Western Books

Wonderful book and very helpful during a process that feels dangerous, chaotic and completely crazymaking. The book pointed out several ways to approach the fertility process and helped me focus on the positive. I bought the yoga dvd that these women have made as well and am looking into taking a local course developed by Pulling Down the Moon. It is not only worth the money but the valuable time to read.

Fully Fertile is an amazing book because it challenged and encouraged me to look at my fertility journey differently. It guided me through easy to follow chapters on meditation, yoga, diet, prayer, etc. that give examples and exercises that can actually be done (for those of us who weren't necessarily comfortable with such things before). I was lucky to be part of the pilot program, and would highly recommend this book to all who are trying to have a baby. For an even better experience I would recommend reading this book with a group of women as a book club so that you can have discussions about the different chapters as you are going through. There are resources in the book to help you find practitioners for different services, and information if you are trying to start a group. Fully Fertile is a heartfelt book that is not only good for fertility preparedness, but also for life.

Finally there is a book that empowers and educates women in their own fertility. This book is easy to follow and understand, I learned a lot. The yoga poses and the information about acupuncture and meditation helped ground and encourage me. I'm sure a lot of women (and couples) will be helped by this material.

As part of the pilot program for this book I was so blessed with not only the information and insights that the authors so freely shared, but by the support I feel they gave me during this difficult journey. The enlightenment and encouragment helped me see beyond this desire and discover who I really am. Acupuncture, yoga, nutritional information, meditation and the words of this book allowed me to find balance and peace again. I'm eternally thankful for this book!

For anyone going through the fertility journey, I HIGHLY recommend this book! I have read several books and perused many articles on fertility but this book proved to be the most thorough and holistic. From nutrition to exercise to prayer, it covers every aspect that should be considered while trying to conceive. And even if you're not successful in getting pregnant, the information shared in the book will assist in leading a healthy lifestyle. Thank you, Beth and Tami, for using your gifts and sharing them with others. Namaste.

A superb book - lots of fun - but digestible only in little bites. There is a lot of information in here!

This book is a must read - it was so entertaining and funny, I had pop comming out of my nose laughing! And my friends and I had a great time sitting around the piano playing and singing the composed musice enclosed! We even added a few lyrics of our own to the already hilarious lyrics ;-)
Have Fun!

If you share my growing concern at the musical cross-over tendencies in synagogue songs and how "un-Jewish" much of today's Jewish music sounds, you'll find a charming antidote in Dr. Jack Gottlieb's new and original coffee table book: Funny, It Doesn't Sound Jewish. Gottlieb's earnest musical detective comparisons and analyses invite us into joyfully playing the "sounds like" game. After we chuckle in consternation, at the Yiddish or liturgical roots of a pop song's pedigree, we marvel at the truism that there seems to be "nothing new under the sun"; especially under the show biz music lights.

Gottlieb loves to make puns and burst bubbles. This effervescently entertaining study is filled with anecdotes, song sheet covers, musical illustrations, photos of composers and performers, and even an accompanying Audio CD to bring home his astute assertions.

Some of my favorites include: Did you realize that -

George Gershwin's It Ain't Necessarity So is kin to the Torah blessing Barachu Et Adoshem Ham'vorach?

The Torah cantillation for Merchaw R'via inspired both Bach's Oh Sacred Head Now Wounded and Paul Simon's American Tune?

Rozhinkes Mit Mandlin prompted Irving Berlin's Blue Skies.... and my all time favorite

I Am A Gay Caballero, I'm back again from Janeiro is both Y'hei sh'mei rabah m'vorach from the Kaddish and Ashrei yoshvei veitecha od y'hall'lucha selah

Are you curious to follow Gottlieb's unearthing of more of these amusing affinities? There are dozens of other examples, some more apparent than others, but all will cause you to "aha!" pause, smile, and, most importantly, think about what we consider immutable Jewish traditional melodies.

Dr. Gottlieb is an engaging author and lecturer (this book began as a touring presentation with him at the piano). He is a published composer of both secular and synagogue music who most recently was honored by The Milken Archive of American Jewish Music when it distributed a CD of his works on the Naxos label. He is also a meticulous researcher, program notes writer, and former assistant to Leonard Bernstein. In all these endeavors it is quite obvious that he is also a passionate lover of all thing musical and Jewish.

We offer kudos to Dr. Gottlieb for this wonderfully endearing study of Jewish melodic ties to mid 20th century pop music and enthusiastically recommend it as both an urbane entertainment and a carefully documented study. Buy it and enjoy!

Over 30 years ago there was a famous ad campaign for a brand of "Jewish rye bread," showing an American Indian eating a deli sandwich, and the caption read, "You Don't have to be Jewish to Like Levy's Rye Bread."

With regard to this book, this was never so true. Anyone who love the "Great American Song Book" spanning the first half of the last century cannot afford to miss this book.

Especially remarkable is that it IS a scholarly book, complete with footnotes and bibliography, but the tone is also so jocular.

The accompanying CD of musical examples alone is worth the cost of the book.

Do yourself a favor - Order this book, but pass on the Most book offered by Amazon.com in tandem. It is hardly as comprehensive and definitely pales by comparison.

Don't be mislead by the title of this book. It isn't glib or lightweight--in fact, it's a brilliant analysis of the subconscious effect synagogue music and Yiddish song have had on our most beloved popular music. When I picked it up (out of curiosity) I found myself mesmerized and couldn't stop reading.

The book is peppered with musical examples that continually evoke "I never realized that song was related to that"! Gottlieb must have spent decades researching this and it seems unbelievably thorough. He doesn't stop at musical analysis; he also includes a good examination of the history behind everything, particularly focusing on the heavy periods of emigration, when most of the (now) well-known Jewish composers came to America. The book made me look at some of the best known popular songs in a new light, yielding a deeper understanding of what went into their creation.

It may seem a little expensive, but you also get a CD packed with great rare recordings that have never been released before (try Bernstein performing Blitzstein's classic "Zipperfly" or Jolson singing "Khazn oyf Shabes" in Yiddish).

Gottlieb decides to pay limited attention to some of the living composers who focus on Jewish themes (for example, Jason Robert Brown and Osvaldo Golijov are only mentioned casually) but I suspect he could write another book on them. Let's hope he does--I would line up to get a copy.

In Genevieve Of Tombstone, John Duncklee has written an original, highly recommended western novel set in the Tombstone, Arizona during the 1880s, a time when the Earps and the Clantons were typical examples of the men who ranged from ranchers and lawmen to gunslingers and rustlers. But in that frontier community there was also a woman of great spirit, toughness and heart called Genevieve. A free spirit whether she was working in a fancy house or running her own cattle spread, Genevieve made her own way in a time when, and place where, men with guns thought they were in charge.

A first rate read: fascinating, trustworthy. It gives a far different picture of Western life than so many of the old school. Daring to enter the mind of one very real woman of Tombstone, the book follows the unique path she takes, both in business and love.

As far as I'm concerned, poetry is the place for wordsmiths. You can run them off the ranch when it comes to fiction. What you want is compelling drama, and Genevieve brings it on a platter. If you want plain prose that rings clarion clear, and reaches into your heart, this novel will do so. Novelized, but taken from a true story, Genevieve of Tombstone speaks truth in every sentence. Don't miss this one if you want the REAL west. Larry Jay Martin, author of Last Stand, Sounding Drum, Shadow of the Grizzly, etc.

A marvelous creation,brimming with passion, honesty, and grit. The reader emerges with that good warm feeling one gets only when having met flesh and blood characters. Genevieve's rise from the bordellos of Tombstone to respectable womanhood sticks in the mind long after the last page.

Duncklee gets better and better. Genevieve... poses a different view of the Old West. Instead of a lament from some gunslinger or cowpoke, Duncklee has used the eyes and memory of a Tombstone whore. Tragedy and triumph, luck and good planning, they're all in the book. Genevieve poses the question "Why hasn't more material hasn't been written from the views of the West's secondary citizens?" More power to Duncklee, I'm looking forward to his next bit of scribblin'. Sic 'em, John.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF MOZART:
INSTRUMENTAL WORKS, UNLOCKING THE MASTERS SERIES, NO. 3
by DAVID HURWITZ - PAPERBACK - AMADEUS PRESS, 2005 - 187 PAGES.

RATED 5 STARS & HIGHLY RECOMMENDED by MOZART ENTHUSIASTS
for NOVICE MOZART CLASSICAL MUSIC LOVERS!

Over the last 20-years as a MOZART AFFICIANDO, I have read at least 50 MOZART BOOKS and would rate this book - A++ and 5 STARS!!!

Founder and editor of an online daily classical music magazine, author DAVID HURWITZ discusses features of Wolfgang Mozart's classical music in general and specific instrumental works to help listeners better understand and appreciate Mozart's special genius. This book is a guided tour of Mozart most popular musical works historical information on each work's composition, and an analysis about what makes each piece truly "noteworthy." This book also explains and examines MOZART'S CHAMBER MUSIC, ORCHESTRAL MUSIC (SERENADES AND SYMPHONIES), and CONCERTOS (PIANO and WIND). The book contains a free MOZART CD with sample BMG Classics recordings of some of Mozart's most famous musical works.

Unlocking the vast rewards of classical music takes more than just casual listening - it requires learning some of the basic aspects of music (rhythm, structure, harmony, etc) and a little of the historical context of the composers and his/her predecessors. Mozart is an excellent place to start into classical music for many reasons - one being his highly-melodic music is considered easily "accessible" to the average listener who can appreciate and enjoy it without any musical know-how.

In this fresh and much-needed new series, vetern music-writer David Hurwitz gives us an enticing roadmap to understanding the music of Mozart in a way that most anyone can deepen their music appreciation and enhance their listening experience. The text is friendly, well writen, without complex jargon and analyzes Mozart's music in simple but enough detail to reveal just exactly "what makes Mozart's music sound like Mozart."

Mr. Hurwitz takes the classical enthusiast through the some fifty major works of Mozart's instrumental music, focusing each chapter on one category (chamber music, symphony, concerto, church music). The vocal works (opera, concert arias, masses) are in a separate volume with the green cover. Within each major work, Hurwitz describes the most common musical "structures" Mozart used - such as the all-important sonata form, theme-and-variations, rondos, and the minuet. His "analysis" of Mozart's well-loved piano concertos is quite interesting and helpful, breaking them down into 10 'groups' to help get your hands around the differences in composition and effect of each. The accompanying CD of several movements helps bring to life Hurwitz's commentary of several featured works that are discussed in more depth.

I also appreciated his defense of "delightful music" such as Mozart's from the critical voices that sometimes devalues such music as merely "cute" - while giving elevated status to the later, more troubling-sounding music of the Romantic or Modern eras ... or as he jokingly terms it: "the suffering, Romantic, artist-hero expressing personal misery in their creations." Great music is not only about dramatic tension, disturbing dissonances and individual emotional expression but also about pleasant, happy tones that anyone can enjoy.

Hurwitz' book is one of the "fun to read" intros to Mozart and classical music appreciation and is highly recommended. It should appeal to both the newcomer as well as those with more experience in classical music as it also has great depth and detail. If your interest is to follow in more detail the actual musical scores for several popular works, a similar but slightly more musically-involved book is by Robert Harris' ("What To Listen For In Mozart"). Harris' books are also easy and interesting to read for the non-music major types.

This is the second volume of a two volume series explaining the genius in Motzart's work. This folume concentrates on the Instrumental Works. To listen to great music and to enjoy it is one thing. Yet the professional student of classical music sees/hears/understands so much more than the rest of us.

In this book David Hurwitz, the founder and executive editor of daily classical music magazine, takes readers through Mozart's seven major operas, one part at a time explaining what he sees in each area. This provides an insite that most of us, particularily those of us living in remote areas, can never see.

I never imagines that you could see so much in this music.

The book comes with a full length CD that includes eleven of Mozarts pieces.

As another reviewer has already pointed it, this collection would make an EXCELLENT intro to the wonders of classical music, as well as a must-have for Mozart fans. Even if you already have these pieces, having it on one collection makes the drive to work a pleasure rather than a chore. Highly recommend.

David Hurwitz is fantatically insightful. Himself a composer, he gets to the heart of Mozart. His discussion is the sort that enlightens newbies, and stimulates the professional by going back to basics.
I enjoyed every page of both the Mozart books, and the musical cds were full of well chosen examples.
Roberta Prada, contralto, author of "The Ear and the Voice" in English, with Francis Keeping andPierre Sollier, and translator of J Faure: "The Voice and Singing" with Francis Keeping. Principal of Vocalimages.com, and voxmentor.com

This book is great! It teaches children about astronomy as well! In this book, Ethan wishes he could have a night sky in his room. He grabs the moon, clouds, and stars right out of the sky. Ethan learns that the stars, moon, and clouds are happier in the sky because that's where they belong. At the end of the book, the sky is smiling just for Ethan! Get this book today!!!

The story sparked such interest in both of my children to pick the book up over and over again and re-read it. They find it even more exciting when they get to read it under the covers.

Reading this book to my child was a real joy. To see her eyes light up as the pages glowed in the dark was wonderful. This book has now sparked an interest in my child to learn more about the moon and the stars. Great book.

My 3 1/2 y.o. son loves to read this book while using a flash light which really help the stars & clouds shine when we turn off the light.

This is a story about a young boy that wants to catch the stars and keep them in his room. He soon finds the stars won't shine without their frind the moon, etc... It's a cute story and my 5-year old son likes it.

Gilson brilliantly demonstrates that God's description of himself as "I AM who AM", in revelation to Moses and the Jewish people, is the foundation of western metaphysics - it is the decisive answer to the Greek's search for meaning. It was in this decisive encounter between God and his people that God showed himself to be pure Act.

"Existence is not a thing, but the act that causes a thing both to be and to be what it is. This distinction merely expresses the fact that, in our human expericence, there is no thing whose essence it is "to be" and not "to be a certain thing thing....Since the nature of no one of them (things) is "to be", the most exhaustive scientific knowledge of what they are will not so much as suggest the beginning of an answer to the question: "Why are they"? "If the nature of no known thing is "to be", the nature of no known thing contains in itself the suffient reason for its own existence. But it points to a sole conceivable cause...there must be some cause whose very essence it is "to be". To post such a being whose essence is pure Act of existing, that is, whose essence is not to be this and that but "to be" is also to post the Christian God as the supreme cause of the universe". (page 70-72).

"The true reason why this universe appears to some scienitist as mysterious is that, mistaking existential, that is, metaphysical, questions for scientific ones, they ask science to answer them. Naturally, they get no answers. Then they are puzzled, and they say that the universe is mysterious" (page 128)

For Gilson, Scientists "prefer a complete absence of intelligibilty to the presence of a non-scientific intelligibility"

"Much more common, unfortuantely, are those pseudo-agnostics who, because they combine scientific knowledge and social generosity with a complete lack of philosophical culture, substitute dangerous mythologies (progress, for example, my inference!) for the natural theology which they do not even understand (page 137). This sounds like a remarkable forewarning of what is happening in our culture where science and progress are elevated to the pantheon of the gods. Witness the complete lack of meaningful debate in the UK concering the creation of saviour siblings and human-animal hybrids for experimentation, the latter being put forward simply because there may be some benefits and hence possibly some scientific benefits.

Finally, the question which must always and everywhere be asked is "Why is there something rather than nothing"? (page 188).

Thales of Miletus, whom tradition regards as the first Western philosopher, is well-known for the rationalist view that the first principle is water, and the religious statement, "all things are full of gods." (p. 1) For Gilson, this epitomizes the problems of relating philosophy and religion. How can religious and philosophical statements about God be reconciled? For Thales and the Greeks, Gilson argues that they cannot, but that it is otherwise with the Christian philosophies of Being.

On this basis, rejects the view that Greek philosophy is a rationalization of a religious viewpoint, apparently on the basis that one cannot interpret a world of personal forces in terms of things. However, F. M Cornford and others argued persuasively for the opposite view, and seem to have in great part won the battle. For example, the classic study of the presocratic philosophers by Kirk, Raven, and Schofield, as well as anthologies by Wheelwright and Barnes, begin with a consideration of their religious and mythological predecessors. So, it does not seem one can understand the origin of Greek philosophy without considering Greek religion.

How well does Gilson understand Greek religion? Is it true that "A world where everything comes from without, including their feelings and passions, their virtues and vices, such was the Greek religious world." (p. 13) As E. R. Dodds has pointed out, this did not seem to deprive them of a sense of responsibility. Before criticizing Gilson too strongly, we should remember that God and Philosophy originates in the Mahlon Powell Lectures on Philosophy at Indiana University in 1938-1939, and that Greek thought and religion are not really his specialty. Historical details aside, Gilson always raises pertinent questions.

Gilson aptly states the philosophical problem of God not only for the Greeks, but philosophers generally: "how to identify their principles with their gods, or their gods with their principles." (p. 22) Christian thought concerning the nature of God owes much to Plato's Form of the Good, Aristotle's Unmoved Mover or Self-Thinking Thought, and Plotinus' One, but it is difficult to give them a full religious value, although I cannot agree they have none at all. I may say that Gilson provides a marvelously condensed account of Plotinus' philosophy of the One which may well be basically correct. (Pp. 45-50)

For Gilson, the Greek essentialist philosophies could not help but consider God as a thing. When it comes to Christian philosophies of Being (a controverted subject), Gilson argues that the philosophical God and the religious God can be the same Being. This is a very attractive position considered in itself. I think. But, his historical analysis is less certain. It may be that many Christian thinkers have rendered the cryptic phrase for who God is in Exodus 3:1 as "He Who Is." This, however, has exegetical difficulties. Suffice it to point out that the New Revised Standard Version translates the phrase as "I AM WHO I AM," and offers two alternatives in the footnotes, "I AM WHAT I AM or I AM WHAT I WILL BE." So, while Gilson argues persuasively that religious thinkers such as Augustine and Aquinas, among numerous others, have interpreted this as meaning God is Being, it doubtful whether this a good exegesis of the text.

Gilson is one of the greatest Descartes scholars, but I must forgo discussing his insights in any detail. He cites O. Hamelin for the opinion that Descartes, the founder of modern philosophy, followed after the ancient philosophers as if nothing had happened in between. Gilson has very effectively attacked this view a number of times, especially as to his notion of God.

"Whatever his name, his rank, or his function, not one of the gods of Greek religion had ever claimed to be the one, sole, and supreme Being, creator of the world, first principle, and ultimate end of all things. Descartes, on the contrary, could not approach the same philosophical problem without finding himself confronted with the Christian God." (p. 79)

So Descartes' attempt to philosophize about God apart from religious revelation was doomed to failure from the start. Gilson argues that it is extremely difficult to philosophize about God apart from religious revelation, simply because philosophers must have some pre-philosophical idea of God in the first place. The God of the philosophers generally becomes a thing, a philosophical principle.

Frankly, after Descartes, the book becomes somewhat disjointed, filled with brilliant insights though it may be. I will mention Spinoza, who wished "to achieve salvation by means of philosophy only." His brand of salvation is really available, at best, to a select few, who can understand nature "as an absolutely intelligible reality." In passing, he discusses such varied thinkers as Pascal, Malebranche, Leibniz, Kant, Comte, English and French Deists, Sir James Jeans, who gets several pages, and Julian Huxley. One must remember that the book originated in a lecture series, which must have been brilliant.

Gilson quite sensibly holds that religion is existential, that it concerns our lives. It is not how the universe works, but why, and the ultimate why is, in Leibniz's formulation: why is there something rather than nothing?

"To this supreme question, the only conceivable answer is that each and every particular existential energy, each and every particular thing, depends for its existence on a pure Act of existence."

Gilson goes on to argue that this pure Act must be self-subsistent, knowing, and free, and hence, a person.

Ninian Smart, who qualified both in the history of religions and analytic philosophy, has argued forcefully that too many philosophers who discuss religion know very little about the history of religion. Gilson, however, really knew quite a lot about religion, and his position is quite attractive. Though many of his historical interpretations are debatable, with Gilson's philosophical and literary acumen, God and Philosophy remains one of the best introductions to many of the themes of the philosophy of religion.

i gave this book 4 stars because it has motivated me to pursue more study on Aquinas. as for the book itself, it's far from perfect. i agree with the other reviewer in that, towards the end of the book, Gilson's thoughts seemed to lose structure and purpose. By the last chapter, I was scratching my head trying to figure out what his point was in adding another chapter. it was fairly organized right up to the discussion of the Deists, which seemed to be just thrown in so that no part of natural theology in the modern period would be left out. I could appreciate a few pages discussing the faults with following a strict scientism, which has seduced contemporary thinkers, but to devote an entire chapter to saying the same thing over and over again is just a waste of time. Overall, it was worth reading, but I doubt anyone will be convinced by any argument presented in this book. I think Gilson is preaching to the converted, because i doubt anyone but fellow Thomists and Christians agree with Gilson's assessment of the history of the relationship between religion and philosophy. If you've not familiarized yourself with Aquinas' thought, however, reading this book might challenge you to do so.

Gilson's book is simply a masterpiece! The brilliance of this work is shown in its clarity and simplicity of thought and development of philosophy from the ancient Greeks on. Too often philosophy reads these days have become complex and frustrating, but not with Gilson. A true Christian philosopher, it is unfortunate that a reader might think this work concludes with the idea that "God is dead." This is not the intent of Gilson at all; rather, that of the exact opposite! Find out for yourself...

God and Philosophy is an outstanding exposition how the thought of 'God' has emerged into what Eitenne Gilson has persuaded himself to believe as "HE WHO IS." EG first begins this task by exploring the notion of 'God' in Greek philosophy from Homer's Iliad to Plato and Aristotle. Then, EG explores the early Christian tradition of 'God' from Augustine to Aquinas. Next, EG contrasts Descartes' 'God' with Spinoza's 'God'. Finally, EG investigates the problem and brings to light the error that has been rampant from Greek philosophy to Contemporary Thought of 'God'. The problem has been an existential one. That is, an existential notion of 'God' has been lacking. The error has been utilizing the method of "science" or the "science of metaphysics" in our search for 'God'. This method does not get us any closer to finding 'God' as "HE WHO IS." Lacking an existential notion of 'God' takes us further away from finding 'God' and only gives us a 'God' as an "object of knowledge" (109) but not 'God'. I agree for the most part with EG. Because we have not found "HE WHO IS that which is" (both Being and Essence) we have created a world full of gods. "For when gods fight among themselves, men have to die" (137) - physically and existentially, emphasis mine. Based on man's anthropomorphic grounds in his affirmation of 'God' "HE WHO IS" never was... Indeed, "God is dead!"

This is a fabulous example of the simple life of times past. What joy was found in just being together as a family with the added fun of "going to town".

I just love this series of First Little House books. My own two girl have delighted in them and a fequently give them to 3-6 year olds as birthday or Christmas gifts.
The stories are classic Little House and the illustrations just beautiful!

THIS INTRODUCTION TO THE LAURA INGALLS' BOOKS IS EASY TO READ, DELIGHTFUL TO LOOK AT AND AN ENCHANTMENT, IN MY OPINION, FOR YOUNGSTERS OF ALL AGES. EVEN OLDER CHILDREN WILL APPRECIATE ITS GENTLE HONESTY AND GORGEOUS ILLUSTRATIONS.

Adapted deftly from the Little House series made famous by Laura Ingalls Wilder, this gorgeous picture book tells of Laura's first day trip with her family from the Big Woods to the nearby town of Pepin Wisconsin. The writing is charming and warm, the typeface perfect for reading aloud or independently. The illustrations, inspired by Garth Williams' originals, are extraordinary...absolutely beautiful! I would not consider this adaptation to be a "dumbed down" version of the originals, nor it is too juvenile for older readers. Rather it is a perfect transition piece which lends itself to wonderful cuddling and conversation, both of which are important for developing strong readers no matter how old they may be.

I would also recommend the hardcover editions. They last longer through many readings and make reading aloud feel like a real treat.

Enjoy.

When I was a kid my dad got me the whole Little House series of books. I loved them and read them for years. Now I have 2 daughters of my own and I'm thrilled to be able to introduce them to the Little House books at a younger age. The illustrations are great and the stories are well written. As I'm reading them to my daughters I remember the stories when I read them as a kid. Fun for all of us!

Reviewed by Ron Standerfer for Reader Views (7/08)

Westerns have been around for a long time, and there is no better reading on a rainy weekend, especially when sitting in an easy chair in front of a warm fire. But Westerns are pretty much the same aren't they? Well ---yes---and that's what makes Sean Chandler's "Gospel of the Gun" such a pleasure to read. His approach to fashioning the characters and developing the plot is different than most Western writers. For example, he is convinced that the African-American community is being underserved with quality stories about the Western frontier, which is a shame, given that freed slaves who migrated West after the Civil War played a major role in the story of how the West was won. "Gospel of the Gun" is just one of several books Chandler has written to fill that void as well as writing hundreds and articles and reviews. But there is more. In this book, Chandler managed to combine the elements of church, Bible, and preaching with one of the meanest outlaw gangs to ever ride in the West. It was not an easy task, but he managed. How did he do it? Read on.

At the center of the plot is the Disciples gang whose leader is Lucif Shadows (The Anointed One)--an evil, murderous, character who is backed up by twelve gunfighters with equally disagreeable dispositions. Each gang member has his own specialty for murder and maiming, and each has been anointed with the name of one of the apostles. The fact that Lucif insists that his "apostles" use these names in lieu of their real names goes a long way toward explaining why some believe that Lucif has slipped the surly bonds of sanity and in fact, actually believes he is Our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a thirteenth apostle, Jeremiah Irons, who is christened with the name "Judas" because it is widely believed that he had made off with the entire proceeds of a recent bank heist. Whether or not that is true is immaterial, because Lucif believes it is true and therefore Jeremiah must die. Thus, Jeremiah is on the run.

When it came to gun play Jeremiah is no shrinking violet himself. Packing two murderous guns nicknamed "Heaven" and "Hell," he managed to hold his own against Lucif's apostles who track him down. At one point, the matter seems resolved when Jeremiah confronts Lucif himself and shoots him square between the eyes. But after languishing in a coma for several weeks, Lucif "rises from the dead" and proclaims that the hunt for Judas is on for real this time.

Like most men on the run, Jeremiah`s life becomes more and more complicated as time passes. At one point, he manages to exchange identities with his travelling companion, a kindly preacher who is accidently killed during an ambush by members of the Disciple gang. Thus, when he arrives at their destination he is immediately welcomed as the new pastor of a small church. Jeremiah is not religiously inclined but manages to pull the charade off, even enjoying the challenge of helping the families in his congregation. But lies pile on to lies and half lies, and the Disciple gang is hot on his trail. It is only a matter of time before the house of cards he builds will collapse around him. When it does, it ends with one final conflict worthy of the Gun Fight at OK Corral.

If you are looking for a yarn to take you away from your worldly cares for a few hours, "The Gospel of the Gun" by Sean Chandler is the book for you. It is the next best thing to the Bible and cheaper than an hour with your therapist. Read it and enjoy. Amen!

Gospel of the Gun is a book that mixes religious theology with a strong western story. I believe that it strikes a delicate blend between both. So much so that whatever your beliefs you can be taken along for the ride with Jeremiah Irons and the Disciple Gang. If you have the opportunity to read this western do it. You'll be happy you did.

Those who have had to kill other men to survive never wish to do it again, but Jeremiah Irons just might have to. "Gospel of the Gun" is a tale of the old west filled with biblical allegories. At ends with the Disciple gang lead by one Lucif R. Shadows, his former riding buddies and gang, he finds that he might have to use his two guns, which he has appropriately labeled 'Heaven' and 'Hell', to settle things. Or can he find another way? "Gospel of the Gun" is a cleverly written story, sure to please Western fans who want a Christian twist, and for community library fiction collections.

As a child I watched the Saturday westerns with wide-eyed fascination. It was years later when I realized the cowboys were not men of color. Sean Chandler gives us an inviting, yet raucous account of a different cowboy.

GOSPEL OF THE GUN revives the old west, as it takes readers to a time when law and order were struggling to be known, religion was preached by outlaws, and six-guns ruled. This story lets readers share the trail with ebony-skinned, Jeremiah Irons, the thirteenth member of a gang of twelve outlaws called 'The Disciples'.

Someone has robbed the gang's strong box, and for some reason Jeremiah is accused. He is confronted by the leader, and Jeremiah shoots him. Knowing his life is not worth a hangman's noose, Jeremiah flees Tombstone, Arizona. As he journeys to Wewoka, Oklahoma, Indian Territory he is befriended by a gifted minister. Jeremiah's life takes an abrupt and unlikely turn, from riding the outlaw trail with only a good horse and two inscribed pistols, he finds himself posing as a man of the cloth. Jeremiah begins to understand who he is, and that maybe there is a purpose to his life. But this is the Wild West and few inhabitants really ride off into the sunset; Jeremiah is still a hunted man. Too soon his recent past catches up with him; Jeremiah knows the gang will not be denied, and no one is safe. Will he again become an outlaw on the run, or will a good woman, trusting townsfolk, and his gift of preaching remind him he is no longer Judas, the outlaw legend?

With vivid writing, Sean Chandler brings back images of the undisciplined actions of the worst breed of outlaws, a new kind of religion to the frontier, and the drama that can only exist between a man and a woman. If you've enjoyed reading tales of the old west, filled with overt lawlessness and rugged romance, GOSPEL OF THE GUN is a book well worth reading. Told in a passive voice, Chandler exposes real characters, an engaging plot, heart thumping action and an ending that promises more.

Reviewed by aNN
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

Did you watch those old black and white westerns as a child? Do you love the lore of the cowboy? If so, then this book is just what the doctor ordered. Someone has stolen money from the Disciple Gang. They believe it is Jeremiah Irons (Judas, the thirteen gang member) and Lucif R. Shadows (the gang's leader) wants him to pay for his sins. Jeremiah lives life on the run while the antics and violence in the cross country retreat keeps him on his toes as each of the 12 disciples attempt to take him out.

Starting a new life in Wewoka, Jeremiah pretends to be a preacher. He has a natural instinct to preach and the town loves him. He begins to settle in as he catches the eye of Hope West and all bets are off. The town, the Word and the chase for love will never be the same.

GOSPEL OF THE GUN has it all - romance, gang of outlaws, expansion of Christianity, and description of the country. The action packed pages will keep you in suspense as the story unfolds. The characters add to the stories development - making you hate some and love others. Chandler vividly describes the Oklahoma terrain reviving the old west and giving a face to African American cowboy. This book is a masterpiece and will definitely draw you into the world of the good ole cowboy.

Reviewed by:
Deltareviewer
Reviewing for Real Page Turners

Dick Dobbins does the job right in "The Grand Minor League", a retrospective of the old Pacific Coast League (PCL).

The PCL still exists today as a AAA league - one step below the majors - but it is purely an adjunct minor league system to the two major leagues.

However, this book is about the PCL's glory days, largely originating during the Depression and spanning the second world war and the first twelve years of the post-war era until the New York Giants and the Brooklyn Dodgers moved to the West Coast.

The PCL financed operations by charging admission for its own games and by selling contracts of its more promising stars to the established major league teams. But some visionaries had dreams of attaining major league status for the PCL, and it could have happened. A disproportionate amount of major-league level talent could be found on the West Coast, and PCL scouts were busy signing it up.

While one PCL owner was dryly reputed to have the reputation of throwing dollars around as though they were manhole covers, the pay could be more generous (the players whose contracts were sold to the majors even received a percentage of the sales price) and the opportunities for stardom could be GREATER than that which was available in the majors; moreover, the Pacific Coast was "home" to many of its players. Hence, some major leaguers sought to return there.

And when the majors reluctantly granted the PCL "open classification" status, players drafted by the majors were accorded the option of waiving the draft and remaining with their respective PCL teams and were often rewarded with bonuses for doing so. The PCL could have evolved into a third major league, but the opposition from the established major league owners, who saw the potential for expansion or relocation to the West Coast long before moving the Giants and Dodgers there, was too great to overcome. The moves themselves sounded the death knell for the traditional conception of the league.

Its legacy includes the players who became stars or near-stars in the big leagues, such as Lefty O'Doul, Dolph Camilli, Maury Wills (amazingly enough, he was only an adequate shortstop and a sometime base-stealer during his PCL days, who didn`t reach stardom until he went to the Dodgers), and of course, Joe DiMaggio.

Startlingly, Dobbins fails to remind his readers that years before he electrified the country with his 56-game hitting streak, DiMaggio was thrilling West Coast fans with a 61 game hitting streak in the PCL. Both records are among the few that have withstood the test of time.

One can observe other ironies. Long before Tommy Lasorda and Sparky Anderson did battle, in their respective roles as managers of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Cincinnati's "Big Red Machine", for Western Division supremacy during the 1970's, they were teammates on the Los Angeles Angels, working together to establish geographical supremacy against the arch-rival Hollywood Stars.

And speaking of managers, debate rages among baseball historians about Casey Stengel's managerial acumen. Was he an adept, if incomprehensible, managerial genius or a bum who failed miserably in Boston and who only attained success by piggy-backing on the vast talent of some super Yankee teams? The story of Stengel's stewardship of the 1948 PCL Champion Oakland Oaks is a huge point in his favor.

Dobbins draws some of his history from the records but most of it from the recollections of the old-time players who consented to be interviewed. My only real criticism is that it took someone too long to undertake this project. The passage of time limits the sources from which Dobbins could draw.

And how trustworthy is human memory? There is a reference in one of the narratives supplied to Dobbins about a player named Johnny Lindell who alternated between pitcher and outfielder and who "would have been in the big leagues" if he could have only hit more consistently.

Who would dare observe, in response, that the record book shows that during the 1940's, an outfielder-pitcher named Johnny Lindell played in the majors, chiefly for the Yankees (this included several World Series appearances), on a part-time basis for 12 years and that he retired in 1954 with a respectable lifetime batting average of .273, having twice led the league in triples?

He couldn't hit well enough for the major leagues. Or could he? Were there two Johnny Lindells answering to the same description?

My favorite chapter was about the old ballparks. If you are a displaced and discouraged Giant fan who lives in the Los Angeles area, you can carry the book and its pictures of the ballparks to the corners of Beverly, Fairfax and Genessee and try to envision the Hollywood Stars' Gilmore Field having once stood there. The intersections now are home to a little company known as CBS - Television City, and there isn't even a marker anywhere to show that Gilmore Field ever existed.

And you can drive to 42nd and Avalon and marvel at the human and urban sprawl that has overtaken the area. Wrigley Field, home to the ORIGINAL Los Angeles Angels and named and constructed after its more famous Chicago namesake, has been torn down, and a community center named after a politician has been erected in its place. Again, no marker commemorates Wrigley Field. Soccer, not baseball, is the recreation of choice for the locals, and the excited cries of the players and spectators are not being delivered in English.

Is there any marker on the corner of 16th and Bryant in San Francisco to memorialize Seals Stadium?

"The Grand Minor League" is a fitting tribute to the REAL baseball giants of the West Coast and to a time when baseball was a "melting pot" language, when the game was played, not by overpaid egotistical prima donnas, but by men with working-class ethics, and when teams were managed by men and not "Dustys". Where have you gone, Rugger Ardizoia?

Dick Dobbins again captures the essence of the old Pacific Coast League. By using an "oral history" format, he is able to capture the true nature of this "major" minor league. The best section in the book consist of short interviews with former players and managers regarding some of the great and notorious players in the league. The same is also done for the managers, stadiums and teams. My favorite aspect of the book is the numerous historical photographs from Mr. Dobbins collection. This book is a must buy for baseball fans!

If you are a fan of the old Pacific Coast League, this book is a must. Great photos, interesting interviews with former players. If you own Nuggets on the Diamond also by Dick Dobbins, this is a great companion piece. Just to see pictures of the old coast league ball parks is worth the price of admission.

This ia an absolute must for anyone who enjoyed the old PACIFIC COAST LEAGUE.The photographs of the old P.C.L.ballparks are worth the price of admission.This is an excellent companion piece to Dobbins other book on the P.C.L. Nuggets on the Diamond.

In this book, Dick Dobbins took a cue from the book, "The Glory of Their Times," interviewing numerous ex-PCL players and umpires about the league. This oral history of the league is an excellent look back. Reading this book takes you back to a different era of baseball and shows why the PCL deserved to be called the "Grand Minor League."

The book has chapters on the league's various ballparks over the years, the league's great teams and rivalries. There are numerous pictures of various players, managers, umpires and team owners throughout the book. There are also pictures of various teams' uniforms, hats and other assorted memorabilia.

Dick Dobbins put a lot of hard work and dedication into this book and it shows. Any baseball history fan will love this book.

GRAVITY AND GRACE by Simone Weil. With an Introduction by Gustave Thibon. Translated from the French by Emma Craufurd. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1972 (1952) ISBN 071002262X.

'Gravity and Grace' is a slim book of (in my edition) just 160 pages which holds within itself the quintessence of the greatest spiritual genius of the 20th century. The book is a compilation of brief extracts from Simone Weil's Notebooks and was assembled by Gustav Thibon, who has also added a valuable Introduction of 30 pages, the purpose of which is simply to provide readers with some necessary background, for, as he points out, "Simone Weil's writings belong to the category of very great work which can only be weakened and spoilt by a commentary."

M.Thibon has organized these sayings into 38 chapters - Detachment, The Self, Illusions, Idolatry, Love, Evil, Violence, Contradiction, Chance, Beauty, The Great Beast, etc. (The original French edition - LA PESANTEUR ET LA GRACE (Paris: Plon, 1947) - contained an additional chapter on Israel (pp.216-221) which the English publishers, for reasons best known to themselves, have silently omitted from the 1952 English edition. Whether it has since been restored I don't know).

I purchased my own copy of this book (bibliographical details of which are given above) over thirty years ago. Although many hundreds if not thousands of books have passed through my hands since then, it remains one of five or six books I would never ever consider parting with. Simone Weil's thoughts are so truthful and of such power that one never forgets them and her book becomes one that you find yourself returning to again and again. Here are a few of those thoughts selected at random:

"We cannot under any circumstances manufacture something which is better than ourselves" (p.41).

"The only organ of contact with existence is acceptance, love" (p.57).

"Imaginary evil is romantic and varied; real evil is gloomy, monotonous, barren, boring. Imaginary good is boring; real good is always new, marvellous, intoxicating" (p.62).

"Joy is the overflowing consciousness of reality" (p.73).

'Gravity and Grace' brings us the truth about the human condition, the truth about ourselves, and much of this truth is far from comforting. As M. Thibon points out, "It is not a question of philosophy here but of life," the life that all of us are at this moment living and that Simone Weil can help us more fully appreciate and understand. Her thoughts weave themselves into the fabric of one's mind and will leave any sensitive reader immeasurably enriched.

I admit that since I am a student of analytic philosophy the axiomatic format made it difficult to follow the author at times. It is just not the kind of writing to which I am accustom. If you like writtings which take a thoroughly explicit and systematic approach to religious questions this book is probably not for you. Still, I think it is impossible to read this book without being moved by the power the author's holiness. I found many of these sayings profoundly beautiful (I am especially enamored with the section on love) and some unsettling but always deeply moving. I believe this is one of those rare books which can change a person's life.

This young lady's writings and personal story blow away most other 20th Century thinkers. These are mainly short blasts. Provocative. Accessible. Yet push you further than you've likely been. Lots of ancient Christian desert hermit influence (St. Theresa, St. John of the Cross, Philokalia) on this revolutionary, radical mind. Timeless. Challenging. Simple. Confounds modernism.

This is a case of Dialectic Materialism approached through a Nietzsche perspective, a woman as an idealist scholar with an extraordinary Jewish background whose brother suffers the loss of his life at the hands of Nazis! Simone Petrement, Simone Weil's biographer and classmate [Ecole Normale et al], clearly presents the defeating struggles with which Ms. Weil must but stealthily reveal! To say she deplored her Jewish background would be to deny her devotion to her parents which could not completely be. Her struggle is not her with Jewism itself but with the affliction of her father, Dr. Bernard Weil (1872-1955) and her mother, the daughter of Mme. Reinherz. Try the perils of the afflicted Russian Jew who no longer finds palatable the mere potatoes which she herself chose. She subtly [quietly]pleaded for her parents' assistance and then rejected their offers through her inner anxiety, a struggle to preserve Humanity amongst those who spoke Omniscient Salvation in other languages but offered moral support to Russian Jews who didn't appreciate the blasphemy of stating "Jesus Christ" over and over again! Thus is the subtle and controversial attitude.

Simone Weil's writings were impenetrable for me in the fifties. Now I have most of her works and I am frequently amazed at how penetrating are her ideas and thoughts, and how contrary to most thinking today. That in itself recommends her. She understands people, life, and suffering, and sees its purpose. She sees through all falseness to the goodness. Simone Weil is the most honest person I know or have heard of. Yet while her classmate, Simone de Beauvoir is famous Simone Weil is relatively unknown. She loves Plato, Buddhism, Geometry, Jesus, working people, her homeland, France, but she rejected the Catholic Church, baptism, and Judaism (her background). She is a saint if there ever was one. I am profoundly grateful for having known something of her, her diamond mind, and her beautiful soul.