Western Books

wow !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! hank the cowdog is a great book for the family or by yourself . john r erikson did a wonderful job on this book . you need to read it to belive it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

I love all the Hank books, and this is a great one for the Christmas season. These books are hilarious and more important to the young reader, fun to read. I'd also check the rest of the series.

Author of "Hobo Finds A Home" editor "Of A Predatory Heart"

This is one of my favriote books it is funny and exciting. It takes the perspective of a cowdog on a ranch in east texas. That thinks he is head of ranch security and goes through a lot of hillarius storys.

In this book a buzzard gets hurt, and he gets taken care of.Well,one day Slim,Little Alfred, Drover(the dog),and Hank(the dog)was driving to town to get Christmas presents,and a buzzard named Wallace flew into the wind shield.He got hurt pretty bad,and Little Alfred begged Slim to take him home and take care of him.Slim took him home after he went shopping,and cured him.Then Wallace flew away with his son happily ever after.

Hank the cowdog is "head of ranch security," and tend to act like Barney Fife. the entire seires of Hank the Cowdog stories are hilarious. The story is told from the perspective of Hank and the animal characters in this story, such as Drover, the young pup in training for ranch security, are constantly causing problems for Hank. In one story Hank gets sick after eating a frying pan full of bacon grease. He knows what he should and should not do, but always finds himself being overcome by his true nature--egotistical, gluttonous, etc.

Read this book and you will be addicted to Hank.

This is a very good geology book. The American west is hideously complicated, and Mr Meldahl does a great job explaining it. He develops his concepts and uses aerial and satellite photos along with diagrams to illustrate. Being young and hence having completed his education recently, he brings to the text all the latest ideas and vocabulary.

And it does look as if we are getting a solid handle on it. His discussion of the horizontal subduction of the Farallon plate, and of its extra thickness suppressing vulcanism, was particularly timely. Just yesterday I read a story on Science Daily (dot com) about an area of Alaska lacking volcanoes. The authors of the paper gathered data indicating that the plate being subducted there posessed an extra thickness and was sliding along horizontally without actually sinking. I knew exactly what they were talking about, thanks to Hard Road West!

Many such prizes exist in the text. Read this book to get up-to-date on this complicated topic.

In 1985 the PC game "Oregon Trail" became available. My daughter and I played it when she was in grade school around 1988. I learned that about 135,000 people took the Oregon Trail. Mr Meldahl tells us that a total of 400,000 people took the California Train and Oregon Train together from 1841 to 1869 when the railroads went through. That leaves around 265,000 gold rushers. Was it really the greatest mass migration in American history? (preface pp xv) An average of 300,000 vehicles passed over the George Washington bridge every day in 2002. (NYSDOT 2002) You be the judge.

But why quibble? It is the journey that interests the author, and he uses his sources well. The many first-person quotes really were good, as were the contemporary illustrations.

So let's join Keith in raising a toast. I'll open a Heineken in their honor, and his, tonight. "Hey, I liked your book, man!"

As we make our way west Mr. Meldahl enlightens us not only to the features we pass but how we ourselves came to inhabit our planet. As we absorb the latest gripping geology we imagine with regret how much this knowledge would have pleased the pioneers. I know and love many of these places and now my excitement is magnified by this narrative. The inclusion of the photo of his dog Scout is one of the author's brilliant human touches. The merging of interjected historical records, romantic and unromantic impressions of travelers then and now with broad but incisive academic detailing into an even flow of narrative is astonishing. Superb drawings, maps and photos supplement and enlighten the text. I cherish this book. John Weiler

If you like geology, you will love this. Not a quick read and all the better for it. This discussion of how the West was formed makes the travails of the travelers West in the mid-nineteenth century seem superhuman. Every other chapter enlivens the material with excerpts from emigrant diaries. These are memorable! The book is well sourced,has helpful photographs and drawings and has a glossary of geologic terms. I found it hard to put down and even inspiring.

I did not know much about geology when I started, but I knew a lot after reading this lovely mixture of history and enthusiastic, clearly explained geology. The book is also a pleasure to hold and read. Excellent [though 'auriferous' has nothing to do with iron- 'fer' [aquifer, conifer]and ferr' are different roots].But that's trivial!

This is a really good book, a great read. The author is a gifted writer and he beautifully weaves the tales of the emigrant travels to California with the landscape geology that they had to cross. I am a big reader of geology books and this is one of the best that I have read. With all due respect to Mr. Mcfee who pioneered this genre (and I have also read and enjoyed over the years), I think this book is at least as good and maybe even better. First of all, Hard Road West uses numerous pictures and diagrams to explain complicated geological principals which are invaluable for understanding the geology. And Hard Road West lets the emigrants themselves tell the story though their travel journals. Its a wonderful approach and makes the geology jump out of the page as you follow the emigrants almost step-by-step through their many travel hardships crossing the west to reach California. He is a really fun writer and I look forward to many other books by him in the future. Highly recommended.

SO many times you pick up a novel expecting to be entertained, but for that entertainment to last you also have to believe in the story and want to keep reading. Sherwood's work is not only entertaining, but not once did I skip ahead with a longing sigh for reality (a big achievement!) The plot is engaging, the characters sympathetic and real (no obviously trumped up stereotypes in this!) and the ending is very satisfying in a way that is both unexpected and relieving, as well as brutally realistic. (key words: realistic realistic realistic) His attention to character and environment is truly exceptional. I am impatiently awaiting his next literary endevor!

What an outstanding novel! It was thoroughly enjoyable. The western setting is authentic and you quickly feel like you are a part of the community. Similar to other reviewers - I was sorry when I finished it. I am looking forward to Steve's next novel!

I just finished Steve Sherwood's novel Hardwater and I'm very disappointed...that it's over! I couldn't put the book down. Mr. Sherwood has created such compelling characters that I feel like they are a part of my real life. I am a suspense and mystery novel buff, but Hardwater is the most emotionally involving novel I've read in a long time. Get this book, then get settled into your favorite chair, because you won't be getting up for a while! The setting, politics, relationships between characters is a joy to behold. When is Mr. Sherwood's next novel coming our way?

Hardwater is a hidden gem of a suspense novel set in the contemporary American West. The story opens on a gruesome crime scene, and a journalist intent on sniffing out the identity of a serial killer with a knack for verse.

Underneath this murder mystery is an issues novel about the contemporary American West, where native tribes and white farmers battle over water rights, and failed uranium mines sit abandoned in the landscape, to be approached with Geiger Counter in hand.

But more than the mystery or the provocative issues, what makes Hardwater such an enjoyable read is its fantastic setting. Hardwater is a world of granite monoliths, tribal customs, and wide open spaces. Fans of Tony Hillerman and John Nichols will eagerly devour this worthy winner of the 2003 George Garrett Prize.

If you're looking for a fine, fast suspense, Hardwater is a book you won't want to miss. Outstanding characters, fast paced plot, interesting setting--this novel has it all. Not to be missed.

I have been reading philosophy for a long time now and occasionally, when I talk about it to my friends, I get asked where one can start when it comes to a massive subject like philosophy. Before this book, I would have a hard time pinpointing a good source for a newcomer because most books out there are either boring and dull college books or books that are way too complicated and wordy for anyone without a background to enjoy them.

This series turned out to be perfect for starting a journey in philosophy or brushing up on your ancient Greek philosophy - where it all started. It is a pity that it does not include some Eastern thought schools that are very important to explore but I suppose it had to limit itself on some scale. It is easy to comprehend, laid out rather nicely and often enough refers to former chapters so you don't lose the thread. Not only does it give paragraphs of good translations of the original texts from Plato and Aristotele etc, but it also enriches these thoughts with its own neat and current examples.

I highly recommend it. It was a very pleasant read.

This item was in very good shape and came to me in no time. It was shipped the same day of the purchase and i got it 2 days later.

This book offers an excellent summery of the basic teachings, understandings, and doctrines from Thales of the pre-socratics to the late Classical period in Rome (Epicurus, Cicero, Epictetus, Marcus Aurelius, ect). The History of Western Philosphy Series is an excellent addition to the mind and bookshelf of all scholars who maintain interest in the evolution of the human mind. This specific book goes well hand in hand with F. M. Cornfield's "From Religion to Philosophy (A Study in the Origins of Western Speculation)."

This book, 'The Classical Mind', is the first volume of a five-volume series on the history of Western Philosophy by W.T. Jones, professor of philosophy in California. This series is a very strong, thorough introduction to the course of Western Philosophy, beginning at the dawn of the philosophical enterprise with the pre-Socratics in ancient Greece to the modern thinkers such as Wittgenstein and Sartre. It has grown, over the three decades or so of its publication, from one to four then to five volumes. It has remained a popular text, and could serve as the basis of a one-year survey of philosophy for undergraduates or a one-semester survey for graduate students. Even advanced students in philosophy will find this valuable, all major topics and most minor topics in the course of philosophy are covered in these volumes.

Jones states that there are two possible ways for a writer to organise a history of philosophy -- either by addressing everyone who ever participated in philosophy (which could become rather cumbersome if one accepts the premise that anyone could be a philosopher), or to address the major topics and currents of thought, drawing in the key figures who address them, but leaving out the lesser thinkers for students to pursue on their own. Jones has chosen the latter tactic, making sure to provide bibliographic information for this task.

This volume, 'The Classical mind', starts and ends in ancient Greece. Plato and Aristotle are well featured, to be sure, but the pre-Socratics and the post-Aristotilean thinkers are also discussed in great detail. The first chapter deals with a number of thinkers whose names are well-known to those who study the history of science as well as to philosophers -- Thales, Anaximander, Pythagoras -- showing the interconnection of disciplines that recurs again and again throughout history, but never again so closely as in these opening days of Western thought.

Jones gives a general history lesson along with the history of the development of thought so that the reader will understand the social and historical context in which ideas developed. Plato and Aristotle both came out a context in which Greece was a fairly violent place much of the time, with warring factions and city-states variously dependent upon and warring against each other.

The discussion of Plato largely deals with his theories of knowledge and metaphysics, with an additional chapter on subsequent topics such as ethics, politics, religion and art. Similiarly, Aristotle is dealt with in two chapters, with the major topics of metaphysics, logic, ethics, politics, aesthetics, and other issues addressed. At the end of each of these sections, Jones gives a general critique of the philosopher's main ideas, and in the final chapter of the book, sets the stage for further developments, particularly in terms of the decline of the Golden Age in Greece. In some regards, all subsequent Western philosophy vacilates between Plato and Aristotle, so a thorough grounding is important.

Each volume ends with a glossary of terms, and a worthwhile index. The glossary warns against short, dictionary-style definitions and answers to broad terms and questions, and thus indicates the pages index-style to the discussion within the text for further context. The one wish I would have would be a comprehesive glossary and index that covers the several volumes; as it is, each volume has only its own referents.

This is minor criticism in a generally exceptional series. It is not easy text, but it is not needlessly difficult. The print size on the direct quotes, which are sometimes lengthy, can be a strain at times, but the reading is worthwhile.

W. T. Jones' first volume, The Classical Mind, is a fantastic introduction for studying ancient philosophy. His work is fairly clear and not very difficult in terms of being able to understand his explication of various philosophers and theories. That is, Jones does not write to other philosophers; he is writing to would-be philosophers or students. Jones considers important aspects such as the timing and events surrounding the philosophical theories in order to demonstrate that these ideas do not develop ex nihilo. They arise because of important questions or issues developed in the relevant cultures.

This work covers quite a few people. Of course, it is not exhaustive on every thinker; nor is such even possible since many of the writings of people like the pre-socratics do not exist beyond a few manuscripts. In any case, Jones starts with them (specificaly Homer and Hesiod), through Thales, to Plato, to Aristotle, and up to the skeptics (e.g., Carneades and Sextus). From time to time, Jones will comment upon some of the positive and negative (or implausible) aspects of each of the theories provided. Sometimes his objections are good; other times, they can be answered. For instance, Jones treats Plato's argument for the Forms as a transcendental argument and he applies Stephan Korner's uniquness argument against Plato (c.f. Korner, "The Impossibility of Transcendental Deductions"). Jones doesn't refer to Korner, but it is the same point. I think Plato could *in principle* answer Jones.

There are a couple areas where I think that Jones has misinterpreted some of the early thinkers. For instance, Jones treats Aristotle as only holding to the intellectual virtues as being eudaimonia (for an alternative view, see Cooper, John M. "Reason and Human Good in Aristotle"). Also, Jones gives a traditional analysis of Parmenides. Patricia Curd offers an alternative analysis in "The Legacy of Parmenides." Both of these thinkers challenge the traditional views that Jones sides with. In any case, that's a head's up for readers who have not done exhaustive reading on these philosophers; just something to keep in mind when reading Jones.

Finally, I think that Jones often uses far too long of quotes from other people. At one point, he quoted Plato for an entire three pages (8 size font!). Jones could have summarized the point and added a footnote. Nevertheless, this is a great textbook for studying ancient philosophy and it deserves five stars despite my harsh disapproval of some of his analyses and writing style :)

This is an excellent book for academicians, journalists, historians,
philosophers, linquists and a whole host of thinkers in the
arts and sciences. The author discusses theoretic universals
in some level of detail. For instance, he roughly equates
consistency with truth. In mathematics, a proof is not complete
without enough consistent examples of an application and no
deviations from the theorem. The author discusses the distinction
between knowledge and opinion. He states succinctly that ignorance can be preferable to academic errors. In addition, he points out that opinions are accepted voluntarily. Emotions are
likened to instinct in that they are not learned. Freud discussed things to avoid; namely, bad love, pride and too much
reliance on monetary things to the exclusion of aesthetics.
The good thing is desirable over the bad. Goods are classified
into wealth, goods of the body, goods of the soul or spiritual
domain, knowledge, truth and wisdom which is the highest
form of knowing. Children spend much time learning skills;
while adults and elders develop and impart wisdom. Learning is
discovery and discussion. We learn things in the natural sciences
by observing them in a lab. For instance, a drop of blood may
be examined under the microscope for specific characteristics.
A frog may be dissected and examined under the microscope to
learn more about the vital organs-their placement and functioning.
This book is a wonderful acquisition for a continued discussion of philosophical, theoretical and scientific techniques and processes. It is a good value for the price charged.

Each chapter represents one program and most consist of a dialogue of sorts between Adler and Luckman, with Adler also answering viewer questions. But as it must already be clear what this book is, I will seek to establish why I gave it only three stars. Firstly, because Amazon does not permit assigning 3 and 1/2 stars. Second, that it is rather long considering how much there is to actually gain from it. The number of subjects that he attempts to cover reduces most of the discussions to a rather elementary introduction. This is good in the sense that it might whet the appetite, before you might get bored by a tedious analysis, but often you get a sense that Adler's final word is good enough before he moves on. Some of the brevity and incompleteness is a function of the presentation, and this limits how much you might actually gain in understanding the topics. The accurate presentation of dialogue adds nothing to the book. Probably it would be most interesting to those who are fond of Dr. Adler and like reading his other books. It is hard to recommend another book that would fulfill the same function that this one does, and this is the first of his that I've read.

I found this book very helpful.

I was introduced to Adler's writing about a year ago and have read 4-5 of his books, his two autobiographies, and 30 or so of his papers through the TGI website with Max W.

This book is a great summary of basic ideas in very accessible manner, such as: definition of truth; the moral *obligation* not just the right, to be controversial; crystalization of Adler's arguments against Darwin of why man's mental capabiliteis are a difference in kind and not degree from apes and other animals, etc.

The consice presentation clarified earlier readings and more than made up for any shortcomings due to editoral sloppiness, lack of charts, and difficulty in general with transcripts of a TV show.

A good book for those just beginning their reading of Adler's summary and critique of philosophy and a good reference summary book for those well read with Adler's books.

Paul Baier
Boston, MA

How do you summarize a summary of 2500 years of thought? Great! Mortimer Adler was one of the greatest philosophers of the 20th Century, primarily because of the literally ecyclopaedic nature of his knowledge. I say literally encyclopaedic because he edited the Encyclopaedia Britanica and wrote The Synopticon, a summary of Western philosophy, among the scores of other books bearing his name. He is best known for popularizing the Great Books theory of education. This is based on his own original reseach distilling the essence of Western Thought into 102 "Great Ideas." How To Think About The Great Ideas is a condensation of transcipts of a popular TV show of the 1950's, but the superficiality such an origin suggests does not permeate the book. The TV show covered only 21 of the great ideas, while the book deals with about half of the 102. The somewhat colloquial style will surprise readers who may have read Aristotle, Decartes, or Kant in full. We are not accustomed to hearing about philosophy from TV. But the simplicity of the presentation only serves to heighten the clarity of the ideas. The Great Ideas which you struggled over in college really can be discussed in ordinary language, and this is the real achievement of this book. The ideas build from the basic question of "What is truth?" to a consideration of the nature of man, human freedom, society and even a review of the arguments for the existence of God. Adler himself came to faith from agnositicism in his 80's before his recent death at the age of 98. Even so, the book is more of an invitation than an argument. It is best approached as a string of pearls, a series of thoughtful but isolated studies, rather than an essay in how to approach life or a true philosophical treatise. Refer to the Synopticon the academic treatment. But Adler never wrote just for academics. He believed philosphy is for everyone, and this book proves it. Now that Mortimer Adler has recently passed away, How To Think About The Great Ideas will remain as his exortation for all of us to lead thoughful lives.

This work is a handy reference to which I refer often. Adler provides a very useful "history of ideas". Each section covers what the some of the greatest thinkers have said about a particular idea, ideas such as "justice", "knowledge", "truth","God", etc. This book is a must if one wants to get a quick "birds eye" view of ideas and what great thinkers have said about them, and provides a nice springboard and direction for further study.

EnThe Story of Johnny Cash Eaton...: Moments Remembered...His Story As Told to Me...j

Very interesting

Greetings. May I congratulate you for finding your way to this book and to these few words.

This title, I STILL MISS SOMEONE, if from one of my favorite Cash-penned songs and the book was/is published by a very small mom/pop outfit in Nashville. They (the publisher) have no promotion or marketing or publicity savy, to speak of when promoting a book like this, so it has just layed here in obscurity.

This book, although it contains the input of over forty close Cash associates and a foreword by the Grahams (Ruth and Rev. Billy), has NEVER been reviewed by any press. In fact, the Nashville media didn't even give it one line. Small publishers suffer this snub, and in the end, so did this tribute book. Lost in the larger shuffle of all things Johnny Cash.

The only folks that know about this book are folks like you, that have searched, surfed and stumbled across it or maybe found it after hearing about it word-of-mouth.

To the point, if you get this book, I STILL MISS SOMEONE, and are not moved by it, touched by it, or feel it is more than worth the price, I will personally refund your purchase price. (hughwaddell@comcast.net)

Yes, I believe in this book with all my heart and soul!!!! In the few interviews about the book that happened last year (2005), I stated the same challenge, and have not been asked to refund one dime, yet. In spite of all the review snubs, the book stands on its own simple merit.

So screw the tiny publisher, the snubby-dub media and the self-serving Nashville "pompasses". This book does not need to be hyped or pumped by critics, anyway. I swear to you that you will enjoy this look at Johnny the Cash through the eyes and hearts of people who knew him best... his friends and family.

Thank you and God Bless!

All of us who followed the music and life of Johnny Cash;knew from the beginning of his musical career in the laste 50's that there was something special about this man. He came to most of us by his music and shows but we always knew he was a man who first of all knew and loved his God. The name Pilgrim was often associated with him;but the name Disciple would be just as fitting. I have followed ,listened to and read about him for about 50 years,but I can honestly say that the real truth about what Johnny Cash was really like is not any better shown than in this book. How he was seen and loved by those who really knew him,loved him,worked with him,family members,and people who considered him a friend and at the same time he considered a friend. Over 40 people got the honor to say what Johnny meant to them and what kind of a man and friend he was. One thing that is obvious from reading this book of over 300 pages and over 40 people,is that there must be thousands of others that knew him as well and if they had the same opportunity would have similar things to say.
It is so obvious Johnny loved life ,how much his family meant to him,and how much he respected those around the music business. If anyone in the public arena ever gave the impression that as he journeyed throuh life;his friend and Savior Jesus Christ was always by his side;it had to be him.
Millions of us admired Cash;but what a privilege it must have been to have been close to him. No wonder a great personal loss is seen in the stories each participant has to tell.
As we continue to listen to his music;this book will remind us what a Legend "The Man in Black" really was.
I am sure that when he finally met his God,he probably said something like;"Thanks Lord, for the privilege to have served you and my fellow man.I did the best I could ,and it's good to be home with you"
After you read this book,why not sit down and think or write about what Johnny Cash meant to you.

How do you come up with a way to tell the Johnny Cash Story that hasn't yet been done? There are countless biographies out there (disclosure: I have consulted, resourced and been interviewed on many), and the mythic history of this great man has been told many ways. But Hugh Waddell, JRC's friend and confidant of longstanding, has produced THE definitive portrait. He did it not by another retelling of the great Redemption story of our times (although that never gets old), or by a mere chronicle of John's achievements. Instead, he spectacularly tells the story through the eyes of John's family, friends, colleagues and fans. He wisely, and accurately, realized that it was John's effect on others which made him Mt. Rushmore-worthy. His life and music spoke to us, for us and with us, and the impact he made on people great and small continues to take the breath away. Johnny Cash walked with presidents (they fawned over him) and he sat with the people (who worshipped him). Hugh Waddell captures the qualities which allowed this by pointing the camera not at John, but at those he touched. The lens is reversed, and we see The Great Cash as a father, a farmer, a friend. His importance is told through the countless small interactions, the kindnesses and generosity, the human fraility and the soaring triumphs. He gave voice to our dreams and aspirations, taught us what it was like to run the mortal race, to fall greatly and rise back up greater. In these touching stories we see the real man, but more, we see ourselves. I did not want this book to end. The real people and their real stories about a real man are gripping. Johnny Cash was a giant, obviously. In this superb book we get to see how giants get that way. If I want someone to know what Johnny Cash was like, I give them this book.

Mark Stielper
Shoe size 11W

OK, with all the hype about the movie, Walk the Line, and living in Nashville as I do...and hearing Johnny Cash's name everywhere you turn...I hesitated going to see the movie "just because". Well. I somehow ended up seeing it, (long story for another day.) And let me just say that much to my chagrin, I LOVED the movie. So now I've been on a Johnny Cash rampage, listening, watching, and reading everything I can get my hands on. Yes, I succumbed. Call me weak.

This title looked interesting to me because it's written by people who knew him on a day to day basis. There's a chapter written by the guy who kept his farm, for gosh sakes! You just feel the love seeping from the pages. I wept, I laughed, I've read it again, and again.

For readers who might be wondering what all the shoe size business is about here in the reviews (I know I wondered before receiving the book)...Hugh says in the book that Johnny always said he had "itchy feet". He always needed to be doing something and going somewhere different. Johnny said "Everyone has itchy feet, some just itch more than others." So at the beginning of everyone's chapter is that person's shoe size. Just one more quirky little reason why this book has earned a place on my 'favorites' shelf.

As a Nashvillian, I would like to say: We are proud of our 'Cash heritage' and this book lays it all on the line.

Thank you, Hugh Waddell for such a wonderful gift that I'm sure even JRC's family will treasure for years and years.

May
Nashville, TN
Shoe size: 7.5

That's a serious warning, by the way--I very nearly drowned laughing at the great confluence of events surrounding the bagpipe playing in the town square.

Parkinson is a flawless writer in several genres--but Jubilation Gap is by far my favorite of his books. We've read TWO copies to tatters in my family. Of course, the fact that one was dropped in hot water during the aforementioned near drowning probably contributed to the first copy's disintegration.

The characters are crisply and distinctly drawn, and as wildly funny as this book is, there's nothing out of place--just a long string of silly little events that somehow add up to nearly drowning.

If you haven't read this book yet, order it immediately. Just keep it away from the tub--or the pool!

Most people who read it think that this is the funniest of Dan's books. He is truly the best writer around today though... and ALL of his books are marvelous! I agree with the person who said it was hard to read his books in a public place... I have been embarrassed many times by laughing out loud when reading them! And sometimes I laugh so hard....I cry...or I can't even get my eyes open to read! He is a master at the running jokes... and the unusual twists!
It took me years to hunt down several of his books. But they are all worth the effort. This man is a real treasure... and so far not even an appreciated one! I reread his entire collected works...every year! I need the laughter. And his characters are so wonderful... I KNOW these people...and he reintroduced me to them. Plus, it has been so wonderful to learn so much history in such a fun way. BUY HIS BOOKS...read them... he is an American treasure!

Dan Parkinson is the master of creating chaos out of order.Unusual characters thrown together in an out of the way -turn of the century Las Vegas in Kansas of all places. Toss in a Russian master of "Wadka", an out of place Massachusetts blueblood,a drunken Shakespearean,a lost herd of cows, girls, illegal booze, and oh yeah a circus elephant.How Parkinson weaves all these elements together is pure mastery of the obsurd and the hilarious.Laugh out loud? Impossible not to!

When my father-in-law recommended this book I took it with trepidation. It was old and tattered. I should have known, no one reads a book that many times unless it's great! I have now read the book 3 times. It is uproariously funny! Parkinson is a master of juxtaposition of his characters--be they people or animal. If you've read Parkinson before, you'll know he usually includes a running gag all through the book. This one revolves around the Russian character Vladimir. His native tongue is misinterpreted in many ways. It reminds one of Mrs. Malaprop!

This is the funniest thing I've ever read. I got in 32d hand from a cousin on ma's side, who had already passed it thru her entire family twice. From me to my dad to my cousins on his side and back around to my sibs. Nobody could find it in a bookstore, and we kept passing this volume around until it literally fell apart despite valiant efforts with glue and tape by several of us.

Every kind of humor is here -- man/woman humor, cowboy humor, slow humor building from inocuous beginnings that evolve into outrageous consummations, plays on words and names, memorable phrases by forgettable rascals ("Shoot the scutter!"). This homely tale of the range of the Old West has cunning cows, stupid people accidentally winning, smart people outsmarting themselves, bad guys getting their due. Everyone's on the make in some sense and no one's plans work out quite as envisioned.

If God has a sense of humor, this is surely how he sees the human comedy.

I very much enjoyed Michelle Caffrey's honest and fresh account of the agony and ecstasy of barge life. Being a fellow bargee, I can well relate to both the fears and the exhileration she writes about in her account of their first year of barging. It also made me long to cast off the ropes of my own barge and go travelling again - something I will be doing very shortly too. Thanks for a fun and inspiring read, Michelle.

This review was posted on Amazon Canada by Jan Rehner:
You don't have to know anything about barging or boats to love this book. All you need is a desire to learn about Burgundy France from a unique perspective. Michelle Caffrey tells her true-life story of buying and refitting a lovely barge and lets you drift with her along the tree-lined canals of one of France's most beautiful regions. Textured with fascinating characters and the rich detail of food, wine, and countryside, this book lets you "just imagine" an intriguing and peaceful life style--with a good measure of surprise and humour mixed in.

Most books of this nature are re-hashes of the same story, but "Imagine...." goes a few steps further. It is well written and, for me, it was a good one-day read; not because I couldn't put it down....because I wouldn't put it down. It was that enjoyable. If you have ever thought about owning a barge, a boat, or even an RV, you will be able to enjoy this tremendously. This is a story of their first year. I hope there is a follow-up coming.

John Hardman

Like many of us, the Caffreys have a gipsie hidden deep in their soul. They were able to set theirs free. I'm extremely jealous. I've lived in Europe before and would love to find a way to return for extended stays. Barging is a recent lifestyle discovery for me and Just Imagine, has shown me the way to return to the old country and free my inner gipsie.
As something of a technical geek, the descriptions of the boats they looked at and the buying process they went through to find Imagine was of most interest to me. I now have a better idea of not only what kind of boat to buy but how to go about finding one. I did enjoy reading about the places and people they met but I'm also an explorer at heart, looking forward to my own discoveries. Their sense of entrepreneurship in starting Barge and Breakfast was also of interest as my wife and I both are involved in teaching entrepreneurship at Colorado Mountain College. My exposure to Roma people in Eastern Europe taught me that if you are going to be a gipsie, you also better be an entrepreneur. Sharing my boat with strangers in close quarters is not my idea of fun but it works for them. Proving that there are many ways to fund your dreams if you are creative. Seems like that is what "Just Imagine: New Life on an Old Boat" is all about anyway.
If there are any criticisms of the book it would be that the closer I got to the end of the story, the more grammatical mistakes I found. Not serious stuff but an indication that maybe barging is really more fun than writing about it.
Sail on friends. Some day we will gather by a campfire on the same riverbank to share a bottle of fine wine and a story or two.

I have been to france many times and Michelle's story brought it all back to me. Her descriptions of the trials and tribulations made me wonder if I could ever be as brave as they were to take all this on. It was fabulous as her words helped me to remember the beauty of the landscape and the thoughts of the food and wine made my stomach growl. What a great story and a very easy and fun read.

These books that are writen but the author are fun and easy to read, you can escape for a few hours, I recomend them very much, this a good flowing book. Helps you pass away hours in fun reading.

I had read this book some time ago, then went on to the others in the series. However, I found that I could not recall the details of the first tale, so I have just finished it for the second time. And, it is as great a read as the first time! I was reminded of just how prissy and odd Frank's son was, and the details of their first meeting and the days which followed.

I wish, however, that Johnstone had actually brought the men to town who were going to design and drive the ore wagons to the shipping point. One has to just trust that the plan went forward, and maybe even the ore which had been hijacked in previous shipping attempts was located and restored to the mine owners.

All in all, a really great book - if this was my first reading, I know that the next installment would have to be obtained quickly.

I commend this story to anyone who loves great western writing.

I didn't think I'd read a book to match Ralph Compton's, but this one grabbed me quick. Another outstanding author. A page-turner of a western, and a terrific character in Frank Morgan. This is writing at its best.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I have just finished reading it. Looks like the transition to the next installment is excellent. If you haven't read this book yet, be sure to put it on your reading list very soon. The characters are very well developed and the story is very exciting.

the Last Gunfighter: the Drifter, is now my favorite of all western books i have ever read. frank Moragn is straight out of a John wayne movie, heroic,, no-nonsense, quick to the draw,marshall. highly recommended to lovers of a good old fashion western shoot em up yarn. the gun play is non-stop, look forward to reading the rest in te series, the reprisal, the show down,, the rescue..

At the end of this book, author Andy Hamilton reassures Konitz that it will become a classic of jazz literature. I guess Hamilton was speaking at least half tongue-in-cheek, but, for what it's worth, I also think he's probably right.

As it's been said elsewhere, the author's editorial prowess is phenomenal, and the proof is that the book is extremely easy to read, while, at the same time, it is packed with information and insight. Hamilton has also been able to engage Konitz in some interesting discussions, like his views on several musicians - Anthony Braxton, most memorably - or his assessment of his own playing, and on the actual physical and psychological aspects of the process of improvising music.

This is pretty close to my ideal book on a jazz musician, where the subject has the chance to tell his story while speaking freely to a knowledgeable counterpart.

Highly recommended.

I found this book to be one of the most clear, informative and honest books in jazz literature that I have ever read.
Lee comes across as a candid, humble man, a servant to his art.
Through the conversational and well researched style that the writer Andy Hamilton adopts, Lee Konitz offers many realistic, straightforward insights into his life and study: and the lives of those around him.
As a jazz musician myself, this book opens many doors of perception.
It cuts through the myth and hyperbole that often surround the lives of the truly great ones in this wonderful artform.
Highly recommended!

This is clearly one of the best books about jazz I ever red. I'd put it next to P.Pettinger's "How My Heart Sings", J Szwed's "Space Is The Place" or E.Jost's "Free Jazz".
Pretty differently, here author chooses an original, extensive interview format, augmented by short essays written with the complete approval -and corrections, is said- of Mr.Konitz himself. Many great insight and analisys of this great, epocal musician are offered for a good work of comprehension of the complexity of Lee Konitz music and his belonging to jazz tendencies such Cool Jazz and Tristano's and others, his relations to many major jazz figures.

In this book of lively conversations on the improviser's art, Lee Konitz talks about all aspects of his music, from his beginnings (as a student of the clarinet, during the late 1930s) to the early years of the new century, and he does so with great candour. There's lots about the Cool School of playing and Konitz's musical mentor, the blind pianist Lennie Tristano. Tristano's music ran on a parallel track to bebop, but because it wasn't such a hot, sweaty affair it's been dismissed as a pallid version of the real thing, cerebral and abstract, disconnected from feelings, a music to be analysed by beard-strokers rather than enjoyed by foot-tappers. Konitz dismisses these false distinctions and emphasises both the vitality and originality of Tristano's music - points supported by several musician-contributors to the book.

The criticisms and comments that Konitz offers are frank, thoughtful and well-argued. Several of the chapters cover specific decades in his career. Others include: Formative Influences; Working with Tristano; Early Collaborators; The Art of Improvisation; The Instrument; The Material. Embedded within each of the chapters is a series of brief interviews with musicians, most of whom have worked on the bandstand with Konitz or recorded with him, including John Zorn, Phil Woods, Mike Zwerin, George Russell, Clare Fischer, Sal Mosca, Alan Broadbent, Sonny Rollins, Rufus Reid, Ornette Coleman, Harold Danko, Wayne Shorter, Paul Bley, John Tchicai, Greg Osby, Martial Solal and Evan Parker. Although this is fundamentally a book of interviews, Andy Hamilton provides scene-setting introductions to each of the chapters, explanatory links between subsections, and brief comments that help the reader better to contextualise the interview material. His contributions are considerable, but they're done with such a light touch the attention remains firmly on Konitz throughout.

Although Konitz broke with the Tristano school, Tristano's foremost `disciple', tenor saxophonist Warne Marsh, remained in a strong creative partnership with him until the late 1970s. Marsh is undoubtedly the saxophonist whom Konitz admires most, and Konitz's aesthetic, sound and approach to improvisation owe perhaps more to Marsh than any other player. He contrasts Marsh's approach with that of several other major players, including Charlie Parker and John Coltrane, whose solos relied to some degree on pre-prepared material. Throughout the book, there's much useful discussion about the philosophy of music-making.

Konitz is a great talker, with lots of interesting things to say about his own music and the music of Marsh, Tristano, Ornette Coleman, Miles Davis, Gil Evans, Parker, Coltrane, Charles Mingus and a host of others, and the book is peppered with valuable comments about `the jazz life'.

Despite Lee Konitz's illustrious career, there had not been a book-length treatment of his music and life until Andy Hamilton's book appeared. There have been numerous published interviews with him, but none is as informative, thorough, or enlightening as this book. Considering that Mr. Konitz is much better known in other countries than in the U.S., it is no wonder that an Englishman decided to write a book on him. One of the things that I liked about the book is that the artist got involved in the process, for example, proofreading the text himself. This lends a high degree of authenticity to the book. In addition to the interviews with Mr. Konitz, there are a number of shorter interviews with other musicians, which are also intriguing. This is an exciting and enjoyable book and I highly recommend it.