Western Books

This is a great book. It is extremely accessible. I am using it with great success for an Introduction to Ethnomusicology course that I am teaching at a Liberal Arts College. The students like the book very much. It stimulates a good deal of in-class discussion. I would highly recommend this work for anyone interested in music, dance, ethnomusicology, urban studies, popular culture, popular music, American studies, and more... It is the kind of book that affords multiple points of entry. Bravo Kai Fikentscher

If you're looking for a book that's an excellent reference for Underground Dance Music in New York City, then "You Better Work!" by Kai Fikentscher is great reading!

Kai Fikentscher's evolutionary study and rounded presentation of New York's underground dance music and culture is a lonely triumph for a subject matter that desperately requires equal exploration of peer contributing U.S. cities such as Chicago, Detroit and Washington D.C.

"You Better Work!" is a straight edge to which much of what has been said about underground dance music culture should be realligned.

It's evident through well-crafted and intricately expressed text that the author has really done his homework. His book shines, especially when compared to similar historical efforts that clearly lack the consistent impact found in "You Better Work!".

Not only should those familiar with underground dance music absorb this essential reading, but the effort should be required academically, with particular regard to music, culture and art.

In addition to explaining fundamental concepts and techniques, Fikentscher details an often ill-reported but critical importance of UDM - the DNA of African, African American, Latino, Gay and a dejected segment of American society which defines the fabric of underground dance music culture.

Kai's work is a rarity in ethnomusicology; it's accessible, entertaining, and enjoyable to read. His inclusion of 12 inch singles, top UDM charts, DJ and equipment photographs, in addition to his on personal exposes in relationship to the house scene in NYC make this study a rarity within a discipline full of bickerings over authenticity, theoretical concepts and musical hierarchies. "You Better Work!" is a rallying cry for aspiring musicologists and music fans alike. If you danced during this period, it'll bring back those sweet memories of Mr. Fingers, Frankie Knuckles, Ru Paul, Acid and the like.

This text is the unrivaled standard for anyone truly seeking insights into the rich culture of Underground Dance Music. No long is house music an urban legend, but this book invites debate, theory, and growth based on a solid foundation of research, interaction, and presentation. From the halls of academia to the dark places where the underground lurks; each and every reader benefits from Kai's research.

If your a fan of techno... read this book.

Classics? Read.

Soulful... get to know this text.

... then Work!

-Byron

I have read this book over and over. Astrid Varnay has so much to offer readers who love opera. It is a great book to read through, but there are parts that take a couple of readings for a trained musician to understand. Her intelligence is evident in every word and so is her humanity. She is most knowledgeable about the works of Wagner and Strauss, so those interested in lighter opera may not be as well served, but her concepts are important for all opera singers. This book is quite honest and those who want some "dirt" on old singers, conductors and impressarios will be well-served. Go for it.

In the pantheon of twentieth-century Wagnerian sopranos, Astrid Varnay ranks very high, though she is woefully underrepresented on available recordings today. Through the efforts of friends and supporters, detailed in the preface, her autobiography has been made available in English, and music and opera fans everywhere should be grateful.

Varnay's story, told calmly but with frequent flashes of wit, begins with the tale of how her parents, both opera singers, met, married, and made their careers in Europe before coming to the U.S. and settling in New York. Young Violet Varnay, as she was dubbed by a teacher who could not cope with her Hungarian name Ibolyka (little violet), worked as a secretary, waited in the Met standing room line and quietly prepared herself for an operatic career. She prepared so well with her coach and eventual husband, Hermann Weigert, in fact, that her resume was met with astonished laughter at her eventual Met audition. The powers that be were quickly won over upon actually hearing her, and her stage career began at the Met in 1941 as a last-minute replacement for Lotte Lehmann in Die Walkure. Before retiring in the late 90s, after a career spanning more than five decades, her voice and dramatic presence would take her to Bayreuth and all of the great opera houses of the world.

It is of course difficult to say how much of the structure of the book stems from the singer herself, and how much from her co-author, Donald Arthur; but one of the attractions of this memoir is the skillful mix of narrative, anecdote and self-analysis of Varnay's numerous roles. She draws portraits of her husband, family and colleagues that leap vividly from the page, without ever descending to mere bitchiness, though she does allow herself some jabs at Herbert von Karajan and Rudolf Bing. The ultimate impression is of a strong, self-aware but not overweeningly arrogant personality--someone one would like to meet and talk to in person. One is touched by her inexhaustible eagerness to perform, and her capacity for discovering insights into roles usually dismissed as worthy only of comprimaria singers. She is also not above laughing at herself, and includes some amusingly informal photographs. Highly recommended.

Astrid Varnay, who died in 2006, just months after her very close friend and colleague Birgit Nillson, is enjoying a well-deserved renaissance, with the release of the Testament early stereo recordings of the Ring from Bayreuth in 1955. From her Met debut at the age of 23 as a last-minute replacement for an ill Lotte Lehmann as Siegelinde in Die Walkure, on the day BEFORE Pearl Harbor, through her primary career as the premier Wagnerian dramatic soprano of the 1950s, to her second career as a mezzo-soprano singing character roles into the 1990s, Astrid Varnay is one of the great opera artists of the 20th century.
Born in Stockholm to Hungarian parents, raised in New York City, and moving to Munich after being widowed in her late 30s, Varnay had an absolutely fascinating career that she relates with humor and verve. Indeed, many stories are just hysterical, such as a Dallas Tristan und Isolde, where Varnay, tenor Max Lorenz (as Tristan), and mezzo-soprano Blanche Thebom (as Bragaine), took turns holding up a collapsing fake tree! Although never mean-spirited, Varnay paints amusing and sometimes sharp pictures of many of opera's greatest names. (She, along with many in the opera world, saves some of her sharpest points for Met manager Rudolf Bing.)
This should be in any opera fan's collection of opera books.

Astrid Varney was born in Stockholm to two Hungarian opera singers. As a child she lived in South America prior to the family's immigration to New York.
Varney was trained as a singer by her talented mother and an older teacher whom she later married. Varney premiered with the Metropolitan Opera on Dec. 6, 1941 as Sieglinde in Wagner's
monumental "Walkure.' Since thay day Miss Varnay has traveled the world singing in great opera palaces and in regional companies.
Her comments on the life of a classical singer; various colleagues in the field and the various locales her craft has taken her to make for fascinating backstage reading for all of us who are opera buffs.
This biography is well written laced with humor and honesty.
I knew little about Varney prior to reading this book but am glad I made her acqaintance.
Bravissimo to this down to earth diva dedicated to her art!

I'm not especially interested in biographies of performers. Especially not autobiographies - these tend to be long lists of how wonderful the subject/author is/was and a bit of score settling to liven things up.
Varnay is not above score settling (in her genteel way, she eviscerates Rudolf Bing and she details her feud and glorious reconciliation with Karajan - a Salzburg Elektra that everyone should hear), but her narrative is quite gracious and restrained overall.
It's also engrossing to read. Although Varnay spends a little more time than perhaps she needed telling us what a hard worker and consummate professional she was and is, her actual thinking about the operas and characters she was involved in is fascinating stuff and a valuable guide for singers and perhaps actors as well.
Following her around the world to different opera houses and watching how things work (or, all too often, don't work) is engrossing and her comments on professional colleagues - always judicious - are usually quite on the mark.
There are only a few videos available showing Varnay's art (which is too bad) and not many more sound-only recordings (which is even worse). If you look, you can find her as Brunnhilde in Act III of Die Walkure (EMI with Karajan - they were getting along then) and a complete Gotterdammerung (Testament with Knappertsbusch)both from the 1951 Bayreuth festival; a couple of Ortruds from Bayreuth Lohengrins; a Senta from Bayreuth conducted by Knappertsbusch (Music & Arts); and the Salzburg Elektra with Karajan (Orfeo). There are also a couple of complete Rings available on private or semi-private labels and, allegedly, the 1955 Keilberth Ring due out on Testament. No Italian repertoire, alas, no Kundry, double alas, and no complete Tristan that I know of, triple alas.
My only complaint about this book, aside from that it wasn't twice as long, is that Varnay is and was so much a person of the theatre that it's hard to find the real person underneath. This is very much a narrative of the role of Astrid Varnay, great and hard-working opera star. Astrid Varnay the person is waiting backstage for the performance to be over, which is probably where she was for most of her life.
Still, it's a great treat to spend a couple of hours with a charming, intelligent, literate, kind, and witty companion who has so much good stuff to tell you. It's only afterward that you wonder whether there was a person behind all that dazzle who was sometimes frightened, lonely, introspective, or grateful and happy over little human things. I hope that person writes a companion volume someday. I bet she'd be wonderful to get to know as well...

This is one of Robert Carmeron's last books and it is one of his best. Seattle really lends itself well to this kind of photography, the city is so naturally blessed. The photography in this book is classic Cameron and the photos are so vivid. I recommend this book to anyone with an interst in this beautiful city or just an interest in great photography in general, you won't be disappointed.

Seattle is set in a very diverse geographical region. This diversity provides for ample breathtakingly beautiful and lush photographs of the metropolitan area. Lakes, mountains, trees, islands, bays, rivers - this area has it all and is cleverly photographed in this Robert Cameron book.
The book is fairly up to date although citizens or connosieurs of Seattle may notice the dated-ness of the book by the conspicuous absense of some new construction in the downtown area and the changing condition of other areas of the city. If you like pictorials, this is a great one to own and probably one of the best of the Seattle Metropolitan Area. I highly recommend it.

THIS BOOK IS A KNOCKOUT, IT'S 12 X 14, THE PICTURES INSIDE, MOST OF THEM ARE THE SAME SIZE AND ARE SO CLEAR IT LOOKS LIKE YOU ARE THERE, YOU LOOK AT SEATTLE FROM ALL ANGLES AND TACOMA, YOU CAN MAKE OUT PEOPLE IN THE BUILDINGS, THERE ARE OLD PICTURES FROM THE 1920's RIGHT NEXT TO TODAYS PICTURES, THE BOOK TELLS YOU WHERE AND WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT, YOU CAN READ SIGNS IN THESES PICTURES, IT SHOWS HOW CLEAN THE SEATTLE AND THE PUGET SOUND IS, IF YOU LIVE THERE THIS BOOK IS A MUST, FOR IT WILL SHOW YOU AREAS YOU MAY HAVE NEVER SEEN, FOR THERE IS SO MUCH TO SEE, AND TO THE REST OF THE WORLD, THIS BOOK THIS IS THE PERFECT TRAVEL GUIDE FOR THE NORTHWEST, IT'S A 160 PAGES OF THE CITY, WATER, NAVEL SHIPS, FERRYS,AIR PORTS, AND MOUNTAINS, THERE IS JUST NO WAY TO PUT THESE GREAT PICTURES IN TO WORDS! "THANKS" ROBERT CAMERON

Stunning quality; if you've been there, you will easily be able to pick out your favorite spots, despite the distance. The captions are a little dry, but the pictures make this aesthetic book one of value.

Everybody who has any relation to Seattle should have this book! To people who live there it shows their city from a different point of view. To people who like to get a detailed impression of the city and its close environment I really recommend it ! But this book (in my eyes) is not made for people who look for a "tourist guide".

Abraham Isaac Kook has had the Theophany. It is evident in his writing. It informs it. He has been reduced to nothing and raised up. His error and sin have been made whole, they have become the garments by which he understood his nakedness.

He has seen the same world made new. Here, even the shadows are golden.

The Union has been made in him. He has spanned the abyss. He has stood in the presence of Angels. He has proved the Divine. He has witnessed. And he serves the whole with his testimony.

His writing is accessible to everyone, all will benefit from it. Yet only a sweet few will cry tears of joy and affirmation. For our memories, this friendship will last forever.

To anyone interested in the miracle of being, I recommend this text. Don't waste time drinking from other men's buckets. Kook offers up the source. Drink freely, borrow his eyes.

This is one of the most profound books I've ever read. I cannot demonstrate the truth of what follows, but if ever words on a page can heal the human psyche, then this book might be a catalyst for it. As a non-Jew, I was deeply moved by the wisdom that fills every page of this book.

Rav Kook is the greatest Jewish thinker in the last 200 years because he most fully understands the spiritual crisis of the modern Jew. Although there were a number of dynamic Jewish religious leaders who took up the mantle of leadership in order to rebuild the shattered remnants of the Jewish world in the wake of the Holocaust such as the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik and the Satmar Rov, their message was basically directed at a relatively small group of Jews. Rav Kook has a message for the entire Jewish people. His great contributions were: (1) to emphasize the dynamic nature of both the spiritual and physical worlds, and, one the one hand, tell the traditional religious Jew that the Torah is flexible and can stand up to the challenges of modernity and change, while on the other hand demonstrating the perpetual relevance of the Torah to the Jew who has a less than full commitment to it; and (2) to demonstrate the absolute necessity of the Jewish people to return to the Land of Israel and build a modern society rooted in the Torah. This fine book gives a sampling of these ideas and is a good introduction to the mind of this remarkable thinker.

This is an excellent anthology, and contains samples of a number of different kinds of writing Rabbi Kook Z"Ts"l did. There is the text of his perhaps most well- known work, "Orot" and there are letters, essays, and poems. Rabbi Kook was a remarkable poetic thinker, like Pascal, Kafka, Kierkegaard, . He was too deeply devout and tremendously learned-a master of commentary in all forms of Jewish sacred Literature. His writing is often difficult to understand as it is so richly poetic.
But behind it all is a philosophical system based on his reading of the Torah, a system which sees the Cosmos as a whole moving toward Redemption. And which in this sees the return of the Jewish people to the land of Israel as central to this cosmic process. Rabbi Kook is one of the great religious Zionist thinkers, and his ability to see the good and positive in the works of others, non- religious Jews and non- Jews also make him a philosopher who can speak to us today.
This work should certainly be read by every Jew who wishes to understand the Jewish role in history. It should also be read by every human being who wishes to come in touch with the work of an inspiring thinker with a message of love and redemption for all of mankind.

Rav Kook was the first Chief Rabbi of Palestine and helped lead the continuing dialogue of Jewish Mysticism into the 20th century. This collection of his writings is both profound and beautiful. Some of the pieces such as 'The Lights of Penitance' might appeal only to scholars, but Kook's poetry can be appreciated by all. His idea of a unified Judaism where the secular and the holy both make up parts of the whole are very moving. Other themes include vegetarianism and a universal love for all people.

Viet Nam veteran Matt Reed returns home after two years of service. In his absence his father heavily mortgaged the family ranch for money to pay medical bills for his terminally ill wife, Matt's mother. After his father tragically took his own life, Matt was faced with paying the $ 100,000 mortgage in six months to avoid foreclosure.

"Absaroka" describes the area of Wyoming bordering the Reed ranch and the land of the Crow Indians. The interaction of the townspeople, the ranchers, and the Crow make up the back drop for this contemporary Western drama.

The plot has many surprise twists which include intrigue, romance, environmental issues, post traumatic stress syndrome, Indian rights, and relational issues. Bochmann has developed genuine, believable characters. Some are corrupt and unprincipled. Others are feisty, heroes and heroines that create empathy, dislike, admiration, or warmth.

Although I expected the story to end well, the final chapter came to a dramatic surprise ending that exceeded any expectations I had. Joan Bochmann is rich in imagination, a gifted communicator, and dedicated to impact her readers with an important and timely message.

I found "Absaroka" absorbing, fast paced, and uplifting. Another Raven Publishing triumph.

Review by William Phenn for Reader Views (05/06)

A Western writer with a modern twist, that's how I would describe Joan Bochmann.
She was raised in the high Yampa River valley in Colorado. Her love of horses brought out by her father, while her mother instilled in her the value of literature. These factors are what make up this compelling novel called "Absaroka."

"Absaroka" is a moving story of a Vietnam Vet and his struggle to regain his normal life after the war. Matt Reed is a veteran of the Vietnam era who comes home to find his mother has died, his father old and ailing, and his home about to be taken away by unscrupulous people and his town on the verge of extinction.

Matt hooks up with a few of his friends from diverse backgrounds to battle the forces that are threatening Matt and his town. They encounter many obstacles at every turn in their valiant effort to save the town and Matt's home. Though the story is modern day, the struggles are as old as the days of the Wild West. Cowboys, Indians, a Damsel, and a Villain make "Absaroka" a compelling read.

"Absaroka" is not like any western I have read to date. It is modern, exciting and was a pleasure to read. Joan has presented this story in a way that has earned it my very high approval. If you enjoy westerns and all the wonderful things that comprise a good western, you will enjoy "Absaroka." I give it an A.

The moment I began reading this book I couldn't put it down. I found ABSAROKA captivating. The walk through this book evoked a multitude of emotions. Matt weathered the intense grief over the loss of his mother during his stint in Vietnam, and the tragic loss of his father shortly after his return. The experiences of Vietnam and his return home brought a shadow of shame and lack of respect displayed by society. Fear was another emotion felt over the shocking realization that the family ranch was close to being claimed by a ruthless banker, and more pronounced, his fear of failure as a man.

During Matt's struggle to find a way to reclaim the family ranch, he faced death by an Indian tribe. However, the more compelling focus was with each perceived failure or roadblock Matt faced. He was forced to come face to face with the nightmares of his past and rely on the foundation of integrity and self-worth he had grown to value with each passing day to meet the challenges he faced. His tenacity combined with the support and love of his friends allowed him to sucessfully retain the family ranch in a unique way, and more importantly the true value of personal identity, dignity and love.

This book is definitely a keeper in my library!

This book is an excellent choice for any reader. It moves quickly and precisely from beginning until the end. The protaginist is a true-to-life man who deals with the hardships of life in Wyoming after the Vietnam War. I found myself entranced by the story and the setting. Matt Reed is truly a character for the ages. I was constantly taken back to the 1800's through a modern day hero. This a book for anyone who has ever struggled against the gravest of odds in there life and dreams to come up a winner. Do yourself a favor and buy this book and two for two friends it will pay you back ten fold. As for myself I hope the author continues the epic saga with another novel. I wait anxiously...

What an absolutely wonderful book this is, it was a delightful reading pleasure from beginning to end. Set in Wyoming, we meet Matt Reed as he is returning from Vietnam. He desperately needs the peace and security his families ranch will bring to him, but soon that is shattered and Matt is left with another war to fight.
Jake, Matt's father dies shortly after his return and Matt learns that their beloved ranch has been mortgaged and the deed is held by none other than Matt's arch rival from years ago, Paul Pringle. Why is it so important for Paul to own Matt's ranch? Is it just revenge against Matt or is there a more sinister plot beneath it all? You'll be surprised.
Now Matt has six months to come up with $100,000.00 plus in order to save his homestead. The odds of winning this war are totally stacked against him. However, miracle do happen I am happy to say.

A form plans in Matt's mind, a form filled with wild horses, the help of a Indian named Joe Little Hawk, a family friend named Hank and a woman who will be more than a friend to Matt, Jill King. You are in for a treat as this story unfolds.
This book is extremely well written, keeps your attention, has characters that wrap around your heart and a storyline that resembles the great movie, "Rocky." I had to smile as I put the book down, sometimes the good do win.
Don't miss this one. Highly recommended.
Shirley Johnson
Senior Reviewer
MidWest Book Review

John's ADVENTURING IN ARIZONA has always been a favorite on our bookshelf.

"A superb new guidebook called ADVENTURING IS ARIZONA is a fast-moving blend of history and trekking advice for canyoneers, climbers and river rafters. Author John Annerino even can tell you, mile by mile, how to see the Grand Canyon in virtual solitude.

Of all the general guidebooks I know on the Arizona outdoors, the best for hard-won information is John Annerino's ADVENTURING IN ARIZONA. A longtime resident of Prescott and Tucson, Annerino has been tooling about on the state's dirt roads and hiking trails for a couple of decades now, and he's covered a huge swath of territory firsthand. He takes in well-known destinations, from the Grand Canyon to South Mountain, but, more to the point here, he offers mile-by-mile instructions for more remote places like the Superstition Mountains and the Lechuguilla Desert. One of the treks he proposes, not for the faint of heart or easily sun-stroked, retraces Padre Eusebio Francisco Kino's route across southern Arizona's Camino del Diablo - a fitting name meaning "Devil's Highway," a route that comes the closest Arizona has to compete with Death Valley for sheer hellishness. Water is nearly non-existent along the route, and those attempting it should bring along at least four gallons per person per day, a luxury Kino could not enjoy. Many available guidebooks uncritically repeat long-obsolete information on the location of the Camino's few watering holes. Annerino went out to the place himself - in summer, no less - to map them on foot, an act that may well save a few lives some day. -New Times

I found John Annerino's ADVENTURING IN ARIZONA a great source of information.

ADVENTURING IN ARIZONA by John Annerino [is] one of my bibles

When I started reading the other reviews, I started sobbing. I was brought to the moment I first saw Sri Adi Da Samraj in person in 1986. He will also always remain for me Love-Ananda, and I started sobbing uncontrollably heart-broken just seeing him, and I was not until that point inclined that way. As the other reader said: I will always be his student/devotee. His Sacrifice is the first sacrifice and His Teaching, if any real history is told, will be known to be the geatest Dharma to have ever entered the world. It is overwhelming in it's breadth and depth alone, let alone the content, which is without peer. Why so many people fail to see what for me is obvious . . . i have only my own failure to respond in appropriate, deserving, and serious practice to look at.
All His critics are petty dharma bums, but as He has said: "You do well to be offended by Me"

I had been searching for God and the meaning of life for as long as I can remember. All that changed the moment I read Aham Da Asmi: Beloved, I Am Da; I knew in my heart that God had found me, at last -- the Living God is here for the sake of all beings! Ruchira Avatar Adi Da Samraj's love and compassion is revealed in this amazing book. Never has such a proclamation so profound and moving ever been uttered. It has changed the course of my life, and I am eternally His devotee.

When I first got Aham Da Asmi, I hoped for a lot-- but there is so much more than I even dared hope for. Every time I read it, I find I am changed in some way-- a new understanding of myself, of the world and of God. Adi Da's elegant writing moves me through my confusions, and challenges me to live from a greater depth. For me, the wonderful mystery is: Who can write such transforming words? Who knows my heart so perfectly?

It is no longer necessary to wonder "where" God is, "what" God is or "who" God is. The great philosophical questions from time immemorial have all been answered by the Avataric Revelation of Adi Da Samraj, as communicated in Aham Da Asmi. Read this book, and you will surely see this is so-- and you will marvel at the glory and the beauty of this Divine Revelation.

There are several reasons why every person should read Aham Da Asmi. I have read it, and my life has been changed. That's an extreme statement to make about a book, but you will understand how I could say such a thing when you read Aham Da Asmi.

In Aham Da Asmi, Avatar Adi Da speaks in plain, straightforward language. What I appreciate the most is being addressed so directly-- for in this book, Adi Da speaks directly to the heart, and the more He spoke to my heart, the more He brought my heart to the fore as the one receiving His Revelation. I soon found myself in a "conversation" in which all my real questions were being answered. And the answers were plain Truth, spoken with the clarity and authority of one who knows. This book reveals Adi Da's utter commitment to engaging the heart of every being in a sacred dialogue. I have always looked for people who are interested in the great matters of life and spirituality, and if you are such a person, I am happy to introduce this book to you.

Essential contributions to the study of Western Esotericism. Alexandria issue #5 covers:
Dante and the Comic Way -- Joseph Meeker
An Ecology of Mind -- Doug Man
Science's Missing Half: Epistemological Pluralism and the Search for an Inclusive Cosmology -- David Fideler
Negotiating the Highwire of Heaven: The Milky Way and the Itinerary of the Soul -- E. C. Krupp
Nature and Nature's God: Modern Cosmology and the Rebirth of Natural Philosophy -- Theodore Roszak
Creativity: The Meeting of Apollo and Dionysus -- F. David Peat
Mithras, the Hypercosmic Sun, and the Rockbirth -- David Ulansey
Musical Emblems in the Renaissance: A Survey -- Christina Linsenmeyer-van Schalkwyk
Jung and the Alchemical Imagination -- Jeffrey Raff
Two Platonic Voices in America: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Thomas M. Johnson -- David Fideler
Alcott's Transcendental Neoplatonism and the Concord Summer School -- Jay Bregman
Chaos and the Millennium -- Ralph Abraham
Is Anything the Matter? -- Roger S. Jones
Magnificent Desolation -- Dana Wilde
Soul Loss and Soul Making -- Kabir Helminski
Ideal Beauty and Sensual Beauty in Works of Art -- Aphrodite Alexandrakis
Socrates and the Art of Dialogue -- Robert Apatow
Footprints on the Threshold -- Christine Rhone
Science: Method, Myth, Metaphor? -- Amy Ione
Teaching Archaeoastronomy -- Greg Whitlock
Oneiriconographia: Entering Poliphilo's Utopian Dreamscape - A Review Essay -- Peter Lamborn Wilson
Memorial of A. H. Armstrong -- Jay Bregman

Memorial of Marie-Louise von Franz -- Jeffrey Raff
About the Contributors

Essential contributions to the study of Western Esotericism. Alexandria issue #5 covers:
Dante and the Comic Way -- Joseph Meeker
An Ecology of Mind -- Doug Man
Science's Missing Half: Epistemological Pluralism and the Search for an Inclusive Cosmology -- David Fideler
Negotiating the Highwire of Heaven: The Milky Way and the Itinerary of the Soul -- E. C. Krupp
Nature and Nature's God: Modern Cosmology and the Rebirth of Natural Philosophy -- Theodore Roszak
Creativity: The Meeting of Apollo and Dionysus -- F. David Peat
Mithras, the Hypercosmic Sun, and the Rockbirth -- David Ulansey
Musical Emblems in the Renaissance: A Survey -- Christina Linsenmeyer-van Schalkwyk
Jung and the Alchemical Imagination -- Jeffrey Raff
Two Platonic Voices in America: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Thomas M. Johnson -- David Fideler
Alcott's Transcendental Neoplatonism and the Concord Summer School -- Jay Bregman
Chaos and the Millennium -- Ralph Abraham
Is Anything the Matter? -- Roger S. Jones
Magnificent Desolation -- Dana Wilde
Soul Loss and Soul Making -- Kabir Helminski
Ideal Beauty and Sensual Beauty in Works of Art -- Aphrodite Alexandrakis
Socrates and the Art of Dialogue -- Robert Apatow
Footprints on the Threshold -- Christine Rhone
Science: Method, Myth, Metaphor? -- Amy Ione
Teaching Archaeoastronomy -- Greg Whitlock
Oneiriconographia: Entering Poliphilo's Utopian Dreamscape - A Review Essay -- Peter Lamborn Wilson
Memorial of A. H. Armstrong -- Jay Bregman

Memorial of Marie-Louise von Franz -- Jeffrey Raff
About the Contributors

Essential contributions to the study of Western Esotericism. Alexandria issue #5 covers:
Dante and the Comic Way -- Joseph Meeker
An Ecology of Mind -- Doug Man
Science's Missing Half: Epistemological Pluralism and the Search for an Inclusive Cosmology -- David Fideler
Negotiating the Highwire of Heaven: The Milky Way and the Itinerary of the Soul -- E. C. Krupp
Nature and Nature's God: Modern Cosmology and the Rebirth of Natural Philosophy -- Theodore Roszak
Creativity: The Meeting of Apollo and Dionysus -- F. David Peat
Mithras, the Hypercosmic Sun, and the Rockbirth -- David Ulansey
Musical Emblems in the Renaissance: A Survey -- Christina Linsenmeyer-van Schalkwyk
Jung and the Alchemical Imagination -- Jeffrey Raff
Two Platonic Voices in America: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Thomas M. Johnson -- David Fideler
Alcott's Transcendental Neoplatonism and the Concord Summer School -- Jay Bregman
Chaos and the Millennium -- Ralph Abraham
Is Anything the Matter? -- Roger S. Jones
Magnificent Desolation -- Dana Wilde
Soul Loss and Soul Making -- Kabir Helminski
Ideal Beauty and Sensual Beauty in Works of Art -- Aphrodite Alexandrakis
Socrates and the Art of Dialogue -- Robert Apatow
Footprints on the Threshold -- Christine Rhone
Science: Method, Myth, Metaphor? -- Amy Ione
Teaching Archaeoastronomy -- Greg Whitlock
Oneiriconographia: Entering Poliphilo's Utopian Dreamscape - A Review Essay -- Peter Lamborn Wilson
Memorial of A. H. Armstrong -- Jay Bregman

Memorial of Marie-Louise von Franz -- Jeffrey Raff
About the Contributors

Essential contributions to the study of Western Esotericism. Alexandria issue #5 covers:
Dante and the Comic Way -- Joseph Meeker
An Ecology of Mind -- Doug Man
Science's Missing Half: Epistemological Pluralism and the Search for an Inclusive Cosmology -- David Fideler
Negotiating the Highwire of Heaven: The Milky Way and the Itinerary of the Soul -- E. C. Krupp
Nature and Nature's God: Modern Cosmology and the Rebirth of Natural Philosophy -- Theodore Roszak
Creativity: The Meeting of Apollo and Dionysus -- F. David Peat
Mithras, the Hypercosmic Sun, and the Rockbirth -- David Ulansey
Musical Emblems in the Renaissance: A Survey -- Christina Linsenmeyer-van Schalkwyk
Jung and the Alchemical Imagination -- Jeffrey Raff
Two Platonic Voices in America: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Thomas M. Johnson -- David Fideler
Alcott's Transcendental Neoplatonism and the Concord Summer School -- Jay Bregman
Chaos and the Millennium -- Ralph Abraham
Is Anything the Matter? -- Roger S. Jones
Magnificent Desolation -- Dana Wilde
Soul Loss and Soul Making -- Kabir Helminski
Ideal Beauty and Sensual Beauty in Works of Art -- Aphrodite Alexandrakis
Socrates and the Art of Dialogue -- Robert Apatow
Footprints on the Threshold -- Christine Rhone
Science: Method, Myth, Metaphor? -- Amy Ione
Teaching Archaeoastronomy -- Greg Whitlock
Oneiriconographia: Entering Poliphilo's Utopian Dreamscape - A Review Essay -- Peter Lamborn Wilson
Memorial of A. H. Armstrong -- Jay Bregman

Memorial of Marie-Louise von Franz -- Jeffrey Raff
About the Contributors

Essential contributions to the study of Western Esotericism. Alexandria issue #5 covers:
Dante and the Comic Way -- Joseph Meeker
An Ecology of Mind -- Doug Man
Science's Missing Half: Epistemological Pluralism and the Search for an Inclusive Cosmology -- David Fideler
Negotiating the Highwire of Heaven: The Milky Way and the Itinerary of the Soul -- E. C. Krupp
Nature and Nature's God: Modern Cosmology and the Rebirth of Natural Philosophy -- Theodore Roszak
Creativity: The Meeting of Apollo and Dionysus -- F. David Peat
Mithras, the Hypercosmic Sun, and the Rockbirth -- David Ulansey
Musical Emblems in the Renaissance: A Survey -- Christina Linsenmeyer-van Schalkwyk
Jung and the Alchemical Imagination -- Jeffrey Raff
Two Platonic Voices in America: Ralph Waldo Emerson and Thomas M. Johnson -- David Fideler
Alcott's Transcendental Neoplatonism and the Concord Summer School -- Jay Bregman
Chaos and the Millennium -- Ralph Abraham
Is Anything the Matter? -- Roger S. Jones
Magnificent Desolation -- Dana Wilde
Soul Loss and Soul Making -- Kabir Helminski
Ideal Beauty and Sensual Beauty in Works of Art -- Aphrodite Alexandrakis
Socrates and the Art of Dialogue -- Robert Apatow
Footprints on the Threshold -- Christine Rhone
Science: Method, Myth, Metaphor? -- Amy Ione
Teaching Archaeoastronomy -- Greg Whitlock
Oneiriconographia: Entering Poliphilo's Utopian Dreamscape - A Review Essay -- Peter Lamborn Wilson
Memorial of A. H. Armstrong -- Jay Bregman

Memorial of Marie-Louise von Franz -- Jeffrey Raff
About the Contributors

This is one terrific book that includes photo's and a complete discography of Ronnie's recordings. I've been a fan since 1976 and found out I was missing a few records according to this book. I'm happy to say that I finally found the one's I was missing. Without this book I would have never known about a couple of albums.

I am a big fan of Ronnie Milsap and was even more impressed with this man after reading his autobiography. It is honest, truthful and full of surprises. His co-writer Tom Carter is excellent. After reading Ronnie's life story I have even MORE respect for him as a person not just an artist. It's amazing to me the lack of attention wonderful artists such as Ronnie Milsap and Johnny Cash, etc. are getting. If you can get your hands on a copy of this book, it is a MUST READ. It's a page turner. Not just another rags to riches story of this man born blind in the Smoky Mountains. Donna and Rusty Young (dictate@swbell.net) Dallas, TX 75149

If you are a fan of Ronnie Milsap or just a fan of life in general, this is a MUST READ! Ronnie and Co-Writer Tom Carter, present Ronnie's life in a sometimes comedic and sometimes sad manner. Ronnis IS a true to life "RAGS TO RICHES" story and I personally am thankful Ronnie has been through everything he has in his life. It has not only made him what he is today but has caused me to reflect on my own life which has posed many "situations" for me to grow from. Ronnie is an awesome individual and if you want a chance to get away from all the "[stuff]" on television these days, this is a book for you. The man born blind in poverty in the mountains of N. Carolina, disowned by his mother because she thought his blindness was a curse from God, raised by poor but loving grandparents, sent to the State School for the Blind on welfare, turned out to have the IQ on the genius level. Ronnie tells of how fascinated he was the first time he experienced a commode when he was about 6 years old. Now his home probably not only has 7 or 8 of them but probably has heated seats as well. PLEASE, if you never treat yourself to another gift, purchase this one. It is truly a gift that you should not miss out on. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!

Donna Ashworth-Dallas, Texas

Born blind in the poverty stricken Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina, Ronnie Milsap grew up to become a self-made multi-millionaire and internationally known country music superstar. His prosperous life proves in America that any dream is achievable. But his Cinderella-caliber transformation was not merely professional. Dismayed that her baby was blind, Ronnie's disturbed mother abandoned him. He was raised primarily by his loving paternal grandparents although his well-intentioned yet somewhat hapless father was a constant presence in his life. Today he has been happily married for well over 30 years and is a doting grandfather when not out on tour entertaining his legions of fans.

Attending a state-run high school for the blind, the talented youngster gained independence but was subjected to the unchecked discipline of certain thuggish teachers. In college he considered a career as an attorney, but wisely determined music was more his speed.

In addition to the typical biographical data, Ronnie expounds on numerous subjects. Politically speaking, he expresses outrage over the Supreme Court decision (recent when this work was first published) legalizing flag burning. The conservative patriotic principles he advocates are a welcome change from the usual show biz liberal diatribes. That's just one of many stereotypes Ronnie Milsap's life has shattered.

I have always had great admiration and respect for Ronnie Milsap. He has been a true inspriration to me for nearly 25 years. My piano teacher knew how much a role model he was to me as a child, and she used that to keep me from giving up. After reading the book, my love, respect, and admiration for him is 5 times greater! The book is beautifully written with so much honesty, emotion, and love. It made me cry, and it made me laugh outloud! This man is a phenomenon that we could all learn a lesson or two from. "It Was Almost Like A Song" inspired me all over again! I haven't read a book with so much feeling since I was in high school; I couldn't put it down at night to go to sleep! No Milsap fan would want to miss this one!

This book helped me tremendously to know what God has done for me and to know I am secure in him forever. The author eradicates all confusion about where we stand in Christ by breaking down all that he has done for us...Redemption, Reconciliation, Forgiveness, Justification, Freedom, Regeneration and our new position in Christ. It is a breath of fresh air and a relief to know all that he has done for us. GREAT BOOK!

This is one of the best books of the grace genre. Lindsey defines and explains many terms relating to redemption in an easy to understand manner, which helps put the whole picture together.
Table of Contents
1. How I Met "Grace"
2. What in the World Is Wrong with Man?
3. Barrier No. 1: God's Holy Character
4. Barrier No. 2: A Debt of Sin
5. Barrier No. 3: Slavery to Satan
6. Barrier No. 4: Spiritual Death
7. Why God Had to Become a Man
8. The Man that God Became
9. Propitiation: Why God Ain't Mad Anymore
10. Redemption: No Longer Slaves
11. Substitutionary Death
12. Reconciliation
13. The Decision of Destiny
14. Justification
15. Forgeveness
16. Freedom
17. Regeneration: A New Birth
18. New Position: Creatures of Eternity Living in Time
Other books that helped me understand salvation and the finished work of Christ are: Grace Walk, Classic Christianity, Healing Grace, Lifetime Guarantee, The Search for Significance, and The Normal Christian Life. Add to this list a simple commentary of Romans and Galatians. Of course there are many more wonderful books on this subject but I think these are the easiest to assimilate.

I'm rushin out to the nearest church and get myself baptized. THE WORLD IS COMING TO AN END!!! HHHHHHHEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLPPPPPP ME, GOD!!!!!

Save me a room in the mansion, Lord! I'm a comin!

I found this book by mistake, well at least I thought... but God knew!!! It was just what I needed!!!

This book is clear and to the point about the issue of "grace". It has been immensely helpful to me in learning to accept myself and others. Thank you, Mr. Lindsey for your insight