to be an able, even likeable, but wooden officer who is a full generation older than Tasha;
whereas Michael is about the right age, by convention.)
Such missives take weeks to be delivered, as used to be true within living memory before the
advent
of airmail, let alone that of e-mail. There could be many anxious days whilst one awaited such
services!
All this time, Michael is steadily deceiving his captain about the nature of his relationship with
Tasha
...
Dakar in Senegal is next, with the prospect of up to five more coaling stops before reaching even
Singapore. Dakar was, however, neutral French territory, where the harbour authority was under
instruction not to permit belligerents to coal at all. The Russian admiral nonetheless adopts a
"might
is right" attitude, and even dictates double cargoes of coal so as to get beyond the southern end of
Africa, where Britain and her ally, Portugal, are firmly in control.
What did a double load of coal mean, in practice? It meant dangerously overloaded ships, with
decks
awash and stability compromised. It meant stowing coal to depths of three or four feet practically
everywhere throughout the living accommodations. It meant removing doors from their hinges,
because they could no longer swing. It meant every last man becoming covered with sweat and
black dust as the dirty, hot work was pursued in tropical heat and humidity. It meant, in sum, both
misery and added danger, as well as frequent appeals to guardian saints and angels - but it also
meant a hope of fulfilling the squadron's mission.
The book's map suggests Dakar lay perhaps 30% of the way toward the expedition's destination,
while we might be roughly 60% of the way through the book. "Getting there was more than half
the
fun", it seems. Next stop featured high winds & seas, followed by mail.
Then followed news of a seriously situation deteriorating at the Russian base of Port Arthur,
Manchuria; Michael is offered a chance to go ashore and catch a steamer home, but declines it.
Then
they hear of the First Pacific Squadron's annihilation in harbour.
Now comes a discovery that the lighter vessels sent via Suez were directed by High Command in
St.
Petersburg to refit (a timeconsuming process, while time is most precious) and lie elsewhere than
at
their prearranged rendezvous point; and that several of that division's vessels had somehow
vanished. Around the same time, an eagerly awaited munitions ship arrives, but proves to be laden
solely with clothing ... yet more madhouse stuff, contributing to the formation's ultimate
defeat.
At Singapore, they learn that Mukden, Manchuria has fallen to the Japanese, whose warships have
recently been seen in the Singapore area.
Daunting news notwithstanding, the determined Russian admiral pressed onward, now aiming for
Vladivostok in Siberia although it lies almost encircled by the hostile isles of Japan and the
Japanese-occupied Korean peninsula.
Such is, in general terms, the strategic position before the rival fleets clash. In closer, more tactical
terms, the Japanese vessels were freshly refitted and near their home base, capable of speedy
movement with bottoms free of barnacles and weed, and no need to be encumbered by coal and
general storeships. The Russians' sense of doom was well founded.
Nonetheless, Fullerton manages to snatch a happy ending for both Michael and his captain out of
the
chaos of the Battle of Tsushima. Read the book and discover how it was done!
Pete Hodgins Sr.
Reviewer
Roger's Bookshelf
The Great Siege: Malta 1565
Ernle Bradford
Wadsworth Military Library/ Wadsworth Editions, Ltd
Cumberland House, Crib Street, Ware, Herts SG12 9ET United Kingdom
ISBN: 18402220069, $12.99, 1999, 256 pages, paperback,
http://www.wordsworth-editions.co.uk/
First of all, I must confess to you that I normally do not read military history or battlefield stories.
A
book about one of the most life-changing historical events on a 122-square mile island nation in
the
Mediterranean Sea may be important to people on Malta, but not me. Except that I went to Malta
for a vacation and was given a copy of the book by another traveler who had just finished it.
"Good
book," he proclaimed, so I started reading. I couldn't put the book down. I hungrily read chapter
after chapter. The tale of how the Knights of St. John defended this strategically important island
from the onslaught of a Turkish force was fascinating. The Turks in the 1500s were a powerful
nation whose dominance spread far and wide. The Knights of St. John held the island of Malta,
strategically positioned to enable the Sultan to conquer Europe. Interstingly, the clash also pitted
Moslems against Christians in a struggle that even has relevance to current events.
A huge force of 200 ships and 40,000 men attempted to overthrow the Knights of St. John whose
force numbered about 9,600. The naval and ground battles, the heroism, the strategy, and all the
stories leap off the pages. The author brings this centuries-old historical event to life, based on
historical research that presents facts and figures which support the story he tells. This is a
masterpiece.
Yes, it should be a movie--to rival Ben Hur and a few other box office hits. It is said that to be
successful, every movie must have strong characters, violence, and sex. No sex in these pages, but
the strong characters and their heroic feats will hold your attention from cover to cover.
Suggestion: go to a web site where you can view a map of Malta to understand the relative
position
of the locations described so vividly.
Lean And Green: Profit For Your Workplace And The Environment
Pamela J. Gordon
Berrett-Koehler
450 Sansome Street, Suite 1200, San Francisco, CA 94111-3320
ISBN 1-57675-170-8, $24.95, 2001, 219 pages, trade paperback, 1-800-929-2929
From time to time, business leaders have invested time, energy, attention, and financial resources
in
the respected work of environmental protection. The work from the corporate sector has not been
consistent, appreciated, or encouraged. Through this book, the author hopes to stimulate more
organizations to be actively supportive of the environment-and good business practices. A
Certified
Management Consultant with significant personal engagement with corporate environmental
issues,
Pamela Gordon profiles the work of twenty employers to show what can be done.
Many authors gather profiling information for books like this by researching on the internet,
magazine articles, other books, and industry reports. To her credit, Gordon personally visited 16
of
the companies cited, with the other four being visited by people from her firm. This direct
involvement adds a higher degree of authenticity to her work and this book.
Lean And Green is organized into three sections. Part One presents four steps for creating a lean
and
green organization: Question Wasteful Practices, Gain Lean and Green Endorsement Using
Business
Language, Collaborate to Achieve Lean and Green Goals, and Track Progress for Environment
and
Profit. Interwoven through these introductory chapters are stories about how the 20 profiled
employers have applied these approaches. The organizations are mostly large, well-known
companies, and a city government, but the principles can be applied in smaller organizations, as
well.
The second section of the book presents Real-Life Examples of Putting Lean and Green into
Practice. Ten chapters lay out the how-to of building a higher consciousness and effectiveness of
environmental practices. Again, Gordon uses examples and experiences of her profiled companies
and their people to illustrate and emphasize her points.
The third part of the book, How to Make the Most Difference, is best reported to you by listing
the
powerful chapter headings: How to Become an Environmental Leader in Your Organization,
Work
with Your Organizational Culture to Support Change, Be an Environmental Activist Using
Tactics
That Benefit Business, and The Fastest Route to Lean and Green. Quotes are used to open each
chapter, as many authors do. To focus even more strongly on the dedication and focus of her
profiled corporate activists, Gordon quotes people from the companies rather than outside
sources.
Each chapter ends with a valuable summary of the chapter, entitled "Making it Easy."
This book will smooth the way for its intended audiences: employees, managers, top leaders, and
observers of organization that have great potential to make a difference. As I read the book, I
found
myself already becoming more aware of opportunities in my own surroundings to make a
difference.
If you're interested in protecting the environment and your company's bottom line, this book will
open your eyes and give you tools for success.
Competing For Talent: Key Recruitment And Retention Strategies For Becoming An Employer
Of
Choice
Nancy S. Ahlrichs
Davies-Black Publishing
3803 East Bayshore Road, Palo Alto, CA 94303
ISBN 0-89106-148-7, $32.95, 2000, Hardcover, 254 pages, 1-800-624-1765
Employers are continually concerned about competing with each other to hire and hold the best
employees they can find. Sometimes this competition becomes a frenzy, since the best
people-qualified, experienced-are in high demand. It's essential, to compete well, to become an
Employer of Choice. Ahlrichs, in her preface, observes that employers of choice "know that their
'choice' status is a significant achievement attained through consistent application of
comprehensive
strategies and tactics, as well as top-bottom organizational responsibility for retention.
This book is divided into three sections: the big picture, recruiting, and retention. In Part One,
How
Employers of Choice are Winning the Talent Wars, the three chapters focus on Learning from
Employers of Choice, Employer of Choice Foundation Strategies, and Building and
Communicating
a Top Employer Reputation. These writings present a good overview and insight into how
Employers of Choice are operating. The orientation is to learn what these companies are doing,
rather than a how-to approach.
The second part, Creative Strategies for Recruiting Top Talent, offers the readers four chapters,
starting with How Employers of Choice are Redesigning Recruitment. The next chapter, Only
You
Will Do, has a little more instructional tone, but still primarily takes a third person view. This
chapter concludes with a helpful Orientation Checklist. Chapter 6, Surfing for Recruiting Results
Online does provide a healthy amount of how-to. While this field is changing almost daily, there is
a
lot of value here for the reader. Plenty of website domains are included. The last chapter in this
section, Finding New Hires in Unlikely Places, is filled with good ideas. Here I felt a lot more of
the
how-to I was looking for.
The third section is entitled Comprehensive Strategies for Retaining Top Performers. Here the
chapters are titled Understanding Why Employees Leave; Managing and Leading for Retention;
Retrain, Develop, and Profit; and New Compensation and Benefits Strategies. There is a lot of
value
in these chapters-lots of ideas and perspectives. An exit interview guide will be helpful to those
companies that have not taken advantage of this tool. The author seems to really hit her stride in
providing ideas for readers in this section. The same holds for her conclusion, Becoming an
Employer of Choice.
The book is well-written, filled with valuable information for the reader. The solid chapters are
supplemented with a good resource guide and an index. I'd recommend this book for company
owners, senior executives, and human resource professionals. As an ethical reviewer, I must share
with you that I am co-author of How To Become An Employer Of Choice, a competing title in
the
same field. With that perspective, I would be quite comfortable recommending my clients read
Competing For Talent as a supplement to my book.
