Living Parallel
Alexander Kliment (translated from the Czech by Robert Wechsler)
Catbird Press
16 Windsor Road, North Haven, CT. 06473
ISBN 0-945774-51-6, c. 2002; 238pp; $21.00
Ginny Parobek
Reviewer
"Does no one know the no-man's land right in the middle of Europe?"
This is a frustrated, plaintive cry-in-the-wilderness in 1960s Czechoslovakia, as voiced by fictional
anti-hero, Mikulas Svoboda, a 40 y/o architect living in communist Prague. "Thanks to decisions
of
Presidents in drawing rooms," Mikulas' "little slab of Bohemia' is controlled by men with a thirst
for
power. In order to survive a dreary existence of gray tedium, condemned to a 'career' designing
prefabbed highrise apartment "housing cells," Mikulas finds himself literally living two separate
lives.
Like Saint Mikulas, his namesake who on his nameday is purported to walk with both a devil and
an
angel, Mikulas Svoboda must walk hand-in-hand with his double lives which are unable to
intersect
either personally or professionally. However, he is not a one-dimensional character by any means;
nuances and complexities affect his every decision. Divorced from Jarmila, a wry blunt woman
who
provides a delightful foil to his oft-dreamy perceptions of life, he finds himself involved again with
Olga, an old flame. Olga, tiring of the communist regime, has made plans to emigrate to the West
and has invited him to join her.
With all of his frustration against the State, one would think that Mikulas would jump at the
chance
to leave the downtrodden Prague, but not so fast: he isn't just a one-dimensional, run-of-the-mill
discontent, for Mikulas confesses that he finds "a kind of freedom" in his parallel lives! Jarmila
even
thinks he is in love with his discontent, for as much as he complains about his "barebones life,"
Mikulas is "a narcissist condemned to himself.' He even describes his disparate lives as "an oasis
of
my own, an internal world..."
Originally published in 1977, Living Parallel was written by Alexander Kliment, a writer whose
work
was banned in his native Czechoslovakia for years under the Soviet regime. Catbird Press, a US
publisher dedicated to publishing contemporary Czech literature, has just released this work to
English readers. It is the first booklength translation for Robert Wechsler and is a story filled with
the beauty of language and images; its prose and diction are flawless and the translator must be
commended for what had to be painstaking work.
Like others of his generation that grew up under Stalinism, Mikulas professes no religious
affiliation,
yet the claim can be made that he is merely suppressing his spirituality, and not only out of the
Marxist influence but also out of anger with God for permitting a world that has "no right or
wrong;
just power and chaos." For someone who claims no spiritual faith, though, there is an awful lot of
mention of wayside crosses, angelic spirits and whispered prayers in Mikulas' story. Statues of
saints
and martyrs become almost animinated in his everyday world; as he walks through Vrtbovsky
Gardens or along the Charles Bridge, statues smile, nod and watch him go by. (If God won't
watch
out for him, maybe they will?)
Mikulas is a bit of a dreamer and a drifter. He confesses to a certain amount of contentment in life
and occasionally engages in philosophic debate on Marxism with a profession of architecture.
Flashbacks of past conversations with Jarmila yield some interesting clues to our anti-hero.
Jarmila
provides comic relief to the melancholic, dreamy Mikulas whose "abstract talk drives her crazy."
Jarmila is strong enough to make it on her own without him. Not that Olga isn't a stark contrast to
Mikulas, either--she's similarly independent and capable of living alone. Whether or not he
accompanies her to France is purely his own decision; she twists no arms.
Without disclosing whether or not Mikulas will emigrate West with Olga, he will survey his life in
Prague and evaluate whether to leave his native city or not. He seems to have an almost spiritual
connection with Prague--"my city with its everyday liturgies and little miracles." In fact, Mikulas
may very well transfer much of his innate, suppressed spirituality onto the Prague landscape and
countryside itself. A similar angsting choice is seen with Iva Pekarkova's 'Fialka' in the 1994
Truck
Stop Rainbows (Pera a Perute) who also has the opportunity to emigrate West with a lover and
escape the police state of her native Prague. Fialka agonizes over the larger question of leaving
home and wrestles with the questions of "just what is home, anyway?" Both Fialka and Mikulas
ultimately make some interesting decisions for their futures.
Sacred Woman, Sacred Dance
Iris J. Stewart
Inner Traditions International
One Park St, Rochester VT 05767
ISBN 0-89281-605-8, $29.95 (CAN $48.00), 2nd Edition 2002, 256 pages, 56 Illus.
Steve Cochrane
Reviewer
An immersion into the mystery that is existence:through the body, through dance-that is journey
Iris
Stewart takes us on, if we so choose.
Dance, of course, is well known for its capacity for freedom of expression: though at that, not
practiced by many in modern life. In this wide-ranging philosophical, spiritual, archaeological,
historical, and personal search, Iris experiences, finds and intuits that dance is and can be
something
even more encompassing-spirituality at its deepest. It would seem that dance was the earliest
means
of tuning into that essence which is better felt than described or conceived; practiced through the
whole cycle of life-nativity, survival, passing.
It also seems that tracings can still be found in dance that link us to the whole range of hominid
life,
and of all life, and of all time and space; but here again we get to where words fall short. In the
book, however, you will find suggestions gently directing to many of the myriad physical paths to
explore, individually or in communion with others.
You will also find that the dance community, primarily women, is and immense repository of
philosophy and tradition, that has been given little respect or acknowledgement in mainstream
circles. Say, Anna Halprin back through Martha Graham, Ruth St. Denis, Isadora Duncan,
Antonia
Merce`-seen as free spirits most certainly, but beyond that very in touch with that deep range of
life
that is mostly lost in modern life. Also profoundly able to express it through all the senses, as well
as
intellectually. Much has been written about this by these and other dancers, but that rarely reaches
beyond a small circle.
This book, then, especially holds the potential to benefit individual people (including males!), as
well
as the world as a whole, for what it explores really is the feminine principle in its deeper aspects,
which of course involves all of existence. The realm includes ancient and modern Temple dances,
Liturgical dances from all the major religious traditions (yes, Christians have/do dance in
worship);
the shallowly named Belly Dance (which the author calls WomanDance from its association with
childbirth), Tribal Dancing, Sufi Dancing, Circle and other Folk dance, Flamenco, and Modern
Dance.
Finally, it also includes extensive source notes, bibliography, and other resources, such that it
could
be considered a bible of sacred dance!
Manhattan Sharks
Thomas Sipos
Xlibris Corporation
436 Walnut Street, 11th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106-3703
ISBN 0-7388-2774-6, 278 pages ($32.99 list price), 1 (888) 795 4274 , www.xlibris.com
Hank Schwaeble
Reviewer
Manhattan Sharks is a fictional attempt to reexamine the 1980's, the so-called "decade of greed,"
through the microcosm of Manhattan "tweeners"--those born at the tail-end of the baby boom--
trying to begin their adult lives in the commercial center of the free world. Thomas Sipos uses
Manhattan Sharks to put the lie to an enduring myth: the idea that an emphasis on free market
competition at the expense of socially-conscious idealism caused the1980's, a decade generally
associated with tax cuts and government disengagement, to be a cataclysmic failure. Sipos reveals
the true angst of those who hated the era of "Reaganomics" to be rooted in their own generation's
fixation on class, prestige, acceptance and symbolism, a fixation exacerbated by that same
generation's disdain for actual work.
At times humorous, at other times satirically somber, Manhattan Sharks follows the quotidian
trials
of Henry Willoughby, a recent college graduate thrust uncertainly into the early 1980's New York
City labor market. Henry's plight is contrasted with several other characters directly or indirectly
connected to his low-level job as a TV ratings analyst in Manhattan, a place repeatedly
characterized
in the book as shark-infested. With one exception, however, none of the novel's characters is
a"shark" at all. Like Chuang Tse's butterfly that may be dreaming he is a man, most of the
characters
in Henry Willoughby's world are guppies dreaming they are apex predators, or harboring dreams
of
becoming one. The sea in which these schoolfish swim is actually an ocean of upward mobility, a
social eco-system into which they are the first generation born. This was a new economy, in no
small
part the product of Reagan administration policy initiatives and efficiency gains in industry that
created excess wealth. It is also an environment these children of relative privilege only think they
understand, one whose rules have been inchoately learned by them through the filter of
institutions
hostile to the values and attitudes needed to navigate these uncharted waters.
The combination of wide-eyed idealism and abstract, impractical education found in Sipos'
characters results in a comical mix of self-pity, apathy, neuroses and delusion. Henry accepts
things
as they seem to be, but still struggles to understand them without losing his sanity in the process.
Henry's friend Russell believes outward displays of success are the key to landing a good job. His
other friend Rupert approaches interviews like a long-tailed cat does a room full of rocking chairs.
Cathy is too busy hiding her true self to even realize either her own success or the keys to it.
Simon
Seltzer, Cathy's vision of the perfect man, turns out to be less than meets the eye, while Kyle, a
smart and youthful ad exec smitten with her, lacks the shallow criteria she has absorbed as being
crucial in a mate. What almost all these characters have in common is that each of them, save
Kyle,
fails to realize what they lack and, even more tragically, what they want. Their goals have been
defined by others, as have their self-images. So convincing is the apparent insanity of the market
to
such people that even to the reader it is only the two characters that do understand the true nature
of
things--one aggressive in pursuing his goals (personal as well as professional), the other passively
enjoying a quiet success by keeping his nose to the grindstone--that illustrate the free market is
not
the problem at all. It ultimately becomes clear the real problem is the attitudes and values of those
who cannot move past the hopelessness produced by a worldview that simultaneously nurtures a
sense of entitlement and envy on the one hand, and a sometimes subtle, sometimes not-so-subtle,
disdain for the system that provides each their only real opportunity for success on the other.
Interestingly, the rather libertarian Sipos champions not so much the Reagan Republicans of Wall
Street, as one might expect, but instead someone who typifies the Reagan Democrat. Sipos' most
self-assured, self-actualized character is Tony, a rugged Union, blue-collar maintenance type
unconcerned with the obsessions of those shark wannabe's whose failure to understand the
purpose
of employment has relegated them to very the bottom of the food chain without their realizing it.
Tony's ultimate fate is both poignant and ironic as he is victimized by the very type of person who
pays incessant lip service regarding the welfare of people like Tony in theory, but from whom
people
like Tony in reality ask nothing.
Stylistically, Sipos leans toward the minimalist. He does not immerse you in the Manhattan of
twenty years ago with detailed descriptions and metaphors. Sipos' focus is on the characters, but
even there he is sparing in his use of adjectives. The result is a sort of fleshed-out screenplay
effect,
where the characters come alive primarily through their words. The reader ends up being
transported
into surroundings wallpapered more by ideas and actions than visual patterns and scenes. That is
not
to say Sipos abjures all description; rather, he uses descriptions to convey concepts more than he
does verisimilitude. This is a difficult style to master, since if not done with care it can make the
experience harder for the mind's eye to maintain, but it is highly consistent with underlying theme
of
the novel: too much description would suggest the presence of depth rather than the lack of it. It
is,
of course, the very lack of depth in the social and political zeitgeist of Manhattan circa 1983 that
Manhattan Sharks attempts to illustrate.
Sipos is an obvious admirer of Reagan, and that is sure to turn some readers off. Whether one
admires our former President or not, Sipos' humorous indictment, not so much of the limousine
liberal as of the limousine liberal mentality, has such a firm grasp upon the essence of an important
truth that only the most doctrinaire of ideologues could deny it. People who enter a "career" field
where little is produced and even less is accomplished, who attain a status of education without
the
actual benefit of one, who are as convinced of their own value just as surely as they are of the
cruelty of a system that requires its participants to prove it, are souls condemned to live lives of
quiet desperation. Sipos described their lot on the book's back cover as one of yuppie hell, but it is
more akin to middle class purgatory, a place where the sins of a permissive, irresponsible culture
must be purged before any meaningful life change can take place. As Sipos reveals, the true
sharks
of that culture have hidden their dorsal fins behind a fleece of compassion, but it is their insatiable
appetites that have shaped the attitudes of the guppies that dream of growing fins of their
own.
Manhattan Sharks is well-written, fast-paced, and unapologetically caustic in its humor. Check it
out--you'll be glad you did.
The Last Slow Dance
Mary Gauden Hughes
Henri Butler Press
PO Box 1075, Roebuck, SC 29376
ISBN: 1-930847-05-X, $12.50, 117 pages
Jan McDaniel
Reviewer
This novella is one of those little books with special appeal. It sneaks up on readers with a unique
twist all its own. Michael McCain, a musician and the main character, thinks he knows what he
wants. Bruised from a failed marriage and the struggles of single parenting, he comes to the
proverbial "fork in the road" when two worlds offer what he has almost decided is beyond his
reach.
Material success tugs him in a direction he has longed to go . . . but is onstage with legendary
Abbie
Rhodes the place that will make him truly happy? If not, has he tossed away the most important
people in his life?
The story of how this novella came to be published is as interesting as the book itself. Though
southern author Mary Gauden Hughes doesn't look like a revolutionary, she has become one of a
new breed of talented author/publishers producing quality books and shaping the future of the
industry. What's more, Hughes has a message for all the kitchen table writers out there: You
already
have what you need to achieve your dreams!
In her book, she says, "Life doesn't just happen to us. There is one spectacular moment when it
happens for us. It happens to change us somehow, to pick us up just when we're heading in the
wrong direction . . . "
Along with her character, Michael, and the traveling writer who becomes a predominant figure in
his
future, Hughes finds responsibility is the key to happiness and fulfillment . . . and successful
publishing. Going beyond getting her own books into the hands of readers, she is now helping
other
authors reach their dreams. Read more about this author and how she is doing this at her website:
http://henributlerpress.webnow.com
Deep Midnight
Shannon Drake (aka Heather Graham)
Kensington
$6.99, paperback, 478 pages, ISBN 0-8217-6837-9
Lyndy Littel
Reviewer
While visiting the beautiful city of Venice, Italy, Jordan Riley a syndicated book critic, finds
herself
being sucked into the most extraordinary and terrifying events during the Carnevale pre-lent
celebration. Decked out in her rented Renaissance costume, and feeling like a fifth wheel, Jordan
reluctantly agreed to accompany her cousin and his wife to the most prestigious event of the
night,
an invitation only ball given by Nari Contessa della Trieste.
As Jordan was watching the night's entertainment, a mummer who was playing the Odo, Conte of
the Castello had decried his lack of an heir. The mummer selected three women to play his wives
who could bear the Conte no sons. Each one was given the "kiss of death" and pretends to go
limp
and fall to the ground. The mummer suddenly paused, looked at Jordan and began walking
through
the crowd. Jordan started shaking her head, but he already had his hand on her. As the mummer
walked around the room with Jordan, the guests laughed and moved about. It was then that
Jordan
saw the crimson spill coming from beneath the head of the first woman who had fallen to the
floor.
Blood. She gasped, drawing a hand to her mouth, and began to scream. Suddenly, the mummer
was
wrenched away from her, and she looked into the eyes of the wolf. Before Jordan could even
draw a
breath, the wolf whisked her away, placed her in a small launch, instructed the oarsman to row,
and
then was swallowed into the mist.
Jordan knew she should let it go, nobody believed her anyway. Her cousin thought Jordan's
imagination was overworked because she was reviewing a book about vampires, and that she had
still not gotten over the tragic death of her fianc‚. The police had search the ball and came back
with
nothing. The only thing they found was a ballroom filled with costumed guests still enjoying the
festivities. The Contessa, who had made a rare appearance at the police station, was trying to be
patient but was visibly angry and impatient with the accusations Jordan was making. The
Contessa
tried to reassure Jordan that it was all just a charade. Jordan wasn't convinced. As Jordan tries to
uncover the truth, her mysterious savior appears to always be a shadow behind her.
Deep Midnight is a tantalizing romance that intertwines the characters in an intriguing journey
into
the satanic cult, the underworld of the undead, and the exotic festivities in an elegant Venetian
city.
Sharon Drake meticulously unfolds the plot, taking you back and forth between the present and a
dark place a long time ago.
Then Is The Power
Gerry Mills
Double Dragon Publishing
ISBN: 1-894841-33-6, $4.99, March 2002, 484 pages,
http://www.double-dragon-ebooks.com
Michael LaRocca, Reviewer
http://free_reads.tripod.com/
This is a very hard book to review without giving away much of the suspense. But just to get
started, imagine what would happen if a weapon could shut down all of America's solid-state
electronics. Think of something that doesn't run on transistors or computer chips. Now try to
think
of an even worse weapon. Gerry Mills has. Can you?
Writing at its finest, with nothing neglected. Gerry is a marvelous author, and this book compares
quite favorably with anything I've seen in print or electronic format.
The characters are realistic and distinguishable, never an easy task with a broad sweeping novel
on
this scale. The plot is so gripping that I read this rather lengthy book in a single sitting. The author
has a wonderfully understated sense of humor. The writing is excellent, and the description is so
well
done that I feel like I've been to these places. Healthy doses of international espionage and the
supernatural thrown in to add to the fun.
Balance. Gerry prides himself on character-driven stories, and rightfully so. But he could just as
easily mention perceptiveness, plot, description, beautiful writing... Whatever you're reading for,
it's
in this book.
I've given out five-star reviews before, and I stand by them. But just once, I wish the rules would
let
me give out a six-star review for Gerry Mills' Then Is The Power.
Long before I reached the author's bio at the end, I knew that Gerry had seen the world. It shows
in
his writing. Some people have traveled the world and remember so much but find themselves
unable
to write convincingly about it, and in this respect Michael LaRocca comes to mind. But others,
like
Gerry, can capture the essence of a place so well on paper that some people and again Michael
LaRocca comes to mind could possibly become sick with jealousy.
Okay, let me say it. Robert Ludlum and John LeCarre are mere pretenders to the throne. Gerry
Mills
is the genuine article. The reader can travel around the world with some truly interesting folks in a
memorable adventure. Some folks we love and some we hate, and they tackle some problems that
will leave you thinking long after you finish reading.
So to whip out yet one more cliche, seeing as how I can't write as well as Gerry Mills... If you
only
read one book this year, make it this one. (If you want to read a second book, get one of
mine.)
Creature Comforts
William L. M. H. Clark
The PinPrickPress,
c/o Frogmore Publications
320 4th Street, Algoma, WI 54201
No ISBN, 18 pages, $4.00
Karla Huston
Reviewer
Poet William Clark looks to literature and language and the everyday to create poetry. He gleans
his
poems from the ordinary as well as the classic, the uncommon as well as the mundane.
In his book Creature Comforts, Clark's words play well with others--several others, in fact--from
the
mythical Prometheus to the classic adventurer Robinson Crusoe to the most monstrous of all, the
creature formed by Dr. Frankenstein from the Mary Shelley story from so long ago. In fact, Clark
names Frankenstein's creature Prometheus, a man condemned by the gods to suffer forever for
having the nerve to challenge the status quo. Clark plunks these characters smack in the middle of
pop culture, points out that they are all too human-even by today's standards, all looking for love
in
the wrong places, looking for acceptance in the most unexpected spaces: university campuses or
the
rock onto which Prometheus is chained or under tree where those amputated body parts reside
together, so that one lonely hand finally rests longingly on someone else's knee:
In a very special graveyard
for the limbs of amputees -
because (in life) they weren't allowed
such promiscuities -
now, tossed together, as it were,
the situation frees
each little finger, each great toe,
to go where (in life) it longed to go;
Clarks poems are often filled with wit--that quality to perceive or know, especially in a humorous
way, that which might have gone unnoticed. The poet considers Frankenstein's monster in a
modern
context, a man searching for a meaningful relationship in the most common and contemporary of
places--the classified ads where the Creature reports that his interests as: "mountain climbing, dog
sledding, walks in the woods, a glass of fine wine and romantic music." While into "light
bondage,"
the creature seeks "electrifying encounters," and while "looks aren't important, a good brain is.
Your
picture gets mine." And isn't this wishful thinking by all of those who place these kinds of
ads?
In addition, Clark's poems are filled with wild and crazy riffs of language. An outrageous
penchant
for the alliterative, Clark himself is perhaps the only one who can actually verbalize his tumbling
clatter of ""p words in his poem "O Victor:"
O puny prometheus,
O pusillanimous O paltry
O pompous polygenesist
for you no plaudits no paeans
no pleasant pentametrics
no palimpsest parentheticals
your pretentious parabiosis produced
no plausible prototype (though
potentially pentadactylic) it proffered .
Or in another poem where the Creature searches for a mate in a skin magazine using a veritable
flood of "f" words describe her as:
fascinating and fastidious and somewhat fastigiated;
fleshy but not fat-a pulchritudinous playmate-who
admittedly fissipalmate-is, for all that, pretty much
faultless, but certainly not fault-finding though perhaps
a bit faustian yet not obfuscating, rather, favorably
forthright and, truth to tell, downright famously funny .
--words, which of course, could describe all of us under similar circumstances, if we could
pronounce them, that is, and a less vocally astute reader might find himself or herself tied up in
verbal knots and Freudian slips of tongue. But not so with Clark. When he does alliteration, he
makes the reader believe it, and s/he doesn't even have to know what these words mean to enjoy
the
rowdy and riotous ride of his line.
Finally, Clark has great fun exploring forbidden subjects, like those amputated body parts, "joined
in
the delicious arts beneath a sheltering tree," seeking each other for comfort. He suggests that Dr.
Frankenstein might get into serious hot water by augmenting the monster's male appendage. The
narrator considers how Crusoe might find sexual solace in the forbidden, how Dr. Frankenstein
can't
be satisfied and constantly fiddles, much to the fear and frustration of his creation, perhaps to
expand his own shortcomings, how the Creature finds comfort in a blow up doll, how finally
Prometheus comes to love his tormentor the "angel-eagle." Clarks poems are inhabited by the
wounded, yet not hopeless, even those penises lopped off from Greek and Roman statues still
hope
to be united and one day stand proud and tall.
Put aside your expectations of what poetry should be. You will enjoy these poems, their sense of
humor and language and just plain fun.
Guns And Roses
Taffy Cannon
Perseverance Press
c/o Daniel & Daniel, Publishers
PO Box 1525, Santa Barbara, CA 93102
ISBN: 1880284340 - 240 pages - $12.95, 1-800-662-8351
Terry Mathews
Reviewer
Roxanne Prescott is a shell-shocked ex-cop from Austin who flees to California after her partner
is
killed.
With time on her hands, she decides to try her had at being a tour guide. Her aunt, Maureen
O'Malley, owns Irish Eyes Travel agency. When O'Malley comes down with chicken pox three
days
before the departure of the 'Guns and Roses' tour of colonial America, Roxanne joins O'Malley's
staff.
The trip through history is not without its own peril. A woman slips and breaks her ankle at a
cocktail party. Salt and sugar are swapped from their respectful holders, causing much
consternation
to the surprised guests. Late night phone calls make people cranky. And that's before they ever
make
it to their final destination, Williamsburg.
Roxanne is at a loss to explain the pranks, but her investigative skills are a blessing when the
ultimate prank goes seriously awry.
I like Roxanne and the concept of a mystery series based on a travel agency. Cannon peoples her
books with interesting characters and having them be included in a tour group is a great way to
have
all layers of society intermingle, sometimes with some pretty funny results.
This is my second Taffy Cannon book, but it won't be my last.
Enjoy!
Foreseeing The Future: Evangeline Adams And Astrology In America
Karen Christino
One Reed Publications
P.O. Box 561, Amherst, MA 01004
ISBN 0-9628031-6-2, $14.95, 218 pages, www.OneReed.com
Marina Akaziz
Reviewer
Many professional avenues were virtually closed to women in the late 19th century, and some
women turned to the occult. Evangeline Adams was the most famous astrologer of the early
1900's.
Astrologers revere her, and many fantastic predictions have been attributed to her. What we can
say
for sure is that she was a hugely successful businesswomen for her time in a very unusual field.
Women's history within the occult has often been neglected, and this book begins to make up for
the
omissions.
An astrologer herself, Karen Christino is the author of Star Success (Pocket Books), American
Astrology magazine's "Choose Your Career" column and features in magazines like Marie Claire
and Modern Bride. Nevertheless, she tries to be objective and sort out the facts about her
biographical subject. Do we believe that Adams was a terrific astrologer or someone who
exaggerated her successes in order to impress the public? Did she really forecast World War II or
the stock market crash of 1929? It's up to the reader to decide, since Christino documents the
facts
and examines Adams as a real person and not just a legend. We're given insight into what drove
Adams to such an unusual profession in 1900, her troubles with the law and her unfulfilling
marriage
to a much younger man.
I especially enjoyed the sections describing the development of the occult in the U.S., including
information on palmistry and spiritualism and Adams' relationship with the infamous magician
Aleister Crowley. There aren't many sources on these topics which address them in a sensible
manner. There's also an intriguing section on Evangeline's radio show which describes how the
Federal Radio Commission was able to effectively censor radio occultists in the early 30's, despite
the First Amendment. Christino provides generous chapter notes, a bibliography and index for
those
who are curious to know more. If you're intrigued by astrology, the occult or New Age topics and
are tired of all the flaky, off-the-wall books out there, you will enjoy Foreseeing the Future. It
brings
a sometimes mysterious topic down to earth and tells an entertaining yarn at the same time.
Business-To-Business Golf: How To Swing Your Way To Business Success
Michael Andrew Smith
InfoPro Publishing
P.O. Box 4201, New Windsor, NY 12553-0201
ISBN 0-9703662-0-5, $14.95, www.business2businessgolf.com
Peter Hupalo
Reviewer
"Golf brings out a person's character. You will observe your guests' character and they yours.
Accept it for what it is." Michael Smith
If you're an entrepreneur who likes to play golf or if you think playing golf could be a good
business
networking opportunity for you, you'll enjoy reading Business-To-Business Golf: How To Swing
Your Way To Business Success by Michael Smith.
Smith divides his book into eighteen chapters, one for each hole of golf. Smith begins by posing a
question about business-golf etiquette, answers it, and then discusses solid business ideas based
upon his experience in the financial services industry and as an entrepreneur in the field of
manufacturing.
On the 6th hole, Smith gives us this scenario: "... You're on the green putting for a birdie from
about
twenty-five feet away. Your guest is standing quite close to you and does not seem to realize how
much it is bothering your concentration. You wish to communicate using one of the
following:"
Smith gives three possible golf-etiquette answers:
"A. Wave your arm at your guest to have him or her move a little and say nothing.
B. In a pleasant way, ask your guest to move away since it is bothering you.
C. Don't rock the boat since this is an important client and you do not want to miss any sale
opportunities. Go ahead and putt."
What? Whack the guest on the shin with your putter is not an option? Smith says the correct
answer
is B because it shows diplomacy and shows you're willing to confront problems without
hesitation.
Smith says C is the worst choice because it may indicate a personal weakness your guest is trying
to
probe--a lack of assertion which might well lead you to hide problems from the client.
On the 8th hole, Smith poses the question: "...Your second shot finds you just off the fairway in
the
rough. While addressing the ball, you inadvertently touch the ball with your club and the ball
moves
from its original position about an inch or so. You know full well that the golf rules mandate a
one
stroke penalty."
What do you do? Smith gives these choices:
"A. Do not worry about it since your guest was on the opposite side of the fairway and could not
have possibly noticed.
B. Your intention is to say something but wait until later in the round.
C. You immediately add the penalty to your score and hit the ball. You advise your guest right
away
of your score."
The birdie (correct answer) is C. However, since the film "The Legend of Bagger Vance," I
question
people who call strokes against themselves for just touching the ball. Are they really just being
honest or are they sacrificing an insignificant golf stroke to impress me with their Matt Damon
honesty?
So, maybe, if you are playing the skeptical, untrusting sort, it's better to ignore the minor touch.
Or,
if you feel it's really a question of ethics, take a huge swing and run it over the top of the ball!
Personally, I feel that the rules of golf should be changed to exclude any stroke, excluding putts,
which moves the ball less than about five feet!
Many of the golf-etiquette lessons are pretty basic, but some are also more advanced and could
really help you in a business-golf situation. For example, I didn't know that the rules of golf
disallow
a person to search for a ball for more than five minutes. That probably explains the looks I got
while
I searched for a ball just outside the pond. I saw it land just outside the pond right by the duck
and
didn't think it rolled in. Lesson: Don't use ducks as ball markers.
While half of Business-To-Business Golf: How To Swing Your Way To Business Success is
devoted to golf etiquette, the other half is devoted to business lessons entrepreneurs will find
useful.
For example, Smith tells us about the 80/20 principle which says that for many businesses only
20%
of all customers account for 80% of the company's sales. Smith compares business measurements
to
golf scores. How can you know how well your company is doing if you don't keep proper
score?
Smith writes: "Do you list your most important statistics? Can you readily assess your key costs?
How are your sales listed--by type of units or services, volume or profitability? Who are your
most
profitable customers? Why do they place their business with you? Are there others that you can
add
to your list of key customers? Do you know what your tip customers represent in overall sales to
your business?"
Smith suggests listing your top 20% of customers by both gross sales and profitability and then
looking for similarities between these customers so that you'll have more insight into finding
profitable customers.
Business-To-Business Golf: How To Swing Your Way To Business Success also contains a short
glossary of golf terms (bogey is one over par, birdie is one under par) and a short list of some
basic
golf rules which people new to golf can use.
Overall, if you enjoy golf (or, are just learning to play it) and you enjoy reading about business,
you'll probably enjoy Business-To-Business Golf: How To Swing Your Way To Business
Success.
Emily's Bookshelf
I Say A Little Prayer For You
Adapted from Burt Bacharach and Hal David's original song (Illustrated by Karin
Littlewood)
The Chicken House/Scholastic
555 Broadway, New York, NY 10012-3999
0439296587 $16.95. Ages 3-7, 1-800-242-7737
Singer Diana Ross romanced and soothed us during the perplexing 60s and 70s with Bacharach
and David's composition, "I Say a Little Prayer for You."
Now the lyrics paint a picture of maternal, rather than romantic, love in this large-format picture
book: "I run for the bus, dear. While riding I think of us, dear I say a little prayer for you. At
work
I just take time, and all through my coffee break time I say a little prayer for you." The
illustration
depicts Mother showing off photos of Daughter to co-workers over their coffee cups.
In her watercolors, Littlewood conveys a warm, caring relationship without spilling over into the
saccharine.
A CD accompaniment of a vocalist performing this adaptation would have been welcome; today's
young parents may not be familiar with the original hit and thus unable to catch the text's lilt and
cadence.
Hush, Mama Loves You
Anna Strauss (Illustrated by Alice Priestley)
Walker & Company
435 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014
0802788068 $15.95, Ages 3-7, 1-800-289-2553
Whenever Sara has a rough time, whether with a childhood "oowie," a poor grade on a fifth-grade
test or the heartbreak of a first love, Mama is there for her.
She comforts her daughter with this ode: "Close your eyes, my baby. This too shall pass. Hush the
hurt, my heart. Tears may fall but I am here, so hush."
Sara eventually marries and has a daughter of her own. Both mother and grandmother again make
use of the soothing lyrics.
"Hush, Mama Loves You" is a reminder of the ways in which mothers and grandmothers have
gently reassured and comforted children throughout the years.
The Shrouding Woman
Loretta Ellsworth
Henry Holt & Company
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
0805066519 $16.95, Ages 8-12, 1-888-330-8477
Eleven-year-old Evie, growing up on a Minnesota frontier farm, has recently lost her mother to
consumption. Even though her 4-year-old sister readily welcomes Aunt Flo into their home, there
is
no way Evie is going to do so.
For one, Aunt Flo is a shrouding woman, mysteriously "dealing in death." For another, no one can
or will replace Mama in Evie's affections.
Evie doesn't give Aunt Flo an easy time, sometimes displaying a mean streak in her interactions
with
her. But Aunt Flo is a wise, patient soul who gives Evie space and time, and makes allowances for
her grief.
Evie eventually learns what the "shrouding" is all about, and comes to admire her aunt's giftedness
in it. Evie also discovers she has opened her heart to this down-to-earth woman, while also
remembering her Mama.
A Present For Mom
Vivian French (Illustrated by Dana Kubick)
Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02140-1338
0763615870 $13.99. Ages 3-7, 1-800-526-0275
With just one day before Mother's Day, little Stanley, the youngest of four, wants to find Mom a
special gift.
Stanley consults his brother and two sisters and likes the presents they have decided upon. Alas,
he
has too few skills--or too few coins in his bank--to duplicate their efforts.
So the whole family is surprised when Stanley comes down the next day carrying a big cardboard
box with a red bow. What could he have put in that big box, they wonder. Only something a
creative, caring son would come up with!
The vibrantly colorful, clean illustrations, done in watercolor and pencil, highlight the humor of
Stanley's antics and the poignancy of his situation.
Queenie Farmer Had Fifteen Daughters
Ann Campbell (Illustrated by Holly Meade)
Silver Whistle
c/o Harcourt Brace Children's Books
525 B Street, Suite 1900, San Diego, CA 92101-4495
0152019332 $16.00, Ages 3-7, 1-800-543-1918
This book's preposterous premise carries with it both merriment and truth. "The day that Queenie
Farmer gave birth to fifteen daughters, her beloved prize cows got loose," the story begins. "Mr.
Farmer went after them and never came back. The cows never came back, either."
Queenie Farmer and her daughters always dress in black-and-white polka-dot clothing, resembling
the prized runaway piebald cows. Queenie has neither the time nor energy to cater to her
daughters'
individual requests, but occasionally she wants to treat each specially.
When they want their own birthday cakes for their sixth birthday, Queenie spends a day baking
five
chocolate layer cakes, four yellow sponge cakes, three pound-cakes, two ice-cream cakes, and
one
angel food cake.
At 12, the girls wish for their own bedrooms and at 16, for individual party dresses. Queenie
comes
through for them in her own unique way. After they marry (all on the same day) and have children
of
their own not 15 apiece, however Queenie Farmer decides it's time to pursue an interest she has
put off for the last 20 years or so. What could that be?
Grandma And Me: A Lift-The-Flap Books
Karen Katz
Little Simon
c/o Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 4th floor, New York, NY 10020
0689849052 $5.99, Ages 1-3, 1-800-223-2336
Mommy, Would You Love Me If...? : A Pop-Up Book
Carla Dijs
Little Simon
c/o Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
1230 Avenue of the Americas, 4th floor, New York, NY 10020
0689808135 $8.99, Ages 2-5, 1-800-223-2336
The youngest booklovers have some new titles designed especially for them by the Simon &
Schuster imprint, Little Simon.
"Grandma and Me," a lift-the-flap board book, is endearing in its simplicity. The large,
easy-to-open
flaps reveal to a little girl what is in Grandma's suitcase, in the oven, under a pillow
The zip-zapping colors will attract babies' and toddlers' eyes, and light up their faces.
"Mommy, Would You Love Me If...? " is aimed at the toddler/preschool set. Done on lighter card
stock than "Grandma and Me," it features both pop-ups and flaps--and a story line.
Little Elephant is a worrywart with many worst-case scenarios in his head. He asks Mommy
Elephant what would happen if a camel put him on his back and ran away with him, if a tiger tried
to
bite him, if the wind carried him to the other side of the world, and so on.
Clever Mommy Elephant has satisfactory answers to her child's worries, reassuring him that she
will
always take care of him.
Emily Will
Reviewer
Jade's Bookshelf
Kiss Of The Highlander
Karen Marie Moning
Dell Books
1540 Broadway New York, N.Y. 10036
ISBN: 044023655X, Price: $5.99, URL:
http://www.randomhouse.com/bantamdell/index2.html
At 25, Gwen Cassidy wanted two things in life: to lose her virginity and to find out if true love
really
exists. So she hops on a plane and heads for a vacation in Scotland.
Drustan MacKeltar, 15th century druid and laird of the Keltar clan, receives a message to meet his
brother's killer. Unfortunately, the message is a trap and soon, an unknown enemy uses gypsy
magick to put him under a spell that makes him sleep for 500 years.
While she's out hiking in the Highlands, Gwen falls into a deep cavern and finds an unconscious
Scot
buried in its depths. Drustan wakes up with a stunningly beautiful woman on top of him, and is
soon
disoriented by the news that he's been asleep for centuries. The two of them escape from the
cavern
and begin a time-traveling quest to learn who placed the spell on Drustan, an act that lead to the
death of his clan and the loss of his family's druid lore knowledge.
Gwen has a sharp mind, but it's often dulled by emotion. She's also courageous, brazen and
open-minded. The way she falls for Drustan is completely understandable though -- he's
absolutely
gorgeous, strong, intelligent and sexy. What isn't understandable is how such a beauty like Gwen
managed to make it to her 25th birthday without sharing her body with a man. This book begins
in
contemporary times, after all, and she has no religious leanings keeping her untouched. In fact,
she
wants little more than to "have her cherry picked."
The heat between Gwen and Drustan is so palpable, the pages of "Kiss of the Highlander"
practically
light on fire. Their romance is well-plotted and intense, sizzling with sex appeal and "mating heat."
Their conversations fairly crackle with the strength of their attraction and the strange situation of
their meeting.
Karen Marie Moning handles the time travel elements with a deft hand. She also sprinkles humor
throughout this tale, and keeps the point of view transitions smooth. Her external dialogue is
witty;
her internal ruminations a bit overdramatic but they are characteristic of the hero or heroine's
thoughts.
Kiss Of The Highlander is a fun romp filled with intriguing paranormal elements and romance.
The
love affair between Gwen and Drustan is both memorable and enjoyable to read, one I simply
didn't
want to end.
A Caress Of Twilight
Laurell K. Hamilton
Ballantine Books
1540 Broadway New York, N.Y. 10036
ISBN: 0345435273, Price: $23.95, URL: http://www.randomhouse.com/BB/
Meredith NicEssus, a faerie princess and private detective, has one goal -- to get pregnant and
ensure her ascendance to the Unseelie throne before her evil co-heir can get out of prison. To
attain
this goal, Merry's been given six months and a handful of gorgeous faerie men to serve her as
bodyguards and in the bedroom.
There's more to A Caress Of Twilight than that, of course, but the gist of the book involves this
plotline. The other part of the story centers around faerie politics, mass murder and an exiled
faerie
of the Seelie Court who has spent the past 50 years living in Los Angeles as the golden goddess
of
Hollywood. Picture a Marilyn Monroe type who never ages.
Merry really comes into her own in this book, the second of Laurell K. Hamilton's faerie series. In
"A Kiss of Shadows," Merry was swept into the faerie realm like a piece of driftwood caught in a
rip
tide. She had no control and was weakened by it. In "Caress," Merry knows she must become the
queen of the Unseelie Court, and in these pages, she starts acting like a queen. A fair, caring and
just
monarch-to-be at that.
Accompanying her on the journey are her men: Doyle, Frost, Galen, Rhys, Nicca and Kitto. Each
man has a completely different personality, and um...attributes. Some are more suitable for
friendship, others clearly hope to get Merry pregnant and rule by her side. In any case, this book
shows their character features and flaws along with their prowess in the sack.
Without a doubt, "Caress" is a book that will warm any lonely person's bed. If the reader is part of
a
couple, the sex scenes in these pages will lead to real life adventures once the lights are turned
out.
Like the first book in the series, "Caress" playfully borders on the erotica genre, but it also
includes
some thrilling and horrific aspects. A good thing, too, because Hamilton excels at writing up an
exciting and realistic fight. One such encounter had me reading frantically, with knuckles white
and
heart racing.
Hamilton worried some of her fans by leaving the popular Anita Blake vampire slayer series to
delve
into the world of the fae. They can fear no more. Princess Merry has a backbone, a healthy sexual
appetite and a powerful intellect -- all the traits necessary to create her own league of readers and
admirers. "A Caress of Twilight" is a fantastic tale, one that will leave you hungry for more
action,
more bed hopping and more Merry adventures.
The Boy With The Big Ear
Barbara Toledo-Linder
Mountain Mist Productions
March 2002, $A5.00, http://www.ebooks.plann.com.au/BarbaraToledo-Linder.htm
I don't think that e-books for preschoolers work very well. I make this pronouncement as a
parent,
as the reader of countless stories to my boys, to our playgroup, and to visiting friends, rather than
as
a reviewer. However, for older children, such as those targeted by The Boy with the Big Ear,
there
is the potential for e-books to work as a kind of online learning experience. A book which
encourages interactivity, using variable interactive storylines, animation, and combining verbal and
visual challenges. Since my children are 4.5 and 2.4, and we were looking at an all text version, I
had to print my version of The Boy With The Big Ear.
The story is a good one, and although pitched at a slightly older audience (that difficult to cater to
5-8 year old group, according to the promo) than my boys, it was still well received, and
generated
some excellent post story discussion about difference, and values like kindness and sympathy. The
boy with the big ear has no name in this story, and lives in a kind of scared inner world, conscious
of
his unusually large ear "An ear grotesquely/shaped since birth/could hear what no one else could".
In
the classroom he is teased, especially by bully Tom, and ignored, until he meets Sophia, "a
friendly
face in sight". While riding his bike with Sophia, his sensitive ear hears Tom crying in pain and
finding him hurt, helps him. Tom is filled with remorse at his bad behaviour, and the story ends
with
Tom asking the boy what his real name is.
Author Barbara Toledo-Linder is an experienced Montessori teacher/early childhood educator,
and
has written a number of poems, songs and stories. This is her first published book. The prose style
of
Boy with the Big Ear is a kind of gentle rhyme, and it is easy enough to read, just off rhyme
enough
to avoid the kind of Seuss sing song that can produce headaches over extended reads. The rhyme
also makes the story more memorable to children, but the real power of this story is not in its
prose,
or even the slightly submerged and attractive poetic quality of the writing: "The sun
crashed/through
his window/and made a rainbow/on the chair". What makes The Boy with the Big Ear a story
worth
reading to your children is its message - one which involves looking beyond people's appearances,
and into their natures - a message which children need to hear. Tom learns his lesson, and the boy
turns his handicap into an advantage and saves the day. Everyone wins. The story works best,
when
read to young children, if you discuss its theme and work through some real life examples.
The book will shortly be released in a fully illustrated hard copy version.
INTERVIEW WITH BARBARA TOLEDO-LINDER, MARCH 2002
Magdalena: Why did you feel the need to write this book?
Barbara Toledo-Linder: What drove me to write this book is what motivated me to teach in the
first
place. It's more about having something I want to teach children. Whether it's my personality or
life
experience or training, I've been drawn to the realm of emotions. I've known from a young age
that
handling feelings, identifying, understanding and expressing them are a key to living a quality life
in a
meaningful way. It's no wonder that I've applied a Montessori philosophy, that includes interactive
discovery and hands on experience, for the purposes of developing the child's emotional life. The
Boy with the Big Ear is a story that children may be able to identify with; about how two very
different young people become friends. It brings to life the emotional trials and tribulations along
the
way.
Magdalena: Do you think the message of tolerance is one which we need to get to our
children?
Barbara Toledo-Linder: Yes, And with urgency. I grew up feeling teased, hurt and isolated in
school. I didn't see too many people treat each other with respect, kindness or acceptance. A lot
of
times it made me feel not good about myself and the world. But I eventually learned to rely on the
strength I had from within to cope and feel like a worthy, capable and loveable person.
Magdalena: Does bullying continue to be a problem in our schools?
Barbara Toledo-Linder: I have seen young children act in bully-ish ways as a way to make
contact,
gain recognition and acceptance, as counter productive as they may be, coming at another child's
expense, especially if the child is different or vulnerable in some way. At these early ages, children
often lack the language and behavioral skills necessary to articulate their feelings and initiate
positive
contact.
Magdalena: The book is targeted at children aged 5-8. As a teacher, do you feel that this age
group
is one which is often ignored by authors - too old perhaps, to still enjoy the picture books, and too
young to read books which are more complex? How do you cater for this group?
Barbara Toledo-Linder: Children 5-8 yrs old adore picture books and being read to. This age
group
is one in which emotions are bursting forth, still for the most part is pre-verbal, their imagination
can
easily be stimulated. They can emotionally immerse when engaged by a story.
Magdalena: Do you feel that the book can also be enjoyed by younger readers, with parental
involvement?
Barbara Toledo-Linder: Absolutely. Endless opportunities exist for exploration and conversation.
It
can be quite nurturing to talk with our children about their feelings as they relate to situations that
they are uncomfortable with. We can learn about how our actions are separate from our
feelings.
Magdalena: Tell me more about the animation you talk about on your web site. Will an illustrated,
interactive, animated e-version be available at some point in the future?
Barbara Toledo-Linder: I am currently working on a narrative animated clip of The Boy with the
Big Ear with an artist from Sonoma State University in Northern California. He and I would like
to
make an interactive e-version as well.
Magdalena: Who did the illustrations for the hard copy? Can you tell me a bit about them.
Barbara Toledo-Linder: I have asked Lise Vebel, a very talented artist from Denmark (currently
living in London) to illustrate The Boy with the Big Ear. The reason I chose Lise was because she
is
capable of bringing the character's emotional life to light.
Magdalena: Are you working on another book or project that you would like to tell me
about?
Barbara Toledo-Linder: I recently became involved in marketing my husband Daniel Linder's
book:
Dating, A Guide to Creating Intimate Relationships. Daniel has been a licensed therapist in the
San
Francisco area for the past twenty years. Dating provides basic and necessary information for
transforming the quality of relationships.
The Complete Tales Of Winnie The Pooh
A.A. Milne
Dutton's Children's Books
375 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0-525-4573-2, $35.00, 344 pages
When We Were Very Young
A.A. Milne
Dutton's Children's Books
375 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0-525-44445-9, $10.99, 100 pages
Now We Are Six
A.A. Milne
Dutton's Children's Books
375 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN 0-525-44446-7, $10.99, 101 pages
In these frightening days of world peril, it's sometimes hard to get to sleep at night after watching
the late news on TV. Imagine what this stress must be like for little children. Even though we do
our
best to protect them, keep them busy with playtime activities, it's particularly difficult if we are
away
at work all day.
More to the point, what are we doing to awake our own inner child -- the one that finds pleasure
and fun in an imagined world -- the small person in us that truly connects with and reassures our
own children that they are safe?
What a delight, then, to find that Dutton Children's Books division of Penguin Books USA has
now
reproduced a fresh set of the original "Winnie the Pooh", "House at Pooh Corner", and the two
Christopher Robin poetry books "When We Were Very Young" and "Now We Are Six." Dutton
published the First Edition of A.A.Milne's Pooh books in 1926, and the 214th printing in
1958.
All of the current set are complete with Ernest H. Shepard's original drawings (called
"decorations",
presumably in the British manner.) Shepard's inside cover map of "100 Aker Wood" showing the
locations of Pooh's Bee Tree, Eeyore's Gloomy Place, Pooh Trap for Heffalumps, and the houses
of
everyone in this eclectic stuffed animal cast, is printed in color at the end of "The complete Tales
of
Winnie the Pooh." It does help to know where Owl lives in relation to Kanga, and the location of
Christopher Robin's house.
American children have a surfeit of Disney glitz-enhanced Pooh on TV and the Internet. The
Pooh
characters, portrayed more as cartoon characters than as easy to bond with make-believe friends,
can be purchased as dolls. These are not, however, the same as the quiet, whimsey filled
personalitites which A. A. Milne painted for his son in 1924, and which are now back in print after
many years, for a new generation. Nor is watching Pooh on TV the same as hearing his
adventures
read to you by the familiar voice of a parent, grandparent or other trusted adult.
Christopher Robin is a comfortable friend with whom to identify. He's not awesome or
threatening;
neither brilliant nor stupid. He's a very ordinary boy with Winnie the Pooh (whose real name is
"Edward Bear", and who properly is called "ther" Pooh), Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger, Kanga and Roo,
Owl and Rabbit to play with, to keep from harm's way, to rescue on demand. Author Milne
portrays
Christopher Robin as undemanding and easy going, a regular young English gentleman in short
pants, polite to the core; a true Boy Guide, the noblest of children. Not too bad a role model. He's
even naughty at times.
Christopher Robin's final thought "Now how to amuse them today?" after he'd had a bout of
"Sneezles", been bundled to bed and probed on and pontificated over by "all sorts and conditions
of
famous physicians" still gets giggles from kids, and knowing smiles from parents. The poem is one
of the wonderful "gentle humors and playful rhythms" (book jacket) in "Now We Are Six."
In the other illustrated 100 page poetry book "When We Were V ery Young", intended to reach
the
hearts of the littlest children, Christopher Robin asks himself, in the poem "Nursery Chairs":
"Shall I go off to South America?
Shall I put out in my ship to sea?
Or get in my cage and be lions and tigers?
Or ---shall I be only Me?"
Not a bad thought to implant in a child.
When I was very young, Winnie THER Pooh was the comfort of winter days of measles, mumps,
bronchitis, fevered colds, when reading-to was on demand to keep me entertained. Thus
Christopher
Robin and Friends entered my life, and have stayed lovingly there, preserving the enchantment of
childhood, for over sixty-five years.
How wise of Dutton to re-publish the original A.A. Milne books at this time,with authentic
Shepard
portraits of all the delightful friends who still tug at hearts and warm imaginations. Children today
need these milk and honey stories and poems more than ever as security blankets against the
bombardment of TV newscasts, outrageous wizards and monsters, and battling robot computer
games.
Alice's cagey Wonderland romps for the slightly older set are classic. The Oz books carry on
where
Grimm and Aesop left off. But nowhere in the eras before or after Dr. Suess's collection, and E.
B.
White's "Charlotte's Web" is there such an endearing group of pre-school "Frends and Raletions"
(sic Rabbit) as A.A. Milne's animated collection of his son Christopher Robin's stuffed
animals.
Three cheers for Dutton's publishing acumen. Forty-five years ago, when I held court in a
Manhattan
office, my closed office door at noon held a sign which read, in Pooh language, "Gon to Lunch
Bakson". Staff members passing by smiled, nodded and understood. They, too, had been raised on
Pooh Bear.
With any luck, and the devotion of parents, grandparents, teachers, booksellers and librarians,
today's little kids will be given the snuggle-up loving romps of the original A.A. Milne and Ernest
Shepard's unique personalities to carry them beyond the realities of drug and gang wars and global
village terror. Perhaps in their advanced years, regardless of world events outside their bedrooms,
some of them -- like me -- will go to sleep at night with an arm reassuringly curled around a
stuffed
"Bear of Little Brain". My bear is named "Edward:, of course.
A large print 344 page hardcover edition, "The Complete Tales of Winnie the Pooh" contains the
original two books "Winnie the Pooh" and "House at Pooh Corner." The two illustrated 100 page
poetry books are available only as separately printed hardcover editions. A boxed set of all four
separate books, replicating the original 214 printings, is once again available.
Author Alan Alexander Milne, a successful magazine editor, playwright, and novelist in the early
1900's was inspired to write this ageless series by his only child, Christopher Robin. What? You
don't have any small children around to read to? How about letting the stories of a stout,
"somewhat
confused" and cherished stuffed bear revive and inspire your own inner child.
Reap
Eric Rickstad
Penguin-Putnam
375 Hudson St., NY, NY 10014
ISBN: 0140298371, $13.00, 272 pages
The Salt Of Broken Tears
Michael Meehan
Arcade Publishing
141 Fifth Av., NY, NY 10010
ISBN: 1559705671, $24.95, 304 pages
Sometimes two books of similar plot are so stunning in describing the unique environments in
which
the stories take place that they beg to be reviewed together. Such is the case with two recent and
unusual first novels. Neither will probably make Oprah's "list", which is just as well, for it permits
readers to be swept freshly into these tales by the impact of the authors' literary skills.
In "Reap", youthful author Eric Rickstad, just out of college, has created a startling bas relief of
human desperation and degeneration against the background of Vermont's lushly productive
forests.
One is not surprised to learn that these woods are home ground for the outdoorsman author
himself.
Rickstad paints his characters' lives slogged down in a debris strewn corner of Vermont's
timberland
whose residents are narrowly supported by jobs in commercial mills. Perhaps it's the confining
economic isolation of these backwoods; certainly it's the functional illiteracy of the people who
inhabit the broken down shacks and trailers surrounded by rusting autos.
This is the story of Jessup, a naive "economically deprived" (so says the dust jacket) sixteen year
old
boy, his search for evidence of a father he never knew, and his abrupt coming of age. As you get
into the story and can get past the phonetically spelled language of the unschooled, you're into
"boys
in the hood" lifestyles set in an edgy lumber logged corner of the State.
Surrounding this ugliness, is the pungent scent of pine, abrasively cold spray from clear streams,
the
sight of fish darting in rippling brooks. Rickstad should try poetry. His love and devotion for the
nature of northeastern Vermont where he still lives, flows easily in his writing. Overlaying the
ugliness of squalid personal reaity with the beauty of the author's home countryside is often
disturbing, as seen in the harsh demands of one of the hardened adults who shape young Jessup's
life:
"'My hero. My brother, get in here and get me in a fucking chair that works.' The voice like the
shriek of an outdoor spigot wrenched open after a bitter winter .... Jessup clawed at his scalp, tore
bits of burdock from his hair."
This is New England's Appalachia, uncomfortably more common in the rural areas of many states
than the reader may like to hear about in this 21st Century. Halfway through this immersion into a
"vividly conjured natural world" (the dust jacket again), the story picks up in a haze of marijuana
and stink of stale beer. The action of the plot takes off as if trying to catch up with iself, tearing
Jessup from his teenage cocoon.
If Eric Rickstad's dirt hard descriptions of unvoiced emotional longings and outward violent
actions
are in any way autobiographical, the author is to be commended for apparently emerging whole,
unlike the disparate lives of his characters. Young Rickstad slams his story home in a superbly
envisioned ending. His writing is potent and shows promise of an enduring future as a
novelist.
A vastly different setting surrounds the search for self in Australian journalist Michael Meehan's
novel, "The Salt of Broken Tears.". "The boy", nameless, entering puberty, seeks the only answer
he
believes will provide the solution to the puzzle of how to begin to live.
The first page of the book left me stunned:
"Well how I remember how she blew in off the track that windy day more than a year ago, borne
in
like a thistle seed on the hot winds that beat in from the north, clothed in nothing but the green
cotton dress that flicked and chopped about her, a patched and faded relic of some other person's
life...."
The description of the girl Eileen's entrance into the boy's family circle is a mind numbing assault
on
the senses, a portent of strange encounters to come. The paragraph continues with references to
"sandwhipped hair", "taut bare freckled body", "impertinent white teeth". It took a second slow
reading of these passages to digest the confronting poetic pictures the author paints of the
Australian
Outback. "Stark lyricism and immense gift for imagery ... deep love for the landscape" is how one
book jacket review put it. I, myself, felt dry mouthed and sandscraped, drawn against my will into
this unrelieved vastness of wind and desert.
It is obvious how much the unforgiving country influences the boy (never named until the end),
son
of the woman whose observations open the book. As one moves with him on his journey across
the
parched miles of lifelessness in his search for a wandering Indian hawker and the strange and
mysterious young woman Eileen, the reader senses his confusion about the coming-of-age which
is
his personal "holy grail."
Storyteller Meehan has managed an intriguing method of pealing back the layers of the boy's
twelve
years of life, which attach to him like a shadow, through his encounters with "a bizarre array of
lost
souls scattered across the wasteland", as the dust jacket puts it. I felt compelled to flip each page
of
the book as if it were I who was searching for The Answer; I who felt the frustration of being
turned
aside from my goal, time after time, just missing the mark. A student of mythology will recognize
some ancient journeying here.
The well described settings in which these two personal search stories occur are as foreign to each
other as they will be to many readers, and as well suited to their unique tales as their authors. Yet,
as
the stages of life go, these two journeys to find meaning are parallel: on the one hand, to a life on
the
edge of manhood; on the other hand, to a life just becoming aware of itself in the world.
These books are page-turners of a different sort. Even weeks after the reading, the vulnerability of
the young heroes as they attempt to overcome the confounding circumstances of their physical
environments is alive in my memory, and probably will be in yours. If elegant literary styling can
be
said to be disturbingly satisfying, you will find it dramatically so, here.
Marjorie J. Scott
Reviewer
Shirley's Bookshelf
Everything You Need To Know About Being A Woman Can Be Learned In The Garden
Patricia Fish
DLSIJ Press
ISBN 1-928973-12-4, $4.95 Download, $18.95 Paperback, 216 pages,
http://www.dlsijpress.com
A witty, laugh out loud, all around enjoyable book. These are but a few words, that I can use to
describe Ms. Fish's book, Everything You Need To Know About Being A Woman Can Be
Learned
in the Garden.
Her usage of the comparison between natures creatures and humans is exceptional. Not only did I
truly see it, but learned a considerable amount about our friends. I will not look at them the
same.
Ms Fish uses humor to bring across many important issues facing women today. Each and every
story, as told by the women of the book, sparked within me a deep emotion. I laughed with them,
I
cried with them, I became one with their anger, as their words took on the visions of situations
women must face. Some had victory, some had defeat, but through this, Ms. Fish's book,
produces a
joining of the spirit of women everywhere.
Cindy will forever be grafted in my mind. I think we all have a Cindy in our lives. I saw my
Cindy's
face, as I read Ms. Fish's Cindy's words, and chuckled. She was the delight of the book, as her
personality flashed at you from the pages. It was with great anticipation that I waited to see what
Cindy was going to say or do at the next discussion session. Her final act at the end of the book,
was
not something I was prepared for.
If there is any down side to this book, it would be that the read was over too quickly. I look
forward
to another book in the future with more wisdom from my garden sisters, and especially from
Cindy.
This is a must read for all women, and men if you dare!
Eat First You Don't Know What They'll Give You!
Sonia Pressman Fuentes
SynergEbooks
ISBN: 0-74433-0231-5, $5.00 PDF, $3.00 CD Rom, http://www.synergebooks.com
Ms. Fuentes book is her life story. She takes us through her childhood, adolescence, marriage,
motherhood and career. I delighted in Ms. Fuentes stories of her family. I fell, almost instantly,
under the charm of her father. I awaited each story with anticipation of his wonderful antics, his
strong will to achieve what he put his mind to, and his tender heart towards his child. He may not
have had a formal education, but his knowledge of life and his ability to conquer situations made
him
a fascinating character. Sonia's Mother was a wonder . In every line her love and loyalty for her
family was prevalent. I saw in both of her parents a strength, loyalty, and determination that I feel
Sonia inherited.
Sonia did a wonderful job of allowing the reader to join in her families travels, laughter and
heartache. Knowing the area, of which Sonia writes, I was able to visualize clearly many of the
towns and areas that she spoke of.
Although Sonia's achievements are to be applauded, I feel that the best part of this book were her
family stories. I loved reading of Sonia's young years and older years, under the roof of her
parents
home. It was both amusing and sensitive. A book that the intellectual would truly enjoy from start
to
finish. Also, a book for those of us, perhaps not as intelligent, to sample a few simpler morsels of
entertaining stories. I wished there were more of them.
Sonia Pressman is truly a woman of many achievements. She was the first woman attorney in the
General Counsel's Office at the Equal EmploymentOpportunity Commission, a founder of the
National Organization for women and is a well known speaker on women's rights. Ms. Fuentes
work
for the advancement of women's rights should be an example for all of us to follow.
Shirley Johnson
Reviewer
Rose's Bookshelf
Yesterday Cate Blanchett said something that amazed me.
The superb actress was being interviewed on "Fresh Air" over Public Radio. Terry Gross asked
about her experience with psychics. The actress explained that she'd never been to a psychic, not
until she interviewed several to research a film role. The gist of what Blanchett discovered is that,
to
her surprise, she found many good, genuine psychics who never advertise their abilities. The
implication was that the good ones wouldn't dream of charging for their services, which is how it
should be.
This lofty view of free labor came from an actress who's so hot she can now be seen in movie
theaters in three different major films (including The Fellowship of the Ring. What do you want to
bet, Cate Blanchett doesn't volunteer. In fact, her income from any of her films, at conservative
estimate, is triple the monthly income of every psychic who reads Pathways-every psychic plus
every
healer plus every spiritual teacher combined.
Many people feel that holistic practitioners or spiritual people, in general, would be sullied by
payment. Isn't that strange? Especially since we cheerfully pay actors big bucks to do work that is,
fundamentally, intuitive.
Yes, actors and holistic practitioners have so much in common: We work from a spiritual basis
(what someone like Blanchett would call "going deeply into a role"); we work in service (whether
it's for a personal reading or a theater audience); we carry out our work with non-judgment (one
of
many impressive things I heard Blanchett say in this interview related to non-judgment; when
asked
if she could believe in a particular character, she insisted that an actor must always accept each
character on her own terms); finally, we must passionately believe in what we're doing to be any
good at it.
Considering all we have in common, isn't it odd that most Americans feel that actors can't be paid
too much or spiritual practitioners too little?
Maybe it's time for more of us to be published.
According to my dictionary, publishing means "To bring to public attention."
What do you have to present to the world? If it's something genuinely new, and you can write,
consider publication. The books in this column could help.
Get Published!: An Author's Guide To The On-Line Publishing Revolution
Penny C. Sansevieri
1stBooks Library
2511 West 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN 47404
ISBN: $TBA, 165 pages, $15.54, www.1stbooks.com, www.booksbypen.com,
1-800-839-8640
There's a new kid on the publishing guru's block. She's spunky, energetic, encouraging and an
especially appealing mentor for young writers. Her book shows you how, thanks to today's latest
print-on-demand technology (P.O.D.), you could publish a book with a company like Trafford
Publishing for $500. And you might even make money. Of course,
Cate Blanchett could earn $500 just by blowing her nose on camera. And even for ordinary
mortals
living in America at this time, that sum isn't astronomical.
Sansevieri's reader-friendly how-to shows you how to comparison shop for having your book
printed in very small batches (that's what P.O.D. makes possible), how to start approaching the
media, and other practical details it would be good to know. She practices what she preaches,
too-does an excellent job marketing her own work.
Bottom line: Self-publishing can be intimidating. This book isn't.
The Self-Publishing Manual: How To Write, Print And Sell Your Own Book, 13th Edition
Dan Poynter
Para Publishing
ISBN: $TBA, 430 pages, $19.95, 800-PARAPUB, orders@ParaPublishing.com
The Complete Guide To Self-publishing, 4th Edition
Tom and Marilyn Ross
Writer's Digest Books
c/o F&W Publications, Inc.
1507 Dana Avenue, Cincinnati, OH 45207-1005
ISBN: $TBA, 521 pages, $19.99, 800-221-5831, www.writersdigest.com, 1-800-289-0963
When you're ready to consider self-publishing, these comprehensive reference books are your best
resources.
Poynter, the original self-publishing marketing guru, has the enterprise down to a science. If you
like
fact-filled how-to's, based on a hugely successful real life person's experience, his manual will
quickly become your bible. The latest edition has useful updates about e-books and P.O.D., plus
plenty of e-mail addresses for resources in the contact-rich appendices. As always with Poynter,
photos enliven the text, and you'll find encouraging paragraphs like this one:
"Have you ever heard anyone say 'Simon & Schuster, I love their books, I buy everything they
publish'? Of course not. People want to know what this book is about. Is this something I need to
know? Who is the author? Is she a credible person? No one ever asks, 'Who is the
publisher?'"
The competing title by Ross & Ross is strong at offering perceptive analyses of the publishing
field.
Penny Sansevieri, for instance, might cry after reading their five-page section on P.O.D. They
point
out serious flaws in Print on Demand that novices might never consider, which makes their five
pages on the subject more helpful than Sansevieri's entire book (to me, at least).
I've bought Poynter and Ross & Ross and consult both regularly. Still, if I had to choose just one,
my favorite would be the latter. Partly, it's a matter of style. Ross & Ross offer encouragement at
every turn, always striving to serve the reader; the pitch perfect writing may be the best you'll find
in
any self-help book. By contrast, Poynter's approach is no-nonsense, with an emphasis on good
business practice to earn a profit.
Cate Blanchett doesn't need books like these, of course, but like other wildly successful actors or
writers, she's in the minority. For the rest of us, especially those who are both spiritual
practitioners
and writers, reading either Poynter or Ross & Ross is better than waiting for lightning to
strike.
The Writer's Friend
Linda Davis Kyle, Joseph Gregg, and Nancy McAlary
WritingNow.com Publishing
P.O. Box 270070, Austin, TX 78727
ISBN: $TBA, www.writingnow.com
If $500 still sounds like a lot of money for bargain basement self-publishing, consider how much it
costs to send out the query letters to land writing contracts so you can be published by others.
Over
the past 31 years, I've easily spent three times that much-you know, the amount that Cate
Blanchett
might earn, on camera, by waving hello. Over 99% of my author's queries have landed rejections,
not contracts. Personally, I wish I'd encountered The Writer's Friend years ago.
If you've ever dreamed of writing for magazines or newspapers, this is a great book to buy. Sure,
you'll also need to consult a current edition of Writer's Market, but you can find that in your
library
reference section. This little book brims with good advice, culled from interviews with editors
from
all over the world.
Alert reader, did you catch that phrase "all over the world"? Assuming that you've taken the brave
leap and learned how to work the Internet (and this is probably a must for serious writers today),
you can e-mail your queries internationally. That's a good thing, since many American markets in
our
newish millennium paid the same wages as a quarter century ago. That pitiful fact is common
knowledge among writers, though not played up in The Writer's Friend.
Books for America's millions, yes millions, of aspiring writers are a huge industry. For the newest
and best, check out "The Writing/Publishing Shelf" by clicking on
http://www.midwestbookreview.com, then "Internet Bookwatch." (To receive The Shelf directly
for
free, send a request via e-mail to MWBOOKREVW@aol.com and request to be signed up).
Chances are, however, that a freelancer will read far and wide before encountering a book more
useful than The Writer's Friend.
Kids Rule The World
Susan Todd
EFG
ISBN, 96 pages, $9.99, quicknews@aol.com, Available in bookstores
Kids rule the world? Not in my house, they don't. But even a strict parent wants to encourage her
kid to write, and this book can help. Definitely geared toward children without being patronizing,
this book is full of ideas to help children discover the fun in communicating through the written
word.
Given that today's children grow up in a digital age, many a parent worries about declining
interest
in reading and writing. This book offers incentive in the form of writing activities: things to do,
write
about, and then publish in www.kidnews.com or other places.
Topics include sports, features, reviews, advice and opinions, and creative writing. The book even
includes a CD with writing and reporting forms. (No sightings of Cate Blanchett, though. Pity.)
Kids
Rule the World would make a great gift for any child who likes to write-or any child whom you
would like to like to write.
Rose Rosetree, Reviewer
http://www.Rose-Rosetree.com
Paul's Bookshelf
Literary L.A.
Lionel Rolfe
California Classics Books
P.O. Box 29756, Los Angeles, CA 90029
ISBN 1-879395-22-3, $14.95, softcover, 223 pages, calclass@earthlink.net), 2002,
Based on a series of newspaper pieces written in the late 1970s, this book profiles some of the
people who made Los Angeles' bohemian culture in the 20th century. Many people think that San
Francisco, with the Beat Generation, was the "center" of bohemian living, but the City of Angels
had
quite a thriving culture of its own.
It all grew out of the coffeehouse scene, where a constantly changing group of poets, literary
gypsies, writers in exile (real or self-imposed) and others, would get together and weave pieces of
the literary tapestry of Los Angeles. Rolfe profiles the famous, and not so famous, including
Theodore Dreiser, Charles Bukowski, Henry Miller, John Steinbeck, Aldous Huxley and the
Mann
brothers (Thomas and Heinrich). There is also a piece on Upton Sinclair's 1934 campaign for
Governor of California. Running on the Socialist Party ticket, he received 45 percent of the vote
despite a major smear campaign against him.
As part of a musical family (the virtuoso violinist Yehudi Menuhin was an uncle), Rolfe grew up
in a
household that offered a place to go for musicians and other artists-in-exile. This book was not
written as some piece of dry literary history, it was written by someone who was there and lived
through that era, and has spent much of his life writing about it.
As a lifelong voracious reader, I very much appreciated Rolfe's putting a person and life to the
names I have seen on book covers my whole life. Anyone with an interest in 20th century
American
literature will enjoy this book. I think I'll visit my local library and see how many of these authors
are in the stacks. Meantime, this book is highly recommended.
For The Sake Of Peace
Daisaku Ikeda
Middleway Press
c/o SGI-USA
606 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 9040
ISBN 0-9674697-2-4, $25.95, 252 pages
This book is based on many years of lectures and proposals to the United Nations, looking at the
subject of peace from the Buddhist perspective of respect for human life and the interconnection
between all things. Ikeda is the head of Soka Gakkai International, a worldwide Buddhist
organization that follows the teachings of a 12th century reformer named Nichiren.
Any societal change must start within each of us, learning compassion and tolerance and being
able
to see the negative in ourselves. Then comes dialogue, which, among other things, can open
closed
minds and transform opposing viewpoints. Education is always very important, not only to show
the
threat of nuclear weapons, but to fight world hunger and poverty and to get people out of the
mindset of ethnic world views. Communities need to get together to build an international ssytem
of
hope and justice and to get away from the "survival of the fittest" ethos of competition. One way
to
build such a system is through art, which connects us with each other, with nature, and with the
universe.
The author feels that it is time for the United Nations to get involved in education on a global
scale
and to move away from the usual military-centered conceptions of security. Disarmament is about
overcoming the hatred, distrust and debasement of humanity of the 20th century.
This book is surprisingly good. Having survived World War II in Japan, Ikeda has seen the horror
of
war up close and personal. He has written a clear and easy to understand book, that doesn't lack
for
passiopn, on a subject near and dear to everyone. For a different perspective on the world around
us,
and the world inside each of us, this is definitely worth reading.
Barry And 'The Boys': The CIA, The Mob And America's Secret History
Daniel Hopsicker
The MadCow Press
P.O. Box 2687, Eugene OR 97402;
ISBN 0-9706591-0-5, 518 pages, $29.95, http://www.madcowpress.com), 2001
This book is all about a scandal feared by the White House more than Whitewater, a scandal not
touched by the American news media. It's a totally different look at the last half century of
American
history, and it revolves around a place called Mena, Arkansas and a man named Barry Seal.
Seal grew up in Louisiana and was addicted to airplanes from an early age. While still a teenager,
he
could pilot nearly anything with wings. Joining the Louisiana Civil Air Patrol, he met a man
named
David Ferrie (later to be well known in JFK assassination circles) who introduced him to the
clandestine world. Soon, Seal would disappear for days or weeks at a time, and come back with,
for
a teenager in the 1950s, insanely large amounts of money.
Becoming a life-long CIA operative, Seal started his career running guns to both sides in the
Cuban
Revolution, to Fidel Castro and Fulgencio Batista. Over the next 40 years, Seal was at the center
of
all the major events in US history, from the JFK assassination (the book blows more holes, as if
more were needed, in the Warren Commission's Lone Gunman theory), to Vietnam drug-running,
to
Watergate, to Iran-Contra. The entire period is characterized by very deep ties between US
intelligence and the Mafia, even going back to Cuba before Castro. The author isn't talking about
vague ties with minor-league mobsters, he is talking about people like Johnny Roselli and Carlos
Marcello, the absolute top of the Mob "pyramid."
Mena, Arkansas was a small town with an equally small airport. It was also a major entry point
for a
flood of airplane-carried cocaine into the United States (by the ton). Going on for years and years,
one must ask if the major players in Arkansas politics, like Jackson Stephens and Bill Clinton,
were
somehow in cahoots with the CIA and the Mob. The author also explores plenty of ties between
Seal and the Bush family.
This book surpasses the level of Wow. It has enough revelations for ten books. It is extremely
highly
recommended, especially for anyone interested in recent American history.
Paul Lappen
Reviewer
Sullivan's Bookshelf
Blinded By The Right: The Conscience Of An Ex-Conservative
David Brock
Crown Publishers,
2002, 336 pages, ISBN# 0-8l29-3099-l, $25.95
The author also wrote The Real Anita Hill. That book was a vicious attack on the courageous
African-American woman who testified, reluctantly, against African-American Claarence Thomas,
U.S. Supreme Court nominee and now a member of that court. Brock currently admits that he
misinterpreted much of the research data in that book. He's even written an apology letter to
Anita
Hill.
Brock, as a liberal, gay, young man, entered the University of California at Berkeley. He was soon
revolted by students' politically correct stances, including the refusal to let conservatives speak on
campus. He soon joined the conservative cause. At the same time, conservative classmates,
though
anti-liberal and anti-homosexual, accepted Brock.
The new conservative began composing right-leaning articles for the school newspaper. He also
hobnobbed with members of the conservative cause.
While that was occurring, his relationship with his adoptive, Roman Catholic, parents was
souring.
Their attitudes, especially his father's, seemed to be the reason.
After college, through networking with friends, he landed jobs writing for such prominent
conservative publications as the Washington Times, American Spectator, and Commentary,
penning
for them articles with conservative slants. Each published piece brought Brock more fame.
Noticing that many people he was now meeting in the movement were hardcore anti-gay, Brock
slipped back into his 'closet.' Over time, the conservative's unremitting gay-bashing repulsed him
more and more. Finally, he bravely came out of the closet. At first little notice was taken. He was
coasting on waves of admiration from his conservative articles and his Anita Hill book.
Throughout, he had participated in the conservative 'get Clinton' cause, which he exposes in great
detail in this book. And it strongly lends credence to Hillary's comments, at the height of Clinton's
troubles, that to her it was a 'huge right-wing conspiracy' out to get her husband, President
Clinton.
At that time, Brock was hired to write another smear book, this time about Hillary. He took the
job
to the glee of conservatives everywhere who envisioned another Anita Hill-type trashing. Brock
researched his new subject thoroughly. The result: a positive book about Hillary. This, naturally,
angered his conservative friends who complained loudly and rudely. They also took notice of his
gayness.
Finally, he realized that supporting the conservative cause was impossible. He's admitted as much
in
this present book. And in it he apologizes for the literal and literary damage he's done through the
years to the liberal cause. Unfortunately, they haven't quite forgiven Brock--yet!
This new book also tells intimate details of many well-known conservatives from Anne Coulter to
Matt Drudge to Ted Olson. As a consequence, it's hard to put down.
The author, near the end of his book, writes, "On electiion night{l998}, my house in Georgetown
was dark. {...} The divisive, hypocritical, and undemocratic GOP, at least under its leadership
then,
simply did not merit support. The conservative movement, in its pathological quest to expose and
unseat Clinton, had succeeded only in exposing itself and unseating its own unworthy leadership.
As
McCarthyism had set back the anti-Communist cause, the radical conservatives had betrayed
whatever of value could be found in conser-vative philosophy. No, I was not one of them, I was
not
a conservative. And I was free to tell the tale."
Brock lives in Washington DC where he writes and appears on TV shows touting his book. This
tome is recommended regardless of the reader's political affiliation.
Wild Solutions
Andrew Beattie and Paul R. Ehrlich
Yale University Press
ISBN# 0-300-07636-3, $29.95, 200l, 239 pages/indexed,
The authors are scientists and they make a strong, reasoned, and persuasive case for protecting
the
planet's biological diversity otherwise known as biodiversity. "The biodiversity of Earth," write
Beattie and Ehrlich, "is our biological wealth, our biological capital. The savings are every gene,
every population, every species, and every natural community that inhabits the oceans, the land,
and
the air.
Whether we believe that God put them there or that they evolved from earlier creatures, the stark
truth remains that they are the only ones we have--there are no life forms anywhere else. As yet
there is no evidence whatsoever that one day humans wil be able to fly to Mars or some other
remote planet to stock up on tree species, order giant panda replacements, or obtain refills of
extinct
phyla. Nor is there any hope, based on the current status of biotechnology, that we will be able to
create organisms through the miracles of science. Biodiversity is, as far as anyone knows, totally
irreplaceable. It would be marvelous to be proved wrong, but we're not holding our breath."
In this tome which uses the analogy that biodiversity is money in the bank, there are 12,
chocked-full
chapters in which the reader learns how medicines, antitoxins, antibiotics, and other beneficial
products are obtained from various plant and animal life. Also discussed are a wide range of
industrial uses to be found in the animal kingdom from glues to structural materials. Chemical
products come from flora and fuana, too, and are elaborated upon. The list of items beneficial to
humans is long and fascinating. For example, some spider web material is good for human wound
healing and protection. Suffice to say, mankind is aware of only a small portion of the biodiversity
on Earth and what it may do to alleviate human suffering and disease. For this reason, and for
many
more, biodiversity must be fully defended.
Who knows, ask the authors, what animal and plant may contain the cure for illnesses or the
solutions to problems that plague humanity today? Who knows what wonderful scientific and
technological advances could be made with further study of known and the new study of
unknown,
undiscovered species on Earth?
Andrew Beattie serves as director for the Commonwealth Key Centre for Biodiversity and
Bioresources at MacQuarie University, Sydney, Australia. Paul R. Ehrlich is Bing Professor of
Populataion Studies at Stanford University in the U.S. Biological illustrations by Christine
Turnbull,
also of Macquarie University, are found throughout this volume. Highly recommennded!
Jim Sullivan
Reviewer
Harold's Bookshelf
The Anatomy Of Buzz
Emanuel Rosen
Doubleday
1540 Broadway, New York, NY 10036
ISBN: 0385496672, $24.95, Pages: 261
To put it simply, buzz marketing is a technique of getting people to talk about your product and
spread the word. Instead of purchasing an advertisement in print media and hoping that potential
customers will read it, or purchasing expensive television ads, the basis of buzz is to get friends,
experts or other "hubs" to recommend the product or at least to talk about it.
How successful is a correctly implemented buzz program? It continues to break sales records and
speed the acceptance of new products in phenomenal fashion. Often referred to as viral marketing,
it
spreads the same way a virus spreads, from one person to another, between friends, relatives,
co-workers and any other social group that you belong to.
This book discloses the principles of buzz marketing, when it can be used, when it is not
successful,
how it has been most successful in the past and the basic principles that make it work or fail.
Thoroughly detailed with many examples, it is an excellent source of information on how to
market
your product or service in this manner.
Probably the best book available on buzz marketing, it is definitely the most thorough that I have
come across. I had the chance to try some of the techniques recently on an experimental basis and
had tremendous success opening up new market areas with ease, speed and efficiency. Highly
recommended.
How to Sell Yourself
Arch Lustberg
Career Press, Inc.
PO Box 687, Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417
ISBN: 1564145859, $14.95, Pages: 188 plus appendix and index
Arch Lustberg's book "Hot to Sell Yourself" is a basic text of the most important factors in selling
yourself, your ideas, your products or whatever else you need to sell to others. The guidance is
solid
and the writing style is easy to read. These are the basic ground rules that everyone should know.
With sections that cover selling yourself as a speaker, in the classroom, in the job interview, as a
product salesperson or even selling yourself in a confrontation or media interview situation, it
covers
pretty much all the bases.
There are more detailed books on persuasion and influence and using them to sell yourself, but
this
is arguably the best introductory text to the basics of selling yourself that I have read. If you are
new
to selling yourself or the need to present yourself as credible in a classroom, court, or other
situation
then this is the book that you should start with. Most of the books on persuasion and influence
start
a level above this one and assume that you already know this stuff. Start here if you are trying to
change your image or learning to deal effectively with customers, friends, relatives, co-workers or
any other group. Then graduate to one of the influence and persuasion books. Even if you are
experienced at selling yourself there is probably something here that can help you. For me that
would be the detailed section on facial expressions, something that I have not seen covered so
well
in any other text. If you need to start with the basics to build a strong foundation or need to
review
the basics, then pick up a copy of this book. You won't regret it.
Destiny Of Souls: New Case Studies Of Life Between Lives
Michael, Phd Newton, Michael Duff Newton
Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd.
PO Box 64383, Dept. K499-5, St. Paul, MN 55164
ISBN: 1567184995, $14.95, 409 pages
Many people have heard of past life regressions via hypnosis. There seems to be a multitude of
beliefs as to exactly what happens in past life regression. Is it real? Is it something other than an
actual past life? Now to add more information to this debate and a whole different fascinating
field
of study, we have the work of the author Michael Newton, PhD. Instead of just past life
regressions,
Michael has concentrated on what happens between the different lives? When one life ends his
studies begin and continue until the next reincarnation.
The book represents years of study and includes information from dozens of case studies. The
subjects covered include reincarnations, angels, ghosts, how evil people are dealt with after they
die,
soul mates and literally dozens of similar items.
With chapters on Death, Grief and Comfort, Earthly Spirits, Spiritual Energy Restoration it deals
with many of the questions that people may have about the after life. In addition it covers an
advanced social system of souls that his research has uncovered. That system includes Soul
Groups,
a Council of Elders, Community Dynamics, and the Ring of Destiny.
Well written and easy to follow, it is a fascinating read that some will find enlightening while
others
will find offensive and most will find somewhere in between.
The Seventy Great Mysteries Of The Ancient World: Unlocking The Secrets Of Past
Civilizations
Brian M. Fagan
Thames & Hudson
500 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10110
ISBN: 0500510504, $40.00, 304 pages
I have always enjoyed books about mysterious events of the past, unknown civilizations, strange
happenings, etc. This book is full of such items. The Seventy Great Mysteries Of The Ancient
World
looks at some of these mysteries through the eyes of modern archaeology and other sciences to
try
to resolve at least some of the questions surrounding them. Each item is subjected to a scientific
analysis of the knowledge that we have obtained to date. Generally, the situation ends up being
exactly what it has been in the past an unresolved mystery.
Lavishly illustrated, it is written in a conversational style that is easy to read and understand.
Logically divided into appropriate sections it starts with Myths and Legends, moves to Mysteries
of
the Stone Age, then to Ancient Civilizations, Tombs and Lost Treasures, Ancient and
Undeciphered
Scripts and the Fall of Civilizations. The only thing that I did not like about the book was the
short
treatment of each item. With seventy chapters (one for each of the mysteries) and roughly 300
pages
that is only an average of four pages per mystery. However, at the back of the book is an
extensive
listing of references to consult for further information on each of the items.
For those who like a complete synopsis of each mystery and the current level of knowledge this is
excellent. A fascinating book, it covered not only the mysteries that I was aware of but also many
that I had never heard of before. If there is one book that I would suggest to gain a basic
knowledge
of the greatest mysteries of the Ancient World then this one would be it.
Nonviolent Communication: A Language Of Compassion
Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD
PuddleDancer Press
PO Box 231129, Encinitas, CA 92023
ISBN: 1892005026, $17.95, 191 pages
In the book Nonviolent Communication: A Language Of Compassion, Dr. Rosenberg takes the
reader on a journey first to see how language and it deficiencies are the source of so much conflict
and then down the path to resolve this problem and create an environment of growth and
nourishing.
The book explains the concepts of Nonviolent Communication in detail with specific examples so
that it is easy to understand.
The process itself is almost a spiritual journey as you move from a "get even" and "protect
yourself
at all costs" mentality to one of compassion and connection with others. The book does a very
thorough job of analyzing communication and all it's hidden facets.
One of the best books I have read on the subject of communication and how to grow and nourish
your relationships with others, whether personal or professional. A strong recommended
read.
Age Of Propaganda : The Everyday Use And Abuse Of Persuasion
Anthony R. Pratkanis, Elliot Aronson
W H Freeman & Co.
41 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010
ISBN: 0716731088, $16.95, 320 pages
This book was a real bother! I usually read a 300 page book in about two hours and am used to
reading through them quickly and getting onto the next one. This book was so fascinating that I
slowed down to make sure that I got every bit of information out of it that was available.
This book should be required reading for everyone who wants to know how they are being
influenced by the marketing people, unscrupulous sales people, cult leaders, governments and
others
promoters of influence. It is a thorough course in how to spot an attempt to manipulate you and
how you can analyse the situation to see if it is really something you want or not.
It has some of the most complete advice on how to examine an item and how to respond of any
book on influence that I have read. On the "A" list of must-read books.
Influence: Science and Practice
Robert B. Cialdini
Allyn & Bacon
160 Gould Street, Needham Heights, MA 02494
ISBN: 0321011473, $21.99, 262 pages
I've reviewed many books on influence and persuasion and this is one of the top books in the
category. Easy to read, excellent writing style, it is a hard book to put down and begs you to read
it
slowly so that you don't miss something important. One of the fun things about reading it is when
the author makes a point and you can look back and realize that you have dealt with someone
who
used just that technique to get you to buy that candy bar, car, or change your mind about
something.
Persuasive speaking is an important part of what I do and I am very successful at it. The ability to
persuade others has been very hard to pass on to employees and other speakers who have asked
me
how I do it. This book allowed me to look at what I do and see how I can transfer that ability to
others. It has also helped me see some of the tricks of persuasion that snare the unwary and how
they are used by unscrupulous people.
Cialdini not only makes his case by carefully presenting the techniques and the experiments on
which
they are based, but also details how they are used and how you can use them. For each technique
he
also indicates how to know when it is being used against you and how to resist the influence.
A highly recommended book and one of the best on this subject, Cialdini's work is often quoted in
other books on influence and persuasion.
The Memory Workbook
Douglas J. Mason, Psy.D. & Michael L. Kohn, Psy.D.
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
ISBN: 1572242582, $18.95, 199 pages (plus appendix)
The focus of this book is not on memory techniques such as the LOCI method and while it does
mention them and explain them briefly it does not give a lot of detail about them.
Instead it focuses on memory problems as a normal part of aging, medications and diet. Through
out the book it mentions Alzheimers and similar concerns and repeatedly speaks about not being
concerned about particular memory lapses as you grow older.
It does have thorough coverage of memory myths and how some of these myths create or
contribute memory problems as well as the best coverage of diet, medicine, supplements and
similar
factors of any of the memory books that I have read.
This is a workbook with many excercises to prove their points as well as show how various
techniques work and how storing and retrieving memories works in the mind.
If I were asked who I would recommend this book to then it would have to be people in one of
two
groups.
First would be anyone who is aging and thinks that they are having memory lapses more often and
are concerned about them. Second would be those who want to know what drugs, nutritional
supplements and dietary factors may increase or harm their mental capacities.
Slapped Together: The Dilbert Business Anthology
Scott Adams
HarperCollins Publisher
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022-5299
ISBN: 0060186216, $11.00, http://www.amazon.com
If you are a lover of the office philosophy and observations of Dilbert and the gang then you will
love this book. It is truly what the title suggests in that the publisher took three popular Dilbert
books and placed them together into one large volume. As always, the biting humor and often
accurate portrayal of all things corporate will have you laughing out loud as you realize how
absolutely preposterous some of the situations are while also realizing that this sure looks a lot
like
real life.
Thinkers Way
John Chaffee
Little Brown Company
Time & Life Building, 1271 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020
ISBN: 0965681076, $13.75, http://www.amazon.com
The author, John Chaffee, Ph.D., is the Director of the New York Center for Critical Thinking
and
Language Learning and brings to us many years of research into critical thinking. The result is a
book that teaches how to think critically and then apply those skills to everyday situations. The
world can be very confusing with the tremendous amount of information thrown at us every day.
How do you make a decision or analyze information to see if it is valuable to you or not? This
book
details how to approach the various challenges of life by thinking clearly. With an eight-step
process
to critical thinking, he provides information and exercises to get you going in the right direction.
Whether attacking problems, dealing with difficult people, deflecting propaganda directed at you
or
just bettering your life through better decision-making and fewer regrets, the collective knowledge
in
this text points the way to clear thinking.
Stories From Spain: Historias De Espana (Legends Of)
Genevieve Barlow, William N. Stivers
NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group
4255 West Touhy Avenue, Lincolnwood, IL 60712
ISBN: 0844204994, $11.95, 256 pages
This is a true bilingual book in Spanish and English. I love the format of presenting the Spanish on
one page and the English equivalent on the facing page. You can easily go from one to the other.
Because the stories are short and pretty basic, if you are trying to learn Spanish it is a great
tutoring
tool. You should already know some basic Spanish before reading the book, but for the
intermediate
or advanced beginner it is a great way to increase your vocabulary and practice correct sentence
structure.
In addition, the stories are from Spain and so teach some of the history and legends to help you
get a
feel for the country. Finally, there is a small dictionary at the back of the book that contains most
of
the words that you might encounter in the text.
Whether you use it for a review, to learn Spanish, to increase your Spanish vocabulary or just like
the stories, it is a great little book and this style of dual translation books is highly recommended
as
an adjunct to a Spanish course of any type to recommend to speed your learning of a foreign
language.
Spanish Step By Step
Charles Berlitz
Wynwood Press
PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287
ISBN: 0922066280, $12.99, 336 pages
This is a great book for learning conversational Spanish. It gives minimal information on formal
Spanish but instead concentrates or getting the reader up to speed listening to, reading and
speaking
Spanish. Think of it being like when you were a child and learned to speak English or whatever
your
native tongue. You did not know all the rules for conjugating verbs or anything like that, but you
did
know what was the right word in a given situation. That is more the focus of this book and it's
method. If you don't need to know technically precise Spanish but want to be able to get around
on
a trip to a Spanish speaking country or be able to understand basic signs and conversations then I
would highly recommend it.
Mastering SQL Server 2000
Mike Gunderloy, Joseph L. Jorden, Joe Jorden
Sybex
1151 Marina Village Parkway, Alameda, CA 94501
ISBN: 0782126278, $49.99, 1201 pages
Mastering SQL Server 2000 is one of the books that I see carried the most often onto a client site
when doing SQL technical support. The text covers just about every aspect of SQL from a setup
and administrative point of view as well as the basics of database theory. If you want a single
general
reference then this book works very well. On the other hand, if you want a detailed reference on
programming SQL then there are better texts.
The book covers the administration of an SQL Server in great detail including explaining why you
would use a particular feature and why you may not want to use it in a different scenario. For
setting
up a system and managing it this book it hard to beat.
Whether you are a new user, experienced user or an administrator, this book is hard to beat for
theory, detailed information and administration of a Windows SQL Server 2000 system. Highly
recommended read and required on any administrator's bookshelf.
The Bible As It Was
James L. Kugel
Belknap Press/Harvard University Press
60 Harvard Way, Boston, MA 02163
ISBN: 0674069412, $22.95, 700 pages
"The Bible as it was" is a wonderful and exhaustive work regarding scriptural interpretation and
the
first five books of the Bible. Early Jewish tradition was to fill in interpretive information when
necessary to resolve items that were ambiguous or unclear. In addition, notes and commentary
were
often passed along with the texts and over time tended to become a part of the text. As a result,
the
Bible of today includes a lot of commentary as well as the original texts.
Kugel's purpose is to try to reconstruct the Bible as it was in its original form as closely as
possible.
While we all know that no copies of the original Bible exist today, the King James version was
based on the Textus Receptus which was a Greek translation of the Bible and considered the
oldest
reliable source at the time. Since then there have been many archaeological finds of manuscripts
from earlier points in time and in the original Hebrew language. Many of these passages differ
somewhat from current translations. In theory, the older versions should be closer to the original
version. Working from the oldest texts he examines some of the differences in the way passages
were interpreted and what that could mean. This gets us closer to an original version without all
the
intervening thoughts and interpretations that earlier writers had added in an attempt to make it
more
understandable and applicable to the people of their time.
Dr. Kugel thoroughly documents his work complete with quotes, sources and annotations as
appropriate.
A fascinating book that sheds new light onto many passages it should be read by anyone
attempting
a serious and scholarly study of the Bible.
The Hidden Book In The Bible: The Discovery Of The First Prose Masterpiece
Richard Elliott Friedman
Harper San Francisco
10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022
ISBN: 0060630043, $15.00, 402 pages
Everyone has their own unique way of talking and writing. Where I would use one set of words to
describe something someone else would use a totally different wording for the same thing. Where
I
would use one type of illustration to make a point someone else will use a totally different one.
Friedman uses this sort of linguistic analysis along with other techniques to search the Old
Testament and find passages that appear to be written by the same author. What results is a
Biblical
history book that apparently had been scattered throughout several of the Old Testament books
and
now is brought together as one consistent and highly readable book.
Working from Hebrew sources, his research is sound and scholarly and yet the result is easily
understandable and highly readable. Mr. Friedman notes that as he researched this common
authorship he noticed that each time one section ended the next section that met the same author's
writing style started up from the same place the first left off as if there had been nothing between.
This further supported his position that it has at one time been one text and was probably the
original work of prose for the Bible.
The book covers the period from the creation until the reign of Solomon and is a wonderful read
for
those interested in Biblical studies, early Jewish thought, or Biblical history. A recommended
read.
The Complete Dream Book: What Your Dreams Tell About You And Your Life
Gillian Holloway, Ph.D.
Sourcebooks, Inc.
PO Box 4410, Naperville, IL 60567
ISBN: 1570717087, $16.95, 244 pages
Got a dream dictionary and find it useless? Think using a dream dictionary is like trying to form a
cohesive picture from a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle where all the pieces are cut exactly the
same?
The Complete Dream Book takes a different angle on dream interpretation.
Based on a database of over 18,000 dreams, the author provides real-life interpretation of
common
dreams. There are common dreams that occur during certain stages of life, at certain ages, and
during certain changes and situations.
This book looks at these common themes in dreams and what they mean to the dreamer. While
she
does cover common dream symbols such as cars, houses and the like, the fascinating part of the
book is the common themes (can't get your locker door open or finding an new room in your
home
or finding a treasure, for examples).
This is the most useful and pragmatic dream interpretation book that I have ever read and I found
myself regularly commenting about how appropriate an interpretation was for a particular dream
of
mine.
Kudos to Gillian Holloway for what has to be one of the most useful dream interpretation books
on
the market today.
Reef Coral Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas
Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach
New World Publications, Inc.
1861 Cornell Road, Jacksonville, FL 32207
ISBN: 1878348329 $34.95, Pages: 278 plus indexes and workbook area
This Reef Coral Identification book is THE definitive guide. In brief there is not a better guide out
there. It thoroughly covers each type of coral and gives identification information as well as full
color photographs. In addition to all the corals it covers other plant life likely to be encountered
while snorkeling or diving. These include grasses, weeds, algae and coral diseases. With a plastic
cover and the pages treated to resist water it can be taken to the beach or onto the boat without
much concern about the water damaging the book. For each item the book also discusses any
danger
to divers that the particular coral may represent (such as fire coral).
This book can also be purchased as part of a three part set that also includes the Reef Fish
Identification and Reef Creature Identification texts, each of which is equally as excellent as the
Reef
Coral Identification book.
Reef Creature Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas
Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach
New World Publications, Inc.
1861 Cornell Road, Jacksonville, FL 32207
ISBN: 1878348310 $39.95, Pages: 420 plus indexes and workbook area
Sponges, jellyfish, flat worms, crustaceans, mollusks, star fish, if it is not a fish then it is in this
book.
This is the authoritative reference for reef creatures (other than fish) throughout the Florida,
Caribbean and Bahamas area. The most complete book on reef creatures that I have seen, it is
easy
to use and beautifully illustrated. Each creature has it's own full color picture along with a line
drawing that points out the defining characteristics of that particular species. With a plastic cover
and the pages treated to resist water it can be taken to the beach or onto the boat without much
concern about the water damaging the book.
Each entry has complete information on the creature from size, depth, range and habitat to the
level
of concern that a diver should have for their safety around the creature. Whether you snorkel,
scuba
dive or engage in other activities around a reef, this is the best book to have to identify reef
creatures. This book can also be purchased as part of a three part set that also includes the Reef
Coral Identification and Reef Fish Identification texts, each of which is equally as excellent as the
Reef Creature Identification book.
Reef Fish Identification: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas
Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach
New World Publications, Inc.
1861 Cornell Road, Jacksonville, FL 32207
ISBN: 1878348302 $39.95, Pages: 481 plus indexes and workbook area
This is the authoritative reference for reef fish throughout the Florida, Caribbean and Bahamas
area.
The most complete book on reef fish that I have seen, it is easy to use and beautifully illustrated.
Each fish has it's own full color picture along with a line drawing that points out the defining
characteristics of that particular species. With a plastic cover and the pages treated to resist water
it
can be taken to the beach or onto the boat without much concern about the water damaging the
book.
Each entry has complete information on the fish from size, depth, range and habitat to the level of
concern that a diver should have for their safety around the fish. Whether you snorkel, scuba dive
or
engage in other activities around a reef, this is the best book to have to identify the fish. This book
can also be purchased as part of a three part set that also includes the Reef Coral Identification
and
Reef Creature Identification texts, each of which is equally as excellent as the Reef Fish
Identification book.
The Reef Set: Reef Fish, Reef Creature And Reef Coral (3 Volumes Boxed)
Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach
New World Publications, Inc.
1861 Cornell Road, Jacksonville, FL 32207
ISBN: 1878348337 $120.00, Pages: 1179 plus indexes and workbook areas
If there is one set of reef identification books to own then this one is it. A set of three of the best
books available, it contains Reef Fish Identification, Reef Creature Identification and Reef Coral
Identification. Throughout the Florida, Caribbean and Bahamas areas there are no better books
available. Each fish, creature, coral, grass or algae has it's own full color picture along with a line
drawing that points out the defining characteristics of that particular species. With a plastic cover
and the pages treated to resist water, it can be taken to the beach or onto the boat without much
concern about the water damaging the book.
Each entry has complete information on the fish, creature or coral from size, depth, range and
habitat to the level of concern that a diver should have for their safety around it. If you snorkel,
dive
or just have an interest in identification of the various things that you find on a reef then this set
will
give you everything you need to identify anything you find. Highly recommended.
The Tending Instinct: How Nurturing Is Essential To Who We Are And How We Live
Shelley E. Taylor
Henry Holt and Company
115 West 18th Street, New York, NY 10011
ISBN: 0805068376 $25.00, Pages: 199 plus Notes, References, etc.
Insightful, provocative, inspired, "The Tending Instinct: How Nurturing is Essential to Who We
Are
and How We Live" is one of the most interesting texts today on how and why nurturing manifests
itself in our society. With thorough detail the author examines current research and examples to
uncover how the tending instinct functions in today's society and how it explains the differences in
how men and women respond to stress.
Most studies on stress and the "fight or flight" response that we have been taught since childhood
have been based on studies of men and/or male rats or other creatures. Shelley Taylor shows that
that may be the case for men in general but for women the response is grouping together,
reaching
out to others, and "tending" each other. Well researched, logically argued, it is a real treasure
trove
of insight.
The only thing that I did not like about the book is actually a comment more on today's society
than
on the author's writing style. It is a shame that she feels the need to qualify so many of her
comments, but she is probably right in doing so. It keeps breaking up the flow of the writing to
the
point of being annoying. For example, she writes " women continue to be the mainstay of caring
for children by a large margin". That's an observable fact that I think most people would take as
true. However she follows it up with a parenthetical " I do not mean that women should or must
care for children or that only women can care for children, only that they are more likely to do
so."
It is a shame that in our politically correct society we have to be so careful not to offend that we
need to sprinkle comments like this through a text that would otherwise be so well written.
Still, it is an excellent book and provides a different perspective on many issues related to tending
and caring for others. From the first chapter to the last, it is book that I would highly recommend
and applaud the author for bringing such an insightful work to the public. Bravo!
Harold McFarland
Reviewer
Jennifer's Bookshelf
Man With Wounded Bird
B. C. Douglas
1st Books Library
ISBN: 0-75965-493X, Price: $11.95 Soft Cover, $3.95 e-book, www.1stbooks.com
Man With Wounded Bird is a wonderful fictional story that tells a stunning tale of imagination
using
cultures of Jamaica.
Coming from Long Island in a white suburban community, Belle Brair sometimes felt
uncomfortable
by the Jamaican qualities that her mother so proudly wore. Her mom's accent, strange spice
smells,
and untraditional Thanksgiving dinners, get the locals attention, thus embarrassing Belle to no
end.
She didn't like being different.
After Belle's mother dies, she finds herself needing answers to help fill in her emptiness, but while
visiting her grandmother in Jamaica, Belle seeks answers to her heritage and soon discovers the
disappearance of a priceless work of art.
Man With Wounded Bird is a spectacular, energetic, novel for young adults, and I thoroughly
enjoyed reading it. Her well-thought out characters have unique personalities and the setting takes
your breath away. Douglas's plot-driven book is sure to be a winner! I highly recommend B. C.
Douglas and her book Man With Wounded Bird.
B. C. Douglas was born in Watford, England, but was raised in both England, and Jamaica. She
has
seen many parts of the world, and she currently lives in Florida with her husband.
Wisdom On The Green: Smarter Six Sigma Business Solutions
Forrest W. Breyfogle III, David Enck, Phil Flories and Tom Pearson
Smarter Solutions
13776 U.S. Highway 183 N., Suite 122-110 | Austin, TX 78750-1811
ISBN: 0-9713222-01-1, Price: $16.95, www.smartersolutions.com
Wisdom On The Green explains Six Sigma business strategies for pursuing everlasting
improvement
the business process. This book tells it like it is in novel format of how to improve your business
bottom line, decrease cost, and at the same time, increasing sales through the metaphor of
golf.
In Wisdom On The Green, four friends, who while playing their weekly game of golf, talk about
their work and the problems they hold, but who soon come across the benefits of the Six Sigma
business strategy.
Cleverly, Breyfogle, Enck, Flories, and Pearson, introduce this strategy by using the game of golf
by
using the golf course surroundings to explain how executives and managers connect and by
comparing the golf game and business as a fields that always needs improvement.
As said before, Wisdom On The Green teaches the Six Sigma strategy. But what is it exactly?
Well,
you'll just have to read it to find out. However, I will tell you t hat this informational book is easy
to
read and it is a must for all CEOs, managers, and executives who are cont
