Independent Books

What a wonderful way to differentiate assignments for readers. There is enough material here to accomodate many reading levels.

i haven't use all the activities in the book there are so many. the kids love them and an work on their own. is great for independent reading.

A must read for teachers - well done teaching aid - helps builds important skills for children.

This is a great resource. I especially love the independent reading contracts; however, I use the contracts as differentiation when students do seatwork for reading groups. They give the students the opportunity to chose how they would like to respond to the book. In all, I think this book is full of wonderful ideas and I highly recommend it!

I have been using a similliar book for my centers while I teach guided reading groups. This book seems to go the extra mile. The worksheets can be used with any book to take the student to another level without the instruction of a teacher. These are not just worksheets, but activites just waiting to happen. It will enhance the centers that I already have set up.

indieWIRE's Bookshelf: Collette, Hoberman, Simonelli, Frumkes & More -- by Brandon Judell -- Rocco Simonelli and Roy Frumkes both teach film at New York's School of Visual Arts. They also wrote the screenplays for "The Substitute" and "The Johnsons." Frumkes additionally helmed "Document of the Dead" (1989), a not-bad documentary about George Romero that compares the King of the Living Dead to Hitchcock and other masters. Now the duo have teamed up and scribed "Shoot Me: Independent Filmmaking From Creative Concept to Rousing Release" (Allworth Press; $19.95). This might be their most successful partnering. After all, every one of their students will have to buy copies, plus Wes Craven has already raved that the authors "know the film business like Dante knew hell." Thankfully, Wes wasn't bull-----ing us. "Shoot Me" has to be one of the best books out there right now on making an indie film from scratch. We get to experience each anxiety-filled moment as Rocco and Roy put together their independent feature, "The Sweet Life." We get to see an actual "collaboration agreement." We learn how to budget a film (working in digital saved the project $750,000) and why storyboarding is so important. But there are little tidbits of info you might not ever think of asking, like how to raise money to make an unprofitable short? For first-time filmmakers, offer "a potential investor points not only in your short thesis/independent project, but in the first feature you produce, so that for the money they invest in the short, they go along for the ride and benefit down the road of your career." There are also unpleasant surprises: "At least during production, shooting in digital video did not lessen the need for a full crew." Written in an acceptably "one-of-the-guys" lively manner, "Shoot Me" is a top candidate for being the filmmaking bible of the moment.

Would you build a house without a blueprint? Of course not. So don't even think about shooting your own independent feature until you've read this book. Laid out in a logical manner (and written in a witty fashion that I quite enjoyed), the authors walk you through the mine field known as Independent Filmmaking. From raising money, to casting, to production, to post-production and beyond, solid advice is offered - the fact that the authors are working professionals and not academics dispensing sage advice from some ivory tower, held much greater weight with me.

I am planning my own independent feature, and found the sections detailing the Business Plan and Memorandum invaluable - the actual document is reprinted in the book. Unless your independently wealthy and financing your feature with the family trust, you won't shoot one frame until you've raised some cash from investors. This book will show you how.

I look forward to seeing their finished feature, and hope it's as good as the book.

I like movies and everything to do with movies. But I especially like the "behind the scenes" stuff. That's why I liked this book. It is not a "how to guide", so if that's what you're looking for, go elsewhere. "Shoot Me" is a journey through the arduous process of indie filmmaking as seen through the eyes of both the director and producer. With brutal honesty the authors take you through the daily grind of movie making on a budget. It isn't always pretty but it is interesting. Though some chapters may be a little dry and seem to be directed specifically toward the serious filmaker, there's enough "gossipy" material for the rest of us to enjoy. So if you're a movie fan who likes to know the "backstory", you'll enjoy this book.

Would you build a house without a blueprint? Of course not. So don't even think about shooting your own independent feature until you've read this book. Laid out in a logical manner (and written in a witty fashion that I quite enjoyed), the authors walk you through the mine field known as Independent Filmmaking. From raising money, to casting, to production, to post-production and beyond, solid advise is offered - the fact that the authors are working professionals and not academics dispensing sage advise from some ivory tower, held much greater weight with me.

I am planning my own independent feature, and found the sections detailing the Business Plan and Memorandum invaluable - the actual document is reprinted in the book. Unless your independently wealthy and financing your feature with the family trust, you won't shoot one frame until you've raised some cash from investors. This book will show you how.

I look forward to seeing their finished feature, and hope it's as good as the book.

I really, really tried hard to like this book. Really! But you know what? It didn't quite work out that way. In short, the authors came off sounding like whiny children rather than mentoring gurus.

There are many challenges in making an independent film, but most of them can be overcome with a certain amount of planning, thick skin, and a healthy attitude. These two did not seem to quite understand that. Let me quote directly from the book:

"To get our film completed, I lied to people, manipulated them, sacrificed my pride, and vitiated myself on an almost daily basis. And I don't apologize or make excuses for any of it."

Well, there you have it. Reading the book, which is laid out like two overlapping diaries thrown together, is like reading about a train-wreck in progress. You get to hear in painful detail how all of the things in the quote above came to pass, and so much more. I suppose if you really like daytime talk shows, this will be interesting material. But you won't learn how to make a movie.

If you are seriously interested in making a low-budget movie (the authors' movie cost them $200K), get yourself a copy of Rodriguez's Rebel Without a Crew.

So why three stars? Because this book unintentionally reaffirmed a number of things that you simply should not do when making a low-budget movie. Judging by the tone of the book, this was not their intention, but at least you can get something out of it...

This is an absolute must for any 'Phonics fan. It starts at the time of the Morfa gig in 1999, and goes back to the time before they were signed up. It describes how the songs changed from Word Gets Around to Just Enough Education To Perform as Kelly, Stuart and Richard experienced a completely different life to the one they had known in the village of Cwmaman, Wales. All i can say is read it, read it, read it.

This has got 2 b the best book in my collection. It's informative and really interesting at the same time. It's a must have, if u don't buy it ur missing out.

a wonderful and discriptive book about uk's best band! all the info you need- and more about these creative welsh lads! a very good read, especially for fans. make sure you pick it up!

This book is a must have for any Stereophonics fan. It mght tell you some of what you already knew but its full of a load of other interesting facts about the band. There are loads of colur photos in the book and it goes through the whole of the groups history, even before the Sterophonics were even formed up untill the release of the final single from Performance And Cocktails. Buy It

Writing in a concise and descriptive style, Mike Black analyses the rise of this stylish group, looking at their lives in the tiny Welsh village of Cwamaman, and looking at what led to them becoming one of Britain's top rock groups. Looking at both their albums track by track and quoting press reviews, with quotes and anecdotes from the group and tehir associates throughout, this book is lively and informative. A good buy for Phonics fans.

As I am doing research about this subject I found this one dissapointing. It's biased and often not well supported by facts or references. Still, I would recommend it to people interested in this subject, it at least gives an alternate view on many things.

Target North Korea gets the history right. That's unusual in a contemporary journalism marketed to a generation raised on Fox News fantasies of evil foreign men and evil foreign nations. The hard truth is that the Korean War was an attempt by the popular forces that defeated Japan to unite the country and expel the U.S installed regime. Kim Il Sung was the paramount leader of the Korean national movement and he won that prominence the hard way - in deadly combat with the better equipped Japanese army. The British regarded the U.S. installed leader of the south, Syngman Rhee, as "a dangerous fascist or a lunatic." See p.24 Rhee came to power in rigged elections that prevented Kim from being a candidate. And Rhee solidified his regime by murdering about 100,000 people he thought might be political opponents. Conditions were so bad in the south that 49% of the population felt that the savage Japanese occupation of Korea was actually better than the American occupation. (p.18) The brutality of the allies in the Korean War is fully documented in Mr. McCormacks balanced history of the north - south divide. U.S. threats to nuke the North have been unrelenting and continue to this day. Living in a constant state of danger and isolation has warped the economy and the society of the north. McCormak hopes that the DPRK can somehow break out of its U.S. imposed isolation and open to the wider world, as China has. Against significant odds, the North seems to be slowly bettering relations with the ROK and complicating U.S. plans to first-strike their defenses. Target North Korea also details the hostility of Japan to the North. Japan hypes the danger of the DPRK much as Bush and Blair hyped the danger of Iraq-to justify the need for a rapid arms expansion and to win military authority over North Asia. This is a much needed book that has become available at a fateful moment in DPRK - USA relations.

Writing even a political science book about North Korea without emotion or strong bias is a remarkably difficult task. On the surface the Pyongyang represents what most non-Koreans would instinctively loath. At the same time, there are those foreign writers who have been too uncritical and too willing to give the benefit of the doubt in trying to understand the North's (and South's) logic.

Dr McCormack has somehow been able to steer a remarkable intellectually honest path noting along the way the mistakes and sins of all parties to this ongoing conflict. No one country comes out looking like a champ. Perhaps that is the advantage of writing from an Australian perspective. Regardless, this book is remarkably even-handed and dispassionate without being overly dry.

The book is immensely readable and concise. As a long term resident of Korea and a recognized amateur political analyst, I would recommend this book as an excellent starting point for anyone interested in this subject. I would also suggest this book to any "old Korea hand" who could use an update on this subject as well as a single volume reference dealing with US-Korean relations since 1945.

I read this book after Aquariums of Pyongyang to get a better understanding of North Korea's position in world politics. I consider I was very fortunate in choosing this book.

This author challenges typical views of North Korea as simply an evil empire through a very convincing analysis of the political circumstances leading up to the current situation but at the same time he does not defend the regime.

Whereas I suspect other books focus on criticising the DPRK, McCormack is heavily critical of US policy and diplomacy for its role in the current deadlock and the escalating nuclear threat. His insights have greatly helped me to understand current developments and I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to go beyond Washington's over-simplified representation of the state of affairs.

This is a fantastic book. I know a fair bit about Korea, but it wasn't until reading this book that I came to some understanding of North Korea's behaviour, particularly over the past 5-10 years. It seems that when it comes to North Korea, the media simply trumpet what governments say, and push the line that North Korea is irrational and cannot be understood. McCormack shows otherwise. The book is also concise and easy to read.

Good solid basic introduction to the legal aspects of clearance and copyrights for all video and filmmakers and photographers. Language is clear English (not legalise, like so many books on the topic - even many written for laymen). Book even has generic forms that can be used to obtain clearance for variety of purposes. Explains copyright application process clearly and succinctly. All video and filmmakers and photographers expecting to make products for the commercial marketplace should read this book. It also serves as an excellent reference so after it has been read can (and should) be kept amongst one's references.

This book gets constant use in my library. As a documentary film maker and owner of a production company, Donaldson's sound advice gives us security knowing that we have completed the proper steps to secure our rights and the rights for "borrowed" film clips used within our documentaries.

It is written in clear everyday language so no need to fear the legal-ease. Clearance and Copyright is an invaluable resource for production companies and film makers alike.

If you are serious about making films and in particular documentaries, this is a great book and valuable resource. I can't count the number of times I've consulted it.

It clears up a great deal of the myths surrounding 'fair use' and 'pubic domain'. Many filmmakers wrongly consider a wide variety of things as 'fair use' or 'public domain' and would be well advised to read this book before rolling a frame of film or video on anything bigger than a home movie.

It covers privacy rights, music rights (yes, you must pay/clear ALL music that you use except under the most rarest of circumstances. Even a couple of notes from a popular song could result in an expensive injunction against your film.), clearances and issues related to copyright.

The 20 buck you'll spend on this book will save you thousands in legal fees down the road when it comes time to actually show your film outside of your house, be it a film festival, TV distribution, or theatrically. The mistakes you avoid could well mean the difference between acquiring E&O insurance and having your film sit on the shelf due to clearance problems.

The writing is simple and straight forward and is an easy read for those who might shy away from books on legal issues. While not as in-depth as a Westlaw book or other scholarly legal tome, it provides relevant citations to important cases. It assumes the reader is intelligent but not trained in law.

Clearance and Copyright is a clear language guide to copyright issues as they affect filmmakers and to how to clear copyrighted work so that you can use them in your film. It has sections on clearing the script, any music that can be heard in you film, clips from other movies, sculptures etc which may appear in the background and just about any issue that could come up. At the end of each section Donaldson includes sample contracts which might be used to clear that particular item.

Overall this was a good introduction to copyright and how to clear copyrighted materials for independent filmakers. It was easy to understand, practical and helpfull. ..except for the glaring error that I noticed and presumably others that I didn't:

I read the 2nd edition released in 2003. In a discussion on what is in the public domain (in my book this was on page 46) Donaldson states, "Very old works for which the copyright has expired are in the public domain. How old? Take the current year and subtract 75." I am certain that this is false. In 1998 the Sony Bono Copyright Extension Act leangthened all copyrights by 20 years. So really work made before 1998-75 years (1923) are in public domain until 2018 at which point works made 95 years before the current year will be in public domain. I am not an expert on copyright law and I noticed this error which makes me wonder what errors I didn't notice. I am assuming that this error is a throwover from the first edition that nobody caught. That doesn't keep Disney from sueing you if you rerelease Mickey Mouse's Steamboat Willie (published in 1928 and so according to Donaldson free for the taking today in 2004).

I don't recommend this book, only because of the glaring inaccuracy that I found. If you have to double check information then you are wasting your time. What this book is good for is a clear language book to get you thinking about the issues. You will be thinking about the issues, but you may also be mislead about the details. And as Copyright and Clearance makes clear you need to be very picky with clearance issues.

Excellent treatment, in the context of an historical narrative, of the controversial subject of the selection of Justices on the US Supreme Court. Book lays out the political priorities of key senators and the "mutual hypocrisy" of both Republicans andDemocrats.

I liked this book. The detailed events, perspective, and clear thinking that it promotes on this topic are, in my view, pretty original. The author uses a great deal of scholarship by Stephen Carter and John Lott. He always notes where he does this though, expresses where he agrees and disagrees, and produces a thought-provoking bound essay which is appropriately and extensively footnoted. Ok, so I like the book and the information... why only 3 stars? We'll, as background, my first experience watching SCOTUS confirmation hearings was in 1987 during my last semester of college. I was taking only 3 or 4 classes and had time on my hands to watch Robert Bork's confirmation hearings. I was apolitical at the time and found the nominee had so clearly out performed his inquisitors that he had to get approved, right? Well, no. Chairman Biden (D-Delaware) had closing remarks that praised the brilliant nominee to such a degree that I thought it possible that Bork had convinced him to buck the pressure and vote to confirm him. Maybe in a perfect world, but not this one. As far as the 3 star rating goes, Biden and his ilk are the reason the central proposal of the book falls flat on its face; that is, the proposal to ban personal testimony of SCOTUS nominees as had been done more often than not in the past. In subsequent hearings for other nominees I've seen Biden and others so clearly in love with the sound of their own voice on television that he/they take up the majority of allotted time ASKING simple questions and apparently caring little what the nominee says. Too darn bad. TV sunk Nixon vs. JFK (not all bad) and in subsequent years has made the otherwise entirely reasonable thesis of this essay laughable in terms of practicality. Other than that, it was a great book with a lot of information and insight that I appreciated.

Everybody acknowledges that the confirmation process for Supreme Court Justices (and increasingly Court of Appeals judges as well) has evolved into a large mess. Many books have been written on this topic in the last several years; this one is quite interesting and designed for the general reader, and even comes equipped with a fascinating proposed solution. The author is an editorial writer for the "Washington Post" here in town. And although the book is published in conjunction with the conservative Hoover Institution at Stanford, it is fairly well balanced in casting brickbacks at both parties for their miserable conduct in connection with confirmation hearings. The author first sums up the various positions asserted in the debate about the current mess--i.e., who/what is responsible and why. Next he traces -- in probably the book's best chapter -- how the confirmation process has unfortunately evolved over time. How the present system might result in a threat to judicial independence is addressed in a separate chapter. The most fascinating element of the book is the author's proposal: let's just abolish confirmation hearings and work out some other alternative to assessing the qualifications and values of nominees. While this not likely to happen, and an argument can be made that the Senate is abdicating its responsibilities if it does not hold hearing to probe nominees, it is nonetheless a proposal deserving of serious consideration. The author's style is easy to read and the book moves along (it is only about 150 pages), supported by some good notes, but alas lacking a bibliography. It will be interesting to see if the book will spark a serious discussion about adopting his proposed solution.

Published Sunday, January 28, 2007, in New York Post

DEMOCRATS now paint Republicans as evil for appointing reactionary judges and for trying to kill all Democratic nominees to the bench; Republicans pillory Democrats for acting similarly at the opposite extreme. In "Confirmation Wars," Benjamin Wittes shows that both sides have blood on their hands, though I don't think that his proposed cure will work.

Wittes offers a terrific history of Supreme Court nominations - showing convincingly that confirmations could be tough long before the modern battles over William Rehnquist and Robert Bork. For example, he cites Louis Brandeis and Thurgood Marshall, who both faced rough confirmations - as did several nominees after the court delivered its Brown v. Board of Education ruling. But in denying that something fundamental has changed since those battles, Wittes is simply wrong.

The confirmation process is getting more bitter and drawn out with every passing Congress, whether Republicans or Democrats control the White House or the Senate. Yes, Wittes rightly notes that confirmations were taking longer even before senators started threatening filibusters, indeed hearings have long been used to produce political attacks, rather than insights into a nominee's thinking.

But the trends are clear. Consider the 47 appointments to the Supreme Court from 1901 through 1977: 39 were confirmed in a month or less, and 20 within 10 days - nine of those within three days. Since 1986, however, bitterness has reached an historical high, with the average confirmation taking 79 days. . . .

I wish Wittes was right that this bitterness could be reined in by ending confirmation hearings. But I fear such hearings are more a symptom than a cause of the problem. Unless the role of the courts is reined in - something that liberals will not seriously discuss - neither side dares to disarm.

"The Contractor," while about a private contractor performing interrogations for the US government, is far from simply a novel about the current war. George Young, a veteran-turned-private-interrogator, narrates a fascinating story just as much about the inner life of a middle aged husband and father as about terrorists and secret detention facilities.

Young makes great money and his family can live with him on an unidentified tropical island, but that hardly makes life easy. His job has put a strain on his marriage—and stressed his wife enough to make her at least a borderline alcoholic. And he still has to deal with all the typical worries of a father: is his young son possibly gay; how can he navigate Christmas with super-religious in-laws; how should he deal with a brother who betrayed his trust? And on top of it all, he's got a pretty emotionally draining day job.

Young's first-person narration is excellent. Every thought, tangent, flashback, and chain of logic felt just right, and I was impressed by how comprehensible I found a person so superficially different from myself. I was fascinated by him and raced through the book. Those who would normally avoid fiction about current events, or violence, should not be put off by the subject matter. This is very much a novel of family life, introspection, and self-examination, and written in excellent prose, too.

To appreciate this book you have to ignore the misleading hype on the cover that suggests that The Contractor by Charles Holdefer exposes the secret detention and interrogation system expanded and ran by the Bush Administration outside of US and international law. It is political book but not at the level of who is doing what to whom. Instead, it goes to the heart of the western moral and ethical war aims as raised in this passage:

Then the LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" And he said, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper?"

It is clear that George Young, civilian interrogator contractor and a veteran of the first Gulf war would say no. His reaction when he comes across the burnt out remains of the Revolutionary Guard convoys is to argue:

...Because that day, I learned the price. Sure, I was shaken and sickened, and it is something I'd rather not think about or dwell on, but it also taught me something, steeled me, gave me the resources necessary to understand politics in the grown up world and later to become a contractor. This is what I learned: what we take for granted, hold precious, and celebrate remains viable because of our willingness to do this...To let those men get away would've been a serious strategic mistake...Any other description is special pleading or making excuses. Or simply lying to oneself. It gives me no satisfaction to say so, but not only will innocents die-they must die.

The story starts with the consequences of this when in a powerful opening scene we discover what how prisoner #4141 dies. The humanity of the Prisoners are denied, as they are merely oranges being crated when they arrive or faceless numbers.

George Young is not a monster, which would let us off the hook so the story needs to show us why a good man would get to that position. It does in that we discover that economic and family pressures that lead systematically to that meaningless death. We learn about his poor business track record and happy second marriage (which is being slowly killed by his need to keep secrets). The political playing out of the theme is also examined in his personal life as his big brother is his keeper at key points in George's life.

Away from the heat of the desert island and in the cold of a mid west winter on a family Christmas visit we have the amusing and poignant scenes of having to tackle the Father in Law,( think of Spencer Tracy at his most grumpy) a minister of a struggling flock and a die in the wool fundamentalist. The family idea of fun is Bible Baseball ( questions are asked with the harder they are the more runs they are and George and his son are clueless). At one level this as they are trapped by the snow falls this illustrates the horror that the prisoners have to face. Unlike them, he escapes and answers a call by his brother, which sets of a chain of events where he finally does decide that he is his brother's keeper.

The story moves between George's professional and family life in the now and with flashbacks so that we understand his actions. The other characters are sketched in nicely that make the horrors of the camp and the choices he has to make even more chilling. The use of language and jargon is also clever and the first person POV gives you the reader chance to understand his world whilst questioning it. If it makes more of us more aware of the travesty of a war on terror for Democracy, and Human Rights based on lies and torturing rather then the politics of being my brother's keepers then I hope it gets the wider readership it deserves.

Disturbing, painful, The Contractor is a difficult book to read. It focuses on American secret prisons in the war on terrorism, which is not a pretty picture.

Protagonist George Young is no more than an ordinary, run-of-the mill man. He's married and a veteran of the Gulf War. When a shared family business flounders he takes a job with the government as a civilian interrogator . He's soon sent overseas to a place known simply as Omega; it is a holding facility for suspected terrorists.

While few are allowed to bring their families with them, George is granted this privilege. Thus, he's accompanied by his wife, Bethany, and their two children.

Little did George know when he took the job what a toll it would take. It's not long before Bethany finds frequent enjoyment in toddies, and his beliefs are compromised while his heart and psyche are scarred. He is not allowed to talk about his work with Bethany, hence their personal relationship slides. The wages are good but at what price when the hostages or prisoners are known not as humans but as "oranges" and a group of them as a "crate"?

Holdefer opens his story with the death of a terrorist (#4141)that George and his team are questioning. Fearing reprimand they hide the body. Throughout the narrative there are all too vivid descriptions of tactics used during questioning, such as dunking in a pool laced with salt. This isn't against any rules for interrogation methods in the army manual, and is quite effective. We read, "Most people have the sense to close their eyes in seawater. But most people, when they come out of the pool, open their eyes too soon, while it's still streaming over their brows. Nobody forces them to open their eyes. They do it of their own volition."

After several dunkings and much stinging many become more compliant.

While The Contractor is indeed a first hand look at American interrogation camps it is also an in-depth study of a man in peril, emotionally and physically. Not a pleasant story nor one for the squeamish.

- Gail Cooke

Don't go into this book thinking you're going to get a wall-to-wall violent reenactment of what goes on in the secret detainment centers run by the U.S. "The Contractor" is much smarter and less sensationalistic than that. What "The Contractor" gives you is a portrait of a real human being who follows an indirect and unplanned path to working as a contractor for the U.S. goverment in a black ops interrogation facility in an undisclosed location. By allowing us to get to know and like the book's protagonist and his family, the author delivers a deeply unsettling read by the time the story takes its last, dark turn. I arrived at the conclusion far more shaken than I'd expected to be, and the story has continued to haunt me. Once you pick it up, "The Contractor" is not a book you're likely to forget.

Eric Anderson, author
Alena & the Favorite Thing

The good thing about this book is that it helps you to break the barrier between you and the things that you can do. This is the real point that I got out of this book. Otherwise, it is very limited in many ways. It is of much less value compared to "Self Publishing, Writing and Marketing Your Own Books and Booklets". The latter one gives you both the spirit and the knowledge required to get it done.

This book has shown me my correct publishing path. I am currently working on a history of corporate greed in America. Therefore, it's only fitting that I proceed independently rather than toiling away in service to the publishing elite. It's worth the 12.95 investment.

I didn't know anything about how to get my manuscript into the marketplace. Dan's shown me how to do that independently without wasting a lot of my time and money! This update to his previous book couldn't come at a better time. I enjoyed it.

This is a spirited and practical handbook for those of us who are looking to publish and market our books independently. It's written with good humor and in an easy-to-read style with real world recommendations that I found very helpful.

The book Episcopi Vagantes and the Anglican Church represents an interesting instance of biased reporting, acknowledged as such, that is nonetheless held up as objective and impartial history. Unfortunately, the history of historical scholarship is replete with such examples. Conveniently forgotten in the mists of time are the motivations and intentions behind such works, and it becomes the task for us in succeeding generations to revisit these works to see if the scholarship remains of value.

The jury is still out on judgement for Brandreth's work. First published in 1947, reprinted in 1961, Episcopi Vagantes is both a history and a polemic. The various denominations of Christendom have a history of `not playing nice together', and ironically, the closer in history, style, and general aspect of denominations, the harsher they are toward one another. One gets the sense here of the cliched explanation of why there is always more than one Baptist, Methodist, or other such church in town. One also recalls Swift, and the illustration of warfare over whether it was proper to crack the hard-boiled egg on the top or the bottom.

There are real issues at the heart of Brandreth's work. The term in the title of the book, Episcopi Vagantes, could be translated as vagrant bishops - these are people who have acquired or assumed titles without really having, in many cases, institutions or credentials to back them up. In the Old and Independent Catholic movements throughout the world, but particularly in North America, there is a nearly-inexhaustible diversity of bishops, archbishops, and metropolitans. One of the perennial criticisms of the Old and Independent Catholic movements is that these people often represent no one other themselves and perhaps a handful of followers. In a good number of cases, counting in human terms, this is correct.

This book has supporters - Henry Brandreth was granted access to archives at Lambeth Palace (an official residence of the Archbishop of Canterbury), and one such archbishop praises Brandreth's efforts for `bringing light to bear on this obscure but not unimportant corner of ecclesiastical life.'

One of the problems that Old and Independent Catholics must admit, being honest historians, is that many people who have sought and been granted ministerial orders in the past have been unworthy of these; many have sought orders for personal gain, for personal glory, and sometimes for the ability to deceive or make mischief for their local Anglican, Roman Catholic, or Orthodox communities. Brandreth addresses the issue in his preface to the second edition, after having received commentary and feedback, often in the form of scathing criticism and attack, for the first edition.

Perhaps the most critical line in the entire book is found in this preface. `I believe all the episcopi vagantes to be ecclesiastically in error.' This small phrase sets the framework for the bias in this book. Brandreth admits in the preface that there are honest and true persons, of right intention and action, among this group. However, his admission of this is couched between statements that make it clear he doesn't want to give any individuals or groups the slightest credibility or legitimacy.

Why would a scholar and cleric of the Anglican church care so much about these? It is relatively rare in the course of Anglican history for the Anglican church to make pronouncements on the validity and legitimacy of other Christian bodies, save for purposes of official intercommunion. Perhaps the answer lies in the dealings of the Old Catholics themselves, who often proclaimed their validity as somehow more proper or valid than the Anglicans with whom they wanted to relate. One individual, highlighted in the book, Archbishop Mathew, may have misled the continental Old Catholics into believing that there was a great number of people desperately concerned with validity along historical episcopacy lines (although Mathew may have been more sinned-against than sinning, at least in his original intentions vis-a-vis situation in England); Old Catholics on the continent claim a stronger connection (not without its own controversy) with the See of Rome than the Anglicans maintain in many respects. Mathew's consecration and continuing ecclesiastical odyssey afterward (he ordained and consecrated many people, under different organisational structures and rubrics, during his decades-long tenure as a bishop) created a host of local problems for Anglicans and Roman Catholics.

In an era where communications were slow and verifications hard to do, it may have been difficult for local clergy to verify who had proper credentials. Ultimately, most Old and Independent Catholics did not find a welcome home with most Anglicans or Roman Catholics; sometimes there was open hostility, but more often an active ignoring of the situation.

The lists included in Brandreth's book trace lines of succession from Mathew, Vilatte, Ferrete, Herford, Aftimios, Duarte Costa, and various other lesser lines of succession. These lines have stretched all across the world, onto every continent. Various strands are in communion with each other, and others don't recognise anyone but themselves. Some Old Catholic bodies, such as the Philippine Independent Catholic Church, which arose out of missionary work by many who come from these lines of succession, boasts millions of members. Old Catholics in some places such as Puerto Rico have a good working relationship with local Anglicans and Roman Catholics.

In all, the book Episcopi Vagantes and the Anglican Church is a fascinating read. It must be taken as if one were reading one side of the arguments in a court case; the subtle way Brandreth attacks some of the Old Catholics is worthy of a study in and of itself. Yet, Brandreth does highlight many problems that continue to plague not only Anglican-Old Catholic relationships outside of Europe, but some of the problems that Old and Independent Catholics must recognise and attend to if their churches are to become effective and proper places of the worship of God.

Brandreth's short book on the various Independent Catholic and Orthodox groups active in England, the US, and other places in the early twentieth century is biased, often uncharitable, and openly racist in several places. Fr. Brandreth did very little to discern what spiritual good may have come to the church catholic as a result of independent bishops.

That said, this book is absolutely invaluable for the independent sacramental movement. A great of what we know about our early history is found in this book and others written by Anglicans to discredit these bishops. The book contains detailed lines of succession for Mathew and Vilatte, along with tons of other historical information about the early years of the movement. A few of Brandreth's arguments even point to recognized problems in the independent sacramental world, though they are rarely put in charitable ways. Finally, this edition, published by Apocryphile, is beautifully done. Once hard to find, this indispensable volume is readily available. But take it with a grain of salt!

This scurrilous work by a vicious gossipmonger and Anglican priest (I pity the parishes under his pastoral care) contains vicious attacks on our early forebears in the independent sacramental movement (which is not to say that many were not at least a couple of sandwiches short of a picnic), and the attacks reveal a lot about the author's character. Many of his theological opinions for doubting the validity of independent orders could be used equally well to invalidate his own Anglican orders.

That being said, one may wonder why I chose to give this 5 stars -- and the reason is that this is one of the extremely few works documenting the movement in the first half of the twentieth century, and even reading between the lines of viciousness, one can learn a lot about the movement. The tables of apostolic succession are indispensable. I find that the footnotes contain a lot of very valuable information. Many of the bishops he listed would have been completely forgotten without him. Even much of the history he recounts is useful if distorted.

So order this book for your library, which won't be complete without it, and get yourself a box of salt to go with it.

I found this book amazingly helpful during my research for an M.A. in Church History. Brandreth, a Church of England priest, is one of the few people ever to provide an outsider's view of the colorful and sometimes shady world of the "episcopi vagantes" (Latin for "wandering bishops.")

Historically, these were Middle Eastern bishops with no fixed see or jurisdiction--often because they were driven out by Muslim invaders. In modern times, the term describes bishops of doubtful orders--often of doubtful doctrine and conduct as well!

Brandreth spends most of his time considering the legitimacy of many different "vagantes" and the churches which claim descent from them. Though writing on a dry subject, the author livens up his material with anecdotes of "vagantes" he has known. His own opinion is that the "vagantes" don't have valid orders, and that many of them are just status-seekers, who have barely two or three parishioners to their name. For some, though, he has kind words; he considers them sincere and godly men, who are nonetheless deluded about their episcopal status.

Brandreth's book has become increasingly relevant as more and more people have left the mainstream to join the "Continuing Church"--traditionalists who oppose theological and political liberalism. Many of the "Continuing" Bishops trace their orders from the "vagantes."

Why read this book? If you love church history--especially of the quirky variety--then you'll enjoy "Episcopi Vagantes and the Anglican Church." Even non-Anglicans can take pleasure in Brandreth's dry but anecdotal style.

When I think of Emily Post I automatically think stuffy, prim, and proper. Not so this book by her great-great-granddaughter, LIzzie. An updated and fairly hip book of advice for the newly independent, it approaches issues in a straightforward manner, using a variety of formats with tips, Q&A, and checklists addressing roommate dilemmas, and classroom, dining, and office etiquette. As further evidence that this is not your grandmother's Emily Post, subjects such as one-night stands, "things that go bump in the night," (Use your imagination.) and couch-crashers are discussed. The book will also advise you on the appropriate clothing for a variety of occasions, when it's probably not okay to swear, and a great shrimp primavera recipe for your next party.

This book is not a perfect fit for each and every grown kid who moves out of the house, and certainly not for most 18-year-olds. For the young and the clueless, 50 Ways to Leave Your Mother is a fun, and quick read - with lots of illustrations - on the basic pitfalls of independent living. Lizzie Post's book is well-suited for a slightly older, more sophisticated crowd of say, 20-somethings, who are more likely to WANT to make shrimp primavera and really care about wearing the right clothes for each occasion. Personally, I am thrilled with this book and plan on having a couple of copies on hand for college graduations and 21st birthday gifts.

Everyone I know would be able to take something away from this extremely well-written book. Too many young adults these days seem to have somehow missed out on learning how to conduct themselves in a way that does not hassle the people they interact with on a daily basis. It is refreshing to see a young author with such a thorough understanding of these issues.

The book itself is entertaining and an excellent read regardless of how it is read (I enjoyed picking it up and reading chapters at random). I highly recommend it.

I bought this book because I was interested in a hipster take on manners for the post grad crowd. I was a little disapponted at the lack of wit in the book, but it contains info that all people need to know...and a great majority never learn.
It's a perfect go-to-guide for the serially clueless graduate in your life

Although the adolescent years are often considered to be the hardest in terms of life transition, moving from teen-living-at-home to out-on-your-own has to rank right up there. For those who are struggling on how life's supposed to happen in the real world, there's How Do You Work This Life Thing?: Advice for the Newly Independent on Roommates, Jobs, Sex, and Everything That Counts by Lizzie Post. I'm sure my 18 and 20 year olds could learn much from this book, and I know a number of others (unfortunately much older) who would also benefit from a refresher course or two...

Contents:
Introduction: Why This Book?
Part 1 - How to Avoid Killing Your Roommate (and Others) - The "Three C's" Approach to Building Better Relationships; Your New Place; Top Five Potential War Zones at Home; Hello, Neighbor; Welcome to My Home - Hanging Out, the Etiquette of Couch Crashing, and How to Be the Ideal Houseguest; Significant Others, One-Night Stands, and Things That Go Bump in the Night - Romance, Dating, and Sex at Your Place; Entertaining - From Wine Tasting to Beer Pong, and Everything In Between
Part 2 - The Rest of the World and You: Steppin' Out - What You're Telling the World; Errands; The Cell Phone; Dining - A Night Out With Friends; Dining - The Mechanics of it All; Socializing - From Etiquette With Friends to Meeting New People; Dating - For Real; Let the Games Begin! - The Etiquette of Sports and Fitness; Driver's Ed-iquette; Four Times When You've Got to Get It Right
Part 3 - Work, Paid and Unpaid: Landing the Perfect Job; On the Job; When School is Your Job
Index

It's tempting to think that moving out and getting a roommate will be cool, easy, and nonstop fun. The reality of it is that within the first week, your cool roommate will start to transform into the "roommate from hell" before your very eyes. Don't laugh... They're thinking the same thing about you. Your assumption that everyone thinks and acts like you do is incorrect, and clashes are inevitable. Lizzie Post has taken many of the common points of contention in a roommate situation and gives great advice on how to avoid the conflict before it happens. Hashing out issues like the kitchen (clean vs. messy, what food is communal, etc.), the bathroom (clean vs. messy), and the living room (same issues!) before they become flashpoints is a great way to enjoy your new-found freedom and still continue to like the person you're living with.

Parts 2 and 3 are extremely useful, in that she covers the face and persona that you show to the public. There's great advice on how dating should work, the unwritten rules of dining, and what to do (and not do!) with your cell phone. This is the part of the book that I'd like to see be required reading for a number of people who shouldn't need to be reminded of stuff like this. Like the cell phone chapter... ESPECIALLY the cell phone chapter...

The writing style is definitely appropriate for the young adult reader. It's accurate and complete, without being "stuffy." Although it's lighter in tone than you would find in a typical "etiquette" book, I think I would have tried for even more humor just to keep the typical "do I have to read this" person engaged a bit more. But still, I'll be tossing this in the mail to my older son, with hopes that it will make his transition to self-sufficient (and enjoyable-to-be-around) adult a bit easier...