Authors Books

Gustavo Perez-Firmat's memoir is a heartfelt read.
For anyone who has straddled the hyphenated word Cuban-American and thought themselves as a CBA (Cuban-born Americans) or ABC(American-bred Cubans), this book is a secret treaure.
Perez-Firmat takes the reader on a cultural literary journey as he tries to come to terms with exactly what and where home is. Is it the place you were born (Cuba), the place you were exiled to, (Miami) or the city that you find yourself most at peace with (Chapel Hill, North Carolina) Perez-Firmat offers a tender philosophical introspective read on all the above.
The book took me to the corner merchants and restaurants of la saguesera to the academia of Chapel Hill, where Perez-Firmat later settled in as he pursued a master's in literature. Or as he puts it, "Living with an American spouse, dealing with American stepchildren, and speaking English at home, I am much more aware of my nationality that I ever was before." (p.171)
His memories of his family dynamics (two grandmothers sharing a two-bedroom with him, his brother and their parents) will be relatable to anyone with a large Hispanic family or to fans of PBS 70s show "Que Pasa USA?"
But his take on his "romance with teaching" really resonated with me.
I enjoyed reading the often humorous tales of this professor in the classrom as he teaches college students about Spanish literature. In one scene, Perez-Firmat goes on to describe his philosophy for teaching, which can serve as a lesson to many aspiring teachers.
"I'm a successful teacher to the extent that I can get my students to fall for me...In a deep sense, I am the material...Like other love affairs, teaching has its own pace and moods, its good and bad days, its coded language, its rewarding or bitter conclusion. Sometimes you walk into a class and it's love at first sight."

This book made me come to terms with what being a Cuban born American means to me. Perez Firmat shares his own personal and sometimes painful experiences with the readers. In doing so he made it easier to define and understand my own experience as a Cuban-American who loves the United States yet has a yearning to gain a deeper understanding of his own Cuban roots.

That we Cubans and Cuban-Americans can find humor in any situation--even the most tragic and overwhelming--is a testament to our strength. This book is a poignant, funny, and sometimes sad tale of one man's struggle to find his identity. It is a very personal self-examination, but one that most of us (all us "hyphenated" people) can relate to. Are you Cuban? Are you American? Are you "of Cuban descent"? Are you Cuban-American? Are you one person at home and another at work? These are difficult questions, and he walks us through the even more difficult process of trying to find an answer. Does he have an answer? Yes and no. The author also explores the Cuban community's rise from its initial status as an underprivileged, immigrant, "exile" community, to its present role as an assimilated, politically active, financially powerful ethinic force. All of this adds more depth to his own personal identity issues. The book is fascinating, thoughful, and full of relatives we can all look at and say "I have an aunt/uncle/mother/father/etc. just like that!"

In the wake of the Elian Gonzalez saga, I just hope everyone reads this and remembers how and why we got here. Thank you, Professor Firmat.

That is the question that has echoed throughout the Cuban exile community for over 40 years. As the older generation fades, the new generation continues to ask, to wonder, if the next year will finally be the year when Cuba will be free and Castro will be, and there's no other way to say it, dead.

Perez Firmat and I stand a generation apart, yet reading this book, there really was no difference. The Cuban-American experience has much to do with yearning, an emotion that this book succeeded in evoking. We yearn for the Cuba we hear our relatives talk about. We yearn for the freedom of this never-seen homeland, to see the end of the tyranny. And we also yearn for this America, for the apple pie and Coca-Cola life we see and hear all around us, yet can never fully belong to.

Being Cuban-American is not only complex, it is two extremes thrown together. Finding our identity as we straddle two nations is a challenge even now, 40 years later, and even to people like me, first-generation Cuban-Americans. You are forced to ask over and over again, What am I? I am not Cuban, I was born here in the U.S. But I am not American, my "Cuban-ness" is such a strong, obvious part of me it cannot be denied.

Next Year in Cuba does a great job of giving an eloquent, humorous voice to this complexity. It's a great read on the Cuban-American culture, sure to give a better insight and appreciation to those wanting to know more.

As a young person who was born in the United States but whose parents were born in Cuba, identity has never been black and white for me--although it has always been blue, red, and white. This book crystallized so many emotions that I had felt my entire life but had never really examined. If you are 22 and have never been to Cuba, but still call yourself Cuban or if you are 60 and think if your childhood on that island paradise everyday--this book will make you laugh, it might make you cry, and it will certainly make you think. For over forty years now Cubans have been hoping for that "next year" to come to fruition, but we are still waiting. This book will make you long for "next year" like never before. Read it--you will never forget you did.

I was very pleasantly surprised and pleased by this book. It is certainly one of the best poetry collections I've ever read, and I've read many poets and many poems. What immediately draws you in about Soleil's work is its intelligent yet refreshingly accessible and readable style, and at the same time its highly intimate and personal subject-matter, very confessional and autobiographical. Some of the subject-matter will be shocking even by contemporary standards, but as the author himself explains, his real intent isn't merely to shock or to write dirt for dirt's sake, but rather, to express himself creatively and share his impressions about aspects of his life with the reader. Besides, attitudes in the West continue to become more relaxed, more enlightened, and we're a far-cry from the uptight, conservative '80s. Soleil's "Object Lessons" is in the tradition of Charles Bukowski, yet completely original. It has the potential to be (and deserves to be) an underground cult classic like Allen Ginsberg's "Howl", which is perhaps a much more well-known but far less readable and far more outdated work. So what is Oz du Soleil's work really about? Well, if u like to read about how wonderful everything is and how nice the flowers smell in spring, LOOK ELSEWHERE. These poems are unabashedly honest and explicit about how they deal with more daring topics, like the author's sexual interests, including frequenting sex clubs, porn, masturbation, etc, not to mention his preference for full-figured women over the anorexic magazine model. But its not all about sex and erections and "tuna-eating", there's also a lot of other things he talks about, including just regular friendship, especially with women. His use of language is unique and grips your interest. All thoughout, one gets a sense of an outsider, someone who has not quite fit in. Why? Because Soleil is an individualist, a moral nonconformist, a social radical, and an artistic original. Such people always have difficulty in the "real world" becuase they refuse to compromise and conform more than they absolutely have to, they just wanna be themselves and experiment with darker or more daring aspects of reality, even taboo reality. It is also clear from the persona in this work that the author is very human, a person with clarity, sanity, wit, emotions and intellect, not merely a Prozac-medicated, sex-driven, one-dimensional human being. This is Soleil's first published book. I recommend it highly!

This book takes you through a real-life journey of the author. Enjoy the ride as he makes observations regarding that which pleases and that which disgusts him. The candor is refreshing, but not for the faint of heart. I loved this book and get more out of the essays and poems as I read them over and over again.

This book takes you through a real-life journey of the author. Enjoy the ride as he makes observations regarding that which pleases and that which disgusts him. The candor is refreshing, but not for the faint of heart. I loved this book and get more out of the essays and poems as I read them over and over again.

Oz pulls his readers into his poems and invites them to look at life-situations in a different way. His articulate style leads the reader into the depths of Oz's mind. His style and use of language is unique and refreshing.

Object Lessons, was a work of very intimate natures. Very heartfelt and at times revealed the authors cords of gentle and justified frustration while seeking solutions to the myriad of questions about manhood, sexuality, relationships and life in general.

As a woman, I was given a precious peek into a world seen through the eyes of one man where the walls of codes,secrecies and deceptions were temporarily opened. I was made to feel that his journey is shared by many men but remains unspoken for many reasons.

I encourage the author to continue exposing this world to women and men so that we may come into a greater understanding of one another. Not by socialized programming, but by helping each other set aside our fears and appreciating the unique qualities that we all have to offer.

Bought this book for my 19 yr old daughter. She gobbled it up in a night. Now it's making its way around the college dorm. My wife wants to read it, too! I'm buying the entire series as it comes out. Sorry I couldn't give actual details about the author/story, but, I think this series is a winner based upon my daughter's response.

This series begins at Christy's wedding, where the Christy Miller series leaves off, now from best friend Katie Weldon's perspective. Katie is just finishing her junior year at a Bible college. She is overwhelmed by her busy life and the big decisions she needs to make soon, such as whether to take a resident advisor position her senior year, and what to do about her undeclared major. Not the least important, she also is trying to understand her relationship with Rick Doyle, her "almost boyfriend," with whom she has a complicated past.

I found the characters in this book multi-dimensional and easy to relate with. The religious tones are not preachy, and rather refreshing: Katie wasn't raised in a Christian home, and therefore has her own set of Christian truisms that are unique and thought-provoking. Although Katie can be a bit over-dramatic (and maybe over-sensitive) at times, she is a charming character and enjoyable to read. The blending of purity and romance is what makes this novel both beneficial for young readers, and satisfying for all ages. I laughed several times, and cried several times! That is rare for me in reading fictional stories. I highly recommend this book.

As Katie Weldon attends her best friend Christy Miller's wedding, she can't help but think about her own love life. In PECULIAR TREASURES, the first book in Robin Jones Gunn's new Katie Weldon series, Katie works hard to catch the wedding bouquet in hopes that her slow-moving, undefined relationship with Rick Doyle might begin to speed up. However, Katie quickly notices that Rick seems less than enthusiastic about the bouquet attempt.

Romance isn't the only thing on Katie's mind. At the ceremony, she is approached about the possibility of a job as a resident assistant at her university. While everyone thinks she'd be perfect for the job, Katie begins to wonder if she's really ready to give up her social life for the year. Not to mention that it would mean having to quit her job at the Dove's Nest, where she conveniently gets to spend her days with gorgeous Rick.

After Katie decides to take the position as an RA, her life becomes more complicated than she ever imagined. She's had a big crush on Rick since high school, and now that he's finally her "almost-boyfriend," she thought she was ready to solidify their complicated relationship. But now they appear to be drifting farther apart than ever. With the RA job taking up her days and nights, it looks like a relationship is the last thing she has time for. And when they do manage to spend any time with each other, it seems to always end in disaster.

Luckily, Christy soon returns home from her honeymoon and is able to give Katie some wise advice from a married woman. And it looks like Katie will need it, too. Rick is faced with a promising business opportunity, which might be taking him far away from her. And he seems to have been getting quite a bit of attention from an unrelenting female. Between trying to figure out her relationship with Rick, fulfilling her duties as an RA and hoping to graduate on time, Katie's senior year will be anything but relaxing!

PECULIAR TREASURES is the first book in the latest (and third) spinoff series of Robin Jones Gunn's original Christy Miller series. Fans of the earlier series will no doubt be excited to catch up with the familiar characters. The book picks up right where the last series, Christy and Todd: The College Years, left off, and gives the reader glimpses into unresolved storylines, such as Christy and Todd's marriage, and Doug and Tracy's baby. Newcomers might find themselves confused or uninterested in the sometimes complicated and, by this point, very developed characters. However, that is certainly not to say that the book can't stand on its own.

All in all, PECULIAR TREASURES is a very enjoyable read and continues a story that fans will be glad has returned.

--- Reviewed by Jennifer Crosby

I read all the Christy Miller books when I was in high school and when I heard Robin Jones Gunn was writing another book I had to get it. It was such a great book. Robin Jones Gunn does a phenomenal job of making the characters become real. I would highly recommend this book and all other Robin Jones Gunn books.

This book was exactly what was needed to continue the Christy Miller Series! But there are still ALOt of unanswered questions from her series that needs to be answered! But I Believe this series will answer alot of those questions. Any Christy fans will love this book as i did and Katie will attract new fans with her positive out look on life!

This book is a good buy even if you don't really plan to read a poem a day. This book is an excellent anthology that shouldn't be missed. As a student, I know that some poetry books can have some bad choices, but this book is not like that. Every poem is good and makes you think. You won't be sorry if you pick this book up.

I simply LOVE this book and pick it up every day to read a poem---that's how good it is. It's turned me on to many new poets and renewed my acquaintances with the old favorites. I was happy to see this gem on page 278 by Raymond Carver:

"And did you get what--- you wanted from this life, even so?--- I did.--- And what did you want?--- To call myself beloved, to feel myself--- beloved on the earth."

The power of the words shine through: the power of words to heal, strengthen, uplift, comfort, hurt, wound, enrage, succor and rejuvenate! This book is a celebration and a joy to read.

I enjoyed reading the words to Leonard Cohen's, "Suzanne Takes You Down", a favorite song from my past.

The poem, "from Jubilate Agno" written by Christopher Smart in the 1700's while in an insane asylum (about his cat!) was awesome and a must read for EVERY cat lover.

"The Falcon to the Falconer" by Jonathan Steffen blew me away. Here's a few lines:

"Unleash me from your hand--- And I will lance the light for you--- I'll cut a swordblade on the wind--- And pennant it with flight for you--- To signal I am yours--- If you will free me to be true to you. . ."

I could go on and on! I'm so happy that I found this book and recommend it highly!

If you like to read, you will delight in the book. If you enjoy words, you will revel in this book. "A Poem A Day" should be the next book in your library!

It does not matter if you have enjoyed poetry before today, because this is a splendid collection of poems especially selected to touch and tickle you. Poems of love and nature and joy and mundane; you will find yourself in these words.

The editors, Karen McCosker & Nicholas Albery, have done a wonderful job of selecting interesting and intriguing poems. The footnotes alone make the book worth the price because they only serve to draw you into the poets life, or experiences, or work.

I do not own or write poetry. I like words and reading. I love this book.

Read 'A Poem A Day.' You will regret not having this book yesterday.

This book, "Poem A Day", edited by Karen McCosker and Nicholas Albery has become a permanent fixture on my nightstand. It is filled with long forgotten favorites and new(to me) poetry that always stir me in some way.There are odes, sonnets, play excerpts and wonderful poetry to find a little escape and add something special to your day or night. Several from giants like Shakespeare, Shelley,Kipling,Bronte,Browning(Elizabeth and Robert),Emerson,Dickinson,Wordsworth,Tennyson,Plath are sprinkled throughout, and have a note pad and pencil ready, because you are sure to find new favorites, you will want to check out more closely as well.
Whatever your mood, you'll find just the right verse here. Romance, humor, deep thoughts, dirges,song lyrics, great play quotes and much more.

The poems, which range from olden days to contemporary, follow the calendar. Each day has it's own special entry, and has notes on the Author or the poem itself and usually has some special meaning for that particular day. For example, from Hamlet - Act III, Scene I, the great and celebrated soliloquy("To Be or Not To Be....") is given the March 16th page - "On this day in 1976, a performance with Albert Finney in the lead role opened the National Theatre in London, some 25 years after work on the building first started....."
Or on February 11th..Sylvia Plath's poem "Words", you not only get to drink in the beautiful poem but also learn that -"On this day is 1960, exactly three years before taking her own life Sylvia Plath had written to her mother and brother with news of her first book of poems, 'The Colossus', being accepted by Heinemann. 'Amaze of Amaze', she wrote.

So the book, not only serves to give the reader the beauty of the words of the Author's themselves, but on every page, you'll learn something new about your favorite. It will also open new doors to others you may be just discovering. The editors encourage you to study your favorites and make them your own. You can take just one a day,linger with your favorites, enjoy the pleasures to be found in the words, and maybe even take the time to memorize it. Or read several a day, whenever the mood strikes. There are treasures inside you can savour and then return to anytime.

A year's worth of wonderful poems, a lifetime to cherish. And yes, you even get one for February 29th - "Time Is..." by Alan Beam, born Feb 29th 1948
Enjoy....Laurie

I have been very pleased with this anthology, which is absolutely for people who love good poetry in a variety of forms and styles. Great selections by Yeats, Hopkins and Blake, and many poems that you may - like me - have loved once and lost, plus some that are less familiar but great finds. Happily no Rod McKuen or Susan Polis Schulz and also, happily, no T.S. Eliot. In other words, nothing mediocre, but also nothing effete and academic. McCosker is obviously very widely read, very open-minded, and has a love for the musical, the meaningful and the memorable. The notes on the poets are very good reading. Let's hope it will inspire some good poetry writing in the next generation!

THIS GUY IS MY ENGLISH TEACHER!
Mr. Simmons is fricken' cool.
He's really funny, and I'm not lying. =]

<3 Corinne

Shawns poetry is some of the best slam Ive seen! He is an amazing poet, and ahs shown me what it takes to be a good poet! His book is great and really hits at some great topics! He speaks the truth, and doesnt care what people think of it...its just great stuff!!!

Shawn is awesome. His performances rock. He was my camp counseler this summer! His stuff is really deep, and it touches me. Some of my favorites are "Welfare Cheese" and "Angels". He is amazing.

I saw this dude at a show in philly. I can't believe the book was as good as the performance. Anyone know if simmons has a new book coming out, i am first in line!

I saw Simmons perform not too long ago and bought this book instantly. He took my breath on stage and on the page. If your thinking about buying this book- stop thinking- buy it. I was a little disappointed that some of the poetry I saw performed wasn't in the book. Looking forward to a second collection...

I stumbled upon Roses & Thorns through a friend and was quickly prompted to buy my own copy. The combination of sonnets, free verse and excerpts from Pride & Prejudice make this collection highly appealing.
The reader will gain a new insight into the minds and hearts of our beloved P&P characters, and there's just a dash of humour scattered throughout.
Altogether, an exquisite and delightful little book!

But Selene Goodman has a fine touch and an ear for the sonnet form. Interspersed are lines taken directly from the text, which support the idea of each sonnet. The entire book is nicely laid out and pleasing to read. The poetry is lyrical and quite beautiful, capturing the nuances of each Pride and Prejudice character, from Darcy and Elizabeth, to flirtatious Lydia, carping Mrs. Bennet and the over-bearing and pompous Mr. Collins. We even have the thoughts of poor, long-suffering Mr. Bennet.

Selene Goodman has done a beautiful job with this little book and I'd recommend it to all!

This little poetry book is a respite for weary 21st century folk, those who long for Austen's time. You are transported back via beautiful sonnets into the Pride and Prejudice world. What a delight!

This is a delightful collection of thoughts and passions written by the characters in Austen's Pride and Prejudice. The sonnets are interspersed with free verse, some of it humorous. Ms. Goodman can certainly write beautiful sonnets and you come away from reading the poetry with a feeling that you've been transported back in time to Austen's world once again.

Selene Goodman's,Roses and Thorns is not only an artistic and intelligent tribute to the writing of Jane Austen, but also a demonstration of the beauty of the sonnet form. Ms Goodman's language is rich in melody and imagery. To read this book of poems is to be transported back in time to a period of romance that one seldom finds in today's writing. I hope that she continues to create and enhance the genre of poetry. I'm looking forward to more.

This book is an excellent collection of classic Russian short stories in the original language plus and English translation. Couldn't ask for anything better.

you can make this as easy or as challenging as you like. You learn words when they keep popping up in the stories

A book of short stories from famous Russian Authors, Half in Russian and Half in english. The book loks intimidating, but the stories are selected to appeal.
The stories were capitvating and all were easy to follow except the cave. I did attempt to read the russian and the layout makes this easy.
I have now been introduced to different Russian authors that I will follow up.

Got this book a while ago, its way too hard for me for my level but the good thing is you can work through at a slow pace and still get a lot out of it. Stress marks are very helpful, would have been useless to me without them basically, and the glossary is also helpful although it doesn't include everything (good to have a dictionary nearby). Layout is good, that is, having the english on the adjacent page, makes for very easy reference to the english. Archaic language is usually noted and explained as such, which is useful. Great for reading practice, highly recommendable book for all skill levels (i have only been learning for around 6 months but have still got a lot out of it so far). Good selection of stories and enough to keep an beginner reader going for a long time!

This book works on two levels: One, these short stories are by the Russian masters of the genre. In English translation, they are powerful, evocative, and moving, on their own. There is a reason why Pushkin, Chekhov, and Dostoevsky are still popular: Those guys didn't write any garbage. They set the bar for all writers as high as it could go. I would especially recommend "Sleepy" by Anton Chekhov. Read it on Halloween night, as I did, for a good old fashioned fright.

Secondarily, for those of us learning Russian, these short stories provide fascinating and very challenging works to translate. Be advised, this is a high level of Russian literature, written for educated and literate native speakers, so it's a big challenge. Pack a lunch.

The short story format is especially beneficial. If you can get through one story, believe me, you are ready for the psychological reward of starting a new story.

I read this book over 20 years ago. It was my introduction to Samuel Johnson. The book inspired my deep devotion to Johnsonia. The subject, I now know, is fascinating; for over two centuries biographies of Johnson have never been out of print. But this book caught my attention and fixed it. It is a moving portrait of a person like all of us except with greater disabilities and greater strength and, after years of struggle, greater triumphs.

I urge anyone with an interest in English literature or 18th century England or in the heights to which a honest and brave man can reach to make the effort to read this book. It is, at the very least, a good read. It may also make ytou a better person.

I found this in out annual library sale for $1. I look forward to reading it based on the reviews here on Amazon. I suspect he is the famous Dr. Johnson that was said to disprove Berkeley by kicking a rock? Yes.

This biography has everything: meticulous scholarship, incisive literary criticism, and a prose style that recalls the days when professors could actually write a beautiful sentence.

The weaknesses are very few. At times Bate's analysis can "sprawl," as he once put it, especially when he tries to apply Freud while discussing Johnson's "self-demand" (an intriguing concept that never really explains Johnson's indolence satisfactorily). Also, Bate tends to defend the Thrales even when they come off poorly, which is surprisingly often. Finally, a bit more on Johnson's relationship with Edmund Burke would have been welcome, for these two geniuses were all too aware of each other's greatness.

But these are only minor quibbles. Altogether an inspiring achievement, and a testament to the heights that only the humanities reach.

Samuel Johnson was a brilliant critic, perhaps the greatest English writer after Shakespeare, a fascinating eccentric, and a genuinely heroic man. The great merit of Mr. Bate's biography is that he succeeds in the magical illusion of bringing Johnson alive again, giving us a vivid sense of what it might have been like to know him.

The highest praise for this book is the regret you will feel when the pages end and Johnson's great figure bows out. The biography is that rare item, a genuinely inspiring book.

I always wondered how anyone dare write a biography of Samuel Johnson since Boswell's Johnson is arguably the single greatest volume in all biographical literature. I now understand a bit better how this can be done , thanks to W.Jackson Bate.
Boswell presented Johnson as he knew him and heard him. He was a living witness who both worshipped the great man, and knew how to draw him out. Boswell is presented Johnson as he appears to contemporaries, in a way Johnson 'live'.
Walter Jackson Bate is doing something different. He is taking all the accumulated knowledge of Johnson, and using whatever techniques modern psychological and literary approaches give for understanding the human personality.
He is telling the story in a more detailed , systematic way and in a way which aims at a kind of deeper comprehension.
What he does is provide insights into the life and character of one of the most fascinating and loveable characters of all English Literature.
Physically huge and powerful, and yet tremendously vulnerable emotionally, a person at once strictly critical in his evaluations of others and of literature, and yet suddenly surprisingly kind in care for friends and misfortunates, Johnson is many paradoxes. But what fascinates above all is his tremendous genius, his great mental and linguistic power in presenting an understanding of Literature as vital to Life.
He is certainly one of English Literature greatest 'characters' and 'creators' as this work makes abundantly clear.

i have this book for so many years and thought i would pick it up and read something different , i really enjoyed this book how the author betrayed these men as brother with issues with dealing with there spirituality and how to be loving and faithfully and how dealing with their own demon that they are not alone .these 3 story was well written and have a very real storyline that still is happening in the black community this is a good story.yes i really did enjoy just wish i hadnt waiting so long to read

If you haven't read a good book yet this is the one. This book awakens your senses to men and their struggles. Don't want to say too much I may ruin it. LADIES story #2 will have you taking the book to the kithchen, the restroom, school, and work. MEN this will shed some positive light about yourselves. If I've never respected you (Men) before I do now. You have my uptmost respect. MY KINGS!!!!

Secrets of Gingerbread Men is a touching collection of novellas featuring African American men and the difficult choices they often face in today's society. Each storyline was tightly woven and the author has a distinct voice among the masses.

"Secrets of Gingerbread men" is a heartfelt, tear jerking trilogy of how profound God's role is in the life's of the people portrayed in the stories. It is stories about family, faith and love told with such vivid emotion that you feel as if you know each character in the story personally. The first story deals with a family of brothers that must face the impending death of one of them. The second story is about a marriage that stood the test of time filled with issues that might have destroyed any other marriage if they hadn't let God be a major force in their life. The last story is about a renewal of faith, when a young man realizes that he can no longer live in the current lifestyle he presently has and needs God back in his life in order to overcome accusations of involvement in a murder. Each story different, yet each story the same. "Secrets of Gingerbread Men" was a delightful and refreshing read that everyone that reads it will definitely enjoy.

I'm hard to please. Period. But this book made me read and read and read! I like Taylor's stuff. A believer myself, I had my doubts about Christian fiction. But this lady has her eye on the prize. Who says Christian fiction has to stay "in the closet"? The real things real people go through are the same things God can fix. Each of these stories touched area of life that I've experienced although my favorite was The Marriage Bed. Check it out.

This is a great on site guide for any one looking for a simple and accurate guide to building rafters.

I had a copy of this book when I worked as a carpenter. I rebought it for my son who is in the trade, and is planning to start cutting roofs in Montana. This will be a very valuable asset !!!

I have probably ruined five of these books, due to rain, losing them, etc. I just keep on buying them. After you measure spans you do not have to go back up on the roof. This is the best roof framing book of all. Five stars.

Trig calculators are for guys who wear visors, carry framing axes, and use sinker nails because they don't know how to drive a common nail. This is the book that the salty old man who takes pride in the fact that the house aint a quarter out; it's plumb level and square keeps on hand. I bought an extra copy for the old man who wore his out after 35 years, and taught me the value of doing things right. Read it and use it and you can frame any roof based on the principles it effectively teaches.

I learned to be a carpenter from my grandfather, and other master craftsmen that I worked under during my five-year union apprenticeship in Southern California. That was during the time when a lot of the carpentry teachers were still wearing white-bib overalls instead of the toolbelts we wear around our waists nowadays. This book review is derived from many sources: The various conversations I had with some of those long-gone master craftsmen from years ago, the good things that master framer Larry Haun said about this book in his Framing Roofs DVD, the use of this book by master roof cutter Steve Peters in his video series, "The Art of Roof Cutting," and a few other things that I learned along the way while researching this text, carpentry history, and this author.

An early settler and carpenter, born in 1889, by the name of Augustus Frederick John Riechers wrote this book, "Full Length Roof Framer," and published it in 1917. Then, in 1944, he renewed the copyright for a second time right around the same time as D-Day, on June 6th, 1944, when Allied Forces landed on the beaches of Normandy to fight for the liberation of Europe during the Second World War. I'm also told by a family member of Augustus that this book received its last renewal copyright in 1969 before it changed hands to a new copyright owner in 1992.

Augustus Riechers was born during a time in architectural history when the Victorian style homes were still enjoying their success on American soil as well as Great Britain. These old Victorians, especially the Queen Anne styles, were a true testament to the incredible craftsmanship and talents of carpenters at that time. Sophisticated rooflines and elaborate turrets adorned these homes like jewels never again to be replicated! These were the master carpenters that Augustus learned his trade from, and they didn't have the fancy scientific calculators that we do today with their sine, cosine, and tangent functions to cut those roofs and turrets.

Even so, according to what some of the long-gone carpenters and my grandfather told me many years ago when I was an apprentice, was that they did utilize one little booklet titled, "The Carpenter's and Builder's Practical Rules for Laying out Work." This book was written by a brother carpenter named Milton N. Rogers in 1901. I'm also told that in its day, it was very popular with carpenters because it contained useful information such as reading a steel square, rules for kerfing, along with information concerning common, hip, jack, and valley rafters. In addition, I was told that the carpenters back then really liked how this book fit into the pockets of their bib-overalls along with their carpenter pencils. However, this booklet, as popular as it was, did not cover enough information specifically for cutting roofs, so they just relied more on their good-ole framing squares or drylines.

Let's continue on with some important dates in the history of this book. It's 1944, what is happening in our country? Well, for starters, we're still at war with the Japanese, and Americans are looking forward to getting back to normal life. However, it will still be just over a year until the Japanese surrender. Then, finally, it happens! The war is over! The Japanese sign the surrender agreement that's referred to as V-J Day, on September 2, 1945. Victory over Japan!

With the Second World War finally over, life in America was about to change dramatically again. Returning veterans by hundreds of thousands now back home wanted to secure jobs and start new families. Married veterans desired the same aspirations with the wives and children they had left behind. Factories that were converted to producing supplies and materials for the war effort could now begin switching back to their normal operations, and the millions of courageous women that we refer to as "Rosie the Riveter," that ran those factories during the war, could once again return to their homes to be with their families. With these situations going on, however, we now had another growing problem: How in the world are we going to build enough houses fast enough for these thousands upon thousands of families?

Enter again now, the carpenters. They now have the enormous task of building homes for literally hundreds of thousands all across America! How are they going to keep up with the huge demand? That's where resourceful carpenters like the author of "Full Length Roof Framer," as well as many other talented craftsmen, took on the challenge and began developing newer methods for building homes more efficiently. This book, by Augustus Riechers, was certainly one of the tools that they came up with and utilized. At last, the carpenters had a book that could be carried inside a pocket, and still give every rafter length that was needed to get the houses built faster to meet the demand!

Now, and in conclusion, here we are today in the 21st Century. We're much faster production framers than our brother carpenters were in those days with our nail guns and roof trusses, but it's still nice to have a little book like this around for the times when we do stick-build a roof or two. At any rate, the next time you hear about this book, or read a review on it, consider owning it for nothing else but the short history behind it and its place in carpentry history. In addition, don't fret about which is better, calculators or rafter books. It's just a simple matter of preference. To some, calculators are faster. To others, rafter books are faster. I recommend this Library edition because it's very thin and compact. It fits nicely in the pouch of your toolbelt and it doesn't care if you get a little sawdust on it or drop it like my construction calculator does. I'll close this review with this: I own two copies of this book. One to use on the job when needed, and one to keep safely wrapped in our family's hopechest for our children.

This book review is dedicated to the memory of this legendary master carpenter named Augustus Frederick John Riechers, who passed away in October 1978 in Palo Alto, California. I, as well as countless other carpenters worldwide thank him for taking the time, and effort, to write a book like this to make the carpenter's job a little easier. It's also dedicated to the long-since-gone craftsmen in their white-bib overalls that left the rest of us a legacy and example to follow, and to keep this tradition going by passing along what we have learned to all carpenters far and wide.