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Reviewer's Choice
Women At Risk : We Also Served
Noonie Fortin
Writers Club Press
c/o iUniverse, Inc.
5220 S. 16th St., Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68512
ISBN 0595214940, $24.95, 466 pages, www.iuniverse.com
Donna Eggett
Reviewer
Interested in military history? Here's a book to round out your information. With heroes on every
page, Women At Risk by Noonie Fortin, rolls out an engrossing panorama of brave women who
have served their country faithfully, shedding their blood, giving their lives, using their talents,
fighting beside and saving their fellows. Covering American history from before W.W.II to
present
day, chapter by chapter you meet these brave, resourceful women, including: Jean Hayes,
following
family tradition as she joined the Coast Guard in W.W.II; Laura Dunlop, cryptologist during the
Korean War; Bernice Whiteside, volunteer Army nurse in Vietnam; Pam Waterston, an Army
Heavy
Equipment Operator serving in the Persian Gulf, watched, wished, hoped and prayed as she
served
with her fellow soldiers on ammunition guard duty at the Port of Al Jubayl.
Having given twenty-two years of service, Vietnam Era veteran, First Sergeant Noonie Fortin
knows her subject intimately. Fortin interviewed each women personally before including them in
this book. Written in simple, potent language, with appealing detail and many photographs,
Women
At Risk, provides interesting reading for a wide age spread, middle school through adult.
Libraries,
schools and individuals will find it a useful reference book. Several practical appendices add to the
convenience of this book: bibliography; listing of service organizations; roll call of women looking
for military buddies; glossary; an exhaustive index; suggested activities for students.
Waking Walt
Larry Pontius
Writer's Showcase
c/o iUniverse
2021 Pine Lake Road, Ste. 100, Lincoln, NE 68512
phone 877.823.9235, http://www.iuniverse.com
059525425X (trade paper); 0595651658 (hardback); Price: $22.95 (trade paper); $32.95
(hardback)
Ed Teja
Reviewer
BLURB: "Could it be true; Walt Disney was never cremated and buried at Forest Lawn as the
official story goes? Imagine that, for nearly 40 years, the entertainment genius has been in cryonic
suspension, waiting to return when a cure for his lung cancer is found. Now, an experimental drug
being tested looks like the answer. The waiting is almost over."
REVIEW: The hunt for immortality is the stuff of legend. Almost everything about Walt
Disney his creative genius, his struggle to put genius and art ahead of business concerns is also
mired in legend. Combining these two is not such a reach. When a man has spent his life
successfully
defeating what others consider insurmountable objects and objections, why should he view the
supposed inevitability of his own death differently? In this imaginative story he doesn't. Walt
Disney
lived with emerging technologies, and Larry Pontius postulates that perhaps he might have turned
to
them to postpone death until medical technology could find a cure for his cancer.
Waking Walt pivots on an intriguing "what if" science fiction premise, but technology is not the
issue here. Pontius wisely doesn't let the book limp along in an academic exploration of the
problems
and blessings that derive from medical advances. Instead, he skillfully constructs mystery thriller
where those legal, medical, economic and ethical issues escalate into a suspenseful struggle for life
and death.
Pontius, who has worked for the Disney company, portrays a very vivid and human Walt Disney
who must grapple with today's quite different business world, the changes in American life, and
his
own unfulfilled ambitions. That alone might make an interesting, if somewhat pastoral, book. But
Waking Walt doesn't settle for being a novel about the possibilities of Walt Disney reanimated.
Instead it takes a look at the darker implications, for the re-emergence of a famous person affects
the lives of others, not least those who bring him back to consciousness. For those not involved in
bringing Walt back, his return represents more than an inconvenience. Pontius introduces a
diverse
collection of characters who view Disney's return in very personal terms of profit or loss, and act
accordingly. This cauldron cooks up a story filled with twists and turns, suspicions and doubts
that
holds up until the end of the book. Or is it the end?
The Golden Hour
Helen J. Stanphill
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
ISBN 1-59129-352-9, $19.95 U.S., 188 pps, www.publishamerica.com
Cynthia Leal Massey, Reviewer
www.cynthialealmassey.com
What I like most about The Golden Hour by Helen J. Stanphill is that the father character, Dr.
Aaron Hall, who abandons his wife and six-year-old daughter, Rebekah, is portrayed as a complex
individual, not a monster, not a no-good, but a man the reader can understand and even
sympathize
with, something not often encountered in literature concerning men who abandon their
families.
Another thing I like about this novel set in 1830s Mississippi, and later, in Savannah, Georgia, is
the
natural way it leads Rebekah, who is combating bitterness and resentfulness to the transforming
power of God's love.
Stanphill also tackles the issue of slavery in her first novel, providing a glimpse of an immoral
institution thirty years before the Civil War, depicting the ambivalence felt by many whites about
its
violence. When Rebekah witnesses the hanging of a runaway slave, she is disturbed but
internalizes
her discomfort, "I didn't even know her. There's no call to be carrying on about a stranger like
this,
especially some Negro who broke the law."
This novel is not "politically correct" and that is another of its strengths. Stanphill, who was born
and raised in Virginia's Tidewater region and who worked with teenagers as a youth pastor, stays
true to the era down to the dialect spoken by the household slave Isabelle...and she does it
well.
Despite a weak ending, the last scene leaps unaccountably into the future. The Golden Hour is an
excellent depiction of a young woman's quest for closure and ultimately to God. In fact, because
of
the author's engaging writing style, I found myself wishing for more elaboration, more
description,
and more information about the characters. Considering the complex issues alluded to in the novel
and its genre (historical fiction), the novel could have been double its length and I would have
been
doubly satisfied.
If Stanphill intended this book for a young adult audience, it's probably the right length, but if she
intended it for an adult historical fiction readership, she probably missed the mark (at least as far
as
length is concerned).
Ultimately, whether the length of this novel at 188 pages is an asset or a weakness is for other
readers to decide. I would have liked more.
The Search for the "Manchurian Candidate"
John Marks
W. W. Norton and Company
500 Fifth Avenue, NY NY 10110
0393307948, $13.95, 264 pages, 1-800-233-4830
Bill Labrie
Reviewer
Years after his retirement George White, the hard-boiled former narcotics agent employed by the
CIA to conduct drug-based mind control experiments, wrote a letter to his former boss Dr. Sid
Gottlieb. In a few sentences White summed up his almost ten-years of participation in the
program:
I was a very minor missionary, actually a heretic, but I toiled wholeheartedly in the vineyards
because it was fun, fun, fun. Where else could a red-blooded American boy lie, kill, cheat, steal,
rape, and pillage with the sanction and blessing of the All-Highest?"
This book documents top-secret mind-control experiments conducted by the CIA during the cold
war. The research program--initially called MKULTRA--arose in response to fears that the
Soviets
and Chinese had perfected some super-technique of psychic manipulation.
Marks sets the stage in 1943 with three events that prefigure the rest of the drama. He begins with
a
description of the first LSD trip ever: undertaken by the inventor of the substance, Albert
Hoffman.
At the same time Hoffman was tripping at the Sandoz lab in Switzerland, the Nazi doctors of the
S.S. were conducting brutal experiments on the inmates of Dachau concentration camp in the
name
of science and defense. Meanwhile, the American OSS --- a precursor to the CIA-was on the trail
of
a "truth drug" that would ensure a prisoner's total complaisance to interrogation. These three
contemporaneous factors set the stage for later developments in American mind control.
With the Nazis' defeat the Soviets became the main subjects of US intelligence efforts. In 1949
Hungarian cleric Josef Cardinal Mindszenty blandly read a prepared confession of his crimes
against
the country's Soviet puppet government and was sentenced to life in prison. Observers at the CIA
became convinced his confession was made under the influence of "some unknown force" the
Soviets had mastered. Within months, a team of CIA psychiatrists and "operations specialists"
were
in a farmhouse in Germany, trying various chemical and psychological techniques on suspected
double agents in an attempt to replicate what the CIA suspected the Soviets were already capable
of
doing.
The early drug experiments by the OSS and later the CIA used some combination of typical
narcotics like marijuana, nembutal, and Benzedrine. Later the CIA discovered the wonders of
LSD,
mushrooms and other even more potent hallucinogens. At the same time hypnosis was evaluated
as
a programming and interrogation tool. All were tested most extensively on subjects who were
considered secondary members of society.
Perhaps the most entertaining (or sadly telling) aspect of the book is in just how enthusiastically
members of the CIA and its co-conspirators pursued this part of the operation. George White was
hired to set up "safe houses" in New York and San Francisco where he could observe the
CIA-sponsored, drug-saturated cavorts of prostitutes and johns while seated on a toilet situated
behind a two-way mirror, a pitcher full of martinis close at hand. White was one of the field
operatives who ran real-life trials of the drugs and techniques devised by Sid Gottlieb, Dr. James
Moore, and others in the CIA laboratory. A number scientists conscientiously tried the new
substances on themselves (and each other) at least once before releasing them for field-testing,
and
not always with predictable outcomes. A tragic chapter concerns the death of Government
scientist
Dr. Frank Olson, whose "bad trip" started with Sid Gottlieb slipping him LSD at a weekend
meeting
and ended with Olson splattered on the concrete in front of a Manhattan hotel after jumping from
his
10th floor room.
These experiments were done in the name of defense against the Communist treat. The hysteria of
the early Cold War years somewhat explains how ordinarily straight-laced agents of the CIA,
college
professors, doctors, and policemen became entangled in what became a two-decade-long drug
and
sex party with overtones of murder, suicide, and torture. Many things the "establishment" would
later condemn about the hippie counterculture of he 1960's were first experienced, tested, and
exploited by paid agents of the US Government, convinced they carried the flag of the free world.
After almost twenty-five years and over ten million dollars, MKULTRA and its descendents
hadn't
delivered any sure-fire method of turning men into puppets and its contribution to national
security
was negligible. However it did provide a lot of Government-sponsored prurient fun for those
involved.
John Marks writes well and his research is superb. His style is serious though never ponderous.
The
book sprang from information that came to light during the Church Committee hearings during
the
mid-seventies on covert CIA activities. Invoking the Freedom of Information Act, Marks obtained
seven boxes of information specifically concerning the mind control efforts of the CIA. He
combines
this exhaustive research with background interviews, some of them with sources who insisted on
remaining anonymous. Given the cloak of extreme secrecy around the subject matter, the depth of
information he presents is impressive. This book will further convince the reader of the dangers
posed by government agencies given carte blanche to combat threats to national security.
Cheapeats Toronto 2002
Alexandra Clark
Plethora Press
599B Yonge Street, Suite 279, Toronto, ON M4Y 1Z4
ISBN: 0-9731201-0-X, $9.95, www.cheapeatstoronto.com
David Leonhardt and Carolyn Howard-Johnson, Reviewers
http://www.TheHappyGuy.com
Most regional or local books retain regional or local recognition. But every now and then a
regional
title appears for the world to devour. Such is Cheapeats Toronto, a guide to good food for
budget-savvy diners from around the corner and travelers from around the globe. To properly
review this book, David Leonhardt, who until recently lived in the heart of Toronto, and Carolyn
Howard-Johnson, from the opposite end of the continent, have teamed up to share their
impressions.
FROM LOS ANGELES:
I am a coupon clipper. Not a Fortune 500 type with a stock portfolio that warrants such an
activity
but a diner who digs dinner on the cheap. I go through the Sunday paper scissoring dinner deals
on
everything in LA from Mexican at the Acapulco to the salad bar at Sizzler. Now something even
better has come along.
A lovely guidebook, clean and graphic, was put into my hands recently. It is called "cheapeats
toronto 2002." I was in heaven. Not only is it a nice, thick little volume but it includes inexpensive
breakfast, lunch and dinner suggestions for Canadians. Now, if these delights are cheap for
Canadians you can imagine what bargains they are when those prices are translated into the
American dollar. (Each Canadian dollar will only cost Americans about 66 cents). What is cheap
and
tasty in Toronto becomes culinary madness for an American who likes to eat!
So, what if all these restaurants are in Toronto. Toronto, here I come!
FROM TORONTO:
It seems like just yesterday that I enjoyed Montreal smoked meat at Yitz's Deli, breakfast at the
Coach House or a tropical shake at the Papaya Hut. And I don't even want to count the times I've
eaten at Fran's Diner, Caf‚ Diplomatico (Italian), and Sangham (Indian).
Aside from identifying and reviewing the best places in Toronto to fill up on a budget, Cheapeats
gives plenty of value-added information to help choose the right restaurant. In addition to the type
of food, location, and hours, the handy icons tell you in an instant which restaurants have patios,
which still allow smoking (only those that are legally registered as bars can allow smoking -
Toronto
is a breathable city!), which have friendly service, and which let you leave with a full tummy. The
reviews are concise and fun to read.
My only complaint with this handy little guide is that Mr. Greenjeans is not included (and that
place
just HAS to be a cheap eat for me to eat there every couple weeks). Maybe in the 2003 edition
(hint,
hint).
Conclusion: Cheapeats Toronto, an inexpensive book in itself, is an excellent guide for locals and
out-of-towners to enjoy good food without breaking the budget. Every city should have a
Cheapeats
book. Cheapeats New York. Cheapeats Atlanta. Cheapeats Denver. Cheapeats East Pleasant
Plain,
Iowa.
The reviewers are David Leonhardt and Carolyn Howard-Johnson, co-authors of Cooking By The
Book and Musings: Authors Do It Write. Carolyn is also author of Harkening: A Collection of
Stories Remembered and the award-winning novel This Is The Place, both at
http://www.TLT.com/authors/carolynhowardjohnson.htm. . David is also author of Climb your
Stairway to Heaven: the 9 habits of maximum happiness and publisher of Your Daily Dose of
Happiness at http://www.TheHappyGuy.com/daily-happiness-free-ezine.html.
Banvard's Folly
Paul Collins
Picador Australia; ISBN 0330486896, 283 pages, A$22.00.
Picador USA; ISBN: 0312268866; $25.00 (hardcover)
Picador USA; ISBN: 0312300336; $14.00 (paperback)
David Skea
Reviewer
I can understand why Paul Collins had difficulty in finding a publisher for this book. He tells
thirteen
stories about people whom once made a mark on society and then for various reasons were
forgotten. So who were these folk he writes about, what did they do? Well some were artists,
some
writers, others showmen, scientists, horticulturists, forgers or tricksters. All in their time were
well
known, some exceptionally so, and all, for various reasons, have passed out of history's ken.
There's the story of John Banvard (1815-91), perhaps the first artist to become a millionaire in his
own lifetime. In the 1840's he explored the Mississippi River and then he sketched and painted a
'three mile' panorama of it which he exhibited as a moving panorama with commentary and piano
accompaniment - a two to three hour performance and a sort of early cinema. He made a fortune
and retired to Long Island, NY, where he built a replica of Windsor Castle (Banvard's Folly) and
could have lived in comfort for the rest of his life. But he didn't.
Then there's the story of William Ireland (b 1775) who started out life as muddle-headed boy
unable
to apply himself to anything. He was sent home from one school with a note saying that 'he was
too
stupid to be taught and to collect any further tuition fees was little better than robbing his father of
his money'. His father eventually prevailed upon a lawyer friend to take him on as a clerk. His
duties
were not onerous and in his spare time he turned to forgery. Not that he tried to embezzle or
steal.
No, he 'found', for his father's collection of old manuscripts, documents signed by William
Shakespeare and then two lost plays, Vortigern and Henry II. There was even one performance of
Vortigern, put on at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London.
Then there's John Symmes (1780-1829) who thought that the Earth was made up of concentric
spheres each inhabited by beings and all accessible via holes at the north and south poles. And
Professor Ren‚(Blondlot who became famous for the discovery of N-rays in 1903 only to have
the
whole house of cards fall in a year later. There's Fran‡ois Sudre (d.1862) who invented a universal
language, Solresol, based on musical notes. And Ephraim Bull (1806-95) who bred the first
Concorde grapes only to have more commercially minded entrepreneurs make their fortune whilst
he
gained nothing.
A story I particularly liked concerns Scottish born Thomas Dick (1774-1857) who believed that
every celestial body was inhabited. In 1835 the New York Sun reported that Sir John Herschel
had
set up an immense telescope in South Africa and could detect life on the moon - initially a field of
poppies and then animals and finally 'a sort of people'. Alas it was all a hoax created by a brash
young British expatriate Richard Locke who found the works of Dick and his ilk, then being
reprinted in the US, to tempting to pass up. It is stated that Dick was 'unamused'
The saddest story in the book concerns Delia Bacon (1811-1887) who in about 1845 became
convinced that Shakespeare could not have written the many works attributed to him. She spent
the
rest of her life trying to prove this, herself impoverished and finally went mad and ended her days
in
an asylum.
Thirteen stories in all, thirteen ghosts briefly resurrected and their achievements again put on
display.
Perhaps what intrigues is the fact that someone, somewhere, cared enough to find out and follow
up
these old stories and to give, once more, a moments glory to a few whom the world once knew
and
now has forgotten. No matter, I read them all.
Liana's Bookshelf
Sibley's Birding Basics
David Allen Sibley
Alfred A.Knopf
299 Park Avenue, New York 10171
ISBN 0-375-70966-5, 160 pp, USA $ 15.95, CAN $ 23.95, www.aaknopf.com
David Allen Sibley, artist, naturalist, and birder has published two more books related to birds
that
have become bestsellers. The son of Yale ornithologist, Fred Sibley, he was born in New York
and
has been watching and drawing birds since he was seven years old. His illustrations have appeared
in
many publications, from newsletters to national magazines such as Bird Watcher's Digest, Birding,
The Nature Conservancy, and Audubon.
More of Mr. Sibley's artwork can be seen on his web site, www.sibleyart.com He lives in
Concord,
Massachusetts with his wife and their two sons.
Sibley's Birding Basics is a pocket-sized book, the first easily portable guide to all the skills you
need
to identify a bird in the few moments it's in your view! In this book, David is concerned with the
general characteristics that influence the appearance of all birds and give us clues to their identity.
It
includes 125 full-color illustrations and is specially designed for use in the field.
The book is divided into 16 chapters. At the Introduction, the author explains what exactly
bird-watching is and where it can be done.
'This book is about interpreting what you see and hear in order to make better judgments,' David
says. 'This is not a guide to the identification of any specific birds. It is designed to promote a
general understanding of the challenges of identification, and an understanding of how our
impressions of the birds are shaped by the environment and the birds' behavior.'
In the first chapter, Getting Started, the author says:
'Whether you can identify six birds or six hundred, you'll be a better birder if you have a
grounding in
the real nuts and bolts of what birds look like, and your skills will be even sharper if you know
exactly what to look for and how to record what you see.'
He writes about the equipment necessary, where and when to go birding and a lot of other useful
information:
'Browsing technical journals can provide insights and bits of information that will help you to
understand the birds and their identification.'
Finding Birds is the second chapter, where David gives the readers useful tips and advice:
'Of course, it is not essential to go out into the woods and marshes and stalk birds. By providing
food, water, and cover, you can bring many species of birds into your yard, where they can be
studied at close range and watched at leisure.'
Keeping Records, Field Notes and Sketching are all valuable subchapters to read.
The Challenges of Bird Identification comes next, dealing with the development of birding skills
and
its benefits.
'For the birder, one of the practical benefits of studying birds more closely is that the more
precisely
you define each species, the more accurate your identification will be,' the author says. Sorting
Skills
and Birds' Differences lead to the right identification.
The next chapter is about Misidentification. Here the author tries to sort out the problems of poor
or
brief bird observation.
'Unfortunately, it is easy to bias your own observations through a sloppy or casual approach,'
David
says. Identifying Rare Birds, Taxonomy, and Using Behavioral Clues follow, offering more
details:
'Birds are often seen in flight, and you can learn to identify flying birds, but to do so you must
know
"the Basics". Plumage patterns and bill shape can be seen in surprising detail on flying birds, as
can
leg length,' the author says.
The Voice comes next, and it's very interesting to learn all about it:
'Listen to the overall pitch and to changes in pitch, noting whether the song varies widely from
high
to low pitch or is more even...,' David goes on, explaining in simple graphs the song of several
species.
The following chapter is about Understanding Feathers. The author's sketches enlighten the
description of several species. In the Feather Groups of a Passerine pages, David displays a
detailed
description of the bird supported by his fine drawings, and labeling of feathers. David's sketches
fill
up the next pages and are explained in meticulous detail.
Feather Arrangement and Color Patterns, Structure of Tail and Wings and Bare Parts follow,
while
in chapter thirteen, Molt, the author explains everything about the process by which birds replace
their feathers. More colorful sketches appear in this section, while moving to the 14th chapter,
Feather Wear, the readers get informed about the wear of feathers and the changes in plumage
throughout the year.
Age Variation follows, with more details on how to determine the age of a bird:
'You can see how the progress of molt leaves clues that allow a birder to determine the age of a
hawk. A complete set of juvenal feathers indicates a bird in its first year of life,' David says.
In the last chapter, Ethics and Conservation, David Sibley motivates the readers to support habitat
preservation work locally. 'Your support of local, national, and international conservation
organizations is also important,' he says. He also displays some addresses related to conservancy,
as
well as their URLs.
The book ends with a list of Latin Names for Species Mentioned in the Text, and a note about the
author.
Sibley's Birding Basics is a well-organized pocket-guide book, clearly laid-out, scientifically
precise
and beautifully illustrated.
It caters for everyone, not just the ones who take up Birding as a hobby. It is highly educational
and
children can equally enjoy it and benefit from it, as well as adults.
'I wrote and illustrated this book to help every inquisitive birder, from novice to expert,' the
author
says.
The sketches throughout the book are not only helpful but show the author's exceptional talent in
fine arts, too. It is worth having this book, not only for the interesting information on birds, but
also
for keeping it on your bookshelf as an art book.
Related Titles By David Allen Sibley:
The Sibley Guide To Birds, 2000
The Sibley Guide To Bird Life And Behavior, 2001
Dream Jobs to Go! Professional Speaker or Trainer
Rosalind Sedacca
e-book
2001, 42 pp, $TBA, Highly Recommended.
Rosalind Sedacca, a Business communication Strategist, Public relations Practitioner, and
Marketing
Consultant, is also an acclaimed national Speaker, recognized for her presentations on business
communication issues. She can be reached at : talk2Roz@aol.com
Dream Jobs To Go is a highly informative mini guide book packed with useful advice and
information as well as links and e mail addresses the readers can use if they are online. It consists
of
11 mini chapters covering all areas of the public speaking business.
The first chapter, The Dream Jobs To Go e book: What it is and How to Use It, tells readers how
to
use this e book, while the second one, How to Break In as a Professional Speaker or Trainer,
motivates readers, advises and trains them break into this demanding field they have chosen to
try:
'We've all heard that people are more afraid of public speaking than of death itself. But that's not
the
case for you,' the writer says.
What It's Like (Really) To Be a Professional Speaker or Trainer is the next chapter, offering
insight
into the various categories of the profession:
'The profession is divided into several categories. Some speakers specialize in only one category-
others work in two or more,' Rosalind states.
The following section, Meet a Few Professional Speakers, tells readers about how these people
got
started and pursued a career in this field. The writer interviews Patricia Fripp from California, Lou
Heckler from Florida and other professionals whose advice will certainly help readers get started
the
right way.
Best Ways to Break In, deals with tips and more advice on how to succeed as a speaker:
'Beginning speakers often work for free to gain experience, test out new material, and build up a
roster of happy clients,' the writers says. Further on, more tips follow:
'Give your speech a catchy title. Like books, speeches are sold through their titles. Be creative,'
Rosalind suggests.
Tips from the Pros comes next, where Patricia Fripp, Lou Heckler and a lot of other professionals
share their knowledge in this field with the readers, by offering them straightforward and practical
tips:
'Keep your energy high. Be enthusiastic.'
'End with a bang.'
'Practice again and again.'
'Join an NSA chapter and refine your skills.'
Those are only a few of the lot the professionals advise.
There is a Resources section next, where the readers can learn about several organizations and
associations related to this issue, such as the National Speakers Association in USA and other,
while, the next chapter is about Your Game Plan, where the readers get familiar with a strategy
that
can get them started in their new professional speaking business.
The Reader Feedback section and a section About the Author follow, and last comes the chapter
about More Things to Dream About, where the writer displays email publications for the readers
to
subscribe to,as well as programs hosted online.
DREAM JOBS TO GO is a special, practical e-book, simple to read and extremely useful. It
caters
to those who are aspiring public speakers or trainers and would like to start a career in this
field.
Related Titles:
Secrets Successful Speakers: How you can Motivate, Captivate, and Persuade, by Lilly
Walters
101 Secrets of Highly Effective Speakers: Controlling Fear, Commanding Attention, by Caryl Rae
Krannich
Liana Metal, Reviewer
http://lianametal.tripod.com
Pogo's Bookshelf
Chance Place
Frankie Schelly
FireSign Exclusives
1854A Hendersonville Rd. PMB 125, Asheville, NC 28803
1591132207, $18.95, 303pp, www.firesignexclusives.com, www.amazon.com
Chance Place is a halfway house for the mentally ill where friends accidentally meet and society
avoids acknowledging the inmates existence. Nathan Waite, a troubled student of the latest
generation, suffers from overwork, parental expectations and schizophrenia and is incarcerated for
rehabilitation back into the unreal world. A fallout from the golden orb of Princeton society, he
makes a hard landing in Chance Place where the proprietor accumulates credit from government
agencies while keeping a closed larder and raiding the pantry to fill his own stomach.
Frenchy Bibideux splits from home after watching his old man, Jaques, beat up his mother. Tired
of
violence and physical abuse, he hitch-hikes into a night of drizzly rain to cross state lines in order
to
forget the past, acquire a new life under the personal tutelage of Peso who knows the gut insides
of
life,
"When I was your age," Peso said, "I sold cars in our neighborhood and was a pretty good
salesman,
but soon learned that my customers couldn't afford the rundown cars they bought. When they
returned them I had to return my commission. Before long, I ended up owing more commission
than
I had earned. I wanted needed to sell something that would bring a bigger return.""
"So?" Whatever it was, I knew that I wasn't going to like it.
Peso said, "I looked up because looking down was no way up. Figuring that people die and, in
one
way or another, folks bury 'em, I tried selling caskets; those commissions arrived on the
installment
plan. I saved up and took the Dale Carnegie course, which is how I learned the importance of
grammar in the white world. I hired someone to teach me manners, how to dress, and thought I
was
on my way." (p41)
With a twist on the education of Moll Flanders, Frenchy is taken in hand to learn the tricks of
trade
and given the wheels of status for his fifteenth birthday in an offhand way,
"I was anxious to see my present, but Peso did things at his own pace. I had learned not to push
him.
he produced as small gift-wrapped box. I tore the paper off. A Pet Rock, a smooth pebble about
an
inch-and-a-half long on a bed of straw with a little book on the care and feeding of this pet.
I looked up and smiled and said a sarcastic, "Thanks."
Peso laughed. "You wouldn't want to be the only one in the world without one, would you?"
I thumbed the miniature book, looking like I was too interested in it to pay attention to him.
"When you can care for a pet, "Peso said, soundig very pleased with himself, "You're ready for
more
responsibility." He reached inside his suit jacket pocket for an envelope.
Inside was a plastic card that at first I thought was a credit card. Then I saw that it was an Indiana
driver's license with
my birth date wrong." (p26)
And with keys in his hand for a 1972 Jag, Frenchy thinks too that he's on his way for success in
life,
but ends up headed in a different direction when he's given the company loyalty test:
"I braked, backed up, nearly collided with a station wagon filled with kids. "What the hell's going
down?"
"Listen to Eddie, he knows his way around."
Eddie said, "Drive like your fucking life depends on it."
Peso said, "Don't exceed the speed limit by more than ten miles."
Fear pumped my adrenaline. No way was this legit. If no one was after us, we should looked like
they should be. We passed a St. Paul sign.
Peso fumbled under the floor mat, said, "Stay calm. Everything's okay." In the rearview mirror I
saw
the police car enter the freeway. I set my lips tight, passed cars steadily. Up ahead a line of police
cars was parked across all lanes, blocking the Snelling Street exit..." (p57)
Naturally, nobody believed the story he gave --or that he was innocent --which landed him in the
half-way house at Chance Place with a conviction of temporary insanity.
Schelly, with a taste for the piquant, spices the with the bitterness of life, savouring the salty
morsels
and peppering it with sex. Through the thoughts and hallucinations of the characters, we explore
the
disappointments of relationships and the bruital realities of domestic violence that is kept neatly
out
of the investigative reporters' camera or splashed across the headlines for a day. She tantalizes us
with an opening that draws us further into the darker regions of society and into the labyrinthine
catacombs of our locked minds. Unwilling to admit the reality to fairy tales, we close off the
shadowland of socieity with the arrogance that such things could not possibly happen to us. Life,
like a steak, is better digested when its cooked and cut to a pleasing tenderness that falls apart at
every bite; but what she delivers is something more hard, more cold like white lightning on ice;
not
to everyone's refined taste.
Often confusing, she shifts point of view without preparation, mixing first and third persons
together, the narration convinces the reader of ongoing schizophrenia. Unable to indentify with
any
one character in a bleary world of drugs, overprescribed medication, canned rehab and
pyscho-therapy, we learn that human relationships and trust are difficult to establish in
contemporary
society, often alienating and designating members of society to the bottom edge of the universe
where stigmatized they struggle internally for acceptance, from self and society.
Not a book for the prissy reader, who wants to keep hands and mind clean from the dirt of
society;
Schelly digs in to the muck hidden underneath the gloss of government subsidy reforms and
reformation asscociations to find out about the maggots that crawl inside and how any sane or
insane person can survive the unrealistic conditions that many confront in their efforts to be
accepted
by the glass-plate showcase of society.
Controversial, provocative, she opens a Pandora's Box of social morality, taking off the lid to
view
straight and gay relationships, domestic violence, drugs and alcohol, and not so petty crime.
Pogo, Reviewer
Judine's Bookshelf
Love Never Dies
Ralph Morales, Jr., Ph.D.
Chicago Spectrum Press
4824 Brownsboro Center, Louisville, Kentucky 40207
ISBN: 1583740600; Pages: 180; Price: $12.95; Paperback
People often say it's hard to raise a family in the twenty-first century. I do not know the exact
statistics, but many more women work full-time jobs outside of the home, than in previous years.
The husband/father often lives with the family, but the wife/mother eventually has full
responsibility
as the backbone of the household. A child who needs special attention can only exacerbate the
situation, as most of the mother's love is drawn to that child. Oh, what is a woman to do?
"Love Never Dies" is a perfect example of this scenario. Rheumatic fever cripples Ricardo's feet
as
an infant. Miranda pours her love into her eldest child, for encouragement to be happy despite his
affliction. On more than one occasion, she overlooks the emotional needs of her husband and her
other two children. This causes a rift between all of the family members. But love never dies,
because in the end Miranda's sincerity towards her whole family triumphs.
Dr. Ralph Morales, Jr. admits to mixing fact with fiction in this novel. It is obvious how he
parades
his vivid imagination towards the end of the novel. That's okay, because it's probably the kind of
ending he would want in real life. I'm guessing Dr. Morales was one of the children who did not
receive a substantial portion of his mother's love. But, maybe after he grew older, he could see
how
his mother tried her best for everyone. That's why her love did not die; it remains ingrained in this
story for future generations. I recommend "Love Never Dies" to anyone looking for a dynamic
love
story.
Wings of Discovery
Captain Stacey L. Chance
Llumina Press
PO Box 772246, Coral Springs, FL 33077-2246
ISBN: 0932047093; Pages: 140; Price: $13.95; Paperback
Most of us have heard the saying, "There's nothing to fear, but fear itself." This rhetoric sounds
good, but to actually put it to use is a completely different story. Fear can stop someone from
experimenting with new activities, eating exotic foods, and traveling to foreign lands. But once
you
overcome the fear, you will most likely discover joy. This joy comes from the accomplishment of
breaking the imaginary chains of thought which held you hostage.
Wings of Discovery helps to clip the chains of fear. The premise of the book is about the
overcoming the fear of flying. Although his father was a pilot, Mark succumbs to a horrendous
phobia about flying. Then one day, he spots two ultralight planes having "fun" in the air. While the
planes land, Mark tracks them in his car and introduces himself to the pilots. This marks the
beginning of his adventure pursing his passion, following his dream and conquering his fear.
Capt. Stacy L. Chance introduces the reader to a wealth of information about how the Federal
Aviation Administration ensures the safety of aircraft. He also entertains by intermingling his vivid
descriptions of the landscapes and scenery when his characters take flight. I felt as if I soared
through the air, and watched as the coyote ran to keep up with the plane. For anyone really
interested in learning to fly, I learned that airplane kits are available. I definitely recommend
Wings
of Discovery for anyone who wants to learn more about aviation, and who those who allow their
fears to hinder them from soaring to new dimensions.
Articles That Sell
Bonnie Jo Davis
Davis Virtual Assistance
7 Via Caseta, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA 92688
Pages: 43; Price: $25; e-book
How can you effectively and inexpensively promote your business on the Internet? But, all you
have
is a one page website. But, your site can't possibly attract a lot of traffic. But, you don't know
how
to find the people interested in what I have to sell. Never fear, help is here.
Articles that Sell gets eliminates the self doubt of advertising your small business on the Internet.
"There are thousands of e-zines, newsletters, and web sites that need your articles." Most of the
ground work has already been done. The combination of active links for books on writing, tips for
a
sizzling title, and sites which want your articles prove that big things do come in small packages.
Your article doesn't even have to be related to your business. The byline includes a link to your
site,
as a reference. All you have to do is write it well, and the readers will come!
Ms. Davis's creative entrepreneurial spirit is motivating. With so much competition on the
Internet,
any different technique improves the one-man operation or the corporate giants. Best of all, you
don't need to dish out any extra money. You're already paying your Internet service provider, now
let them indirectly pay you back.
Foster Care People
Lauretta Ali
Electric eBook Publishing
6254 Sycamore Street, Powell River, BC, Canada, V8A 4K9
ISBN: 155352053X; Pages: 66; Price: $10.00; Paperback
For just a minute, imagine the iron branding of human flesh. The putrid smell of skin burning
follows
the grotesque exposure of tendons and veins. Soon, the wounds heal, the scars fade, and the
physical
pain vanishes. But, what if this happened to the same person, over and over again, just in different
spots on their body? Would you dare to look at the disfigurement?
"Foster Care People" depicts the invisible iron branding of the human soul. Written from a child's
point of view, the book starts quite innocently. We witness a happy family, two parents with a son
and a daughter. Even the best of homes expect a few trials now and then. Yet the events
surrounding a kitchen fire smolder the lives of each family member for the next several years.
Lenora
Williams, the daughter and main character, attempts to warn us of the impending danger. That's
because the red-hot irons of abuse try to sear into your consciousness, which could burn the
bridges
to your spirit, and leave you numb for a while. I prayed the story only came from the author's
vivid
imagination.
Lauretta Ali's descriptions through the eyes of a child are riveting. Through Lenora, she calmly
reminds us that children are people too, not punching bags or sex toys. I felt as if I stood in a
corner
of the bedroom with my arms bound, and my mouth taped shut, while the second foster father
visited her at night. Although the skin quickly conceals the outer evidence, time creeps to erase
the
psychological effects. I recommend "Foster Care People" to anyone who raises a child, whether
for
a day, two years or a lifetime.
Safe Families: A Guide to Protecting Your Family from Natural Disasters and Terrorism
Thomas E. Dooley
elearningquest, Inc.
8613 Yellow Springs Road, Frederick, MD 21702
Pages: 98; Price: $10.00; e-book
There's an old saying, "It's better to be safe than sorry." This does not necessarily suggest fear or
panic. It does not eliminate the "I could have" or "I should have." Being safe simply gives a peace
of
mind knowing you did the best you could.
Safe Families gently guides the reader, without a sense of alarm, through the steps of gathering
family information, identifying the different types of dangers and preparing for a plan of action.
All
families, whether immediate relatives, neighbors or communities, should prepare a blueprint for
natural disasters, accidents or threats by man. Most of us know about arranging a safe meeting
site
and keeping emergency supplies, but how many families actually carry out these plans? Safe
Families
encourages the reader to be proactive. The web links in the Resource chapter are invaluable tools
if
you want to know about other emergency programs.
Thomas E. Dooley organized Safe Families in an easy to follow format. The content is easy to
read
without being too technical. Each chapter builds on the previous information clearly and
concisely.
The elearningquest.com links provide a quick click to helpful hints, medical kits and free updates.
This book should be a link from any government or nonprofit website with families or emergency
information.
Ten Chocolates From The Box
Rita Toews and Alex Domokos
Writers Exchange E-Publishing
PO Box 372, Atherton, QLD, 4883
ISBN: 1876962593; Pages: 31; Price: $4.95; e-book
When was the last time you put a piece of solid milk chocolate in your mouth, and allowed it
slowly
to melt? Not any kind of chocolate will suffice. Only the chocolates made with dairy butter and
heavy cream will quench the connoisseurs taste buds. Quickly crunching the sweet confection
away
is good, and satisfies the immediate craving, but leisurely savoring the creaminess is a treasure. A
good story has the same kind of effect, especially stories rich with wisdom.
Ten Chocolates from the Box is a perfect mix of stories creatively written from the authors'
imagination. "A Tribute to Parents" begins by weaving the fabric for an appreciation not only for
our
parents, but for the elderly. "Night Ride" transports the reader into the subway car with effortless
detail. We sit and watch the scene with the beggar trying to pick up the coins with his arthritic
fingers. And, "Spring Treasures" invites an exploration of new meanings for things which we
generally take for the face value.
Rita Toews and Alex Domokos bring life to ordinary experiences. They flavor these short stories
with the kind of chocolate-covered raspberry cream or hazelnut praline filling, which invites you
to
appreciate life and living. The insight and descriptiveness of the characters are very real, and
remind
me of similar moments in my life. If you are looking for rich dessert after your supper, pick up
Ten
Chocolates from the Box, sit back and enjoy.
Judine Slaughter, Reviewer
http://www.rahdistributors.com
Lori's Bookshelf
Night Mare
Franci McMahon
Odd Girls Press
P.O. Box2157, Anaheim, CA. 92814
ISBN 1887237143, $13.00, 253 pps., www.oddgirlspress.com
Franci McMahon's sophomore effort is again involving horses, only this time instead of distance
riding, the story revolves around a newspaper reporter, Jane Scott, who shows championship
horses
as a hobby. Essentially a mystery and thriller, the story follows Jane and her friend Victoria, both
of
whom are upset about the bad treatment some of the horses in their area are receiving. With a
little
digging, Jane uncovers sleazy conspiracies to steal, transport, and re-sell prize show horses. When
she sticks her nose in, all hell breaks loose and she very nearly loses her life.
The novel starts a bit rocky. The side story of Anne's breakup with her girlfriend is necessary to
later
plot development, but doesn't endear any of the characters to the reader. But once Jane actually
begins investigating, McMahon's writing skill comes to the forefront and the mid-section of the
book
is gripping. The last third of the book effectively mixes romance with mystery and intrigue.
As with her 1994 novel, McMahon has written a colorful and engaging story, with horses as the
secondary characters. The novel is entertaining and a quick read. Of particular note is the
terrific-and
thematically perfect-book cover by ArtByLucy which packages the book beautifully.
To The Edge
Cameron Abbott
Alice Street Editions of Harrington Park Press
10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY. 13904-1580
ISBN 1560232234, $17.95, 248 pps., http://haworthpress.com/
First time novelist Cameron Abbott has written a cross-genre novel that of romance, coming of
age,
and a legal thriller as well. Anne Henderson is the main character. She's gone off to college, still in
love with Gallagher, a high school friend who hasn't yet graduated. In the first half of the book,
Anne goes through the normal college woes, including meeting Rae Sheldon, a bisexual party girl
who doesn't seem to know what she wants and is destined to break Anne's heart, which she does
quite handily. Then fast forward eighteen years for the second half. Anne has become a lawyer in
a
big firm and is working on an important case. Both Rae and Gallagher come back into her life, as
well as a new love interest, Rachel. What will happen to Anne's love life? What about her career
and
the big case?
Abbott does a nice job joining the two halves of this story and maintaining continuity. Anne is
definitely a bit jaded by the second half, but she is never a whiner and you can't help but like her
and
root for her. Gallagher, Rachel, and Rae are all compelling characters, and the story, while not
jam-packed with surprises, does offer up a couple unexpected twists.
Written by an author with intelligence and skill, this thoughtful and entertaining story is sure to
please readers. I highly recommend it.
Lori L. Lake
Reviewer
Meredith's Bookshelf
The Rustler
Frances McElrath
University of Nebraska Press
233 North 8th Street, Lincoln, Nebraska, 68588-0255
ISBN: 0-8032-8284-2, $9.00, 193 pgs., 1-800-755-1105
Bittersweet love and tragic range war in 1890's Wyoming enthralls and informs in this tale built
upon
true facts, the author having been raised on cattle ranches and army posts of the period. Published
1902, the novel earned high praise; however, she never published another. Pity. For she brings to
the
sweaty, testosterone driven Western an educated feminist view of the West.
When Hazel meets Jim, it's not "love at first sight." More of an intrigued interest on her part; on
his,
a wonderment of why he had locked eyes with his boss's niece, visiting from back East. She notes
his "broad shoulders" as he wrestled a cow fallen into a mud-hole. He drops his eyes "bashfully"
when, as an invited guest for dinner, he notes how her blue frock flatters her auburn curls and
"clear
white skin."
From that proper Victorian beginning the story deviates from formula, becoming a study of how
calculated manipulation of another's heart can bring only pain and, sometimes, shocking
consequences. To see if she could, "social actress," Hazel sets out to charm the handsome, shy,
"strong" eyed Jim. Texas born and the "best foreman" around, Jim has lived life keeping his
thoughts
to himself, believing honest ranch work and raising a foundling would suffice for happiness. Hazel
draws him into a friendship wherein he bares his soul to her. When he believes she has deceived
him,
his turn away from decency to embrace outlawry and power takes the story to a strong climax
that
changes Hazel--forever.
The Battle of Milroy Station
Robert H. Fowler
Forge: A Tom Doherty Associates Book
175 Fifth Avenue, NY, NY 110010
ISBN: 0-765-30659-X, hc $25.95 U.S./ $35.95 Canadian
A political kingmaker secretly offers Andrew Jackson Mundy, a Southern senator, a chance to run
on the 1896 election ticket as McKinley's vice president.
The opportunity would save the career of the racially progressive Mundy, fallen out of favor with
his
state's bigoted legislature and sure not to be reassigned to Washington. Mundy needs time to
weigh
the offer. He doesn't stand on McKinley's political platform. Furthermore, remembering his Civil
War record splattered with the blood of innocent Negroes makes Mundy wither in shame.
Nevertheless, he realizes not to take Hanna's tantalizing offer means leaving Washington D.C.
disappointing his wife, and returning home to be editor of his rural county's local newspaper. How
he makes his decision reveals the author's premise about the true nature of courage.
In 1861, the son of a prosperous plantation owner Jackson Mundy yearns to join the Confederate
army. But he has a clubfoot. Through his father's connections in Richmond he grabs a job as a
clerk
in the office of the Secretary of War. He meets the charismatic, Evan Martin--West Pointer,
soldier
in the Mexican War, and in Richmond to secure a Confederate commission. Mundy becomes the
older man's secretary, travels with him to England, falls in love with Martin's daughter, and serves
as
Colonel Martin's aide-de-camp during the battle of Milroy Station. There, Mundy awakens from
his
awe-struck dreams to see his mentor's, monster ego emerge. Martin has clay feet. The resultant
carnage enrages Mundy and haunts him for the rest of his life.
Letters to family and friends tell Mundy's story--a literary device usually tedious, but Fowler,
author
of five critically acclaimed novels, makes it work. The tale races at a rollicking pace. A metaphor
likens a character to "a great force of nature," a gun to a "truth machine." Confederate soldiers
maneuver "across the fields and through the woods," to challenge invading Federals at Milroy
Station. Founder of the British Heritage and the Civil War Times Illustrated, Fowler etches in acid
extended battle scenes, yet, always engages the human element--the minds of the men fighting
those
battles and experiencing the agony of warfare.
Meredith Campbell
Reviewer
Barclay's Bookshelf
Forever Ours: A Forensic Pathologist's Perspective on Immortality and Living
Janis Amatuzio, MD
Midwest Forensic Pathology, PA
3960 Coon Rapids Blvd. LL21, Coon Rapids, MN 55433
097162870X $19.95 1-763-236-9050 www.foreverours.com
I had the pleasure of hearing Dr. Amatuzio speak. You may argue with the facts she presents, but
you can't argue with her sincerity.
Her book is a collection of stories that have come from her patients or their families. Her work
requires her to deal with death every day, but she also shows a remarkable amount of compassion,
making herself available to the patients' families. And because of that caring attitude people have
shared details with her that they might otherwise have been reluctant to reveal. Her book is a
collection of those revelations.
This is not great literature, but if you're a believer it will bring you to tears and it will fill your soul
with love and hope. Anyone who has lost a loved one and is still struggling with that loss will
want
to read this. But even for those of us who have found a way to heal, reading this will bring us new
comfort.
From the book:
"Doc, I know the secret... The secret about death."
"Tell me."
"Well, when my mother was in her 20's, she was diagnosed with a serious thyroid condition... Dr.
Wangenstein decided to operate... mother felt good about the operation but something went
wrong... My mother said that all of a sudden she found herself looking down on her body from up
near the ceiling lights... She saw the doctors working furiously on her but nothing seemed to help.
Finally Dr. Wangenstein's assistant said, "It looks like we lost her, Owen, there's nothing more
that
we can do."
Mother said that she watched the whole thing, all the while feeling sorry for the doctors, but not
distressed for herself. She saw Dr. Wangenstein finally leave the room too, put his head in his
hands,
and heard him cry: "No, no, no, I won't let this happen!" Then all alone he strode back into the
OR
where my mother's body lay draped with sterile sheets. He looked up at the ceiling and shouted,
"Mary, Mary come back! Stay with me here!" and then began resuscitating her again.
She remembered being surrounded by swirling lights of many colors and somehow knowing that if
she came back she'd have a son. (That's me). She chose to slip back into her body..."
The book doesn't break any new ground, and other writers (many also professionals in medicine)
have dealt with the same sort of accounts, but somehow we all need more, and this adds to the
growing body of evidence that we don't disappear or simply turn to dust when this mortal body
will
no longer sustain us. There is something beyond death and we do stay involved in the lives of
those
who are left behind. Of course scientists will argue otherwise, but that's because Western science
at
least is reluctant to accept anything that doesn't fall into certain measurable parameters. That
narrow
view seems too limiting to me. I'm a believer and to those others who believe, I give this book my
highest recommendation.
The Gifts of Caregiving: Stories of Hardship, Hope, and Healing
Connie Goldman
Farview Press
2450 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454
1577491173 $19.95 www.amazon.com
I met Connie Goldman while she was giving a presentation at the Valley Bookstore in Stillwater,
MN. She is a soft-spoken golden-ager, who proves that as long as you have your health there's no
limit to what you can do. She was formally on the staff of MPR, has written four books and is the
recipient of the 2001 Senior Award from the American Society on Aging.
I am the father of five severely handicapped children, but did not see myself as a caregiver until I
heard Connie speak. There are, after all, my children; of course, I'm going to care for them. But as
she pointed out, the term "caregiver" is relatively new. It didn't appear in the dictionary until
1997,
and since most caregivers are relatives it hardly seems like a job. Until one day when we find
ourselves providing for a sick spouse or a parent, we never suspect how much will be required. It
takes special sacrifice and patience and we have to be careful not to become so immersed in the
effort that we lose our own identity. The tendency is to put your own life on hold and try to do
everything yourself, refusing help from other friends and relatives who sincerely want to help. The
danger is that we begin to wish for the patient's death so that we can be free and we miss
wonderful
opportunities to know the person better, to build positive memories and experiences, to
strengthen
our love.
You can be a caregiver and come out depressed, worn out, and defeated, or you come away with
wonderful blessings - a better understanding of life - of what is important and what is really only
wasted time.
Goldman's book covers a wide variety of experiences from long term disabilities, to the
diminishing
capacity of old age, to dying from cancer or HIV, etc. The interviews explore the special
problems
and diverse circumstances of more than thirty different caregivers.
There are also interviews with Dana Reeve, wife of actor Christopher Reeve, former First Lady
Rosalynn Carter, and Pulitzer-winning author Studs Terkel.
Most of us will have to face this problem sometime in life from one side or the other, either taking
care of a friend or relative as the person who needs to be taken care of. This little book will help
you
understand, first of all, that you're not alone, and secondly, how to deal with the "drudgery,
loneliness and boredom." And if we approach this with the right attitude - if we work to keep
some
balance in our lives - we can come away from the experience with a multitude of blessings.
"Forgiveness, compassion, acceptance, and love grow through empathy for and understanding of
the
experiences of others."
Reading this book can be a tough experience emotionally, but it is well worth the effort.
Robert O. Barclay
Reviewer
Cindy Lynn's Bookshelf
The Pirate Hunter: The True Story of Captain Kidd
Richard Zacks Theia
Hyperion
77 W. 66th Street, 11th Floor, New York, NY 10023
ISBN 0-7868-6533-4, $25.95, Hardcover, 426 pages, 1-800-759-0190
"But the novelists and historians and relentless treasure hunters have gotten it all wrong. Master
Mariner William Kidd, who lived at 56 Wall Street, was no career cutthroat, no cartoon
Blackbeard,
terrifying his prey by putting flaming matches in his hair. Kidd was a reputable New York sea
captain empowered by a secret commission from the king of England to hunt pirates, confiscate
their
wealth, and divvy the spoils among his investors."
And with that paragraph, four pages into the book, he had me. The first page, there were was a
line
that really killed my suspension of disbelief, and kind of disgusted me, and so I was thinking, well,
I
promised to read it, I'll slog through somehow. When I hit this paragraph, he grabbed me and
didn't
let me go through the rest of the 426 page book. Though I'm interested in pirates and privateers,
my
books, mostly scavenged at library sales have been relegated to the "To be read...eventually" pile,
and so the majority of my pirate knowledge comes from Errol Flynn movies, and Polanski's rather
cool Pirates, starring Walter Mattahau. So, whenever anyone mentioned Captain Kidd, I saw the
Jolly Roger flying from the main mast, a wild haired, eye patched man with a colorful outfit and a
peg leg laughing with his hardees.
Now I know differently. And I know much, much more about the naval history and context of the
time than I thought I ever would. Zacks has a real gift for compacting knowledge and making it
all
as exciting as any fictional account. He squeezes in so many facts during the narrative. For
example,
you'll be reading the main story, "England, unfortunately for these mercenaries, was at peace, and
was actually clamping down on illegal privateering. Captain Henry Morgan, the notorious
buccaneer
who relentlessly attacked the Spaniards and been rewarded with a knighthood, had recently died
in
Port Royal, Jamaica, a bloated man, rum-drunk, his body swathed in magic clay by a local witch
doctor." with that, he sets the scene for Kidd to meet the man who would become his nemeses,
Robert Culliford, and drops in a little bit of information that enlightens us even further about
piracy...or, in this case, privateering. It might also make you think twice before drinking any
Captain
Morgan rum.
The story isn't just about William Kidd. It's about Robert Culliford, and how the two men's fates
seemed perversely intertwined, one a privateer who played pretty much by the codes of honor and
rules that defined a privateer from a pirate, one who embraced piracy with exuberance. Both
would
see the insides of the most notorious prison of London, Newgate, but only one would leave a free
man.
This is a fabulous retelling of Kidd's story. In fact, with this take, and all the facts that Zacks has
dug
up, including actual trial transcriptions, calling it a retelling does it a disservice. Kidd, a sometimes
sarcastic, honorable, restless man trusted far too much in the crown and his financial backers. He
ended up making mistakes, not playing the politics with the wisdom so desperately needed for
survival. He becomes both legendary and human, in some scenes expertly sailing silently through
dangerous waters and leading his men to impossible victories, yet so capable of making silly
mistakes that I can see myself making. An excellent read.
Dollhouse Decor
Nick and Esther Forder
Watson Guptill
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
ISBN 0-8230-1299-9 $24.95 www.watsonguptill.com
Soft furnishings such as rugs, tapestries and bed hangings are excellent ways to set your
dollhouse's
period, or to give flavor to the rooms. This book takes six different time periods, the Tudors and
Stuarts, Georgian, Regency, Victorian, Early 20th Century and Contemporary and creates rooms
that have furnishings that exemplify the time. Each of these rooms are filled with some truly eye
catching miniatures, some created by a list of artisans that can be found in the back of the book.
The
rest of them, the items made of cloth, are all things that a person handy with a needle can
make.
The ideas are really interesting. For instance, the author suggest using salt or rice to stuff small,
shaped pillows, such as the round bolster they show us how to recover. Also, if you have a sharp,
clean picture of a rug or tapestry that you've always wanted, but know that you could never
reproduce, they suggest photocopying it onto the cloth. For people who are looking for more
challenging projects, there are many, full color, needlepoint charts. Reading the instructions for a
beautiful floral pole screen, it looks like a simple project for anyone familiar with the basics of
cross
stitch. If you stumble across a stitch, such as the basket weave stitch, and can't remember what it
looks like, there are fairly decent, illustrated instructions in the back. There are also richly
embroidered bed hangings, rush mats, covered screens, tatted lace runners delicate and airy
enough
to tempt me to learn, quits so finely wrought you'll never see me doing them, (All those tiny, tiny
squares!) crocheted antimacassars, towels, blinds, a Victorian sofa and 1930's easy chairs. The
range
of projects is really impressive, and the instructions are well written.
The cons of this book...there really aren't any cons as much as minor gripes. My main complaint is
that a few of the really nifty things require the purchase of specialty items that are probably not
that
easy to find. I'm in love with the pole screens, but have a feeling that finding a pole screen that I
can
take apart and place my newly done bit of needlework in will be pretty impossible...and prettily
priced. I suppose I'd rather they included it than not, as even if I never find the screen, I can
probably make the pattern up, perhaps inset it on a cushion or frame it. (Both projects which I
could
find similar examples of in here, as they have, for example, a black work cushion and a framed
sampler.) Also, if I went to the trouble of buying a fancy chaise lounge, such as the gorgeous one
featured on the cover, I doubt I would need recovering instructions...but, again, it's good to have
the
information, in case the fabric gets damaged.
The range of projects goes from no sewing, to basic sewing, needlepoint, patchwork, quilting,
embroidery, weaving, tatting and crochet. If you have a basic knowledge of one or more of these
areas, you'll be fine, because the section in the back will help you out. If you have no experience
in
these areas, and don't plan on learning any, I would not suggest this book. All and all I really like
it,
and am looking forward to trying my hand at several of the projects.
The Art of the Miniature
Jane Freeman
Watson Guptill
770 Broadway, New York, NY 10003
ISBN 0-8230-0309-4 $24.95 www.watsonguptill.com
When they say the art of the miniature, that's exactly what they mean. This book is dedicated to
using miniatures to create works of art. From a bar at a station to the re-interpretation of art
masterpieces, this book's perspective is totally different from other doll house books. That's not to
say that the tips they include don't have other applications.
The first thing she discusses is how she's inspired, how she works. Her art is often interpretive,
such
as when she made a room to represent her friend, how found objects such as pan's pipes became
the
gates for her Magic Flute inspired design. She talks about perspectives, how to see things as
miniatures, and how to use that new sight to translate things into this medium. Then, like all good
art books, she discusses aesthetic principles. Once you've found the materials and the art you
would
like to work on, how do you put it together? If you're not careful with how you use space, how
you
use color, all you've got is a bunch of things crowded together. We see many familiar terms --
composition, stasis and movement, and it shows us how a the elements come together to
transform
things into true works of art. The most important thing I took in was the use of negative space.
When I was doing layout, my editor would often tell me that white space is your friend. Freeman
advises us to group objects together, allowing for places of emptiness where the observer can
rest.
The scenes are gorgeous...the tiny details merge together to make some very emotionally real
scenes.
Of course, my interest is more in the "what can I make for my house" areas...and I'll readily
confess,
the closest I get to art in my dollhouse is the organ kit I built a couple of years ago. There are a
lot
of fascinating ideas, because a lot of what she does is via found objects...just whatever's laying
around, whatever she collects at flea markets and junk shops. She reveals a lot of clever ways to
create all the usual things, from floors to walls to windows and their coverings. She also discusses
ceiling medallions and curtains. The things I like the most, though, are the clever ways she uses to
create things like spiral notebooks (the spring from a ball point pen on top of a mini self adhesive
pad) and cherry pits for passable coconuts.
I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a new of looking at miniatures. There are
lots of excellent tips, and I enjoyed reading it.
2003 Herbal Almanac
Llewellyn
P.O. Box 64383, St. Paul, MN 55164-0383
ISBN 0-7387-0073-8, $7.95 USD, 325 pages, http://www.llewellyn.com,
1-800-NEW-WRLD
An almanac is usually filled with things that are only good for that year -- sun signs, moon signs,
planting times and weather. Things that will pass. This is not the case with this book. It is filled
with
articles from many well recognized herbalists, and the information contained will never go out of
style.
The "Growing and Gathering Herbs" section has several articles, but the two I found the most
interesting were "Growing Unusual Herbs in Containers" and "Winter Activities for Herb Lovers."
The first one, by Scott Appell, discusses soils and container choices, then goes on to describe
suitable magical (Lion's Ear, Mandrake) culinary (Rosemary, Stevia) and, medicinal herbs
(cardamom, May Pops.) The only gripe I had was that he includes belladonna. While with care, it
has been said to have some benefits, but it is so dangerous that I don't agree with him including it
in
this short list. There are other herbs just as useful that could have gone here, instead. Ellen
Dugan's
"Urban Herbal Gardening" serves as a nice companion piece. Dallas Jennifer Cobbs article on
winter
activities manages to capture the feeling of winter - the ideas of rest and coziness - while giving us
some very good information. I particularly liked some of her vinegar combinations. The Culinary
section, as you would expect, is filled with recipes. Alchemy in the Kitchen is a guide to herbs that
grow well, listing their taste, background, properties and cooking use. There are nice recipes for
teas, breads and deserts. There are also recipes for herbed turkey, herb roasted potatoes and even
herbal candles to provide mood. Even though, as a Christian, I cannot practice herbalism with a
magical intent, I really loved the ideas in the article about cooking with magical intent...the idea of
peace and prosperity pizza not only sounds tasty, but its symbolism has to make you feel good. In
the Health section, there are some fairly good articles on Native American and Chinese herbalism
that I found interesting because they do mention a couple of things I haven't run across in other
books. They are also pretty concise introductions to these different cultural approaches to herbal
healing. There are also several beauty recipes for improving skin and taking care of teeth. The
herbal
crafts includes many potpourri and paper making ideas, and several incense reipes. The final
section
deals with the lore of some plants, pansies, and pitcher plants, to name a few. Yes, I am rushing
through a little, skipping, trying to touch upon everything without sounding like a
commercial.
I think that any herbalist can get a lot out of this book. It has a nice mixture of different things so
that all beliefs and levels of practitioner can enjoy it. I definitely recommend it.
Cindy Lynn Speer
Reviewer
Bogert's Bookshelf
The Last Warrior
Jim Hitt
Adventure Book Publishers
www.puzzlesbyshar.com/adventurebooks/ adventure@puzzlesbyshar.com
E-Book Price: $4.66, Online Pages: 255, ISBN:1-55313-118-5
The Last Warrior is a story based on an actual event that took place in 1903 in the Philippines.
Luther Kelley (Known as Yellowstone) famous for his battles against the Sioux and Cheyenne,
together with a group of African American soldiers help defend the territory against Muslim
radicals
and even escaped prisoners.
Mr. Hitt has done an excellent job in capturing the time period in his work. I enjoy books that can
give the reader a feeling of what the characters experienced, and how their way of life dictated
their
actions. The pace that is set in the story doesn't slack at any point, which is a plus for historical
novels. The author's style of writing allows the reader to understand the time period without
taking
away from the enjoyment of the book. It was a pleasure to read this story, and I would be happy
to
see it become available in print.
I would recommend The Last Warrior to readers, historical or not, who wish to add a fine story
to
their collection.
Sun Tzu's The Art Of War Plus The Art Of Love
Gary Gagliardi
Clearbridge Publishing
P.O. Box 33772, Seattle, WA 98133
Phone (206)-533-9357, Fax (206)-546-9756, www.clearbridge.com, info@clearbridge.com
U.S. $9.95/Canada $15.95, Pages: 146, ISBN: 1-929194-14-5
Sun Tzu's The Art Of War Plus The Art Of Love: The Ancient Chinese Science of Strategy,
Bing-Fa, Applied to the Challenge of Finding, Winning and Keeping Love is a guide to help those
serious about either building or maintaining a permanent and strong love relationship with their
partner. Based on Bing-Fa, which is the Chinese science of victory without conflict, the book
blends
two types of thinking together. On the left is the art of war and leadership, while on the right
lessons
on love and romance parallel.
On the whole, I found this book a pleasure to read. I've always been intrigued by the fact that
many
ancient teachings of the orient can still be applied to everyday life even now. As stated in the
book,
the lessons are simple to learn, but much more challenging to apply in a relationship. To simply
read
this book and place it aside will do no good. It must be studied many times during the course of
one's life, and if I may use a line from the book, it must be read at different times and situations.
There really is a wealth of knowledge contained in the pages.
Not everyone will agree with this book, particularly those who's religion may have an established
standard or strict set of regulations. There are also some who have their own 'schemes' and ideas
of
love who will find little help from this book.
Overall, I would recommend this book to those who like to keep a 'manual' hanging around,
especially when things take an unexpected turn. Quick reference to this book will help keep
marriages whole, relationships intact, and broaden the mind of anyone who reads it.
Don't Be Nice - Be Real Balancing Passion For Self With Compassion For Others
Kelly Bryson, MFT (Male)
APC Books (Distribution by: Anthroposophic press)
1687 Mark West Springs Rd. Santa Rosa, CA 95404
$15.00 (U.S.), Pages: 296, ISBN: 0972002804
Don't Be Nice - Be Real offers in-depth teaching and instruction to those who are suffering from
personal issues, family problems, or those who need a different outlook on life. Mr. Bryson
explains
in detail how situations arise, and how he has learned to overcome them. His writing is frank and
honest, delving into some of the hardest subjects in human behavior.
I found Mr. Bryson's writing clear and straightforward, but perhaps the one point that caught my
attention most of all was the fact that he lives his teachings. His experiences have forged a
foundation that he applies to his life and way of thinking. I do admire authors of this type that
"walk
the walk" as well as "talk the talk."
Granted, some readers will find his views in opposition, especially those who are headstrong
devoted to one faith or belief. But as with all writings, it must be taken as a whole, not piece by
piece. It is the books' idea in its entirety that will help those who read and apply it to their lives.
Mr.
Bryson has had years of experience around the world to bring troubled people together in peace,
and
his writings clearly reflect that.
Overall, this book will challenge those who are troubled to look within, and find the solutions that
will heal themselves and their families, as well as build stronger people for the communities they
live
in.
Tales Of Psychology Short Stories To Make You Wise
Alma H. Bond, Ph.D.
Paragon House
2700 University Avenue West St. Paul, MN 55114
$26.95 ($24.95 on web site), Pages: 304, ISBN: 1-55778-806-5 (cloth),
www.paragonhouse.com
Tales Of Psychology consists of 19 short stories written from the years of World War II to the
eighties. They all have lessons within them to discover and learn, and is discussed at the end of
each
story. The main themes deal with how people think and behave from a psychological standpoint,
in
the hopes that those who read it will be able to identify different behavior patterns of people they
encounter in life.
There is one word I can use to describe this book: Deep. It isn't the type of book you buy for
Aunt
Jane or Cousin Fred, but for those who really love to get 'into' their reading. It takes a person who
can dig into a book, and come out with more knowledge than when they started. According to the
introduction, those who read certain stories may actually change the way they think about
themselves or the way they live. The authors involved in this work range from very well known to
obscure, and as stated before span almost a half-century of time.
I enjoyed most of the stories contained in the book, though I kept my mind focused on the main
issue, which was to see the different types of behavior that manifested throughout each work.
Each
story was different not only in author, but also in theme and content. This is one book you really
have to sink into and let it consume your reading time!
Of course, the professionalism of Dr. Bond is clearly evident in her teachings and authorship. I'm
sure her skills have healed many people, and can now help them through this book.
I heartily recommend this book to those who seek a well-conceived idea of teaching psychological
issues through short stories and the lessons that follow.
Himmler's War
Robert A Goerman
Publish America
P.O. Box 151 Frederick, MD 21705
Retail $19.95/Online $16.95, Pages: 233, ISBN: 1-59129-737-0, www.publishamerica.com
Himmler's War tells of one man's fight against a mounting threat from visitors beyond our world.
With aliens as well as humans against him, Derek A. Himmler wages war against those who killed
his brother, and those who will stop at nothing to keep their activities a secret.
In reading this book, I found some interesting qualities in the author&explanation His explination
of
weapons, vehicles and other items in the story gives a clear idea of what's happening. It was also
pleasing to find a fast-paced story where the character doesn't perform 'impossible' or 'ridiculous'
feats or actions. Every conflibelievablemmler survives is completely believeable (and possible)
which
leaves the reader with the thought of, story line if this could really happen'? The storyline is
strong,
keeping the reader's interest piqued throughout. This is one of the few books I've read that I
would
like to see made into a motion picture.
Because of the nature of the story, some parts are quite violent and graphic. Those who shy away
from harsh language and descriptive bloodshed should be warned before they read too far. I
would
recommend this book to those who enjoy a well-written, fast-paced story that will capture their
attention from beginning to end.
High Potency
J. R. Torgerson
Publish America
P.O. Box 151 Frederick, MD 21705
$19.95 Retail/$16.95, Pages: 204, ISBN: 1-59286-162-8, www.publishamerica.com
High Potency is a high-tech story about a pair of doctors working for a large chemical firm who
begin illegal experiments on batches of the company's vitamin pills. Ted Benson, newly hired as
the
firm's Data Processing Manager, teams up with two lab techs in a race against time to save the
public from consuming the hidden mixture.
Although I use the word mystery as genre for the book, the author revealed several key points
early
on, allowing the reader to grasp what was actually happening. I found the story easy to follow and
the characters down to earth. There were no superheroes, and no unrealistic adventures for the
hero
and two
heroines, just regular people trying to solve a very disturbing situation. I can't go in-depth about
some key events in the book, as it would spoil the suprise of the reader. I can say, however, there
were many times during the story in which I was unable to guess the outcome, and I do like books
of such nature.
There were some places of sexual encounters, but they did not take away from the main story
(which sadly happens more and more.) Profanity was seldom, so it should appeal to those who are
sensitive to it.
Overall, I recommend High Potency to those who want a good story with unusual twists here and
there. A job well done!
Homage To A Princess
Patrick P. Stafford
Publish America
P.O. Box 151 Frederick, MD 21705
$12.95 Retail/$9.95, Pages: 86, ISBN: 1-59129-638-2, www.publishamerica.com
Poetry has been used throughout the ages to express emotions and desires. Homage To A
Princess
contains fifty poems to honor Princess Diana, who's life was immediately and tragically cut
short.
Unless very young or just cold-hearted, most felt the deep impact of Princess Diana's untimely
death.
The author's beautiful poetry revives her memory, depicting various facets of her life both before
and
after marriage to royalty. The poems are very intense, bringing out many emotions. The author's
writing style is top-notch, reaching into the depths of the reader's heart and reminding us how
special this person was to so many.
There are those who have a distaste for poetry, and again there may be some who care little about
the Princess or her life, but for those who wish to reflect through excellent poetry, I would very
much recommend this book.
The Blue Marionette
Elsan H. Stafford
Publish America
P.O. Box 151 Frederick, MD 21705
Price: $24.95 Retail/$21.95 Online, Pages: 334, ISBN: 1-59129-362-6,
www.publishamerica.com
The Blue Marionette is a story of love and trials of a man during the years of the twenties to
World
War II. The story follows him during a time when things were quite different, and love was
greatest
of all. His defeats and successes are brought out as he seeks happiness and true love amidst a
trying
time.
I was completely suprised at how much I enjoyed this book (I'm not one for romance novels,
especially the ones distributed lately.) This novel was delightfuly entertaining; a real page turner! I
like novels that really go deep into the character's lives and the situations he or she faces. I
actually
fought sleep to finish this book. The characters are brought out in a way that you could almost
recognize them like an old friend, and the many emotions that were brought out made this story a
pleasure to read.
The author did a great job with accurately describing the events of the time. Attention to detail set
the mood for the story, and gave the feeling of actualy being there.
If I owned a hat, it would go off to Elsan Stafford for a wonderfully written novel, and I would
recommend it to anyone who loves romance!
Leaps Of Faith
Karina L. Fabian and Robert A. Fabian, editors
FrancisIsidore Electronic Press
EMail: http://home.earthlink.net/~mklively/index.html
E-Book Price: $4.00 Download, $5.00 CD, Pages: 206, ISBN: 0971660328
Seldom does a book come along like Leaps Of Faith, where science fiction is blended with
Christianity to produce excellent stories to inspire and enjoy. Karina and Robert Fabian, editors,
have brought together several stories written by as many authors, that are based on the Christian
faith.
The book was a real delight to read, and the authors wrote their stories well. It was easy to
become
immersed in each tale as they followed one common theme. Some were not as jubilant and happy,
but each posessed an important moral, or lesson to be learned.
In some of the stories the authors had clearly studied and researched modern (and ultra-modern)
technology, or had been educated in that particular area. Above all, the mixing of Christianity was
a
very refreshing change from the norm.
I give Leaps Of Faith two thumbs up, and I look forward to similar works in the future. To Karina
and Robert I say, well done.
Michael Bogert
Reviewer
Magdalena's Bookshelf
Huey's Greatest Hits
Iain Hewitson, author & Greg Elms, photographer
Allen & Unwin/Unwin Hyman
c/o Paul & Company
814 North Franklin Street, Chickago, IL 60610
ISBN 1865088609, A$39.95, US$24.95, 304 pages, www.amazon.com, www.ipgbook.com
Like many television chefs Iain Hewitson has become larger than life. From his effusive
presentation,
his down to earth almost Okker style of irreverance, to his food laced braces/suspenders,
Hewitson
is colourful and fun. His television personality is well known in Australia, where he has his own
range of spicy sauces, advertises a major chain of supermarket ("Bi-Lo"), and is also known for
his
rather extensive weight loss, which is featured in another of his books, The Huey Diet. Hewitson's
latest cookbook, Huey's Top Ten features 200 recipes chosen from Hewitson's most requested, a
set
of viewer's favourites. The recipes are simple, generally classic, and like Hewitson, without
pretension. This material is not aimed at the restaurant chef, or even the gourmet home cook, but
rather, the enthusiastic amateur, men and women who want to cook real and generally healthy
food
for their families. Throughout the book in little one page "Hi Hewy Baby!" segments are excerpts
from letters written to Hewitson - some are fan letters and some aren't, some are from children,
some from very old folk, some complementing him and some criticising him - there are requests
for
recipes, reader tips, and even a few job requests. Most of the letters are very funny and add a real
human note to the book, some even including hand drawn pictures of Hewitson. There are also
small
amounts of text attached to each recipe, explaining its origin, little handy hints, quotes, etc.
The book is segmented into chapters on "Great Beginnings" which contains starters or light
meals,
"Super Soups" which includes a very versatile "Four Soups in One" which creates 4 soups (plus
another 6 variations) based on a single Potato, Leek & Onion Soup recipe. There are also sections
on "Birds of a Feather" which contains mainly chicken and couple of turkey and duck recipes,
"Dishes of Fishes," "Make Mine Meat, which contains beef, lamb, mince, veal and sausage
recipes,
"Perfect Pasta & Noodles," "Vegie Magic," which contains some very innovative vegetarian
dishes,
including some mock meats, burgers and sausages, curries and pancakes, "Odds & Sods"
including
uncategorisable foods like snacks, breakfasts, infused oils, preserved lemons and drinks (the
"Microwave Risotto with Roasted Tomatoes and Crispy Pancetta is as delicious as it is easy). "On
the Side" contains side dishes, including things like salads, potatoes, vegetables, rices and gratins
(the "Beetroot Chips" are wonderful). In the "Sweet Tooth" section, there are a range of desserts,
nearly all very easy - some just for children like "Coconut Ice", "Rice Bubble & Coco Pop Slice,"
and some more sophisticated like "Quince & Apple Cobbler" or "White Chocolate Moussecake"
which is very dramatic with its dried fruit and nuts, but actually extremely easy. The very easy to
make (using bought vanilla ice cream) "Xmas Ice-Cream Pudding" may well start a new tradition
as
it replaces the very unpopular baked one this year on our own holiday table. Each section has at
least a page of "Further Thoughts" which provide information and variations on the recipes, tips
on
things like keeping your knives sharp and dealing with specific ingredients.
Part of Hewitson's charm is that he isn't proud. Many of these recipes come from other chefs like
Charmaine Soloman, Davinder Bedi, Madhur Jaffrey, Kylie Kwong, Stephanie Alexander,
Newspaper columns and his grandmother. He always gives credit where credit is due. Most of the
recipes are pretty well known classics like meatloaf (credited to "Happy Days"), spaghetti and
meatballs, chicken chow main, moussaka, tuna mournay, pavlova and even a fried egg sandwich,
there are also some innovative ones like "Red Cabbage Pancake with Asian Flavours,"
"Mustard-Crusted Fillet of Beef with Minted Green Pea Puree" (surprisingly nice) or "A Parcel of
Salmon & Fennel." This nicely presented book isn't really about innovation though, or even about
impressing your friends, and a quick glance on the top ten most requested recipes at the start of
the
book will show that its the classics like "Warm Chicken Salad," "Chocolate Mud Cake," "Sticky
Date Pudding," "Smoked Code Pie," and "Lasagne" which are the most popular with his viewers.
This is a book which is solely about good home cooking using very readily available and
substitutable ingredients, prepared quickly and simply. The little bit of extra entertainment is icing
on
the (mud) cake.
In Arcadia
Ben Okri
Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN: 0297829602, $A35.00, 230 pages,
I loved Ben Okri's Booker Prize winning novel The Famished Road, with its delicate poetry, its
magical realism, subtle messages and its mystical characters, but there is a serious downside to
writing a beautiful, perfect novel and winning a Booker Prize. No one dares edit you. In Arcadia,
Okri's latest, reads like a truncated first draft. I wouldn't go as far as Helen Brown from The
Independent., who wrote that "... In Arcadia reads like the ramblings of a stoned sixth former,"
but
certainly this book is both over and under written, starting with a wonderful germ of an idea that
has
a thin under developed plot and even thinner characters imposed on it. The story itself is left
dangling and never develops beyond the philosophical musings of its author, who is not included
as a
character. It might actually have been a fine book if it were written as Okri's own non-fictional
musings on the topic of Arcadia, since effectively that is what it is, and Okri speaks with some
power on the topic itself, as well as art history, something which he is clearly knowledgeable
about.
Instead however, he sets the novel up as a mystery, opening with a clearly delineated plot about a
group of 7 cinematic losers, including Lao, the presenter and ostensibly, but only in the beginning,
the book's narrator, who are given a cryptic task of making a television documentary on the topic
of
Arcadia, a supposed Earthly paradise in the Peloponnese.
The film crew are only provided with shadowy details and are gathered through the auspices of an
"evil-sounding man" called Malasso, who no one ever really sees or meets, with the promise that
they will receive their "illuminations" or instructions as they go along. There are some real
promises
in the opening. We are given to believe that there is some mystery surrounding Malasso, that one
of
the girls in the crew will fall in love with another of the crew ("that crazy girl who fell in love iwth
one of us") and that there will be a series of inscriptions which will lead them somewhere and to
some realisation. Thus we are set up and ready for a good read with a first person narrator, Lao,
who is an excellent, bitter, cynical, drunken but insightful character. The other characters also
show
promise: "What a joy to behold, all six of them, all clinging on by their broken fingernails to the
rotten beams of hope." There is Jim, the director, who hasn't directed anything in seven years,
Propr,
a sound man who is practically deaf and who has been voted worst sound man three years
consecutively, by the Academy (a little farfetched admittedly - you are either well known enough
to
be voted anything by the Academy or you are invisible - you can't be both), Husk, a "thin, nervy,
sour, grim, prim, rat-eyed" and obsessive worker, Riley, a "man-girl" full of wiry energy and nice
eyes, Sam, the first camera man who talks nonstop (until later when it turns out he doesn't talk
much
at all) and Jute, the company spy, whose early receipt of an "Inscription" causes her to become
very
nervous indeed. There is also Lao's girlfriend companion, the beatific painter Mistletoe, who
seems
to be so much "at one" in her thinking with Lao that she may as well be another aspect of
him.
One imagines that Okri put in some serious thought and work into this part of the novel, setting
up
the plot and creating a series of characters and even a premise around the nature of Arcadias - the
notion of paradise to ordinary folk and those people in our modern civilisation who have lost our
sense of paradise on earth - effectively living in a daily hell of anxiety and neurosis. Fair enough.
The
story effectively ends here and with a few returns to a plot that seems to change as it goes along,
and
a lot of philosophising which might have worked if it continued to rest in Lao's narrative -
something
it doesn't do - along with some rather extensive narrative intrusions which one sometimes comes
across - those post-modern and cranky reminders that we are "reading a book":
I hope I'm infuriating you so much that you want to throw this book aside and pick up one more
suited to your sheep-like complacency. Actually I don't mind sheep. It's human beings behaving
like
sheep that I can't stand. I hope this is getting rhough to you. I don't want any complacent bastards
on this journey. There are enough of those as it is. We are drawaing up to the next station, a
chapter
ending. You can get off and bugger off if you don't want to continue. But don't ask for your
money
back. I've spent it.
Having thus made it clear that we are at Okri's mercy (although at this stage I was still under the
impression that this was the character of Laos), and that he isn't writing for a "complacent reader"
like myself who was expecting a relatively tight plot due to the set up, we then join the team for a
trip to Arcadia, which ends up changing to a look at a range of different Arcadias through time
and
how each person creates his or her own - the trip to any place specific seemingly vanished. Early
in
Book Two, Laos (or at this point I still thought it was Laos, and was still imagining Laos as the
narrator) begins to have a series of "Intuitions" about the nature of gardens and the garden of
eden,
which is mingled with a kind of Greek Pan type Arcadia. These biblical like incantations or
"dreams"
go on for many pages, building up a kind of lay-philosophy which is a combination of something
out
of the bible, Greek Mythology, and perhaps a kind of Upanishad. Aside from the fact that it is a
musing on the nature of Arcadia though, it has little to do with the "plot" of the story, but then
there
is so little of the plot from here on - just a few reminders of the characters and basic outline of the
story, that it probably no longer matters.
There are a few "diversions" back into the characters, as Jute gets a cryptic message which throws
her into a serious panic. There is a moment when the crew suspect that a character has committed
suicide, a few screams, a mysterious hooded figure, and a visit to a train driver who has a nice
garden, a visit to Versailles and a visit to the Louvre where they spend a lot of time on Poussin's
painting Et in Arcadia Ego. The rest of the "novel" is pure haphazard philosophising on the nature
of
tunnels, on the collective psyche of modern man and above all on the nature of Arcadia as a form
of
enlightenment, and how we create our own Arcadias and how perhaps we have lost them. Aside
from the very tenuous plot, which is set up so well and then simply dissolves (nothing wrong with
a
plotless or character driven novel, but the set up is very jarring, and there is hardly any
characterisation after the first two "books"), there are some serious problems with this text. The
most irritating is the sudden mid-chapter change from a first person to a third person narrative
(chapter ten, Book 3). The focus until this point is on Lao, and we are led to believe that he is our
first person narrator, and that all of the musings are his. To suddenly change mid chapter like this
doesn't work well at all - it doesn't even come across as a nasty trick of a post-modern author - it
simply appears sloppy. From this point on, it becomes clear that the point of view has also
changed
and is no longer Laos, but the narrator, who isn't actually Laos at all. It appears that this narrator
is
Okri himself, certainly not invisible and paring his fingernails, but intruding on the text and
providing
us with a curator's gloss, explaining the nature of Arcadia, philosophising about things like the
nature of tunnels, the nature of art, the last days of beautiful things, the trials of going through
customs as a black man, the nature of "signs," the nature of reading, some very well done and
detailed but lengthy analyses on art history and the painting Et n Arcadia Ego, Arcadia and its
meaning, and the nature of a good life. Any one or all of these topics would have made a good
non-fiction piece, and together could have been a series of authorial musings on topics, in a way
that
Tom Wolfe, Umberto Eco and even Julian Barnes have recently done so artfully. In the guise of a
novel however, it doesn't work well at all - the very lengthy narrative intrusions fight terribly with
the story which is given short shrift, and the characters who change so quickly and rapidly begin
to
think and talk so completely alike that they are utterly unbelievable.
The "Intuitions" are particularly lengthy and in some cases, incomprehensible:
Painting is an inscription on the flesh of time. An invocation of colours. Painting is a raising from
the
dead, a resurrection, a transmogrification, a transmutation. Painting is the triumph of plants and
minerals and animal hair. It is soul dancing to soul.
Painting is the still life of God's mind. It is the heaven of remembered things, the hell of forgotten
things. It is the destiny of legend, the dream of a faun and all legendary beings. It is legend frozen,
memory's homeland.
This invocation to "painting" goes on in a similar Allen Ginsberg style (I can almost hear the
harmonium in the background) with a series of sentences that are seemingly profound but which
make no sense whatsoever, for four pages. Poetic as the writing is, and sometimes it is actually
quite
poetic, it really doesn't work. At least Ginsberg called his work poetry and tried to sing it rather
than
sticking it smack in the middle of what appeared to be a conventional narrative (although it was
still
unbearable at its worst). Ben Okri is clearly a writer with talent, and a good editor with enough
chutzpah to tell him that this was not his best work, might have helped him to create two books -
one a fictional one which picked up on his initial plot, and one a non-fiction, wherein, with some
judicious editing out of the rambling, could have helped him create a series of philosophical and
well
written essays. Instead In Arcadia is presented to the bemused reader as a sloppy, poorly written
novel which starts out by accusing the reader of being too stupid to understand the grand plan of
his
work, and ends with more incomprehensible speculation on the nature of life, reducing his only
characters to mere inscriptions. This might be acceptable for a youthful first time author, but a
major
and very experienced novelist like Okri could do a lot better.
Magdalena Ball, Reviewer
http://www.compulsivereader.com/html
Gorden's Bookshelf
Blindsighted
Karin Slaughter
HarperTorch
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
ISBN: 0-380-82088-9 price: $7.50 paperback, October 2002, 378 pages
Cornwell and Reichs have started a tradition of hard edged, women forensic novels. Slaughter has
continued with a darker harder story. 'Blindsighted' is less the detective/mystery of Cornwell and
Reichs and more the suspense/thriller of a pulp writer. Slaughter paints a picture of a sinister
South
with dark dangerous passions hidden within each character. Her women characters are more
detailed
but her male personalities are still complex. Slaughter's writing is a little raw but so is the story. In
a
small southern college town, Dr. Sara Linton is running late for her lunch with her sister Tessa.
When she arrives, the normal sister bickering and family small talk starts. Sara decides she needs
an
escape and excuses herself for the bathroom. There she finds Sibyl Adams, drugged, raped, sliced
open, and bleeding to death. The blind college professor is just the beginning of the horror that
faces
her as Sara finds herself the focus of a sadistic serial killer who is bringing his macabre trophies to
her. Sara's ex-husband, Police Chief Jeffery Tolliver, must find the clues to stop the killing and
Sara
has to find the strength to rise above her hidden past. 'Blindsighted' is a must read suspense novel.
The power of the gruesome story pulls you to the final page. Just don't read this book if you are
going on a trip to a small Georgia college town in the near future.
The Involuntary Immortals
Rog Phillips
Renaissance E Books
P.O. Box 1432, Northampton, MA 01060
ISBN: 1-58873-140-5 price: $4.00 electronic download Copyright 2002, 152 pages,
www.renebooks.com
With 'The Involuntary Immortals,' copyright 1959, it is possible to compare the way two masters
in
storytelling approach the same topic. Heinlein's 'Methuselah's Children,' copyright 1958, is a story
about a group of people in the future who band together because they do not seem to age.
'Immortals' starts with a group of people in the immediate future who discover they are nearly
immortal. Phillips has a darker style with more science in the tale. The two stories blend many of
the
same ideas but diverge into different directions. Phillips limits his novel to the story's characters
and
immediate problems. Heinlein expands the story to cover a wider scope. It makes you wonder
what
gem of a tale would have come about if they had collaborated on a story.
Helen's husband Carl dies at the age of sixty-seven. In the forty-two years of their marriage, Helen
has always looked twenty. Their daughter, Agnes, screams at his death, "It was you, mother. You
killed him by drawing his life into your own body just as you are doing to mine and all those
around
you!" Agnes vows to make her mother's life misearable. Helen, who is a century and a half old,
packs her life with Carl away and tries to start again with her old name in Chicago. On the train,
she
meets Eric Trent, a man who looks twenty-five but is as old a she is. There is nothing more
vicious
than families broken by hate and desire. Betrayal and murder stalk Helen as she runs for survival
and
to learn the truth about her immortality.
The science in 'The Involuntary Immortals' is dated but the story is a pure action pulp. Phillips
weaves an intricate path through a complex story that is well worth following to its end.
S.A. Gorden, Reviewer
www.paulbunyan.net/users/gsirvio/content.html
Harold's Bookshelf
Retro Diner: Comfort Food from the American Roadside
Linda Everett
Collectors Press, Inc.
PO Box 230986, Portland, OR 97281
ISBN: 1888054689, Pages: 128, $16.95, www.amazon.com
Dive into the specialty dishes that made the old-time diners famous. "Retro Diner: Comfort Food
from the American Roadside" won't make it onto the top healthy foods list, but it sure makes
some
old-time favorites come to life.
With recipes from the 1930's to the 1960's you are sure to find your favorite diner meals here.
Alabama Sweet Potatoes, Monte Cristo Sandwich, Butterscotch Pie, you'll find recipes here that
you
won't find anywhere else. But don't look for any shortcuts here; these are the original recipes,
which
means the recipes don't start with a plain cake mix but with flour, eggs, and salt.
The book can be confusing at times like where step seven of Dixie Diner's Blueberry Pancakes say
to
"bake in your waffle iron", which would make it a waffle and not a pancake, or the Chipped Beef
recipe that does not include toast or biscuits in the ingredients list but does state to serve it over
toast or biscuits, a bit of an annoyance if you are done preparing it and then find out that you have
no bread.
Still, even with the small annoyances, the book is a pleasure to read. To add to the enjoyment of
the
book, it is filled with illustrations, advertising, and photographs from the appropriate years. For
those who would like to travel back to a time of simple pleasures the book is a wonderful
nostalgic
trip and the recipes sure to delight.
America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations
William J. Federer
Amerisearch, Inc.
PO Box 20163, St. Louis, MO 63123
ISBN: 1880563096, Pages: 845, $29.99, www.amazon.com
"America's God and Country Encyclopedia of Quotations" is exactly as the title proclaims, a
collection of quotations that refer to God and especially as related to America. William Federer
has
done an excellent job of collection these quotations, documenting his sources, and giving some
background on the individuals. That does not mean that there are not some curious quirks in the
book. For example, for many of the people quoted he has included a small picture of them.
However, at the entry for William Henry Seward, who was Secretary of State under Lincoln,
there is
no picture of Seward, but one of Lincoln.
Entries are listed alphabetically by the person being quoted. Which is great if you are looking up a
quote by someone in particular like Abraham Lincoln. What if you don't know who made a quote
but want to look it up by subject? No problem, as the author has also included a subject index at
the
back of the book.
This is an excellent book and a recommended resource for those who might be looking for a
particular quote from a founding father, court, state constitution, or more modern person such as
Martin Luther King, Jr. However, it should be understood that it many not accurately portray the
complete attitudes of our nation at any given time. If someone from another country were to read
the words of Martin Luther King, Jr. and conclude from these words that the United States was a
haven of peace in the 1960's with non-violence being the rule we would all be quick to point out
how wrong they were. However, there are no quotes in this book from that time period that
would
indicate otherwise. This is true to the author's stated intent - these are quotes about "America's
God
and Country" and any other items are not included. To realize that a conclusion like the one about
the United States during the time of Martin Luther King, Jr. is completely a farce and still race to
make the same conclusion about our Founding Fathers is ludicrous. And yet, I see that as the
greatest problem with this book; people will use it for the purpose of "proving" that the United
States was based on a Judeo-Christian philosophy without any consideration of the social context,
habits, or other writers, statesmen, or leaders of the time.
Still, I rank it a highly recommended read as the author has done an excellent job of doing just
what
he purposed to do with the book. Well researched, well documented, and well organized it should
be
in most libraries.
The Hours
Michael Cunningham
Picador USA
19 Union Square West, New York, NY 10003
ISBN: 0312305060, Pages: 226, $13.00, www.amazon.com
Michael Cunningham's literary idol and muse was Virginia Woolf. Taking her writing style he
brings
her back to life as one of the characters in "The Hours" and places her in 1923 London writing her
novel "Mrs. Dalloway". Spanning across time and space the other primary characters are Laura
Brown in Los Angeles in 1940s and Clarissa Vaughn in Greenwich Village in the 1950's.
Clarissa Vaughn is planning a party for Richard, a poet dying of Aids and her oldest love. Many
years before he had nicknamed Clarissa "Mrs. Dalloway" after the character in the novel and
indeed
she parallels the Mrs. Dalloway character in many respects.
The Laura Brown character is also introduced while preparing a party. Her party is for her
husband's
birthday. Laura is pregnant and looking for more to her life than being the housewife and mother.
In
her searching she has become fascinated with the novel "Mrs. Dalloway" and reads it fervently to
the
point that she escapes into the fictional life of "Mrs. Dalloway".
Michael Cunningham does a great job of producing a highly readable text that intertwines the lives
of the three women. A recommended read for anyone who enjoys Virginia Woolf's style of
writing.
Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving
Jonathan Koomey
Analytics Press
PO Box 20313, Oakland, CA 94620-0313
ISBN: 0970601905, Pages: 221, $34.95, www.amazon.com
"Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem Solving" should be required
reading for anyone engaged in producing, reading, or analysing information. Based on the title
one
might assume that I mean numerical information, but that is not the case at all. The basic
principles,
such as how to sift through information and the importance of documentation of sources, are
important parts of any information product. In fact, except for the sections on graphs, tables,
normalizing data and a few others, the rest of the book (fully at least three quarters of it) is
dedicated to determining what constitutes good information, good techniques, good analysis,
good
documentation, etc. This is a book on problem solving techniques and analysis of the information
products of others.
Filled with useful tools and tips for problem solving under real-life situations it is one of the most
useful books available. "Turning Numbers Into Knowledge: Mastering the Art of Problem
Solving"
is a masterful work in the area of critical analysis and a highly recommended read for anyone
involved in creating or using information of any kind.
Northeastern Wilds: Journeys of Discovery in the Northern Forest
Stephen Gorman
Appalachian Mountain Club Books
5 Joy St., Boston, MA 02130
ISBN: 1929173091, Pages: 177, $39.95, www.amazon.com
The Northern Forest is an area of twenty-six million acres that stretches from Adirondack Park in
New York through Vermont, New Hampshire, and most of Maine. "Northern Wilds: Journeys of
Discovery in the Northern Forest" consists of historical information about this area as well as the
author's personal experiences. The author provides detailed descriptions and commentary of the
various facets of the Forest. These descriptions include what one might expect while hiking in the
area in different seasons, canoeing the rivers, or camping as well as how the area is changing due
to
development, logging, and other ecological factors.
Filled with stunningly beautiful photographs, it made me want to visit the Northern Forest at my
first
opportunity. A recommended read, but worth the price just for the pleasure of enjoying the
photography.
Khalifah: A Novel Of Conquest And Personal Triumph
John Elray
Aardwolfe Books
PO Box 471, Aiea, HI 96701-0471
ISBN: 0970777620, Pages: 315, $14.95, www.amazon.com
"Khalifah" is a fictional novel based on historical events set in the mid-east. The time period is
from
632 A.D. to 661 A.D., Islam is in turmoil as the once unified peoples have scattered and become
predominantly a culture of multiple warring tribes. The book is written from the Muslim point of
view and includes descriptive details of the violence that was common during that time period.
The
story line is filled with intrigue and treachery as various factions of the Arab groups vie for power
and Mu'awiya is caught up in the events of the time. If you want to understand the customs and
mind-set of Islam during that period of time, John Elray does a masterful job of bringing the
reader
into the daily life and frustrations of the military actions and deceit that were common then.
With well-developed characters and a good story line it is a recommended read with the following
reservations. First, this is a novel about very turbulent times and includes a lot of violence. If you
don't like violence in your reading then this is not for you. My second concern is that readers
understand that this is a fictional novel based on historical events at the beginning of the rise of
Islam. The reader should enjoy the book as a novel and as a window to understanding that time
period, not as a political commentary of modern day Islam. If you are able to do so then you will
find it an interesting read.
Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, 2003-2004
Jeff Herman
Prima Publishing
PO Box 1260, Rocklin, CA 95677
ISBN: 076153735X, Pages: 892, $24.95, www.amazon.com
"Writer's Guide to Book Editors, Publishers, and Literary Agents, 2003-2004: Who They Are!
What
They Want! and How to Win Them Over" is the Bible of resource and reference guides to book
editors, publishers, and agents. I've reviewed several other guides and many of them are both
good
and useful, but this one is different. If you only purchase one writer's guide to publishers this is the
one that you will want. It not only provides the publisher's name, address, and phone number, but
who should be contacted for each particular type of submission, the type of submissions they are
looking for, and examples of items they have published in the past. For agents it includes their
address and phone number as well as their educational background, career history, hobbies and
other
profile information. Thoroughly researched and well documented, it is the best book you can
purchase if you are a new writer seeking to get published or an experienced writer seeking to
change
agents or publishers.
The Wealthy Spirit: Daily Affirmations for Financial Stress Reduction
Chellie Campbell
Sourcebooks, Inc.
PO Box 4410, Naperville, IL 60567
ISBN: 157071777X, Pages: 384, $16.95, www.amazon.com
Daily Affirmations are just that - affirmations. Their purpose is to be uplifting and motivating to
the
reader. Hopefully, they change the reader's attitude over time and make their life better by
applying
the affirmations. Applying? Yes, if you plan to just read this book and expect your life to change
you
will be disappointed. It does include some wise advice like not waiting for your ship to come in
but
instead sending out ships of your own. This involves action. If the affirmations are what you need
to
keep you on track and moving forward then this will be a great book for you. Of course, there is
more to this book than just affirmations. It is designed for the reader to read a page a day. Each of
these pages starts with a very applicable quote (which I found more motivating than the
affirmations). The quote is followed by a story, advice, explanation, life application of the thought
of
the day, or similar text. Then the page is concluded with the affirmation for the day. While I did
not
particularly like many of the affirmations and found some of them patronizing, I did enjoy some of
them. To me the value of the book is in each page's very appropriate quote and the rest of the
page
right up to the affirmation. Others may find the affirmations valuable. A very good book that I
have
no hesitations recommending, it was a joy to read.
The Water's Edge
Authors: Virginia Bailey Parker
Snowy Creek Press
PO Box 87555, Canton, MI 48187-0555
ISBN: 097034970X, Pages: 363, $18.95, www.amazon.com
"The Water's Edge" is a historical novel set in the 1600's in England and the fledgling colonies of
the
New World. For those who enjoy a storyline that follows a family or group of families through
their
daily life this will be a great read. The book follows three families from England to the American
colonies as they seek a better life. Using the vehicle of a historical novel Virginia Parker does a
masterful job of showing the complex relationships between the Quakers, the Puritans, the
Indians,
profit seekers, and those whose primary purpose was religious conversion. The reader comes to
understand the difficulties of life in the colonies and many of the problems and triumphs to be had
there. Become a part of the families as you live their hopes, their dreams, and their realities. A
well-done, recommended book for anyone who enjoys fiction based on historical events.
On The Line
Denise I. O'Neal
Banbury Publishing, Inc.
36148 North Banbury Court, Gurnee, Il 60031
ISBN: 0970600739, Pages: 343, $16.95, www.amazon.com
"On the Line" is the story of Cassius "Cash" Rivers, a fireman with the Chicago Fire Department.
With several public relations problems, the firemen need a new union representative, the
department
needs to improve their image, and the mayor needs to make the citizens have faith in his
administration. Of course others also want to run for offices and there is a fair amount of
corruption
within the ranks. Cash Rivers becomes the much-needed hero on the department but his problems
are just starting. Moving up the political ladder from obscurity to being in the public eye he
attracts
his share of well wishers as well as those who would wish him ill or use him to serve their own
purposes.
The book starts out as a rather slow read. It picks up steam around the middle and by the end it is
hard to put down as you are drawn into the morass of plot twists and turns and wondering what
will
happen next. A recommended read that most readers would enjoy if they can persevere through
the
first third of the book. The reward of a good story justifies the perseverance.
Preventing Strategic Gridlock
Pamela S. Harper
Cameo Publications
PO Box 8006, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938
ISBN: 0971573948, Pages: 203 plus Appendices, $19.95, www.amazon.com
Strategic Gridlock - when business strategies and initiatives come to a complete stop because of
persistent organizational problems. Everyone understands the fatal implications of such a problem
but few seem to understand how it comes about and how to get out of one. "Preventing Strategic
Gridlock: Leading Over, Under & Around Organizational Jams to Achieve High Performance
Results" provides an analysis of how seven "roadblocks" cause strategic gridlock and what to do
about them.
The first part of the book goes over each of these roadblocks, what causes them to occur, the
implications of each of them, their symptoms, and how to determine if you are experiencing them.
Each of these chapters has a checklist to help keep out of gridlock, an interpretation section to
define if you are experiencing the roadblock, a set of frequently asked questions, and a series of
checkpoints that define the highlights of the chapter. Together these make the book very useful
for
anyone seeking to avoid gridlock or determine if they are in a gridlock situation.
The second part of the book contains the details of the U.N.L.O.C.K. system to resolve strategic
gridlock. The technique is detailed and illustrated through examples. Throughout the book
multiple
real life scenarios illustrate each concept.
This is a recommended read for anyone experiencing gridlock in their organization or who wants
to
understand gridlock from the root causes to the moving beyond it.
Women Who Do Too Much: How to Stop Doing It All and Start Enjoying Your Life
Patricia Sprinkle
Zondervan
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 0310246377, Pages: 185, $10.99, www.amazon.com
Trying to be everything to everyone causes feelings of frustration, resentment, stress, and fatigue.
How do you do everything you are expected to do and still have time for yourself? The answer is
that sometimes you can't. That is where "Women Who Do Too Much: How To Stop Doing It All
and Start Enjoying Your Life" can help provide solutions.
The book starts with an analysis of why we often do too much. The price you pay for this is a loss
of
your inner peace and happiness. If you want to be at peace and happy you have to stop doing so
many things that you don't necessarily like to do and do more of the things that you want to do,
the
things that bring joy to your life. Of course, that is easy enough to say, but how do you actually
go
about doing it? That is the subject of the remainder of the book.
A serious subject written in a fun and insightful style it is a practical guide based on Biblical
principles. A recommended read for anyone feeling the frustration of too many things to do and
too
little time to do them.
Breakfast With God: Spiritual Food for Every Day
Duncan Banks (Editor), Gerard Kelly (Editor), Roz Stirling (Editor), Simon Hall
Zondervan
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 0310248310, Pages: 371, $14.99, www.amazon.com
Would you like to have a fun and creative way to do a short Bible study each morning? If the
answer
is "yes" then "Breakfast with God" may be the book for you. It contains 366 daily Bible studies
presented in a breakfast metaphor. Each breakfast starts with orange juice - a specific Bible
passage.
After the orange juice you head for the big breakfast - a story related to the passage, a personal
experience, or other guidance for better understanding the verse in today's world. After the big
breakfast is the Continental, a much shorter version of the Big Breakfast for those in a hurry and
don't have the time for the full big breakfast. Finally, the breakfast concludes with coffee - a final
thought to end your breakfast and direct your mind on a positive path for the day. A delightful
book
that presents daily Bible study in a way to make it fun for everyone.
Dad's Everything Book for Daughters: Practical Ideas for a Quality Relationship
John Trent, PhD
Zondervan
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 0310242924, Pages: 186, $12.99, www.amazon.com
Many men have few problems raising their sons, but are completely lost when dealing with a
daughter. "Dad's Everything Book for Daughters" is a book to help dads connect with their
daughters during the pre-teen years and establish the strong relationship that will help both of
them
weather the teen years as well as life as a grown up.
The book is divided into four sections: What Every Girl Needs From her Dad, Tips for
Connecting
With Your Daughter, Connecting from Far Away, and Praying for Your Daughter. By far the
largest
section of the book is the one on Tips for Connecting With Your Daughter. Many of the tips are
items that the author has done with his daughter and found effective. Others are nothing new in
the
area of advice for pre-teen parents. Still others are insightful and offer the sharing of new ideas
that
a caring dad can add to his repertoire of ways to relate to his daughter.
While the author indicates that the book is targeted to the 8 - 12 year old age group many of the
ideas can be used on much younger daughters and people with five-year-old daughters and older
should consider the book. While this book can provide much needed direction to some dads and
at
least a few gems for even the most experienced dads, I might also suggest it's companion book for
moms: "Mom's Everything Book for Daughters". Together they provide a pretty thorough
guidebook to building a strong, personal relationship with your pre-teen daughter.
Mom's Everything Book for Daughters: Practical Ideas for a Quality Relationship
Becky Freeman
Zondervan
5300 Patterson SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530
ISBN: 0310242940, Pages: 185, $12.99, www.amazon.com
"Mom's Everything Book for Daughters: Practical Ideas for a Quality Relationship" is sure to be a
classic on how to develop a close relationship with your pre-teen daughter. It is one of the most
useful and practical books available for building a relationship with girls of this age. What I
particularly liked was that she does not just give you advice such as watching a "chick-flick"
together but goes a step further to list some recommended movies. Instead of giving obscure
advice
like many other relationship books, the author provides specific, definitive ideas.
As you read through it don't miss the highlighted sections on Rave Reviews (suggested additional
materials for the section) or Just for Fun (lots of fun activities for you and your daughter). These
are
the things that separate this book from other similar ones. A highly recommended book, it should
also be read by dads who want to understand their daughter and build a strong relationship.
Championship Writing: 50 Ways to Improve Your Writing
Authors: Paula LaRocque
Marion Street Press, Inc.
PO Box 2249, Oak Park, IL 60304
ISBN: 0966517636, Pages: 206, $18.95, www.amazon.com
"Championship Writing: 50 Ways to Improve Your Writing" is a short course on learning to find
and resolve some of the most common obstacles to good writing. While there is overlap between
some of the fifty items (such as the coverage of pronoun problems in Chapter 15 as well as
Chapter
38) the book is well organized, easy to read, easy to understand, and easy to use.
Of particular value are the numerous examples of each problem and how to resolve specific
instances. When applicable she includes very useful tricks of the trade. For example, whether to
use
"who" or "whom" is easily resolved by a simple substitution trick. One tough problem that many
people wrestle with, one easy trick, and the result is a grammatically correct sentence.
The advice is very good, the writing style fun and not at all academic, and the results are tangible.
A
highly recommended read for anyone struggling with becoming a better writer and especially so
for
those with limited time.
The Dictionary of Concise Writing: 10,000 Alternatives to Wordy Phrases
Robert Hartwell Fiske, Richard Lederer
Marion Street Press
PO Box 2249, Oak Park, IL 60304
ISBN: 0966517660, Pages: 408, $19.95, www.amazon.com
"The Dictionary of Concise Writing" is a thorough examination of how to write tight, well-crafted
prose. The book begins with a section on "Perfectibility of Words" which defines wordiness and
provides various examples of the different types. The following section is "The Imperfectability of
People" which discusses the prevalence and acceptance of wordiness in society.
The extensive dictionary actually begins on page 49. Each listed phrase or word combination is
followed by suggested substitutions, an example using the "wordy" phrase, and the same example
using the correct substitution. If you are wondering if your writing could be more concise or
looking
for a suggestion for a phrase that just doesn't feel right, or just want to learn better writing skills
then
this is the book for you. It is the largest and most useful compendium of excessively wordy
phrases
and practical, workable substitutions that I have had the pleasure of using. It is a highly
recommended purchase for anyone doing any serious writing.
Life is an Attitude: How to Grow Forever Better (2nd Edition)
Dottie Billington Ph.D. Ph.D.
Lowell Leigh Books
27175 SE 27th Street, Sammamish, WA 98075
ISBN: 0967183707, Pages: 276, $12.95, www.amazon.com
We can't always control what happens to us, but we can control how we react to what happens to
us. How things affect us is based on our attitude. This is where the book "Life is an Attitude"
comes
into play. The bottom line is that you determine what kind of life you have and what kind of life
you
will have by your attitude. Even when your life seems out of control, you are still in control of
yourself and your attitude. Of course that is easy enough to say, but we all have baggage in our
lives
and sometimes keeping the correct attitude is not easy.
Each of the 46 chapters of "Life is an Attitude" focuses on one specific aspect of a person's
overall
attitude. At the end of each chapter are exercises and suggestions on how to incorporate that
aspect
into your life. And if that is not enough, the book contains multiple very appropriate thought
provoking quotes. As you work through the book you learn that you are in control of your life
and
how to keep in control and happy. Although several parts of the book show that it was written for
an adult audience (maybe late thirties or older) it is still a recommended read for anyone.
1000 Symbols: What Shapes Mean in Art and Myth
Rowena and Rupert Shepherd
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
ISBN: 0500283516, Pages: 352, $24.95, www.amazon.com
"1000 Symbols" is an extensive compendium of symbols from around the world. What makes this
book unique from other books on symbols is the worldwide approach. A specific symbol can
mean
widely differing things in different cultural contexts and the authors do a wonderful job of
examining
each interpretation. Each symbol has a number that is cross-referenced to the index at the
beginning
of the book making them easy to find. In addition, the symbols are categorized into eight general
categories for easy browsing. The categories are Heaven and Earth, Characters and People, Body
and Actions, Living Creatures, Mythical Beasts, Flowers, Plants and Trees, Objects and Artefacts,
and Abstracts. Each of these categories is also subdivided.
Each of the symbols discussed has a line drawing of the symbol along with a detailed description
of
what the symbol meant to different groups, how it is used today, various ways it was drawn, etc.
If
you want to know about the various symbols that surround us this is an excellent place to find
out.
A highly recommended reference for anyone interested in symbols.
Beyond Juggling: Rebalancing Your Busy Life
Authors: Kurt Sandholtz, Brooklyn Derr, Kathy Buckner, Dawn Carlson
Berrett-Koehler Publishers
235 Montgomery St., Ste 650, San Francisco, CA 94104
ISBN: 1576751309, Pages: 225 plus index, $16.95, www.amazon.com
It's a problem almost everyone faces today, how do you balance work, home, pleasure, church,
and
other obligations so you are not completely overwhelmed? "Beyond Juggling: Rebalancing Your
Busy Life" provides a realistic approach to getting your life under control.
The authors provide five alternatives to trying to juggle multiple commitments: Alternating,
Outsourcing, Bundling, Techflexing and Simplifying. Each one of these alternatives is examined in
detail with a description of what it is and is not, an aptitude test to determine if it is an appropriate
option for you, and descriptions of the trade-offs for each option.
The last part of the book contains a self-assessment that helps you determine the strategy that you
are currently using, the ones that best fit your personal style, what will work now with your
present
career and life-stage and what will be needed in your future as your needs and circumstances
change.
This is simply the best book on balancing your life obligations that I have read to date.
Immediately
useful, highly practical, it is a highly recommended read for anyone seeking balance in life.
Expect the Unexpected or You Won't Find It: A Creativity Tool Based on the Ancient Wisdom of
Heraclitus
Roger von Oech
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
ISBN: 1576752275, Pages: 196, $12.95, www.amazon.com
"Expect the Unexpected or You Won't Find It" is a collection of thirty of Heraclitus' epigrams
along
with an examination of some of their different facets. Heraclitus was a Greek scholar who
answered
many of life's questions with comments that were purposely designed to be obscure. This forced
the
recipient to think creatively to find their answer. Many of them contain internal paradoxes and so
part of the creative process is figuring out the paradox and how it applies to your situation.
As Roger von Oech goes through each of the thirty selected epigrams he includes some of the
ways
that they can be interpreted, ways that they have been interpreted in the past, anecdotes, jokes,
and
riddles that illustrate the epigram and other ways of illuminating just how deep these pieces of
wisdom are. Does he give a complete explanation of how they can be interpreted? No, because
that
is part of the design of these epigrams, they can be applied to different circumstances and product
different but still correct answers. His illustrations are there to open your mind to the creative
possibilities that lie hidden within just a few wise words.
Some of these I have heard in the past such as "You can't step into the same river twice". Others
are
less common but just as full of wisdom such as "On a circle, an end point can also be a beginning
point". If you want a book that expands your creative mind and also shows you how to break out
of
old patterns of thinking in any situation, then this is the book for you. Well written and sure to
point
the reader to new directions of thinking, it is a highly recommended read.
Alpine Achievement: A Chronicle of the United States Disabled Ski Team
Lori J. Batcheller
1st Books Library
2595 Vernal Pike, Bloomington, IN 47404
ISBN: 0759684545, Pages: 117 plus multiple expansive appendices, $14.50,
www.amazon.com
"Alpine Achievement" is not only a chronicle of the United States Disabled Ski Team but also a
complete history of disabled skiing. In tracing the history of disabled skiing the author goes back
to
the end of World War II. Many Europeans lost limbs during the war and found that they could no
longer ski the mountain passes of the Alps. Out of this need came inventive ways for the disabled
to
ski. The book discusses some of the problems and solutions at that time and then follows the
evolution of adaptive skiing equipment. Eventually, as equipment allowed skiers to move at
speeds
of 65 miles per hour and greater, the United States put together a team for the disabled Olympics.
The book chronicles the ski team as they move from the beginnings of the competition to become
the number one disabled ski team in the world.
This is a wonderful mix of history, biography, and encouragement that is well written and keeps
the
readers interest throughout. At the end are multiple appendices of information such as a glossary,
roster of the team members, description of the classification system, list of adaptive ski programs
around the United States, adaptive equipment suppliers, and more. It is a highly recommended
read
and a portion of each book sale is used to support a member of the US Disabled Ski Team.
VO: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-Over Actor
Harlan Hogan
Allworth Press
10 East 23rd Street, New York, NY 10010
ISBN: 1581152493, Pages: 249, $19.95, www.amazon.com
"VO: Tales and Techniques of a Voice-Over Actor" discusses the experiences of Harlan Hogan
and
what he has learned from years as a Voice-Over Actor". What exactly is Voice-Over? Voice-Over
includes a lot of situations from giving a voice to a robot or cartoon character to reading narrative
scripts to translating a movie from one language to another to reading books onto tape or other
media and many more. The Voice-Over industry is not one that is highly publicized but is growing
in
the current marketplace. With the ability of the Internet to deliver speech as part of a presentation
it
is sure to grow more and more over the years, as companies need people to read slide
presentation
scripts and other forms of advertising and information presentation.
This is an insider's guide to the industry and what it takes to become a Voice-Over actor. For
anyone
interested in Voice-Over acting this is a very informative book and gives a realistic picture of the
pros and cons of the industry. A guidebook of what to expect as well as how to enter and grow in
the industry, it is a recommended read.
University of Psychogenic Fugue: A Course Catalog for Students of Life
Tye R. Farrell and Jeffrey Morrow
Meteorite Press
1730 New Brighton Blvd. #104-271, NE Minneapolis, MN 55413
ISBN: 097170600X, Pages: 235, $17.95, www.amazon.com
Anyone who has attended college or looked at a college catalog will laugh out loud as they
browse
through the course catalog for the "University of Psychogenic Fugue". A totally fictitious
university
the satirical catalog includes a history of the college, course listings and descriptions, clubs,
awards,
crime statistics, admissions information and everything else that you would expect in a real college
catalog.
A good example of the strength of the satirical style would be the Hysterical Blindness Award. A
student scholarship, it is awarded to two students who "simply convince themselves that the world
doesn't have any problems. Award is very similar to how the United States of America refuses to
officially recognize the nuclear capabilities of countries it doesn't like." Or perhaps a little
information on one of the clubs would be a better illustration. How about the Future Corporate
Raiders of America? They "conduct hostile take-overs of other campus groups, fire all the old
members and sell their club equipment back to the University. Predatory instinct and lack of
humanity required."
A thoroughly enjoyable read it is highly recommended for those that enjoy satire and parody. Pick
up a copy today and have a good laugh at a course catalog for real life.
Jodi: The Greatest Love Story Ever Told
Richard M. Brodsky
Trebloon Publications
PO Box 156, Lawrence, NY 11559
ISBN: 0971542309, Pages: 256, $21.95, www.amazon.com
An intimate portrait of a closely-knit family dealing with the specter of AIDS, "Jodi: The Greatest
Love Story Ever Told" is a testament to the writer's wife and the love that she continues to show.
Richard Brodsky was a successful architect with a loving family. Everything was going perfectly
in
his life, including successfully keeping his bisexual tendencies secret from his family, until he
found
out that he had AIDS. What follows is his struggle to tell his wife and his family about it as well
as
how they all work together to keep their family whole. It's hard to read through the book without
feeling compassion for Richard and his family. A strongly moving book that portrays the strength
of
a family the way a family should be - compassionate, loving, forgiving, and whole. A
recommended
read.
The News about the News
Leonard Downie, Jr and Robert G. Kaiser
Alfred A. Knopf
201 East 50th Street, New York, NY
ISBN: 0375408746, Pages: 292, $25.00, www.amazon.com
Two veteran reporters of the Washington Post have pooled their talents to produce "The News
about the News". Leonard Downie, Jr. and Robert Kaiser provide a detailed analysis of the
problems
with news today and how it got into the current condition. They take the position that the news
used
to be about good journalism but today the emphasis is on making a profit. How does one make a
profit in the media business? Well the surest way is to make it entertaining. Could this be why
there
is a minimum of international reporting in the news today and an expansive reporting of the social
life of celebrities? Downie and Kaiser argue persuasively that it is. When the focus is on increasing
shareholder value then the method is to increase subscriptions or viewer share. The way to do this
is
to provide information that the purchasers or viewers want to see.
The whole situation reminds me of a conversation with a history book publisher when he was
asked
about the fact that the history book for middle school students had so many errors he stated that
they are in the business to sell books and not to supply correct history texts. School Boards
generally have parents that help select the textbooks for the system to use and so they print
history
the way the parents want it portrayed. It does not matter if it is correct, what matters is that it is
accepted by as many schools as possible. This seems to be somewhat the same attitude of today's
news media. While what they state may or may not be correct, it is often highly biased and hard
news is often left out in favor of news of minimal value. Apparently the current direction of news
is
to entertain more than it is to inform.
Downie and Kaiser make a point that unbiased, hard reporting will also sell papers and increase
viewers. There are people who want a complete picture of the news and they will tune in to a
news
broadcast that is less entertainment and more informational. They note that fewer and fewer
people
are tuning into the news as the broadcasters scramble to try to increase their market share of a
declining pool. What they don't note is the effect that things like cable television have had. I know
many, many people who have come to tune into the BBC News Channels so that they can get a
decent news broadcast and actually know what is going on in the world. Perhaps the pool of
people
who are watching the news is increasing, but the group of people who watch it for entertainment
purposes is decreasing.
"The News about the News" is a recommended read for anyone interested in what goes on behind
the scenes at the news or a brief survey of how news has changed over the last twenty years. Well
written in a style that is easy to read it is sure to dismay those still naive enough to think that the
news is reported in an unbiased and complete manner. But the authors hold out hope that as the
media realizes that it can also make money with hard-hitting and informational news it may start
the
pendulum swing back to good journalism. We can all certainly hope so.
Coping With Uncertainty: 10 Simple Solutions
Bruce Eimer, Ph.D. and Moshe S. Torem, M.D.
New Harbinger Publications
5674 Shattuck Ave., Oakland, CA 94609
ISBN: 1572242965, Pages: 137, $11.95, www.amazon.com
If there is one thing that is for certain it is that there will always be uncertainty in our lives. In
"Coping With Uncertainty: 10 Simple Solutions" the authors provide the reader with a framework
for dealing with uncertainty. Often with uncertainty comes feelings of vulnerability, loss of
control,
depression, and fear. The ten solutions offered are 1) Accept Uncertainty as Part of Life, 2)
Evaluate
Your Real Risks, 3) Change Obsessive Thoughts, 4) Restore Inner Harmony, 5) Release Tension,
6)
Improve Your Tolerance for Frustration, 7) Develop Healthy Self-Acceptance, 8) Learn to
Forgive,
9) Connect with Others and Create Meaning, and 10) Learn to Be Flexible. As you can see they
are
not really ten separate solutions, but ten principles for a complete solution. Each chapter covers
one
of the ten solutions in detail and how to apply it in life.
Although at 137 pages it is a fairly small book compared to others of this genre it is tightly written
with very little fluff. Written by professionals in the field of psychology and based on years of
experience it is a recommended read for anyone having difficulty dealing with uncertainty.
Secrets in the Fields: The Science and Mysticism of Crop Circles
Freddie Silva
Hampton Roads Publishing, Inc.
1125 Stoney Ridge Road, Charlottesville, VA 22902
ISBN: 1571743227, Pages: 332, $19.95, www.amazon.com
In "Secrets in the Fields: The Science and Mysticism of Crop Circles" Freddie Silva provides a
thorough examination of Crop Circles. While his investigations over the years has lead him to the
conclusion that they are of supernatural origin he does not shy away from examining the issue of
other possible causes and provides a strong argument for his position.
The text is very thorough and provides one of the most extensive analyses of crop circles that I
have
ever read. Analysis of the history of crop circles is exhaustive as is the analysis of fraudulent crop
circles and mathematical relationships within the crop circles. While the arguments and analysis
was
generally very convincing and well laid out I had some difficulty accepting some of the
mathematical
analysis as being significant. For example, he looks at geographic patterns and discusses the
relationship between the shapes and other geometric shapes. One contains a hexagon and another
various triangular patterns, etc. and these are significant. Well if it is a geometric shape then
several
of these relationships are going to exist by definition of it being a geometric shape. It is kind of
like
making a big deal out of a circle with four tangent lines that form a square around the outside of
the
circle and making the observation that if you bisect the square at any point it also bisects the
circle...
well that is by definition of the shapes in question. So, while he seems to go a little too far in
seeing
those relationships he also does one of the best jobs that I have ever come across in refuting the
case
for true crop circles being created by people. A detailed and fascinating read, I would highly
recommend it to anyone interested in crop circles.
Better Homes And Gardens New Cook Book, 12th Edition
Authors: Jennifer Darling (Editor)
Meredith Books
1716 Locust Street, Des Moines, IA
ISBN: 0696212900, Pages: 574, $29.95, www.amazon.com
I have to admit that the most beat-up, stained, and abused book that I have in my house has
always
been a Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book. The 12th Edition of this wonderful cookbook will
be
no exception. The newest version has hundreds of new recipes and an entire chapter on crockery
cooking.
For those of you who are frustrated with cookbooks that only have sections for appetizers, main
dishes, beverages, and desserts you will be thrilled with the organization of this cookbook. It is
divided into multiple sections so you can easily find an appropriate recipe. The sections include
Cooking Basics, Appetizers and Snacks, Beans, Rice, and Grains, Beverages, Breads, Cakes,
Candies, Canning and Freezing, Cookies, Crockery Cooking, Desserts, Eggs and Cheese, Fish
and
Shellfish, Grilling, Meat, Pasta, Pies and Tarts, Poultry, Salads and Dressings, Sauces and
Relishes,
Soups and Stews, and Vegetables and Fruits.
I particularly liked the section on cooking basics which covers such topics as equipment,
appliances,
tips, time tested secrets, a glossary, information on seasonings, nutrition basics, food safety and
storage, meal planning, and even place settings.
Unlike other books that indicate a preparation time of an hour for a recipe and then in the recipe
itself indicate that it takes another three to cook it, there is full disclosure of time to prepare the
recipe. The total recipe time is divided into section such as preparation time, cook time, chill time,
etc. so you know exactly how much time it will take to complete the recipe. Recipes that are
quick
to prepare or low fat or no fat are marked with a colored rectangle so they are easy to spot in the
recipe section or the index.
As with all cookbooks, if possible get the hardcover version as it will wipe off easier and make
sure
it is at least spiral bound if not ring bound so that it will lay flat. The preference is for ring bound
because you can take a page out if necessary and just use the page as a reference instead of trying
to
find a place in the kitchen for the whole book while cooking. Clear instructions, many illustrations
and photographs, and just plain delicious recipes you can't go wrong with the Better Homes and
Gardens New Cook Book. While I have several specialty cookbooks, this is the standard you will
find in more homes than any other cookbook. A highly recommended purchase, this book should
be
in every home.
Harold McFarland
Reviewer
Rose's Bookshelf
What's the highest compliment you can pay a book, other than buying it? Don't just read it.
Display
it with pride in your living room, using that book to show off your taste. Coffee table books
inform
everyone who visits your home what you value. Books like the following will do you proud.
Stupid White Men ...and Other Sorry Excuses for the State of the Nation!
Michael Moore
Regan Books
c/o HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
ISBN: 0060392452, $24.95 ($14.97 at Amazon.com), 304 pgs., 1-800-242-7737
Let's start that coffee table decor with a political book and a personal confession. While the nation
mourned the events of September 11, I was mourning something worse: Election 2000. Gore won
that election, not Bush. (After election 2002, I'm in mourning all over again, but that's a different
story.)
It wasn't until I read Moore's book that I realized I wasn't just a sore loser. Nor am I the only
American to believe that the Bush "victory" should be investigated, rather than accepted. Moore
makes a strong case that Dubya and his cronies took over the nation illegally, with actions that
constituted a non-violent coup. In fact, Moore has started me reading a British newspaper, the
Guardian, over the Internet, as a more objective source of political news than you'll find in
American
papers. (Check it out at www.guardian.co.uk/guardian/)
Many other questions are successfully raised in this book. The offensive, if attention-grabbing
title,
for instance, turns out to be less a racist put-down than it might seem. Rather than slamming
white
men, Moore is urging readers of all ethnic backgrounds to question lingering prejudice we might
have about black men; something he does with absurdity, relentless humor and compelling logic,
causing me to revisit an area that I thought I had come to terms with. Know what? In his wacky
way, Michael was right once again.
Try keeping his book on your coffee table. Read it in small doses, because even the author
wouldn't
claim he is easy to take. And you won't agree with everything in this collection of tirades. Still,
you
and your friends will laugh. You'll squirm. You'll think. And that's the purpose of this book by
muckraking Michael Moore.
The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World
Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D.
Workman Publishing Company
708 Broadway, New York, NY 10003-9555
ISBN: 0-7611-2369-5, $14.95, 330 pg., 1-800-722-7202
Chances are one in four that you belong to the much maligned Introvert Club. Personally, I don't,
being an Outie as much as an Innie, according to the self-assessments in this fabulous
how-to.
Even so, the book was a revelation. It has taught me more about my husband and myself than
anything else I've read in the past 10 years! Keep it on your coffee table to save the psychic lives
of
friends who are all- or part-introvert.
Information includes a history of how introverts came to be maligned by psychologists (of all
people!), discussion of how temperament works, and an account of the different ways that brains
can be wired for introverts and extroverts (including science explained so clearly that even I could
understand it, no small feat). Most valuable of all, the psychologist-author gives extraordinarily
valuable insights for those who have introvert tendencies. I can't resist quoting a sample, from
page
52: Introverts Are Unseen
[Sometimes] comments made by introverts have more depth than the general level of the
conversation; because this may make people feel uncomfortable, they ignore the comment. Later
another person may say the same thing and receive a great response. The introverted person feels
unseen. It's frustrating and confusing for them.
Can you relate? Then you'll love this book. And imagine, if you keep a book this perceptive on
your
coffee table, what wonderful guests might be attracted to your living room!
Nature's Palette: Art Through a Photographer's Eyes
Michael Thomas Impellizzeri
IM Publishing
3855 Cape Cole Blvd., Punta Gorda, FL 33955
ISBN: 096584272X, $27.95, 160 huge pages with 148 full-color photos, www.amazon.com
You and I are spoiled, visually. Beautiful images bombard us through the media, thousands of
them
every day. Then there's the little matter of reality, with all the gorgeous things it could show is, if
we
were to stop and pay attention.
Michael Thomas Impellizzeri has managed to combine both categories. His images and
accompanying text are more than gorgeous. They'll start you seeing things differently.
* A meticulously blurry image of Mt. Rushmore, for instance, is captioned "Time Passes By."
*Even the redoubtable Georgia O'Keeffe, if she lived today, might learn something from the
melting
golden hues in Impellizzeri's flower photo called "Floral Paint."
* And "Preening Time" displays one of the best-dressed ducks you've ever seen in Annapolis.
(Seriously, the picture is both visually arresting and funny, as waves break up the reflection of a
duck's grooming ritual. If I had a teenage girl, I'd be tempted to frame this plate from the book
and
hang it in her bathroom, just to help her lighten up about the self-beautification process.)
Actually, you might want to buy two copies of this fabulous book. Keep one to rip up. Frame a
dozen of the photos to redecorate your home. Then place the other book on your coffee table to
entertain and inspire your visitors. This photographer's vision turns out to be more contagious
than
pinkeye.
Fun Foods for Kids & Grownups
Linda Davis Kyle
Blueberry Press
11900 Metric Blvd., Ste. J, Pmb 122, Austin TX 78758-3117
ISBN 0-9673651-1-2, $17.95 + $3.95 shipping, 124 pg., www.blueberrypress.com
Spiral bound, gorgeous color photos. Portion of profits donated to Prevent Blindness Texas
Another art book, this one combines gorgeous photos, healthy recipes and sumptuous ideas about
good nutrition. If you've ever tried to get your child to eat fruit and veggies without McJunk, this
book is for you. Davis Kyle, a nutrition writer with creative ideas galore, has cooked up a
fascinating batch of recipes. They carry names like "Pepper Treasure Chest" and "Kiwi Flying
Saucers."
Part craft project, part foodie's delight, part nutritional reference book and part game, Fun Foods
on
your coffee table will make you look good in more ways than one.
Soul Sisters: The Five Sacred Qualities of a Woman's Soul
Pythia Peay
Penguin Putnam
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
ISBN 1-58542-162-6, $16.95, 242 pages, 1-800-847-5515
Local writer Pythia Peay really did write what her book is called on the cover: "An Inspirational
Workbook for Women."
Those words turned me off initially. I thought, "Here we go again. Another crass attempt to
capitalize on the need so many women feel for true spiritual community."
Was I ever wrong. Peay's book is a labor of love, filled with quotes and stories that this appealing
author has clearly spent years researching.
And what a looker her book is, too! As someone who just finished the four-month labor of
typesetting my latest book, I must to compliment the book designer. Few books today are put
together this beautifully. An enormous amount of care, skill and (one suspects) love went into the
making of this how-to. No wonder I'm recommending it as a coffee table book.
You'll even find suggestions for starting your own Soul Sister Circle. Take one evening a month
to
form what Peay calls "an emotional 'ecosystem' that nurtures women, their loved ones and
society."
Sound good to you, ladies? Think of the fascinating new friends who could gather with you
around.
your coffee table.
Rose Rosetree
Reviewer
Harwood's Bookshelf
The Real Jesus
Luke Timothy Johnson
Harper San Francisco
353 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA 94111
$12.60 from Barnes & Noble
The Real Jesus is a vicious ad hominem attack on the 200 scholars of the Jesus Seminar, and an
irrational and incompetent rejection (I cannot dignify it with the designation of a rebuttal) on the
Seminar's finding that only eighteen percent of the words attributed to Jesus in the Christian
gospels
were actually spoken by him.
Johnson is a theologian, meaning a practitioner of a discipline that starts from predetermined
conclusions and then distorts the evidence to whatever degree is necessary to make it fit. He takes
the position that every word in the gospels is literal truth, presumably including Matthew's nativity
myths that could be true only if Jesus was born during the lifetime of King Herod, and Luke's
birth
tales that could be true only if Jesus was born precisely ten years after Herod's death, as well as
Matthew's account of the Satan taking Jesus to the top of a mountain so high that he could see the
entire surface of the earth-a physical impossibility on a sphere. In other words, to Johnson and the
brain amputees who similarly follow the party line, the earth really is as flat as Matthew believed,
and Jesus was born ten years before he was conceived.
A legitimate biblical scholar might read such drivel to reassure himself that he is not ignoring
evidence that maybe the earth really is flat. But having done so he would certainly not include it in
a
bibliography. The conclusions of the Jesus Seminar may not be one hundred percent accurate, but
at
least they are based on competent evaluation of the evidence, as The Real Jesus assuredly is not.
Persons who maintain that biblical literalism is a form of insanity are bound to cite The Real Jesus
as
strong supporting evidence for that conclusion. If Luke Johnson is a biblical scholar, then so is
Homer Simpson.
Ecohumanism
Robert B. Tapp
Prometheus
ISBN 1-57392-937-9, 333 pp., hc, $29
Only a handful of Ecohumanism's eighteen chapters make any useful or valid points. David Shafer,
after spelling out the certainty of the extermination of the universe in a few billion years, either by
heat loss through neverending expansion, or "inconceivably high temperatures not seen since the
Big
Bang" in a gravitation-induced Big Crunch, writes (p. 127), "So, for the Humanist, time is not on
our side, and unless we are permanently lucky, sooner or later the likelihood is that we, and all life
with us, will yield up forever the joys of existence in favor of total extinction. But why should we
rush it?" In other words, Earth will be uninhabitable in billions of years, but that is no excuse for
making it uninhabitable by air, water and population pollution within the foreseeable future.
Similarly, Gerald Larue echoes Thomas Malthus and Isaac Asimov in making the point (pp.
189-190) that, "Nevertheless it has now become clear that the irresponsible breeding of children,
without plans or means for their support and education, is both immoral and unethical and
contributes to the spread of hunger and malnutrition, particularly among women and children and
the aged. Two hundred million children go to bed hungry every night. There is no estimate of how
many elderly go to bed hungry each night.... Without education and without the widespread use of
birth control, world population will continue to expand and the number of impoverished elderly
will
grow proportionately."
Unfortunately, those are not the chapters with which this book begins, and there is a serious
danger
that many readers will give up before reaching them. I have no idea whether Ecohumanism's first
four chapters are written in psychobabble, sociobabble, theobabble, Faculty of Education
doubletalk,
or Etruscan. Perhaps they were intended as a primer for Gibberish 101?
Ninety percent of the book's value is to be found in the chapter, "The Impact of Population on
Ecology," by John M. Swomley. He writes (pp. 167-168), "The World Health Organization
estimates that 585,000 women die each year during pregnancy and childbirth. 'The death toll,'
according to World Watch, 'underestimates the magnitude of the problem. For every maternal
death
as many as thirty women sustain oftentimes crippling and lifelong health problems related to
pregnancy.' Moreover, many of these deaths and lifelong health problems could have been
prevented
by access to family planning services and safe, legal abortions.
"It is not only the deaths of thousands of women that make this a culture of death, but the
projected
deaths of some 23 million Africans because of the spread of HIV and the failure of governments
to
control it. The Vatican has also strongly opposed any funding of condoms to prevent the spread
of
these diseases."
After acknowledging that a big reason for continuing population growth is that more than forty
percent of the present population are in or entering their prime breeding years, Swomley argues
(pp.
165-166) that, "A second reason is the Vatican's persistent campaign for more births. This is
evident
in its worldwide opposition to contraceptive birth control and to abortion, but also in the direct
appeals of the Pope.... In the early 1980s, Pope John Paul II came to Nairobi and counseled
Kenyans, whose population at that time was the fastest growing in Africa, probably in the world,
to
'be fruitful and multiply.' The New York Times reported, 'In preparation for next month's Earth
Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Vatican diplomats have begun a campaign to try to insure that the
gathering's conclusions on the issue of runaway population growth are not in conflict with Roman
Catholic teaching on birth control.' Time magazine reported: 'In response to the concerns of the
Vatican, the Reagan administration agreed to alter its foreign aid program to comply with the
church's teaching on birth control.' President Bush also blocked all U.S. funding for the United
Nations Population program."
Ecohumanism, and particularly Swomley's chapter, makes clear that the greatest crime against
humanity ever committed, the intentional furthering of the human race's inability to feed itself as a
consequence of overpopulation, can be laid directly at the feet of a handful of identifiable
criminals:
the feebleminded gangster in the Vatican, and the succession of Republican morons in the White
House, who between them have already murdered more than twenty million human beings by
starvation, malnutrition and disease, and if not stopped will double or triple that number.
Norman Spinrad wrote in Greenhouse Summer, "Greater than the courage to do right in the face
of
danger or adversity was the courage to commit a lesser evil to prevent a greater. And if the evil
that
needed preventing was the ultimate one, the death of all living things, then any means were
justified
to accomplish that end-anything at all." If there is no other way to save the human race from
extermination, and certainly I can see no other, then to send the message that anthropocide will
not
be tolerated, it may be necessary to put Karyl Wojtyla and George W. Bush on trial before the
World Court for attempted anthropocide, and execute them, naked and without facemasks, on
live
television in South American prime time. Is there another solution? Perhaps. Or perhaps not.
Joshua, The Man They Called Jesus
Ian Jones
Thomas Lothian, Publisher
11 Munro Street, Port Melbourne, Victoria 3207, Australia
ISBN 0-7344-0234-1, 313 pp, ppb, $19.95 from BN.com
The back cover of Joshua, The Man They Called Jesus, quotes glowing reviews by an Anglican
bishop and a rabbi. That was an early warning that Jones's book would be a whitewash of a
prototype Khomeini, sufficiently politically correct not to offend the terminally ignorant. I was
being
too optimistic. Jones's gullible, unlearned evaluation of five (including the Gospel of Thomas)
fantasy novels has produced the closest approximation to "Jesus in the Twilight Zone" since The
Passover Plot. His speculations are indefensible, his logic is flawed, and his facts are plain
wrong.
Jones does start with an interesting anecdote. When it occurred to him to write a biography of
Jesus,
he asked a chaplain where he could find relevant documents. The chaplain answered that the
Christian gospels would tell him everything he needed to know. So he asked, "Imagine I told you
about three books that said Ned Kelly [an executed psychopathic murderer who has become an
Australian folk hero] was the finest man who ever lived, that he never did anything bad, that he
wasn't really a criminal and that these books were written by Dan Kelly, Joe Byrne and Steve
Hart.
You'd say, 'But these were the members of Ned Kelly's gang! Of course they'd say that!'" The
point
Jones was making was that (as he believed), the gospels were written by members of Jesus' gang.
In
fact the gospels were written by persons who were either unborn or children when Jesus died. But
it
still makes a good argument against fundamentalists who believe the gospels were written by
eyewitnesses.
Jones writes (pp. 103-104), "Frustratingly, neither Matthew, Mark nor Luke tells of the first
miracle
[turning water into wine], that first occasion when Joshua felt empowered or even impelled to
become an instrument of God's might .... Only John shows Jesus performing a first miracle." By
themselves, those sentences cannot be interpreted as evidence that Jones believes Jesus really did
perform miracles through the power of an imaginary playmate, as opposed to curing
psychosomatic
ailments by the technique alternatively called "faithhealing" and "hypnotism." But when he writes
(p.
108), "God does not break his own laws, though he can certainly use them to stretch the bounds
of
the possible towards the impossible," and on page 277, "For all human beings they [the words,
"Our
Father"] represent the simple key to a relationship with God," the clear implication is that either
Jones believes that the serial killer in the sky exists, or he wants his Christian readers to infer that
he
has such a belief.
Jones quotes the King James translation of the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4), "Hear, O Israel, the
Lord
our god, the Lord is one," which raises the question: What on earth is that supposed to mean?
The
more accurate recent Jewish Tanakh renders the passage, "The Lord is our God, the Lord alone,"
a
clear message to the Jews of the Deuteronomist's time that they were to ignore all of the other
gods
with whom Yahweh shared the flat earth and hemispherical skydome as completely as if they did
not
exist. But even that is a deliberate falsification constructed to suppress the reality that the authors
of
Western religion's sacred books were not monotheists. The only correct translation of the Shema
is
to be found in The Judaeo-Christian Bible Fully Translated (Imprintbooks.com, 2002): "Listen,
Yisrael. Yahweh is our gods [generic plural], Yahweh alone."
Even Jones's "correction" of Jesus to Joshua is wrong. "Joshua" is a clumsy transcription of the
Hebrew name, Yahuwshua, derived from the god-name, Yahuw.
Jones correctly recognizes that the fable of Judas's betrayal is a vicious libel of one of Jesus' most
faithful lieutenants. But in trying to explain the origin of the betrayal myth, he ignores Occam's
razor. The anonymous author of Mark, whose prime purpose in writing his evangelion was to
convince Vespasian that Anointianity (Khristianismos) was a mystery religion like Mithraism, and
not a sub-sect of the Jews with whom the emperor was at war, transformed Jesus' pre-arrest
Seder
into a carbon copy of the Persian god Mithra's Last Supper with twelve followers (there were no
"twelve apostles"), by inserting the sacred cannibalism ritual with which the emperor was familiar.
And since he could not conceal that the Jesus gang had included Zealots and Sicarii, he pretended
that Judas, and by implication all Zealots, was "really" Jesus' enemy and had ultimately betrayed
him
(Mythology's Last Gods, Prometheus 1992, pp. 277-278)
One of Jones's more blatant mistakes is clearly a typo. In the same paragraph that he wrongly
places
Alexander the Great in the third century BCE, he correctly gives Alexander's death date as 323
BCE. No proofreader can catch everything. The Times once reported that, on her way home,
Queen
Victoria "pissed" over London Bridge.
Among Jones's factual errors: He calls the fourth gospel "the most Jewish of all the Gospels." (p.
6)
A theogony that turned a Jewish fanatic into a Greek god the "most Jewish"? Oh come now. He
thinks the author of the fourth gospel also wrote the John letters. (p. 5) No scholar believes that.
He
dates the fourth gospel to the first century. (p. 6) Ditto. "Most accept that John was written by
the
Beloved Disciple," who "at the end of the Gospel is specifically identified as the author." (p 8) In
fact the gospel author makes very clear that he is not the Beloved Disciple, whom he
acknowledges
to be dead at the time of writing. Jones also identifies the Beloved Disciple as the John Mark who
was Paul's fellow missionary. His arguments in support of such identification are, to repeat a
description Jones reported re another pseudo-scholar, "the purest poppycock, the product of
fevered
imagination." (p. 62) And since Paul and John Mark ended their missionary tour more than 70
years
before the composition of John, then unless John Mark was at least ninety years of age when he
wrote, he too was long dead. As for the statement that "The people of Galilee in general, and
Nazareth in particular, were a volatile lot," (p. 123) he clearly is unaware that there was no such
village as Nazareth earlier than the fourth century. When Jesus unleashed his vitriol against the
towns that rejected him as an upstart local boy, there was no "Nazareth" among them, because his
hometown and birthplace was in fact Capernaum.
Jones accepts the historicity, not only of the mythical Star of Bethlehem, but also of the maguses
who followed it to Herod's court, and devotes several pages to demythologizing the biblical
version.
Nonsense. The author of Matthew borrowed the myth from similar folk tales of Abraham, Mithra
and Krishna. He defines Nazarene as "a person from Nazareth." (p. 17) Etymologists are
unanimous
that nazoraios (accusative: nazoraion) cannot possibly mean "from Nazareth." He recognizes the
appointment of a Nazirite Seventy as an opposition Sanhedrin, but accepts the synoptic pretence
that
it was Jesus who appointed a Seventy. It was his brother Jacob who did so, long after Jesus'
death,
and that appointment was in all likelihood the final straw that got Jacob executed. And he twice
describes the Toledoth Yeshu as "medieval." Newsflash! The medieval period is dated from the
fall
of Rome, two centuries after the composition of the Toledoth Yeshu. At least Jones does not
swallow violations of the laws of reality. In commenting on Jesus' cursing of a fig tree, he writes,
(p.
113) "Sometimes Christian authors wished so strongly to present Jesus as being able to employ
supernatural powers that they depicted him as being no better than a god of Greek mythology in a
bad mood."
Jones recognizes that "Luke, like Matthew, seems to have originally written a Gospel that lacked
the
Nativity." But instead of recognizing that the virgin birth was invented by an interpolator, he then
adds, "It is beyond belief that these two chapters were added by a second writer of Luke's talent."
(p
23) What is beyond belief is that the gospel authors would have inserted into their fantasy novels a
myth that was an absolute contradiction of their desperate attempts to prove that Jesus was
descended from King David. And when he says that, "Most scholars accept the account of
Joshua's
prediction [of the Jerusalem temple's destruction] as authentic," his inability to distinguish
between
scholarship and theobabble is clearly revealed. Nobody with a functioning human brain believes
that
the statement put into Jesus' mouth, "Under no circumstances is there going to be one stone left
on
another that isn't torn down," was anything but ex post facto.
But Jones's most indefensible flight of fancy is his contention that Jesus' four brothers were his
disciples, and that two of them, Judas and Simon, were twins, (p. 82) even though the author of
John made clear (7:25) "His brothers had no credulity in him." It was also the John author who
first
identified Thomas as Jesus' twin, for the logical reason that all Greek gods sired on virgins had to
have mortal twins (Herakles and Iphikles, Kastor and Polydeukes). The author of the Gospel of
Thomas later harmonized John with the list of Jesus' brothers named in the synoptics, when he
wrote, "These are the proverbs secretly spoken by Iesous during his life, which his twin Ioudas
Thomas, wrote down." (The Judaeo-Christian Bible Fully Translated, volume 7, p. 271)
Jones does not get everything wrong, or even most. Eighty percent of his book is either accurate
or
at least plausible-and unoriginal. Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of previous biblical analysts have
reached the same conclusions. When he starts by getting his facts right, he usually reaches the
right
conclusions. But his mistakes, ignorance of information anyone claiming the title of scholar should
have located, and speculations based on interpretations so innovative that the failure of any
previous
writer to say the same thing should have sent up a red light, identifies him as, to put it politely, a
well-meaning amateur. He should have stuck to writing about twentieth-century outlaws.
The UFO Mystery Solved
Steuart Campbell
Explicit books
ISBN 0-9521512-0-0, 208 pp., ppb, 11.95 pounds (approx. $18.00) from Amazon.co.uk
"Do UFOs exist? If they do not exist, why do people report them. Can we believe the reports;
indeed can we believe anything? Is human perception reliable, or is it influenced by what we
believe?
Could the UFO myth determine what we see and report? If UFO reports are distorted by the UFO
myth, what is the initial stimulus? In short, what have people really seen?"
Steuart Campbell attempts to answer those questions. He devotes 11 pages to Mathew Arnold's
1947 report of nine aerial objects that flew through the sky, moving like a saucer skimming across
the water, which started the craze. He concludes that what Arnold saw was a mirage image of
nine
mountaintops that appeared to be moving because Arnold was moving. What he does not mention
is
that Arnold continued to report seeing UFOs almost monthly for thirty years.
Campbell similarly analyzes seven other reports, and likewise explains them in far more detail than
a
casual reader will ever want to know. He summarizes his findings as follows:
"Ufoists have made the mistake of attempting to create a science of 'ufology,' claiming that they
are
studying a new phenomenon. However, just because scientists cannot explain every report does
not
mean that a UFO phenomenon exists. Indeed, I have demonstrated that even the most apparently
intractable reports can be explained by existing science. Ufoists have also made the mistake of
calling on scientists to study 'the UFO phenomenon.' Since there is no phenomenon (other than
the
UFO reports themselves), it cannot be studied by scientists or anyone else. Ufoists are pursuing an
imaginary phenomenon."
The definitive debunking of the UFO delusion can be found in the books of Philip J. Klass and
Robert Sheaffer. I found them to be informative, entertaining, and convincing. For all I was able
to
get out of The UFO Mystery Solved, it might as well have been written in Etruscan.
The Loch Ness Monster: The Evidence
Steuart Campbell
Birlinn Limited
West Newington House, 10 Newington Road, Edinburgh EH3 9DQ, UK
ISBN 1-84158-198-4, 114 pp., ppb, available from Amazon.co.uk for 5.99 pounds (US
$12.95)
Of Steuart Campbell's three books, The Loch Ness Monster is the only one that has also been
published in America (by Prometheus), even though it is one of 130 titles carried by Barnes and
Noble on the same subject. It is a detailed evaluation of every photographically supported sighting
of
the loch's alleged denizen since 1933. Campbell offers the most plausible explanation of each, and
concludes that none survives close inspection. While he lists the ancient mythology that has been
retroactively postulated as evidence for Nessie's existence, he finds that, "We see therefore that
there
is no reliable ancient tradition for N[essie], whose origin lies in superstition and confused
zoology."
(p. 2) In other words, Nessie was created by the person who allegedly first saw it in 1933, and
attempts to backdate it have been desperate ploys to reinterpret older fairy tales as early
sightings.
If Nessie exists, then its ancestor must have entered Loch Ness at some time in the past, when
there
was a tunnel from the loch to the open sea. But (p.5), "Since L[och] Ness is 16 m above sea level,
any tunnel large enough to take N would drain the lake down to sea level. There is no tunnel.... It
has not yet been established that L Ness was ever open to the sea, and the likelihood is that it was
not." And for the creature to have survived for centuries, there would have to be a breeding herd
of
at least twenty individuals. But Loch Ness is too cold to support any species of reptile/dinosaur
(p.98), quite apart from the impossibility of the loch being able to feed such a number of large
lifeforms.
Campbell shows that all alleged positive results of sonar, radar and photographic imaging, on
close
inspection, in fact prove to be negative. Not only does the loch not have the capacity to support a
herd of monsters; no legitimate evidence exists that it does contain them. And given the thousands
of
man-hours devoted to loch watching by serious searchers, photographers and tourists, the logical
conclusion is that, if Nessie existed, someone would have proven it by now. Instead, (p. 99), "the
more L Ness is watched the less N shows itself. This is what would be expected if N does not
exist.... The skilled observer sees what the unskilled sees, but knows that it is not N and so does
not
report it."
Campbell concludes (p. 100), "In my view there is absolutely no reason why anyone should
believe
in the existence of lake-monsters." If anyone doubts that conclusion on the basis of any specific
evidentiary claim, the chances are it is one of the dozens of claims that the book examines and
demolishes.
The Rise and Fall of Jesus
Steuart Campbell
Explicit Books
ISBN 0-9521512-1-9, 208 pp, ppb, available from Amazon.co.uk for 8.46 pounds (approx.
$13)
Steuart Campbell maintains that the person best qualified to write a definitive biography of Jesus
is
an ex-Christian. Certainly a Christian cannot do so, for if he had any ability to reach conclusions
compatible with the evidence, he could not remain a Christian. I have met Christians who have
actually read the Bible, yet continue to regard Jesus as a nice guy. That is like reading Mein
Kampf
and continuing to regard Hitler as a nice guy. And someone who has never been Christian would
have little interest in obtaining information about other people's weird beliefs.
I can testify to that. I have no interest whatsoever in writing a rebuttal of Mormonism or Islam,
since
to do so would require me to learn far more about those absurdities than I ever want to know. I
write about the beginnings of Christianity because I was a believer, and the first time I
encountered
the falsifying evidence, I conducted a desperate search for rebuttal evidence (there isn't any).
Campbell is likewise a former Christian, and as such started with sufficient knowledge and interest
in
the Jesus of Churchianity to find further study rewarding, even when it led to the opposite
conclusion to what he had hoped to find.
But mere willingness to go with the evidence is no guarantee of reaching the right conclusions.
Campbell writes of Albert Schweitzer (p. 192), "Contrary to the current view that little in the
Gospels is historical, Schweitzer regarded it as a miracle that so true a record of Jesus has been
preserved." But he then states that Schweitzer "stands above all others who have attempted to
make
sense of the life of Jesus." (p. 193) He adds that his own reconstruction is primarily "based on
Schweitzer." (p.14) But whereas Schweitzer foreshadowed The Passover Plot in concluding that
Jesus conspired to have himself crucified, Campbell proposes that "Jesus rose by his own efforts
and
... planned to continue rising. His fall was not expected and was accidental.... His remains lie
buried
in the earth." (p. 15) In other words, he is dead but Christians refuse to bury him, even though
"Not
a single word of Jesus is of any relevance today." (p. 17)
Campbell fills a 22-page chapter with arguments for Jesus' historicity, compared to my three
pages
in A Humanist in the Bible Belt (1stbooks.com, 2003). While his chain of reasoning is generally
valid, some of it is suspect, and certainly insufficiently convincing to change many minds. He does
use the most logical argument, that too much of Jesus' authorized biography is negative for it to
be
something an admirer would have invented. But he ignores the testimony (and in fact disagrees
with
it) that Jesus was an ugly, deformed man, a description that could only have originated in a
non-Christian source, even though six centuries of Christian apologists conceded the point.
Nonetheless, it is a chapter all purveyors of the "no such person ever existed" school should be
required to read.
Campbell's chapter on Jesus' birth pretty much parallels my own account in Mythology's Last
Gods,
right down to identifying his birthplace as Capernaum. And practically all scholars, both upholders
of
a historical Jesus and deniers, have similarly traced the various birth myths to their pre-Christian
sources. Campbell takes several paragraphs to debunk attempts to "explain" one of Matthew's
borrowings from Hinduism, summarizing, (pp. 48-49) "Astronomy has ignorantly attempted to
explain a problem which does not exist. There never was a Star of Bethlehem." He does not
bother
mentioning that the gospel author, writing a full century after Jesus' birth, knew that he could
safely
make such a preposterous claim, because nobody knew the precise year that Jesus was born and
therefore could not refute the fantasy that it coincided with a spectacular astronomical event.
On many issues, although not any involving absurdities, Campbell is far too credulous. For
example,
he appears to believe that the tax collector Matthew, one of six names invented by the anonymous
author of Mark to round out his mythical Twelve Apostles, was a real person. And he thinks that
a
disciple named John wrote the equally anonymous fourth gospel. Clearly he does not date the
fourth
gospel to the decade 130-138 CE, when the Christians were again trying to dissociate themselves
from the rebellious Jews, as I do. He also accepts the physician Luke as author of the gospel
credited to him, even though Acts contains mistakes no companion of Paul could have made, and
the common authorship of Luke and Acts is reasonably established.
In accepting non-theological scenarios in the fourth gospel as factually based, such as the Beloved
Disciple's adoption of Jesus' mother, his identity as a disciple named John, and Jesus appearing to
turn water into wine, Campbell goes way beyond na‹ve. He writes (p. 116) that, "the only scholar
to
come close to the truth ... suggested that some liquor was poured into the water to give it the
taste
of wine." And Santa Claus comes down the chimney on Mithra's birthday. The fourth gospel
author
transformed Jesus the king into Jesus the god, and backed up that transformation by having Jesus
turn water into wine, as the god Dionysos had done at his wedding to Ariadne. Similarly,
Campbell's
attempt to explain Judas's alleged betrayal as something other than the "Mark" author's desperate
attempt to convince Vespasian that the sicarius among Jesus' lieutenants was "really" his enemy
and
ultimately betrayed him, can be compared with the harmonizers' attempts to equate the Star of
Bethlehem with a real-world phenomenon.
Campbell writes (p. 59), "The epistles of Peter indicate that their author [actually authors] was
familiar with the Septuagint. Would Jesus be more ignorant of Greek than his disciples? Jesus was
literate, perhaps more so than most of his contemporaries. It can have been little trouble for him
to
learn Koine [pidgin Greek].... When Jesus spoke to Gentiles, it can only have been in Koine....
The
evidence is that Jesus was as fluent in Greek as in Aramaic." I disagree on all counts (MLG p.
262)
Campbell also attaches unwarranted credence to the hypothesis that Jesus was not the legitimate
son
of Mary's husband, even though such an allegation was first made a full seventy years after Jesus'
death, by rabbi ben Azzai, as a reaction to the virgin-birth interpolation in Matthew.
By the time of Paul of Tarsus, the neo-Essene sect in Jerusalem was known as Nazoraios, which
Campbell translates as "Nazarenes" rather than "Nazirites," an equally valid rendering if his theory
of
the name's origin is correct. He postulates that the name preceded Jesus, that the Nazarenes were
a
splinter sect led by John the Immerser, whose successor was his cousin Jesus, and Jesus' successor
was his brother Jacob. My view is that the sect's name was derived from "the Nazirite," the title
bestowed on Jesus by his detractors as a mark of scorn, after it changed messiahs from Jesus the
Essene, executed 104 BCE, to Jesus the Nazirite, executed 30 CE (Campbell says 33 CE); that
Jacob was already Head Essene before Jesus' became a public figure (hence his title, "the
Righteous," carried by all successors of the original Righteous Rabbi), and that he went along
with
the change of messiahs as a consequence of Peter's preaching. John was an opposition messiah,
whose sect, called "Immersers," Jesus joined before developing the belief that he was Messiah. He
was certainly not Jesus' relative.
Despite (1) the scene in Mark 10:21 in which Jesus loses a potential convert when he rejects
Jesus'
demand that he, "Go and sell whatever you have and give it to the Paupers"; (2) the passages in
Josephus's Jewish War (2:8 ff.) in which he explains that Essene sects operated on the rule that
"Each man's possessions go into the pool, and their entire property belongs to them all"; (3) the
scene in Acts 4:32-34 in which "Everything they had became communal property, for all who
owned
land or houses sold them and brought the proceeds"; and (4) the existence of a communistic sect
of
Jesus-Jews as late as the fourth century called "Paupers" (ebionim); Campbell gives no
consideration
to the possibility that "the Paupers" to whom Jesus' converts were required to donate their
property,
and the fourth century Paupers, were the same Paupers, i.e., the sect Jesus actually founded.
The foregoing are only a few of the problems I have with this book. Like Burton Mack, Campbell
constructs a scenario that can be neither falsified nor taken seriously. This is one more
reconstruction of Christian origins, neither more nor less plausible than the dozens of others by
scholars whose competence is not in dispute, and certainly not as far out as The Passover Plot or
the
imbecilic The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross. Whether this or any other Jesus biography is
more
credible than the last two chapters of Mythology's Last Gods, the reader will have to decide for
himself.
William Harwood
Reviewer
Roger's Bookshelf
The Business Owner's Guide to Personal Finance: When Your Business is Your Paycheck
Jill Andresky Fraser
Bloomberg Press
100 Business Park Dive, Princeton, NJ 08542-0888
ISBN 1-57660-025-4, $25.95, 305 pages, 1-888-388-2749
The success of any business rests in the checkbook. If the cash flow isn't there, if the revenue isn't
there, the business probably won't be there. Entrepreneurs, especially in start-up mode, are
concerned about sales, cash flow, and profit---on the business side of the ledger. All that is
important, but if the owner doesn't take care of the personal side as well, success will be shallow,
fragile, and fleeting.
Here's a book that gives you more answers than you want to hear. If you're an entrepreneur (own
your own business), you may be in stage 1 (start-up and early days), stage 2 (stable and on a clear
path to profitability) or stage 3 (profitable, stable cash flow, mature). In each phase, you have
personal financial issues as well as corporate finance issues to address. You'll have a lot of
questions
looking for answers.
What better expert to counsel you than the researcher and journalist who gained so much
popularity
as finance editor of Inc. Magazine and editor at Bloomberg Personal Finance. She's been a writer
at
Forbes, the New York Times, and the Wall Street columnist for the New York Observer. As you
can imagine, Jill Fraser knows her topic well. She presents a tremendous amount of highly
valuable
information and advice in succinct doses that always seem to be just the right length. Reading this
book is like sitting in that comfortable chair in your living room chatting with a knowledgeable
friend.
Want more? Fraser has brought a dozen well-known successful entrepreneurs to the party. They
share their perspectives throughout the book, in focused commentary at the end of each section. I
was impressed with the thoroughness of this book.
Want more? How about an eight page index in the back of the book and a full-page index of hot
topics in the front of the book? As you turn the pages, you'll find more little surprises as the
author
keeps delivering even more than you expect. I'd recommend this book for every business owner,
regardless of your stage of development . . . as well as for people who are contemplating going
into
business for themselves. Wish I'd had this book twenty years ago!
The Indigo Children: The New Kids Have Arrived
Lee Carroll and Jan Tober
Hay House, Inc.
PO Box 5100, Carlsbad, CA 92018
ISBN 1-56170-608-6, $13.95, 249 pages, 1-800-654-5126
This book was a fascinating eye-opener for me. I read it cover-to-cover in one sitting, finding
myself
drawn from one chapter to the next. Parents of "problem children" will find an exciting hope and
insight in these pages. Savvy educators will be elated, challenged, and stimulated to teach
differently.
Therapists, doctors, and social workers will gain new windows through which to view their
clients,
with a host of new solutions.
Employers? Indigo children are growing up and will soon move into the workplace. For wise,
sensitive, individually-focused employers, these employees will be a special treasure. For others,
they
will be a mystery...and will soon be gone.
Carroll and Tober, who kept hearing about Indigo children in their work as self-help counselors
and
lecturers, knew nothing about the topic. They felt that a book needed to be written, so they wove
their ignorance, amazement, curiosity, and receptivity into a delightful journey. From the very
beginning of the book, they wove in presentations by a wide range of experts to tell the story.
Reading this volume is like being in the audience at a seminar where a panel of experts is
delivering
knowledge, perspective, and experience just for you.
What is an Indigo Child? Definition: "one who displays a new and unusual set of psychological
attributes and shows a pattern of behavior generally undocumented before." Common traits
include
coming into the world with a feeling of royalty, having a feeling of "deserving to be here," a high
level of self-worth, difficulty with absolute authority, a reluctance to do certain things, frustration
with routine that doesn't require creative thought, searching for better ways to do things-not
conforming to the "system," antisocial (especially in school), lack of response to guilt discipline,
and
open in declaring what they need. The color aspect of the name came from the work of Nancy
Ann
Tappe, quoted effectively in the book.
The first chapter, appropriately, defines and explains the Indigo Child. Chapter Two delivers
solutions: What Can You Do? Surprise-no build-up to bestow solutions at the end of the
manuscript; it's right up front. Chapter three explores the spiritual aspects of the Indigos, a
fascinating perspective even for those of us who consciously resist "woo-woo." Health issues are
discussed in chapter four, revealing the challenges of mis-diagnoses by physicians who are
focused
on symptoms without understanding causes. The book closes with messages from several Indigos
who have grown out of their childhood and can relate to their experience from their perspective as
adults.
The book is filled with references for further reading and learning. Carroll and Tober have given
us a
springboard to understanding.
White Collar Sweatshop
Jill Andresky Fraser
W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
ISBN 0-393-32320-X, $15.95, 278 pages, 1-800-233-4830
The author of this book is a professional journalist, with experience covering business for the New
York Times, The New York Observer, and Forbes. She's served as an editor for Inc. Magazine
and
Bloomberg Personal Finance. She knows how to write in a style that grabs and holds a reader's
attention. I went straight through cover-to-cover with this book, turning pages and turning down
pages.
After several years of research, this book was assembled to tell the story of the nightmare that has
been the life of the white collar worker in America in recent decades. Using an enticing mixture of
facts and figures and real-life stories collected from people in the trenches, Fraser documents a
story
that cries for exposure. White collar employees from large companies will recognize-painfully-the
picture that's painted, with personal histories and company names and practices illuminating the
text.
Page after page reveals the details of an embarrassingly destructive period in our country's
corporate
history. Sadly, the story continues, with complications and far-reaching implications, far beyond
what's presented in White Collar Sweatshop.
You'll experience a wide range of emotions as you move through this factual report. Those
emotions
will range from pity to sympathy, from empathy to rage. Using the internet, Fraser found a wide
range of people to open their hearts, share their experiences, and expose the questionable,
unfeeling,
almost inhumane acts of corporate executives. You'll read about people who invested their lives,
at
the expense of their families and themselves, to help build companies that later chewed them up
and
spit them out.
The research for this book was conducted during the late 1990s and into 2000. These were the
years
of the hot economy where opportunities to change jobs were plentiful. Many of the people who
worked for large corporations, where this book is centered, did not leave for greener pastures;
they
were trapped in a never-ending cycle of working, working, working for companies-emotional and
professional handcuffs that held them in a no-alternatives, no-win rut.
Since this book was written, the economy has shifted. During the slowdown of 2000-2002,
employers became even more ruthless. With fewer jobs to jump to, workers had their escape
routes
blocked. The current reality is probably even worse than the deterioration described in Fraser's
documentary. As the economy picks up, we'll see some cataclysmic changes in the relationship
between employers and employees. The historical period recorded in this book will be a
foundation
for a major upheaval.
To understand what's coming, read this book to understand what's happened. Special note to
senior
corporate executives: If you want to attract, inspire, and optimize top talent, read this book to
comprehend how your employees feel. Even if you're not the size of the major companies cited in
the case histories, know that your future or even current employees-directly or indirectly-are
influenced by the experiences described.
This book will be a catalyst for change if corporate leaders apply the knowledge they'll gain to
assure that sweatshop practices are terminated.
Extra benefits: strong notes section with a number of valuable book references, as well as a
comprehensive index.
The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding
Al Ries and Laura Ries
HarperBusiness
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
ISBN 0-06-000773-7, $18.95, 255 pages, 1-800-242-7737
Marketing guru Al Reis has again teamed with his daughter, Laura, president of their consulting
firm, to bring us another book on marketing. This one focuses on branding, an area that has been
misunderstood and misused for years-by some impressive companies. It's quite an educational
experience to see how marketing giants stubbed their toes by violating one or more of Reis'
Laws.
Why focus on branding? According to the authors, "Marketing is brand building. The two
concepts
are so inextricably linked that it's impossible to separate them. Furthermore, since everything a
company does can contribute to the brand-building process, marketing is not a function that can
be
considered in isolation." The branding concept should be of interest, therefore, to every executive
and manager.
The book itself is unique. It's a slightly different size than the typical 6 X 9 business book. It's a
paperback and very lightweight. HarperBusiness has produced a book that's so light, you can tuck
it
in your briefcase to carry a book with you without it being a burden. And the cover is orange.
When's the last time you saw an orange business book? You might expect this book to be a bit
contrarian, in your face, and maybe even a little disrespectful of all those marketing giants. You
won't be disappointed.
The first part of this book presents chapter after chapter, explaining each of the 22 laws and
giving
examples of how companies have complied with or violated the laws in creating their brands. The
authors pull no punches, providing evidence about how brands have won or lost, how they have
built or destroyed companies, based on their understanding and application of Ries' Laws.
The book as it is titled is finished at page 110. At that point, the authors take us on a journey
through The 11 Immutable Laws of Internet Branding. This is a bonus you wouldn't expect, since
it's
not referenced in the title. There is a small-print reference on the cover, but these hints don't do
justice the 125 pages of internet-focused content. With more space devoted to the emerging
issues
of internet branding, you can imagine the depth and challenging commentary you'll find in this half
of
the book. A comprehensive index completes the book.
This book will raise some eyebrows and perhaps embarrass a few anonymous marketing managers
who made costly errors. More importantly, readers equipped with the knowledge and insight from
this book will have a better chance of doing the right thing with their brand development in the
future. Read this book before making any branding decisions and save yourself a lot of grief . . .
and
money.
Unidentified Flying Objects: Starcraft
Der Veron
PublishAmerica
PO Box 151, Frederick, MD 21705-0151
ISBN 1-59129-738-9, $19.95, 139 pages, www.publishamerica.com
As a book reviewer, I enjoy contact with a wide variety of authors who would like me to review
their books. If I have an interest in the subject, I'll accept a review copy, but without any
guarantee
that I'll review it. No guarantees: it's an ethical thing.
The author contacted me about this book, several times. Having a long-term passing interest in
UFOs and extra-terrestrials, I agreed to take a look at the book. My first temptation, as I began
my
review process, was to discard Voron's book and move on to the other books that await me.
However, in the interest of fairness and as an alert to readers in this genre, I'll give you my
perspective.
The book was produced by PublishAmerica. There is no publisher's address or phone number in
the
book, merely a statement that they're in Baltimore. [Checking their website, which also has no
address, I discovered that they're really closer to Frederick, Maryland.] This book is barely a step
above self-publishing, and I've seen self-published books put together considerably better than this
one is. The table of contents doesn't even have page numbers to find the chapters.
To take any book on this topic seriously, we need to know something about the author, the
author's
perspective, and the methodology involved in putting the manuscript together. None of that
information is provided. No, not even a page telling us who Der Veron is. We have a validity
problem going in.
The book describes various UFO stories, relates media accounts, and cites reports by pilots and
officials. The only position I was able to discern in the book is that the author believes that UFOs
and extraterrestrials exist. The writing lacks consistency, clarity, and even accurate grammar.
PublishAmerica's editorial work was insufficient.
The book is filled with assumptions that seem to go far beyond the scholarly work done in this
field.
Conjecture is mixed with creative science fiction, delivering a garbled message that is inconsistent
and poorly organized. If you're looking for a solid manuscript on this topic, look somewhere
else.
[Sorry, Mr. or Ms. Veron. You're probably not excited about this review, but this is the risk you
take when you publish a book and ask for a reviewer's opinion.]
Roger E. Herman, Reviewer
www.hermangroup.com
Kinni's Bookshelf
Soul Of An Organization
Richard Gallagher
Dearborn Trade
155 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606-1719
ISBN 0793157803, 243 pp, $19.95, 1-800-621-9621
The core content of Soul Of An Organization: Understanding The Values That Drive Successful
Corporate Cultures is based on seven key elements that typify successful, productive corporate
cultures. According to service pro Richard Gallagher, they are operational excellence, positive
work
environments, teams, openness to change, customer service, passion, and visionary
leadership.
Creating Customer Evangelists
Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba
Dearborn Trade
155 North Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606-1719
ISBN 0793155614, 196 pp, $25.00, 1-800-621-9621
In Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become A Volunteer Sales Force --
(the
best book of the month) -- marketing consultants Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba offer six
practical
tenets for turning customers into evangelists: gathering customer feedback; information sharing;
building word-of-mouth networks; creating customer communities; offering samples; and,
embracing
causes. Over half of Creating Customer Evangelists: How Loyal Customers Become A Volunteer
Sales Force is devoted to chapter-length case studies, including Southwest Airlines, Krispy
Kreme,
IBM, etc.
Working Identity
Herminia Ibarra
Harvard Business School Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
ISBN 1578517788, 190 pp, $26.95, 1-800-668-6780
A true change of career direction, an event that most people face at least once in their lives, is
"always terrifying," according to INSEAD professor Herminia Ibarra. To make the journey more
palatable, in Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies For Reinventing Your Career, she
analyzes the stories of 23 people who have completed radical career changes and describes an
action-based, "just-do-it" framework for making successful transitions.
No-Collar
Andrew Ross
Basic Books
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810
ISBN 0465071449, 296 pp, $27.00, 1-800-242-7737
"Paid employment that is most free from coercion often results in the deepest sacrifice of time and
vitality," claims NYU American Studies director Andrew Ross in No-Collar: The Humane
Workplace And Its Hidden Costs. His study of careers in the New Economy reveals that the
"good
jobs" offering empowerment, free agency, and creative freedom to "no-collar" knowledge
workers
also have a dark side of excessive responsibility, little job security, and a loss of stable work/life
boundaries.
Motivational Management
Alexander Hiam
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN 0814407382, 276 pp, $18.95, 1-800-250-5308
Motivational Management: Inspiring Your People For Maximum Performance is a practical
primer
on motivation offers managers a structured approach and many techniques for building the
motivational level of the workforce. Consultant Alexander Hiam covers a wide range of issues
including establishing a positive working environment, effective communications, managing
emotions, encouraging feedback, and using recognition and rewards.
Creating A Total Rewards Strategy
Todd Manas and Michael Dennis Graham
Amacom Books
1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
ISBN 0814407226, 304 pp, $69.95, 1-800-250-5308
Creating a comprehensive compensation plan that aligns with corporate goals requires three
elements, say consultants Manas and Graham in Creating a Total Rewards Strategy: A Toolkit
For
Designing Business-Based Plans, a hands-on guidebook. The three are: money - the content and
level of rewards; mix - the distribution and delivery of rewards; and messages - the values and
expectations to be articulated and supported by the rewards. (Includes CD-ROM.)
Nail This Job
MBA Jungle and JD Jungle magazine editors
Perseus
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
ISBN 0738207446, 168 pp, $16.95, 1-800-242-7737
Nail This Job: Every Tool You'll Need To Land Your Dream Job is a fast-reading paperback
aimed
primarily at post-grads entering the workforce, but it is also a good refresher course for more
experienced job hunters. Its tips and techniques include advice on crafting resumes and cover
letters,
effective networking and interviewing, dealing with headhunters, spinning career changes, and
negotiating offers.
The Restoration Economy
Storm Cunningham
Berrett-Koehler Publishers Inc.
235 Montgomery Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94104-2916
ISBN 1576751910, 341 pp, $29.95, 1-800-929-2929
Environmental restoration will be the great growth industry of this century, according to
consultant
Cunningham. In The Restoration Economy: The Greatest New Growth Frontier, a survey of the
restoration economy, he explains why restoration is big business and describes its eight major
sectors, which address natural environments - ecosystems, watersheds, fisheries, and farms - and
"built" environments - brownfields, infrastructure, heritage, and war/disaster sites.
Microchip
Jeffrey Zygmont
Perseus
Eleven Cambridge Center, Cambridge, MA 02142
ISBN 0738205613, 245 pp, $25.00, 1-800-242-7737
Microchip: An Idea, Its Genesis, And The Revolution It Created is a narrative history of the
microchip, perhaps the most significant product of the past half-century and one that continues to
fuel a lion's share of our technological and economic growth. Tech writer Jeffrey Zygmont traces
his
subject from the creation of the first integrated circuit by Jack Kirby in 1958 to today's smart
chips.
Inside Out
Myron Radio and Rod Johnson
Beaver Pond Press
5125 Danen's Boulevard Edina, MN 55439
ISBN 1931646937, 130 pp, $16.95, www.amazon.com, www.beaverpondpress.com
Within the pages of Inside Out: Using Classic Children's Stories For Personal And Professional
Growth, consultants Myron Radio and Rod Johnson use stories to illuminate the emotional and
mental barriers that keep us from achieving our full potential. They adapt nine stories - ranging
from
The Three Little Pigs to Rumpelstiltskin - to show readers the importance of challenging
assumptions and expectations, working as a team, behaving ethically, etc.
Rupert Murdoch
Neil Chenoweth
Crown
299 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10171
ISBN 0609610384, 382 pp, $27.50, 1-800-726-0600
In Rupert Murdoch: The Untold Story Of The World's Greatest Media Wizard, Australian
journalist
Neil Chenoweth tells the life story of international media mogul Murdoch and his half-century
reign
over News Corp. No overt lessons here, but a detailed recounting of how Murdoch built a
half-share
in the family business (worth $200,000) into a $100 billion empire.
Theodore Kinni, Reviewer
http://home1.gte.net/bizbooks
Jennifer's Bookshelf
The Love Slave
Ann Jacobs
Ellora's Cave
ISBN: 184360 3217, Published Dec. 2002, www.ellorascave.com
What is a Jewish American Princess doing fantasizing about being captured by a sheik? Shana
Green
isn't your ordinary JAP. She's the lovely, educated daughter of a Texan oil tycoon, and she's
grown
up surrounded by news of the Arab world. One of her fantasies had always been to be part of a
handsome sheik's harem if only for a few days! Imagine, you're pampered, massaged, bathed and
perfumed. And then, lying on silk and satin pillows, you make love for hours with the man of your
dreams. Then one day she sees him. Dahoud el Rashid. Or Bear, as he's nicknamed at the
University
where they've both been studying. During a hard-fought football game, Bear tackles Shana's
brother
and sends him to the hospital. When Shana goes to visit, she meets Bear, and sparks fly. She
confides in Bear her fantasy, and Bear, madly in love (and lust) decides to make her dream come
true. He hires some actors to play eunuchs and harem girls, and flies Shana to his family castle in
Kuwait.
There, they discover several things. First, they are a perfect match in love. Physically, they can't
get
enough of each other. Second, Shana can't stand the thought of sharing Bear with his other
'harem'
women, no matter what her fantasy. And finally, they find they really are in love it's not just a
game anymore! But how to break it to their families? After all the Arabs and the Jews have been
enemies forever! But this story has a happy, fantasy ending! And despite its short length, you get
to
know Shana and Bear, and are pulled into their sensuous fantasy romance.
Highly recommended
Make Her Dreams Come True
Joey Hill
Ellora's Cave
ISBN: TBA, www.ellorascave.com, Published Dec. 2002
Meg is as fragile as glass. She's depressed, can't function, can't think, and can't act on her own.
Her
whole world revolves around her illness. Her brother committed suicide, and her own life is an
uphill
struggle against madness and self-destruction ever since her husband left her. And then, one day in
the mall, her whole life changes. As she stares at a beautiful, blue, gossamer gown, a stranger
comes
up behind her, whispers in her ear, and tells her a fairy tale about a fragile fairy, who becomes a
mortal. He then coaxes Meg into trying on the dress. Once wearing the blue dress, Meg sees
herself
differently. She sees herself through the stranger's eyes and she becomes beautiful. He gives her a
necklace, and tells her that as long as she wears it, she's his. She has to obey his every wish. His
first
demand is that she remove her underwear and that he carry her (she has no shoes to go with the
dress). She agrees, thoguht reluctantly, and he takes her to a hairdresser where she gets a
hairdo.
That day, Meg learns to give herself over to someone else. She stops feeling and thinking, she
learns
to just obey, and let someone else take care of her feelings and thoughts for her. For Meg, the
fragile
creature she is, it's like a huge weight lifting off her shoulders. The stranger also awakens sexual
feelings, and they fondle each other all through the mall. In one scene, he puts nipple rings and a
waist chain around her, and has her wearing that under her dress. Now, she is totally aroused just
by
walking around. Then, he touches her intimately in a public place, making her open her legs for
him,
even though she's uncomfortable. She does everything he wants though, afraid, for some reason,
of
saying or doing the wrong thing.
Joey Hill writes beautifully, and her stories are psychologically and emotionally charged.
However, I
didn't like either of these characters; Meg is too immature and the stranger is too overbearing. But
Ms. Hill made me see Meg's dilemma and in the end, the stranger turns out to be a very altruistic
hero. Nevertheless, I disliked the premise. This is all about a man's domination and control over a
woman. If you are into submissiveness in female characters, then this book is perfect for you. If
you
are, like me, appalled when a man gives a woman an order and expects her to follow blindly, then
you will have a hard time with this book. It's up to you to try and see if you like it. Whatever your
feelings, however, you will enjoy Ms. Hill's excellent writing.
Recommended with reservations
Love Magic
Ann Jacobs
Ellora's Cave
November 2002, www.ellorascave.com, ISBN: 1843603217
Love Magic is an anthology of two blazing hot tales about the magic and passion of love. In the
first
story, Drake Conover, magician extraordinaire, is in the throes of passion with two very nubile
blonds but he's also discontented. Somehow, he knows life has to have more to offer than just
sex,
and he suddenly finds himself wanting to fall in love for real. As chance would have it, he meets
the
woman of his dreams at the airport. She's a voluntary worker for the hospital he's doing a charity
show for, and she's smart, sexy, and seems to know exactly what she wants. In fact, it takes all of
five minutes to convince her to take off her clothes and they have hot, incredible sex. He falls
asleep
with the woman in his arms, convinced that he's finally found his soul mate, a woman he can trust
and love.
But the woman in his arms is far from feeling the same emotions as Drake. In fact, she's deeply
suspicious of the handsome magician. Erienne Duval is not a volunteer PR specialist. She's a CIA
agent, and her heart is still broken over the death of her fianc‚, killed during a terrorist attack.
Drake
is not in her arms for nothing she's investigating him. And until she finds out who is the spy
sneaking important secrets to the enemy, she's not going to let her feelings about Drake get in the
way of her work. At least, that's what she thinks. Soon Drake's enthusiastic wooing overcomes
her
fears, and she agrees to accompany him to Europe. She even starts to fall in love with him but
what will she do if he turns out to be a spy?
The second story, Commitment, is about Gaelen, a fragile woman who is trying to escape the
scars
her past left upon her life. The daughter of a suicidal woman and an alcoholic father, growing up
in a
dysfunctional family, Gaelen never wants to marry. She never wants to hear the word
'commitment'.
With her lover, Brent, Gaelen explores every possible way and method of having sex, but the
word
love is never pronounced. She shies away from it like a frightened fawn. Brent, however, is
determined to marry her. He won't let her go, and he makes a deal. Spend two weeks with me,
and if
it doesn't convince you, then we'll go back to the way we were living apart, with no strings
attached. Can Gaelen resist Brent's imaginative lovemaking? Will he win Gaelen's heart?
'Love Magic' certainly sizzles with scorching sex, but it's true love that warms the heart, and
makes
this book worth reading.
Highly Recommended
Icy Hot
BJ McCall
Ellora's Cave
www.ellorascave.com, published Nov. 2002, ISBN: 1843602997
Tayra, Princess of the ice world, Glacid, is being held prisoner in her own palace. Her only hope
seems to be with the enemy, but she is terrified. The Sarks and the Glacidians have been fighting
for
ages, and she is about to throw herself upon the mercy of a Sarkian warrior, Aaxis. In fact, she's
acting upon a plan, but everything hinges on one thing her ability to resist Aaxis's physical
advances, for she is a Glacidian, and her kind have a particular breeding cycle, which they are
helpless to resist. And when they mate, it is for life. Aaxis knows this, and he is counting on her to
surrender herself to him totally. He plans to make her his concubine, and using her royal title, to
rule
both planets through their future children. Aaxis realizes that when Tayra goes into her mating
cycle,
she will be unable to resist him, and that by mating with her; he will insure his power over her and
her people. He also knows that it is vital for the war to end between Glacid and Sarks, for a
common enemy is on its way to wipe them out, and unless they unite, they will fall.
The seduction, if you can call it that, consists of waiting until Tayra is too far in the throes of her
mating cycle to resist him. What he doesn't count on is his own physical reaction to her, and to
her
determined stubbornness. For Tayra is fully aware of what she's gotten herself into and she has
not
come unprepared.
If you like hot stories, don't miss this one! Tayra and Aaxis are two very likeable, sexy characters,
caught in a web of their own making. Each one tries to gain ascendancy over the other, and the
results are lots of heavy breathing, sexual frustration taken to new limits, and a story hot enough
to
melt all the ice on Glacid!
Highly Recommended.
Holding the Cards
Joey Hill
Ellora's Cave
www.ellorascave;com, ISBN: 1843602474
Welcome to the convoluted world of doms and subs, or Dominatrix and Submissive. In book,
Lauren, a Dom, has come to an island retreat to heal from a love affair gone wrong. In fact,
Lauren's
heart has been broken, and she is seeking nothing but some calm and solitude. A good friend,
Lisette, lends Laurel her beautiful house. But the first evening there, Laurel gets struck on the
balcony, and has to climb down a tall tree. Unfortunately, the climb proves too much for her and
she
gets stuck, but there are others on the island- a caretaker, Josh, and his mysterious friend, Marcus.
They see her plight and save her, although she does sprain her ankle.
Lisette had told Laurel that Josh was gay, and so she wasn't expecting his blatant arousal at her
half-naked state. But when he carries her to the house and then kisses her, she's sure he's not gay.
No, in fact, she's starting to suspect he's a submissive and her interest is piqued. Marcus, on the
other hand, is gay, and has seen Laurel at a fetish club catering to Masters, Mistresses, and their
slaves. He knows Laurel is the perfect match for his friend Josh. So he contrives to play a game, a
card game, and the prize for the winner is total power. The losers must obey. Of course, Laurel
wins, and then the game really begins. Laurel, as a Dom, has to break down every single one of
Josh's defenses, so that he finally comes to trust her explicitly.
I have to admit, I had never imagined any sort of relationship like this, and so I was more than a
little surprised by this book. The author, Joey Hill, gives us an intimate look at the very special
needs
of a Dominitrix. She peels back the layers of this incredibly complex relationship, never making
any
attenpt to hide the characters' feelings or needs. It's exceptionally intimate, and the book puts you
right into Laurel's head, letting you in on each of her emotions and physical feelings. If you can
remain open-minded about submissive men, and women who find the need to dominate and
control,
you will enjoy this story immensely. Anyone who is into this sort of behavior will absolutely love
this
book. It is incredibly well written, and the characters literally come alive. You find yourself caring
deeply for all of them, and hoping that everything turns out all right.
Jennifer Macaire, Reviewer
http://monsite.wanadoo.fr/Iskander
Hodgins' Bookshelf
The Sailing Handbook
Dave Cox
Stackpole Books
5067 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-6921
ISBN 0756501253; $21.95 U.S.; 160 pp., 1-800-732-3669
It's a wonder that so much full-colour graphical material can be packed into a volume of this
nature
at such a low price. New technologies combined with mass marketing, though, permit economies
of
scale that may explain much.
In addition, exposure is given to numerous commercial and industrial firms because many of the
photographed boats now carry their advertising. It may also be that the benefiting firms provide
subsidies.
Except in the few references pages at the book's end, there's at least one colour photo or drawing
on
every page; in many cases there are several per page, although a certain number of pages may be
said to carry only half of a huge, two-page spread.
Speaking of photos, it seems likely the original, New Holland Publishers' edition of this work has
hard covers, for the photo credits mention a dust jacket, rarely if ever included with a
paperback.
Sailing vessels are inherently photogenic. This book's collection of photographs evidently is
selected
with an eye to drama and beauty, as well as to informational contents. Such a volume, with its
large
8.5" x 11" pages - the size of standard typing sheets in North America - will please even
landlubbers,
if they love colour and the sight of action.
Other than, perhaps, a flower garden in full bloom, what could be more colourful than an
enormous,
gaudy spinnaker (a balloon-like racing sail also known as a 'chute, short for parachute, or even as
"the shouting and swimming sail") - or, better yet, than a whole flotilla racing to leeward,
spreading
canvas in every combination of hues?
Let me assume hereunder, though, that I'm addressing folk with more than a taste for bright
spectacle, who may be sailors or thus far only "wannabes" - wishful thinkers - considering the
whys
and the hows of getting out there and participating in an activity that's older than Homer (circa
700
B.C.), although vastly evolved since such ancient times.
To start with, "Why sail?"
Sailing's great fun if it's done well; it's usually a sociable activity; it can carry you on distant
voyages
of personally directed exploration using an inexhaustible energy supply; it brings one into contact
with the beauties and sometimes the excitement of nature, such as if you happen upon a pod of
playful dolphins in mid-ocean ...
"Yes," you may persist, "But why SAIL? Why not motor?" True, compared to sailing it's dead
easy
to motor a boat, and you likely can drive it much faster, too ... but when you put your question
like
that, you also raise for confrontation some deeper issues of life.
Sailing is, in one way, more closely allied to other non-motorized activities, such as canoeing,
than it
is to motoring. Not only does sailing require a great deal of skill, but also, in its pure form, it
consumes no fuel and creates no air or water pollution, or greenhouse gases. Anyway, sailing can
be
just plain better. I've been in motorboats that have not only been noisy and disruptive, but also
could
not seem to be kept from zooming down the middle of a buoyed fairway, without the slightest
pause
to enjoy an environment we barely glimpsed while charging past.
If you want to hurtle along and see nothing, catch a plane!
Here's a true parable based on an actual person I used to know. He was very opinionated,
dogmatic,
domineering. Although his was a learned occupation, it was not medicine or even dietetics - which
he nonetheless "knew better". Having absolute opinions on everything, he positively knew that
what
they were saying about dietary fats and cholesterol was sheer hogwash. Hoping to prove the
specialists wrong while enjoying his idea of fine food, he greeted salads with jeers of, "I don't eat
rabbit food!" Instead, he purposely ate exactly the diet the medical "quacks" told him to avoid ...
until he died prematurely of heart attack.
We now seem surrounded by similar nitwits who believe the world will never die of pollution and
greenhouse gases, and who are out to prove the conservationists and climatologist wrong. The
Kyoto Protocol being "hooey" and threatening to their personal convenience or status, they won't
quit their destructive ways even to save our only home, Earth.
In this situation, there's one tactic that may conceivably turn things around. Might the folk bent
upon, among other things, destroying the habitat of others living nearer sea level be susceptible to
examples set by wiser, more benevolent neighbours? Might the environment be saved by moral
influence? True, it sounds most unlikely, but I feel we must at least attempt it.
My present business being to review "The Sailing Handbook", I'll not go into other fields here, but
only note that sailing - like hiking, mountaineering, cross-country skiing, cycling, paddling,
rowing,
and other means of getting about without mechanical power - is a way to reduce the consumption
of
fossil fuels and the production of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas. By "sailing", though, I
mean REAL sailing - not driving on the water in a fraudulent pseudo-sailboat actually propelled
by
an engine.
To avoid hypocrisy, I'll admit that the auxiliary use of modest engine power in a sailboat too large
for effective paddling or rowing is often justifiable. For about ten years, my wife and I sailed a
rather
heavy 18.5-foot or 5.65-metre sloop, aboard which paddling was awkward and nearly ineffective.
To enter and leave harbour safely, we ran the 7.5 horsepower motor that had come with the boat
-
but we needed to refill the portable fuel tank only once per two sailing seasons which, in Ottawa,
Canada, are rather short. We burned a couple of Imp. gal. of fuel, or say 9 litres, per year (very
rough approximations).
Earlier, we'd had a small bowsprit cutter of notable character, occasionally powered by a
featherweight 1.2-hp aircooled motor, easily stowed in the boat's lazarette or stern locker, beside
other gear and the battery to operate the tiny vessel's lighting. That motor merely sipped "gas",
aka
gasoline, or petrol. Yet on one occasion I used it to tow two other boats simultaneously to
windward, out of harbour - three boats into the wind, all on just 1.2 horsepower! Slowly but
surely,
it did the job.
More often, we've sailed a cartoppable sloop carrying no motor at all. Here, paddling was quite
effective and we didn't burn a drop of "gas", which in fact we didn't carry aboard - thus
eliminating
the need for a fire extinguisher, as well. Such options do exist!
Let's come back to Dave Cox's book and his "take" on sailing, though. He obviously is strongly
oriented toward racing, as any sailor may observe by glancing at the lavish and often beautiful,
even
ravishing photography decorating the covers and very many of the inside pages of this
magazine-style book.
He calls sailing "A Lifetime Sport" on page 78, a claim for which I can vouch except that one
should
get a much earlier start than I did, at age 28. However, I'm not finished yet at age 70, and for a
great
deal of these 42 years I've also been learning, for sailing is complex enough that one probably can
never know or have experienced every aspect of it.
Uniform clothing and large crews (often) of men in their prime are tipoffs to racing, as on Cox's
front cover and page 130 photos. The use of spinnakers, as in the back cover's larger photo and
many others, is another; extreme crew positioning such as on pages 98-99 is a further clue; while
the
close alignment of similar (as on pages 26-27, 73, and 76) and sometimes identical (p. 109, upper)
boats is yet another, usually reliable sign. Simply knowing that the Cox book emphasizes racing
should let a sailor, even a wannabe (would-be sailor), know whether or not this book is right for
him
or her, even with only limited further guidance.
Racing has changed drastically since I was involved in it, and I'd now feel unqualified to discuss
its
present forms in any detail. It would be ludicrous, though, to pretend to such detail here. The
activity - not necessarily a recreation, and certainly not a relaxation if you get all tense about it - is
for people with a strong competitive urge, a good deal of patience, and plenty of bravado. It's an
obvious necessity if you have the ambition to hope for Olympic sailing, which allows no
alternative.
Racing is NOT the sole form of sailing, though, and you needn't get swept into it only because
others are involved. In the chief sailing alternative, cruising can provide halcyon (or sometimes
challenging) days and nights spent in the company of family/friends, and of nature. If this is your
bent, seek out a different or additional book that centres more upon the charms and techniques of
cruising than Cox's work does.
It's not that Cox says nothing about cruising; in fact his Chapters Six and Eight together devote
30
pages to it, not quite 20% of the book's total bulk. However, those who wouldn't touch racing
with
a long bargepole are likely to find a great deal of this book's contents superfluous to their
interests,
while I find the chiefly "how to" coverage of cruising skimpy in discussing "why" and "where" one
should cruise.
In what ways has racing changed so much? Well, when I was active in it, any advertising on a
boat
was an absolute no-no - it could get you thrown out before starting a race - and, in consequence,
well-heeled sponsors willing to finance a venture to secure floating billboard space were
unknown;
people had to furnish their own boats, gear, grub, etc.
Nowadays, at least some and perhaps all the bills may be paid by whiskey distillers, auto parts
manufacturers, high technology companies, et al. Such subsidies (which may PERHAPS run up to
100% and even pay the sailors professional wages) allow larger, more elaborate, better outfitted
boats, smartly dressed professional-looking crews, and so forth. The problem then is, how can
rank
amateurs, simple lovers of the sport, hope to compete? My guess is that they can't, unless perhaps
they remain in the less seriously infected dinghy classes.
As a concrete example, pages 66-67 are occupied by a magnificent great photo of the Swedish
maxi-racing yacht "Nicorette", obviously named for the quit-smoking aid, the name being "writ
large" upon not only the transom but also the mainsail, here shown furled (and with the no. 2 jib
flying, at a guess) to reduce canvas in a heavy blow.
Further, the majority of the "Nicorette"'s crew of at least a dozen (some may be belowdecks or
aloft,
or may be hidden behind others) wear red-and-white uniforms, while a few wear blue-and-white
ones, perhaps uniforms of earlier vintage kept for practice purposes(?)
As another example of change, movable ballast, other than crew members' bodies and clothing,
used
to be firmly outlawed. Now Cox mentions at least one boat model, the Whitbread 60 (see page
52),
which must have fixed water tanks installed, so that weight can be - legally, it seems - pumped
from
the leeward (low) to the windward (high) side each time the vessel tacks or gybes and so switches
the wind from one side to the other.
I presume that the rule outlawing the use of mechanical power while racing still holds; if so, it
could
mean that some poor s.o.b. spends most of the race belowdecks, jogging a pump handle or just
waiting.
I hope they'll never depart from the rule allowing sailpower only, during races. Should motoring
someday be allowed, that act will change the sport out of all recognition, ultimately re-inventing
motorboat races. Given these other radical changes, don't go imagining it can't happen!
It wouldn't surprise me if many additional changes have already taken place. I know for a fact that
the International 14 Class dayracing dinghy has changed its rules to allow bowsprits, presumably
spreading a good deal more sail than was once permitted or even possible. Considering the
fantastic
boat performances that must result, it can almost be called perverse that so many people seem to
prefer mechanical power.
There is however the indisputable fact that when the wind dies, sailing can be a bore unless you
learn
to adapt by dropping anchor - or beaching a light craft - to go swimming, swab down the decks,
take a nap, eat lunch, play cards, read a book, do some fishing, or [you name it].
Cox's book provides a great deal of instructive and reference material. As one simple instance,
page
64 uses diagrams to show how to run deck-mounted sheet winches to haul the appropriate lines.
(For the information of non-sailors, to call any sail a "sheet" is a potentially dangerous blunder,
for
communications afloat must be precise and always intelligible. In proper terminology, a sheet is
the
line, or rope, used to haul out and hold in position the clew - the after corner - of a sail to best
advantage for the wind of the moment.) Cox also offers guidance on such often vital nautical
matters
as buoyage, signalling, lighting, and man-overboard rescue, as well as things you need to know by
land as well as sea about first aid and the like.
However, considering the central importance of sails in sailing, I find it surprising that the
perspective sketches on pages 38-39 omit identification of such important features as the names
of
the three sail corners and the three sail edges. Would a book on motorcars neglect to mention fuel
pumps and wheels? Not to worry excessively, though; there are many other sailing books to
supply
the missing, essential information.
At the same time, those boat parts that ARE identified are not labelled as everyone would have
them. For instance, the drawing of a dinghy (which happens to be cat-rigged, i.e., lacking a jib -
by
no means a standard feature of all dinghy models) on page 38 shows what it calls a "centreboard"
projecting through the hull's bottom, but this name is usually given in North America to a pivoting
"centreplate" (the equivalent British term); whereas the drawing shows the type of fin that "stabs"
straight through the hull, and is therefore most often called a DAGGERBOARD - in my
experience,
anyhow.
Similarly, by my understanding the sails Cox calls "genoas" in a small diagram on page 38 are
more
properly named "Genoa jibs", after the Italian port where the style, with most of the sail's leach or
"lee edge" overlapping the mast, originated; such a sail is also familiarly known as a "genny". I'm
not
convinced there's a difference of kind, but only of size, between genoas and other jibs such as
those
in the adjacent diagram on page 39, although the latter group do have higher-cut feet.
Cox, though, is South African, I am Canadian and, unless we all follow the same sources, it's not
surprising that we vary somewhat, living at least 7,000 miles apart.
As a solution in English, I'd suggest the international use of "The Oxford Companion to Ships and
the Sea" - which, incidentally, has a "GENOA JIB" entry beginning, "a large jib or foresail
..."
About the chief display on page 38, the word "dinghy" has a rather indefinite meaning, having
originated in the Hindi language to denote a small open river rowing boat pulling one pair of oars,
usually clinker built. (source: "The Oxford Companion ..."). As yacht tenders and the like,
dinghies
to this day MAY have no sailing rigs and be rowed only. About all that can be confidently said of
the
entire tribe is that they are monohulled, small, largely open, and carry little, generally no
ballast.
Some dinghy models, though, have been designed and built explicitly for racing under sail, and
may
carry sophisticated or at least complex rigging, the whole vessel being designed for only a few
hour's
occupancy. Yet other dinghies are designed and built more for longer duration sailing in comfort
and
safety under isolated conditions, and for general practicality in cruising service such as by
furnishing
secure stowage.
Such cruisable vessels and cruising usage give rise, in my unpublished book, to the title
"Microcruising and Microcruisers / under sail". The title doesn't mention dinghies, though, and in
fact some microcruisers may carry cuddy - meaning "short" - cabins, or more simply "cuddies",
capable of sleeping two or sheltering them in a rainstorm, and useful as a private space. Although
the hull bottom and topsides of a cuddy microcruiser may be identical to those of an open variant
of
the boat, only the open model fits the "dinghy" definition.
Other valid microcruisers may be multihulled.
A microcruiser may perhaps carry lighting and/or sleeping space but doesn't make a fetish of
racing
priorities, although racing them is possible. A microcruiser must certainly provide adequate
stowage
for at least a couple of days' cruise - self-appointed authorities say it isn't a "real" cruise unless it
includes overnighting - and an ideal boat for the purpose may also allow transom space for a small
outboard motor.
In the past such vessels were called "daysailers" although uniquely, I believe, in North America. A
more inept word can scarcely be imagined for boats fitted with every requirement of overnight use
except, perhaps, an inboard toilet - my practice being to "go" ashore; in fact, if "daysailer" fits any
group of sailboats, it fits dayRACING ones!
Microcruising is particularly attractive on wilderness lakes or in archipelagos of skerries. These
geological features occur in many inland places in Canada, e.g., in the 30,000 Islands region of
Georgian Bay. Sea-skerries occur on the coasts of this and many other countries. Yet this class of
sailing activity appears virtually unknown to South African author Dave Cox, requiring, again,
that
you find a different or additional reference book if this is where your interest lies.
I personally preach sailing safely in all respects, including by organizing "group cruises" if
possible.
The last thing I'd want is for someone lacking applicable experience - perhaps even lacking the
basic
sailing skills - to come to grief, then find nobody within sight or hail to perform rescue services.
There have been some terrible tragedies to people inadequately equipped or prepared to deal with
emergencies. A generation ago it was known to many sailors, even if it's been forgotten now, that
a
whole family was wiped out on Long Island sound when an unsuitable boat - a dayracing model,
in
fact - capsized and could not be righted, beyond hailing rance of potential rescuers. As I recollect,
it
happened after nightfall, and of course the boat carried no lights ...
Some folk drew wild conclusions from that horrific event, such as that "small boats must never
sail
alone" - proposed of course by a big-boat sailor who didn't grasp the nature of the little boat's
failure. "Oh yeah?" I wanted to ask, at the time. "And what about big boats that may sink
outright?
Think of the 'Renovoc' a 43-foot (13.1 metre) Sparkman & Stephens yawl!" For 'Renovoc' was
lost
with all hands in the Straits of Florida in 1958 - and sailing vessels a great deal larger than this
have
also been lost, while sailing alone. Why pick on the little guy, then?!
To me, the real answer on Long Island Sound would have been SELF-RESCUING ABILITY.
Actually, I was a distant witness to an accident in which a racing dinghy turned turtle and
drowned
her trapezing crewman, right in the middle of a well attended race. So much for the infallability of
sailing in company.
I digress - oh, how I do digress! - but I nonetheless think these insights worth mentioning.
To sum up concerning "The Sailing Handbook", it's a beautiful work to look at, and it makes a
good
many vital points about sailing, but there are yet more! That is, I feel it's not complete. I've
collected
perhaps three dozen fairly comparable works, though, suggesting that there can never be too
many
books in a sailor's library.
I regret the implication that this is THE sailing handbook, the only one you'll ever need. I also
observe that, while it would in theory be an excellent idea to take aboard one's boat some such
guide
to sea signaling, buoyage, handling nautical emergencies, etc., it should be as waterproof a
volume
as possible. Some coated papers don't merely get soggy, but in fact absolutely glue themselves
into
slabs that can never be pried open again; I know because this happened to a document of mine.
Unfortunately I don't own this copy of "The Sailing Handbook", and therefore I don't feel free to
experiment with it.
That's another point for sailors to keep in mind, though.
Magellan: Ferdinand Magellan And The First Trip Around The World
Michael Burgan
Compass Point Books
3722 West 50th Street, #115, Minneapolis, MN 55410-2016
ISBN 0756501253; $21.26; 48 pp.; 1-877-371-1536; www.amazon.com
This very slender (its covers bulk larger than the pages they enclose) yet lavishly detailed volume,
obviously designed for schoolchildren, I chose "sight unseen" from our local public library's
computerized catalogue, not to dodge heavy reading or even because "it was there" as Mount
Everest was to Mallory, but because I wanted to know more about Magellan and his famed first
circumnavigation, or voyage around the world. However brief and simple the book's text, it has
doubled or trebled my knowledge of the given subject.
There are very few words of text indeed, a result achieved - or perhaps concealed? - in almost
every
possible way. The actual text occupies parts of only 38 pages, sharing each page perhaps 50-50
with
illustrations. Further, the typeface is large, with generous leading (pronounced "ledding" and
referring to the blank spaces between lines occupied only by the framing lead [metal] in the
Linotype
system.) This type is also set in two columns per page, resulting in a central blank space.
Supposing
page 19 to have an average makeup, there may be on the order of 85 words of regular text per
page,
equating to little more than 1/4 the textual contents per page that I'd expect in a more typical page
for adult reading. Lastly as many extra pages as possible, it seems, are filled with supplementary
information.
Magellan's story, as Burgan tells it, thus is quickly taken in. I found plenty of time time to read the
entire work (of perhaps about 4,000 words, equivalent to a single fictional short story) in one easy
sitting. It was however an entertaining and informative read, and also tempted me to seek further
information in more detailed sources.
exemplifying the book's lavish visual details, although the paper used is of high quality, it has been
coloured slightly beige along its top and bottom edges to simulate aging. Wherever possible,
illustrations are reproduced in full colour, and beige shading is often used to make illustrations
seem
to stand out in a third dimension from the pages holding them. Antique maps and the like are
faintly
reproduced to form backgrounds of the Frontispiece, the Table of Contents, a Glossary, and other
"extra" features.
Enough, though, about mere points of format. Now, about the protagonist -
Magellan followed Columbus by about a generation, setting forth in 1519 on his own great
expedition, 13 years after Columbus's death in 1506.
The inspirations of the two men were somewhat similar, both intending to reach the Far East by
sailing westward from Europe. Whereas Columbus made do with the Americas, though, Magellan
was determined to find a sea route through from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
Many others sought such a passage in the north, but Magellan set out southerly. He had the
inspirational advantage of having served Portugal in the East Indies (further details below), in the
course of which he'd become acquainted with the Spice Islands, the chief goal of his great voyage
-
and, having on that occasion sailed south about Africa, he probably felt an understandable
inclination
to try for a route leading south about the Americas, as well.
His greatest problems appear to have been political in nature. He was a native of Portugal,
actually
named Ferna~o de Magalha~es, but his own King had refused his support, perhaps because
Portugal
already had a workable route to the Far East via the Cape of Good Hope and the Indian Ocean.
Turning therefore to the Spanish (who gave him the name we also use, Ferdinand Magellan) for
royal support, he found it there - but then suffered bad relations with his peers for not being
Spanish.
It wasn't only a matter of simpleminded xenophobia; the regular Spanish sea captains who
suddenly
were subordinated to this foreign upstart must have felt galling professional jealousy.
The Portuguese, moreover, now viewed him as a traitor.
However, it seems that no better alternative could be found. Magellan's Spanish squadron
consisted
of five sailing vessels that, by today's size standards, would be comparable to unusually large
ocean
yachts, carrying about 250 men.
In consequence of the threat he felt around him, Magellan had to pursue strategies and tactics that
minimized the Spanish officers' opportunities to mutiny. Mutineers nonetheless did in fact carry
off
the squadron's largest ship, holding most of the expedition's supplies, in the Strait named for their
leader. Magellan is more or less blamed for failing to resupply the remaining vessels before
standing
out into the open Pacific, but my own belief is that, erroneously supposing the Indies to be not far
off, he chose what appeared to be the lesser of these two evils: malnutrition and starvation, on the
one hand, or, on the other, the risk of more defections and mutinies if the ships were brought
close
in to the coast, with ample supplies known to be available ashore. Certainly, his was a most
unenviable and indeed impossible, no-win or damned-if-he-did, damned-if-he-didn't situation.
Thus the disloyalty of an important number of those under him produced dreadful hardships for
all,
with the possible exception of those who had joined the rebellion in the Strait, of whose fate we
learn nothing from author Burgan.
The situation had existed, potentially at least, even before the expedition had set sail from Spain,
which is where most blame should properly be assigned; men, particularly officers responsible to
lead the rest, signing on for what would clearly be a very long sea passage should have been
carefully selected for unimpeachable character and loyalty!
The ultimate personal disaster would befall Magellan, though, in conditions of plenty, and at the
hands of total strangers to his expedition. At last having reached the Philippines, he sided with one
local chieftain against another and was killed in a fight, without having reached the goal of
Maluku,
the Molucca or Spice Islands; for the riches of Maluku were already known to the Portuguese,
Magellan not excepted, from their voyages halfway around the world from the opposite
direction.
Accordingly, the first circumnavigation of the globe, although credited to Magellan as the source
of
inspiration and the original expedition leader, was actually completed by others, only one ship of
the
original five making the whole voyage back to Spain, this time sailing via the Cape of Good
Hope.
Magellan's accomplishments were not limited to the feats mentioned above, or even to the
discovery
of the important Strait that still bears his name. He corrected the then prevalent notion that any
gap
between the Americas and China must be quite narrow; he (and the men who completed the
circumnavigation) proved beyond any reasonable doubt that our Earth is round; he determined
that
the Pacific is much broader than the Atlantic; and he also established that the Atlantic and Pacific
Oceans are joined by navigable water, other than by passing through the Indian Ocean. The
importance of his contributions to world geography is inestimable.
Burgan's little book is remarkable for its very numerous, chiefly coloured illustrations, but its
written
descriptions are sparse in comparison even with the terse information provided in an
encyclopaedia.
My old Britannica, for instance, provides this important insight which Burgan's account does not:
that after the taking of Malacca (probably Melaka on the Malay Peninsula, and not to be confused
with the Moluccas) in July-August 1511 during Magellan's first service for the Portuguese in the
Far
East - reached by the conventional, old route around Africa - he "was then sent on by the viceroy
with Antonio d'Abreu to explore the Spice Islands (Moluccas)." Magellan thus had much greater
foreknowledge of the Spice Islands that Burgan lets on, having seen them with his own eyes.
It also is from the encyclopaedia, not Burgan's work, that I learn of the treachery of Magellan's
supposed Philippine ally, who went on to murder several of the Spanish squadron's remaining
leaders.
Finally, it may be worth mentioning here that Europeans have mangled many words drawn
originally
from the Malay language, more politically called Bahasa Malaysia or Bahasa Indonesia. The
instance
of Malacca/Melaka has already been mentioned. "Maluku" is the true Malay term for the Spice
Islands archipelago, but Europeans (first the Portuguese, then the Dutch, then the British) insist
on
calling it "The Moluccas". Likewise Krakatau, the volcano that in 1883 blew up so
catastrophically
in the Sunda Strait, is usually known in English as "Krakatoa". As further examples, we call Singa
Pura (meaning Lion City) "Singapore", while I've heard a cowboy call an untameable horse a
"rangatang" - a corruption of "orang utan" or "person/man wild".
Our mis-renditions may be all very well if one stays within a different part of the world, but they
may
not pass muster where they really count, in the remoter corners of the Far East.
Arrivals: Stories From The History Of Ontario
John Bentley Mays
Penguin Books, Canada, Ltd.
c/o Penguin Putnam Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
ISBN 0143013408; Can.$36.00; 418 pp.; www.amazon.com
No stipulation was made when I recently asked my wife to find an interesting, current book for
me
to review, while she visited the local public library. That she brought home another Canadian
work
came as a surprise. However, on closer inspection I find it only Canadian "in a fashion" - although
excellent reading, regardless of its orientation.
Author Mays, now living and working in Toronto (if under unstated nationality) was "Born to one
of the American South's oldest plantation families ..." That makes him one of the Arrivals of
whom
he writes. Perhaps, given that background, it is natural for him sometimes to adopt a Canadian
perspective in the course of this book, sometimes a slightly supercilious American one.
In fact Mays can write pretty Uncanadian stuff. On page 6 he says, "But as the twentieth century
progressed, the American Republic took Ontario, and Canada, under its mighty wing." On page 8,
it's "Ontario may some day become an American state." On pp. 54-55, he compares a native or
"Indian" constitution, not to the Canadian counterpart, but to the American model; in the process
he
mentions European-American Thomas Jefferson, but no European-Canadian statesman.
He seems ready to decry as self-interest the actions of most United Empire Loyalists during and
after the American Revolution, who quit their old homes in what would be the United States, to
create new lives in Canada; he almost never concedes that actual loyalty was at least one of their
real
motives - although surely it would have been easier for them to have "gone with the flow" and
declared for republicanism, rather than standing up to be counted even while, in so doing, drawing
hatred and scorn upon themselves as "Tory" royalists.
On page 192 Mays suggests, "Ontario may have gotten some half-hearted monarchists in the
bargain
and more than a few covert republicans." It wouldn't surprise me if Mays could so describe
himself.
Yet one shouldn't ascribe rabid enthusiasm for royalty to someone who simply prefers a different
political system or way of life to that found in the States. Stating that thought in an alternative
mode,
one may be equally turned off by both kings and presidents!
While only a modest number of Loyalists may have entered Upper Canada (Ontario) - Mays says
it
was 10,000 - let us note that loyalists also could choose Lower Canada, three Maritime provinces,
Newfoundland, the Caribbean, the British Isles, and, potentially, even such distant destinations as
Australia and New Zealand.
My encyclopaedia states, "After the American Revolution the great influx of loyalists into the
valley
of the St. John [River] led to the separation of New Brunswick from Nova Scotia in 1784."
Another
volume of that series says, "Severe laws were passed against the Loyalists in all the States ...
According to a trustworthy estimate 60,000 persons went into exile during the years 1775 to
1787.
The great majority settled in Nova Scotia and in Upper and Lower Canada ... Those who
remained
in the United States suffered for many years, and all the laws against them were not repealed until
after the War of 1812."
There were some who remained to tough it out, then - and what a hell on earth they must have
known, for their steadfastness! Their number should be added to those 60,000 actual
refugees.
Given our knowledge of such privations as the UEL suffered, it is simply Uncanadian to sneer at
them, whom we corporately see as principled and brave patriots. If they received free (but wild)
land
in Ontario, in many cases that was minimal compensation for the developed lands, buildings,
livestock, and neighbourhood relationships they'd left behind, in milder climes farther south.
As to the publisher of this "Arrivals" book, the writer in me sees our local branch of Penguin
Books
as foreign-minded in ruling out unestablished Canadian book authors who have no real access to
literary agents - the normal situation within this country, in fact. "Arrivals" may have been written
and published on Canadian soil, yes - but do those circumstances make such a book truly
Canadian?
I have to wonder.
Beginning in the time before Columbus, although perhaps not before Leif Ericsson who had
discovered North America from Europe half a millennium earlier, Mays introduces some
fascinating
ancient traditions of the natives living in the vicinity of Lake Ontario, especially. The small,
southern
portion of the Ontario we know today, as shown in this book's frontispiece map, tends to ignore
the
presence elsewhere in Ontario of such tribes and bands as the Algonquin, Ottawa, and Ojibwa.
Mays
does mention the Fox tribe ... but they were situated in Wisconsin, my encyclopaedia says.
(I hope I'm right in saying the first mentions of communities in Northwestern Ontario don't occur
until page 192.)
Mays says that the pseudo-tribal names "Huron" and "Iroquois" are really racial slurs imposed by
outsiders. It's the old story, then; for I have read that "Samoyed[e]" is a Russian racial slur,
meaning
"cannibals"; while "Eskimo" has the same insulting meaning, learned by Whites from some
conflicting "Indian" tribe. (A much more nearly correct name in the latter case is Inuit, although I
may mangle its usage a little.)
Thus the proper name of the so-called Hurons is Wendat, also spelled Wyandot by those who fled
as
far from their enemies as Oklahoma.
The proper names(s) of the Iroquois is a more complex issue. Five, then six individually named
tribes had confederated, and thereafter called themselves by such names as the Long House
People,
and the League.
Whereas the French allied themselves to the Wendat and Algonkian tribes, and used to paint
fearsome pictures of the folk whom they called Iroquois, Mays suggests to the contrary that the
Algonkian were the fierce ones. Views seem to have depended, in fact, on where one stood; on
whom one befriended or antagonized.
In their avowed principles, the Long House People were something of a prototype for the United
Nations. Both were founded on a beautiful dream of universal peace, but have inevitably been
drawn
into acts of war by the aggressions of opponents who haven't embraced the peace ideal.
From time to time this book's readers may need to reinterpret Mays's references to cardinal
directions. On page 57, for instance, we are told, "Across the Niagara Peninsula, between the
Falls -
old Ontario's western frontier with lands directly under Long House domination - and Lake
Simcoe,
where the Wendat lived ..."
Lake Simcoe, not shown on this book's map although it is several times bigger than Rice Lake
which
IS shown, lies due north of Toronto (Wendat for "Meeting Place", Mays tells us) which is situated
on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. That fact also places Lake Simcoe due north of the
Niagara Peninsula, with a large "elbow" of L. Ontario intervening.
As to the Niagara River & Falls being "old Ontario's western frontier", it's notable that the
Niagara
River is the EASTERN frontier of what we may now have to call "new Ontario", complete with
its
Niagara Peninsula. Unless we are simply to disregard Mays's remark, we must apparently imagine
an
"old Ontario" that was very different from the present one.
Can "old Ontario" have occupied much of what is now Upstate New York? Only then would the
Niagara frontier lie at the western extremity of "old Ontario". Given that Mays doesn't seem to
provide a clarification, it's simply a puzzle.
At all events, the march of time brought European explorers. They came to these shores generally,
and then to Ontario, not for the new land's sake, but in seeking gold, a quick route to China, or
both.
By way of explanation, all sorts of improbable rumours were afoot, and tellers of tall tales must
have
been numerous. Yet it seems that the credulous "suckers" among (and sometimes at the very head
of) society were, if anything, yet more prevalent. For instance, the readiness of apparently sensible
men to believe that the ground was littered with gold largely accounts for the "discovery" of
Ontario
by Europeans.
On page 84, in a statement that "... Wendat warriors hatcheted more than thirty Frenchmen to
death
in the winter of 1641," note that the correct year almost certainly was 1541. In other respects, the
statement recounts a typically dramatic event connected with that early European phase of
Canadian
history. If people call this country "boring", do they know of its history?
Explorer Etienne Bru^le' was largely motivated by mere curiosity, but other French explorers of
Ontario - after Jacques Cartier who, in 1535, merely glimpsed its near corner from the summit of
Mont Royal, within today's Montre'al - were, as suggested, in search of something else. La Salle,
for
instance, hoped for a rumoured "beautiful river", the Mississippi, in hopes that it would - of
course! -
lead to China.
Meantime, the vast riches of the country the explorers passed through went largely unrecognized.
Some of the fault lay with the Royalist French attitude and policy toward colonization; it favoured
settling the country only to the extent necessary to support the exploitation of natural resources
which, to all intents, came to mean the fur trade after it was found that the ground consisted of
soil,
not bullion.
The French policy meant that Ontario had few human inhabitants - particularly after the native
population's disastrous internecine warfare, largely over furs and access to fur markets.
At the height of the Seven Years War of 1756-63, known in the American colonies as the French
and Indian War, Canada changed hands after the 1759 British victory on the Plains of Abraham,
which lies just outside the walls of Que'bec (City). However bizarre it may seem, after 1759 the
removal of the French threat from the daily lives of the English colonists led, or contributed, to a
wholesale realignment of thought, in which Britain was no longer seen by many of her American
citizens primarily as founder and protector - the alma mater or "sheltering mother" - but rather as
the
hated oppressor. That new sentiment was far from universal, though, during the American
Revolution, as Mays demonstrates in his Chapter 13, "Miss Molly's War" - thus making for a long
and bitter struggle.
Mays doesn't say a great deal about the American Revolution as a whole, but that chapter does
provide a special insight into the war's effect on Ontario; for when the dust had finally settled, the
rebels held the English seaboard colonies south of the former Acadia (more or less), while the
English were in sole possession and defence of the former French territories, and the English
loyalists were streaming from the old English lands into the formerly French areas! The world
had,
indeed, turned upside down, just as the tune stated.
Now began, therefore, a great rebuilding process which must be pursued in lands other than those
that Britain had painstakingly cultivated before. Naturally, matters could not all be set aright
immediately, or even for years to come. Among other things, there was the new problem of how
to
deal equably, under a largely English and Protestant regime, with a large French Roman-Catholic
population who had, moreover, at least nominally lived until late 1759 under an absolute
monarchy,
and had never tasted anything like the democracy evolved in Britain.
Moreover Ontario, and later all the provinces to the west and territories to the north, had to be
organized pretty much from scratch. For instance, capital cities had to be founded in utter
wildernesses, just as had been and continued to be the case in the newly minted parts of the
U.S.A.,
not excepting at Washington, D.C. - although, in Canada, more and more of the effort could and
would be provided by Canadians themselves as their numbers and sophistication grew.
I take exception to Mays's choice of words on page 150, where he says that the work of John
Graves Simcoe, first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada (old name of Ontario), included
"keeping the land quarantined from the democracy always threatening to boil over into what was
left
of His Majesty's American dominions." No doubt there was reaction against causes and methods
espoused by the more-or-less-ex-enemy to the south, but I feel the problem was not democracy,
per
se; it was the U.S. form of it, and the prospect of its control by folk who had purposely estranged
themselves. For whereas Canadian democracy has its flaws, at least we can hope someday to
mend
them! Whereas, were we to accept the U.S. Constitution with ITS flaws, all our hopes of
amendment would vanish.
Remember, too, that Loyalists were not being well treated in the States during Simcoe's term of
office. It was foreign domination, then, that he must avoid. Reasonable security against invasion
from the U.S. was vital. The initial, provisional seat of Upper Canada's government at Newark
(now
Niagara-on-the-Lake), within sight of American soil, must be replaced by a more defensible
settlement farther from the border. After a false start at building a New London on Southern
Ontario's Thames River, Simcoe was ordered by Governor General Guy Carleton to establish the
capital of Upper Canada at Toronto, which Simcoe then renamed York.
I suspect the experience of building "Muddy York" (title of Chapter 14 of Mays's book) was like
that of almost contemporaneously building (also muddy?) Washington. That chapter is rather dull,
but it seems necessary ... rather like government itself, by my way of thinking.
Next, though, comes a very interesting tale of Handsome Lake, a mystical Seneca who lived south
of the border although his messages spread north of it, too. He had almost died of dissipation
before
experiencing a personal revival and epiphany that turned him into something very like God's
messenger to all the Long House People, who were then at a very low ebb - indeed, God's
messenger to ALL people. Even if you read none other, try to read Chapter 15 containing this
story.
The next chapter, "Serinette", is about a quirky religious sect that began with dreams that must
have
seemed semi-pornographic in their day, but that led to the construction of one of the most sublime
architectural works in Canada, if not in all North America - and then to effective oblivion. With all
due respect, though, the enduring meaning of that sect to Ontario seems to me minimal.
It now is high time to wind up this review, although the foregoing notes reach scarcely beyond the
book's midpoint, and Uncle Tom (not to say much else) still lies ahead in Ch. 23.
As a place, or rather timeframe in which to end it, I choose Chapter 20, "1837". That was the year
of two of the three significant Canadian 19th century rebellions, those two coinciding in time but
located in Upper and Lower Canada. Considerably later the Northwest or Riel Rebellion would
break out among the Me'tis of what are now the Prairie Provinces, but only the Upper Canada
disturbance can be outlined here.
It might have been an excellent idea for the American and British authorities to have (re)patriated
all
their own sympathizers, perhaps even doing so forcibly if need be, by perhaps 1785 so as to clear
both the United States and Canada of potential troublemakers. It appears this was never done,
though, perhaps because both sides espoused liberty. In the upshot, Upper Canada contained a
faction of republican sympathizers, while the States held a number of presumed monarchists.
All might have remained reasonably quiet north of the border in 1937, though, had it not been for
a
fateful collision of interests. On one side was a Scottish republican rabble rouser, William Lyon
Mackenzie, an 1820 arrival who founded a very polemical newspaper in 1824. On the other side
was
that paper's favourite target - and many will say its JUST target - the "Family Compact", a clique
of
influential people who had largely been installed by Simcoe, and who by now dominated the
province.
Physically, that "collision" produced a debacle that Mays describes as follows: "In December,
1837,
Mackenzie made his move against the British colonial administration, with the intention of
replacing
it with a provisional republican government. In the vanguard of some eight hundred comrades
armed
with pitchforks and guns, [Mackenzie] marched down Toronto's Yonge Street and crashed into
an
overwhelming loyal force. The Battle of Toronto was over in fifteen minutes." ... "The Rebellion
was a fiasco wherever it flared up. It need not have happened at all ... the colonial office in
London
disliked the faux-nobility of York almost as much as Mackenzie did ..."
There's much more to be said about Mays's book, but beyond this point I feel I must let the book
itself do the saying.
Pete Hodgins Sr.
Reviewer
Skea's Bookshelf
The Writer And The World
V.S. Naipaul
Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 0375407391, A$ 30.00, 524 pages
Knopf
ISBN: 0375407391; $30.00, 544 pages
As a man whose Brahmin Indian grandparents migrated to Trinidad to work as indentured
labourers
in the sugar plantations, and whose father learned English, aspired to be a writer and fostered the
same ambition in his son, Naipaul's background was full of poverty, change, adaptation and the
urge
to succeed. He was already doubly displaced from his family's cultural origins when he arrived at
Oxford University on a Trinidad government scholarship. This was yet another cultural
displacement, yet another adjustment, but Naipaul rose through all these challenges to become so
successful a writer that he won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2001.
In an address which he gave to the Manhattan Institute of New York in 1992, Naipaul spoke little
of
these challenges but much about something he called "our universal civilization" and the benefits
he,
personally, has derived from it. He does not define this term but makes it clear that it has to do
with
freedom, equality, responsibility, choice, "the life of the intellect, the idea of vocation and
perfectibility and achievement". It is, he writes " an immense human idea. It cannot be reduced to
a
fixed system". And he believes that others have experienced and benefit from this universal
civilization but for various reasons they reject it and retreat into narrow, rule-bound systems. It is
an
attractive, idealistic idea which may or may not be true, but Naipaul believes that it has shaped his
life.
Coming to Europe, as a Trinidad Indian, from a small, remote island, and learning to write and
live
as part of a much larger civilization, was not easy. It did, however, give Naipaul a unique
perspective as an outsider which, together with his intelligence and his curiosity, he has kept in all
his travels to other countries. "I travel", he tells us, "to discover other states of mind". By which
he
means not just that travel broadens the mind, but that people in different places seem to think in
different ways. This is what he has observed and this is what fascinates him, and what makes the
essays and reports in this book so interesting.
At first, he says, he was an "artless traveller", "uncertain and diffident", and he soon discovered
that
"whatever the excitements of new landscapes and of being on the move, a journey didn't
necessarily
result in a narrative on the page". It is interesting to see the development of his style over the
twenty-five years which separate the first and last pieces in this book and to see the increasing
maturity and confidence with which he expresses his opinions. But what prompts him to write, "is
a
writer's curiosity rather than an ethnographer's or journalist's".
Naipaul's writing is full of ideas. He is very aware of the colonial and post-colonial histories of the
places he visits and very aware of power structures and politics. He is open and clear in his
opinions
and judgements but acknowledges, too, that they are coloured by his own background and
experiences. Always his perspective is uniquely his own, and he has an eye for the bizarre and a
delightfully dry wit. Seeing urban neglect in New York, he comments that "New York in places is
like Calcutta, with money". And at a Republican Party Rally in Dallas in 1984, "the scale, the
mood,
the surreal setting" remind him of a Muslim missionary gathering he had seen five years before in
the
Pakistan Punjab.
Naipaul has travelled widely but generally to places with which, for a variety of reasons, he feels
some connection. The pieces in this book are presented in chronological order, beginning in 1962,
and they record his reactions to India, Argentina, St.Kits-Nuevis-Anguilla, British Honduras, The
Ivory Coast, The Congo, Trinidad, Grenada, Guyana, Mauritius and parts of North America.
Always there is a thoughtful element to his appraisal of situations and people. His report on the
growing theme-park trend in Steinbeck's Monterey is balanced by an exploration of what remains
in
fact and in memory of the sardine canneries which were the setting for Cannery Row. His travels
on
the campaign trail with Norman Mailer, whose plan was to inject "interest" into a "boring and dull
world", leaves him noting how Mailer's writer's way with words could sway an audience but also
that if Mailer "had a political base it was his glamour as a writer".
Another essay traces the con-man like rise of pimp, drug-pusher and racketeer, Michael Malik
(Michael X); the way in which he was given legitimacy by the press; and the way in which this
brought him the money and power which eventually resulted in him committing several murders in
Trinidad. Certain aspects of Malik's story cause Naipaul to be outspoken in his contempt for "the
revolutionaries who visit countries of revolution with return air tickets, the hippies, the people
who
wish themselves on societies more fragile than their own" - all those outsiders who for their own
reasons dabble in the politics of another country.
This book has an excellent Introduction by Pankaj Mishra, but for an appreciation of Naipaul's
overall view on life it is also worth reading the Postscript (the address to the Manhattan Institute)
before starting to read the essays. This is not a book for light reading, but it is a satisfying book.
Once or twice I found a piece over-long and repetitive, as if it had been patched together from
shorter essays written on different occasions, but maybe that was the result of travelling and
writing
at the same time. Naipaul's prose, however, is always beautifully clear, simple, strong and a
pleasure
to read. He may well put his success down to the opportunities provided by "our universal
civilization", but it is equally the result of his own hard work, determination and talent. It is a
remarkable achievement.
Shroud
John Banville
Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 0330412388, A$ 28.00, 407 pages
Knopf
ISBN: 0375411305; $25.00, 256 pages
Alex Vander is not a pleasant character. It's not just that he is old and grotesque (as he tells us),
he is
also an alcoholic, callous, selfish, nasty, fraud. His stature as an academic is based on deception,
for
which has a certain genius (as he also tells us), but he lives under a false identity, which he stole
from man who disappeared in Antwerp during the Nazi occupation.
Even under threat of exposure, Vander is calculating, arrogant, and manipulative of the young
woman, Cass Cleave, who has discovered his secret. In fact, so unpleasant is this character which
John Banville creates in the first part of this book, and so vile did I guess his secret to be, that I
had
just decided that I wanted to waste no more time in his company when Banville suddenly changed
tack. Vander, on the turn of a page, is all poetic charm: "Come my ghostly girl, plump up my
pillows
and sit by me here and I shall tell you a tale, a tale I thought to think of no more until you brought
it
all back.". So I had to read on.
Banville's great skill is in feeding (and feeding on) the reader's imagination. He is a past master at
creating unpleasant characters and then changing our perspective so that we see some possibility
of
redeeming features in them. But in the case of Alex Vander, he sets his readers a tough challenge,
and it is hard to explain how he manipulates the reader without spoiling the effect of the
book.
Let's just say that Banville uses the reader's knowledge of the racial horrors of WWII, and the
depths
of depravity to which humans can sink, to shape a view of Vander's true identity which is as true
and
yet as insubstantial as Vander's own perception of himself. And Cass Cleave, the woman who
knows
Vander's secret, also has a fragile hold on her identity, being a sufferer of Mandelbaum's
Syndrome,
a mental disorder at "the bad end of the scale between manic depression and full-blown dementia".
Cass is not mad, and she does know Vander's secret, but she suffers seizures and she shares her
mind with other voices and phantom people. She is naive - Vander describes her as "hardly more
than a child" - and she trusts Vander who, predictably, betrays her trust.
Vander, who lives a comfortable life in California, learns that he risks being exposed as a fraud
when
he receives a letter from Cass. How much she knows, he cannot tell, but since she is in Antwerp
he
decides to take advantage of an invitation to speak at an academic conference in Turin in order to
meet her. He manipulates her into coming to Turin, which she can ill-afford to do, takes
advantage
of her fragility and poverty by taking a room for her in his hotel, sleeps with her, and
incomprehensibly and unwillingly falls in love with her. Youth and age, innocence and cynical
knowledge, he describes her as Columbine to his Harlequin: and his Harlequin is "most individual"
,
"most enigmatic", "something savage and fiendish", a paid executioner. So, the end of this story,
naturally, is disastrous.
And in a sense, it is disastrous for the reader, too. We read the story out of curiosity, and we
create
characters in our imagination from fragmentary evidence, just as we do with the people we meet
in
real life. Banville shows us how easily we can be led astray; how quickly we judge a person by
appearances; how easily our prejudices and misconceptions bias our view; and how much we
share
the faults of those we condemn. At the end of the book, I felt that I needed to go back and re-read
it, but I still didn't like Alex Vander.
Spin Cycle
Ilsa Evans
Pan Macmillan
ISBN: 073291163X, A$ 19.95, 284 pages
"A source, a source, my kingdom for a source... What my therapist actually asked me to pinpoint
was the ROOT of my dissatisfaction, not the source, but you try substituting the word 'root'
above
and see where it gets you."
It's a great opening paragraph and it neatly sums-up the character of the narrator and the ironic
humour of the book. The fact that the narrator has no name, other than Mum, Mummy, Darling,
and
Bitch!, also tells you something. Firstly, that the book has something to do with being female; and
secondly, that the narrator is very much a mother. And every mother will recognize the narrator's
feeling of searching for some fragment of self in the midst of twenty-four hour days filled by the
constant demands of others.
Our narrator is tough and likeable, and her humour and intelligence see her through. Spin Cycle
covers just one week of her hectic life, and there are some wonderfully funny lines and events, and
a
great cast of characters.
CJ (Christine Jain) is a tough, angelic-looking five-year-old with a devilish way of manipulating
facts; Ben, thirteen, is quiet and awkward; and Samantha, "seventeen going on twenty", currently
favours cod-German exclamations, a Joan Crawford drawl, and is campaigning for a belly-button
ring. All are fairly normal kids, with the usual sibling rivalries, squabbles and loyalties, and the
unerring knack all kids have for divining parental weaknesses and guilt and working on them
mercilessly to gain their own ends. Mother, and sisters Diane and "Bloody Elizabeth", support and
intrude and play their parts. And friends, work-mates, ex-husbands, ex-mothers-in-law all add to
the
chaos.
Ilsa Evans is excellent at dialogue, good at controlling slap-stick comedy situations, and has a
great
sense-of-humour. Only occasionally do situations verge on TV sitcom idiocy, mostly at the start
of
the book as the author gets into her stride. In that arresting opening paragraph we learn that the
narrator has a therapist, and whilst we are digesting the existence of this piece of expensive
indulgence we learn that our narrator is sitting ON TOP of her washing machine in her laundry in
a
search for a quiet spot in which to think. However, the therapist is soon sacked and things
become
less ridiculous - or rather the idiocy is more believable, given the sane character of the narrator
and
the understandable but unpredictable nature of events. Generally, Ilsa Evans, like her narrator,
keeps
things under control.
I liked this narrator. I liked her fighting-spirit, her quick-thinking, her love and concern for her
children and her ability to see the funny side of near-disasters. Clearly this is a book which will
appeal most to women in their thirties or older. But anyone who has brought up children will
empathize with the narrator's feelings and recognize the situations she gets herself into, even if
they
themselves are not divorced and don't have ex-husbands and a close family to deal with.
Spin Cycle is a very good first novel. It is light, enjoyable reading. It also has a realistic and
hopeful
ending which leaves you feeling that with a bit of humour you, too, can cope with the demands
and
chaos of family life.
Ann Skea, Reviewer
http://ann.skea.com
Sullivan's Bookshelf
Invisible Giants: Fifty Americans Who Shaped The Nation But Missed The History Books
Mark C. Carnes, editor
Oxford University Press
198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016-4314
ISBN # 0195154177, $26.00, 3l6 pages, 1-800-451-7556
Fifty well-known writers, artists, and academics, like Rita Dove, Stephen Sondheim, Camille
Paglia,
Simon Winchester, Gloria Steinem, and Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr. chose, and wrote, a short
introduction to their favorite unrecognized, but important person. Brief histories then follow.
Some of the names may be known to readers but most probably are not. And the chosen are a
diverse group. They ranged from writer James Agee; to country singer A.P. Carter; poet Paul
Laurence Dunbar; U.S. Supreme Court Justice and U.S. Ambassador Arthur J. Goldberg;
anarchist
Emma Goldman; arctic explorer General Adolphus Washington Greely; civil rights activist Fannie
Lou Hamer; journalist Murray Kempton; political commentator Walter Lippmann; heavyweight
boxer Rocky Marciano; Mormon Church founder Joseph Smith; Reader's Digest Magazine
co-founder DeWitt Wallace; and 5 and Dime Store builder Frank W. Woolworth; along with 35
others.
In the introduction to his subject, Roger Nash Baldwin, Richard Avedon, the awared-winning
photographer, says of his choice for this book: "Roger Nash Baldwin's pioneering struggle for
civil
justice offers us a valuable lessen: one person's action can help change the world. So many basic
American liberties we take for granted can be traced back to Baldwin's uncompromising
recognition
of humanity in practice. A life to be celebrated." A Professor of History, Mark C. Carnes, the
book's
editor, teaches at Barnard College.
This recommended volume makes an ideal bathroom perusal. Reading one of it's fifty histories at
a
sitting is easily managed.
There's A Spiritual Solution To Every Problem
Wayne W. Dyer
HarperColllins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
ISBN 0060192305, $24.00, 270 pages/indexed, 1-800-242-7737
Using the prayer of St. Francis of Assisi as an outline, Dyer shows the reader how to solve
problems
by replacing negatives, like doubt, despair, and darkness, with faith, hope, and light,
respectively.
The world-renowned motivational author, and public speaker, has, over the years, from his earlier
tome Your Erroneous Zones, through Manifest Your Destiny, to this volume, moved personally
from being an enthusiastic, pragmatic psychologist to being a positive mental attitude promoter,
to
being, today, in the spiritual camp. Along thw way, he borrowed heavily from Christianity,
Judaism,
and Islam, especially their prayers, to make his points. But he never embraced any of those
religions.
In fact, he claims to be spiritual not religious.
Dyer invokes the name of God on any and all occasions. Yet it's not the long-bearded, fatherly
God
most people know and think of when they hear His name spoken. What this author means and
reveres is the God of Spirit. It's everywhere, in everything, and is everything. And this God can be
reached at the higher vibrations of life's energy force, which the author describes how to
attain.
"Spirit is," writes Dyer, "what I have chosen to call the formless, invisible energy which is the
source
and sustenance of life on this planet. This force, no matter the name we give it, can solve every
problem that we encounter. There is a spiritual solution to every problem, we only need to learn
how
to access it...."
Not only does Dyer invoke the prayer of St. Francis to make his thesis but he also strongly
advocates the habit of meditation. The latter activity has been widely discussed in his previous
writings.
Wayne Dyer has written more than a dozen books and resides with his family in Floriday.
Jim Sullivan
Reviewer
Vicki's Bookshelf
The Last Of The Mohicans
James Fenimore Cooper, author
N.C. Wyeth, illustrator
Atheneum Books for Young Readers/Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY, NY 10020
ISBN 0-689-84068-3, $18.95, 54 pages, www.SimonSaysKids.com
When done right, illustrated classics are hard to beat for reading enjoyment, gift-giving and home
library collecting. This "Scribner Storybook Classic" version of "The Last of the Mohicans" by
James Fenimore Cooper exemplifies the best of the field with its over-sized picture-book format
and
loyal reproduction of great artist N.C. Wyeth's extraordinary paintings, long considered among
the
best in the world of children's books. Wyeth's riveting paintings are nicely reproduced here with
full-page reproductions that nicely break up 31 pages of solid text. Parents and teachers will
greatly
enjoy introducing grade school children to this classic edition specially abridged for younger
readers
not yet ready for the complete work. The carefully adapted work remains loyal to the original to
impart, and skillfully includes the most important elements of this story about colonial scout
Hawkeye and his adventure in the battle-torn northern wilderness. I highly recommend it as an
addition to any complete elementary school library.
Lion's Precious Gift
Barbara Bennett, author
Amanda Hall, illustrator
Barron's
250 Wireless Blvd., Hauppauge, NY 11788
ISBN 0-7641-5533-4, $13.95, 28 pages, www.barronseduc.com
First-time author Barbara Bennett has come up with a classically influenced fable imparting a
lesson
about precious gifts and the common error of placing undue value in material goods. In this brief
picture book, the animals of the forest compete with one another to give the lion king the best gift
of
all in order to win his crown. Polar Bear brings him the tip of the North Pole, Tiger captures a
rainbow, and Eagle steals a piece of moonlight. But when the gifts are presented, each precious
object is revealed to be worthless: the ice has melted, the rainbow has disappeared without the sun
and rain to make its prism, and the piece of the moon is nothing but a chunk of dull rock. Each
feels
foolish, including the lion king, until he returns home to discover the birth of his first baby, and a
valuable lesson about the important things in life.
Amy
Mary Hooper
Bloomsbury
175 Fifth Ave., NY, NY 10010
ISBN 1-58234-793-X, $14.95, 172 pages, www.bloomsburymagazine.com
This intense problem novel for young adults does an exceptionally delicate job dealing with the
difficult subject of date rape. More specifically, it tackles the complicated issue of molestations
that
many victims can't even remember due to the devious nature of crimes using "date rape" drugs. In
"Amy," the young protagonist is a typically insecure teen whose best friends desert her by forming
a
private clique of their own. Alone and lonely, Amy seeks friends in internet chat-rooms. Her
concerned parents give her the usual advice about not trusting strangers, never revealing personal
information, and never meeting internet "friends" in person, but Amy's desire for love wins out, so
she makes a secret rendezvous with a charming young man. When she sneaks away to his town
for
their first date, it's clear he's not all he claimed to be he's not nearly as handsome in person as he
was in his dowloaded photo, and details about his important job don't seem to match his claims.
Still,
he seems polite and attentive, so Amy's nervousness relents enough to go along to a secluded
beach
for a romantic picnic lunch that he's packed, along with a camera hidden at the bottom of the
basket.
After eating, Amy's surprised that she suddenly feels strangely sleepy. When she wakes, she
notices
her shirt is on inside out, but everything else seems OK until she starts to have bad dreams or are
they flashbacks of unpleasant things she can't quite remember? Determined not to suffer as a
victim,
she enlists the help of a classmate to find out what really happened. Together they discover inner
strength and the true value of friendship. Parents, educators and sensitive teens will be disturbed
by
the subject matter, but they can all rest assured that author Mary Hooper handles the matter
responsibly and entirely without explicit details, including a wise choice to minimize the crime
itself.
Antiques Price Guide 2003
Judith Miller
DK
375 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0-7894-8940-6, $35.00, 752 pages, www.dk.com
Not everyone can have personal appraisals of their antiques and collectibles from the "Antiques
Roadshow" experts, so DK goes to great pains each year to compile an ever-broadening range of
some 8,500 valued items and their ever-changing market prices. Unlike other antiques guides, this
one goes to great lengths to provide excellent full-color photos of each object. A thumbnail
description accompanies each photo, with year of manufacture, measurements and a price range
quote beneath. Objects are grouped by category (porcelain and pottery, oriental, decorative arts),
then sub-category (stoneware, jade, ceramics) and major makers (Derby, Netsuke, Clarice Cliff)
with elaborated text putting the maker's accomplishments into perspective.
Since appraisals are subject to the eye of the beholder, readers can be assured that the book is
compiled by no less an authority than Judith Miller, co-founder of the respected "Miller's Antiques
Price Guide" and 80 other antique-related books. The bad news (besides that my Eames desk
chair is
worth no more than I paid for it 10 years ago) is that no single book could ever dream of being a
complete pricing guide, no matter how well-researched and well-intentioned. The field is too vast,
and so with just one page each devoted to Maiolica, Lalique and Shaker boxes, for example, the
task
is simply impossible. As a result, "Antiques Price Guide 2003" will not hold specific answers for
most users wishing to identify and price their treasures, nor does it give many helpful hints toward
identifying copies and fakes. It is, however, as excellent an overview as one can find, and is easily
the most beautiful.
Bedtime Stories
Debi Gliori
DK
375 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0-7894-8861-1, $15.99, 80 pages, www.dk.com
Children's author and illustrator Debi Gliori follows her recent hit novel "Pure Dead Magic" by
returning to familiar territory with this multi-story picture book collection. It's familiar in that it
resembles several of her charming previous efforts, but mostly because it's filled with nearly a
dozen
classic fables. The author's quick wit and inventive nature, however, doesn't allow her to simply
recount the ageless classics by rote. Rather, each tale is spun with Gliori's tongue-in-cheek
cheekiness, adding a little something here and there just for fun. And so in "The Little Red Hen"
the
lazy animals are too busy doing crossword puzzles and sunbathing to help with the chores; in
"The
Three Little Pigs" the oinkers are at long last given names (Hamstraw, Pigwood and Porkstone, if
you must know); and in "The Tortoise and the Hare" and "The Lion and the Mouse," the author
rewrites the tales in rhyming couplets. Each story is short and sweet with lively and plentiful
illustrations that will make read-aloud time as fun for adults as for kids, and the low price for such
a
generous tome makes this an exceptional buy.
Hello World
Manya Stojic
Cartwheel Books/Scholastic Inc.
557 Broadway, NY NY 10012
ISBN 0-439-36202-4, $14.95, 40 pages, www.scholastic.com
Kids love learning foreign words and phrases, so what could be better than "hello" as an
introduction to the world of languages? Illustrator Manya Stojic has lived all around the world, so
has very naturally come up with a cheerfully-illustrated picture book teaching friendly greetings in
a
wide variety of 42 languages from Amharic to Zulu. The simple lesson involves the translation of
"hello" into phonetic spelling, accompanied by a pronunciation breakdown, the name of the
language, and a beautiful portrait of a native speaker the same age as young picture book readers.
The familiarity of illustrated gestures waving, smiling, playing peek-a-boo, blowing kisses --
bring
home the idea that kids everywhere are more alike than different, making this seem like a small
world indeed.
Snow Ravens
Bruno Hachler, author
Birte Muller, illustrator
North South Books
11 East 26th Street, NY, NY 10010
ISBN 0-7358-1689-1, $15.95, 28 pages, www.northsouth.com
As charming as it is, this Swiss-import picture book seems to have lost something in the
translation.
The simple fable is universal enough: it's about a raven who complains about the cold weather
until
he gives it a chance and comes to understand its beauty, with a little help from his friends. Its
periodic humor hits some familiar notes as well, particularly Birte Muller's loosely-painted, comic
portraits of the raven awkwardly frolicking in the snow. The minimal plot, however, takes odd
turns,
and seems to miss its intended destination. Could the story have cultural references that American
readers simply miss? Whatever the cause, the story will have trouble reaching a non-European
audience.
Gluey: A Snail Tale
Vivian Walsh, author
J.Otto Seibold, illustrator
Harcourt Children's Books
15 East 26th Street, NY, NY 10010 525 B Street, San Diego, CA 92101
ISBN 0-15-216620-3, $15.00, 44 pages, www.HarcourtBooks.com
At last the lowly snail get his due as a storybook hero. This post-modern gem of a picture book
provides tongue-in-cheek laughs in its twisted telling of an overlooked snail whose gooey snail
trail
is responsible for mending a special house. The drama begins when a house-hunting bunny moves
in,
and discovers that there, broken objects are magically put back together. Not realizing the house
belongs to a house-proud little carpenter snail named Gluey who lives there and does all the
fixing,
she thoughtlessly boots him out. Soon, of course, the house starts to crumble without its fix-it
critter, particularly when the brazen bunny invites everyone but Gluey to a raucous jam-and-toast
party. The house is reduced to rubble, but when Gluey returns to the scene the silly rabbit tells
him
that they only need to wait for the magic to take place. Good, Gluey replies, because he "certainly
couldn't fix it this time so he was really glad magic would take care of it." The bunny realizes her
foolishness and tries to make up for it, but the impossible task requires some real magic (and a
laughably bad pun based on a weird plot twist too bizarre to reveal here) to put everything right.
"Gluey" may be a tad obscure for most kids, but is destined to become a favorite picture book for
adults who appreciate the offbeat humor and bold graphics of works like "Olive, The Other
Reindeer" and "Penguin Dreams."
Vicki Arkoff
Reviewer
Taylor's Bookshelf
Many Mansions?
Catherine Cornille, editor
Orbis Books
PO Box 308, Maryknoll, NY 10545-0308
157075439X $30.00 www.maryknoll.org
Capably edited by Catherine Cornille, Many Mansions?: Multiple Religious Belonging And
Christian
Identity is a selection of erudite theological essays by a variety of learned authors, and which
study
the phenomenon of religious pluralism as found in major religious traditions and responded to
within
a Christian theological framework. From the practice of multiple religions in Japan, to Buddhist
interpretation of Christian tenets, Many Mansions? is a truly fascinating and thought-provoking
read
which is especially commended to students of world faiths. Also very highly recommended is
Catherine Cornille's early work, The Guru In Indian Catholicism: Ambiguity Or Opportunity Of
Inculturation (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 0802805663; $25.00)
Sacred Silence
Donald Cozzens
The Liturgical Press
St. John's Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, MN 56321-7500
081462779X $19.95 1-800-858-5450
Deftly written by Donald Cozzens (a Catholic priest and teacher of religious studies at John
Carroll
University), Sacred Silence: Denial And The Crisis In The Church is an unflinching examination of
the Catholic Church and its current troubles that even as this review is written has resulted in the
removal of the American Archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law from his post. Addressing not only
issues of sexual abuse allegations, Sacred Silence expands into the question of why the church is
so
controlling, and how it needs to change to become more responsive to the people it serves
worldwide. Sacred Silence is very strongly recommended reading for both Catholic clergy and
laity,
as well as non-Catholics with an interest the administrative and public relations problems of
clerical
misconduct to wreak upon their own religious communities and institutions.
Rethinking The Purpose Of Business
S. A. Cortright & Michael J. Naughton, eds.
University of Notre Dame Press
310 Flanner Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556
0268040117 $35.00 1-800-621-2736 www.undpress.nd.edu
Rethinking The Purpose Of Business: Interdisciplinary Essays From The Catholic Social Tradition
by Michael J. Naughton (Director of the John A. Ryan Institute for Catholic Social Thought at the
Center for Catholic Studies, St. Thomas University, St. Paul, Minnesota) is a selection of
impressive
and insightful essays by erudite authors concerning business management theories that remain in
harmony with social traditions of Catholicism. From keeping an ethical balance while seeking
profits,
to modern contract theory, to the social ethics of corporate management, Rethinking the Purpose
of
Business strives to maintain a balance between the needs of the soul and the business necessity of
the
bottom line. Rethinking The Purpose Of Business is thoughtful and thought-provoking reading
which is especially commended to anyone seeking to balance the requirements of faith with the
demands of commerce.
Is God A Chauvinist?
Elreta Dodds
Press Toward The Mark Publications
PO Box 02099, Detroit, MI 48202
0966039025 $15.00 1-888-833-8889
Is God A Chauvinist?: The Bible And Women - A Complete Look by Elreta Dodds (Certified in
Advanced Church Ministry by the Evangelical Training Association) is a carefully presented and
highly informative study written expressly to dispel the notion that the Bible is inherently a
chauvinistic or sexist book. Exploring women's concerns ranging from domestic violence, to
marriage roles, pregnancy, how Jesus treated women, and more, Is God A Chauvinist? in an
thoughtful and thought-provoking contribution to both Christian Studies, Biblical Studies, and
Women's Studies reading lists and reference collections.
Gospel Of the Savior
Charles W. Hedrick and Paul A. Mirecki
Polebridge Press
Westar Institute, PO Box 6144, Santa Rosa, CA 95406
0944344909 $20.00 www.polebridgepress.com www.westarinstitute.org
The collaboration of biblical scholars Charles W. Hedrick and Paul A. Mirecki, Gospel Of The
Savior: A New Ancient Gospel is the first publication and translation of a long-lost Christian
gospel
written in the Coptic language of Christian Egypt. Carefully pieced together from parchment
pieces
found in the Berlin Egyptian Museum, this long-lost gospel presents dialogues and discourse of a
figure called "the savior" by his apostles. Extensive commentary upon the text fragments rounds
out
this fascinating, meticulously researched, painstakingly translated, and superbly presented
reference.
Fascinating reading for Christian history, theology, and scholarship, this edition of the Gospel Of
The Savior is an essential, core addition to any serious, comprehensive New Testament Studies
academic reference collection.
The Place Of The Gospels In The General History Of Literature
Karl Ludwig Schmidt, author
Byron R. McCane, translator
The University of South Carolina Press
937 Assembly Street, Carolina Plaza, 8th Floor, Columbia, SC 29208
1570034303 $24.95 1-803-777-4848
Deftly translated for an English readership by Byron R. McCane (Associate Professor of Religion
and Chair of the Department of Religion at Converse College, Spartanburg, South Carolina), The
Place Of The Gospels In The General History Of Literature the distinguished biblical scholar Karl
Ludwig Schmidt (1891-1956) presents a scholarly and articulate argument that the gospels of the
New Testament represent a literary genre which does not derive from others in Mediterranean or
Middle Eastern antiquity. Schmidt's contention was that the gospels are the written record of an
oral
tradition rather than a biographical or historical text. An erudite and seminal body of work, this
edition of The Place Of The Gospels In The General History Of Literature is further enhanced
with
an informed and informative introduction by John Rices (Professor of Divinity and Biblical
Criticism,
University of Glasgow) and is an invaluable and much appreciated contribution to New Testament
Studies.
Exploring Mormon Thought
Blake T. Ostler
Greg Kofford Books
PO Box 1362, Draper, UT 84020
1589580036 $29.95 www.koffordbooks.com
Exploring Mormon Thought: The Attributes Of God by Blake T. Ostler is the first volume of a
planned series of intense, deeply reasoned and profoundly written works on the issue of Mormon
thought. Providing the reader with an in-depth examination of the Christian and Mormon
viewpoints
of God that is very highly recommended reading for both Mormon and non-Mormon students of
Christian oriented theology, Exploring Mormon Thought is an astute, detailed, philosophical,
intrinsically fascinating, thoughtful and thought-provoking treatise.
Not A Tame God
Steven P. Mueller
Concordia Publishing House
3558 S. Jefferson Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63118-3968
0570052963 $18.99 www.cph.org
Not A Tame God: Christ In The Writings Of C.S. Lewis by Steven P. Mueller (Associate
Professor
of Theology, Concordia University, Irvine, California) is an informed and informative study of the
literature of popular twentieth-century writer and devout Christian C. S. Lewis, who has
presented
the image of an "untamable" God in his writings which remain faithful to the essence of Jesus
Christ.
Central in the analysis is Lewis' Christ-like figure of Aslan, the wild and compassionate lion
protector of the land of Narnia. A thoughtful, scholarly, and in-depth analysis, Not A Tame God
is
highly recommended contribution to Christian Theology Studies in general, and the reading lists
for
students of C.S. Lewis' writings in particular.
Palestine In The Time Of Jesus
K. C. Hanson and Douglas E. Oakman
Fortress Press
PO Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440
0800634705 $23.00 1-800-328-4648
Collaboratively written by biblical scholars K. C. Hanson (School of Theology at Claremont,
Creighton University) and Douglas E. Oakman (Associate Professor of Religion at Pacific
Lutheran
University, Tacoma, Washington), Palestine In The Time Of Jesus: Social Structure And Social
Conflicts is an impressively presented, detailed introduction to the politics, social institutions,
governmental structures, and social structure of the antiquarian Palestine of 2000 years ago.
Drawing heavily on both Scriptural reference and archaeological data, Palestine In The Time of
Jesus is a scholarly and thought provoking "window in time" revealing the complicated story of a
rich and conflicted land. Enhanced with an accompanying CD-ROM, Palestine In The Time Of
Jesus
is a welcome and throughly reader friendly addition to any personal seminary, university, or
community library New Testament Studies reading list and reference collection.
The Light Of Home
Dr. John Trent & Thomas Kinkade
Harvest House Publishers
990 Owen Loop North, Eugene, Oregon 97402-9173
0736910174 $22.99 1-800-547-8979
The Light Of Home: Ten Inspiring Pictures Of A Strong Family by John Trent (President of
StrongFamilies.com) is a breathtakingly inspirational book that impressively blends a series of
strong
and meaningful principles for living in happiness and in the light of God into a thoroughly "reader
friendly" text. Breathtaking color artwork by Thomas Kinkade illustrates and enhances this gentle
and heartworming coffee table book, which is as moving to read as it is to simply browse through
the captivating painted homesteads.
The Storm
Lisa J. Haynes
Provider Publishing, Inc.
141 Memorial Parkway #106, Randolph, MA 02368
0972201106 $12.95 1-781-885-2929
The Storm: For Your Good And For God's Glory by Lisa J. Haynes is offers a wealth of practical
insights and useful observations into the realities of dealing with the often overwhelming troubles
and stresses of ordinary life when the traditional religious bromides of our youth prove to be
unhelpful, uninspiring, and trusting in God seems to be an exercise in futility. The Storm is
especially
recommended reading for anyone who feels they are drowning in a sea of troubles, yielding to a
pessimistic disappointment with God's love, or who are angred by God's seeming indifference to
their personal plight.
John Taylor
Reviewer
Sharon's Bookshelf
Ordinary Englightenment
Charles Luk, translator and editor
Shambhala Publications, Inc.
Horitcultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115
1570629714 $15.95 www.shambhala.com
Translated into English and deftly edited for contemporary readers by life-long student of
Buddhism
Charles Luk, Ordinary Enlightenment: A Translation Of The Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra presents
the
enduring story of Mahayana Buddhism and Zen, about a householder named Vimalakirti who
balances a worldly life with the way of the Bodhisattva. Explanatory notes and a glossary
complement this classic, scholarly resource, which is very highly recommended for Buddhist
Studies
reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
The Funny Pages
Judy Brown
Andrews McMeel Publishing
4520 Main Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64111
0740726862 $10.95 1-800-851-8923
Painstakingly compiled by Judy Brown (contributing writer and comedy critic for LA Weekley),
The
Funny Pages is an impressive and hilarious collection of 1,473 jokes gathered from the funniest
modern-day comedians around, ranging from Robin Williams to Bill Cosby, George Burns, Conan
O'Brien, and many, many more. The individual jokes are arranged by topic underneath
dictionary-style headings. From Alcohol to Yoga and Zoos; each gag is short but sweet, and
packs a
punch in this chuckle-inducing, highly recommended anthology of wit, gags, and humor both
classic
and cutting edge.
Concord Records
PO Box 845, Concord, CA 94522
1-877-629-6723 1-800-551-5299
The outstanding and highly recommended Concord Records "Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz
Radio
Broadcast" series consists of four superbly produced and performed entries showcasing the
musical
talents of Bill Evans (TJA-12038-2, $9.99); Carmen Mcrae (TJA-12039-2, $9.99); Chick Corea
(TJA-12040-2, $9.99); and Oscar Peterson (TJA-12033-2, $9.99). Each of these remarkable CDs
is
comprised of conversation and music as heard on National Public Radio: Bill Evans on November
6,
1978; Oscar Peterson on June 2, 1980; Carmen McRae on March 11, 1985; and Chick Corea on
December 10, 2001. Marian McPartland is a knowledgeable and skilled interviewer who was able
to
showcase each of her interview guests both in terms of individual performances as well as their
informative commentaries about themselves and their music. Each of the titles in this unique and
memorable series is highly recommended for Music Department and Jazz Studies reference
collections in general, and the fans of Evans, McRae, Corea, and Peterson in particular.
Yusa
Yusa
Tumi Music
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
5340 Old State Road, 37 South, Suite B, Bloomington, IN 47401
TUM1112 $18.98 www.rockpaperscissors.biz
Yusa showcases the impressive musical performance and bittersweet troubadour lyrics of the
popular female Cuban singer Yusa. This impressive, entertaining, and highly recommended
recording features Tomando el centro (2:32); A las doce (5:04); La Fabula (3:35); Tienta Paredes
(3:59); Cuestion de angulo (6:22); La partida (3:20); La numero 2 (4:14); Mares de inocencia
(3:39); Todo o casi nada (3:35); Cancion en cuna para Freya (3:33); En Todas las esquinas
(1:54);
Involucion (4:27); Momentos (4:51); Chiqichaca (3:32); and Flash (1:33). Total playing time
56:27).
Zemog, El Gallo Bueno
Abraham "Aib" Gomez-Delgado
Aagoo Records
c/o Rock Paper Scissors
5340 Old State Road, 37 South, Suite B, Bloomington, IN 47401
ago 01cd $TBA www.rockpaperscissors.biz
Zemog, El Gallo Bueno is a very unusual CD music album offering "The Sound of a Headless
Rooser, a Heavy Metal Childhood, and the Puerto Rican Jungle". Abraham "Aib"
Gomez-Delgado
utilizes the undeniable talents of the cream of Boston's salsa and avant-garde jazz players
(Santiago
Greco, Giancarlo Buscaglia, Timo Shanko, Taylor Ho-Bynum, Jim Mesbauer, Luis Blanco, Jose
Avala, and veteran guitarist Jayuya) to provide a kind of post-salsa, mambo morphing sound to a
truly fascinating and highly entertaining sound. Zemog, El Gallo Bueno is comprised of Outpost
Wallpa; Animate; Murcielago; Palo DeRon; Egra; Lares Vegas; Nene; Rumba Pa Las Ninas;
Domingo En Pisao; Ya No Vuelve; Comi Snowmobile; and Plata Esta Fria.
Nostalgia
Shahin & Sepehr
The Higher Octave Music Group
PO Box 5106, Oxnard, CA 93031
HOMCD 42450 $16.98 1-800-562-8283
Nostalgia presents the undeniable musical talents of the guitar and keyboard duo of Shahin and
Sepeher. Combining distinctive and soulful rhythms from a melodic guitar-based exotica with
lively
Persian elements, each individual piece composing Nostalgia is a true listening treat and treasure
that
ranges from a bluesy Flamenco rocker to multiple Rock textured tunes, to a lush, folksy ballad, to
a
festive South African celebration. The individual pieces include Midnight In Madrid (3:56);
Norooz
(4:05); No Souvenirs (3:35); Ferdowsi In Love (5:17); The Journey Back (5:12); Good Night
Moon
(3:12); Pictures Of Lilly (3:53); Danube (1:23); Fellow Travelers (3:55); Echoes Of Persia (4:32);
and the title piece, Nostalgia (3:44).
Cuban Jazz
Aldredo Rodriguez y Los Acereko
Naxos World
416 Mary Lindsay Polk Drive, Suite 509, Franklin, TN 37067
76046-2 $9.98 www.naxosworld.com
Some of the very best of contemporary Cuban music with a jazz motif is wonderfully performed
by
pianist and bandleader Alfredo Rodriguez and his all-star group of performers in this remarkable
and
memorable CD collection which is very highly recommended for all jazz enthusiasts. Feature are
Con el-sabor de la tierra (4:36); El Niche (6:47); Caravan (8:22); Consuelate (7:12); Blues
guaguanco (8:46); Maleta y Nylon (6:36); All the Things You Are (9:55); Pa' goazr (12:29); and
Scene d'enfant (1:25).
Home Is Where The Mom Is
Shelly Burke, R.N.
Shelmar Publications
PO Box 18, Genoa, NE, 68640
0972384200 $19.95 www.homeiswherethemomis.com
Home Is Where The Mom Is by Shelly Burke presents a veritable wealth of resources,
encouragement, advice for stay-at-home Christian mothers looking to balance the needs of the
family, the self, and the spirit in accordance with Christian principles. From organizing one's life
and
eliminating wasted time, to responsibly taking charge of personal and family finances, to making
time for physical exercise, Home Is Where The Mom Is offers the reader a compendium of very
practical and well-thought-out suggestions. If you are a Christian mother (or married to one!),
then
read Shelly Burke's Home Is Where The Mom Is!
Change As A Curved Equation
Donald Everett Axinn
Arcade Publishing
141 Fifth Avenue, 8th Floor , New York, NY 10010
1559706368 $16.95 1-800-759-0190
Donald Everett Axinn is a practiced, dedicated, literate, accessible poet with five volumes of
published verse to his credit. Change As A Curved Equation is his sixth collection and one in
which
his poetry deals with the phenomena of life, earth, the passage of time, the seasons, geography,
geometry, and the weather. Scene: Summer sun splashes on this delusory/Seurat-sea bouncing off
frothed/Fronts of cresting waves/Their tight claws pouncing on the brazen beach./Through
bottoms
of hairy eyebrows/Squinting eyes observe ripened shore grass/Swaying in unexplained patterns to
muted music/Orchestrated by puffs of gusts pushed out/Of the east and arranged by that
same/Source that sponsored this morning.//A flag unfurls held stiff by the wind./One a flagpole it
pierces the horizon/Where the sky begins while a mockingbird mimics/Everyone's songs and that
analyzer in my brain/Is punching out so many cards/I cannot read them all so fast.
Sharon Stuart
Reviewer
Carson's Bookshelf
Purpose And Power In Retirement
Harold G. Koenig, M.D.
Templeton Foundation Press
Five Radnor Corporate Center, Suite 120, 100 Matsonford Road, Radnor, Pennsylvania
19087
1890151874 $19.95 www.templetonpress.org
Purpose And Power In Retirement: New Opportunities For Meaning And Significance by Harold
G.
Koenig (Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Associate Professor of Medicine at Duke
University
Medical Center) is a straightforward, "reader friendly" guide that dispels common retirement
myths,
and offers invaluable, practical advice for making the most of one's "golden years", including
reaping
the benefits of volunteering, learning to live healthy for a better quality of life, reducing personal
stress, and more. An excellent and very highly recommended instructional and reference guide to
reaping the most out of our retirement years, Purpose And Power In Retirement should be a part
of
every community library Retirement Preparation and Personal Growth collection.
Natural Therapy For Your Liver, 2nd Edition
Chrisopher Hobbs, L.Ac.
Avery
c/o Penguin Putnam Inc.
375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
1583331328 $9.95 www.penguinputnam.com
Previously published as "Natural Liver Therapy", Christopher Hobbs' Natural Therapy For Your
Liver: Herbs And Other Natural Remedies For A Healthier Liver is the newly revised and
expanded
second edition of an invaluable informational resource offering a wealth of practical, "user
friendly"
information about liver functions, diseases such as hepatitis and cirrhosis in which the liver is
impeded, and accessible, applicable advice for keeping one's liver healthy. Enhanced with
information on liver detox, internal cleansing, and fasting, Natural Therapy For Your Liver
excellent
addition to personal and community library Personal Health and Alternative Medicine reference
collections and reading lists.
The Manger's Handbook To Preparing And Using Financial Reports
Joel Siegel and Jae Shim
Thomson Learning
c/o South-Western
5191 Natorp Boulevard, Mason, Ohio 45040
0538726792 $49.95 www.thomsonlearning.com
Collaboratively written by Joel Siegel (Professor of Accounting and Finance, Queen's College,
City
University of New York), and Jae Shim (Professor of Accounting, California State University,
Long
Beach), The Manger's Handbook To Preparing And Using Financial Reports is a solidly written
and
accessibly organized guide to preparing sensitive and crucial financial information in a swift,
professional, and practical manner. From valuation reports, to reporting on salespeople, to
budgeting, forecasting, analyzing the rate of return, and more, The Manger's Handbook To
Preparing And Using Financial Reports offers straightforward "how-to" advice for constructing,
organizing, and improving a wide variety of corporate finance-related reports. The Manger's
Handbook To Preparing And Using Financial Reports is a very highly recommended instructional
and reference guide for managers of businesses both large and small.
Constructing A Market Economy
Richard Pomfret
Edward Elgar Publishing Limited
136 West Street, Suite 202, Northampton, MA 01060
1840646861 $65.00 1-800-390-3149
Constructing A Market Economy: Diverse Paths From Central Planning In Asia And Europe by
Richard Pomfret (Professor of Economics at the University of Adelaide, Australia) is a meticulous
and scholarly study of recent economic upheavals among the small nations in Europe and Asia
during the 1990s. Accessibly presented empirical evidence underlies the broader postulates and
conclusions in this insightful analysis, which primarily focuses upon the different types of
international transition economies, rather than dwelling inordinately upon the economy of any one
nation. A serious, thoughtful, college-level account, Constructing A Market Economy is a
welcome
and significant contribution to academic International Economic Studies reference collections and
supplemental reading lists.
Transitioning Ownership In The Private Company
Ron Bernstein, et al.
Foundation for Enterprise Development
1200 Prospect Street, Suite G100, La Jolla, CA, 92037
0966407725 $24.00 www.fed.org www.amazon.com
Collaboratively written by Ron Bernstein, David Binns, Marshal Hyman, and deftly edited by
Martin
Staubus, Transitioning Ownership in the Private Company: The ESOP Solution examines
leveraged
employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs) as a means of allowing employees to purchase and own
a
corporate divestiture or a production plant or facility chosen for closing by the parent company.
Examining the tax benefits, empowerment benefits for employees, usefulness, and facilitation of
ESOPs, Transitioning Ownership In The Private Company is a carefully researched, superbly
presented, and thoroughly "user friendly" information guide and reference. Simply put,
Transitioning
Ownership In The Private Company is a "must-read" for anyone involved in or considering an
ESOP
solution in acquiring a private company, plant, or facility.
The Protestant Ethnic & the Spirit of Capitalism
Rey Chow
Columbia University Press
61 West 62nd Street, New York, NY 10023
023112421X $19.50 1-800-944-8648 www.columbia.edu/cu/cup
The Protestant Ethnic & The Spirit Of Capitalism by Rey Chow (Andrew W. Mellon Professor of
the Humanities at brown University), is a meticulously, scholarly, college-level study of
cross-ethnic
representational politics in America and recent capitalistic Western cultures. From the coercive
practices of keeping races or classes of people "in their place", to the pervasive and enduring
social
harm of stereotyping, to the conflicted intersection of religious belief and capitalistic
self-preservation, The Protestant Ethnic & The Spirit Of Capitalism is an impressively thoughtful
and thought-provoking study of fundamental ideas and their evolution in a multi-ethnic nation.
Also
available in a hardcover edition (0231124201, $49.50), The Protestant Ethnic & The Spirit Of
Capitalism is a seminal and important addition to Ethnic Studies academic reference collections
and
supplemental reading lists.
Digging Up Texas
Robert Marcom
Republic of Texas Press
2320 Los Rios Boulevard, Plano, TX 75074
1556229372 $18.95 www.republicoftexaspress.com www.wordware.com
Digging Up Texas: A Guide To The Archaeology Of The State by archaeologist Robert Marcom
is
a solid and thoroughly "reader friendly" archaeology guide to over 15,000 years of history,
researched and discovered in the archaeological endowed state of Texas. Ranging from the
remains
of ancient proto-historical Native American cultures, to the contemporary and diverse resources
available for avocational archaeology, Digging Up Texas is an exciting and practical resource for
archaeology buffs of all experience levels, from the amateur enthusiast to the trained
professional.
The View From The Grass Roots
Gregory J. Rummo
Millennial Mind Publishing
c/o American Book Publishing
325 East 2400 South, Salt Lake City, UT 84115
1589821017 $22.00 www.american-book.com www.pdbookstore.com
The View From The Grass Roots is a compilation of the syndicated columns of award-winning
columnist Gregory J. Rummo, showcasing his deftly written commentaries upon a variety of
issues
both national and personal. His wit, wisdom and ruminations range from the deaf culture and what
it's like to raise a deaf son, to environmental ills such as global warming, to the 2000 Presidential
Election and the September 11 attacks. Confidently recommended reading, The View From The
Grassroots is filled from cover to cover with keen insights, profound thoughts, and a deep and
diverse understanding of the human condition.
Tense Commandments
Pietro S. Nivola
Brookings Institution Press
1775 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20036
0815760949 $17.95 www.brookings.edu
Tense Commandments: Federal Prescriptions And City Problems by Pietro S. Nivola (Senior
Fellow
in Governance Studies at the Brookings Institution) is a impressive and quite thoughtful survey
and
analysis of the modern-day phenomenon of exodus from city life to the suburbs, in spite of
ongoing
and often expensive efforts at urban revitalization. Studying the balance of urban and local
domains
with regard to financial implications, local administration of services, political pressures, and
much,
much more, (as well as comparing the American system with those of Germany, the U.K., France,
and Italy), Tense Commandments offers a learned and insightful discourse, with special
consideration for the issues of balance in the post-September 11 efforts to combat terrorism.
Tense
Commandments is a strongly recommended addition to Urban Studies reference collections and
supplemental reading lists.
The Big Book Of Adventure Travel
James C. Simmons
Avalon Travel Publishing
5855 Beaudry St., Emeryville, CA 94608
1566912512 $17.95 www.travelmatters.com
Now in an updated and expanded fourth edition, The Big Book Of Adventure Travel by author
and
world traveler, James C. Simmons is an impressive compendium of more than four hundred
organized adventure trips at home and abroad. From trekking in Nepal, to cycling the french wine
country, to exploring the wreck of the Titanic, to white-water rafting on Africa's Zambezi River,
to
sea-kayaking among the orcas off British Columbia, to windjamming along the Maine coast, these
are trip destinations and thrill-of-a-lifetime activities accessible to anyone. There are vacation
ideas
suitable for the entire family, honeymoon ideas far superior to a mundane trip to Niagra Falls, and
a
wealth of notions for the solo adventurer. Packed from cover to cover with the trip descriptions,
details, reviews, resources, and operator profiles, The Big Book Of Adventure Travel is ideal for
the
novice and offers a wealth of indispensable information for even the experienced traveler.
Michael J. Carson
Reviewer
Bethany's Bookshelf
The Lee Girls
Mary P. Coulling
John F. Blair, Publisher
1406 Plaza Dr., Winston-Salem, NC 27103
0895871475 $12.95 1-800-222-9796 www.blairpub.com
The Lee Girls by biographer Mary P. Coulling is the informed and informative story of
Confederate
General Robert E. Lee's four daughters: Mary Custis Lee; Eleanor Agnes Lee; Mildred Childe
Lee;
and Anne Carter Lee. Diaries, letters, paintings, and other contemporary records were utilized as
primary source materials upon which to base an bibliographically historically accurate narrative of
these women's lives through girlhood, the horror of war, and the era of reconciliation and
rebuilding.
A truly excellent and well balanced chronicle, The Lee Girls is a welcome and highly
recommended
addition to American Regional History, Civil War Studies, and Reconstruction Era Studies
collections and supplemental reading lists.
An Introduction To Twentieth-Century French Literature
Victoria Best
Gerald Duckworth & Co., Ltd.
c/o International Publishers Marketing
22841 Quicksilver Drive, Dulles, VA 20166
0715631667 $18.95 1-800-758-3756 www.internationalpubmarket.com
The most recent addition to the outstanding Duckworth "New Readings" series of introductions
to
European literary and culture, An Introduction To Twentieth-Century French Literature by
Victoria
Best (Lecturer in French at St. John's College, Cambridge, England) is a thoughtful, scholarly,
highly
recommended exploration of French writing and literature in the modern era, including French
prose, poetry, and drama. Ranging from the philosophy of Sartre, to the controversy of Genet,
Beckett and Marguerite Duras, and much, much more, An Introduction to Twentieth-Century
French Literature is an informed, informative, and intrinsically fascinating survey and analysis of
the
recent masterpieces of France's richly cultural literary tradition.
Sources Of Anglo-Saxon Literary Culture
Frederick M. Biggs, Thomas D. Hill, Paul E. Szarmach and E. Gordon Whatley, editors
Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Ave., Kalamazoo, MI 49008-5432
158044072X $40.00 1-616-387-8755 www.wmich.edu./medieval/mip/
Collaboratively researched, compiled, and edited by academicians and historians Frederick M.
Biggs,
Thomas D. Hill, Paul E. Szarmach and E. Gordon Whatley, with the assistance of Deborah A.
Oosterhouse, Sources Of Anglo-Saxon Literary Culture is the first volume of a series of scholarly
examinations of Anglo-Saxon literary culture. This is an extensive, comprehensive, scholarly,
bibliographical enriched reference that surveys and analyses the archaic literary sources provided
by
and concerning the Abbo of Fleury, the Abbo of Saint-Germain-des-Pres, and the Acta Sanctorum
in
minute, painstaking detail. Enhanced with an informative Foreword by Paul E. Szarmach, an
Introduction by Thomas D. Hill, an invaluable "Guide For Readers" by Frederick M. Biggs, as
well
as an extensive, sixty-one page Bibliography, Sources Of Anglo-Saxon Literary Culture is a
seminal
and core addition to academic Anglo-Saxon Literature and European History reference
collections.
The Last Girls
Lee Smith
Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
PO Box 2225, Chapel Hill, NC 27515-2225
1565123638 $24.95 1-800-722-7202 www.algonquin.com
The Last Girls by Les Smith is the superbly crafted and engaging story about the reunion of close
female friends and former roommates 35 years after they left a picturesque Blue Ridge women's
college. It was in 1965, that they decided to go rafting down the Mississippi river in tribute to the
classic tale of Huckleberry Finn. In the present day, they return to the river to bury the ashes of
their
mutual friend. a profound and memorable story of change, growth, loss, and renewal, The Last
Girls
is a thoroughly entertaining and highly recommended novel.
Silverheels
Tara Meixsell
Western Reflections Publishing Company
219 Main Street, Montrose, CO 81401
1890437581 $10.95 1-800-993-4490 www.westernreflectionspub.com
Silverheels by Tara Meixsell is an adroitly written historical novel about the woman called
Silverheels because of her dancing at a community fundraiser and who helps to save an entire
Colorado mining town from a sudden and devastating smallpox epidemic. Blending careful
historical
research with a flair for human drama, Tara Meixsell has crafted a powerful story of
determination,
caring, and indomitable spirit. Silverheels is enthusiastically recommended reading for anyone who
enjoys a compelling and vividly presented story of love, sacrifice, and western frontier adventure
at
it's most memorable.
Secondhand Smoke
Patty Friedmann
Counterpoint
c/o Perseus Books Group
387 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10016-8810
1582432171 $25.00 1-800-242-7737 www.counterpointpress.com
Secondhand Smoke by Patty Friedmann is a novel of complex and sometimes toxic figures, blame,
and the search for redemption. Jerusha Bailey is a harsh, cigarette-addicted mother whose
chain-smoking habit may have been responsible for the death of her husband Woodrow. Jerusha
also
has two estranged children, who cannot flee far away enough from her and her scornful ways - yet
when she meets ten-year-old boy living next door to here and who has an abrasive mother, she
and
the boy come to share a special bond in this twisted yet surprising and all-too-human tale.
Secondhand Smoke is a compelling read from beginning to end. Also highly recommended is
Patty
Friedman's earlier books, Eleanor Rushing (1582430772, $14.00), and Odds (1582431809,
$14.00).
The Meaning Of Helen
Robert Emmet Meagher
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, Inc.
1000 Brown St., Unit 101, Wauconda, IL 60084
0865165106 $29.95 www.bolchazy.com
The Meaning Of Helen: In Search Of An Ancient Icon by Robert Emmet Meagher (Professor of
Humanities in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Cultural Studies at Hampshire College,
Amherst,
Massachusetts) is an impressive and scholarly study of the legendary Helen of Greek antiquity
whose
behavior triggered the downfall of Troy. Reported as having "the face that launched a thousand
ships), Western culture has regarded Helen as an iconic standard of beauty ever since those
ancient
days. Deftly blending a meticulously researched history with philosophy, and as a study of
evolving
cultural perspectives, The Meaning Of Helen draws an unforgettable metaphor between the story
of
Helen and the story of womankind. Enhanced with exhaustive notes and an appendix on "History
and Imagination", The Meaning Of Helen is a superbly written and presented work that should be
a
part of every college and university Greek Mythology reference collection.
Third Factory
Viktor Shklovsky
Dalkey Archive Press
ISU Campus Box 8905, Normal, IL 61790-8905
1564783170 $12.95 www.dalkeyarchive.com
Written by Viktor Shklovsky, a leading figure in the Russian Formalist movement in the 1920s,
Third Factory is an engaging literary narrative translated from Russian into English by Richard
Sheldon. Part memoir, part political allegory, part personal anecdote and part novel, Third
Factory is
replete with thought-provoking conundrums arising from a complex and imperfect world, as
summarized in the three "factories" of life, which form the core of this engaging and erudite work.
Enhanced with an Afterword by Lyn Hejinian and an informative introduction by Richard
Sheldon,
Third Factory is an especially recommended reading for students of 20th Century Russian
Literature.
Nobody's Son
Luis Alberto Urrea
The University of Arizona Press
University of Arizona Press
355 South Euclid Avenue, Suite 103, Tucson, AZ 85719
0816522707 $14.95 1-800-426-3797
Nobody's Son: Notes From An American Life by Luis Alberto Urrea (who teaches creative
writing
at the University of Illinois, Chicago) is the deeply personal memoir of an American born to a
Mexican father and an Anglo mother. Recounting a childhood thrust in the middle of different
cultures and languages, Nobody's Son is about the search for balance, about coping with division
and borders, and about the pain as well as the joy of being multicultural. Nobody's Son is a
candid,
engaging, thoughtful, thought-provoking, and very highly recommended autobiography.
Susan Bethany
Reviewer
Vogel's Bookshelf
Wild Soundscapes
Bernie Krause
Wilderness Press
1200 5th Street, Berkeley, CA 94710
0899972969 $19.95 1-800-443-7227 www.wildernesspress.com
Wild Soundscapes: Discovering The Voice Of The Natural World by naturalist and soundscape
recorder Bernie Krause is an engaging introduction to the wondrous world of natural
soundscapes.
Simple listening exercises, advice for recording natural sounds, equipment tips fill the pages of
this
practical, "user friendly", and thoroughly enjoyable guide to the "singing" of ants, the quiet rustle
of
desert sand dunes, and much, much more. Enhanced with an accompanying 55 minute CD of
fascinating wildlife and wilderness audio soundscapes, Wild Soundscapes is a unique and very
highly
recommended addition to any personal, professional, academic, or community library Nature
Studies
or Out Door Recreation reference collection.
Walking The Big Wild
Karsten Heuer
McClelland & Stewart Ltd.
481 University Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5G 2E9
0771041209 $27.95 1-800-788-1074 www.mcclelland.com
Walking The Big Wild: From Yellowstone To The Yukon On The Grizzly Bears' Trail by wildlife
biologist and member of the Y2Y Conservation Initiative Karsten Heuer, is the expressive and
panoramic saga of an incredible 3,400 kilometer hike from the Yellowstone National Park in
Wyoming to the shores of Watson Lake in the Yukon. A captivating, descriptive, informative
journey showcasing the splendor of nature and revealing its intense vulnerability to human
expansion, Walking The Big Wild is a grand saga of glaciers, wild animals, personal difficulties,
and
great physical challenges, and very highly recommended reading for non-specialist general readers
with an interest in environmental issues, nature and wildlife, and Rocky Mountain and Canadian
wilderness enthusiasts.
Paul T. Vogel
Reviewer
Buhle's Bookshelf
Monsters
David D. Gilmore
University of Pennsylvania Press
4200 Pine Street, 3rd floor, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4011
0812237021 $24.95 1-800-445-9880
Monsters: Evil Beings, Mythical Beasts, And All Manner Of Imaginary Terrors by David D.
Gilmore
(Professor of Anthropology, State University of New York, Stony Brook), is a thoughtful,
in-depth,
scholarly study of the fantastic and hideous creatures abounding in myth, legend, and folklore
around the world. Extensively researched, Monsters draws upon a body of lore and stories
ranging
from ancient times down to modern-day popular movies. A highly recommended addition to any
personal or academic Mythology/Folklore Studies and/or Popular Culture Studies reference
collection or supplemental reading list, Monsters is a simply fascinating study of human nature the
cultural/societal issues and meanings reflected in the stories and images of malevolent, imaginary
beasts.
Lucifer: A Dalliance With The Damned
Mike Carey, Peter Gross, Ryan Kelly and Deam Ormston
DC Comics
1700 Broadway, New York, NY 10019
1563898926 $14.95 wwwdccomics.com
Based on characters created and/or reinterpreted by Neil Gaiman's acclaimed "Sandman" comic
book series, Lucifer: A Dalliance With The Damned is the third volume and is comprised of issues
14-20 of the Eisner Award nominated "Lucifer" comic book series, offering a graphic and full
color
tail of demon rivalry and motives at cross purpose. The monstrous children of Lilith, forever
denied
the Garden of Paradise despite their lack of relation to original sinners Adam and Eve, mount a
war
of rebellion and conquest in this dramatic and occasionally risque tale, suggested for mature
readers.
A fascinating page turner that presents supernatural creatures as all too human, sharing few
virtues
many vices with their mortal counterparts, Lucifer: A Dalliance With The Damned is a superbly
produced and highly recommended graphic novel.
Titan Books Ltd.
144 Southwark Street, London, England, SE1 0UP
To put it simply, Titan Books is one of the very best of the British comix and graphic novel
publishers. One of their flagship publications is the superbly written and drawn Judge Dredd series
featuring the adventures of an implacable law-giver in a future Earth that is dominated by
megacities
(some the size of a small continent!) and a savage wilderness between them called the "Cursed
Earth". Two of the latest and very highly recommended additions to the Judge Dredd canon
include:
Judge Dredd: The Day The Law Died (1-84023-480-6, 19.99 British Pounds) which finds Judge
Dredd returning from the Cursed Earth and convicted of murder through the machinations of
Judge
Cal - a lunatic Special Judicial Service administrator. Mega-City One must be saved from a
madman's tyranny by a fugitive Judge Dredd assisted by only a handful of wounded judges. In
Judge
Dredd: Innocents Abroad (1-84023-478-4, 9.99 British Pounds), Judge Joyce is in pursuit of bank
robbers in Mega-City One and it takes Judge Dredd to save the day. Also featured in this
outstanding collection of graphic novel short stories are Babes in Arms; The Rough Guide to
Suicide; Twin Blocks; and Blind Mate. All of the titles in the Judge Dredd series from Titan
Books
are enthusiastically recommended to science fiction fans and graphic novel enthusiasts for their
great
story lines and gallows humor!
The Hangjab Brothers In The Case Of The Creatures From Calumet City
Danny D'agonstino
Hillary Press
PO Box 761, Westmont, IL 60559-0761
0935367098 $25.00 www.creaturesaudiomovie.com www.amazon.com
Stan and Leroy Hangjab are two streetwise Chicago detectives who find themselves rescuing the
precocious 13-year-old Richard T. McCormick IV from the clutches of the evil genius DNA
scientist Dr. Stein and his mutant creature humanoids. This superbly produced, thoroughly
entertaining, bluntly humorous, "theatre of the mind" science fiction story is enhanced with an
electronic music score, digital sound effects, good performances, and an outstandingly written and
adapted script. A four CD set with a total playing time of 4.7 hours, The Hangjab Brothers In The
Case Of The Creatures From Calumet City is enthusiastically recommended for community library
audiobook collections in general, and science fiction enthusiasts over the age of 16 in
particular.
Divine Intervention
c/o Elizabeth Caulder & Associates
PO Box 4, Mailbu, Ca 90265
1-310-456-2076 www.daffodilproductions.com
Having benefited from more than 30 years of study with indigenous healers, curanderos, shamans,
and spiritual masters (and is the lineage holder in a long line of Mayan healers), Starr Fuentes is
currently the Bishop for over 260 healing ministries worldwide. In collaboration with composer,
recording artist and sound healer Steven Halpern, Fuentes has created Healing: Guided
Meditations
With Starr Fuentes and Releasing The Energies Of Cancer: Guided Meditations With Starr
Fuentes, two outstanding meditation CDs that would grace any personal or alternative medicine
collection.
Listeners will learn to channel their meditation process toward healing their illnesses, empowering
their spirits, and enhancing their overall wellbeing. The musical enhancements of Steven Halpern
are
perfectly suite enhancements of Starr Fuentes' profound and enlightening presentation and
approach. Highly recommended for students of metaphysics, alternative healing, and seekers of
personal enlightenment.
The Man Who Knew The Medicine
Henry Niese
Bear & Company
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
1879181983 $16.00 www.InnerTraditions.com
The Man Who Knew The Medicine: The Teachings Of Bill Eagle Feather by Henry Niese (who
has
participated in more than one hundred Native American ceremonies, including dancing in
thirty-seven Sun Dances) showcases the Lakota shaman Bill Schweigman Eagle Feather who in
the
1960s defied a U.S. government ban on Native American religious practice and performed the
Sun
Dance ritual with public piercings and continued on as a Sun Dance chief and instructor in the
Lakota way of life until his death in 1980. Niese first met Bill Eagle Feather during a Seat Lodge
ceremony preceding a Sun Dance on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in 1975 and now carries on
the
work and legacy of Bill Eagle Feather by performing healings and giving seminars and workshops
on
medicinal plans and Native American healing practices. The Man Who Knew Medicine is a unique
and enthusiastically recommended addition to Native American Studies collections, and an
invaluable contribution to Alternative Medicine reading lists as well.
Understanding Contemporary China
Robert E. Gamer, editor
Lynne Rienner Publishers, Inc.
1800 30th Street, Boulder, CO 80301
1555876862 $22.50 www.rienner.com
Compiled and edited by Robert E. Gamer (Professor of Political Science, University of
Missouri-Kansas City) Understanding Contemporary China offers an impressive and diverse body
of
contemporary scholarship focused upon economic, political, social, cultural, geographic, literary,
environmental, and historical aspects of China. Enhanced with maps, tables, statistics, and
photography, Understanding Contemporary China ranges from Stanley W. Toops' "China: A
Geographic Preface"; to John Wong's "China's Economy"; to Ma Rong's "Population Growth and
Urbanization"; to Laurel Bossen's "Women and Development"; to Chan Hoiman and Ambrose Y.
C.
King's "Religion"; and more. Understanding Contemporary China is a seminal body of work and a
very strongly recommended addition to China Studies academic reference collections and
supplemental reading lists.
Turn-Taking, Fingerspelling, And Contact In Signed Languages
Ceil Lucas, editor
Gallaudet University Press
800 Florida Avenue, NE, Washington, DC 20002-3695
1563681285 $55.00 1-800-621-2736
Compiled and edited by Ceil Lucas, Turn-Taking, Fingerspelling, And Contact In Signed
Languages
is the eight volume in the outstanding Gallaudet University Press "Sociolinguistics in Deaf
Communities" series. The ten contributors bring to their work an expertise in their subject matter
and an ability to present their material with a careful balance of scholarship and accessibility. The
essays include Kristin J. Mulrooney's Variation in ASL Fingerspelling"; Bruce A. Sofinski's "So,
Why Do I Call This English?; Paul Dudis' "Grounded Blend Maintenance as a Discourse
Strategy";
Mieke Van Herreweghe's "Turn-Taking Mechanisms and Active Participation in Meetings with
Deaf
and Hearing Participants in Flanders". The final article, "Deaf People in Bilingual Speaking
Communities: The Case of Deaf People in Bareclona", is the impressive and collaborative work of
Esperanza Morales-Lopez, Delfina Agliaga-Emetrio, Jesus Amador Alonso-Rodriguez, Rosa
Maria
Boldu-Menasanch, Julia Garrusta-Ribes, and Victoria Gras Ferrer. Turn-Taking, Fingerspelling,
And
Contact In Signed Languages is a welcome and strongly recommended addition to Signing and
Sign
Language academic reference collections and supplemental reading lists.
Willis M. Buhle
Reviewer
Lorraine's Bookshelf
Key To A Cottage
Marian Coe
SouthLore Press
730 Grouse Moor Drive, Banner Elk, NC 28604
ISBN 0963334190 $19.95 1-929-9898-3490 www.mariancoe.com
Key To A Cottage, An Intimate Story Of Confessions And Discovery is a fluid, inviting feminist
contemporary novel that absorbs and creates its own artistic context. It will appeal to women who
remember the events of the past four decades in North America, and the challenge of finding their
way in changing and confusing and exciting times.
Rae Kendall is the gently Southern born and bred heroine who challenges the female stereotypes
of
her time while soothing the onlooking members of the previous generation. Deeply attached to
her
aunt, a powerful and lasting influence on her life, she struggles with issues of single parenthood,
free
love, financial security, success and its price, sexism, and the meaning of friendship and love. An
unerringly authentic historical tone pervades each decade's crises and discoveries. Questions about
female identity and the need for dialogue between the sexes are explored. Transcending the age
old
debate is a rediscovery of the meaning and experience of love. Rae's close friends of both sexes
span
a wide ideological and geographical spectrum.
Key To A Cottage helps its reader explore what it means to be a woman, alive, intelligent, and
growing in a series of confusing decades, today.
Passionate Vegetarian
Crescent Dragonwagon, Illustrated by Robbin Gourley
Workman Publishing
708 Broadway, New York, N. Y. 10003-9555
ISBN 1-56305-711-5 $24.95 www.workman.com
Passionate Vegetarian: More Than 1,000 Robust Recipes With Notes On Cooking, Eating,
Loving,
And Living Fearlessly is one of those ''bible" type of vegetarian cookbooks that contains so much
more than recipes that it is almost an invitation to live, or to live more fully. Almost overwhelming
in
its 1000 plus pages, it is dauntlessly studded with jewel-like recipes within recipes for special
sauces,
seasonings, condiments and exotic blends. Author/creator Crescent Dragonwagon is the famed
Vegetarian chef and owner of the former celebrated Bed and Breakfast establishment Dairy
Hollow
Inn in Eureka, Missouri. Though it is now a writer's retreat, many remember fondly the days of its
other operation which saw the evolution of many of the succulent recipes contained in Passionate
Vegetarian. I never was lucky enough to be a guest there, but I had a friend who did with her
husband and never stopped raving about the place and the food.
Chock full of delicious vegetarian classic recipes, Passionate Vegetarian is that wonderful
composite, a cookbook designed to educate. Though you might be looking for, say, the definitive
recipe for a garbanzo bean stew, when you arrive at the recipe entitled "Spice-Market Melange of
Chickpeas and Cauliflower" in the chapter entitled "A Bountiful Bowl of Beans," you absolutely
cannot help reading page after page about "Bean Diversity, ""Beans and Grains," "The Three
Sisters
(beans, corn and squash)," and more. Divided into fifteen exciting chapters, each crammed with
scrumptious recipes and suggestions, Passionate Vegetarian covers all things vegetarian from hors
d'oeuvres, to soups, stews, savory cobblers, wraps, beans, soyfoods, savory cakes, burgers and
patties, to sauces, salsas and seasonings. And of course the grand finale of "Just Desserts"
contains
such gems as Triple-Caress Moch Chocolate Chip Cookies, Hazelnut Biscotti, and Ginger Sorbet.
However my absolute favorite new recipe that I tried and fought with my husband over the
division
of was Roasty-Toasty Jerusalem Artichokes, a simple recipe made with Jerusalem artichokes,
vegetable oil, and tamari sauce. Clearly, Chef Dragonwagon is unafraid of simple combinations
and
doing more with less, as well as complex and palate- teasing adventurous dishes, for which she
must
be justifiably famous.
I really cannot rave enough about this cookbook.
Passionate Vegetarian is a classic, a must-have, destined to become a favorite of vegetarians and
non-vegetarians alike. It is all the more enriched by the author's marvelous sense of humour and
her
willingness to share her history. I am very sorry to learn of the sudden death of her husband Ned
November 30, 2000. Passionate Vegetarian stands as a splendid memorial to the rich life they
shared.
Sweet Dream Douglas
Regan Dunnick, author/illustrator
Junior League of Houston
1811 Briar Oaks Lane, Houston, Texas 77027-3405
ISBN 0-9632421-3-X $16.95 1-713-622-4191 www.juniorleaguehouston.org
Sweet Dreams Douglas is a wonderful children's book about a dog-child named Douglas who
doesn't want to go to bed and doesn't think he knows how to dream. Perfectly suited for ages 3-7,
Sweet Dreams Douglas bridges the tender gap between the fun of wide awake play and the joy of
deep asleep dreams. Children who fear bedtime will be especially reassured and empowered by its
humourous illustrations in inviting, soft yet vibrant colors, skillfully executed by author/artist
Regan
Dunnick.
In the story, Douglas goes on a dreamquest adventure, asking a fantastic variety of animal friends
what they dream. In an effort to find his own dreaming ability, Douglas tries "on' all their dreams
and
finds that nothing quite fits him. Finally one of his dream companions tells him his answer - "Just
dream, little one." Then he really begins to explore some dreams of his own. When Douglas
wakes
up, he is proud of his dreaming accomplishment, and coincidentally all the animal characters in his
dream are found in toys and pets and pictures in his room around him.
The subtle soft pastel charcoal and muted greens, flesh, mustard and salmon palette are colors
that
encourage drowsiness, an invitation to deep creative dreaming. This book is deep and delightful,
quiet and wise, refreshing and healing, like deep sleep. Sweet Dreams Douglas is a reassuring,
imaginative bedtime story book, bound to be beloved by children of many origins. The multitude
of
models in the dreamquest gives a positive message to the affirmation of cultural/racial and other
differences.
Sweet Dreams Douglas is the perfect gift for the 3-7 year old child in your life, especially if they
are
not fond of bedtime.
Nancy Lorraine
Reviewer
James A. Cox
Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
phone: 1-608-835-7937
e-mail: mbr@execpc.com
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