William Carlos Williams Books

Carlos Castaneda was always a man shrouded in uncertainty and mystery. Many people, including myself, who read his writings, were both intrigued and titillated by the steady stream of books in which he presented his work within the Sorceric tradition. His books were awaited in much the same way a new Beatles album was, with great anticipation and hope for revelation. What Castaneda had begun as an anthropological study for a college degree ended with Castaneda as the Nagual who opened this secret world to those who wished to explore it, at first from a distance though later directly.

Patterson traces Castaneda's path historically, while doing this Patterson vividly describes a little known cast of female participants that fell within Castaneda's influence and it must be said at times under his control and sexual domination. Patterson also writes of Castaneda from a new and different view point, of seeing the teaching Castaneda brought at first in books and later in his direct teaching from a Gurdjieffian / Fourth Way perspective. Patterson deftly lays out the case that, at the least Castaneda was influenced by G. I. Gurdjieff's teaching, known as the Fourth Way. In this book there is a sense that Castaneda did come to something but as can happen he came to it in a way that damaged him physically and psychologically leaving him ungrounded, with a wrecked body but with power.

This was a fascinating book and I would highly recommend it. It is a must read for those who have an interest in Castaneda and what he brought but also for those who wish to see one example of how the teaching that Gurdjieff brought to the West has influenced many of the "spiritual teachers" of the late 20th century. This teaching as I am sure Gurdjieff must have foreseen has been picked over by many but understood by few.

Who was Carlos Castaneda? Who was the man that wrote a famed work entitled "The Teaching of Don Juan," and where did the ideas and sources in this work came from? Who was Don Juan Matus, and was he real or fictional? The research into these questions and a look into Castaneda's life has been brought to light by the author, William Patrick Patterson, in his latest book.

"The Life & Teachings of Carlos Castaneda" is simply a new profound perspective of the life of Castaneda and his work. It is a book that cannot be put down, and it was read with such enthrall. It consisted of nine chapters in addition of a chronology of Castaneda's life. This book also included an essay of Daniel Brinton's "Nagualism: A Study in Native American Folklore and History," which is an interesting read.

There was the one thing that stood out, to me, was Patterson's discovery of such a remarkable connection between G.I. Gurdjieff's teachings and that of Castaneda's. From this book, there is a chapter entitled "Ideas And Sources," which shortly revealed that mentioned connection, and the author has showed a list of the similarities in ideas between the two profound teachings. While there is such difference between the two men's works, both of them "aim to awaken one from the dream of ordinary life" (p. 91). It was a possibly before having read this book that Castaneda may have derived from Gurdjieff's teachings and reformulated it to some extent from a "sorcery" perspective in his books. It was rather interesting to see that there are very strong connections between the two teachings.

This is a book about a man who journeyed on a perilous road and who shared with the world about his experiences and his interactions with varies of unique individuals. It is a book about Carlos Castaneda, a man of mystery whose famous sorceric stories has enthralled the mind of the modern people for forty years.

Personally, I have found this book to be quite intriguing and an eye-opening read as the author's writing style was very enjoyable. It is certainly to be recommended.

I had not thought about Carlos Castaneda for decades. In my mind he was connected with my distant past when I was just beginning to search for new answers to old questions. So I was very surprised when I found that Mr. Patterson had written a book about him. As I am interested in G.I. Gurdjieff, I have read all of Patterson's other books and wondered why he would be writing about Castaneda. I had not suspected that there was any similarity between Gurdjieff's teaching and Castaneda's teaching - if it can really be called that. Patterson lays out the connections with clarity and insight.

What I had not realized when I first read Castaneda's books - being intrigued by the sorcery and drugs - was that the sacred was missing. As Patterson states it, there is no "spiritual appreciation and valuation of the scale of Being and the duty to serve and offer 'help for God,' as Gurdjieff says."

The other surprise for me was Castaneda's connection with Anais Nin.

This book was my introduction to Carlos Castaneda. Of course, I had heard of him, and seen his books, but I'd never read any. So I thought this might give me some insight into what I was or wasn't missing. And this book did not disappoint. Castaneda is an enigmatic and contradictory figure, and his inconsistencies are put before us along with the energy and intensity of his work. Such a complicated and influential figure deserves the kind of treatment he received in this book, an untainted window into his life, and an opportunity to draw our own conclusions. It struck me as an intelligent book written for an intelligent reader.

Una investigacion seria sobre la vida de uno de los personajes que ha
atraido la atencion gran numero de lectores a veces como ficcion, veces como antropologo recabando informacion sobre una cultura
diferente. Castaneda fue lejos en el uso del shamanismo y hechiceria
buscando una forma de aprehender la realidad, a veces parecen no
tener sentido las descripciones contenidas en sus libros. En "The
Life & Teachings of Carlos Castaneda" se explican entre otras cosas
el papel del cuerpo fisico como punto de partida para el camino al
conocimiento, su relacion con Don Juan, la comparacion con otra
linea espiritual, (El Cuarto Camino). Definitivamente
recomendable y facil de seguir, aun asi un libro de profundidad en
los datos que aporta.

After taking a Computer Graphic Design Class last semister at the Community College that I attend here in the Kansas City area the class pretty much sparked my interest in looking at art. This is one of my first art books that I have bought my first being a book featuring art by MC Escher. I am interested in this style of art.. Lowbrow as it is called.. I like it because it's very thought provoking and makes you wonder where in the world do people get ideas for this type of material? It's really a trip for the mind.. As a whole this book is a very good introduction.. and includes art by several different artists.. you get a good first taste of what this type of art has to offer.. which is perfect if you are a newbie like I am.

I do not come from the lowbrow culture ,whatever that is, and have never paid it any heed. But I came across this book and my eyes have been opened. This art is NOT what I had assumed - it's clever, thoughtful, insightful, and challenging. It has an in-your-face attitude which I think held me at bay for a while. But through this book I have learned to relax, to appreciate and to enjoy. Many thanks and much admiration to Kirsten Anderson for assembling this, and for including three short but effective essays by three painters who helped me discover a whole new world lying right before my eyes.

This is a great book. Lots of great featured artists with excellent examples of their work. If you have any interest in this style (lowbrow) art, you can't go wrong with this book...

Can't say enough terrific things about this, it's one of the best selections of modern art available. Yeah. I said modern art and not "outsider" art. Sorry kids, but that new crap we see in Artforum and in the big museums is the hellspawn of marketing, grant maggotry, the corporate world, and the new corporate academia. It has little to do with the natural evolution of Western Art. If it tickles you to think you're being a Bad-Boy/Girl/Whatever by liking this "outsider" stuff then you're falling right into their game plan, you're a niche market and they'll try to eat up this world just like they ate up "alternative music" in one big gulp. This art is the art of true Americans and that other yuck--the so-called mainsteam (which includes the pre-fab avant-garde nowadays no matter how middle-class titilating and naughty it be) is the Devils' work--the real Devil, the one that created Wal-Mart and George W. Bush.

Love this art, demand that your museums purchase it, rejoice in the fact that you'll never see some Ryden or Williams hanging in a corporate headquarters, sing Hosannas that some trendy art monkey with a Smith degree won't be writing pompous reviews using terms like "globalization" and "gender" about this stuff, wrap yourself in the red, white, and blue, and sing the Star Spangeled Banner! I just wish we could find some equivalent modern creative types with this kind of vitality in music and architecture.

(Recommended--read Paul Johnson's recent history of art, especially the bit where he talks about how the modern art world went all to hell because someone figured out how to market the bejesus out of it)

Great book to get a well laid out view of the pop art of our times.
While the mainstream media ignores low brow art as if it doesn't exist, on the contrary it is very successful amongst the many who grew up on comic books, Mad Magazine, monsters, tv shows, and so on.

A great overview book, you can't go wrong with it.

This is a very high-yield little book written with Step 1 in mind. As the title implies, it focuses on pathology and pathophysiology. There is no wasted space, and don't be fooled by its small size, there is quite a lot of information in there. It is especially helpful as it contains useful information about refining your differential diagnosis (how to tell two similar diseases apart) based on sublties in the presentation. There is a lot of information you might not get in your pathology course (e.g. prerenal vs renal azotemia based on urine chemistry.) There is a section on zebras/syndromes (if you're like me, these are a devil to remember), a few pages of nice glossy images, and 75 Step 1 style questions with explanations in the back. Overally, a lot of information in a small package, including many unusual diseases not mentioned in many other review texts. A worthwhile read!

pretty decent book...i read this along with BRS...there are some mistakes in this book tho...when i first read through it...i felt like i was reading through a med students coursework notes because everything is in bullets...and hard to understand....if you read brs first...and use this afterwards...it makes more sense...its a decent book...with some good questions in the back...I Was too lazy to do all of them though...

I wish I would have used this book prior to taking Step 1. This review book has many of the nit-picky details that I saw on my USMLE. I would recommend this book for those who have not taken Step 1 and I would also recommend the clinical boards and wards book for your clinical rotations. Good luck on your exam.

This book and Secrets are great condensed multi-subject reviews. When you get tired of reading FirstAid, Step-up and the subject-based review books (e.g. BRS Phys), this book is a great supplement. If you can find time for this kind of studying, you'll enjoy this small, condensed book.

I'm also looking forward to using it on rotations starting this summer.

This book is not only great for quick look ups on rounds, but it is great during the first 2 years of med school because the little highlights/buzzwords helps with exams.
Very easy to read, highlights just the important stuff.

This book is a lifesaver (maybe literally, when I start my internship!). It made F+E comprehensible for the first time ever. Yeah, I understood bits and pieces before, but my intuitive understanding has grown exponentially since reading this small book. Every fourth year medical student should read this. Dr. Pestana, thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!

This book is a "should" to a "must-read" for anyone wishing to have better than the most basic understanding of fluids, electrolytes, and enteral /parenteral nutrition therapy. Dr. Pestana starts with the basics and continues through to practical bedside therapeutics. I wish there were a newer edition (for typeset, tables, etc.), but the concepts and facts as presented in this brief text will not change appreciably over time.

This book is a lifesaver (maybe literally, when I start my internship!). It made F+E comprehensible for the first time ever. Yeah, I understood bits and pieces before, but my intuitive understanding has grown exponentially since reading this small book. Every fourth year medical student should read this. Dr. Pestana, thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!

Dr Pestana taught my F&E down at St George's USOM in Grenada. He was as brilliant a speaker as could be and this book does his lectures justice. I have easily retained the education he imparted to me through this volume and his lectures. Be a better doctor and read this. Youll be amazed how poorly udnerstood this topic is and how porrly maintained patients on IVF are after you read this. Thanks once again Dr. P.

In a brief, accessible, and inexpensive book, Bob Blaisdell and Dover Thrift have created a fine selection of poems from the "Imagist" movement which changed the direction of American and English poetry in the early 20th Century. The precise nature of "Imagism" has been much discussed. Some of the more famous, succinct forumlations of its creed were "Not ideas of the thing but the thing itself." and, simply, "make it new". Imagism wanted to turn away from late 19th Century poetry with what the new writers perceived as its sometimes stilted diction, involuted syntax, forced rhymes, and forced sentiment and return to the object, to a way of seeing things freshly through precise speech. In Bob Blaisdell's brief introduction to this book, he discusses the principles of Imagism as Richard Aldington, the first poet to appear in the collection, formulated them: 1.Direct treatment of the subject; 2.As few adjectives as possible; 3. A hardness as of cut stone; 4. Individuality of rhythm; 5. A whole lot of dont's; 6. The exact word.

W.C. Williams's poem "To a Solitary Disciple" (page 137 of the collection) offers a good poetic summation of imagist practice. It begins:

"Rather notice, mon cher,
that the moon is
tilted above
the point of the steeple
than that its color
is shell-pink.

Rather observe
that it is early morning
than that the sky
is smooth
as a turquoise"

The collection includes 180 poems by 17 poets. The selections were culled from the pages of the "little magazines" of poetry that presented works of the new movement between 1913 and 1922. The poets receiving the most space are, understandably enough, D.H. Lawrence, Ezra Pound, Wallace Stevens, and W.C. Williams.
It will be a joy to a reader coming to these poets for the first time. The book also includes many lesser known but important writers such as Richard Aldington, H.D. Amy Lowell, and others. Thus the book, short and accessible as it is, does not constitute simply a collection of favorites. It is a fine introduction to imagism and to the spirit of our modern age including both well-known and lesser-known figures.

This book can be enjoyed and savored simply for what it is -- an inexpensive collection of many of the poems illustrating the modernist temprament. As such, the book will offer many hours of reading and rereading. Equally important, the book could also serve as an introduction for those who want to learn more, to explore further the development of American or English poetry in the Twentieth Century.

Of all the movements in 20th century literature, Imagism is my favorite. If you're as sick as I am of angry, modern, "confessional" poets (yes, I'm sure your childhood was awful, now see a therapist and get on Prozac), then take a look at this collection. While some of the poems here are widely anthologized (including Wallace Steven's, "Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" and William Carlos Williams's, "To Waken an Old Lady"), most haven't been seen except by literati. It's truly a shame, because one of the "rules" of the Imagist movement was clarity of prose and vision. Take this gem from Richard Aldington, for example: "The chimneys, rank on rank,/ Cut the clear sky;/ The moon/ With a rag of gauze about her loins/ Poses among them, an awkward Venus---/ And here I am looking wantonly at her/ Over the kitchen sink." Wow! The Imagist movement was about nature, and unexpected beauty; things we haven't seen much of in late 20th/early 21st century art. In my opinion, this affordable little book is worth ten times the cover price. "Confessional" poetry? If I want to read about child molestation or how awful the world is, I'll read the newspaper, thank you.

.....with a phenomenal price tag. If you are just curious about different types of poetry (as I am) or wish to learn specifically about Imagism, don't pass this one up!

This anthology contains more than 180 poems by the best known Imagists: James Joyce, Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, Ezra Pound, D.H. Lawrence, Richard Aldington, among about a dozen others. The reader experiences the full range of Imagist poetry.

Imagism, which had it's emergence in the 1910s, is distinct in that each poet is permitted to find his/her own rhythm without constraint, subjects are treated directly, the language is precise, adjectives are used sparingly, and there is little rhyming. In effect, Imagism, which was considered radical at the time, ultimately widened the definition of poetry written in English.

I found in reading this collection, that there were rhythms that I distinctly did and did not respond to. Thus, I found poets that I discovered I liked and responded to and others that clearly did not do the same for me. I always found the topics of each poem worthy, however. Few seemed frivilous, but rather centered on topics of love, religious worship, nature, death, among others that emphasized meaning that far transcended mere words. Particularly, if you enjoy original, detailed descriptions of our natural world, I think you'll respond to many of the poems contained in this anthology.

The one item I felt was lacking was that there was no bio for each poet. I would have liked a brief (paragraph or two) intro to each poet, particularly because several of the names were new to me. Otherwise, I'd have given the collection five stars.

I bought this book because of the low price and enjoy because of the vast amount of work. Yeah.

This was an excellent purchase!!! The book came in good time, and it is an excellent book. I would recommend it for others interested in poetry!!!

If you haven't read Williams and need a place to start, this is a great beginning. Pinsky has a keen eye for Williams, and selects the freshest and most involving poems. Glancing through the reviews for all of the Poets Project books, I'm surprised little has been said about the book. For a small book it has a tough binding, but more importantly the print is easy to read--making it enjoyable to thumb (I find it difficult to read more than a handful of good poems without a break).

So much depends on this selection of WCW's work... it seems to me better than the other selection in my possession, the Penguin edition from the 80s. This one is beautifully designed and sized. I'm not familiar enough with the entire opus to really know whether this selection is definitive; certainly none of my favourites are absent. Small quibbles: something about the type makes poems sharing a page look like uneasy bedfellows but I don't know if this is avoidable. Also the glue inside the front flypaper is visible and I'm not sure will stand the test of time as well as the poems have. Overall though, a very pleasing volume.

First of all, I'm shocked that I am the first person to review this book, which was released a few months ago. I'm no poetry "expert," though I do know what I like, and I like this guy. But where is everybody? I thought this volume, as well as others in the American Poets Project, would have received more attention. Especially William Carlos Williams, a voice like no other, intoxicating in a way that Whitman is, but a more modern voice, more syncopated. And there is the same love of the world around him, mostly simple, sometimes broken things. No doubt, he is one of the main voices of the 20th century and he well deserves his place in the pantheon.

If you have never read W.C. Williams, this is a great place to start. If you have, this volume is a beautifully presented distillation of his work and will be sure to offer some new revelations.

I just loved this book. It was perfect for some light reading.

In clear prose, with a distinctive, piercing style, the author addresses the subject and exposes its surfaces and depths. Anyone interested in these poets should be sure to purchase a copy

Sentiment and emotion ride the waves with scholarly precision as Flinn pens the book Dean Koontz wishes he could write but knows he can't. Masterfully ignoring the conventions of the techno-thriller, this book steps boldly where Tom Clancy fears to tread. If you liked "The Bridges of Madison County" or "Trade and Tariff Policy in the Weimar Republic," this is the book for you.

Imaginations is a collection of five of WCW's early works, most of them a strange amalgam of poetry and prose. Kora in Hell is here, one of the cornerstones of American prose poetry. It is one of those books that feels like being handed an invitation or permission slip.

For me, however, Spring and All is the book's great pleasure. Spring and All contains some of WCW's best poems surrounded by wild prose that offers theories of poetry and rants and zany plans to destroy civilization "west of the Carpathian mountains (also east)". So much of this material has been extracted and made to look respectable and buttoned-up, like a child at church. It's so much more exhilarating to read all together.

I should admit that there are several books here I cannot yet decipher. I open pages at random and roll about in this great strange mind and hope to live a long time and become smarter and more patient.

I like to carry this book when I have almost no time to read or think. Somehow WCW was able to make these strange fragmentary books in the midst of doctoring and exhaustion. These are messy books, messy in a way that gives me courage, full of plans and frustration and paths leading nowhere.

Williams' poetic theories are quoted so often--and yet I found that the most fun, most liberating, part of Spring and All I'd never seen before. I immediately had a fantasy of aspiring writers being made to recite the following, like the Gettysburg Address.

"The writer of the imagination would find himself released from observing things for the purpose of writing them down later. He would be there to enjoy, to taste to enjoy the free world, not a world he carries like a bag of food, always fearful lest he drop something or someone get more than he,

A world detached from the necessity of recording it, sufficient to itself, removed from him (as it most certainly is) with which he has bitter and delicious relations and from which he is independent - moving at will from one thing to another - as he pleases, unbound - complete

and the unique proof of this is the work of the imagination not "like" anything but transfused with the same forces which transfuse the earth - at least one small part of them"

William Carlos Williams' "Imaginations" collects five complete works of the great american poet. As excursions into experimental literature these five examples cannot be beat. The compelling and lucid examinations of the working imagination by one of the best acrobats of the imagination. All originally published in small editions and finally available again as they were before being hacked up into selected works and anthologies. "Spring and All" contains many of William's best-loved poems as they appeared with the original experimental prose that was in itself a manifesto of imagination. "The Descent of Winter" is poetry, fiction, criticism and personal journal all in one and is exquisitely beautiful and deeply insightful as a portrait of an unusually gifted artist and man.

William Carlos Williams' "Imaginations" collects five complete works of the great american poet. As excursions into experimental literature these five examples cannot be beat. The compelling and lucid examinations of the working imagination by one of the best acrobats of the imagination. All originally published in small editions and finally available again as they were before being hacked up into selected works and anthologies. "Spring and All" contains many of William's best-loved poems as they appeared with the original experimental prose that was in itself a manifesto of imagination. "The Descent of Winter" is poetry, fiction, criticism and personal journal all in one and is exquisitely beautiful and deeply insightful as a portrait of an unusually gifted artist and man.

This autobiography will be recognised 100 years from now as the key to understanding the genius of Williams. He is the preeminent figure in 20th Century American Literature and will inevitably be recognized as such.

I once lent my copy of Ariel (Sylvia Plath) to a poet that I knew. He defaced it by copying out "so much depends" in the front of the book. "Yes," he wrote, "to Plath, but..."

It irritated me then, and it irritates me now, looking back. As though there were a hierarchy and as though that damned red wheelbarrow meant more than anything else someone could choose to write about.

Even still, I came to really admire Williams as a poet. I had actually started to write "love Williams as a poet", but I realize that this isn't true. I admire his work much more than I love it. It seems to me that admiration would have been what he preferred.

Actually, I have to kind of figure that Williams might have preferred I have no opinion at all. I am even more certain, reading his autobiography, that he would have heartily disliked me. I certainly didn't find myself warming to him as a person.

But still. Worth reading. Well worth reading. If you're in the mood for something lighter, it is probably worth reading just for the gossip about other famous folks from the period. If you want to think hard about his ideas about Objectivism, you certainly can find food for thought here. He has a great talent for both observation and introspection. It isn't made less delightful by his apparent total lack of self-doubt.

I've read most of his poetry, but based on this I plan to pick up at least one of his novels. Recommended for anyone with an interest in poetry. Particularly recommended for anyone with an interest in American poetry. Never mind the white chickens, anyhow.

This book, handsomely published by Wesleyan University Press, provides an essential and accurate record of Williams' involvement with little magazines and small publishing houses. The format is a model of clarity and accessibility. Many entries reveal his interest in painting and all the visual arts. Poems with the same title, like "Poem" or "Love Song," are carefully kept separate by giving the first line with the title. Section A concentrates on the first editions of all books and pamphlets by Williams. Section B describes the books with contributions by Williams. Section C lists his contributions to periodicals published both in the United States and abroad. Other sections describe recordings, broadsheets and cards, and all manner of miscellanea. Williams' remarkable popularity throughout the world is outlined in the section on translations. And his one known medical article is given its own section. Blank pages are offered for notes and additions. The index provides easy access to all names and titles, but the entries are also cross-referenced in helpful ways. Wallace's introduction titled, in Williams' words, "The Complete Collected Exercises toward a Possible Poem" is charming and incisive. Photographs of Williams, including one by Charles Sheeler, and a facsimile of the title page of his first book of poems is included. This bibliography should be updated and reprinted.

This book, handsomely published by Wesleyan University Press, provides an essential and accurate record of Williams' involvement with little magazines and small publishing houses. The format is a model of clarity and accessibility. Many entries reveal his interest in painting and all the visual arts. Poems with the same title, like "Poem" or "Love Song," are carefully kept separate by giving the first line with the title. Section A concentrates on the first editions of all books and pamphlets by Williams. Section B describes the books with contributions by Williams. Section C lists his contributions to periodicals published both in the United States and abroad. Other sections describe recordings, broadsheets and cards, and all manner of miscellanea. Williams' remarkable popularity throughout the world is outlined in the section on translations. And his one known medical article is given its own section. Blank pages are offered for notes and additions. The index provides easy access to all names and titles, but the entries are also cross-referenced in helpful ways. Wallace's introduction titled, in Williams' words, "The Complete Collected Exercises toward a Possible Poem" is charming and incisive. Photographs of Williams, including one by Charles Sheeler, and a facsimile of the title page of his first book of poems is included. This bibliography should be updated and reprinted.