Interviews Books

This is an absolutely superb book, comprised of recollections of the Jim Crow years in the form of oral histories. It can be read through, or picked up at any part. There is an appropriate amount of historical introduction to each chapter.
This material needs to be read, and remembered. There was a long time in our history when, although there was no more slavery, African Americans were treated as a separate serf class, under constant pressures and reminders of their lower status. Whites used pervasive legal and social downward pressures to keep African Americans out of an equal education, and equal access to public facilities, much less the right to equal jobs and the right to vote -- and then claimed that African Americans' lack of achievement was a racial fault. If an African American violated one of the many social taboos, the sanctions ranged from a beating, to loss of job, and even being lynched.
While whites benefited from Jim Crow, the whites, also, were trapped in the system. They were also forced to abide by legal segregation, and were subject to social pressure if they were too liberal (being called "n* lover," "white n*," etc.).
What led to the mindset that the end of slavery should lead to continued legal and social oppression of African Americans? It was part of white American culture. Lincoln himself said that he was not "in favor of making voters or jurors of negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry.... [T]here must be the position of superior and inferior. I am as much as any other man in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race." In 1877, Rutherford B. Hayes traded the end of southern post-war Reconstruction for the electoral votes he needed to win the presidency. Southern states then were free to institute the Jim Crow system.
I believe we are more subject to peer pressure than we would like to believe. Although reviewer McInerney asserts that "no civilized person" would benefit from Jim Crow, I feel many otherwise-good people were trapped and/or blinded by their own interests and surroundings. When allowed, and even encouraged, their evil side showed itself. On this topic, see John Griffin's _Black Like Me_, on the different faces that whites showed to other whites, and to African Americans.
While we are certain that we wouldn't go back to that system, we shouldn't be so sure that we, also, wouldn't be trapped by it if we were born into it. Consider that Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy (to a large extent) didn't take effective action to end segregation.
This book is excellent. Those dreadful and shameful times -- and the vestiges which still continue -- must not be forgotten.

Any illusions about the freedom and equality that were alleged to have been given to African Americans in this country following the Civil War were just that, illusions. The reality of America's version of Apartheid was legitimized in 1896 in the United States Supreme Court with the case of Plessy vs. Ferguson. When the de-facto segregation that Plessy allowed was added to the de jure laws that followed, whatever emancipation had been promised was firmly repudiated. It is even legitimate to go back to 1877 when Rutherford B. Hayes and his party sold out, and swapped the presidency for the removal of federal troops from the south.

"Remembering Jim Crow", is a brilliant collection of first hand accounts of life under Jim Crow by those who were victimized by its laws. A large cast collected these verbal accounts over several years, and they accomplished no less than the preservation of a sinister part of this country's history. A time that W.E.B. Dubois characterized as, "living behind the veil". Combined with the book, "At The Hands Of Person's Unknown", which I commented extensively on, these two books, and if you choose the accompanying CD of the interviews, provides a wide, if horrific view of these eight decades.

These testimonies are also notable for the speakers who identify by name the people and families that victimized them. This is not ancient history that many would like to forget. These people who survived and speak of Jim Crow are alive, and so a presumption that their tormentors are alive is reasonable. The end of the book includes portions of a documentary that was made as part of this project with National Public Radio. Happily some of the whites that were interviewed in Iberia Perish in Louisiana remember and look with regret on what they did and did not do. Their willingness to speak on the record is admirable. But lest anyone think that all is solved there are also people who went on the record bemoaning their never having enjoyed the privileges that Jim Crow gave whites. A man named Barrow expressed himself thusly, "That was awful nice, you know, you'd go hunting, "Boy clean those ducks", you know, "Skin that dear", uh, "Shine my shoes". I believe I could have gone for that. Yeah I think you could have too".

No Mr. Barrow, no civilized individual from any state could, "have gone for that". However I am sure that many appreciate your confirmation that even now, ignorance, arrogance, and racism are alive and well.

This is an interesting angle to present a sad era in America's history. This book does not give a history book type of fact presentation, it presents the facts from the people who actually experienced it.

This is a vital book if for only one reason, so that the children born after this era know what it was like so it is never repeated.

I enjoyed the oral history that is presentated and I would recommend this book if you want a greater understanding of this time.

REMEMBERING JIM CROW is a colletion of first hand accounts of life in the Jim Crow south. The stories are compelling and at the same time sad.

The stories create the atmosphere that one is sitting in one of the elderly story tellers living room listening to them.

This book is especially worthwhile for non-African-Amercians readers, because virtually all African-Americans that have roots in the south, know these stories all too well.

This slipcased book and 2-cd set supplements the written word with oral history, gathering the voices of men and women who were firsthand witnesses to segregation in the south. Stories by men and women from all walks of life reveal how blacks fought against the system, built communities, and ran businesses in a society which denied them basic rights. Remembering Jim Crow offers the reader a comprehensive, involving, highly recommended presentation.

Incredible chronicle of Ginsberg's own evolution and that of the writers and friends close to him. Ginsberg's words are always expertly chosen, his insights both revolutionary and compassionate. Introductions and footnotes are helpful and interesting and overall the reader can tell the familiarity, knowledge and care taken to select and compile these interviews on the part of the editor. A life changing read.

Here is where Ginsberg's brilliance is perhaps best shown. In conversation, he revealed his passion and sharpness for all topics. His "poems" should probably not be called poems, but instead exercises in poetic freedom, which is ultimately a futile task, especially when approached for the mere sake of asserting more freedom. One is baffled at the mere badness of his poems, which are not in the Whitmanian vane at all, but in the vane of bloated mounds of words. Nonetheless, Ginsberg, the "excitable visionary Jewish Budhist," is beautifully and swiftly rendered in these interviews.

"Spontaneous mind," a collection of interviews, is an uncensored perspective of Allen Ginsberg's life, work and the events of his time. The poet felt the interview was an art form, an opportunity to discuss and teach about writing, music, spirituality and whatever topic may surface. Although some celebrities may shun the interview, Ginsberg clearly held a passion for the medium which is quite palpable throughout this collection. In fact, Ginsberg does not flinch at any of the questions, but instead attacks them with fervor and honesty.

The editor, David Carter, includes several vigorous and worthy spars. A conservative William Buckley begets a heated discussion about America in 1968 concerning drugs, censorship and the Vietnam War. A stoic Christian confronts the Buddhist devotee with God's Word. Ginsberg patiently reaches for truth and understanding with compassion in every interview. He is generous with his thoughts but at times the interviews are long-winded. This is the inherent danger of being spontaneous, the cliche of beatniks being free-spirits who spout non-sequiturs off the top of their heads seems eerily true at times. However, the text is a lucid portal for the reader to glimpse the beatnik world through the eyes of one of its gods. Ginsberg's history is an indelible part of beatnik culture. William Blake, Walt Whitman, Jack Kerouac and numerous other notable influences are also discussed.

Bohdan Kot

Brilliant, transformative and mind expanding like Allen himself. The freedom he sought and found and shared is here. A most generous heart. I also recommend Beat Writers at Work, especially for the chapter on a semester in one of Ginsberg's classes.

This book is loaded with information and after almost 600 pages later; here I am with an overview. Most of the books I read tend to be around 200 to 300 pages, so this book is like two or three books put together, consisting of different interviews from the 1950's to the 1990's and a very mixed bag, packed with intriguing thoughts of poetry, prosody, prose, Ginsberg and the Beatific scene that emerged from the late 1940's that subsequently influenced the psychedelic generation of the 60's.

There is some real insightful information on poetry here, very educational and foundational to the beatnik poetic movement, and poetry in general. Ginsberg relates his influential poets that inspired him, molding his thought processes and way of life. From Ezra Pounds, Walt Whitman, the painter Cézanne, William Carlos Williams, Gertrude Stein, Rimbaud and from 1948 a mystical experience with the words of William Blake, whose voice appeared to him after masturbating and subsequently experiencing some other mystical visions and awareness. Blake, although not a living person from our time era, became Ginsberg's guru upon the advise of an Indian teacher. In some cases of poetry and linguistic teaching of stanzas and crescendos, I was reminded of Peter Eckermann's, Conversations of Goethe and their discussions.

There are great explanations of the spontaneous style of poetry, the Buddhist flashes of thoughts that come from the spaces between thoughts, that spring up in the perception of the moment, the present flash to be written down in that precise way, the style of momentary thought speech converted into writing and there you have Kerouac and Ginsberg and Burroughs, except with Burroughs it is with flashes of mental pictures converted into words. This is not the conventional style of sitting down and organizing formal structures, nor a laid out novel or rhyming poetry, no, it is spontaneous and attempts to capture the sudden flash of idea - "first thought, best thought" as Ginsberg's later teacher the Tibetan Buddhist Lama, Chogyam Trungpa shared with him, or visa versa, and it was Trungpa's school that also endorsed the Kerouac School for Disembodied Poets. Even Shakespeare was the spontaneous poet, "every third thought will be my grave," unlike the mechanical, arid, conformity of what was taught in the Universities when Ginsberg attended in the 40's. So I say to this, hey, I guess Kerouac wasn't a babbling, rambling madman, but instead he was actual, solid, writing real bits of consciousness, at least according to Ginsberg. His words were like the jazz, the bebop of bits of everyday sudden speech, spontaneous.

Also are some great stories of the crew: Ginsberg, Burroughs, Kerouac, Cassidy, Snyder, and Orlovsky. Some of this gets rather explicit. Ginsberg was gay and I don't think that should be censored from this amazon review. In this book he is explicit in describing the love acts of himself and Kerouac, Orlovsky, Cassidy and others, including his acknowledgment of Walt Whitman homosexuality. Interestingly, in one interview, Ginsberg relates the highest love as a nonsexual male relationship - this sounds like Socrates at the Symposium.

There are also interviews relating to the Chicago Seven and it's political opposition to the conformity of the masculine police state mentality. Great thoughts on censorship, sacredness, hippie flower power, LSD, Yage, peyote, prosody, Bob Dylan, the Teton Mountains, Buddhist conceptions, the Cabala's ultimate science of ZimZum, detachment, karma, Ezra Pound, Dionysian orgies, the Berkley Renaissance, explicit sex (censorship), belly breathing, anger control, Visions of Cody, Hinduism and Woodsworth.

Of course there's a lot said of Ginsberg's poems such as Howl, Kaddish, Wichita Vortex Sutra, Fall of America and their influences and styles. There are also scores of book references that would take years to read, but nevertheless, great leads to book buying and increasing comprehension and insight into poetry, Ginsberg, Kerouac, Snyder, McClure, Corso, Ferlinghetti, Snyder, Burroughs, and the beatnik frame of no-mind.

This book teaches a lot and I am impressed at the amount of insight Ginsberg had, intellectually, emotionally, and poetically and if I can use the word "spiritually."

If You don't know about all the '70s films,this book will let you know.I was blown away with this book it's a must have for all black film fans!

Without a doubt one of the Baddest Books that i have ever read.this book talks about my Favorite ERA.it explains the importance of these films&Artists.cuz at the time Tinseltown wasn't happening.the Black Artists here&their Films kept the Lights&Power on.this book sheds Light on Many Topics.the Impact of the Images have Lasting Impact.I'M Glad that Many Artists in the book said that they couldn't stand the term Blaxploitation.I Agree.Hollywood is a Business if the films weren't happening&Making Profit they wouldn't be on display.No Impact,no Word of Mouth they wouldn't be Happening.not everything was cool or worth watching but it was the kind of Charge that is needed to Level the Playing Field.it left a Lasting Impression on Me&Countless others.this is a Must have.very Detailed.

I was expecting this kind of book because I'm now deep into Blaxploitation era, but also curious about Black movements of the 60ies and 70ies. In a way I learned a lot of things. A big deception is Ron O' Neal (aka Priest in "Superfly") isn't there, and the authors could also have gotten Tamara Dobson, James Brown, the late Curtis Mayfield and Willie Hutch. But that's life ! A big book, great value for me

I thoroughly enjoyed the artwork in this book. I wish they still made movies like they did back in the day.

Great book about the 70's black movies. I thought I seen them all but this book talked about movies I did'nt know about but would like to see, if I could just find all the videos! The art work alone is worth the price of the book! If you plan or get invited to a 70's party use this book as a guide to get that true afropicking,bellbottom,platform shoe wearing look.

Excellent lists of questions broken down by topic area.
Brief guidance on what a candidates answer should contain.
Could be great for employers or employees preparing for an interview.

Good book, but there many well known questions and answers, i was looking for something more detailed.

I have to admit, I jumped at the chance to read this book. Many of us have been on both sides of the interviewing process, and no matter how prepared we think we are, something always throws us through a loop. `501+ Great Interview Questions for Employers and the Best Answers for Prospective Employees' is a great guide for successful interviews. This book offers excellent preparation for employers, for employees, and for college graduates just entering the workforce. This book could also be used as a business text in an informal setting.

For interviewees, the questions in this book are excellent and helpful for those on-the-spot questions you would never expect during an interview. For interviewers, those same questions offer a great starting point for unique information you can request from prospective employees. These questions are broken down into specific categories in each chapter, and they cover areas as diverse as communication skills, decision making abilities, and business ethics. Once you answer a group of the book's questions, you are given a comprehensive analysis of your answers.

Podmoroff's book is a great guide that makes a helpful tool for all interviewers and interviewees. Only you can hire the right employee or get the right job, so your quest will certainly take a lot of hard work. However, once you know how to ask the right questions and be prepared with the best answers, the job seeking process will be a much easier one. And with Podmoroff on your side, the process will be a piece of cake!

Taking a different approach to finding the perfect employees, this book is a fun resource for even the most experienced interviewer or job seeker. Dianna Podmoroff is an experienced author of similar books, and does not disappoint with this one. Each chapter deals with a specific job related skill; such as assessing analytical and problem solving ability, interpersonal skills and conflict resolution, teamwork, leadership, motivation, and stress management. What makes this book different is the expert analysis of answers after each section of questions. Podmoroff quickly pinpoints the pro's and con's of various responses, but is thankfully not presumptuous enough to claim there is ever one correct answer. She carefully illustrates how to apply different responses to appropriate job descriptions, allowing the interviewer to develop a more conscientious picture of each applicant. Interestingly enough, any job hunter can also use this book to hone individual interview skills, gaining valuable insight into the oft-confusing interviewing process. Overall, 501+ Great Interview Questions for Employers does what the name implies; offer great questions and expert analysis of answers, without the "know it all" attitude found in similar books. A valuable resource for even the most seasoned interviewer or the novice job-hunter. And by the way, there are 696 questions.

"501+ Great Interview Questions For Employers And The Best Answers For Prospective Employees" is a great read for anyone in charge of hiring for a company.

The author provides excellent questions designed to illicit telling responses about an applicant's history, personality and more. She points out that a lot of qualified applicants come through the doors. You don't want to necessarily interview only on skill, but should concentrate on how well the applicant will mesh within the system with those already working at the job.

The book offers excellent questions, guides on how to interpret answer or what types of answers one should be looking for, as well as examples that any interviewer can learn from. Readers are taught to look for discrepancies, to delve deeper and get a fuller picture of an applicant.

I've been on a lot of interviews and many of them have fallen short, asking only about previous work experience, how it relates to the new job - basically anything involving skills and experience. I really liked that the author is more concerned with how well a new employee will fit into the scheme of things, rather than skills and experience. After all, it is already outlined on his or her applications so there's no need to cover it to in depth. All in all, it is a great book for anyone doing interviews.

The war in the Pacific was a bloody confrontation for the resolution of opponents and the straining combat environment. Flying under such pressure was undeniably a great feat and sustaining a proper level of operational capability was a superb example of airmanship. In this book all aspects of air combat come alive with the intriguing personal tales of the pilots who served in this theater. Each account reveals the insight of lifestyle, tactics and training that led to amazing results in aerial battles. From their personal experience, it is possible to catch the feelings the pilots had about their machinery, climate and combat methods before actually flying the missions in their harsh frontline.

Beatifully written, this volume is really easy to read, even if some accounts disclose a predilection to be stylish or glorifying from time to time.

In Aces Against Japan, military historian Eric Hammel provides the reader with riveting first-person accounts from thirty-nine American fighter aces who fought their way across the bloody skies of the Pacific and East Asia from December 7, 1941 through the final air battles over Japan in August 1945. An effective interviewer, Hammel presents fascinating and informative air-combat tales and anecdotes from the men who were their. Vivid, superbly presented, Aces Against Japan is enthusiastically recommended reading for all military buffs and a very welcome addition to any World War II history collection or reading list.

Reading about the Pacific airwar in the recent novel, The Triumph and the Glory, sparked an eager interest in me in the topic and prompted me to order this book. I found "Aces Against Japan" great reading, filled with gripping accounts of action from the men who fought the air war against Imperial Japan. If you are interested in WWII aerial combat this book is for you!

A truly great book. I recommend it for anyone, not just history enthusiasts. The first hand accounts are well written and bring the stories to life. Equally as good is Hammel's other book, ACES AGAINST GERMANY.

This book is about the many pilots that fought for the US navy in the pacific Theatre.Many of which were very young but would die for their country!It talkes about their experiences of there first kills and becoming aces, shootings down zeros,and betty bombers and imperial japenses crusiers of all sorts in the pacific. Pilots talk about their experiencs in the battles of Pearl harbor,Midway,Port Moresby,Guadalcanal,Rabaul,Lyete Gulf,and Okinawa. Fly with 1st Lt. Jim Swett as he nails 7 bandits out of the sky with his F4F wildcat. Fly with pilots in their warhawks,wildcats,lightnings,Thunderbolts,mustangs,and corsairs agaist the 1 of the best navys in the world.Another book i want is Aces against germany but they dont print it anymore!Buy ACES AGAINST GERMANY and listen to the stories told by are heroes of ww2.The men that kept us free,the men that kept the axis from taking over the world,the men that died for us! Now id like to salute all the men that died for us in ww2 thanx guys! -HEAVEN BELONGED TO GOD.THE SKY BELONGED TO AMERICA'S ACES.

Savvy Casting Director Bonnie Gillespie scores a direct How-To hit with this latest effort, "Conversations with Working Actors." As anyone in Hollywood can tell you (especially BG), there is no greater feat in Tinseltown than to make your living by performing. And that's why this book is such a helpful tool to those artists who are on their way...as well for those who have already arrived!

Insightful interviews, commentary and anecdotes will inform and inspire even the most jaded showbiz type---whether it's from a name you recognize (eg Joy Behar) or someone whose face is so familiar but name doesn't ring a bell (Michael McManus). Learn and laugh from this well edited and always interesting actor's essential!

That book was amazing.It includes interviews with 29 working actors who they are asked about the challenges of the profession, the triumphs, the disappointments, the dreams that came or didn't came true and why.Through reading these discussions, you feel like you are talking to these people in person, that natural and realistic they are.It is a beautiful journey, that i feel will be equally worthy to everyone, whether he is in the profession or not.I am not in the profession, however i always wanted to learn how actors live their lifes and that book provided me valuable knowledge that i will always cherish.

This book reads as smoothly as a novel. Each chapter is a slice-of-life vignette that delves into the lives and minds of working actors. Actors will learn something from each of their peers. Fans will love the insights into the personalities, hopes, and some of the usually-hidden fears of these noteworthy actors. Bonnie and Blake get the real stories behind these hard-working actors of all ages.

Actors will recognize Bonnie as both a casting director, book writer, and creator of columns on the business of show business. Get a copy today. You will be enthralled.

Each and every chapter of "Acting Q's" is a personal story shared by some of the most incredible people who just happen to be creative and talented artists. Through Bonnie and Blake, these wonderful actors share information along with life lessons learned in a very touching and personal manner. There is so much that every actor can relate to within these pages and so much invaluable advice that is past on that this book is the ultimate gift.

This inspiring collection of interviews takes you on the journeys of several artists that share a passion and a common goal - to become a working professional in the entertainment industry. In response to Bonnie Gillespie's and Blake Robbin's thoughtfully posed questions, each working actor shares their heartfelt stories and life experiences that lead them on their road to success.

From aspiring and veteran actors to the fans that show their undying support, all will be able to learn from and relate to the many challenges and similarities of each actor's chosen path. From how they got started to where they are now, the reality in these actor's lives is motivating, enlightening and helps us all to appreciate just how hard working they are.

Thank you, Bonnie and Blake, for giving all of us a book that is filled with so much life and is a joy to read.

Roger Mudd interviews 5 prominent historians. Interestingly, these are all historians who specialize in writing readable histories that outsell the dense, uninteresting treatises many of us were forced to read in college. These are men who do their research, know their facts but also understand that historians should be, first and foremost, the storytellers - the modern, well-researched equivalent of the old person in the village that memorized the stories of the old days and passed them down.

-Gordon Wood talks about the Revolutionary War/Constitutional era.
-Richard White talks about the American West.
-James McPherson - the Civil War
-David McCullough talks primarily about the late 19th century, but he also veers into other topics - he meanders the most and is, perhaps, the most enjoyable.
Stephen Ambrose talks about World War II, Eisenhower and Nixon.

Along the way, lots of personal observations about the past, the recent past and the present are tossed in and it makes an enjoyable read for any serious readers of history.

This was my first audio book. Purchased from Amazon (because they delivered overseas) to keep me company on my daily metropolitan Tokyo commute from Uraga-Cho to Yokosuka Naval Base.

My only complaint is that I wanted more. So compelling are the topics, questions, answers and analysis of assorted aspects of American history, that upon initial trial, you are addicted. GIVE ME MORE! Make a volume 2, please.

I found the period between the Civil War and WW1 most compelling, probably because I was least familiar with this area. Yet I learned it was these decades that truly set America on its path of economic greatness as well the ability to rise to, meet and destroy the forces of fascism, and additionally place the roots for the future expansion of civil liberties. Of course the other topics of American history are gripping too; especially when framed by the discerning questions of Roger Mudd and answered insightfully from great historians. As a bonus we get to listen to the great voices of Roger Mudd, David McCullough, Stephen Ambrose, the others are enjoyable as well.

Perhaps you saw the television programs or have viewed the videos of one or more of them. Perhaps you have listened to the audiocassettes. In any event, this book consists of a series of thought-provoking questions posed by Roger Mudd which are answered by five of our nation's most eminent historians: Stephen Ambrose, David McCullough, James McPherson, Richard White, and Gordon Wood. Their respective subjects are:

The Colonial Era and Revolution (Wood)

The Civil War and Reconstruction (McPherson)

Westward Expansion (White)

The Industrial Era (McCullough)

World War II and Postwar America (Ambrose)

Obviously, a reader's specific interests will determine which of the Q&A exchanges are of greatest value. Richard Snow provides an excellent Introduction. His associates at American Heritage are also to be commended for completing background research and then writing profiles of the five historians. Mudd is a skillful interviewer. In book form, inevitably, his style and pace can only be suggested but are in great form when the exchanges are heard or (better yet) seen.

Snow is quite correct when observing that the five-part narrative "is always kinetic, darting, and oblique; and the narrators have at once too high and too close a regard for their subject to sentimentalize it. Nevertheless, the cumulative message is clear and heartening." For Ambrose, here is the clear and heartening message: "this is the best country that ever was. This is the freest and, right now, the most prosperous that has ever been conceived anywhere. And, by God,, somebody had to be doing something right to bring us to this point. I want to celebrate the people who brought us to this point." He does so with passion and eloquence. The perspectives and insights provided by the other historians (whose contributions precede Mudd's exchange with Ambrose) also expand and clarify the context within which our nation's history has evolved from one dynamic era to the next.

What a truly wonderful book! A unique opportunity to explore American history with several of the country's most exceptional historians.

This book is a fabulous resource for those of us who have tried to explain why the study of history is so important. The "interviewees" show that the best way to present history is by "story telling" about the lives of real people rather than making a dry recitation of facts. All of them are extreemly enthusiastic about their subjects.

I remember listening to Martin Perlich's extremely cool radio show in my youth in Cleveland (I'm now a 25 year resident of Washington, DC). At the end of every show, he'd play this song that started, "today is the first day of the rest of my life, I wake as a child to see the world begin...." That first phrase became a cliche, of course, but it was really a great recording. Does anyone know who recorded it? It was a group of singers, male and female. I can still hear it (and Martin Perlich's voice) in my head.

This delightful book is as much a `and then I ...' as it is a `and this is how you...' type of book. Martin Perlich (originally from Cleveland) was a young man in the right place at the right time, and happily grasped every opportunity made available to him. He describes his triumphs as well as his goofs in this book which is, really, a combination text-book and memoir.

Every page contains a famous name-or two, or three. Mr. Perlich has interviewed rightfully famous folk as well as celebrity-type folks, and cheerfully tells us how he got that story.

For the classical music buff, the episodes about famous musicians will be all-too-short, but yet entertaining, even if too short. There are also tales about rock/pop musicians, athletic stars, politicians, and would-be's in each of those categories.

For the person who wishes to conduct interviews-whether written or recorded (audio or visually) his tips cannot fail to be helpful to the novice as well as the more experienced reporter. Mr. Perlich is very willing to give credit where credit is due, a most enjoyable trait. He happily acknowledges those who helped him along the way.

I could wish the book was twice the size it is-probably you will, too. Hint, hint.

First you have to know that my name is in the book, so you know my bias. I'm the guy who hired Martin Perlich to (1) do an all-night Friday through Saturday music program on WCLV, Cleveland, and (2) do the Cleveland Orchestra intermission interviews. And I am the one who talked him into interviewing Leonard Bernstein twice - at Cleveland Hopkins Airport when we were told that Bernstein didn't do interviews, and in again in 1970, when he hijacked a Bernstein press conference and ended up being the only member of the press asking questions. So what hath Conrad wrought? A consumate interviewer who has developed an ansenal of weapons designed to bring down the elusive flying answer. In his book, he demonstrates that interviewing is indeed an art, not just a skill, and shares his knowledge of how to use these weapons to the interviewer's best advantage. This is a valuable book for anyone aspiring to sit in the interviewer's chair, either on radio or television. And Martin's dry wit makes it a very good read for those who simply enjoy good talk radio.

A sleeper! This is one of the most delightful books I've read recently. It will become a holiday gift for friends and clients. I've decorated this book with food stains since it stole my attention, accompanying me to every possible solo meal for a week.

It's as if Kurt Vonnegut was writing for and editing People Magazine. Perlich can write. His style is more compelling than one expects to find in such a slim volume (don't ask me why), and hardly a sentence goes by without a fresh turn of phrase.

From the first page I felt pulled by the current through some interesting canyons, those being both of the call and response of interviewing and then also of the pantheon of musical and social icons he has interviewed over the decades. Having done some interviews myself lately, I was very interested in the interview process, but I found it was his interview stories that just take off. Many are lifetime "keepers," like the one with Jerry Lee Lewis, where Perlich raises a question that goes directly to one of Lewis' shall we say, less well considered life decisions, even though it takes up less than a page.

The range of personalities is not only wide but the list has gravitas and covers about 40 years of interviews. Normally wide range could be expected and gravitas is a plus, but this is 141 pages! There are some great chuckles and genuinely intimate `revealings' of such a wide ranging characters as Leonard Bernstein and (the aforementioned) Jerry Lee Lewis, Isaac Stern and Oscar Brown Jr., Ron Kovic to Bill Evans. I mean, them's some heavy and very interesting folk, and nothing as dopey as a Hillary Clinton.

That having been said, what I found most interesting were his philosophical insights in the instructional "how to" elements; how to communicate by the dual `humilities' of preparing and of listening. In this respect, the book is really about mediating the two complementary "energies" in any endeavor, each of which could be characterized by the two foundational Chinese philosophies, as I understand them; Confucianism ("structure") versus Taoism ("formlessness"). The Confucian "duty" is a worship of "role"; to be the best "interviewer" you can be. Paradoxically, Perlich demonstrates how that comes about only by observing its opposite, the "Tao", (I guess that's why they have two!) the embodiment of being aware of the emptiness of the moment needing to be filled or seized, such as challenging a star like Frank Zappa with a question that might end the interview but instead yields an insight.

Perlich gives a professional bow to the marquee stars like Larry King or Charlie Rose for their preparation and abilities, although I feel betrayed by them as they invariably "soft ball" the very people we need to be made accountable. Here I think Perlich belongs to the higher school of the profession, more akin to Oriana Fallaci or Marc Cooper (however odious as a pseudo-left operative) who obviously have the depth of knowledge AND "cajones" that allow them to break new ground and ask the question the audience really wanted answered, even if the audience didn't know it. In other words, they have elevated their craft to an art.

If The Art of the Interview achieves `Mozartian' lift, it is because it reads effortlessly but makes strong statements delicately executed, sweet or bitter. (He even admits abject failure in one interview with Peter Serkin). But he pursues The Question. That way the interviewer is fulfilling the sacred core of his role by delivering the real goods to the audience. Would that the corporate hired mega-bucksters would read this book and take it to heart.

So by all means, read all about it, but look out for the marinara sauce on the last chapter.

An interview - well, I never gave it much thought. But now, after reading The Art of the Interview I'll never hear one the same again. The author, Martin Perlich presents the interviewer begining with a blank sheet of paper or glob of clay and it is his/hers task to create the Mona Lisa or drop the ball, so to speak. The end product becomes a work or art; hence the title. The book gives some very practical advise on how to prepare for and conduct a good interview. If this were the whole focus of the book it wouldn't have held my interest throughout.
Perlich see the that interview is about remaining open to possibilities, entering situations without set goals in mind and allowing space for spontaneity, growth and even insight to happen -just like life. Mr. Perlich's approach and philosophy extends well beyond the interview realm. Lots of common sense advice, a bit of Buddhism, the politics dealing with stars and more than a touch of wisdom. Lest you believe the Art of the Interview to be too philosophical it is chocked full of small tidbits of fun stories covering the range from Jack Kennedy's sex life to Jerry Lee Louis' defense of his marriage to a very young teenage bride. Definitely a good read.

Lamb is just great at this kind of compilation. A great take-along or for kids who show an interest in American history.

If you've ever read any of the BOOKNOTES series by C-SPAN host, Brain Lamb, you already know their value. I personally find this volume, STORIES FROM AMERICAN HISTORY, to be the best of them all. As with all of Lamb's books, the list of contributing writers reads like a Hall of Fame roster.

This volume is divided into nine different time periods. Each one covers not just historic and political events, but also offers pieces on social events, biographic profiles and more. For example, in the chapter on the Gilded Age, you will find an essay on the building of Central Park, the first Transcontinental Railroad, the political career of Grover Cleveland, historian H. W. Brands on the events of the 1890's, a look at William Randolph Hearst and the rise of "yellow journalism" (so named for Hearst's introduction of one of the first colorized print cartoons, "The Yellow Kid"), and concludes with an essay on J.P. Morgan and the banking industry.

This is a wonderful addition to your library and critical for home-schoolers. The writing is superb and unbiased, allowing the reader to form their own conclusions to events of American History. This volume concludes with 23 pages of a complete list of C-SPAN Booknotes, where you are sure to find more to add to your reading list.

Monty Rainey
www.juntosociety.com

What we have here are 79 condensations of one-hour interviews of eminent historians previously conducted by Lamb, founding CEO and host of the the C-SPAN "Booknotes" television series. ("My interview questions are omitted so that readers can focus on the author's words.") It is important to keep in mind that these are, literally, "stories from American history" rather than traditional academic briefs. That is to say, they are not dull and dry. On the contrary, their format, tone, and style are casual but at no time careless. Credit Lamb and his associates for a first-rate job of editing the material. Those interviewed are erudite raconteurs. Lamb organizes the essays within nine parts: Revolution and Founding (1776-1815), The Young Nation (1815-1850), Slavery and the Civil War (1850-1865), Rebuilding America and the Guided Age ((1865-1901), Progressive Era and Reaction (1901-1929), Depression and War (1929-1945), Early Cold War (1945-1957), Social Transformation (1957-1975), and The Culture Wars (1975-2000). I am especially grateful to Lamb for his headnotes for each chapter. Here is how he introduces Joyce Appleby and her comments on "The First Generation of Americans":

"The census of 1800 reported 1.1 million people living in the United States -- more than twice the number in the colonies at the beginning of the American Revolution. There were four cities with a population greater than 10,000 -- Baltimore, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York. Half of the population was under sixteen years of age. On June 18, 2000, Joyce Appleby, a U.C.L.A. professor and author of Inheriting the Revolution: The First Generation of Americans, published in 2000 by Belnap Press, appeared on Booknotes to tell us about this era and how this `first generation' helped shape the young nation."

Headnotes such as these serve as appropriate introductions, of course, but also suggest additional sources which readers may wish to explore. It is also helpful to have the "Complete List of C-SPAN Booknotes (1989-2001)," then totaling 619. This is one of three books published thus far, based on 79 of those interviews. The other two, also edited by Lamb, are Booknotes: Life Stories, Notable Biographers on the People Who Shaped America and Booknotes: America's Finest Authors on Reading, Writing, and the Power of Ideas. If you have an especially strong appetite for American history, Lamb and his associates offer a "feast."

Bon Appetit!

Overall this is a great book -- engaging, insightful. The chapters are brief, easy to read, and the reader gets a wide range of viewpoints from the various authors feautred. The only criticism I have is that the last section, The Culture Wars, is deficient. It covers well the conservative end of things with chapters on neo-conservatives, Reagan & Bush. However, the book ignores Carter & Clinton. And except for race, the book ignores civil rights issues that have been so divisive in the "culture wars," such as feminism and gay rights.

I was watching the Don Imus Radio Program "Imus In the Morning" when he recommended to his listeners this book edited by Brian Lamb, the founder and current executive of C-SPAN. After hearing numerous recommendations from other viewers and notables on the Imus program, I decided to purchase the book myself and see if it was as good as others said it was. I was not disappointed in the least.

The book is in overview exerpts of interviews of notable historians and other personalities who have written a book about a historical figure or event and was on the C-SPAN show "Booknotes" to talk about the book they have written. Such authors as James McPherson, the excellent Civil War Historian to NBC News Anchorman Tom Brokaw who talked about the World War II generation. The book starts with the American Revolution and ends with the year 2000. Each chapter is a brief overview of what the historians/authors on C-SPAN said during the show that they appeared and it is interesting and to the point.

The chapters are short 5 to 8 pages at the most, but they keep the reader's interest throughout. There is an introduction at the beginning of each chapter that tells the date that the historian/author appeared on Booknotes and what the name of the book was that they have written.

Each chapter is interesting and dare I say "fun" to read. From the founding of America, to the Civil War, to current day is fascinating reading. Such notable figures as U.S. Grant, J.P. Morgan, John F. Kennedy and so many others are discussed as well. From historical acts to controversy, this book has them all. It provides a "taste" of the individual book that is presented by the authors and also some tell the motivation to why they wanted to write about an event or historical figure.

This is easy to read and does not get bogged down in detail. If you want detail, then buy the actual book that the various authors have written about.

This is the kind of book that would be excellent for a upper level high school U.S. History Class or for College U.S. History Classes as well to use as a companion to the required textbooks assigned for the classes. This is also the perfect book for the "armchair" historian who enjoys a good read about interesting people and events, but dosent want to know the minute details involved in a huge biography or book on a historical event.

Highly Recommended!

These boatwomen are indeed remarkable, and superb ambassadors of the Grand Canyon Colorado River corridor. Sure, I'm biased: my first commercial river trip featured two of the profiled women plus another guide noted in the Acknowledgments. All were consummate storytellers, and gender was never an issue. Ms. Teal has an unfortunate habit of occasionally padding her descriptions with platitudes, but these lapses do not significantly diminish the value of this book.

A friend who is a river guide gave me this book. I never really understood the fasination with rafting until I read this. The writing leaves a little to be desired, but the subject matter and the information is very moving.

A friend told me about this book several years ago when I was raft guiding on the Colorado River a little north of the Grand Canyon. I bought the book, and absolutely loved it. As one of the rare breed of female white water rafting guides, it was amazing to read about other women who shared my passion for the river and for the wild places around us. Breaking into the Current is NOT a male-bashing book; it filled with stories that are waiting to be told--stories by and about interesting women who went into a career that few women would consider entering. I loved reading the stories about Lava Falls, the making of Crystal Rapid, and all the others. Each time I return to the book it makes me ache to be on the river yet again.

A few years back on my first trip through the Grand Canyon I was lucky enough to be in a group that included Louise Teal as one of the guides. I bought this book after the trip and read it on the drive home. I was blown away. Her love of the canyon, the river, the people...it all glows from every page. Rafting the Grand is a life-changing experience; and the elements that make it so are all here--captured and expressed by a woman who has become part of the river and vice versa. She tells the stories of the women who 'broke into the current' with humor, sensitivity, respect and love. On top of all that, she is a very talented writer and this book works purely on that basis. If you've ever run the canyon, buy this book. If you have ever wanted to run it, buy this book. If you've got no interest in the canyon or the Colordo river but enjoy good writing about real stuff, buy this book.

I recently travelled a rafting trip of the canyon and was totally enthralled by the experience. In many ways it changed my life. Reading this book brings back so many memories of what the trip there is really about. I felt a true connection with the women that travelled it before me. The descriptions are so beautiful. This book crosses genders and is simply about a wonderful place and some extrodinary women that have travelled there.