Works Books

This is one of the most special books in my collection because it was a present from Rabbi Chaim Adelman of the Chabad House at UMass-Amherst in May of 2002. (In addition to being a great person and really funny, Rabbi Adelman was also quite possibly my favorite rabbi I've ever had.) There was a little party one night for those of us who were about to graduate, and towards the end he gave each of us this book (the commemorative edition that was printed that year in honor of what would have been the Rebbe's 100th birthday) and wrote lovely personalised inscriptions in them for us. This is the type of present that can last a lifetime instead of only being read once and then put aside, or maybe reread once in awhile. It's a book like the Tao Te Ching; it can be read and reread over and over again and always give the reader new profound insights. This simple timeless wisdom doesn't even have to be read from cover to cover; one can just go through it day by day, or whenever one wants to, and digest these meditations, sayings, quotes, and stories slowly, or as one needs to. It's divided into categories such as "Children," "All the World Is My Teacher," "Science and Technology," "The Blueprint of Creation," "Days Are Coming," "Making a Living," and "From Despair to Joy." Whatever one's problem, question, issue, or concern, advice or an answer is bound to be found here. Many of these tidbits of wisdom might also pleasantly surprise those who have a view of Hassidim as having a very pre-modern view of the world or of being dour, joyless, and very authoritarian and triumphalist. One doesn't even need to be Jewish to enjoy and benefit from this wonderful book.

This book is uplifting and inspiring and will have you nodding in agreement and renewed awareness again and again. It is a must for every home.

I was an early casualty of the faith of my parents. Not particularly religious themselves, they left me with a sense of the form of our religion, but no picture whatever of it's content. This wasn't their fault, it was simply very much the way we were in the 50's and 60's. My own spiritual needs left unmet by my faith of origin, I drifted from the time I entered college, first as an atheist, and then as almost every kind of theist one can imagine.

Eventually I found a place that suits me spiritually, in which I can dwell and feel no need to convert the unfaithful. From within this place, I have rediscovered a desire to spend some time reaping the wisdom of the religion I always took for granted, the one I was born into. This is not necessarily a comfortable journey for me but one it has been time to make for a while.

One of the things I had never come to understand about Judaism until well into college was the tremendous mystical richness of Judaism. What makes this mysticism special is its refusal to abandon the world in which we make our way. From Jewish mystics and rebbes we expect practical advice as well as inspiration. Rebbe Menachem Schneerson was for many years the premier spokesman for the Lubavitcher tradition of mystical Judaism. A man who valued humility, wisdom, affection, humor and a deep abiding faith.

Tzvi Freeman has taken the time to compile the essence of Rebbe Schneerson's meditations and teachings. This is simple, direct writing that would touch anyone, Jewish or not. Short sections that can be read a paragraph at a time and meditated upon at will. We are invited to take our beliefs out of the ivory tower and apply them in the world. The first recommendation for the spiritual treatment of illness is 'find a good doctor and follow his instructions.' The fourth is 'Increase your study of the inner light of the Torah.'

This kind of wisdom is good for all to use. I would recommend "Bringing Heaven Down to Earth" not just to crabby old men such as I, but to anyone who finds themselves sometimes a seeker or wishes to understand more of the depths of Judaism.

In a format accessible to readers of every background, Rabbi Tzvi Freeman has culled through over four decades of writings, letters, ma'amarim (Chasidic discourses), sichos (talks), farbrengens (Chasidic gatherings), yechidus'en (private audiences), and stories of the Lubavitcher Rebbe to present bite sized gems of wisdom applicable to the reader's practical everyday life and emotional/spiritual/material well being. With the exception of Rabbi Simon Jacobson's Toward A Meaningful Life, I doubt if there are any other English works besides Freeman's that so enable the reader of ANY background to integrate the Rebbe's wisdom into his own life. In his foreword, Freeman advises, "Take it little by little, day by day. When you need an answer, look here. When you need to come up for air, find it in the Rebbe's words. When life is getting tough and confusing, open up just anywhere and see what the Rebbe has to say. If you find heaven, bring it down to earth." Indeed, without being hyperbolic, this book can potentially change your life.

This is an awesome and informative book. I use it as an oracle and find it to be amazingly insightful and informative. Uncannily so. I think of a question, then open the book and read the passage where my finger is. Tzvi put his heart and soul into this book and it absolutely shows. It's an amazing book to have on anyone's bookshelf as it's such a fascinating read including many anecdotes about the Rebbe. I highly recommend this book to spiritual people of all faiths as you will find yourself going back to it again and again through the years.

This an excellent book. Short chapters, easy to follow, common sense advice and really helpful suggestions for a person looking to put their illness in remission.

I bought this book (along with others)for my Dad after he was diagnosed with Stage 4 RCC. He absolutely LOVED this book. He then bought 5 copies and gave one to me, my brother and three other people because he felt we would all benefit from reading it. I read it and agree with him 100%. This book is an easy read and really put things in perspective. Great book for anyone going through this or for someone whose loved one is in this situation.

For anyone facing the big C or anyone with a relative in the same bandwagon, this is the best, most uplifting and practical book to get. It will give you advice, nutrition guidelines that help and most importantly, how to battle the depression that may arise. Get it!

Somewhat helpful, mostly things I had previously read in other books. But it was interesting and did keep my attendion. I did gain some knowledge that I have put in place in my treatment and am finding it helpful.

This book was easy to read and gave definite things to do to stay healthy and be a long term survivor.
It is especially good for people who first receive the diagnosis of cancer.

Just finished it, what an enjoyable experience to sit back with a favorite brew, dog by my side and drift away into Robert Service's world. Cannot recommend this collection highly enough.

I was introduced to Robert Service while attending Jr. High in Alaska. I loved his work so much that my parents bought me this book. Picking it up again, after 25 years, his work is still captivating. It transports the reader back 100+ years, to a wild frontier.

And I want to go back - and I will.

I am not much for poetry in general (having been forced to determine feet and meter and memorize types of sonnets, etc...), but Service's poetry is simple, amazingly clear, and beautiful. His descriptions of the Northern Lights and the wonders of the North are worth the price of the book just in of themselves.

Exactly what I was looking for for my husband. I think it has everything Robert Service ever wrote and is fabulous.

Exactly what I was looking for for my husband. I think it has everything Robert Service ever wrote and is fabulous.

This is a beautiful book, with beautiful images. It is entirely worth it, to get a glimpse of the people of Africa. Excellent.

I found this one of the most beautiful representations of the continent that I have seen to date. Instead of animals and Egyptian ruins the photographers have taken a diverse array of photographs that potray the people. In addition, the representation of even the least renowned countries in Africa is accurate.

I am also partial to this book, because the proceeds go towards AIDS prevention in Africa.

Ahhh. This book, obviously, is many things to many people; not unlike its bountiful subject matter--- the original mother, Africa.

It is also many things to me, each equally beautiful. Most important, it is a powerfully evocative visual link to the 3 years of memories I carry of my life in West Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer. The photographers saw and captured a lot of what I deeply love about the peoples, the land and the life of Africa. The simple and complex beauty; the extraordinary and the mundane; the joy and the frustrations, the good and the bad. It's just life as it is lived everywhere else on the planet, and how good it is to see it presented from a part of the world that is not often shown much appreciation.

While I appreciate another reviewer's criticism of the book's failure to show more modern infrastructure of urban areas, I disagree that the omission is a disservice. True, there is a great deal of development in Africa, but what is shown in this book is still a good and true representation of the vast majority of people and their lives. Far from being stereotyped shots of suffering and drudgery, I find the photos varied and well beyond cliché as they take us into the rhythm of the lives of everyday people. It is a beautiful book. Place it on your coffee table , but keep it in your heart.

This is an absolutely heartstopping collection of photographs from everyday African scenes. I have to disagree with the reviewer who said that it only presented stereotypical portraits of African life. I agree that the collection would have been enriched with more portraits of urban life, but I don't think that this was a typical "National Geographic" variety volume.

It did have diversity, and it did show that many Africans live in modern homes. However, the sensitivity of the portraits was so deep, and their beauty so stunning, it certainly transcended "look at the natives starving/doing something weird/suffering from disease" type photography. Rather, it showed many of the marvels of Africa-from the artwork thriving in so many areas, to areas where ingenuity and industry thrive against all odds, from the thriving markets of Lagos, to the beauty of the desert. This book is so gorgeous that it is rather a testimony of love for Africa and its people-not in some patronizing way, but a true celebration of its spirit. It shows tragedy, but it shows beauty and people loving life and affirming it as well. Isn't that a balanced and fair picture?

Africa is a beautiful continent with immense potential, and it never looked better. The 100 or so photographers who took the pictures did an outstanding job. The pictures are the highest quality I have ever seen ...digital technology, I suppose. If a picture is worth a thousand words, this books value is in millions.
The first few pages feature full page pictures breathtaking scenery. One shows a lone teacher under the shade of a tree, a dog sits at some distance. Another show the Victoria falls in its full splendor and the there that magnificent mountain peak. Well by this time if your aren't seated, I suggest you do so for and stop operating heavy machinery. Across from cape to Cairo and across the Sahara these talented photographer have captured the wonderful essence of Africa.
Having in mind the much maligned western Medias portrayal of Africa and it on the tragic. In my opinion this book treats the subjects, e.g. Pictures of HIV sufferers, with adequate sensitivity.
Lastly I would like to salute the producers and sponsors of the project. It's a noble gesture.

This book is an outstanding resource for readers who devour mysteries. Heising's multiple ways of listing books (geographical, by profession, etc.) provides a wealth of information for the reader who is always on the lookout for a new author. I just wish there was a new edition! I wouldn't part with this one, though. It's always a good way to start on a new author.

This reference work is invaluable in finding mystery series by woman up to 1999 or so, when I bought my copy. However, it is now very much out-of-date and of little use on newer series/authors/titles. I keep checking to see if there's a Detecting Women 4, and can still hope, but possibly this one is the end of the line. What a shame!

This is a wonderful tool to keep track of all those mystery books on your shelves. This book offers a comprehensive listing of women's fiction mysteries. Books are listed by author and title. It is great way to see the order of books written in a series. There is also a check list where you can check off the book once you purchase it, and then check it after you read it. I like to make notations next to the books once I finish the book. Books that have been nominated or received awards are designated with a star by the title.

Watching the Detectives
How far has Sue Grafton gotten in her alphabet mystery series? What's the first book in Patricia Cornwell's Kay Scarpetta series? Who are writing books featuring bed & breakfasts?

As those who love reading mystery series know, it's difficult to keep track of the hundreds of writers past and present who have contributed to the mystery genre, which is why reading sleuths will love "Detecting Women," a guidebook to the distaff side of mysteries.

This handsome, large paper bound book lists more than 600 series and 3,400 books written by women. Each entry contains a biographical introduction with the title and year of each book, and notes if the book has been nominated for any awards. Editor Wiletta Heising has done an exceptional job of breaking down the information, providing extensive lists that break down series by year, occupation, geographic location and even pseudonym.

The brief biographies are gold mines of fascinating information that invites lengthy browsing. Here is where you can learn that Grafton's fictional P.I. Kinsey Millhone will celebrate her 40th birthday once "`Z' is for Zero" appears in 2009 (when Grafton will be 69); that Agatha Christie wrote 35 novels featuring Hercule Poirot, and 12 about Jane Marple; and that the largely forgotten Anne Katherine Green is considered the "mother of the detective story," and was a best-selling author nine years before Arthur Conan Doyle put pen to paper.

Purple Moon also publishes a pocket guide to help mystery fans track of their favorite series, and comes with a notepad useful for noting suspects, clues, and books desired. "Detecting Women" provides a welcome overview of the rapidly expanding mystery field, and can reintroduce readers to now-forgotten and obscure writers. It is nothing less than required, fascinating reading for mystery fans.

How many times have you discovered a new author and tried to unravel the sequence of the series? Publishers sometimes list previous books - provided they published those previous books. Or the author's work is neatly cited in alphabetical order. Great if you've picked up Sue Grafton, not so good if the author is Martha Grimes. Or only the books still in print appear.

I edit two mystery newsletters, one for a general bookstore. My readers want to know series order. Short of tracking all the mystery writers yourself (good luck!), DETECTING WOMEN-3rd Ed. is the very best thing. Willetta Heising also includes bibliographies to catch the fancy of the most fanatic fan - settings, characters, types, historical venue, pseudonyms, and award nominees/winners. The master list even has blank spaces to accommodate future titles.

There has never been a more comprehensive listing. I wouldn't/couldn't prepare a newsletter without it. This is definitely a keeper -- until DETECTING WOMEN 4 comes along!

I was fascinated by Huxley's use of this story as a way of trying to explain his thoughts on "man's deep-seated urge to self-transcedence, of his very natural reluctance to take the hard, ascending way, and of his search for some bogus liberation either below or to one side of his personality" - as revealed by our dependecies on religion and in joining mass movements like fascism or communism, as well as sexuality and substance use and abuse.
In Chapter Three he focuses on the religious aspects of these tendencies to "desire - and desire, very often, with irresistable violence - the consciousness of being someone else."
In the Epilogue ["In amplification of material in Chapter Three)"], he expands on these ideas by discussing substance use and abuse: "Alcohol is but one of the many drugs employed by human beings as avenues of escape from the insulated self." He adds to this the use of "From poppy to curare, from Andean coca to Indian hemp and Siberian agaric, every plant or bush or fungus capable, when ingested, of stupifying or exciting or evoking visions....seems to prove that, always and everywhere, human beings have felt the radical inadequacy of their personal existence, the misery of being their insulate selves and not something else.."
He then continues with the "crowd delirium" of mass movements:
"The professional moralists who inveigh against drunkeness are strangely silent about the equally disgusting vice of herd-intoxication - of downward transcendence into subhumanity by the process of getting together in a mob." leading to "The final symptom of herd-intoxication is a manical violence. Instances of crowd-delirium culminating in gratuitous destructiveness, in ferocious self-mutilation, in fratracidal savagery without purpose and against the elementary interests of all concerned, are to be met with on almost every page of the anthropologists'textbooks and - a little less frequently, but still with dismal regularity - in the histories of even the most highly civilized peoples."
His concluding sentence: "Every idol, however exalted, turns out, in the long run, to be a Moloch, hungry for human sacrifice."

This book is not merely an historical essay describing the lurid details of the events at Loudun [other books on the subject do that job], Huxley covers far more ground and delves far deeper into the experience of being human than that; it can be disturbing at times, but also illuminating.
Huxley's own later use of psychedelic drugs [mescaline, and, as has been said, LSD while on his death-bed] - which he describes in "The Doors of Perception" [1954] - indicates that he was still trying to reach an understanding of self-transcendence - in a more positive light.

It is the early 17th century in Loudun, France. The local parish priest, Urbain Grandier, has become embattled in various local rivalries with civic magnates and ecclesiastical officials. He makes powerful enemies among them but they are helpless to action against for the moment. Both sides are determined to see victory and religious sanctity takes a back seat to revenge and personal gain. Against this backdrop an altogether remarkable occurrence takes place; the inhabitants of the local covenant experience an extraordinary case of mass possession by demons. The head of the covenant, Saeur Jeanne des Anges, experiences the worst of the possessions and under an exorcism conducted by Jean-Joseph Surin she, or the demon within her, places the blame squarely on the shoulders of Urbain Grandier. The moment his enemies have waited for has arrived.

For those who are fans of Huxley's fictional and non-fictional works this book is not one to be missed. Although it falls into the category of non-fiction as it tells the story of a historical event in 17th century France, Huxley uses his creative powers and imagination to make the tale come alive. Granted historians may have an issue with taking such liberties in writing about a historical event, but Huxley's goal is not `pure' history, a pretty questionable term in itself, but rather to tell the story of a remarkable event with all the drama and suspense that it deserves.

His account of the mass possession in Loudun is backed up by an admirable amount of research. It is clear that Huxley's knowledge of both the time and place extend far beyond the details of the story and serve to enlighten his account. His understanding of human psychology as plays a prominent role in this book. It goes beyond a simple recounting of historical events, which as interesting as they are does not in itself make the book a unique one. It is Huxley's continual fascination with the human mind that really makes this book special. After setting out the basic historical framework for the story, he attempts to reconstruct the psychological factors that played a large role there. After examining the individual characters from the Loudun saga, Huxley takes the time to reflect and draw conclusions about humanity in general and what drives people to believe themselves possessed and the further implications this has.

Whether one agrees with the validity of conducting a sort of psychological analysis of historical figures hundreds of years removed from us and then in turn using those conclusions to draw wider ones about humanity or a time period in general, this book is an immensely interesting read.

Huxley has written a wonderful study of witchcraft,demonic possession and social commentary that is an historical cornerstone.Both religion and psychiatry are carefully intertwined in this lengthy novel.Set in France, it explores the human condition at that time.Greed,jealousy,revenge and theatrical performances are core themata.The inquisitional pressure coupled with political appeasement on the local,state and national level are explored.Mad nuns teased by repressed sexual needs and the subsequent outcomes are discussed. The careful documentation of the interplay between religious fervor and satanic influence are revealed in this exacting book.The twisted motivations of maladjusted individuals and the harm they can cause,the somatic possibilities and manifestations,coverups and intrigue are deftly and intellectually examined and detailed.The horrors of torture,self mutilation and sexual deviation as viewed as deviate for the times, gives one a sense of being voyeuristically one of the crowd.Watching the nuns perform their tricks,allegedly possessed by devils for the benefit of the church is amusing.Sister Jeanne,Father Grandier and Father Surin are all players in the game of gods love,human sexual needs,demonic possession and rather kinky goings on in the nunnery.It's a regular satanically,sexual soap opera with much guilt, regret and tragedy at the end.Any fan of Huxley needs to read this if they haven't already.Fans of the origins of psychopathology will marvel at the many mechanisms of defense used as justifiers for actions that were over the top for a pre-enlightened world.For witchcraft afficionados this is required reading.Again, it is a long read but worth it for purely historical anaylysis of the crypto religious/sexual linkage that to some degree is still present today.A must read for lovers of this subject matter.

HOW does a book this important come to be out of print?!!

No matter. Used copies can be had here for very little. Buy one and read it.

One of the joys of reading is how one subject can lead to a serendipitous find. Having recently come across a brief reference to the early 17th century barking nuns of Loudon I went in search of a more detailed exploration. In Aldous Huxley's book I found all that I sought and much more.

Urbain Grandier, the local parson of Loudon, is a very naughty cleric who partakes much too much of the sensual world. One morsel happens to be the daughter of his best friend. She becomes pregnant with unhappy consequences for many people. Grandier manages in this way of behavior to alienate nearly every important Catholic in Loudon as well as make an enemey of Richelieu.

When Grandier spurns the local prioress, Sister Jeanne, she claims demonic possession at the hand of Grandier as do 2 of her nuns. Grandier may have been guilty of many sins, but demonic possession was not among them. Exorcists are brought in as much too destroy Grandier as to throw out the devils (7 specific ones inhabit Sister Jeanne alone). The exorcists produce devils in 14 more nuns. The public exorcisms provide great entertainment, reviving the local tourist industry, but eventually produce the trial of Grandier, who in due turn is burned at the stake. The story continues when the Jesuit Surin arrives to finally successfully exorcise Sister Jeanne's demons.

Huxley's 1952 work explores the psychological aspects of demonic possession and exorcism, sometimes brilliantly against the backdrop of the madnesses of his own time. Liberal rationalists had "fondly imagined" an end to persecutions of 'heretics'. Instead, as he observes "from our vantage point on the descending road of modern history, we now see that all the evils of religion can flourish without any belief in the supernatural, that convinced materialists are ready to worship their own jerry-built creations as though they were the Absolute, and that self-styled humanists will persecute their adversaries with all the zeal of Inquisitors exterminating the devotees of a personal and transcendant Satan...In order to justify their behavior, they turn their theories into dogmas, their bylaws into First Principles, their political bosses into Gods and all those who disagree with them into incarnate devils. This idolatrous transformation of the relative into the Absolute and the all too human into the Divine, makes it possible for them to indulge their ugliest passions with a clear conscience and in the certainty that they are working for the Highest Good."

In the last third of the book he explores the nature of Sister Jeanne's possession, the possession of her exorcist Surin, and the manner of her recovery. The modern mind has some difficulty here. Clearly Surin and possibly Jeanne believed in the reality of demonic possessions (it is worth noting that many learned men, including those behind Grandier's fall and most Jesuits did not believe in the authenticity of these possessions). At the same, Jeanne is also play-acting at times as she concedes in her own subsequent writings. They believed in the Devil, they believed in possession, but understood that the Devil could not overcome the will of the possessed. Huxley paints a poignant, if oddly amusing, scene when he describes how Surin ordered Jeanne's devils to discipline themselves - in other words to flagellate Jeanne. Two of the devils lay on the whip with gusto, but Balaam and Isacaaron abhorring pain, would barely swing the whip and yet the possessed Jeanne would scream in agonized suffering.

An absolutlely fascinating read by one of the great minds of the 20th century.

This book gives you all the lyrics to his songs and there are pictures and paragraphs about them.

"The Doors: The Illustrated History" is the best photographic, visual book record of the band. Compiled by Doors manager Danny Sugerman, it is a fascinating, visually rich and enjoyable display of a band that changed rock music and the amount of praise (and criticsm) they inspired. The pictures are great, they are clear, close and informative and clearly show how Jim Morrison created the theatrical aspects we so see so often in today's rock music. We also get different shots of the man, as the wild, leather-clad Lizard King and as a lonely, quiet poet. The articles and reviews are fascinating because they take us back to a time and place, but they are also surprising to read when compared to what is written today about certain rock artists. In one article dealing with the New Haven arrest where Morrison became the first rock performer to be arrested at a concert, the writer calls the music of The Doors "satanic, sensual and demented." A sign of what was to come with artists like Iggy Pop, Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper and many others. Some of the reviews are especially well-written, like one where the writer says the Doors music evokes images like the eye-ball slashing in Luis Bunuel's "Un Chien Andalou." Like the music, the images are timeless, and evoke a poetic, deep persona who's presence is ever so strong in rock. Like The Beatles, The Doors are an unforgettable force, you hear them once and never forget. The foreward by Jerry Hopkins, who wrote "No One Here Gets Out Alive," is also informative and has interesting things to say about the resurgence of Doors music. This is a must for any Doors fanatic and anyone who has ever been touched by the music and words.

I'm somewhat of a new Doors fan, particularly of Jim Morrison. The hair and the pout drew me in first, then the music followed. When I found this book, I knew I had to own it. I was not at all disappointed. Sugerman has done a fantastic job of compiling the hundereds of pictures and newspaper/magazine articles from over the years into this informative collection. The progression over the years of Morrison's rise to fame and eventual downfall into drugs and self-desctruction is adeptly demonstrated. A must-have for any Doors fan.

Danny Sugerman is someone in the Doors "family" that alot of people don't think very highly of. He has made a pretty good living out of Jim Morrison's death and continues to this day to fuel the many myths he helped create with his contribution to "No One Here Gets Out Alive". But if it weren't for Danny.....The Doors would not be selling so many records or books or anything on Morrison. Danny has helped keep "The Myth" alive. This is why The Doors are so popular today. Having said that, no single person worked harder to keep the Doors name alive in the 80's than he did- for that I respect Danny.

This amazing compilation of cuttings, reviews, photographs and articles was collected by a young Danny during the height of The Doors success whilst working as Jim's assistant-answering Jim's fan mail.

Beginning with the bands first forays onto the LA gig circuit the fledgling Doors took the rock press by storm with their doom laden sound and extremely smart lyrical imagery. From the Whisky to Miami via the Singer Bowl and New Haven we travel along on the dark journey to oblivion that was the Doors turbulent and sadly short career as seen through the eyes of the press and a young teenage kid. As it happened live and uncut.

I absolutely love this book. The introduction and the photographs are worth the price alone. This book has the lyrics to all your favorite Doors songs plus poetry (lyrics) from Jim Morrisons' spoken word album "An American Prayer." It has also got interviews and a behind the scenes look at what went on during some of the recording sessions as well as definitions as to just what Jim meant in some of their songs. The discussion about the meaning of The End is great. This book is a must for Doors fans from the most ardent to the just curious. The book is not one that will be looked at once or twice and put on a shelf. It is a facinating read no matter how many times you read it. The Doors: The Complete Lyrics increased my respect and admiration for the band, and Jim in particular, 1000 fold.

I live on a small rural island in the Pacific Northwest, home to fewer than a thousand people in the winter, so I have a deep understanding of what E. B. White means when he writes: "Feeling ran so high that some people stopped speaking to each other--which is a form of discourse."

Lately, I felt the need for something calming in my life and, for the first time in years, I picked up a collection of E. B. White's essays. Reading him is like lighting a fire on a cold and windy evening. This man can write a sentence and create a sense of life as well as anyone I've ever read.

And no one ever wrote more heartfelt prose about barnyard geese.

Reading these essays which span more than two decades (early 50s to mid-70s), I am struck both by their craft and their antiquity. E.B. White wrote the book on writing, literally, with William Strunk; THE ELEMENTS OF STYLE remains the most useful and concise rule book for modern English exposition yet written, and White's CHARLOTTE'S WEB remains a childhood favorite for many. White was a master of the essay form, sparking a reader's interest in the subject at hand and cajoling further attention to the tangents and digressions which are an essayists stock in trade. He easily wends narratives which include broody geese, nuclear power stations, old dogs, oil tankers and mortality. His voice is plainspoken -- the viewpoint that of a person with deerhunters for neighbors, who enjoys the occasional venison steak, who roots for the deer in hunting season, and yet admits to shooting the foxes who kill his chickens. At the same time, his writing feels dated, rooted in an era when feelings were less admissible than ideas. His writing seems honest, but guarded, particularly after my recent immersion in Ann Lamott, a decidedly unguarded and modernist chronicler. Thus, I emerge from White's work impressed with his grace, language and fluidity, but disappointed in the gut. There are tales untold between these lines and I am left hungry. Old-school excellence, but aging fast.

What do you expect of tomorrow? "THE WORLD OF TOMORROW", perhaps the best known essay among his essay collactiond,"Essa of E.B. White". It contains thirty other essays organozed into seven sections.

The scene of "THE WORLD OF TOMORROW" is in New York in May 1939. White mentions "Tomorrow" remembering the World's Fair held there. The Fair's theme was also "THE WORLD OF TOMORROW", and there were the white ball and spire named the Tylon and Perisphere which were two landmark monumental buildings in the fair. Actually White had to visit there with a box of Kleenex...

At first, the road to the World's Fair is refered as the road to "Tomorrow". Through the street, he arrived at "the very threshold of Tomorrow". At the Fair, he made a few notes about what you may expext of tomorrow--In tomorrow, most sounds aren't these themselves, and we can't tallk back.

The New York World's Fair was filled with man's dream, and it's held 66 years ago! The more I read this book, the more I can be into White's world. His way to use metaphor is brilliant, and it makes me feel more comfortable. So, I really recommend you not only this essay but also his another collection.

This is such a marvelous book.

The sentences are simply perfect and the sense of wonder he creates makes this a text you will want to go back to over and over. A great gift for any literate person in your life.

Really great.

Twenty two of the essays appeared in THE NEW YORKER. White had candor. His piece on the death of his pig is masterful. He examined his own feelings and community reaction. The role of his dachshund, Fred, is described amusingly. It is no wonder White wrote so winningly for children.

In 1954 when he had no television he was looked upon as an eccentric. During Hurricane Edna radio worked people up to an incredible state of alarm. It seemed that no wick was available for the Whites' kerosene lamp. White has some gentle fun with mistakes of the exhausted radio announcers. Battered down was said instead of battened down, and unindated for inundated. There are two stages in the country of a storm. There is the period when phones and lights are still going, and then there is the stage when these cease to work. The storm itself did not seem long in comparison to the radio vigil.

He came to feel that living in New England in the winter was a full time job in itself. Another use of his time was having an enemy, the fox. Darkness was more insistent than the cold. Farming, even the kind pursued by the author, is infinitely complex. When the snow arrived early in 1971 White was cut short. The usual things were not done. It got so there was no place to put the snow after it was plowed.

In the city section of the essays it is noted that New York City bestows the gift of loneliness and privacy. In 1939 there were eight million people in the five boroughs. In Florida it appears that the sun and the lizard maintain the same schedule. The tiny spots of the fiddler crab's body enlarge during the daytime hours. To have a pointsettia plant at Christmastime in
Florida seems faintly ridiculous. Pointsettias bloom naturally in the yards. A small chameleon arrives with the Whites' tropical substitute for a Christmas tree much to Mrs. White's delight.

In 1923 the author kept a diary of his trip to Alaska. A ship, docking at Seattle, was to go on a journey for forty days. He had only forty dollars, enough to traverse the inner passage to Skagway, and so he went. The Buford, for some of the passengers, became a high class floating jail because although food and scenery were good, there was no escape. Youthful, White absorbed the vast scene of Alaska. This was a trip promoted by the Chamber of Commerce, but White's roommate was another odd man to the enterprise, a Laplander. He was a reindeer butcher, going to a job in Nome. When the boat reached Skagway White's ticket ran out. The captain came up with the idea of putting him on as a night saloonsman. His metamorphosis took the passengers by surprise.

WALDEN is not a well-liked book among White's acquaintances. Thoreau was torn by two desires, to enjoy the world and to set the world straight. He tended to write in sentences, and WALDEN is a collection of certified sentences. I have tried to give the prospective reader some notion of the enjoyment to be obtained from reading White's essays.

Performed on the stage in 1975 by Ntozake Shange, pronounced (En-toe-ZAK-kay SHONgay), a playwright, poet and novelist. The structure for this play is choreopoem, a chorus of people reciting poems. Here, the roles are spoken from a group of black women, only identified by color of clothes, as in (lady in brown, lady in red, lady in yellow, etc.)

A departure written from the average play, the intent is clear, a voice for all black women who have suffered indignations, painful experiences from men. The language is strong offensive and obscene, but you get the point!

The colors depict a rainbow, and each girl is identified with a color that closes matches her style of speech. For example, lady in yellow speaks of love, high school, lost virginity, to bolder colors that speak of pain and tension. The cities they come from are San Francisco, Manhattan, St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit, Houston and Baltimore. The subjects range from youth, losing virginity, rape, abuse, rebellion, abortion, theft, social, political, etc.

The subjects range from youth, losing virginity, rape, love, theft, indignation. Some poems are done as a solo and with others, all girls chime in. Some titles of the 20 poems are: The messages are powerful. This is womanhood!

A televised version is available amongs the players are Alfre Woodard, Lynn Whitfield, and playwright Ntozake Shange herself. ...Rizzo

I was Lady in Red in when my high school drama department lauched a production of this book. I had no idea how much it would change my life. So many times I have come back to this book and the women speak to me. It is real and it is riviting. Now that I am...mmore mature, I would love to do this play again. Anyone with a daughter or a neice should read this book. This is one that Showtime or HBO should consider for a movie.

This book is absolutely amazing. It speaks to all the aspects that a minority teen girl goes through. It should be a Christmas present for every teenage girl. I loved this book.

When I was a little girl my mother was in a local acting group that traveled and put on this play. When I was about 13 years old I saw it in it entiretly for the first time. It was heartwrenching, funny, inspiring and contraversial. I loved every bit of it. Everyone especially women and men who love women should read it at least once, it provides an interesting perspective that you may be unfamiliar with. Being a black woman ain't always easy but it sure is beautiful, if you can find God in yourself.

This incredibly precious gem of a book was produced on Broadway back in the late 70's or early 80's but I was too young to see it at the time and probably would not have been able to relate to it anyway. In this prose poem, a "choreopoem" Shange depicts the hardships of African American Women in America. The different perspective of their lives is precisely and poignantly elucidated by the incredible and fascinating prose poetry of this book.

It is stunningly shocking that things that white Americans take totally for granted are just not part of the African American milieu in this country. Rape, pregnancy, domestic violence of the highest order, living in squalor and prostitution are all common place in so many of the African American communities of the 70's, 80's, 90's and now the 00's. Shange's representation of the perspective on rape is extraordinary. If an African American girl gets raped, she better not have ever been seen in public with the rapist, or there will be no conviction. Obviously it was invited. Not so with White Americans. But common place with African Americans.

A quick example of her wondrous lyricism are the following two lines that just give a glimpse of the different perspective that African American Women have toward American life:

"... we gotta dance to keep from cryin

we gotta dance to keep from dyin ..."

While the book is surely most meaningful to African American Women, it is recommended for all Americans so that the true reality of this dilemma and this shame can be absorbed and understood by all Americans. Perhaps if we all understood the conditions of the African American Women, something would be done about it. As of now, it is just not the same for people with black skin as it is for all other ethnic minorities in the United States of America.

I can't imagine a better guide to Shakespeare than this. It's like a "for dummies" book, but better. The author covers just about everything, but she never bores you. In fact, I could hardly put this book down.

After a very lively introduction (about Shakespeare's life and the Globe theater), the author lists the plays in the order in which they were written. She divides them into four groups: the romantic comedies, the historical plays, the tragedies, and the romances. Then she tackles each of the four groups, writing about some of the plays. She tells you why the play is famous, she covers key characters (like Falstaff), and she explains the controversies that surround some of them. (For example, the charge of anti-Semitism about Merchant of Venice.) She makes a point of not covering every play --- if she covered them all, the reader would eventually lose interest.

Instead of getting bored, you are starved for more. The book is packed with trivia and intelligent observations. The author isn't shy about the sex and violence in the plays, either, which keeps things interesting. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants an overview of Shakespeare's work. If you don't know about his plays, you probably want to, but you need a guide that was written specifically for you. This is the book.

+++++

This book's preface instructs, "Don't feel compelled to read this book from cover to cover" since it's meant for reading at a relaxed pace. Guess what? I DID read it from cover to cover!!

Why did I do this? Here are my reasons:

(1) THE AUTHOR'S WRITING STYLE. The author, Norrie Epstein, writes in a relaxed and leisurely but enthusiastic way making a somewhat difficult subject easy and enjoyable to read. She writes for the intelligent, common reader who's tired of technical, academic (and patronizing!!) jargon.

(2) THE BOOK'S ORGANIZATION. The book progresses logically with general comments on the works of William Shakespeare (1564-1616) to discussing the man himself to looking at the Elizabethan stage and then lastly discussing the plays. There is also a discussion of the Shakespearean sonnets. Finally, there is a fascinating end-discussion on the spin-offs that have resulted from Shakespeare's works (for example, music and films).

(3) DISCUSSION OF PLAYS. Not only are the popular ones discussed but the more obscure plays are also given attention. The plays discussed are as follows: eight romantic comedies, eight histories, one "problem" play, seven tragedies, and one tragicomic romance. All discussions are EASY to follow. And don't worry. There are NO boring plot summaries of the plays to read.

For many of the plays, there is a "What to Look For In" section. These informative sections highlight what is particularly significant in a play. As well, a major Shakespearean character of a particular play may be highlighted and given more detailed attention. For example, there are good, solid discussions of Shylock and Falstaff.

(4) ILLUSTRATIONS AND PHOTOGRAPHS. These are peppered throughout the book. I especially liked the black-and-white photo of Patrick Stewart ("Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the starship Enterprise") dressed up as Shylock.

(5) SIDEBARS. These also occur throughout the book. They highlight interesting bits of information that the author wants to bring to the reader's attention. One of my favorite sidebars is an open letter a critic of the 1600s wrote to Shakespeare entitled "As I Don't Like It." He commented on why he didn't like the play "As You Like It" (one of the Bard's best plays).

(6) INTERVIEWS. These are scattered throughout the book. The author interviews people (such as actors) who have a passion for Shakespeare. Notable interviews are with Kenneth Branagh and Ted Lange (of "Love Boat" fame).

(7) TRIVIA. And lots of it!! This Shakespearean trivia occurs throughout the book. For example, what does Shakespeare's epitaph say? Or, what Shakespearean character was Orson Welles' life ambition to play?

Finally, the big question: who is this book written for? Answer: for both novices and Shakespearean scholars--in short, everybody who is interested in the Bard.

I must confess that I thought I knew a lot about Shakespeare and his works. Was I wrong!! This book opened my eyes to how much I did not know.

In conclusion, after you read this book, you'll probably be like me and say, "What a piece of work was this man William Shakespeare!"

+++++

I mean it. It really is.

Norrie Epstein, who also brings you _The Friendly Dickens_, has produced an absolutely unbelievable wealth of information involving Shakespeare's life, work, and times, all in an extremely readable, interesting, and -funny- way. If you ever thought Shakespeare was unapproachable, you thought wrong. _The Friendly Shakespeare_ takes everything your high school English teacher said about Shakespeare's elegant and classy prose and throws it out the window, showing Shakespeare's work for what it really was: sex and violence - extremely graphic sex and violence, filled with the ultimate bawdy talk and most injuring insults ever to be seen in English. It takes the sentimentality out of Shakespeare, making it as unclean as it always was, explaining out-of-date references and slang that would otherwise mean nothing to the modern ear but made a great deal of sense for the Elizabethans.

Epstein explores almost every possible aspect of the Shakespearean world: examining each play and its virtues and downfalls, delving into the twisted world of Elizabethan culture, discovering Shakespeare's life (and the mystery as to whether Shakespeare was who we think he was, or a pseudonym for any number of other writers, or if Shakespeare stole credit), interviewing actors and directors, the zany adaptations and unusual performances by unlikely actors, and reviewing the many film versions available on video. Nearly every page has a marginal tidbit with a quote or statistic or other little-known fact about Shakespeare's world or productions of his plays. Just from flipping randomly through the book, you could learn more about Shakespeare than you thought you ever wanted to know.

Being a student, I can say that _The Friendly Shakespeare_ is the finest reference for students - whether or not they have an interest in Shakespeare. Everything is presented in a fresh, exciting manner, and for those "experienced" students who have a passion for Shakespeare, it isn't "dumbed down." This isn't _The Idiot's Guide to Shakespeare_. It provides both the basics to get those non-enthusiasts going, and some extremely thought-proviking information for the veterans. Never once is Epstein's text dry or boring or overly wordy, like people expect most Shakespeare studies to be. Nor is it childish or pathetically simple.

What I love most about this book is how it really breaks through the stereotypes and barriers that most teachers have set up, making students HATE Shakespeare - they oversanitize it, making it pretty and beautiful, they oversentimentalize it, making it weak. Shakespeare's plays would not have lasted so long if they were just attractive poems about love. Certainly not. _The Friendly Shakespeare_ takes us back to the true Shakespeare, the Shakespeare that the original audiences must have seen - the gritty, dirty, audience-pleasing text, from the sexuality of _Othello_ to the extraneous gore of _Titus Andronicus_, to the often hushed-up fact that the sonnets were written to another man and not a woman.

Yet Epstein never makes it just about the sex and the violence - she does not deny Shakespeare was a genius of words, as he truly was. She just makes us more -aware- of his genius, for no true genius was ever all fluff and flowers. She tells us -why- he was brilliant, not merely saying he was because popular opinion states it. And after reading this book, you'll understand why, too. And you'll think Epstein is a genius as well for bringing us such a fantastic reference.

I recommend _The Friendly Shakespeare_ to everyone - students, adults, actors, directors, teachers, the veterans, the novices - it will inspire, it will enamour, it will delight, it will shock, and most importantly . . . it will make you love Mr William Shakespeare the way he -should- be loved.

I bought this book based on the reviews at Amazon, and am very pleased with my purchase. I have "The Complete Works" of William Shakespeare, but it wasn't really complete until I bought this book.

Although this is billed as a book about Shakespeare and his work for people who don't like it (of which I am definately not numbered), I learned a lot about the plays and the periods in which they've been performed since to make this book worthwhile. For example, I hadn't known that the sonnet sequence for the most part is from an older man to a fair young boy. This isn't the idea of some fringe group either, but accepted by most Shakespearean scholars. Knowing this fact can certainly add a different level of meaning to many of the sonnets ("Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?").

Aside from the increased knowledge I gained of the texts, this book really helped me place the work against the time period that it was written for, and how people have viewed it since. Ms. Epstein's best analogy for aiding modern readers in grasping how Shakespeare was viewed in his day is comparing him with a writer for TV (strangely enough, a Twilight Zone episode did this as well). People who went to the Globe in 1600 went to see a "All in the Family Royal" or a "Three, Well That's Company" starring their favorite actor, Richard Burbage. The writer? Do you know who the writer of your favorite TV show is? Will "Cheers" be the "Much Ado About Nothing" of the 24th century? Or, even worse, will "Married . . . with Children"? (By the way, if you have any interest in Shakespeare, I strongly recommend Kenneth Branaugh's new version of "Much Ado." While Keanu Reeves is stilted, and Michael Keaton possesses Dogberry with the spirit of Beetlejuice, for the most part the film is a joy, especially any time that Branaugh or Emma Thompson is on the screen.)

Rather than summarize the plays (which only details the plots, which quite often weren't of Shakespeare's invention), Epstein attempts to comment on the play, quoting critical and personal reactions. She also presents some small interviews with some of the most famous Shakespearean's living, about parts and plays most commonly associated with them. I was disappointed because the book was incomplete. Although I agree with her dismissal of "Julius Caesar," she only goes into detail on "The Tempest" alone among the romantic plays, and misses quite a few of my favorite comedies as well. The books is quite a brick as it is, but this is due more to the large print and often wasted space between sections rather than the amount of words contained.

I read The Friendly Shakespeare from cover to cover, but it is well suited to be picked up and read from anywhere within its pages, most sections being only two pages long. For the bardolator and bard-avoider alike, Epstein's book is a lot like her subject--entertaining and fun, with enough serious matter for later contemplation.