C Books

Patterson's style is the style of a journalist (which he is): very bon ton. Besides, the information in this book is of high value, as it is one of the very few sources for information of a period of Gurdjieff's work in Paris.

On his birthday in January 1936, G. I. Gurdjieff, a Greek-Armenian teacher living in Paris and a man of the most traditional views about men and women, consented to teach a group of fiercely independent western women to prepare them for a difficult spiritual path. Although he had previously stopped all teaching and had for the past few years been devoting himself to his writing, he saw something unusual and very special in these women. He told them that they must form themselves into a group where they could work together for mutual support, "roped" together for safety, as if they were climbing a dangerous mountain, "each one thinking of the others, all helping one another."

They had heard of him from people who had been to the Prieure where, during the twenties, Gurdjieff's Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man had attracted some of the brightest lights in the literary world. They were writers, editors, musicians, and women in the business world: highly cultivated, avant-garde personalities, intelligent and sensitive, living in Paris and rejecting the traditional paths for woman. Psychologically, they were fragile, yet tough; some had formed lesbian attachments - all were determined to learn and develop themselves through his teaching. They came from a group taught by one of his earlier students, Jane Heap, but now she was leaving Paris and these women were determined to study with Gurdjieff himself.

By 1935, the Institute for the Harmonious Development of Man was a failed experiment and Gurdjieff was putting all his energy into finishing his series of writings called, All and Everything. Given his traditional view of what he called the "third sex", why did he consent and what was it he saw that made him want to adjust his course?

From the papers of four of these women, now archived in various university libraries, William Patrick Patterson has written an absorbing history of this unusual women-only group of spiritual seekers and their teacher. We see another side of Gurdjieff, close up, he seems softer and more compassionate, yet in his demands on his students, perhaps, even more rigorous. The group includes Kathryn Hulme, author of The Nun's Story, and Undiscovered Country; Margaret Anderson and Jane Heap co-editors of the Little Review, early publishers of James Joyce, Ernest Hemingway, and T. S. Eliot; and Georgette LeBlanc, diva and actress.

For those interested in women's spirituality, it properly credits and documents the pioneering efforts of these accomplished women. And for the seeker following Gurdjieff's ideas, it is an invaluable text addressing, for the first time, this most enigmatic chapter Gurdjieff's life. Once again William Patrick Patterson has brought forth an excellent volume that adds to our understanding of Gurdjieff and the Fourth Way.

The ladies of The Rope were in no way average people. They lived large lives. They were intelligent and talented. Patterson begins by describing their lives and you can't help but be impressed and caught up in the glamour and excitement. But when they meet Gurdjieff things are moved to a whole different level. They (and the reader) begin to see things from a different perspective. As Gurdjieff says of one of the women, "In life she perhaps have something good. But not for our work...She has only automatic mind...she quite not have real mind mentation."

Patterson take us all the way from the time the women met and began working with Gurdjieff, through Gurdjieff's passing and finally to the their old age and death. The letters written when they are old and physically feeble are very moving. You see the real experience and emotion of old age. The book lets us see the women's struggles and how they worked. As one of the women said, "Our 'rich' personalities had been an obstacle to understanding...We who had been born outside the dull, the routine... --what had we been all our lives? Almost nothing at all."

I found these women's stories very disturbing. I have many questions as to what transformations were actually realized by them. For some of them it seems that it may have just been on a psychological level. Why did Margaret Anderson, at the end of her life, say "I know it [the story of my life] at first hand, but so incompletely that it has little meaning."?

There is much to think about here. As Patterson says in the Epilogue, "What we may make of this is for each one of us to ponder and work with."

In Ladies of the Rope, William Patrick Patterson brings together the story of Gurdjieff and the women's only group of students he formed in Paris. The telling of this story sheds light on the formation of some of the seeds of influence that Gurdjieff had planted in the West. The group contained some brilliant and influential people mostly involved in the literary world.

Once again, William Patrick Patterson brings together a story which helps the reader understand the teaching that Gurdjieff brought to us.

The fundamental question of this book is, "Why did Gurdjieff create the Rope?" Because the Rope was made up of mostly lesbian women I wondered how or if it fit within spiritual tradition. After the first reading I did not have an idea why Gurdjieff did it. But later, in re-reading, the idea came, that maybe Gurdjieff was conducting an experiment to see if the third sex had the possibility to transform themselves or to get to the point where transformation was possible. So perhaps, this was a test of the Teaching, so to speak.
"Ladies of the Rope" also explores areas of the Teaching that are rarely mentioned elsewhere--the inner animal and the toasts to the Idiots, to name a few. This book also evokes the feminine, the idea and experience of relationship, and has a depth of understanding revealing subtleties that widen the reader's perspective. As most books of the Work are more masculine, this book is a jewel for those interested in this intimate perspective.

The last few books in this series had gotten very complicated and very dark. This book hits a much-needed "reset" button. Captain Jack Aubrey, who in the last book was stripped of his rank and convicted of a crime he did not commit, blazes his way to exciting, glorious redemption. Doctor Stephen Maturin, while still flirting with disaster with his laudanum addiction, reconciles some of his personal problems and resolves a confusing, multi-book story arc with a bang.

The Letter of Marque is a fun and exciting read, though the story was not especially emotionally involving, so did not stick with me as much as thought it would. Great history and wit as we've come to expect from this author. On to the next book!

Reviewer: Liz Clare, co-author of the historical novel "To the Ends of the Earth: The Last Journey of Lewis and Clark"

First, I must say that I do not like to race through these novels. Instead, I like to read them slowly and savor every page. That was hard to do this time because this was a real page turner, an excellent follow-up to the previous installment.

Once I had finished The Reverse of the Medal, I instantly began pouring over this one, and indeed it was uplifting. Any fan of these books will be very pleased with this episode.

However, what I like best about these novels is the friendship between the characters. It says alot about honor, devotion, and true friendship, which I believe is the finest element of this series. That quality is particularly apparent in this novel.

I don't have time for a long analysis, but these books are fantastic. I am on my second read-through of the series, and this time I am buying them as I read them. I have never been interested in the sea or ships or the military, (I used to wonder why anyone would have a painting of a ship in their house, waste of wall space), but now I have a whole new respect and admiration. Patrick O'Brien brings the English navy to life in a way that evokes feelings of pride, sympathy, horror, elation and pure heart-pounding anticipation. The contrast of the main characters, Aubrey and Maturin, is amusing sometimes, often heart-warming. The galaxy of supporting characters is rich with personalities and details. The only character I really don't like is Diana, but she does lend another facet to Stephen's persona. All in all, I highly recommend this series, they are the best historical novels I have ever read.

After being deprived of his rank as post captain in "The reverse of the medal" Aubrey starts a new career as a "letter of marque" (private man-of-war) is started in this book. It's the characteristic seal of the series, it's a story of efforts and success, it enforces you to have read "The reverse", and to continue with "The thirteen -gun salute". If it will be your first book in the series it won't be the last. Save you don`t like this kinda book, then better don`t step through its board, and keep away of such a seizing.

It is a bit unfair of me to say that Patrick O'Brian's "The Letter of Marque" is a "character-driven" novel. Indeed, one of the many joys of O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin series is his ability to sustain and develop such compelling characters over a long series ("LoM" is the twelfth book).

But while there is a fair amount of action in this novel, what distinguishes "LoM" is O'Brian's further exploration of his two heroes, Captain "Lucky Jack" Aubrey and Dr. Stephen Maturin.

The novel opens with Aubrey bereft after being unfairly stripped from the lists in the Royal Navy. Unfairly charged and convicted of a financial scheme in which he played an entirely unwitting part, Aubrey has had his lifeline to the Navy cut as harshly as with a boarding axe. Now this merry captain, who used to delight in dreadful puns and baroque music, has been reduced to a cold, frightening visage. Remote, distant, joyless, Aubrey is at his lowest ebb.

Thankfully, Aubrey's boon companion, Dr. Maturin, has a lifeline. Thanks to a prodigious inheritance, Maturin buys Aubrey's beloved H.M.S. Surprise and outfits her as a privateer - with the titular letter of marque. This letter essentially authorizes the Surprise to be a pirate for the British Navy. While this offers Aubrey a chance to go to sea in his favorite ship, this joy is tempered by the shame that is attached to the word "privateer" by the serving sailors of the Royal Navy. Aubrey feels this acutely.

But privateer or no, the command of the Surprise offers Aubrey the chance at redemption through a heroic action . . . possibly even reinstatement to the lists! And so Aubrey leads the Surprise into various actions, including a complicated night-time raid on a French-held port to steal a ship from under French noses. O'Brian writes these scenes as only he can.

But this novel is not only about Aubrey. Dr. Maturin continues to ply his intelligence trade. He also continues to struggle with his two demons - an addiction to opium and an addition to Diane Villiers, his estranged wife. Maturin has heard that Diane has fled to Sweden with the attractive Swedish colonel Jagiello after she heard (incorrectly) that Maturin was having an affair in Malta. And so Maturin heads north to confront her, and possibly Jagiello, with the truth.

All of these plots allow O'Brian to explore both Aubrey's and Maturin's characters in new ways. Aubrey has had his troubles before with the law, but those were always civil matters involving nothing more than unsavory characters. Here, Aubrey is confronted with shame for the first time. Maturin also must confront his own nature, for as a man of intellect and science, he is not proud to be addicted to either a drug or a woman. And yet he is.

"The Letter of Marque" may be the shortest of the Aubrey-Maturin novels so far, but there is a lot of meat on this small bone. Do not read this novel unless you have read those that come before - the characters won't make nearly as much sense. But you will be thankful once you get to this novel - it is well worth the wait.

"Lovely Me" is riveting. I had read Valley of the Dolls and enjoyed it, but was surprised when I found out it was one of the best selling books of all times, so I picked up "Lovely Me" to find out more. What I found was an inspirational biography of a flawed but driven woman who took the world by storm, but not until after the age of 44, after a failed acting career, and after her diagnosis of cancer. Jacqueline Susann's story can be heartbreaking (her son was institutionalized) it can be gritty (her numerous affairs) but is also shows a fierce determination to survive and thrive in this world. Two very important points of her life will stick with me throughout mine: 1) her fierce loyalty to friends 2) her determination to make her books a success. She went above and beyond most authors to promote her books. She may not have been the best writer but she was a best seller.

WOW! LOVELY ME is the terrific biography of an absolutely amazing woman who was HELL-BENT on fame since childhood - a very inspiring woman who didn't even BEGIN writing until her cancer diagnosis! She gives determination a new name. Jacqueline Susann was also a woman who LIVED Valley of the Dolls --- she schmoozed and worked for the marginal actress stardom she achieved on stage and in early Television with pals/lovers(?) like Carole Landis...the book also has a lot of GREAT celebrity tales. Jacqueline Susann was a woman whose fridge was stocked with only olives, gin, and pills! She was a woman who loved bedding elderly Jewish comics, and a woman who (along with her devoted husband Irving) was an ABSOLUTE GENIUS at SELF-PROMOTION!!! She was a woman who even stalked Ethel Merman (!!) etc. This extremely well written biography is brilliant, crazy, and engrossing --- and the perfect coming together of writer and subject. Reading it you are VERY aware of where JS's got the inspiration for her novels.

Here's the book that reveals all about the queen of the published melodramas, Jacqueline Susann. One thing's for sure, her real-life tale is as bumpy as anything she's ever written: jealousy, revenge, sexual deviation, incurable diseases... Author Barbara Seaman doesn't miss a beat in bringing you the story of a lady whose marginal frame of mind automatically made her an activist in human rights. Told with real pizzazz, LOVELY ME meticulously brings you back to a time when evolution was everywhere, even in so-called fluffy novels like the ones of Jacqueline Susann. Her personal struggles behind all of her fiction glamour definitely make for a compelling read.-----Martin Boucher

Ms. Seaman has produced a work of exceptional depth and quality, truly bringing the essence of Miss Susann to life, and making her compulsion for fame and regognition understandable. What struck me most was the tenacity with which Miss Susann clung to her dream of glory, only to have it so cruelly taken from her at such a young age--almost like a character in one of her classic novels. If the life of a working artist and the world of celebrity interests you, this is a book you will quite enjoy.

LOVELY ME takes honors for being the most lurid bio I've ever read. It was great!

I recommend reading this book before you pick up VALLEY OF THE DOLLS, because once you read VOTD, you'll know from exactly which well Jackie drew these experiences. Just as VOTD was a roman a clef for life as Jackie knew it, LM is the real-life retelling of VOTD.

I admire Jackie Susann. Not only was she a Philadelphian and a writer, like me, but she had such tenacity. Even when cancer, a failed career, a mentally-ill son, and a dim future stared her in the face, she plodded on and closed her ears to the naysayers. She never once took her eyes off her dream of being a published author and bolstering VOTD to being the best-selling novel in history. We can all learn something from her.

This is the first magic school bus book we got. It is written for 4-5 years and up to 3rd grade. I was expeting it to read easier, but got use to it and enjoyued it. There are lots of bubbles or boxes on each page. They all have very intersting tidbits & information, but is is hard to know what to read first. Good intro to the solar system, although they are drawings and no pictures. Also, note that Pluto is no longer classified as a planet as it says in the book!

This book came out when I was pretty young, and it got me interested in astronomy since the age of five. Now planetary science is my career, and I put that down in part to the influence this book had on me as a kid! :)

the magic school bus get lost in space is a very good book read it all the time you will love it

All the magic school bus books are fantastic. This one is no different.
It is great for learning about the solar system.

My 5yr old son is a huge fan of Magic School Bus series.
Especially, Solat system and human body are his favorite among them.
He memorizes the order of all the plantes in the Solar system. Draw pictures about it and make planets with playdough. Great book!

A well written and represented book! This book gives the reader a totally " Gungy " feeling! Real to life excerts from day to day life with " Mother Green & her Machine" Col. Fox is a Marines Marine, his method of leadership and Esprit de Corps was like no other, I know , I served under his command and unknowingly absorbed many of his talents, wisdom and leadership trait's through following his training and command. Well worth it!!!!!!!!!!! Col. Fox is a Marine to model ones self after, a Great American!!!! ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK. Semper Fidelis

Recommended reading for all Marines and Wannabees which includes just about everybody.

Col. Fox's memoir is as educational as it is entertaining. This is a must-read book on leadership, which drives home two essential principles: the leader must set the example and the leader must look out for the welfare of subordinates (which includes correcting them or even steering them into better paths, if they don't fit the Marine mold). And he does it in an entertaining style. It's rare to find someone with his experience who is also such a fine writer.

Though he holds the Medal of Honor, Col. Fox isn't at all full of himself. He's not afraid to say when he made mistakes, or when the system made mistakes. I found myself both wishing I'd served under Fox, and grateful I didn't, because I'm not sure I could have measured up to his very high standards. We should all be eternally thankful for Americans of this caliber.

Give this book to the young man or woman thinking of joining the Corps.

Robert A. Hall
Former SSgt, USMCR
Author of "The Good Bits"

I gave "Marine Rifleman" to my 17-year-old son last week, not to have him again revisit my Marine Corps "era" through this terrific book, but to have him exposed to these thoughts:

-- "Normal" people can have a successful military career. And Marines are not cold-blooded killers to begin with, nor trained as such.
-- Military careers can co-exist with a family lifestyle. The Fox family is a wonderful example.
-- We owe a considerable debt of gratitude to those who have served, especially in combat situations. Our comfortable life is largely due to the sacrifices of thousands of military personnel since 1900. Many of these sacrifices are short of serious wounds or death, but are not experienced by or even known to the public-at-large.
-- You can lead AND command without losing respect for your subordinates (very important today!!!), or having them lose respect for you.

Does "Marine Rifleman" bring out these lessons? You bet it does. Get the book, read it, pass it on to others. The reader does not have to be Marine-familiar. It will be one of their better reads from the bewildering choices in the bookstores. Especially for young people. Let them experience the personal growth of this man Fox as he maintains his spirit and integrity through a demanding career.

Every Marine that has served can easily tell you about the types of people in the Corps. There are the people who do their job and are just waiting to get out, the less than desirable bottom "10%" and then guys like Wesly Fox: the super-hardcore, gungy types who eat and sleep Marine Corps and epitomize the professionalism and dedication of the modern warrior. Col. Fox spent 43 year in, making it to 1st Sergeant before being commissioned and ultimately obtaining his bird. Many field grade officers today remember him as the CO of OCS, and his reputation carries his name throughout the Corps, even today, a decade since his retirement. Gungy Marines only come along maybe once a year in a unit, and Marines like Foxonly come along once in a great while.

The book is written by the author, and goes from chapter to chapter through each rank and his experiences in Korea, Vietnam, and all of his assignments (e.g. drill instructor, recruiter, MSG, etc.); He did it all. The prose is not extremely well written or memorable so much as the content of his story is remarkable. He seems to be a very warm and realistic man. There are almost no political views in the book, or rants about government or red tape, just his perspectives on the COrps and how it changed over 3 years. A great read, I feel it should be added to the Commandant's reading list.

This book has awesome coverage of makes and models although the amount of information given of a particular classic (e.g., Hasselblad) seems thin. I guess I'm saying an encyclopedia is needed.

McKeown's Price Guide To Antique & Classic Cameras 2005-2006 (Price Guide to Antique and Classic Cameras)
If you buy and sell classic cameras, you need this book. MUCH easier to find exactly what you have and way more info than the "Blue Book". A real wealth of information. Covers almost all camera body and lens made. Includes all special releases including "dummy" bodies. Info on some movie cameras and camera collectibles. Not much info on accessories for "system" cameras, however has listings for major stuff. Very good index. This book is the best there is out there for camera collectors. And a very good value to boot.

McKeowan's Guide since its first issue has been, and still is, a fantastic tome which is a must for every camera collector. I was astounded many years ago when visiting Leningrad to see that a camera vendor selling old Russian cameras from a small table on the pavement had made a full photocopy for his use! To me it is the best catalogue of cameras ever published and I will continue to buy each update as they become available.

Although ostensively a price guide to cameras and other photo-related equipment "McKeown's" is much more. Over the years this volume has grown to encyclopedic proportions as it updates and adds to its huge inventory. In fact, I find the price quotes to be the least important of its features. Here in one giant volume we get a vast array of great illustrations, camera histories, and specifications. This is the kind of volume that won't let go once a photography enthusiast flips through its pages. Pretty soon he/she will jump to another section, as each entry induces one to look up something else. As the "Guide" takes pains to suggest, prices quoted here are not carved in stone, and various factors ultimately determine the price one pays for such photographic treasures.
I only hope the publishers will avoid the temptation of printing future releases in color, as the black and whites add to the antique "feel" of the book. Though a bit pricey, it's undeniable how much work goes into producing this comprehensive book, and for all the pleasures that this book delivers the price is well worth it!

i was really pleased, excellent book, fast service and no problems,
every photographer would love this book, great photos and lots of interesting imfo. thanks donna pryor

Jarret writes about contemporary pop culture in the tradition of Field, Duhamel, Seibles, and Wojahn. That is, he uplifts the mundane to a higher level, through form, piercing satire, and the riveting raw emotion, this book shows a Gen X poet making aesthetic headway for the future.

Buy this book, and give it to your brother who likes comic books for his birthday, but read it first. Jarret promises to deliver the goods to all audiences.

Keene's writing topics are so diverse in this collection. From ex-ray glasses to cancer victims, he has a distinct opinion on just about everything and isn't afraid to express it. His poetic style is very straight forward. It is both easy to read and easy to understand.

Keene's creativity is what impresses me the most though. His ideas for his poems are so so unique. Where does he come up with all of this stuff?? It is incredible! One of my favorites is a poem called "Ventriloquism Made Easy." In this poem, Keene writes from the perspective of the dummy.

I know I said this already, but the diversity and creativity throughout this whole collection are amazing.

I know you're not supposed to judge a book by its cover, but this book immediately jumped out to me. It was one of the brightest and most colorful books i have ever seen. I had to open it right away, and the cover was just a warmup for what's inside. I liked Jarret Keene's collection of poems because it isn't a sad i'm so depressed i want to kill myself kind of poems, i'm so used to reading. It was real. It spoke to me and my generation. It also was really funny and a quick and easy read. One of my favorite things is how ironic he is with every day life things. Reading up on him i found out his father was a tampa firefighter, and i happen to be from tampa and miss it deeply so it made me think of home. The poems he has in there also reminded me of home when i was in high school and all you did was get drunk a go nuts. I guarantee if you are young or young at heart then you will love this book, but don't listen to me read it for yourself.

Jarret Keene's debut book of poems, "Monster Fashion," is a book that adds a sense of freshness and excitement in a genre that is often riddled with staunchy, boring and dry verse from the world of academia. All I have to say is..."Thank Goddess for Monster Fashion!" Keene's book is filled with comedic, familial and pop culture verse that most books lack. I like the fact that Keene has the ability to laugh at himself and not take himself so seriously in his work. We need more poets like this poetic holy ghost.

Among one of my favorites is "Scoped" where the character takes a dreadful visit to the doctor to find out why he's been 'passing blood'.

"He tells me to turn over
on my side and pull my knees
against my chest.
The glove snaps. And
sure enough, he's got his finger
inside of me, poking around."

Because of the immediate and sensitive description
in this poem, Keene does a superb job of making you feel
that you're there. From the "so-clean-it-smells examination
room," to the terrifying snapping of those smelly latex gloves.

This is the only poem that makes me cross my legs
with phantom pains.

"Monster Fashion" is not a book of poetry with just words sprawled out on the page without a sense of order. Keene proves that he is well-seasoned with some poems written beatifully in couplets and quatrains, which is one of my personal favorite forms.

Other poems such as "Heart, You're a Hospital Now" and "Ventriloquism Made Easy," are two more of my favorites where Keene practically yanks you by the arm and pulls you into his cut-throat psyche.

I love the smidgen of ryhme and alliteration in the beginnings of "Heart, You're a Hospital Now."

"Nothing is worse than a dying patient,
Except the surgeon, who gives your life lease,
Cuts you open, removes a sick piece,
stitches you up and grows impatient
of your bloated face."

Oh, I love the way the second and third line

ends with such emergence.

'gives your life lease,'
'removes a sick piece.'

The way the lines and words carefully entwine
and dance so immediately.

'removes a sick piece.'

Who doesn't want to steal that line and run for the hills?

This poem is crammed delightfuly with similiar, arresting lines
all the way to the end, which hurls the reader back
into reality.

Keene's verse in this book are exciting, entertaining, funny and beautiful. From epic poems such as "Ava Gardner, Queen of Earthquakes," to the short and brutal "Black Revolver," Monster Fashion offers something for the most rabid lover of the poetic word.

Jarret Keene has mined the underworld of Hollywood scholck to bring us these darkly comic poems, and he's come away with more than you might expect. Here you'll find all manner of monsters and lovelies, of course-Frankenstein and the Wolfman, Janet Leigh and Ava Gardner. You'll find zombies and earthquakes and a lot of prose that's taut and "dark as a blood clot." There's even " The Lovesong on Alfred E. Nueman" (after Elliot, of course) and "The Conversion of Aubrey Beardsley." But what makes these poems rich and worth reading, I think, is Keene's sharp take on the actual world-the way he gets, for example (in the book's opening poem) that only the young can be in love with death. For me, the book's most frightening moments-and its most rewarding-come when the author takes off the mask for a moment and explores the horror of the world we all know too well, when the funhouse comes to resemble the house we live in ("Inside Mystery Funhouse"), or when real friends are lost ("Gifted Students") and we're confronted with the ghosts of their fathers, who come back-with surprising emotional impact-to make us sandwiches. This is a sharp and funny collection. I recommend it even to those with a fear of poetry, though not to those who are afraid of the dark.

This book is great- between the detailed illustrations, the extensive lists of muscle functions and the breakdown of why the muscle does what it does, it really helped me to learn. The only think I didn't love is the order the muscles are listed in, in my brain they would have been logically grouped together a bit differently, especially when it comes to trunk muscles.

I bought this book after attending one of Dr. Muscolino's cadaver lab workshops. I highly recommend this book and, if you are thinking about a cadaver workshop, I recommend that as well. Dr. Muscolino is very knowledgeable, caring and sensitive.

It is nice to find a book dedicated to the muscular system. Although the graphics are simple (not photographic), the information and the lay out are great for learning and understanding of the muscles. The best pages in this book are those that lay out the muscular attachments of a region of the body.

Highly recommended for anyone that works in any field where the muscles are the focus!

Dr. Joseph E. Muscolino truly compiled the ultimate Musculoskeletal system anatomy textbook.

I esspicially found the Latin and Greek derivation section's to be very helpful in understanding the origins of the muscle names.

This author's logic and approach is unmatched.

Kudos to Dr. Joseph E. Muscolino!!!

This book is comprehensive in nature, scrupulous in detail, and the product of an obvious passion for the wealth of information to be found in our musculoskeletal system. As a massage therapist and perpetual student of the human body, I am glad to add this book to my library. It is well organized which makes it easy to reference whether I know the muscle, the bony landmark, or the general anatomical area of the body. Having so much information about an individual muscle in one book makes it easy to enhance or refresh my existing knowledge. I have opened the book just to refresh my knowledge of what an individual muscle looks like and found the illustrations clear. I have used the cross reference to find other muscles that might be adding to an existing muscular problem in a client. I have refreshed my awareness of an individual muscle by using the easy to follow palpation information. And I have added to my knowledge of individual muscle actions when helping a client isolate a muscle's tightness. Every time I have opened the book I have not been overwhelmed by what I do not know but rather come away feeling smarter.

Pamela Yatsko's New Shanghai is one of those "must read" books about China. Yatsko did much of the research for this book while living and working in China. She lived in Shanghai from 1995 to 1998, while serving as the Eastern Economic Review's first Shanghai correspondent and bureau chief since 1949. Following this assignment, she worked for the Economist Group as managing editor of Hong Kong's Business China--a job which allowed her to return to Shanghai frequently.

Yatsko's experiences writing about China's economy led her to explore the many facades she discovered pervading contemporary China. According to the author, while the exteriors of many facets of Shanghai look glitzy and modern, the interiors often tell a vastly different story. The book is divided into key aspects of the city's revival: real estate, the budding world of high finance, growing socio-economic disparity, the return of the multinational firms and their expats, vice, the future of state-owned businesses and their employees, and the status of the arts.

Summarizing Yatsko's conclusions would spoil a juicy read. So, suffice it to say that she uncovers the ways in which expectations for the city have often not been realistic and means by which the future lies in the ability of reality to catch up with these expectations. Considering the industrial and cultural wasteland the city became between 1949 and 1979, Shanghai truly has undergone an amazing renaissance. Will it become the New York City of Asia? Should it? The author gives us pause for many such thoughts. I lived in Shanghai from 2005-2007, and this book clarified many aspects of the "new China" for me.

The book is well-researched and sheds insights on both the city's achievements and her challenges for the future. All of the key elements making up this brave new city are helpfully placed within their historical context. New Shanghai makes essential reading for anyone who seeks to put modern Shanghai life into perspective.

Fun Fact: On the inside book jacket, you'll find a review by one of Shanghai's own literary celebrities, Lynn (Ling) Pan. She was also interviewed by the author for this book.

As a Shanghainese who is sick of the feverish optimism about China nowadays, I was deeply skeptical when I first opened this book. It turned out to be the best book on China I have seen so far. The book, especially its second chapter on the financial market, is full of coolheaded analysis and down-to-the-ground reliable facts. Sometimes, it even shames me for not knowing Shanghai as well as this foreigner does. I recommend the book as a very reliable source of information for those interested in Shanghai and as a book to keep some authentic memory of Shanghai for those overseas Shanghaineses.

Yatko's book far exceeded my expectations. Well argued, carefully thought out and with an excellent thesis. It is easy for old Shanghai residents (such as myself) to revel in an Old Shanghai nostalgia that has long ceased to exist. Yatsko highlights and illustrates many points that we overlooked, ignored or never knew in the first place. Valuable reading for anyone planning to do business in China or simply interested in this great city.

I worked in business in Shanghai during 1995-98 and continue to travel there often. I have yet to come across a more interesting or useful book about Shanghai's metamorphosis and the changes taking place in urban China in general. Although Shanghai and China are fast moving targets, the book provides a spot-on snapshot of the issues facing Shanghai at the millennium and has helped me make sense of this fascinating yet perplexing city. The author really captures the successes and failures of fin de siecle Shanghai well. Also, there's lots of anecdote to make the book a lively read-the chapter on vice is particularly fun. I recommend it for anyone who is interested in understanding what's beneath Shanghai's glittering surface.

I found "New Shanghai" not long ago as I was preparing to visit Shanghai after six years in the states, and was attracted to it immediately. Having lived in Shanghai most of my life, I have to say that the author knows about Shanghai better than I do. I'm only familiar with the life of my like, but the book has a broad coverage, from the upper class to the cultural underdogs. In particular, I liked to read Yatsko's interviews with various people, which added a sense of reality.

Yatsko has captured Shanghai's fastest socio-economic changes since it lost the luster as the most prosperous city in the Far East early last century. With her solid knowledge of economics and first-hand experience, the stories are credible and the analysis is insightful. Whereas "old Shanghai" has aroused most scholarly interest due to its relation to modernity, Yatsko's depiction of Shanghai's rebirth in the 1990s also offers a unique hindsight on its past.

Although I wish I could have read this wonderful book earlier, it's not so late in the sense that I now know more interesting places

THIS BOOK HELPED ME ALOT TO LEARN HOW TO HELP MY CHILD AFTER WE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING ON. GREAT REFERENCE TO HAVE AROUND.

This is an excellent book for teachers and parents! It provides useful and very important information to work and deal with kids with sensory integration disorder

I highly recommend the book "The Highly Sensitive Child" by Elaine Aron to get a different perspective (more positive) on the out of sync child.

As a teacher I found that this book had many fun and functional activities. I do wish this book had more activities for older (teenage) students with moderate to severe disabilities; but, a great book overall.

I *LOVED* this book. It was such a quick read that I got through it in two days, *with* two kids underfoot, but there certainly was no lack in valuable content to read. This has transformed the way that I understand and work with my daughter, and she has had a diagnosis for sensory integration disorder for years! I reccommend this to *any* parent, even those without sensory kids....