Educators Books

Judith takes the reader into a world where few go willingly and fewer still would expect to find love. Her journey in story form reveals a great deal about herself and how the men she taught retained their dignity and self respect by sharing their thoughts of home, life, and love through poetry. I am not a poet and quite frankly find it difficult to understand many peots, but such is not the case with the works Judith brings forth from a handful of men most of us have written off as losers. Judith proves that love is present in everyone's heart, even those in prison.

This book was introduced to me by Judith herself ( I was looking for material for a research paper ) ...Since I am a "starving" student, my mom bought me the book for x-mas, it sat for a few months since I was burnt out on prisons after my major report was done. But two days ago I picked up the book again, and I could no put it down. I have fallen in love with Spoon, Elmo and Judith's words many times over. I am in awe of her writing and her experience. I would hope that someday I could inspire others as she has inspired me. I have written a poem, I will share it with you all in hopes that you will buy this book...

"I feel as though I am reading a novel...

Everyonce in a while I stop and

remind myself the words I have read

are real."

Molly R>

This book takes readers inside a world most of us have never entered: a maximum security prison. But instead of showing the aspects of this world that we're familiar with from movies and TV, we see something different. By telling her own story -- the story of a poet sharing poetry with a particular group of prisoners -- Tannenbaum allows readers to look at our own assumptions about prison, prisoners and what it is to be human.

This is a very important, and very moving, book.

This is an exceptional account, movingly honest and beautifully written. As someone who has also taught in prison, I can attest to the fact that the author has gotten it "right" - the cultural logic by which inmates understand and navigate their world; the ways in which relationships are built and tested; the circulating currency of ideas in prison. And she is one of the very few who have gone inside, empowering inmates to acquire the powerful tools to express their truths. It is a political act of the most genuine, humanistic kind. Bravo!

In "Disguised as a Poem," Judith Tannenbaum narrates her experience teaching poetry for four years in the maximum-security prison, San Quentin. The prisoners she taught are fiercely human, use poetry as a shout: "I am here!" Tannenbaum comes to San Quentin with California 60s-radical ideas of universal brotherhood, and is forced to confront not only the prisoners' ambiguous past, but also the humanity of the police guards she has always associated with authority and oppression.

Needless to say, the experience changed more than a few lives.

Most of the men found themselves in San Quentin for their involvement in violent crime. During "lockup," in their cells, the men must restrain their emotions, their dreams, their expression of humanity for fear of exposing weakness in the violent environment in which they live. Poetry offers the men a chance to reach out beyond the walls of San Quentin. Through Tannenbaum and the other arts' teachers, the men meet Nobel Prize winners, perform "Waiting for Godot" under the auspices of Beckett himself, and publish their poems for children at risk.

Tannenbaum must struggle with the men's past actions while reveling in providing an outlet for the men using an art form she adores. She also finds herself in some moments allying herself with the prison administration, with authority, against the prisoners who are dependant on her for emotional release and artistic expression.

The book shines when relating the poetry of the men, when we witness the blossoming of a caged man on paper. It is then that we connect to these men from our own ambiguous cages-no doubt less confining than iron and steel-and take heart from their actions that we, too, can still soar free.

This is the most insighful book I have ever read about the playing and teaching of the clarinet. The information on embouchre mechanics alone is worth the price of the book.

Mr. Ridenour has reduced the myriad complex elements of playing and teaching the clarinet to simple, comprehensive concepts and techniques. The Educators Guide to the Clarinet is a great resource for any serious clarinet teacher or performing professional. I highly recommend it!

I have a well-established teaching studio in Orlando, and most of what I have learned, I learned from Tom Ridenour when he used to live here. Not everyone can have Tom in their own home town, but you CAN have his book, and it's almost the same thing. My students are very successful because I use the principals that Tom has laid down in this book. There is no detail too small or unimportant for Tom to talk about, and his insight on the mechanics of clarinet playing is incredible. I wish I had had this book when I was starting out. Thanks, Tom!

I have had the privilege to know and work with Tom Ridenour. For those less fortunate, his Educator's guide to the Clarinet is a wonderful insight into Tom's enormous experience of every aspect of clarinet playing.

This book covers each aspect of playing and forms them into a structured approach which makes so much sense, that I am amazed that it has not been so clearly defined before!

Whether you are an established teacher or a keen amateur player, you will be surprised at the enormous depth of information, which is both easy to understand and a pleasure to read.

The book is divided into two main areas, playing (pedagogy) and a comprehensive section covering the equipment.This includes some of the most useful information ever presented on mouthpieces, reeds and even maintenance of the clarinet.

If you have never bought a book on clarinet-playing before, or have every other book on the subject, this should be at the top of your list!

I can think of no person more qualified to write a guide on clarinet performance than Tom Ridenour, for I can think of no one who understands the instrument better. He is a wonderful musician, with expertise both as a performer and teacher. He is incredibly knowledgeable about the mechanics of tone production, having spent a lifetime working with reeds and mouthpieces. Tom designed a line of clarinets that are being used by such world-class artists as Larry Combs and Eddie Daniels. And Tom has a passion for his work, a passion that he loves to share.

Tom writes that this book is "meant for anyone and everyone who is faced with the task of teaching and learning the clarinet, whether in the studio or the class room, whether in public schools or universities." This is a fairly broad constituency, but it succeeds admirably - whether you are a teacher (at any level) or student (again at any level), or simply someone who wants to understand the clarinet better, the Educator's Guide is a wealth of information.

The Educator's Guide is divided into two parts: Clarinet Pedagogy and Clarinet Equipment. The pedagogical section includes chapters on tonal concept; air; voicing; articulation; and finger technique. The section on equipment covers testing and selecting an instrument; mouthpieces; reed adjustment; repair and maintenance; and accessories. Each chapter begins with "In this chapter you will learn..." and then outlines what is to be covered (e.g."What students need to help them develop a concept of clarinet tone"). Tom then goes on to very clearly, very succinctly, cover exactly what he says he will cover. His writing style is accessible to those that are new to these concepts, but also useful to more experienced clarinetists. Much of what he says I have used in my teaching (intermediate students through graduate students), and in my own performance. In fact, if I have any criticism of this book, it is that the title "The Educator's Guide to the Clarinet" seems a bit narrow. I consider it an essential guide for anyone - teacher, student, professional or amateur - who wants to gain greater knowledge of the clarinet. This joins Tom's previous publication, Clarinet Fingerings: A Comprehensive Guide for the Performer and Educator as a must-have for every clarinetist's library.

I bought the Get Ready for the Code Series with it's accompanying teacher/parent book for my 5 year old daughter this summer. What fun we had doing them. She asks to do "homework" all the time. Although she knew the letter sounds already, this was great reinforcement for her. And the opportunity she gets to work on her penmanship is also a plus. I also like that they break up the consonants into 3 books so she feels as if she has accomplished quite a bit when she finishes a book. After the first few letters she is able to work on most of the book herself. Her favorite by far is what we call the Riddle page, this page has pictures and you have to read the riddle and they have to find it on the page and follow the directions.

We cannont wait to begin the Explore the Code Books.

This is well worth the money and it 's fun too.

I purchased the ETC Primers ABC as an extra supplement to our homeschooling program. The primers are divided into three books: Primer A teaches the consonants b,f,m,k,r,t. Primer B teaches the consonants p,j,h,s,n,d. Primer C teaches the consonants c,l,g,w,y,v,z,q,x. There are twelve worktext pages for each letter. Your child will learn the sound of each letter. The concept of same/different, how to trace the shape of the letter with their finger, prewriting skills, and how to write the letter itself in lowercase. The series is geared toward children who are just learning their letters/sounds. If your child already knows the alphabet/sounds and is reading I would suggest utilizing Book 1 which is more challenging.

Both of my kids have been using Explode the Code since before they could read. We started them out using the Primers (Books A.B and C) and have continued onto the others. I like how these books practice phonics and handwriting. Good repetition without becoming too boring for daily use. My kids enjoy working from these and will ask if I forget to pull them.

The progressive phonics introduction, the engaging little drawings, the repetitive tasks, the systematic skill progression, among other educational objectives, all boil down to one fact ~ THIS WORKS! I've tried several other methods to assist my special child in spelling and reading. While these workbooks are marketed more as a supplement to a reading program, nothing has been more influential in my daughter actually GETTING IT! She is always eager to pull out her Explode the Code book first. The progess is consistently steady. My friend's child who is not learning challenged feels the same enthusiam. The publisher of this series also produces the wonderful Wordly Wise 3000 workbooks which are equally successful and well-received by my students.

I purchased "Get Ready for the Code" Books A-C for my 4.5 yo after our attempt with "Phonic Pathways." I started with "Phonic Pathways" because it was recommended in "WTM" and because she already knew most of the letter sounds. She totally hated it, and for me it was a chore and laborious. I went looking for something different and found "Get Ready for the Code."

She absolutely LOVES the "Get Ready for the Code" books. The amount of repitition is sufficient without feeling like you're never going to move on. We do 4- 7 pages each day and she totally gets it without being bored. I've seen a big difference in her willingness to figure out what words start with and spelling in general. (Now, this could be a function of maturation as much as the books, but I'm leaning more towards the influence of the books.) One reason for our success with the code books, I think, is that "Get Ready for the Code" is more hands on with handwriting, matching, and coloring. "Phonic Pathways" is not--or at least the way I interpreted it.

I haven't used any of the upper ETC books yet but am well pleased with the success that "Get Ready for the Code" has brought. We needed something that was gentle with repitition and we found it.

A Forgotten Voice: A Biography of Leta Stettler Hollingsworth
By Ann G. Klein, Ed.D

Which of us remembers when female students were not expected to excel in academic endeavors because of a belief that female physiology stood in the way of logical thinking and reasoning? Who of us can recall the time when equality in education meant that all children must learn the same things, at the same rate, and by the same processes of learning? Early in the 20th century, an exceptional young woman, Leta Stettler Hollingsworth, challenged those myths.
In her book, A Forgotten Voice: A Biography of Leta Stettler Hollingsworth, Dr. Ann G. Klein describes the hardships of Leta's early life and her struggle to take advantage of every educational opportunity possible to her. Leta's husband, Henry Levi Hollingsworth (Holly) was her constant companion, support and mentor. Together they moved from rural Nebraska to New York where each would find success and satisfaction though their involvement in the relatively new field of psychology at Columbia University's Teacher's College and at Barnard.

After a stint of baking lemon pies and researching the effect of caffeine in Coca Cola, Leta completed her graduate studies and had the opportunity to work with such eminent researchers and scholars as John Dewey, Lewis Terman, Edward Lee Thorndike, and Naomi Norsworthy. In addition to becoming an active feminist, Leta studied and worked with school children, primarily focusing on those who demonstrated very high intelligence. She was instrumental in founding the Speyer School, a New York City School for Exceptional students. Leta Hollingsworth served as educational advisor of the Terman classes for those students who scored 130 or above on the Stanford Binet IQ test.

In working with the Terman students, Leta introduced cooperative and thematic studies, observed the "special perplexities" (social and emotional needs) of gifted children, noted the frequency of uneven (asynchronous) development, and recognized the benefits of grouping gifted students to provide stimulus and challenge.

While the life of Leta Stettler Hollingsworth was cut short, her influence lives on. I thank Dr. Ann G. Klein and Great Potential Press for sharing her with us.

As a history buff and a lover of biographies with an interest in the studies of human potential, I found this book fascinating. What a great opportunity it was to get to know Leta Stetter Hollingworth from her own perspective as well as the perspective of her husband, family, co-workers, friends, and rivals. The book was nicely rounded, and the balance of personal information combined with historic and academic information was satisfying. Well, almost anyway. The book definitely left me wanting to learn more about Leta.

"A Forgotten Voice" is not just one more "I've got to read this because I should" biography. Dr. Klein has woven the threads of Leta Hollingworth's life and the strands of educational philosophy (both past and present) into a cloak well worth the trying on. I highly recommend this volume to anyone with an interest in gifted education/psychology and/or the lives of influential women. You will not be disappointed.

Far more than a biography, this book is also a history of gifted education and a snapshot of the life of the exceptionally gifted in our society. I learned a great deal while reading it, not only About Leta Hollingworth and her contemporaries in gifted, but about myself, and my fit within my world.

As a biography, "Leta" captures the imagination, taking you to turn-of-the-century Nebraska during the westward expansion. Life was not easy then, and Leta had a harder time of growing up than most. They say "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger," and this certainly applies to Leta's young life. Continuing to college at an early age, Leta faces a new challenge: she is a young woman in a man's world. While she is highly successful there, many still will not accept her, and her struggles continue.

As a history book, "Leta" is just as interesting, and should be required reading for any education or psychology degree program. The relationships between many of the leading historical figures in gifted psychology and education are explained, and the reader learns how their theories and experiences intertwine to form the basis of gifted theory of today.

And most importantly, Ann Klein has done a terrific job combining the elements of Leta Hollingworth's life into an enjoyable volume. Don't miss this book!

BOOK REVIEW
by
Bob Heckel

A Forgotten Voice: A Biography of Leta Stetter Hollingworth

by

Ann G. Klein, Ed. D.
Great Potential Press, Inc. 2002

Psychologists have rarely been the subjects of published biographies, or autobiograhies, for that matter. The few published exceptions have had little to do with their psychological contributions, but much to do with their personal lives. Elitist Henry Murray rated an extended biography and even a review in The New Yorker, not for his psychological contributions, but rather for his affair(s) and his social connections.

So it is a rare treat to find a biography of one of the early important female contributors to the areas of clinical, school and developmental psychology, Leta Stetter Hollingworth(1886-1939). Dr. Ann Klein has produced a major contribution in her work, despite the extreme difficulty of tracking down information on a very private, independent, determined, taciturn midwesterner(some might have called her "feisty"). Dr. Klein's effort took 12 years to completion, during which time she sought every possible source and visited the few living relatives, as well as the places of Leta' s early life, the small towns and rural areas of Nebraska.
Her task was made doubly difficult because her husband, eminent psychologist Harry Hollingworth, destroyed her letters, and gave her research papers to her colleagues. Some of her poetry remains, and are presented in the book.

This work documents and describes the triumph of Leta's overcoming the traumas of her mothers death when she was three, an errant and neglectful father, a cruel stepmother, life in the primitive conditions of prairie living in a sod cabin. From this she rose, through her determination and extremely high level of ability to successfully complete her college training at Nebraska. There she met her husband, Harry and together they sought degrees in psychology at Columbia. Leta faced the problems of all women of that time, a psychological community that felt higher education was inappropriate for them. The book rercounts her struggles, the important figures who played major roles in her academic life and interests, Thorndike, Terman and others. Well documented are the flowering of her intersts and work with the gifted which resulted in a number of books, papers and research projects, many still highly relevant 64 years after her death.

Her efforts on behalf of female equality brought her in contact with some of the most outspoken and radical feminists of the time. She a active participant in their work, though she was not a political liberal. She also held conservative views on eugenics, heredity and other topics, not unlike many eminent psychologists of that time( Cattell, Terman, Yerkes, Hall). In many ways reading about her views suggests positions not unlike Libertarians of today.

What is missing in this work is a glimpse of the inner person. Leta was very private, and if she left any of the kinds of notes which would help us understand her long illness with cancer(10 yrs.), her feelings about not having children, or a deeper insight into her relationship with her husband, this was not to be.What does come through is a triumph over incredible odds, and the achievement of the highest level of success by a very determined woman.

This is a book well worth reading. Thoe interested in the gifted might become acquainted with the press publishing this work. They offer a number of interesting works in this area.

Having been fortunate enough to personally know Henry Nichols and his family I feel that his father, Hank, did a wonderful job of portraying the love and support that was a part of their everyday lives in the face of the tremendous hardships that were a part of Henry's life. Henry was a brave,interesting and fun young man who showed the world that we can overcome great fears and live our lives to the utmost from climbing mountains to enjoying good food. He attended our daughter's birthday party just days before his accident and we still remember how he stationed himself at the fondue table and had the best time partaking of everything from cheese to chocolate and wanting the recipes !

Henry's life and his family's undaunting spirit would surely be an inspiration to anyone who reads this book.

Henry Nichols has an engaging writing style -- so much so that once you begin reading his book, you have a hard time putting it down. This memoir is more than a tearjerker; it's the story of one family's struggle with -- and ultimate triumph over -- adversity. Mr. Nichols has created a lasting tribute, not only to his high achieving son, but to his courageous family. A "must read" for everyone.

I find it to be an exceptional, moving, revealing story about Henry, his family, and the extreme challenges of dealing with a relentless disease.
From his childhood antics to his humor and his courage, Henry comes across as a wonderful and exceptional human being.
He knew who he was and what he wanted to contribute in spite of the raw deal handed to him. He took the unlikely and risky path of revealing his story about AIDS. The Boy Scout turned Eagle Scout chose to become an AIDS activist, first on home ground and, ultimately, across the world. His story is a tear-jerker. But it also is a testament to how exceptional people deal with exceptional challenges.
An uplifting message at the end helps bring Henry's story full circle. The message provides much-welcomed balance and perspective to an emotional, tragic, heart-wrenching story of a life lived well in spite of it all.

This book leaves a wonderful legacy for Henry Nicols and the entire Nicols family. For those of us who knew Henry and his family, the book does a wonderful job of recalling the love, courage and strength this family obtained from each other and gave to the rest of the world. For those who might not have been privileged to know Henry or the family, the legacy story inspires everyone to make a difference and to change the world in which we live. In my opinion, Henry Nicols embodied great characteristics that would make a wonderful President of our great country and we need that type of leadership now and into our future. I would recommend this book to everyone and will purchase copies to give to my family and friends. Everyone should read this book. Thanks you Hank for writing this story.

It is seldom that I am able to immerse myself in a book for more than an hour at a time. However, last night I laid on the sofa and began to read "Henry for President" and at 12:30 a.m. I had completed it. What a mesmerizing, gut-wrenching and inspirational account of not only Henry's remarkable life but of the amazing strength, love and courage of his entire family. I simply could not put it down! How this family made it through so many years of anguish is incomprehensible but the bond of this family made me long for a more personal relationship with my own children. Each chapter had me thinking I could be a better father and had me wondering how to make up for lost time with them. It also made me realize just how fortunate I am to have four healthy offspring.

Thank you Mr. Nichols, for writing Henry's story and sharing it with the world. I know it will change lives as it has mine.

I was already a huge fan of Rebecca Lobo before reading this book. 'The Home Team' gives you a look into the lives of Rebecca and Ruthann Lobo. It's such a real look at how their lives truly are and how much they love each other. After reading this book I was blown away by the courage both of these amazing women have shown in thier lives.

I had the opportunity to meet the Lobos at a seminar, and they are as congenial in person as they appear in this fantastic book. Each personal chapter of this narrative made me feel like I was almost a part of the Lobo family. I liked reading about how Rebecca and her brother and sister grew up, what it was like to be part of a team as tight as the Huskies, and how the family dealt with RuthAnn's cancer. I have read this book over and over, and my mother and grandmother both love it as well. It is definitely worth sharing!

Very well written and inspiring. Surviving with strength and heart to carry her family, Mrs. Lobo is amazing! Rebecca's tales of life and the heart ache of her moms struggle with breast cancer. They stuck together and beat it out! WAY TO GO MRS. & MS. LOBO!!!

I really love this book! I did not want to put it down. A couple of reasons I love the book is because now I know she was a normal child once and she did'nt always play basketball. I also liked it because her mom talked about her life. Now I know they had problems just like any other family does.

This book is a must read for all WNBA fans. Rebecca Lobo's life is revealed in many aspects, that of her point of view and her mother. It talks about many issues such as Ruthanne's struggle with breast cancer and how the family dealt with it. As a 15 year old girl, reading is not one of my favorite pastimes. When I heard of a book about my idol Rebecca Lobo, I decided maybe I should give reading a try. I finished the story in a total of two days and found myself waking up in the middle of the night wanting to know what was going to happen next. It is an extremely moving book in which I fould that it was very easy to relate to. As a basketball player, some of Rebecca Lobo's theories such as playing basketball to relive stress and cope with problems I use also. It gave a new perspective to why I am two different people a hustler and leader on the court and a shy and proscinator off of it. Athlete or not, this book will get you moving. It will leave the message in your heard that anything is possible and it will help you to get out and reach that goal that you have been striving for.

As a Professor in a School of Nursing Terry has had a unique perspective to describe the disease condition that she confronted at mid-life. Knowing Terry as a cabin mate and fellow nurse on the medical ship HOPE, before she experienced Multiple Sclerosis, I am aware, to a small degree, how difficult the adjustments she faced must have been. Her capacities to experience life were extremely strong, physically, mentally, emotionally and to have some of these forces challenged must have called for courage that I'm sure she was unaware she had. I marvel at the way she has managed her life to realize what she did to fulfill her need to care for herself properly, to give to her community--large and small--what she had to offer professionally, and to travel to know and understand the world as deeply and fully and she had dreamed. I feel so privileged to know Terry and of her "Life of Adventure". The book is a wonderfully practical guide of how to deal with this disablng disease. As a nurse teacher I would highly recommend this book as a resource for nurse students as a way to understand better the special challenges of patients with chronic disease conditions.

Teresa is an amazing and courageous woman. Her book is
uplifting and inspirational. Her life before and after
her diagnosis of MS was well written and I found I had to
finish reading it even though I had already started a
John Grisham novel. She has lived her life well and
fully. I recommend Life is an Adventure to anyone--
whether disabled or not.

This book is a good read for Non-disabled and disabled folks alike.
If you want to be uplifted and inspired read this book. Her premise: Life is what you make it, so make it a full life.
It is the deeply personal, biographical story of a woman who knows how to live life well.
It is also a practical manual on the changes (physical, emotional and mental) one goes through during the transformation from able bodied to dis-abled. And it is a resource full of up to date medical information and contact numbers.
I enjoyed reading this book and highly recommend it.

I read this book in one sitting and I really enjoyed it. I was impressed with the author's honesty and really appreciated her candor in reactions to each new development in her disease.

While she did not always have positive reactions at every stage, she focused on what she "could do" rather than staying in the "land of what she couldn't do." She was never a "Pollyanna" and I found that very refreshing.

I could relate to her anger with people that ignored her and/or her needs in various circumstances, as well as her inventiveness (i.e. peeong on the lawn) was not only entertaining, it made me think about how I have handled what life has thrown at me, how I handled that in the past, how I handle it now, and how I will handle it in the future.

The author comes across as a person that is in charge of her life, and I admire that quality.

I would recommend this book not only to people living with a chronic illness, but to anyone interested in living life to it's fullest.

A READER WITH LUPUS

I just finished reading this book and found I could not put it down.It is one of the most enlightening, well written, important books on living with a disability that I've ever read.The author's descriptions are so precise I really feel as if I'm there or following behind her. I can almost smell the food as she describes it or see the cobblestones on the uneven surface as she tries to manuver.
I feel this book is so important in seeing the world through the eyes of a disabled person that Iam requiring it for all of my staff.I thank the author for sharing her life with me. She is a most remarkable person.

The author tells a compelling story of life growing up female and disabled. We read a straightforward account of a child growing up in an era when women were supposed to marry and have children first and if necessary work to help support the family. As a disabled woman, there were no expectations that one could attract a man, physically give birth, raise children, or work in any meaningful way. Mary Mason did all of those things but nowhere in this book does she claim to be a superwoman. She moves through her life making choices, and as a scholar, reviewing them over time and finding her way to a truer sense of self. Her feminist beliefs are unimpeachable. Her move toward an understanding of her place in the turbulent world of the disability movement is honest: feminism came first and more easily in both a personal and political way. The movement toward a place in the world as a disabled person required more thought and analysis because there were fewer contemporaries with whom she could share her stories as a young woman. This book is a welcome addition to the genre of memoirs, but it in no way is a familiar story. It is news, and important news about the experience of living at the intersection of the feminist and disability movements at a time when both political bodies are in flux. You will not be bored by rhetoric though you will be challenged by Mason's manner of analyzing her family life, her work life, and her intellectual life, while staying true to her desire to tell her own personal story.

This wonderful book about healing and discovery should not be missed. It's incredibly well crafted. The story is fascinating, painful and uplifting.

Mary Mason, a critically acclaimed author and professor of English Literature bravely examines her own life to give an honest and revealing look at how our culture treats disabilities in particular women with disabilities.

I was completely engaged by this compelling story of this little girl growing up in the thirties with polio who overcame this incredible obstacle in addition to other tragedies to achieve success.

This book is an inspiration not only for women with disabilities but for all women. It examines the struggles we all face with tough odds to beat.

I highly reccommend it. It will touch you deeply.

This memoir is an inspiring insight into the personal life of a successful professor of English literature at a woman's college in Boston.

We gradually discover that her cheerful outward appearance at times masks a deep and profound private pain. The revelations in this book make it a spellbinding read.

Mason's account of her extraordinarily rich and productive life--traveler, educator, writer as well as wife and mother--makes us question our conventional response to what constitutes a "disability." Despite her inability to walk without crutches, Mason covered more ground than many able-bodied contemporaries. The book is a revelation and inspiration.

Life Prints: A Memoir Of Healing And Discovery is the story of Mary Grimley, who at the age of 6 years became America's first "poster child", dining with President Roosevelt at the Warm Springs rehabilitation center and posing in her wheelchair for publicity shots. Mary went on to became a remarkable scholar in the 1950s and 60s, refusing to focus on her disability and making herself a part of the revolution of ideas. Mason has spent her life struggling against the common cultural prejudice against disabled people, including the sexism of mentors, friends, family, and even herself. It was only after many years of physical therapy and social isolation, that she could emerge from the social and psychological handicaps imposed upon her because of her physical disability to embrace feminism, discover her life's work, and come to terms with herself. Life Prints is a candid, revealing, informative, and exceptionally well written autobiography that is highly recommended for women's studies and disability issues reading lists.

A very good primer on progressivism, liberalism and conservatism. Not a light read.

If you went to college and/or graduate school in the late 1950's or 1960's, chances are very good you read at least one of Richard Hofstadter's (1916-1970) books. Particularly "The American Political Tradition," "The Age of Reform," "Anti-Intellectualism in American Life," and "Paranoid Style in American Politics" were ubiquitous on college reading lists. And this was for good reason: Hofstadter many believe was the most incisive and insightful American historians of the first two-thirds of the 20th century. Coupled with his perceptive and innovative analytical abilities were writing talents that made his books fascinating to read.

Until now, there has not really been a full-scale biography of Hofstadter. This book, by David S. Brown, fills that gap very nicely. Brown has well handled the central challenge of writing about Hofstadter--how much attention should be devoted to the books and how much to the man? Someone who was born in the 1960's, as was the author, might well wonder what all the excitement was about. Brown's excellent discussions of the various Hofstadter volumes will clue such readers into his approach, prejudices, accomplishments, and contributions to the writing of American history. One also gets a pretty solid feel for Hofstadter the man as well. Brown has interviewed many who knew Hofstadter: his students (such as Dorothy Ross) and his colleagues at Columbia. He scoured oral history collections and published recollections as well. One of the most effective dimensions of the book is that Brown incorporates discussions of some leading historical interpretations that appeared at the same time as Hofstadter's books--some agreed with Hofstadter, others took issue with various of his positions, and an interesting dialogue resulted.

The research is solid; the writing flows very well, and the narrative is quite interesting. A helpful bibliographic essay, "The Search for Richard Hofstadter," concludes the volume and is quite useful. For anyone interested in the development of 20th century American historiography, or who is just curious about what was going on in this country's political history, Brown's book is a valuable and stimulating introduction.

Richard Hofstader is one of the foremost US Historians of this century even though his career was less than half as long as Arthur Schlesinger's and included no service to an incumbent President. His work is especially noted for interpretations reflecting a multiethnic more urban America and also lessons from social theory. Immense prestige within the scholarly community was complemented by books that are readable and more `popular' than most histories. Almost all College Graduates, at least through the 70's will have read one or more of his books. Continually historians and others have been stimulated by discussions of "social Darwinism," "anti-Intellectualism" and a "paranoid style" in American politics as well as his `take' on American Political thought and the Progressive era.

Interests in American intellectual history and in American historiography are central to this study. Insights on regionalism and politics in the academe add to the book. The Morningside and general New York intellectual environment are also evident. There is even some insight into the student rebellion of 1968 and its consequences.

My own enthusiasm is partly personal; I attended Columbia as a History major starting in the same class as Hofstader's son Danny (although I graduated a year early). Many of the personalities mentioned, as well as guest speakers at the Graduate History Lounge like Hannah Arendt and Phillip Curtin were part of my experience and some of Hofstader's books enlightened History and Government courses. However, any historian and especially students of the US should find much of interest.

David Brown does an excellent job in this "intellectual biography". There is probably no way it could be authored with the more exciting style of Hofstader himself. Nor will it find so broad a readership as books like "The American Political Tradition". It is a shame hat so many of Hofstader's works are out of print although this does reflect some further evolution in interpretation as well as new themes and approaches. Times have changed and the numbers of PhD's has boomed with ever more narrow studies and perhaps fewer stimulating interpretive books for the `educated reader'. As education has become increasingly more like job training and history as well as language and other substantial general education and critical thinking courses have reduced places in education intellectual and public discourse have eroded.

Brown reinforces awareness that history is not dates and facts, that it is not neutral, and that it is an evolving effort to understand our own day and its origins. Intellectual history and analysis of historiography, together with the better comparative histories, are the source of more realistic and better understanding - a more than welcome and mature improvement over ideologues and shallow discourse prevalent today. Education in general and the study of history in particular, is no absolute assurance against stupidity of leaders and public discourse. Yet without the study of history such foolishness is common.

I have read an except of this book, and a few reviews of it including all those heretofore posted on 'Amazon'. Thus what I have is an 'impression' of the book, and not an in-depth understanding.
My impression is simply that it is a very good book. One reviewer Ronald Clark says that David S. Brown meets the challenge well of narrating both the story of the life, and the content of the books, or the intellectual development.
This seems to me the key thing in a book of this kind. I recently read an excellent detailed biography of an important intellectual figure which went into every possible aspect of the daily life without confronting the ideas and the intellectual development. It simply did not do the job.
Brown sees Hofstader as not simply a committed liberal, but as a political thinker who was able to react to the changing challenges he met throughout his life. He was an intellectual whose thought involved reacting to events, and not simply fitting them into a predisposed pattern.
He has been faulted for misunderstanding and not doing real justice to ' conservative thought'. This may well be the case. But then again his major years of working and writing were years of such great Liberal predominance that this is in some way not surprising.
Hoftstader is credited with being the most savvy and moderate of the 'New York Intellectuals' especially in regard to his relation to and support of the Democratic Party.
In telling of the life Brown tells of Hoftstader's tragic loss of his first- wife, his successful second marriage. The father of two children, a son Dan from his first marriage, and Sarah from his second he seems to have been an excellent and responsive father. His son Dan speaks highly of him and of his irrevent sense of humor, a quality not especially felt in the books.
My sense is that this is a responsible and respectable work from which one can learn much about an important American intellectual.

Richard Hofstadter obeyed the unwritten rule: tenured liberal arts academics who teach at an "elite" university should make sure they are of great value to the Democratic Party. It is wise to place one's wet finger in the air to see which way the prevailing ideological winds are blowing. Was the admittedly great scholar a raving Left-winger? Nope, the reality is that Hofstadter may have been the most conservative member of the Columbia University faculty. Alfred Kazin even referred to him as "a secret conservative." There is little doubt, it must be added, that Hofstadter would have never had such a prominent and rewarding career had he been even slightly more right-wing. I suspect had that been the case, he would have been doomed to barely earning a living at a third tier school. The famous historian was a indeed a proverbial knee jerk liberal. He admittedly was no longer a Communist, but his secular faith in "New Deal" liberalism was near dogmatic. Furthermore, communism was possibly less dangerous that anti-Communism. Hofstadter was at best an anti-anti Communist. Republicans were deemed to be paranoid and reactionary. Left-wingers may occasionally get a little goofy, but they are essentially well meaning. It is those right-wing buffoons who are supposedly crazier than jay birds and warrant intense scrutiny. Thankfully, Hofstadter's commitment to rational thinking was sufficient to reject the radical left's attempt in the 1960s to take over Columbia's campus. The enemy was not always to the right. Sometimes it does reside on the left. These leftist students were nihilists, although perhaps unwittingly so, and not true reformers. If nothing else, Hofstadter deserves credit for realizing that a nonnegotiable line had been crossed. Biographer David S. Brown hits the nail on the head: "Hofstadter's selective use of the paranoid style brings to mind David Potter's earlier criticism of the status thesis. Like status, paranoia is a slippery concept that belies strict categorization and can be used indiscriminately to pathologize political opposition." "Always looking for the enemy on the right," continues the author, "Hofstadter never suspected liberalism's vulnerability to self-destruction."

Richard Hofstadter also inadvertently harmed the American Jewish community. His unrelenting focus on anti-Semitism in some conservative circles blinded him to the far more dangerous threat posed by leftist extremism. One wonders what Hofstadter would say regarding Columbia University's current pervasive Jew bashing. David S. Brown's book is well worth reading. Conservatives should make sure to obtain a copy. It will almost certainly help them to better understand the inevitable collapse of our once great universities.

David Thomson
Flares into Darkness

This is a well written book about a hero of WW II who was given the Legion of Merit, and the Distinguished Service Cross. The book reveals his patriotic character as a Christian missionary and a captain in the 14th Air Force Flying Tigers intelligence division and the OSS. John Birch's story is an inspiring account of a man committed to his ideas. It also reveals the political intrigue between the Nationalists, Communists, and America forces fighting the war in China and furthermore contributes to a deeper understanding of the political intrigue that occured in the U.S.A. during the waning yeas of the war. It's a book that can be easily read aloud to elementary aged children.

It was amazing to read this testimony of a Christian. I can only agree with so many of John Birch's convictions and views whether it is his stand against liberalism in American colleges and against communism abroad. If the message of John Birch had reached all of America in time, China would be a different nation today. There was a chance back then to defeat Chinese communism. It did not happen and look what a tyranny China is today. Most of all I like that John Birch stood squarely for the gospel of Jesus Christ, for the inerrancy of the Bible, for salvation by grace through faith, for soulwinning, for world missions. He must have had some strong dispensational, premillenial views. This book encouraged me greatly and I do recommend it esp. to college and high school students as well as those interested in Bible-believing mission work.

While there could be better books on John Birch, more than likely this is the only one that will ever be published. With this in mind, it is an excellent account of one of the true military heroes of World War II and a Christian as well. Birch's name has been sullied by its use for the right-wing political organization and few are aware of who he really was. Although he is slightly known in the fundamentalist Baptist circles that produced him, even then very little is known about him other than that he was a missionary in China who became an intelligence officer and was killed by Chinese communists at the end of World War II. The authors have done a good job of documenting his life. Every American, Christians especially, should read this book.

I found it difficult to put this book down before had I finished it, and I can't say that about many books that I have read.

The Hefleys did a superb job "painting a picture" of the short life of this incredible man. Birch was a very "intense" character; I got the impression he was always working on something, he was non-stop...whether it was the rescue of the Doolittle crew, or setting up an intelligence network across the entirety of China or most importantly, bringing Chinese brothers and sisters to Christ, John never let anything stand in his way.

It has been said (in this book and in other sources) that John's death was a result of his "irrational behavior" which in turn, was a result of 3 years of his non-stop activity behind enemy lines. But from what I read, I understand that John knew something that the rest of these people did not understand. You see, John was a very intelligent man...how many English-speaking people do you know are capable of mastering several Chinese dialects in 6 weeks?

John saw something about these "agrarian reformers--" he saw the pure wickedness within them. So John, at the very end of his life, was willing to sacrifice himself, in order to make a demonstration as to whether the Communists were our friend or our enemy. This very nearly became a tragic mistake--you see, John assumed that if the Communists killed him and thus demonstrated themselves to be our enemy, then the United States would immediately seek retribution and demolish the Communists, at least those in China. This turned out not to be the case. In fact, our US Government sought to cover up John's death. This the government did by listing the murder of Birch as an "accident--" that is, "he was killed by stray bullets" was the lie. And what was the reason for this cover up? Well, the Truman administration and their allies in the press did not want to make the murder public, lest there be resentment held by the American people against the Communists! And why would these conspirators care about something like that happening? Take a wild guess.

In spite of all this, a miracle did happen. A Chinese companion of John Birch, who was left to die with Birch, and who suffered nearly the same wounds as Birch, lived to tell his story. And the truth became known. Not by many people at first, but thanks to the loving dedication of Mr. and Mrs. George Birch (John's parents) and Mr. Robert Welch, the life and death of John Birch began to become known to millions of Americans. If it were not for the work of these three people, I guarantee you you would never have heard of this man John Birch, and neither would I be writing this review.

Unfortunately too many well-meaning Americans (some are even characters in this book) chastise Robert Welch for naming his Society after Birch. They say "John would never approve." From what I read in this book by the Hefleys, I get the impression that John would approve. (John's parents certainly approved!) John may not ever have joined the John Birch Society, however I know that he would have approved the hard work and dedication of Mr. Welch and members of the Society in "getting the word out." This is exactly what John wanted to have happen.

Forget about the society that bears his name and read the Real Story of an unusual Christian hero. John Birch, soul-winner, soldier and patriot is a man you would do well to read about, and Hefly-- a foremost Christian biographer-- does a great job presenting his story and the decisions of his conscience in the light of God's Word.

Good reading for any Christian and especially any Independent Baptist.