Richard Dreyfuss Books

This is a well produced series that makes listening to the New Testament a lot like an old time radio program. Great 'theater of the mind' and very good for long drives, plane flights, etc.

I was excited about "The Word Of Promise" after seeing an interview on TBN with Jim Caviezel about this production. Though I'd recently bought the King James Version of the Bible (probably the most authoritative translation of God's Word; the New King James Version OMITS the lovely pronouns "Thee," "Thou," "Thine" and the beautiful archaic language of the Elizabethan period and the NIV is THE WORST translation), I was intrigued by a dramatic audio version of the Bible. The all-star cast is excellent. However, I had to deduct one star because of one major thing: the actor who played Felix sounded like a woman (the actor who played Satan was a woman, but I guess the producers mixed her voice with sound effects and did it so well that it wasn't noticeable that it was a woman playing Satan. A minor complaint: Academy Award winner Richard Dreyfuss DOES NOT DO FULL JUSTICE to the part of Moses (woefully underused in the New Testament). I think that had Academy Award winner Charlton Heston ("The Ten Commandments," "Ben-Hur" [Best Actor, 1959]) not been ill, the producers could have gotten him to play the part which launched his career for this and The Word Of Promise Old Testament (coming Fall 2009). I've yet to see a good audio version of te King James Bible.

This New Testament Audio Bible brings the Bible to life. With all the high tech sound effects and the talented actor's voices, you feel you are right there, living the moment. It is really an outstanding production of God's word. I give it the highest recommendation.

The WOW is how the audio book brings the New Testament to life. The sound effects help and rarely sound hokey. Plus, there is an amazing cast of actors who play the parts in the story. I was pleasantly surprised to see how many in Hollywood were willing to be part of a Christian project.

The exceptions were few. One thing in particular makes listening a little difficult. When Jesus is talking, sometimes his voice becomes incredibly choppy. The words are practically thrown, one by one, into the recording. It reminds me of the early days in Hollywood when an actor was portraying a stereotype of a Native American and trying to mimick the speed and accent. Fortunately, these sections of the recording are few and far between.

I have to say, the New Testament and CD has been a wonderful purchase. I would encorage you to buy it, enjoy it, and let is speak to your soul.

I own about a dozen different audio Bibles and this one is by far the best. The score and sound effects are beautiful and the actors did an excellent job.

They split the tracks by chapter and did a good job of putting the complete books on one CD.

My only negatives were that sometimes it feels like the actors are just reading it and the voice of satan/demons were a bit...shall we say trick-or-treat (I was hoping for more of an Exorcist/Omen).

A play written by Niel Simon is always expected to have some kind of comedy characters in them. This play is poisitvely one of those plays. Although, his characters go through struggles: such as keeping his own job, finding a job, or just getting exercise in the park. These characters are very depressing and fun to laugh with. The actual written words aren't funny, just the situations, which makes it that much more hilarious. This play only consists of two main characters and 4 cameo roles. Along with some one liner characters. I, myself, starred as Mr. edison (mel) in the LHHS poduction of The prisoner of second avenue. And let me tell you, the lines are very hard to get down. Although they are very smart, well thought out, and overall a great read/play/performance. GREAT COLLEGE/HIGHSCHOOL material for a festival, competition, or just a play that is going to be reviewed. Although i do warn you, it has A TON of cuss words.

B+ book/play

This is a neat, excellent work by Neil Simon.

For those who may be taking Drama or Theatre courses, if that class requires you to have to analyze or write a synopsis of a play or drama, The Prisoner of 2nd Avenue is a plus. Simon wrote a funny with a dramatic twist and for those who need a monologue, The Prisoner of 2nd Avenue has a ton that work very well with judges as Ive been told, and as Ive learned. ITS A CLASSIC!

I can see why it was nominated for a Grammy!!! I absolutely love Dreyfuss and Mason. I couldn't stop listening to the play and I was so "into" it!!!

I can see why The Prisoner of Second Avenue got a Grammy nomination. Marsha Mason and Richard Dreyfuss have great chemistry and give top notch performances. A fabulous listen with plenty of laughs. Not to be missed!

This set contains six discs featuring 16 different futuristic science fiction audio dramas by various authors.
The clamshell binder holds the cds in sleeves which you might want to convert to slim cd cases for protection.
Disc One:
Blood by Frederic Brown
By His Bootstraps by Robert A. Heinlein
The Choice by Wayland Young
Disc Two:
RUR by Karel Kapek
Disc Three:
Bloodchild by Octavia E. Butler
Merchant by Henry Slesar
Tomorrow and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.
Disc Four:
Shambleu C.L. Moore
And Miles to go before I sleep by William F. Nolan
Even The Queen by Connie Willis
Disc Five:
Revival Meeting by Dennie Placta
Pillar of Fire by Ray Bradbury
Sentience Today by Yuri Rasovsky
Disc 6:
Knock by Frederick Brown
Dear Pen Pal by A.E. Van Vogt
"Repent Harlequin" Said the Ticktockman by Harlan Ellison

These full cast audio productions are crystal clear on CD and feature humorous introductions by Harlan Ellison who hosts the series. Highly Recommended!

The best sci-fi radio drama I've ever heard, this volume anthologizes selections from an NPR series that ran in 1999-2000. All stories take place in the future. Lushly and meticulously produced, wonderful acting and nicely written, these plays of various lengths dramatize stories by greats such as Butler, Heinlein, Vonnegut and Bradbury, plus the stage play R.U.R., an international hit of the 1920s that gave us the word "robot." The sheer breadth of themes -- mensturation, over-population, miscegenation, scholarly folly, etc., etc. -- is astonishing, not to mention the mix of styles. Ellison, who introduces the stories, is his usual annoying self, but (thank God!) uncharacteristically brief.

Though I had read Eric Bentley's compilation of the HUAC hearings ("Thirty Years of Treason"), it was not as chilling as this dramatic reenactment of some of the more intriguing testimony. I wish it were on a CD instead of an audio tape, however.

Spy's? History? Real life? What could be better? Beautifully acted!!

My aim is to cover shakespeare this year with my 9th grader (I home-school). I purchased this book along with "Twelfth Night". I am so happy I did. The whole original text is included along with a translation of the play in todays english. At the end of the book there are MANY, MANY exercises and tests for the student to complete to ensure they have understood what they read. With this book, you can literally give it to your child and leave them to it. Obviously, you may need to give some guidance along the way, but it will be minimal. A homeschooler's dream because there is very little lesson prep. I will definately be buying other titles in this series!

"The Tragedy of Julius Caesar" by William Shakespeare proves to be an amazing read if one thoroughly enjoys the challenge of deciphering the selective form of writing and occasionally complicated dialect. This classic play is based on the true, factual account of the assassination of Julius Caesar as it truly took place in 44 B.C. Of course, Shakespeare has completely made the story his own through the use of comic relief, characterization, and wonderful original composition. Julius Caesar, the ambitious and prideful dictator of Rome, has returned home from a victorious battle against his fellow Triumvirate, Pompey. As he celebrates and relishes his absolute power, little does he suspect the growing opposition of conspirators, some of whom he would never expect. This read is certainly worthwhile if one has a good taste for tragedy and does not mind a challenge.

The Arden Shakespeare series is the best, for either the beginning of scholarly research, the average needs of the English student, or as a resource for the informed theater professional. My only note of caution is for a casual reader who may find the extensive footnoting more of an interruption than a help. Love this book, love them all.

Shakespeare wrote Julius Caesar in about 1599. The play was the first of three Roman plays. Shakespeare based the source material for the play on a translation of a work by the Greek philosopher and biographer Plutarch, called "The lives of the Noble Greeks and Romans". Shakespeare, like Plutarch, praises and criticises the actions of the main characters in the assassination of Julius Caesar. However, the historical events in the play are fairly accurate, although the playwright sometimes changed the sequence and timing of events and added his limitless imagination to produce a timeless play that has been enacted and enjoyed by millions of people worldwide over the centuries.

The play is set in a period of political instability in Rome. The people of Rome celebrate Caesar victory over Pompey, their former leader. However, there are officials that are concerned about Caesar's growing power. The Romans were then aware that absolute power is open to abuse (there are people today who still do not know this simple fact). Among those concerned about the growing power of Caesar are Cassius and Brutus, who are both followers of Caesar.

Cassius persuades Brutus that something needs to be done to thwart Caesar's growing ambitions. Brutus has a problem with his conscience but ultimately decides that it is in the best interests of Rome that Caesar is eliminated.

Caesar receives warnings about the impending danger. During a festival that Caesar attends, he is warned "Beware the Ides of March". Caesar, however, dismisses the Soothsayer's warnings. When the Ides of March arrive and while Caesar is due to go to be crowned, warnings in the form of storms, bad omens and his wife's horrible dreams initially persuade Caesar to stay at home. However, Caesar decides to go after being advised that if he did not show up, Senators might change their minds about crowning him emperor. On entering the capitol, the conspirators stab Caesar to death.

Mark Anthony, a very close ally of Caesar, initially pretends to go along with the conspirators but he is determined to avenge his death. When Brutus addresses the confused crowd to drum up support for the assassination, Mark Anthony cleverly and expertly manages to turn the crowd against the conspirators and incites them to riot. With popular support in Rome, the triumvirs Anthony, Octavious and Lepidus plan to fight Brutus and Cassius. Brutus's conscience still troubles him and he sees Caesars ghost. Fighting takes place and Cassius and Brutus are defeated and both commit suicide to save their honour. The triumvirs then seize power after avenging Caesar.

I really enjoyed reading this edition of the play. Each scene is proceded by a summary of the secene and followed by commentary on the scene, and there are notes alongside the text explaining unusual words/phrases. As an actor, I have been reading Shakespeare for quite awhile, and I still found this book very helpful. If you are new to reading Shakespeare, I particularly recommend this because you will find it very helpful.

I was very happy with the book I received. I received it in about 5 days after I ordered it, it was in good shape and exactly what I needed.

If you're a huge Greek mythology buff like me, you ought to have this in your shelf. And, you should have read it too (atleast twice).

For those who enjoy the study of mythology, this is one of the most important collections ever. Bulfinch's myths are a delight to read, and, as he tells us in his intro, these stories provide us with the framework for all of western culture and art. For those who are drawn, this one is highly recommended.

I'm a foreign student studying in the US. I listened to this audiobook while I was preparing for GRE. I learned many new vocabulary from the audiobook.
Later when I took western philosophy class, I understood what my professor was talking about because I had learned about Greek mythology from this audiobook.
I also notice people often use idioms derived from Greek Mythology in their writing or conversation. So it's handy to have such information in your background. Listening to this audiobook is an easy way to obtain such knowledge.

This a great book for all who have a intrest in hearing the myths and legends of gods and heroes, just in their story form, without it being analytical or narrated as a deconstructed text. This is mythology in its purest form, before it's been tampered with by english professors or translated by the historyian.
A great read of the ancient myths.

Had some useful information
but nothing that was ground breaking good but not amazing if you havr extra money ,not a bad investment

I enjoy reading this book. It is useful for when you are submitting or auditioning for these casting directors since after reading the book, you know what they want. Or do you? I find people changing their minds very frequently and we as human beings are always changing. What is printed on the book, may no longer be true after a few years. However, it is interesting to read just what each person thinks an actor is or should do during auditions. I think as a whole, the book is useful because it provides some universal principles that we can all treasure and use in every aspect of our lives.

This is a fantastic up-to-date reference for all actors who are serious about the business! And if you don't want to follow the casting directors' advice, then get out of the business now!I have recommended this book to all the actors at my agency. I just wish it was bigger to include even more LA casting directors.

The role of a casting director is often misunderstood and actors are too often unaware of the pitfalls of auditions. This book is a must-have to help you find your way through. With direct interveiws with over 100 casting directors (mainly LA-based film/TV CDs, but some NY ones also) it gives you direct feedback on what casting directors like to see and don't.

One of the best advantages of this book is that you can see what preferences vary among casting directors...and what preferences are universal in the industry. This is an extremely valuable took and one I think should be in everyone's library!

This is a well intentioned book, and has 100 interviews with real life Casting Directors. But after repeating the basics over and over with 100 interviews, there is not alot of depth or additional details. The basic teachings, such as being early to the audition, being prepared, being polite, being a professional, being an enthusiastic auditioner.....well, this is repeated for the 100 interviews. It could have been a much better book, with more details, so 3 stars.

This 1968 play from Miller is one of the author's better works in a career full of 'better works'.

While 'The Price' is definitely one of Miller's lesser known plays, there is certainly no reason for it to be so. It stands tall and ranks up with there with Miller's best, probably only being surpassed by a sparse number of his other works.

Many a synopsis can be found elsewhere on this page, so I'll skip that.
I will say that this play is a slow-burner. Miller takes his time establishing the characters, their relationships to each other and the world that they all inhabit. The writing throughout is simple yet elegant (though the dialogue at times is a bit outdated).

The core relationship between the two brothers has a great deal of depth and never strays from being completely and utterly real. Each of the brothers is tremendously well-written and well thought out. Miller never cheats in his writing of either of these two characters; each stays true to himself at all times and never acts out of character.

"The Price" is always sure of itself, its footing is always true and Miller always knows exactly where the play is going. The entire last third of the play is an absolute knockout as the steady, methodical pace that Miller has spent the beginning of the play cultivating, suddenly blows its top and the brothers really dive into the hearts and minds of each other.

Even the character of the appraiser, Solomon, whom at first seems like a boring, comedic stereotype, quickly reveals himself to be something deeper.

My only complaint about the play is that its sole female character, Esther, doesn't really need to be present. It can be argued that Solomon and her balance each other out, but I just don't think the supportive evidence is there. Esther could be removed and the play would essentially be the same. Her character just isn't needed and on top of that, she's easily the weakest written character in the play. I'm sure a talented actress could make her worthwhile and even heartbreaking in a way, but on the page she's just lifeless.

The construction of the play is tight and terrific, the character of Solomon is terrific and quite wise and funny (even in 2007) and the core relationship between Victor and Walter is absolutely explosive. This play should be read.

An excellent production of Miller's classic. Ideal study aid for students and amateur groups wishing to put on the play.

This is an outstanding dramatic work that I think is underestimated. We often think of Death of A Salesman, The Crucible, or After the Fall when we think of Miller's plays. However, The Price is a surprizingly taunt, well written and penetrating work of art.

The plot is nicely situated in an old attic full of massive antiques from a once wealthy family - whose capital as well as the father's will to succeed are both destroyed in the depression. Two brothers meet after twenty years of silence of to finally settle the estate of the long deceased father. The elder, Walter, has become a nationally recognized medical specialist whereas his younger brother, Victor, has become a policeman, father, and the primary caretaker of their father. Sharp words are exchanged in an encounter that has been postponed for many years. The dialogue is superb, blunt, crisp, and powerful.

Two other figures in the play help move the drama forward. Victor's wife is willing to voice opinions that Victor suppresses. The elderly Gregory Solomon, the used furniture dealer, offers some dramatic relief.

In the end, the play is really not about the price of an attic full of used furniture. Rather, it is about the priorities that we all make in our lives. Sometimes the priorities are totally conscious and sometimes unconscious. These priorities then lead to choices. Sometimes the choices are active and sometimes they are the choices of passive default. Finally these priorities and the choices they engender lead to consequences. Again, some of these consequences are recognized and some remain hidden. In the final analysis, priorities that lead to choices that lead to consequences all have a price. This is a play about how two men reconcile the prices they have paid for the priorities they had in life. The term 'reconcile' may not be the best choice of words, for at then end of our adult life, who really feels reconciled with all their choices and the consequences?

In the final analysis, this is a beautiful exploration of those summative moments where we place meaning onto life and it all it entails or we fall into despair. It is time for a revival of this powerful play.

Arthur Miller's "The Price" is as excellent as his View From the Bridge, All My Sons, and Death of a Salesman. And, I am quite positive it equals to what I have not read it yet, "The Crucible."

Estranged from his brother Walter for 16 years, 50 year old, policeman, Victor Franz is finally reunited because the need is to sell furnishings of their dead father. Victor is bitter over the choice he made in his youth to care for his father, who became one of millions of victims of the crash of 1929 and the Depression. Victor supported his father who was broke and shamed over the Depression. He became a policeman, instead of taking a career in science that he seemed primed for.

His brother Walter, however, made his choice in life to become a successful surgeon, and he has endured his share of life's problems, and some that only belong to the rich. The two brothers have kept away from each other because of their own guilt. Walter made his choice in life to be educated and knew that Victor was saddled with supporting the father thus, foregoing his career.

And very Milleresque, the plot thickens with an important twist.

The lengthy play could have been shortened, because the best dramatic dialogue doesn't happen until the end of the 2nd act. But to Arthur Miller, that's where his expertise comes in, engrossing you in small dialogue, building the character's past, ideals, morality, etc. and then, time to create those certain twists he is familiar for.

The successful four-character, two-act play first appeared on Broadway in 1968. Victor's wife, Esther, and the aging antique dealer, Solomon, have secondary roles. The setting is in the attic of a Manhattan brownstone in the present time, 1968. The building is to be demolished; therefore Victor called upon Solomon to give him a price for the furnishings. Victor repeatedly asks for a price, but the "price" metorphorically becomes the price you pay in life for choices you made. Excellent play!!.....MzRizz

I recommend highly Arthur Miller's:
All My Sons (Penguin Classics)
A View from the Bridge (Penguin Plays)

Victor Franz, who is negotiating the price of the contents of his family home with an appraiser, had no interest in claiming any of these objects when his father died sixteen years before, and his wife Esther has no interest in them now. Victor, however, has contacted his estranged brother Walter in a final effort to settle the estate. Though the appraiser drives a hard bargain, the reader realizes that the real price playwright Arthur Miller is discussing is not the value of the furnishings but the price each person must pay for not knowing or willfully ignoring the facts about issues affecting his life.

Victor and his brother Walter have been estranged for about twenty years, ever since Victor was forced to drop out of college, where he was a brilliant student studying science. It was the Depression, but Victor could have stayed in school if his brother Walter, already a doctor, had loaned him a mere five hundred dollars. Walter refused. Victor's college career ended, and he became a policeman, staying at home to care for his unemployed, ailing father for the rest of his life. Victor has never forgiven Walter for his betrayal of trust.

When Walter arrives to see Victor, the contrast between the brothers is obvious their in dress and attitude. Soon, however, the audience realizes that Victor does not have all the facts about Walter's refusal of the loan. Likewise, Walter does not realize the extremes to which Victor had to go--rummaging through the garbage to find food for the family--while Walter contributed only five dollars a month toward his father's support. The manipulations by the father also become obvious, and as Victor and Walter express their rage, the full picture of this pitifully dysfunctional and uncommunicative family is revealed.

The tensions and history between the brothers drive the action, with some comic relief coming from Gregory Solomon, the appraiser, who himself has had family issues resulting from lack of communication. Where this play is weak is in the crucial characterization of the two brothers. Walter, the successful doctor, is a stereotype who inspires no sympathy, and though the audience discovers mitigating information about Walter, it is not enough to make the audience change their minds about his essential character. Likewise, Victor, the policeman, is seen in new ways as a result of Walter's information, but that new information does not change the audience's opinion of Victor or lead us to see him in a different light. A fascinating study in family dynamics, with some surprises, this play lacks the dramatic personal changes and realizations by the main characters which we see in Miller's best plays. n Mary Whipple

I love this book. It is accurate and an easy read. I finished it in about a day. In addition to the the play, there are other related readings enclosed which give more insight to historical events and other perspectives. Out of all the copies I own, this is one of the better ones. A great deal, ships quickly and reasonably priced.

I have to admit that I was a big fan of L.A. Theatre Works long before I purchased The Crucible. L.A. Theatre Works has a weekly presentation of its performances on Sonic Theater, a XM Radio station.

This particular production is pretty much an all-star cast with the likes of Michael York and Richard Dreyfus. I purchased it as a tool for teaching The Crucible in my American literature class.

I used this as a review of the play for my students and was very pleased with the performances. A little disappointed with some of the cuts they made, but do realize the necessity for cuts.

I find that books on CD help my 17 year old get an edge on his English projects. He has a reading disability that makes conventional book reading difficult so books on tape or CD are an answer to his problems.

The L.A. Theatre Works' rendition of Miller's _The Crucible_ is an excellent demonstration of the actor's craft, as the tenor, pitch and emotive power of the play bring the characters to life. On the recommendation of Amazon reviewers, I used this for my English class (in addition to the Daniel Day-Lewis / Winona Rider DVD and a class read-around) to get a feel for the play and the various theatrical interpretations of the work.

As a previous reviewer noted, there are some differences between the audio version and Miller's script, but they are minor, and if one is not using the entire CD, a moot point. The performances are fantastic, and, as others have mentioned, it certainly gives life to the written word. Outside of a classroom, I couldn't recommend it, but as a teaching tool, it is first-rate.

Excellent. A must-read for anyone who is interested in having a future.

Those who beat their swords into plowshares usually end up plowing for those who kept their swords -Benjamin Franklin

While I would agree that while non-violence is "principled" it has certainly not shown itself to be effective against the kind of monsters that have plagued the most gruesome chapters of human history.

Ghandi and King were fortunate that they had operated in the framework of liberal western democracies, and while they certainly faced organized opposition to their respective movements, the mainstream opposition was reasonable and largely moral (even if their actions were not always such). The Ukrainian Kulak's on the other hand "non-violently" destroyed crops instead of having them appropriated and were treated to one of the most horrific genocides of the 20th century. The protestors at Tiananmen square "non-violently" staged democracy rallies and were steamrolled by tanks.

The Eastern European example that Kurlansky uses was not an example of non-violence working so much as it was an example of an oppressive force that was not as willing as it once was to liquidate an entire population to keep them in line. Had the solidarity movement began in 1947, Poland would have suffered the same fate of the Ukraine. Or ask the residents of Lidice or Lezáky Czechoslovakia how well non-violence worked when the Germans razed the towns and had every occupant shot or sent to a concentration camp.

I wont even go into Kurlansky's theories on the second world was, as I could write page on how terrible wrong he is on this point, but a good illustration is that Kurlansky's resorted to the scholarship of David Irving to buttress his thoughts on the bombing of Dresden.

History has demonstrated that non-violence can be effective when the oppressive force is not composed of subhuman animals. A government that places no values on human life and has absolutely no morals will do anything they need to hold onto power and eliminate their opposition (USSR, Khmer Rouge, Communist China, Nazi Germany, Hussein's Iraq). You cannot shame the shameless. Kurlansky's central thesis that violence only plays into the hands of an oppressive state because it is easier to massacre violent protestors than non-violent ones is nice and all, but as totalitarian governments control all media outlets and all propaganda organs, they can and do attach any narrative to the events that suit their purposes.

So is "non-violence" a dangerous idea? Only for those who practice it in the face of tyranny.

Mark Kurlansky has written a very concise, fascinating and readable history of nonviolence as both a philosophy and an effective tactic for social change. He begins with a discussion of the spiritual roots of nonviolence in each of the major world religions and traces how each religion was subverted when it was co-opted by the state which began using it as an instrument to justify state power through warfare. We see this most dramatically with Pope Urban II's historic speech that began the Crusades. Variations of this speech, which asserted that the war was God's will and the obligation of every "good Christian," have been used by politicians ever since to drag their reluctant citizenry into bloody wars.

Kurlansky goes on to define common themes that have driven one war after another over many centuries from the Crusades through the current war in Iraq and concludes with 'The 25 Lessons,' including:

3. Practitioners of nonviolence are seen as enemies of the state.
4. Once a state takes over a religion, the religion loses its nonviolent
teachings.
6. Somewhere behind every war there are always a few founding lies.
8. People who go to war start to resemble their enemy.
9. A conflict between a violent and a nonviolent force is a moral
argument. If the violent side can provoke the nonviolent side into
violence, the violent side has won.
10. The problem lies not in the nature of man, but the nature of power.
11. The longer a war lasts, the less popular it becomes.
12. The state imagines it is impotent without a military because it cannot
conceive of power without force.
15. A shooting war is not necessary to overthrow an established power but
is used to consolidate the revolution itself.
16. Violence does not resolve. It always leads to more violence.
20. Wars do not have to be sold to the general public if they can be
carried out by an all-volunteer professional military.
21. Once you start the business of killing, you just get "deeper and
deeper" without limits.
22. Violence always comes with a supposedly rational explanation - which is
only dismissed as irrational if the violence fails.
25. The hard work of beginning a movement to end war has already been done.

I've read widely on the subject of nonviolence and this is this is the most concise, clear, pragmatic book I've read yet. This book also includes a bibliography of other classic works on the subject for further reading. Kurlansky has done an excellent job of writing in a language that Americans in particular will understand. I cannot recommend this book highly enough to anyone interested in peace and nonviolence and I'm confident it will change your thinking. Peace.

Kurlansky's rather small book (only about 180pgs) shows a number of examples of nonviolence, from secular and religious influences, that are presented in a fluid manner, not done in a text-book fashion so you won't feel like you're reading a how-to book.

Out of all of the books I have read on the subject of nonviolence, I didn't really pick up on anything I hadn't already read or learned about elsewhere, however, this would make a good PRIMER for those new to the philosophy of nonviolence. If you're interested in some real meat and potatos, look elsewhere (Muste, Zinn, Sharp, Wink, McCarthy).

Am I saying it's a bad book? Definitely not, I even plan to keep it in my library. It was well written, and my only wish is that he decides to write a more in-depth book in the future.

See my Listmania list for all of the books I have read on nonviolence.

Kurlansky paints a picture by using only a single color. His book passes for real history without any of the balance that drives most real history books. I liked his differentiation of active nonviolence from real pacifism, but he never seems to explain the consequences for nonviolent action in truly horrific circumstances.

For example, he says that the world might have stopped Hitler if more people had tried nonviolent methods of resistance. He does not say, as most contemporary historians believe, that we would have been unable to invade Europe if we'd given Hitler another 4 years to start a war. In that regard, most of Europe would be speaking German today.

He is also very crass toward the people who suffer under dictators, nearly ignoring the atrocities that were inflicted on conquered populations. In one of his most offensive analyses, he says that the holocaust was not really stopped by the war, but certainly was started by it. He also casually explains that the Britons caused the bombing of London and ignores the casualties that German bombings inflicted.

I was also disappointed that he real atrocities, like human experimentation on prisoners by both the Germans and Japanese, the rape of Nanjing, 20 million deaths in Stalin's Russia, and German efforts to euthanize a variety of undesirables while the world negotiated for peace.

However, if you can read through his personal perspective that nonviolence really could work if we just gave it a chance, you'd find some good explanations of a few nonviolent movements.

Overall, he makes the case for nonviolence simply by saying that violence is so horrible, we should try anything to avoid it. If you consider warfare an end, not a means, you will wholeheartedly agree with everything in this book. However, if you understand history as a series of difficult choices for people in unforgiving circumstances, you may find the book too tedious.