Genres Books

As you have probably guessed by now, this audio is one family's account of their emotional journey through the process of adopting a Russian child. This story serves as an example for others who are interested in pursuing the adoption process, and is filled with hope and disappointment, love and loss, happiness and despair. A good job from a new audio publishing venture.

If anyone has journeyed down the road of international adoption, they empathize with the author's every pen stroke. The book starts off with John describing a little girl who longs to be adopted after her best friend is adopted. He captures what this little girl was surely going through in heart-touching detail, having obviously been told first-hand what it was like to be so lonely, teetering on the verge of losing hope. The delicate feelings of many sweet children, as well as the see-saw emotions of the would-be mom and dad, who never gave up, are captured so vividly in this book. This book is based on actual experiences. Knowing that simply makes the tears of sadness and joy flow more freely as you live this experience. If you haven't experienced internation adoption, you just might find yourself Google'ing 'Russian Adoption' before you finish.

I received an advance copy of this book some months ago. The commercially edited version is just as good, and perhaps flows a bit better. While written as "fiction" to protect privacy, almost all of the events depicted are taken directly from John and Amy's experience in adopting three children from Russia.

The book offers a tremendous amount of insight into the bureaucratic world of international adoption. But this isn't a "how-to" book on adoption. It is a story of love, hope, fear and triumph. There are no villains. Most of us will live a whole lifetime without ever encountering a real villain. There are problems to overcome. Differences of opinion. Of course there is bureucracy..........can't be helped. In short, it is a story of life - several lives really. And that makes it a story we can all relate to.

Three Russian orphans had their lives changed forever because someone was willing to love them and pay the price to salvage them. The story teaches that we can all save someone. You need to read the book, and if you ever get the chance to hear John or Amy tell you their story personally, do whatever it takes to do so. It will change your perspective on life.

i really enjoyed reading this book and could barely put it down until i finished it. i would recommend this novel whether you are considering adoption or not. it is a wonderful story about the love of a family.

This book is a must-read for anyone considering adopting a
child from overseas. It also is an eye-opener if you know
someone who has. You will discover they've gone on a journey
that may be marvelous but also was filled with emotionally
draining setbacks and disappointments. But a warning to
everyone else: After you finish this you might very well
want to adopt a child yourself. The dedication, under a
picture of four older girls and one younger one, foreshadows
the joy and sorrow ahead: "For Marina, Svietta and the girl
in the blue bandana. Three beautiful young woman who saw
past the shards of their own shattered dreams, to find joy
in the fulfillment of hope for a beloved younger sister in
tribulation, who they would never see again in their lives.
You will trouble my thoughts and dreams as long as I live."

We follow the fictionalized account of Mike and Laura Knight
(who have two sons of their own) as they adopt two girls
from Russia (Katya and her younger sister, Luba, who lives
in a different facility). John Simmons wisely begins the
story with Katya at an orphanage in Partizansk. We feel her
disappointment as a friend leaves and through one of the
workers, Sofia, experience the mixture of hope and cynicism
characterizing post-Soviet Union Russia. There are then some
contrasting chapters between the orphanage and the Knights'
life in America that create early drama. Once the adoption
process is in full motion there is drama enough to carry us
forward. There are also a few surprises for readers. Mike,
we discover half way through the book, was a Mormon
missionary to Brazil for a year when he was a young man. And
Laura has a revelation about her own past that adds
poignancy to the story.

I love the cover but the title is too Walt Disney-ish
(though it takes on added significance in the final
chapters). Some description of the early adoption process
seems as if it were out of a brochure, and the interaction
between the couple at times feels sugar coated. But the
children are real, real, real. And there is no doubt the
author and his wife have experienced each stage of this
process themselves. He speaks with absolute veracity. Why do
we write? Sometimes it is for escapist pleasure or to
discover some profound truth. But there is also the sharing
of experiences that help us understand life a little better
and appreciate the goodness of the human heart. That may not
make for great literature, but it just might provide
something more important.

When we meet the children, through Mike and Laura, it is as
if we are trying to assess what we see, do the right thing
for the officials and pick up the Russian word or two that
will allow us to connect with each girl. Even more
interesting are the girls' first experiences being
overwhelmed by too many choices and the couple's early
attempts to exercise some parental control. Then there is
Mike's mother dying of cancer back in the United States.
Like the two girls she is, "...torn between two worlds, not
bearing to leave, not bearing to stay." When I finished the
book I went out and bought a small present for my
one-year-old grandson. What miracles children are. What joy
they return to our lives.

Only Max Morath and his wife, photographer Diane Skomars, could have created this book. It's a beautifully designed time capsule, a portrait of a showman who, though he plays music from the turn of the century, is very much a man of the present. The iconography of the freeway -- lurid hotel, restaurant, and gas station signs -- is part of this story, as well as Max's pithy words on chocolate malts, where to sit on an airplane (on the aisle toward the front), and a thoughtful final essay called "Thinking About the Music" wherein Max tells us exactly where American popular music came from.

This is a non-fiction book you can actually read! It's funny, truthful, revealing, exciting and fun. Max approaches this book the way he approaches his music--with vigor and enthusiasm. The pictures have depth--you get to know Max through the photography. Would highly recommend it!

Max Morath and Diane Skomars have created a handsome book celebrating Max's career as a channeler of American popular culture. Max loves the American present as much as he loves its past. He's been stirring the melting pot for fifty years now, mixing musical styles, fact, fiction, humor, and social observation. This book is much like a Morath concert--that is, it is sweet, funny, and wise. Skomars' photographs gorgeously depict the world of "Present Max"--a world of fast food, lookalike motels, freeway signs--as he travels to take "Past Max" to audiences everywhere. A beautiful evocation of Max at work and on his way to work.

In all of the mass of literature about American entertainment, there are only a few books that give you an accurate idea of what show business is really like -- ACT ONE, by Moss Hart, THE TROUBLE WITH CINDERELLA, by Artie Shaw, ALL OF MY BEST FRIENDS, by George Burns, and the occasional passage in a star's autobiography (Sophie Tucker, Billy Rose, Little Richard).

Now, THE ROAD TO RAGTIME has joined that select company. Thanks to Max Morath and Diane Fay Skomars, we have a document that shows what real American show business is like in the late 20th Century trenches -- the one-man show, the community concerts circuit, the roadhouses and honky-tonks, radio, television, and anywhere else there's an audience ready to be entertained.

Max Morath is one of America's greatest entertainers. He's one of those magical peformers who's able to get the audience in the palm of his hand the moment he takes the stage. What's extraordinary is that he's been able to be so successful without ever compromising the integrity of his music.

He's a national treasure -- and this terrific book helps us unlock it.

-- Murray Horwitz National Public Radio

Only Max Morath and his wife, photographer Diane Skomars, could have created this book. It's a beautifully designed time capsule, a portrait of a showman who, though he plays music from the turn of the century, is very much a man of the present. The iconography of the freeway -- lurid hotel, restaurant, and gas station signs -- is part of this story, as well as Max's pithy words on chocolate malts, where to sit on an airplane (on the aisle toward the front), and a thoughtful final essay called "Thinking About the Music" wherein Max tells us exactly where American popular music came from.

I recently bought this book back in August and am stillreading it, its thatgood. First of all, this book only deals with "True Metal" bands only. There are no NuMetal, Grunge, hair,etc.What you get is different genres of Metal. American Thrash, British Thrash, Death, Black, Doom/Gothic, Power, American Heavy Metal, Swedish Heavy Metal, Japanese Metal, NWOBHM, NWOAHM, Brazilian Metal, etc. Band histories and discography are very well done. No longer will you have to buy individual Metal books. Its allhere. In fact, flipping through theAmerican Thrash section, I discovered several Canadian Thrash bands that totally shred. Ended up buying several of their cd's. Garry Sharpe Young has put together the best book on Metal out there for the True Metal fan. If you're a Metal Maniac, buy this now, trust me.

Got this gift for my husband who is a metal fanatic. He loved it. He said it was the best gift he ever got. I would recommend this for any metal enthusiast!

My favorite still is the Encyclopedia of Metal as a generic guide, but when I saw this one come out this year, I picked up a copy, and it was well worth it. Not only is it also a complete guide, it divides the bands into Genres of metal, that way you can pick up the book, look at the contents and get organized alphabetical answers in each Genre. And all the big bands are included. Again, a great book to have for the Metal head. Check this one out.

This is the best metal book ever assembled. This and the "Encyclopedia Of Heavy Metal" are the greatest metal books. nuff said everything that is metal is this book!

This book is basically a big thick encyclopedia of different metal bands. The author did a really good job of writing about bands that are purely metal, as opposed to other metal books that just get all ridiculous and have entries on Pearl Jam and Insane Clown Posse, but leave out a lot of important bands. Pretty much every band that should be in here is in here. The only band that I was really surprised was missing was Melvins (it was also kind of surprising that the Japanese band Boris wasn't in here either). Anyway, the focus on metal means that many hard rock bands that are either considered to be metal or proto-metal are not in here. So that means no Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, Deep Purple, or AC/DC. There's also no hair metal and no nu-metal.

The book is broken up into sections for different genres/categories of metal. Because there are so many genres of metal and so many different metal bands, this sounds like a bad idea, but the categories are split up pretty well. Every band entry is pretty informative and includes a discography. Most entries for bands span multiple pages. Entries for more popular bands like Black Sabbath, Metallica, and Anthrax span several pages and had all kinds of information I had never read before. So while reading this I've never really gotten the feeling that I'm just reading a bunch of stuff that I've read before, which is a huge plus with this kind of book. Also, the band entries are often accompanied by a band photo, which is nice.

Anyway, I guess I would sum up my thoughts on this book as thus: If there were a college course on heavy metal, this would probably be the textbook you'd have to buy.

The book is great.It gives really all the information about Michael Jackson for his fans.This book should be in every Michael Jackson fans' home to look back for his story.

i really dug this book on The KIng Of Pop.Adrian Grant has done great stuff on MIchael.this book gives dates of his Writting&Production and ALbums released.also Concerts.very well in depth Profile on THE Man.getting this book helped me get songs that he did for others oe sung on.MICHAEL JACKSON is STILL THE BADDEST ARTIST ALIVE TODAY.nobody can count MJ out.

I thought this book was absolutely wonderful. I have loved Michael Jackson all my life and this book helps people like me know more about what he went through. I thought the book was great and also I think MJ is the greatest.

This is the best book that was ever published about Michael Jackson. It is informative, accurate, well written and gives the world a very wonderful insight into Michael and his achievements. Adrian Grant has done it again!

I have just had the book 2day , Its great , its really worthy , If you like the man , you have hundreads of pictures inside , they are all great , the book tells the story of MJ day by day , from the day he was born till 1997 , everything you wanna know about michael , you will have it here...

This is most recommended who loves Jazz and/or ever been a fan to Duke from the past and the future. I always been a long-time supporter to him since I was 9 or 10. This is definitely going into my book collection alongside Autobiography of Malcolm X, Miles: The Autobiography, Revelations: There's a Light After the Lime, Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye, Hip-Hop America, As Though I Have Wings: The Lost Chet Baker Memoir, and mos definitely the Bible.

I'm a huge fan to the memoir/biography section than I do most books I read about life and stuff. This would go on forever in a lifetime.

Sometimes self-serving, somewhat pretentious, but indispensable. Edward Kennedy Ellington, the greatest composer this country has ever produced, in his own words.

Classic. If you consider the classic elegance of Edward Kennedy Ellington, it should come as no surprise that his prose is as lyrical and poetic as his music. This is a wonderful collection of writings. It is in effect an arrangement of essays and short pieces written with what I suspect is love about the love of his life-jazz, or music itself, if you will. The book contains many short pieces-impressionistic sketches and characters of persons that Duke Ellington knew-musicians, friends, acquaintances, public figures. But it also has a variety of essays-longer subjects interwoven with themes and counterpoint. Ellington's is exquisitely musical prose-again, not to be surprised. The organization is chronological, narrative, more or less. Duke organizes with autobiographical passages followed by short portraits-Dramatis Felidae-that demonstrate the concreteness through brief descriptions of the persons that he knew with anecdotes that define them. The book covers a life filled with friends and experience. The variety is tremendous, and the life and the career are masterpieces. The themes and subjects are multifaceted. This is Duke Ellington's poetic literary suite posing as prose, and it should not be missed. Really-it's great poetry and a terrific compendium of jazz history and experience.

Wow what a book. The best part about this book is that Duke wrote it. You get it straight from him. I recommend this book to anyone into the music.

His accounts of his younger days were what most appealed to me. He pays so much respect to the people he was surrounded by, both his family and the community of musicians. Sometimes the many names dropped can be a bit much, but that was just his style--always letting people know who helped him, who mentored him, who taught him, who he admired. There's scarcely a mean-spirited word in the whole book!

There is a lot of variety to the way he tells his stories. Sometimes its through the name dropping profiles; sometimes its through interviews reprinted for this book; sometimes its through out-and-out philosophical dissertations about music and life; sometimes it's in the midst of his endless travelling of the globe with his band.

For the musician looking for tips and advice, there's plenty of Duke wisdom provided throughout. His overall love for music and musicians is just SOOO apparent. My favorite piece of advice is that he said he learned music exclusively through oral instruction, from people in the scene who would share techniques and secrets seemingly as freely as idle conversation (how different the musical climate is these days!)

The last third or so of the book get a bit tedious for this reader. There just wasn't a lot of variety to his accounts of globetrotting and meeting all the important people in all the countries. What kept me going through these sections were the occasional gems of advice or insight, but there's more of that in the first half of the book. Thank god for the end of the book, a funny interview where the interviewer is REALLY condescending to Duke, but Duke gets through is with all the grace, wit, intelligence, and humor that makes him such a compelling person, composer, and most of all, a genius and musical mystic.

Thank the Duke for this book, and allowing us to get a glimpse of his life and all his amazing stories!

I'm a great fan of autobiography. Granted, often it is sanitized and self-serving, but there's nothing like hearing a person tell their own life, especially if the life is as important as this one. Without a doubt, Duke Ellington was the century's greatest American composer and bandleader; the only ones who even come close to him (Aaron Copland, George Gershwin, Cole Porter) had neither his longevity nor his variety. And none of them also maintained a working band through six decades! I own almost every recording ever released by Duke Ellington; his music has become indelibly printed on my brain. This book may not be the most accurate account of his life (if you can handle a little armchair psychology, the Collier biography is the best choice for that), but this is like sitting in a room hearing Duke talk -- and play!

It tells alittle bit about the history of Nirvana but its mostly about the making of Nevermind and about the songs. Its pretty good.

This book gives an excellent account of what led to the great CD we now know as Nevermind. It briefly describes Nirvana's rise to stardom and gives a glimpse into the personalities of the members, but is at its best in describing how the actual production of the album went. Using numerous sources, the author lets us listen to Nevermind in a completely different way. The only downside is that it is a relatively short work, and I left wanting more

This is an excellent book on Nirvana, and it is too sad that it is out-of-print. It contains important interviews and write-ups from several pop culture mags of that era on the band--on performances--on their overall views...

Does this signal that Kurt was right: Grunge is dead?

Well, perhaps dead but not yet interred into the earth.

Yeah, yeah, it's really lame to buy a book about them and all, but this isn't just another stupid ripoff fan book- this is really good stuff. It's funny. It's sad. It gives Courtney a chance to look less evil- I changed my mind about her because of this book. And it's not just about Kurt like most Nirvana books are- there's a good amount of stuff on Krist and the various drummers as well. Serious Nirvana fans really need to read this.

There are a lot of crappy books out there about Nirvana, but this isn't one of them. Contains some of the most revelent articles and nirvana related material. Very interesting and a must have if you are a Nirana nut like me. :)

This book rules! It was a straightforward and fun read, though the language borders on colloquial at times. Recommended for those who like any kind of punk rock memoirs or cometbus, but be mindful this is NOT a formal documentation the scene at the time (though it doesn't CLAIM to be!), it is before anything a coming of age centered around the authors experiences and the effect that hardcore & punk had on his life, which is inspiring and very easy to relate to. Also recommended for fans of the author's podcast which is rad.

My cajones are mentioned in this book. Twice.

Is that a reason to buy it? No. Is it a reason to love it? Unequivocally.

Here's an old school Go! for all you new school kids...Go! pick this book up. You'll be glad you did.

I just got this book a week ago and I am so sad that I finished it already! It was fantastic! I visited/lived in New Brunswick at the same time and am the same age as Ronen, so I just kept finding myself laughing out loud and exclaiming "I was there!" or "We did that!" for many of the events in the book...It was such a trip down memory lane for me! Besides that, it is so well written and really makes you feel like you are experiencing things right along with the author...so even if you have never been to New Brunswick, you really get a taste of what it was like there! If you read this book, you WILL enjoy it! :)

All you need to know if you're looking at the page already, is that yes, it's way worth picking it up. GO!

If you need more prodding, then I'll just say that this book almost fully encapsulates what it was like to grow up with the hardcore scene as a driving force in your life. If this is something you can relate to, you'll find yourself remembering so many stories from your own past and looking back on how you reached the point you're at now. If this is something new to you, you'll find that while the soundtrack is different, the themes are universal to all alienated kids searching for their place in the world, and Ronan so perfectly puts into words what we all were thinking and feeling.

Also, if you dig the book, check out Ronen's podcast Issue Oriented.

I can honestly say that this is the best book i've read in a while.

I liked Kauffman's anecdotes about the New Brunswick of my brother's day, a New Brunswick I had just left. His tales of mishaps and crazy roommate stories made me laugh. His musings of figuring out who he was and who he was going to be made me nod in remembrance.

i havent read the book myself, but we are currently preparing to go on stage with this as our musical. i play mama euralie

even if you hear the music a thousand times, which i have you still wanna hear cause its catchy

Once On This Island is a fabulous show! It may seem different in the beginning, but if you really read into the story and hear the music it'll send chills up your spine! This music has so much spirit and warmth behind it! I played "Asaka, Mother of the Earth" last summer, and I looved it! BUY THIS BOOK!

I havent actually read this book, but our school put it on (well we will in a week or two), and I just wanted to say how AMAZING the music is!!!

Though I don't actually have the book, i have seen it. It is amazing!... This is my favorite musical. My highschool did it two years ago and everyone absolutely loved it. It's awesome, and it comes away from comformaty. BUY IT!... it is SO awesome.

i was in a class musical and i fell in love wiht the music from the play Once on This Island, months later i decided to get this book just so i could sing the songs, it has all of the famous (favourite) songs, waiting for life (a stranger in white), walk with me, and others. the only thing i found wrong was soe of the notes sounded different than on the cd. but oh well, nothing is perfect, they are great songs, very catchy, buy the book. :) -kara

Well researched and poetically rendered, this book tells a compelling story of The Little Town That Could. It's not just for R.E.M. fans, either; some of the best passages take the reader to the early 70s, when chance meetings, boredom, a thriving gay subculture, and some unsung movers-and-shakers who watched from the wings made things happen. Rodger Lyle Brown was there for much of the action and he captures the voices (and vices) of scores of characters who sowed the seeds that were reaped by bands such as the B-52's and R.E.M..

This book is a must for anyone interested in the Athens music scene (REM, B52s). Actually, it's insight on the challenges new bands face in breaking through makes it a must read for anyone in the music business. Greatly entertaining and a fast read. And I actually knew a few of the people mentioned in the book.

It's great to see this book back in print - seemingly a modest look into a grass-roots community of eclectics and artists, PARTY OUT OF BOUNDS actually presents a valuable piece of history - the rise of the Athens GA music and arts scene.

The reverberations from Athens ultimately threw a spotlight onto similar developments in Austin, Boulder, Chapel Hill, Winston-Salem, Minneapolis, Seattle/Olympia, Monterrey MX, and countless other places off the beaten track of the commercial culture industry, spawning a tremendous amount of great and influential work in the process, and this book is - amazingly - still one of the only documents of it all.

Browne was a part of the scene, so his resources, contacts and memories aid in the construction of a rich cultural history. The DIY spirit of the times has been reflected in other works (Clinton Heylin's FROM THE VELVETS TO THE VOIDOIDS springs to mind) focusing on other places, but certain other aspects - the diversity among the people and participants - is largely overlooked in most histories, and Browne gives the art influences, the 'Southern' influences, and the gay influences that all formed some of the scene's foundations the respect they deserve.

And Browne does detail just how stressing and grueling being in a struggling young rock band can be - the joy and the myth is here for sure, but so is the work and financial strain. Browne hits the perfect balance in the writing - he manages to convey, with equal import, the cultural significance, and the fun and energy in scenes like the one that exploded in Athens, and one is also left with a great picture of how such developments can impact (culturally) cities and towns for decades afterwards: again, though this book is Athens-specific in its' historical focus, this in many ways is the story of many places.

At every level, this is an essential recounting of the history of grass-roots and underground creativity in the US.

-David Alston

Just so that the author isn't the only one posting reviews, let me just say that I've lost track of the number of times I've enjoyed this book. Every time I reread it, it conjures up a movie in my mind, artistic college kids in the deep South living to party and play music. Although I grew up in Minnesota, the early punk/new wave scene of the late seventies was much the same here as it was in Athens, GA, and the (hazy) memories of that time are lovingly recounted here.

Hey folks. Yes, this is a facsimile of the original edition from 1991, except this one has a great new cover that's much more like what I wanted for the first edition. Got a new intro, too. Folks have been asking for copies for years, but it's been out of print (with used copies for as much as $50, if you can imagine). If you have any rem, b's, or otherwise fans of athens, let em know.

Any questions, email me at rodlbro@aol.com

rodger brown (author)

This book, gives an incredibly close look at Boston legends, the Pixies', best album. Way ahead of its time, Doolittle is probably in my top 10 greatest albums of all time and Ben Sisario goes straight to the source to dig up the dirt on it. Ben literaly takes a ride with the Pixies frontman, Charles Thompson (AKA Black Francis, aka Frank Black) in Thompson's big body Cadillac where he spills the beans on some of his most violent/beautiful/mysterious lyrics. From the first demos to years of obscurity on the shelves of record stores, you get to look from all angles (except Kim Deal's, who refused to be interviewed) at this influential and monumental masterpiece and truly understand it's beauty and significance.

While the 33 1/3 series seems short, it's the perfect length to tell the story/history of great albums. By the time you get through the first chapters, you're chomping at the bit to listen to Doolittle. And yes, you'll go back to these wonderful books for info on songs, recording techniques, and to re-read weird stories attached to different songs. Buy them and enjoy.

Doolittle has been my favorite album since it came out... I read this book sitting on a beach in Vancouver, CA, surrounded by drag-queens, interpretive dancers, Sikhs, Chinese families, and with a fireworks show in the harbor... the surrealism of the surroundings was only enhanced by the book...
Sisario's humor and obvious literary knowledge made this book about one of the greatest albums and bands ever an amazing treat... art, philosophy, music, biography, psychology, all compounded to make this an ideal book for even non-Pixies fans.

Ben Sisario's Doolittle is the most insightful book in the 33 1/3 series I have read so far. His interviews with Charles Thompson (Frank Black, Black Francis) and others involved in the formation of Doolittle make this a near perfect resource. This book has made listening to Doolittle, if you can believe it, even more enjoyable!

Outstanding study of Doolittle and snapshot of the Pixies themselves. Rare access to Frank Black, very illuminating analysis. Highly recommended.